Spring Is A Time For Personal Renewal
With the recent equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, the spring season is returning once again, bringing with it a renewed sense of energy and optimism. The longer days, warmer weather, chirping robins, and budding blossoms beckon us to start afresh and make some positive life changes.
As the seasons merge from cold to warm, it’s the perfect time to let go of some unwanted ‘winter habits’ and embrace some healthier lifestyle practices in the coming weeks.
One of the most uplifting ways to embrace the spirit of spring is to let go of things that no longer serve and support the best version of you. It’s a time to clear out the mental, emotional and physical ‘clutter’ and make space for new blessings to come our way.
Whether it’s a bad habit, a toxic relationship, or simply old possessions no longer needed, getting rid of what no longer serves us is always a liberating, empowering experience.
Releasing old energy and letting go of attachments can be challenging and complicated, but it is essential for our personal growth and well-being. We often hold onto things way too long out of fear, insecurity, or simply habit. It limits us from experiencing new and exciting opportunities. Life begins outside our comfort zone.
Think of it like cleaning out your closet. We all have clothes that no longer fit, are out of style, or we simply don’t wear anymore. Removing these items makes room for fashionable new items that better reflect who we are today that we will love to wear.
Unwrap The Gift Of Your True Self
As you step into the new year, consider giving yourself the gift of your true self and start living your best life. Your authentic self is a one-of-a-kind, priceless jewel that is unlike anyone or anything else in the entire universe.
Just as one would unwrap a gift to celebrate a special occasion, we can gently unwrap the layers of our original soul self. While our superficial ego layers may act as a cocoon providing a false sense of protection, it also creates a barrier that blocks out our dreams.
Removing our defensive walls can be overwhelming, especially as we uncover doubts, insecurities and fears rooted in unpleasant past experiences and traumas. We all have emotional scars and insecurities that we quietly harbor.
However, to live our best life we must resist the urge to live like an unopened gift wrapped up in a box – even when it feels like the safest space. We must call on our angels, spirit guides, and loved ones in spirit to help remove the outer layers that are keeping us from our best life.
While opening yourself up to living an authentic life might feel daunting, even frightening to embrace, putting ourselves out there is necessary to create the life we truly deserve. The shift does not have to be big and bold; our transformation can come incrementally in small steps. Smaller, more attainable steps towards change will ultimately cultivate much grand, more significant outcomes.
The essential component to transforming one’s life for the better is to carefully and honestly assess where change may be needed. This way we can identify the promising, successful aspects of our life, as well as those with growth opportunities requiring adjustments and greater authenticity.
Be The Star Of Your Inspirational Story This Year!
As we enter a brand new year, it is essential that we optimistically turn a page in our book of life today to embrace an entirely new chapter! The past three years have been challenging for all of us in many different ways – all the more reason to dream bigger and reach higher in 2023.
Some of us are very determined to make up for lost time and have already made clear resolutions and set bold intentions for the coming year, while others may not yet know for sure what should be next to unfold in their life journey. Staring at the blank first page of a supposedly ‘new chapter in your life’ can be daunting, especially when true inspiration seems untenable.
Yes, thinking more positively about our life goals and dreams can at times be very difficult, especially when things have been tough for a long time or you have been stuck in a rut.
Emotional challenges like anxiety, grief and depression can cloud our ability to envision a better life, and the notion of dreaming about a better life can feel like a frivolous luxury or a pointless waste of time. It becomes challenging to clearly identify your goals and explore new dreams when you can no longer remember the last time good fortune smiled at you, or when last your own needs took center stage in your life, before that of others.
Whatever the cause, the struggle to move beyond such an impasse will always become very real when our pause buttons eventually light up. As creative spiritual beings in physical form we will eventually always want to break free from whatever rut or comfort zone we may find ourselves in.
A Time For Mindful Reflection
As the leaves begin to fall and the weather changes, I am reminded that change is a natural part of life. As the seasons change, it is natural for us to also shift and adapt, as our ancestors did for millennia.
Many years ago, a martial artist reminded me that when facing a difficult challenge in life that we are not able to avoid or change, we can still alter our view of the situation and find new meaning and resolution. What seems like the harshest challenges in our lives are often blessings in disguise. It often gifts us the opportunity to move forward and grow by changing that which no longer serves our true purpose and highest good.
We are living in an extraordinary time where natural forces are increasingly reminding us to become more responsible custodians of the environment that hosts our species. We must also become better stewards of the glorious physical temples that house our souls. The key to this is mindfulness. By adopting a mindful lifestyle, greater planetary care and self-care becomes second nature to us, and both our own lives and the world we live in will benefit exponentially.
Mindfulness allows us to be present in each moment, appreciating the beauty of constant change and the natural cycles of life even as it happens. When we become still and centered, we connect more deeply with ourselves and the world around us.
An endless array of spiritual practices and self-care endeavours, such as prayer, meditation, gratitude journaling and charitable volunteering can help us find peace despite any great change or challenge that may be confronting us. Make the effort to find your own desired outlet for connecting to your inner peace, as this undertaking will lead to a lasting fulfilment and joy that you can hold on to at any time throughout your lifetime. Continue reading
The Transformational Power Of Self-Care
As you journey towards the end of the beautiful summer season, prioritize self-care, as this is one of the most important things you can do for your mind, body and soul.
What exactly is self-care? Self-care is any activity you do intentionally to take care of your mental, emotional, spiritual, or physical health and well-being. It’s about giving yourself the time and attention that you need to thrive.
When you take care of yourself, the most critical person in your world, you can better care for others, and do your work with greater purpose. It becomes easier to show up fully and more meaningfully for others in your life. In this manner, we can be more present with our loved ones, pursue our passions with greater focus, and feel happier overall.
By showing love to ourselves, we become more open to giving and receiving love from others. When we radiate love and peace, we attract more love and peace into our lives. It’s a beautiful cycle of giving and receiving that creates inner harmony and outer wellness.
It’s essential to find time each day to do something that relaxes and rejuvenates you, whether it is reading, going for a walk, or taking a yoga class. Self-care is vital because it helps you to stay healthy as a whole person.
Making time for yourself can relieve stress and tension, improving your overall health and well-being. Additionally, self-care can help you to avoid burnout on multiple levels.
Make sure to schedule time for yourself every day. You can use this time to do something you love without any obligations or expectations. Nurturing your happiness to be the best version of yourself for others is essential.
Dream Big This Summer!
Summer is a perfect season for welcoming happiness. It brings out a spirit of joy in everyone. Invitations arrive in the mail for outdoor parties with friends, beaches officially open, and outdoor markets beckon with fresh produce, conversations, laughter, and music. Summer is also the culmination of the seeds planted during the early spring. It is the season when connections are made with friends and loved ones and a time for renewal and self-love.
As we witness certain events unfold these days in our cities and towns, some positive, some troublesome, and some with more profound lessons that stir our souls, we must hold fast to the joy that summer promises. We must not be discouraged. The world’s weight can be a heavy load to carry, but the burden does not belong to us as individuals. It is time to change the station on your internal radio, and replace the gloom and doom with a deep resonance of peace.
In choosing light over darkness, we signal to the universe that a shift has occurred in our minds and spirits. The universe will respond with similar energy and usher in our lives more love, joy, forgiveness, peace, solitude, and all we desire.
Each of us can live a life free of heavy anchors that only serve to weigh us down. Each of us can soar high above the mundane world that challenges our hopes and dreams and sometimes sends a message that our most important goals do not matter. Do not allow anyone or anything to stand in the way of manifesting your heart’s desires!
This summer, I invite you to create a vision board with your most precious dreams, boldly outlined from border to border. Place a photograph of yourself in the middle of your vision board and connect your desired outcomes to your photo, like tree branches.
Make Time To Listen To Your Heart
The heart is a wondrous place, the keeper of all your dreams, desires, hopes, and wishes. The heart is your protector and guide and the holder of your very own sacred flame.
No matter where we are in this life, or what role we have embraced as our life’s mission, we must always honor the calling of our heart. It’s built-in GPS will never lead us astray. The heart’s invitation is always one that guides us to our greatest purpose through the love of the Divine, love of life, love of self, love of others, and love of service.
There are times in life when the heart calls for us to make a sacrifice to bring to fruition a special dream or mission. But the fast-paced world we live in provides little time or space for the calmness necessary to hear the sometimes faint calling of the heart. This is why we must take time away from others to honor the commitment of the soul. It is as necessary as the medical student in the preparation for becoming a great surgeon.
For a tree to grow, a seed must first be planted, which requires retreating into the stillness of the forest or the garden, breaking the soil, and carefully nesting a seedling into the heart of mother earth. Similarly, to overcome the many distractions of our worlds, we must create the time and space to tune in to the song of our heart.
In doing so, we are honoring our heart, which requires consistent practice, beginning with baby steps. Over time, we can cultivate a spiritual practice of listening to the heart in much larger steps, and then bold, giant steps.
Mahatma Gandhi, the great activist, and humanitarian, once said that prayer, regardless of one’s religion or spiritual path, purifies the heart. Gandhi cultivated a deep stillness in his own life by making time to listen to his heart through the daily practice of meditation.