Hello friends. I am awake this morning and full of joy and hope. Although my sinuses are swollen and I have NO WORK to do, I feel free and happy. I am grateful that I do not need to be busy to feel important. I do not need to be over-committed to feel satisfied. I do not need anything or want anything. I have all that I need for real happiness. I now really see that I am not the only person who lives this way and wants to live this way...by choosing to separate myself from living in the physical world only. I am glad to know that I am not the only person who believes that our lives are created by our thoughts and choices. I believe that things are as good or as bad as we perceive them to be, and that is all.
This morning I am reminded of some influential authors on this subject: Dale Carnegie, Andrew Carnegie, Napolean Hill, Charles Haanel, Wallace Wattles and Rhonda Byrne. These are some of my like-minded associates. I began this blog, "Thoughts Become Things" after I read the book The Secret.
The Secret was the beginning of my journey. It was my awakening. I went on to read Rhonda Byrne's second book, The Power. The two books referenced many other teachers, and mentors and believers of the "secret knoweledge of the universe". From her writings, and her references, I constructed a list of authors and books and continued my reading. Each new teacher showed me a way to tap into this Universal Energy and Universal Thought. This increased my personal power. Over the past year, I have seen a transformation in my life from where I was a faithless person, so lacking in hope that I nearly committed suicide to the person I am today. I will elaborate more on this shortly, but first I would like to acknowledge that friendship is always important. Relationships, as challenging as they can be, are an essential element on this journey. I have been blessed to find like-minded friends, faithful friends, generous friends, loving friends and just long-suffering friends. All of my relationships fall into one of these categories (at least). and also, there have been people who have chosen to walk away from me, or I from them.
So how do you measure your progress? The many teachers and mentors discussed earlier would tell us that everything is possible for us if our thoughts are pure and our intention is to use what we receive for the greater good. We must give if we are to receive. What we receive is given to us freely from the Universe through the Law of Attraction (LoA) and therefore, we must seek it with a pure heart, lest we receive an abomination rather than a blessing. The LoA, like the Law of Gravity, is non-discriminating and does not judge our methods or our motives. But what we give out to the world, like a mirror reflection, comes back to us...so it better be good! As human beings who are created in the likeness of the greatest power in existence, we need to Be the Light of the world...not just reflect it or take it. I want to be the light. That was the only message I really ever needed to hear...that it is my duty to Be the Light. All I have to do is just Be the Light. So now let's measure.
I measure my progress by a simple method. I gave and I received. How much did I receive? What did I receive? What am I receiving? How has what I have given compared and what more can I give? Did I receive what I believed? What did I actually achieve? Did I achieve what I conceived? When I conceived the idea of what I desired, did I do so with a pure heart and the desire to share it? After conceiving what I desired, I had to believe it was possible in order to receive it and achieve my goal. So how do I measure all this? How do I measure my life while it is ongoing? What is my tool for this, or what is my equation? There are many questions here. In Kabbalah, we are cautioned about allowing our joy and happiness to fluctuate with the occurance of what we perceive as "good happenings". When we rise too high or fall too low (emotionally speaking), we are not truely connected to the Light of the Creator or to the Energy of the Universe.
First, as I measure, I acknowledge that there are areas with great blessings for me in my life right now. There are also areas where I am not being blessed right now. How I interpret this is that these areas where I am not experiencing blessings reflect places where I am not giving enough love and where my tikun* exists. This is my "weak spot" and I am responsible for making it better. All in all, that is good news! Nothing is beyond my ability to improve! So my calling then, is to overcome these and improve myself. The main area in all of our lives that needs constant restriction is our Egos...our sense of the Self, the Individual. I personally believe we are far too separated from one another and that in order for the world to heal, for there to be peace, we all must have the same consciousness. That consciousness would be LOVE..only love.
So in August of 2010, prior to reading The Secret, I was a sad lost soul who had contemplated suicide, become a liar and a cheater and an all around selfish person who kept people at arms length or further so that I did not need to give...so that I would not be asked to participate or share or choose or put myself "out there". Slowly, after discovering there was a LoA and other powers at work, I began to emerge again from that sheltered place. I began to try new things and seek opportunities. Part of what I was destined to do, and needed to do was to meet new people and broaden my expereinces. Incidentally, meeting people and broadening my experiences became a very useful technique for me in dark times....times when I found it hard to find a happy place to meditate or clear my mind. But my outreach proved helpful, and has been my saving grace!
That summer, I had decided it was time to expand my work horizons. Also, having been unhappy in a relationship for a long time, I was wondering how it would/could improve or if it was time to end it and if so, how? When? I followed Rhonda's advice and began visualization exercises...studied The Master Key by Charles Haanel and began regular daily yoga and meditation. By October, I was offered the part-time job I wanted and had some breakthroughs in communication with my partner. I was now finally able to genuinely see the good in him instead of always focusing on the negative. By February, another remarkable transformation had occurred. This one involving my 9year old daughter, Annika M. Salgado(annikamsalgado.blogspot.com). She and I began a journey for her as a child Actor! My desire to expand business-wise was also experiencing growth in the enterprise of being a Planner/Organizer, although more slowly then I had hoped for. Summer 2011 felt like a slow period but there was a LOT of relationship-building and cooperative efforts with family. Also there was loss...due to death in the family and due to friends/relatives who were no good for me.
September 2011 rolled around and I felt like a bush that had been pruned to the trunk! My existing work had produced lovely results in deeper relationships and new contacts and increased praise and reputation. BUT...it was not my desire to grow this business and so the challenge was...knowing when to say "no" to what I do not want. I do not want to continue doing daycare. I want to expand my business enterprise to include Event Planning that will generate income. I want to write and be published and receive income. I want to work at home where I can care for my kids while receiving income. I want money in the bank...for a rainy day or a vacation! I want bills covered and then some. I want my own car. I want to sing and use my creative abilities to generate income. So September was a challenge...to keep the faith. I challenged myself to put aside the desire for money and the desire to have income to spend. I challenged myself to restrict those desires and force myself to attract the opportunities that I was passionate for!
October proved that this all works. Not only did I see the culmination of the group/family effort happen when my stepdaughter Daly was married on October 23rd, but I saw the real results of my faith. You see, when momey got tight, I got tighter. When people let me down, I stood firm. When we lost something, I had faith that something better would come to replace it. And when I turned down business so that I could create some space for my miracle...my promised blessing...it CAME! It came not once but many times. It showed itself everywhere...like a little pop-up show. I saw my miracles blossoming like a happy garden in springtime! I saw the light...because I became the light. What was I willing to give in order to receive? I gave up the thing most people cling to...security, the "sure thing" path. I believed more was possible. I should be very clear here...this was only possible because I am not the primary breadwinner for our family. In order to be blessed, I needed to give more and more and support and encourage that person who does that for me and that is my children's father! If not for his stability, I may never have been able to see this happen!
So first there was the invitation to write Blogs for money. Then there was the invitation to sing. Next was the invitation to volunteer. Then the invitation to Plan. There was the invitation to people's homes and parties. Most importantly, there was the invitation to create.
In addition to invitations, there was what I was given! I was given praise. I was given Love. I was given gifts! I was given honor and respect. I was given hope. I was given encouragement. I was given partnership. I was given opportunity! I was given a community. I was given MONEY! I received these things exactly when I needed them and in accordance with my faith.
What did I give? What did I do to earn this? Quite simply...I...WAS...THE...LIGHT.
I called people. I followed-through on promises. I stepped-out of my comfort zone. I pushed through selfish emotions. I studied and read and prayed and meditated and chanted and affirmed. I encouraged and lectured and spoke to people in the truthful way. I sometimes shed light for people and sometimes caused them to think, even to hurt as they thought, but to face the truth and not run away. I parented. I honestly listened. I responded to people. I did NOT turn away. I did not ignore. I GAVE...of myself and my talents. I did not allow insecurity or uncertainty to make me a selfish person. I showed strength under fire. I OVERLOOKED people's shortcomings.
~namaste~
*tikun is a kabbalistic view of qualities a person has, especially faults, that must be overcome in the course of their lifetime.
No comments:
Post a Comment