The Search is Over

Sometimes we get caught up in falling in love with the idea of what success and happiness is according to someone else's definition. Maybe we spend a lifetime keeping up with the Jones' or trying to be the parent or grandparent someone else says is the right way to be. And we get so busy chasing someone else's dream, we may wake up one day and discover it was the wrong dream. 

Instead of chasing the dreams and goals of others, we get to determine what is right for us and we can wake up to the idea that things can be different and we can be different. And we don't have to settle for someone else's opinion. I love this twist on the Serenity Prayer:  God, grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change; the courage to change the one I can; and the wisdom to know that person is me.

We don't need to go in search of joy and happiness and success and love. The Truth is we are all of those things, and more. What we need to do is find the barriers within us that keep us apart from those things. And maybe one of the barriers was that we allowed someone else to determine our idea of joy, happiness, success, and love. Isn't it time to dissolve those barriers? You know, barriers like low self-esteem, grudge-holding, resentments, and inner criticism. Remove those, find the brilliance within, and fall in love with yourself.

How do I love thee? Look in the mirror and count the ways!

Wisdom from Ernest Holmes

"There is a song of the Universe - let's sing it. There is a hymn of praise - let's praise it. There is a joy, a beauty; there is a deep, abiding peace; let's experience it. There is a laughter of God - let's laugh it."     ~ Ideas of Power

About Janet

Janet Kingsley, founder and spiritual leader of Center for Positive Living Sedona has been opening hearts and minds to infinite possibilities since 1998. Through articles, classes, and coaching she opens the heart, intrigues the mind, and feeds the spirit.

Janet is also a "Possibility Coach" and master energy healer. Focusing on helping people love their body, love themselves, and love their life, she is creating a movement and changing the world...one person at a time.

Find out more at www.janetkingsley.com

Creating Heaven on Earth

Two weeks ago, we had a guest speaker at our Sunday morning celebration service at CPL Sedona. Our guest speaker, Patrick Harbula, encouraged us to ask this question each morning, "What would bring me joy today?" and go and do that. Expressing our joy is creating heaven on earth for us. We can even bring joy consciously to a mundane activity and that is also creating heaven on earth for us. How can we bring more consciousness, more attention, and more presence to our daily activities? What will it take for us to tune in to our joy?

Each and every one of us needs to make a decision

to place our awareness in heaven more and more, remembering: 'Heaven is within us and that we experience it to the degree that we become conscious of it.' One way to dwell in heaven is to change our perception about the events or challenges in our life. Maybe we can ask ourselves, "How can I turn this painful experience into a heavenly one? What is the opportunity to change the world in this? How is this a call to move to my wholeness and brilliance?"

I don't know about you, but I get tired of the 'spiritual' two-by-four hitting me and I am ready to go the way of God, the way of heaven. I am tired of saying, "I have to have life on my own terms which has led me to settle, suffer with self-doubt, and allow my limiting beliefs to keep me from experiencing joy. I have settled and suffered enough and it is time for me to dwell in heaven." It is possible to create heaven on earth. It just takes knowing where it is (inside!) and choosing to dwell there.

So, are you ready to refuse to have your history determine your future? I sure am!

Wisdom from Ernest Holmes
In principle and in potential we are immersed in good for we are in the Mind of God. But we have freedom, or volition, to create in our own experience, out of the possibilities of life with which we have been endowed, the prerogative of heaven or hell. So we need to shake ourselves loose from the tyranny of fear and superstition and isolation
             ~ The Spiritual Universe and You

About Janet

Janet Kingsley, founder and spiritual leader of Center for Positive Living Sedona has been opening hearts and minds to infinite possibilities since 1998. Through articles, classes, and coaching she opens the heart, intrigues the mind, and feeds the spirit.

Janet is also a "Possibility Coach" and master energy healer. Focusing on helping people love their body, love themselves, and love their life, she is creating a movement and changing the world...one person at a time.

Find out more at www.janetkingsley.com

The Color of Perception

Are we troubled or unhappy because of the things that happen in our lives, or because of our our perception about the things that happen in our lives?  

Some of us find it difficult to be happy. Maybe we've sold out on our dreams, we've followed the rules, we've played it safe, we did what we were told, and we worked hard - yet things didn't work out as we planned.  Has this ever happened to you?  We may look at others who are successful, who haven't followed the rules, who got what we wanted and we declare life isn't fair.  

If even one person can accomplish something; if even one person can remain joyful in the midst of a challenge; if even one person can overcome fear, then we all can.  Maybe the difference is simply a matter of perception.  We don't need to be like the comic strip character Ziggy when he is coming around a corner. Heading toward that corner is a man carrying a sign that says, "Happiness is just around the corner."  Ziggy said, "Gee, I must have missed it."

We don't need to miss out on happiness, joy, gratitude, or peace. How are we spending our days? How much are we able to see the delight and blessings in our day-to-day routine?  And how often do we get distracted because we see what other people are doing or getting and get frustrated, envious, or dissatisfied?  When we're feeling that way, we've lost all touch with our own Divine nature and we've lost touch with the idea that God is Good, all the time:  24/7/365. 

Part of the problem is we have learned our perception patterns from others.  We have learned how to be overly critical; we have learned to feel guilty and “less than” because we’ve made mistakes.  Then Monkey Mind chimes in and says, “This is terrible! I call myself an evolving spiritual being, and yet I do things like this. I certainly hope nobody ever finds out about it!” 

We've all made mistakes.  That is part of being human.

The important thing is our perception regarding the mistake.  

We could own up to it and remember God is everywhere present or we could pretend to be spiritually superior and snub our noses at those who have admitted to making mistakes and try and make sure no one finds out about the mistakes we've made. 

The gift has been given and the Presence of the Divine is with us always.  It is up to us to respond and what an invitation that is!  We can RSVP and step into a greater awareness of all that Life has to offer regardless of our our circumstances.  And that will help move us into our infinite possibilities. 

Patching a Leak With Joy

In 1937 architect Frank Lloyd Wright built a house for industrialist Hibbard Johnson. One rainy evening Johnson was entertaining distinguished guests for dinner when the roof began to leak.  The water seeped through directly above Johnson himself, dripping steadily onto his bald head. Irate, he called Wright in Phoenix, Arizona. 

“Frank,” he said, “you built this beautiful house for me and we enjoy it very much. But … the roof leaks, and right now I am with some friends and distinguished guests and it is leaking right on top of my head.” 

There was a pause on the line, and Frank Lloyd Wright reportedly replied: “Well, Hib, why don’t you move your chair?”

If we have no joy in our lives, we have a problem.  The world looks bleak, we find reasons to complain, our energy is low, and we feel separate and apart from our good and our God.  We have a leak somewhere and we need to find a way to deal with it.  

Sometimes we like to point out that we have good reasons not to be joyful; our lives are nothing but problems. We aren't satisfied with our jobs, we don't have enough money, we are lonely, our health isn't good, our car is constantly in the shop for repairs, we haven't had a vacation in years (and on and on it may go.)  

It may be difficult to be joyful when we are struggling with troubles, or overwhelmed by pain, or unsure of our future.  But there’s a problem with THAT approach to life. If we wait till everything to turns out the way we want them to in our live - if we’re not going to be joyful until all the leaks are patched in our lives – then we’re NEVER going to experience joy. Or, if we do have joy, it will be a rare occurrence.

Sometimes we just need to move our focus in a new direction and I’d say the direction we need to move is toward the Divine. We need to move away from the leak.  If we have little or no joy in our lives, it could be due to a feeling of separation between God and us.  It could be because we’ve forgotten who we are.  It could be because we have forgotten there is a Power for Good in the Universe that is always working and always available and we are using it.  It could be because we’ve forgotten we are the darlings of the Divine.

It is time to remember the Truth:  The Power of Joy moves beyond our circumstances.

The Power of Joy helps move us into a state of peace, harmony, goodwill, abundance, dynamic attraction, self-love, vibrancy, and wholeness.  
            

The Life of God is in us – let’s be joyful.  The Love of God is in us – let’s be joyful.  The Power of God is in us – let’s be joyful.  The music and dance of God is in us, let’s be joyful.  The Laughter of God is in us, let’s be joyful.