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A lot of success coaches and motivational speakers tell you to THINK BIG. They tell you to create a big vision in order to succeed. And I agree - having a big vision is necessary to accomplish big things.

At the same time, even big things are compiled of multiple smaller components - and so I find myself coaching clients to think small instead.

Whenever you are in a tight spot in life, it is especially important to focus on the goodness of life at the present moment. The past is over and the future is not here yet. This is the perfect time to appreciate what you do have now instead of focusing on fear or lack.

Being laid off is a case in point. If you are out of work and have been for some time, it may be difficult to think about the perfect job or the ultimate contribution you want to make in the world. At this stage of the game, you may just want a paying job... it’s time to think small.

This bleak season will pass. Make the most of it by finding ways in which you can make a difference. Spend more time with loved ones, help the children with homework, plant some flowers. You can teach yourself a new skill or take a local adult education class. Join a Meet Up group. Being unemployed may feel like a permanent condition. The fact is, it is a season that will surely pass. You are not going to be out of work forever, so take advantage of the time you have now!

Whenever a project feels huge, it’s time to think small. If the size or complexity of a project overwhelms you, focus on just the next few itty bitty steps. Locate the phone numbers you need to call... schedule the time to make the call. Outline the chapters of the book you want to write...commit to writing just one chapter a month. Unclutter one drawer rather than thinking about uncluttering the whole house. Baby steps will get you there.

Even in business, there’s a place and time for thinking small. When thinking big, we often complicate things with too many ideas… and we overwhelm ourselves.

No matter where you are in life, there is always something you can do. If you cannot tackle big things now, don’t dither in indecision - start with something small! Here are a few pointers to help you take a step forward:

1.  Pick just one or two things to focus on each day. I find that most clients are trying to do too much in too little time. As a result, few things get completed. If you commit to one or two things daily, you’ll get more done and feel less stressed.

2.  Revel in little things. Go out and literally smell the roses. Slow down and appreciate your surroundings. Taste your food instead of inhaling it. Have meaningful conversation instead of passing interactions.

3.  Scale down. Get rid of physical clutter as well as mental clutter. Review your obligations and decide if they still serve you. Do you need to withdraw from some? Clear your mind by doing a brain dump: put your ideas, to-dos and tolerances (those things you are tolerating) down on paper. Prioritize what you will do and what you won’t, and tackle them one at a time.

4.  Focus on being great at what you do, rather than being the biggest or best. If you shift your focus to being great, you’ll begin to do things from a place of excellence instead of overwhelm.

5.  Allow extra time for everything you do. If writing a letter will take ten minutes, allow yourself twenty.  That way, you build buffer time into your day to cope with unexpected events. If you finish in less time than that... go watch the clouds!

©Copyright Ada Porat.
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached. To sign up for Ada's inspirational monthly newsletter, visit www.AdaPorat.com.

Are we witnessing the end of the world approaching? What will happen next? Will we make it through 2012?

I believe that we are seeing the end of an era dominated by self-serving, egocentric living; an era that was mired in the duality of haves and have-nots. I also believe that in the perfect circle of life, new cycles are birthed from the ashes of the old, and we are currently right inside that wrinkle in time where two realities overlap: the dying former reality and the birth of a new era.

Things are changing so fast that many feel stuck, lost and afraid. But are you really?

Take a moment to really feel what is going on. You are not stuck… you are simply constrained. Yes, the old way of doing things no longer works, and you are trying to adjust to radical new ways of viewing life, doing things, and living.

Outside yourself, the whole world is going through a spin cycle. At the macroscopic level, systems and structures that formed an integral part of the old, dualistic Newtonian paradigm are crumbling. They are unable to hold the energy of higher consciousness that is sweeping the planet. On a microscopic level also, obsolete ways of being are falling away, affecting every individual.

None of us are exempt: relationships, employment, institutions and other external forms of security are subject to the scrutiny of a higher awareness that is emerging as individuals awaken from the grand illusion we have believed to be real.

The choice is no longer if we’ll let go of the old ways; it is simply how you will let go. Will you gently release the dense relationships with people, power and money that no longer serve your soul’s evolution so you can make space for a higher reality? Or will you fight to the bitter end, trying to hold on to some semblance of control until things are torn from your life with deep claw marks – your claw marks – all over them?

Resistance brings pain and suffering. Great spiritual teachers like Jesus and the Buddha taught their followers not to resist, but to surrender to the Higher law at work beyond the visible realm.

The truth is that, throughout this time of constraint and upheaval, there are unseen forces holding you steady while you learn to run this new kind of energy… the energy of Oneness with Divine purpose. It is your Divine connection, hosted in a human shell. Long ago, before you ever came into this life, you chose to embody this energy at this time. It is your contribution to the shift of the ages, and now is your time to fulfill that agreement.

The energy of Divine oneness or unity is the most powerful force in the Universe. It is powerful enough to constrain you when you try to separate from Divine guidance at your core and assert your human will.

In the old way of life, we accomplished goals by imposing our human, egoic wills onto external reality. We were conditioned to be willful and determined, wanting whatever we chose to have when we decided to have it.

This way no longer works. When we assert our human, egoic will in the new energy that surrounds us now, there are numerous obstacles constraining us.

To move past these constraints, we have to give up the drive to accomplish things by sheer force of will. Instead, we need to align with the power of All That Is. We need to surrender to trust: trust in the Divine, in Higher Guidance, in Spirit, God… whatever you choose to call the essential Life Force Energy.

When we choose to trust, the ego yields so we align to a Bigger Plan - the Higher picture of Divine perfection. From there, we are able to flow and co-create a higher reality than we could have ever conceived of before.

It is no longer possible to more forward in ego and still make spiritual progress. The constraining force of Spirit will block your movement at every turn - the old ways of doing need to be surrendered to embrace higher ways of being.

Spirit will get you through this time of transition, no matter how difficult it feels.

Those same unseen forces that hold you steady now, can and will lift you out of all the illusion of despair. All it takes is for you to let go of all attachment to the old forms of power, and to embrace the path of alignment, the way of trusting and allowing.

We are living in a very different reality now than even five years ago. The old life with its hopes and dreams is filed away in the archives of All That Is. To keep looking for it, merely deters our progress.

Instead, you need to learn how to commune with your soul to access the inner guidance that is stirring there. Every change that you wish to see in society starts with you and the field of consciousness that you are holding.

Now is the time to embrace what shows up in your life moment by moment.

Look for new ways to reframe things, new tools to do things with.

Go inward.

Drink deep from the wellspring of life.

Let the timeless wisdom and healing energy of sacred teaching wash over you to renew your soul.

Develop a dialogue with Spirit and ask for guidance and clarity.

Stay present in the moment and allow the answers to flow to you through circumstances.

When action is indicated, do it. When circumstances open up for you, move forward. And when doors close, don’t try to break through them. Sometimes, we need to spend a while living in the in-between: learning to let go of the need to control, the need to logically understand.

At times like these, we need to ask ourselves what we really want and why…even as we surrender the need to know how it will come about. We need to simply align to the Eternal Presence and be present, patient, and still.

 

As you consciously evolve in response to the Divine nature within you, you will embody the higher energies of the life force field wherein everyone’s consciousness can evolve.

From the Source of Truth at the microscopic core of you being, the energies of a new and higher way of being will ripple out to touch, change and heal the realities of life on a macroscopic level. In a world crying for hope and healing, there is no greater service you can offer!

©Copyright Ada Porat.
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached. To sign up for Ada's inspirational monthly newsletter, visit www.AdaPorat.com

Have you ever had the experience where someone presents a smooth façade, yet their actions speak so loudly that you cannot hear a word they say? The experience felt odd because you sensed a discrepancy between the person’s words and actions.

Personal growth brings to light such discrepancies in ourselves so that we can take appropriate action to become fully integrated beings.

Of all the things you can do to impact your future, I believe personal growth is the greatest. With personal growth, I refer to the process of improving one’s awareness and identity, developing one’s potential, and maturing emotionally, mentally and spiritually to fulfill one’s destiny. It is the primary catalyst to who you’ll become over the course of your life.

Personal growth paves the way to lasting effectiveness and fulfillment. It cultivates an environment where decision-making becomes easier, because you eliminate discrepancies in your value system as soon as you become aware of them. It’s your key to a truly meaningful life.

This key to a meaningful life rests in your hands, because the key is you. It does not rest on finding someone to love or support you; or on getting a tax break, electing a different president, winning the lottery, or even moving to another country. It rests with you – and that is great news!

All personal growth starts with the willingness to accept responsibility for where we are at, for the actions and choices that brought us to the present. Instead of beating yourself up over past decisions you made, you can initiate meaningful change by accepting that you are the key factor to a meaningful life.

If that statement feels a little awkward to you, it means you need to own it more fully. Post it where you can see it every day: in the bathroom, the kitchen, your car, or your computer – anywhere you can see it. You are the key to a meaningful life!

You are the key to a meaningful life; ponder it until you know it in your bones! Your potential and your future are in your hands, because you are the key to creating the change you desire.

How does one create meaningful change? First, you may want to nurture change with a strong, dynamic support system; an active pursuit of personal growth; clear goals and boundaries; and the knowledge of what your value system requires from you to maintain inner peace.

 

Second, you may also want to minimize the impact of obstacles such as health setbacks, financial exposure, and negative influences. However, none of these things can replace the most important aspect: your conscious presence as the core catalyst to creating the change you desire.

You are the key to creating a meaningful life! Imprint that concept on your mind, because it is super important. You don’t have to be perfect, you simply have to make progress.

One of my former colleagues was a very successful entrepreneur who really understood this concept. Whenever people asked him how he became so successful, he would answer, “Simple. Just go beyond the average. Focus on becoming your best.”

How wise he was! In a world of mediocrity where the lowest common denominator usually is enough, you can surpass the norm simply by becoming more than average. You don’t have to strive for perfection or even excellence; you just have to rise above the average.

Work on yourself and develop more than average enthusiasm. Develop more than average clarity. Develop more than average vision. Develop an above-average commitment to live your best life. In short, to have more, focus on becoming more. When you invest in and work on yourself, the results will follow!

One day shortly before final exams, my high school English teacher read us The Victor, a poem by C. W. Longenecker that I’ve never forgotten. It was written well before the age of gender-sensitive language, yet its message is still as powerful today as when it was penned:

“If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you don't.
If you like to win but think you can't,
It's almost a cinch you won't.

“If you think you'll lose, you're lost.
For out in the world we find
Success begins with a fellow's will.
It's all in the state of mind.

“If you think you are out-classed, you are.
You've got to think high to rise.
You've got to be sure of your-self before
You can ever win the prize.

“Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger or faster man.
But sooner or later, the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can.”

If you were to look at the people who attended school or college with you, you may notice that each person has reached a different place in life. Given the fact that they attended the same educational system, speak the same language, and share the same culture, what accounts for the difference?

The difference is on the inside, not outside. It lies in how well each person understands the key to creating a meaningful life.

Every day, you make choices that determine whether something is meaningful for you or not. You are the only person qualified to measure an external experience by your internal value system and give it the thumbs up or down. The better acquainted you are with your inner value system, personal goals, boundaries and dreams, the more accurate will be the choices you make.

You see, the real difference is inside you. In fact, the difference IS you. The power that makes things better is inside you, and personal growth is the catalyst that activates that power in your life.

Within you is the power to believe, to dare, to do, to persevere. Within you is the strength to love, to forgive, to grow, to heal. You are the key to creating a meaningful life and a better future!

©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com. This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.

"We sometimes feel that what we do
is just a drop in the ocean, but the
ocean would be less because of that
missing drop." -- Mother Teresa

One of the reasons that we get intimidated by the process of living, is that we think our part is not grand enough.

After all, the movers and shakers featured in the media are usually pretty big and powerful. We hear about philanthropists such as Bill Gates who spends millions to find a cure for malaria, or larger-than-life personalities like Oprah who has touched the lives of millions more with her daily show.

When we compare our small beginnings and meager efforts to these icons, we may feel so insignificant that we give up. We cringe as the inner critic whispers, ‘Who are you to think that you can change things out there when you haven’t even mastered your own health, or finances, or relationships?’

We compare our own weaknesses to the strengths of others and when it feels too overwhelming, we give up. And so we forget that we are an integral part of a larger whole; a precious drop in the ocean of life. Yet when we give up on our dreams, the whole world misses out!

We think that we have to be big, powerful or perfect before we can make a difference. And so we disqualify ourselves before we even start.

Here’s an important truth to remember: you do not have to be big, powerful or perfect to make a difference in the world – you simply have to be willing!

When we focus on our limitations, we fail to notice that those individuals who make a difference in the world, do so despite their own weaknesses. Their lives are not perfect; yet they have made a commitment to argue for their potential and not for their liabilities!

And while critics like to point out their limitations, these brave souls make a meaningful contribution to the world because they choose to focus on what they can do despite these limitations. Andrea Bocelli became one of the finest vocalists of our time despite the fact that he is blind. Mother Teresa founded an order that ministers to the sick and dying worldwide despite the fact that she never had a university education. Nelson Mandela became the leader of a nation, guiding millions away from racist politics and toward equality, despite the fact that he had become estranged from his wife after he’d spent 26 years in prison.

These people made – and continue to make – a difference in the world. Their contributions to society are like precious drops of water that raises the level of the ocean for everyone. And they made a difference despite their personal weaknesses, limitations or liabilities!

In this field of consciousness known as the human condition, we are all interconnected. The struggles of others affect us, yet so also are we uplifted by their greatness. Life offers us the opportunity to tap into our greatness and to contribute that drop to the ocean of human consciousness so everyone can be uplifted by it.

Life does not require you to become rich, or perfect, or famous in order to make a difference. It simply requires you to start.

Start with small steps you can take day by day. What is your heart calling you to do? Which one person can you reach out to today? What small step can you take to contribute your drop to the ocean of life?

Recognize the small ways in which you can make a difference. Feel the fear and self-doubt, and then take that step to contribute anyway. 

That’s how greatness is born: knowing that you can make a meaningful difference despite areas of your life that are still in process. Look past your limitations and act from your potential. The world is awaiting your gifts!

©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.

Everyone wants to be able to improve their lives in some way: to heal something, to start something new, to find their soul purpose. As long as we are alive, this process continues. Everyone has a next step waiting to be taken, and everyone – absolutely everyone – has trouble accomplishing it. In fact, we spend an inordinate amount of time making up reasons and excuses for not moving forward!

Being stuck can be extremely painful. The desire you have to change a habit or improve your life comes from your soul. When you do not move forward with it, you block the very expression of your soul. The frustration that accumulates over time because of dysfunctional patterns of self-sabotage merely represents the surface issue.

Here are five practical guidelines to help you step into the greatness of your true potential:

1. Get Over The Fear Of Humiliation.

Most people are controlled by the fear of being humiliated. How do you get over the paralyzing fear of being humiliated and worrying about what others will say? By recognizing that your true locus of control is inside you. Looking outside yourself for approval, acceptance and love, is an ego trap. The fear of being humiliated by external forces is really based on pride. True commitment to the journey of your soul brings with it a deep sense of humility, along with the realization that your best is enough. When you no longer look outside yourself for approval and affirmation, you align with the true Source of your being. That relationship moves you to a place of deep inner honesty, humility and power because you identify with your true identity as a soul.

2. Recognize Which Reality You Live In.

Do you find yourself bargaining that you will get on with what you need to do as soon as the children are grown, or after you are out of debt, or once you get a new job? Are you dreaming of the life you’d love to have if only you had the money, time or resources? If so, you may be living in a fantasy world! On this planet, results come from matching vision with action, step by step. Instead of waiting for the perfect opportunity, the question to ask yourself is, “What I am I doing in the meantime?”

Appeasing the yearning of your soul with empty rationalization and promises, is not enough. You need to start taking action to bring your life into alignment with the guidance you are being given, or else you are living in a fantasy world. If not, you may end up in guidance overload – overwhelmed, stuck or frustrated – and you’ll have nobody to blame but yourself!

3. Guidance Overload.

Guidance overload comes from asking for help from too many people yet not acting on any of the information that you've stuffed into your energy field. When planning a change, it is normal to start gathering information for ways to move forward.

The trap lies in over-analyzing each piece of information or waiting for another, and another, piece to appear before taking action. This can move you into analysis paralysis or guidance overload, where there is too much information floating around in your mind, all triggering your fears, anxieties, limiting beliefs and memories of past trauma - and you don't know where to start. Guidance overload is also an indication of having given your power away to others instead of taking full responsibility for your life. It is not a happy place!

To break free from guidance overload, you need to go back to the beginning and start with the very first step that needs to be taken. When fear arises in response to that step, deal with it! Your greatest power lies in choosing your truth in the face of your fears. After you have taken the first step, you can ask for more guidance.

4. Become A Mystic In The Marketplace.

For many centuries, mystics lived on the fringe of society. They did not mix with the masses or participate in affairs of the world. This has all changed. Today, the level of consciousness on the planet has tipped the scales to offer potential for unprecedented growth and change. Spiritually awakened beings are being called to participate in this worldwide shift by becoming mystics in the marketplace - not on the mountain or in the monastery.

To answer the call, you need to learn how to commune with your soul to access the inner guidance that is stirring there. Every change that you wish to see in society, starts with you and the field of consciousness that you are holding. You are called to be the change you desire to see in the world, and you change the world around you through the power of your evolving soul as you hold the energy field of love wherein consciousness can evolve. In a world crying for healing, there is no greater service you can offer.

5. Find Appropriate Support For Each Stage of Growth.

Successful personal growth depends on being able to determine where your learning needs fine-tuning and then to support that with appropriate correction and feedback. Whether you need a new skill or a compassionate ear, listen to your needs and find appropriate support to ensure your success.

Collectively, these five guidelines can be very helpful to identify where progress may be stagnated in any area of your life, and to help you step into the greatness of your true potential.

©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.

Is it possible to enjoy abundance during a recession or is that just some kooky form of denial?

The answer depends on your definition of the terms, since we know that definitions are influenced profoundly by our belief systems.
 
How do you measure abundance?  In western society, we are bombarded by messages that success is measured by material goods: a better car, bigger home, and more things.  Yet is this really the only measure of abundance?  

The stuff of the material world is simply that – material stuff.  It is nothing more than that until you attach meaning or emotion to it.

In a society where success and abundance is measured by one’s possessions, people become attached to material stuff.  Without such material ‘proof’ of their success, they tend to see themselves as failures.  

This attachment to material forms of security gives rise to all kinds of fear: fear of loss, fear of failure, fear of not having enough. And fear, when not addressed, can lead to untold suffering because it begets the very things you are afraid of.

Here’s an uncomfortable truth: Fear is a powerful force for manifestation. Its power lies in its magnetic grip on the mind where, left unchecked, it will grow like a weed until it dominates all thoughts. And whatever occupies your focus, tends to manifest.  It’s that simple!

You and I are powerful beings who create our world as a result of the things we focus on. At any moment there are two realities waiting to manifest: the one you attract and the one you resist. Whichever one you feed consciously or unconsciously, is the one that will manifest.

If you wish to enjoy a sense of personal peace, joy and abundance, you need to eliminate fear.

To get rid of the fear habit, it is important to understand that we are all connected and not separate; each one of us forms part of everything that exists. The findings of biochemist and researching pioneer Rupert Sheldrake show how everything in the universe is ultimately connected through fields of consciousness. You and I contribute to that collective consciousness in an endless feedback loop that flows back to each of us.  

On the level of planetary ecology, our pollution of earth’s water resources affects everything that takes in that water through the interconnectedness of all. What happens in one area of our planetary ecology, ripples out in ever wider circles to affect everything else, whether we are aware of it or not. If we want pure drinking water, then we cannot afford to dump toxic waste into the earth’s oceans and rivers.

The ecology of consciousness works the same way.  Every time we pollute our interconnecting field of consciousness with unprocessed emotions of anger, judgment, hate or lack, we dump the equivalent of toxic waste into the quantum field.  Fear is the most toxic and primal of all emotional and mental toxic waste.

Fear is lethal to our well-being at all levels.  It triggers your primal fight or flight response, which will deplete your adrenals over time.  It also contributes to sleep disturbances, addiction, high blood pressure, violence and a host of social evils.  Fear leads to a contraction of energy – the more we fear, the more we close down the flow of Life Force, the Source of abundance. This choking down of abundance contributes to lack in every area of life – in economic terms, it is called a recession.  

Are you content to continue dumping fear and other toxic emotions into the collective consciousness, or are you willing to contribute something more conducive to the stream of consciousness that we all mentally and emotionally drink from?

Fear is a dream killer. It will choke up your faith until all you can create, is more fear.  

Don’t go there!  No economic situation is worth your dreams: not a war, not a job loss, not a stock market crash and not a recession. These economic and political situations are merely transitory aspects of the material world.  

You are much more than that: you are an eternal spiritual being with access to all the resources in the Universe through the collective field of consciousness. And you access this limitless supply of resources through the quality of your emotions and what you hold in mind.

I challenge you to live a life that is admired not for its stuff, but for its passion and its undying belief that all things are possible.  I challenge you to take bold action in the face of fear and to set an example by showing others that out on the limb is where the fruit is sweetest.

Start practicing the proven antidote to fear. Think of everything you are blessed with in the material world and beyond.  Make a list of all the abundance in your life, and return to gratitude.  

©Copyright Ada Porat.
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached. To sign up for Ada's inspirational monthly newsletter, visit www.AdaPorat.com

The teenager at the drive-thru repeated my order: one medium coffee with two creams, no sugar.

At the pick-up window, I confirmed:  “Two creams and no sugar, right?”

“Yes,” she assured me as she handed me the cup.  After pulling into the busy traffic, I took a sip and… you guessed it: no cream and at least two sugars!
 
Now, if you’re used to eating a lot of sugar you may not notice, but I’m not and I did notice. It was annoying – even more so because this was not the first time it happened.

I was on my way to an early morning appointment and could not turn back without running late, so I had a choice to make: was I going to become grumpy about the incidence and let it ruin my day, or was I going to look at it differently?

I decided to focus on what was going right instead: the rush hour traffic was flowing, the sun was shining, and there were many things in my life to be grateful for. I chose to give thanks for all the blessings in my life instead.  Soon I felt my spirits shift from irritation at missing that first cup of java, to feeling happy and at peace.

Forty minutes later, I approached my destination and noticed another fast-food outlet belonging to the same chain. I pulled up to order a drinkable cup of coffee.  When I explained the bungled order to the attendant, she smiled and said: “I’d hate for us to spoil your day – let me get you another cup on us.” 

Wow, what a concept, I thought. She is not getting defensive – she’s choosing to make amends instead! When I thanked her, she said: “I know you’ve got a right to be grumpy about the mistake, and I appreciate it that you weren’t. Have a wonderful day!”

In the span of less than an hour, my emotions had shifted from feeling annoyed to being grateful to feeling great!  And my state of mind had a positive effect on the attendant as well!

What happened here?  I’d be the first to tell you that I’m not a saint, so something else was going on here.

That something was the power of gratitude.

My sincere gratitude had activated the law of attraction to draw to me circumstances that resonated with the vibrational frequencies of what I was focused on, including this pleasant encounter.

You see, everything in the universe consists of energy with a vibrating mass of atoms and subatomic particles at its core. You and I also consist of energy, and each one of us projects into the universe energy vibrations based on our thoughts, feelings, and emotions. This frequency attracts to it resonant vibrational frequencies that determine the events, situations, and circumstances we eventually see manifest in our lives.

So what does this have to do with gratitude?  Everything!

When you are in a sincere state of gratitude, your vibrational resonance is one of acceptance and harmony. That vibrational frequency attracts to you events and circumstances that are harmonious with the high, positive state you are in.

To understand how this works, you can think of yourself as a giant magnet. Whatever emotions you are feeling - be it love, fear, anger, happiness, joy, or gratitude – the emotions you hold in mind create a magnetic force that draws to you events, conditions and circumstances in direct correlation to what you are feeling. Fear of something creates a magnetic force that ultimately attracts more of what you fear. Gratitude for any situation sets up a magnetic force that draws to you more of what you’re expressing gratitude for.  Like attracts like – just like that.

Whenever you’re not grateful for an aspect of your life, you are in essence resisting that aspect.  Your focus shifts to what you don’t want.  That focus on what you DON’T want, creates a vibrational field that draws to you more of what you don’t want or resist! That’s why whatever you resist, persists in showing up.

Gratitude, on the other hand, moves you into acceptance of whatever IS.  It is a powerful springboard that can catapult you into a positive frame of mind, because it focuses on what you appreciate instead of on what appears to be lacking. It is one of the most powerful antidotes to the narcissistic self-absorption and entitlement so prevalent in western society.

How in the world can you be in a state of gratitude when everything seems to be going wrong?

Perhaps the things that appear to be going wrong, are actually going very right… from a Higher perspective!  Here’s why:

The first step to personal freedom always starts with self-responsibility. To lose weight, for instance, you need to first accept the fact of what your current weight is; you have to accept the fact that whatever you have been doing up until now, has been your responsibility - even when it didn’t work. Acknowledging where we’re at is the first step toward change – both in twelve-step groups and in life.

The conditions and circumstances you're currently experiencing are manifestations based on thoughts and emotions you chose at some point in the past. There’s no blame or judgment here, there’s simply the need to accept responsibility for what you have manifested so far, whether consciously or unconsciously.  Remember, you are the one that thinks your thoughts - your thoughts do not think you!

In fact, you created everything you currently experience in your life. You may well consider how it has worked for you.  Not great?  Then don’t despair, because your powers of creation does not stop here…

Since you can (or perhaps did) create and attract undesirable outcomes, you can also create positive results by changing your thoughts and focus. You have tremendous creative potential and when you start consciously working with these principles instead of resisting them, your life will make a dramatic turn for the better.

Current experiences are merely guideposts showing whether you are creating the desired outcomes or whether you need to make some adjustments in your thought processes. Once you see this, you have a choice to make:  are you going to blame yourself or others for what shows up in your life, or are you going to acknowledge what doesn’t work, and choose differently than you did before? 

Before you get mad, please hold off a moment and consider what energy you are resonating through that choice: anger and negative self-talk is NOT the kind of energy that will attract the outcomes you desire!

Your perception of something going ‘wrong’ is only your perception, that is all.  Most often, it is a limited perception based on fear, false beliefs and limited understanding that lacks the Higher perspective to see how EVERYTHING unfolds in your life in perfect order for your personal growth and evolution.
 
From a Higher perspective, nothing EVER goes "wrong." Everything is continuously unfolding in perfect order for the purpose of your growth. Simplistic notions of right and wrong are based on a limited perspective, looking at life through the lens of duality where there are only two sides to a coin.  This is a limited Cartesian perspective that was disproved more than a century ago by the more advanced quantum physic understanding that we actually live in a holographic universe.  In this holographic universe, there are multiple points of view, all forming part of a perfectly evolving universe. 

Whatever point of view you adopt simply reflects your position in cosmic consciousness, and in no way reflects the whole. What you regard as ‘wrong,’ is actually a perfect expression of potentialities emerging from the energies you have put out there.

Everything in your life is a miracle you created, an expression of the potentialities you set in motion. When you learn to recognize that and express gratitude for everything, you will begin to see the life-changing power of gratitude at work, creating much more to be grateful for!

To see this at work, let’s return to the coffee experience. When my coffee order was botched, I was disappointed but I had a choice. 

Had my negative self-talk kicked in with something along the lines of “Oh no, they messed up again. Why do things like that always happen to me? I never get a break!" I would have acted on a negative perception that everything went wrong and my day was ruined. Based on that perception, I would have been correct, because that would have been the outcome I eventually created! Unless I’d been able to change that perception, I would have allowed myself to have a miserable day. In fact, my grumpy mood would have literally attracted events, conditions, and circumstances to ensure my day goes less than stellar.

On the other hand, I chose to not let the experience ruin my day.  Instead, I felt the initial disappointment, and then chose not to blame or indulge in self-pity. Instead, I acknowledged that I did not know all the reasons why the order got botched, and I chose to focus on more positive and productive thoughts instead. The end result was a harmonious vibrational frequency that soon attracted a positive outcome.

Do you see what I mean about perception? Same situation, same actor, different perception, different outcome.

The universe operates in holographic perfection; it doesn't perceive anything from the limited dualistic perspective of good or bad that you and I see; it simply creates outcomes based on your vibrational resonance. Your attitudinal response to everything in your life determines what shows up next. The biblical text expresses it this way, "As you sow, so shall you reap."

We cannot possibly control everything going on around us in the world; but we can and must control our responses to life if we are to bring about positive change. Developing an attitude of gratitude is one of the most important things that you can do to bring about meaningful change.

A powerful way to cultivate gratitude is to focus on what is REALLY happening in your life, rather than falling into the trap of drama and complaining. The basic practice of Naikan, the Japanese art of self-reflection, consists of asking oneself three questions every day:

“What have I received today?
What have I given?
What trouble have I caused?"

List the responses in three columns each night.  You’ll find that there are invariably much more in the receiving column than in the giving column!  We are indeed blessed despite the circumstances we find ourselves in.

Use these questions to cultivate gratitude for what is showing up in your life, forgive yourself for trouble you have caused, and make new choices from a place of gratitude.  You may just find your attitude changing from grumpy… to grateful… to great!

©Copyright Ada Porat.
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached. To sign up for Ada's inspirational monthly newsletter, visit www.AdaPorat.com

By Ada Porat

“So you do vibrational healing, hmm… now what is it that you really do?” the accountant asked as he read my business card, then peered over his glasses at me.

Try answering that question with a pithy 10-second sound byte!

People often ask for a lucid explanation of how the vibrational frequencies of body, mind and spirit interact in the dance of healing. Here’s how I usually try to explain it.

Each one of us exists as a holographic, integrated system that consists of body, mind and spirit. Yet you are much more than the sum of your parts – what you are is pure Life Force energy, expressing life through these levels of being. All the information about your life on earth – the good, the bad and the ugly - is contained within the cellular blueprint of your body.

Your life story is held in the form of frequencies. Just as every object in the universe has an innate frequency, so every emotion, memory and feeling you experience also carries specific frequencies. If you magnify your cells down to the atomic level, you would see that you are made up of subtle bundles of informational energy. Quantum physics has also shown us how the basic building blocks of matter consist of light and sound. Every type of cell is in continuous communication with every other cell of the same type through the resonance of their innate frequency level.

The cells of your body are derived from the original stem cells that divided after conception. These stem cells differentiate into different organ cells by virtue of their biochemical predisposition. This innate capability to differentiate, accounts for why some cells turn into skin, others become organ cells, and so forth. In this way, cells truly are the basic building blocks of your holographic being: your totality of body, mind and spirit.

From the core of your physical cells, messages travel through 6,000 miles of neural pathways in the body. Beyond that, the electromagnetic field (often called the “aura”) radiates out around the body with yet more information held in its field, and flowing from there into ever more diffuse fields the further the energy travels out from the physical body. Collectively, these energy fields become a holographic vehicle for your existential experience in this lifetime.

So how do we know where we need to go in the body to clear out a disturbance? Most often, people focus on painful or annoying symptoms and try to make them go away. If you have a headache, you may choose to pop a pill. However, the headache is not the problem; it is merely a symptom of the problem. And once the pain killer wears off, the pain may well return. So what to do?

For lasting results, it is necessary to address the source of the problem instead of the symptoms. Scientific research at NIH and other institutions have found that the answer lies in the cells. Cellular DNA contains the complete genetic blueprint for the design and function of your physical body. The cells also hold the blueprint for your mental, emotional, and spiritual state. Your cells retain information of all your life experiences and your genetic heritage. Everything you have ever experienced - whether positive or negative - is programmed into these basic building blocks of life!

The conscious part of that information is stored in the conscious brain and consists of less than 10% of the total. The other 90% of that information is submerged deep within the subconscious which is held in the cellular memory. So the largest storage area in your being is not really the brain, but the cells!

Here is another surprise: you need more than food and rest to live! Your being was designed to require non-material nourishment in the form of love. It is the most critical form of nourishment for life! Cells have a limited number of receptor-sites available for neuropeptide proteins. When your cells are bombarded through repetitive thought patterns and beliefs that generate toxic emotional reactions such as anger, depression, or grief, there are fewer cellular receptor sites available to absorb nutrients, release toxins, and heal.

Abundant research shows how individuals who regularly give and receive love, enjoy vibrant health. This is one of the reasons why statisticians find higher longevity and health among individuals in committed relationships. Love literally fills your cells with life force, while the absence of love drains your life force.

Just as life continuously evolves, so your cells are also growing, changing and dying. They represent a perfect microscopic model of how our universe works. We have freedom to choose how we respond to this on-going process of evolution: either we flow with change or we resist it. Disease almost always reflects a person’s decision to resist the flow of life at some level, albeit subconsciously.

This nature of continuous change holds tremendous potential for renewal in our lives. Any change made in your cellular hologram will have a profound effect in healing. When slivers of trauma or shock are neutralized in your cellular memory, all physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual data on file is rapidly updated accordingly. As low, dense vibrational patterns are removed from the cellular memory and replaced with the life force energy of love, your being can be restored to its blueprint at every level!

Is it possible to over-do the process? In a world where allopathic medicine and medical intervention override the body’s natural healing and rhythm, this is a very valid question. We may be afraid of facing negative patterns in the cellular memory, thinking that it could be too overwhelming or painful.

Here’s the good news: Cells are built to throw off old patterns and integrate new patterns as part of their life cycle. Just as the body eliminates waste products through excretion, sweating or coughing, the cells are designed to energetically rid themselves of frequencies that no longer serve you in order to return to homeostasis.

In vibrational healing, your system’s innate wisdom determines just how much is released without sacrificing optimal balance and well-being. Old patterns of being are discarded and replaced by new, more appropriate ways of seeing, being and knowing. Your system will take as long as it needs to integrate so that you can ground the spiritual, mental and emotional transformations gradually. When you live your life consciously, you will notice that your cells always seek to release negative patterns and integrate positive ones.

Our bodies are designed to support health, harmony and connection among all parts. So why do we get sick or develop illnesses that won’t easily go away?

The unconscious patterns in your cells are constantly being triggered by current life experiences through the Law of Resonance, drawing to you matching life experiences. Not that you go looking for it – it happens spontaneously! Many of these frequencies are beneficial sources of strength, skill, ability and talent. However, resonances that keep you from experiencing your highest potential, will deplete and block your life force as long as they remain in the cells.

The innate state of being in the cells is one of harmony, balance and flow – as in the behavior of babies and small children. When we are exposed to high levels of shock, trauma, fear or other emotions that are difficult to process at the time, the brain will suppress these emotions by storing it in the subconscious field of the cells. Over time, these lower vibrational frequencies will cause the energy level of the cells to slow down, affecting the ability to assimilate life force energy and eventually culminating in pain or disease. This accumulation of collective pain, grief, fear and shame is what Eckhardt Tolle refers to as the Pain Body.

When left unaddressed, this accumulation of unprocessed emotion can wreak havoc with our lives and relationships by surfacing at the most unexpected times and causing us to act on our unexpressed pain and fear from the past, instead of responding to the events of the present moment. For healing to be effective, the imprint of the energetic disturbance needs to be cleared from every level of being – body, mind and spirit – in order for symptoms to clear up.

By identifying and releasing the old, stagnant emotions, the cells can return to their blueprint of harmony and flow. As we release what no longer is beneficial, our cells open up to embrace the full flowering of our potential. This is the journey from separation to wholeness, and it is an essential part of our growth in consciousness.

©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.

by Ada Porat

What is holding you back from life’s best today? Could it be fear of leaving your comfort zone?

How are you doing on your journey of growth and transformation? Are you moving forward at a rewarding rate or have things been slowing down recently? Is your life aligning with your dreams or are you still stuck with the same problems?

Perhaps you’ve made good progress earlier, only to find yourself stuck now.

That can be a very frustrating place because you’ve dreamed about how your life will be when you’ve reached your goals. You can see the benefits: a healthier lifestyle, a larger income, more satisfying relationships, more fulfilling work, and the satisfaction of knowing that you are doing exactly what you’ve always wanted to do.

Yet, although you can see the finish line, you are standing still.  You have put in lots of time and effort to develop new skills and change your habits. You have taken courses, embarked on new ventures, only to find yourself stuck now. 

So what happened?

I can't say I know the answer for you.  There could be many reasons, but I always suspect one factor when this happens. Up to now, you might have coped with change comfortably, making great strides without having had to stretch yourself too much.  But from here on, any new step forward requires a step out of your comfort zone.

To change your life for the better, you have to accept the fact that you can no longer do things the same old way.

Making a commitment to change is a big step.  During the early stages of growth, the excitement about the new process may energize you to read a book, take a course, or go through the details of setting up a new business or lifestyle.

All those preparations are necessary and good - but they amount to nothing unless you are able to follow through on your dream.  Creating your dream means venturing into new territory – new, unknown, and often uncomfortable terrain.  And that is where the rub lies. 

You may be spinning your wheels with all kinds of ‘keeping busy’ projects, yet not tackling the core issue because that would require stepping out of your comfort zone.

If you feel that you've made pretty good progress but are currently stalled, you’ll need to address the old habits, beliefs or fears that are holding you back.   Only by clearing out these limitations, can we free ourselves up to move forward into new ways of being without sabotaging our progress in some way.

Some of the biggest agents of sabotage in our lives are those subconscious belief systems that we inherited from our families, communities, the media or from peers.  These limiting beliefs will defeat our best efforts of willpower and intellect with their insidious messages of fear, lack, limitation, failure, shame, guilt and judgment.  Just as a weak foundation cannot support a tall structure built on it, so we are not able to successfully build positive outcomes in our lives when there are conflicting patterns at the core of our being. 

Limiting beliefs and patterns in the subconscious set up a low vibrational attractor field that will attract similar, low vibrational outcomes no matter how hard you try to accomplish optimal outcomes.  So instead of beating yourself up because of feeling stuck or because of your inability to venture out of your comfort zone (and thus adding to the problem), how about clearing those limiting patterns instead so you can set up high vibration attractor fields for optimal outcomes?

You don’t have to be the victim of your past conditioning or limiting beliefs any longer – unless you choose to remain there!  Today, there are wonderful techniques available that can help you to identify the root causes and triggers that cause energy blocks and stagnation in your life. 

As soon as you clear these low vibrations out of your energy field, your vibrational frequency will rise to higher levels and you will attract higher outcomes with grace and ease.

You are the captain of your ship, and you can change the course of your life for the better.  Make a commitment today, and in a few short weeks you will find that you are able to operate comfortably in areas you previously regarded as a discomfort zone.

As you clear out the causes of fear, confusion and insecurity, you will be able to access and radiate more peace, assurance, trust, faith, confidence and joy.

 

©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com

This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.

Mining The Gifts Of Change
By Ada Porat

During times of change, we often experience an instinctive desire to control or direct the process. If we could only control the process, we would feel more comfortable with it – or so we think!

And so, we try all kinds of things to retain a sense of control by attempting to manage the pace, direction and volume of change in our lives. We flock to workshops on goal-setting and manifestation in an effort to control the outcomes of our changing lives.

In short, we attempt to shift our unfolding reality from one outcome to another in order to feel secure. Sadly, these attempts to manage outer conditions merely keep us at the whim of external effects. It keeps us focused on external outcomes to ensure inner happiness or security, rather than looking within.

When we try to control what our journey through life should look like, it also keeps us identified with the content of the process instead of the context, and in so doing we may miss the true blessing of enjoying the perfection of each moment as it unfolds.

There is a more effective way to navigate through change!

Identifying With The Contextual Field

You could choose to focus on the larger picture or context instead, and allow the details of content to be drawn to you by the current of life as it unfolds. As each wave of probabilities emerges, you have free choice to select which aspects of content to accept and which ones to let go of!

This is how it looks: If you are faced with a job change, for instance, you can focus on attracting a new a opportunity that would bring you into more appropriate alignment with your core values, for instance. This choice aligns you with the context of the field you wish to align with. Then, allow this contextual definition to draw to you specific opportunities to choose from. By identifying with the field, you can trust the current of life to bring you opportunities that are resonant with this attractor field, and you do not need to worry about controlling the process.

Really Letting Go

Change can take many forms as we move into new ways of being, leaving the old behind. We may need to leave behind relationships, jobs, friends, homes, neighborhoods, or other vestiges of the old that no longer serve us. As we let go of the old, there is a certain amount of grief that needs to be acknowledged so we can move on.

When we acknowledge the feelings of loss and grief, we are freed from the ties that bound us to circumstances and people at a previous place and time, and we are free to move on. It is very important to allow the expression of these emotions, for it is in the acknowledgement and expression that we find freedom and healing to move on. Emotions that are suppressed never go away – they simply resurface further down to road for us to deal with!

Flying Blind

In shamanic cultures, the bat is seen as powerful medicine. Bats do not have sight, yet dart about with incredible accuracy and speed because they trust their inner radar. In the chaos of sudden change, it may at first feel as if you’re flying blind. However, this is the time to connect with and trust your inner radar. When you connect to your inner guidance, the flight through the unknown takes you to higher ground.

It will also challenge you to surrender your preconceived concepts of life to embrace a greater reality. At any point along the road, you can choose to either resist or to surrender to the process of unfolding, trusting in the Divine guidance within you. As soon as you let go, the current of change can carry you to new perspectives with grace and ease.

Turbulence and Cross Currents

In the world of energy, a change in direction can be observed as a wave form that changes its current. Energies we had set in motion through previous choices continue to return like wave forms for a while afterwards. As we change direction by exercising new choices, the old and new wave forms result in overlapping waves and cross currents. The ensuing turbulence is often experienced as mental fog, confusion or overwhelm.

Don’t let this temporary sensation discourage you or throw you off course. It is part of the process of shifting directions! If you can remain standing during this time of change, the positive changes that are underway will result in a sense of greater clarity, ease and understanding.

Remembering Why

Overwhelm and confusion only arise when taking your eyes off the goal. When you feel overwhelmed by the process, simply bring your focus back to the reasons why you chose to make a change in the first place.

The very nature of change embodies a sense of upheaval. The turbulence of clashing beliefs, crashing hopes and the looming unknown force you to question many values you had simply accepted before. This is your great opportunity for choosing differently, bringing your life and all its outcomes into higher alignment with your soul’s purpose.

Fine-Tuning Your Compass

This time of flux also contains the chance to fine-tune your choices, bringing all energies into alignment so you can draw optimal outcomes into your life.

Each one of us creates our own reality, moment by moment. When you set your intention unwaveringly on reaching your highest potential, you become an unstoppable force. Your very being starts emanating the frequency of what you hold in mind, drawing resonant outcomes to you in every moment through your continuous intention.

This is a very appropriate time to ask yourself if you are living the life you really want. Are you doing what your heart desires, or are you compromising for the security of a job, social status or acceptance? Are you joyful or is dissatisfaction nibbling at your bones, causing you to feel cranky and blame others for your circumstances?

Remember, your experience is a choice.

To change your life, all you need to do is change your mind about things first. If your life doesn’t serve you well, you can change it! It’s as simple as that. The rest is simply a process, the process of outcomes unfolding in response to your intention.

The more consciously you participate in this process of creating your reality, the more you will embrace the outcomes that follow. All your thoughts, emotions, fears, desires and aversions factor into that which you attract in life.

If the outcome does not look like what you had intended, it may be helpful to realize that 90% of your thoughts, emotions, and fears are located in the subconscious. These subconscious elements can sabotage your best intentions. By clearing out limiting emotions and beliefs from the subconscious, you pave the way for your own evolution into your highest expression of being, and you attract optimal outcomes. This process of evolving, then, is the ultimate gift of change.

©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit www.adaporat.com
This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.