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Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781982219857 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Balboa Press |
| Publication date: | 01/18/2019 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 118 |
| File size: | 504 KB |
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CHAPTER 1
The Power of A Blessing
God doesn't bless us just to make us happy; He blesses us to make us a blessing.
— Warren W. Wiersbe
The power of a blessing is amazing to observe. When you bless something or someone, you send positive energy to it or them and influence the outcome of a situation in a positive manner.
To bless something is to bypass all negative feelings and call upon a Higher Power to influence your outcome.
What is the typical response when something goes awry? Many people curse, criticize, and complain. That very response opens the door for more hardship — it actually attracts it. When you bless the challenging situation or person, you attract a positive outcome. You are actually improving your circumstances and your relationship to the situation or person.
Blessing someone or something is akin to increasing their wellness and wisdom. The more you bless others, have compassion for others, pray for others, and refrain from contributing negatively, the higher your aspirations are. Think of complaining, criticizing, and judging people as withering your aspirations. The idea is to keep your spiritual aspirations high.
Blessing someone or a situation is one of the most effective ways to influence something with positive results. A blessing invites God to Divinely orchestrate the best result for all concerned. The other effective way to have a positive influence on a person or situation is to pray. Remember, when you bless someone, the blessing boomerangs back to you, and you yourself become blessed.
Start by blessing those people and pets that you love and admire. This will create a positive energy flow with them and improve your relationships too. This spiritual practice can be much more difficult when blessing people who have hurt you in some way. But bless those who irritate you or always seem to bring negativity into your life. These are the people and relationships that need to be blessed the most! It won't take anything away from you; in fact, it will raise your aspirations and improve your situation or relationship with that person.
It is so important to realize this — you can absolutely improve your experiences and relationships through the power of a blessing as well as prayer, showing compassion and withholding criticism and judgment. Become a 'blessing expert': try it for a month, and see the miraculous results for yourself. It is spiritual law, there is no question of it working. Bless! Bless! Bless! Make a positive difference in your life and the lives of others.
This is a wonderful way to begin your day:
I bless my family.
I bless my friends.
I bless my coworkers and supervisors.
I bless everyone I will be on the road with. I bless anyone who has hurt me.
I bless my day.
I bless my food and drink for today. I bless my car.
I bless my body, mind, and spirit.
This sets up a marvelous day filled with positive energy and the intention that things will go well. The law of attraction says that "like attracts like," therefore the more positive we are about our lives, the more we draw in positive happenings. If anything goes wrong in your day, immediately bypass negative feelings and bless, bless, bless it repeatedly. The effects may surprise you.
Keep raising your aspirations, keep filling the bucket, and watch as conflicted situations turn into harmonious experiences and your life changes for the best. Building up your aspirations is like filling up your own life with blessings. God knows, God pays attention, and God blesses you too.
Years ago I was a junior high school choir and orchestra teacher. The parents of my students were very supportive of me and my program. However, there was one parent who took to calling frequently to complain. She called so often that I dreaded listening to my voice mail. Once I learned about the power of a blessing, I began to bless this parent every morning on my drive to work ... and sometimes even once I was in the classroom.
I knew the power of a blessing was powerful, but I was still overwhelmed with surprise when a few days later, this parent called my voice mail and left the friendliest message. She apologized for having been so fussy and said that I was doing a great job. That happened just about a week after I started blessing her. I also began blessing each of my students each day, with wonderful results.
Now I bless people throughout my day. I know that this spiritual practice benefits me, the people, and the world directly. Another example from my life made itself apparent when I encountered rude drivers on the road. I immediately blessed them. Now, I encounter courteous and polite drivers. When I merge, someone always waves for me to go in front of them. My whole driving experience has changed.
It is my pleasure to bless anyone I have contact with: drivers, cashiers, waitresses, and those who seem to be having a tough day. I also bless situations, for example when I witness a car accident or an ambulance going by.
My relationships are much more harmonious, and I don't become aggravated as easily. I feel that I am really doing some good in the world. I encourage you to work with the power of a blessing for yourself and notice the results. Be consistent and persistent. If everyone blessed everyone else, just imagine what kind of world we would live in.
CHAPTER 2What is A Blessing?
When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.
– Willie Nelson
Do you ever wonder what actually happens when you bless someone or something? I used to wonder that if by blessing someone I was giving them a 'one-up' on myself. I thought that maybe a blessing meant asking God to favor their situation over mine. Maybe blessing someone was asking God to give them more than I had.
None of these things are true. Not even close.
I have since learned that to bless someone or something is to send them love, protection, God's favor and angels to help them, to make them feel loved, or to do what is most needed at that time. (Angels are our Heavenly Father's messengers and Divine helpers.) As soon as I learned that, I began sending blessings to people all day long. What a great way to have a positive effect on the world!
Now if someone is irritating me, I bless them (silently). Then I intend that God's Heavenly goodness immerse them in love, wisdom and protection.
I normally use my mornings to bless the people I love, one at a time or sometimes in groups. A terrific benefit to blessing someone is that a blessing will come to you too. What goes around comes around. What you sow, you reap. So when you send out a blessing, you yourself become blessed. Keep in mind that "like attracts like," so if you are blessing someone — sending them positive, loving energy — then loving, positive energy comes back to you.
Situations can certainly be improved by blessing someone. On my way to my teaching job, I used to bless each class, every student, every teaching agenda I had for the day, and every instrument in the room. I even prayed for my teaching ability to improve. And everything always was better after blessing all of those people and situations. I now make it my daily habit and joy to bless the people I pass on the road, the gal who serves me my latte at the drive-through, policemen (an excellent idea for several reasons), the bus driver who takes my sons to school, and the kids' teachers. While it might sound arduous, it is truly a pleasure to know that I am sending positive, protective energy to so many people who affect my life and my family.
There is a universal law at work here. When you bless something or someone, it becomes your blessing too. All that you give out comes back to you — so send out positive energy and receive positive energy back. When you are aggravated by someone, you can bless them or criticize them ... Which do you want to bounce back to you?
One way to create positive outcomes is to bless
our president;
our country;
Congress;
the Senate;
the government;
the whole world;
our beautiful planet;
your boss and supervisors;
your managers and coworkers;
your colleagues; and the company you work for.
Just imagine all of those beautiful blessings going out into the world you live in and coming back to you in a positive way.
I believe that the power of a blessing is one of the most important spiritual lessons to learn. Please trust and start blessing everything and everyone in your life. Watch miracles happen. You will enjoy this spiritual practice, and you will be a convert forever. God bless you!
CHAPTER 3Gratitude
Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
Being thankful and appreciative is one of the most important spiritual and practical lessons. It is a true sign of growth and maturity to be grateful for your blessings rather than distressed about what you feel is wrong or missing in your life.
Saying thank you to someone who gives something to you — whether it is a gift, a favor, or simply their presence in your life — acknowledges their blessing. I know that when someone thanks me for something I have done for them or given to them, it makes me feel even more loving. It creates a desire within me to do more for that person.
Have you ever been good to someone and not been thanked? It makes you feel stale and possibly resentful. It certainly doesn't encourage you to do more for that person. To be thanked and appreciated is like receiving a hug: it feels good, it feels right, and it uplifts you.
I have a friend who is very generous. When we get together for a visit, she often brings me flowers or something lovely. I not only say thank you, but I take the time to write an official thank-you note and mail it to her shortly after our visit. She does the same thing.
I love these notes. She takes the time to personally decorate the cards she sends, and to thank me for the fun and meaningful time we spent together. It's being acknowledged that feels so good. I always put more energy into our visits because of her appreciation. It creates a desire within me to please.
Just like thanking the people in your life is essential, so is thanking the Universe or God for your blessings. The Universe is always looking out for you, and it does more for you each and every day than you can possibly imagine. It is important to appreciate what God gives you: a great relationship, a dear friend, a good job, inspired ideas, a great parking spot, a short line at the grocery store, creativity, just the right book to read, or anything you perceive as good in your life.
Being grateful shifts you into a higher vibration that brings more positivity, more wisdom, and more well-chosen thoughts. Grace flows through your life and attracts more of the things you want. Not only does being grateful say, "I noticed what You did for me," it also changes your own perspective on the troubles you encounter in life. In the midst of problems, being grateful counts.
Years ago, I was going through a dark night of the soul. I was ill, had major financial troubles, lost my rental house, suddenly couldn't feel my intuition, and became distanced from my friends. I was suffering. However, I remembered to thank God that I still had a place to stay; I was safe; my entire family was supportive and loving; I was able to raise my sons with my ex-husband rather than taking turns with them; and we now had four lovely, joyful dogs instead of two each.
It was part of growing up and seeing life through God's eyes. We are blessed even during our struggles. When you step back and take the time to really look, there are so many blessings to appreciate and be grateful for. And the more appreciative you become, the more good you attract — remember, "like attracts like." If you are focused on positive outcomes and blessings, more good will come to you.
Imagine a tube extending from God directly to you. This is your 'tube of blessings'. Now imagine blessings flowing to you easily and effortlessly ... many, many blessings from God to you. Now imagine that you are resentful, complaining a lot, negative in your self-talk or with those around you. If this were to be the case – your 'tube of blessings' would constrict ... get a crimp in it and hamper the amount of blessings God can send to you.
Now imagine that you are thanking God for all the good in your life. Imagine that every time you notice God's favor and God's blessings in your life you say "thank You" and your 'tube of blessings' expands and even bulges open. Many, many more blessings can flow to you faster and more abundantly. What goes around, comes around. Everything you send out energetically is attracted back to you. Which would you rather attract? More reasons to complain and more reasons to feel resentment, or more reasons to be grateful and appreciative?
A gratitude journal is a helpful tool to become even more grateful. One idea is to purchase a journal and use it only for your gratitude lists. Make lists of your daily blessings and thank anyone who has blessed you. I once learned that you should make a list of all of your blessings ... each and every one. Then make a list of each of your challenges. Compare the two lists and notice how your list of blessings and reasons to be appreciative far outweigh the number of challenges and struggles you are facing.
I did this exercise once and listed 187 blessings in my life ... things I was grateful for. My list of challenges was 9. When you look at it this way ... isn't it amazing? Express appreciation to God for your blessings. Another idea is to be grateful and appreciative for someone or something you have never been grateful for before. Extend your reach each time. When you see just how many blessings you have each day, it becomes easier to cope with the tough times. Count your blessings throughout each day.
CHAPTER 4Declarations of Intent
Every thought we think is creating our future.
– Louise Hay
Affirmations can be crucial when we are engaging in personal and spiritual growth. The way you speak can be considered an ongoing affirmation ... a declaration of intent. We need to change our thinking habits in order to change our lives. Saying the right positive declarations rewires the brain, shaking loose the negative statements, beliefs, and feelings it held in the past. In order to create positive changes in ourselves, we must retrain our brains.
One of the most important spiritual practices is to affirm what you intend to become. Transformational Speaker Lisa Nichols says, "You are the designer of your destiny; you are the author of your story." Speak well of yourself and to thank God for helping you become it.
I never really loved myself until a few years ago. I was very hard on myself, judged my mistakes very harshly, became easily ashamed, and had low self-esteem. Once I learned about the positive effect of affirmations, I decided to grow and tried declarations of intent with vigor.
I couldn't say them aloud at first. It felt too silly. Instead I wrote them down hundreds of times while saying them in my head. I'd write, "I love myself! I am awesome! I accept myself! I am wonderful!" I did this hundreds of times while watching TV or sitting in the living room with my family. I was determined.
Finally I gathered the courage to say them in my car on the way to work. Wow! That had a magnificent effect on me. I'd say with enthusiasm, "I am confident! I am charming, amazing, and wonderful! I am competent! I am capable! I am enthusiastic! I am dynamic! I am an excellent speaker! I am articulate! I am intelligent!" What a difference these daily voicings made in my life, especially in my teaching demeanor. I became more energetic, well-spoken, happier, more engaged, and more effective.
My confidence grew, and my voice became more influential. After just a few days, I started believing the very things I was declaring. My self-esteem grew, and I became creative with the declarations, making up new ones on the spot. I began to feel great on the inside, where it counts the most. It all came through me — through my inner self. I thank God and my declarations for this transformation.
You can view declarations of intent, or spoken beliefs and desires, as tools to update your old beliefs. When you are stuck on a damaging belief, like the one that says you are not good enough or that you are unlovable, we tend to attract situations that prove us right. One way to break that pattern is to re-align your beliefs, thoughts, and actions by speaking intentions and desires that correct our beliefs about ourselves, that say we are lovable, that we are good enough, and that we are wonderful.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Golden Nuggets"
by .
Copyright © 2019 Mandy Arwén.
Excerpted by permission of Balboa Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Introduction, ix,
SPIRITUAL WISDOM,
Chapter 1 The Power of A Blessing, 1,
Chapter 2 What is A Blessing?, 5,
Chapter 3 Gratitude, 9,
Chapter 4 Declarations of Intent, 13,
Chapter 5 Forgiveness, 19,
Chapter 6 Seeing Through God's Eyes, 23,
Chapter 7 Prayer, 27,
Chapter 8 Self-Love, 33,
Chapter 9 Healing, 37,
Chapter 10 Compassion, 39,
Chapter 11 Grief, 41,
Chapter 12 Beliefs, 45,
EXPERT LIVING,
Chapter 13 Altars, 51,
Chapter 14 We Train People How to Treat Us, 55,
Chapter 15 The Win-Win Solution, 59,
Chapter 16 Choose the Right Focus, 63,
Chapter 17 When It's Time to Move On, 67,
Chapter 18 Personal Boundaries, 69,
Chapter 19 Stress, 73,
THE NEXT STEP,
Chapter 20 The Gift of Intuition, 77,
Chapter 21 Death and Dying, 81,
Chapter 22 Past Lives, 85,
Chapter 23 Spirit Guides, 89,
Chapter 24 Guardian Angels, 93,
Chapter 25 Meditation for Releasing and Allowing, 97,
Chapter 26 Meditation for Blessing and Healing, 101,
About the Author, 105,