“Love is a force more formidable than any other. It is invisible—it cannot be seen or measured, yet it is powerful enough to transform you in a moment, and offer you more joy than any material possession could.” Barbara DeAngelis
Walking in the forest noticing the sunlight filter through the trees, watching the birds flit from place to place, listening to the wind whisper through the trees, smelling the fresh fragrance of the trees, my soul is filled with joy.
Walking barefoot on the beach at the ocean, feeling the sand between my toes, feeling the cool breeze through my hair, watching a family building a sand castle. Walking in the garden, smelling the sweet fragrant flowers, feeling enchanted by a hummingbird. A hug from a friend, a smile, laughter, a shared cup of tea.
These are my places of joy. These experiences are so essential to my wellbeing. Joy feeds my soul, raises my energy and expands my awareness.
Feeling joy can at times feel a bit irresponsible. Life can be challenging and there is so very much to do. There are endless issues to face and significant decisions to make. But that is the exact moment when we need joy.
The months during the pandemic there were many days that felt joyless. One day I picked up the phone and called a friend. We laughed, and cried and our hearts were open again. The simple gift of connecting lifted us both.
Thich Nhat Hanh reminds us, “Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.”
Joy is a pathway to love. Take a moment and find your joy and bask in the love.
Affirmation: I am grateful for the opulent abundance that surrounds me.
If we look for validation from the outside world, our worthiness may seem elusive at times. Worthiness is not based on your financial portfolio, career achievement, or the car you drive. Worthiness is an inside job. It is a conscious connection we make knowing we are an extension of the creative energy of life itself. We are loved unconditionally just as we are.
When we make that connection with worthiness, we are lifted into a sense of well-being. We know that each aspect of self— spirit, mind, body and emotions— is an intricate part of our wholeness. We have an awareness of this holistic nature and have an appreciation of how it all works together for our highest good.
When our worthiness is in alignment with our sense of well-being we feel a deep appreciation which lifts us into the powerful presence of love. Love opens us to Infinite Wisdom available to us at every moment. Divine Wisdom is the creative spark, inspiration, illumination that shows up just when we need it. It can appear as needed information, project support revealed or simply a connection from a friend. Wisdom is inner knowing that all is well.
Yet this can all feel elusive when we are stressed, worried and hurried in life’s busy world. It takes conscious effort to stop, listen, and allow ourselves to be nurtured and nourished.
Take time to step away from your calendar, computer and commitments. Schedule a time and place where you can renew and replenish. Hone your spiritual practice in on your sacredness. Celebrate your Oneness with the Divine.
Warning: Shameless plug here!
I invite you to open your calendar and block off October 16-19, 2022. Then register to join us at our Wisdom of the Heart Women’s Retreat at Alton Collins Retreat Center in Eagle Creek, OR. Our all-inclusive retreat is exactly what you are looking for. Click here for details.
You are worthy. You are powerful. You are amazing. You are loved.
“Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.” Albert Einstein
We are reminded each day what a fragile line we walk between peace and conflict. War might look like it’s happening somewhere else, but daily we face inner conflict and turmoil that causes us pain and suffering.
Since our human nature is 98 percent emotional and 2 percent rational, conflict causes a physical feeling of anxiety and an emotional feeling of insecurity. When anxiety is experienced, we have a choice between reacting or reflecting. If we neglect to choose, our default mode is reactive.
The reflective path takes commitment and intention. It cannot be established during the conflict; it is something we have to practice before the conflict takes place. When we are reflective we observe both our own behavior and others. We use that 2% of the rational mind that allows us to feel compassion and love and eventually forgiveness.
There is a lesson in the Course in Miracles that invites us to focus our thoughts: “Peace of mind is clearly an internal matter. It must begin with your own thoughts, and then extend outward. It is from your peace of mind that a peaceful perception of the world arises.” The lesson invites us to notice our fearful, anxiety-producing thoughts and offending personalities or events and repeat a new thought: I could see peace instead of this.
Dr. Wayne Dyer stated it best, “How do you get world peace? You get world peace through inner peace. If you’ve got a world full of people who have inner peace, then you have a peaceful world.”
“As I become conscious of my Oneness with God, I am filled with enthusiasm and a sense of energy and vitality.” – Ernest Holmes
Feeling tired lately? You are not alone! Vitality seems to be in short supply these days. There are so many challenges that drain our energy and can leave us sleepless and exhausted.
Vitality Is defined an exuberance; living with purpose. But some days it can be quite a feat to move from exhausted to vitality. It takes practice to take a breath, take a pause, and let go of our self-imposed demands. It often takes courage to ask for help and compassion to release our need for perfection. When we practice letting go we open the heart to more love, and we naturally feel more enthusiasm and vitality for life.
I feel vitality when I am in nature, at the ocean, forest, or desert, I feel a newness and freshness. My friend feels it when she is with her granddaughter. The world seems to stop and she is completely in the moment and in a state of unconditional love. Another friend feels exactly the same way when playing with her dog, feeling immense love and joy.
When we tap into vitality we are tapping into our connection with the divine and the life force energy. We feel an aliveness and appreciation for life itself. Eric Butterworth describes vitality as “All the the attributes of the Infinite are in focus as you, flowing forth through you. You are this flow.”
Pay attention to what makes you feel energized. You may not feel it every day and that’s okay. If we are willing to recognize vitality and pay attention, it happens more frequently. To some it may show up as an abundance of energy and to others it may be a quiet sense of purpose and gratitude. Wherever we are, we are connecting with the frequency of love.
“You are not asking that a force outside of you magically change external circumstances; you are asking that a Divine Guide within you change the nature of your thoughts.” –Marianne Williamson
How easy it is to fall into the black hole of ‘what if?’ The mind immediately leaps to the worse case scenario imaging the suffering in tribulation of what might happen in the future.
Imagine instead that we took dominion of our thinking. Imagine if we claimed the highest and greatest good for ourselves and humanity. That my friend is the true power of prayer.
I invite you to pray for yourself to know the highest good. Pray for our country and see that success, prosperity and freedom are the divine inheritance of everyone in our country. Pray for our neighbors around the world seeing peace, wholeness and harmony for all.
When you find yourself falling down the rabbit hole of despair, STOP, shift your attention to the power of prayer. Breathe in and give thanks. And know that you are loved.
