Step 1

The Outer Reflects the Inner

January

Real Power, the power of Love, is kind, gentle, and thorough, honors all life visible and invisible, speaks with Inner Authority, respects and accepts all things because it respects and accepts its Self.

Real Power, the power of Love, honors the "Be"-ing that we are, honors the Sacred within each of us as a fellow traveler on this planet, sees us as another soul passing through this plane, and applauds all our steps toward spiritual mastery, Real Power, the power of Love, is patient, never forces a bud to open before its time, giving us all the time we need to express our self, and in doing so, allows us to express our Self.

Real Power, the power of Love, is totally non-judgmental, clears all judgment out of our life, does not look to divide and conquer, and never cloaks hurtful statements as Love.

Real Power, the power of Love, is not something we have. Rather, it is something we are. It comes from knowing that we are One with all things, from knowing we are not separate from God, from knowing there is nothing outside of Self. What appears outside of us reflects what is inside of us since the outer reflects the inner.

January 1

"Out There" Reflects What Is "Inside" of Us

The months of January and February are dedicated to the phrase: The Outer reflects the Inner. Everything outside of us reflects what is inside of us: what we think, how we feel, how we act and how we react.

The following statements all say the same thing: the Outer reflects the Inner. There is nothing out there. Everything out there reflects attitudes, beliefs, feelings or energy patterns we hold inside of us. When we are convinced our life is not working, the outer world simply presents the same situations to us over and over and over to validate our belief. Our life becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

This statement appears in many variations: The kingdom of God is within you. (Jesus Christ) You are a Creator Be-ing. (Neale Donald Walsch) There is nothing outside of self. (Michael J. Roads) Within the problem is the solution. (A Course in Miracles) You create your own reality. (The 60's Generation) Only Love is Real. (Brian L. Weiss, M.D.) Do onto others as you would have it done onto you. (The Golden Rule)

The same conditions, although they may be disguised as different conditions, present themselves to us until we recognize that, in order for a situation to change, we have to change. We have to let go of attitudes, belief systems, feelings or energy patterns that are not working for us. As we change our mind about circumstances which no longer serve us, then miraculously, everything else changes around us. As we change, it changes. If we stay the same, it stays the same. When events no longer serve the purpose for which they came in the first place, they leave.

Everything else mirrors the belief systems, attitudes, feelings or energy patterns we hold inside of us. Changing our circumstances by changing our mind is a minute fraction of the power we have that we may not be conscious of. We control what happens in our life.

We can start the process of change through resolutions for the New Year. If resolutions leave us in a quandary, still our mind and listen. Spirit will give us one theme for the year that is perfect for us. One of mine recently was Live by the Light of Grace.

Happy New Year.

What circumstances in your in your life keep repeating themselves?As we change, "it" changes.

January 2

The Different Voice of Higher Self vs. Ego Self

Our Higher Self, our Spirit Self (an aspect of us that is connected to the Divine), knows what is right for us. It usually speaks very softly, faintly above a whisper, so as not to usurp our freedom of choice. Higher Self constantly tries to get our attention but speaks quietly, in a voiceless voice which can take the form of impressions in our mind or a gentle nudge, a yearning, a tug, a gnawing feeling. It is relentless in pursuing us – this hound of heaven – continuing to get our attention in its own gentle way, so as not to override our free will.

Higher Self lets us know when something is right. How many times has our heart leapt for joy and we did not know why? How many times have we felt a lightness of being when we encountered a certain person for the very first time?

The voice of our Higher Self guides us through the "crisis points" in our lives. If we are fervently praying for a specific outcome to our life's circumstance, the answer to our prayers may come in an unconventional manner: in the form of a bird, a butterfly, a star, or a flower which can be symbols for what we need to know. Maybe a song on the radio has the exact words of advice we need to hear; a license plate we glance at has a number sequence that is meaningful to us which gives us direction; a book a friend recommends addresses the very issues troubling us; or the next conversation we have with family, friends, or co-workers grants us a solution to a vexing problem. Any one of these can be guidance from our Higher Self, who is attuned to Spirit, the Divine within us.

Sometimes a hole in our heart has to open before we hear the gentle quiet voice of Higher Self – another word for Spirit – our connection to the Divine. Sometimes we have to sink to our knees before we are receptive to the advice from our Higher Self. Sometimes, the pain in our heart has to be so great that there is nothing left except Spirit. We turn to Spirit because all else has failed.

Sometimes, our Higher Self takes the form of Angels or Archangels.

The first intuitive I went to see told me: "Alice, your Angels have been weeping. They have been trying to reach you since you were eight years old," emphasizing the relentless pursuit of the Voice of the Higher Self and our reluctance to listen.

We can be our own worst enemy and not even know it, because we have another voice within us, the voice of the ego self. This is the personality self; the self we present to the world, the spacesuit we call our body, our mind, and all our traits and characteristics. The ego self is the self we propel through each lifetime.

Our Higher Self relentlessly tries to get our attention, but all too often its voice is obliterated by the clatter of the noisy ego self.

The ego self speaks in a loud shrill voice, drowning out the Voice of the Higher Self. The ego self believes we are separate from our Creator. It constantly judges those outside of us – called the other – and relishes administrating punishment to the guilty. The ego self subscribes to scarcity, thus grabbing from others because it believes there is not enough to go around. It favors ridiculing and belittling others, causing discomfort, in order for its self to shine. Through its cunning use of savage power cloaked in secrecy, along with its insatiable greed, the ego self plies misery into every corner in the world. More savage behavior appears in "civilized" societies than appears in "primitive" societies. People in positions of power bow in homage to their ego selves, as the ego's bold shrill voice outshouts the small quiet Voice of the Higher Self.

The ego self is necessary from the time we are born to the time we come into Young adulthood. Then, just as quickly as it peaks, it needs to be dismantled. It serves its purpose up to a certain point in our life, needs to be acknowledged up to this point, and then ignored. To continue living a life propelled only by the ego self is to life a life filled with anxiety and chaos. When we feel we are thrashing about, we need to do whatever it takes to quiet our mind to hear the still calm voice of our Higher Self.

Messages come to us from all around us. It is up to us which antenna we select to use, whether we choose to be "tuned in" and connected to the Source through our Higher Self or to the ego. Our antenna can be tuned into the ego's voice exclusively, into Spirit's voice exclusively, or to a combination of the two. Acknowledging the ego's voice is the quickest way to still it.

Ego's voice vies for our exclusive attention. Spirit's voice, the voice coming through our Higher Self, is much more patient. It waits until we are ready to hear it.

Can you discern whether Higher "Self" or ego "self" is speaking to you? The voice of Higher Self is very quiet while ego self is very brash.

January 3

Listening to the Voice of the Higher Self vs. Ego Self

Instead of using the inner voice of Spirit, the Higher Self, for a guide or as the murmuring of the Divine most of humanity lets everyone else guide them. Well-meaning (but misguided) advice is rampant on this planet.

We need to train our self to hear the inner voice of our Higher Self. Hearing the inner voice of the ego self is not a problem, for we are tuned into its endless chatter continuously as its mindless tape runs through our head. Spirit Self, in the form of our Higher Self, is also there, albeit much quieter and much less assuming. It is that quiet nudge, that "great idea," that inner knowing, that instant recognition, that gentle push, that relentless force which propels us towards the good. The voice of our Higher Self knows what our soul's contract is and how to fulfill it.

How do we start distinguishing these two voices? The inner voice of our Higher Self always speaks quietly and calmly, always speaks for our highest good, as well as for the highest good of the "other." It will never harm us, suggest harm to another, encourage harm on any level, or override our free will. It is not the easiest voice to follow, nor will it necessarily make us feel comfortable, guarantee the outcome we have in mind, or fulfill our fantasies.

Ego's voice is just the opposite. It speaks loudly and brashly and is only interested in putting self "first," no matter what the "cost" is to the other. Its tone is self-righteous and intolerant. The voice of the ego is always right with no room for another opinion, path, belief, or choice. It is inflexible and unforgiving and always seeks retaliation and restitution for everything it perceives as an "injustice." Look around at the state of affairs on Earth to see where the ego has led us.

The voice of the ego has led the people of this planet from the moment the idea of separation from God occurred. Intermittently, God has sent messengers to this planet to remind us of the Voice of the Higher Self. These sages have appeared in every generation, in every age. Have we been listening?

Can you determine if the voice of the ego self or the Voice of the Higher Self is speaking to you? The voice of the ego self is brash and brazen, the Higher Self, quiet and gentle.

January 4

The "Corrections" We Feel

If our lives are not working, our Higher Self may be attempting to give us a message. It is important. Please listen! This "correction" may manifest itself as a feeling within our body: our gut instinct tells us something is wrong, our sixth sense alerts us to be vigilant, or our intuition kicks in with a sense of alarm. Our Higher Self taps us far more often than we realize. This "correction" may be a disease (a wake-up call for us to change), or it may even be insomnia if we are striving for an unattainable goal. A correction can be a warning to Get out of there! whether "there" is a job, a marriage, a relationship, a social encounter, a street corner, or the home we live in.

We can be experiencing great difficulty at work. We may be putting forth one-hundred-ten percent effort: we are bright and conscientious, we motivate our fellow employees, yet are thwarted in our endeavor to climb up the corporate ladder. We witness bad habits, bad attitudes and a bad work ethic by those around us, yet, they get promoted and we don't. We feel as if we are striving to ski uphill.

Is this the right job for us? Our Higher Self may be pointing us in an entirely different direction from the one our ego self has chosen. Because it knows our soul contract, our Higher Self knows when it is time for us to step into a new role that differs from our current position no matter how strongly the ego self holds our personality in its clutches.

Our Higher Self attempts to reach us by putting stumbling blocks in our way. For her fiftieth birthday, one of my sisters requested a picture as a gift. A fabulous sale was coming soon on a variety of "starving artists" pictures, but what complicated the matter was that I needed to be out of town when the sale occurred. So I enlisted the assistance of a good friend to use her best judgment to purchase the picture, then mailed this bulky gift upon my return. When the gift arrived, what my sister thought would be perfect was too large to fit her needs, but she found another place to use it. The original intent of the gift was not met.

If this truly was the perfect gift, the sale would not have occurred when I was out of town which forced me to make special arrangements to purchase it. Had I been in town, I might possibly have taken a picture of the intended gift, sent it to her, included the dimensions, and asked if it was appropriate. All the clues were there, I just needed to tune into them.

When Higher Self does not smooth the way, Pay Attention! Our Higher Self is always ready to assist us in making decisions in our life, but respectfully awaits our invitation. There is nothing outside of Self, because Self is all there is. Self with a capital "S" is our Higher Self, the Divine aspect of our self, the Self connected to the Divine Source, who we really are.

Our Higher Self corrects us when we are not on the right path and gently leads us towards the right path, by letting us know something is wrong.

Did you ever hear any "corrections" coming from your Higher Self? Guidance from the Higher Self comes gently at first, then more forcibly later.

January 5

The "Roles" We Play

Nothing is what it seems. Do you know what your soul's contract is? Do you know what role you have agreed to play and who has agreed to play opposite you? Do you know, at the soul level, to whom you agreed to be the instrument of forgiveness? Many people sitting in prisons today agreed to play a role that had a higher purpose than what is immediately evident.

When Mother Theresa made the statement, "I could have been Hitler," her audience members looked at each other in disbelief. They did not know what she meant. She was referring to the fact that in this lifetime she had chosen a "saintly" role, but she could have just as easily chosen the opposite, the role of a heinous villain.

The Law of Attraction, by continuing to send us the same situation over and over again, helps us figure out why the role we have chosen for our self makes us feel so bad. While still in Spirit form, our Spirit chose the perfect role for each of us to play on this planet. When something about each role we play while we are here causes us distress, we discover the role we were meant to play.

We sort out how we fit into this world, shifting through many types of "roles" until we find one that seems appropriate. If we choose a role that is inherently opposed to our character, we line up our temperament, our personality, and our energy field into a vibration that does not fit. If we are born with a tender heart, are compassionate by nature, have a way of offering comfort to those no one else ever listens to, we cannot play the role of a "heavy." Mary Poppins cannot play a stripper and be credible. Buddha cannot be cast to play a gangster effectively. This is where we try on one role after another until we get it, until we remember that "we are Spirit having a human experience."

A judgmental society exists because of the soul's agreement to forget where it comes from. The ego judges. Spirit does not. It takes more courage to accept a heinous role than a saintly one. Abominable actions and the people who perpetrate them are described in books, movies, and in TV documentaries, which elucidate their character in minute detail, exposing all their wretchedness. This exposure succeeds in hatred being heaped upon the person and his or her nefarious acts by a judgmental society that cannot accept that there is a higher purpose for these villainous actions.

It takes a great deal of courage to incarnate on this planet. Many souls are afraid to come here because of the agreement to forget from whence we come. This is where the games begin. Fortunately, we have help. To assist us, advanced souls are encouraging and aiding the current souls on the planet to wake up. The newly-awakening souls are hearing, are believing, and are acting according to their beliefs.