The Energy Of Judgment

We live in a world where we are taught to judge. Everything is perceived as good or bad, and then we draw those good things toward us and distance ourselves from those that are bad. This is where the problems begin. When we chose to consciously stop or repel certain things from entering our lives, we have created blocks to otherwise free-flowing energy.

Let's break this concept down a little bit more. Judgment is a symptom of thinking with the mind. What do I mean by thinking with the mind? (And isn't that they way we are supposed to think in the first place?) Our minds are what we use to process all the stimulus we connect with in the 3D world around us. We get sensory information from our senses of sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell. We also receive ideas and concepts from the people around us--parents, friends, coworkers, society in general. We use the sensory information to understand things and people in our environment. We learn that a fire is hot and can hurt us, so we either stay away from it or are very cautious around it. We learn that homemade chocolate chip cookies make our tastebuds happy, so we are attracted to them. The ideas we learn from society are a much deeper level of judgement.

I'm not going to mince words here. What we learn from society is programming. It begins from the moment of our births and is incorporated into pretty much everything we do. These thoughts and ideas about what constitutes good and bad are so ingrained in us that we automatically assume they are truths. We then begin to use this information to tell us what to keep in our lives and what to avoid. This is where all biases and prejudices come from. The end result becomes fighting, war, greed, poverty, disease, etc.

Take a few minutes to sit back and think about something you consciously stay away from. It might be religion or drug addicts or fake people--the list is pretty unlimited. Have you been personally hurt by these things? (The answer might be yes.) Has society told you these things are bad? Is this true?

Look and feel into the relationship you have with this person, group or object you are judging. Do you feel closed off? Insulated? Separate? Understand this is a choice you have made based on the thoughts your mind filters. The choice may have been unconsciously made, but it was made all the same and can have an effect on how well your life flows (or, more likely, does not flow). Judgment is an energy that can keep you from living abundantly.

The planet is evolving. It is time to be conscious of all those things that hold us back from creating a new world--the world of our dreams. As long as we hold judgment, we block energy from flowing. Learn to let go of your judgment. Learn to let your heart be your guide.

~CSE

      

Forgiveness: It's All About YOU!!!

I'm going to say something a little controversial, but hear me out. We have a tendency to believe that forgiveness is something we do for someone else--that having forgiveness miraculously bestows some tremendous blessing or favor on whomever or whatever has betrayed us. The fact of the matter is, we don't forgive in order to benefit others. We forgive to benefit ourselves!

Our society has forgiveness all wrong. Forgiveness is not about righting a wrong. It is not about absolving someone of their sin. By offering forgiveness we are not letting someone else get away with wrongdoing. Forgiveness is about letting go of blocked or stagnant energy.

Let's break down a situation where forgiveness is required. Pretend your significant other cheats on you with another person. You feel hurt, used, neglected. You stop trusting. Immediately a wall comes up between yourself and this person who has harmed you. You are the one who has put the wall in place in order to shield yourself from further betrayal. What you have essentially done is blocked the flow of energy between yourself and your significant other. You are also choosing to hold on to the pain of the situation by keeping the action within the forefront your mind.

Who is hurt by holding on to pain? The person holding the pain! Somehow we convince ourselves we are hurting the other person back by holding onto this pain. While acting and feeling hurt will sometimes make the offender feel guilt or remorse, more often than not it has little or no effect on them.

There are times when we are so upset about the pain we lash out in retaliation. This is where the laws of karma come around and bite you back. Ultimately, we cling to the hurt so tightly we end up victimizing ourselves even more.

When we choose forgiveness, it is not about allowing the offender to get away with something harmful. Forgiveness is the choice we make to let go of the pain. It does not require that you take the offender back into close association. It may not be in your best interest to pick up where you left off as the offender will not have changed in any substantial way. Forgiveness allows you to forge ahead in a more positive state of mind as you let go of your energetic block.

Forgiveness is not something we do for others. Forgiveness is something we do to benefit ourselves and our own lives. It allows us to take down the walls created by pain and move beyond them, enabling ourselves to be the powerful creators of our lives we were designed to be.

~CSE

   

Allowing Pain

Many of us make our choices in life based on avoiding pain. We run away. We ignore. We distract ourselves with other activities. What we fail to consider is the benefit pain can bring. Pain does not have to be the terrible thing our minds have created it to be.

When you choose to look at and explore your pain, it is very much like intentionally stepping into a fire. Yes. The fire is hot and unpleasant. In our minds the fire is consuming--devouring. We fear that stepping into the fire will literally kill us and turn us to ash.

The real process is much different. The fire is not designed to destroy us. The fire is designed to refine us. We are very much like precious metal. When the metal is placed into the fire, it melts and changes shape. Impurities are burned off. What is left is a much more perfect and pliable substance, capable of fitting in to places it would never have fit into before.

Allowing pain is all part of the perfecting process. It helps us let go of things that no longer serve us. It can change our focus and enable  us proceed in a new direction. It can even help us let go of ego so that we are better able to connect to our hearts and to Oneness. When have taken the time to allow our pain and make peace with it, progress is made. We are different. Changed. New.

Take the time to sit with pain in your own life. Allow yourself to feel it. Cry. Throw a tantrum. Do what needs to be done to accept it, make peace with it, and move on. By allowing pain, you take down the walls you have created to keep you "safe" and allow the energy to flow once again.

~CSE

 

    

Ho'oponopono Revisted

While in my morning meditation time, I had a huge insight that needs to be shared. The biggest obstacles to our own personal freedom and abundance are ourselves. Often, we visualize the problem as being outside ourselves. We keep ourselves separate, and separation creates blocks. The power of Ho'oponopono comes from the fact this sort of prayer breaks down the barriers that come between us, enabling energy to flow freely once again.

I was using a meditation I go to periodically by one of my favorite spiritual gurus, Wayne Dyer, called "Getting In The Gap." It takes you through a process of going through the first few phrases of the Lord's prayer and having you focus on the space between the words. In past, I have had some amazing insights using this process. This time was no exception.

Toward the end of my meditation while I was in the gap, I noticed something I had not noticed before. The people I see as having all the power (who I also consider to be evil incarnate) were placed off to the side, seemingly surrounded by some insulated bubble. It was a separation, designed to protect me and keep the evil from me.

What I began to understand about this separation is, as long as it is in place, I am not taking responsibility for the negative aspects of myself. I am not allowing the loving part to infiltrate this darkness and heal it. Without healing, the darkness will continue to fester and disrupt my life and the lives of those around me.

I immediately went into Ho'oponopono prayer. This is an ancient Hawaiian form of prayer comprised of four different parts: I'm sorry, please forgive me, thank you, and I love you. It is designed to get a person to take responsibility for what happens and resolve the blocked energies that occur between parties. As I focused on this separation with this prayer, I could feel the barrier begin to get smaller. While I can't say it is all gone, I now know this is a problem I need to continue to work on. Hopefully, one day in the near future I will be able to totally remove this barrier and allow myself to heal all those hurt places in myself. (You can read more in depth about Ho'oponopono prayer here.)

The more we are able to take responsibility for all that IS, the closer we come to healing the ourselves and changing the face of this planet. Are you ready to heal and be healed? Are you ready to forgive? Ho'oponopono can help give us that opportunity.

~CSE

    

What You Deserve

I was extremely broken after my divorce. I remember getting back into dating as a single mom. Never having been into the bar scene, I began using the internet as a way to met new men. It worked extremely well for me in that I met a lot of really nice people.

I remember one period where I was getting quite a lot of dates. There were several men, all very nice and a couple of very attractive ones. They all treated me well and wanted to see me more. The problem was me. Deep down, I didn't feel very good about myself. Consequently, when they treated me well it was difficult for me to accept. It made me uncomfortable and I ran away from all of them.

The two guys I ended up dating briefly turned out to be jerks. With each of them, the relationship lasted two months before I realized they expected more out of me than they were willing to give in return. I knew deserved better. The irony was, my mind understood this, but my heart did not. Something deep inside me felt unworthy to receive.

We live in a world where we are taught life is about giving. Often there are layers of such lessons. We first hear about doing things for others within our families. Religion teaches us about self-sacrifice. Schools, politics and even our entertainment all repeat this giving theme. Often there are negative consequence involved for people who aren't selfless (like going to hell).

The fact of the matter is, in order to be healthy and whole it is important to take care of self. People who give tirelessly soon find themselves empty and used up. The natural order of energy is where energy is exchanged endlessly in a continuous flow of giving and receiving.

When we feel unworthy, we refuse to receive. We literally block every avenue the Universe uses to bring blessings to us. The energy around us becomes stagnant and we become a shell of our former selves as energy leaves but does not come back in.

Fact of the matter is, no one is more worthy to receive than others. We are all part of an infinite cosmos, all part of the One. When we refuse to receive we not only block our blessings but we separate ourselves from the One.

You are a brilliant being of love and light. Allow yourself to acknowledge that! Open yourself to all the beautiful gifts the Universe wants to give  you. They are your birthright and what you deserve!

~CSE

Defining Forgiveness

What is forgiveness? The dictionary defines it as several different things. To stop feeling anger or blame against someone or something. Another definition of forgiveness is to stop requiring payment on something that is owed. This could be money, but often it goes much farther than that. There is an element here where the offended person expects something back to make amends for whatever was given, lost, or taken.

There are many times in our lives where we hold on to unforgiveness. When we do this, we block energy from flowing. At these times we choose to hold on to sadness, or anger, or pain of some kind. Often we are not even aware we are doing it. The blocked energy may not be a total block. There can be areas where energy is still exchanged and flowing in our lives. That said, any area that has a block can be made better by removing that block.

I had a friend years ago who allowed unforgiveness to define her. She was a single parent (I was still a single parent at the time) and a fellow soccer mom. We became quite close when we discovered we were divorced for the same reason: our husbands had left for someone else. There was one big difference between us though. My friend chose to hang on to her anger against her ex. She dwelt on the anger and hurt. She did things to try to get back at her ex, including trying to turn their kids against him. She even allowed these feelings to come between our relationship because I chose to be nice to her husband and his new wife at soccer games! (On a side note: I was nice to my ex and his wife at soccer games as well.) My friend was just not able to let this anger go and it showed in almost everything she did.

Forgiveness is where healing begins! By defining and understanding all those places in ourselves where we hold on to negative emotions or feelings, we systematically begin to let go of the anger or blame that controls our lives. We allow energy to loosen up and becoming free flowing once again!

Isn't it time you looked at all those things holding you back from flow and abundance in all areas of your life? By understanding all those places where you hold unforgiveness, you set blocked energy free and allow yourself to live a life of beauty, hope and joy.

~CSE

    

Forgiveness: The Key To Moving Forward

My first husband left me for someone else. It isn't a subject I usually bring up publicly, as such statements are often designed to place blame. I bring it up today as a way to illustrate the thought processes behind forgiveness.

My divorce was the most painful thing I have ever experienced, including losing my newborn daughter. It was something I did not plan for and did not anticipate. In my way of thinking, marriage was supposed to last a lifetime. Its demise sucked the life right out of me. I felt hurt. I felt betrayed. I felt broken as I struggled to take care of myself and my small children. I mourned for the relationship that might have been. I struggled with the pain for months.

Then one day, I woke up and looked at the pain. In that moment, one thing became crystal clear. As long as I continued to dwell on the pain--my hurt, my brokenness, I would continue to live a painful existence. I understood that holding on to this pain was a choice, and I had the power change it. I could hang on to the bitterness of my circumstances--being a single mom with three small children and watching my ex in his new relationship, or I could choose to let all my hurt and anger go and forge ahead with a new life. In that moment, I chose to move forward.

I'm not going to tell you it was all forward motion. There were days I felt myself creeping back toward bitterness and resentment. The thing is, I was now aware my own personal happiness was dependent on the choices I made every single day. When I noticed myself falling back into discontent, it began to get easy to pull myself back up out of it.

Forgiveness was key to this whole process. I understood that if I wanted to move on, I had to let go of the negativity and thoughts of revenge. After all, I might superficially hurt my ex and his new love if I gave into these feelings. However, I also understood that ultimately I would end up hurting myself and my children more by following through on such actions. I chose not to go there.

Once I was able to forgive my ex and let go, I was able to move forward. I could make news plans for the life I wanted for myself and my children. There were times when new hurts would come up. Forgiveness can be an ongoing process. It is important to work through situations as they come up and deal with them so you can go on with life.

Holding on to unforgiveness is one of the most limiting things you can choose to do in life. It blocks all aspects of your life and keeps you living in pain. Forgiveness does not justify the poor choices of another. It frees you to live a life of hope and promise.

If we truly desire to create a better world, we must begin by letting go of the pain from our past. Forgiveness is the key to moving forward and creating something far better.

~CSE

Someone Else's Journey Is NOT Up To You!!!

In an ancient past lifetime, I came into contact with a very aggressive and controlling personality. This person did some really evil things that hurt people I loved and affected me deeply. Karma acted quickly and decisively in that instance and he was killed. Several months ago, I realized this same energy had shown back up in my life and was once again hurting people I love. The relationships are different, and I am now in a position to understand what created such destructive anger.

As I meditated on this situation, several insights appeared. The first is that I am apparently attracting this energy back into my life. The second is that this energy is trying to gain something from me. The third is that I made a formal agreement on some level that is allowing this person back into my life. I believe I agreed to take some of the responsibility to help heal this very hurt and unhealthy energy.

I did show him the way to love, which is the greatest healing power there is. He is still the same angry, controlling energy he was before, causing havoc in the lives of people I love.

It is time to draw a line in the sand and renounce the contract I previously made. I may have agreed to help him. He decided to not accept the lesson. As far as I am concerned, my part in the deal is over.

What stands out to me in this whole process is that we, as humans, have been convinced we are responsible for our brothers' well being. Let me make this perfectly clear: we are not responsible for the journeys of others. We are only responsible for our own journey.

Do you honestly believe that what you do has the power to make or break another individual with free will? Do you truly think that you, and only you, have the power to save the life of any other? Maybe you should put on your shiny armor, mount your noble steed and ride into the battle to save the day! (Sarcasm intended!!!)

Yes, we are all responsible for everything we do!!! Actions have consequences, and if the actions you take are not in alignment with the wisdom and guidance of your heart you may have to deal with a lot of unnecessary problems.

The thing is, someone else's success or failure is their own responsibility. Their journey is not up to you!!!

As I look at the situation I described above, I have done what I can and what is in alignment with my heart. He has chosen not to learn the lesson. There will be other people and other situations which will enter his life in an effort to help him learn the same exact lesson. I did what I agreed to do. As far as I can tell, I've done it more than once.

At this point in time, I have chosen to renounce the contract and break off energetic ties. I am at a place in my own life I know I deserve more than the sort of struggle this energy brings. I am ready to disengage from this energetic block and move on.

I now understand his journey is not up to me. I do not need to struggle to teach him over and over again if he doesn't want to accept what I have to offer.

The journey that should be important to you is your own. Make it a priority to ground yourself and connect to the Oneness that lies within. It will show you the path you should take.

~CSE

       

Healing Trauma Energy

Years ago, I got a BA in psychology, convinced I wanted to be a professional counselor helping people cope with their problems. My ideals began to change very quickly when I went to work at a group home with emotionally disturbed children. I realized lasting change was hard to come by as people struggle to pick up the pieces after life has traumatized them in some way. Progress was slow at best, and I knew trying to lead a "normal" life would be difficult.

As the years passed, it dawned on me that traumas occur in an instant, changing the ways a person functions in literally seconds. My question became, if traumas occur in an instant, why can't they be overcome in an instant as well?

Answers do not come easy, nor does one size fit all. I do believe the key to healing trauma is to focus on the energies surrounding how the trauma came to exist in the first place. In a nutshell, you need to find a way to unblock the trauma energy the person carries with them.

Trauma energy literally becomes encoded in our cells. Trauma causes a complex reaction between neurotransmitters and endorphins, which can turn nerve switches on or off and become, in effect, stuck that way. This is why it is difficult to address them just by "talking things out."

I believe there are quite a few techniques that address energy issues that have great promise. Reiki healings come to mind, as do techniques that focus on the body's energy/meridian systems like acupuncture and EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique). There are even techniques that incorporate elements of counseling such as past life regression and Psych-K. I believe healing modalities are limited only by the limitations in your connection to Source.

In this time of great change when many people have been impacted by trauma energies, it is important for all of us to connect into our hearts and ask the Divine how we can best work with others. The better connected we are, the better the answers we will receive.

We can heal the traumas that have been inflicted on us. It is a matter of assessing where our energies have become blocked and finding ways to help those energies flow once again.

~CSE