adventure
More Joy, Less Struggle!
I work with many clients who are experiencing significant spiritual growth. They are often exploring different metaphysical modalities, questioning their beliefs, investigating their energy patterns and mental habits, and contemplating higher consciousness. They read books, attend workshops, watch videos, and put a great deal of energy, effort and focus into their personal unfolding.
However, while they enjoy the freedom and fulfillment that comes with having all the ‘ah-ha’ moments and uncovering deeper levels of healing and development, many of them also begin to wonder after a while why it is no longer so much fun. If this is at all familiar to you, your angels want you to know that you are not alone in this feeling.
As we venture deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole of metaphysics and mysticism, we tend to get more and more ‘in our heads.’ Activities and hobbies that we once loved also begin to lose their appeal. It even becomes difficult to hang out with the people or be in the social settings that were once enjoyable to us.
The angels confirm that this is perfectly normal. As we begin to see through the veil and recognize what is real, it is only natural for the things that once served to distract us from the truth of who we truly are, to lose their shine and appeal. The quest then is to discover and engage with those things that truly bring us joy and fulfillment, beyond the everyday noise of unconscious existence.
The angels invite you today to explore what it is that brings your soul joy in this lifetime, and open to the possibility that growing through joy will bring you greater soul growth than any other means. Here are three simple ways you can tap into your soul’s joy.
Stay Spiritually Uplifted This Winter Holiday Season
For some people, the approach of winter is a fantastic time of the year. They love to walk amongst the golden autumn leaves, breathing in the crisp air that enlivens the soul, while looking forward to the festive holiday season.
For others, the holiday season is a time of fear and dread. It is for some that time of the year when they feel more bored, lonely, depressed and lacking in enthusiasm. I used to be one of those people. I could not wait for it all to be over, so the brighter days of spring could arrive. But these days I have a very different outlook. I have learned ways to lift my spirits during this time of the year. Yes, winter holiday period does not have to be a ‘dark night of the soul!’
If you are currently also dreading the fast-approaching holiday season, the following self-care strategies can help you turn this time of the year into a period of true joy and upliftment. It will assist you in navigating the winter through to the spring effectively and happily, while maintaining emotional well-being and keeping your spirits high.
Intentions & Goalsetting
It is always great to have something uplifting to look forward to, especially when the nights are cold, long, and lonely. This time of the year is the perfect opportunity to set new goals or personal targets that will add value and excitement to your life. No need to for New Year’s Eve to make your resolutions. Start setting those intentions
Once you have set your goals, begin to meditate on and visualize those intentions. Once you get your intentional energy rolling, the Universe will assist you in manifesting your endeavours by cosmically aligning you to the desired end result.
Dancing In The Multiverse
A movie I recently watched gave new feels to my feelings. Viewing the new sci-fi action adventure Everything Everywhere All at Once was for me like an Olympic event! The film dances in the multiverse and feels like an acid trip fueled by bizarre scenarios from the most imaginative cinematic minds. And yet, it reveals so simply and clearly what’s fundamental about life.
Certain pre-destined events happen in our lives over which we have no control (fate), but there are also many things that happen to us that we absolutely do control through our free will decision-making process.
This movie portrays the power of our free will eloquently. Every choice the lead character, Evelynn (Michelle Yeoh), makesaffords her a different life in another universe.
Evelynn is a worn-out, disappointed immigrant who operates a laundromat with her highly dysfunctional family that includes: a grumpy, narrow-minded grandfather, a geeky but highly lovable husband (Ke Huy Quan), and a distant, rebellious daughter who desperately desires her mom’s support in coming out to her grandfather. On top of all that, the family faces financial ruin when they can’t pay their taxes.
Just when Evelynn’s world is about to entirely collapse, the multiverse steps in to transform her into an antihero of incredulous proportions. Who’d have ever thought that downtrodden Evelyn could be the one to save the multiverse from ruin!
When a way cooler, Kung Fu fighting husband from another universe enters the milk-toast body of her husband, and places the heavy mantle of saving the world on her shoulders, Evelyn’s response is that she’s nobody, nothing. She can’t be the hero of this mission. But Mr. Cool delightfully replies, “You’re capable of everything, because you’re so bad at everything!”
JOMO – The Joy Of Missing Out!
I’m sure you have heard of ‘FOMO’ or the ‘fear of missing out.’ Well, let me introduce you to its counterpart: JOMO, or the joy of missing out! No, it’s not something I invented. Both these trendy acronyms were added to the Oxford Dictionary several years ago.
According to the Oxford Lexico Dictionary, FOMO is the “anxiety that an exciting or interesting event may currently be happening elsewhere, often aroused by posts seen on social media.”
We all experience some level of FOMO in our modern lives, due to our constant exposure to online news, streaming services, and social media platforms. Most people are constantly glued to their phones and tablets these days. We feel compelled to have it all at our fingertips, lest we miss something exciting.
But this really does not bring us much joy in the long run. Instead, it is addictive, exhausting, and can lead to increased anxiety, poor self-esteem and even depression. We are missing out on moments that we never can get back.
JOMO however flips FOMO on its head! The Oxford Lexico Dictionary describes it as “pleasure derived from living in a quiet or independent way without feeling anxious that one is missing out on exciting or interesting events that may be happening elsewhere.” JOMO is all about taking time out from all the digital distractions, busyness, and noise around us.
Spontaneous JOMO happens when our cell phone signal is caught in a dead zone with no service, or the internet or cable goes down, and we decide to go for a walk to look at the stars. At first, we might feel awkwardly uncomfortable or even panicked, but then we start to focus on what and who is in front of us, or the environment around us. And suddenly, there is a new sense of peace. Our senses become more heightened. The world is a much calmer, more beautiful place.
Bittersweet Is The Fall
Bittersweet is the fall in Maine. Literally. We have a vine here known as the ‘asiatic bittersweet’ (celastrus orbiculatus) that produces attractive red berries. They are yellow at first, but as they mature the outer shell cracks open to expose a magnificent crimson berry with a yellow coat.
Crafters here in New England traditionally use this vine to make holiday wreaths and decorate their homes. It also adorns the roads of Maine with the combination of fall leaves and green of pine trees.
But the bittersweet vine does its name justice in both sweet beauty and bitterness, life and death, because it is not only adored for its versatility as autumn décor this time of year, but it is also widespread, severely invasive and destructive. It suffocatingly twines high up around trees and sprawls over lower plants and vegetation.
It is not a native plant to the region and was originally brought here as an ornamental plant. As the vine begins to spread and grow to the top of trees it becomes the vine of death for the tree as it covers it completely. A bitter vine.
The fall is indeed a bittersweet time of the year. The natural cycle of life and death. The bittersweet time of year is the time to harvest food for the long winter ahead. Get our homes ready for the snow, darkness, and ice of winter.
In Maine the old timers say ‘button up the house’ for winter. The sweet part is people are thinking of the holidays ahead and gatherings with family and friends. There are traditional recipes. Who will make the best pie? Everyone has a favorite. Whose gravy is the most delicious? It’s a time of gratitude for everything that is good in life.
Always Be True To Yourself!
I have noticed over the past year some interesting changes in our social behavior. It seems people have begun to project not only their energy differently, but also their presence at home and in public. Our socialization and interaction habits appear to have shifted significantly. Many people are now having to ‘relearn’ how to interact with each other in social settings, after many months of lockdowns and social distancing.
Now, I don’t see this as a bad thing at all! I am witnessing people being more aware of their personal space, and less worried about of the perception of others around them. Social interaction seems more authentic and less dressed up. We have become less concerned about how we appear to others in public. Finally, people are letting their hair down and the customary ‘keeping up appearances’ does not appear so important these days.
This suits my approach to life perfectly, as I have always been a proponent of ‘being my own beacon.’ First, and foremost it means be true to yourself, instead of trying to be what you believe others will approve of. However, this does not give us permission to be selfish and rude. We must always treat other as we expect to be treated ourselves. If you like a certain type of music, it doesn’t mean others also enjoy it. Wear a headset! If you don’t feel like interacting with a certain group of people, kindly and gracefully decline that social invitation.
Too often I see people doing things because someone else expects them to, and you can literally see the miserable, uninterested, bored look on their faces. Why put yourself through all that? Why comply with peer pressure, when you can walk your own path of happiness?
I have an acquaintance who has been miserable in their job and due to recent worldly events they have given the opportunity to break free from that toxic workplace and start doing something they have always enjoyed doing. But they were to fearful to take the leap. A wasted opportunity!
The World Is A Metaphor For Human Consciousness
The natural world around us reflects the internal evolutionary patterns of human consciousness. Seasons are a good reflection of how we as humans evolve and grow at the level of consciousness. The closer you get to the poles the climates are often cold and rigid. These climates do not support a large variety of life.
We see something similar taking place within the human mind. The more polarized and rigid someone becomes in their thinking patterns the less variety and the less diversity of life experiences take place. We can have very rigid patterns of thinking, which tend to leave us cold and static in our experiences.
As we move more toward the center of our globe, we see more diversity of life. We also begin to see seasonal changes taking place on a more regular basis. There are seasons where trees lose their leaves, animals hibernate, and activity slows down. In consciousness this could symbolize a person that is beginning to expand their consciousness. Someone willing to change and grow.
This level of consciousness that northern and southern regions represent easier it is for someone to accept the ebb and flow of life. An acceptance of both the light and the dark can emerge at this stage and people become more aware of their emotions.
The closer to the center someone gets within consciousness the more diversity and love they experience. They are not focused on polarity at all, but instead accept life as it comes. This often includes acceptance of the storms in life that are produced by the overall polarized climate.
