Lifestyle
Put Your Phone Down, And Start Living!
I was blessed to be born before the arrival of the Internet and smart phone technology. It was a time when kids were playing outside all day, and we often did not want to go home, because we were having too much fun. It was a time when people still connected with each other in person, and on a deeper level. It was a time when we lived life in a much simpler way.
Since then the rise of digital technology and the Internet seemed like it happened overnight, and everyone was instantly hooked, including myself! It was exciting, because information was now just a click away. Communication was faster and easier, and you could ‘connect’ with just about anyone, anywhere, anytime.
But then social media and smart phones came along, and before we realized what hit us, it began to gradually cripple our ability to focus, to truly connect, to be present in the moment, and to be in touch with our spiritual nature. To make matters worse, we started comparing our lives to others: friends, enemies and idols… only to diminish our sense of self-worth.
Last weekend, I was playing the board game Monopoly with my teenage son and his best friend. His friend seemed unable to put his phone down and pay attention to the game. I asked him why, and he said it was because he was addicted to knowing what others were doing, and that he didn’t want to feel “left out.”
How To Keep Your Relationship Strong
Why is it that some relationships are successful, and some are not? When you fall in love your hope is obviously that it will last forever. There is nothing worse than falling for someone, only to end up heartbroken and confused about what had gone wrong, and wondering how you can go back to the way things used to be.
So, the question is, how do some relationships manage to last and stay so strong? I believe it begins with the simple things, like how we greet each other every day, for example. Making the effort to kiss our partner hello and goodbye every time we leave and arrive, is a thoughtfulness that can go a long, long way. It keeps the flame of intimacy burning so much stronger. We should also learn to say “I love you” without any restraints. Those three little words mean so much.
Sometimes of course there will be arguments in a relationship. Developing healthy conflict management skills is therefore essential. We might hit a nerve with each other, but just because we’re mad does not mean we don’t love each other. Every fight does not mean that your relationship is over. Any couple that goes the distance can rise above fights and realize what’s most important.
How To Boost Your Confidence
Sometimes I wish that confidence was for sale! Feeling confident can make all the difference, for example, when you are anxious about accepting a social invitation, without the need for spending hours of internal dialogue trying to convince yourself it will be okay for you to attend. Confidence also means being able to easily decide what to wear for the big night out, and so on.
Indeed, I have marveled at other people’s ability to do such things with ease. However, these very same people are no different than you or me. It is just that they have mastered their mindset with regards being confident, and so can you! Here’s how:
Maintain Healthy Boundaries
Have you noticed certain people in your life encroaching on your space and time? If so, it may be time to implement some polite, yet firm boundaries. By doing so, you should find that this really builds your confidence in both professional and personal relationships, and you no longer feel drained or undermined by specific individuals you have to share some of your time and space with.
Practice Self-Awareness
We hear a lot these days about being more self-aware, but just what is meant by this? Well, it simply means having the ability to recognize when you are falling into a pattern of self-sabotage. Let’s say, for example, you are due to meet a person who continually makes significant demands on you, but you find great difficulty in saying no to them. By learning the art of becoming more self-aware, you can plan, in advance, how to remain strong and firm with this particular individual, so that your relationship with them becomes far healthier.
Home Cleansing Ritual
Doing a cleansing, purifying and sealing ritual will refresh your personal space, infusing it with restorative vibrations and a spiritual aura. You can use this ritual any time you feel the energy in your house is dimming, or to bless a new home or office. It will raise the levels of your own well-being, as well as your surroundings.
Supplies
- 3 white candles
- Cinnamon incense
- 1/4 cup whole cloves
- 4 cups water
- Sage or sweet grass smudge stick (or sage incense)
- Quartz crystals – one for each room in your house
- Sea salt
- Small bowls or dishes – one for each room in your house
Preparation
Gather the cloves, cinnamon incense, smudge stick, quartz crystals, bowls, and candles, and place it your kitchen. Wear white when performing this ritual and play soothing classical, or instrumental music. Center yourself with a prayer or short meditation to set the mood before you begin.
Physical Fitness Advice From The Other Side
My grandma and I were very close while she was in this life. We spoke about many things and held many of the same views. She was a highly intuitive person. Many in the family didn’t know this about her, but she could accurately sense and feel things about people. She would also predict things before they happened.
Her mother was also a well-known intuitive – again something that her own children didn’t even know about her. My great grandma would predict gambling numbers for people, and they would often win! Grandma told me, “My mother would dream the numbers and people would pay her for this advice.”
Grandma also shared many other stories with me about her family growing up. Some of those stories still fascinate me and to this day I reminisce about the things she told me. I feel very lucky and blessed to have shared 47 years of my life with her. Grandma had children at a very young age, so thankfully she was able to see some of her grandchildren, and even some of her great grand children grow up.
We spent many summer vacations at my grandparents’ house. Just like me, my grandma loved to talk about ghosts, spirits, and all things paranormal. We would talk into the wee hours of the night. Some of the things she shared with me, she may not have shared with anyone else in the family. I guess she sensed in advance that I would need some of this information for my future calling.
The Psychic Diet
There are various diets, nutrition programs and recommended eating habits for keeping the mind, body and soul functioning at optimum levels. Healthy nutrition is especially crucial in maintaining our spiritual wellness and psychic intuition. It is vital for psychics, mediums, empaths and energy healers to find an optimal diet that works best for them, because quality metaphysical and psychic work can only be achieved when it is supported by a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition.
Eating whole foods, drinking plenty of water, and minimal consumption of alcohol, are all good for our psychic attunement, especially for people with intuitive gifts, such as mediums. Eating clean, wholesome food will improve one’s psychic connection.
Some experts believe that a psychic diet should restrict meat consumption, although I do not feel that this is absolutely necessary. Some empaths and energy healers, for example, report taking on the feelings of the animals they consume. A decision to follow a vegetarian or vegan diet is a personal one, and other health concerns, such as anemia or micronutrient shortages must be considered for the individual.
Psychics who do include meat in their diet, should ideally choose organic, free range meats. Some believe it best to stick to only chicken or fish. Fruits and vegetables, on the other hand, are considered to be beneficial for all. It’s best to eat organic or locally grown produce whenever possible.
Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired
I first learned of the HALT acronym when I joined Alcoholics Anonymous many years ago. In hindsight, had I applied its simple, yet powerful technique, I might have avoided several slips along the path to my sobriety. I also realize now that the HALT concept is an integral part of loving ourselves, and it thus assists us more on our spiritual path to greater serenity.
HALT is an acronym for:
H – Never get too Hungry
A – Never get too Angry
L – Never get too Lonely
T – Never get too Tired
During one of my heavy drinking episodes, many years ago, I was working a job which required me to be away from home constantly. I was working extensive and erratic hours with a team of co-workers who were all heavy drinkers.
At this time I was subject to everything in the HALT scenario. I was often hungry, because we were pretty much on call to travel anywhere in the world at a moment’s notice. I never knew when I would next be able to eat. In hindsight, I guess I could have been better prepared with personal emergency provisions, but we were always promised that the next trip wouldn’t be so grueling.
I was also constantly angry at the company for exploiting me. The amount of erratic and long hours we slaved was not what we had signed up for.