INTERVIEW by https://thisiswriting.com/author-interview-with-gigi-sedlmayer/

Surviving cancer, but couldn’t go back to work, I decided to do something with my life. And the best thing I came up with was writing short stories and books. But then I thought, what can I write about? I loved animals. So, I started with that.

Since I was rejected in school and suffered much, I wanted to let parents and children know with my stories that they are not alone and that they can achieve their dreams and longings when they put their minds to it. With determination, one can achieve the things they dream about.

Please tell us something about yourself and your book/s

Gisela (Gigi) Sedlmayer was born on 19 May 1944 in Potsdam, a suburb of Berlin in Germany. Her family escaped to the West just before the infamous wall went up. They moved around in Germany, following where her dad got work. That meant she had to change schools 9 times. In the end, she never had friends again of fear she will lose them again.

Finally, they settled in Munich where Gigi studied architectural drafting and met Albert in 1965, marrying in December 1967. She worked as a civil drafts-person in various private consultancies in Munich.

Since her uncle was a writer, she tried to write short animal stories herself. Nothing further came of it, but she developed a love for the written word and started to consume books.

In May 1975, Gigi and her husband moved to New Zealand. Because of language challenges, she started a handcraft business. As a specialty, she made colourful parrots in several sizes of which she sold thousands in a few years.

In 1988, they decided to adopt and became adoptive parents of twin girls the year after. They lived in New Zealand for eighteen years and moved to Australia in September 1992.

One year later Gigi was diagnosed with cancer. After operations and radiation, she withdrew, thinking that she would probably soon be dead like her friend who died of cancer, but, her two little girls gave her the courage to keep going. After a few years, still among the living, her brain started to work again so she thought, 'Get a grip on yourself and do something good with your life'.

She remembered the time she wrote short stories and got inspired again, seeing her husband Albert writing the story of their adoption. Her English became increasingly better so she pressed on to develop her creative writing.

Albert taught her how to use a computer after scribbling in notepads. She wrote many short stories. She entered them in competitions and often got very good reports back which gave her the confidence to go on writing.

One of these short stories was about Talon. Thinking the story through, she decided to make that story into a series. In the next several years she spent bringing the story and the characters to life.

She now loves writing and spends most of her time at the computer, developing new storylines. She also loves traveling, 4x4 touring, swimming, gardening, handcrafting, reading, fossicking and enjoys good adventure DVD's or going to the movies.

What inspired your story Talon Come Fly With Me?

I wanted to write a story about a handicapped girl to show readers what they can achieve if they focus on the positive and not the negative side of things. 

And since I love birds, I decided to let the main character, Matica have a bird. But then came, what bird? And then the idea went even further. What is if she could fly on the bird? Adventure. That would be something. But to do that, she has to have a disability to be very small. But again, the bird has to be big as well. And there the condor came to my mind. I loved the condors before. Amazing birds. They are the biggest land birds (vultures) on our wonderful earth. And so, the story about Matica and Talon came to existence. But then I had to set the scene in Peru close to the great Andes where the condors live.

Give us 3 words that you associate your book with

Adventure, inspirational, acceptance

What has been your favourite part about Talon Come Fly With Me?

That would be chapter 34, where the little chick is hatching, and Matica calls him Talon. And chapter 57. Flying.

How different is the finished product from the original idea?

Well, not much actually. I tried to get the book published with conventional publishers but since that didn’t work out, I re-wrote it many times until I found a self-publisher.

How do you form your stories?

I don’t form them. I just write what comes to my mind. Sometimes it seems to me as if my fingers have their own lives. They fly over the keyboard and then I see what they have written down. Sometimes, it's really funny to see.

How do you select the name of your characters?

My daughter made up the name Matica. So, I adopted it for my main character. The other names, I have a book with names. 

Do you have a single approach in editing or does it vary for every book?

No, not really. I do re-write a lot. I say, the first draft is the skeleton. The next re-write is muscles, the next the veins. And so on. But I have to say, I at least re-write 7 to 10 times, until I'm really satisfied.  And then my editor still does the editing.

What’s the useful piece of advice about writing that you’ve been given?

I have been told never to give up because you never know what will come. If you give up, you might miss something very important, like the selling and success. I have to tell myself that again and again. It’s not easy to keep going especially when one doesn’t see any sales.  And that I should read a lot and write every day.

How do you promote your book?

I try to do advertising and send my book to many sites for awards.  Talon, come fly with me received the following:

• Top 10 Finalist with Authors Academy Awards 2018
• Silver Medal Award with Reader's Favorite in Children's' adventure 2018
• Finalist with: Book Excellence Award, 2017

• Finalist with: IAN Book of the Year Award 2017 - The Independent Author Network 
• Silver for Book Cover competition with Authorsdb 2016
• 5-star Review by Readers’ Favorite
• 4 out of 4 stars review by Online Book Club

What are you working on now? What can we look forward to seeing next from you?

I am writing at the sixth book in the Talon series. I have published 5 books up to now.

Talon Come Fly With Me

by Gigi Sedlmayer

The adventure of a young girl will captivate one’s attention in this beautiful book. The words soar off the page and into your heart as you read this imaginative story.

Enjoy seeing the family dynamic from the first moment with her brother, to the gentle times with her mom, and the exciting scenes with her father.

A young girl, Matica, is jealous of her brother, Aiken's ability to have friends. But Matica's ability to form friendships is extraordinary. The trust and camaraderie between Matica and the condors is truly wonderful.

The way the author revealed each situation was fun to read and it made me anxious to see what's next. Acceptance was eloquently woven into the story without being blatant. And the other thing I learned was that when certain things happen, you don't always know why and just maybe something goodwill come of it.

Talon, Come Fly With Me is not only magical but inspiring. The author is expressive every step of the way and painted such vivid pictures with her words.

INTERVIEW by https://thisiswriting.com/author-interview-with-gigi-sedlmayer/

Surviving cancer, but couldn’t go back to work, I decided to do something with my life. And the best thing I came up with was writing short stories and books. But then I thought, what can I write about? I loved animals. So, I started with that.

Since I was rejected in school and suffered much, I wanted to let parents and children know with my stories that they are not alone and that they can achieve their dreams and longings when they put their minds to it. With determination, one can achieve the things they dream about.

Please tell us something about yourself and your book/s

Gisela (Gigi) Sedlmayer was born on 19 May 1944 in Potsdam, a suburb of Berlin in Germany. Her family escaped to the West just before the infamous wall went up. They moved around in Germany, following where her dad got work. That meant she had to change schools 9 times. In the end, she never had friends again of fear she will lose them again.

Finally, they settled in Munich where Gigi studied architectural drafting and met Albert in 1965, marrying in December 1967. She worked as a civil drafts-person in various private consultancies in Munich.

Since her uncle was a writer, she tried to write short animal stories herself. Nothing further came of it, but she developed a love for the written word and started to consume books.

In May 1975, Gigi and her husband moved to New Zealand. Because of language challenges, she started a handcraft business. As a specialty, she made colourful parrots in several sizes of which she sold thousands in a few years.

In 1988, they decided to adopt and became adoptive parents of twin girls the year after. They lived in New Zealand for eighteen years and moved to Australia in September 1992.

One year later Gigi was diagnosed with cancer. After operations and radiation, she withdrew, thinking that she would probably soon be dead like her friend who died of cancer, but, her two little girls gave her the courage to keep going. After a few years, still among the living, her brain started to work again so she thought, 'Get a grip on yourself and do something good with your life'.

She remembered the time she wrote short stories and got inspired again, seeing her husband Albert writing the story of their adoption. Her English became increasingly better so she pressed on to develop her creative writing.

Albert taught her how to use a computer after scribbling in notepads. She wrote many short stories. She entered them in competitions and often got very good reports back which gave her the confidence to go on writing.

One of these short stories was about Talon. Thinking the story through, she decided to make that story into a series. In the next several years she spent bringing the story and the characters to life.

She now loves writing and spends most of her time at the computer, developing new storylines. She also loves traveling, 4x4 touring, swimming, gardening, handcrafting, reading, fossicking and enjoys good adventure DVD's or going to the movies.

What inspired your story Talon Come Fly With Me?

I wanted to write a story about a handicapped girl to show readers what they can achieve if they focus on the positive and not the negative side of things. 

And since I love birds, I decided to let the main character, Matica have a bird. But then came, what bird? And then the idea went even further. What is if she could fly on the bird? Adventure. That would be something. But to do that, she has to have a disability to be very small. But again, the bird has to be big as well. And there the condor came to my mind. I loved the condors before. Amazing birds. They are the biggest land birds (vultures) on our wonderful earth. And so, the story about Matica and Talon came to existence. But then I had to set the scene in Peru close to the great Andes where the condors live.

Give us 3 words that you associate your book with

Adventure, inspirational, acceptance

What has been your favourite part about Talon Come Fly With Me?

That would be chapter 34, where the little chick is hatching, and Matica calls him Talon. And chapter 57. Flying.

How different is the finished product from the original idea?

Well, not much actually. I tried to get the book published with conventional publishers but since that didn’t work out, I re-wrote it many times until I found a self-publisher.

How do you form your stories?

I don’t form them. I just write what comes to my mind. Sometimes it seems to me as if my fingers have their own lives. They fly over the keyboard and then I see what they have written down. Sometimes, it's really funny to see.

How do you select the name of your characters?

My daughter made up the name Matica. So, I adopted it for my main character. The other names, I have a book with names. 

Do you have a single approach in editing or does it vary for every book?

No, not really. I do re-write a lot. I say, the first draft is the skeleton. The next re-write is muscles, the next the veins. And so on. But I have to say, I at least re-write 7 to 10 times, until I'm really satisfied.  And then my editor still does the editing.

What’s the useful piece of advice about writing that you’ve been given?

I have been told never to give up because you never know what will come. If you give up, you might miss something very important, like the selling and success. I have to tell myself that again and again. It’s not easy to keep going especially when one doesn’t see any sales.  And that I should read a lot and write every day.

How do you promote your book?

I try to do advertising and send my book to many sites for awards.  Talon, come fly with me received the following:

• Top 10 Finalist with Authors Academy Awards 2018
• Silver Medal Award with Reader's Favorite in Children's' adventure 2018
• Finalist with: Book Excellence Award, 2017

• Finalist with: IAN Book of the Year Award 2017 - The Independent Author Network 
• Silver for Book Cover competition with Authorsdb 2016
• 5-star Review by Readers’ Favorite
• 4 out of 4 stars review by Online Book Club

What are you working on now? What can we look forward to seeing next from you?

I am writing at the sixth book in the Talon series. I have published 5 books up to now.

Talon Come Fly With Me

by Gigi Sedlmayer

The adventure of a young girl will captivate one’s attention in this beautiful book. The words soar off the page and into your heart as you read this imaginative story.

Enjoy seeing the family dynamic from the first moment with her brother, to the gentle times with her mom, and the exciting scenes with her father.

A young girl, Matica, is jealous of her brother, Aiken's ability to have friends. But Matica's ability to form friendships is extraordinary. The trust and camaraderie between Matica and the condors is truly wonderful.

The way the author revealed each situation was fun to read and it made me anxious to see what's next. Acceptance was eloquently woven into the story without being blatant. And the other thing I learned was that when certain things happen, you don't always know why and just maybe something goodwill come of it.

Talon, Come Fly With Me is not only magical but inspiring. The author is expressive every step of the way and painted such vivid pictures with her words.

In an era where going “green” is of expanding interest and necessity, society is embracing more methods of preserving the earth.  One of these ways is through green building, a method of construction that uses energy-conserving techniques.  These structures can consist of components, such as solar panels, for the conservation of electricity and heat, or they may be earth homes, also known as underground or earth-sheltered homes.

Earth homes are typically built with steel and concrete, and covered with earth on the top, back, and sides.  This type of construction is an enormous electricity saver, and in fact, many require no heat or air conditioning, since the earth maintains a nearly unwavering temperature in the home year round.  An added benefit is that earth homes are virtually disaster proof in tornadoes, hurricanes, and even structural fires.

A popular misconception is that earth homes are dark inside, due to the reduced number of windows; however, structures that face the southern direction tend to allow more sunlight in, making the interior nearly as bright as a traditionally built home’s interior, especially if the windows are larger in size.

Another fear is that these homes are leaky or damp inside, but this, also, is not the case.  The structures are heavily waterproofed, many times with bituthene, a rubberized type of waterproofing, which expands with water, fully protecting the structure’s interior from dampness. 

Though some earth homes are built with flat roofs, many are dome shaped and can even be two story homes.   They are environmentally friendly, insect free, virtually maintenance free, and they have up to 90% less pollutants and allergens inside than a traditional home.  Many are constructed in such a traditional manner that they are difficult to distinguish as an earth home, and the cost of construction is usually about the same as a traditional home.

Though building permits are easily obtained, financing can sometimes be tricky, as appraisers in some areas are still unfamiliar with earth homes.  Additionally, some insurance companies remain cautious; however, those who do provide coverage on the structures say that the energy-efficiency and safety aspects of earth homes are a money saver when it comes to insurance.

Companies like Formworks Building, Davis Caves, and Earth Sheltered Technology, Inc. are providers of earth home construction systems and detail the home types and process, complete with photos, on their websites.

This topic is of particular interest to me because, in addition to aspiring to be an engineer, I have actually lived in an earth berm home that my parents built in North Carolina years ago which, naturally, was sustainable and very energy efficient.  Constructed of steel and sprayed on concrete, or Quickrete, the dome house was insulated with thin, foam panels and waterproofed on the outside with a bituthene coating, and it used the earth as a natural insulation for temperature control, therefore not requiring heat or air conditioning.  Another option that my parents utilized was the southern exposure, which lent natural light and heating from the sun into the front of our house, especially since the other three walls were covered.  It proved that an earth home doesn’t live by the stigma of being damp and dark inside.  These are just a couple of examples of how to better design a structure with energy efficiency.

So much technology has been created in recent years to pioneer energy efficiency in homes and other buildings, and there are numerous methods of achieving it with some even functioning entirely off the grid.  When I think of tips to design a building with energy efficiency, there are certainly multiple.

Solar

We see more and more homes utilizing solar panels on the roof because of its energy saving benefits.  Solar panels take advantage of the sun’s natural light to provide power, and it has been proven to be extremely effective, cutting electric bills to a minimum, which can offer a huge savings.  Some people view the upfront expense of the panels as a deterrent, but they have proven to pay for themselves through saving money in just a couple of years. 

Sealing & Insulating

These are seemingly obvious options, but many structures are surprisingly not constructed with sufficient insulation, and doors and windows are often not tightly sealed, letting cold air in and heat out.  We especially see in older houses and buildings, where seals are cracked or missing completely and insulation was attempted with inefficient materials.  Some older homes, like my grandparents’, had no insulation at all.

Eliminate “Dead” Space

Nowadays, we see a lot of homes and buildings being built with high ceilings to make a small space look larger.  Though the concept is smart, it can really run up the costs of heat and air conditioning.  Many homes, while aesthetically pleasing, leave a lot of unused space, in foyers with high ceilings, for example.  The more that these “dead” spaces can be used or eliminated, the more energy efficient the home or building becomes.

Green Building

Using the proper sustainable materials can be hugely beneficial in energy conservation.  Some, like my parents, are using earth for insulation and temperature control, others have used things like wool bricks, grass, recycled plastic and tires in place of concrete walls.  Triple glazed windows can also provide a valuable option.

Water Conservation

Many water-saving techniques are being used for better energy efficiency.  One of the ways this can be achieved is by installing low flow water fixtures, which controls the flow of water usage, and it is a great way to conserve.  In taller structures, another method is roof mounted water tanks for obvious reasons.  The less distance that water has to flow through water lines, the more one can save on usage.

These are just some of the ways to design buildings and homes with better energy efficiency, and much of it is also tax deductible.  I believe that building with more sustainable and energy efficient methods are the future.  Not only is it better for our wallets, it is better for the environment, as well.

Repurposing

Repurposing, or reusing, the various materials around us can provide a great benefit to a home.  Often times, things that many of us throw away can actually be reused for another purpose.  For example, the wood from an old barn can be repurposed for a fence or even furniture pieces, and we see more and more examples of wood pallets being repurposed.  Some beneficial assets can be found in scrap yards and recycling centers.

Lighting

So many energy efficient products are being made available now and one example of this is energy is in light bulbs.  LED and fluorescent bulbs can bring energy costs down hugely while also conserving energy. 

Appliances

Another creative way to conserve and create energy efficiency is by purchasing energy efficient appliances and there are many options, like water heaters, stoves, refrigerators and washing machines, that can conserve water and electric while also saving money through tax credits.  The refrigerator is touted as one of the more energy using appliances but there are steps that can be taken oneself to make it more efficient.  Aside from choosing manual defrost options and properly adjusting temperature settings, doing minor things like using the frigid winter temperatures outside to freeze and cool before putting them in the refrigerator or waiting until food is cooled before putting it into the refrigerator can actually save a bundle.  Cleaning the coils twice a year and checking refrigerator seals can also be a great benefit.

Autism, a neurological disorder that affects 1 in 150 children in the United States alone.  This rapidly growing and diverse disease is not prejudice, targeting both male and female children and nearly unnoticeable if one doesn’t know what to look for.  There are several types of autism, and children, and no two cases are exactly alike, but most can possess many of the same characteristics and can be diagnosed as early as age two.  Autistic children look like other children but are seemingly unable to interact socially with other people, tending to encase themselves in a world of their own, their comfort zone with solitary and familiar surroundings.  Rarely do they allow hugging or touching, even from their mothers.  Most will not make eye contact, and many are extremely impatient.  Some may even inflict injury to themselves, banging their heads, biting themselves, or hitting themselves, as it is believed by some physicians that an autistic child’s pain tolerance is much stronger than a child without autism.  Rather than playing with toys, an autistic child is more likely entertained in a repetitious manner, such as spinning plates on the floor or opening and shutting doors, even for hours at a time.

Though this disorder appears to disconnect the child from the world, many can understand communication and commands through keywords.  For example, using a keyword of “eat” rather than asking “Are you hungry?” may produce better results.  In fact, individuals with autism tend to be extremely intelligent, especially musically.

Experts have long debated the cause of autism.  Some believe that it is a gene in one or both parents that carries through to the child while others feel that the mercury in childhood immunizations may be the cause.  Even with the uncertainty, it has been shown that the brain of an autistic individual is different in both shape and size than the brain of someone without autism.  Further research is ongoing in the quest for answers.

Through the eyes of an autistic child, even the most miniscule details are taken notice of.  A non-autistic individual usually looks at something and sees the big picture, so to speak, not necessarily taking notice of the details.  For example, if you walk into a room, you will likely see only what stands out, things such as furniture or the television sounding in the background.  If an autistic child walks into the same room, he would probably notice the details, such as the television sounds, people talking in the room, room décorations, curtain colors, even the second hand on a clock.  People with autism tend to process their surroundings differently, seeing things in detail and even hearing noises differently, where loud noises may be soft to them and soft noises may sound deafening.  Things like the vacuum cleaner or telephone ringing may annoy or frighten an autistic child.  Still, many individuals diagnosed with autism are very intelligent, able to understand what you communicate to them, and even without speech, many can communicate back with you if they need something. 

Years have passed with the assumption that autism has no cure, and though there is currently no medication available, research has shown that there are other treatment methods that can assist in overcoming the symptoms.  A common one is a gluten/casein free diet, removing dairy and grains from meals, as well as adding a B12 vitamin supplement.  Speech therapy is usually implemented, and some have suggested a process of removing the mercury from the child’s body.  Many autistic children have made tremendous improvements through these therapies, even to a point where they are nearly autism-free.

When I began writing my fictional trilogy about the South, I, like many Americans, felt well-informed on the subject. As a student of history, researcher, and writer, I felt particularly well-versed in the period before the war (Antebellum) through the war years (1861-65). But as I began the final book in the trilogy, I soon found out how little I knew about the immediate aftermath of the war (Reconstruction) and the shocking depredations spawned during this critical transition.

The Civil War ended in 1865, freeing from slavery four million blacks (freedmen and freedwomen) who owned no land and had little money or education, which was often proscribed for slaves. Believing education would keep them from returning to slavery and enable them to prosper, freedmen immediately began establishing schools for themselves. “They sprung up like mushrooms after a rainstorm,” as one Southerner described the phenomenon. Creation of these schools was aided by the Freedmen’s Bureau, established by Congress to help the impoverished black population with food, medical care, and education. By 1870, over 4,000 of these schools had been established throughout the South, attended by a quarter million children and adults.

Legal Obstacles

The legal challenges blacks faced proved far more daunting. Abraham Lincoln was shot five days after the war ended, to be replaced by a Southerner, Andrew Johnson. Johnson wanted the Southern states restored to the Union as quickly as possible, requiring new state constitutions be established. Because Johnson’s plan only allowed whites to vote for convention delegates or to participate in drafting the new state constitutions, not one of the states granted the right to vote to blacks. As the provisional governor of South Carolina made clear at his convention: “this is a white man’s government.”

And who were called upon to create these new constitutions? Politically powerful former Confederates. In Mississippi, for example, the 1865 constitutional convention included twelve men who had been delegates to the secession convention of 1860, including the president who entered the motion for secession; a number of Confederate generals; a Confederate senator; and a Confederate governor. Subsequently, many ex-Confederate leaders won elections for state government offices and for Congress.

Black Codes Instituted

State legislatures quickly moved to restore de facto slavery throughout the South, in essence, reversing the verdict of the war by passing laws called Black Codes in various forms that limited the freedom of former slaves. These laws replicated colonial statutes, restricting blacks from voting, serving on juries, traveling freely, or working in jobs of their own choice. Even their marriages weren’t considered legal.

For example, the severe penal codes for slaves were retained, merely replacing the word “slave” with the word “freedmen.” South Carolina’s Black Codes even established a racially separate court system for all civil and criminal cases that involved a black plaintiff or defendant. It allowed black witnesses to testify in court, but only in cases affecting “persons of color.” Crimes that whites feared freedmen might commit, such as rebellion, arson, burglary, and assaulting a white woman, carried harsh penalties. Most of these crimes carried the death penalty for blacks, but not for whites. Punishments for minor offenses committed by blacks could result in forced labor (“hiring out”) or whipping, penalties rarely imposed on white lawbreakers.

Within two years, these specific Black Codes were rescinded by Congress. Nevertheless, new state laws and practices were instituted to replace them, reproducing the same effect. Eventually, of course, Jim Crow would further enshrine into law the black community’s subservient status.

The Supreme Court’s 1954 “Brown v. Board of Education” decision, ruling that separate schools for blacks and whites were unequal, and Lyndon Johnson’s Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965 helped put an end to the most egregious of these practices.

Dr. King stated that “history bends toward justice.” Looking back at the troubled Reconstruction era, and in light of Black History Month 2019, we can see how far social justice has progressed in the United States. We must do our best to maintain and advance that progress.

Ed Protzel is a novelist and author of the Civil War-era DarkHorse Trilogy: The Lies That Bind, Honor Among Outcasts, Something in Madness (late-2019). He lives in St. Louis. Find him at: www.edprotzel.com.

Today’s self-empowering statement to positively affect yourself:

Repeat with me: I AM SUCCESS EVERY MOMENT!

"I am strong in mind, will, and spirit! I am empowering through to my goals and milestones to bring my dreams into existence! I am forging forward as necessary for greater success and satisfaction! I am making no excuses, nor am I procrastinating for what's best for me..."

to continue a greater life!

Great day to you, as a great day continues~

Edward F. T. Charfauros
Life Guide and Author

Source: https://repeat-with-me-i-am-success.mn.co/posts/2438334

Your greatest relief is to accept yourself exactly as you are because the only real misery is you wanting you to be in some other way. When it’s realized you have been hiding from yourself, there you are…

When a person awakens it’s not the great secrets of the Universe that are revealed, although in a way they are, what really happens when you awaken is you stop hiding from yourself. To me that’s the main attribute of waking from the sleep of unconsciousness. It’s not knowing what life is all about, it’s more so not being concerned with what life is all about. The hiding, searching, reaching, etc. ceases and it’s realized what you have been hiding from is yourself. It’s a great relief to accept yourself the way you are because the only real misery is wanting you to be in some other way. When this is seen your hiding ends along with the need to be right, and the need for things to be different, especially yourself. This doesn’t mean you don’t move forward to be the change that’s needed in the world, but it’s done so in a way that it doesn’t cause the very suffering that you are trying to change.

I hid from myself for forty nine years and it nearly cost me my life; basically my awakening was to see this. It was revealed to me that I could stop hiding and I was going to be okay. This is a beautiful realization, it’s here where the peace that passes all understanding arises. It’s not a magical place for a select few, it’s a place where everyone’s heart dwells; you just have to stop hiding to experience it. The possibilities when you stop hiding from yourself are endless, there are no blocks here so your creativity naturally arises. No one knows what form the creativity takes on, but I can tell you this, when you stop hiding from yourself reaching for things stops and life is lived in the peaceful state of accepting yourself as you are with nothing to hide…

Today’s self-empowering statement to positively affect yourself:

Repeat with me: I AM SUCCESS EVERY MOMENT!

"I am doing what is necessary of me to keep my love alive, my interests energized, and my focus sharp looking ahead! I am filled with enough love to share my life, enough energy to succeed with my interests, and enough focus to stay on my journey! I am loving my life, energizing my self, and focusing on my bliss..."

to continue a greater life!

Great day to you, as a great day continues~

Edward F. T. Charfauros

Life Guide and Author

Image: https://www.pinterest.com/edcharfauros/mind-nourishment~/

When the desire to reach for something arises it’s because the mind is in bondage to that particular desire. Until this is seen you will remain in bondage to the desired fulfillment of the next thing reached for…

You will never find the fulfillment you’re seeking if you’re in bondage to the desire of that fulfillment. Fulfillment is something that’s already within you, but because of the way your mind is conditioned, you get bound up in the desires that fulfillment is something outside of you. This bondage makes the desired fulfillment you’re seeking impossible to grasp. This is also the reason you constantly desire something from the outside. Until this is seen you will remain bound to the desired thought of fulfillment in the next thing reached for. Alcohol, gambling, drugs, sex, social status, programs, therapy, self help books, god, and on and on, these are proof you’re in bondage. I can’t stress this enough as this bondage has to be seen if you are to experience true fulfillment in your life.

It’s impossible to think your way to fulfillment, what does have to happen if fulfillment is to be experienced is there has to be an understanding of why you’re not fulfilled; that you aren’t fulfilled is only because of the inability to just be. When the desire to reach for something arises, the bondage to the desire begins; this bondage is a vicious cycle that’s very difficult to break free from. Fulfillment isn’t something attained or achieved so it’s in doing less that you are fulfilled. To many people get lost in trying to attain fulfillment, but it’s something that’s already within; the binding desire about attaining fulfillment needs to be discarded so you can see this. This is not easy to grasp, but I write so the bondage of your desires can be seen for what they are; the reason why you aren’t fulfilled…

Today’s self-empowering statement to positively affect yourself:

Repeat with me: I AM SUCCESS EVERY MOMENT!

"I am trusting the flow of my life for the good, great, and better with a positive mental attitude and mindset of optimism! I am keeping faith and trusting my decisions for beneficial outcomes regardless of how long it takes to receive! I am moving forward with love and patience for my greater good in health and wealth..."

to continue a greater life!

Great day to you, as a great day continues~

Edward F. T. Charfauros

Life Guide and Author

Source: https://repeat-with-me-i-am-success.mn.co/posts/2424344

To go beyond what you think is to truly be in harmony with life. Life’s energy will always be as it is, but you need to learn how to cooperate with it so your energy goes beyond the constant motion of thinking…

Visualize the ocean as the Universe and you swimming as your thoughts. You cannot swim without the ocean, but the ocean is not the swimming. It provides the place to swim, but not the swimming. You can swim forever, but it will always be a doing that’s using the ocean, and as the swimming becomes tiresome you will need something to hold onto or the ocean will engulf you.

So what can you do to stop this constant swimming, not as a temporarily solution, but one that will last and keep you from being engulfed? You will need to learn to cooperate with the oceans energy and be in harmony with it. You can hope to find something in the ocean to keep you afloat, or you can turn over and simply float on your back. You’re still in the ocean, but now you simply align your energy with the oceans energy. You’re not fighting, grasping or hoping for something to come along to hold onto, you’re just floating on your back, allowing yourself to be at one with the waves and thus you are using your energy to be in harmony with the oceans energy.

Our thinking can be viewed like this, simply as energy. Life is also energy, which doesn’t need our thinking, but our thinking is from the energy of life. You can think forever, but it never becomes life, although it’s never separate from life. It’s just that the thinking energy is always grasping for something and doesn’t align with Universal energy. It’s when you become aware of your thinking through quieting the mind that you are in cooperation with the energy of the Universe and thus life. This is where you will find the stillness that allows you to be in harmony with life and stops the need to grasp for something that doesn’t assist in any way in keeping you afloat. Hence you are then aligned with the energy with the Universe, floating along in cooperation with life…

Today’s self-empowering statement to positively affect yourself:

Repeat with me: I AM SUCCESS EVERY MOMENT!

"I am looking beyond my hardships, difficulties, and obstacles for my greater benefit and joy! I am choosing to benefit from my positive perspective, positive thoughts, and positive beliefs! I am choosing to see the beauty, enjoy the blessings, reap the benefits, and share the bliss with others! I am living better when I continue with positivity..."

to continue a greater life!

Great day to you, as a great day continues~

Edward F. T. Charfauros

Life Guide and Author

Source: https://repeat-with-me-i-am-success.mn.co/posts/2417146

There are many situations throughout the day which provide the triggers to reach for an answer, but if there’s awareness of this those triggers will not produce the distracted reaching of needing answers…

Noticing what’s reached for allows you to see what’s being used as an answer to fill whatever space is there that you think needs filling. If the thought that a space needs filling wasn’t there, the need to reach for remedied answers wouldn’t be there. There’s many so called answers, but there’s only one space and it will either be sought to be filled or it will be allowed to be. This is the difference between being at peace or constantly reaching for an answer which reinforces the mind agitations that tells you the space thats there needs to be filled. This space is the same for everyone, but the answers sought are different. This is an endless list of answers, the focus has to be inward if it’s going to be seen no answers are needed. This space will never be revealed if you’re blaming others for your mind agitations because they arise from within you and it has nothing to do with anyone else. This is so hard to understand because of the conditioning in place, but if it isn’t you’ll continue to blame others for your mind agitations and constantly need answers.

To me it’s heartbreaking to see the needing answers conditioning in place and how it unconsciously it causes suffering. This is one of the hardest things to see and it’s one of the reasons the mind can’t fix itself, but one of the most important things to learn about this is how not to get pulled into someone else’s conditioning that produces a reaction from you. There are many situations throughout the day that will provide the triggers for this, but if awareness is being developed, more and more those triggers will not produce reactions, which are unloving 99.99999 of the time. After all it’s only unloving reactions that cause suffering and it’s needing answers that keeps one entrapped in Conditioned Mind Patterns that control you.

Today’s self-empowering statement to positively affect yourself:

Repeat with me: I AM SUCCESS EVERY MOMENT!

"I am accepting my challenges and pushing past my boundaries for my success and satisfaction! I am appreciative of my challenges and difficulties that have strengthened me, improved me, and better me! I am thankful for surviving up to this point and I am grateful for all the benefits I am gaining throughout my life's journey..."

to continue a greater life!

Great day to you, as a great day continues~

Edward F. T. Charfauros
Life Guide and Author

Source: Repeat With Me: I AM SUCCESS!

Today’s self-empowering statement to positively affect yourself:

Repeat with me: I AM SUCCESS EVERY MOMENT!

"I am believing with greater confidence in myself, and projecting my awesome self better! I am talking and behaving with greater confidence and optimism for better results! I am acting and moving with greater confidence and pleasure for better moments! I am dressing and looking upon myself confidently for all the right reasons..."

to continue a greater life!

Great day to you, as a great day continues~

Edward F. T. Charfauros

Life Guide and Author

Source: Repeat With Me: I AM SUCCESS!

Stand up for all your causes, do whatever it is you think you need to do, just don’t attach to it and watch how your triggers dissipate along with the unconscious thoughts that hold you in captivity…

You may think what happens in life is the cause of the emotions that arise, but what’s not understood is the emotions are already in place, they just get triggered by whatever’s occurring. There’s so much underlining conditioning in place that it keeps you from understanding your own mind, and if you don’t understand your own mind it will control you unconsciously. Most don’t think they’re unconscious and take offense to being called so, but this is the exact energy that’s being projected out without an inkling it’s being done; one is blind to their own unconsciousness. You may be unconsciously responding to this right now by thinking “who do I think I am to label you unconscious, and I should look at myself” but I do look at myself and that’s where it was first discovered just how unconscious all of humanity is, myself included. Anytime someone gets angry, they’re causing their own suffering, yet it’s done all the time, but that’s only part of it, what’s really unconscious is it isn’t truly known why anger arises. Stories are made up why it arises, but that doesn’t mean they’re true.

There are many justified causes for anger, but they’re all just part of the unconscious mind; that it’s not realized is why it’s unconscious. The list of attachments that are blindly held onto is endless and it keeps the unconsciousness in place. Very few will really get this, it’s easier to say the writer doesn’t know what he’s talking about then to truly look at this. The only way you will become conscious and your emotions not be triggered is if this is understood. Look around and see how attachment is the leading cause of all this unconsciousness. When you wake up you can pull away from this unconsciousness which will remain in control if waking up doesn’t occur. Stand up for all your causes, do whatever it is you think you need to do, just don’t attach to it and watch how your triggers dissipate along with the unconscious thoughts that tell you this unconsciousness doesn’t apply to you.

It’s the worldly view of satisfying your self (”I”) that keeps you from a vision of seeing your own splendor, and this vision will only be revealed when you begin to look within…

No one is more special than another in this existence, but there are those for whatever reason who do see things quite differently. I wouldn’t label anyone as chosen, but I would say some are more inclined to not attach to the worldly view of “I” which allows for a vision other than if you are in the grip of a mind based worldly view. I have lived two existences, one which was based in energy where there was much self created suffering and the other which is the one I’m living now, which is a vision of looking inward that has allowed my own splendor to be revealed. The only real differences in these two views is one created suffering and was done in blind ignorance and the other, the one today is lived in awareness of the ignorance (no longer blind). Today my view is as it is because the worldly distractions don’t control me as they once did, obviously I’m still in the world because I’m writing this, but its control has lessened.

The vision of my own splendor opened as a by product of awareness and as the worldly view is let go of, it allows space for wisdom and insights to arise. This opening is directly linked to the letting go of “I”, it’s the “I” that attaches and causes all suffering. Ever so slowing when you begin to look inward the distractions of the world lose their control. To me this is what was revealed to the great mystic’s, they weren’t special, all they did was look inward and discovered their own splendor. This ability to look inward is available to all, but the worldly view of”I” will have to be overcome. It’s the worldly view that keeps you from the vision of seeing your own splendor which will only be revealed when you truly begin to look within…

Today’s self-empowering statement to positively affect yourself:

Repeat with me: I AM SUCCESS EVERY MOMENT!

"I am placing more emphasis on my blessings versus worries and stressors! I am positively focusing more on my reasons to succeed versus quitting and giving up! I am practicing more on the usefulness of my good emotions versus bad and useless! I am continuing for the brighter side of it all..."

to continue a greater life!

Great day to you, as a great day continues~

Edward F. T. Charfauros

Life Guide and Author

Source: Repeat With Me: I AM SUCCESS!