June 1, 2014

Samuel: Greetings, dears.

Hello, Samuel.

S: So, June.

Is busting out all over.

From Oklahoma.

All over the meadows and the hills. [Audience starts to sing the song.]

S: All over what?

All over the meadows and the hills.

S: Meadows. I thought you said minnows!

[Audience sings to end of verse.]

S: All right. Busting out it is. Good. And surely there’s a dance that goes with that? And you kept that from me?

So in your world, what is June for you?

Weddings.

Father’s Day.

Birthdays.

S: Watch this. How many birthdays this month? Whoa! All right.

Solstice

S: Very nice.

End of lacrosse season.

Beginning of summer.

Basketball playoffs.

S: Really? Really? Does it never end? I thought that was a winter thing.

It goes on and on and on.

S: And Wesak.

Writers conference.

Travels.

School is out.

S: Busy, busy month, yes?

Busy outside. Weeding, gardening, getting vegetables going, mowing, home repairs.

S: And as you are on your first day right now, June will have how many days for you? Thirty. So you could perhaps give yourself some assignments that last thirty days, yes? You want a few?

Yes.

S: Aren’t you brave!

I’d like to suggest that you make a point every day in June to play this game, and that is: every day you are going to look for and write down the miracle of the day. Or—you have a choice here, and yes it can be and for those of you who just don’t have enough to do—or you can write down the lesson for the day. You get to the end of the day and you think, “All right, what was today about for me? What have I learned today?” So the miracle and/or the lesson, and if you’re doing the lesson, it’s all right if the lesson is a miracle.

And if you get the lesson, there’s your miracle.

S: “And if you get the lesson, there’s your miracle.” Just keep that sense of humor, Bonnie, just keep it, all right?

And then, at the end of the month, look and see what the Universe has been giving you because there’s going to be a story in those miracles that you’re aware of, or in the experiences of each day, and see if you can put it together. And then at the first Sunday in July, you can tell me a bit about it, all right? Good.

Next assignment, for those who are willing: One of the things that The Guardianship Program offered many of you—well, who took it—was the opportunity to have a consistent exercise. Bring it back—for the many of you who have let it go. Bring it back. Because when I was hanging out in the room listening to your gifts and energy requests, I was rather surprised. I think you need the exercise. Those of you who ache, exercise helps. Those of you who are low energy, exercise helps. Do what you can. Don’t push, but do what you can. See if by July you’re not feeling great.

Third one: Take as many electronics out of your bedroom as you can this month. And if you must have an electric clock, put it as far as away from you as you can and still make use of it, all right? Heidi love, you ought to do that for sure. No extra radiation. Tess, pay attention. You good for those?

Are lamps considered . . . ?

S: If it plugs into the wall, yes.

So even if it’s not on you should take it out.

S: You can just unplug it.

Cell phone alarm clock?

S: The cell phone is your alarm clock? They’re just so clever, aren’t they? How close to your head is it? If you can make it about three feet away without panicking, try that. I’ve noticed that many of you are very attached to your cell phones.

This is a very important month for many, many reasons. The wonderful things that you mentioned that are coming about this month are all a part of good energy. Remember that so many people in the world celebrate the solstice when they celebrate that it’s actually officially summer now. Many people celebrate Father’s Day. Many people celebrate the full moon, many people celebrate Flag Day, and so forth. Make use of these mass consciousness times. Use that energy, connect into it, and direct it toward those things you are working on. Use that energy, direct it toward what the world needs to be working on.

So, as you are sort of forced by the calendar to celebrate certain days, do celebrate them. Make a point of connecting into the energy of those who are celebrating that day. Just as simple as something like that: “I’m connecting into the energy of all of those who are celebrating Father’s Day.” Turn it to yourself. “I recognize the power of masculine force within myself. I recognize creation process and Creator energy within myself.”

What about Flag Day? What would you do for that?

I focus on the nation . . .

S: Lovely. Good. What does your country need? What can you give to it? What about solstice, the beginning of summer. Most of the people will be looking at summer rather than solstice. So what’s that going to tell you? The longest day of light—that was a hint.

Easiest day to manifest.

S: Excellent day for manifesting, and connect with that light, connect with the sun. Make it a day for you. Use these days, because the energy is out there.

One of the things that I think is absolutely wonderful about the month of June this year is that so much of the energy that has been hitting you since autumn of last year is finishing up, or theoretically is going to be finishing up this month. So those of you who have been experiencing a lot of personal chaos, who might have been experiencing a certain amount of change and growth pains, you’re very likely to be feeling that backing off.

Something else that’s going to be happening that may eliminate the good of what I just said is that you’re likely to be having a lot of solar activity this month. So those of you who tend to be sensitive to those changes, pay attention and do not let it affect you. How would you do that? How would you keep it from affecting you?

Well, I would just merge with it and ask it to flow with whatever is the highest and best.

S: Good. That works.

By now, we should kind of have an idea of how it affects us.

S: Right.

So if I find myself feeling fatigued or short-tempered or impatient or any of those things that I know seem to come around with that real push of energy, I can identify and say, “I understand why it’s here. I’m not going to let it rule me.

S: Good, good, good. David?

Tinfoil hats. [Laughter] Actually, the way to handle it, I think, is use it as a gift. It comes in and is exciting something, and it gives you an opportunity to look at why and what that means to you.

S: Very nice. Frank.

Create a bubble around myself, or tell myself my body will act as a filter for only balancing energy.

S: Good, I like that a lot. So, be prepared by preparing ahead.

There are four things that I think it would be very useful for you to be looking at this month, and that’s really where I’m going to be going tonight. Now we’re starting into the teaching.

In a month when there is a lot of activity and a lot of change, good change, a lot of growth going on around you in nature, within you as the being of light and love that you are, it’s a very, very good time to make sure that you have tools that you need to help you out. Now, I’m calling these tools, but they’re not all as obvious as “do this exercise.” These actually might better have been called four adjustments to your new creation. And the very first one is, eliminate justifications. Now, justification can mean a couple of things, and I think that a document can be justified, right?

Yes.

S: So that’s not the kind I’m talking about. I’m talking about the justifications that sound like excuses.  Give me a few examples of justifications.  Paula.

I snap at my partner, and I say, “You know, I didn’t sleep well last night and that’s why I’m . . .”

S: Beautiful. Perfect.

Gosh, it’s raining so I’m not going on my walk.

S: Perfect. Yes.

I’m too tired to go clean up what I said I’d clean up, so I’ll just leave it.

S: Right. [Long pause.] You’re kidding me!

I’ve had a long, hard day so I’m going to eat this big bowl of ice cream.

S: I’m going to treat myself. I’m going to do something good for myself because it’s been so difficult.

Because it might rain today, I’m going to drive to work instead of ride my bike.

Question. These are justifications that sound like excuses. What about the justifications that sound like reasons?

S: They all sound like reasons to the person who’s saying them.   And if you’re not sure “is this a justification or a reason?” ask Paula.  [Laughter]

Always excuses.

S: What is the difference between a reason and a justification, because they do sound a lot alike? Rebecca, and then David and Gwendolyn.

It’s the intent that goes into it.

S: Absolutely.

I use reason; everybody else uses justifications.

S: Exactly. Exactly. Yes.

How you apply them.

S: That’s right. Justification in the way that I’m using it has to do with resistance. Jan is on a cane, all right? Now, it would be very, very easy for Jan to say, “I cannot take my walk because it hurts too much and it’s just going to damage myself.” But that’s not what she does. What she does is she says is, “I’m going to be slow, but I’m going to do it.” Do you see that difference? The justification is, “I don’t really want to do this, so I have this really good reason for not doing it.”

So think for a moment. What are your justifications about finances—about your finances? What are things you justify? I’m not saying you need to answer this yet. I want you to take a moment and think about it. Financially speaking, what are your justifications? For some of you it might be, “Well, it’s on a really good sale, and it’s something we use all the time anyway, and so I’m just going to put it on the credit card to make use of it.” Is that a justification or is that a reason? Which one? Well, it depends. Is it something you really do need? Is it something you really are going to use? Or are you just caught up by the sale? You have to ask yourself that question.

Who wants to give me a couple of example justifications regarding finances?

“Well, I have this budget, but oh darn, I happened to go over it this month and what the heck! I just might as well go on spending.”

S: Good, good.

“I’m really stressed out. I need to go shopping.”

S: Yes. Yes. What is it called?

Retail therapy.

S: That’s the one.

May as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb. Go way overboard.

S: May as well be hung for a sheep as for a lamb?

On the other side of the extreme, I think that I can use money as a justification for not wanting to do something, when really I should just say, “I don’t want to do this.”

S: Very well said.

I want to go out to eat, so this is an opportunity for me to be with my friends even though I really don’t have the extra money, but it’s important to connect with my friends.

S: Right. And of course there’s no other way to get together with them than go out to eat and spend money, right? Of course.

I have a little twist on it. Sometimes I will try to justify why I can’t have something I really don’t need because I still have bills that have to be paid, and I always—wonderful me—I always pay the bills. And sometimes I let personal things go by the wayside that I really do need, but I don’t treat myself to them.

S: And does it come back and bite you?

Always.

S: Always. Always. Balance is the key in that.

I wonder if we can also use money as a justification for not acting in a way. “I won’t get involved with this worthy cause, I’ll just send in some money,” rather than volunteer.

S: Give time.

Give of my time or myself.

S: That’s very interesting. Good thinking.

Justification with regard to diet and exercise? You should have seen what the energy did just now.

As a perpetual dieter, it’s easy to say, “Oh, I blew it, so I may as well get this over with and I’ll start fresh tomorrow.”

S: Tomorrow. And also, health-wise, “Well, I cannot risk injuring myself.” Or, “I cannot risk making myself sick because that will further inflame my health issues.” And “It’s too expensive to eat well.”

I hear that a lot.

S: Do you? It’s so untrue.

I agree, I agree. There are people who think that the co-op—my husband works at the co-op, for those of you who don’t know, and he gets that a lot. Also about buying organic, “Oh, that’s too expensive.”

S: Well, an answer to that might be, “That may be true if you’re trying to cook the same things you used to cook. But if you’re willing to learn new recipes, you won’t find it a problem.” If you’re trying to replace eating cows by eating fake cows, that gets expensive right? When you buy it prepackaged and frozen and . . . don’t get me started.

More.

My energy is kind of low, so I should have a little sugar.

I didn’t sleep well last night, so I’m not going to get up and exercise this morning.

S: All right, all right. Is Gail the only person awake on this side of the room? Is that what’s going on here?

Once again, I didn’t leave myself enough time to do my stretching in the morning

S: Well said, well said.

What about with regard to your spiritual work? Nobody in here justifies that one, right? Let’s see, that is Suzanne, and Heidi, and Marion, Gwendolyn, Mary.

I’m in such a bad mood. If I meditated now I would just attract really negative  energy.

It’s gotten so late, I don’t want to try and find the sun in my yard—even when the sun is out there.

I’m just so involved in answering this person’s question in email, I’ll just give it another five minutes, and then I miss the sun, because where I live, you know, you’re lucky if you catch it.

This past year, when we had a lot of rain, I would miss the meetings and so forth because I couldn’t get through. I missed everything so much and was so thrown off balance that a couple of times I just went through, which is very hard on the car and scares the living daylights out of me, more when I’m coming home. So when it would rain a little bit, my rationale was, “I just can’t do this. I’m not going to do this.”

S: Right.

I don’t know. I have to move or put a tent on the other side of the creek when it becomes the Missouri.

S: A garage on the other side.

A garage with a room.

I do have but it’s on my side.

S: I’m saying build one on the other side.

You’ve got a point there, Samuel.

S: Hmm.

I was so busy I didn’t leave time to do my exercises in the morning. Spiritual exercises.

S: What about Toning?

I was just at the building. I don’t want to go back for Toning.

My voice is so awful. I don’t contribute anything. It’ll be a favor to those there if I don’t go.

Sounds reasonable.

For me, all of these, the biggest thing is time. Whether it’s food, whether it’s finances, Toning. There’s only so much time in the day after work, driving to and from work, sleeping, and then preparing to go to work, and cooking or any of those things. There’s only four hours a day to do things for myself. And oftentimes, for myself, I find that I end up saying, “I need to do this,” and I’ll end up staying up all hours of the night. That feeds into all the other time things. I got to get some sleep because I screwed up yesterday, and so I have even less time. So I want a magical way to make more time.

S: Prioritize.

Justifying is very easy thing to do, and you can justify justifying. Beware. It’s a bad habit, and that’s what it is. It’s a habit.

This month work to say yes more than you say no, because most of the time your justifying is more about not doing something than about doing something. If your issues are just the opposite—you’re one of the few who, really your issue is that you say yes too much—and you know who you are—work to say no more this month. You can do it.

Gwen says, “I don’t know. I’m not sure about that.”

Unity. Number two is unity. Doing everything you can this month to be functioning in unity. Seeing the world as your team and considering your team a part of your family so that you are working to help your team shine, so that you are consciously not being that monk on the mountain, so that you are purposefully getting together with people you are about, so that you are working in unity and unity is on your brain. Unity can be said in other kinds of words. What might they be?

Teamwork.

Cooperation.

Flexibility.

Helping.

Cohesiveness.

Listening. Creating connections.

S: Listening; giving of yourself in that way. Creating connections consciously.

Common goals.

Shared vision.

S: Good. What are things that create unity? Now, some of them have been mentioned.

Most of all, I think it’s starting with the intention of wanting to do it.

S: Once again, intent.

Looking for what is like in the other.

S: Seeking what’s like instead of how much you don’t have alike.

Acceptance.

S: Acceptance.

This maybe goes with what David said: accepting that unity could look different to different people. And you might be in a functioning group, and I guess there could be different levels of unity. And even within that, agreeing on which level the group wants to function at?

S: Are we going to be best friends forever or just close acquaintances.

Clear communication.

S: I told you she was on. Clear communication, absolutely.

Putting yourself aside.

S: Putting yourself aside, yes.

Start with the assumption that other members of the team are right, may have better ideas than you, that you aren’t the one to necessarily drive. Sometimes you push.

S: That those who are around you have something important to offer.

Eating together.

S: Nice, very good. Builds unity.

Functioning in love and not fear.

Looking for the best in everyone.

S: Absolutely. How about cord work? How about merging?

Unity, really important.

And I’m going to direct this in another way for you. This month would really be useful for you to shore up your spiritual family, your spiritual community. Do what you can to connect with those friends. Make those friends. Do they have to be a part of Phoenix Institute? No. But they should be somebody who helps uplift your spiritual self. A few examples: could be somebody who makes you laugh and you like to be around them because you know you’re going to laugh. And it’s not laughing at somebody kind of humor. It’s just they see the world in a quirky kind of way and you really enjoy that. Humor is eternal.

What else could it be?

I have a close friend. We’ve been friends since we were three years old. We don’t live in the same state and we’re not in daily communication. But just a phone call to her and we connect on so many levels. We laugh and remember the same old things. And when you get off the phone you just feel really great.

S: That’s good, that’s good.

There’s a volunteer at the Humane Society, and she works nights so she’s available in the day. She and I take the dogs on field trips. We share that magic that those animals have together. And we’ve become good friends because of that.

S: Aye. Well, you’re out enjoying the beauty, you’re enjoying their joy, and you know that you’re doing something good. You’re giving of yourself, and that always provides you with joy.

There have been so many people all over the world who have been helping with my book in all different ways. And it’s been really cool to feel like there’s this international community of people who are really interested in veganism, who are interested in spreading the message. And even though I haven’t met all of them in person—I’m hoping I will—it’s been really fun doing the Skyping and all the other forms of communication to sort of open those doorways and amplify that intent.

S: The coming together with a shared . . . doing something good for oneself is a spiritual act. You’re doing something good for this body that the spirit must use. So you’re coming together over a love of really good food that’s really good for you, and you’re creating a part of a spiritual community.

Open your heart doors. Spread your wings to include a few more. And a really important part of this is, stop being so antisocial. Really. You hear me, yes?

Third thing . . . Go ahead.

I was just going to say, another thing that creates unity is a party, you know, a big party with people and stuff? And that’s a great way to be socializing, too. And there’s going to be a big party in July, celebrating our wedding, and everybody’s invited.

S: So who’ll do one for June?

June fourteenth there’s a big pool party.

S: There you go. I mentioned this a bit earlier, but I’m going to put it in more specifically as one of these. Stop saying no first. Stop saying no as your first response. It’s so easy to neglect unity and to justify why you cannot do something—why you cannot give a dollar to the homeless person on the street, why you cannot take time to make yourself a healthy lunch instead of grabbing one out on the go.

Say no to things that hurt you this month. Say no to things that hurt you this month. So take a moment. What hurts you? Probably some of the things we’ve mentioned thus far can give you a hint toward things that hurt you. But, what else hurts you?

Expectations.

S: Absolutely.

This is kind of different, but recently my job was eliminated from the company,

S: I hate that part.

I hate it too. And I had a team of fifteen employees, and they still keep calling and telling me, as nice as they are, saying “We really miss you,” but it’s because things are going wrong and hurting them. And therefore I take that on, and I haven’t figured out a way to stop the calls from coming.

Don’t answer the phone.

S: Many people have that little thing, caller ID, that identifies who’s calling. That makes sense.

Not being in balance hurts me. If I’m focused on one thing way too much and not paying attention to other parts of my life.

S: What hurts you?

Anger.

S: Anger hurts you, yes it does.

Stressing over stuff I can’t control.

S: Stressing over stuff you can’t control. Big one there.

Never thinking or never speaking,/gossiping. Not seeing the best in a situation. Feeding into the water cooler talk about something.

S: The thing about that negative, snarky, gossipy, snipey stuff is that it comes back on you in that you become the center for other people to gossip about. Every time, every time. Stay away from it. Stay away from it. Humans like to know stuff other people don’t. Gossip is a false power.

Say no to those things that hurt you, be they physical, mental, emotional. Just say no.

I seriously considered letting Sunny join you tonight because she’s been so much about the Form lately that I thought it might be a pretty easy thing to do to amplify my last point, which is, bring back your enthusiasm. Get excited. Beam your love and joy. Express your happiness and love. Enthusiasm feeds you. It also draws people to you. And since one of the things you’re going to be trying to do is trying to create more unity and not being so antisocial on your own, that enthusiasm can bring more to you.

Some of you let the smallest things ruin your day.

David said, “Stop it, Heidi.” Because she’s a small thing.

What was the last thing that you were really enthusiastic about?

Trains.

S: Trains?

[. . .]

S: It felt good, didn’t it? It really feeds you, doesn’t it? It’s one of those things that you really, really can fake it until you make it. You don’t have to be all joy-guide about it, but you can act like the world makes you happy. You can act like you’re happy about being in the world. Laugh. Smile. Play.

Celebrate. Yes.

In that moment which I seem to get into every once in a while is a kind of inner excitement that keeps on going. It isn’t something that just is a one-moment thing.

S: You’re right.

When I make a commitment to do a job, and as I get to knowing more and more about it, that excitement just grows and flows.

S: Flows over and touches many other parts of your life.

Quinn is in here, yes? I want you to think about Quinn for a moment, all right? Or if you have your own version, think about yours. You’re greeted at the door by a dog who has missed you; what do you get?

Kisses in the face.

Tail-wagging.

S: You get enthusiasm. Really happy. Knocked over. Do you love it? You must love it or you would have taught it differently by now. Think about being as enthusiastic as a puppy, as a child younger than seven who’s getting ready to do something they adore. And try to put that on when you get your day going. Be enthusiastic about being alive now at such an amazing time, and you still so able to enjoy it.

So these are four big things. There’s a little trick in them. See if you get it. As a reminder, those things are: Justification: stop it. Unity: start it. “No”: stop it. Enthusiasm, start it.

The first letters spell June!

S: Yes. Caught it, did you? My hope is that by realizing that, you will be better able to remember those things, because they are each aspects that are going to be coming up big-time.

You’re starting into a very active time; spiritually, a big growth time. By the end of this summer, most of you are going to be very different, functioning at a higher frequency. Start this summer off right so that you are directing that change and growth in the best ways. It’s a really good time, a really good time. Be able to enjoy it.

Glochanumora.