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Freedom, Fear and Forgiveness

Reflections on the
15th Anniversary of 9-11

Liberty

When Franklin Delano Roosevelt announced the attack on Pearl Harbor, a shocked nation listened to his resonant voice on the radio with the words “a day that will live in infamy”.  Americans were horrified that without a formal declaration of war, Japan would attack a US Military base in Hawaii.  As most of us remember from our history class, if not from our own lives, the surprise nature of the attack without the prior declaration of war was a part of the horror.  War had in that event, become different.  The old rules no longer applied.  It marked a change in how the world worked and required an adjustment in the thinking of not just Americans, but the whole world. 

This was also true, on 9-11 as the world watched domestic airplanes filled with peaceful passengers crash into the World Trade Center.  Not only was the sudden assault an act of war, but it was an act of war without a clear opponent in a war.  Victims were not citizens of a country, but symbols of a society against which a group of people, not a government had created a war, with no declaration or even clear purpose that we could understand.

The fact that this event was watched through the day and night courtesy of 24-hour news coverage made this unique in the history of civilization.  An act of war, an act of unspeakable terror was right there with us in our homes.  Where we were and what we were doing when the planes hit the towers and then even more unthinkable when the towers collapsed became a part of our ordinary life.  The terror, the horror, and the fear this engendered affected everyone in the country and indeed most people in the world.  In addition, due to the media, as we relived the experience repeatedly we became a society suffering from Post Traumatic Stress.

That the fear has lingered is not surprising.  That the blame has extended to an entire religious group instead of a group of fanatic individuals is potentially one of the most dangerous aspects of the after effects of 9-11 as it is this factor that most threatens our freedom.  This fear now threatens to destroy what has made America a people unique in the history of civilization.

This threat to our freedom comes not from the outside world but from our response to our own fears.  We must as a people now learn to transcend our fear without offering up our liberty.  We must with vigilance and the distance of the passing years look at the effects that terrorism has had on our life and our society and re-evaluate how much power we wish to give our attackers to destroy our values.

As one of our Founding Father’s Benjamin Franklin once commented, “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

If we allow our fear to erode our liberties we have surrendered what is most valued and the terrorists would have won a victory that the Nazis and the Communists failed to win.  See article “Did Osama Win” by Andrew Sullivan in Newsweek September 4, 2011.

Freedom of religion is a key principle upon which our country was founded.  If that principle were reinterpreted to only grant that freedom to popular regions, what it means to be an American and to live in America would be lost.  As High School Civics teachers have taught for generations we must preserve freedom for everyone, because the logical consequence of loss of anyone’s liberty is the loss of everyone’s liberty.

Therefore, as we face this milestone of unspeakable horror it is necessary that we begin to focus our efforts upon releasing the fear that terrorism generates in us.  Releasing Fear and learning to transcend and transmute our fears is one of the most profound, powerful and life changing aspects of transforming our consciousness.

Downloadable on my website is a visualization (called “Feeling Free“) to help you transmute fear and other negative emotions. This crucial time when our fear is being refreshed with all of the media coverage about 9-11 is a perfect time to begin releasing the fear that this event may have engendered.

Finally, to free your country from the residuals of terrorism you must begin a process of healing.  Healing ultimately is enhanced by forgiveness.  We have seen the failure of revenge.  As Mohandas Gandhi once stated,

An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.

It is time to let the past be in the past.

It is time as a people to put the fears and the horrors of terrorism behind us and as we begin the rebuilding of our lands and lives remember to rebuild our faith and confidence in our world. It is time to renew in our hearts and minds the freedoms that we have worked so hard to achieve. We can conquer our fears, honor our liberties and our values, and learn to forgive.  Yes, even the unforgiveable.

If it were not unforgivable, true forgiveness would not be required.
      — Genevieve Gerard

When my friend Alan Scherr was killed, along with his 13-year-old daughter Naomi, in the Mumbai Massacres at the Oberio Hotel his wife Kia formed an organization to honor the sacredness of life. Her leadership in response to her loss is a powerful force in the world to bring peace and transformation out of sorrow and loss.  For more information on forgiveness visit her site “One Life Alliance” here.

As our thoughts go to the families who have lost loved ones, let us pray for the healing of the families, the healing of our nation and the healing of the world, that today marks the moment when we as a people move forward to greater understanding of those who live life differently from us with the realization that we are more alike than different and we are ultimately one people, in one world.  Peace best serves us all.

Blessings,

Genevieve

 

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Copyright © 2011-2016 by Genevieve Gerard & Touch Of The Soul, All rights reserved.

 

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When You Wake Up Feeling Blue

When You Wake Up Feeling Blue

Are you feeling blue - then read my When You Wake Up Feeling Blue blog post

We have all had them, the occasional morning when instead of awaking with the joy and promise of a day opening to new opportunities, you just feel blue.

Feeling blue might be the residual of some now-forgotten dream, fear, discomfort, or anxiety.  It could be the result of some pollen in the air that leaves you a little clogged up.  It might even be something someone said to you yesterday that troubled you, subtle enough to pass without conscious notice.

Logic and analysis can tell you that today is no different from any other day in your life except for this amorphous feeling of sadness.

Because you are feeling this way, for no specific reason it is easy to let this feeling grow and escalate.  It is all too tempting to be caught up in your gloominess.

You could let yourself sink into and ruminate upon you sorrows until you can release it all with a little cry.  The little cry can be healing, but most of us feel silly to sit and cry over nothing.

What You Can Do When You Wake Up Feeling Blue

What I find most helpful is to begin by acknowledging that what you are experiencing is just a feeling.  If you observe that fact with dispassion, just that observation is often enough to make the feeling fade away.  The mere act of entering into the consciousness of yourself as the dispassionate observer shifts your awareness.  It gives you freedom from the emotion, as you are able to identify your emotions as just a part of your experience, not your whole self.

The realization that you are more than what you are feeling at any given moment in time can serve as a portal to other parts of yourself.
       – Genevieve Gerard

It can be a way to explore your inner self and your higher self by observing a place of deep peace that co-exists next to those feelings of being blue.  In addition, if you quietly explore that deep peace and let it arise within, you may find a glimmer of joy that begins to grow.

Whether You Think You Can or Think You Cant You're Right quote by Henry Ford

 

Nothing has really changed in your life but the focus of your attention onto your higher self, away from your emotional self.  But that change can be significant, and most importantly, that change is available to you through your attention, by your intention and your will.

 

This is a more powerful step than you can imagine.  By shifting your consciousness from your emotions, and to your mind, and then ultimately to the wisdom of your Higher Self (your Soul), you can transform and empower your life.

 

 

Steps To Gain Mastery Over Your Emotions

There are several simple and profound steps you can use to help you gain mastery over your emotions.

The very first, as mentioned above is to acknowledge that an emotion (feeling blue) is just an emotion.  An emotion does not define what is real.  A feeling is just a feeling.  It is not the truth.  It is just an associated feeling that you have given a meaning to. It does not have any power over you unless you choose to give it power.

I have found that differentiating between what I feel, and what is real is an important step to gaining mastery in your life.  Sometimes the simple act of identifying something as a feeling is sufficient to shift your consciousness to a higher and more positive perspective.

You're not stuck. You're just committed to certain patters of behavior quote

 

 At other times your emotions may be so strong or entrenched or depressing that to dispel especially troubling or sad emotions you need to take a more proactive step. 

 

Fortunately, right along next to your emotions you have a mind.  And you can use your mind to help you gain both perspective and mastery over your emotions.

 

The Technique of Reframing

There is a simple technique called “reframing” or “rethinking” that is empowering and I believe can help you at this time.

Reframing is a way of viewing and experiencing events, ideas, concepts and emotions to find more positive alternatives.

The technique of reframing requires using your mind and your emotions in cooperation in a way that transforms your perspective and your consciousness.  Reframing uses the power of the Universal Law that “energy follows thought.”

If you change your words it will transform your life.
       – Adam Houge

I'm Telling You It's Going To Be Worth It quote by Art Williams

As an example, my husband was in a very bad car accident when he was at college and he had a hard time remembering facts at first.  When someone would ask him a question he would say, “I don’t remember, I was in a car accident.” Months later he realized that he was creating a story, a reality, that he repeated over and over again (because energy follows thought) wherein his mind he didn’t remember, even after his brain had recovered from the accident. This made him very frustrated.

Ultimately, my husband came to the realization that by simply reframing his negative “I don’t remember” answer to a more positive “I don’t recall at this time, but I will later” that he was able to access his memory more and more and his associated feelings about temporally losing his memory then became more positive.

Another example of how energy follows thought can be a self-fulfilling prophecy are individuals who keep repeating to themselves, “if I could just make it through the month,” and then wonder why they only have enough to barely make it through the month.

The concept that “energy follows thought” maybe a new one to you.  However, if you have in your life followed any of the teachings of “thought leaders” in business or motivation, from Napoleon Hills now famous work, “Think and Grow Rich” to the abundance masters of “The Secret” and new thought “Law of Attraction” [LINK: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_attraction_(New_Thought) ] or Jerry and Esther Hicks with the “Law of Abundance,” and their “Emotional Guidance Scale” the concept may be familiar.

The value of using the power of your mind to manage and focus your life rather than be a victim of what you may be feeling is well known.  You, as a human being are multifaceted and to live your life fully you must learn to balance and utilize all aspects of yourself.  Part of that is understanding and using the full scope of yourself in overcoming and managing life issues.

Using the Reframing Technique To Empower Your Life

Upgrade your conviction to match your destiny quote

 

As I mentioned above, the power of reframing your deceptive brain thoughts relies on the universal principle that energy follows thought.  Therefore, what you think and how you frame the powerful thoughts you have about any circumstance and feeling, matters.

By engaging in reframing your thoughts about something that is troubling you, you are activating and empowering your partnership and co-creative power in a way that ignites your will and empowers you to be the director of your life.

The technique of reframing your thoughts takes you out of the passive role in your life and sends out instructions to the universe working with the dynamic energies of how Spirit and matter interact and inter-relate.   The principle that energy follows thought impacts ripples of subtle energy that affect the mind in your response and reaction to what is emerging to manifest in your life.

All too often the tendency of human nature is to allow life to happen to them, rather than use the power of the mind and the power of thought to invoke your will and apply your wisdom.  Reframing your thoughts requires that you consider what you want, replace your limiting or self-destructive (“negative”) thoughts with more empowered, adaptive (“positive”) thoughts and then apply your will power to create that.

The process of reframing something also involves evaluation and consideration of what meaning and feelings you associate with something in your life, and therefore in shifting your thoughts, your wisdom is also invoked.

Reframing does not mean one has to find a positive re-interpretation at any costs. It simply means to be able and willing to scrutinizing interpretations and re-interpretations, thoughts and behavior.
       – Rauh

It is both essential and necessary to expand your consciousness and stop the damaging impact of worry and fear, both of which are limiting and self-sabotaging thoughts.

Reframing can use affirmations in a positive way or can simply design a positive outcome to a situation.  Reframing is a technique that requires both observing and then changing the instructions you are sending out to yourself and to the universe on the waves of your thoughts.

Simple Reframes You Can Think About To Make You Feel Better

Reframe your thoughts by changing your words.

Original Thought Reframed Thought
I can’t do this I can do this because it’s important to me
It’s going to be hard It’s going to be worth it
Why is this happening to me? What is this trying to teach me?
I keep making mistakes Learning from my mistakes is what is important
This is too difficult I can always improve if I keep trying
Everything happens to me Everything happens for me

 

Three Minutes to Empowerment Exercise

A brief technique you can use to empower and transform your life is to take 3 minutes each day to observe the content of your thoughts as the detached observer.

Sitting quietly and breathing naturally, review the content of your thoughts, looking at them through the creative principle “energy follows thought.” Your thoughts are instructions you are sending out to yourself and the Universe.

I suggest spending 3 minutes daily actively reframing your thoughts to be more aligned with what you want as an active empowerment exercise.

During this 3 minutes of empowerment exercise, observe your thoughts, without self-criticism. When you observe a thought that contains fear, any negative emotion, or limiting beliefs take that opportunity of observation to revise, re-frame, and correct that thought to bring your thought into alignment with what you desire.

For those 3 moments of the day consciously request that your Soul is in control so that your creative efforts are aligned and empowered by your life purpose.

Let this brief exercise of observation quiet your mind chatter, calm your emotions, and open your awareness to new possibilities and new opportunities.

In this 3 minutes let your awareness come into the present, releasing your creativity from any contamination of the past.

 

Know that doing any meditative discipline 21 days in a row helps it become a habit. This is a habit that can empower your life, for the rest of your life. It works with the creative force of your creative energies to empower you.

So, when you wake up feeling blue, I encourage you to take control of the power of your mind and invoke and invite your creative nature to let yourself be and become all that you are meant to be.

Namaste,

   Genevieve

 

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P.S. We all have blue days, but some people experience more than that. Learn the signs of clinical depression, a serious illness that may need the help of a trained therapist or the support of a life coach or at times medication to adjust your bodies chemistry.

P.P.S. Have a journal available to record what you choose to reframe.

 

Genevieve - Soulful

 

About the author:
Genevieve Gerard teaches Transformational Consciousness – from first awakening to enlightened Soul awareness. She helps you experience the joy that results from the spontaneous “touch of your soul.”

Read more details…

Genevieve has a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy and Theology and a Master of Arts Degree in Counseling and for over thirty years has worked one-on-one with people who were recovering from devastating disabilities and chronic pain. Teaching the mastery of the mind-body relationship she was one of the early professionals trained in biofeedback, visualization, imagery, and meditation as essential techniques to help people heal their bodies, heal their emotions, heal their minds, and heal their lives.

Genevieve’s work demonstrates what she knows so well, “It is spiritual connectedness that triggers physical healing and emotional and mental well-being.”  Helping people, like you, tap into your higher-self is the power she wields to guide you to heal and transform your life.

Now, with this understanding, she combines the effective techniques she developed over decades teaching mind-body mastery along with her extensive experience in meditation and spiritual development to create a synthesis of mind-body-spirit that delivers complete healing and opens the door to unlimited personal growth and an encounter with your Soul.

In addition to her current life guidance coaching sessions, and workshops performed around the world, Genevieve has produced more than 20+ guided meditations in the last eight years that are available on iTunes, Amazon, CDBaby, and her website.

It is her vision that through your experience with the techniques of awareness, visualization, and meditation, the love of your Soul will touch and transform your life through her writings and products. It is her sincere desire that the potential of a life of joy and celebration that seems to elude so many people can become a reality for you, now and forever.

Browse her life story and read the Touch of the Soul that changed her world. To contact Genevieve, visit her keep in touch page.

 

Copyright © 2011-2019 Touch of the Soul LLC and Genevieve Gerard. All Rights Reserved.

 

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Products and Events Store

Below, on the “Product & Events Grid” you will see a collection of visualizations and meditations that I have created to help you gain greater awareness in your life. Every product is designed to enhance the consciousness that you are in control of your life, you are a part of the community of life and that gratitude and joy are integral parts of a life well lived.

My primary goal is to help you gain greater mastery of all of the dynamics in your life. The determination of need was derived from my many years of working directly with people in a counseling role and my observation of the challenges people face in all walks of life.

I began developing these products in 1975 and they represent a labor of love and an effort to share the insights and wisdom I have gained over a life of relentless exploration of meditation, distilled from the secret ancient wisdom that has been handed down and the guidance of my own soul.

These products represent my service to the world and my gift of teaching to help bring joy to your life and give you the keys to the integration of your whole self, body, mind, emotions and Soul.

When you click on the images below, each product page will tell you a brief story of the how and why each product was developed and how you can benefit from its use. It is my sincere desire that your life will be guided and enhanced by using these products and they will help you reach your full potential and overcome any challenges you may be having.

A Series of Awareness MeditationsMeditations For Daily Joy 4-CD Set
A Series of Activity Based Meditations
Use This To Experience the
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Learn More 		Affirmations For AbundanceAwaken to Success CD
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Use This To Empower Yourself to
Create the Life of Your Dreams
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of Success in Your Mind
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Whenever You Feel Stressed
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The wisdom I have gained through a relentless quest for knowledge, understanding and enlightenment is gathered here. Please come back often to see what new things are being offered. I have a number of exciting things currently in development. I appreciate your comments and would love your feedback on what are your biggest challenges in your life and of course your sharing either through social networking or in our Transformation Stories section of my website.


I hope that anything you choose to try, free or fee helps bring more joy to your life or to the life of someone you would like to help.”



Namaste (The definition of Namaste is: The divinity in me salutes and bows to the divinity in you.)

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Key to Freedom and Happiness

Forgiveness: The Key to Freedom and Happiness

by Genevieve Gerard

I often said I would write an article entitled “Forgiveness, the Ultimate Act of Selfishness.”  However, this morning as I sit down to write it seems a more appropriate title would be “Forgiveness: The Key to Freedom and Happiness.”  We have all seen the results of a failure to forgive in mean, embittered old people who live lonely lives, blaming others for their misery and their lot in life. 

Shakespeare shared his insight on forgiveness’ grace in these lines from the
Merchant of Venice:

“The quality of mercy is not strain’d,

It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven

Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest:

It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.”[1]

Forgiveness may be a blessing to the one you forgive, but to you it offers a healing and freedom to move forward in your life that is much more powerful for you than it is for the one who is forgiven. 

When I have said this to people they frequently ask if forgiveness is warranted even when someone has done something that is unforgivable.  They ponder whether it is right to forgive someone of a truly heinous act.  My answer to this is always a resounding yes.  In forgiving someone there is always the possibility that the grace of forgiveness will allow them to truly see the error of their ways and thus bring about transformation. 

However, far more important is the grace that forgiveness offers you in freedom from the burdens of anger, hate, resentment, or sorrow that is harbored inside of you.  Carrying these old feelings burdens you in the present.  If past wrongs are continually brought into present time they are never really over.  As long as you carry the burden of your anger, hate and resentment the past is dominating your present.  You become inextricably bound to that old wrong as you carry it with you into the present, into the now.  By not forgiving and letting go, you allow the old wrong or hurt to color your whole life.

It is reminisant of an old Zen parable from Zen Flesh, Zen Bones called “The Muddy Road” about Tanzan and Ekido, two Buddhist monks, who were renunciates. 

Tanzan and Ekido were once traveling together down a muddy road.  A heavy rain was falling.  Coming around a bend, they met a lovely girl in a silk kimono and sash, unable to cross the intersection.  “Come on, girl” said Tanzan at once.  Lifting her in his arms he carried her over the mud.  Ekido did not speak again until that night when they reached a lodging temple.  Then he could no longer restrain himself.  “We monks don’t go near females” he told Tanzan, “especially not young and beautiful ones.  It is dangerous.  Why did you do that?”

“I left the girl there.” said Tanzan.  “Are you still carrying her?”

So it is with us when we fail to forgive past wrongs.  We are required to carry them long beyond their time.  If you fail to forgive, the past limits your ability to fully appreciate and experience the gifts of the present, because these old harbored wrongs are filling your present time with useless baggage from another time and place.  In order to fully experience the freedom and the happiness that is granted to those who live in the now, it is necessary to let go of what you are bringing with you that is not a part of the now.  To do this you must forgive the people who caused all the old hurts, wrongs or resentments you are carrying with you.

Of course, there is often another element that must be faced.  In order to fully forgive you must make an honest assessment of any responsibility you may have had in the situation that resulted in your being hurt.  If after an honest assessment you find that you share any of the blame in bringing about this situation, you also must forgive yourself.

One final step in any situation where you find mutual responsibility is to allow yourself to be forgiven by the other.  All that is required is simply your openness to the energy of forgiveness from the other and does not require their active participation.

Forgiveness of old hurts and forgiveness of yourself is like dropping a heavy load that you have carried for far too long.  Once you have let go of it you may well find yourself wondering why you chose to carry it for so long.  Once you have let go of the old hurts, resentments and pains you will be free to experience what is happening and what is possible in the now. 

There is a tremendous freedom that comes from being able to cope with the challenges of the now, in the now.  Burdens are lightened and your perspective becomes clearer. Today’s challenges become sufficient for today. And, at last, you have the freedom to live your life fully, one day at a time, one moment at a time, blessed by the freedom of the eternal now.

About the author: Genevieve Gerard teaches Transformational Consciousness – from first awakening to enlightened awareness.  She helps you experience the joy that results from the spontaneous “touch of the soul.”  Browse her body of work at www.GenevieveGerard.com.

Copyright © 2011 by Genevieve Gerard.  All rights reserved.

 

[1] The Merchant of Venice, Act 4  Scene 1

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What to Do While Waiting

What we can do while we are waiting for Godot

Often, in life, we find ourselves ready to proceed with whatever we are planning to do, but find that we have to wait.

Waiting brings up a lot of feelings, impatience, frustration, annoyance, even at times anger. But waiting patiently also provides us with a unique opportunity not found at other times in life: the chance to rest in, or be in the moment, without the distractions of doing.

That sense of powerlessness can be turned into a time of empowerment by turning whatever time we are required to wait, into a space to center ourselves, and let ourselves bask in the pleasure and the joy of just being in the now.

Surrendering to the moment in which there is nothing else to do (and therefore nothing else you need to do) but just enjoy being, in the now. Comment and let me know your experience.

Namaste,

Genevieve

The Blessings of Love on All That You Do!

 

Last updated 5-06-2017

 

Copyright © 2011-2017 Genevieve Gerard and Touch of the Soul LLC, All Rights Reserved

 

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The Value of Keeping a Journal

Keeping a Journal

by Genevieve Gerard

As I spend time away from the United States I am reminded that journaling is a wonderful tool to help us in the process of transformation.

A journal is a friend you can share with, knowing there is no judgment.

Many years ago when I began journaling, I resolved to live each day so that when I looked back at it when I got older, I would smile. Now, no matter what sorrow or loss I may have been experiencing at the time I was writing, when I pick up an old journal to read, I find I do smile. The love and compassion that the passage of time has granted puts everything into perspective. I did survive, I did prevail, and I have arrived in a different moment of time, bringing with me the wisdom that those events long ago imparted.

The very act of journaling has brought magic into my life with the healing way it has brought me through the dark night of many experiences into the light. Early in my experience of journaling, I began to notice that no matter how unhappy or unsettled I was when I started write, the process of writing would start to clarify things. By the conclusion of the writing, my perspective had shifted, and I was able to understand life and events with a greater depth and clarity.

The times in my life when I have neglected or discarded the discipline of keeping a journal I have regretted the loss of that piece of my journey, for our memory fades and without keeping a journal the lessons we have learned tumble into the mosaic of our life. The mosaic is still beautiful, but without the fine detail and clarity.

To keep a journal does require a commitment and a certain amount of discipline. What I found works best with how to journal is to make a daily entry, even if that entry is simply “To tired to write today” or “Nothing to say right now.” The advantage of this is to keep the energy flowing. Otherwise, it is all too easy to drop the disciple and then lose the habit altogether. When the flow and the continuity are lost, one is no longer keeping a journal, merely writing at will. That is very different, and it serves a different purpose in our life.

As I write these words, I confess that I have slipped into that trap, and I sorely miss the blessing, and continuity journaling has brought into my life. I fell into writing a great deal, but not journaling. And although I have been prolific and writing a great deal these last few years, as I write this article extolling the virtues of journaling, I acknowledge that keeping a journal is significantly different than any other kind of writing, and I resolve to take my advice, and return this well-worn tool of transformation to my life by returning to the discipline of journaling today.

I have found that for me a lovely journal and an old-fashioned fountain pen works best. I have on my shelf a brand new beautiful journal and in my drawer a fountain pen. I feel excitement and pleasure in this decision as if I have found a cherished old friend I had lost contact with along the way of life, to be reunited within joy.

UPDATE: Click To learn my Top 10 Tips On How To Write In A Journal.

 

About the author: Genevieve Gerard teaches Transformational Consciousness – from first awakening to enlightened awareness. She helps you experience the joy that results from the spontaneous “touch of the soul.” Browse her body of work at www.GenevieveGerard.com.

Copyright © 2011-2014 by Genevieve Gerard and Touch of the Soul. All rights reserved.

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Energy Follows Thought

Energy Follows Thought

by Genevieve Gerard

Energy follows thought is a profound principle of man’s spiritual traditions. It is a truth of the Jewish tradition from the Book of Proverbs reveled in the words “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he”1.  It is echoed in the New Testament and it is a basic premise of the Ageless Wisdom.  It is also a key to understanding the premise behind Napoleon Hill’s famous book, “Think and Grow Rich”, and Norman Vicente Peals “The Power of Positive Thinking.”  More recently, it is the core of the very popular book and movie “The Secret.”

Within this simple truth is hidden great revelation. Within this simple truth is hidden great power to create the life you desire.  This truth is the principle behind the use of affirmations.  It is why in meditation we identify with our Higher Self.  It is a way of bringing into manifestation and expression the fullness of our being.

There are in this saying some key points. “As a man thinketh in his heart” is a deep expression that involves the whole being.

The mystery that this truth unveils, discloses not only the power of your thoughts, it is also a guide and lesson on the importance of disciplining your thoughts.  Because your thoughts have the power to bring energy into manifestation, it becomes important to harness this principle for your benefit.  This is why worry and fear have such a harmful impact on our lives.  The more thought and energy is expended in the creation of negative thought forms the more likely what is feared and worried about will happen. 

In order to bring positive transformation into your life using this principle you must harness your thoughts.  If you truthfully observe your thoughts for even a brief period of ten to twenty minutes, really looking honestly at what thoughts flitter across your mind, you may be shocked at how many negative and negating thoughts you find emerging.  If, in the light of this experiment, you ask the question, “Why can’t I have what I want?” You would have to answer, “Because I don’t think I can.”

Years ago, there were a series of post cards with short poems by Bernie Gunther and lovely art by Sister Coretta called High Cards.  One of these that I kept stuck on my mirror to remind me to harness my thoughts said, “There is a positive side and a negative side and at each moment, you decide.”

To have the life you envision, the life of your dreams, you can use this ancient principle “energy follows thought” to work for you.  Simply notice your thoughts and revise your thinking.  If each time you hear yourself say, “I can’t,” you just consciously shift your thinking to “I can,” you will notice your life changing and transforming.  If you then add positive affirmation and positive self-talk to replace that limiting expression, you will feel a subtle change that begins to shift your entire perspective.

You can start small, just 5 or 10 minutes a day and see what happens.  As you approach your thoughts with awareness observe the power of thought in your life.  Then you can decide how you wish to think.

About the author: Genevieve Gerard teaches Transformational Consciousness – from first awakening to enlightened awareness. She helps you experience the joy that results from the spontaneous “touch of the soul.” Browse her body of work at www.GenevieveGerard.com.

Copyright © 2010 and 2011 by Genevieve Gerard. All rights reserved.
1  Proverbs, Chapter 23 verse 7, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”

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About Genevieve

In the Beginning

 

Genevieve - Soulful

Even as a small child, Genevieve Gerard wondered at the world around her. She felt that joy belonged in every beautiful blessing that the world offered.

She asked herself, “What was there about life that created sorrow and weariness for so many around her and seemed to drain away the joy? What was it that held just out of reach the smile, the love, and the celebration that seemed as if it should be there for everyone, every moment?”

Her wondering and questioning led her on a quest to understand the nature of life and put life’s challenges in perspective. “Why,” she pondered, “did some people face unbearable adversity with a smile on their face and a song in their heart, trusting in life, while others seemed damaged and broken by every disappointment?”

These reflections drove her to observe and ask, “What is it that makes the difference between a life of joy and a life of sorrow?”

Genevieve longed to understand better how people could transcend the limitations that betrayed the joy that life could hold. She envisioned a world where humanity was transformed and healed, and her quest to make this a reality eventually led her to study and earn her Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy and Theology.

Her desire to make a difference in people’s lives brought her to work in the inner city to help children, young adults and adults use education to create an opportunity to transform their lives. In that experience, she saw many lives changed with a positive result, yet she saw that some people were unable to gain control over their destinies.

She wondered, “What gives some people the power to grow, to transform and to succeed, while whatever magic they use remains out of reach for others?” One thing became apparent: Education was an important key. She could see that education opened the door to transformation and success for many people, so she made the decision to focus her life work on teaching and educating people. Her early experience helping inner-city students make the transition to a university was very exciting to her. People forming goals and then seeing them achieve seemed to be a primary key to life transformation.

Creating Life Transformations

However, it also seemed that there was an “intangible dynamic” – something more than just increased knowledge and education was at play in the universe. So, Genevieve explored the world of the spiritual in parallel with her work to educate and inspire people. In addition to a deep faith and prayer life, she began to explore the world of meditation. She was indoctrinated into Transcendental Meditation (an evidence-based technique for inner peace and wellness) by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and later she discovered Zen meditation.

Desiring to understand the nature of life and the power we possess as human beings also led her to the study of Tibetan Raja Yoga and the Master Djwal Khul and the ancient esoteric spirituality known as The Ageless Wisdom tradition. In both her inward journey and her outward work, the great mystery of life continued to occupy her pondering.

There was so much that could be done to teach and expose people to the power of their potential in life. Genevieve felt blessed with the opportunity to be a facilitator for the transformation of many lives. She worked to address specific life problems seeking unique solutions beyond the scope of how things had always been done. In this process, Genevieve discovered it was at the moment when people were able to touch their own potential that their power emerged and that their transformations began to occur.

Opportunities come to everyone at one time or another, and Genevieve wondered why some people could rise to the occasion of life transformation when an opportunity was offered, and other people failed. What was it in the human spirit that allowed someone to reach out and embrace opportunity while others cowered and fled? Still exploring the world of meditation and spirituality, Genevieve was drawn to training and education as a counselor. Within the vast knowledge of psychology, especially combined with the profound insights of spirituality, she would find the key to help people face the challenges life presented and be victorious.

Teaching Mastery of the Mind-Body Relationship

After she had completed her Master of Arts Degree in Counseling, she was invited to Los Angeles to develop the curriculum for a new degree in Rehabilitation Counseling at California State University. Once there, another aspect to overcoming life’s challenges came into her awareness, that of helping people cope with a disability. For many years in her career as a counselor, she had the opportunity to explore these unique challenges. She worked not only with physical rehabilitation but also with mental health issues, including those that arise when people must face and handle the devastating factors involved in suffering a severe disability.

Then Genevieve was chosen by the State of California to design a groundbreaking curriculum to train rehabilitation professionals, which she hosted at the world-renowned Rancho Los Amigos Hospital. Leading those professionals to entirely new levels of awareness and effectiveness was one of the most fun and rewarding jobs she ever had. Transforming attitudes and expectations seemed to be key in helping unlock the potential in the rehabilitation process that allowed individual clients to re-create their lives in a way that brought triumph from the ashes of disaster.

For over thirty years Genevieve worked one-on-one with people who were recovering from devastating disabilities and chronic pain. Teaching the mastery of the mind-body relationship she was one of the early professionals trained in biofeedback, visualization, imagery, and meditation as essential techniques to help people heal their bodies, heal their emotions, heal their minds and heal their lives. She found that recovery was a group event – one of the most important factors was the support of family and community. Genevieve facilitated transformations that restored lives to purpose and productivity. She also integrated what she was continuing to learn in her own spiritual journey into the process of empowering people to heal.

On a societal level, she was elected by five different Governor's to serve for over 25 years as a member of the California Governor’s Committee for Disabled Persons (CGCDP) to bring positive opportunities to people with disabilities. There she directed projects to change the attitudes that limited opportunities for the disabled by teaching employers to understand that, “Ability, not disability is the lens through which a potential worker should be seen.” She reinforced this belief in her work with the CGCDP’s Media Access Office, whose primary thrust was the accurate portrayal in the media of people with disabilities.

The Synthesis of Mind-Body-Spirit

Through decades of clinical success, she demonstrated time and time again that adversity could be transformed into an opportunity for growth. Her understanding and appreciation of people’s ability to transcend often seemingly insurmountable challenges showed her that within the indomitable human will was the potential to bring to life the transformations she had believed possible as that small wondering child.

As she continued her spiritual development and her clinical work helping people heal on many levels she uncovered another key truth – “It is not what happens to a person, but how they react to it that determines their ability to transcend the challenges that life brings their way.” She noticed that there is a direct relationship between a person’s ability to embrace all that flowed between joy and sorrow in life and their ability to transform and grow from their challenges.

The success of her work with mind-body healing clearly showed that healing physically was stimulated by healing mentally. Now she realized it is the deep indomitable part of the human spirit – the inner spiritual connection – that takes people to the highest part of themselves and creates the growth, the understanding, and the transformation.

Genevieve’s work demonstrates what she knows so well, “It is spiritual connectedness that triggers physical healing and emotional and mental well-being”. Helping people tap into their higher-self was the power she wields to guide them to heal and transform their lives.

With this understanding, she combined the effective techniques she developed over decades teaching mind-body mastery with her extensive experience in meditation and spiritual development to create a synthesis of mind-body-spirit that delivers complete healing and opens the door to unlimited personal growth and spiritual experience.

Meditation

As education was the cornerstone of life transformation in her early understanding of life, so meditation seemed to be the cornerstone for putting a person in touch with the power to heal their life and find the keys to joy and abundance. For years when working with individuals, Genevieve used what she called “prescriptive meditation” to address and help transform specific life problems and help people have the experience of awakening to a new level of perception.

She knew that her own life was made ever richer and more filled with joy through the ongoing deepening of her own meditative experiences. This became such a pervading part of her spiritual life that a friend often teased that meditation was “Genevieve’s idea of a good time.” After an unusually deep and profound meditation concluded she could be heard to comment, “That was fun!”

The joy, the connectedness with all of life and the gratitude that began to pervade her life from her early days of meditation grew and grew until the desire to share that joy and share the power that resides within each of us as we access our soul (our higher self) became compelling.

Genevieve came to feel that she had found the answer she had sought since she was a young child to the questions she long pondered about life and what could be done to help people live their lives more fully and more abundantly.

Indeed, it was the joy that meditation brought to her life and Genevieve’s desire to share her experience with millions of people that led to the creation of "Meditations For Daily Joy." These downloadable meditations are easy to use, activity-based, awareness and mindfulness meditations available worldwide now.

Personal Transformation

Helping you live fully, joyously and abundantly is the theme of her 2011 CDs Awaken To Success and Soaring To Success – Affirmations for Abundance.

These audio tools center on helping people transform and heal problem areas in their lives through the power of visualization, the power of intention and ultimately the power of living in contact and connection with Soul awareness.

She also uses her vast experience to help resolve the often challenging life problems that affect millions of people in her recent products Sleep in Heavenly Peace – A Guided Visualization for Restful Deep Sleep, and Relax and Release – Effective Techniques for Releasing Stress.

Genevieve has designed these meditation experiences to be fun and enjoyable and to take you on a journey into your inner world. Genevieve has been sought out to teach this method of meditation in workshops and lectures both nationally and internationally.

One special Touch of the Soul meditation is now being introduced in her workshop How To, Why To Meditate, this experiential workshop lets you explore and sample 12 different styles and techniques of meditation in a rare one-day event.

Soul Awareness

You have within you the innate wisdom to seek and experience your own truth. And when provided with the tools and opportunity to explore and experience your higher self you will intuitively know the way to develop and grow.

Genevieve’s work is presented with the complete trust in you, to know your own path by what feels right to you, to find your own truth and to discover through practice and experimentation how to use the keys for your own transformation. Take from her body of work what can serve you and leave the rest. Follow your heart, your mind, and your soul and celebrate the joy that fulfilling your purpose and finding your place in the plan of life will bring to you.

Genevieve Gerard wants to share with you the joy of life that is your birthright and to empower you to transform and heal your life so that you can be all that you can be. It is her vision that through your experience with the techniques of awareness, visualization, and meditation, the love of your soul will touch and transform your life through her writings and products. It is her sincere desire that the potential of a life of joy and celebration that seems to elude so many people can become a reality for you, now and forever.

 

Last updated 6-9-2019

 

Also, check out the Touch of the Soul that changed her world. To contact Genevieve, visit her keep in touch page.

 

Copyright © 2019 by Genevieve Gerard & Touch of the Soul LLC. All rights reserved.

 

Welcome Back Tip: You can search for key words you may be interested in, in the Search Site field located near the top right section of my website. Thanks for visiting! -GG

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Keep In Touch

Please join our community and get Free Gifts

If you are interested in what you read and see on my site, I would appreciate if you would be so kind as to join our community.

With the information below I will be able to send you links to our free offerings that are exclusive to members of our Community. Your first two gifts will be a FREE copy of my article: 10 Keys To A Happier Life and a FREE copy of my downloadable audio: How To Use Affirmations Effectively.

After you fill out the request below you will be sent a confirmation email and then an email with your first two free gifts.

I will also spotlight other resources of interest. You will also receive special discounts as they become available as well as notification of any new or upcoming workshops or events as well as introductory offers on any new products.

I will only send out things occasionally and promise never to flood you with email. There is no cost and no obligation, no further commitments on your part and you can opt-out at any time (at the bottom of every email.)

I will try to keep notifications to things I think you might enjoy and appreciate or would be helpful in your daily life. Since I appreciate hearing from you to better direct my work and service to your needs as a member of my community you can e-mail me with your requests and feedback at any time.Join our community

I believe that energetically joining with a group of like-minded individuals enhances our life on subtle levels that transcend our conscious awareness. We have all heard or learned about the power of social networking in expanding our knowledge. You can join me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter, but the group that forms here is nearest and dearest to my heart.

As a member of our Community you can also make a request at any time if you have a need for meditation and prayer for healing for you or a loved one, and the healing need will be forwarded to a group I belong to who provide this healing as a service.

I hope you will join our community today to become a part of this network in the Light.

Namaste
Genevieve Gerard

 

 

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I look forward to being of service to you.

 

Other Ways We Can Connect
and I Can Provide Guidance Are:

I publish frequent articles and blogs that are available for free on my website and all of these can be found on the Genevieve Gerard archive page.

I post a daily seed thought on Twitter @Imagine1Minute and on Facebook each day, called Imagine1Minute to focus your consciousness for 1 minute on what the world would be like if this seed thought is manifested.

You can also follow me on my Facebook Fan Page and on my personal Twitter @GenevieveGerard account.

I am a frequent contributor to several online Meditation Groups which can be joined for free or fee (email me if you would like the information.)

I have over 20 products that use meditation and visualization to resolve various life challenges. They are available online at Genevieve Gerard on Amazon, Genevieve Gerard on iTunes and a variety of internet commercial sites both nationally and internationally or you can just navigate over to my website product page. I have also published short 10-15 minute meditations (in a MP3 format) from various live group events for a nominal fee.

 

You can write
or contact me at:

Touch of the Soul
Attn: Genevieve Gerard
301 E Yamato Rd., Ste 1240
Boca Raton, Florida 33431 • USA
1-(seven three one)-313-SOUL
1-(seven three one)-313-7685
8 am to 4 pm Monday - Friday

You can email us at:

Genevieve Gerard (personal)
Genevieve (at) GenevieveGerard.com

Keep In Touch (Community opt-in or opt-out requests):
KeepInTouch (at) GenevieveGerard.com

Customer Service Questions:
CustomerCare (at) GenevieveGerard.com

Website Questions:
Webmaster (at) GenevieveGerard.com

Product Questions:
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Note: In order to reduce spam we have substituted "@" in emails with (at) on this page.
An email shown as Customer Care (at) MyWebSite.com would actually be [email protected] when you email us.

 

Welcome Back Tip: You can search for key words you may be interested in, in the Search Site field located near the top right section of my website. Thanks for visiting! -GG

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Meditations For Daily Joy 4 CD Series

Meditations For Daily Joy 4 CD Series

Meditations For Daily Joy

Activity Based Meditations




This 4-CD set is a guided path to
what you need most:



Each of the Four (4) CD Volumes, Includes a Guided Introduction and Three (3) Activity-Specific Meditations.

To view this short video on YouTube directly click Meditations.

Whether you are new to meditation or already experienced, Meditations For Daily Joy opens your life to the most important benefits of meditative consciousness.

    – Focusing on self-improvement issues?
    – Overcoming fears or physical challenges?
    – Connecting to spirit and to your highest self?


Price: $34.95

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These guided meditations will take you beyond mindfulness and help ground you to focus on the joy which accompanies your higher self as it penetrates your daily life.

Choose from among a 4-CD variety, those meditations that have the greatest impact on you, on your life, on your thoughts, on your success, on your relationships.

Experience the deeply knowing and present voice of your guide, Genevieve Gerard: leading, accepting, preparing, relaxing, energizing, transforming.

Feel your life change, feel yourself enjoying the benefits of meditating daily (if you desire) because you choose to order your own Meditations For Daily Joy 4-CD set today.

Genevieve Gerard’s modern work is setting the stage of a worldwide vision to help you connect deeply with yourself and with your higher source. You will profit from her forty years as a meditation leader and international expert in Transformational Consciousness as she helps you experience the joy that results from the spontaneous “touch of the soul”.

Become the best you, the most whole you, and see how great meditation will elevate your awareness and connectedness to life.

Click here to order your copy of the Meditations For Daily Joy 4-CD Series.




MFDJ CD Disc Series

Benefits Of This CD Collection Include:

    -Learn the Basics of Meditation
    -Gain a Renewed Appreciation for All the Good in Your Life
    -Transform and Master Your Fears
    -Become More Aware and Connected with Life Around You
    -Turn Everyday Activities Into Relaxing and Focusing Meditations
    -Discover How to Use the Power of Intention
    -Become Grounded and Balanced
    -Align Yourself with Your Higher Purpose
    -Reduce Stress and Increase Joy in All Aspects of Your Life
    -Gain Control Over Your Negative Emotions
    -Open Yourself to Love



Meditations For Daily Joy Review

To view this short video on YouTube directly click Meditations For Daily Joy Review.



Click here to own your Meditations For Daily Joy 4-CD set now.

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