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Friday, April 22nd, 2011 by Debra Oakland
I love this lighthearted article from Alan Cohen about death (just changing your address) and his new spin on Facebook. I hope you enjoy this article as much as I did!
Alan Cohen * From the Heart * April 2011
Eternal Life through Facebook
I was surprised to receive a Facebook friend invitation from Eric Butterworth, a respected author and minister who introduced me to the new thought movement many years ago. The astounding element of Dr. Butterworth’s invitation is that he is dead. He passed away eight years ago. How he found his way onto Facebook is a matter of great interest to me.
The Internet and Facebook bear huge metaphysical lessons. In truth no one ever dies and we are capable of communicating inter-dimensionally. In the movie The Last Starfighter, a young Jedi-like disciple grows sad when he learns that one of his heroes has been killed. His mentor tells him, “He is not dead. He is just battling evil on another dimension.” On a more earthly plane, a friend of mine told me that his mother had just passed away. When I offered him my condolences, he explained, “She really just changed addresses.”
Just as the essence of a person never dies, neither do relationships. All real relationships are eternal. You might break up, get divorced, move away from each other, or one of you might pass on. None of these logistical shifts diminishes the relationship. Only the love is real. Everything else is just story line. A Course in Miracles tells us, “Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists.”
One of my favorite John Denver songs is Annie’s Song. When I attended one of John’s concerts, he mentioned that Annie’s Song is the most popular of all of his compositions. “When I went to India, people would stop me on the street and sing to me, ‘You fill up my senses. . . .’” he recounted. When I read John’s autobiography, Take Me Home, I learned that he wrote the song for his wife Annie, from whom he later got divorced. Initially I felt sad that such an exhilarating romantic song yielded to divorce. Then I realized that the love John expressed when he wrote the song was genuine. What happened after that is less important than the passion that flowed through him at that moment. Though the marriage ended, the passion that inspired the song is eternal and available to anyone choosing love at any time. Forms of relationship may change, but the energy that joins people in their finest moments cannot be destroyed.
I met John Denver when I was walking along a remote road on Maui. Driving a rental car, he pulled over and asked me if I wanted a ride. I was enjoying my walk, and much as I would have liked to ride with him, I told him thanks but I would continue walking. I took John’s hand and told him how much his music had inspired me over many years. He smiled, told me, “Thank you,” and continued on his way. A few years later I learned that John had died in a small plane crash. Upon hearing that news I was so grateful I had that moment to touch him and say thank you. Like John’s music, that moment is mine forever.
If you have gone through a breakup or divorce; or parted ways with a friend; or experienced the death of a loved one, take heart. The precious elements of the relationship are yours always. People and circumstances come and go, but your connection in Spirit is inseparable.
That’s why and how dead people can friend you on Facebook. They don’t really go very far from you, just behind a curtain. You can’t touch them with your fingers, but you can touch them with your mind and heart. That’s why I’m establishing an alternative to Facebook. I’m calling it Faithbook. We’re making a movie about it called The Spiritual Network. On Faithbook you are connected to everyone everywhere all the time and you don’t need a computer to communicate. There are no annoying ads or silly games, and the organizers don’t keep changing the rules. You make friends only by the Law of Attraction, and messages that you would have to block on Facebook never get to you on Faithbook because they don’t match you. You can easily communicate with departed loved ones because on Faithbook no one ever dies.
All relationships offer us the opportunity to discern between reality and illusion. We make up all kinds of stories in relationships that cause us pain and sorrow. The relationship journey evolves from the stories we made up to stories that are true. Contrary to what soap operas, romance novels, and movies tell you about relationships, the only real purpose of relationships is to experience deeper love. That love does not depend on what our bodies are doing. It depends solely on what our heart and minds are doing.
When Facebook became popular I resisted joining because I did not want to spend any more time on the computer. Now I like it. Where else can you get messages from dead people you love? In the old days you would have to go to a medium to get messages from the departed. Now you go to social media. It’s kind of cool when you think about it: No one ever dies. They just move to Facebook.
Alan Cohen is the author of many popular inspirational books, including his newest book of uplifting messages, A Daily Dose of Sanity. Listen to Alan’s weekly radio show Get Real on Hay House Radio at www.hayhouseradio.com, and join him for Life Coach Training beginning in September 1, 2011. For more information about Alan’s books, programs, or his free daily inspirational quotes via email, visit www.alancohen.com, email info@alancohen.com, or phone 1-808-572-0001.
Tags: Alan Cohen, Courage, Debra Oakland, Encouragement, Eric Butterworth, Eternal Life Through Facebook, From the Heart, Hay House Radio, inspiration, John Denver, Living in Courage Online
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Monday, March 7th, 2011 by Debra Oakland
Image: Idea go / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
This is a guest article from Alan Cohen – From the Heart – February 2011
Directions to Happy Lane
During my Life Coach Training seminar in Ojai, California, I took a walk in that picturesque town. As I strolled along a back road enjoying a striking mountain vista, a car pulled up beside me. A forlorn tourist rolled down his window and asked, “Can you direct me to Happy Lane?” I shrugged my shoulders and answered, “Sorry, I can’t help you. I don’t live around here.” As the motorist moved on, I recognized the humorous metaphor of the encounter: You can’t direct other people to Happy Lane unless you already know the town. You can’t help others find happiness unless you are happy. When you’re familiar with the area, it’s easy to show the way. If you’re not there, you can’t be of much help.
In February we celebrate Valentine’s Day, honoring lovers and relationships. While we tend to focus on the romantic aspects of relationships, ultimately they serve as powerful teaching tools. If a relationship helps you grow in self-awareness and take back the power you give to others to make you happy or unhappy, it has served you well. Your relationship partner serves as a mirror for your beliefs and attitudes about yourself. If you see beauty and love in your partner, that is what you see in yourself. If you see faults and problems, again you are meeting yourself. Wherever you go, there you are.
In the early days of motion pictures, a small group of cowboys in South Dakota got together to watch their first movie, projected onto a sheet on the wall of their bunkhouse. At one point in the film a band of war-painted Indians stormed over the top of a ridge, hooting and hollering, seemingly charging straight toward the audience of viewers. Suddenly one of the cowboys in the bunkhouse rose, drew his revolver, and fired six shots at the Indians. Moments later the lights in the room went on, the movie disappeared, and the audience laughed to find six bullet holes in the bunkhouse wall.
When you resent, resist, or attack your relationship partner, or anyone, you are firing holes in the screen. You are fighting an image in your mind. Rather than engaging in a war with a play of light on a screen, trace the image back to the film moving through the projector in your head. You made up a story and then dove into it. The issue is not about the other person. The issue is about you. With such a realization you are immensely empowered. You cannot change other people to meet your expectations, but you do have the power to change your mind. When you open, grow, and expand your consciousness, your relationship opens, grows, and expands. We see life not as it is. We see life as we are. Thus relationships are one of the best ways to facilitate self-healing and personal evolution.
This principle came to light when I coached an unhappy doctor in Japan. The fellow had been pushed into his career by demanding parents and he hated his job. Yet, due to rigid societal expectations and his parents’ continued pressure, he felt he was unable to leave. When I asked him if there was any other profession he would rather have, he lit up and answered, “I would love to be a party planner.” Stunned, I asked him, “Why would you prefer that over medicine?” “Sometimes I throw parties for my staff,” he explained, “and it gives me a great deal of pleasure to see them happy.” Suddenly the dynamic behind his dilemma became clear to me. I told him, “When you throw a party that makes your staff happy, in that moment you realize that you have the power to make someone happy. The someone you would really like to make happy is yourself. Now turn that power loose on yourself.” He and I explored ways he could take better care of himself and amplify his joy, and he left the session relieved and uplifted.
Likewise, a workshop participant told me, “I am angry with myself because when I was a child I vowed I would become President of the United States by the time I was 48 years old. Now that birthday has come and gone and I see no hope of me achieving my goal.”
“Why do you want to be President?” I asked.
“I would like to free the world of oppression,” he replied.
“Then perhaps you could begin by freeing yourself of the oppression of self-judgment,” I suggested.
This month as you consider your lover, or your desired lover, or any of your relationships, remember that to guide someone to well-being, you have to already be there. If you want more love from your partner, give it to yourself first. If you want more freedom, claim it. If you want more understanding, understand. Then, when someone comes to you looking for Happy Lane, you will be able to point them in the right direction.
Alan Cohen is the author of many popular inspirational books, including the metaphysical thriller, Linden’s Last Life. Listen to Alan’s weekly radio show Get Real on Hay House Radio at www.hayhouseradio.com, and join him for Life Coach Training beginning in September. For more information about Alan’s books, programs, or his free daily inspirational quotes via email, visit www.alancohen.com, email info@alancohen.com, or phone 1-800-568-3079.
Tags: Alan Cohen, Debra Oakland, Directions to Happy Lane, Encouragement, From the Heart, Get Real on Hay House Radio, Hay House Radio, inspiration, Linden's Last Life, Living in Courage, Living in Courage Online, Metaphysical
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Monday, May 4th, 2009 by Debra Oakland
I would like to share an article with you from Alan Cohen, an inspirational speaker and author. I met Alan many years ago several times when he was speaking in Southern California. I find Alan Cohen to be down to earth, funny and very wise about the ways of the world we live in. Living in Courage is what Alan does. Are you living from your heart, where courage lives? It might be time to start.
The economic times we are in have affected everyone. This article is timely and full of wisdom, reminding us that challenging times can offer us the greatest opportunities.
Debra Oakland @ Living in Courage Online
The Best Time to be Rich
An ancient Chinese blessing suggests, “May you live in interesting times.” We sure do. Actually, all times are interesting, as they offer unique opportunities for awakening and growth.
Our most interesting opportunity at the moment proceeds from the economy. As you well know, lots of people are talking lack. While you may be tempted to go there with them, or judge, resent, or resist them, you can make far better use of the moment. The best time to practice wealth is in the face of the appearance of lack. It’s easy to feel prosperous when the outer world appears to prosper. If you can find a sense of wealth in the face of the appearance of lack ― ah, that’s the stuff that mastery is made of. Plus, you set yourself up to create wealth and thrive.
Metaphysician Neville (check out www.devorss.com for his books) illuminates “The Law of Reversibility.” You know that if you can obtain a certain object or situation, you can get the feeling of having it. Getting a car can make you feel mobile, and finding someone who cares about you can make you feel lovable. What most people don’t realize is: if you can get the feeling you want the thing or situation to bring you, the feeling will attract the thing. So rather than sweating to get the car or lover, cultivate a sense of mobility and lovability, and the object of your quest is likely to follow.
That’s why you have to feel prosperous before you can get rich. When Ted Turner donated a billion dollars to the United Nations, he declared, “The world is awash with money.” “Easy for him to say,” you might scoff, “he has billions of dollars.” But does Turner know the world is awash with money because he has billions of dollars, or does he have billions because he knows the world is awash with money? The latter is the case.
If you would like to contribute to getting the economy rolling, beginning with your own, here are some tips:
1. Recognize and celebrate wealth. Money is just one slice of a far larger pie called prosperity. We have been conditioned to believe that if you have money you are wealthy and if you don’t, you are poor. Nothing could be further from the truth. Right now you are wealthy in many, many ways independent of money. Make a list of the riches you now own: Friends, family; people who love you; health; the beauty of nature; your spiritual path; tasty, nourishing food; cuddly pets; stimulating hobbies; a career or a vision of a career that empowers you; expansive ideas; and on and on and on. You are richly blessed in a thousand ways. If money isn’t showing up in a big way at the moment, why distract yourself from your true riches because of one small slice of the pie? There are plenty of other pieces to enjoy.
When you get into a prosperity consciousness, regardless of what your checking account says, the Law of Attraction and the Law of Reversibility will kick in and send more money your way. So don’t wait for the money to feel prosperous. Cultivate your inner wealth, and the outer will follow.
2. Activate a Personal Economy. You have the power to generate an economy independent of the one most people are living in. There are always people who thrive during lean times, as well as people who flounder in prosperous times. Just because other people are worrying about money and not feeling prosperous, does not mean you have to go there. The two greatest architectural achievements of the twentieth century, the Empire State Building and The Golden Gate Bridge, were funded and erected at the height of the Great Depression. While other people were afraid and protective, visionary people were acting on their impulses and creating expansive ventures with large sums of money.
You need not feel guilty about prospering while others aren’t. The more money you spend, the more you will prosper others and provide them with money to spend.
3. Refuse to participate in thoughts and conversations of lack. It’s easy to get caught up in ideas of scarcity when so many people are indulging in them. You can hardly turn on a newscast without hearing “experts” spouting bad news. The only reason the newscasts indulge woeful news is for the drama, shock, and sales value. The news thrives on bad news, but you cannot. So switch off the TV and read an uplifting book or take a walk under the stars. Look up and you will see where your real riches live. If others get into discussions of scarcity, change the subject or walk out. Protect your precious mind from fear and replace thoughts of lack with affirmations of abundance. Then you will be a force for prosperity that will lift others.
Challenging times offer the greatest opportunity to build spiritual muscles. A Course in Miracles tells us that the world “challenge” is a misnomer for a spiritual being, because challenge implies doubt about how things may turn out. When you know who you are, what your source is, and how rich you are, there is no doubt about the outcome.
Alan Cohen is the author of many popular inspirational books, including I Had it All the Time. Alan has recently inaugurated All About U., a university without wall for people without limits. For more information on All About U., Alan’s free inspirational quote program, or his daily Wisdom for Today lessons via email, visit HYPERLINK “http://www.alancohen.com” www.alancohen.com, email HYPERLINK “mailto:info@alancohen.com” info@alancohen.com, or phone 1‑800‑568-3079.
Tags: "I Had It All the Time", "The Law of Reversibility", Alan Cohen, Author, Career, Courage, Debra Oakland, Debra Oakland @ Living in Courage Online, Ecomony, Inspirational Speaker, Living in Courage, Living in Courage Online, Metaphysician Neville, Money, Prosperity Consciousness, Recession, Spiritual Muscle, Ted Turner, The Best Time To Be Rich, United Nations, Wealth
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Tuesday, September 30th, 2008 by Debra Oakland
I met Alan Cohen many many years ago, and loved to hear him speak in Southern California. This story is about forgiveness – a vital part of any healing. My beautiful son Wade was killed by a drunk driver. I know something about forgiveness. Please enjoy this story as you look into your heart to find what is unforgiven. Once you release and forgive, you will find your life opening to miracles. This takes courage, but isn’t that why you are here?
Debra Oakland @ Living in Courage
Here is Alan’s article and photo.
A young Japanese man named Shui was riding on a crowded train when a belligerent drunk made his way through the train car and began to rough up passengers. Shui had studied martial arts for many years, yet never before had he been forced into a public confrontation. Shui felt his blood begin to boil, and realized the ruffian needed to be stopped before he hurt someone badly.
Shui stood up, blocked the fellow’s path, and the two exchanged angry words. As the men were about to square off, Shui felt a hand on his arm. He looked down and saw a frail old man. “Let me handle this,” the elder insisted.
Shui watched in amazement as the old man invited the heavy to have a seat next to him. Strangely, he acquiesced. The elder began to engage the fellow, asking him questions about his life and looking him in the eye with kindness and compassion. After a while the thug confessed that his wife had just died and he was in great pain; he had gone out and gotten drunk to numb his agony. The old man placed a comforting hand on the fellow’s shoulder, and he began to weep. Before Shui’s eyes the intruder was transformed from a villain into an innocent child.
When the train arrived at the next station, the tough guy thanked the old man and exited the car. Shui, stunned, sat down next to the old man and asked him, “Why did you stop me?”
“You were about to meet that man’s violence with your own,” answered the old man. “In true martial arts, if you hurt your opponent in any way, you cannot call your act a victory.”
We have all encountered people whom we feel we must protect ourselves from. Yet there is a way to keep ourselves safe without hurting others. It is the strongest way to protect our peace. Although we have been taught that we must wield pain as a weapon to keep others at a distance, it is not so. We gain all together or not at all. To wish ill upon anyone is to hurt ourselves.
I used to visit a prisoner named Ron. Years earlier, in college, Ron had a girlfriend named Jen. One night the couple had an argument, and in a fit of rage, Ron beat her up. Tragically, she died. Ron was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to many years in prison.
I met Ron when he was up for parole after nine years of incarceration. In contrast to his violent act, I found him to be a gentle soul. He was contrite about his crime and he had used his time in prison to advance his spiritual growth. Ron studied A Course in Miracles, he was active in the prison church, he was liked by the other prisoners and staff, and he had worked his way up to a responsible position managing the prison laundry. When I visited Ron, I sensed no cruelty in him and he certainly did not seem like a dangerous criminal to me.
Ron told me that he had been denied parole repeatedly because Jen’s parents had mounted a citywide campaign to keep him in jail. Each year when Ron was eligible to be released, Jen’s parents took out newspaper ads, exerted their political influence, and orchestrated a concerted community effort to “keep this killer off the streets.” Yet, looking at this man, I did not see a killer at all. I saw a basically good man who had made a heartbreaking mistake.
“So how are you dealing with Jen’s parents?” I asked Ron.
“I send them love and prayer,” he answered. “I understand that they are very angry and they must be in great pain. If I could go back and undo my act, I surely would. More than anything, I wish I could bring Jen back. But I can’t. So I am just deepening my relationship with God right where I am and trying to be a blessing to the world.”
As I left my meeting with Ron that day, I wondered who was really in prison. Ron was locked up physically, but his soul was soaring. Meanwhile, Jen’s parents were quite wealthy and enjoyed unlimited physical freedom, yet they were consumed by anger and vengeance. It seemed to me that their wrathful thoughts were creating walls more formidable than those encasing Ron.
Because we are spiritual beings at our essence, what we do with our spirit influences us more profoundly than what we do with our body. Heaven and hell are not places we go or conditions the outer world imposes on us; they are experiences we create with our thoughts and beliefs. A Course in Miracles tells us, “I am affected only by my thoughts.” Where our mind goes, there we are. The desire to hurt brings us instant pain, while the desire to heal brings us instant freedom.
If you are angry with anyone, or involved in a conflict, keep reaching for a solution that leaves everyone whole. If you feel you need to hurt someone or take something away from them to make things even, you do violence mostly to yourself. Instead of seeing them as a villain, regard them as wounded or calling for love. No one does anything mean or foolish unless they are in great pain. To try to inflict more pain only exacerbates their sense of disconnection. As you connect with your own sense of peace, you invite them to claim theirs. Only then can you say you have won.
About the Author:
Alan Cohen is the author of many popular inspirational books, including the best-selling Why Your Life Sucks and What You Can Do About It, the award-winning A Deep Breath of Life and his newest is the prosperity guide Relax into Wealth.
For information on this program and others, or to receive Alan’s free daily inspirational quote and monthly newsletter, visit www.alancohen.com or email info@alancohen.com. For information and a free catalog of Alan’s books, tapes, and seminars, phone 800.568.3079 or write P.O. Box 835, Haiku, HI 96708.
Tags: A Course in Miracles, Alan Cohen, Courage, Debra Oakland, forgiveness, Living in Courage, Living in Courage Online, Shui, Two Sides of a Prison Wall
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