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This wonderful book by Dr. John Demartini, originally published in 1997 is a beautiful read that leaves me glowing every time I pick it up. It’s one of these books that you can dip into from time to time for some inspiration and wisdom. The wisdom that John decides to focus on in this book is in ‘The Healing Power of Love and Gratitude.’ Apply the techniques to your life and it’s possible to see and feel all those negative emotions and baggage you have accumulated over the years simply melt away. Make no mistake, genuine gratitude and love have been spoken about as the greatest healers since the dawn of time and they create tremendous shifts. Focusing on love and gratitude, it is entirely possible to create the most peaceful and fulfilling life possible.

Since I am focused in this blog on truths and critical thinking, I would like to share some of John’s truths from particular chapters in the book. If you love these, it’s worth checking the book out.

On interactions with others:

Your words reflect the way you see yourself and your world.

When you give advice to others, it applies to your own life somewhere and somehow.

Your complaints are about the aspect of your life that you have yet to appreciate and love.

On belief:

You become your dominant thoughts.

You alter your life by altering your thinking.

Each thought is an opportunity to forge the first link in a new chain of habit.

On karma:

It’s impossible to break the Golden Rule of cause and effect, no matter what, you reap what you sow.

Blessings have nothing to do with so called luck. They result from your thoughts, words and actions.

Your health and well-being tomorrow is the result of what you do, think and believe today.

On gratitude and healing:

 Gratitude and unconditional love activate a more profound and complete healing.

 Certainty and presence intensify unconditional love’s healing energy.

 There is no healing force greater than unconditional love.

 Beautiful words of wisdom from an amazingly warm and highly intelligent gentleman. I feel so lucky to have met him. As he says himself, however, blessings have nothing to do with so called luck, and I feel truly grateful.

Day 48 of 50 ideas in 50 days is The Wheel of Time by Carlos Castaneda. I first read Carlos Castaneda whilst studying South American history at university as part of my Spanish course. It wasn’t part of the curriculum, I came across one of his books in the library and loved it. So, I’m very pleased to be looking at the key ideas of The Wheel of Time. Perhaps the most beautiful aspect of Toltec wisdom is how it inspires and encourages us to take a journey into self-discovery that leads to transcending any conditioning and to following our own individual path. This is something that is echoed by many tribal traditions across the globe. There are 3 specific points I’d like to focus on from The Wheel of Time.                    

1. Make sure the path that you choose is a path with a heart, if you are at the decision stage and you feel there is no warmth and feeling in this choice, forget it. Carlos says, “anything is one of a million paths therefore a warrior must always keep in mind that a path is only a path; if he feels that he should not follow it, he must not stay with it under any conditions…there is a question that a warrior has to ask mandatorily: “Does this path have a heart?”” How does this decision feel to you? Does it feel right? No heart, no path.
2. “Once a man worries, he clings to anything out of desperation; and once he clings he is bound to get exhausted or to exhaust whoever or whatever he is clinging to. A warrior-hunter, on the other hand, knows he will lure game into his traps over and over again, so he doesn’t worry.” It’s all about knowing and trusting. Once you begin that spiral of worry, you set in motion a whole host of negativity and begin to cling to things in desperation. If we focus on the positive or the negative, the amount of effort is the same, so choose not to worry. Carlos says, “the trick is in what one emphasises. We either make ourselves miserable or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.”
3. Carlos goes on to say that our lives are full of the internal chatter in our heads, so if the internal chatter is negative or if it is incessant worry about things you cannot change – stop it! “And whenever we finish talking to ourselves about the world and about ourselves, the world is always as it should be.” Does negative internal chatter actually change the situation? Does it make the situation better or does it make your life any easier? Most probably the answer is no. So stop it, be aware of what is happening around you and find something to appreciate.

 Day 43 of 50 ideas in 50 days is Joseph Campbell’s Pathways to Bliss. I have quoted Joseph Campbell for a long time, I love his work and his writing style, which has a poetic beauty. He describes ‘our bliss’ as the “welling up of the energy of the transcendent wisdom within you.” He encourages us to follow our bliss and his reason for suggesting this comes from the ancient Hindu texts, ‘the Upanishads.’ Inside, the texts tell us that there are 3 paths to enlightenment: sat (beingness), chat (consciousness) and ananda (bliss). He decided he best knew what ‘bliss’ felt like and made the decision to follow that path. He describes bliss as the joy you feel because God is flowing through you. It’s the happiness you feel through living on purpose. He also says, “when the call isn’t answered, you experience a kind of drying up and a sense of life lost.” It’s important to answer the call! You can keep with the same routine and have the same problems surface again and again in your life. However, if you answer the call and direct attention to your purpose, it’s interesting how life tends to flow beautifully from that point on.

Joseph talks about our life path and says, “over and over again you are called to the realm of adventure, you are called to new horizons. Each time, there is the same problem: do I dare? And then if you do dare, the dangers are there and the help also, and the fulfilment or the fiasco. There’s always the possibility of fiasco, but there’s also the possibility of bliss.” That is life, there are no guarantees about what will happen and how it will turn out but should we never try because of the possibility of fiasco or failure? It is how we handle the fiascos that bring the possibilities of bliss. If we feel defeated and scurry back into our comfort zone, then the chance of experiencing bliss is extremely remote. However, if we follow our purpose then we have a greater chance of fulfilment because the fulfilment is in the actual journey. It is in the Pathway to Bliss.

Day 38 of 50 ideas in 50 days is The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire by Deepak Chopra. If it’s thanks to my father for introducing me to Chogyam Trungpa and as a result, Pema Chodron then it’s thanks to my mother for introducing me to the work of Deepak Chopra. He is an amazingly talented teacher, healer and writer who has a tremendously straight-forward yet profound writing style and his wisdom shines through his words.

I love Deepak’s idea of ‘living from your soul,’ it’s the place of intuition and creativity, it calls you and directs you to fulfil your purpose. He says, “if we could learn to live from the level of the soul, we would see that the best, most luminous part of ourselves is connected to all the rhythms of the universe. We would truly know ourselves as the miracle makers we are capable of being.” Living from the soul means moving past the limitations of the conscious mind, the fear, the hesitation, the disbelief, because it stops us from living truly and on purpose. Those conscious mind limitations come from a place of conditioning, of being told what is true and accepting it. It is important to trust that part of ourselves that is connected to something greater.

“If we were able to live at the level of the soul all the time, there would be no need for hindsight to appreciate the great truths of life.” It’s quite amazing when you have hindsight about an experience that felt so difficult at the time, yet when looking back, you can see things objectively and understand the lesson from it, how it has made you grow. When living from the soul, it’s possible to appreciate the lesson as it is at the time without getting absorbed in the illusion of what is happening. It’s important to ask yourself, “what is the message here? What’s the significance of this?” A shift in perspective can make such a profound difference in your well being. Deepak says that asking this question is one of the major ways to, “consciously participate in the creation of our lives by understanding the world that is beyond the senses.” In this way, such questions lead to greater knowledge of self and life experiences. As a result, it ensures that you are a participant in the creation of your life and not a result of the conditioning of others.

Day 35 of 50 ideas in 50 days is The Monk Who Sold his Ferrari by Robin Sharma.

I was first introduced to The Monk Who Sold his Ferrari by my friend Ben, who raved about the book and shared the ideas inside. I found that they really resonated with me. Robin writes a story that is similar to The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho) in style and features an attorney (as opposed to a shepherd) who has a health scare and decides to change his life. (Selling his Ferrari and going to the Himalayas) The attorney the shares the nuggets of wisdom with his student, John who tells the story.

Robin talks about investing in yourself and he uses an analogy that I think is wonderful, he says, (paraphrase) that by saying you are too busy to slow down and invest yourself is like saying you are too busy driving to stop for gas. I’ve never heard it said like this before and it’s brilliant. If you don’t stop for gas, then the car will stop and you won’t get to where you want to get to anyway. Lo and behold, that’s what happens to the body eventually, if you don’t rest and nourish yourself properly. He says, “investing in yourself is the best investment you will ever make. It will not only improve your life, it will improve the lives of all those around you.”

So if you don’t think you have the time to exercise, read, meditate, or write a journal then Robin gives another powerful suggestion. Rise with the sun. He says, “those who rise with the sun all have one thing in common. They all have a purpose that fans the flames of their inner potential.” I really agree with this. When you feel that you are on purpose or that you are investing that extra time in your personal growth, it’s really difficult not to rise with the sun. I have found doing this much easier since I moved to a country that has so much sunshine. Just before sunrise, the kookaburras begin their laughing call to start the day and it’s so difficult not to be alerted from your slumber by this. Also, the sun is so bright at sunrise in Queensland that even the strongest blinds don’t block it out. It’s nature’s way of getting us up to greet the day with the rest of the living things. (It’s also the quietest time to do some things on your own – undisturbed.)

I’d like to finish by sharing Robin’s ‘7 Timeless Virtues of Enlightened Living’ with you because I do believe he has everything covered here.

1. Master your mind – choose your thoughts, repeat some empowering mantras and affirmations every day.
2. Follow your purpose – love what you do and live your dream.
3. Practise Kaisen – have consistent and never-ending improvement.
4. Live with discipline – if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well.
5. Respect your time – focus more time and energy on the things that work and those you love.
6. Selflessly serve others – expect nothing in return.
7. Embrace the present – live in the now, you will be happier, more content and you will fully experience life.

Day 30 of 50 ideas in 50 days is Loving What Is by Byron Katie. Byron has had a phenomenal influence on self-development because of her gentle spirituality, compassionate words and clear thinking. This is a wonderful book, it contains many worthwhile and effective exercises for challenging your mindset from one that is not serving you to one that is infinitely more peaceful. She has a clarity that is refreshing and heartwarming.

Byron wants us to know, “I can find only three kinds of business in the universe, mine, yours and God’s. Much stress comes from mentally living out of our business.” I love this. How much mental anguish do you give yourself because you are trying to control what cannot be controlled? Why do we think we can control an earthquake or somebody else’s behaviour? This is an empowering fact once you realise it and accept things for what they are. She says, “if you want reality to be different from what it is, you might as well teach a cat to bark.”

The problems in our thinking that cause suffering can be turned around once you see them for what they are. “As you inquire into issues…you come to see that every perceived problem ‘out there’ is really nothing more than a misperception within your own thinking.” Byron has a four step inquiry for changing these perceptions.

1.  Ask yourself, is it true?

2. If you are struggling with No. 1 or are unsure, ask yourself, “Can I absolutely know this is true?” You will be pushed to find a yes answer to this one. What can we know for certain, really, other than that nothing is certain?

3.  How do I react when I feel the thought? Do I feel angry, afraid, upset?

4.  Who would I be without the thought? Breathe a sigh of relief – do you think you’d be able to see more of the positive things in this situation?

Then, we turn the thought around, which means, take that thought and make it positive. For example, go from, ‘this job is the worst I have ever done’ to ‘this job is fulfilling and pleasant’ and go through the process again. As a result, you can see things as they are, free from opinions. This is a very powerful process and one that echoes the thought processes of many philosophers and spiritual leaders in search of truth.

Byron Katie says, “nothing ever goes wrong in life…everything happens for me and not to me…until you can see everything in the world as your friend, your work is not done.” Seeing things as challenge and opportunity makes an incredible difference and when you are in this frame of mind, you are the creator of your life and your experiences.

Day 25 of 50 ideas in 50 days is Conscious Living by Gay Hendricks. Conscious Living, another greatly titled book is about living on purpose and being awake, since in fact so much of our lives is spent in a daydream, about the past or present. Gay is a lovely, heart-warming writer and his other work in the 50 ideas, The Big Leap is well worth a look too.

Gay makes the point that when you begin living consciously and on purpose it is as if you are given extra help. New paths open, people come into your life and the road seems smoother. Has this happened to you?  He says, “a field of grace seems to form around us when we commit ourselves to something that satisfies our souls…we are given forms of assistance that seem like magic.” You may have times when you feel that life is an uphill struggle and yet flashes of what you should be doing come into your mind. Then when you stop, take a deep breath, relax and begin following that path that you are so deeply drawn to, it’s like plain sailing on a gorgeous summer day. Indeed, as if like magic, things fall into place and people turn up out of nowhere to assist you. It is so important to let go of the past and embrace life now, creating the life you want and living consciously every day.

As a university professor and a counsellor for the last 30+ years, Gay has 5 points to share with us that he has learnt on his journey.

1. Feel all your feelings deeply – “always and in every moment, embrace what is real inside yourself and focus on what is real outside yourself.”

2. Seek your true self – “Get your priorities straight. Focus first on who you are then let your actions flow from this place of deep self-knowledge.”

3. Let go of the uncontrollable – “the secret of happiness is knowing that there are some things you can control and some things you cannot.”

4. We are all made of the same thing – “when we go deeply enough into who we are and who others are, we will find our organic connection with divinity and theirs.”

5. Life is fullest when we ‘re most true to ourselves – “if you express what needs to be expressed within you, you will be happy and fulfilled. If you don’t, you won’t.”

Day 21 of 50 ideas in 50 days is Trust Your Vibes by Sonia Choquette. I have been a fan of Sonia for a long time and Trust Your Vibes is a great book with really interesting subject matter. Our ‘vibes‘ are our sixth sense, our intuition, our gut instinct and the book is full of great ideas about how to tune in to them.

Sonia begins on a very simple but incredibly important point – that in order to be our best and allow our intuition to flow, we need to first take care of ourselves. She says, “amazing things happen when you get enough sleep, eat properly and take it easy. Your nerve endings relax and your spirit, or the sixth-sensory part of you rejuvenates and begins to shine light on your path.” If we are doing too much running around and not nourishing ourselves enough, the only thing we will be aware of is our physical body’s exhaustion trying to communicate to us.

Sonia continues with the idea that the mind also needs nourishment and relaxation for the vibes to flow. She suggests distraction from the flow of negative thoughts of the conscious mind by walking and getting outside. “Whenever you find yourself overly concerned or unable to stop thinking about something, immediately go outside and walk, or better yet, run around the block to disrupt the toxic trance you are in.” I wholeheartedly agree with this. I was thinking so hard yesterday about a band I used to like but whose cd I never bought. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t remember their name. This morning, I woke up, showered and started the day thinking of other things. I opened the window and was immediately struck by the delicious breeze which I proceeded to breathe in deeply. At that moment, the name of the band came into my head! That’s nature and intuition working in harmony!

 It is important to get out and about to create a distraction from the chatter of your conscious mind but if this isn’t possible, the next best thing is to stay still and breathe deeply. This also gives your mind a break and allows unconscious thoughts and intuition easier flow. “When you’re tense, nervous or anxious, your energy gets tangled up and blocked…breathing deeply and regularly not only is the key to remaining calm but also connects us to a higher vibration.”

There are so many wonderful pieces of advice in this book that I found it difficult to choose which to talk about but I most certainly want to finish on a key idea of Sonia’s and that is, laugh a lot!  ”To be intuitive, we must cultivate our sense of humour and look for reasons to laugh everywhere…this week, laugh a lot, look for the humour in things…get over your seriousness and let your hair down.”  This week? Yes, this week and every other week after that. It is part of vitality and longevity and something we should consistently try to cultivate every day.

Day9 of 50 ideas in 50 days is Spiritual Liberation by Rev. Michael Bernard Beckwith. I first came across Rev. Michael in The Secret and was moved by his profound energy and poignant message. He founded the Agape Spiritual Centre in Los Angeles which is a transdenominational church with a strong focus on spirituality. He is a very gifted writer and speaker and he brings together many dynamic messages in Spiritual Liberation. I would like to focus on 2 ideas in particular that have caught my attention.

In Spiritual Liberation Michael talks about ‘Freedom from the Tyranny of Trends’ as an essential part of liberation and happiness. It’s amazing how many of us fall victim to trends and fashion particularly in the earlier stages of life when we are greatly influenced by what others think. He says, “the tyranny of trends allows for the lowest common denominator to set the standard of success and coolness…blasted out as us from TV, radio, newspapers, computers, trends very often convince individuals what their life’s purpose should be.” This is such an important statement and one that I haven’t heard too often. Why be dictated to by a marketing drive for something that will change next week, next month or next year? It’s completely appropriate to describe it as the lowest common denominator as it allows others to think for you. He goes on to say, ” begin to consciously break your agreement with the mediocrity present in the tyranny of trends… break free from the hold of what society tells us we should be like.” I am in agreement with the point made by Brian in Philosophers Notes when he says, “read, meditate, journal, discover your highest self.. the highest common denominator.”

The other point I would like to focus on from Spiritual Liberation reminds me of ‘Morpheus’ from The Matrix and his classic line, “there is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path.” Michael describes not ‘walking the path’ as spiritual indigestion and constipation! He says, “to read and study and have conversations about spiritual practices is good but unless you incorporate them into your life, you won’t embody or integrate them…all you will develop is a case of spiritual indigestion and constipation.” What a fabulous image and one that is incredibly real! Do you find yourself reading through book after book on self-development without seeing any change in your life? Or do you frequent seminars and conferences with gusto, feeling euphoric about your life and future only to find yourself back to square one after the weekend is over? Implementation is key. Your life will remain the same with the usual issues coming back to hit you in the face unless you put theories into your life and practise them. Walk the path. It’s never too late to take action and now is always the best time.

Day 8 in 50 ideas in 50 days is the wonderful Wayne Dyer with Real Magic. Wayne Dyer is one of my all time favourite writers and I particularly love hearing him speak. I own many of his audio books and seminars on mp3 because of his gentle, peaceful voice and he tells many amazingly powerful stories. In this inspirational work, he lists 7 steps for manifesting what he calls, Real Magic.

1. There is an invisible but knowable life force within you. You can feel it when you are truly connecting with someone or when you are in perfect flow with life, sometimes before something happens.

2. Your thoughts are something you control and they originate within you. The realisation of this is very powerful if you really think about it and it’s worth re-reading this many times. You have the power to change your thoughts and your life.

3. There are no limits. This is all about how we have been conditioned to think. Consider how people thought about the Earth hundreds of years ago, that it revolved around the sun and was flat. New discoveries are made every day, that is science and who knows what may be fact tomorrow.

4. Your life has a purpose. Wayne says, “everything has a purpose, indeed the invisible intelligence that flows through everything in a purposeful fashion is also flowing through you.”

5. You overcome weaknesses by leaving them behind. You are in control, your weaknesses are not in control of you, they are not you.

6. When you examine what you believe to be impossible, you can then change your beliefs. Your beliefs are not set in stone, they do not have to be ‘facts’ about your life. Allow your mindset to change to a truer alignment with your dreams.

7. You can go beyond logic. Reminds us that nothing is impossible and miracles can be achieved. ;D

Wayne’s ideas have a timeless spirituality that is perfect for our time. His words about appreciation of the happiness of others have resonance with many spiritual ideas concerning gratitude and joy. We should not harbour negativity toward the prosperity of others in the form of envy, contempt and jealousy. He says, “rejoice in the prosperity of others…negative inner mindset keeps you from being on purpose. You cannot be fulfilled and envious at the same time.” This is a beautiful quote to end on. It comes from a place of love, keeping your mind and heart open. Always a wonderful thing.