JOYful News

Welcome! JOYful News is a newsletter intended to bring you information that is fun, inspiring, and uplifting. Each issue will contain different stories, tips, exercises, and suggestions focused on the JOYful - how to create more of it, sustain it, and connect to it more fully.

I have found it extremely valuable to make a daily practice of connecting to things that help to keep my vibration up, my focus on the positive and my energy level high, intentionally surrounding myself with that which uplifts me and feeds my soul!

You create your own kind of *magic* when you find reasons everyday to connect to that which brings you JOY!

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Living From the Heart

April 30, 2012

Just a few days ago my husband and I returned from a wonderful 9 days of vacation. I came back with an intense resolve to live even more JOYfully from the heart, to tune in and follow the energy of my authentic self with more awareness, intention . . . and LOVE!

The catalyst for this renewed enthusiasm came as a result of having several days away from home to relax, rejuvenate, and play. However, the book I brought along on our trip played an integral part as well because it provided plenty of food for thought. In last month's issue of JOYful News, I recommended Dying to Be Me; My Journey from Cancer, to Near Death, to True Healing by Anita Moorjani, a book which contains wonderful insights on the topic of living fearlessly and cultivating one's magnificence.

After finishing and then rereading parts of this inspiring book while out of town, I found myself thoroughly uplifted and stimulated by Anita's story. I discovered that even though the information she shared was, for the most part, nothing I hadn't already heard before - it felt as though I had gained a new level of understanding. The information had an impact that resulted in a deeper, richer and more profound knowing. It resonated as TRUTH within me.

Anita's story revolves around her experience of dealing with cancer for almost four years when her body began shutting down and she entered into a coma which resulted in a near death experience (NDE). Upon regaining consciousness nearly 30 hours later, she was released from the hospital within weeks without a trace of cancer in her body! Anita came back with an acute awareness of why she contracted cancer in the first place, a clarity of how the universe works - including healing, miracles, fear, being love and that we are all One.

I'd like to share with you a few passages from her book (which will be in quotes), that I found to be empowering and compelling along with notations of my own which I offer as my interpretation of her message. I'll begin at the point in the story where Anita is re-entering life after her NDE and relating the insights she gained as she attempts to reconnect with the world:

". . . I found myself grappling with how seriously everyone was taking everything - for example, how stressed out everyone was about money and finances, even though they had a lot of other beautiful things to enjoy and be thankful for. I also couldn't understand how much people neglected everything else - including love, relationships, talent, creativity, individuality, and so on - for the sake of money and how much time they spent working at jobs they didn't enjoy."

Many of us have found ourselves in this predicament due to deeply ingrained societal programming and cultural beliefs. This is often considered the ultimate sacrifice or the price one has to pay to get ahead, etc.

"I know I'll never take on a job I don't enjoy just for the money, I found myself thinking. My criteria for work and for doing things in general are so different now. My life and my time are much more valuable to me."

Anita found that her view of life to be very different from those around her after she came back to her 'old' life. From her new perspective, it seemed the values and priorities held by everyone else were quite misaligned and she realized that most likely she'd held those same beliefs before, but could not imagine ever going back to that way of thinking again after her NDE.

For anyone who spends the majority of their time trying and vying to get that promotion, the raise, the notoriety, or the acknowledgement at the expense of things that may really matter to you more - like family, friends and fulfillment in life, you might seriously wish to consider if it's really worth it.

"I understood that true joy and happiness could only be found by loving myself, going inward, following my heart and doing what brought my joy. I discovered that when my life seems directionless and I feel lost (which still happens to me frequently), what it really means is that I've lost my sense of self. I'm not connected with who I truly am and what I've come here to be. This has tended to happen when I stop listening to my own internal voice and give my power away to external sources."

How often do we allow something or someone outside of ourselves to blindly dictate our response to a particular situation, to provide us with the answers or solutions we seek because we have disconnected from our inner wisdom? Considering outside information and deciding whether it has value for you is vastly different than just going along with what is offered because you feel someone knows better or more than you do.

" . . . it wasn't my beliefs that caused me to heal. My NDE was a state of pure awareness, which is a state of complete suspension of all previously held doctrine and dogma. In other words, an absence of belief was required for my healing."

Are you living in a state where you feel truly empowered and connected to the authentic spirit of who you came here to be? Are you committed to staying aligned with your higher self, the energy of your true being which expresses that for you? This is where you will find purity of awareness and consistent clarity.

"I've found that subsequent to my NDE, I'm at my strongest when I'm able to let go, when I suspend my beliefs as well as disbeliefs, and leave myself open to all possibilities. The dichotomy is that for true healing to occur, I must let go of the need to be healed and just enjoy and trust in the ride that is life."

The key here is cultivating an ability to really suspend all beliefs and disbeliefs while releasing any attachment to a particular outcome. This opens us up to infinite possibilities and truly allows us to trust the flow of life and enjoy the journey!

"In the tapestry of life, we're all connected. Each one of us is a gift to those around us, helping each other be who we are, weaving a perfect picture together. When I was in the NDE state, it all became so clear to me because I understood that to be me is to be love. This is the lesson that saved my life."

When we know and understand that we are love, it becomes a natural way of being to extend that love toward all others. We don't have to figure out how to do that because it's part of who we are when we are true to ourselves. We automatically become instruments of peace, love and harmony to all that surrounds us.

"Being love also means being aware of the importance of nurturing my own soul, taking care of my own needs, and not putting myself last all the time. I've learned that it's important not to be too hard on myself if I'm experiencing challenges. Oftentimes, the problem isn't the cause of the apparent conflict. Instead, it's the judgment I have for myself."

This translates to treating ourselves with the utmost respect and holding ourselves in high regard in every moment. We view all experience as an opportunity to learn and grow through unconditional love, even in circumstances that may have previously been viewed as 'wrong' or interpreted as 'mistakes' that were made. Judgment is no longer part of our reality. We are in complete acceptance of ALL energy as it is.

"When we're each aware of our own magnificence, we don't feel the need to control others and we won't allow ourselves to be controlled. When I awoke into my infinite self, I was amazed to understand that my life could be dramatically different just by realizing that I am love and I always have been."

It really is true, all we need is LOVE! I know that whenever I am faced with my own challenges, when I pause, get centered and connect to the true essence of who I am - which is love - things always have a way of getting 'back on track' much sooner than later. It is listening to the still, small voice within that is filled with the wisdom of my spirit and will always, always lead me in the direction of my soul's highest calling. For me, this is truly living from the heart!

Living From the Heart

Tuesday, May 8th

5:30 PM (Pacific)
8:30 PM (Eastern)

FREE one hour teleseminar

Are you living from the heart? Do you live in the awareness of your soul's highest calling on a daily basis? Are you connected to the authentic essence of who you really are?

I invite you to join me as we take a look at possible blocks or barriers that may be holding you back from fully connecting and expressing your greatest potential of living from the heart!

You always have the option of stepping up and asking a question, sharing or just participating as an interested and supportive audience member. The calls are intended to be informal, informative and most of all FUN! I hope you'll decide to come play with us ~ Woo-Hoo!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A reminder with all the details for this FREE teleseminar will be sent to all JOYful News subscribers a few days before the event.

If you would like to participate in this FREE teleseminar and are currently not a JOYful News subscriber, you can find call in details on my JOYful Events page: http://www.incrediblejoy.com/events

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Quotes to Ponder

Live your life from your heart. Share from your heart. And your story will touch and heal people's souls.
~Melody Beattie

There is a light that shines beyond all things on earth, beyond the highest, the very highest heavens. This is the light that shines in your heart.
~Chandogya Upanishad

A person's world is only as big as their heart.
~Tanya A. Moore

It is not the size of a man but the size of his heart that matters.
~Evander Holyfield

In a full heart there is room for everything, and in an empty heart there is room for nothing.
~Antonio Porchia

So Remember...

Your life can change dramatically when you truly know and understand what it means to live from the heart; that LOVE is who you really are and always have been . . . and all you really need is LOVE. Woo-Hoo!

Mark your calendar for my next teleseminar, Tuesday, May 8th at 5:30 PM (PST) and join me for a fun-filled hour of insight, discovery, inspiration and more . . . Yippee!

May each day bring you more JOY, unexpected and happy surprises and...
...the next step for Livin' in the FUN Zone!

In JOY,