A Breakout from Struggle

This powerful principle rarely makes it to the
lists of rules, keys, codes, lessons, steps,
agreements and secrets out there:

Your word is your bond.

Some emails from people who are caught in
desperate struggles inspired me to write this
message to you.

It took me a long time to understand the
incredible creative power that doing what
you say you will do generates.

I'm still learning. I'm doing a pretty good job
of keeping my word to others. I have a way
to go on keeping my word to myself. I think
I lack awareness of the consequences. They
appear so quickly when you break your word
to someone else!

Your word is your pledge to yourself, another,
the universe, about the new reality you are
going to create.

You can promise, intend, affirm and visualize
forever but if what you say is not true you
really affirm that you are a liar.

I did not say bad liar. Just liar. This message
is not about being good or bad or to promote
guilt in any way. The laws of attraction and
natural consequences are quite strong enough
to teach us what we need to learn if open
ourselves to honest observation.

When you can count on yourself to do what
you say you will do, you sign up to play in the
major leagues of manifestation. When others
can count on you and you on them, you build
strong friendships and partnerships based on
earned trust.

I first began to ponder this issue seriously when
I took the est Training in the 1970's. Werner
Erhard's powerful, controversial 2 weekend
seminar emphasized keeping your agreements
as a requirement for having "your life work." I
continued to participate with the est organization
in seminars and the 6 month grueling, no-holds-
barred Guest Seminar Leader's program.

To get clear may require piercing layers of
unconsciousness and hidden beliefs. I remember
one such piercing vividly. I sat at a long phone
bank with a stack of cards from people who
had attended an est guest seminar that week
preparing to call and ask them to sign up.
I dreaded it.

My enrollment team leader shouted through the
roar of surrounding voices to ask how many
people I was going to register that night. My
mind raced about like a squirrel on steroids
searching for an acceptable answer. It never
occurred to me to tell the truth, "I'm just trying
to stay under the radar and get through the night
without crying."

I had only just begun to recognize that myself.
As the fog lifted I saw more examples of how
afraid I was of standing out if I did not match
someone's expectations. As much as I loved
applause and approval, I always left a door
open to slip out the back.

That explained a lot of things about the struggles
in my life: my lack of success, the painful
relationship I clung to, my paralyzing fear of
confrontations.

That moment on the phones served me well. It
opened doors I did not know I closed. As I
write this, I'm proud of my accomplishments.
I have only mutually beneficial relationships.
I recently weathered a few confrontations by
standing up for myself without losing compassion.

Those fog-parting moments seem infinite--as
perhaps enlightenment itself is. There have
been many more. I'm sure there are more
where they came from.

If you want to breakout from desperation to an
adventure in enlightenment, pay close attention
to your real desires, your discernable intentions
and what you tell yourself and others. Not so
you can be good or avoid being bad, but for the
sheer clarity and power of truth as you know it.

Your word is your bond.

Love,
Mandy

How to Break Up Reality

Al Diaz and I had such a stimulating conversation last night on his show I’m still thinking about it. One thing we talked about were our personal wake up calls.

Here’s one. When my son was about 12 we were shopping for school clothes with our friend Brenda. Brenda worked as head of finance for Werner Erhard’s famous and infamous est organization. She knew a thing or two about what constituted reality.

When my son’s strong will met my soft heart getting him to do stuff was tricky. When Brenda and I were ready to leave the store that day I told him it was time to go. Then I gave him a few minutes more. Then I told him it really was time to go – about 12 times.

Finally Brenda leaned in and said It’s time to break up reality. When I asked what she meant, she replied, We walk out the door and go to the car.

You’d be amazed at how quickly he got there too.. He adjusted to that new reality immediately.

I get a lot of questions from people about how to change someone else. The key is always the same, change yourself. In family therapy the concept goes like this: If one member of a family changes, everyone else has to adjust to the new role definition. In metaphysics it is: If you wiggle our finger, the whole universe has to adjust.

That triggers another est memory. I was in at an est seminar with Werner Erhard. Someone asked a question, then listened to the answer about how he had to be responsible for his own experience. How come it’s always me? He asked only ½ joking. I don’t know how to tell you this, Werner replied, but in your life it’s always going to be you.

If there is a situation or relationship you are struggling with, maybe it’s time to break up reality. It takes action. Talking, unless it’s really different from your old familiar routine will not do it. For a lively adventure tweak your role in the universe, with your family, or at work with a new dance step, a new approach. I strongly recommend a light heart in a happy spirit of adventure. Watch what happens and let us know.

Love,
Mandy

You can listen to my recorded conversation with Al Diaz at
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Ilumine-Ao

You can break up reality at the BREAKOUT to Miracles Weekend in Vancouver, BC.
www.breakouttomiracles.com

12 Tips to Harness the Power of Desire

Some thoughts to help you tap into the power of desire to motivate youself and others.

1.  Desire is the most powerful motivation there is.
2. Your belief system determines what you allow yourself to want, even what dreams you dare to have.
3. You can always grow if you follow your desire as a compass to guide you through life.
4. You have to correct your course as new information becomes available.
5. It is important to distinguish between what you want and what you think 
6. you should want.
7. Getting what you want is wonderful.
8. It is very important to be open to better than you ever imagined.
9. The actual, live, felt state of desire is one of happy anticipation.
10. Worry, dread and envy are often confused with desire; they are not the same thing.
11. The difference between desire and attachment is vast.
12. The ultimate goal of all desire is happiness.
13. The secret about desire is that you can have that ultimate goal, happiness, right now if you only will allow it.

Throughout the ages sages have advised us to “follow the light” and to “look within.” What lights you up from within?

What do you think? 

Love,

Mandy

Let's Break Out to Miracles Together

If you are honestly ready to break out to happiness, success and miracles of wonder please consider coming to Vancouver for a BREAKOUT to Miracles Weekend in Vancouver, BC, October 10/23-24.

It may take a personal breakout for you to cross that line from thinking about it, reading, listening and video viewing about it to embark on a new adventure in a larger, happier more creative reality. I’m cheering you on.

I know, it’s hard to imagine all by yourself. I created this weekend so we can break out from the limits we’ve put on our own vision together.

I would never encourage you to go into debt or damage your finances in order to attend. If you can handle it that leaves two questions:
Are you worth it?
Can this weekend deliver the breakout you want?

I have shared this powerful experience for several years in different settings. The feedback has been extraordinary.

The Breakout weekend contains all the best insights and workshop tested exercises from my life’s work. I love this weekend.

I’m especially eager to share it with you. Why? If you are reading this blog you are already engaged in the wonderful process of liberating yourself from limiting and self defeating beliefs that hold you back.

If you are ready, tempted or just curious go see at www.breakouttomiracles.com

There is a BIG $150 discount if you register by 9-30 so go see now.

Let’s stage a breakout together!

Love,
Mandy

Miracles of Wonder

When you break out from your own limits you discover you are surrounded by miracles and always have been. Take off the blinders you never even noticed putting on; you will see miracles of wonder everywhere.

I lived in despair for so many years. The oldest I have ever felt was when I was twenty eight. I could not see anything in front of me but a struggle to make it through as a newly single mother – barely. I viewed the world through my own belief system. It told me not to expect much from life, not to ask for anything from anyone.

Infinite opportunities for love, happiness, success – and miracles of wonder surrounded me. I could not see them. Now I see so many I get dizzy trying to choose. It was a long, sometimes painful journey, filled with blessings, love and guidance from many wonderful teachers.

As a coach, writer, seminar leader, I have walked with a whole lot of people through doors they never knew they closed. We broke out from the prisons of their own limiting beliefs into wide open spaces. It can be a dizzying experience, difficult, almost impossible to achieve on your own.

That is why I created the BREAKOUT to Miracles Weekend. I took the most effective, powerful exercises and insights from long years of experience and combined them into a one weekend course. The idea is for people to learn how to uncover their own self-defeating beliefs, how to explore them and break out from them into greater freedom.

We have a really good time too. When you get past your own limits, there’s not much left, but truth, beauty, miracles and fun. What would you like to breakout from? Is there a miracle you want to break out to? Learn how at www.breakouttomiracles.com

This course is designed for lasting impact. When you know how to spot a prison and escape from it, you can do it over and over for the rest of your life.

The next BREAKOUT to Miracles Weekend will be in Vancouver, British Columbia on October 23/24, hosted by Chuck Davis. You can learn a lot online; it does not compare to the live experience we will share.

This may be the best next step you could ever take and the best gift you could give yourself. Please check it out for yourself or someone you care about. There is a substantial discount for early registration. Enrollment is limited so please go to www.breakouttomiracles.com now.

Let’s break out to miracles in Vancouver!

Love,
Mandy

Strange Belief

I live in the desert of Southern California. In August the

temperature may soar to 120° and rarely dips below 80°
even in the dead of the night. The asphalt melts. Walls
heat up, stay hot and never cool down. This year we
have basked in the sweet cooling of mid 70's night
after night.

On a glorious desert morning I said to my friend,
"Isn't it amazing?" He said, "I guess we'll have to pay for
it in September."

"What a strange belief!" I blurted. Having spent a lifetime
exploring them, I tend to notice them. "Why would we
have to 'pay' for good weather? What would we 'pay'
with, suffering?"

It's probably my upbringing." He said.

"Oh, I said, "The old pain is good -- pleasure, not so much
routine."

We laughed but I've been thinking about it ever since.

Another incarnation of that belief came up in a coaching
session. Someone said, "If I lose him, it means I failed to be
good enough to have a relationship with."

I think that is important, really important to explore, so we did.
My client decided that whether or not the person in question
wanted to continue the relationship was up to him and had
little or nothing to do with how good she was - though
goodness knows she had tried!

Now I'm not suggesting you go out and be bad. But think
about it. How did this notion of constantly evaluating and
judging everything as good or bad gain traction?

What if we each of us is always doing the best we can
according to our genetics, experience, what we know and
what we believe?

What if each of us is free to choose which relationships and
experiences we welcome and which ones we would like to
pass on?

I value kindness and happiness highly. But I still chuckle at the
old saying, "Good girls go to heaven, bad girls go
wherever they want!"

It's Friday. How about a little fun? A lot of pleasure? An
abundance of happiness and a smidgen of naughtiness?

Have a wonderful weekend.

Love,
Mandy

What do you think? Add comments below.

Curious Power

In his senior year of high school, my son Barnaby told me he planned to go to Madrid for his first year of college. I forgot that I spent almost a year in Spain in my 20’s. Why?!? I gasped in motherly horror thinking only of the distance.

I decided to take your advice, he replied. I think this was a first. What did I say? I asked in pretty much the same voice.

He answered. You told me that any time I didn’t know what to do I should follow my intense curiosity and I would always be alright. I want to learn Spanish, Mom. I can almost taste fluency.

Well the kid is truly fluent and I’m still thinking about that advice. Curiosity is my favorite form of desire. It may be the most powerful form of all. Unconscious curiosity works just as well as conscious curiosity though.

Last Sunday, I packed up to head down the mountain to the desert after a lovely weekend at my wee cabin on a creek. My exasperated neighbor came over to chat about his woes. He ended a good long list with the news that both of his computers were down and it would take a week to get them fixed. We laughed about how dependent we had become. Wow, I thought with a strong blast of curiosity, I wonder what it would be like to go a whole week without my computer. I got in the car and drove away.

All the way down the twists and turns I had the feeling I had forgotten something besides the vegetables in the fridge, something important.

Day three without my computer is going well. I assume it’s still sitting on the desk. I’m writing this on a borrowed laptop feeling very free. It’s like a vacation from my stuff.

All sorts of wonderful experiences I want to taste, feel, explore, enjoy flood my awareness. Paying a bit more attention this time! Devoting some conscious thought to my intense curiosity.

Without my notes, the old fliers and formats, in the final planning stages of the next BREAKOUT to Miracles Weekend, I notice and nurture my intense curiosity. A new sponsor will produce the course. A new location, a new country. I wonder who will come. What miracles and adventures will we share? How will we touch each other’s lives? With a tingle of excitement I dare to wonder, what if it fills up immediately, is a huge success for everyone involved, benefits all of the participants for the rest of their lives in miraculous ways? What if there is a big old waiting list?

Any time you don’t know what to do, follow your intense curiosity! It’s a wonderful, powerful form of desire. Pay attention to your curiosity. Nurture it. Please let us know where it leads you by posting a comment.

PS. I hope I've piqued your curiosity about the next Breakout to Miracles Weekend. Announcement coming soon.