Cynthia James

"I believe that we are all unique and magnificent beings who have come here to share our gifts in service to humanity," says Reverend Cynthia James, whose own gifts begin with her work as a transformational specialist "to help people make changes at a spiritual level for lasting healing in their lives." James is the award-winning author of What Will Set You Free, a featured guide in the movie Leap!, a sought-after lecturer and teacher, and associate minister at Mile Hi Church, one of the largest new-thought spiritual centers in the world. She's also an internationally renowned vocal artist — one of the many ways she expresses her undeniable magnificence. Visit whatwillsetyoufree.com for updates on Cynthia's work and events.

I remember hearing the song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin and feeling instantly elated. The lyrics and melody were simple but made a lot of sense to me.

The fall season is generally a time for harvesting crops. It is the time of year for seeing what has grown from the seeds that have been planted and then moving the harvest into storage for the winter. I was thinking about what I am harvesting at this time in my life, and what came is that I am harvesting a myriad of blessings.

When my children were small, I would give them “time outs” to contemplate their behavior after a challenging experience. The intention was to support them in having time to gain clarity on the consequences of their actions. It didn’t always work, but it did support all of us in stopping for a short time to gain composure.

Most often we learn through challenge or even crisis. I would not call it fun, but I would call it a way to experience the “fire of the divine” as it burns away anything that does not support our greatness. In fact, I believe that ALL challenge is an answer to some prayer or internal request. Whether we are looking for deeper relationships, financial freedom, right employment or peace in our times, each experience is the call for us to look into our own consciousness and discover any place that is out of alignment with our divinity.

There is a lot of talk about oneness. We love the philosophers, teachers and healers that espouse wholeness and unity. There are blogs, newsletters and organizations dedicated to a world that is united, and it makes my heart smile to think that this aspect of the spiritual conversation is unfolding in such a grand way.

In the past few weeks, many people have come to me requesting information on accessing their joy. They have spoken about the challenges in their lives including divorce, lay offs, financial challenges and abuse from the past. As I have contemplated their questions, I kept coming back to one thing: Joy and happiness are states of consciousness. To experience joy, we must choose to activate that state. That is not always easy, especially when it appears that we are bombarded by so much information or in the midst of a life challenge.

In Wayne Muller’s book Sabbath, he speaks about the fact that dormancy is an important part of nature. The time of dormancy is a time of renewal and rejuvenation. Without this time, many species cannot bear fruit, or they simply die. He also points out that human beings seem to be the only species that does not honor stillness and downtime as an essential part of living. He describes this time as Sabbath, a time of taking refuge and opening to the stillness that lives within us.

I have been contemplating the handling of emotional pain for the past few days. I’ve had the opportunity to spend time with some people that are completely immersed in the roller coaster ride of out-of-control feelings, and it brought to my awareness how inept many of us are at dealing with pain. I witnessed mood changes that appeared without seeming cause, unpredictable reactions to small events and projection of “made up experiences” that caused someone to completely shut down.

Earlier this month, we focused on the invisible armor that surrounds areas of our body. Today I’d like to focus on another kind of armor: The kind surrounding the heart.

In the past two years, I have been devoting a lot of time to my physical health. I changed my eating habits and took working out to a new level. I released 20 pounds and have kept if off. It has required me to be completely dedicated to honoring my commitment to living a vibrant and healthy life.