On the other hand, when a female enters the same group, the decisions are based upon her vulnerability. What can be done "to her" or "for her".

If, be it male or female, she or he reflects an image opposite of what is expected, others may become very uncomfortable. Personal rejection may be the result.

My point is to gain ultimate "grit", ask little of others because they may or may not be comfortable with your capabilities. Ask for God's help only when you can't accomplish it yourself.

Group decisions based on personal appearance are an energy event. Our personal energy force begins with the power of our thoughts and creativity. Ralph Waldo Emerson mentions "the force" in his essay on "Self-Reliance". Our personal energy is reflected, not only in our appearance, but also in our surroundings and our activities ("We know each other by the work of our hands"--William James, Principles of Psychology, 1890).

Working with energy forces as a basic tool can be very creative. We identify energy personalities in others, wanting to draw to ourselves compatible forces. We can mold it like clay and blend it as though we were making a cake.

Force, which flows like light, if we're unprepared, takes a toll upon the spirit...it's the payback for living. That's why it's necessary to spend our energy wisely and to take time to re-new in every way available to us.

Life events pound upon us like breakers upon a shore. It often takes "grit" to move forward. Add to that another option: stay out of deep waters. Avoid the common errors of others. You probably know many already.

If it's true that every breath and every morsel of food that enters our body makes a difference, then it must also be true that every thought that enters our minds must also make a difference.

Our thinking reflects itself in our environment. If we don't like our air or our water, to make repairs, begin with ourselves. Is our life is filled with lies and unkept promises, or maybe our job is going nowhere? We probably do not like our thoughts either!

That being said, the next step would be to control our thoughts. If we can't control our thinking, who can? There are many that try: The Gods of the Marketplace, television and radio, government, and special interests. You name it, they're all bidding for our thoughts. Because our thoughts are powerful, they're valuable.

Instead,for moments and later, for hours, try controlling your thoughts to include messages that serve higher purpose. Yes, this is a lot like praying. I would hope, in fact, that perhaps God will overhear.

Bathing and performing personal grooming is useful personal time to establish a period of mind direction. Affirmations and prayers, self-hypnosis and goal setting are ideally performed during bathing.

Incidentally, my personal grooming time is getting longer and longer in duration. I prepare a weekly list of attitudes I hope to develop and issues I hope to resolve, tucked away in a pocket of my robe. No one, not even my family members know of my work during peaceful moments of bath.

Psychics and mediums really take a pounding because they work with energy. Unless they build their personal energy and stamina, they won't survive to ripe old ages.

Examples I'm familiar with are Dion Fortune, who passed over from leukemia in her mid-fifties and Jane Roberts who suffered from rheumatoid arthritis and also left us in her mid-fifties. Roberts knew of her vulnerability. She used self-hypnosis and read extensively hoping to discover techniques to overcome her disability.

Illness, does not teach us anything, except possibly not to be sick. But, some souls use illness for complex purposes. Some learn what it is to be helpless. Others learn the responsibility for caring for another. Certainly, making facilities available to the disabled is a rising of the social consciousness.

Stephen Hawking, the noted physicist, (yes-he's psychic, and probably views it as purely mental--more about that later) has overcome in many ways, his disability. I wonder, if by creating a reason, even an excuse for no physical activity, he can direct all of his energy to his search for "the reason for everything". Such activities are not unusual for such a genius.

Shirley MacLaine is a direct opposite. MacLaine, also a genius, Flexes her spirit to nourish her mentality. She is prepared for the toll that energy takes upon the body. Her years of disciplined dance practice reflects her spirit. Her spirit came first and showed itself in her activities.

MacLaine, I imagine, will live to a distant old-age. I suppose that she intends to enjoy every moment of it! Personally, I prefer McLain’s methods over Hawkins’s. It's obvious that spirit can result in purpose and determination. One cannot be a wimp.

I've made a study of MacLaine's activities. She has made her mistakes, mostly about romance. But she's figured it out. I think when she was about 50 or so, she remarked "I've finally grown past the 2nd chakra". The 2nd chakra involves sex and romance. I assume MacLaine hasn't given up on finding the perfect "compadre", rather I hope she has established guidelines for qualifying candidates.

MacLaine now is working her way past that area of blockage. Shirley's making better choices about who and how she will spend her time and efforts.

Romance Do we choose marriage partners for the wrong reasons? It looks as though many of us do.

Dion Fortune explains to us that our energy directed toward romance also takes its toll upon the spirit. Imagine for a moment those of us who have made mistakes in choosing our romantic partners.

Unwanted pregnancies, sexual disease, and our energy lost while un-winding a relationship. Maybe it's a problem of an abusive relationship... a real downer when our personal safety is threatened.

Sociologists are reporting that huge numbers of women, on a global scale, in the free world where we have choices, are refraining from marriage. It's about time we changed our thinking in matters of romance... the cost of our mistakes is devastating.

Here's a technique that's getting easier and easier to apply when I reach for it. Smile. Put a smile on your face especially when you least feel like it. Studies show that the muscles we use when we're smiling trigger changes in our body chemistry.

Yep! A smile will change your thinking, almost immediately. Smiling moves your energy up one level. So when you're feeling angry or sorrowful--stop and smile. Keep it there--it will change everything. Smiling when you least want to, my friend, takes real "grit".

I use the smile technique when trying to deal with my teenage grandson. He's bipolar and God knows I need all the energy I can draw when he and I are reacting to each other. A simple smile on my face seems to add to my influence upon him as opposed to his influence upon me.

Another idea for energy building is to dance to the music on the radio. I keep my body flexible using this technique. I don't walk as often as I like--so I dance. Stand in place and do the moves gal. You'll love it!

Eat your vegetables! Science tells us that we should eat 8 lbs. of veggies and fruit a week. Do it! You'll feel stronger and resolve one more issue about energy. Drink plenty of water. I drink at least 32 ounces daily. I carry ice water or ice tea in my car while doing errands and drink water even while I'm working. Keeps my complexion clean and makes my "innards" happy.

God is mysterious and unknowable, that's true. However, mankind has learned something about the nature of God. I've never heard a man of God in western thinking tell us that. God travels a knowable path--according to Dion Fortune--"The Mystical Qubalah". Follow the paths of the chakra or the Qubalah. The Qubalah, according to tradition, was written by the angels and given to mankind.

The Bible is not the only source of human spirituality.

Read Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Self-Reliance", not just once but often. Keep a dictionary handy. You can download Emerson's essays by clicking on "Gutenberg Project". I have posted links through-out fountains-n-more.com. Beware of those who write about the power of the spirit but only in terms of wealth. They have taken a subject that is nothing about wealth and applied it only to money.

Such information looks true, but it's laced with half-truths based on something similiar to a Disney re-write--much like thinking every picture of a woman must be the "Mona Lisa".

Search for models from experts who observe and report on how the universe works. Those of us who study mankind and those of us who actually get things done are models to learn from.

We're making careful choices and I'm proud of us! We're truly "gettin' grit". Sister Teresa told us "It's only between you and God anyway". If we choose to follow outside influences, find an extraordinary example, otherwise you will most likely guarantee your next life-time being "samo-samo".

Blessings, Clementine