Love, love, love?

I have been away from this blog for about two months, just figuring things out, and I have had some amazing discoveries! Most important, I have been enjoying my life-creating things I want-and finding the peace, love, friendship, and prosperity that I have always wanted.

In fact-my two month journey has been so inspiring to me that I am working on two seperate projects. One is a fictional book, and the other is a handbook about creating what you want.

The handbook is fun to write, and inspiration, and is actually being written on post it's at the moment so the ideas can move around easier! Its great!

One note....I think that two months ago, my "spiritual" journey changed dramatically when I challenged myself for one month to answer this question "HOW CAN I LOVE EVERYONE UNCONDITIONALLY?"

Thought Clouds:Loving My Neighbor

I just got back from a week long trip to southern California. What a treat-it was cold (which I love) there was snow on the mountains (which was beautiful) and I was able to meet alot of amazing people.


While I was on the trip, I was able to read some of Byron Katie's book, A Thousand Names for Joy (yes it takes me awhile to read sometimes-its been about a month). One of the paragraphs in the book stuck out to me like a big red thumb. It touched me, and it might touch some of you. Enjoy.


" 'Love thy neighbor as thyself.' I always have: I hated me, I hated you. Today I love me, and there is nothing I can do not to love you"


I love this quote. I mean, think of a time when you just really loved being around a person you usually see. Think of it, imagine it. You loved them, you loved yourself, you loved everything around you. Now think of a time you were around the same person, and you couldn't stand them-chances are you couldn't stand them, yourself, or anything around you.


Loving people has everything to do with you. Do you love yourself today? Chances are if you do you not only love yourself but you love everyone around you, you can enjoy the people around you. Do you hate yourself today? Chances are you hate everyone around you, including you, because it always starts with you. I love me. I love you. That's the way it works.

Quickie: A Thousand Names for Joy

When I like something, I like it alot! I wont drop the subject until I'm tired of hearing about it. Well what I like right now is Byron Katie, I'm hooked! I love doing The Work, I love questioning my thoughts now, and I like the fact that I feel so free, and that The Work constantly brings me back to the moment-to reality.

Now I've stumbled upon another Byron Katie book called A Thousand Names for Joy by listening to an interview with her and her husband. I like the idea of the book because it gives you an ever day account of what it is like to live in Byron Katie's world. What is it like to live in the now, and love everything that is? Well this book will show you.

It is Katie's response to parts of the Tao Te Ching, which I tried to read but couldn't do it. I thought that this book sounded so interesting that I went to the library to read it (I couldn't check out it because something was wrong with my card). And so far, I love it, even though i only read about ten pages. I like that it has examples from Katie's own life.

As soon as I can, I will check this book out from the library!

Loving What Is: Why I'm Learning Why People Are Raving About the Book

About a month ago I purchased Loving What Is on a whim (aren't those always the best choices). Well, I'm glad to say that it was money well spent because this book has four questions that will challenge the thoughts that cause you suffering, and in turn will change your life-or at least it did for me.

****This work is so wonderful, transformative, and amazing! So of course I automatically wanted to try it on my boyfriend who is usually tangled in his thoughts (well so am I). I never got through the questions on the two different occasions I did try because I ended up getting yelled at and attacked (not physically, just emotionally) each time I tried The Work on him. So its important to remember: The Work is only for people who are ready for it, who are ready to bring their demons out of the closet because they are tired of their suffering and they want peace or something of the sort. I learned my lesson! ****

So here is a quick overview:

• Our attachment to our thoughts cause us suffering. It is not the thought that is harming us, but the fact that we believe in the thought.
• Some thoughts make you feel good, while other thoughts make you feel bad
• By challenging each thought that causes us to suffer (stress, anxiety, sadness, panic, unwillingness, guilt etc.) we can find that another reality can exist outside of the thoughts that make us feel bad, it helps us tell a different story, it helps us destroy the prisons in our minds-and this book teaches us how to do it, and very simply at that.

But before we can start off with the four questions that will begin to give relief and peace of mind, make at least one statement about someone else, or even yourself that has been a cause of suffering. Ex., I hate it when John doesn't take me seriously. Now we're ready for the four questions!

The four Questions Are:

• Is it true?
• Can I absolutely know that its true?
• How do I react when I think the thought?
• Where would I be without the thought?
• (then comes the turnaround, where you take your original statement and turn it around on yourself. Ex., I hate it when John doesn't take me seriously becomes I hate it when I don't take myself seriously)

Later I will put an example up of one of my own statements and turnaround. So far the questions have been changing my life and I'm very interested in reading her other book, A Thousand Names for Joy.

The website http://www.thework.com/ is full of video's of the seminars with Byron Katie and normal people who are there to transform there life and end their suffering, it is also gives you all the information you need about the work, as well as helpful worksheets to aide you for free! Also http://www.katiebyron.com/ is Katie's blog which is full of little goodies that aren't on the website, like letters people right her about their changes, their own turnarounds, and even snippets from Katie's life and insights.

Reading New Books: Loving What Is

Byron Katie. I first heard about this woman from a friends, boyfriends mom while on vacation at their house a couple of states away. I'd already been reading plenty of books (A New Earth, The Power of Now, Stillness Speaks, Ask and it is Given, Law of Attraction, Think and Grow Rich etc.) and then someone mentioned Byron Katie.

Apparently she is fantastic! Her "work" literally in this case because what she does is called "the work" transforms lives. In fact, The Work is so effective that it is being taught all over the world, and even throughout denominations! Whoa! So of course I was interested, but not interested enough to actually buy it, or read it while I was on vacation at this wonderful house that had all sorts of wonderful spiritual books sitting on their bookcase.

Loving What Is never really jumped out at to me, even after I found out Oprah read the book and loved it (and I really do love Oprah). In fact for 5 months I never wanted to read this book, but then yesterday something in my mind sparked "I gotta read Loving What Is" while I was in route of going to get a super steak burrito.

I went an hour out of the way to go to Borders and pick up Byron Katie's book-so far, so good. I'm only on page six (I know its not really far enough to say I love the book) but its far enough for me to know why I felt drawn to the book, because it's the same reason why I felt motivated to do yoga, meditation, and tea for a week.

I was tired of my thoughts, of feeling stressed out- i wanted to learn how to be okay with being by myself, to feel good, to feel free and independent, and this is what "Loving What Is" is all about.

Empowering yourself, and feeling the love within yourself, and realizing that your freedom begins inside of you.

And I knew that-but it is always nice to read a book sometimes, and listen to others stories and see them become uplifted. Byron Katie is the epitome of what I would love to be one day, filled with love and joy, and not resisting what is-wouldn't that be nice? This is why I am doing Meditation and Yoga-to find my peace, to love what is!

I will update later about the book as I read more, and especially when I finish. The link below links to YouTube.com where you can find video's on Byron Katie's The Work. I actually looked at a few of the video's prior to buying the book.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8vLJazT08o