“To see a World in a Grain of Sand, and a Heaven in a wild Flower, Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand, And Eternity in an hour……….We are led to Believe a Lie, When we see not Thro the Eye, Which was Born in a Night, to perish in a Night, When the Soul Slept in Beams of Light….”  By William Blake stated in “To See the World in a Grain of Sand” from Auguries of Innocence.

As I write this blog, my eyes are filled with tears for tonight I am thinking fondly of Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, and I can clearly hear him reciting this poem on stage with such beauty and gentleness.  I am also crying because tomorrow, May 10, 2020, would have been Dr. Wayne Dyer’s 80th birthday.  But, I smile for I know that Dr. Dyer is still with us, never left us, and never will leave us.  We were blessed by Dr. Dyer’s physical presence on this planet for 75 years, and we have all been blessed beyond belief that we manifested onto earth at a time when our lives intersected with Dr. Dyer’s life.  We are fortunate to have been touched by such a gifted writer, author, speaker, orator, poet, husband, father, and spiritual leader among many other things.  Wait a minute…… I can feel that Dr. Dyer is with me, and he is cautioning me not to label him or I will negate him.  Please Dr. Dyer, forgive me but you have been such a personal blessing in my life that I can not help but to extol your many virtues!

Dr. Dyer gave us so much spiritual material that it would take one several lifetimes to digest all of his teachings and that is because I believe that Dr. Dyer was truly a spiritual master of his own kind.  Dr. Dyer once said that:

“Mystical teachers and poets are always reminding us of the connectedness of everything and everyone.  We must look beneath the surface and beyond appearances to grasp the unity they speak of.”

Well Dr. Dyer, himself, was and is, a mystical teacher and a poet so it is very fitting that he once said this quote.  My life is forever changed and is forever enriched by Dr. Dyer’s personal intercession in my life and by the miracles that I experienced through Dr. Dyer.  And in fact, the miracles still occur each and every day of my life.  Dr. Dyer was world renowned and so well thought of by other spiritual masters, but he never believed in reputations and in fact, Dr. Dyer often told his audiences to become independent of the audience that one keeps and that one should be independent of the good opinion of others.  Dr. Dyer surely realized the temporal nature of such things as fame and fortune.  And it should not be of any surprise to anyone that Dr. Dyer literally put up the following post within a few days before he left the physical world behind:

“The last suit you wear, you don’t need any pockets.”

Dr. Dyer was keenly aware that we are spirits here on an earth merely having a human experience that is purely temporal in nature.  Dr. Dyer was always aware that we should not make judgments about other people, and we should not criticize other people as he once said:

“Judgments prevent us from seeing the good that lies beyond appearances.”

And so, in honor of Dr. Dyer’s birthday, or earthly birthday, I propose that we take Dr. Dyer’s suggestion literally and that for the next month, we all focus on removing all thoughts of judgments and removing all thoughts of criticism about other people.  For Dr. Dyer was very wise, and he knew that we should look beyond the appearances of others and that we should instead look deeper into the souls of others and find the unity of our spiritual existence with others.  And Dr. Dyer knew that all of humanity is entirely interconnected and in order to better serve the universe, we should look for opportunity to serve others and find the unity of our fellow brethren.  As I close this blog, in my head, I keep hearing the song, “I Am Light” by India Arie.

When Dr. Dyer was giving his last seminars in Australia, Dr. Dyer told the audiences how much he loved the song, “I Am Light” by India Arie.  He literally changed the entire name of his seminar based upon the lyrics of this song as he was so touched by the words written by India Arie in this song.  Yes, Dr. Dyer manifested on earth for a specific reason, and he truly brought the light, and he still brings the light for Dr. Dyer’s soul is truly nothing other than the purest of light.  It is the true innocence and purity of Dr. Dyer’s soul that I will always ponder for this gentleman showed me God.

God bless you Dr. Wayne Dyer.  I will love you forever!
XOXOXOXOXOXO
Karen McDonnell Hilligoss

Dr. Wayne Dyer once said, “Throughout life, the two most futile emotions are guilt for what has been done, and worry about what might be done.”

When I look back at the stressful times in my life, my mental stress stemmed from thoughts of guilt and worry.  I have always been an overachiever and I was raised in the Catholic faith so I know a few things about guilt.  I have felt guilt for not studying hard enough, not working hard enough, eating too much, exercising too little, forgetting the birthday of an important person in my life, and not organizing and decluttering my home, etc. etc.  You can easily see the picture of my worries.  But, it is important to remember that once the day is done and the decisions are made, the day is over.  We don’t get a redo.  So, Dr. Wayne Dyer is absolutely correct when he notes that guilt is a wasted emotion.

If you did not study enough or you didn’t stick to your diet in one day, take a few seconds to acknowledge that fact but place all of your energies and efforts into thinking ahead about the future and then, plan how to change your habits for the better.  Spend time thinking about how in the future you will send best wishes to a loved one for a birthday and perhaps plan for a gift that you will give him or her.  Your loved one will understand your accidental omission.  After all, we are only human.

As for worry, this is yet another emotion that I allow into my thoughts far too often such as worrying about the security of my employment position, worrying about my family’s health, worrying that my children will pass school or succeed in school, and even worrying about what the traffic conditions will be like due to the evolving weather patterns.  Again, to allow oneself to be engulfed in worry serves no purpose and it can manifest into many physical symptoms such as sleep deprived nights, migraine headaches, and even gastrointestinal issues.  While most of my adult life I would characterize myself as a relentless worrier, I am proud to say that I have changed my thinking patterns.  Now, when a worry crosses my mind, I acknowledge this worry as a natural thought and emotion, and I vow to meditate on solutions.

If my worry is a financial one, I use Dr. Dyer’s guided meditations, and I envision my financial woes being solved and no longer being an issue for me.  The more that I practice meditation and focus my thoughts on the positive, the more that I find my life situations turn out to be positive.  I once was financially strapped but I meditated instead of worrying.  Within one week, to my surprise, I found an uncashed check from a former employer for a substantial amount that I had forgotten to cash, and the check was sitting in my kitchen cabinet drawer.  The more that I meditate and re-focus my mind on dispelling all of my worries, the more positive the outcomes in my life become.

Thus, to all of you, I unequivocally echo in Dr. Dyer’s famous words.  Please do not waste any of your emotions on fear or worry.  Northing good emanates from such thoughts.

Namaste.

Dr. Wayne Dyer once remarked, “When you feel yourself in a fearful mode, stop right there and invite God, your Senior Partner, onto the scene.  Say, ‘I don’t know how to deal with this, but I know we’re all connected, so I’ll move my ego out.'”

After reading this verse from Dr. Wayne Dyer, I knew that finding this verse at this time was absolutely essential for me.  Unfortunately, lately, I have found myself listening to the news more often.  I am listening to the politicians talk about the corona virus and how they want to move society and our country forward and to loosen up “social distancing.”  Immediately, my spirit went into a completely fearful mode.  But, how can we do this?  I thought to myself, “are we ready to make this step forward without adequate countrywide testing for the virus?”  I asked myself whether I was ready to allow my two children out of the house and back to school.  My heart felt extreme anxiety and I asked myself, “is society really ready for such a huge leap without a true vaccination for COVID-19?”

After experiencing these panicked feelings, I now realize that I needn’t sit in such anxiety and fear.  Instead, I should follow what Dr. Wayne Dyer says and I need to stop right there and to invite God, my Senior Partner, into my life.  Thus, I started speaking and praying to God with all of my heart.  Once I moved outside of my mind and my ego, I realized that God is in charge and that as a society and as humanity, we are all very connected in this ordeal.  Indeed, my thoughts about the safety of my children have likely been echoed by parents around the entire globe.  I knew that I was not alone.

Once I allowed my heart to speak to God about my many worries, I literally felt myself placing all of my worries in God’s hands.  I started to allow God’s love and God’s grace to settle in my soul.  I realized that I do not need to have all of the answers about how society can get back to normal in the future.  Instead, I leave it for God to deal with those serious issues.  Rather, I can only trust in God and place all of my cares and concerns at God’s feet.  Through silent meditation, I learned that I need only get through life by taking it “one day at a time.”  I need to stop any incessant worrying about the uncertain future.

Once I released my anxiety and worry, my heart and soul started to feel some much needed peace.  Indeed, I don’t control the future and I don’t control the government.  However, I can control my reaction to everything that is stirring around in this world.  I understood that if I felt that the government opened up the schools too early, I was free to make my own decision to keep my children at home until I would feel ready for them to return to school.  And, also with “social distancing,” I understood that even if the State relaxes the “social distancing” rules, I still have control over my day to day affairs. I can control how often I go out, where I decide to go out, and utilize my own form of “social distancing” and do whatever I need to personally feel comfortable when I choose to venture out into society.

In short, I invited God, my Senior Partner, into my heart and I can truly feel that God is in charge and that God will inspire me in the coming days on how to handle any of the changes.  I know the real truth: God is only one thought and one prayer away and for that knowledge, I am eternally happy.  Thank you, Dr. Wayne Dyer, for reminding me that God is my Senior Partner and will always lead me in the correct direction.

Namaste.

According to Dr. Wayne Dyer, “There are no accidents in an intelligent universe, so all the dark times, accidents, illnesses, and broken dreams were part of your spiritual advancement.  Embrace them, understand them, accept them, honor them, and then transform them in your own way.”  In the midst of the corona virus pandemic, I find this quotation very fitting.  Dr. Wayne Dyer clearly believed that we live in an “intelligent universe” and that there is an intelligent force organizing everything.  Thus, we need to remember that all of the dark times, accidents, and broken dreams are a part of our spiritual advancement.  I find this lesson from Dr. Wayne Dyer particularly helpful while living through this global crisis.

Yes, during this period of illness, times can appear to be dark.  Some family members and close friends are also living in these perilous times, and they are watching their loved ones battle COVID-19.  In my own family, my niece is a registered nurse who was assigned to a COVID-19 medical unit at an urban hospital located in a large city.  She has witnessed first-hand the deteriorating effect of this illness on patients at her hospital.  Yet, my niece, who recently graduated from her university studies, bravely and valiantly treats these ill patients who have the contagious condition, and she works over eighty hours per week.  Indeed, she has learned an important lesson at a young age about the value that each of our spirits bring into the world, and she says that she feels so much compassion for these patients that she falls asleep easily during her limited time off of work.

When I speak with my niece about the current pandemic, I have no doubt that there are no accidents in this universe, and she definitely chose a life plan that would allow her to be a part of something much bigger than herself when she chose to manifest here in her earthly body.  When I look back at her life, I ask what are the odds that she would graduate from her medical program right before this pandemic, what are the odds that she would apply for and receive a job offer at a large urban hospital many states and many miles away from her hometown, and what are the odds that she would be handpicked to work in a COVID-19 ward?  I would say that the chances are slim to none that this was an accident.  Instead, this was her calling in life.

The same may be said for anyone who feels that he or she is suffering from broken dreams.  Even if one plans or dreams for a certain relationship to work, to be admitted to a particular college, or to be hired to work in a certain profession, we must accept “no” if this does not turn out to be our exact plan in life.  We must not allow ourselves to become depressed or sad.  Instead, we need to remember to embrace, accept, and understand these challenges because all of these challenges are a part of our spiritual development.  And as Dr. Dyer always reminded us, “we are spirits here on earth to have a human experience and not human beings here on earth to have a spiritual experience.”

During these times, I will continue to pray and to meditate for all of humanity as we face one of the greatest challenges presented to mankind.  And I will pray and meditate that we may all be unified in this one noble and worthy purpose because we definitely live in an “intelligent universe.”  Namaste.

According to Dr. Wayne Dyer, “Fear is present when we forget that we are part of God’s divine design.  Learning to experience authentic love means abandoning ego’s insistence that you have much to fear and that you are in an unfriendly world.  You make the decision to be free from fear and doubt and return to the brilliant light of love that is always within you.”

I love this quotation from Dr. Wayne Dyer.  During this pandemic, especially when many of us are under “Shelter in Place” orders; unfortunately, many of us are observing the ever present sickness and illness.  Moreover, we are also experiencing loneliness for the company of other people.  However, Dr. Wayne Dyer believed and he knew that all humans are an essential part of God’s divine design.  Yet, during these unusual times, it is easy to forget that we are truly a part of God’s divine and perfect design.  When we focus on the corona virus, we are placing all of our attention on an unfriendly world.  It is unhealthy to place our attention on such negative and self-defeating thoughts.

Thus, one would be wise to ask oneself, “Why do I place so much emphasis on the daily assault of the news and why do I put so much of my attention on the corona virus?”  Dr. Wayne Dyer was absolutely correct when he explained that our individual egos are insisting that we have so much to fear in the world during these times.  Simply put, when we turn on the television and watch the international news tell us about the corona virus, we are allowing ourselves to be held hostage to our very own ego.

Dr. Dyer wisely lectured that we must make the decision to be free from fear and doubt.  And yes, Dr. Dyer lectured that we, and we alone, are entirely responsible for allowing our minds to become full of fear and doubt.  Instead, Dr. Dyer teaches us that the most obvious choice is to return our full attention and all of our thoughts to God and to love because love always resides inside of our hearts.  Thus, once we renounce our ego, we can return to a state of God’s abundant love, peace, and bliss.  The choice is ours-let’s make the correct choice today!

Namaste.

Dr. Wayne Dyer said, “You cannot always control what goes on outside. But you can always control what goes on inside.”

Yes, we are certainly living in a worldwide pandemic of illness over which we have absolutely no control.  However, Dr. Wayne Dyer wisely commented that one can not control what goes on outside in the world.  Yet, Dr. Dyer gave us words of inspiration and joy.  Dr. Dyer reminded us that we can always control what goes on in the inside of ourselves.  When we see a virus outbreak such as this, how do we react?

Do we react with fear?
Do we react with worry?
Do we react with uneasiness?
Do we react with trepidation?

All of these are normal reactions.  However, we can also follow Dr. Dyer’s words of wisdom and we can change our reactions.  Let us use this opportunity to look inside of us.  Do we change our inside reaction to one of:

Reacting with courage?

Reacting with trust?

Reacting with calmness?

If we read the scriptures in the bible, there is a passage that says, “Perfect love casts out all fear.”  One of the absolute truths that Dr. Dyer consistently taught is that fear and love cannot exist in one’s heart at the same time.  So, I am using my time to write and add to my personal journal everyday.  I am adding all of the things that make me feel love.  I find that this exercise is a powerful exercise to cast out all fear.

Please let me know what all of you are doing in these turbulent times to help keep your emotions positive!
Namaste.

I am pleased to announce that we were able to hold our first three public book signings earlier this year:

January 18, 2020- Book Signing held in Naperville, IL

January 25, 2020- Book Signing held in Orland Park, IL

February 8, 2020- Book Signing held in Yorkville, IL

However, all book signings that were scheduled for March and April are currently cancelled.  We pray that the world finds a cure for the corona virus Godspeed.  Namaste!

Dr. Wayne Dyer once said, “Everything you’re against can be restated in a new way that puts you in support for something.  Instead of being against war, be for peace.  Instead of being against poverty, be for prosperity.  Instead of joining a war on drugs, be for purity in our youth.”

During this worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, I have found much solace in this quote by Dr. Wayne Dyer.  I believe that we cannot focus on being “against” things as that attitude actually puts us in a state of resistance.  Instead, it is far more helpful to describe what we are “for” such as:

Being for health

Being for optimism

Being for a cure for the corona virus

Being for mental health and wellness

Being for the alignment of the social consciousness

Being for the well-being and health of all mankind and all animals.

Thus, I have made it my daily meditation practice to say these powerful affirmations each and everyday.  I feel more peaceful and secure when I meditate to these affirmations.  I realize that there is much more power in what we are “for” than what we are “against.”  Dr. Wayne Dyer has left us with a legacy of universal principles to help guide us through these turbulent times.

It is at this precise moment that I feel even more gratitude for Dr. Wayne Dyer’s intercession in my life.  He has certainly changed my life for the better, and I whole-heartedly believe that he can change yours.  During this time of confinement, please read some of Dr. Wayne Dyer’s books for more inspiration!

Welcome. My name is Karen M. Hilligoss, author of How the “Father of Motivation” Taught Me That Life is Worth Living. I’m so happy to have you as a visitor to my blog about my new book. This project is very special to me, and I hope to share some of that excitement with you here.

I’ll be using this blog to interact with you about How the “Father of Motivation” Taught Me That Life is Worth Living, expanding on some of the topics in it and blogging on some of the ideas related to my book. This is a great place for you to get to know me, and I’m looking forward to getting to know you, too. What did you think of How the “Father of Motivation” Taught Me That Life is Worth Living? What questions do you have for me? How do you relate to my book?

I’ll be returning here frequently with new posts and responses to feedback from you. Until next time, tell me a little bit about yourself.