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“As we journey inward we reflect our light outward.” ~ Baron Baptiste

The journey of self-transformation and spiritual advancement is the most rewarding journey anyone can ever take. As we change from the inside, we are able to reflect our light outward. This means, we reflect outwardly our inner peace, joy and love, which turns into kindness, generosity, faith patience and brotherly love. The journey inward requires our full cooperation and then the grace of the divine is able to guide us and shower us with blessings.

How can we cooperate?

1. Be Consistent. Be willing to take a look at the areas in your life where you know there is room for growth: forgiveness, letting go of criticism, moving from fear to faith. Ask yourself: Am I being consistent in making the changes?

2. Be Confident. Have confidence in yourself and in the loving presence of a power greater than yourself who wants to help you at all times. You just have to allow it to guide you. Ask yourself: Am I developing a deeper relationship with my Higher Self through prayer and meditation?

3. Be Positive. Pay attention to your mind and be willing to shift any negative thoughts about yourself or others. Replace them with affirmations. Be attentive on how you use your words. Any language that does not help to edify, change it to uplifting words. Ask yourself: Am I willing to using the transformative power of affirmations?

4. Be Joyful. Observe your energy and how you are impacting your environment with a joyful attitude. A happy outlook can be contagious. You can affect and possibly change the atmosphere around you, by choosing to be cheerful. Don’t depend on anything outward to make you happy! Be happy inside as a deliberate choice, as a deliberate act of will. Every day determine first to enjoy everything!

Affirm: “I am committed to embracing my journey inward with a winning attitude.”

To read this month’s  “Love in Action” Newsletter Click here

I recently completed a wonderful 9-day cleansing diet. My success was due to the fact that a couple of weeks before I started it, I told my mind that everything was going to flow and it was going to unfold according to the plan, and this is exactly what happened.

When I think about it, I realize that I was very firm with my intention and basically told my mind that I was not going to accept any excuses and I was determined to do it. This approach reminded me of the importance of being committed to what we intend to do. Without our full cooperation, the desires of our hearts can turn into intentions without their fulfillment.

How many times have you been in situations in which you committed to do something and did not stop until it became a reality? If you think about it, your intention was clear and you were determined to finish it.

And, how many times have you said you were going to do something and then started to doubt or to loose interest or allowed your mind to control you with negative expectations? Or, let other people influence you with their opinions?

The key to being able to complete anything you decide to do is, first, make sure that what you are going to do brings you joy. Secondly, set up a very firm intention that you will be able to complete it. Third, have faith that the “how” and the resources will show up as you need them.

Here are some ideas on how to bring success to your projects:

• Decision. Make a firm decision in your mind that you are going to succeed.
• Commitment. Be committed, even if in the process you find obstacles.
• Discipline. Have the discipline to do every day what needs to be done. Have a plan of action.
• Enjoy the process. Enjoy each moment and stay present with what you are doing.

Affirm: I am committed to succeed

To read this month’s  “Love in Action” Newsletter Click here

What does it mean to have true freedom? Does it mean you can go anywhere you want, any time you want?
Well, this could be an aspect of freedom as long as you feel happy inside.

You are truly free when you know that you don’t need anything or anyone to complete you. You appreciate having people in your life who love you, but you know that they are not responsible for your happiness. You know that you are the only one responsible for awakening the joy that resides within you.

You are truly free when you can go to bed every night feeling peaceful, knowing that you did your best, that day, to treat others with kindness and respect. You know that your consciousness in clear.

You are free when you see the beauty in everything and everyone and don’t get into the temptation of allowing your ego to judge, to criticize, to compare, to put down, or to complain.

Finally, you are truly free when you open your heart to have a deep relationship with your Higher Power and understand that this divine power, flowing through you, loves you unconditionally.

In the final hours, how we walk this journey or earth, is what is going to be important. Did we move in the direction of loving without conditions? Did we put the effort into accepting others and ourselves without judgment? Did we look for the good in each experience? Did we value others? Did we choose to have a positive attitude? Did we express our gratitude? Did we smile enough or laugh a lot?

I invite you to reflect on the idea of true freedom and give yourself the gift to release yourself from any bondage. Here are some ideas:

• Become free from criticism, judgment. Choose acceptance
• Become free from guilt. Choose peace
• Become free from anger or resentment. Choose love
• Become free from playing victim or complaining. Choose to be joyful
• Become free from fear. Choose trust
• Become free from unworthiness. Choose to believe in yourself

Affirm: I am free because I express my happiness from the inside out

I believe that the present moment and each moment that follows is the perfect time to consciously choose to be the change we want to see in the world. As we decide to change from within, we are going to see the world outside of us very differently. As we let go of negativity, fear, doubt, guilt, judgment, resentment, and disappointment, we will be seeing it through new lenses, and our lives will feel more peaceful and joyful.

• Be willing to pay full attention on how you interact with others. Is it with kindness, trust, and a spirit of service? Be honest with yourself and commit to changing the aspects in you that you know need to be shifted.
• Forgive. This is a gift that you give to yourself. When you forgive you become free. Review your relationships and be willing to let go of past experiences. Ask your Higher Power to help you to forgive.
• Have a positive attitude about all life experiences. Pay attention to the quality of your thoughts, your language and your actions.
• Receive spiritual food. Every day read 1 to 3 pages of a self-development or a spiritual book. Find a spiritual center,  near your home, if you do not have one yet, where you can take weekly classes, attend, Sunday service and be surrounded by positive, loving people. When you nourish yourself mentally, and spiritually, you are going to become stronger and align more with the truth of your being, which is love.
• Be determined to do what is right to develop your full potential. Have the will power to take action and move forward in faith.
• Be willing to see the good in people. As you do this, it becomes easier to motivate yourself to be of service to them.
• Wear a smile in your face. Bring hope and joy to the human race.
• Meditate for peace and harmony. Click here to pledge your meditation hours

Written by Gloria Ramirez
To read this month’s  “Love in Action” Newsletter Click here

One of the best habits that we can develop is the habit of positive thinking. This habit can be our best life companion because even if things do not go the way we would like to, we can still choose to see the positive aspects of our experiences.

The challenge is that we were conditioned from early childhood to create habits of fear, doubt, criticism, guilt and insecurity. We now have to reprogram our subconscious mind to turn all negative habits into positive ones. This must be done daily by the power of our own will and the determination to not allow our minds to continue the negative conditioning.

We must examine our thoughts and be willing to create the habit of positive thinking. As we continue to do this consistently, we will be transmitting new energy outwardly and the law of cause and effect will respond in ways that will be very pleasing.

Many times we ask ourselves why is it that I am not able to succeed in life. I must not have what it takes to succeed. I am a failure, or I am not good enough. We allow our ego mind to take us into believing false ideas about ourselves and this is how the negative conditioning continues. We must have the courage to stop all of that chattering in our minds and convince ourselves that it is our birthright to succeed. If this were not true, we would not have any of the countless demonstrations of success in our own lives and of people who have succeeded even in the most improbable circumstances.

Here are some ideas on how to develop habits of success:

• Change the trend of your thoughts: Cast out all negative mental habits.
• Spread kindness everywhere you go.
• Associate with positive people.
• Develop a deeper inner connection with your Higher Power, including the power of prayer.
• Keep a grateful heart.

Affirm: I consistently develop habits of success

Gloria Ramirez
Coaching for Self-Mastery
Click here for more information

• Let go of all false and limiting beliefs about yourself
• Let go of all negative stories
• Have the courage and determination to accept your divine right to be successful
• Be willing to identify only with the truth. You are a child of God made in His image and likeness
• Affirm success, health and happiness

Written by Gloria Ramirez
To read this month’s  “Love in Action” Newsletter Click here

As I look back at my life’s journey, I realize that for me the definition of success has changed over the years. For a while it was more about external accomplishments and material possessions. Then I started to feel the urge of going inward and looking for the treasures that I had heard lay inside of me. Because this idea was so intangible for me, I had a difficult time understanding it and trusting the process of finding out if it was true. I kept wanting to look for happiness outside of myself or to expect people around me to make me happy. Many times I felt disappointed, betrayed, rejected and unloved. It was not a successful and happy life.

Years later, I have come to the understanding and to believe that true success is the inner realization of my being. It is in believing that my essence is love, joy and peace, and the more I am willing to live and accept this truth, the more I am able to experience inner joy and external success. I now understand the message from Jesus “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

This quote from Swami Kriyananda brings the same message: “For material success to be more assured and lasting, it must be paired with high principles.” This means to live our lives from our center, from knowing that we are the children of the most High and that we are already loved and accepted unconditionally and we do not have to go through life seeking approval and to be loved. The love that we are seeking is seeking us because is already within each of us. We just have to realize this truth.

We do not have to burden people with demands and expectations. On the opposite we can be accept everyone the way they are. The more we do this, everything we need will be provided because we are allowing our good instead of resisting it. The more we live our lives from our center, the more we will experience true success and happiness.

Affirm: Living from my center brings me success and happiness! 

Gloria Ramirez
Coaching for Self-Mastery
Click here for more information