Life is Fantastic! Nature is teaching us in every way. Just this morning I saw the most beautiful rainbow, between the clouds of rain. Life is fantastic and I am so happy. I don’t need to justify it, or apologize for it. I am just happy. And, I think what’s keeping you from being happy too, is the fact you feel it’s not okay to be happy. As much as you want to be happy and want to feel a sense of joy everyday and feel a sense of vibrancy and aliveness, you won’t let yourselves have it because it’s raining in everyone else’s reality while you’re living in the world of rainbows. 

You need to realize that people are exactly where they are, just as you are where you are. It’s time you write yourself a happy permission slip. Where you would ordinarily pretend to be miserable, or pretend to not be happy by dimming down your happiness in the presence of other people, I want you to not be afraid of being happy. 

There’s something truly heartwarming about the holiday season, when many of us gather with family and friends to celebrate and give thanks. What we may not realize, though, is that there’s no need to limit these warm, joyful feelings to a certain day or time of year.

Research shows us that being grateful can make us happier, and that “developing an 'attitude of gratitude' is one of the simplest ways to improve your satisfaction with life.” Now Stanford researchers have found a heightened sense of appreciation is among “silver linings” Americans are experiencing in the pandemic. So why not celebrate gratitude all year long? Let Thanksgiving inspire you to start a daily gratitude practice! Here are three easy tips to get started with.

You may feel like things are challenging at this moment in your life. But let’s get this straight right now. It’s not because you’re failing or broken. It’s because your spirit demands soaring— not coping. It’s your time.

You’re standing at the doorway.

On one side of the door, you can decide that life has not turned out the way you desire. It’s unfair. It’s too hard. Maybe the same thing keeps happening to you– or not happening.

You might feel anxious or discouraged. It’s a young techie’s world. Or a blonde’s. Or someone luckier and other than you. You don’t have real money. Your lover turns out to be a tiny bit misleading, what with being married to 8 other people and all. And the disappointments seem familiar, and yet cut you to the bone, because part of you knows, it doesn’t have to be this way.  

I take my time, looking for what [lasts]…

—Tao Ch’ien

We are constantly challenged to marry what is with what can be. If we only bear witness to the trials of existence, we will be weighed down by the burdens of time. If we only pine after what is possible and ideal, we will become airy, romantic, and completely removed from the embodiment of life. So these questions of practice remain: What are the tools by which you stay grounded but not buried in the ground? And what are the tools by which you are lifted but not removed from all that is real? Staying grounded but not buried and lifted but not removed is how we repair, reimagine, and rebuild the world.

The power of imagination is vastly underestimated in our culture. And yet, it’s what brings everything we see into existence! Every physical form – from chairs and buildings to systems and lighting – was first a thought. That thought, paired with inspired action, led to its physical manifestation. 

The same creative power rests in you: to bring your own dreams from the realm of imagination into your physical reality. But not everyone who is aware of that power is able to tap into it right away. To activate that potential, you need to be in harmony with the Law of Attraction, which works to help you bring your vision to life. 

Today we’re going to take hold of that creative power using a series of Law of Attraction exercises that amplify your connection to the infinite and attract your dream into your new, incredible reality. 

So let’s get right into dream-building!

I've Been Thinking...

I just had one of those weeks, but I don't mean what you think.

Usually when someone says “I had a week,” they mean that things were tough, overwhelming, or stressful for them. And Lord knows we’ve all experienced a lot of those feelings lately. In fact, if you were glued to the news this past week, you probably felt all those things as you were inundated with stories about supply chain woes, the devastating news from the Astroworld Festival, record inflation numbers, and yet more stories about our fragile democracy and the former president trying to block his records from going to the bipartisan committee investigating what happened on January 6, 2021.

I heard all those stories this past week as well, but on my birthday last Saturday, I told myself that whenever I get anxious about the news of the day, I need to stop, pause, and listen to myself instead. Listening is an art, and for decades it’s been my job to listen, learn, and share what I’ve learned. But it wasn’t until late in life that I afforded the same listening skills that I brought to my journalism career to myself.

I recently made plans to meet a few friends for dinner. It’s been such a long time since we’ve gotten together and we were all feeling upbeat and ready for a night out at our favorite restaurant. As we were all catching up with each other’s lives, the waitress came to take our order.

It was pretty obvious that our waitress was having a bad day. She was less than friendly and not hiding how irritated she was. Instead of getting upset, irritated or angry myself, I decided to use a technique that I was taught many years ago. I still use it whenever I encounter someone who is angry, annoyed or just in a bad mood.

I decided to send the waitress positive, calming energy with my thoughts and surround her with white light. I took a moment to imagine this positive light entering her heart center. I did this as she took our order.

When our food was ready, the waitress brought it to our table and you could see she was more engaging. Her face was less tense and she actually began to laugh with us!

When the waitress left our table, my friends looked at each other and then at me. “Did you do something, John?” I told them I just sent her positive energy to help ease her mood, and possibly help her have a better night.