Sunday Morning Scripture - What does it mean to seek first the Kingdom of God?

If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?" For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:28-33

To seek means to look diligently for something. But before you look diligently for something, you should know what you're looking for and where to look. The scripture says that the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness (doing things the right way), peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). So now we know what the kingdom is. But where is its location? Luke 17:20-21 says that the kingdom of God is within you.

If you're looking diligently within you for the kingdom of God, you should be searching with the intent to find righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit which is our internal Spirit guide and connection to our Source.

As we daily set aside the time to connect within and bask in the peace and joy and learn the right way of living through the Spirit, we become aligned with the Universal energy of abundance which brings all that we desire to us easily and effortlessly. We enter into the flow of the Spirit and the outward struggle of trying to make things happen, provide food on the table, clothing on our backs and all the things that we are 'going after', will begin to come to us.

Kingdom living takes us to the root of all we desire, where we nurture the seeds and roots of our lives and no matter what we face, we know that we will come through victoriously. We know that we will rise up above any circumstance that comes our way because we have entered into the kingdom where true life and power resides. We learn through the Spirit how to live and draw from the abundant stream of our eternal supply. We no longer go around aimlessly, but we live life on purpose knowing that we are totally connected.

With this knowledge, we are commissioned to spread the good news to others that they too can look diligently within and seek first the kingdom of God and all that they desire will be added to them as well.

Saturday Tunespiration - If We Hold on Together

It's always good to surround yourself with positive supportive friends that will help you keep your dream alive and see you through the tough times. If we hold on together and be the support for someone else, we gain the strength we need to reach the finish line of our dream.

Today's tunespiration comes from Diana Ross, If We Hold on Together.

Getting my body back Friday - Every day is a new beginning!

No matter how far you’ve gone or how old you are, you can begin again today. As long as you can breathe and have the will to try, you can begin living your life. Even though you have failed many times, so much time has gone by or you may have wasted your earlier years, new beginnings is not just for the young.

If, like me, you want to gain your ideal weight but have never engaged in an exercise routine before, or have not done so for a long time, it is never too late to start. You can start today, one step at a time, moving at your own pace.

Decision, determination and perseverance are the three elements needed to change your life and achieve any goal. Once you’ve made a decision to make a comeback, keeping at your pace helps to negate the feeling of being overwhelmed.

I discovered that lesson years ago. I’ve tried to keep up with all of the exercises on workout DVD’s and realized it was too overwhelming for me and I became quite discouraged. I decided, “You know what? I’m going to do this according to my own style and at my own pace and chosen number of repetitions.”

I decided that I would start slowly with stretches and as I got stronger added other moves into my routine. Before long, my body was asking for more. I felt the urge to go for brisk walks and even took up jogging. That was amazing.

Whatever journey you embark on, ensure you follow what you feel is right for you and allow other things to fall into place, naturally. You, too, can begin again.

What area of your life you feel like you need a fresh start?

Creating Miracles - How do you Develop Faith?

To develop faith you have to strengthen the weak muscles that keep you back from getting what you desire.

You strengthen weak muscles by repetition and sets in weight training to tone and reshape your muscles and keep doing so until your muscles are strong enough to move to the next level of weights.

By repetition of your desire, your subconscious will receive the message and will make the necessary adjustment to the new set of beliefs that you’ve given it in order for it to yield its cooperative power to you. So there is no double talk or wavering in your decision to receive and know that you will receive your desired results.

Practice over and over with different situations (increasing the weights) as you become stronger; deciding what you desire to have, asking for what you desire, being thankful and grateful for receiving and engaging in inspired action to its attainment.

By engaging in this practice, you would have built up your experiences and confidence; if I received the answer to this, I most certainly will receive the answer to that. Then, your conscious and subconscious would both be in agreement with the idea of ‘whatever I desire to have I shall have it. I know how to get what I desire. I know that I know that I know that it surely will come to pass’.

For as sure as you know that each time you lift those weights and continue to do so you will feel the effects of your muscles changing and toning and your arms becoming stronger each day.

Start with where you are and develop your faith muscles to attract new desired results into your life from the inside out.

Nurturing Faith to Manifest your Desire

Once you’ve obtained and developed faith, it’s imperative that you nurture it to ensure that you manifest what you desire. Faith is much like taking care of a garden. You decided that you’re going to create a garden. You’ve prepared the garden soil, sowed your seeds and transplanted your seedlings. Each day you water it. You ensure that you till the soil, protect your crop from invaders, add nutrients and prune the plants, promoting healthy growth and a successful harvest.

Faith, when nurtured, will bear fruit in its due season.

http://www.creatingunconditionalmiracles.com

Creating Miracles - How Do you Obtain Faith?

How do you obtain faith? Simply this:

I know and I am so sure that what I ask for, I will receive. I am so confident that all of the universal power is now acting on my behalf bringing me or leading me to the manifestation of my desire. I stand in this assurance knowing that my prayer is already answered.

Now you have observed ‘the plug’. You know and expect that once you put the plug into the socket your appliance will work to manifest your desire – vacuuming the carpet, or turning on the stove to cook supper.

Developing Faith

Faith, then, needs to be developed and practiced. It’s like a muscle, the more you use the muscle and exercise it the stronger it becomes. It sustains you and gives you stability. The stronger the muscles, the more toned and healthier you become.

Like exercise, there are different levels of faith for different situations. Some exercise moves, especially when weights are used, demand more of the muscles. It is the same with the application of faith in every situation in your life. Some situations require a deeper application of your faith. Not more faith, but more to do with the application of faith due to your belief system.

It may not be a problem for you to believe that if you desire a cup of coffee or a new dress you will receive it. So you ask for a new dress or cup of coffee, and it may be as simple as, just a passing thought, but you’ve made the decision that you’ll get that dress or coffee and you had that inner knowing, ‘Yes, I’ll have it.’ There was no objection from your subconscious mind saying that’s too big, or is that even possible. For you, it’s very possible and more likely for you to have it, and you know that you will.

Now, the application of your faith on another plane comes into play when you desire something you’ve never had before, perhaps a brand new car or a trip to a new vacation spot. You say, “I desire to have a brand new Honda.” Or, “I’d like to go to Hawaii for a week’s vacation.”

But there’s that other voice in your head that says, “I don’t know if that’s possible or if I can even afford that.” That’s the subconscious voice, the weak muscle, that part of you that’s not aligned with your conscious decision and that’s what needs to be retrained and exercised to come in agreement with your conscious desire.

If you find that you are not confident that you will have what you desire, then that's an indicator that you need to strengthen that area of your belief or your confidence.

How do you deal with wavering faith?

http://www.creatingunconditionalmiracles.com

Create Miracles through Believing - How do we believe?

The Muscle of Faith

Your faith muscle must be exercised to build strength, endurance, sustenance, and resistance.

Strength – to carry the dream

Endurance – to continue to the length of time it takes to get to the final birthing of the dream

Sustenance – to uphold you and encourage you to keep moving forward in spite of the distance, the weight of the dream, the pressure, disappointments, discouragements and setbacks

Resistance – to deflect negativity - doubts, quitting

Your ‘Why’ is that thing that is most important to you. It is what you carry with you to give you the boost to endure, persist and develop inner strength when exercising faith.

So, I ask, “How is your faith muscle?” Examine yourself and see where you are; are you ready to step up and work out? Build those muscles and live!

What is faith?

Whenever you are working on attaining any desire, faith must be the deciding factor in achieving it; whether or not you are consciously aware of you having faith to receive the answer.

Your faith is what activates the universal power and set things in motion to bring you the desire of your heart.

You may have electricity running through the electrical lines in your house, but unless you plug in that appliance, you will never get the desired usage, i.e. vacuum your carpet, use the microwave, cook your food etc.

Your faith is the link between your desire and the universal power that is always willing and readily available to connect to and manifest your desire. The electricity is not partial in giving its power for your use, but if you fail to connect to it or there’s a short in the circuitry, you will not experience the delivery of this power. Faith works in much the same way.

So then, what is faith? In order to obtain something you must first know what it is.
The Bible says in Hebrews 11:1 - Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things (we) hope for, being the proof of things (we) do not see and the conviction of their reality (faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses).

Faith is:

Assurance – the confirmation, the title deed

Proof of the things we do not see

Conviction of their reality

Faith is the inner knowing and proof that what you are expecting to receive will become reality in your life even though the natural senses have not experienced the physical tangibility of that belief. That inner knowing or belief pushes forth into reality the expected outcome.

It’s like having a trusted friend tell you that they will give you a van. You, knowing that your friend is trustworthy, have the inner assurance that he will do what he said he would. If someone asks you, “How do you know if you could trust him?” You say, “I know his word is good.”

The word is the word of faith that comes from God to you, the inner wisdom of the Spirit. The scripture says before you even ask, God will answer and while you are still speaking, he will hear. So you have the assurance that God will answer and has already answered you, you have the proof, and now you believe and can rest assured that what you ask for, knowing that you will receive it, will come and is coming to you.

Faith is that which you see in your mind’s eye that you desire and believe you have, and know and expect that somehow a way will be made for its physical attainment. You expect its appearance even if you do not physically see it right now.

Faith is what gives you that extra boost and rejuvenates you. It’s that rejuvenating feeling of having that desire and dream fulfilled that gives you extra joy to continue to hope and pushes you past any and all obstacles that get in the way of its attainment.

It’s that shield that blocks all dream stealers and onslaughts of doubts because of the deep down inner knowing that the end result, that goal, that longing, will be satisfied and will come to pass.

Faith is the energy that springs out from the dissatisfaction with a current situation and is expressed through determined decision, persistent determination and a focused mind that has a deep inner knowing that whatever desire one has will manifest itself.

Focused intent to achieve one’s goal causes it to break forth as you hold to the idea with focused persistent determination. It’s a deep knowing of the heart and soul that causes the universe to line up people and series of events or moves the body forward into action to bring about change and attain the desired results. It’s the putting the foot in the ground and declaring, “No more, enough is enough. I will have it regardless of what the external conditions display.”

So how is your faith muscles? Are you working them out?

Create Miracles: How to Create Miracles

What seemingly impossible situation do you face? There are situations in our lives we know we need to change by stepping out and putting our faith into action, instead of walking by sight – waiting for external conditions to be favourable.

To step out by faith, however, takes a risk on our part; sometimes, not knowing the final outcome, or even, the next step until we get to that point. Following your heart and dreams is to walk by faith and not by sight. Every step you take would be by faith. You may not be able to see the whole plan, but as you step out, putting one foot at a time, the way becomes clearer, your total trust and confidence is in God, and your inner senses become stronger and keener.

Staying in your comfort zone will yield its usual fruit for the moment, even though conditions say you should leave, however, leaving the comfort zone and stepping out in faith will yield a greater abundance, a greater harvest, producing a greater miracle. You were created with the power, the ability to create wealth. You have the creative power working in and through you. You can create exactly what you desire. You create your reality with your emotions, by your belief, (your heart), your mind (your thoughts), your words (what you speak/say) and your actions (steps taken in the manifestation process). Your mind/thoughts work in sync with your outer world.

How to activate the creative power

Miracles start in you. The kingdom of God is within you. You have access to that power and can activate it and allow it to freely flow in your life.

Ask and it shall be given to you

We’ve heard the saying many times, ‘Ask and it shall be given to you’. But instead of asking for what it is you desire, how many times do you find yourself complaining or talking about what it is you don’t really want to happen in your life? Sometimes we get into the habit of talking about our problems that we don’t stop to think about what it is we really desire. What we’re focusing on seems to grow larger and what we really desire is not being fed by our thoughts, and therefore, it cannot grow and expand.

In order to ask, we must first know what it is we desire to have. At times, knowing what we truly desire could seem a bit fuzzy. We are not without help. When we allow the Spirit to help us, our desires become clearer, and therefore, we can ask with confidence.

Believe

Without faith it is impossible to receive anything from God or receive God’s favour. Believing is the passage way through which what we desire comes to us. Believing is accepting the fact that whatever you ask for you will receive.

So, what miracles are you creating today?

http://www.creatingunconditionalmiracles.com

Sunday Morning Quote of the Day - Leave Positive Memories

I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
Maya Angelou

All of our words, all of our achievements mean nothing if at the end it has not touched the heart and soul of another.

Whatever you do in life, make sure that it communicates positively on the emotional level of others. We always remember the things that touch us deeply in our emotions. Check for yourself, recall a memorable event from the past, how did it make you feel? Most likely you either remembered how hurt you were or how happy and joyful it made you feel.

This event would have left a long-lasting impact on your life and touched you on such a deep emotional level. We can recall these events with ease because of the emotional attachment - someone brought you flowers that really made your day, or helped you out financially when you were down to your last penny.

We need to be carefully of the memories that we contribute to the lives of others. Whatever we say, whatever we do, as it depends on us, let it all be done with the intention to make the other have a positive long-lasting memorable experience. Let us be cautious and think first before we allow our words to escape our lips and before acting in a way that will negatively impact another.

Saturday Tunespiration - Feel like giving up?

Feel like you're at your rope's end? Feel like giving up? Look within to the Source of your strength. You don't have to go it alone, you have help. Regardless of what your situation looks like, you don't have to give in to despair.

Today's tunespiration takes us to Whitney Houston's, I look to You. Whitney's life is an encouragement for all of us in spite of what you may be facing right now, you will come through. Even if you feel that you don't have a melody in your heart to sing, you will come through.

Enjoy and be encouraged.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTSlKG2ZCq8

Getting my body back Friday - Courage in the Face of Adversity

Jesse Owens won four gold medals in the 1936 Summer Olympics held in Berlin in spite of the pressure of racial indifference at that time. Regardless of the adversities, he remained focused on his goal. Though Jesse Owens was never honoured by Adolf Hitler for his outstanding performance, his determination paved the way for and inspired, not only African Americans but many others worldwide to press through to live their dreams.

What made Jesse push through to the finish line? He could have given up even though he was mistreated. He could have said that it was too hard. Jesse had a passion strong enough to push him forward and gave him courage in the face of adversity.

Find the passion in whatever you do. Whether your goal is to get to your ideal weight or go on that dream vacation, find the passion that will push you forward and give your courage to reach the finish line in spite of setbacks.

What motivates you? What gets you excited? Find that passion and allow it to propel you into action even when you feel like you can't go on. Even when it seems like you'll never reach your goal. Let passion be the fuel that creates character and endurance until you cross the finish line.

Submit Fear to the Presence of Unconditional Love

With all the negative reports we get on a daily basis, it's not surprising that many are captivated by fear, even paralyzed by it. But when we walk in and with the Presence of Unconditional Love we can feel secure knowing that we are safe.

As you open and allow love to flood your heart you feel safe, no need to be defensive. Love is gentle and greets you with open arms ready to fill you. The Presence of Unconditional Love wraps you in the protective arms of love and keeps you safe from harm. Submit fear to love. Turn your face away from fear and turn to love.

Regardless of where you are, where you’ve been or what you’ve done, the Presence of Unconditional Love awaits you to enter and experience true love and true freedom. The more you release your fears over to Love, the more Love you receive into your life. You cannot hold onto to fear and experience all that Unconditional Love has to offer.

Perfect Love will casts out fear but only as you release fear out of your hands (your heart) that you may fully embrace love. The more you release, the more qualities of Unconditional Love you experience, and the deeper the experience, the more you begin to glow with the Light of Love.

How do you deal with your own fears?

Experience Emotional Protection in the Presence of Unconditional Love

Our emotions are protected from hurt when we are in the Presence of Unconditional Love. When other people say things and act a certain way that hurt us, whether they are conscious of that or not, we can find a place of refuge under the Wings of Unconditional Love. We can either absorb the words into our heart as hurt or change our perspective of what the other person may be trying to say or do. When we learn to see through the eyes of love, we see passed the insults of another, and in exchange, return love.

When we internalize hurtful words or actions, or those that we perceive to be hurtful, we’re giving the hurt permission to enter into our inner sanctuary of love and desiccate the purity within. You open the door of your sanctuary and welcome the defiled stranger into your inner dwelling. But if, at the door, when hurt knocks, you allow Unconditional Love to answer, a soft answer will turn away hurt – only love exists here.

As we turn our attention to Love and ask, “What would love do?” We give ourselves permission to respond as Love would. The more we practice, the more we become transformed to reflect the perfection of and be imprinted by Unconditional Love.

Affirmation: I choose to release this hurt into the arms of Unconditional Love in exchange for the healing balm of love.

Experience Physical Protection in the Presence of Unconditional Love

We may never know how many dangers from which we were saved. But one thing we are certain of is that many accidents have been avoided and the things that may have happened to us that we call ‘bad’ could have been worse. No matter how bad a situation is, it could have been worse and that’s one thing that we could hold on to. It all boils down to our perspective on things.

We could choose to focus on the negative and fall deeper into despair and depression or we could focus on all the good that still exists, even if it seems like it is the tiniest amount of good among all the bad. It is still hope, and if we focus on that tiniest amount of good, for whatever we focus on expands, that tiny good will begin to expand and overtake all the bad. We’d probably wonder whatever happened to the bad. Hence the proverb, ‘you’re making a mountain out of a molehill’. If we took our positive molehill experience and focus on it so much that it looks like a mountain, we would have begun to turn all our negative experiences into positive ones.

As we walk through our ‘valleys of the shadow of death’, we know that our Protector is with us. And as we stay in conscious connection with our Source, we accept Spirit’s guidance when we’re told, “Don’t go there, go this way,” or, “Go that way.” We may not know what we just missed, but we could rest assured that the direction that we took was Unconditional Love’s guidance leading us onto a path of safety and protection.

In the midst of the most terrible conditions, there is always a way out. As long as we look within, the way will be shown to us. Coupled with the will to survive and the Spirit’s guidance, we know that we will come through victoriously.

Affirmation: Wherever I go or whatever I encounter, the Protection of Unconditional Love surrounds me and keeps me safe on every journey.

Experience Mental Protection in the Presence of Unconditional Love

We experience mental protection of Unconditional Love when our minds are in sync with the thoughts of the Spirit and when we are consciously aware of the Spirit’s guidance and thoughts in our own lives and begin to accept those thoughts as our own which transcend what our physical conditions tell us. We shift our minds from focusing on our external conditions as they are to thoughts which create positive change.

Positive thoughts create positive emotions. Therefore, as we turn our thoughts away from that which is negative and look within to the Unconditional Love and Peace that resides deep within, we immediately enter in the emotions of joy which puts us into positive vibrations with the Spirit. We can then avert the negative effects of negative thoughts and actions and remain in the Presence and Protection of Unconditional Love.

Affirmation: My mind is protected under the Wings of Unconditional Love as I focus on that which is positive – all good comes to me, my mind is the seed for positive thoughts to germinate and produce good crop in my life.

Valentine's Day: The Transforming Power of Unconditional Love

You’ve heard the words “I love you” so many times that it seems that the deep meaning of it has become superficial in its usage. But there’s love that is profound, constant and unconditional and it is from and out of this love that we have emerged. We’ve come from the heart of love and in remaining connected to the Source is where we find our life and sustenance.

Allow the fire of perfect love to radiate and burn within your inner being. Let it consume your soul, transform your mind and express itself through your body through focused thought and intention. It has always been there as a part of you and you begin to experience it when you are consciously aware of the connection to Love’s existence and turn full face towards Love in order to experience the warmth.

If this love is a part of us why then is it not more evidenced in our world? If you’ve ever observed an infant – they do everything instinctively. You don’t need to tell an infant when it’s time to begin to roll over or learn to crawl or walk. Neither do you have to educate them about love. They love you unconditionally. They quickly forgive and never hold a grudge. But as they continue to grow they’re reconditioned by society’s way of thinking, no longer the innocence of love – then they begin to adapt and lose the true essence of their original heritage.

We were all there at one point but have drawn away and/or moved away from living a life of true love. We’ve collected a lot of debris of judgment, anger, resentment, bitterness and unforgiveness that have blocked our communication with our Source of Love and have therefore stopped the flow of Love from entering our lives. We’ve now adapted to a superficial love that says, “I love you if you love me. I love you because you’re cute or I love you because you are rich, or because you make me feel so good inside.”

True love goes way beyond these conditions and says, “I love you because I love you and nothing can change that. I love you in spite of and not because of.” We have moved so far away from what is truth that the truth we embrace is so marred by the debris in our lives that when true unconditional love comes it’s hardly recognizable because we’ve grown used to the false identity and definition of love.

A call to return to love

It’s time that we return to the Source of Love that we may be transformed in the presence of Love and Love’s embrace.

How do you experience Love?

You experience this power because you desire it, you long for it, you summon it and Love comes to you. When you move away from it, you move away from the Source of the fire, the heat and passion of love and you begin to feel cold. Many people are cold. Some experience spurts of warmth but they never come close enough to experience the intensity and passion of Divine love. When you have, there is still much more to experience. When you come to that place where you remain in the intensity of love, you experience new levels of ecstasy you never thought possible.

Experience the Ultimate Love

It’s called the setting of yourself aside to surrender to and experience ultimate love. It satisfies, it thrills, it’s joy fulfillment, it’s deep inner peace. It’s the wanting or needing of nothing else - the satisfaction of your entire being.

Have you ever experienced a love so deep it burns to the core of your inner being? It’s like walking around with an inner campfire but never being consumed by it. It saturates your being to the point you need to take a deep breath so you can breathe or you ask for a second just so you can catch your breath? Come take a journey with me to the depths of your soul and experience the true flames of love.

Experience Love like you’ve never known, peace and joy in abundance and satisfaction unlimited. Once you’ve tasted, you’ll always desire to return, but why leave? You could remain there - you could live there and experience new levels of ecstasy in its purity.

Happy Valentine's Day.

Saturday Tunespiration - Emancipate Yourself From Mental Slavery

Bob Marley, Jamaica's world renowned reggae singer/songwriter/musician, brought his message to the world breaking down many racial and social barriers with his music. By boldly facing many adversities he set free many others artists of his culture and internationally to do the same by emancipating themselves from mental slavery. With his determination and persistent mindset, he has changed the world and the mindset of many through his songs.

His song, Redemption Song, tells us 'emancipate yourself from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our mind'. And even though we have been freed from physical slavery, many people, of all races, still experience mental slavery; those limiting beliefs and negative self-talk that hold one back from soaring high and living a full enriched life.

What about being still enslaved by the hurt of the past, the childhood memories, the painful divorce? And even worse, what about negative societal and environmental programming that no longer serve you and hinders you down from reaching your highest dreams.

If it's up to you, then, how do you free yourself from mental slavery?

1) Become consciously aware

Whatever you think you can't do, will be exactly what you'll get because by believing that something is not possible for you that will be your reality. Become consciously aware of your thoughts and ultimately your beliefs of what you can achieve.

2) Change your mindset

Once you become aware of what's happening in your thinking patterns, you can begin to change your mindset by consciously adapting new thoughts.

3) Change your habit

Your subconscious mind holds the key to your empowerment. It's the soil that grows all your beliefs and though you may consciously decide to change those limiting beliefs you find yourself back where you first started out. Your subconscious mind is your life habit autopilot so you don't have to learn to do things all over again every time you decide to drive, ride a bicycle, get dressed etc. So, in changing any habit, that's the place you need to go.

4) Go to the root of the habit

If you were growing grapefruit trees and you changed your mind and wanted mangoes, cutting down the grapefruit trees will not automatically give you mangoes. As a matter of fact the grapefruit trees would begin to grow back and eventually, in time, produce grapefruits again. To remove the grapefruit trees completely, you have to go to the root, the source of power, uproot and then replant the area with mango seeds. By nurturing these mango seeds, in time, you'll have mangoes.

5) Plant different seeds

So how do you do this with the effects of your life. Look at the results you're having. What is the external fruit - poor health, low self-esteem, poverty, troubled relationship? No matter what you do, you find yourself getting the same results again. Like the grapefruit/mango example above, you cannot plant a grapefruit seed and expect mangoes. You must plant the seed of the fruit you desire.

6) Fuel your desire with your emotions

Similarly, you can't be thinking, and more so, feeling poverty, lack, scarcity all the time and expect abundance. You can't be thinking and feeling your life sucks or your relationship is down the tubes and expect to have a happy relationship. Your thoughts are the seeds you sow in the soil of your subconscious mind which when fed by your emotions become a part of your belief system. And as a result, eventually, the seeds of those thoughts, fuelled by your emotions, begin to germinate and produce fruit.

7) Uproot the old thought habit

To reverse the effects, get to the subconscious mind, listen for and feel your feelings about the situation you're facing. Uproot the root by consciously asking yourself if you believe those things about your life right now. Choose to consciously accept the new belief of abundance, happy relationships etc.

8) Practice the new habit

Daily practice nurturing those new thoughts and emotions to create new subconscious habits which will begin to germinate and produce the kind of fruit/the results you desire. Now you can join in with Bob Marley and help to sing another song of freedom as you emancipate yourself from mental slavery.

Getting my body back Friday - Getting into the Olympic Fever

Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games start today. These athletes have been training hard day in and day out just for this moment. The Olympic fever is in the air and Canadians are all excited to have this event hosted in Vancouver, British Columbia.

So what can we learn from these athletes that we could apply to reaching our ideal weight goal?

Commitment & Dedication

When we make a decision to commit to reaching our weight goal we must be dedicated to putting in the action steps necessary to realizing the goal. That does not mean that we don't face temporary setbacks. But, like athletes, we continue to push forward because of the commitment we've made to ourselves, not to mention the gold we receive at the end by staying committed to reaching our goal.

Determination

One of the major qualities of world class athletes is determination. Come what may, in spite of pain, in spite of temporary defeat, they are determined to be the best. So even if you fall off, get back up and get in there.

This week's been quite interesting for me; in between being busy and not quite feeling up to my game, I've managed to get in some workout. I only got out for my walk one time this week. But I decided that 10 - 15 minutes of high intensity weight training in between advertising and writing articles was better than zero exercise. I lightened my set of weights this time but still got a good workout.

How did you do with your workout this week?

This is the Olympic Flame run when they came through Clearwater couple weeks ago. Enjoy!

Inferiority Complex: How to Overcome Inferiority Complex

If you've ever felt the effects of an inferiority complex, you'd know how it affects one's confidence and ultimately one's self-esteem. Inferiority complex usually comes as a result of you comparing yourself to or someone comparing you to someone else or to a particular "standard" of behaviour or lifestyle.

We all love the feeling of approval and acceptance. When you rely heavily on the approval of others and not on your own personal approval of who you are, inferiority complex can have such a negative effect on you and hinder you from living your life to your fullest potential.

Inferiority complex originates from within. Yes, what others say may have an effect on you but only if you accept that external perception of who you are as your own.

Overcoming Inferiority Complex

1) Take stock of who you are

Examine yourself and know your strengths and your weaknesses. When you take the time to do a self-analysis it can better equip you to deal with negative criticisms from others. If you are not aware of your strengths or even your weaknesses, ask a trustworthy friend or family member to help you identify these areas.

2) Shift your perspective

As you know and understand your strengths, shift your focus from the area you feel inferior about and onto your strengths. Practice this shift of perspective every time you begin to think of or feel your confidence and self-esteem shaken. Encourage yourself in the process. Your self-talk is most important here to move you from a state of negative thinking to positive. You may say, "I may not be good at that just yet but I'm great at this." Keep your focus there and elevate your emotional vibration to a positive level.

3) Acknowledge your weaknesses

When you identify your weaknesses, it puts you in a better position to strengthen them or look for ways in which you can enhance those areas. You're making a clear separate between your strengths and weaknesses so the thoughts of your weaknesses do not overpower the positive aspects of your strengths. Sometimes we focus so much on the negative so we end up 'throwing the baby out with the bath water' so to speak. Your weaknesses do not define who you are or determine your worth.

4) Strengthen or enhance your weaknesses

What are you willing to do to strengthen this area? If you're overweight, find a trustworthy source for selecting correct foods to eat and an exercise routine for you to follow. Until you get to your ideal weight, begin at once to dress in way that makes you feel good about yourself. Okay, you may not like the way you're looking right now, but if you begin to pamper yourself - wearing some makeup, change your hairstyle - this simple gesture will put you into a positive mood.

5) Surround yourself with positive people

If you're struggling with reading or spelling, surround yourself with friends who are strong in those areas - those who will help you. Choose your friends carefully. When you hang around positive people you become fired up to be the best you can be and the encouragement to keep trying.

These strategies can get you started to look at your life in a positive light. When other people make negative remarks with the intent to make you feel inferior, allow your strengths to be the answer. The key is to practice focusing on your strengths and accepting you for who you are.

Make a difference: You can make a difference living your dream

Ever stopped to wonder why you have the talents that you do? The gifts and dreams you have were not embedded in your make up just for your own enjoyment. You were born for this time period on the earth to make a difference living your dream easily and effortlessly.

Some things you do naturally while others struggle to do the same. That's because it's part of who you are; a part of your unique makeup. No one on earth is exactly like you. You are one of a kind. And with this knowledge, you are here for a divine purpose, whether or not you are aware of that.

Your talents and dreams have a place to enhance the lives of others and create a living, not only for yourself, but for many others. Think of it. What if you developed your gifts or your ideas whose life could you change? Whose life could you enhance? Whose life could you save?

Because we are all so interconnected on one level or another, your contribution could make such an impact locally, on a generation, on a global scale or maybe in the life of one child that will change the world. Give yourself permission to create wealth from your gifts, ideas and dreams.

How to make a difference

Charitable Donations

Many reputable charitable organizations are available where you can make a sizable contribution to aid in hunger and/or emergency relief. You can choose one or as many of these to sponsor a child or a family.

Environmental Organizations

Advocates for the protection of our environment have made it their life mission to care for our precious resources and ensure that the future of our world remains healthy and safe for our children and their children. You can join in and support their efforts.

Community Programs

Local programs have been put in place to provide the needs of local families; many of them struggling to make ends meet. By using your gifts to create wealth, you can make a difference in the lives of those who are facing temporary or even long term setbacks.

Educational Programs

Many educational programs have been cut due of lack of funding leaving children and families who rely on them in dire straits. One such program which has been brought to my attention by a friend is funding for the education of special needs children in the Bahamas and on an international level. What can you do to help if your ideas created such a financial stream of income to support this project and aid these children and their families?

Small Business Investor

How about being an investor to support small business ventures in need of necessary funds previously denied by the banks. You can help a small business owner realize his/her dreams.

I'm sure you could think of other areas that you can make a difference other than in your own back yard. The possibilities are endless, and besides, your act of kindness will live on in the lives of others long after you're gone.

Whose life would you change if you lived your dreams and materialized your ideas?

Want to learn how you can create unconditional miracles in your everyday life? Follow the link to find out how
http://www.creatingunconditionalmiracles.com

Turn Your Ideas Into Cash and Live Your Dreams

We all have ideas embedded inside of us from birth - those dreams we've had perhaps since childhood or realized as we got older. But they're a part of who we are and come from the essence of our divine makeup and life purpose.

Many may not follow them because we've been programmed to believe that we have to follow someone else's dream and that what others have is better than ours. But you are here for a divine purpose and whether your divinity is expressed through a musical instrument, singing, acts of kindness, dancing, speaking, teaching, writing, becoming an astronaut, computer programmer, an archaeologist or whatever, you can use those talents and turn your ideas into cash and live your dreams.

"So," you say, "How then do I turn my ideas into cash?" The following steps will give you a ground work where you can start:

1) Decision

As with all things, make a firm decision that you will use your talents and ideas to generate the monetary equivalent you desire. It's amazing when you make a firm decision to do something how doors open and information come to you one step at a time to get you closer to your goal.

2) Begin with what you have

Say your desire is to be a dress maker and you want to have a manufacture making clothing locally. Look around for what you already possess. If you know something about dressmaking, begin to look around at what's on the market, become creative and come up with and draft your own unique designs. Make up a few of these clothing items and show them around to friends and others in the community to see what they think. If your design is a winner make more.

3) Get the knowledge you need

If you feel that you don't have enough skills to carry out your desire, look around for others who you can partner with or look for ways through which you can acquire the additional skills needed, i.e. take a community course, go to the library and do some research, look on the internet. Whatever you do, don't allow lack of skills to be an objection to achieving your dreams.

4) Organize your thoughts

Putting your thoughts on paper will give you some clarity in the direction you want to take your idea. E.g. using the dress making idea above. Do you want to have a boutique and also supply local stores or do you want to sell on an international level? When you organize your thoughts on paper, you know exactly what you're going to do and have a clear picture of what steps you should take next or what other information you need to gather.

5) Putting your plan into action

Begin at once to put your plan into action. The more steps you take each day build momentum and move you closer to your goal. Be determined to keep going until your goal is materialized.

These are obviously a rough outline of the steps you can take to turn your ideas into cash and live your dreams. If you'd like some help to gain clarity in putting your specific desire into action steps, I invite you to join our Think and Grow Rich Mastermind Group at
http://www.changinginsideoutnow.ning.com.

I work with you to help you gain clarity in the direction you'd like to go and also share valuable action steps you can take to achieve your goals. Previous telecalls are recorded and are on the main wall of the Ning network so you could listen to at your convenience.

Looking forward to helping you reach your goals.

Change You - If you had to live with you, would you throw you out?

Do you live with a difficult spouse? Are you in a difficult relationship? Is your child giving you ‘grief’? How about that pesky neighbour of yours? Yes, the one that’s always nosing into your ‘business’? How are you dealing with these people? Do you feel like you’d rather go for a walk instead of dealing with their bickering, fault finding and all the other annoyances? Do you feel like you want to throw them out?

We all have difficult situations that we have to deal with and overcome in our relationships with others, especially the ones we live with. But have you ever stopped to consider you? Yes, you. Step out of yourself for a bit and switch roles here. If you lived with you, how would life be? Those bad days; you know, the ones when you got off on the ‘wrong side of the bed’, the moodiness? The hormones are doing summersaults and you feel like you’re losing it; on a high one minute, and suddenly dropping to 5 below. How do you ever keep up with you?

Take some time to examine you from the eyes of another and take this into consideration when you’re complaining about the spouse that’s controlling, negative, arrogant or rude, the child that does not listen, or is messy, when you’re agitated with their short comings, their faults and flaws. How about you? Are you portraying these same characteristics that you’re complaining about - picky, critical, negative, playing the blame game?

Are you trying to change the people around you to suit your liking in order to make you feel happy, comfortable? Happiness and joy truly comes from within. Our discontent of others is really a discontent of ourselves.

If each one of us were to take stock of our lives and focus on changing ourselves, there would be less fussing and fighting. Yes, there are difficult spouses, children and situations? But why not consider changing you first. After all, it is the only power and right that you’re allotted in the earth - the power to change you from the inside, and as you begin to change and radiate on the outside, you liberate others to do the same.

Forgive: Stop Fuelling The Fire of Anger and Learn How to Forgive

Who do you need to release and forgive?

Saturday Tunespiration - Change your Mindset and Help to Heal the World

Many of humanity's ills exist because of the way we think, our mindset. When we realize that we are all connected to and are a part of each other and what one does affects the whole, we'll begin to treat each other differently. We'd take care of the world around us because everything is interconnected.

The global mindset is that we are individuals and that we are separate. But how can a hand function if it thinks it's separate from the body? How would the feet walk if detached? How would the eyes see if they didn't rely on other connective tissues?

Although we may feel like we could do anything and it does not have any significant impact, it does. You cannot throw a stone into the water without causing a ripple effect, whether the ripple is small or large. The energy wave of each of us affects the whole.

When we see the animals, the trees and each other as part of ourselves, we'd think differently about destroying the other.

The more conscious we become of our connectedness, the more we can rally ourselves together in harmony changing our mindset and help heal the world.

Today's tunespiration comes from Michael Jackson's Earth Song. Let his message continue to ring out in our hearts as we come together, one heart and one mind at a time to heal our world.

Click here to listen

Getting my body back Friday - You're using weights, right?

Serena Williams

Serena and Venus Williams are leading contenders on the tennis court. Observe the strength and muscle mass of these awesome looking ladies.

If you're trying to get into shape and lose off those extra pounds, you may want to consider increasing your muscle mass. Even though we may not be on the court like the Venus sisters, we could also enjoy the benefits of a great looking body too.

So if you're not doing any weight training, you're missing out on a whole lot. Aerobic exercise is great, but after you've stopped exercising, your body isn't continuing to burn that fat. As a matter of fact, muscles take more energy to maintain and as a result when you weight train, you continue to burn fat long after the workout is over.

My daughter Gracelee got me some new weights. These ones I could actually add and take off the weights. Now I'm alternating them with the old ones.

If you're considering adding weights to your routine, which you should, make it high intensity. Add some extra movements in there.

Oh, yeah, I've done some skipping ropes this week captivating the children's attention. Wow Mommy can skip? I'm really bringing out the kid in me lol. It's all about having fun when you workout, right? So combining the skipping and weight training, alternating between the heavier weights and lighter weights, I'm getting a good work out and building muscles.

Venus Williams

We may not look like these sexy ladies just yet, but we can be inspired by their level of dedication and keep moving forward to achieve our goals.

How do you feel about weight training?

Born for a Purpose: How to Determine your Purpose

We've all at one point or another asked, "Why am I here? What's my purpose?" But how exactly do you determine your purpose?

Everyone of us came to planet earth for a purpose. You were designed and structured to add value to the earth in the space and time you are here. You may say, "I have nothing special or valuable to contribute." Not because you do not yet see the value in your special abilities, style of doing things and personality makes you insignificant.

You may be the one to create a shift in thinking and bridge the gap between the old and the new. In spite of political indifference, like many others, President Obama's life has helped to bridge the racial gap, taking us on a global scale to a new level of forward thinking, whether or not we as a people collectively embrace this change. Perhaps in time the seed of this change will mature into great fruit in the future.

Your purpose may not be designed to be president, but you could make a difference right where you are; in your home, with your children - shaping and molding the next generation with your unique blend of wit and charisma.

So, then, how do you determine your purpose?

1) Get to know who you are

Knowing who you are, is such a critical point. No, I'm not talking about the person that everyone says you should be or think who you are, but the real you inside; the one who has dreams and visions. Perhaps these dreams, no one in your current circle of friends and family know about them because they'd probably laugh or say, "You can't do that." Or, "That's wishful thinking." Take the time to get to really look into the heart of you, search your soul. What is longing you feel in your soul? If you've never done that before and this feels foreign to you, now's the time to start.

2) Become quiet

In the silence of your soul connect with your heart. How? By giving yourself permission to feel what your emotions feel inside. No, not all the debris of disappointments, regrets and failures, but the true feeling of hope and dreams within you. Oh yes, they're still there. You may have to shift all the negativity aside. If you only, just for a moment, allow yourself to look within with the anticipation of a child, what will you find?

3) What are you passionate about?

Now that you've cleared the debris out of the way, it's time to ask, "What are you passionate about?" Look at the things that gets you excited, the meaningful conversations that gets your attention, those things that impact you deeply, that move you. Take a closer look and grab a pen and paper and write those things down.

4) Comb through your past experiences?

Look at your experiences and things you've always been involved in. Write these down as well. Look for patterns, those things that are consistent with you. Yes, they make up a part of who you are. Some may not be favourable experiences and some may be mountain top experiences, but each experience contains hidden gems and clues to the design of your life purpose.

5) Change your perspective

Begin to look at your negative experiences through positive spectacles. Don't discard them. Someone else may be going through the same thing and you may hold the key to help them. What good could you see from your negative experiences? You've heard the term, 'seek and you will find', it's time to search diligently and draw out the vital lessons learned through your adverse situation.

6) Ask your family and friends

Whether or not you think your family and friends are initially supportive of your dream, ask them what they think gets you excited. Sometimes your family or your friends may know certain things about you that you may not realize yourself. So don't discard asking them and don't become defensive if it may be negative. It may be a negativity that you can turn into a positive to help you determine your purpose.

7) Putting it all together

Once you begin to see a connection, begin to move in that direction. Get as much information as you can on your specific area. Look for ways where you can get involved, even if it's one step at a time. Keep moving forward and doors will begin to open for you.

When you begin to life your life on purpose, you'll feel a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment instead of sitting back and watching others enjoy life. Share with humanity the special flavour of you.

What's your flavour?

New Book Launch - Ascension

Read your way to enlightenment.

There is such a resurgence in spirituality that this book will touch many people. It's Ascension, Connecting with the Immortal Masters and Beings of Light by Dr. Susan Shumsky. It leads you into the depths of your being to recover what might be called your higher self, guardian angel, inner guru, spiritual guide, master-teacher, or God within.

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There are realms that we have not yet tapped in to and that's because of our own personal and societal limitations and conditioning. When we take the time to become quiet and connect with the Spirit within, we deepen our connection and our awareness of the deeper depths of spiritual enlightenment and open the door to our own inner spiritual guidance.

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Black History Month - Nelson Mandela - How Do You Embrace Freedom?

You've probably heard the term, 'embrace freedom'. But how do you truly embrace freedom?

First of all, in order for you to embrace freedom you must first believe that you are free. Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years. How do you suppose he maintained his sanity for such a long time and rose to the top to become President of South Africa?

There had to be something greater than his natural surroundings, his circumstances. He was physically imprisoned, but no one can truly imprison one who's free in his soul, whose freedom is not dependent on external circumstances but who has freed his mind and has embraced freedom in his heart and mind and found his freedom within himself.

Freedom must first come from within, then, no one can limit you because you are coming from a place where no human hands can touch and keep you in bondage; the place where the Holy One dwells and where you are hidden in Christ in God - the place where you discover that you are one with the Master Freedom. What bars can hold such a person who is so connected. Who can enter into that realm to hold you hostage?

There is where you find your freedom. Therefore, no matter what your external conditions try to say to you, you shift your mental focus to the inward voice and become one with it. Then, you can truly say to your external circumstances that you are free. Free to live and be. Because he that dwells within, whom you have become one with and heed the voice, has given you the freedom to be you.

It took Mandela 27 years of preparation for what was to be a major change in modern history. Once you've acknowledged and embraced your freedom, let your freedom be your state of heart and mind regardless of what the external says. As Mandela did, use this time as the preparatory period for the manifestation of your freedom.

It is imperative that you hold on until the inner reality becomes physically visible so that you may be a demonstration and testimony to others that freedom truly exists.

Shake off the shackles from your mind. Let your mind line up with the voice, the creator that is one with your spirit. Then you would see your world from a different view point and live the life you were placed to live; a true ambassador of the kingdom of heaven.

What internal shackles do you need to break free from your mind?

Black History Month - Sidney Poitier - 1st Black Actor to Win Academy Award for Best Actor

Sidney Poitier, Bahamian-American actor, film director, author and diplomat, started out from humble beginnings.

He was born premature in Miami, Florida and was not expected to survive. His parents stayed in Miami until he got better. Sidney Poitier grew up with his family in the Bahamas and later on moved to Miami at the age of 15 to live with his older brother.

A couple years later, Sidney Poitier move to New York City where he got menial jobs but was later on arrested for vagrancy due to being homeless because he could not pay his rent. He later joined the army and worked as a dishwasher. Sidney Poitier later got a job with the American Negro Theater.

In those days, black actors sang and danced but Sidney Poitier was tone deaf and therefore did not get the approval of the audience. Due to his commitment to his dream, determination and persistence, Sidney Poitier turned his adversities into opportunities, working hard to improve his skills and got rid of his Bahamian accent.

Sidney Poitier became the 1st Black actor to win the Academy Award for Best Actor for Lilies of the Field in 1963. His continued rise to fame became evident in later films; Guess Who is Coming to Dinner, In the Heat of the Night and my favourite, To Sir with Love.

He later on expanded his acting into directing films like Stir Crazy, Buck and the Preacher and Ghost Dad.

Sidney Poitier became ambassador of the Bahamas to Japan and also to UNESCO. He recently received the Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama.

It does not matter how you start, it is how you finish that counts.

What is evident in his life is that despite the setbacks, despite the seeming odds stacked against him - the colour of his skin, his Bahamian accent, his humble beginnings - he did not let any of these stop him from realizing his dream. He knew what he wanted and once he had found a way to realize his dream, he stopped at nothing and did not allow anything to hinder him from reaching his goal.

I am sure during that time that he had faced many more obstacles than indicated here but his mindset and determination kept him pressing forward, shooting for the stars and going beyond. His achievements and successes have influenced the lives of many blacks, not only in America but all across the globe.

In spite of your current situation, if you make a determined decision about what you desire to achieve in life, and back that with persistent continuous action regardless of obstacles, you will reach your goal. And even more so, you will influence and inspire the lives of others around you.

Whose life could you influence if you lived your dream today?

http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidney_Poitier