On the morning of September 11, 2001, I received a wake up call. The consciousness of separation was creating chaos around the world. A loud voice in my head said, “It’s time to get to work.” To me, that meant, “Get to work on healing, on loving, on figuring out your own salvation.” I vowed to break free of my complacency and do something to help ease the pain.

I immersed myself in metaphysical writing and healing practices. I began to take steps to know myself, to heal my life and to teach what I learned to others. When I decided to write the book, Real Steps to Enlightenment, I knew that I would have assistance from the spiritual realms. I had an interactive relationship with my God, my angels, and my guides. I wanted to let others know about these unseen, and often untapped, resources. My angels gave me guidance and my healing masters helped me to remove unwanted energies. My personal guides supported me on various projects.

Each day, I sat down at my computer and asked for inspiration. A wise and gentle causal plane entity named Jahallah came through. We communicated by a process called conscious channeling. Jahallah had a message to share about unity and about reconnecting the earth with the heavenly realms. The “Jah” in his name signified the Jehovah of the Old Testament. “Allah” is the name of God in the Koran. Jahallah told me that he presented this name as a reminder that “the God of Israel and the God of Islam are One.” He understood that the most important step toward enlightenment was to end separation—from the Divine and from each other.

During one incarnation, Jahallah had been a holy man in Turkey. He related stories from his agrarian community that reminded me of biblical parables. Maybe he understood, as Jesus did, that people easily remembered stories and the lessons they taught. This prompted me to share my own modern-day experiences in the second part of each chapter. They illustrated how “average” people mastered life’s challenges. These people were able to access their innate abilities such as healing and clairvoyance. When they became clear about their goals and took spirit-guided action, miracles happened.

Some contemplatives may have reached an enlightened state by meditative seclusion. Others may have pored over sacred texts, hoping to find redemption by following the doctrines and disciplines of ancient theologians. However, in our fast-paced society, the old ways may not work for everyone. I have found that most of us can advance spiritually just by living out our day-to-day existence in a more refined state of awareness. I believe that we are entering a new era where individuals are going within to figure out their own unique paths to God. Real Steps to Enlightenment is a guide to help people achieve that connection.

The format of this book is unique. It provides readers with four steps that combine to help people to quickly become spirit-centered and create change. The first two are 1) information (spiritual principles) and 2) inspiration (stories that illustrate these principles in action). The chapters cover a broad spectrum of subjects—peace, trust, joy, prosperity, synergy, etc. The readers then take the final steps in order to bring these energies into their own lives. They set their personal 3) intention (through prayer affirmations) in order to take 4) action (unique to the individual).

Many people read self-help books and later store them away on a bookshelf to gather dust. Real Steps to Enlightenment is designed to be a touchstone for daily living. I started a practice of opening the book at random to use it as an oracle for my day. I usually received the perfect lesson that helped me to live more consciously and solve problems easily.

Each morning, you can set an intention with the system to create a quality in your life such as harmony, clarity, or release. The Universe will speedily provide you with opportunities to master those energies. Some lessons will be easy and pleasurable. Some will hit you like a brick to get your attention. In any case, you will be moving forward!

Our planet is currently undergoing a profound transformation. Tuning in to our spiritual guidance may be essential for our survival. I believe that an awakening is happening across the globe. However, this new creation is coming with birth pains—wars, natural disasters, and other catastrophic events. The good new is that we have choices—we can be destroyed by these things, we can anesthetize ourselves into inactivity or we can take concrete action to manifest positive change. It’s time to get to work.