Many people believe that they can’t be happy because their life is difficult. It’s actually the opposite: you can’t be truly happy until your life is difficult.

Challenges allow us to discover our strengths, our ability to forgive, to heal old wounds and show us how far we have come on the path of transformation. When things get particularly intense, it can seem that nothing we’ve learned on the spiritual journey seems relevant. But the challenges are the journey. When pain arises, you have the opportunity to discover how to open your heart and face your fears in the midst of it.

When you reach a point where you think you can go no further, take one more step forward and bring one more conscious breath into the heart. Love yourself enough to understand that is all that is required.

Let your life be your message. Bring all the gifts that you have cultivated so far to the challenges you experience. One by one, you’ll discover that you have the ability to transcend perceived limitation while honoring the path as sacred.

Give yourself permission to be amazing. Celebrate your unique journey and realize that you deserve the very best in life. You have control over how you relate to the present moment. When you choose the path of mindfulness, it brings a sense of harmony and grace to your experience. When you choose resistance, you suffer.

No matter what unfolds, we have the opportunity to accept or reject. Consider your state of consciousness at various times throughout the day and purposefully move back into acceptance as often as possible. That one choice creates  a series of beautiful moments which dictate the flow of your life.

You are a spark of the Divine in human form and were created to be fulfilled. Release all expectations and know that you are supported and loved each and every step of the way. You have unlimited ability to create a joyful, passionate journey and can begin this moment.

Our infinite journey toward wholeness is just beginning. With each discovery, we spark new growth and expansion throughout our experience. The exploration through time and space allows the gradual integration of wisdom, compassion, oneness and peace.

You are a unique work of art in process. Be willing to take risks, put yourself in new situations and stretch out of your comfort zone. This will allow you to discover new facets of yourself – your capabilities, nuanced perceptions, emerging talents and capacity for joy.

Every moment presents a wonderful opportunity for you to become aware of your gifts and clear about your life’s purpose (which is to awaken). You are supported and loved each and every step of the way.

Consciousness is the journey of expansion into all dimensions, the discovery of broader perspectives and the integration of all that we have learned. It seeks to express itself through our interactions and provides an opportunity to see life differently.

The human condition is one of forgetfulness – separation, drama, ego, desire. The spiritual seeker begins to drop the veils of illusion and opens to the infinite, only to experience the bliss of discovering that the truth lies within. This is transcendence.

Life is a tapestry of dark and light, a blending of dimensions from the depths of lower consciousness to the heights of love and communion. They exist together and when we cultivate the understanding that all are required in this dance of awakening, we begin to have a very different perspective of the world.

Your unique vision and gifts allow you to experience life in a vibrant, creative manner. Let your choices be led by love rather than fear. Seek adventure rather than security. Cultivate faith in the processes of your own growth and discover the limitless potential within you.

All that you need is already here. Joy is a conscious movement into gratitude in the present moment… and one that we should seek as often as possible throughout our varied experiences.

That is not to say that frustration, sadness or anger will not arise, for they certainly will, that is part of the human experience. Recognize and honor the fact that you have the ability to seek stillness and grace in the midst of life’s challenges. Your level of consciousness determines how you choose to navigate through life.

You will draw in the people and circumstances which best serve your growth. All of life is participating in your dance of awakening and gifts of understanding and empowerment reside at the heart of every encounter.

With this in mind, we discover that the spiritual practice of relationships is about working on ourselves only. Our partners in this endeavor enter with us into a soul contract and participate in situations that assist us in the process of freeing ourselves from the constricting grip of our own unhappiness. It is not the other person’s job to take our unhappiness away; our discomfort is our own responsibility, as is our joy. Attending to our own spiritual tasks – recognizing our judgments, opinions, beliefs, demands, and staying present with the fears out of which they all arise – frees others to move toward us. Then, when they no longer feel the need to defend (when the ego no longer gets engaged), they become more willing to take care of their job. Thus, joy in relationships becomes possible and two awakened souls come together in a dance of ease and grace.

Anything that shakes you up is an opportunity to expand. When we can respond with acceptance, we create a space around any situation… and that space is the place where miracles happen.

Begin this day with gratitude. Allow your heart to open and become the loving witness of the sacredness of the present moment. From this space of inner connection and awareness, you’ll consciously tap into the potential of energy and change that flows through you.

Offer small kindnesses and blessings to those who grace your path with their presence. Support one another’s growth, celebrate the successes and demonstrate compassion throughout the challenges. These choices create the possibility of transformation. We become channels for the light that burns away illusion… and what remains is a powerful ability to rise above and see clearly.

The world is a beautiful place because you are in it. Let your life send ripples of love throughout the Universe.

When mind made fear arises, take a moment to recognize the voice of the ego and realize that you are temporarily utilizing all of your energy to combat a future-based thought. Each time our attention is pulled from the present moment, things appear unmanageable and confusion arises.

If you can consciously choose to move toward the fear rather than pulling away into safety, you are consciously utilizing fear as a teacher and moving toward freedom. Rather than saying, “I am afraid” (thus reinforcing the original thought), say “Fear is present” or “My ego is going into fear mode”. This allows the space to see through the limiting thoughts and access your own healing potential.

Fear is a mindset. Once you consciously choose to experience it in the present moment and strip away all self judgments, opinions and reactive thinking, it becomes a powerful tool of awaking.

You are a master in the process of awakening. For many lifetimes you have played in the world of form, adding layer upon layer of experience and belief to your sense of self… until the moment you discover the desire to expand beyond perceived limitation into limitless possibility.

This expansion process is one of remembering who you truly are. As we become more conscious, we learn to see through the eyes of compassion while dropping all judgment and simply experience the beauty that the present moment has to offer.

This dance of awakening is uniquely yours. Whatever you require will be drawn to you. Relationships will conspire to help free yourself from limiting patterns and, in turn, your journey will inspire those with whom you interact.

Everything unfolds perfectly in the way that is most appropriate for your growth. Never fall prey to the thought that you should be further along or ‘more evolved by now’ – there is no time limit. This journey is meant to be an exploration of all the nuances of the Infinite…

The enlightened spirit brings inner awareness and mindfulness to all situations. When you are willing to take full responsibility for your life, it allows you to see more clearly.

Personal responsibility operates through several different levels of experience. It brings mindfulness to the way you choose to respond to the present moment and a heightened awareness to your inner self talk. It allows you to walk through life with the understanding that every situation and person has something to teach – and because you operate from that mindset, you accelerate your own awakening.

Should you ever find yourself going into blame mode, simply notice, quiet the mind and examine what you are projecting outward. All blame is a reflection of how we see ourselves. This insight can be one of the most powerful aspects of your spiritual awakening.

Today, my intention is to consciously bring a sense of mastery and balance to my experience.