life design
Thinking Of Yourself Less Often
The very first, and rather touching description of humility that I ever heard was during my earliest days of following a Twelve Step Program of Alcoholics Anonymous. I was read out by a man with 16 years of sobriety:
Humility is perpetual quietness of heart. It is to have no trouble. It is never to be fretted or vexed, irritable or sore. To wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed or despised, it is to have a blessed home in myself where I can go in and shut the door and kneel to my Father in secret and be at peace, as in a deep sea of calmness when all around and about is seeming trouble.
My mentor in that program told me to try kneeling in prayer. She told me this humbling posture would strengthen my intention of any prayer I was reciting. Continue reading
Traits Of Your Aquarian Child
A child born January 20th to February 18th is an Aquarius. Aquarius children are smart. They are philosophers and are drawn to spirituality – usually non-conforming.
They tend to be studious, but struggle with following a teacher’s curriculum and prefer reading their own books and following their own curriculum.
Aquarius children can be stubborn. They know so much that they think they are always right. Letting them know that they are wise and wonderful, but not always right will help them let in other’s ideas.
They are often natural debaters. Like most children, if they know they can negotiate, they will become manipulative and have a hard time accepting no. Continue reading
Release Yourself From Past Life Patterns
A few days ago my good friend Tom, whom I have known for a couple of years now, popped over for a visit – as he tends to do every now and again. Tom is quite smart and generally an all around nice, helpful person.
During the course of our conversations, Tom commented on the fact that although he is well into his 60’s now, his life has been somewhat dull and uneventful. He cannot understand why things for him appear to be always so bland and unexciting.
After a few probing questions on my part it soon became apparent that Tom had never really established any goals for himself and did not have any particular vision in mind for his future. There was never any thought of wealth or riches, aside from the fact he shared the hope of many of one day winning a lottery. He is just one of those individuals who believe that somehow the world would open up for him and life would take on a whole new meaning without any input from him. Continue reading
The Spiritual Symbolism Of Labyrinths And Mazes
As a child I always enjoyed visiting the English Tudor homes open to the public, particularly Hampton Court, which had a maze to run into, hide in the hedgerow, get to the centre and then find my way back out. Hearing the cackle and playful squealing of other children, even bumping into others as I turned a corner, and encountering many dead ends en-route to the centre, made for a thrilling experience.
I also remember at the circus being in a maze of the hall of mirrors and trying to find my way through so many weird reflections of myself. Frustration would rise up inside of me as joy turned to brief concern or panic. Later I moved to solving mazes in the puzzle books.
There is a distinct difference between a maze and a labyrinth. Mazes are often thought to have, in earnest been established circa 13th century, with one of the most famous being Hampton Court in England. Yet, in fact, maze-like structures were found under buildings from the Roman Empire days, and even used around castles in Medieval Europe to confuse the enemy. So, mazes demonstrated or represented a challenge, it creates the potential for confusion through its many changes in direction and dead ends, forcing one to retrace ones steps. Continue reading
Traits Of Your Capricorn Child
A child born between December 22nd and January 19th is born under the sign of Capricorn. It is helpful to know your child’s strengths and weaknesses to help guide them through life.
Capricorn is an Earth sign represented in the form of a sea goat – a mythical creature that is half goat, half fish. Capricorn is grounded, hard-working, opinionated, practical, good with money and ambitious.
They can be very romantic. They aren’t typically the emotionally or physically demonstrative kind, but they will surprise you with a sweet card or flowers. It helps to reward them when they show their vulnerability. Continue reading