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It’s a New Year, and……

02 Jan

Opportunity Awaits

opportunity, new yearsI always look forward to the beginning of a New Year because it always feels like an endless amount of opportunities await and they do.  I believe the New Year is the change sometimes needed to wipe the slate clean and there is never a bad time nor is it ever too late to start a new and more positive way of living.  It’s not just the bountiful opportunities but the energy as well that is in the air and swirls all around and offers up change and the hope of new life.

The best time of the year to rid yourself of bad habits, a way of thinking or behaviour that is working against you rather than for you, or just changing/enhancing things for the better is at the beginning of the year when the universe is responding to all the positive energy of everyone’s grandest wishes and dreams.  At the beginning of the year is when all we have the highest hopes and plans for how we want to see the year progress and the energy associated can either flourish or fall to the wayside, it’s completely up to you!

New Year’s Resolutions made with the best intentions aren’t always carried through but whether or not they are successful depends on your own determination and will, and of course the extra energy that is in the air is of great assistance and inspiration.  I think the key to success is envisioning your end goal and seeing that in your mind’s eye, it helps maintain motivation during times of self-doubt, insecurity or impatience.

If you can see it, you can achieve it!

It’s not just motivating yourself but also supporting the lives and dreams of those around you, in doing that you are not only helping to enhance their life but yours as well and that builds good karma.  Keep in mind that the good karma is built or increased only if the intention is pure and not for personal gain.

There are many ways to increase your chances of being successful in achieving resolutions you have made:

–         If you plan to rid yourself of a bad habit doing so with a friend who also has that same goal can be motivational and you can support each other in times of considerations not to follow through.

–         If you plan to make a positive lifestyle change you can chart it on a vision board which can help you to achieve goals in smaller steps so you gain motivation to reach the milestones.

–         If you plan to wipe the slate clean and start anew, I think it may be a good idea to practice an “Act of Random Kindness” for each day of the New Year, although I think that’s a good plan for everyone to practice daily.

Don’t sell yourself short, you can do anything you want, there is no expiration date on dreams or goals.

There is no age limit that should deter you from changing anything you want to your liking.

I think the best thing we can do for ourselves is to be honest with who we really are, where we want to go, how we want to get there and what we will do along the way.  I think that everyone deep down knows the difference between the right and wrong thing to do and if you live your life according to that standard, knowing that doing the right thing is the only honorable way through life than you’ll achieve great success in every aspect of your life.

The most important state of being to embrace is that of gratitude, having uninhibited appreciation for all the blessings in your life will keep the door of opportunity revolving and create a richness of spirit beyond any amount of wealth one could ever achieve.

I have great aspirations for this New Year, I’ve been looking forward to it the whole month of December, not that I was wishing away the time but rather that it’s been a challenging year and my passion for closure to those challenges and positive change runs deep.

I strongly feel that 2014 is going to be filled with so many positive changes in every aspect of my life and I am looking forward to it.  I can feel that energy swirling and it has gained more momentum this year than I felt of it last year which can only lead to positive life changes that I know are going to enhance my life is more ways than I can possibly imagine.

Allow yourself the freedom to believe and the universe will respond to that belief.  Be mindful of your thoughts and generous with your heart and dreams and success will be just around the corner.

Opportunity awaits!

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Posted by on January 2, 2014 in Blog

 

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Christmas Magic

26 Dec

Lives in the Spirit of the Season

Well this Christmas season really kept me busy, right from the beginning of December and every time I felt like I was finally catching up I would fall behind again.  This unfortunately kept me from my writing but honestly when I’m so busy it’s hard to relax my mind and let the creative side flow and I really want to put out something that people can connect with.  Even though it’s through social media and not personal (face to face) connection, for me it needs to feel genuine and I hope it does for you.  I welcome any and all comments, I find sometimes that even the smallest thing said can inspire another thought in me that can bring greater enlightenment and awareness that I can hopefully share with all of you.

I did find that even though this season usually has everyone rushing around that there were many people (strangers) that didn’t seem as stressed this year and seemed to really be living in the spirit of the season.

What does Christmas mean to you?  Are you feeling the true spirit of the season?

The best gifts one can receive are not available in stores, you can’t buy a close connective bond with someone, you can’t buy a family to share the season with and you can’t buy love.

If you had asked me at this time last year what I thought next Christmas was going to be like I wouldn’t have answered with how it has actually been, which is better than I had expected.  The changes I had experienced this year, some more challenging than others, opened up new paths and took me in directions that have enriched my life in ways I didn’t realize were there.

Even though I’ve embraced this holiday season every year with joy I found that this year felt positively different, like something changed although I don’t think it was just the season or those around me, it was me as well.

a change of feeling, a change of destiny

Although, I wasn’t pointedly changing the way I look at things for any particular reason, I didn’t have a plan to do so.  I think certain challenges this year changed me and as a result that also changed the way I look at things.  Things that carried a certain level of significance were diminished and other aspects that weren’t as significant became more important.  All those levels changed for me and those changes affected my outlook and perspective, obviously a greater clarity was in the cards for me or the universe wouldn’t have created the opening that brought me to this place.

Because of this change of feeling Christmas came in this year feeling warmer than ever and it feels like this is the beginning of a new chapter, one that is on the upswing and is going to bring more depth to my life.

It is my belief that life changing events, in whatever form they come through in, expose and cleanse the soul and how we transcend through them can elevate our awareness in all aspects of our lives and can be especially heightened by Christmas Magic.  This is what I experienced as my change of feeling and that awareness, although not expected, has brought more feelings of positive energy and a greater sense of faith in life and that things will work out as they are meant to.

Christmas is the holiday that reaches the soul, it is meant to bring people together whether they are family or not, to join with each other to honor the season and celebrate the love we have for those in our lives and share compassionately with those that may be struggling.

Even though there are challenges throughout the years that sometimes feel too difficult to get past there is one thing that never changes – the feeling of magic at Christmas.  It can transport you back to cherished memories and traditions that were the beginning of the many years to come for creating and building upon that Christmas Magic.

Christmas is also the reminder that a new year is just around the corner and I think that the magic swirling around from the Christmas season enhances my excitement for the opportunities I feel are on the horizon.  I definitely have a good feeling about 2014, there are indications all around for each of us that can help lead to the path of greater happiness, you just have to be open and aware.  The universe leads us down certain paths to help and teach us how to find greater awareness for the path we are destined to be on.

Embrace your mistakes as much as your victories because both have lessons within.

Merry Christmas to all, I wish everyone a happy, healthy and positive holiday season.  I hope you all get what you have wished for and more.

happy holidays

 
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Posted by on December 26, 2013 in Blog

 

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Living Life?

11 Dec

Or just Existing?

It’s really about experiences and doing things!

Your purpose and calling is bigger than your presence.  It’s the journey and where it takes you and I believe all the journeys are there to teach us some form of Love, whether it is through compassion, empathy, authenticity, generosity, faith, intention, hope, gratitude or appreciation they all bring with them a greater awareness.  All of these states of being stem from Love and if you embrace your journey the limits of where you can go are boundless! 

Who are you trying to become?  Are you trying to be a good person?  At the end of the day we need to be ok at our inner core with what we’re doing.

Are you being authentic with yourself and others?  Are your motives genuine or selfish?  I think it’s important to stay within those guidelines to be aligned with your inner core or else you will feel inner conflict which isn’t always recognizable, it may just feel like something doesn’t feel right.

authenticity-transparency-quote

Your self-worth and personal value are enhanced when you connect to your inner core because it’s not your outside appearance that projects your beauty and that projection causes others to naturally be drawn to you.  Learn to recognize that rejection may not be a bad thing because it helps you to keep your expectations in check.  I believe also that it means there is something better coming around the corner and you need to be open to receive.  Rejection creates an opening of vulnerability and when you are vulnerable is when positive change has the opportunity to occur.

Unleash your imagination, let it flow through all your senses and it will help you to find your purpose.  In talking with others, there seems to be an overall sensing or knowing that there is something different that you should be doing.  I felt like there was an energy that was swirling just outside the zone waiting for the perfect moment to come rushing in.

When you finally understand that whispering you will find your voice and your priorities become so clear and the moment you shine a little light, it starts to grow.  Don’t be defined by anything other than your own authenticity and capacity for breathing your love of life into yourself and those around you.

Surprisingly, even though I constantly talk about having a plan, mostly all of mine have failed but those failures and my ability to adapt have allowed me to fall into better spaces each time, places I wouldn’t have thought to look or have interest in.  Having a plan is more for distraction because it helps you to direct your focus and energy on the steps and while you’re doing those steps you will likely discover something wonderful in between and the plan keeps you open to receive.  One thing for sure is that even though a plan has failed, at least I tried it and learned it wasn’t right for me and now I won’t have regret.

I think when it gets to that certain point in your life when you are looking for something to fill your passion, something to inspire your soul, you sometimes find yourself with regrets and sometimes those regrets are for the chances you didn’t take because of some form of vulnerability that prevented it.

It’s who you become by being truthful, authentic and generous with yourself and others.  When you don’t do something you know is right you end up living with regret and it will haunt you.

Sometimes the bravest thing to do is to embrace honesty so you don’t allow yourself to be held back from something that could have changed your life.

existing-or-living

 
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Posted by on December 11, 2013 in Blog

 

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My Life, My Way!

03 Dec

YOU Are in Charge

You are the one who has to live in your life every day so it should be going the way you want it to or at least some version of how you see it.  If it isn’t than it’s time for you to take charge of your role and do the work that takes you in the direction you seek.

I think having a plan is the driving force that you need to unleash because we all need something to work toward or gravitate to.  It is inspiration that nourishes the soul, a nourishment that I don’t think any of us should be without because it helps to maintain balance.

My biggest impediments have been allowing those that lessen my worth into my life and it isn’t just through being nasty that someone can lessen your worth.  When you are contributing to something that you know isn’t feeding your soul, you are lessening your worth from what the divine meant it for.

We are here to learn, to grow, to inspire and nourish our spirit to evolve in as many directions as we can while trying to navigate the lessons and challenges that were planned for us while carefully riding the wave of the hidden influences that can interfere.

souls growth

The end result of each challenge is always greater knowledge, awareness & gratitude (if you learned the true meaning of your lesson), if you don’t it will keep cycling until you do.  Your gut instinct will alert you to imbalance but the cycle will only stop when you begin to listen.

We all have an inner war that needs to be battled at one time or another, sometimes more than once and I believe that the way to win your inner war is to take your weaknesses and expose them. 

The cycle is your own inner war (no one else’s) and until you embrace whatever is holding you back resistance will serve as your coat of armor.  Unfortunately that coat of armor will also prevent you from progressing forward because a repetitive cycle will remind you of every experience that bears resemblance so you will never truly experience closure. 

Without closure it is difficult, if not impossible, to move on.

If you can’t be honest with anyone else at the very least be honest with yourself.  Allow yourself to be vulnerable even if it feels uncomfortable or scary.

Vulnerability is the ultimate healer and I think that’s because when you peel back the layers you expose the core and at your core you aren’t negative, you aren’t hindered by insecurity, you have unconditional love and compassion for others.  Being completely vulnerable is the only way to shed the layers of life that have weighed you down and lowered your hope.  Once you have reached that point there is only one way to go and that is up and why not “go for it”?

Allow your imagination to reach into every depth of your interests, somewhere within your imagination is where your passion and purpose can be found but only if you allow it.

To begin changing the world around you, try one act of random kindness at a time.

act of random kindness

 
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Posted by on December 3, 2013 in Blog

 

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Wanting to Exhale

26 Nov

It’s How You Breathe!

In the last couple of months I’ve had some challenges that have been hard to handle at certain moments (to say the least) but they have allowed me to step a little bit outside of myself at times so I could observe the plans ahead and the placement of those in my life.  How things come together or apart and how people step in and out of our lives, usually at the right times.  The only words I can think of to describe it all is “weirdly wonderful timing” because even though I know that the universe knows all and the best laid plans don’t always materialize, those that pop in and out of our lives at specific times are all part of the bigger picture/plan, it still blows my mind at how it all plays out.

My daughter had some more challenges in the last couple weeks that seem to be an aftershock-like effect from her surgery, all the trauma and fluctuation of her entire system, of course who wouldn’t?  The body is not meant to have to go through such big changes and especially in such a short period of time but she seems to be finally bouncing back, at least that’s my continued hope and prayer.Never-allow-someone-to-be-your-priority-while-allowing-yourself-to-be-their-option

It’s in the difficult times that you really discover who’s on your team!

I want to let all of those who I know are on my team know that even though you may have thought your support was insignificant it was noticed.  Even though I may have at times said I was ok when I didn’t feel so much that way, the fact that you checked was noticed.  Even though I know I put some of you off for a visit to make sure I was ok, when I definitely wasn’t, I want you to know that it wasn’t because I didn’t want to see you, it was because I couldn’t.  Your compassion was too overwhelming and my emotions were sitting too close to the surface to suppress them and my dignity to maintain my strength was all I had left.

I think when you have the moment to step outside yourself and reflect it’s always a great opportunity.  There is greater clarity outside the confines of our own psyche and it’s in that zone that I believe we can find the answers to questions that have eluded us and the opportunity to find out more about what you are looking for in your life.

I discovered that I had two different life challenges working against each other which weren’t beneficial for my daughter’s recovery process.  I am overly ambitious and wanted to get a plan going that helps her get well in the best way possible.  I’m not a doctor so medically I can’t do anything to make things better but I am her mother so I’m going to try to break down every wall to find a way.  When I get my mind on a direction I take off running but when it comes to something like physical recovery (especially someone else’s recovery), taking off running doesn’t work out so well.  The recovery goes on her timetable, not mine, so I can make all the plans I want for progressing forward but if her system isn’t ready, it isn’t ready, plain and simple.

The other life challenge is patience, which in my opinion, impedes progress for ambition.  I’m sure that there are many people that have been able to find the happy medium for these two to work together but my maternal and protective nature wants to change things for the better for my daughter not later, but now!  If it were me, I would definitely be motivated but not as strongly as I am when it comes to my daughter and of course that’s because for me, it’s her world that matters the most!

One thing I have noticed is that when I’m not gripping so tightly to trying to make things work, they seem to find a different, and usually better, way to just work out.  Like everything just falls into place naturally and I think that is also the universe telling me something; that things will happen naturally if I just let them.

right-on-time

 
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Posted by on November 26, 2013 in Blog

 

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Don’t Ever Be Done!

05 Nov

There Are So Many Levels

There is always another mountain beyond the one you’ve just climbed and continually challenging yourself to be all that you can be is the best motivation for your personal evolution and growth.  Honestly I think my best competition is trying to best myself at something I’ve achieved and I always enjoy the challenge.  If I am unsuccessful at first I find it personally motivating to try that much harder again and again until I achieve my goal.  While I recognize that I am stubborn, this trait has proven to be of great assistance because it helps keep me motivated to persevere even if something is more challenging than I had initially anticipated.

I do believe that the people we surround ourselves with in life can either help or hinder our efforts to progress.

If someone believes in you, do them the honor or letting them know their belief in you is not wasted, rise to all that you can be.  One person can make a difference because on the flip side one person’s lack of belief can plant the seeds of self-doubt and that doubt can destroy not only your faith in yourself but your faith in them.

mark twain quote

I don’t believe that we’ve chosen the people that enter our lives but rather it has been destined to evolve because that was the plan from the beginning, whether we realize it or not.

Everyone that crosses our path, negative or positive, are there to teach us how to determine who we want to walk with us through this life.  All of it is a challenge, some challenges are more obvious than others and I think the ones that are the most obvious are our mistakes or missteps because they hurt and we tend to pay a lot more attention to them whether that is trying to dissect why something happened or trying to determine how to avoid it in the future.

It’s amazing how some of the most monumental developments in my life have evolved from humble beginnings, I mean I’ve literally fallen into great opportunities that have seemed so effortless that had I planned for it I would have expected to have to put more effort into it.  I think that’s the beauty of the destined path especially if you are continually pushing yourself onto the next level of your life.  If you are not open to embracing the challenge and the change you become stagnant and that state of being can deteriorate your spirit into so many negative and non-productive directions.

Everything in life is evolving whether you choose to evolve with or not and it’s your personal and life challenges that can either make or break how you far you end up going but these challenges build character and strength whether we desire it or not.

There is a lot of reference now to the “bucket list” which I think is a great motivator but only if you don’t take yourself for granted and have enough belief in yourself to know that you will work as hard as you can to do all the things you have on your list.  The “bucket list” is similar to the vision board and whichever format works best to aide you is the one you should use.  I use both actually, mostly because the more I see something the more ingrained it becomes in my mind and which makes manifestation inevitable.  I must have a million different notepads that I’ve written goals in along with the pages I’ve written them on, torn out and carried around with me.  My process works for me, I’ve done clean-ups where I’ve found these notepads or notes and discovered that everything on them was now a checkmark of success.

I know that these successes are the inspiration for my continued climb onto the next level because I want to challenge and push myself to the limits so I can be happily surprised when I achieve success.  It is a joyful feeling to create and induce your personal confidence level when you achieve something that you didn’t know if you could but challenged yourself anyway because of the inner strength it builds.

perseverence quote

 
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Posted by on November 5, 2013 in Blog

 

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You Are Enough!

29 Oct

Knowing Your Worth

Our value is very much attached and/or validated by our thoughts and our thoughts are fed through the Inner Dialogue of Self-Love and Self-Talk but that dialogue can be altered by outside influences during our weaker moments.

The weaker moments happen when you are feeling inferior, insecure or both and it causes you to question your self-worth in either one or all areas of your life but usually it’s only one area at a time.  I’ve found that I’m fairly confident when it comes to my career/work related area and I think that’s because there isn’t a lot of emotion attached because while it is the hand that feeds me (so to speak) it’s not the one that keeps me breathing.  My love (family & friends) is the area that keeps me breathing and feeds my inner spirit with all things that are beautifully and emotionally joyful and sometimes challenging.  Of course anything connected to emotion has the power to elevate you or take you down and it’s usually when you’re down that you question your worth.Jillian Quote

Self-Love:

You need to have enough self-love for yourself before you can offer your love to someone else and if you don’t trust yourself then how can you trust anyone else?

–         When you are passionate about who you are you exude a light of warmth and contentment that doesn’t need any outside influence for validation and what you project draws others to you without effort.

–         Trusting in a Faith you cannot see or touch are the seeds of Hope and it is through that Belief that the soul is nourished.

–         Humility and Gratitude Always!  Your Ego will constantly wrestle with you for control but it is these two states of being that give you the growth without changing who you authentically are.

Self-Talk:

What do you tell yourself about who you are and how others perceive you?

You shouldn’t have to prove anything to anyone for them to believe in you.  If someone really cares about you they don’t need proof, they feel it and they honor that feeling by showing unconditional support through whatever context the relationship exists.highlight reel

–         You are a human soul with feelings and what you tell yourself should be just as honest and compassionate as it is with others.

–         Don’t assume that someone is thinking negatively of you unless they’ve actually voiced it.  Any assumptions I’ve ever made in that area have caused me to feel bad about myself needlessly.

–         Regardless of what your past has been we all deserve forgiveness.  You cannot change what was but you can create anew of what is to come.  Regret can be a breeding ground for negative self-talk and does not serve any purpose except for allowing the Ego to gain control.  It is through positive change going forward that regret is silenced.

I do believe that it is through our formative years that our true identity is created and the core of our being does not change but our formative years are the foundation and what grows around that foundation depends on who we aspire to become.  Yes, circumstance and outside influences definitely affect that foundation but our formative years are from a very early age (0-5 years) and within that age category there isn’t a good or bad seed that is planted but rather exposed and we always have the free will to choose which direction we want to gravitate towards.

If you feel like your worth isn’t as strong as you’d like it to be, whether that is from the effects of the external stresses of existence or not I believe it is your Love (family & friends) that are the keys to reinforcing your strength.  When others have drained you, whether that is by your own allowance or not, it is usually your family, friends or both that help you put the pieces of the puzzle back together.  It’s not that you are broken but rather that you’ve forgotten just how special and important you are to those that love you and they are there to remind you of your worth.

We are all here to learn, to experience and to grow and even
though our challenges and life paths are different from one another, no one person’s light is more important.

the-same-moon

 
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Posted by on October 29, 2013 in Blog

 

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Oops, I Did it Again!

22 Oct

Changing your Patterns

Do you find that no matter how much you think a situation is different this time you end up with the same outcome?  A pattern that repeats itself continually is a sign that you aren’t dealing with something and it’s going to keep coming back, usually it hits harder each time.  This is the Universe’s way of reminding you that in order to have a different outcome you need to change your patterns.

Definition of Insanity:  Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

No one gets through life without some pain but the pain doesn’t need to continually occur because you haven’t recognized the variety of consistencies that you keep repeating.  I think when we repeat the same pattern the awareness we need to develop is learning to recognize that there is an underlying issue that needs to be addressed.  The pattern exists because there is at least one area within you that is lacking and somewhere in the repetition of the cycle that area is being fed by the pattern, figuring out those areas can only be discovered through honest self-reflection.  My personal opinion is that the patterns we play and re-play in our lives are created from something that began and/or was learned in our formative years, those are the years that truly are the most important time of our lives.  Those years create and form the basis of who we are and will become and what we see and learn in that time is what we will continue to seek out whether we realize it or not.

The only way for us to progress is by changing the patterns that we imprison ourselves with.

stop chasing the wrong things

So if you know something isn’t working why would you keep allowing it to occur?  I think most of us go into all things with a positive mindset and outlook that things are different this time and that’s not a bad thing but sometimes what we see in others is a reflection of our own prospects and it’s that false sense of security that the ego uses to trick us into repeating the same patterns.  The ego definitely gets something out of it and in turn makes us think we are in control but that may be the problem because instead of trying to guide an outcome we must allow things to be as they are, change and grow as they are meant to.  In trying to control any situation you are likely to find that it gets more and more out of control because the natural reaction is to resist when feeling pinned down and disappointment will always follow.  Sometimes realizations of being wrong can hurt and I know that when I have made those kinds of realizations it has left me feeling conflicted in being able to trust my own instincts.  When you feel your own instincts have betrayed you, where do you go from there?  Self-Reflection, is my only answer, taking a real hard look at where my missteps keep taking me.

My last life challenge, as difficult as it was, turned out to be of more significance than I had realized at first and broke me wide open but it is because of that challenge that I have found my way back to a path I started on years ago before I got so far off course.  Finding myself again seems profoundly familiar except that I now carry much more wisdom, experience and gratitude.  I may have fallen down at times but I will ALWAYS get back up and when I do my determination to move forward is that much stronger.

Whether or not it has been said or thought of this way I believe that the proverbial baggage that we all carry (no one is free of it) consists of many things including life experiences and it is the culmination of all that baggage that creates who we are today.  I don’t know that I view baggage as a bad thing, even though some refer to it that way, I think it’s just a matter of whether or not each of our collective baggage (experiences and situations) fits or compliments those involved in our lives.  Comfort with others is not found within trying to make their life (baggage) fit but rather fitting into each other’s lives comfortably and without prejudice.

You can’t change or erase someone’s past and if who they are or have become no longer feels comfortable then maybe it’s time to get honest.  Parting ways in any kind of relationship is difficult because it wouldn’t be ending unless there was something that was causing it to end but staying to avoid hurting someone would eventually hurt them more.

Quote:  You can choose courage or you can choose comfort, you cannot have both  — Brene Brown

Changing your patterns so you can embrace the people that fit or compliment your life is not an easy task.  It takes time to develop the awareness to recognize how the pattern begins and then more time to learn how to divert it but once you’ve found that rhythm you will find that what lies ahead can be positively life changing!

self-transformation

 
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Posted by on October 22, 2013 in Blog

 

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When the Storm Ends

15 Oct

A New Beginning Opens Up

I can breathe again!

With the end of any challenging experience brings the opportunity for a new beginning and direction in life.  We aren’t defined by the challenges themselves or if we make mistakes, we are defined by the changes we make as a result.

My recent challenges have finally levelled off and in the last couple of weeks I finally had the chance to exhale.  My renewed sense of awareness, focus and direction are creating a sense of peace that feels like I am in a state of relaxation all day long.  I don’t know if it is just that my mind and body have finally de-activated the “All Systems Alert” button or if the new beginning is the major cause but what I do know is that my new normal is feeling fabulous!

The Storm itself is meant to cause upheaval and depending on what your life lessons are and where you are on your path that upheaval could be either minor or major.  If you are too far off your destined path the major storm can be quite stressful but the storms themselves open up opportunity for growth and transition that you may not have reached without it and hopefully the wisdom you gain is used to your best advantage.  The storms should NEVER be wasted and what ALWAYS comes with them is the opportunity to change things to your liking, you always have a choice.

I’ve experienced both minor and major storms and “God willing” there aren’t many more of the major ones destined but honestly it feels like my latest one really cracked me open and as hard as it was to deal with I really like the end result.

Along with my new beginning came a greater appreciation for the parts of life I used to rush through, I used to get so stressed about making everything I had on my plate fit into my day whether it took up all of my “ME” time or not.  I crammed as much as I could in my day in order to whittle down my ever-growing “to do” list but I was depriving myself of a much needed decompress time at the end of the day and I’ve been doing this for many months, maybe even a year.  No wonder my new sense of peace and direction has me feeling like I’m in a state of relaxation all day long, it makes sense that unwinding from that much lack of self-preservation feels so cathartic.

There were so many benefits that I’ve been able to take away from all my experiences and digging for the deeper strength has been the hardest task but I definitely learned that no matter what if you have to go through something difficult, don’t do it alone!  Regardless of how strong you may think you are, vulnerability is the key to finding the new path.  It doesn’t mean you are weak, actually it is probably the moment you are most open because when you are vulnerable you don’t have the fight left to resist.  Resistance is what prevents you from embracing change and during the storms is the time when the most change is needed.

If you are currently in a storm in your life (minor or major), neither are easy, keep reminding yourself that it will eventually pass and when it’s done there are many gifts on the other side waiting for you.  Embrace them for all that they offer, stay open and mindful that you don’t resist.  You have more inner strength than you probably realize and when you dig the deepest the biggest rewards will follow.  The rewards may not look the way you had envisioned, they will likely be better and bring you a greater sense of peace, as they did with me.

adversity #2

 
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Posted by on October 15, 2013 in Blog

 

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Every Chapter of Your Life

08 Oct

Brings in More Depth

I’ve noticed that the “meaning of life” has become deeper and more meaningful as time goes on.  This is something I had never anticipated when I was a teenager because my experiences then didn’t carry the wisdom I gained later in my adult years.  As a teenager or young adult I didn’t realize the depth that life would eventually bring because I was preoccupied with trying to find my place in the world, looking for my independence.  That period of my life gave me the freedom to learn and discover how to find my way, and the struggles that I encountered along the way helped to build my determination to succeed in attaining the life I had envisioned.  Actually that vision hasn’t changed much, yes there are a few improvements to the plan and the only reason it took me so long to reach my desired goal is because I got distracted trying to help others build their dreams.

dhirubhai ambani quotes

In the case of the above quote I wasn’t hired, my natural instinct is to help especially if I see someone struggling and I think there’s something I can do to assist.  The downfall is that as much as you may want to help someone where you can, you may be doing them more harm than good because how can they build their own determination if you are doing all their work.

I’ve learned many life lessons so far that have definitely challenged me and I’ve discovered that there is so much more to the relationships we form with others than just what we see on the surface.  I’ve found that my favorite relationships are those that are truly authentic and authenticity is not something that can be fabricated.  These are the relationships I aspire to and those that were false have been unable to sustain any challenges and have fallen away and/or ended.

Not all endings are sad, some endings are closure to a challenging time, some endings signify personal victory and some endings reinforce your faith in direction of life.  Like “Semisonic’s” lyrics say, “every new beginning comes from some other beginnings end”.  Endings must occur in order to create room for the new beginning and that new beginning is an unopened present from the universe, full of opportunities and choices that are yours to embrace.  Every opportunity can branch out into so many other areas and most of us either don’t attempt to explore them or don’t notice they are there because we too busy looking back at the last ending.  Everything happens for a reason, everything begins for a reason and everything ends for a reason.  The learning offered with every new beginning can literally change your life and it’s usually for the better.  There are so many beautiful things out there for us to learn and to remain open is the best way to enjoy all that life has to offer.

If you are feeling like life owes you than you are doing more to deprive yourself of the enjoyment of it than any one person or group could.  Pay attention to the gifts that you have already been given and are living, you may be taking more for granted than you realize.  Living in gratitude for the basics is the best way to increase your appreciation for the bigger moments.  When you are grateful for the smaller gifts in life it makes the bigger gifts that much more spectacular and meaningful.

I’ve found that other people’s ideas of who I should be don’t have value for me anymore and what matters most is how comfortable and content I am in my own skin.  With that comfort and content comes the confidence that allows me to embrace the depth that life has been offering, the depth that provides me with greater clarity and direction.  There is no pretense to who I think I should be or who I think others think I should be, my comfort with who I am allows me the freedom to explore and determine the types of relationship I seek and those relationships are the ones with true connection and meaning.  True connection can be found in the moments when nothing monumental is happening but you feel drawn and connected to another soul for an inexplicable reason except that it feels natural, comfortable and familiar.  There are some connections I’ve encountered that I don’t know why I feel the instant connection and I think that’s because sometimes our souls recognize that familiar soul before our minds or hearts do.

One of the changes I’ve discovered in myself over the last 10 years is that the people that I truly connect with are not those who I used to and those that I used to I never really knew.  It’s not that I was closed off before it was that I hadn’t truly been opened up, it takes experiences to bring wisdom.  Monumental and life changing experiences can propel us onto a path that we never realized existed and into the lives of those we never really noticed were there.  The people I’ve noticed now are truly authentic and have more depth than I ever realized I would see or feel.

I believe the path that our experiences propel us onto is where the universe has always meant for us to go and the people we encounter on that path are there for a reason.  Some of them are meant to stay and some are meant to leave but all are meant to help us get to where we are meant to be.  I don’t believe in coincidences, everything happens for a reason, and all reasons eventually become clear when the time is right.  There are some reasons still left to evolve in my life and I look forward to the clarity when it comes because so far I haven’t been disappointed.  All of my life lessons have brought me greater awareness and insight and with each of these lessons I develop a greater appreciation for the things I took for granted.  I think we all forget at one time or another and take the simplest thing for granted, not because we are unappreciative but because life is busy and hectic and it’s the pace that keeps us from stopping and taking it all in for what it really is, a gift.

I know that my comfort and contentment with where I am in life right now will only increase as time goes on and as much as I don’t want to rush the future I look forward to the gifts, blessings and insight that are to come.  As much as I know this chapter has brought depth, the remaining chapters in life will bring even more clarity and substance.

life-is-not-about-the-amounds-of-breaths-you-take-beauty-quote

 
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Posted by on October 8, 2013 in Blog

 

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