Following are questions frequently asked of Connie about the purpose and motivation of WordPowerArt®: How did you come to create WordPowerArt®? I believe that there are no accidents in the Universe. I once had a slow, memory-challenged computer that used to take forever to execute commands. I chose not to buy a new one, as I had just been down-sized (the week before 9/11) and was looking earnestly for a new position. Little did I know that the events of the following week would derail my plans to re-enter the job market. I like to make the most productive use of my time, so I found it frustrating to sit at my desk waiting....and waiting for a screen to come up.
I read affirmations and other inspirational works to pass the time and keep me in a positive frame of mind as I researched job opportunities and processed what happened on 9/11. (I worked at the World Trade Center for 26 years before leaving in 2000.) I did not find another salaried position, but I did start my own small business; WordPowerArt® is a by-product of that.
Which religious philosophy does WordPowerArt® reflect? The spiritual laws, principles and affirmations used in Word Power Art® do not reflect, nor seek to instruct in, any particular religion. The work is meant to transcend religious dogma by going directly to universal Truth. Whatever the differences of the world's religions, the one thing we all usually agree on is the existence of the One God. WordPowerArt® is an additional tool we can use to deepen our personal relationship with Divine Source.
Whose teachings have you been personally influenced by? Truth, which has presented itself throughout the ages, comes from many sources: the Sumerians, the Egyptians (Kemet), the Vedas, the Kabbalah; the teachings of Christ and Buddha; Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mother Teresa -- have all shone light on truth. I was raised a Baptist, but with the practice of meditation, I have since expanded my awareness to include the essence of all spiritual traditions.
My favorite contemporaries are Dr. Deepak Chopra (How to Know God; The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire; Everyday Immortality, amongnumerous others); Eckhart Tolle (The Power of Now; Stillness Speaks; A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose); Neale Donald Walsch (Conversations With God series); as well as a host of other messengers from whom I have gained valuable insight.
What do you consider to be the most important spiritual message highlighted by your work? That God is all there is, and all there is...is God; or, The All is in all and all is in The All; or, Out of One comes many, and out of many comes One. Once you realize and accept that nothing exists outside of God, and take that concept to its full and logical conclusion, everything else falls into place. So many questions are answered, so many puzzles solved. Religious and spiritual pronouncements all of a sudden become crystal clear; not only is your consciousness raised, but your perspective of life changes as well. You come to know, for example, why it is important to practice the Golden Rule (Do unto others as you would have them do unto you), or why you should not judge (Judge not, lest ye be judged).
It is only the perception that we are separate that causes us -- in this relative, dualistic world of opposites to draw unconscious conclusions and make unconscious choices. When we choose to be conscious of who we really are, i.e., at one with all there is, although we will still live in this world of duality, we will live in it with a heightened awareness that will enable us to be more accepting, more loving, and definitely more peaceful.
If it is true that God is all there is, how do you explain the bad things that happen in the world? Many people don't like to hear that God is responsible for evil in the world, but God embodies everything in existence. When we read in the Bible that we were created in the image of God, we were not created to look like God in a physical sense (although God looks like each of us); we were created to share in the creative power of God. Within that power is the power of free will, which means that we can do "good" or we can do "bad". The consequences of our actions, however, fall under God's law of cause and effect. You reap what you sow.
We, in addition to other creative manifestations, are the drops that make up the vast ocean of God, so we never get to see the big picture; we only get to see a sliver of a totality that is so immense and immeasurable, our human minds can only comprehend what our limited perceptions allow. So, what may appear to us as bad (a judgment) may have occurred to bring about a change that supports a higher purpose. It is only our perceptions and judgments -- influenced in large part by external collective thought -- that make us label what we don't fully understand, or what we have not concluded based on our own introspections.
All thought and matter are made up of a continual flow of energy. Energy in motion means change; God is energy in motion, so God is change, both positive and negative according to our perceptions and judgments. Imagine, if you can, being all powerful, all knowing, everywhere at once, indestructible, and having no beginning and no end. These are the characteristics that most religious/spiritual traditions ascribe to God. Now, what would you do if you were that entity in its most powerful and concentrated form and you have the creative power to manifest as any and everything? Is it inconceivable that you would throw a bunch of variables into a mix to see what happens? If what you created gets destroyed (transformed really, since energy cannot be destroyed), so what? You can start all over again and maybe do it differently the next time. Or maybe not. (This is really a time/space argument relevant to our physical laws of nature, since all that was and is still is outside of time and space.) The point is, can we really judge if we don't have the full picture?
What is the significance of thought relative to our reality? Everything in the Universe is made of energy, including thought. What differentiates one form from another is the speed at which it vibrates. Divine Source, or God, is at the center, with the highest vibrational frequency; some refer to this frequency as Pure Light, or Pure Love. The Book of Genesis teaches that "In the beginning was the word (thought), andthe word was with God..."
Within our laws of nature, science has determined that light vibrates at the highest frequency, while minerals, such as rock, vibrate at a much lower frequency, but a frequency nonetheless. Human beings are somewhere in between, vibrating at different frequencies within our species. Having been created in the image of God, we have the tools with which to create our preferred reality, since our thoughts determine the frequency at which we vibrate, and that vibration goes out into the world and attracts to us energy moving at a similar frequency. This is the theory behind the law of attraction discussed in the book, The Secret.
When we use this creative energy unconsciously, we create what is commonly known as self-fulfilling prophecy; in other words, we create what we think about. As it is within, so it is without. When we worry, we are repeatedly applying our energy to the creation of something we don't want. Likewise, when we think positive thoughts with focused intent, we attract positive energy and create positive outcomes; the higher our vibration, the more enjoyable our lives.
How does one raise one's vibration? Everyone has an optimal rate of vibration to keep them healthy, whole and capable of fulfilling their potential. A strong and fluid energy field unlocks the doors of self-healing and self-actualization.Your awareness of the flow of energy sustaining you empowers you to take charge of your own well-being by taking steps to unblock, correct and enhance the flow.
Thoughts, emotions, intentions, choices and actions contribute to our vibrational state, as do our environments. In a broad sense, we can seek activities that leave us feeling joyous, appreciative, loving and peaceful; think constructive, creative and expansive thoughts; practice gratitude and forgiveness; surround ourselves with loving, high-vibration people; eat healthfully; and spend quiet time in nature. Specifically, we can focus our attention on prayer, meditation, breathing exercises, chanting, affirmations and visualization, as well as a number of healing therapies like Reiki, massage, Yoga, T'ai Chi, etc. When your desire for change is strong enough, you will find yourself gravitating toward that which will help you achieve and maintain a high vibrational state.
Does your work help you raise your own vibration? WordPowerArt® is as much a transformational tool for me as it is for anyone else. Each piece I develop nourishes me creatively and spiritually, and keeps me thinking about what is truly important. No matter how spiritually aware we think we are, we will always be challenged to find ways to help us evolve into higher, more beautiful expressions of ourselves.
