to the SHiNE Blog

Welcome to the publication of the SHiNE Blog. Please take some time to familiarize yourself with the layout of these pages. There are a number of publications prior to today's official launch date... so browse the links on the sidebar to investigate topics of interest.

This will operate as a typical blog, with regular entries from me. However, I have countless writings that I may drop in from time-to-time. Creative inspirations, journal entries, and even poetry from the past will appear in the history as I reach back to piece together nuggets for future publications (books, workbooks, etc). So check back regularly for updates, future and past.

I am honored that you are taking the time to explore these pages. Comments are welcome.

Yours in Shine,
Candice

May 2007

Welcome to the new and improved layout of theMessenger. It is my hope that this monthly newsletter will offer you regular inspiration to live your brilliance.

After some soul searching, I have recently shifted the focus of my work to more directly reflect my passions in life. I realize that in order to do the work that I am here to do - helping others to connect to the limitless potential within - I must have the courage to walk the talk. For a very long time, I have been afraid to step into the dreams that beckon to me. I am an energy guide, a motivator, and a channel for living a life that brings fulfillment on the highest level and the deepest depths, far beyond the constant tides of desire.

It is a mature spiritual seeker that addresses the deep and subtle yearnings that supercede the unrelenting desires of the physical. Your outer world demonstrates in your daily life as a metaphor for the loud whispers and wisdoms of your heart and soul. It is my passion to bring about a world where we are interested in these subtle messages, deciphering them with wisdom, and basking in the brilliant clarity that they reveal to us. When we learn to respond to the brilliance within us, we evolve in our practice of living as our life creates us!

A brilliant existence is not only a possibility, it's a responsibility. Imagine that you have been delivered a unique medicine that simply must act through you in order to work. THIS is your SHiNE. The "i" in shine is lowercase for a reason. It is to remind you that your potential comes from something larger that exists all around you. You only need surrender your egoic dance, get out of the way, and rest in the center to find it.

theMessenger is all about delivering SHiNE directly to your inbox... now featuring inspired writings - visit my BLOG online - as well as links to various individuals who have brilliance to share with you.

Thank you, as always, for exploring theMessenger. May you discover your SHiNE through the many resources offered here, or wherever it might choose to happen upon you.

Have a BRiLLiANT day!
Candice

Have you ever played the game where you sit in a circle and pass a secret around? One person starts... and whispers a phrase into the ear of the person next to them. The secret then travels from one ear to the next... around the circle back to where it started. The game typically ends with fits of giggles, as the original source of the statement proclaims the original statement. Often, the messages transforms as it moves around the circle... ending up to sound very little like the initial transmission.

Perhaps we might consider this as we practice The Secret. The transmission in its fullness brings us much to practice and integrate into our lives. Yet, when we seek to simplify, formulate, and/or become absolute in the application of such a powerful spiritual transmission... we are bound to be left in the dark at the end of the day. Let us treat this modern day miracle as a reminder that there is still so much possibility and that which is potently unknown to discover in the spirit realm. The Mystery is inviting us to begin to explore a new relationship with It. As with all relationships, we will be asked to evolve and refine our point of view in response to our own unique experiences.

I, for one, love that aspect of relationship. Transformation. Rediscovery. And the countless Deaths of Self that occur as I get closer to the Truth.

Redefining Abundance

spiritual maturity = the evolution from egocentrism to interdependence

There has been a tremendous amount of buzz around the recent film - and subsequent book - The Secret. Upon the initial launch of the law of attraction into the mainstream, I was overjoyed. As a coach, I quite often witness people caught in limited ways of thinking (myself included... ah yes, we teach what we need to learn!) and I was inspired by the thought that the law of attraction invites us all to focus on choosing thoughts/experiences that feel good. I know that the ability to witness and own our beliefs and attitudes is the first step to living more consciously. Surrendering the Victim is essential for the Witness to step into place.

The Secret teaches us that...
Feeling good is a natural outpicturing of conscious choices.
In short, witness to know how you are vibrating... then choose to feel good.
That I resonate with.

However, recently, I have begun to ponder terminology that is thrown about liberally in metaphysical circles. Namely, the idea of abundance. Many teachers report that quantum physics tells us that there is a limitless supply of resources available to us. The only limitation that exists is our thoughts to the contrary. Our experience of limitation in life is a function of our vibrations (thoughts/beliefs/feelings). Lack attracts lack. Abundance attracts abundance. Okay. That sounds pretty straightforward, yes?

Yet, I am beginning to wonder. Are we not in the egocentrism of our development as a spiritual culture?
In early child development, around 3 years old, a child has a developed a sense of self. A sense that he or she exists as a personality apart from the outside world. They enter a stage marked by egocentrism - all that exists in that which I see in front of me. The "I" becomes the reference point for the world at large. If I can see it, it is there. If not, then it must not be there. Or, even if it is... who cares.

I am blessed with a wonderful man in my life, whose family so generously invites us to enjoy their beautiful home overlooking the Oregon Coast. Over Mother's Day weekend, we spent some time there. As always, my body and mind became spacious and calm in the presence of the ocean's sounds. Perfectly content, I spent some time journaling and flipping through books and magazines of interest. I stumbled across an issue of Vanity Fair... "The Green Issue"... that focused on further educating the public about the environmental issues. As I read about a culture in the Amazon, facing extinction due to their shrinking landscapes and drastic climate shifts, I realized (real eyes'd) that if I focus on abundance as it is currently defined in our culture, I may be doing a diservice to myself, my clients, and my culture.

I am not one to watch the evening news and stew in the negativity that I see onscreen. Nor would I suggest it. However, maturing in our spiritual awareness asks that we see the world at large - we can apply filters in order to receive as much information as possible - so that our personal choices in life are conscious and contextual. It is an egocentric society that ignores the world at large. I very much do agree that I must find peace within before I can have a peaceful impact on the whole. Absolutely. However, I am not an island of energy. I am an integral piece that impacts the collective on a scope we are only now beginning to understand. The Green Movement is a brilliant example of illumination. We now have a measurable experience of interdependence. The butterfly wings of one person's choices, being felt in a small Amazonian village in South American. Ah ha! The concept of "we are one" is no longer simply a metaphysical musing... it is a reality!

I am beginning to see that to misrepresent a concept such as abundance - framing it as a selfish freedom without limits or implication in such a consumption-driven society is ironic, naive, and spiritually immature.

The issue: In our modern world, consumption is too often confused with abundance. And abundance is confused with wealth. Let us seek to redefine these concepts which are, in their purity, holy and sacred responsibilities.

Do I want more money?... of course! How about more vacations?... and a best seller?... or two?... Okay. Sign me up!!

Yet it is not the money, or the vacation, or the book deals that will lead me to the wealth that I seek. At best, these will all serve as distractions UNLESS I am spiritually mature enough to handle the responsibility that such luxuries afford me. If I consider myself an island of energy that is... 1) uneffected by the choices and consciousness of those around me, and 2) who can will anything into being without consideration for the whole... I may achieve a rich and abundant lifestyle as it is promised. One that feeds my body with pleasure, and my emotions with a sense of satisfaction.

However, each passing day teaches me that the abundance that I want more than anything else is a sense of spiritual satisfaction. A deep and pure experience of Love. Fulfillment. Purpose. And, in essence, Heaven on Earth.

We do not have to surrender one for the other. We can have the joys of the physical world as well as the bliss of that which connects us to something larger than ourselves. Paradoxically, I believe that it is the investment in spiritual assets that brings us a wealth that nurtures us for a lifetime.

Since I have begun to challenge the narcissism of The Secret - and what has become near-mainstream acceptance of the Law of Attraction - I have been asked the question:

"Candice, are you saying that you no longer believe in The Secret?!"

Yes, I believe in The Secret. I believe that the Law of Attraction does indeed exist.

But I believe in The Force behind it more. And that my highest good is in the hands of an intelligence that far exceeds anything that my hands, my head, or my heart can hold.

And it feels good. Really, really good.

The Law of Attraction = Ask and It Is Given

The Law of Attracting Fulfillment = Trust and Receive Your Greatest Good

In my experience I have known that the secret of joyful living, fulfillment, and a wealthy existence is something that I can call forth. I have practiced the Law of Attraction. I have desired a great many things, relationships, and experiences... and have come to experience most everything that I have called into being. So much of that which I wanted to become I have become (teacher, black belt, performer)... so much that I wanted to experience I am experiencing (creativity, travel, loving relationship)... and so much of that which I wanted to have I am having more of (more money, a beautiful home, freedom to choose what to do with my time). And so I know that within me lies the power to make things happen. For this, I am grateful.

Nevertheless, none of these outpicturings have brought me the peace, joy, or fulfillment that I have been seeking all along. My process of creation has brought me many things... most importantly, the realization that none of these desires self-serving will ever bring me the fulfillment that my soul yearns for.

I don't mean to sound cynical. It's actually one of the most liberating realizations that I have ever had. I think back on the great moments when I have known true fulfillment. Right now, writing my truth to you. Lying in the arms of my lover in that space between this world and the dream state. Laughing joyously with friends. Holding my niece in my arms for the first time... or seeing her sweet face in an e-card from my sister. Watching my nephew come into the world. Witnessing as someone shares a dream with me, and holding space for the sacred power of a spirit unleashed. Feeling the boundless joy while watching students in blissful abandon through dance... or in presenting their uniqueness in union with another through a performance jam.

It is THIS that I wish to attract more of into my life. Fulfillment that comes from the everyday magic of relationships, co-creation, and meaningful interactions. I want to develop mastery in - not my ability to bring the material into the material world (I have sensed the transient satisfaction of this)- but my ability to take notice, appreciate, and rest into the ways in which spirit is present in the flesh of those around me. To attract more of the juicy richness of life. While I receive satisfaction and comfort from the many images that come to life through me... it is the unexpected and brilliant miracles of all that lies beneath the surface that bring me true fulfillment.

Therefore, I offer a shift in semantics for my practice...
from The Law of Attraction, to the Law of Attracting Fulfillment.

And I am committed to building a business where others are aspiring (and inspiring!) to do the same. Moments of brilliance acting as signposts that light the way. SHiNE ON!

I spent over two decades - and a wealth of energy - wading helplessly in my heart's cries to reign over my life. I was continually seeking approval from others and casting myself as a victim in countless dramas of misconception. And then I discovered within me the potential to choose. I discovered that life gifts to me in relationship to what I gift to it. I discovered that darkness begets darkness, and that brilliance begets a life where feeling good is the only option.

I did everything in my power to think myself into feeling good. I embraced metaphysics, and actively made my life happen in accordance with my desires. However, I quite often became exhausted having faith only in myself - and the idea that I was the creator of my reality. How could I be sure what was best for me when there were limitless options available to me. I had everything that I thought I wanted... and somehow had let myself down. Where was the core fulfillment in it all? And how could I explain the emergence of so many miracles in my life, all those things that I didn't even know I needed? Who created those? Who is busy creating the miracles that fill my life with richness, while I am busy pulsing and toiling over the mundane?

It was then that I chose to sever my vows as a spiritual orphan. I may not belong to a particular religious tradition, but I do belong to more than myself. I am a sliver of light in the high beam of existence. True, I attract in accordance with my desires; yet only that which is best for the illumination of Who I Truly Am.. in service of the highest purpose (of which I am a willing, essential, and wonderous participant). And, while my willingness is required, I am not the one who makes the light possible.

I now realize (real-eyes) that the greatest power that I have access to is the power to be the person that I am. It is up to me to define the sensations that I want more of in my life, and to make choices that resonate accordingly. It is up to me, to deny or to embrace my brilliance. Over time, I have made the choice to embrace my gifts. Abandoning the arrogance of self-doubt... and embracing the humility of moving as if my life matters. And since then, the most meaningful miracles have emerged in my life.

Suddenly, my full-time job is feeling good. Getting out of the way. Allowing my SHiNE to operate in my life, and most importantly, in the lives of others. I call my brilliance by name... and that name is not mine. It is a sensation of grace and inspiration that calls back to me:

"SHiNE so that others might do the same. Collectively re-ignite a world where love is a light that burns from within each person. Illuminate a global reality where individual brilliance is the understood beacon to connect to the Source of All Light."

- Candice Schutter, Shine Founder