Within a few days, the nail turned a beautiful, solid gothic black. It was fun having my daughter’s friends come up and say, “Did you paint your fingernail?” NO!

I’ve kept thinking that the nail was going to fall off. But it never did. It just kept hanging in there until, finally, I thought that maybe it would reattach itself and heal.

In the past couple of weeks, though, it’s finally started disconnecting from the back side. And now I can see the tip of a new fingernail growing underneath the old one. It’s fresh and new and only comes about halfway up to the tip of my finger.

It’s reminded me of how a cut heals. Have you ever wondered what purpose a scab serves? I mean, those things can get pretty gross after a while. You know, bubbly, brown, and, just… well, scabby. Why can’t we just get rid of them? Why do even need them at all? And the why the heck did our mothers always yell at us, “Stop picking at your scab?” (But I bet you kept picking at it anyway, didn’t you?)

The thing is they really do serve a positive purpose. That gross, puffy, pussy, icky stuff (and those are all technical terms, by the way) protects the new skin that’s growing underneath. Your mom was actually being helpful when she told you not to pick at those scabs: If it comes off too soon, the skin underneath is thin and sensitive and just not ready to protect itself yet. It’s not ready for the rigors of the real world. It still needs the protection of the scab until it toughens up a bit.

For the past few weeks I’ve been going through a pretty “scabby” phase in my life. And it’s been difficult to not “pick at the scab.” It’s so tempting to try and rush through this space.

Whenever we hit a bumpy, “scabby,” spot on our personal journey, it’s pretty normal to want to rush through it, to peel that scab off and get to the new skin underneath. I mean, who wants to sit in the scabby stuff?

But when you rush through the rough patch it’s just like pulling the scab off a wound. It might feel good at the time, but the new growth underneath isn’t quite ready for the light of day. The new awareness, the new belief, the new way of being, is not quite ready for the rigors of the “real” world.

The rough spots you go through in life are your personal growth scabs, they keep your tender new growth safe until it’s ready to come out and play in the world.

Have you ever wondered why you keep coming back around to the same personal growth lessons? Often the reason is because you rushed through the scabby phase and the new growth underneath wasn’t quite ready for the world. So it gets re-injured, another scab forms and, voila, you’re right back where you swore you would never be again.

Of course, then you also have the added frustration of the voice inside your head saying, “Why the heck am I back here again? Why can’t I just get over this?” And that voice gives you even more incentive to rush through the scabby spot.

Don’t do it!

“Stop picking at that scab!”

Sorry, I just had to channel your mother for a minute!

But seriously, as difficult as it is to sit in your stuff, to be in that scabby spot, if you can let yourself just be there, for as long as it takes for the new growth underneath to get ready, you’ll end up saving yourself some return trips to that particular scabby spot!

My fingernail is almost ready to come off. It’s temping. I can see the new nail underneath. It seems like it’s hard enough and I can’t even tell how the old, broken nail is still hanging on. Every time I start playing a fingerpicking song on guitar that old nail gets in the way and it’s really tempting to yank it off.

But I’m not. When the time is right, it will come off.

As I’ve been sitting in this personal growth scabby spot it’s been REALLY tempting to rush through it. And I’ll admit that there were a couple of days when I was doing everything I could to try and push through it. Didn’t work! Still here.

But now I’m willing to be here. And while the external circumstances haven’t changed, nothing has changed on the outside, I’ve relaxed into this scabby spot, knowing that, just like the fingernail, when the time is right, I’ll move through it.

So if you happen to be in a scabby spot right now, see if you can settle into it and let the scab fall off naturally. I guarantee you, it will. And the funny thing is that the more you can relax into the scabby space, the faster that new growth underneath will be ready to come out and play in the “real” world.

This is one time when not rushing will actually accelerate the healing process.

And yesterday I caught myself falling right back into that sucky, serious, spiritual space and I didn’t like it! My daughter was in a great, goofy mood, and I just couldn’t meet her there. That, old, core belief that to be spiritual you have to be serious had taken over the controls again and all goofiness and fun was out the window.

The problem many of us spiritual people have, is that our models of spirituality are all serious. Think about it: have you ever seen a picture of Jesus smiling? How about God? Any candid camera snapshots of the big guy in the sky cracking up?

And how about bible stories? When was the last time you had a good belly laugh while reading that good book?

Eastern religions seem to have a bit more lightness. Think of the laughing Buddha statues. I love those. And yet, when you read the story of the Buddha’s life there doesn’t seem like there was a whole lot of goofing around happening during his lifetime.

What’s up with that? Who made the rule that spirituality and fun and joy and laughter and lightness don’t mix?

I realized just how much of a core belief this is for me just now when I watched a video of Ken Wilbur talking about Big Mind or the part of us that is the observer, detached from the events in our life. As I dropped in and tried to find that Big Mind space in me, I realized that I didn’t want to find it because if I did, I believed that I would have to spend the rest of my life being serious and stoic and removed from life.

That doesn’t really provide a whole lot of motivation to go and find the Big Mind!

So I’m embarking on a “Lighten Up Francis” campaign for spiritual people – especially myself! (And if you don’t get that reference you obviously missed one of the classics of contemporary western cinema!)

Let’s bring some lightness and laughter and, yes, even silly goofiness into our spiritual development.

I mean, how’s the serious thing been working for you? If you’re like me, not so well!

There actually are some examples of light-hearted, deeply spiritual people. When I visited Agape a month or so ago, I was cracking up. Michael Beckwith was smiling and laughing and joking… And it was one of the most deeply moving and transformational experiences I have ever had at an organized religious event.

The emergence of Rumi and the light-hearted Sufi poets as spiritual models is another example.

The Dalai Lama also seems to exude a lightness in the midst of his profound presence. You often see him smiling or grinning. And sometimes it sure looks like a pretty mischievous grin, if you ask me!

And what about all of these new – and not so new – spiritual development practices that are filled with light and lightness? Transformational dance workshops, tantra, high-energy intensives (think Tony Robbins) laughter yoga, karaoke seminars (well, I haven’t seen any karaoke seminars yet, but you get the point). We’re beginning to recognize that spiritual development can actually be fun.

In fact, I’ve come to believe that the more fun you have, the more joy you experience in your life and in your spiritual development practices, the more you actually develop spiritually!

Now some might say we’ve gone too far, that the pendulum has swung to the other side and there is too much lightness and indulgence in our modern spiritual development practices.

Well how about if we all just stand up right now and moon those folks!

So the pendulum has swung. Big deal! Pendulums do that. And we sure do need a break from the super serious spiritual systems of the past.

What can you do today to bring some lightness to your spiritual practice? How about listening to an old Steve Martin recording during your meditation practice? How about playing Weird Al Yankovich songs when you teach your yoga class! Alright, maybe that would be too far!

But seriously… no, scratch that… see if you can find a way to merge fun and spiritual practice today. Let me know what you come up with. I’d love to hear about your Lighten Up Francis adventures!

But until then, there are a few ways we can deal with the overwhelm we face in our work. One of my personal favorites is sticking my head in the sand like an ostrich (Kidding!)

Seriously though, there seem to be three main strategies for dealing with the massive amount of work we have as business owners:

Increase your efficiency.

Outsource.

In-Source.

The first two are fairly straightforward and I’m not going to spend a lot of time on them.

Increasing your efficiency is a great strategy – whether or not you’re feeling overwhelmed. As you incorporate efficiency systems into your work-flow you can get more done in less time. I highly recommend the free Simpleology system. There is one potential problem with this strategy: As you become more efficient you may find yourself taking on even more tasks and ending up right back where you started. (We’ll leave that topic for another post).

Then there’s outsourcing, another great strategy. You hire people to do the stuff you don’t like doing. You might outsource your bookkeeping, social media marketing, administrative tasks, filing, etc. Outsourcing is one of the most effective ways to instantly increase your creativity and productivity. When you’re not spending your time on the mundane, day to day tasks, it opens up your time and energy to focus on more of the high-level aspects of your business.

But sometimes, especially when starting a business, it can seem difficult to outsource. Often cash flow is tight, you may not have a clear idea on what or how to outsource. So for many entrepreneurs, outsourcing may not seem like a viable option (though it almost always is… but again, that’s another topic!)

And that means many entrepreneurs will do most, if not all, of the work needed to run their business. And, if you’re like most entrepreneurs, you probably don’t enjoy all of those tasks. So what do you do when you’re faced with a task that you just don’t like?

You In-Source!

In-Sourcing is the act of consciously connecting with the part of you that enjoys everything.

To your inner Source every experience – yes EVERY experience – in this physical world is joyful.

You chose to come into this physical world to fully and joyfully experience EVERYTHING. And there is an inner, core, part of you that truly loves to do everything. So even if your mind tells you that you “hate accounting” or “dislike making cold calls” or “can’t stand networking” your inner source LOVES doing it all!

Now does this mean that you “should” do all of that stuff? Absolutely not. If you’re in a position to outsource it, go for it!

However, sometimes doing the thing you “hate” just once or twice from an In-Sourcing perspective, meaning that you feel as much joy (or at least acceptance of it) as possible while doing it, will help you break out of the trap that keeps pulling you back into that task. Your inner source may just really want you to get a taste of the enjoyment that is possible from bookkeeping or filing or networking or sales calls or whatever it is for you.

Once you’ve had that taste, you can usually move on to the tasks that more easily open you up to your inner joy and creativity.

So here are three In-Sourcing tips:

Put a smile on your face: When you smile, even if it’s a “fake” smile, physiological shifts happen in your body such as the release of endorphins and other good stuff. So start with a smile.

Listen to inspiring music: If you can add some great music to your environment while you do your In-Sourcing work, it can help lift your spirits and raise your vibration.

Get an In-Sourcing buddy: Find a colleague or friend and schedule a time to do some in-sourcing together. Maybe 1-hour a week plan to connect, in person, or on the phone to support each other in your in-sourcing work. It can be so much more fun doing not-so-fun stuff with someone else.

So those are just a few ways that you can begin to In-Source the work that you don’t actively enjoy. This is such a crucial tool for your success because any time you do something in your business that you don’t enjoy you infuse your business with that low vibration.

You want your business to be filled with and to spread the most positive, high energy it possibly can. That’s why outsourcing tasks you don’t enjoy is so beneficial. And that’s why in-sourcing tasks you don’t enjoy, but are not ready quite ready to outsource, is especially important.

Give it a try and then leave a comment down below and let me know how it goes for you? I’d love to hear about your in-sourcing experiences!

I don’t know about you, but I can be awfully serious a lot of the time. And even when I consciously give myself permission to let go of that seriousness, it can take a bit of coaxing to relax down into the playful, spontaneous, childlike space that is so natural and yet can be so difficult to hold.

But it’s that space, that vibration of spontaneous creativity that allows us to tap into the infinite possibilities of the Universe. It is that energy of playfulness and joy that fuels the inspired actions that allow us to attract our deepest desires.

But most of us are almost completely disconnected from that creative energy.

And, while I’m a pretty fun guy (no not a mushroom!) and love to play, this weekend I got to experience just  how long it takes me to REALLY drop down fully into that playful, creative, childlike vibration.

My daughter and I went camping this weekend with a few other families from her kindergarten class. We spent the weekend playing in the dunes north of Bodega Bay and I can trace the “downshifts” that moved me out of my serious, adult mind and into the playful, spontaneous, childlike vibration.

When we first arrived I was, of course, all business: Where are we camping? Where’s the best tent site? Set up the tent. Unpack the car… etc. It’s pretty amazing how my Virgo nature comes out, big time, when I first roll into a campground!

Fortunately, some other families were heading down to the beach just as we arrived and Ella tagged along with them while I got our campsite set up.
My first downshift came when I walked to the beach after setting up our site. All the way down to the beach I was in “Go” mode, walking fast and feeling like I was “supposed” to get down there to play with Ella. But the moment I walked across the boardwalk bridge and stood at the top of the dune looking down on the ocean and the beach and felt the wind coming off the water, I felt the first downshift.It’s quite difficult to stay in “go” mode when you’re at the beach. There is something hypnotic and mesmerizing about the ocean, and only the most die-hard do-ers can resist the ocean’s invitation to drop into a more relaxed vibration.

And the best part is that this invitation is available all the time: You don’t have to actually be at the ocean to access it.

Take a moment, right now, to imagine the sound of the waves, the smell of the salty air, the feel of the moisture on your face as the ocean wind swirls it around you. Take a deep breath and let yourself accept the invitation to downshift your vibration and come into resonance with the energy of the ocean.

Imagination is such a powerful tool for manifesting the life of your dreams. And you can improve your imagination just by using it! Take time to imagine that you are at the ocean, or the mountains, or the forest or wherever you feel most energized and connected!

My next downshift came after dinner. The kids were playing a game where the beautiful, exposed roots of an old pine tree growing out of the dunes was the “jail” and the roots of a smaller tree across the dunes was the “base” where you could “escape” to.

At first, just the children were playing while the adults sat, in the “jail” and talked about adult things. But, one by one, the fathers started joining in. You could see them get a little twinkle in their eyes… thinking about it, catching some of that contagious, playful, childlike energy. And then, suddenly, as they let go of their concerns about what they might look like or whether it was “ok” to play with the kids, they would burst out of the “jail” with a shout of joy as a pack of kids started chasing them around the dunes.

Soon almost all of the “dada’s” were running around the dunes, acting like children, letting our playful, inner beings come out. And, quite honestly, I think the dads were having more fun than the kids! It happens that way. Kids play all the time. It’s their natural state. Dads… not so much! So when we do get out of our serious, responsible, mode the fun that’s been stuck inside starts coming out… big time!

Now, in addition to being a second downshift for me, when I jumped in and started running around the sand like a crazy, escapee, that game in the dunes really shifted the energy for our entire group. You could feel the group energy relax into playfulness. It was like a big sigh of relief as we let go of our collective responsibilities and allowed  ourselves to drop into the playful spontaneity of the present moment.

And that, of course, that led us all back over to the campfire for S’mores. And, it’s pretty hard to be serious while you’re making s’mores! Well, unless you get into a serious discussion of the BEST way to make them… You know, do you let the marshmallow catch on fire and then blow it out, or do you hold it just above the burn zone so that it  gets lightly browned? Do you melt the chocolate or let the toasted marshmallow do the melting? And this time we had a new twist added to the mix: Someone brought a jar of Nutella which… while not traditional, certainly did make a very good s’more when spread on the graham cracker in place of the chocolate bar!

The final downshift came after s’mores when we broke out our instruments and started playing music around the campfire. It brought me back to my days at summer camp on Cape Cod. There is something so universally appealing about playing music around a campfire. The crackling fire, the sparks, or “fire fairies” as Ella calls them, the soft glowing light on the faces, and the music filling the camp, rising up to the sky like an offering of joy and love.

And, as with the ocean, this energy is available to you all the time. You don’t have to wait until you’re at a campfire. Take a deep breath in and imagine the fire. Imagine the flames dancing and crackling. See the “fire fairies” as they rise up and dance in the smoke. Smell the smoke. And yes, even feel the smoke burning your eyes a little. And connect with the energy of the fire. That fire energy lives inside of you.

Connect with it. Feel it. Embrace it. Let it come out to play. Let it fuel your actions. That fire is the inspiration that empowers your actions. When you take actions that are fueled by your fire you accelerate the manifestation process.

Action without inspiration is like a lighter without fluid: You might get a few sparks, but no matter how often or how vigorously you click that button, you’re not going to get a flame.

KEY TAKEAWAY:

There is so much power in connecting with our childlike nature (not childish, childlike!). Yet we often allow our thoughts of how we “should” to act and who we are “supposed to” be get in the way and hold us back from connecting with that vibration.

Taking time, each day to consciously, actively, let that “inner child” come out to play can provide tremendous fuel and inspiration as you manifest your deepest desires!

TAKE ACTION:

This week, let your inner child come out to play. Do something that is absolutely NOT on the agenda of your adult, serious, responsible self. Indulge the playful, spontaneous, fiery, mischievous little one inside of you.

PS. One way to embrace that playful, spontaneous, fiery, mischievous little one inside of you is by amping up your passion. And the two people who can help you do that better than anyone else I can think of are Janet and Chris Attwood. Write now they’ve got some GREAT free content up for grabs as part of their Passionate Life Secrets program. You can check out the program and access the free content here:
==> Passionate Life Secrets.

If you’re like me you know how fun and exciting it is to meet a “virtual” friend for the first time in “real life!” So I was looking forward to this connection.

But Friday afternoon, I had another car-related complication (what is it with me and cars?) that meant I had to cancel our meeting.

I was disappointed and frustrated. I felt like I was letting Chris down, and, for a moment, I caught myself feeling let down by the Universe. Have you ever felt that existential frustration when things don’t work out the way you “want” them to?

It can be very easy to go into blame in those moments: To seek out a reason why things aren’t working out. It’s at those times when we may wonder “Why isn’t the Law of Attraction working?”

But it’s also at those moments that we have the opportunity to drop even deeper into trust and faith, to let go of our need to direct the outcome and learn to really “go with the flow.”

After a short moment or two, I came to my senses and remembered the truth that everything works out in its own perfect timing and manner. For whatever reason, this was not the time for me to meet Chris. I didn’t know why. And, in that moment I was perfectly fine accepting that I might not ever know why.

Sometimes you just have to let go of knowing.

And other times the reason becomes very clear!

The following Monday morning I dealt with my car issue and was back home by around 12:30 looking forward to my “free” afternoon. Ella was in aftercare for an extra day so that I could meet with Chris. So I had an open afternoon and was planning to get some work done and then go for a short hike before picking up Ella.

But at 12:45, literally 5-minutes after I sat down at my desk, I received a call from Ella’s school. She had fallen and hurt herself badly enough that I needed to go pick her up. So I turned right back around and went over to get her. FYI: She’s fine, just a bad bump.

Now you probably already see where this is going. But it took me until Wednesday morning to make the connection.

What if I had been down in Berkeley to meet with Chris?

Ella’s mom was not available to pick her up. And I would have been over an hour away. Now, fortunately, it was not a major “owie” and Ella would have been fine. But even so, I’m very thankful that I was able to get over to the school within 5-minutes of getting that phone call.

And once I made the connection between those two events, it was a powerful reminder of how the Universe often orchestrates events for our benefit – even though it may not always feel like it in the moment!

We can’t always see or know the “why” of things. We can’t always understand why something that we really want is not coming to us in the timeframe we would like.

Stuck in traffic? Maybe the Universe is keeping you from some greater misfortune up ahead.

Not as much money flowing into your life as you’d like? Perhaps you’re being given the opportunity to do some inner work to open the flow to even more!

Does the Law of Attraction always “work?” Do we always get what we “want?”

I don’t have an answer to that. And unlike some Law of Attraction teachers, I don’t believe that the Law of Attraction “works” 100% of the time. Unless you consider that it “works” at levels that are both way above and way below our conscious awareness.

For instance, is it possible that my higher consciousness “knew” that Ella was going to need me to pick her up on Monday? And if so, did I co-create the situation with my car so that I would be available to pick her up?

It’s certainly possible. After all, we are all energy and we are all interconnected. An awareness of everything that is happening, has happened and is going to happen is available to us in every moment.

So the next time you don’t get something you want, when you want it, take a step back and explore how you are benefiting from not getting it. Because there is always a benefit and a blessing in every situation! There truly is a sliver lining to every cloud. Your job is to find it!

To YOUR True Abundance

Edward

When the tea was ready, the scholar continued to speak even as the old monk poured the tea. Suddenly, the scholar stopped and jumped up as he realized that tea was pouring down onto his leg. The old monk had filled the scholar’s cup and was continuing to pour tea into his already full cup.

The scholar shouted, “You old fool. What are you thinking?”

The old monk calmly replied, “A cup that is already full has no room to receive.”

This story expresses the importance of having an open mind and a willingness to listen for and receive new information.

This is good advice.

However, there is another cup metaphor, from the Old Testament, that seems to contradict the message in this story. I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “My cup runneth over.” In this usage, an overflowing cup is an expression of true abundance.

So how do we reconcile these two seemingly contradictory metaphors?

Well I believe we all have two “cups.” One of these cups we want to keep as full as we possibly can, full to overflowing whenever possible. The other cup we want to keep as empty and open as we possibly can. What are these cups?

The empty cup is easy. I’ve already given you the answer to that one up above: Abundant Mystics have an “empty” mind that is open to new ideas and possibilities. Abundant Mystics understand that their minds are a great tool. But they don’t allow the “tool” to run the show.

When your mind is full, you cannot access new insights and ideas. You cannot hear the guidance that comes from inner wisdom and from the Universe. And most of all, you cannot receive all of the blessings that are being offered to you.

So Abundant Mystics have learned to keep their minds open and empty as much as possible.

And which cup is full? Which cup do Abundant Mystics want to “runneth over?” Would you like to take a guess?

It is the cup of the heart!

Abundant Mystics have an overflowing heart. They actively seek to fill their heart with light, love and joy and allow that energy to overflow out into the world.

And the more you can allow your light, love and joy to flow out into the world the more abundance is showered back on you. But, of course, the cup of your mind must be empty in order to receive those blessings.

I have come to see this as one of the secrets to TRUE Abundance.

Release your thoughts and ideas about abundance and fill yourself with feelings and faith about abundance. The more you can do that, the more abundance you will attract into your life.

Stop spewing your thoughts and start flowing your love out into the world. The more you do, the  abundance will flow back to you.

I first explored this concept in my audio program, Release the Money Madness and Unleash YOUR Money Magic. Because the context of this program is now out of date – I recorded it in the Fall of 2008 during the height of the economic chaos – and because of my tendency to overindulge my inner perfectionist (one way that my mind cup is full!) I have not been offering this program for sale. My plan was to update it and release a second edition. There just has not been enough time.

Producing that program was an amazing experience for me and a brilliant opportunity for me to practice having an empty mind and a full heart. There was so much personal learning that happened as I wrote, recorded, edited and offered it. Some programs get produced without much personal growth. But not this one! This one pushed me WAY out of my comfort zone. And that’s a good thing!

Because once I got through my resistance and willingly stepped out into the unknown, the information for this program came through me with such power that I had a hard time holding onto all of it. In fact, I would say that writing and recording this program was the closest I’ve come to channeling.

There are so many life-altering concepts in the program, concepts that I had never consciously explored before.

• The empty head / full heart idea was new.
• The idea that money has been stripped of its sacredness was new.
• The crucial importance of restoring that sacredness to our financial interactions was new.
• The recognition that this financial “melt down” is an amazing opening and an opportunity for Modern Day Mystics to make a major shift in the way our culture relates to money was new.
• And the, at the time, seemingly crazy idea that we were (are) in the midst of the most fertile opportunity for Modern Day Mystics to embrace TRUE Abundance was also new!

The bottom line is that it’s a powerful program for Modern Day Mystics who want to step into TRUE Abundance!

So, because the material in this program is so valuable, I’ve decided to offer it again at a GREATLY reduced price. The program, which includes 3 MP3 recordings, a guided visualization, a 60-page ebook, a list of 50 inspiring abundance quotes and a master list of over 240 affirmations originally sold for $79.

But until I decide to take it back off the market, or update it and release the second edition, you can grab it for just $19.00!

And even though the context that I use to set the stage is no longer current, the content itself is timeless and incredibly valuable. So go check it out. It of course comes with my unconditional 60-day money back guarantee. So there’s absolutely no risk to you.

And for WAY less than the cost of dinner out and a movie, you’ll have access to some truly abundance building ideas and tools.

So go get your copy of Release the Money Madness and Unleash YOUR Money Magic for just $19.00 now.

And remember… keep your mind empty and your heart full!

Before I left I had a personal experience that reminded me of how beautifully and mysteriously Abundance Flows.

I’m sure you know that I just finished the 21-day launch of The Abundant Mystic teleseminar series. Well, when I was planning for the program I created a list of the people I wanted to be Abundant Mystic Faculty Members. I had my “big list” and then I had my “I really would love to have them” list. One of the people on my “I really would love to have them” list was Arielle Ford.

Arielle is the publicist for some of the most successful personal and spiritual development authors in the world including: Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer, Neale Donald Walsch, Louise Hay and many more. And she is most definitely a Modern Day Mystic! She is the host of Mystical Cafe on Lime Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio and she is the author of the popular book series, Hot Chocolate for the Mystical Soul. As a Modern Day Mystic you’ve got to love that!

I wasn’t able to make a direct connection with Arielle for the 21-Day program. But I still had a sense that we were going to connect.

And then, right near the end of the Abundant Mystic launch… I think Joe Vitale’s recording was up, so it was the VERY end… guess who calls me?

Yup, Arielle Ford. She had heard about the Abundant Mystic and wanted to chat with me about the Spiritual Cinema Circle which she helps to promote.

Now, because she didn’t call specifically about The Abundant Mystic, you might be wondering how this is an example of the flow of Abundance. Well, remember, our job as Abundant Mystics, is not to figure out the “how.” Our job is to set our intention and to remain open to the totally unexpected, mysterious and sometimes downright sneaky ways the Universe conspires to provide us with what we want!

Arielle was calling to talk about Spiritual Cinema Circle, but I don’t believe in coincidence and now she’s going to be a faculty member for the Mystic Business series which will begin in late March or early April!

The point is to remember not to be attached to HOW your desires manifest. The Universe will work on your behalf, to get you what you want, but you have to be willing to be flexible. You have to literally “go with the flow” even when it feels like that flow is leading you the wrong way!

So practice going with the flow today. Practice staying open to the little miracles and synchronicities that flow into your life. These are the signs that you are aligning with abundance and opening to your creative partnership with the Universe!

Oh, and if you haven’t checked out the Spiritual Cinema Circle, I highly recommend it. In his Abundant Mystic interview,  Joe Vitale talked about the importance of reading, listening to and watching inspiring and uplifting material. The Spiritual Cinema Circle gives you plenty of inspiration each month! And you can check out Spiritual Cinema Circle for free for the first month!

And when you sign up for a free trial now (February 2010) you’ll get an inspiring new feature film starring <Barbara Hershey and Ron Perlman. Uncross the Stars is the transformational story of spunky seniors who guide a young grieving widower to reopen his heart to the world around him.

You’ll also receive three great, short, inspiring films, plus Mariel Hemmingway’s very special in-depth interview with spiritual teacher John Holland! If you watch videos, this is a great way to bring some inspiration and upliftment into your home.

Go sign up for your Spiritual Cinema Circle free trial here.

I’d love to hear your stories of FLOW. Leave a comment below and let us know one of the “sneaky” ways the Universe has conspired to get you what you want!

One of my long time readers wrote me an email yesterday wondering why she heard about The Abundant Mystic from Marie Diamond before me. After all, I’m the producer of the program!

Well, the only reason is because I have been up to my ears with last minute details to get this program launched. I know, it’s not a very good excuse. But then, Abundant Mystics don’t make excuses. They just say, “My Bad,” and move on!

So now we’re moving on. And I highly encourage you to go register for the Abundant Mystic. You’ll have free access to some of the Leading Edge Thinkers in the world today as they share the tools, techniques, and the personal experiences that have helped them to become Abundant Mystics.

You’ll get to hear from Marci Shimoff, Marie Diamond, Marc Allen, Sonia Choquette, Guy Finley and many more. In fact, you’ll hear from 21 Modern Day Mystics all of whom have discovered the secrets of TRUE Abundance.

And, you can listen to all of them for free during their 24-hour open access period. And I’m also giving away a free upgrade package every day. So you might even win one of 21 upgraded Abundant Mystic Packages!

So, maybe I’m a bit biased. But if you don’t trust my word about how powerful this program is, go check out the comments on the blog. We’ve already got almost 500 comments in the first 3-days! Here are a few of the hundreds of comments:

I enjoyed this more than most talks I’ve heard lately mainly because of Rich’s lovely energy. The lilt of his joyful voice dropped me into a deeply receptive, relaxed and happy place. I related to the orgasm experience and his authentic, personal sharing.

I’m grateful to be receiving these rich recordings. Thank you so much. What a stellar start with Sonia’s interview. Her glow was palpable through the air, and I felt uplifted to remember to bring my gifts 1000 per cent with me wherever I go. Many blessings, Joy

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Guy Finley and ED! I’ll remember to say is this stealing from me or serving me. If it is stealing from me, I’ll drop it. I appreciate all the wonderful gifts. I am so grateful I had the opportunity to listen today

So, you see, even if I’m a bit biased, I’m not the only one who thinks this program rocks! So go sign up for The Abundant Mystic. I have a feeling you’ll be really glad you did!

To your TRUE Abundance.

Edward

However you chose to celebrate (or not) the closing of 2009, I have no doubt that it was just right.

And now we find ourselves in a new year. Most of us recognize this New Year morning as a clean slate, a fresh start, and an opportunity to consciously step into the next chapter of our life.

When I awoke this morning to the sound of rain I took a few moments to give thanks for the challenges I faced in 2009. It may seem strange to give thanks for the challenges but it is when we face the challenges that we awaken our power and empower our gifts. So I offered thanks to those challenges and I gently allowed them to dissolve into the year that has now become history.

Why, I wonder, does it usually take a major external transition such as the turning of the year or the celebration of our birth for us to consciously let go of the past and set our intentions for the future?

What prevents us from doing that every morning when we arise? Indeed, what prevents us from doing so in every moment?

For every moment is truly a new now. In theory, we need not carry anything from the past into our present. And yet, mostly, that’s exactly what we choose to do.

Is it just habit? Is it just poor “emotional hygiene?” After all, we bathe on a regular basis to wash off the dirt of the past off our physical bodies. Why don’t we “bathe” our emotional bodies with the same regularity?

It seems to me that we actually have it backwards: Most of us bathe our physical bodies too much and our emotional bodies not nearly enough.

So as we move into 2010, as we move into this glorious new NOW and THIS beautiful new NOW, and THIS mysterious new NOW… perhaps an intention could be to bathe your emotional body at least as often as your physical body. When you take a shower, why not take a moment to imagine that you are also cleansing your inner being? Why not feel your soul being cleansed, the accumulated dirt and grime being washed away?

Welcome to your New Now! May you truly celebrate and enjoy all of your NOWs in this New Year.

The ritual was short and sweet with no immediately apparent insights or awakenings. But whether or not there was an immediate shift in awareness, I’ve discovered that the seeds are planted when you participate in ritual and you never know when they will blossom!

But the evening was not without a more immediate lesson. And it was all about the birthday cake. Yes, the birthday cake.

This morning I woke up thinking about last night’s cake. Now it’s as if I usually wake up in the mornings thinking about cake. And, really, I wasn’t thinking about the cake, per se. No, seriously! I was thinking about my interaction with my daughter, Ella, regarding the cake.

First let me describe the cake. It was dark chocolate cake, moist and full of rich chocolatey flavor with a layer of raspberry preserves and frosted with a chocolate ganache. Definitely yummy!

But when I saw the size of the pieces my friend Tim was cutting – can you say Rambo Sized? – I asked for him to cut a special smaller piece and then cut that piece into a small piece for Ella and a not-quite-so-small piece for me.

There were several reasons I wanted Ella to have a small slice: It was late, almost 8:30 by the time we had cake – can you say “Sugar High?” and she’s also a little sensitive to wheat and dairy. And this cake was loaded with both.

So Tim handed down our small little slivers of cake and we were happy. Well, Ella was happy. When I received my little sliver, I was a bit disappointed. Apparently I had not clearly communicated my request to Tim. I wanted Ella to have a tiny slice and I wanted to have a medium sized slice. But we both got tiny slices.

I could feel myself doing one of those cartoon double takes… looking at my little slice, looking at Neil’s big slice, looking at my little slice, looking at Chris’s big slice, looking at… well you get the idea.

I was so focused on the quantity of cake I had – or didn’t have – that I hardly even noticed how good it was. And when I wasn’t lamenting the size of my slice I was engaged in conversation, further distracting me from the full pleasure that the cake could have provided.

After I finished my piece, which didn’t take long since it was so tiny, I continued talking while still hearing a little voice inside of me saying that I had not gotten enough cake. (Notice that the voice was not telling me that I had not EATEN enough cake but that I had not RECEIEVED enough cake. Big difference!)

I found myself watching Tim as he continued cutting the cake, wondering if there was going to be any left for me to have a second small slice. It was going to be a close call. But before he reached the end, Jaci sat down across from me and, seeing the size of the slice on her plate asked for a much smaller one. So I jumped in and said that she could just give me what she didn’t want of hers.

Perfect! In fact, more than perfect: She gave me more than I wanted!

Meanwhile, as all of this internal drama was playing out, Ella was totally immersed in a full body experience of enjoying the cake. She was carefully deconstructing it as she ate: first scraping off the frosting and savoring that, then cutting off small pieces of the cake, lighting up with surprise and joy when she got a taste of the raspberry filling which she couldn’t see because it blended in with the color of the cake.

She was just finishing her slice when I received the “bonus” slice from Jaci. And of course, she wanted a bit more also. I let her have one more bite but turned down her request for a second “last last last last bite” at which point she shifted her attention to licking the plate clean – literally!

So here I was chowing down on a second piece of cake, focused more on the quantity than the quality, missing out on the fullness of the experience while Ella was totally immersed in the experience. For her, nothing else existed outside of her relationship to that tiny slice of cake. She was a study in the Power of Now.

And what a beautiful lesson!

How often do I distract myself from the present moment because I am focused on what I don’t have? How often do I miss out on the fullness of an experience because I am comparing what I do have to what someone else has? How often does my mind lead me into the what ifs of the future or the what could have beens of the past leaving no space for the what is of the present?

Far too often.

So, no matter what else blossoms from last night’s ritual, if I can take this reminder of presence and full participation with me as we move back into the light, I will be very happy!

Epilogue:

About halfway through my “bonus” piece of cake – around the time that I noticed Ella licking her plate! – I broke out of the trance I was in and realized I did not need to eat it all. So I took one more bite, with a much higher level of presence, and then put down my fork.

Soon after that, Jane sat down next to me interested in a small piece of cake. I offered her the rest of the cake I had been eating which she said was exactly how much she wanted!