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How I Found My Inner Spiritual Compass

 

 

I’m not sure why other people read and/or write books, but I wrote mine to save my life. I was struggling with what was going on around me and inside me. I was unhappy, and I knew there had to be more; more joy, more happiness, more fulfillment.
Historical fiction, stories of the spiritual heart and spiritual exercises gave me keys where I developed my inner compass that would help me produce more of the experience of life that I was looking for but hadn’t managed to secure.Throughout my adult life, I became a serious student of the spiritual. I found that, often, psychological principles and practices were incomplete, but could be filled out by adding the missing spiritual component. My approach was always to see practical applications for what I uncovered in the mystical. It was through immersing myself in this field of study and experience that I came up with the idea for, Einstein’s Compass. In EC I gave young Albert a few of my transcendant spiritual experiences. #followyour heart

https://www.amazon.com/Einsteins-Compass-Time-Traveler-Adventure-ebook/dp/B07KRMNPZK

Einstein’s Compass a YA Time Traveler Adventure

Garden of Remembrance

There was light. Johann wondered about that. Whatever its origin, a bright vortex of light seemed to be pulling him up. He felt oddly at peace. In fact, he felt terrific. As Johann transcended his body, a veil lifted, and it seemed to him as if he floated in space. He closed his eyes and drifted in his consciousness.

After an indeterminate amount of time, he awoke and found himself laying in a garden. Lush, green lawns with paths of iridescent stone that formed gentle rambling arcs through the greenery surrounded a glistening white building. A river with calm, blue waters flowed past where Johann lay. Sitting up, Johann saw that lush beds of giant purple roses and red-and-white tulips dotted a nearby hillside. On the far side of the building lay a valley where he could see people dressed in white walking. As he stared at the scene, Johann realized their legs were not moving; they were gliding just above the ground toward the building.

Johann’s mind rebelled as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing. In confusion, he wondered what had happened and how had he gotten here—and where “here” was. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. Receiving no inspiration, he opened his eyes to see a radiant young woman dressed in white approaching him.

The Light Initiate, Kendra, smiled, inwardly hearing Johann’s questions. “You are safe now, Johann,” she said, reassuring him.

Johann shook his head in disbelief. “Safe? I’ve been run over by a train!” To prove it, he looked down, and his eyes grew wide as he saw his body was whole and well. “What…? How…? Who are you?” Johann tried to stand but stumbled.

With a quick step, Kendra caught Johann’s arm and eased him back to the soft ground. “It’s all right. I know you have a million questions.” Placing her hand on her chest, she said, “My name is Kendra, and I am an agent of God sent to help you.” As Johann’s jaw dropped, Kendra squeezed his arm and sat. “Here, let me see if I can explain this to you.” Johann nodded blankly.

With warmth and caring, Kendra asked, “What is the last thing you remember?”

Johann gazed down and blinked several times, trying to capture his last moments. “I… I was on my bicycle, and the streetcar came along… and, I… fell.” As he said that, awareness hit Johann. “Oh my God! Am I, ah, am I… dead?”

With a compassionate smile, Kendra leaned in and took Johann’s hand. “Well, Johann, you are no longer living as you once did. Your body has been damaged beyond repair. It is, indeed, dead.” Johann gulped as Kendra continued. “But you, my dear friend, are far from dead as people on Earth imagine that state.”

Johann pinched himself. It felt like a pinch always had. “Um, I guess I see what you mean.” He looked around. “Yeah, no one with wings and harps that I can see, heh-heh,” he said, reaching for a joke.

Kendra kissed Johann’s hand. “Excellent, Johann. Some people take a lot longer to accept what has happened to them.”

Relaxing in the love that was the essence of this plane of existence, he asked, “But where am I. What am I?”

“Those are exactly the right questions,” Kendra said encouragingly. “You are in God’s Garden of Remembrance. Some call it Summerland and consider it Heaven. You will see people here whom you know, those who have passed on. You are what some people might call an angel—but not what people traditionally think angels are.”

“But what does that mean, Kendra?”

With another bright smile, she said, “It means that soon you will have a new role in which to serve the people on Earth. And some people very specifically,” she said with a wink.

Johann’s mind was reeling; he shook his head in disbelief. “But if I am dead, why do I have a body?”

Kendra laughed, her eyes sparkling with delight. “You have a body here because you are on the astral plane, which makes you appear as if you have a body. Many realms of beingness exist.

People are aware of the physical realm and can identify it. It is evident: You have a physical body, so you exist on that physical realm. The astral body is a replica of the physical body, but subtler. It is a sheath of energy that most people inhabit immediately after death. When we are alive, the astral body remains attached to the physical body via a stream or ribbon of energy. You can leave the physical body during sleep, coma, meditation, or when you’re in a kind of trance. Sometimes people extend out of the body under the influence of drugs, or as you experienced, in an accident.”

Then Kendra furrowed her brow and asked, “Can you recall what you felt when you left the Earth plane?”

Johann sighed and thought about it. “I was falling. Then I felt lifted in bright, white light.”

He held his hand to his heart and closed his eyes. “Loving filled and surrounded me. It was so beautiful. I was floating. I think I might have fallen asleep. When I opened my eyes, I was here.”

With a gentle smile still radiating from her eyes, Kendra nodded and reached out toward Johann. “Excellent. Sometimes when people are in an accident or experience a violent death, they don’t recognize what happened and stay tied to their physical body. They wander around on Earth, not knowing they need to move on until someone of an elevated consciousness can guide them to their next level.”

“Really?” Johann asked, fascinated.

Kendra nodded solemnly. “Uh-huh. But you didn’t resist, and allowed yourself to follow the love and the Light here,” she said approvingly. “So, are you ready to discover what is in store for you? There is much for me to show you.”

For some reason, Johann was not feeling scared or sad or worried. In fact, he was amazingly calm and relaxed. This Summerland garden seemed somehow almost familiar, and all Johann really felt was… loved.

He reached out, took Kendra’s hand, and rose to his feet. He sensed the rightness of it all. “I’m ready.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” said a man’s voice from behind them.

As they turned, Kendra broke into a great smile. Two men stood there, both radiating peace. A sense of joy filled Johann as Kendra said, “Johann, I would like you to meet—”

Johann gulped, then tears filled his eyes. He fell to his knees, and the taller of the two men reached down and gently lifted him to his feet. “Now, now, Johann. No need for that.”

Johann wiped his eyes and smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, uh…” Johann blinked and shook his head, trying to gather his thoughts. “You’re, um, Jesus, right?”

The man’s smile radiated from his eyes as he nodded and pointed to his companion. “Mm-hmm. And this is my friend, Moses.”

Moses nodded. “We have some special training for you in addition to what Kendra will be teaching you.”

“Training? For me? But why?”

Jesus put his arm around Johann’s shoulder. “Well, it has to do with a friend of yours. A boy named Albert Einstein.”

 

Albert Einstein’s Christmas 1894 – Hope

 

Christmas is for family. However, in 1894, Albert’s parents and sister were far away in Italy. To make matters worse Albert was scheduled to meet with the Academik Committee a week before Christmas to determine his future at school. Lost and alone Albert wanted inspiration. He went to the library to find comfort from his favorite author Kant. When Albert thought his life was over a friend from his childhood walks into the library at the same time. This chapter is a turning point in Albert’s life. Not just with his career. Danger in Albert’s life escalates when Raka discovers Albert has supernatural compass he covets and will do whatever it takes to get it. #GiftaBook Einstein’s Compass $.99 #Kindle

Einstein’s Compass a YA Time Traveler Adventure Buy on Amazon Now

December 1894
Hope

The bracing wind of the late December afternoon gusted outside and intruded into Albert’s thoughts. It was the first Thursday of the winter school break. Hoping to escape his troubles, Albert went to the Bavarian Library near the Gymnasium campus where he sat contemplating his compass. Inspiration was not forthcoming, so he put his treasure in his coat pocket and wandered over to the bookshelves. He searched half-heartedly for one of his favorite philosophers, Kant, and found Critique of Pure Reason. As he pulled the book from the shelf, he heard a familiar voice call his name.

“Albert?”

Albert turned, and his face lit up. “Herr Talmud, it is so good to see you!”

They embraced cordially, Max, a head taller, with a premature touch of gray in his chestnut hair and mustache. Though only in his mid-30s, he had the air of a wise older gentleman.

Max was equally excited to see his young friend. He held Albert at arm’s length and assessed the boy. “You’re growing up nicely, Albert. How have you been? Are you at the Gymnasium getting your diploma?”

At the mention of the Gymnasium, Albert’s body slumped. “Uh, that’s kind of a long story. Say, maybe I can tell you about it over dinner. Can you join me?”

“Of course,” Max responded with a smile, putting an arm around Albert’s shoulders. “I would love to find out what has been going on with one of my favorite people.”

For the first time in a long time, Albert felt himself relax in the company of a friend as the two walked to the coatroom. Moments later, they stepped into the cold evening air and headed down the hill to an alehouse a couple blocks away.

 

* * *

 

Not far from the Bavarian Library, Raka surreptitiously peered beneath his cloak and inspected his walking stick. Pressing the ruby eyes set in the dragon’s head, he made sure the steel needle tipped with venom was ready. He knew he could not do harm to the possessor of the Shamir without paying a massive karmic price, but you never knew when it might be a useful tool for coercing someone to do his will. He was hot on the trail of the Shamir and knew it was near at hand. Satisfied that all was in readiness, he reset the needle and continued his way.

Sniffing the air, he found the Shamir scent much stronger than it had been just minutes ago. He quickened his pace, practically salivating at the thought of possessing the stone.

A few blocks from the library, Max and Albert entered the alehouse and found a quiet table. After ordering beer and sauerbraten from the plump, middle-aged waitress, they resumed their conversation.

“Do you remember when I would visit you and your family each Shabbat?” Max asked. “Your parents were so kind to me when I was a struggling medical student.”

Albert nodded, a warm feeling filling him along with the memories of simpler days. “Yes, I remember. I have missed you. It was an exciting time when you were twenty-nine and I only ten, and you brought me books on philosophy and mathematics. I loved the quizzes you made up for me to test how well I’d understood my assignments.”

Max grinned as he chewed a bite of beef and pointed his fork at Albert. “It wasn’t very long before I could no longer follow you.”

Albert beamed at the praise, and the two chatted amiably, recalling the many Shabbat evenings they had spent together.

Outside the alehouse, Raka approached, his pace quickening in anticipation. He took a final sniff and satisfied himself he was at the right place. His thoughts were confirmed when he saw the hoopoe bird perched above the door. The aroma of human food coming from the alehouse did not interest him. Instead, the rat that ran around the corner of the building as he approached made him remember it had been a while since he had eaten.

Raka entered and casually made his way to the table next to the one where Albert and Max were chatting. When the waitress approached, he ordered a beer to justify his presence and settled back, giving no indication that he was listening intently to the boy and the man at the nearby table. Raka wondered which of the two possessed the Shamir.

Though he had found the conversation relaxing and enjoyable, Albert decided it was time to bring up the topic he really wanted to discuss. Taking a bite of his pot roast, Albert became serious. “Max, may I confide in you?”

The smile faded from Max’s face and was replaced by a look of concern. “Of course, you can tell me anything. What is it, Albert? Is something wrong with your parents?”

“No, no, my parents are fine. They are in Italy. I am staying with my aunt and uncle, who live not far from here.” Albert paused and took a long drink of beer as he gathered his thoughts. He was trying to figure out just how to tell his story, but when no inspiration appeared, he just plowed ahead. “It’s just that I feel I am wasting my time at the Gymnasium. I pass my math and science examinations easily because I taught myself the things we’re studying in class years ago.” Albert pulled the Gymnasium Direktor’s letter from his pocket, saying, “But when I ask to be given more advanced work to study, I am met only with anger.” He handed the letter to Max, who frowned as he read it.

 

Dear Herr Einstein,

 

You are requested to attend a meeting at 10:00 a.m. on December 15, 1894, at the Office of the Direktor to discuss your future at the Luitpold Gymnasium with the Academik Committee Council. Please be prompt.

 

Sincerely,

Stefan Braun,

Direktor

 

Max shook his head as he folded the letter and gave it back to Albert. “I’m not surprised, Albert. I suspected you would have a hard time at the Gymnasium.”

“You did?”

Max nodded. “Yes. You’re right in the middle of a struggle within the school system itself. The schulkrieg, the war over the schools, is a fight between proponents of the classical values associated with education in Latin and Greek and supporters of instruction in modern languages and natural sciences.”

Albert leaned back in his chair, surprised at this revelation. “I had no idea.”

“How could you know?” Max sighed, “But, you see, I struggled too as I went through school to become a doctor.”

“Really?” Albert was taken aback.

“Mmm hmm. Believe it or not, the Luitpold Gymnasium has had a reputation as an enlightened school. All of Germany celebrates its ‘institutes of learning’ because of how prosperous it has become in the last three decades. Germany leads the world in what people are calling the industrial revolution.”

Albert waved his hand as if brushing away Max’s statement. “Institutes of learning? Bah! They are just factories of rote instruction.”

Max did not argue. “Be that as it may, Germany boasts of its schools.” As Albert scowled, Max continued. “But, my friend, I can tell you that there are schools in Switzerland that may be of interest to you. I attended one of them before I went to the University of Munich.”

Albert raised his eyebrows. “Switzerland?”

Max nodded. “The Polytechnic in Zurich, where I studied. And I have an uncle who lives in Zurich. He was instrumental in having me attend the Polytechnic, and I believe he would be willing to assist you as well. It would give you the education I think you are looking for.”

Albert’s face brightened. “That would be wonderful… if it would not be too much trouble, I mean.”

Max touched Albert’s arm, reassuring him, and said, “As far as I’m concerned, you’re family, Albert. I would be glad to help you. No trouble at all. It is the least I can do for people who treated me with such kindness.”

Albert sat back in his chair. For the first time in months, he felt like he could breathe.

Albert and Max went back to reminiscing as they finished their supper together. Feeling a refreshing wind in his sails blowing him in a new direction, Albert was now more than ready to meet the direktor and his lieutenants. When the two finished the last of their beer, Albert prepared to pay the check.

Raka was deep in thought, speculating on what he had heard when he saw the younger man reach into his pocket and pull out his money clip along with a round, brass device. Raka held his breath. There it was, his treasure! He wanted to jump up and grab it but had enough presence of mind to know that was not the way to achieve his objective. In the excitement of seeing the Shamir, Raka’s concentration weakened, and the illusion of his human form began to fade. Scales began to appear on his face. He rubbed his hands over his cheeks quickly, and his soft, human complexion returned. Shaking with anticipation, Raka was overwhelmed by his proximity to the prize he had sought for millennia. As Albert and Max stood up and made their way to the front door, neither noticed the blond gentleman at the table behind them.

Raka waited until Max and Albert had left the alehouse before he tossed a few coins on the table and followed. As he exited the building, he saw Max walking to the left and Albert going right to fetch his bicycle at the library. Raka grinned and moved along the cobblestone street toward Albert, melting into the pitch-black night. Albert rounded the corner of the now-dark library and walked to where he had parked his bike. Lost in thoughts of his future, he was unaware of Raka approaching him from behind. Panting in anticipation, Raka prepared to strike, cosmic law be damned. He readied his weapon by pressing the dragon’s ruby eyes and exposing the toxic steel needle. Just as he began to aim, out of nowhere, the hoopoe bird flew straight into the evil lizard, its pointed bill piercing his left eye. Raka stifled a cry and crouched to the ground in pain as the swift bird flew away.

Pulled from his musing by the muffled sound, Albert looked around. But the night was dark, and he saw neither Raka nor the weapon, which fell from his grasp as the lizard covered his wounded eye. The walking stick tumbled to the cobblestone pavement, and the poisoned needle tip broke with a snap, bouncing onto a squirrel nearby, causing it to chatter angrily. As he was placing his leg over his bicycle, Albert heard the noise and saw the little rodent scurry past him. Because it was so dark, Albert did not believe his eyes as the creature’s fur began to smoke and the animal appeared to disintegrate into a puddle of ooze. Albert shook his head, chiding himself for the way his eyes deceived him. He pulled the collar of his coat tighter around him to protect himself from the cutting wind.

Muttering soundless curses at the hoopoe bird, Raka skulked in the darkness, attempting to tend his wound. Far from fatal for the changeling, it was painful enough to demand his attention. He cursed himself soundly for his over-eagerness and realized what he had nearly done. The price he would have paid, he realized, would have been too high, even for the Shamir. He would not make that mistake again.

Walking in the dark, cold night, Raka vowed to lay a far more foolproof plan. Yes, it would take time. Yes, he would have to be patient. But he would not let the Shamir slip through his clutches again. A plan began to form in his mind—one that involved other humans. Like a precious seed, he would nurture it until it blossomed and bore fruit.

Astride his bicycle, Albert pedaled toward his aunt’s house, his mind filled with thoughts of a much brighter future. Not far behind, the hoopoe flew, ever vigilant, watching for the potential dangers of which Albert was blissfully unaware.

Einstein’s Compass a YA Time Traveler Adventure $.99 Kindle

…a riveting fantasy about soul-searching and growth which will keep young adult readers engrossed to the end.” —D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

Take a YA time traveler adventure with young Albert Einstein. When young Albert Einstein’s father gives him a jeweled compass, he has no idea the adventure that awaits. Spanning from 10,400 BCE on the Islands of Poseidon to Switzerland in 1903, Einstein’s Compass sweeps across dimensions all while Albert Einstein is growing into his destiny. But a dangerous creature hunts Albert and the compass. In this fantasy adventure, cosmic forces of good and evil clash around a budding scientist on the cusp of his greatest discovery.

2020 Certificate of Excellence in Literature Spirituality/Religion Story Monster Approved
2020 Texas Indie Best Book Award Winner – YA Fiction
2020 Royal Dragonfly Book Award 1st Place – Historical Fiction
2020 Royal Dragonfly Book Award 2nd Place – YA Fiction
2020 Royal Dragonfly Book Award Honorable Mention – Sci-Fi/Fantasy
2020 RONE Cover Award 1sr Runner-Up – Fantasy/Sci-Fi
2019 Readers’ Favorite Book Award Winner
2019 eLit Award Winner – Juvenile/YA Fiction
2019 National Indie Excellence Award Finalist – YA Fiction
2019 International Book Awards Finalist – YA Fiction

Award-winning Middle Grade/YA Author Grace Blair Asks, “What if Einstein Had a Magic Compass?”

Grace will be signing her new title Einstein’s Compass at BookCon in New York City

May 28, 2019—Meet multi-award-winning author Grace Blair at BookCon and Book Expo America (BEA). Grace will be available to speak with book buyers, librarians, the press, and readers during BookCon on Saturday, June 1 as well as during BEA, which takes place beginning tomorrow, Wednesday, May 29 through Friday, May 31 at the Javitz Center in New York City.

 

In Grace’s latest book, Einstein’s Compass: A YA Time Traveler Adventure, we meet a young Albert Einstein who has been given a supernatural compass that allows him to travel through time and space. Through the compass, Albert finds wisdom in other dimensions, including the lost city of Atlantis. But evil forces seek the power of the compass, including a monstrous, shape-shifting dragon from a different age. Can the compass protect Albert from such villainy?

 

A finalist in the 13th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards and Winner of the 2019 eLit Silver Award for Juvenile YA Fiction, Einstein’s Compass has been called “a riveting fantasy about soul-searching and growth [that] will keep young adult readers engrossed to the end.” ~ Midwest Review of Books. Grace will be signing copies of Einstein’s Compass at Booth 1003 (Ingram Pavillion) from 11:00 a.m to 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 1, 2019. Book supplies are limited.

~

About Grace Blair: Grace is an award-winning self-help and motivational author as well as a podcast host. She has helped thousands find spiritual wisdom to solve everyday challenges. As a serious student of all things spiritual and mystical, she has found that often psychological principles are enriched by a spiritual component. She frequently uncovers practical applications for her discoveries in the mystical world. Her studies, experience, and discoveries inspired her to write Einstein’s Compass. She lives in Lubbock, Texas, with her husband, Dr. John Blair. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30995754-einstein-s-compass

Authors Reading Book Review Einstein’s Compass

EINSTEIN’ S COMPASS by Grace Blair and Laren Bright is an exciting YA novel that weaves the life and discoveries of Albert Einstein with the eternal battle of good and evil.  Blair and Bright introduce an evil entity into their novel that is destined to become Einstein’s nemesis.  This dark power is named Raka and among his evil doings is the destruction of Atlantis.  He is very powerful and can take on the form of other beings, but his natural form is that of a fire-breathing dragon. He is replete with many powers and some ghastly antisocial behavior such as eating humans raw.  The cryptic statement “Give me what I want, and I’ll go away,” uttered by Stephen King’s evil entity Andre Linoge is equally apropos for this evil being because he wants something that Einstein has and Raka swears he isn’t going to rest until he gets it.

The novel starts with the story behind the evil force that becomes Einstein’s adversary. The source of the precious Shamir stone is revealed as an artifact created by God. When it is used by the righteous and the virtuous, its supernatural power can be harnessed for the good of mankind. The power of this stone is so potent that even Jesus, Moses and the angels are forced to have ad hoc meetings to prevent this stone from landing into the wrong hands of those who plan to wreak havoc on earth and all the other realms. Apparently, a dormant fragment of the Shamirstone was hidden in the compass device that Albert Einstein received as a child, and this fragment would only come alive if it came in contact with a being who was destined to have it and Einstein was a chosen one.

At age five the famous 20th-century scientist Albert Einstein fell ill.  Albert’s father presents his convalescing son with a compass to cheer him up. This simple device captivates the young scientist’s imagination because no matter where he went, the needle on the compass would only point in one direction. This experience apparently left a lasting impression on Einstein’s psyche and made him believe that something deeper is hidden behind the ordinary things around him. This incident from Einstein’s childhood has now become an anecdote used by teachers and parents to inspire young minds to explore the full potential of their mental faculties.

Grace Blair and Laren Bright, mashup tale of Einstein’s possession of the compass add intrigue, thrill, suspense, and biblical meanings to the anecdotal story.  The historical and religious references throughout the book are eye-opening and will probably send you on your own quest on Google to see what is real and what is fictional.

The authors of this book create a biblical twist behind Einstein’s genius and his landmark contributions to mankind. They also enhance his genius with the magical power of the stone which was first revealed to Einstein at age 12, when a three-dimensional number “33” floated above the compass. The number “33” is Einstein’s birth number, and the story suggests that double numeral birth numbers signify a “master path” and those with such a birth path “lift the loving energy of mankind”. Einstein mastered science and math way ahead of his peers and could envision potential scientific theories that were unthinkable to his peers. As per the book, the Shamir stone provided him with a steady guiding light and helped him reach these eureka moments.

The evil forces, Raka and his allies, however, are on a murderous path to kill the scientist and acquire the stone to attain ultimate power across all the realms. Luckily for young Einstein, the compass also serves as a warning device when certain evil is present. To this biographical narrative of Einstein’s life, the authors added an action-packed, thrilling battle of good versus evil and how a divine intervention, eventually led to Einstein understanding of “How time works.”   The ending provides a huge surprise that neatly brings to a close the plot’s twists and turns.   EINSTEIN’ S COMPASS is suspenseful, thought-provoking, and above all extremely entertaining.

https://www.authorsreading.com/book-reviews/grace-blair/einsteins-compass/
Reviewed by: sakshi

Einstein’s Compass Book Review Betty Jo Tucker Poem

EINSTEIN’S COMPASS: A YA Time Traveler Adventure by Grace Blair and Laren Bright

                                                                     Review Poem by Betty Jo Tucker

Thrilling to read this story told

with such suspense. It’s very bold.

Albert Einstein and time travel

put us under a wondrous spell.

Albert ponders light, time and space.

Was he born in another place?

A compass gift becomes the key

to unlocking this mystery.

The authors earn our cheers and praise

    for mystical themes that they raise

    and for their most exciting book.

                                                                          You really should give it a look.

                                                                           I hope it will be a movie.

                                                                                 It’s one that I would like to see.

                                                                          Great scenes jump off of every page.

                                                                        This film could be box-office rage!

                                                                 

Amazon Kindle http://a.co/d/3rsam2v
Betty Jo serves as editor/lead critic for ReelTalk Movie Reviews and writes film commentary for the Colorado Senior Beacon. She also hosts “Movie Addict Headquarters” on BlogTalkRadio, and is the award-winning author of the following books: 
CONFESSIONS OF A MOVIE ADDICT
CINEMA STANZAS: RHYMING ABOUT MOVIES
SUSAN SARANDON: A TRUE MAVERICK 
http://www.bettyjotucker.com/Bio.html

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What is a Mystic?

During the 15th Century, the Spanish Inquisition punished people who had otherworldly experiences with God. Anyone who was a healer or had intuitive knowledge of God was burned at the stake. According to the church, the only way a person could hear the word of God was through a priest or minister. Today the term “mystic” is associated with the occult, magic, astrology and tarot readings. I want to educate people to know that the mystical is not dark magic nor should you be ostracized.

According to the dictionary, a mystic is a person who seeks by contemplation and self-surrender to obtain unity with or absorption into the Deity or the absolute, or who believes in the spiritual apprehension of truths that are beyond the intellect.

Being a mystic is a spiritual, religious, and transcendental experience. St. Theresa of Avila, a former Jewess was a Catholic nun and a mystic in the 16th century. The Catholic Church venerates more than 10,000 saints with many being mystics. Patron saints are often chosen today because an interest, talent, or event in their lives overlaps with the special area. For example, St. Francis of Assisi was a mystic who loved nature and so he is the patron of ecologists. St. Francis de Sales was a mystical writer and so he is the patron of journalists and writers. St. Clare of Assisi, a mystic and the patron of television because one Christmas when she was too ill to leave her bed she saw and heard Christmas Mass — even though it was taking place miles away. Angels are also named as patron saints.

I do not claim to be a saint. However, there are saints among us who do the work of loving service. In 1973, I discovered a spiritual phenomenon called the Mystical Traveler Consciousness. The Mystical Traveler is in everyone and is the living love of the spiritual heart of Jesus Christ. Imagine having an intuitive flashlight to look into the darkness of your soul. With the Light of God and the Mystical Traveler exercising the living spirit within, you can step into an awareness that will lift and assist you in your life’s lessons.

In the “AHA” book, “Do You Have a Dream?” 140 Insights into Building Confidence, Overcoming Stress & Loving Yourself”, you will have 140 of my best insights to assist you in focusing on and discovering more of the wisdom, truth, and beauty within you.

Let go of the world around you, go inside, find your dream and follow the adventure of making it come true.

In your day-to-day learning, if you find a unique way of dreaming, pass it on. We on planet earth are students of life. Maybe you can share and become a thought leader too.

Grace Allison, http://www.gracethemystic.com Modern Mystic: I am a creative, enthusiastic, visionary who enjoys making a difference through service.

GracetheMystic, Modern Mystic Media
806-790-4845 | graceallisonauthor@gmail.com | www.gracethemystic.com |
4408 14 Street Lubbock, Texas 79416

Americans are more anxious than before

File 20180509 34018 5fzs8z.jpg?ixlib=rb 1.1
39 percent of Americans report feeling more anxious than this time last year.
by Pathdoc/Shutterstock.com

Jacek Debiec, University of Michigan

Americans are becoming more anxious about their safety, health, finances, politics and relationships, a new online poll from the American Psychiatric Association finds. Compared to the results of a similar poll a year earlier, 39 percent of adults in the U.S. are more anxious today than they were a year ago.

As a psychiatrist and neuroscientist, I believe studies and polls like these help to identify individual and group vulnerabilities. They may provide clues for providing better clinical practice, implementing more effective public policies, and designing research projects that yield a better understanding of the causes of anxiety and better treatments.

Although anxiety is rising across all age groups and demographic categories, there are notable distinctions between certain groups.

For example, millennials are more anxious (especially about finances) than Gen-Xers or baby boomers – though boomers’ overall anxiety increased more than the other age groups. Women reported a greater increase in overall anxiety in all dimensions than men, and non-Caucasians’ overall anxiety rose faster in the preceding year than did Caucasians. Sometimes, anxiety occurs without clearly defined worries or awareness, suggesting the poll may have only captured part of a rise in adult Americans’ anxiety levels – and those adults’ anxiety may be affecting children and teenagers too.

While this poll was not designed to detect or diagnose anxiety disorders or pathological anxiety, it does indicate that people are perceiving greater potential danger to many elements of their well-being.

Anxiety is a lower-grade version of a fear response. Severe instances of fear – such as actual direct threats of pain, injury or death – can cause very real physical reactions, including a release of stress hormones into the bloodstream and changes in heart rate and blood pressure, as the body prepares to react rapidly.

Anxiety-triggered physiological responses are slower to develop, but can last longer. Rather than being caused by an immediate threat, it can happen as people adapt to changing situations, such as visiting new countries, starting a different job or experiencing major life transitions such as marriage, parenthood and aging. Often, anxiety dissipates as a person becomes more familiar with the new situation. Short-term and mild-to-moderate anxiety states are adaptive as they increase our alertness and prepare us for new challenges.

Although our genetic makeup controls much of our fear and anxiety responses, recent studies also implicate our social environment. Children are especially sensitive to their caretakers’ emotional states, which means that if more adults are more anxious, the same is true for kids.

But if it lasts, anxiety, like fear, can bring long-lasting physiological changes such as prolonged muscle tension, chronic high blood pressure and sleep disorders. Some groups may be particularly vulnerable to long-term anxiety, such as people with physical or cognitive limitations that make it hard to adapt to new situations.

For others, worrying can become so overwhelming that a person does not focus on other important areas of life issues such as work, school or relationships. An especially anxious person may become excessively sensitive to minor concerns, which may be manifested by overreacting or avoiding people or situations that are not dangerous.

The ConversationAlthough regular exercise, relaxation, healthy eating and time with friends and family are all known to reduce anxiety, these fixes may not be sufficient. To quote Martin Luther King Jr., given the social nature of anxiety, “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” This suggests that addressing actual threats and communicating carefully about perceived ones can have a beneficial impact on anxious Americans.

Jacek Debiec, Assistant Professor / Department of Psychiatry; Assistant Research Professor / Molecular & Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

What is the biggest misconception about being a successful author?

The biggest misconception about being a successful published author is that when you finish your precious manuscript an agent will magically appear, sign you to a large publishing house and the money will roll in. All you have to do is write something.

The truth is writing is hard work. I spent more than forty years in various business industries in marketing and business development creating public images. I won the Dallas Business Journal Award in 2000 Retail for a shopping center in Dallas, Texas The Centre at Preston Ridge.

Writing a book can’t be that hard or so I thought.

I began my author journey after 9/11. I had just won the Dallas Business Journal Award when I was laid off. It took me two years to write eighty-eight pages, “A Dream is a Wish the Heart Makes”. I wrote and tore up many times before I felt ready to publish.

Excited with my new baby no agent came forward, no big publishing house came knocking on my door. I was told you have to have an established audience of thousands before an agent or publishing house will even talk to you.

Instead, I self-published. In 2004, the concept of being an indie author was unthinkable. When an agent heard you were an indie author they said you were a heretic and should be banned from the publishing world. Self-publishing was a new concept on Amazon. The self-publishing company I spent my hard earned dollars with did not follow through on their promises. Over the time of my contract, I lost a great deal of money and would years later assist a list of indie authors like me to sue them. Under several different publishing names, the company still exists making promises they cannot deliver.

The writing was still calling me to express myself. I wrote a series of self-help books that are based on forty years of my life where I explained how to use spiritual practices to change a life from fear to fun. In 2014, I rewrote my Dream book now called, “Do You Have a Dream 5 Keys to Realize Your Dream” which is available as an audiobook in my voice, an eBook and a workbook all available in bookstores and online. I won the 2016 bronze Spiritual and Inspirational Global Ebook Award, 2017 Texas Non-Fiction in Spiritual and Inspirational Award, 2017 Best Books Finalist Award. Still, no publishing house or agent has come calling.

While writing my non-fiction books I began the journey of writing fiction. If I thought writing a self-help book was hard, making up stories to entertain was three times as hard. Storytelling has a lot of rules that I am continually learning.

In 2014 after a trip to Jerusalem, Israel I chose to write an alternate history of Albert Einstein, “Einstein’s Compass a YA Time Traveler Novel”. Again, using my many years of exploring mystical teachings I wondered what if Einstein met spiritual beings who assisted him with his miracle theory? After four years of research and empty white pages on my computer, my novel has a completed first draft. God willing the book will be out by the end of 2018.

Now that my novel is in the hands of an editor, I spend my days on social media marketing my books. It is a full-time job. I spend as much time on my books as I would have to work for a company. Now the company is me, Modern Mystic Media.

There are millions of books on Amazon. Finding the right audience in the sea of good books and famous authors so people will find me and my baby is a hard work. Yet I am determined to have my work read. I love writing and connecting people with ideas that entertain, that make them think and maybe learn something.

When I write a press release of my new books or awards and send it to local and national media, most ignore me because I am self-published. You have to be with a well-known publisher for newspapers and media to pay attention.

The hallowed halls into a publishing contract are so slim there are many so-called experts that want to sell you software, textbooks, THE shortcut to publishing success. I have taken many seminars over the years in writing and publishing to where I think I can spot a scheme. Still, I have to monitor the impulse to buy that one thing that promises to sell more books.

In the future, you will see a lot of me everywhere. And, no agent or publishing company is helping with a big check or has opened doors. I show up every day and do what it takes to make my work visible.

Check out my books go to www.ModernMysticMedia.com. And, you can find me on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo in bookstores and online.

Sign-up to read a pre-launch copy of “Einstein’s Compass a YA Time Traveler Novel”, go to www.GraceBlairAuthor.com if you signup and read it, please review the book. The only way indie authors like me sell books is if readers will write reviews then Amazon and its algorithms will push my ratings to rise to the top of the charts. Finding one reader and one fan at a time may someday accumulate into thousands.

If you want to write books do it because you love it. However, you may spend more money than you make. Know its hard work and no one is going to chase you down to make you famous. You will be alone in your journey. You have to put the seat of the pants and the seat of the chair, staring at a blank page and find the story inside your creativity that will make the reader turn the page to find out what happens next. Then be responsible for publishing and marketing.

“The #writer must let his fingers run out the story of his #characters, who, being only human and full of strange dreams and obsessions, are only too glad to run.”

Ray Bradbury, The Zen of #Writing