Tag Archive for: Thoughts

Self-Love and New Thought = Awakening Alchemy

What is the tie-in between self-love and “new thought”?

We now know what self-love is all about, so perhaps we better define “new thought” a bit more.

Self-Talk & Creativity - Awakening Alchemy New thought was a philosophy that began in the early mid-nineteenth century that postulated the idea of “healthy mindedness” as well as a healthy body. It was a spiritual movement with its roots in metaphysical beliefs. It grew out of existing Christian beliefs, especially those of a Calvinist origin. New thought’s basic premise was; “that anything that exists in the mind and could be expressed through words had the ability to transcend the physical and be realized through individual thoughts and intuition.”

Many philosophers and thinkers of the time latched onto “new thought” as expressing their belief in the universality of humanity and whilst still accepting a higher power, they attributed that higher power to the Universe rather than some arbitrary human construct, such as God, Yaweh, Allah, or whatever it might be.

Perhaps, for most of us today, “new thought” only came to the forefront of our consciousness in 2006 with the world-wide streaming of Rhonda Byrne’s movie and later book, “The Secret”. It was at this time the idea of the Law of Attraction and New Thought actually swept across the world. Rhonda would be the first to admit that her movie was espousing nothing new, but rather sharing the “secret” that she had discovered from reading a one-hundred-year-old book by Wallace Wattles, titled, The Science of Getting Rich. So, although Rhonda’s epiphany may have seemed startling, exciting, and new to a whole new generation of adherents, the basic principles that made up the new thought philosophy had been around and discussed for many years.

Joseph Campbell:          

New Thought Author Joseph Campbell - Awakening Alchemy One adherent to the new thought philosophy was Joseph Campbell. An American author and editor who lived from 1904 to 1987, Joseph Campbell is best known for his works on comparative mythologies across the world. He examined the universal functions and impacts of myths in various cultures and mythical figures across a wide range of different literature from all over the world.

For me, however, it was his pronouncements and quotes that have the greatest effect and inspiration. We talked last week about the greatest way to love yourself is to find your true path in life – that which you were gifted; those unique and special talents that we’ve been talking about. Joseph Campbell’s simple quote, for me, sums up perfectly what we need to do, as individuals, if we are to achieve the self-realization, self-actualization and self-love that we both seek and deserve.

“Follow your bliss and the Universe will open doors where there were only walls.”

Joseph Campbell

Such a simple phrase – “follow your bliss” but one that is guaranteed to put you where you (a) want to be and (b) where you belong.

Follow Your Bliss:

What is bliss?

Follow Your Bliss - Awakening Alchemy Bliss is a concept that almost defies description. It is vast, boundless, immeasurable AND it is a totally different state, for every single person and that is the key. Bliss must be personally experienced to understand what it is for YOU. Bliss exists on an entirely different dimension to simple happiness – it is so much more than that. It is a state where the sense of ego slips away and a feeling of total connectedness takes over. When you are in a state of bliss there is no sense of “me”, separate from the rest of creation – there is just joy and peace.

Perhaps the best definition I’ve heard of bliss is doing something where time, the environment, and everything around you fades away into the background and only the thing you are currently focused on matters anymore. This is the way I feel when I’m writing these blogs, or my novels, so, for me, a state of bliss is attained when I am writing. For everyone it will be different and you need to focus on what gives you bliss and then find a way to relate that to today’s environment and a way to “follow your bliss” that also rewards you financially for doing so. Remember what Richard Branson said about not doing what he did for the money, but for the fun and the challenge. But that when he had fun, invariably the money followed.

If there is one guaranteed way to achieve the self-love and satisfaction that we all seek, that is it.

If you follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living. Wherever you are — if you are following your bliss, you are enjoying that refreshment, that life within you, all the time.”

Joseph Campbell

Simply put, if you do things that you are passionate about, you’ll feel more alive and doors will open for you.

New Thought and Self-Talk:

Be Kind to Yourself - Awakening Alchemy We’ve talked a lot in the last few blogs about the importance to our well-being of our own self-talk. Regardless of the reasons for us having a low opinion of ourselves, so many of us do and we are continually berating ourselves for not measuring up to either our or others opinions or expectations of us. When we denounce ourselves, we are doing serious harm to our self-esteem and self-worth.

This is particularly cogent when we look at new thought beliefs. One of the core beliefs of this new thought philosophy is expressed in the concept that; “thoughts are things”. One of the best known of the new thought authors is Napoleon Hill and perhaps his most famous quote was:

“Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve.”

You Have to Love Yourself - Awakening Alchemy I’m sure that will right now be resonating with readers of this blog. What an inspirational quote – if we act and think positively, with respect to self-love and self-talk, we can create whatever we desire and need. If thoughts are things and we can achieve whatever we conceive and believe in, if we don’t believe in ourselves, we will create exactly what we believe in and constantly tell ourselves – that we are hopeless, we are a failure, we can’t do anything right, or what’s the point in even trying if we’re just going to mess it up?

That, in a nutshell is why positive self-talk and believing in ourselves and our unique abilities is so important. If we don’t – we are creating a self-fulfilling prophecy through the Law of Attraction. Remember the mirror exercise from recent blogs. We really need to practice that – we need to be able to look in the mirror and say; “I am an awesome human being, I can achieve anything I set my mind to, I am capable, I am special, I am unique, I am… (fill in the blank).

Give Yourself Praise - Awakening Alchemy There are so many people in this world today who are quick to try to bring you down, to scoff at your achievements and to belittle you or even withhold applause or praise. Congratulations, and celebrations are so important – always look for things to appreciate in yourself and give yourself a big pat on the back and a high five whenever you make constructive progress or take positive action. Self-love is also about moving away from lower [on an energetic sphere] feelings / emotions such as shame – guilt – anger – judgement and so on, and raising your vibration, instead.

We hope you’ll review this series from time to time and deploy some of the tips on a regular basis. It is your duty to yourself to remind yourself that you are better than all of that, that you are special and unique, that you are wonderful. If you don’t believe it, how can you expect anyone else to believe it?

I hope you have realized over these last four blogs why self-love, self-care, self-awareness is so important to us, as human beings and what we can do to ensure that we do love ourselves properly and look after ourselves so that we are able to utilize those special and unique talents that make us who we are. I want to leave you today, with a special quote that neatly sums up everything we’ve been discussing over these last four weeks.

“You can’t hate yourself happy. You can’t criticize yourself thin. You can’t shame yourself worthy. Real change begins with self-love and self-care.”

– Jessica Ortner

If you enjoyed this Blog and would like to read more spiritual and metaphysical issues plus lots more besides, please do join our website and you will receive a notice whenever a new blog is posted, as well as special promotions and the opportunity to win prizes. We will never spam you, though. You can join here:

If you liked what you read here, please do check out our previous blogs. The last four can be found here:

You may also wish to avail yourself of our fantastic FREE report: 3 Proven Ways to Pull More Prosperity to You in 30 Days. You can grab your copy of this here:

Finally, today, please do pop on over to the section of my website that highlights my Visionary Fiction “whodunit” mystery, Spirit of Prophecy, which incorporates many of the ideas and philosophies discussed in my blog into a fast-paced, fictional, thriller. I know you’ll enjoy it. You can find that here:

 

Mystery, Magic and Supernatural; Spirit of Prophecy - Awakening Alchemy

Till Next Time I’m Sending: Peace and Light

 

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Crystals – What Exactly Are They?

Over the next series of blogs I want to begin to delve into the world of the spiritual and metaphysical, examining concepts and practices which can enhance our well-being and our lives in general. Today’s blog will focus on introducing you to the world of crystals and the part they can play in our daily lives. Future blogs will concentrate on the amazing properties of these beautiful crystals and how to utilise their power to its fullest. To the sceptical, I merely ask that you approach the subject with an open mind and consider both the scientific and anecdotal evidence of the power of crystals, before passing judgement.

A Beautiful Ruby Crystal - AWakening Alchemy Crystals have been around since the earth was formed, some four and a half billion years ago. Some, in the new thought movement, who are channelling from higher dimensions [Earth is on the 3rd of at least 13 dimensions], tell us that we are shifting from the carbon state to crystalline as part of the Earth’s ascension process. Ever since man first gazed in wonder at the crystalline nature of certain rocks and gems, he has used them for a variety of purposes. Almost every civilisation, in the history of the planet, has believed in and used the power of crystals for their spiritual, metaphysical and healing powers. Ancient Mayans, Incas, Egyptians and even today’s “new thought” spiritualists recognised and understood the benefits these crystals brought to our lives. Crystals are used today to heal disease, sickness, in meditation, and also in many different religious rituals.

Suspended Ice Crystal - Awakening Alchemy The actual term crystal does not, in fact, refer to an object as such, but rather a form of structure. A crystal is nothing more than a particular collection of molecules or atoms and can come in a variety of shapes and sizes, each with its own specific characteristics. The composition of the crystal will determine what form it will take. For example, crystals can be made from simple salt, in your own kitchen, forming cubed-shaped crystals. Many gemstones, such as diamonds and rubies are crystals. When carbon is in the form of a diamond, it can be used to cut other gemstones as well as being used in a variety of every-day items such as watches (quartz crystal), early radios, electricity conduction and a whole host of other mechanical uses. In 1880, Pierre Curie discovered that by putting pressure on various crystals, including quartz, topaz and tourmaline, he was able to create electricity. This phenomenon, called the Piezoelectric effect, is why crystals are used as essential elements in computers, TV screens, iPhones and satellites.

Purple Gemstone Floating on a Dish - Awakening Alchemy What we will be focusing on when examining the power and use of crystals in our everyday lives will be principally the crystalline rock formations (often called gemstones) that we can have around us at all times to assist us. The reason quartz crystals were (and still are, in some cases) used in watches is because of their vibrational properties. Quartz crystal vibrates every second when a current is passed across it and was therefore perfect for watches which require accuracy of timing. Both our bodies and crystals have energetic vibrations. When we align our body’s vibrations with those of a particular gemstone there is a natural energetic or healing effect that occurs. For example, healing crystals and gemstones have a powerful vibratory impact when they are placed directly on your body. The energy in the crystal surges into you and assists the free flow of energy all around your body.

As with much of what we’ve talked about over the past few months, intention is also critical to the use of crystals to help you with healing or energy improvements. With crystals it is vital to connect your conscious thoughts with the body and the crystal. For example, with healing stones, the real progress occurs when you align the use of the crystal with a specific intention and thought. “Thoughts are things” is incredibly powerful. They can direct the energy from the crystal and this energy (frequency) will then help to magnify those thoughts and intentions. You and the crystal work in harmonious synchronicity to make great things happen for you.

Do Crystals Really Work?

Small Leather Pouch of Beautiful Crystals - Awakening Alchemy This is probably the most commonly asked question and one that creates much debate both within and outside the scientific community. Although most scientists will be quick to point out that there is no hard, quantifiable evidence of the benefits of crystals, I would just remind you that almost all modern medicine and cures come originally from the natural world and many of these cures have come down through the generations from natural, tribal practices. For aeons, every ancient civilisation has utilised crystals as part of their overall holistic approach to health and well-being. There are certainly studies that have suggested that crystals can increase the alkalinity of water as well as some solid science on the health benefits of crystals in skincare. For example, finely milled quartz is often used in exfoliating creams and magnetised tourmaline, when added to skin cleanser, has been shown to improve cleansing efficacy and boost circulation.
One point worth considering is this – crystal, in the form of quartz is a major component of the crust of planet Earth, making up around 12% of the earth’s crust. Such a major component of the world we live on must surely have some scientific value to the inhabitants of that world.

Type of Crystals:

Chart Showing Different Varieties of Crystals - Awakening Alchemy There are many various types of crystal, each of which has an effect on you. I will go into the different benefits we can expect from various crystals in future blogs, however, here I just want to give you a few short examples of the power that can be expected from certain crystals.

 

  • Bloodstone: Perhaps, as the name suggests, the benefit of the bloodstone is obvious. It fills you with a surge of courage, self-esteem, energy and protection to allow you to live in the present. Stimulating the root chakra, it helps get the energy flowing freely through your mind, body, and spirit.
  • Moonstone: The moonstone is a much more spiritual crystal and signifies tenderness and bringing lovers together. A divine stone, it connects to your Inner goddess and keeps you balanced. It is said; “moonstone is the light in the darkness.”
  • Pyrite: You’ve all heard of pyrite, right? Always in the movies, it’s referred to as “fool’s gold” but don’t let that “fool” you. Pyrite is a true metaphysical treasure. In addition to attracting wealth and abundance it is also considered to have great protective qualities. It is highly reflective and has the ability to show you the behaviours that are preventing your ability to vibrate on the level of abundance.
  • Serpentine: If your hormones are a problem and you find yourself harking back to your misadventures as a teenager and are tempted (mid-life crisis, anyone?) to revisit the sins of the past, Serpentine is absolutely the crystal for you. It will bring back balance as well as clearing out and releasing the dense areas of your chakras, allowing healing to occur. It serves to remind you that life is whatever you CREATE it to be.

So there we have it, a gentle teaser of some of the crystals we will be looking at over the next couple of weeks.

I’d like to leave you with one thought today:

“The placebo effect is well known in the medical community – if we believe a pill given to us by a doctor will be good for us then invariably it will. This effect has been proven to be real, time after time, in clinical studies. Even if we are totally sceptical about the benefits of crystals but we approach them in the same vein – i.e. we think and believe they are beneficial to us – then absolutely they will be! Remember thoughts are infinitely powerful and can create.”

Do check out my previous blogs on some incredibly useful “life tips”, which you can find here:  Our last four published blogs are:

Seven Pillars of a Purpose-Driven and Heart-Led Life (Part 2)

Seven Pillars of a Purpose-Driven and Heart-Led Life (Part 1)

Meditation – Why Do it?

Reincarnation – New Thought Movement. 

You may, also, wish to consider joining our website. You will be sent a notification each time a new blog is published, plus occasionally we will send you special offers and fantastic opportunities to win prizes. We will never spam you, though. You can join up here:

Finally, today, please do pop on over to the section of my website that highlights my Visionary Fiction “whodunit” mystery, Spirit of Prophecy, which incorporates many of the ideas and philosophies discussed in my blogs into a fast-paced, fictional, thriller. I know you’ll enjoy it. You can find that here:

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TILL NEXT TIME: PEACE AND LIGHT

Carrying on from yesterday’s post about aligning your attitude with your dreams, I’d like to give you some practical steps on how you might achieve this.

There are as many ways of beginning this journey in search of your dreams, as there are “self-help” gurus out there offering to help you on your journey. On that I’ll discuss in more detail but for now I just say: always listen to your intuition, trust your heart- your-gut- your own inner voice: no one knows your truth better than you.

Now I’ll just share with you the simple method I use, which does get results if repeated regularly- it takes 30 days to create a new habit after all. I thank and credit Andy Shaw of “Creating a Bug-Free Mind,” and Janet Attwood [The Passion Test] and Marci Shimoff [your Year of Miracles] for the essence of this system, because they taught it to me:

1/ Get very clear in your own mind what it is you want: [INTENTION]

What are the 3 specific intentions that you want to appear? What time frame are you aiming for, 6 months or a year? Get yourself an inspiring journal and write your intentions down. There is something decidedly effective about expressing your thoughts on paper.

2/ Live your dream inside of your head; make it a reality for you. Or if you’re more of a visual sort then create a VISION BOARD – remember to think big. [ATTENTION]

This really is the fun part of the whole process. It involves using your imagination to really feel, create and experience your dreams come true. Create a mini-video where you’re the star, and the producer too and feel how amazing your life is. Notice who you are with, the sights, sounds, wonderful smells and so on. Each morning when you first awaken or last thing at night before you go to sleep [depending on your preferred bio-realm] RUN your video with a grin on your face and within, and then say your intentions silently, or out loud – as you prefer. For example:

*I am fully loved and supported, and;

*I give and receive love and compassion in abundance.

*I am magnetizing financial freedom and plentitude and have more than enough so I can contribute to assist others.

*I am connecting with and expressing my passions with vibrance, vitality and infinite vision.

The focusing on the present, ‘I am…’ anchors your intention in the NOW, and no matter what happened yesterday or what might happen tomorrow, that’s what counts. Then aim to notice what synchronicities show up during the day – how you are moving forwards, where things are becoming less stuck and how are you moving into alignment with your aims? Jot down your observations in your journal along with the date and your feelings/thoughts at the time.

It’s not just enough to dream it, to experience it inside our minds, we also have to actually do some work and move forward in order to bring our reality into the world. Again, it is important not to look in too much detail at the HOW will I achieve my goal.

Generally, its about avoiding extremes- those who simply nurture positive fantasies of the future sunny uplands, sitting on their butt, without taking action tend to flounder. Whereas those with some defined goals for the future tend to fare well, especially when coupled with a measure of pragmatic realism and resilience.

3/ Relax, breathe and believe that it’s already here: [NO TENSION]

Just focus on one thing that will bring you closer to where you want to be. Rhonda Byrne has a very good quote that describes this perfectly. “You can only EVER take one step at a time, so that’s all you actually need to do – take the next step.”

Above all give it time and be ready to receive. Release resistance and the urge to try control outcomes, just be open and trusting.


The beauty of following this system is; you don’t know exactly how you will succeed, but the Universe does, and it will lead you gently down the right path to success. 

I really hope this simple system of making your dreams into a reality gives you some inspiration to try it in your own lives. Remember; “If you think you can, or you think you can’t, either way you are right!” GIVE IT A GO AND FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS!       

Before I finish today, I’d just like to give you some quick and simple tips on ways to change your attitude from the negative to the positive:

1/ At some point each day, ideally as part of your morning routine/ritual spend 5 minutes listing in your head all things you can be and indeed aim to be grateful for. As with your intentions, jot them down in your journal later on.

2/ Read, listen to and watch less news. In fact, why not do what I did and have a total media ban for a month. You’ll be amazed at how much the negative news has been subtly impacting on your attitude and thoughts.

3/ When you are walking somewhere, smile at people, for absolutely no reason other than you want to share your good mood and attitude.

4/ We live in a world of duality – for every negative circumstance, there is ALWAYS a positive opportunity. Look for the positive in everything and just don’t focus on the negative.

5/ Pay absolutely no mind to anything anyone says about you or does to you. Their opinions cannot hurt you – only your reaction can. Just turn away and be happy and proud of who you really are.

6/ Get into the habit of performing small “random acts of kindness” every single day. They make the recipients day and they also make you feel absolutely awesome. It can be something as simple as standing for a lady or an elderly person on the train or the bus; holding a door open for somebody; or giving a few pesos to an elderly or disabled beggar. It doesn’t matter really because once it becomes an ingrained habit for you, the benefits will surely be seen in your attitude, your thoughts and your actions.

7/ Don’t listen to or spread gossip. Gossip really only hurts one person – YOU! You never know the full story of anyone’s life, so don’t judge them and certainly don’t start or pass on rumors or gossip about them. There is only one person in this world you can control and that is you.

There are many other little tips, but that’s a good start, and I’m sure you can come up with many more. In fact, please feel free to leave a comment on this blog, with your ideas and tips. I’m always excited to get new ideas.  

 

 

 

 

You may wish to check out the previous blogs on this and similar topics. The last four blogs are listed below: 

Attitude Upgrade Part 1

Karma It’s Gonna Get Ya! 

An Attitude of Gratitude

Three-Day-Eventing – A Horse’s Pentathlon – What’s That All About, Then? 

Do take a look at my debut novel: Spirit of Prophecy. You will find many of the topics that I cover in these blogs intricately woven into a wonderful “whodunit” mystery tale. You can find it here: http://bit.ly/2LeRJ84

 

Spirit of Prophecy - Audio Book

  Following on from the post about Gratitude:

‘Each one of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.’

                                                Albert Schweitzer

 

 

Today, we will look at the role that attitude plays in both improving your own life and the lives of those that you surround yourself with; your loved ones, your friends, your work colleagues and everyone else that you interact with on a daily basis.

Your thoughts and actions are like ripples on a pond, spreading out, influencing and affecting everyone around you. Most important though your attitude affects YOU. It affects how you feel, how you think and how you act. If you want to succeed at anything you need to ensure your attitude is spot on. Henry Ford said it best, when he said; “If you think you can, or you think you can’t, then either way you are right!” If you truly want to achieve something, especially something beyond your normal comfort zone, if you think you can do it; you’re well on the way to success, but if you start off the whole process with a list of reasons why you can’t achieve your goal – then guess what? You won’t! ATTITUDE IS PARAMOUNT!

The key to success is belief coupled with resilience. If life throws you off track – which it will on occasions- then you can develop the mind-set that says; Ok, so now I get back up, dust myself off, see what the lesson is for me in this, and then I course correct.’ Most of us desperately want to believe in ourselves, but we allow that incessant little critter inside our head (our ego) to convince us that we are just simply not good enough to do it. You know what I’m talking about – you come up with an idea, something you really want to try, and pretty soon that little voice inside your head gives you 101 reasons why you can’t do it – you’re too old, you’re not smart enough, you don’t have enough resources, you don’t know enough about it…and so on and so on, ad infinitum. What your ego is trying to do is protect you from the pain of failure, retain the status quo, and keep you as it sees it, in the familiar ‘safety zone’ of the known.

The status quo is simple, it’s comfortable, it’s easy, so your ego tries its very best to keep you in check at every opportunity and remind you of your perceived shortcomings in order to ‘protect you.’ What we need to understand is that our ego is NOT us – it is not the real you, it is merely a construct or collection of pre-programmed ideas, concepts and belief patterns that were drilled into us from our very earliest days, and often these have negative connotations and are limiting. You may remember your parents, your teachers or your friends saying things like; “Oh rich people are just lucky, or even worse, all rich people must be crooks; you need to find a stable career, something to support your family; leaders are born, not made – some of us are just meant to be followers; only the really smart people can succeed in life; or perhaps the worst of all, you just have to accept your lot in life, there’s nothing you can do about it” As we grow up if we accept these things as being gospel then we limit our opportunities and life accordingly. Sometimes just singing to the same old tune keeps you stuck and contracted instead of being open to change and resonating with awesome new possibilities.

 You have infinite power inside you to change anything in your life and in your circumstances – life does not have to happen to you; you can make life happen for you, and it all begins with your attitude.

I love this quote from Rhonda Byrne’s book “The Hero”; “It isn’t necessary to have big dreams, but if you don’t have big dreams; big dreams can’t come true.” One of the first things that happens when we begin to get “ground down” by life is that we lose the inspiration and ability to dream. Without dreams we are just mere shells of the amazing, awesome human beings that we were meant to be. Dreams, aspirations, visions and goals and expressing our gifts are what make us unique in this world.

Everyone can benefit from big, wild, seemingly impossible dreams – it’s what gives us a sense of purpose, of fulfillment, and of wonder. If you reach for the stars, even if you don’t always make it, you’ll surely come closer to heaven. We need to remind ourselves that this is OUR life; not our parent’s life, not our bosses’ life, not our children’s life, not even our spouses’ life – but it is OUR life and its up to us to work toward making our dreams come true, for our own sake and for the planet.

The main key to achieving your dreams, is to actually start out on the road to achieving them –THE WHAT OR THE WHERE, not in trying to figure out in great detail how to get there. Whether you believe it is The Law of Attraction, the Power of the Universe, Karma, or just plain good luck doesn’t actually matter; the reality is that when you are following your dreams and approaching life with the right attitude; the people, the circumstances and the opportunities WILL appear in your life and will show you the way.

Be sure to stop back tomorrow and catch Part 2 of this enthralling article on how to upgrade your attitude. I’ll have some amazingly practical steps to impart to you on just how you can make your attitude align with your dreams. You won’t want to miss that.

You may want to check out our previous blogs. Listed below: 

An Attitude of Gratitude

Three-Day-Eventing: A Horse’s Pentathlon? What’s That All About, Then? 

Money and Your Wallet – A Love Story More Tragic Than Twilight

Wealth Mentor/Best Selling Author – Jill Hughes

In the meantime why not take a look at my debut novel: Spirit of Prophecy. You will find many of the topics that I cover in these blogs intricately woven into a wonderful “whodunit” mystery tale. You can find it here: http://bit.ly/2LeRJ84

Spirit of Prophecy - Audio Book

Generally, the idea of karma is associated with reincarnation, the soul derives from a higher dimension but choses to [re-] incarnate on Earth – here on the physical realm of the 3rd dimension. We reincarnate many, many times and on each occasion, we have a soul blueprint which will include lessons to be learned, contracts to be upheld, karma to be balanced or received, gifts to be expressed, and ‘purpose,’ to be discovered and lived. I was open to metaphysical ideas and found them fascinating from quite an early age, in my teens I read Tarot cards and read lots of books about magic and New Age Spirituality. On a personal level I had a profound experience in my early twenties where I become convinced that my Junior show jumper who had been put to sleep owing to a twisted gut, had returned in the guise of my new horse a 16.2 hand palomino called Hooray Henry. Their ways, behavior patterns were uncannily similar, so many synchronicities and ultimately it was an over-riding gut instinct or intuition which had me swayed, as these things can be felt, intuited and believed, but can be difficult to materially prove with hard scientific or otherwise “evidence’’. I’m hoping this will change and that science and spirituality will forge a closer bond going forward.  

“The day science begins to study non-physical phenomena, it will make more progress in one decade than in all the previous centuries of its existence.’’

                                                                    Nikola Tesla

The concept and idea of Karma is one that is rooted in the very history of mankind, right back to the first time we took steps out from the jungle and began to organize ourselves into self-governing communities. Broadly speaking, Karma, certainly as defined by most people today is the concept that; our actions today have an effect on the results we will receive tomorrow. It is the spiritual principle best defined by “cause and effect”. In other words, our intent and our actions (cause) influences the future of what we will receive (effect). If we have good intent, and perform good deeds then that contributes to our “good karma” and we can expect to receive future happiness from it. Conversely, our bad intent or our bad deeds will contribute to us receiving “bad karma” or future negative outcomes.

Karma, is a critical underlying thread that underpins much of the action that takes place in my novel, Spirit of Prophecy and I thought it might be a good time to explore and expand on what karma can mean to us today, in our everyday lives.

Originating in the ancient Indian, Vedic civilization, the philosophy of Karma has been intrinsically woven into the fabric of almost all religions and philosophies over the history of man. Karma is often associated with the idea of being “reborn”. This is particularly apparent in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Taoism. In these religions Karma is seen to affect not only your current lives, but also the nature and quality of your future lives, when you are reborn, after death. 

Over the years, karma has also come to be a concept accepted and understood by the mono-theistic religions, such as Christianity and Judaism. Although not specifically spoken of as Karma, there is an acceptance among many biblical scholars that sin and the effects of that sin i.e. the final judgement are very much in line with the concept and teachings of karma. Similarly, in Judaism, the concept of “measure for measure” applies. In matters of ethics, this means, how one’s actions effect the world, will eventually come back to that person, in ways he or she may not necessarily expect.  

In recent years, the concept of Karma has been thrust very much into the mainstream of philosophical thought, with the emergence of new-age thought and more specifically the 2006 publication of the movie and book, The Secret, by Rhonda Byrne. The principal concept that this new-age spirituality promotes is that, “thoughts are things, and what we think determines very much what our reality will be.” Karma plays a crucial role in new-age thought. The Theosophist I.K. Taimni wrote; “Karma is nothing but the Law of Cause and Effect, operating in the realm of human life and bringing about adjustment between an individual, and other individuals who he/she has effected by his thoughts, emotions and actions.” In simple, laymen’s terms, “what goes around – comes around”. I don’t entirely agree with this definition as the assertion that: “Karma ís nothing but the Law of Cause and Effect,’ is flawed in my experience, it is that to a certain extent, and is certainly based on Newton’s law – for every action there is a reaction, and yet it is so much more. I’ll elaborate more on this in my subsequent post. Meanwhile, remember that karma shows up whether you consciously recognize it as such or not, some children are more likely to recall past lives, but generally even as we evolve and become more spiritually attuned we tend only to remember vague snatches, save perhaps in a good Past Life Regression therapy session – more on that later. Meanwhile look at events in your life as learning possibilities, giving you the opportunity of course correcting. Ultimately you are the master of your own destiny. Accept where you are right now, and what is occurring [everything was agreed up-front, so no point resisting or fighting back – if you do it will just boomerang further down the track, on this circuit or the next and even add some new karma to be worked through as well, perhaps?] and ask yourself, ‘Okay, what’s going on here? What did I do to cause this, now or previously?’ Accept, genuinely without bitterness and resentment that at some level you deserve this. Accept your responsibility and instead of retaliating, forgive the other person and yourself, and send loving compassion instead.

The Secret, The Law of Attraction, Quantum Physics, Manifesting, Gratitude, and other concepts of these new-age philosophers are all areas I plan to expand on in future articles. For now, though, I hope I’ve awakened your interest in this fascinating and constantly evolving area of philosophical discussion and I hope you will take a quick look at my novel, Spirit of Prophecy, where many of these concepts are intricately woven into the storyline, in such a fascinating way. You can find it here, on my website. http://http://bit.ly/2LeRJ84

Here is my opportunity to earn some instant karma by recommending the latest book from my fellow author and dear friend, Ken Fry. Shakyamuni’s Pearl is an exciting, thriller set in modern day Japan, with roots in the ancient system of the Samurai Warriors. This is an absolute “pearler” of a novel and one I can not recommend highly enough. You can find a copy of Shakyamuni’s Pearl, here on Amazon.com: https://amzn.to/2CbmZkM

Or conversely, here on Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2FnJkio

17th Century, Japan
The Legend…

Ama divers, Makoto and Kaho, discover a gigantic pearl deep in the coastal waters of Japan, resembling the head of Buddha, Shakyamuni. At that time, all finds are the property of their Daimyo, Lord Hatakeyema. Their secret is discovered, and before they can bring the pearl to the surface, they are attacked. Rather than face certain death by beheading, the couple commits suicide by drowning — taking the pearl with them.

Since then, it has never seen the light of day…

The Present…

Maxine D’Argy Steele and Hugo Leyton, renowned researchers, are offered a lucrative deal by an American-Japanese pearl and diamond dealer. Locate the legendary pearl and recover it. They form a team to help them in their quest — a renowned freediver and oceanographer, and an ama diver, Mizuki, who has motives of her own.

But the problem with legendary treasures is that people will kill to own it.

Two rival factions, the Yakuza, a criminal organisation led by Kazuma, and The Flaming Flag Society led by Yamura, are aware of the expedition, and they will use all their resources to possess the pearl.

With danger from above and from below, Maxine and Leyton dodge bullets and threats as they try to resurrect Shakyamuni’s Pearl from its watery tomb.

 

You may wish to check out our previous blogs, which are listed below:

An Attitude of Gratitude

Three Day Eventing: A Horse’s Pentathlon? What’s That All About, Then?

Money and Your Wallet – A Love Story More Tragic Than Twilight

Wealth Mentor/Best Selling Author – Jill Hughes   

Many of us are searching for an abundant and purpose-filled life and over the next few months, I hope to introduce you to many of the tenets that can help you to achieve that happiness and a purpose in being. Today, I want to focus on something that is important to our well-being as human beings – maintaining an “attitude of gratitude”.

Why is gratitude so important to us? Motivational speaker, Lisa Nichols tells us; “gratitude is the rich soil in which our future grows.” Just a cliché, you may say. I say, why reject any cliché out of hand? There is a reason why clichés gain ascendancy in our consciousness and that is because at their core, they hold a vital kernel of truth. What I think Lisa is trying to say to us is; the way we think, speak and act, today, directly impacts on where we will be tomorrow. If living in the present is the key to a successful and happy life (and it is) then gratitude is a highly desirable component of that process.     

Most of us, if you’re like me, probably think we are grateful most of the time, but if you sit down and carefully analyse your thoughts and behaviours, you will quickly realize just how easy it is to slip into feeling ungrateful. Most of us spend way more time complaining, whining, doubting and criticizing, than we ever do feeling grateful, satisfied or even accepting of our situation. Thirteenth Century German Philosopher, Meister Eckhart gave us a little gem that sums up the importance of gratitude, perfectly. “If the only prayer you ever utter in your entire life; is ‘Thank you’, then that will suffice.”

I know that some of you will throw your hands up in the air and exclaim; “what have I got to be thankful for? My life sucks!” My answer would be; perhaps that’s because of the negative thoughts, words, and attitudes that you have embraced in the past, but remember you don’t live there anymore. Okay, granted it is not initially easy to override the negative – its human, and proven that over 90% of our thoughts are negative, so expect some serious weeding will be required to plant and nurture the seeds that will blossom into flowers. Leave the old Habit-House. Move onwards and upwards.

Check out the effects of Human Thoughts, Words and Music on Water, on Youtube, bearing in mind that our bodies are comprised of around 70% water. Dr Masaru Emoto, conducted experiments on the cellular structure of water. It was claimed that negative scolding of pure water in petri dishes produced ugly ice crystals after freezing, whereas the praised and blessed water from the same source produced beautiful crystals. His claims have been de-bunked as “water woo,’’ psudo-science and so on. But given that very few universities are open to researching psychic phenomena [yet] and there seems to be a deep and persistent hostility against anything outside the boundaries of current convention, and the assumption that everything in the Universe operates in a mechanical way, I’m very much keeping an open mind on the Water-Woo: let’s face it people can get upset when their deeply held beliefs are put in a state of conflict as this threatens the edifice on which their lives are underpinned.

“The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into the impossible.”

                                                                                Arthur C. Clark

Instead I’m pondering on pilgrimages and people travelling to Lourdes, also the experiments of Dr William A. Tiller, who while at the top of his field chose to explore whether consciousness could affect matter, Gary Schwartz and The Intention Experiments, Dean Radin, Chief Scientist  at Institute of Noetic Science and the  Double Slit Experiment so far his results aren’t widely published as they appear to contradict the dogma-of-our days in so far as the mind over matter tests has been successfully repeated several times. Then there is the Global Coherence Project using random number generators, where the patterns change when major global highly eventful and emotional events occur, such as 9/11, or the death of Princess Diana.

Our beloved dog Faro had to be put to sleep the week before Christmas as he had cancer of the spleen, lungs and an enlarged heart. It was heart wrenching and I miss him every day but I am so grateful to have been able to end his pain and suffering, for him to have a quiet and peaceful transition, that it didn’t happen whilst he was at the boarding kennels over the festive holiday period and that above all,  the three adult children were in town and able to spend precious time with him and say their goodbyes. 

Change the way you think today and that includes being grateful for where you are and what you have – right now. Then think about a bright future filled with love and compassion. No matter how bad your life’s circumstances may seem, there is ALWAYS something you can be grateful for; for the new day, the opportunity to walk, to talk, to breathe, indeed, just the opportunity to exist. We take for granted so many of the wonderful experiences and things that we as human beings are blessed to enjoy and be grateful for, every single day – open your senses, enjoy the world around you and be grateful for the opportunity to do so. When the bad stuff hits, and that’s a part of life after all, feel the feelings, grieve the loss but don’t get stuck there, instead, as soon as you can, look for something to be grateful for. There is always something, even if it is as simple as the sun shining, or the sweet scent of a flower – actively seek out things to be grateful for. You’ll be glad you did.

Some practical steps in adopting an “attitude of gratitude”:

  1. Say “thank you”, every time the opportunity arises and mean it.
  2. Start saying “thank you”, every time you sit down to eat or drink.
  3. Start every day with an attitude of thankfulness – give thanks to the Universe for the new day and for all the blessings in your life.
  4. Make a “gratitude list” – writing things down, has real power, so jot down the things you feel grateful for.
  5. Stop complaining – don’t vocalise your annoyance or frustration.
  6. Don’t gossip – gossiping only hurts one person – the gossiper.  
  7. Ingrain the attitude of gratitude into your subconscious. How do you do this? Make it a habit. And, how do we create habits – by repetition. Regularly and meaningfully practice the art of gratitude and in a short time it will become as normal to you, as walking, getting dressed in the morning, or driving. You won’t even have to think about it, anymore, it will just come naturally.    

The Six Pillars of Life:

  1. Life is SUPPOSED to be wonderful!
  2. Attitude is EVERYTHING!
  3. LOVE is the ultimate power in the Universe!
  4. Live in the PRESENT!
  5. Happiness is a CHOICE!
  6. Maintain an attitude of GRATITUDE!

I will be expanding on all of these other five pillars, in articles in the future, but in the meantime, please feel free to take a peek at my exciting new book, Spirit of Prophecy, which has many of these ideas running through it, as well as being a fun and exciting “whodunit” along with a touch of spiritualism, a pinch of witchcraft, a tad of new-age thought, some lovely horses and there’s even an alien or two making a timely appearance. It’s an absolute corker and you can find it here: http://bit.ly/2LeRJ84

You may also wish to visit some of our previous blogs – listed below: 

Three-Day-Eventing: A Horse’s Pentathlon? What’s That All About, Then?

Money and Your Wallet – A Love Story More Tragic Then Twilight 

Money Mentor/Best Selling Author – Jill Hughes 

Top Indie & Self Publishing Tips Part 2