If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.
Marcus Aurelius

If you’ve been reading my musings for some time then you’ll know that I regularly talk about The Law of Attraction, and the power of positive thinking. No surprises today because I’m going to talk about it again ☺ The reason I say so much about it is because it’s so fundamentally important for us all to understand the power of our thoughts and feelings in terms of what the life we create for ourselves. When we are connected to our true self, our authentic self, feelings of joy and happiness really begin to flow. When we are connected to our true self and not our ego, we can think and act from a place of truth – as I was explaining last week. The more we connect with who we really are, the easier life can become. The more we connect with who we really are, the easier it is to create a life of joy and happiness.

So creation then. How do we do it? Basically we create by what we think and feel. What we think gives us feelings, our feelings have energy and power behind them that we send out into the world. Our thoughts create the actions that we take which will have a knock on effect in our lives and the lives of those we touch. So the long and short of it is, be careful what you think because where you put your focus is what you’re actually creating.

The thing about taking action when we’re creating is that it’s imperative that we take action from a place of centredness and happiness, not from a place of fear and panic. The problem with the latter is that a) we end up wasting our energy doing all sorts of things to try and sort things out and b) we make ourselves incredibly stressed and ill. The other important thing here about creating from a place of fear is when we try to take action and create from a place of fear what we do is actually create the thing we’re trying to avoid. Let me repeat that last bit again: we actually create the thing we’re trying to avoid.

Why is this? Because that’s where you’re focus is: on the fear, not on the place where you actually want to be. Let me give you an example, you’re running out of money and you’re beginning to panic about being able to pay the bills. So you think to yourself “I’ll do whatever I can to get more money so that I don’t end up going to court or losing my home” and then you start to look around fearfully for ways of making money. The more you try to find things, the less and less you find them. The more stressed you get. The nearer the date comes for when you need to pay your bills, and so you get more stressed and search even harder and still find nothing, or grab at the first opportunity even if you know it’s not really the most helpful thing to do. All because the focus is on “so I don’t end up going to court and losing my home”.

Let me give you another analogy. This time from the Harry Potter books by JK Rowling. For those that don’t know the story, here’s a very brief synopsis: Voldemort is an evil wizard trying to kill off Harry Potter and anyone who’s not a Pure Blood Wizard, and ultimately take control of everything. Now the thing that Voldemort feared most was that Harry could beat him because of part of a prophecy he’d heard. Voldemort totally feared what Harry might become so tried to kill him and ended up killing only Harry’s parents. If he hadn’t killed Harry’s parents Harry never would have grown up wanting to end Voldemort. Thus Voldemort set up his own downfall. Do you see? If Voldemort hadn’t gone out of his way to kill Harry he never would have set in motion Harry’s determination to take revenge.

Unlike Voldemort, we are all capable of love. We are all capable of being centred and of feeling good, despite what is going on around us. What we must do when we fear something is allow the fear to wash over us and focus instead on doing whatever we can to get back to a place of centredeness. We need to focus our thoughts on feeling good and take action from a place of love. We need to take action that will take us to where we want to be, not take action to avoid what we don’t want. Subtle difference I know, but it does make the world of difference.

One way of taking action is powerless and energy draining. The other way is empowered, powerful, and completely flowing. I know it can be challenging at times, especially when we feel the grip of fear take us over completely. Those are the times that we need to take some deep breaths and then do whatever we need to in order to get back to a place of centredness. Always act from the heart centre, never from nervous reflex and fearful reaction.

Truth resides in every human heart, and one has to search for it there, and to be guided by truth as one sees it. But no one has a right to coerce others to act according to his own view of truth."

Edmund Burke

Do you always tell the truth? By this I mean do you always speak and act from your authentic self? Some people will answer this question with something like this: "yes I do as long as I don't think it is going to harm or upset someone". A bit like that proverbial wife to husband "do I look fat in this dress?" and the insecure husband is not sure how to reply. It can all depend really on what the wife is actually asking. Is she really asking whether the dress makes her look good and works well for her, or is she seeking validation about her looks? Or is she asking something completely different?! Oh, and this isn't just about women - men ask these kinds of questions too, I'm just using this as an example.

Speaking our truth is a choice we make and, with that choice, comes responsibility and a knowledge that not everyone will agree with us. Indeed, some people may well be angry and aggressive because their truth is different. So we need to be ready to face that - which can be an incredibly scary thing. Look at some of the people in the past who have spoken their truth and faced huge challenges because of it: Gandhi, Jesus, Martin Luther King, even Hitler. I know that some may gasp and react strongly to that last name - that aside all these people acted from a place of truth as they saw it.

However, we must also understand that our truth flows from the authentic self. The Soul (or Higher Self) which is a being of the purest, and most unconditional love imaginable, cannot act in such a way as to harm others. It's not possible. So there are two "truths", if you will. One that flows from the Authentic Self (the Soul), and one that flows from the Ego. The truths from the Ego actually have their seeds and origination in the truth from the Soul, however the Ego distorts these truths in subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) ways. The truth, as I see it, is that there is actually nothing wrong with working towards being as pure and loving as we possibly can be. It is when that turns into anger, resentment, violence, and hatred that we have deviated from Soul truth to Ego truth. It is when we try to force others to accept our truth (as Hitler did) that we have deviated from a place of unconditional love and acceptance, to a place of Fear.

Now remember, this is the truth as I see it. It may not be your truth. And that's OK. There is room enough in the world for us all to speak and live our Soul Truth. Ultimately, the more connected we become to our unconditionally loving Soul, the more our truths will blend together in harmony. The more we connect with our Ego Self, the more our truths will be in conflict. The more we act from the truth of our authentic, Soul Self, the more our actions will uplift us and the world around us.

As a spiritual coach, people come to me to help them with their lives. They come to me to help them dissolve blocks and fears that are holding them back. Of course I am as supportive as I can be and nothing gives me more pleasure than seeing someone moving forward and enjoying life. There are times when I notice that the person may be avoiding dealing with, or actually seeing something in their lives because of some kind of fear they have. The question is do I tell them what I can see and risk them being upset or angry, or do I not say anything and let them think it's all OK. For me, the former is where I like to think I act from. That is why people return to me: because they know I will not just flatter them and instead will help them to see things from a clear and deep level.

When we speak our truth it doesn't need to be cutting, angry, or rude. It doesn't need to put others down. Truth is not about "right" and "wrong" it is about acting from a place of authenticity of who we really are (extensions of Source energy - i.e. Souls having a physical experience). When we choose to connect with the authenticity and purity of our Being, we cannot harm or hurt anyone else. It's not possible.

Acting and speaking our truth, as I said above, takes courage. Courage to stand in our light, power, and truth knowing that there are others who will disagree and possibly even hate us for it. But the payoff is knowing that we are acting from a place of pure, unconditional love, and that we are being true to ourselves and our values. Further, understanding that speaking our truth is not making others wrong or putting them down. It is about being honest about who we are and where we are, and loving and honouring ourselves as much as we honour and love others.

Intention is the key here: the intention to speak our truth, and act from a place of mutual respect and pure, unconditional love. When truth comes from this place of unconditional love it may sometimes be painful at first, but it brings with it healing and insight. By acting in this way, we give permission to others to do the same, and find that others treat us with the same, loving respect.

" It's surprising how many persons go through life without ever recognizing that their feelings toward other people are largely determined by their feelings toward themselves, and if you're not comfortable within yourself, you can't be comfortable with others. " Sydney J Harris

It can be so very easy to make snap judgments about others when first meeting them, can't it. I certainly don't mean this in a critical way - more an observation (even though our first snap judgment may well be critical!). We have been conditioned to learn since childhood the apparent necessity to make decisions about people and situations quite quickly in order to respond in terms of possible "fight or flight". What's that phrase "you only have one chance to make a first impression" - that may well be true... but I believe you do have more than one chance to make a lasting impression.

Let me give you an example of where I recently made a bit of a snap decision about someone and allowed myself to get a bit cross about it. Over the Solstice weekend I went to Glastonbury with Bill and the lovely Karen Peach (who co-created the Essences of Illumination with me) and her husband Chris. We stayed in quite a nice B&B within walking distance of the Tor and Glastonbury itself. However, I was slightly taken aback by my perception of the apparent blunt and slightly cold exterior of the person who ran it.

Unfortunately I allowed myself to make a snap decision about her and all sorts of judgments flickered in and out of my thoughts. Not good! Not helpful. And, as it turns out, certainly not justified! Fortunately Bill reminded me not to get knocked off centre and to aim to see the whole of the person not just one aspect. Well done Bill!

The morning after the first night we engaged our host in conversation and she completely lit up! Her demeanor changed completely! Talk about transformation. It was really pleasant chatting to her such that I felt such a pang of guilt about my previous judgments! Fortunately I didn't allow myself to wallow too much in the guilt as that's just the Ego self trying to beat us up (it's a persistent little b*gger isn't it! - the Ego I mean!).

The whole experience reminded me that it's helpful to give something of ourselves to others before expecting them to open up to us. By holding back, all we're doing is withholding from ourselves the love that everyone deserves. It also reminded me that we all have more than one aspect to us and we need to look at bit more carefully to see things as they truly are. For example, when you look at the leaf of an oak tree, you know it's an oak tree leaf.. however you also know that it's not the tree itself. It's just a part of it. By taking a step back, we can allow ourselves to see the whole tree - but even then, we're only seeing one side of it.

The main point here is about learning to take a step back and try to see as much of the person as you can without any judgment and before making any decisions about them. I'm not saying it's wrong to discern that you do not wish to engage further with a person, just that it's unhelpful to judge them for what you see initially. Is an oak tree any better than a yew tree? Certainly not... they're different, have different qualities, and so have different strengths in how they can be put to use. The same goes for humans... we each have different qualities even though we're all from the same race. Accepting diversity in a non-judgmental way can be one of the toughest challenges we have face in our physical experience, but when we've "got it" life can be so much more enjoyable!
So the face you see on someone isn't who they really are - it's just one aspect that you're seeing in that moment. The more you give to others in supporting and respecting them, the more likely you will be to see a more open, supportive, and respecting response. Remember, the world just reflects back to us what we ourselves are portraying.... What aspect are you portraying right now?

"We are extensions of Divine Source. We are the architects of our life. We are the creators of our experience. What are you creating?" Alun Illumine

"If you were all alone in the universe with no one to talk to, no one with which to share the beauty of the stars, to laugh with, to touch, what would be your purpose in life? It is other life, it is love, which gives your life meaning. This is harmony. We must discover the joy of each other, the joy of challenge, the joy of growth."

Mitsuge Saotomi

The journey of life can be challenging at times, but it doesn't have to be difficult. Challenge doesn't necessarily mean "difficult". I'm using the work "difficult" here to mean negative,

depressing, too much, horrible, unpleasant, stressful. I think you get the message of where I'm coming from here. Challenges are there to help us grow, learn, and evolve. No one said life was going to be always a walk in the park in the sunshine - sometimes we find ourselves walking in the park in the rain. Of course, we can always choose not to walk in the park in the rain if we want to ;-) But it can be fun splashing in puddles and getting wet, especially know that when we get home we can get dry and put clean, dry clothes on. It's how we view the rain that makes all the difference about whether we embrace or reject the experience. Of course, we can always take umbrella or wear a raincoat to keep ourselves dry too. There are lots of options.

The other day, whilst walking through the park (strangely enough!) I had this sudden understanding and realisation why some people choose to rock climb and explore. Now this

may always have been obvious to you and, on one level, it always has been to me. But, I suddenly understood why many of these rock climbers and explorers keep on going. It's the challenge and excitement of trying something new. Once you've climbed on mountain, there's a drive to find another one. A different one. That requires perhaps slightly different skills. A different approach. The need for support from others to reach the top. It will teach new things as the rock climber faces new and, perhaps slightly tougher, challenges. There's that word again "challenges".

I think I've always understood this on a logical level, but that day, walking through the park, I finally "got it!". It was like a lightbulb sparking on in my head and there was a loud "Aha!" moment! The reason we all incarnated in these physical experiences is NOT to have a difficult life, but to experience new and exciting challenges! Again, I've always understood this, but this deeper, more meaningful understanding helped me view things in a different light. Each challenge we face is not there to knock us back and stop us moving forward, it is there to help us grow and evolve!

Look at this way, if all life offers us is the same challenges, day in, day out, yes of course we can get incredibly good at them. But what happens when we grow bored? And trust me, we will! There is an inherent need and drive in all of us to seek out the next challenge that will help us grow and, whether we like it or not, the Universe is pushing us to face these challenges. As I said above, it's how we view them that makes all the difference.

So if you're in a challenging spot right now, take some time out to answer the following questions as honestly as you can:

How am I viewing this challenge? Positively? Or Negatively?
How is this challenge helping me grow?
Why did I ask for this challenge in my life?
What skills do I need to develop or hone in order to deal with it?
Am I, unnecessarily, trying to face this challenge alone?
Right here, right now, what would make this challenge easier to deal with?
Am I taking this all just a bit too seriously and dramatically?
Am I just feeling sorry for myself and being a bit of a victim?
How can I inject a bit of fun into it?
Am I clear about what the rewards will be when I've succeeded?

Remember the wonderful saying by Gandhi "Be the change you want to see". In order to change your challenges and make them more exciting and palatable, one of the key things is to change your approach to them.

One final point on this, no one will punish you if you decide to let go of a particular challenge and ask for another one. You may be a bit disappointed later that you didn't push yourself, but no one will think any less of you. You are who you are, and the Universe loves you unconditionally - no matter what you do.

"We are extensions of Divine Source. We are the architects of our life. We are the creators of our experience. What are you creating?" Alun Illumine

As we get older many of tend to get the impression that time is speeding up and that things are happening so much more quickly. In many ways this is actually true… although time itself is pretty constant and I’m not sure it is actually speeding up. However, what is occurring is that changes and shifts are happening far more often.

There is a lot of information that one can find on the internet if doing a search for “2012” and most of it is not to do with the Olympics ☺ There are lots of beliefs and prophecies about what 2012 will bring… some positive, some negative. Regardless of your philosophy of life or your religion things are changing much more quickly now than they ever have before.

It’s a bit like the needle on an old 33 LP vinyl record…. The outside appears to move more slowly than the inside whereas they are actually moving at the same speed. As you move further into the centre, the record holds less and less information because the tracks are closer to the centre and so have smaller rings. This is unlike life, in that the closer we get to the centre (to Source), more experiences and changes are packed into a lesser space, and so change is happening more often despite time staying the same.

But let me use a different metaphor to take this a step further. Imagine, if you will, a captain of a ship. A new captain is slightly raw and not comfortable or prepared to be able to deal with all the changes that can happen to shifting currents and weather whilst at sea. He (I’ll use “he” here for ease but it can just as easily be “she”) begins by making short trips out, learning about the sea upon which he sails, the currents, the trends, the local weather, the dangers, and areas to avoid or pay close attention to when sailing through them.

The Captain can either grow in experience through learning to flow with the weather and currents, and weather the storms of change, or he can keep permanently to the shallows (or even the docks) and not move forward at all. The thing is, unlike the watery ocean on this planet, the sea of shifts and changes will force us, at some point, to leave the docks to which we may be clinging so desperately, and we need to know how to navigate. If we don’t listen to the rhythms of our bodies and the life going on around us, the journey for us can be unnecessarily choppy and unpleasant.

The Captain listens to the sounds of the sea, learns to sense the changes in the weather, knows his ship so well and, very importantly, takes good care of it. A good ship, cared for properly, can take a person anywhere he/she wishes to go. Another ship perhaps neglected in some ways can make the journey less pleasant and cause the captain to make unplanned stop-offs for repair and recuperation. Note I say “unplanned” for every captain knows that not all journeys can be made in one go ;-)

The more we grow accustomed to the shifts of life, the easier they are for us to navigate. Each shift may well be slightly different, but there can still be similarities to things we’ve experienced and so we can draw upon our skills, knowledge, and strength to get us to where we’re going. The sea is something not necessarily to be feared, but definitely respected. Like life…. Life need not be feared, but definitely respected. Life is only a sea of torment and tortuousness if we view it that way. Viewed another way it is an excellent place for excitement, exploration, and embracing new opportunities.

We do not have to deal with these shifts alone. There are other sea captains out there ready to help us and share their knowledge. We have a crew supporting us. Ultimately, however, we are the Captain of our ship and we make the final decisions about where and when we travel.

Taking time out to review where you are right now on your “ship” is a good thing. Ask yourself these questions:

Are you clear about where your ship is headed?
Are you sailing only in familiar waters because it feels safe?
Are you holding yourself back from a new travelling experience?
More importantly, do you know where your ship actually is right now?
Do you need to take some time out to rest your ship and make any necessary repairs?
Do you need to load up any cargo or supplies for your next journey?
Do you need to connect with any other, more experienced, Captains to seek their advice?

Remember, you are the one to make decisions about your “earth vessel” in which you are having this current physical experience. Others can offer guidance, but the decisions lay with you. The more experienced at life you get, the easier and more enjoyable it becomes.