To inspire, is to breathe spirit into the life of another.  I learned those words from a dear friend of mine several years ago. When we receive this spirit, it is received in sound, words and thought that bring feelings of happiness to each cell in our body. We can feel that uplifting spirit throughout our entire body.

Who or what is your source of inspiration?

Who breathes spirit into you with words of love and hope which encourage you to live a life today and every day with joy, bliss and optimism?

Do you get this inspiration from cable news?  Perhaps you get it from work – your manager or co-workers?  Members of your family?  From looking at your W-2, 401K or  retirement statements?  If you answered yes to any of these, does the inspiration last? Is it permanent and unwavering?

During a recent 16-hour seminar that I delivered, one of the attendees who’s been to prior sessions commented publicly about me saying, you have more energy than anyone that I know.  She went on to say, how do you maintain that consistent level of energy over such long periods of time?

Energy is contained in all matter. There is energy moving very slowly within solids – rocks, trees, etc.  There is a higher form of energy found within liquids that moves quicker. The energy that is contained in light and sound and moves considerably faster and is higher form.

Have you ever seen the energy in the speed of sound? We depend upon it every day as we listen to each other.  How about the energy that’s in cell phone transmission? That energy moves instantaneously across the world.  I can sit in Massachusetts and send a text to my daughter in Mexico and she’ll receive it within seconds.  That type of energy is real but, I can’t see it.

I guess that there must be information and energy which exists and is very powerful but,  can’t be seen or perceived with our senses.  Is it possible that we’re being too sensible?

The highest and purest form of energy comes from the spirit.

People who bring us information which causes us to smile and become filled with joy and hope are considered to be uplifting because we feel higher when in the presence of their energy. They’re a joy to be around. We welcome their company and are usually sad when they leave.

How can we feel this way all the time?

People who bring us information that causes our bodies to deflate like a balloon with a hole in it  are considered to be demotivating because their presence causes us to feel depressed. They are bringing us a lower form of energy.

You have a choice as to what types of information and energy you allow to penetrate your senses. You control the types of energy which you allow into your life with the choices that you make each and every second.

When you wake-up and turn on the news, what type of energy do you think that you’re receiving? Another 200 lives were lost when… The stock market was down yesterday… The top 3 automakers have announced sales that are down 27 percent since…. Another sports hero has fallen off his pedestal….  Unemployment is up for the 14th straight……

When watching movies, television shows and video games that have to do with death, murder, violence, drugs and sarcastic humor, what type of energy do you think you’re assimilating?

Why would we knowingly allow ourselves to be subjected to these lower forms and levels of energy?

The information that we receive is either life giving or life taking?  It’s very easy to determine whether you’re experiencing life giving versus life taking energy by continuously and mindfully asking yourself, Is this making me feel more positive and optimistic about life and my future or is this activity draining and depressing me?

Music, books, television, websites, radio, CD’s and other people are sources  of information that either lift us or lower us. With a little bit of effort, each of us can intentionally decide whether or not we choose to spend time on anything which causes us to lose our energy and feel deflated.

When one of my wife’s dear friends heard that the book club was going to read The Power of One, she responded by saying, I hope that’s not one of those self-help, motivational books!. The Power of One would not be classified that way but, even if it were in the self-help category would that be so bad?

Maybe her friend was afraid that if she read a self-help or a spiritually inspirational book she’d learn that there is a path leading toward  a happier life? Maybe she was concerned that she’d find out that there is a possibility for her to become more responsible for her happiness and that there are things that she can do to ensure that her life, and the lives of her children and husband, are happy, peaceful and full of purpose? Maybe she was afraid to find out that she could change if she wanted to??

Once we learn that there is no reason to be lacking in faith, hope and love, the responsibility for being faith-filled hopeful and loving is on us. We no longer have anyone  to blame for our lack of serenity.

Our serenity comes from within and is freely given to all who ask.

For many people this is not good news because we’re used to having someone or something to blame for our unhappiness. Can  you imagine accepting responsibility for your happiness each and every day?

Can you envision a life of joy that has taken up a permanent residence inside of you that is contagious?

Can you imagine being contagious with something that everyone wants to catch?

Visualize being filled with peace, love, joy, faith and hope. What would you look like?  How would you feel?

Understand that the most wonderful and everlasting gifts in the whole world are given to you free of charge.  They are here for the taking. Your only investment is in time.

I just figured it out while sitting here this morning.  It took me 48 years and the light just dawned.  We place no value on things that are freely given.

I may gripe but, I’m okay shelling out $150/month for cable television. (Entertainment/distraction)

I’ll occasionally and happily pay $125 on a dinner for two. (Social activity and food)

I’ll pay $1300 per month for the peace of mind that comes from having health insurance that I plan on never using. (Protection against financial devastation as a result of physical illness)

The dinner is over and done with as soon as I leave the restaurant. The cable service is billed on a monthly basis and will terminate as soon as I miss paying the bill.  The health insurance money goes out the door each month and has no residual value in 30 days.  It too will be canceled as soon as I miss one payment.

Why don’t we invest in the things that are free, everlasting and can never be terminated or taken away from us?  Is it because of perceived low value?  Is it because of the thought that nothing can work well that is free or inexpensive?  Is it because we’ve never been exposed to these concepts or never had the courage to try?

The only source of joy, happiness, peace, tranquility and inspiration that is permanent is God.  All other sources are temporal (limited by time).  Being plugged-into God is being plugged into The Source of life and energy.

People frequently disappoint.

Jobs eventually disappear.

Technology will be discontinued.

Food dissolves.

Companies are dismantled.

The body may become diseased.

Invest the time in activities which nourish the soul and promise to uplift and inspire:

• Prayer (talking to God) always makes us feel better.
  • We feel better when venting to people who may or may not be able to help. Try talking to God.
• Meditation (listening to God)  allows us to become centered.
  • Centered on what?  Centered on the source of our life and on our future (beyond earth).
• Scriptural Reading allows us to fill our minds with God’s Word. What do we receive?
  • Words of inspiration, confidence and love filled with God’s grace. Promises made by One who never disappoints.
• Group worship provides us with the support and fellowship of faith-filled people.
• Serving others is an activity which causes us to feel uplifted.

Allow the spirit of God to infiltrate your mind and soul and fill each cell of your being with  energy and life.  This is a gift that is freely given.

In order to give, you must be able to receive.  Allow yourself to receive inspiration from The Source of all Inspiration.

On Facebook last week, a friend wrote about his thankfulness for the electricity that just returned to his home after a snow and ice storm.  He didn’t appreciate the electricity all that much until he was without it for 5 days.

Another friend who exercises every day is finally back exercising after being sidelined on crutches with a bad back since October.  Only after this event does she now appreciate her ability to drive and to bend over and lace her sneakers. She had lost the freedom to be able to get in the car and go where she wanted, when she wanted.

I recently got a small glimpse into the freedom that I take for granted each and every day when I lost it for a day and half.

A few weeks back was my turn to serve the Commonwealth of Massachusetts by showing up for jury duty at 8:30AM about 30 miles (60 minutes) from my home.  In order to get in my daily morning routine of prayer, scripture, meditation, affirmations, breakfast and exercise and still arrive on time, it meant an even earlier wake-up call than normal.

As I happily approached the front door of the courthouse, I read the sign on the door that said NO FOOD OR DRINK and wondered how I’d maintain my healthy eating habit of consuming a small meal every three hours if I were chosen for a jury. With a sense of excitement and adventure at the break of my usual work routine, I opened the door and saw three courthouse workers sitting around a metal detector. I gave them a gregarious good morning and heard nothing in response but the sound of silence (think crickets).  I couldn’t imagine that three humans in an empty room would not respond to a warm greeting on a dark and rainy morning so, I gave them a second and significantly louder good morning. This time I received a grunt from one of them.  At that point, I knew that I was not in Kansas anymore.

I don’t think that they’re used to seeing any happy humans enter that building.  Most of the jurors are not happy to be there, the lawyers seem stressed, unhappy and rushed, those on trial are nervous and distracted and the courthouse workers seem to be just going through the paces. I can almost hear the self-talk going on in the minds of the courthouse workers (think eeyore), Nothing ever changes much here- miserable people, same hours, same building, same rules, same laws, same uniform. The entire culture within the system is comprised of lots of do’s and don’ts, gloom and doom.

After a few minutes of waiting in the lobby next to the metal detector, I was told to go down the hall and wait in the second waiting area for jury members.  I was given a number (4) – like a convict – and told to be seated and wait for further instructions.

Where was the Marriott concierge lounge attendant greeting me with, Good morning, Mr. Gregoire, and offering to get me a coffee and my choice of USA Today or the Wall Street Journal?

If I really was at the Marriott, it must’ve been their newest, really low-end brand – The Jailhouse Marriott – The hotel designed by prisoners, for prisoners. This place that I found myself lock-ed in by law had no manners, no coffee, no food, no drink and lots of rules! What’s with all the rules?  Why can’t I drink in the juror’s waiting area? I was even willing to use a sippy-cup if they’d give me one.  I was thirsty!

I found out from the unbelievably polite and considerate judge (a glimpse of light and hope within the darkness) why there wasn’t any coffee for the jurors.  They had purchased a coffee machine and had neglected to send it out to bid so, they were forced to remove the coffee machine from the courthouse. I’ve since notified Carolyn (my wife) that henceforth, each item that is purchased within the Gregoire household must be sent out to bid. We need more rules, paperwork and bureaucracy within our home too!

Because I was lost in Bob Kull’s fantastic book – Solitude – preparing for my interview on Friday, I was pretty happy to sit at the table with the other prisoners (I mean jurors) and finish reading the book.  The next thing I knew, my silence was broken as the court officer (names omitted to protect the guilty) said, “you can’t be chewing that gum in here”!  After the initial shock of his question, I looked over my right shoulder toward him and said with a big smile on my face, you’re kidding, right? He said, “No, I’m not kidding. We have rules here!” I guess the Diet Coke that the woman next to me was consuming was allowed because of an amendment to one of their laws.

In order to put things into perspective, I’ve worked for myself since  March of 1999 – I have a great boss who imposes very few rules upon himself or others! I work when I choose to work and I stop working when I choose.  I am blessed to have enough food at home that I eat and drink whatever I choose, whenever I choose.  When I travel – which is quite often – I’m fortunate to stay at Marriott properties most of the time and am treated with dignity and respect by their well-trained staff. This is the reality in which I live my ideal life.

Life and freedom are about choice.  We get to choose every word, every thought, every gesture and every action. It’s all an act of creation. This freedom allows us to create the ideal lives and the ideal world.  Constructive cultures are found within families, companies and countries whereby people have the ability to choose (think for themselves).  That type of culture assumes that people are smart, accountable and know what’s right and what’s wrong.  It assumes that people do NOT need to be told what and how to do things. This type of environment results in creativity and productivity because people are NOT being told what to do.

On 2/24/10 at approximately 8:10AM, I gained an even stronger appreciation for each and every freedom that I enjoy on a daily basis because for that entire day and the next morning, I was not free. It was not just because of the way that I noticed the court officers treating me and the other jurors, it was the entire judicial system that made me Thank God for my freedom and pray that my wife, children and I would never be on trial in a court of law.

I was chosen for a trial whereby a man was charged by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with assault and battery and obstruction of justice.  In this case, the lawyers that are paid to represent the best interests of their clients proceed to ask detailed questions of the witnesses, defendant and plaintiff of an event that took place exactly 12 months ago.  I am not kidding you when I tell you that  I don’t remember the subject of a blog that I wrote 2 days ago. If you remind me of the topic, I will remember it but, the detail of what I wrote on any given day is unimportant (to me).

Because of my vocation and the education that I’ve received from some of the best minds in the world in the fields of psychology and spirituality, I understand the importance of living in the present and thinking about an even more ideal future.  I spend very little time in the past. The judicial system is all about the exact detail(s) of what happened in the past.

One of the secrets of life is to live in the present and enjoy being where you are at each and every instant.  You have the freedom to live this gift today. Are you?

I recently asked you to appreciate this thing called life.  Today, we remind ourselves to cherish the wonderful gift of freedom.  Freedom to what?

• Freedom to think and to focus on positive thoughts about yourself and others.
• Freedom to work wherever you choose doing whatever you want to do.
• Freedom to spend every minute of every day exactly how you choose.
• Freedom to speak to others and say exactly what you’ve been wanting to say, but afraid to do so.
• Freedom to eat whatever you want, whenever you want.
• Freedom to set goals for the ideal life that you envision.
• Freedom to know that today and each and every day is an opportunity to start over. Life is full of 2nd chances.
• Freedom to chew gum anywhere (except a courthouse).

What are you free to do that you’re currently not doing?  Why?

As far as I can tell, there are only two types of prisons.  One type is the one we end-up in if we’ve been convicted a breaking one of societies many laws.  I can’t encourage you enough to do everything possible to avoid ending up in that type of prison.

The second type of prison is the self-imposed type that we place ourselves in with our self-limiting thoughts. I can’t get another or new job.  I’ll never have a good relationship with my family. I’m in a lousy marriage.  I can’t be myself around people because, if I’m just myself, people won’t like me. I don’t have the time to get a degree.  My schedule won’t allow me the time to exercise.

Many of us keep ourselves in self-created prisons with our thoughts.  Fortunately, you can break-out of your prison today or any day you choose and no one is going to come after you.  Once you recognize that you’re the judge, jury and warden of your own prison, you get to free yourself whenever you choose.

There are no guards keeping you in.

There are no dogs ready to chase you.

There is no barbed wire preventing you from leaving your imaginary walls.

Listen to your inner-wisdom.  You have the power to release yourself from the self-imposed rules and laws that you’ve been allowing yourself to use to regulate  – and limit- your life.

It’s time to break-out! You are free to move-on.

Earlier this week, I read an article on USA Today.com titled, Supreme Court declines new 10 commandments fight. It mentioned: the justices on Monday left in place a lower court decision that a Ten Commandments marker in Haskell County, Okla., must go.

Am I a little bit torn when reading the news?  Yes.  But, that’s my opinion as a life-long practicing Judeo-Christian.  Would I be offended if there were commandments or principles from other faiths?  No, I would not.

I’m fascinated by the beliefs of individuals whose faith is as strong – or stronger – in their religion as I am in mine. I’m always thinking to myself, I wonder what I’m missing? It’s become a part of my mission to know, understand, respect and very frequently incorporate concepts from other faiths that complement or strengthen my Christianity.

Although these markers and symbols are nice, we do not need them to live the principles without any excuses each and every day.

In my very humble opinion, having symbols of faith – 10 commandments markers, Stars of David, Christmas Trees, candles in windows, Menorahs, etc. – are visible signs of reverence or consideration for God.  When I see the Star of David, I immediately think of God.  When I see a crucifix, I think of God.  In that sense, each of these symbols is a reminder for me to incorporate God into each of my thoughts, words and actions on a minute-to-minute basis.

Do we need external symbols in order to make spirituality the central component of our lives?  No.

I think that too frequently, these religious symbols are much like corporate mission statements and value statements which hang upon the lobby walls at companies which no one is capable of repeating, much less practicing on a daily basis.

The 10 Commandments marker in Oklahoma is not about the marker. It’s a visual reminder to each of us of how to keep God central in our lives by following the principles given to Moses by God. As we’ve become much more religiously diverse in the United States and as certain groups have sought to ease God out of our public awareness, these longstanding and emotionally strong symbols are quickly being removed from public locations.

The objective of creating corporate mission and value statements is the hope and expectation that each person within the company walks, talks, and acts in accordance with these concepts.  If each person understands what they are and has assimilated the trait or principle into their subconscious mind then, the framed statements on the walls serve as visible reminders to employees and also point out to corporate guests exactly how they should expect to be treated by employees of this company.

It’s the same situation with the 10 Commandments, the Bible, The Torah, The Qur’an and every religious book or symbol.  The books and symbols are useless if the values and concepts are not lived and observed on a daily basis.  An unused Bible on the bookshelf is just as useless as the unused treadmill in the corner.  Each must be utilized frequently if we expect to gain any of the spiritual or physical benefits.

I do not Trust in God because In God We Trust is printed on the back of the one-dollar bills in my wallet.  I am oblivious to those words along with which president and any other symbols which may be on that bill or any other bill. I trust in God because of a seed planted in my brain about 43 years ago by my parents that was nourished during prayer prior to every meal at home and by attendance and participation at church 52+ times per year.

I learned very young that God was very important in the lives of my parents and my grandparents. Because my parents had always given me solid information in every other area of my life, I considered this knowledge to be very valuable too.

Faith is about the relationship that exists between you and God. It’s a feeling of effortless perfection that results from time in solitude communicating with your best friend. When this relationship is solid and the communication is flowing both ways, the result is a human with a sense of purpose and direction who possesses an unlimited supply of faith, hope and love. That endless supply of faith, hope and love gets replenished on a daily basis by staying connected to the Creator. The love that we receive is shared with God and with every person with whom we come in contact on a daily basis.

You know when you have the words of a song, or poem or jingle permanently imprinted in your mind?  Those words have become part of your second nature and were imprinted because of reading or hearing the words over and over and over. They’re a part of you. We can intentionally make the 10 commandments, the Gospels, the teachings of Buddha or any spiritual information permanently part of our second nature by repeating the words in our minds that we choose to live our lives. In order for it to become second nature, repetition is required.

The words imprinted in your mind and soul that you use to love God and each other can never be taken away from you by the Supreme Court or by any lower court. These words have come to us from a higher kingdom.  This kingdom is in your midst. Your mind, body and soul contain the emotions of the permanent markers that you use to love and serve every second of the day.

Within the world of Christianity, there is a song that has been indelibly imprinted in my mind for several decades.  Part of the chorus goes, And they’ll know that we are Christians by our Love, by our Love, yes they’ll know that we are Christians by our love.

Not by our 10 Commandments markers.

Not by our clothing.

Not by our religious jewelry.

Not by carrying a Bible around in our arms.

Not by our Christmas Trees in the front windows or wreaths on our front doors.

We’re called to BE and live the word of God.  We get to show it every minute of the day by how we love each other.

Do others see your faith in your words, in your actions and in the love that you show to others?

Why do we put people on pedestals during the Olympics?

Team USA's Evan Lysacek (Yuri Kadobnov/Getty Images)

Because they’ve placed in the top 3 positions in the world - within a particular event, within a particular sport. Tiger Woods was placed on a pedestal by many of us for the same reason – because he was the dominant player in the world – within a particular sport.

For Tiger, and the Olympians, that is the only reason that they’re on the pedestal: dominance within one event or one sport – they were not put there for any other reason.

They may have other very strong  traits or qualities in addition to their athletic ability but, we usually don’t know much more about the person except for their one, dominant skill. Each person that you and I have placed on a pedestal was put there because they were good at some THING.

What do we do to athletes, musicians, actors and politicians whom we’ve placed upon a pedestal when they show vulnerability in another aspect of their lives?  We crucify them!  We act as if we expect them to be perfect role models in every area of their lives – husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, role-models  – just because of their proficiency in one particular area.

How long would you and I last if we were one of those placed upon a pedestal by others?

Should we be placing people on pedestals above us in the first place?

Is it fair that we quickly push people off their pedestals and begin belittling them as soon as they reveal that they’re human and imperfect in other areas of their lives?

My name is Bob and I’m not perfect. Phew! I’m glad that I got that out of the way so that your expectations will be lower.  It’s so easy for me to say that because, despite my daily efforts, I understand that I fall short of what I’m capable of becoming. I’ve been given a tremendous amount of potential and I have NOT utilized all of it – yet.

Although I wouldn’t mind being put on a pedestal because of my relatively medium height (I’m short!), I don’t belong there.  If each of us were to be put  on the ideal pedestal, it would be one which automatically adjusted so  that each of us would be at identical heights. Can you picture each of us at exactly the same height looking eye-to-eye with Tiger, Gold Medal Olympians, musicians, politicians and other people whose internal value is exactly the same as yours and mine?

You see, although we have different jobs, incomes, faiths, languages and skills, we all have the same internal spiritual value.  We’re all part of the same universal spirit. Each person’s spirit is valued equally by the only One capable of putting a value on you.

We’re all part of the same universal spirit. We all came from the same creator.

We’re all being drawn and called toward our creator and spiritual perfection like a flower is drawn toward the sunlight.  We’re seeking the light. We’re seeking love. We’re seeking a feeling of unity and oneness.

My position in the world is not above you.  It’s not below you.  It’s beside you walking hand-in-hand.

The only person who can see you as less valuable than any other person in the world is YOU. It’s not our financial net worth that matters.  It’s not our intellectual net worth (IQ) that matters. It’s not our physical net worth that matters most either. The only thing that is lasting and permanent that we’ll take with us upon our departure from this earthly realm is our spiritual net worth.

How much time are you investing on a daily basis in your spiritual capital?

When we accept the idea that our spiritual value is the same as every other person’s, we begin looking at every person in the world as a peer – as a spiritual brother and sister.  Each of our brothers and sisters has received some sort of spiritual gift but, that gift does not make them any more valuable than any other person.  Your spiritual esteem allows you to see each person as one who complements you.  Our unique gifts and talents complement those of the people around us.

When joined together in one spirit, humanity becomes complete and whole. When we stop fighting each other, this will be the end result.

Why do we resist what we truly desire?

So, although we can recognize that each person has gifts and some people excel in a particular area, no one belongs on a pedestal above you. Each of us is allowed to be an imperfect human who is striving for perfection.  How do we accomplish this quest for spiritual perfection?

It becomes very easy for us to notice, recognize and acknowledge the spiritual beauty that’s in others once we realize it in ourselves. We develop and nourish our souls by feeding them with soul food – silence, meditation and prayer. We move toward perfection as we move into unity with our souls.  Moving toward unity with our soul is a deliberate move toward oneness with the God within.

Our souls need to be nourished, fed and nurtured much like our bodies and minds. The soul food which is digested on a daily basis, brings our bodies and minds into oneness with our souls and into oneness with our Creator. Once this occurs, we feel a very strong sense of connectedness to ourself, to God and to all other people.  We move from a state of competition into one of cooperation.  We move from states of envy and despair into ones of compassion, love and joy.

Although I exercise on a daily basis, I know that eventually my body is going to die. This is guaranteed.

Although I exercise my mind on a daily basis through recitation of affirmations and through learning, I know that my mind will eventually fade away or die with my physical body. This too is guaranteed.

I feed my soul on a daily basis because this is the piece of my being that is truly me. Our soul is the only part of our being that will be with us forever.  Because of this fact, this is where I spend a disproportionate amount of my time. I’m intentionally investing in that part of me that will never die – guaranteed.

When my soul is healthy, I feel good about myself, the world, and all of the people in the world. It is a feeling of joy and oneness with God and with all of humanity.

You and I became the recipients of Gold medals at birth – our souls.  We must become silent and go inside ourselves in order to find, retrieve and nurture this gift. Once this gift is acknowledged, you’ll notice the Gold medal worthiness inside of all people just waiting to be recognized.

Team Germany's Eric Frenzel (Javier Soriano/AFP/Getty Images)

Recognize the vibrant, living soul inside yourself first and then you’ll see it in others quite easily.

No one deserves to be on a pedestal above you and no one deserves to be in a position below you.

The goal is to be united in spirit with one another.

Our souls are longing to be acknowledged by us and united with God.  Once this occurs, we’ll then seek unity with all beings.

My 16-year old daughter came home from school for the weekend and notified us that she’d forgotten her iPhone charger at school and that her phone had died.  She was forced to spend a half a day at work without her lifeline to the entire world.  She was lost.

Those of us who use technology of any kind know that if we do not charge the device, it dies completely.

That got me thinking about the parallel between technology and humans.  With smart phones and notebook computers, all we need to do is plug them into an outlet on a daily or periodic basis and the device will remain charged.  What’s the best way to charge humans?

For humans to be our best, we require three distinct sources of energy to run optimally – mental, physical and spiritual energy.  Ideally, we would recharge each of these areas on a daily basis. By remaining fully charged in each area, we’re guaranteed to operate efficiently for at least the next 24 hours.

What happens when we’re not properly charged? Instead of just shutting down completely like a phone, we begin breaking down in one or more of the three distinct areas.  For many people, we think that these negative feelings are normal.  They are normal feelings for humans who do not understand how to properly maintain themselves. They are not normal feelings when we care for our high-performance bodies like they were any of our prized possessions.

Physical break downs manifest with symptoms like excess weight, loss of muscle, physical weakness, high blood pressure and feelings of fatigue.   Mental break downs  show up in our negative self-talk, criticism of others, cynicism and destructive emotions.  Spiritual breakdowns manifest themselves when we’re lacking in faith, hope and love (of God, self and others).

People who cherish their cars wash the exteriors frequently (care for our bodies), detail the interiors at least weekly (care for our minds) and make sure that the engine is serviced regularly by an authorized dealer (care for our souls).

Why do many of us seem to care more for things than we do for our own well-being? I think that it’s just a lack of knowledge because we receive more education in school about language, math, history and science and very little about  how to care for our self.

On a daily basis, I see people investing time, energy and resources into their professions and into their families but, they neglect to spend enough time investing and charging themselves.  Neglecting our minds, bodies and souls on a daily basis is like heading out the door with a poorly charged cell phone.  We will only last for so long before we stop working.

Most of us know how long we need to plug in the computer or cell phone so that it is charged enough to service us for the day.  Do you know how long that it takes you to fully energize your soul?  your body? your mind?

Would it be unreasonable to allocate 1 hour in each 24 hour day to take care of yourself?  If you think that’s a large amount of time to invest in yourself, how much time do you spend working each day?  Would you consider yourself to be in peak physical, mental and spiritual condition?  Do you have any idea how you would perform every minute of your life for yourself, family and others if you were in peak condition in all three areas?

Technology comes with a manual that tells us how to care for the device.  Humans don’t come with a written manual so, we’re forced to figure out how to care for ourselves on our own.

Here is the short version of the Human Owner’s Manual:

Body: Congratulations on the choice of your earthly body.  The body that you’ve chosen has been designed to last for a minimum of 100 years with proper care. Below is the summary of how to maintain your body in peak condition.  Details can be found later on on the manual.

• Sleep for  6-8 hours each day
• Exercise for a minimum of 30 minutes each day to keep your body in prime condition.
• Eat 5-6 small meals every 3 hours so that you do not overeat from being too hungry

Mind:  Your mind was created as a receptacle to hold thoughts about yourself, others and about the beautiful world in which you live. Like a tape recorder it records literally every though that you have so PLEASE be very careful about how you speak to yourself.  You create your own self-identity with your thoughts.

• Spend 15 minutes (or longer) per day creating the thoughts that you wish to dominate your life.
• Convert all of the goals that you have into one-sentence, present tense affirmations and read them as if you’re sculpting the ideal being because you are.
• Try not to give sanction to the negativity in the world and please dispute the information that is coming your way from other humans and the media.

Spirit/Soul: You are s spiritual being that is temporarily making residence in a human body.  It is critical that you maintain your soul on a daily basis because it is your connection to God and to every other human in the world. The best way to maintain your soul is by maintaining a strong daily relationship with God as you would any other person – by talking (prayer) and listening (meditation).

• It is highly recommended that you spend at least 15 minutes per day in conversation with your Creator.
• 5-10 minutes of prayer for yourself and for others allows you to remain connected to the source of your spiritual being.
• 5-10 minutes of meditation per day allows you to silence your 60,000 self-centered thoughts that you create per day long enough to be able to listen to God. This practice will allow you to remain focused on your really long-term goals (after your life inhabiting your early body ceases)

By allocating 60 minutes per day to your mental, spiritual and physical health, you will remain happy, healthy and peaceful during your time on earth.  For questions about your mental, spiritual or physical health, please address your questions in the form of prayer to your creator.  All responses will be responded to on a first-come, first-served basis during your meditation time.

John St. Augustine

Called the New Voice of America, author of the new book Every Moment Matters, John St. Augustine, takes us on a journey of self examination, but more importantly a journey of self re-examination.  How often have we gone through the process of evaluating our position and making our course corrections, only to fail to take in the moments that lead up to and from that position?  St. Augustine’s new book is the perfect wake up call stop and remember that every moment matters and to savor the stuff of life.

From the publisher:

While running in the rat race, we all have the tendency to keep running, moving forward, go go going without any thought toward the moments wedged between.  We focus our energy on how society measures our accomplishments with the acquisition of things, lots and lots of things all the while diverting our attention from what truly matters.

John offers Every Moment Matters as the antidote for a way out of the maze of materialism, media influence, and monetary madness by teaching us to notice ordinary moments, to remember them, to relive them, and to live in the present while creating future moments that have depth, meaning, and purpose.

Join me for this very special program where I have the special opportunity to meet and talk to John St. Augustine about his new book Every Moment Matters and his “relentless quest to squeeze as much out of being alive as possible.”(Dr. Mehmet Oz)

St. Augustine will be live on the Gregoire Today program this Thursday, January 13, 2009 at 1:30 pm EST (10:30 am PST).  For questions during the program, the dial in number is 646-378-0660, or listen live to our broadcast on Blog Talk Radio!

Are you awake? Are you aware? Are you present? Are you pleasant?

Those four questions once appeared on the chalk board of a vegetarian restaurant where I enjoy lunch with my family each Saturday. My daughter Emily liked the questions so much that she wrote them down on a post-it note and I carried the hand-written saying with me in my wallet for a very long time.  I was really sad when I realized that I had somehow lost the hand-written reminder from Emily.  Her note is gone but, the words are imprinted in my mind forever.

Each of us spends approximately 16 hours each day awake (not sleeping).  The question is, are we really awake or are we just not sleeping? Our responses to each of the other three questions can vary significantly from minute to minute.

We all know that it’s possible to be physically present in a room but, be mentally and emotionally distant.  When we’re in this state, our bodies are present but our minds are elsewhere.

Pleasant is a relative term. Are we pleasant in comparison to most people?  Or, pleasant in comparison to Mother Teresa?   When we have goals and compare the goal with how we’re currently acting, a gap is created between the present and the ideal held in our mind.  The gap is the realization of how far off target we are in comparison to the ideal vision held in our minds. It’s critical that we think highly of ourselves and others.  When we have high expectations, that’s what we receive.

How about awareness?  Because there is so much information for us to perceive in the world, there is a mechanism within our brains that literally causes some information to be made unavailable to our senses.  Our brains block out all of the information that you consider to be irrelevant to you at the time.  It’s like a forcefield that surrounds our bodies that only lets through the information which we deem necessary.

Do you think that it’s possible that you’re blocking out happiness, health, income of God because of your limiting beliefs?

What kind of information gets through this forcefield of awareness whose parameters have been dictated by us?  Only information that  is either a  threat or of personal value to you.

Information that you decide might be a threat gets past this invisible forcefield with ease.   Examples might be a gunshot, thunder, siren, tires screeching, loud screaming etc. In order to maintain our safety, we welcome information that will help to keep us safe.

Who declares what information is and is not of personal value?  You do.  Whenever you set a goal for yourself, you’re declaring whether or not information that is readily available in the universe will get through this forcefield. If you set a goal to buy a new car, all of a sudden you will start noticing the car commercials on television and radio that you had blocked out prior to the need for a new car. We block out all information that is currently of no value to us.

What percentage of people consistently set goals for themselves and put them in writing with visual clarity and specificity?  Less than 5 percent!    Without new goals, we’re automatically recreating the life that existed yesterday.  When we decide not to set goals, we’re deliberately choosing to keep every aspect of our life the same as it is today. We’re also making sure that new knowledge and information stays outside of our forcefield.

Are we deliberately sabotaging ourselves by blocking out information that will help us to improve?

When you intentionally look at every aspect of your life to decide whether or not you have the potential to improve in those areas, you’re opening yourself up to the possibility that you can be better than what is normal for you today.  Goal setting allows you the possibility of envisioning in your mind what might become your new normal.

Here are some examples of what might be normal for some of us and what might be a new normal if we chose to improve:

NORMAL | NEW NORMAL

impatient | patient

inconsiderate | considerate

physically unhealthy | physically healthy

in debt | debt-free

hateful | loving

anxious | care-free

lacking in faith | faith-filled

negative mindset | positive mindset

Once you’ve envisioned what your life might be like at the new level of excellence, you’ve created a problem for yourself and that’s a good thing!  The gap that exists between where you are and where you’d like to be causes your awareness and creativity to wake up and kick-in.

Creativity and awareness are released once you set a goal. When we don’t create new goals for ourselves, our minds work very hard to keep our lives stuck in the status-quo.

Think of how you would feel if you knew that you had the ability to bring about or cause whatever you conceived in your mind.  How would that feel?

When we become aware of what’s possible for us, information that our forcefields had previously determined to be of no value starts penetrating this self-created bubble unbelievably quickly. When this happens, we say to ourselves, “I wonder where this trait, quality, information, money, etc. was yesterday?”  The answer to that question is, the information has always been available to you. You’ve just been deliberately blind to it while you hung-on to your old belief. When we do this we’re deliberately choosing to get rid of an old belief and create a new belief in its place.

Once you try this process and prove to yourself that it works, you will begin setting even loftier goals for yourself because you understand that as you increase your goals, your awareness increases.

Small goals create small amounts of awareness,  Large goals create great amounts of awareness.

What beliefs have you been holding onto for a very long time?  Are they still serving you or can you envision a better life for yourself?

Old belief:  I am naturally a big person. I don’t have time to exercise. Even if I exercised, it wouldn’t work with my body type.

New belief: It’s easy for me to exercise on a daily basis and I feel confident and healthy with my toned and lean body

Old belief: Church and religion create gaps between people.  I don’t need to go to church to be a good person.

New belief: I feel energized and unified each week as I  enjoy worshipping and praying with my neighbors.

When we are looking for the positive in ourselves and in others, that’s what we see and become aware of.  When we’re looking for the negative in ourselves and others, that’s what we perceive.  We are selective perceivers of information.

I encourage you to give careful thought as to exactly what you choose to perceive and become aware of in this world:

I am awake

I am aware

I am present

I am pleasant

I am ___

You decide exactly what you choose to become and to become aware of

A couple of weeks ago, I ran into my friend while at my gym at about 4:30AM. Although I hadn’t seen Jim in nearly 10 years, I was able to recognize him – even though we’d both changed significantly since we last saw each other.  He and his wife had lived next to us for several years when Carolyn and I were living in our first house. Jim and his family have a special place in my heart because his family bought the house that I grew up in after my Dad’s death.  Jim raised his family in the kitchen, bedrooms, dining room and family rooms where I lived until the day I got married 25 years ago.

One of the many things that I find to be amazing about humans is our ability to recognize another person whom we haven’t seen in decades.  Although our physical bodies age, our faces somehow retain their uniqueness for a lifetime.  How can God create 6.7 billion people unique faces?

When I mentioned my surprise at seeing Jim at the gym so early in the morning, he quickly told me that he had taken off 1/3 of his body weight in the last year after having been diagnosed with diabetes. The man in front of me who now weighed 164 pounds was now about 240 pounds less than a year earlier.

What prompted my friend to decide to expose the six pack abs that he was born with now that he was about 50 years old?  Fear of death and love of life. His doctor’s medical diagnosis about his physical future health scared him into shedding the layers of fat that he’d added on to his body during years of managing restaurants and raising his family. He began the transformation of his body with a single thought.

Why do most of us re-act rather than pro-act?

Why don’t we embrace the good rather than running from what’s bad?

Our souls need a place to live. Taking care of our physical bodies provides a comfortable home for our souls while on earth.

As a person who was very fat as a child and who carried more fat than he should have for most of his life, I understand how easy it is to hide our naturally lean bodies with pounds of fat by consuming excess calories on a daily basis.

While in my hotel room on Monday last this week, I turned the television caught the end of The Biggest Loser.  I am not a regular watcher of the show, but I had seen a couple of episodes earlier this season.  When looking at the four finalists I was astonished at the transformation that had taken place since the last time I watched.  Again, I could still recognize their unique faces even thought their bodies were beyond recognition and their faces were significantly leaner.

One of the women had dropped 69 pounds and one of the men was down over 150 pounds. I weighed-in at the gym yesterday at 147 pounds and considered the fact that this man had been living his life with the burden of carrying around the equivalent of a man my size.  How could anyone do that?  Amazing!

We can get used to almost anything in life. Let’s start getting used to ideal health.

In this week’s episode, the contestants had to run a marathon – 26.2 miles – in order to continue on the show.  When the program started, each person was so unhealthy that they were barely able to finish 1 mile. I was amazed as I watched these 4 formerly obese people complete a task that I’ve never attempted myself.  Their determination to cross that finish line kept them going mile after mile when their bodies felt pain severe enough to give-up after completing the first 10 miles.

Humans are goal focused.  When it’s our goal, we never argue. We tend to fight when other people try to push their goals and objectives upon us.  In what aspect of your life can you see a better, happier or healthier version of yourself?

Like my friend Jim, each of The Biggest Loser contestants was the by-product of living a lifestyle that included way-too-much eating and little or no exercise.  One unhealthy meal at a time they proceeded to add layer upon layer which hid the healthy body that was there the entire time waiting to be exposed. The body’s natural state is lean and healthy.

How did the contestants begin the transformation from obesity to becoming one of the final four on the show with enough stamina and determination to complete a marathon? They gave birth to a single positive thought. They developed a new belief about themselves that took the place of the former belief that had caused them to almost physically kill themselves.

Thought is a creative process.  New thoughts create new beliefs which bring about new results.  We create our own self-image one thought at a time.  Each time that you develop a new positive belief about yourself, it’s taking the place of an older, limiting belief.

Like each of us has a set of six-pack abs whether we can see them or not, each of us also has a spiritual light (soul)  burning inside of us that is also waiting to be exposed to the world.  Sometimes, the light of our souls has been dimmed with layers of ignorance and destructive emotions such as anger, anxiety, hatred and fear in much the same way as fat covers our lean bodies.

The soul’s natural state is loving and joyful.  Like many of us are ignorant (lacking in wisdom) about how to create and maintain healthy bodies, many of us are ignorant in how to create and maintain our happy souls.  The light is lit. It’s just waiting for you to add the fuel.

The secret to a healthy body is to consume the correct amount of food and to exercise on a regular basis. The secret to a healthy soul that is shining bright is to invite the spirit of God to live inside you and to let God’s words of love and encouragement coexist in your mind.

The Biggest (Body) Losers invited the personal trainers into their lives to teach them the new ways of eating and exercising so that they could reveal their healthy bodies.

The Biggest Spiritual Losers invite The Spiritual Trainer to move-in with them for the rest of their lives.  The Spiritual Trainer moves in with you and commits to keeping you company and fueling the fire that is burning inside you each and every day.

The Biggest (Body) Losers give up unhealthy eating habits and take-on the wisdom of bodily health experts.

The Biggest Spiritual Losers give up their egos to allow the joy of God’s words and spirit to replace the destructive thoughts and emotions that were dimming their light.

When we lower our caloric intake, we eliminate excess fat and expose a healthy body.

When we lower our ego enough to allow God to coexist within each of our thoughts and actions, we expose a bright shining spirit.

Healthy bodies are developed and nurtured through knowledge about proper eating habits and regular exercise.

Healthy souls are developed and nurtured through knowledge of God’s word (reading of scripture, prayer and meditation) and by inviting God’s spirit to move-in with you.

A healthy body, mind and soul is within your reach. Every living organism requires nourishment.  Open yourself to an awareness of the possibilities for you to nourish yourself mentally, spiritually and physically on a daily basis to restore your entire being to its natural state of health and serenity.

One of my dear friends from my old hi-tech days sent me an e-mail on Sunday morning looking for suggestions to tighten up one of his habits.  George is a person who I’d consider to be very successful in his life – spiritually, physically, career, family, etc. Whenever I see him, he has a huge smile on his face.  When I think of George, I always picture him in my mind with the same wide smile.

In his e-mail he said, “Here it is almost December and I realized, after reading a forum post on Omnifocus, that I had not had written goals ALL YEAR! Yikes!!….”  George is and always has been a very goal-oriented person.  Although he had the big-picture goals in his head, he had gotten out of the habit of checking in on the goals – and the daily behaviors associated with accomplishing the goals.

I’ll offer two suggestions to assist everyone in the art of goal accomplishment.

Pre-Flight Check List

The first thing that came to mind is the pre-flight check from the airline industry.  Prior to each and every flight, the airlines have a list that they go down in order to make sure that all systems are go prior to taking off. Because the consequences are catastrophic if something happens to a jet at 30,000 feet, the airlines don’t leave the pre-flight check to the memory of any of their pilots.

If you forgot to do something that you considered to be important in the past when you set the goal, would you call it catastrophic?

When I conduct training sessions, I hear a lot of people say, “Oh yeah…. I used to do that but, I guess that I got out of the habit”. There are a couple of ways to make sure that we never forget our good habits.

George is way ahead of most of us because he’s in the habit of setting goals for his life.  George’s error this year is that he didn’t write them down.  Here is a brief refresher on the goal-setting best practices:

• Create written goals for every major area of your life

Physical/Health |  Social |  Family |  Education |  Spiritual |  Financial |  Work/Career

• Once you’ve created all of your goals in every category, prioritize them in order – most important down to least important.  This will give you a list of your values (priorities).
• You may determine that there are not enough hours in the day to accomplish everything that you would like. If that’s the case, you can either cut back on the frequency of some of your goals (watch fewer football games on the weekend) or take some lower priority items off your list completely (give-up watching and attending football games altogether).
• In the next step, you’ll probably come up with the sub-goals/behaviors that you’ve chosen to be conducted on a daily or frequent basis.
• If you’re very serious about your goal accomplishment, I suggest you develop a spreadsheet or similar document that allows you to track each of the behaviors and frequency of the behaviors.

At the end of each day, you can check-off the accomplished items from your list of priorities for that day and week. Many people that I work with look at their personal pre-flight checklist at the beginning and end of each day.

What did I say that I wanted to do today? |  Did I do them?

When we set goals for a period of time such as a year, those goals determine our destination for those 12 months – like a jet ready to take off for London. Tracking of the daily behaviors for your longer term goals with your pre-flight checklist allows you (the pilot) to make sure that you’re still prepared to reach your ultimate destination.

The mistake that many people make after setting goals is to put that document into a drawer or leave it in a file on their computer and never look at it again until next year. It’s critical that we keep the long-term goals and the daily behaviors in front of our eyes on a daily basis.

The process above allows you to determine your goals, prioritize them based upon your values, create the daily behaviors that you want to accomplish in each area of your life and to document and track the accomplishment of those behaviors.

By tracking each of your long-term goals on a daily basis, you’ll be in a strong position to determine if you need to make modifications to your flight plan much earlier in the process.

Affirmations

The second major suggestion that I’ll make is to have you convert every one  of your goals into an affirmation (a one-sentence, present tense statement of fact or belief) that you can read at least twice a day.

The recitation of our goals in affirmation format first thing in the morning and again just prior to going to sleep at night allows our goals to stay present in our minds at all times. This process ensures that our goals will never be out of our sight or out of our minds.

Although you can put your affirmations anywhere, I like writing them on 3 X 5 index cards so that I can have them handy and repeat them whenever I have a few minutes – in-between phone calls, on an airplane, in a taxi or at a coffee shop.

By repeating the affirmations multiple times per day until the goal is accomplished or until the goal becomes second nature, we’re imprinting the new behavior into our minds. Second nature means that we’ll start acting and behaving in this fashion normally.

Everything that is second nature (normal) for you today at one point in your life was anything but second nature or normal.  The affirmation process is an assimilation process that allows you to get used to this new way of thinking, acting or behaving in your mind prior to actually have to be this way for real.

It’s a process that allows us to get used to a new, higher-level of normalcy.

The more often you assimilate your goals, the faster they will become second nature.

Do you believe in miracles?

They were only capable of being performed by Jesus correct?

The stories that we read and heard about these miracles were pretty cool.  Jesus did amazing things like give sight to the blind, raise people from the dead, cure the sick and multiply a few loaves and fishes to feed hundreds.

Okay, it was fun thinking about what some guy did 2000 years ago but, it’s time to get back to the reality of our every day lives – unfulfilled or no job, family issues, debt, health issues, wars.  You may be thinking something like, “I’m not capable of performing miracles and I’m not even sure that this guy Jesus ever existed”.

What would you say if I told you that most if not all of the problems that you’re facing in your life and that we’re facing in the world would be solved if we were to increase our wisdom (that’s a nice way of saying eliminate our ignorance!)?

How would you react if I said that the answers to our problems already exist but, many of us are blind, deaf or dead to the information?  Sometimes called sense-less.

Would it be easier if I took words like God and faith out of the equation and used another non-spiritual example?

I’ve have access to the information that will cure 99% of the obesity cases that exist in the world today. Through a friend, I have a piece of software (think spreadsheet) that gives every imaginable mix of an individual’s height, weight, body mass index and body fat percentage. The spreadsheet lists a variable such as whether the individual chooses to exercise on a daily basis (burn a minimum of 300 calories per day with exercise) or not.  All the user has to do is enter the information and a very simple two number answer would pop-up. One number would equate to the amount of calories that the individual could consume on a daily basis in order to get their weight to a healthy range when they choose to exercise.  The second lower number would be the number of calories consumable on days that the individual decides not to exercise. The document also contains the calories and serving sizes for every fresh and packaged food available on the market today.

The information already exists. Anyone choosing to get that information can have access to it and solve the problem.  Are people unaware that the information exists or would they prefer to live an unhealthy lifestyle?  There are people who fall into each category.

What would happen if everyone who was struggling with his or her weight followed that simple plan? Obesity would be eliminated.  Are you with me?

Why hasn’t it happened yet?  In some cases it’s lack of wisdom (ignorance). I have immense compassion for people who have not received access to knowledge and information. I was one of the people who had a problem with his weight since childhood who did not get access to the recipe until much later in life. Once I gained access to the wisdom, my weight problem miraculously disappeared.

In other instances, very good people choose to ignore the information and decide not to follow the simple recipe for success.  There are always good reasons (in their minds) why they can’t.

My great friend Greg has a fantastic personal training business that is built upon a recipe for guaranteed success.  Each of his clients receives a team of personal trainers who act as accountability buddies. Each client receives an exact number of calories that they can consume on days that they exercise and another lower number of calories to be consumed on the days that they don’t exercise (what a great incentive to exercise regularly).  Each client receives a handy journal to track the number of calories consumed at each meal throughout the day, a recipe book full of healthy meals and a menu of foods that is customized for them with portions and calories.

If you can read, follow instructions and show up, you will get results.

Have faith in the trainer, follow the process and expect great results.

During the 1:1 sessions, the trainers provide feedback to the clients, give the clients world-class knowledge on exercise safety and proper form with the equipment, offer daily encouragement and make slight modifications to the recipe that will allow the client to reach his goal. Greg has an unbelievably high success rate because there is a recipe for success and because his clients have faith in Greg and his team of physical health experts. The client must have the discipline to track food consumed and stay within the prescribed calorie range.

The process is  foolproof.  It’s 100%  customizable based upon any and every variable that a client might bring .  It doesn’t matter what business were in, every client thinks that he or she is unique.  Any guesses what might cause the process to fail? Yes.  Failure to follow the recipe. Once the wisdom is provided to the individual and the person chooses not to implement, it has become a rejection of the knowledge.

What are the key ingredients to Greg’s recipe for success?

• Faith in the provider of the wisdom and the recipe: lower your ego enough to listen to the expert; if your way was working, you wouldn’t need the trainer
• Accountability to yourself and to someone else: when changing, many of us need to be accountable to another person; the ultimate goal is accountability to self
• Access to world-class knowledge
• Daily encouragement
• Discipline to follow the process: show up for scheduled sessions with trainers; exercise in-between sessions without your trainer; track food consumed (calories) at every meal

Okay, now let’s go back to the original premise that we could eliminate all of our problems as individuals and all the problems facing the world if we were to increase our wisdom.

Let’s apply Greg’s process to the elimination of fear, worry, doubt, anger, anxiety, stress, hatred, war, homelessness and every other feeling and problem you can imagine.

Faith in the provider of the wisdom – God

• God says, “Have faith in me, talk to me”
• “If I take care of the birds and animals, surely I’ll take care of you.”
• “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as your self.”

Accountability to yourself and to someone else

• We’re accountable to ourselves, to God and to our neighbors
• We have a daily check-in conversation where we assess our progress toward our goals
• Our ultimate accountability partner is open 24 hours per day – including Thanksgiving, Christmas.

Access to world-class knowledge

Scripture – It’s in writing in black and white

Daily encouragement

• Scripture reading – Learning
• Meditation – Listening
• Prayer Talking: ask, and it will be given; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you

Discipline to follow the process

• Invite God’s mind into every part of your life
• Prayer on a daily basis
• Talk and listen to God
• Love and serve others

Just like Greg’s process is fool proof for losing weight, God’s process is 100% guaranteed to provide feelings of joy, tranquility, love, peace and serenity for you and for each person in the world.

Inviting God to be a part of every second of our lives because we welcome and want His help is very similar to admitting that we need the help from other experts – personal trainer, psychologist, marriage counselor, accountant, etc.

When Jesus came to show us a better way to live, he provided words that allowed the deaf to hear, the blind to see and the lame to get up and walk.  Those exact words will do the same thing for us today if we’ll follow the process.

The radiance of his personal presence, his loving, positive vibration and profound words of love and peace allowed the blind to open their eyes and the deaf to hear and become aware. For many, it was the first time that they could truly see and hear – even if they were not deaf.

Because of the faith shown in Jesus by the relatives of the dead, the blind and the deaf each of the individuals was healed. What was their real sickness? Confusion, apathy and ignorance.  We all know the truth when we hear it.

The truth spoken by Jesus literally caused people to believe that he was powerful enough to make them see, hear and live.  It was their faith that healed them.

It’s our faith that will heal us.  It is the same faith that will eliminate our confusion, apathy and ignorance.

What type of healing do you need?  What type of healing does our world need?

Faith in God and belief that through Him, all things are possible is the miracle.  When we align God’s mind with our mind we engage in the process of co-creation.  When our thoughts and actions are in alignment with God’s will, miracles do happen.

Miracles are everyday happenings for people who believe in God and the power that is present in themselves and others who choose to align their minds with the mind of God.

When we begin living our life based upon love of God, love of self and love of our neighbors, we bring God to the God-less and make his presence known wherever we’re present.

When we share this wisdom with people who are ignorant through no fault of their own, the outcome will be our actions mirroring the mind of God so our outsides will match our insides and that will result in the earth looking like heaven.

Jesus came to make our insides – our minds and souls – be as clean and pure as our bodies are on the outside after a hot, soapy shower.  When our insides are as clean our skin, then earth will become heaven.

Is this possible?  Yes it is.  All change manifests itself one mind at a time. You create miracles when you welcome God to take permanent residence inside of you.

The knowledge exists.  Will you use it?  Ask and it will be given.