life design
Live Only For Today, It’s Plenty Enough!
Living just for today is plenty enough to keep us busy. Why make it more stressful by also worrying about yesterday and tomorrow?
We can easily become inundated with the drama and chaos of the modern world, and bogged down with other people’s negative energy. These days there is generally a feeling of having to go, go, go, and do, do, do!
The demands of staying in the ‘rat race’ hypnotizes most people, until they are left feeling drained, depleted, and unable to function properly anymore. Many folks are constantly feeling exhausted, and they don’t know why.
Sometimes it’s all you can do just to get through the day. And often that is all you really have to do. If you just focus on what you need to do for just today, you will find the daily demands of modern life much more manageable. Living just for today is plenty, don’t put it upon yourself to do anything else, except to live in the now.
Spirit says people are too focused on worrying about the past, the future, and what could possibly happen. That is not the way to make the most of every day, says spirit. The better way is to live each moment fully. Make more of an effort to see, feel and hear what’s going on around you, in every very moment.
It is really that simple. When you rise in the morning do not focus on anything else, other than paving the way mentally for the day ahead. It keeps the mind free of nonsense. Living for today is plenty enough, doing it any other way steals the joy and substance from the moments.
What Is Blocking Your Progress?
Picture yourself driving down a nice country road. There is no traffic to speak of, the sun is shining beautifully in the cloudless sky, and all is right with the world. You have no particular timeline or agenda in mind, this is a rare moment of bliss which you totally intend to take advantage of.
But, as you come around the next bend in the road, there, out of the blue, appears to be an exceptionally large branch completely blocking the way. What to do now? Well, you have always thought of yourself as a somewhat smart and resourceful soul, so there is no doubt in your mind that you will arrive at a logical and workable conclusion.
After careful examination, you begin to realize this is a little more serious than what you had initially thought, so now alternate plans must be put in place. Out comes the trusted cell phone, to call the nearest towing company. Perhaps they will be able to haul the branch out of the way!
Oh no, you are in a cellular dead zone and there is no signal, so the calling option is out. What next? Well, with a little pushing and prodding, maybe you could clear the path yourself? After an exhausting attempt you quickly realize this is not going to work either. Time out is called for, so you may rally all your brilliant thoughts to reach a viable and successful conclusion.
Then you have an inspired idea. If all else fails, maybe you can navigate around the branch just enough to get free and clear, and continue on your merry way? You try and…well, lo and behold, that worked amazingly well!
The Spiritual Symbolism Of The Pelican
When a bird flies directly onto your path, or you see images or photos of the same bird repeatedly, within a relatively short space of time, this is often a spiritual sign that the energy of this bird is calling or guiding you.
I live on the coast and I am lucky to be able to watch various seabirds, and encounter other birds drawn to the local water ways. The pelican is one bird that has specifically caught my attention. The day I was inspired to paint this amazing bird, he literally strutted down the hallway of my home!
Even to this day, pelican continues to literally soar into my experience whenever I need to draw on his wisdom. Even though they seem large and clumsy, there is something gentle and caring about their nature. If pelican has waddled or soared onto your path, let his wisdom and symbolism guide your way.
I started building my connection with the pelican’s energy by observing and sketching the local birds. Through the process I found a sense of awe for the pelican’s beauty, which was a shift in my perception, as I had never before considered them to be very attractive birds.
I also noticed they followed a set routine, and similar flight paths, depending on the weather. It inspired me to become more aware of my own patterns and habits. At this time my work schedule had become somewhat unbalanced and dysfunctional, without me being aware of the impact. Pelican taught me that it is vital for my self-care to ensure that I work within a routine and structure that better supports my creative outlets and energy levels.
Spiritual Awakening ‘Turns On The Light’
What exactly is a spiritual awakening, and is there a way you can tell if you are having one? Here are some ways to be aware of what is happening to you.
The first sign is usually when you are no longer living in a ‘dream world,’ where you used to see everything through your human ego and you were overly focused on the future and your past. This is a clear sign that you are becoming more spiritually aware. You have a greater awareness of your individual self and the connection between that and everything else. Things start to come into better focus in your life and make more sense.
When you closely examine various religions and faith traditions, there is usually a common thread that describes this state of heightened awareness as nirvana, enlightenment, or awakening. This new consciousness happens when you stop being the observer, and instead ask yourself, who is observing?
Many people go through life on ‘autopilot,’ because that is what they were taught, or they simply fell into a routine without giving much thought to who they really are, or what they truly need or desire to make their life meaningful. Asking such questions about yourself is important for your personal growth and self-realization. It is ‘turning the light on’ so to speak. The first step in growth is always the awareness of the present moment followed by an impulse to change something. Continue reading
From Believing To Knowing
“I wish I believed in the spirit world like you do,” my best friend commented many years ago. I then told her that it wasn’t so much a case of believing, but more of a matter of knowing.
Last week, a new friend asked me to teach him how to have this ‘knowing’ that I have. But I really have no idea how to do that? I never experienced a transition from believing to knowing. The ‘knowing’ has always just been there.
I have always felt that the spirit realm is our true connection to home. As the years passed, I began more and more to view planet Earth as our schoolroom. And boy can we get some lessons while we are here!
When I think back, I have recollections of spirit activity around me from when I was about five or six years old. My parents and I were living in Ottawa, Canada, at the time, where my dad had recently been employed. We were temporarily living in a creepy rental home, until my father found his feet and we would be able to move to a house with better vibes.
I recall seeing and hearing shadow beings in the hallway of that eerie house in Ottawa, and I remember telling my mother about the paranormal activity I sensed there. But she thought I was just imagining things, or seeking attention. I also recall lying in bed, scared, listening to what sounded like chattering voices. The energy in that old place wasn’t malevolent, but it didn’t feel benevolent either.
The most profound experience occurred when I was just nine years old. We had moved back to the United Kingdom and were visiting family friends. They were hosting a party, and the kids were sent off to bed, while the adults carried on with their social event below.
Your Soul Contract For Spiritual Evolution
Your soul is quietly pushing you to experience and achieve certain things in this lifetime, because before we came here we designed a soul contract. There are certain challenges and traumas we put into this contract, to elevate our consciousness. Through our tears we conquer our fears.
We don’t elevate all at the same rate. Our purpose here is to elevate spiritually as speedily as we can, without harming or hurting others. The purpose of our evolution process is to complete the contract, or fulfill the mission.
Each person’s journey is unique and very personal. Sometimes our families do not support us in our soul evolution, and friends may not understand what is going on in your life, but this is not about anyone else except you!
When we evolve spiritually, we develop a higher consciousness and become a better version of ourselves. But in order to elevate, we have to want to learn, grow and expand. In order to evolve, you have to let go of anything that is holding you back. People often struggle with this, but no matter what, we have to be willing to change and grow. To become our better self, we have to learn our lessons in this lifetime.
We all have our own path and our spiritual journey, because we have our own specific blueprint when we arrive on the planet. It pretty much outlines what we are intending to accomplish in this lifetime, and why we chose to come here at this time.
The Spiritual Symbolism Of The Peacock
The masculine energy of the peacock emanates self-assurance and confidence, and also represents pride and vanity. In the spiritual context, masculine energy is understood to be the active and doing part of nature – it is the force that compels us forward.
Given the uncertainty we are currently facing our world climate, we could all call on the energy of this spirit animal to provide us with the courage to step forward in new ways.
The peacock was the first bird to every appear in my artwork. Each time I was drawn to paint the peacock, I experienced major changes in my life, which involved either moving home or relocation, or taking another step to progress in my career.
The peacock (Pavo cristatus), also known as the Indian peafowl, has a long tradition of spiritual symbolism in many cultures and belief systems. The peacock (in contrast to the peahen) is known for the beautiful array of iridescent colors in his tail feathers, featuring the well-known mystical designs that look like eyes. Some of the key spiritual messages of the peacock include:
Confidence
As the vision for the peacock came to life on that first canvas, I gained a renewed sense of confidence with my own artwork. He reminds us all of the need to feel free, joyful and confident in how we express ourselves. When we have appreciation for our abilities, it gives rise to self-confidence.