Welcome to the newsletter for Odyssey To Wholeness. This newsletter is a forum to discuss a wide range of issues regarding mind-body psychology. There is little, if anything, that does not affect the mind-body connection. That gives me, the author, wide latitude with an opportunity for fun. I rarely do things if they are not fun! If you would like to have a particular topic discussed, send me an e-mail.

1. Workshop Schedule
2. Mind-body discussion
3. Resource for personal growth
4. Wealth Building

I am really excited about the Soul Healing Workshop I am offering on September 14 in Houston. It will be held at the A.R.E. Center, 7800 Amelia Road, Houston, TX from 10:00-5:00.

I have offered two-hour classes on this wonderful and powerful healing process and the results have been phenomenal. Participants have told me the power of the meditations and the deep healing that comes from working with their Soul Healing Angels. I joyfully tell people that I lose many clients when I share Soul Healing–They Get Well!.

If your payment is postmarked by August 1 the tuition is $90. If you miss that date, sign up by August 25 for $100. After that the tuition is $125. $50 of that is non-refundable. For all you therapists out there I am a provider of LPC and LMSW CEU’s. The CEU's are FREE.

If you would like more information send me an e-mail.

If you are not in the Houston area but would like to sponsor the Soul Healing workshop in your location, let me know. Traveling is one of my favorite things to do.

For those of you interested in The Melchizedek Method, I am having a Level 3 workshop on August 23-25. The Level 1 workshop is being postponed as my precious God-daughter has decided to get married on the weekend it was scheduled! If you would like a workshop in your area, send me an e-mail.

I would like to talk about the power of thought and the necessity of controlling what we think. There is nothing in the external world that we can make happen according to our whim. We may attempt to control people, finances and events, but will have little, if any, success. The only thing we have the power to control are the thoughts and feelings within us.

Many of my clients dispute this claim. I remember when I vociferously denied that I could control my thoughts and my feelings. They were just there and all I needed to do was to accept them. Acceptance is an important part of controlling rampant thoughts and feelings. We have to accept that they are there, but we do not have to allow them to rule our lives. From personal experience and great discipline, I have learned that thoughts and feelings can be controlled. I cannot control yours, but I can control mine if I choose to do so.

Before I go into the “how” I want to discuss the “why.” Thoughts and feelings are simply energy. Energy is powerful and is not, in and of itself, negative or positive. The energy of electricity is positive when the light goes on and is negative if you stick your finger in the socket. Energy builds up. You have experienced it in yourself when you have had more energy, sometime frantic energy, than you know what to do with. Other times you have no energy and cannot get moving.

We do not often think of our thoughts and feelings as energy, but they are. Most of you have heard the expression “The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife.” This is an example of the energy of thoughts and feelings taking form and sitting like a blob in the middle of the room. You can walk into that situation and feel it. Other times you may enter a place that feels very peaceful. That, also is the energy of thoughts and feelings.

The energy produced by thoughts and feelings settles on you and in your energy body. If you have thoughts that cause pain (How could s/he? I will get even! I’m no good!) the energy settles on and in you just like the thick energy of tension. This energy impedes growth and peace. That is why it is necessary to stop your negative and harmful thoughts of fear, anxiety, guilt and revenge.

The process is simple. It takes great commitment and dedication. That is the difficult part. First, notice when you are thinking in a negative manner. How many times have you had an argument with someone in your head and did not realize it until you were riled up and angry. Things may have been going pretty well, but you “thought” yourself into a good case of “mad.” STOP IT. That is the first step. Notice that you are doing it and then STOP IT.

The second step is to think about something else. Have something to think about that is life giving. Decide upon what that something is before hand. It could be a walk on the beach or in the woods, a wonderful time with someone, doing your favorite thing, a funny movie. It does not matter. Just think about something else. If you simply “try” not to think of what you were thinking of you will still think it. If I tell you not to think of polar bears driving cars, what do you think of? Polar bears driving cars. Instead, think of an elephant sitting on a flagpole.

I got into a terrible habit of doing negative thinking in the car. (Maybe that is why there is so much road rage!) When I was working on breaking this negative thought habit, I would say prayers (the rosary, Serenity Prayer), intently examine road signs or run through the multiplication tables. Every time I caught myself in negative thinking about myself or someone else I would go to my predetermined strategies and use them. It was hard work and it took a firm determination. After several weeks I began to notice that my mind was much more peaceful. I was more peaceful and I could accomplish much more.

Work on this for about 3 weeks. Really make a commitment. Let me know how this works for you. I will put your comments in one of the next newsletters.

Next newsletter I will talk about managing feelings.

The Power of Now by Eckart Tolle

The topic of this book fits in perfectly with the subject of this newsletter.

The meditation group I belong to is studying The Power of Now. You could simply read the book and gain some information, but I highly recommend that you “use” the book. Stop when he suggests stopping and work with the exercises. His information will help you control your thoughts. Tolle discusses two concepts that are very powerful for me. The first is the idea of witnessing my thoughts. I tried and my mind got quiet. Each time I witness or watch my thoughts my mind becomes peaceful. Try it.

The second concept that greatly helped was the idea of the “pain body.” Tolle believes that we have a body of energy consisting wholly of our pain. This pain can be personal as well as archetypal relating to our gender, race, country, family, etc. When something happens that activates our pain body, we hurt. Often we hurt more than it seems is warranted by what happened. Observe the “pain body” and watch what happens.

If you really want to come to peace and understand a simple method to find peace, do buy and use The Power of Now.

If you are not interested in a wealth building method that is affordable and uses the power of the Internet, skip this part.

We have been programmed to believe that everything in life must be difficult. Learning must be difficult, growth must be difficult and making money certainly must be difficult. I have discovered ways to learn and grow that are much easier than ever before. Now is the possibility that there is a way of building wealth that is not all that difficult.

I have recently become involved in CASHevolution. It is a combination of affiliate marketing (where you get paid for referring people who sign up) and an Investment Club. Click here to check it out. To read an unbiased report from someone who thoroughly studied CASHEvolution before getting involved click here.The author of the report is one of the most successful Internet gurus. He flew to Australia to check these folks out and he tells you what he found, what he said they needed to change and his opinion of the whole thing. By the way, if you are familiar with the “Scam Alert,” CASHEvolution has passed their “Scam Proofing” test.

I wish you the best on your journey. You will meet many people along the way. Each one of them will be your teacher if you accept them as such.