A Simple Practice for Developing An Authentic Presence

These days, especially in business, lots people are talking about being authentic. For the most part, the internet via social media has been the driver behind the authenticity movement. Web sites and services like Twitter and Facebook are word of mouth on steroids.

So, now, people are looking for guidance on how to make authentic connections with clients, customers, employees, etc.... Books, seminars and other programs are popping up to help you learn how to make those authentic connections. In fact, I've even been encouraged to write and speak on the topic, too.

All of which I find quite entertaining as there's really not much to say. You can read about authenticity or go ahead and start nurturing it in yourself. In my experience, the key to fostering an authentic presence can be found right outside your backdoor.

Find a safe place to sit outside. A place with a little nature and wildness. Visit your spot daily for 15 to 30 minutes and exercise your senses and imagination. Then journal the experience later that day. You will see results. Probably, faster than you think. A coaching client of mine described the first 3 times he tried it as a "profound" experience.

In the interest of being authentic, I need to tell you this practice isn't an original idea that popped into my head. I learned about it from Jon Young and Wilderness Awareness School 15 years ago. And they picked it up from conversations with Native American elders. In fact, native cultures world-wide appear to have used this basic model for mentoring children for untold generations.

Have fun!

Nirvana and Your Brain

What did brain scientist Jill Bolte Taylor discover when her brain exploded? Nirvana.

Being Present

Struggling with being present? Place your attention on your body and with a sense of curiosity notice what you notice. Then surrender.

It's easy to think of the body as separate from Consciousness. If everything is consciousness though, then so is the body. Which is why physical meditation is helpful. Your physical body is another expression of Consciousness creating reality in each moment.

Misc Dreams Question

Wow, something must be brewing.My dreams are typically far from mundane. Last night was no exception. Everything from an airline job interview to an evil witch carjacking. Do you keep a dream journal? They can be very entertaining and revealing.

A State of Allowing when Co-creating with the Universe

What follows is a response I offered in a discussion forum on PositiveAtmosphere.com. A question had come up regarding emotions, "living as if" and co-creating your future. Thought some of you may find this helpful.

Hi XXXX, I'm not sure but maybe this will help. My interpretation of "Living as if" is to live as if what you are co-creating has been present for many years. It's been with you for so long it is old news to you. Nothing exciting about it, it is a comfortable pair of shoes you've had forever.

The key here is that conscious creation is constrained once you attempt to measure, judge or are attached to the form or manner of fulfillment of your desire or intention. Your positive and negative emotions/attachments limit Universe's options in co-creation. Instead, adopting a curiosity and playful appreciation can be very productive in the conscious creation process. A state of Allowing is one of the keys to this type of process.

As far as emotions go, I've noticed the non-heart based emotions are very useful to the ego when it wants to build a sense of importance. Heart based feeling OTOH do not inflate ego and raise (vibration) energy levels. After a time, I've found by putting my attention on my physical heart and projecting appreciation/gratitude etc.... I've been able to raise my energy (vibration) levels significantly. This has started an reinforcing process of growth energetically. Higher energy levels open doors opportunities to increase energy levels.

Hope this helps.
Peace

What Do I Mean By Energy?

First, Merry Christmas!

Next,
In a Law of Attraction discussion on http://www.PositiveAtmosphere.com related to Energy and Manifesting, the site's founder, Dan O'Donnell, asked me about the physical sensations related to "Energy." I felt my response might be helpful to some of you who are exploring the Law of Attraction and the life force. Here's my response:

The feeling I experience is quite detached from expectation. No feelings of excitement, anticipation or nervousness are felt on my part. My experience of sensation is kind of like flowing pins and needles. Like one gets when a foot falls asleep minus numbness or pain. Typically, the energy flow comes in waves depending on my level of focus and openness and can be "managed" with focused intention. At its most intense the sensation feels like my hands are surrounded by a think (6-12 inches) glove of sensation. The first time it happened, which was quite an experience, one person saw rainbows shooting off my finger tips in their peripheral vision.

Is Your "From" Thinking Causing You Problems in Attracting Your Goals?

A couple of weeks ago I was having a discussion with a friend about achieving goals via inner work or manifesting. We were discussing about the concept of "thinking from" your goals. As we were talking I realized there is a subtlety to the concept that is easy to miss.

The common advice I see being given is to think, feel, visualize about what it would be like to have achieved an end goal. How does it feel to final have your goal realized?

Unfortunately, this bit of advise is incomplete. The missing piece can make all the difference in your manifesting success. The question isn't really what does it feel like to have successfully manifested the goal.

Your question really needs to be along the lines of, "What does it feel like to have realized your goal as a common everyday part of your life?" In other words, ten years after your goal is realized how do you feel? What is your life like when the initial excitement is gone?

The reason is when you're using an inner action approach to goals your feelings of having achieved the goal can interfere with the process. In other words, it's very easy to create an attachment state in your mind. Attachment during an inner approach pushes goals away. Detachment and an allowing state are very important for your manifesting to be successful. The usual advice runs the risk of creating just the opposite.