It Started with a Quote – “People who keep journals have life twice”.

“People who keep journals have life twice”. Jessamyn West (American Writer)

I began journaling in about 1985 after reading the book, The Artists Way, “A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity”, by Julia Cameron. I continue journaling to this day (with a few interruptions over the years). In her book she writes about the benefits of journaling and instructions on how to do it to get maximum benefit. She calls her method “Morning Pages”. In her instructions she writes,  “There is no wrong way to do morning pages.” What a relief to the perfectionist in me! Here is my understanding of how to do Morning Pages:

• They are non-negotiable. They must be done every day.
• Once I begin to write there is no stopping, no lifting the pen to think or hesitate.
• I write until I have completed at least 3 pages.
• I do not censor or give any thought to spelling or punctuation.
• I begin with whatever is “on top” no matter how mundane, negative or petty.
• I do not judge what I have written because I do not revisit it.

There isn’t space here to cover all of the benefits I have received and I will be forever grateful to Julia Cameron for introducing me to this form of journaling. Here are a few of the major benefits I have received:

• Rids me of the “negative thinking loop”so I can get on with more creative endeavors
• Helps me to think more clearly – my mind is not clouded or at least less clouded
• I feel like I am honoring myself – not waiting for others to do it for me
• For me, it is a form of prayer and meditation
• I gain prospective on problems-solutions surface
• Rich gratitude surfaces
• Wisdom pours out of my pen that I did not know existed within me

Because of the rich benefits I have received from journaling, I offer journals to others free of charge as a part of my ministry. I keep a basket of journals in my office (all shapes, sizes and colors) and invite people to choose one and use it. I invite them to come back as many times as they wish when their current one is used up. Certain people seem to get great delight in perusing through to see the new ones. When I am out shopping in certain department stores I derived much pleasure from selecting new journals to offer. I sometimes wonder who will be writing in particular ones. From time to time I imagine that these journals I buy will contain words that are as life-transforming to the writer as my journals have been to me.

A deep, heartfelt, “Thank you”, Julia Cameron!

Rich Blessings,
Janie Kelley

 

 

It Started with a Quote – “You Will See It When You Believe It”

“You will see it when you believe it”, said Wayne Dyer. This may be the direct opposite of what you are used to hearing. You are probably familiar with the popular phrase, “I’ll believe it when I see it.” However, what we first believe is what we see! It is widely accepted in the field of psychology that we first make up our mind about something and then we set about to prove that we are right. By doing this we are naturally sensitive to anything that will back up our already set-in-stone belief. Because our mind is made up we don’t even notice any evidence that may be contrary.

Case in point: Have you ever bought a car or been interested in buying a car of a certain make, model and color then began to notice how many there were already on the road? Prior to your interest, maybe that particular car was not in your awareness. I have had that very experience including my current car. I started out looking at cars not knowing exactly what I wanted to buy. Once I found the one I wanted, bought it and began to drive it around town I noticed that there were many others exactly like mine. After shopping one day, I even walked up to one in a parking lot and couldn’t understand why my key wouldn’t open the door! I was convinced it was my car!

You will see it when you believe it. There is a passage in the New Testament that reads, “As a person thinks, so is that person.” What we see and notice in life begins with a thought and a belief. Doesn’t it make sense to be selective about what we believe? Doesn’t it make sense to examine our thoughts and beliefs periodically? The Bible says “Test everything and hold on to what is good.” Just because someone we love and respect taught it or passed it on to us does not make it absolute truth. Test everything. You will see it when you believe it.

Rich Blessings to You!

Janie

It Started With A Quote – “You can never become poor by giving.” Anne Frank

In this holiday season many of us have giving on our minds. Whatever tradition we choose to follow, giving of some kind is prevalent on the minds of many of us. Whatever we choose to give, be it tangible or intangible, in many cases the giving of the gift has more of an impact than the gift itself. Research shows that an act of kindness releases a flood of “feel-good” hormones in the body of the giver, the recipient and in the body of anyone witnessing or hearing about the act of kindness. These hormones cause us to feel relaxed, cared-for and safe. They also help to regulate blood pressure, glucose and promote a general sense of well-being. These are only a few of the known benefits. I was recently moved to tears while watching a young man who is visually impaired and challenged with severe autism win the highest score possible on “America’s Got Talent”. He had just amazed the judges and audience with his beautiful voice, piano and expert delivery of his song.  The audience and judges were on their feet in a standing ovation long before he finished! I do not know him and quite possibly will never meet him and yet I felt so happy for him!

We may choose to give a tangible gift that is expensive in terms of money. Or, we may choose to give a gift that has a lower price tag. Yes, it is a lot of fun to get (and to give) that tangible gift that has been longed for and there is a place for that type of giving. We may give the gift of our presence either in person, through a phone call, using Skype or some other form of communication. Our undivided, uninterrupted attention is one of the most honoring gifts we can give to another person. When we give with a spirit and energy of love, the impact is far greater to the person receiving than they sometimes realize.

We get back what we give out; we reap what we sow. “As you give so do you receive”. That being said, we will never be poor through our genuine, heartfelt giving. As Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “You cannot out-give God.”

I agree with Anne Frank, “You never become poor by giving”.

It Started with a Quote

“The more I think it over, the more I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.”
Vincent van Gogh

Loving people is an art form. While we have a tendency to love others by the same form and method that we like to receive love; that may not be the best way for the object of our affection.

In Gary Chapman’s Bestselling book, “The Five Love Languages” he explains that we do not all wish to receive love by the same demonstration. The five he lists are:

1. “Words of Affirmation”
2. “Quality Time
3. “Receiving Gifts”
4. Acts of Service”
5. Physical Touch”

It is, indeed, an art form to learn how to demonstrate the “love language” that another person prefers and understands. We might think of it in terms of buying a gift. When shopping for a gift we have the other person in mind. We think, ” What would he really enjoy?” Not, “What would I really like to have?” Years ago I knew a couple who had been married 28 years and were about to celebrate their anniversary. Things seemed to be really “settled-in” with their relationship; maybe a little too settled-in.  As a way to celebrate their years together the husband bought the wife a chain saw! Granted, he was paying attention when one day she remarked that she wished she had an easier way to trim branches from their trees. But, maybe a different gift would have been more appropriate as they celebrated their years of marriage together.

Has there ever been a person in your life who just seemed to intuitively know how to make people feel loved and appreciated? They just seemed to have a 6th sense about showing love to those around them? Some of us don’t seem to have that 6th sense so we are learning as we go.

Loving another person and showing that love in a way they best understand is an art form. When done to its highest potential it involves tapping into our imagination; the source of our creativity. Fortunately, we are all creative just because we are human. Loving is a way to utilize our creativity. Loving is an art form.

 

9 Benchmarks of Enlightenment – #2

Oneness with God and oneness with each other becomes more than a belief; it is a “knowing”.

This benchmark is subtle and we must be awake and aware to recognize it.

Many of our beliefs come from the teachings of others. These may be people we love and respect so we readily accept the beliefs they pass down to us. They are probably giving us the best they have to offer. A “knowing” cannot be passed down or taught. It is a shift that occurs within us. We can be taught that we are one with God; we can be taught that we are one with all of humanity. It is only when we take it in so that it is a part of us on a cellular level that it is  “knowing”.

A way that we can know that this belief has become a knowing is that our lives will show it. It outpictures in our behavior. There is a shift in the way we see others when we know they are a part of us, as well. There is a difference in the way we treat others on a personal level and a global level. This shift cannot be explained fully in words because it is deep in our consciousness. We can put words to it in an attempt to explain it but only we know if the shift in consciousness has actually happened. It is wholly an inside job.

When we can look back on our lives and see a marked, positive difference in the way we relate to God and how we hold our fellow humans gently  in our hearts, a “knowing” is probably taking place.

Open Heart

What does it mean to have an open heart? When we think of the heart we typically think of love, compassion and emotions. We refer to the heart when speaking of love. An open heart is a heart that does not close itself off when it has an opportunity to love.

There are ones in our lives who are easy to love. They are compatible with us and we share things in common. We may agree with each other on what we consider to be important issues. We may enjoy some of the same activities. In short, they are pleasant for us to be with; easy to love.

Then there are those who are not easy to love and with some we may feel it is impossible. These people afford us the opportunity to open our hearts wider and to really experience what Jesus taught, “Love your neighbor as yourself”. In the broader sense, your neighbor is anyone who comes into your awareness; from your best friend to someone across the world you hear about in the news. Why would Jesus bother to teach us to love someone who is easy to love? That would not be necessary. He was teaching us in the more universal sense to love even those with whom we have a challenge; even a serious challenge. To love some one does not mean that we must embrace them as our new best friend. It can mean that we pray for them and wish for then the best that life has to offer. And, at the same time, disagree with them and/or choose not to have contact with them if it is not healthy for us to do so.

Maybe in order to love our neighbor as our self we will have to redefine love. If love was easy and narrow, why do the world’s religions teach so heavily on it? I believe love is a prominent teaching in the world’s religions because it is not always easy and it is not meant to be narrow.

An open heart leaves no one out.

Love,

Janie Kelley

Self-Developement

There are numerous books and millions of articles on self-developement. There is no shortage. Many of these books and articles have common themes and some are “out of the box”. One thing that most have in common is that developement is an evolutionary process and will not be forced. Self-developement is like a rose in bloom. When a rose is given soil with the right nutrients, the right amount of water and a balance of light and darkness it will eventually develop into a beautiful, fully blossoming rose. When a rosebud appears on the stem, if you try to force the rose into bloom by pulling the pedals outward the rose will wither and never become fully developed.

As we move through life it is in our human nature to want better for ourselves, whatever “better” may be. It is simply our nature to progress and move forward. As we do this patience is in order. We may have our eyes on a goal such as a job promotion or enhancing a creative endeavor such as painting, or writing. More often than not, whatever the goal it will take time. During this time we would do well to keep our “eye on the prize”. Move forward each day with the end in mind and know that it will all come to fruition in right timing when we do what is ours to do and release the rest to the Universe.

Future Happiness

“The best way to secure future happiness is to be as happy as rightfully possible today.” Charles Elliot

Great advice! So how do I make myself happy today? There was a time when I felt low and depressed most of the time, with an occasional spark of lightness that I would not even call happiness. That was my life. I did not know any better. Nothing in my life had trained me to do better than that.

Today, it is just the opposite. I feel happy about my life in general and an occasional bout of sadness (short lived). What is my secret? If I had one it would be that at some point I made up my mind to get to the place of being genuinely happy no matter what it took. I was tired of being miserable most of the time.

I have done many things to turn my life around. A few of those things are:

1. Trained myself to “look for the good”. Always and in all ways.
2. Watched only funny and uplifting movies and TV shows
3. Surrounded myself with people who were like I wanted to be.
4. Kept a  list of positive affirmations with me and used them regularly, not just when I felt down.
5. Used a book named 14,000 Things to Be Happy About (and still do).
6. Prayed that I would be shown the way to happiness.
7. ETC. – The list is very long

The most important of all of these things is my decision to be happy. It is a decision that I make everyday. “Most people are as happy as t hey make their minds up to be.” Abraham Lincoln

I agree with him.