(c) 2010 Joan M. Newcomb
There's a worldwide, grassroots network called Freecycle whose mission is to keep usable items out of landfills. It's really quite an amazing phenomenon. People give away items they don't need, and people ask for items they want.
When I first participated, I gave away some (fairly good) furniture, because someone had gifted me theirs. It was quite exhilarating to see the looks on recipients' faces; they couldn't quite believe they could have a futon sofabed or a recliner just for doing me the favor of carting it away!
And it's equally wonderful to see people receive items they've asked for, be it school supplies for their kids or an item for their home. All freely given, freely received, no strings attached.
The energy of giving makes you feel better, pulls your attention away from your own troubles and into the abundant flow of life. In 12 step programs, newcomers are encouraged to take on a task, like making coffee for their group. It gets them doing something that other's appreciate. And gives them a feeling of accomplishment that they're probably not experiencing in the un-manageability of their life's storyline (that caused them to come to the 12 steps in the first place).
Giving actually strengthens your connection to Source and increases your ability to receive abundance. It's the principle that tithing is based on. If you give away 10%, you find your 90% expanding. Even if you can't quite manage 10% of your income, you can give your time or your compassion. Gifts of service count towards the Flow.
As with everything, balance is needed. We all know burned-out givers, who volunteer for everything yet can't make ends meet. They need to learn to moderate their giving with receiving.
Receiving is essential for prosperity. You need to be able to allow the flow come to you as well as out of you. Gracious receiving validates people who give to you. Even if it's a compliment. If someone says something nice to you, accept it and thank them (even if your tendency is to minimize it).
Receiving well sends a message to your subconscious that it's an abundant and benevolent universe. It also increases your connection to Source.
A couple simple steps to increase your participation in the Flow:
*Give $1 or $5 or $10 away to a worthy cause. It can be anything. Put it in one of those plexiglas boxes at the convenience store, stuff it in the tip jar at Starbucks. Do this often enough and the energy builds and opportunities arise as well.
*Notice how the Universe is giving to you. Receive compliments. Receive sunny days (yes, the Universe did make the sun shine just for you)! Appreciate your surroundings, notice synchronicities. Breathe them in and notice your inner expansion.
Try these for a week and see what happens! And email me the results!
Showing posts with label Receiving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Receiving. Show all posts
Friday, January 15, 2010
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Divine Interventions
©2008 Joan M. Newcomb
Cameron Diaz was once asked about the ending of a relationship she'd had and she said, "I don't have breakups; I have Divine Interventions"!
Much of my life since age 14 has been self-directed, and yet at times certain things will occur that totally send me on a different path. Psychiatrists deciding at age 16 I should not live at home, a boyfriend getting hit by a car at age 19, a schedule change at work leading to total burnout at 35, discovery of a secondary addiction in a relationship at 38... Things outside of my control, or contributing to a 'final straw', and shortly afterward my world is transformed.
I think about how this relates to Free Will vs. Divine Will. Free Will gives us each the ability to create our reality and to use Law of Attraction to manifest what we desire. However, I notice that my manifestations are effortless when my personal Will is aligned with the higher Will. When I'm attuned with the Infinite, then I'm in agreement with this higher Will; I want what It wants for me. When I'm trying to manipulate or control my surroundings, make things better because they currently suck, it's more like I'm spinning my wheels in the mud than really moving forward on my path.
Which makes me conclude that really it's my Expanded Self, my inner Divinity, that's really running the show.
I do get the picture It's looking over us like an adult watching toddlers in the playground. They can fall and get bruises, they can get stuck on the slide or be sad there's no seats left on the swings, but It won't intervene unless it's time to go do something else.
What would it be like to just relax in the knowledge that one's Expanded Self is really overseeing everything, bringing to us exactly what we need in the moment? We could be free to play in this playground 'Earth' going on whatever ride we want to, knowing that when it's time to do something else, our Expanded Self will redirect us.
Instead of having to struggle to pay the mortgage or resolve your relationship with your mother, what if you just did what you felt motivated to do in the moment? And trust that if you to do something else, you'd be doing it. Big, invisible hands would pick you up and put you in another part of the playground. The phone would ring and your mother would be morphed into someone really nice to talk to!
I see this world as a virtual reality game for an Infinite Consciousness wanting the experience of being the opposite of what it is. Each of us *is* that Consciousness, and whatever we're doing or being or feeling is providing great enjoyment and pleasure for our Expanded Self. We can't make mistakes or do something wrong, because it's all part of the game.
When you relax into that awareness, your reality completely changes. Interesting synchronicities occur as validation by your Expanded Self you're on the right track. At first there may be some (or a lot of) discomfort as the old limitations and restrictions fall away, but pretty soon you're in alignment/agreement with Consciousness and it becomes a delicious ride!
So, try this out for the next week. Maybe take baby steps - don't quit your job or stop paying your bills unless you're really strongly motivated to! But perhaps take a day this weekend or moments of time over the next few days and approach your life playfully, trusting your Expanded Self to do the driving. See what happens - you may find yourself having a lot of fun!
Cameron Diaz was once asked about the ending of a relationship she'd had and she said, "I don't have breakups; I have Divine Interventions"!
Much of my life since age 14 has been self-directed, and yet at times certain things will occur that totally send me on a different path. Psychiatrists deciding at age 16 I should not live at home, a boyfriend getting hit by a car at age 19, a schedule change at work leading to total burnout at 35, discovery of a secondary addiction in a relationship at 38... Things outside of my control, or contributing to a 'final straw', and shortly afterward my world is transformed.
I think about how this relates to Free Will vs. Divine Will. Free Will gives us each the ability to create our reality and to use Law of Attraction to manifest what we desire. However, I notice that my manifestations are effortless when my personal Will is aligned with the higher Will. When I'm attuned with the Infinite, then I'm in agreement with this higher Will; I want what It wants for me. When I'm trying to manipulate or control my surroundings, make things better because they currently suck, it's more like I'm spinning my wheels in the mud than really moving forward on my path.
Which makes me conclude that really it's my Expanded Self, my inner Divinity, that's really running the show.
I do get the picture It's looking over us like an adult watching toddlers in the playground. They can fall and get bruises, they can get stuck on the slide or be sad there's no seats left on the swings, but It won't intervene unless it's time to go do something else.
What would it be like to just relax in the knowledge that one's Expanded Self is really overseeing everything, bringing to us exactly what we need in the moment? We could be free to play in this playground 'Earth' going on whatever ride we want to, knowing that when it's time to do something else, our Expanded Self will redirect us.
Instead of having to struggle to pay the mortgage or resolve your relationship with your mother, what if you just did what you felt motivated to do in the moment? And trust that if you to do something else, you'd be doing it. Big, invisible hands would pick you up and put you in another part of the playground. The phone would ring and your mother would be morphed into someone really nice to talk to!
I see this world as a virtual reality game for an Infinite Consciousness wanting the experience of being the opposite of what it is. Each of us *is* that Consciousness, and whatever we're doing or being or feeling is providing great enjoyment and pleasure for our Expanded Self. We can't make mistakes or do something wrong, because it's all part of the game.
When you relax into that awareness, your reality completely changes. Interesting synchronicities occur as validation by your Expanded Self you're on the right track. At first there may be some (or a lot of) discomfort as the old limitations and restrictions fall away, but pretty soon you're in alignment/agreement with Consciousness and it becomes a delicious ride!
So, try this out for the next week. Maybe take baby steps - don't quit your job or stop paying your bills unless you're really strongly motivated to! But perhaps take a day this weekend or moments of time over the next few days and approach your life playfully, trusting your Expanded Self to do the driving. See what happens - you may find yourself having a lot of fun!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Being In Receptive Mode
©2008 Joan M. Newcomb
One of the things that happens when people start practicing the Law of Attraction is that they put all their focus onto what they want to attract. They get the idea that they create their reality through their thoughts and immediately start thinking of prosperity, and all the goodies that go with it.
This may work a little bit at first, but usually what happens is they get frustrated their stuff isn't getting here fast enough. So they try harder, making their vision boards, saying their affirmations, staring at their mind maps. Then finally decide it's all a bunch of horseradish and quit.
That's not how Law of Attraction works. In fact, it's the opposite. It's using body-level exertions to work a spiritual-energetic tool. It's like using a chisel and hammer to work on your internet connection.
When you try hard at anything, you're using the body-level energy of effort. Effort is required by your muscles to get your body out of a chair, and works fine to push-start a car, but has the opposite effect when applied to high vibrational techniques. It stops them from happening.
That's why many of your manifestations happen when you no longer need or want them. You've taken your attention off them and the Universe finally has a chance to release them to you.
When you focus intently on something, your point of awareness goes into that item, and out of yourself. You're no longer 'home' in your body or your life. So the Universal Parcel Service doesn't have the address to send your desires to you! And if they're left at your doorstep, you're not home to receive them.
That's what happens when you actually get what you want, but you can't have it. You finally manifest Mr. Right, but your life is such a shambles he doesn't stick around. You win the lotto but haven't handled your shopping addiction or learned about investing, so it's gone within the year.
The trick (and it isn't really a trick) is to know what you want (the thought alone is an email request to the Universe via the Cosmic Internet). Then focus within yourself to prepare to have it.
I call it being in receiving mode. Generating an energy of receptivity, of drawing in that which you desire. Abraham-Hicks calls it delicious anticipation. I've called it 'raising your havingness'. Ultimately you don't have to do anything, and your life rearranges itself so that things fall into place, including what you've asked for.
People find this happening automatically when they get off the fast track. When they consciously slow down to enjoy life. Choosing to start the day with meditation or a cup of herbal tea and journalling instead of espresso and the news, brings this about. Turns out much of what you desire you already have in some form or another, but you've been too busy to enjoy it!
So try these suggestions -
Stop thinking about what you don't have.
Stop focusing on all the terrible things happening in the world today.
Start enjoying the present moment - even in tiny increments
("the leaves are so pretty right now", "this tea tastes so good", etc.)
Let yourself Know that the Universe is on your side and supporting you beautifully.
Taking pleasure in what you do have attracts more pleasurable things to you. And that's what Law of Attraction is all about.
One of the things that happens when people start practicing the Law of Attraction is that they put all their focus onto what they want to attract. They get the idea that they create their reality through their thoughts and immediately start thinking of prosperity, and all the goodies that go with it.
This may work a little bit at first, but usually what happens is they get frustrated their stuff isn't getting here fast enough. So they try harder, making their vision boards, saying their affirmations, staring at their mind maps. Then finally decide it's all a bunch of horseradish and quit.
That's not how Law of Attraction works. In fact, it's the opposite. It's using body-level exertions to work a spiritual-energetic tool. It's like using a chisel and hammer to work on your internet connection.
When you try hard at anything, you're using the body-level energy of effort. Effort is required by your muscles to get your body out of a chair, and works fine to push-start a car, but has the opposite effect when applied to high vibrational techniques. It stops them from happening.
That's why many of your manifestations happen when you no longer need or want them. You've taken your attention off them and the Universe finally has a chance to release them to you.
When you focus intently on something, your point of awareness goes into that item, and out of yourself. You're no longer 'home' in your body or your life. So the Universal Parcel Service doesn't have the address to send your desires to you! And if they're left at your doorstep, you're not home to receive them.
That's what happens when you actually get what you want, but you can't have it. You finally manifest Mr. Right, but your life is such a shambles he doesn't stick around. You win the lotto but haven't handled your shopping addiction or learned about investing, so it's gone within the year.
The trick (and it isn't really a trick) is to know what you want (the thought alone is an email request to the Universe via the Cosmic Internet). Then focus within yourself to prepare to have it.
I call it being in receiving mode. Generating an energy of receptivity, of drawing in that which you desire. Abraham-Hicks calls it delicious anticipation. I've called it 'raising your havingness'. Ultimately you don't have to do anything, and your life rearranges itself so that things fall into place, including what you've asked for.
People find this happening automatically when they get off the fast track. When they consciously slow down to enjoy life. Choosing to start the day with meditation or a cup of herbal tea and journalling instead of espresso and the news, brings this about. Turns out much of what you desire you already have in some form or another, but you've been too busy to enjoy it!
So try these suggestions -
Stop thinking about what you don't have.
Stop focusing on all the terrible things happening in the world today.
Start enjoying the present moment - even in tiny increments
("the leaves are so pretty right now", "this tea tastes so good", etc.)
Let yourself Know that the Universe is on your side and supporting you beautifully.
Taking pleasure in what you do have attracts more pleasurable things to you. And that's what Law of Attraction is all about.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)