Interview with Drew Tracy

Love how the more I tune into synchronicity, the more I connect with individuals who are clearly tuned into their destiny. Know that feeling? You know, when a wave of excitement passes through you, when you can look into a person's eyes, tune into their body language, and 'get the vibe'? 

It evokes uplifting feelings to interact with people who are doing what resonates in the heart, and inspiring others to do what comes naturally. This helps you see more of your own hidden abilities and bring them out to enable a new life to manifest before your very own eyes.

Crossing paths with Drew Tracy from  is like that. I get up one day and he arrives in my scope. I sense immediately that he is an adept observer with a genuineness and charisma that draws people in to share wisdom he has to offer. The empath in me senses a story.  As always, intuition is spot on.

Thanks Drew for making yourself available for this interview.

It would be helpful to Dreambuilders Australia readers to begin by sharing a glimpse of who you are and what you stand for. How have you reached a stage in your life where you regarded as a visualization guru? Which life experiences and/or revelations brought you here? 

People talk alot about the process that awakens them and I find those stories very inspiring. But I found them very frustrating for years as well. I now know that my awakening process began at a very young age for me (around 11) yet for the next 10 years I was living out my life through the heavily indoctrinated lens of religion that was taught to me as a child.

So I lived with a severe duality-mindset. “Never quite good enough, but still better than most” was the conditioning that I was tossed around in daily.

This inner conflict actually landed me in jail as the lack of conscious decisions I made in my life caught up with me. And it was there that I had the first divinely-appointed realization of my adult life.

That realization revealed to me that my conscious mind, my beliefs, and negatively perceived life experiences were holding me prisoner. It was actually a book that I found called “We’re All Doing Time” by Bo Lozoff that caused me to deeply feel this truth, and I felt a deep sense of relief as I studied, for the first time, things like meditation, breathing and the chakras.

But more than those practices, it was the sense of rest that I found in two traditionally terrifying questions that were stuck in my head:

1. Who am I?

2. What do I believe in?

That feels so warm at the soul level. As we shift to move more consciously through life, all we encounter is a lesson about ourselves. Some people test us. Others teach us, invite us to step outside what we think we know, see ourselves and our purpose differently. You can be receptive or not.  This is free will. Its one of the joys of being human: having the option to feel one's way through life.

In this light, please highlight specific mentors along your journey and what they have taught you.

After I had that experience, I spent the next several years learning how to let go, from those much wiser than myself like Eckhart Tolle, Wayne Dyer, Ram Dass and Dr. Baskaran Pillai.

Dr. Wayne Dyer:  Helped me begin to understand the incredible lessons within the Tao De Ching in his book “Change Your Thoughts Change Your Life”.

Eckhart Tolle: Educated me on how to let go of the ego that is my thoughts and to disidentify with those thoughts to view my experiences objectively.

Dr. Pillai: Leads me deeper into an understanding of my true creator-self and how to manifest that divinity into my daily life through deep meditation.

Ram Dass: Invites me to ask questions about what I understand consciousness is and reminds me to live joyously

What a group of trail-blazers. You know what they say, the five people we focus the most attention on are clues about what we are evolving into...(or accepting and manifesting that we are already).

Agree whole-heartedly that we cannot hope to teach something effectively, that is, be viewed as credible, if we are not living it ourselves.  How are you already living your own ideal life scenario?

It’s my belief that we cannot teach others if we are not living our own truth and allowing transparency to shape our words and actions. For years I struggled and suffered as I “hustled” to find success in my life. It was when I let go of attachment to the work I thought was meaningful and simply allowed my heart to speak its truth that I found things could simply emerge from the abundance of the universe.

My healing first began as I started de-identifying with the self that I used to believe was me. Then, through much meditation and quiet reflection, I learned how to begin to see my thoughts objectively, rather than identifying with them. And most recently, my path has brought me to a place of discovering and dissipating the illusion of the separateness that I used to feel so heavily.

You talk a lot about success, tweet to thousands of followers about down-to-earth stuff relevant to how people feel today, even in this moment.  You also encourage students with on-line videos to clarify their visions using different techniques.  Its all very cool. All of this reveals you sense what makes others tick.

Yet, what does success look like for you? How does this feel ? Which stages are you living in real-time and still working toward?

Success to me is listening and acting out the calling that comes from deep within. That is, not chasing an ideal of what I’ve been conditioned to think an accomplished life looks like. But rather letting my true voice emerge from within with love, and taking steps down the path that begins to be laid out before me. Success to me is helping others understand that, even if the current season of their life is negative for them, they have the power within to visualize a better future by being still with themselves.

It is feeling that leads me to manifest my accomplishments. We’re often told things like “no pain, no gain” and “sacrifice now for a better future”, but I always found those ideas to lead to more suffering.

Today, I make sure to create in this world that I find myself in. We’re all creators of our own realities, so rather than hiding my true self out of fear of rejection and judgement, rather than accepting the fate that was laid out by the economy of the society that I live in, I trust the yearnings of my heart that I find in quiet meditation and walk the path that is being laid out before me.

Creating a message in a world full of messages is not always easy though, and It’s difficult at times to become a consistent creator. I’m still working toward striking a balance between allowing and taking action. Allowing the universe, God, etc. to provide the path to walk, and taking the right action as defined by my true self.

Through all of this, the one revelation I had that has never left my mind is that, unless we allow ourselves to see and deeply feel a an ideal vision for ourselves every single day, we’ll remain stuck in our current realities.

Feeling stuck is a common occurrence. It seems to happen when people are not conscious of other options and unaware of their power to change.

How would you describe your own life purpose and has this changed? What do you wish to accomplish currently? 

I used to have chronic resistance to the natural rhythms of life. Whether you’re spiritual or not, it’s obvious that life has seasons, yet many people reject the seasons of their life and try to create a new existence rather than just going with the natural flow.

My purpose in life irreversibly changed after I successfully designed my own life as best I could… I thought “Well, I tried my best and my best design of life ended up looking like a jail cell with an automatic locking door on it… not ideal.”

Today, I stick to the basics and really focus on daily renewing myself based on the lessons I’ve learned from my deep failures. Now, my life purpose is to help people cultivate a life of greater meaning, connection and purpose, so that they can better attune themselves to the natural rhythms of life.

I teach my process of visualization that really helps people allow this process to unfold. This is the daily visualization meditation I do every day:

1. Design My Perfect Path (I Get clear on my “goal” as my heart reveals it)

2. Walk My Path, Open My Gate (Daily iteration of my ideal life outcome)

3. Feel The Bliss Of Arriving (Connecting strong emotion to my goal and savoring the experience)

Really feeling your enthusiasm about visualisation and appreciate your willingness to share very empowering videos on this topic. Many people hear about the vision board concept, sometimes from Rhonda Byrne’s blockbuster book/ film the Secret.   What makes your approach to visualization unique?

I actually first learned about the concept of vision boards from John Assaraf because at that time in my journey I was really into the neuroscience based approach to the law of attraction. Of course Rhonda Byrne’s fabulous book The Secret, inspired me to implement the concepts she teaches, but at that time in my life I really needed more structure.

I deeply believe that not enough people meditate, or at least find quiet time within their busy lives to meet with themselves deep within. That was my experience with myself at least, I kept getting distracted and forgetting to meditate and put a DAILY focus on my desires.

So that’s why I began this visualization meditation, to:

1.) Create a daily guided meditation process that I wouldn’t skip, and,

2.) To give myself a fun, yet structured way to begin to live into the best version of myself every single day.

It’s really helped me get good at spending just 10-20 minutes per day implementing the lessons that I’ve learned through the years from all of the amazing teachers that we’ve mentioned already.

Love how your daily regimen is so effective and also so simple that everyone has the power to step back and do it for themselves.  Recognizing the power to choose and moving through fear that prevents it, has potential to transform lives.  Taking time out for yourself, doing what nurtures the soul is essential. Trust more people listen to your insights and do it consistently.  

By the way, how do you manage your expectations about where you have been and where you wish to go?

This is a great question. Being accepting of where I’ve been is far easier for me than managing the expectations of where I should go.

What I can say is that when either of these moments in time begin to consume my thoughts it’s an obvious trigger to me that my mindfulness is not being practiced enough. Mindfulness, focusing with deep enjoyment of the Now is really the only way I can ever hope to have clarity  within the past and the future.

How do you see the role of technology currently and changing in the self-empowerment wellness field? (You certainly use it effectively yourself as a way to compress time and connect with your growing audience)

Technology is essential to allowing others the opportunity to self-empower. I receive the most beautiful realizations and education by teachers and gurus from across the globe and I’m grateful every day for the technology that brings their decades of practice and teachings to my computer.

We can now compress time to have pivotal realizations and breakthroughs in our life. For example, rather than travelling to India to experience a concept taught in exclusivity, I can simply purchase a ticket to view the same teaching online. I save time, I consume the training and I can then meditate on its meaning and allow further self-discovery in the comfort of my own home.

I will say, however, that there is, and will never be a substitute for human contact. Technology will never allow self-mastery, only allow us to open our minds to the possibilities of change--and it’s great for spreading ideas and higher-consciousness. We are social and spiritual beings that must connect with a teacher, coach, guru etc. at a much deeper level that a screen can provide if we desire to expand our lives in a deep and complete way.

As I increasingly teach and relate everything to the process of mastering time, I am interested in your view about how time influences your visualization process.  What do you sense about and the speed with which events unfold in your own life? What are your observations about your students in this regard?

I’ve gotten very sensitive to the timing in which key events in my life unfold. When I’m mindfully observing the past and the events that happened to me I always notice that just when one major change happens, the next opportunity for growth opens up for me, and I’ve learned to trust in that.

What this means to me is that I’m taken care of. Again, it goes back to the idea that, when I tried to force my life into a direction, things played out very uncomfortably. Yet when I allow life to unfold and trust in the season in which I’m a part of, things naturally bloom and die according to divine timing.

So I try not to consider time in the traditional sense when I visualize my desires and speak my affirmations. After all, visualization takes place deep within inside our consciousness, which plays by a very different rulebook than the physical plane in which we operate in.

What, in your view is the relationship between life shifts, evolving consciousness and heart-based, ideal life outcomes?  

I think that the “ideal life outcome” concept is still a very new one. The major economies in the world are incredibly wealthy and if you live in those your actual needs are very minimal. Living in this kind of abundance brings up unique questions that those who are simply struggling to survive can’t ask like “Am I doing this life thing right?” and “What is my true purpose in life?”

I actually think about this alot since I have 3 boys under the age of 6. There’s so much I haven’t had the opportunity to learn about how the global consciousness is evolving, so what I do is to listen to the lessons I learned during my times of change and consider how I can teach those around me how to use a “new” set of tools to navigate and experience life with. Things like empathy, compassion, truth and stillness are not traditional drivers of success and economy, but I feel it’s time to focus on these first, and that’s what I do with the young minds in my home as well.

Like you, I and many of our readers have children and grandchildren whose existence and behaviour highly influences our choices. Children are so fun-loving and spontaneous.Did you know children laugh on average 100x per day and adults less than 10x per day. This speaks volume about stress and authenticity The more people recall feelings of light-heartedness, the easire it is to see blessings in whatever arises. My son often says, 'It doesn't matter mommy.' And it doesn't, nothing really does, except in the mind. 

Please share what makes you smile, feel more child-like. What enables you to feel most alive?

I love nature most of all. I smile when I see its perfection and laugh at myself when I say things like “I can’t wait for spring” when it’s cold for instance. The perfect timing of its life and death is what I love most.

I feel enlivened when I’m able to fall into rhythm with the days I’m given. There’s so much to see in nature if we’d only look as we practice mindfulness.

Definitely! Living in different places, even where we choose to spend time reveals a lot about our state of consciousness and level of self-awareness. Being in natrue more often brings us closer to feel our own true nature and those things about ourselves we do not always see.

If you could leave a message with our readers, or a piece of advice to take away, what would it be?

Become empowered by your desire to live your life with more fulfillment. Don’t limit yourself on account of your current and past life experiences, but rather choose to understand that you can begin to live into a limitless, powerful life today.

Our readers are always eager to hear about new ways to connect with inspirational mentors like yourself. How can they contact you? Please share whatever intuitively arises.

The absolute best way is to connect with me is to come interact with me in the comments of my free visualization series called a Visualized Life. I’ve been getting some great response via email, so I just had a comments section added to the course so others can begin to benefit from the conversation as well. Anyone can access for free by clicking here.

Thank you so much Drew for all you are and all you do. We look forward to keeping our finger on the pulse of Rune & Relic Courses and reminding ourselves how important it is to do something to inspire and uplift ourselves every single day.

Throughout the day, its also helpful to create mindful moments where you cherish something about yourself and your life wherever you are, as you are, come what may. This is a key to seeing though limiting beliefs, laughing more and finding ways to help others without asking for anthing in return. What goes around, comes around.  The universe has your back covered. 

Shumsky Interview: Maharishi and Me

I am delighted to offer you an interview with Susan Shumsky, the author of Maharishi and Me.  This is an author who shares heart-felt insights based on her own direct and profound experiences.  Her book offers riveting glimpses of a guru who's life is often shrouded in mystery. Thanks for consenting to this interview.

Since I my 2009 Interview with Susan, much has happened in her life.

You have published a number of books and your life continues to expand in different directions.  How would you describe what is unfolding in your midst? How does it feel?

I would describe planetary trends as going in a powerful positive direction. With each year that goes by, more and more people are seeking spiritual experiences and practicing meditation and other yogic methods. If you compare the atmosphere of the earth in the mid-20th century with the atmosphere now, there is no comparison. The collective consciousness of the planet has risen significantly to a much higher octave vibration. Spiritual experiences that used to take months for a seeker to achieve, now it only takes a few minutes. People are more aware of issues of ecology, holistic health, organic foods, and the dangers of toxic agents to our planet. We now live in a different world. And positive trends continue to rise with every passing day.

Blessed be for those positive trends and shifts on collective perception and self-understanding. May it continue.

In all your years in the presence of Maharish Mahesh Yogi, why choose now to release Maharishi and Me? What is timely about your shift of perspective or your writing of this unique biography?

I began writing Maharishi & Me in 1998–20 years ago. Within a couple of years, it had exploded to 700 pages. It has taken 20 years for my agent to sell it to a publisher. I must admit it was because, internally, I didn’t have the right attitude about the book. And therefore when my agent sent the book proposal to editors, one of them said he didn’t think I could "pull it off.” Other editors said that Maharishi was passé and no one was interested in him anymore. But once I came to an internal revelation about my relationship with Maharishi and connected that to the larger picture about the traditional master/disciple relationship in the far East, I finally realized the correct theme of the book. Then my agent managed to sell it to Skyhorse Publishing in New York.

That 20 year period certainly speaks volumes about your passion and trust in the process.  As you say and observe, the level of collective consciousness on this planet is rising. People relate to things at their level of consciousness and perception. It appears that higher octave we have reached is a tipping point that makes this planet more receptive for what this book offers.

You also point out the topic of guru and discipleship is not widely understood or accepted in the West.  What would you like to share about your experience that shattered myths in this regard?

People think that living with a Guru is a guru-vy love fest of valentines, daffodils, butterflies, harps playing, and angels singing. But the truth is the master/disciple relationship can be an ego-shattering, mind-crushing experience. That’s because the traditional definition of “enlightenment” is known as “egoless.” And the traditional definition of “nirvana” is “extinguished.” Maharishi often likened himself to a carpenter, and his disciples to pieces of wood. Imagine how you would feel being a piece of wood and getting carved up into pieces. That’s not a fun image. When we have to step outside our comfort zone, out of the little box we’ve been living in, that’s an uncomfortable experience — and that’s an understatement. It was incredibly intense to live with Maharishi on a daily basis. An emotional roller coaster with extreme swings between heaven and hell.

Wow! Lots of misplaced assumptions are made based on a lack of understanding.

The opening quote in your book is, “Not everyone remembers their own birth. But I do,” is a very profound statement. In my own case, breathwork has enabled me to recall not only my own birth but pre-birth experiences, such as being a womb twin survivor (WTF), and soul-level views of experiences  unfolding before and since.  I call this time-travelling. I wonder if you can pinpoint a particular turning point in your own life that enabled you to see from this world from a very different angle.

There have been many turning points in my life. One was when I first learned how to practice Transcendental Meditation, which brought me back from the brink of insanity and transformed me in profound, meaningful ways. Another was when I found another powerful meditation method, which I now teach. It’s called "Divine Revelation.” That method changed my life again. With the profound inner connection I made with my higher self, ascended masters, and radiant beings of light, never was I alone again.

I love how meditation techniques offer each of us windows into the Soul if we are willing to venture into unfamilliar territory. Curiousity is sparked by the idea of a process that can trigger divine revelation. I'm sure many of seekers are eager to contact you to learn more about this meditation method.

Yet, for the time being, what advice do you have for people craving or seeking altered states of consciousness?

Don’t take drugs or plant medicines. It’s only a temporary bandaid and not the way to achieve true higher consciousness. Find a genuine spiritual teacher and learn how to meditate and how to experience unbounded awareness within. 

Interesting you share this view. Growing curiosity about altered states of consciousness has created a huge market for drug-induced spiritual travel-related experiences.  These are promoted to raise awareness. Individuals who taste the infinite this way also always seem to be struggling to 'get back there.' 

Maharishi and Me offers glimpses into your remarkable spiritual journey. Please share one or a few experiences that you feel stand out and how they affect you in this moment.

There were so many experiences I relate in the book. But what stand out most are experiences of profound elation and waves of bliss, contrasting with experiences of profound humiliation. It was a wild ride swinging from ego-expansion to ego-deflation on a daily basis. And as a result, I eventually found what I was seeking. I found myself.

Beautiful.  Straight and to-the-point. Funny how Westerners are so often taught to make complicated what is simple. It can feel like simple is harder than complex as it requires honesty and a willingness to see through your own thoughts.

Why Maharishi and not another guru for you?  Any why do you sense he drew the Beatles and other famous people? 

I was reading the Buddhist scriptures, the Tibetan Book of the Dead, Autobiography of a Yogi and books by Alan Watts, such as The Way of Zen. In Watts’ books it said you have to find a “meditation guide.” Good luck finding a “meditation guide” or anything remotely similar in Berkeley California in 1966. But, after trying to meditate on my own, a fellow art student finally took me to the Transcendental Meditation center in Berkeley. As soon as I saw the photo of Maharishi hanging on the wall, I immediately knew this was it. This was where I would learn real meditation—not just ephemeral experiences afforded to me through psychedelic drugs. 

Maharishi was like a celebrity magnet. He drew famous people into his life like a magnet draws iron filings. He was the happiest person I ever met, and his aura was incredibly charismatic and hypnotic. Anyone who met him, if they were open to the experience, they would feel waves of divine unconditional love radiating in their direction. With just a glance Maharishi transmitted waves of bliss that people could feel viscerally. 

I love the Tibetan Book of the Dead. Your response makes it clear that timing is everything.  The same goes to say when we read. This interview encourages us all to trust the timing of all events and encounters unfolding in their lives. Reading here can only be synchronicity. We only ever encounter what we invite into our lives.  Many people are familliar with, "ask, and it is given"  What you so wisely imply is that the soul asks and the ego-mind gives itself the experience to realize what it is not so we can realize what remains. Silence says so much.

Please share insights you gained from living in India and abroad as part of your evolving journey with Maharishi.

It was great to live overseas. People from the USA tend to be america-centric in an arrogant way. They seem to have a superiority complex about this country. Little did I know how beautiful, peaceful, artistic, and cultured other countries were. After spending a few years in Europe, I never wanted to return to the USA. But eventually Maharishi sent me back to the USA.

Indeed.  When you tell yourself you are creating a new life, it feels right to take advantage of that.  Makes being away from the familliar worthwhile.  You certainly make the most of wherever you are to learn and grow.  Your books attest to that. Your readers appreciate your gifts to this world.

As for this book, You include a number of photos.  How do you feel about the timeless experience of meditation alongside images of events frozen in time?

My book is not linear. It goes forward in time for awhile but then goes back and forth, jumping to different time periods. So when you’re reading it, if you think if it seems frozen, it will thaw from time to time. And anyway, regarding the photos, nostalgia is fun. There are about 100 fun, nostalgic photos in the book.

As it is said, " a picture paints a thousand words" (or more). Love the feel of playfulness in the book's presentation.  Jumping around in time as you do gives readers a deeper understanding of Maharishi from diverse points of view. It feels more real somehow, like readers are engaged in dialogue within the book ourselves.

Is it possible to compare your experience in the presence of Anandamayi Ma and other enlightened souls  or would you say their energy feels different?

My experience of the many enlightened beings I have met in this lifetime are very similar to each other. They all have that joyful, powerful, charismatic vibration that transmits to people around them, and which they receive by osmosis. Being in their presence elevates our consciousnes, lifts our spirits, and fills our souls with joy.  

Filling the Soul with joy absolutely changes everything.

Why do you imagine people often feel they must go away to an ashram or some far off place to find themselves?

When you go somewhere far away from the daily numbing routine of the mundane world, you are immediately taken out of your old patterns, habits, beliefs, and hangups. This can be helpful in the pursuit of spiritual awakening.

And what about your own experience? Could your awakening have happened anywhere other than India and through experiences with/ about the Maharishi? 

Since I take people on tours to sacred destinations throughout the world through my Divine Travels company at www.divinetravels.com, I know the value of visiting places with high vibrations and being in the company of like-minded spiritual people. Being in that higher vibrational atmosphere encourages and enhances spiritual experiences.

Like so many of our readers, I can so relate to the power of unseen energy.  It seems to work miracles until we are open to the deeper insights within ourselves.

What do you feel draws so many celebrities to TM? What about the general public?

It’s a simple meditation that works effectively for people. Just about anyone can do it. Maharishi used to say that if you can think a thought, you can practice Transcendental Meditation. That’s because thinking a mantra is like thinking any other thought. 

Love your references pages. Any particular film, book or reference really leave a mark during your research? How much of this is also out-of body (OBE) experience or time travel to re-experience different perspectives of a perceived past?

The following books have a lot of information about the Beatles in India, and I recommend them: The Secret of the Mantras by Richard Blakely, All You Need is Love by Nancy de Herrera, and Dear Prudence by Prudence Farrow. I don’t do OBEs and don’t time travel. I just have a good memory about the events that happened when I was with Maharishi. And I am a very exacting researcher who dug deeply into the topic and read many books and articles about events in the book that I didn’t personally experience firsthand.

Thanks for your meticulous way of fine-tuning details. This comes across very well. What highlight would you like to leave with our readers about this book. Why is it an important book for them to experience? 

This book brings into question everything people think they know about how a spiritual master acts, what enlightenment is, how a spiritual master works with his disciples, and how to spot an enlightened master. The book asks many questions by not asking those questions and gives answers by not answering them. The reader is left with having to answer all these questions him or herself. It’s a mind-blowing book that takes the reader through an emotional seesaw where, at the end, the reader is left with “What just happened?” “Can this be real?” “What a ride!"

Please share anything else you feel is relevant to our readers. 

The master/disciple relationship is not what you think it is. You’ll find out what it’s really about by reading the book Maharishi & Me.

Thanks again Susan for taking a period out of your busy schedule to share such valuable insights.  Readers can purchase Maharishi and Me from retail outlets as well as on-line.  Invite readers to check this out and share testimonials on this page.

Interview with Raana Zia

As life experience guides us from one synchronicity to another, it is a delight to connect with Raana Zia and have the privilege of reading her book, Your Hidden Light:  A Practical Guide to Creating Your Desired Life.

After reading it, I felt I could relate to so much she had written that I intuitively asked her to participate in this interview to share it with Dreambuilders Australia readers. I am absolutely delighted to share this exchange with her which I honestly feel raises the vibration of those who vicariously share parts of her journey.

Thanks Raana for making yourself available for this interview and for contributing in your own way to lighting up the world. 

Being a person who loves joining the dots and empowering others to do the same, I am curious how you heard about me and why you so recently chose to offer me your book.  

I discovered your blog through The Clearing blog in an article written by Kris de Leon.  I read more about you and felt very connected to your messages.  I too have recently experienced similar awareness and understanding of the power of following your heart, intuition, inner guidance.  From what I read in your blogs, much of what you say resonates as truth to me and is aligned with what I talk about in my book.  I so appreciate that you took the time to read my book.

Contrary to what many believe, like attracts like.  That is, everything and everyone is a mirror inviting us to get a message we are not yet consciously seeing and integrating. Please share a bit about yourself and your process. What prompted you to write this book?

I am a corporate executive/CFO turned spiritual self-help author of the book Your Hidden Light:  A Personal Guide to Creating Your Desired Life.  I had been in corporate finance for 20+ years successfully climbing the corporate ladder.  In 2012, while I achieved my goal of becoming a CFO of a billion-dollar company, I felt a strong internal pull in my heart telling me I needed to be doing something else in my life.  I had no idea what I was supposed to do, but the feeling was so strong that I knew I needed to find out.  I spent the next five years reading self-help books, going to seminars, talking to personal coaches, etc., searching for my purpose and building a belief I could do something different.  The more I searched, the more curious I became on how the world worked and how I was able to manifest the good things in my life (career, family, home, vacations, etc).  I was drawn to this subject matter of “manifesting your desires”, and I was determined to make sense of it all in a way that I could easily understand and apply. 

In 2015, I thought that maybe I needed to write a book to synthesize all that I was discovering.  I was getting pieces of wisdom that were life changing and profound from many different sources, but there wasn’t one book that brought it all together in a way that was direct and easy to understand. However, the thought of writing a book was surprising to me since I was never a writer, nor did I ever dream to write a book.  I built my career on finance and analytics, so this new creative urge to write was unfamiliar to me.  Despite my initial uncertainty, I knew I needed to follow my inner guidance, but I needed the right moment of courage to begin. 

In October of 2016, I lost my CFO job due to a corporate restructuring, and at that moment I knew it was time to follow my heart.  I was given the opportunity of time to do what I really desired to do.  However, I was scared because I did not know what I was doing or how to write a book.  My family assumed I would immediately start looking for another job since they had no idea what I was thinking and feeling on the inside.  I remained paralyzed in fear for about six weeks until I finally had the courage to believe that I was a writer and I was supposed to write this book despite what people close to me thought.  The moment I finally believed in myself, was the moment the words started to flow out of me.  The chapter titles and page count came into my head immediately.  I then began writing the content, and I did not stop until the book was completed.  It took me two months to write this book.

The writing process was incredible.  I loved writing the book because I felt a powerful energy with me throughout the process. I felt supported and aligned with what I was supposed to be doing for the first time in my life.  The words I was writing helped me through my own uncertainty of losing my high-level job and all the fears associated with that.  Writing the book helped me through a major transition in my life and career because I was constantly reminded by the words I was writing to stay disciplined and focused on what I really wanted in my heart, and to not let fear (fear of poverty, failure, etc.) or doubt stop me. 

All this feels like something beyond you took over.  Over and above what you share already, how has your outer life prompted and directed your attention to an inner shift?  

In the one year, it took to write and publish the book, I went through my own personal transformation.  I went from being in a state of fear and depression (from losing my job) to a place of happiness, peace, and fulfilment for the first time in as long as I can remember.  By taking the guidance of Your Hidden Light seriously and developing a disciplined practice of consciously aligning my inner thoughts, feelings, and beliefs daily, I became more relaxed, confident in my creative abilities, and truly happy.  This new way of being, improved my family life dramatically, and allowed me to achieve all my milestones to getting the book published easily and without stress or strain.  I have become an even stronger believer that it is only though changing your own inner thoughts, feeling, and beliefs, that you can most easily and effectively change the world around you.

After the book was published in November 2017, a professor at the business school at Suffolk University in Boston told me he was adding Your Hidden Light to his syllabus for his course – Happiness:  How to Get It for the Spring 2018 semester.    I am looking forward to the concepts of this book being taught to our future business leaders.

You incorporate quotes from a number of people and books in this work.  Let us know why you are drawn to these particular references?                                                                                          

I quote several people in the book from ancient philosophers, scientists, spiritual teachers, religious/spiritual texts, business people, entertainers, etc. who have all inspired me by their view of the world and the messages they gave to remind us that we are more powerful than we think we are.  All the quotes I use are inspirational, empowering, and relay powerful wisdom.  Your Hidden Light makes this wisdom easily understood and applicable in people’s everyday life.

Very cool.  Many people are unaware that anyone who inspires you is actually a mirror inviting you to allow qualities you admire in others to shine from inside you more consciously in a similar way. As part of your transformation process, are you noticing any shifts in sensory perception?                         

Since 2012,I have become more aware of the energy around me and more attune to my own inner guidance.  Prior to 2012, I never noticed or felt the energy of people or places, the way I do now.  I also feel very connected to the world around me and much more aware that my external reality is a reflection of what is inside of me.  Through my greater awareness, I regularly notice when I am receiving signs or guidance from the Universe. 

Your Hidden Light is meant to awaken you to your most powerful self, what I call your soul self or spiritual self, in order to most effectively create the life you desire.  When I became more in tune to this part of myself, I began to see the world in a different way.  I realized that everything I desired in the physical world came from the unseen spiritual world, which I could only access by going within myself.  The more I regularly turned inward through meditation, the stronger my intuition became.  In addition, I became a more powerful creator of my reality because I learned how to more effectively direct my energy.

Why would readers of Dreambuilders Australia like your book? How could they benefit from it?

Your Hidden Light is a go-to handbook for how you can reclaim the greatest power that has been lost to you – the power to create your own reality.  The purpose of the book is to awaken you to your spiritual nature and the powers you already possess to fulfill what is in your heart.  Your Hidden Light easily synthesizes ancient spiritual wisdom into practical application today.  You will learn the 4-step process to create your desired life with practical tips to help you along the way. You will walk away feeling empowered to live the life you want, and create the world you want to live in.  In addition, you will feel inspired to take at least one step towards making a positive change in your life. 

You offer man ymeaningful insights in your book. What advice would you offer people who feel stuck?

Regardless of the situation, feeling stuck does not feel good.  You feel frustrated, disappointed, dissatisfied, etc.  However, realize the “feeling” of being stuck is telling you what you don’t want.  You don’t want to be in that situation.  The most important step to take when you are feeling stuck is to consciously decide what it is you really want.  This is the first step in the 4-step process to creating what you desire. 

1)      Create your positive thought, desire, or intention. Write it down.  Get it clear in your head as to what you truly want.  Most people feel stuck because they don’t yet know what they want.  Take the time to create the vision for your life.  Some strategies to help you:         

•          Create a vision board – pull images from internet or magazines re: what you want to experience
•          Take a trip for inspiration
•          Talk to a friend, coach, mentor
•          Meditate – go inward and ask yourself what would make you happy

Once you have done the work of creating a strong, heartfelt, positive desire that you believe in then you are ready for change!

2)      Feel gratitude as if you have already received it

3)      Detach from your desire – know it’s coming

4)      Take actions that are aligned with your desire – you will know what actions to take by going inward and following your inner guidance.  When your actions are aligned with your inner guidance, it will not feel like work.

This is the 4-step process to creating your desires.  I found this to be the shortest and most effective route for getting unstuck.  You will find more details and strategies for each step in Your Hidden Light to help you master this process in your life.

What a gem! Short, concise steps or tips often trigger our own inner light bulbs and remind us we have to illuminate (or en-lighten) from within. Speaking of which, how does your view of time, love and money change as part of this book project?     

The process of writing this book and practicing the disciplines presented in the book, has opened me to the spiritual nature of the world I live in and my connection to the energy that connects everything.  As a result, my view and understanding on love has expanded beyond what I thought I knew was love, to an awareness of the unconditional nature of love.  I am finally beginning to understand what people mean when they say that “love is all there is”.  I now believe that love is how the Universe works – it is unconditional and gives you whatever is a match to what you are thinking and feeling.  I also view love as a frequency that is balanced, accepting, unconditional, and empowering.

I view money as energy like everything else now.  In order to attract money, you cannot feel   fear or a lack of money.  You need to align your inner being to the positive energy of what you want to attract.  This is something I consciously had to do when I decided to leave my high paying career to pursue what was in my heart.

I also have a relaxed sense of time now.  By understanding and practicing the 4-step creation process presented in the book, I began to realize that the Universe supports me, and things always happen at the right time, when I am ready.

Funny, its common for me to be in book stores, libraries or other places and have books literallly fall off the shelf in front me.  The universe has a fabulous sense of humor! Books also end up in my lap or cross my radar in a variety of ways to capture my attention. To me, this is always a sign from the universe the answer to some pending question or, something I need is to be found in or between the lines of the book. I would love to know your view on coincidence and synchronicity? 

I believe that the world we live in is intelligent, and there is a logic and process by which everything happens.  I believe that we are connected to everyone and everything including the Ultimate Creator (also referred to as God, Source Energy, Cosmic Consciousness, the Universe, etc) at a deeper unseen level.  As a result, what we call coincidence and synchronicity are actually connections.  For example, have you ever thought of anyone you haven’t seen or talked to in a while, and then a short time later, that person either calls or texts you?  That was not a coincidence, it was a connection.  Your thoughts get directed to that person, and through our connected energetic nature, the other personal receives the signal and connects with you unknowingly.  Coincidence and synchronicities, because they grab our attention, are reminders that we are all connected at a deeper level.

Everything you discuss is pointing to the humor in the shared experience of selective awareness.  How many times do we overlook what is always right here? It can seem so obvious from another vantage point. How is your sense of purpose during this lifetime shifting? 

My sense of purpose in this lifetime has shifted dramatically in the last year.  I was never clear on what I was supposed to be doing, until I went in search of it.  By writing this book, living and sharing its principles, and experiencing a new sense of happiness and freedom, I know my purpose is to inspire others to find their own power, truth, and joy.   

Another sticking point for many people is fear and how to manage it. Gaining insight into the experience of others can offer valuable insight or inspiration. What is your greatest fear before writing the book and what is your greatest fear? 

My greatest fear was what people would think, especially those who knew me.  Everyone knew me as a corporate finance business woman, not a spiritual self-help author. Now, I can honestly say, I have moved through my biggest fears.  I do not feel fear right now.  However, when I do feel fear, I know it is a barrier I need to move though in order to achieve what I really desire.

Share anything else you feel would benefit Dreambuilder Australia readers.

I realized that before I wrote this book, while I was a successful finance professional, I was hiding who I truly was.  I was hiding my light.  Why do we feel like we have to hide?  I wanted to find what truly lit me up.  Your Hidden Light reflects my journey and understanding and is helping me to shine my light.  My desire for you is that you find what lights you up in your life.  Your Hidden Light:  A Practical Guide to Creating Your Desired Life will provide you with the wisdom, tools, and tips you need to make the change you desire in your life in order for you to become the person you are meant to be.

Thanks Raana for being so genuine and offering the world a glimpse into the nature and details of your personal journey. I invite visitors here to include your book in their own path to deeper fulfillment. 

Your Hidden Light:  A Practical Guide to Creating Your Desired Life is available on Amazon.com and iBooks.  To learn more please visit www.yourhiddenlight.com I especially love how you list such inspirational resources.  I'm familliar with many but not all. Appreciate your guidance. Reading offers subtle or not-so-subtle reminders of what we are ready for right now. Love the revelations we trigger within ourselves when we are open and receptive. Much love and joy to you in your endeavours! May your life continue to be enriched and worries be few.

Interview with Jason Gregory

I am excited to introduce you to Jason Gregory.  I originally connected with him through his books  and Inner Circle Publishing.  He beckons readers to recognize how they cahoose to be more or less conscious of who they are and what is unfolding spontaneously in the Moment. He is currently on tour in Australia. Watch out for him. Thanks for being and connecting with the world through Dreambuilders Australia for an informal chat.

Great to be here.

What prompts you to write and share Way of the Weirdo with the world now?

At first it began with an urge to share with the world the knowledge that I came across on my own journey, but in the end as I began to deepen my understanding of the 'self', that was what I know needed to be shared which is higher than any knowledge we could learn. The most amazing thing about the whole process is that the timing of my book may seem to coincide with our troubling times.  Yet, it was as if a script was being played out.  As I began to truly understand more about my being, a piece of our cosmic puzzle came into manifestation through this book.  

What a great way to recognize you are stepping back to allow the universe to reveal itself! This is an invitation to everyone to appreciate the role of spontaneity. Now, why choose Inner Circle Publishing? How did you find them?

The name of the publishing house speaks for itself. As I was in the process of looking for a publisher, I stumbled across InnerCircle Publishing not by chance, because the relationships I have built with people such as Chad Lilly have been nothing short of divine in a sense that a lot of the same views on life are shared by both Chad and I.

I resonate with exactly what you are saying about ICP. Its not something I put into so many words but, every encounter and experience presents with perfect timing.  It's like you only recognize and love that in others which reflects a part of deeper self.  Everything invites you to see what the heart already knows.

How does your first book differ from others that also share material on subjects like conspiracy theory, UFOs, quantum physics, God, and consciousness?

It differs in many ways. It is the first book ever to take the reader on a journey that is almost story like of their own existence through not only the external world, but also within.

What makes you sure its the first book to do this?

As I guide the reader through the pages of Way of the Weirdo, he begins to understand the interconnectedness between conspiracys, UFO's, quantum physics, God and ultimately consciousness. With all of these understandings, the reader discovers the ultimate truth behind all existence at the core of every being in the universe. In this single truth it differs from all books as it does not shy away or bargain with what we believe is happening in the outside world. 
 
Although your response is helpful, it does not respond to anyone who feels nothing is happening or to the view that more than one perspective exists about what is unfolding.  Good of you to leave questions unanswered to tempt readers to take the book journey for themselves...

Why do you choose the term ‘weirdo’ to describe someone who is dedicated to thinking for himself when the cultural perception is someone who is ‘odd, eccentric, or even psycho?’ What statement are you making about judgment, unconditional love and self-acceptance? 

I have always had a love for the word 'weird.' It represents something that sticks out or doesn't fit in with the normal automatic model of life. The cultural perception of some words is distorted into a negative form which reflects our collective consciousness at this moment in time, but if we could see that 'weird' actually means something that is strange to its environment then we could see the beauty in that, and that is why I chose the word "Weirdo" to refer to those who think outside the box and also the ones who are choosing to evolve. 

Love how 'weird' is increasingly viewed as the new 'normal.' Also appreciate how you invite everyone to recognize being real is simply loving people as they are, without judgment or comparison.  Always a joy to feel messages in silence! 

Right! As for the second part of this question, a "Weirdo" doesn't really have to make a statement on judgment, unconditional love or self-acceptance, because a "Weirdo" moves past judgment into accepting others and ultimately into self acceptance which leads to the purest state of unconditional love for all beings thoughout the wonderful cosmos. 

In interviews for this book, you claim to be an expert on your life. Why do you mean by this?

It is very simple, yet a path that is very hard for many to traverse.

So it is said.  People are often conditioned to make complicated what is simple.  What would you say is required to be a person of substance? Or is everyone already a person of substance but the truth is not always accepted?

Exactly.  All this invites readers to move past what is not 'you', to embrace of who you truly are.                    

How do you respond to 'In Lak'ech' (I am simply another you [with no other])?

Way of the Weirdo invites readers to let go of dogmas that have been impressed upon pure nature.  The illusion of ego perpetuates the false reality of separation.

For the benefit of our readers, 'Separation from...'

From what is not 'truth.' Once false realities are released, you will know what the "self" is and thus gain an understanding about all existence. To be a human of this substance is to let go so completely that nothing remains, not a name, not a country, not a religion or even a race or a sex, but just to become who you were before it all.  

In other words, a shift of attention can be useful, away from the personal to focus on the universal. 

That's a great synopsis.

I love how awareness invites recognitiopn of the same universal message in everything. Your book is a wonderful example.  Its as if the universal message is to let go of all barriers the mind constructs to deny, ignore or overlook that consciousness unfolds without 'you.'  Awakening happens by itself. Eureka! The universal is seen and felt as a common thread in everything from this moment.

Amidst all that is going on for you, please share three lessons you learn in the process of writing your book. How does this work affect your evolution?

Many lessons were learned in this experience but the three main lessons were to have patience, trust and to remain in that pure space and not be pulled into the world of desire where suffering is born. These three at the time reflected who I was during the process of creating Way of the Weirdo but as time has past these three have become my friends as I have patience not only for others but also for myself, I have complete trust in the universe and I am free of the illusion of becoming somebody, which is interesting when you look at the analogy of "everything comes from nothing." So it is interesting when one lets go of being somebody and steps into being nobody or no-thing, everything is born from there. Creation is the same on all planes of existence. 
 
Please share your view on the current and evolving states of Humanity. What do you envision? What shapes this perspective?

I believe we are exactly where we need to be in our evolution.

'Believing,' 'Knowing' and 'Being' speak for themselves in direct experience. The book implies each is his own authority. Why is direct experience crucial?  

All of the chaos and all of what we see as immoral is all supposed to be happening at this very moment because of the simple fact that we are changing into a different state of being. So what I see is that we are beginning to understand more and more about the very nature of our being which will naturally moves us into a unified world of harmony.

Can we actually 'understand' nature or, is it more a case of letting go of the desire to understand that allows something else to reveal itself? 

Currently, we are [Humanity is] enthusiastically dissecting the physical world which in the end will lead us into the hidden truths that lay behind all existence. We have seen this in science recently with the discovery of matter as condensed energy and the atom, yet it has been within most spiritual traditions since the dawn of existence. We have been looking in the wrong direction for thousands of years, yet with the ever increasing exploration of consciousness, we will find the truth behind our own being and that reality itself is not something divided by space but united by it as one reality.

As is said, all paths lead to Rome.  It is also possible to let go of judgment, see no right or wrong, cease pushing and pulling thoughts that hold attention, and view everything as unfolding perfectly, would you not say? 

How can this book be a tool for readers to decode their perceptions, thoughts and feelings? How is it helpful to read about views on subjects like suppressed history, esoteric knowledge and possible origins of Humanity?

Way of the Weirdo doesn't just address the collective but it spends majority of the journey focused on the individual, which is centered around the growth of that human who is the key piece in the evolution before us.

Is not every individual unique in and of himself?

This book will help self growth because it delves into the deception of the world which the ego created in the external, which is one of the main facets of the ego to keep truth locked away especially on such issues as suppressed history and knowledge of the Self. Once this is explored the growth will begin, because the individual will realize that it was they themselves who have perpetuated this illusion, so they are dealt a choice to find out once and for all what the "self" or who the "self" is.

You describe having studied Buddhism, Hermeticism, Hinduism, Taoism, Theosophy, Vedic Philosophy and Zen Buddhism. What stands out for you amongst all these teachings?

Difficult question to answer especially considering most eternal teachings are just that eternal. All of these ancient traditions are rooted in the fundamental truth of the universe, yet that truth looks very different to the intellect. One of my favourite teachings is Lao Tzu's The Tao te Ching which is a book you could read in its entirety in one afternoon yet contemplate for a lifetime. The Tao te Ching is a book that is felt rather then intellectualized, it speaks to something else that dwells within all of us. That which it speaks to is the eternal self (Atman) in Vedanta, the Non-Being and way of Zen in Buddhism, the 7 Universal Laws in Hermeticism and the Tao, because they are all one in same. When one "knows" what all of these are refering to, then you will know the way, which is actually the translation of the word Tao.

This list of books you share as a partial guide for your own journey is itself a generous gift. In a way, when the student is ready, everything is a teacher. As you imply, tapping into Divine Love makes one true to himself.  Its like releasing all that is outgrown. Are you aware of any particular story that stands out?

For myself, the story of my own journey was to stop intellectualizing these texts, and instead begin to live their wisdom.

So be it! Throughout this interview, you offer delicious glimpses into your new book.  Would love to ask further questions sometime. For now, what message would you like to leave with our readers?

To solve all of our problems on this planet, rests on you discovering who you truly are, and thats all. No need to protest in the streets, no need to fight the bankers, corporations or goverments, just find out who you truly are behind the viel of your own conditioning.

Direct and to the point.  Love that! Why do you sense every man does not yet see himself as he is? More often, it seems a person sees things as he is.

We have heard it throughout the ages "Know thyself" yet we do not understand the truth behind such a simple phrase. The true freedom one can experience is eternal with no boundries and that cannot be found in the external world.  It can be found within your own being beyond the illusion of the mind. Then and only then will that freedom be reflected into the reality we love so much.

Quotes are widely appreciated at Dreambuilders Australia.  Which one stands out for you now?

A wise man once said, "When you seek to find your Self you will find God, and when you seek to find God you will find your Self." When people understand that truthfully within, then they will know who they are and peace will be the outcome.

Love that.  In fact, heard it used a few times and also hear it echo repeatedly within.  It reminds me of a quote by Ram Dass who says, "Only that in you which is me can hear what I'm saying." Everything comes full circle.

Before you go, where can people learn more on you, your book and ongoing endeavours?

People can find me through the "One World Within Network" which consists of my website and social networks. Way of the Weirdo can be found worldwide through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books a Million and many other book stores around the globe. If anybody would like to contact me here are the links for connecting with the "One World Within Network" , http://oneworldwithin.com/ http://www.youtube.com/OneWorldWithin http://twitter.com/oneworldwithin http://au.linkedin.com/in/oneworldwithin or find me on facebook or email me jasongregory@hotmail.com.au

And don't forget those Random Acts of Awareness videos compiled by by Inner Circle Publishing Authors and Chad on YouTube.   Your contributions there are stellar too!

Again, Jason, we are grateful you share these insights and look forward to reconnecting somewhere or nowhere.  The videos and reflections you offer this world invite increasing awareness and a shift or expansion of perspective.  That's a big thing. You remind us more than one way of perceiving and experiencing exists and its of immeasurable benefit to be open and receptive.

Interview with Barbara DeLong

I am pleased to share this interview with Barbara DeLong.  Known as a spiritual empath, author and teacher, she shares many gifts and resonates a powerful uplifting energy.  Notice what resonates inside as you journey through this discussion.

Thanks for being open to this opportunity to share with us.  For the benefit of any visitors here unfamiliar with you or your work, please share a bit about yourself.  You have carte blanche to share what stands out:)

I came to this field, spiritual enlightenment, rather reluctantly.  What I do now is not at all what my focus was as I was growing up. 

In my early years I was a special education teacher and a single mother.  About forty years ago, when I was going through my second divorce, I had what can only be called a spiritual turning point when I just knew there had to be more to life than just surviving and providing the physical needs to my family.  I had two masters degrees in teaching and that just didn't seem to be enough to fill what can only be called a void in my life ... and so the spiritual journey began in earnest.  I attended a spiritual development class for seven years, and that is where my gifts started to really evolve and become tools for myself and others.  This is a pathway that I feel you are called to rather than one that you can take classes for. 

Since that time I have developed a deck of cards used for divination called The Cosmic Deck of Initiation, I painted the cards and wrote the book that accompanies them, they were published in 1991 by U.S. Games.  Along the way I became a Reiki Master, an ordained minister, a radio host, appeared in conventions all over the country, did t.v.,  wrote/ narrated a documentary, as well as published a book, Whispers of Spiritual Wisdom.  None of this was done with the intent of creating a nice bio but it seems that for some reason, I have been cosmically manipulated or spiritually guided because here I am ... wondering what the universe has in store for me around the next bend.

It is indeed remarkable to be aware of how the fabric of life weaves itself.  At what point did you sense a shift within that brings you to 'the here and now'?

This may seem a bit unusual, but there have really been two turning points in my life that have been rather profound for me; 

In the 60's, I was in college in Michigan and one spring evening after 11 pm at night, a UFO landed on my campus.  The place was swarming with police and they turned the stadium lights on at which point it took off and streaked into the night sky.  In doing so it swooped right over my dorm window and I got a closer look at it than most people ever do.  To say the least I and everyone else who saw it took extended ribbing and teasing about the whole incident.  The disbelief continued for over forty years until last year a book was published that documented authenticated sightings in the US was published and the one on my campus was listed.  At the moment that I saw the UFO my whole view of the universe and our place in it shifted.  The fact that we are not alone and that there are mysteries out there that are literally above and beyond  our comprehension expanded my consciousness and pulled me into a more spiritually focused view.  And so an amazing journey of discovery of other realms and possibly dimensions began.  It wasn't an immediate crusade but it was subtly there from that moment on.

After my second divorce, I had what you might call a time of spiritual awakening.  I knew there was more to life than I was experiencing and was finally led to a class for spiritual development which I remained in for seven years.  The class provided me with a safe and nurturing environment in which I was able to draw forth and polish many of the gifts that  had rested so long within me.  It gave me the opportunity to discover and develop spiritual gifts like channeling, psychic awareness, and creative expression that expanded my spiritual understanding and how to use it within my mundane reality.

The universe does have a way of inviting each of us to recognize and focus on the best-feeling direction. As your life path implies, we choose to listen or not.  Tell us, how do you see life in relation to the soul and spiritual pathways?

I believe that with each incarnation we peel away a layer of ignorance and that we are evolving towards a more enlightened time upon this planet.  Each lifetime we take on a new form, a new perspective and a new personality.  Always remembering, " we are not really humans on a spiritual pathway, we are spirits on  a human journey," (would love to say that was my quote but I really can't take credit for it).  I believe that each lifetime we are here to learn and to gather and that each lifetime we become more aware of the role spirit plays within that lifetime.  It is through our successive human experiences that the soul is able to gather light and to increase the inner purity the is carried.   It is the soul's choice as to how many life experiences it has, not the human consciousness. 

Many have declared that they are on their last incarnation, it is my feeling that they are the ones who have many more to gather for the true understanding of the journey we are all on.  Life here is a gift for development and spiritual awakening, it is through these many lifetimes that the spirit within truly understands the meaning of unconditional love.  The more lifetimes the greater the clarity of the light within.  Those who truly understand the purpose of our journeys return to shed light and become beacons for others.  Not so much to teach by words, but rather by example, so others may get hints as to where their own personal gifts and talents are hidden within.

What a beautiful perspective!  I also love seeing everything as a teacher and a reflection of one. It all invites one to recognize the soul is free to expand itself. Now, which gifts or lessons do you associate with deepening awareness?

I have found that those who are on a spiritual journey eventually come to the understanding that the element of love is profoundly important and that love must first be found and then developed within the self.  Our first obligation is to the self and then others.  Those who do not work upon themselves first have nothing of value to share with others.  Teachers who have not experienced a lesson cannot teach the wisdom with any validity.  The more one knows themselves the greater the gift they have to share with others.  With self awareness comes empathic awareness and the ability to resonate with another's energy.  Creativity for me is the key. 

That is, when we open the creative channels within ourselves, we clear the way for the spiritual energies to flow through us and energize the forward motion of our journeys through this lifetime.  That creativity need not be profound, just an expression of inner joy and it is always of a very personal nature.  When we allow the creative channels to be open we add a greater dimension of light to infiltrate every aspect of our lives and that in turn enlightens the spirit within as well. 

You make such great points.  Giving conscious attention to creative outlets is so empowering and revealing! Listening to creative intuition, I see immeasurable blessings in my life and also reflected back in the lives of others.  Amazing what unfolds for those ready and willing to listen to the heart.  

On this note, what advice do you offer people experiencing intense energy shifts, synesthesia and expanding perception on different levels?

All of us are experiencing energy shifts and expansion of perception, it is up to the individual as to the level of impact it will have within their realities.  Many individuals are so caught up in the mundane reality that change in perception will not be considered.  For those individuals life will most probably slow and they won't understand why.  For others the new awareness opens new vistas and potentialities, a new way to perceive and experience life as we know it. 

This is indeed a time in which there are greater opportunities for all of us to learn and expand our individual awareness's.  I think the most important thing for everyone to understand is that the times are really changing and that how we once viewed reality has shifted greatly.  If we flow with the changes and the awareness that they bring we open ourselves to expanded understanding to the literal meaning of life as we know it.  This is a time when gifts of the creative nature will be emerging within all of us.  As we flow with it and allow it to be expressed through our lives we leave a greater imprint of light energy upon this time frame.  If we do not evolve with the energies as they touch and enhance our consciousness' we will not experience the visions that they are capable of evoking within  us .

Exactly. Choices exist to be more open and loving toward the unknown, to go with the flow every moment. That which reveals itself though us offers inner confirmation that speaks for itself. 

Among your diverse spiritual revelations and endeavours, what prompts you to write, Whispers of Spiritual Wisdom?

Actually, this wasn't the book that I thought that I would publish first, but going with the flow is something I do these days so here it is.  I had thought that I would write a book that was philosophy for the times.   In retrospect Whispers was really the way to go.  With the times that are upon us no one has the time to wade through heavy duty spiritual philosophy but they do have the time to read short spiritual vignette's and short (hopefully) thought provoking poetry. 

Now that you hold this finished book in print, how do you see it as a source of and also a trigger for wisdom? Anything prompt you to listen more to the flow here?

I look upon Whispers as a sort of seed catalog of spiritual philosophies, I hope it plants seeds within the consciousness of those who read it so that they can nurture the wisdoms into manifesting within their own personal realities guides by the  inner spirit we all carry. Nothing really prompted me so much as it just happened and I flowed with it.  I have found that when I go with the flow the ride is less bumpy and far more enjoyable.  That it just happened to be meant ... it was time for it to be manifested.

And everything always has perfect (divine) timing.  Love that universal lesson! That said, how do you come to compile these poems and writings? Is it a kind of stepping stone to the unforeseen events or already designated projects?

Actually nothing was written expressly for this book.  Rather it is a collection of work that I have done over the years and it just seemed to fit together like the pieces of a puzzle,  so in a way it created itself.  It did however, cause me to look at a lot of what I have done in a far different light and so it opened the portal to publication for me.  It is the first in a series of Whisper books as well as other books that are in the works as we speak. 

In essence, writing is for me a way of channeling wisdom from the higher consciousness and it is always a great learning experience ... one I enjoy sharing with anyone who can get anything out of it as well.  At this time there are three or four new books in the process and I'm sure as time goes on there will be more.  There are also a series of documentaries in production ...on those I'll keep you posted.

Great! We love to hear about unfolding developments.  As you so clearly trust your inner vibes, why is this the perfect moment to bring this particular book into being?  How does it speak through you?

I feel this is the perfect moment for Whispers to come out because in a way it almost did itself.  Also , with the changes in our reality that are manifesting every day, everyone is looking for answers for the changes hat logic and reason just don't supply.  We need to all realize that we are at a time of change, a time when the spiritual and the scientific are becoming more greatly entwined.  The spiritual has usually been something that was quietly kept in the background and of a very personal nature.  Today it is more and more something that is not only talked about openly but shared on levels that twenty years ago would have been unheard of.  What better time to plant seeds of wisdom and hope?

Those seeds of wisdom and hope you underscore are silently guiding everyone back to innate infinite trust.  This said, who is this book intended to serve? What could a person take away from reading it?

The book is a product of spiritual manifestation and isn't really directed at anyone. 

A-ha! What a blessing in disguise.  Invite readers to expect the unexpected and this is what they get.  You go upstream in opposition to the current or downstream and feel the nature of the flow...

It has an element of magnetism about it just as The Cosmic Deck of Initiation has.  Those who it is appropriate for will be drawn to it.  I have just sort of released it to the universe and it will find where it is meant to be, as do all creative works of a spiritual nature.  I hope that these seeds of wisdom bring to those who read them an understanding that we all have within us beauty, love and spiritual awareness that when manifested brings to us a cosmic understanding of the fellowship of mankind and that we are all one family and when we embrace that concept we will be ready for taking our place within the cosmos and all it holds for us.

Its apparent, even in this brief interview, that your life experience is broad and spiritual perspective growing rapidly. It is a joy to connect on many levels. To this point, which would you say are the most profound lessons that guide your focus and present Earthly experiences?

Every lesson is another opportunity to come to greater understanding of our place in the universe.  Every lesson is a gift from the universe to discover talents , gifts, abilities and wisdom that are all carried within.  Lessons are the way the universe gives us the opportunities  for self discovery.  Every lesson that comes your way is uniquely crafted to give you the opportunity to find a quality within yourself that will ease the development of your spirit.  Sometimes the challenge is greater that others but always they are gifts for our enlightenment. 

On the top of the list of challenges we are given, patience seems to be the biggest for all of us.  Having the patience to watch things unfold so that we can gain the wisdom held within.  There are times when patience fails us and so the lesson is presented in a new and more greatly challenging way ... Eventually the light dawns and the lesson is able to pass  and yet another comes our way.  For me the greatest lesson is that the lessons are gifts from the universe to help be evolve into greater understanding.

Can you identify anything you feel you exist now to accomplish? What is already done (and what also remains)?

I'm not sure we ever know everything we were meant to accomplish in a singular lifetime until we have passed over and do the evaluation of the totality of that lifetime.  I'm still here so I know I'm not yet finished.  My entire life I have been a teacher of one form or another so I believe that was one of the directions I was intended to go in.  I believe we were meant to be the best we are able and to love our fellow man as we would want to be loved ourselves.  At the very foundation of every major religion is the Golden Rule, and it isn't a coincidence.

I now say, no such thing as coincidence, only Cosmic Synchronicity (even titled a book as that:)

Regardless of what form of worship or not that  you chose to subscribe to , The  Golden Rule is the foundation upon which they are developed.  As far as I can tell, the pathway to enlightenment and evolution depends upon how closely you apply the concept of the golden rule to your life.  How you walk it and talk it, how you become a living expression of it is a direct correlation of how evolved you really are. 

As far as what is left for me to do ... I hope a whole bunch ...this is an amazing experience and enlightening too.

What you offer here is certainly soul food for everyone.  This existence is what you choose, just like your mission.  In which direction of evolution do you sense the human species as a whole is heading?

I believe that the human species as a whole is at the brink of the dawning of awareness ... an opening of consciousness that comes closer to touching the divine than ever before.  As a race we have certainly gone through stages of development, but I believe that we still have a long way to go.  So long as there are wars, famine, cultures that are persecuted and people who are trying to hold power over others we will never achieve the enlighten state that so many are striving for now. 

It will take everyone, working together, sharing unconditionally to create the kind of energy that qualifies us for membership in a cosmic family.  I believe that those who created us are watching and guiding when it is appropriate, but I fear we are very much like adolescence flexing muscles just developing and not knowing how to use the power we possess.  When peace, love and light are totally a part of all of us and there is no want anywhere, within anyone , then and only then will those that created us welcome us into the ranks of whatever the next step or dimension is.

From your vantage point in that serene forest setting, is there anything else you would like to share?

You must be joking!  I learned a lot from doing these questions ... Thanks for the experience.

Your response prompts readers to connect with peace within, wherever they are.  It is a powerful message to remind people they always do enough, say  enough and are enough in this moment. Where can people obtain the book, learn more about where they can contact you?

The book is available on Amazon.com (US and UK), my website, http://www.Barbaradelong.com , and at any book store (it can be ordered).  My website has a ton of information about me on it and I happily would answer any questions anyone has , Barbaradelong@gmail.com

 Liara ...This has been a very enlightening experience for me, your questions were amazing and a joy to answer.  Love and Light

I and the Dreambuilders Australia Blog audience appreciate very much you devote attention to this dialogue.  As more and more people grow aware of the great love that exists and the nature of who they are, any limiting or fearful thoughts can only disappear.  Spiritual whispers point to formless presence and that which cannot be named.  Namaste. OM Shanti.