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It’s official, we live in an ever-expanding universe! First reported in 1998, the discovery earned three scientists the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics. Half of the prize was awarded to Saul Perlmutter, from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of California, Berkeley. The other half was awarded to Brian P. Schmidt of Australian National University and Adam G. Riess of Johns Hopkins University and the Space Telescope Science Institute.

No longer can the concept of an ever-expanding universe be considered new age “bunk.” Measuring light coming from exploding stars, the scientists set out to prove that the expansion of the universe was slowing down and they found just the opposite. Their independent discoveries indicate that the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate. Apparently there is some sort of mysterious and invisible form of energy that counteracts gravity and is pushing matter apart. Imagine that! Reiss says that 74 percent of the universe consists of this dark energy.

So what does all this mean? Everything is possible! When we say something is true, it really means that that’s what is commonly accepted right now either because it has been said over and over for a very long time or we simply don’t know any different.

So everything and anything is possible! This is great news. Consider how this applies to your own life …your long held beliefs, thoughts, feelings, habits, ways of being, doing and living. If something is not working for you, change it. Adopt a different set of thoughts or beliefs about the situation. Try something new. Take different action. Expand your possibilities and create new energy. Step into some of the new and exciting energy of the universe.

Stepping into the unknown can be daunting. Among other things, it requires strength and courage. Strength to carve a new path and courage to withstand the naysayers or anyone who doubts new possibilities. Just because something hasn’t happened does not mean it is not possible. Everything is possible. Twelve years ago I left a well-paying corporate career because it felt right. I was ready to do something else. I was excited about the possibility of what was coming next, although I didn’t know what that would be. I just knew it would be worthwhile. Even though I was the family “breadwinner,” I consciously followed my passion and delved deeply into topics that interested me. Professionally, I entered a new field, launched my own business, co-authored a book, collaborated with like-minded partners, co-wrote a newspaper column for 4 years and kept pace with the explosion of technology and the birth of social media. On the personal side, along with my husband, we raised our daughter and became a meaningful presence in her life, led a Girl Scout Troop for 12 years, assisted my parents for 10 years, took more time for pleasure, did some traveling, read an amazing assortment of books, stayed healthy and much more. Now that our daughter is happily settling into college, I’m ready to expand again. The possibilities are endless.

Long ago I realized that we do live in an ever-expanding universe and that everything is possible. It is here for us to claim. It is our birthright. If you aren’t already doing so, experience it directly. Make new and conscious choices for yourself. You may be amazed with what is possible. Isn’t yesterday’s Nobel Prize in Physics proof enough?

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The physical changes in the brain move slowly from the rear to the front. The rear of the brain, by the stem, is where we process functions such as vision and movement. The front of the brain is where more complicated thinking and processing occurs, along with goal setting and evaluation of different agendas. In teens, the front of the brain is still developing. As we age our ability to integrate memory and experience into our decisions improves.

Research has found that teens tend to make less use of the part of the brain that monitors performance, spots errors, plans, and stays focused. They use more of the brain that deals with impulse. However, when offered an extra reward, teens push the decision-making regions of the brain a little harder. Thus, richer rewards make the executive region of the brain more effective. This is one of the reasons why video games are so successful. They are fast, exciting and filled with lots of rewards.

The teen brain weighs risk vs. reward differently than adults. Teens love new and exciting things. They’ll take a higher risk for the thrill of it as well as for the social rewards, such as approval of friends. They react strongly to social ups and downs because that is a big part of their world. Teens are closely connected to their friends. They follow and learn from them.

So where do we draw the line with helping vs. hindering our kids? How do we guide our children to make the best decisions when they are not fully equipped to do so?  Studies show that kids do better in life when parents are involved and guide their children with a “light but steady hand, staying connected but allowing independence.” It’s a matter of being involved while creating a safe and somewhat protected environment where the teen feels like he or she is in control of decisions that matter to them.

As with all relationships, understanding another’s perspective is key. Knowing the teen brain is undergoing massive reorganization and growth during these prime years may help make the process a little easier. Give some thought to turning situations into a game. Include a series of rewards. Evaluating the risk vs. reward from a teen perspective may bring a whole new light to the situation.

If you find your stress level increasing as you interact with your teen, take a time-out. Breathe. Create some space. “Freeze-frame” the situation on a positive note and flow loving energy to yourself and your teen. Then come back and try again when your energy is clear, coherent and abundant.  As adults, we set examples for our children. Although they may be taking cues from their friends, they are watching us. They want to know what to do, yet they want it to be their decision. Gently offering a perspective based on wisdom and experience, vs. parental authority has a better chance of penetrating the teen brain than taking a heavy-handed approach that may hinder or shut down communication channels.

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 Everyone knows that when they are in love their basic immunity is enhanced and they seem to be able to handle life with more grace and self-confidence. Research is documenting the why and how of this which is fascinating but there is even better news…we do not have to wait for these experiences to hit us out of the blue. We can create the feelings from within with the choice to let go of negativity and replace it with the feelings that we do want. We have within us the power to create profound change from deep within ourselves with some very simple techniques.

 Emotional Self Mastery

Our emotions are very real energies that move through us. If we do not manage them, they will manage us. They do not disappear if we ignore them…they merely go underground to erode our systems and wreak havoc with our health at a later time. Time only heals if we engage in a process that helps heal within that time. We are human and so hardwired to feel. The point is to have methods that allow us to be in charge and able to transform our emotions so we do not become helpless victims of them.

A very helpful process is to notice when you are focused on a negative feeling. Stop the action in whatever way you can…imagine a huge red stop sign in your head, imagine hitting the pause button on your remote control, say ‘stop’ to yourself. Then use a memory or your imagination to get in touch with feelings of appreciation, gratitude or unconditional love. Feel as though you can breathe those feelings in and out through your heart. Keep doing this until you have shifted your emotional focus. Then see if you can adopt a feeling of ease in maintaining it. Remember this is a skill, so practice is the key.

 Conscious ‘control’ of your breath can help no matter what tools you are using to transform emotional states. Conscious breathing can help you to create new patterns and healthier ways of thinking and feeling.  Breathing deeply and fully begins to put you in touch with deeper levels, your core, your “self,” your inner being.  It strengthens your center of personal power.  It helps to slow you down and makes you aware of what is occurring both within and around you.  It tunes you in to your environment and your internal processes and places you in a position to make conscious choices … choices that support your efforts in life.

 All of these suggestions will help to boost your vitality, help you create more inner ease, feel less stress, and positively affect your energy field by bringing it into a more coherent state. A coherent energy field is associated with greater ability to create, improved health, reduced stress, enhanced ability to concentrate, and greater access to intuitive and spiritual experiences.

ExcerptedChakras and Feng Shui: Inner and Outer Balance

If you have not yet become aware of the Global Coherence Initiative, here is a brief video talking about the background of the project, as well as the goal of using the interaction of personal and global energy to promote a better world for us all.

For thousands of years people have known that everything is energy. In Feng Shui we study the I Ching (pronounced “ee- jing”), one of the oldest books from China. This book is also called the Book of Changes. It is about the continual changes in the Universe. It is about living in harmony and balance with nature. It is about action and reaction. It is about going with the flow and what happens when you don’t. Three laws of nature that humans share with all species and the earth in general are (1) we are alive, (2) we are connected and (3) we are always changing. We are deeply connected to the earth and all animal and plant life around us. We have gotten out of balance with nature and now realize how integral this relationship is to our well-being. One way we are connected to other people and living beings is through the power of thought. Have you ever had a thought, only to find someone close to you had the same or similar thought? Thought is energy. To understand our collective thought or mass consciousness, look at what appears in the news and what grabs our focus or attention every day. These thoughts have energy. The energy increases as the thoughts are fed. As the thoughts are fed, they are given more power. As they are given power, they become real or the “truth” as we know it. And the story goes on.

 Energy takes many forms

The energy of the universe takes many forms and has many layers, and so do WE. If we are to become all we can be, with the ability to channel and shape our life force for the greatest benefit, then it is necessary to have a working knowledge of the hardware and the software of our Selves.

 We have all heard “knowledge is power,” and nowhere is that more true than when we are speaking about ourselves and the lives we create. Self-knowledge includes understanding how we work as human beings as well as how we have personally operated up until now to construct our lives.

 That brings us to Self-awareness. Self-awareness includes the ability to observe oneself, but the way we are using the term implies even more than that. We share the view that each of us is in the world to bring more of our spiritual nature into human form – to become more of our authentic Selves and grow past the small identity that may have served us well until now but no longer does.

 We live in a time that necessitates living in new ways … a time that requires us to rise to challenges from a different perspective than in the past so we can live lives that are more nurturing, satisfying, fulfilling, abundant and prosperous in every way.

 To us, the term Self-awareness includes a knowing beyond observation of our patterns of thought, feeling and action. It describes a presence of “I AMNESS” that is beyond the average thought, feeling or sensation of human experience. It is the direct awareness of our spiritual nature.

 In this work we are addressing moving from the lower mind controlled by the ego and its self-protective – but often mistaken – ideas and beliefs to a level of BEING that embodies more of your spiritual essence … your soul nature. This is the place where we embrace our full potential and engage the power of our authentic Selves.

 There is an art and science involved in this opening to the authentic Self. The way has been laid out for us through the millennia, but now we have the additional benefit of research in Mind-Body Medicine and Energy Psychology, as well as Quantum Physics, documenting age-old wisdom and providing important information to help speed us along on this exciting adventure of discovery.

 The beginning of the journey to your authentic self necessarily includes a working knowledge of the mind, as it is the vehicle that transports us for a portion of our journey. Our mind is not only an operating system; it is also where many of our obstacles lie. To understand the mind’s structure and have a working knowledge of its functions can help smooth our way as we seek to create change in our lives.

 In session two we will be discussing the three levels of mind and how to use each of them appropriately. If we are to bring our best selves to light, then it is necessary to have the knowledge, skills and ability to manage our basic operating systems so they work for us rather than be left to default patterns that can upset our best efforts at creating a life we love to live.

 Excerpt from Chapter 2, 12 Keys for Life and Self Mastery

The topic areas we discussed were:

1. Harnessing the energy of the hidden desires behind your goals
2. Inner visioning target your goals and support your progress
3. Shifting your energy to increase cash flow
4. Energetic blocks to your success

Specifics aside, the main point to keep in mind whether looking at business or any other target area for your goals is that you are an energetic being and your personal energy is going to affect every aspect of your lifes.

That being the case, it serves us well to understand how energy operates, to know what’s up with our own energy field and to learn how to maximize its strength.  Through this process we become more successful in creating what we DO want in and for our lives, businesses and relationships instead of allowing this powerful resource (personal energy) to operate in a default pattern that does not support, enhance and nourish us and our dreams.   

 To listen to a recording of our conversation with Maureen or other great show that Maureen has done please go to:

http://www.divatoolbox.com/diva-toolbox-radio-/hosts/1905-maureen-campaiola-the-dare-hour.html

 Check out Maureen’s blog for lot’s of helpful information : http://daretobephenomenal.com

Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens. ~Carl Jung