Elizabeth Jewell (AKA Stephens – explained in the editorial) answers questions about being in business as a ‘woman-entrepreneur-spiritseeker’

Have you identified an inner source for that inspiration or was it more something that was stimulating you from outside?

Absolutely an inner source – Spirit guides me the whole time. When I make mistakes it is because I am not listening and am allowing my ego to take control – although I might add that some of the things that I thought were mistakes in the shorter term, turned out eventually to be necessary pieces of the puzzle.

You ask about external stimuli – yes; that is also true. Spirit puts the props in place to allow you to see what to do next. Remember in last month’s reply I mentioned that we are given ‘waking dreams’ to guide us as to the next step. We are also given ‘golden-tongued wisdom’ where someone will say exactly what we need to hear next. I remember the day when we decided to spread our wings with LivingNow into Sydney and NSW back in 1996. We had published the magazine in a previous format in Sydney but not in the current format. It had been Victoria only. I had had a dribble of people over a couple of weeks ringing to ask if we would publish in NSW too, and my ears were starting to prick up. Then one particular Friday several people rang in the morning asking if they could advertise in our NSW edition. My ears were pivoting like a kangaroo’s in the bush when he hears a potato crisp muncher. I was alert for what was coming towards me in my environment, in other words.

Image supplied by Orna Ben-Shoshan
www.ben-shoshan.com

So I wouldn’t go so far as to say that God was munching on potato crisps to get my attention, but the effect was the same. Spirit (or the Universe if you feel more comfortable with that concept) was sending heaps of signs, starting with golden-tongued wisdom and, later that day, waking dreams piled on, until the correct decision was made.

Now that was apparently an important decision that I needed to make, and hence the barrage of stimuli, but I am perfectly confident that Spirit will and does provide the answers to every worthwhile question. In other words, I don’t believe we should ask whether we should eat before showering or whether we should wear the blue shirt today – well, I’m not in your shoes, and so I cannot specify that with certainty, but it seems to me to be a waste of time and our own brainpower to ask a mundane question of a higher source, although, I cannot tell a lie, I have been guilty of it many a time I admit. When I’m feeling disconnected from Spirit this particularly happens. I get into my ‘poor me’ state and feel as though I cannot make a decision for myself – and if I did it would be wrong anyway – I do victim and drama queen very well ;-)

Let me talk to you about being disconnected, seeing that I’ve strayed into that topic. When I feel as though nothing is going right for me I start getting cross and blaming God, rather like a sulking seven year-old blaming her parents. Then I don’t feel the connection – I have broken it by putting up my own barrier and locked myself in my room, so to speak. I get into a downward spiral and can’t get out.

Imagine this seven year-old thrashing around in her room, wishing that her parent would come and tell her to come out and join in the family fun again, but being too cross to do so. The longer she stays there the worse it becomes until she ends up in tears throwing herself on her bed and, with the emotional release, breaking that bind she’s been in.

So in my scenario with being disconnected from the Universe, I find a really good tool is to somehow force myself to connect with Mother Earth. Returning to the child metaphor, maybe it is like sitting on your mother’s lap and allowing her to soothe you and take away your angst. With Mother Earth if you can actually sit on the ground it helps. Failing that, connect with the flat of your feet and, if you can’t stand still, walk mindfully, as though you are a native person of some sort, walking with total connection to and reverence for Gaia.

If you want to or need to take it further, then imagine all the negativity flowing out of you and into the earth. The ‘correct’ place for this negativity to flow from is your base chakra – you could imagine releasing a plug at your base and allow the negative energy to flow out of your bodily receptacle like water out of a bath. Like all mothers, Mother Earth will take on her children’s angst, transmute it and, wonderfully, return love.

Thank her – thank everyone – Spirit for all the help you get, all the little signs and the gifts (sometimes in unlovely wrapping); your angels and guides – everyone. Gratitude is extremely important. You will know, by the way, that you’ve locked yourself into your room if you don’t feel like thanking anyone. So take yourself in hand and force yourself to sit on Mother Earth’s lap and ask her to receive your anger and replace it with love. It really works – but you are the one that must take the first step. That’s what I think is meant by freewill.

I know this all sounds very dualist. I do also believe in a non-dualist godforce, but being human, it is easier for me to relate to the God figure at times rather than the God within. I believe our human relationships (family and partner) are a microcosm of our relationship with Spirit and so it is very easy to use them as a metaphor for how to deal with life and God. I find that when I am feeling connected to Spirit, it is much easier for me to feel the God within.

I have just re-read your question, Natalia, to see if there is something I have not covered. I am interested to see that my mention of the difference between the godforce within or without may have been behind your question, and I didn’t even see that until now. When you mentioned ‘inner’ I talked about Spirit. When you mentioned ‘outer’ I thought of physical circumstances. Were you in fact asking if Spirit presents for me as an inner or an outer phenomenon?

As it happens, I think I’ve answered both ways. The essential point though is that you cannot be helped by the Universe – in whatever guise works for you – unless and until you ask for help. Then the help is everywhere you look and listen. 

Natalia still has more questions for me to answer, but I hope you will send in questions as well. Please email them to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Elizabeth Jewell (AKA Stephens – see the editorial ) is the editor of LivingNow and the author of ‘Seven Angels Helped Me – They’ll Help You Too’, available for $30 including P&H. Phone 1300 730 326 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it