They are not concepts that traditionally go together, yet I see them as almost inseparable. Why? We are Spiritual Beings. As such, it would be natural for us to express that in everything we do, including a business or workplace. When you factor in all the brilliance, collaboration, creativity, imagination, and wisdom it takes to run a successful business, it seems only natural for us to want to include ALL of our selves – our Spiritual side, as well as our human side.

The Spiritual nature of us is the Truth of us. We are individuated fragments of God. That’s what is meant by “Image and Likeness.” This means that within each of us is Divine Power that can heal the sick, feed the hungry, clothe and house the poor, protect the planet, and transform people from fear to Love. This is who we are.

Yet many of us have forgotten. For example, how many times have you heard people say, “I’m only human!”? As long as we deny our Spiritual nature, we remain disconnected from the Source Energy that is moving in, through, and around us at all times. When we’re not connected to Source, we’re making it harder to do everything we feel called to do. In fact, we can’t even feel the calling when we’re disconnected. That’s one of the reasons so many people are lamenting they don’t know what their Life Purpose is.

If you look closely, you will notice that many of your business interactions are based on fear, judgment or lack rather than acceptance, compassion or abundance. That is the ego at play. It causes separation. However, when Spiritual Awareness is brought into this same business environment, you are able to get very different results.

For example, if you apply the Law of Attraction to your business dealings, how you feel about yourself inside is what you will attract. If you have buried anger, you may see many customers who are angry with what you offer or are afraid to commit to you and you don’t know why. Likewise, if you heal and flow these same feelings, your interactions will be fulfilling and peacefully resolved.

So the answer to the original question – Can Spirituality and Business be in Harmony? – is absolutely YES! That is, if you choose to work WITH the Universal Laws that govern us, rather than work against your inner Spiritual Guidance.

The more each one of us is connected to our Spiritual nature of Peace, and Abundance – even in our business or workplace – the more Joy and Freedom we will create and experience on this Earth.

If you are ready and willing to do the deep Transformational work necessary to truly flow with Spiritual Laws and heal your life in all areas, including business, then I invite you to seriously consider attending our 3-Day Spiritual intensive at www.MasteringYourLife.com.

You and Business, You and Spirituality, Business and Spirituality can truly be One. It’s possible to experience the difference every day!

To Love and Harmony in Business – through You,
Esperanza Universal

photo credit: juicyrai

When I thought of beauty growing up, I thought of Barbie, MTV, Disney channel, and movie stars. So let’s just say I didn’t exactly have a sense of self-worth or self-love for that matter. I just knew that to fit in you had to be like what you saw on TV. To have friends you had to know what was “cool” and what wasn’t.

I went all through middle school and high school thinking this way. I went on believing that beauty was somewhere outside of me, that beauty was something I could apply, something I could buy, something that could be fixed with plastic surgeons, loads of money, approval from parents, family members, teachers, coaches and friends.

These high expectations and beliefs of myself began to change as I started doing some personal growth work. Personal growth for me got real personal after attending a Mastering Your Life Intensive. During that intensive, through the love and support from fellow attendees and Esperanza Universal, I began to have a better understanding of the inner beauty Kahlil was really talking about.

I finally understood why beauty wasn’t something I could buy or learn.

It’s because beauty wasn’t a something, it was a someone – that someone being me. I learned that I am beautiful without needing to follow, conform or bend to anyone else’s desires. I am the beauty that I’ve been searching for; I’ve been looking for it outside of me all this time. It’s as if I had been waiting this whole time for the approval from everyone I knew to tell me what I now know. Realizing this sense of inner beauty helped me to see that I don’t need outside approval to be who I am or to follow my dreams.

I’m in college now, and knowing that I have this sense of inner beauty has helped me to have continual confidence in myself. I have a sense of self- love and acceptance I have never had before. This sense of confidence has helped my transition to college easier than I thought it would be.

I’m glad that I learned what I did from the Mastering Your Life Intensive. I could have never discovered this inner beauty without the help of Esperanza and everyone at the Mastering Your Life Intensive. To harness the shining light beyond your own mirror, I highly recommend the life-changing Mastering Your Life Intensive.

Read more at www.masteringyourlife.com .

Hillary
Freshman in College
photo credit: brenna.levitin

People often ask me how to communicate better with their spouse, children and friends. I suggest they start by listening. Just hear what the other person is saying, without trying to change them in any way, just letting the person be and experience all the feelings the situation is bringing up for them. They don’t need your advice, nor even your comfort, as much as they need your support.

By support, I don’t mean agreeing with everything they say. I mean listening with an open heart and mind, acknowledging that it’s how they feel, at this moment. There’s no right or wrong, no judgment or blame; not for your friend, or for anyone else in the situation. In this way, you will allow your friend the freedom to be whoever they are in relation to the situation. It doesn’t mean you have to join them in their situation, or help solve the problem, just that you hear them.

Sometimes this isn’t so easy. Take Alice’s experience, for example. She called me after a raging fight with her husband. It seems their daughter was having problems at school with other kids making fun of her. My client had responded by hugging her daughter, rubbing her back and telling her to not to worry, it would be OK. Her husband, on the other hand, had said they were bullies, and she should be tough and not let them get to her. He even suggested that he go talk to the parents of the other kids. After this discussion had gone on for a while, the daughter had expressed that no one understood her or cared, and had left the room, angry at both parents. The parents then argued about who was right. Sound familiar?

Alice wanted to know what went wrong? How did they end up all angry at each other? Alice and her husband meant well, but do you see how they both took the situation away from their daughter? Alice’s comfort stifled her daughter and told her it wasn’t OK to be angry. The father’s jumping into something he could do, took away from the daughter too. She didn’t have a chance to work through the situation to her own solution.

In order to be able to support another person lovingly and effectively, you have to know and accept yourself. Only when you experience your own self-love and self-worth can you give to others without taking away from them, the way Alice and her husband did with their daughter.

Do you want to discover your own self-worth and change how you relate to others? My 3-Day “Mastering Your Life™” Intensive is a Spiritual Retreat designed to help you do just that!

You can read more about it at www.MasteringYourLife.com.

  photo credit: ernest404

There are Possibilities for Change – both conscious and unconscious.

There are Opportunities for Growth – both inner and outer, which you then see in the world around you.

Then there are the Choices or Actions you can take that will either support you in your desired Results . . . or not.

In any case, there will be change in some way or form, for that is life in this physical dimension.

There is one thing, however, that NEVER changes and that is Who You Are – who you REALLY are!

That is why I am honored and pleased to invite you to join me for the first ever, “Who I Am” Global TeleSummit, where I will be speaking on Spiritual Laws and How to Make them work for you, by Removing Blocks on a Soul Level.

Click Here to learn more about it and register for Free.

As we begin the significant year of 2012, I am joining Traci Carman and a beautiful group of expert teachers and visionaries including:

• Gay and Katie Hendricks
• Jerry Conti
• Marie Diamond
• Lynn Rose
• Andrew Oser
• DC Cordova
• and many more…

I will be speaking on Monday, January 23 at 10 am PT on “How to Remove Obstacles on a Soul Level – and Create the Life You Really Want:  A Spiritual Approach.”

In my most recent blog on “A Season of Consciousness,” I shared insights into the Truth of  Who You Are.

As a Divine Being at our deepest core, we are Love, Peace, and Joy, our Divine Essence.

Nothing more, nothing less.

The question I hear from so many, though, is how to actually practice this Knowing in our daily lives.

What does it really mean to BE Love?

What does it actually look like when you ARE Peace?

How does Joy differ from just being happy?

How do I create Abundance, when little has worked in the past?

During my portion of the “Who I Am” TelesSummit, I’ll address these questions by sharing some simple, yet surprisingly powerful, steps to help you see what’s really in your way from living this Wisdom from your Heart.

What old beliefs do you still hold on to that don’t support you NOW?

What unconscious blocks do you put in your own way – and then wonder why you feel stuck and exhausted so much of the time?

I’ll share with you Simple Steps for getting unstuck and unblocked, steps you can start using right now to give yourself True Freedom!

I’ll also be offering Free gifts on the call along with a special offer.

Please join me, as well as any of the other impactful speakers you feel drawn to on the list. You can find all the details on the website and Register Here for Free.

Will this be your year to Re-Connect with who you REALLY are, and Create the Life you Truly Desire?

Love and Freedom,
Esperanza Universal

P.S. If you know of anyone else in your life who is searching for answers, wondering “Who I Am” and would benefit from this special free event as well, please feel free to PASS THIS ON and share with your friends!

photo credit: FullyFunctnlPhil

You then decided to come to earth to learn and grow into wholeness while experiencing separation and limitation. Many got lost in the separation, did you?

Are you busy judging, blaming, and shaming yourself because of other people’s beliefs that you adopted as your own? You now carry them as your identity, rather than lifting the veil of forgetfulness, and remembering that you are One with Source; that your True Essence is Love Unconditional; that you are Whole and Complete as you are.

You have entered this incarnation as a ‘Divine Being,’ and you will exit in this same vibration. How you live your daily life is just one Choice away. It can be Peaceful and Loving, as was intended when you came. You can return to that Wisdom at any time. Just ‘lift the veil’ and Remember.

It takes this choice to live in “Christ Consciousness’ or Unconditional Love, every day of your life. Not just while in season, but always. This was your first intent. Will you return to this place now?

During this season of “Christ Consciousness” choose to remember that you are a Divine Being, a Child of God. Your True Essence is Love Unconditional and Freedom Individual, Remembering that you are One with Source with each breath you take.

Love and Freedom,

Esperanza, et al.

P.S. If you are ready to own the True Essence of the Divine You, join us at “Mastering Your Life,” March 23, 24, and 25, 2012 and transform your life like you could never imagine. Just go to www.MasteringYourLife.com to Register.

They drive literally thousands of miles per year taking their kids to activities, then are too tired to drive themselves to the doctor for a check-up. They work themselves ragged contributing to their company’s success, then have little or nothing to contribute to their relationship with their spouse or close friends. They care-take for their ill or aging parents, and won’t take time for a soothing bath or a rejuvenating massage. If you or someone you know is one of these people, I’m glad you’re reading this message. I hope you will hear what I’m saying.

You are the most important person in your life. How you treat yourself reflects how you value yourself. And how you value yourself gets reflected back to you in everything you do. If you’re feeling unseen and unheard, if you’re experiencing betrayal or abandonment, if it looks like you don’t really count in your world, that’s a reflection of what’s going on inside you.

I’m talking about the Law of Reflection, a powerful spiritual law that governs relationships. Just as there are physical laws governing our world, there are Universal Laws at work as well. They’re impacting your life every moment, whether you know it, understand it, or like it. A better life happens when we live in harmony with this and other Spiritual laws. Ancient cultures knew how to do this, and it’s time for us to rediscover and apply the wisdom so our lives can be peaceful and joyful.

I’m here to help! As co-creator and CEO of the S.O.U.L. Institute in San Diego, CA, I’ve developed a unique and simple Spiritual Guidance system to help people from all walks of life truly experience their self-worth. They learn to explore deep within to:

• Uncover emotional baggage that is sub-consciously obscuring their inner light
• Release fears that are under the surface, quietly but powerfully holding them back
• Make peace with people they thought were enemies, and embrace them as great healing angels in their lives
• Align their hearts, minds, bodies and Spirits so they can express fully their unique gifts and value to the world!

The people who’ve attended my 3-day Mastering Your Life Intensive had to ask the same question in the title of this message. After learning more about it at www.MasteringYourLife.com, they decided they were worth it…

How about you?

Love and Peace,

Esperanza Universal

photo credit: s_falkow

Mari Smith, a “Soul Sister” from our very own S.O.U.L. family, has written a new book that reminds us that “Relationship Marketing” is the most powerful way to manifest a fulfilling and successful business. In this book, Mari helps you master social media with Heart, Soul and Integrity, in every aspect of your business and your life.

You’re probably aware that social media marketing is rapidly becoming an integral part of how businesses—large and small—can tap into a much bigger, global market. There are effective ways to promote your business on platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. And, there are many ways that just don’t work.

Here at S.O.U.L., we had long resisted embracing these social technologies – there seemed to be so much noise and, quite frankly, a lot of ego. We didn’t see how we could expand our online community and get the word out about our programs and offers in a way that was completely in alignment with our values, and Spiritual wisdom.

That is, until one day in May 2009 when social media maven Mari Smith was a participant at the Mastering Your Life program and she quite innocently demonstrated the power of these social networks in the middle of the class.

We always strongly encourage participants to take a “heart” break from technology and any business matters during our programs; however, on this particular day something magical happened.

Mari simply posted on her Facebook wall one of the primary messages of the S.O.U.L. teachings:

“The most important relationship in the world is the one we have with ourselves; everyone and everything is a direct reflection of the quality of that relationship.” ~Esperanza Universal, CEO and Co-Creator, S.O.U.L. Institute Inc.

What happened next, as Mari shared with us, is that a rush of her online community instantly commented back that this is exactly what they needed to hear right at that moment. They loved the quote; they found it uplifting and transformative. They went on to share with their friends. The response was overwhelmingly positive.

Of course, Mari brought this to our attention during the program. From there, we realized there was a powerful opening for S.O.U.L. to begin building a presence on Facebook, Twitter and other social sites. Mari has continued to guide us and we are blessed with a team of enlightened social media helpers that Mari is guiding using our S.O.U.L. principles.

We particularly resonate with Mari’s approach to social media marketing – it’s about relationships first, business second. By focusing on connecting with others, adding value, and building relationships with all members of the online community—regardless of their “influence score”—more and more people are drawn to want to get to know you and what you do.

We’re delighted to share with you that Mari has a brand new book out that is a must-read, called The New Relationship Marketing. Mari is one of the foremost leaders in the social media arena – with particular expertise in Facebook marketing.

We recommend you take just five minutes and watch Mari’s special video about her personal journey to becoming one of the top leaders in the social media industry. Mari’s story is very inspiring and very revealing – it’s wonderful to see vulnerability and spirituality in the business world:

Mari wrote her latest book specifically for those business owners and entrepreneurs who have only just dabbled with social media marketing, or who have reached a plateau with their online marketing efforts, and wish to propel their business to the next level and beyond.

Relationship marketing is all the actions you take online and offline to nurture the connections you have with your prospects, customers, alliances and partners… even with your so called competitors. You’re probably familiar with the acronyms “B2B” and “B2C” (business to business, and business to consumer). Mari talks about how it all comes down to P2P: People to People.

Many businesses have not fully embraced the power of today’s social technologies due to a number of reasons, including fear of exposure, fear of negative comments and fear of wasting time and resources. In her new book, Mari skillfully walks you through her proven nine-step program for building a large, loyal and profitable network using the social web. We definitely recommend you pick up a copy for yourself! Find out how here: www.MariSmith.com/relationship-marketing-book-trailer.

Plus, Mari is including a special free webinar series to dive deep into the principles she teaches in her book. When you get a copy of The New Relationship Marketing, you then simply sign up here to reserve your place: www.MariSmith.com/books-by-mari/relationship-marketing-free-webinars/ .

Mari has a reputation for over delivering and for distilling complex topics into easily understandable and implementable nuggets, so this webinar series should be a gold mine!

We hope this book and webinar series are of value to you. We rarely make specific recommendations, as it’s critical that we always maintain highest levels of integrity here at S.O.U.L. Due to the profound impact Mari Smith has had on our social media marketing, we made an exception, and are honored to provide this endorsement.

Now, go find out more! www.MariSmith.com/relationship-marketing-book-trailer

Love, Responsibility and Freedom,

Esperanza Universal

P.S. In true Mari-style, you get to register for the free webinar series on the “honor system!” That is, you do not need to scan/fax/email/mail any proof of purchase before you get access to the online classes. Once you order your book, just register here www.MariSmith.com/books-by-mari/relationship-marketing-free-webinars and that’s it!

P.P.S. Do join us on our Facebook page and let us know what you thought of Mari’s video and book. Remember to “like” the page too, so you can stay connected to Esperanza and her Universal Teachings: http://facebook.com/soulinstitute.

Chopper, our family dog, will be 5 in December and it was only under 2 years ago that I allowed myself to completely fall in love with him and see the beauty, joy, and love that he is in my life to teach me.

Prior to that, I loved Chopper from a distance and kinda conditionally; like I loved him as long as he didn’t get hair all over me, or as long as he didn’t leave a big saliva goober on my clothes, or as long as – as long as it was convenient! I never really used to spend time connecting with him from my heart. Now I see that I was just way too scared to really let him into my heart – I was scared of loss, I just didn’t know it.

After my journey into spiritual growth began, I started practicing the teachings of Esperanza Universal of the S.OU.L. Institute, Inc. With Esperanza’s loving Spiritual Guidance, I started to see that my conditional love and distance from Chopper was a direct reflection of my conditional love and distance from myself….which becomes a reflection of every relationship in my life. For me, the journey into my heart and loving myself has profoundly changed all the relationships I have in my life, including the one with my dog and the most important one of all – the one I have with myself.

S.O.U.L. Institute’s universal teachings have given me the spiritual awareness to see that when I have a deeply connected, loving, healthy relationship with myself, the world is just a mirror of my inside, so ALL of the relationships (spouse, kids, extended family, pets, business) in my life will reflect this inner love.

For example, I am more patient with my husband and communicate more openly than I ever have before, and he reflects this back to me. With my daughters, I find that I’m more present and understanding, and am able to listen so much easier than in the past. They also are changing their behavior. Even in my business dealings, I have clients noticing a deeper peace and calm in our interactions, actually asking what happened to me! ☺

Esperanza teaches about the Law of Reflection. I see this Universal Law showing up in my life like this: If we have distance or tumultuous relationships with ANYONE it is a mirror of how we feel about ourselves. It’s a reflection of how much – or how little – we actually love and value ourselves.

The good news is, it is our Self so we can change the mirror – and to me, that’s TRUE Freedom! If you’d like to learn more about Esperanza and the phenomenal teachings of the S.O.U.L. Institute and how they can positively impact your life as well, then I encourage you to read more at www.MasteringYourLife.com.

Chopper shows me Unconditional Love and I love the reflection. What are your reflections – and is it what you still want? If not, there’s a better way… I’d love to read your comments.

To your personal freedom!

Angela Albright
Consultant, Internet Marketing

How we “deal” with what shows up is our opportunity to choose our ego or our Soul.

I was talking with a friend today, and she was sharing a personal experience that brought this point home to her in a beautiful way:

She’s a motivational speaker and was involved with a big event. She was to open the event, essentially setting the stage for what was to come after her. She did all her mental, physical and spiritual preparations and was so excited to be a part of what was going to unfold during the event. “I went with joy and anticipation in my heart. I was so excited to share my gifts as part of the transformation and spiritual growth that would surely take place!” she told me.

But then something happened when she got there. She noticed herself judging things. The microphone she needed wasn’t working so she had to use a different one. She didn’t like the introduction the emcee gave her. She even started comparing herself to the other speakers, and wondering why she wasn’t more in the spotlight. Now being a very conscious being, she was able to witness this while it was happening. She would catch herself sinking into ego’s judgment and less-than feelings, and on the spot shifted to love and gratitude… This ‘dance’ of spiritual awareness went on throughout the event.

“I exhausted myself Esperanza!” she stated. She kept studying the situation in the midst of it, wanting to get the gift, the inner message that would help her see where she was in her Soul’s evolution, and enable her to heal what was coming up. She said, “It came to me that there were two things going on. First, I could see how all my judgment of others was really the feelings of inadequacy and less-than I have for myself. Second, I could see that underneath wanting to give, was neediness – a deep desire to get something in return.”

Wow, what a spiritual gold mine this event was for my friend! Inner feelings of being unworthy or inadequate are often created early in life by a single event or series of events that impacts you in a huge way. They can be buried deep. Sometimes, these feelings are running you and you’re not even aware they’re there. They show up in judgment of others, how you interact with others or keep yourself separate, how and with whom you share your gifts, and most importantly, how you treat yourself.

My friend’s neediness is an outward expression of her feelings of her not being lovable. She’s putting herself “out there” in order to get validation, recognition, and love. But that can’t happen at its highest level until she first gives those things to herself.

What a blessing for my friend that she is awake and self-aware! She was able to see her ego in action in a concrete way, and choose, over and over in the course of a few hours, to respond with Love.

That’s the beginning of spiritual awareness – the evolution of the Soul. When you uncover the sub-conscious false beliefs and wounds, you heal and begin to allow more Love and Peace in your life.

That’s what Free Will is about – choosing to be the Truth of who you are. And that’s what Spiritual Guidance from the S.O.U.L. Institute is about, too – helping people from all walks of life make this amazing journey. You can learn more about this at www.MasteringYourLife.com.

How will you choose for you? Ego or Soul?

To Your Freedom,

Esperanza Universal

photo credit: zensoup

It’s imperative to get clear on your relationship with yourself and what’s underneath the surface of you, if you want to manifest wonderful experiences and people in your life.

How do you do this?

Start by noticing yourself in routine situations. How other people are is about them; how you respond to them is about you. Are you feeling anger, hurt or sadness when interacting with others? What’s triggering it? Do you feel resentful when you see successful people? Or do you feel sad that you’ll never be as awesome as you believe they are? Do you expend lots of energy trying to be seen, heard and understood? Do wonderful people come into your life but exit abruptly, leaving you feeling abandoned or like you’re not enough? Do you spend all your time chauffeuring the kids here and there and helping your spouse, and at the end of the day feel exhausted, without doing a single thing for yourself? What old beliefs do you hold as absolutely true about yourself, even though they no longer support you?

Get really clear on your patterns of responses, especially what you call your “knee-jerk reactions.”

For true spiritual awareness, look below the surface of your values and beliefs, especially about the things you hold most dear, like relationships, money or business. These are golden opportunities to learn how you feel about yourself.

What lies within you is key to your whole life being what you want! When you improve your relationship with yourself, it has to be mirrored to you in your outer world. It’s Universal Law. The more you love yourself the more loving experiences show up in your outer world. The more you see your own self-worth, the more situations show up that mirror that – like money flowing in. The more you trust yourself, the more situations that you can trust show up in your life. Your life really is about you. So instead of investing all your energy in things outside you like work, parents, children, partners, and hobbies, spend some time connecting to you! In fact, my 3-Day “Mastering Your Life™” Intensive is a Spiritual Retreat designed to help you do just that! You can read more about it at www.MasteringYourLife.com.

Choose that you want deep, instant and lasting change. Commit to the inner work that will get you there. Then decide that you’re worth it. Believe me, there is no better investment in the world than an investment in YOU!

To Peace and Freedom that flows from Within,
Esperanza Universal

photo credit: surrealuv