intention
The Magicless Misery Of ‘Compare And Despair’
I once attended a Toastmasters meeting where a gentleman was delivering his first speech to this specific group. It was an ice breaker to have us get acquainted with him. Instead of the typical short autobiographical introduction this speaker chose to give us an overview of his philosophy of life.
He told his audience that he sees himself entering a new phase of his life right now. He spoke about how important it is to get to know yourself and to take care of yourself first and foremost, and to always live in the moment.
After the speech and applause, the toastmaster reflected briefly on what the talk meant to him as he had listened. He said it reminded him of a mentor who had once, many years ago, said to him, “Compare… and despair”. If in life you are constantly comparing yourself to others, or comparing what you have with what others have, or what you feel you lack, or need to achieve, then all that will do is bring yourself unnecessary despair.
The only thing you should ever compare yourself against, his mentor added, is yesterday. Today did you do something constructive or grow in some way that makes you a better person than you were yesterday?
Too often we compare ourselves with our peers, both in our personal and professional lives. Why did he get a raise and not me? Why can I not find a soulmate like she did? Why can’t I be a successful entrepreneur like him? How come they get to have all these wonderful vacations?
Reclaiming Your inner Peace In A Noisy World
When was the last time you sat down with yourself? I mean really be in the moment and connnect with your inner being. When did you last pay close attention to your thoughts, feelings, and sensations?
So often, we go about life on autopilot, barely acknowledging our inner world. Over time, this becomes a way of being.
We stay caught up in the human busy-ness that keeps us focused on the practical aspects of life. Important, yes, but often at the expense of our spiritual and emotional well-being.
The result is a kind of soul fatigue or a quiet weariness that stems from disconnection. We may notice a sense of restlessness or dissatisfaction, but struggle to trace its roots. That’s often a sign our inner world is calling for attention, urging us to slow down and truly listen.
Even when we do find quiet moments, we rarely use them to check in with ourselves. We live in a world of endless distractions: a computer at our fingertips, the internet in our pocket. This disconnect is creating a divide between real life and our presence within it.
Today, I felt inspired to write about reconnecting with our inner selves and creating more balance between our spiritual and practical experiences.
This doesn’t require a massive overhaul. It just takes intention. It can be as simple as spending a few quiet moments with your thoughts and feelings.
Here are three simple yet powerful ways to slow down and reconnect with simple, meaningful moments in everyday life.
The Simple Secret To Building Real Confidence
Building your confidence can feel vague or out of reach, like something you’re supposed to just know how to do, but often we don’t.
The typical advice is to do affirmations, spoken aloud or posted around your home, along with journaling and gratitude practices.
While these practices can help us cultivate things like intuitive awareness, inner peace or emotional balance, they aren’t always the most effective confidence builders.
There is one essential step we must take if we want to build genuine, lasting confidence. That step is action.
It’s easy to wait for confidence to arrive like a bolt of lightning, expecting it to empower us and prepare us to finally walk the empowered path of our dreams.
But the reality is that confidence doesn’t simply appear before the journey begins. It actually grows as we move forward.
Taking action can feel intimidating. You may not feel ready. You might believe you need more time, more clarity, or more skills. But readiness doesn’t magically arrive.
Change begins when we choose to take action, even if it’s imperfect. Manifestation requires more than thought and feeling. It calls for aligned, inspired action.
Staying Spiritually Nourished In A Digital World
If you’re feeling stuck in cycles of anger, sadness, anxiety, or fatigue, take a moment to ask yourself: what am I consuming?
This question goes far beyond food. Are you consuming negativity online? Are you surrounding yourself with people who drain rather than uplift? Are you spending more time in front of a screen than under the sky?
Everything you consume and engage with in this world either feeds your inner light or diminishes it. Everything you watch, listen to, interact with, and invite into your life.
This truth is simple yet profound. We may not always realize it, but the choices we make each day either nourish our spirit or cloud it.
In today’s world, it’s easy to become entangled in habits, distractions, and energies that gradually drain our vitality. The barrage of social media updates, the constant hum of technology, processed foods, fear-driven news cycles, anger, jealousy, dishonesty, and gossip. All of these things can chip away at the divine light within us, if we let it.
On the other hand, there are sacred and intentional choices that can uplift and energize us. Fresh fruits and vegetables grown with love from the Earth. Gentle sunlight warming your skin. Time in nature, listening to the rhythm of the trees and the whispers of the wind.
Loving and conscious relationships. Forgiveness. Kindness. Generosity. Dance, art, singing, and the tender beauty of genuine joy. These are not luxuries. They are lifelines to your highest self. They feed your light. Continue reading
Spiritual Strategies For A Loving Relationship
Over the years I have worked with many clients who either want to improve an existing relationship or manifest a new relationship.
In my readings, I have seen that most of us carry patterns, energy blocks, or emotional knots that quietly affect our love lives. Many people describe the same inner cycle: a longing for deeper connection followed by fear, self-doubt, and frustration.
Depending on the needs to the particular individual or couple, I often recommend a few simple yet powerful practices that can shift the romantic energy field and open the heart.
These practices are gentle and effective, working not just on the emotional level but on the spiritual and energetic levels as well. They help clients reconnect with their inner wisdom and realign with love.
We tend to overthink our love lives. We analyze our relationships from every angle, hoping to find the answers in logic.
But love is not a puzzle to be solved. It is a frequency to be attuned to. And when we work with spiritual tools, we allow ourselves to rise above the clutter of thought and enter a state of clarity and openness.
I have found that the following practices, when done consistently, create a soft and supportive foundation for emotional healing and soulful connection. They do not require dramatic effort or complex rituals. They are simple shifts in intention and awareness that can lead to powerful outcomes.
The Manifesting Power Of Mindful Mornings
Mornings are special. The energy of the morning is different than at any other time. When the sunlight is still fresh and gentle, the world is calm and quiet, there is a magic to this time. There is a softness that invites clarity, a gentle nudge from the universe to begin again, to step into a new day with intention and grace.
The first few moments of our day help to set the tone for our experiences throughout. Becoming aware and attuned to this fresh universal energy can be as simple as creating a small morning routine.
Now, I realize not everyone loves the morning as much as I do. If this is the case for you, the idea of creating a morning routine may not sound appealing at all. Starting with small, quick steps can make all the difference here.
Your morning routine is meant to set you up for success. It is about doing things you like in the morning, that get you in the right frame of mind and heart.
Bringing a bit of mindfulness into your morning can set you up energetically to respond more effectively to your experiences throughout the day.
Below is a list of things you can do in the morning to create a personalized routine that works for you. You certainly don’t have to do all them! Just pick one or two to get started and build from there. While consistency is important, if something is not working for you, change it up and try something new. This routine should be fulfilling and meaningful to you.
How To Be Mindful On The Go!
To some individuals, being mindful while on the go might seem a contradiction in itself. However, the truth of the matter is that there are a plethora of ways to cultivate the art of mindfulness that do not involve simply sitting still.
People turn to mindfulness for many reasons. For example, they may have a medical condition that needs managing, work issues that require resolving, or just simply want to feel more present in their everyday lives.
With the pace of modern life, it is clear to see why people become easily distracted and lead somewhat complicated lives as a result – all of which can be both emotionally and physically draining.
Whatever the reasons may be as to why a person turns to mindfulness, it should, indeed, help them to create a more balanced lifestyle.
That said, mindfulness should not be seen as a magical cure-all, but more an efficient way of relating to personal issues differently.
Interestingly, research has revealed that physiological changes do actually take place within an individual practicing mindfulness meditation. Such changes occur within the brain and some people experience better blood pressure and an enhanced immune system.
The above said, even those among us who practice mindfulness faithfully, can find it somewhat challenging to take what we have learned and incorporate it into our everyday lives. Instead, we tend to allow ourselves to be distracted and develop automatic behavior patterns instead.