MAKING THE SHIFT From Ego to Spirit
Every encounter, every interaction, and every experience carries a spiritual message - sometimes many messages. Don't miss those. The problem is that most of the time we don't want to pick up our messages. Ever know that you have a voice mail but you didn't want to listen to your messages? It's the same way with spiritual messages. Most of the time they are coming as trumpets in a band - loud and clear - but what do we do? We pretend not to hear it. Sometimes the message will come in the form of us not getting something we thought we wanted. But instead of being thankful for what we didn't get, we keep knocking on the same door. The spiritual warrior sees the physical world as an open field, fertile with opportunities for growth and learning, a field that can lead us to higher levels and frequencies of love, mercy, and prosperity. There are two shifts you can make today that will elevate your level of spiritual awareness: shift from trying to make things happen to letting them be, and shift from a perspective of being separate from everyone else in the world to knowing that we are all bound together.

Shift #1:
Making It Happen vs. Letting It Be

Nonspiritual beings focus primarily on steely determination and ingenuity to manifest things in their lives. Spiritual beings turn their attention toward creating a oneness with what they wish to manifest in their lives. Now don't get this twisted, spiritual beings don't have the luxury of sitting on their cans and "waiting" for things to happen. Nothing can be farther from how we operate. We, too, have to work hard, exert effort, sweat, and strategize to get the results we want. The biggest difference isn't necessarily in the physical steps we take but in our intention. We trust that we will get what is ours. In other words, the people who are supposed to read this book will read this book. Those who are not, will not. I'm sure my publisher is banking on there being more of you who are supposed to pick it up than not!

By embracing Spirit you release yourself from having to "make" something happen (as if you could, anyway) and you ease into a space where you relax in the knowing that what will be, will be. My motto is to do the work and let it be. Try this approach and watch how much better you feel in your heart. Oh, your head won't initially feel better because the head's the ego's lounge. Your ego will tell you that you have to force people to see things your way; that you have to be manipulative if you want to get ahead and that you must always be in the driver's seat. The ego does not enjoy "being." That's not its natural habitat. That's why you are now under new management.

When we are truly aligned with our highest self, we are spiritual giants who are focused on the transformative power of love. We focus on creating a harmonious and peaceful world. We are in a state of balance. The world teaches us that we must always be watching our backs and on the lookout for traitors. As we grow spiritually we discover that these people are characters and elements that the world wants us to include in our life stories. We always have the choice to reject them or leave them on the cutting room floor.

Shift #2:
I Am Better vs. You Are Connected to Everyone

Those who do not embrace Spirit often feel that they are somehow different from or better than those with whom they share the world. This sense of separation nurtures an incessant level of narcissism and self-absorption.

When a person feels separate from others he or she may unconsciously create a paranoia that is based on fear about others. In other words, a person who is completely self-centered rather than spirit-centered may always feel that "those" people are not worthy or not as good as people like me; or they may feel that people are trying to usurp their perceived power, take over the company, undercut them, or "do me in."

As spiritual warriors, we know that what we do to others we do to ourselves. When we speak affirming words about others, we speak those words about ourselves. Likewise, when we spew venom in the direction of those with whom we are upset, that same venom comes back to us. And this is not the boomerang effect that many of us grew up hearing about - the notion that if you cheat someone, that someone's going to cheat you. It's deeper than that. We all breathe the same air. Therefore, what we put into the universe - literally or spiritually - is inhaled by us all. That's why it's important to take care with what you put into the world. The Bible says, "They will know you are Christians by your love." This isn't a quote just for Christians. This is a declaration to us all. The world will know that you are seeking the Highest good by what you blast into the world.

Everyday Spirituality
What I'm proposing in this chapter is simple but not always easy. I'm encouraging you to see the spirit in everything and everyone you see. If you could bring greater spiritual aliveness and alertness into your life during the next twenty-four hours, would you? Or would you continue to live a mundane and lifeless existence? The new level of awareness I'm recommending comes from "everyday spirituality," simply living life in-spirit, or in-spired. This approach to life will create a more peaceful and joyful existence for you, guaranteed. Here's how we get there.

• Step 1: In-Joy
  Are you enjoying your life? If you're not, it's probably because you are not in-joy. You may actually be attempting to force yourself to be happy with your current living situation, job, or relationships. That's not being "in joy," that's going through the motions. Pick one of the five cornerstone areas in the Wholeness Matrix and make a decision to in-joy that area of your life. How is this different than trying to force yourself to be happy with your life? First, I recommend starting with an area that's not the toughest. In other words, if you know that your physical house - your body - is in a condemned state and about to be repo-ed, don't start there! It's going to be hard for you to get in-joy physically. Start with an area that's not in preforeclosure! Let's say you are struggling with seeing how blessed you are financially because you're not where you want to be at this point in your life. The easiest way to in-joy what you have is to be around people who have less than you - and I'm not talking about a little less than you, I'm talking significantly less than you. So, today, if you're unhappy with your financial picture, I invite you to find the poorest neighborhood in your city and walk through it. Notice I didn't say that you should drive through it; you need to know what it feels like to walk those streets. I have done exactly what I'm suggesting that you do and it cured me of any whining about how little I thought I had. I immediately had a new level of gratitude for everything I had. I was able to be financially in-joy after that trip.
   
• Step 2: Know
  There's a peace that comes from knowing. Think about those things you know. Things you are certain of. For me, those things are God's presence, my family's love, and the content of my character. Those are the top three things I know. What do you know? What are you sure of? Make a quick list or mental check of what you know to be true. These can be things about yourself or about the world around you. Things that even if you question, you are certain of their existence or meaning in your life.
   
• Step 3: See Beauty Every Day
  When I was playing professional basketball in Switzerland, one of my bedroom windows faced the most magnificent mountains I've ever seen in my life. This enormous, lush emerald landscape took my breath away on most mornings. Each morning (or afternoon if I'd had a late night the night before) I got to see the earth's beauty by simply drawing my blinds. When is the last time you noticed the beauty around you? The flowers, the lakes, mountains, trees, sky, or ocean? It's humbling to know that we as humans had nothing to do with any of those things. We don't build trees or engineer flowers or manufacture oceans. They are what they are, with or without us. That's beauty. Make time to see it today.
   
• Step 4: Practice Wholiness
  It's sometimes difficult to be kind and compassionate when people project their anger and insecurities in your direction, isn't it? As you move toward a more whole and real you, this will become less of a challenge because you will acknowledge that their actions are about them and not you. Your response is your responsibility. A few days ago I was having trouble getting my wireless Internet to function, and the customer service reps were telling me six different things. I'd talk to one and she'd tell me one thing. I'd hang up with that one and speak with another and he'd tell me something completely different. It was frustrating. After the third "runaround" phone conversation, I took a deep breath and said aloud, "I am choosing frustration in this moment." And in that moment I decided to have a different experience. I was frustrated for ten minutes, and once I held myself accountable for the frustration, I chose to move on because frustration was not an experience I wished to continue having. Wholiness is that place where you choose peace in the midst of whatever is going on in your life. It brings you back to the center. Back to love. Back to the real you.
   
• Step 5: Bless Each Day
  When you wake up in the morning, bless the day. Announce that no matter what the day brings, it's a blessing. The first word out of my heart and mouth when my eyes open is "thanks." I get at least that moment. The day isn't promised, but that "moment" is mine, and for that, I'm grateful. So, bless each day and know that whatever awaits you brings amazing lessons and blessings to you.

Seeing Spirit
Once we acknowledge that we're spiritual beings, we can begin to approach each situation with more spirit. We can begin to see the spirit in others, which is not always easy. By seeing the spirit in others we can begin to see their highest good (love), even when they can't! Seeing Spirit doesn't mean seeing "ghosts," it means not allowing the ego to engage you in a dance that would take you away from love.

Receiving Spirit
When you're about to turn down a certain street and something tells you to take another route, listen. When you meet someone and something tells you that you should heed their counsel, listen. This is Spirit - that intuition that knows what we don't always know, sees what we don't always see, and senses what we don't always initially sense. To connect with this intuition you must be open to receiving it. That which we want wants us. What we don't want repels us, too. In my book The Intentional Millionaire, I talk about our currency around money. Currency is energy. So we all attach a certain energy to the money we give and the money we receive. Right now, my dear friend is avoiding me because he "thinks" he owes me money. Does he owe me money? No, he doesn't. I gave him the money he needed but he thinks I "loaned" it to him. And because he carries an energy, an indebted-like currency about "borrowing" money, he's probably not going to call me (or return my calls) until he can give me back the money I "gave" him. The currency we attach to our money will determine its presence in our lives. If at the core you do not want money to show up in your life, guess what? It will avoid you like the plague. In my Millionaire Spirit Boot Camps someone always says, "You mean subconsciously? Why would someone not want money in their life?" Well, for the same reasons we don't want love or success in our lives: fear. But wait, why would we fear having money? According to the people in my workshops, lots of reasons, including (1) not wanting other people to know that they have money because they'll ask to borrow it, (2) not having the courage to say no to people who ask for money, (3) not being able to manage it appropriately, or (4) fear of losing it all and being poor.

Living In-Spirit
Underneath all of the stuff that we think is important - prestige, position, money - is a consciousness that is built on peace, harmony, and love. We can't live in-spirit by simply announcing that we're going to do it. That's a great start, but it's not the end of the road for spiritual athletes. Embracing spirit requires that we consistently commune in a place away from the chatter of the outside world. This isn't a physical place; it's an inner sanctuary that allows you to escape the noise of the ego. This place reminds you that you were born to be great and to do great things through your service and gifts to the world.

Spiritual Recharge
Getting quiet may mean prayer for some people, meditation for others, and a ride through the country for others. There's no right or wrong way to be in-spirit. Don't let anyone sell you that! However, your commune is perfectly well and fine. We need alone time with God, Spirit, ourselves. It's the only way the world makes sense to me sometimes. To maximize this time, though, we also have to let go of what we've been told we have to do with our "quiet" time. Every person is different. What nourishes the real me may not nourish the real you. Just because your grandmother spends forty minutes in silence each morning before her first cup of tea doesn't mean that you should do the same. Find what recharges you spiritually because we all need to be plugged in to our Source.

Think of yourself as a lamp. Most lamps have to be plugged in to a "source" to work. Others can run on solar power for a certain amount of time. Sooner or later, though, that lamp needs to be put on the "power up" cradle so that it can recharge. This is analogous to what happens when we indulge in prayer, meditation, nature walks, and quiet time. We get our batteries charged. Some of us require longer recharge times than others. Some of us can plug in for a few minutes and be ready to go. Some of us need longer recharge times. Your recharging may even change over the years. When I first bought my laptop computer, it would run for about three to four hours on the battery alone. The older the computer got, though, the less effective that mode of charging became. Eventually, I had to buy a new battery, and I suspect that I'll also need to buy a new computer soon as well. Spiritual beings are the same way.

What recharges your battery today may not work next year or even next month for that matter. Living in-spirit means being open to and finding new ways of reinvigorating your spiritual life. It starts with plugging in to your source on a regular basis.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Fran Harris, Ph.D., is a WNBA champion, Fortune 100 consultant and trainer, business strategist and inspirational speaker whose passionate and energetic message of possibility has inspired millions around the world. She's the founder of the Intentional Millionaires Institute, the Women Entrepreneurs & Millionaires Challenge, and cofounder of Booming Women, a national conference tour created to inspire boomer women to claim their personal power, ignite their genius, and unleash their entrepreneurial passion. For more information, visit www.franharris.com.