Step 1 is to ASK - Know what you want and ask the universe for it.

Step 2 is to BELIEVE - Feel and behave as if the object of your desire is on its way.

Step 3 is to RECEIVE - Be open to receiving it.

It’s pretty obvious he has carried out Step 1.

Although there has been a lot of rumble about his recent trip to the Mideast and Europe, it appears to me that he’s simply carrying out Step 2. He’s acting “as if.”

And Step 3? I’m sure if/when the time comes, Barak will be very open to receiving the title of President of the United States.

Whether or not  Barak Obama becomes our next president remains to be seen. But it will be certainly be a testament to the effectiveness and power of the Law of Attraction if this happens.

Do these tenets sound like things you believe? Did you know there is a religion that teaches these? What religion do you think it is?

You may be surprised. I was.

Leave a comment with your answer. 

Based on this assumption, I want to tell you about an absolutely awesome book that I’m reading. It’s called “A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose.” It’s written by Eckhart Tolle (”The Power of Now”) and is one of the most thought-provoking books I’ve read in a long time.

If you are interested in living a truly fulfilling life, connecting to higher consciousness, finding a peace that passes all understanding, and playing a role in the spiritual evolution of our planet, then I highly recommend you read this book.

I do want to qualify my recommendation, however, by saying that if you are just starting on your spiritual (not religious) pathway, the contents of the book may be difficult to grasp. Only you can make that determination. You may want to read some of the 563 (at last count) reviews on Amazon.com before you make a decision.

I would also like to mention that Oprah Winfrey (this is one of her Book Club selections) is conducting a worldwide live web event over the next several weeks in which she and Eckhart are expanding on the teachings of the book. It’s all free and you can read more about it here: http://www2.oprah.com/index.jhtml

I would love for you to share your thoughts about this book by leaving a comment below.

We want wars to stop. We want families to stop fighting amongst themselves. We want people to stop hurting other people.

In other words, we want everyone to ’just get along.’

Yet with all this talk about peace and getting along, we continue to separate ourselves from each other. We continue to fight for power and control. We continue to insist that our way is the ‘right’ way or, in the case of some religions, the only way.

Although many participate in (so-called) peace rallies and marches to call for an end to conflict and war, true peace is much more than ending a war.

True peace is best defined as a “harmonious balance between human beings, the rest of the natural world, and the cosmos.” (Wikipedia)

To take it a step further, I believe true peace comes when we join together in Spirit. That is, when we recognize that the God-Force is within each of us and see ourselves as one body, not separate individuals intent upon having things ‘our way or no way.’

I’m not saying we have to agree on everything. What I am saying is we need to accept each individual for who s/he is and stop trying to mold the person to be like us … to think like us … to believe what we believe.

No one has ever truly been changed by persuasion or force. We may ’prevail’ in an argument or, on a greater scale, in a war, but all that has been gained is a temporary truce, at best.

We need to become conscious of how we treat one another — even how we talk to each other. Is there love behind our actions and words? Or are we simply trying to sway the other person to our way of thinking?

Isn’t it time to put aside our prejudices, our mistrust, our need for power and control and become one with the Higher Purpose that created this world? Isn’t it time to seek harmony? Isn’t it time to unify our collective energy and bring about the peace that we all so ardently seek?

I received this one and felt it was too good not to share with as
many people as possible. Enjoy!

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile.
It is the ultimate anti-depressant.
 
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have to.
 
3. Buy a DVR and tape your late night shows and get more sleep.
 
4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement,
‘My purpose is to __________ today.’
 
5. Live with the 3 E’s — Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
 
6. Play more games and read more books than you did last year.
 
7. Make time to practice meditation, yoga, tai chi, and prayer. They
provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.
 
8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.
 
9. Dream more while you are awake.
 
10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that
is manufactured in plants.
 
11. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan
salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.
 
12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
 
13. Clear clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new and
flowing energy into your life.
 
14. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires,
issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control.
Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
 
15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are
simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra
class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
 
16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college
kid with a maxed out charge card.
 
17. Smile and laugh more.
 
18. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
 
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
 
20. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
 
21. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
 
22. Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.
 
23. Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their
journey is all about.
 
24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
 
25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: ‘In five years,
will this matter?’
 
26. Forgive everyone for everything.
 
27. What other people think of you is none of your business.
 
28. GOD heals almost everything.
 
29. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
 
30. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will.
Stay in touch.
 
31. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
 
32. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
 
33. The best is yet to come.
 
34. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
 
35. Do the right thing!
 
36. Call your family often. (Or email them to death!!!) Hey I’m thinking of ya! 

37. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements:
I am thankful for __________. Today I accomplished _________.
 
38. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
 
39. Enjoy the ride. Remember this is not Disney World and you certainly
don’t want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life so make the
most of it and enjoy the ride.
 
40. Share these tips with everyone you care about.
 
May your troubles be less,
May your blessings be more,
May nothing but happiness come through your door!

They would rather that people live under the spell of preachers who talk of a harsh, demanding, angry, vengeful, and judgmental God – who insist that individuals live under a continual state of fear, guilt, and anxiety, constantly wondering if they are living a life that is ‘pleasing’ to God.

Joel says, ”We’ve heard a lot about the judgment of God and what we can’t do and what’s going to keep us out of heaven. But it’s time for people to start hearing about the goodness of God, about a God that loves them.”

Amen, brother!

One theologian commented that Joel’s core message (”God is nice”) is not the message of the Bible. He felt more emphasis should be put on sin, suffering, and redemption, rather than focusing on the good news.

Joel has said that he believes people know when they are doing wrong. He feels it’s not his job to remind them of this. His job is to uplift, to encourage, to help them recognize that God loves them … where they are.

People are tired of seeing their relationships fall apart, their careers crumble, their dreams disappear. They are tired of struggling through life. They are tired of hearing about the adversity and difficulty throughout the world.

Joel Osteen gives them hope that God has better things in store for them … that God wants only the best for them … and that God loves them.

And I ask … is that such a bad thing?

One of the parts of the book that I especially liked was Jeff’s discussion at the beginning about the importance of being open-minded as you strive towards a deeper spiritual experience. 

To me, this is where many of us get tripped up. We are so attached to our core beliefs that we reject anything that doesn’t agree with those beliefs.

We refuse to ‘open our mind’ to new ideas, new principles, new information. We continue to cling to the old ideas, philosophies, and viewpoints about ‘religion’ that we learned and absorbed throughout our lifetime and reject anything that doesn’t fall in line with our personal outlook on spiritual matters.

As a result, by choosing to remain in our ‘cocoon of comfort,’ we don’t allow ourselves to learn about and explore deeper levels of spirituality which, in turn, hinders our spiritual growth.

On the About page of this blog, I have a quote by Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) that includes these words: “As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist.”

In other words, we cannot unequivocally know that our way of thinking about things is the correct way … the only way.

I believe once we accept this and open our mind to spiritual concepts and principles that may lie outside our comfort zone, the Universe will lovingly guide us towards levels of spirituality that we’ve never experienced before.

I am an Independent. I was raised in a family of Democrats. I registered as a Republican after I became an adult and married. However, neither party has every truly represented my personal beliefs. And this has become even more apparent in recent years.

What concerns me about the 2008 election (or for that matter, any election) is that many people have no opinion. They simply vote their party. And within that party, they often choose the individual whom ‘the media’ has promoted the most. They rarely take the time or expend the energy to truly consider the issues.

In this presidential election, every candidate is saying similar things — mostly what voters want to hear. They talk about ending the war, healthcare for all, tightening immigation laws, etc. They all insist they believe in and support the moral issues that their particular party represents.

Only one or two candidates has had the ‘guts’ to stand up and talk about what the REAL problems of this nation are. Not the ones that ‘everyone’ brings to the table (or the debate platform), but the matters that lie at the very core of what makes the United States tick.

I urge everyone reading this to explore the issues in depth. Don’t just follow the pack. Look in your heart and see what you personally believe. Then find and vote for the presidential candidate that most closely matches your principles and values.

I feel I know the answer, but it made me think of all the different rules and requirements that organized religion insists people do to know and/or ‘please’ God.

I’ve listed a few of the rules and regulations established by various religions here. Maybe you can think of others.

• Shave head (men)
• Wear certain dress style (women)
• Use prayer beads
• Wear prescribed head gear (men)
• Fast periodically
• Read Bible
• Believe Bible
• Wear certain hair style (women)
• Adhere to vegetarian diet
• Wear cleric robes (black, white, purple, or any other color)
• Have multiple children
• Have multiple wives
• Witness to the ‘unsaved’
• Go on missionary tours
• Wear special undergarments
• Grow beards (men)
• Pray a predetermined number of times each day
• Cease work on the ’sabbath’

The sad thing about all this is that people actually believe God wants them to do these things. They obey the long-ago established rules and customs of their faith because they feel this is what it takes to ‘go to heaven’ or ‘reach paradise.’

Neale Donald Walsch wrote a book a couple of years ago called, “What God Wants.” It’s a powerful (and to some, dangerous) book that addresses the most ’sacred’ practices that people and institutions have put into place as a means of knowing God — and refutes them.

What do you think? Is it necessary to follow established rules, customs, and practices to please God?

I clicked through to the promo page and read that the speaker further promises to show how to “create money from nothing in under 90 days.”

This claim deeply disturbs me.

Let me assure you, I am definitely a proponent of the teachings as discussed in “The Secret.” In fact, I have been practicing the Law of Attraction in my life for years, although I didn’t have a name for what was happening.

But the actual ’secret’ is not about creating something out of nothing. It’s about focusing your attention on something you want and then taking the necessary steps/action to move you towards your goal.

Simply manifesting/visualizing money in your pocket or bank account is NOT going to create it out of nothing!

Perhaps this is not what the speaker meant, but I find it difficult to interpret his claim any other way.

If you are unsure about how the Law of Attraction actually works, I urge you to read Michael Losier’s book, “Law of Attraction.” Or go to my website, SpiritualFocus.com, and download the ebook by Wallace Wattles, “The Science of Being Rich.”

But please, don’t believe any claim that says you can create something out of nothing. It just isn’t so.