Refuse To Play the Game!

I am so frustrated with the status quo I am ready to tear my hair out! The world we have allowed to be created is clearly spiraling out of control. Everyone thinks they have the solution, but as far as I can tell all the "solutions" were created to work within the system. You cannot solve the world's problems with the same mindset that created them!

Look at the housing crisis here in America. The financial and political powers that be have been allowed a situation where the financial powers are not monetarily responsible for risky financial practices. No, those have been placed on the good old, everyday American taxpayer, who can scarcely afford to pay his own bills let alone those of the rich and powerful. It is a myth that Americans should be responsible for the recklessness of the rich and political. It is a myth that the world will spiral out of control if the financial powers that be are not supported in their efforts of bankrupt the world! These are the lies they tell us in order to keep themselves in money and power! These are the lies we willingly believe because we have been taught this is the way the world works.

It does not have to be a dog-eat-dog world! This is the old paradigm, and believing it is causing our world to die. We don't have to lie to be supported! We don't have to step on others to get ahead! This fighting only perpetuates fighting, and it is killing us!

Time to refuse to play the game! It is a lie we do not need to exist well! Do what you can to help your fellow man! Be the example! Act on the principles of unity and love! Take care of your families, friends and neighbors! You are your brother's keeper! If we all focus on what we can do to unify and support each other to become our best selves, we can all win!

The New Un-American

America, like many other developed countries, is a sinking ship. The economy is still in nosedive mode, the differences between the rich and poor grow more profound, and politicians are deadlocked over how to best salvage the situation. There are no easy answers in this complicated mess--or so it seems.

The solution to this crisis lies in the understanding that our destinies are intricately tied together. Aesop, echoed by Patrick Henry during the American Revolution, perhaps said it best. "United we stand. Divided we fall." We cannot continue to fight among ourselves and expect our problems to be solved! (As my teenage children would say, "Duh!!!")

The thing is, we expect our politicians to solve our problems. That is not going to happen! Our politicians are the problem! As a people, we have allowed our politicians to make decisions based on what will keep them in power instead of on what will truly benefit the whole. Sure, they try to convince us that what they are choosing is best for the whole. Politicians can say what they want, but end results speak volumes. They are not any closer to solving the crisis than when it first began. In fact, financial problems are just compounding.

First of all, we need to assess what we truly have as Americans. We are smart. We are resourceful. We have infrastructure--much of which we are allowing to decay because of the fighting. We have the ability to use our gifts and talents to come up with products and innovations which will create jobs and opportunities. We don't need big money interests to do this! They tell us we do! They have passed laws (compliments of the politicians we elect) which hinder us from pooling our money together to invest in small businesses. In case you haven't noticed, the vast majority of jobs created in recent years are not coming from big corporations. Big corporations are shipping jobs overseas! The point is, you should not be relying on big corporations to employ you! They are not for you! And the politicians work for them! Where no job exists, create your own! We all have talents and skills available which we can put to use for the benefit of all!

If you are not working with your fellow Americans (or fellow human beings), you are not a true American! If you are working for yourself at the expense of others, you are not American! Anything that is done which does not unify the whole is decidedly un-American. It doesn't matter if you are a politician, head of a big corporation or special interest group, or a lowly worker. If you possess the spirit of division, consider yourself the new un-American. United we stand. Divided we fall.

Fear of Darkness

We are a people who fear the darkness. We see shadows under the bed and hear noises in the closet, and we just know the monsters are waiting to overpower us. Often, we fight everything we perceive to be darkness, fearing that, if we don't, the darkness will overtake us and all will be lost. We even fight the darkness in ourselves to the point of covering it up or denying its existence.

The funny thing about darkness...we believe that light chases the darkness away. When you illuminate a dark room, the darkness magically leaves. Or does it? The reality is, the darkness is still there. Light has the ability to transform the darkness into something not so scary. Things that often hide in the shadows can be plainly seen once exposed to even a tiny amount of light.

Darkness is not the big, bad entity we have conjured it to be. It is not something to fight and overcome. Rather, it is through embracing the darkness we are able to truly transform it. It is only through allowing the light to blend together with the dark we can truly be whole.

Do you fear darkness? Overcoming the fear is as simple as turning on the light.

Exploding Watermelons and Decision-Making

For some of you older (and wiser) readers out there, the term exploding watermelons may have you conjuring up images of the comedian known as Gallagher, who was famous for taking a sledgehammer to fruit while doing onstage shows. That is not, however, the subject of this post. The subject matter is much more serious--a problem of watermelon crops in China actually exploding because of the misuse of growth hormones. The way I see it, the exploding watermelons in China are actually a concrete example of what is wrong with the world's thinking today.

The Chinese farmers apparently applied the growth chemical forchlorfenuron to watermelon fields too late in a very wet season. The result was the destruction of a large part of the crop due to growth so rapid it literally exploded the watermelons. They understood the chemical would accelerate the growth of their crops, allowing them to market their products more quickly. What they didn't understand was that the extra rainfall and the late application of the hormone would have catastrophic effects on the crops.

How is this an example of the world's faulty thinking? In our world today, people think largely using the wisdom of their minds. What I mean by this is, they gather together all the knowledge they have about any particular subject and make decisions based upon what they know. Why is this a problem, you ask? (You may use this strategy yourself!) The problem is, no matter how much we think we know about any particular topic, there is inevitably a lot about the subject we don't know. When we base decisions on limited understanding, the best outcome you can hope for will have limited results. Clearly, problems easily show up when you do not have all the information.

"But it is impossible to know all the information about any given subject", you say! You're correct, if you come from the standpoint of using the limited resources of your mind. This is the wisdom of your separate self--the part of you which walls itself off from the rest of the world, or at least parts of the world. The key is to base your decisions on the unlimited wisdom of the heart.

What is the wisdom of the heart? It is known in different cultures by many different names: intuition, Holy Spirit, Allah, God, the still small voice, etc. In a nutshell, it is the place within ourselves where we access our connection to the entire Universe. It is from this place we acquire unlimited insight. While we may not comprehend all the details personally (sometimes, you just don't know how you know, but you know), the Universe does have all the information. When we base our decisions on the wisdom of the heart, the full knowledge and understanding of the Universe comes into play. We can truly make decisions which are for the best of all concerned.

Now is the time to begin re-learning how to access your intuition--this wisdom of the heart. Find the method of accessing the Divine that works for you! It may be through meditation and/or prayer. It may be through music, or art or walks in nature. The method does not matter as long as it helps you make that Connection within! The world's problems can only be solved through accessing all the information available. Learn to become part of the solution. Learn to become part of the One. Otherwise, our problems will continue to explode, just like those Chinese watermelons.

Teaching Our Children Truth

A question posted on the Awakened Parenting Discussion Forum on Facebook (Awakened Parenting Discussion Forum Group) greatly disturbed me this morning. Someone had asked the group moderator at what age should we start teaching our children the truth instead of allowing them to go with their imaginations. What upset me was the idea that it is our job as parents to "knock the imagination out of them" so they can function effectively in the "real world". Teaching our children "the truth" results in disempowering them!

The world functions at the level of the mind. It has very set, concrete rules which we must be taught to follow or we find ourselves in trouble. Often, we believe these rules or constructs are "the truth". This is what we end up teaching our children. The thing is, what we believe to be the truth is really just an arbitrary set of rules set up by those in power in order to retain that power. By teaching our children these "truths", we are setting them up for failure because we are teaching them to think inside the box!

Our imaginations empower us! Think about this. Albert Einstein came up with his Special Theory of Relativity by first imagining himself riding a beam of light! The celebrated inventor Thomas Edison came up with many of the answers to his problems through his habit of napping/meditating (for more on this read here). There are many, many present day Law of Attraction experts who tout the practice of using your imagination to picture the world as you want it to be! It is through our use of imagination we begin to change our world, yet we think it is necessary to cut off the imaginations of our children! Arghhhhhhh!!!

If we are serious about fixing the problems in the world, we should begin with our children! If we teach our children the world's "truth", all we are doing is perpetuating the world's problems. We cannot fix problems with the same mentality that created them!

Teach and encourage your children to use their imaginations! Believe it or not, they already understand what is real! The truth is, you are the one who is messed up! Educate yourself. Acknowledge where your "truth" came from and learn to overcome it. Follow your childrens' leads. Become an empowered creator by using your own imagination. Your life will truly become magical once again!

 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. (Matt. 18:1-6 NIV)

To Forge Ahead

Yesterday was an awful day for me. I was still recovering from a slight bout of illness, and I had to take my daughter clothes shopping for a few more things she needed for camp. The thing is, I hate clothes shopping and I dislike shopping for clothes with my daughter as she is rarely happy with anything. Add to all this the fact we were pressed for time and my daughter was getting nervous about going to camp (for someone who is bipolar, change is rough) and you have a perfect storm sort of scenario.

I spent the afternoon taking verbal abuse from my daughter--several hours worth. Any show of weakness from myself (such as anger) results in an even bigger barrage of attack. My husband called in the middle of the maelstrom, and I pretty much ripped his head off. (I apologized later, although he already understood.) My mom called a while later. I decided not to even answer because I didn't want to rip into her as well. Yes, I did not answer a phone call from my mother! I did not have good control over myself.

Most days, I believe there is still hope for my daughter and that we will all get through the craziness that is our life right now--that somehow she will end up healed and whole. Yesterday was just not one of those days. I could see the disparity between how she acts with her bipolar depression and what is considered "normal", and it was extremely hard to take.

Today is a new day. I look at the day I had, and even through the midst of the angst and confusion I know that I am far different person than I was even a year ago. Yes, the abuse of yesterday hurt, but I am no longer powerless in the face of great frustration. My personal vibration has improved noticeably, and the abuse is absorbed and released in the new flow that has become my life. I can go on with the knowledge everything is well in hand and will be resolved in the end. I forge ahead knowing yesterday's frustrations are already part of the past. I look forward to what lies ahead as I experience each moment of the present.

The Gift of Disability

My youngest son has a learning disability--dyslexia to be exact. The school psychologist who diagnosed his disability believed it had something to do with all the ear infections he started having when he first attended daycare when he was fifteen months old. The theory is, between the age of one and two you learn to distinguish subtle differences in sounds--like the difference between a B and a P. Because his hearing was interrupted at this stage, it set him up for reading difficulties later. The thing is, even though school has been hard for my son in certain respects, his learning disability is actually an unexpected gift.

How can a learning disability be a gift, you ask? Learning disabilities are gifts because people who have them are forced to think outside the box! Think about this. Under normal circumstances, the quickest way between point A and point B is a straight line:
          A---------------B
When you have a learning disability, there is a barrier within that straight line:
          A-------/-------B
You cannot see point B from point A because of that barrier. If you need to get to point B, you are forced to take an alternate route. You are forced to find a way around the barrier.

Albert Einstein had great difficulties in his early years in school because he had learning disabilities. While his teachers tried to force him to do his work in certain ways, his disabilities did not allow him to follow their rules. Still, Einstein did not give up! Eventually he came up with some of the greatest ideas in physics that exist today.

My younger son tends to think in similar ways. A few years ago when my older son was taking high school physics, he was assigned to make a catapult that could send a golf ball at least ten feet. My older son worked on it for quite some time but wasn't getting the distance he needed. My husband began to help. Neither one of them could figure it out. This is when my younger middle school aged son happened on the scene. He took one look at the catapult and asked what they were trying to do. When they told him he said, "I can fix that." He made a couple of small adjustments and tried the catapult out. The golf ball flew about three times the distance it was supposed to! My younger son had never studied physics, but he is quite mechanical and has always liked to experiment. I just attribute his gifts to having to think outside the box.

The next time you begin to pity someone with a disability, think again. There is a reason they have chosen a life which included disability. They have chosen to live outside the box. Deep down, they know their disability is a gift to enable them to learn and grow. Don't let your own faulty thinking limit what they can do. Don't let your own faulty thinking limit what you can do. Allow yourself to see the possibilities. It is only through thinking outside the box we can fix the problems in the world today.

Weinergate...Really?

At this point in time, I cannot stand watching the news. Unfortunately, my husband does watch the news. There are many days I cannot totally stay away from it because it is on as I pass through the room. Seems the biggest, most important story these days involves the personal trouble of U.S. Congressman Anthony Weiner. Apparently, he has gotten into some trouble because he tweeted "lewd" pictures of himself in underwear. I just have one word to say. REALLY???

Were the photos responsible for some breach in national security? Is Congressman Weiner the Mata Hari of the current political age? I think not. Do his actions show lack of good judgment? Yes. Do his actions show he has personal issues? Yes. Do people need to know this about him? Only if it would influence how they vote when he comes back up for re-election. Besides this, it truly should be a personal matter between him and his wife. If he were not part of the power elite, it would not be a public issue.

Weinergate is just one more thing for political opponents to point fingers at in order to justify how "right" they are. The question is, does your enemy's problem make you a better person?

We need to stop being a people of finger-pointing! The only thing finger-pointing accomplishes is separation and distraction! It makes people choose sides over issues that are fruitless! How is knowing Weiner is cheating on his wife going to improve the unemployment rate or fix the healthcare crisis?

Where are the solutions to the world's problems? They definitely don't reside in politics if all politicians can offer is a picture of some guy in his underwear.

Revolution of the Mind

There is much unrest in the world. People die from unnecessary hunger. Disease is rampant and getting worse because of chemical poisoning and unhealthy food production practices. Governments and corporations fight for power and money, using the little people as unsuspecting pawns in their games of war. The vast majority of the people in this world believe the lies told by the power brokers. Slowly, we are being destroyed by our own apathy.

Often we look to politics to save us. As the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, the ideas of socialism have gained more of a foothold in a world still dominated by capitalism. The thing is, neither socialism nor capitalism is any good without integrity, and integrity is the missing element in the world today. Capitalism is not working because a few people have gained too much money (and consequently too much power). They buy off politicians and the media in order to retain that power. Socialism/communism has never worked because inevitably those who spout off ideas about doing things "for the good of all" end up taking all the power for themselves. Integrity is the missing link!

The change the world needs today does not involve fighting or struggling for survival! It involves a different mindset--a change in the way we think about ourselves and the world. The only thing fighting results in is destruction, limited resources and more fighting. (If this is not obvious to you, watch the news!) Time to wake up to the fact it is only by working together with our fellow human beings that we will survive as a planet!

The challenge becomes how to see past the lies that have been promoted by those in power and change our way of doing things. This is not an easy task but it can be done! The key question to ask yourself is, "Is there a winner and a loser in this scenario?" If any part of the answer is, "Yes!" the solution is flawed. Winning and losing is based on fighting and struggle. (Consider this: our whole political system is based on winning and losing--this is the reason our country's problems have not been solved! And you think the Democrats or the Republicans or the Tea Partiers or the Unions or the Corporations are going to "save" you?)

We need to be a people who base our actions on the win-win! It begins by believing the solutions are out there. Then we have to ask ourselves, "How can we make this a win-win for everyone?" It is only through asking the right questions that we come up with workable solutions.

The win-win needs to be the mindset of everything we do! Whenever there is a situation where we can help lift another up, this is what we should be about! We need to teach our children this principle! We need to teach it to our neighbors through example--through love! Basically, it involves changing our whole mindset from an adversarial one to a united one.

This is the revolution of the mind--no fighting or violence required. The key is to make peace inside yourself first. Then allow love to find a way.

Namaste, my friends!

Wake-Up Call

Depression held me in its tight grip for years. I never anticipated being a single mom. I never anticipated being solely responsible for raising a very troubled daughter. Most days felt as though I was barely keeping my head above water, trying not to drown in the tumultuous waters of my life.

When my daughter was small, I could make her conform to society's rules. This was not always easy. She would have terrible tantrums and meltdowns in situations which were comfortable and untroubled for most people. As she got older, this became much more of a problem because she was stronger and consequently more dangerous in her irrational rages. Holes in walls and broken doors became the norm. In my depressed state, it became impossible for me to keep up with the clutter as my house literally fell apart. I stopped inviting friends over, afraid that if they saw the state of my home they would know my secret--that I had major problems I did not know how to deal with.

I became quite good at keeping up the facade. I kept the kids in outside activities they were interested in and encouraged them to pursue their talents. I helped with their homework, cooked them dinner, did their laundry and continued to work fulltime. I was getting by until the summer my daughter turned sixteen.

By this time, my daughter was as big as me and very rebellious. Trying to tell her to do anything would set her off on some out-of-control rage. My sons, my new husband and I always felt like we were walking on eggshells whenever she was around. She did what she wanted. Grounding her did no good. Where the boys would stay confined in their room, my daughter would laugh in my face and walk out the door.

One day toward the end of the summer, my daughter came to me and told me she was pregnant. We took her to the doctor where this was confirmed. Less than a week later just as we were getting used to the idea of her being a mom and me being a grandma, she had to be rushed to the emergency room because she was having a miscarriage. I felt guilty in being relieved by how things worked out because my daughter was hurting.

If all that trauma wasn't bad enough, about a month later, she was attacked and nearly raped while walking by herself after dark in our neighborhood. She was only saved because she was carrying her cell phone and managed to text some friends nearby who rescued her. She had been introduced to her attacker once by a mutual friend so he was caught and brought to justice. However, because he had a large number of friends and family members who lived in our neighborhood, life for my daughter got that much harder. Always a little paranoid and not very social, now she was getting accused of "lying" about the attack and getting their friend in trouble. It had always been difficult to get my daughter to go to school--most of our major fights happened in the morning before school. Now it was impossible to even get her out of bed. I tried to move her to her father's school district where she wouldn't come into contact with these kids, but that did not work either. My brilliant daughter, who actually won the Algebra award at her high school her freshman year for having the highest GPA in the class, was now a high school dropout. Because of her trauma, she also suffered from nightmares, panic attacks and PTSD.

Through the entire process, I fought with myself. I worked so hard to keep up appearances--to pretend that nothing was wrong. I found myself judging my daughter at every turn because she did not follow what my head told me was the "right" way to do things. The whole time, my heart pleaded with me, "Stop it! You are living a lie--a world created in your imagination out of all those things you were taught were 'truths'!" The voice in my heart continued to get louder and the problems in my life continued to get bigger until my body could take no more. I screamed back, "Enough! I am ready to stop fighting the truth and accept my daughter for who she is!"

As hard and as painful as this realization was, it continues to be the best thing that has ever happened to me. It is only in accepting my life as it truly IS that I can finally see past the lies I have been taught to believe in. What I believed to be "the rules" was merely a construct designed to maintain order and control. I now understand the judgment I held was part of this construct. Finally, I can look past the judgment to the beauty of the soul which resides in each person--to the Divinity of each one, including myself. I see my daughter's light and the blessing she is to me, and for the first time I am thankful.

I slept most of my forty-five years because I lived from the teachings in my head instead of the truth in my heart. If there is confusion and discord in your life, understand it is here to tell you something. Ask what it is you need to learn from this experience. It may just wake you up to truth!

You Are a Frequency!

In very real scientific terms, you are measurable energy! Everything out there--from people to buildings to emotions--can be measured as frequencies. What do I mean by frequencies? The American Heritage Science Dictionary defines frequency as "The rate at which a repeating event occurs, such as the full cycle of a wave. Frequencies are usually measured in hertz." The atoms within our bodies vibrate at a rate which can be scientifically measured. This is why people who are sensitive can pick up "vibes" from certain individuals or places--can tell that a person is happy or depressed or that a place has had something bad happen there without really even understanding why.

The following video shows the power and complexities of frequency using rice and sound:

You can actually see the wave patterns created by sound in this experiment!

What I find even more interesting about this phenomenon is that the concept of frequency was well understood by the ancients! The book of Genesis in the Old Testament says that God created the world by speaking it into existence. The first chapter of the Book of John in the New Testament begins like this: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Words, sounds and frequencies! The power of creation (and also destruction) begins with sound. This is why words can help us or hinder us. Words are extremely powerful!

I am a measurable frequency. So what? Ever feel as though your life is not where it was meant to be? As humans, we are given the power of choice in this lifetime. This is important because it is only through the gift of choice that we have the power to become creators. We have the ability to create a new world for ourselves through our own free will! Frequency holds the key to changing our world! There are actions we can choose to take which literally raise our frequencies!

For example, you may find yourself depressed (a very low vibrating energy) in this lifetime. We have the ability to change our circumstances through changing our vibrations! You can choose to hang out with positive, upbeat people. You can choose to listen to uplifting music or lectures. Even choosing to exercise can raise your energy level to the point where you are vibrating at a more energetic frequency!

Use this knowledge to improve your life as well as the lives of those you come into contact with. We all have the ability to choose a better, more peaceful, more productive world. It begins with understanding we are all measurable energies who have the ability to shift and become more.

You've Taken the Red Pill--What Now?

In the movie The Matrix, there is a famous scene where Neo, the character played by Keanu Reeves, is given a choice. Morpheus, played by Laurence Fishburne, offers Neo two pills and says, "You take the blue pill and the story ends. You wake in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill and you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes. Remember -- all I am offering is the truth, nothing more." In the end, Neo takes the red pill, and his life is altered forever.Some of us feel as though we have taken the red pill and are now in Wonderland. The veil has been lifted, the blinders have been taken off, and we are left to deal with a new reality we never expected. What now?

The world Neo found himself in originally was a world created within his own mind. Our world is the same! We perceive a world of the physical, but quantum physicists tell us this is illusion. Now that technology has advanced to the point of being able to observe the behavior of subatomic particles, we know that what we think of as solid actually has space within it! What we perceive about our world and the reality of it are two very different things!

Armed with this new insight, Neo is actually able to overcome the conventional rules of nature within the Matrix, which is the world of illusion. The exciting thing about this notion is, it has already happened in this world! One of the best examples came to the world in the form of Jesus. Jesus was able to bend the rules of nature--walk on water, heal the sick, curse a fig tree to death, etc.--all because he understood that the world he found himself in was merely an illusion. We still hear about "miracles" from time to time. This is exactly what Jesus meant when he made the statement, "Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." (John 14:12 NIV) According to Jesus, we all have the ability to do the things he did! 


The key to overcoming this illusion we live in begins with our thoughts--in our own imaginations! To give you a concrete example of what I am referring to, I remember a story I read when I was studying psychology years ago in college. It was about a man with cancer who imagined his white blood cells (the disease destroying parts of your blood) to be armed knights roaming through his body and attacking the cancer cells. His doctors were apparently amazed as his cancer began to fade away, eventually into nonexistence. This is the power of the mind! This is the law of attraction at its best! Your power is only limited by the limits of your own imagination.


When the world tries to tell you, "This is the way things are and you are going to have to live with them," you can come back with the simple answer, "I don't have to play this game." Granted, if you flout the laws of the place where you live you run a strong risk of punishment. Still, most of the time the game of life we choose to play has no such stakes. You can either accept something as truth or not. You can play the game or change the rules and play your own game. You always have a choice! It's that easy.


The rules we choose to live by are not often truth. They are more often illusions of the mind. You have chosen to be informed. Now it's time to see what you can create with this new understanding. When you take the red pill, your eyes have been opened. Choose to use the knowledge to create the life you want.

Living From Your Higher Self

I came to an interesting realization after a conversation I had with my husband this morning. I remembered an incident involving my ex-husband when we were in the middle of our divorce. My children and I had been living in Georgia with my parents for eight months when I finally served him with divorce papers. My whole separation and move from Iowa had not been my idea in the first place, but I was ready to move on, hence the divorce papers. He was not happy that I had filed for divorce in Georgia and told me he was trying to have the proceedings moved back to Iowa.

I freaked out. I had friends back in Iowa who had gotten divorced in Iowa. Because they had kids and their spouses still lived in state, they were not allowed to move out of state with their kids. If they wanted to leave bad enough, their kids would have to stay behind. My family, including my parents and two sisters, all lived in the southeast United States. Iowa is a good 800 miles from my support. I was truly afraid that if I allowed the proceedings to happen in Iowa I would be forced to move back there--a place with no family and no good job opportunities for me.

In my desperation to stay in Georgia, I threatened my ex-husband. I told him that if he moved the proceedings back to Iowa I would not negotiate at all. We would automatically resolve the issue in a jury trial, where I would drag him through the mud, bringing out all the nasty details that preceded our separation. As he had left me for another woman, this threat was daunting for him. He decided to allow the divorce to occur in Georgia.

As I related this story to my current husband, who has also been divorced for the same reasons I was, I realized how much I had changed from that time in my life. While I did not beat myself up for lashing out at my ex in of my pain, I realized that I would not act in the same way now, even if the circumstances were the same. My thoughts now would be to understand what was motivating my ex-husband's actions and see if we could resolve the issue in a way where both of us would end up with what we need. I call this change living from my higher self.

On this earth, we live in these imperfect shells we call bodies. We experience all kinds of pain and suffering while at the same time we are given false teachings which justify reacting to that pain in even more painful ways. Still, we are so much more than these troubled bodies.

Deep within at the very core of our beings, we are spirit. We are energy. We are light. We are perfect! It is only when we are able to see past the imperfection that is our body to the beauty of the light within that we are able to rise above the pain and suffering. We are finally able to recognize the problems for what they are--tools to help us learn and grow. We no longer feel the need to spread that pain. We acknowledge the pain and use it to help us overcome our own internal struggles.

The world is finally learning to live from its higher self. Make the choice to become a part of it!