When we flow with the cycles of life, we move through life with a sense of purpose and ease. In the natural world, cycles perpetuate life, such as the changing seasons, the rings of trees, the spirals of shells, or the orbits of planets, which exist because of nature's forces and reflect healthy transformation. Having a conscious awareness of participating in the cyclical transformations of life affords us a spiritual clarity that promotes physical healing and a sense of wholeness. The naturalist Rachel Carson describes the value of such awareness of these cycles in The Sense of Wonder: "Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find … [Read more...]
Freeing Ourselves From Fear
Freeing ourselves from fear takes more than deep breaths and positive mantras; it requires an absolute trust in ourselves and a courage of heart. Letting go of fear is one, if not the most important, yet most difficult spiritual principles to practice in our lives. Ultimately, letting go of fear is about the completion of life cycles and thus, signals a beginning more than an end. This begins with a conscious choice in every moment to shift from our fear into trust. I recently overcame a fear of suffocation stemming from a deeply seated early childhood trauma while on vacation in Fiji. Although the fear of not being able to breath originated … [Read more...]
Compassion and Love: Pathways to Inner Peace
"Compassion and love are not mere luxuries...they constitute non-violence in action." - Dalai Lama Compassion and love are our greatest pathways to inner peace and our true source of happiness. This past week, I had the blessed opportunity to hear the Dalai Lama speak on non-violence at a Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates at Loyola University. Although hearing him speak has been a lifelong dream of mine, it wasn't about checking this experience off my bucket list. On the contrary, it is about being in alignment with the universal principles of compassion, love and inner peace and practicing them in everyday life. What this experience revealed … [Read more...]
Are We There Yet? Spiritual Growth as a Lifelong Journey
There are times when we feel that we are spinning our wheels, going backwards, or stuck in terms of our personal/spiritual growth. How can it be that we work so hard on our spiritual development only to uncover deeper pockets pain in our hearts? Why is it, when we think we have finally cleared our "stuff," we find more subtle layers of patterns revealed to us? This begs the question so many of us want to know: Are we There Yet? and If not, When? However, we must realize that spiritual transformation requires a commitment for the long haul-constant personal evolution over a lifetime. Our spiritual transformation is not a goal that can be … [Read more...]