You can't just wish or think that things will change.
You must take internal action!
All change is an inside job!
This is Part VIII of an eight part blog. In order to understand and make best use of what follows, please go back and read Parts I, II, III, IV, V, VI & VII on 10/5/ /12/ /19/ /26/ and 11/2/ /09/ and /16/ 2009 respectively.
Some More Phrases to Read, Feel and Visualize, con't:
XIX
I am free.
I am whole.
I am one.
I am free to receive and give.
I am good.
I am worthy.
I release my limiting memories, fears, and feelings; I bless them for what they have taught me.
I am truly blessed.
So, work or "play" with these phrases. Certainly make up more of your own. As you do this you will be tilling the soil of your soul and planting and nurturing the "seeds of greatness" that are within you.
The seed of God is in us.
Given an intelligent and hard-working farmer,
it will thrive and grow up to God, whose seed it is;
and accordingly its fruits will be God-nature.
Pear seeds grow into pear trees,
nut seeds into nut trees,
and God-seeds into God.
We are so much more than we "think" we are. In other words we are so much more than what our limited programming allows us to believe we are. We are "gods and goddesses in training" as Deepak Chopra has written.
Or as I am wont to say: "We are chips off the old holographic block called God/Goddess who have come forth to embody the Divine in finite three dimensional form." We are truly made in His/Her Image.
This is Part VIII of an eight part blog.
You can't just wish or think that things will change.
You must take internal action!
All change is an inside job!
This is Part VII of an eight part blog. In order to understand and make best use of what follows, please go back and read Parts I, II, III, IV, V & VI on 10/5/ /12/ /19/ /26/ and 11/2/ and /09/ 2009 respectively.
Some More Phrases to Read, Feel and Visualize, con't:
XV
I am amidst a beautiful spiritual family.
Doors will open easily and quickly for me.
I am who I AM in this current of time.
God/Goddess is pleased with me.
I am truly worthy of a fulfilling, loving, lasting relationship that is perfect for me.
XVI
I ignore the Here
I ignore the Present.
I pretend There.
I fantasize my Dreams.
I pretend what I intend.
I Relax, Enjoy, Pretend, Trust, and Believe.
I always, without ceasing, intentionally and consciously INTEND any and every moment of my life. I never forget and always remember--ever being mindful of what my priorities and passions are.
XVII
I want it!
I will figure it out!
It's easy!
The universe is on my side.
The universe is a friendly place.
XVIII
This ______ is who I am, what I do, what I was born to be and do. [Fill in the blank.]
I struggle because I still haven't come to terms with it.
As I do, a calming will come.
I am a channel for understanding and wisdom. When I get this, my fears will cease.
This is Part VII of an eight part Blog.
You can't just wish or think that things will change.
You must take internal action!
All change is an inside job!
This is Part VI of an eight part blog. In order to understand and make best use of what follows, please go back and read Parts I, II, III, IV & V on 10/5/ /12/ /19/ /26/ and 11/2/09 respectively.
Some More Phrases to Read, Feel and Visualize, con't:
XI
Nothing serious can or will be allowed to happen to me.
I feel the anger and fears and pain, but I joyfully live my life anyway. All this can do is to slow me down at worst, but it can never stop me.
I am safe and will succeed without pain.
Failure is impossible--even if I try to fail.
I can not fail; it will not be allowed.
XII
I am gentle with myself.
I am a beautiful precious child of God/Goddess.
God/Goddess would let nothing happen to me.
I am eternally, lovingly held in the Embrace.
XII
I can feel fearful, a failure, and unworthy, but it has no bearing on reality.
With regard to money, I always affirm: "In God I trust."
Whenever I am concerned about money or whenever I am receiving it, I see three times as much.
XIV
SHINE
It takes work to hide.
I confront, embrace and conquer my fears and shine brightly in the world.
I claim the piece of the Grand Puzzle that I AM.
I ease into my life--the true current--and surrender into it.
This is Part VI of an eight part Blog.
You can't just wish or think that things will change.
You must take internal action!
All change is an inside job!
This is Part V of an eight part blog. In order to understand and make best use of what follows, please go back and read Parts I, II, III & IV on 10/5/ /12/ /19/ /26/ 2009 respectively.
Some More Phrases to Read, Feel and Visualize, con't:
VII
I listen to my inner voice.
I respectfully and in a detached manner demand of the Universe what I want.
I am very clear about what I want.
I clearly and confidently claim and affirm my love-ability and worthiness.
I notice the negative judgments, but just treat them like another opinion that I don't have to give any power to.
VII
I AM SAFE
I am safe to live my truth.
I am safe to be a powerful spiritual person.
I am safe to have people honor and respect me.
I am safe to expand and go to more and more places.
I am safe to find others to help me in my work.
I receive love, blessing, support and praise.
IX
I can tell and reassure my body that I am healthy now.
My body is my friend, it is just letting me know what is happening and if a healing is necessary.
I pay attention to my body like it was a baby.
X
I can tell and reassure my mind that I am psychologically healthy and grounded.
The very fearful and angry emotions can continue to happen, but they are for my amusement only.
Life will go on and on and I will succeed at finding personal and professional mastery.
This is Part V of an eight part Blog.
You can't just wish or think that things will change.
You must take internal action!
All change is an inside job!
This is Part IV of an eight part blog. In order to understand and make best use of what follows, please go back and read Parts I, II & III on 10/5 /12/ /19/ 2009 respectively.
Some More Phrases to Read, Feel and Visualize, con't:
IV
The trick is that I know the agenda; and the agenda is:
Steadily, step by step, I will connect with larger and larger numbers of people.
I will steadily and increasingly uncover my gifts and they will be appreciated and sought after by many.
I will enjoy what I do and it will all flow effortlessly.
V
I externally put myself out there persistently.
Inwardly, I gently hammer away with positive self-talk, affirmations and visualizations in order to change the negative programs inside.
I am truly ready.
I am truly worthy.
I truly can handle it.
I am truly good enough.
I feel an inner grace, peace, and strength.
I am truly worthy of praise.
I am truly worthy of love.
I am truly worthy of attention.
I am truly worthy of _________. [Fill in the blank.]
VI
I clearly call in what I want, not as a request but as a demand because I know I am worthy.
I want ________ income for my work.
I want to look forward to and always enjoy my work.
I want to feel good about myself.
I want to feel free to express my creativity and to be praised by others for expressing it.
I am ready
I can handle it; no problem.
I want it NOW.
This is Part IV of an eight part Blog.
You can't just wish or think that things will change.
You must take internal action!
All change is an inside job!
This is Part III of an eight part blog. In order to understand and make best use of what follows, please go back and read Parts I & II on 10/5/09 and 10/12/09 respectively.
Some Phrases to Read, Feel and Visualize:
I.
I invest in Faith, Hope and Love, but not in worry or fear.
I face my fears and embrace them.
It is my beliefs and interpretations of events that are the problem.
All is in Divine Timing and Order.
I see the wisdom of the situation(s) I am in.
I see my life through the eyes and Heart of my Soul.
I am Loved!
II Believe and Say:
I truly want this_________.
I truly deserve this_________________. [Fill in the blanks.]
It's truly in alignment with my Soul's purpose.
I am worthy and deserving of good!
[You get to fill in the blanks here. It can be something internal or external. Go for it!]
[See my blog posts of 09 /07 /14/ 21/ 28/ 2009 for suggestions on what to put in the blanks.]
III
I believe that I deserve only good and that all things come to me on a silver platter.
I am used to being praised, honored, and wanted.
Others see the treasure in me; they do not see the childhood distortion that I incorrectly "think" I am.
I am totally convinced of my value.
There is only Light and Goodness-Anticipate it!!!
This is Part III of an eight part Blog. See my blog entries of 10/5/09 and 10/12/09 for Parts I & II.
You can't just wish or think that things will change.
You must take internal action!
All change is an inside job!
This is Part II of an eight part blog. See my blog entry of 10/5/09 for Part I in order to get the full context of what is in today's blog post.
So, what follows is a series of phrases that you can repeat over and over again. Some may appeal to you more than others, so go with those that jump out at you first. Repeat them with feeling and visualization as often as you can remember in a day.
Work with each set of phrases for at least twenty-one days or until you feel you've "got it." Some phrases may take a lot longer than twenty-one days to really sink in, so don't try to rush any of this.
Work with up to three sets of phrases at a time, but not more. And keep doing it and keep doing it. At any point, please feel free to add any phrases you come up with on your own or modify any of the ones I have suggested.
Really get into this and "own" the process. By doing so, you will ensure your success. Trust that in time you will significantly have changed your internal terrain and your self-image so much that you will no longer recognize your (old) self.
In practicing this process you are becoming a master gardener of your mind. You are weeding out what no longer serves you and are feeding and nurturing yourself with what really does. Have fun!
Remember, you get to write the script of your life! You get to be the author or author-ity in your life. It doesn't matter what old, dysfunctional programs you presently have running in your subconscious mind, this process will act like an anti-virus software and clear out of you all malicious, unwanted, stale, dysfunctional programs.
This is Part II of an eight part Blog.
You can't just wish or think that things will change.
You must take internal action!
All change is an inside job!
This is Part I of an eight part blog.
I thought that I would share with you in my next series of blog entries further ideas and techniques that I have gathered and used over the years on how to change my internal terrain.
All change is an inside job! So, in order to change we must change how we feel and think about ourselves. But usually most of us are not in touch with what our own internal dialogue is nor are we aware of what our internal self-image is. In other words, most of us are not in touch with how we see ourselves nor are we in touch with how we think and feel about ourselves.
Often, our estimation of ourselves is a lot less generous and accurate than what others see about us. Often we are our own worst enemy and our own worst critic. How we see ourselves, whether it is a conscious process or not, greatly determines how others see us and it also determines what we attract into our lives.
So changing all this is of paramount importance if we want to change how we experience life. What follows are a series of internal dialogue exercises or affirmations that I have used over the years to reprogram my self-image.
Please read through them slowly. They are meant to be savored and not swallowed. They are meant to be repeated over and over again not only as words, but also they are meant to be "felt" and "seen," that is visualized.
Please go to my blog entry of 08/31/09 for an envisioning exercise that will help you learn how to really "see" and "feel" these phrases. The actual phrases will follow in Part III of this blog on 10/19/09. My next blog, Part II, on 10/12/09 will give more information on how to use these phrases.
This is Part I of an eight part blog.
The reason most people achieve very little in comparison to what they are capable of is because they have no vision for themselves or their future, whatsoever. They feel that they are at the whim of others or at the whim of some outside force like of the Lords of Karma. But they definitely are not!
You are the captain of your ship! You are the Master of your fate!
So, create the Vision, i.e., the Vibration, and the Universe will match it. It already is doing this, whether it is happening for you consciously and volitionally or whether it is happening by default!
So, what is your dominant Vision or self-image? Release your old, worn, stagnant, crystalized, and mutated visions and Embrace the New You!
You are made in His/Her Image! Learn to reflect your Divinity, your True Image!
"Without a vision, the people will perish." "Without a vision, you will perish."
So, take the time to both write down a general vision for yourself over the next five years and then go into meditation and get a picture and a feeling of how you would look and feel when you have already achieved all that you have written down; and then come back to that image and feeling whenever you think about your life.
You are the artist who is now creating your own self-portrait. You are the author who is writing the script of your life.
Take the time to create the most beautiful and satisfying portrait and script that you can imagine. Then keep refining and defining it. And then hold that image of yourself in the foreground of your awareness all the time. This is what creation is all about.
Peace and Joy be with you! It is your birthright.
So, you must first honestly and lovingly "Face" yourself (i.e., your thoughts and feelings) and then "Embrace" them (accept what you find) and then you can begin to gradually "Replace" them with a clear vision of who you really are and what you really want to create in your life and with your life.
Every time you have a thought or a feeling you are creating or drawing to your self something new from the universe and bringing it into your reality. You do not have to base your expectations for the future upon your past experiences, your perceived weaknesses, or anything else that reinforces your present, limited self-image. You no longer need to use your past as your frame of reference for your future, unless, of course, your past is filled with good.
By creating a clear vision of your desired state and putting energy (i.e. focus) into it regularly, you are using your mind (i.e. vibrational) power to shape the very stuff or essence of the universe into what you want.
So, to summarize, you hold this "imagined reality" in your mind to the point where your subconscious actually believes it to be so real that it goes about making it manifest in your life. Once you have this clear image in your mind, your subconscious will then attract the circumstances, people, and opportunities you need to bring about the vision you have "imagined."
Or, on the other hand, if you are not connected to a clear positive image, and are in a negative default mode of thinking and feeling, you will then attract the nightmare you dread!
This is Part III of a four part blog.
So, one very important thing to do is to have a crystal clear vision of your life as you want it to be; one that is completely independent of the conditions of your present or your past.
Lack of absolute clarity about your desired future is the number one reason why people struggle in life.
That is why it is so, so important to take the time to get in touch with what you actually feel and think about your life and yourself. If you find some of it to be critical and uncomplimentary, then begin to change it.
The best way I know of to do this is to simply sit in meditation and listen to the predominant thoughts and feelings that arise. By the way, you can't just sit one time to get the full picture, but if you sit consistently with yourself, within just a few weeks, you will get a pretty clear picture of what your predominant thoughts and feelings are. Then because of this awareness, or "mindfulness" as the Buddhists call it, you will now be more conscious of what you are vibrating and, therefore, more able to change it.
After you have taken the time to really see your patterns, it then becomes easier for you to create a clear vision about your future and a practical plan for success.
But until you have taken the time to look within, you literally are in the "dark" about yourself. And in the dark it is very difficult to see or create a vision for your self. You really do need to shed light on the darkness within in order to create something new without.
This is Part II of a four part blog.
The essence of all things and experiences is vibration. All our thoughts, feelings and actions have their own particular rates of vibration. These vibrations set up a resonance with whatever has a similar or identical frequency.
This is why it is so, so essential to be a very close observer of your thoughts and feelings. The way you think, feel and act creates the primary vibration of your being, i.e., your "energy signature." This fundamental "energy signature" then creates resonance with similar vibrational frequencies in the universe wherever they may be. The result is an attraction of experiences, people, challenges and opportunities that are in vibrational resonance with your own dominant frequency.
The fundamental law of "like attracts like" is immutable and eternal. Therefore, your dominant positive patterns of thought and action or your dominant negative enmeshments, entanglements, and projections are what you are living.
Thus, to draw what you want into your life, you begin by being very aware of your thoughts and feelings, i.e., your vibration. And then you make a practice of raising your vibration to match the desire or experience you want, no matter what. Most people do things the other way around. They come up with practical techniques to generate their desires and then go out and try to force them into manifestation.
However, when what you are seeking is not really in agreement deep down inside you with your dominant vibration, then you will have great difficulty making the desired result come to pass. In other words, if you want to have more money in your life, but you feel deep down inside unworthy, undereducated and unskilled, you will never attract more money into your life because you inherently do not believe it is possible for you.
This is Part I of a four part blog.
Quality is not something inherent in an object, person or experience;
Quality is something we imbue into an object, person or experience.
Yanni Maniates
We create quality. We create a quality life.
We give life its meaning, substance and value by the way we choose to interpret events. All of life is good and working towards the Highest Good. Everything we experience is from the Good and for the Good though we may not know how to "see" it that way sometimes.
Quality can not be measured by the quantity of material things we accumulate, the number or status of the people we know or the types of experiences we have; it can only be determined by the value we give to the experience.
So, to have a quality experience; go out there and give value to all you see and experience; especially give value to yourself. You determine the quality of your experiences by the way you choose to value them. You determine the quality or value of yourself by the way you choose to value yourself.
So, take the time to quiet your mind and go within and listen to that "still, small voice within." And ask it to help you to learn how to "see" yourself and everything and everyone in your life with the eyes and heart of your Soul and then you will see all things "anew."
You will "see" how precious and valuable you are and how precious and valuable every person, place and experience is in your life. They all are steps up your mountain of mastery. Everything and everyone is leading you to your Highest Good.
By listening to that "still, small voice within," you will learn how to live your life in Grace and Trust. You will see the bigger picture and know who you truly are from the depths of your being and how blessed life really is.
So, slow down, quiet your mind and listen so that you can ease into a life of real Quality and Value!
A number of years ago I read a book entitled "The Automatic Millionaire." In the book the author, David Bach, emphasizes how really, really important it is to make payments to yourself first if you wish to accrue financial wealth.
As I continued to read the book, I came to realize that the principle that he was espousing, "Put Your Self First," was a very profound one and one that was applicable in all areas of my life. It got me to start asking myself whether I was putting myself first physically, emotionally and spiritually. And, of course, it was crystal clear that I wasn't.
Then I asked myself, why I wasn't? And it became apparent that it was an issue of unworthiness. Everyone and everything else was more important or worthy than I was!!! I always paid myself last!
So, it became obvious that if I kept listening to my ego self, I would always be last in line. I had to learn to listen to my real Self. I could not keep doing what I really didn't want to do. That was a recipe for disaster.
It finally dawned on me that my Higher Self knew what was best for me and for all those involved with me; and if I would just slow down enough to get in touch with my Higher Self and act on its promptings, I would be much happier and much more fun to be with.
So, one must pay oneself first on all levels; not only financially so that you accrue wealth, but also in terms of the kinds of things you do to take care of yourself physically, emotionally and spiritually. This is where the real "wealth" lies.
You can live more of the life you desire and deserve once you learn to put your Self first. For, as I love to say in my classes: "If you follow any one but your Self, you will surely get lost."
So, it is all good. Learning how to listen to your Self is how you become a Master of your life and it is how you learn to leave behind being the victim!
So, slow down and get there fast. Trust, Relax and Listen to your Self! And remember and say often: "Life is good; I am good. Within me and around me I have all I need to fully feel happy, healthy, joy-filled, abundant, energetic, flexible, balanced, and full of passion in all aspects of my life."
You really do!
Be who you are and say what you feel
because those who mind don't matter
and those who matter don't mind.
Dr. Seuss
Below is a letter that I received recently regarding SELF-Confidence and my response.
Yanni,
I am in such a tizzy I wish to ask you a question; any help will be appreciated.
I am on my spiritual journey. I have asked to be a pure channel for god's love and healing for others. God and my higher self are helping me put things in order. I am learning life lessons daily and working to keep peaceful and loving which is not always easy. Business challenges me on a daily basis as does my relationship with my husband. I realize that I attracted all this and asked for the growth and development that would come from it, but when can you say, "Respect me!" I do not wish to be a doormat for clients and agents or for my husband at times. I DO want peace and love, but how do I tell the UNIVERSE/GOD that I want respect and appreciation for all I do?
Thanks for your thoughts. Being raised Catholic I have a saint-martyr thing. I want to serve and am thankful to serve. Am I asking too much to ask for respect and appreciation?
Mary
Mary,
First of all, you must learn to love, appreciate and respect yourself first. That begins by knowing that what you feel is important. And it also includes knowing that you are important--actually you are of paramount importance!
Respect is only given when it is asked for and expected. So, you must ask, however difficult or awkward it may be for you. For starters you must create a clear internal intention that you wish to be respected and then also create a clear internal intention that you will notice when you are not being respected. Keep repeating these intentions morning, noon and night.
Because you are used to being a door mat, you don't realize, until way after an interaction, that you were not being respected. So, as you become more in touch with what is happening in an interaction, you then can speak up from a grounded and centered place and communicate that you do not feel that you are being heard or respected.
Those who are not used to you speaking up in these circumstances may ignore you at first or try to put you down, but just be persistent and patient. The important thing here is not so much that they acknowledge you, but what is important is that you assert yourself. In time, they will hear you. It's a gradual process of listening to your feelings, honoring them and then learning to assert and express your self.
So, you must first learn how to listen to and respect yourself before you can expect anyone else to listen to and respect you!
Hope this helps a bit. Blessings and Love and know that you can do it!
Yanni
FYI, There is more on this topic in my next post on 02 02 09
Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:
"This is My Story, What is Yours? Part VII” Podcast"
Click Here to Download MP3/Audio
(length 10:05 minutes)
Subscribe to Feed Below:

This is Part XII of a twelve part blog. Part I begins on 09/03/07. In order to better understand what follows, it would be best to read the previous parts.
This whole process that I am describing to you is astounding in what it reveals to you about your “story.” As you begin to unravel your “story,” as you “inquire into” and “examine” what you believe and who you think you are, you will be amazed at what you uncover and recover.
As you do this process, you will no doubt, at some point, be hoodwinked into believing you have it all together, too. Don’t buy into that one either. We are all “works in progress” and we will never get it done! It is just an ongoing process of discovery and recovery and ascent into higher and higher levels of Self-Mastery and selfless-Love.
Where I would like to leave you now is to suggest to you that It, that is, Life, is all about learning how to love unconditionally, everyone and everything you experience. Actually, L I F E is an acronym for Love It For Ever!
Life is learning how to love, accept, embrace and appreciate all that we experience, no matter how it may seem.
Nothing is at it appears to be. What we think we are seeing is often just us “looking darkly” through the distorted lenses of our limiting beliefs.
We were made from Love and out of Love and we are being given the opportunity to “own” and embody the essence of who we are. By having all the experiences we have, both the “good” and the “bad,” we are given the opportunity to love it all. As we do, we come to appreciate and embody the heart and Love of God/Goddess. We then become like God/Goddess and see it all through the eyes and heart of Love.
As Saint Paul wrote: So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Go for it! You have nothing to lose and your Kingdom to gain! This is what the purpose and meaning of your Life is all about!
Don’t take my word for it, though! Only take yours!
Peace be with you!
This is Part XII of a twelve part blog.
This is Part XI of a twelve part blog. Part I begins on 09/03/07. In order to better understand what follows, it would be best to read the previous parts.
From my point of view, as I wrote above, it all comes down to what Albert Einstein once wrote. Namely, that the most important question you can ask yourself is: “Is this a friendly Universe or not?”
Everything in your life is predicated on your core beliefs about the nature of this Universe and of Life itself. What kind of Universe do you believe you live in? What kind of Creator put this all together? Or, is there even a Creator? Is it all random? Is there meaning and purpose to it all?
Whatever you believe, you experience!
Whatever you are looking for, you get!
Whatever you ask for, you receive!
Whatever you are looking at, you see!
Whatever you believe, whether it is conscious or not, the Universe still is always responding in kind. “‘Like’ does in fact attract ‘like’.”
So what do you “like?” What do you expect? What do you believe is possible for you?
Who do your think you are--a child of God/Goddess or an orphaned misfit?
Do you believe that if you ask, you will receive? Or do you believe that the Universe is arbitrary and totally unpredictable?
Do you feel worthy of receiving? Or do you see yourself as a beggar just hoping that some benevolent power will grant you at least one wish because you have been so willing to be subservient to him or her? Are others more worthy than you?
As you “play” with this process of “Face, Embrace and Replace,” all kinds of questions like these above will begin to arise into your awareness. Stop and examine each one carefully and fully as I suggested above in Part VIII. Leave no stone unturned. For you never know what you will find waiting there for you under the most unassuming of stones.
This is Part XI of a twelve part blog.
Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:
"This is My Story, What is Yours? Part V” Podcast"
Click Here to Download MP3/Audio
(length 10:43 minutes)
Subscribe to Feed Below:

This is Part X of a twelve part blog. Part I begins on 09/03/07. In order to better understand what follows, it would be best to read the previous parts.
As I wrote earlier, “you can’t do it alone!” And the most important belief I feel that we have to clear within ourselves is that we somehow believe that we are alone. We are not.
We are not “spiritual orphans” abandoned by a heartless Creator. We are precious, beautiful, beloved children that are cherished beyond what we can imagine by an incredibly loving Being. Yes! this applies to you and to every other being in all of Creation!
The Universe is indeed a friendly place. It is here to support you. It is filled with beings, physical and non-physical, who are always available and very willing to help you fulfill all your dreams. All you have to do is to ask and you will receive. The Universe wants to support you in any and every way possible!
I ask you now to re-read through the three preceding paragraphs again and see if any of what I have written is something that you do not presently believe. If there is something that is hard to believe or impossible to believe or sounds like a bunch of drivel, then perhaps you need to look at that belief and be open to the possibility that you may be looking at all of this in a mistaken way.
Believe me, if you can truly “own” in your heart and soul what is contained in these three paragraphs, you are well on you way to being true to your inherent, essential nature and to a life filled with meaning and purpose.
Take the time to “Face, Embrace and Replace” these three paragraphs and the beliefs contained within them, word by word, sentence by sentence, belief by belief and in time you will be free to be yourself!
Why am I so sure of this? Because I have come to understand that all healing is a spiritual matter. It’s not mental or physical or metaphysical!
It is about learning how to reconnect with the Love and support of your Creator! It’s about learning how to bypass the duality of the mind and enter the Oneness of the Heart.
This is Part X of a twelve part blog.
This is Part IX of a twelve part blog. Part I begins on 09/03/07. In order to better understand what follows, it would be best to read the previous parts.
Below is a poem by Eileen Cady, a co-founder of the Findhorn Community that I feel can help you to better understand the process and the opportunity that you are offering yourself when you consciously choose to really “be true” to yourself.
I would suggest that you read this passage over slowly and carefully a couple of times and let its message sink in. For within it is contained the keys to taking courage and to “replacing” and transmuting all that which is not you into all that which is!
This is Part IX of a twelve part blog.
Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:
"This is My Story, What is Yours? Part IV” Podcast"
Click Here to Download MP3/Audio
(length 10:47 minutes)
Subscribe to Feed Below:

This is Part VIII of a twelve part blog. Part I begins on 09/03/07. In order to better understand what follows, it would be best to read the previous parts.
So, how this “Face, Embrace and Replace” process works is that you first identify a belief or two about yourself or your life that you feel uncomfortable with. You can do this simply by just sitting down and spontaneously writing down whatever comes to your mind and as you do you will come up with a few uncomfortable beliefs.
Then, after that doing that, find a comfortable place where you can quietly be away from the distractions of life. Take a few deep, cleansing, relaxing, healing breaths, close your eyes, and then just sit there with one of the beliefs you are uncomfortable with.
This is the “Facing” phase of the process. By doing this, you are identifying the belief and taking ownership and responsibility for it.
Now comes the “Embracing” phase of the process where you allow whatever feelings that come up to come up around this belief. Just “embrace” these feelings that come up now—no matter how uncomfortable or negative they may be. Just sit and be with them for two to three minutes or so. If you wander, just come back to the focus of this exercise which is your feelings and not your “thinkings.”
Then after you have sat with your feelings for a bit, ask your self how you can change this belief. You are now entering the “Replace” phase. Then sit and “listen” to whatever impressions, thoughts, feelings or images that come up for you. Don’t be afraid of what you “hear” or “see” or “sense.” Just accept! Change is a challenge for almost everyone, but it is good!
Then ask for the courage to take the actions and make the changes in your life that need to be made in order for you “to be the change you wish to become!”
Yes, truthfully “facing” and identifying your beliefs is challenging and so is “embracing” the feelings that surround them, but the biggest challenge is “replacing” them. And to replace them you must have the courage “to be yourself.” This is the biggest and most important challenge you can possibly take on in your life, that is, to dare “to be your self!”
You can “be yourself!” You are not alone; but boy it is not easy to believe at first!
This is Part VIII of a twelve part blog.
This is Part VII of a twelve part blog. Part I begins on 09/03/07. In order to better understand what follows, it would be best to read the previous parts.
Life is a juxtaposition of opposites. The yin is looking for it’s yang to complete itself; the yang for it’s yin; the negative is looking for the positive; the positive for its negative; the feminine for the masculine; the masculine for the feminine; the ebb for the flow; the flow for the ebb; the in-breath for the out breath; the out-breath for the in-breath.
So, as we sort through all the dross of our beliefs, please understand that everything we unearth and experience is there solely to help us to climb higher upon our mountain of Self-Mastery. Our “opposites” are our “complements.”
Nothing is in our way! Everything is The Way! Your Way! The “High” Way!
So which way are you going? Which path are you taking—the High road or the low road?
One of the most valuable phrases and techniques that I have found on my path is: “Face, Embrace and Replace.”
Over twenty years ago, I had a spiritual reading with a man whose name I have lost and forgotten. In that reading he introduced me to this phrase and the “work” that goes along with actualizing it. I am eternally indebted to him for it. For it has given me the formula for how to look carefully at my belief systems and then how to transmute the dysfunctional ones into functional ones.
So, again, it all began with me not being comfortable in the roles my parents and friends were expecting me to play.
How about you, did you just accept the roles you were uncomfortable with anyhow and just try to make the “best of it?” Or did you totally deny that you had dreams and desires that were not being supported?
What roles are you presently playing that are not comfortable or true to who you are?
This is Part VII of a twelve part blog.
Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:
"This is My Story, What is Yours? Part III” Podcast"
Click Here to Download MP3/Audio
(length 9:29 minutes)
Subscribe to Feed Below:

This is Part VI of a twelve part blog. Part I begins on 09/03/07. In order to better understand what follows, it would be best to read the previous parts.
Actually, at this point it might be helpful for us to explore the etymology of the word “story.” It comes from the Greek and Latin and means “to inquire into” or “to examine.” So, as we explore our stories here, let’s really “inquire into” and “examine: honestly and thoroughly what beliefs we base our lives upon.
As Socrates once said:
The life unexamined is not worth living.
What we are exploring here is not simply a mental exercise, but it is a “life” exercise. This is about exercising your “life-giving” muscles. These “life-giving” muscles are your ability to choose, to create, to intend, to dream, to love, to laugh, to be free, to nourish yourself, to experience change, to honor and love yourself and others, to “be true” to yourself, to “know yourself” from the inside out and to experience the God/Goddess within you.
I suspect that one of the biggest false beliefs that I carried around for a very long time was the belief that “I was not good enough.” I was always overestimating others and underestimating myself. I might add at this point that this is the best way I have found to give away my power!
Now, let me be clear here I am not suggesting that you now go around overestimating yourself and underestimating others. That doesn’t work either. For some folks this is the belief/pattern that needs to be examined. It wasn’t the one I needed to examine, though. But we are all in this together and opposites do manage to find each other in order to balance each other out and find the “golden mean.”
We create our opposite in order to find the balance we seek and to help another find his or hers. It really is a neat Universe we live in! I’ll explain further.
This is Part II of a twelve part blog.
This is Part V of a twelve part blog. Part I begins on 09/03/07. In order to better understand what follows, it would be best to read the previous parts.
I knew that something was “wrong,” so to speak, when I was quite young. I always felt that I didn’t fit in anywhere—even before entering Kindergarten! My parents wanted me to be a “certain” way and my friends wanted me to be a “certain” way. But none of it was comfortable for me. No of it made sense. None of it fit! None of it was “certain” to me!
I’m not sure when the following question began to be a conscious one for me, but it seems that it was one that came up for me at a very early age, for it has stayed at the forefront of my awareness all my life and has been the primary determining factor in all my decisions in my life; it has been, in effect, my North Star: The question I am referring to is: What is the purpose of my Life! What is the meaning of Life?
I know that these are two questions, not one, but for me they were always one and the same—inseparable—two sides of the same coin! I could never get away from these questions. No matter how hard my ego/little self tried to distract me, these questions always appeared up-front and center-stage for me.
Yes, these questions were and are my North Star! Whenever I remembered to ask them of myself and then stopped long enough to listen to the answer I got and followed what I received, I would, as a result, find myself on my path and would be actualizing my purpose in my life and my life would have meaning.
Whenever I didn’t ask these questions and relegated them to the dust bin of obscurity and irrelevance in my life, I got myself in big trouble. Yes, they were always there in the forefront, but I, at times, looked away or down and missed what was right in front of me and what was most important.
This is Part V of a twelve part blog.
Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:
"This is My Story, What is Yours? Part II” Podcast"
Click Here to Download MP3/Audio
(length 10:14 minutes)
Subscribe to Feed Below:

This is Part IV of a twelve part blog. Part I begins on 09/03/07. In order to better understand what follows, it would be best to read the previous parts.
Thus, I discovered that I had to dig deep within to find the “bedrock” of my “being” and free myself from the quicksand of other people’s desires and expectations of me.
To do this I had to plumb the depths of my little self and navigate past all of its fears and insecurities and come up, instead, to land upon the solid ground of the shores of my Higher Self! There I could stand on the core foundation of who I really AM. There I could look at myself in the mirror and see who I really AM!
As I began to do this, I clearly realized, then and there, that I could no longer live in the shadow of my ego or of someone else’s expectations, but had to live in the Light of my Soul!
I am well aware that all of this is a lot easier said than done—but regardless this kind of brutally honest soul-searching is very, very necessary.
So, what I would like to share with you now is a bit of my story; how I originally wrote it, how I gradually began to read it over and rewrite it, how I eventually chucked the whole thing, and how I, now, no longer have a story, but just AM from moment to moment!
It’s all about “Being” and not about “doing.” A story “does;” a Life IS. I choose to BE who I AM and not to just “do.” I am a human “being” and not a human “doing.”
So, let’s explore this story a bit, perhaps it can help you to find or refine yours, as well!
So, let’s discover what it means “to live your life from the inside out,” to live your life seeing everything and everyone through the eyes and heart of your Soul rather than following a prepared, cookie-cutter script and being blind to and afraid of the possibilities that are you!
This is Part IV of a twelve part blog.
This is Part III of a twelve part blog. Part I begins on 09/03/07. In order to better understand what follows, it would be best to read the previous parts.
In other words, I lived with beliefs and expectations that were limiting and that assumed that my life was not my own. I assumed that my life was just something that had already been scripted by others and that it was my responsibility to follow that script and then all would be well and safe!
But what I didn’t understand was that all the “stuff” that I didn’t want in my life was there simply because I didn’t realize that I was letting it be there. I was allowing it to be there because I believed, deep down inside, that life was not much more than tagging along on a prearranged plan, following orders, paying taxes, having a few beers and then dieing.
Parenthetically, I know that the above description of what I expected of life sounds rather morose and exaggerated, but it was pretty true to course considering what I was experiencing in my life. But, and this is a big BUT, there was also a part of me that knew that life was about joy, freedom and love.
But somehow my dysfunctional, old belief system had me accepting as true that I had to endure all this “sad” stuff so that as a reward for my penance I could occasionally be doled out a few of life’s pleasures and riches. Boy was I ever totally wrong about that belief!
I came to realize that I really had a poverty mentality: Life was a drag; Money was not easy to attain; I had little to offer others; I wasn’t really worthy; every thing was hard to come by! To attain anything, one had to work one’s tail off; nothing comes easy; it’s immoral to charge for my services; Money is the root of all evil; etc, etc, etc. My! What a litany of life-restricting negativity.
So, in time I came to realize that another’s person’s dreams were truly my nightmares!
And I also came to realize that there was no safety or security on the shifting sands of another’s’ expectations of me. Sound familiar?
This is Part III of a twelve part blog.
Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:
"This is My Story, What is Yours? Part I” Podcast"
Click Here to Download MP3/Audio
(length 8:30 minutes)
Subscribe to Feed Below:

This is Part II of a twelve part blog. Part I begins on 09/03/07. In order to better understand what follows, it would be best to read the previous part.
But it was interesting that I really believed that the characters in the story that I had “bought into” were real, even though I wasn’t being “real” or honest with myself. Actually, I thought that these characters and scenarios were more real than I was.
In other words, I believed that these characters and scenarios had an existence separate from me and that they could influence and affect me no matter what I did or didn’t do. I thought I was powerless in the face of these all-knowing, all-mighty “external” forces.
But I didn’t realize that I created them all for me to learn from and that they did not have an existence separate from me. They were me! I created them. I gave them life. I perpetuated them because I chose to. I allowed them to remain in my life.
How I chose to view them determined how I experienced them! They were me. I was them! No one forced them on me, I invited them all in! They were mine! Period!
Whew! In other words, everything in my life was something that I had, in some way or another, chosen, consciously or unconsciously, to have there with me. This was my script/story and I had written/created it all—all the drama, pathos, comedy and tragedy! All of it!
It was all mine and no one else’s! So, I either was conscious about what I was doing and got something I really wanted or I was unconscious about what I wanted and got what I didn’t want or understand. So, no matter how you cut it, whether I was conscious or not, I had attracted and drawn it all into my life.
This is Part II of a twelve part blog.
This is Part I of a twelve part blog.
I have a story to tell and that story is my story. I once thought that I had my story “down,” so to speak, and that I was living my own life. But as I became more and more conscious and honest with my self, I realized that it was not really my story that I was living. It was someone else’s.
It turned out that as I examined what I was doing with my life, that really all I was doing was following the script that someone else wrote for me. Actually, as I got even more truthful with myself, I realized that I, somewhere deep inside me, believed that it was my responsibility to follow the script that was handed to me.
That was kind of dumb, I guess, but it took quite awhile to open up to the truth of the matter and to be genuinely honest with myself.
Actually, it took quite a bit of courage to look at my life candidly and realize that I was living a “lie.” I wasn’t living my life. I was living the expectations and dreams of my parents and of others. All of which were well-meaning, I might add, but very little of which were mine.
And, as a result of all this, I came to ask myself this all important question:
So, I finally I got around to realizing that my life Is My Story and no one else’s; and that I can change it, keep it the way it is, erase parts or all of it, create new scenes, characters and scenarios, whatever! It’s my play to write and re-write—“to play with,” so to speak!
What I want to be and do, I CAN be and do!! Really! I just have to discover and recover what it is that I want to be and then have the courage to claim it!
This is Part I of a twelve part blog.
Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:
"How to Reprogram Your Self Image, Part IV" Podcast
Click Here to Download MP3/Audio
(length 12:05 minutes)
Subscribe to Feed Below:

This is Part VIII of an eight part blog. In order to understand and make best use of what follows, please go back and read Parts I, II, III, IV, V, VI & VII on 01/15/07, 01/17/07, 01/22/07, 01/24/07, 01/29/07, 01/31/07 and 02/05/07 respectively.
Some More Phrases to Read, Feel and Visualize, con’t:
XIX.
I am free.
I am whole.
I am one.
I am free to receive and give.
I am good.
I am worthy.
I release my limiting memories, fears, and feelings; I bless them for what they have taught me.
I am truly blessed.
So, work or “play” with these phrases. Certainly make up more of your own. As you do this you will be tilling the soil of your soul and planting and nurturing the “seeds of greatness” that are within you.
The seed of God is in us.
Given an intelligent and hard-working farmer,
it will thrive and grow up to God, whose seed it is;
and accordingly its fruits will be God-nature.
Pear seeds grow into pear trees,
nut seeds into nut trees,
and God-seeds into God.
Meister Eckhart
We are so much more than we “think” we are. In other words we are so much more than what our limited programming allows us to believe we are. We are “gods and goddesses in training” as Deepak Chopra has written.
Or as I am wont to say: “We are chips off the old holographic block called God/Goddess who have come forth to embody the Divine in finite, three dimensional form.” We are truly made in His/Her Image.
This is Part VIII of an eight part blog.
This is Part VII of an eight part blog. In order to understand and make best use of what follows, please go back and read Parts I, II, III, IV, V & VI on 01/15/07, 01/17/07, 01/22/07, 01/24/07, 01/29/07 and 01/31/07 respectively.
Some More Phrases to Read, Feel and Visualize, con’t:
XV.
I am amidst a beautiful spiritual family.
Doors open easily and quickly for me.
I am who I AM in this current of time.
God/Goddess is pleased with me.
I am truly worthy of a fulfilling, loving, lasting relationship that is perfect for me.XVI.
I ignore the Here
I ignore the Present.
I pretend There.
I fantasize my Dreams.
I pretend what I intend.
I Relax, Enjoy, Pretend, Trust, and Believe.
I always, without ceasing, intentionally and consciously INTEND any and every moment of my life. I never forget and always remember—ever being mindful of what my priorities and passions are.XVII.
I want it!
I figure it out!
It’s easy!
The universe is on my side.
The universe is a friendly place.XVIII.
This ______ is who I am, what I do, what I was born to be and do. [Fill in the blank.]
I struggle because I still haven’t come to terms with it.
As I do, a calming will come.
I am a channel for understanding and wisdom. When I get this, my fears will cease.
This is Part VII of an eight part Blog. See my blog entries of 01/15/07 01/17/06, 01/22/07, 01/24/07, 01/29/07 and 01/31/07 for Parts I, II, III, IV, V & VI.
Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:
"How to Reprogram Your Self Image, Part III" Podcast
Click Here to Download MP3/Audio
(length 11:31 minutes)
Subscribe to Feed Below:

This is Part VI of an eight part blog. In order to understand and make best use of what follows, please go back and read Parts I, II, III, IV & V on 01/15/07, 01/17/07, 01/22/07, 01/24/07 and 01/29/07 respectively.
Some More Phrases to Read, Feel and Visualize, con’t:
XI.
Nothing serious can or will be allowed to happen to me.
I feel the anger and fears and pain, but I joyfully live my life anyway. All this can do is to slow me down at worst, but it can never stop me.
I am safe and will succeed without pain.
Failure is impossible—even if I try to fail.
I can not fail; it will not be allowed.XII.
I am gentle with myself.
I am a beautiful precious child of God/Goddess.
God/Goddess would let nothing happen to me.
I am eternally, lovingly held in the Embrace.XII.
I can feel fearful, a failure, and unworthy, but it has no bearing on reality.
With regard to money, I always affirm: “In God I trust.”
Whenever I am concerned about money or whenever I am receiving it, I see three times as much.XIV.
SHINE
It takes work to hide.
I confront, embrace and conquer my fears and shine brightly in the world.
I claim the piece of the Grand Puzzle that I AM.
I ease into my life—the true current—and surrender into it.
This is Part VI of an eight part Blog. See my blog entries of 01/15/07 01/17/06, 01/22/07, 01/24/07 and 01/29/07 for Parts I, II, III, IV & V.
This is Part V of an eight part blog. In order to understand and make best use of what follows, please go back and read Parts I, II, III & IV on 01/15/07, 01/17/07, 01/22/07 and 01/24/07 respectively.
Some More Phrases to Read, Feel and Visualize, con’t:
VII.
I listen to my inner voice.
I respectfully and in a detached manner demand of the Universe what I want.
I am very clear about what I want.
I clearly and confidently claim and affirm my love-ability and worthiness.
I notice the negative judgments, but just treat them like another opinion that I don’t have to give any power to.VII.
I AM SAFE
I am safe to live my truth.
I am safe to be a powerful spiritual person.
I am safe to have people honor and respect me.
I am safe to expand and go to more and more places.
I am safe to find others to help me in my work.
I receive love, blessing, support and praise.IX.
I can tell and reassure my body that I am healthy now.
My body is my friend, it is just letting me know what is happening and if a healing is necessary.
I pay attention to my body like it was a baby.X.
I can tell and reassure my mind that I am psychologically healthy and grounded.
The very fearful and angry emotions can continue to happen, but they are for my amusement only.
Life will go on and on and I will succeed at finding personal and professional mastery.
This is Part V of an eight part Blog. See my blog entries of 01/15/07, 01/17/06, 01/22/07 and 01/24/07 for Parts I, II, III & IV.
Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:
"How to Reprogram Your Self Image, Part II" Podcast
Click Here to Download MP3/Audio
(length 11:25 minutes)
Subscribe to Feed Below:

This is Part IV of an eight part blog. In order to understand and make best use of what follows, please go back and read Parts I, II & III on 01/15/07, 01/17/07 and 01/22/07 respectively.
Some More Phrases to Read, Feel and Visualize, con’t:
IV.
The trick is that I know the agenda; and the agenda is:
Steadily, step by step, I will connect with larger and larger numbers of people.
I will steadily and increasingly uncover my gifts and they will be appreciated and sought after by many.
I will enjoy what I do and it will all flow effortlessly.V.
I externally put myself out there persistently.
Inwardly, I gently hammer away with positive self-talk, affirmations and visualizations in order to change the negative programs inside.
I am truly ready.
I am truly worthy.
I truly can handle it.
I am truly good enough.
I feel an inner grace, peace, and strength.
I am truly worthy of praise.
I am truly worthy of love.
I am truly worthy of attention.
I am truly worthy of _________. [Fill in the blank.]
VI.
I clearly call in what I want, not as a request but as a demand because I know I am worthy.
I want ________ income for my work.
I want to look forward to and always enjoy my work.
I want to feel good about myself.
I want to feel free to express my creativity and to be praised by others for expressing it.
I am ready
I can handle it; no problem.
I want it NOW.
This is Part III of an eight part blog. In order to understand and make best use of what follows, please go back and read Parts I & II on 01/15/07 and 01/17/07 respectively.
Some Phrases to Read, Feel and Visualize:
I.
I invest in Faith, Hope and Love, but not in worry or fear.
I face my fears and embrace them.
It is my beliefs and interpretations of events that are the problem.
All is in Divine Timing and Order.
I see the wisdom of the situation(s) I am in.
I see my life through the eyes and Heart of my Soul.
I am Loved!II.
Believe and Say:
I truly want this_________.
I truly deserve this_________________. [Fill in the blanks.]
It’s truly in alignment with my Soul’s purpose.
I am worthy and deserving of good![You get to fill in the blanks here. It can be something internal or external. Go for it!]
[See my blog posts of 01/01/07, 01/03/07, 01/08/07 and 01/10/07 for suggestions on what to put in the blanks.]III.
I believe that I deserve only good and that all things come to me on a silver platter.
I am used to being praised, honored, and wanted.
Others see the treasure in me; they do not see the childhood distortion that I incorrectly “think” I am.
I am totally convinced of my value.
There is only Light and Goodness–Anticipate it!!!
This is Part III of an eight part Blog. See my blog entries of 01/15/07 and 01/17/07 for Parts I & II.
Life Mastery's Friday Weekly Podcast:
"How to Reprogram Your Self Image, Part I" Podcast
Click Here to Download MP3/Audio
(length 10:53 minutes)
Subscribe to Feed Below:

This is Part II of an eight part blog. See my blog entry of 01/15/07 for Part I in order to get the full context of what is in today’s blog post.
So, what follows is a series of phrases that you can repeat over and over again. Some may appeal to you more than others, so go with those that jump out at you first. Repeat them with feeling and visualization as often as you can remember in a day.
Work with each set of phrases for at least twenty-one days or until you feel you’ve “got it.” Some phrases may take a lot longer than twenty-one days to really sink in, so don’t try to rush any of this.
Work with up to three sets of phrases at a time, but not more. And keep doing it and keep doing it. At any point, please feel free to add any phrases you come up with on your own or modify any of the ones I have suggested.
Really get into this and “own” the process. By doing so, you will ensure your success. Trust that in time you will significantly have changed your internal terrain and your self-image so much that you will no longer recognize your (old) self.
In practicing this process you are becoming a master gardener of your mind. You are weeding out what no longer serves you and are feeding and nurturing yourself with what really does. Have fun!
Remember, you get to write the script of your life! You get to be the author or author-ity in your life. It doesn’t matter what old, dysfunctional programs you presently have running in your subconscious mind, this process will act like an anti-virus software and clear out of you all malicious, unwanted, stale, dysfunctional programs.
This is Part II of an eight part Blog. See my blog entry of 01/22/07 for Part III.
This is Part I of an eight part blog.
I thought that I would share with you in my next series of blog entries further ideas and techniques that I have gathered and used over the years on how to change my internal terrain.
All change is an inside job! So, in order to change we must change how we feel and think about ourselves. But usually most of us are not in touch with what our own internal dialogue is nor are we aware of what our internal self-image is. In other words, most of us are not in touch with how we see ourselves nor are we in touch with how we think about ourselves.
Often, our estimation of ourselves is a lot less generous and accurate than what others see about us. Often we are our own worst enemy and our own worst critic. How we see ourselves, whether it is a conscious process or not, greatly determines how others see us and it also determines what we attract into our lives.
So changing all this is of paramount importance if we want to change how we experience life. What follows are a series of internal dialogue exercises or affirmations that I have used over the years to reprogram my self-image.
Please read through them slowly. They are meant to be savored and not swallowed. They are meant to be repeated over and over again not only as words, but also they are meant to be “felt” and “seen,” that is visualized.
Please go to my blog entry of 12/27/06 for an envisioning exercise that will help you learn how to really “see” and “feel” these phrases. The actual phrases will follow in Part III of this blog on 01/22/07. My next blog, Part II, on 01/17/01 will give more information on how to use these phrases.
This is Part I of an eight part blog.