Greeting the New Year With Hope!

This is an image of a diverse group of hands holding up colorful letters that spell HOPE.

© rawpixel/shutterstock.com

 

The three most important words that most of us have heard from our early experiences in church or school were faith, hope and love. Isn’t it interesting that faith and love are in the present tense and can be felt and experienced by others, as well as yourself, in the moment.

 

Webster defines faith as “a strong belief or trust in someone or something;” and love as “a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend.”‎

 

Hope, however, does not typically generate as strong an emotional response as either of these words because it does not create an emotional experience today. It is a feeling or a mindful wish for tomorrow or some point in the future. That point in the future is most likely a goal or vision we have set for an outcome that we desire.

 

So what is hope?

 

Wikipedia says that hope is: “an optimistic attitude of mind based on an expectation of positive outcomes related to events and circumstances.” Hope, therefore, is the internal wish or, as some would say, a prayer for something to occur.

 

We, as a country, hope for peace and the end of wars. We, as a family, hope for unconditional love and support. We, as individuals, are always hoping for a better life filled with the qualities of health, joy, and prosperity.

In a physical world that is filled with crime, poverty, war, and disease, it is easy to get caught up in the fear of what we see and to lose hope for a better world.  Let us never underestimate the power of hope. Hope gives us the ability to endure hardships while working toward a positive outcome. When we have hope, we can experience all the difficulties that life has thrown in our way, and we can climb out of the depths of despair to achieve our goals and to realize our dreams.

 

As we look forward to a successful and pleasant 2015, it is important that we continue to remember that our hopes and dreams are the inspirational fuel that ignites our passion to create a physical world that reflects our eternal connection with Universal Love.  When we have hope, we persist in focusing on the light even in the darkness, and anything is possible.  In the words of Samuel Smiles, “Hope is like the sun, which, as we journey toward it, casts the shadow of our burden behind us”.

 

May this year be your best year ever!

 

 

Love and Light,

 

Sandra

 

 

Sandra Brossman is the author of The Power of Oneness, Live the Life You Choose and the featured presenter in Live the Life You Choose DVD.  To learn more about how you can align your life with spiritual truth, order the book or DVD box set at  http://www.thepowerofoneness.com/products/

How Can We Create A Physical World of Unconditional Love?

This is an image of a blue cloudy ski with the word VISION spelled out in the clouds

© phloxii/shutterstock.com

We came to this magnificent earth to experience our true spiritual nature by using our creative energy to manifest unconditional love into physical form. As we each become whole within ourselves, we have the strength to remember our connection with each other, and we experience Oneness.

 

Oneness is our spiritual connection with everyone and everything through the energy of universal love. The qualities of Oneness are love, health, peace, joy, and abundance. Because we are each created in the energy of unconditional love, it is divine will that we experience the qualities of Oneness in our lives.

 

Each of us has the awesome ability to consciously and actively participate in the co-creation of a kinder, more enlightened world through the practice of vision prayers. Visions are mental pictures, inspired by the soul, clarifying what we want to experience in our lives. Prayer is the energetic bridge that links our visions to universal spirit. When our vision prayers coincide with universal truth, absolutely everything and anything is possible because we are living in concert with the laws of nature.

 

When I completed the book, “The Power of Oneness, Live the Life You Choose,” I was spiritually guided with the words for A Vision of Oneness. Because this prayer is based on the spiritual truth of our unity, it resonates at an extremely high frequency and has the creative potential to manifest quickly and in ways that far transcend our human understanding.

 

The following is an explanation of why each word is so powerful:

 

I AM at one with The Source of Light and Ultimate Expression of Universal Love.

 

We instantly elevate our vibration by beginning our prayers with I AM, the most powerful two words known to man because they are the essence of ultimate creative energy. We are affirming our direct and personal connection with the unified field of love and intelligence and are embracing our power to co-create with Creative Source.

 

I AM an open, active channel receiving and expressing unconditional love.

 

When we align the will of our minds and the actions of our bodies to coincide with divine will, we are exalting our minds and bodies to resonate with the infinitely higher vibration of Spirit, which clears the path for the energy of universal love to flow to and from us.

 

I AM thankful for all that is.

 

The resonance of gratitude also raises our vibration and increases our capacity to receive. We can certainly express our thanks for specific things; however, when we are also thankful for everything that exists, we honor the divinity in every person we meet, every challenge we encounter, and every situation we experience, whether it has been pleasant or not. When we do this, we broaden our perceptions to accommodate an even greater flow of blessings because we recognize the blessings in all that we see and experience.

 

I see myself joyfully experiencing peace within, health at all levels of my being, and abundance in all forms that are in my greatest good.

 

We connect our visions with the universal field of unconditional love and infinite potential by declaring what we want to experience in our lives as though it is already in existence. We can see it with our mind’s eye and declare it through words. What matters most is that we affirm the qualities of life we truly want to experience and feel it within our hearts as though it has already been accomplished.

 

I see my personal healing contributing to a World of Unconditional Love, Harmony, Wholeness, Abundance, and Joy.

 

Each one of us affects all of us. As we heal our own individual lives, we can honor our personal responsibility to contribute to a world in which we can all experience the qualities of Oneness by expanding our personal visions to a larger world view.

 

I surrender this vision to the unconditional love of the Universe.

 

Between our physical reality and our visions of new possibilities is a space in which we need to surrender our personal will. When we surrender, we let go of our ego’s need to control the outcomes, and we place the masterminding of how our prayers are answered into the hands of universal intelligence. When we surrender a prayer to the love of the universe, we are acknowledging the infinite wisdom of Spirit to provide resolutions that far surpass our grandest human plans because they are answered in ways that are for the good of the whole.

 

I know this prayer is being answered in ways that are for the greatest good of all.

 

This is the faith part of our prayer and the point at which our limiting belief systems many times start to creep in. We often question the power of our human spirit to create with divine energy. Pure faith transcends believing or understanding – it is KNOWING that our prayers are always answered, even if we cannot see it with our physical eyes. When we expect positive outcomes, we are acknowledging that our prayer has been heard and is accomplished according to divine will. Interestingly, the word “expect” is derived from the Latin words ex (from) and pector (heart). It is the nature of the Universe to work in concert with the desires of the heart.

 

Amen.

 

This is the part of the prayer where we release our intentions to the Universe. The sound of “Amen” is extremely significant: “Aaah” is the sound of creation and breath, and “om” is the sound of manifestation (bringing energy into physical form). Saying this prayer at least once a day has phenomenal potential to heal your life and to bless the world. Since our thoughts create our reality, one can only imagine the infinite transformational energy that can be generated by the majority of our world population uniting with each other in this vision prayer for global spiritual healing! We have the power to bring heaven to earth!

 

Love and Light

 

Sandra

 

 

Sandra Brossman is the author of The Power of Oneness, Live the Life You Choose.  To learn more about how you can align your life with spiritual truth, order the book at http://www.thepowerofoneness.com/products/ 

 

The Light Is Within You

This is the image of a human with all their inner light shining through in vibrant colors

© styleuneed.de/shutterstock

 

As we evolve in our spiritual journey, we are increasingly hearing more and more about Divine Light.  The mere mention of the word light reminds us of many pleasant feelings, such as: radiant, bright, warm, delightful, floating, effortless, uplifting and clear.  We seem to intuitively know that light is synonymous with our truth, as is evident in expressions such as, “It wasn’t clear to me at first, but I finally saw the light.”

 

But what about darkness?  Most of us associate darkness with the negative side of life – such as: pain, fear, obscurity, depression, poverty, and sickness.  At a soul level, none of us enjoys experiencing the “dark side of life” –  and yet, here we are, living in a world in which we are personally and collectively experiencing sickness, violence, greed, crime, and poverty.  What is the meaning of all this darkness?

 

From a spiritual perspective, unconditional love is all that is real; therefore darkness is simply the absence of love.  We came to this physical world to remember our True Self through the experience of separation from our creative source. The greatest divine gift we have been given in this dynamic physical world of polarities is the power to choose our perceptions.  Since light (perceptions of love) and darkness (perceptions of fear) are  ultimate opposites, we can only remember the light through the contrast of darkness.

 

Many times our greatest growth periods come through the experience of the pain of separation.  Those of us who have experienced “dark times” in life through tremendously challenging situations such as serious illness and mental, emotional, and physical trauma know the opportunities within these situations to gain enormous wisdom and insight about life.

 

Indeed, there are lessons within our lives that may be much more apparent in the darkness of our despair because we can focus more intensely when there are fewer things to see.  It is like walking into a dark room—at first we can see nothing, yet after our eyes have had a chance to refocus, we begin to clearly see particular items even though the room is still dark.  Likewise, we can have some very profound insights about areas of our lives that need improvement while we are quietly lying in bed recovering from illness and surgery, during  the inactive times that may come with being unemployed, or by feeling disoriented in an entirely new environment.

 

Painful experiences also remind us how to be compassionate and non-judgmental toward others.  We can theorize about how it might feel to have a life-threatening illness, deal with a drug addiction, go through a divorce, lose a job, or have serious money problems; but it is the actual experience of living through these types of experiences that opens our hearts to express tenderness and total compassion to others who are wrestling with their own challenges in life.

 

We are all experiencing different dramatic versions of the pain of separation in our lives as we awaken to our true spiritual nature.  Be gentle and compassionate with yourself – resisting the areas of your life that are challenging your soul is like fighting with your own shadow.  The most effective way we can move through the darkness is to simply accept that our challenges are all a part of a masterful universal plan to remind us of our wholeness and our power to return to the Oneness of unconditional love.

 

As we awaken to this truth, we also begin to remember that the Light we are seeking cannot be found outside of ourselves through our material world.  THE LIGHT WE SEEK IS WITHIN – IT IS SHINING TO US AND THROUGH US.  Rather than react to the fear that appears as darkness, it is our spiritual mission to bring divine light to everyone and everything  through our mere presence.

 

Pure light includes the full spectrum of every color known and unknown to us.  When pure light passes through a prism, the prism refracts the incoming light wave into many other different wave lengths. When we perceive humanity in the metaphorical sense of being one gigantic prism, we see that collectively we form a beautiful rainbow coming from one source of divine light.  As we focus on the light within ourselves and all others, we begin to merge back into one brilliant wave of pure light as, together, we return to our original state of enlightenment and Oneness.

 

Namaste!  (The light within me honors the light within you),

 

Sandra

 

A portion of this message is an excerpt from the book, The Power of Oneness, Live the Life You Choose.  To learn more about how you can align your life with spiritual truth, order the book at http://www.thepowerofoneness.com/products/ 

 

How Can We Forgive People Who Have Hurt Us Deeply? PART ONE

 

This is the image of a gold and sparkle outline of a heart on a black background

© Ron Dale/shutterstock.com

 

Sometimes the words and actions of people who have hurt you may feel so vicious that the thought of forgiving them seems like an impossible human feat.  No matter how hard you try, you may feel that you cannot reconcile your feelings about them, nor understand how anyone could act in such unkind ways. It is only human to feel angered and upset when we are on the receiving end of someone’s cruel words and actions.  What is self-destructive is not that we have these feelings – it is that we hold onto them.  Most of us tend to hold the illusion that forgiveness is something that we are being asked to give to an undeserving person, so one of the best ways to prepare yourself to be a forgiving person is to see forgiveness in a more truthful light.

 

Forgiveness always begins with self.

 

 

Believe it or not, the person you most need to forgive for any situation in which you have been hurt is yourself – not because you are “wrong,” but because you have made choices which have not been aligned with your soul’s need for inner truth and self-respect. By forgiving yourself, it becomes easier to forgive others and to move out of the victimhood perception.  It’s all part of our spiritual growth.

 

 

Forgiving someone does not mean you are endorsing

anyone’s harmful behavior.

 

 

You may find it very liberating to realize that you do not need to feel warmly toward people who have hurt you, nor do you need to understand their actions, in order to forgive. You may even make a healthy decision that it is not in your best interest to be in the physical presence of people who have hurt you deeply.

 

The way people act is a reflection of how they feel about themselves,

NOT YOU!

 

When someone behaves in a harmful, manipulative way, it is very important to understand that they are projecting from THEIR reservoir of fears.  The way they are treating you is exactly the way they feel about themselves.  This is why self-love is so essential in that it forms the foundation for how we treat everyone around us.  When we focus on someone else’s negative behavior by responding the same way, we compound the problem by reinforcing their fears and our own.  We then step into the darkness of the other person’s world of fear, rather than bringing illumination to the situation.  Instead of inviting the other person to our space of peace, we hurt ourselves by stepping into their chaos.

 

 

We learn and grow from our relationships.

 

No matter how angry we may feel toward someone, there are no accidents; there is a reason for every single interaction we have with anyone, whether pleasant or not.  They are teaching us, and we are teaching them.  We can perceive even our most painful experiences as growth opportunities by asking ourselves, “What am I experiencing through this person that I need to learn?”  The things that irritate us about someone else are a reflection of something we need to see within ourselves in order to mature in our spirituality.  We may realize that this person is reminding us our need to develop more self-esteem or exposing our own need to be more patient and forgiving. It could also be that we recognize that what this person is doing that is causing us pain is the same thing we have to someone else in the past.  The important thing is that when we view our relationship issues in this way, we are learning from, rather than judging the other person.

 

 

When you withhold forgiveness, you are likely to repeat

negative relationship patterns.

 

 

When you withhold forgiveness and choose to ignore the messages that are coming to you in the form of relationships, the universe will continue to present you with people and circumstances based on the same theme until you become aware of what you need to know.  It is as though you are in a play and the same actor exits and comes back on stage again wearing a new outfit.  Once you accept the lessons you are learning through your relationships, you are likely to free yourself from living through the same painful emotional patterns over and over again.

 

When you forgive someone,
you no longer allow them to control your life.

 

If you are holding back on forgiving someone, chances are you are making them the center of your attention.  This means that you continue to re-experience the self-damaging emotions of pain, anger, and resentment every time you think of that person, which is probably most of the time.  Why give anyone that kind of power over your life?  Take back your power to live your life with all the potential that exists in present time.

 

Forgiveness is a form of neutral, unconditional love.

 

Forgiveness is not a warm, fuzzy emotion.  It is a neutral, compassionate emotion that acknowledges that we are all connected as one human family.  When you choose to forgive someone, you are acknowledging that every single person on earth, no matter who they are or how they conduct themselves, is part of humanity and, therefore, a part of who you are.  In other words, you stop focusing on the objectionable physical actions of others by looking at a soul level, beneath their negative behavior.

 

The bottom line is that forgiveness is something we do for OURSELVES!  It is the most effective way we can free ourselves from self-defeating old patterns from the past and step into the infinite potential that we can only discover in present time.  When we do this, we are blessing ourselves and everyone in our lives by placing a greater priority on love and inner peace than on revenge and self-righteousness.

 

In next week’s blog, Part 2, we will discuss a simple exercise that will empower you to make forgiveness a part of your daily life.

 

Love and Light

 

Sandra

 

 

Click this link to order the downloadable audio meditation, “Free Yourself Through Forgiveness,” narrated by Sandra Brossman.

 

 

The Path to World Peace Begins Within

this is an image of a heart-shaped earth with clouds and a rainbow symbolizing world peace

© koya979/shutterstock

As the debate over whether U.S. lawmakers should give President Obama authorization to launch a military strike against Syria continues, many of us are once again feeling the enormous inner conflict and deep sadness that comes with trying to reconcile the stark contrast between war and peace. Because our natural spiritual state of being is unconditional love, I truly believe that, at a soul level, every human being desires peace.  The question is:  How do we create it?  

 

 

The emphasis is on the  word “create” because peace is a sense of well being that originates from the inside, beginning with the intention of the heart.  If we are “looking” for it, we will not be able to find it  because peace is not something that comes to us from the outside.  The condition of our physical world is a giant mirror reflecting back to us the collective thoughts of every person who is part of our earth family. Since thought is creative, whatever we focus on expands. Therefore, what we are seeing is an indication that part of our human society is predominately focused on judgment, violence, greed, and crime. 

 

 

We can point a finger of blame wherever and to whomever we want, but it does not change the truth that each one of us has played a part in creating the condition of the world in which we live.  Perhaps it has been in seemingly minor, passive ways, such as getting caught up in the turmoil and conflict of the world by watching and listening to endless news reports of violence and acts of desecration. Or, it could be as intensively aggressive as being a perpetrator in a massive heinous crime.  Judging who is “most wrong” renders us powerless and only creates more separation and discord between us and within our lives. 

 

 

We can only change the quality of our collective personal reality by taking personal responsibility for the part we have each played in creating it. Since all change begins at the level of self, when we change our individual lives, the world around us changes as well.   

 

To create peace within your own life, try some of these basic ideas. You will be amazed at what unfolds! 

 

 

Meditate – Create a space of at least 20 minutes every day to sit in a place of peace and quiet.  Your meditation can be as simple as sitting on your sofa and focusing on your breath.  The importance of this cannot be overstated, for it is within the silence that you can remember your mind and body connection with spirit. 

 

Pray – Ask for divine guidance as to how you can best bring peace to the world; envision what a peaceful world looks like. Most importantly, imagine the feeling of peace within your own heart.

 

Forgive –  Let go of the need to be right.  All conflicts, whether it be in personal relationships or between countries, originate from the perception that one party is “right”  and the other is “wrong.”  Would you rather be right or do you prefer peace? (You may find it helpful to read my blog on Forgiveness, April 23, 2013.) 

 

Live consciously – Align your thoughts, words, and actions with the spiritual values of love, respect, peace, and cooperation.  This requires diligent practice and is the most effective way to live a peaceful life.

 

Be mindful of what you feed your mind –  Stop watching violent entertainment shows and videos and modify the amount of time you spend following the news. There is a difference between being informed and immersing yourself in the fears of the world.  Instead, spend more time reading, watching, and listening to information that inspires you and nourishes your soul. What you put into your mind is what it feeds back to you.

 

Commune with Nature – Spend more time outdoors in the beauty of nature.  Nature regenerates your body, mind, and soul and balances your energy.  

 

 

Even though the status of the world may seem overwhelming and out of our personal control, we each have the power to contribute to world peace. It begins with our personal lives, starting in this present moment.  Every person makes an enormous difference in creating harmony within the world.  Like a drop of water, every single thought we have ripples out into the massive sea of the collective thoughts of all humanity.  By choosing thoughts of love, we automatically unite with other like-minded souls in forming a field of energy that has the infinite power to exponentially create an entirely new world.

 

 

NOT ONLY CAN WE CREATE WORLD PEACE, 

IT IS OUR SACRED MISSION TO DO SO!  

 

 

As always, I welcome your thoughts.

 

Love and Light,

 

Sandra  

Having the Strength to Be Vulnerable

An image of a puppy and a cat happily sitting together

© Ermolaev Alexander/shutterstock

 

Vulnerability is a word that tends to have a very negative connotation in our society.  The associations that come to mind when we think of vulnerability are: susceptible to being wounded or hurt; being open to attack and criticism.  Vulnerability is one of those words that society (and the dictionary) has labeled as a “negative emotion” and one to avoid at all costs.

 

 

As a result of these perceptions, the automatic response that most of us have to the mere thought of being vulnerable is to shield ourselves from any potential attack on our energy by putting up an emotional wall around ourselves. We may even think that if we can protect ourselves from being hurt by someone else’s thoughts, words, and actions, eventually we won’t feel any pain.

 

 

This seemingly self-protective strategy ultimately backfires because when we become numb to pain, we also become numb to experiencing the flow of joy and love in our lives. Putting emotional armor around ourselves actually creates a disconnect between the head and the heart.  Every human being is vulnerable because we all want and need to be loved and accepted.  If we deny our own vulnerability, how can we possibly have empathy and compassion for other human beings?  Empathy and compassion are not experienced in our heads; rather, these self-empowering emotions can only be fully experienced through the heart.

 

 

When you try to avoid being vulnerable,
you are judging yourself for not being perfect

 

 

When you judge yourself, you feel afraid that others will judge you as well.  In an effort to “protect” yourself from having your perceived weaknesses being seen by others, you then have to hide all the parts of yourself that you don’t like by stuffing these fearful emotions somewhere into your mind and body. Ironically, in this futile attempt to “protect” yourself from others, you actually hurt yourself. By not bringing these hidden fears into the light of awareness, eventually your repressed feelings will surely erupt into mental, emotional, and physical pain and suffering.

 

 

 
Everyone has a “shadow side,” which is simply the love that is
trapped inside of us that we are afraid to express.

 

 

When we choose to express our complete, authentic self, we bring our “shadow side” to the conscious light of awareness, thereby creating the space to heal all the parts of ourselves. The following are some healthy ways in which we can allow ourselves to express our vulnerability:

 

1.  Lighten up with humor – We tend to take ourselves so seriously.  There are times when it is entirely appropriate to laugh at our own “mistakes.”

 

2.  Admit when you don’t understand something – Many times we repeat the same unproductive patterns  because we are afraid we will be judged as “stupid” if we ask more questions.

 

3.  Express your honest feelings in a kind, respectful way –  This applies equally to situations where you think that what you have to say is not going to be popular.

 

4.  Tell the truth –  even if it is something so small that no one would know the difference.  Complete honesty creates self-respect and encourages others to do the same.

 

5.  Ask for help when you feel you can’t handle the work load – We don’t need to sacrifice our health and well being to prove to the world that we are capable or indestructible.

 

6.  Take responsibility for your thoughts, words, and actions – When you feel you have hurt someone, face up to it by offering an apology.  You will feel better, and so will the other person.

 

 

Vulnerability does not mean rolling over and allowing yourself to be kicked around.  Expressing your vulnerability is actually an amazing strength that involves standing up for yourself by completely accepting all the parts of who you are – the beautiful and the unattractive parts, the strong and the weak aspects, as well as the successes and the failures that you have experienced.

 

 

If we do not judge ourselves harshly, then it follows that we will not be critical of others. When we accept our Whole Self – warts and all – we open the path for genuine communication in all of our relationships because it sends the signal to others that it is OK for them to be imperfect as well.  It is an acknowledgment of the truth that we accept something we humans all have in common – we are each here on earth to learn and to grow.

 

 

When we are willing to be vulnerable, we are giving ourselves permission to be seen in our entirety. Through this complete acceptance of self, we begin to comprehend the true meaning of unconditional love – for ourselves and others.

 

 

Unconditional love is, indeed, the ultimate in self-protection. 

 

 

Love and Light,

 

Sandra

What is the Difference Between “Giving Up” and “Letting Go?”

This is an image of a beautiful and happy women with open arms

© Pressmaster/shutterstock

Most of us have been barraged throughout our lives with messages about the importance of “never giving up,” so the thought of ever “letting go” might seem weak and powerless.  In fact, you might perceive that these two concepts are totally opposite.

 

 

So what IS the difference between “never giving up” and “letting go?”  Actually, I believe they are different sides of the same coin.

 

 

Never Give Up

 

 

Many of us associate the phrase, “never give up” with a perception of having a relentless, uncompromising, pre-conceived idea of how we view things should be, as well as maintaining a dogged determination to make it happen. This interpretation feeds into the illusion that we have control over other people and outer circumstances and can prove to be very exhausting and frustrating.

 

 

I believe that the loving, spiritual meaning beneath this phrase
is never give up on YOURSELF. 

 

 

In order to stay true to yourself, it is healthy to never give up on:

 

     1.  Remembering that you have the power to co-create with the Universe.  You do this by praying, imagining, clarifying dreams, holding visions, and setting goals that serve to take you in the direction of creating the qualities of life you choose to live.

 

     2.  Persisting to have the enormous amount of courage it takes in order to face your fears head-on.

 

     3.  Mustering up the inner strength required to handle the many set-backs that occur when things do not turn out in the specific ways you have imagined.

 

     4.  Rising above the criticism that you face from people who do not support you in your dreams, visions, and goals.

 

     5.  Committing to take action on the infinite numbers of things you need to do to cooperate with the Universe to make your dreams of a better life come true.

 

     6.  Having the faith to believe that every experience you have is taking you in the direction of Wholeness, no matter how it looks in your physical world.

 

     7.  And that’s where “letting go” comes in.

 

 

 

Letting Go

 

 

Many of us associate the phrase “letting go” with giving up, resignation, quitting, and “losing.”  Far from the truth!  Actually, “letting go” is an attitude of tremendous inner spiritual strength.  It means that after we take full responsibility for honoring our personal roles in co-creating with the Universe by “never giving up” on ourselves (items 1 to 6 above) – we then “let go” of trying to control how everything manifests in our lives.

 

 

Simply stated, “letting go” means letting go of our personal attachment to outcomes.  When we “let go,” we are not sacrificing anything.  Indeed, we are creating a vastly larger space to allow for the  Infinite Potential of the Universe to create magnificent outcomes that far transcend our human perceptions.  This is because we are choosing to put the limitation of our egos aside and  accept  that Divine Love is at work in manifesting how our thoughts, words, and actions appear to us in our physical world – even when the outcomes don’t coincide with our personal ideas. “Letting go” is having the faith to accept that the Universe is totally cooperating with us through the power of unconditional love.

 

 

When seen from this higher spiritual perspective, we can see that  “never giving up” on ourselves and “letting go” of our attachment to outcomes are two dynamics that actually work in perfect harmony!

 

 

Love and Light,

 

Sandra

The Power of Prayer

The image of a peaceful and beautiful woman praying with light streaming on her face

© Subbotina Anna/shutterstock

 

 

In the midst of a physical world in which we are all being tremendously challenged to grow mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, there is nothing more effective in bringing us peace and balance than prayer.

 

 

“Prayer” is a word that is many times used in a completely religious context. 

 

 

While prayer is a part of most religions, it is so much more than a practice or ritual that is specific to any religion. Whatever differences we may have in our personal and religious perceptions, studies consistently show that the majority of our world population believes in a spiritual Supreme Being.  The terms we use to describe this Supreme Being are very personal and depend upon our individual beliefs. In religions, this life force is referenced by many names, some of which are God, Jehovah, Adonoi, Yahweh, and Allah. Some of the spiritual terms used to describe this creative life force are: Creator, Creative Source, Universal Love, Oneness, Supreme Being, Source of Unconditional Love, and Universal Source.

 

 

 
It does not matter what we choose to call this Source of Unconditional Love – We are all connected to it! 

 

 

As we awaken to our truth, we are remembering that we all have a direct soul connection with this Field of Unconditional Love. This awareness also helps us to realize that prayer is much more than a religious exercise – it is a human experience!  We do not need to do anything to “qualify” ourselves to be able to pray, nor do we need to be sanctified in any way. Our ability to pray is as natural as breathing. Since we cannot define it in human concepts, we can only experience it as a constantly emerging energy of life within and all around us. We can feel it in our hearts as unity, expansion, and wholeness. 

 

 

Prayer is the bridge that links each of our individual souls to each other and to the Source of Unconditional Love. 

 

 

When we pray, we are opening our hearts and minds to inviting the energy of unconditional love into our lives. I think of prayer as having a radar connection to “Home.” While we are immersed in darkness – it is our point of reference in the midst of confusion and chaos. Our prayers are always answered. Sometimes we don’t recognize the universal responses to our prayers because they do not manifest exactly in the ways that we are expecting from our individual perspectives. Because prayer links us into the “Power of Oneness,” it is our connection with Infinite Potential, so there is no limit to the blessings we can receive through prayer. Prayer is on a frequency that resonates with divine light – the same light that is the core essence of each one of us – and has the potential to transform any person and any situation in ways that far transcend our human rationale.

 

 

Ask and It Is Given

 

 

The essence of this immortal message has been echoed so many times, in so many ways, and in every language; and yet are we really listening to this message? It is such an awesome and wonderful truth that we find it difficult to believe: WE CAN ASK FOR ANYTHING WE NEED!  Indeed, the only reason we receive so few answers to our prayers is that we ask for so little!  It is through prayer that we can remember truth in a world of drama and illusion, receive inspiration even when we are totally discouraged, and ask for direction whenever we feel lost. The energy that comes into us through prayer gives us the strength to move forward even when we feel vulnerable and fragile.  As we perceive prayer in this light, we realize that it is not necessary to be in a state of panic or misery to justify praying, nor do we have to wait until we have free time or are in a special place.  In fact, prayer is so much a part of our nature that we can pray anytime and anywhere: in a church or in a sports stadium; alone or in a crowd; with our eyes open or closed; aloud or in silence.

 

 

Most importantly, prayer helps us to remember, at the deepest level of our being-ness, that no matter what we are seeing and experiencing, no matter how challenging our situations may be, and no matter what our human differences are, every one of us has the ability to access spiritual truth through our direct connection to Infinite Wisdom.  WHAT A POWERFUL REALIZATION!

 

 

Love and Light,

 

Sandra

Letting Go of Our Judgment of Others

This is a vintage image of a glamorous women being judged

© Everett Collection/shutterstock

   

 

Nothing creates separation and discord among human beings more than when we judge each other.  While this is true, judge is a word that causes confusion for many of us.

 

 

On one hand, for centuries humanity has received countless messages through spiritual masters from all walks of life instructing us not to judge. Two of the most well-known are the biblical verses citing Jesus as saying,

 

 

Judge not, lest ye be judged,” and, 

Let he who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone.” 

 

 

On the other hand, most of us would agree that we certainly need to use our judgment skills to navigate through this very complicated, polarized physical world of experience.

 

 

No wonder we are confused!  In the strictly literal sense, some of the definitions of judge are:

 

  • a person qualified to decide on the relative worth of anything
  • to criticize or censure
  • a person designated to determine the winner

 

Wow!  When we apply these definitions to how we engage with other people, it brings up a lot of questions.  For example, who among us is the one person who is supremely qualified to decide on the worth of anything?  Who among us appreciates being criticized or censured? And, how about, who among us is the ultimate judge of who is a winner?

 

 

In order to understand what is meant by letting go of judgment of others, we need to adopt a more neutral interpretation of the word judge. Rather than construing the word judge in a polarized way that involves attacking or assessing the value of another person, we can rise to a higher perspective by perceiving judgment as an act of discernment. We need to use our skills of judgment to discern situations, opportunities, agreements, and decisions to determine what is in our greatest good.

 

 

How do we differentiate between the polarized perception of judge versus the more enlightened, neutral interpretation?  

 

 

A good point of reference to determine this is to ask ourselves, “What is the source of my judgment?”  If it is coming from an intuitive space guiding us to make choices that are in our greatest good, we are most likely coming from a space of spiritual integrity.  When we judge from this neutral perspective, we are assessing and evaluating objective things, such as a baseball game, a career opportunity, deciding on a financial investment, or choosing which college to attend.  If we find ourselves subjectively judging another person, then the source of our judgment is coming from ego in that we have determined our superiority over some else.  When we do this, we are, in essence, proclaiming ourselves to be the expert in someone else’s life. The ego perspective implies that we think we have the answers to someone else’s problems.  Judging others is usually a sign that we have decided someone else needs to act the way we want them to.  We are saying we are right, and someone else is wrong, which almost always creates conflict.

 

 

How can we let go of judging others? 

 

 

We begin by reaching into our hearts (not our heads) to remember compassion. Compassion is a deep level of kindness in which we are open to trying to understand where other people are coming from by putting ourselves in their shoes.   We acknowledge that we have not experienced their victories, their losses, their relationships, and their pain.  We draw on our own experiences to understand other people more than we seek for others to understand us.  We practice treating other people the way we want to be treated. We also take responsibility for the fact that when we judge another, we are also judging ourselves. Whatever we find annoying in another person is an aspect that, to a greater or lesser degree, we need to heal within ourselves.

 

 

Being non-judgmental requires that we choose to look beneath the behaviors we are witnessing and focus on the soul level of our fellow humans. There is a principle called the “Pygmalion Effect” (from the popular book of the same name or the movie, “My Fair Lady”) that exemplifies this state of grace.  This principle states that if we expect the best from another and communicate such to them, they will respond by adjusting their behavior to match. The main idea concerning The “Pygmalion Effect” is that if you believe that someone is capable of achieving greatness, then you have created a space of potential for that person to achieve greatness. Stated simply, when we let go of judging others, we focus on the goodness (Godness) within everyone, rather than what is wrong with them.  When we practice being non-judgmental, we offer others the opportunity to find themselves and to meet us partway.

 

 

The famous Sufi poet, Rumi, expressed this truth so eloquently when he said:

 

 

“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field.  I’ll meet you there.”

 

 

Love and Light,

 

Sandra

 

I welcome your comments, insights, and experiences on how we can let go of judgment of others.

What is the Difference Between Conditional Love and Unconditional Love?

This is an image of a heart shaped cloud in the sky

© LilKar/shutterstock

 

 

Love – This is a word that is very frequently used in every language to describe our emotions ranging from something as relatively trite, such as, “I love your shoes,” to something as deeply significant as a mother saying, “I love you” to a child in the most vulnerable moment.

 

 

Is there really a difference between conditional love and unconditional love? 

 

 

The answer is, yes.

 

 

What is conditional love?

 

 

Conditional love is a polarized emotion, meaning that it has an opposite emotion.  The opposite extreme of love is hatred.  Conditional love comes from ego and  generally focuses on someone (like a romantic partner, child, parent, friend)  or some thing (like a house, a car, or a job).  When we love someone conditionally, we tend to want them to look, act, and think in ways that fit our own paradigms and expectations.  We hold others accountable to our expectations in order to qualify for our affection.  If they act the way we want them to, we express our approval; if they act contrary to our wishes, we withhold our expression of acceptance of them, usually in some form of anger.  Conditional love polarizes our internal thought process to believe, “I am right, and you are wrong, so I think you should see things my way.”  As soon as begin to judge someone as being right or wrong, it is our cue that we are not in a space of unconditional love because we are perceiving that we are the authority for someone else’s life.  This ultimately results in a power play for everyone involved because it focuses on control, which typically elicits a defensive reaction from the people whom we are trying to change.

 

 

Another version of conditional love is passion, a term we use for the sexual feelings we have when we meet someone with whom we have “chemistry.”  The term “falling in love” is a revealing expression indicating that we sometimes lose ourselves when we are involved in a passionate romantic relationship based on conditional love. Possibly, this is because we are looking for another person to complete us rather than looking to share our whole self with another. “Looking for our other half” is a statement that strongly indicates we are seeking to make ourselves whole through someone else, rather than working on ourselves to become more of who we truly are.

 

 

When someone acts in a way that vastly deviates from our expectations or does something to hurt us or someone we care about, we can transform the emotion of conditional love to the complete opposite end of the spectrum – hatred.  Hatred is a very strong emotion that is rooted in fear.  Hatred is extremely destructive and wreaks havoc on our mental, emotional, and physical well being.

 

 

What is Unconditional Love?

 

 

Unconditional love is neutral and has no opposite polarity.  The source of unconditional love is Spirit; therefore it is available to everyone without discernment, and there is absolutely nothing we need to do to qualify for it.  Unconditional love comes through to us at a soul level, beginning at the level of self-acceptance and self-forgiveness, and radiates divine light to everyone and everything.  When we make a conscious decision to choose thoughts based on unconditional love, it does not mean that we agree with everyone and everything.  It means that we consciously commit ourselves to expressing respect, kindness, and cooperation to everyone and everything in our environment.

 

 

Unconditional love is not something that happens to us or outside of us.  It is the life force of energy within our very being and is ingrained in every cell of our bodies.  We don’t have to search for love–we ARE, each one of us, the physical embodiment of unconditional love.  Because unconditional love is life energy, it is formless, infinite, constantly in motion, and unconditionally available to us 24/7!

 

 

Unconditional love has a positive effect on our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual state of being, creating truth, joy, beauty, health, harmony, and everything in the world that is in our greatest good.  The benevolent, compassionate nature of universal love flows through us and blesses everyone and everything it touches.

 

 

When we open our hearts to receiving and expressing the love of the universe, we feel expansive and radiant.  We automatically rise above the limitations of fear because unconditional love is infinitely more powerful than fear; in fact, unconditional love is the most powerful force in existence.  There is no amount of darkness that can blot out light; yet the tiniest amount of light can overcome darkness. This means that no matter how dark and chaotic our lives may seem at times, we can find comfort in knowing that our earthly world is always held within an infinitely larger context of universal love and light.

 

 

Remembering that we are each created in the energy of divine love gives us great inspiration and renewed hope that we each have the power to bring our own unique expression of unconditional love to the world, which brings healing to everyone and everything we touch.

 

 

Love and Light,

 

Sandra