Thursday, October 10, 2013

Judgment, Judgment Everywhere--What's a Person Supposed to Think? by Guest Author Joyce Shafer

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The adage is that it takes all kinds. We are all kinds. Over the years, I've learned I never observe anything about others that doesn't exist within me on some level or to some degree, both negative and positive. It's like that clever statement someone made: When you point your finger at a person, three fingers point back at you.
Everything in life exists on a gradient. Think of the gradient as a line with two finite points where the opposites exist at each end. Every thought, word, and action we have or take falls somewhere on that line. We tend to believe that others should be near or exactly where we are so we can feel secure in our comfort zone. Sometimes, we feel above or better than others because of our beliefs or choices, yet we could say it's merely a matter of our beliefs or choices being at a different point on the gradient. 
When you judge someone because they are different from you, consider how someone else might view your beliefs and behaviors. They may find you lacking in some way while you think you're a pretty neat person doing his or her very best in life. Judge not lest ye be judged. Cause and effect. What you sow you reap. Many tend to forget this when they attempt conformity in order to justify their comfort zone as the right one for all.
Practicing non-judgment isn't always easy. Even those who become adept at this have to work at it. This doesn't mean they never feel judgmental, but when they do, they know how to shift their thoughts to release it. Rather than focus on being non-judgmental, we could focus on being discerning. Discernment leads to insight and understanding. Discernment allows answers, appropriate for the individual, to come from a place of conscious awareness rather than fear, sometimes masked as self-righteousness.
Life coach training teaches us that if we get mired in judgment as we listen to clients, we won't be able to assist them or learn from them. Feeling judgmental is our opportunity to learn something about ourselves and what we are prone to judge. Judgment stops our progress because we lock our emotional energy into a particular situation and moment in time, whereas, discernment indicates we have found some aspect of alignment that allows us to move forward. Judgment of ourselves and others impedes the progression from exploration to knowledge to wisdom. 
Our feelings about people and events travel through our filters. These filters are any old and new programs of beliefs, interpretations, perceptions, and assumptions we've absorbed during our lifetime. Judgments are based on our programs. There is a rule about computers: Your computer may not always do what you want it to, but it will always do what you tell it to. Sometimes it takes a while before we realize we are the programmer and the one who inputs the instructions.
Carrying judgments is like dragging boulders in a sack behind you. If you don't focus your energy on judgment of others, you probably focus it on accomplishment of your life purpose. Hmmm...drag boulders or have freedom of movement? Quite a choice.
It’s a good practice, one you’ll appreciate.
Practice makes progress.
© Joyce Shafer
Joyce Shafer is a Life Empowerment Coach dedicated to helping people feel, be, and live their true inner power. She’s author of “I Don’t Want to be Your Guru, But I Have Something to Say” and other books/ebooks, and publishes a free weekly online newsletter that offers empowering articles and free downloads. See all that’s offered by Joyce and on her site at http://stateofappreciation.weebly.com

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

"The Mental Laws" by Guest Author Barbara Berger

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The Mental Laws

A outline by Barbara Berger that shares with us mental law – or in other words how our mind works.

Why is this information important?
This information is so important because without this understanding, we can easily become victims of our mind, instead of the masters of our mind. But the good news is that when we become aware of the simple, impersonal mechanisms that are governing our minds, we can then begin to use these impersonal forces constructively in our lives. In other words, I came to see that when we become aware of the laws governing our minds we can learn how to harness this power for our own benefit. We understand the laws of physical phenomena like the law of gravity, and the laws of electricity. When we understand the mental laws we can begin to use the mental laws constructively for our benefit. I also discovered that once you understand the mental laws and the way the mind works, you understand why you experience life the way you do. And when this happens, you will also understand what you can realistically change in your life and what you cannot change. Plus, you will also better understand the difference between what’s real and what is an illusion. This discovery will lead you to a deeper understanding of who/what you really are. In short, understanding the mental laws, can totally transform your life!

What is a Mental Law?

What is a law? A law is an unchanging principle that describes the way
phenomena operate. There are laws which describe the way physical
phenomena operate and there are laws which describe the way mental
phenomena operate. Whether a law is describing physical or mental
phenomena, a law is always a description of an impersonal sequence of events which is not dependent on the person or people involved in that sequence of events. In addition, laws can be observed and confirmed by anyone. The law of gravity is a good example of a physical law. As you know, the law of gravity is impersonal and it is always operating. Because of this law, if you jump off a building, you will immediately fall to the ground. There are no exceptions to this law. It doesn’t matter who you are or how much money you have in the bank or how famous you are because the law is impersonal and operates regardless of the situation, time of year, or the people involved. There are no exceptions to the law. Another important thing about a law is that it is in operation whether you are aware of it or not. In other words, if you jump off a building, you are going to fall and hit the ground whether you know about the law of gravity or not. The law doesn't care if you know about the law or not. The law just operates; it is a blind force of nature. The same goes for mental laws. Mental laws are impersonal and simply describe the way our minds work. Anyway can observe and confirm this information. So when reading about the mental laws, it is a good idea to remember that laws are invisible principles that describe how phenomena behave and that laws operate automatically. You cannot make them happen or not happen. Laws are impersonal. And, it doesn’t matter who you are. Laws operate equally for all. And finally – laws are scientific. They can be observed and confirmed by anyone. So with this in mind, let’s look at the mental law number one.

LAW 1: THE LAW OF THOUGHTS ARISING
Thoughts arise and disappear. Thoughts arise and disappear. This is the first law because it describes an impersonal universal phenomenon, which is true for everyone. No one knows why or where thoughts come from or what a thought is, but everyone has thoughts. This is the nature of life on this plane. You can observe and confirm this for yourself. You can test this and see if this is true or not—for you. Here’s what you do. Sit down on a chair and face a white wall. If possible a wall that is completely blank—with no pictures or anything—just a plain white wall. Now sit down and look at the wall and decide not to think. Decide to make your mind blank. Try to do this for two minutes. Just sit there and look at the wall and do not think. Can you do it? Probably not. Why not? Well because thoughts arise. That is what happens. Thoughts just arise. And you can’t make this not happen. You can’t make your mind go blank for very long because thoughts suddenly appear—and seemingly completely of their own accord. Obviously, it wasn’t you who made the thoughts come. Especially since you decided when you sat down on the chair that you were just going to sit there and look at the white wall and not think. But you couldn’t, could you. Why? Because it’s just not possible—in my opinion, it’s not possible for anyone. And this is not because you were doing anything wrong. No, not at all. It’s because the nature of life on this plane is that thoughts just appear all by themselves. This is the nature of mind. It has nothing to do with us. We are not making thoughts happen. Thoughts come and go on their own. That is why this is a law. It happens to everyone. It’s an impersonal phenomenon. And it’s something you can observe and confirm for yourself. And it’s happening all the time—to everyone—in every waking hour of our lives. If you watch very carefully, you can even see it happening. If you sit quietly for a while, you can actually see how a thought just arises—and you can look at it for a moment. And then what happens? Well then the thought disappears again. All by itself. You didn’t do anything in particular and still the thought just goes back to wherever it came from—wherever that was. And then what happens? Well if you’re still sitting quietly and looking at the blank wall—you will notice that another thought arises. Again, all by itself. And all you were doing was just sitting there in the chair, looking at the wall and trying not to think! So now you know. Thoughts do arise and disappear. This is the truth; you have observed it for yourself. You have tested this for yourself and you can see that this is actually happening for you. You can see that thoughts do arise in your mind and that they do disappear again. And the interesting thing is that this is going on all the time – even when you’re not sitting and staring at a blank wall. And you’re not willing this to happen. In fact, you have nothing to do with it at all. The fact that thoughts arise and disappear again is a completely impersonal phenomenon. It just happens. And there’s nothing you can do to stop it either.

What About Meditation?
But what about meditation, you ask? Lots of people meditate and many meditate because they want to calm the mind and stop thinking. But does this happen? Is it possible? Well in my experience, you can’t prevent thoughts from arising. Even people who have meditated for years still, cannot not think. It is true though that when you sit and meditate, you do calm down and the thought stream does slow down. But what you also notice is that when you sit and meditate and observe, thoughts still arise and disappear. Maybe at a slower rate, but the thoughts still arise and disappear again. This is something you become very aware of when you meditate. And you can sit and sit and watch them come and go. And of course as you get more experienced at meditating, things do slow down and yes, you may have less thoughts arising and you may also identify less with them and not get so attached to them anymore, but thoughts still arise. You may not find yourself going off into stories and getting lost there for a while. But still thoughts do come and go. You may also experience so-called “gaps” or spaces in between the thoughts because they come more slowly, but thoughts are still happening. The reality is thoughts continue to arise and disappear again because this is the nature of mind. So if anyone tells you that meditation is about not-thinking, don’t believe them. Try meditating regularly yourself and see what happens.

Next Month:
Law 2: THE LAW OF WITNESSING
There is a difference between you and your thoughts!

If you can’t wait until next month you can download the Mental Laws for free HERE!

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

"Here Comes Da Judge"

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Recently, I attended a public speaking event with approximately 250 people. The speakers, as well as the audience, were culturally and socially diverse. According to the program, there were 17 speakers listed—including me. I don't like admitting this, but as I listened to each speaker, I began judging them...negatively judging them. As a former Toastmaster, I judged them on their speech content and their delivery. Each speaker was allowed 4-5 minutes to talk, and as I judgmentally listened to each speaker, I began feeling worse and worse. My Universal antenna was screaming at me. Yes, yes, yes, I know that indulging in judgmental behavior subtracts from my happiness and I know that I'm a reflection of my judgments (ouch), but I couldn't stop it. I was on a runaway judgment train. Just then, without fail, the Universe realized my dilemma and "They" decided to step in and dig me out of my downward spiral.

Universe to the Rescue

After approximately 7 speakers presented, a professional comedian was brought on stage to offer some much needed and welcomed comic relief. I was pleasantly surprised because this comedian was hysterical. I laughed out loud the minute he cracked his first joke. What was so funny? He began making fun of the previous speakers and actually verbalized a few of my own negative judgments. Not only did he make fun of the speakers, he poked fun at the event itself. This guy had little reverence for the sophisticated social gathering as he dropped the "F" bomb more times than I could count. This made me laugh even harder. I verbally thanked the Universe for the welcomed "break" in the program. Laughter was exactly what I needed to snap me out of my judgmental fog. Besides, now I had someone else to do the "dirty work" for me. I was really enjoying his on-point observations, but then something happened to immediately stop me from laughing.

As I mentioned, there were a variety of cultural, economic and religious backgrounds in attendance. In fact, one of the first speakers that day was a flaming-out-of-the-closet-born-again Christian. I was sitting in the front row and Ms. Born Again was also sitting in the front row approximately five seats to my left. At first, I hadn't paid much attention to Ms. Born Again until her "thank-you Jesus" speech, which of course, I negatively judged. Now, Ms. Born Again was sitting on the edge of her seat moving her head rapidly side to side with complete disapproval and disgust for the foul-mouthed politically-incorrect comedian. My focus shifted from having a great time to silence. Ms. Born Again looked like she was about to explode. She kept squirming in her seat while exhaling audible sighs. Now, I was paying attention to her and how offended she was. As the comedian continued, Ms. Born Again began displaying even more noticeable disgust by covering her own mouth while her eyes grew bigger with each four-letter word spoken.

My attention went from enjoying the comedian to focusing on a narrow-minded, judgmental woman in the flesh. Something felt oddly familiar to me. (Remember, I'd been struggling with my own judgmental behavior prior to the comedian taking the stage.)

As I kept my eyes on Ms. Born Again, the Universe spoke directly to me: "That woman with her hand over her mouth, shaking her head in disapproval, is you," They announced. "What? No she's not," I shot back with a quick argument.

Yes, at first, I refused to accept the Universe's obvious claim. "She's intolerant," I argued, and "I'm very tolerant." It was a losing battle. I was pleading my case to deaf ears. The Universe spoke to me again. "Whenever you judge someone else's behavior, including your own, you are intolerant—intolerant to someone else's preferences, intolerant to someone else's perspectives, and more importantly, intolerant to Self. That Universal bullet shot me right between the eyes. It was at that moment that I was able to actually see myself through another woman's behavior.

Thank you Universe for the visual; and, thank you for the lesson. Now, I get it.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Follow My Rules – Or Else

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I'd like to share an undisclosed secret about myself, but only if you promise not to tell a soul. Promise?


I used to have countless rules for other people to follow in order for me to be happy. That's right—rules for other people to follow and obey so that I would be happy. I actually expected other people to behave in a manner that would make me happy! It was true: if someone in my life didn't follow my rules, I wasn't happy; and immediately, if not sooner, we had a conflict. Thank God I can reflect back and laugh at how outrageously pompous I used to be.

A few weeks ago, I was talking with a male friend of mine who shared a personal story. My friend is a kind, considerate "nice guy"—a nice guy with rules. One of his rules is that when he extends a courtesy, he expects the same type of behavior in return. For example, when Mr. Nice Guy holds the door open for anyone, including a stranger, he expects his "gentlemanly" behavior to be immediately rewarded with a thank-you. If the person neglects to acknowledge his considerate actions, Mr. Nice Guy gets pissed off. He told me that, in his perspective, the absence of immediate recognition is extremely inconsiderate. He
expects a thank-you when he holds the door open for anyone.

Side bar: All expectations subtract from your happiness.

In reality, Mr. Nice Guy has expectations of how other people should act. He desperately needs other people to respond to him the way he expects them to or he becomes annoyed or, worse, angry. The problem with this logic is, when you depend on anyone else to behave in a manner you think is appropriate and they disappoint you, you're actually depending on someone else's behavior to dictate your own happiness. As hard as you may try—and I've tried for decades, you will never be able to control someone else's response or behavior—ever.

If I choose to extend a favor to someone, I cannot count on, and more importantly, depend on, receiving anything back in return. Not even a thank-you. Years ago, if I had extended a courtesy to someone and they didn't immediately thank me, I too, would have labeled them inconsiderate. Very inconsiderate. That's because I had an agenda: I will be nice to you, with expectations of you behaving nicely to me. Let me clarify. It's nice to receive appreciation for my acts of kindness, however, it's no longer necessary for someone else to dictate how I'm going to feel based on what they do or what they don't do. I refuse to give away any of my power.

Today when I decide to extend a courtesy to anyone, I do it because I want to. I have zero expectations of what anyone else does or doesn't do. When I made a conscious decision to eliminate expectations, agendas, and rules from my life, guess what happened? I became much happier.

Today, thank me or don't thank me. Either way, I'm going to remain happy because now my happiness solely depends on one person...me. No longer does my happiness depend on what someone else does or doesn't do. Yes, today my happiness depends on ME and the countless choices I make throughout the moments of my day.

Remember, a guaranteed formula for happiness has only one ingredient—you.



Tuesday, August 13, 2013

The Importance of Forgiveness

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When you spend your priceless moments forgiving instead of holding a grudge, you will become more powerful and more importantly, you will be happier. ~rln
The subject of forgiveness is one of my favorite topics. Who has not been in a situation that requires forgiving someone? In my opinion, when you choose not to forgive and, more importantly, choose not to forgive quickly, you might as well drink a cup of poison every day of your life until you make the selfish choice to forgive. Yes, true forgiveness is selfish. It seems odd to say, but when you choose to forgive, you are acting in your best interest. Of course the other person benefits from your actions; however, you are the person receiving the most benefit. When I finally realized that forgiveness has nothing to do with another person—that forgiveness is a gift that keeps on giving to Self, I was sold. `
Let me share a few personal stories. While growing up I witnessed a lot of behaviors that taught me how I was supposed to act if I felt slighted or wronged. None of the behaviors I observed were an immediate act of forgiveness. When my mother and father argued, their behavior was always followed by what I called “punishment.” My father would give my mother the “cold shoulder” and not speak to her for days. Honestly, looking back, I did not know there were other choices I could have made. It was not until I met my now ex-husband that I learned that a couple was supposed to “talk out” their problems and “never go to bed angry”. My husband might as well have been speaking a foreign language when he explained this to me. Not only did I find the concept of working problems out a problem in itself, but believed that any type of compromise was a sign of weakness!
During my most impressionable years I witnessed my father and his only brother ostracize each other for over more than a decade. They had a falling out over how to manage an apartment building they both owned. Over the years I have since realized the real problem was not how they needed to manage the apartment building, but how they managed their relationship. I believe, in most families, the real problems are unresolved issues that may have arisen during childhood.
I recall a grandmother who banished her son because of the woman he chose to marry. All of my life I have watched mothers, fathers, siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins, engage in “you’re dead to me” behavior. So, it is understandable I adopted the same type of social skills.
Yes, I have indulged in off-and-on relationships with people for years. Childhood friends, relatives, in-laws, co-workers, boyfriends, students, the list is quite extensive. I honestly did not know that: (1) I could choose a different type of behavior than the one I learned early in my life, and (2) I was harming myself both physically and emotionally with my behaviors. Just like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, I had the power to create whatever type of relationship I wanted, but I did not know that…until now.
A year before my father died, my mother disinherited me for reasons she believed were just, and chose not to speak to or see me for years. Interestingly enough, even though I remain disinherited, we speak to each other almost every day. I make it a point to end every conversation with a heartfelt, “I love you, Mommy!” Have you ever heard of a child who was disinherited and kept the lines of communication open with the parent who disinherited them? I have not. It is really simple: If I choose to harbor bad feelings, I am choosing toxic behavior. I have never known toxic behavior to result in anything good. Have you?
Forgive As Fast As You Can: For most people a decision to forgive comes, if ever, at the end of a long emotional journey that may stretch over months, if not years. I will admit, for the majority of my life, forgiving was not on my “things to do” list. However, when I found out the truth about the benefits of forgiveness, I began practicing the skill immediately. I was able to forgive my mother years before she was able to forgive me, because when you do not actively practice the skill of forgiveness, you are not able to forgive quickly. Like any other skill, if you do not practice on a regular basis, you get rusty. When you are rusty, you lose the ability to make different choices.
I practice forgiveness on a daily basis. I am committed to keeping my skill-set high. After all, I have been blessed with countless people I had to forgive at one time or another. It took me a while to believe, without any doubt, the overwhelming evidence that forgiveness is a required ingredient of true happiness. If you want inner peace and contentment, or just to grow as a person, you must master this skill. Mastering the skill of forgiveness takes you to another level of spirituality.
Whether you believe Jesus was the son of God or whether you believe Jesus did not exist, you cannot ignore the story of the biggest example of forgiveness that has ever been told. While alive, Jesus taught forgiveness. During his last hours of life, Jesus was forgiveness. I am sure you recognize this important quote from the Bible; Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.
Have you ever thought about how powerful that statement really is? Can you imagine how anyone, man or woman, has the ability in the moment, while nailed to a cross, being tortured, mocked, and slowly and unmercifully executed, to utter those words? An act of forgiveness at such a crucial moment seems impossible to comprehend; however, without forgiveness, you have sentenced yourself to internal hell.
How to Instantly Forgive: Since I have learned the skill of forgiveness the hard way, I have learned several facts. I have also discovered strategies that will aid you on your quest to be able to forgive anyone for anything.
Seven Facts about Forgiveness: 1) You make a choice to forgive 2) You make a choice not to forgive 3) You cannot pick and choose which behaviors to forgive…ALL circumstances fall under the heading of forgiveness 4) Forgiving is health food for your Soul and 5) Forgiving is contagious 6) Forgiveness does not require words or a physical meeting 7)Forgiveness is an actual energy that you emit.
When You Are Challenged: When you are given opportunities to forgive remember this: Whatever has happened, never take a “slight” personally. This is a really tough concept, but one that is necessary to grasp. How many times have you been angry because of how someone else drove in traffic? It is easy to get angry with someone who just cut you off in traffic; however, there is more than one way to interpret the same incident. Maybe the driver had received a phone call informing him that a loved one was just rushed to the hospital. Would you be forgiving of his driving behaviors if you knew those were the circumstances? I know I would.

Let us say your forgiveness skills are at best rusty, or at worst non-existent. There is hope. Remember, you will not be able to pick and choose your circumstances, but you will be able to choose a different behavior than what you are used to. On February 21, 2013, I was in New York City. It was my only son’s twenty-eighth birthday, and while he worked I decided to visit the 9/11 Memorial. I was in awe of the surroundings. From my perspective the site exuded peace, growth, and the resilience of man. Before my eyes I witnessed the undeniable Universal Law of Cause and Effect. There is never a cause without an effect. Is it possible to forgive nineteen terrorists who brought death and destruction to thousands on that day? Only YOU can answer that question. What I do know is this; whether you chose to practice forgiveness or whether you chose not to practice forgiveness, you will be choosing how you will be affected in your lifetime.

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

How To Live In The Moment

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By Rebecca L. Norrington

Before I discuss how to live in the moment, I’d like to say that living in the moment is, in reality, our true nature. Yes, we were all born only experiencing the present moment. Interestingly enough, we continued living in the present moment until we were approximately four or five-years-old. It’s really crazy that we’ve evolved into living in the past and/or future, rather than what was naturally intended.

Have you ever spent time watching a toddler experience life? A toddler hasn’t been indoctrinated with the infinite amount of adult thinking – not yet. No, you won’t hear a three-year-old repeating any of the following statements:


  • I’m not worthy.
  • I don’t like the way I look.
  • I don’t have enough money.
  • I’m too fat.
  • I’m too old.
  • I’m too short.
  • I’m not smart enough.
  • I’m worried.
  • I’m afraid.
  • I’m a failure.



Programmed At Birth
We’ve all been programmed and conditioned at an early age, to label, blame, judge, compare, label, blame, judge, compare, and repeat and repeat this. We’ve also been programmed and conditioned to live in the past/future, or even more unsettling, in our own heads. However, when we choose to indulge in this type of behavior, we automatically give up the gift of living in the present moment. Why? Because, when you label a circumstance, event, or person “good” or “bad”, you’re using a reference from the past. You cannot use a reference from the past and be in the present moment at the same time.

Are Our Thoughts The Enemy?
No. Our thoughts are just that – thoughts. It’s only when we pay too much attention to our thoughts, and take them seriously, that we suffer. Our thoughts about our circumstances (not the circumstance itself) are responsible for all of our suffering. Our runaway, all-consuming thoughts are not evidence of the TRUTH. Our thoughts are evidence of our conditioning.  
If our true nature is to live in the present moment, how do we live in that state-of-being enjoyed by children and the animal kingdom? How do we deprogram ourselves and live in the present moment?

Tip No. 1
Have the intention to live in the present moment everyday! Repeat out loud:
“I intend to live in the moment more and more each day.”
“I’m grateful to experience living in the present moment throughout my day.”
“How would it feel to experience living in the present moment all the time?” (Ask and It Is Given by Abraham-Hicks)

Tip No. 2
Commit to a daily habit of developing and practicing your awareness. I call this living consciously in an unconscious world. Yes, for the most part, we are unconscious creatures of habit; however, habitual behavior does not produce change or growth. Make a decision to change three habitual behaviors each week. Example: Drive home using a different route each day; or if you pack a lunch, eat out; or comb your hair in a different style; or think of three different (nice) responses you can make to a rude cashier. Have fun, and come up with your own personal changes. Challenge yourself and be creative. The point is to shake it up and practice doing things differently. There is no progress without practice.

Tip No. 3
In 2011, I voluntarily took a 40-day vow of silence. Now, I’m not suggesting that you do the same; however, I am suggesting that you spend sometime throughout your day being quiet. And to be perfectly clear, I mean remaining quiet while surrounded by people. This practice will definitely heighten your awareness, tenfold. The more awareness you have, the more present moments you will experience.  Another benefit of this exercise is that when you practice silence, you become a better listener. When you’re really listening to someone, you’re automatically in the present moment.

What’s so Great about Living in the Moment?
Good question. The present moment is the only real reality we have. Anything other than the present moment is, in actuality, non-existent. The past doesn’t exist unless we choose to think about it, and the future doesn’t exist, period. The present moment is the only place we are able to make choices. The present moment is the foundation of our future moments. The present moment is where we’ll find the ultimate peace and contentment. The present moment silences the mind’s chatter. In the present moment, time does not exist. The present moment is where the Universe resides.

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Who are YOU?

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It’s a challenging question because it’s possible that who you are today might not be who you will be tomorrow. Have you ever thought about that? Do you realize you’re not stuck with a definition of who you are? In addition, what you’re passionate about today might change tomorrow. When you’re receptive to change and you accept the fact that life is always evolving, you automatically begin to flow with reality (life) instead of resisting it. In the beginning, this concept was difficult for me to understand and embrace.

I wasn’t raised with too many options, especially when it came to personal growth. Personal growth? Spiritual growth? I don’t remember my parents connecting the two words together. And, the topic of personal growth wasn’t offered at any school I attended. How did I stumble into the pool of wanting to know more about who I was? I was in my twenties when I took my first personality test. The test was extensive and I enjoyed answering questions I’d never thought to ask myself.*
After the test results were calculated, I discovered that the person described wasn’t me. I mean, a small percentage was recognizable, but the majority was not. How could this happen? How could I fail a personality test? Then, a light bulb when off. The answer was simple. I was answering the questions the same way my father would’ve answered the questions. Yes, that’s right. I adored my father, he was my superman. When I was 12 years old, I remember telling him, “Daddy, when I grow up, I want to marry a man just like you.” Now, instead of marrying a man like my father, I was my father, literally. Like most children, I was indoctrinated to believe things about myself that I hadn’t tested or even questioned.
That is why I ask you, my dear readers, who are YOU? Do you even know? It’s a question that I think everyone needs to sit quietly and ask themselves. In my opinion, discovering who you really are is a vital component to finding peace and happiness during your life’s journey.
Let me also say, that whoever you think you are, you are much more.
*The Keirsey Temperament Sorter®-II (KTS®-II) is the most widely used personality instrument in the world. It is a powerful 70 question personality instrument that helps individuals discover their personality type. The KTS-II is based on Keirsey Temperament Theory™, published in the both bestselling books, Please Understand Me® and Please Understand Me II, by Dr. David Keirsey.