Awaken the Genie Within

So Funny!

There's no doubt in my mind that the most ordinary, genuine people in the world can be the funniest.

If you're not feeling as joyful as you'd like to today, then I promise you, when you click on the link below and watch the video, you will feel joy throughout your soul. I watched it 3 times and couldn't stop laughing!

And as Milton Berle says:
Laughter is an instant vacation.

Give yourself a free vacation for a moment. You deserve it!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=AuT0Zf3kJX0

The Gift of a Broken Heart

When your heart has been broken it can feel like your world is crashing down around you. It can feel like you just might die from the pain. And although these two things may feel very real in the moment, there is something else to consider - a broken heart holds many gifts inviting you to unwrap them.

The gift of a broken heart gives you the ability to learn more about yourself.

The gift of a broken heart can show you how to best care for yourself and be cared for through the healing process.

The gift of a broken heart gives you the opportunity to experience courage - proving to yourself you can move forward and come out the other side stronger than before.

The gift of a broken heart helps you remove the layers that keep your authentic self from shining through.

The gift of a broken heart assists you in learning to be patient, gentle and loving with yourself.

The gift of a broken heart teaches you how to expand your heart when needing to be there for others in a compassionate way.

The gift of a broken heart can bring people together in a profound and powerful way.

The next time you experience a broken heart, perhaps remembering some of these gifts will ease the pain just enough, so you focus on what your Genie wants for you instead of listening to your Gremlin telling you what you don't want.

If there are other gifts of a broken heart you would like to share to help others, please do so by clicking on the comments link at the bottom of this blog.

Linda's new book; Stories To Awaken The Genie Within is now available!
Click here to learn more: www.awakenthegeniewithin.com/wisdombook/

Stories To Awaken The Genie Within

Some of you reading this will have already received the following announcement through my broadcast for my ezine subscribers.

Now I'm honored to announce it to others who are part of the Genie community as well, via my blog posts.

My new book, Stories To Awaken The Genie Within, is now available!

Do you need a little spiritual boost? Could your spiritual battery use a recharge? Are you ready to feed your heart, mind and soul?

I sure hope so, because that's exactly what's in store for you when you read my new wisdom book, Stories To Awaken The Genie Within.

"With this beautifully written, genuine and awakening guide, you will be led into pure authenticity in all areas of your life. I loved the wisdom shared and I believe you will love the results from the down-to-earth gems this mind and heart opening book will surely bring you."
~ Barbara Rose, Ph.D, Bestselling author of "If God Hears Me, I Want an Answer and "Stop Being the String Along."

"Linda Salazar's practical spiritual wisdom and brilliant, but gentle light, penetrate with ease in this collection of compelling anecdotes. Like a tin of delicious cookies, the format of the book gives you the choice to savor one bit at a time, or you can feast on it, with either experience being equally satisfying. This is a book you'll want to keep nearby so you can read it over and over again for the lovely energy and inspiration."
~ Julia Rogers Hamrick, author of "Recreating Eden"

Give yourself the gift of deeper insights to understand life's common circumstances with an enlightened perspective. Learn to break through the barriers that hold you back from living your ultimate.

"What a beautifully written 'Wisdom Journal,' lovingly guiding the reader through a journey to their own self-honesty, greater awakening and authenticity. Linda's real-life short stories are relevant, which bring clarity in the learning. She offers refreshing viewpoints into our daily life lessons and the deeper significance of our lives."
~ Sheryl Roush, Speaker, author of "Heart of a Woman"

To learn more about the book and purchase one or more copies click here:
www.awakenthegeniewithin.com/wisdombook/

And, of course, I invite you share this announcement with anyone you feel could use some inspiration and encouragement in their life!

Illusions

I believe, from the deepest part of my soul, that all of us have something to offer the world. Something that is uniquely ours. Something that comes more easily to us, than to someone else. And if we're willing to nurture it and help birth it, we give ourselves the opportunity feel fulfilled inside.

The problem is, for many people, they allow themselves to get caught up in the illusion of what stands before them. The following story, from the writings of Chuang-tse, illustrates what can happen when we allow our Gremlin to do the viewing instead of the Genie within.

An archer competing for a clay vessel shoots effortlessly, his skill and concentration unimpeded. If the prize is changed to a brass ornament, his hands begin to shake. If it changed to gold, he squints as if he were going blind. His abilities do not deteriorate, but his belief in them does, as he allows the supposed value of an external reward to cloud his vision.

I have no idea what you can bring to the world with your talent, but I invite you to take an honest look as to whether you've been holding yourself back because you let your Gremlin make your hands shake and eyes squint.

Who you are and what you're capable of doesn't change just because the stakes got higher.

 

It's About...Your Truth

In about a week my new book will be coming out which I'm very excited about. And with that said, the real work is about to begin - marketing it. Not my favorite thing in the world to do but I will persevere and do my very best because I believe in this book with all my heart and soul. I know it can make a difference in people's lives.

With that said, I found myself momentarily stunned and challenged when speaking with someone who's written many books and markets them on her own. She said, "The reality is, you won't sell many books unless it shows people how to make more money.

Wow! Now there was a statement that felt like a kick in the gut. I found myself speechless while my Gremlin started to take advantage of this perfect opportunity to do her thing. Managing to pull myself together and shut the Gremlin down before it got too ugly, my Genie prevailed and I heard myself say;

"Well, considering there's maybe 3 books in my personal library about making money, I believe that there are plenty of books that do extremely well around other subject matters. And, if I were to write a book that didn't ring true to me just to sell more copies, chances are it wouldn't do well anyway and I'd be completely out of alignment and integrity with my work."

Now that felt good! Way to go Genie!

The woman I was speaking to responded with; "I'm sorry. You're absolutely right and I had no right to make such a blanketed statement. You should only write what's in your heart."

Actually, she had all the right in the world to speak her truth. I just didn't have to buy into it. And, I didn't need to be right and have her be wrong. That's not what this was about.

It's about doing what we do because we want to - get to - need to.
It's about not getting caught up in another's point of view when it doesn't serve us or support our truth.
It's about having the courage to move forward in spite of all the people around us telling us why it won't work.
And above all else, it's about trusting that small, still voice within, so we stay true to our heart and soul.

A Choice to Live With

I was reading an article in the newspaper and a statement that T.R. Knight made, (Grey's Anatomy) grabbed me - and when I get grabbed I tend to post about it!

He said, "It wasn't the only choice I could have made, but it was the only choice I could have made and lived with myself, if that makes sense."

Makes absolute sense to me, Mr. Knight. Everyday we make choices in our life and obviously not all the choices we make are life altering. But every now and then, we are faced with choices that, in fact, can change the course of our life. It's those choices that require exactly what T.R. said - making a choice that allows you to live with yourself.

There's no question how scary it can be when faced with a big choice knowing you can't please everyone and that there's a chance that someone may be hurt because of your choice. It's even tougher when you know your choice holds the possibility of unraveling everything you're familiar with, leading you into the complete unknown. Whoo! Nothing scarier.

What's important is to go deep within and consider each choice. As you do this, notice the different feelings that show up between the two. One will bring you a greater sense of peace then the other. Sometimes the different feelings are unbelievably subtle - almost non-detectable, but I promise you, there's a difference.

You need to catch your immediate, gut feeling because within a nanosecond your Gremlin will show up and run you ragged. So next time you're faced with a big choice, find a quiet place, close your eyes, take some deep breaths to still your mind and ask for your truth to be revealed.

Afterall, you're the only one who has to live with yourself for the rest of your life.

It's a Wonderful World

It never ceases to amaze me the creativity people bring to the world and how lucky we are to be exposed to it.

If you haven't seen this video it's so worth watching and if you have, well, perhaps it's worth watching again. I've seen it 4 times and have yet to tire of it.

It is indeed a wonderful world!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zK2Y-Rmv5Q&mode=related&search=

In Between Your Thoughts

While sitting in my car waiting for the speeding train to pass by I noticed the space between each railroad car. In that space I could see the stillness that lay beyond the speed of the train.

Then it dawned on me - the train is much like our thought process. Our thoughts speed by one after another either consciously or unconsciously and what we don't often realize is that in between those speeding thoughts is a silence that can allow for clarity, peace or an action serving our higher good.

This is what Wayne Dyer talks about in his book Getting In The Gap. Between the words lies the silence. Between the speeding railroad cars lies the stillness of the land. As you notice your thoughts speeding by you also have the opportunity to notice that moment of silence and to give it more attention than the thoughts.

Ohhh yes, this takes much practice and a willingness to wake up to the ongoing chatter taking place within. It requires a trust that there really is a silence, no matter how small, between your thoughts, and that you have access to it the minute you are aware of it.

Sharing of Personal Development

Recently my blog has been added to a Personal Development list on Priscilla Palmer's blog site. She has done an incredibly generous gesture of listing tons of personal development blogs on the web and she writes wonderful stuff herself!

With the help of others, she has put together some of the best blogs out there that I have seen to help inspire, succeed and uplift. If you would like to visit some of these blogs being written by experts in the field of personal development, just go to Priscilla's site by clicking here: http://priscillapalmer.com/priscillapalmer/2007/08/21/personal-development-list/

I've always believed that life is about giving back and sharing as much as we can to make the world a better place. Priscilla is a beautiful example of this.