These journal prompts will quickly get you in alignment with what you truly want, not just with what you think you want.

I first got introduced to journaling from the book The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod. In it he spoke about doing SAVERS daily…

• S – Silence – Sitting in silence or meditating
• A – Affirmations – Saying affirmations
• V – Visualizations – Visualizing yourself receiving/achieving what you want
• E – Exercise – Exercising
• R – Reading – Reading books toward what you want to learn
• S – Scribing – Journaling

I had experience with all of the above except journaling. I knew how the others were helpful so it made it easier to trust the recommendation to add journaling to my repertoire.

So I “borrowed” a notebook from my then job’s supply cabinet and got ready to journal.

The only problem was, I didn’t know what to write.

I probably actually wrote, “I don’t know what to write in here.” next to that day’s date.

Yet this is a new day. With more experience and knowledge around the subject, I’m here to provide you with the journal prompts that will help serve you the most.

Journal Prompts You Should Be Using

1. What can I do today (or tomorrow) that will make me super happy?
2. What do I love about my life?
3. What’s something that sucks and is there a way of looking at it where I no longer think it’s sucky?
4. If money was never an issue, how would I spend my day?
5. Make a list of people that have wronged me and explain why I’m scared to forgive them.
6. What does God want me to do that I’m avoiding?
7. It’s been said that … “How you do anything is how you do everything.” … How does that make me feel about my life?

What journal prompts do you use that are the most transformative?

The post You Are What You Journal: The Only Journal Prompts That Actually Matter appeared first on JClay.

Living in today’s world, death seems inescapable. Many have even accepted it for themselves and look forward to approaching that day at a future time.

However, many have not accepted it for their loved ones. When a death occurs, it can feel like nothing makes sense and that the world is unfair.

If you are a follower of this blog or my music, you know that I don’t believe in death in the way that many others do.

The intent of this article is not to change your beliefs regarding death. That’s what There Is No Death, No Pain, and No Evil is for.

This article is to show how you can be alright at this moment when the thoughts of loss seem too great.

There may be some things in this article that seem to strike a nerve, but continue to read it in its entirety. This will help you.

Let’s get into the 5 ways to easily get over the death of a loved one.

1. It’s All About You

This is going to come as a shocker, but know that I am saying this with love.

When someone dies, it’s not about you.

That person supposedly lost their life, but you didn’t lose anything.

So if you’re going to feel sad, don’t feel sad for yourself. You’re still here and get to live it up.

Instead, feel sad that they won’t get to live it up, which has nothing to do with you. And then, remember that you don’t need to feel sad at all.

I’m not suggesting that you hold back your feelings. Let them out in a huge cry if you need to.

But then celebrate and honor your memory of them by feeling good that you crossed paths and that the best parts of them are with you always.

2. A Loved One’s Purpose

There is a belief that people exist in this world only for your will. I know, it’s a hidden belief.

You lay claim to these people through your words, i.e. your friends, your family, your this, your that, etc.

Within this belief, you think you know what’s best for them all. You know their highest capabilities and even their incapabilities.

Additionally, you know that whenever you call them, it’s best for them to fulfill your request. That request could be to entertain you, make you feel better, be good company, whatever.

But do you really know this? Do you even know that you think you know this?

Everything and everyone that exists has a purpose or else they would not be here.

In terms of items, when you no longer have a purpose for one, you either throw it away or give it away to be repurposed.

Many of us still don’t even know our own purpose, let alone the purpose of another.

How To Discover Your Purpose

What does this mean?

When you perceive a person’s death, you don’t know if their purpose was fulfilled or not.

You also don’t know if the circumstances surrounding their death were a manifestation of their commonly repeated thoughts.

The person may have gotten exactly what he or she wanted out of life and was ready to transition to something else.

Again, you don’t know.

There’s no sense in being mad or sad over something that you don’t know.

Furthermore, for those that believe in God, as I do. Do you really believe that God’s Will could not be done? Trust It. Trust Him.

He knows what’s best for you and He wants to give it to you. But it’s hard to receive something when you’re denying it.

3. Closing Off Yourself From New Experiences

When you’re a kid, everything is exciting because it’s all-new.

Everything is also exciting because it stays new.

No moment is like the previous one nor do you try to make it that way.

But as you get older, you try to recreate past moments that you felt were great. You deny this moment in favor of one that already happened.

You no longer trust that exciting experiences will be brought to you so you invest in what could never be, the past.

When you live in the past, you try to hold on to everything and everyone exactly as they were in that moment.

Yet you know as well as anyone that people’s thoughts, feelings, and bodies change every second of the day.

This means that by holding on, you are essentially setting yourself up to remain disappointed at all times.

It’s almost like your thoughts of choice are, “I want what I could never again have because I know everything about the world including that everything else would suck in comparison.”

If your thoughts, feelings, and body is changing all the time, that means that what you would enjoy changes all the time as well. God and the universe are always wanting to give to you that which you would enjoy.

But by holding onto one tiny moment that happened infinity moments ago, you are choosing littleness instead of abundance.

In doing this, the only thing that can make you happy is that which could never be.

Let go of the past so that you can experience all that the present has to offer in its glory.

This is not to say to forget about your loved one. This is to say to live now for you both.

4. Communicating with Your Loved One

The loved one is still with you now. Who you are is a combination of yourself and their influences over you. So literally, you are no longer just yourself.

In addition to that, you can actually communicate with your loved ones now as if they are here because, in reality, they are.

Here’s how.

Sit in a comfortable position. Relax completely being fully grounded in the present. Feel your toes touch the floor or your shoes. Let go of any past thoughts or experiences. Make only this moment your focus.

Close your eyes and think of the love shared between you and your loved one. Now say what you would say to them either out loud or to yourself.

Listen to what you receive back from them. It may not be heard with the body’s ears, but it’s definitely felt.

You can do this any time of any day for any length of time. So have at it. Enjoy a full dialogue.

A quote from one of my favorite books A Course In Miracles (ACIM) perfectly sums up why you are able to do this.

“Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists. Herein lies the peace of God.“

And in case you want a bible quote, check out Luke 20:38.

“He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to Him all are alive.“

5. Holding Onto Form Weakens You

As I mentioned above, you are choosing littleness instead of abundance.

You already accept that your thoughts, beliefs, and body are endlessly changing. And throughout all of these changes, you’ve still always been you.

So what version of your loved one are you trying to hold? And why would you want them to be stuck in a changeless form for your benefit?

There are so many people in your physical awareness right now that would love for you to enjoy them.

But it’s impossible to experience both loss and abundance. Each denies the other and so only one can be true.

If loss was real, then you would be happy to receive it. However, since abundance is real, even the illusion of loss can be.

To believe that your loved ones are only a body is to believe that you are an insignificant speck incapable of anything real.

This is not true. You are the light of the world. Your rays extend beyond any and everything ever-flowing for eternity.

In Conclusion

In conclusion, your loved ones didn’t die. Only your perception of who they were, died.

Let go of this perception so that you can LIVE with them always.

Enjoy this beautiful selection from, IAMNOBODY, IAMSOMEONE.

The post Easy Ways To Cope With The Death of A Loved One appeared first on JClay.

Happiness. We all want it. We all love to be it. Most importantly, we never want to be without it.

Happy people are just fun to be around unless of course, you don’t feel happy.

Happiness doesn’t mean you have to skip up and down the street singling la la la. But it does mean that you are truly content with life at this moment.

A while back I wrote How To Be Happy All The Time. That article is a very detailed look at what’s blocking your happiness and how to change it.

This checklist is a simplified version. When you’re able to complete this checklist, you’ll know that you are living the best possible life you can.

Living the best possible life does not mean you won’t have goals and new experiences you want to try. It means that whether you meet those goals or not, you’re still happy. It also means that there will be nothing stopping you from pursuing more joy.

You will be free.

I just have one question for you.

Would you complete this checklist if you knew it would lead you to ultimate happiness?

The Simple Checklist for a Happy Life

• I’ve organized my life so that my mornings are happy
• I’ve organized my life so that my afternoons are happy
• I’ve organized my life so that my evenings are happy
• I’ve organized my life so that when I sleep, I sleep well

Happiness Checklist Explained

Just so there’s no mistaking, mornings are from when you wake until noon. Afternoons are from noon until about 5 pm. Evenings are from 5 pm until bedtime. And of course, your sleep time is when you’re sleeping.

This is pretty simple, right?

Yet there are many things at play.

Your morning may be affected by how well you sleep. And your sleep may be affected by your nights.

Each part of your day seems to affect another.

By focusing on one part at a time, you can see the inconsistencies. You’ll see the patterns within your relationships, health, work, and even leisure.

You may even discover that your nights, sleep, and mornings are perfect, but your afternoons aren’t so happy.

In this case, taking action toward improving your afternoons may lead to your mornings declining in happiness.

But that’s what’s great about this. You will start to create holistic solutions so that every part of your life is filled with happiness and not just some.

How To Use This Checklist

1. 1. Write out your checklist (or use this printable Happiness Checklist)
   2. Purposefully reflect on yesterday
   3. Mark a check next to each section that you experienced total happiness
   4. Count the number of checkmarks to get your Happiness Score for yesterday

Happiness Score of 4 – I’m Happy!

If your score is 4, congratulations, you live a happy life or at least lived one yesterday.

Just in case yesterday did not represent your normal routine, repeat the checklist for a day that does. Then compare the results.

If your score is still a 4, then keep on being happy!

Happiness Score of 3 – I’m Pretty Happy

Congratulations! You may have a few things to reorder in your life, but this is still a great place to be.

Work toward being happy in that remaining area and take care to not take any away from the others.

It’s ok to take baby steps.

Happiness Score of 2 – I Want A Happier Life

Half of your days are happy and if you count weekends, you’re over 50%, which is a good start.

However, it’s time to take inventory, but don’t focus on all parts of your day at once.

Start with one and list out what you think prevented you from being happy.

Work toward being happy in that area. This might involve learning some new skills or even unlearning old behaviors.

No matter where this journey takes you, let it take you happily.

Once you reach a score of 3, follow the instructions above.

Happiness Score of 1 – I Need To Make Some Changes

A score of 1 seems bad, but it’s really a good thing because now you know. And since you know, you can do something about it.

Start by asking yourself, “Do I really want to continue living life like this? Is it worth it? How will I know if it’s worth it? How long have my days been like this?”

If you don’t like the answer to any of these questions, good. You are more aware of your needs than you ever have been.

Start small. Don’t make any big changes yet like quit your job and leave your spouse.

Choose the easiest timeframe to improve. Really go at it.

It won’t take long to improve at all.

Once you get your Happiness Score to 2, following the instructions above for that score.

Happiness Score of 0 – I Need To Make Some Immediate Changes

The good news is, your score is only going to go up from here.

Changes do need to be made. Know that you deserve happiness in your life.

Say this right now, “I’m open to the idea that I deserve more happiness in my life.”

Say it once more. “I’m open to the idea that I deserve more happiness in my life.”

Awesome! The remnants of that phrase are now echoing throughout the universe gathering allies to help you realize this.

I’m one of them. Message me here with the subject “I Got A Happiness Score of 0”. In the body of the message, let me know anything you think I need to know in order to help you.

I’ll respond shortly with some assistance.

Stay Happy

Life is meant to be lived happily. Even if your idea of happiness is not the norm, you still deserve to be happy.

Live what that is for you.

The post Happiness Checklist: Get Your Happiness Score appeared first on JClay.

Raise your vibration and keep it high. Well, why?

Your mind is like a tuning station. When you focus on a particular thought, all thoughts of a similar frequency will come into your awareness.

Thoughts of joy and peace are of a high frequency or vibration. Thoughts of pain are of a lower one.

The higher your vibration, the lighter you feel mentally, physically, and emotionally. You are above all perceived problems because they are no longer pulling you down. You’ve let them go.

This article is straight from the gurus / master teachers that help us to remain “high”.

1. “If you wish to find Love, don’t look for the object of love but rather for the source of love. There you will find the Beloved.” —Mooji

Yeah, Mooji! I could end this article right here. Love is the one thing everyone loves. It’s kind. Love is beautiful. It’s what you are.

People have a habit of looking for love every except where it always is, within. Love is never without because you are never without love. What is out is just a reflection of what is in.

Seek the real thing, never the reflection.

Find out more about Mooji at https://mooji.org/.

2. “Do not try to fix whatever comes in your life. Fix yourself in such a way that whatever comes, you will be fine.” —Sadhguru

Sadhguru just gave the key to happiness.

You are an abundant being in an abundant universe. If there are such things as problems, then you know that there will be an abundant amount.

Do you really want to fix an abundant list of problems? That just sounds exhausting.

Instead, you can fix this one problem of thinking that you have to fix problems.

Start to love all and accept all as it is. You will begin to ascend above all. You will be free to experience life how you intended.

Find out more about Sadhguru at https://isha.sadhguru.org/.

3. “I am not my thoughts, emotions, sense perceptions, and experiences. I am not the content of my life. I am Life. I am the space in which all things happen. I am consciousness. I am the Now. I Am.” —Eckhart Tolle

Eckhart Tolle just gave the ultimate affirmation and explained life in simple terms.

Thoughts and emotions come and go, but through it all, you remain. This means you are not these things. You exist beyond them.

To belittle yourself into believing you are your thoughts and emotions is to lower your vibration. You also lower your vibration by holding others to their thoughts and emotions as well.

You are Life. You get to experience one thing at this moment and then experience a completely different thing in another. None of it truly matters.

Never let matter keep you limited. Life knows no limits. Be Life.

Find out more about Eckhart Tolle at https://eckharttolle.com/.

4. “The people who trigger us to feel negative emotion are messengers. They are messengers for the unhealed parts of our being.” —Teal Swan

Teal Swan just exposed the role everyone plays toward each other.

You are all saviors. You get to show your fellow human his or her beliefs that they are holding onto.

When someone seems to anger you, you’re never angry at them. You are just angry at the thought you held about what they had to say.

You are not that thought and neither are they. That person is not your enemy. They have just shown you a miracle if you would but accept it.

By seeing what seems to be angering you in its true form, you can let it dissipate into the nothingness that it is.

Never be angry when others show you what needs to be healed. In it lies the key to keeping your vibration high.

Find out more about Teal Swan at https://tealswan.com/.

5. “If you pay attention to the patterns of your life you’ll realize everything always works out. Everything always takes you to a greater destination. You always grow and the things you think you can’t survive you somehow divinely make it through. That’s life. Always remember that.” —Idil Ahmed

Idil Ahmed speaks the truth.

If you must leave this moment and re-visit the past, really look at all of it. Nothing that happened to you was every permanent. Ever.

All things change, except for one. You always remained no matter the circumstances. You will always remain.

Hold this truth to heart. Know that no matter what, all will work out.

Find out more about Idil Ahmed at https://idillionaire.com/.

6. “Need nothing and then see what happens.” —Gangaji

Gangaji just gave a practical action to raising your vibration, need nothing.

“Well, how do I make myself need nothing when I need everything?”

Stop needing it.

“What?”

If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve tried to change your behavior before. This could be eating or not eating certain foods, spending less money, sticking to a workout regimen, or hanging out with different people.

What always happens as soon as you decide to change a behavior? You get enticed by many for your old behavior.

Try to stop eating candy, everyone is offering you free candy. Choose to save money, your favorite stores release deals on products you’ve always wanted. Start working out, your body says no and produces aches & pains.

You get the point. Decide to stop needing anything and watch how you’ll not only have access to it, but you’ll have access to everything.

Find out more about Gangaji at https://gangaji.org/.

7. “What we don’t recognize is that holding onto resentment is like holding onto your breath. You’ll soon start to suffocate.” —Deepak Chopra

Deepak Chopra gave a beautiful analogy.

Who wants to sit with their breath held all day? All things are give-and-take, even breathing. You must give of yourself to receive from others.

By holding onto anything, especially resentment, you are cutting yourself off from life.

Let go. Yes, let go.

Find out more about Deepak Chopra at https://www.deepakchopra.com/.

8. “Love is never absent – the only choice is whether to be aware of It or not.” —David Hoffmeister

David Hoffmeister is the man for this one.

It is impossible to be aware of both love and fear at the same time. The presence of one negates the other.

Where love is, fear can never be. Where fear is, love can never be. This goes with all the wonderful things synonymous with love (joy, hope, peace, abundance, gratitude, life, etc) and with fear (despair, hopelessness, scarcity, death, etc).

Hold love in your awareness always. Share it with others. Extend God’s Love as it was extended to you.

Not only will you be aware of Love’s presence, but It will also be present everywhere you look.

Find out more about David Hoffmeister at https://davidhoffmeister.com/.

9. “Love yourself and your expression, you can’t go wrong.” —KRS-One

KRS-One continues to share wisdom.

When you love yourself, nothing else matters. Despite the perceived circumstance, you are love.

You could be in the most boring of places and it would not bother you because you know what you are and you get to express it.

Everyone loves love. It’s the one thing that all things share. So it is always welcomed.

Love that about yourself and love yourself.

Find out more about KRS-One at https://www.krs-one.com/.

10. “Don’t dwell on your weaknesses, everybody else is already doing that for you.” —Gary Vaynerchuk

Gary Vee cares not for the weak; he cares for you.

You are strong. It is only your attention to the weak that makes you believe that you are part of what you consider to be weak.

You have at least one strength. It’s love. You can use that strength to birth many more.

Focus on your strengths and watch them expand. Watch it influence everything around you to become just as strong, which influences you to remain strong.

Find out more about Gary Vaynerchuk at https://www.garyvaynerchuk.com/.

11. “Remind yourself that you cannot fail at being yourself.” —Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

Dr. Wayne W. Dyer just cured me with this quote.

It’s tempting to look at life as a series of successes and failures, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.

What seems like failure is always part of success. You can’t learn how to walk unless you’re willing to fall. But even the act of trying to walk is a success in itself because you are just being you.

In other words, no matter what you do, you are successful. You are an expression of life. Every thought, every choice, every emotion is all a success. You are a success.

Find out more about Dr. Wayne W. Dyer at https://www.drwaynedyer.com/.

12. “Enlightenment is a destructive process. It has nothing to do with becoming better or being happier. Enlightenment is the crumbling away of untruth. It’s seeing through the facade of pretense. It’s the complete eradication of everything we imagined to be true.” —Adyashanti

Adyashanti just brought us to reality.

Enlightenment is the raising of your vibration. You become light. Nothing is holding you down. You have let go of the world that consumed you.

From the perspective of someone with a lower vibration, they don’t want to see their world end. They complain about all, but they love complaining. Conflict rules their lives, but it’s the safe space they’ve created for themselves.

When you bring things to the light of truth, you see that what you thought existed was never really there. It was an illusion made in the dark. You saw a shadow and gave it meaning. Yet in the presence of light, all things are seen as they truly are.

Are you ready for the truth? Truth is not to be feared, because truth is Love.

Love ends all conflict. It ends all hurt. Love ends all form because It exists beyond it where the beginning and end meet. It is the Alpha and Omega. God is Love.

Find out more about Adyashanti at https://www.adyashanti.org/.

It’s Your Turn

Think of the most helpful quote that you can. Bring it to the light of truth to make sure it is true. Now share with the world. Start with the comments below.

The post 12 Raise Your Vibration Quotes by Gurus & Masters appeared first on JClay.

Ever since man has taken breath, there has been idol worship. Some see this as a “sin” and others don’t even realize they’re worshipping something.

The effects of idol-worship can be seen in a variety of illnesses, both mental and physical. That which you idolize becomes a source of your wellbeing. Therefore if what you idolize is limited in any way, your experience will be that of lack.

By removing the cause, you render their effects ineffective.

Let’s talk about the cause.

What Are Idols & What Is Idol Worship?

Abrahamic religions, namely Christianity, Judaism, and Islam state that you should not worship someone or something other than God.

These are what idols are…people or things that you consider greater than yourself and/or God.

Worship is the practice of giving honor and glory to your idol.

The word worship is a combination of “worth” and “ship”. It’s the complete body of worth you give a thing.

Within you, you have the power to appreciate. You can give value to many things that are seemingly worthless. Through repetition, it can be confusing to tell the two apart. You start to believe that what you have given worth to is now worth more than yourself, especially if others have given value to the same thing.

Below are 7 idols that you may be worshipping without even realizing it and how they are affecting your life.

1. The Body

The people of the world seem to be fascinated with the human body. The shapes, structure, and feel of it are all beloved by many. Having a body is of course what all people seem to have in common.

People love the body so much that when their idea of the perfect body is not in line with the body they seem to possess, the body then becomes a source of pain and struggle.

By possession, I’m referring to the body that you’re currently operating and the ones you feel are yours through special relationships (ie “my” partner’s body, “my” kid’s body, etc).

This can also appear true to those that have what’s considered a great body. They could create fear around losing it and exhausting great effort to maintain such a body.

In all of the above cases, the body is no longer considered a safe dwelling place, but a symbol of pain.

Even though your mind controls your body, you allow your body to dictate your thoughts. This is clearly backward behavior.

How can one ever find peace & joy, when they seek comfort in an entity that is symbolic for causing and receiving pain?

Withdraw belief in your body as a source of wellness. Recognize it for what it is. Your body is an extension of your awareness. Use it only for what you would have in return.

Use it for love and not attack and you will receive love, not attack.

2. Your Identity

Are you your identity?

Your identity is who you think you are. It’s the thoughts and beliefs you carry into situations.

A lot about your identity is even unknown to you. It could be the way you pronounce words, your word choice, how you feel about wealth, your thoughts against voting, etc.

A couple of years ago I was in London walking down the street at a touristy spot and a drunk guy looked at me and shouted, “Americaaaaannnn…hahahaha!” There were many people from different cultures and races that were in the vicinity. I had not spoken a word, but something about the way I carried myself led him to believe I was American, well United Stadian. He was right. The same can be said for the judgment I made of him in thinking that he was drunk.

Identity itself is not a problem. It’s only when you give tremendous value to who you think you are, that it becomes the problem. You have attached yourself to something that isn’t real and it hinders your abilities.

The reason I say that your identity isn’t real is that it’s constantly changing. How can something that changes have any real substance? It’s here one second and gone the next.

Yet some of your biggest worries come from holding on to this identity. It can prevent you from quitting a job that you hate, dating a person you find extremely attractive, taking on a new hobby that interests you, and more.

Your identity plays tricks on you causing you to question everything like:

• I’ve succeeded at everything, what if I fail at this?
• Am I a hypocrite for wanting something different?
• Will my spouse not like me when I change?
• Will my culture think I’m not real?
• What will my family think?

How can you ever find peace & joy in an identity when the idea of holding on to it, stops you from fully living and expressing yourself in every moment?

Again, your identity is who you think you are. It’s the thoughts and beliefs you carry into situations. But these can change depending on your preferences at any moment. Because of this change, then your identity can never be you. You exist beyond your identity.

Don’t be afraid to shed your limited identity for your unlimited nature. If you’re going to practice idol worship, at least worship your true self.

3. Special Relationships

This one right here, special relationships, is one idol we seemed to be born into. Special relationships are those we put over any other (ie “my” spouse, “my” best friend, “my” parent, “my” teammate, etc.)

Google’s explore page reported the earth’s population in 2018 was 7.5 billion people. In America, the average person knows 600 people and has 9 close friends.

Let’s say you considered all 600 people “special”, that’s less than 1% of the population. In fact, that’s less than 1% of 1% of the population.

The reason I point this out is that by identifying certain individuals as special, you are limiting yourself greatly. You are limiting who you are willing to share with and who can share with you. As a result, you may even fear those that you don’t have a relationship with.

In addition, you may fear the loss of special relationships because you think that it will leave a void within you. Since relationships don’t seem to last past major disagreements or death, you are again placing your value in something that will run out.

Family are just people you are familiar (family-ar) with. Relatives are just people relative to your point of birth. They are not more valuable or special than anyone else. This is not to say that you should not love your family, it’s the opposite. This is to say that you should love everyone as much as you love your family.

This concept explains why it was so easy for you to make friends as a child. You didn’t devalue potential friends by judging them.

How you act towards a person affects how they react toward you. By leading with love, you welcome love.

In this way, your sense of happiness is never tied to a special relationship. If you are apart from another, it won’t be as noticeable because you will always be surrounded by many other loved ones.

The identity in you (ego) is probably saying, “This is sad news for the ones we’re apart from that don’t share this view.” Although this may be true, your identity is not as concerned with that person as it would have you believe. The ego is more concerned with protecting itself and its individuality. I won’t go into that topic in this article. However, I will say that as long as you teach and show others how awesome it is to lead with love, they will never be in a lonely-type situation ever again.

Release your created identity and reassume your natural one.

4. Money

You knew money was going to be on the list about idol worship. People like to claim that they don’t worship money, but that’s only because they are not taking an objective view of their relationship to it.

If you didn’t put money above yourself, you would never work a job that you didn’t like. The next logical thought is, “Well if I don’t make money, I’ll be homeless.” Will you? According to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development’s 2019 Annual Homeless Assessment Report, 0.17% of the US population were experiencing homelessness. Is this voluntary? We don’t know.

My point is when you make decisions based on money, you are at the mercy of it. No one is happy being controlled 100% of the time.

From the perspective of being unhappy because you have no money, you believe that having money will make you happy. The truth is, money was never your issue. Your issue is that you placed faith in something outside yourself, leaving yourself without faith.

Money is just a tool for cooperation. By being love and seeing all as loving, you will be a very cooperative person.

You won’t be controlled and you won’t seek to control. This will lead to all of your needs being met. But this takes the same faith in yourself that you’ve placed in other things.

5. Conflict

Who values conflict? Certainly not you. Or do you?

Quick test:

1. When someone says either Black Lives Matter or All Lives Matter, are you ready to write that person off in an instant?
2. When someone says they voted for Trump or they voted for Obama, are you ready to call this person ignorant?
3. Are you drawn to television shows that have massive amounts of drama?

If you’ve answered yes to any one of these questions, conflict may be a form of idol worship in your life. This idol is tied closely to the egoic identity. You believe in wrongdoings and that punishment is the only way to atone. Not only do you seek to punish others, you expect punishment for yourself. As a result, you feel a sense of satisfaction when others are punished. This increases your faith in it causing you to worship it even more.

As you can see, conflict is the source of so much pain in your life. In many ways, conflict is pain and vice versa.

When you aren’t so tied to your identity, other’s opinions won’t matter. You’ll know that the truth needs no validation so there’s no point in arguing for it.

6. The World

As much as you would say things against the world, you love it! You wouldn’t change a thing. You would still want all of the corruption and scandalousness, you would just want to be above it.

However, you can’t separate apart from something while you still believe in it because everything real comes from the same source. The rest is simply an illusion. Are you aligned with truth or illusion?

This means that what one can do, all can do. What can affect another, can affect you. But it would be more accurate to say that what you cause seems to affect you and everyone.

You see only what you’ve placed your value in.

By placing value in a world that exists outside of yourself, you are thus investing in hiding from yourself.

You are projecting your beliefs outward to rid yourself of the ones you no longer want. But a projection is but a mirror to the slides within.

To truly be rid of guilt, pain, and shame, you must let these things go, not project them onto others. To project them is to keep them.

To give any attention to any illusion is to attempt to keep it alive. To keep it alive you must idolize it. Without your constant appreciation of it, the world you created would one day lose its value. You would then be free to return to reality, which many have referred to as heaven.

7. Time

You can’t trust time. It’s not always the same. A second is not a second and a day is not a day.

Try being in a place you don’t want to be for an hour while staring at the clock. It will take a lifetime just to complete that hour.

On the other hand (pun intended), try being in a place you want to be for an hour while staring at the clock. You will probably forget to look at the clock because time at this point is meaningless.

Don’t let time dictate where you should be in life. But as long as you believe in time, you might as well make it useful to you.

The more times you perform a specific behavior or set of behaviors, the behaviors become automatic. Use time to forgive and love all. Before you know it, nothing will ever bother you again and time will cease to exist.

It’s “time” to stop idol worship.

You will be above all littleness and ready to accept your abundance.

All Idols

All idols are false and thus idol worship is false. They are symbols of symbols. Symbols are never as good as the real thing. If so, seeing the word chocolate would be as satisfying as eating it.

Place your faith and value in something that never fades. Place it where your faith in it will always be returned in greater amounts.

This “thing” has many names: Love, God, All.

Love is formless. God is eternal. All is well.

How easy it is to let go of the false idols depends on how focused & committed you are.

When you recognize yourself straying, take “time” to place your faith where it could never leave.

The post 7 False Idols Christians Unknowingly Worship appeared first on JClay.

Depression touches more people than we realize—often in ways they’re not even aware of. Whether you’re trying to help a loved one or you’re feeling the weight yourself, this guide offers 10 practical and deeply spiritual ways to support healing. These aren’t surface tips. They’re transformational steps drawn from lived experience, inner work, and the truth that peace is always available, no matter the darkness.

The most important thing to remember is this: Depression is not a death sentence. It’s not a promise of a sad life. And it’s definitely not permanent.

According to Healthline, an estimated 16.2 million adults in the U.S. have experienced major depression. This guide on how to help someone with depression is written for everyone of them—and for those who love them.

If you’re the one struggling, I encourage you to still try these steps for someone else. Helping others is a powerful path to helping yourself, because no one gets out of depression alone.

Let’s dive into what truly helps.

Table of Contents

1. Never Take Anything Personally
2. Treat Them Like the Perfect Self They Are
3. Ask Positive-Ended Questions
4. Send Them “Let Go”
5. Be Your Best Self
6. Learn About Wellness, Not Depression
7. Don’t Say What Not to Do Without Giving Something to Do
8. Have No Expectations
9. Keep in Touch
10. Follow Your Heart

1. Don’t take it personally — it’s not about you

A person who feels depressed and separated from the world is going to say some depressing things. That’s obvious.

What isn’t obvious is your reaction to it.

Remember, it’s never about you, even if they say something that seems insulting. If you can remember this one thing, then you will have made the biggest step toward healing those with depression.

Similarly, since it’s never about you, make everything about them.

Sounds simple enough, except we’re too wrapped in ourselves. The thought of helping another could trigger negative thoughts, such as, “Well, what about me? Why do I have to be the one to help all the time? Why can’t I get help?”

These thoughts deepen the sense of separation, making you feel more like a depressed person and less like yourself.

By making everything about the other person, not only do you change the belief that no one helps, but you also become that belief. You become proof that help is always available & free.

This has numerous positive effects on your life as well. Most importantly, this will lead to you never fearing a situation because you’ll know that no matter what, someone will help you if needed.

But the only way to truly know that is to live it. To live it, you must give it. So give help always without question and hesitation.

You have more awareness and self-control than to react negatively to anyone who says something seemingly negative. Show that by never taking anything personally ever again.

2. Treat them like the perfect self they are

There’s an art to making everything about others.

Your beliefs make up your whole world. When you believe that the world and everyone in it sucks, you’re going to be depressed. When you believe that everything and everyone is love, you’re going to be happy.

A depressed person is going to say things aligned with the idea that the world and themselves are sucky. Look beyond this. The fact that you’re willing to help that person means you already see something greater in him or her.

Speak only to that.

Don’t acknowledge anything seemingly negative. You don’t have to disagree, just don’t agree.

Find ways to speak highly of them. Give examples of their greatness. Remind them of ways they do wonderful things.

By focusing on others in this manner, you, too, will gain a great appreciation for them. Your days will be happier because you get to be in the presence of those you appreciate. The objects of your appreciation will genuinely feel this appreciation and will want to live up to it to continue to receive your favor.

3. Ask positive-ended questions

“How are you doing?” should never be asked when dealing with a seemingly depressed person. They are not doing great.

One variation could be, “What’s good with you?” But this can lead to them replying, “Nothing at all.”

The goal is to get them to talk about themselves positively.

Here are some examples of how to do this:

• “You’ve always been an expert at [blah blah blah], how did you even know to do something like that?”
• “I know that was an interesting year, but what’s your favorite thing that happened in 2020?”
• “What’s one childhood memory that no matter what always made you smile?”

If you’re following me on Instagram, you’re probably like…”Hey, these are things you’re asking us.” Yes, because they work!

Be creative, though, and use your normal way of asking questions.

If you need ideas for questions, here’s a list of Positive Questions To Ask Yourself Daily that can shift the mood instantly.

4. Send them “Let Go”

Let Go is a different kind of hip-hop song for a reason. It allows you to see exactly how you are sabotaging yourself repeatedly.

This resource has been valuable to hundreds of thousands and it will be valuable to your loved ones as well.

This is the song’s link (jclay.org/letgo). Send this to someone you know is depressed.

However, when you send “Let Go”, send it like you would any other song. Don’t send it saying something like, “I know you’re depressed, so listen to this.” Nobody wants to be reminded of their depression.

How to do this?

I would suggest a variation of:

• “OMG, this is the song of the year. Listen to this. I don’t even know what just happened.”
• “Dude, I’m speechless. This song just told me everything I was going through.”
• “Oh snap, we gotta support this dude. Listen to this now.”

Copy this link to your clipboard now so that you can share it when you finish reading this article. (jclay.org/letgo)

To understand how this song works on a deeper level, read the full Let Go lyrics breakdown.

5. Be your best self

This may seem contradictory to what I mentioned that you should make everything about others, but it is not.

Being your best self allows you to be an example. When others see how happy and unaffected by outside circumstances you are, they will get curious. They will want to know how you do what you do.

The irony is, you may be doing this just as an example for them, but it still helps you both.

What does it mean to be your best self?

To be your best self means you listen to your heart. You focus on what is within. You are never without anything. The best way to demonstrate this to yourself is to go within. This will take practice, but start now.

6. Learn about wellness, not depression

Learning about wellness ties to the previous tip. It allows you to practice the tools that help you be your best self.

Although you want to help those with depression, it is not necessary to learn about depression. For example, learning about poverty will never teach you about wealth. It is only when you focus on wealth, you will understand it.

Similarly, you are to learn about wellness because it’s ultimately what you want.

How to start?

Start here with these daily affirmations. You can say these anytime and anywhere out loud or in your head. These affirmations will begin to heal your world at its source.

Read A Course In Miracles (Full Review). This is a real course, complete with daily exercises that will correct your perception. I recommend the physical book and not the audio version. The reason is that this book isn’t a simple read. If you get the audiobook, you will find yourself rewinding, rewinding, and rewinding because each line is that powerful.

Last, teach wellness to others. You can do this verbally and/or by being an example of it. To truly learn something, you must know it so well that you can teach it. To truly teach something, you must learn it.

7. Don’t say what not to do without giving something to do

I feel like there’s a better way to word number 7, I just couldn’t think of it. 

Those with depression are frustrated with their worlds. They want to be out of their depression and are looking for help from anyone and anything willing to provide sound advice on the subject. Even though it’s hard to tell what sound advice is while in a depressed state, they still want guidance.

Saying not to do something does not seem to help because it creates another question. “If I can’t do this, then what do I do?”

To remedy this, always have examples of what to do instead whenever you suggest what not to do.

8. Have no expectations

Focus on what is present.

Expectations can also lead to depression. Expectations are future-based. They ignore what is present and instead favor the future.

Since the future has not come and never will, you are giving attention to a world that does not exist. For a deeper look at why pain and evil only seem real, check out There Is No Death, No Pain, and No Evil.

You are missing the wonderfulness that exists right now. By continuing to ignore it right now, it will seemingly fade from your awareness.

You will be fully immersed in a world that you can never get to.

Instead of setting expectations on healing yourself or others, focus on what is here now. And yes, I made a song about that too, called Right Now.

9. Keep in touch

Those who are depressed feel alone. Although loneliness itself is impossible, those who are depressed aren’t aware of that.  Checking up with someone with depression will make them feel more loved.

This is the easiest thing to do. It can be a phone call, a text, or even a positive thought toward him or her.

You don’t even have to go out of your way. Keep it simple. A little does go a long way.

10. Follow your heart

This is how to follow your heart.

Everything you ever need to know exists within. You feel cut off from it only because you have the habit of trying to look without.

Every interaction with another presents an opportunity for you to join with that person in perfection.

There isn’t a way to prepare for this. Everyone has their unique perception of the world. The goal is to align with truth so that instead of perceiving, you see truly.

By checking within and following your heart, you will know at any given moment what’s needed to extend and share that love with another.

This is not found in the future, and it does not exist in the past. It is right here, right now. Always.

Ultimately, how to help a friend with depression is also how to help yourself be a better person.

It’s a win-win.

For an easy way to keep your mind in the right place, try The Only Checklist You’ll Ever Need To Maintain Happiness.

The post How To Help Someone With Depression, 10 Easy Steps appeared first on JClay.

Whether it’s a hater, someone of different financial status, the police, the government, a member of another political party, a member of another religion, or the devil … people believe in an enemy.

By enemy, I’m referring to someone you believe wishes you harm, ill-fate, or failure.

Before we get into the purpose of your enemy, let’s talk about some of the positives of an enemy.

The Enemy That Unites

Siblings fight. Let a neighbor wish to harm a sibling, siblings will unite against the neighbor.

Neighbors fight. Let people of a rival block/neighborhood wish to harm a person of another neighborhood, neighbors will unite against the rival neighborhood.

Students fight. Let a rival school wish to harm a student of another school, students will unite against the rival school.

This goes on for organizations, cities, states, countries, and even earth if we saw an alien nation as a threat. And don’t let Thanos come to threaten the galaxy. Then all the aliens will be joining forces.

What’s my point?

If all of these people can unite under the threat of an enemy, why can’t they just unite?

But even the fact that people are uniting means an enemy isn’t such a bad thing, right?

The Enemy That Reveals

Many consider a person that says hurtful things to you as an enemy. But our real anger is not with the enemy. It’s with ourselves. I’ll explain.

If someone says to you, “Hey, your body is made of marbles.”

You’ll just look at them confused. You know for a fact that your body is not made of marbles. You wouldn’t even argue. You would disregard the comment and move on.

Yet if you’re a rapper and someone says, “Your raps suck!” You may take offense. But what’s the difference and why take offense now?

The difference is, it only appears to hurt when you believe that it’s true.

By becoming angry, you now get a glimpse of your true beliefs. If you no longer wish to be angered by such thoughts, you now know exactly what limiting beliefs to let go of.

Beliefs are important because they are the lens through which we view the world.

For example, if you believe that people suck, you will always find examples of people that fit these conditions.

But if you believe that everyone is your savior, you will hear God’s voice behind everyone’s words and understand exactly what you were meant to hear in those moments despite what was spoken.

Now back to our original example.

To recap, you’re a rapper and you were just told, “Your raps suck!”

If this statement is believed, the common behavioral pattern is to dislike the revealer of your beliefs. You may even go around telling others how much you dislike this person.

Once again, how can such a person be considered an enemy? This “enemy” has just given you the keys to the kingdom.

He/she has given you an actual way to expand your once limited beliefs.

The Enemy That Inspires

Many that we consider successful have said variations of the following:

• I want to thank my haters for doubting me.
• “They” said I wouldn’t amount to anything, so I did this to show “them”.
• I did this because “they” said I couldn’t.

If enemies are responsible for so many major successes, are they really enemies?

The Reason Why You Keep Losing To The Enemy

The reason you keep losing to the enemy is that you believe that you’re weak and that your so-called enemy is strong.

To put it another way, this enemy exists only in your mind and is created in your own likeness.

You’ve created this enemy because you believe that you can rid yourself of guilt/pain/shame by directing it away from yourself and toward another.

This is the source of your suffering.

Everything you share with another gets received by the other and then reflected back to you so that you also receive it. So the feelings you seek to get rid of it, you receive them back doubly if the person received those feelings as you intended.

What about those that have become “successful” because of their enemies?

These people also appear lost. They are slaves because they do things for their “enemies” out of spite instead of doing things from their own desire. They can be controlled by saying, “You can’t do that.”

Let go of the idea of an enemy. See enemies for what they truly are.

They are your brothers, your sisters. They are holy beings of light (hue-man beings).

These people are saviors that unite us. They are saviors that show us our perceived limits so that we may be free of them forever.

These so-called enemies are saviors that inspire us to be our best selves, our True Self.

Next Step

Observe your thoughts. Don’t give in to the idea that an enemy controls your behavior or fate.

Observe how the idea of an enemy is replayed over and over throughout our society.

Don’t judge it, just observe it.

The plot of most movies, tv shows, and rap songs are focused on building up an “enemy” that does seemingly despicable things without remorse. Then it is usually ended by people of various backgrounds uniting to defeat this despicable character.

Apologies because you’re going to see this EVERYWHERE now.

Depending on your feelings or how you’ve judged this content while consuming it (ie a tv show, a song, etc), you will understand why you always have an enemy.

It’s only because you believe in distrust so you seek witnesses of its existence.

You speak about it. You fantasize about what you would do in a given situation when confronted with such distrust.

Let go of that belief. You can replace it with thoughts of trust, but since trust is part of your natural state, you need not do anything but let go.

“Only the weak have enemies, and the strong have inner peace.”

Stream Let Go now!

The post Why You Keep Losing To The Enemy appeared first on JClay.