© 2010-First Published Third Edition for Free Distribution ©2014 Graphics by Jim Whiting You may share this eBook freely in any way you like as long as it is not abbreviated or edited in any way. Translations appreciated. Please advise of any translations and I will share them on

the SimpleAwakeningTools website.

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April 3, 2014 Friends, I am sharing this book freely now because I have a strong sense that quite soon a lot will be hitting the fan for a lot of people. Anyone half-awake can see and sense the ominous, or that we are headed for a big storm before the Calm. It may happen very soon or take more time to express in our reality. This book is designed to be a survive/thrive guide for times when it is hitting the fan. It is loaded with good and some little-known ideas you can use to be calm and grounded at any time. Consider playing with them now. Get to know them and use the ideas and exercises that work best for you…maybe before it hits the fan. At this crucial moment in our collective evolution, it is most important for us to understand basically what is happening, why it is happening, and then to trust our power to move through it with grace and power. Claiming Your Power Please consider that you have powers far greater than you have been brainwashed to believe. You cannot make full use of these powers until you trust them.

Fast approaching is a time when most of us will have to make a calmly firm, very clear choice, a choice the Universe (or God, or Allah or whatever you perceive it) has been pushing harder and harder for us to make. The choice is between love and trust or fear and doubt.

Our lack of consciousness, and the forgetting of our true loving humanity, trust and calm has propelled us into the mess that we are in. The Universe is pushing us to get fed up.

Fed up with New Age energy-sucking “solutions,” with our corrupt institutions, and, most importantly, with the imaginary, heart-suffocating ego that only seems to exist as we feed it with stupid thoughts and actions. Consider the possibility that the “bad guys” who have been bleeding us are fulfilling a very important role in our collective evolution: provoking us to get fed up. This is when true change happens, when we become open to new options, open to accepting our deep power. Tools to help you in doing that, many available for free, may be found at the Simple Awakening Tools website. Check out the home page pause sessions, and see the video and the article blogs---menu at top of every page.

Note: What you will find on the last page of this eBook is a synthesis of what I see as the collective challenge during these changing times. Whether you agree with this or not,

consider making use of the tools you will find in this eBook to help you experience what is going on with more calm, grounded power. Our destiny is loving, trusting Power. You get to

realize this for yourself, in your own way. All Love, Carlo PS. There may be some things presented here that just do not fit for you. Please don’t “throw out the baby with the bath water.” Use what you can use and throw the rest away. If you choose to spend some time with this book, rather than speed-reading through it, you may find extreme value in it.

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When It Hits the Fan

Don’t Hit The Panic Button…

Click On

Your Pause

Button

Your Pause Button: the inner mechanism that you can call upon at any time to go

into the silence and be with whatever is. Remembering to use it is an

empowering way to tune into your own capacities for calm, trust, happiness and

wisdom.

The egoic mind will chatter at you and feed you with dirt to the extent that you

pay attention to it. Consider the possibility that removing our attention and

support from ego---our identification with it----is basically what we all came into

form to do in one lifetime or another.

The mess that is going on “out there” is simply a reflection of the inner battle that

we allow ego to wage upon the heart.

One powerful technique for hushing up the ego is simple silence. When you read

something here that is inspirational or confusing or new, read the sentence again

and then pause and close your eyes, breathe deeply, hush up your mind and

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notice how you feel for a minute or so. In practicing this, you are creating a

power path map to discovering your truth and true loving power.

Table of Contents Introduction- The Basics…………………………..………......5 If you print just one page of this book, print this……...….....7

Hits the Fan Pause Sessions from “The Wake Up Book”…………………………………….…….8 Keeping Your Cool —Body/Mind Techniques…………………………..…….….19 Three Simple Exercises for Inner Balance…………..……..21

Coping Skills…………………………………………..……....25

Balancing Electrical Energy in Your Body for Calm, Focus, More…………...….….……28

Very Basic Reflexology and Self-Massage…………..........31

Communication Skills for When It Hits the Fan……….......35 Claiming Your True Powers…………………………...…….38 . Sustainability Ideas and Resources……………..….......….39 Conclusion and Challenge…………………………..…...…..41 Two Key Pages I Suggest that You Print…………………...44 Note: Many of the ideas in this book may run counter to what you have been led to believe about life

and how it works. In these times of great change, we are being asked to shift how we look at ourselves and our world. If we keep on dealing with life as we always have, we will tend to

experience the same kinds of challenges until we address them in a different way. My challenge to you, dear reader, is to open your mind, open it to being guided not by my words but by the intent and wisdom of your heart. --- Carlo

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Without deviation, progress is not possible. --Frank Zappa

Introduction

For some, “it” seems to hit the fan frequently already. Many have days in which it seems to be a struggle because so much has already hit the fan, and for many it seems to continue to do so. As the

world seems to be careening into more and more chaos, we are experiencing a variety of “wake up” events. These range from oil spills to volcanic eruptions to floods, war and economic distress.

This book is a quick resource for powerful ways to cope with times when it all seems to be hitting the fan. It offers potent stress management techniques, natural mood enhancement tools and limited

starting point connections to resources for survival, sustainability and community building. Please experiment with the suggestions, use the ones you like and do some further research as time allows. While some of the stress management practices are explained completely, this is a starter guide, and

is not intended to give you all the information, but rather give you the basics of an idea as an inspiration to learn more. That said, you will find that many of the ideas and practices here are very

powerful when applied just as stated, without any need for additional resources in order for you to experience great benefit.

Included here are links and search term suggestions for finding further information. Please consider printing a copy of this for yourself. This insures your access to the information in case of internet access interruptions. And, unlike burying it in your computer, having a hard copy out where you can see it is a reminder to use it. I love saving trees as

much as anybody. And there is a time for wise, practical use of non-electronic data.

The challenges of living are amping up now as I write this in the early April, 2014. What is important to know and to trust is that, communally, we will come out of these challenges into a world of much greater harmony. So the first thing to remember when it all seems to hit the fan for you is to trust…yourself and your

path. Without trust, chaos seems to expand, fear seems to expand. With trust, calm is possible. Clear-headedness is possible.

As in “The Wake Up Book,” I have included small heart pause icons here to suggest points where you might pause and reflect upon the thought just presented. (Included here are eleven of the

more fitting Pause Sessions from that book.) You are being asked here to do something that may, at first, seem a bit radical to you: rather than thinking with your head about what has just been expressed, you are being asked to consult your heart. As you get more and more used to communicating with your heart---filtering new ideas

through it and listening to it as it expresses its intent or response via feelings---you will learn to trust that it has wisdom. In fact, it has much more wisdom about what matters than the other part of you

that you may have thought was you: like your mind. The pause session ideas may feel quite foreign to your mind. You may not yet be used to “thinking

from the heart” or trusting your intuitive sense. This is because society, family and friends have

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provided input that, to put it gently, can tend to have rather unproductive results when viewed as truth. As we hear and see certain ideas get repeated over and over again, we may simply accept

them as truth. We have learned as truth many things that are lies. This eBook is about reconditioning yourself. And it can show results a lot quicker than most people think.

Our governments, all of our big religions (Buddhism is not seen here as a religion), and the mass media have conditioned us to feel weak, ineffectual, confused, divided and unworthy. Collectively, we

are now being called upon to recondition ourselves: to feed ourselves more loving thoughts, to practice compassion, to prioritize giving rather than taking, to affirm our deeply unified and loving nature.

Fighting ourselves and each other has not worked! We are challenged to more and more tap the vast wellspring of love, happiness, calm and wisdom that is to be found within each of us.

As used in this book, many of the brief thoughts that are followed with the icon are stated in the first person. Try these on for how they feel to you. If they do not express a truth for you or

something you intend to integrate as a knowing, edit them until they feel right, remembering to focus on your heart and to get a sense as to the feeling and intent of your heart.

I have found it helpful to identify myself as my heart and soul. I cannot be my body, which, when I

see its behavior and responses, I realize cannot be who I am. It is just my vehicle. It gets me around

to experience life and its lessons. The body and mind, I realize, have way too many strange, useless or counter-productive cravings and responses to be defined as who I am. As we move closer and

closer to collective awakening, more and more people are realizing this. While life is loaded with many mysteries that we may never be able to explain, my sense is that it

serves us to identify ourselves from the spiritual perspective, and the conceptualization of Self as some combination of heart and soul is a useful conceptualization when a pat answer for the question,

“Who am I?” is simply not available. My intent in these writings and the videos I have created over the last 15 years has been to fully

awaken myself in this lifetime and to assist others via what I feel guided to share.

On the following page is a comprehensive list of ideas that are keys to help you lovingly cope with matters when it all seems to be hitting the fan. If you print out no other page in this book, I suggest that you do print that one, and refer to it frequently. For expanded benefit, consider the way in

which the words are expressed. If any of it doesn’t fit for you, or if there is a way for you to express it more powerfully for yourself, then just print it out after editing it. This is another way

of clarifying your truth. Suggested keywords for these shifting times: be, love, trust, calm. What are your keywords?

With Love,

Carlo

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When it hits the fan, here is what’s important to do:

1. Be responsible. Assume that anything that is happening to you is an opportunity for you to practice Love. Blaming others serves no useful purpose.

2. Lead when it feels right to do so, but let go of the control part. Building

cooperation through listening to others and responding with love is a big part of what the Shift into Love is all about.

3. Remember to trust. Trusting others effectively begins with trusting yourself. Be

aware of people with whom you can build relationships of trust. Also be aware of those people with whom building trust is more difficult. Trust your heart to guide you in your dealings with them. Sometimes their lesson for you is to disengage from them. It can be the most loving possible response at times.

4. Remove your attention from fear and worry when the mind starts spewing panic

ideas. Do not feed the fear with your thoughts. Worrying about what’s coming saps one’s energy from dealing with now. The destructive mind plans and plans …and postpones taking action. Planning is fine, but balance it with facing the current situation as it is, and responding proactively.

5. Practice calm. It’s contagious. Be an example of it.

6. Respond with humility and loving power to the challenges in front of you. Your

giving of your emotional and informational talents may be of great use to others, yet it will not serve you to project yourself as any better or worse than anyone else. Practice humble power, loving power, present power.

7. Be aware of opportunities to remember and express humor. Whether you are alone or with others, humor helps melt anxiety. Use it often. Also remember that sarcasm is an unproductive manipulation that is low-consciousness. True humor is never also attack. Wearing the smart-ass mask in times of crisis is simply not cool.

8. Act and think with compassion. Compassion applies to not only others, but to

yourself. We are now getting more and more opportunities to practice the full opening of our loving nature. Share. There is no them. It’s all Us.

9. Staying present is the most powerful way of being when it hits the fan. Consider making this a mantra, something you think often when challenged: “I am with this.” Remembering this builds your ability to express your immense power, the power based in love.

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Some of the ideas expressed so far may feel awkward. The Pause Sessions on the following pages are designed to help you create more clarity for yourself about what is now happening

in your life, why it is happening, and how you can be more at peace with it all.

When It Hits the Fan Pause Sessions from “The Wake Up Book”

Important: When you see the heart icon, pause and connect with your heart.

Close your eyes and notice how you feel as you move into the silence. It is best

to do this in a quiet place if you can. It can also be effective to use in a group,

especially during times when there are perceived dangers or there is fear

appearing in the group. The Pause Session then also becomes a prayer, one with

added power because it is being expressed together even if the expression is

silent.

Please pause when you see the heart icon and focus on your heart. With practice and patience, you will discover that your heart has a language. While it may speak to you in words, its basic language

is feelings. If you feel an elevated mood, a sense of more joy or lightness, then the words in the pause session are something that you resonate with: the heart is telling you that you are stating a belief or truth that it likes! You might choose to play a bit with that idea and see if you can make it

even more powerful by changing a few words to make it more inspirational for you, more a statement that reflects who you are. Some of the ideas you may decide to leave as is; others you may decide

to change substantially to reflect the truth of your heart as you perceive it.

The extent to which you trust ego to guide you is the extent to which you are stuck. Let your heart guide you. It will do that well if you trust it.

It is suggested that you generally work with just one pause session per day. During times of high stress, you may productively choose to do more.

As you find clarity, notice how the Universe will provide feedback in the form of experience: either a simple confirmation or an opportunity to put what you are learning about yourself into practice. For clarity as we get ready: If you’d like to play with an idea, do so before going into the silence. Let yourself be

comfortable with your own truth, stated in your own way. For some, writing down any revised

truth might be worth your time. Choose a course of action and then remove your attention and support from any ego-based second guessing of yourself. Once you go into the silence, let it be silent. As mind chatter may happen, choose to go back

into the silence and be aware of your feelings. You can choose to flow and expand with an “ah ha” idea, to let it come and fully express. And you can choose to hush up the chatter box mind. You do know the difference.

Let’s get started with the first Pause Session on the next page.

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(1) Hope or Trust?

“I hope…” It’s a statement that keeps the speaker of it stuck. Hope is empty of what matters. No matter how the dictionary defines it, implicit in

the concept of hope is that something outside of oneself is going to make their life more OK, and that somebody or something is going to fix them or

make their life better. No god or aliens will descend from the clouds to fix us. We get to awaken ourselves. Trust in our deep nature, our deep power is

essential for awakening.

Nothing outside of myself ever fixes me or validates me. Fixes and self-

acceptance are always engineered by me, connected with the grace of God.

Rather than hope for what I intend, I am charged by my Spirit to trust that all

that occurs is in perfection now, and that what unfolds is for the highest good of all. At times, when viewed from the perspective of the mind, it may

seem that I have no reason to hope or trust, that the world is going to hell in a hand basket. At times such as these, I recognize how important it is to

trust the wisdom of the heart and to accept what is going on in front of me.

I am accepting of the present and trusting that the future will unfold in perfection.

I integrate and live this trust.

I am this trust.

Repeat that last line at least a few times out loud. Then close your eyes, hush up your head and notice how you feel for about a minute.

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(2) Acceptance

Please do this and the next one, Acceptance and Happiness, at the same sitting.

Everything you perceive, and everyone with whom you interact is best perceived as your teacher. The basic lesson, either gently or harshly, tends

to be that it is wise to prioritize the unfolding of your calm, humble, loving trusting power. If you were to twist this into the idea that there is something

that must be resisted, rejected or scorned, then you would miss the truest path. It is simply about the acceptance of a way of being: loving everything

and everyone, just as we are.

Acceptance is not about feeling stuck with anything. It is the choosing to be with what is. It is the choosing to be with a loved one who is experiencing

difficulty, to be with them just as they are.

It is also about letting it be all right to experience outright beauty, pleasure,

contentment and recognition without feeling superior and without demanding more of it.

Practicing acceptance is one of the kindest things I can do for my Self.

I accept what is right now.

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(3) Acceptance and Happiness

To begin at the ending: If, indeed, I am not my body or mind, but my infinite soul, then it follows that there is no need to fear the demise of the body.

As the gift that it is, we have the duty to care for the body while we

have it, so prudence is important. Do not mistake it for fear. As soon as you are clear that the death of the body--something that will occur when the time is absolutely right-- is not your death, then any justification for fear evaporates. You can let it evaporate. No worries if you do not get this one right away. Play with it.

I can choose to be happy. In a given moment that challenges me.

I can choose to rise to the challenge a lot

Or rise to it a little.

I can choose to face the challenge.

I can choose to accept what is.

Happiness is a form of acceptance

As acceptance is a precursor of happiness.

If these choices seem elusive at any given moment,

I can arrive back at least one of them By choosing to release fear.

I release fear right now.

I fully embrace my loving, connected, giving nature .

Now loop through this at a second time, stopping when you feel fully present to the line you are on. Please don’t get carried away with this by looping more than a few times! Come back to this frequently and be aware of how you feel through the length of it.

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(4) Empowerment

Empowerment of the ego is not true empowerment. Ego feeding is apparently created by anger, upset, fear, remorse, self-judgment,

hopelessness…..

The only true empowerment is spiritual empowerment, the recognition and

feeding of my soul and my heart.

Spiritual empowerment is the feeding of my soul and heart via loving

awareness. It is accelerated by more often choosing to focus on what is in front of me to do and to be.

I am also empowered spiritually by my choice to trust myself as I am and to trust the lessons that the world gives me.

The basic lesson in every experience is to respond to it with love.

Nobody and nothing outside of me can empower me spiritually. I am

empowered by my increasingly consistent choices to Love, to Trust, and to Be Aware.

I now feel my true Power growing as I more and more consistently choose

to be Aware, to Love and to Trust.

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(5) Forgiveness

Forgiveness is a powerful choice for the awakening one.

The truest beneficiary of forgiveness is the one who is forgiving.

I unconditionally forgive and bless any aggressor, perceived oppressor, or

“difficult person”.

I see every person who challenges me as my teacher. One of the most important things they teach me is the great power of forgiveness.

I feel light and powerful when I forgive.

I am often aware of opportunities to forgive.

And I forgive myself when I miss the mark.

“Miss the mark.” That is the true original meaning of the word “sin.”

It’s nothing ever damnable. The concept of eternal damnation is simply something dreamed up by people who have wanted to control

us. Wise up.

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(6) Body State

Body state is how I hold myself: my posture, facial expressions, how high I

hold my chin, and how gently pushed back I hold my shoulders. I frequently remember the power of my loving Self to shift into positive emotions by

simply choosing to change my body state.

Now, I smile, gently push my shoulders down and back, allow my chin to rise to a comfortable level, and briefly empty my mind as I hold this pose for

10 seconds.

I take a deep breath in, as I continue to hold the smile and body posture.

Still smiling now as I slowly release the breath, I notice how I feel. I remember that I can recreate this moment at any time I choose.

With a little practice, you will discover the great power of this exercise. When you choose a powerful body state, you substantially or completely dissolve fear and anxiety. As you choose to do this frequently, you will find that even if you think an anxious or fearful thought you will not feel anxious or depressed. On the other hand, you are just fighting with yourself if you immerse yourself in negative thinking as you experiment with this exercise.

A huge part of why we are in this life is to learn the value of dropping the inner battle that we allow imaginary ego to wage on the heart.

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(7) Breath Power Through the use of various breathing techniques (search “pranayama”) one can find higher levels of

calm, mental clarity, wisdom, quiet meditation, and spiritual evolvement. If you listen to your head, it will tell you all kinds of “logical” things about pranayama that simply are not true. Your head will tell you that you cannot breathe from your heart. It will tell you that it is silly to think that you have the

power to bring loving energy into every cell in your body. As we believe something to be impossible, we block its possibility.

Being fully aware of the cautions for those with health challenges, you might choose to experiment with techniques such as “Breath of Fire” (Search YouTube for short videos---especially effective for

times of high stress!) or this one called the Heart Breath:

(read once quickly to get the basic idea, then slowly as you do the action. Repeat for a minute or more. Best when challenged with overwhelm, anxiety, isolation, or “stuckness.” No need to repeat the words as you go along. Just be aware of your intent for the breath as you breathe. ) You might choose to say the words below for the first few sets of breath, and then just close your eyes and stay with the intent, quieting the mind or proceeding as guided by your heart. Play with this in a way that works for you: I breathe in through my heart. I sense that I am bringing into my body the breath of life that comes through the heart. With each breath in, I feel that the breath and the vitality is coming from my heart and filling the rest of my Self up. As I breathe out, I am giving my love to the world. Each breath out carries gratitude and love for the world. With each gentle release of breath, I fill the world with lightness, with happiness.

Practice this for 1 to 5 minutes. You can do this hourly during times of high stress. It is particularly effective when the group stress is high and this is done in a group in which your breath is synchronized. A leader can express cues such as: “I accept Love: In (to start in

breath)……..Gratitude projected to the world.” (to start out breath) Use whatever words you find powerful.

You might also experiment with accepting the energy of a tree, a large rock or the Earth itself. As you sit with straight spine and feet firmly on the earth (lotus pose while sitting on the Earth works, too, of course) bring Earth energy up your spine with the in breath. As you release the breath, you can

either focus on releasing any stress, tension or anxiety….or you can sense this energy as gratitude or loving energy that you are delivering to the world.

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(8) Calm, Humble, Loving, Trusting Power Whenever balance is challenged:

My intent is to demonstrate now that I am a being of calm, humble, loving Power.

I recognize that all true power is based in love, and that I am based in this

Power.

I am thankful that I am more and more consistently able to be in a way that

is congruent with my intent to be an example of calm, humble, loving, trusting Power.

(9) Humor

More and more often, I can laugh at the challenges of life, finding the humor

in life’s paradoxes and its swings from yin to yang.

I let laughter escape from me easily, as a gift to myself and my world.

Laughter lightens.

Humor is a particularly effective weapon in the arsenal of the awakening one. Choose to find the humor in your experiences in the world. This does not mean that you fight anything, and it doesn’t mean that you necessarily like it. It means that you are passionate about being an

example of Love, of sharing the light, of sharing laughter. Be aware of opportunities to share humor when the external world appears bleak to your mind. This is the time to operate in a

heart-centered way. The loving display of humor is a gift to your Self and your world. Is this a good time to laugh now? Try one of these: General humor

(both PG rated) Humor about Religion

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(10) Ease

The mind, when subscribed to as self, tends to make everything and every

situation more difficult. Any task or situation is made easier by viewing it

with Love.

Here is a mind conditioning tool that I can choose to use frequently. An

easy way of integrating the perspective of the Loving Heart is to remind myself at the right times: “I wonder how easy this can be.”

I wonder how easy it can be to remember the will, the wisdom and the happiness of my Loving Heart.

The stupid mind projects worst-case scenarios. And that, in itself, makes life tougher. When you express to yourself, another or a group, “I wonder how easy this can be,” you charge up your sense of courage and trust. You might see that this kind of wonder empowers more than you and any others in your presence. It empowers collective consciousness. The practice of any other loving thought or action does the same thing. You can let this inspire you.

You can let any egoic resistance now evaporate by simply removing your attention from it. The dumb mind reacts: “That’s too hard” or “I

can’t.” What does your heart say about that?

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(11) Response to Life Everything you perceive, and everyone with whom you interact is most intelligently viewed as your teacher. The basic lesson, either gently or harshly, tends to be the wisdom of prioritizing the unfolding of one’s calm, humble, loving, present and trusting power. If we twist this into the idea that there is something that must be resisted, released, rejected or scorned, then we miss the truest path. It is simply about the acceptance of a way of being: loving everything and everyone, just as we are .

My response to all external events is a direct reflection of how I identify

myself.

My response to all external events is a direct reflection of my inner perception of who I am.

(again)

My response to all external events is a direct reflection of my inner

perception of who I am.

I am this calm, loving, humble, trusting, present power.

I am this calm, loving, humble, trusting, present power. I am source energy.

****************************** Let yourself be guided by your heart as to how often you will make use of these Pause Sessions. Awareness of your heart as you practice them will empower you to live your truth. There is one more idea that I propose you contemplate during times of great difficulty. It may seem completely counter to what you might think fits the moment when you seem surrounded by chaos, destruction and angst: Be thankful. During times such as these, many will be angry at the world or even blaming God for allowing it all. Rather than feeling victimized and anxious over the current situation, it can be a powerfully effective prayer to be thankful for what you are experiencing as an opportunity to practice love.

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Yes, it is a radical idea. Yet, how well has resistance, anger, and entertaining thoughts of vengeance, doom and gloom worked?

Keeping Your Cool—Mind/Body Techniques

Legal Disclaimer: Nothing in this book is intended to diagnose, treat or cure disease. The author is not a medical doctor. When possible, it is always preferred that you see a trusted health practitioner before making any changes in diet or exercise. All suggested ideas in this book having to do with health practices are the opinion of the author based upon his research. Consider the possibility that while seeing a traditional medical doctor when you break your leg is a very good idea, seeing one for most other things is just not too smart. They tend to give you chemicals to swallow that treat the symptom and not the cause. Which is kind of like taking a fifth of whiskey to treat one’s depression. It is strongly suggested that you consider alternative healthcare practitioners or Medical Doctors who take a holistic approach to their work, using chemical drugs only as a last resort. That said, please trust your heart to know when it is time to throw caution …or your deification of your doctor…to the wind.

Body State

How you hold your body makes a big difference not only in how you feel but what you project, how other people perceive you. If your shoulders are slumped, your chin is down and you are frowning, you project depression or defeat and your mind will mirror this. If you’d like to easily inspire yourself or those around you, pull your chin up, put at least a subtle smile on your face, and pull your shoulders back. This sends an immediate biochemical signal to your brain that it is time to feel confident. Play with this idea now and notice that, after a very brief time, if you hold this body state you will not feel depressed or frightened, even if your thoughts get a little stinky. This is one of the most powerful tools at your disposal. Please practice it.

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Breathing

When we feel stressed, the body tends to slow down its breathing unless we are aware of our breath and we exercise it! Shallow breathing makes stress symptoms considerably worse. There are simple tools available to help you remember to do some deep breathing regularly. You can set up regular “alarms” on your cell phone or computer. Or just put up a big hand-drawn sign that says “Breathe!” in an area where you’ll see it frequently. Slow, deep breathing in tends to work best for most people. Once your lungs are pretty full, just relax and let the breath out rather than pushing it out. Here are some additional options for you. Keep in mind that ideally you would be wise to check with a healthcare practitioner before using the techniques below if you have had any challenges with heart or lungs. Breathing to deal with anxiety Very short video Breathing to help quickly with major stress—Breath of Fire http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsEZylK8sDA It is no problem if you are not familiar with sitting in a full lotus position. Sit with legs in whatever position is most comfortable for you if you have not practiced the lotus before.

Water Most people are literally dehydrated to the extent that it impairs their mental and physical functioning. A simple way to make sure that you are getting enough water is to put the amount you commit to drink every day into containers at the beginning of each day, ensuring that you have them emptied by the time you are ready for bed. Finishing this three hours before bed time is best if you would rather not be up using the bathroom in the middle of the night. Here is an easy way to determine the bare minimum amount of water for your body weight: Divide your weight in pounds by 2. The resulting figure is the number of ounces of water per day to drink if you are inactive. If you are very physically active, you will benefit from up to 2 additional quarts of water per day. Some people have the strangest excuses for not drinking water. One is that to drink the suggested amount would mean spending too much time in the bathroom. A few extra minutes of time there may mean substantially sharper thinking and more easily managed stress. Does that kind of a trade-off work for you?

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Exercise Regular exercise is important, particularly during stressful times. If you have any specific health issues, it is always best to check with your healthcare practitioner before making any changes in the frequency, duration or intensity of your exercise. For those unable to do standard exercise because of bone or joint problems, consult a healthcare professional about ways that you can do stretching and/or breathing exercises that will be very helpful in managing stress and maintaining general health. Below are shown some particularly effective exercises for physical fitness and/or relaxation management.

Specific Mind-Body Exercises

Emotional Freedom Technique You may have heard about tapping techniques that can be very effective in working with emotional issues. The original and much more complicated set of techniques was developed by Roger Callahan over 20 years ago. There were thousands of different sequences and protocols. Since then, it has been discovered that there were much simpler and just as effective ways of doing it. I have personally experienced and witnessed major benefits from these simple techniques. For an overview and guide on how to do it effectively, click here. There are all kinds of other explanatory resources---though you don’t need any of them to get started experience benefit----at this emofree website.

Three Simple Exercises for Inner Balance

Simple practices you can use for centering and focus

Does there seem to be “so much to do” and “never enough time?” If you have a sense of being “scattered” frequently or you often lose things or forget important plans, this first one is for you. In the fairly recent past, researchers have learned so much about how body movement affects the mind. The three exercises in this segment can have a powerful, positive effect on you if you commit to doing them regularly. Start with one at a time and be aware of how it works for you. After a few days practice with it, go on to the next. Then decide which you will do on a regular basis and maybe set a time of day for it.

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Like some of the exercises we’ll explore later in this eBook, these help to balance electrical energy in the body. Pay attention with an open mind to how these work for you. All three exercises are designed to be movement and thought exercises. They help your brain to work more efficiently and they help you to more fully integrate your spoken belief. At first, it might be a challenge for you to get into a rhythm that works for you. It may seem awkward. If it does, that means that you can benefit in a major way from taking the time to get it right. You can do it!

You think a specific thought or say a power statement while you do the exercise. What’s important is that what you say is something that you now accept as true. It can be a new knowing or something you intend to create now. It can be something that you intend to more fully accept at deep level.

Ok, put that ego stuff over in the corner now and give the exercises your attention. (1) The Knee Slapper March -- Great for Calming, Grounding

Hold your head level, looking straight ahead. It’s a simple exercise in which you raise one knee to slightly below waist-level, bringing the opposite hand to meet that knee. Then you do the same thing with the other side. It’s like a little march.

Our suggestion for the thought to think while doing this exercise: “I accept responsibility for myself.” You may choose to use a belief that you have accepted just recently as a part of this program. Remember: It’s your choice. Here are two things that will make the exercise more effective. While visualizing yourself doing what you are affirming, hum a tune---any tune. In this case, see

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yourself being responsible, taking responsible actions. The second thing you can do to enhance this exercise is to move your eyes in a circle as if you were looking at the numbers on a huge clock. Rotate your eyes clockwise for about a half minute. Then reverse direction for another 30 seconds. To prepare you for more challenging times when the pressure is higher, do each of these three exercises for 1 minute twice per day.

2) The Side Jump – Helps Shed Anxiety Extend your right arm and left leg in opposite directions, as shown below. Then hop into the opposite position, with your left arm out and your right leg out. If you do a little jump as you shift, it’s easier to keep the rhythm. Our suggested power statement to think: “I relax and get things accomplished.” Envision yourself following through on your work commitments and in the various aspects of this program. Moving your eyes as you did in the previous exercise is also helpful.

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(2) Releasing and Recharging -- Promotes Letting Go of the Past and Accepting New, Better Options Lean slightly forward. Using a rhythm pace that works for you (experiment!) move your arms and legs front to back as shown below. To start, place your right arm forward and your right leg back. Hop so that your left arm is forward and your left leg is back. As your arm moves back let the back of your hand touch the opposite thigh or buttock.

This is a challenging exercise for some to learn. I suspect that it’s because the ego “part” of you absolutely hates the power statement and seems to temporarily give you two left feet! Taking the time to do this well, to get with the rhythm, may be very well worth it. My suggestion, as you move through this one, say: “I am happy to release the past and I am open to powerful, loving ways of living.” Again, humming, moving your eyes and choosing to smile make the exercise even more powerful,

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Coping Skills

Try these when you are experiencing challenges with stress. Before beginning, rate your stress level on a scale from 1 to 10. Check your stress level again about half a minute after you complete the exercise. Try them one at a time.

(1) With your thumb and forefinger, rub the webbing of the opposite hand between the thumb and forefinger. Take about a minute on each hand. Use some pressure. (2) Using the middle 3 fingers on each hand, simultaneously massage both temples. Start gently and then increase the pressure. Massage about a minute. You might also try the point just above and between the eyebrows. (3) Experiment with these acupressure points and get a sense of which work best for

you. Finding the points may take some patience at first, but if you take the time to locate the area where there is a sensitivity or tenderness, then you’ll experience a benefit by working with that point as suggested.

(A) In the groove below the nose, about half way up from the lip, press lightly and

hold for 30 seconds, as shown. You can place your thumb under your chin for making it simple. This can be very effective for clearing the mind and for mild depression. Be careful not to press too firmly if you have high blood pressure. Stop right away if you feel uncomfortable. Note figure below.

(B) Using either index finger, point inwards towards your belly at the spot about an inch below your belly button. Apply pressure with the tip of your index finger perpendicular to the surface of your belly, using gentle rotating movements. See next page for location.

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(C--below) This is my favorite simple acupressure spot for clearing the mind and releasing agitation. It’s just outside the corner of the thumbnail. Support the thumb with the middle and index fingers of your opposite hand. Apply pressure with the nail of the opposite thumb. Do this for no more than 20 seconds with each thumb.

Overstimulation of this point may produce a negative effect.

(D) This point is on your palm between the bones that lead to the middle and index fingers. It can be very effective if done right after you do exercise (C) above, with the same benefits. Use your thumbnail or the eraser end of a pencil to stimulate the spot, pushing in and slightly towards the index finger. See next page for location.

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(E) To help relieve tension, and improve memory and concentration press on these spots on the nape of your neck, about an inch each side of the spine. The spots are in the little “dent” on the side of the large neck muscle. Work the spots on each side of the star in the graphic shown below.

To learn more, we recommend the book “Accupressure for Health” by Jacqueline Young. (Thorsons, 1994)

4) Stretching can be a great tension reducer. Several good references are available to you. Just remember to refrain from pushing yourself too hard early. It’s easy to pull muscles if you try to do too much too soon. A great guide to doing it right: “Stretching” by Bob Anderson (1980, Shelter Publications). The video with the same name is also excellent.

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There are several kinesiology exercises and stimulation points worth experimentation. Here are a few that I have found to be particularly useful. I strongly recommend that you experiment with the exercises in this section. Yes, they may seem awkward at first. You’ll be impressed with the results you get from at least one of these exercises if you choose to experiment with an open mind for just a few days.

Balancing Electrical Energy in Your Body

for Calm, Focus, More

(A) Electricity is integrated into who we are. Electrical energy is created by the

heart and powers the body, coursing through various pathways in the body. The natural pathways can get distorted, blocked or mis-routed when we have emotional upset. All of the exercises in this section are designed to correct such blockages and distortions.

Use the next one when you’re feeling sad, confused or angry.

There are two parts. First, cross your left ankle over your right knee. Then hook your right hand around your left ankle and your left hand over the ball of your left foot. It looks like the picture on the left below. Sit this way for a minute, breathing deeply with your eyes closed and your tongue touching the roof of your mouth. The second part is shown on the right below: uncross your legs and put your fingertips together for a minute, continuing to breathe deeply for another minute.

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(B) Here’s one to use when you’re feeling nervous. Just place your hands on

your forehead as shown, using just enough outward pressure to pull the forehead skin taut, away from the center of your head. The points are above the eyes, midway between the hairline and eyebrows.

(C) For relaxation and an energy boost, locate the points on your chest as shown below. These spots are in the soft tissue under the clavicle, to the left and right of the sternum. Massage them deeply as you cover the navel with your other hand. Work with each hand 20 to 30 seconds. These spots may be very tender at first. Within a week, they will not be as sensitive. If you move your eyes to the left and right as you do this exercise, it will be more effective. See next page for graphic.

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(D) This one can assist you with being more grounded, confident and

balanced. While sitting, cross your ankles and bend forward, reaching from the ribcage. Exhale as you reach forward, letting your hands reach easily toward your feet. Let your arms glide forward smoothly and slowly three times, inhaling as you move back each time. Then cross your ankles in the opposite way and repeat the three stretches.

Through the practice of simple movements and self-massage, as found in the book “Brain Gym”, you can make a major impact on your ability to cope successfully with life. I suggest that you get the books “Brain Gym” and “Switching On” by Dr. Paul E. Dennison, available through Edu-Kinesthetics These are particularly recommended if you have challenges with hyperactivity, attention deficit or learning/concentration. And if you have children who are challenged with school work or hyperactivity, the Brain Gym book can be very helpful.

Running and swimming may be great ways to burn stress, but you can’t do them in the middle of a workday after the boss has just been grumpy with you.

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The key is to have at least one favorite exercise and one coping skill that can be done at any time or place. Have fun with this! Experiment!

Super Yoga

While yoga has long been shown to affect mood, one form of yoga can be very effective at boosting brain power. Superbrain Yoga, as the exercise is called, is gaining popularity because it is so effective. Try it for yourself and feel the difference.

This simple move boosts brain function by stimulating acupressure points on the earlobes, according to Yale-trained neurobiologist Eugenius Ang, Ph.D. For a very short video about it, click here.

Step 1 Place the left hand on the right earlobe, thumb on the front of the lobe with fingernail facing outward and second finger behind the earlobe. Then, with your right hand, grasp your left earlobe, again keeping your thumb on the front of the lobe, facing outward. Press both earlobes simultaneously, making sure your left arm is close to your chest and inside your right.

Step 2 As you press on the earlobes, squat down, keeping your back straight. Do 10 to 12 deep bends, inhaling through the nose on the way down and exhaling through the mouth coming up.

Step 3 Repeat once or twice daily. To learn more, read Superbrain Yoga by Master

Choa Kok Sui.

Very Basic Reflexology and Self-Massage

The diagram on the next page shows specific areas on the foot that, as we

have learned from Chinese Medicine, correspond to various organs of the body. When gently massaged, these can help stimulate healing of these

organs. Use your fingers or a pencil eraser. Start gently once you have found a tender spot, and begin with just 30 seconds of very gentle massage,

building up over time. Excess massage can create soreness and it can exacerbate the challenge of a stressed organ. Intuit the right pressure or

length of time to practice this, but start with a half minute or less. You will know that you have hit the right spot when you feel some tenderness or

soreness as you massage a point.

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Also be aware that exchanging foot massage with others is a great way to

deal with your stress and can be helpful, too, in addressing any health challenges when you do not have access to professional help.

Working both feet is suggested. The left foot is a mirror of the right as

shown here. Use the diagram on the next page to help you. If you have access to the skills of a foot reflexologist or acupuncturist, their

knowledge will be even more helpful than the very basic information presented in this eBook.

SimpleAwakeningTools.com

The Simple Awakening Tools Program: A set of 19 simple ideas to take one at a time into your life for three days and notice how they fit for you. You edit them to fit your truth. Not a lot of direct time is required. Exercise of your awareness is.

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Communication Skills

for When It Hits the Fan

In your communication with others, here is a synopsis of what can be most effective:

Projecting confident optimism

Let your body language be congruent with the courage and trust you intend to practice.

Be aware of and acknowledge the talents and good ideas of others in the group. Look for ways to make group use of these talents and ideas for the good of all.

Let the attitude be “together we can…”

If you are taking a leadership role, remember to encourage and recognize productive behavior in others publically. Also remember to redirect or challenge others privately when the situation calls for it. Remember the golden rule!

Encourage possibility thinking: “I wonder how easy this can be.” Lead by example

Create teams, foster cooperation

Take the solution orientation

Self-Communication Skills

How you communicate with yourself is very important when it hits the fan. What you tell yourself about what is happening is programming your mind. Choose to make that programming something that supports you rather than drains you. On the next 2 pages are some of the key ideas to remember.

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The Power of Words Many people tend think little of how they use words and what they really mean. Here are two of the more important words that have very differing meanings in our culture.

The generally accepted understanding of why we use words is to clarify their meaning. Consider the possibility,please, that the meaning of many words and phrases in our collective vocabulary are muddy and, therefore, potentially confusing and divisive in common usage.

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Take a look at the chart below. Please review the power words and phrases in the left column with the victim words on the right. Make note of any victim phrases that may have crept into your vocabulary and choose to replace them with a power phase---the one shown here or one of your choice. This can make a significant impact on how you deal with your life during challenging times.

Power Phrases Victim Phrases I won't (choice) I can't

I claim or intend to have I want

I am (or I will) I need to

I decide (or intend or choose) I'll try to

I'll do it I'll try to do it

I trust that this is working I hope that it will work

I can do this Maybe I can

I'll consider that I come up with a blank

I am coming up with an idea I'm blocked, nothing’s coming to me

I choose to be free I'm stuck

I can let this be easy This is too hard

I decide to be successful No matter how hard I try….

In your communications with others, you will find that using the power phrases tends to inspire others to appreciate you. When you use them in your own thinking and when you speak words out loud when alone, they will tend to inspire you.

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Claiming Your True Powers

In this area, unless you already have practice, you will be called upon to trust that you do, indeed, have powers you have not used before. The more that you trust these powers, the more potent they are. So my first challenge to you in discussing these powers specifically is to be open to experiencing higher and higher levels of powers that you may not have been in touch with having before now.

1) Protective Powers In feeling and trusting that you are protected and safe, you create protection and safety for yourself. Back up and repeat reading that line, noticing how you feel when you do. Now put it in the first person. In times of perceived danger, say this powerfully to yourself:

I trust that I am protected and safe. I place a bubble of pure white light around myself

and my loved ones here.

And of course if you then immediately tell yourself that such a thought is stupid, you largely negate the power statement you just made.

What is the other side of feeling protected? You might suggest that it is feeling vulnerable. There is a big difference between feeling vulnerable and feeling fear. You can have courage when you feel vulnerable. If you are in the grip of fear, courage is much more challenging to muster.

Just as there is a difference between feeling vulnerable and feeling fear, there is also a huge difference between fear and prudence or caution. It is important to understand this. The reason you don’t walk down an alley short-cut at 2 am in a neighborhood that has a reputation for violence is not that you fear. It is that you are aware enough to summon a cautionary prudence. So do not be too quick to pin that “fearful” label on yourself. It doesn’t ever serve you to do so…except to get you fed up with reacting in that way.

To reprise an important aspect of The Wake Up Book, if you truly understand that you are not really your body or your mind, then it is likely that you understand that the part of you that is Spirit is who you are at depth. And that is invincible, living on and on. If this is so, then there is no reason to fear anything. Your soul, your spirit lives on even when the body or mind are deactivated.

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2) Healing Powers

Our bodies are loaded with energies that we are just starting to understand. When you are near someone who has just experienced major physical trauma, helping that person get competent medical care may be your best, brightest and most intuitive option. Keep in mind that there are many skilled practitioners of the medical arts that do not have a “M.D.” after their name.

Still, if you have a broken bone or deep wound, your best option may be to find a medical doctor, if you can.

Having access to a good first-aid guide can be very helpful in times of crisis. Consider getting one before it hits the fan.

What we will explore here are simple healing ideas and techniques for when you do not have access to a healthcare practitioner.

You possess the power to help others heal. These powers can be directed by the hands and arms, along with your loving attention. You can also use these techniques on your pets, when they will be particularly effective if the animal is emotionally freaked. Like all great mysteries, this one can be wasted in trying to figure out or explain the “how” of it. We do not understand how it works, but with open-minded experience, we know that it does work. Experiment with this before it hits the fan so that you will trust your power more and more as you are challenged to use it. Your healing powers include both emotional and physical healing capacities.

There are two key things to keep in mind about directing your healing powers, whether you are using them to help heal yourself or someone else.

1. Let the power go where it’s going and do what it is going to do. Any emotional or mental investment in having to have any result inhibits the process.

2. Trust that your power will go where it’s best used. Let Spirit guide the flow.

3. Request of the one to whom you are directing your energy to relax and let go of any need for a positive result. Long, slow, deep breathing helps….for both of you to practice.

For others:

Hands-on: If the person is awake, get their permission first before touching them. Rub your palms together to warm them before placing them on the person or pet. For two to three minutes, rest them

---on the top of the skull of one who is emotionally challenged

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--over the heart area if the person is in shock or has just experienced physical trauma

Choose to have the sense that you are sending loving, healing pink-white light into them. Again, release any sense of needing a result. This is such an important factor.

Hands-off: Hold your hands facing the person, about 1 foot to 20 feet away from the recipient who is laying down, if possible. They can be on a couch, massage table or the floor. Let yourself be guided as to how far away you are. You can move at any time during the session. Start close, and move your hands intuitively to get to the right distance for maximum healing potential.

There is no need to point them at any specific body area. The key here again is to trust the loving energy to go where it is best used. Best length of time for this kind of healing tends to be 15-20 minutes. You may feel guided to extend the session with one who is traumatized.

These short ideas cannot be substituted for full instruction, but can be useful in emergency situations or when someone could benefit by a healing. For more information about this kind of healing, see the free resources at http://chioshealing.com/ or learn more about energy healing techniques such as Reconnective Healing.

Sustainability Ideas and Resources

Note: I have no financial arrangements or affiliate connections with any of the companies or organizations mentioned in this eBook. What is featured here is included only due to the merits perceived.

General Ideas Remember that this is not intended to be a complete guide but one that hits

some important high points. Doing an Internet search now (“survival products,” “sustainability” and “prepper supplies” are good for starters) can broaden your knowledge and help you be more

prepared for what will be important when it hits the fan.

The times coming soon will be times when we may have the opportunity to live simpler lives. There may not be the same conveniences and access to the same technological advances that we have

taken for granted before.

If it hasn’t hit the fan yet…or maybe quicker if it has:

1) Start a garden in your yard. a. If the thought is a bit overwhelming, start small.

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b. You might also consider experimenting with indoor hydroponics, particularly if you are in a climate that gets winter freezes.

2) Set aside a one month supply of drinking water, if you can. This may be important even if you

live in a climate where you get lots of rain year-round.

3) Internet search the term “time bank” together with your geographic area. You can exchange

your time for the services of others that you can make use of. This is growing all over the country and will continue to do so.

3) Start collecting things you can use for barter. As our monetary systems may be unstable for

awhile, barter will become very popular. Many of the things we have been used to having free

or cheap access to may be in short supply. a. These may include water, water containers, matches, fuels such as propane, non-

perishable food products (particularly seeds for sprouting or growing, protein powder, vegetable broth powders, dried oats, quinoa, etc)

b. If you can afford the start-up cost, check into aquaponics. Raising fish and vegetables

will give many options to those who can afford to set something like this up. If you’d like to have somebody build a larger system for you people at portablefarms.com have an

excellent system for this. There are also plans available online that show you how to build your own aquaponics system for about $200 and the cost of an old bath tub. Starting with as few as 7 fish, you can produce up to 30,000 tilapia per year. Now that

is some major barter power.

4) Look into renewable energy sources.

5) If you can get off the grid, your life will be much simpler as we make our transition. Look into affordable starter kits to get a feel for how it works. Doing this before it hits the fan will make a

huge difference in your life.

6) Create local groups that meet regularly to share resources/set up barter exchanges, create

community awareness/watch groups, provide emotional support and inform each other of new

resources. The coming times will be most easily navigated by those who align with others to be of mutual support.

a. Create resource lists: What do you have that can be shared? What do your neighbors have that can be shared? Creating a record of these things before anything hits the fan will make your life and your neighbors’ lives more manageable.

7) If your home has a fireplace and you live in a climate where the winters get below 45-50

degrees, make sure you have a season’s supply of firewood if you can afford it. 8) Money supply low? Remember that you can barter your time and services, too. Do an internet

search for “time banks” in your area. What do you have that you don’t need that may be useful to another? If you look at it from the prospective of what you might offer in exchange to

another that they can make use of---rather than just thinking about what you seem to need---then often the Universe will magically deliver to you people who can provide items important to you.

9) Let’s take that last one another step: Look for opportunities to give to others without needing

anything in exchange. Sometimes, you’ll decide to lean towards prudence in this kind of experience. And at others, you’ll know that it is time to unconditionally give. It’s not that you’ll

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give to “earn points.” When you give from the heart, you are really giving to yourself. And the Universe, or God, if you prefer, tends to lighten your load when you are a giver.

This has been a very basic set of ideas. For a more complete exploration, consider searching these

terms on the Internet:

survival tools

sustainability

green resources

how to plant a food garden

Conclusion and Challenges

While it may be challenge for some to understand the ways in which we are a unified or collective body of humanity, it is easy to see that we have very different ways of handling the experiences of our lives. For some, the changes going on in our world provoke a sense of hopelessness, anxiety or overwhelm. These people can be so gripped by current chaos that they see no brighter future; they do not know how to trust. Collectively, we have tried a wide range of responses to the stressful events of life. Some have buried themselves in their work. Others have tried to stuff their fears with food, drugs, alcohol, sex, television, romance novels or anything that will take them away from their life as it is. So in concluding this book, I offer these challenges to you as ways of dealing with life when everything seems to be hitting the fan:

Live present trust. Decide in each moment of difficulty to have trust that what is happening is for a purpose and that you can deal with it. It is important to trust yourself in the present and trust that the world will unfold in harmony.

Respond to life with calm love. Calm love requires trust. We have been taught to fear life. The head judges and runs into fear or avoidance. The way beyond that: practice trust and acceptance of what is. The heart just loves.

You make a difference in how the collective shift happens. It starts with you. As you love, you add to the collective power of consciousness. Sometime, sooner than many may think, we will reach the tipping point at which the Power of Love swallows up and discards the “love” of artificial power. How you respond to life makes a difference in how graceful this transition will be.

Decide to live your life in commitment to Loving Presence. More and more consistently, choose to make the loving response, to have the loving thought.

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As a communal body, we have at our disposal the immense Power of Love. When we are in touch with this Power---when we trust it----what we can become and what we can create is Power beyond anything that has to do with our religions, our governments, our money institutions or this Earth. So keyword number one: Trust. Keyword number two: Courage. Without trust, courage is pointless, like standing up boldly for something that you do not believe in. So, to take it the next step: courage without trust is another facet of ignorance. True courage means doing what is in front of you to do, responding with the loving thought and deed. Remembering to live with trust and courage is sometimes not easy. Challenging times like those many are living now find many copping to the quick, feel better fix of the ego. Some settle for the instant gratification or diversion that comes from the quart of ice cream, the lonely orgasm, the 12-pack of beer, the shot of something into the veins, the snort of something up the nose. And all these things do seem to have a very short-term effect that finds one feeling better. The problem is that very soon, when these things wear off, one finds that they need to be repeated if the pain of life is to be quieted or avoided. It becomes a cycle of self-destructive behavior, selling out the future for short term and anemic satisfaction. My challenges to you, then, are:

(1) Trust your power. (2) Live with loving courage as you flow with what life offers

rather than avoiding or denying life. (3) Recognize and slow down behaviors that are just destructive

quick-fixes. Your power grows as you do this.

Thank you for considering these as commitments because as you get better at responding to life with love, you are also giving to all of us, moving us closer and closer to the harmony that is waiting to be claimed. I encourage you to do two things now: first, use the ideas on the next page as a brief Pause Session right now. Second, print a couple of copies of the next 2 pages and post each where you will see them frequently. Doing this is a way of conditioning yourself to become what you intend to be.

******************************************************************

The Your Pause Button Spiritual Empowerment blog is regularly updated with fun and inspirational provocation. Check out the free tools at

http://SimpleAwakeningTools.com

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Consider posting the next two pages on a wall or putting a copy out near your desk or place where you will find them easy to read often, especially during challenging times. Because it is stated in the first person, it is important that if it does not reflect your truth, you change it so it does. As I suggest with many of the other core ideas created for you, if changing the thought expressed makes it work better for you, do it! Make it something that you can feel good about expressing as your truth.

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The heart is never hopeless, judging, vengeful, fearful or wanting. It is only the idiot mind that clings to these destructive ways of reacting to life. I am in the process of dropping my attention and support from---and my identification with---the imaginary egoic mind. I am claiming my true power, realizing it.

I trust my Loving Power.

I have the courage to see what I am faced with and to respond to my life experiences with calm, loving presence now.

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A Radical and Clear Perspective on What is Happening Now In Our World and How We Can Deal With It The powers that seem to control our world do not want you to believe any of what is on the rest of this page. Ask your heart if what you see here is true.

This world is pushing us to do three things, maybe for most of us, in this order:

Start waking up to the immense power that each of us has. It is based in love, not control.

Face what is going on in our world, and more importantly, face ourselves.

Withdraw our attention and support from influences and institutions---most importantly ego---that abuse, deceive, manipulate or disrespect.

The chaos and challenge of the world and its institutions mirror the insanity of ego, the imaginary being that we have allowed to wage war on the heart. Ego and corrupt institution do the exact opposite of what they pretend to do.

Our religions pretend to empower us spiritually while their actions and practices promote fear, guilt and a sense of separation from each other and divinity.

Our educational system is set up to hide valuable knowledge from us and fill us with often useless, confusing, or divisive lies about our history, who we are, how to succeed, and what it takes to have a life that is meaningful.

Our media systems that tell us they are informing and entertaining us, are designed to expand our wants, our anxiety, our vanity, and our following of divisive guidance and example.

And our governments: If you don’t see the challenge there, you are just not close to awake. Big governments today---and most of the smaller ones--- are the perfect mirror for ego. Is ego being given the privilege of representing you?

These are key realizations we are here to make, and the Universe is pushing us to make them now.

There is nothing to fear

There is nothing to fight There is nothing to judge

There is nothing to doubt Those who appear to abuse, deceive, manipulate or disrespect are not to be feared, fought, judged or doubted. Often, their lesson to you, as some point, becomes that you---and collective consciousness---are most powerfully served by withdrawing your attention and support from them. This disengagement is concurrently the embrace of love.

Trust your heart. Trust your intuitive sense. Trust your loving power.