Ice cream or Church?

For those experiencing the ‘living loss’ of a loved one to Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, finding moments of happiness can be far and in between. Yet when you keep your eyes, ears and heart open you can sometimes be touched by a moment that allows you to share a smile which is all you need to raise everyone spirits.
My friend Mary’s visit with her grandmother provided such a moment for all those who had gathered to celebrate the ailing matriarchs 92nd birthday. Although grandma was dressed in her pajamas and only somewhat aware of why everyone was there and who they actually were, a question fostered in confusion allowed everyone to share a smile.

As recounted to me, a conversation between Mary’s mother and Mary’s grandmother went like this:

Grandma: “Shouldn’t we be going”
Mom: “Where, Mother?”
Grandma: “Home, to church.”
Mom: “We aren’t going to church tonight.”
Grandma: “Oh, okay, Let’s go get ice cream then.”

The innocence of the moment made everyone laugh.

When the story was told to me, it jarred a memory of a teaching of Dr. Hew Len. He has taught that vanilla ice cream is a ‘spiritual’ tool. According to a message he received in meditation, eating vanilla ice cream is an opportunity to connect with God and erase memories of past mis-steps in life.

I remember when I first learned of Dr. Hew Len’s ice cream tool. I thought it was as wacky as anything I had heard. Then I noticed something. Every time I eat ice cream – and I am a vanilla ice cream eater – I think of Dr. Hew Len’s teaching, and after I smile, I realize I am thinking of my connection with God. Wacky or not, it does have the same effect as going to church!

Guess we should watch who we think is suffering dementia and who has odd teachings. Everyone has something they can teach us when we are willing to learn. What we think is 'loss' may not be a loss at all.

Happy learning. Thank you.
Andrea T. Goeglein, PhD
www.facebook.com/DrSuccessPhD
www.Youtube.com/user/ServingSuccess
1 866 975 3777

Independence Day

Personal growth and self-awareness is my true Independence Day.  The freedom personal discovery can deliver is something I hope we all celebrate every day.

No matter how many credentials  and experience I have in the field of the psychology of personal growth, I am always humbled when I have what I call a 'next-level' learning.  Such a learning took place last night during a conversation with a friend. 

This morning, I wrote this email to someone I love very much.

I want to apologize.



I have been doing a lot of personal growth for which the planning of this event is only a superficial catalyst.


Last night in a conversation with a friend, when she was saying she does not like drama in her life, I spontaneously said:


“What I have come to appreciate is I say I don’t want drama in my life, but what I mean is that as long as you do everything the way I want it done, there will be no drama.”


I love you both
I am sorry
Please forgive me
Thank You.

Carl Jung supposedly stated,  "Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves."  My challenge to you is to notice those things that you say you are not, don't like, don't want, and see if how you live your life is in alignment with the statement you are making.  Make everyday a celebration of your freedom. 
 
Happy growth,
Andrea T. Goeglein, PhD
DrSuccess@ServingSuccess.com
866 975 3777 Toll Free
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Unexpected Teachers Part II

In my last post, I challenged you to spend a week saying four simple phrases as you engaged in all your activities and encountered all the people, places and things that crossed your path. I told you I would share how using this process has impacted my life.

First I want to tell you about the book Dana suggested that got this whole process moving. It is ZeroLimits by Joe Vitale and Hew Len, Ph.D. I did not know Dr. Len or his work prior to reading the book. I had encountered Joe Vitale and his work over the years and put him neatly into my “he is not my teacher” category. After reading ZeroLimits, I own that my reaction to what I would call “spiritual marketing techniques” is totally some memory playing out in my subconscious. Now each time I feel a need to refer to Joe, or anyone else for that matter, as “not my teacher”, I repeat the four suggested phrases: I love you, I am sorry, please forgive me, and thank you. I have learned a lot from this process.

1. I have learned that I have a new way of noticing when I am judging someone or something and a new technique to clear my judgment and align more with my spirit and my God.

2. I have been attempting to develop a way of marketing that allows me to feel good about the material I present, allow others to access the information without feeling manipulated, and still make a profit from doing what I love to do. ZeroLimits showed me ways to do just that. By noticing what rubbed me wrong, stopping and clearing the thoughts by replacing with the four phrases, I was able to see not what I did like, but how I could present my material. And I really like sending love to someone instead of feeling judgmental toward them. Reminds me a lot of the concept of unconditional love. You don’t have to agree with someone, you just have to love them.
3. I learned that like all personal development, sending love instead of passing judgment is a lifelong task.

Most of all, I came across information in ZeroLimits that helped me clarify for myself something that has troubled me most my life. From the point of my religious training, your only purpose is to love God. Since God is in everyone, I was to love everyone. I could never get it. I could not see how I was supposed to love God before my love of my child, or my husband, or my parents. I would always say the people must come first. Through this and other books, I have come to understand that when I focus only on cleaning my relationship with God through loving everyone, I have actually put God first and put the people in my life first. There is no separation other than the separation I created in my mind. My love of and for God and others is no longer a hierarchy putting one person ahead of or behind God but my infinite actions based in love.

Most of all what I learned was that I must remain open to the teaching which come through expected teachers.

With appreciation and love, Andrea
www.ServingSuccess.com
http://twitter.com/drsuccess
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