Many of us feel fatigued when our personal and professional responsibilities seem never-ending and overwhelming. Sometimes, we even deny ourselves sleep, rest, and personal care in order to take care of all of them. Frequently, our many obligations compel us to forge ahead, ignoring the body's need to slow down, relax, and restore itself. This often leads to a feeling of compassion fatigue where our energies are drained from the "care taking" of others.Taking sufficient breaks gives our bodies an opportunity to let go of tension, fatigue and repair itself. When we allow ourselves to rest and restore, while letting go of our thoughts and … [Read more...]
Forgiving Our Past
To forgive our past, we first have to face and resolve any unfinished business from our past choices. This means every pattern, choice, and grievance must be examined, like turning over river stones, without hiding behind the facade of excuses. Then, to attain closure, in addition to spiritually releasing our patterns it is also necessary to clean up any physical residue associated with them by getting rid of emotionally charged possessions or gifts, closing bank accounts, changing titles on properties, and letting go of old wedding rings. Releasing the layers of patterns is a lifelong process because their residue never completely goes … [Read more...]
Clearing Unresolved Grievances Opens Us to Spiritual Growth
What I love about inviting in a new year is that it gives us a natural place to begin anew. As the clock ticked down to 2010, many of us paused, reflected, and made new resolutions for the coming year. This is beneficial, yet, for our intentions to manifest, we have to clear our lives of any unresolved grievances that impede the flow of our energies. This healthy clearing process is an essential element of our spiritual and personal transformation.As my husband and I celebrated the new year, we reflected on past grievances and how their resolution had transformed us as individuals and as a couple. We thought of an old "Seinfeld" rerun where … [Read more...]
Reflecting on Your Intentions
Here it is, the winter solstice and a time for reflection and celebration. In many Native American cultures, tribes and families would gather to start up a new year at the solstice and have a special celebration where they would make a request to the Great Spirit to eliminate certain things that they no longer wanted in their lives. As a way of representing this, they would craft six arrows: three to represent the things they did not want and three for the things they did want. They called them "death" arrows and "life" arrows because they held respectfully, the things they wanted to be out of their lives and those they wanted to bring life … [Read more...]
Letting go as the Pathway to Creating Intention
I just spent the last several days with my dearest friend, Debbie at Sunset Beach in NC. On Saturday, as we took a long stroll on the beach, we both had the intent to find some unusual shells. She wanted ones she could place in a "healing" fishing net she was making to represent everything that she had let go of this year. I, on the other hand, desired a sand dollar to grace my path, signaling abundance.Combing the beach for special shells, we had to sort through and pass up a myriad of broken sand dollars and typical shells before making a final choice. When we came across a particular shell, we picked it up, examined it, and decided if it … [Read more...]
Building Intimacy and Connection in Our Relationships
Permission to break with tradition: Give each other permission to take time for yourselves and each other. Be open to creating new experiences and breaking the predictable patterns of what you've always done around the holidays. Take a short get-away, give each other massages, and spend more relaxed time together.Communicate your needs: Take turns sharing your vision of the holiday season. Listen to each other with non-judgment, acceptance and respect and without interruption. Create an atmosphere of safety where each of you are able to be vulnerable and speak from your heart what your needs and desires truly are at this time of year.Be … [Read more...]
Opening Our Hearts in Gratitude
Begin every day by feeling grateful for opportunities to open your heart. No matter what your circumstances, daily bless yourself, your fellow human beings, and the earth; then express appreciation for your unique gifts. This opens your heart and helps you hear the voice of spirit guiding your life. Expressing gratitude for such spiritual guidance inspires you with the knowledge that you are not alone in your journey through life and strengthens your sense of connection with the universe.An affirmation that can be helpful in this regard is the following by poet e. e. cummings reminding us to affirm ourselves and life in this way: "I thank you … [Read more...]
Autumn’s Beauty Reminds Us to Look Within
"Oh God, make me an autumn tree if I must die." - Esther PopelAs I looked out my front window this week, I witnessed the blazing scarlet leaves of my Japanese Maple tree. Excited to experience this gift sensorily, I stepped outside and let the color wash over me and fill me with its life force. In that moment, I reflected on the beauty and transitory nature of life itself.Through an act of divine synchronicity, I was talking with a friend and he shared a similar experience with walking through a magnificent golden leaf pile and feeling overcome with its beauty. He reflected on the leaf's life cycle and how he had read somewhere that it mimics … [Read more...]
Sustaining a Positive Flow of Energy
"Heal the World, Make it a better place, For you and for me and the entire human race..." - Michael JacksonWhen we sustain a positive flow of energy, we hold steady in the midst of the natural twists and turns of life. There will always be external circumstances that challenge us in ways beyond what we think we are capable. However, when we pause, open our hearts, and release all reactivity, we realize these moments are divine opportunities to transform our lives.We are the source of the inner and outer landscape of our life. The quality of it is determined by how we direct our energies especially through the choices we make every moment. We … [Read more...]
Taking Our Time
"There is more to life than increasing its speed." - GandhiOn her way to my office for an appointment , my client, Karen was delayed by a series of events that I refer to as co-incidents. She called and left a message to say that she would be "late." Unbeknownest to her at the time, late would later turn out to be "timely." Usually I listen to the message and then patiently wait for my client to show up whenever they do-acknowledging divine timing. Trusting myself and a sense to call her back while she was in route, I dialed her cell phone number and reached her. After she answered and went through a flurry of apologies, I spoke to her in a … [Read more...]
