As a Veteran myself, this has always been a special day of remembrance for me. However this year I would like to pay tribute to my brother David, the recipient of the Bronze star for his extraordinary service during the most horrific years of the Vietnam war. He writes here about an incident that changed his life forever as he held the hand of a dying soldier. Dave and I were inseparable during the first decade of our lives as we moved about through a series of foster homes. I honor you, my brother, on this day where we all convey our deepest gratitude for those who served so valiantly…I love you Dave, and I salute you on this very special day.
This month you’ll have the opportunity to read a mother’s story that will both break your heart and lift it up with love. Scarlett Lewis’s book Nurturing Healing Love is not a story of rage and revenge as one could well understand in the face of such a horrific experience as the one that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School where Scarlett’s little boy Jesse was senselessly murdered. No, this is truly a love story, a story that clearly sends the message that love itself never ends and that it is our destiny as a people to learn and apply this lesson even in the face of circumstances that are beyond comprehension.
When tragedy strikes, our first human response is to react in anger and with rage in our hearts, to attempt to end such dark behavior by throwing more darkness at the problem. Yet our rational minds tell us Continue Reading
There’s a wonderful new book coming out this week from my good friend, cell biologist and mystic, Bruce Lipton. I loved Bruce’s first book The Biology of Belief, now out in a 10th Anniversary edition, which reveals his scientific findings on the power of belief to shape our lives. Science revealing that our thoughts can trump our DNA is nothing short of revolutionary. In his new book, The Honeymoon Effect: The Science of Creating Heaven on Earth, Bruce takes on another subject of deep interest to every human being— love. He defines the Honeymoon Effect as “a state of bliss, passion, energy, and health resulting from a huge love.” Under the influence of this love, your life is so beautiful that you can’t wait to get up to start a new day and you thank the Universe that you are alive. Most of us have experienced this huge love, but for so many, Continue Reading
On the recent Hay House Mediterranean cruise, “In the Wake of Our Spiritual Ancestors,” we visited historic sites of the ancient civilizations of Greece and Rome. One highlight of the trip was a stop at the ruins of Ephesus on the coast of Turkey, where I was scheduled to lecture. I’ll tell you about an experience I had there that illustrates the importance of our power to choose who we are.
That day in Ephesus there were many tourists in the area and, thus, a long line for the bathroom. Once inside I saw that there was a man handing out little pieces of paper to the people after they washed their hands. My first thought was an immediate throwback to a younger version of myself. “What is this guy doing in this toilet and is he expecting me to give him a tip? I don’t want to have to give someone a tip for just going to the bathroom. I just had to pee. I don’t think I should have to pay for that. I don’t want to have to deal with this. I don’t want to have to look at him. Here’s someone who’s trying to take advantage of me. He wants a coin. I don’t have any coins.” These thoughts flew into my head spontaneously. I took the piece of paper and walked out.
In 1995, I first heard the amazing story of a family who had been caring for their comatose daughter for 25 years. The daughter, Edwarda O’Bara, had slipped into a diabetic coma at the age of 17. Her mother, Kaye, had promised that she would not leave her daughter’s side and, true to that promise, she cared for her daughter at home until her own death five years ago. Edwarda O’Bara passed away on November 21, 2012, 42 years after becoming comatose. Edwarda’s sister Colleen called to tell me. Colleen had been lovingly caring for Edwarda since their mother’s death.
My introduction to the O’Bara family in 1995 led to a lifelong friendship with these beings of love and light. My wife Marcelene and I wrote a book called A Promise Is a Promise about the remarkable devotion of Kaye O’Bara and the lessons to be learned from her about unconditional love. “I’m doing what I think I should do,” she wrote. “All I ever wanted in life was to have two girls. God was very good and granted me my wish. So, if He gave me what I wanted, then I feel I should care for Edwarda until He is ready to either heal her, or take her to heaven.” Kaye continued to care for her daughter in all ways Continue Reading
It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. When you watch children playing, notice how totally involved they are in what they’re doing, how they run everywhere they go. Notice how they are oblivious to future problems almost as if they have given themselves permission to be free and they show it by becoming totally absorbed in their play. To be more childlike, you don’t have to give up being an adult. The fully integrated person is capable of being both an adult and a child simultaneously. Recapture the childlike feelings of wide-eyed excitement, spontaneous appreciation, cutting loose, and being full of awe and wonder at this magnificent universe.
Here’s what kids know how to do best:
Laugh!
The child in you, like all children, loves to laugh, to be around people who can laugh at themselves and life. Children instinctively know that the more laughter we have in our lives, the better. They will go out of their way to linger with anyone who makes them laugh, who can go along with their jokes.
The poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote, “If we could read the secret history of our enemies we would find in each man’s sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility.”
Harboring anger and hatred toward anyone guarantees that you remain in low energy fields where problems will continue to crop up repeatedly in your life. Continue Reading
There is no greater power in heaven or on earth than pure, unconditional love. The nature of the God force, the unseen intelligence in all things, which causes the material world and is the center of both the spiritual and physical plane, is best described as pure, unconditional love. This God force is the oversoul to which we are always connected because we are localized extensions of that force.
I suggest you embark on an experiment in which you practice only unconditional love for several days. Vow to yourself that you will only allow unconditional loving thoughts to emanate from your consciousness. Make an intense proclamation to live unconditional love. During this time, refuse to have judgmental or critical thoughts. In your quiet time, think only peace and love. In all of your relationships, think and act in only loving ways. Extend loving thoughts and energy wherever and whenever you encounter anyone or anything. Become unconditional love for this period of time.
By pouring love into your immediate environment and practicing gentleness in all of your thoughts, words, and actions, your immediate circle of friends will begin responding in a whole new way. This act becomes expansive very quickly and you can radiate this love to your whole community. Continue Reading
Think of the people you know who give love in response to negative energy that’s directed their way. There aren’t many people who respond lovingly in that situation. The ones who do are able to because they have love to give away. They know that it’s impossible to give away what they don’t have, and they’ve gone that extra mile to acquire what it is that they want to both attract and give away. If love and joy are what you want to give and receive, then begin by taking stock. What have you got to give away? What are you giving out to the universe, and thus, what are you attracting? Remember that you can’t give away what you don’t have, but you can change your life by changing what’s going on inside.
Low energy attracts low energy. Low energy thoughts, such as anger, hate, shame, guilt, and fear, weaken you. And they attract more of the same. By changing your inner thoughts to the higher frequencies of love, harmony, kindness, peace, and joy, you’ll attract more of the same, and you’ll have those higher energies to give away.
Before merging into form, we were a part of God, with all the inherent qualities of a Creator who sends forth abundance, creativity, love, peace, joy, and well-being. The spiritual dimension calls to us in this material world of beginnings and endings. When we listen and allow it to, Spirit guides us to something greater than our life as a physical being. When I let myself align with Spirit, I have a feeling of contentment, but more than this, I experience joy. I’m able to receive the vibrational energies of my Source—call them voices, messages, silent reminders, invisible suggestions, or what have you—they’re vibrations of energy. I’ve learned to get my “self” out of the way and remove resistance to the free flow of this spiritual energy.
Spirit doesn’t dwell on the impossibility of anything—that is, it doesn’t focus on not being able to create, on things not working out, on expecting the worst, or on being stuck in place. When I’m in-Spirit, I want my present moment and thoughts to align perfectly with what I desire to share. I want to offer an experience of inspiration to my audience, so I don’t give a speech thinking, I’ll probably disappoint them. I choose to think that if I stumble or forget something in the middle of my talk, the inspiration to get me through it will be there. When I sit down to write, my desire is to invite Spirit to express through me, and I encourage ideas to flow freely. I’m connected in-Spirit, expecting to be the instrument of my spiritual Source.
When we remember that we’re always connected to Source, we can summon the well-being of God. Each and every one of us represents God or Spirit revealing Itself here on our planet. Experiences of being in-Spirit are available to all of us. Remember that your life is bigger than you are. Dedicate your life to something that reflects an awareness of your Divinity. You can begin by committing to at least one daily experience where you share something of yourself with no expectation of being acknowledged or thanked. For example, before I begin my daily routine, I go to my desk and choose my gift for that day. Sometimes, it’s just a phone call to a stranger who’s written to me, or perhaps I order flowers or send a book or present to someone who has helped me in a local store. It doesn’t matter if this activity is big or small—it’s a way to begin the day in-Spirit. Make a silent dedication to encourage and express your Divine nature.
I had to smile at Abraham’s response to the scary rollercoaster of economic news people are facing these days. “Chill out and go to work!” It’s a great way of reminding us to take a deep breath and focus on what’s really important. Here’s something to think about: There are no times of financial crisis. It’s just the way the world is, and you always have a choice about how to react to it. Don’t listen to negative news and don’t be consumed by the worry, the fear, the anxiety, and the anger. Go within and know that you don’t need another penny to have a fulfilled and happy life. To believe that you need what you don’t have is a definition of insanity, according to my friend Byron Katie. Go within your own heart and don’t allow yourself to be brought down by the negativity.