adversity
Soulmates, Soul Groups And Soul Contracts
I find that many people in the spiritual and metaphysical communities are looking for their ‘soulmate.’ So what is a soulmate? What does this term mean to you?
A soulmate is often defined as the individual that we can completely resonate with, that we can truly love and that they truly love us back unconditionally. In reality, however, due to our humanness, this may not always be possible and then we may become obsessed with the search for a soulmate. In that search sadly we often miss truly wondrous opportunities to connect with love in the most unusual or unexpected places.
So, why do we fixate on soulmates? The reason is because we crave love. For the majority of people, the pinnacle of human connection is having achieved such a true, ultimate spiritual connection with another individual. It is what we attest to in the ceremony of marriage, the birth of a child, and so forth.
But maybe we should choose to expand our view of a soulmate as being an individual that we have the deepest admiration, respect, love and positive connection with. Then as we look around, with this new definition in mind, we will see that each of us has many, many soulmates.
We should change our paradigm from being one of soulmates having to be our intimate romantic relationship to that of being simply a deep, compassionate heartfelt connection. Then our relationships have the potential of attracting so much more, including the pinnacle connection of true love. Soulmates available to you abound throughout the world. Your universal connection can be instantaneously expanded beyond your wildest belief.
Living With A Sense Of Childlike Wonder
We can be quick to settle into ruts. The day-to-day routines of school, work and family often become repetitive and, dare I say… monotonous at times.
During these mundane periods of discontent, people often focus on themselves, and their lack.
They will complain about being overworked and underpaid. Whether professionally or personally, they often feel under-appreciated and under-acknowledged. Stress and resentment can start to build.
In order to alleviate stress, you already know that there are many options from which to choose. Whether people get into a daily habit of deep breathing, visualization, meditation or various forms of exercise, the body becomes transformed and stress is dissipated for the time being.
Rather than just staving off bubbling-under-the-surface irritation and potential health issues, we recommend taking things a step further.
Most people have heard the phrase, “Stop and smell the flowers!” Well, whether you prefer to cultivate the soil or be an observer, it is vitally important to redevelop a new sense of wonder in the garden of your life.
Make a little time for a detour now and then. Take note of your surroundings. Investigate, photograph, research some of the little things you take for granted in life.
Stop and take notice of everyday things in nature that you have been passing by for years. Even in the concrete jungles of cities, nature abounds if you slow down and take the time to look.
I Am Responsible For Me
We all make mistakes. Each one of us has looked back on our life path and thought, if only I could go back and change it.
I wish I would have bought that house while it was still available at a lower price, because I would be on easy street by now.
Or if I could go back and take that amazing job, which I did not realize was so wonderful at the time, due to my youth and inexperience, I could have retired with a huge pension and many benefits by now.
One of the biggest regret that comes up quite often, is wishing to go back and tell relatives and friends that we love them… before they passed away so unexpectedly. I have so much to say to them right now, I wish I would have said it then.
My favorite saying, and yes, I am guilty of this myself: if I could go back to my teens with the knowledge I now have as an adult, I would change the course of my life and do things differently.
Yes, it would be nice if such a magic wand or time machine was available to us, so we could travel back and start over. However, truth be told, in our youth, we probably would have done the same things again.
The knowledge I have now, is because of the life lessons and mistakes that I have made. My errors and poor decisions created who I am today!
Am I perfect? Heck, no. Do I still mess up? Oh, yes. However, do I carry the things I messed up in my backpack of hardships, or do it let them fall to the ground and return to Mother Earth, and not let them move forward with me?
Navigating Grief Without Losing Yourself
In my work as a psychic reader, I have worked with many people navigating grief. Over the years, I have witnessed how people process loss and transition differently.
I have often had to guide clients toward grounding, self-trust, and setting compassionate boundaries. And, as life would have it, I recently had to draw on that wisdom and apply it to my own family.
My father was recently admitted to hospice care at his local nursing home after spending a week in the hospital. His prognosis was poor.
As our family transitioned to this new phase of care, I stayed in touch with loved ones and made decisions centered on his comfort and dignity.
At the same time, I made a conscious effort to protect my emotional energy and maintain healthy boundaries so that I could stay grounded.
In these circumstances I’ve been grappling with a kind of grief that isn’t often acknowledged: the grief of realizing someone you love is no longer the person they once were.
Even when they are physically present, the relationship shifts. There can be a quiet heartbreak in adjusting to the present while remembering the past.
There is also grief in watching a family reorganize itself. During times of transition, long-standing dynamics often change. Some family connections deepen and some relationships no longer operate as they once did. This can also feel like a loss in terms of shared understanding and how things “used to be.” Sudden changes in family circumstances tend to reveal where everyone actually stands.
The Enigma Of Your Soul Contract
Before we come into this lifetime, we design a soul contract. We choose a family that we want to be born to and we plan specific things that we want to accomplish, such as career, relationships, children, and so on. The contract is about our spiritual self and therefore also includes those things that we need to overcome and learn from.
Some of the more important things in your contract may come as a surprise, because often they are those things you do not want to do! This is usually a sure way of knowing that something is contractual. The things we prefer to do, or have done, we’ve already mastered, but the challenges and obstacles offer us opportunity to overcome our fears and anxieties, to step forward and learn more, to grow spiritually.
Some contracts are also much longer than others. Some of us remain here for a long time, while others do not. I doubt anyone knows for sure, but for the time that we are here, we must make every effort to learn and grow from every life experience.
This is also why some of us attract the wrong people, and constantly get into the wrong relationships? In these cases it is often your soul contract trying to teach you to speak up for yourself and claim your self-worth.
When old souls come in, usually nothing bothers them. They tend to take things with a grain of salt. However, when new souls come in, they are often very excited about so many things and can’t seem to get enough done.
There are also the creative souls, who are very talented, but also have a lot of emotional stress. Part of their contract is to learn to manage their stress better, so that they can be more open to their creative gifts. Continue reading
Clutter Bust Your Home To Liberate Your Soul
Choosing what you allow and keep in your life gives you a sense of having control of your happiness and your future.
If you are hoarder, or living a cluttered existence with too many material possessions, know that it is limiting your spiritual growth and personal fulfillment.
The path to enlightenment is not paved with stuff… and more stuff. Maybe it’s time to rid yourself of those things that no longer serve a purpose in your life?
Clutter is rarely just a collection of objects; it is often seen as a physical manifestation of delayed decisions, stagnant energy, or an attachment to the past.
Many spiritual traditions believe that our outer environment is a reflection of our inner state. Buddhism teaches that self and environment are one; in Taoism energy flow affects internal peace; in Hermeticism the small (home) reflects the large (soul); and in Hinduism physical space is a living extension of the self.
In Japanese aesthetics and philosophy, the concept of Ma refers to the pure, essential beauty of empty space. By decluttering, one creates the literal and figurative room for new experiences and thoughts to emerge.
Central tomany wisdom teachings is the idea that suffering stems from attachment. By intentionally removing objects that no longer serve a purpose, we practice the spiritual discipline of “letting go,” acknowledging that our identity is independent of material possessions.
Why Curiosity Is Essential For Spiritual Growth
These days, it is customary to access information instantly using various modern technologies. All kinds of knowledge are at our fingertips whenever we need it.
While some research is required for school or work projects, and other inquiries are made to simply satisfy a general “need to know,” Spirit challenges us to view our world differently and conduct a different kind of search.
Take time to be still every now and then. Extend your curiosity internally. Go within and take time to reflect on your past decisions, your current situation, and your potential future.
The past is a wonderful place to visit to reminisce about great experiences, evaluate decisions, and learn from events.
Note: This must only be temporary. It does not mean that you should constantly “live” in the past or obsess over what might have been, because there is no present or future in the past. There are only lessons and insight to be found there.
When considering some of the questionable choices you may have made in the past, be kind to yourself as you ponder the decisions you made and why you made them. Remember that your younger self did not have the benefit of the experience, wisdom, and insight that you have now.
Also, be kind to others who might have influenced you in a negative fashion or hurt you to the core, whether it seemed to be intentional or not at the time. Understand that their chosen paths may have intersected with yours for a specific reason but that you now have the ultimate control over your present actions and future dreams.