Tag Archives: #deelstra

Apr 30 2012

Feng Shui the Book Shelves

Today I practiced the ancient art of feng shui by stripping the books and objects de arte from the shelves of my old secretary. I polished the dust mites‘ home with sweet orange oil, and moved the solid cabinet 4 inches to the right. And then I moved it 2 inches to the left; there. Perfect.

On the bottom shelf I placed books and objects that most accurately represent me, and to the left in the skills and knowledge area, I placed books and objects that offer educational information, basic how-to, and mostly, books about writing. To the right helpful people and travel area, I placed a French cookbook, travel books, and authors who have influenced me greatly. This is where Chopra, Dyer, Gift, Emerson, Zukav, Williamson, Assaraf, Hay, Coelho, and Hahn are in their element, among others.

On the next shelf, I placed health books in the center health and wellness area, and flanked these healing volumes with stuff about family on the left and stuff to inspire creativity and children’s’ issues on the right.

Above, on the top shelf I placed all the prosperity books in the left top corner and the relationship books and objects in the top right. In between are my framed copyrights, awards, and books I’ve written. All in all, it’s been a pretty good day for manipulating the smooth flow of chi (life energy).

As I took care in each area of the shelves, it became clear about the areas of my life that are out of balance. While my health and education areas are well stocked, my top right corner is a bit lacking. Yep. It’s as plain as the tea leaves in the cup’s bottom. I need to work on that relationship corner and bring it up to the same level as the other areas of the bagua.

You may be wondering why a gestalt practitioner would be writing about feng shui energy. And so I will tell you why.

Gestalt is about the whole balanced energy. It is about the homeostasis of the human organism. Feng shui too is about the balanced energy. There is no separation as such. We are all creating environments that are projections of what is going on inside of us.

Notice when a friend or acquaintance continuously moves the furnishings, and shops until the garage can hold no more. When it is too threatening to look within the self, many people will make changes on the outside. But we all know that authentic change is an inside out job. Moving the furniture is helpful when allowing for unblocked energy flow. And once the furniture and the environment is “corrected’ if things still don’t flow as you would wish, it’s time to go on that inner journey to oneness.

As Always, with much love, light, gratitude, and striving for balance. 

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Apr 29 2012

Money and the Law of Attraction

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Money and the Law of Attraction

A quick scan of the news stations, or the Internet might make one think that all of the world’s inhabitants are living in lack and/or squalor. Succe$$ gurus are charging for their expertise, and seekers of money are stepping up to pay for the financial advice. This is neither a complaint or a judgement; it’s just an observation based on the amount of emails that come into my virtual box each day shouting out about the “secret” to creating/attracting abundance with whatever magic wand is being sold. I have no doubt that someone’s making money; I’m not so certain it’s the responders to the emails though.

As a result of life experiences, chance of birth, and opportunity, we are each programmed to experience wealth at a pre-set level of monetary success. We tend to live within the perimeters of our upbringing, earning perhaps slightly more than did our parents. There is a built-in comfort zone that regulates the amount that we each earn or otherwise attract.

It is the ego’s job to keep you safe at the pre-experienced level. That’s because the ego doesn’t want us to get hurt by trying new things that we may fail at. It’s not a bad thing necessarily, but it does make it a challenge to change the subconscious when we are intent on advancing in any arena, financial or otherwise.

The key is to gently alter the subconscious mind‘s idea of what our comfort zone is. It takes a committment to slow down and have a little awareness pow-pow between you and your ego. When you can get clear about any self-image or beliefs that are keeping stuck at a less than optimal financial level, then we can go to work focusing on the internal creator of all that we desire.

The source of all creation is inside of you, and would love nothing more than to have you understand that you alone are the creator of your every experience, that your surroundings are a direct reflection of your self-worth and of your self-esteem and belief in your worth and deserving.

All it really takes to attract whatever it is that you wish to manifest, is to recognize and nurture the Divine Source within. Divine Source within each of us is the place where our prosperity begins.

Rather than chasing money (Money is elusive if chased) start to meditate on your inner creator. Express gratitude to the universal source energies for all that you currently have, and envision all that you dream of.

Most of all, have fun.

~As always, with love, light and gratitude.

Apr 26 2012

The Gestalt of Oz… The Wizard of You

I ripped this Perfectly Gestalt-Centered quote from Twitter‘s (Miki Strong‏@MikiStrong) because it so precisely illustrates what gestalt (wholeness) is all about:

  • “Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.” ~ Judy Garland

I grew up watching Judy Garland; you know, The Wizard of Oz and all the little cuties that led the way down the “yellow brick road.” And although I’ve never really seen a “yellow brick road,” I do finally understand the clever metaphor: The path is inside. There was never any need to look outside of ourselves for validation, for a sense of security, or for recognition.

Courage, heart, and spirit are central to succes and enlightenment

Courage, especially the courage to face one’s inner demons, heart for giving and receiving a balanced flow of love and respect, including self-respect and self-love, and an unbridled spirit are the core traits of human empowerment and enlightenment.

“The Opposite of Courage is Conformity”

Feeling fear is natural. Feeling the fear and facing the issue head-on is empowering. Having the courage to feel the fear and do it anyway, is where heroes are separated from fools.

LOVE

“LOVE” has been made to be some complex problem to be solved. Love is not a problem to be solved. Love is at the very core of survival of not only our species, but of the universe at large. Giving and receiving love and nurturance is life affirming, and in the law of attraction design, mandates a greater flow of love and nurturance in and thru your life.

Spirit IS All & IS All Sufficiency

Spirit is the divine source energy of all that you are and of all that you manifest into being, and of all that is. Divine source energy is the spirit of all seen and unseen. It is the very nature of everything, you included.

Cultivating a free spirit, a loving heart, and the courage to face anything is at the very center of human beingness, and of universal oneness. Feeding the whole of one’s self is not to be confused with conceit, which is used as a mask for feelings of insecurity. Nurturing one’s wholeness results in no need for conflict, no insecure or petty fights about right and wrong or good and bad or my church versus your church, or my team versus your team. There is nothing to prove when gestalt balance is the sturdy stalk of oneness.

“Oz never did give nothin’ to the Tin Man….” He didn’t need to. …but I kinda digg the shoes….

Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers, 1938 Sixteen-year-old...
Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers, 1938 Sixteen-year-old Judy Garland wore these sequined shoes as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Singer Judy Garland in her dressing room at Gr...

Singer Judy Garland in her dressing room at Greek Theater Los Angeles, Calif. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Screenshot of Judy Garland from the trailer fo...

Screenshot of Judy Garland from the trailer for the film The Wizard of Oz. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A publicity portrait of Judy Garland; from 1942.

A publicity portrait of Judy Garland; from 1942. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Publicity photo of Judy Garland for Argentinea...

Publicity photo of Judy Garland for Argentinean Magazine. (Printed in USA) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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~As always, with love, light, and serious gratitude.

Apr 24 2012

Getting the Whole Empowered Gestalt You to the Destination of Success

There is a straightforward path to any destination, including to the destination of personal success:

  1. Clearly streamline the vision.
  2. Release the internal blocks.
  3. Embrace your wholeness.

A little under a decade ago, I subscribed to a program that I initially believed had more to do with time management than with success. Little did I know at the time how intertwined the two are! The creator, Mark Joyner’s concept was wonderful, but in my efforts to utilize his wisdom, hours were spent each morning just getting ready to get ready for the day. I literally filled out half-a-dozen forms each morning, just to get set on the straight path to success. Quite obviously, I was doing something wrong! It could not have been meant to be this time-consuming! Needless to say, I do not practice this lengthy form-filling routine each morning now. HOWEVER, here’s the punch line: I did take something very valuable away from the lessons, and I have since learned that the program has now been streamlined into a faster version (the link to the site is at the bottom of this page so keep reading). Are you ready for the secret? Are your palms sweaty and anxious? Is your breath held in anticipation of the magic formula for success? Well…here it is (possibly paraphrased):

“The straightest path to the goal is the fastest.” 

Are you still with me? It’s pretty simple, ehh? And it contains a huge and profound truth that can lead directly to the chosen path, if only the path is chosen.

My work as a gestalt practitioner has brought innumerable gifts. Perhaps the greatest of all is the awareness of awareness. Things are. Sometimes we humans forget to notice what is clearly in our face, to see how things are. There is a forest that often camouflages the obvious. Most succinctly, self-awareness is at issue. When we clearly focus on our self, on our feelings, and on how our whole self (body, mind, spirit) is experiencing any situation, we are offered a veritable smorgasbord of wisdom and opportunities. Our path unfolds in front of us and all we need do is see it clearly, and then commit to taking the most direct path to the destination of our choosing.

Many people will read this, and will agree with the plan. Out of every 100 readers, only 2 will take the controls, will commit to a goal destination, and will take the daily action in order to reach the determined target. Most humans will spend more time watching summer re-runs on the drug tube, than they will spend on planning a life path. Whether due to inertia or due to laziness or let’s be honest, due to fear of success, very few folks will take even the first step towards realizing a dream.

And then they will die with the dreams stuffed deep inside.

In the privacy of your own thoughts, answer these three questions honestly:

  1. If you always do what you’ve always done, what will change?
  2. What are you waiting for?
  3. What will it take?

When you have made the conscious decision to be the captain of your own ship, and when you have made the conscious choice of your precise destination, take the following steps to success:

Straight Line Approach

  1. Streamline focus and clarify the exact vision of where you wish to be in one, five, and ten years. Have fun with this; draw a little life-map of where you’re headed and see the big picture of what the path looks like, backwards and forwards. Mentally travel the path back and forth and really feel yourself taking the journey of your lifetime. Include all your senses in the imagination of you taking this journey. Feel the emotions of success, and hear and see the sights and sounds as you travel. What do you taste when you have arrived? What do you look like on this journey? What does success smell like?
  2. Consciously identify internal blocks; what has been getting in your way of success? Once you have identified the culprits, find the appreciation for the blocks (there is a reward in every held habit and action or you would not hold on). When you can clearly see the appreciation in the behavior or old habituated message, thank it for its service, and gently release the blocks, telling it that you no longer need an excuse for not succeeding.
  3. Commit to fully owning your power by consciously replacing the now-released old worn out messages with positive affirmations and most importantly, with laser-focused action every day. To help you stay on track, purchase the downloadable Kindle Edition of Escaping the Chrysalis for the gestalt tools to help when you get stuck, and/or enlist the help of a program such as Simpleology (see below).

Wholeness is not something we chase; it is who we are at our most optimal organic level of being. We are all born whole/complete/perfect in our humanness. It is our divine right to be without the criticisms and opinions of others. It is our divine right and responsibility to prosper and grow and expand our awareness.

Embrace your whole and perfect self and shine the light of positive self-worth. When you are experiencing your wholeness/gestalt, you have more to share with others, and as per the law of attraction you attract kindred resonating relationships. It really is that simple.

Get out a piece of paper and on one half write down 1 goal. On the other column write down 1 thing you can do immediately to start you on the path to that goal. Now do that one thing. When it is completed, cross it off and add another thing that you can do today (within 24 hours) towards that goal. Tomorrow, write down five things you can accomplish within the next 48 hours. When these 5 things are completed, add five more. Continue to do this until you have accomplished this one goal. When you have completed this goal, celebrate; do something nice for you. And then set another goal. Continue this process until you are so successful, there is nothing left to accomplish.

http://www.simpleology.com/blog/

~Thank you sincerely, and often~

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Visit Our FREE Stuff Page for downloadable goal-setting forms to further streamline the process!  http://jandeelstra.com/free-zone/

~As always, with gratitude and light :-) http://www.JanDeelstra.com

Apr 23 2012

Doing the ‘Right’ Thing or Playing the Martyr Role?

Just as there are to this yin/yang symbol, there are two sides to everything. If one cares to look at the whole picture, a whole form may be revealed. It’s like that with choices we make. There is the path we take, and there is the path we did not take. It’s not a black and white, wrong or right picture though. If it were that clear, it certainly would be easier to rest with the results of our subjective actions.

Recently, I made a decision that I believed was the ‘high’ road choice. In the end, I wanted to cause as little damage as possible. But actually in the end, I may have hurt someone I would never want to hurt, someone I considered a true friend. Now I am left wondering if my viewpoint of some rare friendships being valuable and indestructible by any Earthly arrows is unrealistic, or if not, is then simply unshared. (Realizing this reads as cryptic, just please understand that the details are less important than the results of my action and the lesson included.)

With my truth in mind, I’m analyzing whether my choice was honestly taken for the noble idealism, or as a means to martyring myself. That’s the question, isn’t it? Are our ultimate actions as pure as we portray?

There’s a little trick I’ve learned along the way with gestalt. Whenever we have a question, all we need do is make it into a statement and pay attention to how it feels. We each have a grand bull-shart detector that will not lie. We know when the truth resonates, and we know when we (or others) are spewing b.s.

In spite of how another responds to our choices, as long as our actions are not vicious or harmful in any deliberate way, and as long as we are being authentic and can look our reflection in the eye, we’ve done the “right” thing. Only we’ll know for certain.

~Ahimsa.

Excerpt from Escaping the Chrysalis

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Apr 22 2012

Earth Day is Every Day and is the Real Mother’s Day

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Here’s a little peek into my psyche: Earth Day is my favorite holiday. I know, I know, it’s not like those big RETAIL holidays that sneak dollars from pockets and leave gift wrap and indigestion in the wake. Earth Day is a zen holiday; it’s more gentle and impels reflection, thought, and walks in nature.

Today I am left with regret over having not visited Zion’s National Park in honor of Earth Day. I’ve no excuse. I simply did not plan ahead; didn’t even think about it until this morning.

Earth Day urges me to do something nice for Mother Earth. It’s the best of Mother’s Day celebrations, much more authentic than that other M.’s Day when we are forced into Hallmark moments and coerced into…well, that’s just me, plainly.

But I do adore this real Mother’s Day. So I’ll not write much more today, at least not within the confines of my office setting. Today I will journey outside and seek the feelings and sounds and sights of Mother Nature. I will let the warmth of shaded sunrays and the kiss of her breezes touch me and soothe me with hope that there really will be an Earth, alive and healthy, for generations to come. Knowing that her care is in our hands, I will express my gratitude to Mother Earth. It is my affirmation of the day, and of every day: Earth Day, is every day.

~With awareness and gratitude.

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Apr 19 2012

Beyond Positive Thinking

I’m going to be personal and candid here, only because I believe sharing my experience adds a level of credibility to this blog post. There were many years when I was well beneath the suitably healthy levels of low self-esteem. There have been several occasions when I contemplated life and its polar choice. Especially following the death of my son, I contemplated the impact of my disappearance from physicality. And then I thought about how impossible it is to imagine a space where I did not exist, ever; and most succinctly, forever.

I don’t believe anyone can honestly envision not being. The shear thought of non-existence comes from the “I” place; there is no way to totally remove the “I” from even the thought of not existing. It is neither possible nor probable that one could really sense a world without the “I” in some capacity.

When a person commits suicide, he or she is not clearly seeing a universe without his or her self in it. He or she is seeking escape, but there is no real escape; there can be no real escape because the “I” will always be, and has always been.

Lately, I have noticed more and more emotive posts, mourning, creative and yet very dark poetry, and communications dampened with heavy long waves that resonate and attract more heavy long waves. With the law of attraction in mind, this dark frequency trend is disturbing. The universal sea is being loaded with long waves of depression and heavy emotions, when humor is so much more healing.

If Norman Cousins were alive today, I’m betting he’d be doing stand up at the Comedy Club, or at least sitting in a front row seat. In case you missed the story, when Norman Cousins was given a death sentence by the doctors, instead of buying into the doom and gloom, he rented a hotel room and watched Charlie Chaplin movies all weekend long. He went on to live a healthy, long, and assumed happy life.

So today, in spite of the pile of awaiting duties teasing and taunting me from what I lovingly refer to as my genius piles, I’ve decided to ask readers to make a comment, but here’s the caveat: The comment needs to be your favorite joke or story. When I laugh out loud and my belly jiggles the most, I will have determined a winner. That winner will be the recipient of the Great Jester Award; an award so coveted and rare, that to date, not one has been awarded!

Come on…make me laugh.