Empowerment is food for the thirsty soul. The essence of power flowing through our cells, nourishing body, mind and spirit.  Don’t you feel unstoppable when you think, feel and act empowered? I know I do. It feels good and you want to stay in that high vibration of energy.  Imagine living in a world where we are empowered 24/7 with all life as our cheerleader. Wow, who would not want to live in this In-Power-Momentum that propels us forward?  Well, we don’t live in that world, YET!  But while we are here, the more inner strength and courage we can use to propel us forward into our expanded self, the more Joy-full and creative we will be.  Momentum builds a platform for you to share your message on.

Unshakable resolve comes to mind, which ties into courage. Sometimes we just need to dive into the deep end of the pool holding tight to our dreams. Sure, you may get bounced around by challenges. I am going through a few myself right now. But if I cling to the shallow steps of the pool afraid to go farther, that is exactly where I will stay, at the shallow end of the pool.  I want to play with the big kids who aren’t afraid of the deep end.  One thing I have learned from experience is that challenges make you stronger, more empowered.

In January, I got to play with some of the big kids at Motivation Marathon. Now, these kids have been having fun in the deep end longer that I have, and a couple of times I felt like running back to the shallow end! It can seem daunting to follow them, but I must!  This event and all the speakers encouraged me to take the steps to propel myself forward into my dreams. My challenge is thinking it has to be done tomorrow.  I have so much to learn, and I trust in myself to know that I will be courageously successful in my own authentic way.  We all can, so jump into the pool wherever you like and when you are too comfortable, go farther until eventually you find yourself having fun and enjoying life in the deep end of the pool.

I feel very honored and grateful to have been one of the 47 speakers for Motivation Marathon. For those of you who missed this event visit www.motivationmarathon.com and register for your Free E-Book and while you are there listen to Gary Kobat’s one hour presentation along with the video of Dr. Michael Beckwith & Gary Kobat.  Click on Listen to Free Highlights of the speakers with more speakers to come…all FREE!  I promise, you will want to dive into the deep end of the pool when you hear these speakers!

Debra Oakland

How do you define the word empowerment?  I thought I knew what it meant until I came to write about it for this months newsletter.  That was when I realized that it can mean different things to different people in differing life situations.  So, after ‘Googling’ it and not coming up with any clear cut definition here is my own interpretation:

“Empowerment is a multi-dimensional process of gaining positive control of the power we all have within us, enabling us to lead better lives to the benefit of ourselves, others and society as a whole whilst being in harmony with Universal Law.”

We all know the types of lives we want to lead; we all know the kind of environment we want to live in and we all want to live in harmony with our physical, mental and spiritual selves.  But unless we empower ourselves and allow our thoughts and actions to work at every level of our desires then they will never wholly come to fruition.  Self-Empowerment is a gift not to be wasted or abused, without it we can only live falsely as we would not be being truthful to ourselves.  Our ego’s and the physical outer world would be in total control.

Mother Nature is the embodiment of empowerment.  She plays by her own rules, the Universal Laws, yet embraces change to survive, develop and expand.  You only have to look around you to see empowerment at work, the forces of nature are continuously in motion with no days off, no procrastination, just pure energy in perpetual motion.  Day and night, the tides, the winds and the seasons are forever with us, if they weren’t, we and the world as we know it would perish.

It’s important that we empower ourselves by giving ourselves permission to be who we truly want to be, act and do as we truly desire and to learn how to work in harmony with not only our physical, mental and spiritual selves but with those around us and our environment if we want to gain the full benefits that empowerment can and will reward us with.  As with working towards enlightenment this is not an overnight process, it is a life times work and may not happen for us in this lifetime but in a future life in whatever multi-dimensional place that may be.  Accept and use the gift of empowerment, feel the vibrations of Universal Law working with and for you, the feeling of harmony coming into your life.

Steve Tallamy

As we explore the “144 Qualities of Love” I have chosen to begin with one of the greatest qualities – Creativity.  Many say “You can have anything.”  The higher truth is “You can create anything.” All the creative forces of life are alive inside of you.  As you harness the power of self expression, life expands.  You are here to create. Use your imagination deliberately and purposefully. What an unlimited tool to allow your visions and dreams to come forward in all their glory.  Your mind is fertile ground, the very fabric and foundation of your ability to create.  When your feelings are brought into play,  you have momentum of movement that can take your seed desire into manifestation.

These steps will help you in creating:

Think it (How open is your mind?)

See it

Feel it (How open in your heart?)

Own it

Let it go in gratitude (Not out there, but IN there!)

Qualify these steps by saying “I get to choose.”

Joy loves to express in, through and out from you.  Creating, as in any great quality, is where you will find joy and clarity.  You are truly given the greatest powers in the Universe to direct the intelligence that lives in your heart – your Higher Self.  Where and how you direct this energy will determine the speed and longevity of the creation.  Anticipation and expectation are your friends.  Creating in a positive way will remove you from mediocrity, and propel you into a world of every possibility you can conceive.  Remember the saying “What you can conceive, you can achieve.”

In John O’Donohue’s book Anam Cara, he states “The divine has such passionate creativity and instinct for the fully inhabited life.  If you allow yourself to be the person that you are, then everything will come together in rhythm.”  He also says that the shape of each soul is different.  May the shape of your creation be uniquely yours.  As beautiful and individual as you are.

© John O’Donohue. All rights reserved

Cheers to “Creativity” in February 2011 – Debra Oakland @ Living in Courage

This video was sent to me by Jack Armstrong, a man I greatly admire. His incredible book “Lessons from the Source” is a spiritual guidebook for navigating life’s journey. I have done more than one blog post about this book, because I believe it holds the keys to life in “lesson” form.  I find this of value, don’t you?

A dear friend, Caroline Reynolds recently passed away.  Caroline lived in courage, and was a special light to many people around the world.  One of her longtime friends Michele Knight wrote the words below on Caroline’s website.  I could not have said it better, so I am sharing Michele’s words with you. Michele  is creating a foundation, and plans to continue Caroline’s work – Spiritual Fitness.  I love you Caroline, and know your work is just beginning.  I am grateful to have met you, as well as many of your wonderful friends – you were and are, a blessing in my life.

Michele’s Message

After a long dance with her health our darling Caroline passed away on Tuesday, 23rd March 2010.

She was one of those very rare, dazzling spirits who knew the value of each and every second.  Having been told that she was dying some months ago, Caroline declared that she wanted to drink the juice of the last drops of life and to be in joy and give joy in those final days.  When anyone expressed shock or sympathy when they found out her condition, she always gently reminded them, “But we are all dying and the importance is to live with love and be love.”

True to her word, Caroline lived those last few months as she always had. She had the word ‘Joy’ emblazoned on her hospital door.  She radiated love, smiles and was a phenomenal inspiration to all those around her. Her unconditional love touched every soul that crossed her path.

In her book, Spiritual Fitness, she wrote, ‘Ask not what life can do for you but what you can do for life. Enjoy your life and you may be blessed on every step of your sacred and eternal journey.’ She embodied this sentence right until the end. When a doctor said to her, “I am so sorry you have been this unlucky”, she replied, “Doctor can’t you see how lucky I am? Look at the love around me. Make sure you tell people how lucky I am if they ask!”

Two days before she died she was recognized for the special, spiritual soul she is and was ordained as a Buddhist nun. Life was still giving wonderful surprises and she was fully present and delighted by the miracle of it all. She glowed with joy and peace. Caroline died as she lived; beautifully and elegantly, sharing her expansive love. She slipped away peacefully, surrounded by those who loved her.

She was a profound blessing in all our lives. I know that the next part of her journey will be done with her usual enthusiasm and relish. She saw death not as an ending, but the next part of an exciting adventure and she leaves behind an incredible legacy of love and wisdom for the art of living.

All of us who met her will remember her in a thousand fond and wonderful ways. She was an amazing influence on us all. And fortunately for us all, Caroline’s voice will remain – not just in memory, but also with fresh inspiration. During her final months, she was writing a book, intent on sharing some of the miracles of her journey with her.  This is not a goodbye.  This is a joyful, excited message to watch this space.

Link to Caroline’s blog – http://www.carolinereynolds.com/

While cruising around online, I found a very interesting article by Steve Pavlina about 11:11.  Many people are openly talking about it now. For some it takes courage to share this phenomenon.  I have been overwhelmed with 11:11 visuals for over 20 years. Some interesting 11′s started showing up in my life 24 years ago, when I married Cody, who is 11 years younger than me.  My son Wade (from my first marriage) was 11 years younger than Cody.  My mothers husband Jim, (now passed on) was 11 years younger, and I was told my great grandparents were 11 years apart in age as well.  This number shows up everywhere for me in many combination’s.  My friends are asking me why they see 11:11 on the clock all the time, and what it means.  Why do they happen to notice that time or number, and why more than any other time or number?   I am so used to 11:11 being a part of my daily life, and did not realize it was happening to people everywhere, around the world.  Many questions have been raised as to the meaning of this number combination.  A site dedicated to answering some of these questions is Eleven:Eleven at http://1111journey.com/

When I saw Steve Pavlina’s article today, I wanted to share it with you.  I will share a small excerpt from it, in hopes you read the whole article, as it is an interesting read.

Debra Oakland @ Living in Courage Online

What Is 11:11? By Steve Pavlina

There are many levels on which to explain 11:11. I’ll start with the most basic physically observable level and move up from there. This will take a bit of explaining.

11 is a number of course, and 11:11 is a time on a clock. Some very small percentage of people will begin to encounter 11:11 as well as the number 11 more often than chance would indicate — so much more often that you may think you’re in the midst of some crazy conspiracy once you begin to notice it.

If you’ve seen the Jim Carey movie The Number 23, there’s a similar concept behind it, although that movie is far removed from the actual experience. You may indeed think you’re going a bit nuts at first, but that will eventually pass, and soon you’ll be lead to some fascinating new insights about reality.

Numerologically speaking, you can take any number that appears in your life and sum up the digits. If you end up with a number greater than 11, keep re-summing the digits until you’re at 11 or less.

For example, my ZIP code is 89138.

8 + 9 + 1 + 3 + 8 = 29, and 2 + 9 = 11.

My previous ZIP code was 89129

8 + 9 + 1 + 2 + 9 = 29, and 2 + 9 = 11.

My current phone number is 991-1252

9 + 9 + 1 + 1 + 2 + 5 + 2 = 29, and 2 + 9 = 11.

If we include the area code, my phone number is (702) 991-1252.

Those digits sum to 38, and 3 + 8 = 11.

The fascinating thing about 11:11 is that it runs backwards and forwards through one’s life. So when you first start noticing the 11s in your life, you’ll find they run through your past as well as your present and future.  Read More ….

“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”  Marcel Proust

Who would want to visit a garden that is full of waist high weeds, colorless and uncultivated?  I would not, simply because it is lifeless, neglected and kind of sad.  Even if you planted a beautiful seed,  it has no water, or care. There is nothing to nourish this beautiful plant to take root.

Now imagine a colorful garden full of beautiful flowers, or food growing in abundance.  The area has been prepared, seeded and the little plants raise their courageous heads to the sun, in anticipation of growth and change.  You can compare these two scenarios to the mental bodies of the human race.  Each person is different, according to what has been planted in the garden of their consciousness.  The mental body is a magnetic field, and through the power of your attention, draws into itself whatever it is being fed.  What are you feeding yours?  Garbage such as anger, judgment, blame, jealousy or even hate?  Or, are you feeding it peace, joy, abundance, love, and a sense of knowing that you get to choose?  The healthy plant that is loved and cared for carries a pattern of perfection within itself, just as you do.  Are you willing to hold that pattern in your mind in a receiving way until it can be externalized?  Have the courage to cultivate, feed and water this pattern of perfection that wants to expand and express itself in, through and around you.

When you get an idea, it is the responsibility of the mental body to hold this idea clearly – long enough for your feelings to breathe it into life.  How does this happen?  By breathing  love, enthusiasm and expectation into the idea.  It is like a rhythm that accompanies this pattern of perfection you wish to manifest into form.   How do we fail or fall short of this?  As I mentioned earlier, our mental bodies are meant to be a clear, magnetic field.  It is cultivated and ready for planting.  When we put accumulated concepts, mass consciousness of fear, doubt, failure, doom and gloom into this beautiful garden of our mental body, there is no space for the good stuff to grow.

The mental body receives through the power of your attention, as well as through the activities of the senses. So imagine your attention connects with something, good, bad or otherwise.  Now your mental body forms a picture of it in your mind, and through the senses, whatever you have placed your attention on, enters the mental body and adds to what is already there.  In many cases, there is an accumulation of discordant garbage.  If we keep storing the same old garbage, there will be no room for the beautiful life we all want to live.  Start by pulling some weeds out of the garden of your consciousness.  Maybe your garden is beautiful and yields great and wonderful life experiences.  Now and then, you may find a few new weeds, or a couple of really big ones that need removing.  Go on in, and pull them out.  Then move on, without resistance, just knowing that all gardens need weeding, and constant tending to stay beautiful.  Just like you.

Here are some very wise rules to live by that will help your garden grow.

Watch your thoughts; they lead to attitudes.
Watch your attitudes; they lead to words.
Watch your words; they lead to actions.
Watch your actions; they lead to habits.
Watch your habits; they form your character.
Watch your character; it determines your destiny.

]]> http://www.livingincourageonline.com/courage/be-the-courageous-gardener-of-your-mental-body/feed/ 3 http://www.livingincourageonline.com/courage/courage-use-it-wisely-for-magnificent-results/ http://www.livingincourageonline.com/courage/courage-use-it-wisely-for-magnificent-results/#comments Tue, 23 Jun 2009 20:51:46 +0000 Debra Oakland http://livingincourageonline.com/?p=963

How is your core? I call your core LOVE. Similar to exercising your body, if your core is strong, it supports the rest of the body. When you walk in the moment loving everything, your world is supported in all ways. That core reaches out to every other area in your world. Ask “What Would Love Do Now?” and listen. Resistance will always give you an uncomfortable feeling. Breathe through it and listen. When you know what is making you uncomfortable, let it go. Use the courage you were given wisely.

Your consciousness can not act upon a mixed thought. Have you ever considered this? Do you wonder why your affirmations don’t work? Example – You decide to take a trip to your favorite destination. That is a precise, clear, pristine thought. If you left it alone all would work out perfectly. The Universe is in perpetual motion and you are the magnet of what you put out as a precise thought. The moment you start engaging in the W’s. When can I get the time off work, where will I get the money for plane tickets, hotel, etc, you have a mixed thought. Nothing will manifest or if it does, there is resistance and struggle. We manage to get in our own way constantly. Our job as creator beings is to make a decision as the architect of our own life. Think of it as building the outer experience from the inside out. Really get this as it is VIP – A mixed thought is an inconclusive thought and one your consciousness will not act upon. When you really get this,  your life will change.  It takes work and you must be vigilant and courageous.

I am sharing a video from Brother David because it talks of one of the most important aspects of life, no matter what path in life you follow – Gratitude.  A major key to living a life of joy.

Debra Oakland @ Living In Courage Online Sending You Love & Peace