This has been a difficult year for many of us. And although very good things can come from adversities, it's not easy to keep our minds anchored in expectation of the good to come. For me, seeing difficulties as "growing pains" provides me with hope....the "vitamin" of life.
You can write your story any way you want to, but you'll have more fun if you make it into a comedy rather than a tragedy. If that's a bit too much of a stretch, consider this. Whatever your story is, it's not the end! Only the calendar year is ending....nothing else. If it has not been the best year, don't stop your story now.
When our next best course of action seems unclear, anydilemmas we face can appear insurmountable.Yet there is nothing we cannot overcome with time, persistence, focused thought, help from others, and faith.
Whatever the situation or problem, there is always a solution. And if you remember to look within even as you search around you for the "right"course of action, you will be able to center yourself, clear your mind, and see that nothing has to be impossible.
The first step in overcoming any obstacle is to believe that it CAN be overcome. Doing so will give you the strength and courage to move through any crisis. The second step is to make a resolution that you can prevail over any chaos. Don't discount ideas just because they may seem impractical or unrealistic, and don't keep searching for the "best" alternative. Often there is no "best" choice....there is only a choice to make so we can begin moving beyond whatever is obstructing our path.
You have within and around you the resources to find a solution to any problem. And remember that if a solution or choice you make doesn't work, you are always free to try another. Believe that you can get through anything, and you will always prevail.
(from the Daily OM)
I reach for an inspirational message purely randomly, and, amazingly enough, the messages are just what I need myself at the time. This one is no exception. I had an emergency with my sweet kitty over Christmas, and I was completely bereft until I remembered that I didn't have to make a perfect decision.....that if I kept him alive, I could decide otherwise later. Almost always, we have choices.
There is a light that shines beyond all things on earth, beyond us all, beyond the heavens, beyond the highest, the very highest heavens. This is the Light that shines in our heart.
Imagine drinking a cup of tea with your family without attempting in any way to get love, approval, or appreciation. This holiday, bring your own love, approval and appreciation!
You invite inner peace when you stop trying to force yourself either to change your relatives or to think of them as sane. Allow them to just BE. Allow yourself to just BE. When you acknowledge your own value, you'll also see more value in others just as they are. By giving yourself the gift of unconditional acceptance you thought you needed from your family, you will find true freedom. Based on Byron Katie's writings.
The greatest wealth we can ever hope to have lies not in material possessions or things, but in loving relationships with others. When we feel loving, we are able to grow and expand our viewpoint and our concept of what is possible.
When we don't feel loving, we can easily become obsessed with righteous anger about what or who has wronged us, and worries about what may go wrong in the future. (Cynthia Sue Larson)
If you find yourself feeling less than loving, it can be too big of a jump to go from that to one of loving all. Rather than expect that of yourself, all you need do is reach for just one small step on the ladder of emotional feeling. If you can manage to feel only a tiny bit better, congratulations!Now, can you reach for just one another small step to feeling more loving? Congratulate yourself on reaching each step!:-)As you feel better and better, your heart will open a bit more with each step.
Those who behave in ways that displease you are sending out their disharmony toward you because that is what they have to give away. Hating them is akin to hating moss for growing on a tree. Wayne Dyer
Every time you interact with others, you have the choice to listen to, acknowledge, and let go of their words, or you can take what they are saying personally. In order to take something personally, you must read negative intent in an individual’s words or actions. But what people do and say has no bearing upon you and is usually based on their own experiences, emotions, and perceptions.
If you are tempted to take a comment or action personally, creating some distance between yourself and the other person can help you. Try to determine what is at the root of your feelings. Ask yourself if the other person’s words or actions are just reinforcing some insecurity within you or if you can really be sure that an offense was intended.
You may even want to ask them what they meant. Finally, put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Instead of taking their words as the truth, or as a personal affront, remember that whatever was said or done is based on their opinion and is more reflective of what is going on inside of them, rather than having anything to do with you.
When you recognize that what anyone says or does doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with you, you will no longer feel hurt or attacked. While it’s easy to take things personally, you should never let anyone’s perceptions or actions affect how you see yourself or your worth. (from the Daily OM)
I'd like to add that this is very difficult to do as we have all been brought up to make what other people think about us our business. I have found, however, that having the above words firmly in my brain helps tremendously. I still do the twist emotionally, but now I get over it fairly quickly.
One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between two "wolves" inside us all. One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is Good. It is joy, peace , love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith. The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather:? "Which wolf wins?" The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."
“Through allowing, you become what you are: vast, spacious. You become whole. You are not a fragment anymore, which is how the ego perceives itself. Your true nature emerges, which is one with the nature of God.”
“When you are present, when your attention is fully in the Now, Presence will flow into and transform what you do. There will be a quality and power in it. You are present when what you are doing is not primarily a means to an end (money, prestige, winning) but fulfilling in itself, when there is joy and aliveness in what you do.”
“If you are content with being nobody in particular, content not to stand out, you align yourself with the power of the universe. What looks like weakness to the ego is in fact the only true strength. This spiritual truth is diametrically opposed to the values of our contemporary culture and the way it conditions people to behave.”
Your life is right now! It's not later! It's not in that time of retirement. It's not when the lover gets here. It's not when you've moved into the new house. It's not when you get the better job.
Your life is right now. It will always be right now. You might as well decide to start enjoying your life right now, because it's not ever going to get better than right now--until it gets better right now!
Don't try to become free. Don't look for peace. Don't look for any other state than the one you are in now; otherwise, you will set up inner conflict and unconscious resistance. Instead try these three exercises:
***The moment you completely accept your nonpeace, your nonpeace becomes transmuted into peace. Anything you accept fully will get you there....will take you into peace. This is the miracle of surrender.
***When you accept what is, every moment is the best moment. That is enlightenment.
***You don't need to deceive yourself and say that there is nothing wrong in a particular undesirable situation. It may be time for you to get out of it. If so, you can recognize fully that you want to get out of it. Then narrow your attention down to the present moment without mentally labeling it in any way. No judgment, no resistance, no emotional negativity.Then you can take action and do all that you can to leave that situation.
For most of us this is a quite a challenge. Not too many of us were taught that not only were we able to think for ourselves, but that we could do so and come up with excellent answers. Asking others, and relying on their wisdom may have become habit.
Though it will be uncomfortable at first, begin using your excellent inner compass. It's o.k, I think to be curious about how others see things, but they are not experts about us. We are the experts.
Many of us seek the answers to life’s questions by looking outside of ourselves and trying to glean advice from the people around us. But as each of us is unique, with our own personal histories, our own sense of right and wrong, and our own way of experiencing the world that defines our realities, looking to others for our answers is only partially helpful. The answers to our personal questions can be found by looking within. You always have access to the part of you that always knows what you need. Stop searching outside of yourself. If you can learn to hear, trust, and embrace the wisdom that lives within you, you will be able to confidently navigate your life.
Trusting your inner wisdom may be awkward at first, particularly if you grew up around people who taught you to look to others for answers. We each have exclusive access to our inner knowing. All we have to do is remember how to listen. Remember to be patient as you relearn how to hear, receive, and follow your own guidance. If you are unsure about whether following your inner wisdom will prove reliable, you may want to think of a time when you did trust your own knowing and everything worked out. Recall how the answers came to you, how they felt in your body as you considered them, and what happened when you acted upon this guidance.yourself .
When you second guess yourself and go against what you know to be your truth, you can easily go off course because you are no longer following your inner compass. By looking inside yourself for the answers to your life’s questions, you are consulting your best guide. Only you can know the how’s and why’s of your life. (based on the Daily OM)
Because if you say yes to it and then you get in the middle of it, and you say, "Uh oh, this isn't really turning out the way I wanted it to," then out of that is born another desire. And as you say yes to that, then it turns out. And you say, "Well, it's still not quite right." So you have another desire... Until eventually you get it exactly right. You cannot get it wrong. No creation is ever complete. Just do it. (Abraham-Hicks)
Whether you call it "a gut feeling", "intuition", or, as I do, your "higher consciousness".....I believe we are wise beyond our wildest imagination. All we have to do is pay attention and to trust what we know......no small thing, because for most of us, these kinds of instincts were trained out of us, and we learned to question our perceptions.
Just as the universe wants to provide for our needs, it also seeks to protect us from dangerous situations, destructive relationships, and even minor inconveniences. Frequently in our lives, perhaps everyday, we encounter psychic red flags warning us of potential problems or accidents. We may not always recognize the signs. However, more often than not, we may choose to ignore our intuition when it tells us that "something just isn’t right."
Red flags often come in the form of feelings urging us to pause for a moment, listen to our intuition, and reconsider. We may even experience a "bad" feeling in our bellies. This is a red flag letting us know that there may be a problem. We may not even know what the red flag is about. All we know is that the universe is trying to wave us in a different direction.
We just have to pay attention and go another way. We may even wonder whether we are paranoid or imagining things. However, when we look back at a situation or relationship where there were red flags, it becomes easy to understand exactly what those warning signs meant. It is the universe’s way of informing us, through our own innate guidance system, that our path best lies elsewhere.
We may try to ignore the red flags waving our way, dismissing our unease as illogical. Yet it is always in our best interest to pay attention to them. For example, we may meet someone who outwardly seems perfect. They are intelligent, attractive, and charming. Yet, for some reason, being around them makes us feel uneasy. Any interactions we have with them are awkward and leave us feeling like there is something "off" about the situation.
This is not necessarily a bad person. But, for some reason, the universe is directing us away from them. Red flags are intended with our best interests at heart. No harm can ever come from stopping long enough to heed a red flag. Pay attention to any red flags that pop up. The universe is always looking out for you. (The Daily OM)
The words of some people envelop me as if they were a warm, soft blanket. One such person whose words affect me in this way is Eckhart Tolle. I share with you a reader's question, which happens to be the same which I have asked myself a thousand times, and Eckhart's gentle answer.
Question: I have been told that I am a judgmental person and I agree with that. Since becoming aware I have been working on that and my ego everyday. What are your thoughts on being judgmental and is it really possible to not judge anyone or any decision ever?
Answer: You are not a judgmental person. Your mind does what it has been conditioned to do, that’s all. The most important thing is that you are already aware of what your mind is doing. A truly judgmental person is someone who doesn’t know he/she is judgmental. They are so identified with their mind that they completely believe in every thought (judgment) that comes into their head.
Awareness is the key. Most judgmental thoughts are of a negative kind, of course. So notice as much as you can your negative thoughts (about other people, individuals or groups, yourself, a place, a situation you find yourself in, something that is happening but “shouldn’t” etc.) Notice the mind’s tendency to find fault with people and situations, to complain, to pronounce righteous judgment.
Gradually, the dimension of awareness will grow and those mental habits will weaken. Negativity is a dreadful burden to live with. It tends to be reflected back to you through negative situations and people and prevents your life from unfolding with ease. But don’t try to suppress your judgments. Have compassion with your mind. A judgment is harmless if you immediately recognize it as such and don’t completely believe in it anymore. Then, gradually, awareness dissolves the judgmental mind.
Yes, it is possible to live without judgment. Becoming friendly with the present moment is the key. There are two books you may find helpful. One is A Thousand Names for Joy by Byron Katie. This book gives you a sense of what it is like on a daily basis to live without judgment. The other book is called The Voice of Knowledge by Don Miguel Ruiz.
Every day we hear stories of personal suffering and loss that far exceed our own. When we compare our situations to those of people living in war-torn countries or those who have lost their homes and livelihoods to natural disasters, it is tempting to minimize our own experiences of suffering. We may feel that we don’t have a right to be upset about what....by comparison....seems like "small stuff".
While awareness of the pain of others in the world can be a valuable way to keep our own struggles in perspective, it is not a legitimate reason to disregard our own pain. Disparaging your feelings as being less important than other people's emotions leads to denial and repression.
Over time, an unwillingness to experience your own feelings leads to numbness. It is as if our internal systems become clogged with our unexpressed emotions. This in no way helps other people who are suffering in the world. In fact, it may do just the opposite because when we devalue our own sorrow, we become impervious to the sorrow in others. Keeping our own feeling suppressed also requires a tremendous amount of energy.
Our personal lives provide us with the material we need to become fully conscious. If we reject our emotions because we think our experiences are not dramatic or important enough, we are missing out on our own humanity. We honor and value the human condition when we fully inhabit our bodies so we can experience and feel life fully. Accepting our emotions and allowing ourselves to feel them connects us to all human beings. (based on the Daily OM)
There will be times when other people will disappoint us - either intentionally or because of indifference or incompetence. If we have been counting on them, their nonperformance can cause us real anger and frustration.
Such let-downs are part of life. While never losing trust in others, we must accept them as fallible people. Their mistakes and lapses come from the human shortcomings all of us have.
Our best course is to live without expecting too much from others. They are not here to please or satisfy us. It's possible, too, that we've been unrealistic in some of our expectations and have set ourselves up for disappointments.
Our personal responsibility is to do our best even when others fall short of our expectations. At the same time, we can grow by becoming more reliable and dependable ourselves.
You have more harmony points with every person on the planet than you have disharmony points, because there is much more of you that is in harmony with your Core than you realize or that most of you allow. The closer you come to being in harmony with your Source Energy, the more in harmony you are with each other.
When you think about other people and what they think of you, do you understand that what they think of you has very little to do with what you are? It has mostly to do with the habits of thought that they have developed. It has more to do with them as thinkers than it does with you as the subject of their thought.
If nothing is more important to you than that you feel good, you can form a fantasy about someone who is in your life and they will begin to modify to meet your fantasy, because Law of Attraction is a very powerful thing. (Abraham-Hicks)
This day and your life ... are God's gift to you , so give thanks and be joyful always! He enjoys much who is thankful for little; a grateful mind is both a great and happy mind.
Difficulties are opportunities to better things; they are stepping stones to greater experience. Perhaps someday you will be thankful for some temporary failure in a particular direction. When one door closes, another always opens.There's always something to be thankful for. If you can't pay your bills, you can be thankful you're not one of your creditors.
Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; I am thankful that thorns have roses.
He enjoys much who is thankful for little: a grateful mind is both a great and happy mind.
***
To educate yourself for the feeling of gratitude means to take nothing for granted, but to always seek out and value the kind that will stand behind the action. Nothing that is done for you is a matter of course. Everything originates in a will for the good, which is directed at you. Train yourself never to put off the word or action for the expression of gratitude. -Albert Schweitzer
Most of us have had the experience of tackling some dreaded task only to come out the other side feeling invigorated, filled with a new sense of confidence and strength. The funny thing is, most of the time when we do them, we come out on the other side changed and often wondering what we were so worried about or why it took us so long.
Whether we avoid something because it scares us or bores us, or because we think it will force a change we’re not ready for, putting it off only creates obstacles for us. On the other hand, facing the task at hand, no matter how onerous, creates flow in our lives and allows us to grow. The relief is palpable when we stand on the other side knowing that we did something even though it was hard or we didn't want to do it. (from the Daily OM)
We all have at least one thing in our life that never seems to get done. Doing this task is an act that can liberate a tremendous energy in our lives. Resistance takes a huge amount of energy, and causes unneccessary stress. No matter what wise person provides the message, the answer to peace in our lives is always the same: Accept and embrace what's before you. Do not fight with it.
The single biggest key to inner peace in any moment is to align with reality, and NOT fight it. Reality, simply, is what IS. In this moment, you cannot change it....so accept it fully. As Eckhart Tolle would say, provide a space for it....accept its "ISness".
Let Go of Your Shoulds
Shoulds are nonacceptance of reality. The more shoulds, the less inner peace you will have. Let go of your story about how things SHOULD be. How do we know what SHOULD be happening? Simply notice what IS happening.
Create Space
Always give yourself a time buffer. Do not over-schedule. Being more realistic about time will help you attain more inner peace.
Make the Most of Your Time
Instead of spending your time in frustration the things are not happening as you would like, be prepared to use that time in a productive way. Read a book? Set some goals? Prioritize your day? Write a letter? Listen to your iPod? Meditate?
You have the option of turning this from a time of waiting to delicious time in which you enjoy yourself.
(based on "The Power of Inner Peace" by Mary E. Allen)
Sometimes it is not easy to remember that WE are in charge....That WE create our reality. Although there are many explanations of why holidays are stressful, you are the one who creates the stress by your expectations for yourself as well as your expectations for your family.
This is what "experts" say about holiday stress:
Unhappy memories. Going home for the holidays naturally makes people remember old times, but for you the memories may be more bitter than sweet. “During the holidays, a lot of childhood memories come back,” says Duckworth, who is also an assistant professor at Harvard University Medical School. “You may find yourself dwelling on what was inadequate about your childhood and what was missing.” If you associate the holidays with a bad time in your life -- the loss of a loved one, a previous depression -- this time of year will naturally bring those memories back.
Toxic relatives. Holidays can put you in the same room with relatives you avoid the rest of the year. People struggling with depression may face stigma, too. “Some relatives don’t really believe you’re depressed,” says Gloria Pope, director of advocacy and public policy at the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance in Chicago. “They think you’re just lazy, or that it’s all in your head. It can be really hurtful.”
What’s changed. The holidays can highlight everything that’s changed in your lives -- a divorce, a death in the family, a son who’s making his first trip back home after starting college. Any of these can really unsettle a gathering and add holiday stress.
What’s stayed the same. For others, it’s the monotonous sameness of family holiday gatherings that depresses them -- the same faces, the same jokes, the same food on the same china plates.
Lowered defenses. During the holiday season, you’re more likely to be stressed out by obligations and errands. It’s cold and flu season and your immune system is under assault. It’s getting dark earlier each day. You’re eating worse, sleeping less, and drinking more. By the time the family gathering rolls around, you’re worn out, tense, and fragile. The holiday stress makes it harder to cope with your family than it might be at other times of the year.
My brief answer to all of this is "Just say 'No', and have no expectations."
1. Learning to live in the present means not dwelling on unhappy memories. Take charge of your thoughts.
2. Who says you must spend holidays with toxic relatives? You choose, always with a loving heart, of course, but suffering is optional.
3. It is your choice whether you view change as "bad" or as an exciting adventure. And, if it's "same old, same old".....Create something different.
4. If "lowered defenses" are an issue, you have been following all the "Shoulds" and not taking care of yourself. You can change that, you know.
Thou shalt not worry, for worry is the most unproductive of all human activities.
Thou shalt not be fearful, for most of the things we fear never come to pass.
Thou shalt not cross bridges before you get to them, for no one yet has succeeded in accomplishing this.
Thou shalt face each problem as it comes. You can handle only one at a time anyway.
Thou shalt not take problems to bed with you for they make very poor bedfellows.
Thou shalt not borrow other people's problems. They can take better care of them than you can.
Thou shalt not try to relive yesterday for good or ill — it is gone. Concentrate on what is happening in your life today.
Thou shalt count thy blessings, never overlooking the small ones, for a lot of small blessings add up to a big one.
Thou shalt be a good listener, for only when you listen do you hear ideas different from your own. It is very hard to learn something new when you are talking.
Thou shalt not become bogged down by frustration, for 90 percent of it is rooted in self-pity, and it will only interfere with positive action. (Author unknown)
Remember, life is not made of great things, it is made of very small things. In the early morning, sipping a cup of tea, do it totally, as if this is the last cup of tea you will ever sip again.Take each moment and squeeze the whole juice of it. (Osho)
Imagine for a moment your own version of a perfect future. See yourself in that future with everything you could wish for at this very moment fulfilled. Now take the memory of that future and bring it here into the present. Let it influence how you will behave from this moment on. (Deepak Chopra)
In order to take our lives to the next level, we must realize that the same pattern of thinking that has gotten us to where we are now will not get us to where we want to go. (Anthony Robbins)
The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly. (Buddha)
If we make no effort at all, our thoughts usually scatter in a vast array of directions. They start and stop and move in surprising ways from one second to the next. If we try to follow our thoughts without controlling them, we will be amazed at how truly inconsistent they are. Yet, if we apply our minds to a specific task, especially one that interests us, they gather together and allow us to focus our attention, creating great power and energy. This is what is known as pure thought, because it is undistracted.
The law of attraction—like attracts like—influences all energy, including our thoughts, and this is what makes pure thought so potent. Our undistracted thoughts create a powerful magnet that draws similar energy into our vibrational field. As a result, the longer we are able to hold positive thoughts in our minds, the more powerful the positive energy around us becomes. We don’t need to focus on action and controlling so much when we are surrounded by energy that draws what we want toward us. We can simply respond to the opportunities that naturally come our way. When this is the essence of our experience, we can go with the flow, knowing that we will be okay.
If pure thought is a body, it is our emotions that supply the heart that can really bring it to life. Our thoughts and feelings exist in relation to one another, and they form a feedback loop through which they communicate and empower each other. When we hold a thought in our mind without being distracted, we have achieved pure thought. When we have a positive emotional response to that thought, we enable it to dance and move and breathe itself into existence. The Daily OM
As the world around us becomes increasingly louder and we are bombarded by constant noise and activity, we face a bigger challenge to have focused thoughts. Yesterday, the music playing at my local drugstore was so loud that I could barely keep my mind on my list. The fact that several people around me were having loud conversations on their cell phones did not help. I wonder what would happen if we asked for a quieter world?What if we asked that the music in public places be turned down? What if we nicely told people that we were bothered by their publicly aired cell phone conversations?
When you change routine behavior, you are forced to actually think about decisions rather than habitually choosing a default mode without consideration.
In having to actually process decisions actively, you exercise real choice and use decision-making abilities.This kind of awareness results in an extension to other choices such as what to eat, and what not to. Once you become aware of actively making choices, you can decide on making choices which are in your best interest.
“The box” most of us are in is the result of programming and conditioning. And it is self-created in adulthood. Recognizing yourself as the author, the creator of your story challenges an assumed model and leads to the deeper question, “How do I create something else instead?” And, “What will the ‘something else’ be?” Based on the writings of David Krueger, M.D.
As a PSYCH-K facilitator, I know that we really are not in control of all adult programming and action. Much of our difficulties are caused by our subconscious beliefs, and by virtue of these not being within our consciousness, we really cannot change them. This is why I chose to do Psychological Kineseology.....It's the key to unlocking and changing that which we cannot access no matter how hard we try.
Don't try to become free. Don't look for peace. Don't look for any other state than the one you are in now; otherwise, you will set up inner conflict and unconscious resistance.
The moment you completely accept your nonpeace, your nonpeace becomes transmuted into peace. Anything you accept fully will get you there, will take you into peace. This is the miracle of surrender.
When you accept what is, every moment is the best moment. That is enlightenment.
You don't need to deceive yourself and say that there is nothing wrong with a particular unpleasant or undesirable life situation. It may be time for you to get out of it. If so, you can recognize fully that you want to get out of it. Then, narrow your attention down to the present moment without mentally labeling it in any way. No judgment, no resistance, no emotional negativity. Just the "isness" of this moment. Then you take action and do all that you can to get out of the situation.
In business, Pfeffer and Sutton report, managers who try to lead through fear cause paralysis more often than action. This is just as true when we're managing our own lives. Think of an area where you're trying to scare yourself into action. Right now, focus on your favorite fear-based admonitions:
"I've got to stop spending so much on shoes and save more for retirement or I'll end up a bag lady. A bag lady with a lot of shoes, but still..."
"I've got to stop eating junk or I'll end up the size of an off-road vehicle and no one will ever love me and I'll die of a heart attack before I ever see grandchildren!"
Now, while thinking those things, just notice: With fear ruling your mind, do you want to add to your savings or hit the mall? Do you crave broccoli or fries?
Of course you do.
Trying to motivate yourself with fear is like screaming at a child, "Do something, dammit!" You'll either freeze up or act in counterproductive ways. Fear widens the knowing-doing gap. Don't use it.
It seems so simple, but I've seen this strategy work over and over. When people stop scaring themselves and start calming themselves, they become far more productive and successful in every aspect of their lives. Try it right now, so you can use it the next time you're scared. Silently tell yourself simple things like "It's okay." "You're all right." "There's no rush." "You can do this." You'll be amazed at the power of this humble mental-management technique to help you turn knowledge into action.
Trees grow up through their branches and down through their roots into the earth. They also grow wider with each passing year. As they do, they shed the bark that served to protect them but now is no longer big enough to contain them.
In the same way, we create boundaries and develop defenses to protect ourselves and then, at a certain point, we outgrow them. If we don’t allow ourselves to shed our protective layer, we can’t expand to our full potential.
Trees need their protective bark to enable the delicate process of growth and renewal to unfold without threat. Likewise, we need our boundaries and defenses so that the more vulnerable parts of ourselves can safely heal and unfold. But our growth also depends upon our ability to soften, loosen, and shed boundaries and defenses we no longer need. It is often the case in life that structures we put in place to help us grow eventually become constricting.
Many spiritual teachers have suggested that our egos don’t disappear so much as they become large enough to hold more than just our small sense of self—the boundary of self widens to contain people and beings other than just "me."
Each time we shed a layer of defensiveness or ease up on a boundary that we no longer need, we metaphorically become bigger people. With this in mind, it is important that we take time to question our boundaries and defenses. While it is essential to set and honor the protective barriers we have put in place, it is equally important that we soften and release them when we no longer need them. In doing so, we create the space for our next phase of growth. (from The Daily OM)
Sometimes, this "shedding" is painful, and our new self feels quite vulnerable. This is the time to be gentle with ourselves and have faith that this is a good and natural process in becoming who we really are underneath all those layers. Joy awaits you!
"Change has a considerable psychological impact on the human mind. To the fearful it is threatening because it means that things may get worse. To the hopeful it is encouraging because things may get better. To the confident it is inspiring because the challenge exists to make things better." ~King Whitney Jr.
Change gives us the opportunity to try something new, to learn, to experience, to grow. Only with growth can we reach our full potential, both as individuals and as a culture.
Mastering Time Travel Time traveling is something we do frequently and with great ease. How often have we been told to visualize the future that we desire?
Even when someone is fully living in the present—living in the now—they still may not be achieving their desired results. Could this be because of excess baggage they drag with them from their past?
We might do well to adapt the guidelines and restrictions placed upon our luggage when we fly (in real time) out of town. The best advice seems to be, the less we bring with us the faster we will pass through the check points and reach our desired destination.
One Bag Only, Please The future we dream about is like the narrow security checkpoints in the airport terminal. We can pass through them quickly and easily provided we are not carrying anything that will hurt ourselves or others. The bags we carry-on must be limited to one and must be small enough to pass through the "time machine."
If we are lugging an enormous trunk full of yesterday's baggage, we are simply not going to fit through the gap. Even if we check this extra luggage, it will only cost additional time and effort at Baggage Claim. Do we really need to bring all this stuff with us?
In reality, we can either jettison our baggage from the past or go nowhere fast. Happy time traveling!
Everyone doesn’t have to be the same. Most say, “Well, it’s so much easier if we’re all the same.” And we say, it is not easier when you’re all the same; conformity is the thing that thwarts you most. That massive wanting to get you to conform—to all think the same way and want the same things—is what is causing the revolt that is happening within you. You are determined to be freedom-seekers in a Mass Consciousness society that is determined to make you the same.
Your work is not to fix them; they are not broken. Your work is to choose from among all of that which feels best to you, and fixate on it as long as it gives you pleasure and joy. And in doing so, you will align with the Energy of your Source, and you will live a magnificent experience. You just have to not let your joy depend upon what anybody else is living, ‘cause that’ll get you every time.
Life is a journey comprised of many steps on our personal path. Each day, we are provided with a myriad of opportunities that can allow us to transform into our next best selves.
One moment we are presented with an opportunity to react differently when yet another someone in our life rubs us the wrong way; on another day we may find ourselves wanting to walk away from a particular circumstance but are not sure if we can. Eventually, we may find ourselves stuck in a rut that we can never seem to get out of. We may even make the same choices over and over again because we don’t know how to choose otherwise.
Rather than moving us forward, our personal paths may take us in a seemingly never-ending circle where our actions and choices lead us nowhere but to where we’ve already been. It is during these moments that awareness can be the first step to change.
Awareness is the first step to change because we can’t make a change unless we are aware that one needs to be made in the first place. Awareness is when we are able to realize what we are doing. We observe ourselves, noticing our reactions, actions, and choices as if we were a detached viewer. We are no longer asleep to the truth behind our behaviors. We also begin to realize that, just as much as we are the root source behind the causes for our behaviors, we are also the originator for any changes that we want to happen.
There is a freedom that comes with awareness. Our past and our present no longer have to dictate our future when we choose to be aware. We are then free to move beyond our old limits, make new choices, and take new actions. With awareness, we won't stay stuck and we can continue to consciously evolve.
A bunch of weak people, even in numbers, aren't strong. Get a whole bunch of confused people together and see how much clarity comes out of it. In other words, you just can't add one more confused person to the pot, and expect to get any more clarity… One—standing outside of the confused group—who is clear, is more powerful than a million who are confused.
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When you reach for the thought that feels better, the Universe is now responding differently to you because of that effort. And so, the things that follow you get better and better, too. So it gets easier to reach for the thought that feels better, because you are on ever-increasing, improving platforms that feel better.
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Make a decision and then make the decision right. Line up your Energy with it. In most cases it doesn't really matter what you decide. Just decide. There are endless options that would serve you enormously well, and all or any one of them is better than no decision.
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You are perceptual beings with different vantage points and -- it does not matter how much information is given -- you cannot see beyond the vibrational limits of where you are standing. You cannot live or see or experience outside of your own individual beliefs.
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It's rather obvious...providing you believe the above....that keeping the same beliefs will result in the same kind of life. I drove my last car for 11 years in spite of always having been a new car buyer. I believed that I did not need a new car, and also that I could not afford one. Both were true because that's what I believed. When my belief changed, I went out and bought a new car! It was just that simple.
My finances had not changed. My old car had not broken down. Nothing had changed except my thoughts.
This has been a difficult year for many of us. And although very good things can come from adversities, it's not easy to keep our minds anchored in expectation of the good to come. For me, seeing difficulties as "growing pains" provides me with hope....the "vitamin" of life.
