The Family First
Newsletter
Promoting family unity one issue at a time
Vol. 10 Issue 2 - Week of January 8, 2007
ISSN: 1527-6201
©2007 - Joyce Pierce --All Rights Reserved
In this issue:
Open Your Arms to Receiving Prosperity
Breaking Negative Family Cycles - Starting Over
Are You Receiving the Happiness You Should?
Create your Own Computer Cookbook
Good morning!
We had a special treat this weekend. Our daughter discovered a drive-in theatre in our area and invited us to go with them to see "Night at the Museum." This theatre is new, but had the look and feel of one that I might have visited as a teen. One of the improvements is that you no longer have to hang the speaker inside your window. All we had to do was tune in to the specified radio station to pick up the sound. (I asked my husband if that wasn't going to run down the battery, and he said it shouldn't, but on our way out, I did see an employee helping someone with a battery charger!) The snack shop had posters of old movies and even the prices seemed to go back in time. A super large soft drink was $1.75 compared to more than double what we would have paid at an inside theatre. We had a good time and enjoyed the movie. I don't know if drive-ins are becoming popular again, but if there's one in your area, give it a try. It's great nostalgia for those of us who grew up in the drive-in; and a real treat for those who've never been.
Please forward
this issue to someone who may benefit from it!
Joyce Pierce
Open Your Arms to Receiving Prosperity
by Patricia Crane, Ph.D.
Did you know that there is enough money on this planet for everyone (yes, everyone) to be financially comfortable? So why is it that Bill Gates has BILLIONS, others have a million, and others have only a small amount? The answer is simple: consciousness. Each of us has played out the beliefs from childhood about deservability and money to create whatever we have in our lives right at this moment. If all the billions on the planet were redistributed tomorrow and no one changed their consciousness about money, it would all be back to the same people in the same amounts in about six months. Are you willing to change your consciousness RIGHT NOW about what you deserve to receive?
Take a few minutes to sit quietly. Close your eyes and allow your mind to gently drift back in time to some significant experience about money when you were growing up. What happened? What was the belief you developed from that experience? If it was limiting, imagine yourself as that child and begin to tell the child that it’s time to create a new set of ideas about money that are expansive and supportive. Tell the child what those new affirmations are. If the experience you remembered helped you with positive thoughts about money, reinforce those with your inner child.
Ask yourself: who would you betray if you were financially successful? When I ask that question in my courses, the answer is often mom or dad (or both.) Somehow, the child part feels guilty going beyond the parents’ limitations. You can close your eyes and talk to mom or dad, or anyone else who had a significant influence on your prosperity beliefs, and tell them that it’s OK for both of you to be prosperous and successful. Go to the mirror and do the same thing. Be willing to go past old limitations. When you accept your prosperity, you also encourage others to do the same. Your life can be an example of willingness to receive from our abundant universe. “Prosperity,” in my definition, is specifically about money and materials things, while “abundance” has to do with a full life in all areas.
As you go about your daily routine for the next few days, be aware of your thoughts about money and material things. Do you tell yourself you can’t have things? Pay attention to your thoughts when you go to spend money. Notice what you think about people that seem to have a lot of money and people that seem to have little money. When you become aware of thoughts that are limiting, create an affirmation for the new belief. If the limiting belief is “I never have enough money to pay my bills,” the new affirmation could be “I always have enough money to pay my bills ahead of time and still have plenty left over for fun.” I like to think about the Universe as a Cosmic Kitchen with an Infinite Menu. When I create an affirmation, it is sent to the Cosmic Chef with enthusiasm, trust, and gratitude that it will be fulfilled at exactly the right time. While the order it being prepared, I go about my daily life with joy.
CAUTION: Affirmations are not intended to be an excuse so that you can spend money irresponsibly. Running up large credit card bills while affirming that the Universe will take care of them is not good money management. There are three parts to money matters: mental/emotional matters, practical matters, and spiritual matters. First, you need to identify the old beliefs and emotions about money that no longer serve you. Then you want to create affirmations for the new beliefs. Next, you need to be honest with yourself about the practical matters. Are you balancing your checkbook and paying off credit cards each month? Create a plan to handle the practical money matters. Third, you must recognize that the Universe is your Source, not a job and not a person.
It does take faith and trust to believe that you deserve prosperity when you’re looking at your checkbook and there is $100 in your account and the rent that is due is $500. In my experience, regular meditation is a key factor is connecting with Inner Wisdom to feel a sense of trust when faced with a challenging situation. In that place of quiet, you can listen for guidance and also send out your affirmations to the Cosmic Kitchen from a powerful place. Whenever I’ve been faced with challenges, the answers always came to me in meditation. However, don’t wait for the challenges to start meditating. Start cultivating that nurturing connection with Spirit today!
Feeling prosperous has little to do with the actual amount of money you have. A millionaire who is anxious and worried about finances isn’t prosperous, while someone living happily with a small amount of material things is prosperous. It’s up to you to decide what you want and how much, without being limited by past beliefs. Begin today by creating the feeling of being prosperous. Stand in front of a mirror and open your arms, look directly into your eyes, and enthusiastically tell yourself, “I am a joyful, prosperous person. I am willing to gratefully receive from the Universe.” Yes!
Patricia Crane, Ph.D., is an author, speaker, and international workshop leader. She is an expert in personal growth and has led hundreds of workshops. Her book, Ordering from the Cosmic Kitchen, received all 5 star reviews on
Amazon.
Patricia Crane, Ph.D. may be contacted at http://www.heartinspired.com or patricia@heartinspired.com
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Breaking Negative Family Cycles - Starting Over
Ever feel like you’re going in circles and not going anywhere at all?
Ever see several family members make the same type of mistake, only in different forms?
Are you in a behavior cycle that leaves you feeling guilty and out of control?
Are you doing what you were taught is the right way to live, but you’re unhappy and not sure why?
It may not be your fault. You may be repeating a cycle and not even know it. What we grow up with or become accustomed to, positive or negative, becomes our comfort zone. It might be the only way we know, and is therefore our “safe zone” even though these safe zones are often dangerous to us emotionally and/or physically.
The great news is that AWARENESS is the first and biggest step to breaking a cycle. Often a person spends all or most of his precious life in denial. It is painful to admit to ourselves that we might be repeating a negative cycle.
When in denial, I’ve said to myself many times, “But I’m not like them. I’m not like that at all!” Only when I had the awareness and courage to finally admit to myself that I was doing the same things that I swore I would never do, could I take the necessary steps to positive change.
The reason denial is such an enemy to breaking cycles is that cycles are often cleverly disguised in different forms and we don’t realize that we’re doing the same thing only in a different situation. We think we're doing it different so we can't understand why we're still caught in a downward and negative spirasl.
It's because we are actually repeating the same cycle only in a cleverly disguised different form.
Negative cycles can be anything that stops people from expressing who they are and being who they are and want to be. They are anything that makes you feel guilty for who you are and what you want.
Some examples of negative cycles that repeat in families generation after generation:
- depression - inappropriate anger - physical abuse - verbal abuse - guilt - eating disorders - unhealthy eating habits - smoking - drama - making excuses - enabling - lying - infidelity - divorce - staying in unhealthy relationships - blaming - alcoholism - drug abuse - discrimination - low expectations (for education, success, etc.) - poverty mentality - victim mentality - bullying - low self-esteem
One of the most powerful testimonies of cycle breaking was by Christopher Gardner, the author and inspiration for the true story behind the book and movie, “The Pursuit of Happyness” When being interviewed by Oprah Winfrey, Gardner explained that he didn’t meet his father until he was 28 years old and that he wanted to break the cycle that ran in his family of fathers abandoning their children. Gardner was a single, homeless father who made sure he was there for his son while he climbed out of poverty . Gardner’s inspirational story of courage, determination, love and triumph is a beautiful and moving testimony to the resilience and strength of the human spirit despite the odds.
So don’t spend another minute blaming yourself and being down on yourself if you’ve been unwittingly repeating a cycle.
Instead give yourself the credit you deserve to admit a negative cycle and on taking steps toward breaking that cycle and starting a new one. You have the power to positively affect future generations in your family.
We all have a purpose. Maybe yours is to break a negative cycle that's been running through your family for generations, and to start a new positive cycle.
Maybe you can start new positive family traditions. It's not easy and you will probably meet with much resistance at first, but you have more influence and power than you probably realize. Persistence is key. Keep your end goal in mind.
Whatever negative cycle you’re in, there are resources to help you break it, and people who want to assist you. But the action must come from YOU.
Remember to be PATIENT with yourself since change is a PROCESS and you may take an occasional step backwards. It’s ok, it’s part of the process, so JUST KEEP GOING.
There is much underestimated power in BABY STEPS. Start with SMALL CHANGES. You will probably stir a reaction from small gestures, actions, and responses that are different from what's normal for the family.
Eventually the new behavior will replace the old behavior more and more. There may not be many people along the way to encourage you, so as always, remember to be your own best friend and consistently speak encouragement and appreciation to yourself for who you are and your efforts.
Congratulations on taking the first step. Believe it or not, you are making a positive difference in generations tc come. Yes, you!
You are a wonderful, powerful, important and inspirational CYCLE BREAKER! Mary Andrews may be contacted at or mary@streamsofwisdom.com
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Are You Receiving the Happiness You Should?
How do you feel about what is around you in life?
What do you expect people, situations and things to provide to you?
So often we make statements like; 'I don't get any pleasure from. . . ', or 'it/they no longer gives me what I want', or 'it doesn't satisfy me.'
What are we really saying with this kind of statement and what are we telling ourselves when we say them?
This kind of statement reflects a perception that our satisfaction and pleasure is or is not provided by things outside of ourselves. This is not the case, no matter how much you want it to be.
It is however, a very common perception of life - that our emotional happiness is subject to people, places and things.
It may be rooted in our general tendency of not wanting to not assume total responsibility for ourselves but rather hope that our happiness and satisfaction will be provided to us. Or just an ignorance of our true capabilities for choosing and doing this ourselves, or most likely a combination of both.
The key is in who or what is creating your pleasure or satisfaction. The answer is you, not anything or anyone else.
People's behavior and things do not come with any specific emotions attached that you must assume. You decide how you interpret what is around you.
You alone decide to be subject to what you perceive about something. Is it a positive or negative for you?
It does not come with this label, you attach the label, and then react accordingly based on your own established reactive thinking and behaviors.
For example, if you feel that your spouse or partner is no longer giving you pleasure; this is not really something that they can give you, but rather your perception of them and their behavior. They can't make you feel or think anything, that is your choice.
So, it is not them, but you who have changed. Your perception of them and or your interpretation of it lead to your current feelings.
When you can come to this realization you will understand that you alone have the power and ability to feel happy and satisfied or upset and miserable with what and who is around you.
All that someone or something gives you is an opportunity to perceive, interpret and react based on your personal judgement.
A good clear example would be with owning an automobile. We get one primarily for the service it can provide us with traveling from place to place. And when this is occurring properly, as we see it, all is well and we are happy and satisfied with the car.
However, when a mechanical problem crops up and the vehicle does not operate properly, we tend to get upset - right.
Well, does a broken transmission or fuel pump project negative emotions that we must take on? Of course not.
The emotional feelings that we develop are completely of our own making, not vibrations given off by a broken auto part!
So, do you allow yourself to get upset by this or can you remain neutral? Either way you need to deal with the mechanical problem, it's just a matter of how you direct yourself to feel about it.
This applies to all people, places and things - you decide, they don't provide!
It has been stated many times that, your overall happiness in life is based on how you handle and deal with things rather than the thing itself.
Why drag yourself through anger, resentment, disappointment, and frustration over a broken auto part when you can deal with it just the same or easier, while remaining emotionally neutral about it and feel nothing?
It's your choice, but only when you learn that you can make it and you actively do so based on your desired emotional feelings.
The sooner that you stop blaming the way you feel on outside people and things and admit that it is your responsibility and ability, you will realize more happiness in your life.
Your personal growth and development is largely based on your paying attention to how you are feeling about things and choosing to make adjustments in ways that better fit with the life you desire.
Just because you have been reacting in certain ways to specific people and things does not mean that you must continue. You can choose a new different ways that feel more enjoyable and with less stress, fear, or anger.
It's up to you to do analysis of your emotional reactions and make any changes you feel would better support the life you want to enjoy day in and day out.
If you don't get involved in how you feel and why, everything will go on as it has just fine without your input- is that what you want?
Start right now; take a look back at the last time you had some kind of negative feelings about a person, thing or situation. Look at it from the viewpoint that you are deciding how to emotionally react and that you can do it differently if you choose.
The more you notice times that you can do it differently and think of a new way, the sooner you will gradually develop the new ways to be your standard.
If you find it difficult to come up with new different ways of looking at things and reacting to them, look at what other people do that you admire.
Modeling people who behave in ways that you would like in your life is a powerful way to change quicker than you would trying to figure it all out on your own.
Change is the way of life and your choice - take it and enjoy more happiness and satisfaction.
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Create your Own Computer Cookbook
I’ve always loved saving and trying new recipes from magazines and books. When we got Internet services, a whole new recipe world opened up! I found e-mail lists where people share recipes, ezines that have recipes published and I do searches on the Internet for specific recipes when I need them. Obviously, I needed a way to save these recipes.
I found a quick, organized and easy solution, and you don’t need a recipe program to do it. I have found it time consuming to save recipes from the Internet into recipe programs because they require you to type in each separate ingredient into the program’s recipe format. This is too time-consuming especially when you’re scanning lots of recipes.
What you need to save recipes my way is a word processing program such as ‘Wordpad’, ‘Notepad’ or ‘Microsoft Works’. Most new computers come with a word processing program already installed on it, so if you have a fairly new computer, you probably have a word processing program too. I’m using Windows operating system. Here’s a step-by-step process of making your own computer cookbook.
1. The first thing you will want to do is make a new folder somewhere in your computer such as in ‘My Documents’ called ‘Recipes’, or whatever you want to name your cookbook. You can create a new folder by selecting ‘New’ under ‘File’, then select ‘Folder‘. A new folder will show up and the computer will prompt you to name it.
2. Open a new document in the word processing program.
3. Highlight the recipe you want to save by left clicking your mouse, holding it down and dragging the cursor over the entire recipe you want to save. This should show black highlight over white text when you’re finished.
4. Right click any part of the text you highlighted. An options box should pop up and you need to select ‘copy‘ from it. Now you have copied the text onto the clipboard of your computer.
5. Go back to the blank word processing document and right click your mouse in it. From the options box, select ‘paste’. This will paste your recipe into the document.
5. Save your recipe by clicking ‘save’ in the word processing document. Double click the ‘Recipe’ folder you created in step 1 to go into this folder. Now you will want to make a new folder for this type of recipe. Click the ‘New Folder’ icon at the top of the ‘save‘ box. The new folder will pop up in the save box where you can give it a name. If your recipe is a spaghetti recipe for example, you can make the new folder a ‘ground beef’, ’Italian’ or ‘main dish’ folder. After you have named the new folder, double click it so you will be saving the new recipe inside of it. Now name the recipe accordingly and click ‘save‘.
Follow this simple procedure for all your Internet recipes and soon you will have your very own organized computer cookbook. You can take this a step further and type in your recipes to try or favorite recipes from cookbooks or magazines; this will save space and money by eliminating the need for cookbooks or recipe storage systems.
I find it very handy and I can find recipes easily. When I want to try one, I print it out. Since it is in a word processing program, you can change the font or the colors to jazz it up.
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