Shifting One’s Perspective
Over the past few days, a message has been coming through loud and clear.
“There is great benefit to shifting one’s perspective.”
Sometimes that’s not very easy to do, but it can be with a little practice.
Before I go on, I will say that written words are not the best for conveying vibration. Specific words have different meanings to different people, and intonation says a lot. The following is not exact science anyway, so play with it some and see how it works for you.
Abraham long ago told us about walking the emotional scale. This discussion is akin to that. Let’s say that you find yourself thinking, “I really hate <this, that, or the other thing>.” We’ve all been there. Maybe we hate with anger, maybe with hurt. When we feel it strongly, we can get stuck there. Following the emotional scale is one way to move through this. Shifting one’s perspective is another.
The following is a formula for shifting perspective.
1. When you find yourself saying: “I hate xyz…”
a) follow up with: “therefore, I need or really want <whatever you can think of that is the opposite of xyz>…
b) then add: “or something similar.”
If you want, rant on step a, but end with step b.
Here’s an example: “I hate working so hard…therefore, I need a better job, an easier job, to work less hours…or something similar.”
2. Shift need to want.
Example: “I need a new place to live.” ——> “I want a new place to live.”
3. Shift want to like.
Example: “I want a raise.” ——> “I like raises.”
4. Shift like to love.
Example: “I like buying something when it’s on sale.” ——> “I love saving money.”
In each of the examples above, can you feel the difference? It is subtle, but noticeable.
It is hard (impossible?) to jump from hate to appreciation. If you hate your job, I mean really…hate…your job, it is going to be very difficult to find appreciation for any work. You will walk into a job interview expecting (or fearing) more of the same. You might even think that there are no jobs out there for you.
However, you can train yourself to shift your hate of one thing to your want of an opposite experience. Then, by saying, “or something similar,” you start to open yourself up to possibilities you haven’t yet thought of.
When you shift wants to likes, you place a bit of space between you and it. This takes some of pressure off. Detachment is very helpful in manifestation. Wanting a raise, to use the example above, is very personal. Liking raises, however, is a general sentiment.
Finally, once you start identifying (and focusing on) what you like, it is pretty easy to get in touch with feelings of love and appreciation. And once you’re in that good feeling place, you are there…you are ready to receive what you want, or will at least start flowing toward it.
Any time you find yourself regressing, just ease your way back…step by step.
How Many Licks does it Take…?
Do you remember that classic commercial: How many licks does it take to reach the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?
Well, I have a question for you and I want you to think about it for a minute before answering. Of course, you need only answer the question for yourself.
How many times do you ask for what you want before it shows up?
I don’t mean how many times do you ask a person for something you want from him or her. I mean how many times do you ask God/Goddess/All-That-Is/The Universe for those things you want?
Recently, I’ve noticed that, on some subjects, I ask multiple times a day. I’ll be going about my business, then something will remind me of the subject at hand, and I’ll ask for what I want again. I’m working on training myself out of that some. Or rather, I am augmenting my request with acknowledgement.
Think of it this way. Imagine that every time you make a request the Universe, it responds with, “Your order has been received and is processing.” When you make an additional request for the same thing, the Universe responds this way: “Your new order has been received and is processing. The previous order has been canceled.”
If we keep making the same request over and over again, our order will continually be received and processed, but will never ship.
Starting thinking in terms of online shopping. You shop around; you decide; you make your request; and then some time later, it arrives.
In June of 2015, I moved into this apartment building. I hadn’t lived in an apartment for many years before that. I had always lived in houses, duplexes, or flats. Immediately, I started sorting through my preferences. “Oh, this I like,” I would say about those things that were better. Inter-mixed with those were, “I don’t like this so much. I wish it were this other way instead.”
After a few months of constant sorting, I sat down and really thought about it. I did a focus wheel on the subject. From that, I noted that nearly all of my preferences could be answered here in this complex, simply in a different apartment within it. I also admitted to myself that I wasn’t ready to receive what I wanted. I couldn’t stomach the idea of moving again so soon. I think my asking calmed down quite a bit after that.
The whole exercise was interesting because I really got to watch the process of manifestation from a different vantage—not just intellectually, but experientially.
My lease came up for renewal in the spring. By then, I was nearly ready to make the switch. I had already worked out which apartments would work for me. Unfortunately, there were only 4.
Whenever I thought about it, though, I didn’t ask for it to show up. Instead, I would take a moment to imagine what it would feel like after I was there. I knew it was merely a matter of time, not a matter of if. I also knew that I was the one slowing it down. I didn’t want it to happen until I was ready for it.
In this building, apartments come and go regularly. You have to keep an eye out for their availability. Sometimes I was checking regularly. Other times, I wasn’t checking at all. Each time I would look, I monitored my emotions. Sometimes…most of the time…I was actually afraid of finding that one of my chosen apartments was available. You see, I wasn’t ready to move, so I didn’t want one to be on the list.
This summer, after signing on for another year, the whole subject got pushed to the side. I was quite occupied with another project, so I didn’t think about it hardly at all. One morning as my summer project was winding down, I was inspired to look. Lo and behold, one of the magic four was available, and the move in date was conveniently after my project would be complete.
Excitement ran through me. I knew I could have it if I wanted it. At the same time, I had grown so comfortable with my current place, I could also let it go. And then, when I thought about the actual move, I almost wanted to let it go.
I ultimately decided to take it. I had plenty of time to prepare for the move…too much time, in fact.
Two weeks ago, I made the move. I am now in a seemingly identical apartment, except in a better location within the building and with a stellar view. I don’t remember if I wrote down all of my requests, but so far, I believe every one of them was answered.
When you don’t have to make a change, asking for an upgrade is a great manifestational exercise. You can play with it like a game. But then, on the hairy subjects…
Most of us get into an elevator and push the button of the floor we wish to go to. In most cases, it lights up, acknowledging our request. Some of us nonetheless push the button a few more times thinking it will make it happen quicker.
In life, pushing the wish button repeatedly doesn’t bring our desires to us faster. In fact, it slows it all down. And because wish buttons don’t light up, some of us push them repeatedly just because we’re not confident the Universe heard us.
Trust me. The Universe heard you.
Our asking never stops. It is pretty much impossible to not state our preferences every day. As mentioned in the previous post, I am training myself to notice and acknowledge all the times a request is delivered. I am also reminding myself more and more that my request has been received and is processing. Just like with this apartment, the real work is in readying myself for the move.
My work today is readying myself for a number of requests that have already been received, have already been processed, and are simply waiting for my OK to be shipped.
Internet shopping has gotten very easy, but the Universe wants you to know: “You’ve seen nothing yet, baby!”
Getting What You Want
Some people—sometimes—lose hope before getting what they want. Others—at other times—wait for the other shoe to drop once they do. We are so trained to believe that nothing comes easy.
Abraham emphasizes the importance of keeping up with yourself. You want what you want. Sooner or later you’ll get it. Then what?
At times, there is as much challenge in the having as there is in the wanting. Have you ever witnessed something like this: a friend buys a new car, but then continually fears someone scratching or denting it?
There’s no right or wrong way to manifest. When desire outweighs belief, you might manifest an experience before you’re ready for it. You might get that new car or phone or boyfriend/girlfriend and then worry…a lot…about denting/breaking/losing it…for a while.
Keep in mind: there is Perfection in the Universe. One way or the other, you will get there.
More and more, I am training myself to remember that it is a matter of time, not a matter of if. It does take the pressure off. And if you find yourself feeling rushed by that notion that you only live once, forget it…push it out of your mind. Life is unending. The young wish to be older, and the old wish to be younger, and both will get what they want…in time.
Another thought I’ve been exercising is this: when something shows up—just the way I wanted it, even if it doesn’t feel as good as I had hoped, I take a moment to acknowledge it.
“This is exactly what I wanted.”
The beauty in this is the realization that you do get what you want. When it doesn’t feel as good as you had hoped, first acknowledge that you got what you asked for, then ask for what you now want. Then remember it is a matter of time, not a matter of if. Reach for appreciation. If you can’t appreciate the experience for one reason or another, appreciate the fact that you did get what you asked for…and then continue forward from there.
One last comment. If you are a detail person, bask in the details. I’ve had times when I itemized the details of my desire. I wanted an apartment that had this, and this, and this…item after item. And when I’ve done this, I’ve also manifested this…not just once, but time and time again.
Creating and creativity are in the details. Some of you simply want something that feels good, others of you want very specifically detailed items and experiences. To each his and her own. Acknowledge the whole and/or the details…but know that you can have what you specifically want. It is not a matter of if…it needn’t be a matter of how…it is simply a matter of when. And the when is decided by your alignment…by your readiness and/or belief and/or desire.
We are trained to think that the time between desire and manifestation is about: making it happen, earning it, becoming worthy of it, working hard for it, saving money for it, begging and pleading for it. None of these is true.
The time between desire and manifestation is simply us readying ourselves to have what we want.
Allow
What’s the difference between making it happen and allowing it to happen?
Pragmatically speaking, making it happen is action based. Using your will and desire, you choose to do…possibly against all odds. Determination overcomes obstacles. In the end, you feel victorious or defeated…depending on the outcome.
Yet even in victory, you might feel…empty. You might feel like something is missing.
When you allow it to happen, you align with universal forces: those grand, unseen forces, which have the power to arrange unlimited resources and cooperative components.
When you allow it to happen, your choices matter less. Choosing is still significant, but the choice is less so. That is because you take yourself with you either way. Align with the path chosen and it’ll work out…regardless.
Knowing the difference between making it happen and allowing it to happen is only the beginning. Old habits die hard, but I am learning.
Some time ago, I had mentioned the effect Mars station retrograde had on me. Life slowed to a crawl around me. I watched project after project suddenly stall and delay. Forward motion noticeably waned.
About a week before Mars stationed direct, all of that changed. Anchors raised and forward progress picked up once again. I have acquired quite a bit of speed since then. My days now fly by quickly. Each night, I crawl into bed feeling that mostly-satisfying exhaustion.
Abraham tells us that when you align first, the action feels inspired (driven from within) rather than motivated (pushed from behind). Given enough alignment, your desire to act becomes so great, it is hard not to act. I can attest to this.
Alignment also creates flow…another word for momentum.
Motivation is like pushing a crate up hill. The friction of the road resists your efforts. As soon as you stop pushing, you stop moving the crate.
Alignment puts wheels under the cart and levels the hill. Now it takes less effort to move the crate. Furthermore, when you rest some, the crate continues to roll on its own. Cooperative components appear out of no where to assist. You can even climb up on the crate and let it carry you forward!
2016 is half over, and it has already been a year that has taught me so much. This week alone has been a prime example.
Months ago, my greatest desire was momentum. Shifting from boredom to interest, from anxiety to excitement, was challenging. It was like turning a ship on the sea. My momentum in one direction was established. I had to slow it down, turn, and then overcome the inertia once more. The old current was strong, but so was my guidance. “Allow,” echoed in my mind…as did, “Ease.”
A potential project peaked into my awareness. My first reaction to it was fear—so strong, it approached panic. Nothing needed to happen yet, so I calmed myself again and again. “Allow it to show itself in time, and see what it has to offer,” I told myself.
When the project did present itself for real, I was ready for it. I took advantage of every day I had in between to prepare myself, calm myself, and build trust and excitement. The project was desired for sure, but the fear of failure or overwhelment loomed.
When I started working on the project, I jumped in with both feet. Yes, there was anxiety there, but mostly the good kind. I was anxious to get started each day and each day I made visible progress. As I solved problems, my confidence grew.
Even with the good kind of anxiety, it can be too much. My pace was not sustainable. It would have been years ago, but not now. This weekend showed me that I needed to slow myself down and rest more…not just physically, but also emotionally.
When you want something badly, it is easy to fall into that old habit of pushing the river. Luckily, I caught myself. Well, honestly, my body figured it out first.
Being too tired to work, I found myself looking for something else to do. In that moment, I felt that old, familiar, “Now what?”
“Now what?” is an indication that something is missing. The thing that is missing is alignment. Alignment feels good. Alignment trusts, and is as happy relaxing as working. I got caught up in the doing and forgot some of my practice.
And then I was reminded.
Lying in bed, not tired enough to sleep, but not wanting to do anything in particular, I decided to listen to music—songs I hadn’t heard in a while. One in particular brought me back almost two years. It brought back the feeling of magic I had when I first fell in love with it.
And in that moment, I wished for that magic again.
The funny thing is this: back then, I wished for all that is happening now. And now, with a flurry of activity around me, I am wishing for the feeling of back then.
Pow!
When I loved and listened to that song, I was in alignment. I didn’t have the physical manifestations I sought, but I had the alignment. My practiced alignment then allowed the manifestations to flow in. I am swimming in them now. The momentum is evident.
And yet, even within the activity, I slipped out of alignment a bit. I started pushing, rather than flowing. I starting trying to make it happen, rather than allow it to happen. I’ve been too much in the future, and not enough in the present.
A quick fix is to focus on appreciating what is, which is actually quite easy. I am happy right here. I am happy with my day to day. I am happy with the changes that loom. I am happy with the momentum.
When I look too far ahead, I see the end of this project, and some less interesting work to do. When I look too far ahead, I feel fear and anxiety. When I look too far ahead, I question my success. When I look past the end of this project, I wonder, “What will I do then? What do I want to do next? Do I want to do more of this?” All of these questions bring with them a bit of anxiety.
But here? Now? None of that exists. Here and now is working out well. Here and now feels good. What’s just ahead is exciting. I am excited…and anticipatory…and interested…and engaged…and have plenty of time to do what needs to be done.
Many questions still exist around my work that I don’t yet know the answer to. But I do know what I like and I do know what feels good.
The specifics don’t matter that much. The Universe knows. And now I know better than before.
Freedom and Safety
The New Moon in Gemini occurred on June 4 at 10 pm CDT. This nearly coincided with the opposition of Saturn (Sun opposite Saturn). The New Moon chart shows even more. In fact a grand mutable cross occurred at that time [http://planetwatcher.com/#1465095600]:
In my opinion, the New Moon sets the stage for the lunar month ahead or at least the two weeks between it and the Full Moon. Grand crosses are maximally tense and challenging, being comprised of squares all the way around. This one consisted of 8 squares and 4 oppositions, if you considered all of the orbs. Furthermore, the lunar nodes (also known as the nodes of fate) were only a few degrees off of the cross. If you factor them in, then you have 6 more aspects!
The Full Moon will occur on June 20 at 6 am CDT. That chart is no less significant. The Sun and Moon oppose within the final arc minutes of Spring [http://planetwatcher.com/#1466420400]:
Summer will begin less than 12 hours later. Notice that in this second chart, Mercury almost exactly opposes Saturn and reconstitutes the Grand Cross.
A few weeks ago, I was working with my spiritual mentor. I mentioned to her about a limiting belief I had unraveled. I said to her, “I often feel as if the only way to attain freedom is to be alone, (to be by oneself, to work as an individual, to be autonomous and independent).”
Later in the discussion, she started talking about safety. It was as if she misheard me. She then looked at her notes to read what I had said earlier and caught herself. She looked up at me with an insightful stare and said, “You say freedom, but I wonder if you really mean safety.”
Freedom and safety (security) go hand in hand. We, as a society, have amassed armies for those two reasons.
In my mind, Astrology, even if never applied to individuals, is immensely insightful. The arrangement of the Zodiac and the archetypes within it teach us over and over again.
For example, the Aries points (0o Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn) are consider to contain additional significance. They do, after all, mark the beginning of each season.
As I mentioned above, the Full Moon occurs with the Sun and Moon less than ½ degree from two of Aries points. When I was thinking about the relationship between freedom and safety, one of the Aires points came to mind, namely the cusp between Gemini and Cancer.
In a normalized chart, which has 0o Aries as the ascendant, 0o Cancer falls on the IC, the bottom of the chart. It thus is the cusp between the 3rd and 4th houses. In my opinion, no archetype symbolizes freedom more than Gemini (which is mutable air). And none better represents safety and security than Cancer and the 4th house (security and the home).
But there is an oxymoron between the two. Complete freedom requires letting go of safety and complete safety means letting go of freedom. Consider the choices parents make all of the time. To protect their children (and keep them safe), they limit their child’s freedom. Our society does the same. Laws are created to protect us, but they simultaneously limit our freedom. [Our headlines are filled with heated examples of this debate!]
So, as a society, we finance a military to protect our freedom and keep us safe, and yet those things that increase our safety, limit our freedom and vise versa.
Is this an unsolvable dilemma?
Actually no, because true safety does not require protection. True safety is a state of being, a perspective, a mindset. It may be hard to adopt that mindset all of the time while living on this planet, but the archetypal mindset does exist. According to Abraham: it is law.
You are free to think whatever you choose, which means you are free to feel whatever you choose. Therefore, you can feel completely safe regardless of circumstance. Focusing on safety creates safety. In this way, freedom creates safety; it doesn’t limit it.
I was born with a number of planets in Gemini. All of them have progressed into Cancer at this stage of my life. I am embodying the above dilemma. As I work through this, I continually remind myself that: I am free…and…I am safe…simultaneously. It is not a trade off.
One last tidbit I think is worth mentioning describes something else I recently noticed.
At times, I have found myself saying (with strong frustration), “It should not be this way.” Once I get there, I get stuck. I can’t seem to see past it. “It should not be this way,” I think again and again. Frustration builds and approaches anger…or panic. Because I get fixated on the very thing I strongly dislike, I feel bad and simultaneously cannot find a solution or a way out. In that moment, I feel most unfree and most unsafe.
Noticing that something ought to change is fine, but by making the above statement my repeated mantra, I entangle myself with it energetically.
My practice of late, however, has been paying off. I now catch myself in the early stages. When I say, “It shouldn’t be this way,” I quickly remind myself that I do know what I prefer, and that it is on its way. I then focus on anything that is going well in my life, which begins to move me back into alignment. Alignment then allows my preferences to be experienced.
I cannot make the world a safe place for everyone. I cannot give anyone the freedom I know they innately have. But I can exercise focus to continually know what I prefer. Simultaneous freedom and safety IS available, and the world does not need to change for me to experience that.
Conjure
In response to my last post, a reader sent me an email. She shared that she has the same struggle I described and then asked:
“How do you conjure desired feelings at will?”
That is precisely the question. When we figure that out, we are set. While I don’t have a complete answer to this, I do have more to share.
Abraham says, “Ask and it is given.” If we reach for a feeling directly, we are asking. Even if we cannot conjure up the feeling at that moment, any attempt to do so is an asking.
Abraham also says that the vibration of an answer is not the same as the asking. We ask, but must allow ourselves to be guided to the answer from there. That’s why we don’t want to work hard at it. The harder we try, the more we create momentum in the asking. What we really want is momentum in the movement toward the answer (and thus away from the asking).
Playing around some, this is what I have so far experienced:
I have been wanting to feel excitement again, so I have been reaching for it. At times, I sit and try and remember what excitement feels like. I most want to feel excited when I am feeling the opposite: bored or anxious.
It is not often that I can move myself to excitement in this way, though I have been able to nearly touch it at times. [For example, right now I’m on the precipice of excitement and can reach out and touch it.]
Some time later, when I’m not trying to do anything, something in life can bring me to excitement. Maybe it’s through humor. Maybe it’s through observing something that intrigues me. The key is that once I notice the feeling of excitement, I then focus on it.
Abraham encourages us to “milk good feelings” when they show up. They do show up. By focusing on them when they do, we add momentum. They might flee us again shortly after, but they will return.
Another approach I am practicing is this:
In the past, I considered myself a realist. I wore it with pride. I thought it was a good thing. I now understand that realists and being a realist hold us back. When someone shares a lofty dream, a realist shoots it down. “Be realistic,” they say. “That can’t be done.”
I now remind myself often to let that go. In response to my desires, or anyone else’s, I now say to myself, “Just because you don’t know how to do it, doesn’t mean it can’t be done.” A current project of mine is helping me practice this…big time.
Our job is not to figure out how. The Universe will guide us there…step by step.
If you want to be able to conjure up feelings at will, as I do, start by identifying the feelings desired. The Universe already knows what they are, but reminding yourself and thinking about what you desire, helps you move toward it. It also helps you consciously notice the feeling when it is near. For example, if you desire excitement (like me), noticing excitement (in others) is beneficial.
And a huge part of this is to let go of noticing the current less desired feeling. I sometimes catch myself saying, “I feel tired. I don’t feel so good. I don’t know what to do. I have a headache.” It’s a bad habit to continue to tell yourself what you are feeling, when it is not where you want to be. That’s why we want to spend more time thinking about desired feelings, even if we can’t quite get to them yet.
From my apartment, I can hear children playing in the pool below. When I do, I acknowledge it. It is happening right now as I write this. I am focused on my work (and enjoying it), and I hear children having fun at the same time. Often, I take breaks and go to the window to watch people enjoying the pool below.
Watching people have fun can cause us to ask more. We might at first feel separated from them, and alone. But with focus, we can shift our perspective. We can stop comparing what we feel to what they feel, and just focus on the fun…on the excitement.
Just because you don’t know how to get there, doesn’t mean you can’t get there. The only thing you ever need to know right now, is the next step to take toward your desires. That’s it.
I hope this helps. And don’t hesitate to send me comments or questions!
P.S. I just happened upon this 2:40 minute Abraham video, which is SO worth watching!!
