When we forget that the mind is simply a tool and allow it to dictate the flow of our lives, we allow its judgments and opinions to block our ability to receive all the good this world has to offer. The fathomless beauty of experience needs space to explore. Intuition, compassion, kindness and acceptance dissolve the obstacles we carry within us. As we immerse ourselves in the flow of experience with no expectations, no demands, we find it easier to experience gratitude and enthusiasm for whatever life brings.

Listening is one of the best ways to control the antics of the mind. It allows us to enter the sacred space of the Divine, momentarily forgetting about the “little self” and our attachment to the false illusions of the role we play in this lifetime. This Yin, this beautiful receptivity opens the crown chakra and creates a space in which a transformation can occur.

No matter what you choose to do, whatever your preferences, simply approach the present moment with the wonder of a child. Trust the process of life knowing that ultimately it will lead you to your highest good. Every moment provides a wonderful new opportunity to become more of who you are.

Today my intention is to remember that the present moment contains a doorway to the Divine. I am willing be still and receptive.

Almost all challenges in relationships come from wanting people (or the situations in which we are entwined) to be different from what they are. Yet relationships offer a powerful space in which we can do our spiritual work. When your soul is ready to work on healing a particular aspect – worthiness, judgment, fear, self-image – an energy is sent out like a beacon in the night. On a soul level we call for someone to assist us in our endeavor. The souls who respond will then enter your life and play the required role in order to bring up the issue that is ready to be experienced and released. Those who challenge us the most on the physical plane love us the most on the spiritual plane. These soul mates are willing to risk losing your love in this lifetime in order to help you to accomplish your soul’s mission… and often we do run from these situations until we recognize the pattern, go within and create a space in which a transformation can occur.

Once the outmoded pattern has been released or the limiting thought rejected, we will no longer have a need to draw in challenges of that particular nature. Then our relationships become mirrors, reflecting our growth, and we celebrate with one another in the joyful dance of awakening. All of life provides exactly what is needed for your soul’s evolution.

Today my intention is to remember that I am loved beyond measure… and always have been. I am grateful for every moment that has brought me here Now.

There are many ways to live in the world and still be happy. It begins with the choice to do so. Each of us has chosen a particular aspect to work on this time around and once we understand the role we chose when writing the basic blueprint of this incarnation, we can choose to live life in alignment with that goal. They are:

• Growth – the spiritual seeker experiences a series of challenges and obstacles to experience in order to evolve more quickly. These souls want to pack as much learning as possible into this particular lifetime
• Re-evaluation – one chooses to focus on one or two issues. This limits the scope of their experience and is a very inner-directed goal
• Acceptance – the life-long issues for these people are related to being accepted by others and learning to be accepting within their own life
• Discrimination – situations occur in order to cultivate the ability to choose what one wants or does not want in one’s experience. These souls may have had a series of recent lifetimes of being overly accepting and are now working on breaking free from that pattern
• Dominance – these souls see life as a win or lose game. They are driven to overcome personal challenges or lead others and prefer to be in control
• Submission – provides experiences in which the spiritual seeker can be totally supportive of another person or group in order to feel fulfilled
• Relaxation – these souls arrange a life in which they can relax and go with the flow. Usually used to recuperate after a series of difficult lifetimes

Spiritual awakening is not a “one size fits all” experience. In different lifetimes we choose different roles and none is better or more evolved than another. Teachers who have mastered their particular goal for this life can effectively teach others who have chosen the same role. It’s important to remember that we must honor each path as sacred. A person with a role of Dominance will think that ‘going with the flow’ is poor advice (and for them it is). An understanding of roles (both our own and others) can help us cultivate unconditional love and acceptance as we walk our own journey of awakening.

Today my intention is to accept myself and create peace in my heart.

One of the most beautiful aspects of spiritual awakening is the discovery of one’s own power. In each moment we have a choice. We can flow with the events that unfold or fight against them. We can accept others as they are or try to change them. We can get lost in the stories of the mind or learn to rise above them. Whether engaged in healing or bliss, you are right where you need to be. This Verbal Chakra Balance is an effective way to keep mind, body and spirit in alignment:

• Today I am willing to accept a miracle…
• to see clearly
• communicate effectively
• love unconditionally (beginning with myself)
• project the aura of a goddess
• embrace my beauty, creativity and the joy of being
• walk my talk and speak my truth with integrity

Today, let me be masterful, magical, powerful and peaceful. Let me be an authentic example of unconditional love and acceptance. Let me be a loving reflection of the peace and Presence in others.

Our words have power. When you choose to begin your day with gratitude and consciously set an intention, that energy flows out into the Universe with great intensity, only to return in magnificent ways. We discover the many opportunities to put these desires into practice while expanding our awareness. This is the moment of transformation.

It has often been said that the only constant in life is change itself. We continually move through cycles of transformation – birth and death, beginnings and endings, love and hate, health and imbalance – flowing through the experience of opposites in a vast, exquisite pattern of movement as part of our evolution. Everything plays a role in this dance of awakening and the more centered we become, the easier it is to reside at the core of this energy, peaceful… knowing that “this too shall pass”.

Life repeats itself. Patterns replay until we become mindful enough to shift the paradigm of our belief and expectations. One of the most powerful aspects of spiritual awakening is the joy of finding the flow of ease and joy in the midst of our human experience. This comes from discovering and cultivating trust in your inner guidance. It speaks in whispers, gently reminding you that you can feel more balanced, whole and integrated if you so choose.

In a darkened room any light, no matter how small, will transform everything. Find the source of light within yourself and allow it to guide you through the mazes of the mind into a space of connection with the Divine. There is more joy that you can imagine… and it waits to make your life radiant with blessings.

Today my intention is to love who I am and reward myself with thoughts of praise and support.

Periodically, we are offered a glimpse into the eternity of our existence. These moments of understanding are meant to reveal karmic patterns so that we may break free from repetitive cycles that no longer serve our spiritual growth. The events of your life are often a replay of lessons that have been part of your experience for lifetimes and these patterns are as ancient as the journey of your soul.

Karmic contracts play a profound part in our journey of awakening: they allow us to experience both sides of a situation so that we may learn compassion while cultivating our understanding of divinity, or we might agree (on a soul contract level) to participate in a particular challenge in order to assist others in their evolutionary process.

Moment to moment we learn to leave the past behind. In faith, we discover that we have the ability to carry innocence and harmony within the world of form. You have the full support of the Universe and it is safe to jump into the unknown – adventures await. Be present with whatever life offers for every situation offers an opportunity to integrate freedom into your experience.

As you break through the limiting patterns of your conditioning, the truth of your heart will make itself known. This is the moment of transformation.

Today my intention is to honor all paths as sacred.

In an attitude of openness and acceptance, we allow ourselves to receive the healing power of the Divine. The more you learn to love yourself and create balance in your life, the easier it becomes to accept this transformative energy into your experience. Spiritual awakening is a process. Periodically get into the role of observer and notice how you are changing. There will come a time (perhaps more quickly than you ever thought possible) when you find that you no longer get triggered like you used to, that moments of frustration quickly dissipate as you utilize the tools that you have discovered or you feel a healthy sense of peace and neutrality when faced with someone who has played a challenging role in your life. Acknowledge the results of your work, play, study, assimilation and transformation.

This wholeness cannot be affected by external events. We no longer carry the energetic ties to the past; rather, we simply continue onward and upward… lovingly engaged in a pilgrimage of awakening without being limited by a particular destination or attached to a specific outcome.

Today my intention is to allow the going to be easy, to approach life with a sense of adventure and growth and remember that there is no need to struggle or plan too much.

In the celebration of life and love, we sow seeds of abundance. It matters not where they land, for surely the winds will scatter them throughout the Universe to grow where they will. The sharing of your gifts changes everything and your life should touch the lives of others. The blissfulness and joy that flows through you is the epitome of true compassion and true love, given to friends and strangers alike.

You are already a masterpiece. There is nothing to find, nothing to discover… you need only to drop the barriers within you that block you from seeing the truth of your infinite nature and potential. The gift of creative life emanates from within your being. No matter how you choose to express yourself, that light will shine through you into the lives of others.

This is a precious time. Explore the silence and balance within you that naturally comes from understanding the infinite nature of existence. The insight that you receive will allow you to see things differently, respond differently and teach others merely by walking in your integrity.

Today my intention is to be gentle and kind to myself as I grow and change.

On this planet we learn through experiencing the illusion of separation. The mind creates stories that form our beliefs as well as the filter through which we see the world. Beyond differences and beyond preferences, lies the timeless and eternal Oneness which flows through us all. Don’t be afraid to feel the feelings that arise when you feel disconnected – it is through emotion that we become aware of the story, and through the feelings that pain can be healed.

In love, all boundaries disappear. Often, it can take years (or lifetimes) to process through the ups and down of emotion into acceptance. We learn the power of releasing the things which do not serve our joy… and in that precious moment of surrender we walk through the drama of the known into the limitless possibility of the unknown.

Something greater awaits beyond the transformation of the soul. Allow life to be as it is but do change your relationship to it. All transformation comes in its own time and takes you from one dimension into another. This metamorphosis is a necessary and beautiful aspect of our journey of awakening. As you change, the world around you is transformed.

Today my intention is to remember that I am Divinely guided and inspired.