Archive for Self Empowerment
Positive Attitude – Appreciation in Your Everyday Life
Posted by: | CommentsDo the people around you appear to complain more often than not? Does the “woe-is-me” state of mind seem pervade your surrounding reality?
Perhaps you tend to be the “everything bad happens to me” type yourself at times?
Or does the opposite state of mind seem to be more of the norm — being uplifted and feeling joyful appreciation for much of what shows up in your life?
I believe that more people generally focus on their sense of things not going well than going well, on the negative stuff that befalls us rather than on what shines with genuine beauty and exhilaration in our lives.
Take this conversation I had with my elderly mother-in-law who lives 1000 miles away from me. I hadn’t spoken to her in a few days, and I cheerfully made the call to catch up. But I innocently decided to ask: “How are you doing?” Well, the response I got that particular day was shot out at me “I’m disgusted, I’m depressed, I’m frustrated…” etc. You get the picture.
I asked her what was going on and it came down to the reality that macular degeneration has left her “legally blind.” But she is not blind — she can actually still see, though of course not well. But she keeps going to doctor after doctor on the impossible quest of finding a miracle to restore her vision. “It’s time to stop going to all these doctors — they are only taking your money. And it is time to start dealing and adapting to it.” I reasoned with her, but she was not happy with that. “How would you like to be blind?” she snapped at me.
“What about those people who are blind their entire lives and still live happy, productive lives? Listen, you are eighty-something years old — you have had your vision almost your entire life. You still have quality of life and your aide [she has a fantastic home health aid] can and does help you. You mind is amazingly clear and lucid. Now it is time to focus on how to handle the tasks you need to get done.”
Of course, the point I was trying to get across was to be appreciative of having the amazing experience of now being an octogenarian, having a loving family and still living on her own. I went on to give her a gentle, caring “speech” on trying to cultivate a more positive, appreciative attitude — one that includes adaptability as well. And we also talked about practical ideas — such as a powerful, illuminated magnifying glass.
The next day I had a voicemail message from her and in a bit of a sheepish tone she had said: “I’m feeling much better today!”
Life is not always easy to navigate. Each stage brings its own set of unique challenges. But it is essential all along the way to really find those strong moments of appreciation. Focusing on gratitude always seems to bring in more of the same. It buoys us up, lifts our spirits and gives us the emotional prowess to forge ahead in a positive, optimistic way!
So think about your own habits and thinking — do you make consistent time for appreciation? Do you seize a moment and just inhale the reality of your blessings of the present?
I personally need to do more inner work on the theme of appreciation myself. But sometimes I just get caught up in the moment, and am absolutely flooded with an exquisite sense of immense gratitude. Sometimes it is just when I am doing Reiki for someone, whether friend or client. How beautiful and fortunate I feel to be in that space of letting this beautiful, beneficial energy flow. Or even surrounded by my sweet pets — sometimes the simplicity of their unconditional love just tugs at my heartstrings and I am completely in appreciation for their being in my life.
So how does one go about bringing more gratitude into their life experience?
1) Observe and note it down! Many people keep “gratitude journals” — whether it be the old spiral notebook or an app on your smartphone or tablet. Write down three to five things you are grateful for each day — or each week, whatever feels right for you.
2) Just choose “random moments of gratitude.” Make sure that each day you stop and feel the appreciation twice a day — or more. Even if it is for but a minute, it will uplift you and infuse your day with a boost of positivity!
3) Each night before you go to sleep, just focus on those things that stir up appreciation within your heart and mind. Particularly occurrences of that day for which you are appreciative. Make an effort to focus on each, replaying or visualizing those moments clearly. (Note how you feel when doing so — it usually will make you radiantly happy.)
4) Mirror work – best done at night. Speak to yourself in the mirror (perhaps strange at first, but very powerful if you do this regularly) and appreciate YOU and your blessings of the day verbally.
5) Share your gratitude with someone! Make that extra effort to just let others know about your appreciation, whether it be for something that they have done, something that you have experienced that day, or just something that creates a sense of bold appreciation within you. People enjoy hearing positive musings on gratitude because they feel joyful from the listening.
So do make an extra effort to bring an a powerful sense of appreciation into your life on a regular basis. I have a sneaking suspicion it just might bring in more joy, more abundance and more overall life satisfaction…
Affirmations:
- I make time to cultivate thoughts and feelings of appreciation.
- I acknowledge the blessings in my everyday life with supreme gratitude.
- I appreciate all the goodness and positivity that flows my way from a supportive, abundant Universe.
- An attitude of gratitude opens the door to the flow of more joy and abundance in my life.
Positive Thinking – Appreciation for Your Freedom to Choose
Posted by: | CommentsDo you ever give your attention to just being in appreciation for the ability we have to make life choices, to select our personal unique path, to set our own specific goals?
It is spectacular to have the freedom and opportunity to write, to feel, to act, to speak, to share, and to just “be.”
You can envision goals and make plans to achieve them — and know that they can flow powerfully from your heart without constraint. You can dream, and you can take inspired action to achieve those dreams.
The ability to make choices is the most precious aspect of most modern societies (but sadly, it is not something available to all peoples of the world.) So never take it for granted!
The greatest freedom is to tune in to and express your authentic self. You do not have to hide behind a facade or pretend to be different that who you are at your core essence. You can proudly offer up your honest self, with both strengths and weaknesses, with both abilities and shortcomings — and know that you will be acknowledged and accepted.
You can tap in to your genuine heart of hearts and form powerful, emotional connections with others.
As you view the world from your own particular perspective, you know and understand that others have their own unique and independent vantage points and that the healthiest and kindest choice is to respect the others’ viewpoints and choices.
You have the indescribably delicious ability to just express YOURSELF — in whatever exhilarating manner that you wish (as long as you do that in a way that embraces kindness, tolerance and compassion toward others.)
You are not limited, except by your own personal limiting beliefs and thought patterns. You can imagine, you can build, you can grow, you can thrive, and you can attain and manifest your wildest, most exciting dreams.
You have that freedom to prosper, to joyfully reach for exquisite abundance — and attain it!
You have that amazing freedom to CREATE your life — to make it the journey you wish it to be, to align yourself with the yearnings of your soul and follow that beautiful light-filled path.
So embrace the concept of how powerful you can truly be. Decide to make uplifting choices, to do the inner work of flowing with the stream of joy, positivity and well-being… And cherish the precious freedom of being able to accomplish all this…
Affirmations:
- I cherish the freedom to choose my own unique, inspired journey.
- I acknowledge that I have the ability to create my reality by the thoughts that I think combined with the actions that I take.
- I am grateful for all the wonderful and boundless opportunities that greet me each day.
Self Empowerment – Expressing and Releasing Difficult Emotions
Posted by: | CommentsAdmit it — you get angry, frustrated and raise your voice on occasion. Or maybe too often. I am guilty of it at times, even though some people think because of my career path that I must be completely “zen” and calm always. Oh, how I wish that were true. And believe me, I am consistently doing the inner work of striving to maintain a sense of tranquility, non-reaction and the skill of being non-judgmental. But it can take a lifetime (and perhaps several) to learn some of these lessons.
As we are all members of this particular species — that is, human — and I say that with a smile, we are all prone to a broad spectrum of feelings, thoughts, behaviors and self-expression.
It is NORMAL to get cranky, angry, sad, frustrated and the like…
It is NORMAL to be dramatically reactive in certain situations…
We all have learned behaviors, ones we’ve brought with us from childhood on. Personally, any snapshot slice-of-life picture of my own childhood was far from peaceful and harmonious. My family thrived on drama and raised voices. For them, yelling was a socially acceptable expression of whatever frustration they were feeling at the moment. I thought that familial yelling and screaming was something everyone experienced and grew up with. I was quite surprised to learn such is not the case.
It has taken many years to un-learn some of my own ingrained behaviors. So, in my attempt to veer off into the other end of the spectrum and be this perfectly harmonious individual, I have discovered THAT is not normal either. So where is the balance? How can one achieve the middle ground? After all, to be totally zen, I think one would have to become a monk and live on a mountain in Tibet.
After much pondering and life experience, I have come to some conclusions.
1) I do believe it is important to slow down in life, as best one can, despite all the rushing and ultra-busyness of modern life. Slowing down allows you to catch your breath, get in touch with your inner guidance and also tap in to the wellspring of peacefulness or at least some semblance of calm that lies within.
2) DO strive to do the inner work of seeking and embracing tranquility/harmony/etc in whatever way will work for you individually. Maybe that is meditation, yoga, deep breathing, taking a walk, whatever feels right and peaceful to you.
3) It is okay to have periods of more dramatic and excited “self-expression” or negative self-expression. Permit yourself to raise your voice and show some anger or frustration if you truly need to do so and allow this personal release.
4) However, when you do need to release difficult emotion, keep it brief. If it should end up being directed at someone, be sure that person understands that you are having “a moment.” And that you still care about them. (And I am not condoning taking your frustration out on another, but I am acknowledging that as humans, we sometimes do this.) But try to keep any outbursts as something that you personally are experiencing as opposed to inflicting upon another.
One example from my own life was on particular occasion when my husband developed what I consider “domestic amnesia.” Which means he totally forgets about and distances himself from anything at all that may need to be done in the house, even small things that he is usually responsible for. I love him and he is a terrific husband, but occasionally… So this one time he was supposed to take care of something, actually a few somethings — and didn’t — and of course, I was feeling very frustrated. So I definitely got a little huffy and raised my voice but felt so guilty afterward. And then I felt guilty about feeling guilty. Because I do take care of most everything in the house since he works long commuter hours in Manhattan. So maybe he needed to hear what I had to say and maybe I needed to say it in a louder voice to get his attention and make a shift in his approach to taking care of a few things…
But my outburst was brief and it is infrequent that I allow such behavior to surface. And in the end, my husband DID respond to my requests and became more helpful.
The bottom line is that it is okay to permit some negative feeling to be expressed. Just don’t bathe in it, wallow in it and let it last interminably. Don’t become a victim to this behavior. And don’t let someone else bear the serious brunt of it. Let it come to the surface and then flow out… and be done with it.
And DO make every effort to find other constructive and gentler ways of expressing these emotions, channeling them into release before you get to the breaking point…
So acknowledge your “human-ness” and know that encompasses a broad perspective of self-expression. Choose the path of finding your personal voice in your own life — expressing your authentic self on an emotional level but in a way that you show up as a kind, caring, calm, considerate individual.
Affirmations:
- I embrace an attitude of peacefulness and do the inner work of bringing tranquility and balance into my everyday life experience.
- I acknowledge my need to express negative emotions and I do so as gently and constructively as possible.
- My inner guidance helps me express my thoughts in a clear, candid yet tactful way.
Self Empowerment – Be True to Your Core Essence
Posted by: | CommentsWe sat across from my stepson, trying to impart some tidbits of life wisdom upon him. He was about to embark on a journey all the way across the country beginning a new life, along with his girlfriend, on the west coast, filled with the dreams of youth, and a sense of spirited adventure…
“Stay true to who you are” my husband advised him, “don’t submerge your sense of you in the influence of your partner… Never lose yourself. And though you are part of a couple, always let the individual who you are shine through…”
For my husband and myself — both having been through previous marriages and relationships — know the pitfalls of losing yourself, your core identity, to the generic overview of the “couple equation.”
In my first marriage, I lost myself trying to be what my first husband wanted me to be. Or to be what I THINK he wanted me to be. And it didn’t feel right. In the end, it was probably the undoing of my marriage. He was strong-willed and for me, I just wanted to please him. But I was also very young at the time. And in attempting to please him, to live up to his expectations, I became just a shadow of who I really was. It took years of self-discovery and evolution to return to the light of my core essence. And feel whole and joyful again.
Yes, it is obviously easy for us to get lost in the drama, the passion, or the newness of a relationship. We gladly submerge ourselves in the couple unit. I think most of us go through this experience at some point in our life. Sometimes it is a positive happening and other times not…
But what about the grander perspective? We come in to this world a pure, loving soul ready to begin our amazing journey of LIFE. Perhaps we bring experiences from other times and other lives, but regardless of what our metaphysical or karmic background, we enter this world through the miracle of birth… And we are ready to have a physical adventure here on planet Earth.
I do believe our intentions are all honorable, that we are born tapped in to this great bright light of purity and caring that vibrates profoundly with our newly beating human heart.
However, what happens to us after we begin this path called Life? We are powerfully influenced from day one and onward — by our parents, siblings, our environment in general. Our schools, our religious organizations, the media — all play a huge role in shaping who we become. As children, we are innocent, trusting, looking to shine our little lights in the world. Sometimes we get sidetracked.
It often takes time, life experience, much soul-searching to go back to our core essence, to who we actually were when we entered this world. Ah, if only we could remain so innocently loving…
Looking back, I realize that I was generally a compassionate child. My mother perceived me as a shy, sensitive toddler/youngster and so sent me to learn how to mingle and socialize at the local nursery school. Back then hardly anyone sent their kids to preschool. In fact, the term “preschool” had not yet been coined. But I was ecstatic to be with other children — it was like my life was suddenly illuminated and my heart was awakened with happiness.
But I do remember that the teachers were not happy with one aspect of my interactions and it is almost comical looking back but it had to do with etiquette and behavior at snack time. Everyone’s parents supplied their snacks, but some youngsters did not always have. I would share or sometimes give my entire supply away. In hindsight, I think it was altruistic of me. But the teachers thought I was wimpy, weak and manipulated by others. I know it became an issue, and so what did I really learn — maybe sharing was not entirely good.
But innately I wanted to reach out and connect — and share what I had with those who in my young eyes were “needy.”
However, as time went by, I learned how to be selfish. Everyone taught me this “skill.” It is indeed sad that compassion and generosity were almost frowned upon back then.
However, I wholeheartedly believe that at our soul/core essence we are compassionate, kind and caring. We know how to love, how to embrace abundance in a gleeful way, how to enthusiastically connect with others, how to be non-judgmental. Often, as we move into the flow of our adult lives, we forget some of these things.
If your inner light has dimmed a bit, know it can be rekindled! And let us be forgiving and understanding toward others who may not be as aware or awake as we are. We are all on a fascinating course of personal evolution, and the bottom line is to stay tuned in to your innate guidance, the birth wisdom that resides in your own heart. And even if you lose it for a time, it is always there if you choose to look within and connect to that Higher Consciousness, that spark of Divinity that is joyfully present within all of us!
Affirmations:
- I tap in to who I truly am at my core — to my powerful, radiant inner light.
- I strive to reflect kindness, consideration, understanding and tolerance out to the world.
- Though challenges can be trying, I remain strong, focused and tuned in to the spiritual, soulful essence that is me.
Self Empowerment – Take Full Responsibility for Your Life and Your Reactions
Posted by: | CommentsIsn’t it easy to blame other people for our own problems and challenges and for some of the turmoil in our lives? Isn’t it easy to say “He made me so angry” or “she really knows how to push my buttons.” Most people make these statements often — and how do feel when you make these type of verbalizations? Irate, irritated, powerless perhaps? Like a victim?
Do you personally choose to play the victim far too often? Or even once in awhile? Does it need to be said that this kind of attitude is certainly not healthy or productive for anyone?
When you can awaken to the knowing that you are a powerful creator and can write your life story in a more joyful, positive way, then you begin to shed your feelings of “victimhood.”
Yes, you CAN adapt the extremely potent concept that you are able to take full and 100% responsibility for your life. Scary notion maybe? For in addition to assuming the responsibility for your successes and your achievements, you are also responsible for your shortcomings, your stagnation and your outright failures.
However, if you CAN get in the flow of consistently doing the inner work of being the architect of your reality, then I totally believe your reality will improve dramatically. Your sense of being a competent individual will expand to bring increased personal satisfaction.
When you blame others for those tough situations and happenings, you are giving our power away and at your core, I know that is not anyone’s intent.
Yes, people can say unkind or downright spiteful things to us. They can be harsh critics. And some of these people may be very close to us. We can’t really control what they say, or how they say it, but we can ALWAYS control our reactions to them and how we perceive each unique situation.
We need to look at the heated happenings from a different, new perspective and learn not to play into the drama that others often delight in instigating. We can choose to remain in a calm, peaceful place and diffuse tumultuous interactions. We can turn the other cheek, so to speak, and even walk away. Or we can simply respond in a more serene, non-reactive way. Staying relatively zen and refusing to fuel the fire will result in a vastly different outcome than if we buy into the agitation and discord of the moment.
Remember, the bottom line is that nobody can make you anything without your permission.
The very knowing that you can adopt an outlook of remaining non-reactive can instantly add an element of feeling more in touch and in control of the business of being uniquely YOU.
One of the simplest ways to move quickly into the mindset of taking responsibility for your own life is to work on removing the phrases of “he makes me, she makes me and they make me” from your everyday vocabulary. The next time you find yourself uttering any of those sentiments, simply pause and reflect about the situation.
Decide on a new perspective then and there. Do a brief on-the-spot analysis and explore your emotions. Acknowledge your feelings of tension but remind yourself “I am responding with intense anger at this moment, but I can and will make the choice to tone it down.” Then perhaps diplomatically withdraw from the scenario, or face it using tactful, joyful and peaceful language. It is sometimes amazing how others will react and often calm down when we refuse to get carried away on the tide of difficult emotion.
It is worth the effort. Learning how to lessen stressful reactions will help move you further into the flow of well being and absolutely enhance your life…
Affirmations:
- I take complete responsibility for my life choices and that includes my actions and reactions.
- I know that I am a powerful creator and can design my life to be a luscious, magnificent masterpiece!
- Remaining in a peaceful, non-reactive mode during stressful times is healthy for me and for those with whom I interact.
Welcome to New Moment New Energy!
Posted by: | CommentsThe Positive Perspective that supports:
• Emerging from negative patterns of the past
• Embracing the now with passion and positivity
• Moving forward into the future with joy, love and enlightenment!
Positive Attitude – Loving Yourself
Posted by: | CommentsAre you able to say honestly that you love yourself? Are you comfortable with who you are?
Or are you often plagued by that deep-seated and persistent inner critic? Do you consider yourself (even occasionally) a victim, a loser — a failure? Do you make statements such as “My life is a mess, I can’t seem to do anything right, I will never amount to anything.”
If you can answer an emphatic “yes” to the very first question about loving yourself, then congratulations on being in tune with your beautiful core essence. But I do suspect you might be among a minority of individuals.
I think for the most part we tend to be very hard on ourselves — very judgmental. And sometimes immense challenges or life patterns that we have learned contribute toward shaking the harmony and sanity of our core essence.
But the good news is that it’s never too late no matter where you are in life to embrace the loving, vibrant soulful aspect of yourself, that glorious inner light that is who you are and who you came into this world to be.
“Our noblest act is to practice unconditional love, especially with ourselves. It’s the soil of our goodness. We may feel afraid, we may feel unworthy, we may think, “I couldn’t possibly love that part of myself.” But dear one, I assure you: the heart is big enough.” ~ Karly Pitman
If you are someone who has been emotionally “beating up” on yourself for your shortcomings, this is the time to stop in your tracks and change course. This is the perfect, right moment to consciously choose to shift your thinking. This is the time to undertstand that yes, “the heart is big enough.”
The very first step is to acknowledge that you have been doing the best you can with the current tools and knowledge that you possess. If you could have done “better” or different, then you would have. So do not berate yourself.
Tap into the concept that you are a powerful, spectacular being just as you are. Resolve to be at home with YOU, to connect with the soulful, Divine spark that is a pure facet of your being, to love yourself unconditionally and to nurture yourself with abundance. The nurturing part is so essential. For only if you can treat yourself with authentic care and kindness can you be happy, focused in the present moment, as well as poised to move ahead to create a future that is radiant with optimism and fulfillment.
Can you subscribe to the belief that you are a worthy, multi-dimensional and powerfully radiant “child of the Universe?” Can you wrap your thoughts around this and integrate this sense of connection and compassion into your being and your everyday life? If so, then I believe this amazing path of possibility will energetically open right before you and your journey will be transformed in a most delightful, creative and expansive way.
Remember that our beliefs and thoughts create our reality. Choose your thoughts — choose your reality. And make it an exhilarating and satisfying one!
Affirmations:
• I tap into the knowing that I come from a place of goodness and kindness, and I am worthy of a happy, fulfilling life experience.
• I understand that my natural state is one of ease, with the ability to tune in to the boundless, joyful flow of the Universe.
• I love ME, who I am, and I make decisions based on this radiant feeling of confidence and well-being.
Overcoming Challenges – Learning Powerful Life Lessons
Posted by: | CommentsSometimes we lean into a shift– we choose it. Other times it is thrust upon us. Regardless of how something manifests, shifts can have a dramatic impact on our lives and can leave us with profound life lessons. But the lessons aren’t always obvious so sometimes you must closely examine the situation and find the lesson concealed within. And it can be very eye-opening and fulfilling to discover these lessons.
For me, there were three to four weeks of waves of challenge just surging in like a turbulent sea during a storm. My husband ended up in the emergency room — he was having a heart attack. It was a horrific and painful experience for him (and a very demanding and scary one for me.) He ended up spending a total of five days in the hospital, even though his heart attack was deemed “minor” and a best case scenario from a heart attack perspective. He finally was given the go ahead to be released (his heart rate had stabilized and lowered) and I brought him home.
Four days later we were hit with a major hurricane that left Long Island quite devastated in general, but left us without power, heat and hot water for fifteen days. The temperature inside the house dipped down to a chilly forty-something degrees on some of the colder nights. And my husband had to spend most nights out, as the cold was too taxing on his recovery. I spent a night or two alone in a very cold, dark house with my pets. Most nights we were like nomads, going from house to house, friend to friend. We depended on the kindness of neighbors, friends and nearby family.
Yes — life challenges change us – there is no doubt about that.
The question is does a particular difficult challenge change us for the better or the worse? Initially you may feel downright sad, angry, frustrated. So you need to move through much of the challenging time period first. But when you find yourself finally moving into clarity, and you are gaining forward momentum, ask yourself the question: what did I learn from this experience? And really feel into it.
Ask yourself questions like:
- Am I stronger from the experience?
- Did I gain insight into who I really am at my core?
- Did this experience teach me how to appreciate the beauty, balance of normalcy and the simplicity of everyday routine life?
- Did I learn how to genuinely be present and to focus solely on the moment in order to survive?
For me, life during that “dark period” was absolutely a struggle, but we were so profoundly touched by the compassion of many people. One of the lessons we learned was that sometimes being “power-less” meant we had to completely surrender to the “powers that be” — to the Divine plan and also to the compassion of people we did not know well, but who gently and warmly came to our rescue. So though we were power-less, we were profoundly empowered by this knowing. We were enveloped by a warm blanket that was a sense of community that we had rarely experienced or acknowledged during the flow of “normal” life.
I learned to appreciate the modern conveniences in our lives. When our power finally came back on, my husband and I had emotional tears of relief in our eyes. We turned on every light in the house, just needing to soak up and absorb the feeling of radiant electric light. I know in my heart that this feeling of appreciation will last a long while as the lesson was deeply ingrained.
Make every effort to learn from your experiences — even if the experiences rock your world. Our challenges do shape us into who we are — and if we let ourselves morph into stronger, more compassionate, more alive, and more loving individuals — than we have powerfully reached for the positive result and will be happier for it.
Affirmations:
- Overcoming challenges and obstacles helps me grow stronger.
- I greet the ebb and flow of life with an attitude of flexibility and adaptability.
- I strive to remain true to my integrity and my core essence, particularly when navigating through turbulent times.
Positive Attitude – Claim Your Joy
Posted by: | CommentsIs it easier to be stressed, anxious and discordant rather than being happy, peaceful and zen?
Just from observation and life experience, it appears to me that most people gravitate toward disorder in their lives. They find themselves caught up in the negative aspects of human existence.
To be calm, serene, in the flow of exuberance and joy often seems to take substantially more effort.
And I can’t figure out why that is.
Yet it has been my own life experience as well, stemming from what I learned during my childhood. Children learn what they live — and personally, I lived with plenty of negativity. Discord and drama were rampant in my household. Of course, we did manage to have some fun in between, and I did consider my mother to be a nurturing woman. But both my mother and father thought that yelling and a raised voice were the only parental way to get things done and let their authority be known.
So for a good part of my life, I fell into the trap of perceiving turmoil and commotion as the norm. What follows from that sort of norm unfortunately is much unhappiness.
It took quite a bit of growing up and my path of holistic healing that brought me to a more enlightened way of looking at life. I finally began to realize that maybe — just maybe — that joy was part of the purpose of life, a part that we are all worthy of.
Yes, I am saying that you DESERVE to be joyful. It is your right. And if you can authentically claim it, you will realize how powerful you are and will become better aligned with your soul/life path.
Of course, I am not saying that your joy should come at the expense of another. As you are pursuing and delighting in your joy, make sure that the component of compassion flows within you. Allow yourself to find delight and satisfaction in the joy of others. If you can do that, then your own sense of fulfillment, your own sense of being in the stream of harmony, light and abundance will increase.
Know that you CAN leave negative patterns behind, that you can reach for higher-vibration, uplifting thoughts. When you grasp and embrace this concept, your life will make an immense shift for the better.
And yes, we all are guilty of falling back into negative patterns once awhile. For doing so just seems to be a part of the human experience. Staying in those patterns can be our emotional downfall. Remain keen and observant, and try to catch yourself before you fall too far. Then gently lift yourself up into that sweet perspective of joy. Because you CAN do it — and the result is exhilarating…
Affirmations:
- I know that I can choose my attitude — so I strive for a positive one!
- I am a powerful life creator and choose to stay in the flow of optimistic, uplifting thoughts.
- An outlook of joy comes naturally to me.
Achieving Life Balance – Is it Good or Bad?
Posted by: | CommentsIn my own thinking, I had always believed balance was a positive state of being. After all, I would always tell people, as I had learned from my Reiki teachers: “Reiki is about bringing harmony and balance into one’s life.” However, I had all my beliefs radically questioned when a holistic teacher told me her point of view, culled from her own life experience, plus from a definitive book that she had read. And this was that we should not even mention the word balance. Could this be? Was she saying that balance is BAD?
From my past experience, most inspirational teachers, as well as my healing mentors, had always heralded balance as a beautiful, peaceful state of being. After all, didn’t Dr. Wayne Dyer write an entire book about “Being in Balance?” Eric Pearl, founder of Reconnective Healing, often mentions balance as being a profound and GOOD space for one to be in — a space of healing.
So this new theory from this holistic teacher shattered my previous views — or at least made me think twice or more about them. And though I was not particularly thrilled with this take on the “balance” idea, perhaps it was something that I needed to ponder and give some serious thought to in order to come to my own conclusions.
The dictionary has several meanings for balance: state of equilibrium or equipoise; equal distribution of weight amount; mental steadiness or emotional stability; habit of calm behavior, judgment, etc.
So what could be negative about balance? Balance in the extreme can be considered a place of “no growth.” A state of being that lets one marinate in stagnation as opposed to being able to thrive and bloom with expansion. As the combination of human/spiritual beings that we are, we are here in this physical plane to learn, create, love and grow on numerous levels. If we were in a constant state of balance, we would be losing out on a huge part of our purpose and soul calling here on planet Earth.
We need to be in the fluidity of the stream of life, to navigate the ebb and flow of our everyday experiences, gain our lessons from the realities that we live. Learn strength and knowledge from overcoming hardship. This profound movement along our life path is what makes us unique as well as enriches our journey. At least that is one way to look at it.
An ongoing state of absolutely ultra-perfect equilibrium might keep us from engaging in the unfolding of our life purpose.
But, the flip side of the coin, is we often CRAVE balance in our lives. Particularly when the current of our lives has been turbulent for a long period. That is when we seek a calm port in a storm. When we yearn for a semblance of peacefulness, of sameness, a state of just being present and tranquil. So a little balance is definitely welcome.
Our lives are ever-changing, whether or not we yearn for — or find — balance. A pure state of equilibrium is rarely achieved and generally short-lived. But attaining even an iota of balance — even a delicious touch — helps us connect with our inner guidance, helps us be present in the moment, helps us be in a lovely space of bliss.
So after the diverse views I present here, I still believe, at the heartfelt level, that overall balance is a positive aspect to embrace in our lives.
The richness of our journey is what life is all about and life is certainly a glorious process, so do relish each step — whether you are in perfect balance or not!
What do you think? Is balance good — or bad? Is balance something to be desired? Or something that stunts our spiritual growth? Please leave a comment here on my blog, as I always appreciate hearing your thoughts and perspective!
Affirmations:
- I enjoy the ongoing multi-faceted journey of my life and I welcome personal growth on a daily basis.
- Achieving a state of calm, non-judgmental peacefulness can enhance my life experience.
- I accept the fluid motion of my life as it unfolds, enjoying the opportunities for growth and expansion that that are abundantly present each day.