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Sharing The Lineage That Was Passed Down To Us …

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Like many of you, my journey started out in major dysfunction. I was the second of three, the child who would never amount to anything …” or so the story was about me in my family which was filled with addiction and rage. However, as in all things, there was a saving grace that saw me through. That saving grace was my mother's faith in things unseen which she had acquired from her own mother and her refusal to buy into the religious doctrine that was widely touted as the one and only Truth by the world around her. As a copy-editor for a fairly large publishing company, she had access to every kind of book imaginable and she shared her love for reading with me. She introduced me to metaphysics at the age of seven, and by the time I was twelve I was reading all I could find on topics such as Eastern philosophy, spirituality, spiritual masters, and the study of the etheric body.

Armed with these ideas, but ungrounded in living a practical life based on Reality, I launched full throttle into the throes of drug addiction and experiencing dysfunctional relationship. My first child, a son, was born when I was a sixteen year old bride – with my daughter following close on his heels. My life continued to spin out of control. As crazy, drama and trauma filled as those times were, I knew enough to know that nothing was by accident, that I was in dark waters for the pure experience of what it is to live in the dark, murky places, both within myself and in the world around me. And I was an eager student of life.

I was hired by a Health Maintenance Organization (based on the Kaiser-Permanente model) to work with clients, who like myself, had been living in dire circumstances brought on by addiction, disease, and or poverty, and it was while doing the intensive on-the-job training they offered their employees that I first encountered the “Drama Triangle,” by Dr Stephen Karpman, Phd. Little did I know at the time how instrumental that tool would prove to be in my own awakening as well as in my work with others.

It was years later, after a year spent living on the streets of Berkeley, California, under the tutelage of a man who called himself a Native American Medicine Man and that I called, “Natamenaha,” that my intense Awakening began. Natamenaha gave me challenging assignments, such as moving out of my small, cozy apartment, and onto the street, and solitary sojourns of up to a week at a time in the desert, where I ate from what I foraged, observed silence, and digested peyote buttons for the visions it brought. By the time Natamenaha disappeared forever from my life (which he prepared me all along for happening) I had become a visionary – with a long way still to go.

During the year of 1980 I was encouraged by my dad, a by-then, recovering alcoholic, to go through a 28 day A & D treatment program in Chattangooga, Tn. And so my best friend, a dog named Little Bear, and I, hitch-hiked to Tennessee to start a new and sober life.

By then, I was 28 years old, my children had been “farmed out” to various family members while I pulled my act together, and the 12 step program of A.A. and N.A. helped me do just that. The program brought me the 12 Steps to follow as a guideline, and it was then that I began to integrate the spiritual principles from my childhood handed to me by my mother with the practical application of the 12 Steps. For the first time I began to find the grounding I'd been lacking. I brought my family together and within a year started working in the A & D treatment field. Before I knew it I was helping other addicts find their way back from the depths of addiction and shame to a new place of hope and a fresh start. My work in the world was launched, and by 1985 I established my own private coaching practice which continues to this day, some 30+ years later.

During these many years of working closely with individuals, families, institutions, and groups, I evolved a combination of the best of what I had been given in my work with others. From years of working in Mental Health, of 12 Step Addiction Work, and Family Systems work, as well as from years of working with Co-dependents in treatment, and then delving into Transpersonal Work with Jacquelyn Small and Stanislav Grof, and many types of Journey work, such as Rebirthing and Shamanism, I finally combined it all with the Ancient Principles originally handed down to me by my mother, and her mother before her. It was these “Guiding Principles of Reality” about how the mind and manifestation work to provide us with our own individually unique experience of the world that has given my Work a solid foundation. And THAT knowledge and practical experience from so many years of not only helping others live it on the ground, but of applying it to my own life experience that I offer to you.

Together with my son, Andrew Guilfoil, and my daughter, Jaquetta Jancewicz, who have received the Truths passed down to me from my mother and her lineage, we offer our service in sharing these same Guiding Principles that teach us principles to live by for instilling peace and acceptance in a world of growing upheaval and personal challenge. You will learn about how your thoughts become your personal reality, and with that knowledge how to aim your mind towards thoughts that transform your life for the better.

Expect Miracles
Join us in St. Petersburg, Fl. January 18-20th, 2019 during the height of the season at the nostalgic Crystal Bay Hotel to learn how to apply the Guiding Principles and Truth to your own life. Together we will explore how to Transform Your Life Challenges Into Opportunities!

A Friend Shares Tips For Recovery

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I share this article with you written by Rufus Carter because it brought up for me my own memory of those early days in my recovery when I was transitioning from the old life of addiction, shame and misery and shifting into a whole new way of seeing myself and my life.

I remember having no idea of who this newly emerging self was; all I knew was that the old lifestyle no longer fit. I remember feeling as it I was trying to find the right wardrobe to fit a self that no longer looked, felt, or acted as it once had, and feeling uncomfortable in the old self, but not quite comfortable in the new either.

I found these tips to be helpful for those of you, who like me, have found yourself caught in the throes of rebirthing a new life. Lynne

 

Thriving Through Recovery: 
Tips for Finding Your Fresh Start

by Rufus Carter

Your recovery needs to be your top priority, and when you’re new to your program, life can be overwhelming. Recovery is the most important journey you will ever take in your life. And along with that path, you need to find means for making a living. A flexible yet stable position can help you thrive, leaving the old you behind and embracing what is fresh and new.

Explore Your Possibilities

When you’re new to recovery, a job that is adaptable to your therapy schedule, fulfilling, and earns sufficient income can mean success. Thanks to the gig economy, the possibilities are nearly endless. USA Today points out that side gigs can be started with minimal investment, and the opportunities can mesh nicely with your interests, needs, and abilities; you can pursue anything from dog sitting to musical instrument lessons. If you’re creative, try selling handmade items on Etsy. Love to crunch numbers? Become a bookkeeper to professionals who prefer to outsource their assistance. Whatever you choose, a side gig is a great opportunity to earn enough income to help you make ends meet while still tending to your other obligations. It’ll help you create structure in your days while you transition back into the workforce.

Search Your Soul

This is a time to envision your future; you are rebuilding your life in a new light. Whatever you do now can serve as a stepping stone toward a new career path. Unsure what direction that would be? Consider what sorts of things energize you, and weigh what your strengths are. You might want to take a career quiz to help you figure out what would fit well with your personality type, and think about what experiences you have that can help formulate a plan of action.

Prepare Paperwork

Once you determine your general direction, it’s vital to update your resume as a first step in your new path. You’re reentering the job market with your new and improved self, so you should refresh your resume to reflect that. You can use an online resume builder to take the guesswork out of this step. A resume builder will assist you with the entire resume-building process, from selecting a template and color scheme to inputting your work experience and skills. You will then need to create an appropriate cover letter. As Glass Door indicates, a resume conveys the facts of your skills, experiences, and abilities, while a cover letter is your chance to show more about your personality. This is your chance to shine, so make sure you put your best foot forward.

Land an Interview

When you’re reframing your life following a recovery experience, certain things can feel unsteady, and job interviews can feel like one of the most daunting challenges. When you’re in recovering, you might be particularly concerned about what to discuss and how to talk about certain details can feel unwieldy. One suggestion is to decide ahead of time whether you will open up about your addiction in a job interview, and if so, what information would you be willing to share. You can talk about things in a manner that helps interviewers see how much you gained from your experience. Federal law prohibits employers from discriminating against you due to your history of addiction while also protecting your privacy. The decision of whether to discuss your past is entirely yours, but don’t get hung up on what used to be. Remember, if we are in Christ, we are new creations, and the old self is put away. You might like to review common interview questions to prepare for talking with employers. By thinking through the questions and responses you can become more comfortable with the process as a whole. With a proper mindset and good preparation, you’ll be on your way to your dream job!

Recovering from an addiction is a challenging path. When you are ready to enter the job market, finding the right fit can be imposing. With some planning and preparation, you can not only find the right fit, but you can also find work that helps you to heal and thrive.

Rufus Carter

rufus@recoveringworks.com
RECOVERINGWORKS.COM

The Reality Formula At Work In Business

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The Guiding Principles of Reality work wherever they are used. These Universal Truths are the way we see life when we are aligned with Reality. They bring us a sense of peace in our personal and family life, and they help us find right relationship with our partners, in life as well as in the business arena.Today I decided it would be helpful to share with you a business model that illustrates the Guiding Principles In the Workplace .

The business I've chosen as a model for todays purpose are a perfect illustration of how The Guiding Principles work. The Guiding Principles that I talk so much about naturally occur whenever we are in alignment with, versus resistance to, Universal flow. What I call the Guiding Principles is actually simply a list of the Universal Law that are in play during the process of manifestation, whether we are conscious of it or not. I happen to know the ins and outs of the business that I am highlighting today because the founder is my own son, Andrew Guilfoil.

B Andrew’s Skincare, LLC is a small company presently run by Andrew and his life partner, Brett Crandal, who has played an integral role in supporting Andrew in all his endeavors from the day they met. Today, Brett is the company’s CEO. Over the years, he has grown to greatly appreciate the role The Reality Formula®️ plays in Andrew’s life and often applies it to the business decisions he must make. Brett, Andrew, and I have conversed many times about how the Guiding Principles apply to life. Their company is a good example of how a business can be operated with consciousness and in alignment with spiritual principles.

One of the basic understandings touted in The Reality Formula®️, for instance, says that there are no problems, only opportunities for expansion and growth. Focusing on a problem inevitably leads to reinforcing and actually exacerbating the problem being pinpointed. It often misdirects our attention towards assigning blame and figuring out who caused the problem, and why it shouldn’t have happened. Whereas life challenges viewed  as is outlined in the first Guiding Principle allows us to see that life always happens FOR us, even when it is painful. This shift in focus allows us to look for the lessons and hidden gifts in a challenging situation rather than getting sidetracked with blame and negative mud-slinging.

From its inception, B Andrews Skin Care illustrated this first Guiding Principle. Again and again Andrew and Brett have sought and found ways to turn adversity, i.e.”problems,” into opportunities. And like most businesses, they have had their fair share of challenges!

As a matter of fact, the way this skincare company originated, some 20 years before it was called B Andrew’s, was in response to a “problem.” At that time Andrew was a massage therapist that was facing a serious challenge. Simply put he could not find any sort of massage oil on the market that worked with his hyper-sensitive clients, one in particular. This client needed the pain release that massage offered for her chronic muscular dysfunction but suffered mightily from painful skin eruptions due to the oils used during the therapeutic massage process. No matter what product he found on the market to use, her skin protested.

Andrew decided he was being “universally prompted” to find and develop his own allergy-free formula to truly help this client. So he set about researching the essential oils with natural healing qualities that would treat the symptoms his client was experiencing. After much trial and error, he was successful. He came up with the perfect blend of essential oils that not only alleviated her symptoms but actually helped greatly alleviate her muscular pain as well. Thereafter, he spent the next few years studying and experimenting with various blends of oil, creating amazing healing formulas for many of his clients, His oil blends and reputation as a skin care specialist grew.

Later, those very same skincare formulas became products used to raise funds for his school of Ballet, Even then, he was being guided, as the Guiding Principles suggest happens when we align with Source, towards the founding of the company that B Andrew Skincare would become.

In other words B Andrew’s is not a business that Andrew and Brett had to “make happen,” it is a business that came about as a result of their  following their own inner promptings in alignment with their desire to be of service. Joseph Campbell describes it as “following our bliss.”

It was part of the natural unfolding then that the demand for Andrew's skin care products increased to the point that creating a skin care business became the “next right step.” The progression I describe is a great example of how the Universe work through us when we allow the creative process to happen, rather than to try and figure out “something to do to make money.” Instead we learn to let opportunity “find us,” often through the challenges we face, and then we simply follow our promptings.

Instead of resisting, we learn to trust the challenges that come up for us along the way; we learn to see them, not as obstacles that obstruct, or as proof that we can't have what we want, but as creative opportunities. being presented to us, often as guides leading us somewhere better. This more receptive attitude of trusting life's challenges to be for us allowed Andrew to sort of “stumble into” founding a thriving company that offers real service to his customers.

The second Guiding Principle introduces us to the idea that everything in life has a particular “high or low” vibrational “tone.” Even our thoughts are electromagnetic in nature and carry (and transmit) a particular vibrational frequency as determined by their positive (high) or negative (low) emotional tone. The Law of Manifestation says that thoughts turn into things, and the sorts of things thoughts turn into is determined by the high or low vibrational frequency of the original thoughts we think and believe (If you are a student of The Reality Formula®️, you are already familiar with this concept.) In other words, our thoughts transmit a vibrational frequency that in turn, creates (or attracts) a matching vibrational outcome.

We can also apply this same understanding to what we put in and on our bodies. Everything has a particular tone depending upon the vibrational “high or low” frequency of its nature. We might say that the higher frequency a food or product is, the more life it contains. And the opposite is true – the lower or more dense the frequency of a food or product, the less life force it contains. In other words, the more alive, fresh, or pure a food or product is, (i.e. the higher its vibrational frequency) the more healing and nutritional value it will be able to offer. This applies to everything we ingest, whether it's the food we eat, the water we drink, or what we put on our skin (and BTW, the quality of thoughts we think determines our personal sense of aliveness too). To summarize, the more “alive,” a product is, the more life-giving energy it contains, the more life it exudes, the more benefit we gain from its use.

Andrew and Brett know the importance of vibrational frequency and of maintaining it in their products, in their marketing, and in their customer care.They know that what they put out will come back to them. It's spiritual  law.

And they consciously know better than to add heavy preservatives with a low-frequency chemical load to their skin products. They have been adamant and insistent in their refusal to add these chemicals to their products, again, because they understand that the degree of purity a product has will determine its ability to rejuvenate, heal and nourish their customers skin.

Their insistence in maintaining the aliveness of their products created a challenge because for many years the FDA would not allow products on the shelves of stores that did NOT contain the preservatives and chemical additives necessary to guarantee “shelf-life.” This meant That B Andrews was not able to market to a national or international market; they had to instead “handcraft” their products in small quantities until very recently when the laws relaxed around this issue. But this too, they took in stride, choosing to see that staying a small home-crafted business  allowed them to focus on generating better and better quality products for their loyal customers, and being able to stay connected and learn directly from those customers that taught them so much about what they liked and needed. In other words, their small target audience helped them continue to refine their products and customer care. While their size as a company did not grow exponentially, their understanding and educational opportunities for those who loved what they offer DID. And now that the federal laws are making room for products that are 100% organic they are ready for the expansion that is now rapidly upon them … Right on time! This too is the Universe, according to the Guiding Principles, working FOR them.

These days, Brett has taken the lead in B Andrews, allowing Andrew to move on to other creative outlets involving his love of the performing arts and dance. Brett has evolved into the expert that customers turn to for personal advice and individualized skin care. And he has evolved the business as a skin care expert through his enthusiastic sharing in his online blog posts. There he educates customers about the skincare products and gives helpful tips for skin care in general. The blog is his way of being able to stay in communication with their customers so that even as they expand they can still maintain personal connection. Good stuff.

B Andrews has not only provided a livelihood for these partners, but has served as a pathway to personal growth and inner expansion as well. The business partners and employees too, evolve as the company moves forward. This is what it is to have a business that is high frequency and alive; it's not only the business that expands, but everyone involved grows and thrives as well.

That B Andrews LLC is on the rise these days is unquestioned. It is a joy to watch from the sidelines. It is a delight to witness and share with you what it looks like when a business lines up with Guiding Principles that help them create the Reality they visualize.  \I hope you find something in this review that inspires you to learn more about how to apply Universal guiding principles to your own business, whether that business is still just a seed in your thought life, or already on the ground.

Love & Light,
Lynne

BTW, if you want to learn more about B Andrews LLC, you can find out about their products and  learn tips on your own skin care on their website and in their skincare blog.

AND  when I told Brett and Andrew that I was highlighting their business as an example of how the Guiding Principles work in business, they were thrilled, and immediately responded by offering you, my readers,  a special 20% discount on any product order. To take advantage of their generous offer, simply email them at skincarebandrew@gmail.com with your order and mention that I referred you. You don’t even have to order online – they will contact you to confirm and complete your order.

Guiding Principles VS The Victim Perspective

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Guiding Principles Vs. Victim Perspective

1. Law of Cause & Effect: There is no coincidence. Everything has a cause and an effect. Regardless of whether what we experience is painful or creates happiness, it is always FOR the expansion of our consciousness and therefore serves us.

Victim Perspective: I am a victim at the mercy of an unfair world. Life is chaotic and without rhyme or reason.

Question: What might be the purpose of my own current life situation? Is there a thought behind my reaction? What is it? 

 

2. Law of Vibration: We are energy-in-motion, Source-based, and vibrational beings. We create a vibrational frequency based on the thoughts we believe that attracts to us people and life encounters which reflect the same emotional tone, re a similar, dense, or light, vibrational frequency.

Victim Perspective: Bad things happen for no reason, other than because the world is a dangerous place. It is not safe to trust.

Question: What emotional tone or vibrational frequency am I currently operating on? Are my thoughts generating a light, positive, pleasant, vibrational frequency, or a heavy, dense, not so pleasant emotional tone? How are my thoughts affecting my frequency right now? 

 

3. Law of Polarity: The mind is made up of an opposing pair of opposites: The Victim Ego, and The conscious Co-Creator Self. The Co-Creator Self (Higher Mind) is the eternal being and essential nature of who we are as divine and limitless beings that goes beyond the physical, beyond anything we can experience with the five senses. This expansive self is that part of us that sees and knows without judgment, guides with compassion, and prompts us though our intuition or “inner knowing.” The Co-Creator Self always operates from Love, Wisdom, and Understanding.

Its opposite is the fear-based victim ego or “false self,”  often referred to as the lower self. It is designed to operate on the worldly level, and cannot see beyond our physical experience.

These two selves are polarized opposites, the “yin-yang” of all things manifest. Everything in creation consists of the light/dark, conscious/unconscious, masculine/feminine elements. These two opposites are like flip sides of the same coin and inseparable, although there is constant friction and resistance between them.

This friction between opposites creates the necessary resistance that makes expansion and increased growth of consciousness possible. But it also means we are in a perpetual state of struggle between these two extremes. Our challenge is to learn how to find the neutral space between opposites, rather than “choosing one or the other extreme as being “right” (making the other “wrong.”) Peace increases as we mature in our ability to accept that both are essential parts of the whole.

Victim Perspective: There is good and bad, right and wrong, in the world. I must fight, defeat and get rid of the bad, and experience only what I am taught is the good or the right side of things.

Question: What dualities am I presently aware of around me? How am I resisting the dual nature of my own reality?

 

4. Law of Cycles: Energy travels in spirals and circles; and everything in life has a cyclic nature. We spiral forward on the consciousness journey, often moving through particular life themes and old cyclic patterns that serve to awaken and spiritually refine us.

Victim Perspective: I am on a straight and narrow path that must be always going forward, else I am failing or doing it wrong. I must be perfect and do life perfectly to progress.

Question: What life themes or old patterns am I cycling through right now?

 

5. Law of Reflection: The world is a mirror that accurately reflects the present state of our relationship with ourselves, Source, and those around us.

Victim Perspective: Being treated unfairly. I am a victim of abuse, unfairness, and neglect at the hands of others. My only chance of feeling better is to change or stop them from abusing me.

Question: What are my present relationships and life situations reflecting to me about my thoughts and feelings towards myself?

 

6. Law of Transmutation: Life and everything in it is changing, That is the nature of life. Nothing stays the same. Everything shifts and changes.

Victim Perspective: Life should stay the same. Change is bad, and unnecessary. If things change, it means something is wrong.

Question: What does my emotional response tell me about the thoughts I am choosing to believe right now? Am I running on unhappy thoughts, or am I choosing my thoughts consciously?

 

7. Law of Verification: When we believe what we think, we automatically feel and act as if its true, and then we react in ways that prove us right. This is the Reality Formula that defines Reality as we each personally experience it: Thoughts/Beliefs + Emotion + Reactions = Reality. There are no exceptions.

Victim Perspective: It is the world and what others do or don’t do to me that makes me feel bad. It’s their fault that I react the way I do, and they are the ones who make me suffer.

Question: What unhappy thought am I believing, and what do I create in my life by believing it?

 

8. Law of Projection: We project our beliefs and unhappy story on to those around us, and then react as if what we project is true, which elicits a response from the world that amply proves to us that what we believed and projected is true.

Victim Perspective: I had to react the way I did because they made me.

Question: What am I judging as unacceptable about the person, or situation I am resisting? How do I do the same things I criticize them for – to myself, if not to them, or others?

 

9. Law of Intention: What we focus on expands, and what we ignore,. We can collaborate with Source by choosing a possibility we want to manifest, and then set a conscious intention to ‘attend it’ into Reality.

Victim Perspective: I must force them to see how they are mistreating me, and make them apologize so they will stop hurting me and I can feel better.

Question: What am I “growing” in life? What in my life needs more attention? What needs less?

 

10. Law of Alignment: Through conscious intention, we align daily with Reality and surrender to enjoying a life of peace and spiritual adventure, as vessels or conduits for the Flow of Source through us. We live in Observer Consciousness, in alignment with ourselves, the world around us, and Source.

Victim Perspective:  I am only a physical body, with a brain that helps me survive against the odds of making it in a cruel world where life has no meaning. Only what I can see, touch, and hear are real – everything else is made up to make us feel better about life on Earth.

Question: What ways am I currently practicing daily to align with Reality and peace?

 

Giving It All Up For The Joy Of Inner Peace

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I have been in the throes of loss. Resistance to loss guarantees suffering. And I have suffered.

But Suffering can also serve to Awaken us to choose freedom from suffering. About this I want to speak.

As part of my Awakening, I have been asked to detach. I know this because I have experienced much loss. Through the Guiding Principles I am encouraged, however, to remember that all things, including the coming and goings in my life, are purposeful, on time, and in alignment with my highest and best good. SO that tells me that the losses I have experienced are in fact, a necessary part of my spiritual journey to maturity.

Many times I have felt remorseful, and wrong about these losses. I've asked myself, “What did I do wrong that I should lose so much? What does this mean about me? Am I being punished for careless, selfish, misled choices made? Have I ruined my life forever? Is my life ending?” These questions and others like them have been ones I have, in great consternation, pondered and abused myself with over and again during the last year and more.

Over and again, I have met these punishing thoughts with questions prompted by the Guiding Principles, that remind me that even these losses are FOR me – but HOW? I demanded to know. And there have been layers of break-through that have brought deeper understanding and an acceptance of the necessity of these losses. What remains today is a tremendous amount of awe and reverence for the perfection of the Universal Plan that is moving me steadily along the path of  my salvation.

For I see that I have been in the throes of what the Buddhists call, a process of  “renunciation.”  And it is no coincidence that the revelations about the  necessity of my losses have also prompted me to explore more deeply the teachings of Buddha. And so found myself drawn to attend recently the dharma talk of a Buddhist monk, Gen Kelsang Chokyan, who reminded me of the true meaning of the term “renunciation.”  (For the Universe always works to bring us the reminders and inspiration that will best support our spiritual journey now.)

Renunciation, the monk reminded us, is the pushing away of any thought that produces unhappiness. It is a mental state that allows us to “let go” of our “attachment” to things (people, places, conditions, etc) that we define as the cause of either our happiness or our unhappiness.

I realize that the things I have attributed to as being the cause for my emotional well-being (my Life-mate,  my Home, Financial Security, my Work, Spirituality, Dance, Health,etc)  are not the cause of my emotional well-being at all. NOTHING – NOBODY can make me happy – or unhappy EVER. Only me. I am the one who chooses happy thoughts or unhappy ones in response to what and who is in my life.

But my assigning to them the responsibility for causing my emotional state certainly DOES create suffering. Because that belief that something outside my own mind controls my feelings is a delusion; it is a lie and therefore cannot work.

Making the external world responsible for my happiness can only hold me prisoner to it. After years of effort to try and make external things bring me happiness, I have proven over and again that it will not work. Because it CAN NOT.

And that is a really GOOD thing! Because think about the slave we must become to that which we believe holds the key to our happiness!

For me it has required loss of many of the external things in my life to which I had attached and held responsible for my ok-ness before I could finally GET it!  It has taken all of these losses for me to finally appreciate the need for letting go. For how was I going to find the peace and inner happiness I seek MOST as long as I believed these things were the source of it?

As soon as I have the thought that a certain person, or circumstance, event, or thing, makes me happy, the suffering begins. At that moment, happiness is gone! And in its stead remains only the fear of losing that which I have attached to for my happiness. Because now the mind grows preoccupied with trying to figure out how to hold onto this thing I think will save me from unhappiness. My thoughts become dominated with the fear of what will happen if I lose it, and plots of how to keep it.

In the same way, the opposite is true; as soon as I think something makes me unhappy, I suffer. For now, I see myself at the mercy of an unhappiness that cannot be alleviated until or unless I remove, control or change this thing that causes my woe. I am enslaved by the things I attach to as that which is required for my happiness.

In such moments I wrap my present moment around an impossibility – and must therefore suffer, when I could be enjoying what the world is offering me right now, instead. Inner peace then requires an attitude of detachment.

Detachment is, very simply, the complete and total renunciation of unhappy thoughts, regardless of whether things, conditions, or people, are what we think they “should” be or not. Detachment comes from the realization that happiness occurs when we can accept this moment for what it offers, without needing to hold onto it, resist, or change it. For I cannot hold onto or change anything  – I can only respond to it and appreciate the opportunity it brings.

My personal walk has been to experience the loss of many of the things to which I have attached my happiness; I needed to have them taken from me to be able to see that I could be happy without them. I see the tremendous gift I have been given through these losses for it is only through them that I am finally able to make peace with the Reality of how much I have, rather than fixated on how much I have lost.

It is through appreciating the richness of this moment, including the losses incurred along the Way to NOW that allows us to see that those things we attach to and suffer over DO NOT determine our inner state of well being. Happiness is not dependent on what we have or who comes or goes in our life. Happiness is a choice we make to detach from the belief that external things have any power whatsoever to deliver or take away our peace of mind. That choice leaves us free to be here enjoying the NOW of Life, where every need is met.

Appreciation for the little things we have brings gifts of abundance to our door, and allows us to dance in celebration and awe at just how loved we truly are. For truly, are we not being led, step by step along the path of Liberation and Ultimate Freedom? I believe so with all of my heart.

May you too experience such joy. Blessings,

 

 

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