Editor’s Advice: Accepting the Joy in Life

Posted on by Tammy

Have you ever noticed it’s often easier to believe the negative or bad things that happen to us compared to the positive or good?

The expressions “I had to pinch myself” or “I can’t believe my luck,” are examples of how most of us feel shocked when something wonderful happens for us. And then these initial thoughts of shock usually turn to worry about the good being taken away, or being followed by something bad.

More than 12 years ago, my sister and I took a road trip to Long Island for an appointment with the medium, George Anderson, 10 months after our mother unexcpected passing only three days after Christmas in 1999. It was an emotional hour, but something Anderson conveyed to us from our mother during that session always stayed with me. She said “learn to partake in the joys that come to you, because if they come to you, then you deserve them.”

This is something she admitted to struggling with in her life, and during what she called her “life review” after passing she realized she didn’t accept joy as well as she could have while in the physical world. She said, “We are always waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

Unfortunately many of us have been conditioned to expect the negative, even when something positive comes our way, and in doing so, we forget to bask in the beauty life has to offer. Instead of moving quickly on to the next worry, issue, problem or fear, when something good comes to us – be it a new relationship, more money or a successful venture – we should savor it, celebrate it and live in the gratitude of it.

Instead of expecting the bad … what about expecting the good? If you understand the law of attraction, then you know expecting the good will only attract more good to you. More importantly, as my mother so eloquently conveyed through George Anderson, if good things comes to you … then know it’s because you deserve it!

Tammy Mastroberte
Founder, Publisher & Editorial Director
Elevated Existence Magazine
www.elevatedexistence.com

Jack Canfield’s Advice on Manifesting

Posted on by Tammy

In a recent teleseminar held by Steve Harrison of Reporter Connection, Jack Canfield spoke about how he managed to make a household name of the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series of books after he was rejected by 144 publishers. And even when he did convince someone to publish it, it still took 18 months before it hit the best-sellers list!

He shared his mission statement, “To inspire and empower people to live their highest vision in a context of love and joy,” and spoke about how often we hold ourselves back because we don’t think its “spiritual” to sell our product, service, etc., or to market ourselves with the intention of selling.

“You have to believe in the work your doing and believe what you have is extremely valuable, and that you are depriving them by not letting them know about it,” Canfield explained, advising we come from the approach of “I have a solution to the problem you have,” even if it’s just an entertaining book that will take their mind of off things for a while.

Here are some of his tips for getting ourselves into the mindset of success, and helping to remove some of the resistance that may be holding us back:

1. He took the New York Bestseller’s List and put white out on the name of the No. 1 book. In a similar font, he typed in “Chicken Soup for the Soul,” to remind him and his co-author to close their eyes throughout the day and visualize themselves as No. 1. “I visualized us a No. 1 and having sold 150,000 books. I saw the store window filed with our books, and would spend eight or nine minutes a day, every morning visualizing at least 10 different images like that,” he said.

2. When he was writing the book, he always referred to it as “best-selling,” and actually told people he was in the middle of writing a best-selling book.

3. Dream big. Canfield said it doesn’t take any more time to dream a big dream than to dream a small one, so aim high.

4. Canfield currently uses a vision board as his screen saver, and has images running by to represent all of his current goals.

5. “If you are going to be successful, you have to be a giver,” he said, explaining he often designates a charity to receive a portion of his book sales.

Canfield’s newest book is being released this Friday called “The Golden Motorcycle Gang,” based on a vision he had early in his career on why he is a teacher in this lifetime.

Are You Connected To Source?

Posted on by Tammy

I’m guilty of it, too. We all are. We worry about the long to-do lists, both in our head and on paper, mapping out all the things that need our attention, and require action on our part to get them done.

There are the little things, like cleaning the house, getting the laundry done, food shopping, attending social functions and getting a project done at work that requires 20 individual steps of its own. And there are the big things, like finding the right romantic partner, landing the right job or making more money.

But whether big or small, it’s easy to get caught up in the actions – to focus on what needs to be done and how we are going to do it. But what if we focused as much time and energy on connecting with source, God, the divine, or whatever you call your higher power or higher self?

When we are connected, feeling good and giving love, the who, what, when, where and how falls into place. The to-do list gets done with amazing ease, and the things we need to get everything done just fall right into our path.

Try this as an experiment for the next week. Go about getting things done, and taking the actions needed to do so, but stop throughout the day and check in with your higher self and your source. How do you feel? Do you feel good? Are you grateful for what you have in the now, and happy for what is to come? Try taking a moment, and a deep breath, and re-connect. Then see what happens in your life.

Also, synchronicity means nothing if you don’t pay attention to it, so be sure to open your eyes and ears, and look for signs the Universe is sending to remind you it’s working for your highest good.

And remember, when you are connected to your higher power, you are living life as you were meant to live it.

Let me know how it goes!

Editor’s Advice: 5 Ways to Start Your Day in a Positive Light

Posted on by Tammy

We asked our Facebook friends to share some of their morning
routines used to start the day in a positive way, and we got some great ideas – from welcoming in spirit guides to watch over us during the day to doing the five Tibetan rites. But find it’s hard enough to just get out the door on time!

I’m guilty of failing into that trap myself – I want to get up early and meditate, but when the alarm goes off, it’s just too tempting to hit the snooze button! However, I know when I do make the effort, it always pays off. So here are just a few things that can be easily incorporated into even the most busy lifestyle … and if you can manage to squeeze in 15 minutes of meditation, all the better!

— Begin with Gratitude. Take a couple of minutes after you wake up to lay in bed and make a mental list of five things you are grateful for that morning. Send gratitude and thanks to the people or situations involved, and if you are really running late, you can make the mental list while in the shower or while you’re getting dressed. It will put you into the mode of gratitude, and that is the best place to start attracting for the day!

— Start your day with inspiration. For five minutes, sit and read through a positive book or passage – short stories or books with quotes or passages per day work really well (or read through one of the free articles on our Web site!)

— Move the Body. Get your energy flowing with a few yoga poses or sun salutations to connect your mind, body and spirit, or as one of my favorite author’s and teachers, Sonia Choquette, recommends – turn on some music and just dance to ground your spirit in the body! Short on time? Dance while you’re brushing your teeth!

— Ask for Assistance. We have all heard the phrase, “ask and you shall receive,” but how many of us actually ask? Often we are so caught up in our everyday lives, problems and challenges, that while we are busy trying to solve them with our mind, we forget to call on the higher power of spirit. Before you get up from bed, take 60 seconds to picture yourself surrounded by white light, and ask your higher self, and whatever higher power you believe in, to protect you and assist you in all you face that day. And then trust that you will receive that assistance!

— Meditate or Practice Breathing Exercises. Ideally, most experts recommend we take at least 20 minutes out of our morning routine to quiet the mind through meditation, but if you are really in a crunch, even five minutes can be beneficial. And if meditation isn’t something you are comfortable with, try deep breathing exercises. You can read more on meditation in our free preview article “Finding the Right Meditation for You,” and on breathing exercises in the free preview article “The Power of Conscious Breathing.”

Here’s to starting the day of right – in a positive light!

Tammy Mastroberte
Founder, Publisher and Editorial Director
Elevated Existence Magazine