“Circumstances, therefore, do not matter. Only your state of being matters.”

“Circumstances do not M-A-T-T-E-R. Do not MATERIALIZE things. Only your state of being MATTERS. Brings energy into MATTER. Materializes things.”

“So it’s not the circumstances in your life. It’s how you respond to them that makes the difference in your life.”

“It’s not whether the outside world has changed in response to your spiritual growth that matters, it’s whether your spiritual growth allows you to respond differently to the circumstances even if they stay the same. That means you have actually grown.”

“Do not rely on the outer world as your measuring stick for your own spiritual growth, rely on your response to the outer world to determine how much you have grown.”

“If you still react the same way to an old circumstance, you haven’t grown. It has nothing to do with whether or not that circumstance should be in your life anymore.”

~ Bashar (channeled by Daryl Anka), From Youtube video Creating Your Reality

Who is Bashar?

A multidimensional being called by Daryl Anka…

“Bashar is a being of extraterrestrial origin, a friend from the future who has spoken for the past 21 years through channel, Darryl Anka, bringing through a wave of new information that clearly explains in detail how the universe works and how each person creates the reality they experience. Over the years, thousands of individuals have had the opportunity to apply these principles and see if they really work to change their lives and create the reality that they desire.”

Anka, Daryl (Bashar). Who is Bashar.The Official Homepage Of Bashar. Accessed December 20, 2009. http://bashar.org/HOMEMAIN.html

Who is Daryl Anka?

• In 1973 Witnessed  UFO’s on two occasions and became interested in UFO’s, “paranormal subjects”, psychic powers, spirits and channeling
• 1983 introduced to channeling as a practice
• Joined channel class, but not to become a channel
• After practicing guided meditation and mental exercises meant to shift consciousness he received a telepathic message from BASHAR
• Started channeling BASHAR because he knew he had made an agreement to do so
• Has channeled Bashar ever since 1983
• Travels and gives channeled talks with Q and A
• Has inspired many people all over the world

Books By Bashar as channeled through Daryl Anka:

Blueprint for change: A message from our future

Books by Daryl Anka:

Quest for Truth: A 100 insights that could change your life

Here is the video that I acquired the above quote from:

Here is a video of Daryl Anka while he is channeling Bashar. He is talking about the four laws of creation in this video…definitely food for thought:

What does this quote mean?:

“Circumstances do not determine your state of being. Your state of being determines your circumstances.”

Basically this means that our attitudes, our perceptions play a very direct and important role in our experience with our circumstances. Through our attitudes sand beliefs we experience are circumstances as a reflection of those attitudes and beliefs.

“Circumstances, therefore, do not matter. Only your state of being matters.”

It is critically important for us to understand how insignificant our circumstances really are and how much  we are truly responsible for our perception and experience during those situations…especially the ones that make us uncomfortable.

An example might be if you were standing at a bus stop and someone approached you and was rude to you. You have the choice to respond by setting boundaries, walking a way, telling them what you think and through your response to the situation you will have a certain kind experience. Based on what you think, percieve and believe about the experience, you will act accordingly, which will result in exactly what you expect.

“Circumstances do not M-A-T-T-E-R. Do not MATERIALIZE things. Only your state of being MATTERS. Brings energy into MATTER. Materializes things.”

Since, on a very basic level we are made up of energy, anything that we experience is a material manifestation of that energetic process. Therefore, our energy plays a role in the overall interactions we experience. Therefore, we are really in control of how we influence things around us, percieve things around us, and experience things.

“So it’s not the circumstances in your life. It’s how you respond to them that makes the difference in your life.”

Learning how to respond is essential to effecting change in our environment, our experiences and ultimately the circumstances surrounding us.

“It’s not whether the outside world has changed in response to your spiritual growth that matters, it’s whether your spiritual growth allows you to respond differently to the circumstances even if they stay the same. That means you have actually grown.”

There is no bad response, only a different kind of response to the same situation. If in the past you were more likely to not tell someone that you didn’t like something they did, then a sign of growth would be if you were able to tell them…even if it is in the form of yelling. Eventually, that will adjust as you learn to adjust your response and find the best way to act to get the results that you ultimately prefer.

“Do not rely on the outer world as your measuring stick for your own spiritual growth, rely on your response to the outer world to determine how much you have grown.”

Even if you keep having the same experiences come up, that doesn’t mean you haven’t grown. It is how you respond that determines your growth and through your internal change, eventually your outer environment will change as well. It takes time.

“If you still react the same way to an old circumstance, you haven’t grown. It has nothing to do with whether or not that circumstance should be in your life anymore.”

Use your responses to a situation to measure the lessons you have learned and then apply the lessons next time it comes up. We always get plenty of opportunities to try again.

How much do you think you are responsible for what you experience and why?

Sources:

Anka, Daryl (Bashar). Who is Bashar.The Official Homepage Of Bashar. Accessed December 20, 2009. http://bashar.org/HOMEMAIN.html

Anka, Daryl (Bashar).The Official Homepage Of Bashar. Accessed December 20, 2009. http://bashar.org/HOMEMAIN.html

“Having a strong desire with just a little bit of doubt means your desire will come, though slowly.”

“Having a strong desire with no doubt means your desire will be manifested quickly.”

~ Michael Losier, Author of Law of Attraction: The Science of Attracting More of What You Want and Less of  what you Don’t.

Who is Michael Losier?

• Originally grew up in New Brunswick, Canada
• Currently resides in Victoria, BC, Canada
• Has a background in business administration, eight years of information technology experience with the B.C. government
• Became Certified NLP (nuero-linguistic Programming) Psychological and behavioral modification technique early 90′s
• participated in “empowerment coach” training in mid-90′s
• In 1995 he was introduced to the Law of Attraction which changed his life
• In 1996 he started meeting weekly with one other LOA enthusiast, which grew into a group of 45 members
• Has seven years of experience as a trade show producer
• Sought out user-friendly ways to learn alternative subjects like Huna (Hawaiian Metaphysical System) and Feng Shui
• Has private practice as a business success coach
• Currently faculty member of Law of Attraction Training Center which trains members to become Certified Law of Attraction practitioners
• Author, lecturer and radio talk show guest

Here is a video show that includes  Michael Losier. He has some interesting ideas. I think the main point is that he is able to say things simply enough for anyone to understand.

Here it is…

Here is a video with DattatreyaSiva Baba…he has more an interesting take on attracting what you want vs. creating what you want.

Here it is…

 Books by Michael Losier:

• Law of Attraction: The Science of Attracting More of What You Want and Less of What You Don’t
• The Law of Connection: The Science of Using NLP to Create Ideal Personal and Professional Relationships

What does this mean?

After reading Michael Losiers Book on how to Apply the law of attraction in your life, the quotes I chose to use make more sense.

In his book he very simply explains the process of utitilizing the law of attraction in your favor by following very simple steps…

1. Identify you desire

• Make lists of what you don’t want and rephrase it to what you do want. ( for example – I don’t want get hurt vs. I am safe)
• He describes the list as contrasts (don’ts) and Clarity (do’s)
• Use lists to limit contrast from your thinking
• By changing language and thinking from Don’t and Can’t to Do and Can you can reprogram your thinking and attract abundance in all areas

2. Give your desire attention

• Give your desire more attention, energy and focus by writing, thinking and talking about what you desire
• Use affirmations that include I am in the process of …(a specific desire)
• Write down and create a desire statement

3. Allow it

• Allowing is the absence of Negative vibration or doubt
• Create allowing statements to change limiting beliefs- Something like- reminding yourself you know of someone else who has achieved what you hope to achieve – who was in the same boat as you
• Celebrate when you see success, give thanks for that success
• Ask for help or information to support your desires
• Surround yourself with positive thinkers

“Having a strong desire with strong doubt means your desire will not be manifested.”

Negative thinking keeps us from making any kind of positive step toward any goal. The people who succeed at getting what they want most certainly believed it was possible and never gave up on the belief entirely. Some people would say that they had passing doubts about whether or not they would achieve their desired goal, but it usually didn’t last that long to take hold.

It is the negative thinking that gets in the way of taking the steps toward achieving goals.

“Having a strong desire with just a little bit of doubt means your desire will come, though slowly.”

I have had my share of being this kind of thinker. Since I believe anything is possible with effort I am usually falling on the side of positive thinking around achieving my desires, but there is still a part of me who doubts because of my own experience with having my enthusiastic ideas or desires get challenged with roadblocks.

The part of me that is still working through using the roadblocks as stepping sstones is still developing.

“Having a strong desire with no doubt means your desire will be manifested quickly.”

  This seems obvious for some and ludicrous for others. I think it means that no matter what happens, if you believe it is possible to achieve you will continue to take all of the steps toward that goal regardless of the obstacles which inevitably will lead to results.

 I would love to hear your input…

What Do You think it takes to manifest your desires?

Resources:

Law of Attraction by Michael Losier

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Law-of-Connection/Michael-J-Losier/e/9781600246067

http://www.lawofattractiontrainingcenter.com/bio-michael.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuro-linguistic_programming

“If you are in poor health, you can remedy it. If your personal relationships are unsatisfactory, you can change them for the better. If you are in poverty, you can instead find yourself surrounded by abundance…”

“This does not mean that effort is not required, and determination. It does mean that you are not powerless to change events; and that each of you, regardless of your position, status, circumstances or physical condition, is in control of your own personal experience.”

“If you do not like your experience, then you must change the nature of your conscious thoughts and expectations.”

“You need to learn the power of thought and emotion… Once you realize that your thoughts form reality, then you are no longer a slave to events. You simply have to learn the methods.”

~ Seth (from the 1/5/71 Class Session)

Who is Seth? And who is Jane Roberts?

Seth… 

• Jane Roberts was a medium “channel” for Seth
• Seth was a spiritual teacher and author of several books channeled through Jane Roberts
• “Seth’s Material” changed the face of New Age thought
• Seth taught on such topics as the law of attraction, life after death, the purpose of our existence…etc.
• Seth played a big role in current New Age philosophical beliefs

Jane Roberts…

•  Born May 8, 1929 and died September 5, 1984 due to complications pertaining to an underactive thyroid gland
• Author, poet, psychic, and channel for “Seth Material”
• Jane and her husband Robert Butts experiment with Ouija board as a research project, which began their relationship with Seth on December 2, 1963
• Eventually Seth spoke to Roberts in her head without the Ouija board
• Roberts channeled Seth for 21 years, while her husband recorded the sessions, called “Seth Material”
• Roberts described the process of writing the Seth books similar to getting into a trance state whereby Seth would take control of her body and speak through her, during which her husband would write down what was said
• In 1970 Roberts started writing books of Seth’s channeled information

Seth Material (books):

• Seth Speaks: The Eternal Validity of the Soul
• The Nature of Personal Reality: A Seth Book
• The “Unknown” Reality, Volumes I & II
• The Nature of the Psyche: Its Human Expression
• The Individual and the Nature of Mass Events: A Seth Book
• Dreams, “Evolution,” and Value Fulfillment, Volumes I & II*
• The Magical Approach
• The Early Sessions (books 1 through 9)
• The Personal Sessions (books 1 through 7)
• The Early Class Sessions (books 1 and 2)
• The Seth Material

Jane Roberts’ Books:

• How to Develop Your ESP Power
• The Seth Material
• The Education of Oversoul Seven – Now republished as part of the Oversoul Seven Trilogy
• Adventures in Consciousness: An Introduction to Aspect Psychology
• Dialogues of the Soul and Mortal Self in Time
• Psychic Politics: An Aspect Psychology Book
• The World View of Paul Cezanne
• The Afterdeath Journal of an American Philosopher: The World View of William James
• Emir’s Education in the Proper Use of Magical Powers
• The Further Education of Oversoul Seven – Now republished as part of the Oversoul Seven Trilogy
• The God of Jane: A Psychic Manifesto
• If We Live Again: Or, Public Magic and Private Love
• Oversoul Seven and the Museum of Time – Now republished as part of the Oversoul Seven Trilogy
• Seth, Dreams and Projection of Consciousness

Seth Channeled Audio Tapes:

• Cassette 1
  YOUR UNLIMITED POWER
•   Cassette 2
  TUNING INTO PROBABLE REALITIES
•   Cassette 3
  LOVE AND HATE – UNDERSTANDING YOUR EMOTIONS
•   Cassette 4
  ABANDONING YOURSELF TO YOUR SPONTANEOUS BEING
•   Cassette 5
  DREAM REALITY AND OUT OF BODY EXPERIENCES
•   Cassette 6
  REINCARNATION, SIMULTANEOUS TIME AND THE MULTI-DIMENSIONAL SELF

Seth Channeled Videos:

• The Seth Video

Informative Clip about Jane Roberts and Seth Material:

What does this mean?:

“Events are not things that happen to you. They are materialized experiences formed by you, according to your expectations and beliefs.”

If you have ever studied the law of physics and how atoms respond to the person who is studying them, it makes perfect sense that our beliefs and expectations play a significant role in the outcome of our experiences. Everything that we experience is directly connected to  an expression of consciousness. Some people call it God’s creation and other people call it Man’s creation. Any way you look at it, we play a part in our own experience whether we are conscious of it or not.

Not to say that anything is our fault, but rather our response to our environment is directly connected to our experience with it. If we have some “bad” event happen in our life we can either see it as bad and experience it as bad or see it as an opportunity to grow and change and learn.

“If you are in poor health, you can remedy it. If your personal relationships are unsatisfactory, you can change them for the better. If you are in poverty, you can instead find yourself surrounded by abundance…”

 Notice that the first line says things are formed by our EXPECTATIONS and BELIEFS, therefore there is a direct correlation between what we think and how we experience things in our lives. If we are in poor health and we think that we have no control over that, then we will act according to that belief. If we decide to try to change our health by taking action, then our attitude toward our health will make it seem improved and change our experience with it.

I think of Lance Armstrong, who could have said he was dead and given up, but instead he decided he wasn’t going to die. He fully believed he could get better (not that he didn’t have a dark period) and somehow overcame the idea that he was going to die. His attitude played a huge role in his recovery.

Not to say that no one would ever get sick or have tragic things happen to them, or that it is their fault. Life is made up of tragedy, but rather, how we deal with the tragedy will affect our experience and the outcome of our lives around that tragedy.

“This does not mean that effort is not required, and determination. It does mean that you are not powerless to change events; and that each of you, regardless of your position, status, circumstances or physical condition, is in control of your own personal experience.”

Here lies the secret…we are in control of our personal experience– through determination and effort we can change our personal experience. On the most fundamental level–how we “respond” to any situation can vastly change the outcome.

Effort and determination are definitely qualities that exist in the most resilient of people who seem to be able to achieve things against all odds.

“If you do not like your experience, then you must change the nature of your conscious thoughts and expectations.”

Meditation is one way to change the nature of your conscious thoughts. It really requires being present, listening to the lessons really and taking inventory of your inner attitude. There is nothing more powerful than looking at how much of your perpective is coloring your world and making a consistent and conscious effort to change that.

“You need to learn the power of thought and emotion… Once you realize that your thoughts form reality, then you are no longer a slave to events. You simply have to learn the methods.”

Thought and emotion both play a role in changing the outcome of our experience. Through emotion we gain momentum and passion in order to overcome obstacles. Through thought we gain perspective and awareness. These two elements play a powerful role in utilizing the law of attraction. Emotion is the battery that charges the plan we create with our thoughts. Both are part of consciously creating our reality.

 What are some examples of how you changed your attitude and experienced different results?

Sources:

http://www.sethlearningcenter.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Roberts

http://www.sethcenter.com/pages/SV2.html

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/1878424076/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used

~Helen Keller

Who is Helen Keller?:

• Born Helen Adams Keller on June 27, 1880 in Tuscumbia, Alabama
• Lived on a plantation called Ivy Green
• Father ,Captain Aurther Miller, was editor of the North Alabamian
• Mother, Kate Adams Keller, was related to a few prominent New England families
• Helen could see and hear until 19 months when she contracted an illness, which left her hearing impaired and blind
• Illness was called “an acute congestion of the stomach and the brain,” which might have been Scarlet Fever or Meningitis
• She learned to communicate with the cook’s daughter Martha Washington using her own signs
• Known for being difficult to handle- her family acquired a teacher, Anne Sullivan, to help her learn
• Anne Sullivan had been visually impaired and was a previous student of the Perkins Institute for the Blind
• Anne started teaching Helen to communicate by spelling words into her hand in March, 1887
• May 1888 Keller attended the Perkins School for the Blind
• 1894 Keller and Sullivan moved to NY and went to the Wright-Humason School for the Deaf
• Attended Radcliffe College in 1900, a women’s liberal arts college in Cambridge, Massachusetts and a coordinate college to Harvard University
• Keller graduated from Radcliffe in 1904 as a 24-year-old
• Earned a Bachelor of Arts degree (cum laude), marking the first deaf blind person to achieve that end
• Keller became a famous writer, using a brail typewriter and regular typewriter
• She covered topics including blindness, deafness, socialism, social issues, and women’s rights.
• Helen and Anne remained companions (living,working and traveling together throughout their relationship)  until Anne’s death in 1936
• Helen Keller died on June 1, 1968, at Arcan Ridge

Achievements by Helen Keller:

• World famous speaker and author
• Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom
• Suffragette, Pacifist and radical Socialist 
• Co-founded Helen Keller International organization focusing on research in vision, health and nutrition
• Help to found American Civil Liberties Union
• Travelled to over 39 countries
• Awarded Gallup’s Most Widely Admired People of the 21st Century (1999)
• Face of quarter for Alabama (2003)
• Hospital dedicated to Keller in Sheffield, Alabama

Books By Helen Keller:

•  The Story of My Life (1903)(Sullivan and Macey helped her write this autobiography)
• The World I Live In
• Out of the Dark
• Light in My Darkness (formerly My Religion)
• Wrote eight other published books besides listed

Movies about Helen Keller:

• Deliverance (1919)
• Miracle Worker (1962–Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke)
• The Miracle Continues (1984)

Here is a clip of Helen with her teacher, friend and companion Anne Sullivan explaining how she taught Helen…

Here is a short documentary on Helen Keller…

What does this quote mean?:

“The marvelous richness of the human experience would lose something of rewarding joy if there were no limitations to overcome. The hilltop hour would not be half so wonderful if there were no dark valleys to traverse.”

This quote has a lot of meaning when you look at Helen Keller’s life achievements. She was truly a remarkable example of what can be accomplished regardless of circumstances. She recognized, and probably was able to overcome many obstacles as a result of recognizing, that what makes succeeding feel so amazing and valuable and precious has a lot to do with getting there despite all of the obstacles that come along the way.

It makes sense that joy and success are much richer when you start off under dire circumstances. How many times have you heard stories of people who have done something amazing after an incredibly difficult road.

Perhaps, “there is no place like home” became much more important and lovely when Dorothy experienced all of the places away from home….and was she not richer for the adventure’s that she experienced finding her way back?

More importantly, Helen Keller is saying that it is really important to look at the challenges in your  life as opportunities to achieve greater things; that those challenges are meant to show you the richness that can only be experienced by overcoming them.

Other Things Helen Keller Said…

All the world is full of suffering. It is also full of overcoming.

Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.

While they were saying among themselves it cannot be done, it was done.

When we do the best that we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another. Until the great mass of the people shall be filled with the sense of responsibility for each other’s welfare, social justice can never be attained.

True happiness… is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose. The only thing worse than being blind is having site but no vision.

The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart. Self-pity is our worst enemy and if we yield to it, we can never do anything wise in this world.

Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.

Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.

Once I knew only darkness and stillness… my life was without past or future… but a little word from the fingers of another fell into my hand that clutched at emptiness, and my heart leaped to the rapture of living.

What kind of obstacles interferred in achieving your goals, and what did you do to overcome them? 

Sources:

http://www.afb.org/section.asp?SectionID=1&TopicID=129

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Keller

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Sullivan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radcliffe_College

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/h/helen_keller.html

“I would like to be remembered as a person who wanted to be free… so other people would be also free.”

“Each person must live their life as a model for others.”

~ Rosa Parks

Who is Rosa Parks?:

• Called the Mother of the Modern Day Civil Rights Movement
• Originally named Rosa Louise McCauley
• Born on February 4, 1913 in Tuskegee, Alabama
• Educated at Pine Level, Alabama until she was eleven
• Recieved her high school diploma in 1934
• Married Raymond Parks on December 18, 1932
• Raymond supported Rosa’s completion of her formal education
• Both Raymond and Rosa were involved in trying to free the “Scottsboro Boys”
• Raymond and Rosa worked in programs for the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Color People), having joined in 1943
• Famous for refusing to give up her seat to white passengers in a bus on December 1st, 1955
• Charged with disorderly conduct and violating the chapter 6, section 11 segregation law of the Montgomery City Code
• Found guilty in 1955
• Boycott of buses organized by E.D. Nixon and the Women’s Political Council
• Martin Luther King, Jr. leads the committee Montgomery Improvement Association
• Boycott ends after 381 days on December 20th, 1956 when it is ruled Supreme Court that segregation on buses is illegal
• As a result thousands of people all over the country came together to protest for equal rights for all citizens
• Rosa Parks eventually moved to Detroit and co-founded the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development with Ms. Elaine Eason Steele in 1987
• The Institutes purpose is to help youth achieve their highest potential
• She was given over 40 honorary doctorate degrees
• She has been given hundreds of plaques, certificates, citations, awards and keys to many cities
• On September 1996 Rosa Parks was given the MEDAL OF FREEDOM, the highest award given to a civilian citizen, by President William J. Clinton, the forty second President of the United States of America.
• Rosa Parks passed away on October 24, 2005

Books By Rosa Parks:

• Rosa Parks: My Story: by Rosa Parks with Jim Haskins
• Quiet Strength by Rosa Parks with Gregory J. Reed
• Dear Mrs. Parks: A Dialogue With Today’s Youth by Rosa Parks with Gregory J, Reed
•  I AM ROSA PARKS by Rosa Parks with Jim Haskins, for preschoolers

 Here is more recently interview of Rosa Parks talking about the day she refused to give up her seat…

Here is an old interview of Rosa Parks talking about segregation…

What is she saying?:

“I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear.”

How often have we heard that when we decide to do something, there is nothing that can stand in our way. I think of it like jumping off of a cliff; once you jump and there is no going back, all you can do is accept the process and move forward from there. Rosa Parks did just that, once she made the decision to no longer be told her value or her status and went against the “rules” she was free falling. There is a certain freedom in the fall or the leap of trust in the higher purpose. It can be scary in itself, and I have no doubt that Rosa had some scary feelings along the way, but she decided and acted and went with it, with ultimately inspiring results.

Not everyone will get the results that she got, even the most famous leaders worked for years and years in order to achieve their goals, but the process of doing is really the most important step. I am thinking of Gandhi in particular, who spent most of his life leading his people into freedom, when I think of long term effort towards a goal. The lessons that I take away from Gandhi and Rosa Parks is to stay with what you feel is right and true and trust that the rest will take care of itself.

“I would like to be remembered as a person who wanted to be free… so other people would be also free.”

Rosa Parks represents the part in all of us that wants to leave our mark on society; that wants to make a difference in the world. The most important issue effecting her life was freedom. She decided, because of her own determination not to allow fear to control her desire for freedom, that her freedom was more important than her fear, and challenged the status quo.

Though she acted because of her own need for freedom, I suspect what really motivated her to continue her course had more to do with working towards freedom for all people. The amount of support she received as a result of her one very brave act was profound and probably life altering for her and anyone involved. She recognized that her efforts, even if she didn’t see results in her lifetime, would influence people for years to come. She knew the value and taking a stand for what she believed in and I am sure that she was hated by many people who feared her strength.

The question remains is it better to be liked or is it better to be free?

“Each person must live their life as a model for others.”

 Change is directly linked to what is influencing the environment. If there is a drought, people adapt or suffer. If there is good weather people go outside. If there is someone speaking up for someone else, others will follow. We all have the ability to have a positive influence on each other. It does require a consistent effort to look at your own attitude, what you bring to the table and the desire to exam your point of view.

What would you change in society if you thought you could?:

Sources:

http://www.biography.com/blackhistory/featured-biography/rosa-parks.jsp

http://www.rosaparks.org/bio.html

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/r/rosa_parks.html

~Mae Jemison (Astronaut/Medical Doctor)

Who is Mae Jemison?

• Born October 17, 1956 in Decatur, Alabama
• Youngest daughter of a school teacher and maintenance supervisor for a charity organization
• Early on knew she wanted to be a scientist
• Inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr. because he had “attitude, audacity, and bravery”
• Loved dancing as much as science
• Went to Stanford University at the age of 16 and graduated in 1977 with a B.S. in chemical engineering and a B.A. in African and Afro-American studies
• Received Doctor of Medicine degree in 1981 from Cornell Medical College and took modern dance lessons at Alvin Ailey school
• Peace Corps Medical Officer serving in Liberia and Sierra Leone
• Started private practice in Los Angeles as general practitioner
• Applied two times to NASA and became one of 15 candidates accepted out of 2000 applications
• Had only one space mission September 12 to 20th in 1992
• Has received many honors and awards as well as many more Doctors Honoris causa
• Founded Biosentient Corp in 1999
• Professor-at-Large at Cornell University

Here is a video of Mae Jemison…

What does this quote mean?:

This is one of those cases where the quote and the speaker are both significant to the meaning of the quote.

This statement is coming from someone who has overcome many obstacles. She is an African American woman who was also an astronaut and a very successful leader.

Just by the very fact of her race and gender and age, it is evident that she must have experienced quite a bit of discrimination, especially early in her life when women and African American women were not as visible in medicine and science.

She is coming from a place of deep understanding about what it takes to do what you love and become your own cheerleader.

She is saying that many people who are limited in what they believe is possible will say and do things to thwart your own dreams and goals, but that in order to deal with those people, remind your self that it really is them not believing in themselves projecting on to you.

She is also saying pay attention to when you are thwarting others. To the extent that we are capable of seeing the unlimited possibilities for our own lives, so to will we see that in others.

Is it not true that how much of what we believe we can accomplish will influence how hard we try and how soon we give up? I can’t think of anyone who got what they wanted without a tremendous amount of criticism, obstacles, setbacks, roadblocks…call them what you will.

~ Lance Armstrong, Martin Luther King Jr., Susan B. Anthony, Rosa Parks….every single one of them had some really challenging things happen to them and still persevered whether they were hated or suffered for what they believed in.

It seems like those who truly are capable of dreaming big and taking action toward that end have the capacity to ignore the nay-sayers and make it so.

What is your big dream and who supports you or thwarts you?

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mae_Jemison

http://www.biography.com/womens-history/quotes.jsp

~ Jack Kornfield

Who is Jack Kornfield?:

• Born in 1945
• Met Thai Buddhist monk/teacher named Ven. Ajahn Chah while stationed in Thailand for the Peace Corps in 1967
• Also learned from Burma called Ven. Monk Mahasi Sayadaw
• Co-founded Insight Meditation Society (Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein also co-founders) located in Barre, Massachusetts after returning from Thailand in 1972
• Obtained Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Saybrook Institute
• Also founder and teacher at Spirit Rock Center in Woodcare, CA.
• Taught Theravada Buddhist practices to western students hoping to bring Eastern philosophies to Western society
• Teaches worldwide and has met with many famous leaders including the Dalai Lama

Books by Jack Kornfield include:

• Seeking the Heart of Wisdom
• A Still Forest Pool
• Stories of the Spirit
• Stories of the Heart
• A Path with Heart
• After the Ecstasy the Laundry

Here is a video of his teacher Ven. Ajahn Chah…

Here is a meditaton video by Jack Kornfield…

What does this quote mean to me…

“In the West, there’s a myth that freedom means free expression–that to follow all desires wherever they take one is true freedom.”

Some people believe that freedom is being able to do whatever they want. Some people believe freedom is gained through money or power. Some believe freedom is gained from being able say what they think anytime and all the time.

Regardless, freedom is an idea based on a set of circumstances that feel “free” to each individual for reasons only specific to them.

“In fact, as one serves the mind, one sees that following desires, attractions, and repulsions is not at all freedom, but is a kind of bondage.”

Why would Kornfield say most of what we see as freedom is actually a form of bondage? This is a big statement to make, but when you look at all of the things people fight for and why they fight for them, most of the time, it has to do with desires, attractions and repulsions.

Desires, attractions and repulsions are certainly a form of bondage, because as we desire something it controls what we do, even if it goes against what we believe in. For example, if we desire to be popular and we think it means acting a certain way or doing something we don’t believe in, we might do it, rather than not have any friends. Then the desire for friendship becomes more important that our own internal values.

“A mind filled with desires and grasping inevitably entails great suffering.”

And what he might be saying is that the only true freedom is happiness, which is more easily obtained when we desire less. The less we desire the less we have to lose. 

 ”Freedom is not to be gained through the ability to perform certain external actions.”

For the External environment is constantly changing and unpredictable anyway. There is no way to have any control over the external environment for very long. It always rears its ugly head again.

“ True freedom is an inward state of being. Once it is attained, no situation in the world can bind one or limit one’s freedom.”

True freedom is about not being effected by any outer circumstance whether happy or sad. It is about taking every moment as it is and working with it. For, regardless of how much we ignore the inevitable, one day we will die and have nothing left to cling to including freedom.

What do you think freedom is?

Resources:

http://www.gaia.com/quotes/jack_kornfield

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Kornfield

http://www.dharma.org/

http://www.jackkornfield.org/index/about

~Randy Pausch

Who Is Randy Pausch?:

• Born October 3, 1960 in Baltimore Maryland
• Received bachelors degree in computer science from Brown University in 1982
• Recieved PH.D from Carnegei Mellon University in 1988
• Taught Building Virtual Worlds Course at CMU for 10 years
• Ordinary guy with extraordinary talent for teaching
• Married Jai Glasgow in 2000
• Had three children (Dylan, Logan and Chloe)
• His co-founded CMU’s technology entertainment center
• Created and taught Building Virtual Worlds Course at CMU for 10 years
• Founded the “Alice Software Project”
• Co-authored and authored 5 books and several atricles on virtual reality and computing
• Worked for Walt Disney Imagineering
• Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on September 19, 2006
• Made famous by inspirational lecture coined “ The Last Lecture” titled “Really achieving your childhood dreams”  given at Carnegie Mellon on September 18, 2007 after learning a month before that his cancer was terminal and he had 3 to 6 months to live
• Passed away on July 25, 2008 at the age of 47

A Few Books by Randy:

• The Last Lecture
• Time Management by Randy Pausch

Here is the famous LAST LECTURE by Randy(IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THIS, DEFINITELY CHECK IT OUT!:

If you don’t have time this video is in the TOP TWO and much shorter to watch…

He really has a way of saying things that makes you want to listen.

What does this quote mean?:

Clearly, he has really looked at what it means to die, knowing that he doesn’t have very long to live. Most of us don’t know when we will die and the few of us that do respond in a range of positive and negative ways to the news.

I am sure he had moments of despair, who wouldn’t, but instead of letting it defeat him he let it lead him. He felt the need to share this with a large audience, but he said  it was mainly for his kids.

In being with death everyday he learned the value of relationships over things. He must have realized that he wouldn’t take any of those THINGS with him and what he really gained from his life was the people who influenced his life.

He shared extensively in his LAST LECTURE a number of people who affected and influenced him at different times. He also shared that the challenging relationships really pushed him to grow and challenge his own beliefs.

His message is very clear. Relationships are the most important thing. Everything else is just backdrop.

If you knew you only had six months to live, what would you do?

Sources:

http://cancer.suite101.com/article.cfm/dr_randy_pausch

http://www.amazon.com/Last-Lecture-Randy-Pausch/dp/1401323251

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_Pausch

“How people treat you is their Karma; how you react is yours.”

 ~Dr. Wayne Dyer, PH.D.

Who is Wayne Dyer?:

• Wayne W. Dyer was born May 10, 1940 in Detroit, Michigan 
•  Dyer’s family was abandoned by his alcoholic father and he spent his early life living in foster homes and orphanages
• In 1958, Dyer joined the Navy and served for four years
• Authored more than 30 self-development books
• Appeared on TV and Radio shows
• Doctorate in Education Counseling from Wayne State University and Associate professor at St. John’s University
• Believes better to be Christ-like than Christian or better to be Buddha-like than Buddhist…etc.
• Recently diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

A few books by Dr. Dyer:

• The Power of Intention
• Being In Balance
• 10 Secrets for Success and Inner Peace
• Getting in the Gap
• Change Your thoughts – Change Your Life
• Meditations for Manifesting
• The Secrets of the Power of Intention
• Inspiration: Your Ultimate Calling
• Excuses Begone!
• Manifest Your Destiny
• There’s a Spiritual Solution to Every Problem

You can Tell by the titles of these books that he is most interested in talking about how to create/manifest a spiritual life through positive intentions. To see a complete list of books, check out his website by CLICKING HERE

Dr. Dyer Movies:

He recently was in his first feature film called The Shift. You can watch the full film from your computer by CLICKING HERE to  get onto the website.

Here is the trailer for the film: 

 “

What do these quotes mean?:

“Everything you are against weakens you. Everything you are for empowers you.”

He is mainly interested in the idea that we are in control of our experiences. If we perceive our external environment negatively then we will experience it that way. If we perceive our environment positively we will experience it that way as well.

Resistance to anything is the key component to this belief. Things act favorably toward non-resistance.

It seems evident that non-resistance may not necessarily create the same in others or in situations, such as Gandhi’s non-resistant approach or Martin Luther King’s approach, but perhaps it does have a more long-lasting impact on humans as a whole.

Does this mean we should not resist or go against things that appear to be causing harm? Probably not, but rather that by finding a way to work “with” what we are resisting rather than against it.

For example, people who are against abortion coined the term “pro-life” instead of “anti-abortion” to make a point about their agenda. That is a perfect example of how to turn a negative statement into a positive one.

It might be useful to look at what we are resisting against and reflect on what the positive point of view might be and see how it can work in our favor.

Jesus said it well when he said:

“Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, bless them that curse you, and pray for them that spitefully use you.” – St. Luke 6: 27.

Which brings me to the next quote: 

 “How people treat you is their Karma; how you react is yours.”

This quote has a lot to do with responsibility and self-awareness. Somehow, despite the way we are treated, we have a choice to respond or react. By reacting or acting out negatively we are creating more of the same negativity.

Reacting is a manifestation of a few important factors, such as, mood or timing or even more importantly how emotionally self-aware are we. If it is hard to identify a feeling wholly and completely, then the reaction will be based on the SURFACE feeling, which might be feeling judged or accused of something or just plain hurt.

The root feeling never gets explored if we always react and blame the OTHER for our feelings. Ultimately, we are responsible for actions around what we are feeling.

If you have ever witnessed two people reacting differently to the same experience then you know that the responsibility truly lies with the individuals response to things and not the experience itself.

Dr. Dyer talks about responsibility in this Video:

What do you think these quotes mean?

Sources:

http://quotationsbook.com/quote/34098/

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=8590158660&topic=13449

http://www.drwaynedyer.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_Dyer

- Eckhart Tolle (A New Earth: Awakening To Your Life’s Purpose)

Who is Eckhart Tolle?:

Eckhart Tolle, who was a German-born author and research scholar in comparative literature at the University of Cambridge in England, appeared to be living a successful life at the age of 29. However, during that time he was considering ending it instead. While in the midst of deep depression and no desire to live anymore, Tolle made a discovery that changed his worldview. After realizing a very profound truth, Tolle changed his path and set it in motion toward a very different end and became a spiritual teacher.

 Books by Eckhart Tolle:

The Power of Now, Oneness With All Life,  A New Earth, Practicing the Power of Now..etc.

CLICK HERE to learn about these books and more

Summary of Tolle’s ideas:

The basis of his teachings comes from the realization that he is not his thoughts, but rather a witness to his thoughts. The fact that we can objectively observe our thinking suggests that our thinking is separate from who we really are.

If we could stay in the present moment and not allow our thinking to go into the past or the future it would help alleviate some of our pain and give space for us to be in the NOW.

Here is an interesting Tolle  interview by Oprah Winfrey:

What Does This Quote Mean?

In context with Eckhart Tolle’s teachings this means that if only we allowed ourselves to be in the present moment (probably without any baggage) then it would be a natural expression of our being to be good.

It is hard to conceive of this as possible when there is so much harshness in the world. I personally work with victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and sexual abuse and see a lot of suffering and unkindness in my daily life.

However, I do see, when I really analyze it deeper, that if I look at the root of all unhappiness and suffering it comes down to the way I think in each moment.

Whether it is worrying about how this person is judging me (bringing past history into the present moment) or worrying about losing my job (future), it becomes clear that most anxiety and stress is not in the present moment. The BAGGAGE that we carry about the past effects the present moment and the FUTURE worries effect the present moment.

If we could strip away our history for once and be present, what would that look like?

I think of it like being a child. When I was young, I remember how vivid each moment was to me.

I remember almost exactly to the day when all of that shifted and all of a sudden everything had a different context. I was probably 12 or 13 and began to worry and care about how things would go in my life.

Maybe that is why so many philosophers say become like a child.

Here are a few more Tolle quotes from the Power of Now:
  

 
 Do you have any stories of how you applied this in your life?