How To Show Up

Following your soul path means embracing all of you and going from there to where your soul wants to go to expand.  Does this mean that you always need to be nice, understanding, loving, perfect?  Not at all.

Though all these qualities are part of the journey, it is also about showing strength, sometimes in the form of vulnerability, standing up for your truth and leading the way for the greater good.  It is not about being a punching bag, it is about following your gut, your essence, your soul.  When it feels right in every cell of your body, you know that you are on the right path.  Feel that strength and be authentic when you show up in life.  Let your soul shine and stand in its light. Feel it, be it and shine.

Pleasing Everyone

No matter how hard you try, you will never be able to please everyone around you.  As a parent you want the best for your children, while you are also juggling all sorts of other responsibilities.  There are times where it all just doesn’t seem to want to come together, times when you feel like you don’t have the answers and you don’t know what to do.  When you feel stuck like this maybe the following steps will help:

1. Take three deep cleansing breaths.

2. Know it is OK not to have all the answers.  Give yourself permission to not know!

3. Ask for help from your Spiritual Support System (God, Angels, Saints…).  Deliver the issue into their hands. 

4. Consciously give yourself the rest of the day off from this conflict.  Revisit it again the next day, when you’ve had a chance to sleep and put some space between you and the situation.

5. Do something grounding, like walking barefoot in the grass.
6. Focus on YOU.  What is going on for you.  What do you need to face?  What are you not doing?  What do you need to do to get back on YOUR path?  Often when you are lost you have stepped off your path and you have stopped being true to yourself.

7. Always remember:  This too shall pass!

8. Trust that the answers will come.  They always do.

Manifest Your Dreams

To manifest your dreams you need to feel/experience them as if they were already a reality.  That way you are emitting the frequency of the dream in the physical realm thus attracting it to you.  It is important to be vigilant of that physical frequency emission.  The more you broadcast it the sooner and more effective the manifestation.

It is not about just projecting it.  You need to feel, see, think, live it with every cell of your body in the now.

Rebuilding Your House

When you consciously start walking your path and looking inside you will find that the figurative space you've inhabited within up to this point is not big enough for you anymore.  Your soul's potential is MUCH bigger than what your mind alone can comprehend. You need to grow, expand your boundaries and create more room within.  

When I first started on my path, some drastic things happened in my life that made me feel like my internal house had been blown up and everything within needed to be rebuilt. Though it was painful & shocking, it was also very liberating and exciting.  The potential for something new, bigger and better was palpable and enticing.  Unknown, but compelling.

Through the process of rebuilding it became clear to me that my previous foundation had outlived its purpose and was too small.  I needed it to be much broader to embrace my potential.

You are so much more than you think.  Embrace the vastness and greatness of YOU!  Give it the huge foundation it needs.

Reward

Always remember that while it can be hard to take a step forward on your path, you are always rewarded for taking it one way or another.  For example, you might feel really good, light, peaceful, joyous, enriched, clearer, wiser, accomplished, loved, appreciated, etc.  You are taking this step for you, for your soul's development, which ultimately always expands and enriches your being.

Remember this when the going gets tough and use in combination with your courage to take that next step.  :)

Clues

Do you ever have days where you are just at a loss as to what step to take next?  Where instead of being clear you are flooded with emotions that are surfacing out of the blue?  Well, you'll be glad to know that it is all part of the process.

Every time you take a step you are moving forward.  After taking your step, you are in a new position.  There you will encounter your new challenge.  The surfacing emotions are the clues that will show you where you need to look next.  Follow the clues and you will find your next step.  :)

Forgiveness

Have you ever done something that you can't or are having a really hard time forgiving yourself for?  How hard are you on yourself?  Is there anything someone else could say or do that would make you feel worse about yourself than what you are already doing?  Probably not.

Keep this in mind the next time you come across someone elses deed that you are wanting to judge.  Odds are, if it is an overall sane person, that he/she is really beating themselves up over what he/she did more than you ever could.  Forgiveness and compassion may be a better choice both for you and/or others.

Making A Decision

You know you need to make a decision.  That decision will change life as you know it now.  You wait for the "right" time.  Is there truly ever a "right" time?  You are trying to control change, which is impossible.

Truth is fear is stopping you from stepping forward.  Fear of the change, fear of the consequences make you hide behind the ruse of "the right time".  When you feel this way, when you know you are hesitating, what can you do?

1. Openly admit to yourself that you are stalling.  Believe it or not, it takes some of the pressure off of you.
2. Are you clear on what you want?  What is your goal?  Is it in harmony with your soul path?
3. Is there anything you still need/can do before making a decision?  Is there information you still need to gather that will make you feel better prepared?
4. Ask yourself what will it take for you to take the plunge?  You won't be able to out think the situation.  So what do you need?  Is it trust?  Something else?
5. Find your courage!  Dig within yourself.  It is there!
6. Believe in yourself.  Believe in your Higher Self.  Though you may not be able to foresee everything, when you are aligned with your soul path everything will alright.

Addictions

Addictions come in all sorts of shapes and sizes...  Alcohol, drugs, food, sex are some of the more commonly known.  What other ones can you think of?

How about computer games, web surfing, shopping?  What about something more abstract like procrastination, incessant rule making or breaking, always having to win or be right?

Addictions are more common than you might think.  Spend some time and observe yourself and others and see what you can come up with.

Home

What is "home" to you?  Where do you feel at home?  Have you ever felt that you're home?

I have lived in lots of places around this globe: Spain, Italy, Iran, Portugal, and in the US: Colorado, Ohio, Iowa and Utah.  When I moved to Utah, something in me fell into place:  I just knew I was home.

Every cell in my body knows that here is where I belong right now.  I fully resonate with Mother Nature in Utah.  My energy field feels nourished and my heart has opened liked never before.

Having moved so much and feeling like a rolling stone, I used to think/feel that home was where my family was.  Now I do believe that it is also important to find the place that is right for you, your soul, your whole being.  The place where you resonate at your highest.  A place where you have the highest potential of fully manifesting yourself due to the surrounding complimentary synergistic energy.

How do you know where that is for you?  You will feel it and know it without a doubt when you find it.  Know it is out there and set your intention to finding it.  Be patient and open to it.  You will find it.

Helping Another

Sometimes words, reassurances, and solutions are not warranted when someone is going through a painful situation.  Sometimes all you need to do is listen, be present and give the other person a figurative safe space where he/she can express and release his/her emotions without judgement.

When you create this bubble of unconditional love for another, you give them a great gift: a safe haven, where healing can take place.

Baby Steps

Though you may have heard this a million times, it is worth repeating: when a task seems overwhelming, like a never ending steep mountain, focus on each baby step you need to take.  When the end looks like it is too far, focus on what is in front of you.

Each little task you accomplish, each step you take gets you one step closer to the top of that mountain.  It also reveals your next step.  You often don't need to know what step 5 is when you are still on step 2.  As you evolve, so does your path.  Trust in yourself, that you will get there.  Be present in the now, in the present step and make allowances for divine timing too.  :)

Learn to love baby steps.  Each one is precious and each one will get you where you need to be.

Pictures Of Nature

While on a visit to Park City last weekend, we went through an art gallery full of photographs of nature and animals.  The one that spoke to me the most was not the prettiest landscape by far, but it did capture the raw nature I experience every time I go on a hike.  It depicted a fall scene, but I could see every single season in my minds eye.  It was so familiar to me.

It made me realize what a vast storage of "pictures" I have in me and how they energetically bond me to nature too.  I draw strength and peace from them, more than I realized.

Make time to spend time outdoors every week at least once.  Make time to stop and look, smell and feel.  Take those experiences into your very core.  They are always with you and they are always there for you.  Beauty is all around you.  Beauty fills your heart with peace and joy.

Enlightenment

How do you become enlightened?  Does it mean that you meditate for hours on end?  Or that you only have positive thoughts?  Or that you have a vaster understanding of the universe than others?  What is enlightenment?  What is your definition?

I feel that enlightenment is achieved by accessing your essence/Higher Self/soul and living it. An enlightened person is someone who is able to stay in their center all the time, someone who takes the "good" and the "bad" equally, someone who is not swayed by extremes, but is able to be in joy and peace.  

You learn to be centered by looking past the labels of good and bad, by accepting both as equal learning experiences (only the packaging is different).  You experience extremes as a means to learn.  The more you embrace one side, the stronger you will also experience the other.  The more you accept them as equals the less you will experience the extremes and the more balanced and centered you will be.

When you are centered it doesn't matter whether there is rain or shine.  Neither changes your essence.  Your essence is divine.  Thus when you live your essence you live an enlightened life.

Learn To Fly

It is never too late to learn how to fly, figuratively speaking.  Throughout your life there have already been so many flying lessons you have mastered...from learning how to walk and talk, going through school, leaving home, becoming independent, etc.

No matter where you are in life or how old you are, keep reaching for your visions & dreams and let the passion inside of you be your guiding force.  Soar to new heights and let your soul expand.  Believe in yourself and keep learning to fly.  :)

Clarity

Whenever you need clarity there are simple things you can do to help you gain the clarity you seek:

1. Clean anything (your choice!).  The process of cleaning your external environment will clear space within.
2. Take a walk or hike.  Do something physical.  Getting your blood going, increases the oxygen in your body and gets rid of toxins through the sweat.  The change in environment gives you a new perspective.
3. Meditate.  Clear your mind and energy field.  Ask for guidance.  Breathe!
4. Talk to a good friend or a coach, someone who will intently listen to you in a space of unconditional love.
5. Organize some part of your environment, e.g. desk, basement, drawer, etc.  Mental focus and structure might be what you need to get clarity.
6. Gardening, getting your hands in the soil is absolutely grounding and real for when you are too stuck in your head.  Feel the soil, its energy.  Release all your worries.  Indulge in your senses.  Open your intuition.
7. Write/journal!  Clear all unnecessary thoughts by putting them on paper and then burning them if you so wish.  Great releasing ritual.
8. Laugh! Cry!  Both are great ways to release tension or excess energy, again making space for clarity.
9. Pray.  Be open to answers.
10. Trust that clarity is in you.  Choose to see it.

German Chamomile

I love herbs.  German chamomile is growing wild in my garden right now for the second year in a row.  Today I brewed some fresh chamomile tea for the first time in my life.  I took ten flower heads (seemed like a good amount) that were at the peak of their blossoming cycle (this is how flowers are chosen also for the making of flower essences) and steeped them in a covered tea cup filled with hot water for 5 minutes. The tea was clear, medium-light yellow and tasted delicious!

In the book "Herbal Remedies" by Andrew Chevallier it was suggested that you brew it either in a teapot or in a cup with a saucer on top because most of the active constituents are formed in the steam.  Good to know!

It also said that regular cups of chamomile tea can make a difference in inflammatory conditions such as gastritis, Crohn's disease, and colitis.  Chamomile is a great anti-allergenic, anti-inflammatory, relaxant, spasm reliever, digestion soother and wound healer.  A lovely herb!!!

Self Love Exercise

Have you ever told yourself: "I love you!"?

Give this exercise a try:  Combine saying/thinking "I love you" to yourself, while using your fingers to gently caress your fingers, hands and arms.  Make sure that you are not imagining someone else caressing you but being fully aware that you love you.

How does this make you feel?  Is it comfortable or not?  Does it help you open your heart or not?  If not, what is happening?  Open to whatever emotion surfaces.  Do this daily at least until you start feeling comfortable with it.

This is one way to learn to accept yourself, to increase your self esteem and self love.

Patience & Nurturing

We purchased a lilac tree three years ago, so it just started its fourth summer in our garden.  It was a "rescue" tree, one that was for greatly reduced because it wasn't doing well.  For the last three years it has barely grown and I wondered if it ever would.

This year it has finally decided to bloom and has already almost doubled its foliage height!  All the nurturing and patience finally did pay off.  :)

In parallel, it made me think about what a human goes through when experiencing a difficult situation or choosing to uncover all those dark places in oneself to find to start living in the light.

When you start on your path to healing and/or growing, a lot of work, combined with love and nurturing, goes into that process.  Sometimes it takes a long time to see the positive results and it can become discouraging.  Be patient though and keep nurturing your healing and your path.  You will experience exponential growth once you hit critical mass, just like my lilac tree did.  :)

The Two Facets Of Parenting

As a human being you want to be loved for who you are.  You look for this confirmation starting with your parents.

As a parent it is necessary to give the child guidelines and structure.  Invariably by doing this you are setting yourself up as the big person, the adult that knows better, which is an important role, but not the only one.

Just as important is seeing your child as a full, equal human being and soul.  You can achieve this by creating the space where he/she can be who he/she is without judgement.  A space of unconditional love where they feel safe, are seen for the beautiful soul they are, and where they are mirrored unconditional love.  In this space it is one soul seeing and being with the other as equals, where no roles/rules are imposed, where the soul can evolve, spread its wings in its fullest potential.

When your child is seen and loved for who he/she is (not some ideal thought of who your child should be), he/she is in touch with his/her essence.  This acknowledgement emphasizes the child's inner beauty, strengthens his/her belief in himself/herself and teaches him/her to be in that unconditional space also for others.

When you create this unconditional love space for your children too, you are not only strengthening your bond to your child, but you are changing the world, because they will know how to truly love others as equals.

Claiming Your Space

If you are a person that easily gives to others, it is imperative to learn when and how to claim your own space, especially when you are going through a tough period in your own development.

Give yourself permission to state that you are not in position to give when you are having a down day.  You need to shift back into love and light before you can give.  It takes time to shift and it is important to know this.  Become aware when all your energy is going towards your personal growth that it is okay to do so and give yourself the time for it too.  It is the gift of self love.

Be compassionate with yourself so you can be compassionate with others too.

Life Is...

I would like to share a quote that says it all.  If you can embrace this, then you will live life to its fullest.  :)

Life is a song - sing it.
Life is a game - play it.
Life is a challenge - meet it.
Life is a dream - realize it.
Life is a sacrifice - offer it.
Life is love - enjoy it.

by Sai Baba

Bringing Challenges And Gratitude Together

Every negative emotion that is triggered in you is an opportunity/challenge to grow if you so choose.  The more often you approach each challenge as a growth opportunity, the faster you will be able to get to the core of what was triggered in you.  When you find the core issue you are able to let go of the initial negative emotion that a person or situation triggered in you.  You are also readdressing something in you that needs to heal. So there are multiple benefits: no additional layers and possible removing one that is there.

When you are triggered it is easier to get angry at or defensive with or sad towards the person/situation that was the mirror.  That is the way most of us have been taught or taught ourselves to react for protection purposes.  By reacting though you are creating a "new pain story" for yourself in an attempt not to see the sore point inside of you.

When you do stop yourself before you create an external new pain story, and look inward and pinpoint what hurts in you, you will also find compassion for yourself and the person/situation that mirrored for you.

The more often you go through this process the faster the results.  Gratitude will emerge.  You will find that you are thankful for each resolved challenge and in time this gratitude will help you actually stop avoiding and instead start seeking new challenges, encouraging yourself to grow further.  It becomes a beautiful, productive, positive growth cycle.

Reflection

Do you ever stop and think about how far you have come on your path?

Today take a few moments to reflect what you were like last year.  What were you doing?  What happened throughout the year?  How have you evolved?  What is different today?  What have you learned?  What worked for you?

You will be surprised how much you have grown.  :)

What Are You Worth?

You are worth as much as you believe you are worth.  It doesn't matter how many degrees you have, or how many training sessions, or how beautiful you are, etc., if you don't believe that you are smart, capable, beautiful, etc. no external achievement will make you believe it.

It all starts within.  If you don't believe you are smart, capable, beautiful, etc., ask yourself:  What is it going to take for me to believe I am?  What will tip the scale for me?

You can also try this approach:  What if I truly am dumb, incapable, ugly, etc?  What does that do for me?  Am I willing to be okay with it and move on?  How would that change my life?

End Of Day Clearing

At the end of each day, and especially very busy days, you will find it of great benefit to take five minutes  or so in which you seek solitude and peace.  Close your eyes and breathe deeply three or four times.  Find a steady rhythm and clear your mind.  Ask your Highest Support System (Angels, Spirit, God, Saints, etc. - whatever feels right to you) to join you and to kindly assist you in clearing your energetic field.  

Ask for all energies that aren't yours to be returned to their owners and for the retrieval of all energies that are yours.  Then let the process take its course.  Aid the process by consciously releasing what isn't yours and reintegrating what is.  Use whatever visual works for you.  Flow with the energy and find peace.

This simple visualization will clear your energy field and recenter you.  A wonderful thing to do especially before you go to bed.  Sweet dreams.  :)

Try, Should, Need To...

"Do. Or do not. There is no try." by Yoda (Star Wars)

Truly wise words my youngest quoted to me this afternoon.  :)  Try, should, need to, are all words you need to be on the look out for.  They embody non commitment.  Be aware that when you use these words your heart is not in it.  There is something that is stopping you from fully committing.  The same applies when you hear other people using those words.

When you catch yourself using one of these words, ask yourself: "What do I really want to do?  What do my heart and gut say about all of this?" This might save you a lot of time and effort.  :)

I Am Limitless

"I am unlimited" were the words I saw on TV for some cell phone commercial.  They were so powerful to me that I can't even remember what cell phone brand they are for...

This mantra opens all my chakras at once, especially the solar plexus (the power center) and the heart.  In the spirit of staying away from negatives I am changing it slightly to: "I am limitless". 

Say these words out loud to yourself and see how they make you feel.  I'd love to hear about it.  :)

When Do You Look Inward?

When is it time to start looking inward?  Here are ten signs that suggest you would highly benefit from starting on your inner journey...

1. You feel like you have hit a glass ceiling and can't move ahead.
2. You know you are at a crossroads.
3. You feel drained.
4. You can't sleep at night.
5. Anxiety has entered your life without warning.
6. You are not happy despite having a good income, wife/husband, kids, home, boat, fill in the blank and so on.
7. You feel depressed, though you have no apparent reason to be.
8. You can't seem to shed those extra 20-30lbs no matter what you do.
9. You have a huge urge to buy that spiffy little sports car you always wanted.
10. You are tired of feeling miserable.

Time for a change.  Time to find your inner light and shift gears.  :)

Unwritten

I love the lyrics of this song and wanted to share them with you.  It is all about opening up, knowing that you create your reality, and about becoming alive again & open to all that is around you.  Step outside your comfort zone.  The possibilities are endless.  Enjoy!

"Unwritten"

Songwriters: BRISEBOIS, DANIELLE/BEDINGFIELD, NATASHA/RODRIGUES, WAYNE

YouTube link for video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7k0a5hYnSI

I am unwritten, can't read my mind, I'm undefined
I'm just beginning, the pen's in my hand, ending unplanned

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

I break tradition, sometimes my tries, are outside the lines
We've been conditioned to not make mistakes, but I can't live that way

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten