I have been traveling for almost a month and it is so good to be home. The first night I got to sleep in my own bed I was reminded of the children’s story of the three bears. This bed is too hard, this bed is too soft and this bed is just right. My bed is just right.

One of the exercises I often suggest to my students is changing their habits and routines. Our filter system is solidified by our habitual behaviors. We stay the same by safely remaining within our comfort zone. So to facilitate change, I suggest people consciously choose to change their habits and routines. Get out of bed on a different side, eat with your other hand, go to work a different way, if you are always late be on time and if you are always on time be late. In other words do things consciously, in a different way and see what sort of awareness that triggers.

Traveling is certainly one way to shake things up. Being half way around the world, eating different foods and adjusting to twelve time zones certainly assisted me in seeing the world differently. Whenever I travel I am always amazed by how much more meaningful even the small things in life become.

I have lots of animals and simply waking up and feeding them feels very loving and supportive. After I once again become accustomed to feeding them it can become a chore. Traveling certainly increases my level of gratitude for the comforts of home. Gratitude doesn’t just improve the quality of life it also helps us create more of what we want.

Today I am so grateful just to be home, surrounded by my wonderful pets and enjoying my life. That energy of gratitude ripples out into my world inviting more things to be grateful about. Gratitude is such a powerful energy. I used to write a gratitude list every night before I went to bed and that practice made a huge difference in my life. I no longer write a list but most nights before I go to sleep I spend sometime focusing on gratitude.

If you’d really like to improve the quality of your life try practicing being grateful and play with changing some of your habits and routines. I am sure you will be pleasantly surprised with the results.

With love and lots of gratitude,
Susan

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For the past few weeks I had the opportunity to watch the news and read newspapers with a very different perspective. In the US there is such an emphasis on freedom of the press and living in an open society. As I was exposed to the news in other countries I realized that wasn’t necessarily true. Actually, I was amazed at how biased our press is and how little is actually reported about the events happening in the rest of the world. We seem to be so obsessed with ourselves and our world view we forget the interests and needs of the rest of the world’s population.

There was a letter to the editor in an Egyptian paper that I found very interesting. There had been a volley of attacks between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Obviously people died in both attacks, but in the US news the Palestinians were terrorists while the Israelis were defending their territory.

I abhor violence of any kind. In domination, of course their actions make sense but in dominion love is always the answer. I don’t think we will ever find peace through violence. We have been trying to do that for millenniums and we certainly don’t seem any closer to the realization that all conflicts can only be resolved when we are finally willing to see the similarities. It certainly would be nice if someone sat down with both the Palestinians and the Israelis and helped them see that they both want to the same thing and negotiated a way they could both achieve it without judging one another.

I don’t have a judgment mind you, well to be honest I do. Ever since I was a little girl I wanted to live in a world that was safe for animals and children. I figured if they were safe the rest of us were golden. But then I began to realize the perfection of life as it is. This world has places for violence and peace, love and fear. My perspective and my experience are all based on what I tell myself about what is and not on the events themselves. Imagine if some day everyone began to honor one another’s stories instead of demanding their story is the right one and their truth is true?

The press in the US is the press in the US. Violence is a choice as is compassion and understanding. Chocolate or vanilla, two very different flavors and they are just that flavors. What flavor do you want more of in your life? So, for today I celebrate the perfection of it all. As my Hawaiian mentor says, “Everything is pono (perfect) until we think otherwise.

With love and judgment,
Susan

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I just returned from Egypt. It was an incredible experience. Myself and a group of forty adventurous souls had a series of extraordinary experiences in numerous sacred sights. It is amazing how much can be packed into a few weeks. The fish in the red sea were amazingly beautiful as were the pyramids, the temples and the people. I had many opportunities to deepen my connection with my spirit and to fully embrace the love that is the building blocks of the universe. I have often said only the love is real, all else is an illusion. I had many reminders in the last few weeks that I can see the world through the eyes of love or the eyes of fear. My choice certainly creates two very different worlds.

Perspective really is an amazing thing. I was in awe of the power, magic and wonder of these ancient sights while to many of the people living there they were just old stones and a good place to make money. I wandered around NYC the other day with the same intent of finding sacred places and saw an entirely different city than the one I grew up in. I was a block away from St. Patrick’s cathedral when the bells sounded for mass. I allowed the sound of the bells to wash through me and the feeling was amazing. I have heard church bells many, many times in my life, but never like that. The bells were the same, I was different.

In that moment I realized how different life really is when we live it with the intent of finding sacred spaces and having spiritual experiences. Life is after all a constant invitation to deepen our connection with our spirit and the ensuing feeling of connectedness or our filter system and the profound feeling of separation. Of course I knew that at an intellectual level, but feeling it was an incredible gift. In the middle of the city I grew up in I had a profound spiritual awakening. I stood in the cathedral and wept. It was wonderful.

As I sit on the plane I find myself musing about how different life can be. Love is always only a thought away and with our thoughts we can embrace it or push it away. When the Buddha achieved enlightenment it is said he thought that finding God could not be taught because so few people are really willing to see God. When we are willing to, we can see the magnificence of that unconditional love and acceptance everywhere and anywhere. We can see it in the chaos of our judgmental thoughts and in the curiosity and wonder of a baby’s eyes. It all depends on what we want to see.

So in this moment and in the next and in the next I get to ask myself, “How can I see this through the eyes of love?” If I see only permutations of fear and I can love even that or ask myself how long I am going to stay addicted to suffering? Love or fear? My choice is fully evident in my next conscious thought.

With love and aloha and in the midst of a spiritual experience called life,
Susan

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I arrived in Egypt yesterday. We got to the hotel in the middle of the night and after a long, hot shower I feel into bed. A short time later I was awakened by the call to prayers. I love listening to that. I have no idea what they are saying but that call touches a place deep within my being.

Today I am going to wander around and see some of the sights before my group shows up tomorrow. This is such an amazing part of the world. Several major religions were born here, the pyramids are incredible and the region is so volatile. I like to think of it as an area filled with magic and miracles.

I am not sure what will happen in the next few weeks but I am sure it will be a powerful spiritual experience. One night I plan on creating a labyrinth in the dessert and planting some seeds of peace, happiness and joy.

Egypt is such an amazing country. You certainly can see your filter system reflected in the faces of the people. As I walked around old Cairo today I smiled a lot and saw some of the most beautiful poker play moneypoker torneos gratistexas holdem estrategiastrip poker online gratis,poker online gratis,juegos online gratis pokerpoker online sinjugar a poker gratisjuego de poker pcpoquer com esfree poker playing online,free online poker,free online poker fake moneyfree texas hold em gamebest internet pokeronline poker gamblingtexas hold em gameonline texas holdem tournament,freeroll texas holdem tournament,texas holdem tournamentpoker software developeronline poker for funonline poker tourfree texas holdem poker download,free texas holdem poker,free texas holdem poker game7 card stud hands7 card stud oddsplay poker online,play poker,how to play three card pokeronline poker no downloadfree video poker game7 card stud hi lowonline poker softwarepoker game downloadpoker rule,5 card draw poker rule,strip poker ruleonline video pokeronline poker strategyinternet poker gameinternet poker softwarefree online poker tightpoker7 card stud softwaredraw pokerplay free poker onlinevideo poker softwarecrazy game of pokerplay video poker7 card stud gamesfree video pokerfree texas holdem poker playonline poker sitefree texas hold em pokerpoker casino gamefun game home play pokeronline poker freefree on line pokerbad credit card,approval bad card credit credit instant,bad card credit credit people ukcredit card consolidation loan,card consolidation credit interest loan low,card consolidation credit debt debt loancard compare credit uk smiles in return. I saw other tourist hustling and bustling, pushing and in a hurry and their energy was reflected back to them as well. Several tourist police showed us of out of the way places that were truly magical while they looked at other tourists with a stern military face. I have found that if I share love openly and freely I get love in return. If I share love with the expectation of getting something in return I am not really sharing love at all.

I am always amazed at how magical my life has become. All I did was follow my inner guidance, clear out my filter system and focus my attention on my spiritual healing. In my wildest dreams I never would have thought life could be so grand.

I am glad you are part of my journey. I love lighting many candles and have used them to offer many prayers in my short time here. If you have a prayer request drop me a line and I will leave your prayers here, in this ancient place of magic and miracles.

With love and aloha,
Susan

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