Come in from the Cold:
#charityatChristmas
I spent an hour this morning clearing bugs out of a back
bedroom window that had slipped from its locked position to let in hundreds of
strange black bugs with orange bellies looking for warmth. As I gazed closer, I
noticed two wasp nests at the top two corners of the window. Apparently, every
member of the bug phylum decided this window would be a safe haven for a warm home.
Even the black bugs found warmth in the empty wasp nests.
I duct taped a paint scraper to the long white handle of my Venetian
blinds, so I was able to knock the nests down and yet another layer of bugs
fell to my arms and hair, those that found warmth in the empty wasp nests.
Needless to say, I showered for about three hours afterwards, trying to get the
yuck off of my body. I’m still quivering. I don’t enjoy touching bugs. I don’t
want to kill them either. I just want them to let me be inside of my home and
for them and all other outside creeping and crawling critters to enjoy the cold
or my shed or go under my house. I really don’t care where, just so they don’t
co-abide with me.
My mother shares this same dislike for bugs, but multiply mine
by about a thousand. So you can imagine, since the bugs were in her apartment,
how freaked out she became. She jumped every time a live bug fell from
somewhere to the floor. By the end of the hour, we both started to laugh from
pent up anxiety. We were on a bug mission. “Boil that dust speck! Boil that
dust speck!” as in Horton Hears a Who!
But bugs aren’t the only beings trying to find warmth. In
these times of colder weather, many churches and foundations help the poor and
the homeless find shelter and warm clothing with programs such as Room at the
Inn. One of my happiest holiday moments was when a bunch of friends and I
volunteered to serve the poor and homeless Christmas dinner. My heart finally
felt full in a time when sometimes I feel an unwelcome sense of privilege having
more than others.
So many people in the world are homeless and penniless. I
learned when I lived in NYC that I simply couldn’t help all of them. I had to
pray about which ones to aid and which ones to ignore. Trust me, the ignore
part is hard when 25% of the people you pass on the streets beg. As I worked in
street ministry in New York, I knew that many of the beggars were using the
money only to buy drugs. Their homes and monthly allowances were provided by
the state. In fact, what I realized was that the more dramatic the person
seemed and the grander the need, the more likelihood of that person was a fake,
trying to garner guilt to get money.
So, what cord in your heart does a person in need strike
when you hear the bells of the Salvation Army ring and a big red bucket stands
before you? Do you believe in your heart that you don’t deserve what you have?
Do you believe that what you have is too much or too great a helping? Do you
believe that the extra bags of candy or cookies in your shopping cart are over
the top, so maybe if you give a dollar or two, you won’t feel so bad when you
eat them? I’m sure much of this is true, which is why most charities use the
holidays to get most of their charitable income. Not only are holidays a time
for giving, but they also fall at the end of the tax year, so this makes
creating a gift the perfect tax shelter for philanthropists.
One fact I always hold in my heart when it comes to giving
is: If you feel guilty or have an attachment to the outcome of a gift, lay the
gift down and make amends with your own heart before you give anything. The
holidays are a perfect time to either dole out money to hide your guilt, or
actually look at why giving has become a painful place for you.
______________________________________________
New Challenge: Go to Week 8 of the “Year
to CLEAR Challenge” at www.Bosebastian.com
______________________________________________
Look for MY LATEST BOOK: “Finding Authentic You, 7 Steps to Effective Change” with a
Year to CLEAR (C-larity, L-ove, E-nthusiasm A-nd R-elationship-Ready) on my
Website in the Webstore. Thanks!
Below is information that I will be sharing for about a
month, as not every person on my list reads the blog every day. If you have
already read it, just skip over it. Thanks for understanding.
A
Year to CLEAR Challenge:
(Please Know: You Can Join Us At Any Point in the Year
Challenge.)
The masses search outward for things that qualify them as a
person, but I always go inward for that which quantifies me for greatness. At
twenty-five I preached on street corners in NYC as an in-the-closet Pentecostal
minister. One day I heard a still small voice say, ‘God cannot be contained in a
book or a law or even in a religion. Dig deeper, reach further to find me, and
you will find your authentic Self.’”
A Year to CLEAR Challenge!
The acronym CLEAR
stands for (Compassionate, Loving,
Enthusiastic, And Relationship-Ready). The goal of this project is to
engulf readers in a weekly study that will transform them by removing blocks,
promote self-growth, and give them wings to fly freely into daily life. Each
week, by going to BoSebastian.com and choosing the Year to CLEAR Challenge tab,
a new challenge or thought to provoke conversation, growth, and group
functionality.
My vision is to make Finding Authentic You the book to
have in your Kindle or on your computer. The book is a comprehensive look at
growth—spiritually, mentally, and physically.
As a yoga teacher and student of the Ayurvedic tradition, I bring
to the table understanding of physical challenges, the ability to overcome
mental problems with Life & Health Coaching, as well as hypnotherapy, and
expertise in meditation and spirituality as a minister.
The combination of all three in one book with an interactive
connection to like-minded readers, for one year, is what makes this Year to
CLEAR Challenge a must-do for every spiritual seeker.
The One-Year Approach to Change
No one believes he or she can change overnight. But success in
change comes from the metaphors of nature. Seasonally, life changes all around
us in nature. Finding Authentic You offers a gradual change perspective,
looking at the triune aspects of change as in yoga: Body, Mind and Spirit.
Accessing the
ability to change and finding
yourself actually pursuing change must be a daily search, which I call
getting to the “observer mind.”
In this frontal cortex of the brain we find the anatomy of
change and the power to counter every negative trigger of the human process.
The workings of Hypnosis, NLP (Neuro-linguistic Programming) and EMDR (Eye
Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) are all positive actions to help the
mind and body flow to a positive space for change.
Every aspect of FINDING AUTHENTIC YOU fulfills this
constant need for diffusing the negative past and dreaming of a fulfilling
future.
Step 1: Recognize That Change is Inevitable
Step 2: Release from Resistance
to Change
Step 3: Understanding Change and Allow Spirit to Define It
Step 4: A History Lesson—About You
Step 5: Look at Your Past with Compassion
Step 6: Making a Strong Commitment to Change
Step 7: Dream Your Fabulous Future
TOOLS FOR CHANGE:
Go to Storefront to buy any of the following or make a
donation to Finding Authentic You: www.shop.bosebastian.com
·
My Latest Book: Finding Authentic You—7 Steps to
Effective Change (800 page downloadable Kindle version)
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Introduction to Meditation
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Smoke Cessation mp3
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Weight Loss mp3
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Hypnotic Lap Band surgery Mp3
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Insomnia mp3
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Eternal Om mp3
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Meditation Music mp3
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Guide to Meditation mp3
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Healing the Body mp3
·
And my “Lessons from the Heart” book ready for
your download purchase.
Go to Home Page: www.BoSebastian.com
* * *
Bo Sebastian is a Hypnotherapist and Life & Health
Coach, available for private sessions to QUIT SMOKING, Lose Weight, New
Lap-Band Hypnosis for Weight Loss, CHANGE YOUR MIND, CHANGE YOUR LIFE! at
615-400-2334 or www.bosebastian.com.
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Also, look for MY LATEST BOOK: “Finding Authentic You, 7 Steps to
Effective Change” with a Year to CLEAR (C-larity, L-ove, E-nthusiasm A-nd R-elationship-Ready)
on my Website in the Webstore. Thanks!
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