The Word of the Week 2014 Be Happy

AFFIRMATION

I take time to notice that nature is a beautiful reflection of ME.

Sometimes you have to stop all the juggling of the balls you have in life, all the issues that demand your attention, all the anxieties and worries that dominate your thoughts and just say “to hell with it all.” (I would have used a more stronger term here which is the title of a book, those of you who know It can fill in the gap (smile)) Today is such a day; give yourself permission to be in this moment and just BE HAPPY. 

The amount of time wasted on worries, concerns and constantly seeing lack in various areas of your life, you end up missing the best part of living.  Those worries will still be there tomorrow, hell they could still be there next week or next year, so what, take a day off today from all your stresses in your life.  Make a conscious choice to choose NOT to be woeful or unhappy. Look for your joy in the little things you observe today.  Hearing a child’s laughter….feeling the sun warm your skin, a smile from a stranger, watching ducks swimming in a pond or just noticing the glorious nature that surrounds you even if it is just one tree or a few blades of grass.  Get out of your head for today and just be.  Nature is fabulously therapeutic when you need to reconnect with life; unfortunately, we fail to notice the beauty that surrounds us every day.

When you observe nature, you are observing an abundant universe.  Each blade of grass that replenishes all year round, each leaf on the tree that goes through its life cycle, to each grain of sand found on each beach around the world, all of this is here to remind us of the plenitude of life.  When you then turn this feeling of appreciation inwards, you recognise in yourself the same beauty and magnificence of nature and for that moment, you remove the enormous pressure that you place upon yourself. 

Just for today, use nature as your anchor to turn your thoughts around and be happy…it is not as difficult as you think.

Nameste

May you all be blessed with light, love and happiness xxx

The Word of the Week - Receiving Validation and Trust

AFFIRMATION

I trust the Divine within me to guide me where I need to go.

The greatest hurdle towards my journey to my Big Self was always an enquiry that began with the question “Can I trust the guidance that comes from within me?”  As I grew more confident in learning to navigate my way through the differing voices in my head, the next question was “I need proof in the guidance that I am being given!”  I failed to realise, until recently, that in order to trust the guidance within, you need to learn to trust it implicitly.  I realised I negated that trust in asking for validation, because I placed conditions and expectations as to how this proof was to be received.  I have since managed to kick off at least one of my trainer wheels in this area because I understand trust builds slowly.

Your inner guidance system shows you in the most imaginative of ways confirmation that you what you have received is correct and it does so without you having to ask.  It is in these situations that you slowly build your wall of trust, brick by brick with the guidance within.  It does not happen overnight but it is a process of developing the art of communicating with your Big Self, just as you would take time to develop a friendship physically, the only difference being is that this particular relationship is done with your inner eye and not the physical ones.  However, this element too can be challenging because you sometimes miss the validation by not paying attention to your present moments. 

Guidance is however repetitive when your Big Self wants your attention.  This could result in a myriad of ways, such as persistent feelings of discomfort in a particular situation or speaking to friends and loved ones who suggest the exact same thing your guidance told you.  It could be by reading parts in books that speak to your predicament precisely or by grabbing your attention by getting you to notice the lyrics more intently to a particular song.  Guidance gets you to notice that which you would ordinarily ignore in the hope that you will join the dots yourself and discover the “Aha” moment.  The key word in learning to trust is to notice what is going on around you by being present ALL the time.  When you put conditions on validations you will end up disappointed or deflated when it does not meet your expectation, thus you move further away from trusting and tend to lean upon your own understanding or rationale in regards to occurrences in your life.

Just for today, try to remember that developing a relationship with your Higher Self tests your awareness of your now moments consistently, this in turn teaches you to remain present so that you can notice the signs that tell you what you heard was indeed right!

Have an observational weekend.

Nameste

The Word of the Week - Embracing the Shadow (Pt 1)

AFFIRMATION

I am open to embrace the shadows within me in order that I can reveal more of my light.

What is the shadow side of ourselves?  This is the energy that is fuelled by fear and the ego that causes us to expose our frustrations, anger, negative behaviours, unskilled outbursts and generally the darker side of our nature.  It will also cause us to have unkind thoughts and possibly follow through with acts of wrong doing.  We all have a darker side to our nature and contrary to belief it is not for us to totally eradicate this part of ourselves but to actually embrace it.  The spiritual journey is one of paradoxes, statements that seem to contradict each other but are in fact the duality of all life , for example how can you know good if you do not know bad or that the idea of beauty depends upon something being identified as ugly.

Such is the place of our shadow side and our light side, the two that generally oppose each other but could not possibly exist without each other.  When I use Louise L Hays phrase of “You are perfect, whole and complete,” it means that the duality that we perceive of ourselves is in reality just one.  All from the one mind and the one consciousness, living in perfect harmony.   We can exist happily within the duality of life, once we have learned to recognise our shadow thoughts and habits.  Our higher mind can view the shadow side of ourselves impersonally, by acknowledging the dark.   For example, you get frustrated by a loved one’s behaviour which irks you and you  become angry or unkind in your thoughts.  You embrace the feeling of this anger rather than supress it and you acknowledge yourself in that moment that the angry side of you feels hurt or annoyed.  Now instead of voicing your anger and annoyance which will result in only talking to the other person’s ego, you direct the feeling more positively.  This is where all your practice with choosing higher thoughts come into play because with an unskilled mind this will not work.  Whenever you are pointing the accusatory finger at someone else always remember that three fingers are pointing back at you, this observation taught to me many years ago, is a helpful reminder that instead of looking at someone else’s shadow, you have three major reasons to look at your own shadow….so look at them. 

Flipping the negative to a positive means that the energy of anger you feel can be redirected with your thoughts and dialogue with your higher self that enable you to take a wider view of the situation rather than your current narrow egoic view.  You ask the question, are you really angry for the reason that you think or are you really frustrated at yourself and taking it out on someone else?  When you answer honestly, this energy is redirected from dark into light because your authentic self takes the reigns and steers you towards healing, towards love and towards the ever increasing light that resides in you.  More often than not in my own personal experience, I release any pent up emotion by either punching a pillow and screaming out loudly or I exercise by giving my body a good work out.  The point is in the first instance I give my emotions a safe outlet for expression

Just for today, have courage to acknowledge the shadow side of yourself, for it is only when we truly look at our behaviours that we diminish the illusionary power it has over us.

Nameste    

The Word of the Week - Releasing the Past

AFFIRMATION

I now release my past and change my story to this present moment which is fresh and brand new.

We all have a past littered with what we define as  “good” or “bad” experiences.  Some may have suffered abuse as a child, domestic violence, trouble with the law, deep emotional trauma, victimisation or some other ordeal that we now create our life story around.  We tell ourselves this traumatic story from the past until it somehow defines us and we incorrectly make it who we are.  This is not to negate any trauma one has suffered in one’s life, but the key to growth is how we view these experiences and what it is that we tell ourselves about the occurrence. 

The story that we tell ourselves from the past detaches your spiritual energy from the present causing it to fragment.  This means that you can never fully enjoy your present moment because your energy is attached to the story you tell yourself of the past.  In order to heal and become whole, you need to pool your energy fully into one moment in time and that can only be and will ever be the moment of now.  When you dwell on the past without letting go of any hurt or pain that it caused you, your attention remains in that area.  To heal, you have to forgive and let it go, irrespective if you or someone else was the cause.

Forgiveness does not mean that you are exonerating anyone’s behaviour, the forgiveness is for you; for your own mental anguish and pain the hurt has caused YOU.  Forgiveness is a HEALING and it takes repeated effort before you can fully heal from the pain of the past.  As part of my own spiritual program I offer forgiveness daily.  Against any transgressions that I have made towards myself or others, any unkind words or thoughts  that I say to myself or about others, I cleanse and heal every single night and affirm to do a little bit better the next day.

Just for today, really listen to the story you tell others and more importantly to yourself and make a note if you are fragmenting your spirit.  You are indeed perfect, whole and complete.  So step into your big self, let go of your past with forgiveness and begin anew.

Have a blessed weekend.

Nameste.

The Word of the Week - You are doing GREAT!

AFFIRMATION

I embrace my divinity and accept myself exactly as I am

On this journey, I have realised that you can NEVER get enough self-love and today is just the day to acknowledge how great you are.  Instead of falling into the old habits of berating ourselves for the mistakes that we made this week, or the errors in judgements or the momentary lapse of anger when we scream obscenities at inconsiderate drivers on the road (smile), today just allow the stillness and the beauty of your divinity to shine through you.

You are DIVINE!  The quicker you embrace this fact, the greater this force of power can flow through you and enable you to reach your desired greatness.

This morning as I read a verse in the Tao Te Ching by Dr Wayne Dyer he described how to live in the void and one of the more poignant lines in the verse was “The usefulness of what is depends on what is not.”  This means we need to be cognizant of the unseen, the spaciousness and that void in all things that make it what it is.  If we were to look at the components of a tree, it is made up of bark, branches, leaves and roots, however if we tried to dismantle it to its individual parts it would no longer be a tree. The same can be said of the human body, we are just made of water, flesh, bones and skin, but without the unseen, that element that makes you YOU, that which enables you to breathe, then you are not useful as the verse states because you do not have what is not.

“It is the silence that is in between the notes that makes the music.”

Zen Proverb

When you learn to honour the divine in you, to speak words of loving kindness about yourself and more importantly to yourself, this unseen within you expands its light and energy with enough power to change the molecular structure of your entire being.  Recognise the place just behind your heart centre that is still, that is quiet, and that always loves and yearns for you to see the beauty in your BIG self that it sees.  It is this force that loves you unconditionally, that sends you thoughts that tells you, “You are so beautiful, I love you and you are doing GREAT!”

Just for today, as you take a few moments to be conscious of your breath and you fill your lungs with this life giving energy; take a minute to quiet your mind and listen to this voice within that wants you to know that YOU ARE TRULY AWESOME!

“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.”

Lao Tzu

Nameste

The Word of the Week - Say yes to LIFE

AFFIRMATION

                I say yes to the synchronicities of life and KNOW that only good lies before me

When you learn to say yes to whatever experience you have now in life, you allow yourself to receive the blessing of the situation.  All too often we live within the realms of labels; labels that define us, that dictate how we are to feel and react to a situation not realising that we have the power and more importantly the choice as to whether or not we wish to accept this definition.  It is our reaction to every situation that is presented to us that determines how we feel about a thing.

For example, you could be told that you are being made redundant and the most obvious response could be fear and panic at not being able to pay your bills, however you could view it as an opportunity for you to expand and grow into a new role or position in life.  Every experience, no matter what label we choose to give it, brings us a lesson.  We can decide to either grow from it, or make it define us.  Further, we can either struggle and resist life or choose to remain present in every experience by trusting that all will work out for your greater good.

In my journey, the desires I have for my life continually expand and I become frustrated at times at the “lack of speed” with which my desires become form.  I recognise that every day I must learn to increase my trust in that great creative power within me and be able to sit content in my present moment, with gratitude, so I can bring forth the vision that I desire for my life.  This is the most challenging part of my journey because I have to envision my desires, imagine what it is I want to do, be and have; create a concrete image of this purpose in my mind on a consistent basis until it becomes all that I see.

In reality, if you were to look back in your life, the simple things that you asked for, that you desired for yourself, you set about the creative process in achieving that goal.  You may have wanted to buy a house when you were younger and even though you may have not been in a position, with a large enough salary to buy a home….you still made it happen.  How did you do that?  You looked at properties, even though you did not know how you would get the money.  You sought advice; you may have even changed your job to get the desired salary.  The point is that with focused determination you achieved your objective at the time.  We see these achievements not as achievements at all, not as you being part of the creative force, which brought it into fruition but as an insignificant part of your life that just happened.  

Wherever you are in your life YOU created it, you desired it and you brought it forth, whether your situation is viewed as positive or negative.

Now that we understand the creative power that we hold, it is for us to direct that power to only that which we desire and not on those things, we do not.

Whatever you give your attention to you create it!

“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.”

Lao Tsu

Just for today, say YES to life, for you will accomplish what it is you desire.

Have a contented weekend.

Nameste

The Word of the Week - You ARE what you think

AFFIRMATION

Today I surrender to the magic of life and see only my greater good before me.

                                                             

I know I have spoken about this subject often but to coin the Latin phrase by Thomas Aquinas “repetition is the mother of all learning.”

When you make a concerted effort to shift your perception to one of love and not fear; when you recognise that ALL challenges that occur in your life, whether it relates to health, finances, grief, divorce or loss exists as an avenue for growth towards your greater good, you will experience more light, more joy and a greater sense of peace in your journey.  Most of us, however are so ensconced in the drama of that moment, we fail to see the potential that the challenge brings into your life.  It is only after a period of time, that one can reflect and see the lesson of the experience.  We can then make a choice as to whether we are going to grow from it or ignore it.  The latter will have you repeating the experience if you fail to learn the lesson.

In a twenty-four hour period, Dr Deepak Chopra stated that we have between sixty to eighty thousand thoughts, what is interesting about this fact is that two thirds of those thoughts are the same ones we recycle repetitively. Now if this is the case and if we were to recycle the same negative thoughts consistently, what effect do you think that this will have upon our physical experience?  If I were to consistently say to myself that I am unattractive, I WILL eventually believe this about myself and even if someone were to remark that I was beautiful, I would not believe them because my repetitive thoughts will always trump what anyone else has to say to me.  My question to you today is what are your persistent thoughts?

If we take just a moment to observe what we think, what we say and ultimately what we do, we can then be accountable for every single experience that we attract into our lives.  Those experiences that we no longer wish to have, requires you have to either change your perception about it or replace the thought with one that is more positive.

Thoughts ARE things…we create all our experiences with our thoughts and your situation will NEVER change unless you go to the root of the problem.  You may be familiar with the phrase, “You are what you eat,” this is also true of “You are what you think!!!” (This incidentally is the title of a book by David Stroop PhD)

In the book The Impersonal Life by Joseph Benner, it states “A Thinker is a Creator. A Thinker lives in a world of his own conscious creation.”  Therefore, the task here is to learn how to think in order to create effectively.

Just for today, be an astute observer of your thoughts and remind yourself often, that whatever you think you do indeed create. 

Have a thoughtful weekend.

Namaste 

The Word of the Week - Learning to Trust (Pt 2)

Those who are certain of the outcome can afford to wait and wait without anxiety.

A Course in Miracles

When I write this weekly missive, it is as much for me as it is for you and I try to practice what comes through me in this forum.  Last week I embarked upon trusting implicitly what transpired each day of my week and to make a concerted effort to observe my behaviours, my reactions and most importantly those fear based thoughts.  I had several instances where situations occurred and my finances or what I thought “lack thereof,” would have me in a slight panic.  You know the situation where you have gazillion financial obligations to meet and only pennies with which to do it! 

So you know how the thought processes happen in these situations, you panic first and foremost and ask “how am I going to pay that?”  You start the old tapes in your head that tell you how little money you have, how you need more, how you can’t get any more and so on so forth.  This then leads you to stress upon projections in the future, “how will I pay such and such due next week if I use the money this week?” You become anxious, you get short tempered with your loved ones and you keep rolling the problem around in your head without coming to a solution.  This was how I used to handle my finances, I am happy to say that I am growing strong in learning to trust that ALL MY NEEDS WILL BE MET!   So how do I do this, well, I recall a time that I panicked about my finances and became anxious and noted that things always turned out okay.   I remind myself that I am not in danger and reaffirm that all my needs will be met because my past history is testimony to that.  Then, I take a deep cleansing breath and acknowledge the inner force within me, who is strong, wise and better equipped to handle my fear based financial illusions.  Finally, I just let it go and thank my Source for handling my affairs.

Well, I was put to the test this week. My finances were limited and my car decided it was going to give me a warning light regarding the engine, It is due it’s MOT and car tax this month so I had little to manoeuvre.  I immediately called my mechanic who said he would look at it the next day.  The worrying thoughts began to pervade my mind and in mid thought as I observed this, I stopped, took a deep breath and asked for guidance.  I said to my higher self, “ I give this situation to you, knowing that you will provide all the resources, the people and whatever may be necessary to deliver a solution to this problem.  Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.”  I breathed again and drove my car tentatively.  The fear was still there, it had not gone but I abated it for a moment.  Next morning the light came on the dash board again and I recited “I trust and KNOW that all my needs will be met.”  As I drove, the engine seemed to lose power for about a second and I felt it was going to stall.  My heart began to race and I began to panic.  A voice in my head said, “there is nothing to fear.” (When I say a voice, this is really just a thought but the energy that it carries is calm and light not heavy or dark.) So, I repeated this over in my head until my heart began to beat normally.  That afternoon as I left to go home and meet the mechanic, the light on the dashboard did NOT come on.  Elated but still a bit tentative and unsure I drove home.  As I got home I continued to say thank you in my head.  The mechanic arrived, plugged in his diagnostic machine and said there was no major fault, it was probably a sensor glitch.

I share my story, as insignificant to others as it may seem, to highlight that you too can be an observer of your habits and create a miracle mind-set in an instant when you relinquish control and allow your Inner Guide to lead. In ANY situation!

Louise L Hay has a phrase, Life Loves You. 

So just for today, let life do exactly that.

Nameste

The Word of the Week - Learning to Trust

AFFIRMATION

I Trust the divine wisdom that comes from within ME and know that this guidance leads me to my greater good.

Learning to trust implicitly the guiding voice within you became an interesting aspect for me to overcome.  The first hurdle was to recognise which voice in my head was my Inner Guide and then I had to learn to trust it’s guidance.  As with anything, taking small baby steps when embarking upon anything new helps to reform a brand-new habit that replaces the old.  I did test this voice on many occasions and deemed the guidance to be a fraud, as essentially, what I thought it was saying to me as to regards a question I would pose would prove to be untrue.  It took me a very long time before I could reopen myself to this process because I could not trust either of the voices I heard in my head.  In hindsight, I realised that I was at the behest of my ego on all the occasions I had attempted to discern the voice and the reason I can say this now is because I truly KNOW the voice of my Inner Guide and continue to make this relationship my first and foremost.

In Dr Wayne Dyer’s book Excuses Begone, he extols that we take the time to seek that place within us where no doubt can enter, a place where only love exists and to keep this place and the relationship sacred.  I had often read about this wonderful place within from many authors and I longed to have such a connection where I could trust implicitly and become doubt free.  It was this impetus, this yearning, that made me determined to find this voice and to do whatever I had to do in order to make it a reality.  With the practice of daily meditation I learned to quiet ALL the voices in my mind into blissful silence.  After a period of stillness and the formation of a new habit, all of a sudden the voice I heard and the conversations that I began to have literally lifted my heart and gave me butterflies. 

To trust the voice within you first must silence all others because the ego has a penchant for being an imposter to a susceptible mind.  Meditation enables your mind to withstand the machinations of the ego because the associated feelings you get from this voice lets you know it is NOT the right guidance. You learn to reconnect with your true feelings when you still the mind.  The world as we know it has programmed you to trust the head and not the heart, however both of these aspects can work in unison, you just need to find the route back to your heart centre and relearn how to feel. 

The book A Course in Miracles states that we act from two thought forms, either out of love or fear.  When you embark upon trusting the voice within, you eventually learn to quieten the voice of fear.  This is an ongoing process of which I work at every single day but the rewards are phenomenal, even when I do mess up, have a tantrum or act unlovingly, I can always return to my place of peace and readjust my mind set by conversing with my Higher Self.  Not only do I  trust its guidance but more importantly I follow it without delay.

Just for today, be aware of your thoughts, interactions and reactions to people in your sphere, in any situation where you might act unlovingly to yourself or others. Quietly ask yourself the question “Am I coming from a place of love or fear?”  Then take a pause to discern a response.  You may or may not get an answer straight away but what you do get is a space in between your thought processes that has the potential for you to start the reconnection to your Soul.

I leave you with a quote and my way of honouring a literary giant to me who passed over this week, may her soul rest in peace.

“Listen to yourself and in that quietude you might hear the voice of God.”

Maya Angelou

4^th April 1928- 28^th May 2014

Nameste

The Word of the Week - Practice makes perfect

AFFIRMATION

I value myself enough to make the sustained effort required

to change my thoughts and enable my growth.

The most important lesson that I have learned on this journey to live from my authentic self, is that I have to practice relentlessly what I preach.  All internal changes that you make require an effort on your part.  Just as a child learns their times table by practising them by rote, we must also ritualise a new way of thinking in order to shed the old.

It amazes me that when one embarks upon a road to develop themselves, they throw in the towel at the first sign of difficulty using the excuse that, “It is too hard,” or lament, “I can’t change the way that I am.”  It is as if they do not value themselves enough to be willing to put in the sustained effort required, to make the necessary changes to the thought patterns of their lives.  This highlights to me how much the human family has moved away from its intrinsic nature and has become other than itself.

 Are you not worthy of the time and the effort it takes to make the changes in your life?

To overcome this particular hurdle - where I too lamented that it was too hard to sustain the effort of affirmations and retraining my mind to think from the perspective of my Source - I would ask myself this question, “Has your way of doing things given you the results that you desired?”  I could not answer this question with other than a resounding “No.” This pragmatic answer enabled me to push through my perceived failures in my development and become determinedly focused upon the voice of my higher self.

  

Yes, the feeling may be uncomfortable when you decide to change your thought pattern and replace it with the new, but after difficulty MUST come ease, so keep on pushing through.  When you fall back to your old way of thinking, do not admonish yourself and fill your mind with self-pity, keep on moving forward because mastery comes about through repeated practice.

“Our greatest glory is not in never failing but rising every time we fall.”

Confucius

Every time that I stumbled and fell back into my old patterns I would do everything that I could to get right back on track because I knew beyond my blocks was a place of peace, joy and happiness.

Just for today, know that you are stronger than you think and keep rising after a fall because there IS a world of peace and love that is calling for you just beyond your horizon.

Nameste

The Word of the Week - Be Present

AFFIRMATION

I am present in all that I do and become aware that I ultimately hold the keys to my creative abilities by enjoying each moment of my day.

As I continue to remind myself of the art of being present in every moment, I am pleasantly surprised that in doing so I end up more in control by actually surrendering my controlling nature.  This paradox is that if I surrender control of the moment and flow with the “is-ness” of life I can then remain in control because I allow whatever to transpire naturally, without judgement and trust implicitly that everything transpires for my greater good.  These freedoms to allow life to be as it is, to remain aware of your source energy and accepting of the now, enables you to create your future in that present moment.

Paraphrasing the words of Leo Tolstoy, he asks us to “Remember then there is only one time that is important and that is NOW.  It is important because it is the only time that we have POWER.”

Just let these words marinate for a moment.  When you think of the past, the past only occurred in a now moment that has now become the past.  When you think of your future, you only do so in your now moment.  If this is where we have the most creative power, would it not be wise to choose what you actually think about in your now moment?  You could choose in this moment not to automate your day as just another day, doing the same things in a repetitive fashion.  You could choose to see this moment for what it is, with a sense of awe and wonder, capturing every second as brand new.  Your travel into work was different from yesterday because the other cars travelling with you are new, the air you breathe today has a different mix of components than that you had yesterday, and your encounters with people are different from yesterday because each person is renewed. 

When you approach your world with awe and wonder, a fabulous sense of gratitude follows quickly upon its heels.  You appreciate the smallest of things, each encounter, every word you utter, every acknowledgement you receive and in doing so you give yourself permission to BE in that present moment with love, gratitude and appreciation.  This allows you to get out of your head and into the now.  Take the mundane and make it fabulous.  You are not the same person you were in the last five minutes that you took in reading this nor will you be the same person in the next five minutes. This is where your creative power lays, the art to choose in each moment and the power to be able to choose again.

Today I humbly ask you to appreciate the NOW of your life.  Be grateful for the air that you breathe, the interactions you make, the support of the services that you use (internet included), your family, and your loved ones.

The gift of life truly lies in this pre-sent moment, so ENJOY!

Nameste

The Word of the Week - Imagination is greater than knowledge!

AFFIRMATION

My imagination is the creative force that connects me to the divine.

It is here that I learn to believe, with conviction, in my desires and allow the Universe

to bring to me, without effort, my wishes fulfilled.

Albert Einstein was spot on in his quote that “Imagination is greater than knowledge” and it has taken me a while to realise the truth of his words.  Whilst knowledge opens your mind to wisdom and understanding, your imagination is the true key, which fuels the latent creative abilities that reside in each and every one of us.  Just consider this for a moment.  It was in the imagination of man/woman that brought to fruition, space travel, smart phones, stem cell research and currently the possibility of actual avatars.  If you can imagine a thing….you can indeed create it.  This is what Einstein meant, when you close your eyes to the world that you see and go into the stillness of your mind, it is here that you create a world of your desires, it is here where the seemingly impossible becomes possible, it is here where the “I can’t” becomes the “I can.”  This is the spiritual law of attraction.

“To see things in the seed, that is genius.”

Lao Tzu

When you sow a seed into the ground, contained in that seed is everything that is required to enable a plant to grow.  This seed can be very small and it is placed in the darkness of the soil.  Contained in the soil is the necessary components that encourage the seed to sprout and grow.  You cannot hurry this process, you only trust and know that what needs to take place will take place in its own time.  With water and sunlight, this tiny seed pushes through the soil and starts to grow. This analogy explains when you still your mind (the darkness of the soil) and plant the seed of your desires by visualising that which you desire to become, you then create a feeling (the components of the soil) that matches your desires.  You imagine what it feels like to be the person you want to become or have the comforts that you desire for yourself.  You regularly visit this darkness and water it with your feelings of imagining that you have that which you desire.  You then give it light by believing with conviction that it is yours, until one day and without effort, the seed (your desire) starts to grow.  In your belief, you replace all thoughts of doubt with a conviction that you have or are already what you want.

This is the key to creation.  In every present moment, you have the ability, the wherewithal and the power to create anything that you imagine by rejecting your current circumstances and focusing totally upon your desires.  This is why the mind is the most powerful tool in the universe.

“Whatever the mind can conceive and believe the mind can achieve.”

                Napoleon Hill

Just for today, embrace your power, close your eyes and feed your imagination.  We are here to create, so let US create!

Nameste

The Word of the Week - The Art of Allowing

AFFIRMATION

I allow life to unfold and let go of my resistance

There is a saying in A Course in Miracles that states, “Whatever you resist persists.”  When you look at the world through the eyes of the ego, you find yourself making judgements about what it is you are viewing.  You could read a newspaper and feel the emotions that have been stirred on reports of a vicious crime, or of an injustice that has occurred or a spotlight upon a country that is suffering in poverty compared to those that have so much.  You can imagine the pain and empathise with the article; you then see the world as a cruel unloving place and ask the question why?  In your dejection, of what seems to be an insurmountable problem that gets grimmer as you continue to expose yourself to such reports, you then accept that this is the way of the world, inequitable, discriminating and very unjust at times.  The problem then seems too big for you, so you bring your view back to your own circumstances not realising that you have created a microcosm in your own world because of the judgement that you felt of the world.  The sense of helplessness has now transferred into your own experience; seeing what you do not have, noticing the gaps, the injustices that occurred personally to you and the fact that you find your life so hard at times and indeed unfulfilling.

The resistance that you felt in viewing the world through the ego’s eyes and the judgement that was passed in your interpretation of a negative report has now become a persistent factor in your life because you have not had the ability to view it as it is.  When you look at the world from the eyes of the soul, you resist nothing, you judge nothing but you have a KNOWING that there is beauty all around you, you understand that people only do what they do because of the information that they have at the time. You recognise that the inner nature of ALL life is love even when others act in unloving ways.  This state of consciousness is in fact our true nature; most will look at this view and say this is unobtainable.  Well history has taught us that men and women of this world have achieved this state of enlightenment by practicing a high level of tolerance and peace in the face of adversity.

Just for today, allow life to unfold naturally, be in the space of the “is-ness” of all things.  Curb your reactionary nature to one of a peaceful compose.

In the wise words of Lao-tzu  verse 5 of the Tao Te Ching :

The Tao doesn't take sides;
it gives birth to both good and evil.
The Master doesn't take sides;
she welcomes both saints and sinners.

Nameste

The Word of the Week - A healthy dose of self-Love

AFFIRMATION

I love me.

Every now and then, I will produce a word that is totally about how great you are and today is such a day.  Very often I find that we can be our own worst enemy in that we do not speak kindly of ourselves, we don’t compliment ourselves on a regular basis, we never say in our minds how great we are, but we can readily offer praise to someone else.  When your internal dialogue is filled with love for yourself and your mindset is geared towards being loving to all, then that is exactly what you will manifest in your life.  You will emit an energy that others can feel that you are just happy being you.  This acceptance of yourself allows you to accept others as they are; it releases judgement and enables you to be more in tune to your higher self.

Today when you look at your reflection in a mirror, take a few seconds and look deeply into your eyes, I mean really look at them.  Study the pupil and the iris, really take a good look at them; once you get over the initial resistance that comes from the ego mind by looking at yourself in this way, your eyes will eventually soften and what will be staring back at you IS your higher self, with loving eyes.

You have inside of you a wisdom, a deep knowing that assures you, everything will work out for your greater good.  You have a beauty that dwells below the surface of your exterior.  You were created from love itself, which is perfect, whole and complete.  Your Spirit, which is clothed in your physical form, is infinitely powerful and is waiting for you to tap into this power as and when you need it.

Your life here has meaning and purpose, what you do has an enormous value and impact to this world.  Now I can hear the cry of “Whoa, hold on a minute, I have value? What I do has value to the world….give me a break!!!”  The fact that you find it so unbelievable is a glaring hint right there, it is because your mind is so ensconced in valuing what the ego thinks, which has no value by the way, you find it difficult to believe that you, little old you has immense value to the world. 

Each raindrop that falls from the sky is different in its shape and size, but its purpose is still the same, it gives life to the vegetation, refills the reservoirs and is a source of providing fresh water to the Earth.

Just for today, be a raindrop, unique and individual but part of a whole. Allow your inner light to shine brightly knowing that you have purpose, you are unique and you are loved deeply.

Have a beautiful weekend.

Nameste

The Word of the Week - Death

AFFIRMATION

I honour the memories of my loved ones by always remembering their light.

The one thing that we can be very certain of in our life on this plane is that the body, which houses the spirit, does indeed die.  Those that are left behind, mourn the loss of the light of the person’s soul whom they will not be able to see in the physical form.  This sorrow that one feels comes from the heart centre because we will inevitably miss the energy of their physical existence and at the time, it can seem heart breaking, but experience has taught us that this loss, this pain, does ease with time.   We keep that person alive by remembering the light of their soul and cling to the good that we saw in them, thus we honour their memories in this way.

When you come to understand that death is just a transition and the soul never dies you create an acceptance that mitigates any fears or anguish associated with this natural part of life and it provides comfort to know that one has merely passed on.  The mind finds it hard to reconcile when death comes to a loved one unexpectedly, or when one’s life is taken due to the actions of another, the loss and pain in these circumstances can seem unbearable to those that are left behind.

The more you learn to embrace the fullness of life you come to realise that there is always a purpose and a reason for everything that happens, no matter the circumstances.  However, death comes as a reminder for our own mortality, giving us time to pause and consider aspects of our own lives, questioning are we living or merely existing.  Death is a reminder to live with an open heart, to forgive all transgressions and to love each day as if it were your last.

In the last two weeks, I have experienced two such deaths in my family and I feel the depth of sorrow amongst my family members who are closely affected by the loss.  Today I honour my family members who have passed on, who are now at peace and whose souls are at rest.

I am glad that I am reminded to tell those whom I am close to that I love and thank them for being in my life.    I am reminded to make each day count and our time here is but brief.

Just for today, I humbly ask that you to take a moment and send a thought of love to someone you know that has passed on.  For love is our essential nature, our true essence and it never dies, it continually transforms and shines its beacon of light guiding us always through the dark.

Nameste

The Word of the Week - Embrace your Authentic self

AFFIRMATION

I allow my Authentic self to shine without reservation

As I KNOW that I am being guided.

Who is your Authentic self and how do you allow them to shine? When I first came across the phrase “The Authentic Self” I was intrigued to know who she was and set about the task to find out as much as I could about her.  To do this, I had to let go of absolutely everything I thought I knew about myself as well as what others would tell me what they thought about my personality.  I had to create a blank sheet but to do this I had to acknowledge that what I thought I knew I did not and that I was willing to be guided by my inner self as to how to act and to think.  To be in such a state of submission I told myself that my insanity of trying to do the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different result was not working.  I had to humble myself, admitting that I did not know what to do and was willing to let my inner guide lead.  Usually your inner guide would show up when you have exhausted all possibilities and you are now ready to receive the guidance given.  Most of the time through habit we reject this guidance, the prick of consciousness that tells us quietly, “don’t do that, don’t say that, do this.” The ego then steps in, puffs itself up with an illusion of being the boss and we acquiesce, JUSTIFYING our reasons for a particular cause of action.  Note the emphasis here, for when you have to justify a cause for your behaviour or an action you need to ask yourself the question “who are you really trying to convince?”

When you relinquish just a little bit of the control that you have over absolutely everything, you actually realise that in your surrender you become totally in control because you have chosen a new thought, created a  new action and thus have a new reality.  Your authentic self is fearless, they are confident, they are knowing, they are loving, they make no judgements, they are forgiving and they trust in the power of their source.  When you begin to allow your authentic self to come through you begin to learn how to receive those qualities into your physical self.  Ultimate mastery is when you have imbibed all of those qualities all of the time.

Just for today, allow yourself to trust that inner knowing voice on one action.  If you are in a dilemma to do, to say or to react to a thing, just pause for a moment and say, “I allow my authentic self to guide me in this situation.” Take a deep cleansing breath and wait for a response.  The thought that comes is very quick, short and succinct, it does not justify or placate you to follow a cause of action; it just is.  It is because we are so used to the dialogue with the ego that we have learned not to trust this guidance. 

Take a leap of faith on YOU today and start to receive the VOICE.

Have a powerful weekend.

Nameste

The Word of the Week - Focus and determination

Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying,

“I will try again tomorrow.”

Mary Anne Radmacher

When I embarked upon the journey to change my life to one in which I deserved, my greatest obstacle was the frustration that I felt when my old habitual thoughts would make me lazy, apathetic and sometimes powerless to change them.  I would tell myself that changing my thinking was too hard, because in truth it took a lot of effort.  I would constantly remark to my closest friends who were also on the journey, how mentally challenging it was to eradicate old ways of thinking and that it felt like it was a job I had to commit to twenty four hours a day seven days a week.  I gave up many times, sliding back into the comfort of my behaviours as if it were an old worn but well-loved item of clothing that really needed to be thrown away. 

The impetus that allowed me to try to do battle repeatedly, was that I had tasted what it felt like (even for a brief moment) to be free in my thoughts and powerful in my mind to believe that I could accomplish anything that I set my mind too.  I had to learn to be disciplined and this took daily practice, chipping away bit by bit at old habits and replacing them with new ones.  I was determined to see life from a different perspective as I was totally fed up with the view my mind would tell me.  I told myself there HAD to be more to life than this and do you know what, a voice deep inside of me answered and said there is!!!

Changing your thinking is a challenge and it requires a commitment of focus and determination.  Now I know many people who fall at the first hurdle say “I’m done. I can’t do this, it’s too hard.”  Usually my reply has becomes almost pragmatic, “you can either choose to do the work and live a life you deserve or go back to your old way of thinking and keep complaining.”  After a while, those complainers do not form part of my inner circle and I limit my exposure to them, not because I am being harsh, but because I know the energy I want around me and I know the energy that I desire to become.  I have accepted my growth and I make way to attract those likeminded, focused and determined souls that feed and encourage my spirit rather than tear it down.

Just for today, you decide whether you are a complainer or one who is focused and determined to make your dreams a reality.  Anything of value requires sustained effort, you have to determine whether or not you VALUE YOURSELF enough to sustain the effort required.

Have an empowering weekend.

Nameste

The Word of the Week - Control

AFFIRMATION

I have the power to control and direct my mind to whatsoever I desire.

We inherently desire to control our world and our immediate environment with which we live.  The decisions we make for our children, for our lives and our careers ultimately lies in our hands.  The illusionary factor is that which is outside of our control can influence our behaviour and our reactions to them.  For example, the economy, government policies, nature and other peoples attitude towards you.

We do however have total control over our minds and the power to direct our thoughts.  This is indeed a fact.  It is only through learned behaviour that we feel that our thoughts actually control us but this is not true.  A simple thought gains momentum and energy when it is fuelled by another ingrained power – the Will, once this element is in motion the physicality of that thought starts to manifest.

We forget how powerful we are – and it is only a mere habit that needs replacing that releases our ability to create the life we desire.  Each negative or unproductive thought that you have needs to be replaced or substituted with one that matches your desire.  You cannot just dismiss a thought, because the habit of a repetitive thought will always cause it to reoccur.  Therefore, any negative thoughts must be replaced.

As a very simple example, if you do not believe or think that, you are beautiful or handsome; you will say or have a thought that says, “I am unattractive” or “I am ugly” etc.  This thought will need to be substituted with “I am beautiful, I am gorgeous.”  Although this may feel uncomfortable at first, rest assured this resistance is only temporary.  Once you acknowledge that there will be resistance it is only overcome by repeated practice.  You will have to remember that you created the habit of calling yourself ugly or some other unkind word for many years so this is a learned behaviour therefore calling yourself beautiful just once is not going to work.  It has to be repeated often, it has to be practiced until your grow accustomed to telling yourself you are beautiful.  Eventually you will start to believe it and finally the physicality, you will feel and see beauty reflecting back at you in your life.

Any desire you have begins with a thought and even though others may not share your vision or even believe that you are capable of it does not mean you need to buy into their view. 

Just for today, KNOW in your heart that you are indeed powerful and that YOU have the supreme control to direct your thoughts to whatsoever you desire.

Have a powerful weekend

Nameste

The Word of the Week - What do you REALLY want?

AFFIRMATION

Today I make a commitment to focus upon my one main desire

and plant the seeds of intention to bring my vision into fruition.

I would like you to consider what you really want in life.  Not an ineffective dream that keeps changing with the wind, neither a "I would kind of like to have" statement that has you believing that you do not have a hope in hell in achieving. No, I want you to really sit down and take the time to figure out what you truly want in life.  If you want money...how much do you want?  Give it a number, an actual physical amount.  The point here is to be very specific, then I would like to you to consider what it is that you can offer in exchange for that wealth.  What do you see yourself doing as a lifelong dream? Is it running your own business, is it a talent that you have or a service that you can give. The point here is that you must realise that in this life you do not get something for nothing.

"Whatever the mind can conceive and BELIEVE the mind can achieve."

Napoleon Hill

Napoleon Hill was right in the above statement, the sad truth though is that you do not understand the vast power that you were born with and that is, YOU have the power to control your thoughts.  Your mind is YOUR tool with which to create and manifest whatsoever you desire.   You need to realise that you are an unlimited being, the only limits that you do have are the ones that you have placed upon yourself.

Just for today, give some time and deep consideration to a desire, dream or ambition that you have.  Write it down and firm up your belief in the "I can," rather than the "I can't."  In the next few weeks, I will show you how to replace a negative belief about your dreams with a positive one. I leave you with one more quote with which to ponder......

"What great thing would you attempt if you knew you could not fail?"

Robert H Schuller

Nameste 

The Word of the Week - Tell yourself the truth

AFFIRMATION

I am open to becoming more honest with my self-talk.

As it leads me to an expression of my authentic self.

When I need to gain clarity on a situation and my self- talk is entrenched in a tennis match between my ego and me, I turn to my main tool of journaling as a way of filtering through the ego’s fears and revealing the truth in a matter.  We can often hide behind our voice of reason by denying the truth it wants to reveal and even go as far as justifying a particular type of behaviour based upon the belief that it “feels good” right now.  The ego is slick and even wilier when it knows you are on a spiritual journey to eradicate it.  The ego will literally tell you that you are indeed following your path of joy and happiness in a pursuit that you know deep down inside is not good for you.

For example, it took me a long while to realise that in my personal relationships I used to settle for less than what I truly deserved, I could justify my reasons for dating someone because I would rather date than be alone.  Alternatively, I could pretend that true intimacy with someone was less important than satisfying a base carnal need.  In my denial, that little voice would always pipe up in my head and say, “Is this, really what you want to feel?”  I would not be honest with myself at times like this and I would lie by saying yes.  The voice would then recede and not say another word; I would remain in my denial until I opened my journal and let the words just flow through my pen.

In those moments of solitude, my journal was and is my very best friend.  She does not mince words with me but her honesty is always loving, non-judgemental and very frank.  This forum teaches me how to love myself more, to be kinder with words that describe myself and gain clarity into what my soul yearns to experience.  Don’t get me wrong, I vent in my journal too, when I am spitting nails, or feeling hurt or have behaved in a very unskilful way, I pour it all into the same book with the same brutal honesty as a way of blessed release.

So just for today, take time to have a talk with your Higher Self, he/she just loves to dialogue with you and is more than willing to show you how deeply the love for yourself can go.

Even though I do not celebrate Valentine’s Day, I do believe that being in love with yourself EVERYDAY irrespective if you are in a partnership, is the greatest gift that you can bestow.

Nameste

The Word of the Week - Find the time

AFFIRMATION

I lovingly attend to my needs by taking time today to do what I enjoy

Today I am reminded to ensure that my acts of self-care remain a priority in my life and hope to shine a light on the importance of taking care of your own needs.  Self-care is holistic in its approach; it encompasses your physical, your mental and your spiritual needs being brought to the forefront of your daily existence.  All too often, the thought of taking care of yourself is often pushed to the bottom of the list when your roles include taking care of your family and  prioritising your work and career advancement.  Some find it easier than others to create the down time necessary for themselves; some may find they do this regularly or very infrequently.  The care of yourself and I mean your big SELF here, is your main priority because there are far reaching benefits that affect those closest to you.  You are much happier, you are less resentful, you go with the flow rather than against it and it assists in maintaining equilibrium when the calm waters of life become too choppy.

So what do you enjoy?  What makes you smile or laugh out loud?  What relaxes you or calms you down? What makes you feel special? What can YOU do for your-Self that shows that you care about YOU? You would be surprised at how those questions in of themselves promote a dialogue that results in the reader asking themselves first, “What do I like doing?” as ironically we do not take the time to actually know what makes us happy.

Today, I would like you to consider a self-caring act you can do for yourself that would make you happy.  The proviso on this task is that it cannot be something that you buy, whether you can afford it or not;  it must be something that does not require another person to be, do or act in any particular way and it promotes a feeling of well-being in that moment.

There is some truth in me saying that a shopping spree would make me extremely happy, going on a fabulous vacation to another country, or finding the man of my dreams who is not a Hollywood actor as catalysts to feel joy in my life.  Yes, the experience of those things would give me some degree of happiness but I must first learn to practice a sense of joy that is not incumbent upon anything outside of myself.  I must learn to find my own joy from within, because things and people can often go or are taken away, which means that when it is gone, so too goes my joy.

Just for today, find one thing that you can do for yourself that brings you a sense of peace and joy. 

For it is the simplest things that yield the most pleasures, if we were to but notice that the love for ourselves opens the door to bliss.

Have a loving weekend.

Nameste

The Word of the Week - Noticing the Breath

Affirmation for the Day

Today I take time to notice my breathing and

recognise that it is my connection to the divine within me.

There is a great amount of truth in the advice given when one is anxious, in a state of agitation and/or stressed that they focus upon their breathing; that they use their breath to centre themselves and to calm down. 

Today I wish to convey my increasing awareness and study of the breath.  I have been amazed to find out how different breathing techniques can have such an enormous impact upon your state of being.  In fact, it is the focus upon the breath that puts you in a meditative state and thus enables you to quiet the mind.  However, with the practice of yoga, the differing type of breathing methods employed allows your body to expand into peace and tranquillity on an entirely different level.  If you were to notice what is your “normal” breathing pattern whilst sitting reading this, where does it begin?  Is it shallow or long breaths, does it come from the navel or the chest?  Do you recognise that the inhalation of breath is rejuvenating and the exhalation is the release?  Focal breathing enables your muscles to expand, softens your internal organs and allows you to be more receptive to life.  The more you allow the breath to flow through you; subconsciously you are indeed allowing yourself to flow easily with others around you.  Focal breathing alleviates stress, calms the mind, expels old pent up emotions that block your flow of energy and opens your mind to surrender rather than struggle.

One exercise that has been wonderful that I wish to share is one which trains you to expand your lungs capacity.  To begin this exercise you take in a breath, then pause for a couple of seconds, instead of exhaling, breathe in again, this fills the top of the lungs then pause, at this point breath out slowly and steadily.  You will notice that you’re out breath will be longer, your navel will sink inward to expel all of the air you took in and you immediately relax more deeply.  This is followed by two gentle sets of in and out normal breaths, and then you repeat the hold and pause again.  This process has an immediate calming effect and allows your body, for just that moment be totally at ease.

Just for today, take time to notice your breath because as you focus your mind, even for just a moment, on an act that is done without you even thinking about it, allows you to silence your thoughts and opens a connection to the divine within you.

Nameste