ISSUE DATE: August, 2005

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Ø REACH OUT AND TOUCH SOMEONE!
ØTHE RESULTS ARE IN!
Ø ARE YOU READY TO
CLEAN OUT THE CLOSET OF YOUR MIND FOR SUCCESS?

REACH OUT AND TOUCH SOMEONE!

"Reach out, reach out and touch someone" the commercial sang, reminding us of the importance of staying connected with our loved ones by phone. The idea was a good one and, yet, somewhere along the way it lost its joy. With technological advances, the freedom we thought we were gaining has left many of us feeling like prisoners in the age of instant access and the demands for immediate response. Cell phones, blackberries, emails, and global internet access are, for many people, nothing less than a bondage that only adds to feelings of stress and overwhelm.

Walking down the mall, I saw a mother pushing her baby in a stroller with her toddler walking beside them. Totally oblivious to what was going on around her, the woman was focused on her cell phone conversation.

Couples walking together, sometimes hand in hand, both deep into their own cell phone conversations. People almost obsessively tied to their email or surfing the net as they neglect loved ones who are standing nearby ready to receive their love and attention.

Does this ring a bell with anyone out there?

It all seems to me to be symbolic of what's happening out there for a lot of people. We all want to be connected. We all want to feel needed. We all want to feel important. We all need to know that we belong.

Along the way, though, we may be missing the precious moments of life. Those times when we can really make a difference in the world around us, when we can truly connect in a powerful, positive way.

Yes, there are times when we need to get in touch with someone. There are urgent messages and calls that we need to receive.

And, yet, if we've begun to ignore or neglect the joys of life around us, it may be time to let the pendulum swing back to the center so that we can be in balance and harmony. It may be time to remember we're here to be human beings, not human doings.

As conscious creators, we can only receive the gifts of life and living when we are present for the present. We can only manifest our true desires when we are fully awake in the moment.

One of the hazards, too, is that when we are feeling overwhelmed or on overload, we are vulnerable to negative suggestions from ourselves and from others. We literally move into a trance state where we can be picking up all sorts of undesirable influences. And in this trance state we have no defense.

We are seekers. At a time of changing family units, workplace instability, and great personal transformations, we need to remember that what we're seeking is right in front of us. The real point here is to remember how to communicate with other people, with ourselves, and with the world around us. This is the connecting that can make a difference in our lives and the lives of countless others.

It reminds me of what Dr. Conwell said in his famous "Acres of Diamonds" speech. "…he who cannot be a blessing where he now lives will never be great anywhere on the face of God's earth." (For a copy of Dr. Conwell's speech, click here.)

Your mind has a way of pulling your thoughts to the past, filled with regret and guilt, or to the future, anticipating problems or full of fear, worry and doubt. What we focus on expands. What we expect is what we get. But when we stay present in the moment we have the opportunity to create the world we choose to live in, setting the solid foundation for a life that is rich, full, loving, kind, wonderful, and abundant in every way. It is our responsibility as conscious creators to take control of our lives, our thoughts, and our actions by staying present in the moment so that we can do that.

Get out of your head, get out of your self, get off the phone and jump into the playground of Life!!

One day this week I set out to do just that. Now, the truth is that I set my intention to be of service every morning. This day was different, though. I set out to make a difference in the world.

In the morning, I called my dad to sing him a song. Then, I set out to run some errands and to see what doors the Universe would open for me. Baking my son's favorite cookies, I dropped them by to him at work to delight him with a special surprise. Stopping at the gas station, I was able to help some people who were having problems with the credit card machine which created an instant rapport with the man waiting in line behind me. I held the door open for an elderly woman at the post office. As a person in front of me was so intent on making an illegal left turn they almost hit a paraplegic crossing in front of them, I stopped a generous distance back to let him know he was safe. I looked people in the eye and said hello. The response was contagious as people noticeably perked up, walked taller, smiled, and waved. Opportunities came, one after another, to make a difference in the world around me. With these simple acts I felt like a million bucks.

It may be time to remember to "Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty" in your own life.

Here are some tips for reducing stress, relieving the sense of overload, and consciously creating your life:

1. When you go out into the world, turn off your cell phone. If that's not practical, answer only the most essential calls and keep the conversation brief. Be conscious and make a difference in your world.

2. Set specific times in the day to check your emails and set a timer to limit the amount of time that you spend on them. 20 minutes is usually more than enough. You can use this same tool, too, when you're surfing the net.

3. Every night before you go to sleep, choose 3 good things to do for other people in the day ahead. These can be simple and inexpensive things - giving a card, a call, a compliment, or a smile will work magic. Do it without expectation. Do it for fun and for free. The important thing here is to reinforce the idea that you make a difference in the world around you (AND to get all the benefits that come back to you in wonderful ways!).

4. Every morning when you wake up choose 3 things to do for yourself that will really please you. Again, these don't have to be expensive or time-consuming. A walk in the park, your favorite coffee, 5 minutes of quiet, time with your special friend. The important thing here is to let yourself know that you count, and that you're taking care of your needs.

5. Listen to someone. Active listening seems to have become a lost art and, yet, it is one of the greatest gifts we can give. Look your person in the eye as they're talking and be present. Don't offer advice or your opinions. If your mind wanders to something else, bring it back to the moment. We all need to be heard, so let it begin with you.

6. In the morning, vision a wonderful day ahead. See yourself being happy, joyous, prosperous, and free! Set your intentions to be of service, to make a difference in the life around you. Ask to be connected with divine guidance and the wisdom of the Universe, and to be shown each step along the way what you can do to BE who you came here to be, living a life of true wealth and unlimited success!

And, most of all, HAVE FUN!!! YOU deserve it!!!

To your wealth and success,

Debbie Friedman, C.Ht.

"People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances that they want, and if they can't find them, make them." - George Bernard Shaw

THE RESULTS ARE IN!

THANK YOU to everyone who responded to the survey last month. I truly appreciate the efforts you made to guide me in deciding how to best continue to serve you with this newsletter. I was absolutely tickled, too, by the personal emails I received and want you to know that your words of support have touched me. I am filled with gratitude for every one of you.

The results on how often I should send the newsletter were very clear. Nearly 70% want to keep the newsletter as a regular monthly edition. About 20% responded with a request for a shorter version every other week. The remaining 10% divided between a weekly version and other suggestions.

With that, I am honoring your wishes and will continue to do my best to provide you with a quality newsletter once a month.

YOU deserve it!

"I wake up in the morning, and I consciously create my day the way I want it to happen. Sometimes . . . it takes me a little bit to settle down, and get to . . . where I am actually intentionally creating my day . . . [then throughout the day] out of nowhere, little things happen that are so unexplainable, I know they are the process or the result of my creation. We're consciously, from a spiritual standpoint, throwing in the idea that our thoughts affect our reality or affect our life." - Dr. Joe Dispenza

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