2013-05-25T03:09:08-04:00 Hale Dwoskin http://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/index.php?author=hale-dwoskin Copyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Hale Dwoskin Good old fashioned elbow grease. tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.2927795 2013-03-22T08:54:10-04:00 2013-05-22T05:12:01-04:00

Hale Dwoskin http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hale-dwoskin/
Even when our life situation appears to be great, we can feel dissatisfied because we are approaching life from a limited -- and limiting -- point of view. In looking to find some security and certainty, we cling to old patterns, behaviors, and habits that are not working and keep us in a rut. We hang on to familiar ways to avoid the momentary discomfort that comes from doing things or experiencing life in a new way.

If you look, you can find this in all areas of your life, from the simplest task of brushing your teeth to the more vital aspects such as how you relate to your spouse, children, friends, and coworkers. We have put ourselves on automatic pilot to varying degrees.

Yet life only happens now. When you become just a little bit more attentive to what is actually here now, even doing the same old thing takes on a new energy and brings a new sense of clarity and ease. As you embrace this aliveness that is always here, you find that you love more, laugh more, and live life more fully.

Breaking the habitual patterns from the past is actually a lot easier and more satisfying than you may imagine. The rewards for challenging the old ways of being and doing are immediate and long lasting. And if you follow the instructions below, it can even be fun.

Let's explore two great ways to break the habits that keep us looking at what was instead of embracing what is.

Start With the Simplest Things

We usually do all repetitive tasks the same way. Yet if you mix it up even a little, you will find your mind switches back on, allowing you to find new and creative ways to do anything.

Part of the reason we stay with old ways of doing things is that it brings up some momentary discomfort when we stretch past our comfort zone. Use this four-step process to go beyond discomfort when changing the way you do something.

Step One

Pick a simple task, activity, or behavior to change. For example, use the opposite hand you normally would to eat or brush your teeth. Or, if you usually go to work a particular way make a small variation in your route.

Step Two

Stay conscious of how it feels inside when you do things differently and welcome the sensations, thoughts, and feelings this brings up inside you. As you welcome what you are experiencing, you will notice that any momentary discomfort will pass, and you will find it easier to do the task differently.

Step Three

Go back to doing the task or behavior the way you did before. Notice how this feels, and welcome the thoughts, feelings, and sensations it brings up inside of you.

Step Four

Repeat the steps two and three several times until there is less discomfort in doing this particular activity differently. Then allow yourself to go back to the old pattern if you would like, adopt the new pattern, or find an entirely new way.

As you do this with the simple things in life, you will find you are seeing your world with new eyes, feeling life with greater sensitivity and pleasure, and hearing everything around you with greater clarity -- even the silence.

Go Beyond the Obvious

Most of the time, we live life on the surface and without even realizing it. However, just below the surface is a whole other world of beauty, light, and peace. This other world is, in my experience, the true world that gives support and nourishes our lives.

To access this realm all we need do is stop and look, feel and listen, to what is right below the surface. You can do this by simply asking yourself questions such as: "What is the source of this?" "What is deeper than this?" "What is beyond this?" Ask these questions with you your heart as opposed to your head as best you can.

As you do, notice how you feel. When you ask these questions with your heart instead of your head, you will discover that the surface gently gives way to a much wider and deeper point of view -- a view that opens new vistas and dissolves old patterns.

These questions will help you to become more aware and more comfortable with your authentic self. As you become more aware of the truth of who or what you are the old patterns naturally dissolve, allowing for a newfound freedom to simply be so you can approach each moment with a new sense of openness, innocence, and delight.

I highly encourage you to explore this perspective and these techniques in your own life to liberate yourself and fill our world with joy.

Please comment below to let me know how you are applying this in your life and what insights you have received from reading this post.

This post is based on the principles explored in his book The Sedona Method; Your Key to Lasting Happiness, Success and Emotional Wellbeing. It is based on over three decades of experience with a simple, powerful, elegant and easy-to-learn technique that shows you how to tap your natural ability to let go instantaneously of any uncomfortable or unwanted feeling, thought or belief. For more information, visit www.Sedona.com.

For more by Hale Dwoskin, click here.

For more on emotional wellness, click here.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1837106 2012-09-02T10:00:38-04:00 2012-11-02T05:12:01-04:00

Hale Dwoskin http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hale-dwoskin/
No matter your current level of success, there are ways for you to eliminate the internal blocks holding you back from living life more fully, as opposed to watching life pass you by.

We all share common blocks. Just by seeing that these blocks are only thoughts, feelings, and beliefs, you can let them go and start to break free. If you allow yourself to do even a little conscious exploration of these apparent obstacles, you can discover that nothing can truly hold you back unless you allow it.

The following are the four most common inner obstacles to success:

1) Giving Up Before You Have Even Started
It is important to learn from our past successes and failures; however, most of us let them dictate what we attempt and how we approach the possibility of success. We often do not even try to move forward if the circumstances mirror past situations we feel we have not mastered. This all results in us backing through life rather than moving forward with open hearts and minds. We avoid the new and keep repeating the same strategies that have either failed or brought mediocrity in the past, while hoping for a different result.

2) Letting Fear Decide
We often let our fears, doubts, and anxieties decide for us how to succeed without checking to see if they are true. A friend told me that great adage: FEAR equals False Evidence Appearing Real. If we challenge the validity of our fears, we can discover that most are either completely unfounded, highly exaggerated, or can be easily overcome. Fear is just a feeling that we can let go of if we choose. When we stop letting our fear dictate what we can or cannot do, we find all sorts of new possibilities opening up.

3) Following the Herd
Most of us live life following the herd. We are like lemmings following our brethren off the cliff. The news and our friends tell us times are rough, and we earnestly believe them and act accordingly. Yet even in the worst of times, some people are still succeeding and even thriving. This is not to say that you ignore facts and pretend all is well when it is not. You simply examine the facts with clear reason and openness to your intuitive knowingness and discover what is true for you. When you allow yourself to challenge conventional beliefs about the state of the world, you can start to uncover the opportunities that are here for you right now.

4) Allowing Yourself To Be Sold
We are being sold all the time (even by ourselves), and when we buy the latest pitch, it can sometimes have disastrous results. When we buy the pitch of others, we often spend money we do not have. We can also start to feel like we are not enough or do not have enough, even when the opposite is obviously true. When we sell ourselves, we can plunge blindly into bad investments and stay with bad career choices long past the time that we should be covering our losses or changing our directions. In both cases, we feed our lust by imagining how great it would be for things to turn out well while ignoring all the signs that things are going in the opposite direction.

All four of these common blocks are not as real as they appear. By being open to this understanding, you will start letting them go.

Here's a process you can use to go beyond these blocks. I also recommend that you find your own tools, techniques, and perspectives to help you find your way.

1. Allow yourself to think of how any one of the four blocks is affecting your success right now. (You can repeat this on all four blocks as well any others.)



2. In this moment, can you simply allow yourself to welcome whatever thoughts, feelings, or beliefs this brings into awareness? In other words, just stop fighting for a moment and notice what is actually here now.



3. Could you allow yourself to welcome all of your desire to fix or change this and all of your desire to do something with or about this? Note that I am not saying that you should not take appropriate action -- this is simply welcoming the energy that may be in the way.



4. Could you welcome any sense that this is personal -- about you or who or what you are? I know it feels personal. I'm not asking you deny that. I'm suggesting that if we welcome how personal we've made this apparent block, we can see beyond the personal to what is your highest and best good in this moment.



5. Could you allow yourself to welcome your intuitive knowingness and clear reason and invite this inner power to lead you to a solution? You can also ask yourself: What is the simplest or most outrageous action you can take right now to move beyond this block? The more we open to our own clear reason and knowingness, the more likely we are to find real, lasting solutions.



6. Now allow yourself to get into any constructive action.

As we allow ourselves to move beyond our blocks to success, we can start to find creative and intelligent ways to allow more success into our lives and the lives of those we care about. There are always more possibilities than it may seem if you are open to them.

Please comment below to let me know how you are using this material to support yourself in your life.

This free recording will guide you through the above process and some other processes that will help you to eliminate your blocks to success. Enjoy!

This post is based on the principles explored in the new movie Letting Go: Transform Your Life, Transform the World. It is the culmination of over three decades of experience with a simple, powerful, elegant and easy-to-learn technique that shows you how to tap your natural ability to let go instantaneously of any uncomfortable or unwanted feeling, thought or belief. For more information, visit www.LettingGo.tv or Sedona.com.

For more by Hale Dwoskin, click here.

For more on becoming fearless, click here.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.1016350 2011-10-21T16:17:00-04:00 2011-12-21T05:12:01-05:00

Hale Dwoskin http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hale-dwoskin/
This crowd of all ages had come out to voice its anger at our society's tacit endorsement of greed. They were angry that big financial institutions had received billions and were now making billions more in profit, while we, the ordinary folk, were losing our jobs, homes and even our hope for a better future.

This outpouring was part of a movement gone global, in just a month, thanks to the power of the Internet. Yet, in this demonstration, I could also see some lessons we all need to learn for it to have any lasting impact -- lessons that not only shape this movement, but also each of us individually and as citizens of planet earth.

Be for What You Want as Opposed to Against What You Don't

The first lesson is that unless this movement finds something it is for it will probably tear itself apart from the inside or simply fade away. When we are anti anything in the world or in our lives, without realizing it, we are feeding life into the very thing we are trying to get rid of or are against. "What we resist persists" is not just a platitude; it is what happens in life. The anti-war movement of the '60s did not stop the war. The war went on much longer then it should have, resulting in our eventual rout and the loss of life for over 50,000 American soldiers.

If you look at your own experiences, you will probably see many examples of things that you fought against, both in your life and in your mind, that only persisted and very often became magnified.

The bottom line for the OWS movement and for each of us is to find what we can be for as opposed to just resisting and fighting against what we do not want. This takes conscious contrastive action towards achieving that goal.

It's Not Just About "Me"

The second lesson is a deeper one. We, as a planet and individually, have the unique opportunity to either find ways to evolve out of "it is all about me" and into more of a feeling of "we," or continue to fight and squander our dwindling resources until there is nothing left for any of us. Stretching past our feeling of "me against the world" may seem counter intuitive. This is because most of us are lost in identifying with feelings of being a limited, separate individual in a hostile world. However, if we can stretch, even a little, outside the box from which most of us live, we will discover that we can be free to have a super abundance. And there is more than enough for everyone.

When we stretch past the box of "me," we discover that there is a whole new world of possibilities that we do not even see when we are lost in the story of separation. This world is also remarkably free of personal suffering.

If you look at the world, especially at nature, you will see that there is an obvious underlying unity and interdependence that only we, humans, have chosen to ignore. Without noticing that there are consequences, we treat nature as if it were ours to dominate and exploit.

It Does Not Have to Be This Way!

No one is born feeling separate. If you have ever been around a very young child, you know what I mean. Through indoctrination by our parents and society, we learn to believe we are separate. This process takes about two years for most of us. The transition between this greater sense of unity at birth and believing in the separate "me" is so intense for both the child and the parent that it even has a name. It is called the "Terrible Two's." Once we buy into being separate most of us spend the rest of our lives building, defending and maintaining this illusion without ever checking to see if it is true.

Here are a couple of simple exercises you can do right now to rediscover the underlying unity:

Allow yourself to go out into nature, find a park, a tree -- even a house plant, if you live in an area more that appears more distant from nature. Then allow yourself to notice that your body appears to be separate from nature. Obviously, your skin appears to be where you end and outside your skin somewhere is where nature appears to begin.

Now let's stretch past the obvious. Instead of just trusting the concepts that we have assumed to be true, allow yourself to go a little deeper. With eyes open or closed, allowing your heart to lead (as opposed to your head) as best you can, ask yourself, "Where does nature end and I begin?" and "Where does I end and nature begin?" Go back and forth a few times, and you will begin to feel and possibly even see the absence of boundaries between you and nature. A whole new world will open up to you as you feel this underlying unity.

Another simple yet profound exercise is to check to see if you can even find the separate "me" that you assume you are. Most of us believe in our separate identity without ever checking to see if it is actually true.

You can use this simple question to explore this illusion of separation: "In this moment, if I do not go into memory, can I actually find a 'me'?" You may find thoughts, feelings and memories, however are they who you are or are you that which is aware of all of these, including the thought called "me"?

I have yet to have anyone who can actually find a "me" in this moment.

This may bring your mind to a complete stop, and you may discover that you are then resting as the presence of awareness that has always been right here and now. Or it may generate lots of thoughts and feelings. If this happens, simply repeat the question in this way: "In this moment, if I do not go into memory, can I actually find a 'me' that (is feeling or thinking ______ )?" You can also ask yourself, "Am I that, or am I that which is aware?"

If you answer these questions with your heart as opposed to your mind as best you can, it will help lead you into recognizing the underlying unity that you are.

Picture a world where more and more of us are working towards what we want as opposed to fighting against what we do not want. Imagine a world, too, where we love each other as ourselves and care for each other and nature as friends and family or even as our own reflection. This world is not only possible it is already being born into open hearts and minds across the planet. Are you ready to awaken to this next step in our evolution? If you are reading this, then I am sure you are.

To support your self in prospering even now, be sure to download Money Now, a new, free Letting Go app for iPhone and Android phones and tablets. Click here to find out how to create abundance in times even in times of turmoil.

This post is based on the principles explored in the new movie, "Letting Go: Transform Your Life, Transform the World." It is the culmination of over three decades of experience with a simple, powerful, elegant and easy-to-learn technique that shows you how to tap your natural ability to let go instantaneously of any uncomfortable or unwanted feeling, thought or belief. For more information, visit www.LettingGo.tv or Sedona.com.
]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.935602 2011-08-25T10:17:04-04:00 2011-10-25T05:12:01-04:00

Hale Dwoskin http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hale-dwoskin/
At times like these, the tendency for most of us is to shut down and hold tight to what we know, without realizing that is the very thing that is making everything appear more difficult. Albert Einstein said: "We cannot solve a problem on the same level we created it." He also said: "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result."

What if we all took an inner step back and looked for a higher or better solution?

In my experience, the now always contains solutions to every issue or problem. We often miss these solutions because we react to what is happening as opposed to actually dealing with what is. When we are reacting, we are not dealing with what is. We are dealing with what was and what might be. For instance, if you are in the middle of an earthquake and you are dealing with what is, you will have the presence of mind to either stand in a door jam or leave the building, rather than panicking and freezing in place.

But right now many of us are caught in a cycle of fear and greed, which causes us to freeze like a dear in the headlights. This is not just happening to us personally, but it is happening in our governments as well. Look at how much trouble the U.S. just went through in simply dealing with raising the debt ceiling.

This all gets reinforced because most of us act as though it is "me" against the world. Yet, there is another more powerful way for us all to move forward.

What if we all started doing our best to simply treat each other like we would like to be treated?

What if we all started treating each other with even a little more loving kindness?

What if we all simply allowed ourselves to act from love rather than greed and fear?

This is not new. It is something that has been recommended by all the major religions for thousands of years.

In my opinion, we can no longer play it safe and wait for someone else to act with integrity and love first. We all have the opportunity in our interactions with each other to simply start to stretch in this direction. It is not hard. It feels great. And it has very powerful repercussions, both individually and for our world.

It is okay to start with little things! Allow yourself to experiment with some of these simple actions:

• Smile at someone who seems down or just because they are there



• Offer a helping hand to someone who needs support



• Give to others without wanting something back in return



• Turn your judgments of others into love (This is just a decision!)



• Act with a little more consideration for how it will affect everyone, not just you



• Fully listen to people as they share who they are and what they experience



• Act with a little more compassion and loving kindness



• Let go of the fear and greed and uncover the love that is already in your heart now

These are just a few suggestions. You can think bigger too, like taking constructive action to support causes that help the world. I would recommend that you create your own action list and get into loving action now.

You may feel like this is a dangerous approach to life; however, if you are open to exploring this you will find the exact opposite is true. Love is the most powerful force in the universe! And when we act from love rather than fear and greed we have much more power to make positive change for us, those we care about and our planet.

Please comment below and let me know what you are doing to support positive change for yourself and the planet. Together we can find a better way.

To support your freedom and abundance during the current world turmoil, download Money Now, a new, free Letting Go app for iPhone and Android phones and tablets. Click here to find out how to act from love and still succeed. Allow yourself to thrive, even now.

This post is based on the principles explored in the new movie, "Letting Go: Transform Your Life, Transform the World." It is the culmination of more than three decades of experience with a simple, powerful, elegant and easy-to-learn technique that shows you how to tap your natural ability to let go instantaneously of any uncomfortable or unwanted feeling, thought or belief. For more information, visit www.LettingGo.tv or Sedona.com.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.922713 2011-08-10T15:15:00-04:00 2011-10-10T05:12:02-04:00

Hale Dwoskin http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hale-dwoskin/
You have probably heard someone extolling that you should not panic: either in the news, on-line, from your broker -- as he obviously sits on the other end of the phone panicking away -- or even from someone that you trust. You may even be tired of hearing it since the whole world is not taking their own advice. When you try not to panic you often simply obsess even more about the things you should "not" be panicking about.

Not panicking is of course good advice, but how do you actually do that?

Instead of trying to "not" panic, what about facing your feelings of fear and panic, and simply letting them go? I know this may feel counter intuitive. We usually either run away or feel like we are fighting for survival when these feelings arise, however, there is a third alternative which works much better. That is letting go and freeing yourself to see what is actually happening now, and allowing your clear reason and intuitive knowingess to guide you into right action as opposed to your emotions.

Our current situation is very much being colored by fear and panic, and this tends to snow ball as we all react -- instead of letting go. Plus, this situation was also created by our unchecked lust; this lead us through a series of "bubbles" that had to burst because we allowed ourselves to be carried away by our lust, instead of clearly seeing the situation as it is and the feelings about it for what they were. Then letting go of the blinders created by believing the lies our feelings tell us.

Here is part of the reason for which letting go is so helpful, especially right now.

You may have heard an expression referring to investing: "The bulls and the bears make money, but the pigs get slaughtered." A secret lies behind this maxim, with which you may have direct experience. Most investment decisions are emotionally based, usually based on fear and lust, as opposed to being based on solid facts and clear intuition.

Unsuccessful investors, and even some successful ones, often begin counting their gains and losses before a transaction is actually closed. We count our paper profits and losses and spend or lose them mentally before the actual results come in. We often don't act on what we intuitively or rationally know is correct in the market because we're afraid of making mistakes. Our fear or lust paralyzes us and prevents us from taking our profits or cutting our losses.

We also tend to stay in a transaction longer than we should because it might get better. Both of these actions are due to lust and fear, and these feelings inherent substitution of fantasy and worry for what is actually going on right now. If you are this type of investor, you can let go of your lust or fear instantaneously by using the simple questions below. As you do, you'll make wiser investment and life decisions.

Remember -- our lust is what got us into the situation that we are in. Because we feel either personally, or as society, like we are not enough, we often feel like the only solution is to live beyond our means. Yet, we can only do this for so long. We pretend that we can continue doing what is not working even though we know better. Our fear and lust tells us to just keep doing what we know is not working because when we are lost in these emotions we often cannot see any other way.

Here is a simple process you can do to stay a little more sane through our current challenges:

1. Right now allow yourself to focus on what is happening in the world.



2. Next, allow yourself to welcome how you feel about it.



3. Now, allow yourself to ask yourself these three simple questions:



4. Could I let this feeling go?



5. Would I let it go?



6. When?

Yes, I know that you are probably thinking this is too simple to work, yet that is the very reason that this direct approach works so quickly, easily and powerfully.

You can use this same strategy of letting go as you do your best to go about your day while the markets do whatever they do. You can also use these questions while doing your best to make sane business, investment and life decisions.

Whether you resonate with the above process or not, I highly recommend that you find a way to let go of all the conflicting energy that you are being bombarded with from all sides. If we all start letting go, instead of reacting, we have a chance of finding true lasting solutions to both our personal and the world's problems.

To support your freedom and abundance during the current economic turmoil, be sure to download Money Now, a new, free Letting Go app for iPhone and Android phones and tablets. Click here to find out how to balance your own budget and allow yourself to thrive, even now.

This post is based on the principles explored in the new movie, "Letting Go: Transform Your Life, Transform the World." It is the culmination of over three decades of experience with a simple, powerful, elegant and easy-to-learn technique that shows you how to tap your natural ability to let go instantaneously of any uncomfortable or unwanted feeling, thought or belief. For more information, visit www.LettingGo.tv or Sedona.com.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.910209 2011-08-01T17:10:31-04:00 2011-10-01T05:12:01-04:00

Hale Dwoskin http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hale-dwoskin/
We are living in a time of unprecedented change and opportunity. The US is fighting over raising the debt ceiling while ignoring that, even if it does, there are many trillions of dollars of other obligations that are not being addressed. Greece is rebelling against austerity, and Italy and Spain are on the brink of collapse. The old systems are crumbling while our politicians are dancing their own dance, out of step with each other and with what is happening around them.

Our own lives are also filled with greater challenges. Jobs are scarce. Housing prices are still falling. And many of the old institutions and perspectives that we used to draw our comfort and security from are falling by the wayside. If you look inside yourself, you're probably feeling your own earthquake or tsunami of rising emotional turmoil.

This time is an opportunity for us all to either let go and embrace the new or hold on and go down with a sinking ship. What do you choose? Are going to continue to fight for the old ways of doing things or are you willing to look into your own heart and embrace the new, that is, embrace the power and certainty that can only be accessed in this moment with an open heart and mind? The choice is yours.

I would recommend that you start looking outside of what appeared to work in the past and discover what is appropriate now. We all have tremendous power and resources right within us. If we stop fighting with each other and our environment, we'll discover that there is super abundance available from nature and many solutions to both our global and personal problems waiting to be discovered right here, right now.

If you look inside into the now, you'll discover that beyond the noise of the mind is your intuitive knowingness and clear reason. These will shine through and show you the way.

Here's just one process that can help you get started. I would also recommend that you find your own tools, techniques and perspectives to help you find your own way.

1. Allow yourself to think of one of your current challenges or one of the challenges we all are facing.



2. In this moment, can you simply allow yourself to welcome whatever thoughts, feelings or beliefs this brings into awareness? In other words, just stop fighting for a moment and notice what is actually here now.



3. Could you allow yourself to welcome all your desire to fix or change this, all desire to do something with or about this? Note: I am not saying not to take appropriate action. This is simply welcoming the energy that may be in the way.



4. Could you welcome any sense that this is personal, about you or who or what you are? I know it feels personal. I'm not asking you deny that. What I'm suggesting is that if we welcome how personal we've made this challenge, we can see beyond the personal to the universal solution.



5. Could you allow yourself to welcome your intuitive knowingness and clear reason and invite this inner power to lead you to a solution? You can also ask yourself: What is the simplest or most outrageous action you can take right now to move beyond this challenge? The more we open to our own clear reason and knowingness, the more likely we are to find real, lasting solutions.



6. Now allow yourself to get into any constructive action.

If we all start letting go, both individually and together, in the ways we find most helpful, the more likely we are to start taking new and creative actions to move beyond our current constraints and challenges. If we all start working together toward the highest and best good, anything and everything is possible.

To support your freedom from inner and outer debt, be sure to download Money Now, a new, free Letting Go app for iPhone and Android phones and tablets. Click here to find out how to balance your own budget and allow yourself to be debt free.

This post is based on the principles explored in the new movie, "Letting Go: Transform Your Life, Transform the World." It is the culmination of over three decades of experience with a simple, powerful, elegant and easy-to-learn technique that shows you how to tap your natural ability to let go instantaneously of any uncomfortable or unwanted feeling, thought or belief. For more information, visit www.LettingGo.tv or Sedona.com.
]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.886354 2011-06-30T08:25:00-04:00 2011-08-30T05:12:01-04:00

Hale Dwoskin http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hale-dwoskin/
How so? We're enslaved by our habits. We're enslaved by our beliefs. We're enslaved by our past. And we're enslaved by our own and others' expectations.

If you look honestly at your life, you'll probably notice much of it is not actually governed by your free choice -- despite your apparent external freedom. For example, all of us act in ways we later regret, even when we know better. We stop ourselves from excelling, even if we have the talent and the know-how to succeed. We accept less than what is possible because we've allowed ourselves to be enslaved by our own mental constructs.

Our Society Is Based on Slavery

In fact, our society is based on slavery, even today. Not the horrific slavery that we practiced over 100 years ago, but something else. Take a look at your work life. Whether you work for yourself or for someone else, do you ever feel enslaved by your work or your career? Most people don't feel as though they have a choice but to be a slave to their profession. We work to live, instead of living to work -- and our society encourages us in this belief.

The people who hold political power also depend upon our slave consciousness and our desire to be told what to do and what to think. Have you ever noticed that our politicians are more than happy to give us what we want? And by this I mean that most of them are more skillful in telling us what to do and what to think than they are in genuinely representing the will of the people.

Even if we're fiercely independent, we find ourselves being enslaved to past beliefs and negative emotions. Slave consciousness is everywhere in our society, held in place by the tyranny of the subconscious mind and all of its fears and beliefs and conflicting habit patterns.

It Doesn't Have to Be this Way

You may be interested to discover it doesn't have to be like this. If you're willing to challenge your inner enslavement, a whole new world naturally opens up to you -- a world of true inner independence that's already right here, right now, waiting to be rediscovered.

Just noticing how you're enslaved and starting to see that it's not the only possibility will begin a process of unfoldment that will bring new vistas of freedom into your life. As you notice your slave consciousness without judgment, as best you can, it will naturally start to dissolve. And, so you don't lose perspective, remember to also notice the freedom that already exists, here and now, both internally and externally.

Abolish Inner Slavery Now

Here's a simple exercise you can do to start letting go of your inner slavery:

1. Take a moment to honestly review your life and look for where you feel enslaved.



2. Allow yourself to welcome the thoughts, feelings and beliefs this brings up inside you. You can ask yourself, "Could I welcome whatever this brings up inside me?"



3. Allow yourself to welcome your natural desire to do something with or about this. You can ask yourself, "Could I welcome any desire to do something with or about this?"



4. Allow yourself to welcome your tendency to make everything personal. You can ask yourself, "Could I welcome any sense that this is personal, about me or who I am?"



5. Allow yourself to let go of any remaining slave consciousness about this topic that has not already dissolved. You can ask yourself, "Could I let go of wanting to be enslaved, as best I can?"



6. Allow yourself to welcome your own inner freedom that is beyond any sense of slavery. You can ask yourself, "Could I welcome the inner freedom and power that is already right within me, as best I can?"

Letting go of slave consciousness is not a substitute for taking right action in your life to fulfill your obligations and break down the patterns in our world that hold us all back. As you let go of being an inner slave, you'll discover it's much easier to do what's right and what's appropriate in any situation. And that's true freedom.

As you let go of slave consciousness, you'll discover that you can have a higher standard of living with less effort. You can live life more fully and joyously. You can make choices not based on the past but based on what is real and true for your -- and everyone's -- highest good. You can feel a sense of joy even when things do not always go your way. Like the brilliance of fireworks against the night sky, you can light up your own awareness and discover what's truly possible for you, and for our great society, when every day is Independence Day.

Happy Fourth of July everyone!

To further your inner independence, be sure to download Money Now, a new, free Letting Go app for iPhone and Android phones and tablets. Click here to find out how to ensure financial independence from the inside out.

This post is based on the principles explored in the new movie, "Letting Go: Transform Your Life, Transform the World." It is the culmination of over three decades of experience with a simple, powerful, elegant and easy-to-learn technique that shows you how to tap your natural ability to let go instantaneously of any uncomfortable or unwanted feeling, thought or belief. For more information, visit www.LettingGo.tv or Sedona.com.

]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.882633 2011-06-25T11:39:00-04:00 2011-08-25T05:12:02-04:00

Hale Dwoskin http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hale-dwoskin/
You get the picture.

It seems to be human nature, or perhaps just a cultural phenomenon, to pretend we clearly know which point of view or belief is the best one and then to vehemently defend, justify, explain and try to prove why this perspective is right and all others are wrong. The thing is, when we do this, we can get very stuck and actually prolong the natural process of selection that we call decision making.

Decision-Making 101

Let's examine how decisions happen. Most people think they discuss, debate or figure out the best action to take and then they take it. Well, it's not quite that simple. If you notice what's happening inside you when you try and make a decision, determine the best path or know what's correct for you, it's a very different process.

What happens is that you experience conflicting thoughts, feelings and beliefs arising together in consciousness -- either in polite debate with one another or having a full-blown cat fight. Once a point of view prevails over the other conflicting ones, you say you have decided. In my experience, that's not what's happened at all. Instead, the conflicting energies have temporarily subsided and we proceed as though we've decided. This gives us the illusion of being the decider.

You Are Not The Decider

The problem with thinking we're the one who has decided is twofold. First, since we're assuming we've decided even though that's not what's actually happened, we may find ourselves disappointed when our "decision" does not always go the way we planned. Also, because the thoughts and feelings that did not prevail have only gone temporarily underground, they often re-emerge at an awkward time and create renewed conflict. Or, they may continue to run in the background of your subconscious -- subtly or not so subtly -- sabotaging your efforts to move in the direction "you" have decided to go.

I'd like to share with you two ways to resolve the inner conflicts we all experience in a more masterful way.

1) Stop being the inner traffic cop.

Take a moment to think of a decision you're trying to make, and instead of doing the usual inner or outer debate, experiment with this exercise instead. Allow yourself to simply welcome all the conflicting thoughts, feelings and beliefs you have about the conflict to come up into your awareness. And, just for a few moments, stop playing favorites or trying to be the "traffic cop" and simply let them have at it with each other.

As you get out of the way, the easier and faster this is. The more you get out of the way, the more you accelerate the process, and the opposing energies on both sides dissipate. Very quickly, you'll find you either become clear with regard to your decision, or you simply find yourself engaged in action, moving forward and feeling a lot lighter and much more conflict-free.

2) Allow the conflicting energies to dissolve into each other.

You can also welcome the conflicting thoughts, feelings and beliefs and then, instead of taking sides, allow the opposing energies to simply dissolve into each other. You can do this by welcoming both points of view as best you can. Or you can simply allow the conflicting energies to surrender to each other. This may seem strange, but when we have strong points of view we have invested some sense of identity in them, so they seem to have a mind of their own. If you allow these opposing mini-minds to surrender to each other, they both dissolve, revealing the clear space of awareness that you are.

These techniques are not substitutes for right action or for critical thinking. They are just aids in cutting through your inner clutter. The benefits of doing either technique are far greater than just the ability to accelerate the decision-making process. What you will find is that as you open to this way of making decisions, something inside of you will relax, and you'll find yourself naturally trusting your inner knowingness -- the inner power that is the way.

We've just released Money Now, a new, free Letting Go app for iPhone and Android phones and tablets. Click here to find out more about what you can do to ensure you are empowering yourself to abundance and not allowing contradictory thoughts and feelings to sabotage your financial wellness.

This post is based on the principles explored in the new movie, "Letting Go: Transform Your Life, Transform the World." It is the culmination of over three decades of experience with a simple, powerful, elegant and easy-to-learn technique that shows you how to tap your natural ability to let go instantaneously of any uncomfortable or unwanted feeling, thought or belief. For more information, visit www.LettingGo.tv or Sedona.com.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.873930 2011-06-20T19:34:00-04:00 2011-08-20T05:12:01-04:00

Hale Dwoskin http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hale-dwoskin/
At one time or another, you've probably heard this. And although it's true on many levels, it doesn't tell the whole story.

Before taking responsibility for our lives, many people play the role of the victim and blame their circumstances or other people for their misfortunes and woes. This makes them feel like life is controlling them and that they're being dragged behind the bus, so to speak.

When you feel like this, it's easy to do desperate or silly things to attempt to regain a feeling of control. But projecting problems outside of yourself -- or even onto your own "negative" thoughts and feelings -- will not make your life any better.

Unfortunately, the next step as people begin to take responsibility for their lives without digging any deeper is to blame themselves for everything "bad" that happens. While this appears to be better than blaming everyone and everything else, it's still indulging in blame -- blame that's directed inward toward the self, instead of outward toward others.

Going Beyond The Blame Game

A healthier alternative is to go beyond the blame game and use what does or does not happen in your life as a wonderful tool for moving through obstacles and motivating yourself to take positive action.

When you move beyond blame, you can truly take "response-ability" -- which is simply the ability to respond appropriately in any given situation -- and stop trying to punish yourself or others for what appear to be mistakes or missteps. Then you can focus your energy on real solutions instead of trying to punish apparent wrongs.

6 Steps To Dissolving Blame

Here is a six-step process for dissolving blame that will help you to free up your energy to create the life you want. Ask yourself this series of questions and answer as compassionately and honestly as you can:

1. How am I blaming myself or others for what is happening in my life?



2. Could I welcome whatever thoughts or feelings that brings up inside of me?



3. Could I let that go?



4. Would I let that go?



5. When?



6. Can I let go of wanting to blame myself or others for what happens and love what is as best I can?

Your mind may protest letting go of blame because you don't want to let yourself or someone else off the hook. But when you hold onto blame, the same patterns simply repeat themselves. And the only thing you gain from that -- besides more suffering -- is holding onto being right instead of being free.

Letting go of blame is very powerful; however, it's only just a stepping stone to an even more powerful and profound way of perceiving life.

Beyond Doing

When it comes to what's unfolding in your life, what if you (and everyone else) are not "doing" anything? What if we're all being lived by the Power That Is the Way? What if all of us are part of a unified field of consciousness that's manifesting all action and inaction? I know this may seem like an outrageous point of view, but if you're open to exploring this perspective, you may find a whole new world opens up to you.

This world is naturally free of blame. It's also free of pride and anger. I would recommend that you simply ponder these questions and notice what happens inside of you. If this is too much for you right now, then simply stick with taking responsibility and letting go of blame.

As you discover that you're responsible for what happens in your life -- and eventually you uncover and live more as that which is beyond both blame and responsibility -- you will find that it gets harder and harder to blame yourself or others for what is or is not happening in your life. You find yourself taking appropriate action from moment to moment and allowing life to simply unfold as it does. This frees up a tremendous amount of energy for good. It's also very relaxing and inwardly enlivening.

When we live beyond blame, we tend to look more for what is mutual and for everyone's highest and best good -- and thereby create that in our lives and in the world at large.

Please join me in picturing and participating in a world beyond blame.

Please also comment below and let me know how you are moving beyond blame.

We've just released Money Now, a new, free Letting Go app for iPhone and Android phones and tablets. Click here to download the app and find out more about what you can do to ensure that you are empowering yourself to abundance and not blaming the economy or anything else for what you experience in life.

This post is based on the principles explored in the new movie, "Letting Go: Transform Your Life, Transform the World," featuring me. It is the culmination of over three decades of experience with a simple, powerful, elegant and easy-to-learn technique that shows you how to tap your natural ability to let go instantaneously of any uncomfortable or unwanted feeling, thought or belief. For more information, visit www.LettingGo.tv. or Sedona.com.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.877120 2011-06-16T09:05:00-04:00 2011-08-16T05:12:02-04:00

Hale Dwoskin http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hale-dwoskin/
I created the following video to help us all let go and love and accept our fathers as they are -- or were -- in honor of Father's Day. Whether your dad is alive or not, you can choose to release any bad or uncomfortable feelings that have ever existed between the two of you, as well as any biological or psychological "gifts" you got from him that you would rather not have.

No matter how difficult your relationship with your father is or was, being more at peace with him is a form of enlightened self-interest. Taking a few moments to focus on any sticking points in your relationship in order to let them go can be profoundly liberating for you in ways you may never have imagined.

Follow along with the video to experience a technique I call triple welcoming. In triple welcoming, you simply relax and welcome your feelings about your relationship with your father, as well as anything you might want to change about the relationship and any sense of identification you have with those feelings and the story that surrounds them. It's important to note that welcoming is not condoning or acquiescing to anyone's behavior. It's a form of letting go that relaxes the contraction within you that's occurred as a reaction to something you experienced. And that internal contraction ties up your energy until you decide to let it go.

Use this video to have a lighter, happier, more joyous Father's Day. The more you do the exercises, the more you will benefit from them. And be sure to share it with anyone you know who has -- or has ever had -- a dad.



This post is based on the principles explored in the new movie, "Letting Go: Transform Your Life, Transform the World," featuring Hale Dwoskin. It is the culmination of over three decades of experience with a simple, powerful, elegant and easy-to-learn technique that shows you how to tap your natural ability to let go instantaneously of any uncomfortable or unwanted feeling, thought or belief. For more information, visit www.LettingGo.tv. or Sedona.com

Yet another creative and effective way to empower yourself: We've just released a new free letting go app called Money Now for iPhone and Android phones and tablets. Visit this link to download the app and find out more about what you can do to ensure that you are empowering yourself to abundance and not blaming what you learned about money from your parents, the economy or anything else for what you experience in life. Awesome!
]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.863612 2011-05-30T09:23:00-04:00 2011-07-30T05:12:01-04:00

Hale Dwoskin http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hale-dwoskin/
Once we've fallen into a specific pattern of beliefs through habit, it can feel difficult or even impossible to break free from such a self-imposed box of limitation. We are not conscious of this process, so we just assume that it's always been this way and it always will be. Or that it's just the way it is and we will never, ever be able to change it.

We also tend to avoid the situations in life that bring up the uncomfortable feelings that caused us to create the pattern in the first place. When uncomfortable feelings arise, our tendency is to saunter (if we are trying to play it cool, that is) in the other direction -- or we just unabashedly run the other way. When we avoid our imaginary boundaries in this manner, we tend to reinforce them and eventually forget that we were the ones that made them up in the first place.

You may have heard this story about elephants that describes what we all experience. It is said that elephant trainers tie a baby elephant up to a tree with rope strong enough that the elephant cannot break free. Over time, the elephant just assumes it cannot break free, so it stops challenging the binding. Once the pattern is set, the trainer knows that he can bind the elephant and that based on its memory, the elephant will not challenge the binding. This is why you will see an eight-ton mammal harnessed securely to a tree by a light chain. And we human beings are no different.

One way of dealing with these patterns of belief is to try and replace them with more positive beliefs. This can sometimes be effective; however, it is always at a price. When we attempt to replace a negative belief with a positive one, we are adding to the overall accumulation of beliefs in our system, while not actually eradicating the negative belief -- and this bogs us down even more. Once we start layering our beliefs like this, we must invest more and more energy in mediating all our conflicting beliefs right below the surface of our awareness.

In my experience, if you simply let go of your beliefs, you discover that you do not need to believe in what is true and right for you because there is a part of you that already knows. This knowingness that is in each and every one of us does not need to be imposed upon from the outside; it is naturally right here, right now, shining in plain view and waiting to be uncovered. Once you peel away the false beliefs, the truth naturally and easily reveals itself to you.

Here is a safe and powerful way to challenge self-imposed limitations of belief that inhibit your success:

1. Allow yourself to think of a belief about yourself that has been holding you back from having, doing or being what you choose. Then welcome the thoughts, feelings, memories and stories that make up this belief.
   
   You can ask yourself, "Can I welcome the thoughts, feelings and memories that make up this belief?"
   
   You don't need to remember everything about the belief, nor do you need to sort through what arises. Just allow whatever arises to be here.



2. Allow yourself to welcome all your wanting to fix, explain, defend, justify or do anything with or about this belief by asking, "Could I allow myself to welcome any wanting to fix, explain, defend, justify or do anything with or about this belief?" Again, simply welcome this as best you can.



3. Allow yourself to welcome your identity with the belief. The reason we cling to beliefs that no longer serve us is because we've identified with them and claimed them as our own. We then feel we'll be losing a part of ourselves by letting them go. This is never true and you can discover this for yourself by letting go.
   
   To do this, ask yourself, "Could I welcome any sense that this is personal, about me or who I am?" If your mind says, "Of course this is personal," simply welcome that, too.



4. Allow yourself to let go of the belief by asking yourself, "Could I let go of wanting to believe that again?" Do this as best you can.



5. Allow yourself to welcome your own intuitive knowingness that is beyond all belief. Ask yourself, "Could I allow myself to welcome the power that knows the way?" or, "Could I allow myself to welcome my own intuitive knowingness that is beyond all belief?"

This process may seem too simple to work, but it does; and it will work for you if you give it a chance. Please experiment with this exercise and let me know what you experience. If you are persistent, I think you will find your results will truly be beyond belief.

I would love to hear what you think of this post and what your experience is with these perspectives. Please post comments, suggestions and ideas for other topics you would like me to discuss below.

We've just released a new free Letting Go app called Money Now for iPhone and Android phones and tablets. Visit this link to download the app and find out more about what you can do to ensure that your beliefs don't get in the way of your success.

This post is based on the principles explored in the new movie, "Letting Go: Transform Your Life, Transform the World," featuring Hale Dwoskin. It is the culmination of over three decades of experience with a simple, powerful, elegant and easy-to-learn technique that shows you how to tap your natural ability to let go instantaneously of any uncomfortable or unwanted feeling, thought or belief. For more information, visit www.LettingGo.tv. ]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.859616 2011-05-23T23:57:00-04:00 2011-07-23T05:12:01-04:00

Hale Dwoskin http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hale-dwoskin/
Conflict 1: The Effects of "Constant Commerce"

Let's first discuss the paradigm in which most of us live. We live in a world that's all about commerce -- so much so that it robs us of our ability to fully give from our hearts, as well as to fully receive the abundance that's constantly being offered to us. The sense of "constant commerce" is in every part of our lives, even where it's completely inappropriate -- like in our love relationships.

This paradigm encourages us to think that if we give, we should get something back in return. We may also find ourselves holding back from giving or helping others because we think we need to put ourselves first. On the other hand, we may feel suspect when people are trying to give to us or support us, rather than just simply being open. We may also block receiving abundance because we don't want to feel obligated to pay the metaphorical bill we believe we'll create for ourselves by doing so.

Even in commerce, these unconscious internal conflicts can really hold us back.

Conflict 2: Giving with One Hand Instead of Two

What is the sound of one hand giving? Another pattern we may fall into is giving with one hand and being pushy or grabby, trying to get what we want, with the other. This is like demanding instantaneous justice instead of natural, powerful flow. The only thing this type of giving may increase is the likelihood of making a mess of both giving and receiving.

Conflict 3: Out-of-Balance Giving and Receiving

Some of us find it easier to give than to receive. If this is you, you may regularly choose giving instead of receiving, or giving even if it hurts you. When you do this, it may feel nobler than being on the receiving side of the equation, but it's just as much of a holdback.

Others may see the world and everyone else only in terms of "what's in it for me?" always looking to see what they can gain in every situation.

Both of these perspectives are highly out of balance and don't produce the flow, power and ease that come from having the channels of giving and receiving fully open.

Here are some powerful ways to break through giving and receiving barriers:

1. From time to time, allow yourself to experiment with giving without wanting something back in return. You can do this with your time, money, expertise or energy. You can even do simple things like pick up the check when you're dining with someone who could use the support. Or make a donation to a worthy cause anonymously. Or simply reach out with your heart to someone in need and give them your love and affection. The more you give without wanting anything back in return, the better you'll feel, and the more you'll be contributing to your family, friends, community and the planet as a whole. The more often you do this, the more open the energetic flow will become.



2. Allow yourself to experiment with receiving without feeling obligated. This can be a little trickier. I'm not suggesting that you take advantage of anyone; just simply allow yourself to be more open to others who are already wanting to support you without immediately insisting on bringing things into balance by giving something right back.



3. You can dramatically increase the flow of giving by letting go of all the conflicting thoughts, feelings and beliefs that are standing in the way. For example, whenever you pay a bill or give money, time, attention or expertise, check to see if there's any resistance to the action, especially if you feel like you must do that particular action. If there's a feeling of resistance, simply welcome it as best as you can, and then ask yourself: Could I let this feeling go? Would I? When? Keep letting go until the resistance falls away and you can actually feel happy about giving.



4. Whenever someone else moves in the direction of giving you something or supporting you, check to see if there's any resistance to receiving, and be open to letting go of any internal conflict you may find. If there's a feeling of resistance or discomfort, simply welcome it as best as you can, and then ask yourself: Could I let this feeling go? Would I? When? Keep letting go until the blocks fall away and you can feel more comfortable about receiving.

As you use these suggestions to get into action around giving and receiving and to let go of your internal conflict, you'll be dismantling the dam that holds back the abundance that's inherent in the natural flow of life and energy -- and you will reap the benefits of unleashing the power of giving and receiving for yourself and others, and for our lovely planet, as well.

I'd love to hear what you think about this post and what else you'd like me to explore and share. Please post comments, questions, ideas and experiences below.

We've just released our new, free Letting Go: Money Now app for iPhones and Android phones and tablets. This app is one of our ways of trying to help everyone get back on track and to support everyone in having more abundance and success now -- even with today's challenges. Please feel free to share this with everyone you care about.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.857045 2011-05-10T12:06:00-04:00 2011-11-17T09:02:45-05:00

Hale Dwoskin http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hale-dwoskin/
Some of the good that came out of this phenomenon is that it helped expose millions of people to concepts they never would've heard of without it, and it helped many people move from living life as victims to living life taking more responsibility for their thoughts, feelings and beliefs and how they affect what we experience.

However, these good results, in and of themselves, as many have found, are not always enough to make the law of attraction work in your life in a balanced and fulfilling way.

And so once we see that we have some responsibility in our experience, many of us either turn to blaming ourselves for what we have or don't have in our lives and feel beaten down even further or we feverishly try and manipulate our thoughts, feelings and beliefs in order to impose our will on the world. But neither one of these strategies works.

Because of this, I've composed a partial list of the some of the tips to employ and pitfalls to avoid in order to responsibly create better lives for ourselves and those we care about -- and to create in such a way that our whole planet benefits by our engagement, and not just ourselves.

So, sorry if I ruffle some feathers! However, I need to tell my truth as I see it -- and as I've discovered it -- from working at this for over 35 years with people all over the planet.

Here are the 10 tips you can use to responsibly employ the law of attraction in your life:

1. Stop blaming yourself.
When we feel like we're responsible, it's not an excuse to blame ourselves for every little thing that happens in our lives. Love yourself as you are instead!

2. Take simple and outrageous action.
If we sit around on our duffs and work diligently to try and change how we think and feel and don't get into action, most of us are sorely disappointed. Combine right thinking and feeling with right action and then you truly have a winning combination.

3. It's about giving, not just getting.
When we get caught up in attracting what we want, we can forget that "the giver is truly blessed." Learn to give without wanting something back in return. That's true giving and it opens up the floodgates of creation.

4. It doesn't work to simply put on a happy face.
When we try to think and feel positively, we fall on our faces because we're denying how we truly think and feel and are simply trying to paint a happy face on top of less happy thoughts and feelings. The most powerful way to move forward is to let go of the inner negatives we have and uncover or make room for the inner positive, which are right here, right now. (By the way, most of my fellow teachers in "The Secret" conduct their lives from this perspective.)

5. Don't fake it until you make it.
Once we go down the path of "acting as if" or "telling ourselves a positive story," we often lose touch with what is actually here now and get into magical thinking, which only produces disappointment. Discover what is actually here now and respond to what is.

6. It's not all about you.
When we think we can simply manipulate our thoughts, feelings and beliefs to get what we can, we may forget that we are not alone on this planet and everything any of us does affects everyone else. Start adding what's in everyone's highest and best good to your goals.

7. We are not our thoughts.
Yes, our minds are like computers, and if we put garbage in, we will get garbage out. However, we are not our minds, our thoughts, feelings or beliefs. What we are is that which is aware of or present to all that we experience. And as people begin to experience this for themselves, they also experience tremendous relief and greater clarity.

8. Thoughts are not things.
Sorry! This sounds great, but it's just not true. Thoughts are just symbols that represent memories that we have given meaning to and invest our energy in. If we stop believing in our thoughts as being so real, we can discover something beyond thinking: the source of true power.

9. Open to the flow.
When we try and impose our will on ourselves and everything and everyone else, we lose track of our essence and our humanity. What if everything is unfolding as it should be unfolding in this moment? What if we are all part of the whole, a greater organism, a greater intelligent energy? Please ponder on that.

10. You are enough.
The one who has the most toys when he dies does not win! They leave without their toys. We are not our toys and more of them is not going make us happy. If you turn and look inside, you can discover that right here, right now you are enough as you are -- and this changes everything.

I'm sure there's more I'll want to share with you, but that will come later. I just gave myself many new posts to write. So, stay tuned as I expand on the ideas above -- and a lot more. Enjoy!

* * * * *

We've just released a new free Letting Go App -- Money Now for IPhone and Android phones and tablets. This app is one of our ways of trying to help everyone get back on track and to support everyone in having more abundance and success now -- even with today's challenges. Please feel free to share this with everyone you care about.

By the way, I'd love to hear what you think about this post and what else you'd like me to explore and share. Please post comments, questions, ideas and experiences below.
]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.851851 2011-04-21T09:13:00-04:00 2011-11-17T09:02:45-05:00

Hale Dwoskin http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hale-dwoskin/
When things don't go the way we'd like, we often push our way through and then pay the price of pushing in stress and exhaustion, or we simply just give up on life and its challenges and sleepwalk through our existence. We stop participating fully in life, or we participate through some very thick veils of darkness and pain.

As this progresses, it can become completely automatic, and we may actually forget that we ever had more light, love or aliveness in our lives. In fact, often as we seek the light, we only find more darkness, despair and dissatisfaction. Or we may get caught in a loop of endlessly trying to fill our lives with things and experiences to try and regain what we believe we've lost. Either way, what we don't realize is that the light, love and aliveness that we are seeking is already and always right here, right now.

In fact, the light that is near is always surrounding us, calling to us, reminding us that living life fully is possible. The best examples of this are often in nature, where we find light and life all around us. It's true that not all of us are fortunate enough to have easy access to nature -- or maybe it's just that our daily business and the clouds of our own inner darkness distract us from its beauty and light. But whatever our circumstances, at times we've all experienced other people who seem to still have their lights on and are enjoying life fully. The light that is near can either serve as a wake-up call, or it can be used as a reason to give up because we believe it's possible for them but not for us.

Rebirth is possible for us when we turn around and face the darkness that we are ignoring, denying or running from. When we do this, we'll usually find that it's not as deep, dark and nasty as we believed. And if at the same time we begin to embrace the light and aliveness that's already within and around us, we also begin to see and feel it everywhere.

Take a few minutes with this simple process that can help you dissolve the darkness and uncover the light that you are. Ask yourself, "In this moment, can I allow myself to welcome or allow the darkness that I am experiencing within me or around me as best I can?"

I know this is counterintuitive, but just give it a chance and see what happens. You already know what happens when you resist and avoid it.

Then ask yourself, "Can I also welcome or allow the light that is here, now, both within and around me?"

Allow yourself to keep going back and forth between these two opposites several times.

At first it may be hard to experience the light, but as you go back and forth, it will get a lot easier and more obvious as the polarities dissolve each other and reveal more of the light that you are. As you keep doing this, you'll find that there's both an inner and outer radiance that will fill you with joy -- or at least start to wash away the darkness.

We often get so lost in our dramas and traumas in life and the challenges of what most of us experience as the daily grind that we don't realize that life is always living through us, as us. It's already giving life to the fifty trillion cells that make up our physical bodies. When we lose touch with our life essence, we can feel tired or simply lack the energy to move forward constructively and creatively in our lives. If we embrace or allow this apparent lack of energy and also allow the aliveness and power that is always right below or surrounding it, we can feel like there are no limits to our energy and life force.

This next process will help you to uncover and live the life that is already right within and around you. It will help you to open up the floodgates of energy and allow the river of energy and life that you are to carry you forward, even through life's challenges. Ask yourself, "Can I allow myself to welcome any sense of lack of energy or of deadness in my body or mind?"

Remember that this is not an invitation for it to stay forever; you're just allowing what is here now to be here.

Then ask yourself, "Can I also allow myself to welcome the life force, aliveness or power that is right below or beyond what I am experiencing?"

This may be hard to feel at first, but if you allow yourself to keep going back and forth with these questions, you'll find yourself coming back to life and having the energy to live life more fully.

Both of these exercises can be used any time you feel the need to shine more light into your life and dispel the darkness -- or when you would simply like a quick energetic lift. They are useful any time of the year, but especially to celebrate the rebirth that is spring and that eternal resurrection that is within every one of us.

* * * * *

This post is based on the principles explored in the new movie, "Letting Go: Transform Your Life, Transform the World," featuring Hale Dwoskin. It is the culmination of over three decades of experience with a simple, powerful, elegant and easy-to-learn technique that shows you how to tap your natural ability to let go instantaneously of any uncomfortable or unwanted feeling, thought or belief. For more information, visit www.LettingGo.tv. ]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.840998 2011-04-03T11:58:00-04:00 2011-11-17T09:02:45-05:00

Hale Dwoskin http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hale-dwoskin/
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you're not alone. Many of us live life as though it's merely a series of problems and challenges that need to be faced and handled -- or avoided and swept under the rug! In fact, even when we feel like we're handling our problems, we often worry about them much more than the situation requires.

A Radical New Way To Think About Your Problems

Here's a question to consider: what if all your problems are just memories?

Now, I know this may be hard to accept, but what if all the supposed problems you have right now are just memories? I'd like to challenge you to explore this question for yourself in a personal way with one of your most cherished problems -- that is, the one you think about a good deal of the time -- and at least entertain the possibility that even it is just a memory.

How You Look For Your Problems

The reason that problems appear to persist through time is that whenever they are not here in this moment, we go looking for them. That's right; we actually seek out our problems. This means we filter our experiences based on the belief that we have a particular problem and -- here's the kicker -- we unconsciously censor anything that does not support the belief that we have this problem, including the fact that the problem is not actually here now.

You may not have thought about it this way before, but you've probably seen it happen with someone you know. This person believes that they have a problem and even talks about the problem often. Yet every time you see them, you see no indication that the problem is even there. They are only telling you about the problem, not experiencing it directly.

You may have also seen them on the few occasions when the problem actually does occur, and they say, "See, I knew it. I never [fill in the blank]," or, "I always [fill in the blank]." For example, "I always mess up when there are people listening." Or, "I never know what to say to him." (This is a clue: when we use words like "I never" or "I always," we tend to grossly exaggerate the frequency that something is actually occurring because of our emotional attachment and miss the fact that the problem is not even here now.)

This habit of filtering for our problems simply reinforces them and causes us to suffer. So, the next time you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, lying awake at night gnawing on a problem, or you catch yourself thinking about that issue that just never seems to go away, try this exercise with yourself instead. It will help you leave your problems where they belong -- in the past -- and open up your perception to the fresh new slate that exists for you, right now, in this moment.

A Process To Release The Burden Now

1. Think of a problem that you used to believe you had. I purposely phrased this question in the past tense because, as we discussed earlier, we are entertaining the idea that all problems are simply just memories. And, in fact, they are. If you're having a hard time accepting your problem as existing only in the past, then allow yourself to include the last 10 seconds as part of the past. And the last second. And the last. Most of us think of the past as years ago, last year or at least yesterday. For the sake of understanding what I am suggesting, please allow yourself to view the past as anything that's not happening in this moment.



2. Now, ask yourself this question: "Could I allow myself to remember how I used to believe I had this problem?" This shift in consciousness may make you laugh, it may make you tingle inside or it may simply open the possibility in your awareness that yes, even this is just a memory.



3. Then ask yourself: "Would I like to change that from the past?" If the answer is yes, ask yourself: "Could I let go of wanting to change that from the past?" Now, this may seem counterintuitive, but in my experience, when you want something, you are holding in mind that you do not have it. In other words, want equals lack. And the feeling of desire actually keeps what you want at bay. Check it out for yourself. Would you rather want a million dollars in the bank, or would you rather have it? Would you rather want to change your problem from the past, or would you rather change it? Now let go as best you can.



4. The completion question in this series is to ask yourself: "Just for now, could I let go of wanting to believe I have that problem again?" And then do your best to let it go.

If there's still some clinging to the memory of the problem in this moment, then repeat the steps from the beginning until you can fully let go.

As you work with this perspective more and more, you'll find it easier and easier to let go of even (what you used to believe were) long-standing problems.

Outrageous But Practical

This is, of course, an outrageous perspective based on what most of us believe, yet it's also quite practical. Most of us believe that thinking about our problems and wanting to change them will bring change, so we do it over and over again. But if you examine your own experience, I think you'll find that positive change most often comes at the moment you let go of all your thinking and wanting.

Now, don't get me wrong here. This process is not a substitute for taking right action. It's just that as you relax the tightly wound coil of association you have with your problem, and the wanting to change it that keeps it locked into your experience, you've eliminated the burden of believing the problem is actually happening now. This frees your energy up to deal with what is actually here in this moment, and which may or may not still require effective action on your part. In other words, the reason this perspective is so practical is that as you release the burden that comes from believing there is a problem in this moment, you're much more likely to see and act on solutions, rather than only seeing the problem itself.

If you use this simple but powerful process, I promise you the results will surprise and delight you. I have seen just this one process quickly and easily free people from painful, long-standing problems, problems that had been part of a person's experience for decades.

Practice the process with this audio clip.'

Give this radical approach to problem-solving a try when you find yourself dwelling on your problems and I'm confident that you, too, will begin to experience the joy and the freedom that each new moment brings.

***

This post is based on the principles explored in the new movie, "Letting Go: Transform Your Life, Transform the World," featuring Hale Dwoskin. It is the culmination of over three decades of experience with a simple, powerful, elegant and easy-to-learn technique that shows you how to tap your natural ability to let go instantaneously of any uncomfortable or unwanted feeling, thought or belief. For more information, visit www.LettingGo.tv. ]]>