happiness
Spiritual Growth In Being Wrongly Blamed
We all tend to be terribly upset when blamed for something we haven’t done, or said. I have also found myself in situations of being blamed unfairly. This made me wonder… if everything happens for a reason, as many spiritual teachings suggest, then what is the lesson here?
My conclusion is that, perhaps, we can help ourselves by acknowledging the lesson in the unpleasant situation, as well as forgiving those who knew no better, in order to let them off the hook. Seeing things in this perspective can shift us to a place where we feel we’ve learned from the experience, and that we don’t need to attract the same pattern again. Continue reading
Finding Serenity
What is spiritual serenity, and how does one get to such an enlightened place? I’ve put forth this question many times throughout my life, and I’ve also had it asked of me. People hear what I do for a living and they immediately assume I walk around chanting Buddhist chants, or waving sage throughout my sacred space 24 hours a day. If only!
I don’t have the answers any more than the next person does. There are some things I have learned and seen, as I am sure I have yet more to learn and see. It is an endless cycle of not knowing and then knowing, the same cycle we all go through. The same lessons. It is only in how we apply them that we become different. We grow differently and start to use parts of ourselves that perhaps someone else, who is growing ‘at their own pace’ may not be using yet. And that is okay. Continue reading
Life Is Like Cooking Bacon And Eggs
Life is like cooking bacon and eggs without a shirt on. Why is that? Well, let’s think about the process one goes through when cooking bacon and eggs.
After picking out the frying pans, next is to consider what version of eggs to cook. Scrambled, poached, fried (sunny side up, over easy), omelet, boiled? Do we add vegetables, or cheese? Which kind of cheese: American, Swiss, Pepperjack? Broccoli, onions, asparagus, carrots?
So many choices, so little time.
Having sifted through the refrigerator, checking out the ‘best before’ dates, and smelling and squeezing all the ingredients, we are now ready to cook the eggs. The first choices made, now it’s time to take action. What is the timing between starting the eggs and bacon: separate pans or combined? How crispy do we like our bacon? Continue reading
Do It Anyway
Recently, I posted on social media about my daughter’s graduation, when she was awarded a degree in Psychology with high honors from a well-known university. I was really proud of her, and wanted to share it with the world.
Many friends and family commented on the post, with congratulatory excitement and kind remarks. But later that day, I noticed there was also a hurtful comment on that same post from my mother.
In the post I had misspelled the words summa cum laude and my mother’s comment read, “Ask your daughter how to spell summa cum laude.” That was it. It seemed short and cold. My heart sank. Not only from the public embarrassment of her comment, but more so from the insinuation that I lack intelligence. Continue reading
Happiness Comes From Your Own Actions
People are too often stuck in a dark place in their lives, thinking that only a relationship, or financial gain, or a new job or house, is going to bring them happiness. The Dalai Lama says, “Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.” Take a moment to reflect on this statement. It is the simple truth, yet so many of us have a difficult time relating to the simplicity of it.
We have been brought up in a world where it is often believed that happiness is only achieved through external or material sources. But you and I are each responsible for our own happiness. This is a difficult statement for many to comprehend. How can that be? I have nothing. I am alone. I do not have a job. I do not have money in my bank account. I do not have a soulmate to love me.
The answer is very simple. No one else is responsible for your life, or your happiness. You are the sole creator of your reality. Do you choose to be happy, or miserable? Continue reading
Letting Go After Divorce
Accepting divorce as a reality is an important step in the healing process. One must mourn the loss of what could have been, but you don’t want to get stuck in the past, because it won’t change anything.
Acceptance is the most difficult step that one must take in releasing the past and begin a new chapter of life. Acceptance involves things like blame, resentment, and regret. We have the option to let go of negative emotions, which will give us the freedom to move forward.
So, now you are divorced, do you choose to stay bitter and hurt? No, you work through it and regain your strength, so that you can find yourself again. I know this is easier said than done, but nothing in this life is accomplished without some effort. You have one life to live, and you get to decide how you want to live it. Continue reading
You Are More Powerful Than You Realize
Faith is often defined by dogmas, doctrines, decrees, and creeds. However, these qualities have little to do with substantial spiritual aspects of faith and more to do with systems that attempt to define faith. A true spiritual idea of faith is not about believing the right things, but instead recognizing that our lives can be motivated by the good from which our lives originated.
There is a line in A Course in Miracles that says, “If you knew who walked beside you on the path that you have chosen, fear would be impossible.” Faith is at its core the understanding that there is something greater that ourselves assisting us in our forward momentum.
Are there correlations between faith and belief? In my experiences of channeling for years, I would say that the qualities of faith and belief do have a tie. You could say that faith and belief have a symbiotic relationship in our lives. Belief is essentially the catalyst of faith, however ‘right’ belief is not necessary for faith experiences. Continue reading