Did you know that you’re already awakened?
 
If that question resonates with you or raises your curiosity, then you’re meant to read this. Nothing in this book is new. Yet how many times have you needed to hear or read something before it made an impact?
 
After the CLJ interview with Walsch (March issue) and his talk about Highly Evolved Beings, I had to read this book. I started it one night before bed, read ten chapters before I stopped to sleep, and finished it two days later. I felt he was speaking to me. And the truths contained in the pages of this book were what I needed to hear.
 
There is no separation. We are all part of the same energy, Spirit, Oneness. Everything on the planet communicates—every cell of every living thing—because all life has a foundational intelligence. “The cells of your body will act in unison and in harmony with each other when there is alignment with the soul on the direction each moment in your life will take, from a cellular level, based on the Soul’s agenda in that femtosecond.”
 
Alignment comes from moving in the direction of a particular force (thought) where the focus is desire (the Soul). All that matters is empowering your preference. What you choose to empower is up to you. You have free will, the freedom to create anything you choose. So if the purpose of everything is simply to be, to exist, then the decisions are always about being. It’s not the result that counts; it’s the process, the journey, the experience of your expression.
The point of this book is to let people know that they have awakened, even though they may not know that they know. But rather than tell everyone about awakening, it’s up to us to behave the way awakened people would behave. To model that behavior so others will know how to be as well. Because the fastest way to awaken is to help someone else awaken.
 
So how does an awakened person behave? There are 16 ways that Highly Evolved Beings act. The first three ways are to see the unity in all of life, to always tell the truth, and to always do what you say. Easy to think about. Not so easy to carry out. To help integrate these new behaviors, Walsch gives us five tools that we can use on a daily basis, such as choosing a state of being. Life has less to do with what you do and more to do with what you’re being while you do it. But he emphasizes that there’s nothing to learn. We already know how to stop our negative thoughts and be more loving and act with compassion and kindness. We merely have to choose that behavior and repeat it—often.
 
Will you be one of the people who experiences life as Highly Evolved Being? Will you say yes? Because, in all sincerity, now is the perfect time for advancement. All it takes is a decision.

[Originally published in the Conscious Life Journal, May 2017]

My dear friend and astrologer Michelle Gregg gave me a transit chart reading (where the planets are now) to help me understand what’s going on energetically with the world and with me.
 
In the world perspective is Uranus/Pluto squared (challenging energy). This is a signal of tremendous transformation, big world changes. This same configuration took place in the 1930s-40s, the 1960s, and now, with major gender changes and shattered world views.
 
For me, the major upheaval is a mix of Pluto crossing Chiron in the 7th house in opposition to Cancer in the 1st house. Pluto is the planet of transformation. It brings up all the dark nasties to be examined and healed. Chiron represents where you’re wounded. The 7th house is about relationships and the 1st house is about the Self. To simplify, now is the time for all the issues with self-esteem, self-respect, self-worth, and self-love to come up for examination and healing. All those experiences from my past when I wasn’t valued or respected. All the times I haven’t loved myself or didn’t feel loved. All those moments when I criticized myself and compared myself to others and felt less than. That dark, grungy stuff I carry inside is just waiting for understanding, for some compassion and forgiveness, for me to say “I love you no matter what.”
 
So how do I deal with that? Every night before bed I say the Forgiveness Prayer by Lisa Barnett. [You can find it on p. 48 of the March/April 2017 issue of the Conscious Life Journal.] I forgive all those who have hurt me, those I have hurt, and, last but not least, I forgive myself for any hurts to myself. And during the day, I catch my negative thoughts and turn them into positive ones by sending love, love, love to all parts of me.
 
What’s coming up for you to heal? Find out what guidance Michelle has to offer. 

Do you love yourself only when you feel good? What about when you fail a test, don’t get a raise, or can’t fit into your new clothes? What if you could really love yourself all the time?
 
The term “self-love” means the love of oneself, the instinct or desire to promote one’s own well-being. True self-love is not narcissistic or self-indulgent but an awareness of your inner power.  Self-love acknowledges who you are and what you like. Those stirrings inside you (a love of nature, playing with color, writing songs, rescuing animals) are meant to point your way. By cultivating your gifts, you show your true passions to the world. Your light illuminates the way for others and allows them to shine as well.
 
How do you start loving yourself? Here are five ways to begin the journey.
 
1) Address self-sabotage. Does your inner voice say you’re not good enough, not smart enough, not pretty enough? Those negative thoughts stem from past experience and are lodged in your unconscious. Before you can practice self-love you need to let them go. You can heal these thoughts through techniques like hypnotherapy, coaching, tapping (EFT), and the Sedona Method. By changing your beliefs, you allow the real you to emerge.
 
2) Use affirmations. Affirmations are positive statements that train your subconscious mind to develop new ways of thinking. Here are some self-love affirmations to get you started.
 
I love myself just the way I am.
I appreciate who I am right now.
I let go of my fears and go forward with confidence.
 
3) Appreciate yourself. Really look in the mirror. When was the last time you told yourself how beautiful or handsome you are? Loving what you see is an act of courage, a demand for unconditional acceptance. Last year when I was suffering with horrible hip pain and screaming my anguish, I confronted myself. The lies I’ve perpetrated. The ones that said I’m not beautiful. I’m not worthy. I am less than. I stood there with tears streaming down my face and said, “I love you.” At first I could barely whisper those words. But with each repetition my voice strengthened. As I confirmed the truth about me, the pain lessened until it finally disappeared and I acknowledged who I really am.
 
Start with what you DO like and really love that part of you. The more you do this, the more you’ll incorporate parts of you that you didn’t like before. And when you truly love yourself, others will too.
 
4) Be creative. Do you love to play with color, write, sing, make something with your hands? Give yourself permission to follow that voice that’s saying “can I, can I?” Play. Explore. Discover. Embracing your passions is a sure way to love yourself.
 
5) Practice forgiveness. Criticizing yourself or comparing yourself to others only hurts you. Sometimes it’s hard to remember you’re not perfect. But holding on to that resentment can cripple your body, literally. Forgiveness is a way to heal and move forward with peace and love. Say a forgiveness prayer faithfully—for at least 30 days— and watch those hurts begin to release and dissolve.
 
These are just a few ways to practice self-love and engage in loving thoughts. The more you love yourself, the more you step into your power. Experience the love that is rightfully yours. Let your light shine. Be the amazing person you can be.

[Originally published in the Conscious Life Journal​, March 2017]

Some years ago I hired a business coach to help me expand my gourmet brownie company. She gave me a multiple-choice question test to determine how I "am" in the world. The test included a number of statements that leaned toward Christian philosophy and I struggled with my answers since I wasn't raised in the Christian faith. After I finished the test, she tallied the results and pronounced that I resonated with the Service category. In my ignorance, all that came to mind was visions of missionaries in the jungles of Africa, and I surely did not want to do that or be that.

Now, after many years on my spiritual path, I have a greater understanding of the word "service." Service is how you operate in the world. It is a way of giving to others, of helping others. Using your gifts and talents to lift others up, to motivate, encourage, and inspire them. And that is truly my path.

When I sat in the quiet the other day, my question to my angels, guides, and Spirit was, "How can I be of service?" This is what I heard.

Go within and pray. Not a prayer as you usually think, but a pray-ing, a request, an envisioning of your desires. You are a magnificent manifestor. Just look at all you have created around you—your friends, your business acquaintances, your teachers and healers, the network of people who love and support you, your gorgeous house, your amazing body, the endless creativity you tap into. You want for nothing and yet you still have doubts. Cast those doubts aside and look within.
 
Look within to the peace of your heart. The white shining light that is unconditional love. That love is always with you, always for you, always beside you. It IS you. You cannot be without it. So when you are going out in the world let this love be your guide. When you are wishing and hoping and desiring something or someone, let this love be your guide. Ask yourself, “If I am love, what would I do? How can I be of service?” And then await the answer.
 
There is no need for patience. You do not need to test yourself with situations in which you can exercise patience. Simply be. Be with the love. Every moment. Every breath. Whenever doubt arises, ask again, “If I am love, what would I do?” And resonate with that feeling.
 
Let love fill the walls of your cells and echo through the chambers of your organs. Let love fill your muscles and bones and ligaments and radiate outward until your skin is glowing. Become a vessel of love. See that white light stream through you and surround you so that you are encased in love. And with this love, and from this love, is how you will be and do.
 
We are all here to love, so there is really nothing to DO but be the love that you already are. It is just a matter of remembering. A recalling of the divinity that you came from, that Sourced you, that place and time you return to when you dream. Be the love that fills you up and then watch in amazement what miracles transpire.
 
This is the blessing we give to you, the blessing that is yours and has always been yours. Be Love. That is all. 

           ​At long last, the answer to the great mystery of life can be summed up in three words: relax, release, rejoice. According to Michael Singer in The Untethered Soul, to achieve this wonderful state you simply open up your heart and allow life experiences to pass through you. Any worries, doubts, and fears you meet along the way can be overcome by letting go, and, if you follow his suggestions, you’ll find the golden highway to Nirvana.
              So why aren’t you and the other seven billion people on the planet living this way?
We’re entrenched in our routines. Even if they don’t work, even if they’re harmful, they’re comfortable and safe. Anything else feels scary. Dangerous. So we erect roadblocks.
You know that inner voice, the one that nags, gives advice, even soothes and praises? That voice does its best to protect you, to keep you comfortable and safe. If something threatens your perceived safety, that voice goes into overdrive.
            Your emotions also come into play. Pain, sadness, happiness, joy, fear, guilt, shame, the list goes on. Your feelings relate to experiences. If you were hurt in the past, you’re likely holding onto that emotion in the present, and every time a similar situation occurs, that old pain crops up.
            And all these thoughts and emotions require energy. As long as your energy flows, you feel good. But if something upsets you, disappoints you, frustrates you, etc., you close down. That thought or feeling sticks with you and you create resistance. The energy stops flowing and now you have a blockage.
            To navigate these roadblocks, Singer instructs you to become aware. Watch your thoughts, watch your emotions, look at your reactions to those thoughts and emotions. Discover the you behind that inner voice. “What differentiates a conscious centered being from a being who is not so conscious is simply the focus of their awareness.” Your problems come from your reactions. The narrower your focus, the more you center in your problems. When you feel an energy shift, relax and let it go. The more you do this, the easier it becomes.
             The journey of conscious awareness requires a steadfast willingness to work through your fears. To face all of your thoughts and emotions with an open heart. To reach a point where you can separate your physical, mental, and emotional bodies from your spiritual Self. We suffer all the time, so much so that we don’t realize it. But you can replace your old habits with a new awareness practice and leave the pain behind. All it takes is commitment—the beginning of spiritual growth.
            The Untethered Soul is a metaphorical hand extended to show you a better way. If you’re brave enough to take that hand, you’ll embark on a path that has been guaranteed throughout the history of mankind to result in a life of unconditional love and happiness—namely, bliss.

[Originally published in the Conscious Life Journal, March 2017]

Things are stirring and being stirred up around the world. In the United States, our new president is welcomed with both anticipation and dread, depending on which viewpoint you hold. For those of us who carry the light, it is critical that we stay steadfast and continue to heal. Continue to release. Continue to hold and shine our love wherever possible. We came here at this time by divine appointment. Stand in your faith and in your truth. Let that be the beacon that directs your path.

Lisa Barnett from Akashic Knowing shares a beautiful message from the Akashic Masters that addresses our situation. Please take the time to read this, and share it, and emulate the peace that we envision.

​Message from the Akashic Masters

Blessings,
Nanette

According to government studies in America, more than two-thirds of adults and almost one-third of youths are overweight and obese. So what’s the answer? Go on a diet.

The problem with diets is that they’re temporary. When they’re over we go back to our old habits.

What we really need is a change—a lifestyle change.

In The Blue Zones Solution: Eating and Living Like the World’s Healthiest People, Dan Buettner talks with people from Okinawa (Japan), Sardinia (Italy), the Nicoya Peninsula (Costa Rica), Ikaria (Greece), and Loma Linda (California). These individuals range from 60 to 104 and they’re not frail and sickly. They’re active and in good health.

How do they do it?

In each culture, Buettner took careful notes on types of food, preparation, and eating habits. In Ikaria, the people rely on vegetables, whole grains, fruits, olive oil, and a little fish. Okinawans favor sweet potatoes, tofu, green leafy vegetables, and seaweed. In Sardinia, the foods are olive oil, lemons, beans, goat/sheep’s milk, flat bread, and fava beans/chickpeas. The Seventh-day Adventists in Loma Linda emphasize nuts, whole grains, beans, and soy products. The secret of the Nicoyans is beans, corn, and squash.

Food is certainly important, but there’s more to a rich life than what you eat. None of the people interviewed were on a diet. The keys to longevity are a plant-based diet, movement, purpose, family, and community. “They lived in environments that encouraged healthy eating.”

Could this type of lifestyle happen in America? The answer is a resounding YES!

Blue Zone experiments took place in Albert Lea, Minnesota; Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, California; and Muscatine, Iowa. Citizens changed their diets. Local restaurants included more healthy choices. City councils added bike lanes, park paths, and community gardens. Kids stopped taking the bus and walked to school. The results were phenomenal.

Ready to build your own Blue Zone? The book delivers information on how to eat to 100, menus for meals and snacks, and over 70 recipes from the five cultures interviewed. When Buettner asked centenarian Ellsworth Wareham (Loma Linda) to describe how he feels, he said, “Tell them I still feel like I’m 20.”

​Remember, this isn’t a temporary diet. As Buettner says, “When it comes to living longer, there’s no short-term fix. Ubiquitous, long-lasting tweaks to your environment will add up to big changes in the rest of your life.”

[Originally published in the Conscious Life Journal, January 2017]

​Does your life flow with serendipity? Vishen Lakhiani believes there’s a universal force that governs us and we can all tap into it. All of us. Including you.
 
If you’re living without serendipity, you're probably relying on thought patterns and beliefs you picked up as a child. In The Code of the Extraordinary Mind Lakhiani interviewed the top people in their game—Richard Brandon, Elon Musk, Ariana Huffington, Tony Robbins—and delved into their secrets. Then he reframed that information and put it into easy-to-understand pieces. You begin with the culture that surrounds you and the brules you live by. You learn how to recognize what no longer serves you, how to upgrade your beliefs and your systems for living, and how to bend reality. Then you discover the difference between means goals and end goals, and how to put it all together to have a life of purpose and meaning.
 
Lakhiani says, “[Bending reality] is the ideal state where you’re happy in the now, and you have a vision for the future that drives you. When you’re in this state, there’s a feeling of growth and enjoyment. It’s about the journey as well as the destination.”
 
Each chapter comes replete with honest stories about Lakhiani’s life, his gambles, what failed, and what worked. The writing style is mesmerizing because Lakhiani excels at storytelling and the information is motivating and encouraging. There’s also an Online Experience (http://www.thecodexmind.com/extraordinary) that corresponds to each book chapter and contains numerous videos to further enlighten you on the chapter highlights. For example, in Chapter 4 – Rewrite Your Models of Reality, Lakhiani mentions a severe case of acne and how he cured it in four weeks through creative visualization. The online site contains both a video on creative visualization and a link for a free course. I was so inspired by his success that I made a recording around my own health issues and have been playing it twice a day.
 
But Lakhiani saves the best for last. At the end of the book is an Appendix where he describes his golden treasure, the 6-Phase Meditation. He discovered that a blend of methods/ideas produces a greater whole than the individual parts. There are six pieces to his meditation: compassion, gratitude, forgiveness, future dreams, the perfect day, and the blessing. By combining all of these into one meditation, you get the best of the best. He also developed an app for the meditation that you can download for free from Omvana.
 
The Code of the Extraordinary Mind is a fascinating book that will leave you well-armed to face the perplexing world of stress and high technology and come away with a more relaxed, purposeful, and blissful you.

[Originally published in the Conscious Life Journal, November 2016]

          How aware are you? Are you sleeping through life or vibrantly awake? Do unexpected situations easily affect you or do you choose your reactions and emotions?
          We live in a world of chaotic beauty. Governments are crumbling, terrorism is on the rise, we’re depleting the planet of the elements that sustain us. And yet we strive for peace.
          When Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon for the first time, he uttered the well-known words, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” The same is true for each step made by an individual. You count. Your step counts.
             So how do you make that step the best you can?
             You raise your awareness.
           The planet has been raising its vibration in the past few years, attuning to a new frequency. We’re not living in the Dark Ages anymore (even though it often feels that way). With advanced technology at our fingertips, we can communicate faster and better than ever before. We can share information faster and better than ever before. And, most importantly, we’re being given the opportunity to feel our emotions faster and better than ever before.           
As the Earth’s vibration shifts around us, things get dredged up. Those old patterns and limiting beliefs that have run your life for so many years are rising to the surface. Knocking at your door. Screaming for recognition. It’s time to eliminate them, to release the old and bring in the new. It’s important to integrate mind, body, and spirit and have balance in our lives. This is where conscious awareness comes in.
           Unfortunately, releasing isn’t always fun. Feeling positive emotions like love, hope, and joy bring wonder and gladness into your being. Negative emotions, on the other hand, can make you feel like crap. So you resist. When an unruly emotion crops up, your first reaction may be to ignore it. Stuff it. Bury it deep inside where you won’t have to worry about it. But you do worry. And that increases your negative vibration.
           I’m a pro at resisting. As I move down my path on my spiritual journey, all kinds of patterns are coming up for release: grudges against people who have wronged me, guilt around money, worry that I’m unworthy or not good enough. They’re not the truth, though. They’re just perceptions. Beliefs that came through my ancestors. Words that I heard as a child. As I grow and expand, I’m learning to let go.
            Over the next months we’ll explore the connections between Mind, Body, and Spirit and how we can further deepen those and create more conscious awareness. For this introductory issue, I chose one of my favorite books The Game of Life and How to Play It by Florence Scovel Shinn, an artist, author, and metaphysical teacher. Written in 1925, it’s chock full of beautiful examples of Shinn’s dealings with her clients who requested help with finances, health, relationships, jealousy, resentment, and more. Shinn teaches that conscious awareness is the key to understanding. Through the knowledge of spiritual law, you can play the “game of life” and be more aware. Be more conscious. Truly understand the art of Giving and Receiving.
            “Whatever a man soweth that shall he also reap.” This familiar quote from the New Testament is a wonderful example of spiritual law. Since life is all about giving and receiving, then whatever you sow (what you send out in thought, speech, or action) is what you reap (what comes back to you). So if you think negative thoughts (you’re unworthy, you hate the person who did you wrong, you’ll never be as good as someone else) then what you receive is more negativity. But if you affirm that God, Spirit, the Divine is always acting in your best interest and there is more than enough for all, then you will receive the abundance that is divinely yours.
            In other words, the more consciously aware you are about how you think, speak, and act, the more you step towards what you truly desire. Each morning I read several pages of this book to absorb the simplicity of the words and begin the day with inspiration. Next, I journal and thank my Chief Spiritual Officer for all the things I have and am currently grateful for and all the things I wish to have, as if I already have them. Thank you for my perfect health, wealth, love, and self-expression. I choose my words to convey the belief that I am abundant, I am in perfect health, I have wonderful friends and family, and my creativity abounds.
            Since I started reading this book and doing my daily journal, miracles have happened. I’m healthier, happier, and more abundant. I also pay more attention to my thoughts and actions, often catching myself in the act of negative thinking and turning it into positive thinking. The more I can do that, the more I create the vibrations that will attract what I desire.
Conscious awareness takes practice. Sometimes it’s one step forward and two steps back. But every time you’re aware and making a conscious choice, one that resonates with you, you’re taking a step in the right direction.
          Read The Game of Life and go about your day with grace, hope, and (of course) more conscious awareness.
            
[Originally published in the Conscious Life Journal, August 2016]