Dear Feminist.com readers:

I am very excited about writing my column "Positive Energy for Women." It is devoted to women who want to lead vibrant, empowered lives but may often feel worn down by the many daily stresses we encounter. It is for everyone who is forever in a rush fending off exhaustion, or desperately overcommitted afraid to say no. It'll teach you how to deal with draining people, and also how to maintain a sense of calm centeredness to face a busy life.

I am a psychiatrist in Los Angeles who specializes in listening to intuition and building energy. As much as I respect the analytic mind, I also know how important it is to use intuition to stay in touch with our body�s signals, and trust our instinctual feminine impulses. I also believe that tapping into spirituality, a power greater than ourselves, is essential to maximize our energy and deepen our connectedness to others and the world. Women have powerful, intuitive natures. When our sense of intuition, spirituality and energy is awakened, enormous positive energy will flow from this. I hope you enjoy my upcoming columns, and my book Positive Energy!

Judith Orloff, M.D.
www.drjudithorloff.com

Judith Orloff M.D. is a psychiatrist and energy expert, author of the new book Positive Energy: Ten Extraordinary Prescriptions for Transforming Fatigue, Stress, and Fear Into Vibrance, Strength, and Love. She is also author of the bestsellers Guide to Intuitive Healing and Second Sight. She is Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at UCLA, has a private practice in Los Angeles, and leads workshops on the interrelationship of intuition, energy, and medicine. For more information on Dr. Orloff�s books and workshops visit drjudithorloff.com.

Abundance is the bounty that comes from intuitively embracing your total energy. It always begins with the heart, then extends outward, not vice versa. In my vision, external achievements alone, no matter how grand, can�t penetrate our depths enough to bestow such wholeness. However, as we become wise arbiters of where our energy does and doesn�t go, and when choices from Raisin Bran to who we marry are gut-inspired, abundance does become real. Everything this program has taught will lead you there.

On a massive scale, abundance grows when we realize our collective unity. From an energetic perspective, there�s no arbitrary division between Us and Them. That�s only our small-self�s hallucination, but one that can kill off civilization. Every human being is of one family, a truth I�d bet my life on. Alas we no longer have the luxury to keep debating this. Our Earth, our home, is being plundered. No survival without Her. The fate of our species, of all species, depends on caring for nature�s ecosystems. At a subtle energy level, when wilderness is raped, so are we. When oceans are poisoned, our bodies wail. Causes of physical and emotional suffering are not as pat as they may seem. No coincidence that depression is epidemic and cancer is ravaging so many people dear to us. In our own way, we energetically process the surrounding violence. There�s a metabolism between the exchange of nations, communities, the earth, and our bodies. My final prescription involves doing our part to fight for the abundance of a healthy Earth and its people.

I hold Krishnamurti�s words close: �The heart of man is in his own keeping. To end violence, we must relentlessly keep freeing ourselves from the violence within. Inner strife projected externally becomes world chaos.� Recognizing that the path to peace is not outside us, we must be cognizant of the energies we project, my program�s thesis. Remaining naive to this is irresponsible; so is lip service. Though talk alone can uplift, its power pales next to embodying the change we long for. Practicing what we preach is the imperative of our millennium. It may be hard, we may falter, but so what? There�s no escaping that our energy fields collectively mingle. �Evil doers� never do it alone. Apathy to healing makes us their accomplices.

This prescription for abundance described in my book Positive Energy is that love is a sustainable energy. Always remember that. The mandate is simple. If you�re tired, love. If you�re happy, love. At your final breath, love some more. When it feels utterly impossible--such moments arrive--try to love again later. I promise: you�ll never leave empty handed when the heart is true. There comes a point when we must decide what our endgame is going to be, personally and for the planet. To me, the only one that makes any sense is love. It�s how we have to define ourselves beyond all other criteria. This will ensure abundance.An abundance of energy can keep renewing throughout your life. Part of this entails basking in the brilliance of the energy emanating from all things. In just the right light, with just the right attitude, you�ll be able to see the soles of your shoes sparkle. They do. They will. Let that wonder in. Be dazzled by the energies interwoven throughout the day-to-day. If you can appreciate this, even for brief moments, I�ve succeeded. The present informs the future. So use my prescriptions to make your present bright. A belief in love is unstoppable. You�ll have the courage to do anything.

Let�s make a prayer: As one family, hearts joined, let�s keep saying a prayer for the world: �May our people and planet be healthy. May our people and planet be happy. May suffering be lifted. May we know enduring peace.�

Previous Positive Energy for Women Columns: