Lesterizing

Reply by Von Haup on February 10, 2010 at 4:51pm

I'm sorry, but I wasn't able to record Larry's teleconference last night that
absolutely changed how I will be Releasing from now on and I'll explain in
detailed.
1. Get into CAP and begin feeling as if you have your goal. This is the place
where most of us mess up. It's only when we're in the CAP state can we
BEGIN our releasing work. (Get high to Release): STEP 1. Be imperturbable
(or make sure it's okay if we have our goal and it's okay if we don't - we can't
be perturbed with anything or any situation) Ask: "Am I really okay with
having this money/or whatever" and because we're in CAP if we think and
wait a moment stuff start to come up - stuff we otherwise would never admit
to or even know because now we're accessing the subconscious mind. You
can only access the subconscious mind while we're in CAP. When that's clear
then we're to ask ourselves: "Am I really okay with NOT having this
money/or whatever" and again, being in that CAP state if we wait a moment
feelings will start coming up. Recognize all these feeling with w/c, w/a or w/s.
We should now firmly have STEP 1 in place and have no Attractions or
Aversions and be imperturbable. We must want this state more than our
goals.
STEP 2. (I forget the language for this) But this is the part where we are to
visualize our goals to the point of us feeling that its a reality - Bringing it into
the now. And that's it - but this seems to be a critical part which he stressed.
Also about getting "imperturbable" expect to spend some time releasing a/a
in CAP because lifetimes of attractions and aversions (a/a) will keep coming
up until we're clear. This is the ONLY way we can ever hope to get any of our
goals, again: Get into CAP by saying "I'm the boss, I'm in charge. Then say
"Get lost ego, get outta here...." Let go of figuring it out. Let Go of
disapproving of yourself. Give yourself some approval...more, more, etc. Now that you're in CAP think about your goal and release all your
Attachments and Aversion by using the above questions. This is a whole new
way of releasing for me and you'll see you get into a very secure place doing
this.
That said, Larry started off the call by letting everyone know that he was one
who thought of this and taught Rich F. who had trouble with it in the
beginning? That's not what I heard Rich say, not that it matters, but these
are the people we're taking these instructions from. Yeah, yeah I'll release. I
just thought it was strange. What I'll also release on is my feeling that if he

had of just explained in this way before I purchased $900 worth of what I
now feel are defective CDs and instructions I would have had my goal and
more long ago! It's like they're making it up as they go - only this time they
found the right key. I really believe this can take us over the top - but this
was not what was taught before Rich F. introduced it to us all. Last thing, in
the February issue of the Release magazine there's an article on Resistance again, the explanation of what Resistance is and how we should use is is
COMPLETELY different from what was taught at the 3 day seminars, in the
book and in his CDs. I'm wondering where all the new light is coming from.
Okay, okay, I'll release. The call was amazing since we all finally knew what
and how to properly release and Larry was a short and nasty as ever - so all's
right in the world. Hope this helps. I'll keep you posted about tonight's call.

by Rocky on February 27, 2010 at 5:13pm

Triple Welcoming
is the following: (This comes from Chuck Goodwin's post)
1) welcoming the emotion and any sounds, pictures or sensations
associated with it
2) welcoming wanting to _do_ anything with any of that, like change it,
make it go away, etc., etc.;
3) welcoming any sense that it's about you, who you are or that it's
personal in any way.
Applied to the goals process, here's one possibility...(It might be called
Holistic Triple Welcoming)...
Focus on achieving the goal...Then,
1) welcome the emotion and any sounds, pictures or sensations
associated with achieving the goal
2) welcome wanting to _do_ anything with achieving the goal, like
change it, make it go away, etc., etc.;
3) welcome any sense that achieving the goal is about you, who you
are or that it's personal in any way.

Focus on not achieving the goal...Then

1) welcome the emotion and any sounds, pictures or sensations
associated with not achieving the goal
2) welcome wanting to _do_ anything with not achieving the goal like
change it, make it go away, etc., etc.;
3) welcome any sense that not achieving the goal is about you, who
you are or that it's personal in any way.
Keep doing the above, switching repeatedly between the perspective of
achieving the goal and not achieving the goal...

http://de.scribd.com/doc/250408114/Hootless-is-the-Only-Goal

Hootless Is the Only Goal

Freedom equals, you are free from everything.
There is only one goal really, the goal of Hootlessness itself.
A common place where people get stuck when attempting to realize a goal is the habit we all
have of placing an inordinate amount of attention on the results. Most significantly, they use
the results as a means of judging their success at releasing.
They think "If I havent received my goal then I must not have released".
When you truly let go you will not be concerned at all as to whether you get the goal or not.
In other words you will not need to go back and check up on the results for confirmation. The
impulse to do the check up thing is a very subtle attachment to the thing you want to manifest.
Lesters famous statement is quoted often "Even the most impossible becomes possible when
you are completely released on it" and here comes the kicker. "You will know you are
completely released when you just dont give a hoot". Notice he didnt say you will know
when you have gotten your goal. He said you will know when you just dont give a hoot. That is, when it
ceases to be important to you whether you get it or not. You have achieved something much greater; emotional
balance and equanimity. You have achieved freedom.
Be forewarned, the habit of relying on the evidence of results for confirmation of
your releasing is a subtle and tenacious trap. It takes an equal amount of tenacity and constant
diligence to remind yourself that any looking to results for confirmation of your freedom is
itself a denial of that very freedom that you already have.
Once you do you will notice that the goals that have remained unrealized not because you
dont know how to release them but because you didnt trust your releasing and needed outside
confirmation.
So now simply release that, and then release it again, and then again and again, as many times as it takes
to break the habit and finally arrive at the realization that freedom lies in you, not in the
results. Give yourself mountains of love and acceptance while you are releasing.

Being Hootless Now, Imagining/feeling Having the goal now

This experience of having the goal now is not so much a thing you imagine but rather a feeling, mood,
mental state- along with all the shifts in physiology that come with it. One way to get there is
to "imagine having it now" and entering into this imagined experienced vividly. There is no
need to be good at imagining things or making mental pictures in the mind.
Another perfectly effective way to achieve this is simply by asking a few specific questions:
First, you simply imagine having it- as best you can- and do this with all five senses...imagine
seeing what you would see... feeling what you would feel... hearing what you would hear...
and then "step into the picture" and see, hear, and feel all these things through your own eyes

(as opposed to seeing a picture of yourself experiencing all that). Look out through your own eyes, and see
what you would see if you had your goal now...
And now imagine that you've had your goal for an entire 24 hours,
and again notice what you would notice if you were IN the picture. See, hear, and feel what
you would after having experienced having the goal for a whole day...
Now that you have the goal - and you've had it for a whole
24 hours now-what is new and different?
Now that you have the goal - and you've had it for a whole
24 hours now-what do you see?
Now that you have the goal - and you've had it for a whole
24 hours now-how do you feel?
Now that you have the goal - and you've had it for a whole
24 hours now -who else is there? What are they saying? What
are you saying back to them?
How do you sit, stand, and walk - now that you've reached your
goal? How do these things look different - even if only slightly?
How has your posture shifted?
How does it feel to be in your body?
What are the emotions?
What changes can you notice in your breathing?
In terms of peace, bliss, and confidence- how have your levels of these changed? Have they
gone up, down, or stayed the same? Dive in or Triple Welcome whatever comes up.

Releasing on positive emotions

It is very useful to release on positive emotions also, not just the negative ones. I suggest you
do the releasing right when you feel the excitement.
So, could you welcome the excitement?
Could you also welcome any wanting to change it, increase it, decrease it, own it, disown
it, or, do anything about it?
What want would it be satisfying? Could you welcome that?
Could you also welcome any sense of this being personal?
And, could you, just for now, let go of all that?
One of the fastest ways to reach any goal is to become hootless about the goal itself. Most
people are driven purely by emotions (chasing after good feelings and avoiding
uncomfortable ones)- so theyre often afraid of becoming hootless. They actually resist it.
The fear is "once I become hootless, this means that I no longer care about the goal!" and
therefore will drop any desire for it and thus stop pursuing it. They equate it to giving up on
the goal. And they do have a point. If the whole reason for chasing after a goal is to get good

feelings in your body, or to avoid bad ones- then yes- already HAVING GOOD FEELINGS
NOW - would indeed beg the question "why bother with all the work of chasing this goal?"
Heres my answer from a practical standpoint. There is a massive amount of healing
and/or personal power to be "gained" whenever you focus and move towards a goal. There is
a sense of yourself as capable, confident, and powerful - which begins to build up inside you as you begin to achieve one goal after another. And this often requires facing fears and
overcoming limiting beliefs about yourself in the process. Old feelings, pain, and doubts will
often surface to be cleared away as you move closer and closer to the goal. This is the "work"
of becoming hootless. At the end, you may indeed change your mind about the goal - now that
you feel more whole and complete within yourself. The goal is often very easy to achieve at
this point, but your worth and happiness no longer dependent upon any external factor at this
point. You are fine if you have it, and fine if you dont.
A few questions to help make the process more potent:
What feelings would achieving this goal help you to feel more fully? What is stopping you from
allowing yourself to feel these feelings right now? How would you feel RIGHT NOW - if you had
already achieved this goal?
What feelings would achieving this goal help you to avoid experiencing? Could you - just for this
moment - allow yourself to feel some of those feelings right now?
And just for now - could you allow yourself to let those feelings go?
In short, examining any goal often reveals two things: one, certain emotions or experiences
of ourselves that we only allow ourselves to have at some future date - once we have attained
the goal:
"Ill be happy when I win the lotto, get the man, lose the weight, etc." (the good feeling is
futurized, and made conditional, I will deserve to feel good only when I meet these conditions)
And two, one can examine the goal for what it helps me avoid. When I date the handsome
man, then I finally allow myself to feel worthy and can stop beating myself up, feeling unworthy, not good
enough, etc. In short, the goal becomes a way of "giving myself permission to end the selfhate." The self-hate is often pushed out of awareness (suppressed) and the stopping of this
punishment is conditional upon reaching the goal.
Here is the newsflash. You can allow yourself to FEEL GOOD NOW. And you can also
"because you decided to" - you can stop the self-hate. They are just old tapes. They are other
peoples conditions that we have bought into. And we can simply "notice the voices" and let
them go. And please be clear. There is no need to do anything with the voices in your head.
No need to change them or make them stop.
All you need to do is notice them..
Notice and choose to unplug.
Just dont believe them anymore. Thats it. Thats all thats necessary to unplug yourself
from the matrix. Stop believing the voices outside your head (TV, radio, internet, friends,
family) and also stop believing the ones INSIDE your head. Don Miguel Ruiz said it very
eloquently. "Just because you thought it, is no reason to believe its true."

The funny thing is that our brains are equally capable of producing pleasure and pain in the body. The whole
reason people take drugs is to activate the brains natural ability to create certain states of
being. The drug is just a way to access what your brain already knows how to do. Its a
cheat. Normally, most people let their internal voices push and pull them around. They feel
good when the voices are being gentle, and they feel lousy when the voices are beating them
up. They allow thought- to direct their neurochemistry. Then they take drugs to numb the
mind, and beef up certain feeling states. Seems a bit like hiring a bandit to destroy your house,
then hiring a maid to clean it up. A lot of extra work if you ask me. You wouldnt need a fix
to clean up your feelings if you simply learned to question your thoughts in the first
place. When we follow what is true, become discerning, and skillful in dropping what is
untrue, then good feelings are the natural result. The mind becomes balanced and productive.
Thoughts about self - about your worth as a person - these too become sorted - more gentle
and balanced.
Goals tend to fall easily into place when you no longer have to drag a thousand pound weight up the side of
a mountain. This is a little of what its like when you believe that you are basically no good
and undeserving, and then try to get that person- the crappy image of yourself - you have to
drag that up the mountain. The real you climbs the mountain with ease. The real you is
already on top of the mountain. The real you IS the mountain. Of course, these are
all just metaphors. The more you release, the more things begin to fall into place for you...
"Happiness is what we all want more than the goals we set."
I would suggest that we are unconsciously using the image of the "goal achieved" as a
placeholder for our happiness. Its as if we have a filing cabinet in the mind and thats where
we are keeping our happiness - stored away for later - if and when we achieve that particular
goal. So, yes we DO want the goal, but we often chase it out of the mistaken belief that
our happiness depends on achieving it - or that it will magically deliver an internal experience
called satisfaction. We are clearly seeking happiness or to add to the self in some way - and
using the goal as the means to get there. The irony is that allowing in the
happiness now - often brings in the goal a lot faster. Getting to hootlessness on that goal
allows us a lot of power, freedom, and "emotional space" so we can think MUCH more
clearly as it relates to the goal. The most common fear I find is that:
If I allow myself to be happy now without having the goal first then:
* I will/might lose my motivation to pursue the goal
* I would just be this smaller (less important/unsuccessful/cool) person who has deluded
himself into being happy "as is" with a less than optimal life.
With happiness/hootlessness in place FIRST the goal usually comes in a thousand times
faster. Yet the risk is real for many people.
**Some people really DO only motivate themselves from a sense of lack (feeling not good
enough) or allow themselves to propelled into action through primarily negative emotions.
The "real goal" in my opinion is to learn (and to practice) being led/drawn/propelled by
what we love.
Its a little like switching your energy system from "demon power" to angel power- or perhaps
changing the kind of fuel your car operates on. It may be a little strange at first, as you begin
to get used to operating in this new way. Sometimes it helps to take baby steps at first and just
do one or two things each day that you really enjoy- just because you can.

Then perhaps allowing yourself to BE HAPPY NOW (gasp!) will not seem so strange. In
essence, its about developing courage. More specifically, its a matter of learning to
"steer your life" intentionally as an act of will - making conscious choices towards what one
really wants - as opposed to "away from what I dont want." It may seem like a small
distinction, but its really about taking back your power. Being happy now, choosing
peace. Right now, instead of allowing myself to be happy in some projected future.
The "happiness now" actually acts as a cleaner fuel that is much more self-motivating towards
ANY goal.
The "beating myself up" as a fuel source to move toward an imagined better future DOES in
fact work in many short-run scenarios. The part that "they dont tell you" is that after a good
session of self-flagellation you usually feel so beat up that you reach for some addictive way
to numb yourself at the end of the day - and then avoid/procrastinate the next "get up and go"
session because every cell in your body knows its inherently unpleasant. So lots of stop and
go, have a beer, wait a week, mentally punish yourself for the beer & the week off, then when
the self-hate gets big enough you finally get yourself moving again. Or the alarms, the
deadlines, the fear of getting fired, fear of upsetting people... all these push you out of bed and
pull you around all day.
Now, forgive me for stating the obvious, but none of this sounds particularly fun. Being
happy now and moving towards what you DO want seems a lot more healthy and
empowering.
You could also choose to see it as moving from slave consciousness to master-of-my-owndestiny...
Regardless of the external level of material success. Dollars in the bank, or shiny toys in the
garage.
Regardless of all that, freedom is here, right now. Choosing it now allows us to
move the pieces around in the material game much more easily. Allowing yourself to feel
good later once you (maybe) achieve some goal- this seems like a setup for keeping
suffering/hate/hopelessness circulating in the mind-body system.
Again to state the obvious, we all become a hell of a lot more attractive to people and
opportunities when we have joy-ease-confidence circulating through our biology and nervous system. And
we can always spot the salesmen who learn to "project" these things, but are still angry or
unhappy on the inside. Theres a mismatch. We can sense it and feel inherently
uncomfortable. When a person is congruent we tend to relax and feel a lot more comfortable
around them. By "congruent" I mean the person is sad when they are sad, and happy when
they are happy - as opposed to someone who is angry and pretending to be calm and
peaceful. The mismatch can be sensed, and the congruency can also be sensed.
Children and animals tend to notice this stuff right away...
So the short answer is to get hootless about your goal - getting it - not getting it - and learn to
radiate the joy of freedom in all the things you do. Start with the small annoyances, and
buildup from there. You can get hootless first on the tiny things. Often a
goal will drop in-not after releasing for weeks on that particular goal - but rather when
you finally face and clean up some OTHER part of your life that you have been avoiding. If
we all made a Top Five list of major sources of grief/suffering/resentment in our lives - if we
made a fresh, new top five list each month - and committed to cleaning up at least the top two
as soon as possible. Getting hootless on them (as well as taking appropriate action) - then all
our other goals would come in a thousand times faster.

One of the best ways to really get a handle on releasing, how it works, the fine points, the ins and outs - is
to first do a little examining of what releasing actually is. This can be tricky at times since
most of the marketing seems (to me) to be geared directly to all the things the ego wants in
life. Better body, better health, more money - as if the whole technique is some kind of magic
button - that you can press any time you like - and make all the good things you crave
suddenly appear - and all the things you label as bad suddenly go POOF! and evaporate into
thin air. Its a magic lamp!
But damn, my lamp must be broken... or maybe the genie inside has gone on a bender...maybe
I got one of those evil genies... the bastard!
In all seriousness ,Im poking a little fun at this idea, because thats exactly what it is: an idea.
Nothing more, nothing less. You can have as many definitions of releasing as there are
people on the planet. The key thing is to find something that works for you. Its also important
to become a student of the truth - both inside yourself and out there in the world. If there is
someone whose physical fitness you admire, then definitely ask them for tips. Pay them to
coach you! But just because they are in great shape, doesnt mean they have mastered any
OTHER part of life. In short, get money advice from Donald Trump, but avoid his advice on
hairstyles...(learn to be discerning)
Separate what releasing IS from the image of how its marketed. This is the first hurdle. The
ego hurdle. The ego is both desperate to resolve its problems and is simultaneously desperate
to hold onto those same problems. And youre not allowed to say this. The untamed ego
hates the truth. Tell the truth to someone who is stuck - and you are almost guaranteed to
piss them off. So thats the first thing. The method is marketed to the ego. The
marketing version of "what it is" is the hook. And its a good thing too. Without this hook, no
one would even bother.
My own experience of what it is: Releasing is a potent means of transcending ego. It softens,
and possibly dissolves the perception of a "separate me" that is experiencing these
problems. And as this is accomplished, sometimes the problem goes away and sometimes it
doesnt. Thats the raw truth. The good news is that without a "separate me" for the problem
to bump into (and grind against)- all the suffering drops away. There may still be pain, but
little to no suffering. What I mean here is that you may still have a broken leg, which may still
have swelling and achiness- but without a "you" to hate yourself, the leg, the swelling, the
achiness, and whoever youre blaming- big difference. Now your brain is no longer flooding
your system with stress chemicals. You tend to go into a meditative
state. Endorphins are released. New ideas come into the picture.
Now that may or may not be enough to move you out of the problem and into a new situation that is more to
your liking. The danger is to just hang out in the meditative state and soak up the
endorphins. Of course, this is fine. No judgment here. Its simply one of lifes laws that one of
the main determinants of your outcomes in life are the actions that you take-particularly the
ones that you habitually take. So if your habit, in those areas that you feel stuck, is simply
to zone out on endorphins and then take no action (or all the same actions that got you stuck in the first
place) - then chances are that releasing will make you FEELBETTER and not much else.
The real trick is to train yourself to do something different in those areas of life that arent working as
well as youd like. And ideally to take these actions WHILE in a released state. Every once in
a while you can release the temptation to simply hang out in those good feelings.

Allow yourself to daydream a bit while feeling good. And then move forward on one of those
good ideas while youre still feeling good!
Bottom line:
"If you keep doing what youve always done, youll keep getting what youve always gotten."
And again, the trick is to take action in the released state. When you are relaxed, calm, and
clear minded. This way you are more likely to see what needs to be done, less resistant to
doing it, and in a brain state that is more highly conducive to learning. Absorbing new
patterns. Understanding the results of those patterns.
(Otherwise the ego is likely to hijack the whole process. It waits until youre in a foul mood to
try anything new, and you end up performing the new action without any positive awareness
or clarity. The looks on your face, and the message you send out is one of: get the hell out
of my way or "this tank is gonna run you over!"
To be blunt, its a little off-putting to your friends, neighbours and loved ones. All youre
likely to accomplish is to prove to yourself "See! This doesnt work! Now I really
HAVE tried everything, and its official- nothing works!" This is the pattern of "Im fed up,
and I cant take it anymore!" When you mainly follow a routine in life, and only take new action
from this state, then its more like a temporary fit or a tantrum, isnt it? Be honest. Just look and see
what going on here. And the backlash from others (and guilt?) all make you regret the
outburst- which leads right back to good old "business as usual." Basically, the ego is invested
in you taking "new action" in a special way - designed to backfire - which only proves that
taking new action is a "bad idea." Real positive change flows from courage and a calm
mind. There is usually some fear at first. After all, you ARE taking a risk, but with a little
practice these new actions begin to come from a place of exploration, play, adventure...)
In short, you begin to have fun doing new stuff, because you are practicing having fun while doing new
stuff.
Being pissed off is great for things like cleaning the house, washing the car, going for a run,
lifting weights, etc. Its not so good for learning new skills or breaking out of stuckness.
In fact, the very same actions which could set you free - could very well ruin everything if
you do them in AGFLAP. And thats the clincher...
When youre stuck, it can be SO painful. And the egoic mindset is to notice the moments
of greatest pain and dwell on them, and ignore (go unconscious) when things are even s
lightly better. This way an entire identity can be built around: its always been this way,
Ive always been this way, it will never change as long as Im at this job, with this partner, in
this situation, etc. To be blunt, its what you might call Im-fucked-and-this-sucks"
identity. And the ego learns to hate it and cling to it simultaneously. The identity is
painful, but it also acts as a shield against further disappointment. It protects from the pain of
"getting your hopes up...
So the method comes along and messes up all those patterns- if you choose to allow any
new and different changes to the old pattern. Its an act of courage. Its a bit of convincing the
ego to suffer a bit- like with exercise- knowing that it will lead to strong muscles in the
future. Thats how it is with all positive change (which is nothing more than training yourself
to do a few new patterns on a regular basis). The key is in what you do regularly, not once in
a while or whenever you feel like it. Tiny habits, built up over time. And this is how releasing
can change your life. The ego hates this though. Its like the skinny guy who wants to go to

the gym and work out for 10 hours and expects to wake up looking like an athlete the very
next day...
Thats the ego. It either wants to do nothing at all (nothing new that is)- or it wants to dive in
head first and magically change your life overnight with tons of effort.
And whether you overdo it at the gym, the bar, or the local restaurant, you always wake up
feeling a bit like you just got mugged. Not the best plan for easy and effortless movement
towards a goal.
So my summary of how it works it as follows:
* it dissolves your sense of ego/personal identity/attachment to the problem
* it dissolves your attachment to the goal or solution
* together this is a movement towards being hootless
* and FROM this hootless state it allows you to move gracefully towards the goal
There are a few primary misunderstandings here:
First, it only does the above four things if you allow it. No one is going to force your ego
to drink the Koolaid. Its a choice for the ego to willingly dissolve itself, trusting that it wont
die, but rather come out more sane on the other end. In short, its an act of faith, and the more
stuck you feel, the harder it feels to make that leap. Its not actually harder though. Just
feels that way
Second, there is a common idea that giving up "wanting the goal" will lead to doing nothing. The goal and
all hope of its attainment will be lost. Yeah. Maybe. Thats the chance youre taking. And if
you like to hang out in endorphins and do nothing then youre right. You probably wont ever
walk up to that girl, and ask her for a date (or insert your own goal, dream, or desire). But you
might also ask yourself how feeling stuck is advancing you towards your goal. If all youve
got now is a fantasy and no forward movement- maybe doing something new WILL move
you closer to the goal. And this reveals another layer of fear ("holy shit, I asked her out and
she said "yes!"- so now what?) So the ego will often prefer hanging on to lack and living in
fantasy land- because that involves very little perceived risk. The actual risk in remaining
stuck is tremendous. Just staying stuck all your life. Your whole life. Lived at halfspeed. Afraid to take any real action towards your dreams. Kinda dead already. Just going
through the motions. Allow yourself to do an honest comparison of the two kinds of risk.
And Third, there is some self-training involved:
Its a little bit like how some teenagers teach themselves to drive drunk. Not the best example,
but it points to exactly that which is needed to make life work. Being in an altered state. Being
released, you feel high. It can be mild, or a major endorphin rush. It may simply feel like
relaxation, but this is the place where you must train yourself to generate ideas, make decisions,
and take action.
All three. And think about it. If most of your ideas, decisions, or actions are
coming from numbness, autopilot, or AGFLAP- then how the heck is releasing (or anything
else) going to make your life better. Just be honest. No need to over-analyze. Just think about
that a bit, and do your best to tell the truth...
And to be fully honest, it may feel really weird at first. That first time you take one of those
daydreams and "cash it in at the bank." You suddenly get inspired, and decide to take a new
route home from work... you ask for a date... you write down some goals. Whatever it is.
Doesnt matter. And lets get practical. Youre risking something here. There you are feeling
really good, or at least relaxed, and now you are "playing with fire" a bit. You are risking

losing that good feeling, and potentially making an ass of yourself. You may get rejected,
make mistakes, get lost. You are leaving that happy-little-nest-of-security and risking
something new. Youre breaking the trance. Youre risking WAKING UP. And that bed was
so comfy...
And thats the bottom line. Releasing is marketed as a way to transform your moderately
comfortable bed into a REALLY comfortable bed... wow... the ego loves that! And then
theres what it actually is. Its you. On the edge of the diving board. Bouncing up and down.
Thinking about it... getting really honest... and then jumping or not jumping.
And when youre ready to jump, you dont die! You might get a little wet, but you dont die.
The first time, you might do a belly flop. People might laugh and point. And with a little
practice, eventually you become more and more fearless. More courageous. You become a
person of action, and people start to become jealous. How come everything comes so easily
for her? She doesnt do anything special... why does she get all the breaks? How come
everyone seems to like her?
The work is yours to do. Get everything by releasing only, but that doesnt mean put on a
straight jacket and lock yourself in a closet. I dont think Lester was afraid to leave his house,
and trying to avoid all actions. By releasing only. To me this means, dont use force
or excessive action or doesnt mean avoid all action. It means grace. It means action while
released. Practising this. Inspired Actions so relaxed and fine-tuned in that it feels good.
Smooth. Graceful. Effortless.
Hootless is beyond that "havingness". Hootless means having freedom about the goal- you are
completely happy whether or not you have the goal. Thats freedom. The BEST WAY TO
GET A HIGH.......everyday give yourself approval for minutes/hours. Set daily competitions.
How much approval can you give yourself today? Lets say you do 15 minutes today
Lets beat that and give self-approval for 30 minutes tomorrow. Give approval to everyone.....
including the ones you hate......
giving approval is giving love. Love is what is divine. When you are in love you cannot have professional or
monetary chaos..... so be in the wavelength of love..... Best way is giving approval to
everyone daily.....
Wake up..... give approval to the night...
at sleep...... give approval to the day.... give approval to sleep.... give approval to every person
you met in your life...give approval to EVERYTHING MONEY BUYS.... money is divine
really.... this laptop youre on is bought by money.... does money create any feelings in
you....release on it..... Give as much approval to money to yourselves to whole world. When
you release on a high feeling..... You release it for a even a better blissful feeling for diving in
deeper.
If you want to create anything or consciously create, hootlessness is the most powerful place
from which to create - not super passion like a lot of people tell you. Passion is just lust. And
lust is a feeling of I want it, but I cant have it; I want it but I shouldnt have it; I want it
but its not right to have.
Theres always a hold back in lust. Theres a craving, but theres a hold back which is why just being
passionate about your goal isnt enough. And thats why, often, you can be really passionate about a goal and
still not attain it.

What I recommend you do with all your goals, including weight loss, is release until youre
okay whether or not you get it. If you stay hootless about it, in my experience, one or two
things will happen: you either get the goal or you simply let go of wanting it completely and
move on to something else. The best way to do that is to keep releasing until youre okay
whether or not you get it.
Sometimes, when youre hootless about something, no action is required and it just simply
happens. In my experience though, getting into action is often required. If youre simply
going to release to avoid taking action, its not going to work.
If youre going to keep releasing and be open to action if its required, and then take action
towards the goal, youre much more likely to get it. In addition, the actions themselves are
useful for releasing. If you get into action, then all the other feelings you have about getting
the goal or not getting the goal also arise.
For example: if youre working on losing weight and you want to just release and not have to
exercise or eat less, then youre probably not going to lose any weight, because youre not dealing with
the problem. Thats magical thinking.
On the other hand, if you want to lose weight and youre releasing on the goal, youll also release on the
action steps so youll feel okay about exercise, youll feel okay about modifying your eating
habits. Its a combination of releasing and action.
Action also stirs up feelings. So, the actions themselves are incredibly useful because they
bring up all your remaining attachments and aversions. In fact, sometimes youll take an
action which has nothing to do with getting the goal. For instance, say youre working on
making more money if you just sit in your apartment and release on it and take no action, youre probably
avoiding something.
However, when you combine it with action say you go out and look for a job in the
process of looking for a job, you may decide that instead of working for a company, you want
to start your own. You dont know whats going to happen. You could go looking for a job and pass a store
and be motivated to go in and buy a lottery ticket, then win the lottery. Its not necessarily a
straight line.
I highly recommend avoiding magical thinking and I also recommend that you work on the
goal, release until youre okay whether or not you get it, and then follow through with action
and release on the actions as well.
All success begins with an inner decision to make it happen. This shows up in the real world
in the form of a commitment. Without a commitment to "do whatever it takes" - nothing
works. The best we can hope for is sporadic short-term gains and then "back to the
drawingboard."
To clarify my above comment: it is more accurate to say that we are ALL highly committed
already. The real clarity comes when we are able to bring these inner decisions and
commitments into conscious awareness. Many people feel highly frustrated, highly motivated,
and really "fed up" with their blocks and problems. This does in fact create a very
particular kind of commitment. It tends to create the following patterns:

Game A:
1. Frustrated, desperate search for "the solution"
2.Trying every product or technique you find that seems real, but with no results.
3. Hoping to find some REAL testimonials from real people, so you know you have a method
that is effective for everyone - maybe even me!
4. Trying out the method - it doesnt work - and therefore become jaded about
most testimonials.
5. Deciding that nothing works and everything is a scam.
6. Getting really worn out with this game.
7. Getting so desperate that you are willing to try ANYTHING!
8. Return to step one and repeat the whole sequence.
This is the treadmill of failure- and it all begins with a desperate desire for resolution
combined with a secret expectation of "nothing changes." These two inner forces often join
forces to combine lots of effort with little to no result. The game is "seek but do not
find." Lots of seeking. Very little finding. When you do find relief, it often seems "lucky"
and the results are short-lived.
On the other hand, the secrets to real and lasting change are in plain sight. They arent really a
secret. They are simply basic strategies for making life work. They dont offer the same
glamorous claims. They dont appeal to the ego.
The reason that the ego seems to support "Game A"- is because that is its job!
It seeks to keep you feeling safe and comfortable by maintaining the status quo. Even if you
come across real and valid techniques that will indeed work for you, the egos job is to
sabotage it - often by getting you to apply the method only when you feel like it. Its also
great at getting you to alternate between frantic (almost spastic)enthusiasm - trying REALLY
hard - and then giving up when all the problems you have ever had arent magically solved in
48 hours. Frantic action combined with secret scepticism and hopelessness. This is its game.
Then you go on Youtube and listen to testimonials about how this or that persons life changed in
30 seconds - hoping to gather some enthusiasm - and all it does is convince you that either:
1. you must be doing it wrong,
2. there is something wrong with you (it works for everyone but me) or 3. the whole thing is a scam.
I invite you instead to play a new game - one that works. Allow yourself to look at people
who succeed in life. Perhaps you can read their biographies. In truth, you dont have to look
that far. We all have the truth inside of us. Deep down we know what does in fact work to
create positive results.
Game B:
1. Look at any gymnast, professional musician, or business leader.
2. Look at the hours they put in.
3. Look at the level of personal discipline.
4. Look at the support system they have.
5. Look at their daily schedule.
6. Look at how they eat, sleep, exercise and take care of their bodies.
7. Look at how they view problems
8. Look at their level of focus and concentration (one-mindedness)
9. Look at their ability to relax.

In a sense, I could refer to "Game B" as being a grownup, being mature, being healthy,
or being successful. There is a magical potency we develop when we make a solid choice to
"get our act together." Growing up is a bit like recovery from an addiction. We all have all
these bad habits backed by all these justifications of "future better behavior" once I get this
mess fixed. In other words:
Ill quit drinking when the stress of my job goes back down.
Ill get more sleep once I graduate college.
Ill begin exercising this spring when the weather gets warmer.
When my kids are off to college, Ill spend more time with my spouse.
When we make a firm inner commitment, we are choosing now. We are choosing to begin
gathering our inner resources. We make a plan, write it down, and get into action
immediately. We also smarten up. No more frantic, spastic action plans where we "go
overboard." This is popular with people getting back in shape. They begin exercising with
such a frenzy that they are sore all over the next day. Then they give up. This was the egos
game all along. To get you OUT of change - while pointing to how hard you are working to
"fixit." It is precisely this "going overboard" that sinks the ship.
A helpful perspective is to look at this as a game of intensity and arousal. You must learn to
control and tolerate high arousal as well as low arousal. You must be willing to experience the
thrill of EXTREMELY high arousal- and still hold back and create a daily plan of moderate
effort. Dont let the ego run you so ragged that you get burned out and hopeless. Slow and
steady wins the race. The ego wants all the flash and glamour of fantastic displays of effort.
You may only be in good enough shape to do 5 pushups a day, but the ego wants to see if you can do
20. So it does 20 sloppy pushups and now you are too sore to get any benefit unless you
take a week off. Essentially, you have to keep starting over.
So game B is all about skill-building, daily practice, and energy management.
Game A is all about flash and magic- followed by disappointment.
Game B is about continuous steady growth. It is an internal shift from impressing
people to healing. There is no one to fool or impress.
The one thing that becomes clear with a daily practice is that there are cycles. Sometimes it
feels like a grind, and sometimes if flows and feels easy. Think of a gymnast who only trains
when he feels like it. How far will he go? Will he make it to the Olympics? And
this is just a metaphor for success in our own lives. We dont need to do back-flips to have
good life. All we need to do is show up and put in the work. Its not always glamorous. And
its the last thing your ego wants. The upside is that it CAN be easy. When you commit to
inner change. And you develop the habit of showing up in your own life.
Doing whatever it takes to resolve your problems. Then the Sedona Method is a fantastic tool
to accelerate all of your efforts. When you want all of your healing to be instant, then it shows
an inner unwillingness to do the work. This lands you firmly in Game A. Lots of
effort - running in circles. Think of Game B as a staircase. You are literally building this
staircase inside of you. Building strength upon strength. With years of steady effort, there is
literally nothing you cannot be, do, or have. It all comes down to an inner decision to want itand go after it steadily and strategically. Everyone has the ability, but few choose this road
less traveled. Nothing is holding you back. And the thoughts that used to limit you, only have
power when you believe them. The future is open to everyone. And no matter what emotions
are present, we all have what it takes to succeed.

It is important to see the distinction between achieving goals, wanting change, and resisting
life. These are all different things.
In AGFLAP, you tend to want LOTS of change- and it comes from resisting life & wishing
things were different. When people pursue goals from this place, they tend to be ineffective.
They could be angry and have a "flailing" kind of energy. They are highly motivated and they do LOTS of
stuff, but it tends to have a random kind of feeling to it. To a fly on the wall, it kind of looks
like they are just throwing things around like a crazy person. If they are at a desk, they might
be slamming down objects on the desk, snapping at their co-workers, or talking frustrated to
people on the phone. Lots of action, very little intelligence or organization. If they are sad,
there is a hopeless feeling to it. They may do a few things to move towards a goal, but they
dont expend much energy or have a lot of hope that it will amount to anything. The energy is "Ill try a
few things, but it probably wont work." Again, not a lot of intelligence or organization here
either. There may also be a bit of vampire energy here, as in "Ill tell my sad story and see if I can get
someone smarter or more powerful to fix it for me."
In a high place, whether you call it CAP or peace or bliss or simply confidence- the irony is
that there is much less "war with the world." You tend to be much more grateful. You are able
to be quite happy right here where you are. No need to fix anything or make a lot
of improvements. And THIS is the space where you are the most sane, the most responsible,
the most intelligent. Its not that you have gotten smarter. Perhaps you simply have
more access to your full brain capacity while in this space...You begin to fall in love with the
world.
And the irony is that this is the place from which you are most capable of making changes
easily and effortlessly. You dont want to. You dont need to. But you can.
Its a bit like trying to get a loan from a bank. The more you need the loan, the less they want
to give you the money. And the more money you ALREADY have, the more every bank
in the world is trying to offer you money. Some people experience the same thing while dating. The moment
youre in a happy committed relationship- suddenly every beautiful person in the world wants to
talk to you. The moment you become single again, where did they all go?
Its just abundance. When you feel abundant, youre in CAP. This is the place to achieve goals from.
Otherwise, its a game of lots of action and no results. When you are in that space of abundance, you are a
much more pleasant person to be around. You make friends easily. Companies want to hire you. Opportunities
become available. And this isnt necessarily some magical "law of attraction" phenomenon. Its also just
common sense.
If you were an employer and two equally qualified applicants came to you... except one
seemed intelligent, relaxed, and pleasant to talk to... and the other seemed uptight, depressed
or angry, and a chore to speak with...

The true Self

What is it? Lets assume that it comes from "Source" or "All That Is", where we are complete,
full, connected, at one and totally loving and accepting of everything. This is a theory, or a
story of other peoples experience. However, to a degree, we must work with theories
or others experiences until we have no need of them .To "want" is to pretend something is true that
is not true.
To want is to pretend that we actually need something. The Self, who you really are, needs
nothing. You think you need something because your mind, has identified with a body and a personality
and believes in lack.
And if you ask yourself the question "who am I" and "what do I need, right now in this
moment", you may find some very interesting answers- answers that are quite different than
what you believe that you apparently desire.
Wanting is often synonymous with suffering. The Buddha said the source of all suffering is
desire. Wanting is a lie as to who you really are and any time you live a lie, your emotions
arise and you experience it as stress. Nonetheless, this seems to be the way life is often lived on the physical
world.
Life is interesting to us because of desire. What would you do if you had no desire? We want
to have experiences in life that will lead us home- home to ourselves. And desire is the fire
that moves us in the physical world.
Wanting can also lead us to experience another lie, the lie that we are powerless. Powerlessness is a big giant
universal belief. It says we cannot have, we cannot do and of course that cannot possibly be true except
for all the unconscious and conscious beliefs that we hold. From the Sedona Method point of
view...Apathy. And much of the world lives in apathy- a belief in powerlessness.
So at level One- "hootlessness" can take you to the perspective of self, where nothing is
needed and wanting does not exist. In a state of hootless, you are simply loving what is. You
are present and in the moment, happy and all is well, until the next desire arises.
At level Two- is the level where we live our lives in the physical world, we breath, we work,
we take care of ourselves and our family...desire is arising and we are almost constantly living
it out. Desire from the point of view of a mind identified with a body is quite powerful. We
want to breath, we want to live, we want to have many, many, experiences. And it is all good.
This is why I say, honor your desire. Meditate with it. Let it spring forth and hear what it has
to tell you. This is the path of your life and what else is there to honor if not your self and
your life?
Your desire tells you what is next.
Personally, I have found it to be great fun to pursue desire, if you are motivated to do so. The
only thing that can keep you from fulfilling a desire is a thought...a belief that you can
not, or you should not fulfill it. Simply stated, its fear.
Lester Levenson used to say to me, that with freedom comes Mastery. There is value in
knowing that you are the master of your personal world. That you can have what you want. So
living life and pursuing what you want goes hand in hand with experiencing freedom.

What I have found is that as I achieve goals, and have what I want (and that would include
abundance, health, love, creativity, self-appreciation and appreciation of others (gratitude)),
that hootlessness accompanies it all. Its a sense of well-being, where desire does not scream
at me and emotions are not causing me pain and suffering. And that is not to say that feelings
no longer arise. They just have a very different voice than they used to. At level two, living
life in the physical world... it can be great fun to fulfill your desire. You see,
everything...everything, is here to lead you to your freedom. You simply cant go wrong. The
only question is how much do you wish to endure suffering and pain? How long will you take?
Releasing is a great tool to reduce the suffering. The ego will use releasing, to trick you into
complacency. To not think deeply... To stop and rest. The ego will do everything that it can to
try to get us to feel special and superior. Watch out for that trickster! No one is more special
than another. No one has more answers or wisdom than you do.
Look inside your heart, see what you want, and pursue it. It will only lead you closer to
your freedom, your mastery of your life and this world. And when it is mastered, you will
move on to the next thing.
There seems to be a paradox between hootlessness and desire. But my experience is that they
are just part of the whole. They are both experiences of living. Enjoy them both for they are
both here with us.
On the issue of taking action versus "magical thinking":
From Happiness is Free, Volume 1, page 65:
[Questioner]: Well, [my friend] had to go out and look for a job. She had to go to an agent,
she couldnt just sit down and wait.
Lester: I say all she had to do was to let go and let God. Then, even if she had locked herself in a chamber
somewhere, the things would have come to her. You dont sit down and wait, you dont do
anything. Just let go of the sense of doership. You just know that everything is perfect, and
then the slightest thought you have will come into being quickly. Theres no limitation on
God, the Self. Whatever you think will have to come into being if you let go, because youre
invoking your infinite Power-- God, your Self. Nothing can stop it!
[Questioner]: But at the same time you have to struggle to get some action.
Lester: No, I said just the opposite. I said lock yourself in a chamber and padlock it, and if
you will do what Im saying, youll find that what you want will be effected. It has to be.
Nothing can stop it! Omnipotence is invoked!
------------------------------------------------------------------Also, on one of the CDs, Lester *recommends* "Get everything you want by releasing
ONLY." There was no talk of working or performing action. He wanted his students to
release and have things fall in their laps.
However, Lester does not say that nothing happens. Releasing allows for "inspired action",
wherein the person does not see himself as the doer, but his body takes action anyway. Lester
describes this in some of the audio CDs, though I dont recall which. It is like the person is
observing his body going through the motions, but he, himself, is only along for the ride. So
there is action, but there is neither effort nor planning on the part of the releaser.

I suspect that the mechanism is that, by releasing, the person stops feeding the old conditions
and, through the sense of having, starts resonating with the new, chosen conditions. The old
conditions are thus allowed to unwind and disappear, while the new conditions come into being according
to what the persons belief system will allow into his experience. Some of the transitory events
leading to the new conditions will include the persons body and mind taking specific actions.
The more released a person is, the less external action is needed to manifest a goal. And when he
is *totally* released from both feelings and beliefs, the goal manifests immediately, even if he
is on his butt, locked in a basement...and it will seem completely natural, since there is no belief to say
otherwise.

Lesterizing goals
"Lesterizing goals" process was created by Larry Crane- the founder of Release Technique.
Larry Crane was a student of enlightened American master
Lester Levenson
. Essentially Larry Crane and his master students extracted the best gems from Lester
Levenson teachings and based on their experiences of achieving goals created a simple, yet
very efficient process to achieve goals. Reportedly one of the best guided presentations of
this process are given by Rich Furlanic who is one of the best teachers of Release Technique.
Larry Crane's dry, mundane approach seems to irritate some people.
Lesterizing goals process consists of 2 major parts:
1.Lifting up inner emotional state initially (to "pave the way" for main
practice).
2.Releasing all negative or resistance feelings associated with the goal up to
the point when it becomes irrelevant whether you achieve the goal or not.
Once you reach the state of "imperturbability" (inner state of peace or quiet balance regardless
of whether goal is achieved or not)- the practice is accomplished and achievement of goal
becomes highly probable and in many cases guaranteed! People do achieve amazing results using this process.

Here it is in more details:

1.Get into CAP state (part 1 of 2):
CAP state (Courage, Acceptance, Peace) is essentially elevated emotional state from which
person will be able to release underlying negativity and resistance that prevents person to achieve the
goal. It is impossible to release resistance if the current emotional state is negative (apathy,
grief, fear, lust, anger, pride and their flavours). So first step is to get into positive emotional
side: Courage, Acceptance, Peace (CAP).
To do that: Sit straight, shoulders back, posture straight, breath deeply. This will establish
initial physical support for further progress. Make a mental decision to be in control of
your thoughts and mind- just say "Yes", "I am the boss".
2.Get into CAP state (part 2 of 2:.
Imagine/feel what you want now. Sit as youd sit if you already achieved the goal. This will move you to
CAP state.

Think from the goalNot look at car- drive the car. Not look at house- be in the house. Money- you already own
the money, feel elevated sense of freedom you can afford. Feel the wish fulfilled - feel the
goal completed. Do your best to play, ignite that goal accomplishment feeling. Ignore
negative emotions, thoughts, feelings for now. Overpower it with images and feelings of goal
already achieved now.

3.From CAP notice negativities, release them and then release underlying
wanting of approval, control and security feelings.
Lester Levenson stated that releasing 3 major underlying wants (Approval, Control
and Security {and Oneness}) will speed up process of spiritual growth and liberation.
4.Do Attachments and Aversion process:
- Imagine always having the goal- release feelings and emotions that are ignited.- This is the most important step:
Hootless test: imagine never having the goal, release all associated feelings and underlying
wants for approval, control, security. Become hootless toward goal. "Hootless" means- "I
dont give a hoot whether I have my goal or not". If you will be able to get into this state- you
are succeeded.
5 . N o w y o u h a v e t h e p o w e r t o d o power cleaning:
From the state of CAP- consciously invite negative thoughts, memories and associated feelings
and emotions. Release them.
6.Super power cleaning: consciously invite the ugliest, most negative
thoughts and feelings, worst case scenarios and release on all of them.
This will flex your releasing and spiritual growth muscles like nothing else.

Growing Into Your Goals:

No matter what process you use to achieve or attract your goals there is something needed to
make it all work. Releasing is a technique for realizing freedom. But that freedom does come
at a price. The price is the willingness to not just to let go but to grow.
When you let go something significant happens. When the inner energy of a constricted
emotional state is released that energy begins to flow. And as it moves it changes its
environment, that is, it changes you. If it didnt you couldnt attain your goal.
What we call the objective universe is actually a reflection of us. You look around and see
yourself. When you truly release something you change and as a result, the universe changes around you. It
reconstructs itself to reflect your new level. To think that you can achieve your goal without
having an internal shift occur is self-deceiving. The shift must occur. No shift, no goal.
I work with a lot of people and there is something I have noticed. Often people need to grow into their goals. If
your goal is have a million $ a year income you need to grow into a person that makes a million $ a year. If you
arent making that now you havent released enough. You havent released the resistance to growing into your
goal. You havent yet developed into that level of activity. You cant become a big success while you act and
think like a little success.

So pay attention not just to the negative states and beliefs you are letting go of but pay
attention to who you are. Are there behaviours or attitudes you have that are inconsistent with
your goal? Are you claiming that you really want freedom but are acting out of integrity with
that desire? Are you living out your goal as best you can in the moment? Are you investing in yourself to

develop yourself into the person who attains the goal easily? Releasing is a great technique for
achieving that but more fundamental than knowing how to release is the commitment to your
goal.
Commitment is not duty, it is heart. If you really want something you are willing to sacrifice
to get it. You decide what is important to you and you live that conviction. If you really want
freedom and the inner power that it brings you sacrifice anything in your life that does not lead to that end.
This develops the character and will grow you into the type of person who easily and
consistently attracts the fruition of their goals.
Committing to something and completely letting it go at the same time. Ultimately we have to
recognize that nothing can make us happy. That comes from within. At the same time there is
a deep commitment to what the hearts "wants. The wants of the heart are not the same as the 4 wants. It is
simply the deep desire to be who you are. It is the desire to be free.
You never actually drop the goal. You drop the feeling of wanting or not having it. Then you
discover that it is now and always have been with you within. You and the goal are actually
one.
There is nothing wrong with thoughts and feelings. They are not personal to any of us.
They just come and we do not even pick them. Only an arrogant ego would experience a
thought and feeling and try to take credit for it. Its a riot when you think about it. You do not pick the
thoughts and feelings. They come and you either believe them or not. If you dont believe them.they pass.
If you believe them (and you do this the minute you judge them as bad, or as garbage, or think you need
to get rid of them), they stick to you. So one part of mind is beating up on another part of mind and
internal conflict and pain ensues. And then that experience gets interpreted by mind, for a dose of a
little more suffering and you feel like you cant do it, youre a failure, and sad and beat upon. It is
torturous! During times like these, I found it very healing to give myself a lot of love. Allow it to be ok that I
could not release. Let it be ok that I may never release ever again.
You are free to do whatever you want. In your heart you know this. No one has to release, feel
good or become free. When you surrender to any and all thoughts and feelings coming up and just let them
be...the suffering stops. Remember, none of them are personal. They just come, uninvited and
we choose to believe them.
We do not suffer if we do not believe our thoughts. We do not suffer if we dont mind having
feelings.
Be kind to yourself. This will pass.
Want To Be Happy Today?
Many of us get into the Sedona Method/Release Technique so we can become more effective
at getting what we want and along the way we become happier, have more peace of mind and
develop a greater sense of being connected to all of life.

However we can also get caught up in the busyness of getting what we want out there in the
world and lose sight of the source of our happiness. In fact, we might even develop habits of
thinking that guarantee unhappiness.

Here are some ways we typically make ourselves unhappy...

1. We make a decision we will only be happy when we achieve a goal
2. We decide that we will only be happy when we have the perfect relationship
3. We expect to be happy one day when there are no more problems to deal with.
4. We wait until we look and feel fabulous before we will be happy.
If youll look more closely at these erroneous decisions and choices youll see there is a
fear behind them all. And thats the fear that being happy will stop us from having what we
want.
It goes like this, "if Im happy why would I do anything about getting into shape? If I was
completely happy Id have no reason to go to work and be successful!"
In other words we think wed live in a state of apathy. Not so. Happiness is right at the top
of the scale of emotions, its above AGFLAP and belongs in CAP. When you feel happy and energetic
youll want to be active, youll want to create and youll be very effective at whatever you set
your mind to.
What can you do now to be happy today?
1. Release on happiness, let go of wanting happiness by using
Attachments/Aversions, Advantages/Disadvantages or Likes/Dislikes.
2. See that all your goals have the same underlying goal- the desire for happiness
3. Release on your goals with an emphasis on having step one in place- decide you want
happiness more than you want the goal.
4. Moment to moment during the day, when people or situations provoke AGFLAP, ask
yourself:
could you decide you want happiness more than you want to hold onto this feeling?
Do that constantly and youll be lighter, freer and happier.
5. Decide to choose happiness over lacking approval, control and security. The following questions are useful
to play with to encourage deep releasing.
- Could you decide that you want happiness more than you want to hold onto lacking
approval?
- Could you decide that you want happiness more than you want to hold onto lacking
control?
- Could you decide that you want happiness more than you want to hold onto lacking
security?
Happiness is not a state of mind we can postpone and get one day, that itself is a decision to
keep it in the future. If you want to be happier right now then use releasing firstly as a tool to
become happy and secondly as a tool to get what you want in the world. Ironically, thats
when youll be much more care free and much more successful at getting what you want.

Freedom
Simply put. Freedom is "me" not fighting the reality of the present moment. Which one?
Which present moment? This one.
But what about magic powers, financial abundance, and everything coming to me easily? What about
love? What about my ailments? What about that perfect body? Didnt Lester say
he healed himself totally with releasing? It happened in 90 days, didnt it?
What about LOVE? Didnt Lester promise me love?
No. He promised me misery if I chase after getting it, and an ever-increasing sense of ease
and well-being if I learned to be a source of it.
As the SOURCE of love in your own life, your body will either heal or it
wont. Your relationships will heal or they wont. Your bank account will grow or it
wont. The one thing that happens right away is that your mind will heal. You will begin to
see what is true and what isnt. You will regain a sense of peace and security. You will find
and begin to experience your own right place in the world.
And the irony of ironies... is that its right where you are this very moment...The difference is in
seeing it, feeling it, and having a vivid experience of being "at home" in your body and in your life.
And from this place it IS very easy... much easier... to create money, health, and good
relationships. It can happen slowly or very quickly. Sometimes instantly. It can seem magic,
but its really just a matter of physics. When your total readiness and full participation- when
these two intersect with a person or opportunity that happens by- it can happen beautifully,
seamlessly, as if by magic. But really it was just perfect timing.
Releasing can heal your mind. It can deliver moments of bliss and experiences of lightness.
Moments of feeling free. But as long as you are defining freedom as specific conditions in
your life... conditions in your body, in your finances, in your relationships... then you will find
that "releasing doesnt work." And thats only because you are fixating on the marketing
material that goes along with the various releasing methods.
The truth is that releasing DOES work. It can deliver powerful mind-states. It can heal, fears,
dissolve traumas, and help you with all manner of life conditions. What it cant do is cancel
out your own free will. Certain levels of health (for example) require certain levels
of exercise. Same with money and relationships. There are certain levels and kinds of actions
you need to take in order to generate certain results...
And when you use releasing to dissolve your fear and resistance to taking these actions- and
then you actually TAKE these actions- then you will get a very different result from the
people who release while avoiding/fearing/resisting action. You can think of this non-action
as a "hidden pocket" of fear. Pockets of resentment. Refusal. It can be as intense
as terror or a kind of a mental FU to the world, your parents, the government, or whoever
you perceive as authorities. Whatever the resistance means for you personally moving through it - while releasing whatever comes up for you- is one of the simplest and
fastest ways to clear it out.

So make no mistake, releasing CAN and will make you free very quickly. But the only way to
experience certain life conditions that you may label as "success in the world" - is to take well
timed action in the right state of mind. The "by releasing only" is not a directive to stay in bed
for a thousand years. Please understand. Common sense and simple observation tells us that
the masters - to include Lester - were very active in the world. The took
action. They did not hide in bed with the covers over their head.

For me, the phrase "by releasing only" means they took action out of love- as an expression of
love. They acted out of a sense of freedom... ease. It means they dropped their
habits of forcing things. They are opposites. Forcing and releasing. At first, there
may be a little forcing. A little resistance. You are starting an exercise program. Even just
a few pushups a day. Maybe a little walking, and the mind doesnt like it. The thing is to
do your best to notice the resistance and welcome it. Feel it, welcome it, and let it
go. Over and over. And the amazing thing is that suddenly the pushups become very
easy. The walking becomes fun. Very beautiful. Suddenly you begin to crave it. Even look
forward to it. And you start to enjoy and notice all the scenery as you walk. Without the
mental complaining, the walking becomes so simple. A meditation. The feeling and
sensations of walking. A unique physical sensation. Different
every time. Sometimes your body hurts. Sometimes it doesnt. The weather does
what it does. Sometimes sunny and comfortable. Sometimes not. But without the mental
complaining, its just something to notice. Part of the variety of experience.
The same with paying a bill or playing with a child. Sometimes its a real grind. The child is
pissed off and is hating everyone and everything in sight. Sometimes youre in a very
centered mood and can offer love in the face of all this. And sometimes youre not. The child
is a grind. The bills are a grind. The body. The husband. The wife. Sometimes the
mind is rejecting all of it. Trade in my life! I want a refund!
And the thing is just to love it all. To include your own resistance to it. This is freedom. To
allow yourself the bad day, the resistance, the drivers who cut you off. All of it. And there
comes a moment. Out of the blue. When you are ready to take the ones dearest to
you- and THROW them off the top of the Empire State Building- and from out of nowhere,
the laughter. It just comes. The whole thing becomes incredibly funny. The sun
comes out from between the clouds, and the whole thing becomes incredibly beautiful. Part
of the suchness of life. Its as if you get a free pass. And you get a glimpse beyond the veil of
the apparent drama of things. And the joy begins to break through. Even if only for a
moment...

How To Get What You Want More Quickly With A Little Help From Beingness:
Lester talked about going high to release because that is when we are most capable of letting go of all the
limiting thoughts and feelings that keep us from having freedom. Releasing from a high place also causes
us to achieve our goals more quickly. If you already have experience using the Sedona
method goal process and youre starting to see results you might like to consider making some
adjustments so you can go higher to release and speed things up.
How can we quickly go high to release?
We want to leave AGFLAP behind and start releasing from CAP.
1. Go directly to Courageousness
Consider what you want and adopt the posture youd have IF you knew you that "Yes, I can
do this, I can get what I want!" Get into that feeling state, feel the courage and the sense that
you can do it. This is a decision- it does not need to be complicated.
Then release from this high state on your goal until you are hootless.
Use the goal statement format: I allow myself to have...
e.g. I allow myself to have $100 or more by releasing only.
If you want to go even higher read point 2 and point 3 below.

2. Go to Havingness
Havingness is more a sense of Acceptance. You feel as if you already have the goal even though you do not yet
have it. Again, simply get into that emotional state and youll feel as if you almost have it right now.
Decide to feel you already have the goal, imagine that and feel how that would feel now in
this moment.
Release on your goal in the usual way until you are hootless.
Change the goal statement format to: I have...
e.g. I have $100 or more by releasing only.
Want to go even higher? Read point 3 below.
3. Go to Beingness
Beingness is a sense of oneness and a knowingness that everything is perfect as it is. You can
release on a goal from Beingness. I call this being the goal. Instead of having the sense that
you have the goal, imagine that you are the goal- be the goal.
Yes, this sounds odd. Test this for yourself. Imagine there is no separation between you and
the goal, the goal is part of you and you are part of the goal. Again, be the goal! Start by
feeling havingness and then just imagine you are the goal- not only do you own the goal, it is
you. This is how you feel when you completely love someone- oneness. i.e. you have only
love feelings.

Be the goal right now in this moment and release from this high place to speed up goal
achievement. Release until hootless!
Change the goal statement format to: I am
e.g. I am $100 or more by releasing only.
If youre new to these ideas start with releasing from Courageousness. Then as you see
results, move up to releasing from Havingness or Beingness. Play with these states and be
childlike rather than analyzing it all.
Just notice how letting go is easier and much faster from CAP. And letting go from Beingness
in the present moment is very different from the experience of releasing from AGFLAP. Its
like accelerated releasing! Could it get any better?

5th Way
Where does freedom end and your goal begin?
Where does your goal end and freedom begin?
How to Do a Hootless Check:
Simply ask these two questions:
Am I happy if I get this goal?
Am I happy if I dont get this goal?
When you get a definite Yes to both questions you are hootless about the goal.
When we are hootless we are completely happy if we get the goal and completely happy if we do not get
the goal. It makes no difference because we have let go of all AGFLAP associated with the
goal and we feel happy now. As a result we live with more freedom and another set
of attachments and aversions hit the dust. Could it get any better?
(Let emotions come, let them stay, let them go...when they want to go)..if youre releasing to
chase desires, youll find it inherently frustrating (to include the desire to feel better). If youre
releasing to become more present, youll tend to feel better as a side-effect.
"Seek ye first the kingdom of heaven, and all the other shiny toys will become available to
you." (paraphrased)
But if you chase the shiny toys (to include happiness, feeling good, great sex, money, perfect
relationships, etc.) then youll find the process inherently frustrating. If you "seek the
kingdom" you end up having a lot more of the other stuff, but only when you truly no longer care about that
other stuff. No way around it, and to be honest this will involve some screaming and kicking
for a lot of people. It CAN be simple and easy. Many are programmed however to chase the
shiny toys and in their programming it seems just insane or terrifying to let go of those desires
to chase or want that stuff. The getting or even the chasing has become equated with: normal,
safe, comfortable, familiar.
The irony is that heaven is so close. Its right here. No chasing required. Its right in the
middle of the headache. Its both in the feel of the steering wheel in your hands and in the experience of
traffic piled up. If you only look for it in the five-star meal or the car, then thats great- at least
you have it there- in your life or in your imagination. Why limit your bliss to rare or unusual
situations? Your bliss is in every emotion to be found on the AGFLAP-CAP chart. Right in
the middle of your anger or depression. Learning to love these IS bliss....
An unconditional acceptance of whatever life is showing you right now. And this places you
right in the middle of the present moment, but in an entirely new way. The cells of your body
are all lit up. You really feel things. The story in your mind is there, but more to the
background. You notice it, but you arent living it. Its just there. One more thing to REALLY feel and notice
and embrace. No longer stuck in your head, youre beginning to catch fire. Living in this very moment.
Beingness includes all that...
And living this way is a matter of practice. Its not something far off or something youll be
able to do "someday." Its something to play with right NOW, and just to notice how it feels.
Having the story, but not living your whole life from it. To include whatever your mind is
telling you about these words youre reading right now. Notice that too!

Breathe it in and relax. Notice how your body tends to tense up when reading something you dont agree with
(or doesnt make sense) and how it tends to relax and open up when you do agree. You can also begin to notice
how your breath does the same thing. Tensing and relaxing. Becoming deeper and more fluid when you feel in
alignment with whatever experience you seem to be having..
Lester tells us the first step is to want Freedom more than the World. Now this is not some
desire for the future. It is only to be realized in this present moment. In other words dont
expect to release for an hour today and expect everything in the future to just be rosy. You
have to want the Freedom this moment, and release in this moment. In this moment feel the peace, stillness,
space, silence that surrounds everything.
For example, lets say you are looking at a beautiful flower. For this moment you feel at peace. You feel an
openness towards your environment. There are few thoughts, only the recognition of that
flower with your senses. As Lester tells us, as your thoughts are quiet you are happiest. Pay
special attention to this moment. What is it about this moment of your interaction with this
flower that creates the peace inside. It is an openness, an allowing of what is happening in this moment. This
openness we could label as Love.
This openness, this quietness of thought should be your starting point. This is the real you. It
is very simple, uncomplicated, not knowing of anything. Now, you can add thoughts about
how you wish the flower had brighter colors, had a stronger fragrance, was located in a
different location so you could see it better, etc., etc. See how everything gets more
complicated as you add thoughts to the equation, and is taking you away from the openness,
the allowing, the love. In this moment do you want the Freedom from thought and the feeling
of love, or do you want the story that is developing. Step 1. You have the choice to
just experience that flower with just an openness, with just sensing the flower with your
5 senses, or by adding dozens of thoughts and labels that distracts you from your peace.
That is Step 1, you have to want the quietness more than the complication. You have to want
that openness, that love, more than the story.
Now how does that relate to having health problems for a longtime with no outlook for a
brighter future. It is still a moment by moment decision. If you are having pain in the moment,
really look at that pain with your 5 senses. Really feel it and experience it in this moment. See
it for the first time without the labels and thoughts of how horrible it is and how it never
seems to go away. Have openness towards it. Really experience it. You will find a whole new experience as
you release and lesson your attachment to the labels and thoughts surrounding something. You dont have
to have an answer for what the future may hold. Striving for the answer just causes pain. You
know what you are experiencing right now, in this moment. Experience it with an open heart.
Know that all these thoughts coming up can not exist if there wasnt first a silence for them to
come out of. This silence is what you want to become more intimate with. Now you cant analyze this
silence with your mind, but you can SEE that it is there. The silence comes first, and the
thoughts come out of the silence. Start each moment with the silence, the openness, the love.
Well, you might tell me it worked this moment, you were able to release your attachment to
your thoughts this moment, but now it is a whole new moment and the story is hitting you
even harder. The pain is back even more intense, the worries that it will remain for a long
time are even stronger. All I can tell you is Release. This moment is the only time you can
release. Release moment by moment.
Step 1, want the freedom more than the story.

Step 2
Now you dont have to use words or techniques to release.
Know your basic nature is this peace, this silence, this openness, this love.
Really know this inside.
Then when you feel resistance coming up, let it go. It takes tremendous effort on your part to
deal with all the turmoil of these thoughts and feelings, but it takes no effort to just rest as
your real self. Take a moment and just realize this. It takes no effort to just relax as your real
being, but tremendous effort to deal with your trials and tribulations. Can you just relax in this
moment, and release the resistance you feel coming up. You can do this instinctively each moment. It doesnt
take time or effort.
But the important thing is you have to release each present moment. You can tell me it is a lot
of work to release each moment. I will tell you it is thousands of times more effort to deal
with the fantasy story you are creating in your head than to simply rest as you are. The problem is that the
story is very compelling and draws you in. Well, we are back to Step 1. You have to want
Freedom more than the World. In reality we cannot release every single moment, but we can
each moment we become aware resistance has crept in. Sometimes that may be a continuous
stream for a while. When you make releasing constant in each moment your attachment to
your story gradually fades. Now you still need thoughts to interact in this world, but you dont
need the thousands of thoughts that are just bouncing back and forth as destructive noise, and causing all
kinds of fears and feelings to build. Be lazy, Release the extra resistance you are experiencing
and just relax in your beingness.
Now I have given myself approval for hours on end, and I think it is the best thing you can do. But give
approval to your real self. Forget about Linda, forget about the negative story you weave.
Give approval to the wonder of that which is always at rest. Give approval to the silence, the
peace, the space, the openness, the stillness, the love that is always present. You are that. You
are love in your essence, give approval for that.
Saying YES to any emotion that arises does wonders. If you are feeling self-loathing, say
YES to it. If you think it is bad to beat yourself up, you will just create more reasons to beat
yourself up. This seems to be what is happening.
Can you let go just 1% of disapproving of yourself? Starting small and building up can
sometimes to the trick to a full release. Once you are at a higher percentage it is a lot easier to
venture into direct approval.
People talk about going free, yet if you ask them what that means, I notice that they often
describe just another concept that they have read or heard about. Which of course is fine. So
what does it mean to you? Why do you want it?
For everyone, it is likely to be a little bit different. Make a list and make it real for yourself.
You went to the trouble to be born, grow a body, develop a personality and all that it entails.
Why try to escape it? Embracing it is so much more fun! You are free when you are loving it....every single
aspect of it...and that is so easy to do. Everyone knows what love is, how it feels...they just
make the mistake of applying it selectively to that which they think deserves love. Goodness,
light and positive things most often.

Freedom happens when you love everything ...totally and unconditionally, and that would include your
resistance, your anger and hatred, your dark corners, your weaknesses and vulnerabilities,
your attachments. These things are not "garbage". They are simply aspects of our world seeking
to be set free. You know how to do this, because you have done it before! Love is the key.
It is very simple:
Sit on a chair, close your eyes, go ahead and sit how you would feel if you were
in courageousness....Go ahead and feel how you would feel...its just a decision.....stay there
for a while just so that you know that you can....go ahead really feel it....Go ahead and ask yourself...If I was
in total peace how would I feel? If Im in total peace how do I feel? Ask it again, again if you
like...If Im totally free How do I feel? Just take whatever feeling comes to you...Now you are in
that high place from this high place you can look down and let go of wanting approval control or
security? Was what you were feeling approval control or security? okay so could you let
go of wanting a c or s? let go of the tension in your stomach or your chest.
Get High to release dont release to get High If youre complaining its not working then youre
wanting it to work....this whole thing is about being hootless
.....................................................Its a lot easier to let go of wanting when youre in the feeling
of having............When you feel you got a lot you dont mind letting go a little.. keep going higher and
higher...there is no ending point.........let go of those good feelings too..
Yesterday I got an inspiration to release in a slightly different way.

The Observation Method:

1. Choose an issue to release on, a goal you desire or a problem you want resolved.
2. Observe your experience of that matter. Simply notice what you are observing in terms
of feelings, images and internal dialogue. Pay attention to what you are observing without
wanting to change it. Just keep watching it- the more attention you give it, the more you will
notice.
3. Notice what happens.
Observe the experience without judgment, effort or trying to fix it. It will then let go on its
own. I am not talking about allowing the feelings to be present. I am not talking about going
deeper into the feelings to explore them. All I am saying is watch them and see what happens.
Yes, this is a fun game to play. I used to teach this trick to my fitness clients back when I was
a personal trainer. The brain runs all the hormones in the body which affect mood, health, and
physiology.
And how does the brain know whether to make you fit or thin? Happy or unhappy? Healthy or sick?
It knows by what we tell it. Beating yourself up is most definitely a message to the brain to
produce negative effects in the body. In addition to releasing disapproval (and the desire to self-punish) one can
also give instructions to the brain very simply by holding mental PICTURES in mind of how you would
like to look, but the trick is to hold that desired image and tell yourself "this is how I look now" as
opposed to "if I could only look more like this mental picture THEN I would be happy, good enough,
and lovable..."
Give yourself the love now. Why wait?
And when you tell yourself "this is how I look now" and all this resistance comes upfor example:
* no you dont
* have you lost your mind?
* youre fat and ugly
* youll never look that good
* who are you kidding?
* this will never work
* or insert your own favorite form of self-punishing verbal artistry...
Just notice how those statements make you feel, and release all that resistance to your desired
image and the resistance to... knowing you can have that image be true for yourself right
now...
As you let those thoughts come and go... and the emotions come and go... and all the body
sensations... then you begin to notice that it becomes easier and easier to hold that perfect
mental image... and your subconscious will automatically begin to make all the
adjustments...so that your eating, fitness, and body physiology naturally begin to line up with your goal. You
may get inspired ideas. Different foods may suddenly become more or less appealing to
you. And as long as you continue to hold to the image, adjusting it as you wish, then the body
begins to conform.

The same applies to mood (happiness levels) and wellness (health levels) - which can also be
adjusted by releasing on: disapproval, the wanting to self-punish, and https://html2f.scribdassets.com/8olu7urznk47trkb/images/25-2317679051.png any resistance to your ideal pictures in
these areas of your life. Giving yourself love and approval is also a very big deal - and so simple. If you
have questions about what it means to give yourself love, then you are missing how simple
this is. Just start by giving up a little of the disapproval, and it will begin to become more
clear.
We get what we focus on. And life shows us what we are focusing on - by showing us how
we are focusing. Ever say to yourself:
Well, what the hell did I do to create THIS? I didnt create this!
That is life showing you the resistance you have to telling the truth. The ego plays games.
When we have an outcome that we automatically (reflexively) judge as negative then we have a few choices:
1. We can start beating ourselves up. And feel lost and confused about what-I-did-to-createthis
2. We can get mad at ourselves for being so stupid.
3. We can get mad at someone else. Clearly its them.
4. We can ask ourselves non-judgmentally:
What am I resisting here? What is my worst case scenario?
If you choose option four (and really you dont have to) - then you will actually begin to find
real, useful information about what you can do differently to create a new
outcome. Whatever your worst case scenario - this will reveal the place where you most
likely have the most resistance (usually in the form of fear, anger, or guilt). When you become
totally okay with your worst case scenario, then and only then are you free from it. Until then
it will remain as a repressed image in your subconscious - which you are constantly feeding
and energizing with fear, anger, and guilt. These are the things which keep showing up in
your life.
If you cant stand people being rude to you, then you will keep tensing up whenever you encounter
someone having a bad day, and you will be a thousand times more likely to interpret his/her
actions as rudeness. Then you will resist it, and spend the rest of the night telling yourself
(and others?) how you hate it when people act like this. Cant stand people who dont
keep their word? Guess what your life will be filled with!
In short, when you learn to love your enemies (to include situations & annoying traits) - then
you will be free. In other words, then and only then will you stop having to deal with this
situation. When you release on these issues- and most importantly when you
choose FREEDOM more than you choose fighting the problem- you will be free of it.
Two things generally happen: One, you attract it less. And you tend to interpret situations
more generously (thus you are no longer seeing demons behind every plant and lampshade),
Two, even when the situation (rude person) does present itself- you are now completely
unaffected by it. You are free. This doesnt mean that you have magically "poof" eliminated
all the rude people in the world. What it does mean is that you have dropped your resistance
to them. You can now see them as just having a bad day. You can extend love instead of
feeling triggered. You remain in your healed state- you remain in heaven (CAP, bliss, peace,
ease, etc.). They no longer have the power to pull you into hell (resistance and AGFLAP).

In a sense, you become undefended. And I say this in the best possible sense. The world
shoots its arrows at you- and they pass right through you. You become transparent to the
former problem. In short, the problem doesnt exist for you when you are in a high enough
energetic state. Its simply another opportunity to love. This doesnt mean that you never get
triggered, but from a healed mind this triggered feeling simply becomes a reminder to choose freedomagain and again. And notice that with practice you are able to regain your peace - almost
instantly.
Unfortunately, learning to love your most feared possibilities can seem like an endless
process. If you notice, you will find that once you feel totally at peace with your worst-casescenario, then there is your "second worse" case scenario. What else are you resisting? And
what else? It can seem like a long list, and if you are like most people - it is!
On the bright side, its easy to use some very simple logic here. Lets assume you will be
alive for a certain amount of time. And the amount of time starts now- and it ends when you
die. Simple enough? From now to whenever the end is. Now would you rather spend that
time re-creating all of the various worst case scenarios in your life? Now usually this doesnt
happen all at once, and the better you are at suppressing, then they usually only show up in tiny ways - even
if its just "always being on guard" and tense- cringing as you wait for the problem to
occur. Then when it does, you can say "See! This always happens to me!" Its so
much fun being right, isnt it?
The other option is to live the exact same amount of time with life getting continuously better
- as you release on these issues. And as we continue to clear out all of our inner obstacles, we
move closer and closer- to our own experience of heaven.
This sends the mind into finding proof. Your powerful subconscious then looks for - and finds
- evidence of what you did to make this happen. And here is your proof of "how its all your fault."
Now unless you can use this information for anything other than feeling guilty or angry at
yourself (hopeless, scared, etc.). All this process does, is that it gives you proof of "how its
all my fault."
The more productive choice is to use that exact same power of your subconscious mind to find solutions,
skills, and opportunities which will make you feel more powerful, happy, healthy, and
resourceful. In short, you can use your inner resources to make your life worse - or you can
use your power to make your life better. The choice is yours, and often all we need to do is
simply learn to ask better questions.
Questions are one of the most powerful ways to direct the subconscious mind:
What can I do to improve my skin- from this day forward?
What can I do to improve my physical heath?
What foods help me feel great?
And then take action on the very simple and practical answers you get.
If you find yourself blocked, then it often means that you are just in a low mood:
What can I do to get myself in a better feeling state?
What can I do to improve my mood?
What activities do I most enjoy doing?

Other ideas include: 1. Making a written list of all your positive memories. 2. Listing what
you are - or could be - grateful for. 3. Spending time helping someone less fortunate.
4. Volunteering with an organization. 5. Finding any way to get into a loving state. 6. Pet your cat, dog, etc.
7. Watch one of your favorite movies. 8. Listen to music.
Then when in a better state it is easy to find (and list) positive actions, thoughts, and ideas that
can improve the part of your life which you would like to improve. The mind loves to
daydream about metaphysics, but just make sure that these deeper questions you ask - help to
move you in the direction of your dreams.
The desire to assign blame about the past is just one way the ego like to delay your healing process. Since
we are all intelligent beings, we are always learning - and therefore moving towards healing.
The ego just likes to slow all this down (to maintain the status quo) - as a way to make you
more comfortable. But just ask yourself this, if the status quo isnt actually what I want (oily
skin) - then why allow the ego to slow me down? Why go into blame stories about my role in
things? Why not use the power of my mind to move me towards an easy and satisfying resolution of the
situation?
You can make changes in your body by releasing.
There are many ways of doing this.
- let go of disapproving of your body
- give your body approval
- let go of resisting a condition
- give your body love
For example, take a particular condition and sit quietly for an hour doing nothing but sending
love to that part of your body. Youll notice less tension, greater sense of well-being and
maybe a reduction in the intensity of any symptoms.
One day I was doing this as an experiment on my ears and I could feel my inner ears relaxing and my
hearing improved after just 10 minutes. Afterwards I was listening to music and the sound was
richer, clearer and more complex.
Some healers say the body is made up of light and information. By changing the energy flow you change
the condition of the body its like pressing reset. Releasing can be used to clear up all sorts
of physical conditions.
Some esoteric teachers speak of the energy body or an aura that surrounds and interpenetrates the physical body. What could this possibly have to do with releasing?
It is my belief (and I admit that this is only a belief) that all healing that creates permanent
change does so by making permanent changes in the physical and energy bodies. All healing
is a literal re-wiring of the brain, the body, and the energy body. It doesnt even matter if you
understand anything about the body, brain, or energy body. A good therapist (loving, healing,
good listener) has an effect on us. As we release the past... as we release our blocks to success
in the future... our neurology literally gets re-wired.

How does the Sedona Method accomplish this?

In some magical systems, they refer to things known as "elementals." These can include
anything from fairies, imps, gnomes... and all kinds of magical creatures... these elementals
are sometimes referred to simply as "thought forms." There are many new age philosophies
that refer to the aphorism: thoughts are things.
Some claim that they physically exist. They exist in some unseen way - in the same sense that
radio waves, cell phone signals, and television signals are all buzzing through the air... in fact
right through walls, solid objects, and even right through your body. In the same way,
thought-forms (elementals) are said to exist and move through the air. Some claim that
everything that exists, was first created on the level of thought. An architect
works from a blueprint, but first it existed as an image in his/her mind. Many success
teachers work with this idea, and others simply might call it visualization. Sports
psychologists use imagination and visualization to "help create success first" on the imagined
level.
In the book, The Magus of Strovolos, the teacher, known as Daskalos, speaks of our entire
personality as being made up of a collage of thought-forms (elementals). He creates healing
for people by dissolving the elementals that are not serving the person. These elementals can
be a thought, an emotion, a story about a person/place/situation. They can be an urge. Its like
a little packet of consciousness. In truth, its nothing more than energy and information.
A thousand little vectors of intention. Each pushing in its own direction.
So imagine that your personality is nothing more than hundreds of intersecting stories,
thoughts, and feelings - and that each of these exist as little packets of light. Each little packet
contains a thought, a feeling, an urge, a desire, an image, a sound, some bit of information.
Now whether this is true, or if its just a useful metaphor - either way - we can see how the
Sedona method dissolves many of these feelings (elementals) almost like letting the air out
of a balloon. In fact, you can imagine each elemental as a little colored balloon, and your
energy body as a collection of these colored balloons. As we release an emotion, these
balloons get more and more deflated. The balloons of AGFLAP get released or at least
become smaller. The same with our feelings and stories of lack. As our undesirable
elementals get deflated, we begin to feel relief on any given issue.
As we release our attachments to control (another series of thought-forms) - we can now have
the blessing of having good feelings even WHILE certain problems continue to exist. In short,
as our attachment to running the whole world decreases, we can then live more peacefully within our
"current personality." Essentially, one of the greatest blessings of releasing is that as we release
our resistance to all our elementals, they no longer freak us out.
Instead of our own personal demons (negative thoughts, feelings, and beliefs)running US now we control THEM. As we release on our thoughts, stories, and emotions - we now
become more at peace with "what is" to include our inner world as well as the external circumstances of
our lives. We begin to develop a sense of mastery over our mental and emotional
worlds. With this additional peace and confidence, we are now more able to leverage "what
is" and resourcefully use it as raw material for moving towards our dreams.

This releasing path offers huge rewards. It offers power, wealth and
happiness. But it asks a lot too. It requires that each person take full responsibility for
their own healing. And that one dives in, commits to the process, and stays with it until they
reach the goal. The ultimate goal is obviously enlightenment in all its various forms. It could
be called imperturbability, or the peace that surpasses understanding, happiness-for-noreason. It doesnt really matter what anyone calls it. Its all an act of courage. And as your
courage grows, your healing accelerates...
Courage, determination, commitment,
And so I repeat: So if this is true- and maybe its not- what can those who TRULY want more
success, love, and abundance do?

And this is my best answer:

Courage, determination, commitment.
Its not the only answer, and its certainly not "the right answer"... it is simply part of
the journey... and part of what it takes... to truly allow the healing process to unfold... when
you develop these three qualities, things will begin to happen fast for you.
Until then, it may seem like "two steps forward- three steps back." Its as if there is some part
of us that is fighting change. For every bit of progress, there is an equal and slightly
greater amount of backsliding...
What to do?
Well... unfortunately... nothing. Unless you are committed, and willing to do the work,
nothing you try will help. There is no right therapy, no magic therapist, no "perfect"
relationship, no ideal job- nothing on the outside will fix it. And nothing on the inside will
change either. We all have an internal self-regulatory system that keeps our lives basically the
same over time. The only way to over-ride this... is by wanting it bad enough... and getting
excited enough to make the commitment... to work your ass off... to do whatever it takes... to
reach the goal...and when you do this... things start happening fast.
This has been my experience. First nothing changes. No matter what you do, no matter how
hard you work, nothing changes. Am I doing this right? Do I understand it
properly? Why isnt it working? Whats wrong with me? Maybe releasing just doesnt work
for some people? Maybe it doesnt work at all... And then... you get fed up with all the "poor
me" complaining...and you decide enough is enough... and you decide to take some action... whatever it
takes...you decide to make it happen...This is when the magic starts to happen!
Another angle on this (I agree with all of the ideas above) is that you are not really "releasing"feelings when
you release on a feeling. What you are actually doing is more in line with theenergy of
welcoming. Allowing yourself to HAVE the experience you are having. So with fear,for
example, its not the "getting rid of" that allows the fear to dissolve. It is the process of
allowing yourself to actually FEEL this emotion that you were suppressing, denying,
or distracting yourself from. The method works by "reconnecting the wires."

When we run from a feeling its like trying to fix your car engine by cutting the wire that runs the "check
engine" light in your car. Releasing/Welcoming is in many ways a process of willingness. This
willingness to feel ALL of our emotions- the good as well as the bad- allows us to process them
quickly and get all the messages they are conveying to us. So our minds and bodies dont have to keep trying to
re-send the message.
Now, with "good emotions" we might not mind being stuck in them for a while, but here you
can see that we are actually doing two things. We are enjoying the feeling AND terrified that
we will lose it. The second element is what ruins it. The fear creates a kind of clutching
or holding on - and thus the "losing the good feeling" becomes a kind of self-fulfilling
prophecy. The clutching carries with it a contracted kind of consciousness as well as a tense
body posture.
When you release on the good feeling it is actually a kind of confidence that there is "plenty
more where that came from."
Holding onto the good feeling (instead of releasing it), creates a belief in scarcity.
There is sometimes a bit of tension between certain "camps" in the healing community. The
more one has been profoundly helped by some tool, technique, or modality - the more one
tends to "swear by it" and insist that it is the one right way to heal. This is very common, and
it happens regardless of whether one invents some system on their own - or if they are a
devout follower of someone elses technique or method.
There are the purists, and the tinkerers who feel a need to play with everything and change
things around to suit them. Which way is right?
Well, in my experience, neither. The entire question is loaded and tends to be a bait-andswitch proposition. Just like the magician who wants you to look at his left hand, while his
right hand is pulling something from his sleeve. The real thing to look at isnt what works or
even if you have the right to monkey around with a proven technique. The real issue is about
the nature of healing itself. I find that it is part of the human condition- to conform to the
subconscious images one has oneself. If you believe that you are unworthy of healing somehow not good enough - then you will take ANY method, no matter how effective, and
then change it around as a way to keep yourself stuck. It is also tempting to do this as a way
of avoiding any of the difficult or upsetting portions of any transformational process.
True change is often scary and WAY outside of ones familiar comfort zone. I often get the
image of the cartoon turkey that is going into the oven, and it keeps blowing out the match so the owner cannot light the oven for thanksgiving dinner. No one wants to get cooked!
And that is what real transformation is all about. You are "going into the oven" and you wont
come out the same person. Parts of your ego are not going to like this.
The actual process of change is not about "getting everything you always wanted" and
magically eliminating all the bad stuff. It is much more like going to the gym and putting in
your hours. Its hard work and it feels like nothing is happening, except for a bunch of sweat
and sore muscles. Sometimes the process is so gradual that its hard for you to notice any
progress. Often its your friends or relatives who will begin to notice the changes going on
inside of you. And then finally one day you will look in the mirror and begin to see that
something is very different. Life is decidedly easier, and your stress level is way down. And
this is just the beginning!

So it may sound like I am arguing for the purist side of the issue-and against "changing things
around" - but I am actually suggesting that it really doesnt matter. No matter whether you are
too rigid or too lax, your ego will find a way to use your rigidness or over-flexibility as a way
to avoid staying "out of the oven." In short, it doesnt matter WHAT you do - your ego will
find a way to try to weasel out of it. The real trick is make a strong internal commitment to
healing your life. There is a balance between following the rules and making adjustments and we must all find our own way here. There is no one right answer that applies to everyone.
As a guide it may be helpful to ask yourself:
"Am I making adjustments to avoid something hard or uncomfortable?"
"Am I sticking to the script out of a fear of really exploring and investigating this?"
Some people begin their release work simply by repeatedly listening to an audio program where they are
being guided. While this is excellent, if after two months you still havent developed your
OWN form of practice then you may be limiting yourself unnecessarily. How will you ever be
able to bring your releasing in the real world and learn to feel open, relaxed, and at peace if the only way you think of releasing is "that thing I do while listening to the audio?" I am
not against releasing this way, I am simply suggesting that there is no way to make your
releasing constant if that is the ONLY way you have practiced releasing.
The real issue is that most people come to releasing with some combination of a desire for
self-development, desire to let go of some feelings of internal discomfort, and perhaps to find
a way to reach your goals more effectively. The catch here that all change tends to be
temporary, until you find a way to change yourself.
We all impulsively seek out quick ways to change the situation, and very few honestly are
willing to change themselves. A famous teacher once said "everyone wants relief, but no one
wants the cure! A cure is too painful. It involves real change, and may take some effort. But a
cure is the only thing that will allow you to heal."
The Sedona Method, when applied diligently, will allow you to question and dissolve all the things that are
holding you back. It can free you to achieve your goals and give you the ability to heal any
part of your life that is out of balance. The only real question is "will you do the work."
There is no doubt that the ego has a hundred ways to try to convince you:
1. This is a bad idea.
2. It doesnt really work.
3. You dont understand it.
4. Everyone is getting results, except for you.
5. This whole thing is a con.
6. No matter how hard you try, nothing happens.
7. All great gains, will be followed by immediate setbacks.
8. All progress is temporary.
9. Everything eventually goes back to the "way it always is" no matter how much work I do.
If you hear any of those voices in your head or your thinking, you can relax and be assured that your ego is
alive and well. It is doing its job perfectly (and its not even a bad job!) Its real job is to keep
you safe and secure by keeping your life familiar and within your comfort zone of what you
are accustomed to. Even if you are used to suffering, its there to help you feel normal-and to
save you from "whatever is on the other side of the coin."

So in the parts of your life that suck, your ego is right there to help you stay out-of-balance, if
that is what you are used to. And in the parts of your life that are wonderful, its also there to keep things
just the way you like them. Thats its job.
True change is about making a solid internal commitment to over-ride this unconscious
mechanism and "ride out the storms" of its resistance. And the way we do this is by learning
to love it. We love and accept the resistance. This is like adding water
to fire. Fearing, judging, or hating the resistance is only adding fuel to the fire - resisting
the resisting - this is just turning up the heat. It is an exercise of the ego to resist - so more
resisting is only like giving the ego steroids. This is the first hurdle. To practice
loving whatever shows up. And for some, just thinking about change can bring up a
whole pile of resistance and fear - and this is how the ego works - it pitches a big fit and gets you to go into fight/flight - be afraid and run for cover. Only when you are
willing to stand in love, are you truly able to handle all the fear and nonsense it likes to throw at
you. Remember it is only trying to keep you safe. You may find its helpful to think of it as
a scared child, and your job is to give it love and attention.
Instead of getting "all wrapped up" in its games- it often helps to just stand back and give it
your undivided attention. Notice the thoughts as they arise. You can write them down if you
like. And resist the urge to let them wind you up. The temptation is to react instantly, and
believe every fear-thought that crosses your mind. This is its plan. It wants to control you
by keeping you in a state of fight or flight. Many people live this way, in a chronic low-level
state of worry, rushing, and anxiety. This has become the comfort zone. Your first taste of
bliss will actually be a big threat to the ego, if you have never really felt bliss before. It may
double its efforts to wind you up. And the solution is the same. Do not combat the ego. Just
stand back and notice the thoughts. Love them. Give each thought your full and
loving attention- as it floats in and out of your mind. And then there is another... and
another... and you simply develop this skill of watching and loving... each one in turn arising and
falling away... as the habit of loving develops momentum within you.
In the end, the ego will still be there. You will always have a personality. And as you begin to
trust your work with loving, releasing, and observing - the changes you make will feel
wonderful. Your ego may resist the changes in the beginning - regardless of the
change. And then the ego will get used to the new ways of being in the world - and begin to
protect these as your new normal. And if you stay with releasing long enough, your ego will
experiencing releasing itself as your natural way of being in the world. And perhaps then you
will experience a natural state of constant releasing that flows naturally and effortlessly - as
you learn to love and embrace each moment of your life.
What will that be like for you?
What will it look like?
How will it feel to live in that way?
Many may recognize the words "loving what is" as the title to a popular book by Byron
Katie. It has even become a bit of a common phrase in some self-help circles. In my mind,
this phrase has a lot to do with what the Sedona Method calls letting go of control. If not
identical, then at least very similar. As I see it, this is one of the main obstacles in healing any
part of ones life or experience.

In essence there are two parts to any healing equation:

First there is "learning to love or accept the situation" exactly as it is. Thats the first hurdle,
and believe me, I know it can seem huge or even impossible in many situations. It helps to
practice with small things that annoy, upset, or scare you. Tiny things. Little things that you
KNOW you could let go of... if you wanted to...
The Second thing is taking action. Yes, it may seem like a contradiction, but its there. Its
essential. First, learn to love it. Then, take action to move the situation towards your goal
or preference. And if you think about it, its not as crazy or paradoxical as it sounds.
Just think of someone who loves their house. They enjoy the people, the space,
the environment, the feel they get from being there. And dont they take action to keep their
home tidy and beautiful?
They might even redecorate the rooms occasionally to make it even more comfortable to live in. You might
wonder why they would redecorate if they already love it so much, but if you give it some
thought... perhaps they redecorate it because they love it so much. And maybe the analogy
fits a little better for someone who really loves their body or their car...
Would you ask "why wash it if you love it so much?" No, probably not.
Its obvious. They bathe because they love and care for their body. They maintain their car
because they love it. Wash it, paint it, overhaul the engine, make upgrades...The voice of fear
suggests that accepting something... loving something... "Oh no! This means youll be stuck with it
forever..."
Reality suggests otherwise. Where there is love... where there is common sense... where there
is a willingness to act... then things do change. Continuously. Nothing stays the same.
Everything is in flux. Acting and interacting. And the love allows us to add our own input to
the situation in a way that is graceful, creative, and perfectly timed. Frustration creates poorly
timed input to many situations that throws the dynamic off balance, and disrupts the energy.
We "bite our tongues" or say the wrong things. Fear tends to cause a shutdown and a lack
of input. We tend to freeze up and do nothing. Love allows us to take in reality "as it is" and
to add our own input in a relaxed way. Like someone polishing their beloved sports car, or
two lovers spending a lazy day in bed cuddling and being playful. When we are in AGFLAP,
we know that we are "missing the mark." We are well aware that our actions and inactions are
poorly timed. Poorly executed. But we often just dont know what else to do. We
seem to lack access to grace or the right information...
In reality, grace is always there. Intuition is always there. Its just a matter of
"tuning the radio" to the frequencies of CAP. Peace, insight, and grace dont take a vacation
when we are having a bad day or in extreme situations. Its just that we may have developed
internal habits of hating or fighting certain situations. An automatic reflex to close down
our relationship to grace when certain things happen. Its a matter of opening up. It has
nothing to do with what is going on... on the outside. Whatever it is, you can always train
yourself to open up, to love it, and respond gracefully. Its a choice. A decision. No one can
make you do it, and youre not wrong if you still find yourself closing down in certain
situations. Opening up, loving what is, releasing control... its not like these are the "right and good" things
to do and any OTHER response is bad, wrong, unhealthy, etc. No thats nonsense. Its a choice
to open or to close. Both are valid.

It helps to see that our wounds are where we close. They are where we tend to experience the
most fear or anger. Its where we go into "fight or flight" mode. Where we tend to attack,
defend, and justify everything. When we close, we may also feel very right about it. The
fear voice tells us that closing down is the right thing to do, the only thing to do, and any
other response would be completely insane. To be loving in THIS situation. To open up in
THIS situation? To let go of hating this? To accept it? Thats nuts! Then it would
just keep happening, right? It means it would... right?
The little voice... that little gremlin inside of us... (that we sometimes mistake for our own true
voice)... it is very clear... only when you hate or fear this problem ENOUGH... only then will
it change...
And the challenge is simple and obvious. Simply look and see. Just ask yourself how often
this "solution" has actually worked in the past... and also how frequently it has actually made
things worse. Just do an honest review of your history and see for yourself. And you can take
a moment and reflect on this. The mind will have its opinions, but if you really look and
review things, you may get a different perspective on your own history. The mind doesnt
want you do this. It likes things as they are... the more you may heal... the less control it has
over your thought process...
The more we heal. The more we allow love to have its way with us... the more we become
free from "old thinking styles." We slowly and progressively free ourselves from the fears and
wounds of the past... and the patterns of thought, action, and inaction that were linked to these
wounds and experiences. In one sense they are very real... these wounds... these occurrences...
they really DID happen... they do happen... all the time... every day... and not just to us... they
happen all over the world...
And in another sense, they are not as real. They can be seen as memories. Relics of the
past. Things we may have carried, but now have a choice about. We can continue to carry
them around like a thousand suit cases or a backpack filled with a million rocks... or we can
slowly unpack these events... these large and tiny rocks... and practice letting them go. All the
little ways we clench and protect ourselves when we anticipate the possibility of "something
similar happening"... and we practice welcoming, unclenching, letting go...
The voice of confusion likes to muddle things. To love something, we dont need to like it. To
accept something we dont need to tolerate it. Its an internal shift. We can take
all the required action on the outside, all the while we have the option to open up on the
inside. I can love my broken toe, and still go to the doctor to get an x-ray. Love doesnt mean
like. It means an internal alignment with reality.
It means dropping the internal hate party. How?
Welcome THAT too! Okay so Im having an internal hate party. Thats reality. Now I see it.
Im aware of it. And just noticing it means I am approaching the beginning of a choice. A new
possibility. Now that I see it, I can choose to welcome it. The hate is there. Im
in the mud, and really rolling around in it. Really enjoying it. Im into it. The hate is
flowing. Ive turned the hot water onto full blast. Now I can do one of two things. I can get
into this blazing hot shower... step into that scalding water... burn the hell out myself (and
whoever else I interact with)... or I can make a new choice, to add some cold water. I dont
need to beat myself up about it (hate myself for hating)... thats just adding more heat.
The way to bring hot into balance is to add something cool... something soothing... add some peace...
some humour ...some kind of gentleness...

Again, this is a simple formula for changing anything: Love it. Take action.
First love what is. Then add your own action from a place of CAP.
Love the car. Wash the car. Maintain it. Love the problem THEN address it. Let the
"sanest version of yourself" be the one that adds the input to the situation. So very often,
in the areas where "the mind" is in control (wherever we feel the most stuck) - in these areas
we allow our fear or frustration direct the action or inaction. Its really a choice to let love
run you. Body and mind.
Kind of an internal commitment:
"Today I will bring my most loving response to this situation." Again this is not a suggestion
to suppress. Dont deny the reactivity, fear or upset. Love that as well. Bring your most
loving response to that too.
In fact, that may be the most important part of the equation. To say it another way: dont
make the situation wrong, dont make your emotions about it wrong, dont make your
desire to change it wrong. Love all three of these. Thats grace. More accurately, thats YOU
being open to grace. Its you opening up. Its welcoming on all levels. Its you with all
your problems and limitations. The only difference is that you arent waiting for your mum or
Lester to love you. To be there for you. Youre giving it to yourself. Its an internal choice to
allow love in without needing some superhero or authority figure to say: "Youre
okay. You deserve it. Here have some love." And then going: Whew! I feel so
much better! Essentially, its an internal choice to love yourself without needing some special
occasion...
So thats it. No magic. Just love plus action. No super-secret formula. That IS the
formula, and the joke is that we already know it. Weve heard it a thousand times over a
thousand lifetimes. And were already doing it. In any area of life thats working,
were already doing some version of this. We just "forget it" in whatever area of life we
label as stuck, and then do something called struggling-to-fix-it which is just code
for: remembering what we already know and applying it to this area where we feel stuck,
afraid, angry, and wounded. We apply what we know, what is obvious, what has always worked... to
this area where we have an old habit of being hard on ourselves...
And the loving is nothing more than a skill. Something to practice. Doesnt matter if you call
it loving, accepting, letting go, or welcoming. Open up, take your time, then act. Practice
opening, practice acting, and practice combining them. So its really three skills. Opening,
acting, and doing them both at once. Weve all had moments of loving someone
or something. Weve all taken action. And most likely weve all had moments of being in the
flow. Inspired, graceful action.
And while the following suggestion may have VERY little to do with releasing, it may have
everything to do with "being released"...
The more you practice being released in the very situations that piss you off, the more you
become immune to being pissed off. The more you practice letting go in the situations that
make you sad, the more you are able to move into CAP as they occur. The same with fear.
When you practice doing what scares you, then fear begins to lose its magical power to stop
you in your tracks. In short, fear stops functioning as some kind of boogie man in your life.
You begin to "live into" your own personal experience of being limitless.

As you practice opening up, you develop a kind of emotional intelligence. You notice the
AGFLAP, and then begin to move out of it almost automatically. You recognize the feeling,
and you also recognize that it has no power to influence you. No power over your mind or
your actions. No power other than what you give it. No need to use Sedona or releasing as
some kind of crutch or novocaine to "escape the emotion" - and then "oh it didnt work" if the
emotion doesnt go away. No. Releasing becomes something different. It is a way
to feel INTO the emotion. A way to move through it, rather than run away from it. You no
longer judge the emotion as bad, nor do you judge yourself as bad for feeling it.
You simply begin to "tag it and bag it." Yup its there. Im noticing some fear, deep breath,
welcome it, love it, invite it to stay, and then go about taking the most loving action you
can that is appropriate to the situation. You love the fear, yourself, the mistakes youre
making, the mistakes everyone else is making. Nothing special.
You dont have to do anything other than what you are already doing. No magical solution.
You live the same day youre already living. Do all the same stuff. Just without the internal
clenching. And of course, when youre in CAP you think differently. You probably speak
differently. Feel more optimistic. Behave differently. So its not a matter of having a bad day
and then beating yourself up... telling yourself you should release more... love more... BE MORE LOVING
(right now dammit!)... no... nothing like that. Its just allowing the shift to occur organically.
Instead of letting the AGFLAP direct the thinking, perceptions, and choices... you welcome
the AGFLAP AND the situation... and as that begins to shift your thinking and feeling...then
let that new response direct your activity.
The response... the welcoming... the grace... whatever you call it... its already there. Its more
a matter of choosing it. Remembering it. Allowing it in.
And allowing this accepting-peaceful-energy to flow to yourself, your feelings, your wounds
AND the situation. As you welcome it inside you, and allow it to circulate within your mind and your
body, it has to have an influence. You may not notice how it creates a change inside of you. The
mind doesnt always understand it. Doesnt always like it. But it always has an effect. And
the more you allow it in, the more it changes how you function in the world. Its fine to do
your best in the world. To try and be nice. Act loving. Do all the right things. And
all this is external. Great. Do your best with all that, but if you are exhausting yourself
trying to "do it all right" while being really hard on yourself and others... then I will go out on a limb and
say that you may be doing it the hard way. And its very likely that you arent adding any actual
love or peace to the situation. At the extreme, people may sense or feel the fear and frustration
"coming out your pores"... at the minimum theres a hopelessness, a kind of apathy, that rides along with the
action. When real love drives the input, theres a kind of magic that occurs. It doesnt mean
that everyone suddenly likes you or that long-standing problems get resolved in seconds...
All it means is that youre practicing unplugging yourself from the matrix, and you have made
a personal commitment to bring the highest energy you know... to every person, event, and
situation in your life... to include yourself.

Before

we

go any

further:

I want to say that its easy when reading articles like this one to think that you should be doing
what the author says, and shouldnt be making the mistakes she points out. If you have recognized
yourself in the examples above and are now feeling guilty, please know that
(a) you have done nothing wrong
(b) almost everyone else either feels the same way or has done so in the past.

So how does the Sedona Method help with these conflicting desires, and what do these have to do with
goals?
Instead of trying to force yourself to change, or berating yourself for having a hidden motive
for your goal, with the Sedona Method, you welcome all the feelings, thoughts and images that
arise when you think of or read your goal.
W h a t , y o u m e a n I m s u p p o s e d
t h e s e a w f u l f e e l i n g s ?

t o

w e l c o m e

Yes, and no. First, youre not supposed to do anything. But if what Ive written so far seems
helpful, then keep reading. Welcoming a feeling, thought or desire doesnt mean you will
hang on to it forever. Nor does it mean you act on the desire or feeling.
Welcoming simply means you acknowledge whatever is there and dont judge yourself because of it.
We have the thoughts and feelings we do in an attempt to protect ourselves, and welcoming is really a way
of acknowledging that, and of accepting what is here right now. It also leaves the way open
for what is here right now to change in the next moment, whereas resisting means we get caught
up in a struggle that keeps alive the very feeling we want rid of. Resisting what here is right now means
that your energy is directed into that trying to change what has already happened, instead of onto
taking action to achieve your goal.
Heres a real example from my own life of how to approach goal setting
the Sedona Method Way:
First, as with most goals processes, write the goal in the present tense, and in the positive.
Include how you would like to feel in your goal. Id like to feel at ease so I include the word easily.
Goal: I easily complete the first draft of my novel by the end of January.
Now notice your reaction:
My first thought is, Fat chance! I feel tense, and a sinking sensation comes in my gut.
I welcome that. This may seem counter intuitive, but as I do I feel better, more relaxed. The
goal actually feels possible. I remember how much I enjoy working on my novel, and feel eager to get back
to it after having had a break.
I think about my goal again, and doubt surfaces, along with a thought: Ill fritter time away
and never be able do it. The image that comes to my mind is of me on January 31st, having done nothing
and feeling disappointed.
I welcome that. As I do, I spontaneously breathe out, and relax. I see now that the thought and
image are old habits, just part of the old-fashioned way of trying to use fear to force change
(wanting control, and wanting approval.)
Now I realize that perhaps my original goal could be unrealistic and part of an old habit of trying to
compensate for what I believed to be lack of drive by pushing myself.
(Remember that push-pull we looked at before? Its now easy to see that these conflicting
beliefs have been holding me back.)

I see that a more realistic goal would be to complete the first draft by the end of February.
That way I leave time for other projects, such as writing articles on Hubpages or working on
learning more about Search Engine Optimisation. I also now notice that the original goal was
creating a sense of feeling rushed, which made it hard to focus on the task in hand. I feel
much calmer now, and more confident that I can work towards my goal.
Notice that throughout this process I didnt try to figure out what was the best thing to do, but
a solution showed up as I welcomed. This is a major aspect of The Sedona Method, that
instead of spending hours weighing up pros and cons, which usually results in feeling caught in a loop, we
welcome feelings and our minds naturally become clearer.
It may seem counter-intuitive to welcome so-called negative feelings or wants that hold us
back, but the moment we do so our emotional state goes from negative to positive.
The very act of welcoming is an act of courage and creates acceptance, and in a state of courage or
acceptance we are able to move forward easily to reach our goals.
The fifth way is a little like jumping RIGHT to the answer key in nondualism. Instead
of studying and learning and sweating to learn your algebra - your buddy stole all the answers
to the quiz and is selling them for 5 bucks a piece. Thats the good news AND the bad news.
The problem is that if you skip the work, you also skip the learning. And everyone wants
relief NOW. Solve my problems right now! And the original ways of releasing are a bit like
putting in your hours at the gym or studying for your algebra exam. Eventually you DO learn
all you need to know, and more studying isnt actually going to help you. Skipping right to
the answers at this point is incredibly helpful. Pay the five bucks! (its just that we all want to
get there before we really ARE there.)
Ideally, the fifth way can act as an accelerant. Mixing it up with "normal releasing" works
very well in the beginning. There is a learning curve for developing emotional
intelligence. We need to understand at the deepest levels that our emotions are OURS. They
were not caused by other people or external circumstances or stimuli.
Once you peel back the curtain, and begin to dissolve the "solidness" of this "you that you perceive yourself
to be" then the problems have very little to stick to. For me, resistance is the glue - the
stickiness. So the first four ways are about getting really GOOD at dissolving
resistance. Instead of fighting the emotion, you learn to feel it. To feel it consciously. To
welcome it. You actually invite it in like a guest you are welcoming into your home. Right
into your body (its often helpful to remind people that you ARE feeling it in your body
anyway - the only difference is that in the past you were just really good at ignoring or
distracting). And then like any other guest, you allow it to leave as well. In resistance, we do
the opposite. We have "the guest" standing at our door knocking for eternity. It can never
come in, but it cant ever leave either...
So once we have developed a bit of this emotional intelligence - built up our spiritual muscle
so to speak - we then can begin to find faster and more efficient ways to relate to the
problem. We are now good at releasing the feelings and the wants.
Now we can see that this stickiness of certain problems involves three players:
1. Me
2. The problem, and
3. The glue/stickiness/resistance.

In the first four ways we learn to drop the fight (which only glues us to the issue) which then
allows us to bring elements one and two together. The guest comes in, the guest
leaves. Over and over. Until we REALLY do see it as a guest. It stops being a
metaphor and we really have no problem welcoming our hate, our fear, our lack of approval,
etc. We remember how much relief the welcoming gave us LAST time, so we gladly repeat
the process.
Now we finally get to a place where we can really question the first of the three elements (me,
the problem, and the glue). Without a "me" there is nothing for the problem to stick to.
It becomes like space debris - and it passes right through us. The more and more we
investigate this "me" and its supposed solidness, the less stuck we feel and become. It is an
experience of lightness - in every sense of the word.
The whole point of releasing is your freedom! Anything you do that goes against that is not
worth it.
So whats the answer? The first step is to stop forcing, naturally. Get to a state of leisure.
What are you trying to get to, through releasing? Ease, effortlessness and leisure, correct? So,
THATS the way to go! Try to first get to a point of leisure. This ability is inbuilt in all of us.
When weve had enough, all of us say Oh, screw that!, and simply go into this leisure state. Weve simply
had enough. We kick out all concerns and simply be. Everybodys done that. Its very easy.
To release something does not mean to fight and win against it. It means to be free from the
need to do all that.
Releasing allows everything to flow as it should. Everything is constantly changing, moving,
flowing in this world. Releasing is seeing this, and allowing it to happen. Releasing isnt
trying to improve the situation. Releasing is allowing to be, what is already there, and
allowing it to move on. As everything is changing you will have happy thoughts, good
emotions, but also unhappy thoughts, negative emotions. Be aware of each situation. See
how each experience, in each moment, is so unique and has different effects on your world.
Dont analyze, dont judge; just notice.
You are just seeing the thoughts and emotions for what they are in this moment with an open
heart (notice I didnt say mind). Release anything that holds you to that moment. Let this moment
come and go. Releasing is not a mental process. As soon as you get the mind involved in releasing, effort
comes in. Releasing is simply seeing what is, and not going into your mind for a solution or to find
something different that you think you should be experiencing
If someone just said something nasty to you, how does that affect your mental and physical
well-being? Loosen the attachment (Release) and see how those words from someone else affected your
being. Dont analyze, just notice. Releasing is letting go of the labels and just seeing
everything for what it actually is. Did this situation trigger a slew of other thoughts? Did it
make you hot under the collar? Did it give you a headache? Notice these things, but Release, and let them
go. Make a game of it. Lose your attachment. That is what Releasing is about. Release the
belief that you shouldnt have these types of negative things happen. Release the label that these
are even bad. Just experience them for being something new to experience in this moment. Releasing
helps you live in the present moment.
Release from the heart rather than the mind. What does that mean? It means seeing things
without the labels attached. It is seeing things exactly as they are in this present moment.

Releasing should be simply to quiet the mind in this moment so that you can actually see what is going on in
this moment. If you are participating in a sport, staying in the present moment is very
important and releasing can enhance that experience. If you are in a social situation, releasing
can help you interact in a relaxed and comfortable way. If you are in a financial deal, releasing can bring
your intuitive talents into place so that you can maximize your efforts.
Remember, Lester wants us to spend time meditating on one thought, to the exclusion of other thoughts. In
his words meditation is a necessary step in quieting the mind. When I say meditation, I mean
holding one thought to the exclusion of other thoughts, and that one thought should be a
question. As other thoughts drop away, the mind gets quiet and concentrated. When the mind
is concentrated, you will experience your Self and it will answer any and every question.
Learn how to meditate and in that state learn how to release. The deeper one goes, the more one
discovers the innate joys to which there are no limits. Joy is unlimited because you are infinite. But
the major thing to accomplish is the ability to control the mind, to meditate, to release, to drop
into peace at will.
So Release so that you have the ability to quiet the mind. If you want to go Free, then use that
talent to be able to concentrate on one thought to the exclusion of other thoughts and do that
with the help of releasing. If you just want this world to be better then release so each present
moment is experienced without the destructive thoughts behind it.
Make it as simple as you can.
I wanted to share a quote from a daily mediation email that I receive. To me, this quote speaks
directly to the heart of what releasing offers:
"Remind yourself that you can move into the higher Light, the Soul now. You do not have to
wait for some future time when all your problems are solved and things are perfectly smooth."
The above speaks to the world the masters live in. All the masters who have walked this
earth. All the masters who are alive and well right now. This is the world they live in. And
good thing for us, its the exact same world that we live in too...
For too long, we have all been taught that heaven is a place that we "might get to" - after we
lay down this body - and only if we have been good in this life. Modern advertisers have
basically updated this con, and sold us this same message by exchanging heaven with words like "success
and happiness." We are taught to live by comparison which in itself is a no-win scenario. The
comparison game is clearly rigged. As long as we can look and find someone who seems
more wealthy, successful - even more spiritual - then clearly we have somehow fallen
short. This all seems somewhat logical until we look at some of the dynamics of success
itself.
A practical question might be, "Do successful people do this? Do they look at more successful
people - and then berate themselves for not being rich or happy enough?" And perhaps they
do, but this only shows that they have fallen into the trap as well. They may have money, but
are internally unhappy - until they learn to cherish what they DO have. This includes family,
health, friendship - as well as material blessings. Until a person is truly grateful for what they
have - then success will always seem "one step around the corner."

And the truth is that the more we learn to release, the more we can adopt the internal mindset
of success - right here and now - and it doesnt require a new car or a new
spouse. Of course, there are external habits of success as well. And our habits in this area
will govern our level of outer success. Without learning to "win the inner game" - it is
impossible to fully enjoy our material gains. As we all cultivate the ability to identify and
release all the little things we resist, we can all begin to move into a "here and now"
experience of heaven.

Sources:
http://hootless.com/
http://releasingforum.multiply.com/
http://sedonamethodreleasers.blogspot.co.uk/