Last weekend I celebrated a right of passage that many go through around this time of the year; I graduated from college.  And it only took me 27 years to do it!  The subject for how and why it took 27 years is for another day.  What I want to talk today about is illusions.

All the time that it took me to finally get to this monumental occasion, I had built up inside of myself a sort of vision of how it would feel to finally graduate from college.  Being a romantic at heart, I knew how it would feel, I knew how it would look, I even knew what it would smell like.  Yes, I know it sounds a little strange, but to me, graduating from a major university has a special smell associated with it. Some might say that it is the smell of all the beautiful Jacaranda trees blooming, and the other delicious smells that Mother Nature brings to us every spring, but this smell is different.  To me, graduating from college had a clean, sweet smell of success; and almost lofty aroma that lifts your very being to heights unknown to any other person but yourself.  The closer the actual day came; the more I looked forward to experiencing those sights and sounds, feelings and smells. I knew that they were mine, because I had focused on them so hard, and as I have come to know from the Law of Attraction, I knew that whatever I gave my attention to would bring me more of what I was thinking and feeling (and smelling) about.

And finally, the big day arrived!  Like any individual who has focused long and hard on a dream, I flew out of bed like a kid on Christmas morning, eager to greet the day and claim the prizes that I had stored up for myself in the Universe.  I raced through my morning routines and rituals like a gazelle so that I could get to the “good stuff” faster.  But when I arrived at the “BIG MOMENT,” that moment that I had been dreaming, thinking, and feeling about for so many years, I was met with……….nothing.  Well, nothing like what I had THOUGHT it would be like.

The place had not been transformed into the great Romanesque halls with the Ivy streaming down the sides like you see in the movies and on TV; there was no feeling of being elevated to heights unknown… there was no backlighting shinning down when I stepped up to receive my diploma…and no heralding trumpets to announce the entrance of the graduates.  There wasn’t even that special smell that I had waited and wished for year after year after year.  In fact, the whole thing felt kind of…….ordinary and mundane. I felt ripped off!!! “Hey Universe…..where’s my sights and sounds, feelings and smells???”

Before I go on, let me say that graduating from college was a wonderful experience!  It just wasn’t the experience I had hoped for.  I, like so many of us, had fallen under the spell of Illusion. I had fallen in love with the things that were not in alignment with Source, and thus allowed myself to be taken down the gilded pathway of Illusion where absolutely everything is possible, even if it is not practical or within vibrational reach. The result was that I felt unfulfilled.  “Is this it?  Is this all there is?”  It took me a couple of days to come to grips with the fact that graduation was not what I had hoped it would be, but I also gained some valuable insights into how the Law of Attraction and our own vibrational match points work.

Everyone has wants and desires, and this is what drives us to create new and better experiences in our lives.  Whatever that desire is, you must first take a look at how well you match the desire vibrationally, and then make the needed adjustments in order for your vibration to come into alignment with the desire that you have.  Since you cannot attract anything that is outside of your vibrational range, it is a futile attempt to try and attract something that, at least for the time being, cannot be yours.  It will only bring you great frustration.

The healthier thing to do is to start by reaching for something that is within your vibration. Accept the present with gratitude, and as you lift your vibrational range, all the gifts that are yours from the Universe will start flowing into your experience.  The campus of the school where I graduated from is a beautiful campus.  All of the Jacaranda trees around the school are in full bloom, giving off their sweet perfume.  I was surrounded by my loving family and friends, and I have many good memories that have been captured forever through the invention of the photograph.  I worked long and hard to get what many people have taken for granted, and that makes the moment all the more sweet.  I don’t need the Romanesque buildings, the Ivy, the heralding trumpets and that special smell.  I’ve got the real thing, and I thank the Universe for helping me get what I desired for so many years.

Maybe you too have fallen under the spell of Illusion at one time or another.  If so, I’d love to here your story!

Lee-GP

Me: “So, what do you have planned for the rest of the day?”

Friend: “Oh, I’m going to go and watch my granddaughter’s soft ball team play.”

Me: “That sounds like fun! How old are they?”

Friend: “They’re between seven and nine years of age.”

Me: “Are they a good team?”

Friend: “Not really. They are at the bottom of their league!”

Me: “Ouch! That must not be good for morale.”

Friend: “Actually, they don’t care. They aren’t there to win any big awards, or be the best in the league. They are there to have a good time and enjoy each other’s company. Winning or losing doesn’t even cross their minds!”

I had an immediate thought at this point. Why can’t life be this way? Why can’t we NOT worry about having everything “work out” and just have fun with each other, and let the Universe take care of us? So I decided to give it a try. Instead of worrying about my relationships, and where they were going, I let go of that and just had fun with them. In place of working to get approval from my colleagues, I accepted that they already approved of me, and made our work together a thing of play. I relaxed, and trusted that Law of Attraction was lining me up with the vibration of what I wanted. Guess what happened? All of my relationships have taken a positive step forward. In fact, one of my friends remarked to me about the positive “change” he has seen in me this week. The work that my colleagues and I were doing seemed to just fly by as if guided by an invisible genie. Seemingly impossible situations magically worked themselves out all by themselves, without my having to invest any energy at all. I didn’t worry at all about how good I was, how effective I was, or even if I was getting these Law of Attraction principles down correctly or not. I simply realized that it is a wonderfully automatic system that works to perfection every time. We need not worry about being finished with the process, because WE are a never-finished process. We are eternal beings. There is always something wonderful and new to learn, and we can learn everything in our own perfect time. We don’t ever have to worry about winning, because we have already won. We already have the prize. All we need to do is to enjoy our process…enjoy all of it…the people, places and things in our lives, and just have fun. Enjoy the prize!  -Lee

But for the Universe, there is no such thing as the word “no.” When you say “no,” the Universe only hears “yes.” But how can this be? This is because we live in an inclusion-based Universe. The Law of Inclusion dictates that anything that you give your attention to becomes part of your vibration, and then the Law of Attraction gets to work to give you more of it. In other words, you can’t push anything away from you and your vibration…if it has your attention in any way, you are magnifying it and attracting more of it toward your personal experience. In an inclusion-based system, trying to stop anything (drugs, crime, disease, poverty, etc.) only serves to intensify the vibration, no matter how well-meaning you are. So how do we address these problems, you might say? If you focus directly on the problem, there will always be the problem, and bigger problems like it. (The Universe hears “This is a problem” and agrees with you, and sends you more of it because you gave it your attention.)

Instead, focus on your mind’s highest image of a solution that does not include the problem. That last sentence is worth reading again. Remember that you can’t think about the problem without including, intensifying, expanding, and drawing more of the problem into your personal experience. So the key is to give your attention to thoughts and ideas of clarity, peace, wellness, and prosperity, rather than trying to rid the planet of drugs, crime, disease, and poverty.

But if no one works to rid the world of drugs, crime, disease, and poverty, won’t these things get out of control and multiply? Not in an inclusion-based Universe. The problems will dissipate and lose their energy as connected people all over the world act on their inner wisdom from connection to Source, and follow their intuition to promote clarity, peace, wellness, and prosperity.

What are you for, and what are you against? Now that you are more aware that you are actually for the things you thought you were against, how might you refocus your attention today? Just notice today, through your experience, what you have been asking for by observing everything you are getting. You have been saying “yes” to all of it, even when you shouted “no” at it. Be easy about it, and when you must say “no” just get off the thought and turn to something you can say “yes” to as soon as possible. Be for things from now on, and let them flow to you effortlessly over time. Enjoy this most amazing day! Chris-GP

Leading Lady: Wakes up in the morning in bed, jumps up, stubs toe and says “ouch! I am so clumsy! One of there days I’m going to really hurt myself!”(Law of Attraction hears “I am asking for more pain today. I deserve it. This happens all the time. I am ready for a serious accident”)

Director: “OK, CUT! That was well-acted, and quite dramatic, but the line is ‘ouch! Well I can tell I’m not dreaming anymore. Today I’ll get all my clumsies out right away. It’s gonna get better from here, I can tell.’” (Law of Attraction hears “I am expecting this to be my last accident today. The day will get better and better. All is well”)

Leading Lady: Walks into the bathroom and looks in the mirror, evaluates appearance and says “This diet isn’t working at all! I look like a fat slob. Diets never work for me. I’m going to die fat!” (Law of Attraction hears “I am fat. I suck. Don’t bring me anything else except what I have. I am unworthy. No matter what I eat, don’t send me any evidence of progress. Death will be my only resolution to this problem.”)

Director: “OK, CUT! We already shot that scene over and over again. This is the plot twist where she realizes that things are going to change. The lines are ‘I don’t see a huge change, yet, but I know this new diet is working. I feel thinner, and I know every cell of my body is letting in the new, thinner me! I can’t wait to see myself tomorrow. Soon everyone will be able to see what I am feeling right now. Look out world, the new me is here!’” (Law of Attraction hears “I am expecting this diet to work. I will see a manifestation soon. I am on track to allow what I want. People will tell me I look thinner today.”)

Leading Lady: Interacting with someone in the grocery checkout line. Notices that the cashier is nervous and making mistakes. Speaks these lines to the person in line: “Look at this cashier. Is she stupid or what! Why don’t they train them better? How come when you are in a hurry you always get in a line with an incompetent cashier? I mean really, I need to see the manager. This is ridiculous!” (Law of Attraction hears “Bring me stupid cashiers. I attract untrained cashiers to me. I always shop in stores that don’t care about the customers. I’m ready for a big fight with someone, and the sooner the better. Bring me someone to unload on, please.”)

Director: “OK, CUT! Those are the lines of the person in the next aisle in another movie. This scene sets up the leading lady meeting her soulmate in the parking lot in the next scene. Can you play it a bit easier? Your lines are ‘Look at that cashier. She seems a bit nervous. I don’t recognize her. I bet she is new on the job. I remember when I got my first job, and I remember how it took me a while to come up to speed. She is doing the best she can. I appreciate that they have those scanners. It makes the whole process go by so much faster. I found some good sale items, and I am glad it will ring up with the sale price automatically. In a week I bet she’ll be zipping through customers. I always get in the right line, just by intuition. My timing is perfect today.’” (Law of Attraction hears “I am always in the right place at the right time. I appreciate people for where they are in life, and I give myself a break as well. All is well. You can bring me everything I want right now. I am ready and willing to give my love and gratitude to everyone, and I see and draw to me others who vibrate like me.”

The scenes are ongoing in your experience everyday, in every moment. Law of Attraction responds to your vibration and not your words, so it hears what you are feeling, and simply agrees with what you feel. Are you satisfied with the message you are sending to the Universe, which is being constantly matched by the Law of Attraction? If not, take control and redirect your scenes. You choose it all. Be Well, Marie

When you give freely, and when you feel good about your giving, you set up an expectation within your vibration that Law of Attraction matches: you feel worthy and ready to receive. When you understand this give-and-take of energy and see it play out a few times, it can be tempting to work to give a lot so that you can be worthy to receive a lot. The problem with this approach is twofold. First, you are already worthy to receive, and your worthiness is never in question. You can feel more worthy or less worthy, but you ARE worthy. Secondly, receiving (or allowing) Source Energy and wellbeing is natural and not dependent, necessarily, on how much you give. You don’t give to earn your right to receive, and no one keeps score in some far-away vibrational database. The energies of giving and receiving are intertwined, but not in a “weight and balances” type of equation. But there does seem to be, in my experience, a direct benefit to giving and receiving freely as the opportunities arise. The key is not to give to make something happen, but rather to give because it feels good to give. Law of Attraction works its best magic when you feel good…so timing your giving can be important. Feel good first, and then feel better through your giving.

When I take my morning walks along the beach, I usually visit a coffee shop about three miles into the walk. It’s a Starbucks in a grocery store, and sometimes there are some very needy people near the store. Occasionally they will ask for change, but other times they just keep to themselves. This situation represents a great opportunity to see how I feel in the moment about giving. If I feel resistance to giving money, I don’t. If I feel open and connected, I do. On several occasions I started my walk and decided that I would buy some food at the grocery and give it away to the first hungry person I encountered. On each occasion, I couldn’t find anyone to give it too, and one of those times, I swear, the guy vanished. I realized that I was trying to do something that was not a natural unfolding, and I felt worse walking home with the food in my arms. Now I wait to see what opportunities the day brings to give and receive, and I move ahead when I am inspired, knowing that I will be in the right place at the right time always.

Finally, giving is not just about money and food. Giving freely can include giving compliments, smiling, holding a door open for someone, noticing a kind gesture, leaving an uplifting note, singing a song, answering an email, and a million other possibilities. Receiving freely might include being grateful and appreciative for compliments, smiles, doors held open for you, kind gestures, uplifting notes, songs you hear, emails you receive, and a million other possibilities. Giving and receiving are ways you live, not things you do. Expand your vibration to give and receive freely and often today, and enjoy how great you will feel all day. Enjoy this most amazing day!  Chris-GP

When I felt this less-allowing vibration begin to soil the fun of my new year’s visualizations, I suddenly became inspired by Lao tzu’s quotation. It isn’t my job to manifest everything today. In fact, trying to manifest it immediately will only make me more aware of the absence of what I am creating. Instead, I affirmed that my gratitude walk was all I needed to do today. My job was to define, enjoy, visualize, savor, and be. My steps today are lining me up with everything I am asking for. I am right where I am supposed to be right now. I am well on the way on my thousand-mile journey, and all is well. Loving the journey will make it more fun, and before I know it, I’ll be there…ready for another thousand-mile journey…and then another one…and then another. There is no there to get to. I am just totally grateful and appreciative to be taking steps forward in joy and love. Enjoy this most amazing day!  Chris-GP

And aligning is what your job is…once you have asked. So you realize that your money is running out, and you ask for more, and then you feel better, and then…BAM…an unexpected bill comes in the mail. And then you spiral downward into the asking vibration again. You might even pile on and reinforce the feeling with words “I’ll never get out of this mess,” or “what’s the use, I am destined to be broke forever.” These words are a natural outpouring in a step one, asking moment. But your job is to reach for statements that feel a little better, and to see if you can move closer to the receiving of the prosperity.

Receiving anything is connected to your ability to feel as if you have it NOW. You must do your best to imagine it, talk about it, take actions related to it, and enjoy the feeling of having it…in the present moment. Law of Attraction matches you with whatever you are vibrating, and you can’t receive your prosperity when you are so very aware of NOT having enough. But how do you feel like you have enough when you clearly don’t have enough? It’s all about feeling better.

If you are depressed about not having more money, see if you can feel angry about it for a few minutes. If anger is achieved, reach for something…anything…that gives you some relief. Maybe worry feels better. Only you know for sure. But keep reaching. The emotional/vibrational scale looks something like this:

Joy/Knowledge/Empowerment/Freedom/Love/Appreciation/Bliss
Passion
Enthusiasm/Eagerness/Happiness
Positive Expectation/Belief
Optimism
Hopefulness
Contentment
Boredom
Pessimism
Frustration/Impatience/Irritation
Overwhelment
Disappointment
Doubt
Worry
Blame
Discouragement
Anger
Revenge
Hatred/Rage
Jealousy
Insecurity/Guilt/Unworthiness
Fear/Grief/Depression/Despair/Powerlessness

Once you feel yourself getting to at least hopeful, you are nearing the place where Law of Attraction can bring you what you have asked for. When you get into this range, I recommend that you fuel it a bit with some specific affirmations that help you maintain the feeling, and that even increase it to a better-feeling level. Here are a few of my favorites:

1. I always have enough money. When I am in need, something comes through at exactly the right time.
   
2. Unexpected income is speeding toward me right now. I fully accept this fact and receive the gifts today.
3. I am always provided for in every way. I am content and expectant. I know good things are on the way right now.
4. I expect to see evidence of my new prosperity today. I will look and see this evidence, no matter how small.
   
5. I bless my path today, and I expect more to come to me. I am open to receiving gifts beyond my wildest dreams.
6. I have asked, and now I allow my well being. I feel ready to receive strongly right now.
7. Bills or no bills, I love this life, and I relax into my prosperity. All is well.
8. I am grateful for my perfect timing in all things. My expanded income is rushing into my consciousness. I am rich in so many ways right now.
   
9. Love and light and expansion are who I am. I am ready to receive expanded riches and wellness.
   
10. My work is done. I relax and allow money to flow to me. I act on inspiration as I feel it. I am powerfully connected to my wellness.

When you repeat these words, let yourself enjoy their vibrational pull. Don’t doubt it, but rather enjoy the feeling of having everything you want right now. Be childlike in your imagination. Have fun with it. The bills should not keep you from feeling better right now, and if you allow and let this process work for you, a vibrational manifestation of prosperity MUST be your experience. It is Universal Law. Once you feel better, the “real world” will shift and you will see hard and fast evidence of your creation through the contrast. Let it happen, don’t doubt it, and be well and prosperous today. Chris-GP

1. Notice pain or stiffness in your body. When you notice it, turn the emotional corner and breathe into the pain or stiffness. See yourself adding light and love and gratitude into the stiff area. Imagine it releasing and relaxing. This really works if you stop and really do it, I promise.You will feel better.

2. Notice how you talk to yourself. As you move through the day, pay attention to the words you use to talk to yourself. Do you praise your actions and feelings, or do you “talk down” to yourself? Do you say “nice interaction…I have perfect timing” or do you more often say “hey dummy, that was a stupid thing to do.”? If you are not being kind to yourself, turn the emotional corner by affirming that you aren’t perfect, and that you are doing the best you can. Change words that criticize into words that uplift. Let your view of yourself match the view that your inner being has about you. Your inner being loves you and knows you are exactly where you need to be right now. You will feel better.

3. Notice how you talk directly to others. Your vibration is also affected by the way you interact with others directly. Are you kind and uplifting to the people you see everyday? It’s easier to be kind to friends and family as opposed to the annoying cashier at the market. But your vibration (and emotional state) depends on how you handle the annoying people too. Can you find something to like about them? Can you see yourself in them somehow. Turn the emotional corner by giving them credit for who they are, and by feeling grateful for the service they are providing to you. You will feel better.

4. Notice how you talk with others ABOUT others. It is easy and tempting for two people to put down a third person, especially if that person is not present to hear it. It can feel good to agree with a friend that another person is ugly, stupid, inappropriate, or incompetent. But if you say these things, the experience won’t raise your vibration much, and soon you will feel the lowering of your vibration too. Turn the emotional corner by refusing to criticize others, even when someone is egging you on. The best way to do this is to start saying nice things about the person instead of degrading things. Or just don’t say anything at all. You will feel better.

5. Notice when you are clumsy. This is a real step. A sign of your disconnection can come through stubbing a toe, dropping a glass, hitting your head while turning, or by spilling a cup of hot coffee. When these things happen, stop and turn the emotional corner by affirming that you have some negative emotion activated. Simply take a deep breath and feel gratitude for your inner guidance that let’s you know when you are disconnected. Say “thanks” and move ahead a little more slowly and thoughtfully. Maybe you can also stop and close your eyes and collect yourself as well. Forgive yourself for attracting the spill, accident, or clumsiness, and move on ahead with confidence and humbleness. You will stop the chain of weirdness and you will surely feel better!

Try these ideas today. Thanks for reading. Let me know if you liked this post. Lisa

If I am going through my day and then I suddenly realize that I am disconnecting from Source Energy (I can tell because I am irritated or basically pissed off about something), my first step is simply to acknowledge what is happening. I don’t try to fix it, nor do I beat myself up for the way I feel. Instead, I ride out the feeling and I do my best to truly feel it while it is happening. Once I notice it and ride it for a little while, feeling it and simply observing, I wait for it to loose some of it’s energy. That’s right…as long as I don’t feed it with thoughts that feel worse, it is going to run its course and dissipate a little.

Once my pissy attitude has let down a little, then I have the opportunity to clean it up. What I do is look for any thought that feels better than the one I was just thinking. If I was really upset, this first thought will not sound great to an outside observer. It might be a thought of hatred, anger, revenge, or whatever feels better than what I was feeling in the first place. But I continue to reach and feel, and observe and reflect. In little time, I start feeling optimistic again, and then I am off to the races!

Once I get hold of an optimistic thought, then I have access to tons of thoughts that actually feel good. I can then move into gratitude, expectation, belief, happiness, passion, love, appreciation, and even bliss. And once my day moves into a thought-feeling of “Optimism” or higher, then everything seems to start falling together in a positive way. I develop perfect timing, and I become really productive in my job or tasks for the day. Law of Attraction works all day, every day, no matter how you feel. It simply lines you up to experience life according to how you feel on average. So if you think and feel, and think and feel, and reach for thoughts that are optimistic, Law of Attraction will match the vibration and expand your experience to the level of optimistic. Life simply works out, and you become one of the “lucky” people that seem to be in the right places at the right times.

So if you feel less than optimistic, no worries. Feel your feelings, let them be what they are, don’t pile on and make it worse or beat yourself up…and then reach for the relief of a better-feeling thought. It feels bad to feel bad, and it feels oh so geed to feel good. You have the choice to experience your life the way you want it to be. So today, climb your way up to feeling good, because good feels…well…Good!

Happy New Year, and please…Be.Love today! Hannya-GP

An old saying goes like this: “Every cloud has a silver lining.” When you feel bad, the world can feel like a big, gray cloud. But there is always a possibility of finding the best in any moment or situation, and gratitude is an excellent tool for moving from feeling bad to feeling better. When you use gratitude to start moving up the vibrational scale, you should start small and think of the most basic thing that is going well for you. Perhaps the fact that you are alive and breathing feels like a better thought, and if it does, bask in the feeling of your “aliveness.” Maybe your most recent meal…maybe the one you are eating right now…is worth being grateful for? Enjoy the taste and texture of the food, and ponder how the vitamins and nutrients are feeding your body and soul.

Each individual knows best what they are grateful for, and taking time to count your blessings will give you some relief from a bad day every time. And sometimes all we need during a bad day is to pause, shift a bit, pivot, and move in a slightly different vibrational direction. Gratitude is your best tool for improving a bad day, and with practice, you can be feeling better and better until you actually feel pretty good most of the time. Once you feel good more and more of the time, you can spend more time in the vibrations of love, appreciation, and even bliss!

Every cloud does have a sliver lining, and you can find it if you look for it. Say “Thank You” more often, and let yourself be grateful for the things you already have. I am grateful for our readers and contributors, and I wish you the most amazing and connected day ever! Chris-GP