March April 2003 newsletter

Sometimes we get in our own way in the most interesting ways. The real trick, though, is to figure out which thoughts are inadvertently sabotaging us, so we can then turn them around so they work FOR us, rather than AGAINST us. CM found the thoughts that were unintentionally getting in her way.

Five and a half years ago, when I moved to Southern Cal from the Midwest, (without a job to go to by the way) I began working for a small firm in Newport Beach. They loved me and I loved them - except after a couple of months and the addition of two more attorneys, I suddenly felt I wasn't up for the task and quit to do temp work and seek out another job in time - when I had learned what I needed to for the "more intensive job responsibilities of a legal secretary in California" - skills I thought I didn't have or somehow couldn't learn fast enough to be equal to the task with the small firm. |back to top|

For the next 5 years all I did was go from temping to floating positions in large firms - having to move to L.A. and leave Newport Beach behind in order to do the latter. (I had one roommate in NB which was almost as scary as Rebecca deMornay's in Single White Female - and thought I could do no better with another.) Situations went from bad to worse. The first large firm where I worked as a floater almost fired me (a few attorneys didn't like me and that would have been enough) - however, I was recruited by a fellow legal secretary to work at another large downtown L.A. firm where after only a few months, my reviews reflected that I was too "eager", too "abrupt on the phones" - any criticism short of breathing went on to my reviews. Amazingly, I stayed there for two years - about 23 months longer than I should have.

When I was "downsized" last June, I froze in fear and accepted the very first job an agency laid in my lap - in Century City - about an hour and a half commute from where I live in Pasadena - working for a bitter, negative, miserable (and as I found out later, even an evil reputation within and among the professional legal community). I was fired after only two short but agonizing months wherein I had tried desperately to please a boss that would and never could be pleased. And then I literally stumbled across a book called "Take a Moment and Create Your Life." A gentleman I was dating at the time loaned it to me. He seemed to sense my desperation. Indeed, since I had moved to Southern California, all I had done was go from situation to situation begging to be accepted, appreciated and a part of a body of working people - akin to what I had known in Chicago where my former company had given me a goodbye party complete with well wishes and sentiments that they would truly be minus a special and talented team worker. |back to top|

While I read the book, I realized suddenly how my FEAR OF BEING ACCEPTED was directly related to my experiences throughout my life with my family. I never felt accepted, never received too much praise or approval. How was I going to change that? By going back in time to when I first remembered being shunned out of the spotlight and recreating a better, more supportive scene between my mother, father, sister and brothers - with ALL of us - especially my mother and father (who never supported each other) being supportive to each other and to us in the scenario. Then I went to the present and started first with creating a wonderful temp situation where I received appreciation, praise, support and had wonderful work results that were noticed. It happened! Not overnight, mind you, but in journaling - writing it down - I was able to calculate not only precisely WHAT I wanted to have happen, but approximately how long "Universe time" took …different from Pacific Time by the way…. If small miracles could happen, I mused, what about the big ones? I was ready for more substantial action. I kept going back to the childhood scenes, reliving and preliving the future ones as I wanted them and created the next step - a job (it had been six months of temp work and I desperately needed a paycheck - but this time I left the word "desperate" out of my thinking for that creates more negativity I had learned) And in just the perfect time, a job was offered. It was a floating position, but instead of looking at this position as I had the others in the past, I looked at it as a temporary ground to gather more skills, the most important of all being CONFIDENCE. I knew that my Waterloo awaited around the corner - I had interviewed at a small firm much like the first job I held in Newport Beach five and a half years ago. They loved me and I felt the same way. They would be moving their office in a few months and as I rode down the elevator after my interview, the attorney accompanying me gently and sincerely said, "I hope you can wait until we move. We really would like to have you join us." Therefore, the floating job became a temporary resting spot instead of another job where I was "just" a floater. |back to top|

Again, I put my creative thoughts to work. I created a work situation where I would receive all the praise, appreciation and support I needed to boost my confidence. Again, I went back to childhood and forward to specific office situations - imagining leaving the floating position to go on to the next job - a job with a permanent assignment of attorneys (I had no idea which of the two prospects out there it would be at the time but knew of two firms that were interested in me). The reviews from each of the desks keep coming in daily with superlative ratings and written comments of "Claudia is a pleasure to work with. I would enjoy working with her again." And just last week, the small firm called my agency to extend an employment offer - with the salary I had written down and even better benefits than I remembered. I start at the end of April.

I created it and I'm ready now to create my success there - and with each and every step I take from this moment on. There's lots of life out there waiting to happen. I know now a wonderful little secret - that we can have anything - ANYTHING we want as long as we're brave enough to create it!
Thank you Joanne for the most priceless gift I've ever and probably will ever receive

Sometimes we think it's necessary to fill our lives with grand creations. While creating big things for ourselves and others is indeed wonderful, our little creations are just as important. For one thing, they can be done throughout the day so you can create lots of them. And the more you create, the easier it is to remember what a great creator you are. Read PS's story of how she created arriving on time. |back to top|

My husband is always late, and it doesn't help that I fortify this situation by subconsciously expecting him to be late whenever I need him to be on time. When I'm really conscious, however, I do a very good job of creating him to be my on-time guy. Here's an example:

Two days ago, I needed Carl to get here on time because we had to pick up our car at the mechanic's, and I didn't want to be late because I think it's too rude for words to keep shop owners from going home to their families on time. Unfortunately I forgot to pay attention to my thoughts which were screaming out, "He'll never get here on time." So I wasn't at all surprised when he called and said, "Babe, will you meet me down at the bottom of the hill because I'm running late as you can see."

I said, "Sure," while also becoming very aware of how irked I was at him for being late, and at myself for not paying attention to my negative thoughts. We had a 25-minute drive to accomplish in 15 minutes. This was a job for MindAffects!

Yes, I knew that if I set my mind on what I wanted, and then got out of the way of how it happened, we could in fact get there on time so I wouldn't be embarrassed about holding the mechanic up. So, while I waited for Carl to pick me up, I visualized us getting to our destination on time. |back to top|

When I got in the car, Carl was very tense because he knew we were going to be late-with-a-capital-L! But I just told him we were going to be on time, and then I totally distracted him from the situation by telling him all the mindless things I could think of to tell him. I told him what I had for lunch, what the various telphone solicitors wanted to sell us, and which of the flowers were doing quite well, and which weren't.

Lo, and behold! We arrived four minutes early. 4:56 said the clock, instead of the 5:10 that could have been expected.

Once again I was reminded of the pliability of time. Do we want to be there or get done on time, or do we want to be late? It's there for us to create!

Next time, though, I'm creating my husband getting home on time. Better to be conscious 100% of the time!

"Abundance is not something we acquire. It is something we tune into."
Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

My friend Maureen is proud of her ability to create strategic solutions. Whenever she wants something, she immediately goes into high-mode scheming. Indeed, Maureen is the Queen of Manipulation. |back to top|

For example, when her family balked at celebrating her birthday the way she wanted, she instantly knew how the maneuver everyone around. "If I tell my mother that it’s a party for her, and I tell my brother that I’ve got some stuff to give him," she explains, "and then I make sure that my two cousins from Lancaster don’t show up, I’ll achieve what I want!"

In her mind it all flows perfectly, but in reality, all kinds of problems arise. The problems usually stem from the fact that she hadn’t considered everyone’s needs. Her mother’s need to have experience peace among her children went ignored. Her brother’s festering anger at a past sibling slight was never factored in. And the fact that her two sisters were always emotionally abusing her brother was not even considered.

All Maureen thought about was what she wanted and how she could get it. Alas, she did get everyone to her party, but the whole occasion was a brewing, brooding mess. People left angry and hurt, and Maureen couldn’t figure out how she could have done it differently. |back to top|

In effect, Maureen forgot that abundance is always there for us to tap into. Indeed, "When you realize there is nothing lacking," wrote Lao Tzu, "the whole world belongs to you."

Tapping into abundance is as easy as deciding that it will happen in your life. Thinking is the on/off switch to abundance. If you think it will arrive, the tap opens; if you think it won’t, the tap starts to close.

To reinforce that you want the switch on, do something that brings the picture of it alive for you. You can visualize or write about your life with the abundance in it. The more details you add, the more you reinforce having the switch turned on.

Tapping into abundance also requires that you spread the abundance around so everyone involved gets his or her needs met. In Maureen’s case, this means that she’ll also have to consider what the people in her life need to feel happy, and safe. What does Mom, her brother and sisters each need to feel happy and safe? When she figures that out, she can visually give that to them. |back to top|

Tapping into abundance means there’s plenty of everything for everyone. While you’re giving it to yourself, give it to others. See yourself having what you want, and see others having what they want. After all, "Giving," said Swami Sivananda, "is the secret of abundance."

How many times have you really wanted something, only to be told that wanting it is selfish or unrealistic? Have there been times in your life when you’ve dreamed of grandness, only to be reminded that the "meek shall inherit the earth"?

These limiting reminders, while well-intended, block and deny the very essence of one of God’s greatest gifts to you: your ability to create what you desire. |back to top|

That’s right. God designed each of us to desire things. Not only that, he designed us to be able to create that which we desire. According to Proverbs 13:19, "The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul." God wants us to want, and God wants us to have what we want.

And, really, if you think about it, this seems pretty logical. Why would God gift us with the quality to desire without also gifting us with the ability to have what we desire?

At the same time, we must understand that we get into problems with desire when we don’t understand it and when we don’t understand how to use it. We want the wrong things, or we’re out of touch with what it is we really long.

In order to desire properly, we have to understand the power of desire. According to Paul Buser, "Desire, like the atom, is explosive with creative force." Buser doesn’t just mean that having a desire makes you creative. He’s saying that a desire, like a belief, has a creative force all its own. Not only does the desire compel and propel you to do things that will attain the desire, but it has its own personal influence on matter. The energy of the desire itself works outside yourself to manifest itself in the physical world. That’s how powerful a desire is. |back to top|

God knows this. That’s why God created us to want and desire; he knew that our act of wanting would indeed create that which is desired.

From one perspective, this is pretty fabulous. Just think of the desires you’d like to see show up in your life! But from another perspective, there are some problems. What happens when you desire conflicting things? What happens when you want bad things? What happens when you want things meant only to protect you from others?

What happens is that these conflicting and protective desires actually manifest into exactly what you don’t want. For example, if you want a someone who has been cheating you to get what he deserves, that desire can create revenge. But it doesn’t create what you really want, which is to be treated fairly.

Conflicting and protective desires usually result from limited thinking. "We trifle [squander] when we assign limits to our desires," wrote Christian Bovee, "since nature hath set none." In other words, we waste a great opportunity each time we rouse a desire based on limited thinking. |back to top|

For instance, if someone has been cheating you, is it revenge or fairness that you really want? Desiring vengeance doesn’t solve the problem; it just creates a punishment. Desiring fairness, on the other hand, creates what you really want, which is being treated truthfully and equitably. Desiring fairness creates safety, while desiring revenge does not. Desiring fairness requires unlimited thinking, while wanting revenge assumes that fairness is impossible to attain.

The answer lies in asking ourselves: "What do I really want to happen, if anything in the whole world were possible?" That question asks us to really look at what we yearn for.

To illustrate, if we want a cheating person to be punished, it implies that nothing can change. The person will continue cheating and will never apologize, and we just have to learn to cope with such monsters. This is fixed thinking, indeed.
On the other hand, if we remember that anything is possible, we might realize that what we really want is for the cheating person to somehow realize that he doesn’t have to cheat to get what he wants, that the person will feel so much better if he apologizes, and even that the person will have wonderful people in his life who help and support him in getting what he wants with honesty and integrity. |back to top|

Such a desire creates just that. It creates a future in which the cheating person gets the help and support he needs so that he can comfortably and openly get what he wants.

With that in mind, consider this: Would you rather create healing and recovery for a cheating person, or would you rather create revenge? Would you rather create the possibility of honesty and integrity for the person, or would you rather create more anger, shame, and lack?

Hopefully you’d rather create healing and recovery! If so, remember this example, and then practice asking yourself what it is that you really desire if anything in the world were possible. Ask yourself what the other person, people, or organizations need to get their needs met. When people get their needs met, they usually don’t do mean things to others. Think about what others want and need, and desire it for them. What do you want and need? Desire it for yourself. And lastly, "Plant the seed of desire in your mind," as Robert Collier wrote, and it will form "a nucleus with power to attract to itself everything needed for its fulfillment."

"You will never find time for anything. If you want time, you must make it."
Charles Bixton
Ingredients
1 big chore (size does not matter)
1 clock
1 cup imagination

Directions
1. Focus on the chore and what it looks like when it is completed. It doesn’t matter how large or small the chore it. The chore can be any job that needs to be done. |back to top|
2. Look at the clock and decide when you want it to be completed. It is more important for you to decide when you want to be done with the chore than it is for you to assume how long it will take you.
3. In your imagination, see yourself being done at the time you’ve selected.
4. Start the chore. Focus on your work, rather than the time. For the recipe to work properly, you must forget about the clock and focus on your work. Looking at the clock will deflate the cake, so to speak.
5. When you’re done, look at the clock. Enjoy your sense of fulfillment and conscious creating.
6. For best results, don’t give yourself an impossibly small amount of time nor too much time. If you can, intuitively decide when you’ll be done.

This recipe works because time, like air, expands and contracts to fit the space you provide it.

Remember that if you think there’s not enough time, there probably isn’t. If you think a job’s too big, it probably will be. Likewise, if you consciously think and visualize there’s plenty of time and the job is smaller and easier than you think, you help to create just that. |back to top|

Variations
1. When you are stuck in traffic or a huge line, ask yourself whether you want to get to your destination on time or at a certain time. (There is a difference!) Imagine what it looks like to arrive on time or at a certain time. Don’t watch the clock. 2. Enjoy the wait. You’ll get through in the time you create for yourself.
3. When you have a lot of errands to do, make your list, and then decide how long you want it to take. Imagine what time it is when you are done. Start on your journey. Have fun watching all the serendipitous events that occur to help it all be completed in the time you’ve created.
4. If you have a huge, multi-sectioned chore, break it down into workable parts. Then follow the recipe above. You’ll be surprised how much easier it is to handle the chore.

Don't be fooled by the calendar.
There are only as many days in the year as you make use of.
One man gets only a week's value out of a year
while another man gets a full year's value out of a week.
Charles Richards |back to top|

Having trouble with a specific issue? Joanne Rodasta Wilshin, the developer of MindAffects™, is now offering private consultations.

Joanne Rodasta Wilshin is now offering private consultations either in person or on the phone. If you are having trouble with a specific issue you just can't get beyond, consider getting help directly from Joanne. Joanne knows how to focus your head to create what you really want. Using her MindAffects technique, she'll get your subconsicous thoughts and sabateurs on the same page as your conscious desires, so you'll stop sabotaging yourself. You CAN create happy relationships, successful kids, beneficial jobs and friendships, family harmony, greater self-understanding, prosperity, and health.

To make an appointment, either e-mail her at jrodasta@spiritsmith.com, or call her at 949 759 9300. Joanne takes all major credit cards. |back to top|

MindAffects has designed an on-line learning course for people who want to truly embrace and excel at expressing their innate creative talents.

It is now easier than ever to learn the MindAffects™ process for creating experiences you really want to have. MindAffects™' exciting new four-week course will provide you timely, meaningful, and individualized on-line feedback during every step of your learning process. This ensures you deeper understanding and increased proficiency so you'll be able to use the process in every conceivable area of your life. Just imagine what your consciously-created life will look like!

Participating in the MindAffects™ on-line learning course automatically enrolls you in an e-list community of like-thinking individuals who share with and support others. As a new user, you will be able to garner sage advice from people who have been taking advantage of MindAffects™ for a while. |back to top|

All course feedback is provided by Joanne Rodasta Wilshin, author of Take a Moment and Create Your Life! and the developer of MindAffects™.

So let Joanne Rodasta Wilshin's MindAffects™ gently and gradually help you understand your magnificent power so that you can create your dreams and desires!

Mastering Personal Creativity is based on Joanne Rodasta's Take a Moment and Create Your Life! In it you will learn:

- why you sometimes fail to create what you want, and how to overcome the obstacles.
- how to actively and responsibly create positive future experiences.
- to widen your scope of what is possible to create.
- to heal the cause of the pains in your life.
- to have more control of what happens in your life.
- to align your ego with your higher self so they become partners in your every success.

To enroll, visit On-Line Learning. Only basic e-mail service and Internet access are required. |back to top|