Just as the snake’s venom is found in the back of its head, that is exactly where you will find the venom that poisons you. It’s just not called venom. It’s called negative thoughts and beliefs. And just as a snake’s venom renders its victim paralyzed, so does your negative thoughts and beliefs.  However in this case, the victim is you.  Maybe you’ve heard the saying…’We have met the enemy and the enemy is us’.

Now a snake doesn’t just go around biting and poisoning things just for the fun of it.  Either one of two things happen…..the snake is either hungry or senses danger.  Humans on the other hand, ‘spit’ venom simply for sport.  When I say ‘spit’, I’m referring to what we say.  What we say to ourselves and to everyone we meet.  We tell ourselves a story (negative thoughts and beliefs), store it in the back of our heads (venom) and then ‘spew’ it all over the place.  And then we sit and wonder why our world is the way it is.  We don’t even realize that we are poisoning ourselves.  We are detrimental to our own mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health. 

We poison ourselves which in turn renders us paralyzed.  We say we want more, bigger and better; however, we allow venom to gather in the back of our heads.  The venom tells us that we can’t, we shouldn’t, and we are not worthy.  We allow this venom to keep us living a life of complacency.  We stand on the brink of living our dreams yet the venom in the back of our heads keeps us from moving forward.

Just as the ‘milking of a snake’ is an ongoing process, so is the milking of your thoughts and beliefs.  It will take practice upon practice upon practice.  And just as the person milking the snake gets bitten, you’ll be bitten as well.  The key is to collect as much anti-venom as possible and have it ready and available.  Oh yes, there is an anti-venom for those thoughts and beliefs that poison your life.  And guess where it’s located?  Yep, you guessed it….In Your Head.  So see, you hold the venom AND the anti-venom in the same place.  You just have to decide which one to use.

I’ve mentioned one of my mentors, Byron Katie in another post (Are Your Thoughts Causing You Pain).  She has developed an anti-venom called The Work.  The Work is a simple yet powerful process of inquiry that teaches you to identify and question the thoughts that causes you to suffer. It’s a way to understand what’s hurting you, and to address the cause of your problems with clarity.  The Work encourages you to question everything.  Question every thought, every belief.  Question until you receive an answer that resonates with you.

Peace, light, love and many, many blessings…..

J-licious

© Copyright 2010/09/02  Jacque Keil All Rights Reserved

There have been so many times that I was inspired to either write or speak but held it in.  The Divine gave me a message and instead of speaking my truths,  I looked around for someone else to speak it for me.  To this day some of those messages remain undelivered.  This morning, I was reminded that there are times when a message is given to me, for me and is to be delivered by me.

To give you an example of what I’m writing about, I can go as far back as Biblical days with Moses.  You see Moses was ‘called’ to speak to Pharaoh.  The message he was to deliver was short and the instructions simple….’Let my people go’.  Yet, he came up with excuses as to why he should NOT be the one to deliver the message.  He was concerned that no one would believe him.  He was concerned about the fact that he stuttered and was not an eloquent speaker.  He even suggested that God send someone else.  Yet God remained God and explained to him that he would allow Aaron, his brother to ‘assist’ him; however, he (Moses) was the chosen messenger. (KJV Exodus 3rd and 4th chapters)

Even today, we still come up with excuses as to why we do not live the lives God has set before us.  We have reasons (EXCUSES) as to why we can not deliver the message that has been given to us.  We complain that we need help.  That we can not possibly do it alone.  God understands this and that is why She sends us angels to help.  We are never alone in our appointed tasks.  There are always angels (and sometimes demons) to help us along the way.

You may or may not have heard of the term ghost writers.  Ghost writers are professional writers who are paid to write books, articles, stories, reports, speeches or other texts that are officially credited to another person.  Some famous ghost writers in the music industry are:  Gillie Da Kid, The Dream, Missy Elliot, Keri Hilson, Faith Evans, Neyo, Babyface, and Timbaland.  The fore-mentioned talented ghost writers have written for many performing artists.  And those songs have reached #1 on many billboards.  This is a perfect example of being ‘assisted’ in delivering your message.  Both the ghost writer AND the artist had a message to convey and by collaboration, the message is delivered to the masses.

Another example is the famous “Normalcy, Never Again” speech given by Dr Martin Luther King, Jr.  That speech  is said to have been written by 3 of his colleagues, Dr Vincent Harding, Clarence Jones and Stanley Levison.  I think we all know the powerful messages conveyed in this speech.  However, most people do not know that Dr Martin Luther King, Jr had a little help in putting that speech together.  Now the thing I LOVE most about this speech is that it was empowered by a little prompting  of an outside force.  That outside force was none other than the late great Mahalia Jackson.  At the end of  this speech, Mahalia Jackson cried out to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr to….. ‘ Tell them about the dream, Martin’.  Upon hearing her cry, Dr King begin to deliver another message…..the message inspired by the Divine and given only to him.  That message is now entitled, ‘I Have A Dream.

I could go on and on giving out examples of other ghost writers and their counterparts (The Messengers); however, what’s most important  now is….Who’s gonna deliver YOUR message?

Waiting anxiously to hear what you have been given to share,

J-licious

© Copyright 2010/08/17  Jacque Keil All Rights Reserved

Audio Clip – Act Like You Know The Truth.

As I am coming out of my ‘dark night of the soul‘, I begin to read again.  I close my eyes and see the book I should pick up.  As I open my eyes, I am led to the bookcase and my hands reach out and touch Tapping the Power Within by Iyanla Vanzant.  I just LOVE Ms. Vanzant!!!!!!  I love her openness, her smile, and her vitality.  As a Life Coach, I incorporate much of her teaching into my practice.  Once I begin to re-read Tapping the Power Within, I realized why my soul chose this book.  Inside the book is a CD entitled, Act Like You Know The Truth.  This CD could not have come at a better time in my life.  For the past few months, I was in denial and pretended to be confused about what was happening inside, outside and all around me.  This CD reminded me that all the answers or truths that I could ever need to know lies within.  It reminded me to Act Like  I Know My Truth.

Lady Vanzant shares 7 steps to Acting Like You Know The Truth.  If you’ll take this journey with me, I would like to share my thoughts about these 7 steps.

1.  Never Underestimate Your Own Need, Ability, or Power to Create Change in Your Life – There comes a time when change is not only necessary it’s inevitable.  Nothing you can do or not do will stop change from occurring.  The conditions of your life are always speaking to you….LISTEN.  You know before anyone else that something is yearning for change.  And I’ve learned the hard way that when it hurts bad enough, you’ll make a change.  FACE the need in your life whether it’s your finances, your job, your relationships, your health (or lack thereof on all accounts).  Then get a vision for yourself on how you would like those areas to be, create the discipline within yourself, then watch the change from the inside to the outside.  You have the power within to make the change (transformation) as seamless and fluid as possible.  You only have to Act Like You Know The Truth.

2.  Mind Your Own Business First -  I suggest re-reading a post I wrote entitled My Business, Your Business and God’s Business.  This post was inspired by another ‘teacher’ of mine whose name is Byron Katie.  She is best known for her teaching of The Work.  It is a list of questions that will send you on a journey of self-discovery and release you from much of your self-inflicted suffering.   Ok, back to minding my own business….  As a ‘spiritual entrepreneur’, I have this ‘need’ to help people.  I see them ‘hurting’ and my first thought is, I Should Help Them.  Then I find myself all off in their business.  And when I turn around, I find that MY business is a mess.  I’ve neglected MY business for THEIR business and this does no one any good.  Does this sound like anyone you know?  Although, I can’t seem to pass up the crying baby, I am learning the skillful art of Acting Like I Know The Truth.  It’s their business, not mine.

3.  Seek Harmony – Most people seek balance in their life.  However, I have found that in balance nothing happens.  Imagine you’re back in high school or college in science lab in front of an equal arm scale.  You place an item on one arm of the scale.  What happens?  Yep, the other arm moves up.  As you place an item on the other arm, the scales begin to play a balancing act.  Once balance what happens?  You guess it, NOTHING.  The two arms just sit….BALANCED.  So instead of seeking balance, I’ve decided to seek harmony.  Harmony means you make a conscious choice and you communicate that choice to the people you love and care about.  Harmony means you create a life where everything you think, say or do supports every other part of your life.  Harmony is where your physical reality meets your spiritual reality.  Harmony is Acting Like You Know The Truth.

4.  Replace External Referencing With Inner Harmony (Authority) – External referencing is rampant today.  We compare ourselves to the people in the magazines, in the videos, in the movies and even on the billboards as we travel.  We become so caught up with what others think about us until we lose our inner harmony.  We give up our inner authority for external referencing.  At anytime that you make believe that you are somebody other than the truth of who you are, you are acting under a stolen identity.  You were created in the very likeness and image of God; therefore, you are perfect.  You better Act Like You Know The Truth and embrace the irreplaceable you.

5.  Stop Being Bad or Wrong – I repeat, you were created…better yet, you ARE the very likeness and image of God, you can’t be bad or wrong.  And if you don’t like the word God, you can interchange it with Universe, Life Source, Light….whatever makes you comfortable.   Although we are not bad, we can engage in bad behaviors.  And although we are not wrong, we can be in the process of learning and unfolding.  At our essence, our core, we are pure, we are innocent, we are powerful, we are love.  So Act Like You Know The Truth.

6.  Take Your Rightful Place – Take your rightful place in your life, in your world, in your universe as opposed to living from your defects and dysfunctions.  If you are in your own life disowning, denouncing, demeaning and dis-empowering yourself, you are sending an open invitation to every corner of the Universe for people, experiences, circumstances and situations to come in and join you in your self-mutilation.  It takes courage to stand in your rightful place.  There may be times when you have to let go.  Let go of people, places and things to take your rightful place.  So Act Like You Know The Truth.

7.  Go for the Joy – Some of us are conditioned to struggle.  It just doesn’t seem right if we don’t have to fight for it.  Remember just cause you can take a punch doesn’t mean you have to go around looking for a fight.  I agree with Ms. Vanzant when she suggests to bypass happiness and go straight for the joy.  Cause happiness can be influenced by the outside world.  Someone can do or not do something and that makes you happy.  And should they decide to do the opposite, then the opposite of happiness occurs.  Joy on the other hand is an internal state of being.  Joy is not determined or undermined by outside influences.  Joy just is…  Joy is Acting Like You Know The Truth.

Here’s to your rave performance of Acting Like You Know The Truth.

J-licious

© Copyright 2010/07/20  Jacque Keil All Rights Reserved

At one time I felt like a coward when entering my dark night.  I felt that I should be ‘fighting’.  Then I realized that to enter and come through a dark night takes courage. We can only enter the dark night if we accept the courage that comes from our Spirit.  You see, our Spirit knows what’s on the other end.  It’s the flesh that’s afraid.  And it is that courage that sustains us through a journey of agony, suffering and pain.  It is only by accepting the challenge that the dark night presents that we may emerge enlightened and liberated.  The agony and suffering that we experience through the journey transforms into unexplainable peace, joy and fulfillment.

I don’t know the many reasons that a dark night of the soul may present itself.  However, I do know that ultimately it is a matter between your Spirit and what you came into this existence to learn about who you truly are.  The dark night may be an offering by your Spirit to meet the challenge of purification of your life.  There may some things that you need to let go and some things you must embrace.  Whatever the reason, you must find every ounce of positive energy to bring you through and out to the other end of light.  Because it’s on the other end that you will meet your Higher Self.

I’ll see you on the other end…..

J-licious

© Copyright 2010/07/16  Jacque Keil All Rights Reserved

My first experience of the 3 came through a conversation with a new found friend.  Because I am learning to speak of the positive and not the negative, we were discussing areas in our lives that showed improvement.  Not areas that NEEDED improvement.  One of those areas for me was my finances.  When I inspected my financial history, I realized that I was earning more money and was much happier being self-employed than when I was working on a traditional corporate job.  The other area in my life that showed significant improvement was in the area of spirituality.  This caused me to wonder if there may have been a connection.  Did my finances improve because my connection with Source improved?  I tend to think it did.

My second experience of the 3 came to me in general thought.  I wondered why is it that the majority of ‘church-going’ people struggle in their relationships, their finances, and in their businesses?  Does God WANT His people to struggle?  And why do people talk down on ministers such as T.D. Jakes or Creflo Dollar saying that they are ‘money-hungry’ devils?  Isn’t God a prosperous God?  Aren’t His gifts abundant?  Or do I have it all backwards and we (God’s children) are suppose to suffer and live sub-par lives?

Finally my 3rd experience came when I happened upon Mary Mary’s video, God In Me.  I fell in love with the song when I first heard it.  And the more I listened, the more I liked it.  So, I looked for the lyrics online today.  What I found were people who said they were sickened by the message of the song.  I was like WHAT.  Are you kidding me?  You’re upset because someone is singing about their gifts and giving God the praise for them?  Wow!

Then it hit me.  Most people DO think that money, cars, homes, clothes, and even bling is a sin.  Well, not me.  

Light, Love and Liciousness,

J-licious

© Copyright 2010/04/27  Jacque Keil All Rights Reserved

Let It Go – audio clip

I’m not a Miss Know It All; however, I would wager, that Easter Sunday is not about bunnies laying chicken eggs.  I would wager that it’s not about the elaborate dress, alligator shoes or the hat that causes your neck to hurt.  I would wager that it is not even about the Death and Resurrection of Jesus.  It is more about the LIFE  and TEACHINGS of Jesus.  It is about knowing that you too can rise.

Throughout the life of Jesus, he taught us that he was not greater than us.  He taught that he was ONE WITH us.  He spoke words such as, “…and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” KJV St. John 14:12.  He taught us that it was through our beliefs we are made whole, …”Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole“. KJV St Mark 10:52.  Jesus’ words, life, death AND resurrection were all to empower us, …”I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”  KJV St John 10:10.

Jesus also referred to himself as ‘THE LIGHT’.  His life, death and resurrection was a light that allows us to live .  Therefore, I am inclined to believe that if you are suffering, that is not of Jesus.  If you are in financial debt, that is not of Jesus.  If you are ill, that is not of Jesus.  And on this day, you too can rise.  You can bury that which you no longer wish to experience and cause a greatness to rise within you.  You can allow the sun to set on all the negativity and watch as the Son rises within you light, love, peace, and blessings.  ALL IN ABUNDANCE.  The choice is yours.

Happy Easter,

J-licious

© Copyright 2010/04/04  Jacque Keil All Rights Reserved

You may be asking, ‘Exactly what is Soul Cleansing?”.  Soul Cleansing is a way in which we can rid ourselves from negative thoughts, emotions and actions.  Soul Cleansing is a way for us to move from the dark into the light, from a state of anxiety into a state of peacefulness.  Just as we cleanse our bodies of toxins, we can cleanse our Spirits of poisonous thoughts.

Spiritual Cleansing may have 3 phases.  The first phase is one of ANALYSIS.  It involves becoming still.  And when I say still, I don’t mean just your body.  I mean your mind as well.  Be with yourself.  Take inventory of the things you would like to improve whether it’s your finances, your relationships, your job, or your business.  Be still and become clear about the kind of life you want to experience.

The second phase is one of RECOGNITION.  That is recognizing what areas of your life need cleansing.  What ‘old, unused, unnecessary’ item(s) are you holding on to that are keeping you weighed down?  When it’s time to make the transition, what keeps you from moving.  Are you one of those people who can not pass the department store without buying something?  Are you one of those co-dependent people who holds on to a relationship long after the relationship has let go of you?  Are you one of those people who family and friends KNOW they can tell you their sob story and you will invest in it?  If so, you BETTA RECOGNIZE!!!  Don’t act like you don’t see it when it’s glaring and showing teeth.

The final phase is one of ACTION.  This is the hardest phase of all.  It’s also the most crucial.  Mainly because it doesn’t matter how still you become or how much you recognize the areas that need to be cleansed.  If you don’t ACT, nothing changes.  Everything remains the same.  For example, if you go through your house and pack up all the things you say you don’t want or need and then just move them to another area of your house, what have you accomplished?  All you did was move your junk from one room to the other.  In order for you to make room for bigger and better you have to ACTually get rid of the old.  Same with Spiritual Cleansing.  You have to be willing to get rid of what you realize no longer works for you.  Until then you will continue to feel the weight of an un-lived life.

Happy Soul Cleansing,

J-licious

© Copyright 2010/03/04  Jacque Keil All Rights Reserved

I love my grandfather.  He’s a silent, thoughtful man.  He’s slow to speak, but when he does, you just know to pay attention.  He’s full of wisdom and knows how to deliver a message straight-forward and laced with love.  Young, old and in between come to him for advice.  He’s affectionately known as ‘Mr. Eddie’.  Eddie Johnson is the name given to him at birth.  The ‘Mr.’ comes from the respect that he’s earned.

One of the many things that I remember him teaching me was  the importance and the power of ‘your Word’.  He would remind me that if I gave my Word (promised, committed myself) that I should do everything within my power to honor it.  And if I find that I am either unwilling or unable then I should be sure to speak with the person that I promised and let them know of the change in plan.  He also reminded me that there was nothing wrong with changing my mind or even finding that I was not able to honor my commitment.  The ‘wrong’ was in not informing the other person of the change.

As I grew from a little girl to a young woman, I watched him practice this over and over again.  He honored his commitment(s).  He kept his word(s).  Today I endeavor  to live my life by this principle….Be Impeccable With Your Word.  I refuse to be full of BALLOON JUICE.

Know what balloon juice is?  Let me paint a picture.  Imagine being a kid again.  Your parents buy you a bag of balloons.  You go through the bag to find that PERFECT balloon.  You know, the long, bright colored, curvy one.  You stretch it out and prepare to inflate it.  You blow and blow and blow.  Then just as you are ready to tie it up at the end… it burst.  You know the wet stuff that splashes back in your face?  Well that’s balloon juice.  Yep, balloon juice is nothing more than SPIT.

Now let me explain the difference between your word and your Word.  Your word (small case) has to do with the things you say. They make up sentences, phrases that you speak and write. They come out as opinions, comments, and/or thoughts in your head. On the other hand your Word is much more.  Your Word (upper case) has to do with the POWER and INTENT you have to create through every kind of expression you make. You create through multiple types of expression including emotions, attitudes and actions.

To master being impeccable with your word will take many moments of practice.  Being impeccable with your Word is not just about keeping your Word.  Being impeccable with your word has more to do with expressing your self in the direction of truth and love.  It’s about filling the balloon with the right amount of air so that it does not burst causing a spray of that good ole balloon juice.  Words are powerful.  Therefore, it is important to use your words carefully. The way you express your self will impact your life, and others.  You have to be aware of what you say, and how you express your self to others.  People love balloons; however, they aren’t so fond of BALLOON JUICE.

Keeping my Word,

J-licious

© Copyright 2010/01/21  Jacque Keil All Rights Reserved

Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the Western hemisphere.  Out of 177 countries, they rank at 164.  Approximately 78% of the people live in poverty earning no more than $2 per day and/or $70 per month.  Less than 45 percent of the people have access to clean running water.  Life expectancy is 52 years old.  12 percent of the children die before reaching 1 year of age and 10 percent die before reaching 4 years of age.  Almost one third of the population are either ill or underweight.  Almost half of the people are illiterate.  With statistics like this, how could they have the means to withstand an earthquake of that scale?   Want to see how this compares to people living in the United States and Haiti’s surrounding islands?

Here goes the Gross Domestic Income comparison:

Of course upon seeing this I was floored.  Until the recent earthquake, I was totally UNAWARE of the living conditions in Haiti.  I don’t know about you, but when I think of the Caribbean islands, I think white sand, blue water and palm trees.  I would venture to say that most people do.  In my prayer and meditation, I thought perhaps this was God’s way of uncovering the truth.  God’s way of ‘UNEARTHING’ the pain and struggles of the  people of Haiti. God had to Quake the Earth in order to Wake the people.

So often we (yep, that includes me) get so caught up in our own lives that we forget or even ignore the cries of others.  We begin to complain about how horrible our lives or situations have become.  Sometimes I become frustrated because I am not where I say I want or need to be.  I think back on my 41 years and ask….’Is this it?  Is this all I’m here to do?’  This morning, I did a self check.   And I realize that I have fallen short.  I have been found wanting.  This life granted to me is NOT all about me.  It is about EVERYTHING that is within and without me.  Is is about my brothers, my sisters, and my neighbors.

Now I pose this question to you…Are you Awake Yet?

To help you can do one of two things: Either you can use your cell phone to text “Yele” to 501501, which will automatically donate $5 to the Yele Haiti Earthquake Fund founded by Wyclef Jean (it will be charged to your cell phone bill), or you can click here and donate directly on the website.

In love,

J-licious

© Copyright 2010/01/14  Jacque Keil All Rights Reserved