Cinderella, The Power Of Dreaming Big

Is the recession making you feel like Cinderella before her fairy godmother showed up? Fairy tales often carry important messages. When most people were illiterate, this is how wisdom was passed along, by putting it in interesting and memorable tales. And if you thought Cinderella was just a lucky girl who happened to walk into wealth and happiness by magic, let me show you what she really did. (Photo credit)

The audacity of dreaming big

So there was this poor girl, wearing rags and sleeping on cinders. One evening, there was a big ball that all the girls were invited. She wanted to go, but she had no proper clothing for such an occasion.

Suddenly, her fairly godmother appears.

Now if you were in her situation, and see some magical figure, be it your fairy godmother or a genie, would you dare to say, “I want to go to the ball.”?

I’ve been poor myself, and I know what it’s like. The really sad thing about poverty is not the hunger nor the coldness. Poverty decays the spirit. You start thinking poor.

I remember walking on a cold night to the store (I didn’t have a car) to get some groceries. I guess it was about this time of the year because I remember the pretty holiday lights at the houses as I walked — each house had different decorations and they all looked cheerful. I was in difficult marriage and even though I had a good full-time job, all the money was getting sucked and I was sinking in debt. To me, all those pretty houses seemed to have happy, well-off people.

If a fairy godmother showed up at that time, I think I would have asked for some money. Or a nice warm sweater and new underwear. (I wasn’t wearing shirts with holes — with my full-time job, that wasn’t an option. But underneath, I was wearing socks with holes.) This is how poverty makes us think. I was in such a miserable situation that the only thing I could think of was to get a little relief.

Whereas Cinderella dared to say, “I want to go to the ball.”

She didn’t say that because she figured she could snap up the prince’s attention, marry him, therefore securing lifelong prosperity. That is how it turned out, but at the time when she met her fairy godmother, all she asked was to be able to go to the ball. That special evening of glamour. Notice the innocence and audacity of her request.

What is your big dream?

If your fairy godmother shows up, what are you going to ask for? Do you have the same kind of innocence and audacity Cinderella had, to dare to dream something that is unlikely, even if that dream doesn’t seem to improve your situation in a direct “realistic” way? Or is your thinking limited to the level of your daily life, like asking for a (better) job or some stuffs on the storefront that you cannot afford?

Please note asking for a large amount of money is NOT a big dream. We ask for money when we are too lazy to visualize what we really want, thinking money can buy happiness. It’s actually a very poor dream.

Morale of the story

Cinderella didn’t just get lucky. She had a big dream, and she dared to say it. When you have the vision that inspires you, and when you acknowledge such a big dream, something magical happens. Some people call it the Law of Attraction, some call it the creative power we have within. You don’t need a fairy godmother — you have the creative power within you. It may take a bit longer than the magic wand, but it works, and even better, you can use your innate creative power over and over again in your life.

Since I “got it”, I’ve been encouraging myself to say something like, “I want to go to the ball.” It’s actually quite challenging to match her audacity. Often, my dream look shabby compared to hers, and I have to encourage myself further to dream bigger. And my life has been getting better and better. I even have a thriving business that is growing further.

This is the time of the year when we think of the new beginning in the new year. What is your big dream? Is you spirit high enough to dream big?

Review: The Spontaneous Healing Of Belief By Gregg Braden

I am so glad I found this book The Spontaneous Healing of Belief because it gives scientific explanations on so many ideas I’m familiar with, such as the true nature of reality, our creative power over our own lives and on the world, and the Law of Attraction with the power of feelings. The book also serves as a great follow up on Dr Bruce Lipton’s The Biology Of Belief, by discussing what belief can do beyond our individual body.

Reality as simulation game

Gregg Braden cites various scientific studies to show us that this everyday world we live in is a computer simulation, a virtual reality on a giant scale, in the Universal computer. What we call reality is not real, but only a reflection of true reality.

This idea of life as dream (or, I call it “living movie” in the article linked above) is often mentioned in the various spirituality traditions, and it’s so refreshing to see science finally catching up. (By the way, this idea is present in the Bible, too. It says Adam fell a deep sleep — but it doesn’t say he woke up. So, we can interpret this that we are living in Adam’s dream.”)

The good news is we are not just living in a simulation but we can reprogram the simulation, too. We are the actors as well as the directors in this living movie. We are the creatures as well as the creators. We are active participants, not just a powerless victims or observers.

How do we reprogram the Universal computer program? By our beliefs. By shattering the old paradigm of false limitations and adopting new beliefs. You know, not just wishing, not just wanting to believe, but believing from the bottom of your heart, with all your feelings.

Gregg Braden shares that our heart emits electric and magnetic energies. On the other hand, it is proven that electric or magnetic energies can change the nature of atoms, the building blocks of this world. So when we believe, when we feel the new possibility with our heart, the electromagnetic energy from the heart can change the atoms in and around us, changing the so-called reality.

The Earth experiment

Gregg Braden also discusses what it may mean that this world we live in is a simulation. A simulation is usually used for training. So are we getting trained to better live in the true reality?

This is basically the same of what I call the Earth experiment. Our Higher Selves (also called oversouls) send individual souls to this world to — experience. There is no judgment really. We are here to learn, and mastery of the learning leads to joy.

If you are experiencing difficulty in life, that just means you are at a great learning point — just as when you are in simulation program and facing difficult situation. You can keep trying in your old malfunctioning manner until you figure a new way that works. (I’m sorry if this statement sounds cynical — it is not. I really mean difficulties are great learning opportunities.)

The Law of Attraction and the Field

So we have the creative power. Gregg Braden explains this process by introducing the idea of the “Field”, also called zero-point field, or The Divine Matrix (which is the title of his book that precedes this one)

What we think and feel, what we believe, we can create — we can manifest. This is the same with the Law of Attraction, but I like Gregg Braden’s way of explanation. I always felt LoA is more about creation and the word “attraction” causes unnecessary misunderstanding. I know it works, and now we have a better way to understand it.

Here is a video clip where he explains all this, giving the skinny of this book:

Working the miracles of belief

In this book, he also says,

“Through the healing of our beliefs, we discover how — with the grace and ease that comes from experiencing ourselves as part of the world rather than separate from it. When we do so, we become the seed of life’s miracles, as well as the miracles themselves.” (page 207)

Miracles like reversing dis-eases and living just as long as you want. Gregg Braden is smart and doesn’t use the emotionally-charged word “immortality”, but he does talk about super longevity, saying, “The first 100 years are the hardest.”

He talks about redirecting time, space and matter, so I guess immortality is pretty much in his scope.

So how do you want to rewrite your “reality”? What kind of miracles do you want to work on? Now you know how to change your life and the world. Don’t just sit back and complain. That does absolutely no good. Changing your belief, rewriting the computer program, brings change.

“Whatsoever you shall ask, believing, you shall receive.” — Jesus (Matthew 21:22)

The Law Of Attraction And Surrender

Whether you are doing it consciously or not, you are creating your life and the world. The principle of this creation is called the Law of Attraction. There are other spiritual laws about creation, but I’m simplifying things here. The important thing to remember is the true nature of “reality”, that reality is something we can mold.

Now the ultimate question to this premise is “Why, then, don’t we get what we want? Why is it so damn hard to have what we desire, like making enough money from my hobby so I can quit my job or finding my life partner?”

There are two things to consider here. One is the misuse of the Law of Attraction. The other, main point of this article, is surrendering to the bigger purpose of life.

Misuse of the Law of Attraction

Common misuse of the Law of Attraction includes:

1. Focusing on NOT having what you want instead of acknowledging the good things you already have and desiring to go further to have it.

Let’s say you are single and want to find a mate for intimacy and personal sharing. Someone you feel attracted and want to spend a lot of time together. Now, do you feel good about yourself — do you find yourself lovable and trustworthy? Are you grateful for the life you have now, for your friends, your past romantic partners for making you the person you are now? Or are you feeling lonely and miserable, needing to find that special person? If it’s the latter, you probably attract more of not having a mate. Or you attract someone that matches the loneliness and misery you harbor.

2. Not being clear and consistent about what you want. Many people seem to know exactly what they DON’T want, but not clear about what they want.

Do you find yourself desiring a life partner one day and then, on other days, saying something like “Oh, I’m just too busy to have a relationship right now. I want a raise…” This is like changing your order at a restaurant. Please be clear and consistent about what you want — this involves sincere exploration of your true desires.

Surrendering

Then there comes a point of surrender. This is different from giving up your desire because you see yourself as a powerless victim of life. This is about surrendering to the bigger purpose of your life that your conscious mind may not readily perceive.

Let me continue the example of finding a life partner. After my divorce, I decided to spend a year to recover my sense of well-being and to rebuild my life. Eventually, I felt ready for a new relationship. I actively sought out a new partner. I joined match.com. I asked my friends if they knew someone single. I did meet many men. But none led to long term relationship.

Was I doing something wrong? Back then, that is what I thought. Although I couldn’t put a finger what I was doing wrong.

I was quite happy with my life. I don’t say this in a way like, “I have a good-paying job, I have great friends, I’m fine. Nothing is wrong with me.” kind of way. Yes, I just wrote this line in a tongue in cheek kind of way because I saw so many online profiles like that. The truth was, yes, I was happy with my life, my job, my social life, but I wanted a romantic relationship and I couldn’t find it.

So, I wasn’t focusing on the negative NOT having part of my desire. And I was fairly consistent in my focus. Even though I didn’t know the term “the Law of Attraction” back then, I was taking the right approach.

Not getting what you want and be happy with it

Then I decided to quit my corporate job and relocate across America to Oregon. Gee, I couldn’t have done this if I had a boyfriend in Tennessee. I’m really accommodating when I’m in a relationship, and I most likely would have given up — or wouldn’t even have entertained — such idea if I were in a serious relationship.

I didn’t get what I sincerely desired — a life partner, an intimate relationship. Looking back, am I upset about this? No. On the contrary, I’m grateful. I couldn’t see far enough into the future when I was busy meeting men, but now I think this is exactly how I am meant to be living now. I can spend my time doing what I am meant to do — doing the Akashic Record Reading service and writing about spirituality — without the constraint of monogamous relationship.

This is what I mean by surrendering. You may not get what you desire, and it may be just as well. You will see how so much better it is not to have your wish come true — if you open up and accept the gifts of not having it, if you surrender.

Revelation

Recently I had a mini revelation. The memory of my first boyfriend popped in my mind suddenly. Well, I didn’t have sex with him, but I consider him to be my first boyfriend. We were seventeen years old. It ended prematurely because I was an exchange student in Australia and had to come back to Japan at the end of the year. I used to wonder what my life may have been like if I could stay and could keep seeing him.

In a flash, I saw myself with him together. Living together in a house. With kids. Doing the everyday things — get up, breakfast, get the kids ready for school, rush, work, etc. etc. The life I could have had with him. And OMG. I was tired of the repetition within a second!

I always knew I was not meant for motherhood — I find children adorable, but I was never big on becoming a mother myself. The biological clock that so many women talk about — I just never felt it. This — not particularly craving motherhood — was fine with me. But as I’ve been saying, romantic relationship was a different deal. I thought I really wanted it. Living with the guy I really like (and he likes me too), sharing all aspects of our lives. I thought I wouldn’t even mind taking care of kids if that’s what it takes for the relationship. 

But no. When I saw that psychic vision, I realized I’m not meant for the regular marriage.  Even if it’s a good one.  I am meant for something else. For what? Well, look, I already have it. I can freely pursue my interests, build my life and my business. I connect with my clients with love. And being free from the conventional lifestyle keeps my thinking free and my body ageless.

Somehow I surrendered to the bigger purpose of my life. My ego mind could not see it for so many years, but my Higher Self knew what was best for me.  This is how creation works sometimes. 

(And now, from this liberated place, I can date ^_^ I see my new date from time to time while keeping my life my way.  It works.)

Are you ready to surrender?

Or are you attached to a certain outcome? In other words, do you simply desire something or do you NEED it to happen?

I suggest you take a big breath and look at the things you so want but haven’t got in your life. Is it possible not having it is actually better? Can you see the big picture?  (Photo by photomason)

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