As we move into July where we celebrate with a bang it occurs to me the biggest bang will be when we learn to celebrate ourselves, that we recognize our inherent worth and dignity and divinity. Our divinity is our heritage. It speaks of recognizing that we are Spirit in Expression. We are not separate from the Divine. We are Expressions of It. That is the holistic Understanding I have always had and always will have. It makes a huge difference in the way I live my Life and the way I will always live It. We are sacred. We are holy. The world is waking up to this Truth day by day and I look forward to the time It will be radiantly alive for everyone. As It comes alive the crime rates of all kinds will go down and even disappear because we will know with all our heart that we are One. We won't hurt our Self and we won't hurt each other. What an amazing day that will be. You might be asking how can we do that? First of all, of course, is look at your own Life. How much Joy is in it? If you say none, that's your first clue. How do you feel about your Self? You can't give to others what you don't have within you. If there's no Love there's certainly no Joy! I'm sure that's obvious. Another clue is how much time do you give to serving others? We serve ourselves first by loving ourselves and getting our inner house in order. Then we are channels for the limitless ocean of Good to flow forth from us. This is the holistic Understanding that fuels my Life now and always.

As we move into the second half of this year which seems to be on a speed train I can't believe we're already half way through the year. I have received so many blessings, made new friends and new connections who are very dear to me and met some interesting and amusing challenges which encourage me more and more to stay grounded and to hold my own and to speak up knowing I am heard and honored by many and those who don't hear yet I'll keep speaking until they do and I will be less and less frustrated when they don't. That's the learning curve I'm inviting myself to stay on because it brings so much Joy and Peace and Compassion and Understanding… all the hallmarks of a happy Life!!!!

It occurs to me out of the blue that it takes great Courage to be happy when fear seems to be so rampant in the world. This is where I come back again and again to the basis of living an inside out Life. I am focused inward first, not outward. Focusing inward is the key to staying grounded and centered in the Truth of who I am! This principle works the same for everyone. When we know and honor who we are we are not pulled off easily from our Center, our Truth. We are strong, resilient, wise, happy and gentle. I admire and treasure these qualities and I cultivate them daily. I encourage them in others too.

As I'm writing this I am reminded of a word that I learned the true meaning of recently and I love it. Abracadabra is a Hebrew word meaning I create what I speak. A few days ago I had a profoundly deep new Understanding of the Power of our words. The word is the very Life of Life. It is the Creative Essence of all Life. It matters what we say!!! The word Abracadabra also makes me laugh. It reminds me of the Magic of Life, the Power of Life, and the Sacredness of Life. We are here for a special journey. We are here to embody the Sacredness of all that we are. That's not what most of us learned but it is what I have known and honored all my Life and I look forward to the ever expanding upward movement of all my learning and of all I can give and share with others.

Another thing that is very special to me is my interest in all the world's religions. I am so involved in so many different traditions and I'm meeting so many special people. It is so vitally important to recognize that the extremists do not represent the heart and soul of any group. The very word extremist means they are the fringe element, they are off center and out of touch with who they really are and the damage they are doing to themselves and others. Here again is where we must awaken and move beyond fear. Get involved with new groups and see who they really are. The media is not the source of our information! Let direct experience be your Source of information. I have gone to places I have never been before and I have been so profoundly welcomed by such peaceful gracious people. That reminds me of my reaction after 9/11 happened. I purposely went to restaurants owned by Middle Easterners to let them know I wasn't afraid of them and that I wanted to help and support them. I love their food and I met some great people. I will never choose to live in such a tiny box that I am choked to death by fear and skepticism. That reminds me of my mantra that came to me many years ago: "I will not die while I am still alive." I will not live my Life in fear and watch It go down the drain. I will definitely live a Life of Joy and Love and Compassion and Understanding.

As I begin to bring this writing to a close I can't help but skip forward to December where all the world's religions and traditions celebrate their special stories. It is all the stories of our collective humanity and how very special it all is. I look forward to all the learning I will experience between now and then and I will work diligently to do all the Good I can between now and then. There is certainly no shortage of Good that needs to be shared and no shortage of Generosity that needs to be given and received. I love my Life and I know I am profoundly blessed in many ways and I know my Attitude guarantees that that will continue to happen. That too works the same way for everyone. What we put out most definitely comes back to us multiplied. That's the way Energy always works. That's that fascinating Law of giving and receiving. It's not a punishment. It's simply a reciprocity. Go forth with a bang. Enjoy! Live your Life to the fullest. Be Peace and be ready for the magnified Joy and Peace that comes back at you. Alleluia!!!!