Category Archives: Personal Ranting

Future Focus Achieving Your Dreams

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It is important to stay in the “present” so physical and emotional responses do not cause symptoms of distress to arise, however, planning for successful attainment of your goals and dreams is necessary for long term success. This all can sound like “double-talk” but it really makes good sense.

First, physical and emotional symptoms can develop for people who are “not in their bodies in the present.” Many people have anxiety/fear regarding occurrences from events which have happened in the past. These can be difficult to “let go.” Likewise, even more people get fearful and anxious about the unknowns of the future. These are things that we can not often control and so can become consciously or unconsciously scary. Most people need to learn how to release fears of the past or of the unknowns of the future and practice living, in their bodies, in the present moment. This is easier said than done, but very important to learn how to do and to use preventively.

If you are not completely happy with your “condition” in life, then you may need to move in positive directions to attain a long term goal and dream that will bring you greater satisfaction and happiness. For example, maybe you want to get your college education and a college degree. Or, maybe you want to take a trip to Paris or Rome. Or, maybe you want your work or investments to give you financial security. All of these are important and significant long range goals. If you want to achieve these, and not just desire them, you must take action. The first action is to really plan the steps necessary to accomplish this major goal. Break it down into the small steps that will take you down the path toward completing your goal. Work out a reasonable time line. Gather the information and the resources that you will require to begin. AND, GET STARTED! Get help or coaching if you can not do this for yourself, in a useful way.

You must be very clear about what your goal looks like. It helps to see, or visualize, your dream. Feel it! Know what the final result will feel like to you. Listen and hear what your success will sound like. Some people can even taste success… In other words, use ALL of your senses to imagine the successful completion of your goal. This will help to make it more “real” for your subconscious mind. NOW, focus on your goal and the path to achieving it.

Do not be lazy! Regularly, immerse yourself in seeing yourself moving toward, and then accomplishing, your goal. Some people do this upon awaking in the morning and again at bedtime. Many people need to start their day with these images of success. I know many people who plan goal focusing breaks throughout their day to help them maintain focus on their positive long range goals.

I believe in this process and I tested it! After completing my Ph.D. program my private practice had shrunk down to 3 appointments per week. I figured that I needed at least 15 per week reach my financial goals. This was in January and I set the last week of March as my target for accomplishing my goal. Several times a day I pictured myself answering the telephone and writing appointments in my appointment book, until all the appointment slots were full. Of course, I also made calls to referral sources and sent out letters to advertise my services. The last week of March, I had 18 appointments on my books and 14 people came in for their appointments. Pretty close to the exact goal I had established. I was thrilled. When I looked at where the new business had come from, less than half of the appointments came from my direct promotional efforts. More than half of these clients came from other sources, “out of the blue” you might say. It did not matter at the time but in the years since, I have come to respect the power of offering clear, specific requests to the universe. By being clear and specific, the universe can help provide the answers you require for the success that you desire. The principles are simple, the actual practice requires dedication, support, and sometimes specific coaching.

My coaching practice often takes clients with big goals and dreams. We move together to build the individualized program for success and take the steps necessary to accomplish these goals.

You can do it! You can make your life move in the most ideal directions, but it requires more than just “wanting” or “dreaming.” It requires the targeted work and the laser focus on your long term goal. What is the accomplishment of your dream really worth to you? Remember that anything of value requires your time, focused attention, and your energy to achieve.

Grab your dreams! Make them happen!

Commuter Stress Management – Celebrating Beauty

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I had a brief visit with “Mr. Scruffy” as I rode in to work one day. It was good to see him. He was perched on his regular lamp post as he scanned his domain. I was blessed to live on Whidbey Island in the Puget Sound, northwest of Seattle, WA. The Northwest has many beautiful sights to behold. There are the Olympic Mountains, the Cascade Range, the San Juan Islands, the Puget Sound itself, and the many types of wildlife that grace our landscape. In my neighborhood, there are at least 30 Bald Eagles that live much of the year within about 5 miles of my home.

That day, I set a new eagle spotting record, for me, as I drove to work in Coupeville. I counted 7 eagles perched in various trees along my way. There were 5 white crowned mature eagles and 2 immature eagles. I was looking for them on my familiar drive into the office. With every sighting my heart felt joy and I felt that nature was allowing me a special moment. (FYI, I have become familiar with some of my special neighbors and my wife and I named “Scruffy” because he appears older and unkempt compared to some of the younger mature eagles we see. But know that “Mr. Scruffy” is beautiful when he flies. He reminds me of Peggy Fleming, the ice skater, because he is graceful, elegant and without wasted effort as he soars the winds over Whidbey Island.)

I am in my tenth year of living in the Northwest, having moved from Sonoma County in California’s “Wine Country.” Sonoma County is also a beautiful place to live, though traffic and increasing population has added challenges to that part of our world. There are no Bald Eagles in my old neighborhood, but there were many other magnificent features of nature. Sonoma County has grand Redwood trees, amazing coast line, rolling pasture lands, oak grass lands, and of course, the vineyards that are picturesque any time of the year. Though I am vigilant when I am driving, I celebrate the beauties of the natural world when I drive down all but the most congested of roads.

In my first book, I coached “commuters” to play a game as they drive to or from work. Within the common sense limits of safety, I ask them to look out into their world and notice something new on every commute. Or, I ask that they find an aesthetically pleasing natural, or even man made, object to celebrate. Perhaps a pleasing or unique cloud formation or a classically designed house or building. Maybe a special vehicle drives by. Or for me, the noticing of birds or wildlife makes me appreciate the present moment of time. And that is the lesson… release your thoughts of past or future events and bask in the present moment, in a “positive” way. Smile as you celebrate the sharing of a special and unexpected sighting. At the end of your commute, whether arriving at work or at home, you will feel less stressed and better focused to get on with the next activities of your day.

This technique may not work as well in speeding Los Angeles freeway driving or when gale force winds threaten to blow your car into another lane of traffic but in many other situations turning your focus to something positive and being in the “present” can create a better commuter experience. I challenge you to find, and then celebrate, the best sights that you might encounter upon your commute. Find beauty or find the most interesting things that you experience along your way. Try it. It works!

Drive carefully and DO NOT TEXT MESSAGE while driving, ‘cause that is dumb!

For more stress management suggestions which can assist you as a commuter, go the Stress Education Center’s website at www.dstress.com

Masters of the Journey Video Conference

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You are a Master.

Today we offered our first live, video conference for spiritual development. The topic was an introduction to the “State of Grace.” Presenting were Brother Bob Trask of Bellingham’s Unity Center and author, Paula Forget, who wrote the recently released, “Guided to the Higher Realms.” Most people on the call also contributed from their wisdom and life experience. The callers were from around the country and their sharing made this a perfect example of what Masters of the Journey can be, a leader-less community of “seekers” who are willing to share their stories.

We will be adding this video to our expanding library others who were not able to get on this call, “live.” In the future, we have many topics of spiritual development with contributions from members and experts in the field. The support and excitement for this consciousness raising process is growing with contributions of many people who are traveling through on their path and willing to reach around to support fellow pilgrims.

Consider joining our membership by visiting our website at www.mastersofthejourney.com or by visiting our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/mastersofthejourney. Our members will benefit from the resources and trainings that we offer and by participating in our interactive sessions.

Please continue to learn and grow. If appropriate please share this information.
Namaste

Holiday Survival

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Happy Holidays… They are headed our way, ready or not!

I know that for many people this is easier said than done… It is the season for high expectations of happiness, joyful family gatherings, and limitless supplies of good food and cheerful gifts. Most of the time, expectations seem to mess things up! This time of year can make people irritable if not crazy because we expect so much of ourselves and the people around us. Sadness, depression, and anxiety begin to peak at this time of year for many people. Many people are struggling with financial challenges, even homelessness and these people can feel left out of Happiness in the Holidays. Illness and losses of family or friends, even from the past, can make this season difficult traumatic to celebrate. The short days and Winter weather for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere also can take an emotional toll on the Holidaze. There may be changes of schedule, travel, or dietary changes that can make positive, joy filled celebrations a bit difficult at this season of the year.

Consider the Holiday Survival Tips from the article below. This can be found in a more printable form at the Stress Education Center’s website, www.dstress.com, on the “Articles” page.

Please take good care of yourself and have some sympathetic understanding of people you may meet who may be struggling during the Holiday Season.

Holiday Survival tips
10 basic strategies to more gracefully survive holiday stress. Written by L. John Mason, Ph.D., Author of the Bestseller; Guide to Stress Reduction.
Are expectations of happiness in the holidays making you sad? Do you want to be happier and healthier this holiday season? Would you like to enhance your holiday stress management skills?

This holiday season will be stress filled. World economic swings and terrorism have created conditions that have changed our holiday celebrations. Attitudes towards travel, being with family, celebration in the face of fear and sadness, will make this year’s holiday season different than in years past. Adjustments will help to create new ways of participating in the holiday events. These can be both positive and negative. Consider new traditions in self-care. Search for community support that will open your heart to the joys that are possible in this season. Remember the things that are the most stressful are the things that you care the most about, but have the least control over. World events, the economy, the way people respond, and our families (and children) are major stressors that we wish we could control, but often cannot.

1. Schedule Time for Self-Care! Regular exercise and time for stress management are a must. Find what techniques work best for you, and use these tools. This is non-negotiable time devoted for your health and well being.

2. Eat Well Moderation is the key. Do not use alcohol or drugs for stress management. Do not “over” celebrate. Avoid fast foods.

3. Avoid Caffeine Minimize the impact of caffeine on your life.

4. Plan the Holiday… Set some limits. Do not over spend your financial and emotional resources.

5. Control Your Expectations of: Happiness, Joy, Sadness, and Loneliness

6. Be Nice to Others Give compliments and smile. Around negative, anxious, or rude people, take a breath and remember that you do not need to get pulled into other people’s holiday misery or their craziness.

7. Reach Out for Support Talk with “stable” friends or family, or clergy, or mental health counselors.

8. Humor Helps… Have Fun Laugh daily, if possible.

9. Stay in the Present! Mentally and emotionally, do not be consumed by things that happened in the past or fear events in the future. Enjoy the people you are with and make the very best of the situation that you are in.

10. Find the True Spirit of the Holidays Share “the Spirit” of this holiday with those people who you love or care about. Give love and support to the people of the world. Volunteer or go out of your way to be thoughtful and kind. A smile or a hug can go a long way. Sometimes it is just listening… Show others that they have value and that you are aware of their special qualities.
Even learn to let others give to you!

Healing Secret

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Do you believe that someone else “Heals” you? Or, do you believe that you heal yourself? When you get a small cut or scratch how does your body repair itself? When you get exposed to a cold virus how does your body fight off the virus infection? These are mysteries that are just being explored. A doctor in an emergency room can set a bone, or put stitches in a wound, or restart your heart, or prescribe a medication like an antibiotic which can save your life. This demonstrates the mastery of medical arts, but does this heal you?

The power to heal is within you. People with faith may believe that the holy spirit can help the healing process or is it the “belief” in the holy spirit that actually supports the healing? The magic of the body hunting for an infection, building anti-bodies, and then destroying a bacteria or virus or even a cancer cell is still not well understood by medical professionals. There are many who believe that healing can be enhanced by the power of the focused mind.

I bought my wife a crystal that has healing properties, as told to me by the shop keeper. Perhaps the crystal focuses a healing energy that can not be measured by current scientific monitors or perhaps a person’s belief in the healing properties of the crystal are what rallies the patient to enhance their own healing mechanisms. In many ways, it does not matter whether the crystal does the healing or the faith in the crystal provides the healing, but…

From past experience in coaching clients, I have witnessed the power of the positive suggestions offered to enhance the healing process. The positive focus and concentration upon the positive end results and a soothing or calming environment can help promote the healing process. Many clients have responded well, physically and emotionally, to positive visualizations and suggestions, but I can not claim to know why this happens. I do know that the safe way I practice this use of suggestions does not hurt them and it is meant as an adjunctive process to traditional medical protocols.

I have seen “miracles” (or unexplained benefits) occur. As an example, I had a woman in her mid-twenties come in to my private practice with a diagnosis of a hyper-active thyroid and the symptoms that go along with this diagnosis. She said that she had been treated by an endocrinologist for 4 years with little positive result. Her symptoms included: hyperactive behavior, skin breakouts, bulging (protruding) eyes and high levels of thyroid hormone in her blood tests. I told her that I had not worked with this diagnosis (this was early in my career) but as we discussed her life she seemed to respond to information about biofeedback and stress management. We discussed a process that involved relaxation with Autogenic Training and a targeted visualization of blue light and coolness surrounding her thyroid gland to reduce blood supply to her overactive thyroid. It seemed to make sense to her and she went home to practice these techniques. 4 weeks later her skin was better. Her eyes were not bulging. Her energy levels seemed better under control. AND, her doctor found no trace of excessive thyroid hormone in her blood test. She felt that her success was due to her relaxation and visualization of a positive result. She used the power of her mind to heal herself in a measurable way. I loved this experience but I can not really explain the positive result.

I believe that we have the power to help keep ourselves healthy and we can be a big part of the healing process. I recommend that we get diagnosis and support from our medical professionals especially with our personal physicians but we should not always assume that they will heal us… We have a big part of this responsibility and we need to do our part.

I do not know whether a crystal helped my wife but I like to think that she may found emotional support in the belief that a positive environment helped her invest her own healing energies in appropriate ways. I also know that other people’s prayers, healing thoughts, love and positive energy can give great comfort and support. This may assist the healing process by having positive effects on the mind, emotion, and spirit of the person receiving this support.

Heal yourself. Share love and support with people who need healing. Allow them to bask in the healing, spiritual golden-white light of your unconditional, loving thoughts and prayers.

Contact me through the Stress Education Center’s website at www.dstress.com for more healing examples or coaching on how this might benefit your healing process. Please take good care of yourself.

You are a Master!

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Masters of the Journey: A Transformational Community

We are all Masters on this journey we call life. A safe and supportive transformational community can provide benefit to all of us. As we mature, we all develop expertise in navigating our own challenges. Nobody knows more about your life than you do. If you believe that life is filled with lessons and our primary purpose in life is to grow and develop, then you are invited to share your learning, experiences, and acquired wisdom with one another. To truly master something you need to teach it. Assisting fellow travelers on their journey can prove so rewarding. Through sharing, we can realize that none of us are alone and that we are all interconnected. We can benefit from knowing the bonds of unconditional love, caring, and support for others who are learning their spirit’s lessons in this life.

From the moment we are born until the moment we die, we are exploring the lessons and experiences of this life. There are some who adhere to the philosophy that we are choosing to live in these bodies with the lives that we have. Our spirit has exercised this choice because of the specific lessons that we want to learn. This philosophy also suggests that we choose the people that surround us in our life as a way to resolve some issues. Whether a person has their eyes wide open to the concept or whether they are “sleep-walking” through life, we can encourage one another to be conscious and aware of each step along the way.

Taking part in the Masters of the Journey: Transformational Community is to take conscious, and 100%, responsibility for the learnings and lessons that you are experiencing. It is for people who choose to gain in consciousness by supporting and reaching out to help others whose lives we touch. We can all grow together in a community which promotes unconditional, loving support as we share with others. When we gather either in person, at workshops or community events or in online forums, we can celebrate the lessons and experiences that we have learned from. We can do this through writing of articles, blogs, or books. We can do this by joining together on conference calls or in webinars to share and interact with others in our individual towns or around the world. There will be times when we will gather at intensive retreat programs where we can interact in a safe environment which enhances the growing and learning process as we move through our individual journeys.

Many people stay stuck in believing that they are continually students and not the true Masters that they are. Many of us discover our individual insecurities about being willing to step forward and share our deep feelings, experiences, and secrets. We benefit by realizing that we all have so much to offer to others. Sometimes our role will be as listeners and witnesses which has great value both to the person who is speaking and sharing their experience, their knowledge, and possibly their wisdom and to ourselves as we learn from a personal story with valuable insights which can contribute to our higher consciousness. The bond between the speaker and the listener can demonstrate the support and the unconditional love that both can be nurtured by.

I have been told that we are ALL God, having “perfection” within the soul and spirit in our heart which connects with the “Source” of all wisdom, energy, and unconditional love. Finding this and feeling this is “the State of Grace.”

Are you willing to share from the knowledge you have gained? Are you open to listening to other travelers on the journey? Are you interested in creating a community which strives for higher consciousness and awareness? Are you willing to bask in the connection and the unconditional love and support from a community of fellow travelers? Can you feel the value of being a Master who is willing to share from the experiences that you have had? Would you like to connect with this transformational community?

Please take good care of yourself. Consider that every interaction you have will be able to assist another person who is on their journey of awakening. Some will take this responsibility very seriously and we also honor those who choose other paths.

Please leave your comments. If appropriate, please share this Page with fellow Masters and seekers. Remember that we can all benefit by helping others in our community.

Some questions you may ask yourself:

Who was the most influential person in my life and why?

What were the three most difficult lessons I have learned from so far?

Have I ever felt a deep sense of bond and connection with another person? Who would that be? What did it feel like? What did I learn?

Have I ever helped another person? How did it feel to help them? What did I learn by helping them?

Have I ever really listened to another person? Has anybody ever really listened to me? How did that feel? Was the connection that I had with that person valuable?

Have I ever experienced unconditional love and support? Did I bask in the beauty of this experience?

Look for our new interactive website (coming soon) at www.mastersofthejourney.com

What is Your Gift to the World: Your Purpose

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For the people who come in contact with you, how will this contact benefit this person or, in a broader sense, how will this be of benefit to the world? This is not always easy to answer. Whether you consider yourself an expert in some area or you have groomed yourself to be impeccable as a human being, what are the attributes that you have developed that can be of service and can be shared?

You might ask the question of yourself, “What is my Purpose in this Life?” This may overlap with the previous questions, but may also prove to be a challenging question for you to contemplate. Some people have NEVER considered their purpose or their value to the world. Because this requires an effort in circumspection, many people just pass on this task and survive their lives with just basic day-to-day considerations. The larger questions, though difficult, often prove to be useful when considering how best to spend your day. Quality of life’s efforts often have more value than quantity of life’s efforts.

So what is your gift? Do you create objects or services that are appreciated and are of service to others? Or, do you connect with other people in ways that can support positive change or understanding? Are you a gifted listener? Are you a positive role-model? Are you a parent? Are you an educator? Are you a builder? Are you a defender? Are you a healer? Are you a gifted counselor or coach? Are you a “receiver?” Are you a leader who challenges people to move in positive directions? Are you a great team player/member? Are you a loving person? Do you have a radiant smile or infectious laugh? Do you entertain? Do you heal?

Do your long term goals reflect on your strengths in service? Do consider giving or giving back to the world (or beyond?) Everyone has a purpose, though some people do not recognize their greater purpose. Everyone touches other people’s lives and helps to create important lessons or opportunities for developing consciousness. Where do you want to touch lives and assist people in developing higher consciousness? How can you do this even more frequently? Can you be even more conscious about your role in assisting other people and so the developing consciousness of the world?

Along the way, find your passion and pursue it as fully as you can!

Consider connecting with other pilgrims on their path to consciousness by joining Masters of the Journey. Info at www.facebook.com/mastersofthejourney and www.mastersofthejourney.com (soon).

Dangers of Ignoring the Impact of Stress: Why are we in denial?

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Have you ever experienced any stress? Is the world more stressful now than it was 20 years ago? Have you ever experience physical or emotional symptoms that are made worse as a response to stress? Do you believe that the best solution to stress is getting drunk or taking drugs?

I ask these questions many times per month to groups I train or individuals I coach. Without exception, people respond by saying that there is plenty of stress out in the world. It can be a distraction and effect physical and emotional health.

Now I ask you, what do you do, on a daily basis, to control your responses to stress? Do you meditate or practice stress management for 20 minutes per day? Most people say that they are too busy for 20 minutes of relaxation. People think that there is some easier way to control stress like taking medication. It is not convenient to practice stress management, so why bother to do it? The other response that many people use when confronted by the challenges of stress is to a point a finger and then blame someone or something else, rather that to take any responsibility for ones own habitual response to life’s stress.

Do not believe me without testing this out for yourself, but most people find that by practicing 20 minutes of deep relaxation, daily, they will actually save time and energy. Research suggests that 20 minutes of deep relaxation can take the place of as much as 2 hours of sleep and the sleep that you do get will be deeper and more restful. When I first heard this statistic I did not believe it, as most of you will not. I tested the statement and after 3 months I discovered that I required less sleep. Instead of needing 8.5 hours of sleep, I was getting rested with only 7 hours of sleep. So I invested 20 minutes and required 1.5 hours less sleep time, so I came out ahead by one hour and ten minutes. Many of my Executive Coaching clients, after I convince them to try the 20 minutes of stress management, report that they get more work done in less time, with less energy, because they are better able to focus and make fewer mistakes. I challenge you to try this activity for 8-12 weeks and find the benefits that will surface.

People resist trying new things even if these “new things” are good for them. In fact, people are so overwhelmed that most of us are apathetic about taking good care of ourselves. We simply do not have the energy to care… Making time, even just 20 minutes per day, is painful and difficult. Motivation is low for using stress management preventively. Stress can cause headaches, high blood pressure, insomnia, rapid heart rates, anxiety, depression, GI complaints, sexual dysfunction, back or neck pain, and poor quality of life, and yet most people would rather develop annoying or dangerous symptoms rather than practice stress management…

Most people have an unconscious need to get beaten up by stress as if it were their badge of honor for surviving our hectic world… There are a few genetic immunes who thrive on stress, with no sleep, and they make the rest of us mere mortals look bad. These “immunes” are in denial and stress will eventually affect their health or their relationships in negative ways. In Japan there is a word “Karoshi” which translates; people who work themselves to death. There is an addiction to work in our society and we need to be aware that the long term consequences of this attitude are high costs to our health, relationships, and quality of life.

When we are younger, we can get away with not sleeping or self-care. We are young and strong and flexible, but as we get older, we lose our flexibility and our strength. We have to learn how to do things smarter instead of “muscling through.” If we don’t, we will pay the price and our denial will not save us from our suffering.

Things in life that are the most stressful are the things that you care the most about but that you can not control. The only thing that you can control is the way that you respond in these difficult situations but this can take time and effort.

Please take your head out of the sand and take good care of yourself. Even if this means spending 20 minutes per day with stress management. It will save you time, energy, and even money in the long run.

L. John Mason, Ph.D. is the country’s leading expert on stress management and the author of the best selling “Guide to Stress Reduction.” Since 1977, he has offered Executive Coaching and Training. In 1978, he opened the Stress Education Center www.dstress.com.

Your Purpose in Life

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You have a “Purpose!” You have a reason to be here! There is a reason that you have found your way to this article and you are reading it now! Are you looking to find your “Purpose” and the reason why you are living in the “life” that you currently occupy?

In “New Age” thought, people often believe that they have chosen their lives and their “lessons” in the particular incarnation that they are participating within. If we “take responsibility” for our lives (and our existence), then we must accept that we are here to learn from our life’s experience and to evolve in “consciousness” as we move through the mine-field of our lives. The truth is that you have been through a lot. No one else could really know about the events that you have had to endure to get to where you are now. The “tests” that you have survived have all been a part of the life that you have “chosen” to assist you in development of your spiritual consciousness (say the metaphysical philosophers.)

The truth is that life is “hard” and we do learn more from our hard times, mistakes and travails than we learn from the easy, joyful, fun times. We become stronger, and sometimes wiser, by living through the difficult experiences. Perhaps the best way to learn from our lessons, even from embarrassing mistakes, is to share them by telling the story. To be a “Master” is to be able, and willing, to share your lessons with others. Which brings us back to the original question regarding YOUR PURPOSE. Perhaps your purpose is to serve the larger community by sharing your lessons, even, or especially, the difficult lessons that you have had to learn. Ram Dass told us to “Love, Serve, and Remember,” and in this way we can ALL benefit from the learnings that have occurred in our lives. We are all in this together and we must reach around and support our fellow pilgrims if we are all going to move forward. (Spoken like a New Age philosopher.)

Your “Reason for living” and your “Purpose” are to connect with the larger community of seekers of wisdom and consciousness, and to participate by sharing your story and being a “witness” to the sharing of others. This powerful and loving, supportive connection makes us all more conscious.

If you are ready to “Love, Serve, and Remember,” please consider participation in a focused, spiritual community. You may even find your way into the Masters of the Journey’s Transformational Community. Join the “Tribe!”

In any event, please take good care of yourself and in whatever way you can, reach out and support the fellow travelers you find in this life.
Look for Masters of the Journey at www.facebook.com/mastersofthejourney and soon at www.mastersofthejourney.com

Namaste and Blessings on Your Path!

Masters of the Journey Ideals and Principles

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The Masters of the Journey: Transformational Community offers you a list of our developing guiding principles. Would you consider getting involved with our new community of support for your spiritual goals?

1. Take responsibility for your life
2. Do not blame or make excuses
3. Love Yourself & accept all parts even weaknesses-flaws-imperfections
4. Grounding (daily as a practice)
5. Meditation (daily as a practice)
6. Keep your eyes up! Look to the Horizon
7. Set goals – celebrate success. Honor and celebrate your challenges.
8. Never give up on your passion & your dreams
9. Love Nature & Mother Earth… Appreciate the beauty of life. Find Beauty Every Day
10. Learn to Listen:
A. Be Focused
B. Maintain Eye Contact
C. Mind clear of strong judgement/other thoughts of response
D. Ask Supportive, clarifying Questions

11. Be open for Love and Connection (learn to share and to love)
12. Learn better to control: stress, fear, anxiety – Learn to Let Go
13. Practice the skill of self-acceptance- then develop self-love
14. Love and Protect all Children- Cherish their souls – Celebrate youthful enthusiasm, Innocence
15. Daily exercise and meditation is important
16. Build a solid Foundation – self-care/grounding, open your heart to unconditional love & then share it – Love unconditionally
17. Oneness: ALL of us are on the pilgrimage together some of us are more conscious than others – reach around & give all those you touch support and assistance so WE can all evolve together.
18. Embrace each moment as best you can! Each moment is a microcosm of all life & all consciousness – GRACE
19. Build a healthy support team –Find Your Courage – Celebrate your process & the success/gifts of learning.
20. Find Your Passion! Live your Passion! NO excuses! Along the way, do something good everyday- Perform a daily “Mitzvah” (a good deed)
21. Honor your mentors & healthy role models. Learn to bask in the wisdom they share (or provide to you)
22. Look to Create Good in the World. Do not miss the opportunity to acknowledge & celebrate good deeds & creative demonstrations of passion!
23. Turn off TV & Media – Read – Discuss – Learn to THINK for YOURSELF!! Do not blindly accept other people’s perceptions NO ONE! (Certainly not mine….)
24. Follow Your Heart! Listen to your Gut! Follow guidance & honor these strong messages
25. If you are striving to grow up to the heavens find solid roots to feed, nurture, & build a strong foundation for your work.
26. Do not be Lazy! Consciousness requires effort. (It is worth it!) Do not close your eyes to the daily experience of life. Rest & meditation are good. Lethargy & avoidance are not nearly as helpful.
27. Never stop learning or challenging yourself… Do not pretend that you know it all.

A partner with common values can be helpful & also a trap. Do not be a closed system.

Live with no fear of Death or Dying. Or, learn enough about dying so the thought of this transition does not get in the way of Living!

Get a mentor who is old, wise, & can share their lessons from living through their challenges! Honor their insights & wisdom though you do not have to agree with all their beliefs and insights. Their insights can offer you perspective & depth to your thinking.

DO NOT Avoid people with handicaps & challenges. They can teach you how to overcome limitations. We are all unique & loved creatures!

    DANCE like no one is watching! Live with passion and reckless abandon!