The Science of what???

Getting rich?

Maybe I've mentioned this book before. I love it. The first time I read it, it went way, way over my head. The second time, I wondered where that book had been all my life. Rich can be defined in many ways, and although the stated purpose of the book is to show a scientific way of getting rich, it also shows how to experience a very rich life, no matter where you are. So, here's a pal of mine from the SOGR network. He did this presentation for the first chapter of the book. I really like it. Great work Croz!





and to find out more about the SOGR network, go here:

Science of Getting Rich

What *DO* I really want?

In my recent phone call with a Master Mind group I created, we discussed listing what we want. One of the participants said he is in another group being led by a BILLionaire. The billionaire in addressing what people want, gave the following challenge. Suppose money were not part of the equation. Suppose you had enough money for any and everything and you had any and everything that you wanted. Now. What do you want?

Well, I'll answer if I had nothing and money came to me first. I know what I want because I have it all out on a "vision" board on my computer. A beautiful home on a North facing lot. (I want to build one more house). A new truck for my hubby. A smaller car for me. A small tractor for my future gentleman farmer. An RV to take leisurely vacations when we want. Enough finances in the bank to live how we like, help who we like, travel how we like. Nothing fancy. Just what my Granny used to call, creature comforts.


So, if all that were out of the way and I had a cool million in the bank, here's what I'd really want.

I mostly want time.

Time to spend with my family.
Time to spend reading and learning.
Time to laugh and sing and dance and travel.
Time to pursue the spiritual things that are important to me.
Time to appreciate.
Time to give to and lift others.

Guess what? I already have all that. I am so blessed! If you don't know what you want, how can you ever get it? What do you want?

My Purpose

So, a couple of months ago, I proposed to some like minded people, starting a Master Mind group. And for the last few weeks we have been "meeting" by phone and discussing a chapter each week from Jack Canfield's The Success Principles. There are 6 of us in the group. A Dr, who hasn't REALLY joined us yet, but I hope he will. Me. Another successful EFT practitioner. An RET technician. A writer. And a runner. Each week we are covering great information and trying to align ourselves with it so we can each be successful by fulfilling our purpose.

Chapter 1 was Taking 100% Responsibility for Your Life. No blaming, excusing, or complaining. How different the world would be if we did not do those three things. Can you stop for one day? How about a week? How about just catching yourself?

Chapter 2 deals with the subject today. Be Clear Why You are Here. Do you have any idea why you are here? Besides just to exist and have experiences? What is your purpose in life? Do you know? If you don't, where in the world are you going? The reason for a purpose, is to give your life direction. How will you end up at point B if you don't know where you point A is or even that there is a point B?

I did this exercise last year and wrote the following: "My purpose is to use my happy and compassionate nature to lift others and ease their burdens so everyone loves each other and lifts each other to live their highest purposes." (I want to help others realize they have a purpose and in that realization lift others with them)

I recently reworded it. Like at 1 am last night. Haha. "My purpose is to use the talents of my mind and body to help further others in the kingdom of God, so that they can love others and help lift others to live their highest purposes." Pretty similar. But allows for use of all my talents.

It doesn't have to be long. But it can be. There doesn't have to be a how. In fact it's better if there isn't one. It just has to light a passion within you. How do you do it? List two of your unique personal qualities. List a very few ways you enjoy expressing those qualities. Assume the world is perfect. What does it look like, feel like? Write it as a present statement. Combine them all into a single paragraph.

I am sure I'll continue to play with it. And I'll share it when I get it just right. What's your purpose?

Forgiveness--a DIVINE gift

Just before the dedication of the Salt Lake Temple, President Wilford Woodruff and his Counselors issued an Epistle to the Saints. While a hundred years have passed, it might have been issued today. They said: 'During the past eighteen months . . . political campaigns have been conducted, elections have been held. . . . We feel now that . . . before entering into the Temple to present ourselves before the Lord . . . we shall divest ourselves of every harsh and unkind feeling. . . ."

'Thus shall our supplications, undisturbed by a thought of discord, unitedly mount into the ears of Jehovah and draw down the choice blessings of the God of Heaven!' (quoted in James H. Anderson, "The Salt Lake Temple," Contributor, Apr. 1893, pp.
284-85)."

I found this after the fact. After the fact, that I was nursing some wounds. After the fact that I did not want to do a thing about them. After the fact that I needed to forgive and in the end was able to, fortunately.

A few months ago, I had a disagreement with someone dear to me. I was deeply hurt, but because I love this person, so much, I decided for me it was more important to let it go, than to keep it going. It was a challenge, but not impossible.

Last month, another someone I consider dear, called me up one day and blew me out of the water. Torpedoes straight ahead. I didn't even see it coming. I was angry and grief stricken for about 24 hours, when I figured out the my business/his business thing in my earlier post. I am sure I forgave somewhere in that, but again, it was not difficult to do. I learned some important things and I am fine with it being that person's problems and completely willing to continue anytime that person wants.

And then a couple of weeks ago, someone else had an experience with a person in our community. I have had experiences that you might label negative with this person. But each time, I have forgiven and tried to do the Christ like thing depending on the circumstances. For whatever reason, this other person's experience hit *ME* right between the eyes. I was incensed, outraged, and as time went on, overcome with emotions akin to grief. I was so surprised and wondered at it. Where was this coming from? I still don't have the answer to that.

But in my wrestle with myself, I refused to be nice. I called (in my own head) all kinds of names. Then I refused to acknowledge my own belief that any time we see evil in others, it is only because it exists within us. I knew I must forgive, but refused. Absolutely refused. And this went on for days. My feeling miserable at my own choices. I realized somewhere along the way, this was not going to be one of those experiences where I could just wave a hand, dismiss it easily, and go on my merry way. I half-heartedly prayed that I would be able to forgive. But my enraged heart would not give way. I really did want to; kind of. Why do I have to forgive when someone doesn't even care if I do and doesn't seem to deserve it???!!!

I realized that in a few days, I was going to have an opportunity to be in the temple again. I knew that I could not be a tour guide and walk repeatedly through and testify of the blessings with this ugliness within me. So, I did the only thing a person could, I moved to Australia. Ok, kidding.

I mustered up my courage and asked the dear Bish for a blessing, which he kindly gave. And then a scripture came to my mind. "But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven..." Matthew. Ouch! And then I made a decision to do it. I took a lot of deep breaths and waited.

And a couple of days went by. What if he came to the temple in my group? Gulp. Not gonna happen, but gulp anyway. As I prepared that day, I did the things I know how to do. I laid on my bed and out loud said the things I forgave this person for. And the tears began to roll, again! I just kept naming all the things I was forgiving, and it occurred to me to forgive a few other people. And then I did some tapping, which really helped. I had refused to do that too!

And then I took another deep breath and went on with my day.

"Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be
condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: Luke; And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you." Ephesians.

The Bishop and I began taking tours through the Gila Valley Temple at 5:20 pm. Until 9:30, we sat twice for about five minutes. The rest of the time, we were taking tours in and out. About the third time through, as we took a few silent minutes in the celestial room, the thoughts and struggle I had created out of the previous week came to mind. And I began to silently pray for the ability to forgive this person who I could only see in a negative light. And then it came; softly, sweetly, quietly. Peace gently enveloped my heart and forgiveness came.

Beautiful and strange all at once. Just like opening your hand and releasing something in it, my heart opened up and let it go. I know I felt those things toward this person. But I do not feel them now. I have continued to pray that any possibility of future problems, will already be accounted for and that I will be able to forgive as many times as necessary. Does that mean I'm going to go invite the person to lunch or attempt a deep friendship? Likely not. But, the contrast is so welcome. I can live with myself and my thoughts, and my thoughts about the situation. And it feels so good. And I am so grateful.

It is not our place to deny the atonement for another person. That is what we do, when we refuse to forgive. We put ourselves in a position to decide whether they are worthy of saving. Christ paid the price for every person, not just ourselves. And he paid the price for others sins against us. Another's sin against us may hurt, we may not like it, but it really is none of our business. That's God's business. The wrongness or rightness of it will be dealt with by the Perfect Judge, who knows all there is to know about any situation.

Conversely, would I want my sin against another to be denied in the atonement? If my sins are left out, then I am certainly most miserable as I am shut out from the Father and the Son's presence. The greater sin was in me anyway. By making all those horrible judgments against someone with limited perspective. No, I want my sins to be atoned for and forgiven, and I am willing to allow others the same privilege. It's not always easy, but it is and will always worth it.

The House of the Lord

This was shared in our training as temple hostesses this week. The public affairs man from SLC, Brother Augustine, said it hangs in the President's office in the Washington DC temple, but it is from Words of Life, p 45.

Enter this door as if the floor within were gold;
And every wall of jewels all of wealth untold;
As if a choir in robes of fire were singing here;
Nor shout nor rush but hush … for God is here.

Tomorrow I enter and show others the beauty of the temple. And I'd better get to bed already. It will be a long, enjoyable glorious day. I will do as President Eyring has asked and "allow the Lord to do His work in the temple."

Your business, My business, and HIS business

This week, I had what I thought at the moment, was an unpleasant experience. Someone I love treated me in a way I did not want to be treated. That person disapproved of something I did and didn't do and freely expressed his anger and judgment about it. And I did not exactly respond in kindness, but did attempt to defend myself. For a few hours, I was incensed and outraged! Couldn't he see my heart? Didn't he know my good intentions? And how was my choice any of his business? The Bish suggested mercy rather than justice and asking what Jesus would have me do. Ya' know. I'm human. Sometimes, you need a breath or two before you get to the mercy and proper behavior.

For a couple of days, I wrangled with what to do, how to respond if at all, and processing where things went wrong. Where things went wrong is in my head, in my heart, and in my beliefs. I probably won't get into all of that, but I had a few thoughts and a big AHA that have helped me to make what I think is a major step forward. I often say, other people's opinions of me are none of my business. And I believe it most of the time. It's easy to accept when it's not a friend, not a family member, or someone who is plain crazy or doesn't know what they are talking about. But what about when it is someone close to you? Yeah, what about that? This is a pretty close person.

That saying, collided with a thought an online mentor shared with me some time ago. I share the thought below.

"There are three kinds of business -- my business, your business, and God's business.
The only one you have any "business" being in is your own and when you muddle around in the other two you only make yourself miserable."

Epiphany:

3 a (1) : a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something (2) : an intuitive grasp of reality through something (as an event) usually simple and striking (3) : an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure b : a revealing scene or moment.

I had an epiphany. First off, I have some higher thinking online friends who often say things like "for there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so." Shakespeare. And I am finding it to be true. I'm not talking about moral standards, commandments, laws, etc. I am talking about the millions of thoughts and experiences we have that we filter through our beliefs and brand, "good, bad."

Well, this was a "bad" experience. How can someone screaming and yelling and accusing you of things over the phone be "good?" Well, I'm seeing it as good today. Because there are three kinds of business. However any person acts toward me, in thought, word, deed, or action of any kind....that is their business. Anything I do in thought, word, action, or deed...my business. How God judges the matter (not me or anyone else)...God's business.

A) I can let go of judging the whole matter and leave that to God. (HIS BUSINESS)

B) It matters not what I do or have done that another person likes or does not like. Again, MY BUSINESS. I don't have to change for anyone or worry whether I do or don't. If I believe I am doing the right thing and I believe God supports me, it matters not what anyone else thinks or does. (And if I am not acting right morally and refuse to recognize that, again God's business, with just a bit of mine thrown in)

C) It matters not how any person treats me. I may not like it, but I do not have to accept it, and I can respond calmly, because their actions are NONE OF MY BUSINESS. "YOUR BUSINESS." I can walk away, hang up the phone, end the relationship, or continue on my terms.

I think C, gave me the greatest realization of freedom. If I can remember simply that this person is in their business and it does not involve me at all. I can just reply, I am sorry you feel that way. Because, chances are, I am. This other person is functioning through the filter of their own beliefs which have nothing to do with me. If I don't want to be treated ugly, I can simply end the conversation.

WOW! I feel free from explaining anything I have done. I feel unburdened of another's opinion of me. I feel no need to pick up the phone or write a letter or explain. And if or when the time comes that this person wants to contact me again, I will attempt to fill my heart with divine love, see this person for who they REALLY are, a child of God, and do the best I can as kindly as I can. And THAT feels a whole lot better.

joy, Joy, JOY!!!

Yesterday, I came across a story that was humbling. I'll link to it at the end of this post. A toddler in the tub with his brother. A great mom momentarily distracted. A tragedy. Emotional turmoil. Prayers answered. Tragedy averted. MIRACLE! Gratitude. I was particularly struck with the following excerpt from Sarah's blog.

"But as I spoke, I realized that faith can not grow where fear is allowed to dwell. There is not room in my heart for both. Fear is the paralyzing agent of the adversary. A first line of his defense. And so I made a choice. I must choose faith. Choose to believe. Despite the odds. Despite the grim news. Despite the reality before us."

Those are such powerful words. How often do we look at what APPEARS to be real, and accept it as such? Rather than see in our mind and heart what the TRUTH really is. I believe reality is what we make of it. (with divine help) God says, for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. How often do we look at people, things, or circumstances and only see them with our natural eyes? Ask 100 people in a room what they witnessed in a crime or even a sporting event, and you will get vastly different answers. What is the truth? Well, I don't know that I really have the answer. But I believe that more often than we can imagine, God's will, is whatever our righteous hearts desire. Life, not just the breathing, but the living; hangs in the balance between fear and faith. And I believe He wants us to experience the power of faith. But too often fear, or other negative emotions crowd in. And we experience failure when we might have experienced joy. Just my musings. I really do believe it.

One of my favorite quotes of all time:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in all of us. And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” Marianne Williamson

And fortunately, there are ways to handle those negative emotions.

But this is about joy. Reading the Staker family's close call, took me back to a time when I had four little boys and was overwhelmed with the sheer challenge of three daily meals, baths, books, diapers, diapers, diapers. Oh, how I never thought there would be an end to diapers. And yet, the end to diapers did come, replaced with loads and loads and loads of laundry. Well, the loads have decreased with that new washer talked about in the I Am Grateful for It All post below. Do you know I've gone from like 12 loads a week to 7? Love that!

But I digress. There was a time when I thought the reality of my life was defined by the little boys and the smudges on the wall, ER trips, and little boy fights. I don't like to admit that sometimes I thought the drudgery of it all would smother me. I knew what I was doing was important, but oh how I did not know what I was doing was important. I had a flash of insight a couple of days ago. Maybe it wasn't insight. Maybe it was just a thought. But it occurred to me with the need for professional mothering (stay at home moms) in the world today, combined with the spiraling conditions that world finds itself in, that in the future, maybe the only children and families who will "make it" are the ones where there is a loving mother in the home.

Well, that just changes the whole perspective of diapers, and broken bowls, and laundry! What if every mother knew she had the most important job in the world? Just by staying home and wiping tears, reading stories, and putting band aids on scrapes that don't bleed. What if mothers embraced the power of motherhood rather than the drudgery? What if they found ways to strengthen and lift themselves while strengthening and lifting the little souls in their care? What if mothers cared more about their femininity than their sexuality (ie Desperate Housewives which I have PROUDLY never watched!)? What if every day they realized that they are stopping Satan dead in his tracks by raising little boys and girls dedicated to Christ and His righteousness? Oh what a different world we would have.

Mothers of the world repeat with me, "I have the most important job in the world. I am a mother. I affect the future of the world by rearing powerful children!" Watch out!

So, anyway. Two of those little boys who ran around and "made me crazy." They are missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. They pay for the privilege of teaching and preaching and bearing testimony of Christ. And then they INVITE others to find out FOR THEMSELVES if the message is true. They pay out of their own pockets for this privilege and they endure cold, and rudeness, and doors slammed in their faces right after being yelled at. And they've never been happier in all of their lives. It amazes me how almost every email (once a week if everything falls together just right) one of them mentions how happy they are. And oh, how it warms this mother's heart.

Their teaching and preaching and testifying and inviting is often extended to their family. Us. Our little family. And their growth has contributed greatly to my own growth. Funny, I never thought all that "great" teaching I was doing would come back to bless me. :-) So glad it has though. They are teaching me so much more than I am sure I ever taught them. And all of that appearance of drudgery...the reality is it was all for JOY. And SOMEONE greater than I am knew that. I'm so glad I went along, albeit some days reluctantly. I often cry great tears of joy when I read their letters. I feel so blessed and humbled. And we are back to the beginning of my post, being humbled by someone else's experience. I think it will touch you too.