The Ultimate Serenity; Unconditional Self-Love

Self-love isn’t arrogant, selfish or egotistical, it is complete acceptance, caring about and believing in yourself. Laura Putman

Your Key to Joy

Beginning a life of authenticity is a journey to true happiness. Whether there are “others” in your life that expect conformity lovingly or unlovingly, no one’s opinion of you but yours matters. Unconditional love of self is about liberating your individuality with joy and acceptance from head to toe, inside to outside. Unconditional self-love is believing you’re worthy of love and accepting your uniqueness. There is no one like you, so it’s incumbent upon us to bravely and boldly peel away the false front to allow ourselves to be just as we are, that is unconditional self-love. That is the foundation for happy and healthy relationships with yourself and others and that truly transforms your life.

Oh, to love myself

I’m finally completely at peace with who I am, at long last I have confidence with my uniqueness. Even though feeling this way could have happened at any time in my life, I didn’t believe in myself enough to allow it to be. One example of a memorable life experience happened years ago when I took myself out to dinner one evening. I love Irish food and music, so one evening I decided to go to my favorite Irish pub. I was enjoying a delicious meal when things unexpectedly changed. The pub owner (who was from Ireland) pulled up a chair in a corner not far from where I was sitting to sing and entertain the diners with some of his favorite Irish tunes. For some reason he looked directly at me and asked across the room if was dining alone, I felt awkward but I answered yes. He said so you’re having dinner with your best friend. I should have been flattered, but the restaurant was full of diners and I was humiliated that my being alone was pointed out. I was so uncomfortable that as soon as I finished eating I left the restaurant. While that might not seem like much, to me it was devastating and a glaring example of a complete inability to love myself. That was one of the many experiences I had to bring me to where I am now.

Choosing to nurture your well-being

Did you know that when a caterpillar enters the chrysalis stage, their DNA completely transforms as they become a beautiful, amazing butterfly. Your DNA completely changes with self-love reversing the effects of stress, anxiety, self-deprecation and the lack of self-respect. Your brain and DNA are completely transformed with healthy thoughts, shifting from toxic/[prone to disease to healthy/prone to a life of well-being.

“You’re speaking to your genes with every thought you have. The fast growing field of epigenetics is showing that who you are is the product of the things that happen to you in your life, which change the way your genes operate. Genes are actually switched on or off depending on your life experiences, and your genes and lifestyle form a feedback loop. Your life doesn’t alter the genes you were born with. What changes is your genetic activity, meaning the hundreds of proteins, enzymes, and other chemicals that regulate your cells.” Huffpost

How your brain appears with toxic thoughts and with healthy thoughts.
How your DNA appears (LEFT) when you’re stressed and unhappy and when your DNA has recovered when you change your self-perception and ways of thinking (RIGHT).

Build your path to self-love (From Wanderlust.com)

1. Identify Your Why

If you want to make the shift from desiring self-love to embodying self-love, you must be emotionally connected to that journey. Why is self-love important to you? The answer to that question strengthens your ability to seeing it through.

2. Commit

Be 150 percent committed to your journey to self-love. No excuses. Make self-love a major priority in your life and treat it as such. Don’t let anything get in the way of you and your relationship with self.

3. Forgive

How can you expect to move forward in your life if you’re being weighed down by anger and resentment? It’s simple. You can’t. It’s time to forgive. Forgive yourself, and forgive others. You’re not condoning their behavior when you forgive other people for their wrongdoings, you’re simply giving yourself permission to let go and move on. This is a tough step, but a very mandatory one.

4. Take Back Your Power

Drop the victim mentality and take ownership of your life. No more pointing the finger at others or blaming your circumstances. It’s time to own up and take control. The moment you take ownership is the moment you gain back the power to create change.

5. Let go

Let go of anything that is not serving you in the highest good. This includes relationships, friendships, habits… Get rid of all that is holding you back. This step can ignite feelings of loneliness, but that will pass. Replace toxic people with good people; replace destructive habits with good habits.

6. Surround Yourself With Good

Immerse yourself within the company of uplifting people; people who serve you in the highest good. Surround yourself with people who truly love you, support you, and respect you. If you don’t have those people around you, find them. Seek them out and don’t stop until you do.

7. Practice Self-Compassion

Go easy on yourself. Instead of being your toughest critic, be your own best friend. Talk to yourself the way you want to be talked to. Treat yourself the way you want to be treated. And continue to forgive yourself along the way.

8. Take Care of Your Needs

Do what you need to do to take care of your needs yourself. No more waiting for others to fulfill those needs—you can do this. Honor your needs as they arise and don’t push them aside for any excuse.

9. Set Healthy Boundaries

Boundaries are incredibly good for you. They protect your needs and honor your worth. Never hesitate to set healthy boundaries. A tip to help you recognize when a boundary needs to be set is to listen to your intuition. If an interaction feels icky, a line has been crossed. Take that as a sign that you need to set a boundary.

10. Commit to Daily “LoveHabits”

Daily acts of self-love (“LoveHabits”) are a beautiful way to show yourself the love, respect, and level of care that you truly desire. Plus, they make you feel really good. Select LoveHabits that work well for you—habits that feel uplifting, regenerative, and/or energizing. The key is to unapologetically commit to daily LoveHabits.

Self-love is your divine responsibility. When you commit to a deep, loving relationship with self, your entire life will positively shift in the most incredible ways. Follow these 10 steps to cultivate self-love and live a life that truly honors your highest good.

Real life experience

Finally, most people don’t have the capacity to love themselves because they create their lives based on what someone else perceives them to be. This TedX talk is confirmation that self-love and living authentically are creating the best life ever for yourself.

On January 22nd of this year Thich Nhat Hahn left his earthly body, leaving a hole where his spiritual teachings filled many with love, joy and hope. These are his rules for life.

Unbecoming Who You Are Not, and a Nod to Women’s History Month

“Maybe the journey isn’t so much about becoming anything. Maybe it’s unbecoming everything that isn’t you so you can be who you were meant to be in the first place.” — Paulo Coelo

Becoming begins when we’re born when our brains aren’t fully developed and we are completely dependent upon the people around us. We tend to take on the characteristics of those caregivers to meet our basic needs and subsist. When we’re young and vulnerable we want to be accepted. Without understanding how they treat others, those closest to us most unfavorable traits such as hostility, lack of self esteem, anger and indifference can be absorbed into our “DNA”. Those traits reinforce adverse behaviors in ourselves such as low self esteem, self-criticism, fear and uncertainty.

The trick to unbecoming takes time, reflection and a huge dose of honesty. In my experience, the last part, honesty, is major. Being completely honest with ourselves takes us out of our comfort zone, but isn’t that where we need to go in order to peel away years of accepting, without question, who we are?

My story is unique but the path I took felt right for me. Unbecoming who I was has been a challenge and a joy. It began seriously for me when my mother passed away. I was fairly close with her so she was the caregiver I emulated most. A large part of my agreement to stifle myself was my belief that I needed her acceptance and approval. Then in 2013 when she died, I felt lost and adrift; I had no idea why, that’s when things broke open for me. I didn’t know who I really was, what I wanted, what I feared or what my reality was. As my “roller coaster” journey to self-realization began, I was eventually able to see that everything I did and how I saw myself was made by a former self I could no longer identify with. As time passed and the layers of the past fell away I began to feel at peace, happier and completely comfortable with the life choices I was making.

I would say that’s the key, when you feel complete peace, happy and comfortable, you’re on your way to unbecoming who you aren’t. When you step out of your comfort zone, letting go of what doesn’t feel right or good is a rite of passage for your soul. Connecting with your truth opens the door to a life that’s authentic and unique. It’s certainly not easy or something you can plan, it’s a matter of unlearning everything about yourself that you’ve just accepted. Just Imagine how much more meaningful your life will be when you’re living as the person your were born to be.

“That inner voice has both gentleness and clarity. So to get to authenticity, you really keep going down to the bone, to the honesty, and the inevitability of something.” – Meredith Monk

No one can tell you how to unbecome the person you aren’t or tell you how to let go of the ways that aren’t true to who you really are, but when you have the idea or notion of what’s possible, things will begin to slowly change and you will then allow who you really are to be liberated. Once the voyage to self authenticity begins, it will be your way of living for the rest of your life. Michael Bryant has quite a story to share of his brokenness and his unbecoming, it is well worth your time to listen.

Women’s History Month

Hedy Lamar was a glamourous, beautiful movie star, but she was also highly intelligent, ideas for inventions came naturally to her. The patent she filed with co-inventor George Antheil aimed to protect their war-time invention for radio communications to ‘hop’ from one frequency to another, so that Allied torpedoes couldn’t be detected by the Nazis. She was the ingenious inventor who planted a seed that would blossom into some of today’s most ubiquitous technology, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, cordless phones and cell phones.

To honor all the women I know and I’m connected with, whether you’re famous or not, your life matters, you are strong, empathetic and you make a difference. We are all “she-roes” in our own way.

Celebrate Your Dream – Create a Space that Inspires You

Your attitude and mindset are the most vital components in the pursuit of your dreams. How you wake up, spend your precious time and how you sleep at night are the catalysts for living an inspired life.  Your perception of yourself, beliefs and feelings about life are physically manifested in the space you call home.

Imagining and creating give us a sense of purpose – Tony Wagner

Creativity is an important component of pursuing your dream, it makes you happier, less stressed, more equipped and resilient when it comes to problem-solving in challenging situations.

An easy way to express creativity is to design your space using color, style and placement of the items you choose so wherever you call home can be an inspiration for your dreams. Someone I saw on a show recently said, “Where you lay your head at night can set the foundation for every aspect of your life“, I have to agree with that 100% because I know it to be true. When you create your surroundings with the intention and purpose of aligning yourself with your dreams, it makes an extraordinary difference in how you feel about yourself and your life.

Use these helpful tips below to get started with your space creation:

1. Don’t analyze or choose what you “should” like or what is trending.
2. Go with your gut and pin or clip things that you instantly respond to. You’ll pare them down later and, when you do, you’ll find common threads without even trying to make it happen.
3. Take your time and enjoy the process.

My Choice to Live Minimally

Because my focus now is my photography/lifestyle business, I choose to live very simply. I’ve consciously made a choice to be surrounded only by items I love, colors that speak to me and my unique style. Everything in my space has been selected very carefully.  I’ve allowed myself to feel something before I bought, which has made a huge difference in what I do have. My surroundings are also clutter-free, so my space is not only inspirational but harmonious and peaceful.  If I don’t use something or need it, I get rid of it.

Minimalism is a tool to rid yourself of life’s excess in favor of focusing on what’s important—so you can find happiness, fulfillment, and freedom. The Minimalists

A Space for Dreaming:

  • Encourage yourself and design a space for dreaming, whether you live with people or have a space of your own, find a place where you can use colors and objects that you choose, even if it is a corner of a room.

 

  • Lighting is foremost, so make sure you choose wisely. Natural lighting in any room makes a huge difference, so choose window coverings to optimize the light and place furniture to take advantage of it. The combination of natural and soft lighting and candles helps to fuel your inspiration. Use natural oils and incense to fragrance the room, it makes a room feel magical.

 

Photo courtesy of Evija-Roberts Blog

  • Choose colors that you love and are inspired by. Color is the most tangible way to express yourself.  Remember to use bright and vivid colors sensibly such as on one wall, in throw pillows, a bed throw, or cover, decorator items or in curtains, too much of it can overwhelm you.  When you combine neutrals with color it will make the room an expression of you rather than the star, that is you, always.

Photo courtesy of Trendir

  • Use natural items, such as wood, cotton fabrics, plants, a water feature, metal, whatever you can find to help your space feel like you’ve invited nature indoors. Because we feel most connected in nature, bringing it into your space is motivation to be more authentic and true to what you are and your purpose in life.

This is part of my room, I found the dresser at a thrift shop, I fell in love the moment I saw it. To highlight the beautiful wood, I use soft lighting with a beautiful vintage style lamp, one of my photographs designed intentionally in warm tones and a lovingly handmade wooden bookcase that all inspire me.

  • Create a place with your dreams and intentions written where you can see them, it will spark your imagination, keep you focused and create a happy place to be a constant reminder of your plans.  One way to do that is to write them out and frame them.

Finally, declutter, this one act can improve your health, emotionally and physically, rapidly.  Here are some tips to declutter and the benefits from mindbodygreen.com.

HOW TO DECLUTTER

When we declutter around here, I use a method that I learned from a home improvement, when going through a room, we separate things into three categories:

  • keep
  • donate
  • trash/recycling

For whatever reason, separating things this way helps me work through junk drawers, backs of closets and corners of rooms that I’ve been ignoring for months. I hope it helps you, too!

It can also be helpful to keep your eye on the prize. Decluttering feels good, when it’s done, and keeping the important benefits of decluttering below in mind can help you stay on track during the “it gets worse before it gets better” part of the process.

BENEFITS OF DECLUTTERING

1. Less clutter equals less stress.

A cluttered home can make you feel disorganized and out of control. There’s something just plain calming about a tidy living space.

Clutter also makes it easier to lose things, which can be stressful. Have you ever torn apart the house looking for your keys, only to find them under a pile of papers on your desk that shouldn’t have been there in the first place? Just me?

2. You’ll save money.

A prime example of clutter costing money just popped up in my kitchen last night. My husband came home from work with a bag of groceries, including a box of green tea. This box looked incredibly familiar to me, and we discovered that, buried under a mountain of spice jars and other boxes of tea in the pantry, we had another (unopened) box of that exact same tea.

An extra $4 box of tea might not seem like much, but little things like that happen all the time when your living space is cluttered, and those small expenses add up.

3. There will be less cleaning to do.

Less clutter means less housework. It means fewer knickknacks to collect dust and fewer places for dust bunnies to hide. According to the National Cleaning Institute (formerly the National Soap and Detergent Association), clutter can add up to 40 percent to the amount of housework you have to handle.

Forty percent seems pretty high, but even if you’re just shaving 10-15 minutes of dusting off of your cleaning routine, I think decluttering is worth it.

4. Reducing clutter makes you more productive.

Decluttering your home can streamline your life, which gives you more time to get things done. Have you ever been late to work because your kid couldn’t decide on what pair of pants to wear? Or maybe you are still hunting for those keys that are under that pile of paper on your desk (still just me?).

When you have less clutter, you avoid these little hold-ups that make you late, derail your plans and interrupt your creative flow.

5. It’s good for your kids, young and grown.

If your kids are still living at home, clutter can cause them stress and hurt their productivity, just like it does to you. In extreme cases, it can cause your kids extreme anxiety.

This isn’t something we like to think about, but our clutter impacts our kids, even after they move out of the house. As we get older and less able to care for ourselves, that clutter is going to become our kids’ problem. Many adults I know stress about their parents’ cluttered homes, especially if their parents aren’t in the best health.

This kind of stress is tough on its own, but it also comes with a side dish of guilt, because they feel selfish for dwelling on what seems like such a small thing. 

I don’t know about you, but I’m going to finally tackle that embarrassing pile of papers on my desk and donate some knick-knacks to the thrift store this weekend.

Thank you for reading my post, I appreciate your time.

 

A New Beginning for Me, Returning Home – Part 2 Unanticipated Bravery

 

I arrived safely at my first destination in Wyoming.  The trip was a three and a half day adventure I will never forget. I hope that my determination to be happy and live life my way can inspire you to be brave.

There is nothing more liberating for the soul than to allow yourself to be braver than you’ve ever been in your life.  I’d been living in an unimaginably difficult situation  I realized I couldn’t change, so I finally opened up and shared my circumstances and my sister and brother-in-law who threw me a life line to help me.  A life lesson from this experience is no matter how awakened we are, we cannot always handle difficult situations on our own. In fact, the help I got to leave was the best decision for both myself and the other person involved, I knew it was the right and only thing to do.

I realized I had to do whatever it took, no matter how scared I was not only for myself but for the people I love.  It takes courage and belief in the impossible to look past a situation we are in to do what is necessary for ourselves.  Being brave in my way of seeing things means we have to love ourselves enough to know we are worthy of the best life we can have, no matter what we are faced with.

Being brave is letting go of fear of the unknown, because everything we need will be there for us, it was for me. I’d considered ways out of my situation many times, but I held off on the obvious solution because I was sure I could never do it, but I did it and while there were unexpected challenges along the way, I kept going knowing that I was on my way to a better life.

I  believe that everything happens for a reason.  When I was helped by the kindness of my family, I knew I wanted to extend kindness any way I could to pay it forward. When you’re life doesn’t feel right or good,  love yourself enough to be braver than you’ve ever been and do what you know is right. My advice to anyone contemplating a major life change is to ignore what everyone else thinks or says and do what feels right in your heart, life is too short not to and so much better when you follow the wisdom of your heart.

Thank you for reading my post, I appreciate your time.

 

Find Your Voice, How to Consciously Speak Up for Yourself

Speaking up for ourselves, mindfully is being assertive without being aggressive.  It is a way to let others know how we feel by expressing ourselves with dignity, confidence and self-respect. It isn’t about being right or wrong, it is about intentionally speaking the truth authentically and sincerely without justifying ourselves.

It’s taken years for me to allow myself to be heard. I’ve spent most of my adult life smiling and remaining silent, the words seemed to be stuck in my throat. It is an injustice to our soul to remain silent. When we don’t speak up, we give our power away and it leads others to believe that we accept how things are and being taken advantage of.

We are so afraid of what others will think or that we’ll end up being alone, we tolerate the unacceptable. I’d never been taught how to speak my mind without fear or thoughtfully. My education came from life bringing people and situations that helped me to overcome those hurdles.

How to Purposefully Speak Up for Yourself

Be Open and Honest

Teach people how to treat you by being transparent when you communicate instead of agreeing or smiling just to keep the peace. It takes practice, but when you speak honestly without being complacent, intimidating and defensive people will be more open to hearing what you have to say. When you do speak be consistent and firm, it will shift every situation.

Be Truthful, Calmly

Speak with confidence, be assertive without aggression.  If a bill is incorrect, don’t let it go, call and dispute it.  If someone is aggressive with you, instead of reacting, respond calmly and thoughtfully by telling them how you feel. No one knows what you’re feeling until you speak up.

Don’t Be Afraid to Disagree

What others do or say has nothing to do with you. There are always people who thrive on trying to control others, intimidating or set in attack mode without taking others into consideration. Don’t cater to them by reacting with anger, shouting or intimidation. Speak up, take a breath, calmly express your perspective. Be sure to clarify what you’re saying and either listen to their response or end the conversation.

Practice Makes You Better

When anyone criticizes or pressures you to do something that isn’t in line with who you are or they’re negligent of your feelings, say something.  This may also mean ending relationships with people who don’t value you or your circumstances. Practice asking for what you need as often as you can.  Your life will only be better each time you enforce the new habit of consciously speaking your mind.

Your Time is Always Yours

Most of us have a hard time saying no to giving our time away.  I know I did for years, I would say yes when I wanted to say no because I wanted everyone to be happy. Don’t let obligations or your kindness get in the way of how you spend the hours in your day, you are the only one who is in control of your time. Break away from people or situations that absorb your precious time.

No One is Responsible for How you Feel or Act but You

No one can invalidate your opinions, you are in complete control of what you believe, how you feel, what you think and how you act. Remember that when you try to negate others point of view, they’re perception is as valid as yours.

I hope this is useful for you. I appreciate your time, thank you for reading my post.

Authentic Living Helps you Comfortably Connect with Others

How Being Authentic Feels

How authentic have you allowed yourself to be?  Are you comfortable being exactly who you are? Being authentic is the only way that we can experience the best of ourselves. It is about being present, accepting, approachable and above all transparent. From my experience with authenticity, it is not only easier for me, it effects the way I interact and how people feel when I am in their presence. It isn’t anything specific that I do, it is just how I show up.

When you’re authentic, you will feel much more comfortable in your own skin. You’re naturally aligned with your own truth and easily able to discern those who are genuine and those who are not. To observe authenticity, go out into nature and observe wildlife. Animals and birds have no ego or agenda, they just are. Can you imagine living that way all of the time?  You can finally stop being a people pleaser and trying to live up to the expectations of others.

What I’ve Observed in Myself and Others

I am the first to say I led a dual life for many years. I was one way at home and another way at work. I believed that if I was completely myself, I wouldn’t be accepted. Toward the end of my business career I was so burnt out that being myself was the only way I could be, it was then that it was clear I wasn’t a fit with the corporate world.

I used to be so frustrated with people who were two-faced, I could not imagine how someone could appear to be friendly or honest, then be so insensitive or untrustworthy, it didn’t make sense. Over time, being awake to life has helped me to better understand that people can only be what they know. I don’t condone hypocrisy, but to those who are, I am aware, you are forgiven.

I’ve known many people throughout my life that have been disingenuous.  I’ve been betrayed, lied to and emotionally hurt because I took their inability to be real personally. One thing I’ve discovered is that how someone else acts is not directed just at you, they arc that way toward others and themselves. Like you, people are always doing the best they can, no matter how they appear. Until a person’s life is affected in a way that causes them to see who they really are, they won’t change.

Becoming Authentic is Like a Job

True authenticity is about going inward and looking at the patterns in your life, going into your past, why you choose what you do, how you feel about yourself and if you feel you are honest and can be trusted.

It is natural to feel discomfort with the thought of being authentic because of those parts of us that we keep hidden from everyone. That is okay, I dealt with some of my darkness on my own and I sought help with the deeper issues. You can peel through the layers of your dark side that you’ve stuffed down and heal without telling everyone. Authenticity is vital to a healthier life, you’ll feel lighter and more in tune with yourself.

Simple ways of authenticity that I’ve picked up:

  1. Always be ethical
  2. Modified Honesty (I am careful by always starting a conversation with, “If I may offer a suggestion or this is only my perception” with the thought in mind that my honesty is not to hurt or sway someone’s choices based on my opinions and beliefs).
  3. Love your body just as it is
  4. Accept what you look like and learn to see your unique beauty
  5. There is no one like you, so choose to love yourself
  6. Be comfortable with your own unique style
  7. Stop caring about what others think
  8. People pleasing becomes a thing of the past
  9. No longer looking for approval and expecting everyone to agree
  10. Seek help or guidance from someone you trust

Choose wisely, choose intentionally, thank you for reading this post, Namaste

Integrity is Everything

I once heard someone say, that hell or heaven isn’t a place, it is how you’re remembered. It isn’t always the first or easiest thing to do in today’s world, but at the end of the day, integrity defines us, it is less about what we say and more about what we do, every second, every minute, every hour of every day.

Words can be an illusion for the truth, it is behavior that depicts who we are. I’ve learned over the years not to take anyone’s words as truth unless they act as a person of integrity by way of conduct.

Is it really worth it when a person chooses to commit any act of dishonesty telling themselves they have a perfectly valid reason why the end result justifies cheating themselves or someone else? Integrity isn’t just about how someone else is affected by what you do or say, it is how you feel about yourself and the choices you make.

Having power, success and things is temporary, anyone who trusts you as a person of integrity is forever, it is the most valuable part of who we are. Building an authentic life is a continuous process that includes integrity, resilience, astuteness, honesty, creativity, and more. Integrity is following the wisdom of your own heart and leaving a lasting memory of someone who knows that doing the right thing, no matter what, is all that matters.

Thank you for taking time to stop by.

 

Spirituality isn’t Found Outside, All We are Searching for is Love

In The Beginning

The truth is we’re already divine beings from the day we are born. There isn’t a person, place or book that can lead us to the truth of who we are, that comes from inside of us. For centuries we’ve been made to believe that to be spiritual we have to look outside of ourselves to find the answers we seek and the support to become Godlike. From our desperate desire for love, we’ve come to believe that we need to be led to being Godly and told what and how to believe in order to reach divinity.

Spiritually Authentic

Being spiritual and loving isn’t something that you do or the practices you’re taught, it is a natural part of who we already are. Spirituality isn’t found on a special day, in a place or a person, it is in the way we live, treat ourselves and the people in our lives, our respect for nature and the way we look at our part in the world. No amount of money or the many things we do in the name of spirituality defines us, we do that instinctually, it is a God given gift that every person on this planet has.

My Story

Several years ago I began my search for what I thought was missing from my life. I had been half-way committed to my spirituality for some time, but it just wasn’t enough any more. I was seeking a way of life that exemplified kindness, love and understanding with like-minded people. I found and joined a group that I learned from and enjoyed for over a year and a half. As I grew spiritually, my needs changed, so I moved on to another group that took me to a higher way of thinking and being. I continued seeking outside of myself for what I needed and was disappointed when it fell short. So, I consciously chose to stay away from any kind of spiritual organization for a year when a friend recommended that I go sit in on a group of a privately established spiritual organization. I was hesitant, but I’d been through a lot, I was vulnerable and lost and wanted new friends, so I went and chose to stay. After over a year of involvement I began to realize that being in a group setting with limited teachings just wasn’t in line with my personal values. That was when I finally chose to go my own way. I discovered my truth and what a true spiritual life was. I finally feel the peace and happiness that we are all here to experience.

In Closing

There is nothing like spending some time with like-minded people to share our beliefs. We become more open to other ideas and ways of being, learn to be more loving, compassionate and selfless. If we choose to be involved with a group or an organization that is divinely guided, it is much richer if we come into it knowing that we don’t need any of it to be loving, wise and good.

Thank you for stopping by.

 

Are You Making Your Life an Adventure?

 

If today was your last day on earth, would you be at peace knowing you were living a life you loved?  If you could change anything about your life today what would it be? We are given the gift of a life with choices and without a guarantee for how long we are here for.  What choices are you making right now that are in the direction of your happiness? Are you open to experiencing a shift to heart-centered consciousness?

“Our world is in the midst of a major change, and we are awakening. Awakening today from years, decades and centuries of living stifled by illusions and limited by controlling beliefs and unconscious thoughts.” Evita Ochel/Wake Up World

I will share a secret with you, following the rules by doing what you think you’re supposed to do is a heartbreaking way to live. I’ve done that, it never felt as good as life feels now. We all have basic needs that we must meet, that is understood, but at what cost? The millions of empty houses that sit quietly all day, all week and all month waiting for the family to come home to gather to share memories and happy times is a significant reminder of what we are doing with our precious lives. No matter what you do for a living, is it something that you do with all your heart and wouldn’t change a thing?

Life isn’t supposed to be filled with regret, stress, anxiety and paying bills. I lived that way for a long time before I realized how unhappy I was. Life is supposed to be an adventure, with twists and turns and not knowing what’s going to happen, filled with love, happiness and feeling good about the choices we’ve made. Are you happy with who you are and the way you feel about your life?  How do you feel about it?

Part of the process of heart-centered conscious living is asking yourself a lot of very important questions and answering from your heart. A big part of that question and answer period is if you truly believe that you have a choice, because you do. This is the way life is going now, more and more people are starting to look at their lives and are consciously choosing to live differently. A chosen life requires a big change in the way you think, from a life led by the mind to life led by love, compassion, doing for others and coming back to ourselves. Are you ready to live a life of adventure?

Thank you for stopping by, namaste.

The Divine Feminine is Vital in the Work of Awakening

The Divine Feminine is about including and valuing the feminine as an essential dynamic of the creative life force. It is celebrating and maintaining the attitude that a balanced life is the Divine combined with the masculine, as in Yin and Yang you cannot have one without the other. It is about remembering our interconnection and oneness.

The Divine Feminine is needed now more than ever, like the blessed event of birthing of a child, it is time to raise awareness of the beauty and perfection of our creative life force and our connection with each other necessary for the survival and progress of humanity and Mother Earth.

I’ve been thinking about this a great deal and realized that rather than expect everyone to embody this way of thinking for a big change, it must start with us as individuals. We, as awakened women, must restore our connection with each other beginning with our family, friends and in our local communities. It is vital to the transformation of the way the world functions to practice our natural ability to be kind, compassionate, thoughtful and remembering that everyone needs and wants to be loved.

The world is in a state of chaos that can only be lifted and transformed with the inclusion of the divine feminine. It is time for awakened women to be in the forefront as heart-centered leaders if the human race is to endure.

Our attention must be focused on the way we treat each other combined with an understanding of the higher purpose of humanity. Women’s true nature is to listen with wisdom, connect and create from a place of love, compassion and kindness rather than from the old paradigm of separation and ignorance. Our way of living must be centered on learning to live together, helping each other and supporting the values that will restore our way of life to appreciate the strength in community.

Modern day society is controlled by the masculine drive of greed, separation and being disembodied from the sacredness of the divine feminine. As pigment of skin does not determine our value or status, neither does gender. It is time to recognize the importance of the divine feminine, honoring women and our place in the world.

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