A Blessing For Your Future

You deserve an unimaginable future, one that exceeds your expectations and your deepest desires. You can have it. It is your birthright through your divine connection.

Thank you for allowing me to do what is my heart's desire. From me and the staff of The Ford Institute for Transformational Training, on behalf of all of our coaches, our amazing Collective Heart, and our global community at large, we send you enormous amounts of love and holiday blessings. Here is a prayer I've written for you.

A BLESSING FOR YOUR FUTURE
Divine spirit
thank you for giving me the capacity for wholeness
Thank you for this very precious moment
A moment where I am present
to all the goodness that exists
inside and outside of me
A moment that inspires thoughts of a greater future
A future where I can love and be loved
where I can serve and be served
A future where I humbly and gracefully
contribute my soul's gifts to the world
A future that is filled with abundance and miracles
Today I open my arms to the loving presence
that will awaken me to my greatness
and fill my future with surprises
I surrender my life and will
to the greatest power in the universe
Today I accept my worth and my worthiness
And so it is


With love and deep respect,


Debbie Ford

The Mask of Tiger Woods

My Huffington Post blog

The Mask of Tiger Woods

Well, here we are in another media frenzy about our latest fallen angel - the one and only Tiger Woods. As yet another legend bites the dust by exposing his bad behavior, many of us are shocked and appalled while others are falling deeper into resignation about the imaginary faithful husband. And then for some others, there is a bit of glee. There are those who are just plain grateful that Tiger Woods isn't the superhuman that he has been made out to be. For some, Tiger's imperfections become a gigantic exhale of relief. Those who seek to find their happiness in the fantasy that one day they will become the perfect person can now see they are finally off the proverbial hook. As the women continue to come forward for their few minutes of fame and glory in this tabloid-frenzied society that would rather focus on the another person's flaws rather than do anything about their own, we are once again trapped in a conversation that judges another's behavior rather than working dilig ently to clean up our own. And even though we're in an era when most people don't have the time to focus on what's important to them, they do somehow find the time to focus on what will be meaningless in just a few days or months.

I could go on and on about why Tiger's behavior was predictable. If you take the time to read Why Good People Do Bad Things: How to Stop Being Your Own Worst Enemy and study the masks of the human being, you will indeed understand why Tiger could not maintain his "I'm the proverbial Nice Guy Overachiever" act for his entire life. How could he or anyone continually push down all of his unmet needs and ordinary human impulses that are built into our everyday human wiring? Can you imagine being that good? Can you imagine having to win at everything, to perform perfectly every day for the rest of your life?

How stressful it would be for a mere mortal to carry this burden.
So now Tiger joins the ranks of Bill Clinton, David Letterman and other infamous cheaters. Tiger will never be the same. Tiger's life as we have all known it before that fateful car crash is dead, something for the archives. And now a new life can emerge -- hopefully a life where he can live a more authentic expression, where he can experience more intimacy with his family, friends, and peers so that he doesn't have to seek false connections with women he hardly knows and surely can't trust. As most cheaters will admit, it's a quick fix, a temporary high, that they could have just as easily gotten from a shot of heroin or a couple of martinis mixed with the newest edition of Playboy. Hopefully, as Tiger gets over the shock of being exposed, he will find a safe guide to support him in going inside himself to find out who he really is and what he really wants now that he no longer has the right to don the mask of the Nice Guy Overachiever.

And it's not just Tiger's life that has changed. So has ours. Tiger has now shown all those who still believe in the prince on the white horse that the prince is flawed, imperfect, and human and that when the mask of our human persona gets too tight, when there is no more room to grow or breathe, it blows itself up so that it can recreate itself anew. We can no longer look at Tiger with the same awe of his divine perfection. Our jealousy can melt away. For all of us who are caught up in the Tiger drama, my hope is that we will take back all that we have projected on to him all these years. It is useful to remember the old Buddhist trick. Imagine Tiger standing in front of you and now point your finger out at him and say aloud "You are stupid" or "careless" or "an idiot" or "__________" -- whatever quality you are seeing in him, fill in the blank. Now look down at your hand. One finger is pointing out at him. Where are the other three fingers pointing? That's right. Back at you. And as we were continually reminded by our friends growing up, "You spot it, you got it!"

Your Weekly Shadow Work

1. Find one of the places you've been projecting, positive or negative, on Tiger Woods. And take it back. Or if you have a projection on people who are reporting on Tiger Woods, take back one of those projections.

2. Look at where in your life you have displayed this quality -- be honest.

3. Now how could you forgive yourself? See how you could love, embrace and have compassion for this part of you.

With love and blessings,

Debbie Ford

Are You Suffering From Low Self-Esteem?

I just got back from leading The Shadow Process workshop in Florida and I've been leading The Shadow Effect Online Workshop for the last two weeks. When I'm working with people, I'm always shocked by how low everybody's self esteem is, even people with great lives who feel like they have a lot and have done well. Still they suffer from these bad feelings which tell them that somehow they're not good enough.

So how do we raise our self-esteem? There is only one way -- to really learn the lessons and see how we can use our inadequacies and our perceived inadequacies to thrive. When we expose the lessons and the wisdom in our darkest shame, the world will never be the same. In Why Good People Do Bad Things, I wrote about how I'm always blown by looking at my own life and my own journey from darkness into light. I wanted to share this excerpt from the book with you.

We are born in the image of our divine creator, pure and innocent, and then the human experience (i.e., the split) begins. Our human experiences blind us from seeing the perfection in the imperfection and from mining for the gold that eagerly awaits our discovery. What if today you realized that it is not only your good self that must be loved but your wounded self as well? What if you knew for certain that it is your suffering and your pain that can lead you to living a life of goodness, virtue, and self-respect? I am here to tell you that it is the very thing that you despise and don't want to be that can help you become the person you always wanted to be.

It was my weakness and suffering from addiction that brought me to my knees and opened me to greater realities. Arrogance is what made me believe I knew more than most people, and it was ignorance that made me get down on my knees every night for years and beg God for spiritual wisdom and new ways to integrate my emotional pain. My fear of being called lazy gives me my drive. It is my vanity that dresses me in the morning and gets me to work out even when I'm tired. My fear of being a negligent mother makes sure that I go to all the flag football games (even when I'm busy) and drive my son to school (even when I'm tired and he could take the bus). It is my greed and love for fine things that drive me to work when others are out partying, and it is my denial of the evil and angry judgments of others that allows me to stand in front of group after group and tout my message -- to heal the split between the two forces that exist within each of us. And it is my depressive nature that birthed the Pollyanna in me that relentlessly tries to transform the untransformable and never gives up hope on the hopeless.

My feelings of inadequacy have me wake up in the morning and ask what I can do to make my world a better place. My need to matter, to be all used up when I die, was birthed out of the fear that I, Deborah Sue Ford, would die unnoticed, that I would be nothing more than a middle-class Jewish girl from Hollywood, Florida.

So I invite you to put away your judgments, lay down the boxing gloves that keep you fighting, and surrender to the love you are looking for. That love lives inside you. When properly dispensed, it will heal your greatest sorrow and wipe away your regrets. It will soothe your soul and nurture your aching heart. It will shine its light where there is darkness and lead you out of the darkness and into the light -- the light of love -- where the collective heart awaits your return.

Your Weekly Shadow Work

(1) Read Chapter 4 of Why Good People Do Bad Things which I'm making available for free on my website.

(2) After reading the chapter, spend at least 20 minutes journaling about what you learned and what resonated with you.

(3) Identify a quality about youself, an experience from your past or a circumstance in your life right now that you've been judging as bad or wrong. Begin to explore the gift or the wisdom that it brings you.

I promise you that once you see the patterns that are driving your behavior, if you are willing to learn the lessons that your life is delivering to you and find the gold that your darkness holds, you will finally be equipped and inspired to let go of the past and live an authentic life, a life you've only fantasized about -- a "someday" "one day" life.

With love and blessings,

Debbie Ford

Are You Trapped By Your Own Rhetoric?

Does this sound familiar? "It's all good." "I'll just think a good thought." "I'm better than I was last year." "Everything is as it should be." "It will happen next year." "It's all okay." "It's all their fault anyway."

The founder of Jungian psychology, Carl Jung, wrote, "One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light but by making the darkness conscious." Now why would Carl Jung, one the greatest psychologists of our time, say that? Why would he want us to explore our shame, our guilt, our fear, our heartache, our envy, our incompetence, and our critical and insecure selves? Why is it that we can't just say affirmations, "imagine figures of light" and get to the place where we feel fulfilled, happy and content? I will assert it is because the gold really is hidden in our darkness. This is not just a feel-good platitude -- this is the truth. Shadow work isn't a spectator sport but an in-the-game, on-the-field, I'm-going-to-win-my-greatest-life-now kind of sport.

With the new year quickly approaching, you get to choose today. Are you going to go into 2010 with the same fears, insecurities, addictions, regrets, resentments and guilt that you carried into this year? Now is the time to use your critical self to move you forward and do some critical thinking to answer these three questions.

1. Is there something that you want that you've been wanting for over two years?

2. Is there something that you chronically complain about but yet you haven't been able to change it?

3. Are you waiting for someone to come save you or are you 100% accountable for living a phenomenal life?

If you answered yes to these, you're probably waiting but guess what? Nobody's coming -- nobody's coming to save you because they wouldn't want to rob you of the opportunity to save yourself. As my friend Brent BecVar describes in The Shadow Effect, one day you realize you're like a drowning person with someone holding your head under water. At some point, you realize that, if you want to live, you have to be the one that fights your way back to the surface. Are you ready to save yourself? Are you ready to truly live? Let me let you in on a little secret:

One way out of the trap of your own rhetoric is to join me in a one-time, exclusive Hay House Radio online workshop. I promise that if you spend eight weeks with me exploring The Shadow Effect, you will be freed from the prison of your own imaginary figures of light and empowered to win your greatest life.

With love and a not-so-gentle nudge,

Debbie Ford

My Birthday Wish

It's two days before my birthday and everyone is asking me, "What do you want, Debbie?" To tell you the truth, most of the gifts people give me are nice but since my memory is not that great and I already have most of what I want, the question has gotten tougher and tougher to answer - until last night. I spent the day yesterday praying and meditating at Yom Yippur services. Those hours gave me a lot of time to think about what is truly important to me at this time of my life. I've really lived such an incredible life and I feel full. I feel like I have made my creative dreams happen. I have a fantastic family and friends who I love and who love me. I have an incredible staff and team working alongside me and I have the most inspiring group of talented coaches and community members that anyone could ask for. So what's left?

Besides a month floating in the crystal clear blue waters, the only wish I have for this year is for every single person who reads my newsletter to read my new book. I know many of you have and I thank you for all of your heart-opening appreciation. You've already made it #1 on Amazon in categories like Self-Help Personal Transformation, New Age Mental & Spiritual Healing, and Spirituality Personal Transformation.

So here is what I am asking you to do for my birthday and what I am willing to do if you will do this for me. Buy a copy of The 21-Day Consciousness Cleanse by midnight on October 1st (my birthday). If you don't learn to lift your consciousness or if you don't get joy or love or insight or deep comfort or spiritual nourishment or an inspiring vision for the rest of your life by the time you are done reading the book, I will write you a personal check to refund you the price of your book. If it doesn't lift you out of the level of consciousness you are in now and plant you in a place of hope, faith and power, you can mail in your receipt in the next 30 days and I will give you your money back or trade you for another one of my products. This is how much faith I have in this book. And I am so committed that you read the book and experience life after the Consciousness Cleanse that I am willing to take this risk which, by the way, is Day 12 of the cleanse -- The Power of Risk.

For me to have a birthday beyond my wildest dreams, I wish for you to open your hearts a little wider, tap into the priceless resource that resides inside, and step into the next greatest evolution of yourself. The wisdom and the processes in this book have freed me from addiction, grief, loss, insecurity, procrastination, and a plethora of other issues and I promise you that they will do the same for you.

Thank you for supporting me and trusting me.

With love and blessings,

Debbie Ford

Are You Scared to Come Alive?

I just arrived home after a magnificent week on tour doing screenings of The Shadow Effect movie and lecturing on my new book The 21-Day Consciousness Cleanse. As I was reflecting on all the extraordinary people I met, one woman's story stuck in my mind. She came up to me with tears in her eyes telling me how much she loved me and loved my work and how she's read every newsletter that I've ever written for the last nine years. I was so struck by her. Her tears were not just tears of joy. They were tears of deep sadness as she told me about her best friend whom she had turned on to my work five years ago who is now living the life of her dreams in a new career, having shed 30 or 40 pounds, and in a recent marriage. She told me that her friend had come and done The Shadow Process Workshop and then had gone through my trainings. She talked about how she envies her friend's growth and wishes she too could have grown that much. So I asked her the obvious question. Why hadn't she come to The Shadow Process or done one of my trainings? With these little puppy-dog eyes, she said, "Because I'm too scared." At first I was shocked but then I felt deep compassion for her. I never really think that people don't come to do The Shadow Process or one of my trainings because they're scared. in that moment, I realized that is true for many. I felt the need to press her so I asked her, "Aren't you scared of having another five years go by and watching your best friend grow and evolve while you stay stuck where you are?" She began sobbing into tears as she realized that this indeed was her greatest fear.

I share this story with you realizing that many of you are scared. But that is just the trick of the ego. It's the mechanism that keeps you stuck in the past and repeating the same monotonous self-defeating patterns over and over again. It's the voice of our wounds, of our heartache and of our deep resignation and hopelessness that it won't work for us or that we can't do it.

It makes me want to cry because I know that if that voice wins, you will go to your grave never having lived your full potential and shared your gift with the world. This young woman deserves it. And you deserve it. We need you. We need your greatness. We need your unique perspective. We need your special gifts. And confronting your shadow is the fastest and easiest way to reclaim your power, and step into the person your soul longs to be. So if you're thinking about doing one of my programs or really any program with a therapist, Weight Watchers, a 12-step group, etc., and you feel scared, just reach out, grab someone's hand and allow them to support you in moving toward your evolutionary edge. Don't let your fear win. Love it. Hug it. Understand that it's a 3-year-old, a 5-year-old, a 10-year-old stuck inside of you. And trust the part of you that wants to grow because you will never be happy and fulfilled until you do.

Your Weekly Shadow Work

(1) Take a few minutes and think about your future. And when you feel quiet, ask yourself this question. Are you more scared to stay the same or to do the work to reinvent yourself?

(2) Choose to come alive. Enroll in something this week. Come to The Shadow Process, train to become one of our amazing coaches, participate in The Shadow Effect Interactive online workshop with Hay House, hire one of my amazing coaches, go back to school. Do something that will stretch you, anything that's been calling to you.

Your time is now.

With love and respect,

Debbie Ford

The Gift of Desire

Desire is the spark that ignites the flame of your soul and illuminates your innate creativity, imagination, and vision. It is the impulse that gives you the ambition and the energy to share your unique talents with the world. Your soul's desires are with you at birth like a hidden treasure chest of possibilities for you to discover as you grow and evolve into the person you were meant to be. Yet before you can harness this powerful force, you must give voice to what you long for in the deepest place in your heart. You may be one of the many who have stopped letting yourself feel the ache of your own desires - either because you are ashamed that some of your desires are self-serving or because you're afraid of the disappointment and hurt you might feel if you don't get what you ask for. But unless you embrace the desires of your heart, you are left empty, estranged from the passion of your soul.

On this day - the first day of this life-altering process - you will summon one of the most powerful agents of change in the universe: desire. In its purest form, desire drives you to want something so badly that you are willing to release your outdated behaviors and beliefs in order to manifest it. Desire forces you to grow, evolve, and move closer to your highest expression. Beneath the surface of your ego's insatiable cravings, your authentic desires wait patiently for you to acknowledge and claim them. Gently but persistently they are nudging you to go deeper, to fi nd greater meaning, and to step into a self you have never met before. Desire is your most primal, inborn motivator to become fully expressed, inspired, and passionate and to fulfi ll your soul's mission on earth. It is one of your most powerful friends and guides. 

CLEANSING RITUAL

Make a list of all your desires-both those things that you want to achieve in the outer world and those that you long to feel inside. Do you want more self-confi dence, more love, a clearer sense of purpose, greater peace of mind? If so, write it down. Do you desire more money, more friends, a soul mate, a child, or a new career? If so, write it down. This is the time to list all of your desires without censoring yourself. Be honest. Be bold. 

SOUL FOOD

My soul's desire is the voice of God. 

With love and blessings,

Debbie Ford

Igniting Your Soul's Fire

Within you there exists a sacred flame that is the keeper of your vitality and the guardian of your soul's life force. This flame has magical powers that can lift you out of the most difficult times and into the soft loving arms of your holiest self. Your internal flame has the power to digest what is no longer needed and to ward off pathogens, whether in the mind, the body, or the spirit. 

A flame that is well nourished and thriving holds all the power of a sea of angels, lifting you above the seductive temptations of the past and securing you in the wisdom and guidance of your divine source. But, like any fire, your internal flame must be looked after and protected. To keep it burning brightly, you must honor and care for it, listen to it, tend to it, and nourish it. You are the keeper of your soul's flame, and it is your job to do whatever is necessary to protect it from weakening. Without this level of attention and awareness, you will more than likely continue to repeat the patterns of the past, recycle the same life-draining thoughts and behaviors, and ultimately accumulate more toxicity in your mind.

To clear your consciousness so that the light of a new day can arise, you must become keenly present to the condition of your internal world and the strength of the fire within your soul. 

Your Weekly Nourshment 

(1) Write down seven choices you can make this week to strengthen your internal flame. 

(2) What are you willing to give up this week to ensure that you are strong and liberated by the end of this week? 

(3) What sweet blessings could you whisper to yourself each night to ignite the fire in your soul? 

With love and respect,

Debbie Ford

Are You Listening?

What will it take to make you listen to the voice of your own soul? To make you tune into your wants and needs? How many sleepless nights must you stay awake to unfold the great mystery from within?

There is a small whisper of a voice that is wanting and needing to be listened to. There is a voice of love and compassion that wants to sing out loud ~ without suppression. It is time for the voice to be heard, to be listened to, to be honored and acknowledged as the voice of your own soul. Now is the time that you must stop tricking yourself into believing that you are the one in total control of your life when, in reality, there is a wounded and hurt part of you that is screaming to be let out, that is tired of you marching to the same drummer. Maybe you're aware of this small voice that shouts out in anger as it can no longer tolerate living a life of business as usual.

So stop it. Stop it now. Don't head to the same old nonsense. Try being sick of it because, believe me, that part of you is probably sick of you and some of the repetitive lies and stories that you continue to swim in each day. You might ask, How do I swim in them each day? You wake up and say "I am not going to eat so much, spend so much, procrastinate so much, or tolerate the suppression." You must allow your soul and the highest aspect of yourself to take control of your life. Tough love is what we're calling on here. When you are tempted to follow the path of your wounded self, you must say, "Stop it! I can't listen to your nonsense one more day." Remember, you're the parent now.

Now is the time to get out of the pool of the past. Now is the time for change, to wake up and smell the rose scent of a greater reality. Now is the time to give yourself permission to decipher the language of your higher calling. You are loved, you are cared for, you are important and you have a special purpose here on earth. Now is the time to confront the shadows that keep you behind the prison walls. Set yourself free. You have the key. Now open the door. 

Your Weekly Shadow Work

(1) Make a list of all the places you're tolerating mediocrity and can't take it anymore.

(2) Spend five minutes in the morning and five minutes in the evening calling forth and listening to the voice of your own soul.

(3) Study, train, read, watch The Shadow Effect :-) and be open to thoughts and ideas that you've never had before. Trust your instincts, take a risk and make high choices. 

With love and blessings,

Debbie Ford

A Messenger of Love

After a divine and holy week of floating on the big, beautiful, never-ending sea, I closed my eyes and got a message to make the last day of my life-changing journey home the most important 24 hours of my year. At first, I argued internally with myself, "Why do I have such thoughts? I've opened up enough. There's no way to top eight days in Turkey with my friends and the last seven days with members of my beloved community!" But still, as I walked through the Barcelona airport, I allowed myself to dwell on the seeming enormity of the task that my soul was asking me to take on. I began thinking about my forthcoming book The 21 Day Consciounsess Cleanse and realized, of course, that I could make this day of travel deep, meaningful and soul-inspired -- what better to do with my time? 

So I closed my eyes again and asked what the 18th day of the Consciousness Cleanse would request of me. The answer was simple. Be a messenger of love. As I walk through the airport and pass hundreds of people, be the love they are yearning for. Allow the love in my heart to shine through every cell of my being and transfer a bit of love to everyone who I could connect with. Even though I desperately wanted to stay inside the cocoon of my own inner world, today I would let go of who I usually am while I'm traveling and instead be a loving expression of divine love. 

I began by smiling and blessing the TSA representatives at the security checkpoint (none of them smiled back). I sent love to the flight attendants and looked into the eyes of the people who passed by my seat with warmth and love. Instead of listening to any judgments from my smaller self, I stepped into the heart of divine love. 

Although my warmth and smiling eyes might have touched someone else's heart that day, what it did for me is more than I could share right now. On that 23-hour day of travel, I experienced a day of deep healing, enormous gratitude, and a new level of peace. 

Your Weekly Shadow Work 

Make today the most loving day of your year. It doesn't matter that it's not a special day. Even if you're with people that you don't know or don't like, you are a messenger of divine love. Let it rock your world. 

With love and blessings,

Debbie Ford

When "I'm Sorry" Isn't Enough

The media is once again bombarding us with headlines filled with toxic shame and bad behavior. It's difficult to get the world news and find out what is really happening because no one wants to miss the opportunity to claim higher ratings, to sell more tabloid rags or to join in the frenzy and financial gain of gawking at the rich and famous. Today's news was Chris Brown. The R&B star's recent apology and guilty plea for assaulting his former girlfriend gives us yet another opportunity to get in touch with the out-of-control collective shadow that lurks beneath the surface of every one of us, even those who can claim political, financial, creative or material success. Who would have predicted a year ago that this multi-talented bestselling singer, dancer, and entertainer would be capable of beating his superstar girlfriend? While his therapy and remorse are worthy of note, beneath the surface of this young man is a pile of rage. Let's not fool ourselves. If that rage is not continually confronted and taken seriously, he will more than likely end up striking another woman or, even worse, beating her to death. And, quite frankly, being sorry for beating the s--t out of his girlfriend is just not enough.

I want to be clear. I do not believe that any three or four year old aspires to grow up and damage the life of another or that they would find this an acceptable way to behave (unless they were missing a moral compass). I do not believe that Chris Brown, a young man with an entire world open to his gifts and talents, woke up one day and said, "I can't wait to be a woman beater." But the facts now prove that Chris Brown is someone capable of causing horrific pain. My heart goes out to this young man who has been blessed with enormous gifts and cursed with such a difficult issue.

This issue of violence is our collective responsibility. It is up to us to teach our youth how to deal with emotional problems, how to address the compulsions and impulses that bring men and women to their knees each day. It is time for all of us to see that we are sleep-walking through life if we think the issue will magically go away when we as a society can barely bring ourselves to admit how rampant the abuse of women is, whether it is emotional, psychological or physical. As I exposed in The Shadow Effect, on average, more than three women are murdered by their intimate partners every day. We must gather as one voice and say "Enough is enough." It must stop now. It is time for us to collectively take responsibility for educating both the victims and the victimizers, the prey and the predators. We must stand strong together and say "No more!" We must make a commitment that we will not gather together in denial, ignoring the issues that plague our human existence. Instead, we must join together and break free from the bonds of our fear, shame, hurt and guilt. We must do our own work, knowing that when enough of us do that, others will benefit from our collective coming together and the healing of our own shame, fear and rage.

Not excusing his behavior, let's acknowledge that Chris Brown is just another face of the unhealed shadow wounds. And if we don't come out of denial (page 145 of Why Good People Do Bad Things) then tomorrow he will just be replaced by another poor soul who is a victim of society itself. He is not here for us to project our shame and horror on. Nor is he here for us to point our fingers at. He is here so that we may learn, grow and evolve and face our own dark, uncontrollable impulses. And ultimately, as we look at his behavior, we can be humble and grateful that we are not the ones acting out this horrific crime. We can close our eyes and thank God that we are not having to deal with this issue in our own lives as we silently murmur the prayer, "There but for the grace of God go I."

Your Weekly Shadow Work

Do you use the bad behavior of others to justify your own not-so-bad behavior? Check out your own uncontrollable impulses. When will you handle them? What could you do this week to stand for the collective healing?

With love and respect,

Debbie Ford

Are You Creating the Best Summer?

Please join me for the next 40 days in creating the best summer of your life. What if this were the last summer of your life? What would you do, what would you think, what would you say, and what would you choose? For the next 40 days, ask yourself each day, "What could I do today to ensure that this will be a memorable day, a special day...a life-changing day?" This is the time to "claim the moment." If you've forgotten how, read the chapter in The Best Year of Your Life. What moments could you bask in, indulge all your senses in with a friend, a co-worker, or your kids?

I've been completely turned on and inspired just being on the Internet looking at making my plans for my upcoming visit to Turkey and then my amazing journey with many of you on the Voyage Into the Light cruise. Just making plans is exhilarating, imagining the future that awaits.

So whether you're making travel plans, doing a summer activity, or just following your regular routine, take a moment, close your eyes and ask the highest part of you what you could do today to make this day memorable, meaningful and inspiring. You may choose to call a friend and read them a Rumi poem. Or you might take an extra five minutes on your walk to talk to one of the trees (I did that yesterday -- it was so much fun). You may host a special barbecue next Sunday or invite some friends over to watch The Shadow Effect and embrace one of your long-forgotten aspects. :-) And if you feel like taking a risk, you might even give an extra extra extra long hug to your son, daughter, partner or friend. And for those of you who are blessed with a seemingly difficult challenge right now, remember that after every darkness, there comes enormous amounts of light. Through this difficult time, take an area of your life and make it fantastic, exciting, inspiring -- the best ever.

Make a commitment to join me for the next 40 days in making this the most special and memorable summer of your life. You deserve it. And remember that the best summer of your life will be a collection of the best days of your life.

Mediocrity or greatness? You choose.

With love and respect,

Debbie Ford

Michael Jackson: The Light & The Dark

This morning, I woke up feeling anxious, fearful and ashamed. My human self, my scared little girl, was activated and toxic thoughts and familiar feelings from my past were dominating my experience of a quiet morning. Sadly, I arose thinking about what had triggered these unwanted emotions. I couldn't figure out why I was feeling this sudden anxiety about my life and my future.

After lying in bed for another restless 30 minutes, I decided to get up and make myself something soothing to help me shift out of my mood. French toast and a cup of coffee -- one of my favorite breakfast treats -- seemed like a good choice to calm my aching heart, even if it was instant gratification. As I stood over the soaking wheat bread, I was filled with thoughts and feelings about the unexpected death of pop icon Michael Jackson and the potential ramifications on my own life. I realized that I was triggered by someone's response to the trailer of my movie where a voice-over reads the newspaper headline "Pop star Michael Jackson admitted sharing a bed with a teenage boy." I felt the fear that others would now come and attack me for speaking and sharing the truth of this past headline. What was happening inside of me was an activation of an old wound, a time when I had spoken my truth and gotten punished for it. I could feel the terror racing through my veins and the trembling of my hands as I tried to explain my words to my parents. I could hear the protest from my own young voice, "I didn't mean it, I'm sorry, I won't say it again". The oddly familiar sensations brought up a flood of memories that both saddened me and reminded me of why I am here and using my voice today and why my life's work has been to support others in examining and healing their shadows. These feelings reminded me of why I wrote The Dark Side of the Light Chasers and train coaches to deliver transformative processes. The remembrance of my past shed light once again on why I had the intense need and desire to make a film about the human shadow and risk it all to have everyone I could reach, see, hear, and understand the potential devastation of their unhealed and unexamined shadows.

In a few moments, the weakening feelings of my past were transformed into powerful fuel for the present. I literally went from wanting to cry to feeling strong and inspired. In that new light, I had to question my fears. Was I really going to shrink in the face of criticism because someone else's shame would never allow them to expose the pain and ugliness of the human shadow? Could I? Should I? I had to keep my mouth shut so many times when I was a teenager but now I had a choice. What would I tell others to do? I would tell them to stand up tall, speak their truth and be compassionate to themselves in the face of criticism. I would tell them that exposing the shadow is not a mean or heartless thing to do but rather the exact opposite - it is a courageous act as long as it is done with love and compassion for those who have been taken over by their shadows.

So, in that spirit, I am going to share my thoughts about Michael Jackson and his shadow, not to exploit him out of malice but to honor his entire legacy which clearly shows us that even a soul who has chosen to come into our world and shine the brightest light can be plagued by the darkness of his own unexamined shadow. In every generation, we have the public scapegoat that everyone loves and praises and then turns on when the shadow raises its ugly little head. Michael might have been here to help us all see what goes wrong when we don't have a strong support system or when we have too much fame and power to call forth honesty in others. Anyone with great stardom will tell you that they attract those who will kiss their ass and do whatever just to make them happy. Those with huge amounts of money, fame, power and gifts are often enabled and followed by what I describe in Why Good People Do Bad Things as the Entitled Supporters. These megastars have the same pain as you and I. In fact, for many of them, the pain is worse because they carry the guilt of being the chosen star, the light who reflects back to all others their greatness and their limitations. They feel guilty and the guilty seek punishment. What better punishment than to have everything in the outer world and emptiness in the inner world? What better punishment than to allow their human addictions to dictate their well-being and keep them immersed in the never-ending misery of an unaddressed addiction?

I am sharing this not to stand in judgment of Michael Jackson but because I believe that the soul of Michael Jackson would rejoice if his death could bring enlightenment to one more person or help others crawl out of the dungeons of their own inner hell and into the glorious moment of divine recognition.

In The Shadow Effect movie, spiritual luminary Marianne Williamson challenges us, "Don't be the captain that just goes downstairs and goes to sleep." We must wake up. We must admit to the truth of our own humanity as well as our own divinity. We must stop burying our heads about our personal problems and our world problems. We must explore our righteousness that tells us to keep our mouths shut - "Don't call someone out, that isn't nice, let the dead rest in peace." We must expose the parts of ourselves that want to stay silent. We must step out of the devastation of denial that would have us go back to sleep after losing a legend and instead we must examine how we could have saved him, how we can save the lives of others and how we can help the whole of humanity by waking up.

I don't believe the timing of Michael Jackson's death and the release of the first film describing the birth of the shadow, the mechanisms that keep it in place, the human struggle with the shadow and finally the integration of the shadow, is an accident. I believe that the timing is perfect. Maybe the death of one of the most beloved artists in the history of the world will have us look a little closer, examine more deeply and wake us up out of our own psychological laziness. Although my human self wishes I didn't use Michael Jackson as an example of a shadow gone amok, my Divine self is applauding us both. Why would it be applauding us both? Because it takes a brave soul to act out the shadow for all of us to learn from.

So please, let's use Michael Jackson's death not as a time to project your shame on me or others who want to help the awakened to understand the complexities of the human experience but instead let's use Michael's untimely death as an opportunity to stand together and for greater awareness, to expose the devastating effects of the shadow, to wake others up and see how we can make it mandatory for everyone -- our children, our teachers, our health care providers, our law enforcement officers, our prisoners, our politicians, our babysitters, our mothers, our fathers and our friends -- to learn about their shadows. Let's make known to every man, woman and child today that we have a secret part of us that we try desperately to hide, repress and lie about that needs the light of our awareness to heal. Let's help those with great talent and fame and those with little visible gifts know that it is okay to have a shadow, it's human to have a shadow, and that in fact it is our spiritual promise to have a shadow.

In honor of the genius and talented Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, I once again commit to doing whatever is humanly possible to support others in uncovering, owning and reclaiming the power of their shadows.

With love and respect,

Debbie Ford

Take the Vow of Emotional Independence

"When you have emotional independence,

you want for nothing

because you have everything."

Debbie Ford

Today is the day to join me and millions of others in taking a vow of emotional independence. Emotional independence will give you the freedom to love and be loved, to give freely and to receive abundantly, to expand rather than contract, to move forward rather than stay stuck, to live in joy rather than misery, to be in control rather than to be controlled, and to be nourished by faith rather than diminished by fear.

Take the vow now.

The Vow of Emotional Independence

This vow's proclamation says I, ______ ________, will no longer be bound by the slavery of my past.

I will never again give my power away to some food, substance or disempowering craving.

I will stop allowing others to define who I am and I will stand for my highest expression.

I will stop trying to please others and instead please myself.

I will stop listening to the voice of my critical internal mother and father and I will listen to the voice of my most supportive and loving self.

I will break free from the strangulating grip of my self-defeating behaviors and choose powerfully each and every moment to make choices that leave me feeling great about myself and my life.

I take this vow NOW as a positive stand for my soul's highest expression and for every man, woman, and child on this planet today. .

As I set myself free, I am freeing all others from the violence of my darkest thoughts and my negative projections.

And now, as I close my eyes, I ask all the powers that be to support me in living this vow each and every moment of each and every day.

And it shall be.

* * *

My life's work has been to support others in freeing themselves from the grips of their limited self. And today, as we approach Independence Day in America I am proud to share my film with you that is already freeing people from the bonds of their past and changing the lives of others around the world.

The Shadow Effect guarantees that you take a quantum leap toward emotional freedom. Without this priceless information and without understanding the mechanism of your humanity you will forever stay trapped inside the confines of your limited egoic self.

As I stand for your emotional independence today, I invite you to take this profound step into your light.

With love and respect,

Debbie Ford

Your Angelic Self or Your Evil Twin?

Welcome to The Light & The Dark, a newsletter that finally speaks for both our angelic self and our evil twin within (smile).

As you might be aware of, your unclaimed shadows lurk in your unconscious and tell you what you can and cannot do, what you should eat, when you should or shouldn't exercise even if you said you were going to do the exact opposite, how much money you can make or save, or how fulfilling your career can be. Your shadow tells you how much success you can experience and how much joy, happiness and fun you can have or not have each day. But you don't have to tolerate this anymore. Today's the day to say no more, no mas, nie wieder, aldrig mere, finissez-en!

Assuming you're an adult who is making the choices each day that shape your human experience, you can ask, "Why would I let my unconscious rule my life and dictate my future? Why would I hand my life and future over to outdated beliefs, concepts and traumas of the past?" Why? Let me shed some light. Because unknowingly you have let your unconscious rule your life. So let's get honest. Have you fallen asleep at the wheel and forgotten that you are a magnet for repetitive and familiar experiences even if they are ones that you don't want to have? Have you forgotten that there are many layers to the human life and that there is always something greater going on here? When you are asleep, you don't even realize that there is something that has grabbed the steering wheel of your life and is driving you down the same old bumpy, pothole-filled roads that you loathe.

This is why you need to deal with your shadow. This is why you need to make sure you are awake and in the presence of your goals, dreams, desires, wants and unmet needs. When you are awake, you will have the power to choose your path.

Your Weekly Shadow Work

Make a list of your repetive patterns and begin to explore what demons are driving you.
How long have they been in the driver's seat? How much longer will you give them the wheel?
Decide now to push them into the passenger's seat. Today, make a commitment to be a responsible adult and take a radical action NOW.


Once you have shined the light on your darkness, you can powerfully use your voice and feel worthy of receiving all that the universe is waiting to deliver to you. The time is now. The Shadow Effect is coming...to support you Friday June 26th.

With love and blessings,


Debbie Ford

The Countdown is On!

On June 26th, over 5 million people will find out about The Shadow Effect, featuring Deepak Chopra, Marianne Williamson, James Van Praagh, and more.
Be one of the first to experience the movie everyone is talking about and the trailer that will thrill you. Watch the trailer. (http://www.theshadoweffect.com)

Come to a Shadow Salon (http://secure.theshadoweffect.com/index.php?p=Screenings), an exclusive screening hosted by one of my Integrative Coaches, an evening of transformation and shadow tricks. Or host a screening of your very own (http://secure.theshadoweffect.com/index.php?p=Host).

Experience The Shadow Process
Unravel the mystery of your life, coming to:

Naas-Bikfayah, Lebanon
July 24-26, 2009

Fort Lauderdale, Florida
October 23-25, 2009

Register today go to: http://www.debbieford.com/index.php?p=Workshops&a=1018

Ego Management

Sometimes I feel like I'm in the ego management business -- in the midst of finishing a new book, preparing to launch The Shadow Effect, building two new websites, creating an amazing webspace for my coaches, leading workshops and trainings, making brochures, Twittering and updating my Facebook status, mothering, and more. It can be overwhelming and bring up the most earthly behaviors -- mine and others. Of course, I'm in denial when they're mine and appalled when they're somebody else's. That's the way of the ego, the way of the shadow and its mighty defense called projection.

I woke up this morning asking, "What's the answer?" How do you get through life each day when you're in overwhelm, when there is more on your plate than you can handle, or when life is just not behaving as it should? I needed some solace (peace) so I went digging around in my next book The 21-Day Consciousness Cleanse to find it. I thought I'd attend one of my own lectures. And right there on page 12, I got relief. Even though the book is not out until September, I wanted to share what shifted me with you.

It is your soul's journey to bring into balance all of what you are -- the coexistence of opposites, the divine integration of the sum of all the parts. It is the soul's journey to enroll the ego in the quest for the ultimate victory -- the evolution of your own individual consciousness. But the journey must begin by choosing between two forces: one has the power to lead you to new heights; the other can keep you pinned down to a past that is filled with limitation and dread. Don't be fooled. You're living either an ego-driven life or one that is soul centered.

The soul discerns with a laserlike sharpness. The ego judges and rejects with disdain and aggressiveness. The soul takes responsibility.The ego blames and transfers responsibility. The soul moves through life with grace. The ego moves through life with sloppiness, chaos, and drama. The soul feels good about who it is and what it wants and needs to sustain itself, to grow and evolve. The ego never has enough; it can never leave well enough alone or see beyond the current circumstances. It is entitled, confused and feels stuck.

The ego is tirelessly swimming against the current, while the soul sits back and floats in the direction that life is moving in. You're either being guided by your soul or driven by your ego. At any time, you have access to either of these lifestyles, and to all the experiences and emotions they bring with them.

So after reading these short paragraphs, I realized that all there was for me to do in the midst of the turmoil was to choose the journey of my sweet soul -- to tune in, to listen even more deeply and to stay committed to a higher vibration -- the vibration of love, peace and success...my soul's success.

So of course I'll ask you like I asked myself, "What can you do this week to make this human experience more loving, more honest and more soulful?" I hope you remember that, in the midst of an ego attack, you too can choose a higher vibration. It is the only true path to your soul's success.

Sending you lots of love for the week ahead,

 

Debbie Ford

Have You Forgotten?

Have you forgotten who you are, that you were born a child of God, a divine hand, a piece of a giant collective heart that lives to love and loves to live?

Have you forgotten that you matter, that you are infused with a divine power and, because of this gift, you are powerful beyond measure?

Have you forgotten that when loneliness, struggle, fear and limitation are present, they are nothing but states of consciousness that are just an illusion, an intermittent interference, a smokescreen hiding the true essence of who you are?

Have you forgotten that you deserve better, that there is no one in the world quite like you and that without you, our collective heart cannot be whole or healed?

Have you forgotten that peace begins when you have claimed your piece and your place in our collective family? This is all that you are here to do.

Have you forgotten that we were all created equal and that it is our birthright to be treated that way?

Just for today, live like it is your piece that the world needs and is waiting for. Watch, as you step into this truth, how the universe opens up its arms to you. Watch as the world shifts right in front of your eyes and how your essence turns back into a part of the divine herself. Do it for no other reason than to bring a little more peace and EQUALITY to the world today. Do it so that you remember the great gift of life - which is YOU. And in doing so, you will remind others - through reflection - the great gift that they are to this world.

Remember YOU are the love WE are waiting for.

With love and deep gratitude for allowing me to share my piece with you,

Debbie Ford

 

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Copyright 2009, Debbie Ford. All rights reserved. P.O. Box 8064 San Diego, CA 92038 (800) 655-4016