It's
hard to believe that half the year is over. I do feel that the winds of change are blowing and our ecomomy is inproving - we can finally see some positive change.
This month's article is about
petty tyrants - truly the folks that annoy you the most are the ones that can set you free! I hope you enjoy it. I'm interested in how you reacted to last
months article. Do send me an email
letting me know what you thought.
I am looking forward to Sept 19-24th in Sedona. Do join us during this sacred time of year (Rosh Hashana week) - you can read about the trip below or on the website: Spiritual Retreat to Sedona, AZ.
Use our journeys to jump-start a new dream or to clear
away what's no longer working for you. If you haven't allowed yourself a vacation yet this year - please do. We all need to take time to regenerate and have quiet time to get out of our own minds and connect more deeply to spirit.
Last of all - if you are planning to join us on the Peru journey - please register early so that we can purchase your internal flights!
Please
join us for a magical retreat to the red rock country
of Sedona, Arizona. For six days we will have the opportunity
to experience the beauty, majesty and energy of this unusual
location on Mother Earth. Each day we will visit
a different vortex to reflect our inner mystic
to us, and in addition, the limiting beliefs and concepts
that are keeping us from this self-realization and oneness.
The time frame for our September retreat happens to be
during the sacred Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah and
Yom Kippur. Beginning with Rosh Hashanah on September
18th - until Yom Kippur on September 27th which is the
day of Atonement (the at-one-ment with Spirit/God),
the veils between the worlds are thin making it a perfect
time to reflect on the past year and to commit to dreaming
a healthier future filled with our deepest intentions.
It's time for forgiveness and living our life
from a place of wholeness and love. Indeed -
you don't have to be Jewish to appreciate this mythology
(as this journey is not about religion, but about expressing
our divine nature). You only need the desire to open your
heart and mind to more powerful opportunities for love
and light in your life.
We will be gathering at the lovely Sedona Mago
Retreat Center. The center serves a healthy vegetarian
diet and is located on land that vibrates at a high frequency.
Using the techniques of the vision quest, shamanistic
dreaming, meditation and ceremony we will embrace our
oneness with the land and each other. From this vantage
point you will clearly see how you are preventing yourself
from becoming all you can be in this lifetime. As part
of this retreat we will engage in a fire ceremony, multiple
ceremonies in beautiful locations, and a beautiful healing
massage which is part of the retreat package. If you are
looking for a place to open your heart and to gain clarity
of your mind, this is where you want to be. Shanti
Gilbert is co-teaching with me on this journey.
2009 trip cost is: $1559.00 per person, double occupancy,
most meals included.
On this spiritual journey, we will be using the energies of this amazing country to assist us in experiencing the divine within. Peru is the perfect place for this adventure of ceremony and inner exploration of the heart.
We will be joined by Jorge Luis Delgado, author of Andean Awakening, Peruvian Shaman and great source of the ancient Inca teachings and traditions. By the end of this journey you will consider Jorge family. You can see Jorge and Lee in this video he made last time he was in Peru. -->
Using the three levels of the Inca's mythology of transcendence, we move from the dark underworld of our own minds to the clarity of spiritual consciousness. The snake, puma and condor will be the symbols we use to represent our spiritual ascension for these 11 sacred days together. Lee McCormick will be co-teaching with me on this journey. This 2009 trip cost is $3295.00 per person double occupancy including many meals and internal flights (not international flights).
During our journey we will dream our own spiritual transcendence just as the ancient initiates did thousands of years ago. As we walk within the footsteps of those before us with each step we come to know who we really are. We know our birthright and the eternal divinity that exists within us.
On this sacred journey we have the opportunity on this journey to be in the presence of sacred space designed for the purpose of spiritual alignment. Private time in the Great Pyramid will be one of the highlights of this journey - and believe me that is magical. Join us as we share in the magic and mystery of these powerful places and in saying, "YES" to life and the experience of your transcendence.
Join us as we share in the magic and mystery of these powerful places. 2009 trip cost is $4740.00 double occ. (including all international and internal flights and most meals)
Sheri and Judy Mauer of Creatively Organizing talks about Taking “positive affirmations” a step further: Your dreams becoming reality in your life. Would you like to use your home as a powerful supportive tool for creating and manifesting your dreams? As Winston Churchill said; “We shape our dwellings and afterwards, our dwellings shape us.” In almost every spiritual and personal development arena, even in corporate America, we hear about the necessity of “Positive Affirmation.” We are told if we want to live a different life or change one aspect of it that we must create them and utilize the secret powers held in the actions of writing them down and speaking them out loud. Judy teaches us how to unlock the powerful potential in creating spaces that are living temples to our affirmations.
Please join us & register on the website.
St.
Pete, FL: Local group meeting
Weds July 1st
Location:
The location
will be at Sheri's place in St Pete, FL from 7:00-9:00pm. The tuition will be $5.00 or your love donation. Email Sheri if you would like to come and need the location.
Overview: Join us
for lively discussion and like-minded community! Each
meeting we work together to create a dream of love and respect
in our lives. We use the Toltec technique of mirroring
to see ourselves more clearly and to confront those beliefs
that have been holding us back from creating a dream of
loveliness in our lives.
St. Pete, FL: Don Miguel Ruiz - July 4th weekend
Don Miguel will be at the First Unity Church on 4th St N. with Jorge Delgado (our guide for our Peru trip this October). Details are on their website. In addition we may be having a special apprentice meeting with don Miguel - if you are interested let me know asap.
Need a Boost on Your Spiritual Path? Get a Petty Tyrant!
One of the most difficult tasks we face on our spiritual path is dealing with our self-importance and ego. We all realize that we must trust our heart and spiritual guidance rather than our thinking mind – especially since that thinking mind is corrupt, filled with fear-based beliefs that limit our expression in this life. It can be quite challenging to listen to the internal dialogue of our ego-mind all day long without believing that's who we are. Only with experience and practice can we come to a place of detachment from our mind – the ultimate understanding that the voices in our head are simply a repository of information and points of view rather than the ultimate truth of who we really are.
I have found that one of the most effective ways to deal with your ego is to engage a petty tyrant in your life. Basically, a petty tyrant is someone who has the ability to irritate us and annoy us to distraction. An example of this is someone who you must interact with in your life – like your spouse’s business partner, an in-law, your father, or a client. You could allow them to annoy you – or you could get over yourself, stop judging that person trying to make them wrong and just accept them and even love them, just the way they are!
Tall order isn’t it to think that you might actually use someone who drives you crazy to further yourself on your spiritual path? But look at it this way – everything life puts on your path is there to help you become a better and more enlightened person – if you choose to see it that way!
Simply put, petty tyrants torment us – they are difficult people who often end up in positions of power where they can abuse others – often because they were abused themselves. They have an uncanny way of stepping on our wounds and getting us angry in turn. If we can argue with a petty tyrant we will argue with them – it’s so tempting to get our ego riled up and want to be right with these kinds of people. However – you can try to be right or you can decide to be happy. Petty tyrants reflect to us the beliefs that imprison us and cause us to loose our personal power rather than being at peace.
So here’s the deal – you can take these people personally and allow them to get you upset or you can be challenged to find another way – the way of the peaceful warrior. A peaceful warrior knows that the petty tyrant is not his problem – what he thinks and believes about the petty tyrant is his problem. He uses the situation to examine his thoughts and emotional reactions and rather than projecting his anger outward. A warrior realizes it is better to use his energy to change his inner world and in the long run his outer reality.
To be clear, I am not suggesting you stay in a situation that is abusive – I am saying that you learn to use difficult situations and people to get over your self/ego. Please don’t use what I am sharing to justify remaining in an abusive situation that you are too afraid to get yourself out of. That is not self-respect.
Ultimately, the more we continue to hone our connection with source, the more we see the insanity of need to control others. Instead we focus on dealing with our own mind, which is the only responsibility of the spiritual warrior. In doing so we change the world because we have changed ourselves. I encourage you to have fun with your petty tyrants and see if you can observe yourself without judgment in your interactions with them. You might be surprised at what you learn!
I just wanted to introduce all of you to my new favorite meditation tool. Before recommending this product - I decided to give it a try myself to see how it works. I have been experimenting with this program for 3 months now and I highly recommend it! I could go into how the sound technology works - but it is better if you read their material yourself.
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This means that you can now start enjoying and profiting
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beginning the very first day you use it instead of waiting
through years of hard practice. Just click to order a free demo disc.
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson
I certainly cannot say one thing about this book that canould possibly express the experience of reading this man's story. All I can say is if you haven't read it yet - please to the bookstore or order it right now on Amazon.
There are some people that are so directed by their heart and spirit that nothing can stop them from creating their dream - and this man is one of those people. If you have ever uttered the words "I cannot do it" you will be ashamed after reading what this man has accomplished.
Please take a moment to listen to this video - and really hear what he is sharing. And pick up a copy on Amazon today: Three Cups of Tea
When you join Spiritual Cinema Circle you will be making an important contribution to your world. By joining The Circle, you will bring inspiring and enlightening entertainment into your own life while positively influencing the lives of others.
You are encouraging talented, visionary filmmakers to continue in their efforts to add life and meaning to our movies and to raise the consciousness of the world by supporting and experiencing truly nourishing entertainment.
The ending of the Mayan calendar on December 21, 2012 has sparked a worldwide discussion. Will life as we know it end — metaphorically, literally or at all? Could 2012 actually represent an evolutionary leap in consciousness? 2012: Science or Superstition is an entertaining and informative documentary that explores the many perspectives on this enigmatic topic.
Great news from our friends at Spiritual Cinema Circle - you can receive this full feature film plus 3 great short films for FREE when you sign up for a trial membership at no charge. (Just pay a small shipping fee). This is the only DVD service dedicated to films about love, compassion and inspiration: one of the many reasons we wanted you to know about them. Each month you receive 4 features and shorts on DVD.
You may cancel your membership at any time.
Join the Circle today !
The Journey to Wild Divine is an enchanting adventure for mind, body and spirit that links special biofeedback equipment with your computer to create a truly enlightening and entertaining multi-media experience. It is gift that you and your family will enjoy and use on a regular basis.
In addition, Healing Rhythms artfully combines effective biofeedback training with guided meditation and breathing techniques, allowing you to witness and transform the rhythms of your mind and body as they play together on-screen. Check it out today!
WHAT I LOVE - LOVE - LOVE THIS MONTH!
Do take a moment to watch this video
I love Ted.com and if you have not been to this website - do check it out. In this wonderful video Jacqueline Novogratz tells a moving story of an encounter in a Nairobi slum with Jane, a former prostitute, whose dreams of escaping poverty, of becoming a doctor and of getting married were fulfilled in an unexpected way. Jacqueline Novogratz founded and leads Acumen Fund, a nonprofit that takes a businesslike approach to improving the lives of the poor. In her new book, The Blue Sweater, she tells stories from the new philanthropy, which emphasizes sustainable bottom-up solutions over traditional top-down aid.
Please enjoy this wonderful video!
FAVORITE POEM OF THE MONTH
Words of Wisdom for the Heart
First Impressions
It is not right to judge a man
By hasty glance or passing whim,
Or think that first impression can
Tell all there is to know of him.
Who knows what weight of weariness
The man we rashly judge may bear,
The burden of his loneliness.
His blighted hopes, his secret care.
A pompous guise or air of pride
May only be an outward screen,
A compensation meant to hide
A baffled will, a grief unseen.
However odd a person seems,
However strange his ways may be,
Within each human spirit gleams
A spark of true divinity.
So what can first impressions tell?
Unthinking judgements will not do,
Who really knows a person well
May also come to like him too!
It's
hard to believe that half the year is over. I do feel that the winds of change are blowing and our ecomomy is inproving - we can finally see some positive change. 
The Portuguese Way of St. James follows winds its way up through the incomparable beauty of Northern Portugal along the original Roman Via XVI. The route is awakening from centuries of slumber to offer us, once again, an invitation to slow down and re-orientate our lives. Every one of us is affected by the current global turmoil that threatens our social, economic and ecological systems – a new approach is urgently required. It is time for unprecedented change.
The pilgrim infrastructure has improved greatly during the past few years and hostels are now available all along the route from Porto – the most popular starting point. However the route is now way-marked from Lisbon passing through the historic town of Tomar, which has been associated with the pilgrim route to Santiago since the 12th century. The knights Templar built the town as their Portuguese headquarters. Prince Henry ‘the Navigator’ was a Grand Master and the great explorers such as Columbus were received in its illustrious court, it is now a World Heritage site.
I just wanted to introduce all of you to my new favorite meditation tool. Before recommending this product - I decided to give it a try myself to see how it works. I have been experimenting with this program for 3 months now and I highly recommend it! I could go into how the sound technology works - but it is better if you read their material yourself. 
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson
The ending of the Mayan calendar on December 21, 2012 has sparked a worldwide discussion. Will life as we know it end — metaphorically, literally or at all? Could 2012 actually represent an evolutionary leap in consciousness? 2012: Science or Superstition is an entertaining and informative documentary that explores the many perspectives on this enigmatic topic.