Lesson:  Take time to savor the joy, the miracle that a baby brings to one’s condo, to one‘s life.

The Big Smile that Lightens One's Load

Baby Harvey came to visit on March 12th and has not left. It has been two weeks and one day since then; and his progress has been remarkable, as follows:

1.  When he came, he could hardly carry his big head.  In a few days, he can lift it up.  Now he also moves it from side and side.
2.  Where before, he could not move his body on one side, now he can turn to either to his left or to his right.
3.  One time, while on bed, he slowly turned to his right side and attempted to lie on his stomach. He kept at it until he could not do it and cried because he was lying on his right arm.  He did not know how to get it out of his way.  But my! The tremendous effort he exerted to succeed in what he was trying to do was admirable.  The succeeding days, he kept trying to repeat the process.  Sometimes, he succeeded; at other times, not; so he had to stop.  Such remarkable effort to succeed reminds DrBL of the tendency of all of us humans–from babies to adults to senior citizens–to work towards growth.  This baby is doing what he can.  For DrBL, the baby shows the hunger of all of us humans to express life to its fullest.
4.  DrBL talks to him in English.  He looks at her as if he understands that she is saying.
5.  He looks intently at the TV when it is on–as if he is really watching any program that is on.
6.  When somebody holds him, he becomes very quiet.  Is he showing contentment over being held and, therefore, feels loved?
7.  He is quiet when he is well fed, well rested, and clean.  After sometime, he cries for attention.  He wants someone to talk to him!
8. Everyone who comes to the house is immediately drawn to him.  He loves the attention that he gets.
9. DrBL sings to him and teaches him to lift his right leg up as she sings. As she does this on a regular basis, he learns the technique.  Now he lifts his left when he sees her beside him. Ah! The things you can teach a child!

Baby Harvey is joy and innocence to the nth degree! We are blessed to have him in our lives.

Lesson:  Amid life’s busy schedules, let us take time to laugh.

Dr. Beth Leilani Mercado, with Josie Melcher, facilitating a "laff session" in Boca Raton, Florida

Dance for Joy

Be the joy that you are!

With her private life now manageable, Dr. Beth Leilani Mercado can attend to one of her favorite activities: facilitating laughter sessions. She has facilitated such sessions in America–California, Michigan, and Florida– in Ottawa, Canada, and in the Philippines. She finds that people every where love to laugh. The sessions are well received by majority of the participants.

Considering that the first Sunday of May is celebrated as World Laughter Day, she is now making plans to do this celebration in the Philippines. Last year, she did this in Escanaba, Michigan, with the capable assistance from Maggie Nelson, a radio personality in Escanaba. There were more than 60 people in attendance.

In addition to the laughter activity, she also includes a segment on removing blocks to joy, affirmations for letting go, and making daily choices for joy.

Take time to be silly. Just laugh!

Lesson: Time and time again, let us remember that miracles are possible. Again, if we are open, aware, receptive, and grateful for them.

Miracles are possible. Image from the Internet.

Time and time again, Dr. Beth Leilani (DrBL) realizes that life is full of miracles. Most recent ones are:
1. She is fond of taking pictures with her digital camera. All of a sudden, the camera was malfunctioning. She kept looking for the solution. The easy way out was for the camera to be formatted, which will mean losing all the pictures in the image card. She kept saying, “I need a miracle.” Finally, after going to different places, talking to a number of people, she found a place that could retrieve the shots in the card. My!
2. Throughout her career as a speaker, class and workshop facilitator, holistic counselor, DrBL has been her own public relations person. Her work has been featured in U. S. papers. Furthermore, she has been featured in a number of newspapers. Now in her new place in the land of her birth, she has a PR (Public Relations) person. Who? The beautiful and charming, Marikit Figueras! Through Ms. Figueras, plans are underway for DrBL’s mission and work to be popularized in the land of her birth.

Lesson:  Let us take time to express our thanks for untold blessings.

May this blog inspire you to be loving, peaceful, and joyful.

Many of you, my readers have taken the time to send me their comments–mostly positive–about certain posts that appeal to them. Examples of the most recent ones are:
** “Valuable info. Lucky me I found your site by accident, I bookmarked it.”
**”You seem to be very professional in the way you write.”

I am grateful.  In addition,a number of you has sent tips for improvement.  Such kind acts inspire me to keep on doing what I am doing.  It shows me that I am on the right track.

For those with comments or questions about the technical aspect of the blog, please click on “Contact us,” which will take you directly to our tech consultant, Violet Mercado.

Again, thanks to all of you who make this “blog endeavor” worthwhile.  If I touch one soul, one heart, one mind, my mission is accomplished. What is my mission? To teach, to inspire, to empower, and to heal.  In so doing, my efforts add a positive voice in the internet world–for that matter, the world in general. What do I teach?  As you may know by now, I am passionate about the positive way of life and positive spirituality.  This is what I teach.

Lesson:  While “absent from the blog,” DrBL took the time to complete some readings. Another interesting one is “Prosperity’s Ten Commandments,” by Georgina Tree West, which validates some of DrBL’s ideas about prosperity.

The Good Life entails abundant fruits and rich harvests.

This reminds DrBL of one of her writings, “Modern Commandments for the Good Life,” appearing on pages 136-137 of “Whispers of the Soul.”  It is shown below.

Modern Commandments for the Good Life

1.  Spiritual Anchor
Thou shall have a spiritual anchor, which will serve as  your Guide and support during your earthly existence.

2.  Vacuum
Thou shall create a vacuum for your good to come in, doing the necessary cleansing and weeding─inner and outer.

3.  Environment
Thou shall surround yourself with people, things, and ideas that empower, enrich, and inspire you.

4.  Acceptance
Thou shall accept that you are a capable citizen of the Universe, heir to its riches; and that you are human.  As a human being, you have emotions that you neither negate nor discount but acknowledge.  Thou shall confer to your fellow humans the same kind of acceptance.

5.  Focus
Thou shall focus on love and other forms of positiveness─joy and laughter, praise and thanksgiving, peace and contentment, health and energy, abundance and successes–no matter how seemingly small such form may appear to be.

6.  Life’s Purpose
Thou shall discover and accomplish your life’s purpose, mission, or work, the doing of which makes your heart sing and leaves you energized.

7.  Openness
Thou shall be open to the fullness of life that is blossoming within, and outside of, you.

8.  Fun and Quietude
Thou shall take regular respites from your daily routines, setting aside special times for fun and for quietude.

9.  Power of Choice
Thou shall recognize that you do have the power of choice to be or not to be, to do or not to do, to have or not to have.  Choice is your divine inheritance.

10.  Faith
Thou shall have an unwavering faith that “this too shall come to pass” when events take you away from the good life that you deserve.

Once addiction of whatever kind is cured, we can fly again, as free and as colorful as a butterfly. Image from the internet.

Lesson: While “absent from the blog,” I came across a book that carries a powerful message about curing any addiction–to alcohol, drugs, or other substances used to either numb one’s feelings or heighten them.

What is the book?  What is the cure?  The book: “The Alcoholism and Addiction Cure” by Chris Prentiss.  The cure:  Find the cause behind the use of the alcohol, drugs or any substance used.  Once the root cause of the drinking or addiction problem is found, it can be addressed. The solution can then be administered.  It sounds simple but not really. The whole healing process entails a holistic approach–taking into account the mind, body, heart, and soul.  To complete the process, clients are advised to develop a personal philosophy that will their guide them as they venture out into the world again of non-substance users.  C. Prentiss says, “Addictions are merely symptoms of underlying conditions.  Once you discover what your underlying conditions are and heal them, your addiction will disappear. . . .

When you discover what is really causing your addiction and heal it, your cravings will cease and you will be able to effortlessly stop.  We are hearing that from people from all over the United States and from other countries as well.  You can do it too,” (page 184).

Indeed, Chris Prentiss advocates a new paradigm in the healing of addictions.  More power to him.  More can be said about this; but for now, the above will suffice.

Lesson:  According to a metaphysical principle, whatever we focus on increases.

This is true.  After writing about taking time to honor a loved one, I came across this tribute.  This word, “Awesome!”  is enough to express my admiration for this young person and his patient father.  Please see for yourself.  Please click on this link:

www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=9xwCG0Ey2Mg<http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=9xwCG0Ey2Mg>

(If the link does not work, please copy the it on your address bar.)  DrBL tried to do it several times, to no avail.  It is much too precious for the reader not to try doing it on his/her own.

Indeed, the world is full of amazing humans like you and me.

Lighted Candle for J's Glorious Future

Lesson:  Let us take time to honor a loved one.  The time we spend in  doing so results in tremendous rewards not only for the recipient but to also for us.

Such honor can be done through a letter, an example of which is shown below.

Dear J__,

I have been wanting to write to you since you turned 14.  Now that I am about to leave for a prolonged absence, I need to sit down and share with you my thoughts about you.  For ease of reading, let me just list below these ideas that have been percolating in my mind.

1. Your Greatness and Wonder

Before you were born, I saw your mom’s stomach big with you in it.   Then you got out of the confinement of that environment.  You were born.  I was newly married to “that guy,” so I felt that you are also my baby.  What a cute and happy baby you were!  And smart at a very young age.  Your mother introduced you to many things, which I believe help you develop and mature faster than those in your age group.  You knew the alphabet when you were three years old.  (I do not know the exact age that you did this, but I know that you were very young then.) During those baby years, people (especially me) derived tremendous pleasure in seeing you and talking to you.  By the way, during those years, your mom had very good income coming in, so there were always parties in your behalf, especially on your birthdays.  Your mom left no stone unturned to make this enjoyable for you and everyone present.

Through the years, I made it a point to visit you when I could.

When you were in grade school, I was your guest during the awards ceremony for bright kids.  You were one of the awardees.  Someone asked you as to why you were very smart.  Your reply was that you were surrounded by smart women.

And you are still as bright as ever.  And multi-talented at that.  Helpful and considerate also.  God has blessed you with looks, brains, and character.  Please value these gifts and share them with those around you.

Sure, you have your faults; but once you are aware of them, you put into action steps that will help you correct them.  Like the procrastination that you were working on.  This is admirable: that you have the wisdom and awareness to take it upon yourself to lessen, if not altogether eliminate, this flaw.

2.  Your Assets

As mentioned above, you have those attributes and much more:

• Intelligent—Now that A’s are common occurrence for you, you are now on getting A+’s.
• Multi-talented: singing, writing, acting, and dancing
• Kind, considerate, and helpful—You are always like this with me whenever I stay with you.
• Efficient—You do not do a haphazard work.  When you do something, you do it at your best—whether it be cleaning or doing a project for your studies.
• Aware—Most often, you are aware of what or where you can do better.

3.  What You can Improve on:

I know that you are aware of what you can improve on, but let me add my ideas:

• Helping around the house without anybody asking you to help.
• Disciplining yourself to do your homework first before watching your favorite show or playing your game.  This will solve many of your challenges, especially lack of sleep and waking up at the right time, with enough minutes for you to have breakfast before going to school.
• On a regular basis, going to bed on time.  I suggest that you have 10 hours of sleep, at least.  Your body is still growing, and it needs enough time for the growing process to complete itself until you become an adult.
• Setting aside regular times for prayers and meditation.  One time, you told me that you know the importance of prayers.
• Few times a month—if not every Sunday–attending a worship service in a church.  People in churches you attend can be sources of support for you during the happy and rough times.
• Opening a bank account in your name. Making deposits on a regular basis.
• Down the line, asking your mom to help you invest the money.  At your age, this is very beneficial. Time is on your side and to your advantage.  It will teach you to be frugal or thrifty.  You will learn not to buy things that you do not really need.  This will leave you with money for your savings.
• Being aware that your body is straight, either sitting down or standing up.  In other words, do not slouch.  A good posture is a must for your health.
• Being aware—always—that you are a child of God and that you are wonderful just the way you are.

Affirmations you can make use of:

• When you are feeling insecure and afraid: “Nothing but good  can come to me.  Nothing but good can come from me.”

These are merely examples of affirmation that can counteract any negative thought or negative feeling that you may be having at any given time.

J__, do you know that I am the one who started calling you with this nickname?  Because in my eyes, you are truly a gem.  I know that you will live up to such a wonderful nickname.

Please know that I am always around for you to share with or email to or talk withybe, through Skype).

I love you and pray for the realization of the exciting life that is waiting to unfold for you.

Love,

Incidentally, the young man being honored here is the one singing in the featured video in this site.  Please check it out!  You will be pleasantly surprised.

Lesson:  Giving voice to certain sentiments about the past will help release them.

Giving Voice to Certain Sentiments about the Past

Certain parts of the past keep appearing in  DrBL’s consciousness.  As she brushes them off, the more they come back.  Now she decides to give them a voice.  Having the attention that they need, they will go away.  So here are the sentiments.

Questions that Need No Answers

Do you ever think of the beautiful moments we experienced together?  Is there a remaining soft spot in your heart for me?  Or are these moments and spot completely obliterated by third parties’ voices who know nothing about the beautiful way we started on the road to love?  Knowing only of the unfounded  “negatives” about our relationship that they choose to believe in and hold on to?

We started our relationship with just the two of us getting together–meaning, no third party involved–with the Divine as our Guide for our getting together.  Yet when we split, many parties–especially your lawyer and your daughters–were in the picture.  Why?  Couldn’t have we just sat down together and arrived at compromises that were beneficial for both of us, without the “poisons” poisoning what used to be a pure relationship?  I thought we were different from the norm.  After all, we took time to heal ourselves from the damages of past relationships–you for a decade; and me, for sixteen years.  When did we start losing the magic that I thought was there?

Do I even enter the movie screen of your mind–during your quiet moments or in your dreams?

I bless, release, and let go of this failed relationship.  We were together for a reason and for a season.

Now, it is time to move on.  Most recently, I have been feeling the need for my cosmic beloved in human form.  This means that complete and total healing is finally here.  Pretty soon, you will not even be a part of my memories.  No more pain.  No more regrets. No more questions.  Just part of the past that is no more.  Alleluia!

Lesson:  The path may be filled with wonders and miracles but there are also challenges that want our attention.  As we give them the attention that they need, they lose their hold on us.  Let us learn from the lessons they bring.  Then release them, and let them go.

The Miracle that Makes the Challenges Easy to Deal with

1.  Loneliness: During the flight from the U. S. to Asia, Dr. Beth Leilani (DrBL) feels the pain of loneliness.  She writes, “I do not have a home or a country or a beloved.”  After some time, she continues, “The Universe is my home.  The World is my country.  The Loving Presence is my cosmic beloved.”  She allows the tears to fall, tears for all the pains and the frustrations over her American Odyssey.  She says that she needs to let them all out. She blesses her experiences, pronouncing them good. Then she can move on; and once again, starts traveling the Path of Miracles and Wonders (PMW).   Amid the noise within her, she says, “Be still my soul; be still.”

She derives comfort from two sayings:  From Seneca, a Roman philosopher who lived in the first century, A. D.:  “Gold is  tempered by fire; brave men, by adversity.”  Joseph Campbell: “Where you stumble, there lies your treasure.”

Most recently, she has started feeling the need for a beloved, saying that she needs the cosmic beloved in human form.  This means that healing is almost complete.  Praise God!

2.  The Past: As some parts of the past still comes–once in a while–DrBL continually does the purification and cleansing process:  “Let all impurities in my soul,mind,  body, and heart be swept away–completely.  Let the past be gone, forgotten, and forgiven–forever.  For any remaining memory of pain and loneliness, let it be transformed into positive energy that blesses and heals my world and me.  Let there be forgiveness in my heart for all concerned, including me.  When any tinge of loneliness comes, let me remember of my oneness with the Infinite; and I become whole again.”

As she walks around the garden fronting her condo, she affirms, “With the past gone, I am starting with a clean slate.  I feel, see, hear, and touch the newness of life as it happens.  It is done.  It is so.  I am grateful.”

Definitely, we are back on track.  Thank you for your patience.  How about joining us on this Path of Miracles and Wonders, sharing with us such miracles and wonders, along with the challenges you encounter on the path?  How about it?