Category: Ask a Luminary

Ask A Luminary lets you ask a question and get an answer from one of our many Inspirational Luminaries. Think of it as an inspirational version of Ann Landers or Dear Abby!

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If you have a question for an expert in empowerment, love and relationships, business and entrepreneurship, parenting, finances, health, spirituality, meditation and prayer, or even something else, now’s the time to ask! Just submit your question and one of our Luminaries will share their answer here!

How Can I Move Forward from My Mistakes?

"Could you please share with me how can I get over my past mistakes and actions? 7 months ago I had a terrible fight with a friend of mine, whom I had feelings for. It was a long distance relationship. Due to anger and rage, I communicated harsh words to her. I tried apologizing but she's not ready to take my calls and has blocked me off all social networking sites and hasn't communicated since. I terribly feel her absence and I'm down with guilt. Every day thoughts of her keep running through my mind. I feel that if I'd…

Should I Take the First Step in a Relationship?

"Two weeks ago my crush sent me a friendship request on Facebook and he told me that he likes me. I was so happy but since then we haven't talked. I texted him once after that but the last message is always mine -- I feel like he's not interested in me anymore. The sad part is that I will never see him again after this week , he's going to another country! And I don't know if I should tell him that I like him or not -- what if he ignores me and I'll look so stupid? What should I do, please?" ~…

How Can I Get Over the Death of a Loved One?

"I lost both parents within a year, very unexpectedly. I still pick up the phone to call them and feel such an ache inside. How do I fill this void?" ~ Jeri, Poughkeepsie, NY Dear Jeri, Your first step is let go of your goal to “fill this void.” I am not sure we ever completely get over losses; we learn to fill our lives up with other good things so that we do not feel the loss as much. Right now, you need to grieve. It is how the body and mind heal. The loss is a big hole in…

What Do I Do About a Cheating Spouse?

"How can I keep hope when I know my husband is cheating and dishonest? He pretends all is fine, but I am the one who is suffering inside. My only solace is talking and praying every day to my Lord Jesus, God, Immaculate Virgin Mary, St. Anne her mother and St. Joseph along with the Holy Spirit. I gave my vows at the Altar when I got married 30 years ago. It's hard to show emotions toward him when I know what he's doing. What can I do? Do I just put on a face and pretend, and be the victim?" ~…

Can Meditation Make Me Happier?

"I find the world to be filled with sadness, and sometimes, I honestly don't want to be here. I've tried anti-depressants but I don't like the side effects. I'd like to take control of my life and change my attitude, but I don't know where to start. Any suggestions?" ~ John, Boulder, CO Dear John, First, you’re right to have stopped taking the anti-depressants. They do cause unwelcome side effects and they do nothing to get to the root of depression. My answer to this question might surprise you somewhat, but firstly I’d advise looking at ways you can give…

Am I Supposed to Ignore Money?

"The area of struggle for me is money. Manifestation concepts say that you should be thinking about what you want, feeling it, and imagining what it would be like to have it. However, when I have read the concepts of manifesting money it seemed to say not to focus on it but rather to focus on gratitude of the money I currently have. This leaves me rather confused. I daydream daily about having money and the things I would do with it, I have no problem feeling the freedom and abundance that would come with having money. Is that wrong?…

Can I Ignore Rather Than Let Go of an Issue?

"When there is something that bothers me, is it necessary for me to make the effort to 'clean up' my vibration and energy around that particular topic, or is it enough to simply distract myself and look in a different direction?" ~ Susan, Heber, UT Dear Susan, I always encourage cleaning up your vibration around anything that creates resistance in your life. Otherwise, each time that particular situation or person shows up in your reality, you continue to vibrate at the level of that resistance you hold about it or them. Put your focus on what it is you do…

How Can I Stay Positive?

"I'm dealing with difficulty in my life right now that is affecting my health. I'm normally such a positive person. This situation is really taking its toll on me and I just don't know how to stay positive anymore. What can I do?" ~ Sally, Green Bay, Wisconsin Dear Sally, The best thing for staying positive is to remember that what we focus on expands, so here are a few great tips. Music is amazing for raising our vibration, our mood even when we don’t feel well or positive. Force a smile on your face, it will immediately change the physiology…

Can Procrastination Help Me Get Things Done?

"I need to learn time management, for I always seem to be running late and out of time. How can I bring peace into my world?" ~ Alden, Ashland, AL Dear Alden, So much to do, but life is calling! One unconventional, but surprisingly effective solution that helps me get things done is procrastination. I know that sounds odd, but it is actually a useful method! Start one task, whatever seems important, and soon, another job will pop up. Go and do it right away, as that is where your brain is ready to focus. Given the chance, your mind…

How Do I Move Past My Fear?

"I have been overwhelmed by FEAR of almost everything my whole life. I have been diagnosed with GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder). but it all boils down to fear. I am 47 years old and want to finally live life instead of just safely exist!" ~ Nadine, Mountain View, CO Dear Nadine, The problem is that we all resist emotions, even though we have no control over what first shows up in our minds. The Buddha refers to this as having two darts in the body. The first dart is what shows up without our control. It's the fears, the moment we…

How Can I Get Over Shyness?

"How can I stop being shy? I have had this problem since my early childhood and I can't get rid of it. Every time I try to make a change and finally become sociable and be comfortable with talking to new people or to stop blushing, something embarrassing happens and I fail. I feel like I'm stuck in this endless nightmare for the rest of my life. I always think my particular situation can't be solved because I BLUSH a lot and I can't control this. Please help me overcome this shyness and perhaps stop blushing and becoming more comfortable…

How Can I Stop Feeling Bad?

"These days I have become so lazy and shiftless! I don't do anything except watch TV and sleep. I wanna do something productive like studying or reading but every time I think about this, I have this bad feeling inside me that I just can't describe, so I convince myself to just relax another time and not do anything. I've been doing this boring routine for like 2 weeks now and I'm sick of this and I really wanna change, but I CAN'T! Please, what should I do to remove all these bad thoughts in me and become determined? Thank…

Does a Broken Promise Mean a Broken Relationship?

"I'm disappointed by the lack of honesty in the world today. Recently I've had one promise after another broken by various individuals. Does anyone value honesty any more?" ~ Stephen, San Diego, CA Dear Stephen, Feeling that others are dishonest is a sign that your expectations are not aligned. It’s important to clearly communicate what you expect to happen and what you’re willing to do to help make it happen. You have two choices: 1. You can be right. That means that the other person must be wrong if they can’t or won’t meet your preferences. Your inflexibility will drive people…

How Do I Live in the Now?

"I've read a lot about living in the present moment, but yet I find myself in the past or the future most of the time, trapped in drama. How does one actually stay IN the present moment? Any hints on tangible things I can do?" ~ Elena, Anchorage, AK Dear Elena, The first step to create any change is to take 100% responsibility for all areas of your life. I notice that in the question, you say that you are "trapped in drama". I understand what you mean, but your language patterns shape your destiny, so consider that you are responsible…

How Can I Find My Inner Strength and Purpose?

"How do I discover who I am deep within? How can I realize what's my true passion, my true purpose in life? How can I improve myself? How can I tap into the strength within me? Do help!" ~ Sabha, Alleppey, India Dear Sabha, To discover who you are and what your purpose is, the first question you need to ask yourself is, “What brings me joy?” Your life purpose is always aligned with what fulfills you in your heart. Most people have an idea of what this is, but don’t feel that it is their life purpose. This can…

How Can I Solve My Financial Problems?

"I'm doing financially horrible. I needed to get some food and household items... I was flat broke and I had no other choice than to take my 7 year old boys' Xbox back. I feel so bad, I'm losing sleep. Did I do the right thing?" ~ Tiffany, Effingham, IL Dear Tiffany, We all run into problems from time to time, and often they are of a financial nature. I believe that most of the time, the problem comes from our thoughts. The most difficult thing to do when we don't know how we're going to feed our family is…

How Do I Deal with My Son’s Addiction?

"My 26 year old son just came out of a very expensive rehab and seems to be relapsing. He lies to me blatantly. Should I be loving, strict, throw him out (I'm afraid he'll die alone).... What is the best way to deal with him?" ~ Knzah, Houston Dear Knzah, Every parent's heart breaks along with yours as you continue to deal with this ongoing painful scenario. As the mother of a daughter who went through several years of drinking in excess, driving while drunk, and getting thrown in jail, I understand your dilemma. Let me share what we did.…

How Can I Help My Struggling Friend?

"I have a friend struggling with grief, health and emotional issues. She is extremely negative, sarcastic and angry in all aspects of her life. She has no other friends and thanks me for being a positive example in her life. Very slowly, she is trying to change to more positive thoughts and actions. Problem is I am getting drained being her only friend in life. Her complaining is constant and she needs me so much of the time..I have a husband and other friends and I love to journal and read. I don't seem to have time for much anything…

How Can I Learn to Hear God?

February 26, 2014
Eva Herr
Ask a Luminary
14 Comments

"I was raised a Christian and have prayed for 50 years. Lately it seems that God isn't listening. How can I increase the connection to make my life work better?" ~ Bob, Prince Edward Island, Canada Dear Bob, God talks in many ways, aurally, visually, empathically, noetically… any of your senses can be utilized. An important tool is learning to acutely discern what I call the “BIG MIND” and the chatter of “little mind”. ”BIG MIND” thoughts drop cohesively into the top of my head, just like an idea. Personally, I hear it much like I hear an idea when it…

How Do I Know What the Right Decision Is?

"I am getting ready to move to So. Florida. I was looking into Naples, Florida. I actually always liked more vibrant urban environments, I am originally from Europe, with lots of cafes, bookstores, art galleries, live theater, close to the beaches. However, I decided I want to slow down. Naples is a beautiful place, just seasonal. However, I am getting job offers from Fort Lauderdale (I am an RN) from the hospital chain I once worked for, and by beautiful Las Olas, also opportunities for placement, etc. It seems like Universe is pushing me to the East Coast versus I was trying to line something…

How Can I Recover From the Death of My Spouse?

"My wife died a few months ago after a long illness. She was suffering a lot, so I'm glad she's out of the pain, but I still miss her SO much. My friends want me to start dating again, but I can't let go. How do I recover?" ~ Nikhil, Arcata, CA Dear Nikhil, I am so sorry about your wife. Traumatic events sometimes feel impossible to recover from. I myself have lost a friend and fellow Marine to the war in Iraq. I recovered from that tragedy when I embraced it. Accept the grief of losing your wife; don't…