A Funny Thing Happened On My Way to a Life Purpose

Thank you to More To Life Magazine for a beautiful spread in their Winter 2011 Edition! My article, A Funny Thing Happened on My Way To a Life Purpose, never looked so good! (You can have access to the digital edition just by subscribing for it!)
http://www.moretolifemag.co.uk/ 


Also, thank you to Wisdom Magazine for publishing my article in their December 2011 Webzine! 
http://www.wisdom-magazine.com/Article.aspx/2506/

Many thanks and blessings, Gina

Book Signing 11/21/11 - 7-8 PM Pleasant Valley, NY

Pleasant Valley Free Library
1584 Main St
Pleasant Valley, NY 12569
Discounted books will be available. Partial proceeds go to benefit the Pleasant Valley Library.
Come join us for an engaging metaphysical discussion, Q&A and refreshments! 

Video Trailer for the book, SHIFT HAPPENS

Visit GinaCharlesTV for more videos!

I'll Meet You There ...

WHEN:  Saturday, October 22nd, 2011 at 2:00 P.M.

WHERE:  Barnes & Noble Booksellers - Poughkeepsie, NY
2518 South Road
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
845-485-2224

See A Map - Get Driving Directions

The Real Law of Attraction

The Real Law of Attraction, Article by Gina Charles
As seen in Spirit Magazine, August 2011

Why Isn't This Working?

Let’s talk about the concept, or the Universal Law, that our life experiences are a reflection of the thoughts and beliefs that we hold on the inside of ourselves. What we think and believe on the inside is projected outward into what we call our life experiences. It’s like a mirror of sorts. Why is it like this? To give us the opportunity to see where we can grow, empower and free ourselves. 

With this mirror concept in mind I could see what a futile attempt it is to reach outside of myself to make any changes in my life. That would be like taking a hair brush and trying to brush the reflection of my hair that's in the mirror, and wondering why it's not working. The controls to this ride are on the inside. When I change something on the inside, something on the outside will change. 

Questioning our thoughts, unconditional acceptance, processing our emotions or being in the present moment, moves enough stuff around on the inside to yield the life of our dreams on the outside. 

Cleanliness Is Next To Happiness

I’m sure most of us have experienced times in our lives when we’re busier than usual, things seem to be mounting and we are feeling the pressure. When this happens we feel discomfort, to say the least.  Actually, recognizing the discomfort is a good thing. Yeesss, a good thing. It’s our sign post, our built in alarm. It’s a little tap on the shoulder to notice what’s really going on. 

What is really going on and how do I break this uncomfortable pattern? Well, I look at it like cleaning my house. Maintenance. It’s all about the maintenance. If I do a little cleaning here and there, I won’t find myself in dire straights.

I want to be sailing along smoothly. Here are a few things I’ve incorporated into my life for more of a smooth sail. First, I accept the isness of the situation. Then, I put myself on the to-do list. I practice checking in with myself during the day and asking how I’m feeling, or if there’s anything I can do for me - the same way I do for others. I question my thoughts, especially the ones that come right before a bad feeling. I practice noticing and thoroughly feeling my emotions as they arise in the silence of the moment. No thinking, just feeling. The emotion melts like an ice cube - and most times faster than that - and I’m free. Most importantly, I practice keeping that volume down in my head enough that I can hear/feel my inner Guidance. It’s a process, a practice. The pressure I feel inside is a result of not doing these things. 

When things seem to be piling up and the pressure mounts on the outside of us - it’s because things are pent up, piled up and the pressure is mounting on the inside of us. It’s the very reason we’re having those types of overwhelming life experiences in the first place. What’s inside, is outside.

Doing these things for ourselves, a little bit everyday, is maintenance. You can’t get across town in a car with an empty tank. Connect with yourself on a daily basis, without judgement. Plug yourself in. 

Alleviate the pressure on the inside, and the pressure on the outside will disappear. 

Asleep At The Wheel?

Sometimes things seem complicated. The Truth is always simple. In this world there is only Consciousness and unconsciousness. This is the simplistic bottom line. 

I am Consciousness, housed in a body, using a thinking mind. I am not my body or my thinking mind. I use my mind to carry out technical tasks. Well, if that’s all I did with my mind, life would be easy and effortless. Things get sticky because as we have our life experiences, the filter that is the thinking mind is labeling and judging. The mind is constantly contemplating and making decisions. This is not the mind’s job. This is where we veer off our road into rough terrain. 

When I become immersed in my thoughts, I’m unconscious. I’m no longer using the mind as the tool it was meant to be. The tool is now using me. In believing my thoughts without question, comes the inherent and perpetual possibility of discomfort or suffering. This is unconsciousness. It’s like swimming with sharks. You may have a great uninterrupted swim and in the very next moment you may get a limb ripped off. 

The first step I practice is to notice my thoughts. When I notice the thinking mind as the Observer, I free myself. I wake up. My second step is practicing silence, or no thinking. If I can do it for just two or three seconds, this means I can do it. The more I practice this, the easier the practice, and life itself, gets. 

Now, with my mind quiet, I have a much better chance of hearing my inner Guidance, or that which I am, Consciousness. From this place comes the inherent and perpetual possibility of experiencing my own heaven on earth, and as a by-product, a new world. 

Stay awake. Now let’s go have some fun. ;)

Look It In The Eye

One of the things we all have in common, and I mean all of us, is Fear. Fear, and the endless forms it takes, however illusionary. Fear, the thing we allow to rob us of our own wonderful life experiences. 

I know fear, in every form, is an illusion. Nevertheless, it’s part of my human experience. To get past it, I speak directly to it. 

Fear,  I am contracted with your subtle but constant pain and discomfort. I ask you, fear, to look me in the eye. I'm telling you that I know who I am. I know the deal. I want my gift, my lesson, my growth. Look at me, fear. Your discomfort and sometimes outright suffering will not deter me any longer. 

I will look at you, and feel you thoroughly. I will embrace you and hold you until you dissipate. And when you do, as you do, in your melting, I will absorb my realization, my expansion, my power and my freedom. I will have received your gift. I will have removed you as an obstacle from my path. 

So fear,  while you have the crappiest way of gift giving, I accept, and thank you. 

....Empower yourself. ;)

Hey, I'm Not a Doormat!

Did you ever feel like you were being taken advantage of? If you have, and it seems to have become a
pattern, .....that’s good! Yeah, good. Good because it’s a sign post...it’s a red flag....it’s like an alarm going off saying, “Look here! Look here! There’s something here for you."  What is it? It’s an Ah-ha moment, a realization, an empowerment. And these are the very things that free us. 

If I want the gift from these feel-bad situations, I’m going to want to see through to the Truth. I take an unbiased, honest look inside myself and see the isness of the situation. The what-is of a situation without the minds labels and judgements. And when I do, I find that somewhere along the line, I took advantage of myself. 

Maybe I said yes, when It would have made me much happier to say no. Maybe I accepted less than what was offered. Maybe I’m excessively critical of myself out of a fear of not being good enough. Maybe I did not set boundaries because I thought that would not be well received. Maybe I tried too hard to please others at my own expense. 

My feeling taken advantage of couldn’t have happened any other way. I couldn’t have an experience of being taken advantage of if I weren’t taking advantage of myself somewhere along the line. What’s in is out. What I feel and believe on the inside will be reflected outside of me in the experiences of my life. Why? This is God's, or the Universe’s way of letting us know that we can use a little polishing in the self-love and appreciation area, that’s all. And I'm sure grateful for that. 

Why don’t I see this on my own? The thinking mind gets in between and evaluates it, labels it, judges it....what it does is pretty much skews the Truth, the actual isness of it all. 

How can I make this situation better for myself? I can pay attention to me. If I want to get good at being good to me what I do is put my focus on what I think, what I like, what makes me happy.....and follow through. Not just put my focus on what others like, think or feel, but gift myself my own attention. A car doesn’t run on an empty tank, ya know. 

So this is what I do when I practice being good to myself. And when I’m good to myself, I will begin to experience everyone and everything else being good to me as well.

I'm Disconnected - Plug me in!

If I am (mentally) always over there - over there in what other’s think, feel, say, do or want, I’m not here, with myself. I’m not here to put my focus on what I think, feel, say, do or want. I have abandoned me. 

If I pay my Attention to what I feel, think, want and most importantly, what makes ME happy, then I can really experience life. How could I experience life if I’m always over there putting my focus on what others think, feel, say, do or want? I can’t. Then, I ultimately suffer.

First, I must be here with myself. I must learn to do this. I must get good at it. That’s the only way I will do what I’m longing to do...experience life....enjoy life - what I came here for. 

I will retrain myself to notice ME. If I’m always mentally over there pleasing and appeasing others, I have abandoned myself and ultimately my own happiness. I’m simply not here to have it. 

Being here (mentally) with myself and really experiencing the moments of my life, now enables me to share it with others. 

This was the feeling of disconnection. I was disconnected from myself.

Only in connecting with myself, can I connect with others. 

Only in connecting with myself, can I experience life. 

Today I will:  

-Notice me

-Be with me

-Care for me