Holiday Agreements (With YourSELF)

Now is the time to make sure that you are prepared for the Holidays in EVERY way; mind, body and spirit in complete agreement. As well as preparing food, gifts and schedules, prepare yourSELF so that the Holidays can be ALL that you want them to be. Make an agreement to be the person you want to be, and don’t let anyone or anything unsettle your highest intentions...read more by Ian Lawton Holiday Agreements.

Now, take a moment to say this affirmation of your highest self, a prayer by Marianne Williamson.

  

Illuminata, A Return to Prayer

Dear God,

In this one moment I recognize that there is within me a perfect Self:
A Self that is not dysfunctional;
A Self that is not weak but strong;
That is not limited, but unlimited;
That is not small, but huge;
That is not in pain but in peace;
That is not faithless and scared but all-knowing, all loving, and serene and calm, through the grace of God.
I have been playing with the toys of death and weakness.
I have been playing at sickness and playing at addiction.
I have been playing at dysfunction and limitation and war.
I have been playing at hunger and violation of myself and others.
I have been playing with toys that are dangerous.
But I desire to play the games of death no more.

In this moment, I ask You, dear God, to release me from my destructive thinking.
I take up now the mantle of Your magnificence.
Through Your grace, dear God, I am good and innocent and strong and pure, for thus would You have me be.
The love that emanates from Your mind to me, and from my mind to the minds of others, is a power so great. Within its embrace all negativity shall turn to good, all pain to peace, all fear to love.
I invoke Your light.
I receive Your heaven, which replaces hell.
I do not look back.
I do not stop my eyes at the veil of horror that surrounds the world, but rather I extend my vision to the possibilities for love for myself and others.
I step out of my childhood, into my adulthood; out of my weaknesses, into my strengths; out of my fear, into my love; out of my small self, into You.

Dear God, please make me new. 

Amen.

Best Friends Forever!

Wikipedia briefly defines FRIENDSHIP as ‘a cooperative and supportive behavior between two or more people. In this sense, the term connotes a relationship which involves mutual knowledge, esteem, affection, and respect, along with a degree of rendering service in times of need or crisis.’ In my 47 years, I have been fortunate enough to acquire an amazing smorgasbord of genuine friendships. Growing up on a typical one-way street in the borough of Queens, our playmates consisted of whomever lived on the block. Unlike today’s structured sports and extracurricular activities where parents are driving kids to play-dates all over town, we were limited to finding friends just beyond the back door. For me, there was only one or two kids of my age group. Often, I would wind up as the entertaining ring leader of my younger triplet sisters, but mostly, I played alone. With an active imagination, I would create fictitious friends, some of which I gave names. In a sense, I was my own best friend.

When I was in second grade I met a girl who would later become my dearest lifelong friend. She was the complete opposite of me in looks and family background. She, a tall Italian girl with dark blackish-brown thick hair that was always pulled back into a ponytail with a barrette or bow. Me, a fair Irish lass with thin, straggly hair, cut in a short pixie style that my mother insisted I wear. Her almond shaped eyes are dark brown with olive skin to match. Mine are bright blue and pale. Rosemarie had a stylish wardrobe consisting of frilly dresses accompanied by matching shoes. As one of six kids, my fashion statement was hand-me-downs, handmade outfits by my mother or less-than-fad-store-boughts. And my worn out sneakers flapped when I walked. My new found diva went to a special studio for tap dance, a luxury my stepfather would not indulge in. Although he did let me hang out in his workshop to learn a thing or two about carpentry.

Nevertheless, with all our differences, Roe and I played famously together. I suppose she intrigued me and I amused her. She lived literally a stone’s throw away from the elementary school. Our relationship blossomed with frequent after school get-togethers and sleepovers at her house. We would delight with our Barbies for hours.  One silly story, we recall with laughter today, is when I took all my Barbies and doll paraphernalia in two big shopping bags and walked for about two miles to meet her at her father’s luncheonette. It took me quite a long time to get there, maybe two hours, and when I finally arrived I was exhausted. So much so we never even played with the doll stuff. What I do remember fondly is her dad cooking us up hamburgers with French fries topped with ketchup and a having a classic Coca-Cola to wash it all down. Rosemarie Aguanno is my first best friend. It is unbelievable to me sometimes to think how this person has remained a powerful force in my life for almost forty years. Our lives run parallel, not always in constant contact, but energetically we are knowingly infused in our eternal Oneness. Each being there for each other during joyful and trying times. We’ve experienced the death of loved ones and the birth of new life. Days of sheer madness with unbearable emotional upheavals and moments of bliss too profound for words. Our special bond is without a doubt a Spiritual one. It’s amusing to me that we are two Catholic-raised girls confused about God who together found the Holy Spirit, not in a church, but within each other. We have matured together from innocent little girls to woman of wisdom in light. Though we physically live hundreds of miles apart, there is no distance between us. We have an authentic relationship based on unconditional love and respect. Of all the people I am blessed to call my friend, I highlight Roe here because it seems this precious union we share tells an insightful tale. It speaks of higher purpose and reveals a bigger picture about life’s miraculous journey. When you pull back the lens, you can clearly see how our mutual life experiences are serendipitous. All a wonderfully Divine adventure to remember who we really are--here and now. Isn’t that what friends are for? My connection with Rosemarie epitomizes the meaning of the word friendship: a relationship which involves mutual knowledge, esteem, affection, and respect, along with a degree of rendering service in times of need or crisis. What I realize is that my investment in cultivating a genuine friendship as a child has ultimately made me quite prosperous in my authentic relationships as an adult. Let’s just say I have more best friends than I have fingers and toes. I am rich, indeed! In gratitude and love for all my BFFs, Mags xoxo P.S. Since both our parents are passed, finding old photos of when we were kids is going to be a task. If we find one, I will post it later.

Attitude ISN'T Everything!

Hey! Is anyone out there? Not a creature was stirring, not even my "mouse"! Forgive me, but it has been nearly 5 months since my last blog. I am happy to share once again...

In finally getting to one of John Maxwell's books, The Difference Maker, I was surprised when I read him saying that "attitude isn't everything." Maxwell admits that there was a time in his life that he truly believed it was. "If you believe, you can achieve!" In his subsequent years of experience, however, what he realized was that one needed a bit more than just a dream to succeed. An positive attitude of perseverance was certainly a difference maker, but what he discovered was the real clincher for reaching your goals --"SKILLS." It was concrete know-how, along with wishful thinking that was the key to success.

Your attitude is like Chef Emeril Lagasse secret "BAM!" spice up; your attitude may be the difference maker in bumping up your outcome, but first you need a solid recipe, all the right ingredients, formative training, a bit of talent along with practice, practice, practice before you can achieve stardom!

We are eternal beings ever expanding... From a spiritual perspective "if you believe, you CAN achieve!" But in a physical reality, you need to do the WORK! LEARN as you go. Your life becomes the vision only by participating in the unfolding of it. Do what you love, love what you do. Your attitude isn't everything, but I do believe, like Maxwell, it is "the difference maker!"

Make everyday an opportunity to master your unique skills and gifts! Then "BAM" them up a notch with an attitude of faith and optimism!

MagsJOY

The Secret...Your Emotions

The Secret about the Law of Attraction has been out for quite a while now. Have you tapped into its power yet?

You are a magnet; your thoughts, your feelings, your attitude. Put all of your energy into what your heart truly desires. If you believe, you will achieve!

If you are still trying to understand how to truly apply the Law of Attraction in your life, you may want to read Ester and Jerry Hicks new book "The Astonishing Power of Emotions". They have been sharing insights into the Universal Laws for over 25 years.

Please feel free to share this video with a friend. It is a great tool for manifesting your dreams!

Keep the faith!

Mags

MagsJOY Blog

Who Turned Off The Light?

[It has been almost four weeks since my last Blog. Sometime since then I blacked out, and have been fumbling around in the dark looking for something light to say...]

Who turned off the light?

Ever since I was a wee-child, I was overly emotional. Ask anyone in my family and they would say my nickname was “the cry baby.” It seemed I always felt weepy and insecure, holding onto my mother. The expression “she is attached to her mother’s apron strings” was readily used to describe me. She was my comfort; my light. She beamed it to me in such a way that I did not want to be away from it. And then one day, the ties were suddenly cut, like a big invisible scissor came from the sky with one snip.

Who turned off the light?

Did you ever go from a bright lit room to a sudden pitch blackness; complete and utter darkness? You tense up, a mixture of fearful thoughts run though your mind. You reach out franticly into the abyss to find nothing. You feel absolutely alone. As you attempt to move forward you are frozen with uncertainty, unsure as to which direction is appropriate to find the light. Panic sets in and you grope along, feeling completely vulnerable in the unknown.

Who turned off the light?

When she died in my 24th year, an unexplainable feeling of darkness submerged over me. It was in this isolated place that I lived my life for a while. Struggling, desperately reaching out, frightened, and despite my efforts to find the light again, I felt vulnerable, alone and lost.

Who turned off the light?

About eleven years later, a small beam of light began to show itself to me. It came in glimpses, sudden flashes before my eyes and often as dreams while I slept (many included my mother and others that had passed away). Its intensity increased over the next few years, revealing places in the darkness I had never seen before. A small light emerged at the end of my tunnel and I began to live for it.

Who turned off the light?

My desire to know more and understand myself was illuminated with this new light. Various metaphysical type books, including those about reality, angels, God/Spirit, which I would not have considered reading previously, were now piling high on my nightstand, each being devoured for the next. Mystical occurrences fascinated me and the daunting question of “who am I” was now my life’s quest to answer.

Who turned off the light?

My childhood fear of God was slowly being replaced by the love of God. Something had changed in me. Even though only a portion of my sight was cleared, I undoubtedly knew within my heart that I was not alone at all. And I also knew there was light, even in the darkness. After my studies in Christian teachings, energy therapies, Angel healing and metaphysical laws, a realization of the light in me began to emerge.

Who turned off the light?

My youthful feeling that my mother was the light was only an illusion. Sure she beamed it to me, but she was not its Source. And now all these years later, as Reiki Master and facilitator of light, I understand how to beam it on purpose; to be a channel of it and to call upon it in times of darkness. I know I am not its Source, but merely a receiver and transmitter of eternal light.

Who turned off the light?

At forty-five, I find that I am still highly emotional. Now, however, I recognize that this is not a detriment but rather a tool. My sensitivity to the energy around me helps me to see in the dark and be of service in the light. My emotions are like electrical impulses that are flipping my perception switch from crystal clear to murky to total blindness. When I am feeling angry or sad, the light dims and is an indication that I must take action to increase the wattage to shine clarity once again.

Who turned off the light?

As I continue to blink in and out from light to darkness to light, there is a part of me that is beginning to understand this is the way it is supposed to be—forever contracting and expanding. It is liberating to recognize that only I can maintain the lighthouse that is “me.” It takes daily work, which is not always easy but it is light work. And I am not alone at it. It is a team effort. We are all co-creators of light, connected to its infinite Source, which radiates through us in every area of the human experience.

"I" turned off the light… and I can turn the light on again (and again and again).

I just realized that enlightenment is not something you have to search for since I know that the light is already within us.

Enlightenment is when you have mastered "how" to keep the light on (and still be in your body, of course)!

MagsJOY

Maggie Kalas
MagsJOY Blog
AttitudeLIFT