Due to my mother being in the hospital (05.25.13), SOA isn't current... my apologies, though I know you understand. As soon as the situation improves, I look forward to providing you with a new issue filled with empowering articles.
Many thanks, Joyce Shafer, Publisher Feature Article (Please also visit the Guest Articles page.) What You Want and Want to Feel Is Just One Thought Away By Joyce Shafer We want spirituality or metaphysics to be easier: they are. It’s just that we’re so practiced at doing life the hard way. But, “easier” is really just one right thought away. Any “off” feelings I have (feelings that don’t feel good) are clear indicators to me that I’m practicing resistance. The intensity of the feeling(s) indicates how much resistance I’m practicing. Once my awareness is on this, I can pay attention to what my resistance is (what I’m practicing), and that I can stop doing it. We tend to think that our better practice, if we do it right, is supposed to stop any and all contrasts (triggers for our resistance) from ever happening again. No. And, you’ll feel and do a lot better if you understand that your practice is to help you be better at thinking your thoughts, rather than your thoughts thinking you, before, during, and after a contrast. One big contrast is the idea that we’re supposed to be spiritual or metaphysical superstars. The result of this is that not only are we trying to figure out what our practice is and how to do it, but we carry guilt and self-condemnation for not already being a “superstar” or for not becoming one after a very short time of minimal, sporadic practice. It’s time to toss away these feelings and start using contrasts and resistance for our benefit. Contrasts and resistance are like checking yourself in the mirror. You can choose to love and appreciate what you see, choose to loathe and criticize it, or choose to improve. Sometimes the best choice at the moment is to feel a bit better, which may be as simple as releasing resistance about whatever currently has your attention. You can assist yourself if you begin to think of resistance as an opportunity to practice how to let it go. The more you practice this, the better and faster you get at it. I don’t know about you, but I’ve had a lot of practice chewing on one or more negative thoughts the same way a dog chews on a bone. These days I’m paying a great deal more attention when I do this. I catch myself doing this and ask, “What do I really want to create more of, really want to feel?” If I don’t want more of what I’m thinking about or feeling, I need to let those thoughts go (be willing to let those thoughts go) and find a general good feeling I prefer, and step into it. And, do this as many times as it takes. Here’s how to release resistance AND move into better thoughts and feelings: Let go of negative specifics. By “negative specifics” I mean rehashing the past, negatively anticipating the future, and complaining or criticizing. Each of these leads you into more or stronger resistance, as well as “digs the hole you’re in deeper.” You want to go general. General means to say something to your self like, “It’s beautiful outside today” or “I love moments when I feel really good, really in flow.” Maybe recall a time when the Universe gave you an awesome surprise or affirmation. When you go general, your intention should be to tap into a good feeling and hold that vibration, without thinking any specific thoughts. Be deliberate about this practice, especially when you feel any feeling you’d label as undesired. Return to this feeling as often as you need or want to. This practice creates desired shifts because it releases you from resistance, which blocks desired outcomes and feelings. Our tendency is to practice being in the frequency vibration of what we perceive as a problem rather than be in the frequency vibration of a, or the, solution. No solution can come to us, either as an inspired idea or an experience, as long as we wallow in thoughts and emotions about how we don’t like a particular contrast. That’s like tuning the radio to a Heavy Metal station and expecting to hear classical music. If you want to feel and be a particular way, you have to align your frequency vibration – your energy radio dial – to the station you prefer. Here’s the “simple, but not necessarily easy” aspect of this: Any better feeling is truly always just one right thought away. The reason it’s not easier is because we’re so practiced at doing the opposite. It’s not easier, because our ego-aspect is attached to being right, to feeling secure only when it knows the how, what, when, and who solution rather than trusting the solution or desired experience will arrive, if we just let go of resistance vibrations. Trust in Source or the Universe is also just one right thought away. One right thought is worthiness. You are worthy, but you may not allow yourself to feel it, because of all the opposite thoughts you practice. It’s the same for abundance, serenity, joy, and any other wonderful feeling you enjoy or desire to enjoy. They are all only one thought away. Maybe like me, you too have experienced this as Truth, from time to time. However, it does have to be the right thought, that is, the right thought for YOU – the thought that gets you over the bump or hump and into your better-feeling energy vibration. The right thought is the one that results in you feeling in alignment and or in appreciation. Sometimes you may have to sift through a lot of thoughts to find The One that does it for you. Sometimes, especially with practice, you can find the right thought quite quickly, if you follow the path of going general to release resistance. But just as I said about the superstar idea causing you to feel bad about yourself, you are not to stress or strain about finding the right thought either. I’m going to repeat this because it is important: Go general and create a shift simply by remembering a moment that felt really good, when you felt a way you loved feeling, and hold that vibration without practicing specific thoughts. Allow knowing that you have the power to choose your thoughts and the knowledge of what a right thought can do for you, to help you feel empowered, no matter what contrast appears. What you want and want to feel is there for you as soon as you match your vibration to it. You can match your vibration to what you desire as soon as you cease practice of any resistance vibrations, which often are about your focus on the perceived absence of what you desire. It’s a good practice, one you’ll appreciate. Practice makes progress. © Joyce Shafer You are welcome to use this article in your newsletter or on your blog/website as long as you use my complete bio with it. Joyce Shafer is a Life Empowerment Coach dedicated to helping people feel, be, and live their true inner power. She’s author of I Don’t Want to be Your Guru, But I Have Something to Say and other books/ebooks, and publishes a free weekly online newsletter that offers empowering articles and free downloads. See all that’s offered by Joyce and on her site at http://stateofappreciation.weebly.com Video Articles: The Uncomfortable Law of Attraction Truth ~ http://youtu.be/JGaSQ3gb2Jk How Good Is Your Relationship with Yourself ~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFJK0p2IbLc&feature=plcp It May Not Be Easy to Forgive but It Is Worth It to YOU ~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHWgrx0jzrc&feature=results_video A Different Form of Stress and Management ~ http://youtu.be/HFb99WcxSSU What’s Cluttering Your Life? ~ http://youtu.be/2-dzDKXokEk Does Gender Influence Prosperity? ~ http://youtu.be/z9m3Xy6Z93U Appreciating Against the Tide ~ http://youtu.be/_9tV4Q-jP5Y A Note from the Publisher State of Appreciation is a free weekly online newsletter that blends practical & spiritual approaches to enhance personal power and self-realization, and offers empowering articles, gifts, and free downloads when you subscribe, also free. I never give or sell your email address; and unless there’s an exceptional reason, you only hear from me once a week to let you know the latest SOA issue is live. And, I’d appreciate it if you’d share this site with others or show your appreciation for the site and the guest article contributors by using one or more of the social site options below. I wish you a wonderful day and a day filled with wonders. Joyce Shafer, Publisher, Life Coach, Author jls1422@yahoo.com/ Lafayette, LA, USA |
Your free weekly online newsletter
Created to Encourage, Enlighten, and Empower… Since August 2008 Issue 231 ~ for week starting May 17, 2013 Joyce Shafer, LEC, Publisher SOA can be viewed on iProducts In This Week's Issue… I discuss how what you want and want to feel is just one thought away. John Earle comments about being comfortable with uncertainty. Chuck Gallozi addresses choosing to live by choice, not chance. Poet Wendi Romero writes about our natural progression in life. ______________________________________________ "I must tell you how much I appreciate your Friday SOA newsletter. I look so forward to your 'Feature Article' (as well as the guest articles and poetry)! Your State of Appreciation messages during the week are an absolute must in between the Friday SOA newsletters. I also wanted to let you know that I absolutely loved your book, I Don't Want to be Your Guru, But I Have Something to Say - WOW!!!!! Absolutely packed with powerful, helpful, 'necessary to know' lessons. Your insight, depth of understanding and ability to create a story to pass on so many important truths was amazing! Your book is truly inspiring! Thank you again for all you do for humanity!" ~ Joanne M., Canada _____________________________________________ ABOUT THIS SITE ~ What's Provided for You HOME page: find my weekly article, Enlightoons by GuruStu, and reviews of my "Guru" book. To view other pages, click on the page names above the sky image: GUEST ARTICLES page where you can read the wisdom of two terrific Experts each week, plus a meaningful poem by poet Wendi Romero. MY SERVICES & MORE page, where you learn about Take This Life and Love It! Workshop and Standard Life Empowerment Coaching offerings. BOOK STORE, where you find a listing of all my books and where and how to get them. FREE DOWNLOADS page that takes you to my e-library where you can download classic and contemporary empowerment reads and archived SOA articles. *SUBSCRIBERS receive a gift PDF of my e-book, Law of Attraction Alchemy: Turn Lead Thoughts into Gold. Sign-up is easy. Visit the SUBSCRIBE page to see how. I hope you enjoy the site and find something beneficial to put into practice. ~ Practice makes progress. ______________________________________________ "Consistently focus upon your great life story and visualize with emotion those things you want to manifest." – Natalie Ledwell _____________________________________________ Take This Life and Love It! 8 Weeks to Transformation ~ Available as either the Workbook (see Book Store page) or the Mentoring Program. Click on MY SERVICES at the top of this page for details. ______________________________________________ 
This amazing little book is Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer, Napoleon Hill and more all rolled into one little treasure. Extraordinarily written and busting at the seams with wisdom. Once you start reading it you'll immediately be glued to every word. I'm a national peak performance expert. I've read over 5,000 books on every imaginable topic relevant to life, achievement, psychology and spirituality. I can say that in the current sea of personal development books on the market, few stand out. This one is tops. Buy a copy for yourself and everyone you know, you'll be glad you did. Jim Fortin, Author/Speaker
Because I have enjoyed the articles from Joyce, I became interested in getting additional information about her experiences. Although her book is only 54 pages long and is written in such an elementary style, it is one of my favorites. When I started the book, from the first few sentences I knew it was going to be my kind of subject. A book of spirituality, not religion, and has analogy after analogy that makes what could have been complicated very simple indeed. There were times while reading this book I chose to stop and reflect, I wanted to absorb the message in order to be more effective in life. Oftentimes, it is the simple message that we overlook. I found myself wanting to look deeper within myself, turn the mirror and examine those things that I tend to judge. Enjoy the simple things in life…. “I Don’t Want to be Your Guru, but I have something to Say” (New Edition), written by Joyce Shafer – Cheryl Bowman, www.being40plus.com Maybe You Should Be My Guru! When I first started reading I Don’t Want to Be Your Guru but I Have Something to Say I thought it was going to be a novel containing a “ghost-like” mystery story. But then the beautiful and enlightening discussion between the characters in this flashback scene started ringing with truth and such validity that I soon realized this book could just as easily be a non-fiction work in the spirituality genre. I like the way the author was able to pull that off with such cohesiveness! ~ Yvonne Perry, Author of Whose Stuff Is This? Finding Freedom From the Thoughts, Feelings, and Energy of Those Around You I Don't Want to be Your Guru, but I Have Something to Say by Joyce Shafer is one of the most inspirational and uplifting reads I have had the pleasure of reading. ~ B.K. Walker, BK Walker Books This book, short and easy-to-read, makes me realize that other books, sharing wisdom that I have read, were merely building up to this book. ~ Narissa Johnson, Reader Views When I first read Joyce Shafer's I Don't Want To Be Your Guru, But I Have Something to Say, I found it to be an extraordinary book. I recently re-read it and found the wisdom within to be even more enlightening as it enabled me to identify an unresolved issue that I need to deal with. That may not sound like much, but if you've ever had the experience of identifying a core issue, you know how profound an experience it can be! So if you have read this book before, read it again! If you haven't read it yet, do so as soon as you can. ~ Roger Aucoin, PMP, M.Ed "Great pick-me-up!" I recently reread this excellent book when I hit a rough spot in my life. It was perfect! I was able to read it in one sitting and it gave me great tools to move on. ~ Terri G. Available formats: PDF, iTunes, Nook, paperback. Lulu Author Spotlight page (paperback, e-book) http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/jls1422 Amazon (paperback) http://tinyurl.com/yj4bthx Barnes&Noble (paperback, Nook) http://tinyurl.com/yd4pfwn At a discount at http://healingebooks.com/I-Don-t-Want-to-be-Your-Guru.html iTunes http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/i-dont-want-to-be-your-guru/id443408484?mt=11 See the Book Store (top of page) for more e-books by Joyce Shafer. |
