Amazing Things

The past several weeks have seen a time of much transformation and inner growth for us all. We have, both individually and collectively, released the old, what no longer served our highest and greatest good, in addition to closed the door on the nine-year cycle. If you had already not learned to "Let Go and Let God," to trust fully in the process of life and in yourself, you were given quite possibly the best opportunity of your life to do so. And yes, most of all, you finally realized your self-worth. You became aware to how you were not loving yourself. And you made the decision to allow yourself to follow your soul, your higher self, your guidance, your angels, the Universe, Spirit, and God. Talk about an early Christmas gift, huh?

The Universal timeline has been revealing itself to us, one present moment at a time. Depending where you are at in your journey, you may have seen glimpses of present moments to come for you over the past year. For others, you may have actually experienced those glimpses in the form of a series of present moments, such as a holiday or celebration of some kind. And yes, for some, what you saw one year ago, in one form or another, has now taken Earthly shape in your reality.

Around this time last year, I attended a beautiful holiday service at Unity of Buffalo. At the very end of the service, an elder member of the church, an Earth Angel by the name of Mr. Riches presented to be a laminated card that featured the lyrics from a song written and performed by Jana Stanfield and Megon McDonough.

A couple of things are for sure when you walk this path that you chose to walk: that you are exactly right where you need to be and that when someone or something shows up in your life that you have never met or experienced before, be still, listen, and ask for what it is that you are meant to learn from this person, place, thing, or experience.

Almost immediately after reading the lyrics, my soul and my higher self had a pretty good idea of what my grandmother was trying to tell me from heaven.

You will do amazing things,
With the choice each new day brings,
And with every step you take,
Bless the progress that you make,
The reason you live,
Is there in every gift you give,
Love your life, love your dreams,
You will do amazing things.

In order for me to receive these "Amazing Things" with ease and grace, to lead a Spirit-driven life, I first had to be completed cleaned out. I had to be spiritually stripped naked. To let go. To release all fear. To forgive myself and others for any perceived hurts or hurts. To leave the past in the past. So that I could have God and Spirit run my life.

I can be the first to admit that 2016 may have had the illusion of being the "most difficult, challenging, and toughest year of my life." I very easily could look at it this way. Having to navigate through my fair share of illusions, uncomfortable experiences, and perceived triggers could have made be bitter, jaded, and even wanting to revert back to subconscious programming, limited beliefs, and self-sabotaging behaviors. It was really convincing. You may be feeling the same way.

By beginning to tune into my guidance and follow the path of my higher self, along with the assistance of some other beautiful Earth Angels along the way, I began to see the "big picture." I began to see and feel the "Amazing Things." I had to make a simple decision: Did I wish to keep replaying the same stories over and over in the mind, allowing myself to see the eyes of the past through the eyes of the present? Or could I gently close the book on the old, relinquishing the story that I thought I was (which was maybe the most painful part), and move gracefully into the new.

I followed all of the necessary action steps that I was advised to take. I chose to focus. I chose to bless what and whom was already in my life. I chose quality over quantity. Most importantly, I chose to believe in myself, more than I ever had before.

In the summer of 2014, while still working in collections, I began seeing glimpses of the "big picture." I was still in the looping pattern of suppressing my emotions and feelings, numbing myself through various ways. Towards the end of 2015, I saw and felt the progress that I had made, while also acknowledging that there was still a little bit of work left to do, after receiving this heavenly sign from Mr. Riches. Fast forward one year, to last Friday, and I made the decision to finally and truthfully let go.

Through a very empowering and healing exchange with another Earth Angel, I gave myself the permission to forgive myself and anyone along my path that may have hurt me, indirectly or directly. Quite possibly, I allowed myself to tap into the deepest levels of my vulnerability, which I had felt, on some level, could not be expressed. I had finally set myself free. From years, generations, and lifetimes of suffering.

Through these energies of the New Paradigm, we have learned that we have more than enough time to do what it is that we are meant to do, while also knowing that we can no longer delay our life missions anymore. So after that sacred exchange of love, all truly began to take Earthly form. And in a profoundly quick fashion.

The suppressed emotions and feelings that came from this past week or so, combined with Winter Solstice, have provided me with an opportunity that I am familiar with: that I cannot run away from my shadow. That I cannot be afraid of "the dark." In order for these "Amazing Things" to fully take form, I had to take the time to rest and recharge. To process and fully integrate. To not keep looking over my shoulder. To love myself and all that was arising. And to give the attention that I had given to everyone and everything under the sun to myself.

It may have been maybe one of the most uncomfortable weeks of my entire life, but I now know why I had to feel what I felt: to embrace what I had stuffed down. To realize that hiding myself was no longer is an option. To express myself fully and authentically wherever I go, no longer being afraid of what he or she might said. And to fully honor my market value of love, which one cannot even put a price tag on. As one of my my dearest friends said: "John, that's like putting a price tag on your soul."

So, as we enter the final days before Christmas and New Year's, I invite you to join with me in setting two very powerful intentions, maybe two of the most powerful that you and I will ever make in any lifetime. First, may this holiday season be the most abundant, amazing, blessed, happy, healthy, joyful, merry, and miraculous of our lives and the lives of those we love and serve. Secondly, through the posting of this My Empowering Miracle blog post, I allow myself to fully receive the "Amazing Things" that are here for me now. I allow myself to release whatever may have wanted to hang on, no matter what/whom it might have been, and I allow myself to truly embody the Christmas Miracle that I always was, is, and will forever be. So it shall be. So it is. Done. Now. May you also receive the "Amazing Things" that you were always destined for. May you awaken to the gifts, the skills, and the love that you always were yourself. May you take your next steps alongside me, as we journey together into this new one-year cycle, walking each other home.

Thank you Mr. Riches. For playing your part. For being an Earthly vessel of love. And thank you Babcia, for always standing by my side, for reminding me to never give up, because when you feel like you're about to, that is when the miracle finally happens.

Wishing you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas, a blessed, happy, prosperous, and safe New Year. The best is yet to come for us all in 2017.

Namaste.

If you feel this infusion of love and healing helps and inspires you in any way and that I can be of further assistance to you in your spiritual journey and awakening, please contact me via my official website to book a private spiritual guidance session. And if you feel that I can be of service to you and hold the space for your transformation in a more deeper and meaningful way, I look forward to sharing more information with you about my Walking Each Other Home Spiritual Guidance Mentorship Program (launching February 3rd), details of which will be posted after the holiday season.

Don't Give Yourself Away

One of the songs that I resonated with growing up was one of U2's most famous tracks, With Or Without You. This timeless classic, along with Foreigner's I Want To Know What Love Is, We Are The World, Cyndi Lauper's Time After Time, and a few others spoke to my heart and my soul growing up as a child and into my teenage years. My higher self knew the reason why I gravitated to each of these. The meaning behind U2's With Or Without You was not revealed to me in my physical realm until the past several weeks.

Before I mention how this song spoke to me, take a quick look at a portion of the song's lyrics below:

And you give yourself away
And you give yourself away
And you give
And you give
And you give yourself away

From as early as I can remember, I always loved to help people. In fact, I still do. I loved to make people smile. I still do. I love to make people feel good. I still do. I love when I can remind people of how special they are. I still do. I love to remind people of their value. In order to fully affirm reminding people of their value, I first had to be able to do that for myself.

For most of my life, I was operating under the old paradigm. My subconscious beliefs and mindsets, passed down from generation to generation, were running my day-to-day existence. I let people tell me what to do. I was a "people-pleaser," afraid of authority and power. I suppressed my emotions, feelings, and vulnerability. And yes, for all intensive purposes, I shut down my internal guidance system, while also believing that "there was something wrong with me" and that I was not good enough.

I wanted to be a sportscaster growing up, the next Chris Berman. Part of me even wanted to either work for the WWE or take my popular wrestling radio show, Monday Night Mayhem to Sirius XM Radio. How did that pan out? Well, I worked in collections for 13 years, experienced various perceived illusions and hardships, and was stripped "spiritually naked" not once, but twice. It could have looked like I lost everything. Depending your perspective of things, you may be right. I choose to take a look at things now from the perspective of my higher self.

Now here's the thing: I could easily go victim-consciousness mode and blame myself, blame my family, blame my college professors, and pretty much blame life and everything in it if I truly wanted to. I could. Looking back now, that would not make any sense to me at all. Everything happened exactly as it should, getting me to this next wave of the awakening.

I had to ask myself a series of tough questions, including "Why were things not working out for me?" I knew, in spiritual truth, that the Universe is always working with us, not against us, that all happens in perfect divine order, and that there are no mistakes. But my ego demanded not only one answer, but many answers. I would receive those answers through a unique form, when I was introduced to the work of Esther Hicks and Abraham.

Around that same time, I remember telling one of my friends a few months ago that it felt like "everything in my life was already here": I had met the woman I was to spend the rest of my life with. My son was already born. I was living in California. My book, My Empowering Miracle, was already published. I was speaking, teaching, and traveling around the world. The children's wellness center for terminally-ill children that my grandmother provided a vision for me was already open in San Diego. Wealth and abundance on every level imaginable were feeling as if they were already here. With this being said, part of me was asking God what was missing.

There was nothing "missing" in me. I was already perfect, whole, healthy, and complete just the way that I am. What I simply had to go was raise my vibration. Raise my energy levels. That I would be attracting everything that was meant to happen on my path. All I needed to do was love myself. Even more. Do the things that brought me happiness and joy. Fill my cup up first before anyone else's. This is where some of the powerful learning and some of the most amazing shifts in my life began to translate into my Earthly experience.

I had to first assess what I had created subconsciously. I had to take responsibility, ownership, and accountability for what I did. I had to forgive myself. I had to forgive every person whom I felt brought me perceived pain. I had to let go. Of every suppressed feeling of fear, guilt, shame, judgment, and all other lower-level vibrations that were stored in my cellular memory. Basically, I had to forgive and let go of the first 34+ years of my life and send it away with love. I CHOSE to do this. It was the only way to move forward and co-create the life that I was meant to have, the life of my dreams, a Spirit-driven life.

I can now look back and say certain things had to happen to get to this point. I had to learn important life lessons. When I opened up my publicity company, Empowered by John, in the summer of 2014, I remember trying to plan how I could leave collections and run the business full-time. I told myself, more or less, the following: "Here's how much I am going to charge. Here's the clients that I am going to work with. And here's how it's all going to look/unfold." Part of that is true. The last part, not so much. That's in God's hands. But there would be a time that I would be able to charge what I felt I was worth. And there would come a time where I would say "these are the types of clients that I am want to work with." That time...is now.

I remember a friend of mine asked me a question last week, asking me: "John, how much do you feel you are worth?" My head tilted sideways. I was ready to answer that, instead of dodging that question, as I had did so many times prior when the lovable topic of money was brought up by someone else. This Earth Angel told me: "John: You are priceless. You cannot even put a price tag on your value, on your worth."

I was beginning to realize over these past several weeks leading into this divinely-orchestrated conversation that someone may wish to work with you for who you know. There is truth to that. Someone will may also want to work with you based on what you know. There is also truth to that as well. But the thing that was beginning to make the most sense for me was that someone will want to work with you because of your ENERGY and your CREATIVITY. And I was now ready to place that belief into my reality. That, along with the belief that was shown to me by another dear friend and Earth Angel that I was worthy of having unconditional love in ALL of my relationships.

Leading into the 11.11 energy portal, quite possibly the biggest shift on our planet to date, and leading into the biggest Supermoon in nearly 70 years, I am ascending at a rapid rate. My entire life is changing with each present moment.

I am no longer tolerating abuse, because I no longer wish to abuse myself. I respect the time, value, and boundaries of others, because I am honoring the same for myself. I am loving myself first. And as the result, serving others is becoming more fun, something that is bringing me happiness and joy, not a "chore," as I saw it for decades.

I have begun to take my life back, and it feels very good. I let go and given the reigns fully to God, Spirit, my angels, and to Babcia, trusting in myself and my divine guidance, knowing that I am choosing the timeline of my highest self and for my highest and greatest good. I know that I have some work to do, that a few more present moments and shifts may be necessary for me to get to where I'd like to truly be, but I rest comfortably knowing that I am exactly where I need to be right now. That I am making tremendous progress. That I am moving in the right direction. And that's what counts the most. Not where I was. Not even where I am. But where I am going. California really is here in this present moment.

The advice that I can give to my fellow Earth Angels, empaths, and empowered souls is this: Do not give yourself away. Do not let those lyrics from U2's With Or Without You be the voice in your head, the one that projects fear, guilt, judgment, and shame all throughout your Earthly vessel.

Honor yourself. Honor your energy. Honor your worth. Most importantly, honor your love. You are worth more than you realize. You were put here for a purpose. Do you honestly think that you were put here to only work a desk job for a living, raise a family, pay your taxes, and die? In the words of my dear teacher and mentor, Wayne Dyer, "Don't Die With Your Music Still in You."

It took me several years for things to be revealed. What seemed like lifetimes of soul growth. But it was all worth it. At the age of 35, I am starting to embark on an excellent adventure. My dharma is just beginning.

So if you feel that you are lost, alone, or trapped, if you feel like there's no way out of your current "life situation," that things feel, look, and seem hopeless, do not give up. You are divinely supported more than you realize. God and Spirit are co-creating the perfectly-tailored plan for you, one that will allow yourself to be the you that you were born to be. Listening, following your guidance, and taking action steps will be required, but if you trust, if you believe, if you plant an inner knowing in your heart and your soul, those dreams will become a reality.

Despite what your five senses may want you to believe or what the opinions of others may be, do not sell yourself short. Do not settle. The time for "playing small" is done. Your soul will no longer allow that.

In spite of several illusions that may have seemed very real at times, I followed the path of my soul. I let my heart lead the way. I chose to surrender my life last summer after hearing the diagnosis of perceived testicular cancer. I made the bold decision to leave my full-time collections job without a "safety net." On the surface, I may have had everything taken away from me, but in truth, the old had to die, so that the new could be born. My new life. Being built with a healthy and strong foundation of faith. Being built one brick of gratitude at a time. My new bank account at Key Bank. One deposit of love at a time.

In truth, you already are a millionaire of love. Everything you want is already in your vortex. It really all is here. Right now. The question is whether or not you wish to believe that about yourself and your life. Do you feel worthy of accepting this as the truth? The choice is up to you. The Universe will support you in whatever you decide.

Remember this: You are a child of God. You are unlimited. You are infinite. You are divine perfection. You are the Universe.

Namaste.

If you feel this infusion of love and healing helps and inspires you in any way and that I can be of further assistance to you in your own spiritual journey and awakening, please contact me via my official website to book your private spiritual guidance or healing session. It would be my honor to serve your soul. In the words of one of my greatest teachers, Ram Dass, "We're all just walking each other home."

Great Expectations: No Expectations

I am not the same person that I was from when I penned my last blog post to now.

On the surface, it may look like one month or so has passed. In truth, it has felt like years, if not generations or millenia, of soul growth. Much clearing out and even more coming in. The downloads. The energy. The raising of my vibration. The tapping into the collective. Choosing to be tapped into my divine guidance. And surrendering. Everyone. And everything. Welcome to the next wave!

Over the course of the past several weeks, there have been a series of divinely orchestrated events that have taken place in my life, all of which I have been blessed for, more than words can describe. It has felt, in many ways, that God, Spirit and my higher self have been guiding me to these destinations, which have come in the form of new relationships, opportunities to serve humanity, and connecting to the truth of who I am.

Earlier this summer, when I was blessed to work as an after-school teacher here in the Buffalo area, I remember hearing the song A Whole New World playing on one of the televisions, as the kids were watching Disney's Aladdin. My soul told me that that time was coming. It was almost an anthem that the Universe was playing for me, allowing me to feel and hear the energies of what was to come for not only just me, but for the Divine.

Fast forward about one month ago. I surrendered myself freely (yes, a surrender within the surrender, within the surrender). This is when things began to shift, maybe more than they ever have before, when my higher self, Spirit, and God took the reigns. You know when that's happening when you are completely outside of your comfort zone, where you are trust completely, and you not only listening to your divine guidance, but you are also following through with action on what is being told to you.

I was told by a dear friend of mine in Minnesota to go see Jai Jagdeesh at Unity of Buffalo. Seeing as Jai's chant Et Ong Kar had cracked my heart open at the Hay House I Can Do It event earlier this spring, to a level of love and understanding that I had not experienced before, I figured this would be a wonderful opportunity to say "thank you" in person. I also had seen Unity of Buffalo being a possible backdrop of where some of my service work for humanity would be taking place. I knew I had to be there. Despite what my five senses wanted me to believe, despite what my external environment may have wanted me to think, I was being called.

I go to Unity, and it turns out the event was not a concert, which I had thought it would be. It was a night of chanting (which I was completely up for) and Kundalini Yoga (which I had stopped doing a while back, out of fears that I had about "not being able to hold myself in alignment). Throughout the evening, there were powerful intentions that were being sent out into the Universe, with La Luna still appearing in the skies above. I knew that the entire course of my life was now shifting. I began to realize just how powerful of a manifestor that I was, and the time was here to use those gifts for the highest and greatest good.

Now, I can admit: I am a recovering people-pleaser. I had an addiction to wanting attention from other people. I know that those things are in the process of being dissolved and being healed. The reason I say this is because I brought a few business cards with me. You know when you go to a networking event, you never know who you might meet. I came from the perspective before of judging myself silently in many things that I did, even if the intention behind it was pure and sincere. You can turn anything into a judgment if you want to. So, I was blessed to meet several gentle souls that evening, exchanging contact information with several, including one who was placed to the left of me on a yoga mat.

Within a matter of a few days, I found myself in some of those very unique settings that I had never experienced before or in some time: being in a park with someone other myself, enjoying the company of like-minded souls at a delicious raw food potluck, being at a group meditation and hands-on healing, a two-hour silent meditation, and more. Yes, there were several new angels that my grandmother had placed into my life, at a time where they were indeed needed. Divine timing times infinity.

I was beginning to feel unconditional love. Truly for the first time in my entire life. I was beginning to place my energies on people, not on profit. I was beginning to detach myself from all end results and outcomes. Borrowing the word from that one beautiful soul, I was learning to "float." To be grounded, focused, and centered in the present moment. And yes, to not be attached to anything or anyone.

As I was learning through Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life, Wayne Dyer teaches us through his studies of the Tao Te Ching to not focus on accumulating things. To realize that, in truth, we do not own anything. We do not own anyone. We are, more or less, here on loan from God and Spirit.

So yes, I came from a perspective not that long ago of attaching myself to anything and everything that felt good. In turn, that created much pain in my life. I know was comprehending that if we do not attach ourselves to a specific end result or something, that we save ourselves much pain and suffering, and also, we allow things and people that are in more of an alignment with us to come into our lives.

During these several weeks, I became confused at the same point. When you experience things for the first time ever or for the first time in a while, you tend to overthink things. Yes, I did that too. A lot. Instead of being in your heart, you tend to be in your head. Wondering how this and that will be turning out. Hoping it will turn out "the way that you want to." This normally occurs in relationships, which are our greatest teachers.

Babcia had told me that I would be having a son at some point on my path. The energies from that began shortly after her passing in 2013. And they have been getting stronger and stronger since that point. I was beginning to think that maybe the divine timing of that was now. The way I was interpreting things, the signs I was receiving, were validating that.

Last Sunday, after the silent meditation, I was asked by one of those angels if my needs were being met. Part of me actually wanted to say no, but I stuffed that feeling down temporarily. Yes, suppressing my emotions and feelings were par for the course as well from before as well. This was again asked to me Thursday night after my Walking Each Other Home Meetup Group at the Lancaster Library. Shortly after that and into this weekend, I realized this is something that was coming up for healing. It could not be ignored.

When you lead a life of putting other people first, before your very own needs, your soul will let you know clearly that is something that cannot and will not be tolerated anymore. With the energies of the next wave of the awakening, going back to the before is not an option. Everyone else's needs were being met regularly. Not mine. And my life was continuing to mirror that. So, with awareness, I spent time with my inner child, nurturing it, and healing a deep emotional wound that was in play for about 30 years of my life, which had shattered my trust, instilling doubt within me. I am grateful that my inner child is now happier and that healing has very much begun happening from that.

You might be wondering why is the title of this blog Great Expectations: No Expectations. A little spiritual humor if I may: Well, wouldn't it have been funny if Charles Dickens called his timeless classic with that title instead?

It speaks for itself: When you live your life in a space of ZERO expectations, only the greatest things can happen to you, because you are not anticipating a specific thing to happen. And yes, even when I started to begin being in the flow, being in the vortex (as Esther Hicks and Abraham talk about), I was still hoping for certain things to happen. And when I didn't understand something, I began to ponder, and when I began to ponder, I began to try to control. You can see why this was causing some discomfort and fogginess over the past few weeks.

So here's what I do know (in no particular order): #1: I am loving and trusting myself today more than yesterday. #2: I am more aware and stronger than I was yesterday. #3: I am a host to God. #4: Time has begun to expand for me. Time is on my side. #5: I am asking to be tuned into my internal guidance and that of God, Spirit, and my angels more each and every day. #6: I am asking my grandmother to show me whom to serve, how to serve, where to serve, and when to serve. #7: I am safe. All is well. #8: The worst is behind me. #9: I am divinely supported. #10: I am now prosperous, wealthy, and abundant. #11: I am perfect, whole, healthy, and complete just the way I am.

While at the same time, I can also truly resonate with that the words of the beloved spiritual teacher Nisargadatta Maharaj: "Love says 'I am everything.' Wisdom says I am nothing.' Between the two, my life flows." 

This may sound like a list of affirmations. There may be truth to that. However, you know that you are making immense progress when you stop judging yourself and begin loving yourself, when you acknowledge how far you have gone, how much growth you have had, and be proud of the direction that you are going. When this happens, life becomes easier for you. You begin to own your worth. And believe it. You put an end to the struggle. A period at the end of the sentence. You break up with your emotional pain body. You realize you cannot play small anymore. That it's time to fly. And as my dear teacher, mentor, and friend, Anita Moorjani, says: "You begin to live your life fearlessly."

So I know that my higher self is leading the way, because I now choose the timeline that is for the highest and greatest good of my soul. I know and trust that all happen when and where it will, because all will be seamless. It's a pretty good feeling, knowing that even though I released power and control of my life to my grandmother, Spirit, and God, that I do have their power flowing through me, through the co-creation that I am choosing.

I am forever grateful to that one beautiful soul, that Earth Angel from above. For being my mirror. To show me that I am unconditional love. That love does not lie outside of me. It lies within me. That I am worthy of this love being felt in each and every relationship in my life. For reminding me that I am brave. That I am courageous. That I have such powerful love to give myself and to humanity. For reminding me of who I was. For helping to walk me home. For this and for much more, I say "Thank you teacher."

I've been telling myself that the best part of My Empowering Miracle is happening right now. In this very moment. I know that I am not giving up now, because the best is yet to come. Why would I throw in the towel now when some of the most memorable moments of my life have yet to happen Including my son. who knows that I am getting my sh*t together.

Uncle Ben from Spider-Man said: "With great power comes great responsibility." I know that my mission will require that. With that being said, I continue to remain grounded, grateful, and humble for all. For every interaction. Every experience. Every breath of life. In the words of Wayne Dyer and the Tao Te Ching, I choose to lay low. I choose to trust. And to believe.

My heart is now more open than it ever has been before. When that happens, you can allow yourself to receive more than ever thought imaginable. I choose for this next wave of the awakening to be on my side.

Join me in staying in Earth School for a little bit longer. And the next time you see Great Expectations in your local library or bookstore, smile. It's the Universe's way of reminding that the best expectations are when you have none.

Sat Nam. Namaste.

Living My Reality. Not Pretending

It feels like it's been quite some time since I last had the inkling to come here and express myself here on My Empowering Miracle. It has been over two months since my last blog post.

I assure you that I am safe and that all is well. At the same time, it's time for me to be completely real and transparent, maybe more than I ever have before in my life.

You see: Growing up, I always loved to make people feel good, to inspire their spirit and raise their vibrations. Some things don't change. I still love to do that, in what seems like a completely different, yet similar way. But, I would place my needs and wants last. I would be the guy that wanted to make others feel loving and warm, yet deep down, I felt that I was unworthy of my own love and attention, that my own needs and wants didn't matter.

I was inspired to pen this new blog post after coming into contact with a beautiful soul named Cindy Turner, who has recently released her new book: Losing My Breath: From Loss To Transformation, in which she shares her journey after losing her 20-year-old daughter Chloe unexpectedly in an accident.

People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Depending on wherever you may be on your own path, your higher self and soul may share with you early on in the interaction why you were meant to connect with that individual or at least give you a strong impression. All is took was me reading about a dozen or less pages of the book to find this passage:

"My therapists and spiritual guides kept my healthy and whole. I valued them for helping me to deepen my experience, while staying grounded in my life and for keeping me in check, making sure I was living my reality and not pretending."

So yes, I am a creator. I love to create. At the same time, I have to come clean and confess: I have been afraid to create and afraid to write over the past two months or so. I let the illusion of what was going on in "real life" try to take my focus away from doing what I love and enjoy. That. Stops. Now.

I incarnated here to be able to express my emotions, feel my feelings, and allow myself to express my vulnerability. It may have taken nearly 34 years to get to the point last summer, where I was ready and willing to begin doing that, when I chose to undergo chemotherapy as part of my healing.

I was stripped naked spiritually and was given the opportunity by the Universe to feel my pain, to begin loving myself on the deepest of levels, and beginning to co-create heartfelt conversations and relationships for the first time in my entire life. It does not get any more raw and vulnerable that two people sharing their journeys together in that kind of setting, how they came to that particular present moment, while holding the space for one another during a time of transformation, with an inner knowing that the best is yet to come, including the realization that I was already healed in God's eyes. It would only me a matter of time before I began to see and feel what he saw when I saw born 35 years ago: that I was whole and complete just how I was.

My teacher, my mentor, my guardian angel Wayne Dyer shares with us the following, a message that is even more profound now than when I first saw it: "Would you rather be right or happy?" Acknowledging my own mistakes and learning from them, forgiving myself and others, the releasing of any expectations of any kind, learning to love myself and others unconditionally, while not seeing myself as separate from God all have been instrumental in my own healing.

So, I thought I was brought down to my knees before. I thought that one could only be spiritually stripped naked once in a lifetime. I. Was. Wrong.

I had emotions and feelings that I still bottled up, that I had not let go of. Pain from previous relationships. Trauma from past lifetimes. And yes, I was also operating on a subconscious level, through old default programming, limited behaviors, and mindsets that were not even my own, but from generations long ago.

You see, for the majority of my adult life, until just about a month ago, I was operating my life from a perspective of "What's in it for me?" vs. "How may I serve?" I was placing the majority of my energies into acquiring and chasing, never feeling a sense of completeness as I was.

I took everything for granted. People. Relationships. Money. My own love. And most importantly, my connection with God and Spirit.

I was never happy. I felt that I was never enough. I felt I had to continue to prove myself. On some level, I felt that just "being me" wasn't going to cut it. I was that blinded by my ego.

 I was shown that I had to take full and compete responsibility for my life. I had to. That was part of the healing process. By owning the fact that I had created every experience, in one way or another, would be essential to me in taking my next steps forward, maybe the most important ones on my journey.

I was being granted the chance to make amends. To do everything a different way than I did before. "To walk down a different street," as Wayne Dyer refers to. It was shown to me that I needed to take full and complete responsibility for my life.

God, Spirit, my angels, and grandmother were helping me, brick by brick, to rebuild a foundation for my new life, one that would be based on unconditional love, integrity, respect, and compassion for all of humanity, a life that would be Spirit-run, a business that would be Spirit-driven, something that my soul had wanted, but the Earthly part of me thought would never be possible.

I took on a position as a part-time After School Teacher here in the Buffalo area for the summer. Instead of placing my full focus on the happiness and joy that I was beginning to feel for the first time in my entire life, my ego was giving me reasons why this couldn't work out out. How much (or "how little") I was making. The number of hours that it was "taking away" from my publicity and social media work. I was telling the Universe that I wanted out by the end of the summer, that I "didn't see myself there" before the end of August. Guess what: I was given my wish. About one month ago, I clipped the curb leaving my apartment parting lot, busting my tire. Thankfully, I was OK. But, I had to call into work. The next day, I received a phone call saying that it wasn't working out. For the first time in my life, I was fired from a job. Not voluntarily parted ways. But let go.

So, for close to three months, there was various experiences, blessings, and life lessons that were happening. That brought me to the point of a full surrender. Spiritually. Emotionally. Financially.

Things go have a way of working out when that happens, because you fully acknowledge that what you are facing is beyond your control. You give it all to God, Spirit, your angels, and your spiritual team to provide the best solutions. My friend Arron, whom I had worked with in collections for close to five years, assisted me, along with an angel named Guy, who came out of nowhere with the proper tools, in putting on the spare tire for my car. Before he Arron parted ways, he gave me a copy of the Bible. This time, I knew what was happening here. I could not scoff at this. This was God's way of showing me what to do.

I had spent so much time invested in worrying whether I was going to fail or succeed, controlling relationships, how much I was making/going to make, and being afraid of getting close to new people coming into my life, being afraid to let love in, and to receive anything that was attempting to flow my way. This. All of this. Could and would not survive in the new paradigm of my life.

So yes, my life had to crumble. That was merely what I knew. But what if, from this deconstruction, something even more beautiful could be born?

I was learning the importance of being grateful. For what I had in my life. A teacher who took her a lot of her time (for which I am eternally grateful for) showed me the significance of letting Spirit lead me to the next chapter of my life.

I have been following my inner guidance over the past two weeks, something that I am still getting used to. It actually feels really good. By doing this, several powerful shifts have happened within my life.

A friend of mine in Minnesota told me that Jai-Jagdeesh, the well-known singer, chanter, and yogi was coming to Unity of Buffalo, as part of her Revolutionary Love tour. Her chant, Et Ong Kar, had cracked me wide open to a level that I never felt, a chant that changed my life forever when I first heard it in May at the Hay House I Can Do It event in Toronto. I went to the event thinking it would be a concert. I was wrong. It was a Kundalini yoga get-together. I didn't bring a mat. The Universe was definitely bringing me out of my comfort zone. I could've run away. But I didn't. I stayed there. Picked up an extra mat. And went home for the first time in years. This was how I was going to be releasing what I was holding back. It was painful, but also energizing. It reminded me that anything is possible. That I am unlimited. That I am infinite. That I could finally release this. And that it wouldn't involve reading any more books, watching any more YouTube videos, speaking to any other gurus. It was simply a matter of feeling. Then releasing.

After the event was over with, I connected with Jai and set a powerful intention for the rest of my life, one that I know the Universe heard on that Full Moon evening, surrendering all end results and outcomes to Spirit, knowing and trusting that it would indeed turn out even more beautifully than I ever imagined.

I was guided back to go to Unity of Buffalo with members of my soul family last Wednesday for their International Day of Peace festivities, which included an evening prayer ceremony, a delicious pot luck dinner, walking the sacred labyrinth in their Peace Park, a night of theater, as well as closing the evening by signing John Lennon's Imagine. On this day, one year ago, I was here at Unity. One year after completing chemotherapy. Where I began to move forward. 365 days later, I was provided the opportunity to do the same, but this time, knowing and feeling the truth. Through the theater group that came into Unity that night, I learned that the pathway to peace was by being my authentic self. I was ready to now do that.

I had lived my life feeling that I would let people down. That I would offend someone. That by being myself, in some way, shape, or form, things wouldn't go "according to plan." But whose plan? My plan?

I have now since realized that whatever visions I have seen or felt for myself, if they are meant for the highest and greatest good of my soul, will indeed take physical form. Some already have begun to have. It is more important now for me to remain completely humble. For everyone and everything. Expecting nothing. Merely putting out energy of love wherever I go, placing my connection with God and Spirit first and letting everything else fall into place the way it's meant to happen.

I have seen and felt, just from the past several days, what you can see and feel when dropping your facade. What happens when you let love in. When you allow your heart to soften. When you let your guard down. When you surrender control. When you just. Show up. Know that whatever is presented to you that you are ready for. You can take the time to let your ego tell you that you aren't worthy. Or you can beat yourself up more. Or a combination of both. But honestly, what would that do?

Do I have all of the answers? Nope. Am I still rebuilding? Yes. And I'm not afraid to say that. I choose to acknowledge just how far that I've come vs. seeing myself as "broken," "shattered," or any other similar words. God doesn't see me as broken or shattered. So why should I? God is unlimited and infinite? So, why shouprofould I spend time believing any illusions that reflect the opposite.

I now choose to use my love, my power, along with my skills and my gifts that I was blessed with to empower humanity, not just myself. I choose to be grounded, balanced, and centered. I allow myself to give and receive. I allow myself to be happy and joyful, just for the sake of being happy and joyful. It's still a bit difficult at times for me to place myself first, especially by looking at the commitments and responsibilities that I have, but I trust that I am getting better by the day. My soul was always leading the way for me, and I strongly believe that that it is even more so now.

I am thankful for what has been shown to me over the past several months, especially the last few weeks. I simply place my faith, my trust, and my love in the hands of my grandmother, who has been watching over me since she made her transition a little over three years ago. She showed me that I would have miracles and wonders coming my way. She reaffirmed that last June. My Empowering Miracle does not have an expiration date. I have learned that My Empowering Miracle...is...me.

Sat Nam. Namaste.

A Full Surrender: A Time To Love Yourself And Heal Your Inner Child

Earlier this week, for the first time in my life, I picked up and held a child, as one of the little empowered souls and Earth Angels that I am blessed to watch over asked me to.

I can admit: At first, I resisted. I froze. In my tracks.

You see: Many of us on social media take the time to post the "bells and whistles" of our lives, when things are going really amazing and awesome. But honestly, how many of us out there actually allow ourselves to be vulnerable and speak their truth when we are faced with perceived challenges and obstacles. Without judgment, I've seen many empaths and lightworkers "close up" or be afraid to show that side of them, thinking it will make them look broken in some way, fearing they may lose clients, make their image or business look bad in some way, or a myriad of other things.

Guess what: You are spiritual, but you are also human too. If you are petrified of expressing your emotions, feeling your feelings, or being vulnerable, you are truly holding the space for yourself. How can you do that for others if you cannot do that for yourself?

So, I can come clean: There has been many perceived triggers, challenges, and obstacles that I have experienced over the past several weeks. I have come far enough along the path to know that this is all for a reason. The wheels aren't falling off. It's quite possibly the biggest breakthrough of my life. All of these things, as they do for each and every one of us goes back to loving ourselves. And yes, I have been struggling with that.

Through various messages I have received and various messengers that have spoken directly to my soul, there has been a shift that has happened. In order to fully allow myself to receive the love that is meant for me, in all forms here on Earth School, I have to fully love myself and let go. Not 50%. Not 75%. Not even 99%. But entirely. And for whatever reason or another, I was having difficulties with that subconsciously.

So, yes, I hesitated at first to pick up this little Earth Angel. I froze. But a few moments later, I picked up him. I looked at his face and saw such a beautiful smile. His soul was so happy and free, which I felt through his energy. The gateway to his soul said it all.

That was the Universe's way of telling me that I can now pick up my inner child, without judgment, shame, humiliation, guilt, or fear, look him in the eyes, and tell him "I love you."

I can admit: I don't have all of the answers. I honestly don't even want to ask many questions anymore. Flat out: I just want to be. I choose that. This spiritual awakening and journey that my soul chose to walk on is as difficult or as easy as we make it out to me...and I no longer choose for it to be hard or tough. I release the need to no longer push, force, or coerce, consciously or subconsciously. I now choose to love myself and let all of the other chips fall as they may.

So yes, judge if you will. Call me "Mr. Softee." Place a label or judgment on me based on years of limited thinking or subconscious beliefs that went back generations before I was born. You have every right to do that if you wish. But guess what? I believe that the more I am able to be myself, the more I love myself, and the more I trust in myself and the process, the people that are meant to stay on my path will and those that do not serve my highest and greatest good will dissolve completely. So yes, even those who irk you, upset you, or piss you off serve his/her role. They help to crack you open to the unconditional love that you are even more.

I continue to remain grateful, grounded, and humble and know that this is not the end, but in truth, a new beginning, one that my soul and all parts of my being have wanted for the longest time. Angels, Babcia, God, Universe: I am your vessel. Do with me as you choose. I am here to serve humanity as you direct me, which comes from my loving heart...one that I now choose to fill up with my own love. From this, only good is here and only good is coming.‪

Spiritual Guidance & Healing Sessions For Those In Need

For my entire life, beginning at a very early age, I was told by people that I had positive, loving energy. I always knew that deep down, but did not truly realize the gifts within that until Spirit and my grandmother spoke to me last Wednesday night.

I have blessed with some of the greatest teachers that any soul could ask for. Each and every one of them reflected back to me the unconditional love that I always was, which was perpetually clouded by the collective ego: judgment, shame, guilt, fear, and all lower-level vibrations.

I always knew that I had a message that wanted to get out, one spoken from my heart, one that was fully guided by Babcia and through Spirit. I was not ready for that.

Instead, I chose, on some level, to refer to myself by titles that, in truth, felt good, but didn't feel like they were my true authentic self. My energies were wonderful, but they were always split off in multiple directions. I have learned, through this journey that I chose to walk on, that where your energy goes, your attention goes and vice-versa. I have also seen over the past several months that I can manifest at the speed of light. It's not just a spiritual cliche or affirmation. It's the truth.

I now know that I am truly ready to use what I have learned through my spiritual journey and every experience in this lifetime for the greater good of humanity, to be a sacred vessel to hold the space of others, and to honor the downloads that I have received this month and put it into the Universe effective immediately.

I am proud to announce that I am entering the next chapter of my soul's journey, as I am now offering my services as a spiritual guide for those in need through one-on-one phone and Skype sessions. I have been asked to get myself out of the way (which is an incredible feeling), to focus on the service of love, and to make this cost-effective for everyone. 

Following the instructions from Spirit and from my grandmother, I am offering anyone who feels that I can be of service to them in this fashion a one-hour private spiritual guidance and healing session for only $70.00 (through August 18th).

Now, many of you are familiar with my journey in some way, whether it be through Monday Night Mayhem, Soul Luminous Radio, Empowered by John, as well as through My Empowering Miracle. Some of you may not be familiar with me at all. You may be learning about my work for the very first time as you navigate my blog, for which I am grateful for.

The knowledge and the tools that I have acquired over 34 years, that I am deeply grateful for, I now wish to share with the world, but more importantly, I choose freely to give my positive and loving energies to those who are in the midst of a transformation, whose spiritual awakening is seeing them morph from being inside of cocoon to that of the butterfly. And yes, Babcia and the rest of my spiritual team will be present with each transmission of love and healing.:]

You are welcome to contact me via e-mail (at JohnMasiulionis@gmail.com), via Facebook (under John Masiulionis), via Twitter (@EmpoweredByJohn) to book your session. If you feel that anyone you love, care about, and/or know could benefit from my energies and my love, please forward my information to them or share this blog post on social media, should you feel guided.

Know that you will not be judged. You will not have any emotions or feelings projected upon you. You will be held in a sacred space where the light of the Universe and the love of our angels will be leading the way in this, as I have asked Babcia and Spirit to flow fully through me from this point onward.

I will still be offering my services as publicist to those empaths and lightworkers in need, again following the guidance of my grandmother and Spirit. When you are given many gifts while here on Earth School, it's important to not only give freely, while allowing yourself to receive, but also to not suppress any of your talents. I no longer wish to do that. 

Your support has meant the world to me. I can admit, even though it may not look like it on social media, I too have been struggling with clarity to a large degree for quite some time. I no longer feel that is the case. I welcome the opportunity to serve, to make a lasting impact on the lives of those I help, heal, and inspire, and to be myself, to be John, while getting myself out of the way and letting Spirit guide me in 111% of everything that I do.

Thank you Babcia. For everything. Together, we can and will make a difference. It has already begun. So it shall be. So it is. Sat Nam. Namaste.

Your loving grandson,
John

The World Needs You NOW: Choose Love

We may look different on the surface. In truth, those are all illusions. Our titles. Our sexuality. Our religion. The number of zeros in our bank account. Our possessions. Those are not real. At the end of the day, those are the things that tend to create fear in our lives in one way or another.

There is only one thing that is real...and that is love. Just imagine if everyone in the world fully believed that, even just remotely, even for just one day. The world could possibly be healed. That might seem like a pipe dream, but I assure you that's not.

I am literally heartbroken at the news coming out from Orlando the past several days, first with the senseless shooting of Christina Grimmie and the mass shooting overnight at Pulse Nightclub.

Honestly, how many more tragedies are necessary, whether it be locally or globally, for us to accept one another's differences and simply embrace each other for his/her own magnificence and uniqueness? A lot of people have referred to "the world we now live in as a nightmare." If you continue to live your life in fear and believe this is what the world is not just now, but will continue to be, that will be the reality that you create for yourself.

You might be wondering what can you do during this time to make a difference. Just lil' ol' you. The answer: More than you realize.

First, and most importantly, be yourself. No matter what anyone tells you, no matter what your external environment may reflect back at you. You are absolutely beautiful. You, right now, are a child of divine perfection. You are unconditional love. You, yes you are God, whatever or whomever that means to you.

Secondly, give of your time and your energy. Give blood. Volunteer at a hospital. Give food to your local food bank. Call a friend and ask if he/she needs anything. It can even be as simple as smiling at someone you don't know on the street. You never know how far that smile could go. It may, in fact, save his/her life.

And finally, LOVE AND FORGIVE YOURSELF and LOVE AND FORGIVE ONE ANOTHER. There are times where this is challenging, especially if your spouse or significant other, someone in your family, or one of your friends or business colleagues pushes your buttons and/or "hurts you." This takes daily practice. It's part of the reason why we are all here. As Ram Dass says so beautifully: "We are all just walking each other home."

Do your part. Begin by loving and forgiving yourself, releasing the judgments, the shame, the guilt, the stories you have kept telling yourself for years or even decades. Give yourself the permission to start your day as a clean slate, a blank piece of paper...and give others the opportunity to do the exact same.

At the beginning of the day and at the end of the day, we have a choice. Well, actually, we have many choices. But, this is what it all boils down to, something that I learned through my dear friend and soul sister Scarlett Lewis: We can either choose love or choose fear. We've seen what happens when we choose fear, haven't we?

The tragic events happening now in the world are a wake-up call, not a nightmare. You can wake up and rise up to fulfill your life's purpose and shine your light more than you ever have done before, or you can stay asleep and continue to numb yourself to your own pain and that of the world. It's your call...

Orlando: I have many beautiful memories of my time with you over a decade ago. Those memories will not be tarnished by these past few days. Join me today and this week in prayer, meditation, and love and send healing energies to this beautiful city. 

Namaste.