Conscious Entrepreneurs: Come Out of the Spiritual Closet!

Everywhere I look, I seem to discover a new marketing term for self-employed professionals. Conscious Entrepreneurs. Evolutionary Entrepreneurs. Heart-Based Entrepreneurs. Visionary Change-Agents.

Not that there's anything wrong with that. Except that I've never met anyone who said, "Hi, I'm a heart-based entrepreneur." Meanwhile, I'd been trying to avoid stepping on those inert, unconscious entrepreneurs. And if someone did introduce her or himself as an evolutionary entrepreneur, I'd be curious to have them show me their X-Men-like ability to transform chimpanzees into clients.

What these marketing strategies are addressing, I believe, is that many coaches, entrepreneurs, holistic practitioners, and more are just done with the old paradigm to simply make money: they feel compelled to transform the world around them by adhering to their life purpose. And why? Because they believe in something bigger than themselves, and likely have had direct experience with... well, here's where we run into trouble, because the terms are so loaded. Spirit guides. Angels. And, yes, God. Although if you'd prefer to avoid the Judeo-Christian burdens laid upon it, you can call it the Divine, Spirit, Source, the higher self, Presence, the inner light, or a plethora or other terms.

For many of us spiritually based (at least in our personal lives) entrepreneurs, Divine Presence is the real reason behind our passions and work in the world. We weren't given a choice - we must do what we are doing, and must continue to follow our inner guidance. There's no shortage of us - and our numbers are radically growing. Yes, 2012 is here.

Yet in many circles, we still act as if it were the 1950's, and a radical act to talk about intuition when in a business context. We don't want to be labeled "woo-woo." And, if your spiritual practice is embedded within a particular religious tradition, somehow the old separation of church and business limits us from being overt about it. We don't want to turn others off, afraid of being blacklisted and having our businesses fail.

Unfortunately, in the course of doing so, we hide what matters most to us, and pretend that Something Larger really doesn't matter at all or play such a prominent role in our lives. We forget that so many others feel the same way.

So I'm taking this opportunity to "out" myself. I previously had been calling myself a Performance Coach. Yes, I work with self-aware entrepreneurs and professionals who want their businesses to perform well, and to perform as compelling and effective public speakers. The full truth is that I tap in intuitively to what is most aligned with your life purpose, as well as with those you are here to serve, and to help you show up as the real you. The truth is that I'm an Intuitive Business Strategist and an Authenticity Coach. "Intuitive" and strategic? You bet: there's nothing more strategic or authentic than tapping into your Divine Light to guide you forward on your path in a practical, tangible way.

Depending on one's clientele, this must be negotiated individually, and often slowly. It may take time for this to emerge. But when we have deeper conversations, reveal more about ourselves, and take risks, we create room for others to really be themselves too - and even forge stronger client relationships. By being totally authentic to our core values, and speaking in our highest truth, we become an inspiration, and light the way for others to come to us.

Note: this does not imply that it is appropriate to begin talking about God in every business conversation. I've certainly felt uncomfortable at times when others with very different beliefs have brought up their beliefs out of the blue. The point is: if you are already using somewhat muted terms to talk about spirituality - and especially if your ideal clients actually hold similar worldviews - that's a really good time to consider being more open.

So whether you're a conscious entrepreneur, a visionary, or simply work for yourself while definitively knowing you're here for a reason, I have one question for you:

Are you ready to come out of the spiritual closet?

Jonathan Bender has helped thousands of professionals and entrepreneurs find their true voice, and step into their true self as the most authentic way to attract new clients and customers. An Intuitive Business Strategist and Authenticity Coach, he helps spiritually based entrepreneurs, holistic practitioners, and coaches create a great living while changing far more lives. An in-demand coach on how to be an effective speaker and networker, he has presented throughout the United States and internationally, and is the founder of Conscious Business Bay Area. Jonathan holds a Master of Fine Art in Contemporary Performance and a Master of Science in Communication and Performance Studies. More details: http://www.WholeSpeak.com.

Mental and Spiritual Housecleaning - An Guide For the Owner of Our Own Lives

Sure, I will start out with have definite goals and stay with them until you achieve them. But, indeed that would be too simple. So, I will start out with something more substantial as you read on. Everyone, as long as they are conscious, even in the least "free" country in the world, owns their own states of consciousness and lives. In fact, consciousness can be called the real "lord of the land" so to speak. Nothing external can really be called that. Leaders, popes, presidents, kings and the like, they are all leaders through our solely given by ourselves permission. But they are the ultimate illusory "schoolyard bullies" at worst, they carry out the "will of the people" at best. Those are the key words ultimately, "the will of the people" because as long as there is consciousness, people can lead themselves and lead themselves beneficially. So, sure, I say there is a choice and there is. But this is something to consider, if even the "worst" person had a choice, they would act purely for their own benefit or to genuinely survive prosperously. That is not an opinion, that is logic.

So, people own their own lives, yet they often act like outside forces have some sort of real control over them when outside forces are more likely fear mongering bullies than mind readers. "Big Brother" has no power except that which we give him through our consent. Winning in life comes down to knowing your thoughts are in control all day and all night, and you must check and do things in a disciplined, logical way. Indeed, that sort of discipline and logic does not yield cold behavior, but just the opposite. It yields honest attention, honest appreciation and honest enjoyment when you really think about it and act upon the reality of it. It is irrational, emotional and undisciplined behavior that is destructive and feels sad and destructive. Everyone, even the irrational, wants happiness. But the irrational person just goes about it the wrong way.

The only right way is the rational, disciplined and logical way. Sure the character of the way can vary, but the basic methods do not vary and getting closer to the reality of the situation means knowing your own mind. In every culture, the first thing in every wisdom school, religion and even politics and philosophy is the saying "know yourself" in different ways and methods. But the basic logic of knowing yourself is always there even when there are seemingly irrational or genuinely rational ways of going about it.

So, there is always a way to discipline yourself even in the worst of situations where there is genuine consciousness. That is the key. Discipline, steadfastness and total willingness to act on your own behalf in a rational, beneficial way are the bridge you take across forever to self made paradise.

My name is Joshua Clayton, I am a freelance writer based in Inglewood, California. I also write under a few pen-names and aliases, but Joshua Clayton is my real name, and I write by that for the most part now. I am a philosophical writer and objective thinker and honest action taker. I also work at a senior center in Gardena, California as my day job, among other things, but primarily I am a writer.

Choice and Consciousness is a Very Spiritual Partnership

Every day you are bombarded with stimuli. Every day your head is filled with thoughts. Every day you must make decisions about what thoughts to pursue and what thoughts to ignore.

We live in a world of choice. Sometimes we are conditioned to think that we don't have any choice in certain matters but we always do. We have choice in every thought and therefore every creation that shows up in our lives. The choices you make determines who you define yourself to be and who you are in relationship to the rest of your environment. You might even say you chose your environment. You chose it and you created it. Does it serve you? If not choose again.

This is the wonderful thing about choice. Nobody says that once you make a choice you must stick with it forever. That's not how it works. You are free to choose again at any time. You live in the present moment and therefore you make your choices in the present moment.

The choice you made ten minutes or ten days or ten years ago does not affect the choice you make in the present moment. There is no law that says you must stay with your choice and experience the consequences of it. In fact the natural law governing this says quite the opposite. You are free to choose at all times. And you do.

Many choices are automatic. You choose to breathe because it sustains your life. You do this automatically and unconsciously as a matter of choice. You prefer to think other thoughts than just "I choose to breathe in, I choose to breathe out." You put breathing on autopilot. But it's still a choice. If you choose to stop breathing you can create this in a variety of ways. You have to consciously think about it and then consciously create it, otherwise autopilot is fine.

Autopilot is fine for most of the day-to-day bodily functions required for human existence. Human experience on the other hand is more of a consciousness thing.

As humans we have taken many short cuts in utilizing our power of choice. We have developed the habit of making our choices unconsciously, just like our breathing. We have been told that it is okay for us to view a situation in our life, hark back to a similar situation, whether we experienced it ourselves or somebody told us about it, and react to the present situation with the same responses we have in our memory.

We choose what we consider a socially acceptable reaction to common stimuli. We are told that to choose any other response would not be socially acceptable and we will be judged harshly for any deviation from the norm.

Sounds like we are a bunch of robots. That doesn't sound like freedom. That sounds like a condition. And conditions limit us and allow judgment.

If we continue to choose the path of unconscious choice we will find ourselves restricted to only those choices that others tell us are acceptable. We begin to lose our identity of self and personal choice. We take on the identity of the group and accept the group choice as our own. We become unconscious of the freedom of choice that lies within us and accept the restriction of choice that lies external to us.

We surrender our authentic power to the power of others and we do this by our own choice. Unconscious choice perhaps but our choice just the same. Would we give up our freedom of choice consciously? Probably not. If we were aware of the fact that our unconscious choices determine what shows up in our life, wouldn't we choose to make conscious choices? Probably so.

The key is the more aware we are of who we are and where we are going, the more consciously we can make choices to get us there.

Richard Blackstone is an award winning author and international speaker on Love, Oneness & Creation. Journey into discovery of Self by reading this FREE report; "The 3 Simple Immutable Laws of the Universe" at: http://www.NutsandBoltsSpirituality.com

Spiritual Enlightenment - Understanding Consciousness

You have probably already heard all of the Spiritual Enlightenment sayings like "Consciousness is all there is," And "Advaita means - not two."

And although all of these things are true, the words themselves filed away as knowledge, don't get you any closer to Spiritual Enlightenment.

So in this article, I am not only going to help you understand consciousness, I am going to give you the direct experience of consciousness, so that by the end of this article you will be able to experience a state of nondual consciousness which can lead to Spiritual Enlightenment.

Then all that is left for you to do is practice staying in this state of consciousness, or rather, practice stopping yourself from leaving your natural state. There is nothing complicated about it. Once you have the direct experience of consciousness then it is up to you to grow in nondual awareness through practice.

First, before we go any further, I would like you to forget everything you know about spiritual enlightenment, consciousness, nonduality, advaita and all other spiritual knowledge you have tucked away. Throw it all out because it is useless for what we are going to do.

You can have it all back after this article if you want it. But if you want spiritual enlightenment, you have to learn to experience this moment fresh and new, without relating it to what you know. Because it is what you know that stops you from experiencing pure consciousness.

And rather than getting into some intellectual advaita essay on spiritual enlightenment, let's get our feet wet and experience pure consciousness:

Right now, in this moment, take about 20 seconds, close your eyes, and notice your thinking. You are not to change your thinking or seek a certain thing out, you simply are to close your eyes and notice your thinking. Do this now.

On the surface, it seems that you cannot notice the process of thinking, because you are the one thinking the thought. The thought arises about what you had for lunch and suddenly you are re-living having lunch. There is no noticing happening.

So when you try and notice your thinking, thinking either stops, or you get involved with the thinking and there is no noticing.

On the surface, you could conclude from this observation that you are the thinker of your thoughts.

But in truth this is a false assumption. Look closer.

Close your eyes again and notice the thought arising. Start in a space of no thought and watch the thought arising.

Do this now.

If you practice this and really allow the thoughts to come and still remain noticing the thoughts, you will see that thoughts arise by themselves. You are not thinking the thought, the thought arose by itself. You were noticing no thought, a thought arose and you noticed it arise. Another thought arose, or many thoughts arising at once and you are noticing it happening.

You are not doing the thinking. The thinking is happening by itself.

This in itself is a state freedom. It is the beginning of Savikalpa Samadhi. It is when thoughts arise and you remain completely detached from any involvement with them- a state of witness consciousness.

What usually happens when you are not conscious is that the thought arises and instantly you identify with that thought. Instantly you claim "I thought that thought, it is my thought, it defines me." And then you make the thought important and are involved with it.

The thought arose, you took responsibility for it and you defined yourself by it. The thought is about you, your life, what you saw on TV, what you read, what you know, what you did. The thoughts are personal. You are identified with the thought. You think "I am sad" and sadness becomes your identity and it becomes your reality.

But once you learn to watch the thoughts, the thoughts become impersonal. They no longer define you or bind you. You are free from the involvement with them. They can arise and disappear and you remain as consciousness in a state of unconditional peace. Very blissful.

I do not expect you to see this immediately. But at some point in time if you do your best to try and notice your thinking, you will come to a point where thoughts arise and you realize "I did not pull that thought up myself, it arose by itself." You will have some thought come out of left field and it will become clear. "I did not just think of purple pigs, that thought came all by itself."

Sounds silly but this is a huge step towards spiritual enlightenment. Because suddenly you no longer define yourself by your thoughts. You see you exist completely free of the mind. Thoughts are arising all on their own without your involvement.

If you are interested in understanding consciousness, this is a very important point. Because if you see thoughts arise by themselves, then what are you? You definitely are not the thinker of the thoughts, but you were conscious of your thoughts. You were aware that thoughts were happening.

Try this now: Close your eyes and don't have any thought. Just for a second, don't have any thought. What is there?

Do this now.

So what is there? If there was no thought, your eyes were closed, you were just blank? But you were aware of the blank, yes? You were there, noticing that blank.

So you see the same conclusion comes from watching thoughts, or watching no thought. Whatever the situation, you were conscious of it.

And in fact if you really look, there is no you there being conscious, there is you as consciousness! Consciousness and the sense of "I am" are one and the same, they cannot be separated.'

To go one step further, you cannot separate, you, this moment and consciousness.

So forget understanding consciousness, you are consciousness!

Now it does no good to believe this, to file this away in your knowledge of spiritual enlightenment. You have to practice it. You have to in this moment and in every moment, remain as consciousness,here and now. To be aware of consciousness itself.

The only time you will feel you are not consciousness, is when you are identified with the happening, you are identified with the thoughts arising. You are personally involved in the thought.

You have to look closely here. Because consciousness has not stopped when you are involved with your thoughts but the action of identification with the thoughts distracted you from the essence that is always here, consciousness itself. Because if consciousness was not present, you could not remember, "I was identified with my thoughts and emotions."

And a side note here: It is not that you should not have thoughts or emotions. It is very important that you allow whatever is here to be here. Trying to control the thoughts and emotions will only lead to stress. So allow it all to come and go.

In this allowing, you are conscious of it. It does not mean you have to identify with it or become involved with it. You can watch it arise and disappear without ever holding on to anything.

It is not about some cold experience of advaita consciousness where you separate yourself from what is happening. It is allowing life to be as it is in this moment and being aware of it, and as you grow, being conscious of consciousness itself.

So whatever is here, allow it to be here and notice it. And be aware of the noticing. Because really if you look, you are not noticing it, noticing is happening. Just like thoughts are happening or not happening.

You can remove the thoughts, you can remove the emotions, you can even lose identification with the body, but the noticing cannot be removed. You can see whether there is thought or no thought, you still exist. Consciousness always remains. Resting in this state of pure consciousness will lead you all the way to spiritual enlightenment.

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Christ Consciousness is a Spiritual Knowing and Evolutionary Development

Many people have heard of the "Christ Consciousness", but don't know exactly what that phrase means.

Christians, of course, insist that there has only been one person in all of history who had the Christ Consciousness--a Jewish carpenter or stone mason named Jesus ben Joseph, son of Mary, who lived and died in the first century C.E. and who, as it turned out, was really God Himself. Yet, those who are more aware of or open to ideas of deeper spiritual knowing and evolutionary developments available to all people understand that the Christ Consciousness was not exclusive to one man in all of history, and he didn't even create it--it was there before him. Few of these people doubt that Jesus certainly did capture and embody this Consciousness; but again, the dispute is over his being like Tigger; that is, "the only one".

As a matter of fact, the earlier and more mystical Christian traditions seem to indicate that even they acknowledge that more people than just Jesus ben Joseph of Galilee can have, and have had, the Christ Consciousness awakened in their being. The original disciples were able to perform miracles in the name of their lord (which simply means their master and teacher). And Jesus is quoted in the Gospels with having said, in so many words, that anyone who believed in what he did could also do the exact same things that he did. And today, there are Christian "Prosperity Teachers" who teach that you can heal yourself and others of afflictions, have all the wealth you desire, and be as powerful as Jesus in every way--except for those parts about "being sinless" and being the "savior of all".

Does it entail never having made a single grave error in your entire life and being everybody else's savior? Those who understand Christ as a level of awareness, not as an individual man from a particular time in history, would say no, it's got nothing to do with that. They would argue that Jesus was not sinless and was not born with the Christ Consciousness, although he probably was what we today would call gifted. They would also argue that he was not born of a woman who had never had sexual intercourse before his birth, and putting on the Christ Consciousness doesn't entail being that, either!

Indeed, the word "Christ" is a Greek word that was around for hundreds, if not thousands, of years before Jesus was ever born. And it means "anointed king" or "anointed one", which makes it very close conceptually to another (Jewish) word often used for Jesus: "messiah". This royal anointing goes all the way back, at least, to ancient dynastic Egypt, where the pharaoh or queen would receive an anointing on their head with an oil made from the fat of the monitor lizard (the "dragon") at the hands of the high priest. This anointing was a ritual way of signifying that the new monarch was the embodiment of the gods on earth.

So, what does the Christ Consciousness mean for us today? It means learning to think on a higher plane than most other humans around you. It means living out such qualities as patience, kindness, honesty, being in love with the truth, being slow to anger, and seeking justice without seeking vengeance. Anyone who takes the courageous conviction of opening themselves to the prospect of Consciousness can learn and cultivate it. It means having our foreheads "anointed" by a more cosmic understanding that comes "down" to us from above--from the vast universe, not just the little blue dot called Earth.

Amanda Is A Work From Home Mum of 3, For all of the latest products, news, and to see our products visit Paranormal Products

Spiritual Life Coaching - Living With Heart-Based Intention

Your thoughts, perceptions, feelings, and beliefs emit bioelectromagnetic (BEM) fields that not only affect your mental and physical health but they also have an impact on others around you. Living with Heart-Based Intention requires a shift in consciousness from the brain's egocentric "little me" perspective to the heart's connection with Unity Consciousness.

Being centered in the heart means practicing presence and learning how to let go of resistance to what is. When you are able to do this consistently, your body will be emitting a BEM field of energy that will benefit your mental and physical well-being as well as the well-being of everyone you encounter. You will automatically bless others with your presence because you will be firmly rooted in your heart. The frequency of heart-centered living is contributing to Cosmic Consciousness by nullifying thousands of negative, mind-based BEM fields.

As a "frequency holder," your responsibility will be to raise the collective vibration of humanity and subsequently prepare us for our next stage of evolution. The Next Human will be firmly rooted in heart-based living and who consistently allows the heart to lead the mind. Only from this level of consciousness will we, as a collective, be able to dissolve the conflicts, pollution, social injustice, wars, and poverty that plagues our planet today.

The Next Humans will naturally lead a life of non-violence, non-resistance, and non-reaction. They will do everything in their power to peacefully overthrow the current regimes of dictatorship, oppression, and control as the world recently observed with the revolution of the Egyptian people peacefully protesting the dictatorship of President Hosni Mubarek. During that uprising, the world witnessed several protestors who held the Koran in one hand and the Christian cross in the other, symbolizing heart-based tolerance for all religions, and unconditional love for everyone.

The human being is the end result of the biological evolution of the planet. In the last five thousand years, dating back to the advent of our modern civilization, we have been predominantly living in the mind. However, as we draw closer to the end of the Mayan Calendar on December 21, 2012, we will be making a shift of consciousness from the mind to the heart. This doesn't mean that we won't be using the mind anymore. We will just be allowing our hearts to lead the mind. We will be trusting our hearts which is also our sixth sense, our psychic abilities. Furthermore, we will be utilizing other extra-sensory powers such as teleportation, telekinesis, levitation, and remote viewing.

Spiritual Life Coach, Jason Lincoln Jeffers, is the founder of The Art of Transformation, a company dedicated to teaching Spiritual Enlightenment to the world. His Spiritual Life Coaching practice uniquely combines spiritual wisdom with ego transcendence, holistic wellness, life path astrology, shadow & pain-body work, heart-based intention, the power of presence, and the law of attraction.

An Orange, Consciousness & Spiritual Perspective

Nature is our best teacher and can show us dramatic insights into the very core of your being. All we have to do is be awake and aware of what is happening in any given moment of now. Let us take a look at what an orange can tell us about your consciousness and what is really inside of you.

I want you to think of an orange, a nice big juicy orange. . If you cut this orange in half and squeeze it really hard what do you get? You get orange juice, right? And why is it that you get orange juice from this orange? Because orange juice is what is inside of an orange. Pretty simple logic, true? You are not going to get motor oil or lemon juice; you are going to get orange juice.

Now, let's take this analogy and apply it to ourselves. If somebody squeezes you, that is, they threaten you or challenge you verbally or physically, what is going to come out of you? Well, whatever is inside of you is going to come out of you just like an orange. If what is inside you is an unconscious decision making process that reacts to external stimuli by going to your memory banks and picking out a similar situation, then that is what you will get. You will react to the threat with a state of being that you have used in the past. Typically fear, anger, hostility and being afraid will be your automatic choices from this unconscious level of choice when somebody squeezes you really hard.

If you are living consciously and have defined who you are as love, peace, forgiveness and kindness, then you will consciously choose a state of being to reflect these and react to the stimuli accordingly by doing loving things, such as peaceful talking, a forgiving attitude and kind gestures.

You still have the option to choose fear and anger but you are less inclined to choose them, because who you have defined yourself to be is not in alignment with those choices. We see very clearly that the polarity of love and fear is at work when we look at the options available to us in the choices we make every day of our lives. Every day of our lives we make hundreds of choices because we have hundreds of thoughts running through our heads at all times.

Each thought is a love-based thought or a fear-based thought. There is no choice in that because every thought comes from either love or fear. In order to increase our odds of making more love-based choices than fear-based choices we need to be awake and aware of how tremendously important each of our choices is and how it impacts our lives.

You then see the connection between what you think and choose to pursue and how that choice will affect your life. Your choice to read this article will affect your life differently than a choice not to read this article. Each choice is okay, but the impact of reading these words has the potential to change the way you think, make choices, and evolve at a faster pace. Or it may not. It is entirely your choice.

The importance lies in your perception of what you read. That is what I love about the nuts and bolts of spirituality. The nuts and bolts of spirituality allows you to be the choice maker of your life. If you choose to you can continue to sleepwalk through life and live with the consequences of your unconscious decisions.

You are here to create your life in any manner that you choose. You are not restricted in any way by a controlling God who 'cares about what you do.' Whatever you choose to do is fine with God. You are eternal and what you choose in this lifetime does not change that. When you experience your earthly death that will be by choice also.

You may choose to die slowly and 'before your time' by choosing to smoke cigarettes for most of your life. You may choose to eat red meat throughout your life and develop clogged arteries. You may choose to be sedentary and never exercise your body or mind. You may choose to drink alcohol to excess at the expense of your liver. You may choose to allow your elected representatives to let industry pollute our drinking water or soak our food in pesticides that go into our bodies to continue their poisonous intention.

These are all choices that we make both individually and collectively that have natural consequences affecting our lives. We cannot claim to be ignorant of these day-to-day decisions but we can claim to be unaware that we are making these choices through unconscious living.

Of course unconscious living is a choice. Most of us would not knowingly poison our bodies or those of our loved ones. Most of us would not knowingly allow our elected representatives to make laws that are detrimental to our personal lives and our collective survival on this planet. We just wouldn't do this knowingly. We wouldn't make those choices consciously.

However, those choices are being made on a regular basis, both individually and collectively, when we go through life as a sleepwalker. The unconscious choices we make daily affect every facet of our lives in the exact same manner as the conscious choices we make every day.

Once again, we are not being judged for these choices but we are living with the consequences of these choices. There are natural consequences to every action that we take as individuals and as societies. It would behoove us to be aware of these consequences and see if they serve us or not.

Richard Blackstone is an award winning author and international speaker on Love, Oneness & Creation. Journey into discovery of Self by reading this FREE report; "The 3 Simple Immutable Laws of the Universe" at: http://www.NutsandBoltsSpirituality.com

The Gift of Imagination - Conscious Evolution and Spiritual Growth With Creativity

It is vital to the happiness of every individual that he or she continues to evolve in spiritual growth, self-awareness, and personal development. This growth and expansion as our true and authentic self is the basis of all spirituality. Accordingly, this growth and expansion can be enhanced by the use of the gift of imagination for creativity.

Progression and advancement in consciousness is the Universal Law of Continual Consciousness. And just how does creativity and imagination play an impacting role in our progression and advancement in consciousness? It plays a role through our ability to constructively and productively use the imagination to co-create life. The imagination when use properly begins the process of allowing the Creative Spirit to move.

Each time we use the gift of imagination properly we stir creative expression (the movement of the creative spirit). Creative expression promotes conscious evolution and spiritual growth. This growth and evolution is possible because as we use the gift of imagination, we are inspired and we inspire others. This inspiration is the substance which allows us to become more and add more life to life. Accordingly, if we were to ever wonder what the greatest desire for all mankind and womankind could be, the answer would be-more life. More life is riches and we have a divine right to live richly and in abundance.

Now, the question is, how can we use our imagination effectively to enhance creativity, conscious evolution, and spiritual growth? The answer is, go to the core of your being where your true and authentic self resides. Your true and authentic self is a natural co-creator who has been implanted with a vision for purpose in life. When we use the gift of imagination from the core of our true and authentic self, we are powerful co-creators and most importantly we are functioning as unstoppable visionaries.

A fine illustration from an artistic perspective is the art form of performance art, specifically acting and dramatic interpretation. An actor or actress who wants to deliver a powerful and dynamic performance always looks for ways to relate to the character from his or her true and authentic self-why? By taking the time to relate some aspect of the character's nature to his or her true and authentic self, the performance becomes more authentic. And if this actor or actress is seeking to communicate something about life and the human condition, he or she evolves and grows from having "played" the role of the character.

For example, if you were an actress who wanted to play the role of Lady Macbeth and you wanted to identify with her character, you may want to tap into your desire for success and fame in order to understand Lady Macbeth's ambition and greed. To heighten the identification and relation to the character, you may use your imagination to intensify your desire for success in order to understand Lady Macbeth's level of ambition. You may ask yourself: "What lengths would I go to achieve success?" With greater intensity with the use of your imagination, you may imagine what Lady Macbeth is feeling. How she make think she is justified in her actions. Later as she is tormented with guilt of her actions, you may use your imagination through the knowledge of your true and authentic self to understand her guilt.

Once your performance of Lady Macbeth has ended, it would be beneficial to you the artist to take the time to discover what new things you have discovered about who you really are and what is important to you. As such, by way of creativity and your imagination, you have grown in some way spiritually and consciously for having played the role of Lady Macbeth.

The same is true when we sing a song, draw picture, paint a portrait, or read literature. The same is true when we visualize how we want to live our lives, take meditative journeys to understand our true desires, or journal for self-realization. Creativity is creativity. It does not matter if creativity is used for art, personal development, spiritual development, self-actualization, or self-improvement. It does not matter because in the process, we are embarking on a journey to discover more about who we really are. The authenticity of this discovery is what leads to spiritual growth, conscious evolution, personal power, and success. This freedom of self-discovery becomes contagious and it inspires others to reach within to create more life.

So, if you desire to grow, progress, and expand spiritually and consciously, use the gift of imagination in the creation process. Imagination is a powerful gift and it is most powerful when we use it as our true and authentic self. The journey begins when we let go of the fetters and illusions of the ego and let the Creative Spirit move.

Carmellita M. Brown, a Writer, Artist, Visionary, and Entrepreneur, is the Founder and Creative Director for Blue Lotus Living, a Spiritual and Personal Development Community and Holistic Lifestyle Media and Education Company.? She has developed a creative success system which teaches the power of co-creating life.? She invites those who want to transform their lives and manifest their dreams and true desires to visit Blue Lotus Living today.

The New Spiritual Consciousness - An Emerging Paradigm Shift

All of life is welcoming you into a new reality, which is unfolding and emerging right before your eyes. You may not see this new reality with your physical senses yet, but your body, your consciousness, your intuition and your dreams are already actively involved in this new spiritual consciousness that is emerging.

For some, the whisperings of spirit are subtle and creating gentle openings of the heart. For others, the call of spirit resounds more loudly and may emerge out of a challenge or crisis situation, which opens the awareness to new possibilities that would otherwise not be considered.

The voice of spirit speaks uniquely in each soul. It may be creative inspiration that emerges, or an opening of the heart that creates a desire to share and give more to others. It may come through a healing relationship which transforms life totally and unexpectedly. Inner wisdom and intuition can flower in the most unusual of circumstances, as God is always speaking to us through both our inner and our outer lives.

The voice of spirit may act as a wake up call, to illuminate aspects of ourselves that are out of balance. Like a shining beacon of light, it can reveal and transform the hidden corners of ourselves, that have carried large burdens for a long time. God's light can act as a catalyst to undo past mistakes and past choices, to and create a renewed sense of healing and harmony.

You may have noticed changes in your consciousness, your awareness, and the ways that you look at life. There is a process of spiritual awakening that is happening on the Earth right now, which is still rather invisible to outer eyes, but which many are beginning to feel in their hearts. Our priorities are shifting, and life is asking us to love more, to let go of old grudges and pain, and to move forward in life with consideration and awareness of the Earth and the others in our lives.

No longer are we focused solely on ourselves and our own gratification. It is clear that in order to move into the future on this planet, we need to develop and nurture a respect for life, for the Earth, and for the other souls that share this planet with us. For each of us, this involves changes in the ways we live our lives, and in the ways we relate to others.

One day, this new spiritual consciousness will no longer be invisible, and the world as we know it will be transformed. Spiritual consciousness will not be separate from physical life, but an integral part of life. Spiritual consciousness will shared among all living beings, and will be understood as the foundation upon which we build our lives on the Earth. This process has begun and is now catapulting us forward into one of the most significant times in the history of humanity.

Your soul chose to be present at this time, to participate in this awakening of spiritual consciousness. Your presence on the Earth and purposeful and is an integral part of the larger process. How will you move forward in the coming days and weeks? Your God given gift of choice allows you to partner with God and the spiritual realms each day to join with other like minded, like hearted souls co-create the New Earth that is arriving. We bless you and give great thanks for your work.

Mashubi Rochell is a spiritual counselor and the founder of WorldBlessings.net, an online spiritual support community for people of all faiths. For more on the emerging spiritual consciousness, see the Blessings of the Light spiritual guidance messages.

A Conscious Conversation About Spiritual Prosperity

In the times we are living in, paramount on most American's minds are all things financial. How much money did I lose? How am I going to survive now that I have lost my job? Where am I going to live now that I have lost my home? Wow! These are serious concerns! How in the world did so many people from one of the richest nations in the world find so many of its citizens in this dilemma? What got us here for heaven's sake?

Well in a word... consciousness! Your consciousness, my consciousness... OUR consciousness! Yes for years now we have been living in a consciousness of fear and lack. This multiplied even more so after September 11, 2001. In September 2008, seven years later, the financial system in America was announced as being seriously ill. Isn't it curious that in Colin Tipping's book Radical Forgiveness he states that all cancer is preceded by depression which usually occurs around 7 years prior to the diagnosis of the cancer? In 2001 our country went into an emotional depression and now we are living with the cancer-like results!

It is so important that we all awaken to the fact that our consciousness both individually and collectively creates the world that we live in. If we don't learn how to shift out of negative thinking we will continue to suffer these kinds of severe consequences.

Too many of us think only of what we DON'T have. That gets us more of the same... not having! In the Bible's book of Luke (19:26) it says "For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him." (KJV) Why is that? It is because the Bible is a story about man's consciousness and if our consciousness got us into a state of lack in the first place, of course it is going to cause us to continue to lose even what little we may have. This becomes true for whatever lack we are experiencing be it a job, a relationship, fun, time, friends... whatever. If you think all the time that you are short of something, you will be! God always says yes to whatever you believe!

We Americans spent a lot of time and energy focusing on our lack of security back in 2001. Today how much more insecure could we get than to have our banking systems collapsing all around us? Jobless rates are growing and the news media is spewing more fear across the airwaves than ever in history! It is extremely challenging not to buy into the mass hysteria! It really does feel like the sky is falling!

So what is the solution? How does one feel prosperous in times such as these? We as individuals and as a people must stop thinking of how "BAD" things are! As mentioned we are still one of the richest countries in the world - financial crisis notwithstanding! We have so much more than so many on the Earth... even our homeless have access to food, shelter and indoor plumbing if they choose it in most cities. No we don't have all of our problems solved and many are indeed suffering in the US, but our state-of-mind is the cause of these problems and changing it will be our only solution!

We must learn to think abundance. We must claim it, pronounce it and sing it to the high heavens!! We are all made in the image and likeness of God which means that we are all creators. We are given free will to create luxury or lack. Really God doesn't care since ultimately we will all return to "It" one day. How we choose to spend our time on Earth is just that, our choice. God will not interfere yet being the Source of our supply "It" will give us whatever we choose. We choose by our beliefs and our focus. Believe and ponder on what we can't have or can't do and sure enough we won't have and we won't do. Believe and focus on what we can have and do and we will have and we will do! The election of President Barack Obama is a great example of what we can do when we collectively put our minds to something!

Now from a different perspective, what is prosperity really? Is it a big house and a big car joined at the hip with big mortgages and big car notes? Or is being prosperous having fun with friends and family even if it is in a smaller home? Is it yummy and healthy food cooked at home? Or must it be fine dining at a 5 star restaurant?

Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with having a wealthy lifestyle if you really enjoy it. I wonder what percentage of people feel as good working themselves like crazy to keep all that they have obtained. How many really like the hours that they have to work? How many like the job, the politics, and the stress? If people were truly honest - are they happy? Are they at peace? Or are they just keeping up a front so no one knows how miserable they are?

Henry David Thoreau said that "the mass of men lead quiet lives of desperation". Many of the people that I see in my work are sad, lonely and in pain. They are not happy with their jobs, their spouses, their children or their lives. Why are so many people, many who claim to be "spiritual or people of faith", living like this? I think it is because we are taught early in life by our families and society to hide our truths. We are afraid to admit we don't like what is going on in our lives for fear that we will be ostracized as "not good enough." We have to save face, stuff our true feelings so we will be accepted in the world. Is that prosperity? I don't think so!

If you are in this category of people who are struggling along (with or without "stuff") please stop now! Please take on a sincere spiritual practice if you don't have one. Learn to meditate daily to connect with your Source and tap the infinite power that is available to you. Also be sure to pray without ceasing! Converse with God, your angels, your ancestors your guardians and your guides! They are really there and they only want to help, but will not without your permission. Practice gratitude, forgiveness and self-love with abandon! Begin now to trust your Higher Self. Talk to it daily and give it permission to take your life over.

Give up all blame and stop complaining! You can actually do that! Try it!! Forgive everyone...radically!! Practice loving and honoring the divinity in everyone you meet and interact with. Decide what would make you happy and do whatever you must to create that world for yourself. Know that the power is within you and you must stay conscious of that with every step you take! If you must, fake it until you make it and don't hesitate to ask for support along the way.

Don't settle for society's stress filled idea of prosperity! Define it for yourself and go for it! Turn that T.V. news off and begin to enjoy your life again. You get what you focus on, so focus on the good. Focus on God. Focus on love and turn away from fear.

If you see your friends focusing on lack and living their own quiet lives of desperation, tell them your truth. Share with them your intent to shift your life and it will give them the permission some folks need to do the same. Then one-by-one we will take each other's hands and change our minds about what defines prosperity. We'll stop living in fear of loss, we'll appreciate all that we have already been given and we'll start sharing our love and our resources. Did you know that in this world there is enough food to feed every hungry person on the planet with plenty to spare? If we only stopped grasping and hoarding and started operating from a mind-set that says that there is enough to go around then there would be!

Help someone else feel safe and you will be telling your subconscious that you are safe. That is what prosperity is to me, feeling safe, secure... warm and happy. If we begin to bond one with another... sharing our resources, money food, shelter, our warmth and our love, how can we not feel prosperous?

It can happen. We can all make this world a joyful, safe prosperous place. Your spiritual self knows what to do. Will you listen to it?

Kym Kennedy is a certified Radical Forgiveness and personal Life Coach. Using the simple but effective Radical Forgiveness tools, Kym helps people to acknowledge those areas of the sub-conscious mind that block them from realizing their full potential! For more information on Kym Kennedy and the Radical Forgiveness methodology, please visit http://kymsconsciousconversations.com

The Critical Role of Consciousness in Living a Spiritual Life to Deal With the Challenges Ahead

It's inconceivable to me that the universe of which the Earth is a tiny part all happened by chance. It makes more sense to accept there is a mystery which we probably won't uncover, but that the universe's evolutionary thrust is driven by a sacred intelligent energy that is inherent in the way the universe functions. The role of human beings in this cosmic drama is to evolve in order that the universe will know itself. We are the universe becoming aware of itself.

As it is there is reliable scientific theory that the universe has evolved to its present state and continues to evolve. The course of evolution is towards more and more complexity. Human consciousness also evolves being able to handle more and more complexity and to also increase its span of care and concern.

However, it is also clear that even though human consciousness has evolved towards greater complexity and care and concern there is something problematic about human consciousness.

In the western developed world we have created a civilization that confers many benefits but at the same time the Earth's ecology is under serious threat, so much so that our civilization might not survive this century, there is major social division within societies and within the wider global community and there is widespread psychological alienation. Moreover the economic model that emerged out of the 1930's depression and after the Second World War has collapsed.

All of these issues pose major challenges which the current dominant consciousness will not be able to solve.

What then do we make of the sacred intelligent energy that drives evolution of the universe?

Evolution will continue no matter what and the Earth will continue (at least for the next few billion years) but our current human civilization may not unless we evolve beyond and transcend the current dominant consciousness. This means that human beings mightn't be able to fulfill their mission of helping the universe know itself to be replaced by some other form of consciousness.

The stakes are extremely high and they have probably never been higher for human civilization. One of the critical issues is the creation of a new economy, but the danger is that we will create an economy that continues to defy the laws of nature and that will not repair the damage caused to the ecology.

It's around this issue of economic reconstruction that questions of consciousness arises. How do we understand the consciousness that has given rise to the modern world and a consciousness that will take us beyond our current challenges? Along with many others I call the current dominant consciousness modernist consciousness.

Modernist consciousness is a term used by many to describe a whole range of cultural values, norms and practices. People whose consciousness is at this stage experience the self as a separate isolated individual. Modernism values wealth, status and the good life through material wealth and consumption. People are valued in terms of what they own and their income. Progress is achieved through science and technology and seeking the best solution is equated with what advances wealth and status. It values winning and striving for excellence and appreciates individual autonomy and independence, all organized within a meritocracy.

These are the things that people with this level of consciousness identify with. In the current financial meltdown all of these ideas and values are under threat and stand at the heart of the fears and anxieties that have arisen as people have seen their dreams and hope shattered. The danger is that those with shattered dreams will try to recreate the economic conditions that they have lost. The real solution involves building a new consciousness based around what I call a spiritual life of everyday experience.

Modernist consciousness is based on values of wealth, status and the good life based around conspicuous consumption which it is assumed are the core of human nature. Those with this consciousness fashion their lives around these values.

Developmental psychology has taught us, however, that there is no such thing as a universal human nature. Our nature as a human being evolves through different stages and there is no such thing as a permanent human nature common to all people. This has to be a source of hope for the future. There is far more to being human than as an economic optimizer as the economists would have us believe.

This consciousness created the modern world, but it cannot take us to a world that will work in harmony with and value the Earth and allow the Earth to heal, as well as valuing all living forms. It will not be possible to retain this form of consciousness and create a post financial crash economy and a mode of consumption aimed at reversing global warming and repairing the ecosystem services.

Einstein said that you cannot solve the problems created by one type of consciousness with the level of consciousness that created the problem in the first place.

What type of consciousness will be required to replace modernist consciousness? I call this ecological consciousness associated with a spiritual life based around the experience of everyday life.

This new form of consciousness will need to have the potential to solve a series of big questions. It will be needed to create a new economy that obeys the ecological boundaries of the Earth, protects the positive features of our civilization, addresses the social divisions that exist and heals widespread psychological alienation. How would we describe such a consciousness?

Ecological consciousness like all stages of consciousness has six themes:


Ecological consciousness perceives our reality as human beings participating in universal life which is a conscious intelligent energy field, life has us we don't have a life, we are the dance, life is the dancer.
Ecological consciousness recognizes that we have needs in order to serve universal life. In the modern world needs extend to education, health care, safe communities, opportunities to develop our competencies and consciousness and so on. Ecological consciousness sees these things as needs that it requires in order to serve universal life but does not covet them, identify with them or become attached to them.
Ecological consciousness embraces a relationship between ourselves as human beings and the way we make a living in a way that promotes living in harmony with and valuing the Earth and all living forms, and that is an expression of the purpose we fulfill on behalf of life, where service is the prime concern.
Ecological consciousness adopts a life style that makes as few demands on the Earth's resources as possible and weighs up how all activities impact upon the Earth, other people and other living forms. Above all ecological consciousness abandons the pursuit of wealth and status except as a means of supplying our needs in accordance with the Earth's ecology. This is a revolutionary and radical idea.
Ecological consciousness adopts an attitude of abiding in all and everyone abiding in it as a basis for its relationships with others.
Ecological consciousness engages in political, social and economic events. It does so aware that people are at different stages of consciousness so as to manage the spiral of development for the benefit of all, and in a way that facilitates the growth and development of all. It tries where possible to promote amplified ecologically conscious people into positions of leadership. Ecological consciousness looks to the possibility of converting itself into a world wide movement pledged to influence the course of events.

There are clearly huge gaps between modernist consciousness and ecological consciousness. Is the gap so great that it's unbridgeable?

The answer to this profoundly important question needs to be considered in relation to the severity of the challenges we face, the likely outcome if we don't face them and the fact that as human beings we are programmed to evolve and develop. It's important for as many people as possible to face up to the nature of the challenges and to accept that modernist consciousness will hinder our chances of preserving our civilization. Recognizing that we must face this challenge and lead a spiritual life based in everyday experience is one of the critical challenges that we face.

We know enough about consciousness, about how it develops and how people can make real and lasting change. There are also enough people whose consciousness is bordering on ecological consciousness, even though the present numbers who have reached this stage is relatively small.

This suggests that it will be possible for enough people to take on board the evolutionary challenge of developing ecological consciousness to lead the way to a new economy that obeys the laws of the Earth's ecology, that is able to respond to the grievous social division and to healing psychological alienation to be hopeful that we just might have a chance.

In later articles I'll deal with how you can ecological consciousness can be developed. In the meantime to learn more visit my website http://www.bobcalkin.co.nz.

Dr Bob Calkin has launched a new website to assist people live a spiritual life through the engagement with everyday life. If you feel that you would like to experience in a heightened way the wonder of the sunrise, the awesome beauty of the outdoors, the wonder of this beautiful Earth, to be at one with others and the Earth and all living forms, to feel gratitude and to feel blessed by an energy or power greater than yourself then you might like to join this program by visiting the website http://www.bobcalkin.co.nz

A Choice For Life - An Act of Conscious Living, Spiritual Awakenings, and Inner Healing

On November 21, 2004, my sister Carla, at 58 years of age, died of breast cancer. My sister was a beautiful woman who rejected her own beauty. She had a passion for conversation and loved to give advice whether you wanted it or not. She wove her husband and three sons into a tight-knit family structure, believing that they would never leave her. Eight years prior to her death her husband Larry died of leukemia. Before her husband died, Carla had a will to live. Afterwards, she slowly slid into a depression. Therapy and medication weren't able to help, nor did her affinity for shopping or her supportive family.

For the past two years my sister hid that she had breast cancer. She blamed her ill health on a car accident. She disregarded medical intervention, refused to get a mammogram and sought treatment that kept her in denial of her prognosis. By the time she allowed an oncologist to examine her it was too late. The family was shocked by the revelation that Carla was going to die.

As my sister lay dying I cried out to the heavens. How could this happen? I stared at her swollen face aching to receive an answer. Carla remained silent, entering into another realm of existence. My mind's eye wandered through menageries of memories: Carla and I dancing on the front porch of our Brooklyn home; playing tag; dressed in frills and lace; fighting over a dress, a brush and our parents' attention. We were sisters through and through.

But now, our differences became apparent; Why did she avoid getting a mammogram? I read somewhere that 13 million U.S. women 40 years of age or older have never had a mammogram. What made my sister one of the 13 million women? Perusing through breast cancer Web sites, I found a multitude of interesting information about technologies, treatments, prevention, genetics, detection, surgery, improved outlooks and more. However, there was no coverage regarding cancer and depression, cancer and nutrition, cancer and meditation, cancer and healing childhood abuse, cancer and creativity, cancer and anger, nor cancer and grief. Though I do not disregard proven medical treatment and the urgency for early detection and treatment, I do advocate for extended research into the emotionality of cancer, more education on carcinogenic foods (sugar, caffeine and food additives) and high-caloric diets, and an investigation regarding the negative mental influences that activate cancer.

As a trained metaphysician and an emotional-body practitioner, I believe stress to the body is caused by traumatized emotions and repressed expression, and that negative thinking causes mental, physical and emotional disorders. And it seems I'm not alone in my beliefs. One of the leading pharmaceutical companies in the world, SmithKline Beecham, distributed the video to hospitals throughout the United States.

Metaphysician, publisher and author Louise L. Hay wrote in her best-selling book "You Can Heal Your Life" that "The thoughts we think and the words we speak create "our experiences" After she self-healed vaginal cancer, she wrote the book to guide individuals to uncover emotional beliefs and traumas that cause illness. A breast problem, according to Hay, is "a refusal to nourish the self" and causes behaviors such as "over-mothering, over-protectiveness and overbearing attitudes." She also wrote that cancer is caused by "deep hurt" and that people who are afflicted with these unexpressed wounds "carry hatreds" and "blame and give up." These intense emotions and thoughts were the exact issues my sister denied throughout her life.

Kabalistic teachings (mystical knowledge of the ancient Hebrews) talk of the body being the vessel for the soul's expression. According to the teachings, if the body is cut off from the soul's life-force, then disease can occur. But even today, the media has become involved in bringing this important message to the forefront:

The recently released movie "What the Bleep Do You Know" explores-through the conscious and subconscious-how repressed emotional expression weakens our immune system. To delve into the self to heal, a person needs to enter into the shadow side of his or her psyche. Though a therapist/healer can try to help an individual dig deep to recover a lost and wounded soul, the person has to ultimately choose to make the journey on his or her own. To direct a person's attention through years of defense into deeper feelings and expression takes focus and dedication. Through the use of breath work, creativity and experiential mind/body processes I help awaken the body's trust to release painful emotions.

There are many answers and questions that guide us to make choices. I hope these facts, both medical and humanistic, will spark at least one person to choose life.

Here are some tips to help you keep your body free of disease:

" Eat a balanced diet and exercise.

" Hug yourself often.

" Express, feel, express.

" Ask for help.

" Never give up.

" Be creative.

" Intimacy heals. Spend time talking with family and friends.

" Receive life as a gift.

" Remember: Your life has purpose.

" Ask: What makes me feel alive?

" Say: I am enough just the way I am.

" Realize that you alone create the meaning of your life.

There was so much my sister loved in life; but what she loved could not save her from what she hated about herself. She stopped caring and therefore denied her body life. My heart hurts knowing my sister is gone. I will miss her smile, her voice and her flamboyant laughter. She will live on in my mind and soul forever. Hopefully, my story will inspire, educate and motivate at least one of you to encourage a sister, mother, daughter, brother, father or son to never give up on themselves or life.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BREAST CANCER

" Every two minutes a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer.

" Each year, 182,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer and 43,300 die.

" Approximately 1,600 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. About 400 of them are predicted to die.

" One woman in eight who lives to age 85 will develop breast cancer during her lifetime.

" Breast cancer is the leading cause of death in women between the ages of 40 and 55.

" Seventy percent of all breast cancers are found through breast self-exams, but not all lumps are detectable by touch.

" A mammogram can detect breast cancer up to two years before a lump is large enough to be felt. Thermo grams (which measure changes in the skin through heat) can detect an abnormality approximately seven years in advance. Found early, there is a five-year survival rate of 96 percent, so get at least one of these tests done yearly.

MartaLuzim.com Conscious Living, Inner Healing, and Personal Transformation. Copyright 2009 http://www.martaluzim.com

Marta J. Luzim, M.S., is a psychospiritual therapist, novelist, poet, and playwright. She runs Primal Healing and Art which specializes in classes ans courses in alternative approach to awaken conscious living and relationship therapy. Family of origin patterns are explored to recognize repetitive attitudes and behaviors that inhibits us from choosing new ways of relating and living.

For more information on Spiritual Healing, Holistic Healing, and Spiritual Awakening, please visit her website at http://www.martaluzim.com

A Choice For Life - An Act of Conscious Living, Spiritual Awakenings, and Inner Healing

On November 21, 2004, my sister Carla, at 58 years of age, died of breast cancer. My sister was a beautiful woman who rejected her own beauty. She had a passion for conversation and loved to give advice whether you wanted it or not. She wove her husband and three sons into a tight-knit family structure, believing that they would never leave her. Eight years prior to her death her husband Larry died of leukemia. Before her husband died, Carla had a will to live. Afterwards, she slowly slid into a depression. Therapy and medication weren't able to help, nor did her affinity for shopping or her supportive family.

For the past two years my sister hid that she had breast cancer. She blamed her ill health on a car accident. She disregarded medical intervention, refused to get a mammogram and sought treatment that kept her in denial of her prognosis. By the time she allowed an oncologist to examine her it was too late. The family was shocked by the revelation that Carla was going to die.

As my sister lay dying I cried out to the heavens. How could this happen? I stared at her swollen face aching to receive an answer. Carla remained silent, entering into another realm of existence. My mind's eye wandered through menageries of memories: Carla and I dancing on the front porch of our Brooklyn home; playing tag; dressed in frills and lace; fighting over a dress, a brush and our parents' attention. We were sisters through and through.

But now, our differences became apparent; Why did she avoid getting a mammogram? I read somewhere that 13 million U.S. women 40 years of age or older have never had a mammogram. What made my sister one of the 13 million women? Perusing through breast cancer Web sites, I found a multitude of interesting information about technologies, treatments, prevention, genetics, detection, surgery, improved outlooks and more. However, there was no coverage regarding cancer and depression, cancer and nutrition, cancer and meditation, cancer and healing childhood abuse, cancer and creativity, cancer and anger, nor cancer and grief. Though I do not disregard proven medical treatment and the urgency for early detection and treatment, I do advocate for extended research into the emotionality of cancer, more education on carcinogenic foods (sugar, caffeine and food additives) and high-caloric diets, and an investigation regarding the negative mental influences that activate cancer.

As a trained metaphysician and an emotional-body practitioner, I believe stress to the body is caused by traumatized emotions and repressed expression, and that negative thinking causes mental, physical and emotional disorders. And it seems I'm not alone in my beliefs. One of the leading pharmaceutical companies in the world, SmithKline Beecham, distributed the video to hospitals throughout the United States.

Metaphysician, publisher and author Louise L. Hay wrote in her best-selling book "You Can Heal Your Life" that "The thoughts we think and the words we speak create "our experiences" After she self-healed vaginal cancer, she wrote the book to guide individuals to uncover emotional beliefs and traumas that cause illness. A breast problem, according to Hay, is "a refusal to nourish the self" and causes behaviors such as "over-mothering, over-protectiveness and overbearing attitudes." She also wrote that cancer is caused by "deep hurt" and that people who are afflicted with these unexpressed wounds "carry hatreds" and "blame and give up." These intense emotions and thoughts were the exact issues my sister denied throughout her life.

Kabalistic teachings (mystical knowledge of the ancient Hebrews) talk of the body being the vessel for the soul's expression. According to the teachings, if the body is cut off from the soul's life-force, then disease can occur. But even today, the media has become involved in bringing this important message to the forefront:

The recently released movie "What the Bleep Do You Know" explores-through the conscious and subconscious-how repressed emotional expression weakens our immune system. To delve into the self to heal, a person needs to enter into the shadow side of his or her psyche. Though a therapist/healer can try to help an individual dig deep to recover a lost and wounded soul, the person has to ultimately choose to make the journey on his or her own. To direct a person's attention through years of defense into deeper feelings and expression takes focus and dedication. Through the use of breath work, creativity and experiential mind/body processes I help awaken the body's trust to release painful emotions.

There are many answers and questions that guide us to make choices. I hope these facts, both medical and humanistic, will spark at least one person to choose life.

Here are some tips to help you keep your body free of disease:

" Eat a balanced diet and exercise.

" Hug yourself often.

" Express, feel, express.

" Ask for help.

" Never give up.

" Be creative.

" Intimacy heals. Spend time talking with family and friends.

" Receive life as a gift.

" Remember: Your life has purpose.

" Ask: What makes me feel alive?

" Say: I am enough just the way I am.

" Realize that you alone create the meaning of your life.

There was so much my sister loved in life; but what she loved could not save her from what she hated about herself. She stopped caring and therefore denied her body life. My heart hurts knowing my sister is gone. I will miss her smile, her voice and her flamboyant laughter. She will live on in my mind and soul forever. Hopefully, my story will inspire, educate and motivate at least one of you to encourage a sister, mother, daughter, brother, father or son to never give up on themselves or life.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BREAST CANCER

" Every two minutes a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer.

" Each year, 182,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer and 43,300 die.

" Approximately 1,600 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. About 400 of them are predicted to die.

" One woman in eight who lives to age 85 will develop breast cancer during her lifetime.

" Breast cancer is the leading cause of death in women between the ages of 40 and 55.

" Seventy percent of all breast cancers are found through breast self-exams, but not all lumps are detectable by touch.

" A mammogram can detect breast cancer up to two years before a lump is large enough to be felt. Thermo grams (which measure changes in the skin through heat) can detect an abnormality approximately seven years in advance. Found early, there is a five-year survival rate of 96 percent, so get at least one of these tests done yearly.

MartaLuzim.com Conscious Living, Inner Healing, and Personal Transformation. Copyright 2009 http://www.martaluzim.com

Marta J. Luzim, M.S., is a psychospiritual therapist, novelist, poet, and playwright. She runs Primal Healing and Art which specializes in classes ans courses in alternative approach to awaken conscious living and relationship therapy. Family of origin patterns are explored to recognize repetitive attitudes and behaviors that inhibits us from choosing new ways of relating and living.

For more information on Spiritual Healing, Holistic Healing, and Spiritual Awakening, please visit her website at http://www.martaluzim.com

A Conscious Conversation About Spiritual Prosperity

In the times we are living in, paramount on most American's minds are all things financial. How much money did I lose? How am I going to survive now that I have lost my job? Where am I going to live now that I have lost my home? Wow! These are serious concerns! How in the world did so many people from one of the richest nations in the world find so many of its citizens in this dilemma? What got us here for heaven's sake?

Well in a word... consciousness! Your consciousness, my consciousness... OUR consciousness! Yes for years now we have been living in a consciousness of fear and lack. This multiplied even more so after September 11, 2001. In September 2008, seven years later, the financial system in America was announced as being seriously ill. Isn't it curious that in Colin Tipping's book Radical Forgiveness he states that all cancer is preceded by depression which usually occurs around 7 years prior to the diagnosis of the cancer? In 2001 our country went into an emotional depression and now we are living with the cancer-like results!

It is so important that we all awaken to the fact that our consciousness both individually and collectively creates the world that we live in. If we don't learn how to shift out of negative thinking we will continue to suffer these kinds of severe consequences.

Too many of us think only of what we DON'T have. That gets us more of the same... not having! In the Bible's book of Luke (19:26) it says "For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him." (KJV) Why is that? It is because the Bible is a story about man's consciousness and if our consciousness got us into a state of lack in the first place, of course it is going to cause us to continue to lose even what little we may have. This becomes true for whatever lack we are experiencing be it a job, a relationship, fun, time, friends... whatever. If you think all the time that you are short of something, you will be! God always says yes to whatever you believe!

We Americans spent a lot of time and energy focusing on our lack of security back in 2001. Today how much more insecure could we get than to have our banking systems collapsing all around us? Jobless rates are growing and the news media is spewing more fear across the airwaves than ever in history! It is extremely challenging not to buy into the mass hysteria! It really does feel like the sky is falling!

So what is the solution? How does one feel prosperous in times such as these? We as individuals and as a people must stop thinking of how "BAD" things are! As mentioned we are still one of the richest countries in the world - financial crisis notwithstanding! We have so much more than so many on the Earth... even our homeless have access to food, shelter and indoor plumbing if they choose it in most cities. No we don't have all of our problems solved and many are indeed suffering in the US, but our state-of-mind is the cause of these problems and changing it will be our only solution!

We must learn to think abundance. We must claim it, pronounce it and sing it to the high heavens!! We are all made in the image and likeness of God which means that we are all creators. We are given free will to create luxury or lack. Really God doesn't care since ultimately we will all return to "It" one day. How we choose to spend our time on Earth is just that, our choice. God will not interfere yet being the Source of our supply "It" will give us whatever we choose. We choose by our beliefs and our focus. Believe and ponder on what we can't have or can't do and sure enough we won't have and we won't do. Believe and focus on what we can have and do and we will have and we will do! The election of President Barack Obama is a great example of what we can do when we collectively put our minds to something!

Now from a different perspective, what is prosperity really? Is it a big house and a big car joined at the hip with big mortgages and big car notes? Or is being prosperous having fun with friends and family even if it is in a smaller home? Is it yummy and healthy food cooked at home? Or must it be fine dining at a 5 star restaurant?

Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with having a wealthy lifestyle if you really enjoy it. I wonder what percentage of people feel as good working themselves like crazy to keep all that they have obtained. How many really like the hours that they have to work? How many like the job, the politics, and the stress? If people were truly honest - are they happy? Are they at peace? Or are they just keeping up a front so no one knows how miserable they are?

Henry David Thoreau said that "the mass of men lead quiet lives of desperation". Many of the people that I see in my work are sad, lonely and in pain. They are not happy with their jobs, their spouses, their children or their lives. Why are so many people, many who claim to be "spiritual or people of faith", living like this? I think it is because we are taught early in life by our families and society to hide our truths. We are afraid to admit we don't like what is going on in our lives for fear that we will be ostracized as "not good enough." We have to save face, stuff our true feelings so we will be accepted in the world. Is that prosperity? I don't think so!

If you are in this category of people who are struggling along (with or without "stuff") please stop now! Please take on a sincere spiritual practice if you don't have one. Learn to meditate daily to connect with your Source and tap the infinite power that is available to you. Also be sure to pray without ceasing! Converse with God, your angels, your ancestors your guardians and your guides! They are really there and they only want to help, but will not without your permission. Practice gratitude, forgiveness and self-love with abandon! Begin now to trust your Higher Self. Talk to it daily and give it permission to take your life over.

Give up all blame and stop complaining! You can actually do that! Try it!! Forgive everyone...radically!! Practice loving and honoring the divinity in everyone you meet and interact with. Decide what would make you happy and do whatever you must to create that world for yourself. Know that the power is within you and you must stay conscious of that with every step you take! If you must, fake it until you make it and don't hesitate to ask for support along the way.

Don't settle for society's stress filled idea of prosperity! Define it for yourself and go for it! Turn that T.V. news off and begin to enjoy your life again. You get what you focus on, so focus on the good. Focus on God. Focus on love and turn away from fear.

If you see your friends focusing on lack and living their own quiet lives of desperation, tell them your truth. Share with them your intent to shift your life and it will give them the permission some folks need to do the same. Then one-by-one we will take each other's hands and change our minds about what defines prosperity. We'll stop living in fear of loss, we'll appreciate all that we have already been given and we'll start sharing our love and our resources. Did you know that in this world there is enough food to feed every hungry person on the planet with plenty to spare? If we only stopped grasping and hoarding and started operating from a mind-set that says that there is enough to go around then there would be!

Help someone else feel safe and you will be telling your subconscious that you are safe. That is what prosperity is to me, feeling safe, secure... warm and happy. If we begin to bond one with another... sharing our resources, money food, shelter, our warmth and our love, how can we not feel prosperous?

It can happen. We can all make this world a joyful, safe prosperous place. Your spiritual self knows what to do. Will you listen to it?

Kym Kennedy is a certified Radical Forgiveness and personal Life Coach. Using the simple but effective Radical Forgiveness tools, Kym helps people to acknowledge those areas of the sub-conscious mind that block them from realizing their full potential! For more information on Kym Kennedy and the Radical Forgiveness methodology, please visit http://kymsconsciousconversations.com