Expansion Encounters - with Dusty
My heart's desire sticks in 2006!

A special thank you to all of you who continue to support Life Now and our ventures!

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You can read archive issues of "Expansion Encounters" at Archives

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Who's Path
by Dusty Reed

"There are those who would quickly love each other if once they were to speak to each other, for when they spoke, they would discover that their souls had only separated by phantoms and delusions." - Ernest Hello

Conversations with others are selective by the subject matter we choose to encompass. The interpretations we accept provide us with our own full and balanced understanding. We are not seeing it, however, from the eyes of the person who is sharing it with us. Nor do we experience communication by ignoring the evidence of a person's motivation just because it does not fit with our past beliefs. It is good to be present with the subject at hand when someone is speaking.

Interpretation and perception are from the same side of the coin. We interpret by the way we perceive. Perception is the initial registry to the mind. Interpretation gathers our definition from memory, symbols and words. It is how we explain to another our perception of what we have read, seen or heard.

Awareness is a key to accurate communication. When we move away from awareness, we break the holistic response. Holistic thinking has influenced attitudes about the environment, the family, work, and world peace.

We determine how we perceive "through choice and with intention," shares a friend. The most basic element of change is a person's state of mind. The mind is the greatest powerhouse and the highest stumbling block for innovative processes. Without the intention, we get nowhere. Intention is only the first step. Good intention, by itself, does not get the job done.

A closed mind can get in the way of progress but the closed state of the mind can be a temporary necessity to stabilize the system. People are not ill when they initially shut themselves off from the world, other's opinions, or new ideas. If the closed mind state is prolonged, it may indicate a person's need to learn how to get in control of his or her own behavior and unlock the frozen creative power.

When we try to hold on to our old ideas, belief systems, rules for how we want things to be, we block the flow of communication. We attempt to make the past the present.

There is a beautiful and profound way of blending the past with the present. It is by acknowledging the eternal now as always within. By staying aware, we stay attuned by the guiding light that is always before us. The path continues....

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Erasing Yesterday
by Dusty Reed

Erasing our yesterdays and starting anew and refreshed each day is a wonderful concept. Is it possible?

The Lord does and I am sure He expects us to do so, too. "I, even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins" - Isaiah 43:25.

From studying the scrolls in Og Mandino's book, "Greatest Salesman in the World," I am absorbing the lessons they offer. After studying the first scroll for three weeks, a light bulb began to blink.

Filling a blank page with just today's experiences can teach some powerful truths about ourselves. What do we do automatically, as from habit? How much of our activity involves making an impromptu choice rather than falling back on habits?

A friend shared that she keeps a special time free each day for doing whatever she chooses for that time. Some have shared that they go with the flow every day. How much of that flow includes daily, necessary routines? Keeping a running list of what we do through the day will tell us how much we are doing from habit and how much we are choosing to do spontaneously. Do we automatically fix meals for our family at a certain time? Do we make the bed before we leave for work? Do we drive a certain route to work each day? Our habits are myriad, even though we seldom give them any conscious thought.

Erasing yesterdays does not mean changing our activity on purpose. That supports effort and to be spontaneous does not require effort. It does require a mindset of today being the day to "begin a new life." As with tunnel vision, we only see today; the good memories will come along naturally. The less-favorables will fall away.

I have written and allowed to happen, at various stages in my life, what I would consider my "ideal" day. Sometimes this includes a desired schedule of activity. Sometimes it includes a scenario of how I would like to see my life transformed into a desired lifestyle. Sometimes it includes waking up and beginning with meditation to "clear my slate" and begin with a new page at that moment. By focusing on this in times past, I now see all of these desires molded into my life as my desired lifestyle.

By staying with each "today," we experience success in every moment! We can thus enjoy life to the fullest!

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Some sites I recommend:

Good Life Now

SpiritLink

Spiritual Endeavors

MSN AstroCenter
Includes several articles, astrology, Numerology, Tarot and much other information.

The Classifieds Directory

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It is my joy to share with you that I now have some new rose drawings and some photographs available at art.com! You can view them at Dusty's Roses
And, I also have a page with note cards (for sale) with some of my rose drawings. You can check it out by going to Rose Descriptions.
I have been posting nearly all of my drawings that are not displayed elsewhere at Rose Garden I have two galleries there. The other is at Reed's Loft. It has various photographs, other drawings, and notecards available.

My sister-in-spirit, Sunny, has several of her drawings and has added new photos at art.com, too, at Sunny's Art Work

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And, for anyone who enjoys playing at ebay, lots of goodies (records, colored pencil drawings, books & post cards) are available at Dusty's eBay

You are welcome to forward this newsletter to friends who might be interested! If they would like to subscribe (at no cost), they can write to me at Dusty (with Expansion Encounters as subject). Thanx muchly!

Working toward consideration and to better humanity, we want to encourage free enterprise, free speech. We are Life Now, a spiritual happening on and off the Internet.

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