A Sensational Soul Journey

If there is an individual soul that leaves the body at death, as most of us suppose, then this individual soul must be an organization of cell souls, just as the body is an organization of cells.

The body is referred to as the “shell,” the “husk,” the “house we live in,” the “temple.” In leaving the body, then, only the coarser elements are sloughed off and left as “dead,” while the soul of every cell ascends, still organized in the individual soul; and the body cells disintegrate because the soul no longer holds them together.

This agrees with the statement of Theosophy that there is an “astral body” within the material body, which is like the material body but more beautiful. Many persons claim to have seen this astral body leave its “temple.” Perhaps Paul meant this when he spoke of two bodies.

It seems reasonable to suppose that this spiritual body carries within it all knowledge gained in this state of being, and that in a new generation the older experiences are “forgotten,” just as a thousand things are forgotten every day of our lives—things which at some future time we may recall. The thing was there, in our sub-consciousness, all the time; it simply did not affect us strongly enough to make us think about it.

A child’s interest in this generation keeps in the background of sub-consciousness its memories of past generations. If it wanted to hard enough, and thought about it enough, it could recall incidents in previous generations just as it can recall an incident of yesterday or last year which it has temporarily forgotten.

Many people claim to have recalled past states of existence by desire and concentration, and many claim to have flashes of remembrance without any special desire or intention. And the Society for Psychical Research has on record many strange cases of dual or many-sided personality, etc., which seem to confirm this conception of soul and body.

It seems to me that the soul is the naked life force which is one with spirit; that material experiences are the matrices by which the life force, or soul force, is formed and organized into individuality; and that we shed the “material” parts of the body as fast as we can—just as in the lower forms of life shells are discarded when backbones appear; the shell protecting and moulding the life-form until it is sufficiently formed and organized to do without the shell.

When the physical body becomes too stiff and un- yielding a form for the growing mind or soul, then it is discarded. And it looks as if the soul, through growth and attraction, steps into a new generation where the material at hand will afford it a better matrix.

As long as the body is alive and yielding, responding readily to the developing organization of the individual, the soul keeps changing in its matrix, its body, day by day as needed; but a stiff, too-rigid and old-style matrix or body has to be discarded in whole, for a new one. “From the soul the bodye forme doth take,” and when the body becomes inadequate to express the soul growth it is sloughed off altogether.

The body, astral and material, is the storage of the past experiences and the wisdom organized through those experiences.

The “objective mind,” in the brain, is the surface of this storage, the doorway by which all this wisdom and knowledge entered into individual organization. The brain is the switchboard by which we are able to use this store of wisdom and knowledge at will.

The “objective mind” governs and directs not only the switchboard, but all the sub-stores with which it connects.

The “objective mind” also connects with the universal storehouse of wisdom, upon which it draws by what we call “intuition.” It is through this connection with the universal that we are enabled to “rise higher than our source” of sub-conscious wisdom and knowledge gained in previous generations. In order to grow we need the super-conscious wisdom which is All.

Just as by desire and concentration we can recall the knowledge and wisdom gained in previous generations, so by desire and concentration directed toward the Universal, the Infinite, we call to us yet greater wisdom and knowledge than any yet realized.

The body which disintegrates after death is a mere collection of cell-cocoons from which the organized cell- souls have flown to new states of being. With its soul the body loses its feeling, the atoms disintegrating, each becoming what it was before, simply a bit of “dead matter” which is not dead at all.

The atoms of matter are just the same after death as before; but the organizing and in-forming spirit and soul, spirit or soul (for there is no dividing line between them), has departed, leaving each atom to live its little life again without relation to other atoms Without this organizing spirit to draw and hold the atoms together they fall apart—“ashes to ashes.”

The cell is the unit organization of the body, each cell clothed with many atoms. The soul of the cell leaves it, just as the soul leaves the body as a whole.

That the astral body is an organization of cell souls, just as the physical body is an organization of cells, I have no present doubt.

And it looks reasonable to me to suppose that the soul, or astral body, carries within it all the records of all the individual’s experiences since the beginning of time. That with every generation and experience this astral grows in wisdom and knowledge and beauty of character, I see no reason to doubt.

And by the power of universal attraction it is drawn in each new generation, to the exact parentage and condition it needs to help its growth in grace.

The Ladder to Ascension

This morning I awoke with a dream of Jesus teaching several of us in an unusual environment…a diner like meeting place. It reminded me of the old diners you might see from time to time…a small scale place where breakfast or lunch is served. This diner reminded me of a stage coach like looking diner with arched ceilings and a rather small width. It was tight and intimate.

How do I know it was Jesus speaking? I just knew it. I sensed a definite male aura or essence about him. He was normal looking and you would not have known he was Jesus until you heard him speak. He was teaching several of us in this small, confined space that looked like a diner in appearance.

He was instructing us and I heard the words at the tail end of my dream… “Every event or moment is a moment of awareness that can lead us to God”. He said that if we are aware of every moment we can find a “handle” that leads us to God. I piped up and said to him and the others… “You mean like a portal to God?” And Jesus simply said it was like a handle, and I pictured it like a handle to a shovel or rake and then, I saw in my minds eye, a picture of a “rung” of a ladder.

I realized that this was a ladder of ascension to God consciousness. Then I awoke and I realized this ladder was probably what the prophet Jacob saw when he saw the ladder of God rising up to heaven and the angels (messengers) going up and down it.

When I awoke I realized that Jesus was giving me, and us, an understanding of our human moments and to take advantage of each and every one of them and allow each one to be a rung of a ladder whereby we can access this God consciousness.

It might seem strange that Jesus would be speaking to me in a dream, but I have been praying for more God consciousness, and I have asked Jesus to personally teach me what he had learned upon this earth and in his own experience.

I feel this prayer was a mere confirmation to me that God had indeed answered my heart-felt prayer. I knew in my heart that Jesus came as a man to this earth, and he as a man was thrown everything in life that we encounter as human beings.

We have been given this idea that Jesus was God in flesh and he had this God consciousness and specialness about him that no one had, or could have…since he was God.

This puts him at a great advantage over us human beings, for we have been taught that Jesus was God in the flesh…giving him a distinct advantage over us as human beings.

You see, we are all just like Jesus was…we are God in flesh too. No I am not saying that we are the originator, or creator, for we are the created. But, from a standpoint of God, he sees us as himself. When God looks at you, he sees himself.

Does this scare you? Does this bring fear to you? Why is it so hard to believe that we were made in the very image and likeness of God? Of course this image and likeness is not the human form we have all taken as human beings.

This God likeness that we all possess is hidden and disguised in our human embodiment. We as humans, identify ourselves with our bodies as being the true representation of ourselves. But God sees us differently…He/She sees us only as itself. There is no differentiation as far as the divine is concerned…only with us in our humanness.

The reason why I prayed to Jesus fervently to show me the way to God is because I knew Jesus had “been there and done it” in life. He knew what it was like to be a man and walk in flesh like you and I. He knows how to identify with us as humans and with our human feelings and actions. Who better to teach us than this man-God? Who better to relate to us in our human ways?

For me it was an easy choice. You might decide another ascended master might work better for you. I am sure The Buddha, Krishna, and others that have gone before us and realized this God consciousness, which is rooted in love, can accommodate your prayers for instruction in living this life as the God-children that we all are.

Jesus, The Christ, I pray that you would awaken all of my brothers and sisters of the earth to see this pathway to a greater God consciousness and the path to love.

The one inevitable fact in our lives is that we will die... as I prefer to say "pass over" from the physical world to the spirit world, or "astral plane."  The transition from the physical realm to the spirit is not an ending... it is a transformation to another state of consciousness.

Rather than limiting ourselves to thinking on a material physical level, we expand to fill an emotional, spiritual realm without bonds.  Once we are freed from the physical body and are no longer consumed with the needs of the physical world, we can soar to new heights of learning.

Think about it!  How many hours a day do we spend taking care of our bodies?  We must feed them, wash them, make money to house them, clothe them, and so on...  Sleep alone, takes up a quarter of our earthly time.  If we do not take proper care of our bodies, they start to break down.  Illness then invades them, and it can take a great deal of time and energy to repair the damage.  The body is a divine machine, a machine so complex that mankind is still learning ways to keep it functioning properly.

Physical life can be described by the Sanskrit word "maya" which means illusion.  Hindu philosophy teaches that reality is all that is indestructible and eternal.  Everything that is changeable and subject to decay... and has a beginning and an ending, is perceived as maya.

Since we know that each earth life is temporary, it follows that it is not real.  It is maya.  Simply, things are not always as they seem to be.  A Chinese proverb warns us to not judge the house by its beautiful paint job.  The external illusion leads us to believe that w will find a stable foundation.  Experience teachs us that this is not true.  Believing that physical life is the only form of existence is an illusion.  Thinking that we are dead once physical life ends, is the ultimate illusion.

1. Never put yourself last.

2. When you extend a helping hand to one person, be careful not to kick someone else in the teeth.

3. Always own a pair of old, faded jeans.

4. Count your blessings every day.

5. Acknowledge your successes along with your downfalls.

6. Burn the candle that has been in storage for the last two years.

7. Strive for progress, not perfection.

8. Remember, the voice telling you that you cannot do something is always lying.

9. At least once a day sit and do nothing.

10. Don't close your heart so tightly against life's pain that you shut out life's blessings.

11. Celebrate all your birthdays no matter how old you get.

12. Examine your life for limitations and ask yourself why you put them there.

13. Plant a tree, pull weeds, or get your hands dirty.

14. Diminish your wants instead of increasing your needs.

15. Cry when you feel like it.

16. Rejoice in other people's triumphs.

17. Don't wait for someone else to laugh or express joy.

18. Forgive yourself for any mistake you make, no matter how big or small.

19. Keep good company.

20. Never take a pill for a pain you need to feel.

21. Use your enthusiasm to put yourself in forward gear and give yourself a spark to move ahead.

22. Look in the eyes of the ones you love when you are talking to them.

23. Remember that one is a whole number.

24. Walk in a summer rain shower without an umbrella.

25. Do a kind deed for someone else.

26. Keep your eyes and ears open to get the messages you need from people and events in your daily life.

27. Be patient.

28. Eat something green.

29. Change what you can and leave the rest alone.

30. Walk hand and hand with truth.

31. Make laughter and joy a greater part of your life than anger and grief.

32. Embrace solitude instead of running from it.

33. Be zealous, not jealous.

34. Forgive anyone you've been holding a grudge against.

35. Slow down and enjoy the present.

36. Walk in others' shoes before judging them.

37. Send yourself a kind message.

38. Remind yourself that the company you keep is a reflection of what you think of yourself.

39. Go on a picnic.

40. Accept your fears, no matter how crazy they seem.

41. Don't let other people's opinions shape who you are.

42. Say a prayer.

43. Never attribute your accomplishments to luck or chance.

44. Know when to say no.

45. Look at the positive side of negative situation.

46. Remember that you are a spiritual being in a physical body.

47. Avoid seeking out other people for constant approval, because it make them the master and you the slave.

48. Go fly a kite.

49. Avoid fads and bandwagons.

50. Accept the things you cannot change.

51. Look inside instead of outside yourself for answers to life's problems.

52. Remember that all feelings are okay.

53. Shield yourself from bad influences.

54. Stand up for what you believe in.

55. Respect the wishes of others when they say no.

56. Seize every moment and live it fully.

57. Give away or sell anything you haven't used in the past five years.

58. Never downgrade yourself.

59. Take responsibility for what you think, feel, and do.

60. Pamper yourself.

61. Never say or do anything abusive to a child.

62. Let yourself be God powered instead of flying solo.

63. Volunteer to help someone in need.

64. Refrain from overindulging in food, drink, and work

65. Finish unfinished business.

66. Be spontaneous.

67. Find a constructive outlet for your anger.

68. Think about abundance instead of lack, because whatever you think about expands.

69. Think of yourself as a survivor, not a victim.

70. Cuddle an animal.

71. Be open to life.

72. See success as something you already have, not something you must attain.

73. Experience the splendor and awe of a sunset.

74. When you score a base hit, don't wish it were a home run.

75. Learn to be in the present moment.

76. Instead of believing in miracles, depend on them.

77. Take a child to the circus.

78. Change your attitude and your whole life will change.

79. Never turn your power over to another person.

80. When your heart is at odds with your head, follow your heart.

81. Always remember that the past is gone forever and the future never comes.

82. Live your life according to what is right for you.

83. Acknowledge your imperfections.

84. Plant a tree and watch it grow.

85. See "friend" instead of "enemy" on the face of strangers.

86. Watch an army of ants build their houses and cities and carry food ten times their weight.

87. Believe in something bigger than yourself.

88. Let the playful child within you come out.

89. Make haste slowly.

90. Work through your problems step by step and one day at a time.

91. Accept compliments from others so you can see the truth about yourself.

92. Sit on the lawn without worrying about grass stains.

93. Don't condemn yourself for your imperfections.

94. Do a humility check periodically by loving the truth about yourself.

95. Tell someone you appreciate them.

96. Never live your life according to what is right for someone else.

97. Talk less and listen more.

98. Admit your wrongdoing and forgive yourself for it.

99. Thrive on inner peace instead of on crises.

100. Affirm all the good things about yourself.

The purpose of life is to serve.  The best way to increase good karma is to offer unconditional universal service.  Universal service includes seven aspects:

1.  Universal Love
2.  Universal Forgiveness

3.  Universal Peace
4.  Universal Healing

5.  Universal Blessing
6.  Universal Harmony

7.  Universal Enlightenment


... means to offer love to every human being, and every soul in the universe.  It is very easy to love a person you like.  It is difficult to love a person you dislike.  It is even more difficult to love your enemies.  The teaching here is that you must love everyone.

Love has incredible power for healing, rejuvenation and life transformation.  The following is a healing and life transformation practice... applying love for a few minutes:

Space clearing is an ancient technique that has been practiced within spiritual traditions ranging from Judaism and Christianity to Feng Shui and Native American Culture. Passed from one generation of wise teachers to the next, it provides us with a beautiful way to clear out the old, stagnant or chaotic energy in any space.  In the process, we prepare our space and ourselves for new beginnings and positive outcomes.

In order to really understand the ancient, sacred are of Space Clearing, we must begin to open up to new possibilities.  Space Clearing involves itself with very subtle, yet infinitely powerful forces.  We must begin to think in terms of things that are not obvious and cannot be proven, except by taking a leap of faith and observing the results.  In Western culture, we have been programmed to limit our experience to what is obvious to our five senses.  Space clearing offers an opportunity to focus our attention on the more subtle, yet profoundly influential factors that effect our life experience.

Quantum Physics has proven that everything in the universe and beyond is made up of energy, constantly flowing and changing and affecting us all.  The energy of the places in which we live, work and socialize will affect our physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.  Energetically, everything that happens in a building - thoughts, actions and emotions - is held there like dust, imprinted on the walls, floors and furnishings.

Traumas, arguments, repeated patterns of behavior and ill health will leave behind 'bad vibes' and this negative energy stagnates thus adversely affecting all the people who live there.Space Clearing is a profound and highly effective technique to clear and cleanse away the past energy from your home and make a fresh start. It fills your personal space with vibrant, positive, revitalized energy and in doing so raises the quality of the lives of all who live there.

Space Clearing is a practice found in most traditional or native cultures. In the West people use spring-cleaning and house-warming parties to clear out the old stagnant energy and bring in more positive new energy.

Space Clearing will most certainly be beneficial for you, your family and your home if:

• You have recently moved into a new home
• You find it difficult to relax fully in your home
• There are regular arguments and disputes among residents
• Residents suffer with poor health and low immunity
• You have difficulty getting a good nights sleep
• Visitors never stay for very long
• Residents feel discontented and uneasy without knowing why

A Space Clearing ceremony will completely cleanse your home of negative energies and revitalize it, resulting in a more harmonious, relaxed environment for all!

You’ve had it happen many times before. You’re on a roll. You have momentum and your creative juices are flowing. You are dedicated to a cause, empowered with a mission, or moving in a direction that makes you feel alive. Then, suddenly, it happens. Someone tells you, “No.” Your idea is wrong, inappropriate, you’re off base, you have to stop. Immediately, your whole body contracts. You feel betrayed, denied, defied, undermined, made wrong, and the list goes on.

What was happening there? The myriad of possibilities boil down to two categories. The first category: You were manifesting your divinity, your greatness, your wisdom, and your creativity. And then someone tripped you up, right when you were birthing something magnificent.

The second category: Their “No” was valid. You were coming from your identity, your conditioning, your limited relationship with life. What you were doing was, in fact, not in harmony with your true nature. They were providing you with a wakeup call.

Of course, nothing in the relative is absolute. Everything is a dance between your divinity and your identity. Yet, in both cases, your initial reaction to the “No” is usually the same. You feel hurt and negated.

These moments present you with a great opportunity and challenge. Your relationship with what you experience is critical to your growth as a human being. Are you willing to consider both categories, to explore the dance between your divinity and your identity? This is much easier said than done.

As with all of the teachings, understanding this intellectually is a good beginning. And being able to apply it in your daily life is the sublime path of your personal evolution, the path of discernment. Great care must be taken here, for you can justify anything with the intellect. You can take the knowledge and use it to advance yourself and cultivate your awakening to your divinity or you can misuse it as a justification of your identity.

We have explored how you react when “No” is said to you. Now, let’s turn the table. How about when you say, “No,” and put up a block to another person’s flow? What is going on there? Your physiology is like a flywheel. It has a momentum, a groove in which it is fixed, a relationship with the world that permeates your attitude towards everything. Everything that is not in sync with your groove or conditioning will probably be met with your “No.” If that “No” is coming from your conditioning, you will likely be stifling another’s evolutionary creative process and the blossoming of their life, the manifestation of their divinity. However, when your, “No” is coming from your divinity, you can use it to assist the progress of another.

Most of us are familiar with the technique of brainstorming. Everyone is free to think and speak out their thoughts. Ideas are allowed to flow freely. Nothing is negated, so the blossoming of everyone’s inner divinity is nurtured. Through the practice of brainstorming, your relationship with “No” evolves. In time, you learn to use it constructively, not destructively. Brainstorming becomes an art that isn’t limited to meetings where people agree to brainstorm. It becomes a spontaneous and ongoing relationship with life, where different perspectives are nurtured and developed and the truth underlying every notion is respected. The true Power of “No” is an evolutionary tool that turns limitation into liberation.

What do you think of people who descend on their friends like vultures, criticizing, maligning, ridiculing, scorning, blaming, insulting, and belittling them? Actual vultures feed on carrion, but these human vultures pick their friends apart while they are still alive. Our family members are supposed to be our closest friends, yet even they may engage in the same malicious tactics. It’s time to impose a cease-fire, and the best way to start is to become aware of our actions and to accept responsibility for them.

When we criticize another, we do not expose them, we expose ourselves. We broadcast our own weakness and smallness. For as someone else once wrote, "The most censorious are generally the least judicious, or deserving, who, having nothing to recommend themselves, will be finding fault with others. — No man envies the merit of another who has enough of his own."

What would you think if I were to tell you that I’m an extraordinary person? Would you be impressed? Not at all, you would think that I’m vain or delusional. So, rather than boasting about our own greatness, we disguise what we wish to say by criticizing others. In other words, speaking about the inferiority of others is just a clever way to speak about our own superiority. Yet, those who are genuinely superior don’t speak about it, and those who BELIEVE they are inferior, pretend to be otherwise.

This being the case, aren’t our criticisms misdirected? Don’t we need to rechannel our energy? Our time would be spent much more productively if we would practice self-criticism (self-improvement) instead of attacking others. How can we see the faults of others so clearly, unless we share the same weaknesses? Let’s take advantage of this clarity of vision by eliminating our own faults. When we do so, we will no longer need to pretend we are worthwhile, and we will, therefore, stop criticizing others.

Does this mean all criticism is bad? Not at all. But it should be used in two cases only. First, parents, teachers, supervisors, and others in authority have the obligation to correct the faults of those they are responsible for. Second, we can offer our advice to friends and others who ASK for it. But don’t offer it unless they request it. Whether it’s those we are responsible for or our friends, we must always frame our suggestions in a positive or constructive manner. What is the difference between constructive and destructive criticism? What we normally mean is your criticism of me is destructive and my criticism of you is constructive. But, of course, that is not what I mean here. To clarify, I offer the following guidelines for constructive criticism.

1. Be particularly careful when your friends ask for advice. Before offering any, be sure that is what they really want. Often, when friends ask for guidance all they want is someone to listen. They want to arrive at their own solutions by bouncing their ideas off you. Or, they may have already decided on a course of action and want you to agree with them. In other words, they’re not looking for advice, but looking for support. Be sensitive to their needs.

2. Use a carrot, not a whip. Use praise, not criticism. Here’s what Charles M. Schwab (1862 ~ 1939) had to say on the subject, "In my wide association in life, meeting with many and great men in various parts of the world, I have yet to find the man, however great or exalted his station, who did not do better work and put forth greater effort under a spirit of approval than he would ever do under a spirit of criticism."

3. Be a coach, not a critic. Offer support, not criticism. Edmund Burke (1729 ~ 1797) explains, "Applaud us when we run; Console us when we fall; Cheer us when we recover."

4. Before beginning, think of your own weaknesses. This will help you to frame everything more gently. Follow the sage advice of the Chinese, "Do not use a hatchet to remove a fly from your friend's forehead."

5. Start on a positive note. First explain what they are doing right and what you like about their behaviour. And follow this with suggestions on how they can do even better. Assure them that you are confident in their ability.

6. Don't expect from others what you are not willing to do or believe.

7. When you have to deal with people that others are complaining about, first get their side of the story before criticizing.

8. Take special care before criticizing those who lack the power to defend themselves.

9. Evaluate those under your care not by their present level of excellence, but by the distance they have already travelled and can continue to travel.

10. Consider your counsel unsuccessful unless the person leaves feeling they have been helped.

11. Judge their actions not by what you thought, but by what they thought. It is not the action as much as it is the intention that needs to be considered. Use the same standard that you use to judge yourself. Too often, we judge others by their actions and ourselves by our ideals, aspirations, and good intentions.

12. Offer them an opportunity to save face. Don’t trap them in a dead end. Give them an escape route.

13. Follow the advice offered in the Native American proverb, "Never criticize a man until you've walked a mile in his moccasins." Let’s return to the subject of destructive criticism. Because of the harm we can do, don't look for an opportunity to criticize, for as the Yiddish proverb says, "If you're out to beat a dog, you're sure to find a stick." On the other hand, if you’re out to befriend a dog, you’re sure to discover its desirable traits. Since we find what we look for, let’s look for the positive. This way everyone benefits.

Criticism makes us a thief. We steal the dignity of the person we criticize and rob ourselves of the opportunity to learn from them. Imagine how many great ideas have been lost because of gifted people who were afraid of being laughed at.

When we look at an iceberg, we see only a small part of it. And when we look at others, it is rare indeed that we see any deeper than the surface. Isn’t this one of the reasons why it is so easy to criticize? If we can penetrate the heart of others and feel their pain, fear, and loneliness, how can we be critical? Rather than judging others, let’s appreciate them. For as Mother Teresa (1910-1997) said, "If you judge people, you have no time to love them."

Let’s master the best type of criticism there is: self-criticism. The American Episcopal Bishop James A. Pike (1913 ~ 1969) explained why, "A man needs self-acceptance or he can't live with himself; he needs self-criticism or others can't live with him." Finally, the thirteenth-century Persian poet Sa'di (c. 1213 ~ 1291) wrote, "Whoever is aware of his own failing will not find fault with the failings of others."

It is the reason for our soul’s existence, to learn that we are Divine and that we are born with all the powers of God. These powers are our “God given right”.  Our challenge is to lift the veils of duality and understand the knowledge that has been given to us so that we can become who we really are:  a part of Source, of the Universe, of God.
 
The process is simple. Of course, we all know that anything in life that is simple, is also the most difficult to achieve. But then anything worth achieving is worth the hard work required to achieve it. The foundation of this work lies in our ability to understand and apply Universal Law. Although there are many laws and variations of how they are explained, the following ten laws will give you the solid foundation and understanding of what is required to begin to take control of your life and manifest your own reality. Work with these laws diligently and I guarantee you can begin to take control of your life and lifting of the veils.

1. THE LAW OF KARMA
The Law of Karma states that we, as humans, are responsible for all of our actions, and hence, must make payment for any action committed that results in negative consequences for one self or others. Also known as the” law of cause and effect”, this law is irrevocable and is the key to maintaining balance in the Universe. So when we stray from righteous action, we know to expect justice.  This law also applies to our positive actions, and must be understood if we are to begin to grab hold of our lives and guide ourselves toward our soul’s true destiny. 

If you have seen the television show “My Name is Earl”, you will see an excellent example of how one man interprets his life’s actions and his attempt to equalize his bad actions so that life will begin to flow in a positive way. While incredibly humorous, it is not far off from truth. One of the most important things that people need to grasp about this law is that Karma does not necessarily seek balance immediately, nor will its response correlate exactly to the action you took.  For example, every bad thing Earl did was not equalized by Karma immediately, in fact his debt accumulated and then when he won the lottery – wham, karma got him.  

So timing is not going to be precise with Karma.  Often times, Karma will seek balance when things are going well and you are doing the right thing, and, it is the reason why you may find yourself shaking your fist in the air and saying “why God”.  The reality is, those negative occurrences in our lives are a result of some action we did days, weeks, months, years or even lifetimes ago, and because our memories are short term, we forget about our past actions and usually go into despair over our own self-created situation.

2. THE LAW OF THOUGHT
This Law states that thought precedes all creation, and hence, energy follows thought; energy needs only to be guided by thought and the process of creation begins.

OK, let’s think about this one. Nothing exists until our mind says it does.  Wow!  That is a powerful concept.  But think about it, if someone told an American settler in 1850 that man would travel to the moon or that we would travel around the world in metal canisters up in the sky and make it from Boston to California in less than 6 hours, they would think you were ‘certifiable’. Our mind must conceive of an idea and put energy to it in order for it to manifest in our physical world.

3. THE LAW OF MANIFESTATION
The Law of Manifestation, also known as the Law of Attraction, requires that we believe in the principle that “what we need for our evolution will be supplied by the Universe”.

If what we desire and ask for is worthy, and we believe it is available to us when we ask for it, then it will be delivered. The key to applying this law is to find an appropriate method of making the request.  And it must harm no one.  This means it must have absolutely no negative impact on any party, directly or indirectly.  Otherwise Karmic debt comes into play.

This is the root of what we as humans believe are miracles and why prayer is so powerful.  If you ask for, believe, visualize, focus and act, the Universe will deliver!  It really is that simple. The ‘gotcha’ is usually tied to our ability to really believe. When you are in the depths of poverty, and everyone around you is in despair, it can be very difficult to believe that you simply need to believe your way out of poverty. Yet it does happen and happen often.
 
4. THE LAW OF RESPECT
The Law of Respect requires that we truly understand our actions and our requests and is the key to making appropriate requests for manifestation. This is not the respect we think of on a day to day basis, but the respect that understands what it truly means when we say “harm no one” and “respect all life”. 

You must look deep within yourself and understand the impact of your actions. This is most often evidenced when we comment after a negative occurrence, “well it was not my intention”, but the “outcome is the outcome” and can’t be taken back, and you are responsible. Work with the Law of Respect, and the secrets of the Universe will be revealed to you, and life will become bliss and ecstasy.  Follow the trail of your action to its conclusion for everyone impacted, directly and indirectly, and you will understand your level of respect in the situation.

5. THE LAW OF GRATITUDE
The Law of Gratitude states that energy follows a defined path, so when it is generated it travels out on the arc line of the Universe and must return to its origin. So it is written.

This can be a tough one to grasp.  I often have students challenge me when I tell them to be grateful for everything, the good and the bad; that in gratitude, negativity can be undone.   This is the reason why…gratitude generates positive energy and with it, returns to the originator untold gifts from the Divine Realms.  So when we are grateful and remain positive in a negative situation, the energy we create can undo the negative, because positive energy is exponentially more powerful than negative energy.  And, it is the reason why when we express our gratitude sincerely for the “good things” in our lives, we receive even more “good things”.  So when bad things happen, remember to thank God, thank Spirit, thank your Creator, thank the Universe…it works!!!

6. THE LAW OF THE VACUUM
The Law of the Vacuum states that the Universe cannot tolerate a void (think of a black hole) and hence when it finds one it will fill it, being cognizant of this is critical to working with it. This is the key to how our world gets out of control. 

Think about how your mind works when you are not focused and concentrating on something…do not your thoughts come crashing down upon you? And then think about how it works when you have a million things to do. 

I know I am infinitely more productive when I am busy; I seem to be able to take on ten more projects.  Take on too much and I
don’t realize I am on the edge of a crash.  Yet, when I am not working and I am relaxing, the day slips by and I say “where did all the time go”. 

Another good example of this law in action is reflected in our relationships. Have you ever been in a relationship that wasn’t working, but you stayed because you were afraid of being alone. This fear and attachment to what we have, prevents us from making the space and movement in our lives for something new and better.

This law points us towards balance. If there is too much space, chaos ensues. Not enough and we get stuck. The vacuum creates movement.  So, when we step on the Path, what do we do? We get unstuck or unattached. When we step on the Path, we are usually at a point in our lives where life isn’t working for us, we are ready to let go of something in order to effect change in our lives. This decision creates space, and the more we work on ourselves, the more the Universe creates movement and begins to fill the void.  Move too fast on the path and the vacuum will bring in more than you can handle and chaos ensues. 

By understanding and working with this law one can actually begin to take control of life and allow your new reality to emerge.  When we work with this law properly we also expend the least amount of energy to get the change to occur.  How often do we hear people say, “Why does life have to be so hard?”  Well I am here to tell you it doesn’t.    So keep in mind, when your actions are correct…or filled with Light…then the vacuum will fill the void with Light filled life at a pace that the human mind can tolerate.
 
7. THE LAW OF MONEY
You say, “finally we get to the good stuff”.   Not so fast…it is all good stuff, and, money is just another symbol for energy; a container so to speak and what we use to create it is attached to it.  Hence when we receive and do not share, the law of Poverty will eventually kick in.  But if we reap, with the purpose of giving back, then the Law of 10 Fold return kicks in.  Money received in alignment to all the preceding laws will reap nothing but positive things into your life.  Money not properly earned or abused, once earned, will bring negative consequences into your life.

8. THE LAW OF POVERTY
Poverty is an energy container just like money is. The Law of Poverty has many layers to it.  Poverty can mean lack of money, health, success, happiness…you get the picture.

a. Co-Dependent – Those who depend on others to fulfill their needs will always be in a place of poverty. This is one of the reasons why parents know that to be a good parent we must make our children work for their rewards and learn the value of money and earning what we desire in our lives. The more you wait for others to bail you out of a situation, the more you experience poverty. 

b. I don’t deserve it – Those who work hard but don’t feel deserving of what they reap will remain in a state of poverty.  Have you ever felt guilty when you do well and have more than someone else?  If you feel bad about what you have, you will never receive what you truly deserve…no matter how hard you work.

c. The World owes me – Those who feel justified in being idle and not working for what they want in life and simply take from others what does not belong to them, either literally or figuratively. This includes taking credit for other people’s ideas and or work. 

d. Blessed and don’t know it – Oh, and what of those who are blessed with good fortune? Be it money, health, happiness, etc. (and perhaps blessings that were earned in previous lifetimes). They misuse these blessings by not understanding what they have truly been given in this lifetime, thereby generating another go on the karmic wheel of life.  Have you ever met someone who has it all and does not appreciate it or even know it?

e. Scrooge – Those who have it all, know it, and keep it to themselves. We know the expression, “penny wise and pound foolish”. This miserly existence is them. 

f. Attached – What about those who become overly attached to an idea or way of life, you know, “can’t see the forest for the trees”.  I once had a client who came to me and told me that a psychic told her she would meet a new man in her life and that he would be blond.  She then became so fixated on looking for that man, that when the Universe sent her a man and he was tall, dark and handsome, she let him go.  What a shame!

g. The self-fulfilling prophecy – Those poor souls who believe they have been cursed in this life or feel unworthy. They truly manifest their beliefs.

h. The Victim – The person who is a victim of collective karma, being born into poverty or into an impoverished nation, for example.

i. The Shadow Knows – Those whose subconscious has buried guilt and shame so deeply, that the person cannot find their way out of the their poverty without additional help. If you are in poverty and do not see yourself on the list, this is most likely your root cause.

j. Looking in all the wrong places – And finally there are those who feel that prosperity is external and look for it outside of themselves and do not realize the shift they must make within.

9. THE LAW OF TENFOLD RETURN
Ah…now this is a good one and one of the best reasons for living within the Law.  This Law states that when you give (of your time, money, love, etc.) with spiritually pure intentions, the Universe will return to you a fortune equal to or greater than ten fold the original gift.  This Law works beautifully with the Law of the Vacuum and is the foundation of high magic. Ever wonder why some people have all the luck?

10. THE LAW OF CO-CREATION
And finally we come to the Law of Co-Creation, which states the power of exponential return. Where two work together, they have the power of four, and hence 10 have the power of 100.  You get the picture. 

As a kid, when I was asked who I went out to play with, I would reply, "Me, Myself, and I." I thought it was a cute answer. Little did I realize then how profoundly true my statement was. You see, we are not one person, but three people.

The first is the person we were born as. That is, the person we were before our caregivers and others made us doubt our own power and worth. This person is our True Self, and you can see it in any infant. They, as you were, are filled with courage, trust and an adventurous spirit. This person represents your unlimited potential and is the kernel of the person you were meant to be.

When Johnny is told he is a "bad boy," he has no idea that this statement is merely a tool to provide temporary relief to his young, inexperienced, impatient, and exasperated mother. Lacking the capacity for rational thought, young children, such as Johnny, simply accept what they are told as true. After several years of programming, Johnny comes to BELIEVE that he is bad, stupid, clumsy, worthless, and whatever other criticisms are hurled his way.

So, Johnny's True Self is now covered by another layer. This layer is his False Self. It is the incapable person he believes himself to be. The False Self is the second person we are. It is the image we hold of ourselves in our subconscious. We can also call it our Limited Self or our Wounded Self. Having a poor self-image is equated to having low self-esteem.

Now, here's an important point. You are not what you think you are, but what you think; you are. That is, you are not the weak person you think you are, for your True Self is powerful and has unlimited potential. Yet, because you BELIEVE you are weak, you are incapable of acting any other way. Incapable, that is, until you change your self-image. As you change your self-image for the better, you begin to strip away the layer of your False Self, allowing your True Self to emerge in all its splendor.

What is the third person we are? It is our Fake Self. It is the third layer of our personality. It is the mask we wear, the person we pretend to be. You see, the shame and guilt we feel for being the person we think we are (False Self), causes us to wear a mask to hide from the world the inadequacies that we believe we posses. So, for example, timid Johnny wears a mask pretending to be courageous. How ironic that Johnny has to pretend to be what he really is, but doesn't realize!

Not only is our potential limited by our False Self, but it is further limited by our Fake Self. This is because when we pretend to be what we think we are not, we are afraid of being discovered. We are afraid people will realize that we are weaklings after all. The shame and guilt we feel, as well as the fear of detection significantly depletes our energy, making us unable to reach our potential.

Well, then, how do we awaken to our True Self? It is by changing our self-image. For once we believe in ourselves, in our capacity to change and reach our goals, we no longer need to wear a mask. And as our False and Fake Selves fall aside, all that remains is our True Self.

But how do we change our self-image? All we have to do is do the things the person we want to become would do, and we then become that person. This is because we become what we do. If I kill people, I become a murderer; if I workout, I become strong; if I treat others with kindness, I become kind. Simple, isn't it?

Wait a minute! If I do what the person I want to become would do, isn't that just pretending? Isn't that the same as wearing a mask? No, it's not, for two reasons. First, our mask is created subconsciously, but doing what the person we want to become would do needs CONSCIOUS and deliberate effort.
Second, the mask is based on a lie. It is created to hide the inadequacies we think we have. But acting like the person we want to become is the opposite. It is based on the truth. It is done to reveal, uncover, and expose our True Self, our powerful self. In other words, we deliberately create our actions and then our actions create us.

Let's look at an example. Leo is timid and wishes to restore the courage of his True Self. He decides to take a small step. He is unhappy with a recent purchase and decides to return to the retailer and ask for a refund. Despite his timidity, he acts confidently. He does what the person he wants to become would do. That is, he gently, yet firmly asks for a refund, fully expecting to get it.

And guess what? Leo gets his refund! As soon as he does, he can hardly contain himself with excitement, for he has made several startling discoveries. First, he learned he could obtain the same results a confident person would receive, merely by acting confident! Second, he learned that he can change his behaviour and, therefore, change his life. Third, he felt great. He experienced a victory. Fourth, he experienced positive thoughts.
These positive thoughts were not scripted affirmations, but genuine thoughts that burst into his consciousness. Thoughts such as, "Wow, I didn't know I could do it! This is great! I feel good!"

Leo took more small steps and continued to experience success. The thoughts, feelings, and positive results he experienced began to change his belief system. He no longer believed he was powerless. Before long he came to believe he was powerful. He became the person he wanted to be. Actually, he became the person he was meant to be.

When you understand that your thoughts, feelings, beliefs, actions, and positive results shape your self-image, you will have at your disposal the power to transform yourself. But before you can wake up and find yourself successful, you have to wake up and discover your True Self. Become aware of your three selves and take some corrective action every day, no matter how small. Doing so will bring you, bit by bit, closer to achieving your goals. And as you start to make progress, your rate of growth will speed up.
Finally, I would like to share this Mexican Proverb, "As you see yourself, I once saw myself; as you see me now, you will be seen."