Authenticity

Authenticity can be a matter of simplicity. When one is truly himself, the trappings of success can seem frivolous and unimportant. Will Rogers experienced great success from his newspaper columns and stage, radio and movie appearances. His celebrity status garnered him all the money he would ever need. Yet he never lost his signature simplicity. He continued to wear the same type clothing as always, a kind of rumpled general-store style.
At the height of his popularity, the furnishings in his dressing room reflected who he was. They consisted of two old straight-backed wooden chairs. His wife, Betty, wanted to surprise Rogers by redecorating his dressing room. She purchased two soft, comfortable armchairs, a chaise lounge, drapes, lamps and an Oriental rug. Everything a celebrity of his caliber might desire. Rogers seemed sincerely appreciative of her thoughtfulness.
Days later she returned to the dressing room thinking he might be relaxing in one of his new comfortable chairs. Instead, she found him sitting on the floor cross-legged. He commented that he couldn’t find anyplace to sit that suited him.
Betty understood. Within a few days Rogers’ dressing room was restored to its original state. His simple, functional chairs came back, for they were what matched Will Rogers’ character. He was not ostentatious and neither were they.
Will Rogers authenticity was his power and his influence. He stated it best when he said, “I use only one set method in my little gags and that is to try and keep to the truth.” Indeed he was a master of simple truth.
If and when there are times when you feel pulled this way and that and you’re not sure what you should do or who you should be, remember Will Rogers, for that might bring you back to your authentic self. Once you are centered in your realness, you will have a better sense of what direction is right for you.

Your Dreams Tell a Lot About You

And they never lie....   by Jean WaltersMany people consider dreams frivolous and crazy.  That is because they don't know the "dream" language.  Fortunately for Joseph of the technicolor coat genre the Egypian Pharoah believed dreams were important.  Thus he employed David to interpret his dreams which proved to have far reaching implications for these interpretations allowed him to prepare for a seven year famine.  Because of his foresight, he was able to save his people from disaster.  We may not be facing such a threat.  Yet we have our own dilemmas and dreams can be instrumental in preparing us to make necessary changes to transform our lives.  On my website: www.spiritualtransformation there is a place to register your dreams and receive a proper interpretation.  Feel free to go there for the insight you desire.The interesting thing about dreams is "they never lie."  Thus your dreams are a commentary on your thinking and your life and they say it like it is.  They are forthright, honest, objective and non-judgmental.  Below are a couple of examples of client or student dreams and how they might provide some practical insight. This is a very common dream.  Almost everyone has had a dream like it.  It is stated in the first person, from the dreamer's perspective:  "I am in a large school and I am lost.  I've lost my class schedule and I don't know where I'm supposted to be but I know that I am late for class.  I feel panicky and confused."  Does this sound familiar?  This dream is a commentary on the dreamer's conscious experience in that he is feeling confused and a bit panicky about the situation in which he finds himself.  He wasn't sure what he was to learn from it or why he was there and at the same time felt pressured to produce.  He needed time to process his situation and determine his purpose for being there.  (In the situation described, the dreamer's dilemma dealt with a work situation but the same type dream could occur in a relationship or any setting for that matter.)  Once the dreamer faced his own confusion, he was able to deal with his situation more appropriately and figure out ways to handle the pressure he was feeling.  He ultimately restructed things so that he had a sense of direction and greater clarity.  Again, the dream helped him prepare for needed changes in his life.Here is another dream that delivers a different message.  The dreamer is female and describes her dream.  "I am walking alone on a train track and hear the train approaching.  I feel fear and start to run along the track.  The train is bearing down on me.  It appears it will run me over.  Then I decide to turn and face the train fearlessly and stop the train with my arm outstretched.  I do this and the train stops.  I feel proud of myself."In the dream the feelings of fear and intimidation are prominent.  Given that the train is running on a track, the dream reflects that this one is dealing with a large organization (a train) and the path seems predetermined (the track).  It appears to be bearing down on her.  She could let it run her down or confront it.  She chose to bravely halt the train by outstretching her arm.  The result for her was a feeling of courage and pride.  The dreamer confirmed that she has been involved in a large organization that was demanding more and more of her (the train).  She was feeling mowed down with all the demands.  Then she bravely confronted the person in charge (stopped the train) and the pressure was relieved.  She was proud of her courage in making this confrontation.  The dream was reflecting and confirming her feelings about her situation.  It helped her to see herself objectively and recognize her courage and determination.  Being able to step back from life and see things clearly is a huge gift.  It is the way that we can recognize ourselves and our responses with lucidity and make corrections that not only save us probles down the road but produce more expansive, profitable results. If you have a dream that you would like to comprehend and receive its message, go to www.spiritualtransformation.com and click on dream interpretation.  It will walk you through the process of learning about your life through your dreams. 

Dreams Tell a Lot About Your Life

And they never lie.... by Jean Walters
Many people consider dreams frivolous and crazy. That is because they don't know the "dream" language. Fortunately for Joseph of the technicolor coat genre the Egypian Pharoah believed dreams were important. Thus he employed David to interpret his dreams which proved to have far reaching implications. For these interpretations allowed this ruler to prepare for a seven year famine. Therefore he was able to save his people from disaster.
We may not be facing such a great threat. Yet we have our own dilemmas and dreams can be instrumental in preparing us to make the necessary changes to transform our lives. On my website: www.spiritualtransformation there is a place to register your dreams and receive a proper interpretation.
The interesting thing about dreams is "they never lie." Thus your dreams are a commentary on your thinking and your life and they say it like it is. They are forthright, honest, objective and non-judgmental. Below are a couple of examples of client or student dreams and how they might provide some practical insight.
This is a very common dream. Almost everything has had a dream like it. It is stated in the first person, from the dreamer's perspective: "I am in a large school and I am lost. I've lost my class schedule and I don't know where I'm supposted to e but I know that I am late to class. I feel panicky and confused."
Does this sound familiar? This dream is a commentary on the dreamer's conscious experience in that he is feeling confused and a bit panicky about the situation he was in. He wasn't sure what he was to learn from it and why he was there, and at the same time felt pressured to produce. He needed time to process his situation and determine his own purpose for being there. (In the situation described, the dreamer's dilemma dealt with a work situation but the same type dream could occur in a relationship or any setting for that matter. Once the dreamer faced his own confusion, he could deal with his situation more appropriately and figure out ways to handle the pressure he was feeling. He ultimately restructed things so that he had a sense of direction and greater clarity. Again, the dream helped him prepare for needed changes in his life.

Here is another dream that delivers a different message. The dreamer is female and describes her dream. "I am walking alone on a train track and hear the train approaching. I feel fear and start to run along the track. The train is beaingdown on me. It appears it will run me down. Then I decide to turn and face the train fearlessly and stop the train with my arm outstretched. I do this and the train stops. I feel proud of myself."
In the dream the feelings of fear and intimidation are prominent. Given that the train is running on a track, the dream reflects that this one is dealing with a large organization (a train) and the path seems predetermined (running on a track). It appears to be bearing down on her. She could let it run her down or she chose bravely to halt the train by outstretching her arm. The result is that she has a feeling of courage and pride.
The dreamer confirmed that she has been involved in a large organization that was demanding more and more of her. She was feeling mowed down. Then she confronted the person in charge and the pressure was relieved. She was proud of her courage in making this confrontation.
The dream was confirming her feelings about he situation. It helped her to see herself objectively and recognize her courage and determination.
Being able to step back from life and see things objectively is a huge gift. It is the way that we can see ourselves and our responses more clearly and make corrections that can save us untold misery, plus make our efforts expansive and profitable.
If you have a dream that you would like to understand and draw forth its message for you, go to www.spiritualtransformation.com website and click on dream interpretation. It will walk you through the process of learning about your through your dreams.

Combatants for Peace

Heroes come in all shape and sizes and every philosophy and culture. This was proven at a meeting that was held a while back in the auditorium of Central Reform Congregation in St. Louis.
One would never suspect that Shimon Katz and Sulaiman Al Hamri would be working together for a common cause. On the surface, they appear to be natural enemies. Katz is a former officer in an elite Israeli Counterterrorism Unit and Al Hamri is a Palestinian who spent more than four years in Israeli prisons for organizing demonstrations against Israel’s military. Yet they met together in St. Louis, along with more than 200 others, to demonstrate their commitment and determination to create peace in their home land.
These men are part of a US speaking tour sponsored by Combatants for Peace, a group dedicated to the peaceful establishment of an independent Palestinian nation and an end to violence in the Mideast.
“We’re not stupid and we know things are not going to change automatically or very quickly,” Katz said when asked about the prospects for a peaceful solution to the region’s problems. “But we set ourselves simple goals.”
Al Hamri was inspired after stints in jail convinced him that the region’s conflict could be solved ONLY by sitting down with the Israelis. Thus the organization, Combatants for Peace, was formed and it includes members from the Israel Defense Forces, former fighters from the Palestinian Liberation Organization and Hamas, which is considered a terrorist organization.
There is no surprise that there are a variety of opinions among the members. Yet, the organization’s basic message is consistent. “The solution is, let’s talk. Let’s talk to one another as human beings. We are talking about the small hope of co-existence, to have two states on this piece of land and to live peacefully side by side.” To these remarks, Al Hamri received a huge round of applause.
Indeed, even setting the goal to create peace in a troubled section of the world requires vision and courage. The willingness to hold to strong ideals was a topic about which Robert F. Kennedy was passionate. He said that “each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he send forth a tiny ripple of hope…and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”
We have seen great changes in the world – the Berlin Wall came down, the Cold War ended, Russia rejected communism and moved to establish a democratic state. In our changing world, miracles do happen and now we have an opportunity to stand with Katz and Al Hamri for peace. Perhaps their willingness to stand bold in their conviction marks a time to move from hate to love and from separation to unity. Perhaps it is time for each of us to reach out heroically to our entire global family to assist in the mending and healing of our world.

Yes You Can, Authenticity

Authenticity can be a matter of simplicity.  When one is truly himself, the trappings of success can seem frivolous and unimportant.  Will Rogers experienced great success from his newspaper columns and stage, radio and movie appearances.  His celebrity status garnered him all the money he would ever need yet, he never lost his signature simplicity.  He continued to wear the same type clothing as always, a kind of rumpled general-store style.  At the height of his popularity, the furnishings in his dressing room reflected who he was.  They consisted of two old straight-backed wooden chairs.  His wife, Betty, wanted to surprise Rogers by redecorating his dressing room.  She purchased two soft, comfortable armchairs, a chaise lounge, drapes, lamps and an Oriental rug.  Everything a celebrity of his caliber might desire.  Rogers seemed sincerely appreciative of her thoughtfulness. Days later she returned to the dressing room thinking he might be relaxing in one of his new comfortable chairs.  Instead, she found him sitting on the floor cross-legged.  He commented that he couldn’t find anyplace to sit that suited him.  Betty understood. Within a few days Rogers’ dressing room was restored to its original state.  His simple, functional chairs came back, for they were what matched Will Rogers’ character.  He was not ostentatious and neither were they.  Will Rogers authenticity was his power and his influence.  He stated it best when he said, “I use only one set method in my little gags and that is to try and keep to the truth.”  Indeed he was a master of simple truth.  If and when there are times when you feel pulled this way and that and you’re not sure what you should do or who you should be, remember Will Rogers, for that might bring you back to your authentic self.  Once you are centered in your realness, you will have a better sense of what direction is right for you. 
Jean Walters is a St. Louis based Personal Growth Consultant and Coach.  You can reach her at jean@spiritualtransformation.com

Going With the Flow

Ed Struchar, founder of InGenius Inc., has researched performance enhancement techniques. One of the elements he has studied relates to “flow.” We have all experienced and been in “the flow.” It happens when things seem to naturally come together. When you expend the least effort and get the greatest results. An example would be a sail boat riding with the wind. It moves with minimum effort. By being with the wind, it cruises effortlessly. Yet, when the same boat is against the wind, it has to accomplish a lot more with extreme effort to travel a short distance. Of course, when there is no wind, the sail boat is dead in the water.
The same is true of all of us. When you don’t have flow, things seem to disintegrate. Even if you were to expend tremendous effort, trying to force things together, they still fall apart. And then there are the times when you have felt dead in the water and could accomplish nothing.
Stuchar affirms that there is a way to move back into the flow. He suggests changing course. Try an experiment: hold a soda straw in the wind. There is flow – air flows through the straw. If the straw gets clogged (debris or compression), the flow is halted. We are like the straw. Life and energy are flowing through us, and we can also become clogged.
Yet, if you want to restore the flow there are ways to accomplish this. First examine how you might be damming your flow. You can do this by having too many ideas, projects or pursuits. You can also get clogged with too much clutter– either emotional (unfinished business) or the physical kind – too much stuff. You must clean out the clutter.
What haven’t you used or worn in the last year? With paperwork – file it or toss it. Barring tax or legal records, what paperwork haven’t you needed or used in the last 5 years? (Almost all information is available on the internet should you need it.) About magazines or books – if you haven’t read them in the last five years and don’t need them for research, pitch them. You will feel like a million bucks when you have cleared out all the stuff.
To release unresolved conflict, do what AA suggests. Forgive anyone who has offended you (real or imagined) or make amends if you have offended them. Included in this is paying back debts. Past guilt and grievances clog up your mental-emotional works.
Additionally unexpressed ideas suppress emotional joy. How do you need to express creatively? Don’t worry about publication or selling your stuff -- express for the joy of expressing.
Broken agreements block your flow. Why…because your brain does not believe you when you have not kept agreements. It creates doubt. Conversely, you become powerful when you make and keep commitments. Your will is strengthened and you are inspired.
If there are mental incompletions such as unfinished projects, get busy. Or if you have not held your vision to fruition, you have gotten in your way by not allowed the “how” to come in to you. If you feel stuck, find someone with a similar problem to yours and help them. Your problem will be resolved as well. There are solutions to all problems.
Einstein said, “Never solve a problem at the level of the problem.” You must bring your mind to a higher perspective to solve it. When you help others, you do this.
As you use your talents and gifts to help others, they get stronger. Not allowing others to help you blocks your flow. We are all here as a universal support system. I help you; you help me. We are all agents of One Great Mind working in concert.
Hey this can be fun!

The Benefit of Hugs

Yes You Can by Jean Walters
The Benefit of Hugs

Perhaps you were not raised in an affectionate family and hugging may seem foreign. If so, it is time to reconsider the value of a hug. There is a story that makes this point perfectly.
It is about a set of premature twins who were parted after birth and placed in separate incubators. One twin was not doing well and wasn’t expected to live. Fortunately, a nurse in the pre-me nursery decided to break the hospital rules and reunited the two babies by placing them together in one incubator. Once they were together the healthier baby threw her arm around her sister. It seemed to be a heartwarming embrace. The result was the smaller, weaker twin’s heart rate got stronger and stabilized and her temperature rose to normal. These dramatic changes illustrated the power of a hug.
We’ve often heard, and possibly suspected, that babies need to be cuddled in order to survive. What we may not have considered is that all people require warmth, nurturing and compassion. All these qualities transfer through a hug.
To prove these results for yourself I suggest an experiment. Start your research by giving hugs. Let’s say you set an arbitrary limit of five hugs a day. Everyday give away at least five genuine, heartfelt hugs. If things go well, and you find yourself enjoying your research, you might want to raise the limit. Notice, for example, if your health and/or mood improves. Notice also if the recipient’s expression changes when they are hugged. If results warrant, you might incorporate hugging as a daily ritual or new behavior in your life. Hugging could be viewed as a proactive method to improve health and well-being.!! By Jove, this experiment could change your life.
Here is what Anonymous has to say about hugging. “Hugging is good medicine. It transfers energy and give the person hugged an emotional boost. You need four hugs a day for survival, eight for maintenance, and twelve for growth.
A hug makes you feel good. As the skin is our largest organ, it requires a great deal of care. A hug covers lots of skin and gives the message that you care. The nicest thing about a hug is that you usually can’t give one without getting one.”
Jean Walters is a St. Louis based Personal Growth Consultant and Coach specializing in individual empowerment. You can reach her at 314 991 8439 or jean@spiritualtransformation.com