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Articles from Joyce Shafer, Book Doctor | Selfgrowth.com
- Are You Stuck in Survival Mode? - by Submitted on Jun 13, 2011 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorAnother word for survival mode is stress. When stressed, we tend to become something we don’t really want to be: self-absorbed. There is a way out. An associate brought me up to date on her project. I offered a particular level of assistance. Here’s what she wrote back: “You’re so sweet to ...
Views: 16518 - What Causes Negative Thinking? - by Submitted on Jul 15, 2012 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorDo you ever wonder if or wish there was an On-Off switch when it comes to negative thinking? Maybe if you know what causes it, you can find the switch and flip it. What we usually notice about negative thinking first is the Effect, not the Cause, of it. In fact, we may not even be aware that ...
Views: 8177(2 votes) - Neville Goddard’s Law of Revision - by Submitted on Dec 20, 2008 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorSome people believe Law of Attraction or positive thinking is a waste of time. Use this simple technique of Neville Goddard’s, and watch what happens. Let’s face it, there’s a myriad of techniques people can wrap their mind around in order to make a goal or dream happen. Neville Goddard offered ...
Views: 7090 - What Does Feeling Overwhelmed Really Mean? - by Submitted on Jul 29, 2011 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorThere are two types of overwhelm: the type that’s triggered by external events and the type you self-impose. Both can be managed with the same technique. “I’m overwhelmed,” was my client’s first comment. You’ve been in that state of mind, and so have I. And, that’s what’s important to ...
Views: 5976(1 vote) - What Are the Differences Between Soul Needs and Ego Needs? - by Submitted on Dec 23, 2010 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorWe are souls in physical form, and we have an ego that is meant to serve us in specific ways. Frustration happens when we get their needs confused (or ignore them) rather than have them work together. Let’s look at some ways to differentiate between ego needs and soul needs. Ego serves us ...
Views: 5312(1 vote) - Ego Connection vs. Energetic Connection - by Submitted on Dec 12, 2008 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorHow can you know if your connection to someone, something, or an event is an ego or energetic connection? Ask yourself, without censor, what it is you feel. If your predominant feeling is fearful, anxious, stressed, or anything along this line, you are engaged in an ego connection. An ego ...
Views: 4878 - Do You Feed Negativity? - by Submitted on Nov 06, 2009 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorWhen negativity knocks at your door, do you recognize it and send it away? Or do you invite it in for dinner, or worse, to stay with you as long as it likes—possibly for your lifetime? First, be clear that being the manager of negativity in your life isn’t about the fact you have negative ...
Views: 4451(25 votes) - What's Your Opinion about Opinions? - by Submitted on Apr 28, 2008 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorBill Bullard said, “Opinion is really the lowest form of human knowledge. It requires no accountability, no understanding. The highest form of knowledge…is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another’s world.” Our society seems to admire highly ...
Views: 4450 - What Is a Short Temper Fuse Really About? - by Submitted on Jul 16, 2011 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorWe all experience having a short fuse at times, though some seem to have this more often. What’s really going on; and can two simple methods make a difference? Thoughts that motivated my recent article, “Do You Experience Mixed Feelings About Being Patient and Tolerant?” didn’t stop when I ...
Views: 4385(1 vote) - Are You a Go Getter or a Frequency Holder? - by Submitted on Aug 24, 2012 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorToday’s cultural “norm” favors go-getters, a mold “everyone” is supposed to fit into or desire to. What if you’ve never felt you fit into the go-getter mold? Where do you fit? Maybe here. You’re aware of traditional and mainstream achievement go-getters; we’ll call them Group 1. And there are ...
Views: 4232 - What Does Your Happiness Depend On? - by Submitted on Apr 23, 2011 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorIf someone told you that you could be unconditionally happy, you would do whatever this took. Or, would you? In Anthony De Mello’s book, Awareness: The Perils and Opportunities of Reality, he wrote that it is challenging to be unconditionally happy because we fight it. Why do we fight it? We ...
Views: 4162(2 votes) - Proper Use of Abbreviations in Fiction and Nonfiction - by Submitted on Sep 20, 2014 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorTo abbreviate or not to abbreviate—that is the question. In this day and age of texting, people are becoming adept at using abbreviations. However, this is not appropriate, for the most part, when writing fiction or nonfiction, unless your characters have dialogues that involve texting. You have ...
Views: 3959 - The Importance of Suspense in a Novel - by Submitted on Sep 20, 2014 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorWhat makes suspense work in a novel? There’s quite a lot to know about this, but here are some highlights. Every story benefits from some level of suspense. Plot relies on it. For suspense to work well, readers have to care about or be curious about what will happen to one or more characters. ...
Views: 3951 - Using Your Imagination and Law of Attraction - by Submitted on Mar 30, 2012 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorDoes it feel easy or comfortable to imagine what you desire, and to see it as yours? If not, maybe there’s a very good reason this feels not as right as it might – one you’ll readily recognize. Every time you think a thought, you use your imagination. And, whether you’re aware of it or not, ...
Views: 3684(2 votes) - Be True To Yourself - by Submitted on Oct 23, 2007 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorAll of us have moments when we find ourselves at a crossroads and we’re not positively certain which path to take.. We may turn to family or friends for their thoughts and ideas. This is good if what you’re doing is looking for something akin to brainstorming for things to consider. Some who are ...
Views: 3595(1 vote) - The Power of a Firm Decision - by Submitted on Oct 10, 2011 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorWhatever you believe is involved in improvement or success, the power of a decision is key. It will help if you understand what this really means. A firm decision is one without discord, or one that transmutes any discord that makes an appearance. A firm decision is made and a knowing ...
Views: 3226(1 vote) - What Am I Meant to Do in This Life? - by Submitted on Oct 17, 2014 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorLife Purpose: It’s a topic on the minds of many. It’s a question (and an industry) that’s like the siren’s song, luring us into its depths. What is this yearning really about? I don’t think the question of life purpose is as deep as we make it out to be. I think what drives the question, ...
Views: 2952(1 vote) - What Is the Language of Manifestation? - by Submitted on Nov 12, 2010 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorOh, for a magic word or phrase that would make this manifestation thing easier! Is there a proper language you can use? Absolutely. We would appreciate if manifestation of what we truly desire was as easy as uttering (or shouting) Abracadabra! Interestingly, that word is derived from Avra ...
Views: 2709(6 votes) - The Importance of Setting in a Fiction or Nonfiction Book - by Submitted on Sep 20, 2014 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorSetting is where the story and each scene take place, which you know. But do you grasp that setting can set the tone and mood readers experience, and can reveal and or trigger characters’ moods? You want to give enough (not too much) description for each scene to set the appearance, atmosphere, ...
Views: 2708 - Do You Rub Your Thoughts the Wrong Way? - by Submitted on May 28, 2010 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorThere is a phrase, “That person rubs me the wrong way,” that basically means the person (though it also could be a situation) doesn’t make you feel good. You, at times, do this with your thoughts (most of us do); so what works to shift this? Esther Hicks of Abraham fame has a video on ...
Views: 2603(3 votes) - Three of the Biggest Blocks to Manifestation Fulfillment - by Submitted on Feb 15, 2012 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorThere are three main (typical) ways you block manifestation. Learn what they are so you learn what to do about them. BLOCK 1: The first block to manifestation is not asking for what you want at the start, or if you do ask, not asking in the correct way. Many spiritual disciplines provide ...
Views: 2501(2 votes) - How Does Confusing Yearning with Desiring Affect Law of Attraction Results? - by Submitted on Mar 23, 2012 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorIt’s easy to confuse yearning with desiring because this practice is one many are used to. You can easily know which you’re doing by your results and how you feel while you wait for what you desire to arrive. You practice yearning when you focus on the absence or lack of what you desire. ...
Views: 2491(2 votes) - As Soon as You Trust Yourself, You Will Know How to Live - by Submitted on Aug 27, 2008 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorRight answers help us move forward in our outer lives. Right questions move us forward at the inner level. Everything we experience in our lives originates as an inner thought. Here are some right questions and interesting answers about what blocks what we desire flowing easily to us. Do I ...
Views: 2454 - Do You Feel You Lack Direction in Life, Business, or Retirement? - by Submitted on Sep 23, 2011 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorWhen you feel you lack direction in life, business, or retirement, it’s frustrating. It doesn’t have to be this way, if you have two things clear in your mind. You feel you lack direction if you don’t have a destination point envisioned in your mind. A destination point, in this context, is a ...
Views: 2426(1 vote) - Is It Time to Clean Your Mental Filters? - by Submitted on Sep 03, 2010 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorNext time you feel stressed ask yourself if it’s actually an event or situation, or your thoughts about it causing your stress. More often than not, it’s time to check your mental filters. Every thought you have about everything that happens in your life is processed through your filters: ...
Views: 2382(6 votes) - How Well Do You Cope with Change? - by Submitted on Jul 19, 2010 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorThere are two types of change to be aware of—the type you desire and the type you don’t. Do you feel you manage yourself well enough through these? Do You Want Your Life to Be Different? If you desire change in some area of your life, the first thing that must change is whatever in you ...
Views: 2275(1 vote) - How Can I Identify My Life Purpose, True Goals, or Bucket List? - by Submitted on Jul 30, 2010 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorIs there really one question or method that can help you answer each or all three of these questions? Let’s find out. First, a few thoughts about each . . . Life Purpose This one gets a lot of play. I think it’s because many of us feel if we, without question, know what our purpose is, ...
Views: 2271(2 votes) - Is There A Special Trick for Law of Attraction? - by Submitted on Oct 08, 2011 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorSurely there is one technique that, if you knew it, would make Law of Attraction work every time. Do you believe that? An ad for a Law of Attraction system arrived in my inbox and got my attention with its promise: a way to make LOA work every time. That promise gave me pause and prompted me ...
Views: 2263(3 votes) - The Wisdom of Sound and Number: Phonetic Chaldean Numerology—Reclaiming an Ancient Oracle - by Submitted on May 21, 2014 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorThis is by no means your typical, light book about numerology, an ancient system that addresses the questions: Who am I, Why am I here, What is my mission in life. The author, Leeya Brooke Thompson, was assisted in her research by Dr. Loren Fisher, a scholar and former professor of ancient ...
Views: 2220 - Every Fear Hides A Wish - by Submitted on Feb 10, 2008 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorThis title is a line of dialogue from a movie I recently watched. I shared it with a friend who emailed back, “What does THAT mean?” I suppose it could mean we wish the opposite of what we’re afraid of were true instead. If we fear instability in some area of our lives, perhaps we wish ...
Views: 2211(1 vote) - Life Coach, What Is Unique About You? - by Submitted on Aug 26, 2009 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorYou may have learned the same skills as your peers when you trained, but what is unique about you? What do you do or offer (or would like to) that’s different? Mike Litman said, “Your prosperity is hidden in the problem you were born to solve.” It’s not only about what is unique about you, ...
Views: 2110(4 votes) - The Words You Speak Become the House You Live In - by Submitted on Apr 29, 2013 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorThis article title is a timeless truth. Maybe it’s time to put it into practice by deepening our understanding of what they mean for us individually AND globally. When I’d initially decided what I wanted to write about this week, I’d planned to include a paragraph from Lynne Twist’s book, The ...
Views: 2110(2 votes) - Whenever There’s A Storm, Open Both Doors - by Submitted on May 12, 2014 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorThe article title is not advice for inclement weather, but for times when life brings inner storms into our experience. It’s advice to keep in mind for good reason. A character in the PBS program “Call the Midwife” was a former prisoner of war and was talking with a midwife who’d been put ...
Views: 2046 - Boldness is its Own Reward - by Submitted on Jun 01, 2009 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorWhen you read the article title, does it rev you up or make you want to crawl back under the covers? Let’s look at what it means and go from there. The dictionary offers several meanings for the word bold, not all of them nice. One of its definitions is fearless. There’s a difference between ...
Views: 2024 - Are You Holding Grudges or Are They Holding You? - by Submitted on Apr 21, 2012 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorHolding grudges is a heavy burden to bear. If you’re holding them, are you aware of what this is really doing to you? It’s probably correct to say that most of us have held one or more grudges at some point in life. Some are about significant events and some are petty. Sometimes we’re able to ...
Views: 1866 - Why Being and Feeling Authentic Can Be Challenging Especially These Days - by Submitted on Jan 27, 2012 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorMark Twain said, “The worst loneliness is not to be comfortable with yourself.” Whatever you pursue in your outer life will never fill the inner void created by feeling inauthentic; you have to fill it yourself, and first. “Sam” was so distressed and confused that he’d pretty much shut down; ...
Views: 1845(2 votes) - How To Stop Contradicting Your Affirmations - by Submitted on Oct 03, 2008 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorThe reason you use affirmations is to reprogram your brain, beliefs, and habits or attachments to negative beliefs and behaviors so you get the outcomes you desire . . . right? If you practice self-sabotage in this area, here are a few pointers to assist you. Affirmations are often thought of ...
Views: 1817 - What Am I Supposed to Be Doing with My Life? - by Submitted on May 08, 2009 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorThis is a question many of us ask once or maybe a thousand times. It’s also a question that can only be answered by each of us for ourselves. This article isn’t about Barbara Sher’s Scanners, but I want to mention them first before I go on to what I want to say. If you have ever felt concerned ...
Views: 1803 - Does Self Appreciation Affect Your Experiences and Results? - by Submitted on Jun 11, 2010 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorWhatever you believe about how to achieve desired results, your outcomes ARE affected by how much self-appreciation you feel. It's the same for how you engage your experiences. Let's imagine you agree that . . . How your attention (emotionally-charged thoughts) is focused (exercised or ...
Views: 1785(5 votes) - Is It Time You Write to Make a Difference? - by Submitted on Sep 02, 2009 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorAre you a life coach (or not) who toys with the idea of writing articles, e-books, and/or books? Don’t let a block stop you from making a difference; someone is waiting to hear from you. Imagine receiving emails that say something like “I had a breakthrough when I read your article.” (from a ...
Views: 1731(4 votes) - Do You Deal with the Conflict of Higher vs. Lower Vibration? - by Submitted on Apr 09, 2010 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorMore often than not the Higher vs. Lower Vibration conflict is most obvious when we interact with others. Ultimately, it’s an inner conflict; and it’s often a conflict because something isn’t fully integrated. “You ever been to a class or somethin’, or read a book—somethin’ that gave you ...
Views: 1712(2 votes) - Make Home in Your State of Appreciation - by Submitted on Aug 03, 2012 from Joyce Shafer, Book Doctor“Make home” means to immerse yourself where you find yourself. The one consistent home you have is your life; and appreciation makes it a better place to live. Here’s why. Whenever setting goals, targets, intentions, dreams, or manifesting are mentioned, one recommended or required thread is ...
Views: 1712(3 votes) - Do Writers Really Have Blocks? - by Submitted on Sep 09, 2009 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorWhat does your block look like? How does it behave? Here are some tips to help you kick the “buts” about blocks. I don’t believe in writer’s block, just the fact that one or more questions need to be asked; and, relaxed patience is needed while the answer comes to you. When I attempted my ...
Views: 1672(5 votes) - Do We Teach People How to Treat Us? - by Submitted on Dec 18, 2009 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorWe can teach others how to treat us, but others also reflect to us how we treat ourselves (self-value), which is often a more subtle dynamic. Do you see how this creates a loop? Let’s bypass childhood and more extreme scenarios, as both of those are different conversations. Let’s consider ...
Views: 1668(4 votes) - How to Write (and Market) a Quality eBook - by Submitted on Sep 21, 2009 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorAn e-book can satisfy your desire to write, act as a business building tool, and provide true value to others in many ways. There are guidelines should you use to guarantee its quality. Here are several key points you want to use to improve or guarantee value for readers. Consider them before ...
Views: 1633(4 votes) - How Do You Clear Your Inner Space? - by Submitted on Jan 09, 2012 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorWouldn’t it be great to be able to point at and click a Delete button at what clutters your inner space? Our days would be so different if we could. When I turn on my computer each morning, I go through a 3-step ritual. First, I use a program (which interestingly has the word Aware in its ...
Views: 1630(2 votes) - Do You Practice Victim Mentality? - by Submitted on Mar 21, 2014 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorDo you ever practice or feel trapped in the practice of victim mentality? If so, it’s time to understand some of what’s going on so that you can muster the courage to shift this and live a healthier life. Author Rebecca L. Norrington writes in her soon-to-be-published book, ...
Views: 1618 - Do You Know Where Your Manifestation and Energy Leaks Are? - by Submitted on Nov 19, 2011 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorYou put real effort into improving areas of your life; yet, desired improvements don’t happen as quickly as you’d like or not at all. Could it be that there are one or more leaks you aren’t aware of? A family member moved her travel trailer from the desert, where it seldom rains, to a ...
Views: 1582(3 votes) - Is Being Open to Receive Hard Work for You? - by Submitted on Mar 05, 2010 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorThere’s a contrast in the idea that you have to work at allowing yourself to be open to receive what you desire. Without meaning to, you block or delay receiving if you “work” at allowing it. A reader of my article, “The Give and Receive Confusion,” contacted me to say how much she resonated ...
Views: 1568(6 votes) - Where Did THAT Belief Come From?! - by Submitted on Mar 26, 2010 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorYou’re aware many of your beliefs were imposed on you—and you’re working on this (yes?). See if you’ve ever had a subconscious belief similar to one I was surprised to recently discover. A cold wind interrupted our early, warmer spring weather. I woke and felt chilled air from my partially ...
Views: 1564(18 votes)