InnerSelf Magazine
May 9th, 2004

"Try not. Do. Or do not.
There is no try."

-- Yoda, from The Empire Strikes Back

NEW ATTITUDES... NEW POSSIBILITIES

Welcome to the May 9th, 2004 edition of InnerSelf Magazine.

It's time we stopped "trying" and time to start being. Trying implies defeat. Trying is only half-hearted... Rather than "try", we can choose to move forward decisively. Rather than "trying" to lose weight, we can be determined to lose weight. Rather than "trying" to be at peace with ourselves and the people around us, we can simply "be" that which we choose. This doesn't mean that we'll always "get it right", but it does mean that our intention is clear. We are not "trying", we are of clear intent...

This week's articles help us focus on the inner world, as well as the outer... how to recognize when we are divinely inspired to do something, as well as how to reclaim the power to feel awe and wonder and gratitude, and move on to create the life we choose. We can do it! Let's set our intent to live our life in tune with our inner guidance and go forth in the world and make it a better place by first being true to ourselves.

This above all:
to thine own self be true.
And it must follow as the night the day,
thou canst not then be false to any man.
-- William Shakespeare (Hamlet)

With love and best wishes from our InnerSelf to yours...

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THIS WEEK'S NEW ISSUE OF INNERSELF MAGAZINE:

Welcome to the new issue
of InnerSelf Magazine!

Scroll through below for the links to this week's new articles & columns,
Dear Child, and the Newsletter Tidbit.

* THIS ISSUE'S ARTICLES *

Am I Being Inspired?
by Dan Joseph.
Many times we'll feel that we have 'received' something -- a prompting, a nudge, an idea. However, we're not sure if it's inspired by God's wisdom, or if it's coming from our own personal thoughts. How do we tell the difference? From the discussions I've had with people, there seem to be a vast number of discernment techniques. Some people, for example, feel a 'happy glow' around one choice, and an 'empty feeling' around another choice.

Cultivating Awe & Wonder
by John Izzo, Ph.D.
Children seem able to find wonder in the simplest of things -- an unusual bug on the sidewalk, a puddle that is particularly deep, a small paper airplane. As we age, somehow our capacity for awe and wonder is diminished. So how do we recapture the experience of wonder?

Do-It-Yourself Living
by Michelle L. Casto.
If you want to live a certain kind of life, you are going to have to be proactive so you can consciously create life as you would like it. You must first mentally visualize and then physically create what you want. You can do this by having a clear vision and developing strong intentions. Your life is your gift, how you use it is entirely up to you.

Inner World, Outer World
by Howard "H" White.
Are there two worlds? There is a physical plane, which we live in everyday. And there is the inner world, which is a different one altogether...the world of feeling, prayer, and spirit where things happen that are unexplained. This is the world of emotions and hunches and intuition, the world that makes coincidence happen.

23rd Psalm in Modern Life
by Ron Roth, Ph.D.
The 23rd Psalm is one of the most popular prayers in the Western world. This beautiful collection of words can be the key to reclaiming spiritual power. Most of us recognize the 23rd Psalm's familiar phrases, but what we don't often appreciate is the impact of the principles contained in the Psalm, probably because it doesn't fit the model of what we've been taught a prayer should be.

THIS ISSUE'S COLUMNS:

HOROSCOPE (weekly):
by Eliza Bassett.
Current Week; Previous Week
(NEW HOROSCOPE EACH THURSDAY)

DEAR CHILD:
by Shari Rathman.
(See below)

NEWSLETTER TIDBIT
Inspirational Message.

(see below)

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DEAR CHILD

Dear Child,

All is well, Child of God.

~ Shari Rathman ~
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INSPIRATIONAL MESSAGE

What's Important...

A young man learns what's most important in life from the guy next door.

It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, girls, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him.

Over the phone, his mother told him, "Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday." Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.

"Jack, did you hear me?"

"Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It's been so long since I thought of him. I'm sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago," Jack said.

"Well, he didn't forget you. Every time I saw him he'd ask how you were doing. He'd reminisce about the many days you spent over 'his side of the fence' as he put it," Mom told him.

"I loved that old house he lived in," Jack said.

"You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man's influence in your life," she said.

"He's the one who taught me carpentry," he said. I wouldn't be in this business if it weren't for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important. Mom, I'll be there for the funeral," Jack said.

As busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser's funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.

The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time. Standing in the doorway, Jack paused for a moment. It was like crossing over into another dimension, a leap through space and time. The house was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture....Jack stopped suddenly.

"What's wrong, Jack?" his Mom asked.

"The box is gone," he said.

"What box?" Mom asked. "There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he'd ever tell me was 'It's the thing I value most,'" Jack said. It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it. "Now I'll never know what was so valuable to him," Jack said. "I better get some sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom."

It had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died. Returning home from work one day Jack discovered a note in his mailbox. "Signature required on a package. No one at home. Please stop by the main post office within the next three days," the note read.

Early the next day Jack retrieved the package. The small box was old and looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago. The handwriting was difficult to read, but the return address caught his attention. "Mr. Harold Belser" it read. Jack took the box out to his car and ripped open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack's hands shook as he read the note inside.

"Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett. It's the thing I valued most in my life." A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, as tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch. Running his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing, he unlatched the cover.

Inside he found these words engraved: "Jack, Thanks for your time! Harold Belser"

"The thing he valued most...was...my... time."

Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office and cleared his appointments for the next two days.

"Why?" Janet, his assistant asked.

"I need some time to spend with my son," he said. "Oh, by the way, Janet... thanks for your time!"

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away.

-- author unknown

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