hope
Slay Those Demons This Festive Season!
In my many years on God’s earth, I can earnestly say I feel I have ‘slain more dragons’ than St. George, ‘cast out more demons’ than the priest in The Exorcist, and conquered much bigger giants than young Jack when he climbed up that beanstalk. I am not hoping to gain sympathy by saying this, but merely to state that if I can put down my personal demons, with Spirit’s help of course, then I could help you do the same.
The year 2020 has been one of far too many challenges for most of us. Some of us have had to deal with unusual difficulties and challenges we may have never encountered otherwise. For me, it began with a cancer scare, then continued with the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, and ended with me supporting my husband through a bout of deep depression. Indeed, 2020 is a year I will never forget, as much as I may want to!
However, my guides have been reminding me that I have also gained some blessings from this year. For one, I would say that my inner resolve has grown much stronger, and my desire to be of service and help others have reached an all-time high.
I am not suggesting that everyone must have reasons to appreciate the challenges this year brought, but as 2020 draws to a close, I do hope that the following practical strategies may help you to ‘slay some demons’ and end this year on a more positive note, in order to start next year with more optimism, hope and joy.
Find An Inspiring Role-Model
The one person who has always given me a sense of strength is the late Martin Luther King. He famously said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
Whenever I am in a difficult, stressful situation, I always ask myself what would Martin Luther King do in my situation? In fact, I even imagine him by my side, giving me all the strength and motivation that I need at any given time. You can do this too by finding yourself a hero or heroine that inspires you.
Teaching Your Child ‘Magic’
My son, who is 4 years old, is also psychic. I have nurtured his psychic ability since birth. I listened to his stories about the other side, angels and how he chose me us as his family and chose his looks. I never doubted him or questioned whether his statements and experiences were real, or not.
I also teach him about setting intentions, deliberate creation, manifesting, affirmations, energy healing and the Law of Attraction. We call it ‘creating magic.’ We wave our hands in circles and say something like, “Magic, magic, magic…sending love and healing light to protect and strengthen you!”
Whenever there is a commercial or television show about children in hospitals, or animal welfare, or experts talking about Covid-19, or anything else that causes suffering in our world, my son and I do ‘magic’ to help those people heal, or save the animals, or make the world a more loving and peaceful place.
Teaching your child these metaphysical principles not only cultivates empathy and compassion, but it also helps them feel that they are powerful and have enough agency to take good care of themselves and to help others.
I have noticed the difference between my son and other children, who have not been exposed to this kind of spiritual outlook. My son seems empowered, confident and in control, while some of his peers tend to be insecure, fearful and quick to complain that they cannot do something, or that certain things are simply too difficult for them to handle.
Because of this, my son has developed both his natural empathic abilities and his natural healing abilities way beyond his years. He even makes magical healing potions outside, using his own recipes and ingredients. I find he also is more aware of other people’s struggles and life challenges, and he is more attentive with the needs of others than some of the other kids he is sometimes playing with.
Dare To Weave Your Own Tale Of Abundance
Most people are familiar with the Charles Dickens’ 1859 classic, A Tale of Two Cities. Set in Paris and London against the tumultuous backdrop that lead to the French Revolution, the novel has been cited as the best-selling work of fiction of all time.
I reflect upon this intriguing work at this time, because the novel has been repeatedly referenced lately by the news media in an attempt to capture the spirit of social unrest and economic uncertainty that has disconcertingly become a global concern during the pandemic.
Over the last year, I have repeatedly asked myself the question, what is my personal ‘tale of two cities?’ Do I search for hope amidst the stories of the day, or do I succumb to the popular cacophony of dire warnings, fear-mongering, conspiracy theories and atmosphere of despair.
And so at this moment, I ask of you to take just a few minutes out of your day to ask yourself the same question. Do we place our own dreams on hold because of the apparent tensions that consistently threaten to chip away at our mind and spirit each day? Do we flounder, or do we choose to thrive, moving beyond merely just surviving.
Many years ago, I overheard someone say that while tough times don’t last, tough people do. I want to remind you that no matter how dire things may seem at the moment, trust that you have the power and right to create your own ‘tale of two cities.’
In my personal story, amidst the turmoil and uncertainty of the day, there is order and certainty. History has shown us time and time again that no matter how challenging things seem, there is always a silver lining, and a bright-shining, magnificent light at the end of every long tunnel!
My mother often shared stories of how her family survived the Great Depression. My grandparents had a large family of ten children, and they lived in a rural area on the outskirts of a metropolitan city. As the 1930’s ushered in severe economic and social challenges all over the world, many lost everything they owned, and many families became homeless.
A Silver Lining In Times Of Uncertainty
We grow in our spiritual awareness and insight in different ways. Some of us read spiritual material by great authors, for example, and learn from their wise teachings, while others meditate and go deep within for guidance, and so on. However, in my experience the most powerful catalyst for spiritual growth is a time of trauma or crisis.
With the Covid-19 pandemic currently raging around the world, many people have lost loved ones, income, savings, businesses and homes. These losses can be devastating, especially when children are involved. Many people are in grief, many are lonely and isolated. Normal life has been greatly curtailed for many, with no clear end in sight.
It has also been an extremely stressful, challenging time for our essential frontline workers and healthcare professionals. The novel coronavirus has affected everyone to some extent, and it is during such trying times that many of us turn to Spirit, or the God of our understanding, and ask: why?
In these times our faith in a higher power, in ourselves, and in our world at large, becomes even more pivotal to our mental health and personal well-being. Hope and faith give us the strength and courage to carry on another day, regardless of not being able to see the end result at the moment. When we dig deep, we can often find untapped spiritual and psychological reserves, that we were unaware we actually had.
Although living through a global pandemic is an experience our generation has not encountered before, many of us are rising to the occasion by helping others in person, online or by donation.
People are also transforming from within. Many are becoming stronger, more resilient and positive, knowing that they will be able to surmount this challenge, and even support others throughout the ordeal too.
Adaptability Is The Key To Manifesting Your Best Life
A life lesson most often learned the hard way, is how important adaptability is to our prosperity, happiness and well-being. Adaptability is a skill that must be learned by all of us. For once you are open to this path, your world will open up in ways you never could have previously imagined!
We are all born with the capability to be adaptable. Without this, we would not be able to function effectively in this physical world. In primitive times we had to adapt to the changing seasons, extreme climates, the scarcity of food, health challenges and other challenges of human survival and evolution.
What I find most intriguing about adaptability, is that we can consciously decide to be open to adapting at any time. We simply need to open up to the Universe and all the opportunities it has to offer. It’s as simple as looking out for opportunities around us to try new things, meet new people, explore new ideas and experiences.
It can be painful at first, as it requires stepping out of your comfort zone, but it gets easier the more you do it. Look at it this way: when you choose to start working out, your muscles will change over time, because they are dealing with new, unexpected demands and are becoming better at what you are requiring it to do. Eventually it becomes second nature and you become stronger. The same thing happens when you open your mind to new thought processes, new ideas, new ways of thinking.
Being adaptable means that you have the courage and enthusiasm to go beyond your comfort zone, and experiment with what the Universe is trying to direct you through. It can be as simple as deciding to finally stop and grab food at an Indian restaurant you pass daily. You may have never tried Indian food before, but it kept catching your eye. When you are adaptable, and open to the signs of spirit coming in, you will embrace such an opportunity to try something new. Continue reading
How Sticky Notes Can Change Your Life
We live in a world where we are bombarded with negativity every day. Whether it comes from social media or the mainstream news, it’s easy to feel like you’re drowning in a sea of negative information and fear-based messages. And the more we are exposed to all this negative input, the more we internalize it, until it becomes part of our self-talk and general state of mind.
Fortunately, the solution to some of life’s most complex challenges can often be found in the most mundane. Enter the simple sticky note! By writing down simple, positive affirmations or slogans on a bunch of sticky notes, and placing them anywhere you will see them frequently, you can significantly change your inner dialogue from constant negativity and nay-saying to one of possibility, hope and optimism.
Choose simple, short affirmations that resonate with who you are, and what you truly want in life. Whether it’s something like, “I am worthy,” or “Love surrounds me,” or even, “I will get that dream job,” it will inspire you to change the narrative and negative self-talk each time you read one of these short statements out loud.
This technique always reminds me of the famous opening scene of the television cartoon, The Simpsons, with Bart Simpson writing a phrase over and over on the chalkboard. There’s actually some method in the madness of this old-fashioned way of disciplining schoolkids. When our brain repeats a word or phrase over and over again, new neural pathways are created with new associations. Saying something once or twice only, we’re just as likely to forget it. But if it’s something we repeat many times, our brain will literally change over time, and so will our patterns of thought, feeling and action.
It’s been shown that establishing a new habit, or making new behavior automatic, takes on average about two months. Try placing your sticky notes in those places you spend most of your time every day: in your workspace, your car, on the bathroom mirror, the kitchen refrigerator, or on your bedside table. The more you see (and repeat) the words written on them, the more you will start to transform your thinking.