The Beauty of Silent Time

silence“Silence is a source of Great Strength.” 
~Lao Tzu

I am so glad to bring you this post.  I have been asked by Spirit to share this message with all of you, especially after the most recent tragedies and sadness in the world. 

Many of us often struggle with the demands of daily life, which can take us away from our souls’ center. When we get lost or confused in our lives, taking time out to sit in silence can create a space for clarity and peace. Sitting silently in bed, in your bathroom, outside, or just about anywhere, and…simply breathing slowly can bring a glowing sense of beauty to almost any moment.

Why? This reminds us of who we truly are in this world. It takes us back to our essence, our glory, our magic. It makes a bad day tolerable and a good day extraordinary.

Try it. Just sit quietly and soak in the silence. Anywhere, anytime.

I would love to hear your thoughts–please comment below!

Message of Inspiration: “Embrace Today”

daylight-savings-futureToday is a new day. A day filled with love and possibilities. It is not time to hold back and wait for new opportunities to arrive. Instead search for what you want in day-to-day happenings. Trust and intend that you are meant to do all that you came here to do. Be free of burdens and uncertainty. Be who you are. Let your light shine through…today and everyday!

I would love to hear your thoughts–please comment below!

Dancing for Longevity

This is not one of my typical posts, but I felt guided to share this video of an 88-year-old grandmother who couldn’t resist the temptation to…dance! It makes me smile.

I view this video as a reminder that vitality and longevity often have a lot to do with mindset and letting go. Fun, movement and living authentically are important ingredients for a full, fruitful life!

Enjoy! Here’s to a life of dancing to your own music…

Note: If there are kids watching, beware brief profanity at the end of the video.

She makes no excuses–88-year-old grandmother

I would love to hear what songs you love to dance to…and any thoughts–please comment below!

Owning the Ups and the Downs!

up and down “My life is about ups and downs, great joys and great losses.”~Isabel Allende 

Our lives are not always smooth sailing… there, I said it! Yes, we all have our ups AND downs.

 I find that my tendency is to always want life to be on the upswing and smooth. This makes it difficult to accept the…downs!  Yet, I have learned the hard way that only when we are able to fully embrace ALL that life brings our way, can we have inner peace. Trusting life’s process, can allow healing and growth to happen. All things in life are cyclical: birth-death, day-night, the seasons. 

Faith can help us appreciate all that comes our way and to see opportunities for living, learning, healing, and serving. These opportunities can be missed if we wallow when things get tough. Instead, when we lift our chin up and stare life in the face, we can see that the Universe is truly providing amazing experiences and ways to expand our life’s journey.

Often the hidden opportunities in difficult times are only seen in hindsight. Yet, imagine the possibilities, if we can remain aware of this simple truth during the ups…and the downs.

I would love to hear your thoughts–please comment below.

A New Era of Living

We are actively moving into a new era. The disasters in the world and recent tragedies are opening our heart centers. Many of us are yearning for more than what we see on the surface.

We have a choice, individually and collectively, to change the world that we live in. This change begins with us, as each one of us is a drop in the massive ocean that makes up humanity, our world and the universe.

Aspects of yourself and your life may be changing, so please take note as these are signs of spiritual evolution.

The Mind: You may find that you are not pleased with the habitual thoughts, judgments or anxieties you have. This may lead to you wanting to change the way you think or perceive the world.

The Body: You may be unsatisfied with what you put in or use on your body. You may desire different forms of movement and exercise. Naturally, you may be making changes regarding your body.

The Heart: You may find that you are feeling pain and other emotions more strongly than before. You may desire forms of healing (e.g., massage, therapy, Reiki, energy healing, etc.) to release the heaviness in your heart. Your heart is breaking open. This is a good thing and is a step toward spiritual evolution.

The Spirit: You may be more sensitive to subtle energies of plants, animals, or people. You may find that your intuition seems heightened. You may have an insatiable desire to read metaphysical books or participate in spiritual activities.

At Home: You may find that either things at home–materially or in relationships–are either more at peace or in turmoil. This may lead to changes in your home life or reinforce what is working.

Your Career: You may be seeing changes in your work life or a desire for something different. Or you may find that you are content. As your soul strives to live its life’s purpose, you career is its outlet. Thus there may be a need for fine-tuning in your career, whether you are already on the right path or need to re-adjust.

As we evolve in our individual lives, we affect everyone else. We truly are all connected energetically. In order for us to have a world that embodies our greatest vision, we need to live from the highest vision of ourselves. It begins with us!

I would love to hear your thoughts–please comment below!

Mom, I Want to be a Vegetarian!

Recently both my sons separately, 15 and 10, have expressed interests in not eating meat. I believe as we evolve spiritually, there is less tolerance in many people’s bodies for meat. There are more and more youth who are desiring to have diets without meat.

Yet, one would think that I–a woman who spent much of her adult years (although currently not) being vegetarian or vegan–would have welcomed this! I freaked out! 

In our household, our major meals usually have either seafood or poultry  (because these are the only meats I eat) as the main dish. Some meals are without meat, but very rarely. As a working mother, I find that accommodating the various palates in our household is difficult, while still providing balanced meals.

Sadly, my attempts in supporting my sons, didn’t pan out. Our older son went about 1 week on 3 separate occasions without meat–once as a vegan. Our younger son went over 3 weeks as a vegetarian and was sad when he made the decision to re-introduce meat. 

I encourage them to pray for the food during grace and thank all the plants and animals who have given to us during our meals. Our sons know that we will support them if they decide to try vegetarianism or veganism again…or just about any new endeavor! Further, our youngest son has said he will become a vegetarian when he grows up, because then he can manage his own kitchen and cooking.

Again, I am reminded that our children are here to live their unique paths paved by their own interests and personalities. We are just here to provide the nurturing and encouragement as they become who THEY are meant to be.

I would love to hear your thoughts–please comment below.

 

Empowerment From Within

“We are evolving from a species that pursues external power into a species that pursues Authentic Power…Authentic power has its roots in the deepest source of our being.” ~Gary Zukav

If you are anything like me, you have spent a good portion of your life focusing on external validation, including gaining titles, degrees, promotions, and various other forms of approval. For me, this fared well in bringing outward success; however, often I was left wanting more and more. I found that these accomplishments didn’t bring me the inner peace and joy that I truly craved.

We often look outside out of ourselves to gain approval, praise, and even our power. What if we turned–instead–inward and gathered the strength we have within ourselves. We are powerful beings here to live our purpose, which is unique to each one of us. Our souls are infinite sources of knowledge and wisdom, connected to the Divine. THIS IS WHERE OUR POWER LIES…WITHIN!

Remembering our Divine Source (whether you call it God, Energy, The Creator, The Universe) is essential. Taking time each day to connect to the source that lies within us can lead us to the never-ending power supply filled with joy, goodness, gentleness, and love. Each one of is blessed to be plugged into Divine Source…we just have to turn on the switch. True Empowerment awaits!

So when you get side-tracked by external stressors or demands, remember your true essence. This can help bring you back to center and allow you to reconnect to Source. May you go forth in your individual lives, knowing that you are magnificent beings, made of Divine Goodness, emanating from deep within YOU… 

I would love to hear your thoughts–please comment below!

Is There A Perfect Parent?

I used to have the hope of being the perfect mom. I have realized over and over (much to my dismay) that it is impossible. Nonetheless, it is striving for perfection in parenting that leads to feelings of guilt, failure, inadequacy, and even incompetency.

Does this sound like you? If so, what are some ways to counteract the “Perfect Parent Syndrome”?

1)      Remember that for millennia, parents have raised healthy children without the mounds of parenting books, videos, shows, and classes that exist today.

2)      Affirm that intuitively as a parent, you will be able to know what is best for your children, as long as you take the time to listen within and trust your inner guidance.

3)      Assert: “I am a good enough parent and that is more than enough for my child”.

4)      Review the newest research on brain development and attachment (especially Dr. Daniel Siegel’s stuff) showing that the brain can rewire with love, consistency, and time—so any “harm” you think you may have done can be healed!

5)      Tune in to your own inner child and provide self-nurturing, because often the harsh negative feelings of perfection come from our own childhoods and pasts.

6)      Acknowledge that all those parents out there who seem like they are “perfect”…aren’t! They may be doing some really great things for their children, but so are you!

7)      Allow yourself to relax and take time for yourself, so you can have the energy to be there for you kids when they need you…because just 15-30 minutes of quality time per day with your child is immensely beneficial.

8)      Vow to never give up! Elicit support from friends, family or professionals, when needed.

I know how hard it is as a parent to remember these simple tips, but these reminders can quickly take you from a place of self-condemnation to a joyful space filled with parenting’s simple pleasures. I WISH YOU ALL “GOOD ENOUGH” PARENTING!

I would love to hear your thoughts–please comment below.

“Dumping” What Isn’t Working

My family and I play a word game called, “Bananagrams” (I highly recommend it!), where you can “dump” a letter that is not working with the letters you do have. This allows you to pick other letters that may be better matches for your word creations.

I was inspired recently while playing this game—I saw how “dumping” can be related to our own lives. We so often try to keep things in our lives, which are clearly not working, out of obligation, fear, or familiarity. We try to make certain things fit–friends, business ideas, routines, even family members–although we can see that they are not part of what we are trying to create in our lives. This is when we have to let go!

Many people may be thinking, “Well it has served me well for so long, how can I let go now?” Life is ever-changing, so what seemed to work before may not fit into the paradigm of today. If we allow ourselves to remain flexible and aware, we can benefit from a prosperous and evolving life!

Write a list of your goals. For each goal, write what is currently in your life that is supporting you in reaching that goal and next to it write another list of what is currently preventing you from reaching the goal. From those lists, it will become clear what should be released from your life in order to attain your goals. Pray, listen to your intuition, seek counseling, or talk to a friend while you go through this process.

I have found that it is difficult to let go of these people/things since many emotions and reactions may be associated. Nonetheless, it is imperative to unclutter our lives. Only until we release what is not working for us, will there be room for what will function better in our lives. If we are gripping onto the old, then we can’t open our hands to receive the new…

I would love to hear your thoughts–please comment below.