A F T E R L I F E
Afterlife Wisdom
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Portland, OR 97280-0535
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L I V I N G
AFTERLIFE WISDOM
A F T E R L I F E M E S S A G E S - 2 0 1 0
N E W
RUBY
"Be a Good Listener"
There were always reasons to be late. Traffic, weather, phone calls, people who needed me at the last minute. I thought nothing of being late until my best friend said she wouldn’t make plans with me anymore. Shocked, I questioned her why. “Because you’re always late, and I’m tired of waiting,” she said with frustration.
The truth is she had warned me kindly several times that if I didn’t stop keeping her waiting someday she’d be gone when I finally arrived. Unfortunately there are lots of folks like me who never hear others unless they get mad or make a fuss. Try not to be one of those people. It’s hard to come back from a place of distrust.
Our friendship was never the same, and I don’t blame her. Just me. Be wise. Be a good listener. Nothing is more important than hearing those you love when they’re tryng to tell you something from their heart.
Ruby
07/25/10
A R C H I V E S
MEI-LING
"Truth Has a Window!"
Happy New Year, friends of Lynn Scott!
I have been given this opportunity to come through for reasons of sharing my ideas for living a better life. Since I died as a result of polio many years ago, I can’t offer much in the way of modern medicine but can offer you the precious gift of staying still for 5 minutes each day. I know it makes a difference because I’ve seen it for myself. When people worry over things their eyes and minds wander, and in a way disappear from reality. But when they sit still their eyes relate to their God given life, and it grounds them so much better.
Once this happens, truth has a window to come through! Isn’t that wonderful? For without truth, we’re all just in a hall of mirrors reflecting one another’s worries and upsets.
Begin your day with 5 minutes of peace and quiet. Your mind’s will to worry can then reverse its course and come back (like the tides in the ocean) to give you the good news - the truth! - that you are a miracle of God and will be blessed when you stay open to God’s truths instead of others’ fears.
Believe me. It’s not often heard by those on your side because you are so busy, but this truth is like a miracle. It will reverse the tide of your wayward life.
Much love,
Mei-ling
China
01/01/10
CORRINE
"A Place to Land"
When you’re young, you often ask for things you want; things you can see such as a new bike. When you get older, you pray for things you can’t always see such as the gift of love or free time to do things. Because I know how to help manifest things, I want to come through for you today to help in that regard.
Give yourself the chance to make things different by putting a purpose behind it. It makes things happen. For instance, if you want more money, be practical about what you want to use that money for: vacations, helping others, new car…you get the idea. Next, write it down in a sort of pyramid picture. Write your wish at the top, and then below write the many things you will do with the money and see how it trickles down the more you share it.
I have no need for money or things now, but if I had tried this I know it would have worked, because I see money coming to those who plan for what they will do with it. Then it has a place to land! Otherwise, it’s just remains a wish. So write it down, so it can speed up!
Corrine
01/10/10
PETER
"Sit Tall When You do Your Homework!"
I have an idea I would like to share. If you sit tall when you do your homework, it’s like opening a valve where your brightest thoughts can assimilate all that you’ve read with what comes next. It’s like it filters and files all that information into its proper place for easy access and retrieval later.
Sitting tall gives your body access to the greatest abundance of energy there is in moving forward effortlessly. I know. I slumped in my younger years and felt tired and bewildered almost all the time. Once I became inspired to sit tall, all those tired and bewildering feelings vanished.
It’s a gift from Earth itself to let its magnetic rays of anti-gravity travel up your spinal column (sonar-like!) to give you the daily lift you need, and therefore elevate all your outcomes!
Peter
Oklahoma
01/17/10
BARRY
"A Much Brighter Future"
After I died I thought I would be able to stay here and help my family, but it’s not automatic. You don’t just get to hang around or it would be considered interfering. What I found out is that it was up to my family to ask for my help before I could participate. Hard as that was, I had to wait my turn before coming back to be a guide.
Believe in the power of love. We can place a great deal of love around you that will reduce your feelings of abandonment or fear. That’s an honor we wish to do! That said, we will never interfere with your choices, so don’t think we can manipulate the outcome of your choices.
I’ve spoken before but wanted to be sure to share with you that when you invite your friends and family (on the other side) into your circle of life, they will help you build a much brighter future!
Barry
01/24/10
JANIE
"Eat A Lot Without Gaining Weight!"
Candied apples were my favorite dessert! I only got to have them once or twice a year, but when I did I thought God Himself had made each one! I’m grateful for the chance to come through because I want you to know that when you eat food but feel bad about it, it really does digest differently than when you eat it with love.
From here on I hope you look at your food and think about the hands that helped make it – from the farmer to the cook, and then feel consideration for each person. Because if you take your food to heart, you alter how your mind sees it…which is without so many negative connotations. Believe it or not, your mind will then lead how your body receives it.
For heaven’s sake, many people eat a lot without gaining weight because of their higher metabolism. Now it’s your turn to return to your higher metabolism by feeling God’s love in every bite!
Happy to help -
Janie
01/31/10
LARRY
"Knock it off...or else!"
After I grew up in Brooklyn, NY, I felt unafraid of anything or anyone because if you can handle yourself there, for sure you can handle yourself anywhere. I feel this is important to share because I want all kids to know that if they learn early in life to stand up for themselves, it will be a life lesson that will support them well the rest of their lives.
Give your kids permission to look other kids square in the eyes when they’re being picked on and say, “Knock it off…or else!” They need to stand up for themselves, because bullies want to make others look and feel like they’re nothing.
While I’m proud to say I never took advantage of anyone, I did give as good as I got which was a lesson a few bullies had to learn. For the rest of my life I kept that calm assurance of confidence inside of me which served me well.
Happy to give you my tip for having a good life!
Larry
02/07/10
Plenty of people on your side sit and think things through over and over, and then mull them over some more, all the while wasting time and talent. I was one of them. I fought the feeling of actually doing something until I was certain I had the perfect plan. That’s a trap, because there is no perfect plan….or perfect anything, for that matter!
What you need to do is to be bold! Take a swing at whatever is challenging you, because when you tackle it - even if it ends up not being the right answer - you’ve learned a lot. Plus, you’ll end up giving yourself a lot more credit for having a lot more guts than you ever knew. And from what I see, that’s what’s needed where you are: more people with more guts!
No two ways about it, it’s been a lot of fun coming through -
Rebecca
02/14/10
RAYMOND
"Too Often Their Minds Tangle"
Many people develop mental conditions as they age that limit their ability to process information, making simple tasks frustrating. Too often their minds tangle, and even reverse themselves in an effort to free themselves from the confusion. Characteristically, the general community thinks this is a given aspect of aging. It is not. I know. I was a physician.
COMMIT TO THIS:
Hang a sheet of white paper about 3 feet from where you work. When your mind begins to race or feel overwhelmed, look at it. For just as your body needs water to replenish itself, your mind needs this opening to judgment-free thought.
This is an ingenious alternative to working harder and harder in an effort to stave off mental sluggishness and repeated disasters due to memory loss. Practice this medicine and be free of the old way of thinking that older means less sharp.
Always here to be of help –
Raymond
02/21/10
GAIL
"Open Your Eyes!"
When I was young I danced and sang a lot for my family, enchanting them with my stage presence! As I grew older, however, my friends weren’t so easy to impress. That’s when I began to doubt myself, eventually becoming my own worst critic.
As I matured, I learned to give myself small compliments. That’s when all aspects of my life began changing for the better. Over time, I became an accomplished high board diver. I know now that dream came true because I loved being me again!
Open your eyes! Give yourself credit and congratulations for your accomplishments, large or small. This sets the stage for your future to reflect back what has always been in store for you: a life filled with stunning victories!
A good friend -
Gail
02/28/10
SARAH
"Isn't That the Best?"
I loved being a Camp Fire Girl when I was young. I learned smart ways to deal with difficult situations as well as accept some difficult people by staying calm, thinking through my options, and then making things happen for the better.
No matter what your age, start or join a group of people who share your interests. Together you’ll experience far more fun than you would alone. More importantly, you’ll share valuable ideas along the way that will come into play in your life, I promise!
When I was 85 years old I died in my sleep with no regrets. Isn’t that the best?
Such fun to share,
Sarah
03/07/10
SAM
"Go Out On a Limb!"
When we were kids in my family we were taught early-on to work for things we wanted. It gave us a lot of pride and satisfaction once we got them. On top of that, we certainly took better care of our stuff than most of our friends. But more important than that – which is why I wanted to come through – we kids learned early to work together, which earned us a tremendous amount of trust with one another.
I’m troubled these days because I see so many people not asking one another for help, or even offering help because they don’t know how to trust one another. If you’re one of those people, what I want you to consider is to learn to trust by giving and receiving kind words…not empty compliments, but true words of kindness.
In my opinion the deeper meaning of kindness is trust. It means you’re willing to go out on a limb even if you’re unsure about the other person. What I can promise you is that you’ll find out that in trusting people you will be transformed. How? You won’t judge or feel judged so easily, which means you won’t hurt or feel fear so readily. Before you know it you’ll become the person you always wanted to be: happy!
Goals are good. Now go reach yours!
- Sam
03/14/10
EVELYN
"Fresh Is How You'll Feel"
Before I died I noticed that when I got winded and had to breathe deeply in order to catch my breath, that’s when I felt surprisingly sure of myself. Centered. Even-tempered. It was remarkable!
Then as I lay dying (floating over myself), I saw that with each exhalation I let go of a little more of my old self as the brighter, real me became more and more revealed!
Release your sorrows and fears. Breathe deeply and exhale with resolute determination. Reveal the real you, the brightest you, without having to go through the trauma of death first. Fresh is how you’ll feel!
Evelyn
03/21/10
HAROLD
"Both In Your Life While Observing It"
When you die, you walk with yourself in a sort of life review. While I know it sounds impossible to be both in your life while observing it, it isn’t. After I died it took me a while to notice the number of people on my side willing to make peace with their life. It’s not easy to see what you did that was ill-minded or ill-fated, but when you do - and you accept responsibility for it - you release yourself from the past and move forward in peace.
In observing my past, I noticed I worried unnecessarily over almost everything, large or small, spending endless hours figuring out what might happen. It was exhausting. But on those rare occasions when I relaxed, that’s when I felt the unmistakable feeling of freedom from life’s what ifs, and gained clarity over what should be.
It’s a given that when you take ownership of your own messes you get to move onto the next big thing in life. For me the next big thing meant coming through to you with this advice: don’t worry about things that haven’t happened!
Harold
03/28/10
SUZANNE
"Having Fun on Vacation!"
A small picture of me is in my parent’s home. It’s of me as a baby. While I appreciate that they keep my photo on their nightstand, I wish they would have a picture or two of the three of us when we were having fun on vacation or something like that.
Part of me understands that pictures of me at the age when I died (17) would be painful, but it’s also a gesture that they are willing to keep me in their lives as I was and am…not just their baby.
Because they now see me almost always as their baby, I seldom see them anymore and when I do it’s because I am checking in hoping they’ll feel me and recognize that I’m still there.
Please put a few photos of your deceased loved ones around your home if you still feel love for them. Please! If it’s easier put them in private places, but let their photos be at various stages of your lives together. It may help your heart to heal. I can tell you for sure that it truly helps ours.
Suzanne
04/04/10
SIMON
"Don't Test Fate!"
“Full of life!” That’s how people always used to describe me. It was fun being a teenager with lots of friends because it meant I always had someone to do things with. That is until the time I dared myself to ride my bike for as far as I could without looking. (Dumb, I know.) That’s when I was hit by a car and fatally injured.
Before I died I wished I hadn’t put so much stock in proving to myself that I could do things I knew I shouldn’t. It wasn’t worth the dare, and certainly not worth what it put my family through. Don’t test fate! Don’t be stupid and don’t let anyone – not even yourself – talk you into a dare. Do life-affirming things because that’s when you really begin living the good life!
Simon
04/11/10
RAYLEEN
"Big Duke Was There to Greet Me!"
I fought and fought with my dog, Big Duke, over which part of the bed or couch he was allowed to be on until I nearly wore myself out and he only got more defiant. We mostly just put up with each other until he died, and then I felt so alone. I missed him so much.
Once I died and came home, Big Duke was there to greet me! In fact, his tale wagged so much it pushed me around which surprised me since I didn’t think that could happen once you leave your body. But, as it turns out, when you really love someone – even a pet – you bring them back to life in a way that is much more real than you could possibly know.
Love your family with all your heart. And yes, that means your pets, too. When you die, you’ll be amazed at what awaits you!
Love life with all your heart -
Rayleen
04/18/10
JERRY
"I'm Here to Tell You a Secret!"
Too many times we think we’re not enough. But the funny thing is, we’re much better at nearly everything than we think. I’m here to tell you a secret: when you wish for something it’s just that. A wish. Tell yourself that you’re already really good at whatever it is that you want to be good at!
It’s true. Sincerely! People talk themselves out of so many things it’s silly. While they say they want it, they pretend they know why they can’t really achieve or have it. Nonsense! Leave no room for excuses.
Start rallying your forces of positive energy. It’s a gift to use them. After all, they’re God-given!
Jerry
04/25/10
KATHLEEN
"The Sun Was Shining From the Inside Out!"
From the day I died, I promised myself that if ever I could come through to help someone on your side I would advise that they live as if today were their final day.
While that may sound morbid, it’s not. In fact, it’s the most life-affirming thing one could do. Believe me! I tried it a few times and the difference those days made in my life were amazing, because I treated people, even strangers, like they were more special than anyone.
It came over me one day to try this. I like to think it was God talking to me, but however the idea came I’m grateful because I got to have a handful of days that felt like the sun was shining from the inside out!
A lot of love,
Kathleen
05/02/10
TRACY B.
"They See Love in Your Eyes"
People almost always thought I was a boy. Though I tried to look more feminine, in their minds they saw me one way so I was stuck.
I’m sharing this because there are millions of kids just like me, pigeon-holed by society into what they feel is who you are. After years of being rejected, taunted and teased, I gave up.
When God took me home, I was shown how I could have changed things for the better: instead of seeing myself in the mirror with similar feelings of rejection, I needed to see myself with love in my eyes.
If you see anyone with their head or shoulders down, smile at them. Give them a sincere compliment. Tell them how special they are. It makes a difference. It may make all the difference when they see love in your eyes.
Thank you for sharing this time with me -
Tracy B.
05/09/10
MIKE
"I Want to Retrace My Footsteps"
Brave people come in times of trouble. As they step forward, we recognize something special that sets them apart. Once in a while, however, a brave person has been in our midst all along, quietly waiting for God to call upon them.
That’s why I’ve come through today. I want to retrace my footsteps back to when I was a boy in Indiana and fell into an abandoned well. Dark and slippery is all I remember now, but without the help of our neighbor, a dear, private man, it would have been my certain demise. Upside down for nearly an hour he hung, holding my hands and telling me funny things to calm me down as others pulled us up. Although we got out, he wasn’t carried home the way he should have been: on people’s shoulders.
So many folks are braver than you know. I believe God allows each of us times to step forward, but not everyone does. He did. I owed him my life and am so glad for this opportunity to say thanks. “Tom, from the bottom of my heart, thank you!”
Mike
5/16/10
WILLIAM
"The Glue That Binds You"
Suffice it to say there are too many people each day telling us what to think and do. For me, however, none of their opinions or advice mattered as much as my wife’s, so I learned to dismiss their ideas of who I should be and how I should behave, and only took to heart what my wife thought.
When she and I took our marital vows we promised to love and honor one another. To us that meant putting the other ahead of yourself. Sometimes it was easy. Many times it was not. But after 55 glorious years together, the result was the best marriage and closest friendship of all my friends and colleagues.
Find out what your spouse’s wishes, wants and needs are, and then make them happen from your heart. It’s the glue that binds you! (Bonus: It also keeps you healthier, longer.)
William
05/23/10
ROWENA
"One New Thing Each Day!"
Time was never an issue for me because I lived on an island where we rarely looked at clocks. Mostly we moved with the sun and the tides and let the day unfold for itself, which left each day wide open to wonderful surprises!
Coming through is a privilege, I know, because there are so many of us over here who want to come through. So, I want to make the most of my wish: make each day a BIG day. What this means to me is do at least one new thing each day! Sing a new song. Walk somewhere different. Try a new food.
It only reasons to follow that when you give new things a try, unexpected things unfold from there like dots happily connecting!
Follow this advice and become a brighter person. It’ll make a surprising difference. I’m sure of it!
Rowena
05/30/10
PATRICK
"Watch What Happens: Love!"
When you’re young you believe in love, because you’re still undamaged by it for the most part. But for those who had difficult home lives believing in love is a challenge, because trust is involved. So it was in my life.
In my 20s I took a foreign language class. Struggling one day to pronunciate words correctly, a fellow student kept smiling at me. She sensed my awkward attempts and wanted me to feel at ease. She wanted me to see that I could trust her; that she wouldn’t laugh at me. Hard as it seemed to believe, it felt like I could trust her. Eventually we got together, and through our trust made a healthy, loving life together.
Don’t give up on love. Make trust the foundation of your friendships, and then watch what happens: love!
Patrick
06/06/10
DOREEN
"Become a Great Parent"
Become a great parent by becoming a great role model. See yourself as your child’s exact blueprint of future behavior.
For instance, if you yell or argue to get your way, they will too. If you turn on the charm to manipulate getting your way, they will too. But if you show patience under pressure, they will too. The outcome then becomes a tremendous shift into a relaxed relationship of cooperation.
Every instance where you demonstrate patience becomes a feeling etched on your child’s heart that life is worth living, because people are worth knowing…including themselves.
Such is life!
Doreen
06/13/10
ARNIE
"The Best Advice I Ever Got"
I would like to pass along the best advice I ever got: Give your opinion only once. After that, let it go. Believe me, if you heed this advice your opinion will carry much more weight than if you insist upon repeating it.
I like being able to come through! It’s been a long time since I’ve been heard on your side since most of my friends and family are here now with me. For the record, I was a longshoreman in my younger years. While betting was my vice, family get-togethers were my strength.
I died shoveling snow. It was over pretty quick. No one I knew picked up a snow shovel after that, so I guess ‘pressing my messages through’ really did the trick!
Arnie
06/20/10
ANNABELLE
"In the City of Light"
Choosing Paris as the place to get married seemed like a wonderful idea. After all, April in Paris - what dreams are made of! So my fiancé and I agreed to tie the knot in the City of Light.
Candidly speaking though, what we didn’t realize was the difficult position we put our friends and family in, financially. So instead of the majority being able to attend our nuptials, we had only a handful.
Some say it didn’t matter, but I can tell you now that while Paris was everything I had hoped for, our wedding wasn’t. For years after I regretted that more family and friends weren’t able to be with us to share our most important day.
Be open to traveling, of course. But stay home when you want to have special memories that can be shared with those you love.
Annabelle
06/27/10
TERRY
"Be the First to Say Hello!"
A few times over the course of my life I had the opportunity to be a judge in a local pageant or fair. Of course it was fun at the time, but later I realized how differently I was judged - sometimes better, sometimes worse - depending on the outcome of the contest.
How awkward was that, I remember thinking to myself a number of times as someone I recognized refused to acknowledge me. Too late now, I thought. But it wasn’t.
Someone I confided in gave me great advice: Always be the first to say hello to people, no matter who they are, friend or otherwise. It gives you the advantage every time. Then it’s up to them to continue bridging things, and they almost always do. Believe me, this works even with your harshest critics!
Terry
07/04/10
HOWARD
"Soak It In!"
We’ve all heard it: take time to smell the roses. But do we? I didn’t. But then I never really appreciated how quickly life could end.
Do something that has a positive effect on your life’s outlook each and every day. Example: listen closely to the abundance of life-affirming sounds in the park…kids laughing, birds singing, families sharing, trees rustling. What’s important is to find a positive focus and then soak it in as if your life depends upon it.
If you don’t accept the gifts life has to offer, your will to live will weaken. It happens subtly, but it happens. Reverse that! With purpose find joy in something special every day!
- Howard
07/11/10
ELROY
"I Directed My Own Path"
As a young negro boy growing up in the South I learned to wait and watch as others directed things. In time, however, I directed my own path. Eventually I turned into a first rate student and athlete; a true a class leader.
For the remainder of my life I approached things differently. Quietly. Fighting bigotry, I knew, would take generations. So while life wasn’t easy, I gained plenty of personal insights and rewards.
My advice: Don’t fight others to force them to see the light. It never works. Show them what it looks like: Dignity.
Elroy
07/18/10
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by Gabriel Publishing.
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Afterlife Wisdom
PO Box 19534
Portland, OR 97280-0535
