Ë  Conscious Living

Volume One, Issue Five               December 20, 2002

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Welcome to the fifth and largest issue yet of Conscious Living, our newsletter designed to  share our current activities and growth, along with articles and information that we hope will be supportive and encouraging in your efforts to live each moment with more joy and satisfaction.

The themes of this issue are a celebration of the holiday season and reminders of the fundamental values and attitudes that can help us shape our new year in a positive way.

conscious living newsletter - christmas stories, audio cd, affirmations
Contents:

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conscious living newsletter - telecourses for affirmations, personal growth, meditation and abundance

News:  New Winter Schedule Begins in January With New Teachers, New Classes and The Addition of Telecourses.  We Go National!

We are beginning our new winter schedule in January with the addition of several new teachers and workshops. 

In addition, we are adding, for the first time, several telecourses.  These are classes held over the telephone (something like a conference call) that allow you to attend a class every week without the necessity of driving to the class location.  These telecourses are especially supportive of people who live outside of the Los Angeles area, and were not able to attend our prior classes because of the distance involved.  We have received many emails from around the country expressing interest in our classes and we hope that our telecourse program will help to meet that need.  All Class Times Listed Are Pacific

As before, we are continuing to offer a wide variety of "in person" classes and workshops at various locations around the Los Angeles area. 

In the listing below, to read more information on the subject matter of a particular class, click on its Class Title.  If you're interested in a class that has already begun, contact us by email at .  Some of our classes are ongoing and are designed to accommodate new students joining after the start of the class.  Others have a limited admittance once they have begun, but a new class series will often be beginning soon.

 

Meeting Day

Class Title and Teacher

Enroll Here

Location

Fee Per Class

Mondays         7 to 8 p.m. New Telecourse Starts Jan. 13th Loving and Respecting Our Children While Giving Them The Discipline They Need - Lucinda White Enrollment Telecourse 4 One Hour Classes - $50 for Series

Mondays         6 to 7 p.m.  New Telecourse Starts Jan. 20th.

Changing Your Life Through Visualization and Affirmation  -  Jeff Braucher Enrollment Telecourse 3 One Hour Classes - $40 for Series

Mondays         6:30 to 8 p.m. Starts Jan. 13th

 Walking - The Complete Exercise  -           Steve Hamlin Enrollment South Pasadena $25

Mondays              8 to 10 p.m.  New Class -Starts Jan. 6th

For Yourself: A Class In Female Sexuality - Patty DeFrancis Enrollment South Pasadena $25
Mondays,             7 to 9 p.m.  Starts Jan. 6th A Little Bit of Music   -  Bill Simpson Enrollment Glendale $25
Tuesdays,  7 to 8 p.m.   New Telecourse Starts Jan. 14th The Fundamentals of Conscious Living: Heart & Mind   -  Bill Simpson Enrollment Telecourse 4 One Hour Classes - $50 for Series
Tuesdays             7:30 to 9 p.m. Starts Jan. 14th Reclaiming Your Singing Voice  - David Joyce Enrollment Reseda $25
Wednesdays,        7 to 8 p.m.  New Telecourse Starts Jan. 8th For Yourself: A Class In Female Sexuality - Patty DeFrancis Enrollment Telecourse 4 One Hour Classes - $50 for Series
Wednesdays,        6 to 7 p.m.  New Telecourse Starts Jan. 15th The  Freedom To Love - Mike Van Dam Enrollment Telecourse 4 One Hour Classes - $50 for Series
Wednesdays,        7 to 9 p.m.  Starts Jan. 8th Developing a Spiritual Lifestyle:  The Fundamentals of Conscious Living   -  Bill Simpson Enrollment Glendale $25
Thursdays, 6 to 7:30 p.m. New Telecourse Starts Jan. 16th How To Love Yourself - Elaine McBroom Enrollment Telecourse 4 One 1/2 Hour Classes - $75 for Series
Thursdays, 6 to 7 p.m. New Telecourse Starts Feb. 13th

Love in Action: Practical Ways to End the Cycle of Violence - Frederick Rule

Enrollment Telecourse 3 One Hour Classes - $40 for Series
Fridays,             6 to 7 p.m. New Telecourse Starts Jan. 17th Accepting the Unknown With Love -    Tom Rook Enrollment Telecourse 4 One Hour Classes - $50 for Series
Saturdays,       8:30 to 10 a.m.  Starts Jan. 4th Exploratory Watercolors for Parent and Child - Lucinda White Enrollment Pasadena $25
Saturdays,  10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. New Class  Starts Jan. 11 The  Freedom To Love - Mike Van Dam Enrollment Pasadena $25
Saturdays,  11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. New Class  Starts Jan. 4 Getting More Done In Less Time - Jeff Braucher Enrollment West Los Angeles $25

Saturdays             1 to 3 p.m. Starts Jan. 4th    

Spiritual Psychology: The Gateway to Healing and Freedom - Juan Girardi

Enrollment Pasadena $25
Saturdays 2 to 3 p.m. New Telecourse Starts Jan. 18th Personal Story Telling - Michael Nye Enrollment Telecourse 3 One Hour Classes - $40 for Series

Saturdays           3 to 4 p.m.    

Conscious Living Public Lecture Series

Jan. 11 - “How To Love Yourself” - Elaine McBroom               

Feb. 8 - “Love In Action: Ending Violence” - Frederick Rule 

Join Us Pasadena

         $5            Suggested Donation

Saturdays           3 to 5 p.m. January 25 and February 1 Nonjudgment:  Aligning Your Life With Love - Simon Kahn Enrollment Pasadena $25
Saturdays,           4:30 to 6 p.m. Starts Jan. 4th Personal Story Telling - Michael Nye Enrollment Studio City $25

 

We encourage you to visit other pages of our web site to learn more about the Conscious Living Foundation and to peruse the wide variety of other classes that will be available soon. CLF's Classes                       CLF's Discounts

What is CLF?

 

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conscious living newsletter - fundamental questions on personal growth and awareness

Questions: Renewing Our Fundamentals .

     What am I resisting?
The seeds of growth lie in your resistance to what is new, unfamiliar, or unpleasant. All too often, the very things we resist most are the things that force us to grow the most. So, be attentive to those subtle gut-tightening signals that hint of an opportunity for learning

     What is the lesson here?
There's a second step that is needed to reinforce the insight gained by asking the first question. In order to really benefit, we have to actually seek out the lesson, demonstrate that we really want to hear, and be willing to follow the often-subtle guidance that comes.

     Have I been here before?
Often our most pressing issues are thinly disguised versions of problems we've failed to solve in the past. Different names and faces maybe, but the same underneath, destined not to go away until we meet and resolve them once and for all. If your answer to this question is, yes, then maybe it's time to get to the bottom of the issue and solve it!

    Am I losing energy to this?
We pay a price for every negative thought we entertain, and it's measured in decreased energy, heightened depression, reduced immune function, and sometimes serious illness. Although you may believe otherwise, we have to reach the place where anger, frustration, worry, and criticism have no place in our experience. Until we do, we are losing energy, diluting our focus, and rendering ourselves vulnerable.

     Am I holding on to something I need to let go of?
One of the most difficult tasks of this life consists in letting go-of our attachments, of ego, of our need to be right, and ultimately, of this life. You cannot fly unless you are willing to relinquish your firm footing on earth; flying requires that sort of faith, and commitment. The surprising thing is that, when we really let go, we begin to grow.

     Am I in the present?
Every moment you spend regretting the past or worrying about the future is a moment of the present, lost. Yes, we need to complete the past, wind up our unfinished business, and be attentive to trends that portend of future events, but we can take action only in the present. So, that's where your full attention needs to be, and staying in the present is a full time job.

     What do I need to do now?
To act or not to act, that is the question. Whether tis nobler in the mind to take action against a sea of troubles and so by doing, prolong them, or to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous inaction and so gain clarity. (Shakespeare would sue for what I've done to Hamlet's timeless prose) Put the question differently: is there a NEED for action now? Often, we act because we're afraid that, if we don't, things will get worse. The truth is that deliberate inaction is action, and it is often a way to allow a cloudy situation to become clear.

 

     Who's in control here?
True or false?: It's important to be in control of your life. Control can be a big issue for some people, especially if they feel they don't have it. So, granted, it's perfectly reasonable to want to feel in control. Letting go of the past, staying in the present, and taking action (including no action) are all ways to develop a sense that you are in control. But, let me suggest that there is a step beyond control. It is to recognize that, ultimately, you are NOT in control-that you are always subject to a higher authority. Paradoxically, this recognition and your acknowledgement of it can free you from the need to always be IN control.

     What is my responsibility here?
Have you noticed how some people have a need to involve others in their problems? If it's your boss, your significant other, or your child, it's normal to conclude that your have to do something. But, that something doesn't mean becoming part of the problem! Your responsibility, in this case, is to maintain a level of detachment that will enable you to see the situation clearly, and this clarity pertains not only to the solution, but to the extent that you should be involved in the problem in the first place.

     Am I at peace with this?
Do you know when you're at peace with something? Chances are, it's when you can look at an issue, person, or problem and feel no charge, no subtle or sudden surge of emotion. But peace is something more. It's about balance, an inner certainty that you are untouched by it, him, or her. The peace-check is a key element in gaining closure, in ascertaining that the situation is complete.

    

    

 

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conscious living newsletter - christmas story

Christmas Story: One Solitary Life
 

 He was born in an obscure village,
the child of a peasant woman.
He grew up in another obscure village,
where he worked in a carpenter shop
until he was thirty.
Then for three years
he was an itinerant preacher.
He never set foot inside a big city.
He never traveled two hundred miles
from the place he was born.
He never wrote a book,
or held an office.
He did none of these things
that usually accompany greatness.

While he was still a young man,
the tide of popular opinion
turned against him.
His friends deserted him.
He was turned over to his enemies,
and went through the mockery of a trial.
He was nailed to a cross
between two thieves.
While he was dying,
his executioners gambled
for the only piece of property he had -
his coat.
When he was dead,
he was taken down
and laid in a borrowed grave.

Nineteen centuries have come and gone,
and today his is the central figure
for much of the human race.
All the armies that ever marched,
and all the navies that ever sailed,
and all the parliaments that ever sat,
and all the kings that ever reigned,
put together
have not affected the life of man
upon this earth as powerfully as this
"One Solitary Life."

 

 

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conscious living newsletter - bible quote for christmas

The Original Christmas Story:  Luke 2:1-20 and Matthew 2:1-8            

   Luke 2:1-20

1  In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled.

2 This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria.

3 And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city.

4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,

5 to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.

6 And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered.

7 And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

8  And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.

10 And the angel said to them, "Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people;

11 for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger."

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!"

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us."

16 And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

17 And when they saw it they made known the saying which had been told them concerning this child;

18 and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.

19 But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart.

20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Matthew 2:1-8

1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem
2 and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.
4 When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born.
5 "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written:
6 "`But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.' "
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared.
8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.
10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.
11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.
12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him."
14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt,
15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son."
16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.
17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:

18 "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more."

19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt
20 and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead."
21 So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.
22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee,
23 and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: "He will be called a Nazarene."

 

 

 

 

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conscious living newsletter - christmas story o. henry

Story:  Gift Of The Magi                                                by  o. henry             
One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher until one's cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that such close dealing implied. Three times Della counted it. One dollar and eighty- seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas.

There was clearly nothing to do but flop down on the shabby little couch and howl. So Della did it. Which instigates the moral reflection that life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating.

While the mistress of the home is gradually subsiding from the first stage to the second, take a look at the home. A furnished flat at $8 per week. It did not exactly beggar description, but it certainly had that word on the lookout for the mendicancy squad.

In the vestibule below was a letter-box into which no letter would go, and an electric button from which no mortal finger could coax a ring. Also appertaining thereunto was a card bearing the name "Mr. James Dillingham Young."

The "Dillingham" had been flung to the breeze during a former period of prosperity when its possessor was being paid $30 per week. Now, when the income was shrunk to $20, though, they were thinking seriously of contracting to a modest and unassuming D. But whenever Mr. James Dillingham Young came home and reached his flat above he was called "Jim" and greatly hugged by Mrs. James Dillingham Young, already introduced to you as Della. Which is all very good.

Della finished her cry and attended to her cheeks with the powder rag. She stood by the window and looked out dully at a gray cat walking a gray fence in a gray backyard. Tomorrow would be Christmas Day, and she had only $1.87 with which to buy Jim a present. She had been saving every penny she could for months, with this result. Twenty dollars a week doesn't go far. Expenses had been greater than she had calculated. They always are. Only $1.87 to buy a present for Jim. Her Jim. Many a happy hour she had spent planning for something nice for him. Something fine and rare and sterling--something just a little bit near to being worthy of the honor of being owned by Jim.

There was a pier-glass between the windows of the room. Perhaps you have seen a pier-glass in an $8 flat. A very thin and very agile person may, by observing his reflection in a rapid sequence of longitudinal strips, obtain a fairly accurate conception of his looks. Della, being slender, had mastered the art.

Suddenly she whirled from the window and stood before the glass. her eyes were shining brilliantly, but her face had lost its color within twenty seconds. Rapidly she pulled down her hair and let it fall to its full length.

Now, there were two possessions of the James Dillingham Youngs in which they both took a mighty pride. One was Jim's gold watch that had been his father's and his grandfather's. The other was Della's hair. Had the queen of Sheba lived in the flat across the airshaft, Della would have let her hair hang out the window some day to dry just to depreciate Her Majesty's jewels and gifts. Had King Solomon been the janitor, with all his treasures piled up in the basement, Jim would have pulled out his watch every time he passed, just to see him pluck at his beard from envy.

So now Della's beautiful hair fell about her rippling and shining like a cascade of brown waters. It reached below her knee and made itself almost a garment for her. And then she did it up again nervously and quickly. Once she faltered for a minute and stood still while a tear or two splashed on the worn red carpet.

On went her old brown jacket; on went her old brown hat. With a whirl of skirts and with the brilliant sparkle still in her eyes, she fluttered out the door and down the stairs to the street.

Where she stopped the sign read: "Mne. Sofronie. Hair Goods of All Kinds." One flight up Della ran, and collected herself, panting. Madame, large, too white, chilly, hardly looked the "Sofronie."

"Will you buy my hair?" asked Della.

"I buy hair," said Madame. "Take yer hat off and let's have a sight at the looks of it."

Down rippled the brown cascade.

"Twenty dollars," said Madame, lifting the mass with a practised hand.

"Give it to me quick," said Della.

Oh, and the next two hours tripped by on rosy wings. Forget the hashed metaphor. She was ransacking the stores for Jim's present.

She found it at last. It surely had been made for Jim and no one else. There was no other like it in any of the stores, and she had turned all of them inside out. It was a platinum fob chain simple and chaste in design, properly proclaiming its value by substance alone and not by meretricious ornamentation--as all good things should do. It was even worthy of The Watch. As soon as she saw it she knew that it must be Jim's. It was like him. Quietness and value--the description applied to both. Twenty-one dollars they took from her for it, and she hurried home with the 87 cents. With that chain on his watch Jim might be properly anxious about the time in any company. Grand as the watch was, he sometimes looked at it on the sly on account of the old leather strap that he used in place of a chain.

When Della reached home her intoxication gave way a little to prudence and reason. She got out her curling irons and lighted the gas and went to work repairing the ravages made by generosity added to love. Which is always a tremendous task, dear friends--a mammoth task.

Within forty minutes her head was covered with tiny, close-lying curls that made her look wonderfully like a truant schoolboy. She looked at her reflection in the mirror long, carefully, and critically.

"If Jim doesn't kill me," she said to herself, "before he takes a second look at me, he'll say I look like a Coney Island chorus girl. But what could I do--oh! what could I do with a dollar and eighty- seven cents?"

At 7 o'clock the coffee was made and the frying-pan was on the back of the stove hot and ready to cook the chops.

Jim was never late. Della doubled the fob chain in her hand and sat on the corner of the table near the door that he always entered. Then she heard his step on the stair away down on the first flight, and she turned white for just a moment. She had a habit for saying little silent prayer about the simplest everyday things, and now she whispered: "Please God, make him think I am still pretty."

The door opened and Jim stepped in and closed it. He looked thin and very serious. Poor fellow, he was only twenty-two--and to be burdened with a family! He needed a new overcoat and he was without gloves.

Jim stopped inside the door, as immovable as a setter at the scent of quail. His eyes were fixed upon Della, and there was an expression in them that she could not read, and it terrified her. It was not anger, nor surprise, nor disapproval, nor horror, nor any of the sentiments that she had been prepared for. He simply stared at her fixedly with that peculiar expression on his face.

Della wriggled off the table and went for him.

"Jim, darling," she cried, "don't look at me that way. I had my hair cut off and sold because I couldn't have lived through Christmas without giving you a present. It'll grow out again--you won't mind, will you? I just had to do it. My hair grows awfully fast. Say `Merry Christmas!' Jim, and let's be happy. You don't know what a nice-- what a beautiful, nice gift I've got for you."

"You've cut off your hair?" asked Jim, laboriously, as if he had not arrived at that patent fact yet even after the hardest mental labor.

"Cut it off and sold it," said Della. "Don't you like me just as well, anyhow? I'm me without my hair, ain't I?"

Jim looked about the room curiously.

"You say your hair is gone?" he said, with an air almost of idiocy.

"You needn't look for it," said Della. "It's sold, I tell you--sold and gone, too. It's Christmas Eve, boy. Be good to me, for it went for you. Maybe the hairs of my head were numbered," she went on with sudden serious sweetness, "but nobody could ever count my love for you. Shall I put the chops on, Jim?"

Out of his trance Jim seemed quickly to wake. He enfolded his Della. For ten seconds let us regard with discreet scrutiny some inconsequential object in the other direction. Eight dollars a week or a million a year--what is the difference? A mathematician or a wit would give you the wrong answer. The magi brought valuable gifts, but that was not among them. This dark assertion will be illuminated later on.

Jim drew a package from his overcoat pocket and threw it upon the table.

"Don't make any mistake, Dell," he said, "about me. I don't think there's anything in the way of a haircut or a shave or a shampoo that could make me like my girl any less. But if you'll unwrap that package you may see why you had me going a while at first."

White fingers and nimble tore at the string and paper. And then an ecstatic scream of joy; and then, alas! a quick feminine change to hysterical tears and wails, necessitating the immediate employment of all the comforting powers of the lord of the flat.

For there lay The Combs--the set of combs, side and back, that Della had worshipped long in a Broadway window. Beautiful combs, pure tortoise shell, with jewelled rims--just the shade to wear in the beautiful vanished hair. They were expensive combs, she knew, and her heart had simply craved and yearned over them without the least hope of possession. And now, they were hers, but the tresses that should have adorned the coveted adornments were gone.

But she hugged them to her bosom, and at length she was able to look up with dim eyes and a smile and say: "My hair grows so fast, Jim!"

And them Della leaped up like a little singed cat and cried, "Oh, oh!"

Jim had not yet seen his beautiful present. She held it out to him eagerly upon her open palm. The dull precious metal seemed to flash with a reflection of her bright and ardent spirit.

"Isn't it a dandy, Jim? I hunted all over town to find it. You'll have to look at the time a hundred times a day now. Give me your watch. I want to see how it looks on it."

Instead of obeying, Jim tumbled down on the couch and put his hands under the back of his head and smiled.

"Dell," said he, "let's put our Christmas presents away and keep 'em a while. They're too nice to use just at present. I sold the watch to get the money to buy your combs. And now suppose you put the chops on."

The magi, as you know, were wise men--wonderfully wise men--who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication. And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. O all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi.

 

 

 

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conscious living newsletter - abraham lincoln inspiration and persistence

Article:  Abraham Lincoln - An Inspiration To Persist          by  bill simpson             

We often read about historical figures and their struggles and victories.  However, it is often difficult to really feel their feelings and experience the deep heart-aching introspection, doubts and fears that had to be worked with in order to attain their achievements.  This process is no different than the one you and I apply to the daily experiences and challenges of our lives.

Imagine how you would feel, if the following list of experiences were yours.  Imagine the painful details of the internal process you would have to go through, to find the strength to continue.

1816 His family was forced out of their home. He had to work to support them.
1818 His mother died.
1831 Failed in business.
1832 Ran for state legislature - lost.
1832 Also lost his job - wanted to go to law school but couldn't get in.
1833 Borrowed some money from a friend to begin a business and by the end of the year he was bankrupt. He spent the next 17 years of his life paying off this debt.
1834 Ran for state legislature again - won.
1835 Was engaged to be married, sweetheart died and his heart was broken.
1836 Had a total nervous breakdown and was in bed for six months.
1838 Sought to become speaker of the state legislature - defeated.
1840 Sought to become elector - defeated.
1843 Ran for Congress - lost.
1846 Ran for Congress again - this time he won - went to Washington and did a good job.
1848 Ran for re-election to Congress - lost.
1849 Sought the job of land officer in his home state - rejected.
1854 Ran for Senate of the United States - lost.
1856 Sought the Vice-Presidential nomination at his party's national convention - get less than 100 votes.
1858 Ran for U.S. Senate again - again he lost.
1860 Elected president of the United States.

Is there an experience you're going through that requires some of the courage and persistence that Lincoln found?  Certainly his life teaches us that a commitment to move forward, to persist, regardless of all outer obstacles will in the end benefit us. 

But beyond Lincoln's direct experience of his life, imagine all the people throughout the world for a century and a half that have been inspired, touched and changed by Lincoln's life and example. 

We cannot know the impact our lives and decisions will have - only that we must decide to do the good as best we can perceive it, and move forward.

 

Source Unknown, derived in part from Chicken Soup for the Soul Copyright 1993 by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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conscious living newsletter - inspiring article on persistence

Article: The Attitude Behind Persistence                                                  by kathy lamancusa 

My son Joey was born with club feet. The doctors assured us that with treatment he would be able to walk normally - but would never run very well. The first three years of his life were spent in surgery, casts and braces. By the time he was eight, you wouldn't know he had a problem when you saw him walk.

The children in our neighborhood ran around as most children do during play, and Joey would jump right in and run and play, too. We never told him that he probably wouldn't be able to run as well as the other children. So he didn't know.

In seventh grade he decided to go out for the cross-country team. Every day he trained with the team. He worked harder and ran more than any of the others - perhaps he sensed that the abilities that seemed to come naturally to so many others did not come naturally to him. Although the entire team runs, only the top seven runners have the potential to score points for the school. We didn't tell him he probably would never make the team, so he didn't know.

He continued to run four to five miles a day, every day - even the day he had a 103-degree fever. I was worried, so I went to look for him after school. I found him running all alone. I asked him how he felt. "Okay," he said. He had two more miles to go. The sweat ran down his face and his eyes were glassy from his fever. Yet he looked straight ahead and kept running. We never told him he couldn't run four miles with a 103-degree fever. So he didn't know.

Two weeks later, the names of the team runners were called. Joey was number six on the list. Joey had made the team. He was in seventh grade - the other six team members were all eighth- graders, We never told him he shouldn't expect to make the team. We never told him he couldn't do it. We never told him he couldn't do it...so he didn't know. He just did it.

From Condensed Chicken Soup for the Soul Copyright 1996 by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen & Patty Hansen

 

 

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conscious living newsletter - telecourse personal growth, affirmation, meditation

News:  Two New Teachers Join the Conscious Living Foundation -

Patty DeFrancis and Mike Van Dam

      

Patty's first class with CLF is entitled, "For Yourself - A Class In Female Sexuality"

Patty is offering her class both locally, in South Pasadena and as a telecourse by telephone.  In describing her workshop, Patty said, "All of us have different thoughts, attitudes and feelings about our own sexuality. What we experience in all aspects of our lives, is a reflection of our own thoughts and beliefs. Applying this same principle to our sexuality can lead to a new discovery and understanding of who we are as human beings with healthy attitudes, healthy self concepts and healthy sexuality.

This class is geared specifically for women only who have not yet experienced an orgasm.   If you are "pre-orgasmic" or want to know more about the emotional and physical components that make up this condition, please join us.  By the end of our class series you will be empowered to accept and enjoy your own sexuality in a new, healthier and greater way."

The Class Titles include:

  • Taking Responsibility For Your Own Sexuality
  • Getting In Touch With Your Sexual Responses
  • Physiological Aspects Of Reaching Orgasm
  • Gaining A Sense Of Control And Self Confidence
  • Learning To Communicate With A Partner

Patty, after finally awakening to her dissatisfaction with her own sexuality, has spent the last several years learning everything available about the development of healthy sexuality.  She has realized that self esteem and a healthy attitude about sex comes from giving ourselves permission to simply love ourselves. She is very passionate about what she has learned and wants to share her knowledge with other women.

She has been the Toastmaster for Toastmasters International, Pasadena Chapter, and is an active member of the Metaphysical Church of Religious Science. She has most recently been a "love consultant" for a company that educates women on sexuality. She has also taught on how to journal on Gratitude, Truth, and Courage and is currently writing a book called "Faking It," that tells the story of her own struggle with self esteem and sexuality.

             

 

Our Second New Teacher -

 

 Mike Van Dam is beginning his CLF career with a workshop entitled, "The Freedom To Love".

 

Mike describes his workshop with the following: "This course explores practical methods for clearing inner doubt about yourself, your relationships, your work and your world.  Discover how to free yourself from old blocks and patterns and learn again how to manifest your abilities, create and radiate your love and be receptive to your new opportunities.
 
Our life and our growth are up to us.  We have responsibility for our own lives - and we do our own healing.  This workshop series offers help in helping ourselves.  In reaching out to our greater self, we get new information, open ourselves to the insight of others and get closer to our deeper selves, simultaneously.

We have been living in old patterns for a long time.  While they have been good for us in their time, times have changed. Fear works very well sometimes.  However, we don't have to live this way anymore!
 
Just as we don't tell children about responsibilities and concerns that would overwhelm them, likewise we don't tell adults about the possibilities that await right within their own hearts.  Love carries us where we want to go.  Fear keeps us away.

We have to stop running from our fears.  By learning to listen to and become attentive to all of our feelings we make room for the love in our hearts.  This class will take you on a journey through yourself, from the jungle of fears to a greater awareness of love and possibilities.  Come prepared to take your life to the next level.
 
"Freedom To Love" is a workshop that emphasizes participation, using practical steps and down to earth techniques that open the door to the part of you that you've always known was there - and are now ready to become
."


 The Class Titles include:

  • Conscious Loving

  • Being Secure With Insecurity

  • Dumping Anger

  • The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

  • Life in a Dream

  • Eternal Life, a Moment in Time
     

Michael loves people and loves helping them change their lives for the better.  He has been pursuing spiritual understanding and greater awareness for the last twenty years and enjoys sharing with people who have the need and desire to change.  Michael has been working with a variety of emotional healing processes over the last seven years and has worked as a healing workshop facilitator, aiding people to clear blocked emotions, move energy and connect with their personal healing needs, love, and personal freedom.

 

We hope you will enjoy both of our new classes and teachers.

 

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conscious living newsletter - free quotes, free e-books, free audio

News:  Saturday Afternoon Public Lecture Series Continues!  
             CLF is continuing to offer a 1 hour public lecture series on select Saturday afternoons at 3 p.m. at the Pasadena Church of Religious Science at 277 N. El Molino in Pasadena. 

              The next meeting in the series will be held on December 28th with a talk entitled "Responsibility and Adventure in a World Without Hope" by Robert Ogilvy.

              On January 7th we will present a talk entitled "How To Love Yourself" by one of CLF's teachers, Elaine McBroom.

              And, on February 8th, Frederick Rule will deliver a talk on "Love in Action, Ending The Cycle of Violence".

              The topics for the remainder of the series will be wide-ranging, informative, inspirational and entertaining.  Please watch our web site for details on the talks scheduled for the remainder of January and February.

              Admission for all talks in this series is on a donation basis - the suggested donation is $5. 

              Although some of our speakers for the series are also teachers within CLF, we are inviting all others who are interested in giving a talk appropriate to our organization to contact us at . 

               Please check our web site regularly for more information.

 

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conscious living newsletter - audio and video products

News:  Our Flood of New Audio and Video Products Continues!

 

CLF is continuing to offer an increasing range of audio products.  They include:

"Quotations and Affirmations That Sustain, Inspire and Empower"

This collection of quotations and affirmations contains contributions from a wide range of sources including:  Mother Teresa, Albert Einstein, Helen Keller, The Bible, The Upanishads, The Tao Te Ching, William Shakespeare, Mahatma Gandhi, Carl Jung, Albert Schweitzer, St. Francis, Joseph Campbell, Ralph Waldo Emerson, St. Augustine, Kabir, Henry David Thoreau and many others. 

For free downloadable selections or more information, click Here.

audio cd - quotations and affirmations

(60 minutes) $9.99

"As A Man Thinketh" - a book by James Allen

"There is one little book that impacted my life dramatically during my formative teenage years.  The book is "As A Man Thinketh", the most widely acclaimed...book written by James Allen, who might be likened to the Norman Vincent Peale or Earl Nightingale of the late 1800's." - Denis Waitley, author of The Psychology of Winning.

For free downloadable selections or more information, click Here.

audio cd - as a man thinketh by james allen

(60 minutes) $9.99

 

"Heart of the Mother" - Music by Raymond Powers

This retrospective CD collection of instrumental music by Raymond Powers spans the years from 1988 to present.  Some are solo pieces, some collaborations, some entirely electronic, and yet others acoustic. Instrumentation includes, flute, keyboards, drums, ocarina, clay pots, guitar, saxophone, zither and tablas.  Thirty percent of the proceeds go to the Ojai Birth Resource and Family Center in Ojai, California.

For free downloadable selections or more information, click Here

music cd - heart of the mother new age

(74 minutes) $15.00

"Dream World" - Music by Terry Glenny

This CD offers a musical interpretation of the dream nature of reality, realized through a unique integration of classical, pop, rock, fusion, New Age and world styles. Terry plays the acoustic violin and his custom made 5-string Electric Violin throughout the album.

For free downloadable selections or more information, click Here

music cd - dream world new age music

(52 minutes) $9.99

In addition, we are in the final stages of completing the first in a series of video products, entitled "The Sacred Rivers Of India" - a meditation and visualization experience.  If you are interested, please check our Products page on the web site for further updates.

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conscious living newsletter - humor child's view

Collection:  The Fundamentals For Life - A Kid's View

Never trust a dog to watch your food.
Patrick, Age 10

When you want something expensive, ask your grandparents.
Matthew, Age 12

Never smart-off to a teacher whose eyes and ears are twitching.
Andrew, Age 9

Wear a hat when feeding seagulls.
Rocky, Age 9

Sleep in your clothes so you'll be dressed in the morning.
Stephanie, Age 8

Never try to hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.
Rosemary, Age 7

Don't flush the toilet when your dad's in the shower.
Lamar, Age 10

Never ask for anything that costs more than five dollars when your parents are doing taxes.
Carrol, Age 9

Never bug a pregnant mom.
Nicholas, Age 11

Don't ever be too full for dessert.
Kelly, Age 10

When your dad is mad and asks you, "Do I look stupid?" don't answer him.
Heather, Age 16

Never tell your mom her diet's not working.
Michael, Age 14

Don't pick on your sister when she's holding a baseball bat.
Joel, Age 12

When you get a bad grade in school, show it to your mom when she's on the phone.
Alyesha, Age 13

Never try to baptize a cat.
Laura, Age 13

Never spit when on a roller coaster.
Scott, Age 11

Never do pranks at a police station.
Sam, Age 10

Beware of cafeteria food when it looks like it's moving.
Rob, Age 10

Never tell your little brother that you're not going to do what your mom told you to do.
Hank, Age 12

Remember you're never too old to hold your father's hand.
Molly, Age 11

Listen to your brain. It has lots of information.
Chelsey, Age 7

Stay away from prunes.
Randy, Age 9

Never dare your little brother to paint the family car.
Phillip, Age 13

Forget the cake, go for the icing.
Cynthia, Age 8

 

 
 

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conscious living newsletter - humor, adult's view

 

Collection:  The Fundamentals For Life - An Adult View

The Way to Happiness

  • Keep your heart free from hate
  • Keep your mind free from worry
  • Live simply
  • Expect little
  • Give much
  • Fill your life with love
  • Scatter sunshine
  • Forget self
  • Think of others
  • Do as you would be done

Another Bill of Rights

  • You have the right to be you-the way you are. the way you want to be.
  • You have the right to grow, to change, to become, to strive. to reach for any goal, to be limited only by your degree of talent and amount of effort.
  • You have the right to privacy-in marriage, family, or any relationship or group-the right to keep a part of your life secret, no matter how trivial or important, merely because you want it to be that way. You have the right to be alone part of the each day, each week and each year to spend time with and on yourself.
  • You have the right to be loved and to love, to be accepted, cared for, and adored, and you have the right to fulfill that right.
  • You have the right to ask questions of anyone at anytime in any matter that effects your life, so long as it is your business to do so; and to be listened to and taken seriously.
  • You have the right to self-respect and to do everything you need to do to increase your self-esteem, so long as you hurt no one in doing so.
  • You have the right to be happy, to find something in the world that is meaningful and rewarding to you and that gives you a sense of completeness.
  • You have the right to be trusted and to trust and to be taken at your word. If you are wrong, you have the right to be given a chance to make a good if possible.
  • You have the right to change your mind.
  • You have the right to be free as long as you act responsibly and are mindful of the rights of others and of those obligations that you entered into freely.
  • You have the right to win, to succeed, to compete, to make plans. to see those plans fulfilled. to become the best you can possibly become.
  • You have a right to boundaries and limits, a right to be intentional, a right to choice.

Words Of Truth

  • To the world you might be one person, but to one person you might be the world.
  • Going to church does not make you a Christian anymore than going to McDonalds makes you a hamburger.
  • Real friends are those who, when you feel you've made a fool of yourself, don't feel you've done a permanent job.
  • A coincidence is when God performs a miracle, and decides to remain anonymous.
  • Sometimes the majority only means that all the fools are on the same side.
  • I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to.
  • Lead your life so you won't be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town gossip.
  • People gather bundles of sticks to build bridges they never cross.
  • Life is 10% of what happens to you, and 90% of how you respond to it.
  • Did it ever occur to you that nothing occurs to God?
  • Life is like an onion, you peel off one layer at a time and sometimes you weep.
  • Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself.
  • There are two things I've learned: There is a God. And, I'm not Him.
  • Following the path of least resistance is what makes rivers and men crooked.
  • Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God's grace and your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God's grace.
  • When it comes time to die...make sure all you got to do is die.
  • Don't be afraid to learn. Knowledge is weightless, a treasure you can always carry easily.

Thoughts To Live By

  • Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
  • A good example is the best sermon.
  • Every good thought is a prayer.
  • What we pray for may not be for our ultimate good. "No" can be an answer to a prayer as well as "Yes."
  • If you worry, why pray? If you pray, why worry?
  • No one is easier to deceive than oneself.
  • The greatest fault of all is to be conscious of none.
  • Any good that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.
  • No matter how hopeless the present problem may seem, remember: This, too, shall pass.
  • Living in harmony with ourselves is essential to living in harmony with others,
  • Fear is the enemy of good works; it is a deadly sickness of the soul.
  • More things are accomplished by prayer than the world realizes.
  • Knowledge advances one step at a time; let us be patient.
  • One with God is always in the majority.
  • How poor are they that have not patience; what wound did ever heal but by degrees?
  • No one's knowledge can go beyond experience.
  • The misfortunes which are hardest to bear are those which never come.
  • Growth is the only evidence of life.
  • A person who makes no mistakes usually does not make anything.
  • Love is understanding, acceptance, and tenderness. If it tries to strangle and possess, it is not love.
  • The more often we think and act honestly, the stronger the habit becomes.
  • The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.
  • The task ahead of us is never as great as the Power within us.
  • They hurt the absent who quarrel with the drunken.
  • Al-Anon is a kissing cousin to invention because they were both born of necessity.
  • If you find life is empty, try putting something into it.
  • Beware of the rubber conscience and the concrete heart.
  • The trouble with many of us is that in trying times we stop trying.

15 Ways to Enhance Your Day

  1. Get up early.
  2. Look around outside before going to work
  3. Relax and enjoy your meals.
  4. Spend time with friends.
  5. Pace yourself.
  6. Find a quiet place to go to.
  7. Praise yourself and others.
  8. Develop positive relationships.
  9. See your mistakes as stepping stones.
  10. Keep track of your own moods so you can watch out for them.
  11. Say No without feeling guilty.
  12. Learn effective time management.
  13. Pay attention to health, diet and sleep.
  14. Exercise regularly.
  15. Keep from comparing yourself to others.

What I've Learned

  • I've learned that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them.
  • I've learned that no matter how much I care, some people just don't care back.
  • I've learned that it's not what you have in your life, but who you have in your life that counts.
  • I've learned that you can get by on charm for about 15 minutes. After that, you'd better know something.
  • I've learned that you shouldn't compare yourself to the best others can do, but to the best you can do.
  • I've learned that it's not what happens to people that's important. It's what they do about it.
  • I've learned that no matter how thin you slice it, there are always two sides.
  • I've learned that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.
  • I've learned that it's a lot easier to react than it is to think.
  • I've learned that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.
  • I've learned that you can keep going long after you think you can't.
  • I've learned that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.
  • I've learned that either you control your attitude or it controls you.
  • I've learned that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something else to take its place.
  • I've learned that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.
  • I've learned that learning to forgive takes practice.
  • I've learned that there are people who love you dearly, but just don't know how to show it.
  • I've learned that money is a lousy way of keeping score.
  • I've learned that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.
  • I've learned that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down may be the ones to help you get back up.
  • I've learned that I'm getting more and more like my grandma, and I'm kinda happy about it.
  • I've learned that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.
  • I've learned that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.
  • I've learned that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.
  • I've learned that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.
  • I've learned that you should never tell a child her dreams are unlikely or outlandish. Few things are more humiliating, and what a tragedy it would be if she believed it.
  • I've learned that your family won't always be there for you. It may seem funny, but people you aren't related to can take care of you and love you and teach you to trust people again. Families aren't biological.
  • I've learned that no matter how good a friend someone is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.
  • I've learned that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.
  • I've learned that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.
  • I've learned that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.
  • I've learned that sometimes when my friends fight, I'm forced to choose sides even when I don't want to.
  • I've learned that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.
  • I've learned that sometimes you have to put the individual ahead of their actions.
  • I've learned that we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.
  • I've learned that if you don't want to forget something, stick it in your underwear drawer.
  • I've learned that you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.
  • I've learned that the clothes I like best are the ones with the most holes in them.
  • I've learned that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.
  • I've learned that no matter how you try to protect your children, they will eventually get hurt and you will hurt in the process.
  • I've learned that there are many ways of falling and staying in love.
  • I've learned that no matter the consequences, those who are honest with themselves, get further in life.
  • I've learned that many things can be powered by the mind, the trick is self-control.
  • I've learned that no matter how many friends you have, if you are their pillar, you will feel lonely and lost at the times you need them most.
  • I've learned that your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.
  • I've learned that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.
  • I've learned that writing, as well as talking, can ease emotional pains.
  • I've learned that the paradigm we live in is not all that is offered to us.
  • I've learned that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.
  • I've learned that the people you care most about in life are taken from you too soon.
  • I've learned that although the word "love" can have many different meanings, it loses value when overly used.
  • I've learned that it's hard to determine where to draw the line between being nice and not hurting people's feelings and standing up for what you believe.
  • I've learned that no matter how fast or how far you go, you can't outrun God.
  • I've learned that no matter how far away I've been, He'll always welcome me back.
  • I've learned that love is not for me to keep, but to pass on to the next person I see.
  • I've learned that even if you do the right thing for the wrong reason, it's still the wrong thing to do.

Things We Can Learn from a Dog

  • Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joy ride.
  • Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
  • When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
  • When it's in your best interest, practice obedience.
  • Let others know when they've invaded your territory.
  • Take naps and stretch before rising.
  • Run, romp and play daily.
  • Eat with gusto and enthusiasm.
  • Be loyal.
  • Never pretend to be something you're not.
  • If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
  • When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.
  • Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
  • Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
  • On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
  • When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
  • No matter how often you're scolded, don't buy into the guilt thing and pout .. run right back and make friends.
  • Delight in the simple joys of a long walk.

 

 
 

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conscious living newsletter - affirmation, personal growth, quotations, free ebook, free article, free audio

Copyright 2002 The Conscious Living Foundation (all rights reserved)