Fishing For Soul
Angling for Spiritual ReconnectionArchive for October, 2009
That Felt Good! Do It Again.
What makes you feel good?
I was observing my 3-year-old niece and her not-yet-two-year-old twin sisters a few weeks ago and I realized once again that one can learn a lot from kids. Maybe I should spend more time around them!
As my nieces played at their local playground, I noticed that they only did what made them feel good. Anything else was met with resistance – a “No!”, a cry, a scream, or an abrupt change in direction. If they wanted to play on the swings, they went on the swings. If they wanted to run across the field, they ran across the field. Up and down the sliding board? Get out of their way! They played until they exhausted themselves, until it didn’t feel as fun – as good – anymore. Sound familiar?
Most people who come to my shamanic healing and coaching practice are looking for help, seeking answers to a life challenge. They all want to feel better about themselves or about a certain situation. I like to joke that no one ever comes to me and says, “Joe, can you show me how to feel worse about myself?”
People want to feel GOOD, plain and simple. Anything else seems to go against human nature.
“When you permit your self to ENJOY what you are doing, you give the Universe an opportunity to offer more and more and more of what is making you feel that way. It may not appear in the exact form, but you are GUARANTEED to ATTRACT more feel-good situations, events, people, etc.” – At One + JM
Try this Fishing for Soul Practice:
For one day, pay close attention to the thoughts you have that make you feel good. What is your waking thought? What thoughts and feelings follow throughout your day? Write down your most fantastic, feel-good thoughts, feelings and actions.
Celebrate your achievements.
Allow your self to use your powerful mind to create more and more GOOD thoughts. It is possible to do that!
Amen!
Today I am grateful for smiling children, deep sleep, meditation, Doug McGill, time to write, thinking BIG, morning workouts, new business opportunities, my J.O.B., Fall colors, my breathe and body, friends, family, and fortune.
Thanks and peace!
Joe
What Are You Grateful For Today?
“The litmus test for self-realization is a constant state of gratitude. This gratitude is not something you can look for or find. It comes from another direction, and it takes you over completely. It’s so vast that it can’t be dimmed, or overlaid. The short version would be ‘mind in love with itself.’ It’s the total acceptance and consumption of itself reflected back at the same moment in the central place that is like fusion. When you live your life from that place of gratitude, you’ve come home.”
- Byron Katie, A Thousand Names For Joy
This year more than any other I feel like I have touched that eternal place of gratitude that Byron Katie speaks of. I have many people (I’ll start with myself!), events, and situations to thank for helping me to achieve that feeling. Each time I experience it I am overcome with a sense of oneness, deep connection, and serenity. That sense of gratitude always brings tears to my eyes, no matter how long it lasts, and no matter where I am. It stops me in my tracks and nearly takes my breath away before asking me to breathe deeply, to see the magnificence all around me, and to hear the heartbeat of all things. It gives me a glimpse into what peace and acceptance really are.
In the video below, Dr. Wayne Dyer reminds us of a few things we can be grateful for:
“Certainly, when you feel the deepening of your own gratitude, you are touching the pulse of a reality that exists throughout the Universe. The never-ending joy that is possible when you are immersed in gratitude allows you to consciously create more and more and more of that which you are grateful for. Isn’t it nice to know that one moment of gratitude can yield hundreds of moments more that are similar? How open are you to that?” – At One + JM
Amen!
(I found the Gratitude image at the top of this post at http://twinmuses.com. Twin Muses creates ‘greener greeting cards.’ I highly recommend that you check out the web site and look at the Gratitude, Hope and Breathe cards – among many other inspiring works. Thanks!)
Today I am grateful for a daily gratitude practice, my parents, siblings, friends and mentors, Byron Katie, a clutter-free office, my students and clients, new business opportunities, my life partner, sex, the ability to think and act ‘out of the box’, Sunday music sessions, the gym, all of the money that I have now and that is on the way, my book agent, editor, and publisher, Hay House Publishing and Radio.
Thanks and peace to all, everywhere!
Joe
‘Being’ in Action
On Tuesday I had an acupuncture session scheduled for 6:30 P.M. On my way to my appointment I spoke to a friend and told her where I was headed. She asked if there was something wrong with me.
“There must be something wrong if you’re going to have acupuncture,” she said.
“Everything is fine,” I said. I was going to have a self-care, feel good, preventative medicine treatment and was very much looking forward to my session.
I bounded off the 6 train at 68th St. and Lexington Ave. and walked several blocks to the office of my gifted acupuncturist (who is also a good friend). I rang the bell and out walked Susan with a furrowed brow and a frown.
“I screwed up,” she said. Her regular Tuesday, 6:30 P.M. client, whom she thought was not coming this week, had shown up unexpectedly.
“He’s in there now. I didn’t know what to do. Can you wait until 7:30 and I’ll treat you then? I feel so stupid. I’m sorry.”
“Waiting an hour doesn’t work for me,” I told her. “Let’s talk tomorrow and reschedule.”
“Oh, Joe, I feel so awful.”
“It’s OK,” I assured her, knowing that my words may not soothe her.
I left the office as content and happy as ever. I spontaneously decided to walk north on 5th Avenue and give myself a chance to experience the sights and sounds there. What a gift! The taxis, buses, joggers, and dog walkers went about their business as I strolled. There was the Metropolitan Museum of Art without people or traffic in front of it, the Guggenheim Museum lit up and inviting me in to the Kandinsky exhibit, Central Park beckoning with the colors of fall leaves, doormen chatting on cell phones and hustling to help tenants with bags and kids.
“Look how this evening turned out,” I thought. “I’m so glad I took the time for this. This is my self-care session.” And off I went to Starbucks to sit, enjoy a cup of tea, and write.
“When you release expectation and allow your self to be present to what is, you marry mind and spirit. Giving your self a chance to ‘be’ is one of the greatest gifts you can ever give receive. What can you do now that is full of ‘being’?”
Amen!
Are you feeling stuck, unmotivated, or lost in a sea of fear-based thinking?
There are still a few spots left for my 30-Day, Small Group Magical Manifesting TeleCourse. Details below.
30-Day Magical Manifesting TeleCourse
This five-session Law of Attraction Coaching Intensive is designed to help you break through self-imposed barriers, get you focused on your J.O.B. (Joyful, Outrageous, Bliss), build your Trust Fund, and create more of what you want in your life.
When: Tue., Nov. 3, 10, 17, 24, & Dec. 1, 8: 30-9:30 P.M. ET
Where: TeleConference Line (phone # given upon registration)
Your Investment: $150 when you register and pay by Oct. 20th, $215 after Oct. 20th (Fee includes daily, inspirational updates, a 1:1 On-Track session, and ongoing support throughout the course.)
Registration and info: joemonkman@earthspiritworks.com, 917.609.5682
Today I am grateful to Susan for the opportunity to be in the practice of being, to the sights and sounds of a Fall evening in NYC, for my ability to say no, to Starbucks, morning laughs at the gym with the Diva of Harlem, thinking BIG, meditation, new business opportunities, my book agent, editor and publisher, Hay House Publishing and Radio.
Thanks and peace to all!
Joe
I Am Possible
The other day I was recalling a TV commercial I loved and was inspired by a few years ago that was very similar to the one below.
The I M Possible message always came at the perfect time (of course) and I have happily shared it many times. It helped me stop playing the tape of an old story that was on constant rotation in my head.
“When you allow your self to hear and receive the many messages that come from an unlimited number of sources – the messages of love, support, and caring – you open your self to the incredible infusion of positive energy that surrounds you all ways.
What would it be like for you to go out into your day and BE OPEN to receiving the messages that you are asking for? Do you think that the Universe is turning away from your calls? THAT is IMPOSSIBLE!
All parts of you know what a joy it is to be at one with the abundant flow of Universal Force. All parts of you are aligned with that flow now. All parts of you are assisting in the creation of that flow now. All parts of you know exactly what it takes to step out of or into the flow at will. YOU decide. In or out? Positive or negative? Possible or impossible?”
What is possible for you today? Ask and you shall receive. Try it.
Amen.
The 30-Day magical manifesting Intensive begins on Nov. 3rd! Join us for the excitement, the challenge and the rewards.
30-Day Magical Manifesting TeleCourse
This five-session Law of Attraction Coaching Intensive is designed to help you break through self-imposed barriers, get you focused on your J.O.B. (Joyful, Outrageous, Bliss), build your Trust Fund, and create more of what you want in your life.
When: Tue., Nov. 3, 10, 17, 24, & Dec. 1, 8: 30-9:30 P.M. ET
Where: TeleConference Line (phone # given upon registration)
Your Investment: $150 when you register and pay by Oct. 20th, $215 after Oct. 20th (Fee includes daily, inspirational updates, a 1:1 On-Track session, and ongoing support throughout the course.)
Registration and info: joemonkman@earthspiritworks.com, 917.609.5682
Today I am grateful for my silly house guest, reminders to chill out on the weekend, lilies, laughter, meditation, Asher, Lynn, Robin, Fred, my parents and siblings, the AEV community, new business opportunities, quiet time, reading in bed, naps, renewed commitment to my book vision, my breath and body.
Thanks and peace to all!
Joe
What Is A Community?
There can be no vulnerability without risk; there can be no community without vulnerability; there can be no peace, and ultimately no life, without community.
- M. Scott Peck
On Wednesday night the Almost Economically Viable Community met in New York City. Almost Economically Viable is a social and business networking event that launched rather suddenly this past summer when I got together with three other people who wanted to share their unique gifts and bring entrepreneurs and others together in a setting that was interactive and a bit unusual, and that would help prove that ‘Networking Doesn’t Have To Suck.’ We succeeded and found ourselves referring to the participants as ‘The AEV Community’.
Was building a community our goal? Honestly, I don’t remember (Robin, Melea, Sarah, help me out here!), but it has happened nonetheless.
“Frankly, if you create a great product, you may not be able to stop a community from forming even if you tried. By contrast, it’s hard to build a community around mundane and mediocre crap no matter how hard you try,” says author Guy Kawasaki on his How to Change the World blog.
When I looked up the word community online I found these definitions:
1) a group of people living in a particular local area
2) a group of nations having common interests
3) (ecology) a group of interdependent organisms inhabiting the same region and interacting with each other
Social media marketing strategist Jacob Morgan writes, “I think it’s time we move away from defining a community as anything having to do with a physical presence at all. Sure that can be a factor, but in my mind a community is a collection or group of people that interact and share something in common. A community is actually best defined by the person being associated with a particular community.”
Think about people who are connected and who interact on Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites. Those are online communities that are thriving.
When I facilitate workshops or healing circles, I like to remind people that for the time we are together, we are a community, and that the community may continue to evolve when the weekend or night is over.
What is your idea of community? What types of communities are you a part of? What community building action are you taking today?
Amen.
Today I am grateful for the AEV Community, Robin, Melea and Sarah, a full stomach, endless amounts of cash pouring into my hands and my bank accounts, fantastic new business opportunities, a steady flow of heat and hot water, lilies, New York City, my book agent, editor and publisher, Hay House Publishing and Radio.
Thanks and peace to all!
Joe
PS – I am facilitating a community building workshop of sorts for gay men called The Cosmic Orgasm at Easton Mountain in upstate New York Nov. 13-15. Maybe you’ll be part of that ecstatic weekend.
Community. Common unity. Communion.
What Have You Discovered About Yourself Lately?
“Every one of us has in him a continent of undiscovered character. Blessed is he who acts the Columbus to his own soul.” ~Author Unknown
Monday was Columbus Day and it got me thinking about discovering and conquering. As I considered my latest self-discoveries and what I’ve conquered this year, I encouraged my fitness class participants to use their exercise time to discover something new about the body and it’s amazing abilities, and to conquer a new challenge – do an extra pushup, push a bit harder in the Spin class. Some realized that physical limits often exist as a strong beilef and nothing more. That’s good news!
“And every time you question what you believe, you become a kinder human being.” – Byron Katie
I’m reading Byron Katie’s A Thousand names For Joy – Living in Harmony with the Way Things Are. It reminds me once again of how much has changed in my life this year – 10 short months – and how grateful I am to all who have been a part of my evolution. That’s a good reminder!
One of the greatest things that has happened for me on this journey of self-discovery is that I no longer believe a lot of the old stories that I used to tell myself. I seem to have conquered those ‘demons’. Or so I think. Maybe I’ll discover that there is more work to do there and then I’ll conquer yet another old fear, limiting thought, or self-destructive pattern. That’s an interesting thought!
I went back to my hometown last weekend. I sat in my parent’s house looking at the familiar and unfamiliar things that fill it. I took my three-year-old niece to the the elementary school that I attended and we ran together around the playground and across the soccer filed. I saw myself as a 6, 8, and 10 year-old running around that field that once seemed so vast, competing with ghosts from the past. “I’m certainly not that little boy anymore,” I said to myself (yes, that was relief you heard). That’s reality!
“There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.” ~Nelson Mandela
I like to celebrate myself and my achievements. I’ve been buying myself flowers again (lilies) and enjoying the aroma that fills my apartment. I bought myself a gift on Sunday – a book that I’ve been wanting to read for quite some time. I was reading it on the subway yesterday and was happily lost in the world that the author created. That’s so rewarding!
And so it goes…
What have you discovered and conquered lately? How will you celebrate your achievements?
Amen!
Today I am grateful for The Work of Byron Katie, time to read, new business opportunities, my amazing clients, an abundance of cash, my warm bed, friends and family, letting go of the past, my beautiful life partner, iContact, Robin and Melea, an island getaway in December, my book agent, editor and publisher, Hay House Publishing and Radio.
Thanks and peace!
Joe
What Sustains You?
Sustain \Sus*tain”\, v.
1. To keep from falling; to bear; to uphold; to support; as, a foundation sustains the superstructure; a beast sustains a load; a rope sustains a weight. [1913 Webster]
2. Hence, to keep from sinking, as in despondence, or the like; to support. [1913 Webster]
3. To maintain; to keep alive; to support; to subsist; to nourish;[1913 Webster]
4. To aid, comfort, or relieve; to vindicate. –Shak. [1913 Webster]
5. To endure without failing or yielding; to bear up under; as, to sustain defeat and disappointment. [1913 Webster]
What sustains you? What daily (or near-daily) practice do you have to keep your mind, body and spirit healthy, uplifted, centered, clear and focused? Is it meditation, exercise, talking things over with friends, the love of your family? Is it a combination of things?
I rely on a daily meditation practice, regular gym workouts, healing sessions of various kinds (shamanic, massage, acupuncture, etc.), and a good dose of laughter. That’s my ‘preventative medicine’ and sustainability package.
“When you commit to a practice that sustains you, you find that you have all that you need, all that you wish for, all that could ever be thought of, created, and known.
Indeed, the essence that one seeks is found on the inside. Through the practice of self-care, self-nurturing, and self-love, one finds that the everyday ‘challenges’ that life offers no longer create the energetic drain that they once did.
When the heart and mind are clear and calm, creativity and receptivity know no bounds. How unbound are you?” – At One
Well?
Maybe this will help you:
Starting Nov. 3rd…
30-Day Magical Manifesting Telecourse
This five-session Law of Attraction Coaching Intensive is designed to help you break through self-imposed barriers, get you focused on your J.O.B. (Joyful, Outrageous, Bliss), build your Trust Fund, and create more of what you want in your life.
When: Tue., Nov. 3, 10, 17, 24, & Dec. 1, 8:30-9:30 P.M. ET
Where: TeleConference Line (phone # given upon registration)
Your Investment: $150 when you register and pay by Oct. 20th, $215 after Oct. 20th (Fee includes daily, inspirational updates, a 1:1 On-Track session, and ongoing support throughout the course.)
Registration and info: joemonkman@earthspiritworks.com
I look forward to sharing that journey with you.
Today I am grateful for the opportunity to create more time for myself and my joyful practices, an abundance of business opportunities, love from a multitude of sources, my workout partner who motivates me to get out of bed in the morning, the wind, this blog, my friends and family, clients, teachers, my book agent, editor and publisher.
May you have your best day ever, and then some.
Thanks and peace!
Joe
Positively Positive! Inspiration and Affirmations
After I sit in silence and clear my head in the morning, I often pull out a notebook and pen and listen for messages that come from a few of my favorite spiritual guides. When the words (sometimes in the form of questions or very direct, thought-provoking statements) start to flow I am ready to record the inspirational nuggets. I have been blessed with reams of the stuff!
Some recent thoughts about Louise Hay, the power of positive affirmations, and the movie The Horse Boy prompted me to take a look at some of my meditation notes again.
Below are some words of wisdom, happiness, and healing from the past year that I thought were worth sharing. As I typed that I understood again that the words are not mine, they are Universal and are indeed meant to be passed on. Feel free to do the same.
– “You are in the driver’s seat. You have the key. Where will you drive to now?”
- “You are your greatest asset. Know that.”
- “As you continue to release more of the deep-rooted energies of ‘doing’, we remind you that ‘being’ is always an easier route. BE in the flow of creation. BE open to allowing your utmost brilliance to project itself. BE in relationship with YOU.”
- “You crossed certain bridges long ago so that you could be exactly where you are now.”
- “When you are feeling good, what do you think about? Do you think about how good you feel, or do you wonder how long it will last, or do you just feel the good feeling?”
- “Go beyond your walls – the walls of your home, your city, your country, this Earth. You are a Universal Energy. Tap into that source.”
- “Perhaps it seems like you are falling, falling, falling, but what is really happening is that you are flying into new territory.”
- “Continue to hold your new awareness. Allow it to work with you.”
- “Why are you focusing on what is not? We believe it is much more powerful to focus on what IS, and what is possible.”
- “We implore you – please – take a breath and allow God to do the work. You ask. God does. You receive.”
- “Freedom is on the inside. Set yourself free.”
- “You are swimming in love as you go fishing for soul.”
Affirmation: “I invite my calm, clear, and connected heart and mind into my life now.”
Remember: Positive Action = Positive Outcome
Amen!
If you’d like to learn how to form a deeper connection with your inner wisdom and your spiritual guides through a practice of silence, stillness and writing, please join me for a SPECIAL, FREE Fishing for Soul Teleclass on Wed., Oct. 7th, 8:30-9:30 P.M. ET. Just call the Conference Line at 218.862.1300, ext. 951782 and tap into the Universal Force inside of you.
Today I am happy and grateful for the positive abundance of spiritual and human guidance all ways, friends who remind me what is real, gardening, sunshine, Sacred Center NYC, meditation, music, memories, french fries!, deep breaths, exercise, and a bright and brilliant tomorrow.
Thanks and peace!
Joe
How Far Will You Go To Get What You Want?
Happy October!
I saw a very beautiful and moving film the other night that brought to mind my current theme of commitment once again.
The Horse Boy poses the question, ‘How far would you travel to heal someone you love?’
According to the movie’s distributor, Zeitgeist Films, ‘The Horse Boy follows one Texas couple and their autistic son as they trek on horseback through Outer Mongolia in a desperate attempt to treat his condition with shamanic healing. When two-year-old Rowan was diagnosed with autism, Rupert Isaacson, a writer and former horse trainer, and his wife Kristin Neff, a psychology professor, sought the best possible medical care for their son—but traditional therapies had little effect. Then they discovered that Rowan has a profound affinity for animals—particularly horses—and the family set off on a quest for a possible cure.
The Horse Boy is part travel adventure, part insight into shamanic tradition and part intimate look at the autistic mind. In telling one family’s extraordinary story, the film gives voice to the thousands who display amazing courage and creativity everyday in the battle against this mysterious and heartbreaking epidemic. The filmic companion to Isaacson’s best-selling book of the same name and a festival favorite, this ravishing documentary odyssey gives insight into how, in life’s darkest moments, one can find the gateway to joy and wonder.”
The level of commitment that the parent’s have for their child is truly inspiring. The trials they face along the way only makes them more determined to continue on their healing quest.
Do you have a dream that you’d like to make a reality but feel stuck or unmotivated when it comes to getting down to work on it? Do you have a plan of action – a Plan of Attraction – that can guide you to what you want? Would you like some help in making your dream come true?
Join me for a 30-Day Magical Manifesting TeleCourse. The journey begins on Tue., Nov. 3rd!
What: A four-week Law of Attraction Coaching Intensive designed to help you break through self-imposed barriers, get you focused on your J.O.B. (Joyful, Outrageous, Bliss), build your Trust Fund, and create more of what you want in your life.
When: Tue., Nov. 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th, & Dec. 1st, 8:30-9:30 P.M. ET
Where: TeleConference Line (phone # given upon registration)
Your Investment: $150 when you register and pay by Oct. 20th, $215 after Oct. 20th (Fee includes daily, inspirational updates, a 1:1 On-Track session, and ongoing support throughout the course.)
Registration and info: joemonkman@earthspiritworks.com
Today I am happy and grateful for my office, my office neighbors (Lou and Gina), new business opportunities, positive abundance of all kinds, my amazing clients, a deeper connection to self, an open heart and mind, my life partner, my book agent, editor and publisher, Hay House Publishing and Radio.
Thanks and peace!
Joe
