Monday, October 29, 2007

Healing the Money Dis-Ease Is a Prescription for Happiness

After several decades of studying – and successfully healing some of my own dis-ease about money – I discovered some valuable insights into one of life’s most misunderstood challenges. I learned that in and of itself, money does not bring happiness, that money is not evil, and that seeking it in a healthful way is not only a necessity, it is appropriate and righteous.

However, money is only one part of the larger reality of abundance, which is a deeper and much more complex issue than most people think. Abundance encompasses not only our financial condition, but our health, happiness, relationships, any success we have and how we experience every single aspect of our lives. All of this is decided by the conscious and subconscious thoughts we hold.

For many of us, to live the life we truly desire, which is experiencing abundance in a way that brings happiness, it is necessary to overcome a sense of poverty and feeling undeserving, and develop trust in the over flowing richness of the universe, which will open us to allowing money and success into our life. We also need to learn how to manage our current financial situation so that we will have the tools to handle increased funds—something many people neglect.

I learned that being rich means trusting in the abundance of the universe and facing life without fear. It has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with how much money we have. And conversely, no matter how much money we have, without that trust and peace of mind we are, indeed, truly poor and impoverished.

In order to heal into the fullness of abundance, we need to release the myth about money being the root of all evil. Money is simply another form of energy, like electricity, and our job is to learn to utilize this energy in a healthful way to enhance our lives and the lives of others.

We also need to relinquish the fiction that money will magically bring happiness and heal all our problems. Money can be a wonderful and blessed reality in our lives. It can alleviate the stress of day-to-day survival. And when we are able to healthfully amass it in sufficient amounts, it can allow us a level of freedom to follow our dreams and live a full and fruitful life. All of this is greatly desirable.

The catch is: If we haven’t healed our inner issues around money – and grown in conscious awareness – we will either become miserly with it or it will slip through our fingers like water. We will still be the same person we were before, and with the same inability to fully embrace a life of abundance. This is the reason many people remain mired in a poverty existence, and why others, including some celebrities have difficulty managing prosperity and success when it does come their way.

While we may never hear about the millions of non-celebrities whose lives reflect their fears around money, here is one scenario that is widespread among many senior citizens. Despite having no rational reason to be concerned about money, their lives become consumed with protecting what they have and making more. They essentially become prisoners of their fear, and are unable to use their resources to enhance their own happiness or that of their family. Often their excuse is that they are leaving it to their children, who would be better served if their parents healed within themselves and lived to the fullest, instead of passing on a legacy of fear.

As we heal our inner issues around money-abundance, and move into a state of trust and gratitude, we will also be releasing fear around life in general. We will then find ourselves in alignment with the natural flow of the universal life force-energy, God, which is the source of all good.

Then we can begin to experience an even greater benefit of being in the energy that is the source of love, peace, trust and benevolence: We will open to living more of these qualities within ourselves, and will experience much more fulfilling, purposeful and happy lives.

What a wonderful surprise to find that seeking a life of abundance is not only natural and sacred—it is a path to happiness!
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Copyright 2007 by Fern Stewart Welch

The author’s book THE HEART KNOWS THE WAY—How to Follow Your Heart to a Conscious Connection with the Divine Spirit Within is available at Amazon.com and other online booksellers, as well as through major bookstores such as Barnes & Noble and Borders.

Monday, October 22, 2007

Creating a New Road Map to Health

I vividly recall a comment made by my children’s paternal great-grandmother Mary Talbot Simonds at age ninety. She smiled broadly and said, “If I had known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself.” I can relate to that statement.

Like many others blessed with good health, I thought that by following a common sense approach to diet and exercise – and staying current with medical and dental checkups – that I would be able to maintain my health at or near this desired level. Much of my sense of security was based on the fact that for the past five years, I have experienced the most peaceful, purposeful and satisfying time of my life.

Apparently I had conveniently forgotten about the effect the stresses and strains of prior years had on my body. I am now facing a number of chronic health challenges that many mature adults typically experience. And like many others at this stage, I have been weighing the pros and cons of prescription drugs and the unknown side-effects and future consequences.

According to my belief, illness represents an imbalance in our mental, emotional and/or spiritual aspects that eventually, if left unchecked, manifests as a dis-ease in the physical body. It is a signal that something is intervening with the body’s natural ability to heal itself, and we need to pay attention.

I also believe that all the circumstances we draw to us in life – including our physical condition at birth, accidents and disease processes – are opportunities presented by our soul to learn specific lessons. Of course we don’t have to become conscious partners in the adventure called life. We can just stand by and let life happen to us, as victims, or we can become loving, knowledgeable participants in the process.

My choice is to use the chronic conditions as a wake-up call and to answer my soul’s invitation to once again stop, look within and learn. I have known for years that Spirit is the power, mind is the builder and the physical side of life is the result. It is my desire to see what I can do to help my body regain balance.

It isn’t an easy choice. There is a surreal and fear-based emphasis on disease in our country today. We are bombarded with offers for quick-fix drugs and remedies for every ailment imaginable without much knowledge of what the effects of long-term usage will be.

I know my method isn’t for everyone; no one method or approach is. Yet I am relying on one of the strengths I gained from past experiences: I know that I am willing – once something finally gets my attention – to look within and work with the messages inherent in any life challenges. I also know that what Dr. Wayne Dyer teaches is true—when you change your thoughts you change your life.

In selecting a team of conventional and complementary physicians to be my partners – I expect them to support me in doing what I can on my own – and, equally as important, to let me know when the greater wisdom would include the use of conventional medicine.

I also recall the fullness of Mary Talbot Simond’s life. Not only was she a role model for unconditional love, she manifested a strong and unwavering trust in God, herself, her body and life. I realize that she lived my long-term goals for health and life—to meet them with love instead of fear.
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Copyright 2007 by Fern Stewart Welch

The author’s book THE HEART KNOWS THE WAY—How to Follow Your Heart to a Conscious Connection with the Divine Spirit Within is available at Amazon.com and other online booksellers, as well as through major bookstores such as Barnes & Noble and Borders.

Monday, October 15, 2007

On Becoming a Human-Being Instead of a Human-Doing

It wasn’t until my late husband became critically ill and I left the corporate world to care for him that I became aware that for most of my life I had been a human-doing instead of a human-being.

The realization didn’t come quickly. For a long time I was so overwhelmed by all the challenges before me that I threw myself into activities that consumed the hours and days of my life. Evidently the strong work ethic I learned from my birth-family translated into feeling worthy only when I was fully engaged in doing something. The busyness also served to keep me from ever questioning how I was living my life, if it was working for me—and if not, why not?

When my husband’s health challenges became so serious that he had to be placed in a 24-hour care environment, the situation changed dramatically. I had released a number of external commitments in order to care for him, and for the first time in my adult life I found myself relatively free. The freedom proved unsettling. Not only did I desperately need to come to grips with the emotional situation with my husband, I needed to come to peace with what all of this would mean to my future life. After trying unsuccessfully to resolve the situation on my own through my usual direct-action efforts, I realized I didn’t know what to do. I felt helpless.

The time had come when I had to stop all the doing and turn within for answers. I was faced with the biggest challenge to my own peace of mind and sense of well- being—me. Or more accurately, the sum total of mental and emotional baggage that lived within me and that had determined my actions, inactions, thoughts, decisions and non-decisions my entire life.

I had an established daily routine of meditating, journaling and affirmative prayer, but because the job and then my husband’s situation took priority over my needs, the time I spent within was determined by those demands. Now I could spend as much time as desired.

My well-honed and single-eyed approach did prove beneficial in this instance. After months of this inner focus, I began to feel a sense of peace. For the first time in my life I was content spending time within. The meditation helped to discipline my racing “monkey-mind.” Gradually my mind opened to a deeper awareness of life and awakened me to my self, others and the eternal and sublime energy that is within each of us and everything in the universe, which we call God. I was realizing some balance in my life, which brought greater clarity to my thought processes and a growing ability to manage my emotional state. When I opened to loving myself, I became aware that my ability to love others in an unselfish and healthier way was greatly enhanced.

I discovered that meditation is a path to inner peace, as it enables us to connect with the sanctuary of unconditional love, guidance and support within that is the heart desire of every conscious person on Earth.

In this process I became a human-being instead of a human-doing. I no longer judge my worth or my life by what I do. By learning to live an inner-directed life, rather than seeking meaning outside myself, I know that whatever activity I engage in will be meaningful and purposeful.

There is a new-found peace and contentment at the core of my being, a sustained sense of well-being and happiness—no matter what conditions or situations arise. I am no longer driven to do. I allow myself to be.
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Copyright 2007 by Fern Stewart Welch

The author’s book THE HEART KNOWS THE WAY—How to Follow Your Heart to a Conscious Connection with the Divine Spirit Within is available at Amazon.com and other online booksellers, as well as through major bookstores such as Barnes & Noble and Borders.

Monday, October 8, 2007

On Honoring the Lives of Great Women

It has been my life gift and privilege to know and count as friends two of the great feminine souls of this century: Drs. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and Gladys Taylor McGarey. It has always concerned me that extraordinary individuals such as these do not always receive the full recognition and honor they deserve while they are alive. Dr. Kübler-Ross died in 2004.

She was the Swiss-born physician, author and lecturer who revolutionized the way in which the world thinks about death and dying, and pioneered the movement for patients’ rights and hospice organizations in the United States. Through her seminal book “On Death and Dying,” and her worldwide lectures, she captured the hearts and minds of millions of people around the world who were hungry for the information she had to share.

However, the international icon’s groundbreaking work raised a wall of resistance from members of the establishment who were not ready to cede power to patients and their families. The short-sighted media coverage during those early years focused on the establishment’s strong opposition to her r/evolutionary work, which placed her at the center of a maelstrom of controversy, denying her much of the honor she deserved for many years.

She always knew it was the message that was important, not her, and she was determined to deliver it despite the resistance and the personal sacrifices it required. As a result, she brought the once-taboo subject of death and dying into the light of reason and compassion, and individuals around the world can now face death with dignity and surrounded by their loved ones.

It is gratifying to know that this wonderful individual, who persevered against great odds and elevated the consciousness of humanity, is now receiving national recognition from her adopted country. Dr. Kübler-Ross was inducted posthumously into the National Women’s Hall of Fame on October 7, 2007.

At 87-years of age, Gladys Taylor McGarey, M.D., M.D.(H), is still going strong. She is the internationally recognized “mother of holistic medicine in America.” Similarly to Dr. Kübler-Ross, she faced an equally lengthy, strong and verbal outcry from the medical establishment as she advocated and advanced the combination of allopathic and holistic medical practices to enhance our healthcare system.

While focused on ushering in the successful emergence of complementary medicine, Dr. McGarey was also mentoring and supporting the next level of leaders in holistic medicine, many of whom are now nationally and internationally known.

She continues her lifelong commitment to healing through global humanitarian missions sponsored by the foundation that bears her name. Dr. McGarey was one of the founders of the American Holistic Medical Association and its first female president. She has authored two books that are considered classics in the holistic field: “The Physician Within You: Medicine for the Millennium,” and “Born to Live.” The story of her exemplary life is told in the biography “Born to Heal.”

It is easy to see why the two became friends. They understood each other’s fierce dedication to a life mission, and recognized that together they covered the circle of life. When they shared the speakers’ platform, Dr. McGarey spoke on natural birthing and the fact that the body, mind, spirit connection is vital to the healing process. Dr. Kübler-Ross brought new insights and understanding to death and dying. She taught that consciously accepting this natural life event would allow us to live more fully and thus to die with a sense of completion and gratitude for the gift of life.

I know that Dr. Kübler-Ross was determined to use her life and abilities to further the cause of good on Earth, and her name will be emblazoned in the heavens as a true healing force on this planet. Dr. McGarey, meanwhile, continues to walk the noble and sacred path of selfless service to mankind. I just believe the world needs to recognize and celebrate such heroes while they still walk among us.
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Copyright 2007 by Fern Stewart Welch

The author’s book THE HEART KNOWS THE WAY—How to Follow Your Heart to a Conscious Connection with the Divine Spirit Within is available at Amazon.com and other online booksellers, as well as through major bookstores such as Barnes & Noble and Borders.

Monday, October 1, 2007

What It Means to Live In a Culture That Resists Intimacy

Last night seemed like any other. I drove into my gated community, pressed the garage door opener, entered—and breathed a sigh of relief as the door closed behind my car.

The difference is that this was the first time I realized that my reaction was fear-based. For a few minutes I justified that feeling. I thought about the incredible traffic, the reality that the much larger vehicles on the road that are in the majority could crush my little car like a grape, then factored in the fearful world conditions, the rising crime rate and realized that arriving home unscathed and unharmed day after day was in and of itself a victory.

While all of that is true, I also realized that by closing the garage door and shutting out the world, I was also figuratively and literally closing myself off to the world. It has been ten years since I moved into this house. I have maintained my friendships and other relationships, but I don’t know anyone in this development except my winter-visitor neighbor next door and two individuals across the street who came to my aid when I had a house problem a few years ago. And this “knowing” doesn’t extend much beyond an occasional wave and a few words of greeting.

This has now become a way of life in our country: We each have our little space with our own little family and we are isolated from others. Today it would be unthinkable to make an unannounced visit to friends or family.

I thought back to my childhood in St. Louis. We knew the families [and a lot of their business] on both sides of the street and even on neighboring streets. There was a palpable sense of structure and security in knowing that we were connected to our birth families, relatives, friends and the community. Looking back it was as if we were embraced in a living process that it seemed would continue through all the events and stages of our lives.

Today, however, we find ourselves living in a culture that fears intimacy and this has radically changed our lives. We are afraid of needing one another, and of getting close. We are so isolated and disconnected from our inner selves and each other that we don’t even realize it is community we miss and need.

I believe the saddest aspect of this fear of intimacy is that it has spawned a generation of lone rangers whose goal is not to need or be needed. I remember when it was different, and from that perspective it is easy to see the error in drawing within and shrinking from life. This is a no-win situation as it denies humanity’s need to grow into fully functioning and aware spiritual beings who can fulfill our highest potential. We were not meant to do it alone. We are all one.

I realize that this tendency may seem a natural response to the more dangerous and highly mobile life of today. Yet this is not the way we were meant to live and deep down we know it. Our birthright is to live purpose-filled and happy lives as long as we’re alive.

I believe this means wisely coming to a balance: Taking the time [solitude] to go within and truly know ourselves and to stay connected with our inner self, and then becoming an active part of life in a way that is fully conscious, meaningful and appropriate for us. A sense of community and connectedness with life doesn’t happen by retreating within our houses and closing the doors. It comes out of participating in life with others. It is a state of mind, and I’m moving to that state.
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Copyright 2007 by Fern Stewart Welch

The author’s book THE HEART KNOWS THE WAY—How to Follow Your Heart to a Conscious Connection with the Divine Spirit Within is available at Amazon.com and other online booksellers, as well as through major bookstores such as Barnes & Noble and Borders.