Year of Empowerment
As I’ve mentioned before in this
newsletter, I no longer make New Year’s resolutions, or set goals
for the next 12 months. However, this past holiday season, I’ve
been "taking inventory" of my life. Especially the last
several years.
Those years, as we all know, have heralded many changes and
challenges, some pretty scary. 2009 promises to be no different.
John Cali
Socrates said, "The unexamined life is not worth
living." I spent a good part of the recent holidays examining
my life. I clearly saw the ways I sometimes give my power away.
For example, there’s a prominent author, who shall remain
nameless, who’s been harshly critical of my work with Chief
Joseph. In the most recent episode she said my work is
"criminal." The details don’t matter. What does matter
is my reaction to her.
For about two weeks, I stewed and fretted over her recent
remarks. I’d wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. I
imagined all kinds of terrible consequences if she decided to
continue her relentless criticism. Joseph calls this "OPO
syndrome." More about that later.
Finally, I talked to Chief Joseph about it. (Sometimes it takes
me a while of floundering around on my own before I ask for help.)
Joseph gave me a clear, compassionate analysis, from Spirit’s
perspective, of this woman’s behavior. Again, the details aren’t
important, but I gained a whole new, higher understanding of my
critic. I saw her as a hurting human being just lashing out
mindlessly at those with whom she disagreed. It had nothing to do
with me.
I also saw exactly how I’d been giving my power away to
her. I decided to reclaim my power, to make 2009 my year of
empowerment.
Here’s Chief Joseph.
Chief Joseph
First of all, to satisfy those who may be curious, "OPO
syndrome" means caving in to other people’s opinions.
That is certainly one of the greatest "bugaboos," if
you will, in your lives.
You have been taught, from time immemorial, to honor others, to
always be there for them, to do their bidding, you might say. You
have heard this so often from your "authorities" (parents,
churches, governments, schools, etc.) that it has become part of
your being. It is part of what you call the mass consciousness. You
don’t question or doubt it, you just buy into it.
John was certainly doing that when he started stewing about that
author’s opinions of him and his work. He had to ask himself why.
His internal dialog went something like this:
"Why does it matter to me what she thinks? Why should I give
a damn what other people’s opinions of me are? I’m doing work I
love. It’s my life’s work, and I can clearly see the positive
effects it’s having on my own life and the lives of many others.
That’s all that matters to me."
We would urge all of you to have that same dialog with
yourselves.
Are you doing something -- anything, maybe everything --
in your lives mainly or solely to please others? If so, why?
Most often you’ll discover, if you carry this self-talk far
enough, you’re afraid of what others would think if you just did
whatever you pleased, if you did only what you loved, if you
did only what feels good.
That, friends, is the "bottom line," the key to
reclaiming your power -- doing only what feels good.
It’s also the key to all the abundance you’re ever dreamed of
-- money, health, happy relationships, satisfying work/play, and so
on. You will always find joy in doing what’s right for you. And
you will always know what’s right for you by the joy it brings
you, by how it feels. If it feels good, do it!
Let 2009 be the year you reclaim your birthright, your power, the
year you honor yourselves as much as you honor others. Let it be
your year of empowerment.
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This
Week's
Newsletter Reflection Questions
News Updates
1) Tuning In,
a brand-new spiritual
movie featuring some of today's prominent channels and their spirit
guides, including Chief Joseph and me, has been released.
It's now available to the
public. Get
more information and order your copy here. Watch the trailer
(short video preview) here.
2) We're now doing monthly
podcasts with Chief Joseph
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