Engaging The Wisdom Within

How can you engage more deeply with your Divine Self? By trusting and engaging with our intuitive messages, we forge a deeper connection to the wisest part of ourselves. It’s kind of like if you hired a consultant who was an expert in their field. You ask them to advise you, but all of their advice does no good at all unless you put it into action. As you put their words into practice, you will both be satisfied with the results, and they will gladly provide more guidance whenever you need it. On the contrary, if you never follow their advice, they will likely begin giving it less and less frequently, and maybe even stop offering it completely.

So how do you go about engaging with and encouraging your Divine Self to help guide you in your daily life? You listen to their advice! If your gut feelings tell you to do something, go somewhere, meet someone, say something, etc- then it is time to act!! Not time to hem and haw, to weigh all of your options, to try and decide whether or not it’s practical, to engage in self-doubt, to tell yourself that you are afraid, overwhelmed, etc- NO! It’s time to ACT. If your imaginary consultant (who is, you may remember, an expert in their field) gives you a knowledgeable bit of advice, you probably wouldn’t sit there and argue with them for hours on end. No, because you placed your trust in them, you would simply act.

Now, mind you, your intuitive voice is not going to show up as some screaming voice in your head, just like Spirit speaking to you doesn’t mean that the clouds part and a booming voice echoes down from the sky. This voice will be pretty quiet at first, until you can encourage it more. It will be those sneaking little ideas that pop up about going somewhere today, or calling someone you haven’t spoken to in a while. And it will take practice for you to determine what exactly this inner voice feels like. You will have to separate it from your active thoughts and emotionally-driven whims, and often you can use meditation to help do that. But the primary way that you will know is to act on things, and see where you end up. You may need to backpedal out of obligations or relationships that you step into, if you get there and realize that your guidance is telling you “No.” That’s okay, your only true obligation is to Spirit and your own Divinely guided development, so let go of any feelings that may come up.

Of course, you may argue that not every bit of guidance you act on will work out perfectly. And I will ask- well, what does it mean for something to work out perfectly? Perfect, in the eyes of Spirit, is quite different than perfect from our perspective. We can be narrow-minded, thinking perfect is only when everything goes flawlessly well and we end up a millionaire living on a tropical island somewhere. Right? But in Spirit’s eyes, perfect is whatever we need for the Soul lessons that we desire to learn! Sometimes perfect can look like a complete disaster to us! But, it is exactly what we needed. So- reserve judgment here. Our limited vision cannot always allow us to comprehend the bigger picture that our Divine Self is guiding us towards.

Above all- be brave. Know that you have a brave warrior of Spirit within you, who boldly steps forward with complete and total trust in your Divine guidance. Even if that doesn’t feel true in the moment, just try it on for size and fake it ’til you make it. I believe in you, and I trust your Higher Self and Spirit to guide you along the way!

Finding Emotional Balance

How can we connect with and observe our emotions from an instinctual/intuitive viewpoint? Many of us are involved in some kind of emotional imbalance, or at least have been in the past. We are classically either over-emotional, where the emotions we go through overwhelm our lives and make it difficult to move forward; or we are under-emotional, where we are unconsciously repressing so much that it is challenging to feel connected to others. Emotions are a fact of life, they are not particularly good or bad, but like all things, we are best served by learning to keep a balance. Sometimes, our feelings can be a guide to us, as some people experience intuitive messages in this manner. However, to reach a point where we can tell if that is what’s happening to us, we need to engage in a healthier way of being with our emotional selves.

The trouble is that finding the balance after a lifetime of over or under emotional living can be quite a challenge. I think that people experience a lot of fear or discomfort around the process, because it often involves stepping way out of your comfort zone. I’ve spoken about balance before, and the thing about learning to live the middle way is that, first, you have to find each end of the spectrum. For example, if you are a heavily emotional person, then you must be willing to experience some level of repression in order to find the middle. On the opposite end, if you have been repressing for a long time, then choosing to feel just a little bit of emotion may open the proverbial floodgates, which must be dealt with before balance can be attained. I invite you to stay open as you explore. Without a reference of what each extreme is like, how would we ever know the center point? What I see most often is that someone will start to experiment, have a single intense experience of the opposite way of being, freak out, and retreat to their comfortable way. They believe that, by being willing to explore, they were immediately catapulted to the other end of the spectrum and that those two experiences were the only options. However, if they had let the experience unfold organically, they would have eventually found the middle way.

Perhaps it will be helpful to see yourself as a scientist and this process as an experiment. For the next 48 hours, choose to be open to new ways of relating to your emotional self. Allow yourself to have different ways of relating to your emotions, from letting them take over your whole day, to ignoring them entirely, from expressing them in detail, to keeping them to yourself. Whatever ways of being that you can comfortably (or uncomfortably) stand to observe yourself in, have those experiences. Make notes in a journal as you go. What you will begin to find is a much deeper understanding of your emotional self, and this is a stepping stone to a much deeper connection to your inner wisdom and intuitive guidance.

Releasing Blame and Taking Ownership

Our ego exists within us to help keep us safe as we go through our lives. I understand this to be related back to life before modern civilization, where early humans were dealing directly with the elements and predators in our environment. Now that we mostly live in safer bubbles of homes and communities, our ego is still present and takes on a different level of protecting us. Sometimes, this is for our benefit, but often it can take away an opportunity for us to learn and grow. As a spiritual being, I do not believe in the complete eradication of ego- it is necessary in some respects. What I personally strive for is a BALANCED ego, where I can choose to step out from behind it’s protection and learn more about who I am and how the Universe works when I desire to.

Recently, I have been exploring the concept of blame. I discovered that blame was an underlying theme through much of my life, even after I thought that I had stepped out of the victim story of my youth. Blame is a stealthy tool of the ego, because it sneaks in and protects us from needing to hold ourselves accountable when things go other than we desire. (Note: I do not say “when things go WRONG”, because while things may not go according to OUR plan, they do indeed NEVER go “wrong.” Such is the beauty of the Universe that we live in!) When we hold on to blame, pointing the finger externally to justify the choices that we have made, it builds to become resentment. This is a deep, dark energy that can be a very destructive internal force, blocking aspects of our beautiful selves from emerging fully.

So what does it take to get away from this habit of blame? For me, the first step was to FORGIVE MYSELF. Easy to say, but it took some deep digging to accomplish. I looked at the concept that things had gone WRONG, and discovered that was another way that my ego was showing up. By saying that things had gone wrong, I was also subtly suggesting that MY plan and MY way had been the RIGHT way. But what if- WHAT IF- Spirit had a different plan? Wow. What if Spirit’s plan was exactly how it all unfolded, and all of my self-blame was completely unfounded, a product of ego? Wow. That realization was a HUGE wake-up call for me. And it was the key that allowed me to unlock forgiveness for myself, finally.

But I still hadn’t dealt with this blame and resentment, had I? The beauty of what unfolded next is that these feelings just began to fade away. Once I let go of anger with myself, I didn’t have any fuel left to need to blame anyone else. And then, I began to see more clearly what role I had played all along. I started to remember certain moments along the way where I had shown up less than fully engaged. I could see the times when I hadn’t asked for what I needed, expecting someone to just read my mind and know. I could see the times when I was upset that other people hadn’t supported me, but I wasn’t showing up in support of myself!

You would think that finally taking ownership would feel bad, that I might feel regret or beat myself up that I had played a part in how everything went. Well, I am SO excited to tell you that, because I have forgiven myself already, I actually feel RELIEF to see the ways in which I could have done things differently. It feels WONDERFUL to take ownership for my own actions, and use the lessons to create awareness to be different NOW.

So, in conclusion, I’m wondering if there are seeds of blame and resentment that YOU are carrying around with you. Can you accept that everything went exactly as it should have? Can you step out of ego’s illusion that you did anything WRONG, and truly forgive yourself? I know that you can, and if you are willing to just let this shift take place, there is so much beauty and self-awareness waiting for you on the other side. Let go of blame and resentment, and begin to put your energy towards all of the beautiful work that you are here to bless the world with!

Live Into The Answers

Sometimes, we are faced with a period of great change in our lives, and, when it is all said and done, we just have no idea what to do next! It’s in times like these that we can push so hard to connect to our intuition that we may actually shut it down. It’s challenging to stay open to that guiding voice because typically at this moment, we are experiencing a lot of fear, and the two do not work well together. So, if you cannot connect to your inner guidance, how will you ever move on?

The answer may be that it’s time to live into your answers. What does that mean? Well, living into something is all about going through it, continuing to take steps forward. The beauty of taking steps even when you don’t know where you’re going is that the path will begin to appear in front of you along the way. Sure, you may go in the wrong direction at first, or step off the path at some point, but each time, you will be redirected to the way ahead.

Have faith in the wisdom of the Universe, even if your usual intuitive connectedness isn’t functioning normally at this moment. Understand that this all happens for a reason, and you are receiving a great lesson right now. Take a deep breath whenever you feel overwhelmed, and repeat this mantra: “I TRUST myself and I TRUST _____ (the Universe/Spirit/whatever Higher Power you believe in).” Write down one goal/dream/idea/task that you want to accomplish in your life. Then, break it down into action steps. Set a “due date” to complete the first step, and you’ll be on your way to living into your answers!

live_into

Reconnecting In Stillness

Just as there is a time for action, there is also a time for stillness. Being in the time of waiting patiently can be uncomfortable for some of us. We see this in yoga a lot- students come to class to do the postures, but some will always leave before the quiet, resting period of meditation at the end of class. In our day-to-day lives, many of us never really become still. The time when we rest or unwind is often spent “zoned out” in front of the television. What is the problem with stillness?

The way that I experience it, there are two internal voices who show up when I am in stillness. One is my inner critic. Those thoughts pipe up with negative commentary about whatever event they can grasp on to. I might replay a conversation from earlier in the day, and beat myself up for not saying things differently. Or, I might think of a time when I did something really embarrassing in the past and let that feeling wash over me again, feeling like such an idiot. Now, over time I have learned that I can send this voice away when it starts up. I bring my thoughts back to the present, knowing that everything from the past went exactly as it needed to in order to bring me to this present moment. I begin to think of all the beautiful blessings in my life, and how grateful I am to have them. Suddenly, I am feeling much better than I was just a few minutes before!

The other voice that comes up in stillness is the voice of my Divine Self. Oh, she can be subtle, but she is also quite persistent! Back when I was ignoring her on a regular basis, I couldn’t be still for too long or she would start to chime in: “This job isn’t right for you. This relationship is destroying you. This friend isn’t good for you. Your heart is hurting. Why are you ignoring it? Why aren’t you listening?” And so on… If I stayed busy all of the time, that I never had to stop and listen to her. And so I did just that, for as long as I was able. When I finally got still, by force of a series of major events in my life, I realized that I WANTED to hear her voice again. I had to start digging through all of the dirt that I had buried her under, listening for the whisper to know if I was digging in the right direction. Since then, I am slowly rebuilding my connection to my Divine Self. The good news is that she doesn’t give up easily. I beat her down for 30 years, and yet she is still here.

I think many of us experience this in our lives. And so I would ask you- Can you sit in stillness? Can you just notice what comes up for you? You may need to release some negative thinking, but you may also connect with the deeper wisdom that is within.

stillness

Find Your Truth About Love

What are your beliefs about love? Do you believe that love is a feeling that can only transpire between two people who are well acquainted, close friends, family members, or even only between two people who are in a committed relationship? Do you believe that love is something that must be earned? Or that love should only be extended to certain people who are somehow deserving? Many of these belief systems that we cling to come from our culture, or the things that we were taught by our caregivers while growing up. Perhaps it is time to look more closely at those beliefs about love, and begin to make choices about what you want to believe going forward. Now is the perfect time to undo all of the ways in which you have been taught to love, and decide to show up in a whole new way that truly feels right to you!

Some questions that you may want to ask yourself?

– Are only “good” people deserving of love? What makes someone “good” or “bad”? Who is the judge? Is it possible that someone could be seen as “bad” and “good” at the same time, if you look at them from different perspectives? What exactly are we taking into account when making this judgment? Their spirit, or the way that they are showing up in the world right now?

– Do you need to know someone in order to love them? Are there different kinds of love? Can you love someone whom you just met? Can you love a homeless person whom you see on the street corner? Why or why not?

– Are you deserving of love? What does it feel like in your body when someone says they love you? What does it feel like in your body when you say “I love you” to someone else? If the feeling isn’t what you desire, then what would you like to feel in your body when someone says “I love you” or when you speak those words to another?

– Does your inner critic speak up when someone says they love you? If so, what does that voice say to you? Do you actually believe those things to be true about yourself? Are you willing to choose to silence that voice when it starts to interject?

It’s OKAY for the answers here to be different for everyone. It’s also OKAY for your answers to change over time. We are all finding our way and learning more about who we are and what is true for us as we go. The only thing that matters right now is to look within and be sure that the beliefs that show up in how you are living are in alignment with the true beliefs of your heart.

Mantra of the day: I choose to LOVE in whatever ways resonate with my heart, my Soul Self, my true wisdom within.

chooselove

Going Against The Grain To Follow Your Intuition

Following your intuition can be challenging in our modern world- primarily because we rely so heavily on structure, schedules, responsibility, and obligation. Intuition asks you to be willing to go against any of these social constructs, if the information you are receiving seems to require it. For example, you could be about to walk out the door to go to a business meeting, and suddenly get a very strong gut feeling (an intuitive “hit”) that you should not go. Opening up to intuition goes a step further than just receiving the “hit”. Now, you are faced with a moment where you have to choose what to do with that information. Living a life where you follow your intuition requires an immense amount of courage and trust, with a healthy dose of flexibility to top it off. When that moment comes, this is your chance to be brave and call off the meeting. You don’t have to know why, you can still follow through without a clear and explicit explanation. This can be a challenge when people involved will often demand an explanation from you, especially if they feel inconvenienced by the change in plans. Some are ready to hear about they way that you follow your gut feelings, others might not be able to embrace that concept at this moment. Either way, it’s okay. It’s very important to remember that, while kindness and love towards others are very valuable in this world, it does not mean that you must bend to all of the whims or desires of other people. Sometimes your intuitive hits will lead you to act in a way that might annoy or even enrage other people. All things happen for a reason, it’s true, so maybe there is a reason that they needed to be annoyed or enraged on this particular day. As a spiritual being within a human body, your primary goal is to follow the messages that you receive from the Divine and continue on to do whatever it is that you are here on this earth to do. Trust the messages that you get, and follow through on them even when it seems like a challenge to do so. You will always be rewarded, in one way or another.

Daily Meditation – Open To Opportunity

Everything is in transition for many people right now, and it’s a good time to start focusing on what is coming in to the space in your life that has been opened up. New opportunities will be arising, and all you have to do is be open and say “YES!” when they show up at your doorstep. Use your internal judgment to guide you along the way, and ask for divine guidance too. You can invite Spirit to come and help you to see the path that holds your best and highest good. Then, watch for what opens up in front of you.

Always be discerning though, because some opportunities will come and they don’t quite feel right to you. It’s okay (well, better than okay actually) to just walk away from anything that doesn’t leave a good feeling in your gut. Learn the difference, though, between a fear of the unknown and an actual energetic aversion to someone or something. Fears are good to face and move through regardless, aversions mean it’s time to turn around. For me, I can tell an aversion because it is a clear thought that something isn’t for me without it being emotionally charged. In other words, I just have a neutral thought that I very strongly don’t want to be around someone or do a certain thing. When this shows up for me, I step over the fear of what other people will think, and I simply say, “You know what, this isn’t for me right now.” Then, I let it go and move on to the next thing.

As wonderful opportunities appear before you, trust that they are coming for a reason. You may not feel ready, but if it’s showing up right now, that means you truly are ready. Sometimes we just have to get started, and we will gain the confidence as we go. Be brave, face your fears, and trust that Spirit is leading you towards whatever is best for you in this moment.

Mantra of the day:

Mantra - Opportunity

Daily Meditation – Living In The Moment

Living in the moment- what does that actually mean? As we continue to move forward in our growth, it is an idea that we are hearing more and more. Many people believe that, in order to truly live in the moment, you would have to somehow completely forget that the past ever happened, or make no plans at all for the future. Well, it really doesn’t have to be that black and white.

Energetically, when we are emotionally connected to things from our past, it shows up like an invisible weight hanging around our necks. Obviously, if you have a bunch of weights hanging off of you, it’s not going to be very easy to press forward. In fact, you will be likely to just give up and sit down right where you are to get a break. So, energy from attachments to the past holds us back. But we don’t have to forget it ever happened in order to let the weight go. We just have to accept it for what it was, and understand that it cannot be changed. When we do that, there will be no more purpose to thinking about how it could have gone differently, because that is a pointless line of thought. Similarly, when we are overly focused on the future, it shows up like a huge mountain out in front of us that we can never quite reach the top of. It can begin to feel like we will never get to where we want to be, either because it seems like too high to climb or we simply don’t feel capable. So, again, we are likely to just give up and sit right down where we are. Because we are afraid to go forward, afraid to “do it wrong”, etc.- we hold ourselves back from our true potential. However, we don’t need to pretend that the future doesn’t exist either.

Living in the moment, or being present, is really all about balancing our lives and dispelling our fears. When you get really caught up in something that you’re focused on, you forget to be afraid of what happened before or what might happen next. That is the space that people are talking about when they urge you to live in the present. You still carry the lessons of your past with you, and you still have an awareness of the place you are moving towards in the future- but you’re not trapped in paralyzing fear over what happened before or what lies ahead.

So how can you accomplish that? Meditation helps, whether it’s sitting silently with your eyes closed or losing track of time working at something you enjoy. Trusting that the past happened for a reason, and finding the value in the lessons that you’ve learned along the way can help too. Also, focus on trusting that you’re on this path for a reason and that you will always land on your feet, no matter what life throws your way. You cannot change the past, and the future will unfold with mystery in whatever way it has been intended. Trust in yourself and trust in Spirit to guide you.

Mantra of the day:

Mantra - Living In The Moment