Self-Acceptance

This is google's definition of the word acceptance: 

1. the action of consenting to receive or undertake something offered.

2. the action or process of being received as adequate or suitable, typically to be admitted into a group.

This is the definition given for self acceptance:
1. an acceptance of yourself as you are, warts and all.

If you combine the two, self acceptance is "a consent to receive yourself as you are". It is important to be aware that it does take your consent to achieve self acceptance. Are you giving yourself permission to accept yourself?

Wise Reminder

Today, by chance, I ran across something my youngest had written when he was 9 years old (the first part is a quote he used):

""When a man points a finger at someone else, he should remember that his fingers other fingers are pointing at himself." by Louis Nizer

This sentence tells me that if you blame someone else, you are telling everyone that you did it.  You should take responsibility for your actions. If you don't, you're a liar. Even if it's a minor incident, you should take responsibility for your actions. Even if you get away with it, you're a liar."

Reading this opened my eyes again to how wise our children really are and that they do understand so much more than we sometimes give them credit for. It is a good reminder that wisdom is everywhere and is not tied to age necessarily. Pearls of wisdom can come out of a 9 year old's 'mouth' too.  :)

Set The Tone Of Your Day

Set the tone of your day.  Here is how: 

1. Choose a mantra, e.g. "I am love", before you get out of bed.

2. Say it 108 times out loud

3.Own the mantra throughout this one day. Remember it as often as possible. Feel its resonance in your heart and recenter as needed.

By taking this bit of time in the morning to choose a topic of focus, you are directing your day and your reality. Give it a try and see how it works for you.

Higher Self Connection

How do you know, when you are working with your Higher Self, whether you are connected to it or not, and if you are receiving answers from your Higher Self or not?

Patricia Cota-Robles suggests asking yourself the following 4 questions to check whether you are or aren't receiving answers from your Higher Self:

1. Is this response free from fear?
2. Is it the most positive way of handling this situation?
3. Does this response involve the highest good for all concerned?
4. Am I adding to the light of the world by responding in this way?

If you answer all questions with a 'yes' you are connecting with and receiving answers from your Higher Self. If even one answer is a 'no' than work on reconnecting again.

No matter whether you believe in the concept of a Higher Self or not, these are great questions to ask yourself when responding to challenges and/or challenging situations. They are heart centered and take an all encompassing, broad approach. They also help you step outside of yourself to take into account the bigger picture, serving the good of all.

Never Say Never

Have you ever said: "I don't ever want to be like _______ (fill in the blank, e.g. mother, father, sister, etc.)"?If you have, you can be sure that you will be just like that person, in a different way, but still the same.  You have chosen to work on that challenge in your lifetime, you have chosen to walk the same path.

Often you are dealing with family patterns that help you further your growth as well as the growth of the family line. Whether you have seen this happen yet or not, be aware of it and start observing it. And most of all start accepting it. Fighting it makes it harder.  The lesson is there for you. You chose it and you are living a facet of it that helps you grow. Acceptance and awareness will help you resolve it.

Focus

"People deal too much with the negative, with what is wrong. Why not try and see positive things, to just touch those things and make them bloom?" by Thich Nhat Hanh

Where you put your focus is where your energy goes, which in turn becomes manifest. Though it is beneficial too to sometimes understand the "negative", it serves you far more too spend most of your time putting your focus on the positive, on what can be done, on what brings you joy, one what gives you peace.

Focus on the positive brings action/freedom with it, while focusing on the negative incarcerates you.

Take A Chance

Sometimes you have to take a chance and see if you can be more than what you are today. You'll find out whether you are or aren't. Either way you are taking a chance and thus you are growing. Take a chance today and step outside your comfort zone.  You'll be a winner no matter what.  :)

Breath Check

Today, pay attention to your breath. Whenever you think of it check in with your breath and see what it is doing. Are you breathing fast? Holding your breath? Breathing regularly?

Regular deep breathing is important for your health. You will be amazed how often you find your body tight and you holding your breath. Ease the tension with deep breath. Regulate your breathing into a steady pattern that releases any tension you are holding on to.

And remember, keep checking in with your breath all day! It is amazing how quickly you revert back...

Willingness

Are you willing to listen?  How often do you truly listen to others?  How often do you truly listen to yourself? And again, first and foremost, are you willing to listen?

This is the first and most important step when you want to learn from others and from yourself. Your body and intuition have a wealth of knowledge at your disposal. Start by being willing to listen. Take the time, have the patience and focused concentration it takes to deeply listen. Commit to it fully and wholeheartedly.

Waves

Imagine you are made out of waves, not solid particles, but waves. From a quantum physics perspective this is a definite possibility, if not reality. Either way, just imagine that is what you are.  How does that make you feel? Does it open up new possibilities? Does it make you feel lighter, more open, 'flowier'? Other?

It sure gives the expression 'Going with the flow' a whole new perspective.  :)

Detox

Did you know that when you start detoxing your body, you will feel worse first before you feel better? Your body "copes" with toxins and stores them, basically works around them as best it can.  When these toxins are released they enter the body's mainstream affecting it in a way that is more noticeable to you. 

So when you decide to start eating well, or fast, or start a detox program, keep it in mind and stick with it! You are doing something very good for yourself and you will start feeling better.  :)

Forgiveness - The Attribute Of Strength

"The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong." by Mahatma Ghandi

I find this quote thought provoking. What makes one person not forgive another?  Usually there are strong, unresolved emotions that prevent a person from forgiving another. Only making peace with these unresolved emotions can lead to forgiveness. This is a process you do for yourself, not the other person.

Forgiveness also demands the willingness to let go. Once you let go you are free and freed.

Survival Mechanism Questions

At a young age we all learn how to survive based on the environment we grow up in and the natural gifts we have. These survival techniques and developed instincts follow you throughout your life.

Figuring out what you do to survive is instrumental in dissolving old patterns.  This survival mechanism is at the base of your coping mechanism. You put it in place to help you survive, to help you get what you felt you needed or were lacking, to help you be safe based on your perception of the world at that time.  Odds are that your perceptions are different today, yet your survival mechanism still reflects the "old" you.

So here are some questions you can ask yourself to get clues on your survival mechanism:

• What are my talents? What am I good at? For example can you read people? Are you proactive or passive? Etc.
• How do I use my talents in my daily life?
• What triggers my defense mechanism? 
• What do I do when it is activated?  See if you can detect a pattern.
• What do I do to protect myself?

Then put all the answers together like puzzle pieces. Understanding your survival mechanism is the first step to altering it. If you find you are still missing pieces work on finding them. Be patient if it all doesn't come together instantly. The more you observe yourself the more of an insight you will be able to gain. And most of all, let things flow. That is where the answers come together.

Wholeness Exercise

It is a good practice to stop at least one time a day and listen to your body. How do you do this?

A good way to do this is to close your eyes and start breathing regularly. Focus on your breathing and start clearing your mind. When you are in a good, calm place start focusing your inner eye on the inside of your body and start a slow mental scan to all different body parts.  When you get to a place where you feel some tightness or a block, linger on that area.  Breathe into it gently & lovingly and start giving it space, as much space as it needs. Keep breathing and visualizing the space expansion where this tightness/block can change & transmute.

Once it feels whole, move on with your scan.  Repeat as needed. This exercise helps your heart connect to yourself, to your physical body to make you whole. It helps you heal.

We Are One

Global sporting events, such as the Olympics or the Soccer World Cup that is going on right now in Brazil, pull nations together. Though you might not follow soccer at all, there is something magical about watching it when your country is competing in a global setting.

You become one with your team and the country they represent. Though you and other fans may be separated thousands of miles, you feel a bond with people you don't even know. A win can make your spirits soar as if you had actually personally won the game, which rationally doesn't make sense.

This is what it means to be connected though. Energetically you do become one with the team and all those other fans out there. This is a great way to feel this bond and the energetic power of many.

Life

Life is about showing up and giving it your best shot. All else really doesn't matter. There are so many variables when it comes to outcome that it is impossible to predict what is right or wrong, deserved or not, etc.

It is about the journey and not the outcome. It is about living in the now and not in the future or past. It is about knowing who you are at the core. It is about consciously living who you are. It is also about celebrating you and expanding the wonderful essence you already are.

Potential

"When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be." by Lao Tzu

Giving up all the stories you believe opens you up to the potential of all that might be, of all that you can be. By making space in your are inviting new energy in. Specify for positive energy to enter and you are on your way. Open to your true potential.  :)

Let Go

When a lot of information comes at you in a short amount of time, you need to give it some time to settle, especially when the subject material relates to you personally, like when you go to your kid's college orientation for a couple of days.

It is not only the logistical aspects but also the emotional aspects that need to be brought to the surface and worked through. There comes a point where there is so much that you cannot process it anymore at that moment.  When you find yourself on "overload" know that:

1) It is okay to shut the brain off and take a breather!  The information has been given to you. You know what to do and it doesn't all need to be done immediately. Take a mental day off!

2) Give yourself an emotional break too! Everything is as it should be. It is okay to be sad and happy at the same time.

In addition, if you do specifically have a child going off to college, remember too that letting go is going to be tough not just for you but for all involved, most of all the one who is leaving, the one who will be spreading his wings in his first attempt to fly solo! Give him space to do so. He knows you are right behind him should he need you. Let go! It is time to give up the driver's seat.  :)

Finding Your Peeps

Though we are all connected, it is nurturing and reassuring when you do find people who are more on your wavelength. It is like finding an additional home.

How do you find these people? By following what you love and pursuing venues that fulfill you and your heart's desire. It is not about focusing on finding these people, but about focusing on you and putting your passion into action.

Wings

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children: One of these is roots, the other, wings." by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

The time to let go of my oldest and let him fly is approaching quickly. Letting go of your child is never easy, though you know that it is a natural progression of life for him to spread his wings. Though you won't be feeding and tending to him on a daily basis in the home nest, always remember that you can still be the wind beneath his wings when needed. :)

I Choose My Story

Yesterday I talked about stories that we all tell ourselves.  Today look at your stories and see if you like them, if they suit you now.  Check and see how old they are and whether you feel like a hamster running in a wheel never going anywhere. 

Then know:  You can choose your story! If you think you are poor, see yourself as rich. If you think you aren't liked, see yourself as being liked by everyone, starting with yourself! Whether it is true or not is irrelevant (and you don't know the answer anyway most of the time), but what you are telling yourself becomes true to you, because it is what you think, what you believe.

So when you catch yourself today telling yourself a story that you want to change, stop yourself and say: "I can choose my story" and then visualize your chosen story. It is empowering, opens your potential and possibilities, and changes your future.

Stories

Think about the stories you have in your life, the ones you tell yourself over and over again.  Then add to those all the stories everyone around you tells themselves. Then add all the stories all those around you have around them, and so on. This adds up to a lot of stories.

There are stories everywhere.  We are all story tellers, story creators, energy wielders, fate makers. Though our stories may seem different they all resonate together through space and time. Though you may think your thoughts are not important in the grand scheme of things, that isn't so. Positive thoughts, if seen as an energy wave, can be amplified by similar/same thoughts.  All you think matters not just on a micro scale, but a macro scale as well. Harmonize your thoughts, harmonize you and harmonize the world.

Morning Thoughts

What are the first thoughts that go through your head in the morning? Are they joyous? Strained? Neutral? Work related? Stressed thoughts? 

Do you jump out of bed ready to start the day or do you drag yourself out of bed dreading the day? Odds are that whatever it is, it repeats itself often if not everyday. These first thoughts can set the mood for your day. If it is not what you want it to be, think about how you can change it.  Feel into it and see what you would like it to be, how these first conscious moments can serve you best.

Every morning implement these new thoughts gently. It may take time (or not!) but either way do it for yourself and your well being.

Pour Love Into Food

When you put your love and care into the food you prepare, it has a huge impact on the end result. It tastes better. Two people can make the same food, one putting their love into it and the other just going through the motions.  The latter one will not taste as good as the first.

Experiment with this. Today, consciously add love to whatever food you prepare. If you share this food with family members, see if they notice a difference, see if they eat more or if you get an unprompted comment, etc.

Either way, consider making it a habit.  Add love and gratitude to your food. It will do you well.  :)

Beautiful Facets

While strolling through the botanical gardens in Ogden today, the roses were in full bloom. It is amazing how many varieties there are, how many different colors and hues.  The fragrances were intoxicatingly sweet and one bloom was prettier than the other, all in different shapes and opening stages.

These were just the roses. It made think of how bountiful life is. How much beauty you can see in life when you take the time to look closely not just at roses, but at those around you and at yourself. Each one of us is unique, each one of us is beautiful. Today, find beauty in others and find beauty in yourself. There are lots of different beautiful facets. All you need is to look closely.  :)

Unknown

"A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool." by William Shakespeare

The more you know the less you seem to know.  What a paradox, but nevertheless so true. No matter how hard you try it is impossible to understand everything or anything for that matter. Trust and faith are the answer. Though it means embracing the unknown, it makes more sense than trying to understand it all.

Know Your Limits

When you are learning something new it can be exciting and you might want to reach further than your current skill level too soon. While it is good to stretch yourself and grow, there are also certain things that will need to be mastered before the final leap.

When you stretch yourself, do so one step at a time.  While sometimes you just need to do it, other times you need to be aware of your limits and grow one step at a time. As always, awareness is the key.  Know your limits and stretch them one step at a time.

Inner Tiger

Today check and see if you are embracing your inner tiger. This is not about being aggressive, but about being all that you can be in your full essence, in your full power. We choose whether we want to be a kitty cat, a newborn kitten, a mouse or a tiger.  The level you embrace at the moment is the level that is reflected back to you in the world.

Ask yourself where you want to be. If you want to embrace and shine your light, choose to be the tiger. Find your inner tiger today!

Childlike Innocence

Nurture and retain your childlike innocence. It is a source of strength and purity. It is a representation of your core and lack of layers. It is a part of your soul.  :)

Align

It is amazing what you can achieve sometimes when you are crunched for time.  Not that I recommend putting yourself under pressure! When you do want to do something though and you know you have a limited amount of time, you use that time to get the most out of those precious minutes. It helps you focus your energy and mind to work together in perfect harmony.  The results are amazing!

Anytime your mind/emotions and higher self are aligned, you can achieve great things.