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Saturday, May 30, 2015

5-24-15 Post: Victim to genetics?

Question/Comment: Schizophrenia runs in my family and I am very afraid of getting it. The latest research shows genetic abnormalities cause differences in the brain structure and brain chemistry for people with schizophrenia.  I feel doomed.

Response: You are not doomed. There are many useful medications for schizophrenia and new medications in the pipeline. Consult a psychiatrist right away. You may or may not have any symptom but it is important to check in with a professional periodically. 

Equally important is your belief system.  If you tell yourself that you are doomed, if you live in fear of the illness, if you tell yourself over and over that you will become ill, that is what you will create for yourself.  Begin to talk to yourself about mental health, think about what is right with your mind and your brain. Picture yourself healthy. Eat health promoting foods and avoid putting things in your body that make it more difficult for your brain to function at its best (such as sugar, alcohol and drugs).

Find relaxing, healthy activities such as Yoga or walking to engage in. Develop a network of family or friends as well as mental health professionals that you can rely on to give you opinions about your physical and mental behavior.  Managing risk factors for any potential illness or promoting factors for health is the same. Focus on what you do want and not on what you do not want. If you need medication or medical assistance follow through consistently.

Each person faces challenges in life, it is how we react to those challenges that makes or breaks us. The choices are ours. Many types of mental health challenges are associated with certain differences in the brain structure or brain chemistry, not just schizophrenia. You are not alone. You may be able to find a support group either in the area or on line. Be careful to find a positive group. It will not help you at all to hear horror stories, fears or miseries from others.

When considering a psychiatrist, self help group, medical team, therapies, nutritionist and support network, it is very important to be selfish. These people must provide you with positive, helpful advise and services. This is not a time for you to consider how you are serving others. On this issue, the focus needs to be on whether these people are helping you. Later, you may be strong enough in your health to assist others, but your focus always needs to be on your health first.  


One very important thing for you to do now is to understand that confused thinking and paranoia can be part of schizophrenia. You don’t mention if these symptoms come into play with your family members. Begin to build in safe guards now. Focus on positive affirmations about your food being healthy for you, about any needed medication being important and helpful for you, about you support network wanting the best for you. Build as many positive thought pathways in your brain as possible by consistently and as frequently as practically possible practicing positive affirmations in writing, by typing and saying them out loud. When possible look into your own eyes in the mirror, tell yourself that you deeply love and appreciate yourself and say your affirmations.  If you are able to go to a tapping practitioner that may be very useful for you. 
5-30-15 Post: What is real?

Question/comment: I understand that the Source of all has to be the basis of all that exists. I can understand that nothing can exist that is not made from the original thing that existed. Quantum physics tells me that there is nothing solid, and that there is something that exists and is the material from which everything is made. It also tells me that when looking at the smallest structures we know of such as quarks, if we think it in a place, it will be in that place and it will also be in the place it was before we thought of it in the new place. It is in both places at the same time. I understand that if I think a quark will act like a wave it does, and if I think it will act like a particle it does. This leads me to understand that everything is a mirage and only holds its appearance and displays its typical behavior because we expect it to do so. We think our world into existence. How do I put this information to practical use in my every day life? 

Response: Your question has been asked since time immemorial by religious thinkers, philosophical schools and others; it is being asked in many different forms by more and more people today. Fortunately, we have a number of guides from the past and many teachers to assist in this quest in our modern world. Please, see the links on my blog page for teachers who can assist with this quest. One way to begin is to see everything as yourself. Know that you are the air that surrounds you, that you are literally made from the same stuff. Imagine that you are the floor under your feet as well as your feet as well as your thoughts. Imagine that the distinct lines that separate you from the chair you sit in begins to blur, imagine yourself as the person sitting next to you. Do this with everyone and everything you can see. This practice will help you to expand your awareness and concept of who or what you are.

In practical matters such as finances, picture money as a vibration that takes the form of paper money or credit in a bank account or investment account. See your vibration matching and attracting the vibration of the money. Feel the entrainment of the two and feel the attraction of the two for each other. In regard to relationships, Dr. Ann Marie Chiasson, MD has some very good exercises that will assist in creating a loving vibration in you that will then attract the same from others. One of the concepts she writes about is sacred touch. Learn what this is and see if it is something you can put into practice in your daily life. It will help give you a different perspective.


Friday, May 22, 2015

5-22-15 Post: World Events

Question/Comment: I wake up with night terrors about what is happening in the world. Global warming, species being killed to extinction, melting ice caps, wars, violence, identity theft; I am afraid to leave home or interact with anyone or get on the internet. Groups of people hating other groups and passing hate legislation in their states. What is going on?

Response: You are. What you are focusing on is what you will get more of. If you are a news junkie, break the habit. Get some practical, local mental health assistance to help you change your focus. If you listen to people propagating fear, it will make you feel afraid. When you feel afraid, you will see evidence all around you that there are things to fear and you will create situations that put you in danger. Seek out news that shows what is going right in the world, politicians that are doing good things for the people, people who are helping each other and acting in loving ways. Find ways that you can be of help to others, people, animals, the environment. Change your focus away from yourself and your fears. Focus on what positive actions make you feel good while helping others.


Think about what type of people you want in your life and picture what it will be like to have such friends. You will draw them to you. Think about what type of world you want to live in, how you want people to treat others, what planetary conditions you want to see and focus on what you can do a little at a time to bring your vision to life. Maybe you can smile at someone who seems lonely, or pick up some trash you see on the street or make a small donation to an animal shelter. You decide, but do decide and take action.      

Saturday, May 16, 2015

5-16-15 Post: Staying Positive

Question/Comment: I feel like I am surrounded by people forming clicks based on their prejudices. I don’t like to hear gossip; it seems to always have a victim and be designed to make to the gossipers feel important or superior. How can anyone stay on a positive path in such an atmosphere?

Response: For each of us, our current situation is a reflection of our past. This is not a new idea. There are many great teachers providing this same information. See the links on my blog page.  If you are drawing negativity to you, it is time to change your thinking, the things you picture, the things you daydream about. Picture the kind of people you want to attract to you; imagine what you will talk about; what activities you will do together. What you focus on now, will be what you attract to yourself.

If you continue to focus on people you do not want in your life, you will be stuck with them. If you focus on being in situations you don’t like, you will get more of those. A possible path for you to take is to ask yourself how you would feel if all the disagreeable people were suddenly to disappear from your life? Are you afraid to let go of what you currently have because it is the known? Are you afraid of what you could draw to you because it is the unknown? 


You are correct that gossip always targets at least one person as a victim and only has one purpose and that is to make the gossipers feel good about themselves. In this sense gossip is very similar to sarcasm and teasing.  There is no positive intent and they are all passive aggressive means of causing harm. It is important that you do not allow the negative energy to permeate your energy field. Surround yourself with positive influences from books, music, videos, chat rooms and so on as much as possible. When you can find a positive person, cultivate a friendship.

Sunday, May 10, 2015

5-10-15 Post: Are limitations real?

Question/Comment: I have a sense that the limitations I believe about myself are not real. But, I don’t know how to stop limiting myself unnecessarily. Can you comment?

Response: Maybe we can say that all of our limitations are self imposed and based on beliefs. When I hear a person say, “I can’t.” What I hear is, “I won’t.” By digging a little deeper, we can always find the real reason for inaction such as fear failure, fear of repercussion for success, feeling unworthy or some other underlying belief.

It is the courageous, motivated person who will examine their fears or out dated beliefs and make changes so that they can then take action in a new direction. This course of change does not have to take immediate drastic steps unless the situation is dire or requires immediate change for some other reason. With slow deliberate consistent action, a person can release limitations and evolve into more of their potential.

How much potential does a person have? In my opinion, unlimited. If we are an outcropping of the universe and still completely a part of the universe, then don’t we have all the potential and abilities of the universe.  It is only our self image and beliefs about ourselves that limit us. We choose limitation so that we can express ourselves and function as the person we have chosen to be. For example, if a person had unlimited understanding and awareness, it may be difficult to focus on the here and now of toothbrushing or making coffee or driving down the highway.


Basically, I think we all choose which limitations to place on our selves at any given moment. The challenge is to choose intentionally and allow ourselves to release a limitation if it no longer serves us.  Many of us, it not all of us forget how to release a limitation. That is where positive affirmations, tapping, meditation and wisdom come into play.

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

5-5-15 Post: Aging

Question/Response: I am afraid of getting older. I think people will respect me less, my body will give out on me, my mind will no longer have a functioning brain to use and I’ll wind up being poor, maybe even homeless.

Response: Remember that what you focus on, you will create for yourself. It is very important to picture the kind of life you want for yourself. You can even begin to have a knowing of the way you will pass out of this life and what awaits you after you do. What you picture is what you will get. 

Seek out people who are aging with a positive attitude, who seek to treat their bodies with respect, who feed their bodies healthy foods, who exercise their bodies healthfully. Find a spiritual direction that feeds your soul, your mind and your emotions with positive and uplifting energy. The only thing to fear is negative energy from yourself and others. Look for  spiritual groups, or websites, or books or teachers  that can feed your soul positive energy and find how you can contribute to the well being of others.

The best way to find happiness is by emanating love and giving kindness and positive thoughts to others. Some of the best medicine can be as simple as giving a smile or a kind word, holding a door, feeding a stray dog, giving money to a charity if it does not harm you to do so, volunteering if it suits you and so on. Some people contribute just by being themselves, by being a loving presence in the world.

So a recipe of positive thinking, excellent self-care in all areas of your life and a focus on others in a positive way can lead you to making the next portion of your life the best yet. Let go of family fears and programming, negative cultural messages and your own self frightening thoughts. You have the power to choose what you think and how you feel. Using affirmations and tapping and especially a combination of both are excellent ways to focus on making positive choices.  Here is another affirmation from Louise Hay; use as is or adapt it to suit your needs. “I move beyond my parents limitations.”