conscious living
Be The Change You Wish To See In The World
Our co-created world has always been full of woes and challenges. To ignore these difficulties is irresponsible, but to focus obsessively on it creates more of the same. So, how can we possibly affect real, meaningful change in the world as mere individuals?
The answer is simple: we must take personal responsibility for the choices we make, and be intentional about how we are living. In other words, we must begin with ourselves, instead of trying to change everyone else and the world around us.
Our power to make change in the world comes down to taking responsibility for that which we do have control over – ourselves. Change begins in our own backyard.
Rather than pointing out how others might improve, we should focus on what is within our own power to improve. It doesn’t matter how small these changes may be. Once we make a start to improve aspects of our own life, it becomes like a domino effect.
Making improvements in your own world, whether it be cleaning up that pile of junk that’s been cluttering up your home, or dealing with internal ‘junk’ that no longer serves you, will improve your own existence and experience. In turn, simply by doing this for yourself, you may find you inspire others to do the same.
At the very least it will help to improve your own energetic flow and raise your own vibration. You can then take this positive new vibration with you everywhere you go, and it will influence and bless every interaction you have with others.
True Spirituality Is About Everyday Existence
It is often assumed that to lead a truly spiritually aware life we must increasingly distance ourselves from the material world and be more fully immersed in the spiritual world. We must reduce our involvement with all things physical, and instead focus exclusively on the non-physical or metaphysical.
This is, however, not what being truly ‘spiritual’ is about. True spirituality is in fact quite the opposite. It is about living this physical life to the fullest. It is about being present in every moment and living with joy, appreciation, and gratitude.
Spiritual living is about honoring and expressing the love, grace and compassion of God, Source, Spirit, the Divine in our everyday existence. It is about relishing in the divine beauty and abundance of creation, and embracing the unconditional love and light of divinity in our lives every day.
As spiritual beings in physical form we do need material things in order survive in this physical reality, and ensure a more fluid, comfortable existence. And while we are busy focusing our time and energy on acquiring those material things that we need, it does not mean we are no longer being spiritual, or not being ‘spiritual enough.’
For instance, most of us need to work to earn a living, to put food on the table and a roof over our head. Going to work every day and being of service is just as much a spiritual act as spending time in transcendental meditation, for example, or participating in a prayer circle.
Spirit’s Calling Cards Are Everywhere
Both experienced and novice psychics will tell you the spirit realm is in constant contact with the physical world. Although spirit may not communicate in the way we do, their messages are constantly here for us to see, hear and feel – if we know how and where to look for it.
The spirit realm exists beyond our time and space, but spirit is still able to interact with us. Hollywood movies would have us believe they can make objects float through the air, but it’s much more subtle than that.
Interference with electronic devices, such as clocks or laptops, is common when spirit is present. Take note if your computer seems stuck on a particular page or a clock stops at a certain time. Your spirit guardian may be sending an important message.
Static physical objects like family pictures may also change in the presence of a departed loved one. You may notice a photograph becoming blurrier or curling up on one side. Sometimes the frame is shifted or moved.
Take a walk outside every day. Are you seeing birds or butterflies? Both are messengers of spirits, so pay close attention to what you see, including their colors and patterns, and look up the meaning later. If you’re lucky a butterfly may land on you. Up in the skies, cloud formations, rainbows, and falling stars are all associated with spiritual messages.
Psychic or intuitive experiences is another way spirits speak to us. Have you ever felt like you ‘hear your name’ being spoken or called, or ‘feel the touch’ of a hand on your shoulder, while you are alone in a room? This is a sure sign a spirit presence is nearby.
To Lie, To Live, To Believe
Our brains are naturally wired to recognize patterns, find connections between seemingly unrelated things, and draw analytical conclusions from our observations. We all use this ability every day without even knowing it.
It is a talent we inherited from our ancient ancestors. Professor Robert C. Barkman explains that “pattern recognition was key to the survival of our Neanderthal ancestors, allowing them to identify poisonous plants, distinguish predator from prey, and interpret celestial events. Today, pattern recognition plays new, but just as important roles in diagnosing diseases, inspiring new ways to safeguard data, and discovering new planets.”
This amazing ability is however seldom mentioned or considered in spiritual and metaphysical circles. But Spirit has over the years guided me towards greater spiritual insight and metaphysical understanding by taking me on interesting journeys of analysis and pattern recognition towards profound insights and relevations.
For example, while meditating during Easter a few weeks ago, my guides took me ‘down a rabbit hole’ on the decisive word believe. The first insight I discovered was that right in the middle of the word ‘believe’ there hides another, more disheartening little word: lie.
Of course, ‘believe’ is a good word. It is the cornerstone to faith and living a spiritually empowered life. But the hidden word ‘lie’ inside it reminds us that we must also have a living faith for it to be authentic and powerful. And, if you drop the letter ‘v’ into ‘lie,’ it becomes the word ‘live.’
Empower Your Life With Affirmations
Affirmation is a great self-empowerment tool for deliberate manifesting, personal transformation and self-healing. It is a simple, yet powerful spiritual practice to focus on what we wish to create and attract, and make the changes we wish for in ourselves and our life.
An affirmation is an affirmative, positive statement or mantra that you repeatedly speak, preferably daily. Words or language have metaphysical power. By thinking, speaking, and writing affirmative mantras, slogans, chants, spells, invocations, or prayers we set powerful intentions for transformation and manifestation. Here are some examples:
I lоvе and ассерt myself.
I fully believe in myself.
My potential is limitless.
I am achieving greatness.
My body is healthy and strong.
My mind is powerful.
I have control over my thoughts and feelings.
I am happy and fulfilled.
Affirmations reframe and improve our thinking. It reconstructs our negative thought patterns and rewires our mind to become more positively focused. The more we repeat it, the more it creates neural pathways for positive thought. These empowering new pathways gradually replace our old, negative thoughts habits.
Empower Yourself With Astrological Intention
Astrology is to me like a metaphysical best friend. It is a way to reflect in the mirror and expand my personal growth. By applying it daily over the past decade my life has become more mindful, and miraculous. I’ve also noticed that challenging astrological aspects, such as squares and oppositions, have become easier for me to deal with.
An astrological square is considered one of the more adverse aspects in a chart. This placement is when two planets are separated by three zodiac signs and therefore positioned at a 90-degree angle in the chart at the time of birth. This creates competing tension between the energies of these two planets which neither can win, forcing them to compromise and somehow meet each other halfway.
An astrological opposition is another extremely challenging aspect in a chart. This placement happens when two planets are exactly opposite each other in the zodiac at 180 degrees apart. This means these two planets are in opposing signs and as far apart as they can possibly be on the astrological wheel. Their unique energies are therefore polar opposite, causing conflict, drama, and power clashes.
I keep track of these events in my chart because I incorporate daily astrological intentions in my life as part of my spiritual routine. My practice is to map out each day’s relevant transits and to then meditate on the significant aspects. I also pray for assistance where needed, such as with the significant squares and oppositions in my daily chart. Then, I go about my day.
Transform Your Tomorrow With Gratitude Tonight
Have you ever had a ‘bad hair’ day? You know, one of those days where nothing seems to go right, including your hair refusing to cooperate? On days like that everything just feels off, and everything that can possibly go wrong does exactly that.
It’s a frustrating experience that can leave one feeling negative, stressed, and overwhelmed. Getting through the mess is one thing, but carrying this negative mindset to bed quote another. If one does not properly resolve the ‘bad hair’ state of mind by bedtime, it will adversely impact your sleep, as well as your mood the next day.
It’s easy to get caught up in a negative thought pattern and spiral into increasing stress, worry and anxiety, from one bad day to the next. Therefore it is vital to adopt a nighttime routine that will help you shift your mindset and promote a more positive outlook the next day. The best way to achieve this is to harness the power of gratitude.
The most common practice for this purpose is to keep a gratitude journal, but I prefer a more hands-on, practical approach. I do a simple ritual with a collection of small stones or crystals that I personally resonate with. I keep them in a bowl on my night table and in the morning, after I’ve made my bed, I place the stones on my pillow.
Then, at night, when I am getting ready for sleep, I sit on the side of my bed and pick up one stone or crystal at a time. I hold the stone in my hand and then think of something that I am grateful for that happened that day. It could be something as simple as a smile from a stranger or a compliment from a client. I focus on that experience or event, and feel the gratitude in my heart.