I realized my daughter wasn’t wasting her summer at all. I was caught in illusion she was. I began to look at what else I thought wasn’t working in my life. I found my thoughts about my income and my husband were also filled with illusions that were troubling me. I was able to shift my thoughts to facts, what was real and true, and immediately felt more peaceful, accepting and clear about how much WAS working in my life.

Here are some questions to ask yourself to see if you are caught in an illusion:

· Do you find yourself lost in stories you tell yourself and believe them without stopping to inquire if they are even true?

· Are you are so focused on your feelings you don’t stop to consider “facts”?

· Do you resist making changes because you’re afraid of what might happen?

For me teaching is clear. If I’m spending time and energy focusing on what isn’t working in my life I am probably caught in an illusion. If I am feeling fear and limitation I have lost sight of what is real. I invite you to consider making a shift in your life from a stand of illusion to a stand of inquiry.

Here are some helpful tips to assist you in shift:

· Ask yourself if things are really way they seem? Be willing to be curious and see a new way.

· Ask yourself what illusions you are creating that are restricting your inner peace and ability to act? Be willing to be honest with yourself.

· Focus on what IS working in your life versus what isn’t. This shift sends a clear message that will ripple through your whole experience.

· Consider living from a place of acceptance of what is. The more we resist reality more we suffer.

As you begin to bring awareness to illusions that are limiting your peace and happiness you discover your amazing power of creation. Consider YOU created stressful illusions in first place then reflect on possibility of creating positive illusions for what you want in your life instead.

Let yourself be surrounded by dragonflies. Be in awe of magical, illusive colors of their wings and essence of their wisdom. Invite them to guide you through haze of illusion to clarity of a sunny morning.

It’s your life…imagine possibilities!

A famous jeweler once sold a magnificent ruby after one of his salespeople had failed to interest customer. Asked how he did it, jeweler said, "My clerk is an excellent man, an expert on precious stones. There's just one difference between us: He knows jewels, but I "love" them. I care what happens to them, who wears them. The customers sense this. It makes them want to buy--and they do."

In such cases, of course, caring ultimately brings tangible reward, but great philosophers and religious leaders have always taught this paradox: The most rewarding form of caring is caring without hope of reward. Fortunately for mankind, world is full of people who go quietly through life performing, as Wordsworth put it, "little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love."

The volunteer worker at hospital, unpaid canvasser for community chest, neighbor who offers to take care of your children while you settle a new house--such people have no ulterior motive and expect no recompense. They act because they care, and their actions--multiplied by millions--supply force that keeps human race moving upward from barbarism along path of growth.

There are people who say that if you care too much, you can get hurt. That's right--you win some, and you lose some. But alternative is a pretty bleak and uninteresting existence.