The Gratitude Rock in my Home

Well, here we are again, at the end of the week.  Is it me or did you notice it too?   Time is flying faster and faster.   Is this some sort of phenomena or what?   Hmmmm…..

Gratitude is a state of mind.  It’s like natural medicine for the body, mind and spirit.  It’s ESPECIALLY good for times like these with the economy and everything else in dire straits.

My neighbor just told me she got laid off and has to go in for a third operation for breast cancer!  And she has no money nor does she have insurance now that she’s out of a job.  What’s more, she’s 70 years old!  Without a job, she has no idea what she’s going to do.   Won’t you all pray for her?  Just a few words of good wishes for “Joanne.”   Send her your loving thoughts and energy.  She has no idea I’m asking my community at Adversity University to do this so this will be “our secret.”   Thanks!

Based on my experience, gratitude keeps you going in the face of sheer obstacles, regardless of what they  may be.   More often than not, it will lift you out of the doldrums and bless you with renewed enthusiasm, faith and focus.   It is a smart and cost effective way to retrain your mind.  If do it long enough, it takes over whatever you’ve been brainwashed to think is “normal” like complaining, blaming, being negative or acting ungrateful.

Try the following experiment next time you go out to a restaurant.  Pretend you’re a CIA agent eavesdropping on the conversation in the booth next to you.  I’ll bet you’ll hear someone “awfulizing” their day or passing negative judgments about other people.   To them, that’s the normal way of being.

Is it?

Not to me.  It’s a waste of time and energy.  What about you?

Maintaining an attitude of gratitude is a universal law that I’ve come to love and respect over the years.  I don’t know about you but for 59 weeks, I’ve sat down and thought of all the good things in my life that I was (and continue to be) grateful for, especially the ones that are taken for granted.   This practice has helped me enormously because the rewards I got in return were priceless including, but not limited to:  inner peace, unexpected speaking engagements, like-minded friends, miracles, good health, etc.

You see, when you make a habit of expressing gratitude, you’re actively re-framing your mind and gradually chipping away the negative voices that tend to rear their ugly heads from time to time.   That leads the way for more of the same (and more) good things to manifest in your life as I’ve already demonstrated.

Here are some gratitude items for you to chew on this week:

SHHHHH! The Biggest Secret to Success is…….

“Ask Not How Much Money You can Make But How You Can Help Others Prosper FIRST!”

As you know, I’ve been on a sabbatical of sorts so far this year, reading, reflecting and re-evaluating my life purpose.

Among many of the things that have emerged was the stark realization how many of us, myself included, tend to respond to opportunities with “How much money will I make?” or “What’s in it for me?” (Image Credit:  lorenodom)

Whoa!  That’s backward thinking!

True abundance is the result of helping other people get what they want first (love, peace, prosperity, acceptance, etc) to get what you want (the same exact things!).

If you really think about it, we all want the same things, don’t we?  So why don’t you and I take up a different way of thinking starting right now and say to ourselves, “What can I do to help you?”  Then see what comes your way.

I am very grateful that a friend of mine, Rebecca Duggan (who happens to be a fellow pilot), introduced me to an online business whose time has come because the first thing I saw was how their business model perfectly matched my newly re-framed attitude of helping others prosper.

Check it out!!

1. Go to my online business.
2. Scroll down to the bottom where you see my photo with Obstacle Illusions, LLC beneath it (that’s my company name)
3. Click on the photo and then go to the top right corner to “Overviews”
4. Click on the line that says “Click Here to View the Overview”  (Note:  Ignore the line above it that says “The overview has moved”).  Watch the video.
5. After you’re done with the video, scroll down the page until you see “How It Works” – that’s an online PowerPoint presentation.

After you’re done with the video and Powerpoint, go ahead and get some “hands on experience” by going back to my site.   You’ll see a drop down menu where it says “Retailers (A-Z).”  Do you recognize some of the stores?  Have you shopped through them online before?

I am inviting you to become part of my “A-List” team where you’d be sharing this opportunity with others exactly the way I’ve done with you today – online (or via email).  You could do this with your laptop – anywhere, anytime.    The company has done all the work for you.   It’s all a matter of making connections with people and helping them succeed!

Let’s do it together!

How I Managed to Stay on a Mostly Raw Food Lifestyle

Vita-Mix Blender

Granted, this winter has by far been the most challenging time for to stay on the raw food diet because I no longer cook.    That means I no longer eat “warm foods.”

For many of you, that would be a seemingly impossible task to let your pots and pans collect dust the way I have.  But if there’s anything I’ve learned with this journey, it’s all a mindset.

Once you make a firm decision to tackle a new way of eating, your deeply ingrained habits can and will change, even disappear – like how my cigar smoking and coffee drinking habits faded away.  They were two of my most favorite things in the world!  If you had told me that I’d give these two up, I would have called you crazy!  But it did happen.  Amazing!

Here’s how I’ve managed to sustain this lifestyle even during the coldest of winter months:

1.  Bought a Vitamix – this was a signal to my subconscious mind that I was deadly serious about my new lifestyle.  Reminder:  If you buy a Vitamix through me, you automatically get FREE SHIPPING ($25 value).

2.  Because I made a FIRM decision to start and didn’t worry about the ton of information floating out there with different people spouting forth different opinions about raw foods, I was able to enjoy the art of experimentation.  Now more than ever, I listen to my intuition because that’s what this journey has taught me to do.

3.  I also bought a good handful of raw food books that resonated with me.   The first book I ever got was “The Raw Food Detox Diet.”   Over time, I added more to my bookshelf .  There are a ton of books out there, many of which say the same things but there are also differing opinions as well.    Do your research and then get whatever feels right to you.

4.  Here’s a sample of what I eat during the day:

• Morning: A green smoothie (mixture of green leafy vegetables, orange, apple, frozen strawberries and a banana).  I’m having fun mixing different ingredients by listening to my intuition.  I’ve made some surprising discoveries in this way.
• Mid-morning: A cup of Khashi granola cereal (not 100 percent raw but that’s okay!)
• Lunch: A simple cucumber sandwich (or rollup) consisting of cucumbers, garlic/herb spices, slices of apples, feta cheese and onions.  ABSOLUTELY, OUTRAGEOUSLY DELICIOUS!
• Mid-afternoon: A banana, apple, orange or a Lara Bar (it varies)
• Dinner: Usually a big bowl of spinach salad loaded with a ton of vegetables, apples, raisins, raw cheese, garlic, etc.  AWESOME!

5.  I usually drink hot herbal tea throughout the day to keep my body warm (no more coffee!)

6.  I also take hot baths from time to time!

7.  I exercise for at least 30 to 60 minutes, most of which are done on the treadmill (cardio).  That sure gets my blood warmed up!

8.  And finally, I experiment, experiment, experiment!  I don’t get caught up in too many other people’s opinions.   I’ve been having a blast watching my energy soar and stay there while watching a lot of weight slide and stay off.   On top of that, I’ve been lead to do things that I never thought I’d do.  You’ll be surprised what I have in my mind as the next thing I want to do – everyone will think I’m absolutely crazy to do it but I just might.     Can you guess what it is?  I’ll give you a hint  – it has to do with moving elsewhere.

WiFi Toshiba Laptop

Ever since I bought my first-ever laptop computer the day after Thanksgiving last year and asked a friend from church (Robert Patrick) to set up my wireless router (THANK YOU ROBERT!), I’ve been using it in other parts of my home, mostly in the living room where I have a comfortable leather couch.

I’m so grateful that I’m no longer shackled inside my office, chained to the desktop computer.   The freedom of having a wireless WiFi computer also allows me to go to coffee shops whenever I feel like it and still stay connected!

Not only that, but I can do my new online business anywhere in the world!  I can conduct transactions and introduce people to the business from inside a tea shop in the Caribbean if I wanted to!  Who would ever have thunk it? 

Grand Opening of Reiki Practice

Thanks to a new friend Alex who I met at a potluck dinner at Pure Intentions (a school of energy in the valley near my home), I now have a new flyer to advertise my Reiki healing services (see photo).  All the credit goes to him for creating it from scratch.  The only thing I provided was my photo.

Thank you Alex!   After a few minor changes, the flyer will be good to go!

When people advance in new directions with good intentions (hmmm…”good intentions”/”pure intentions” – something divine happening here????), be prepared for the universe to provide the right people, places and circumstances to assist you.   That’s exactly what’s happening with me as I pursue this new healing arts journey.

Not only did Alex help me create my first Reiki flyer (he’s a graphic designer) but a very attractive arrangement was magically worked out with a couple of massage therapists already established at Pure Intentions.

Both Sean Freeman and Sue Kime have have generously made available their beautifully decorated rooms at incredibly reasonable rates while I build my new Reiki practice.   I am so grateful to them.  Thank you Sean and Sue!

Rebekah, the delightful drummer, also from Pure Intentions, gets my heartfelt thanks for her love and support as well.

Heck, everyone there, Kathy Evans (Owner of Pure Intentions) and Cindy Eubanks, the life coach have also reached out and welcomed me into their burgeoning community.   Kathy gave me permission this morning to hang up the flyer on a bulletin board in the lobby as well as put out extra copies on a beautifully decorated shelf space (also in the lobby).   I couldn’t have asked for a more loving reception!  Thanks Kathy and Cindy.

If you’re from the area, there are many things going on at Pure Intentions including a raw food/vegetarian monthly potluck dinner, yogi, drumming, life coaching and massage therapy (and now Reiki!)    Check out their calendar – I hope to see you there one day!

Here’s a picture of one of the rooms I’ll be using:

To those at Pure Intentions who have so generously reached out to me at this new juncture of my life, THANK YOU, THANK YOU AND THANK YOU!

If you are in the Akron/Cleveland area and you’d like to experience the Reiki healing touch, please send me an message via the contact form above or call 866-541-8152 for an appointment.

We can get you in on most days as long as I am in town and clear it with Sean or Sue.

Food for thought:  Are you experiencing difficult times right now?  I hope not but if you are, I’m with you in spirit.  Write down what good things you have going on right now and focus on them for a bit.  Need help?

Okay, how about this – can you hear, see, smell, talk or walk?   If you’re missing one of these, think of the other abilities you do have.  Are you in good health?  Well, there’s one for you.  If you’re not, are you being taken care of?   You can do it!

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