Friday 16 September 2016

Open your Heart





AFFIRMATION
I open my SELF to embrace the power of love and allow my heart to guide my steps.

Do you have barriers surrounding your heart that were constructed through past hurts?  Are you afraid to open your heart and truly love all that is?
This morning as I pulled the above card, I smiled at the synchronicity that it held for me. For earlier this week, a wonderful dear brother of mine was buried, but the legacy he left was a beautiful reconnection of souls that were bound by a deep-seated pure love that was born of childhood innocence.

When we remove the stories that we tell ourselves, of a past that was viewed with pain, you allow the presence of something new to enter your life, something that makes you vulnerable, yet strong, and that is the power of love.  We can carry the pain or trauma of our past around with us to such a degree that it creates a veil over our eyes, restricting our view of what once was, and bringing that skewed perspective into what is now. 

In order to remove this veil, you have to be willing to view your story from a higher perspective; one which encompasses love, compassion and forgiveness.  When we open our hearts and feel the vulnerability that it brings, it can feel quite disconcerting to relinquish the tight grip of control that has become habitual in our lives.  Yet, there is so much freedom in doing this because you let go of the constant pulling of your mind and move into the realm of your heart, and it is here where the magic happens because you create space by silencing your thoughts that keep you in a loop of fear.

The image in this card emotes a feeling of surrender to me and if you study it even further you may pick up so much more.

Just for today, step out of your story, out of your comfort zone and allow the light of love to course through you.  Surrender to this powerful moment of now and let love be the impetus to guide your steps.

Have a beautiful day.

Namaste



Friday 5 August 2016

Leap of Faith




Susan Jeffers has a wonderful book, which is now 25 years old call “Feel the fear and do it anyway.”  Just the title alone gives me goose bumps, not of trepidation but of excitement.  What is holding you back from fulfilling your desires?  Are you willing to do what it takes to move out of your comfort zone?  Can you practice what you preach?

Sometimes in life, we all need a gentle nudge to get us out of our habitual behaviours that keep us in a loop of dissatisfaction.  Sometimes, we are just too scared to tell someone that we love them for fear of rejection! Sometimes we cannot be bothered with the mental stamina required to move us into a zone that may feel uncomfortable but will ultimately turn out for our betterment.

Yes, it can be scary to let go of old beliefs that no longer serve you, yes, it is irritating when you try to change a behaviour and your old habits keep winning the day, yet it is in those minor failures that we experience the fortitude to keep getting up and trying again.  Persistence ALWAYS wins in matters of personal development.  I am currently reading a book by the writer/producer Shonda Rhimes called “The Year of Yes,” and I love it so far.  I have turned a lot of my default no’s into welcomed yeses, why, because I am done living the same old programmes and wish for a new energy to enter into my life

Just for today….say YES to the Universe’s call to your heart.  Take a momentous leap of faith in one area of your life that you desire change.  Feel the fear and do it anyway because let’s face it, the alternative is just bringing you more of the same.

My question to you is this, do you want to LIVE or merely EXIST; the choice is yours!

Have and adventurous weekend.


Namaste

Friday 29 July 2016

Let Peace Be Your Intention.

AFFIRMATION
I invite peace to flow into my life and into all of my interactions.

 Have you ever had one of those days where you feel the world is out to get you and that plans you have made are scuppered, causing you to become out of alignment with your higher self?  This USED to be me, when anything went “wrong” in my life I felt it was the world, the Universe or forces outside of my control trying to get me and I would affirm “Nothing ever goes right for me?”   First, I would like to draw your attention to what you have read.  Not only did I make the error of thinking something outside of myself was the cause of my disillusionment, I affirmed my disappointment by actively speaking into existence that which brought me more of the same. 

Your thoughts become words; become actions; becomes your LIFE.  What is the first thread here it is your thoughts!  Go to the root cause, change the way you think, and then change the language that you use, then your action will follow your words.  Mahatma Gandhi was right in the above quote; I changed my thoughts to an intention of Peace in all of my interactions.  I then tried to practice from this place of intention rather than go the default setting of disempowerment.  Even though at times I was challenged and my peace was disturbed, instead of berating myself I would not make an issue out of it.  I would pick myself up and wait for another opportunity to present itself so that I could do better.

Where are you out of alignment?  Are your thoughts and words in harmony?

When you become aware and present in the very powerful moment of the NOW you are able to discern if you are out of alignment by noticing how you feel.  If you are off centre, you can make an inquiry as to what it is that you are thinking that is causing the misalignment and decide to CHOOSE again.

Just for today, make your thoughts, your words and your actions to become harmonious, because then, you not only become a beacon of peace for yourself, but your energy also affects others.

Have a peaceful weekend.


Namaste

Friday 22 July 2016

A New Way of Being

AFFIRMATION
I open myself to a new way of being by releasing my old habitual way of thinking.

Do you find that you wish to orchestrate change in your life, yet you continually fall back into your old, safe and comfortable way of doing things?  Do you complain that it is too hard to change who you are?
Are you so desirous of transformation that you are willing to commit to consistently producing small actions in order to elicit the desired result? 

I read a wonderful book by Baron Baptiste called “Being of Power.” It had fantastic intentional phrases that caused you to focus upon what you do want rather than what it is you are trying to change.  Generally, when you wish to modify the way you interact with others in your life or change the way you view your life experience, we seem to come across blocks that hinder our progress.  These blocks are the old programmes that have been created in your mind and made to seem so real that you feel powerless to replace them.
When you decide upon an intention, not just an affirmation and you work towards becoming what you intend every single day, you WILL succeed in that change. For example, if you wish to have greater connections in your life, in Baron Baptiste's book the intentional phrase would be, “My new way of being is of connection.”
You could of course add any attribute that you want as greater expansion in your life at the end of the above phrase such as “My new way of being is of compassion or adventure or courage.” It could be anything that you wish to cultivate more of in your life.

When you first utter the phrase, you will feel the resistance in your body, say a clenching in your stomach or tightness in the chest, yet keep repeating it often and recognise when opportunities present themselves for you to act from this new way of being.  You will be surprised by the shift that you have and how the practice of repeating the phrase will create a new way of focus and ultimate change in your experience.

Just for today, think about an attribute you wish to change about yourself and use the phrase above, repeating it regularly to help you succeed in making that change.  You will be so empowered by the success this brings; it will encourage you to create even more expansion in your life.

Have a powerful weekend.


Namaste


Friday 15 July 2016

Deep Knowing

AFFIRMATION
I banish doubt and trust my intuitive guidance which only steers me towards my highest good.

Within each of us there is a stalwart guidance system that lovingly directs us towards our highest feeling and our highest good.  Yet when we allow the voice of doubt to lead in our endeavours we are unable to connect to this wonderful internal guidance system.  How can you banish the voice of doubt and lean towards greater understanding of this magnificent voice? 
Well that’s simple just LISTEN! Ask yourself the question, how is it that you readily listen to the voice of doubt and other disempowering voices and believe emphatically that they are true, right and correct.  Yet the voice of your inner guidance system, will tell you that you are enough, that you are beautiful, that you can do and be all that you desire for your life but we dismiss it without a second thought!  Are you really listening, can you really hear what you are saying?  Do you really wish to change your internal dialogue or are you just professing lip service?

We have a deep knowing within us that loves us unconditionally and is ALWAYS there for you.  It encourages, it warns, it delights, it loves and it is serene.  What is the worst that could happen if you decided to really listen to this voice even just for a day?  How do you think you would feel, just for once, ignoring the disempowering voices and hearing this beautiful soul lifting voice from deep within?

Just for today, when your thoughts lean to doubt, fear, anger, right fighting or victimisation …..take a breath and hold the intention that this is not your true voice, connect with your breath one more time and stillness emerges.  It is through this stillness the voice of the Divine speaks to you. 

Have an observational  weekend!


Namaste

Friday 8 July 2016

Resentment

AFFIRMATION

I AM MOTIVATED BY LOVE


Do you find that if your energy is directed towards someone with whom you hold resentment, that it limits you from fully engaging with that person on an authentic level?  Are you resentful of anyone in your life and if so do you interact with them from that place of resentment? 
Every emotion emits an energy, either gross or subtle.   Even though you might  not be able to see if a person is angry with you because they have means of masking their emotions, you will still feel that subtle energy in the atmosphere irrespective if its outwardly acknowledged or not.

When you are resentful towards another person, you create a barrier between you and that person by orchestrating some sort of blame towards him or her.  However, if you remember that you and only you have the ultimate choice and power to both change your perspective of that person and thus choose a higher vibrational emotion towards them.  This means the responsibility lies with you, not them.  You have created the story around the situation, you have then decided upon an emotional response and you have to be responsible for the energy that you emit which affects others.
Taking full and total responsibility for how you feel is an important step in creating more peace and harmony in your life.  A lesson from A Course in Miracles asks that in these situations you can affirm “I could see peace instead of this,” and it is right, you CAN choose peace, most often than not we decide not too because we prefer our projection onto others than shouldering the responsibility for our own thoughts and feelings.

In the opening affirmation, it states, “I am motivated by love.” To be motivated by love means to lean towards the many attributes of love, which are kindness, compassion, peace, selflessness and harmony. 

Just for today, release the story you have told yourself about any resentment you hold against another and seek a higher vibration of love and responsibility so that your journey becomes less fractious and more peaceful.

Have a harmonious weekend

Namaste



Friday 24 June 2016

You are what you think

AFFIRMATION
I am affected only by my thoughts


This is one of the lessons from A Course in Miracles workbook that I had been drawn to read repeatedly this week and led me to ask the question, “How many of you really take stock of your thoughts and more importantly how  do those thoughts affect you?”

When you live your life on auto pilot by not noticing how your thoughts dictate your reaction to others or by being unaware of the vocabulary you use when you make a statement about yourself, this can lead you to believe that things outside of yourself is the true cause of your angst or worry.  Yet in truth, it is just the thoughts we have and the story we attach to it that determines our feelings and interactions.

If we go blindly through life without taking responsibility for our thoughts, not realising that it is our own thinking that determines the quality of our life, then the default status will always be one of continually looking outside rather than within.  Neale Donald Walsch has a fabulous quote in his book Conversations with God that states, “If you don’t go within, you go without,” and this is so true.  Do you take time to review if a thought you have is actually TRUE for you.  We can have thoughts on guilt, worry, shame, victimhood, all of which are just useful invitations for us to go within and choose again.

Ultimately, you have the choice to decide how you feel in any moment of your life, irrespective of what is going on in our physical reality and our thoughts are absolutely powerful but we fail to recognise that we hold this power every moment that we take a breath.

Just for today, notice your thoughts, especially those that disempower or make you feel less than yourself.  Once you notice you can then ask the question “Can I view this situation differently?”  This one enquiry opens a dialogue that allows another perspective to enter, one that brings a gift that is only for your highest good.  The above affirmation is a wonderful reminder to keep checking in with yourself that it is only YOUR thoughts that affect how you feel.

Have an introspective weekend.


Namaste.

Friday 17 June 2016

Let it Go



AFFIRMATION
I let go of old habits and thought patterns that no longer serve me

In order for something new to appear in your life be it a new relationship, a new attitude or new job you need to make room for it by having to let something go.  This could mean letting go of outdated attitudes, letting go of past hurts and physically letting go of items that you no longer need.  I am a typical hoarder and have to be very stern with myself when I want to throw things out.  When I attempt to clear out clothes in my closet I would always procrastinate over items believing that I may wear it again knowing full well that I if I had not worn it in over a year I am pretty sure I will never wear it!  So I get really tough and tell myself that I am making room to buy something better and off to the charity shop it goes!

The decluttering also needs to occur with our mind stuff.  We hold on to and replay negative situations that have occurred in our lives that are so far in the past they ought to have been deleted from your memory banks years ago.  Yet we continue to recall them; feel the old pain, and torment not only ourselves but anyone else who was a party to that memory. 

LET IT GO!

Why burden yourself with something that does not empower you but only serves to weaken you?  The next time you have a memory recall that causes you to judge someone else, ask yourself the question “Does this memory serve my highest good?”  You might even be surprised that you no longer associate any pain towards a memory and you can indeed release it for good.

Just for today take time to look at old behaviours, old attitudes, old habits and items around your home and let go of everything that no longer serves you.

Have a clutter free weekend.


Namaste

Friday 10 June 2016

Honoring your body




AFFIRMATION
When I honor the communication with my body, I give myself permission to lovingly take care of my needs.

Do you push yourself too hard to a point that you end up causing physical damage?  Do you effectively heed the communication signals your body transmits that advises you are over exerting and that you need to stop?
We often ignore the subtle communication between our body and the self to our detriment, that can result in a physical manifestation of illness and ailments in our bodies.  I hold my hand up high to this because I often push my body beyond its limits when it clearly is screaming for me to stop, resulting in injuring myself, like I did yesterday when building my son’s new bed.  I could feel my back protesting as I embarked on the process, yet I felt powerless to stop by telling myself, if I don’t do it who will?

I asked myself this morning, how can I make myself feel better?  Rather than berating myself as would have been my default set point many years ago, my answer was to lovingly take care of myself today by being kind to me. I refused to allow guilt or victim-hood to start a mind dialogue that would result in total inaction but instead accepted my error and decided to move on by helping myself immediately by doing better the next time it happens!


Having a relationship with your self is the most IMPORTANT relationship that you can have.  When we ignore the signs and signals our body gives to us by justifying reasons to keep pushing forward we are in fact not honoring this powerful relationship.

Just for today – with love and kindness , honor the messages your body gives to you, because in truth, your happiness depends upon it.

Have a loving weekend.

Namaste

 ©Carol Reid 2016


Friday 3 June 2016

Devotion to the Small


AFFIRMATION
Today I acknowledge my changes within and devote myself to the small.

Oftentimes, we focus purely upon the larger things we want in our lives; those that encompass our dreams or our desires that seem far reaching, requiring from us sustained action and effort.  Yet in focusing on the large strides we wish to make, we ignore the wonderful small changes that we make every single day.  Have you noticed what small changes you have made that creates a different reaction in you than before?  Do you always become defensive when someone annoys you or do you now choose your battles wisely?  Are you much kinder and more generous with your time and your loved ones by reacting to them in a more loving and peaceful way?

A single continuous drop of water can erode stone over time and so too can these small changes lead to a grand change in the relationship that we have not only with ourselves but with others. When we devote our attention to the small, it is likened to planting a seed.  Out of this tiny obscure object grows either a beautiful flower , a small shrub or a towering tree, further, that which began as a seed can flourish into a grand spectacular garden. 

Acknowledge the little things that you do each day that cause you to change from the you of yesterday , for in doing so it cultivates the Divine essence in you.  When you choose to smile instead of frown, when you give a heartfelt thank you, when you send a message of encouragement to a loved one for no other reason than to brighten their day, are all examples of a beautiful expression in attending to the small.  It is in honouring these gestures and cultivating  them with practice that sets the solid foundation to lasting change.

Just for today, honour the small changes that you nurture within yourself because even though you may not notice its immediate effects, there is a life you have touched that does.

May you have a peaceful weekend.

Namaste x


Friday 27 May 2016

Raising your Vibration




AFFIRMATION
In learning to embrace the new, I let go of all that no longer serves me.

As you grow and develop from the experiences you have in life, both from your relationships as well as releasing old habitual behaviours, you enter a period of transition, which can feel quite challenging as you calibrate to this new energy.   You may find yourself releasing people and situations that do not embrace your growth, but rather confine and restrict you.  When you want to expand your consciousness, it is inevitable that people will fall away from your inner circle as you make way to attract those who are transmitting at your higher frequency vibration.

Animate and inanimate objects both emit a vibrational energy and when you have raised yours sufficiently through a practice of the right thinking, the right diet and limiting your exposure to people who are either negative, judgemental or rigid in their view;  you naturally gravitate to higher frequency people and situations.  You find yourself questioning the relationships that you once had and realise that you no longer share the same views.  This is perfectly okay, even in its discomfort because you have embraced  this new energy. You love feeling this new high and anyone or anything that tries to bring you down, you effectively remove or shield yourself from it.

It is challenging to release old habits and relationships but life is fluid, forever expanding and in order to live fully in your present moment you must honour what it is that you feel. Regardless at how uncomfortable or scary it becomes, because the ego likes familiar, it likes safety and especially likes limited beliefs!  High vibrational beings prefer to let go of limitations because in their world, there are none.

Just for today, look at your life and ask yourself the question, “What no longer serves me?” Be open to the responses that you get from your heart centre and have the courage to  release anything in your life that tries to lower your frequency.

Have a high vibing weekend.


Namaste

Friday 20 May 2016

Loving All that is


AFFIRMATION

I allow love to open my heart and guide me through my everyday experiences

Wayne Dyer was famous for saying when you change the way you look at something what you look at changes and he is right.  How do you view your everyday interactions and experiences?  How do you react to negative experiences in your life?  Do you view your world from a pessimistic attitude
 of lack; of what you have as not being enough, or of not being the way you thought things would appear or occur in your life?

This is how we place limitations on the magnificence of who you are.  You end up being closed to the endless possibilities of what life has to offer for you.  This week I felt disappointed in an outcome that I really wanted and never got.  I had to own my disappointment and take time to sift through the negativity to find the positive in the situation and I was only able to do that by changing my perspective as to how I viewed the circumstance.  (Well a  little glass of vino and a chat to a trusted friend and my son did help with the shift).

Whatever we focus our attention upon we literally give momentum too, and this will draw to you, by the influence of the law of attraction, more of what it is that you focus upon.  If you view your experiences from a place of love; from a place of equanimity, your walk in your life would be less fractious and more rewarding.

Just for today, embrace loving all that is, that simply means love each experience you have without judgement but with an openness that in a dark moment you will always find light.  I found light in my disappointment in that it opened the door to something much better than I thought was not possible.    Look for and find the beauty in ALL of your experiences.


Have a loving weekend
©Carol Reid 2016
Namaste 

Friday 13 May 2016

Simplicity






AFFIRMATION

It is in embracing the simplicity of life
I am able to truly know myself.

This morning, as I drove into work, I pondered as to what would be the theme for this Friday’s  Word of the Week.  I never know what I am moved to write until I actually sit and do it, so I allowed guidance to come through my oracle cards and was pleasantly surprised as to what moved me. 
I usually pick three cards and use blue tack to stick them around my computer at work, so I can periodically connect with the energy and the messages they offer.  The card that caused me to chuckle was the one entitled “Simplicity” from the Journey of Love Deck by Alana Fairchild because it summed up how I had shifted my perspective in the last few days.

My week had been filled with bouts of frustration, impatience and a few tantrums; yes I acted out this week to the point that I actually shut myself in my bedroom and only communicated with my children through the door,  yet what recalibrated in me was most valuable. 

I told myself every morning before I got out of bed, that I was no longer willing to entertain the constant mind chatter of things beyond my immediate control.  I anchored myself to the present moment and focused upon the little daily actions that I do each day.  I would revel in the how the water made my skin feel as I showered, I savoured my hot cup of coffee I lovingly made in the morning.  I enjoyed watching the birds eating the seeds from the feeder on my Cherry Blossom tree and literally told myself that these are the moments that require my daily attention.  It truly is the simple daily actions we do that determine the quality of our life. 

When we move on auto pilot with our daily interactions with people and more importantly with ourselves, we end up wishing, yearning and wanting that which we don’t have, not realising that we have it all right now.  It is the focusing upon the big things that we desire that take our attention away from the little things that make us who we are every day.

Just for today, bring your full attention to the simple daily actions that occur throughout your day.  Let go of anything superfluous to what you are doing in that moment and give it your full attention.  For when you let go of trying to control everything in your life, you become open to receive the wondrous energy of peace and connection both for yourself and for others.

May your weekend be filled with noticing the simplicity of what you do.


Namaste xx

Friday 6 May 2016

I trust myself


Learning to trust yourself is one of the greatest gifts that you could ever bestow.  For you are declaring that you are the writer, the director and the star of your own movie called life.  It is a declaration that you honor the power of who you are, a divine reflection of love and light to grace this planet.  To say the above affirmation can be quite unnerving, because you are making a statement that you and only you are responsible for the thoughts, feelings and actions that occur in your world.
 
What does it mean to trust yourself?  Well, in order to trust, you first have to get to know who you are?  To become an observer of your actions and more importantly, your reaction to others in the world around you.
It is an act of mindfulness, to constantly become aware of your thoughts, what you say and what you do as you interact in your world.  It means looking at yourself from a place of unconditional love, where you observe with kindness and compassion. 
You lovingly create a habit where you choose to interact with others from a place of peace rather than angst.  It is cultivating goodness in your heart for yourself and others by looking at the small things in your life that you can do differently to create a greater feeling of joy.  Instead of reacting in the same old habitual way to others who may annoy you, think of reacting differently.  Put yourself in someone else’s shoes.  Are they feeling a lack of love in their life as the cause of them acting out?
Feeding the compassion in yourself, allows you to cultivate the seed of love that is innate to all, yet is normally obscured by the emotions of guilt, doubt, angst and worry.
 
When you observe the synergy between the heart and mind and you learn to operate from this unified space rather than the disconnection and sometimes opposition of the two, your walk becomes an act of being mindful and present for each step that you take.
 
Just for today, take a step towards trusting the Divine Light of who you are.  A reflection of the essence of unconditional love that can only grow when you take time to love and nurture yourself.
 
Have a blessed weekend.
 
Namaste