"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." Aristotle As human beings, we are constantly bombarded with fear and negativity everyday. All we have to do is turn on the news, read the newspaper, or check the Internet. We may even find ourselves addicted to the incessant drama of the world, the people around us, or our own negativity. Unfortunately, many of us reinforce even more negativity when we co-miserate with our family, friends, and co-workers. So, it is important to remind ourselves that "misery does love company" and that all it takes to empower negative is more negative. We have the ability to move … [Read more...]
Sustaining a Sense of Humor Through Life’s Challenges
Sustaining a sense of humor cultivates lightheartedness. It connects us to the deepest reaches of our soul and is crucial in healing. Most people express that they would rather die than live a life without laughter. Research shows that laughter lowers blood pressure, increases vascular blood flow, reduces stress which in turn reduces anxiety and depression. Most importantly, when we laugh with others, we share a sense of interconnectedness and belonging which assists in healing as well. For me, laughter that originates deep within and assists us in communing with others in an intimate way is soul laughter. Soul laughter lets us share our … [Read more...]
Leaning into Our Vulnerabilities and Releasing Our Pain
"There's a crack in everything.That's how light gets in."-Leonard Cohen The more we lean into our vulnerabilities, the more open we become to spiritual transformation, for one unlocks the door to the other. The moment we lean into our vulnerabilities, courageously stepping through this portal to personal transformation, we find that love has been there all along. Health, relationships, and finances are the areas of our lives in which we feel most vulnerable. Whether or not we had a healthy and loving childhood, we all experience some form of loss or suffering in our lives as a reflection of the human condition. Our subsequent pain, while … [Read more...]
Living in Harmony with the Universe
When we live in harmony with the universe, we let go of controlling our lives and trust the unfolding of it. Spiritual author, Gary Zukav compares living in harmony with spirit to the journey of the hawk, "The journey of a hawk depends on both the hawk and the wind. Sometimes the wind takes the hawk where it wants to go, and sometimes it doesn't. When it doesn't, the hawk doesn't mind. Either way, they ride the wind. They do the best they can, and then they let the wind take them where they need to go.The wind is your life. It is all the things that happen between the time you are born and the time you go home. Elegant spirits don't know what … [Read more...]
Sustaining Lightness in Our Lives
"You don't stop playing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop playing." George Bernard Shaw Sustaining lightness in your life is created by the choices you make in every moment. Trust that you are the co-creator of the inner and outer landscape of life so choose your thoughts, words and actions consciously. Be patient, tolerant, and flexible when life gets challenging or things don't go you way. Keep an open and loving heart and a great sense of humor no matter what is happening at the time. Being playful opens our hearts and sustains a flow of light energy so we hold steady in the midst of the natural twists and turns of … [Read more...]
Don’t Worry Be Happy: Ten Ways to Boost Your Wellbeing
"There is no way to happiness, happiness is the way."~ Thich Nhat Hanh Many of us feel that the pursuit of happiness is elusive and unattainable. We think if we just had the right job, relationship, or an abundance of money that then we would be happy. Yet, contrary to this popular belief, happiness is a state of being-wellbeing that is within our grasp. And, we have always had the power to create it in our lives. We have known this internal power as children when we played in the puddles after a warm rain, chased after fireflies in the summer, or built forts or fairy alters in our yards. Sustaining a flow of happiness takes the same … [Read more...]
Tuning Into Our Intuition
"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart." ~ Helen Keller Tuning in to our intuition or inner wisdom helps us develop a more spiritually conscious and integrated relationship with ourselves. We all have sensitivities that we can listen to guide our lives whether it is a gut feeling, an "aha" moment or an inner knowing. When we are inspired or "in-spirited," our senses tune into this pure vibration of information. Opening our hearts, we can access this pure flow of information and invite spirit to guide us to make better choices in our lives. With an open heart, … [Read more...]
Being Vulnerable Opens Us to Authenticity
Embracing our vulnerabilities allows us to know the essence of ourselves-love. It is the catalyst for releasing who we think we should be in order to become who we really are. Delving deep within and connecting with our inner selves exposes the egocentric patterns that inhibit us from experiencing authentic, joyful, and balanced lives. At the same time, it infuses our lives with spiritual depth. In effect, embracing our vulnerabilities brings us closer to the light at our core, thereby enlightening us. Unfortunately, our culture teaches us that vulnerabilities are signs of weakness. We are programmed to take a pill at the first symptom of … [Read more...]
Tapping The Resiliency of the Human Spirit
Tapping the resiliency of the human spirit allows us to transcend and transform even the most devastating circumstances in our lives. Spiritual resilience is seeing the "brilliance" in the universal plan for us no matter how difficult or painful it may be. It is the lift of spirit that provides us with the ability to see our lives from this broader, more expanded spiritual perspective. This lets us step outside of whatever is happening in our lives with healthy detachment. As I was preparing for a radio interview this week, I was asked to share my personal journey and any traumatic issues that I've experienced along the way. After … [Read more...]
Making Discerning Choices
At this time in our spiritual evolution, it's imperative that we make discerning choices that resonate with our soul's path. We make thousands of choices every day and each one of them must be appropriate to our true being. For many of us, making a choice, let alone a discerning one, is an overwhelming experience. We have so many beliefs as to what "we should" do that it makes it difficult to choose what truly aligns with our heart. Feeling bogged down in fear that we'll make a wrong or bad choice, we often become paralyzed and avoid making a choice altogether. Yet, not making a choice through fear or avoidance is still making a choice. So, … [Read more...]