When we fail in life, we are failing because we are being shown how our beliefs are out of alignment with success. In truth, there is no such thing as failure for it is only feedback.

1. Following a Belief System even when it goes against your Intuition

Intuition is a gift everyone is given but not everyone follows. It is one thing to listen to this inner, guiding voice and a whole other energy to follow. Ignoring your inner truth can lead to danger. As a recent example, video footage has since been recovered from the Sewol ferry disaster in South Korea showing students wearing life vests in their cabins while expressing heightened fears that the boat was sinking. Why did only 155 students survive the sinking of the ferry out of 454 total students? The high school students were told by crewmembers to stay in their cabins and wait. In the videos, it was clear that the students wanted to leave their cabins as they were listening to their inner voice that they were in danger. However, they chose to follow the belief system of obedience to their superiors as it is fiercely taught. The belief to obey the crew was stronger than the belief to follow the inner voice to safety. I do not write this in judgment of the students, crewmembers, or the culture. I simply use it as an example that belief systems can harm people when it disagrees with your intuition.

2. Ignoring Feelings

Anger, jealousy, resentment, fear, and depression are indicators that something is not aligned in our energy field. If you choose to stomp your feelings down or ignore them, you only delay the healing process. If you choose to hide from your feelings by taking anti-depressants, it’s like turning the volume of music to low or mute. If you want to be happy, you need to ask, “Why do I feel this way? What is the root cause of my misery?” When you choose to explore these feelings, you begin the healing process. Choosing to face your feelings and do something about it is a brave act. It opens the door to joy, love, and new opportunity.

3. Lying

When we do not speak our truth, lies become barriers to getting what we want in life. Lies create physical things that manifest as busy work and density. Honest answers create integrity and personal power. Truth creates a life of ease and flow.

4. Laziness and Poor Diet

Lack of exercise equals a poor tool for experiencing life. A diet of junk creates the wrong building blocks for a lasting body. When you eat healthy and exercise daily, the law of incremental effects is set into motion. You experience a sustainable attractor field of health.

5. Overspending

An addiction to spending is a glaring indicator that the individual is not comfortable or happy with oneself. No amount of spending will bring satisfaction until the person gets to the core of why he or she needs things. An addictive spender does not love himself. Loving yourself unconditionally is the key.

6. Gossip

A diet of gossip is like a diet of Velveeta. It might taste good for a while, but in the end you feel miserable because you put plastic into your body. A diet of kind words, truth, reflection, and love is the key.

7. Accepting Fear as Normal

Fear is a low frequency energy that is designed to control your mind. No one has to accept the rule of fear or dis-ease of thought. The opposite of fear is unconditional love, which is a frequency of confidence, sovereignty, and self acceptance.

Humans have a difficult time breaking free of negative, dysfunctional patterns because these patterns have been encoded into the operating system of their minds. They are like viruses running in the control panel of the mind. To break free of these patterns, it requires an upgrade and a removal of all malevolent programs. Golden DNA Activation is the key to the path of 7 habits of highly effective people.

Erase mind viruses today. Try DNA Activation.

The subject of psychic ability is pretty much taboo among most Christian fundamentalists. To them it is a pagan belief that should be avoided. On the other hand you have the psychics themselves who almost universally credit their “gifts” to God, and try to use these gifts for the good of mankind. So is it possible for a Christian to remain faithful to their belief system, and still believe in psychics? Let’s have a look.

Isn’t it peculiar the way most religious groups believe that THEY ONLY have the truth, and all others are wrong? Wouldn’t you think that if their “truth” was so obvious, everybody else would see it the same way? And why are there so many different denominations and countless fractions within denominations? It seems clear that none of them actually has the ultimate truth, no matter how vehemently they want to believe they do.

Truth is not the private property of any select few “chosen” people. Such thinking is nothing more than arrogance. Truth by it’s very nature is universal; it applies to all and is available to everyone. It cannot, and will not be confined to a mold, and it doesn’t change to accommodate our beliefs. Our beliefs must change to accommodate truth.

A good example of this would be the way the planets revolve around the sun. We all know this to be true; it’s a scientifically proven fact. Yet the very individual who first proposed this notion (Galileo) was literally forced to keep quiet about his discovery by the established religious hierarchy. They believed that the Earth was the center of the universe, and everything revolved around it.

Galileo’s new information threatened their belief system – it challenged their idea of the truth. But time and science have proven Galileo’s findings to be true. This example also confirms that established religions do not have a corner on the truth as they like to believe (or want you to believe).

It comes as no surprise then that many Christians do not generally agree with the idea of someone being psychic. Or they may believe that some people can be psychic, but that their abilities are not from God. Yet they have their very own version of psychics which they call prophets. And just like the psychics, prophets attribute their “gift” to God. Isn’t it interesting that both credit the same source for their abilities? So what’s the difference?

A prophet speaks to groups of people, such as the Hebrews in the Old Testament. Prophesies are very much open to interpretation. Any time you have a large group of people hearing it, you’re going to get many different interpretations. You’re also going to get a lot of misinterpretations which distort the actual truth of the message. What remains then is something that is partly true, and partly whatever they plug into it. They put their own “spin” on it so to speak.

This accounts for the multiple denominations and fractions within Christianity where almost everything, including the Bible is subject to interpretation. Groups may be good for comradery, but they hardly ever agree on what the truth is. Psychics on the other hand generally work with one person at a time; and it’s ultimately up to that person to decide if, or how the information is relevant to their life. It helps them to discover their own personal truth.

Overall, belief systems are the biggest barriers to the truth. Once a person locks their mind into a particular belief system, everything they learn or experience gets filtered through that system. Consequently, there’s no objectivity; no opportunity to see something for what it is, in and of itself.

Belief systems are necessary. Without them our minds and even society would be in complete chaos. But we must remember once again that truth doesn’t care what we believe, and we need to be open to things beyond what our primary belief systems tells us – if we really want the truth. This is not to suggest that we accept everything that comes along, but to reject everything that conflicts with our belief system without examination is equally wrong.

So can a Christian remain faithful to their belief system and still believe in psychic ability? Yes, but only if they are not so psychologically locked into that belief system that they reject the possibility of there being more to reality than just what their system teaches. God is too big to be put into a box; no matter how hard religious extremists try to do so. And He can provide gifts to anyone he chooses, regardless of their religious affiliation or lack thereof.

When all is said and done, there is a lot more to reality than what Christianity or any other religion teaches. The Bible addresses a ton of life’s issues very masterfully. It contains an enormous amount of wisdom and truth, but it doesn’t cover everything there is to know about everything. No belief system does. The Almighty can speak to us through a prophet, a psychic, nature, a book or even an article!

We all have wounds from childhood, some deeper and more life altering than others. Young, inexperienced minds do not have the ability to understand the adult world filled with subtleties and hidden meanings. This inability can easily lead to misinterpretation, faulty beliefs, limiting behaviors and emotional wounds that are carried into adulthood.

Misinterpretations

A child is unable to separate who they are from what they do. When told that they did a bad thing they might easily interpret the words to mean they are a bad person. Hearing that a cherished pet was 'put to sleep' can cause a life-long battle with insomnia. Adults, in an effort to help children grow strong and happy, often want the child to do things differently; "Don't be so shy" they admonish; "It's not healthy to spend so much time alone. Go outside and play" they insist.

All these words of encouragement can actually imply to the child that their innate nature is wrong. These seem like simple words but they are loaded with nuances that a child does not understand without further explanation. Growing up, there are numerous opportunities for a child to misinterpret what he sees and hears. Coupled with the inward, sensitive nature of introverts, such individuals are highly susceptible to lasting emotional wounds and scars.

Faulty Beliefs

We develop our belief systems by making sense of our world as we know it whether we have correct information or not. Introverts of all ages process thoughts deeply. Words are often taken literally, and if our mind doesn't have the mature vocabulary and life experiences to interpret the words correctly, we simply create our own form of reality which becomes a belief system about ourselves. An introvert's natural tendency to figure things out first, and talk second makes this situation even more dangerous to their emotional well-being as they are not likely to talk things through with an adult.

Limiting Behaviors

Not all introverts develop deep emotional wounds; however, those without the necessary support system are more likely to have deeper wounds and scars than most. These are the individuals that have created behaviors based on their misperceptions and inner wounds. Limiting behaviors such as shyness, social anxiety, and failure to try new things are not uncommon for wounded introverts.

As with any injury, the healing process depends on the depth of the wound and the scarring that has taken place over time. It is sometimes helpful to go back to the original injury and reprocess it from an adult perspective. There might be a forehead slapping 'ah-ha' moment when we realize that our behaviors stem from a single event in our childhood; but it's more likely that the single event has turned into a convoluted, spider-web effect on our behaviors. One thing leads to a certain belief, which leads to a particular behavior, which gives rise to another belief and behavior pattern until we are fully enmeshed in a world of behaviors that we neither like nor understand.

Emotional Wounds

Most of us have self concepts-self esteem-that developed in our childhood from misinformation and lack of understanding of the world as we knew it. Such faulty beliefs can create emotional wounds that stunt our ability to fully use our skills and talents as adults.

Behaviors are learned and can therefore be unlearned. If your belief system has created behaviors that are getting in the way of what you want in life, spend some time discovering where the behavior originated. It might be an involved process but well worth the journey once you're ready to let go and consciously create a new belief system-complete with behaviors-based on who you really are and the value you bring to this world.

The main issues of today are dealt with by focusing on what people believe. For instance, some people believe that the police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO, was justified by the police. And others believe it wasn’t. Another issue is going to war in the Middle East against ISIS. Some people feel it is not our business and we should not be involved; others feel that they are a threat against America and we are justified to be active against them. A third issue is what the Republicans feel and what the Democrats feel.

The main problem is not in the right and wrong in what you believe in. The main issue is the consciousness it is perceived with. When you focus on thinking, which is very important, you deal with things with a certain consciousness. When you focus beyond thinking, you can go back and deal with the issues from a higher consciousness. Most people constantly focus on thinking and they navigate through life on what they believe.

In Latin, the word ‘believe’ comes from the word ‘to allow.’ When you allow what you believe, you don’t always have the consciousness that goes beyond your personal perspective. For instance, if you grew up in a Republican household, your beliefs would be influenced by that. If you had a selfless perspective, you would be able to see more than your past conditioning and see issues from a broader perspective.

The main problem in our society today is the consciousness we live our life in. We train our children to focus on thinking to be evaluated in a positive way. During those formative years, if we even presented the idea of focusing beyond thinking, they would naturally be open to that possibility. When this idea is presented to most people, they relate to it in a religious way. It takes faith to go beyond the security of thinking. For those who focus on thinking, they hide behind their belief system. The way they get to God is by focusing on the “right” way of thinking.

In almost every spiritual path, silence is honored as a way to connect with God. Silence is definitely beyond thinking, for your thoughts can disturb real silence. The way to connect to God is not through a belief system, but the ability to surrender in silence. In silence “you” do not exist. There is no duality and a conscious approach to issues is a natural response. It is hard for people to go beyond the idea “I am,” for they focus on thinking and identify with it. “I am a Republican.” “I am a Democrat.” “I believe in God.” “I do not believe in God.” In a high state of consciousness, “I am” is all that you need.

We do not enter this discussion because we do not want to influence people’s belief systems. If we dealt with this issue focused on consciousness, we would become more conscious in dealing with what we believe. For instance, religion is not taught in school, because each family has different belief systems. There is a law that separates church and state, but that does not really affect people becoming more conscious.

Every belief system would benefit when people were more conscious. For instance, there are many wars based on different belief systems. That is unconscious. A conscious man can accept another’s belief system without being threatened. The reason this has not been understood in the past is that we live in the consciousness that is limited by the way we think. Most people have experienced this beyond-thought consciousness when they fall in love or face a challenge that really threatens them.

This beyond-thought consciousness is common in sports, for when people enter ‘the zone,’ they are beyond thought and perform excellently. There could be ‘a zone’ in everything we do, but that requires people to go beyond the thoughts they identify with. It might seem impossible for different belief systems to live peacefully, but if we enter the zone and become conscious of more than our thoughts, our life would happen excellently.

We have a mechanism inside of our brain that analyses every one of our experiences, determines what it means and then stores the results in our bank of references. The process started while we were very young and has been going on ever since.

That is the process that allows us to perform automatically most of what we do during the course of our life. That’s the process that allows us to drive a car almost automatically, to use our keyboard without having to search for the letters etc. However, that process also does a lot more.

That is the process that formed most of the beliefs that we have. It’s where most of our personal views on just about every subject under the sun were constructed. These beliefs and views are neatly tucked up in our bank of reference just waiting to spring forth when the need occurs.

The problem with that bank of references is that most of it was already formed before we were three years old. That is to say that some very important evaluations were done before we were mature enough to do it. Hard to believe but true.

By the age of three, we had definite notions about love, about relationships, about money, about people and about just every imaginable subject. At the time, they were very embryonic notions but they established the basis upon which our beliefs were eventually formed and accepted as gospel truth.

Today, years later, that bank of reference is still being used to define our reality. As we developed, learned and grew, some of those beliefs were altered to adapt to new information but the original evaluations still play an important role in our belief system.

Without that bank of references we simply could not function. It is where our automatic reflexes are stored; it is through that bank of references that we can have a normal conversation without having to analyze the course of that conversation. It’s the guiding mechanism for most of our actions however it is also were our beliefs are held.

Our beliefs are extremely important because they define our reality. As such, some of those beliefs are empowering and some are not. Some beliefs contribute positively and some are major roadblocks. Some beliefs are sources of inspiration and growth while others only contribute to difficulties and hardships.

We are the steward of our own bank of references and the overseer of our beliefs. It is for us to determine what is good and what is not; what should be kept and what should be changed.

It is to be remembered that beliefs are not cast in stone. They are simply notions that we have adopted for reasons that, in some cases, may be questionable and sometimes adopted before we were mature enough to make judicial decisions.

Some people where influenced, by the time that they were three years old, to believe that they were worthless and that they could never achieve anything worthwhile in their life. Years and years later that belief still affect and run their life in spite of tons of evidences to the contrary. That’s a real tragedy.

Beliefs are simply notions that we have accepted and notions that can be questioned and changed. Changes may not always be easy because our mind has a strong need for consistency. However, with some determination, a disempowering belief can always be replaced by a positive one. That’s how we grow, mature and become wiser and more effective.

The story of domestic violence is one that troubles many women. For generations they have been taught to suffer in silence. We have been taught to embrace violence as part of young marriages, tolerate and hide abuse from those who can help. Sometimes those who are supposed to help us are the ones telling us to tolerate the domestic violence. To them it is the norm as they probably did the same. Their parents went through that and dealt with domestic violence the same way. They pass it to their children as they can’t see the problem and teach them to do the same.

Domestic violence may have become part of how life is lived in relationships for them. It might have become part of their belief system as how troubled relationships are lived. So this makes it very difficulty for them to change things or to bring an end to such behaviour.

Why Stay In A Relationship That Has Domestic Violence?

Many women living with domestic violence don’t come out of it because of many constraints. Firstly they fear for their lives, their children and other loved ones. At times it’s the culture and beliefs that they don’t know how to break free from and they don’t know how they will be able to make ends meets in the difficult economy that we live in without the support of family.

They are stuck in a situation they know it’s not good for them, deep down they want out, but they don’t know how to get out if they do they don’t know how they will be able to feed themselves or their kids, how they will pay rent and if they will be safe or they will be putting their lives and their loved ones lives at risk. With these thoughts in mind some choose to suffer in silence so they can save their loved ones from pain and danger.

It Is To Judge From Afar?

It’s very easy to judge when you are looking from the outside. We often tell the person who is a victim of domestic violence to get out without knowing why they are still there. Caring requires compassion and the ability to reach a victim with love. We also need to the ability to make them feel safe in our presence in order to gain trust.

We need to learn how to reach women in this place without judging them for their choices. Allow them their space so they can make the best decision for themselves by letting them know that we care deeply for their safety. Often we don’t have power over the outcome it is entirely up to the woman making the choices for herself. Be there when she is ready and is asking for your help. Most of the time it’s easy to give out instructions and advice that has not been asked for and this creates resistance to seeking help.

Change Is Personal

Change comes from within oneself. We have to understand that individuals change when they are ready for it not when we tell them to. This is a story all of us are familiar with. If someone orders you around naturally you will resist. Often we end up threatening them telling them the worst that could happen to them. Painting the ghastly pictures if they don’t get out or quit has proved that it does not work most of the time. There are many who chose to remain in the violent relationship and have died even though they were warned. I believe we are all the same and we resist orders even if they are going to help us, we choose to take the long path instead.

May we have the grace to discern and reach out to them with the appropriate help. Peace and love to you all.

The majority of people who experience depersonalization believe they are ill and also believe this fact has been overlooked by their physician. They rush from doctor to doctor, in hopes that one of them will hit on the “true” diagnosis. When they come up “empty handed” they wonder why no one is able to locate the source of their problem. Frustration sets in because they believe something has been “missed” or “overlooked.” They worry that they will have to live with this intrusion for the rest of their lives. They become angry and defeated when they cannot find the answer to this difficulty. This is because they are looking in the wrong place. The answer is not where they might believe.

Did they ever think that maybe, just maybe, nothing was found because there is nothing to be found?
– When you treat something as an illness, when it is not, relief is nearly impossible to locate. This is a fact.
– When you think of yourself as ill, day in and day out, you will eventually begin to feel ill…or at
least convince your mind and body that you are ill. Watch your thoughts…you can change them.
– When you constantly believe in a mysterious trigger or a puzzle surrounding your symptom,
you will tie your mind up in knots trying to piece this puzzle together, creating an exhaustion of
mind and body.
– Treating a non-illness with medication often has little or no effect whatsoever.

Bottom line, depersonalization is not an illness. You are not sick and even though you feel “strange” this is not indicative of illness. It is the product of extreme stress and anxiety.

When one’s belief system takes on an idea (even if it is a misconception), and ponders this idea on a daily basis, the brain eventually takes this as fact. The mind has undergone a type of negative self-hypnosis. It has talked itself in believing a misconception, from constant thought concerning a “what if” probability.

This is why it is imperative to take a second look at your belief system, concerning depersonalization. Take a very close look and note:

– Are you telling yourself this couldn’t possibly be anxiety related?
– Are you telling yourself they missed something?
– Are you telling yourself that something is damaged or “off” in your mind or body?
– Are you “sure” this is a sign of sickness?
– Do you actually believe that medication is the only path out of depersonalization?

Take any one of these beliefs and repeat it to yourself daily and you will have fallen into the trap of negative self-hypnosis. Your mind has grasped a misconception which is keeping you trapped within the habit of depersonalization. This is self-induced, and self perpetuated, whether you are aware of this or not.

We are what we think about all day. It is time to turn this around by changing the way you think, changing your attitude and letting go of a belief system that is holding you captive. It’s time to cut the misconception loose and go on with your life.

You do have the power to undo these feelings. It takes a little practice but it can be accomplished. It begins with our step by step recovery plan, beginning with our Four Steps to Relief:
1- Acknowledge and Accept
2- Re-Evaluate Your Beliefs
3- Reprogram
4- Re-Focus

These four steps will take you OUT of INTROSPECTION and out of FALSE BELIEFS. You have convinced yourself that you are “ill” when you are not. This is why the mind/body remains “stuck.” Our program explains these four steps in detail and guides you out of stubborn depersonalization and derealization.

Alter this belief system and watch how quickly the mind rejuvenates, once the burden of false belief has lifted.

Practice these steps and you will find the depersonalization lifts and the necessity for medications is no longer a matter. For further elaboration on these steps feel free to contact me.

This along with our Neutralizing Diet and Behavioral Modification treatment will lead to a permanent recovery from Depersonalization and Derealization.

The laws of attraction have been described as a belief system, but it is so much more than that. We all have beliefs that are ingrained in our minds and sadly most of them keep us from living the phenomenal lives we deserve. Many belief systems that we followed were instilled in us as children and they can be both positive and negative, unfortunately most are negative.

Fortunately, regardless of how you were raised you can change how you look at life, and what you attract, by firmly changing your mindset, how you talk to yourself, and ultimately the results you get in life by following the laws of attraction, and practice makes perfect. Mastering these laws will help you create a belief system that can lead to a phenomenal life.

The laws of attraction are based on focusing your thoughts on the positive, convincing yourself that anything you wish is possible, thus creating a belief system you can firmly, and confidentially throw out to the universe, which will respond to those positive thoughts and beliefs, re-create events, and help create the phenomenal life you so deserve, one that is built around your deepest, most heartfelt desires.

The laws of attraction are really as straightforward as that, however it is how you apply them to your own life that makes all the difference. While some look at these powerful laws with a certain amount of skepticism, they do work and have quietly been applied all over the world for centuries.

To apply the laws of attraction and attract pure joy into your life, you first need to clearly decide what it is you desire. For example if you just want to be happier, make a list of what you feel is necessary to carry out this goal. You'll also want to decide if there is a cause of your unhappiness and use the laws of attraction to end it.

It's also important to keep in mind that we all have challenging days but if they become a constant problem, put your faith in the laws of attraction and use its powers to reverse the effects. Once you've determined the cause of your unhappiness, focus on all the positive aspects of your life, the things that lighten your heart and make you happy (children, grandchildren, good health, great friends, etc.) and concentrate on whatever makes you happy and nothing else.

Besides just reminding yourself of your happiest moments, mentally see yourself, and feel yourself already living a phenomenal life as this is a very powerful action plan that the universe will respond to in a positive way. Having thoughts or even saying them like "I love how I feel in my flattering skinny jeans" or I'm living a financially independent life thanks to the constant flow of funds into my bank account ".

Doesn't that feel better than constantly telling yourself that life's not fair, that prospect is never going to call back, that you are unworthy in some way? One thing's for sure when it comes to the law of attraction; whatever you say to yourself and believe, chances are that the universe will react in kind and continue to arrange your life's events to match whatever it is you're putting out there, positive or negative.

Wouldn't it be better to say things to yourself like "I am proud of myself for my accomplishments," I am a healthy, energy soul ", or I'm unstoppable when it comes to making money"? Positive beliefs will set the universe in motion, responding to your beliefs and creating a phenomenal life, one you so deserve.

Everyone deserves the right to be happy, it doesn't matter where you live, the physical condition you are in, or the amount of money you make, you just need to truly believe and let the universe know you're ready to live phenomenally .

In Part One I recounted how Ilia Delio's Christ in Evolution helped move my belief system forward and define its form so that I could snug it in just about anywhere in Christendom. But I do not want anywhere. I want a specific framework to best underlie the bulges and indentations of my personal convictions. I want structure that will support but also bend when I need it to, and with plenty of strength for expansion. I want a church I can commit to now and into the future. By the miracle of grace (which is the unasked-for fulfillment of need by the right supplier at just the right time) I was introduced by another great Christian writer, Barbara Brown Taylor, to Phyllis Tickle and The Great Emergence: How Christianity Is Changing and Why .

Types of Christians

Coincidentally, Tickle used the emergence of the second axial age as her point of departure also, just like Delio did. Unlike Delio, she tackled the material as the academic she is, and her book's slant is historical / sociological and not spiritual. She's interested here in people and how they've changed Christianity, especially North American people, whereas Delio's interest was in Christianity changing people.

In the final stage of Tickle's examination, she identified a system dividing North American Christianity into basic components, a quadrilateral assessment. Imagine a square, or a "map," bisected horizontally and again vertically, creating four blocks that are each named for a type of Christian group. The vertical line separates the groups such that those to the left, Liturgicals and Renewalists, are generally more concerned with faith . [Liturgicals are Catholics (Roman and Orthodox), Anglicans (eg, Episcopalians) and Lutherans with a taste for ritual ("high church"). Renewalists are Charismatic and Pentecostal Christians.] Those to the right of the vertical line, Social Justice Christians and Conservatives, are concerned with works . [Social Justice is the name now given to those Christians formerly known as "mainline." Conservatives are the Evangelists.]

The horizontal line establishes the upper groups, Liturgicals and Social Justice Christians, as those to whom what one does religiously ("orthopraxy," or correct practice) is more central to their understanding of Christian life. The lower groups, Renewalists and Conservatives, are those more concerned with what one believes doctrinally ("orthodoxy," or correct belief). Tickle says that "one locates oneself or one's faith community on the map in terms of that which is more, or most, important in one's Christian practice."

What Type Am I?

The quadrilateral gave me an effective tool of discernment. I had a context within which to examine my own experience for leads as to where I belong. Further, I inferred two basic questions to ask myself: what's most central about my beliefs, faith or deeds (left or right of the vertical) ?; and how can I best express that, with practice or with loyalty to a doctrine (above or below the horizontal)?

The person with probably the most active church life among my group of friends, Barb, has told me that she likes being part of a church community where they can "do stuff corporately that we couldn't do by ourselves." Her faith tradition — Mennonite (Church of the Brethren) —is strong on encouraging good works, so it clearly locates itself to the right of the vertical on the Social Justice side. One of the qualities I most value in Barb as a Christian is her work for her community. She is creative, she's a strong leader and organizer, and thus through a group of like-minded others, she multiplies herself for service in the practice of her faith.

I know about myself, however, having sequentially belonged for years to two Social Justice denominations (Methodist and Unitarian), that that's not my bag. Or rather, block. Because I am private and typically not a joiner, I'm more of a random-acts-of-kindness type of person. To me, my denomination must serve to strengthen me and keep me aware so that I can see needs as an individual-not as a member of a committee or corporate church-and address them the best way I can. For example, I think it's a nice idea that when I'm in my car and see someone waiting for a city bus in bad weather, I could stop and offer to drive them to their destination, warm and dry. I found out at his funeral that my friend Frank used to do something similar to homeless people that he'd pass on the road looking exhausted or otherwise in distress. I've never forgotten about his small, undisclosed (to me) acts of beneficence.

As for the east-west dividing line of the quadrilateral, I fit above it, in the orthopraxy (practice) camp. I like gestures of faith-kneeling, bowing my head, lighting (and then snuffing) candles, etc. I have always loved Catholics' making of the sign of the cross, imprinting invisibly upon themselves, time after time, the way to God by the vertical and the way to community by the horizontal. When the gesture is combined with a dip into blessed water before entering a holy space, the sign serves symbolically to cleanse away daily cares and messiness, preparing the religious observer to devote herself to the spiritual realm. I am a poet-at any rate I used to be-and I love metaphor and symbol. And, such rituals give me a way to be mindful of why I am doing them. They coincide with and refresh my purpose.

Clearly I wouldn't fit below the east-west axis, in the orthodoxy (loyalty to creed) camp. I must insist on a denomination that permits free, evolving interpretation of Christian belief and scripture. Doctrinaire I'll never be.

The Right Church

In conclusion, I'm a Liturgical. As such, I'm narrowing the choices of denominations. I know that to find the right church, fine-tuning must now be done to consider my personal quirks. I could never belong, for example, to a church, whether it's Roman Catholic, high Lutheran or Episcopal, that conducts casual masses. I know I don't want, personally, a folksy God or a hand-clapping Jesus; I have worked diligently and sincerely to found my faith, and I need to honor that with the full dignity of a ceremonious God and a reverent Christ. I want anthems and cantatas, I want cathedrals, I want pipe organs and tabernacle choirs, I want soaring stretches of stained glass and tranquil side chapels, perhaps even the smoke from incense.

I know too that I could never belong to a church where congregants wave their arms above their heads; shout hallelujah or amen, sister ; or stand up and "testify" in any fashion whatsoever. The pressure to join in would stress me, because I am at heart a non-demonstrative conformist. I don't even care for that moment in most Sunday services these days when you turn to the churchgoers surrounding you, shake their hands and bless them with your good wishes for their peace. I guess I just don't see the point. What is the church trying to demonstrate? Connection? -Then the ritual is perfunctory. Friendliness? -A better measure is that that would occur on its own rather than by programming. Welcomeness to newcomers? -Why don't members invite visitors to the coffee klatch after the service and have a getting-to-know-you conversation instead?

So I repeat from Part One: I'm not a good shopper but I am a good buyer. I have plenty to go on now. The next in this series, whether or not it's published someday, will be entitled "Church Quest, Part Final."

When following the Law of Attraction, one is able to influence reality through their thoughts and feelings, which in turn shapes the experiences one encounters. With thousands of years backing its worth, the Law of Attraction is based on the premise that people are able to attract what they place their focus and concentration into. Today, more and more people are turning to this belief as a way to alleviate stress, as well as “attract” the things one wants out of life. Many have also experienced success and happiness when following this way of thinking.

How the Law of Attraction Works

In order to gain an understanding of how the Law of Attraction works, you must believe that individuals are in control of creating their own reality. The law is based on what people focus on, as a way to draw the accomplishments and events they wish to take place in their life. Those who believe that certain things will happen to them tend to experience these circumstances more than people who do not believe the goals they want in life are attainable.

While it may seem like a simple thing to accomplish, the Law of Attraction is not as cut and dry as some may think. For instance, people who are homeless and continuously exclaim, ” I need a house,” will not automatically receive a home, but will only continue to “need a house” because this is the reality they create for themselves. A more successful approach is to exclaim, “I can see my new home,” as one visualizes a new life for themselves, believe it will happen, and actively pursues the opportunities that brings one closer to this personal goal. Overall, a host of positive affirmations and a strong belief helps propel one towards the things they want out of life.

Many people are skeptical about this type of belief system and how it translates into happiness and success. There are two different kinds of ways supporters approach an explanation regarding the Law of Attraction. The first deals with spirituality, where many believe that the Law involves the alignment of God or the Universe with specific wishes. Since humans are made of energy, it is the belief that this energy is affected by varying frequencies. Positive thoughts are viewed as a way to alter frequencies of energy, especially when one shows appreciation for the things they already possess in life. It is the optimistic thinking that attracts the things people want out of life when they focus and dwell on the positive and ignore frustration.

A traditional scientific explanation is also attached to the Law of Attraction, as people who tend to focus on achieving a new reality (with a strong belief) may take more risks than usual, identify more opportunities, and become increasingly open to new possibilities, which often results in the attainment of more goals. For most, believing that things they want out of life are not possible only adds to letting opportunities pass by.

Sometimes, when people believe they are not deserving of happiness and success in life, they may subconsciously behave in such a way that they actually damage their chances. Overall, speaking in a positive manner helps to reverse the negative patterns in life, which eventually aids in the creation of more constructive and dynamic changes in life.

Creating Success and Happiness

The Law of Attraction is often associated with achieving success and happiness, but it takes daily actions on the part of individuals seeking positive changes in their life. Below you will find some suggestions on how to embrace the Law of Attraction concept:

1) Make a List of Frustrations: Creating a list of all the feelings of frustrations you may harbor will help in your quest for individual change. Some of the things people have jotted down include a strained relationship with parents, stressful work conditions, or mounting unpaid bills.

2) Make a List of the Positives: Some people have benefited from the creation of a personal journal, which permits the exploration of change and allows one to take a look at the positive aspect of anything negative in life. As you take a look at your list of frustrations or negative aspects in life, jot down anything you deem positive regarding the situation. An example of this includes an individual with a strained relationship with their parents that begin to realize that their parents are still alive and they have the opportunity to still speak to them and work the differences out, whereas others are not capable of this privilege.

Another example includes poor working conditions, which at least means a person has the ability of supporting their family and paying the bills, where others are unable. All of these assessments should be added to your journal, which will later become a powerful tool of reflection.

3) Positive Attitude: Developing a positive attitude for the things you already possess and enjoy is a good way towards clearing the mind to see the things you believe will come in the future. Instead of concentrating on what you lack in life – drive your thoughts towards the things that make you feel grateful. During this time, you should believe in yourself, your future, as well as in God and the rest of the Universe.

4) Visualization: In order to create and maintain a visual picture of what you want out of life, you should ignore the things you don’t want and focus on the things that will attract positive change. In your journal, make an in-depth list of what you’d like to change in your life. This will serve as your daily thought to encourage positive visualizations of how you wish your new life to blossom. The visualization should also include imagining what it would feel like to enjoy these changes.

5) Find Focus: When you indulge in your thoughts, feelings, and actions – you should make sure they are directed towards your current goals rather than the things that cause frustration in your life. You should think, feel, and act positive, which in turn, helps one to achieve the positive things they want out of life.