Wow…it’s been a few weeks since I’ve posted to this blog, but believe me, I haven’t been sitting on my…ahem…laurels. Nosiree! In addition to creating the latest AffirmingSpirit 2008 Autumn (Quarterly) Newsletter, and managing my presentation business, I’ve been living the law of attraction, applying the techniques, and following inspired action when called to do so.

Case in point: A few months ago I began thinking about a book in my library that I had read about 10 years ago. The book is Manifesting Your Destiny by Wayne Dyer. When I read the book 10 years ago, it didn’t seem to hold any surprises or be terribly impressive, but it did seem to suggest ideas that seemed humanly impossible such as asking for what you want with passion, then forgetting about it and not caring if it comes into physical reality…Yeh, right. At the time, I seriously thought herding cats and training a flea circus would be easier than forgetting about something I truly want!

Anyway, a few months ago I would begin to think of this book out of the blue, and every time I passed the bookshelf it sat on, I felt compelled to pick it up and read it. This is weird because I already have tons of stuff to do, so re-reading a book that didn’t really impress me the first time around seemed odd. Finally, one day, I gave in, and sat down to re-read the book…and was blown away!

First, this was the book where Wayne Dyer switched from writing primarily about psychology (his background) to write about mostly spirituality. In the past year, I learned that Dyer had been profoundly influenced by the teachings of Abraham, but I was unaware of Abraham when I originally read this book. Now, ten years later, and well aware of the teachings of Abraham, I found Dyer’s book completely aligned with those teachings…and therefore, much easier to read.

Secondly, I came to a realization: When I originally read the book 10 years ago, I was not consciously aware enough to understand the depth and importance of what I was reading in that book. Now, however, the words penetrated my psyche and made so much sense.

It’s a good thing that I decided to read that book again. I got so much out of this book the second time around that I simply couldn’t understand, let alone appreciate, the first time. It wasn’t until I read that book that I realized how much I have grown consciously in the past 10 years.

The same is surely true for you…we are all continually growing, evolving beings. Books that didn’t impress you 5 or 10 years ago, may be just what you are ready to receive now. In the spirit of recycling, take a journey through your bookshelf and see if there is something you’d like to revisit. You might be pleasantly surprised to see how much you have grown.

Let me know about how you’ve grown in consciousness…submit your comment below!

The recording for the fourth call in the Co=Creation Café series is now ready for download.

No matter where you are in your life, there is one constant truth that I believe applies to every soul that comes to this earth experience. We each have a unique gift, a contribution if you will, that we came to share.

This call explores what life purpose really means, how it can show up in your life, how to discover it if it seems to be hiding and how to start taking small action steps to start living it.

If you are bored, exhausted and ready to connect to the deepest part of your soul, this call is for you! To listen to the call now, visit the Co=Creation Café archive page.

After you listen, share your stories, insights and experiences on the Co=Creation Café blog. We all grow through each other!

If you’ve been reading my newsletters, or any of the recent books on Law of Attraction, you’ve heard the term ‘resistance’ come up on many occasions. While you probably have a good idea what it means, you may not know how it shows up or how to deal with it, so here are some things to consider if you think you might be resistant to pursuing your dreams.

Definition
The Merriam-Webster Online dictionary defines emotional resistance as a psychological defense mechanism wherein a patient rejects, denies, or otherwise opposes the therapeutic efforts of a psychotherapist. Most people do not physically resist receiving help, but rather show emotional resistance—behaviors we exhibit when we are either unwilling or unable to move past a difficult experience or emotion. Most of this kind of resistance is unconscious. If we manage to recognize that we are doing it, then we often don’t know why.

We all have experiences that have hurt us in the past, and we all have to work through those emotions in order to be the person we want to become. To protect ourselves, some people create resistance as a roadblock to change so that they don’t have to do the work to move through or deal with their feelings. Why? Usually, our egos convince us that the pain is too great and therefore, too hard to deal with…that it’s easier to stuff or ignore the pain than address it. The truth is, working through it is often much easier than dealing with the consequences of the resistance.

How We Experience Resistance
In the book, You Can Heal Your Life, by Louise Hay there is a list of common behaviors that people exhibit that shows resistance is present. As you read this partial list of resistant behaviors, as yourself what you do when you think about a difficult experience from your past?

• changing the subject
• leaving the room
• going to the bathroom
• being late
• canceling appointments
• getting sick
• refusing to pay attention to someone we’ve asked for help
• procrastinating
• filling your day with busy work
• wasting time
• suddenly starting or stopping relationships
• creating breakdowns (appliances, car, plumbing, computers, etc.)
• eating
• drinking
• smoking
• blaming others for blocking you (they won’t let me…)
• blaming yourself
• being impatient with yourself
• hiding from yourself or others
  

Do any of these look familiar to you? Can you think of other behaviors you have used as resistance?

Working Through Resistance
It all amounts to being unwilling to face or be with certain emotions. As we listen to our egos, we lose sight that resistance does not serve us—and is only based on a belief that we cannot conquer our fears. All beliefs start with a thought, and changing a belief starts with the desire to change AND the change-producing thought.

Bypassing the ego requires challenging the thoughts that convince you that resistant behavior is the best solution. There are many ways to do this, which one depends on what feels best to you. Byron Katie has created a process called, The Work, that shows you how to challenge thoughts that are not working for you. The Work consists of four questions and a turn around, and it’s very effective for confronting negative and fear-based thoughts.

Alternatively, a Buddhist-inspired approach recommends simply observing negative and fear-based thoughts, feeling the affects and resisting judgement. Eventually, the thought will lose it’s power over you and you will be able to move past it. Eckhart Tolle addresses this in his books, The Power of Now and The New Earth, and he offers meditations to clear your mind for this process.

There are countless other authors and systems that can help you in this process. If there is a will, there is a way. If there’s no will, then that is your clue that maybe you don’t really want what you thought you wanted. Then, it’s time to take a closer look at what you really do want and are willing to take action toward.

Have you been successful working through resistance? Comment below on how you did it and share your results.

July 31st was officially the last day of the AffirmingSpirit 2008 Affirmation Study. This is the first study I have ever done and the first time I ever officially offered coaching for the creation of affirmations. What an amazing experience! It has also been an incredibly life changing for myself as well as the participants.

For years, my coach has been telling me that I am a natural coach and should also consider being a writer. Writing has always come easy to me, but it took conceiving of the study and implementing it for me to discover my coaching and intuition skills. Miraculously, I found myself able to guide the participants in the study and watch their lives blossom as a result. I realize now that I’ve had these skills for years, but honed them as a self-employed illustrator and presentation designer. Many times, clients aren’t exactly sure of what they really want, but by talking to them you can hear what they really want, then use that information to intuit and create a final result that the the client truly loves.

On Saturday, August 2, 2008, I spoke with Melissa Jean Quiter during our Co=Creation Café call, sharing details about the study, the participants, and some of the success stories. Every participant experienced positive results, but some had such incredible experiences that even I—someone very well versed in the topic of Law of Attraction and Affirmations—was astounded!

You can listen to the conversation I had with Melissa in mp3 format by visiting my Co=Creation Café Archive section of the site. After listening, visit the Co=Creation Café blog to continue the conversation by posting your questions and comments.

Did you know that, just as we all have a dominant hand and a dominant eye (occurlar dominance), we all have at least one quadrant of the brain that is dominant in our thought processing?

The brain has two sides, left and right, and each can be broken down into front and back lobes which create 4 quadrants (two lobes on each of two sides). Obviously, the subject is much more complex than this simple explanation, but for the sake of brevity and your sanity, we’ll keep it at that.

The Hermann Brain Dominance Instrument, one of several brain dominance assessment tools, was created by a corporate manager, William “Ned” Hermann, while working for General Electric during the 1970s. According to Hermann’s model, the four different modes of thinking are:
A. Analytical Thinking
B. Sequential Thinking
C. Interpersonal Thinking
D. Imaginative Thinking

In the HBDI model, A and B are on the left side of the brain, while the functions of C and D are on the right side of the brain. Let me be clear here: Unless there is damage to the brain, we ALL use these four quadrants at one time or another, and often in an integrated way, throughout each day. However, the dominant quadrants are those we tend to use more, and therefore have often naturally developed stronger skills in that area. Some people have more than one strong quadrant, although one will be clearly dominant.

Why should you care about this? The dominant sector of your brain controls all the tasks that seem to come easy to you, and you might even find them very enjoyable. If you are employed in work that uses your dominant quadrant(s), then you are likely not only to really enjoy your job…but to excel at it as well. Likewise, if you are not using the dominant sector of your brain in your daily work, you are likely to find it emotionally and physically taxing…not enjoying it, and probably not bringing a level of excellence to it, either.

In addition, even if you are working in a job that suits your brain processing style, you find it difficult to communicate with co-workers who use entirely different processing styles. Working with people who have similar styles will likely mean a more enjoyable project, but may not be as well thought-out. It’s good to have people from all styles represented, but it may make communication more difficult.

How does this relate to affirmations? The 2008 AffirmingSpirit Affirmation Study is winding down, and the results from this six-month examination of what makes affirmations most effective is, in part, pointing to brain dominance as a success factor. People who criticize using affirmations, believing they don’t work, may possibly have their brain dominance working against them and need to approach affirmations differently than others.

You’ll have to wait for the full details in the book I am writing, but in the meantime, you might start noticing which tasks feel like second nature to you. Write them down over the course of a week, and at the end of the week compare them to the HBDI model. It will give you a clue where you are best suited to find work you enjoy, as well as whether you will find it easy to use affirmations. You can also search the term “brain dominance” on the internet to find other assessments, as well.

On Saturday, July 5th, Melissa Jean Quiter and I (Nancy Barry-Jansson), completed our first Co=Creation Cafe recording. We had a lot of fun, as usual, and you will enjoy hearing us discuss What You’ve Never Learned About the Power of Affirmations.

To subscribe to the Co=Creation Cafe and let technology serve up the latest recordings, just click the icon at the left. When the new browser window comes up, choose the RSS feed source you’d like to use. You can also copy the feed string into a bookmark.

The next Co=Creation Cafe is serving up Let Go of the Struggle and Be Pulled Toward Your Greatest Desires on Saturday, July 19, 2008 [10am PT/ 1pm ET /6pm GMT]. To learn more, or participate in the live call, visit the Co=Creation Cafe site.

We look forward to Co=Creating with you!

In Part II of the book, Ask and It is Given, by NY Times Best-selling authors Esther and Jerry Hicks, there is a section devoted to Abraham’s 22 processes for improving your (vibrational) point of attraction. The Law of Attraction says that which is like unto itself is drawn (like vibrations attract one another).

Let me also point out…there is no religious requirement in order for these techniques to work. Despite the look of the book’s cover, it does not advocate one religion over the other. Personally, I am spiritual, not religious. There are as many good attributes about the world’s religions as there are negative attributes. I choose to cut out the middlemen, but you can do what feels best for you.

I prefer not to recommend something without finding that it works and is worthwhile for others. Long before I started coaching, I read this book and started testing the processes for myself. Every single one of them work exactly as Abraham explained they would, and in most cases, much better! The rarity of every process working is a miracle in itself, but the processes are so effective that I now teach many of them to others.

One of those is Process #10: The Place Mat Process. The story behind this process is that Esther, the channel for the entities known as Abraham, was sitting in a restaurant one day feeling overwhelmed by all the items on her to-do list. In desperation, she asked, “Abraham, what should I do?”

Abraham guided her to turn over her place mat, and draw a line down the middle. On the left side, she was guided to write just the items she knew she could accomplish that day. On the right side, she was guided to write down anything she had no idea how to start/accomplish or needed help to complete. She was told the items on the left were Esther’s responsibility, and those on the right would be handled by the Universe. When I first read this, I thought, “Huh? The Universe is going to help me out?” That’s right. Help it does…the book wasn’t kidding: Ask and it IS given.

Using this place mat process for almost 18 months, I have been amazed at how many times everything on the right side is resolved within the day…while I’m still working on my list on the left!

I’m not the only one who has had that experience, either. Many of the people I coach have struggled with overwhelm and anxiety over their workload, so I teach them this process and every single one of them have told me…This is incredible! Now I use it every day…The stuff on the right is always getting done! I can’t believe how fast it works! I know…don’t ya just LOVE IT! Those that were feeling stressed found this process to be exactly what they needed to feel relief.

Don’t believe me, or the thousands of people who have read the book and found the processes work. Try it for yourself! Take a piece of paper, hold it horizontal, put a line down the middle and begin making your lists as noted above. When you first start out, the list on the right side is pretty big, but you only need to list it once…and it will be completed or become a moot point. Over time, you’ll find that list on the right gets smaller. The Universe does hear us, and answer our requests—every time. Most people don’t bother asking.

What about you? Do you complain about all that’s on your plate? If so, have you tried this process for yourself? Share your experiences in the comment area below.

A few weeks ago, I attended an outdoor event that my son was participating in. It turned out to be a very hot/not-a-cloud-in-the-sky day. I had anticipated this event, and had used my imagination to define what I wanted to experience in advance. As I wanted the best seat with optimal view, I asked my son what part of the stage he would be on, and did my visualizations from that vantage point. Unfortunately, I had not anticipated the intense heat and lack of shade. Most of the elderly in the audience had umbrellas for shade and the nylon sea all around made me wonder how I would “see” the stage. Fortunately, I was able to buy some bottled water and stay hydrated.

I made arrangements to get to the location about 1.5 hours before, thinking that would be ample time, and found that all the seats in the area where I was planning to sit were already reserved by others. While this did have me wondering about all the advanced visualizations I had done, I know by now… that having done those visualizations meant I would find the best seat.

So, I went from row to row asking if seats were available. Finally, I found a row where there were some seats toward the middle of the row. I sat in a seat at the center of the row so that a larger group could sit to the left of me.

About 10 minutes later, a family came and sat in the open seats on my left. The eldest member of the family was an obese man who sat right next to me. This wouldn’t have been a problem except that the seats were so close…and it was SO HOT! This man overflowed his own chair and was essentially sitting in mine. With his hot, sticky body stuck up against my left side, I quickly began to feel the heat even more.

As soon as I recognized that I was not appreciating the experience, I knew I had better change my attitude and focus on what I DID want…not on what I was experiencing, because I didn’t want that! After all, this is what I coach clients about all the time: Take your attention off what you don’t want, no matter how hard that is, and focus on what you do want…even if that seems impossible in the moment.

The family to the right of me still had reserved seats, and no one was sitting to the right of me. I used that feeling to help me visualize no one sitting to the left of me, either. I had no idea how to accomplish this, of course, but I know that the Law of Attraction doesn’t require you to know how to accomplish what you want. Just decide what you want and focus on that.

So, I decided…

…no one sitting to the left of me…

…gentle breeze blowing to cool me down…

…and an unobstructed view of the stage.

I visualized that. Imagined that. Ahhh…that’s nice! My mind wandered. I gently brought it back to the visualization, and focused on the feeling of relief. My mind wandered again. Just like with meditation, I just gently brought myself back to the visualization and feeling. I never said a word to anyone around me. My thoughts were focused on my own visualization meditation, and when it wandered, I gently brought it back.

After about 10 minutes of this, the man stuck up….I mean, sitting…next to me brought out a large golf umbrella. You know, the kind with the 4 foot diameter and 2-3″ spokes sticking out beyond the umbrella? When he got it open, he dropped it down behind his shoulders and hits me in the face/shoulder. I was more than a bit surprised, as this happened while I was in the middle of this visualization meditation.

I sputtered,”Uhm, sir, you are hitting me in the face with your umbrella.”

Without saying a word to me, he got up, moved one seat to his left and sat back down! In that moment, I not only had the seats on either side of me open (just as I had visualized), but I began to feel a soft cooling breeze coming up behind me! I smiled to myself. It’s working, I thought and feeling grateful, I kept visualizing a clear view to the stage.

A few minutes later, a woman came to the stage and asked everyone to put their umbrellas away. The audience groaned. She said, “I know, but if you don’t put your umbrellas down, the people behind you will not be able to see the stage. So, I understand it is hot and there is no shade, but please be considerate of those sitting behind you.”

Less than 15 minutes after I had started, and without saying a word or complaining to anyone, my experience changed right before my eyes.

The best part?!? When my son got to the stage and sat down, he was literally straight in front of where I was sitting! Turns out, my son had given me incorrect information about his location on the stage, but Source Energy knew exactly where to sit me! If I had sat in the area I thought I originally wanted, it would have been too far away. I had the best seat in the house: no obstructions beside or in front of me, a gentle breeze blowing, and an unobstructed view of my son. What more could a mother want?

Grab your favorite beverage, get comfy, and join the co=creative conversation!

WHAT IS CO=CREATION CAFÉ?

Co=Creation Café, starting Saturday, 7/5/08, at 10am Pacific/1pm Eastern/6pm GMT (check timezone) is a new 60 minute Skype-based call that allows Skype users to come together for thought-provoking and motivational discussions. The calls will be co=hosted twice monthly, on the first and third Saturdays of each month, by Melissa Jean Quiter and yours truly.

HOW DO I JOIN IN?

It’s easy! You may already have what you need to participate:

• A high-speed internet connection

• A headset w/microphone (or if you just want to listen, computer speakers)

• Skype (free to download/install/use to call other Skype accounts).

• Once you have the above, follow these instructions to be added to the Call List (scroll to the bottom of the page) for any particular call. That way, you will be on the call from the beginning.

WHY WE CHOSE SKYPE
Not everyone has a phone or free long-distance service. Skype is global, free to download/install, and free to call other Skype accounts—which is how this call works. So, it’s the best free global long-distance option to include as many co=creators as possible. To learn more about joining us live, visit here.

Melissa and I have known each other through the Positive Discussions Yahoo Group and have often enjoyed each other’s posts, commented to each other, and realized we have a similar approach. We both believe in teaching, sharing, and not being slimy about it. Our sites are not littered with Google ads. We both have lived a little (OK, a LOT), studied and enjoy the Abraham teachings, and we enjoy our respective connections to Source Energy as well as sharing our unique perspectives. Now you have a chance to join us, listen to our conversations, and ask questions.

SIGN UP NOW!
Mark your calendars for Saturday, July 5, 2008 10-11am Pacific/1-2pm Eastern (check timezone)
Our topic for the first call: What You Have Never Been Taught About the Power of Affirmations
Join us LIVE on the Skype call

We look forward to having you join us!

[click image above, it will launch your browser, then click the video in the browser to view]

Abraham-Hicks has just released a new video from their workshop in San Raphael, CA during February of 2008. Whether or not you can relate to the questioner’s situation, this video is a powerful reminder to all of us. Notice how, at first, the questioner resists the help Abraham is offering…and how she really wants the world to change according to her personal desire…and see how Abraham responds.

This video is a powerful reminder, regardless of the subject of our dream, that we are resisting the very change we ask for when we expect others to behave according to our values.

Once you’ve watched this 10 minute video, ask yourself:
Where are you focusing your attention on what you don’t like?
Where are you blaming others for what we don’t like?
Where you are allowing yourself to be fully aligned with your dream(s)?

As always, your comments are welcome below…