Today we ask that you cultivate patience.

This is no small matter.  Human impatience is the cause of terrible suffering.

The need for instant gratification, to have everything now, has only intensified in the age of the internet and overnight deliveries.  And while there is much to rejoice about in this great new human fluidity and interconnectedness, it is extremely important that people remain grounded.

Without grounding, without focus, without patience, energy is scattered all over the place.  There’s a flurry of movement, but very little being accomplished.

Please cultivate patience.  Please learn to stay the course.

Things of depth and substance, by and large, are not created overnight.  Good things need time to grow.

It takes time to grow a plant.

It takes time to learn to play a musical instrument, or learn a new language.

It takes time to strengthen a weak body.

It takes time to create deep and lasting change.

Without patience and steadiness, none of these things can happen.

When people are consumed by impatience, they suffer.  They think: “What is the point of doing anything, if it takes so long?”  

They cannot enjoy the process of life.  They cannot enjoy life as it is unfolding.  They cannot see the forest for the trees.

Whenever you do something new, it is like you are embarking on a journey.  You cannot expect to reach your destination instantaneously.  If you did, you would miss out on all the joys, experiences, and healthy challenges of the journey itself.  And the arrival at the destination would not be nearly as sweet.

When you have no patience, life is always unsatisfying.  You ever hungry for the next thing, the next thing, the next thing.  You are always changing the channel, looking for the better show.  Maybe if you settled into the show you are watching, you would be drawn into it.  But if you change channels, you won’t discover this.

Parents, teach your children to be patient.  It is very hard for children.  But if they do not learn patience, they will never really grow up.  There are many adults who are really quite childish, mostly because they are impatient and therefore impulsive, and compulsive.  Always wanting what they don’t have.  So-called adults who have no patience and steadiness are, of course, poor models for the children they raise.  If you worry that your children have “ADD,” look to your own habits, your own impulsivity.

Learning to slow down, ground yourself, and be patient with the unfolding process of life will utterly transform your existence, if you truly embrace it.

Today we ask that you look at people for whom you feel hatred.

It does not have to be someone you know.  It can be a politician whose views oppose yours.  It can be someone who was rude to you in a store.  It can be someone from your past, like a bully from your childhood.

Whomever it is, this person arouses a visceral disgust.  You cannot stand this person.  You feel anger just thinking about this person.

Perhaps some of you are enlightened enough to have transcended such hatred.  But in all likelihood, most of you feel this way about someone, whether or not you know this person well.

Please know that feeling this way does not make you a bad person.  These feelings come from an older part of the human mind and body, a part that desires to protect you from threats and enemies.

And sometimes it is healthy to feel “bad vibes” about a person.  Feeling “bad vibes” can in fact protect you from entering into unhealthy relationships, or trusting dishonest people.

Animals often respond to “bad vibes.”  Many of you have witnessed a dog or cat being wary around or growling at certain people.

In essence, that is what hatred is.  It is your inner cat or dog, growling at someone it perceives to be a threat.  This activates a “fight or flight” reaction.  And indeed, when you are in the presence of someone you hate, you may feel overwhelming hostility, or an overpowering urge to flee.  

The problem is, hatred can be conditioned.  Just as a racist dog owner can train a guard dog to attack people of different races, racist parents can train children to hate people who look different.  As the child grows, he will not understand that his hatred has been conditioned.  He will just think that blacks or Arabs or homosexuals are despicable people.

Even if you were not raised by racist parents, you may have received this kind of conditioning as a child.  You may feel an irrational hatred of certain kinds of people.  Perhaps you dislike people who are ostentatiously wealthy.  Perhaps you dislike women who dress provocatively.  If you dig around, you may find this conditioning was implanted in you as a child.

That is why you must cultivate the habit of getting very present with yourself when you feel disgust or hatred toward someone.  You must train yourself not be impulsively react.  You must neither bite, nor flee.

Instead, you must learn to sit still with the hateful feeling, and not act on it.

Breathe.  Count to ten.  Go for a walk.  Think of a favorite song, or something silly.  Whatever you do, don’t impulsively react to the hateful feeling.  

Acknowledge the feeling is there, but do not react.

Once you calm yourself, you can then more clearly assess this person who arouses disgust or hatred.

Is this person actually threatening your survival right now?

Probably not.  

Therefore you do not need to fight, or flee.  Calm down.

From a calmer place, it is possible to shift perception.  Once you see that the enemy truly does not threaten your survival, perhaps you can see that the person may have a better side.  Try to think of one good thing about this person.  Just one good thing.  If you try, you should be able to think of one good thing.  

That isn’t to say, ignore your intuition when you feel “bad vibes” around someone.  Acknowledge the bad vibes.  At the same time, try to see this person’s humanity.  It doesn’t mean you should become involved in a romantic or business relationship with a “bad vibes” person.  But acknowledging their basic humanity will allow you to deal with them without being hostile or reactive — which is better for everyone, including you.

As you grow, you will in time learn to feel compassion for people who arouse your hatred or disgust.  But at first, it is best just to try to reach a neutral place.  Can you find equanimity around this person?  Can you hold the feeling of aversion without reacting impulsively to it?

This is a major step toward a more peaceful and drama-free existence.

Today we ask that you gently, but firmly, sever unhealthy psychic bonds.

What does this mean?

Every person you interact with — whether they are real, or fictional people on TV — is bonded to you energetically.

Some bonds are very strong.  The ties of family.  Close friendships.  Romantic relationships.  

Sometimes people have bonds with people they don’t know — like celebrities, or fictional characters.  These bonds are very real.  They exist on an energetic level.

It is important, in life, to discern which relationships are healthy for you, and which relationships are unhealthy.

Healthy relationships are nourishing.  You feel good around this person.  There may be conflicts, but generally speaking there is a good, nourishing, supportive feeling.  You feel supported and encouraged by this person.  You leave this person feeling good.

Unhealthy relationships feel draining, and destructive.  You feel exhausted around this person.  You feel judged, or attacked.  When you leave this person, you’re in a bad mood.

Remember, these can be people you know very well, or people on TV.  The energy is the same.

Those healthy relationships you have, clasp them close to your heart.  If people make you feel good and nourished, strengthen those relationships.  Nurture those bonds.

With unhealthy relationships, some work must be done.

First of all, if the unhealthy relationship is with someone you don’t know, like a celebrity or fictional character on TV, then the wisest course is to stop watching that TV show or reading gossip about that celebrity.  Choose not to take in things on TV or the internet that feel draining and agitating.  

With people in your life, it is not as easy as changing the channel.

However, it is possible to shift energy around unhealthy relationships, so that they do not drain and exhaust you.

With unhealthy relationships, one thing you can do is to visualize severing the energetic cord that connects you with this person.

If you have a contentious relationship with a parent, sibling, spouse, or child, it is good to start there.

Imagine a cord of light, extending from your belly button like an umbilical cord.  It connects you with this other person, at their belly center.  It may be a very thick cord.  You may even notice a toxic or unhealthy quality to the energy circulating through this cord.

Now imagine taking a ribbon, and tying it around the cord’s midpoint.  The ribbon may be golden, white, violet, blue, green — whatever color comes to mind.  Imagine tying off the cord the way one does with an infant’s umbilical cord.

Tie off the cord gently, but firmly.

Once this is done, imagine the cord severing, at the ribbon.

Your side of the energetic cord retracts into your belly center.  The other person’s side of the cord retracts into his.

Feel a warmth and wholeness spreading into your belly center.

Thank the other person, and end the visualization.

Nothing bad will happen if you do this.

Severing psychic cords does not in any way mean severing the actual relationship.

It is just a way of protecting your energy around destructive people.

Psychic cords always regrow, as long as any relationship is there.  This includes people who have passed from physical existence.  

Sometimes, when you sever the cord, what will happen is that the cord regrows in a healthier way.

Sometimes, with a very intense relationship, it is necessary to imagine severing the cord many times.  Certainly it is good to do before and after you interact with this person.

Practicing this simple exercise will create healing around unhealthy relationships, without you actually doing or saying something to the person.  

It will protect your energy, so that you don’t feel “slimed” by difficult people.

It is okay if you do not believe this.  Try it anyway!  What do you have to lose?

Today we ask that you step into your power.

Power is a very misunderstood concept in your reality.

Mostly, people think that “power” means “control.”  It means “getting what you want.”

Therefore, people with a lot of money and status wield the most power, because they can use their money and status to get what they want, and maintain control.

This is all utterly false and nonsensical.

The great dictators of your world are the icons of this misunderstanding.  Men like Hitler and Stalin, Hussein and Qaddafi — such men strove for absolute power, absolute control.

Did Hitler and Stalin, Hussein and Qaddafi get what they wanted?

Yes, they wrought terrible destruction, and destroyed countless lives.

But were they actually in control of their reality?

Did they get what they wanted?

Did their grandiose plans and visions work out, in the end?

No, they did not.

Therefore, what power did they truly possess?

Contrast this with beings like Christ or Buddha.  In your time, consider people like Martin Luther King, Jr., or the Dalai Lama.

Are such people tyrannical?  Are they concerned with staying in control, and forcing people to do what they want?

No, they are not.

Yet they wield a vast power in this world.

It would be healthy for most of you to redefine what you think of as “power.’

Power has nothing to do with money or status.  Money is a form of energy that can be extremely useful in the world.  However, money is not the source of power.  Powerful people may utilize money, but it is not the source of their power.

True power comes from a state of wholeness, and connection with one’s higher self.  Without love, there is no lasting power.

Power devoid of love gives you dictatorial regimes that inflict great trauma on the world, but create nothing that lasts.

Power rooted in love creates works of art that remain breathtaking centuries after their making, when their creators may be long forgotten.

Parents wield power over their children.

If the parent is merely interested in controlling the child and getting the child to do what he wants, this is extremely damaging.  The child will then need to separate completely from the parent in order to be actualized as a person.  When this happens, all the parent’s controlling designs will come crashing down and prove meaningless.

If the parent truly loves the child, then he will use his power for good — not for control, but to do what is best for the child.  Then the parent helps to nurture a healthy, loving individual who may do great good in the world, and the parent is a part of that good.

This is true with all forms of leadership.  There are good, loving leaders who use power well; and destructive, controlling leaders who create a lot of misery, and accomplish little.

Good leadership has nothing to do with money or status.

It is all about one’s wholeness, and capacity for love.

Good leaders rule through love and inspiration.

Poor leaders rule through fear and manipulation.

So: power can be a very good thing, as long as it is based in love, not fear.

Most of you are far more powerful than you believe.

You have bought a lie that only rich, famous people are powerful in your world, and that everyone else is weak and powerless.

This is not true.

Everyone can be powerful.  The mailman can be powerful.  The gardener can be powerful.  The grandmother can be powerful.

You can be powerful.  You are powerful.

Step into your power, from a place of love.  Use your power for good.

Today we ask you to question your thoughts and beliefs.

This is something we have asked many times, but it bears repeating.

Just because you think something is true, doesn’t make it so.

Humans have historically believed many things are true, that are totally false.

Humans have believed the world is flat, that the sun revolves around the Earth, and that the solar system is encased within a large shell with holes in it, giving the appearance of stars.  

Many humans still believe they are the only sentient life forms in the universe, which is an utterly nonsensical belief, given the vastness of the universe, and the billions of stars and galaxies.  And yet many intelligent humans believe this.

Humans have been convinced that certain races are superior to other races, which has justified enslavement and genocide.

If you look back on your life with real honesty and clarity, you will discern that there have been many, many times you were convinced something was true, that was totally false.

Humans are rather credulous, as a rule.  If someone speaks with an authoritative voice, many people will believe that person — even if the person is telling lies.  And so historically preachers, politicians and tyrants have systematically destroyed lives, by spreading lies.

Even outside of wars, enslavement, and genocide, countless lives are still destroyed today because people believe lies.  Most suicides are caused by people believing lies about themselves, and reality.

That is why one of the most intelligent and useful things you can do is constantly question your thoughts and beliefs.

When some authoritative voice tells you something, you must learn to ask: Is that true?

This is especially important with parents, preachers, teachers, and voices on the TV and internet.

Does believing what this person is saying make you feel relaxed, or afraid?

That is the criterion by which to measure any belief.

Is the belief stressful?  Does it feel bad?  Does it make you feel angry at others, or yourself?  Does it make you fearful?  Does it convey a feeling that you are a victim of a hostile universe?

Or is the belief something that relieves stress, and relaxes you?  Does it make you feel good, and loving toward yourself, and others?  Does the belief convey a feeling that you are an empowered being, in a friendly universe?

Keep any thought or belief that suggests the latter.  The rest, you must question.

When someone tells you something that triggers a stressful response, when you are thinking a thought that feels stressful, you must ask — is that true?

Is it true that climate change will destroy the world?

Is it true that I am an irresponsible failure?

Is it true?  Can I be certain of this?  Can I definitively prove it?

The Work of Byron Katie is an excellent guide for this process.

When you truly grasp this, it is very uncomfortable, recognizing how all the certainties you cling to are unreal.

But on the other side of that discomfort is liberation.

Today we ask that you know you are not responsible for the lives of others.

It is one thing to be a loving, kind, and compassionate person, who helps and cares about others, and the world.

But you are not responsible for the lives of others.

People are so very hard on themselves, because they believe they are responsible for the lives of others.  It is the source of terrible suffering.

But you are not responsible for the lives of your parents, your family members, or your friends.

When raising children, of course there are certain responsibilities, and things that must be done to take care of the growing child.

But ultimately, the fate of your child is not in your hands.  You cannot control what will happen to your child in the world.  Your child’s existence is part of something much bigger, that you cannot perceive or fully understand.  No matter how perfect a parent you may strive to be, please understand that you are in not in control of your child’s destiny.  

People who are very unhappy like to blame other people for their problems.  They may point their finger at you and say: “You are responsible for my suffering!”

But really this is not so.

It is true that people may be insensitive and hurtful with others.

But to claim that your fate is someone else’s responsibility is false.

That is because the forces that shape your destiny are far bigger than anything you can perceive.  The idea that any one person could ever be responsible for your fate is totally false.

In truth, the only person you are responsible for is you.

Your well-being is completely in your hands.

And the single best thing you can do for your loved ones is to take very good care of yourself, love yourself, and enjoy your life.

Martyring yourself for others may appear to be helpful, but only in the short term.  In the long term, martyring yourself is neither good for you, nor your loved ones.  

If you make yourself miserable trying to be “responsible,” inevitably you will take out your misery on the very people you believe you are helping. 

The most responsible thing you can do for other people is to be very kind, gentle, compassionate, and loving with yourself.

This will help you to be kind, gentle, compassionate and loving toward others.

Please know that if you feel guilty because someone is pointing a finger at you, and saying you are responsible for their problems, in all likelihood this is really not true at all.  

If you truly feel you have wronged someone, by all means make amends to the best of your ability.

And yet know at the same time that you are not responsible for their fate, or their well-being.

The vast majority of the time, when someone points a finger at you, says you are responsible for their life problems, and tries to make you feel guilty, it is a false situation.  Be kind and compassionate with this person to the best of your ability, and hear them out; but do not by any means take on the heavy weight of guilt.

The kindest thing you can do for your loved ones is to be kind to yourself.

Today we ask that you shift your consciousness from a space of “wanting” to “having.”

What does this mean?

Most people are in a chronic state of “wanting.”  They feel a chronic and aching sense of lack in their lives.

They want more money.  They want more health.  They want more success.  They want better or different relationships.  They want to weigh less.  They want to be more attractive.

They want what they do not have.

Whatever they have, it is not good enough.

And so of course they are very miserable, and always feel like victims.

They believe they would be okay if they had more than they do.

But really this isn’t true.  Even if they had more, they would not be satisfied.

If this state sounds familiar, you would greatly benefit by mentally shifting out of this state of “wanting,” to “having.”

The state of “having” is a state of feeling full and appreciative of all that is already yours.

So: you appreciate the money you already have.  You appreciate the health you already have.  You appreciate the success you already have.  You appreciate the relationships you already have.  You appreciate your body, as it is right now.

It is not easy to do this.  It requires entering a calm, relaxed, non-reactive state, as you reflect on the good things you already have.  Meditation is a good way of entering that state.

Here is the trick:

Being in the state of already “having” will actually trigger energetic flow into your life.

Those who already have, discover that they have more.

Being in the state of “wanting” conversely triggers energetic blockage.

Those who want, always want more.

It is counterintuitive, but absolutely true.

Shifting from a state of “wanting” to “having” is one of the most powerful steps you can take, and nothing needs to change in your external reality to do this.  You can do this right now.

Even if you don’t believe in it, it is fun to try.

Today we ask that you understand that life does not operate on a “point system.”

Many of you were taught in childhood that life is a game, somewhat like “Monopoly.”  You begin playing this game as children, by earning good grades in school.  Your worth as you get older is determined by how many “points” you rack up.

Money is the most obvious measurement of value in this system.  The more money you have, the more you are “worth” in the game.

But there are other ways to rack up “points,” depending on what you believe in.

Religious people rack up points by being very religious and morally pure, according to their specific belief systems.  They rack up points by going to church, being virtuous, and making open demonstrations of piety.  Some religions promulgate martyrdom as a means of winning points.

Many women believe that you rack up points by having children and attempting to be perfect mothers.  This gives you “Mother Points,” and makes you worth more than women who do not have children.

There are points for status, achievement, public recognition, and fame.

There are points for prizes.

There are points for athletic accomplishments.

There are points for being very pure in your diet and health practices.

There are points for supporting causes.

Keep in mind that there is nothing wrong with making money, having children, being religious, being famous, being athletic, supporting causes, or anything like that.

The misconception lies in believing that these activities give you worth.

The misconception lies in believing that, for example, a rich, successful white man is intrinsically worth more, i.e. has more “life points,” or value, than a poor black female drug addict.

It is absolutely essential that you understand and believe what is being said here, if you wish to know true and lasting peace and joy in this life.

Nothing outside of you can give you worth or value.

You cannot rack up points in the game of life by making money, winning status, fame, or prizes, being a perfect mother, or anything like that.

Nor can you rack up “demerits” by failing to make money, failing to win status, failing to be a perfect mother, failing to be virtuous and morally pure, and so forth.  

Believing that such a system exists is the cause of terrible, and totally unnecessary, suffering in your reality.

No one human has any more value or worth than any other human.  

Do what you do in life out of love and true desire.  Not because you believe it makes you “worth something,” or racks up points in some crazy game of life Monopoly.

Those who believe in this game all learn the utter falseness of it when they are on their deathbeds.

If life is a game, then please play it in a spirit of fun, and joy.  Not to prove your worth and dominance over others.

To play life that way makes you a poor sport.

Today we ask that you know you can change your life experience by changing your beliefs.

If you are currently unhappy with your life situation, you can change things.  Not by changing your external reality, but by changing your beliefs.

Consider the crazy person, who wanders about ranting and raving at imaginary voices in his head.  This person is very upset and agitated.  This person is not having a good life experience.

Changing this person’s external reality would not really change matters.  You could give the crazy person a nice house or a good job, and the crazy person would still be tormented by the voices in his head.  Because of this, he would probably lose the house and job.

However, if the crazy person adopted the following belief, everything would change:

“I cannot believe or listen to the voices in my head.”

If the crazy person truly believed this, the imaginary voices in his head would no longer hold any power over him.  He might still hear the voices, but he would not react to them or believe them.  As a result, he would no longer be crazy, and his life would stabilize.  

In many ways, this is exactly the predicament most of you are in.

Most of you are a little bit crazy.

You may not walk the streets ranting and raving, but you have imaginary voices in your head, and you believe them.

You believe them when they tell you that you are worthless, and that life is hopeless.

You believe them when they tell you that you need to fear the world, and be on your guard all the time.

You believe them when they speak of enemies conspiring against you, the people and corporations and governments that are out to get you.

To the extent you believe such voices, you are crazy.

It’s not your fault.  Many of you were brought up by crazy people, and you internalized their voices as your own.  You may watch crazy people on TV or read their words on the internet, and internalize their voices as your own.

Nonetheless, if you go around believing crazy things, then it doesn’t matter if life gives you a good home, job, or family.  You’ll sabotage everything.

Until you make the decision to stop believing the crazy voices in your head.

Then you will stop being crazy.

When you decide to stop listening to the crazy, destructive, fear-driven voices and beliefs, you can at the same time choose to implant positive, healing voices and beliefs.  

You can tell yourself that you are good, and life is good.

You can tell yourself that you are worthy and deserving of good things.

You can tell yourself that you live in a loving universe.

These messages are not crazy.  They are sane.  They are true.

It may be that most people are at least a little bit crazy.

But you can be different.  You can be sane.  It starts when you decide to stop believing the crazy voices.

Today we ask that you see yourself as others see you.

Many of you have a self-image that would not be recognizable to most of your friends, colleagues, and loved ones.

By and large, the people you interact with have a much better image of you than you do.  There may of course be exceptions.  But on the whole it is probably true that others have a better image of you than you do.

This is because it is very rare to find someone who truly is as cruel and dismissive about you as you are.

There may be exceptions, it is true.  You may know people who dislike you and think badly of you.  Even so — you probably treat yourself just as badly in your own mind, if not worse.

Most people are their own worst enemies.

So today reflect on those people you know who are likely to have a positive image of you.  It does not have to be a person you know well.  It does not have to be someone from your present life.  It can be someone who has passed from this physical existence, who knew you in the past.

Use your imagination, and see yourself through the eyes of someone who loves you, who appreciates you, who thinks well of you.

If you really sit with this, it can be quite surprising to see how much better you may look in someone else’s eyes than your own.

Acknowledge why this is so.  Why do other people, in the present or past, care about you?  Why might they think better of you than you do?

You may feel a lot of resistance to this.

But if you can own that you really deserve to be thought of with kindness by someone else, it is a great step toward healing.