The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 14,000 times in 2014. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 5 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.
Click here to see the complete report.
What does 2015 Mean for You?
Have you been thinking about and/or planning your New Years’ Resolutions? Have you been able to keep your resolutions on track throughout the past years? I find I start thinking about mine in November, I don’t start them then obviously but it’s kind of the warm-up for the final draft when the New Year changes over. I have my standard resolutions which I think everyone kind of does, you know spend smart, save more, continue to build for my future and I think it’s a good time to plant the seeds you want to see manifest. Of course that’s a good thing to do at any time but I think there is more positive energy in the air during the beginning of a New Year. Everyone is full of hope and promise and like I’ve said in past New Years’ posts I believe there is a lot of positive energy that gets unused and sits their idle waiting for someone to grasp the extra boost of magic and possibilities.
From what I’ve read through many astrology outlets 2015 is promising to be a year of positive change for many of us. I also have a good feeling about 2015, it’s definitely going to be a year of positive change for me and I have a lot of motivation to keep that energy moving strong and independent. I think it’s important to grab a hold of positive energy you feel around you and use it to your advantage, get a strong grip on your hopes for new possibilities and opportunities, keep your eyes open and take them when they show up, without hesitation. I’ve found that the times when I’m most scared of moving in a different direction have been the times when I’ve received the most benefit. I’m still pursuing many dreams and even though I sometimes get delayed they are always at the front of my conscious mind. If you find that you also get delayed it doesn’t mean give up or maybe next year or maybe that’s a sign and I won’t bother, it just means sometimes there are delays. Your dreams still matter and are still important enough to pursue.
If your dreams don’t scare you, they aren’t big enough! – Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
So what are your dreams? Do they scare you, are you at times afraid of trying? You see when you put yourself out there and try for your dreams, you are exposed, vulnerable and it’s a scary thing, sometimes scary enough that you don’t want to try. Chances are though that even if you find something isn’t for you it leads you to something better, something you wouldn’t have realized without going in that direction. Honestly I would rather try and realize it wasn’t for me then spend a lifetime of “what if” of regret for not making the attempt and if it leads you to something else you wouldn’t have otherwise discovered even better, there is no downside to that effort.
You get out of life what you put into it, if you don’t go down the path of your dreams, your dreams will never be able to find the open path to you.
If you find your motivation slipping go back to what inspired you to begin with and re-ignite that motivation, it will always be there.
There is nothing you can’t achieve, the only person that can put limits on your possibilities is you.
My wish for all is that you lead with your heart, listen to your spirit and follow your dreams. There is no wrong path when you allow your intuition to have a voice.
Dream Big: If you dream well past what you desire, there is no room for lack because even the smallest achievement is bigger than where you were before.
Achieve Greater: Once you start to see even the smallest achievement show up in your life it will inspire you to push for more and achieve greater.
Believe in Yourself: When you truly believe in yourself it allows no room for any other outcome except that which you believe and desire to see. Seeing is believing. Believing is seeing.
This video was shared by a fellow blogger (Eva Tenter) and the wisdom contained within is priceless!
The Spirit in My Christmas
What does the holiday season mean to you? Does it mean too much hustle, too much spending and way too busy? If it does I think you may have become disconnected from the true meaning and value of the holiday season.
The Spirit of Christmas is supposed to carry so much more than just how much you’re hoping to get or how much you’ve given. The holidays should be a source of happiness, the time to connect with the people you may not see so much during the year, to celebrate with those you love and cherish and remember those that are no longer here with you. It is the family traditions from the holidays that keep us rooted within our heritage, connected to our past, remain active in our present and are carried into our future.
For me it’s not just the 12 days of Christmas but rather my 6 most cherished spirits of Christmas:
I think it’s important to embrace these spirits all year long but I find for myself that they become heightened during the holiday season. It starts with the music and lights and I know many don’t want it but I love the addition of snow because it makes the holiday that much more magical, everything sparkles so much more with the backdrop of beautiful white snowflakes. It takes the season in the direction that the best stories of Christmas have come from, like sledding down the hills.
There is so much creativity that comes from everyone during this time, not just with their lights but food and crafts too, not everything needs to be bought the best creations are those that are made from a pure place of love. I think probably everyone has at least one but probably more arts and crafts from their children displayed somewhere within their decorative décor and likely well past the years when their kids originally made it because it has become part of the tradition.
My traditions? The entire family stuffing themselves until they feel too full to eat another bite, listening and/or singing the songs, kids running around creating all sorts of havoc, laughing and being crazy. It’s all about visiting and sharing good food, good drinks and good conversation with good company and if there is someone new to include into the festivities, even better because there is always room for new friends.
I know the holiday season doesn’t provide everyone with the warmth and joy that it does for me and I believe that the spirits of compassion and giving become even more important to share with those you encounter that aren’t feeling the love. It doesn’t take a huge gesture to share the season, sometimes the smallest acts carry the biggest weight.
Tis the Season, embrace and enjoy it!
Connecting to Your True Presence of Power Within
Like every goal there are small steps along the way that help you get to the end result you envision and it is no different when you are seeking a more genuine presence of awareness within your life. I think a lot of times you can end up psyching yourself out of trying something because it seems too daunting to begin but when you break it down and go through it step by step, completion doesn’t seem so overwhelming.
Staying present in the moments of true stillness that are found within nature or authentic surroundings precede your most beneficial and genuine choices because they are the result of true presence.
One of the best practices you can do for yourself is to find moments of silence/stillness or meditation to connect with your inner presence of power. I’ve found that every time I have I find clarity of thought, troubles that seemed to have no solution suddenly become obvious. I think that following these moments of true connection the reason clarity becomes so abundant is because you have removed the barriers and obstacles that the EGO has used to plague your mind. The EGO has no path to your inner presence which is why a lot of times when you think something is all in your head, it is because the EGO has built it up there.
If you spend too much time with your thoughts in the past or in the future you deprive yourself of the present moments. There is no benefit to re-living experiences from the past, running the reel in your mind of conversations that you’re anticipating and how you plan to respond. I think we’ve all done this, I know I have and when I give precious time away to something negative that could have been better served in any other way I get disappointed for letting myself go there because I know better.
Eckhart Tolle reiterated, during a show with Oprah Winfrey, wisdom from a Zen Master:
“A man’s need to win drains his power in the present”
Really understanding this can be very powerful, when you are focused on only the end result and don’t give your full attention to all the steps needed to get there then it is very likely you won’t realize the end you wish to see. I always find relation to the athletic side of me as I participated in a lot of team sports and I believe it applies to single player sports as well because the mindset is the same. When you are totally “in the moment” in sports you are “in the zone” and that kind of alignment is at one with your inner spirit and giving 100% to that moment. The end result is inevitable because when you commit all that is within you (your presence, your awareness, your power) there is no possible room for anything other than the end result you wish to see. You have thought about the end result but you are not staying there, you’ve seen it but now you are “in the moment”.
This applies with everything you do whether it is work or play related, when you are in the moment you are at one with your true presence of inner power, anything becomes possible!
It is only the EGO that keeps you in a space of discontent when you allow it with either thoughts of past disappointments or future anticipation of negative experiences. This is an active part of humanity that can interfere with your hopes and dreams and when you allow that disruption, it is not because you are weak but because you are not fully connected with your inner presence of power.
If allowed your EGO will wreak havoc with your life, it can either consume and/or control your behaviour or attitude. The EGO controls you by creating fear and insecurity, you must fight it! The EGO does not have your best interests in mind but rather its own and it can only be humbled by you. When you feel inner conflict, like something is off but you can’t quite put your finger on it, know that it is your ego struggling with your inner spirit for control.
Know that you are in control, you have the strength to do anything you want, all you need to do is connect with your inner presence of power and the world will be your oyster!
Shelley Hallmark 