A Note From The Editor...December 2002

In the few weeks from mid-November to early January, we are surrounded by religious, spiritual and natural celebrations.  Often we're rushing from place to place with our big To Do list, and the real spiritual significance of what's happening is lost to us.

When you start feeling overwhelmed -- STOP and BREATHE.  Pay attention to the moment, to the feelings and sensations around you.  If you do this several times a day, you'll be guaranteed a feeling of connectedness with the holidays as they should be experienced: Holy Days of deep spiritual unity, love, joy and celebration.

My wish for you...Warmest Holiday Blessings and a joyful New Year full of the love of family and friends.

Peace,

Karyn 

Visit our website: http://www.seekerscircle.com

"But I am sure that I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round...as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely."

--Charles Dickens

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--Ruth Carter Stapleton

Moments to Remember

by Steve Goodier

Oggie has an unusual habit - at precisely eight o'clock each morning, he photographs the front of the store from exactly the same spot. He collects his daily snapshots in photograph albums, each labeled by date. He calls his project his "life's work."

One day Oggie showed his albums to a friend. Flipping the pages of the albums, the man noticed in amazement that the pictures were all the same! Oggie watched him skim through the pictures and finally replied, "You'll never get it if you don't slow down, my friend. The pictures are all of the same spot, but each one is different from every other one. The differences are in the detail. In the way people's clothes change according to season and weather. In the way the light hits the street. Some days the corner is almost empty. Other times it is filled with people, bikes, cars and trucks. It's just one little part of the world, but things take place there, too, just like everywhere else."

This time Oggie's friend looked more carefully at each picture. No two were alike. He slowly became aware of how unique every moment is.  Through a series of photographs, he became conscious of one of life's
great truths -- that each minute that passes is special, even sacred!

Writer Henry Miller has said, "The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself." But we'll never get it if we don't slow down. For it is these moments -- not whole days, weeks, months or years -- that we will finally remember. Whatever happiness and joy is to be found in life will be found in the moments.

Pay as close attention to each moment as you can, as if you were carefully observing a series of snapshots. Don't rush through them, allowing your mind to jump so far ahead that the present is lost. Each is unique. Each is sacred. And each holds a special place in time. In the end, it is these moments you will cherish and remember.

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--Albert Pike

He gives little who gives with a frown; he gives much who gives little with a smile.

--The Talmud

Video Review - Connecting With The Other Side: A Guide To Mediumship

In this 45-minute video, Dr. Lauren Thibodeau answers these questions and so much more.  The video was filmed on location at the world's largest center for mediumship, the picturesque town of Lily Dale, NY.  In the video, Dr. Lauren talks about opening yourself up to messages from the other side, as well as how to turn on and turn off the flow of information.  In the companion CD (that comes with the video), Dr. Lauren's special guided meditation that teaches YOU how to connect to the Other Side. 

It's a great gift for those struggling with the loss of a loved one or wishing to develop mediumship skills. 

You can learn more about Dr. Lauren Thibodeau, and order the video/CD package, at Dr. Lauren's website: www.drlauren.com

--Norman Vincent Peale

Forgive Your Way to Health

by Myriam Maytorena, M.Ed.

Research has shown that one of the signs of a long and happy life is the ability to acknowledge one's emotions of anger, and then, to forgive and to forget.

Often we think that we have forgiven someone but we do not forget. Then along will come some small little incident and we will be prompted to remember the time that we were hurt. We will experience resentment -- or, re-feel the hurt again. We will have the same physiological responses as when we were first angered. Our blood pressure will rise, blood will rush to the center of our body, and we will be ready to re-experience that fight or flight posture. This antiquated survival mechanism of our ancestors that enabled them to survive puts us at risk for cardiovascular disease and other types of illness.

However, learning to forgive and forget is not easy. In fact, it is very difficult. We have to constantly practice forgiving in order to make it a healthy habit.

When you become angry, acknowledge that you are experiencing a moment of hurt or feel threatened. Observe your physical and emotional response to the event. Then breathe in deeply and then breathe out. Consciously observe your breathing until it becomes steady and regulated. This will increase oxygen in your system and assist you in relaxing and coming to a more detached state of mind. A detached state of mind is where you can manage and change your own emotional responses that are usually learned behaviors.

When I was young, I was terribly frightened to get up in front of an audience. The very idea of having people stare at me would make me ill. I was experiencing the physiological effects of fear. I was naming my response fear. However, as I learned to detach myself and observe my reactions, I realized that fear and excitement have the same physiological responses. I then started to change the way that I labeled my "feelings" and each time before I was going to do something that I would have before used the self-talk "I am afraid", I now switched my self-talk to "I am excited." The difference this made was amazing. From being afraid to talk in public (which is one of the greatest fears reported by folks in surveys) I got excited by the prospect. I could feel my juices flowing. The power of fear over my interactions with a group was conquered. (If you would like to hear an interview that I recently did go to <http://tarotplane.com> )

The same reality of behavior management is true for anger. If you find yourself becoming an observer of your behavior you will find the cues that evoke this feeling and you will be able to rationally look at it and choose how you will label the experience and how you will react. If you have trouble, you can check at your local mental health clinic or community college and take a class in assertiveness training. It was in learning these techniques and then teaching them at university, that brought me the power to over come anger and reduce my stress level.

Emotions are either a blessing or a curse to our health. Happiness and joy in life expand our time and improve our health. Forgiveness is one of the contributors to happiness and joy. Fear, anger, and hurt are destroyers of health and contribute to shortening our life.

If you will choose to live long and happy, you will take the steps that you need to now to live your life with control and power over your negative emotions.

Today: Choose forgiveness and health.

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--Ben Sweetland

Cultivate your own capabilities, your own style. Appreciate the members of your family for who they are, even though their outlook or style may be miles different from yours. Rabbits don't fly. Eagles don't swim. Ducks look funny trying to climb. Squirrels don't have feathers. Stop comparing. There's plenty of room in the forest.

--Chuck Swindoll

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-- John Perry Barlow