A few years ago, I wrote a book called “Forever…and 365 Days” which described the daily thoughts and actions of a metaphysics teacher, like myself. One of the chapters dealt with the idea of God and what it means to different people. I’m certain, each of us has a different sense of this Almighty Power.

In my networking efforts I connected with an inspirational author, who to my surprise also served as a pastor in Northern California. He befriended me on my metaphysical Facebook page, and I thought about how I would answer him if he, being a man of God, would ask me:

“What is your idea of God and what does God mean to you?”

I would answer him without hesitation:
God is Universal power, the Almighty substance that sustains all life. I am part of this substance called Consciousness. I can think, and thinking is the conscious activity of this substance led by God’s urge of expression.

God is Wisdom. So, I, being part of this Wisdom, must choose wisely as to what I think. It is my duty!

God is good. So, I must be and act good to live up to God’s standards. It is my duty!

God is Intelligence. So, I, being part of this Intelligence, must act intelligently and in accordance with the Truth. It is my duty!

Most of all: God is Love. So, I, being part of Love must love unconditionally all Life. It is my duty!
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I am a fragment of God’s essence, and I must honor my heritage.
Yes, this is how I would answer his question. Time to practice! 

I had a conversation with a friend the other day and caught myself complaining about some trivial things. You know: the service at this restaurant is too slow, I like the food but there aren’t enough vegetarian options on the menu…the weather has been too hot – now suddenly, it’s too cold. The pool isn’t usable anymore, the pool man didn’t do a good job this time, whine, whine, whine,…
 
I really gave this some thought and realized that it’s not just about things that are not perfect, but the complaints include people who are not behaving the way I (we) expect them to. All in all, things are just not the way I (we) would like them to be. This person seems nice, but…The gardener didn’t clean the yard good enough…the store was out of so many things…and on and on!
 
Once sucked into the vortex of negativity, the mood darkens, it sets the tone for the day, and trouble is closely lurking around the corner. Why is it that we constantly find something that is not exactly to our liking? Should we accept the things as they are?
 
The above comment “Finding fault is finding trouble”, coined by W. W. Walter has stuck with me through the years. It’s a subtle reminder that our work is to stop finding fault in others, things, and situations, because when we do this “fault finding”, we are giving power to negativity. We see others and our environment as incomplete and less than good. The truth is, the errors of others aren’t our affairs and frankly, they are none of our business. Nevertheless, sometimes I continue to look deeper and deeper into the faults of others instead of keeping my focus on self. Yes, let’s be frank, I have enough to correct in myself. It keeps me busy!
 
The comforting thought, however, is that we are all in a state of unfoldment relative to our understanding of how Mind works. Our only duty is our daily mental work, practicing and striving to correct ourselves. We need to address all our habits. Good or bad, we need to look at them honestly. Then we can correct misconceptions within self and stay busy with our own unfoldment. Let us find the virtuous, not faulty – let us celebrate this everlasting goodness within!
With Love, ULRIKE

Overcoming loneliness is on the agenda this sunny day. It’s not often that I feel this way, but certain events have left me wondering about the value of companionship.

Yes, I have learned and know, that all is contained within. I’ve attempted for a long time to grasp this fact of oneness. Intellectually, this realization taught me that I am never alone, but always all-one. This is a Universal Law. However, emotionally at times, I struggle with this concept. It takes inner strength to see the Truth within.

This inner strength of truly knowing the Divine Presence is already within each and every one of us, will eternally provide continuous strength and support, and I will always feel loved and cared for.

But the main thing to remember is that I have myself, my loving, perfect and already complete self. And this all-embracing ‘self’ is the source I can draw from when I feel less than, abandoned or lonely. This inner strength, once I know and trust my own Spirit, will guide and protect me from any and all emotional and mental pain.

When I feel alone, fighting the battle by myself, always carrying the burden – I know in my heart that this sense of heaviness is self-inflicted. So, how can I change this daily load to a more positive and lighthearted experience? Can I let go of this self-inflicted weight and worrisome attitude? What causes this intense sense of separation and loneliness?
Is it that I separate myself from God, this Universal power that sustains all? Does this sense of separation—which is only an illusion, as it is impossible to separate from your life source—leave me feeling empty and in a constant struggle?

So many questions are yearning for answers. I believe I can change my sense to a lighter outlook by letting go and by knowing that all is good and for a good purpose. ‘Nothing, absolutely nothing happens in God’s world by mistake’, says the Acceptance Prayer. I must continue to have faith in the Allness of Good, there is no other way. I must start from this premise of goodness being the underlying principle of all life. Only then can I let go of what seems burdensome and oppressive.

“I think - and that is all that I AM. My awareness of self - is all that I AM. I AM that I AM.”
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With Love, Ulrike

This notion of ‘love conquers hate’ sounds quite cliché lest we are in the midst of a turbulent situation. Amid these trying days, it’s time to think about the consequences to hate another person. Hating really disturbs the natural harmony of our being. In-harmony affects our body.

This disturbed mindset influences our overall health in many ways.  Hurry, worry, contribute to tenseness in the neck areas, stomach troubles, and of course many accidents happen while rushing, not paying attention to the task at hand, or being absorbed in our own nervous energy.

A loss of a loved one, be it through death or rejection, the shock of being left behind, can really affect our mental health in so many devastating ways.

As someone who has observed mental healing for many, many years, I can attest to the fact, that the bone structure of the body represents this mental ‘harmony’.

When we experience aching bones, or even worse broken bones, we can be sure that our mental ‘harmony’ was disturbed or broken. Muscle weakness, stiffness and overall mental nervousness show the weakness in mind that we are experiencing at that time. Keeping negative emotions like resentment, hurt feelings or any kind of suffering, surely damages not only our nervous system, but also our physical body.

We must start looking at our mental ‘harmony’, our loving thoughts for life itself, and learn how to better our daily experience by the simple mantra: ‘Harmony is the principle underlying all life’.

A great synchronized plan is in store for each of us, shapeable by our desires and its fulfillment through right thought, supported by the Universe’s perfect blueprint.

Now is the time to move forward and soar! Be that beautiful butterfly and appreciate ourselves, our neighbor, and our Universe. I promise myself to be the best I can be because Love prevails. Love always wins. Love is the substance called God.
​With Love, ULRIKE 

I recently learned something new about the difference between ‘depression’ and ‘anxiety’. Depression is thinking and dwelling negatively about the past, described in the dictionary as ‘a state of low spirits caused by loss of hope or courage’. However, the keyword here is ‘in the past’.

Anxiety is the fear about what we assume is going to happen in the future, explained as ‘a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome’. Keyword here is ‘the uncertain outcome of a future event’.

The first thing I must remember is that it is my Soul that does the living not my body. My (and your) body is the visible expression of my (and your) Soul, so I need to be grateful for the body I have and treat it with respect and kindness. Fear and Anxiety reflect and leave their imprint as illness and discomfort on the body.

“Fear is like a poison gas pumped into one’s atmosphere. It causes mental, moral and spiritual asphyxiation, and sometimes death - death to energy, to tissue and all growth” says Dr. Murphy in his book ‘Fear and Worry’, and “Fear in all its different phases of expression, such as worry, anxiety, anger, jealousy and timidity, is the greatest enemy of the human race”.

It is vital to remember that our Soul is the unbroken connection to the Almighty Universal Source. The Mind (consciousness and subconsciousness = One Mind) is the conduit of expression, or the active awareness of the “I AM”. I can think (reason) and feel, and I can choose what I think and feel. Therefore, I can think and feel rightly instead of harmfully. It takes practice, that’s for sure, but it can be done.

Step by step, day by day, the shadows of fear and anxiety will lessen and eventually vanish. Faith in the Allness of Good being the pivotal, crucially important, component of healing not only of our physical but also our mental discord.
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“Never fear shadows. They simply mean there is a light shining somewhere nearby.” (Ruth E. Renkel)

Three simple, yet powerful words – Health, Wealth and Happiness.
 
I think we can agree that all of us, knowingly or not, strive to be happy. I know I am, even though it can be challenging at times. When things get though, difficult situations arise, and it seems like the world is falling apart, we tend to lose faith; but as my wise therapist said just this morning: “Things are not falling apart – they are falling into place”. Faith is the answer.
 
True happiness doesn’t come from the outside like things or riches, it comes from an inner knowing of self. A fulfilled sense of being. A sense of gratitude and a sense of bliss. Happiness is finding a true companion, good friends and seeing your children succeed. It is the enjoyment of what ‘is’, rather than always wanting more. Let me say, there is nothing wrong with wanting more, but it’s not the key to contentment.
 
My sense of a paragraph from “Quiet Moments with God”, by Dr. Joseph Murphy is this: ‘Having found my true Everlasting Companions within me, (love, kindness, forgiveness, generosity, etc.) I can never lack for wonderful companions in the without. I am loving, I am kind, I am forgiving, I am grateful. I have wonderful spiritual companions now. As within so without. I have found my Divine companions within, and I now recognize them on the without. God is the fullness of all things.’
 
It stands to reason that one cannot be fully happy without health and some degree of comfortable living. With wellness being the most precious of all, I place health on the top of my list. I am certain that our physical health reflects our mental state of mind and therefore the visible body manifests our invisible mental state. Yes, there is a lot more to talk about on this subject!
 
Dr. Joseph Murphy’s meditation on health: ‘I express perfect health. I am full of joy and happiness. I am full of confidence and faith. My faith is my inner feeling and conviction that I am whole and perfect. My faith is in the Law of Good.’
 
In our society health is seen as the proper functioning of the organs, as well as an overall feeling of well-being.
 
Mental health, however, is generally viewed as a positive attitude, a balanced and sound mind, and emotional well-being. It includes the capacity to live a full and creative life, and foremost the flexibility to deal with life's inevitable challenges. Mental health is necessary to reflect physical health onto your body.
 
Last but not least: Wealth has many meanings. We all see wealth with different eyes and have a different sense of what it means to be wealthy. Of course, seeing it from a material stand point it means money to most people. But there is more to that.
 
To me ‘wealth’ means an abundance of goodness flowing into my life because I have given and contributed to the goodness of all. It means a sense of immense love for myself and every living being, which in turn will bring back all the love I’ll ever need. A feeling of wealth engulfs me when I realize that I am part of the Allness of Good, God.
 
Wishing you Health, Wealth and Happiness! 
​ULRIKE 

This little word: “Me”- what impact! “Me,” “I,” “My,” “Mine,” - designates all I ever will be, and all I ever will know. It is my sense of my perception of me and my world. When you say “Me” or “I”, it is your sense of your perception of self and your world.

Ulrike was the name given to me at birth by my parents. I was named after a calf, raised on the farm where my mother grew up; she found it cute. Interestingly enough my nickname “Uschi” (sounded “oo-shee”) means “Cow” in Japanese and it translates into “Happy” in Kundalini. The Cow, in metaphysics, represents “Patience” – a patient and happy cow, I like it!

This name was the first ego ID established for me. It made me someone, in their eyes, a person - it established “who” I was, or better recognized my aliveness.

I am Ulrike.

The important words in this sentence, I am Ulrike, are the words “I Am.” I am alive, I exist, I am spirit, I am conscious, I am aware, and I am Life itself.

Sit still for a minute and think about YOU. Say: “I Am” and feel your aliveness. Feel yourself think. Know that you are conscious. Being - nothing else matters; at least not at this moment. Namaste!
(Excerpt from my book “Forever…and 365 days!” by ULRIKE)
​Painting www.thehappypaintbrush.com