There is such a need for healing on our planet, and the work of healing ourselves is a part of healing the planet. In the course of the workshop everyone, including the facilitators will learn something which will help them improve the quality of their lives.

Louise’s Nine Points of Basic Philosophy

[Derived primarily from the Science of Mind philosophy and A Course in Miracles]

1. What we give out, we get back.

Always. This message has been around for a long time. Remember the golden rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." The golden rule was never created to produce guilt. It is a law of nature that how you treat others is exactly how you will be treated.

This also applies to our thoughts. If we judge and criticize, even in thought, then we will also be judged and criticized. If we love and accept ourselves unconditionally and also accept others unconditionally, then we will attract people into our lives that will give us the same unconditional acceptance and love. Thoughts of hate attract thoughts and actions of hate. Thoughts of jealousy attract lack and loss into our lives. On the other hand, thoughts of forgiveness attract healing and prosperity. Thoughts of love bring not only love into our lives but incredible good- more than we can imagine.

Let's do an affirmation together: "I give out love and joy, and find it wherever I turn."

How many of you are already using positive affirmations in your lives? They are used a lot in this work. An affirmation is really anything you say or think. A lot of what we normally say and think is quite negative and does not create good experiences for us. We have to retrain our thinking and speaking into positive patterns if we want to change our lives. When we are talking about doing affirmations, we are talking abut making a positive statement about something we want to eliminate from our lives or something we want to create in our lives. Too often we say "I don't want this in my life" and we forget to state clearly what we do want. To state "I don't want to be sick anymore" does not give the body a clear picture of the health you would like to enjoy. Nor does saying "I hate this job" produce a great new position! To create the new experiences you want, you need to clearly declare your desires. So, our goal is to make very clear, positive statements about what we do want to experience in our world. We will be working with and developing affirmations throughout this workshop.

2. What we believe about ourselves and life becomes true for us.

This is why it is important to examine "what we believe." Far too often these are the limiting beliefs of our parents or of our particular society. It can be helpful to take some time to sit quietly and list some of the major areas of life and write down the beliefs you have about them. Such as: What do you believe about men, women, love, sex, health, your body, lack, prosperity, aging, work, success, and God? It is surprising how many of these beliefs were gathered around the age of five. Surely, not all of these old beliefs are relevant to our current lives. Periodic mental house-cleaning is most useful. Think of the image of an iceberg. There is a great deal of it hidden under the surface, just like our unconscious minds, so throughout life we’ll get opportunities to continue the clearing out process.

AFFIRMATION: "I believe I am wonderful and life is a joy."

3. Our thoughts are creative.

This is the most important law of nature we need to know. One idle thought does not make much difference, but thoughts are like drops of water. They accumulate over time. As we continue to rethink the same thoughts over and over, they grow. A drop becomes a puddle, a puddle becomes a pond, a pond becomes an ocean. If they are positive thoughts, we can float on the ocean of life. If they are negative thoughts, we can drown in a sea of negativity.

What is your normal attitude when you awaken in the morning? If it is one of gloom and doom, then that is the sort of day you will find. If it is one of hope, faith, and love, then the day will bring you what you need. Sit quietly for a few moments. Notice your thoughts. Do you really want the sort of life that these thoughts will create? Choose thoughts that nourish you.

AFFIRMATION: "I approve of myself and I easily choose the thoughts that nourish me!"

4. We are worth loving.

All of us. You and me. We do not have to earn love. We do not have to earn the right to breathe; we breathe because we exist. We are lovable because we exist. We have to know that. We are worthy of our own love. Do not allow your parents' negative "opinions" or society's popular "prejudices" to dim your light. The reality of your being is that you are lovable-- if YOU will believe it.

Remember, your thoughts create your reality. What other people think has nothing to do with it. Tell yourself right now, "I am worth loving."

AFFIRMATION: "I am worth loving because I exist."

5. Self-approval and self-acceptance are the keys to positive changes.

When we are angry with ourselves, when we judge and criticize everything we do, when we abuse ourselves, our lives never work. Old negative beliefs about ourselves are just old ways of thinking, and have no basis in truth. How can we expect others to love and accept us if we do not love and accept ourselves?

" I love and accept myself exactly as I am" is a most powerful thought and will help create a world of joy.

AFFIRMATION: "I love and approve of myself and easily make changes."

6. We can release the past and forgive everyone.

The past only exists in our minds. To hold on to old hurts is to punish ourselves today for something someone else did long ago. That doesn't make sense at all. Too often we sit in a prison of self-righteous resentment, and that's a terrible way to live. Free yourself.

Forgiveness does not mean condoning someone else's poor behavior; it means letting go of our "stuff" on the situation. Everyone, including yourself, is doing the best they can at any given moment, with the understanding, awareness, and knowledge they have. To give up our resentment and replace it with understanding is to free ourselves. Forgiveness is a gift to ourselves.

AFFIRMATION: "I live in the present moment and I easily release all past pain."

7. Forgiveness opens the doorway to love.

Love is the goal. Unconditional love. How do we get there? Through the door of forgiveness. Forgiveness is like the many layers of an onion. Sometimes it is best to begin with forgiving those who are the easiest to forgive, moving on to the major hurts as we become more comfortable with the process. We can peel away the hurts one-by-one until we come to a deeper level of understanding. There we will find love waiting for us. Forgiveness and love go hand in hand.

AFFIRMATION: "The door of my heart is wide open and I am safe."

8. Love is the most powerful healing force there is.

Love stimulates our immune system. We cannot heal, or become whole, in an atmosphere of hatred. As we learn to love ourselves, we become powerful. Love allows us to move from victim to winner. Our love for ourselves attracts to us that which we need to help us on our healing pathway. People who feel good about themselves are naturally attractive.

AFFIRMATION: "I am a powerful channel for healing love."

9. Just be willing.

We do not have to wait until we know "how" to do all these things. All we need to do is be willing, because our thoughts are creative. If you have the thought, "I am willing to begin to release judgment or to forgive or to love myself," you are putting that message out into the Universe. As you repeat this thought, over and over, you will put into motion the laws of attraction. New ways will unfold to help you. The Universe loves you and is standing ready to help you manifest whatever you choose to think and believe. Be willing to have a good life!

AFFIRMATION: "I am willing to experience all the joys of life. Life loves me. I am safe."