Each of us has it … that leading edge in our life that calls us forth … that image and feel of our ‘A’ life beckoning us into Becoming Our Next Self.

It’s Different for Everyone:
What I love about the ‘A’ Life is that it’s different for everyone. Each of us gets to define what ‘A’ means for us. Might be buffing up your personal life – so you have more closeness, love and harmony in your relationships. Or, might mean adding more creativity, zest and spontaneity to your work life. Or kicking back and relaxing more (sometimes manifestation is about less not more!). Whatever ‘A’ is for you … it’s compelling and kind of nagging at you to emerge.

Your Whispers or Shouts:
In one of my SHIFT-IT maps … called the S.E.L.F. Inventory … I have my clients list out their ‘evolutionary whispers’. The things that evolution is whispering or shouting into their ear about what is next for them – what they really want to be doing (even if they don’t yet know how to go about it or the information is somehow confusing or perhaps nerve wracking to them). Sometimes evolution has built up quite a voice so the whispers have progressed into shouts. The question is … are you listening? Do you have the guts to follow your gentle yet increasingly insistent impulses?

Questions to Ask Yourself:
It’s easy to identify these evolutionary whispers – every one of my hundreds of clients has been able to do it, in a matter of minutes. I’m always blown away by the elegance of how evolution works through us, when we are brave enough to take note.

To uncover your own evolutionary whispers ask yourself these quick questions … and allow your answers to come forth easily (have pen and paper ready to jot your wisdom down!):

• What Am I Here To Do?
• What’s Next For Me?
• What Do I Really, Really Want to Do?
• If Time, Money or Ability Were No Barrier (because they aren’t!), What Would I Pursue?
• Who Is My Next Self?
• What Does My Soul or Higher Self Want Me To Be, Do or Have?
• What Feels Joyful to Me?
• What Must I Do, Be, Have So My Song is Sung This Lifetime?

Make Space and Room:

Gone, gone, gone.

Ahhhhh,Good Riddance!

One of the signs I personally have when I’m in ‘up-level’ mode is that I start chucking out stuff … my surefire sign that a new level of my self is on her way.

I am a naturally organized person and tend to fall on the sparse or minimalist side. I like to be surrounded by things that make me feel good, so if something doesn’t ‘cut it’ … it’s gone. (just went through a purge last week … couldn’t believe the pile of stuff that got chucked or relocated out of my office). Made room for my new painting easel (and the life that comes along with it!).

When my clients tell me that they just did a big purge or that they are spring cleaning … then I know our coaching work is having an effect at a deep, somatic level. In order to create your ‘A’ level life, ya gotta get rid of B, C, D or F stuff! That old stuff is just no longer a vibrational match to the person you are in the process of becoming.

If you understand the power of creating space and room for your next life … and find organizing or letting go of stuff a challenge, I recommend the ‘From Clutter to Order’ work of Alison Marks (she’s another of my old grad school friends doing cool work in the world).

For more on clutter and making room, see previous blog post.

Listen For Your Next Impulses (and act on them!)
After clearing room, you will have calm and space in which to listen for your ‘marching orders’. Your Higher Self knows what she or he is doing. It’s beaming directions to you all the time however you have had so much noise interference (your old stuff manifestations) that the lines of communication have been clogged.

Now that you have a sparser space, what are you able to hear, sense or feel in it? Back to those impulses that you listed out. After you clear some space, you will get intuitions and senses about what is next for you (or things will start showing up!). Is there something you want to get? Something you want to do? Somewhere you want to go? People you want to meet? Experiences you want to have?

An ‘A’ life is built by listening and acting on those impulses … one after the other in a calm and faith-filled way. Unlike the clutter that gets built up, our intuitive wisdom comes in easy, doable steps — when we create the proper conditions for it. Impulses come one at a time. They are easy and doable (not overwhelming … that is another side of you talking!).

The trick is to act on the impulse you are getting. When you do your next impulse (the next clue or guidance) will reveal itself … kind of like breadcrumbs (or gold nuggets!) along the murky forest path. Your job is to follow your guidance one step at a time. To trust it and to trust yourself and know, even if it might now always seem evident, that your steps are leading you to your ‘A’ level … to the life of your Next Self! It’s a fun and magical process that I take much delight in, in myself and in my SHIFT-IT clients.

Support to Manifest Your ‘A’. Life:
To aid you in creating your ‘A’ life I’ve crafted two new programs. SHIFT-IT Central, a new weekly support forum open to everyone on Monday, August 2nd, – seasoned SHIFT-IT clients and newbies alike. And, the new 9-month (like a baby!) Biz and Life Accelerator launches soon with invite only application process to my previous clients and mentees – watch your mailbox!). Both great ways to be in wonderful community as you Become Your Next Self.

Jerry & Esther Hicks and
The Teachings of Abraham

If you are a new e-Zine reader, you may not know of my deep appreciation of The Teachings of Abraham — ala Abraham-Hicks.

Jerry and Esther are the inspirational husband and wife team who have faithfully been bringing this information through and sharing it for the last 20+ years. I’ve attended many of their workshops and cruises and am on the master program for their workshop downloads – their work is an underpinning of mine as The SHIFT-IT Coach.

This weekend I made my annual pilgrimage over to Seattle to attend their Vortex of Creation workshop (the closest they come to me in Victoria B.C. … not counting being a block away when their Alaska cruise comes into port).

Here are a couple of observations and takeaways from the workshop:

1. Esther Is Lookin’ Good

In the workshop recordings of the last few months there have been several references and comments to how good Esther Hicks is looking. Esther has always been a lovely woman however from what I could gather she must have lost weight or something. So it was great to see her in person – she indeed looks fantastic … slim and feminine … and has traded her kind of severe blue suit for a more flowing outfit. She is learning and implementing The Teachings of Abraham just like the rest of us — so I found it very inspirational to see the SHIFT in her physical appearance, as it’s been a bone of contention for her for a while. She’s found a different way to relate to the subject and it shows! Way to go Esther! (for a related blog post, click here).

2. Most of Us Suffer from “Whatis-itis”

At the workshop, Abraham teased that most of us suffer from a bad case of “whatisitis” … the dreaded disease of focusing too much on what currently is. That we get too fixated on what has manifested (symptom of our old focus) and not enough on what is in the process of manifesting (soon to be symptoms of our new focus).

3. Be a ‘Vibrational Realist’

Along the same vein, most people call themselves ‘realists’. Abraham offered that what we want to become are ‘vibrational realists’. To be realists but at the vibrational level of what is coming rather than what has been. Just because things haven’t popped into the physical plane yet doesn’t mean that they don’t exist or aren’t real. They just aren’t physically visible yet. But a vibrational realist knows this — and keeps the faith in terms of what is in the process of becoming.

For instance, I was a vibrational realist with the current life I am leading – long before it became a true-blue physical reality. Years ago I had a vision of working from a beautiful location, doing deeply transformational and creative work, and using technology to connect with people from around the world. This life had a gestational process just like anything that comes into manifestation does – but it all began with the vibrational reality in that original vision and the care and tending I gave it along the way. I had faith that it would happen and it did, I didn’t need physical reality to come first. I trusted that it would pop into being in its own right timing and I continued to put one foot after the other – little by little (following my guidance about what to do next).

4. Stop Trying So Hard

This message was gently emphasized again and again — to let go of effort if it slips into being a problem. Too much pushing and trying to force something can change our energy from light and fun to more complicated and serious. When we really, really want something it can be easy to screw up our energy about it and hence delay or even push it away. Walk away. Drop it. Chill out. Find something else to do that makes you feel good – even if completely unrelated. That is a better approach than trying to force something into being.

5. Don’t Let the One Not in the Vortex Call the Shots

Jerry and Esther have been a close couple for many years and spend their lives working and living together – often on the road traveling in their monster bus (or at least they did … newsflash – they just sold the monster bus!). At the workshop they told a funny story about driving their bus on its last 100 miles with them, before they turned it over to a new owner. They had their first breakdown that required them getting towed!

This story became a teachable moment – about who you let call the shots on decision making. That you want to make sure that it’s the person who is ‘in the vortex’ … their term for being vibrational aligned.

They had a warning light flash on their dashboard prior to the breakdown. Jerry had the intuition to swing into a service operation that wasn’t too far away (that could take minutes or days – as the shop gives priority to long-haul trucks over recreational vehicles). Esther was worried about their tight travel schedule so pushed to get to another shop instead that was further away – to chance it. In hindsight, they learned that Jerry was in the vortex (they would have been fit in easily) and Esther was out – but it was she who called the shots in that scenario. As a result of this learning experience they made a pact to always let the one IN the vortex call the shots.

Attend Your Own Workshop:

Each workshop is different and each person at a workshop hears what they personally need to hear – it’s amazing how that happens. If you are interested to attend an Abraham-Hicks workshop or cruise, check out their workshop schedule for one near you (or at a fun spot that you like to go to … I like California or Mexico during winter time!). If you are new to Abraham, check out my previous post on attending your first Abraham-Hicks workshop. Let me know how it goes for you!

At Seattle Museum of Art

Did a quick trip over to Seattle last weekend. Caught the annual Abraham-Hicks workshop (my favorite source of good, quality Law of Attraction information), shopped and had girl-time with my cousin Carla — plus checked out SAM (Seattle Museum of Art).

Great Kurt Cobain and Andy Warhol exhibits but my favorites were the early Jackson Pollack as well as great Aboriginal Art from Australia and Canada. Just something about those iconic images, bold colors and links/dots that grabs me on a visceral level. Filing away for my own painting inspirations.

Haida Weaving from British Columbia

Australian Line/Dot Aboriginal Art

My team and I have a busy summer planned … preparing for upcoming programs, including a few brand new offerings this Fall (see events section for info and emerging registration details). As part of our prep we’re taking on new team members, including a Client Care Assistant. Check out the detailed job listing here in case you or someone you know is a vibrational match for our growing company– we are on the lookout for the right gal or guy … preference for local Victoria B.C. candidate but may expand for skilled virtual professional.

As I was just at the Abraham-Hicks workshop, this issue’s article sums up my main takeaways from their great event.

Question: I wonder if you could please share with me your opinion on a question that I have about TLOA.
Esther is all about telling an empowering story and Ekhart is all about no story. She says reframe it in a positive light and thus shift your vibration and point of attraction. Ekhart says bask in the lightness of being and implies that the goal is much like meditation and meditation is not what you think!

Esther would say “just find something positive to focus on” and yet Ekhart Tolley would say “just observe your inner critic”. The former suggests having a different conversation and the later suggests disconnecting from any conversation. I love them both and yet find it a challenge to know sometimes whether it would be best to just observe my thoughts and thus be in ameditative state or to shift my thoughts and thus actually feel better, quicker… but find myself still in “thought” and thus perhaps not as present as I could be? It’s a bit like the difference between “I think therefore I am” and “I am, therefore I am”. I truly am not just what I eat but what I think and yet again I am beyond thought. “Meditation is not what you think” resonates with Ekhart Tolle (power of now) and “it’s not what happens to us but our thoughts about what happens” resonates with Esther. She says think, Ekhart says, dont think or do, but as little as necessary. And on the whole, I perceive this to mean “rather focus on your breath than entertain better feeling thoughts” . These guys seem to differ in what they invite us to do it would seem to me.

I recon they are both right and I’m wondering what the synthesis is.

Kindest regards.
Oscar

Answer: Hi Oscar. Thanks for writing in … its a GREAT question.
I’ll post this later on my blog as an ‘Ask Christina’ Q and A, so I’m going to form my reply not only to you, but to others who may also read it.
For those of you who may not know, Oscar is referring and comparing the work of Abraham-Hicks and Eckhart Tolle.  And their seemingly contradictory advice.

Funny … I was just at the gym, doing my cardio workout and listening to an mp3 download of Abraham-Hicks recent Mexico cruise … and they answered a similiar question from a heavy-duty meditator (nothing ‘funny’ about it really … just another cool sign of being in alignment, yippee!).  So I’m primed to answer this one, love how that happens!

First off, both of these people and their respective work is wonderful.  I agree with you about the respectful and thoughtful tone you have taken in contemplating your question about their work and approaches and I second it.

Here’s how I would humbly try to answer this one … given the calibre of work we are dialoguing about.

“It depends”.  It depends on your own emotional guidance system (your emotions … something Abraham-Hicks teaches alot about).  Sometimes its best to do the meditative route (Tolle’s route).  And sometimes it is best to reach for a better feeling thought (Abraham-Hicks route).

Meditation is not one thing.  It is many, many different states of consciousness.  I’m definitely not an expert in this.  A great resource is Genpo Roshi’s work or perhaps Ken Wilber (to name two who come to mind … there are definitely lots of others!). There are types of meditation where you are quieting the mind (getting to no thought) that you talk about. And there are types of meditation that get you to other states of consciousness as well (sometimes intentionally and sometimes by an act of grace) … Like the oceanic bliss you are referring to.

From what I understand about Abraham … meditation is something that they recommend to people … especially if the person is lower down the emotional scale and needs to interrupt the negative vibration they are in.  No thought is a HUGE improvement from negative thought.  Sometimes we are just so down the rabbit hole that we can’t catch a whiff of positive emotion or thought.  Sooooo, meditation is a great next step.  After a round of meditation, then you try reaching for a more positive thought.  You will probably have greater access to it than before your meditation.  Abraham tells some lovely and funny stories from Esther’s own life, where she gets her vibe out of whack too and the only thing that helps is meditation.

Abraham suggests many ways (processes) to shift your vibration.  Meditation is one of them.  Its Process #6 in their ‘Ask and It is Given’ book.  I highly recommend this book if you don’t already have it.  I use it as the central text in my Merkley’s Manifestation Mastermind course.  You can use meditation to great effect from any emotional / vibrational position on their emotional scale (from the depths of despair all the way up to the heights of joy).  Because of that, you really can’t go wrong in using meditation as a way to stabilize or enhance your vibe. And they basically say and advise that all the time.  Its not an either / or premise. It is ‘yes/and’.

There are also plenty of other things you can do … once your vibration is bathed from a good round of meditation … that will take your thoughts/emotions/vibration to enhanced places.  This is where the ‘reach for a better feeling’ approach that you write of comes in.  See Ask and It is Given for a bunch of processes to use for when you are higher up the emotional scale.  My personal favorites are Positive Aspects, Wouldn’t It Be Nice If and The Focus Wheel (I adore their Focus Wheel exercise and do it several everyday! … see my Soothing Saturday Series for a free call devoted to this wonderful tool).

I hope this has helped Oscar. I have so loved fielding your inquiry. Thank you so much for writing in with such a high level question … love it!  Let’s keep the dialogue going if you’d like to respond … this answer will be on my blog soon and you can leave your comments (and so can others) if you care to.  I’m curious as to your response and if this helps/clicks.

All the best in getting in the Vortex regularly!  Cheers, Christina

Question:
Hi Christina, I know you are super busy, but wondering if you can help us with this Abraham-Hicks quote a little?? I understand not adjusting down ever — so how to adjust?  Much Love, Lynette

In order to help someone who’s in a very different vibrational frequency, you’ve got to adjust your vibrational frequency so that they can hear you. And if we were standing in your physical shoes, we would not adjust our vibrational frequency down—ever. We would not introduce more resistance in our vibration for any reason whatsoever, because disconnecting yourself from resources does not give them more to eat.  — Abraham (Excerpted from the workshop in Tarrytown, NY on Saturday, October 9th, 2004)

Answer:

Hi Lynette and Melanie.  Yup, am super busy, but I also love Abraham-Hicks related questions.  So I’m going to answer this.  But please know it is quick and off the top of my head.

The problem with some of these Abraham-Hicks quote for folks who aren’t too familiar with their work and overall concepts (and for those of us who are!) is that they are too truncated … they don’t give you the fuller context or more elaborate explanation of what Abraham says.  What Abe more fully says (if I am remembering and summarizing correctly) is that you have to see the person as you know them to be, not as they are currently being.  Like as a coach/facilitator, we hold the image of our clients being ‘creative, resourceful and whole’ even when they aren’t currently in the vortex themselves and have lost sight/feel of that.

No matter who they person is (doesn’t just have to be a coach with their client … but can be you with anybody) we take the attitude and focus on finding our knowing that they are capable.  We know they will get back to that.  Whatever is going on is just a temporary thing (is not the full truth of who they are).  We find the alternative reality or feeling place of them bouncing back again (or getting to whatever it is that they want, that they have perhaps never had yet).

I think what this quote is about is that we don’t help anyone by going down with them and joining them in their misery or erroneous beliefs about themselves, their abilities, their worth, their capabiity, their possibility …..  If we slide down there and join them, then two people are down in the weeds. We need to keep ourself up and in the vortex. Holding that vision of them being there in their ‘vibrational escrow’ (Abraham’s term of where all our good stuff is, just waiting for us to align with).  Holding that vision of them and feeling them as that, is the most powerful thing we can do for them  (and for ourselves, because it feels MUCH BETTER than believing the crappy stuff.  If we agree with their limitations, or tone ourselves down to join them … well, both lights/vibes have been dimmed instead of just one.

Obviously this is sometimes easier said than done.  It is all about the energy of the heart.  Keep yourself in good feeling stuff. Think good feeling thoughts about the other person. Remember their good times.  Remember all the positive aspects.  Keep having fun in life yourself.  Everyone’s vibe is ultimately their own responsibility.  In the bigger picture, we help them, the planet, evolution etc when we chose to stay in the vortex ourself, or get ourselves back in it as quick as we can.

Hope that helps Lynette.  Thanks for the question.  ~Christina 

Christina Merkley, The SHIFT-IT Coach

P.S.  To ask Christina your own question, go to: http://www.shift-it-coach.com/askquestion.php

I’ve been going through another big shift in my life and business – a good one (with a revamped team, larger contracts, more volumes and my new Certification Program … and fun in my personal life too) and in looking back on what caused it; I attribute a lot of it to my increased ability to receive. 

Upper Limits:
In order to speak to you about receiving I first need to talk a little about ‘upper limits’.  I first heard of this term many years ago via Gay and Katie Hendricks – relationship teachers.  They used the term to discuss a concept that happens a lot in couples – when one or both people encounter their ‘upper limits’ in terms of intimacy and closeness and then consciously (or more likely, unconsciously) sabotage the relationship in some way to bring it back down to what they are more familiar or comfortable with.  In Law of Attraction speak we would call this bringing it back to the more familiar vibration. 

Upper limits can happen in all sorts of life areas – in relationship (the types, duration and intensity levels of intimacy and closeness that you are able to sustain), in money (the amounts, frequency and duration of money and financial prosperity that you are able to allow) and in success (how ‘high’ you let yourself fly, your comfort with visibility and exposure, and how extended your structures, systems and networks become).  Just to give you a few examples.

Comfort Zones:
In going through my own SHIFTS and in helping my clients through theirs, I have a front row seat to seeing ‘comfort zones’.  People most often come to me when they are playing in a certain zone and want to bust through to another.  But unfortunately that new zone is unfamiliar and hence uncomfortable to them to varying degrees.  My job is to help them get acquainted with it – to be become familiar with it.  To ‘find the feeling place’ of it.  And often, to validate the new zone … make it ok for them to want it and more importantly to HAVE it. 

Blocks to Receiving:
Depending on the issue, different people can have different blocks that interfere with their ability to receive what they say they want.  For example, in relationships, some people (myself included) have fears about the limits that relationships will place on them.  Or are afraid of repeating past unpleasant experiences.  For money, some people have family and societal programming about what level of money is ok for them to receive and how they should go about getting it.  And, in success, there are all sorts of saying about ‘being too big for your britches’ or ‘tall poppy syndrome’ (don’t stand out too tall or you’ll be chopped off).

Make It Ok for You to HAVE:
If you are to shift from one zone to another you must make it internally ok for you to make that move – make it ok for you to have what it is you want to have (no qualms).  This is an internal journey that no one can take for you – you must make it yourself (although a good coach can guide you through the steps!).  You must uncover the limitations that you are placing on yourself, examine them and ‘flip them’ … change them out with thoughts that FEEL better. And, it can’t just be affirmations that you don’t really believe – these new thoughts have to truly be authentic for you, at least eventually!

Remember, It’s An Expansive Universe:
One erroneous belief that creates interference for a lot of people is that in order for them to expand they are somehow taking away from others or being selfish, self-centered or greedy.  One thing that I have taken great comfort in from the Abraham-Hicks material (the source of Law of Attraction information that I’ve been studying for years) is the premise that the universe expands and it can accommodate EVERYONE’S desires. 

We are not hampered by limited resources, we are hampered by the inability of people to reach energetic alignment with what they want. As people align, the universe figures out a way to accommodate the desires – and does that for EVERYONE who finds their alignment (new reserves are discovered, new technologies or methods are created, etc). So there is no taking away from anyone else. Its all an internal game of energy alignment, everyone gets what they want and there is enough!

F.r.e.e. Resource: Focus Wheel Webinar:
A powerful way to align yourself to what you want (and to increasing your ability to receive) is to step-by-step talk yourself up the ‘emotional scale’ on subjects that you have resistance on.  A powerful process that does this is a fantastic exercise from Abraham-Hicks called The Focus Wheel.  In this exercise, you start with the contrast of what you don’t like.  Use it to identify what you do want. Then are off and running in collecting up thoughts that match what you do want – which in turn shifts your vibrational point of attraction.

Individual Journey:
Aligning to your desires is an individual emotional journey.  Of uncovering your blocks and expanding your ok-ness to having what you want.  You can have what you want.  The only thing that is standing in your way is you and your internal alignment.  So do your inner work, open up your arms, and receive what is coming in for you.  It really is ok for you to have what you want – truly!

Blog Comments: Thoughts? Reactions? Have something to add? Click here
to leave comments and read those left by others.

P.S. For a great f-r-e-e resource to help you navigate the journey to an authentic life, check out Kimberly Englot’s Authentic Life Interview Series running Nov. 16 – 20 (I’m one of the 12 speakers). Register Here.

Audio MP3s of Past Articles: Click Here

© 2009 Christina L. Merkley

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE?
You can, as long as you include this blurb and a functional link to my site:

Christina Merkley, "The SHIFT-IT Coach" and creator of the SHIFT-IT System®, is a Visioning and Strategic Planning Expert specializing in Visual Thinking and Law of Attraction techniques. Based in charming Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, she works deeply with individuals, partners and conscious businesses to define and manifest what they truly want. And, trains other helping professionals in her innovative ways of working.  For more information visit: www.shift-it-coach.com

Here is an interesting Ask Christina Question that came in via my website from e-zine reader Oscar.

Hi Christina.  I was wondering if it would be alright to ask for your opinion on something close to my heart.
I am a huge fan of the Hicks and yet… I have a question;  If Esther Hicks is right about our thoughts and our attitude being ultimately responsible for how our food is processed by our bodies, why does she not look half her age? She could eat anything whe wants, love it and carry less than 15% body fat.This is a very important question for me and a dear friend who is dealing with Cancer and who just didnt “get into” Esther. I gave him a
copy of Esther’s DVD “Think and Get Slim” which has her best asnwers to health questions over a 2 year period. He just thought she was phony and that really did push a button in me and re-surfaced this question I had.

I can imagine that Esther may be choosing to stay looking the way she does.  However, I wonder if she really could assimilate junk food as well as she claims she could just through the virtue of her better feeling thoughts about the junk food.

I have always resonated with Esther and yet… I would love to look at her blood minutes after she polished a bottle of wine to see how her attitude kept her blood cells from sticking, as this is normally what happens withing minutes of drinking alcohol.

Any thoughts will be muchly appreciated.
Kindest regards and best wishes!

Oscar

Hi Oscar.

You seem to forget that Esther and ‘Abraham’ (www.abraham-hicks.com) are not the same person/entity.  Abraham is the one who is offering the information (non-physical intelligence). Esther is just a woman/person like the rest of us – doing her best to integrate the information and apply it.  She gets what she focuses on.

I don’t know what her desires are for her body.  Occassionally Abraham uses stories from her life that mention that she is not particularly happy with her weight (in our current culture, its a fair one of us who truly is!).  So, if she continues to chronically feel like that, she’ll continue to get the same sort of results.  It proves the Law of Attraction, doesn’t discount it.

I know some folks seem to think Jerry and Esther should live exemplary lives. And, for the most part, in my opinion, they do.  However, they have their issues, to – they are human. As we all are. That doesn’t mean that the Law of Attraction is bogus or Esther is a fake. Its means that they still have some work to do in their alignment on certain issues.

My opinion is that they are both very genuine people who have accomplished magnificient things.  They are still in process too.  I find that refreshing myself – but I can understand how some folks have a problem with that.

Take care Oscar.  Great question! ~Christina

For this week’s article, an ‘Ask Christina’ question from my website.

‘Ask Christina’ Question from Renita:

Thanks for the compliments on the photos and for your great question Renita.  Geez, have I really told you folks that I am grumpy in the morning (I really need to cut down on the amount of self disclosure in my posts eh!).

Well, it is a true tendency of mine (at least it used to be).  When I was 10, my parents and brother set up a rule not to talk to me until after 10am in the fall and winter months … and now, for the most part, I don’t start my ‘real’ work until after 10am cause I really like to protect that precious morning time.

Answer 1:

Why do you get thrown out of the vortex during sleep?  Well, while it looks like this is connected to sleep, it probably isn’t. There is most likely a bigger issue going on and/or it’s just a symptom of your particular manifestation style.

Each morning we return to our regular vibrational state – kind of like a reset button or rubber band.  We return to where we naturally vibrate (for those of you new to Law of Attraction (LOA) speak – this means your emotional set point).

If you are generally happy and satisfied with your life, you will wake up in an emotional and vibrational zone that matches that.  If however, you aren’t particularly happy or satisfied, you will wake up in an emotional and vibrational state that matches that.

Like me as a kid in the summer  – woke up instantly happy and bounded out the door to play with my friends.  But crabby in fall and winter months … cause the freedom loving being that I was resented having to do what others wanted me to do all day.

As for your particular manifestation style – it could be a lot like my own.  If you are a person who is very focused on growth and development … you could be operating in a constant state of striving that has developed an ‘edge’ to it that you will notice more distinctly in the mornings (when there is less to cover up the tone of your vibrational state).

It will be important to learn to soothe this edge – which is something a lot of high achievers have to deal with. They get so focused on the future and what they still want or on perfection and self-imposed standards … that they can lose sight of what they do have, have accomplished and how good things are.  Its important to get ‘in the now’ and enjoy it instead of always striving after goals and what is next.

Answer 2:

As for a script in the morning … Louise Hay has a lovely affirmation in the back of her famous little book called Heal Your Body (the mental causes for physical illness and the metaphysical way to overcome them).  I read this script upon waking for years –starting back when I first launched my own business in San Francisco.  She calls it ‘Loving Treatment’.

“DEEP AT THE CENTER OF MY BEING, there is an infinite well of love.  I now allow this love to flow to the surface.  It fills my heart, my body, my mind, my consciousness, my very being, and radiates out from me in all directions and returns to me multiplied.  The more love I use and give, the more I have to give, the supply is endless.  The use of love makes ME FEEL GOOD, it is an expression of my inner joy.  I love myself, therefore I take loving care of my body.  I lovingly feed it nourishing foods and beverages, I lovingly groom it and dress it, and my body lovingly responds to me with vibrant health and energy.  I love myself; therefore, I provide for myself a comfortable home, one that fills all my needs and is a pleasure to be in.  I fill the rooms with the vibration of love so that all who enter, myself included, will feel this love and be nourished by it.”

I love myself; therefore, I work at a job that I truly enjoy doing, one that uses my creative talents and abilities, working with and for people that I love and that love me, and earning a good income.  I love myself; therefore, I behave and think in a loving way to all people, for I know that that which I give out returns to me multiplied.  I only attract loving people in my world, for they are a mirror of what I am.  I love myself; therefore, I forgive and totally release the past and all past experiences and I am free.  I love myself, therefore, I live totally in the now, experiencing each moment as good and knowing that my future is bright and joyous and secure, for I am a beloved child of the universe and the universe lovingly takes care of me now and forever more.  And, so it is.”  -Louise Hay

Abraham’s Step-by-Step Recipe:

Now, because you have mentioned Abraham, I am also going to give you Abraham-Hicks’ step-by-step evening and morning routine to shift your vibe.
Step 1: Before going to sleep, nestle into your bed and focus on your immediate surroundings – the warmth and shelter of your bed.  The nice smell of your sheets. The weight of the blankets upon you.  The way the mattress supports you.  Then, in your mind … be a selective sifter and focus on all of the positive things that happened in the day that you just had.  Even if there are only a few, focus on those few and milk them for good feelings!  Drift off to sleep focusing on those nice feeling things. (Click Here for full Positive Aspects directions and one my handy visual maps).

Step 2: Immediately upon waking, repeat what you did before falling asleep – focus on the warmth of your bed, the smell of your sheets (if they smell nice!), the weight of your blanket. Perhaps the sounds of the birds or the sight of the sunshine poking through your blinds.  Then review the nice feeling positive aspects from yesterday.  Then contemplate the nice feeling things that you expect to encounter in the day ahead of you (this is called pre-paving).

Step 3: Get out of bed and do whatever your normal morning routine is (brush your teeth, shower, get dressed, eat your breakfast, etc.).  Then, take a few minutes to do a couple of Focus Wheels.  The Focus Wheel is a powerful exercise that makes you focus in a way that is productive.  You do them on things that you don’t feel particularly good about, in order to stretch your thinking and feeling into better feeling states.  Again, I have done a full explanation on this powerful process previously and have a visual map that you can use – Click Here to access those directions and another visual map.

Step 4: You mention Abraham’s rampages in your note – so I know you know what they are. Yes, you are absolutely right – they are very difficult to do cold turkey like you have been trying to do.  Like in physical exercise, you need to ‘warm yourself up’ when you are doing Law of Attraction work.  Do Steps 1-3 that I have outlined above, then you are ready to progress to Rampages of Appreciations (here is an 11 minute Abraham audio rampage)  … or rampage away yourself on all of things you are delighted about for a few moments.

Merkley’s Manifestation Mastermind

Hopefully I have done a good job of empowering you with resources that will assist you in shifting your vibe effectively in the morning.  If you would like more assistance on these and additional LOA processes, consider joining us for my upcoming Merkley’s Manifestation Mastermind – a 12-week LOA Bootcamp where I teach you how to do all this great stuff in the company of like-minded people from around the globe.  Yes, it’s work to SHIFT-IT … but it’s the kind of work that returns to you in spades!

Soothing Saturday Guest:
Also, on September 19th, on my f.r.e.e. Soothing Saturday Series, join me and special guest, Jeannette Maw, The Good Vibe Coach … for an open chat and Q&A session on Law of Attraction.  I’m sure Jeannette will also have some great tips up her sleeve to help us SHIFT our vibes – in the morning or anytime!

Well, there you have it Renita – I think I have thoroughly answered your question and I hope that you have good results with putting these processes into practice.  Remember, practice does make perfect with this stuff!  Thanks so much for your great questions!

If you want to SHIFT your life in a way that really suits you and brings you lots of enjoyment and pleasure … then you will need to develop, refine (and trust!) your ‘spidey senses’.  And get used to the experience of wise energy communicating with you.

What do I mean by ‘spidey senses’? … Well, if you remember Spider Man Comics back in the day – it’s your 6th sense, intuition and ability to communicate and follow higher wisdom.

Spider Man used to get that ‘spidey sense’ when he knew something was brewing.  He got guidance on where he needed to go, who he needed to assist, and what he needed to do … and when danger was on his path.  He trusted, followed and came to depend on that guidance and it always steered him right – and it’s the same for you and I if we are to truly live a soul-centered life.

Your Higher Guidance:
So, what is the higher guidance that Spider Man contacted?  I cannot remember what explanation was given in the comics (if you do, please let me know!).  But for me, I think of this guidance as our higher selves … or higher intelligence operating through us.  Something or somebody that has a bigger picture view off us, the world and what we are here for – and it communicates with us.  Call it the universe or God if that works for you. 

Forms of Contact:
The ‘problem’ if one can call it a problem, is that this guidance can be subtle … it can come as a whisper instead of a shout.  It’s a bit like learning to be conversant in a new language … one that requires us to develop a more acute sense of listening and acceptance in order to hear it. 

If you are a spiritual or creative type person, you might already be well versed in some of the interesting ways that our higher intelligence communicates with us.  And, they are fun to review nonetheless:

Animals:
Pay attention to unusual animals crossing your path or animals acting in unusual ways.  Higher intelligence can use animals to communicate with us, as they operate on purer or higher vibrational frequencies (much less complicated than human beings).  Watch what the animal is doing – and how that might compare to how you are being in your life (or perhaps should be).  Identify the qualities that this animal possesses – and think how these qualities might mirror some of your own. 

For example, my lovely client Ali had a wayward armadillo under her house.  When I asked her to describe it, she talked about it being tough on the outside, stubborn and determined … and, surprisingly … having the most lovable ‘puppy dog’ eyes imaginable.  Her voice softened as she became tender about this creature in her midst.  As we worked it a little, she made the bridge to her own life … how she is viewed as tough, stubborn and determined too (qualities she likes and cherishes).  And how, underneath those accurate surface appearances, she is also a sweetie who is looking for warmth, belonging and a cozy, shared home.  This lead us into a whole new area of love and relationship coaching – aspects of herself that she’s willing to activate again following some challenging events in her past. 

Another example is my caring client Tereasa … in the midst of moving her household with two kids from the suburbs into the yearned for vitality of the city.  During her coaching call, I glanced out my window to see a deer strolling down the sidewalk (I live in a highly populated area of Victoria’s harbor … and this has never occurred to me before!).

Tereasa is very in touch with her inner wisdom and was as excited as I – she grabbed her copy of Animal Speak (Ted Andrew’s handy dictionary of totem animals and their meanings) and looked up ‘deer’.  She read “it is time to be gentle with yourself and others.  A new innocence and freshness is about to be awakened or born.  It is going to be a gentle enticing lure of new adventures … express gentle love that will open new doors to adventure for you”.  Wow, we were both delighted with the personal confirmation she received.

Movies:
Another way that higher wisdom can communicate with you is in the form of movies.  Walk into a video store and follow your intuition about what you are drawn to.  Without doing a lot of reading about the film, just trust that it contains something you are to interact with.  Watch the film and notice what the general themes are.  Do they mirror or mimic things going on in your own life?  What characters are you most attracted to?  Is there a moral or message that the film communicates?  Be on the lookout for phrases, saying or other symbols that you particularly resonate with.  This is your higher intelligence communicating with you through visuals, metaphor and feelings.

Books:
This one has almost become laughable where I am concerned.  I am a huge lover of bookstores (particularly ones with coffee shops in them or nearby!).  Pretty regularly I feel the familiar pull to visit one.  I have learned to trust this feeling.  Once inside, I let my spidey senses do the walking, taking me to the section, shelf and book that I’m suppose to get. 

The last time I was in Munro’s (beautiful old building on Government Street here in Victoria), I found myself pulled to a particular section of the store.  A store clerk smiled and pulled a little step stool out of the way.  I told her “no problem, its not really in my way” and she just nodded as she moved it.  Getting little thrill bumps up and down my back, I bent down to take a closer look at the area she had just made available to me.  And lo’ and behold there was a book I had been thinking about getting a few weeks earlier! (Drunvalo Melchizedek’s Ancient Secrets of the Flower of Life, Volume 1).  I laughed out loud – ‘well, I guess I am SUPPOSE to get this one!’ and did.

Follow Your Intuition:
There is so much I could (and will) write about opening to and communicating with your higher wisdom.  These are just a few simple examples that hopefully make you remember that these sorts of things are available to us, all the time.  So I invite you to pay a little closer attention to your own spidey sense.  Notice when you get that funny feeling (about whether to draw towards something or to pull away).  Pay attention to your inklings about things to do, places to go and people to connect with – even if you don’t logically understand why you feel compelled to.  Trust yourself.  Trust your spidey senses – we all come equipped with this cool super power … use it!

SHIFT-IT Coach, Inc. Presents …

SOOTHING SATURDAYS

Every few months, I host a free tele-seminar…. something that fits in with my general theme of “SHIFTing IT”.

Some calls are with invited guests whose specialties help us SHIFT our reality in some way. Other calls are just with me, where I do spontaneous SHIFT-IT Coaching with whoever calls in to play (putting you through the paces with my cutting edge Merkley Maps©, etc).

Next Call: August 8th, 2009: Create Your Magnetism Map Join me, Christina Merkley, The SHIFT-IT Coach, as I demo one of my popular Merkley Maps® … The Magnetism Map. This tool helps you hone your focus on what you really do want (and off of what you don’t want!). On this call I share my best visioning tips honed over 17+ years of working in strategic planning venues with corporations and individuals.  And work interactive with callers on creating their own Magnetism Maps and properly running their energies.

Christina Merkley

There is no fee to participate in this call and/or to receive the recording.  Soothing Saturdays are my way of paying it forward and assisting in the planetary shift that is happening!

More Info and Registration Here

New to Soothing Saturdays?  Get instant access to mp3e recordings of these previous calls:

Past Calls:

May 2009: Brad Yates: Emotional Freedom Technique

Listen in as Brad Yates the ‘EFT Wizard’ explains and demos the ‘Emotional Freedom Technique’.  EFT is a fascinating tool for helping to SHIFT your internal resistance to your goals.  I’ve worked personally with Brad and really appreciate his fun and humorous approach to internal change work.  On this great call Brad not only explains EFT for the novice but also leads us thru several ‘rounds’ … creatively blending in solutions for the common blocks that callers presented. 

April 2009:  Ask Theo: Sheila & Marcus Gillette and THEO

I was so pleased to host the delightful Sheila and Marcus Gillette.  Sheila is a direct voice medium for the non-physical intelligence (12 arch-angels) known as ‘THEO’.  Sheila has been channeling Theo since 1968 and we had the sincere pleasure of not only hearing her fascinating story but directly experiencing THEO via caller questions. 

P.S.  As an additional bonus, I’ll send you three of my SHIFT-IT tools – visual maps (with instructions) that will help you define and allow who you are in the process of becoming!