faith
Always Keep Your Eye On The Prize
Have you ever watched a professional athlete train for a race or tournament? The loyalty and dedication to achieving their ultimate goal can be awe-inspiring!
Serious athletes often rise at the crack of dawn, train for hours on end, follow a strict diet, and often miss family gatherings and social events. Nothing will stand in the way of the true competitor winning the gold their heart desires.
What drives an athlete to this extent? Is it all worth it, and what does it mean to us ordinary people?
The truth is that this level of dedication is not only possible for a few chosen or talented individuals. This kind of perseverance is something we are all capable of if we choose!
Our world has the potential to become a much better place if more of us embraced the dedication and commitment that athletes demonstrate in their pursuits. When we invest in our own development, we are so much better equipped to make meaningful contributions to society and support the well-being of others.
Elite athletes have little room for frivolity or laziness. They train seriously and stay focused, even in times of injury, disaster, or chaos. This unwavering commitment to their craft teaches us the importance of consistency and dedication in all aspects of life.
By adopting a similar mindset in our daily endeavors, we can cultivate the same kind of discipline and resilience. When faced with challenges or disruptions, staying focused on our goals allows us to overcome obstacles with determination and purpose, ultimately leading us to success.
Release Your Attachment To Attract ‘Zen Love’
I have talked to so many people over the years who desperately want someone special to come into their lives, but it never seems to happen for them. They wonder why they can’t connect with anyone, why they never seem to find true and lasting love.
When I do readings for them, Spirit often reveals that the root of the problem is that they either want it too much, or they turn themselves and the other person they are trying to attract into “polar magnets,” pushing each other away instead of being attracted to each other.
In order to attract what you want into your life, you have to let go of any attachment to the outcome, stay clear of any negative emotions, self-sabotage, and limiting beliefs, and essentially allow it to come to you without any obsession or force. I call this attracting “Zen love.
Zen love is finding someone when you are not really looking. It’s when you want it, but you don’t want it so desperately that it just doesn’t happen. I equate it to thinking about someone and then letting go of the thought. It is usually when you let go that they suddenly call you on the phone.
You put out the intention to meet someone special and then you let it go. That is being “in Zen. Not forcing it. Going on with your life and staying positive and just having that inner knowing that everything is going to be okay. That inner knowing without any added force allows good things to come to you.
Meanwhile, if you really want someone special to come into your life, instead of constantly dwelling on it or stressing about it, be proactive and put that wasted energy to better use. Get out more, live wholeheartedly, go places and do things.
The Divine Timing Of A Soulmate Connection
A dear client I have been reading for many years called me the other day to finally confirm what I always knew was going to happen. As much as I was not shocked or even surprised, this event “blew her mind,” as she bluntly put it.
You see, for years she had sworn up and down that she would “never, ever, ever in a million years” hear from her soulmate again, but now she has!
From my perspective, it was always just a matter of time. For years I told her not to lose faith and to hold on to the mystical love they shared because one day he would come back to her. But she kept shrugging and rolling her eyes and muttering things like “in my dreams” and “when pigs fly.” She just couldn’t accept the fact that he would one day be coming back into her life.
I must confess that while I was not surprised by this long-anticipated outcome, I was a bit intrigued by it for the simple reason that I thought for sure that her constant negative thoughts and feelings about the situation would eventually create so much energetic resistance that it would prevent her from reconnecting with him at all! But not even her constant self-sabotage and negativity could stop the turning of the wheels of destiny and divine timing. If we are meant to connect with someone who is our soulmate, it’s bound to happen one way or another, whether we trust the process or not.
The Value Of Anger In Manifesting Your Desires
A client recently talked about her struggles with anger and that no matter what she did, she could not get rid of her ‘anger issues’. She was concerned that her anger would inevitably attract and manifest more negativity in her life.
Spirit’s response was that there is value and wisdom in anger. The reality is that sometimes we get smoking hot, furious, explosively angry! It is a human response to events that go against our wishes and desires. If it were not a natural reaction, the experience of anger would not be part of our physical life journey.
The truth is that all negative emotions are actually a dear friend who is there to tell us something. It indicates that we are out of alignment with our Higher Self, Spirit and the Divine. When we experience fear, anxiety or anger it indicates that we are out of alignment and no longer in the flow.
A common “pain-causing” tendency is the stories we tell ourselves about the future. One of the most common narratives I find when working with clients is the one that begins: “I will be happy when…”
We create a story about the fulfilment of certain desires and then focus more on the result or outcome rather than the process and the present moment. When our happiness depends on the future fulfilment of a story, we are no longer in resonance with the present reality and out of alignment with the universal flow. We are no longer living fully, we are merely playing an impatient waiting game.
Spiritual Maturity Is A Lifelong Journey
What does spiritual maturity mean to you? Every time I ask someone this question, I get all kinds of different answers.
A Baby Boomer I asked said it meant going to church, donating to charities, studying the Bible, and following the Ten Commandments.
When I asked a Gen Z client, she said it meant minding your own business and not caring what others think of you because it is none of your business what they think. She also said she was a Wiccan and didn’t believe in wishing negative energy on others, because she knew it would only come back to her if she did.
I recently asked four people at a social gathering, and they had different opinions on the subject. They were in their 30s and 40s and had a young teenager with them. Interestingly, one thing they all agreed on was that it is spiritually mature to create healthy boundaries with family and friends for your own mental and spiritual well-being. One woman shared, for exxample, that if she hadn’t stopped hanging out with one of her friends, she would have hit rock bottom emotionally.
“I just could not put up with the way she treated me. I used to spend a lot of time stressing about the things she would say and do. I was always overthinking every toxic interaction with her, and our so-called friendship was not good for my mental state,” she explained. “So, for me, spiritual maturity is walking away from those who bring you down.”
A Christian Mystic’s Guide To Dealing With Pain
Our search for the meaning of pain, hardship, and suffering is a profound and enduring human endeavor.
Throughout history, our spiritual beliefs and religious teachings have helped us understand and find meaning in life’s challenges and painful experiences.
These interpretations provide comfort, guidance, and a sense of peace in the face of adversity as we learn that suffering has a purpose or can lead to spiritual growth, enlightenment, or a deeper connection with the divine.
Our spiritual quest to better understand pain is driven by a deep desire to make sense of life’s challenges and to discover how these difficult experiences fit into the larger tapestry of our existence.
Religions and spiritual wisdom traditions around the world offer different perspectives on pain and suffering, each with its own explanation for why these experiences occur and how they should be approached or understood.
These diverse perspectives all share certain common threads: that the origins of pain and suffering lie in the concept of duality; that there is meaning to be found in suffering; and that through faith, reflection, and spiritual practice we can transcend the pain caused by duality and connect with something greater than ourselves.
The Mystical Symbolism Of The Hamsa
The well-known Hamsa symbol has a rich tapestry of esoteric meaning that spans several cultures and religious traditions, including Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. It is commonly used as a protective amulet, offering protection from the evil eye, as well as a talisman or good luck charm, bringing its wearer blessings in the form of happiness, health, and fortune.
The Hamsa is also known as the Khamsa, Hamesh, the Hand of Fatima, the Hand of Miriam, or the Hand of Mary. The names “Hamsa” and “Khamsa” both refer to the number five in Arabic while “Hamesh” means five in Hewbrew, all symbolizing the five fingers of the hand.
In Islamic tradition, this famous esoteric hand is named after Fatima al-Zahra, the youngest daughter of the Prophet Muhammad and his first wife Khadija. Fatima is known by many titles in Islamic tradition, of which al-Zahra (meaning “the Radiant One”) is one of the most prominent. Her life, devotion to family and faith, and moral integrity are admired and serve as an inspiration to Muslims around the world.
In Jewish culture, the hand symbol is named after Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron, who was a prophetess and is an important figure in Judaism. In some Christian contexts, it is also known as the Hand of Mary, although it is less commonly referred to by this name. In this instance it is associated with Mary, the mother of Jesus, who is revered for her purity, grace, and maternal protection.