Innocence

“See the world through the eyes of your inner child.
The eyes that sparkle in awe and amazement as they see love, magic and mystery in the most ordinary things.”     
~Henna Sohail~ 

After years of adding layers of knowledge and experience, the spiritual seeker comes to realize the value of simplicity, childlike wonder and innocence. Thus, the path of awakening calls upon us to drop all the heaviness we have amassed and return to our true nature.

Playfulness is an important aspect of discovery because it allows us to release all pretense and paves the way for laughter to guide us into new realms of no-thought. Often, our striving actually pushes what we desire away from us. This energy can be reversed by moving into a state of ease and receptivity. Consider all the times you focused considerable energy trying to remember something only to have the word, idea or name dance out of reach. And then after moving on to something new, it comes to you effortlessly.

Bring this openness into your daily experience by choosing to see through the eyes of a child. Explore the immense difference between intellectualizing and hugging a tree. Let your heart lead the way.

Awakening

“Your soul knows the geography of your destiny. Your soul alone has the map of your future, therefore you can trust this indirect, oblique side of yourself. If you do, it will take you where you need to go, but more important it will teach you a kindness of rhythm in your journey.”
~John O’Donohue~
Prior to birth we create a blueprint of what we hope to learn and experience during a lifetime. We build upon the lessons of past lives, we seek to explore new ideas and arrange meetings with others who will help us along the way. Ours is a free-will world; however, the soul will typically do its best to stick to the plan.
Trust the processes of your soul. Once we are born, our perception and knowledge become limited by design. Its helpful to remember that the choices were originally made with wisdom, love, support and expansive vision. In spite of how things sometimes appear, love is the driving force behind the growth that awaits.
Self-reflection is a powerful practice. Consider making list of all the challenges you have faced. Next to each one write one defining and empowering thing that you have learned from the experience.

Your Inner Wisdom

Each of us has access to innate wisdom cultivated through lifetimes of experience. Our angels, spirit guides, healing masters and helpers consistently offer support and insight, yet, we often feel alone and confused.

Find your own unique way of accessing your inner knowledge. Utilize gratitude, meditation, music, silence or be creative. All of life supports you on this journey. Know that you are loved every step of the way.

Your inner voice speaks through the wordless language of the heart. Stillness allows us to access the clarity which comes from transcending the dualities and paradoxes of life. You can recognize wisdom by how it makes you feel. Truth brings peace, even when the information is not exactly what you wished to hear.

Conversely, the ego speaks through the language of the mind. It is incessant, repetitive, often contradicting and seems to pull us in multiple directions at once. When you feel confused, see it as a reminder that you need to seek stillness and center yourself. Then you will access your inner wisdom.

When centered in truth, your whole life becomes a prayer, a mediation, one filled with grace and beauty that seems to flow through you from the Divine.

Everything Changes

“Look around you. Everything changes. everything on this earth is in a continuous state of evolving, refining, improving, adapting, enhancing, and changing. You were not put on this earth to remain stagnant.”

~Dr. Steve Maraboli~

Greet each day with an open heart. When we view life as an ever-evolving, active participant in our awakening, we create a playful movement of energy. Instead of resisting change, we seek expansion as we navigate the fields of discovery. Experiences are then transformed into opportunities to grow.

Change prompts us to explore new aspects of ourselves and the resulting seeds of wisdom become stepping stones to new levels of understanding. Be led by intuition, joy, passion, and wonder, and you will find your own rhythms in the ebb and flow of life.

Seek to bring the best version of yourself to the present moment. Deeply immerse yourself within the Now and the future will take care of itself. Presence indicates that we are calm, clear-sighted and conscious with whatever task is at hand. Spiritual maturity is simply the growing ability to trust the processes of life. Conscious action is a wonderful by-product of awakened living.

Embrace the Now

“Observe the wonders as they occur around you. Don’t claim them. Feel the artistry moving through and be silent.”
~Rumi~

The present moment is filled with countless miracles. When you truly immerse yourself within the Now, life becomes sacred. Everything is a reflection of the light of the Divine, adding to the mystery and the perfection of your experience. With each breath, you become one with life.

The mental patterns and frustrations of our humanness are nothing more than outmoded conditioning. The spiritual seeker breaks free from desire and societal imprinting and chooses to live purposely at a higher level of consciousness. This is the light that awakens the light in others.

When we seek only to learn from and love one another, something miraculous occurs… there is an effortless blending of energies that creates something entirely different. And from this new place of compassion, insight and experience a world of infinite potential opens and we can step through the doorway with an open heart.

Using Gratitude to Dispel Fear

“Fear is the destructive energy in man. It withers the mind, it distorts thought, it leads to all kinds of extraordinarily clever and subtle theories, absurd superstitions, dogmas, and beliefs.”
~Jiddu Krishnamurti~
Fear is pervasive. It heightens a sense of anxiety and doubt while blinding us to the beauty inherent in the present moment. Observe all marketing, click bait, news stories and gossip and you’ll notice fear is often at the core.
With a multitude of available energies constantly in flux, we have the ability to choose which we will focus upon. Gratitude is transformative. Like a muscle, it gets easier to access the more that it is utilized.
Practice rising above fear in its various forms. Notice when you begin to label, compare, seek out perceived flaws or close yourself off. Purposely shift to an open stance, opening the heart chakra. This will affect you mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually in miraculous ways. This is your moment to shine and you can give yourself the gift of freedom. There are always 10,000 things for which you can be grateful.
Be aware. Be present. You are safe. Love rains down upon you from all dimensions. Are you willing to receive it?

Contrast

“May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven around the heart of wonder.”
~John O’Donohue~
The depths and nuances of your many experiences have shaped your interpretation of life. Contrasts teach us about various perceptions until we come to reside deeply rooted in stillness with the understanding of completeness.
Allow yourself the gift of emotion, for even in the deepest sorrow there is beauty to be discovered. When energy flows through the heart chakra we are transformed. Expansion comes through both our tears and our joy, and the process of discovery calls upon us to connect with one another in this very human way.
As we awaken, we naturally bring greater consciousness to our life situation. We learn how to observe ourselves without judgment, and in doing so, utilize the highs and lows we experience as stepping stones to awareness, peace and empowerment.
The joyful heart is not one without pain. It simply is. No matter what unfolds, we ultimately find that love resides at the core of all things. You bring something unique and beautiful to the world that is ready to be expressed. Embrace your humanness. You are a bridge between the spiritual and the mundane.

Soul Connections

“We all are so deeply interconnected; we have no option but to love all. Be kind and do good for any one and that will be reflected. The ripples of the kind heart are the highest blessings of the Universe.”
~Amit Ray~

When we meet someone with whom our soul has shared history, there’s a powerful moment of recognition and attraction. There is an immediate response and we feel the need to interact with one another.  Pay attention to these soul connections – they often portend the beginning of a karmic contract.

Love resides at the core of the relationships, dramas and stories that we experience, though at times it can be hard to recognize. When someone is excessively challenging, when you’re engaged in loss or struggle, the immediate visceral response feels much stronger than a loving soul connection, but it is there nonetheless. As we process the lesson and discover our strengths, we will have a better understanding of the roles played by those who have challenged us and a greater appreciation for the nuances and beauty of our unique journey.

Those who challenge you the most on the physical plane love you the most on a soul level. They are willing to risk losing your affection and goodwill in this lifetime in order to spark expanded consciousness and awareness.

Facing Challenges

“The spiritual practice of relationships is about working on ourselves only, 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. Attending to our own spiritual tasks – seeing 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, they become more willing to take care of their job. Thus joy in relationships becomes possible.”   
~Ezra Bayda~   

The obstacle is the path. Be aware that what you do not want to change is exactly what you need to look at the most. Have the courage to turn inward and face your shadow-self with loving, ruthless honesty. Your attention and awareness begins the process of transformation.

Bring a sense of adventure to the journey of your life and seek to find unique ways to face the hurdles you encounter. Whether found in health, relationships, finances or within your spiritual practice, you are ready for something transformative to enter your life. Your willingness to be an active participant in your own growth guarantees movement in your experience.

Be kind to yourself. There will be moments of brilliance as well as times when you may miss the mark. Empowerment calls upon each of us to take personal responsibility for our current state of consciousness so that we can engage life with an open heart. Act from the heart and allow circumstances to unfold as they will.