Honoring the Wise Guide (Inner Voice)

No matter where you go, there is always someone who can serve as a guide, someone who knows the landscape, the territory, who can navigate the foreign regions. It is the same with the inner voice too. No matter where you are at, you can ALWAYS tune in to it and ask for guidance and direction. It is an ever present, highly intelligent, guidance and operating system and an infinitely transmitted, fine tuned radio signal. Through my life's journey, I have come to fully rely on and trust the guidance and wisdom I receive from this soft and subtle, yet oftentimes unmistakably unignorable voice time and time again. It has never led me astray.

The thing about Honoring the Wise Guide (Inner Voice) though is you have to learn to trust it. It takes a lot of courage to learn to access and follow something you can't visibly see. And sometimes, the guidance seems downright ludicrous. But, it is radically instinctive and highly intelligent nonetheless. In her book A Still, Small Voice, Echo Bodine says this about intuition: "Life is not only more magical when we live by our inner voice but also extremely efficient. From the life-changing to the mundane, your intuition is always your best guide." That's because it knows, and it knows that it knows. It is God's voice within all of us, our direct link to the spirit realms infinite wisdom.

I remember an experience from a while back in my life. I was hiking in the mountains with my youngest sister, who was five at the time. She was running ahead of me most of the way, when suddenly I got a strong inclination to pick her up right then and there and carry her for a while. So I did just that, and not less than one minute later, a rattlesnake was sitting right in the middle of the trail we were hiking on, and began rattling at us as we approached it. She could have easily been bitten had I not listened to and trusted my instincts, or as I like to call it, my "inside information."

Everyone has intuition. Its when you know something and you're not sure how you know, but you do. It's that nagging voice deep within you saying, "turn around, walk another way, get away from this person, or a certain situation." It's that inner compass that points the way for us. It is constantly trying to communicate with us. You just have to learn to listen to and follow your heart, soul and intuition more. These are precious, holy gifts from a loving, compassionate creator to be used often and cherished. The problem with the still, small voice though, is that it is just that, A STILL, SMALL VOICE. And in our society, there is so much noise, so many distractions. These things can definitely prevent us from hearing the guidance and instruction from within. That is where taking the time to go within daily comes into play. The more you tune in through yoga, meditation, prayer, spending reflective time in nature, and etc. the more this voice becomes present and active in your life.

I have always felt God's presence and guidance in my life. I was raised in a highly organized religion, but left it when I became an adult, because I felt a prompting for a deeper, more sensitive, intuitive relationship with spirit. I always felt that there was more out there for me. I feel that most organized religions lead people away from listening to and following their own inner voice and promptings. That is why I don't subscribe to organized religion. It encourages you to seek much wisdom from bishops, pastors, the Bible or other various scriptures and etc. instead of encouraging you to go within to find the answers in your own heart and soul. That is where all the true answers will be found. There are no intermediaries now between me and God. There is a direct line of communication that is very present and visible. I work hard to keep it open and accessible. This direct communication is available to everyone, all the time.

The beauty of Honoring the Wise Guide is it leads you to your highest good, your highest calling, and your fullest experience of life's joy, bliss and happiness. It is the part of you that knows who you came into this world to be, what you need to do with your particular gifts and talents, and how to bring you into a harmonious union with all of life. If you turn away from it, you will lead a frustrated life and miss out on rich blessings. If you listen to it and follow it, it will lead you into a glorious, new experience of life. Listen to and honor the wise guide. It is certainly a true friend.

Copyright Justin Topik 2009

Sharing-The Ultimate Giving Machine

Sharing is just like gambling. The more you put in, the more you are bound to get out. And when you give the highest and best of what you are capable of giving, something amazing happens, lives are blessed and touched and you open the flood gates to rich blessings and an abundant life. The universe rewards you for sharing your authentic gifts, talents and passions! In fact, the law of giving is like the law of gravity. What goes up must come down.

One of the definitions of the word AFFLUENCE in Webster's dictionary is: an abundant flow or supply. So in essence, in order to attract more abundance into your life, you have to give something more of yourself, (your time, talents, material blessings, money, or some form of tithing) to this abundant flow or supply. And as you add to the flow, you keep the flow going, and then you increase the flow of abundance in your life naturally and gracefully. It's all about allowing the flow without damning it up with selfishness and greed.

The whole rhythmic dance of the universe operates under the law of giving. A flower is pollinated by the bee and in return gives her nectar to the bee, who makes honey, which feeds a myriad of insects and animals. A tree gives her fruits that we might eat, and in return we take care of the tree. A river gives of its water freely on its way downstream, nourishing and watering all living things in its path, and in the end, it flows into the ocean where it merges with an infinite supply again.

Whenever you are giving, you are declaring to the universe you have abundance to share. And whatever you believe is true and act on, has far reaching effects. The reason for this is the universe listens to and responds to your beliefs and actions, and therefore gives you more, because you are claiming yourself to be abundant. Conversely, when you hoard, or don't share out of fear of not having enough, that is exactly what comes your way-more lack, because you are declaring to the universe you are poor and have very little to give. It is always listening and responding to our thoughts and beliefs!

Once you start giving more of yourself though, you will quickly realize just how much more you receive than ever before. Giving not only makes you feel good, it welcomes positive vibrations, and a positive flow of a myriad of blessings into your life. And it doesn't really matter what you give either. Tithing doesn't have to be just about giving money. It is a spiritual law. It's about giving and sharing what you do have. And it is absolutely imperative that this give and take exists. Without it, life could not go on. Selfishness only stops the natural flow of give and take. The native Americans understood this concept miraculously. They would never take more than they needed from the great mother, because they understood their interconnectedness to her sacred web of life. If they killed something, they utilized most of the entire animal for something. Also embedded in the native culture, is the notion that whenever you take something from someone else, you also must give them something in return.

I believe in our culture we are taught subconsciously to be takers more so than givers. It's all about me, me, me. What's in it for me? It's amazing how stingy we are, when we have so much to share. I spent several weeks in Mexico in great poverty and I had total strangers invite me into their small, heavily populated homes. They fed me and welcomed me with open arms. It was beyond humbling. It brought tears to my eyes, because I had never seen generosity freely given like that before. The ironic thing is in our culture, what we don't realize is, this very resistance to circulate our wealth and abundance keeps more wealth and abundance from coming into our lives as well. The whole earth operates under a give and take philosophy, or an abundance mentality. It knows there is more than enough to go around for everybody and everything, and the more it freely gives, the more it will be freely given in return. That is why I titled this: Sharing-The Ultimate Giving Machine, because there is marvelous power in sharing. The more things of value you share with others, the more things of value will be shared with you. Sharing is like laughter, it is highly contagious. Always be on the lookout for ways to share with others and just watch the jackpot flow...

Copyright Justin Topik 2009

Getting Down to Business in Your Life

It's 4th quarter, with only 3 minutes to go in the championship basketball game. Your team is down by 5 points. This is it. It's time to fly. It's time to pull all of the tricks out of the bag, time to create a little magic, time to pull together and utilize all of your individual strengths. It's time to put your game faces on, time to decide RIGHT NOW if you are 100% in, or out, and if you're gonna win, or lose this game. Winning is a choice too. It is always a choice!

On a more personal scale, you've gotta use this same sports minded mentality to get to where you wanna go as well. You've gotta step up to the plate if you are serious about Getting Down to Business in your life. You do this by deciding what you want, what you're committed to having, doing and being in your lifetime and by taking absolute responsibility for all you wish to create and experience as well. Nobody is gonna do it for you. Getting Down to Business in Your Life requires these 5 Components and Ingredients for success:

1. Life Management Skills-Knowing how to manage your emotional and mental states of focus and how to stay in peak operating states on a day to day, moment to moment basis
2. Toned Decision Making Muscles-Strong decision making muscles, strengthened by rigorous repetition and use
3. Major Action Taking Ability-Not being afraid to get in the game and make big plays, learning the game you are participating in, getting off the bench as merely an observer and becoming an actual player
4. Total Commitment-Giving 110% commitment in whatever area or arena you are truly committed to
5. Strong Desire to Face and Overcome Fears-Climbing the scary mountains, facing your own vulnerability and fears of uncertainty and failure, and overcoming inadequate self worth feelings

You can't always wait for the perfect day to begin something. What's wrong with today? You've gotta seize the day sometimes. You've also gotta seize the opportunities that present themselves. These often include: resources at your disposal, or people who wanna help you succeed, financial resources and etc. Don't just wait for your ship to come in. Build the damn thing , decide where you want to go in it and START SAILING!

Getting Down to Business in your life means, you've gotta to know what you want and deserve and not be afraid to ask life, the universe, or God for the things you want, or desire. Also, another few key points to Getting Down to Business in your Life are, knowing and expecting that you will see good things happen in your life, and also making key choices and decisions along the way. There is an intense power in a REAL decision to do something. It summons large, unfathomable resources and the God's intervention. The perfect day you have waited for is TODAY.

Getting Down to Business in Your Life is similar to starting a business with nothing more than a business plan for your product or service. Then you have to follow that plan and keep your focus on your successes, your triumphs and where you are going in the long run. Also, like in sales, you can't accept no for an answer. You've gotta be willing to have some doors shut on you. In fact, if you don't have any doors shutting on you, you are not really in the playing field. And as with a business, there also needs to be a Marketing, Publicity and Innovation team to help you brainstorm new ideas and to get your ideas out there in physical, tangible form. Like in creating a successful business, you have to follow your business plan, market yourself and grow your brand or product. After you do all these things, success will naturally and harmoniously follow.

Copyright Justin Topik 2009

The Reward of All Rewards

From the time we are born into this world, we can be easily seduced into thinking and believing that the greatest rewards this world has to offer us are: worldly honor and fame, prestige, glamour, power and wealth of all manner. And along with this, we are culturally taught that the pursuit of and accumulation of more and more of these things, is what will bring us more joy and happiness. As a society, we are drawn to game shows where people win large sums of money, or expensive material gifts. The treasures of this world are indeed charming and alluring, such as fine jewelry and adornments, fancy clothing, large, glamorous houses and expensive, sleek cars. The problem with these things though, is that they originate from outside of us and history proves these things alone do not satisfy the inner longings of our souls. Some of the wealthiest and famous people of all time have ended their lives tragically, brutally, or have even ended up strung out on drugs and alcohol.

It is not until we attain some of these worldly treasures that we begin to realize it was all a lie from the beginning-that these things would indeed bring us happiness. All these rewards are like sand that you hold in your hand, which at anytime may be blown away by a sudden windstorm in a fraction of a second. They are perishable. All the riches and rare treasures in the world don't bring the highest pleasure, the highest happiness. There is a reward though, that is imperishable. There is a jeweled crown that most of the world knows nothing about. Its splendour is stunning, shimmering beyond the beauty of the Taj Mahal, or a storehouse of red rubies, green emeralds, glittering, sparkling sapphires and diamonds, opals, pearls, bars of shiny gold, and metallic silver. And unlike earthly treasures, this reward cannot be taken from you once you attain it. It is a permanent gain. So what is this treasure I am referring to you may ask?

In the Bhagavad Gita (Hindu holy book) in chapter 6, it speaks of this sacred, holy treasure. I am going to paraphrase here. It refers to a man of Yoga attaining a state of consciousness where he knows there is no higher attainment, where his mind becomes clear and peaceful and he enters absolute joy, his passions are calmed forever and he is utterly absorbed in God. In this state he gains true freedom and finds an infinite joy.

This state of consciousness is known in eastern religions as SAMADHI or NIRVANA. Samadhi means oneness and union with God. Nirvana, on the other hand is the state of being free from suffering. Nirvana literally translates to "blowing out" — that is, blowing out the fires of greed, hatred, and delusion within oneself. It is considered the highest happiness. In eastern religions such as Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism, when you reach this level of peace and bliss, you are considered by many to have graduated so to speak, to have reached enlightenment and attained the crown of life, or The Reward of All Rewards. To reach this state is to graduate life with Honors. This inner treasure of inner peace, or true satisfaction and inner bliss is The Reward of All Rewards I am referring to here.

A great cause of many peoples miseries in this world is seeking for impermanent treasure that never satisfies. You can have it all and yet feel miserable, and empty inside. The Upanishads, an ancient Hindu text says that "bliss is our natural state, our birthright, but mankind remains unhappy since he hasn't learned how to obtain it, and that the inner self, or spirit within is the place where bliss and lasting happiness can be found. And the closer we get to the inner self, the more happiness we experience."

Bliss is the fruit of being charmed, or allured into a mystic union with God, or universal energy. It is The Reward of All Rewards, because once you attain this peace and happiness, you will never hunger and thirst solely for pleasures, treasures and desires of this world, which are so unquenchable. This constant thirst and hunger keeps us always striving for more, without giving us what we are really after. Ultimately, everyone wants happiness, peace and bliss. We can all have it too, once we tap into the source of the mystic fountain within and let go of our attachment to worldly treasures, worldly rewards. There is a reward waiting for you that is so lavish and rich, and once you taste it, you will hunger for nothing else. Wayne Dyer said in his book Your Sacred Self, "When the divine light within you is experienced directly, it adds a radiance to life unlike anything that can be described with words, or pictures." Seek it, this divine light and inner ecstasy. It is the ONLY thing that will really satisfy and it is much closer than you may realize!

Copyright Justin Topik 2009

A Life Transforming Machine

The mind is a marvelously powerful piece of equipment! It is most certainly and undoubtedly A Life Transforming Machine. It is an elaborate power tool that can take you from where you are to where you would like to go. The mind is sort of like a copy machine, spitting out copies of whatever you put in to photocopy. And this great secret can either be used graciously and consciously as a gift, or unappreciatively, unconsciously with very mixed results. It is up to you! The mind is like the lens of a camera. Whatever you focus the lens on, is exactly what shows up in the photograph. Likewise, whatever you focus on in life, is oftentimes what you get. However, unlike a camera, whatever you focus on in your mind, gets bigger. The more we place our focus, our attention on something, the more that object, or event dominates and even controls our lives, and the bigger it grows.

I have learned through the school of hard knocks and life experience, that I have the power to direct my focus, regardless of what may be going on in my life. And that gives me great power to control my experience of life, from moment to moment. One of the first things I do every morning is ask myself positive questions to mentally get myself in a positive, resourceful, optimal state for the day. Some examples of these questions are:

1. What am I happy about and grateful for today?


2. How am I gonna make today a great day?


3. What is great about me?


4. What can I do to transform my life in every area (mentally, physically, spiritually and socially) right now?


5. What do I NOW choose to create and experience in my life?
   

Now don't get me wrong, things still go wrong in my life. I'm not positive 100% of the time. And Life still throws unexpected curve balls at me from time to time, but I get to decide how to interpret these events by the power of my focus, as do you in your own life as well. It is not the events themselves though that determine how your life is shaped, but how you interpret the events. The emphasis you place on them and the meaning you give them determines just how much events will affect you. Literally our focus becomes our experience of life.

I am convinced most depression, unhappiness is only a state of mind. We often create the conditions in our lives by our focus. This life transforming machine-the mind, can either be our best friend, or our worst enemy. I believe we don't often utilize the power of our mind and mental focus to our benefit enough. If I go around with a pessimistic attitude, saying everything sucks, nobody likes me, nothing in my life ever is gonna work out, blah, blah, blah, then I am actually using this life transforming machine in a negative, or destructive way. And I am actually drawing more of the conditions into my life that I am trying to avoid.

There are powerful metaphysical things happening all around us, and unseen force fields that we are affecting, even though we may not see it with our physical eyes. Deepak Chopra said, "Quantum physics is not only stranger than you think, it is stranger than you can think." We are operating inside an energy sensitive, energy dynamic matrix. Everything you think, feel, say and picture in your mind is pulled to you either consciously or unconsciously by the focus of your mind. Just like in the law of the harvest, you reap what you sow. Whatever you put into the mind, is what comes out.

Understanding and using the power of focus gives you enormous self power and life transforming capability. Use your power, this life transforming machine as your friend. The #1 reason that prevents people from getting what they want in life is, a lack of focus and lack of using and harnessing the powers inherent in the mind. People who learn how to focus and harness their energies, prosper and excel, while those who don't, struggle. There is great power in knowing what you want and where you are going, and in using the powers of the mind, or A Life Transforming Machine to assist you. And once you wholeheartedly put these forces into play, the dreams of yesterday will soon become the reality of today.

Take Out the Trash

We all have a little junk in the trunk, so to speak. We all have areas in our lives we need to clean up, rearrange, or sometimes even overhaul. Sometimes a little spring cleaning on ourselves is very uplifting, revitalizing and can even be healthy and necessary. It is empowering to realize that we are in charge of ourselves and the things we store in our trunks, metaphorically speaking though. And at anytime, we can Take Out the Trash, or take out the old and bring in the new.

So let me take a moment and define the type of trash I am referring to here. Basically, it can be all the things in our personal lives we lug around that interfere with us enjoying the present moment, our present relationships, the stuff that keeps us from experiencing inner peace and happiness! Come on, you know the stuff I am referring to-BAGGAGE! This could include emotional hurt, resentment toward someone we feel has wronged us, unresolved anger, fear, stress, worry about the future, feelings of inadequacy, slavery to addictions, negative or pessimistic attitudes, or thought patterns. This type of trash, if we carry it around too long, poisons our lives. It also prevents us from achieving the lives of our dreams. It keeps us stuck in a rut. So take it out before it rots a hole in your soul. You must take this stuff out if you wanna make room for new treasures in your life. Face it, you wouldn't put new wine in an old, dirty bottle.

There are many reasons why we hold onto our junk though. Sometimes it may feed a need in us, or even allow us to play the victim role, or act helpless, or powerless in any given situation. Other times though, it can be healthy and be us actually feeling our pain, hurt, loneliness, or whatever, so we can move on from it. Sometimes we have to allow ourselves to feel this stuff, to carry a little baggage, before we can release some of this junk, put it down and move on. But the key here is to not allow yourself to drown in this filth, stench and toxicity. If you need to carry some baggage and garbage with you, do it for a while and allow yourself to feel the weight, to smell its raunchy smell. But, then put it down. The key here is not to drown in this toxic waste, not to allow the weight of your life to weigh you down into the dumps. It is too easy to fall victim to depression and despair if you get stuck in this place.

I recently divorced from my wife of 9 years and I will admit, divorce has been especially hard for me. I have had to face an immense amount of rejection from my spouse, as well as a lot of hurt, anger, emotional pain, insecurity, and fear of being alone. This is something I am still working on releasing and moving on from. It has been a year now since the divorce was final. I have fully allowed myself to go through the grieving process and to feel my pain, hurt and insecurity. Now, I am ready to put this stuff down and move on. But, I could just as easily get sunk into depression and despair and feeling sorry for myself. But I choose not to. That point of recognition is the key to healthy self care and preservation. You have to be willing to let your garbage go at some point, in order to live a healthy and productive life.

Once you Take Out the Trash, and cultivate positive energy and emotions, you can begin to step into your glorious new shoes, new life and even your new self. You lighten up spiritually, physically, mentally and emotionally. You prepare your self for a better quality experience of life. You also become more receptive to the creative mind that attunes you to all the possibilities the universe has in store for you. So think of me right now as a gardener helping you prepare your inner soil for an abundant harvest. If you wanna manifest, or grow great things in your life, and experience the dance of the universe more powerfully, you've gotta get all the junk out of your trunk. I challenge you once and for all, to free yourself from the slime, muck and filth that have only been weighing you down and Take Out the Trash...

Copyright Justin Topik 2009

The Power of a Positive Attitude

There is a Great power in attitude. It is an extraordinarily, gigantic force in shaping your life and destiny. Never underestimate The Power of a Positive Attitude! It can either stage your life for a cornucopia of success, or plague you with imminent failure and disaster. Attitude is a supercharged, magnetic force, drawing circumstances towards you that will either make or break your life, your relationships, and ultimately your success and happiness in life. And the wonderful thing about it is, it is a power YOU have control of EVERYDAY of your life. Sure, you can't always control all the circumstances of your life. Life happens as it happens! You can however, certainly control your attitude about how you choose to handle the situations that arise in your life and the challenges you may have to face. Many people say "Life is a bitch." I say, "Life is habitual." And whatever attitudes you continuously put out there to the universe, reap a material and spiritual harvest of some type, either good or bad.

Attitude is a momentary and daily choice, just like choosing what you are gonna have for breakfast, or what clothes to put on for the day. And the difference between a mediocre life and a great one, is oftentimes just a slight attitudinal adjustment. I have come to the conclusion that people that are happy and successful work hard at keeping a positive attitude. I have observed this trait in many of my mentors and role models. I believe full heartedly that a positive attitude is a precursor to life success and life mastery. Maintaining a positive attitude is something you have to commit to and take full responsibility for. A positive attitude doesn't just happen to anyone spontaneously. It comes from constant self cultivation. It is constantly deciding that, "I will make the most of this and everyday. I will find a way to succeed. I will stay positive no matter what happens today. Today is gonna be a great day because I will make it a great day!

When you truly understand The Power of a Positive Attitude, you will begin to realize and understand that whatever you are focusing on becomes your reality each day. Earl Nightingale said this: "Stay positive, you become what you think about." And Buddha said, "All that we are arises with our thoughts, with our thoughts we make our world." That's why you must guard your thoughts and focus, because positive or negative, they bring astonishing results into your existence. We are more powerful than we realize! The power of focus is nothing to be taken for granted.

Something I have learned though, is that it is easier for me to have a positive attitude and outlook on life, when I feel connected to my soul. It seems positive energy originates from the source, or "the force." I have noticed a rather strong correlation here. Inner peace/spiritual fulfillment and a great attitude are closely related. In fact they are brothers and sisters in the matrix of the universe. So, when you make time to nourish your soul, it becomes easier to maintain positive energy and a positive attitude for longer periods of time. I came across a great quote by Vince Lombardi Jr. just the other day, "The will to win... the will to achieve... goes dry and arid without continuous renewal." To me continuous renewal refers to feeding your mind, body and soul often. Nourish your soul, cultivate a positive awareness and attitude, and you will plant seeds in your mind and soul that will one day blossom into ripe, delicious and luscious fruits! That is The Power of a Positive Attitude!

Copyright Justin Topik 2009