Month: January 2017

Our animals are wonderful teachers. They remind us of many important aspects of life – being present and joyful and the importance of playing.

I have a cat few people have ever seen. For nearly 14 years he has led a shy life and missed out on all the fun a loving relationship can provide. Several years ago I set out to change the energy of the house hoping to get him to be more interactive. I used candles and visualization, applying the tools that have served me so well in other aspects of my life. For a time his behavior shifted and he become more outgoing, but shortly reverted to his old way of being. I realized that it was more appropriate to simply accept him as he is and instead chose to create a space in which a transformation can occur.

This morning as I sat down to write, Merlyn came and walked around my desk a few times, chatting and purring. For the first time ever, I was able to simply pick him up and he he chose to remain on my lap in pure contentment. I am grateful for the reminder that change can occur at any time and acceptance is far more powerful than desire or force.

When we allow others the space they require for their own growth and awakening, change will happen. It doesn\’t always happen when we think it \”should\” and sometimes it looks different than we expect, but it\’s important to remember than evolution is a constant process.

Today my intention is to bring an unprotected heart to our meeting place. Love resides at the core of every lesson.

Your role is to actively participate in life. As a spiritual being having a human experience, higher consciousness teaches how to bring a depth of spirituality to whatever unfolds on the journey of awakening.

Anyone can experience higher levels of wisdom, awareness and spiritual connection in meditation; however, mastery is bringing that same energy down from the mountain and into your day to day experiences. Allow your life to be your message.

Part of discovering your true nature is to release attachment to the roles you play while stripping away limiting beliefs and healing old wounds. When everything is gone, what remains? Divine, expansive, eternal energy.

Today my intention is to remember that I am constantly dreaming my world into being. I am willing to grow and change.

It can be challenging for the mind to grasp the concept of eternity. You have been walking the path of transformation for aeons, waking through experience, and there is much, much more to come.

This planet is a school that provides opportunities to grow and learn. Circumstances will replay until the lesson is absorbed. Each time a pattern repeats in your life, pay attention to how you choose to experience it. Likely your responses today are far different than they were five or ten years ago (or five or ten lifetimes ago!). Spiritual awakening is a process that cultivates compassion – both for yourself and for others.

Release things that no longer serve your growth. Enter into a stage of preparation for new levels of spiritual wisdom. The first step is to release blame and take responsibility for your own joy. Do not fear the challenges of your life. You have the strength and ability to rise above.

Today my intention is to live according to my truth and apply spiritual wisdom to every aspect of my life.

You can create the life of your dreams. Find what inspires you and incorporate aspects of that energy consistently into your daily routine. When you choose to feel fulfilled and complete in the present moment, the energy around you begins to coalesce into tangible joy. Don\’t wait until you have reached a particular goal to experience happiness. Happiness will draw in the people and circumstances that align with your energy.

Everything is a reflection of your level of consciousness. Pay attention to the repeating patterns in your life. As you awaken, the world around you is transformed.

Be willing to grow and change without self-judgment. When you see something that needs to shift in your experience, simply change it or change the thoughts associated with it. Every conscious action sends ripples of energy out into the Universe that will return to you ten-fold, often in miraculous ways.

Today my intention is to walk my talk and speak my truth with integrity.

The egoic mind, left unchecked, will keep you imprisoned by repetitive thought that eventually dictates your responses and behavior. Your thoughts have great power and all transformation begins by changing your perception and interpretations by making conscious choices.

Consider how angry thoughts eventually lead to angry words. The script continues to play in the mind until it is verbally shared with others. Whether they agree with your perception or not, the anger increases and presents itself in your experience through \”addressing the issue\” or reactive choices. Then the cycle begins again.

Break free by choosing peace in the present moment. Observe your triggers and the desire to be reactive and then choose to be still. Listen. Take a walk or move the body to release the energy. Should you find yourself attached to a particular idea (usually accompanied by the word \’should\’ or a rejection of what is) realize that it played repeatedly in the mind until you came to believe it as the only truth in the situation.

Your purpose is to awaken. Every situation presents an opportunity for growth and solutions come from different ways of thinking. Be the change you wish to see in the world.

Today my intention is to recognize that I am a work in progress. Everyone and everything is my teacher.

\”Spiritual practice always entails forgiveness – at least as long as there is even one person we can\’t forgive. But real forgiveness is not some form of magnanimous acceptance of others \”even though they did us wrong.\” Rather, with true forgiveness we loosen the grip on our treasured resentment. Often the most difficult part of forgiving another is facing the fact that we don\’t actually want to forgive them. Yet the process of forgiveness also requires that we experience, within ourselves, the fact that we are not so different from those we are so ready to judge. Experiencing this shared pain of humanity – the realization that all of us are acting out of protectedness and fear – allows forgiveness to come forth on its own.\” Ezra Bayda

Consider the amount of time and energy that the egoic mind utilizes to keep old stories alive. Whether sharing your perception of a painful situation with others, running the script repeatedly in the mind, or fearing that it will repeat in the future, resentment destroys the beauty of the present moment.

With this in mind, seek to transform past challenges into a source of strength. Using the Radical Forgiveness Worksheet is an amazing way to shift the energy around any situation. Complete it, read it to yourself out loud and burn it to release any negative energy around a person or situation. Observe any resistance that arises and see where the process takes you.
Today my intention is to be willing to grow and change. I open my consciousness to the expansion of life.

Circumstances arise. People enter or leave our lives. Changing situations provide an opportunity to discover new facets of our strengths and abilities. No matter what unfolds, remind yourself that it fulfills a purpose for you on the path of transformation. You have all that you require to create something powerful from where you are with what you have.

In challenging moments, begin to address the situation by asking questions that prompt a healthy inner dialogue:

• What am I trying to learn?
• What gift awaits discovery?
• How many positive interpretations of this situation can I create based upon what I know?
• What is my purpose here?

These questions move us away from blame and the drama of the story into empowerment and freedom. Know that you are right where you need to be. As you evolve, your perception will shift to higher levels of consciousness, providing access to an ever-expanding life experience.

Today my intention is to embrace whatever unfolds knowing that it serves the highest good of all involved.

When you love someone, the natural inclination is a desire to protect them from pain or heartbreak; however, it\’s important to remember that whatever they have created is part of their awakening. If you \”fix\” a problem before the soul has learned the lesson it seeks, the situation will be recreated.

Honor each path as sacred by being a loving, supportive, compassionate person. Create a space that is safe and choose to be a consistent source of peace and acceptance while they go through their process.

Judgment blocks our ability to interact with an open heart. If the situation becomes too toxic or painful, remove yourself from it until you are balanced and objective. Every situation plays a role in the awakening of all involved; therefore it\’s important to be conscious of our own triggers and motivations. You may not always witness the end result of your conscious actions, but never doubt the powerful and lasting impact of kindness.

Today my intention is to remember that we are all just walking one another home.

Seek inspiration through a consistent, conscious approach to your spiritual growth. Fill your life with things and people who spark awareness, joy, gratitude and passion. There is no need to search outside of yourself, periodically focus your attention within. Do you feel at ease and fulfilled in the present moment? The amount of peace you are experiencing is a barometer of your level of consciousness.

Don\’t try to change, just bring awareness to the Now. Awareness begins the process of transformation. Often, the smallest things brings the greatest joy. Experiencing the quiet of the early morning, enjoying the a favorite scent, getting lost in a moving piece of music or snuggling with a beloved pet can all align you with the love of the Divine.

Keep your life simple. Be patient, honoring the processes of your own awakening and extend that patience to others as they move through the lessons of their lives. And most importantly, allow compassion to be the defining quality that you express throughout your experience.

Today my intention is to act from the heart and allow circumstances to unfold as they will.

Sometimes it\’s amazing how the ego will cling to a story even though it causes us pain. When our expectations crystallize into demands, when we can\’t accept what life presents, we become blocked from our natural ability to love.

The path of transformation calls upon us to fully reside in life, exactly as it is. Being present and conscious has little to do with liking or not liking a situation; however, gratitude and appreciation can shift our energy from resentment to empowerment instantaneously.

Use any anger that arises as part of your spiritual practice. Repressed anger presents itself in physical symptoms, depression, passive aggression or explosive rage, harming the one who carries it. Do not waste time justifying your anger – ego is in charge when being defensive.

Part of awakening is seeing past the anger to the mental stories, beliefs and attachments that created it. As we move into self-awareness, we experience a release from the prison in which we temporarily reside. Everything that happens offers an opportunity to awaken.

Today my intention is to create a space in which a transformation can occur