The Zen of Abundant Creativity

Most of us think of an artist as a person who creates art, often as an occupation, whose creative work shows imagination and sensitivity. An artist has also been defined as a person who is skilled at some activity, such as a dancer, a musician, a singer, a skater, etc. My own definition of being an artist has come out of my own, lifelong experience of what happens to me when I’m in the process of creating – when the creative “flow” is unleashed. There is a unique phenomenon that occurs for me, and it is that I have the feeling and knowing that the creative force, the creativity itself, and even the skill, is coming down through the top of my head and out my hands. The first time I became consciously aware of this, and could put words to it, was when I was around eleven or twelve years old.

Once, when my stepson was eight, we were driving in the car and a jazz tune was playing that I was very familiar with. I was singing along, improvising with nonsense syllables, creating my own melody along with the music. My stepson, who is now a professional musician, suddenly began singing along with me in perfect harmony, out of the clear blue! I had never heard this child sing before, though he had been taking piano lessons for several years. The spontaneous, excellent demonstration of his creativity and musical ear told me that music was definitely his gift. He was absorbed only in the creating of the sound, without a thought.

I use both myself as a painter and my son as a musician as two examples of children who had been free of the mind, free of all thought and conceptualization, while in the inspired moment of creativity. The ability to create from this space has continued for both of us throughout our lives, which is true for many artists. Abundance, a concept generally understood via manifesting financial prosperity, is showing up throughout the universe in infinite ways; in nature, in human love and compassion, and in the creative force of life itself.

When I was teaching fine art to children and adults, it was the students who were listening to their minds who had difficulty being imaginative and who were hard on themselves. Those who allowed themselves to be free, who came to class with an open heart and a calm but playful attitude, enjoyed themselves completely and were able to tap into the creative flow without experiencing any stressful thoughts. The challenge of teaching art was not just about imparting technical knowledge, it was in showing each individual student, of every age, that he or she has access to this creative force simply by allowing oneself to rise above (not listen to) the mind and just let go. Every one of my students was able to do this, once it was pointed out.

It would seem that being able to allow the creative flow is an enlightened state. I was recently reading about Zen, a branch of Buddhism that developed in China during the sixth and seventh centuries. A central element of Zen meditation is to free the mind of all thought and conceptualization. Zen stresses the importance of the enlightenment experience and the futility of rational thought, intellectual study and religious ritual in attaining this.

And Boheme Magazine defines a true artist as “the revolutionary who participates with Divinity in the act of creation and the mechanics of human evolution. It is always an artist of some type - painter, writer, philosopher, teacher, scientist - who advances the enlightenment and progress of humanity.” I believe that every artist has been blessed with the ability to tap into the divine energy that already moves through us. It’s simply a matter of changing one’s perception of what creative abundance really is. The zen of being an artist is to simply let go of the mind and let the divine light of the Creator flow through.

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How Abundance Consciousness Creates Miracles

We are learning how to create that which we desire, such as abundance and love, by rising above the ego-body-mind-intellect complex and surrendering to the creative, loving energy of the universe (God, Creator, Presence, Spirit). This higher consciousness is in alignment with All That Is, and this is a place where everything we need already exists by virtue of using the creative mind to manifest it.

For example, many believe the outcome of the 2008 presidential election in the U.S. was a miracle. Likewise, many people accept as true that the rising of consciousness of everyday people in our society has been a major contributor to the election of Barack Obama. It is suggested is that we have created the space for this, or for any perceived miracle to occur, by first attaining the conscious intention and creative mind for it to happen.

We have all seen, or been aware of miracles taking place in our world, both in the past and in the present. Dictionary.com defines a miracle as ‘an effect or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause.’ For those of us who are on a path for awakening to our Higher Selves, we understand that we are the creators of what we experience. We know that we are responsible for our growth as Beings, and that certain things will show up in our lives as we come to higher awareness, such as prosperity.

In order for us to be able to “have” something wonderful, we must be in a state of “havingness,” which is the ability to allow divine grace to flow through us, unrestricted. Each human being is born with this higher quality, though our cultures, in their focus on survival, create a veil between us and this latent gift we all have. However, we are living in a time unprecedented on this planet wherein human consciousness is awakening at a faster pace than it has in many thousands of years. In ancient times, in another age, or “yuga,” there were many enlightened beings walking around. Today, many people are beginning to realize that they have the potential to become such beings. It is said that we are currently moving into a Golden Age where many people will become, or be born enlightened.

Coming into a higher consciousness calls for spiritual effort. We do this in many ways in order to take responsibility for our relationship with the Divine, however that may be defined individually. We accomplish this with deep meditation, through conscious communion with the Divine Presence within ourselves, by offering devotion to higher beings such as Christ, Indian deities, the Great White Brotherhood, Archangels, and others, and by placing ourselves in a position of active awareness of the ego-body-mind-intellect complex with a knowing that we are supreme souls that are separate from the “body person” we reside in.

All of this personal spiritual effort has a beautiful side effect; as the consciousness becomes more aware, we become lighter… not only mentally, but on a cellular level. And as we gently, gradually become accustomed to this lighter state, we are able to release old patterns and core beliefs that have created resistance. This new human condition is where we feel no heavy attachment or aversion to whatever is happening. We become more detached, more the Knower and Seer, and this is where “allowing” takes place because the invisible blockages are dissipating. This is new age spirituality.

New age spirituality is both a process and an end in itself. It is finding personal, yet elevated fulfillment within by lightening up our mental load, having learned to hold the separation between what is Real and what is relative. It is a vow to let go of whatever holds us, like gravity, from truly knowing our Selves as divine. And within this Knowledge, by holding ourselves in this higher understanding, grace finds its foothold, its freeflow, in our lives.

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The human dream is a shout out to remember our true essence, to let ego behind and unite as one embracing a new stage of human consciousness evolution…

Understanding the Universal Law of Giving and Receiving

Gifting has opened many hearts to enormous gratitude and compassion by allowing people to give without wanting something back in return. This opening of the heart causes grace to flow in many unexpected ways as we recognize the abundance and oneness that comes from knowing there is more than enough to give, not just receive.

“Imagine for a moment what will happen to our world as more of us start giving without wanting anything back in return. Picture a world filled with love and compassion and people are helping each other for no reason—a world where everyone has more then enough. The possibilities are endless and easily within our reach. Positive change begins with you. Start practicing giving today and notice what happens.” - Hale Dwoskin

Giving has been called the First Law of All Creation. It has also been said that there is a Universal Law of Giving and Receiving, or that giving and receiving are the same. To clarify, quoting Kathleen Rainbow, “For anything to function effectively, there needs to be some kind of structure. There are laws that govern our universe called Universal Laws. These laws apply to everything, everywhere at all times in our universe. These laws enable our universe to function in an orderly fashion. Without these laws there would be chaos in the universe. By studying, understanding, cooperating, and applying these Universal Laws in our daily lives we can lead the most successful, fulfilling, abundant, joyful and healthy life possible.”

In today’s modern society, human consciousness is awakening to a primary law governing the creation of abundance; 'Giving and Receiving are one and the same. To give is to receive. To receive is to give.' A conviction of universal oneness remains at the heart of this thought system, thus when we give, we do not lose what we give, rather, we receive more of what we give. Lester Levenson, the inspiration behind The Sedona Method, used to say, “In the end, you discover that the only one you have ever helped is you.” So when we give peace, we receive more peace. When we give money, we receive more money. And when we give love, we receive more love. When we accept as a core belief that giving and receiving are the same, we thrive.

Whenever we give with no expectation of receiving something back in return, we are allowing the energy of the universe to flow naturally and powerfully, coming back to us many times over and in many ways. But when a gift is given to acquire something, this is really barter and similar to commerce. This attention on receiving, or getting something back, creates unseen blocks or resistance to receiving. An attitude of “getting” creates a blocked-up condition, a paralyzed state. As long as we maintain a desire for “getting” and an attitude of “getting,” we shut out the spirit of giving, and this limits the flow of good that can come to us. When we are truly giving, we are not eager for of any type of payback. If we simply give to get, we cause the flow to stop. When we give from the heart and with no expectations, we will receive much more.

It was once pointed out to me that, ‘In Philippians 4:15-19, Paul speaks to the church about the power and benefits of giving and receiving, telling them that this financial would be like opening up a debit and credit account for each of them, creating an open door for God almighty to meet every need that they have.’

And the School of Metaphysics shares, ‘Life is a series of moments. The quality of your life is totally determined by the choices you make in how you spend your time. To give a gift signifies time well spent. It is effort well spent that returns to us many fold in the spirit with which the gift was given. This is according to Universal Law.’

We can see from these two poles apart, cultural viewpoints that the common thread expressed is that giving opens up the door to receiving. When we give and expect nothing in return, the Universal Law of Giving and Receiving allows us to receive something in return when we are giving via a constant exchange of energy between us and the universe. This vibrant energy defines one beautiful truth of our existence.

What is Legal about Cash Gifting?

I was recently invited to give a large gift of cash to a stranger. This is not the first time I have been involved in a gifting endeavor. I decided to do some research into the “cash leveraging system” to see if this form of “gifting” is legal or not. Please note: this article only shares what I have discovered that makes a gifting program legal. It does not address the intricacies of what could make such an activity illegal, albeit I give a general idea of that. There is plenty of material available to make a case either way. If you are considering a gifting program with like-minded people, be aware of the gifting laws. Wikipedia has a good overview. The U.S. gifting rules are found in the IRS Tax Code, Title 26, Sections 2501-2504 and 2511.

This article is for informational purposes only, so for you who are thinking to join a gifting activity, I urge you to do your own research to satisfy yourself as to whether or not you think participation in one of these gifting programs is legal. Please be conscious that gifting done in an illegal way has been successfully prosecuted in a number of states. The tax law does not make gifting legal or illegal; it simply tells you the tax consequences of the arrangement. Be aware that calling it a gift doesn't necessarily make it one. When determining the tax effects, the tax law will look at whether the intent was truly to donate when the gift was given.

All of this said, I will now share what I am seeing has been upheld for keeping gifting legal. Across the board, those people whose verbiage is focused on helping people and the giving of the gifts from the heart, wanting to do something wonderful for someone else without expecting anything in return, seem to be the ethical gifting programs. Those who focus on the big cars and big houses are obviously involved in gifting for the purpose of “making money.”

Of course, when someone decides to get into gifting, they know that eventually it may be their turn to be a receiver, but this is not the answer that a judge will align with should someone in a gifting program end up in court. Truly, gifting means that which is given is a gift. For example, when you give a toy to a child for her birthday, you don’t expect to get anything back in return, right? So when you give a gift of money, likewise you should not expect to receive anything in return! This is what a true gift is; this is the heart and soul of legal gifting.
In my own research and discovery, I have found many folks who are promoting gifting programs are “stepping over the line” with the way they are publicizing their programs. In other words, they are emphasizing this activity as a way to make lots of money.

If you are thinking of getting involved in a gifting activity, understand that gifting is not a business. Period. There is no selling of anything, no solicitation, it’s not a commercial enterprise, there is no company, it is not an investment, it is not conducted for profit, it is not network marketing or MLM, there are no public gatherings and there is no service provided. If you see a website inviting you to a home-based business, and if it turns out that the “business” is gifting, I advise you to run the other way.

If you are already involved in a gifting program, take a look at the words that you are using when inviting people to participate or that are used on a webpage that is included in your system. Terminology used in a gifting activity are very important – they can be the fine line between keeping it legal or not. Below is a sampling of words to never use as well as words that should be used. This is by no means a complete list.

This is a sampling of words that are not used in a gifting activity: Buy in, Downline, Earn, Earnings, Getting paid, Guarantee, I made, Income, Investment, Make, Make money, Multiply your money, Net, Paid earnings, Paid out, Pay, Payout, Profit, Purchase, Recruit, Return on your money, Sign up, Sponsor, Sure bet, Took in, Upline, You will make

This is a sampling of the words used in a gifting activity: Activity, Associates, Care, Community, Constitutional Rights, Family, Fellow man, Free association, Gift, Gifter, Give, Giving, Golden, Helping others, I gave, I have gifted, I have received, Invitation, Invite, Invited by, Kindness, Nice people, Participant, Participation, Receive, Register your gift, Sharing

Gifting has been used in cultures around the world throughout history. In today's modern world, be persistent with your research so you know what you are doing and can participate ethically.

Chava LeBarton taught fine art for 15 years, co-founded an internet animation software company and is a commercial real estate investor. She currently empowers others to realize real prosperity while helping others do the same. Visit http://www.HighwayToAbundance.com.

Stepping through the Doorway to the Divine

We are the New Agers, the Spiritual Seekers, the ones who hold lofty goals of becoming One with the Divine, of creating world peace through mass visualizations, of rising to the highest consciousness imaginable... in this lifetime! We want to offer unconditional Love to all. We desire utopia. We want to be able to give and receive instant healings. We try to communicate with our spirit guides and the angelic realms, andwe want to become free of the egos that sabotage our dreams.We walk around in this duality with open hearts, big hearts, wondering why this world holds so much darkness when all we truly wish for is The Light.

We look up, focusing on God when life circumstances pull us down. We try to help others, to do good, to be good, to set good examples. We want our energy to effect positive change for the planet and the universe. We work at surrendering to Creator of All that Is, and surrendering to allow the Universe to respond to our good intentions.We continuously search for the highest, for communion with the Divine, for our own higher selves. We feel sad when we err, we rejoice when good wins out over evil. And the cycle continues... lifetime after lifetime after lifetime. We understand that there must be a way out - that there must be a doorway to Spiritual/Ultimate Freedom. But even the definition of what this means eludes us.
We read scores of spiritual books, looking for the one teacher or enlightened being who can give us enlightenment and true awakening. And the years pass.

Does this sound like you? It certainly describes over thirty years of my life. We call it our "spiritual path" and it seems to have no end; we never quite find the answers and the search continues.I recently received an invitation to receive a profound blessing from a Gujarati saint from India who has become a living Gnani Purush - one who can separate our egos from our Pure Souls. "That sounds like something I'd like to try," I thought, so I ran to see him. I expected another knows-all teacher, someone in a high state of consciousness who would be interesting to learn from. But I was to be given a most precious gift that would change my life forever.

The Gnani Purush gave me separation from my ego... I was given the awakening to my true self, the clearest vision of who I really am. I was given Self-realization in the form of deeply knowing that I am pure soul who has this package it lives in called me. I've had the intellectual concept of this for years, but the profound and beautiful separation given to me by the Gnani Purush has enveloped me in the true experience of the Divine, of Oneness. I am living in the separation - between myself as pure soul - and the body person of ego/intellect who has my name and carries so much karma. And as I apply the knowledge I am receiving from the words of the Gnani Purush that are translated to English, I become more steadfast and strong in my experience of living as a pure soul. I see all living beings as pure souls. This is not a concept - it is real.

I now enjoy (rather than dream of or imagine) such a sweet bliss because I watch the wordly experience of my body person as separate from my true self. There is a detachment occurring within that gives me such freedom and peace that I feel gratitude in every waking moment. The separation is the most important thing that has ever happened to me. I have stepped through the Doorway to the Divine.