part0007

W hile researching this book I discovered what many people have concluded: there is a direct link between journal entries and our experiences. Please consider the following examples, which are a mix of actual client and hypothetical/composite experiences. Names and minor details have been changed to protect privacy.

Robert was able to relate the contents and tone of his journal entries to the experience of a car accident. After years of hard work, saving money, and dreaming, he was finally able to purchase a beautiful Porsche. He had driven an old compact Toyota Corolla for many years. Unfortunately, his new Porsche had recently been rear-ended and wound up in the repair shop for nearly two months, and he was forced to drive a compact loaner while his car was being repaired.

I would occasionally provide spiritual coaching to Robert. He was aware that he had worthiness issues and wanted to prevent them from undermining his career success. He was also upset and perplexed by the accident, as it appeared to have happened "out of the blue." He told me that he had been keeping a journal, and I encouraged him to examine it for entries that contained beliefs expressing limitation and unworthiness. Upon examination, it became evident to him that the contents of his journal revealed that he believed he did not deserve the car and he was consumed with fear that it would be taken away from him.

The journal pages had been informing the Universe that he felt uncomfortable driving, owning, and even being seen in the luxury car. Almost daily he wrote, "Do I really deserve this (car)? It’s still so unbelievable to me that the car is mine! What if I can’t afford it anymore?" His subconscious mind did not accept the car. The Universe acted upon his fears and doubts.

To counter the effects of his journal entries, we studied the principle (among many others) that states that we are all "perfect, whole, and complete" in God’s eyes and that, because we are emanations of Spirit, we deserve every good thing by birthright. He eventually realized that he was, in fact, worthy of every good thing, and that there was nothing wrong with enjoying or owning an expensive car.

Robert did a great deal of inner work on accepting his material and emotional good. Every evening he began to write about his worthiness: that he deserved the best in life.

He wrote from the perspective that everything is all good; he realized it had to be, because that is the way God would see things. Soon afterward the car was returned to him and there have been no problems with it since – not so much as a scratch!

I present to you a client who discovered that his core beliefs and attitudes had contributed to a dreadful, terrifying physical experience – a shark attack! This wonderful man, whom I will call Pedro, was enjoying a Saturday afternoon out at a nearby beach with his college friends. He was engaged in a swim race against his buddies when he suddenly felt something hard bump against him, followed by incredible pain and a burning sensation on his thigh and knee area. He realized he had been attacked by a shark and panicked.

Despite being in a state of sheer terror, he coincidently kicked the shark sharply on its nose and it swam away, providing just enough time for his friends and others to get him to safety. Afterward, the entire episode was a blur to him. However, the feelings associated with the vicious nature of the attack, and the unnerving realization that it had occurred without warning, were indelibly clear to him. He was terrified by the idea that while he was enjoying the swim race, he had no idea of the danger that existed in the dark, just below the surface.

When he examined his journals – still feeling shocked and bewildered – he realized that they contained a theme of jealousy toward his college friends. He often wrote about how he struggled to keep his grades up, and how he envied the other guys in his group because they were able to effortlessly manage their time, classes, work, and families in a way that he could not. In particular, he believed that everyone else’s success magnified his shortcomings. On an inner level he was jealous and mean-spirited toward his friends.

After rereading his journal entries, Pedro realized that he actually hated and resented his friends. He suddenly understood that on a metaphysical level, the shark was himself! He was the dangerous one in his group of friends. While pretending to be friendly, happy, and caring, in reality he was mentally bashing and attacking himself and others. The energy he had put forth into the Universe had come back to bite him. It became clear to him that he had reaped as he had sowed in consciousness. The scar on his leg became a permanent reminder that he must vigilantly watch his thoughts and deeds. The shark attack made perfect sense now.

If car accidents and shark attacks are not enough to convince you of the power of your written word, I submit that the state of your health can also be affected, positively or negatively, by what you think, feel and write. The next example is about Sarah. She had severe asthma for her entire life. However, she cured the condition simply by changing her beliefs through faith in God (Spirit) and demanding health from the Universe. Sarah used her journal writing to facilitate the change.

Sarah had developed asthma as a child, and her earliest memories were of her mother being frantically afraid for her. At the same time, her mother instilled a fear of doctors and medicine into her conscious and subconscious mind. Her mother would often lament over the incurable nature of Sarah’s condition, saying, "God is making us suffer because of our family’s history," and, "No amount of medication can cure this curse." These beliefs, of course, had a dramatically negative effect on Sarah’s health and her life circumstances.

Thankfully, as an adult, Sarah made a decision to beat her asthma. She was engaged to be married and wanted to be set free from her "curse." At the same time she started a new spiritual journey, immersing herself in New Thought teachings and consulting me for mentoring. She learned that God was everywhere present – even in her doctors, her body, and all of her medications and therapies.

At first Sarah could not accept this idea. However, she could clearly see how the opposite ideas manifested themselves (fear and mistrust). After much inner thought and meditation she became completely convinced that God was everywhere present, including in her doctors. At my suggestion she began to journal about the ever-present reality of good, God, and health. She was able to arrive at a logical new belief – that a combination of the doctors’ wisdom, her medicine, and her own powerful belief in health through God could produce a healing.

Knowing the power of journaling like God, I suggested that she continue to take that concept into her interactions with her doctor and into her journaling. Shortly thereafter, under a doctor’s care, all of her asthma symptoms virtually disappeared. She accepted that God was present in every aspect of her condition and treatment, and released all fear about doctors and medications. She also accepted that "health" was an attribute of Source or God and therefore it was an attribute of her own self.

She would often write in her journals about being a healthy and beloved emanation of Source, regardless of whatever may have been true in the past. Something else was true to her now. Sarah told me that her current journals do not contain any reference to asthma or sickness; instead, they reflect the glory of God!

Janice was not a client but a former co-worker whose personal energy was dull, dark, and negative. I have included this example because I believe readers will benefit from a discussion centered on how to apply spiritual principles to a similar situation. You may be similar to Janice or know someone like her.

Janice was the ultimate "sad sack." Every morning, as I lugged my laptop and Starbucks cup into the office, I would cheerfully greet her as I passed by her desk, saying "Good Morning, Janice!" Without missing a beat she would look up at me with sad, worn eyes and say either, "Ugh, right. What’s so good about it?" or the classic monotone "Good morning" with a shrug. She was not being sarcastic, flippant, or dismissive – she was seriously expressing how she felt. God forbid if I were to ask her how she was doing, she would inevitable reply, "Ugh, breathing."

To say it was draining to talk to her at all is putting it mildly. She described everything as being hopeless, worthless, boring, and futile. Even the clothes she wore reflected her outlook on life – brown, gray, or black. On top of that she was under 30 years old, but she looked like a worn-out, older woman! It was peculiar.

When I first met Janice I recall thinking that she must not like me. However, as time went on I observed that she was this way with everyone, at all times. While taking lunch breaks together, or during our end-of-day trek to the parking lot, she always had the same attitude. She never spoke in a positive or affirmative way… ever. Despite this attitude, she gave no indication that she was classically depressed or suicidal. Had she given any indication of this condition I would like have taken steps to assure her safety. She was simply an extremely "blah" person.

I had a clue as to why Janice behaved as she did. Over time and throughout the course of our small talk, I discovered that she was raised in a somewhat fanatical and "fire and brimstone" religion. Her parents were extremely unhappy, strict, and did not nourish her or support her individual gifts and talents. Her greatest wish had always been to become an artist. However, her parents persistently discouraged her interest in painting. They thought it was nonsense and not representative of God’s work. Janice took on her parents’ beliefs and attitudes for herself. So here she was, feeling defeated and in an unfulfilling, dead-end job that did nothing to challenge her or feed her soul.

Sadly, it was apparent to me that the "peephole" (discussed in Chapter 5) phenomenon had taken hold of her life! Had she approached me for spiritual coaching aimed at feeling better, happier, and more fulfilled, I would have recommended that she "journal like God" and create a more positive existence. I would have told her about the spiritual principles surrounding the law "thoughts are things." I would have made sure that she had a deep understanding of reciprocity – whereby the energy she puts out into the Universe will always come right back at her. I would have reminded her that she is responsible for her own experience, and that there is no one to blame.

She would have learned that she is deeply loved and cared for by God, no matter what she believes to the contrary. We would have discussed the truth about God. I would have explained that she has the choice (free will) at all times to feel differently. The concept of the infinite nature and possibility of Spirit available to her NOW would also be discussed. Might my efforts have driven her to consider that life is actually a glorious experience?

I experienced great distress as I observed her over the years and I very much wanted to tell her about her spiritual magnificence. However, life, as well as my training, taught me that I could do nothing for her without her seeking my help. Her consent and acceptance were the catalysts needed to drive change. Therefore, I blessed her in my own mind and moved on.

The takeaway here is that Janice required self-awareness and an inner desire for change. It is not up to you or me to change someone, or even offer suggestions. Let them be. The only real power we possess is located and activated within ourselves.