Hello Again, Friend,
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I never considered having a guest post on this blog but when I received Jamie Saloff's newsletter, I was so inspired I just had to share it... I think you will be too!

Enjoy...
PamT
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During a recent call with my BFF she mentioned the increased negativity she had been experiencing all around her. She asked, "Have you noticed how whether phone associates or checkout clerks, everywhere you go, people just seem to be carrying an underlying anger and disgruntled attitude?" Although I had sensed this overall feeling that seemed to have blanketed the nation, I stated that I had actually been pleasantly surprised by how friendly and helpful everyone had been, despite this invisible chaos.
 
I think this opposing experience surprised her, though we agreed on one point, that she felt this had to do with an energetic of negativity surrounding us all.
 
"Oh, like the Ghostbusters goo?" I asked. (She was unfamiliar with this movie, so I explained.)
 
In Ghostbusters II, the guys discover a river of goo flowing under the city which they determine is reacting to the "New York State of Mind" (which is generally negative) and which is creating the paranormal and chaotic events in the city. They do tests on the goo showing how it not only reacts to negative feedback but also positive reinforcement. In order to "save the day" as it were, they decide they need some positive symbol to uplift the New Yorkers' attitude on this ominous New Year's Eve. So they spray the Statue of Liberty with the goo. The goo, in combination with upbeat music, frees the statue to walk the streets and has the New Yorkers cheering and laughing. Of course, this is just what the Ghostbusters needed to shift the energy their way.
 
"You should write about this in your newsletter," my friend said. "Naw, what do I know about positive energy?" I told her. But after we talked, I realized I couldn't get it out of my mind, and a list of ways to uplift your energy and create a more positive atmosphere began to form in my mind, as follows.
 
1. I had just finished reading Kyle Grey's book Angels Are With You Now (which I really enjoyed). In it, he writes that he must first raise his own vibration before he can help others raise theirs. He offers many insights in his book on how to connect with angels and a meditative prayer that includes surrounding yourself with golden light. He then also makes an effort to connect with those around him in a positive way by smiling, saying "hello," and by being generally friendly. Meditation is not always my best course of action, but if it is yours, try Kyle's golden light.
 
2. After I met my husband-to-be, Tim's father, Bill, helped me greatly with learning about spiritual gifts and practices. One of the things he seemed to drill into us all the time was something he called "mouth confession." He would catch us saying negative things and warn us that the more we said them, the more likely they would come true. And of course, if we spoke of positive things, the same was true. So are you constantly speaking negatively about yourself, your family, your community, and more? Start looking for the positives and you will begin to turn things around for yourself and for those around you. And no, it isn't instant, and yes, you have to keep at it. It's always a work in progress.
 
3. One day while at a stop light, I looked over and saw a black man walking down the sidewalk. He didn't just walk, he had a rhythm to his walk that seemed almost as if he might be listening to music. I tried to walk that way a time or two. You can't be unhappy and walk with a jive in your step. In the same respect, we live on a lake near a playground. I often see parents and their children walking there. It seems the parents always walk slower and chat with their counterparts while the younger children skip, run ahead, then back, twirl around, laugh, and talk excitedly about where they are heading. You have to have a high energetic to be like those little kids. Try it sometime.
 
4. I used to love wearing ankle boots. They made me feel empowered. When I cleared my closet some years ago, I only kept clothes that I loved and that made me feel good about myself. What you wear, including the colors, textures, and fabrics they are made of, helps to raise your vibration. If your clothes make you feel good, the rest of you will feel better as well. When I received chemotherapy and could barely walk up the stairs due to feeling so weak, I would make that climb simply so I could put on my makeup. It took me two to three times longer than normal to do so, but being able to see myself in the mirror looking better than a washed-out ghost, encouraged me. Even how we stand (shoulders back or slumped, head held high) helps raise our energetic presence.
 
5. Chatting with a friend once, I said how I sometimes wished my life was a musical so I could dance in the aisles of stores. She said, why don't you? Well, I am probably not going to do that—though I know some people might. I have some favorite musical YouTube videos I love to watch that make me smile. This is my favorite.
 
6. The other day while grocery shopping, I had stopped in the main aisle waiting for the side row to clear. Suddenly a little girl about three or four years old came down the aisle from the opposite direction. Her face beamed with the largest smile and her whole countenance appeared lit up. She and I met eyes, and I felt as if her beam of light touched me. I began to smile as well. When you smile, do you light up a room like that little girl? If not, keep at it.
 
7. Lastly, I want to leave you with the thoughts from Michael Jackson's song, "Man in the Mirror." Since it's not likely we can really spray the Statue of Liberty with happy goo, Michael Jackson sings: "If you wanna make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and then make a change." We can't always change others and it can be overwhelming when we look around and see all the things that need fixing in our world. But if we start with ourselves and do what we can to uplift our own countenance and energetic, we will, like that little girl at the grocery store, shine our light on others and make the world a better place.
 
Whether via a golden light, happy music, a strut in your step, or by offering a smile and kindness to those who you encounter, we can uplift our energy and the more we do so, the happier we all will be.
 
                                                              ~ * ~     ~*~     ~*~
 
Jamie Linn Saloff is a Lily Dale trained intuitive. Author, teacher, story weaver, spiritual counselor, seer of visions, pathfinder, for over thirty years Jamie’s taught how to reignite your heart by listening to your body groan and your soul weep. She is the author of twelve books including her Marvelous Messages™ series. To book your private session, visit her on the web at https://www.MarvelousMessages.com. 

I don’t know when the self-esteem issues kicked in. Sometimes I wonder if we’re born with them. Though I really doubt that’s true, I do believe words spoken over a newborn spirit or a young child can impact that person’s life forever. I don’t remember any specific incidents where I was made to feel inadequate, but instead of feeling like the proverbial princess or overprotected only little girl in a house of three boys, I somehow developed the opposite persona–that of being ‘not quite good enough.’

Add to this the normal childhood woes of not measuring up to my peers (too short, too fat, not as pretty or smart, etc.) and the words ‘self-esteem’ and ‘self-value’ had no meaning in my life.

Then along came the teenage years when I grew from an insecure girl to a young woman with the dream of marriage and children. Factor into that dream low-to-no self-confidence much less self-worth, and the combination does not bode well for attracting a husband.

Attract one I did. Though I wouldn’t call him my Prince Charming.

Nine years and two babies later I found myself divorced and any trace of self-esteem in the dung heap.

At that time, I developed a motto: What you see is what you get. You like it? Good! You don’t hit the road, it’s your loss!

I must say this was out of self-preservation, not self-love. But it was a start.

Two years later friendship turned to love with the man who would become my next husband, this man and marriage almost the complete opposite from my first. Loving, kind, and lavish with praise and compliments, I felt beautiful in his eyes and my self-confidence grew. With his support and encouragement, I excelled at work, wrote romance novels, started a writers group in my area, did speaking engagements and book signings and virtually put myself out there in ways I would never have even dreamed possible before.

Alas, regardless of what one might think, self-confidence and self-esteem do not equal self-value, self-worth or self-love.

I was still very self-conscious about many things, especially my looks.  Constantly on a diet or exercise routine, I wore clothes to camouflage my round hips and curvaceous thighs and tried numerous hair styles and beauty products to add volume and shine to my less than perfect hair.  Actions meant to shore up my confidence did indeed help, but that nagging sense of ‘not quite good enough’ lingered deep in my heart, soul and subconscious. And although I felt better, I hadn’t reached the part of truly loving, appreciating and valuing myself.

Then one summer evening my support system was gone. Removed from my life forever in the span of a heartbeat and I was thrust into the world as a single woman. Widowed and alone when, despite everything I’d accomplished, all I ever wanted was to be a wife and mother.

They say out of our biggest tragedies come some of our greatest blessings but the prospect of getting out there and dating terrified me and the moment I stepped out into the single scene all of the old insecurities returned.

My legs are too short, hips too big and breasts too small. My hair’s too thin and flat and now it’s turning gray. I can’t compete with the young, perky, firm, beautiful women out there!

The bible teaches us that as a man thinks therefore he is (Prov. 23:7), so I dug out my old motto and started using it..... What you see is what you get. Like it? Good! Don’t? Hit the road, it’s your loss.

Only this time I took things a step further.

As a Christian I’d studied and practiced speaking God’s word over my life and knew the power of writing things down, so I started focusing on and appreciating what I liked about myself and what I was good at. I am smart. I am talented. I am gifted. I am blessed.

Then I began writing and saying affirmations about what I wanted to believe about myself. I am thin, healthy, energetic, and attractive. I look good. I feel good.

As time moved on I got bolder... I am beautiful. I am desirable. I am sexy. I am healed, whole, and complete. I am worthy. I am valuable.

Comments from friends and acquaintances about how good I looked every time they saw me helped me to believe the inner growth I’d been cultivating was actually working and worth the effort to continue.
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Then one day I woke up and I felt these things. I felt healthy, energetic and attractive. 
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I had an image in my mind of a particular red dress that clung in all the right places (something I never would have even considered before!). So, I went shopping. I found that dress, tried it on and the mirror reflected back to me everything I’d been affirming for years... A beautiful, sexy, desirable woman.
 
But....
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Some of those same old thought patterns crept up and I put the dress back.

The next day my friend and I returned to the store, and I tried it on for her opinion and again was astounded at how I not only felt but looked in that dress.
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This time I bought it.

That was ten+ years ago. I still practice positive thinking, affirmations, and self-talk and have since purchased several clingy dresses and outfits and I am constantly amazed at how differently I look at and feel about myself.  I’ve also come to understand that how the world sees me is a reflection of how I see and feel about myself. 

When those old taunts try to rise up and steal my joy, I immediately shake my head and remind myself that as I think, therefore I am.

Then I go into a litany of affirmations knowing that as I project feelings of love, appreciation, value and self-approval, others will reflect that back to me. After all, what you see (and say) is what you get!

Something to think about.
Inspirational with an Edge! ™
Coaching in PJs ™

Hebrews 11:11 tells us that “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
 
So many times we wonder what that means and to be honest, depending on how you look at it, and where you put a comma, it could mean different things.

For me, this verse alludes to so much more than the typical platitudes given in explanation from many. As you may know, I’ve been on a spiritual journey most of my adult life and read voraciously books written by today’s spiritual leaders and this particular verse magnifies what many of them say regarding spiritual principles, living in the present moment, and the law of attraction.

Now some ridicule and judge me for doing so, stating that the ONLY books we should read are the Bible and those written by Pastors and Ministers.

Seriously?

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE God’s word and do my best to glean meaning and depth from every book I read, especially the Bible. In fact, I have several translations I value. But, think about it!

Even Bible-toting, Scripture-quoting Christians spend more time looking back on the past with shame, guilt or regret and/or worrying about the future with fear and trembling. But this is not what spiritual leaders nor God teach us.

We are taught that yesterday is gone and tomorrow isn’t here, so we should appreciate the gift of today.

The Bible says we should “forget those things which are behind and reach forward to those things which are ahead” (Philippians 3:12).

Spiritual leaders teach us to live in the present (now) and to visualize (see) the future as we would like (hope) to create it. The Law of Attraction states that what you focus on, you attract into your life.

Read the Scripture again….Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

How much more convincing do we need to consider the Law of Attraction might actually be another term for Faith in Action?

I’m not here to convince you that my way is the only way or that I’m right and you’re wrong in your way of thinking. I only hope these words will encourage you to open your mind and heart to what deeper meanings lie in the Scriptures we love so much.
 
Something to think about….
“Inspirational with an Edge!” ™

The question has been posed, integrity examined …. “Do you REALLY believe all this positivity stuff? Do you REALLY believe it can change a life?”

In John, Jesus said “This is the work of God, that you believe…” Now I know the Scripture goes on to say that we believe “on him whom He hath sent” meaning we are to believe in HIM. But think about it….

He also said, “Whatever you say when you pray, believe you have received, and it shall be given unto you.”

God told us in Deuteronomy that the power of life and death are in our tongue. So to answer the question, Yes, I believe….

I believe Jesus is my Lord and Savior but He is also my brother, friend and teacher. I believe God is the Almighty creator of the universe as well as my loving father who wants to bless me with the wildest dreams in my heart.

I believe God is much bigger than the boxes we put Him in, especially those outlined in the Bible. I believe the Bible is the inspired word of God but it has been written by man, filtered through human consciousness and subject to the circumstances and culture of the time. I believe there are depths and levels of faith and spirituality we may never understand but I also believe it pleases God when we try, ask questions, seek after answers, and knock on doors of knowledge.

I believe, next to love, gratitude is the greatest asset we can ever aspire to have. I believe fear is our biggest obstacle and judgment and guilt are useless wastes of energy. I believe we can rise above our circumstances and “call those things that be not as though they are” (actually the word here is were…. past tense as in been there, done that…so why is it those things we desire are not showing up in our life?)

I believe you can not have a positive life with a negative attitude. I believe, with the help of God, you can create a better life for yourself than anyone in your family has ever experienced. I believe selfishness is the root of all evil and that money is simply a means through which God blesses you so that you may be a blessing to others and thereby build His kingdom.

I believe love is the most powerful emotion and we are at our highest level of spirituality and closest to God when we give it freely, without expectation of reward.
I believe some people love their misery. They are comfortable in it and although they say differently, they really don’t want to change, but want others to change for them. This is the highest level of selfishness.

I believe you can’t change the past but you can change the future by your thoughts, words, emotions and actions of today.

I believe the past is over, the future isn’t here yet and today is a gift, that’s why it’s called the ‘present’ and we would do well to live fully in the moment. I believe our past may be a contributing factor in our lives today but with love, gratitude, and forgiveness, we can rise above the pain of that time and life a blessed and happy life.

I believe heaven is nearer than we think and our loved ones who’ve crossed over as near as our next thought and if we listen close enough, they will continue to speak to us and  if we let go of our preconceived notions of heaven being “out there somewhere”, we will experience it here on earth.

I believe life is 100% perception…how you perceive things is how they’ll be for you.

I believe with God all things are possible and nothing is impossible to them that believe…. Believe in God, believe in yourself, believe in your dreams, believe in your goodness, believe in your beauty, believe in the power of love, peace, joy, happiness, bliss.  Believe God is on your side and wants to bless you and quit speaking the opposite!

I believe we “eat the fruit” of our words. Speak negative (poverty, lack, sickness, disease) and you’ll attract those things into your circumstances. Speak positive and you’ll create a better life for yourself and those around you. I believe we give too much of our power to others by allowing them to control our thoughts, feelings and emotions.

I believe forgiveness unlocks the door to happiness and opens channels of blessing because when we forgive we become more like Jesus.

I believe when you heal your own life, you do your part in healing others.

I believe there is no time in eternity, so the reason creating a new life takes ‘time’ is because we let doubt and fear block our good and I believe we talk ourselves out of miracles every day.

Now I’m not going to sit here and tell you that I never have a bad day despite all I believe. But I will tell you this much, as I continue to walk by faith (not by sight) and speak words of life and love, gratitude and peace, those bad days or incidents are less traumatic and easier to get through than they were before I understood the power of my own thoughts and words.
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Something to think about….
“Inspirational with an Edge!” ™
"Coaching in PJs" ​™

Dealing with multiple family issues in varying depths of negative physical & emotional drama, I keep hearing the message…. “When you starve your spirit, the body compensates.”

Or in most instances, over compensates.

Illness, weight issues, depression, addictions; many times these are all physical and emotional symptoms of a starving spirit.

The Bible teaches us that “a merry heart does good like medicine” (Prov. 17:22).

Proverbs 15:13 tells us, “A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.”

Bible believing Christian or not, there are medical studies that substantiate this idea. But forget medical proof for a moment and think about the people in your life who are ill.

What does their countenance (face, attitude, actions) reveal to you?

Are they upbeat and positive or “down in the mouth”?

Are they the picture of health (acceptable weight, tolerable or manageable level of physical ailments, sensible/rational attitudes, realistic/practical actions) or just the opposite?

Now I’m not going to try and convince you that every person who has been a victim of physical or mental abuse or who has contracted an illness of some sort is merely suffering because they neglect nurturing their spiritual life. I know many devout spiritual beings who suffer diseases.

Nor am I making light of either.

I merely want to point out that feeding and nurturing your spirit is one way to get your physical and emotional well-being on the mend. When the spirit is healthy, many times the body follows.

So how do we get from starving to nurturing our spirit?

Often a simple shift in perception from “woes me” to gratitude can start you on your way to spiritual health. Forgiveness also plays a huge part in this.

“I’ve forgiven but I can’t forget” is a cop out.

I know that sounds harsh but Scripture tells us to speak the truth in love and sometimes love has to be gentle but firm and sometimes the truth hurts; hence the term ‘tough love’.

The Bible tells us that God remembers not our sins, yet we tend to wallow in those perpetrated against us and/or cling to guilt and self-condemnation for those we committed against others.

If God, who is holy and just forgets our sins, who are we, to hold onto those memories and rehash our pain and anger, or disappointment and self pity?

Here’s the rub: As long as you feel and act the victim, you can not live a victorious life!

To put it another way: You can’t have a positive, healthy life (spiritual or otherwise) if you have a negative outlook.

Oh and if you think you are “only being realistic,” think again.

You are hurting no one but YOURSELF when you drag the past into the present and project it into your future.

“But it hurts so much…the pain is so deep….”

Then STOP focusing on it! Focus on today and the good present in your life right now.

Now that I’ve given you something to ponder, here are some ideas and resources….

• Prayer, fasting, and meditation are all proven methods to regain and optimize health and are as important to your overall well-being as diet and exercise.

• Read your Bible! Highlight Scriptures on health and wellness, depression and forgiveness, etc. Or better yet, pick up a copy of God’s Promises, The Tongue a Creative Force by Charles Capps or You’ll Get Through This by Max Lucado.

• Start and maintain an attitude of gratitude.  The Magic by Rhonda Byrne breaks this concept down to expressing gratitude for the simplest things! She also offers a “gratitude journal.” Success coach and author, Jack Canfield (Chicken Soup for the Soul books) also has a gratitude journal as do numerous authors!

• Read some of the books listed in my post What You Don’t Control, Controls YOU!

• Read and do the exercises in Marianne Williamson’s A Course in Weight Loss. This wonderful resource gets to the heart of the matter with practical yet very personal ways to connect with and nurture your spirit.
• Implement energy work such as EFT/Tapping
• Work with a Life Coach or Therapist

​These are just a few examples but I promise, as you get started feeding your spirit, you’ll see and feel a difference in your overall condition and discover more ways to enforce the new, happier, healthier you.

Something to think about...
*Image by Gizelle from Pixabay*

*Originally published as Pamela's Ponderings ©Oct. 2013