Here are some other Topics we want to cover as we get Masters of the Journey Starting

Masters of the Journey: Processes – Skills –Training – Tools

These are other topics we can bring up and work on together and communicate about and start new threads in the forum!

1: Quieting the Mind – Slowing Mental Chatter
Easier said than done. It all begins with the breath. Relaxing the body, deeply, leads to a more quiet mind and reduces the distractions of fear, anxiety, and a body experiencing stress. Eastern philosophies ask to focus the mind a calming word/picture/concept (of a “higher ideal”) but this can require discipline and can be difficult for the Western (ADD) mental process. Zen can work because you can keep your eyes open and focus a natural beauty such as: waves on the beach, a stream flowing by, a candle (or fire) burning, or the breeze gently blowing the tops of grasses or trees. For people willing to “work” harder to learn to quiet the mind, you can repeat a mantra which is a word, or phrase, or higher ideal. The words: “Peace,” “Love,” and “Calm” can work well. Or, try using an image of a flower or a pleasant “Mandala” to focus and calm your mind. A powerful tool, which is worth trying, is to repeat “I AM” phrases as you breathe slowly. An example: I am at peace with myself and fully relaxed, or I am loved, or I am blessed…

It requires some time and practice to learn to quiet an active mind. The mental chatter can be a distraction which, in the beginning, can seemingly prevent peacefulness. Mental chatter will eventually slow and quite possibly become a source of useful information as you listen to the “stream of consciousness” flow through your mind.

Though this discipline can seem difficult to achieve the rewards and benefits are substantial. More about meditation and grounding will follow which will assist you in developing the best strategies, for you, to still your mind.

Audio Downloads: Relaxation series, or Panic/anxiety, or sleep, or pain management

Book Download: Breathing chapter, meditation chapter, stress management techniques

2: Relaxing the Body – Connecting with Body
Relaxing the body can be key to connecting with your body, quieting your mind, improving your focus (and enhancing productivity,) and connecting to the “source.” Using a “Western” based relaxation technique such as Autogenic Training Phrases can be a good place to start because it uses the mind (instead of trying to still the mind) to focus on the body and to relax the various parts which normally may be holding on to stress. By reducing this stress and relaxing your body you can quiet your mind and then connect with the core of your body to find greater calmness, comfort, and youryour “heart based” soul/spirit.

Other guided relaxations will get you relaxed. They all use slow breathing at their core. Progressive relaxations, visualizations, and self-hypnosis are techniques like Autogenic Training Phrases that can assist you to learn deep relaxation and enjoy the benefits of a more quiet mind and body. Connecting to the body is key because you can then learn to listen to your “gut” and develop your intuition and connect to the “source” where you will experience greater connection, and “oneness,” and eventual reconnect with the deeper “collective unconscious” (which is another term to describe the “source” we are all seeking.)

Audio Downloads: Relaxation series, or Panic/anxiety, or sleep, or pain management

Book Download: Breathing chapter, meditation chapter, stress management techniques

3: Being Present – letting go of distraction
Meditation, breathing, and deep relaxation are the keys to learning to let go of distractions. Letting go of distractions is the key to building and internal environment which can lead to “Being Present” in your current body (also referred to as your current “Meat Suit.”) It is easier said than done, but, reducing or eliminating your FEAR, Anxiety, stress, “craziness,” and “Ego” will lead to opening up to feel the “source” of energy and wisdom that we are all a part. Being present can be a wonderful place of observation and no judgement. Useful because we are all one with each other but learning our lessons as we all move toward greater awareness and higher consciousness. Even the most seemingly difficult people we encounter are actually perfect beings who can provide us with an experience that we are here to learn from in this life (incarnation.) The more “challenging” the more important the lesson. Not being in “Judgement” is so much easier to say than to do because the “Ego” (which creates false separations)wants to compare ourselves with others in “better” or “worse” scenarios rather than seeing all other people as equal pilgrims on the same path toward becoming more conscious beings of love and light.

Audio Downloads: Relaxation series, or Panic/anxiety, or sleep, or pain management

Book Download: Breathing chapter, meditation chapter, stress management techniques

4: Staying within Your Breath – Sharing Breath with all Living Things
Breathing is essential! It is also the key to controlling stress and creating positive meditation. (See chapter from my first book on Breathing Techniques.) Every breath allows millions of atoms into your body that you SHARE with ancestors like: Buddha, Jesus, Gandhi, Mother Teresa, etc . Yes, they are one with you and shared these same atoms as they walked this earth. Every living organism shares these atoms, in their own way, and this makes us “One” with all living creatures. Connection at this level is “real” and bonding. Slow diaphragmatic can be learned and used as a focusing tool and to promote higher consciousness. Doing this correctly can save you wear and tear. With regular practice and consciousness, it will help with both “grounding” and positive energy healing.

Audio Downloads: Relaxation series, or Panic/anxiety, or sleep, or pain management

Book Download: Breathing chapter, meditation chapter, stress management techniques

We will have audio and recorded calls to expand on these concepts. We will create materials to offer our members and this will be an essential part of all of our interactions and group work.

5: Connecting with Spirit (Stories and experience of Connecting with the “Source” and Purpose!)
Connecting with our spirit is the greatest challenge that we have as we learn the lessons of our present life. Finding our way back to the “source” requires focus and discipline. Some of us have had brief glimpses of grace and no the unconditional love and the wisdom that can be found by tapping into the “source.” We will have people telling their stories about how they decided to focus on developing their own spiritual consciousness and the struggles that they have overcome in doing so. In connecting with our spirit, we can begin to explore what our real purpose is in our present life. Finding that connection with all living things and finding the best ways to be of service to all consciousness seeking people is the foundation for most of us in discovering our purpose.

I believe that we can create some guided relaxation audios that will help people meditate and find more about their purpose. This will also be a common exercise for us to use in trainings and retreats. Perhaps with the help of expanding intuition and exploring our gut feelings, we will be able to create the experience that enables people to connect with her greater purpose.

6: Oneness – Connection – Community “You are NOT alone” – Power of Community & Support
Humans are not meant to walk through life alone. For thousands of years, people have been essential parts of “Tribes” and this benefited all members of their community. In the past few centuries, we have moved away from the agrarian societies and into more isolated existence within large industrial based cities. The isolation has taken a toll on families and individuals. We need social relationships, We need our healthy “Tribes.” In modern world, our tribes are now found at work or at school. The underlying “politics” of these contrived social inventions have kept people polarized and skeptical of close, healthy relationships. We have even placed our wise and experienced elders into separate communities and now lack their sage knowledge, support, and love. “Age bias” has become a cultural phenomenon in many Western cultures. Though we cater to making money off of seniors and their health challenges, we do not value their important contribution to the “tribe,” to families, and to communities. Loneliness is prevalent and the feelings of isolation are strong.

Though our culture continues to build walls of separation between all of us, the truth is that we are all in this together. No one can fully evolving consciousness without bringing along the people that they come in contact with. Though our egos create judgments and comparisons with other people deep within us we are all blessed by being connected to the source. We can all bask in unconditional love and wisdom. As we experience our incarnation we forget that connection as we grapple with our lessons and challenges. Our true learning is to reestablish our deep connection with all other living things and with the source of all knowledge and wisdom and love.

We are not alone. We are in this together. And it is important for us to reach out and assist everyone around us by offering unconditional love and support. Sometimes it is just being the caring person who asks the thoughtful questions and helps our fellow pilgrims on their specific journey. Since we cannot do this alone, it is imperative that we bless and support all of the other people that we come in contact on our travels to higher consciousness. This is not always easy. Sometimes we do not like or condone another person's behavior, but we must understand that they are struggling with a difficult challenges that have grown from their past and these are the lessons they have to learn in their present life. It can be difficult to bless them but when we have the greater good in our focus then we appreciate the difficult challenges that all of us must face.

Our community, is based on strong, positive and healthy connections, across generations, to offer perspective and the depth of experience that positive relationships can supply. We do not have do life alone. We can learn from other people’s experience. We be energized by positive interactions with others in our supportive community.

On a spiritual side, We Are Not Alone. We are connected to all other living entities at deep spiritual level AND we must all support each other on our pilgrimage through the “lessons” of this life. Our Soul does not separate us from others like our mind and our ego often does. We offer audio of conference calls, books, blogs, and articles to our members to develop greater awareness regarding our spiritual connections. Please participate in our community as you walk the path through the lessons of your life.

7: All in this together… Not alone… Reach out and assist those around you (Connection AND Oneness)
More of the same, as in found in number 6 above.

We are all in this together. In moving on our path towards enlightenment, it is important to know that we cannot do this alone. In fact, we need to support all of the other pilgrims on their journeys. All of our souls will find their way back to the source but we will not be completed until all of our souls have reached that point of full connection with the source. It becomes important to reach around and to assist all of the people you come in contact with and assist them on their path in what ever positive and loving way you can. As an exercise, consider consciously doing one positive thing every day, even if it is only a smile and a thank you, to let people know that you appreciate them and that you have a loving connection. Make a conscious effort to perform this mitzvah (good deed) as you go about your day and conduct your life in accordance with a higher spiritual value.

8: Finding and Following your calling (Exercises to find Purpose and Value to the World)
Do you know your purpose? Do you know your real value to the world? Do you feel like you are living your purpose and your passion every day of your life?

If you knew that the end of the world was coming in three weeks, what would you be doing differently? How would you choose to behave in these last three weeks? If this question is answered honestly and you would be doing something differently than you currently are doing, why are you not living to your fullest and following your passion?

In our community, members will examine their true purpose and be given support to follow their passion. It may be different than what the mind tells you. It may be different than what the people around you expect. In fact, it may be different from what you expect yourself. But if your life has not given you fulfillment and a deep level of satisfaction, then it is time to get busy following your passion and living every day with your sense of purpose. We do not have all the answers but we do have processes that can help you find and move towards accomplishing your purpose and your life's goals. We also offer mastermind groups to help you with the accountability necessary to keep moving towards your goals. I'll shoot

9: Grounding – Focusing – Roots into the Earth
One of the keys to being present is to make sure that you are grounded and not out of balance. It is important to be grounded when you are growing spiritually and developing your consciousness. The process is not difficult. Many spiritual instructors want their students to imagine through visualization that they are connected in a solid way to the Earth. To do this, you can feel your feet on the floor. Or you can imagine that your feet can transmit energy as if you were rooted deep and solidly to the earth. Some instructors have their students imagine that their feet are touching the earth and like a lightning rod are able to give off excess or unwanted energy into the earth.

There are also times when an instructor will teach their students that they can visualize as if the earth was giving back through their feet to their student. It would be as if their feet were rooted like a tree and could absorb nutrients and water to heal the tree and to keep it growing and healthy. The process of grounding will also help you to focus your energies more effectively. It is creating a solid foundation for you to learn and to grow. There are many techniques to enhance your ability to focus. Among these are meditation and stress management to calm the distractions of your mind and your emotion. In sports psychology, a therapist will work with their client so that in the moment of stress they can release the distraction and be fully present. This helps their performance in sports, in business, and in developing spiritual consciousness.

I am sure that we will have trainings and conference calls plus audio downloads available to our members that get more specific in training this particular feature.

10: Learning how to listen:
a:Active/passive listening skills
b:Being a Witness… Skills
c: “Questioning”/reflection (acknowledging and clarifying)Informational Interviewing Skills
d: Non-verbal communication skills
e: NLP – Language and communication styles, awareness and skills (More Training Later)
f: Toastmaster skills (More effective communication, basic speaking skills)
g: Timing – being heard (“right” for all parties, getting agreement, selling, convincing)

Active versus passive listening involves using more than just your ears to hear what your communication partner is communicating. A listener with good skills makes full eye contact with their partner. A good listener will have an open body language that may not communicate judgment, negativity, or other limiting emotions. An active listener will often pace the breathing of their partner to better establish connection. A good listener will clear their mind and not invest mental energy in formulating an answer, but they will be fully aware and present. These are techniques and skills which we can discuss, demonstrate, and teach through audio and visual presentations, conference calls, blogs, and trainings. Our members will have all aspects of their lives enhanced by developing these active listening skills.

Being a witness! One of the key components of participating in Masters of the journey will be developing the skills necessary to fully listen to a fellow member who may be sharing a profound life experience. The goal is to honor and respect the storyteller. Using the skills of active communication and informational interviewing, the witness can't help the storyteller develop insight into their experiences while at the same time the witness will be learning from the storyteller's experience.

Questioning and the art of good reflection will be key to being a great witness. One of the skills that we will teach through training, conference calls, and audios, will be the art of informational interviewing. The active listener will not be asking questions not for themselves but to aid the storyteller in becoming more clear regarding the experience that they are sharing. The questions will help the storyteller better feel and understand the feelings and emotions which are demonstrated by the storyteller's communication.

The art of nonverbal communication is useful for both the storyteller and the listener. The subtle gestures, mannerisms and body language which both communication partners demonstrate can enhance or detract from the communication. Eye contact, body positioning, relaxed and comfortable breathing, tone of voice, posture, and unconscious intent to demonstrate interest are all forms of nonverbal communication. These are skills that we can discuss and train through audios, conference calls, trainings, and audio and visual presentations. These are a skill set that will help in every aspect of your life but are essential for members to use in witnessing fellow members who are sharing important life experiences.

NLP techniques will be discussed and trained later.

ToastMaster speaking techniques can be shared to our membership or we can refer people to local ToastMaster groups. These basic skills are used to develop people speaking abilities to enhance their clarity, their focus, and their effectiveness. We will discuss more about these techniques and offer training through calls, audio and visuals, and through face-to-face trainings.

TIMING: timing is the key to effective communications. If you truly care about what you are wanting to communicate is essential that your communication partner is ready to fully participate and to hear what you are offering. Communications often can go negative when you have not excused the time to begin your communication. It is best for both partners to agree on when and where both partners can effectively focus and be present for any important communication. We will train through conference calls, blogs, articles, and face-to-face trainings on how to communicate and understand the use of proper timing and the other communication techniques.

11: Meditation
There are many techniques for meditation which we can train our members. We have subject matter experts such as Curt Remington who can teach workshops or through training audios the various styles and techniques to enhance the member’s ability to focus and benefit from their meditations. We can refer people to the book that Curt has written or to the chapter in guide to stress reduction on meditation. There are other experts that we can engage or conference calls and trainings who can also be used to enhance the skill set for our members.

Audio Downloads: Relaxation series, or Panic/anxiety, or sleep, or pain management

Book Download: Breathing chapter, meditation chapter, stress management techniques

12: Positive Visualization- affirmations
There are many sources for learning how to use affirmations in a positive way. We can find resources including books, audios, videos, and face-to-face trainings to teach our members how to be present and positive and the most effective ways are structuring positive affirmations.
Positive visualizations are great tools for our members who wish to develop their skills and relaxing, work on healing, connect with their guides for more information, and to build positive goals to move towards. There are downloadable audios from the stress education Center and we can find other resources to refer our members to. The key to positive visualization and affirmations is to keep the imagery and words present and positive!

13: Guides – finding then communicating “angels”
There are exercises that we can use to assist our members in finding, identifying, and communicating most effectively with their spirit guides, healers, and their guardian angels. Our members can benefit from conference calls and trainings that we can provide. The best success for our members will, when they can attend training and retreats that offer these techniques. We might also be able to find resources to refer to in the greater community and make these available to our members.

14: Death and Dying – letting go of the fear and anxiety “Freeing yourself so you can live!”
Readings and discussions regarding near-death experience will help our members understand better what the ultimate transition from this incarnation will be like. Knowledge gives strength. Interviews, articles, and readings will be offered to our members so that they can reduce their anxiety and fear around death and dying. I believe that there are many people were willing to talk about their near-death experiences or their first-hand knowledge of people passing from this life that will be of great benefit and important education to the members that participate in these conversations. We may be able to find movies or videos or even YouTube presentations which can help us educate our members.

In groups at trainings and retreats, there is a visualization that I am familiar with which may help to guide our members into controlling their anxiety regarding death and dying and being more understanding of what this transition is all about.

15: Learning about Life – Near Death Experience
One of the most life changing experiences I have participated in was an experience of a near-death experience. When I was 19, I attended a workshop and we discussed Elleanor Kubler Ross's book on death and dying. A guided visualization exercise helped lead a very naïve me to experience what death was like. I did not even realize the impact until I shared my story. Since then my reading of Kubler Ross, Moody's book life after life, and can rings look returning to Omega which all offered accounts from interviews of people who had been resuscitated from near-death experience. Other writers have shared their stories and information about near-death experience, all helping to alleviate fear and anxiety when facing our ultimate transition.

Our members will benefit from having conversations about dying, hospice caregiving, and people recovered from near-death experiences. Reducing fear and anxiety allows our members to live more fully and with the spiritual consciousness that gives them better understanding regarding the Source. I believe that this is essential for the spiritual development and consciousness raising of our members. We can have conference calls, blogs, articles, and face-to-face trainings on this topic. We can find other books and resources to refer our members to. Coming to terms with dying experience provides insight that will help our members on their pilgrimage through life.

16: Life Purpose process – living Priorities (finding your life balance)
Conversations and exercises which will help our members find their purpose and establish priorities in their lives. We have many resources in the forms of books, conference calls, articles, blogs, and audios which will help our members focus on what they're valued to the world is in a better understanding of their purpose in life. A question that we will ask as an exercise will be: what would you do differently in your life if you knew that the earth was going to and in three weeks time? Why are you not doing these various activities today?

17: Healing: Yourself and others (energy focus)

Healing techniques and exercises can be shared with our members. They will include positive visualizations and affirmations. They will also demonstrate the use of gold and white light as unconditional love from the source to both heal oneself and share healing energy with other people. These techniques can help connect our members with their highest consciousness, their souls and spirits, and with the wisdom of the source. We can discuss these techniques and we can demonstrate them in our trainings and face-to-face meetings. A key component to our face-to-face meetings will be to engage in a healing circle so that our members can experience the energy and learn techniques that they may use out in the world.

18: Self-acceptance process – Loving YOUR flaws and imperfections… Your Lessons
One of the main things that stand in people's way is the personal expectations of perfection that they have been programmed to work towards in their lives. Perfection only exists at the source. We can offer techniques to our members so that they can be more present and rid themselves of being a victim to their flaws or imperfections. The flaws and imperfections are the lessons that we have to learn from in this life. It is better to learn to accept these and find different ways to make positive adjustments so that we are not victimized by our imperfections. Several of the visualization techniques that I have an audio are good first steps towards developing self love and self acceptance and can be offered to our members as tools to practice. The lessons of our lives are often about overcoming our own lack of self acceptance and our beliefs about our imperfections.

19: Telling YOUR story & teaching YOUR lessons
At the core of what we are offering is the experience of telling your story. We are all masters of our lives. No one knows our lives and our lessons as we do. We have had success and we have had challenges. By sharing our story we offer a vehicle to connect more deeply with our community. The people who witness our sharing will benefit from the words and the emotions we communicate as we discuss our life experiences. It takes a risk and a willingness to share our secrets as we participate in telling our story. Other people will benefit but the greatest value is the feedback that you will get and the perspective that your witnesses can offer as you participate in this experience.

You are a master. A master who shares their wisdom and experience can be of benefit to the universe. Your lessons are not completely unique or uncommon and so other pilgrims can learn from your wisdom. Your perspective is special. Your value is special. As you develop your skills at communicating your story, you will be even more effective as a master teacher and as a valued community member. No one has lived through the trials and tribulations that you have experienced. No one knows or could even believe the emotional pain and angst that you've endured. But all of us can benefit from the wisdom, the growth, and the insights that you have found as you move through these challenges. Please, be willing to reach deep within you and to share for the benefit of all.

20: Biofeedback Tools
Biofeedback is the use of instrumentation or techniques to monitor, and sometimes record, physiologic changes that can occur within your body. The benefit of monitoring your physiology comes when this information is presented to you in a useful way so you can learn to control these physical systems. For example, if you are holding attention in your neck and shoulders a biofeedback device might help you to become aware of this tension and learn how you can reposition yourself to let go of this wasted muscle tension. Biofeedback is a way of connecting with your body. It helps to make you present and helps you to develop control over the way you habitually respond in stressful situations. By using biofeedback to reduce distraction, you will be able to focus on being present and you will free energy that you can invest in other things in your life. Biofeedback can teach you what the deepest levels of relaxation can feel like an reward you with the objective information that you are in control of your body. Once your body is calm, peaceful, relaxed, and devoid of anxiety, you can then participate in learning positive ways to interact the world that may be different from the habit patterns that you've had in the past. Biofeedback can save you an enormous amount of energy and in so doing save you time.

The types of biofeedback that we might be able to use would include: temperature training biofeedback, types of muscle tension feedback, skin response biofeedback, and perhaps heart rate and blood pressure monitoring. We may also have access to technology companies that offer us heart rate variability, brainwave feedback, and other more sophisticated forms of biofeedback monitoring as a learning experience.

We can use conference calls, webinars, articles, blogs, and trainings to offer these tools to our members. We can also create affiliate programs to sell equipment and devices to our members which will enable them to do biofeedback monitoring on their own.

21: Mastermind process – accountability and ongoing support
MasterMind techniques are powerfully useful to engage small group accountability to individual participants. We can find ways to create mastermind support for our members. Motivated members will meet with members of their mastermind groups on a regular basis whether weekly, biweekly, or monthly to declare their goals and to be held accountable by their groups for accomplishing these goals. They are also small group support systems where people can get feedback that may be essential for them as they search for the best ways around the challenges and obstacles of life. These groups may meet in a conference call format, in a Skype format, or through e-mail or other social media connections. The mastermind process is a very powerful tool for members to use that create stronger community and connection while allowing the feelings of support that people need in our isolated culture.

22: Power of Love
The power of love. Few people will doubt that the human being is an organism that needs connection with other people and a strong part of that connection would be the positive emotions associated with love. In studies of babies in orphanages in Eastern Europe, there was a lack of physical and emotional development in the babies who were not held and supported loving tenderness. Too many of us in our culture lack human connection. Too many of us lack human touch. Too many of us lack positive interactions and support from the people in the world and in our smaller communities. Love by itself has healing qualities and is essential for understanding all of the benefits of higher consciousness. At the Source is the brilliance of unconditional love that draws us like moths to a flame when we are seeking to evolve in consciousness to rejoin the Source. One of the reasons that we've are distracted and have health issues is our lack of connection to love and caring to the isolated nature of our mind and our ego. We thrive when we are supported by the warmth of light and love. As a community, we can share this for healing and for spiritual development with all of our members.
I believe that we will be able to offer conference calls, trainings, blogs, articles, audios, and a variety of resources for our members who wish to engage in more understanding regarding the power of love and wish to participate in experiences that demonstrate the power of love.

23: Power of Relationships (Healthy ones)
Very few people can be happy and healthy without human relationships. From childbirth, we require an amount of human interaction. Some people require more than others. Our families teach us how to do relationships. Considering how many dysfunctional families exist, it does not require a lot of insight to realize that there are many people who do not know how to find, develop or maintain a “healthy” relationship. There are thousands of books written regarding how to find and have “healthy” relationships and the better ones, at least, start with the requirement of being “healthy” yourself before you search or create a relationship. Masters of the Journey would like to assist you in being as conscious and as healthy as you can be which will lead to “attraction” of the healthy relationships. Masters of the Journey is NOT a counseling process but it is a way to find better balance in your life and to develop insight in emotional and spiritual areas which will help to make you, and your relationships, healthier.
The tools for listening are key components of Masters of the Journey and will be applied to friendships, business relationships, family, and romantic endeavors. The exercises in stress management, grounding, controlling anxiety, your spiritual development, connecting, developing intuition, and being “present” are also skills and training which Masters of the Journey can offer the members. Take responsibility for your life, accomplishing your purpose, and having healthy relationships can grow from your participation in Masters of the Journey.

Note: Healthy relationships are easy to talk about but often difficult to find. Timing is key. It must be the “right” time for both you and your possible partner (in relationship.) Healthy relationships may have less drama and more “positive” attractions rather than getting together to “help” or “heal” each other. Sometimes the most “attractive” possible partner are the most lethal because you find yourself so “attracted” that you are willing to not be yourself, healthy, or present for the sake of “attracting” this possible partner. Healthy attraction happens at all levels and not just the base chakras. Remember it takes effort to make yourself healthy, skilled, and aware enough to have the positive relationships you desire.

24: Parenting – Healthy
25: Caregiving
26: Community – Power of sharing and bonding (#12)
27: Self-care (exercise, meditation (Stress management), diet + Spirit)
28: Finding Your Tone – Anchoring
29 Power of Touch and connection (Protecting yourself and space, Buffer zone-psychic grounding)
30: Intuition “Gut check” Honoring your feelings (Variety of the psychic experience) (Possible clairvoyance training techniques/process)
31: Appreciation of Natural Beauty – connecting with earth
32: Acceptance – Diversity –Judging
33: Humor – How to use it & when it is a defense
Humor is great. Laughter is positive. Making fun of other people is base and degrading. Playing is fun. However, humor can also be a defense to protect your ego. This dilemma requires your awareness and acceptance. If you make jokes in difficult situations, it may be wise to examine, and then deal with, the challenge that you find uncomfortable. It may be an important lesson that you have come to learn from. Take a deep breath after (or sometimes before) you make a joke in a difficult situation and then ask yourself why you needed to change the mood. If you changed the mood because you are uncomfortable then you may have a challenge to work through. Making others laugh is a great gift. Just be fully understanding your own foundational source from where the “joking” came.

34: Self-exploration through Art
Anything that you produce can say a lot about you as a person. When you create something it demonstrates not only your physical and mental abilities but a certain creative part of you that may come from your heart. The same is true for any art that you appreciate. It says a lot about you if you resonate with a certain type of art or certain art piece. There are people who communicate really well without being very good artists. Sometimes it's their choice of words or the medium that they use or how they go about manipulating the medium that can tell a lot about them. There are so many ways to find out about yourself related to art. You may find it there is a certain pattern when you do little or when you use any particular medium. Your preference to create art like this may tell something about the unconscious parts of your mind. If you pay close attention you can only explore your own subconscious mind but you can find a way to communicate feelings and emotions from deep within.
We can offer experiences in our training and retreat process that may allow people to explore deeper parts of themselves through various types of art. We may also be able to provide conference calls and audios of artists in their creative process that may become learning tools for our members. I believe that our website can offer artistic experiences that will give our members something to think about and perhaps may elevate their consciousness.

35: Benefits and use of: HydroTherapy, massage, energy work, psychics… External Therapies
There are plenty of other resources that we can use to help our members learn about themselves and about the world. When we are working with them to learn to let go of thoughts, anxieties, and daily stresses we can offer them information and at retreats experiences in massage, energy work, hydrotherapy, other types of bodywork, and less available types of biofeedback. Many of our members may benefit from having experiences in these various therapies that they may have not found in their life before. We can also provide information in the form of lectures, conference calls, and audios where interviews of practitioners may describe the benefits of these various therapies. I believe that as people find how to remove all of the stress and anxiety from their bodies, they will be able to get to deeper levels in their meditation and it may assist them to be more open in their consciousness building.

There may be a lot of good experiences that our members can get in spending time with and experiencing good psychic practitioners. We can provide information in the form of trainings, conference calls, and audios that will help to educate our members provided by effective psychics who can introduce their art and explain the experience of it. We can make referrals. We can use psychic and intuitive people at our retreats to assist with the spiritual development of our members.

36: Family – pluses and traps – Expectations (screw things up)

37: Serving-sharing-mentoring… doing the work of Living
As we develop our mastery and create deeper awareness about ourselves, we can begin to serve the people around us by teaching through sharing our life experience. The greatest active service to our community and to the world comes when we serve others by sharing of ourselves. Our knowledge, our experiences, and our wisdom can benefit other members who are on their pilgrimage, moving through their challenges of this life. Perhaps the most important sharing that we can offer as members, is by being good role models to the people we come in contact with. We need to model self-care and consciousness development. A lesson in sharing will start by taking our own ego and mind out of the process and learning to communicate with feelings from the heart without judgment and without the communication mode of lecturing. Some of our members will struggle with this but it will indicate higher development as they master the gentle sharing of personal experience.

Mentoring and coaching other members will also be indicative of a move towards greater spiritual development and consciousness awareness. Gently supporting other members in a loving, respectful, and nonjudgmental way will serve our entire community and be indicative of highly evolved Masters of the journey. We will offer training and modeling of these ideal mentoring behaviors so that our members can develop these skills through example.

38: Coping with Blocks and Barriers (obstacles) “The burdens of being in this life”
Tools for coping and overcoming obstacles will be a huge part of the communication and mentoring that our community provides. By being supportive of other members and helping them to feel as if they are not alone in dealing with their challenges, we will be creating the environment for community consciousness raising and for growth amongst all of our members. Blogging, mastermind sessions, trainings, conference calls, and the retreat process will be good ways of doing face-to-face tool building to assist our members in overcoming their challenges. This life is for learning lessons that are not easy or fun. The work that we all must do is designed to create greater strength and wisdom as we evolve in higher consciousness. We cannot escape the burdens that we have in this life but we can learn from them. The community can help through support and by offering information for our members to advance through even the most difficult challenges. Once an obstacle has been overcome the community can celebrate and honor the member.

39: Open to Possibilities
It is not easy to try new things. Some people are more rigid and inflexible when it comes to change. Our community will encourage through support that the members engage in new experiences and push their limits. Without judging each other our community can help its members work through their fear and anxiety as they confront new experiences. We will and courage and celebrate the members who are open to new possibilities and who challenge themselves to move forward. We will also support with love and understanding members that are struggling to make the changes in their life. By participating in conference calls and our chat rooms I believe that our members will be able to express their views and perhaps there needs and get feedback, information, and support as they work through their challenges.
Developing higher consciousness always demands that we be open to new possibilities in willing to take the risk of learning new things. It can be a stretch but it is worth the effort.

40: Retreat Process – Benefits, purpose, commitment to new habits… speeding the process
The purpose for a retreat is to take our students out of their normal lives and immerse them in and experience which offers completely new spiritual experiences in a safe and gentle environment. I believe that the retreat process can teach people how to relax and let go in ways that they cannot do in their normal life. From that perspective we can allow them to be grounded and more clear abnormal distractions so they can feel the heart consciousness of the source in a supportive and protected place. This can help enormously to speed up the process of learning to focus, meditate, manage stress and anxiety, and participate in a higher spiritual consciousness. The controlled environment can allow them to be nurtured and so Blossom in ways not available to them while they are at home. The community of the retreat offers a special environment of support and accountability that is unique. They can gain the perspective as they feel other participants gain the insight and new awareness that will happen in this experience. By sharing with the others of this small close-knit community, the growth will not only be faster but more powerful and so the impact on their lives has the potential of being much greater

In the retreat process, the participants will be given tools that they can take away with them and techniques that will anchor the most positive results to their bodies and into their lives. As an example, the experience of letting go fully in deeply can be achieved in a controlled retreat experience in ways that they could not get at home or on their own. This will give them perspective as they go to ground, meditate, and focus on their goals and purpose in their day-to-day lives.

They can be linked to other participants who have grown during this experience and shared the higher consciousness potential so that they may be accountability partners as they move back into their normal lives. This type of support can be crucial to maintaining the advances that they've made in the retreat process and to move forward on their targeted goals into the future. The potential impact of the retreats on our participants can be substantially greater than by participating in conference calls, mastermind groups, and large group trainings.


41: Finding Time… Making Time for Consciousness raising activities (and process…)
The commitment to developing higher consciousness does require time and effort. Just the practice of daily meditation and internal focus can require a discipline that many people are too distracted to use. It is imperative to get our participants to truly commit to their goal of finding higher consciousness and moving step-by-step to accomplish their purpose. For this reason, participants need to make time in their lives to practice the exercises and techniques that are offered by the Masters of the journey community trainings. There is a whole skill set involved with making time. To carve time out of an already busy schedule is easier said than done. Having accountability partners such as the ones found in mastermind groups can help people to remain focused on the new activities and exercises that they have committed to use. It is easy to get discouraged and to move away from the commitment of time and effort to move towards higher consciousness. Accountability and support will help many people to achieve their goals when the challenges get difficult.

We may have to offer time management techniques to help create the space in one's lives for these new exercises. We may have to examine their larger purpose to get the commitment to focus on doing these new exercises. If the reason for developing their spiritual consciousness is strong enough it may prove easier to follow through on commitment.

42: Committing to live for Higher Consciousness or just testing the water? Living It!
What is the value of changing your life to live with higher consciousness and spiritual growth? This commitment is easier said than done. Helping our participants find their true calling, their value, and their deeper purpose will aid these people in staying true to their course. It is not enough to speak about higher consciousness, think about it, or simply visualize it. They have to make the plan, follow through, and live their commitment to higher consciousness. Partners in accountability will help to keep people on track with their commitment. Some people will take to this kind of support readily and some will find ways to resist and obstruct this kind of support. Perhaps just having had the experience of awareness or insight will be enough for them to change their lives but more of our participants will have greater benefit by truly living the principles on a regular daily basis. We will offer training and techniques that will help them to realize that the commitment has value and ways that they can incorporate these new exercises and techniques into their normal lives. I believe that we have a greater chance of success by having our participants get as deeply involved in the process as they possibly can which may include coming on live webinars and conference calls, coming to trainings, and participating in the retreat process.

43: Aging: the value of different generations and the way we look at things (perspective…)

44: Youth vs Old – erasing the fear of trying something new… (“Stuck in habits” lessons of youth vs the Wisdom of Aging (when appropriate))

45: Drama vs Mundane Balance

46: Conscious vs unconsciousness: creating skills for awareness

47: Power of Healthy Role Models and where to find them…

48: *** Unconditional Love

49: The “Source” of Consciousness (Free to be all places & have all knowledge/wisdom. (Heaven between lives) (The Glass Bead Game, Hesse)
In my reading of Herman Hesse's, the glass bead game, it was my interpretation that the glass bead game itself was an attempt to learn about a subject so well, so completely, that you can see its connection with all other information and wisdom. By being on the surface of the sphere of information and learning about one thing so completely, the player would descend to the very core of the sphere, also potentially called the Source, and so be able to look in every direction and bask in the wisdom of being in the Source.

The Source is my definition of that place of higher consciousness that we go to between incarnations. It's energy is infinite. The wisdom and knowledge are infinite. And you bask in the brilliance of unconditional love that warms you and heals you. Some people would call the source God or the creator or by some other name. I am more comfortable calling it the Source because it is all-encompassing and has less baggage attached to it as a word. It is very hard to understand or describe and foremost human beings it would be impossible to fully appreciate its full extent. The unnamed bodied spirit is not constricted by time or space. It can be everywhere and anywhere at once. It is not limited by two or even three dimensions. The feeling that people have when they are basking in the light and energy of the Source maybe some people's definition of heaven, or maybe even better. “It is even bigger and better than you can ever imagine.” This is a quote from my wife Barbara given to me through an intuitive, psychic whom I met in Tucson Arizona one year after my wife passed away. It was a gut wrenching experience but it felt so true and so honest that I took it to heart. It is not uncommon that this is reported by people who had near-death experience and who have been resuscitated and brought back to life. Their feeling or image of what the” other side” is like is fairly consistent and has the effect of removing the fear and anxiety around death and dying from the people who have experienced the acceptance and beauty of unconditional love that they have experienced in their visitation to the Source. You can read many descriptions of this in Moody's book, Life After Life, or in reading Ken Ring’s research from the interviews with people who have had near-death experiences.

50: Pets – Pet therapy – unconditional acceptance

51: “Knowing” (#28) & acting on feelings (Intuition)

52: Overcoming Depression and lethargy

53: Gratitude and Appreciation

54: Trust and trusting

55: Integrity & Living in Integrity

56: Power of Anger – Motivation to Change

57: Vigilance – Promise to continue learning and growing

58: Looking to the Horizon (not just watching every foot fall (Step))

59: Know YOUR “Role” (Appreciate your role and place in the “River of Life”)

60: Silence – Looking Inward (A word fast)

61: Dyads and Triads – Power of intense interactions in Group Process (from acceptance/trust)

62: Pendulum use and Kinesiology

63: Social Media and Internet for consciousness raising for people “stuck” in their homes/place…???