 |
|
 |
| |
| Departments |
Home
Columns, Special
Topics & Features:
The Columns:
Angels, Guides, &
Loving Spirits:
Angel Blessings:
with Dr. Doreen Virtue
Ask Valerie Morrison,
Internationally
Acclaimed Psychic
Astrologer's Notes:
Ask Carrin Martin,
Astrologer
Basil Fearrington,
Astrologer
Diana Stone,
Astrologer &
Huna Shaman
Jeff Jawer
Astrologer
Martin Lass,
Astrologer
Glenn Perry,
Astrologer
Ray Merriman,
Financial Astrology:
MMA Market Week
Erin Sullivan,
Astrologer
Noel Tyl,
Astrologer
Daily Aspect Calendar
by Care
Monthly Horoscope:
Stellar Scopes
by Daija De Mornay
Creating Bridges:
The Spiritual &
Philosophical
Act of Power
Discovering the Key to Living Your Sacred Dream
by Lynn Andrews
The BUT Doctor
Healing America's Real Crack Problem One Person at a Time
by Eddie Conner
Awakening to the
Miracle of Ordinary Life by Dennis Lewis
Avant-Gardening:
Insights by Frank &
Vicky Giannangelo
Bodymind Integration: A Psychology of Potential
by Kevin Roberts
Breaking Free:
Anne Brewer
Choices: The Art of Conscious Creation:
by Teri Harris Saa
From The Heart:
Alan Cohen
Teachings from the Western Mystery Traditions: The Esoteric "Paths of Return"
by Jacquelyn Small, Eupsychia
"Letters from Heaven:" Spiritual Guidance from
the Hebrew Alphabet
by Avigayil Landsman
Memos From The
First Tabugian
Art Rosengarten, Ph.D.
The Path of Wisdom and Love
Dr. John Demartini,
Spirituality in Daily Life: by Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron
The Conscious Column
by David Ault
Spiritual Mastery
for the 21st Century
Dr. Gwen MacGregor
Pearls of Wisdom:
with Care
Feng Shui:
Wind & Water:
Carole J. Hyder
In Practice:
How to Create a Successful Holistic Practice- from Start to Success
by Shaun Brown,
CMT, BA BeWell Publications
The Business of Tarot
by Bonnie Cehovet,
Tarot Master
Pet Care:
Dr. Carson's Holistic Animal Care
by Dr. Kathleen Carson, D.V.M.
Tarot:
Soulforest:
Tarot and Spirituality
Rachel Pollack,
Tarot Grand Master
Gateway to Tarot:
by Bonnie Cehovet,
Tarot Master
Reviews:
Tarot, Cartomancy,
Oracle Decks,
Books, & Software.
by Bonnie Cehovet,
Tarot Master
Bonnie Cehovet's
Tarot Interviews
Humor:
Wake Up Laughing.Com:
Swami Beyondananda
Features:
Blessings & Messages
Crystals, Gemstones & Minerals by Kristi of MoonCave
Event Calendar
Historical Notes & Data
The MetaPersonals
Symbols, Seals,
Amulets & Talismans
The What in the
World Department
Trivia & Other
Novel Moments
Your Views
Interviews:
Erin Sullivan,
Astrologer
Healing & Alternative
Health:
"The Ancient Way of Chinese Medicine"
by Kevin O'Neil
Flower Essences
by Donna Cunningham
Herbology:
Ron Norwood
Living in Harmony-Astrology, Yoga & Ayurveda:
Venkat & Christine Machiraju
"Spirit and Practice
of the Wise Woman
Tradition"
By Susun Weed
Tai Chi & Qigong
by Bill Douglas
The Holistic Mystic,
by Lonny Brown
Medical Intuition: Tune
in to Your Body and Improve Your Health
by Caroline Sutherland, Sutherland Communications
Tools for Heartful Living
by Jackie Woods,
Healer & Spiritual Teacher,
Adawehi Institute
The Directory
The Book Nook
Archives:
Past Issues
General Information:
Synopsis of Contents
Editorial Submission
Information:
Articles
Columns
Editorial Opinions
"Your Views"
General Content
Event Calendars
Graphics & Photos
Editorial Deadlines
Advertising
Information &
Opportunities
About
The Meta Arts
Magazine
Department
Contacts:
Publishers
Editorial
Advertising Sales
Graphic Design
Promotion Dept.
Employment
Contact Us
Legal Notices
|
|
|
|
|
|
Creating Bridges: Spirituality & Philosophy:
From the Heart:
Pray Outside the Box
|
|
|
by Alan Cohen |
|
|
In my seminars I lead an exercise called "My Ideal Day." If you were participating, I would ask you to take a piece of paper and write down in detail the most wonderful day you can imagine. The only requirement for each activity you list is that you would choose it from a sense of joy and delight rather than routine or obligation. When seminar participants do this process, they become very animated and usually come up with inspiring ideas about how they could actually create such a day and life.
In one seminar, a woman read aloud her essay describing her ideal day. After relating many delicious experiences, she read, "and then in the evening my husband and I go into Toronto to see our favorite opera performed by world-renowned singers. We ride in a big limousine, which allows my husband to stretch out his arthritic legs."
When I heard her words, something struck me as out of tune. "Why," I asked her, "would you include arthritis in your ideal day?"
"Well," she answered, "I guess my husband has had arthritis for so long that I can't imagine him without it."
"Perhaps," I suggested, "that is one of the reasons the condition has persisted."
We must be careful to build our experience around our visions, rather than building our visions around our experience. Your history is not your destiny. Imagine a prisoner doing the "Ideal Day" exercise. "I get up in the morning, go out into the prison yard, and shoot some hoops with the other inmates," he might envision. "Then I come into the prison cafeteria and find they are serving meat loaf for lunch . . ."
But why include prison in the vision at all? If you have been in prison for a long time (metaphorically speaking), you may have a hard time envisioning yourself out of it. But if you can, you are well on your way to freedom. Any vision that includes the prison is not doing you justice.
While I was a guest on a radio talk show interview featuring my book Handle with Prayer, a caller shared an inspiring story. "When my daughter was scheduled to go for surgery, I asked my prayer group to pray for a positive outcome to the surgery," he recounted. "At the prayer group someone asked, 'Why accept the surgery as a done deal? Let's pray that your daughter be healed without the surgery.' So we prayed for a natural healing. When I took my daughter for her next exam, the doctor informed me that her condition had cleared up and she no longer needed the surgery."
I cite this story not to influence you against surgery, but to invite you to pray outside the box. Sometimes we do not ask for what we want, but for what we expect we can get, or what others tell us we should have. But if what we expect is less than what we want, we have sold ourselves, our prayers, and our God short. Abraham has said, "Never accept any reality unless it includes all of what you want."
To avoid booby-trapping your visions or affirmations, weed out elements contrary to your goal. Always think and speak about where you want to end up rather than where you are coming from. For example, never try to lose weight; seek to gain fitness. Do not seek to avoid aging; instead, tap into your sense of youthful vitality. And don't try to get out of a bad relationship; get a clear picture of the kind of relationship you would like, and ask the current relationship to transform, or a better one to show up. Never say anything about yourself that you would not like to come true; state the best about yourself rather than what you fear or resist. Your powerful subconscious mind tends to manifest any picture you hold, so make it a good one.
Your words are the least part of your prayers and affirmations. The purpose of words in prayer and affirmation is to focalize your energy. God, which is spirit, reads and responds to your energy flow. So if you are saying "I want" with your words, but "I can't" with your energy, "can't" wins. You can't be immersed in complaint about what is not working, and get things to work. You simply can't get there from here. The universe is not fooled by words, and don't you be, either. Another name for God is "Yes." Whatever you focus on is "yes." If you are pushing against something, you are saying yes to it. So be sure to focus on where you want to go, not what you want to get away from. Attention is investment.
I often see people defeat their own goals by defending their problems. In some counseling sessions I make a suggestion to a client, and then she tells me all the reasons this will not work. When this happens repeatedly, I realize the person has more of an investment in being right about their limits than in having what they want. They are not ready to receive their request. When they have more to say about where they want to be than where they are, they will have their dream.
You, too, shall have your dream, but you must be in harmony with it before it can show up. You must become an advocate for your possibilities rather than your shortcomings. Get on your own team. If you were a sports team coach who discovered some players running the wrong way with the ball, you would not let them onto the field. In life, your best players are all the thoughts, words, feelings, and actions that match your ideal. Send only them onto the field and watch them score big time.
Alan Cohen is the author of the best-selling The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore and the acclaimed Why Your Life Sucks and What You Can Do About It and the soon to be released Mr. Everit's Secret…What I learned from the World's Most Richest Man. Join Alan in Maui for his life-transforming Mastery Training. For information on these seminars and a free catalog of Alan's books, tapes, and courses, phone 800.568.3079, visit www.alancohen.com, email info@alancohen.com, or write P.O. Box 835, Haiku, HI 96708.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Alan Cohen,
Author
|
 |
Alan Cohen is the author of the best-selling "The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore," the award-winning "A Deep Breath of Life," and the acclaimed "Why Your Life Sucks and What You Can Do About It."
This August join Alan in Maui for his life-transforming Mastery Training.
For information on this seminar and a free catalog of Alan's books, tapes, and seminars:
Phone:
1•800•568•3079
or visit: www.alancohen.com
email: admin@alancohen.com
or write:
P.O. Box 835, Haiku, HI 96708.
|
 |
You'll find it in
The
Directory!
|
|
|
|
|
