Conscious Change; for the Journey to Happiness

Letting go is one of the best lessons I've learned this year, or maybe ... ever. Yet it's not as easy as it sounds. I'm sure you've heard people say, "just let it go!" How often do you hear them say how to do it?

For me, letting go was something I deeply wanted to do, but no matter how I tried, it seemed that I was still holding onto things. Not just negative things, but dreams, desires, and anything that identified me as who I thought I was. The tricky part was finding all the things that I clung to that I didn't even know I was holding onto. Most of the self-identity things fall into that category.

What I didn't realize was that without trust, there is no letting go. We have to trust in order to release our grasp on things. Who do we need to trust, or what? That's different for different people, but I think it all comes down to Love. I see God as the same thing as the energy of Love, so it includes trust in God. A lot of people, myself included, have learned through experience not to trust Love. Human love judges, rejects, is conditional, and often hurts. That's not the love I'm talking about, but it's the love we've experienced. It's the foundation of our mistrust of Love.

Once I discovered that I didn't trust Love, I looked back through my life to find out why. That was pretty easy. My life is full of love that betrays and love that demands that I be "good enough" or suffer rejection, even condemnation. The road took me back farther than I expected. It went all the way back to my entry into this life. In complete forgetfulness of who and what I am, I felt that Love itself betrayed me by putting me here in the first place. That original Love, the One, sent me here to this painful, frightening, stifling existence. That's where my mistrust began.

It took a lot of reconciliation for me to see that Love did not betray me, but was actually serving me. I had to re-establish a relationship with that Original Love. I had to find the part of me that is always in full awareness of it. Doing so brought a lot of healing and I was able to release a lot from the past, but something lingered. Trust was still lacking, even though I felt that I had completely surrendered to Love.

What I hadn't seen at that point was that Love is not separate from Life. I was trusting Love, but not life. Life was unreliable, unpredictable, and anything but safe and supportive. That was an error in perspective. Life is in fact the expression and unfolding of Love. Love is the energy and Life is the movement of it. By not trusting Life, I was still not trusting Love. Without that trust, I wasn't able to let go of everything.

We've often heard the analogy of life as a river. "Go with the flow," people tell us. A lot of people are in the river, but swimming upstream. Life is always a struggle for them. Others still have the boat tethered to the shore. I saw myself in one of those water park slides, up near the top. The water was rushing by, but I was holding tightly to the sides. I had too much fear of where the water would take me to let go and find out. That's the image of the way I lived most of my life.

With a new understanding of Life as the movement of Original Love, I am now able to trust it, and that gives me the ability to let go... of everything. There just isn't any reason anymore to cling to anything. It all exists as part of the energy that life is, and so do I. We are the same energy, part of the One great sea of Life. I don't need to cling to my foot in order to keep it with me. Neither do I need to cling to anything in Life. It's not just here with me; its part of me.

My Blessing

I wish you Love so deep and true that you know that you ARE Love.

I wish you joy that bubbles up from your toes and pours forth from your heart like a waterfall.

I wish you beauty that surpasses what the eyes can see or the mind can define.

I wish you peace that you feel in every cell of your being as an abiding awareness that All is well.

I wish you abundance in your Earthly life that you may be free to give the gifts of who you are.

I wish you experience of the Truth of Oneness that you may see the face of God in all beings and in every moment.

I wish for you what I wish for myself...that you remember who you are.

with Love and Gratitude,
Jacqueline

How often do we think at length about what we want to say? The words come out of our mouths almost automatically, sometimes seemingly from someone else. In these times, our unconscious beliefs are being expressed through our words. What we believe about ourselves and what we believe we will experience in our lives comes out in every conversation. The reality we experience is a result of what we believe, so it stands to reason that it is in our best interest to find out what our core beliefs are and change those that do not support us. While thinking about what I believe did help identify some of my false beliefs, many more were revealed by my daily speech.

It is important to choose our words wisely because they are powerful and creative. We continue to program ourselves and affirm the truth that governs our lives every time we speak. How often though, do we think about our conversations in terms of defining who we are and what we will experience? Every time we speak, we are claiming what we believe about ourselves and our lives; we are telling others who we are and how we experience life. Upon examination, I found that I did not like or agree with what I was saying about myself. I certainly did not like the picture of life that I was claiming for myself. My words and phrases were so automatic that they came out of my mouth before I realized what I was saying. I had some major changes to make. Speaking from conscious choice rather than old, unconscious beliefs requires awareness of our words, determination to make them supportive, and diligence in choosing what we say.

Any change must begin with awareness. The words we use automatically whisper to us the beliefs held by our unconscious mind. These same beliefs are responsible for our patterns of behavior and emotional reactions. The expectations we have of life are founded in our core beliefs. If our lives are not working the way we would like them to, our core beliefs are not supportive, but disempowering. When I looked at my life, I could see all the evidence of core beliefs that did not support me.

I discovered many of my unconscious beliefs when I began listening to the words I say without thinking. My own words were telling me what my false beliefs were. My first step in changing them was to write down what I had said. Next, I analyzed the situation in which I said the words in question to see if they were appropriate. Usually, they were not. Then, I searched my memory for a time in which those same words were appropriate. This led inevitably to the emotional reactions of a child who did not have all the information and did not understand the issues. In the light of the truth, my assumptions at the time my core beliefs were formed were completely false. However, they were accepted as true at that time, and stored in my unconscious mind as a base operating system. They have been running continuously ever since.

Constant vigilance and daily practice has helped me change the way I speak and the way I think. I am pleased to say that my life has changed dramatically. The way I feel inside at any given time, and particularly when talking with others, has become peaceful, confident, and joyous. My mental clarity and ability to reason have improved. My physical, mental, and emotional health have improved drastically. My relationships have become more honest and harmonious. Ridding myself of false beliefs and old programming has set me free to live my life in truth, joy, and expectancy. The process of uncovering and letting go of the false beliefs hidden in my unconscious mind continues today with ever-increasing ease.

You may be reluctant at first to write down the things you say that are disempowering, but doing so will help you uncover the beliefs that prevent you from living the joyful, fulfilling life that is available to you. The initial effort of this process will set in motion a new habit of guarding your thoughts and words. It will allow you to express the truth of who you are and experience the best that life has to offer.

Sedona, Arizona is one of my favorite places. When I lived in Las Vegas, I used to drive down to Sedona once or twice a year. On one special trip to Sedona I drove down at night. The winding, narrow road from Flagstaff to the head of Oak Creek is lined with tall, ancient pines intermingled with small meadows where horse and deer graze intermittently.

Driving this lonely road at 2:30 in the morning, I was blessed with watching the pearly white moon dance between tree tops. A mother raccoon lead her 3 young into the bushes just before the shadowy figures of red-rock canyon spires appeared from behind the trees. Around the bend, a doe and her fawn were grazing on tender shoots at the edge of a small cliff, right next to the road. My window was open to breathe in the cool, clear air, and I soon heard the tumbling of Oak Creek over its rocky bed, welcoming me back to Sedona.

These are gifts that many people can't even comprehend. Oh, how they feed the soul! I stopped to use the bathroom at an all-night gas station and headed straight for Bell Rock. Out of all the marvelous features around Sedona, Bell Rock is the place I have the most affinity for. I parked my car on the side of the road, got out my backpack, and began my climb. I'd already climbed Bell Rock in day light, so I was familiar with it.

Owls and coyote echoed through the valleys and night birds voices were clear and sharp. There was no full moon this time, just a vast field of twinkling stars over head. Still, it was enough light for the climb. Suddenly, something shimmered in front of me. I stopped dead in my tracks and shifted my gaze. It was the largest spider web I'd ever seen, and perfectly formed. It was almost as big as me! Spiders scare me, so I backed up and went a different way. Yet, that spider web was truly beautiful when the starlight hit it just right. It shimmered like liquid silver.

In a foreign direction, I reached a point where I could go no further. There was a dark crevasse on my right, a shear cliff in front of me, and unfamiliar ground to the left. It was the perfect place to stop and wait for sunrise. The sides of Bell Rock are smooth and rolling. I sat down and leaned back to rest. Just behind me was the split at the top of the rock. I no sooner let go of everything than the biggest, brightest shooting star I've ever seen shot through that split and right over and in front of me! It seemed almost close enough to touch.

I don't know how long I waited there for sunrise, but it was wonderful to listen to the night creatures head of to their burrows and listen to the birds of morning announce the dawn. The cliffs opposite Bell Rock face the morning and their color changed from grayish, to brown, to rich red as the sun's new light crept over them. Once the day was full of warm sunlight and cars began filling the roads below, it was time to go to a motel and get some rest.

Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?
With the seeds of desire
Planted in faith,
Watered with gratitude, and
Fertilized with expectancy.
Then in due time,
Each plant according to its season,
My garden burst with life.
The harvest comes like a miracle
Almost over night.
I never question when I plant
If seeds will sprout
Or flowers bloom
Or plants will bear their fruit.
For it is the way of nature
That what I plant sprouts
And what I water grows
And plants that grow,
In their time,
Surely must bear fruit.

by Jacqueline Stone



"Pray for workers to help with the harvest."
This sentence from the Christian Bible tells us that it's not abundance we should ask for, but help to manage the abundance that is ours already. There is another statement that tells us, "Ask, giving thanks, for before you ask I will have already answered." Another sage advice is, "What you sow, so shall you reap." This is not a threat or a warning; it is a statement of fact. If you plant corn seeds, you will not harvest alfalfa. Corn grows from corn seeds and alfalfa grows from alfalfa seeds.

The realm of thought is like a garden. What we plant determines what we harvest. Planting worry is like planting poison ivy seeds. It will not yield joy, but misery. Worry and dwelling on what if's or past hurts is like planting poison ivy all around you. Your harvest, or resulting experience, will be according to what you have planted. The seeds of worry, fear, doubt, anger, resentment, regret, and judgment can only bear fruit according to their nature. When those seeds grow, you will find yourself in greater fear, deeper anger, and many other forms of darkness.

We may be mostly positive, but subjected to negative thoughts and beliefs in our worldly lives. When that happens, we go within, to the garden of our thoughts, and pull out the weeds of worry, fear, judgment, and anger. If we don't go into the garden regularly and pull out the weeds, then worry may choke out the good thoughts we have planted. The good that we desire to experience must be allowed to grow in good soil, (joy and gratitude), tended regularly to keep worry from taking hold.

If we guard our thoughts with all diligence, what we harvest will be of the seeds of positive expectations, faith, joy, and gratitude. Good seed can only bear good fruit. Likewise, fear and worry seeds can only yield fear and worry. Each grows according to its nature. Fear and worry cannot bring good because it can only bear the fruit that is the nature of its seed. If you plant dandelions, do you expect to grow sunflowers? No, of course not. You expect to see the fulfillment of what you planted. So it is with our thoughts.

Many people never look within; they don't go into their garden to pull the weeds. They allow the winds of uncertainty and complacency to blow all manner of bad seed, (i.e. fear, worry, doubt, anger, resentment, regret, and judgment), into the garden of their thoughts. Then they wonder, "Where is my good? Where is the fruit I wanted to harvest?"

Tend your garden well. Prepare the soil with love. Plant the good seed of your desires. Go into the garden of your thoughts daily to keep out the weeds and nourish what you have planted with joy and gratitude. Then pray for help with the harvest. Before you see the first sprout break through, your harvest will be fulfilled.

May your garden grow abundant joy!
Jacqueline

It is wise to invest time and effort into healing your past. If you are rejecting any part of yourself or your life through resentment, regret, self-recrimination, or blocking things out, then you are rejecting also all the good you desire to experience. You must embrace all that you are, all that you have ever been, and every moment of your life as a valuable and worthwhile part of who you are now. You are the culmination and result of every moment of your life. Even your mistakes and your pain have served to make you the incredible person you are today. Your appreciation of yourself and all you have been through will open you up to create a new reality and experience what you desire. It will also remove the pain of past wounds. The rewards of learning to love yourself are wonderful beyond measure.

With all the talk about the Law of Attraction and manifesting our heart's desire, one important point seems to get glossed over. What are we contributing to others and the world?

The abundance we experience is not just a matter of affirming abundance, but of living it. How do we live abundance? By giving. When we give of ourselves, our time, and our talents, we make a living declaration of having more than enough. When we care for others and give to them without need of repayment or acknowledgment, Life gives to us in the same way.

Do you want to increase your experience of abundance? Then give of what you have and what you are. Give from your heart, with love. Do things for others that are not required of you, and don't brag about it. Ask yourself each day, "What can I do for others today? What am I giving today?" Do it, then let it go. Don't look for your reward. Perfect support, healing, inspiration, and abundance will come to you in the most perfect way for you. In the process, you will know true joy and deep inner peace. Those are the bonuses.

What do you believe? Not what you should believe or what you want to believe, but what do you really believe? Most people never give it a second thought, but what you truly believe is what creates your experience of reality. If you want to know why your life is the way it is, the answer is in your beliefs. If you are not the person you want to be, there are beliefs about yourself that need changing.

Our beliefs dictate how we feel, think, and act. If you believe something is good, you will feel good about it, think positively about it, and react favorably to it. You know how you feel, think, and act when you believe something is bad. Some of these beliefs may serve you well, may even protect you, but a great many of them may be holding you back from realizing your full potential in life.

Before you can change your beliefs, you have to find out what they are. It sounds like a simple prospect, but it may not be. Most of us have beliefs that we don't want to have. Beliefs about money are the easiest examples, so we'll start with them. Do you believe that money is the root of all evil? Are wealthy people evil, selfish, or bad? Did all very wealthy people get that way by cheating others or being born into it? Are wealthy people less likely to get into heaven? These are common beliefs that people have about money because of childhood programming instilled by parents, teachers, and religious authorities. Such beliefs are deeply rooted and often accepted as a condition of being loved and accepted. As adults, we consciously know that these things are not true, yet the negative beliefs may linger in our unconscious.

Ask yourself what you believe right now. Write down the answer, knowing that what you answer does not have to be your reality tomorrow. You must be honest with yourself if you are going to change your beliefs. You cannot change what you deny. It may be helpful to write at the top of a page the area of beliefs you wish to examine. You might write Money on the top of one page, Love on another, Health, Sex, Work, Relationships, Family and so on. Make sure you do a page for what you believe about yourself. Do only one area of belief per page to give yourself room to write down everything that comes to mind or heart. List your beliefs on the left side of the page.

It does not feel good to think of something false, so when you are listing your beliefs you will know when you write down the ones that need to be changed. If a belief you write down does not bring up any emotional response, then it is either correct for you or still serves you. Those are good to know, but they are not our concern in this exercise. We are getting at the beliefs that need to be changed.

After completing your list of beliefs, review each one and write down on the right side of the page what you want to believe in its place. If you believed that wealthy people are bad, you might write across from it, Wealthy people are good people, with money. Some of the new beliefs may not feel real to you at first. It took a lifetime to ingrain your old beliefs in your consciousness. It will take more than a desire to change them.

Create a list of chosen beliefs, beliefs that you would have if you were the person you want to be, living the life you want to live. What would you believe if you were that person now, living that life? When you believe that way, you will live that way. Devote a few minutes everyday to stating aloud what your chosen beliefs are. Say, I choose to believe instead of, I believe so that you do not set yourself up for an internal debate. There may be no greater investment in your future than this simple practice of choosing what you believe. Make the choice consciously every day and you will soon find that you really believe as you have chosen to believe. No one can make you believe or disbelieve. It is your choice. Choose your beliefs to live your chosen life.

Believing in you,
Jstone
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We all know that what we put into our bodies directly affects how our bodies feel and work. The same is true for our minds. What are you putting into your mind? Are you letting other people determine your experience of life by planting thoughts in your mind? You are, if you are watching a lot of TV and movies.

What kind of music do you listen to? Does it uplift and inspire you? Does it inspire joy? If your music is full of anger and violence, then your mind will be also. If your input from TV and movies is full of negativity, sadness, pain, and frustration, then your mind will be also. Similar to a computer, what we put into our minds determines what comes out of them.

What you accept in your mind, you allow or create in your reality. Guard your thoughts. Take full responsibility for what goes into your mind. Select with care what you listen to and what you watch. Feed your mind and your spirit that which supports you, encourages you, and inspires you. This is not to say that we should ignore everything that is going on in the world. We need to be aware, but we do not need to be immersed in depressing news and images. Take care that you do not allow the reality that other people are creating to determine your reality. By being selective with our thoughts and what we feed our minds, we not only change our own reality, but the collective reality as well.

Choose your thoughts and change your world.

The teachers we trust and respect are still just teachers. They are as human as you and me. The truth is between each one of us and God, (Universe). The things we hear or read that resonate with us are the things we already know, we just forgot. Our teachers are helping us to remember the truth, but they can only help us remember as much as they remember. We each must do some remembering on our own. Find the truth within. That is the purpose of meditation. Find the truth that is already within you. You don't really need a middleman, but it helps to have guides to stimulate our remembering. You are part of God, vibrating in an energy pattern that expresses in the physical plane as you. You are not now, nor ever have been separate from God, All That Is. Look within. All truth is there. All of it. Ask your Higher Self for guidance, for the truth of who you really are. Your Higher Self is you without blinders. Your Higher Self can help you understand what is right and recognize what is not right. You can ask your Higher Self to help you become aware of it and have a conscious relationship with it. It is the part of you that knows that you are perfect, infinite, eternal, and wonderful. Your best friend is you, without the illusory limitations of physical form.

Remember your truth.
Jstone

We all know that being around negative people brings us down, but have you ever thought about all the other things that bring you down, drain your energy, make you feel heavy? When I started thinking about the things in my life that drain me, I first thought of the three R's: Resentment, Resistance, & Regret. That part was easy. Then, I started looking at moments in my life when I have felt dis-empowered and what was going on at the time.

Anger or hatred is the worst feeling I can think of. It creates a dark cloud of heavy energy all around me. It blinds me from what I need to do or focus on. Fear is like this, too. Worry and doubt seem to bring me down more slowly. Arguing with someone can depress and blind me almost instantly. What are your barriers to progress? What diminishes your energy and vibration?

Here are the things that I have to watch out for. I don't dwell on them, but I have to be aware of when I am slipping back into these dis-empowering states. Maybe you can relate to some of them.

Resentment Resistance Regret Fear Anger
Hatred Worry Doubt Pain Arguing
Disappointment Frustration Denial Nostalgia Chaos
Impatience Negative Talk Negative People
Trying to meet other's expectations

When we discover our barriers to happiness and progress, we have the power to make a different choice.
Jstone

We CAN Change the World
Some people believe that one person cannot make a difference. I am not one of those people. I believe in the power of one. As individuals, our voice matters.

There is a simple way to have an impact for good in our world, even for those of us who are extremely busy. It only takes 5 minutes and it doesn't cost anything.

There is a site where you can click a button and sponsors will pay for healthcare for needy children, food for the hungry, food for shelter animals, books for the illiterate, and funding for peace projects and protecting our rainforests. Each page has a tab at the top. A large button comes up for you to click and the sponsors pay for the needs.

Please take 5 minutes out of your day to do something to change our world.
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