Non-Directive Life Coaching

Life coaching is a relatively recent term for something that has been going on for ages. Life coaching takes many forms. Some people may see the term and say, “I don’t need anyone else to tell me how to run my life – I’m married.”

The purpose of life coaching really isn’t to tell anyone how to run their life in general but it may involve some specific aspect of their life.

There are two basic types of life coaching – directive and non-directive. A directive coach may be employed to advise on some specific area that needs to be improved. To do this, you engage a coach who has some particular expertise in a given area. Examples would include a fitness coach, athletic coach, business coach, voice coach, etc. Other terms for directive coaching would include consulting, teaching, advising and mentoring.

Basically, a directive coach shares his or her expertise and “directs” the client to success.

A non-directive coach’s expertise is in the process, not the subject area. The NDC (non-directive coach) can assist in a variety of subject areas such as weight loss, career advancement, education or starting a business – just to name a few.

In directive coaching, the coach is the expert but in non-directive, the client is the expert. Certainly, there are some areas where the directive approach is more appropriate but there are also areas where non-directive is the way to go.

Perhaps this is a good time to review the purpose of coaching. A coach assists the client in getting from point A to point B. Point B is the objective of the process. It could be getting a job, winning a title, passing an exam, operating a successful business, stop smoking or learning to play poker. Some objectives (goals) would require a more directive approach but most can be accomplished through a non-directive approach.

Let’s face it – most of us already know what we need to do to reach our goal. What we need is a plan, motivation, accountability and encouragement. This is what the NDC provides but don’t think for a moment that it is just cheerleading.

Briefly, the NDA (non-directive approach) process is as follows:

1. Define the goal. The client may say that the goal is to “get a better job” but through appropriate inquiry we may learn that he loves his job but needs to make more money. In this case, the goal would be to increase income, not necessarily to get a better job. The NDC helps the client to discover his actual objective. The goal must be reasonable and attainable. We call this “validating the goal.”

2. Determine the current situation. Before we can develop a plan for the client to obtain the goal, we must assess his current situation. What resources are available? What support does he have? What happened in previous attempts? This is defining the “A” to determine the starting point to achieve “B.”

3. Develop a plan. Too many people claim to have a goal but have never developed a plan to get there. The goal may seem lofty or far away but an appropriate plan gives a pathway with intermediate objectives along the way. Often people think of a goal as something you don’t have one minute but do the next. The NDC assists the client in putting together a realistic plan that has various “success points” along the way. If the goal is to lose 20 pounds, losing 5 is a success point. If the goal is getting a new job, updating the resume is a success point. Success points provide motivation to continue the journey.

4. Accountability. From session to session, the NDC will assign the client various tasks to perform. It may be as simple as “Ask your husband what he thinks about your goal” or as detailed as “Research the requirements to be a Marine Biologist, including average income and employment opportunities.” At the following session, the NDC asks about the assignment. Was it completed? What was the result? What prevented you from doing the assignment?

5. Encouragement. You can’t minimize the importance of positive reinforcement. Although it is the client’s goal, it is the coach’s job to help the client attain the goal. An example of this collaborative effort is in the accountability mentioned above. If a client fails to complete the assignment, a directive coach may use negative reinforcement such as refusing to hold another session until the assignment is completed or chastise the client for not being serious about attaining the goal. The NDC, on the other hand, would work with the client to explore exactly what prevented the assignment from being completed and how to remove negative influencers.

There are several advantages to using the NDA in coaching:

1. It is collaborative. Since the NDC and the client are working together, the client “owns” the results. There is more motivation when the client is working the plan that he helped develop than when he is given a plan by the “expert.” If something goes wrong or does not happen as expected, it would be easy to blame the expert’s plan but if it is the client’s plan they are much more motivated to discover the problems and adjust the plan as necessary. A side benefit is that the client learns the process and can apply it to subsequent issues without having to employ the coach.

2. It is personal. A directive coach may have a plan that he uses for all clients. You buy into his program and follow his instructions. The NDA is different for each client. It takes into account his desires, his motivation, his support network, his resources, his timetable, etc. There is no standard plan, diet, regimen, schedule or steps to follow.

3. Relationship. The non-directive approach is all about the client. Although it is conversational in nature, all discussion is about the client. The coach does not give opinions or advice, even when we think we know the answer. We lead the client to discover the answer for themselves. Certainly we give guidance on where to look or some alternatives to consider but the discovery is the client’s.

4. Flexible. Life tends not to follow plan. Things happen that may make it necessary to alter the plan accordingly. The client may have a financial setback or change in work schedule. There may be changes in the coach’s situation as well. You must have the capability to change the plan when necessary. Since the plan is individualized, it is not difficult to accommodate changing conditions. This is not the case when following a regimented plan that require the client to “do items 1 – 6 the first week and 7 – 13 the second.”

5. General Applicability. Since the NDA is process oriented, it can be applied to a variety of subject areas. This is certainly an advantage to the coach who does not have to market her services to a limited segment of the population as would be the case with an acting coach, for example. Many non-directive life coaches also have the capability of doing directive coaching in specific areas where they have expertise. Personally, I am qualified to do directive coaching in the areas of spirituality, real estate investing and entrepreneurship.

For more information on non-directive coaching, to explore becoming a coach or to discuss the possibility of being coached, please visit my web site at www.CoachRonOwens.com.

Spiritual but not Religious

As a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors, I receive their publication Christian Counseling Connection. The current issue reports the results of a
recent survey stating, “Seventy-two percent of U.S. 18-29 year-olds say they’re ‘really
more spiritual than religious.’”

We’ve all heard similar statements before and know that many young people (and some older people) feel this way but 72%!!! That’s an astounding number.

There was no information on religious background, church attendance prior to age 18 or other demographics of the group surveyed so any conclusions drawn must be regarded with caution.

Spiritual but not religious – what does this really mean? Several possibilities come to mind. Could they possibly mean…

I want to go to heaven but I don’t want to go to church.

I believe in God but not in those church people.

Being spiritual is free but churches want money.

I would rather receive than give to others.

OK, maybe I’m being cynical. It could be much more serious than implied by the above statements. Many could have had bad experiences in church or resent having been forced by their parents to attend. I am sure this was the experience of some, but 72%! There must be something much more pervasive going on. I suspect there are several contributing factors.

The mass media’s attack on religion, especially Christianity.

Religious people are portrayed as being hateful, intolerant, self-serving and “holier than thou.” Often religious leaders are corrupt, immoral and power-seeking.

Being spiritual is easier than being religious.
Individuals can define spirituality in many ways. Religions actually have doctrine to be followed. Religions believe in community and in serving others. You can be “spiritual” all alone with no obligation to any standards or people.

Being spiritual is cool. Being religious is not.
The exception is that it is cool to claim to be a follower of some exotic religion. Madonna claiming to be a follower of the Kabalah comes to mind (She has since claimed to be United Methodist). It is a great attention getter to announce at a party, I am a follower of the ancient Egyptian worship of RA, the sun god.

Whatever it really is that has 72% of our young adults claiming to be non-religious, it is a tremendous opportunity for religious organizations to reach out and find out how they can
better meet the needs of this population.

Although they are unlikely to admit it, there are many people of whom it could be said, “They are religious but not spiritual.” I have met many people who are very active in their church but seem to have missed the spiritual nature of the organization. This is likely the case in synagogues as well but I am not personally aware of it.

We all have our own ideas about what “spiritual” and “religious” mean. You may be surprised, as I was, at the definitions presented by the Webster’s Online Dictionary, 2011. The
first three definitions of each word are shown below.

Spiritual:

1. Concerned with sacred matters or religion or the church

2. Concerned with or affecting the soul

3. Lacking material body or form or substance

Religious:

1. Concerned with sacred matters or religion or the church

2. Having or showing belief in and reverence for a deity

3. Of or relating to clergy bound by monastic vows

Taking just the first definition of each word would indicate that the words are synonymous although I would submit that common usage differs.

So, how DO “spiritual but not religious” people differ from religious people? Aside from the obvious difference of participation in organized religious activities, I think there are more similarities than differences and many of these are semantic.

For example, one group believes in God while the other group believes in the same characteristics of a deity but call it the universe, the infinite, collective subconscious or some other term.

One group believes in prayer and the other calls it meditation or cosmic ordering. One group believes in answered prayer and the other calls it manifestation. One has guardian angels
and the other has spirit guides. You get the point.

I consider myself to be “spiritual and religious” and don’t see being identified with either
group as a negative. In fact, I consider a very spiritual religious organization to be the ideal and I don’t mean speaking in tongues or handling snakes. A spiritual religious organization is one that recognizes the power of God (or the universe, etc.) to empower those who believe in Him (it, her,
whatever) to love others and act on that love by providing for the poor, sick, lonely, etc.

In my very first sentence, I indicated that I am Christian (a member of the AACC). Then why do I call myself a Spiritual Life Coach instead of a Christian Life Coach? It is precisely because I want to reach some of those 72% who consider themselves non-religious. It is because many people see the word – Christian- and immediately think of some negative stereotype.

Frankly, I am more concerned by those who are “religious but not spiritual” than I am those who claim to be “spiritual but not religious.” I am committed to helping both groups to better
understand their spirituality and how we have more commonalities than differences. I want to help the religious to become more spiritual and the spiritual to be more religious.

If you have questions about your own spirituality or want to grow spiritually I will be glad to help. You can contact me for coaching at www.CoachRonOwens.com or choose an inexpensive book from www.SelfHelpBookSite.com.

Universal Laws - Last in Series

Over the past few weeks, I have been writing about the
Universal Laws. Specifically, I have discussed the Law of Attraction, the Law
of Perpetual Transmutation, the Law of Deliberate Creation and the Law of
Vibration.

As mentioned in the first post, various authors have listed
up to 42 separate laws but the most common number is seven. Whether there are
really only seven laws or the number seven is used because it is the number
denoting spiritual completeness, I don’t know.

Today, I want to conclude the series by briefly listing some
of the laws not heretofore mentioned. They are:

The Law of Relativity Nothing stands alone.
Something is “big” or “small” only in relation to some other “thing.”
Something, for example, that is difficult for you, may actually be easy for
someone else. Therefore, the “thing” is neither difficult nor easy in itself
but only in relation to individuals’ perception of it.

The Law of Polarity Similar to the Law of
Relativity in that it is employed in relation to something else, this law
states that everything has a polar opposite. For every “good” there is a “bad.”
For every “right” there is a “wrong.” The Universe has a sufficient supply of
both. Whichever you devote your energy to, you will receive.

The Law of Correspondence Just as the physical
world has principles or laws of physics, the metaphysical or spiritual world
have corresponding principles or laws. Just as the law of gravity is real in
the visible world, the law of attraction is real in the invisible world.

The Law of Cause and Effect Every action has a
related effect. Since all energy is connected, every thought as well as act has
a resulting effect. We may not be able to perceive the effect but somewhere,
something is affected. This principle of Cause and Effect can cross worlds in
that a physical action can have a spiritual effect and a spiritual act can
affect the physical world.

The Law of Allowing This principle states that
we should allow others to be as they decide to be and not apply our values upon
them. It also says that we should allow ourselves to be who we truly are and
not pretend to be something we are not. Back in the 1970s, there was a term –
“being real” – that states this principle. Another aspect of the law of
allowing is to keep ourselves open to receive the blessings of God (or the
Universe, if you prefer).

The Law of Sufficiency and Abundance
Everything that you need and want is available to you. We too often think in
terms of scarcity and the only way we can get what we want is to take it from someone
else. Even financial abundance is sufficient for everyone. As Wallace Wattles
states in The Science of Getting Rich, success is a function of
service, not competition.

I could probably list at least ten or more laws or
principles but I think that you can see that they are all interconnected. If
you are interested in the Universal Laws, just do an internet search and you
will find an abundance of information.

If you would like to discuss applying Universal Laws to
achieving some goal in your life, contact me through www.CoachRonOwens.com or write to CoachRonOwens@gmail.com. I would also
like to hear from you if you have questions or topics you would like for me to
address in this blog. Don’t forget to checkout www.MasterESP.com and www.SelfHelpBookSite.com.

Law of Vibration

Today we will look at the Law of Vibration. It, in fact, is the basis of manifestation. You can think of the Law of Vibration as the means by which the Law of Attraction works.

The first thing that is important to understand is that all that exists, whether seen or unseen, broken down into it's simplest and most basic form, consists of a form of, or rate of vibration.

Let's begin by looking at something as simple as a piece of paper. As you pick it up and look at it, it appears to be a solid object that you can sense with all of the five basic human senses of sight, touch, taste, smell, and hearing.

If you were to tear off a small piece of the corner, and place it under a microscope, you would find that it now appears to transform into a different form than when you held it in your hand or as it laid on the table.

As you observe it closely you will find that there appears to be movement within it. Not only does it appear to be so, but there really is movement! The movement that you see is millions of individual forms of microscopic matter that make up the piece of paper, which are called molecules. Everything in our world that you can sense with the five basic human senses are made up of these tiny wonders.

Going deeper, let's take one of those molecules and place it under a much more powerful microscope and as you look through the lens you will find that there appears to be movement from within the molecule. Not only does there appear to be, there is!

This movement is created by something known to the scientific community as atoms, which broken down and analyzed further consist of a proton, which is at the center and an electron which constantly orbits the proton, creating a vibratory pattern (energy). When I was in school, this was as far as the science went but with much, much more powerful technology (electron microscope) scientists can look “inside” the electron, proton, neutron, etc. What they found (and are finding) is truly amazing! The smallest “matter” found so far is called a quark. The reason I put “matter” in quotation marks is because there is a question of whether “matter” exists at all. The smallest particle is as much an energy wave as it is “matter.”

In fact, at the deepest level, everything consists of energy and is in a constant state of vibration and motion.

Even the seemingly solid items in your home, such as tables and chairs, vibrate. They vibrate at such a low frequency they appear as solid objects to the human eye.

Going even a step further, not only are things previously thought of as solid matter actually energy but things not considered to be “things” at all are also energy.

Thoughts are energy (vibrations). Emotions are energy AND we are energy.

Since you are reading this blog, you probably realize that we are spiritual beings who temporarily inhabit physical bodies. So what makes the difference between us and a brick? Among other things, it is our rate of vibration.

The Law of Vibration explains that differences between manifestations of matter, energy, mind and spirit result from different rates of vibration.

Each and every thought is energy and has its own vibrational frequency. We are effectively transmitting vibrational signals into the universe.

In addition to the rate of vibration, vibrational energy is also divided into positive and negative.

Generally, positive vibrations exist at a higher frequency than negative vibrations.

When experiencing positive emotions such as joy and happiness you are emitting positive vibrations.

However, if you are experiencing negative emotions such as fear, anger, nervousness or anxiety you are off track and vibrating at a lower frequency.

The Law of Vibration applies to everything you think, believe, act, intend and say.

If you don’t like what you have been attracting in your life, raise your vibration to invoke positive power and effectively apply the Law of Attraction. I may discuss ways to do this in a future blog but, basically, to receive positive energies you project positive energies. Like the Law of Attraction states, you receive that which occupies your thoughts.

For example, you have five bills to pay and enough money to pay only three of them. Worrying about the two unpaid bills will attract more unpaid bills but a sense of gratitude for having the money to pay three of the bills will attract more money to you.

If you need help in applying the Law of Vibration in your life, you can contact me for coaching at www.CoachRonOwens.com or choose an inexpensive book from www.SelfHelpBookSite.com.

Law of Perpetual Transmutation

Next in our series on the Universal Laws is the Law of Perpetual Transmutation. Don’t worry! It isn’t as difficult as it sounds.

Simply stated, the LPT provides that energy is constantly moving into and out of physical form and that our thoughts can affect this process. Transmutation merely means changing from one form into another.

As you know by now, all things are energy and the rate of vibration of this energy determines the forms it takes. Only within the past twenty years or so has this process been scientifically demonstrated but it is a concept understood by many people for more than 100 years. Like everything else, our thoughts are energy and this energy precedes materialization. I am sure that you learned in school that energy cannot be created or destroyed. It changes forms – transmutes.

Edison’s invention of the light bulb was preceded by his idea of a light bulb. Napoleon Hill’s book, Think and Grow Rich came after he had the idea to write a book. This does not mean that Edison or Hill just had an idea and suddenly a light bulb or book appeared. Edison’s numerous failures and determination not to give up are well documented. Both products required a lot of work (among other things) but began with an idea or thought.

It is generally accepted that the Universe is a creative force of unlimited power and infinite energy. In The Science of Getting Rich, Wallace Wattles referred to this force of energy as “formless substance” and “formless stuff.” Others prefer such designations as the Infinite, the Universe, the collective subconscious or God. By whatever name you prefer, there can be little argument that this creative force exists.

Our challenge is to determine how we can influence this creative force to materialize what we desire. In our discussion of the Law of Attraction, we noted that we attract to ourselves that which we think about – positively or negatively.

The same is true of the LPT. Our negative thoughts can create negative reality just as they can create positive reality. Have you observed that people who say “I never win anything” never win anything? A more familiar term for this process is Self-Fulfilling Prophesy. There is so much overlap in the Universal Laws that some contend that there is only one law – the Law of Attraction – and all others are components of it. It really is difficult to distinguish between the LOA, the LPT and the Law of Expectation, i.e., we get what we expect.

We don’t need to worry about whose list is more correct or what law if part of some other law. We just need to understand how to use the laws to our benefit.

Before working on creating positive results, we need to eliminate negative results. Watch your “self-talk.” Don’t make negative statements about your ability, luck, appearance or anything else. Try to remove all negatives even when trying to be positive. By that, I mean don’t make statements like “I am tired of being poor” or “I don’t want to stay in this lousy job.” Your subconscious, and through it the Universe, hears “I tired, poor” and “stay in lousy job” and does its best to comply. Always state what you want; not what you don’t want.

As long as our thoughts are going to create reality anyway, lets make it as good a reality as we can.

_______________________________________________________________________

If you would like any of the books mentioned in this blog, just let me know at CoachRonOwens@gmail.com and I will send you a free copy. Also, check out www.SelfHelpBookSite.com for inexpensive ebooks and audios.

Law of Deliberate Creation

In this series on the Universal Laws, I first gave a general description of universal law and last week, I discussed the best known of these laws – the Law of Attraction. Not only is the LOA the best known, some would argue that it is THE universal law and all others are sub-laws under it.

As a quick review, the LOA states that we attract to ourselves whatever we spend our mental energy on. For example, if we think about love, we attract love into our lives. However, if we think about our debt, we attract more debt. The LOA is totally neutral when it comes to whether the circumstances being attracted are positive or negative.

Assuming we want to attract positive things, how can we use the LOA to attract “good” and avoid “bad”? This brings us to the second law (in my list, anyway) – the Law of Deliberate Creation.

Unlike the LOA which is in effect at all times whether we are conscious of it or not, the Law of Deliberate Creation is exactly what it says – we deliberately work to create that which we desire.

Since it is our subconscious that is in direct contact with the universal energy force (God, the universe, collective subconscious, etc.), we must convince our subconscious to create the energy force which will result in obtaining our goal. For ease of description, let’s assume that your goal is a new automobile although it could be more money, better job, loss of weight, physical healing or almost anything else.

Let me make it clear right now. I am not talking about conjuring up a puff of smoke which will dissipate to reveal a new automobile. The Universe gives us those things we desire by providing people, opportunities, ideas, etc. that we must use to attain our goals. This does not mean that we couldn’t suddenly get an unexpected check in the mail. There have been documented cases where this exact thing has happened but we should not fail to be on the lookout for more conventional answers to our desires.

OK, lets get into the details. The subconscious receives information for various sources including the six senses. The more we send messages on what we want to “deliberately create” to the subconscious, the more rapidly the desire will be fulfilled. The following techniques have been documented to substantially facilitate the Law of Deliberate Creation.

1. Meditation. If we meditate at least 15 minutes per day on what it is we desire, the subconscious gets the message that we are serious. Through meditation, we can lower our brain wave vibration from the Beta state (14 – 30 cps) to the Alpha state (7 – 14 cps) where conscious thought is translated into a form more relevant to the subconscious. This same state can be created by hypnosis or self-hypnosis. While in the Alpha state, think about the automobile you want. What model, color, features, etc.

2. Visualization – Imagine the car sitting in your driveway or you driving down the highway. Find a photo of the type of auto you want and post it where you will see it often. Make a “vision board” with pictures of the things you want whether it is an automobile or yourself when you were 20 pounds lighter. Fix that image in your mind and recall it often – even you are not in the presence of the photo itself.

3. Emotion – Imagine how you will feel in that new car. Imagine the pride and comfort. Visualize how happy your family will be. If you have difficulty getting emotional over an object, there is a technique to “hijack” an emotion. Think of something that makes you feel really good. Do you have a favorite piece of music that gets your feet tapping? Play the music while visualizing the car you want. Do you have a favorite vacation memory? Imagine your desired automobile in that scene.

4. Affirmation – Say out loud something like “I really like my new automobile.” Or “I am glad to have a new Mercedes.” The affirmations must be stated in a form that implies your wish has been granted. The subconscious creates the reality that it believes exists already. Write these affirmations down and read them aloud often. This combines the visual input with the auditory. Even if you memorize the statement, look at the words anyway.

5. Repetition – The more often you do 1 – 4 above, the sooner you will achieve your goal. You can think about your goal while doing other things. It is like humming a tune while working. The more you do it, the less you have to consciously think about it. Through repetition, it becomes like that commercial jingle that you can’t get out of your head.

6. Combination – As much as possible, combine the above techniques. Visualize the car while meditating. Feel the emotion of accomplishment while stating your affirmations.

For many years, when I heard about the LOA or other universal laws, I thought it was just a motivational concept to get you to be more dedicated, to work harder. It has only been in the last ten years that I realized that these were actual scientific laws of human energy.

I urge you to try out these techniques. Set your goal relatively low at first until you are convinced that it works. Knowing what to establish as a goal is a subject for another day.

Do not pre-determine how the goal is to be achieved but trust God, the universe, or whatever term you chose to use; to do its work for you in the way that is best for you.

A philosopher from the last century once said,

You don’t always get what you want,

No, you don’t always get what you want;

But if you try it sometime, you just might find

That you get what you need.

Law of Attraction

In last week’s blog, I discussed the Universal Laws of Spiritual Energy. Although there is no universal agreement as to what they are or even how many, I have decided to select some of the most commonly agreed upon and discuss them over the next several weeks.

Before I begin with the most well known law – the Law of Attraction – I want to reiterate the importance of this and the other universal laws. The basis of all existence, seen and unseen, human and material, biological and mineral is vibrational energy. If you can affect the vibrations, you can affect reality itself.

Being spiritual or vibrational beings, we can, knowingly or unknowingly, create what we want as well as what we don’t want by our very thoughts. Our brains are transmitters as well as receivers. To have better control over our own destiny, we have to learn the proper way to use the universal laws to our own advantage.

Like the law of gravity and other “scientific” laws, the laws of spiritual energy apply equally to all people, all places and for all time.

These laws have been written about and talked about for thousands of years. This is not some “new age” concept. The book of Proverbs says, “As a man thinketh, so he shall be” and the Buddha is quoted as saying, “What you have become is what you have thought.” There are other similar quotes from such notable people as Aristotle, Jesus and others but I will not take the space to quote them here.

During the “New Thought” era of the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, there were many books written that were based specifically on what we now call the law of attraction. Probably the first use of the term was by William Walker Atkinson in 1906 with his book “Thought Vibration or The Law of Attraction in the Thought World.” Other familiar works are “As a Man Thinketh” by James Allen and “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill.

More recently, the movie “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne has made the LOA more popular.

OK, finally I get around to defining the Law of Attraction. I have read long, detailed definitions and short “bumper sticker” definitions but a good definition is: The Law of Attraction is the Universal Law which ensures that whatever energy is broadcast out into the universe is joined by (or attracted to) energies that are of an equal or harmonious frequency, resonance or vibration. More simply put – we attract to ourselves whatever we think about.

We both know that it really isn’t that simple but it does describe how it works. If it were that simple, every sixteen year old boy would be surrounded by beautiful, naked women. Truth is, for the LOA to work, you have to think in the “right” way.

Our connection with the universe (or God, if you prefer) is through our subconscious mind. Therefore, it is the “thoughts” of our subconscious, not our conscious mind, that puts the law of attraction into effect.

Many publications have been written on how to best influence your subconscious to broadcast the “right” thoughts. Two of my favorites are “How to Use the Law of Attraction to Succeed in Life” by Michael Lee and “How to Get Maximum Results From the Law of Attraction” by Alan Tutt. If you would like a free copy of either of these or any book mentioned in this blog, just let me know and I will send you a copy.

It is not the purpose of this article to go into too much detail about these laws but just to give you a general understanding of each. However, since the Law of Attraction is arguably the most powerful and serves as the basis of several of the other laws, there are some points that I think you should understand.

First, like other laws of nature, the LOA is completely free of judgment. It does not care if what you attract is “good” or “bad.” It does not care if you need or deserve what you receive.

Like the subconscious, it does not recognize a joke or a negative qualifier. For example, if you repeatedly say something like “I never get a break,” the LOA will do its best to make that a true statement. If you say, “I can’t pay my bills,” The LOA will act to bring you circumstances to assure the truth of that statement.

If you think about how much you dislike being sick, for example, all the LOA hears is that you are thinking about being sick so it brings about things that make you sick. If you make a statement using a negative qualifier such as, “I hate being broke,” The LOA hears “I … broke” and works to keep you that way.

Even though I use the phrase “make a statement,” I don’t really mean a single statement but more of a way of thinking.

There are some specific ways to ensure that the “correct” signals are being sent to the universe. Many of these are covered in the publications previously mentioned. Just remember a simple phrase such as “You bring about what you think about” or “Fake it until you make it.” Be thankful that you can pay the one bill and don’t obsess over the four that you can’t. I wish I could say to just forget the negative things, like unpaid bills, but we know that negative things have to be dealt with.

We do, however, have within our control the ability to find positive things in our lives that we would like to have more of. Deal with the negative when you have to but otherwise seek out love, beauty, abundance, good health and the other things you would like to attract into your life.

Ron Owens

www.CoachRonOwens.com

Universal Spiritual and Mental Laws

Our universe is governed by certain “universal” laws which influence all existence, seen and unseen. There is, however, no universal agreement as to what they are or even how many. Some sources will claim that there are seven, twelve or even forty-two such laws. There are at least seven on which there is general agreement. Others are often “sublaws” of the basic seven.

Ancient mystical, esoteric and secret teachings dating back over 5,000 years from Ancient Egypt to Ancient Greece and to the Vedic tradition of Ancient India, all have as their common thread these seven Spiritual Laws of the Universe. Once you understand, apply and align yourself with these Universal Laws, you will experience transformation in every area of your life beyond that which you have ever dared to imagine.

The Universal Laws can be viewed as guidelines for behaviors that will enhance our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual growth.

The Universal Laws are all inter-related and are founded on the understanding that everything in the universe is energy, including us. At the microscopic level, we are a whirling mass of electrons and energy atoms spinning rapidly. In fact, everything in the world is comprised of energy and we are intimately connected with this sea of energy, this sea of whirling electrons.
Our thoughts, feelings, words, and actions are all forms of energy. What we think, feel, say, and do in each moment comes back to us to create our realities. The combined thoughts, feelings, words and actions of everyone on the planet (or beyond?) creates our collective consciousness; it creates the world we see around us.

The exciting news is, because our thoughts, feelings, words and actions create the world around us, we have the power to create our own “reality.” In order to do this, it is essential that we learn to control our thoughts and emotions. Understanding the universal laws help us to do this.

The Universe as we know it, see it and experience it, is not all there is. The Universe is always in motion. It is a vibrating, pulsating, resonating, magnetizing force and at the molecular level everything is in motion. It is pure energy.

What we are talking about here is the pure formless substance of the Universe – we can think of this in spiritual terms as God, Higher Power, Spirit or the Universe, or address it mentally as Infinite Intelligence, Universal Mind, Divine Mind or Formless Substance. We can think of it scientifically as Energy or Relativity or take a giant leap into the area of Quantum Physics, where it is recognized as existing but scientists cannot agree on what it is or how it operates.

We are living in an age where mental, spiritual, religious and scientific concepts are coming together as we are getting very close to scientifically prove spiritual concepts.

What are these laws? Well, we know that there are laws of physics, laws of chemistry, laws of mathematics. But most people are not aware of the laws that govern the mental and spiritual realms – the creative laws of the Universe that govern our existence. Or you may know something about them but don’t know how to relate to them or how to use them.

So how do we know these laws exist or that this Universe or Power exists, aside from any intuitive feeling that it does? We know because of its results – by the experience of individuals who apply these principles in their own lives.

The universal spiritual laws work for everyone just like the law of gravity works for everyone. Successful people are using the mental and spiritual laws, they just may not realize they are doing so. And guess what? You are using these laws all of the time whether you realize it or not.
So how do we align ourselves with it?

We connect with this Power, this creative force of the Universe, within, through the channel of our subconscious minds – through our thoughts and our feelings. The subconscious mind is the most fantastic computer you could ever imagine. It keeps our heart beating, our lungs breathing, and has perfect memory of every cell in our body. It has also recorded and stored everything that we have ever heard, said, felt, and experienced. Unfortunately, that includes all of the faulty beliefs and negative patterns from others that we have acquired from the time we were very young through our lifetime.

Our thoughts and our feelings, our deepest beliefs are the key to connecting with the Power that responds to our desires. But first we must break through and overcome the negative thought patterns and beliefs that we have acquired since childhood. We cannot delete anything from the subconscious mind, and it is not necessary to do so. In order to shift our consciousness, we create a new dominant thought.

The subconscious mind does not like to change and will create resistance (we know that from our attempts to change a habit). But there are techniques and methods for influencing the subconscious in a way that does not create argument. (For more detailed discussion on breaking through this “wall” into the subconscious, see Michael Craig, www.logicalsoul.com)

The dominant thought in our conscious and our subconscious is what determines our circumstances. Why do we attract those things that we don’t desire? Those results are the outcropping of the thoughts and impressions that are established in your mind subconsciously.

So we must shift our consciousness to a new dominant thought – a new awareness. When we do so, we then open ourselves to the influence of the creative power of the universe.

The subconscious records everything - everything that you have ever heard or said or felt is recorded in perfect memory, whether or not you were conscious of it or not. And often the more casual words are the ones that drop into the subconscious more easily and are accepted, because you are not monitoring them or refuting them.

Over the next several weeks, I will be discussing several of these universal laws and how to apply them to enhance your life. Next week I will begin with the most familiar of these laws – The Law of Attraction.

Your Self

What is your self? Most would answer, “well, it’s me.” Then comes the question, “What is me?” and we’re back at “What are you?” We give ourselves many names. I am Ron. I am a man. I am an American…and so on. We can use many words to describe ourselves but do we really know what our self is? Where is our self located? How big is it?

Do you ever talk to yourself? If so, who is doing the talking and who is doing the listening? Do you ever get angry with your self or disappointed with your self?

Our self is not a simple concept. Our self is not a singular entity. If we think of our self as the essence of who we are, then our self is not a physical being but a metaphysical one. Metaphysical means simply “not physical.” I could (and will) use the term “spiritual” but I don’t want you to become confused with religious concepts, at least not yet.

The multiple entities of self have been long recognized. Have you ever heard someone say, “I’m not myself today”? Then who is he if he’s not himself? In the early twentieth century Sigmund Freud described the self as consisting of the id, ego and superego. Many behavioral scientists have agreed that each of us consists of at least three separate “selfs.” Some refer to them as the “lower self, the middle self and the higher self.” Others use the terms “conscious, subconscious and superconscious.” I will use the terms ego, subconscious and higher self because I believe they are more descriptive of the functional identity of each. Hopefully, you will agree.

The various characteristics, functions and interactions of the “selfs” are fascinating to study and, more importantly, to control. Before you can learn to exercise control over your selfs, you need to understand how each works.

The Ego

The ego is your conscious mind. When you decided what to wear today or what to have for breakfast, it was your ego making the decision. The ego does not have a long memory. It does what must be done now – in this moment. There is a reason why we use the word – egotistical. The ego is very self-directed. It consciously tries to satisfy the needs of the individual. The ego receives and processes information. It uses logical reasoning to solve a problem or undertake an activity. When you are consciously making a decision, you are functioning in your ego state. When you decide if something is good or bad, pretty or ugly, new or old; you are using your ego consciousness. The ego can think in the abstract and understands concepts like love, anger, remorse, envy and other emotions.

The Subconscious

Unlike the ego, the subconscious does not require conscious decisions in order for it to function. It, in fact, does not even require your conscious participation at all. The subconscious controls our autonomic functions such as heartbeat, breathing, digestion and other bodily functions. The ego can exercise a certain degree of control over the subconscious but only in a limited amount for a limited duration. You can consciously hold your breath, for example, but not for long. Some people have the ability to raise or lower their pulse rate or blood pressure.

The subconscious does not make decisions but reacts to stimuli given. It is very concrete and does not understand abstract concepts. In today’s understanding, you could say that it acts like a computer in that certain actions are programmed to occur upon receipt of the proper command. It can’t take a joke (you’ll see later why this is important). It does not understand degrees of a concept. It operates in a very “black & white” world.

The subconscious does not recognize time or space. Something programmed into us in our childhood continues to function until it is replaced by new programming.

Activities that we do “without thinking” are being carried out by the subconscious. Have you ever been driving somewhere familiar while thinking about something else (employing your ego) and suddenly realize that you don’t remember making several turns or stopping at red lights?

Your subconscious was driving and assuming you wanted to go where you usually go. If you had decided to stop at the grocery store on the way home, that decision was still in the realm of the ego and your subconscious did not know to stop there. Another good example is a typist. When learning to type, you consciously look at the word and decide which letters to press by which fingers. With experience, your subconscious knows what key to type when it sees a particular letter. A good typist can type accurately while his or her conscious mind is planning the dinner menu.

Another example is in reactions. A few days ago I was taking some items out of a bag while holding a drink in my left hand. I accidently dropped an unopened container with unbreakable contents. My subconscious immediately ordered my hands to try and catch the plastic bottle causing my diet coke to spill all over the floor. A conscious decision would have said, “let it drop, it won’t break” but that is not the way the subconscious works.

In addition to the many functions relating to the physical body, the subconscious plays another possibly more important role. It is through the subconscious that we usually access our higher self.

The Higher Self

The higher self is the part of our being which is in contact with every other being and with the power of the universe. This is where science and religion converge. The existence of a “higher power” has long been recognized. It is the different understandings of this power that causes there to be different religions, denominations and belief systems. This power is variously referred to as the Infinite Mind, Collective Subconscious, Universal Mind, God, Supreme Intelligence, and many other terms.

I will deal separately with the two “connections” of the higher self. First is the connection of all living things. Have you ever seen a video of a school of fish swimming along and suddenly the entire school, every single fish, changes direction? How did they all know exactly when to turn and in exactly the same direction? The lead fish didn’t turn first and the others followed. He didn’t shout an order to turn or signal with his fin. There was a mental connection among the fish.

People have this same connection although it is much more developed in some. The connection is strongest among individuals who are closely related. We have all heard of and possibly experienced a “mother’s intuition.” You somehow “know” when your child is hurting or in danger. The connection between some twins is so close that one can be injured and the other feels the pain.

You may have heard your phone ring and suddenly “knew” who was calling. Someone may call and you say, “I was just thinking of you.” You may have been in a room and could “sense” that someone was behind you. I could go on with examples but you probably have some of your own that you could add.

The connection is neither limited by time nor space. We have recently heard stories of parents who “knew” the moment their son or daughter was killed in battle half a world away. Other “knowings” may relate to future events or events that could not have been known by any rational explanation. This can explain some of what has been termed extra sensory perception because it wasn’t learned by either of the five common senses.

This connection is not just between humans and other humans. Many people believe that they know what their pet is thinking or, more commonly, the pet knows what they are thinking. Some of the research in this area is really impressive.

You may not be ready to believe it but several research studies have shown that some plants respond positively to kind words and thoughts and negatively to threats and thoughts of harm to the plant.

While science has acknowledged a psychic connection between living things, recent evidence indicates that it may not be limited to things which are living.

Watch for a future article on this phenomenon.

The Power of "What if...?"

You know how there are certain things that we just automatically reject or accept without really thinking about it? What if some of those things turn out to actually be true (or not true)?

Let’s deal first with the things we reject. Even though the odds might be one in a million that it is true, what if the world really does end on December 21, 2012? Let me be clear. I am not in any way stating that it will happen because I honestly do not believe that it will. I am just using it as an example of something that someone states and someone else rejects without thought. What if there really are extraterrestrials living among us? What if some people really can communicate with the dead? What if we really do create our own reality with our thoughts?

Again, I am not proposing that any of the above are true (or are not) but the mental exercise of examining the impact on your life can tell you a lot about yourself.

Before you dismiss it completely, remember that there were times in our history when people outright rejected the idea that the earth revolved around the sun, that disease is caused by living organisms too small to be seen with the naked eye and there is no such thing as a “solid” object. Today’s fiction is often tomorrow’s fact.

Now, getting a little more personal, what are some of the things that you automatically accept without really thinking about it? For example, what if there really isn’t (or really is) a heaven, hell or God, depending on what you currently believe? What if death is not inevitable? What if electrons approaching the speed of light really can disappear and reappear, go back in time and change locations without apparent cause?

It is not the purpose of this article to get you to change your mind about anything. The purpose is to encourage you not to accept or reject any idea without considering the possibility that you just might be wrong.

Looking Back from the Future

One of the techniques that I like to use with my clients is something I call “Looking Back from the Future.”

No matter your current age, imagine being elderly and looking back on your life. You might want to ask yourself questions like:

What were my major accomplishments?

Whose lives did I impact for the better?

How will I be remembered by those who knew me?

What were those things that I always wanted to do but never did?

What am I leaving to my family? Money or Memories?

Who did I never get around to telling “I love you”?

Who did I never forgive or ask forgiveness from?

Someday each of us will be in a position to ask those questions but not able to do anything about it.

So, ask yourself those questions, and others, now while you still have time to potentially change the answers. Don’t ever put yourself in the position of looking back on your life with regret. Act now so that you will be able some day to look back and see a life full of love, caring, serving others and building pleasant memories for everyone you encounter.

How old are you?

What a question! Depending on who asks and why, you may or may not even answer. But if you do, what would your answer be? Chances are that you would respond with the amount of time that has elapsed since your birth or, perhaps, some would add 8 - 9 months to that believing that is when their life began. But that wasn't the question. I didn't ask how old your body was. I asked how old YOU are. Most of us realize that our body is not us. We are spiritual beings who merely occupy a physical vessel for a relatively short period of time. So, how old ARE you? Again, some believe that our physical and spiritual lives begin at the same time, i.e., we did not pre-exist our bodies. Others would answer that we have always existed and may take bodily form once or even multiple times. The answer is - no one knows. Now, on the other end of our physical existence, there is much more agreement. Relatively few people believe that we cease to exist when our body dies. Many religions are based on a belief in eternal life (or in some cases for non-believers - eternal death). There are numerous organizations, movies, television shows and books about life after physical death. There have been many documented cases of people who have apparently died and then returned to life and told of their experiences while "dead." Unfortunately, the evidence is all in the words of the subject. Was it real? Hallucination? Dream? Certainly the subjects seem convinced. What other evidence is there of an "after life"? There are several television shows about hauntings, ghosts and spirits. Are these true or fiction? Many people are content to accept the existence of life after death based on the fact that the Bible says there is. So, the question is this - whether or not there is life before or after our physical existence, what are we doing about our spiritual self while it is encased in this body. Do you take care of your spiritual self as well as you care for your physical self? Do you feed and exercise your spiritual self as well as you do your physical self? Remember, your body is temporary but YOU are eternal.