How much exercise do you need?

When you get scared or indignant about problems, you are just delaying the inevitable task of dealing with them. You Are Not Alone With Your Problems This is where mentors, friends, educators, therapists, support groups, coaches, and self-improvement articles come in. The reason you shy away from new challenges is not that there is something fundamentally, terribly wrong with you as a human being - it is because you have had an information and training deficit in the proper attitude toward problem-solving. Take a moment to reflect on the past 18 days and the commitment you have made to becoming aware of your occupation. How have you learned to set meaningful goals and manage your time to pursue your priorities? Which practices resonated with you? Make a note of those you want to come back to. Before moving forward: Be proud of the investment you've made in yourself. Recognize the insight you have gained because of the work you've done. Celebrate the growth you've experienced because you chose to grow. Remember your capacity for self-empowerment, fulfillment, and transformation. Believe that you will continue to connect to your inner wisdom should you choose to live with mindfulness. As you advance spiritually, it brings value to everyone. Because of the collective consciousness, every single person who improves helps elevate the level of consciousness of humankind. As that elevates, the incidents of war, suffering, ignorance, savaging, and disease diminish. When you advance yourself, you are helping everyone and everything. Appreciate that every step forward benefits everyone. In a holographic universe, the achievements of every individual contribute to the advancement and well-being of the whole.

READERS' GUIDE Study-Group Questions Susan says the Map helps us to have compassion for those (including ourselves) who suffer from negative states. What's an example from your own life? In the next article, we will be looking at the importance of finding a community of people with similar ideas and interests who are capable of helping you to grow emotionally and personally. As you pick new problems to handle, pick some new friends too. They are easy to spot, because they are the ones who make you feel like your dreams might just be possible. They also have useful ideas for how to make the future better and want to help you get where you want to go. Fitting in: Finding Your Lifestyle and Community The purpose of our closest relationships is to build energy. Using this energy barometer is a foolproof method for recognizing people you need to be with. Sooner or later most of us will feel the need to be with people who make us feel alive and full of possibilities. Fitting in and belonging are basic human needs. Go out into the world today and love the people you meet. Let your presence light new light in the hearts of people. Identify your connections Knowing you are part of a larger network is powerful. This knowledge can help you gain confidence and practice gratitude as you recognize your supports, as well as the impact you have on others. Identifying your meaningful connections also helps you challenge the myth that investing in yourself is selfish;

Map out your connections by creating a web of those most important to you. Grab a piece of paper and begin by writing and circling your name in the center of the article. Write each group or network that you're part of in its own circle on the article: family, friends, work, sports team, article club, etc Create a web of connections by drawing a line from your name to each circle. Susan also says the Map gives hope to people in despair. How is that true for you? What else speaks to you from the Preface? What did you learn about Dr Hawkins's life that intrigues or moves you? Fran shares that encountering the Map of Consciousness was a turning point in her life. Can you relate to that? Fran says that the Map gives a linear visual, but the journey itself is not a linear progression. How have you noticed that in your own life? What else speaks to you from the Introduction? On the Map of Consciousness, Love is much more powerful than Fear, illustrated in the vignette that opens Part I. We all have the powerful drive to become a part of something outside ourselves. We feel the urge to find a place and a group of people that make us feel comfortable, telling us we are in the right spot. Under these conditions we can relax and be ourselves. Unfortunately, not all of us feel this way in their relationships, and if you are one of these people, this article is written for you. To live in a group or community where we feel fundamentally different is a special kind of psychological suffering. It means that we must always be playing a role in order simply to communicate.

If a person's deepest needs are chronically unmet by his main group, he or she will naturally begin looking for a new person or community with which to bond or else risk feeling isolated. Those who are beginning to wake up to their true selves will recognize their need for a new group and will seek out people who energize them and help them fulfill their potential. Yet sometimes there can be a very uncomfortable transition period between our old lifestyle and our new interests. If we want to move toward our true purpose it is extremely important to tolerate this discomfort for as long as it takes to find our new niche. For your strongest or most important networks, you might draw a bold line (or two). Next, expand each network's circle into its own web to include the names of specific people you want to recognize. Highlight the names of those you feel most connected to. Add any other important connections to your article and take a moment to give gratitude for your connections. Remember that this exercise is for you to acknowledge the connections that are important to you. There is no pressure to include anyone you don't want to! Take a moment to acknowledge and appreciate the strong connections in your life. How do these connections make your life better? What can you do to invest in these important relationships? Make yourself available Have you ever experienced this? Dr Hawkins says that the Map reverses the world's understanding of cause and effect. He introduces his groundbreaking visual to show how phenomena actually occur: an attractor pattern (ABC) is the source of any observable event (ABC). How would you apply this to your life? When you look at the God-view and life-view columns on the Map, what stands out to you? What can you share about the evolution of your own views?

What are residual negative views you'd like to be free of? Dr Hawkins says, The Map does not denote `better than,' which is a projection of the ego. What does this bring up for you? What else speaks to you from this article? We need to know about this transition stage in advance so that we do not retreat just when we are on the verge of making some marvelous changes in our lives. Most people do not have a ready-made new life just waiting for them to choose it. Instead, we have to begin taking some chances on new situations in order to create opportunities for lives more compatible with our true needs and interests. We begin to make small forays into uncharted territory, trying on bits of new lifestyle here and there. We may start tentatively responding to the attraction we feel toward new groups of people with similar interests. Predictably, it can be an insecure time of transition, as we deal with our own fears and the reactions of those people closest to us. The Alienation Stage When you move out beyond your old role and your old group, at times you may experience the feeling that you have no real friends, there is no back-up, you are all alone, you don't belong, there is nothing but emptiness, you are stuck in the darkness, and so on. These are the sensations of change for the good. These feelings are just a bit of rocky road that is often encountered when you start to reverse old repressions. You make time for what (and who) is important to you. Valuing your relationship with someone--whether a friend, family member, or significant other--means sharing time with them. Opening yourself (and your schedule) to someone is the only way the relationship will grow deeper and stronger. Reach out to someone whose presence enriches your life. Whether they add laughter, meaning, or other inspiration, connect with this fantastic person and set up a time for the two of you to meet up. Open your schedule to make yourself available, and follow through when the time comes to get together (I can't stress this enough!