Haven’t you heard it said over and over, “You become the combined average of the five people you most associate with.”  The kicker is that one of those five people is more important than the other four combined… YOU!

Per author and national speaker, Michael Clouse:

“Because of your internal dialog (that mental conversation, or self-talk, you have going on inside your head), you speak to yourself at the rate of approximately 9,000 to 18,000 words per hour—all day long! That is probably more internal conversation than the combined external conversations with your four other associates combined!”

The message is clear: 1) Play close attention to those with whom you associate, and 2) Pay closer attention to your self-talk…those 9,000 to 18,000 words per hour.

Clouse advises, “If you will change your thinking (and occasionally with whom you associate), you will change your life!”

Anthony Robbins says it another way:

“The way we communicate with others and with ourselves ultimately determines the quality of our lives.”

 Abraham’s message today says:

“Things are coming into your experience in response to your vibration. Your vibration is offered because of the thoughts you are thinking, and you can tell by the way you feel what kinds of thoughts you are thinking. Find good-feeling thoughts and good-feeling manifestations must follow.

Make a decision to look for the best-feeling aspects of whatever you must give your attention to, and otherwise look only for good-feeling things to give your attention to—and your life will become one of increasingly good-feeling aspects.”

Perhaps Mark Twain said it best:

“I have been through some terrible things in my life – some of which actually happened.”

 Hmm, best we keep our ear to the ground to catch our own self-talk?

Today’s message seems to be pointing to the magic of self love. It actually all started last night when the following words from Doreen Virtue’s The Lightworker’s Way jumped off the page at me.

Doreen was talking about the ending of her seven year marriage. She said, “Too often, we look to externals – such as getting married or getting divorced – to fill the emptiness within us. Nothing external can quelch our inner longings for love. Only heavenly love, from within, fills the void.”

I have been struggling to come up with what Steve Manning calls a “technology” so that I can complete my book. A couple weeks ago while driving to Jazzercise I found myself in deep conversation with God, asking him to show me the acronym. Instantly, I glanced to the left and gazed at a beautiful majestic, fully leaved green tree. A very strong feeling came over me as the word “TREE” popped into my head. I said, “A tree? What’s a TREE got to do with it?”

 Yesterday I worked for two solid hours brainstorming various acronyms. I had two pages full of doodling. “Tree” was there along with countless other ideas, none of which jumped out at me. Frustrated, I finally gave up and decided to turn it over, surrender it, during my nighttime meditation.

  I have been saying Joey Korn’s “Blessing” (see www.dowsers.com) twice a day ever since attending his workshop a couple of weeks ago. Each time, I ask for help with completing my book. Last night before going to sleep I asked for the answer to be revealed to me so I can finish my book today.

 I had dreams all night. They were all about writing my book, knowing exactly what to say. However, when I awoke this morning, I remembered none of it. I did find myself thinking about the sky – maybe “the sky’s the limit?” but I discarded that idea since that phrase seems so overused. I was confident that whatever I dreamed about was still there somewhere in my subconscious. All I had to do was tap into it somehow.

 So, after showering, and still no definitive answer, I decided to once again meditate, this time with the sole request to be given the answer. The word “LOVE” came to me pretty early on in the meditation. I noted the word, then tried to release any thoughts and again make my mind blank. Towards the end of the meditation the words “Tree of Life” came to me. I thought, “There it is again, that tree. What does that mean?” Then came the thought: “Love is the root of the Tree of Life.” I then started thinking about love being the key ingredient of a strong root system…

 Grateful for the revelation, I went back to take a look at my doodle pad. There I had previously written the word “LOVE” but I couldn’t seem to make the acronym work right.

Away to the keyboard I went…

 “Picture yourself, the divine feminine, as the root of the tree of life. It all starts with you and your love for self. When you lay the firm foundation of self love, your root system grows strong. Soon there is a trunk and branches and budding leaves. Butterflies and birds come to sit upon your branches and take a respite there. You are strong, healthy, balanced and now in a space where you are able to share your love with your family, loved ones, and the world.

 If the root is not strong, there is nothing for you to give…to yourself, much less to others who depend upon you for nurturance and guidance. What better system than love to bring all of life into balance?  The fact that you are reading this book and committing to taking action to bring yourself into balance indicates your love for yourself. “

This time the acronym seemed to flow. It suddenly occurred to me, love is the highest vibrating energy, the root of the tree of life.

What greater gift can we give the world that to first give love to our own inner being?