Tag Archives: #gratitude

Empowerment

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“The next thing you think, the next action you take, will either create a new possibility for you, or it will repeat the past.”
Deepak Chopra

Each thought, word, and action creates a powerful momentum that is ultimately experienced in the world of form and it’s important to ensure that all are in alignment. For instance, choosing to apply for a job and then immediately saying to yourself, “…I probably won’t get it anyway…” negates the action. Dieting while hating your body is another example of contradictory energy, as is tying to solve relationship problems by telling the story of how you were wronged again and again to all who will listen.

When all aspects of the personality are in harmony, it can be surprising how powerfully and quickly things can move. Take the time to be mindful of your thoughts and allow your actions to be led by joy.

Enthusiasm, gratitude and appreciation spark an expansion of conscious energy throughout your life experience. Your perception of the world is a reflection of your level of awareness; therefore, practice maintaining a conscious, empowered interpretation of the events, lessons and interactions you experience. Life will respond accordingly.

Unconditional Love

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“But let there be spaces in your togetherness and let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another but make not a bond of love: let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.”
~Kahlil Gibran~

Unconditional love calls upon us to honor each path as sacred. Regardless of how it sometimes appears, life is perfect and will always facilitate the appropriate circumstances for our continued growth. Choose to allow enough space in your relationships for each person to thrive. The awakening soul provides a consistent place of safety and acceptance for the other.

Love is discovering who you are in the presence of another. This type of soul-based love has no opposite. It will never get triggered into hate or anger, nor will it become mired in the endless loop of desire. It allows the present moment to be as it is.

When you can be grateful for every moment of your life without expectation or regret, you have arrived. Unconditional love creates a profound transformation in the way you choose to interact with the world. This is the true nature of your being.

 

Gratitude and Awakening

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“The great awareness comes slowly, piece by piece. The path of spiritual growth is a path of lifelong learning. The experience of spiritual power is basically a joyful one.”
~M. Scott Peck~
Spiritual awakening is a progression. Step by step we expand our vision, cultivate new knowledge and find ways to apply it to our lives. Though a shift in consciousness can happen in an instant, more often it occurs over time. Periodically take a moment to assess your responses to life. It’s likely that you’ll discover you process challenges differently, are less reactive and move more quickly from anger to peace. How much have you grown over the last year, or five or ten?
Ease and grace are born of experience. After facing repeating patterns meant to assist us in our spiritual growth, we finally experience a break-through and everything begins to change. The awakening soul learns to utilize thoughts and intentions in ways that are positive and empowering.
With conscious awareness, the world seems less threatening. Life becomes more joyful as we take risks and expand into new experiences knowing that each step is guided by love. When you can be at peace in your own truth and be a conduit for the light of the Divine, you’ll step into the majesty of the present moment – aware, enlightened, awake. This is your destiny.

Living a Sacred Life

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“Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.”
~Thich Nhat Hanh~
Every experience leaves us transformed. Consider the energy you leave behind when you interact with another as well as what you might learn or draw from them. The richness of textures and delight should spice our lives with a unique imprint and typically, less is more. The nuances of our playtime on this planet contribute to the enlightenment of us all.
Be gentle in your approach. As we become more aware, we discover the true power that resides in kindness and service. We no longer need to utilize force to make an impression; instead, life becomes more of a dance of discovery and a sharing of energy. No matter where you are, you can consciously participate in life’s wonder and mystery.

Experiences awaken our ability to discover the multi-layered facets of existence. Each is a stepping stone to creating a joyful, empowered life. This movement of awareness begins with gratitude and gentleness. All that you see is a spark of the Divine. Recognizing and honoring the sacredness of all life awakens the sacredness within you.

Empowerment and Personal Responsibility

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“If you understand it, the world is a great device to make you conscious. Your enemy is your friend, and the curses are blessings, and the misfortunes can be turned into fortunes. It depends only on one thing: if you know the key of awareness.”
~Osho~

Challenging situations are blessings in disguise – always. When faced with frustration or pain, go deeper into the present moment. Without asking the other person to understand you, seek to understand yourself.
It is helpful to utilize the energy of gratitude by saying “I am grateful for this situation. Even though I may not yet understand the lesson or be aware of gift, I know one awaits me.” The willingness to be grateful in the midst of challenge opens you to higher levels of consciousness.
As you release old layers of programming and dysfunction, your life will naturally become more peaceful. Rather than being reactive, your responses will be mindful and empowered. The key to awakening is simply taking full responsibility for your life as it is while transforming the mundane into the miraculous.

Happiness is a Choice

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“Think thoughts that make you happy. Do things that make you feel good. Be with people who make you feel good. Eat things that make your body feel good. Go at a pace that makes you feel good.”
~Louise Hay~

Your thoughts dictate your life experience and the mind can be trained to recognize the positive in every situation. Seek the gift within the challenge. Know that your thoughts, words and actions are planting seeds that will grow into your future experiences. You can create happiness in your life situation. Begin now, from where you are with what you have.
As you change, the world around you is transformed. Small conscious actions create a momentum of powerful intent. Doing less, more gets accomplished. When you enjoy the journey, miracles seems to flow toward you. There are many ways to celebrate your existence – but all true happiness comes from within.
When happiness is based upon outside factors, you become enslaved by them. The job, lover, house, bank account and self-image become more important than your day-to-day joy and your precious energy is then wasted chasing that status quo. Once the spiritual seeker discovers inner happiness, nothing can take it away. As life ebbs and flows and people come and go, the joy remains and becomes the foundation of your journey.

Our Physical Experience

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“We are not physical beings having a spiritual experience;
we are spiritual beings having a physical experience.”
~Pierre Teilhard de Chardin~
The whole point of being human is to enjoy physical life… as beings of spirit, we had never experienced the taste of chocolate, known the warmth of a hug, or felt the emotions that arise from falling in love or feeling disappointment.
And so the experiment began. As One, we created a playground within the realm of time and space. We decided to dance in the arms of the Divine by taking a journey into new levels of illusion, and getting immersed within the dream, got lost for a time and forgot the point of existence… experience.
However, even that forgetting was something that the infinite source of love had not experienced before and so, it too, fulfills an important aspect of a grander plan – the joy of awakening.
Let yourself slow down and savor all the tiny, exquisite aspects of being human today. Without inner dialogue or mind-made labels, simple be with whatever unfolds. let every action, sensation and experience be considered sacred. Slow down and consciously enjoy your food or a good conversation, run your fingertips across different textures, revel in your dog’s smile and take the time to enjoy the beauty and majesty of being human.

A New Day

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“If you cannot quieten yourself,
What will you ever learn?
How will you become free?”
~Buddha~
We tend to get so wrapped up in our physical life experiences, thoughts and expectations that we can forget to be grateful for the many things and gifts that flow to us in every moment. Recognize that each and every day you can purposely choose how you will respond to the events that unfold. Rather than carrying the energy from yesterday into the Now, step into the realm of infinite possibility.
Periodically spend an entire day in gratitude. No matter what unfolds or whether the moment is exalted or mundane; pause, breathe deeply three times, observe and move into gratitude. There is a significant difference between practicing gratitude as clean water flows from the tap – seeing it as a nourishing gift, appreciating the thousands of people who have contributed to this experience, honoring it as sacred and therefore choosing to be mindful in its usage – and simply using it and moving on without another thought. One thing you may discover is how often you are not grateful. This counter-intuitive process may open your eyes to the subtle ways that expectation and attachment sabotage your peace of mind throughout the day.
The willingness to approach life with a little magic ensures that a spark of limitless potential will infuse all that you do and experience. This empowered choice teaches us that it’s possible to be inwardly grateful and joyous even when challenges arise.

Little Miracles

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“A miracle is often the willingness to see the common in an uncommon way.”
― Noah Benshea

Many walk through life blind to the beauty and possibilities that surround them. Distracted by the mind, all they see are struggles that need to be overcome, money to be made or others to impress. These outward distractions are so all-encompassing that they often overwhelm.

As we begin to break free from conditioned thought, we can return to the realm of the love. Within it, we discover that there is enough time, that things are simple and life is filled with little miracles that remind us that we are here to expand rather than contract.

Take the time to appreciate the little things. When a hummingbird makes you stop and smile, a breathtaking sunset fills your heart with color, or a breeze gently rustles the leaves of trees nearby, simply notice. These sparks of energy are everywhere, waiting to inspire the movement of love within us.

Love and peacefulness combine and are expressed as kindness and compassion. Seeing life differently allows us to experience life differently. The purpose is to awaken.

Present Moment Practice

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“When the faith is strong enough, it is sufficient just to be. It’s a journey towards simplicity, towards quietness, towards a kind of joy that is not in time. It’s a journey that has taken us from primary identification with our body and our psyche, on to an identification with [the Divine], and ultimately beyond identification.”
~Ram Dass~

Present Moment Practice is a conscious, mindful approach to life. Within the Now we become the witness – to our inner commentary, to the world around us and to the energy that we bring to our collective journey.

In this moment, you have all that you require. Begin by going deeper into the Now. Notice the physical world, the chair in which you are sitting or the solidness of the earth under your feet. Feel the warmth or coolness of your surroundings. Then pay attention to your thoughts. Are you worried? Do you find yourself constantly reading or watching information about world affairs? How attached are you to your phone? How does your body feel? Are you tense or relaxed, hungry or satisfied? Just observe.

Remind yourself that all you see and experience is a profound illusion that is measured by your physical senses. Close your eyes and take three deep, slow breaths. As you open your eyes, choose to see things differently. Instead of looking at the lamp, notice the light that it casts and the shadows it creates. Observe the unique designs of all that you see. How does your heart respond to a flower or your favorite scent? What pictures do you see in the clouds? This is your practice for today. Be, observe, appreciate.