Love Is the Only Non-Illusion

Love Is the Only Non-Illusion

A Course in Miracles, transcribed by Helen Schucman, begins with the words:

“Nothing real can be threatened.

Nothing unreal exists.

Herein lies the peace of God.”

Everyone sees through the eyes of their own body. No two people see from the same perspective. Together we may look at a painting. I may see an angel. You may see a terrible person who abused you as a teenager. The only thing that separates these two opinions is our Ego, or the voice of the human body.

This voice of the ego has been trained and programmed as a computer was. We had no choice in the programmer or any choice in what attached us to all of our anxieties, loves, truths, and stresses. All of those choices were imposed upon us.

So, seeing through the eyes of our own humanness can be tricky. Are you really seeing that chair? Are you really angry with me? Do you really love me—or are we merely wound mates?

When I first read the Course, I thought it was completely unique and wonderful. After a few years of study, I realized that this was just one avenue to spiritual growth, and I was glad I had spent the time learning about it.

One thing you learn in ACIM (A Course in Miracles) is that the ego creates illusion in the world. But the only thing that isn’t an illusion is love. Of course, you would have to have a true definition of love to make sure we are all on the same page. Let’s go back to ACIM for an explanation:

“You do not know the meaning of love, and that is your handicap,” (T-12, V. 6:1)

says Jesus, the acclaimed true author of the book, which had been channeled or transcribed, not authored, according to Schucman.

So, the same text that tells us that the only thing that is real is love, also tells us that we have no earthly way of understanding God’s love—that’s how big it is!

I can actually get behind that phrase. Even when I pray and wonder about Spirit and God, I can’t define it in my own mind. If I try to, I get baffled and begin anthropomorphizing God and setting up a human paradigm for what could only be spiritual.

The best experience I have of love is when profound relationship changes me and lifts me up out of my humanness. A mother’s love—her feelings of love for a child, not necessarily her human actions—are a close example. I also have seen love from the pure, unblemished joy of a pet or the beauty in a flower. Love tends to strike me as a profound experience that always changes me for the better.

This would then include times when love had led me to hard changes, when I awoke out of vast delusion into truth. So, the experience of love can also be a difficult one.

I believe God meant intimate relationships for our biggest spiritual growth, because they tend to mirror that which can’t be spoken in human words. If you think about a person you love, you know that hardship, confusion, and some misunderstanding accompany all forms of joyous relationships, especially the intimate ones. But where would be without that close connection and the ones who absolutely know all of our deepest truths?

So, if love is not an illusion, I desire to experience Love in every way today. That’s my affirmation. To do that, I must open my heart to the indescribable, unfathomable, uncontainable, unlimited Spirit of God.

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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. Please feel free to comment and/or sign up to receive your blog sent to you directly or stream with an RSS Feed.

I am trying to spread the word about my blog and I need your help. Please let your friends know it exists, if it gives you hope and blesses you each day. If you are looking to enter the RSS or Atom Feed, you have to go to the home page of the blog to get there. And I would be greatly pleased for you to share anything that you read by clicking the share button in Facebook.com/bo.sebastian, or add it to your Twitter at BoSebastian; or LinkedIN at Bosebastian5@gmail.com; or find this blog home at www.FindingAuthenticYou.com. Any of my books can be found on Amazon or Barnes and Nobel, just by typing my name in the search header.

Stand Up for Yourself and the World

Stand up for Yourself and the World

I have been working on my new interactive website in which you will be able to go to the site after reading a blog and find a Daily Spiritual Challenge. I will be releasing a book at the same time called: Finding Authentic You: 7 Steps to Effective Change—Spirit, Mind and Body.  I’m also going to start a group that meets once a week to follow the Year to CLEAR CHALLENGE (Clear is an acronym meaning Compassion-Love-Enthusiasm, And Relationship-Ready). I have about two more months, maybe three, to get the website done. I had no idea how big of a project this would be. I simply answered the call from spirit one day to start. I didn’t take time to think. I just followed the lead.

I guess this is my point today. If we step into life looking at our challenge to make change, get a degree, find relationship, buy a home or a business, as something monumental and huge, we are not likely to step forward onto the path. But if we simply take one step at a time, we are bound to find our calling, even on the pathway to our goal.

I worked on a Daily Challenge yesterday called “Gray Marriage.” The reading talked of how politics tries with all its might to get into the middle of what should be an intimate decision. Who is with me here? Can you decide for me whom is the right person to be intimately involved with? So, why are so many politicians trying to make sexuality a platform? It simply annoys me.

The most important aspect of change is to be able to clear the way for your positive, strong voice. Most people come to me barely able to express how they feel. But my duty is to help them clear the pathway between their heart and throat chakra to share with friends, family, and intimate partners how they really feel.

However, one thing that I emphasized in this Daily Challenge was about the ability for us to step out of our comfort zone and share our positions and truths with people who oppose our thinking. This doesn’t have to be about sexuality. It could be about human rights in general.

For instance: Someone at work makes a slur about a Muslim woman. She wears a niqab to work every day. Someone in the kitchen drinking a cup of Joe with you casually make a racial slur while conversing. Instead of smiling and swallowing your emotions with the next sip of your coffee, you simply say: “You know, Aadila is a nice woman and a hard worker. I’m not comfortable with your prejudiced remarks, especially in the work place. In fact, did you know that her first name means honest, equal and upright?”

There, you’ve said it. You have cleared the path to changing the world, one person at a time. Most people just don’t speak up when confronted with a situation like that. We can’t be mousy and spiritual at the same time. Being humble and at peace takes clearing the dross from your mind and heart to stay at one with your good. If you continue to ingest other people’s opinions and feelings without sharing yours, you will never stay on the pathway to peace.

A balance exists between being outspoken and saying your piece/peace. Own your opinion by always beginning with “I feel,” or “it occurs to me…” or “I think that…” If you don’t accuse anyone of bad behavior, you are more likely to make a stronger point. Tell that person your feelings; don’t blame her for hers.

No one likes to be told what to do, especially if he/she already has a chip on the shoulder about a certain culture. We don’t know what kind of experience he has had in the past to cause him to feel this strongly. Perhaps, his brother was in one of the buildings of the World Trade Center. Suddenly, that would make all of his opinions understandable, yet still not right. So, tread with caution, but don’t allow others to take away your power—ever!

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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. Please feel free to comment and/or sign up to receive your blog sent to you directly or stream with an RSS Feed.

I am trying to spread the word about my blog and I need your help. Please let your friends know it exists, if it gives you hope and blesses you each day. If you are looking to enter the RSS or Atom Feed, you have to go to the home page of the blog to get there. And I would be greatly pleased for you to share anything that you read by clicking the share button in Facebook.com/bo.sebastian, or add it to your Twitter at BoSebastian; or LinkedIN at Bosebastian5@gmail.com; or find this blog home at www.FindingAuthenticYou.com. Any of my books can be found on Amazon or Barnes and Nobel, just by typing my name in the search header.

Old Age Approaching Quickly

Old Age Approaching Quickly

I began the celebration of my birthday by getting a facial that practically burnt off all my old skin. My face looks 40 right now, but the cramp in my leg, an ache in my back, and getting out of bed feels all of 53.

Yet, I wouldn’t go back to being young unless I could carry all my wisdom backward with me. Even then, no one takes youth very seriously. Professionalism accompanies age, like the clear sound of opportunity at every corner, if you’ve been wise with your gifts.

I look around at my home, my car, my things, and my gardens and think, I like what I have gathered. Each bauble reminds me of someone or something precious. The rest I have had to let go of.

I remember the first time I bought a brand new car. Every day I would worry about nicks and scratches. When I got my current car, I felt as if I wanted to put a scratch directly on it, so that I would be reminded not to be so careful. I find it hard to enjoy the things in life we try to protect from change. I owned a Faberge egg once. I kept it in the original gold box until I ended up selling it.

Fortunately, as humans age, we gather worth. I know who I am and don’t have to fight to accept myself. I enjoy the pleasures of having credit, AARP, and a home closer to reverse mortgage. Attributes that I have built from youth are now paying off in the end, as I retire into years that ought to be more peaceful and full of love. Age comes with its benefits, most days.

“No more struggle,” is my motto, and “make laws against regrets!”

I have a few friends, older than I, who feel as if they are going in the wrong direction. They have struggle with finance, relationship, and their health isn’t so great. I wonder in despair how life could be so cruel to them. Do we not deserve to quietly depart as we have weathered many storms? Who would deny the elderly health and all that they would need to live at peace? Yet, the story of the world doesn’t reflect this at all.

I have an elderly neighbor who is failing rapidly. She is the sweetest lady, lives alone, and recently had to let go of her precious puppy dog because she was too frail to care for him. She has two children nearby. Why would they take away the little joy she has at the end? Are we not caring for our elderly because we’re too selfish and don’t have time? Something feels amiss.

I guess it’s a little easier for me to understand the premise of taking care of our elderly because I take care of my 81-year-old mom. Yes, it’s not easy sometimes. She can be cantankerous and annoying. But she also loves me more than any human being could. She is helpful when she has the strength, and in turn, feels as if her opinion counts more than anyone else’s. But you have to love her moxie.

Most of my friends think she is wonderful and see our relationship as something special. After being without her most of my childhood, it has become a blessing to make amends for the past as we get older together and plant the seeds of love that youth lacked. It’s never too late to mend the fences from times gone by. I’ve seen this gift in both my father’s and my mother’s latter years. I’m glad I’ve had the chance with each to re-establish a healthy relationship.

Friends have asked me what I want for my birthday. None of them can afford the new Lexus convertible I lust for, so I’ll be happy with them to just gather around me and say a prayer for peace—not just for me—but for the world.

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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. Please feel free to comment and/or sign up to receive your blog sent to you directly or stream with an RSS Feed.

I am trying to spread the word about my blog and I need your help. Please let your friends know it exists, if it gives you hope and blesses you each day. If you are looking to enter the RSS or Atom Feed, you have to go to the home page of the blog to get there. And I would be greatly pleased for you to share anything that you read by clicking the share button in Facebook.com/bo.sebastian, or add it to your Twitter at BoSebastian; or LinkedIN at Bosebastian5@gmail.com; or find this blog home at www.FindingAuthenticYou.com. Any of my books can be found on Amazon or Barnes and Nobel, just by typing my name in the search header.

The Road More Traveled

The Road More Traveled

“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood. And sorry I could not travel both. But being one traveler long I stood and looked down one as far as I could to where it bent in the under growth.” (excerpt from Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Less Traveled”)

Often our spiritual path is wrought with hard choices: Should I accept peace, instead trying to be right? Should I follow my sexual and mental desire and go down the hard road of infidelity? Should I accept what I own now and live debt free, or should I upgrade to something that would financially cause stress? Should I take what isn’t mine or live in integrity? Should I help others and be compassionate instead of being self-indulgence? How often we choose the road of the ego, instead of the road less traveled—the spiritual road.

Choosing a spiritual path takes a consistent observation of the ego. We don’t make a spiritual choice once, and, suddenly, we are bereft of the temptation to choose illusion. Even, this morning, the teacher experienced a little frustration this with a doctor who made a rude statement to me. I had to breathe in and out slowly and say to myself, “Do I want to be right or at peace?”

This is not to say that I won’t register a complaint about the man. He was not the owner of the clinic. I’m sure the person in charge would like the input. I know I wouldn’t want to have a rude doctor or technician work for me. I did take a breath and shut up, but made sure I had my questions answered in the doctor’s timing. The doctor chose ego instead of spirit. That much was clear.

I was amazed at the atmosphere of the room when I began to breathe slowly. I could tell that the doctor understood that I was not happy with how I had been treated, and he made a special effort, thereafter, to be more kind. This will often happen when we choose peace in the midst of chaos. Peace covers chaos as paper covers rock.

The road more traveled in a world full of chaos and ego is definitely not spiritual. So, as we open our hearts and minds to a walk with Spirit and God, we must consider that facing ego challenges comes with this more difficult spiritual path. But, as I said before, the road of the spiritual warrior carries with it peace, love and compassion. No better route exists to travel if your search is for the love of God.

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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. Please feel free to comment and/or sign up to receive your blog sent to you directly or stream with an RSS Feed.

I am trying to spread the word about my blog and I need your help. Please let your friends know it exists, if it gives you hope and blesses you each day. If you are looking to enter the RSS or Atom Feed, you have to go to the home page of the blog to get there. And I would be greatly pleased for you to share anything that you read by clicking the share button in Facebook.com/bo.sebastian, or add it to your Twitter at BoSebastian; or LinkedIN at Bosebastian5@gmail.com; or find this blog home at www.FindingAuthenticYou.com. Any of my books can be found on Amazon or Barnes and Nobel, just by typing my name in the search header.

Riparian Way

Riparian State

The action of transformation is willingness. The action of change is openness. The action of right relationship is transparency. The action of chaos, however, is living through the eyes of the ego.

A Course in Miracles states that the ego lives in illusion or false idea (paraphrased). When we wake in the morning our mental state depends upon a strong choice. Will I live in illusion—the ego—or will I choose a spiritual course for my day?

The ego choice is simple. Just let your day unfold and believe that every thing in front of you is truth. Get caught up in your dramas. Believe that your body is you. You’ll be perfectly fine existing in your ego with no further help.

However, if you choose to live as a conduit of Spirit, you must make a choice, when you wake up in the morning. You say this quick prayer: “I realize that every thing on earth may contain chaos and suffering—but, it is an illusion. I choose to be a peacemaker in the chaos today. I start with believing that TODAY I am flowing in the energy and love of God. Though chaos may flow around me, it does not affect me or my world. I will remain at peace no matter what happens. I believe Spirit God will inspire me to my truth today and to prosperity in every way, because I am made in the image of Spirit God and flow in the energy of this Unlimited Good.”

A riparian way is the boggy wet area beside a swamp or river. When construction happens around a waterway, this particular area must be protected, because it keeps the water contained. Mostly this land is full of trees, rocks, and weeds. Perfectly designed by nature, these riparian ways protect the integrity of the wetlands.

We, too, have a protective spiritual area around our body that can help protect our integrity and growth. This area is called the chakras system. The seven chakras are the spiritual energy that radiate around the physical body. The lower three chakras function to help the physical body. The upper three chakras function to help the spirit body. And the heart chakra, the center of both groups, is the gateway for the chakra energy to flow freely from the physical to the spiritual.

Any or all of the chakras can get blocked by certain circumstances in your life.

·       The 1st chakra, the root, holds the energy of your spiritual and moral beliefs and connects to your familial bonds.

·       The 2nd chakra, between the naval and the crotch, usually defines the relationship between you and a partner, you and work, or you and a habit.

·       The 3rd chakra is right at the naval and defines your relationship with self.

·       The Center charka defines heart energy—love, hate, unforgiveness, and compassion. The 5th chakra is at the back of the tongue and defines decision-making and the ability to say what you feel.

·       The 6th chakra is at the pineal gland and is where we connect from the body to Spirit.

·       The 7th charka is right about the head and is usually defined as pure spirit.

(I will explain a lot more about the chakras in coming blogs, but I want to introduce the Ayurvedic principles of these energy systems to help with your movement toward spiritual freedom. Feel free to do a Google search to find out more.)

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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. Please feel free to comment and/or sign up to receive your blog sent to you directly or stream with an RSS Feed.

I am trying to spread the word about my blog and I need your help. Please let your friends know it exists, if it gives you hope and blesses you each day. If you are looking to enter the RSS or Atom Feed, you have to go to the home page of the blog to get there. And I would be greatly pleased for you to share anything that you read by clicking the share button in Facebook.com/bo.sebastian, or add it to your Twitter at BoSebastian; or LinkedIN at Bosebastian5@gmail.com; or find this blog home at www.FindingAuthenticYou.com. Any of my books can be found on Amazon or Barnes and Nobel, just by typing my name in the search header.

Quagmire

Quagmire

Olivia once acted beautifully in some of the cities largest theaters. But, she gave her heart to a man when she turned 22. She immediately gave birth to two children. She gave up her career and settled into being a part-time actress, doing Community Theater in a small town in Oklahoma. She didn’t regret her decision, because she felt that family and love were more important than her future and gaining the approval of others through stage performances. Yet, something inside yearned for more.

One day, just days before her youngest child graduated high school, she received a phone call. The police had arrested her husband. The authorities wouldn’t tell Olivia the circumstances. “Come down to the station!” she heard the authoritative voice announce.

Everyone in the town knew her husband. They were the pillars of the community. They were on the board of directors for the YMCA. Dick was the president of the Rotary Club. Olivia was president of the PTA six years running. Her heart sank deeper into her stomach on the drive to the station.

When she got to the door of the police station, the local news had already pried for information. She pushed passed them and settled quickly into the foyer looking for anyone to tell her this was all a big mistake. Finally, a hefty, balding officer led her to the cell where her husband sat alone on a single cot. “I’ll leave you two alone to talk,” the officer said.

Tears already made a mess of Dick’s face. He looked disheveled and torn. Olivia ran to him and embraced him. “What happened, honey?” she asked. “Are you okay?”

Again, Dick looked down and cried. He couldn’t even meet her gaze with honesty. Olivia drew some distance away. “Tell me! What is it? How bad can it be? Were you drinking? Drunk? Stole something?”

Finally the words met his lips. “I got caught…” He broke down again, this time heaving with pain. “… having sex in the woods near the marina. I’m so… sorry!”

Olivia’s jaw dropped. Her body became still. Her face flushed. Her mind went blank. After a moment, she shook off her shock: “With who?” she whispered.

He sobbed even harder. “I’m so sorry. I wanted to tell you.”

She shook him now, angrily. “With who? Tell me!”

“Jack. Pastor Jack.”

Olivia felt ashamed and dirty at the same time. She couldn’t speak. She didn’t need to ask any more questions. It was clear from Dick’s admittance that he was gay or bisexual, and she had had no idea who she faced in that moment. She trusted him with all her heart. Why would he do this—with a pastor, no less?

From that day at the police station, it took Olivia three years to get her life and career back. But she fought every day to keep her head up and continue to move forward.

Months went by before she was able to believe that this was “direction not rejection” in her life. She believed her ex-husband still loved her. She recognized that people lie and cheat. She even realized that pastors aren’t perfect. What she had trouble dealing with the most was her self-esteem. Her identity had been swallowed up by her family and husband. She had to start over, as if she were that 22-year-old, but now with twenty more years of age lines and thirty extra pounds.

She moved her life closer to her parents, near enough to the city to begin her career again. Her children were old enough to be on their own at college. This time of life was for her now. Suddenly, a world of opportunity appeared out of the muddy quagmire. She discovered an autonomy she had longed for all along. She remembered what it felt like NOW to own her feelings and became empowered by life. She was broken for a short time, but she didn’t let circumstance ruin her life.

* * *

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. Please feel free to comment and/or sign up to receive your blog sent to you directly or stream with an RSS Feed.

I am trying to spread the word about my blog and I need your help. Please let your friends know it exists, if it gives you hope and blesses you each day. If you are looking to enter the RSS or Atom Feed, you have to go to the home page of the blog to get there. And I would be greatly pleased for you to share anything that you read by clicking the share button in Facebook.com/bo.sebastian, or add it to your Twitter at BoSebastian; or LinkedIN at Bosebastian5@gmail.com; or find this blog home at www.FindingAuthenticYou.com. Any of my books can be found on Amazon or Barnes and Nobel, just by typing my name in the search header.

Incarnational Spirituality

Incarnational Spirituality

If we are spirits dwelling in a human form, then by nature, we are spirit incarnate. So, all of our actions here on earth are actually incarnational spirituality. We must use our human form to communicate, act, and function in a spiritual way. This is like training a dog to do tricks. Our human body is basically animal. We hunger, we respond sexually, and spend most of our days on earth trying to survive. This, by definition, is an animal state.

So, when you start to think about it, why would an all-knowing God put a perfect spirit in the form of an intelligent animal? Wouldn’t you think that most of our spiritual questions would be answered if we understood this conundrum?

Spirits dwelling in body is the struggle we face every day. You can’t have an epiphany one day and expect that your body will change its physical state every day, thereafter. It’s almost as if, you have to command your human mind to understand by stating your theory over and over again, before your body and brain make a permanent change. Even then, all change has to be considered in the deductive mind every day, which is likely to overthrow the spirit if you have a bad day or a frustrating one.

The only way I can make sense of this conundrum is to remember a quote from a friend who passed away of colon cancer a couple years ago. Before her diagnosis, she often told me that life was so hard that she wouldn’t mind being back with God in spirit. Death didn’t scare her. That was, until she actually was about to die. Then she did everything she could to stay alive. She said of life in her final year: “You never understand the meaning of your humanity, until it is being taken away from you. You look at the sunrise, at flowers, at friendships, and family with a different set of spiritual eyes!”

If you think about it, when someone begins to diminish physically with stage four cancer, the body—or the ego—gets weak. If the body gets weak, what would you imagine would get stronger? Exactly right... the spirit.

So, suddenly, when the ego diminished, she saw that life wasn’t about the constant battle to stay peaceful in the chaos. Life actually was enjoying her humanity and dancing in the chaos.

I had another dear friend who died of prostate cancer. He was a Trappist monk for forty years, then eventually married a nun. As George Fowler was dying, he wrote a book called: Learning to Dance Inside, which you can find on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Learning-Dance-Inside-Getting-Meditation/dp/0156005247/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1379171367&sr=1-3&keywords=george+fowler. In the book George talks of the ways to release from the desire to satisfy your yearning to be the perfect spiritual person by taking away all that you love and enjoy. He remarks that you must learn to dance in your human body and enjoy everyday.

But I believe the only way you can do that is by getting to the place in life where you accept your blemishes, accept your humanness, and find a way to see life through your spiritual eyes while living in the body, perfectly content to live, but compassionately overseeing it with the eyes of spirit.

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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. Please feel free to comment and/or sign up to receive your blog sent to you directly or stream with an RSS Feed.

I am trying to spread the word about my blog and I need your help. Please let your friends know it exists, if it gives you hope and blesses you each day. If you are looking to enter the RSS or Atom Feed, you have to go to the home page of the blog to get there. And I would be greatly pleased for you to share anything that you read by clicking the share button in Facebook.com/bo.sebastian, or add it to your Twitter at BoSebastian; or LinkedIN at Bosebastian5@gmail.com; or find this blog home at www.FindingAuthenticYou.com. Any of my books can be found on Amazon or Barnes and Nobel, just by typing my name in the search header.