QuantumBliss Blog

2007-07-09T16:24:00.000+01:00

I won't be posting to this blog anymore, as I am planning to set up a new one on my QB domain. But I will leave this one up, as it contains some relevant material.

My site: QuantumBliss.com

2007-05-03T17:03:00.000+01:00

New Abraham Forum (part 2!)

The official Abraham forum was deleted a couple of weeks ago, but fortunately David Gordon (the owner of the Yahoo Abelist) has just created a new forum, in the same style as the old one, which promises to be just as good : )

http://www.theabeforum.com/

2007-03-16T13:30:00.000Z

Abraham Forum

There is a new discussion forum on the official Abraham-Hicks site - a great place to meet some like-minded people!

2007-03-08T10:01:00.000Z

New MySpace Page

QuantumBliss is now on MySpace!

2007-02-23T21:12:00.000Z

Goals should be fun!

Like many people, I like to set goals as a way of clarifying my direction in life. However, I've had mixed success when it comes to actually achieving them, as I'd sometimes procrastinate and sabotage my progress in others ways. In the end I felt quite disillusioned with the goal setting process, let my goals go, and kind of drifted for a bit, which wasn't satisfying either.

But I missed having those inspiring goals, and wanted to begin again, but without the negative experiences I'd come to associate with goal-setting. It's only relatively recently that I've come to realise why I didn't always make the progress I wanted, and started to approach goal-setting from a different perspective. Now I'm enjoying the process again, and I've written a short article on my site about why.

2007-02-17T13:36:00.000Z

New stuff

I haven't posted for a while, but I certainly haven't abandoned this blog! I've added a few new articles to my site, and have major plans for expanding it over the next year, with lots of fresh original content, especially in the Abraham-Hicks section!

In the meantime, I've just begun to practice the Five Tibetan Rites of Rejuvenation (as originally described by Peter Kelder in his book 'Ancient Secret of the Fountain of Youth'

I'm quite excited about this, and I've set up a separate blog to keep a record of my experiences with these exercises - http://fivetibetanrites.blogspot.com/

2006-11-12T11:42:00.000Z

End of no-reading week

As I mentioned on Monday, I've been doing a no-reading week. I finished yesterday, after 6 days (not quite a full week, but I felt like I'd gained all the benefits I was going to get from it by then), and although I'm glad it's over, it's been quite a powerful experience, and definitely worth doing.

The first two days were very easy, and I didn't miss reading at all, although by the third day I was feeling a little bored - not through lack of other stuff to do, but simply because I was missing catching up with the few sites that I visit regularly. On the plus side, I've had a lot of new insights, and have definitely released more inner resistance. I've spent a lot of time writing, which in itself seems to encourage new movement forward. I've also been more productive than usual, using the extra time that I would have spent reading to do various things that I didn't feel like I had time for before. I also feel a lot less cluttered, mentally.

For anyone who spends a lot of time reading books, magazines, surfing the net etc, and feels like they maybe spend a bit too much time on these activities, or they do it in a compulsive way, or sho simply feels like some mental de-cluttering, I'd definitely recommend taking a break for a few days (and also from watching TV/movies and listening to the radio, if you do those things, which I generally don't). I don't think I want to do another full 7 days any time soon, but I'll probably do a day or two each week on a regular basis.

For more about the idea behind doing a no-reading week, see 'The Artist's Way' by Julia Cameron.

2006-11-10T08:19:00.000Z

Steve Pavlina

I like to visit Steve Pavlina's site. It covers a wide variety of personal development topics, and includes discussion of some 'esoteric' subjects like lucid dreaming and OBEs. He has a balanced approach to these types of topics - neither gullible nor closed-minded. The site also discusses a range of more mainstream subjects, such as public speaking, goal setting, and entrepreneurship amongst others, and has a selection of excellent articles on wealth and developing a prosperity consciousness. He also details his interesting experiments with polyphasic sleep, and his blog usually makes interesting reading too.

Pavlina has just added a discussion board to his site, and it has become very active already, with forums for a large variety of subjects, from health to business and technology, as well as law of attraction and other metaphysical topics.

I certainly don't agree with everything he says (I've yet to encounter anyone I'm in complete agreement with!), but I'm happy to recommend this site - there's a lot of good stuff there, and it may be of interest to readers of this blog.

2006-11-08T08:44:00.000Z

Abraham a cult?!

While googling an Abraham-Hicks-related query recently I spotted that one of the results linked to a forum about cults. Out of curiousity I clicked on it, and was amused to see that several of the posters there appear to believe that Abraham is a cult, complete with gullible followers and dishonest figureheads (Jerry and Esther!) They were also very critical of 'The Secret' movie. It was quite clear that few of the posters had actually read or heard the Abraham material first-hand, as their criticisms were rather ignorant. They also seemed to think that Esther's early 'Abraham accent', and Jerry's past involvement with Amway (a network marketing business) were reasons for dismissing them as fraudsters. I suspect that some were genuinely concerned (possibly with good reason given the behaviour of some of the Abraham 'followers' they were describing, assuming their descriptions were accurate), whereas others came across as the type of die-hard materialists who demonstrate a knee-jerk closed minded scepticism to anything connected with the non-physical. It brought home to me once more, that there's never a crowd on the leading edge! (It was also quite notably the only negative reference to Abraham among a mass of positive accolades!)

I found the whole thing rather funny, because anyone who really knows anything about Abraham knows that their whole philosophy is in direct contradiction to cultish behaviour; Abraham is about individuality, personal freedom, thinking for oneself, and trusting in one's own inner guidance above all external guidance. They also, through their frequent anecdotes, stress the fallibility of Jerry and Esther - they are in no way set up as figureheads to be idolised, but instead come across as very likeable, but still 'flawed' human beings; 'we don't live it, we just teach it', as Esther says. Cults, on the contrary, emphasise the importance of the group over the individual, encourage worship of the cult leader, and encourage a dependency on externally imposed dogma and rules, while actively discouraging people from thinking for themselves.

It did occur to me however, that Abraham's message, as with any other philosophy or set of ideas or teachings, may well attract those who are looking for answers, but are unwilling to truly think for themselves - people who could be genuinely susceptible to cultish behaviour. It is unfortunate that so many are so unused to relying on their inner guidance (or even not knowing of its existence) that they give their power away to others. But I can't help thinking that Abraham's message would be less attractive to such people than mainstream religions or the type of 'self-help' teachers who actively set themselves up as gurus. So it's possible that some of the people who follow Abraham do so in a manner that might appear worrying to those around them (particularly those family and friends who are suspicious of anything to do with mind power or 'spirituality'), but I can honestly say, based on my strong familiarity with Abraham's work, that there is nothing in their material that encourages anyone to accept what they say in an unquestioning manner, and they actively stress the importance of each individual finding and following their own inner guidance at all times.

Critical thinking (while maintaining an open mind), combined with an active connection to your inner guidance, is so important. I love the Abraham material , because it really resonates with where I am right now (and am well aware that to a sceptic much of my blog and site might look like the work of a thoroughly brainwashed Abraham 'cult member', LOL!), but I never accept what they say just because it comes from Abraham, and I actively disagree with them on a few points. I never accept anything anyone else tells me either, without passing it by my inner BS filter! And what's right for me may be all wrong for someone else, so no-one should accept anything I say here or on my site either, without asking if it feels right for them. We're all individuals, all on our own very personalised paths, and no appraoch is right for everyone. We grow up accustomed to being encouraged to rely on other older (and presumably wiser) people for guidance, but only the individual knows what's best for her/him. So tune into that inner guidance, and trust it above all else! (and feel free to ignore all this too of course... ; )

2006-11-06T08:24:00.000Z

No reading week

Today I am beginning a 'no reading' week, as suggested by Julia Cameron in her excellent book 'The Artist's Way'. Her reasoning is that many people with creative blocks use the constant influx of other people's words and ideas as a way to avoid their own creativity. I'm not creatively blocked (just the opposite!), but do feel like I spend too much time reading, at the expense of giving time to my own ideas, so this will be a beneficial thing to try.

I read the book several years ago, and thought the no reading sounded like a good idea, but, as someone who has always been a huge reader, I found it extremely difficult to put into practice. But now the time feels right, so I'll be avoiding books, magazines and surfing the web for 7 days (blog posting doesn't count - that's writing not reading, and I've prepared this week's posts in advance, so I don't have to read anything while writing them!).

For people who don't read much, this would be no big deal, but for me it will be quite a radical departure from my usual habits, and I'm looking forward to the creative shake up I think it'll bring.

2006-11-05T09:12:00.000Z

Book Review - 'Busting Loose from the Money Game'

I rarely buy metaphysical/self-help type books any more, as I feel like the Abraham (and Seth) material has given me all I need to know, at least at this point in life. I prefer them because I think their non-human perspective gives their information a freedom from the typical limitations and distortions that human writers tend to impose on basic concepts like law of attraction, etc. But now and then I do buy some material by other writers, and I recently bought 'Busting Loose From The Money Game' by Bob Scheinfeld. Scheinfeld is the grandson of Manpower founder Aaron Scheinfeld, and claims to have pieced together his philosphy on wealth creation based on initial advice received from his successful grandfather. I don't regret buying this book, as I received some value from it, but at the same time I strongly disagree with some of his fundamental premises.

This review is based on the one I wrote for Amazon.

Summary

Basically Scheinfeld is saying - we create our reality (including our financial reality) with our minds. Our life experience is a illusory game created by what he calls our 'Expanded Self' - a larger, omnipotent creative intelligence, of which we are just a small aspect. This 'Human Game' is divided into 2 phases: Phase 1, which most people are stuck in, and Phase 2, the attinment of which is the goal of the processes in this book. Phase 1 appears to have rigid rules, and was purposely designed by our Expanded Self to convince us of our limitations and lack of power. When we are ready, we enter Phase 2, in which our Expanded Self leads us through the process of reclaiming our personal power and then 'busting loose' of the game. After busting loose, our desires and goals (including money) will fall into place with little effort, and we might experience seemingly 'impossible' events, as the illusory nature of reality becomes apparent, and life no longer has to follow the usual rules.

What I liked about the book:

I found it to be well written, and some parts are quite interesting and thought-provoking.

The idea that our consciousness creates our reality is nothing new to me, and I'm already familiar with the holographic model of reality creation that he discusses. This model is interesting and worth knowing about, although he does not go into much detail here (for a more in-depth discussion, I recommend 'The Holographic Universe' by Michael Talbot).

Scheinfeld offers four techniques which we can use to enter and progress through Phase 2. These are appreciation, the selection of an empowering vocabulary and what he terms 'The Process' and 'The Mini Process'. Even though I don't accept his notion of what Phase 2 should be like, I have found all of these techniques to be useful.

I like his `no limit' thinking - he proposes a vision of what life could be like unencumbered by all the rules and regulations that most people accept as normal or just `how life is'. I do agree with him that our potential as conscious creators of our own realities is unlimited, and that so called `supernatural' or 'magical' events could be commonplace if only we could allow them, and it's good to see a writer who is unafraid to stick his neck out and make claims that probably sound preposterous to the average person (Star Trek's Q as a role model? - sounds good to me!)

I also like his debunking of traditional ways of thinking about money, which I've always thought were rather unnecessary and limited.

What I didn't like:

While the holographic model in general makes sense to me, Scheinfeld claims that the other people (and animals etc) in my life are purely my creation, and I don't accept this. I see them more as independent consciousnesses who are also creating their own holographic realities, some aspects of which intersect with my own (based on the law of attraction), thus contributing to our shared experiences. I do agree with his assertion that no-one else can create in my experience however, and tend to think that people will show whatever side of themselves that I attract from them, so in that sense we do have control over the type of behaviours we attract from others.

I don't accept his notion of the 'Human Game', or agree that we're just pawns created by our Expanded Self for its own amusement. On the contrary - I don't really see any distinction between that Expanded Self (or what Abraham would call the 'Inner Being'), and the `me' that is here experiencing this life - its power is mine, and my experiences from this self-created perspective are of value to it. We are on the leading edge, and we (the `expanded me' plus the personality I know as 'me') are in control - together.

I don't agree that the `busting loose' process has to be painful and traumatic, as Scheinfeld claims. Nor do I agree with his belief that we have to just passively wait for our Expanded Self to pop unpleasant events into our experience for us to react to. It's perfectly possible to reclaim our power and release inner resistance without all the trauma and drama. The journey to complete freedom and personal power can be a totally fun, joyful, uplifting one.

Scheinfeld says that what we experience doesn't matter - it's no better to be wealthy than to be poor, or to have good relationships rather than bad ones. While I agree that it's unhealthy to be inflexible and to get overly attached to specific outcomes, and that valuable insight can be derived from any event, I can't accept that our desires and preferences have no value. IMO we're here to constantly formulate new preferences, and those preferences do matter - what's the point of being a deliberate creator without a personally defined, constantly evolving purpose towards which we can direct our energies? Life may be an illusion, but some aspects of that illusion are undoubtedly more pleasant than others, so why not focus on attracting/creating the pleasant experiences that we prefer? Our positive and negative emotions are intended as guidance, and it's only natural that we should prefer to feel good. To discount that guidance is to ignore a fundamental connection with out Inner Beings!

Not a financial advice book

I would also add - this is not a 'mainstream' financial advice book (which you've probably guessed from the above comments!) You won't find advice about what actions to take to make money (there are plenty of other books on how to manage your money, choose investments etc), nor is it about the psychology of wealth in the usual sense (I like the 'Rich Dad, Poor Dad' series for that aspect of wealth building). It presents a metaphysical approach that requires an open-minded willingness to suspend disbelief and the need for 'proof', so if you're just looking for advice on how to get rich in the traditional ways, or are someone who isn't willing to consider a new idea unless it has been scientifically validated, this isn't the book for you!

Take what works...

There's more in the book that I didn't like much, but these are the main points. Scheinfeld is presenting his model of reality here, which is apparently working for him, and which seems to work well for many others too, but his model might not be the best approach for everyone. The material here is just one perspective on the purpose and mechanics of this physical life experience. As with any book or other information source, the best approach is to take what resonates with you, and discard the rest.

I still prefer Abraham!

Personally, I like to forge my own path, but in terms of external teachings I strongly recommend the Abraham-Hicks material to anyone who is open-minded enough to accept that they are capable of creating an unlimited reality (including unlimited wealth), but who also prefers an easy-going, joyous path, in which they are in control and which is not fraught with trauma and unpleasant `learning' experiences! In fact reading this book has just reinforced my knowing that in the Abraham material, combined with my own inner guidance, I already have all I need to create my perfect life, and simply don't need more advice from others!

2006-11-04T14:46:00.000Z

How do I know how close my desires are to manifesting?

Sometimes desires manifest extremely quickly, in hours or even minutes (I also believe that instant manifestation is possible, although have not yet mastered this!). Yet at other times, our desires can take much longer to show up in our physical experience, and if you don't have a rock-solid sense of certainty that the manifesting process works, this 'lag time' can lead to feelings of doubt and worry, which in themselves can slow down the manifestation even more (or even postpone it indefinitely). So how do we know how close we are to fulfilling our desire?

Here is what Abraham has to say on the subject in The Law of Attraction:

"As you have set forth your intent to have something and you are looking expectantly for it, it is now on its way to you, and you will begin to see many signs of it: You will see others who have achieved something like it, which will stimulate your wanting; you will take more notice of aspects of it in many different directions; you will find yourself thinking about it and feeling excited about it often; and you will be feeling very good about that which you want - those will be some of the signs that what you want is on its way.

When you understand that the majority of your creative effort is spent in defining what you want and them aligning your thougts to that desire, you may them realize that the majority of the creative process is taking place on a vibrational level. Therefore, your creation can be nearly complete, as much as 99 per cent complete, before you will see physical evidence of it.

If you will remember that the positive emotion you are feeling in anticipation of your creation is also evidence of its progress, them you will be able to move steadily and quickly towards the outcomes you desire." (p. 183, © www.abraham-hicks.com)

For those used to the action-oriented, go-getting mentality of this society, it can take a bit of a leap of faith sometimes to truly accept that we create primarily on an energy level, with out thoughts and feelings. But it gets easier with practice - it just takes a willingness to suspend disbelief, and to turn away from the way the majority think. This is well worth the effort, because vibrational creation (which may include inspired actions) can be so much faster, and more elegant and affective than creating only through willpower and 'motivated' action, which can be crude and inefficient (not to mention exhausting) in comparison.

Some may see such an attitude as lazy - but is that a bad thing? Too many people have been indoctrinated with the 'life is hard' mentality. Going with the flow and letting life come easily is much more fun!

2006-11-03T08:30:00.000Z

Life's not about 'learning lessons'

One theme that comes up again and again in the 'new age'/self-help genre is that life is primarily about growth, and that life gives us 'lessons' or (even worse) 'tests', in the form of negative experiences, and that the path to success (as we define it) is littered with this kind of experience. And I've always thought that idea was a load of BS, even before discovering Abraham's joy-centered perspective. It's true that we can learn from any experience, and if we experience something not to our liking, it's certainly a good idea to figure out how to avoid repeating it, and create something better. But the idea that life/the universe/our 'higher self'/whatever is somehow making us endure this unpleasant stuff, just so we can grow into 'better' people, or as a price for reaching our goals, is just misguided, IMO.

For one thing, we attract/create all of our own experiences. There's no higher power authority figure deciding what we 'need' to experience. All of it, positive and negative, is our own creation, and we can choose to direct our thoughts and feelings in such a way as to manifest only those experiences we desire. Of course, this may be easier said than done - it takes practice for most people (myself included) to be able to consistently focus on what they desire, and keep a positive orientation. If negative stuff manifests in the meantime, some find it easier or more comforting to believe that it's a necessary learning experience mandated by some higher power, which they have little control over.

And secondly, this idea is misguided because our primary purpose is to enjoy life. Growth is inevitable, just as a result of experiencing life and forming new preferences, but we don't need to suffer in order to grow. Growth comes from joyful experiences too, and suffering may be counterproductive; as Abraham says, there can be no happy ending to an unhappy journey. Yet the idea is rather ingrained in western culture (and many others) that life is somehow fundamentally difficult and unpleasant, that we are inherently flawed and need to improve ourselves, and that suffering is necessary and inevitable. From such a mindset, it's unsurprising that people tend to make a virtue out of what they see as an unpleasant necessity, and it's certainly a good thing to look for the value in any experience. But suffering in order to succeed and to grow as a person is never necessary in any absolute sense.

Many will disagree with what has been said here, and no attempt is being made to convince those who genuinely enjoy seeing their earthly life as some kind of cosmic school in which they are compelled to endure unpleasant lessons 'for their own greater good', and in order to find success, that life may be otherwise. But personally, I'm glad never to have fully bought into that mindset, and to have now left it behind completely. As Abraham says in The Law of Attraction:

"It is not that you are being offered "lessons". We do not like that word very much, for that sounds as if there is some order of that which you should, or must, learn, and there is none of that. It is that your life experience brings you knowing, and you become wiser and broader through that knowing." (p.143)

and: "...if you will let your standard of success be your achievement of joy, everything else will fall easily into place. For in the finding of joy, you are finding vibrational alignment with the resources of the universe." (p. 71)

and in a 2002 seminar: "Everything exists for joy. There is not one other reason for life than joy. We've got nothing to prove to anyone, because nobody other than All-That-Is is watching. In other words, we're not trying to get brownie points from some other galaxy. We're not trying to get someplace else; we're not trying to get it done, because there is no ending--we cannot get it done. Everything exists for the purpose of joy in the moment." (Silver Spring, MD, 11/5/02 © www.abraham-hicks.com )

The universe is joy, fun, well-being, freedom, success etc - why should we, as aspects of the universe, need to create anything different?!

2006-11-02T09:01:00.000Z

It really works!

I haven't felt like writing much over the last few months, but have been continuing with the Abraham stuff and EFT, and it has been a fantastic experience. Life just gets better and better. So, for me at least, Abraham + EFT = a powerful combination. To anyone who is working with deliberate creation and feels like not much is happening - stick with it, and make feeling good your top priority. With time, the old resistance starts to dissolve, and it's like a dam bursting - just minor movement at first, then it all picks up speed & major shifts start to occur, and life changes for the better in myriad ways. This kind of step by step progress is more fun than 'quantum leaping', IMO, and more sustainable too. In short - this stuff really works! : D

2006-11-01T09:05:00.000Z

Patience is not a virtue

From the new Abraham book:

"When you understand the Law of Attraction, and when you begin to deliberately direct your own thoughts, the things you desire will flow quickly and steadily into your experience - and patience will not be necessary.

We are not excited about anyone learning patience, for it implies that things naturally take a long time, and that is not true. They only take a long time in coming when your thoughts are contradicted. If you move forward then backward, then forward then backward, you could potentially never get to where you want to go. But when you stop moving backward and only move forward, you will get there quickly. And that does not require patience."

The Law of Attraction, p. 101, (© www.abraham-hicks.com)

I've always been naturally impatient, so this is good news!

2006-10-31T11:27:00.000Z

The Law of Attraction - new Abraham-Hicks book

I've just bought the new Abraham book, 'The Law of Attraction'. It covers the basics of their teachings - the laws of attraction, deliberate creation and allowing, and the segment intending process. I don't think there's much new material here that's not in their other books, but it provides a more thorough explanation of these basic concepts. It's intended as a kind of prequel to 'Ask and it is Given'. I think it basically contains the same material that's covered in their 5 CD introductory set, where Jerry asks lots of questions and Abraham answers, and much of this book has the same Q&A format. It would probably be of value to anyone interested in Abraham and creating their experience, but is not an absolute 'must have', if you already have the later books and/or the introductory CD set. I'm very glad I bought it though - it's always good to revisit the fundamentals, and as a true Abraham junkie, I couldn't not buy one of their books!

2006-09-26T13:28:00.000+01:00

Inspired Action vs Motivated Action

Inspired action is a million times more fun - and more powerful and productive - than motivated action. Inspired action, in Abraham's terms, is that which is undertaken because it feels good - it is inspired by joy. Motivated action is that action which is undertaken from the fear of what might happen if you don't act. For most people, working is motivated action - motivated by the fear of not making any money. Imagine a life where all action is inspired, and none motivated!

As much as is currently possible, only take those actions that feel good. And even if some motivated action seems necessary, don't give it any more mental energy than necessary. Do the job you dislike if you must (for now), but don't spend any of your out of hours time thinknig about it. Try to focus only on what feels good, and as much as possible, let those happy thoughts inspire your actions. Over time, law of attraction will bring more and more thoughts and actions that are inspired by joy, and one day you'll wake up, and realise that inspired action now dominates. And then you'll be fulfilling life's purpose - to enjoy it!

2006-06-26T10:54:00.000+01:00

Letting go, and getting in the flow

I haven't felt like posting much recently, and instead of feeling bad about it, I've been keeping Abraham's suggestion in mind - get in the flow and only take inspired action that feels good!

Really putting this principle to work can be challenging, having grown up with the idea that success comes through self-discipline, hard work, perseverance etc etc. Only doing what feels good can feel a little lazy and self-indulgent (in a negative sense), and maybe even doomed to failure. But with a bit of practice, it gets easier, and it becomes apparent that I don't need to 'make' things happen to get the desired results. I haven't been sitting around doing nothing (although that would be ok too) - I've been taking inspired action in other areas, and have actually been extremely creative and productive. Just not in the way my logical mind might have planned!

So, letting go, and truly going with the flow, may provoke some resistance at first, but it's well worth doing, both for the results, and - more importantly - for the how you'll feel along the way - in tune, on purpose, and totally happy!

2006-06-11T21:06:00.000+01:00

New article - 'So, What Do You Do?'

A few weeks back I wrote a post here about why I find it annoying when people ask what I do for a living. I've now expanded my rant into a full length article on my website!

2006-06-10T13:04:00.000+01:00

My new music blog

Although this blog and my QuantumBliss site cover my interest in the consciousness-altering aspects of music and sound, I've decided to set up a separate blog (and eventually a separate site) to discuss my interest in music generally (although I'll include the 'weird' stuff too!). I want to write more about recording, performance and compositional techniques, as well as my favourite composers and performers, and that stuff doesn't really fit with the scope of QuantumBliss.

So, here it is! http://musicalcosmos.blogspot.com

I'm a little pushed for time at the moment, so probably won't be posting that often (at least to begin with), but eventually, this is going to be big! ; )

(I still need to iron out some glitches in the template, so apologies if it looks a little ropey!)

2006-06-07T13:28:00.000+01:00

When your desires aren't manifesting...

It's good, generally, to keep a clear vision of our desires in mind, and to focus on how it'll feel to have those desire fulfilled. But sometimes, focusing on a desire can just make us more aware of the fact that it hasn't manifested yet, and it can be difficult to move our attention away from this lack of manifestation.

If that's the case, it can be helpful to temporarily stop focusing on what we want. Instead, focus on what is great and successful in our lives already. Doing this removes our attention from lack, and places it on what we've successfully manifested. From this more positive state of mind, where we see ourselves as successful already, it is then easier to go back to focusing on our dreams - this time without the strong awareness of lack.

Abraham makes this point on one of their Mexican cruise CDs, in response to a guest who was complaining that she felt as if her desire was close to manifesting, but never seemed to show up:

"Well you don’t really [feel close]! Because we’re having this discussion because you’re feeling frustration that it has not come… And it really doesn’t do any good, to say, why isn’t it coming, why isn’t it coming, I think I’m so close, why isn’t it coming? Because that just keeps active the vibration that isn’t letting it come. So, what we suggest you do, is get your attention off whatever it is, get your attention off the fact hat it hasn’t come, and start finding things about that subject and about your life that you are enjoying and making peace with."
(© Abraham-Hicks)

Visualising our desires is great, but sometimes it can be just as important to take time to refocus our attention in the present, and remind ourselves how many desires we've already manifested!

2006-06-06T13:58:00.000+01:00

Procrastination is not a bad thing!

I love this quote from my new Abraham CD. This is a great way to live - to just make all of our decisions based on how good they feel, and if something doesn't feel great, to recognise that now is not the best time to do it. And to recognise too, that procrastination is just inner guidance telling us that the energy isn't lined up yet! (I spent years procrastinating & feeling bad about it - I wish I'd known this then!)

"When you get in the flow of what Source has already lined up for you, it just takes you, and wild horses can’t keep you from it.... Jerry & Esther’s friend Alan Cohen has written a book called Why Your Life Sucks and What to do About It, he talks about, when an option is before you, and it feels like hell YES!, go with it, but if it doesn’t feel like that, then consider it, for now, a hell no.

And we think that’s really good advice, because what he’s saying with that, is if the current is really strong, and it’s really in alignment with who I am and what I’m wanting, the impulse will feel so powerful that I’ll just be swept with it, and if it’s not vibrationally ready for me, then it’s going to take more of my action work that I should give to anything.

Things that feel hard to you, are going against the current. Things that feel hard, never turn out the way you want them to. People talk about a feeling of procrastination, and they club themselves about the neck and face with that. In other words, they say I’m a procrastinator, and we say or, you might be someone who’s sensitive to energy, who can feel that the energy is not right, it’s not ready for you to go, and so you’re wanting to continue to collect data, and continue to line up your energy and wait for the impulse that is so compelling."
(06-04-30, Asheville NC, © Abraham-Hicks)

I especially love the bit "if it’s not vibrationally ready for me, then it’s going to take more of my action work that I should give to anything." - we should never have to make anything into a long hard slog! Action isn't primarily meant for creating, it's meant for enjoying the fruits of what we create vibrationally, and the only action that gets results is truly inspired action.

2006-06-05T10:56:00.000+01:00

Our true nature

I love this quote from my latest Abraham CD :

"The true nature of your being is one of fantastic abundance, incredible physical vitality and agility, confidence and wellbeing, and most of all, the knowledge that you are powerful beings, worthy of anything that this time space reality can inspire within you."

(06-04-30, Asheville NC, © Abraham-Hicks)

People should grow up knowing this!

2006-06-03T18:17:00.000+01:00

The power of no plans

What do you do when 'following your bliss' starts to feel like a chore? I've experienced this - I would begin doing the activities I loved, but at some point they'd start to feel like 'work'. Then I'd find myself procrastinating! These are things that I love doing more than anything, yet I'd be making excuses to avoid them! Why?

Because I was starting to link them in my mind to other things, such as money. I made the mistake of believing that wealth comes through action, and that action taken doing what I love is the best path to wealth. And it is, but not in the way that I thought.

As Abraham says, you can't have a happy ending to an unhappy journey. My activities were starting to feel like drudgery, because I was cutting off the flow of pure positive energy by connecting them with my finances. I was doing too much planning, thinking in terms of how I could maximise my efficiency to manifest wealth from my activities in the shortest possible time. I was making to do lists, and schedules and timetables, all designed to make me as (economically) productive as possible. In other words, I was making the mistake of making my income conditional upon my action, and this was killing any joy I would normally feel in these actions, thus leading to procrastination.

The lack of joy was a signal that my Source energy doesn't see things in that way - Source knows that wealth does not need to be earned, and that the purpose of action is simply to enjoy the results of what we create with thought. By trying to create through my actions, I was interfering with my connection to my Source, and feeling bad about my actions as a result.

The solution? To drop all the plans, and the need to figure out 'how' my activites would connect to my income, or indeed if they would at all. To fully practice what I know to be true; that money (and all other good things) comes when we're most joyful, most connected, and fully aligned with our desires. When we're having fun, in other words. And what's the best way to maintain this aligned state? To live moment to moment, and continually ask myself, is this fun? What activity appeals most right now? And to take inspired action (or sometimes no action at all) based on what feels best in the moment.

This is not to say I've abandoned my goals - on the contrary, I find them more energising and appealing than ever before! But I've abandoned the need to figure out every step along the way to them. It takes something of a leap of faith, to abandon the need to have it all mapped out, but it's by far the most enjoyable way to live, when you get used to it. Every day is fresh and new, rich with possibilities, and there's none of the stress of trying to figure out the 'how', which isn't our job anyway!

2006-05-29T22:03:00.000+01:00

Working from home - new article

I wrote a few days ago about why I love working from home, and have now expanded my ideas into a full length article on my website.

2006-05-28T17:59:00.000+01:00

Check this out...

It's always great to discuss law of attraction and reality creation with others, and since these ideas are often a bit 'weird' to most people in our lives, the internet can be a fantastic resource for finding like minds.

Here is a brand new site that has been established to discuss these principles and techniques - it has a great vibe and a forum too (where yours truly is a mod!), so come along & join in : )

http://realitycreating.com/

http://realitycreating.com/community/index.php

2006-05-25T12:31:00.000+01:00

I Love Working From Home

For many people who are seeking freedom and control over their lives, but who work a conventional 9-5 type job, the job can be a barrier to their freedom. This is not always the case of course - lots of people have jobs they love, and enjoy the social interaction and other aspects. But for those of us who, like me, prefer to have complete control over how we spend our time, and the environment we spend it in, working from home is ideal.

One of my income sources is doing some copywriting and editing work, which I do from home. Earlier this week I had to spend a day in the office of the company I'm working for to sort out a new project - this was the first time I've been in an office in over a year, and it was something of a shock to the system! Even though it's a very nice, laid back kind of office, with very nice people, and if I had to do an office job, I'd rather be there than anywhere else I've ever worked, I was reminded quite forcefully of why I'd never want to go back to working that way permanently. I'm too fond of setting my own hours, taking a break to do something else when ever I want to, not having to get up at a certain time and battle rush hour traffic, etc.

All in all, that one day provided some great contrast (in Abraham terms!) that just amplified my existing desire for total freedom and control over my life. It has also inspired me to write an article for my website on the general fantastic-ness of working from home - will have it up by the weekend!

2006-05-21T11:59:00.000+01:00

So, what do you do?

One question that I find extremely irritating is being asked what I do. This is partly because I do lots of things and don't especially want to have to spend ages explaining them all, and partly because as much as I may enjoy my current activities, I don't want to be defined by any of them.

People tend to make all kinds of assumptions about you based on the answer you give to this question, and in my case, those assumptions are usually inaccurate. Plus, I don't like the thinking behind it for many reasons. Why should we just have one job/career? The question also generally means, 'what do you do for a living?', and this is another reason why I dislike being asked. I don't like the idea that the work we do in exchange for money is somehow more important than our other non-paying activities.

In fact, I don't like the idea that money comes as a result of our work/activities in the first place! Just because most people only allow money into their lives when they've justified their having it by taking a certain amount and/or type of action, it doesn't mean that that's how it has to be. Many people have plenty of money, and do little or no work for it, but they're not the ones that our work-ethic obsessed culture holds up for admiration!

So, there are some of the reasons why the seemingly innocent question 'what do you do', is one that I prefer not to answer. Until now though, I've always felt like I should try to answer it as fully as poosible (all the while feeling resentful and intruded-upon). But on my latest weekly Abraham CD, they talk with a woman who has no financial need to work, but who finds herself feeling awkward when asked by others what she does. Abraham's answer was - don't try to explain. Accept that in the case of people who don't work, or who don't have a straightforward career that can be summed up with one label, not everyone who asks will really understand the answer. Not everyone is a vibrational match to this kind of unconventional life. So there's no need to try to make these people understand. Just come up with some easy answer, but stay in control of the conversation and don't feel like you have to justify your unorthodox choices (Abraham suggests 'I'm still trying to decide what I want to do when I grow up'!).

I might try that one next time I'm asked!

2006-05-20T12:16:00.000+01:00

New eBay article

I have a section on my website devoted to practical techniques for increasing wealth. I firmly believe that self-employment and passive income are two important components of wealth-building for most people, so most of what I write will be based around these areas.

However, I know that sometimes people just want or need to make some extra money on the side quickly, and selling on eBay can be a great way to do that. Of course it can also be a great way to set up your own business, selling from home, or to provide another sales platform for an existing business.

I've been selling successfully on eBay for a while now, and have decided to add a few articles about eBay to the wealth-creation section of my site. They're a little biased, as they're based around my own experiences of selling jewellery, beads, crystals and some other small items. Obviously not all that I have to say will apply to those selling in other areas, but a lot of the fundamentals are the same.

The first article give 12 basic tips for sales success (specifically for art/craft items), and you can read it here.

2006-05-17T11:03:00.000+01:00

Some fundamentals

We can all create exactly the life we desire by the intentional direction of our thoughts and feelings. Yet many - if not most - people have some limiting beliefs that work against this power, and usually some changing of old mental habits is needed. It can be helpful to identify some fundamental 'core' concepts that it's essential to accept if you're to make full use of your creative power.

1. The purpose of life is to enjoy it.
We're here to have fun! Not to prove worthiness, or justify our existence, or achieve some specific outcome. If life isn't fun, whatever you're doing, something's wrong, and manifestation is more difficult. As Abraham puts it, "Your goal is joy. Everything else will take care of itself." (94-3-20, Melbourne FL)

2. You can create absolutely anything you desire in you life - that power is absolute. You are omnipotent in your own experience.
This is vital - there's no outside force that creates for you, or decides what you should want. You life experience is 100% your own creation - and your own responsibility.

3. Only you know what's best for you.
So many people will try to tell us what we 'should' want, and that certain paths or desires are mor virtuous or praiseworthy than others. But the reality is that only you know what's best for you. If you want it - you should and can have it, regardless of what anyone else thinks.

4. You CAN have you want, easily.
There are no limits here - and no price to pay. You can have it all.

5. You don't have to earn anything.
'Ask and it is given', as Abraham says. Your desires immediately become yours on a vibrational level. All you need do then is fully align with your desire, and allow it to manifest along the path of least resistance. The purpose of action is to enjoy the results of our manifestations, not to bring about those manifestations in the first place. Create with thought; enjoy with action.

6. You deserve total success.
Feeling deserving of an easy, successful joyous life is essential if you're ever going to manifest it! Any low self-esteem issues or feelings of unworthiness need to be dealt with.

7. It doesn't have to take a long time.
You can manifest anything very quickly. No need for months or years of struggle first, even if that's what society as a whole approves of!

2006-05-12T09:46:00.000+01:00

My new blog

Since I'm now selling my jewellery under a new name, I've started a new blog for my jewellery-related posts http://lusciouscrystal.blogspot.com/

I'll continue to use this blog for posts relating to the metaphysical/self-help stuff that I write about on my QuantumBliss site.

I've also changed my eBay ID - now I just have to amend all my listings. Fun weekend ahead!

2006-05-10T16:02:00.000+01:00

Coming up for air...

Whew, I've finally almost finished my stock take - another day's work should do it. I've been doing that almost solidly for the last week, which is why I haven't posted - after days of counting beads and putting all my receipts for the last tax year in order (as well as doing my paid writing work), I've just been too mentally exhausted to think about anything else.

Of course, if I'd kept all of my records up to date throughout the year as I was going along, I could have done it in a fraction of the time, but never mind.... you live and learn!

One thing I've realised is the vast amount of stock I have that I haven't used. I'm always going - I need more beads, but I've all this stuff I'd completely forgotten about. A lot of the packs haven't even been opened! Still, it'll be put to use soon, because as soon as I've finished sorting it all out, I'll need to spend a couple of months making new pieces for my website - I've just realised that almost everything I currently have is already on eBay. I've sold more than I'd realised!

I've also decided to change my jewellery business name, and give it a separate identity from my QuantumBliss site. Even though a lot of my designs are based around the metaphysical properties of gemstones and my interest in colour psychology, I've decided that too close an association with weirdness that is my QB site (and it's going to get a lot weirder in the future, lol!) might put some customers off. Although I'm going to stick with the same colour scheme and a similar logo (for now anyhow). I'll also have to change all my eBay listings & my shop name, which would be a hassle, but this name coincides with me repricing most of my items, so I need to do some editing anyway. Plus, I'm starting a brand new blog for my jewellery business, although unfortunately it won't be on Blogger, as the lack of categories is just too much of a major PITA.

So, lots of new stuff going on here, but must get the rest of my beads counted first. I love beads, but right now I feel like I never want to see another one again!

2006-05-02T19:39:00.000+01:00

My Jewellery Photo Gallery

I've just started a collection of photos of my jewellery on Flickr.com - the idea is to have a kind of online gallery where I can display past and present work in one place. I'll be having a full gallery on my website, but that won't be ready for a month or three yet, so Flickr is a good alternative in the meantime. Plus it means more exposure for my work! There aren't many photos up yet, but I'll be adding more over time.

Unfortunately, due to Flickr's 'no selling' policy, I can't actually state that the works are for sale, or give prices etc, but if you see an item you're interested in, and it's currently for sale, you'll find it in my eBay store. If you like an item that is sold, it may be possible to make a copy (depending on bead availability), so if you like the look of something that's in the gallery, but not in my store, please contact me through eBay.

EDIT:
My new Flickr url is http://www.flickr.com/photos/quantumbliss/

Thanks for looking! : )

2006-05-01T10:56:00.000+01:00

The Importance of Feeling Fully Entitled to Your Desires

I've always found it interesting to observe how people who are confident and successful are often criticised for having a 'sense of entitlement'. It's as if some people don't like others who really know their own value. It's even more interesting to observe those who seem to have a great deal of wealth and success, even though they appear to have little in the way of talent, or aren't especially productive or creative. Yet they still continue to easily attract all their desires, because they feel entitled to them.

This makes perfect sense in the context of the law of attraction, and how the universe actually works. Unlike many humans, the universe doesn't believe in a 'work ethic', or demand that we prove our worthiness in some way before we can have what we want. The universe gives us all everything we desire instantly - whether we 'deserve' it (by society's standards) or not. All we need to do is fully align with those desires on a vibrational level.

And that's why a sense of entitlement is a good thing - because if we don't feel entitled to an easy, enjoyable, hugely successful life, we'll never manage to achieve that vibrational alignment. Some people grow up in environments where their sense of entitlement is actively encouraged, but for those of us who don't, it's necessary to consciously cultivate it. How do you do this? Check out my new article for some tips!

2006-04-28T10:23:00.000+01:00

No more 'shoulds'...

I haven't written for a few days, simply because I haven't felt like it. I've realised how much I do things - even fun things like my blog & websites - because there's this sense that things 'should' be done in a certain way. Like I should post most days (if not every day), I should work all hours to get lots of content on my site before I start promoting properly etc. But I've been rebelling a bit, because that attitude has made it all feel like work.

I like what Abraham says - that all action should be 'inspired action'. When we're in touch with our inner guidance, the next step (in any area of life) is always obvious, because the thought of it feels good. So I'm building a new habit, of always doing that which feels most appealing in the moment. So if writing a blog post or working on my sites, or doing music practice or making jewellery or anything else doesn't feel like fun today, I won't do it!

It's easy to believe that things happen because we make them happen through action, but that's not the case. Things happen because we launch a desire, then come into vibrational alignment with it. Inspired action may or may not be involved, but inspired action is a whole different thing from trying to 'make things happen' through 'hard work' or whatever!

So I have very clear and ambitious goals, but I've stopped listening to the internet marketing gurus, and the business gurus and the health gurus and the music gurus, and all the other self-appointed experts who claim that the only way to reach a certain level of success is by having everything mapped out and then taking action in a particular way (the hard way, usually!). All I'm listening to now is my inner guidance, and how good I feel about what I'm doing!

Because - thanks to law of attraction - we can't have a happy ending to an unhappy journey (that's from Abraham too!). And as much as I care about reaching my goals, if I'm not having fun along the way too, forget it!

(As it happens, I've been doing my stock take this week, which is a big job that needs to be done, but I've actually been enjoying it. So I have been taking inspired action, but was feeling bad because I haven't been inspired to do all the other things I usually do too - how daft is that?! It's better to just trust that inner guidance, and not second guess it!)

2006-04-22T13:24:00.000+01:00

The importance of BEING your desire NOW

I'm all for setting goals and visualising a successful future, but have recently realised that too much focus on the future can be a trap. This is because the events of our lives come to us in response to our thoughts and feelings. The universe takes these thoughts and feelings literally, and if we're constantly visualising our future success, then that success may remain in the future!

So I've been focusing more on maintaining a feeling of having my desires fulfilled now, as opposed to seeing them as being 'on their way', and it's definitely a different type of feeling.

I've written a more detailed article about this on my site, which might be of interest to those who use visualisaton and other reality creation techniques, and who are finding that their desires aren't materialising!

2006-04-21T12:57:00.000+01:00

Web Publishing

When I first launched my website I used lots of articles from free article directories to flesh it out a little. Ultimately I want at least 80% of the content to be original, and written by myself, but of course that takes time, especially with a site like this that that covers lots of areas.

One thing I've noticed is that although there's a lot of free content out there, the amount of excellent quality content - especially in the metaphysical niche - is relatively small. This is one of the reasons I've now switched to writing most of my own content (as well as enjoyment of writing, putting across my POV, and better search engine rankings). But I was happy to see this site called Gaia Publishing that supplies free articles on metaphysical topics - as it grows, it'll be great for both authors & publishers to have a resource in this niche that's on a par with the larger, more broadly-based article directories.

2006-04-20T18:32:00.000+01:00

Musings on self-employment

I was thinking earlier how much I love being self-employed and working from home, even at this time of year (still dealing with stocktaking, tax return etc!). Maybe I have an unusually strong aversion to being told what to do, or I'm just a pathological control freak, but the idea of spending a working lifetime cooped up in some stuffy office, doing the 9-5 slavery thing under some ogre of a boss is just nightmarish (even though in reality all of my previous employers have been very nice, but it's the principle involved!). So working from home is blissful, for me at least. I realise it might not be for everyone, and have written an article exploring some of the pros & cons of self-employment from a deliberate creator's POV. You can read it on my website : )

2006-04-18T11:45:00.000+01:00

Thinking about the moon...

I had some nice little moon-related synchronicities over the weekend.

I like looking at the moon and seeing what phase it's in, but sometimes it's cloudy or whatever, & it's difficult to see it. So I found this cute little free moon phase calculator, which I've installed on my website.

http://www.calculatorcat.com/moon_phases/daily_moon_phases.phtml

Then the next day, I got the new issue of Vogue, which has an interesting article about natural cosmetics (like Just Pure, Spiezia, & Dr Hauschka) that are made from ingredients that are only harvested during certain phases of the moon. Our bodies are also more receptive to beauty treatments, detox regimes etc at certain times of the month. This is because the moon's gravitational pull affects the water balance in our bodies & in the soil. I'll bear that in mind next time I do a detox!

Then later that day I sold a moonstone bracelet on eBay : )

2006-04-17T15:33:00.000+01:00

More on work vs attraction

After thinking some more about success, work and the law of attraction, I've expanded my previous post into a full length article on my site. If you want success and an easy life, check it out!

2006-04-15T16:22:00.000+01:00

Is law of attraction or hard work the key to success?

A poster on a web marketing forum I sometimes visit posed this question, and as it's a pretty 'mainstream' environment, most people voted in favour of 'hard work'.

I have another take on this. I agree that sitting around passively waiting for all of our desires to just fall into our laps is not the way to go, in most cases. Attraction is key, but inspired action is also necessary (but note that inspired action is not necessarily 'hard work'!)

I think that when we are tuned into our inner guidance, favourable circumstances will usually line up with little outward effort on our part, but at the same time, we'll also be inspired to take certain actions which are vital to our success. This might involve what looks like a lot of effort from the outside, but if it's activity we love, it won't usually feel like 'work', even if we're putting in long hours. And sometimes things come together with little action being needed. At least, that is my experience.

So, in answer to the question - a combination of belief and action leads to success, but I don't believe the action should be 'hard'!

That is where I am now. But could instant manifestation - that is, manifestation purely through the power of thought, with no action at all being necessary - happen? I believe it can, and that we all have the potential to do this. In such a case we'd still be 'working', but we'd just be manipulating energy on an inner level, rather than the denser, solid-looking energy known as matter, on an outer one. Am I there yet? No! But the journey towards that level of mastery (wizardry, really!) is a fun one!

Most people will scoff at that idea, but, whatever.... Although I don't think I'll be sharing this post with the forum that posed the question ; )

2006-04-14T13:59:00.000+01:00

I love this Abraham quote...

This is a quote from a recent Abraham-Hicks CD:

"You said, any environment will inspire me to an idea of something that I want. And then you said, when the idea is born, I will become it immediately. Because from the non-physical perspective you knew that you would become it immediately. There’s just this one little buffer of time thing that humans have going on, where there is a little lapse in time between the inception of something that you want and the realisation of it, but that’s only true if there is vibrational variance.

In other words, you can get to the place where you can live on the brink of this enthusiasm and love, where you’ll have an idea and it’ll manifest, and you’ll have an idea and it’ll manifest and you’ll have an idea and it’ll manifest.

But frankly, as we watch you, we think you like the pathos of it. We think you like the drama of it. We think you like launching rockets further out there. We think the contrast causes you to launch a really far rocket, and then you say, ooh, I’ll really validate my experience by completing that.

And we say, yes, or you could just get happier, happier, happier, happier - in other words, quantum leaps don’t usually work out very well – they’re slower, and they have these backlashing qualities But you can play it any way you want to, because it is your life experience. You get to choose how much you torture yourself on your way to joy. You get to choose every bit of that.

And if we were standing in your physical shoes, we would torture ourselves not ever. We wouldn’t put up with anything that we do not like. "

05-12-13 Honolulu ©Abraham-Hicks Publications

It's very true, that so many people seem to enjoy a bit of drama and struggle in life. I've been like that myself on occasion too, in the past. But not anymore - I love the idea of just living in total ease, only doing what I like doing, and having one desire after another manifest with zero resistance! That is true success, for me : )

2006-04-12T10:23:00.000+01:00

Stocktaking

I need to do a stock take for my tax return, and at first I thought - ugh! Because I haven't been keeping my records up to date, so it's going to be quite labour intensive for a while, counting all my beads & finding the receipts to determine their exact value.

But then I realised - now I'm pricing my jewellery properly, I need to know the exact cost of all my components (I was underestimating before), so it's something that needs to be done anyway. So it's kind of good how the timing has worked out. I feel much happier about doing it for myself than for the Inland Revenue! It's actually a very good feeling, getting totally organised. Maybe it's a spring thing - instead of spring-cleaning the house, I'm having a complete reorganisation of my business! Whatever, I definitely feel a positive shift in my energy around this time of year.

But, lesson learned - this tax year I'm keeping all my records up to date as I go along!

2006-04-10T12:32:00.000+01:00

Slacking off for a bit

I've not been feeling like posting very much recently - I'm so busy with other stuff, and I think doing paid writing work diminishes my enthusiasm for writing my blog and stuff for my own site! So, even though I love doing my blog, I've decided to take a break from it for a while. I'll still post when I feel like it, but am not putting pressure on myself to post every day, or even every other day, as I've been trying to. I believe in taking inspired action - and that forcing myself to do things even when the enthusiasm isn't there, isn't a good idea. I admire those bloggers who post more than once a day, but I don't think I'll ever be one of them!

2006-04-07T12:45:00.000+01:00

Loving Gemstone Jewellery

I've been working on a new range of gemstone jewellery. It's called 'Pure Power', and I'll be doing different pieces (bracelets, necklaces etc) in various styles, but basically each item will be made from one type of gemstone only (with few or no glass or metal beads), so the wearer can realy tap into its energy in an undiluted kind of way.

I'm really enjoying working with my new gem beads - I just feel really happy around them!

I'll be keeping most of this stuff for my new website, but I've put a small selection of stretchy bracelets on eBay (the ones in the picures below are rainbow fluorite and tiger's eye). I love making simple stuff like this at the moment. Sometimes it's nice to do work that doesn't require much in the way of design time, and still end up with an attractive, high quality result! One thing I've learned is that simple sells, and so long as I enjoy doing this type of work, I'll continue to include these 'basics' alongside my more original and complex pieces.

2006-04-05T13:13:00.000+01:00

Becoming more businesslike about my business...

The new financial year begins tomorrow and I've been sorting out my records for my tax return. I've also been following a really interesting discussion about pricing on a jewellery making forum that I visit, and these things have inspired me to finally sit down and do a precise working out of exactly what my jewellery business is costing me, in terms of materials, overhead etc (I've been too lazy to do this before, and was 'guesstimating'), and I've realised that I'm undercharging for many of my pieces, and need to raise some of my prices. So, if any of the many watchers on my eBay listings are reading this (I'm assuming they're not all competitors, lol!), you might want to buy now before the price goes up!

2006-04-03T15:30:00.000+01:00

My jewellery website

I spent the weekend working on my jewellery site. After months of half-hearted faffing about, I've got more done in this one weekend than in all the time I've spent on it up until now! Of course it helps that I've built a couple of sites already this year, as I can use one of those as a template. I need to make lots of changes though, and I felt a bit overwhelmed by the design choices - there are just so many ways I could do this!

But basically, I've decided - it doesn't need to be perfect right now - just get it up, and then I can make improvements as I go along. Otherwise, it'll be months before it's ready, and I'm much too impatient to wait that long! For example, I've designed a logo, which is ok, but it doesn't really match my idea of the perfect logo, because I haven't yet figured out how to create the effects I want with my image editing software. But I'll go with the logo as it is for now, and figure out how to make the one I really want at a comfortable pace, rather than getting stressed out over self-imposed deadlines. Perfectionism is a curse, and I won't succumb to it! Much better to aim for excellence (and fun along the way), than perfection, I think!

I'm very excited about having my own site - I'm doing ok selling part-time on eBay, but it's not the ideal environment for much of my work (i.e. the more expensive pieces), and with my own site I'll be able to present my work in a more professional setting, as well as appeal to those who wouldn't buy jewellery on eBay. I'll be keeping my eBay shop too though.

So, hopefully my site will be up and running within a month (or two at most, as I need to make more stock to put on it!). My fab BF is writing me some custom built shopping cart software, so I'll have to wait for that, although considering the amount of work I have to do on the rest of the site, he'll be finished before me! I'm just beginning to learn php and javascript, so by the time I finish my next jewellery site later this year (yes, I'll be having two - one's not enough, lol), I'll be able to do more of the techie stuff myself, or at least understand what he's on about!

2006-04-01T17:43:00.000+01:00

Age is an illusion...

It was my birthday recently, and it got me thinking about how silly it is to keep track of our ages, because it's not only irrelevant, but - given the way most people decline with age in this society - harmful. I would love to just stop counting, and not know how old I am. That's not a female coyness thing (which is ridiculous & sexist - there's no reason why a woman should feel bad about getting older!). It's a recognition that we've all been subconsciously programmed to associate advancing years with declining health and looks, when that's totally unecessary. I believe we can be as healthy and look as young at 90 as we do at 30 (and without help from botox or surgery!) - it's a case of expectation and belief. The mind creates the body; if we expect our health to fail and our looks to fade as we age, our bodies will obediently create evidence of that. But it's not necessary!

Of course, knowing this, and putting it into pratice are two different things. It can be challenging to release a lifetime of negative programming. but I believe it can be done, and that we can all grow old - wiser and more mature - while staying young in body.

I like what Abraham had to say on the subject of birthdays at a 2002 seminar:

"If we were standing in your physical shoes, we would literally become ageless, we would not put age upon ourselves, not because we think there is any stigma in the age, but because so often when you speak of an age, what it does is activates in anyone you’re speaking it to, all their hang-ups about it.

We would be ageless. We would not talk about age.

We would not assign ourselves an age. Not because we have a hang-up about age, but because most everybody you talk to, does. And when you talk about age, their age-consciousness is activated, and then you gotta deal with it in the vibrational mix that you’re dealing with.

It would just become a non-issue. Jerry went to have his eyes examined one day and the nurse wanted to know how old he was, and he said he did not know. And he was serious, he did not know. And she was so angry with him (laughter). She just could not believe that he did not know. And she looked at Esther, and said, “How old is he?” And Esther said, “I don’t know.” And Esther was not kidding; she did not know.

Esther played games with her own age for so long, that when her sister--who was considerably younger--mentioned her age one day, Esther was shocked because her younger sister was older than Esther thought she was. (laughter) And so then the nurse asked for some documentation that had his age upon it, he gave it to her, she calculated it, wrote it down and brought it back for him, and said, “This is how old you are. Repeat after me!” (laughter)

She wanted to teach him the age consciousness that she felt. And they were playful about it, they did not want to go there with her, but what they wanted to say to her, if they’d had time to turn her around, which they certainly did not, was it if I tell you how many years I have then all you will do is assign, by your statistics, characteristics to me that have nothing to do with me. So then you will begin looking for things that ordinarily would not be there within me as you are grouping me with a whole lot of others that you have already convinced are declining with their age. And I’m not wanting to play that game.

Now we don’t encourage you to make a mission of turning your world around. We would just let them play the game they play, and you play the game you play.

And the game you are playing is--I am an ageless consciousness in an ageless body, living joyfully, eternally, and getting as much from this moment in time as is humanly possible because of my lack of concern about anything lackful like passing of time.

So just practice it, you’ll get really good at it. You’ll come up with so many good things.

The whole world may begin to address age differently in response to what you discover about it."

(3/16/02, San Francisco, CA. Copyright - Abraham-Hicks Publications)

2006-03-31T12:52:00.000+01:00

'The Amazing Power of Deliberate Intent' - Abraham-Hicks

I've been reading Abraham-Hicks' 'The Amazing Power of Deliberate Intent' again. I bought this when it first came out at the end of last year (actually I had it pre-ordered from Amazon for a few months before that - I'm such an Abraham junkie lol!), and I read it as soon as I got it, but then it kind of got put aside for a while. I've got so much Abraham material these days - all their books, well over a hundred tapes and CDs (I'm guessing - I haven't counted!), plus all the online articles and stuff, that it can feel a little overwhelming at times. My 10 second attention span doesn't help either, but I've decided to really just focus one process of theirs at a time, and really try to put it to use, before flitting off to something else. So, to that end, I decided to reread 'The Amazing Power of Deliberate Intent', and work with the material in that for a while.

This is a fantastic book - it's actually my favourite of all the Abraham books, although 'Ask and it is Given' is perhaps better for someone who is totally new to them. It has loads of info about the 'theory' of deliberate creation, and then lots of practical exercises for putting it all into practice in various areas of life, such as health, relationships, money etc. Then - a major bonus, IMO - there is a section of transcripts from one of the 2005 seminars, which make really interesting and inspiring reading.

So, I'd highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Abraham material, or who wants to take total control of their life and have a great time while doing so! Check out this more detailed review on my website.

2006-03-29T12:44:00.000+01:00

Been at the jasper again...

I don't know what it is about dalmation jasper, but I just totally love it! Here is another bracelet that I made recently, called 'Black Jasper'

It's made from jasper beads in two sizes, Swarovski bicones and sterling silver flower beadcaps, round beads and clasp. I've also used top quality 49 strand silver plated wire by Beadalon - it's much more expensive than normal coloured wire (which is kind of greyish), but looks a million times better.

I got the large jasper rounds from Thailand last year, together with some gorgeous Thai Karen silver charms which I haven't used yet. Sometimes, when I get some beads that are really special, I'll keep them to use some really amazing piece, and not 'waste' them. But the end result is they just sit on the shelf for months and don't get used at all! So, I'm going to make at least one piece with my Thai silver charms in the next couple of weeks (and maybe more jasper too - I can't resist it!)

'Black Jasper' is available to buy now here.

2006-03-27T19:12:00.000+01:00

Website overload

I was reading a blog post by online friend the other day, where she was talking about buying too many domain names, and then not having the time/energy to actually build new sites for all of them, and it was kind of funny, as I've just bought about 12 new domains in the past couple of weeks, all on different topics (and that's in addition to the several unused domains I already have). I keep getting these ideas for niche sites that sound interesting to me, then I think of a url that sounds good and feel kind of compelled to rush out and register it straight away, as if someone else is going to grab my idea if I don't act immediately. Of course that's very silly!

So, I've decided, no more new domains until I have sites on at least half of the ones I've already got. It's a problem sometimes, having lots of interests - life would be so much easier if I could just focus on the one thing!

2006-03-25T15:31:00.000Z

Find out 'The Secret'

Anyone interested in creating their reality through their thoughts and feelings should check out 'The Secret'. This is a new movie that was released a few days ago, with contributions from many top thinkers (and 'doers'!) in the field. Fantastic website and a nice forum too!

2006-03-24T12:53:00.000Z

I couldn't resist...

...making another of my 'Polka' spotty lampwork bracelets!

I just love these spotty beads too much!

I also like how, even though the basic design is similar, each item I make with them is unique, because of the random nature of the bead mixes. I like to do some one-off pieces, although the majority of my designs are more limited edition rather than true one of a kinds. I do get bored too easily, and have too many ideas to want to repeat the same design over & over, but who knows, I might get 'designers block' one of these days, in which case I might want to repeat some past pieces until it passes!

So, I like to keep my options open by not claiming that my items are all one of a kind, even though that could be a good selling point. And I think that customers realise that compared to high street tat that is mass-produced, a hand made design that is repeated a few times is still pretty exclusive. If I made five or ten copies of a design, which are sold worldwide, it's not as if the people who buy them are ever likely to run into each other!

'Polka' is available to buy here.

2006-03-23T08:40:00.000Z

Another new website

I began work on my first niche website yesterday - it's about hypnosis, and I hope to have it up within a couple of weeks at the most. It's more experimental than my main QuantumBliss site, which is more of a personal thing. I'm going to test out some IM techniques, so it should be interesting to see how it goes! And then I have ideas for another several small sites. My empire is expanding ; )

In the meantime, I'm aiming to add at least a couple of new pages to my QB site every day, and then over the next year it'll gradually come to match my vision for it. And I'm also beginning work on my jewellery site. I just wish there were more hours in the day! I'm so envious of those people who can just sleep for about 4 hours a day (or even 6 hours) and still feel great. I seem to need at least 8. Still, maybe that'll change in the future!

2006-03-21T16:51:00.000Z

Thong Necklaces

I've decided to add a selection of thong necklaces to my jewellery range. They're very simple, and there's not much that's especially original about them in terms of design (although some will have pendants I make myself, so they'll be something different), but they look good and people like them, so why not?

I was initially a bit reluctant to make very inexpensive items, as I wanted my QB jewellery site (as opposed to my eBay shop) to appeal to a mid-range market (ie, it's not going to be in the Tiffany/Cartier category(!), but it's definitely not bargain basement either). I prefer to work with precious metals and gemstones, Swarovski etc, so I'm aiming for the type of customer who recognises quality and is happy to pay for it. But at the same time I wanted to cover a very wide range of price points, partly because it's nice to have at least some pieces that are accessible to everyone, and partly because I simply like to work in such a wide range of styles, and that includes very simple items like my thong necklaces, gem chip bracelets etc.

For a time I thought that having the cheaper/simpler items might dilute the appeal of my more expensive pieces, but now I don't think that's true. All of my pieces, whether simple or more complex and expensive are all well made, and use excellent materials, so it's not as if I'm compromising on quality! Besides, I think people are only likely to pay much attention to the things they personally are interested in.

So, I'm going with my instinct to just make sell whatever takes my fancy under the QB label, and not try to restrict myself to some limited 'palette' of styles/materials. At the end of the day, I'm doing this for fun (and profit yes, but fun's more important!), so I'll do whatever I like!

I haven't got around to doing many listings yet, but a few of my thong necklaces are available to buy here. They are vegetarian-friendly BTW, and made with waxed cotton cord, not the more usual leather, as I don't really want to have bits of dead cow in my jewellery!

2006-03-20T12:54:00.000Z

Billionaire lifestyles

I've been reading the new billionaire list at http://www.forbes.com/billionaires/ - it's very inspiring to learn more about this kind of super-rich lifestyle! I LOVE money (or rather the freedom and luxury lifestyle it can buy), and intend to become financially independent in a relatively short amount of time. I understand that not everyone is materialistic, but I've never understood the kind of really negative attitude to money and wealth that many people seem to have. I bet they wouldn't complain if they won the lottery!

Anyhow, I find that reading stuff like the billionaire pages on Forbes and other similar sites helps me to vibrationally align with prosperity. Because wealth isn't about hard work, it's about finding an inner alignment with prosperity first, and then taking whatever action is inspired by that alignment - and that action will always be enjoyable, not 'nose to the grindstone' type struggle! I'd be willing to bet that most of the billionaires on the Forbes list (the ones who are self-made) love what they do, and loved the process of building their businesses or whatever else they did to get there. So, the first (and most important) step to becoming wealthy, IMO, is to do what you love and love what you do!

2006-03-18T17:47:00.000Z

Found a use for my nuggets...

I originally had some trouble thinking of a use for the large rose quartz nuggets I bought last week, but today I came up with this bracelet, called 'Pearl Rose'.

Unfortunately the photo doesn't capture the colours too well - the pearls are a bit lighter than they look here, and the rose quartz is pinker. The bracelet also includes Swarovski bicones and rose quartz round beads. I think I'll do a matching necklace too!

I don't buy pearls any more - I love how they look, but I feel guilty about the oysters/mussells being exploited, so I'll only use vintage pearls or, as in this case, stock that I've had for a long time. Besides, Swarovski glass crystal pearls are much nicer, IMO!

'Pearl Rose' is available to buy now here.

2006-03-17T21:08:00.000Z

A new bracelet

I've been making more new charm bracelets recently - I was doing loads until a few months ago, and I just suddenly got totally bored of them and had to do other things. But now I've had a break and have recently been feeling like doing some more, including some lightweight ones like this...

This one is called 'Turquoise Ice' and is made from sterling silver with Swarovski hearts, Czech glass and turquoise howlite hearts. I just love turquoise howlite, almost more than real turquoise! It's just such a gorgeous colour.

'Turquoise Ice' is available to buy here.

2006-03-16T18:09:00.000Z

My new website

I put my new website www.quantumbliss.com up yesterday. It's based around my interest in metaphysical, occult and personal development topics. Unfortunately there's not very much on it at the moment - it's kind of like an enormous house with very little furniture! But I'll be adding lots of new content (written by both myself and others, although the majority of it will be original) over the next few months, and over time, it'll become huge! For now though, I'm not doing anything to promote it, other than mentioning it here and to a few online friends. No point trying to attract lots of visitors if there's not much for them to read when they get there!

Next up - my two jewellery sites, then some little niche sites I have ideas for. This web building business is kind of addictive!

2006-03-15T21:05:00.000Z

New nuggets!

I just bought these fantastic rose quartz nuggets! They're kind of huge (about 2-3cm) and I'm not sure what I'm going to use them for yet, as I don't normally do really chunky jewellery. But it's fun to see how new materials inspire new ideas!

Anyhow, these nuggets have the most fantastic energy I've felt from a crystal in a long time. I felt it really strongly as soon as I opened the packet, and I've been sitting with them right next to me because I feel so happy around them! I'll definitely be keeping a few to make something for myself, even though I hardly ever wear jewellery (I'm not a great walking advert for my own work, lol!)

What is rose quartz?

Rose quartz is one of the many varieties of quartz, a silicon-based mineral. The beautiful pink colour comes from the presence of manganese and sometimes titanium, and it is used extensively in the manufacture of jewellery and ornaments. In early Chinese culture it was used for producing carvings of the Goddess of Peace, as the pink colour was thought to reflect her gentle nature, and in later times it was known as the chidren's stone for the same reason. It is, however, a very powerful stone, and is very useful in clearing emotional blockages

Some of the metaphysical & healing properties of rose quartz:

Produces a restful, cooling energy that will restore calmness, balance and clarity to the emotions and help to heal emotional wounds
Promotes love and friendship, and helps to resolve quarrels
Helps to prevent nightmares
Considered helpful in releasing impurities in the body's cells
Helps the heart and lungs, especially when placed on the acupuncture points for these organs
Eases pain and tension, and promotes fast healing of cuts and bruises
Associated with the throat and heart chakras, and the emotional, astral and mental subtle bodies

Colour properties - pink is associated with:

Confidence
Neutralisation of negative energy
Protectiveness
Self-acceptance
Peace

2006-03-13T13:32:00.000Z

I love the Abraham weekly CD program!

Last year I subscribed to the Abraham-Hicks CD program, and I can't recommend it enough!

What is it?

Basically, Esther & Jerry Hicks spend most of their time travelling around the US giving seminars in which people can ask Abraham questions. These sessions are recorded and edited, and sold via their website as CDs or tapes. Four times a year, they compile some of these into sets of 10 recordings, which can be bought together at a discount. You can also subscribe to either their monthly or weekly CD/tape program, and receive the latest recordings more quickly. (They also have a 'Master's Program' which consists of complete unedited recordings of every workshop - it used to be called the 'Glutton's Program', and is perfect for real die-hard Abraham fans who can't make it to the workshops!)

I began my subscription last year with the monthly program, but soon wanted more, so upgraded to the weekly CD instead. Each CD usually has about 8-10 tracks, usually beginning with an introduction from Abraham, and then guests ask questions about various topics. Whatever the topic, I always find much of value on almost every recording.

Pros & cons

My only minor gripe is that I think it would be even better if the Abraham people offered the recordings as paid MP3 downloads from their site, as well as in CD/tape format. This would eliminate delays/loss in the post, and I'm sure it would save them a lot of the time and effort involved in packing and posting too! They also don't currently have an online ordering service for the subscriptions yet (even though their other products are available online), so if you want to pay by card, you'll need to phone or fax your details (ok, that's two gripes!)

But overall, I'm very happy with the program; it's fantastic value (especially as the CDs/tapes are post-free, even for international orders!), and their customer service is also excellent - they're very friendly and helpful, and if your CD/tape doesn't arrive within 30 days of being posted, they'll send a replacement free of charge.

So, if you're looking for a regular dose of uplifting inspiration, you can check out the Abraham monthly/weekly subscription service at

http://abraham-hicks.com/Publications/subscription.html

2006-03-12T17:19:00.000Z

A great blogging resource

I've only been blogging since January, but it feels like much longer, and I'm certainly hooked! Occasionally I've been hit by the dreaded writer's block, but it's not been a major problem so far. If I do ever feel stuck, I like to read some of the inspirational posts at http://www.problogger.net/ - this site is an absolute goldmine of info on just about all aspects of blogging, and I'd recommend it to anyone with a blog, especially relative newbies like me!

2006-03-11T15:52:00.000Z

More web stuff...

I've been doing more work on my site - it'll be up in the next week! (albeit with lots of gaps in the structure where I need to plug in articles I haven't got around to writing yet!)

I've also come across another couple of helpful sites -

http://sitepronews.com/ - I could spend hours reading the archives here

http://im4newbies.com/ - good for those like me, who are relative newbies to net marketing!

2006-03-09T13:54:00.000Z

Spending way too much time surfing the net...

I've been doing lots of work on my new site, as mentioned in a previous post, as well as reading various webmaster/internet marketing forums. I'm soooo excited about my website - the first in my online empire ;-) *evil laugh*

So, being a relative newbie, I've been learning all I can about SEO, site design etc. Another forum I came across that I like is http://www.webmasterworld.com/ One thing I like about these forums is that there are a number of members who are making full-time passive incomes online, which is one of my goals for my sites. It's inspiring to read about and get tips from people who are actually doing it, especially as most of the people in my offline life don't have much of a clue about making money online!

Still, I'm trying not to spend too much time just reading stuff. Learning by doing it is the best way, and I've certainly learned a lot about html and CSS stuff over the last few months (thanks in part to my brilliant techie BF who helped out every time I got stuck, which was embarassingly often!) Building my future sites will be much easier now I've got the first one (almost) done.

2006-03-07T16:08:00.000Z

A hematite bag charm

Here's another bag charm I made recently. This one is called 'Steel Ruby' and is made with hematite and red candy jade:

They aren't showing properly in the photo, but this charm has some really beautiful hematite heart beads. Hematite is one of my favourite stones!

What is hematite?

Hematite (also spelled as 'haematite'), is a form of iron ore whose individual crystals have a gorgeous metallic silvery-grey colour, and it is very smooth and shiny in appearance. Its name comes from the Greek, 'haimatites', meaning 'bloodlike' - an allusion to the vivid red color of hematite powder.

Some of the metaphysical & healing properties of hematite:

It is considered a grounding and protective 'stone for the mind', and it can help resolve troubling issues and enhance mental attunement, concentration, memory and original thinking
Stimulates mental capacity and exerts a calming influence
Dispels self-limiting concepts and promotes self-confidence and the realisation of your full potential
Can also form a shield against the emotional hostility of others
Strongly linked to physical health, and increases resistance to stress
Can help the body to remain cool, and draws out the heat from a fever when placed on forehead.
It is reputed to be good for the spleen and blood (especially anemia), and may help with leg cramps, nervous disorders, insomnia and spinal alignment
Can also help with overcoming jetlag, and easing the pain of childbirth
Associated with the root and solar plexus chakras, and the etheric subtle body

'Steel Ruby' is available to buy here.

2006-03-06T18:17:00.000Z

Some more new bag charms

I've been making more bag charms recently. Here is one of them, called 'Silver Ocean':

It's made from Indian glass beads, howlite turquoise hearts and Czech glass beads, and is available to buy here. Turquoise is such a gorgeous colour!

I'll post some of the others another time...

2006-03-04T17:12:00.000Z

My new website's almost ready!!

I've been working on getting my first website ready for launch over the past few days. This site, quantumbliss.com, is basically a personal site about metaphysical and self-development issues (with - surprise, surprise! - a big section on the Abraham material).

I actually began work on it early last year, but I've kept putting it on the back burner while working on other more 'urgent' stuff, and getting ideas together for other sites. Now however, I've become so impatient to get at least one site up and running, I've decided to put it up in a basically unfinished state (not that a website is ever really finished!). I've got the general framework in place, and a (very) small amount of content written. I thought that if I put it up now, even with some 'under construction' pages and dead links, the knowledge that it's out there for everyone to see will be an extra incentive for getting my act together and writing more content more quickly. (I won't be doing any SEO or promoting it in other ways for a while though, lol!)

2006-03-03T13:22:00.000Z

My beads are taking over...

I've been taking some time off from making new jewellery over the past couple of days to reorganise my bead collection. It's a little awkward because although I have my own room, which I should really use as a workroom, I prefer to work downstairs in the living room, so my beads are battling for shelf space alongside our books, CDs etc. But, I've finally got them sorted, and neatly stored according to type, colour and size - what a good feeling!

Of course, the problem now is that the 'gaps' in my collection are obvious, so I'll just have to buy lots more beads to compensate. What a shame! ; ) That's the problem with beads; there are just so many types, nearly of of which are gorgeous and absolute must-haves! Still, I've had an idea for a new (and potentially profitable) bead-related website - don't want to say too much yet, but I'll need to buy lots more of them - all in the name of research of course!

2006-03-02T18:29:00.000Z

New earrings

I've been making lots of new earrings recently, and lots of them are in warm, autumnal colours (yes, I know it's spring, or almost...). Here are a few examples:

1. Swarovski crystal rounds and Swarovski crystal pearls

2. Czech crystal bicones and faceted drops

3. Czech glass firepolished AB rounds and Czech crystal bicones

4. Red tigers eye and Czech crystal bicones (the right hand tigers eye bead is more reflective than it looks here!)

5. Czech glass firepolished rounds and Czech crystal bicones

6. Yellow tigers eye round beads

2006-02-27T19:24:00.000Z

Book review - Abraham's 'Ask and it is Given'

I've written a bit about Abraham in previous posts, and thought I'd add a brief review of their book 'Ask and it is Given'. This is, IMO, the best book of theirs for those new to the Abraham material (and is the favourite of many more seasoned Abraham fans too!)

Over the past couple of decades, I've accumulated a huge library of metaphysical and self-help type books, and this book is by far the best of all of them. I now think that all the other, human, authors had only pieces of the bigger picture - but Abraham has it all. Abraham is a group of channelled non-physical consciousnesses, and as such, they possess a degree of credibility that human writers lack, since they have a broader perspective that is uncontaminated by human cultural baggage and distorted individual belief systems.

This is an extremely positive, uplifting, empowering book. It's free of dogma and all concepts of lack and limitation. The basic message is - life is supposed to be fun, and you can create your life in any way you desire, by changing your emotions and thoughts. It totally lacks the limiting and disempowering ideas that are found in so many books in this genre, and in fact it turns them on their head. So many writers teach silly things like "desire is bad/unspiritual" - in Abraham's view, desire is the basis of the universe, and they encourage the cultivation and joyful fulfilment of desire. Their view of life is radical, joyous and extremely refreshing - they know that we are energy beings enjoying our time in physical bodies, and that the physical world (which is really just a denser level of energy, but still formed by thought) is not something to be endured, while learning hard 'lessons', or proving our worthiness for a better life after death. On the contrary - we are leading edge creators - we are aspects of God (although thankfully they don't use the word 'God' much, recognising that it is too much of a loaded term for many people), and it is through joy, fun and fulfilling our desires that we can create the physical life and experiences that we want, and it is by this process that the universe/Source/God expands and evolves.

The book is divided into 2 parts - the first half focuses on the 'theory', and is very motivational, in addition to clearly explaining the concepts behind deliberate reality creation. The second half is a large and wonderful collection of techniques for putting it all into practice, and creating measurable results in your own life. Everyone will find something of benefit here, regardless of where you are in your life, or your current emotional state. I've only been working with the Abraham materials for about 6 months, but I've experienced radical improvement in every area of my life as a direct result. In fact, I now think of my life in terms of 'before' and 'after Abraham', because I really feel, think, behave, manifest and live as a different person now that I've 'raised my vibration'! If you only buy one personal growth book this year, make it this one - it's the first book I've read that I don't have a single bad thing to say about! It won't be good for everyone of course, but if you feel intuitively drawn to this book - buy it! And then check out their other books and the material - much of it free - on their sites (see the link to the right).

'Ask and it is Given' is available to buy now from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

An audio book version is also available.

2006-02-26T16:49:00.000Z

Feeling a bit poo, but inspired nonetheless...

I've had a heavy cold/flu/whatever for the last few days, so haven't been feeling up to making any new stuff or writing much. But I have had lots of time to think about my websites and other creative stuff, and have come up with another big handful of ideas for niche sites based around my various interests, all of which have money-making potential! I just registered another set of domain names today. I just love the internet - multiple passive income streams is the way to go for me, and being online makes setting them up so much easier these days : )

I've been spending some time browsing web developer and internet marketing forums - there are zillions, and lots of them look good, but right now I'm liking http://forums.digitalpoint.com/ and http://www.warriorforum.com/forum/ Of course, as with any forums you have to sort the wheat from the chaff (and there's a lot of that!), but it's very inspiring to read about and get tips from people who are already succeeding at what I plan to be doing in the coming months!

2006-02-24T18:12:00.000Z

Black onyx earrings

Here are some earrings that I made recently - they are made from black onyx, and are called 'Silver Jet'.

I sold a pair of these on eBay earlier, and it was kind of strange because almost straight afterwards another person bought one of my black onyx chip bracelets! I notice that happening a lot in my other eBay store, where the same or similar items will sell in clusters. Must be a vibrational alignment thing going on!

What is black onyx?

Onyx is a form of chalcedony quartz, and is named for the Greek word 'onyx', meaning fingernails or claws. According to legend, onyx is formed from the fingernail clippings of Venus! It has a waxy, very smooth lustre, and is widely used in jewellery making. Onyx occurs naturally in a variety of colours, frequently with parallel bands of contrasting colours, and pure black onyx is generally dyed to produce a solid colour. It is associated with the sign of Leo.

Some of the metaphysical & healing properties* of black onyx:

Promotes self-control and wise decision-making
Good when breaking bad habits
Inspires sensitivity
Calms intense mood swings and emotions
Promotes happiness and good fortune
May help with ear/hearing problems and watery eyes
Used for bone marrow related disorders and heart trouble
Associated with the root chakra

Another pair of 'Silver Jet' black onyx earrings is available to buy here.

2006-02-22T20:46:00.000Z

My new website (no. 2)

I registered a new domain name today, for my second jewellery site. Ok, I haven't actually finished my first one yet(!), but I had this great idea for a totally separate jewellery line to my usual stuff, very distinctive and much more of a niche style, so it makes sense to market it separately. My second site will be very different from the main one - all pink and sparkly! I aim to have the first one up and running by early summer at the latest, and the second one up by autumn. The second one should be much quicker and easier, now I've actually learned something about what I'm doing by building my first site from scratch!

I love how these ideas just come out of the blue sometimes - it had never occurred to me before to have more than one jewellery site/brand, but now it's so obviously a good idea, I'm like, duh! why didn't I think of that before! Plus, it'll be an additional income stream, and I can't have too many of those!

2006-02-21T16:15:00.000Z

A spotty bag charm!

I've just listed this new silver bag charm made with bumpy Indian glass lampwork beads. I love these beads - they're so cute!

It was made to match my 'Polka' charm bracelet, although the bracelet has now sold, so I'll have to make another one, when the new stash of spotty beads that I've just ordered arrives. Most of my pieces are one of a kind or limited editions of 10 or less (partly because I find it so boring to repeat designs, and partly because people like to buy unique or rare items), but sometimes I wish I had a production line to churn out multiples of my designs - it can be a bit hard to keep up with making and listing new stuff sometimes, not to mention trying to build a stockpile for my new website! Still, I'm pleased that my work sells, and that my lovely customers like it - that's such a great feeling!

This charm is called 'Silver Polka', and is available to buy now here.

2006-02-20T19:06:00.000Z

Another gold bag charm...

My bag charms have sold really well recently, which is great, because I love making them!

Here is another one that I've just listed for sale - it's called 'Gold Rose', and is made with pink candy jade and rose quartz beads, among others. I love rose quartz, it's such a gorgeous pink colour!

'Gold Rose' is available to buy here.

2006-02-19T19:58:00.000Z

I love this recent Abraham quote!

The Abraham material is about learning to manifest your desires quickly and easily (among other things!) They talk about how every desire (whether for a thing, circumstance, experience or whatever) has a particular vibration, and how the thoughts and feelings we have about that desire also have a specific vibration. When these vibrational frequencies match, the desire will manifest in our lives. If they don't match, the desire doesn't come, and won't come until we close the vibrational gap.

This quote is from a recent Abraham weekly CD:

"Sometimes we can feel impatience here. And we want to say to you, there’s never a reason for impatience when you have knowledge of how to close the gap. You only need to be patient when you don’t know how to close the gap! Some of you say, ‘I’ve wanted this for 20 years, and I’m trying to be patient,’ and we say, oh for heaven’s sake, don’t be patient, close the gap! In other words, if it hasn’t come quickly, and we’re not talking about years, we’re not talking about months, we’re not talking about weeks, we’re talking about days – anything you want should evolve nearly as quickly as you can conceive of it. If you are in a position where this environment has inspired within you an idea, it’s as good as done. If you can conceive of the idea, you can have the manifestation. You don’t need a long time in the crack."

(Boston 10-01-05, ©Abraham-Hicks Publications www.abraham-hicks.com)

I love that idea - that it's never necessary to spend long periods of time struggling to get somewhere/something. All the work is done on an inner level. It's so contradictory to this society's ideas about success requires lots of struggle, even suffering, over long periods. All that is really needed is inner alignment with the desire, and this alignment will inspire appropriate (and - most importantly - enjoyable!) action, and coordinate the circumstances needed for success. No long periods of hard work or patience are ever necessary!

2006-02-18T18:44:00.000Z

More bag charms - now in silver too

I've been making more bag charms recently, mostly in silver, to add to the gold (plated) ones I've already listed. I love both silver and gold, but if I had to choose, I'd pick gold - it has that extra-opulent look about it! The charms I've made so far are in plated metals for eBay, but I'll be doing some in sterling silver and gold fill for my website, and also in 9K gold, if people want to buy it!

Here are a couple of my new silver charms...

I especially love the second one - it's called 'Spotty Delight' and is made from Czech glass and dalmation jasper, which is one of my favourite stones. Spotty beads are so cute!

What is dalmation jasper?

Jasper is a fine grained form of opaque chalcedony quartz. It's often patterned, and occurs in many colours, including red, green, yellow and blue. Jasper has been treasured since ancient times for its beauty and mystical properties. The engravers of ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt carved it into intaglios, scarabs and cameos, and it was considered a sacred stone by the Native Americans. Dalmation jasper is a cream, beige or light grey colour, with black or green-black spots, similar to the dog of the same name.

Some of the metaphysical & healing properties* of dalmation jasper:

A very protective stone, jasper is known as the 'supreme nurturer'
Helps to stabilise the aura and rid it of negative energy
Enables dream recall and shamanic journeying
Promotes quick thinking, organisational abilities and the imagination
Prolongs sexual pleasure
Excellent for the digestive system, liver and bladder
Dalmation jasper is especially good for emotional and physical stability, and it has a revitalising effect
Associated with the root chakra and the etheric subtle body

These charms are available to buy now here. More coming soon!

2006-02-15T17:06:00.000Z

A new millefiori silver bracelet

I've been making lots of new stuff with millefiori beads recently - I just love them! 'Millefiori' literally means 'thousand flowers', and refers to a type of bead with beautiful intricate flower patterns running through the centre. I'm saving most of my new pieces for my website, but here is a bracelet (made only with millefiori beads and sterling silver) that I decided to put on eBay. It's simple, but effective, and is called 'Millefiori Rainbow'...

...and is available to buy here!

2006-02-14T14:23:00.000Z

Ordered my wire jewellery course!

I posted the other week about wanting Preston Reuther's wire jewellery course. Well, I've just bought it & am now waiting impatiently for it to arrive! I did really want to get the totally fabulous looking Master's Course, which has all his DVDs, personal support, & truckloads of supplies (well, maybe not truckloads, but there's a lot of stuff in there!) But common sense prevailed (for once), and I opted for the scaled down Home Business Package instead. It has his basic introductory DVDs (and the necessary supplies), and most importantly, it covers pendant techniques, which is the area I'm most interested in right now.

I'm planning a big range of one of a kind wire wrapped gemstone pendants for my new website, and they'll tie in well with the metaphysical angle of the site. Since I only want to do pendants at the moment, I figured that it'd be a bit daft to pay out for the full course before I know for sure if I'm going to enjoy doing this kind of work, but if I do like it, I might go for the full package later on.

I've done wireworking before, but I love his work and want to learn these particular techniques. Although I'll adapt them to my own style - I don't want to be yet another 'Preston clone', although I probably will be for a while, until I get the hang of it!

I'll write a full review of the course once it's arrived and I've got going with it!

2006-02-12T16:21:00.000Z

New handbag charms now available!

I've finally got around to listing some of my new handbag charms. I've been making lots of these recently - I just love them! They're great for brightening up a boring bag with a bit of bling : ) Here are a few of my latest designs..

These (and more in different colours) are available to buy now here.

2006-02-10T11:01:00.000Z

Busy, busy, busy...

Ugh, I'm very busy this week, trying to meet a writing deadline, so I've not been posting regularly. I really dislike working to deadlines like this, even when it's self-imposed (although everything in life is self-imposed really!) I should be finished by midweek next week, then I'll have lots of blissful time to 'work' on my music, jewellery and websites - and my blog of course!

In the meantime, I came across an interesting looking site and forum - Manifest Life. Of course, they're selling their product (and good for them!), and I'm not promoting it, because I haven't tried it, and probably never will, because frankly, I've a library of this stuff already, and my focus now is on keeping it simple and just working with the Abraham and WBR materials (which I intuitively know have absolutely everything I need right now). But it's a beautifully done and very interesting site, and for anyone who's interested in creating their reality from the inside out, it's worth checking out!

2006-02-07T19:51:00.000Z

Ghalil - Professional Dreamer

An online friend passed on the link to this free talking ebook, called 'Professional Dreamer' by Ghalil. It is about using our minds to create our reality (very Abraham!), and is very interesting. The free download is not the full length version of 'Professional Dreamer' (which I haven't read yet), but even this freebie preview is well worth a listen/read! Ghalil discusses her own discovery of these principles, and how she has used them to manifest success in her own life. She also summarises the six steps involved in her manifesting method.

Download the free ebook/interview here!

2006-02-06T09:45:00.000Z

Handbag charms

I've had a busy weekend, making lots of handbag charms. I just love making them! Unfortunately I've run out of the key fob clasps, so can't do my piccies yet. As soon as the ones I've ordered arrive, I'll post pics & list some in my shop.

I'm also stockpiling work for my new website at the moment, rather than listing everything I make. I'm so excited about getting my own jewellery site up! It will certainly help me to create a more professional image than just selling on eBay etc, although I'll keep my eBay shop going too. Hopefully my site'll be live within a couple of months. It has taken a while, but I don't regret building it myself - doing websites is just another fun avenue for my creatvity, and learning about the technical side keeps my inner geek happy : )

2006-02-04T14:13:00.000Z

EFT revisited

I've been getting back into regularly doing EFT over the last few weeks, and feel great!

EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) is an energy therapy that is based on the assumption that negative emotions (and many - if not all - physical problems too) stem from blockages in the body's energy system. It involves tapping with the fingertips on certain points on the body, to clear any blockages in the meridians along which energy flows. It's based on similar principles to acupuncture, but doesn't involve any needles!

Anyhow, it's very easy to learn, only takes a few minutes to do, and in most cases the problem (whatever it is) is resolved either completely or partially in a very short space of time, especially as compared to traditional therapies. The method's founder, Gary Craig, claims an 80% success rate, which is pretty impressive, especially when you consider that many of the people who use EFT have come to it as a last resort for long-standing emotional or physical problems that conventional therapies have failed to resolve. While there are professional EFT practitioners, it works well for most people as a DIY method that they can learn easily and use to take responsibility for their own wellbeing.

I don't have any particular problems, but whe I'm making plans for the future, I use it to resolve any niggly doubts I might have, and maintain my positive focus. EFT is fantastically versatile and can be used for literally anything!

Best of all, it's FREE to learn - you can download a totally free and very useful complete instruction manual if you click here to visit the EFT site.

They have lots of excellent, very reasonably priced instructional DVDs too, which go into the topic in more depth. I've used many of these myself, and will talk about them more another day.

2006-02-03T16:31:00.000Z

A new bracelet

Here's my latest chunky charm bracelet - it's called 'Polka'...

I totally love this one - I might have to make another for myself! it's made from sterling silver chain & findings, Bali sterling silver toggle clasp, and lots of fantastic bumpy lampwork beads. I love these spotty beads - just looking at them makes me feel happy!

'Polka' is currently available to buy here.

2006-02-02T14:11:00.000Z

I want one of these...

Here's something for my shopping list - Preston Reuther's
wire wrapped jewellery Master's Course. Just looking at it has me salivating! I already do some wire pieces, but I've a lot to learn, and I just love his techniques. I've also bought lots of supplies from his site, and his selling jewellery on eBay ebook, and was very impressed with the quality of his items and service.

He does do cheaper courses, but being an all or nothing type, I want the best! It's got loads of DVDs (much easier than learning from a book!), ebooks, personal tuition, and zillions of shiny sparkly bits to play with. I'll write a review when I get it : )

2006-02-01T11:31:00.000Z

Upcoming new additions to my jewellery range

I have lots of new styles that I plan to add to my jewellery range this year, particularly when my own website is ready. Most the items that I currently have up for sale are beaded bracelets and earrings. I'll be carrying on with these, but will also soon be adding wire wrapped items of various types, and pure silver jewellery. I'm taking a silver metalsmithing class right now, and it's such fun having access to tools that I don't currently own, and trying out new techniques! I'm also planning a selection of polymer clay and precious metal clay items. I love learning new techniques; it's a little overwhelming really, when I think of all the jewellery styles/types that I love and haven't got around to trying yet, but I'm taking the long term view - I can take my time and don't have to do everything at once. Still, I can see a need to expand my home workroom soon!

2006-01-31T14:08:00.000Z

My New Earrings

I've been making lots of earrings recently. This is something quite new for me - I've never really bothered with earrings much before because I don't wear them myself. I like to 'roadtest' my new designs by making stuff for myself before making similar items to sell, and I can't do that with earrings, as I seem to have become sensitive to even precious metals over the last few years (it was never a problem when I was younger - I used to have 12 holes in my ears, all the way around!) Still, it seems silly not to make earrings when they're so popular, not to mention quick and easy (and, most importantly, fun!) to make. I'm also going to do some clip-ons, so people with metal sensitivity or without pierced ears can buy too.

Here's a new pair, called 'Fruit Loops' (not a very inventive name, I know...) I bought loads of fantastic fruit beads last summer, and have used two cute pears at the base of the hoops. I wanted to use some of the other fruits too, but they were a bit heavy. I know some people seem happy to wear earrings that practically pull their earlobes down to their shoulders, but I don't think it's a very good look, and don't want my earrings to do that!

'Fruit Loops' are available to buy here, and a growing selection of my other earrings are available here.

These earwires are gold plated, and the next batch of earrings I'll be putting up for sale are all either silver plated or gold plated (all low nickel and hypoallergenic). However, I'm now focusing more on using sterling silver, 14K gold fill and 9K gold. I much prefer working with the pricier stuff, but also like to make my designs available across a wide range of price points, hence the variety of metals used.

Also, some people, who can't tolerate any other metal, can wear surgical steel quite happily. For this reason I'm happy to swap any of the earwires in my earrings for surgical steel wires on request.

2006-01-30T13:44:00.000Z

Memory Wire Wrap Bracelets

Memory wire bracelets are some of my bestsellers, which is great, cos I love making them! Memory wire is a very strong wire that wraps around the wrist, and it holds its shape very well. It's especially useful because it will expand to fit almost all wrist sizes. I only use 'Remembrance' memory wire by Beadalon, which is relatively expensive, but IMO by far the best in quality. Unlike some cheaper wires, it is made from stainless steel, so won't rust. I love using high quality materials in my work - sure they cost more, but it's so worth it, and I think my customers are happy to pay a little extra to get jewellery that is going to last!

Here's a memory wire bracelet that I sold recently - this is one of my favourite designs, and is called 'Caramel Cream':

It's made from caramel quartz, tigers eye and a selection of warm-toned beads. I love caramel quartz - it really does look like you could eat it! Unfortunately it's quite difficult to find a good selection of bead shapes, unlike with the other forms of quartz.

What is caramel quartz?

Caramel quartz, like other form of quartz, is primarily composed of silicon dioxide, but the yellow tone comes from the presence of limonite. Quartz has been used for religious and magical purposes since ancient times, when it was used by priests against black magic, and it also has a long history of use in many cultures for the diagnosis and healing of illness. Today, it's often regarded as the 'master healer', and is used more frequently than any other stone by naturopaths, clairvoyants (the traditional crystal ball is made from clear quartz), crystal healers and many others who recognise its great power and versatility. Caramel quartz shares the healing power of its colourless relative, and is known as the 'Golden Healer'.

Some of the properties of caramel quartz:

Quartz is the best choice for unblocking stagnant energies & infusing energy and positive feelings into a person who is depressed or ill
May boost the immune system & trigger the body's innate regenerative powers
Can help those who are exhausted or emotionally drained
Facilitates clear thinking
Caramel quartz is a very comforting, soothing stone, both physically and emotionally
Associated with the solar plexus chakra, and the emotional and etheric subtle bodies

I'll be making a few more of these caramel quartz pieces (in different designs) soon. In the meantime, a selection of my memory wire wrap bracelets is available to buy here! Please note, that although the listings say shipping within the UK only, I DO ship worldwide - if you're outside the UK, just contact me for shipping prices.

2006-01-29T17:24:00.000Z

My reviews & recommendations

In this blog, and on my upcoming websites, I'll often discuss and recommend products, websites, services etc that I've found to be helpful or enjoyable, and that I think might be of interest to some of those reading. I'd like to stress that all links and adverts on this page (with the exception of the Google ads) are for things that I've personally tried and found to be valuable. In the rare cases where I discuss something that I haven't yet tried myself, I'll make it clear. I've chosen to affiliate with the vendors of certain products (such as the Wealth Beyond Reason program and the Deep Trance Now hypnosis site), but in such cases I've always tried and tested the product or service in question, and found it to do what it says on the tin, and more! I'll never link to or advertise anything purely in an attempt to make money.

Of course, the fact that something worked well for me, doesn't mean that it will for you. But with the avalanche of products and services available on the web today, all promising to improve your life in some dramatic way, it can be helpful sometimes to hear about the genuine experiences of others. To that end, a major aim of my upcoming websites, and - in the meantime - of this blog, is to spotlight certain products, books, websites, and other services that I've tried over the years, and found to be beneficial. You can be sure that I'll always give an honest and unbiased as humanly possible account of my experience!

2006-01-28T14:41:00.000Z

Mindpower marketing part 3

Increase the attraction power of your products and adverts

My previous post discussed the power of general creative visualisation to increase sales. There are two additional techniques I've come across that work along similar lines, and help to further boost the energy and success of your business.

For specific products

This is an extremely simple technique that works especially well if you have specific items that you wish to sell. Just spend a few minutes each day holding the item in question, and observing it in a positive, appreciative way. In his excellent book 'The Trick to Money is Having Some', Stuart Wilde recounts the example of a store owner who would periodically walk around his store and briefly touch every item there. He would give special attention to those items which were not selling particularly well, and the inevitable result was that within a few days they would find a buyer.

As Wilde notes, such a process "injects" your energy into the product, and changes it [p116]. I believe it is especially important in the case of those items which have not sold well, because it's easy to begin to regard them negatively, and create a mental image of them as "non-sellers", thus adversely affecting the likelihood that they'll attract a buyer. Giving them some deliberate loving attention helps to reverse this negative 'energy imprint'.

This technique really works - it's a lot of fun to experience a specific product selling shortly after positively intending it to do so!

For your ads

A similar process can be used to infuse your ad copy with your own 'energy signature'. In his article 'Energy Marketing: an Unusual New Way to Attract Clients', the respected author and extremely successful internet marketer Dr. Joe Vitale talks about how he perceived the adverts of people who had used this technique as being surrounded by a 'halo' of invisible light. One of these people describes how she would sit and meditate over her ads, deliberately infusing them with her own energy - energy which included the clear intent to sell her product. Her ads attracted plenty of customers and her business thrived.

Emotional appeal rules

So, there are two easy techniques that may help your sales to increase, even without taking much action on an outer level. Such an 'inner' approach makes sense when we remember that people base the majority of their purchasing decisions not on logic, but on emotion. This is especially true of 'luxury' or non-necessary items like jewellery, or other personal products. On a general level, what Abraham calls our "emotional guidance system" constantly sends us clear messages regarding our direction in life. Like the navigation systems in our vehicles, it tells us whether we're on course to rendevous with our desires or not, by sending postive emotion when we're on track, and negative emotion to let us know we're off course. A person who is in tune with their emotional guidance system will know that what feels good, is good, and will continue to seek more of it.

All of this emotion is energy - energy that can (if we allow it) be easily affected by the emotion-energy of those others with whom we share the world. Do your best to imbue your products and your presentation of them with positive, uplifting energy, and others on a similar wavelength will pick up on it. And since people tend to want more of that which makes them feel good - your chances of a making a sale dramatically increase!

BTW - If this approach appeals to you, I strongly recommend reading either 'Spiritual Marketing' or 'The Attractor Factor' by Joe Vitale. 'The Attractor Factor' is an updated version of 'Spiritual Marketing' - I have not yet read it myself, but I have read 'Spiritual Marketing', and found it to be a very interesting and useful book!

2006-01-27T12:17:00.001Z

More on mindpower marketing!

In my previous post I talked a bit about how customers are attracted to your work on an energy level, and, as a result, 'competition' in the usual sense is less of a threat that it's generally made out to be. Today I'll briefly discuss how you can make your work more 'energetically attractive'.

Step 1 - Creative visualisation of your sales success

Many people are now familiar with the concept of creative visualisation. It basically involves creating the situation that you desire to experience within your mind; as you live it mentally, and become accustomed to how it will feel to succeed in this area, your desire is more likely to manifest physically in a quick and easy manner.

How to do it

'Visualisation' is something of a misnomer, as it is not necessary to actually 'see' your desire in your mind, as if you were looking at it through your eyes. Some people find this type of 'visual visualisation' difficult, and if you're one of these, simply use whatever form of sensory imagination you find easiest to create your inner experience. The point is to fully establish the feeling of having your desire fulfilled now, for it is that emotion which will attract the physical reality to you.

So, in the case of selling a product, you might create the experience in your mind of customers admiring your work, purchasing it, you receiving the money, packing and posting it etc - and the feelings of happiness, prosperity, and success that come when you make a sale. You might also revisit memories of past successes, conjuring up and intensifying the happy feeling that you experienced at the time. Remember - it is your emotions that hold the attracting power; there is little point visualising or affirming success if you don't simultaneously generate the accompanying strong positive feelings.

Consistency counts

Creative visualisation is most effective when practised daily, and the key is to capture the positive emotions associated with the achievement of your desire, preferably in a pure way (that is, not contradicted by negative thoughts, like 'this won't work', or 'I never sell anything' etc!). This can be surprisingly difficult to do, at least in the beginning, but it gets easier to maintain a totally postive focus with practice - and easier still when you've experienced the results!

The 17 second advantage

According to Abraham, if you can maintain the pure positive feelings associated with having your desire for 17 seconds, the process becomes easier, because at this point you begin to attract similarly positive thoughts. And after 68 seconds (four 17 second intervals) of positive focus, the events associated with physical manifestation begin.

As Abraham says: "Within 17 seconds of focusing on something, a matching vibration becomes activated. And now, as that focus becomes stronger and the vibration becomes clearer, the Law of Attraction will bring to you more thoughts that match. At this point, the vibration will not have much attraction power, but if you maintain your focus longer, the power of the vibration will become further-reaching. And if you manage to stay purely focused upon any thought for as little as 68 seconds, the vibration is powerful enough that its manifestation begins." [Ask and it is Given: Learning to Manifest Your Desires, p.109]

Summary:

So, that is step one of enlisting your mind power to assist your marketing efforts: create a detailed mental picture (using whatever form of imagination comes most naturally to you) of your desired sales experience, and spend some time each day really basking in the feeling of success. Try to feel as you actually will when it physically occurs 'for real' - and do your best to hold that positive focus for 17 seconds, building up to 68 seconds.

Coming next:

Step 2: Imbuing specific products and adverts with your own energy

2006-01-25T12:44:00.000Z

Selling Jewellery On eBay - Is It Really So Competitive?

I just sold another bracelet on eBay (this one -a memory wire wrap bracelet made with rose quartz, called 'Crystal Rose'...)

Many people talk about how hard it is to sell jewellery on eBay, and it's certainly true that the jewellery category is very crowded. I've found it to be ok - I wouldn't like to be depending on it as my only sales outlet, but I've always covered my costs and made some profit, and my sales appear to be constantly improving.

A different approach to marketing!

It goes against conventional wisdom, but I don't see myself as being in competition with anyone else, because my pieces are unique. Even if some of them are similar in style to the work of others, they never look exactly the same, and - more importantly - they have a unique energy. And all I need to accomplish, in terms of making sales, is to attract buyers whose own energy is compatible with mine, and - by extension - with that of my work. I don't need everyone to love what I'm doing, I don't need to be seen by an enormous audience, I don't need to 'fight' other jewellery designers for visibility and sales, and I don't need to rely on kinds of exhausting action steps to promote my work (although these of course may be useful). I only need one buyer for each item (or a handful of bidders, in the case of eBay auctions), and out there already are those individual people for whom one (or more) of my pieces will be just right. I just need to line up my energy on an inner level, while making the work, and while writing my ads, and allow the natural matching-up process to follow on a physical level.

Yes, it sounds a bit weird...

This process, while entirely natural, is not something that comes so naturally to most people (myself included, which is why I'm continuing to work on it), because so many have grown up in a environment that tends to pooh-pooh the possibility that things really might work in such a way (it's too easy! - where's all the struggle and suffering and hard work that western culture seems to value so much?!). But it's easy enough, for many people, to suspend any disbelief and give it a try - and prepare to be happily surprised!

Have you ever been shopping, and when choosing between two very similar or identical objects, felt much more strongly drawn to one over the other, even though logically speaking, there was little or nothing to distinguish them? That's energy matching at work, and that's why making a sale is an inside job, and competition is much less important than most people think!

More coming up...

Although all of your work will naturally carry your own 'energy signature' (which is a good thing!), there are specific techniques that may be used to make your work more 'energetically appealing' in general terms - more on these later.

2006-01-25T09:30:00.000Z

Whinge time!

Hmph, my profile at the right doesn't seem to be displaying properly - poor Sam the cat has a dotted line going over him! The line should be under the photo. I haven't changed any of the template code recently, so have no idea what's causing that! I can't wait to get my own websites up and running, where I'll have total control over how it all looks. Blogger is great for customising, but there are still a few little things, like this, that I can't do anything about (unless I remove the photo).

My up & coming websites

I have three sites planned for this year - one for my jewellery, one for my music, and one for other stuff. I'm most excited about the music site, although unfortunately that's likely to be the last one of the three to be ready. The other two are partially complete. Building websites is such fun, although it's a steep learning curve. I only knew about five html tags when I started!

2006-01-24T09:57:00.000Z

A brief intro to Abraham

My discovery

Although I've never been remotely religious, I've always had an interest in metaphysical/occult topics, as well as self-improvement type books, but over the last couple of years I had become a bit jaded by it all - there seemed to be so many authors, all putting across their version of what life's about, and how to improve it, but none of it really resonated with me, or my life. I was growing bored of listening to the (inevitably biased) POVs of others, and more interested in finding my own, unique path. Then last year I discovered the Abraham-Hicks material, and - wow - it really made an impact!

Their message is, basically - that the purpose of life is simply to enjoy it, and you can only really do that by being a totally free thinker, by listening exclusively to your own inner guidance, by being selfish (in a positive way), and always reaching for thoughts that feel best. In this way, you attract and/or create the reality that you desire (how exactly? - more later!). I think I attracted this material because it's so similar to where I was 'at' already, but it has really helped to clarify some issues I was unclear about, as well as providing lots of very useful practical techniques for creating the life I desire.

So, who is Abraham?

Abraham is the name chosen by a group of obviously evolved non-physical consciousnesses who speak through Esther Hicks (if you're sceptical about 'channelling' - don't run away! Their info is great, regardless of its source). Many of them have lived physical lives, whereas others have not, existing purely in the non-physical state. They also identify themselves with the Inner Being, or what others have termed the 'higher self' - that broader, more knowing aspect of our consciousness that remains non-physical and is available to guide us in our physcial lives. Abraham entities are drawn together by their mutual intention to teach and uplift.

What can you gain from this material?

Everything, or nothing, depending on your own attitude to it! For those that are open to this rather unconventional work, the Abraham material offers a path to a life that is totally joyous, fulfilled, abundant, and successful in every possible way. They give a very clear explanation of our non-physical origins, our physical natures and general intentions, and a huge array of techniques for moving beyond the limitations that most of us have picked up on our physical journeys, so we can create lives that are perfectly in harmony with our strongest desires and joyous in every way. If you desire self-empowerment without dogma, lack or limitation of any kind, Abraham could be perfect for you!

What is the essence of their work?

Basically, they promote an extreme and joyous form of individual self-empowerment - that life is supposed to be fun above all else, and that we each have the capacity to create the life of our dreams - quickly and easily, without struggle and suffering of any kind. To many who have grown up with the usual concepts of lack and limitation characteristic of our society, this might all sound a bit too good to be true - but it is true! At the heart of their message is the notion that everthing in the universe - our bodies, our thoughts, the world around us - is made up of energy (developments in physics confirm this). This energy vibrates at varying frequencies, and energies of like frequencies are attracted to each other. In order to attract what we desire into our lives, we must align our personal 'vibraton' with that of our desired object or situation.

To many sceptical types, this will of course sound like New Age hogwash (even though Abraham has little in common with orthodox New Age dogma, which can be as bad as conventional religion in its repressive attitudes!), but my view is, if it is intuitively appealing, why not give it a try? If the techniques work the underlying mechanics are unimportant, really. And if you really don't like the sound of it, there's no need to read any further! However, the techniques they give for 'aligning our vibration' with that of our desire do work - it just takes a little practice (ok, sometimes a lot of practice!), and a determination that "nothing is more important than that I feel good".

Why should I listen to them?

Because a consistent application of their methods can lead you to your perfect life - is that reason enough? Consider this - most people in western society have grown up in cultures that promote individual freedom (to varying degrees) in principle, but don't quite measure up in practice. Abraham tells the truth - that we're all totally free to live as we choose, regardless of what anyone else believes, or what is happening around us. By changing our thoughts and feelings, we change our point of vibrational resonance, and attract different experiences. To experience a life that is perfect for us (and every person's idea of a perfect life will vary - Abraham has no interest in telling people what they should want - only in how they can get there) we must learn to control our vibration - it really is that simple. Simple, yes, but not always easy at first, and to that end they provide a huge array of processes designed to help people in all situations to take control of their vibration and thus of their experience. So, if you're interested in controlling your life experience and creating a life that is ideal for you in every way - with NO compromises - this might be the way to go.

Where to start?

One thing about the Abraham material is, there's no shortage of it! Esther and Jerry Hicks have published a huge range of books, newsletters, DVDs and videos, and - most prolific of all - audio recordings of the seminars that they hold every week across the US. It can feel a little overwhelming at first! I recommend the following steps:

1. First of all read the 12 point summary of their ideas at http://www.abraham-teachings.com/

2. Listen to the free introductory audio at http://www.abrahamfreemp3downloads.com/

These recordings explain how Jerry and Esther first hooked up with Abraham, and then Abraham themselves explain some of their major ideas. The recordings are available as MP3s to download, or you can order a free CD or tape of the same material.

3. By this point, you're probably either running away screaming in the opposite direction, or you're hooked and wanting more - Abraham tends to be an all or nothing experience! If you're interested in learning more, have a read through the article archives at http://www.abraham-journal.com/index.php/weblog/categories/

4. If you fancy buying a book, I recommend Ask and it is Given: Learning to Manifest Your Desiresas a starting point. It sums up their material brilliantly. I'll post a review soon.

2006-01-23T19:03:00.000Z

Candy Jade Sterling Silver Charm Bracelet

I totally adore candy jade - along with Swarovski crystal, it's my favourite type of bead material right now! It's a hard white stone that is dyed a variety of gorgeous rainbow colours - red, pink, blue, green, yellow, orange, purple - it reminds me of delicious berries!

Is it real jade?

Genuine jade comes in two varieties - nephrite (which is relatively soft), and jadeite (very hard). Candy jade most resembles jadeite, but whether or not it is real jadeite is a matter of some controversy - the Chinese suppliers frequently describe it as 'white jade', and it is similarly hard and transluscent, but unfortunately that is no guarantee that it is actual jade! Although it is possible that some candy jade might be low grade jadeite, I personally would never sell candy jade as real jade. Whatever its origin, it is certainly a high quality, beautiful stone in its own right, much less expensive than jadeite, and the mouthwatering range of colours is just irresistible!

My work with candy jade

I've been using candy jade a lot recently, and will be making my new items available for sale over the next few weeks. In the meantime, this fantastically lush charm bracelet is available to buy now. It is made from top quality materials, and all metal parts are 100% sterling silver - no plated bits! It also features crackle glass, Czech firepolished glass and handmade Thai lampwork beads. It's really beautiful (modest, aren't I?!), and guaranteed to get you noticed!

This bracelet is called 'Jade Rose', and is available to buy here.

Candy jade beads in a variety of colours are also available to buy here.

2006-01-23T08:43:00.000Z

My New Etsy Jewellery Store

I design, make and sell my own jewellery - I've been selling online since last year, and absolutely love it. This way I keep my inner control freak happy and do all the presentation etc exactly how I want it! I also reach a much wider audience than I can selling face to face. I'm a UK-registered sole trader, and have turned what was a hobby into a growing business. Combining fun and money always feels good! : )

This weekend I opened a new online shop at Etsy.com. Etsy is a US-based site exclusively for buying and selling handcrafted items (I'm based in the UK, but ship worldwide). I'll be adding lots of new items over the next few weeks. I've been selling my jewellery on eBay UK for several months now, and as much as I appreciate the platform eBay provides, I decided it's time to branch out more - I don't want to be depending too much on eBay! I'm also in the process of constructing my own jewellery website, quantumblissdesigns.com, due for launch later this year (hopefully not too much later, but since I'm going the masochistic route & coding it all by hand - with no previous html knowledge - it's proving rather time consuming!).

In the meantime, I'll use this blog to post new pics, and details of upcoming new ranges etc. I design in a large range of styles, using an equally large range of materials. I've been doing it for a long time now, but there's still so much to learn, which is partly what makes it so much fun! Over the last year I've mostly been making bracelets, (charm bracelets and wrap bracelets), but am currently working on an earring range, soon to be available in my eBay shop. My work covers quite a large range of price points, but I'm not really aiming for the ultra-low-priced market (I'd be making a loss if I did!). However, I do aim to make a large selection of my pieces affordable for most people, and I believe that the quality of my work always justifies the price (and all of my customers to date have been happy!). The items in my eBay shop are generally priced lower than is usual for my work - so if you want a bargain, that's where to look! I'll write a bit more about my jewellery later - in the meantime, here's a pic...

The bracelet above is called 'Crystal Ice', and is made from quartz crystal and Czech glass. It was sold in December. I'll post more photos later.

2006-01-22T16:08:00.000Z

My first blog post!

So, what is QuantumBliss all about? In a nutshell - maximising enjoyment of life through the development of personal power. I believe that we create our reality through our thoughts and emotions. I've spent several years exploring various methods of gaining greater control over this creative process in my own life, and most recently, the Abraham-Hicks material has led to something of a quantum leap in my own understanding and results. So, there'll be a lot about them in this blog, as well as other ways of getting the most out of life.

In addition to that, the blog will also discuss my jewellery-making endeavours, and my music (my two main avenues of creative expression). I'm very interested in the influence that sound, colour and crystals can have on our personal energy systems, and much of my own music and many of my jewellery designs spring from this interest. More about these areas coming up too!

2006-01-22T12:14:00.000Z

Keywords that might help those interested to find this blog - jewelery, jewellery, bracelets, earrings, bag charm, hand-crafted, Abraham-Hicks, metaphysical, crystals, music, binaural, sound, reviews.

2005-12-01T18:57:00.001Z

Privacy Policy

Your privacy is very important to quantumbliss.blogspot.com. This privacy statement provides information about the personal information that quantumbliss.blogspot.com collects, and the ways in which quantumbliss.blogspot.com uses that personal information, to assist you in making informed decisions when using our site. This policy will be continuously assessed against new technologies, business practices and our visitors' needs.

The Personal Information That We Collect

When you visit this website you may provide us with two types of information: personal information you knowingly choose to disclose that is collected on an individual basis, and information about the use of this site that is collected on an aggregate basis as you and others browse our website.

1. Personal Information You Choose to Provide:

Registration Information

When you register for our newsletter [not yet available] you will provide information about yourself.

Email Information

If you choose to correspond with us through email, we may retain the content of your email messages together with your email address and our responses. quantumbliss.blogspot.com will take reasonable technical and organisational precautions to prevent the loss, misuse or alteration of your personal information. Your details will never be shared in any way unless we are legally required to do so.

2. Website Use Information

In common with other commercial websites, our website utilises a standard technology called "cookies" (see the explanation "What Are Cookies?" below) and web server log files to collect information about how our website is used. Information gathered through cookies and web server logs may include the visitor's IP address, the date and time of visits, the pages viewed, time spent at our website, and the websites visited just before and just after our website, the type of browser and operating system used, screen resolution, and entry and exit pages. The country in which the visitor is located is also recorded, but no other geographical information (i.e., we cannot tell where you live). None of this information can be used to identify visitors personally.

How Do We Use the Information That You Provide to Us?

Broadly speaking, we use personal information for purposes of analysing traffic trends, administering our website, providing the services you requested, monitoring the use of the service, marketing and promotional efforts, to improve our content and service offerings, and customise our site's content, layout, services, and for other lawful purposes. These uses enable us to improve our site and better tailor it to meet your needs.

Furthermore, such information may be shared with others on an aggregate basis. Personally identifiable information or business information will not be shared with third parties except as required by law.

Occasionally, if you have agreed to be contacted by us, we may also use the information we collect to notify you about important changes to our website, new services, and special offers we think you will find valuable. You may notify us at any time if you do not wish to receive these offers by emailing us at the link provided on the newsletter.

What Are Cookies?

A cookie is a very small text document, which often includes an anonymous unique identifier. When you visit a website, that site's computer asks your computer for permission to store this file in a part of your hard drive specifically designated for cookies. Each website can send its own cookie to your browser if your browser's preferences allow it, but (to protect your privacy) your browser only permits a website to access the cookies it has already sent to you, not the cookies sent to you by other sites.

A cookie cannot retrieve any other data from your hard drive or pass on computer viruses. Cookies can be very beneficial for both website visitors and website owners. They enable site owners to continually improve their site on the basis of the information obtained about visitors' browsing patterns, and in this way they can provide visitors with a more enjoyable and useful experience while on the site. Although cookies are harmless, do not contain personally identifiable information, and can be very useful for enhancing the browsing experience (for example by ensuring that the site displays optimally for your browser, or by displaying advertisements that are tailored to your interests, based on your browsing history), you always have the option to delete existing cookies, and to prevent the placement of any more in the future by changing your browser settings.

Browsers are usually set to accept cookies. However, if you would prefer not to receive cookies, you may alter the configuration of your browser to refuse cookies. If you choose to have your browser refuse cookies, it is possible that some areas of some sites will not function as effectively when viewed by the users. Cookies often expire after a certain time, which varies from a few hours to several weeks or more.

How Do We Use Information We Collect from Cookies?

quantumbliss.blogspot.com does not set its own cookies to track visitor activity, but cookies are placed by the traffic analytic program we use. These cookies, in conjunction with our web server's log files, allow us to calculate the aggregate number of people visiting our website and determine which parts of the site are most popular. This helps us to gather feedback and constantly improve our website and better serve our visitors.

These cookies do not harm your computer in any way and are only used to track visitor activity while the visitor is on the site. They also do not allow us to gather any personal information about you.

Third Party Advertisers

quantumbliss.blogspot.com also contains advertisements for third-party websites. These sites may also place cookies on the visitor's web browser, which will send information to the merchant that may include the visitor's IP address and information about their visits to this site and other websites (but which does NOT include their name, address, email address or telephone number). The information is typically used by merchants to track visitor preferences in order to personalise advertising content and provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to the visitor, or to monitor the effectiveness of their adverts (although it may not be limited to these uses). Such sites may also sometimes use other technologies such as Javascript or web beacons for similar purposes. Please note that the information in this Privacy Policy only applies to quantumbliss.blogspot.com. quantumbliss.blogspot.com does not have any access to or control over third party cookies and other tracking methods, and if you have queries about such matters, you should contact the site in question, or consult that site's Privacy Policy for more details. You can also find more information about data collection and use by third party advertisers, and your options in relation to·not having this information used by these companies, here.

The third party advertisements displayed on this site include those provided by Google's Adsense program. As a third-party vendor, Google uses the DoubleClick DART cookie to serve advertisements on this site. Google's use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to our visitors based on their visit to this site and other sites on the Internet. You may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting Google's ad and content network privacy policy.

IP Addresses

IP addresses are used by your computer every time you are connected to the Internet. Your IP address is a number that is used by computers on the network to identify your computer. IP addresses are automatically collected by our web server as part of demographic and profile data known as traffic data so that data (such as the web pages you request) can be sent to you.

Sharing and Selling Information

We do not share, sell, lend or lease any of the information that uniquely identifies a subscriber (such as email addresses or personal details) with anyone except to the extent that it is necessary to provide services that you have requested.

What About Legally Compelled Disclosure of Information?

We may disclose information when legally compelled to do so: in other words, when we, in good faith, believe that the law requires it or for the protection of our legal rights. We may also disclose account information when we have reason to believe that disclosing this information is necessary to identify, contact or bring legal action against someone who may be violating our Terms of Service or to protect the safety of our users and the Public.

What About Other Websites Linked to Our Website?

We are not responsible for the practices employed by websites linked to or from our website or for the information or content contained therein. Often links to other websites are provided solely as pointers to information on topics that may be useful to the users of our website.

Please remember that when you use a link to go from our website to another website, our Privacy Policy is no longer in effect. Your browsing activity and interaction on any other website, including those to which we link, is subject to that website's own rules and policies. Please read over those rules and policies before proceeding.

Your Consent

By using our website you consent to our collection and use of your personal information as described in this Privacy Policy. We reserve the right to amend this privacy policy at any time with or without notice.

Acquisition or Changes in Ownership

In the event that this website (or a substantial portion of its assets) is acquired by a new owner, your information would be considered part of those assets, and may be part of those assets that are transferred.

Policy Modifications

We may change this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post any changes here, so be sure to check back periodically. However, please be assured that if the Privacy Policy changes in the future, we will not use the personal information you have submitted to us under this Privacy Policy in a manner that is materially inconsistent with this Privacy Policy, without your prior consent.

Disclaimer
All of the material on this site is provided for information and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended as professional advice, and quantumbliss.blogspot.com will not be responsible for any outcome experienced as a result of your acting on the information presented here. In addition, quantumbliss.blogspot.com is not responsible the content of any of the third party sites to which we link, and visitors click these links at their own risk.