life lessons
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
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
Who Is Your Soul Family?
When we hear the term ‘soulmate,’ we usually think of romance. But did you know you have an entire soul family here on Earth? Who are these people, and how do we find them?
Your soul family are those people you’ve probably known over many lifetimes, and whose auras and experiences are similar to your own. When you meet one, you may find yourself drawn to him or her, even if there are differences in background, age, or culture.
As with all good friends, a soul family member will instinctively understand and support you. When you meet for the first time, you might have a conversation that lasts for hours. And you’ll always be happy to see them, even on your worst days. It’s almost like being in love, but purely platonic…though you might wish you could marry the person, even when they’re not your preferred romantic gender. Continue reading
Is There Such A Thing As Destiny?
During a recent visit to my dentist, Daniella, I managed to ask her a couple of questions about her background. For obvious reasons one rarely gets a chance to say much to one’s dentist!
Daniella is a very professional, natural young woman, and I asked her how she ended up studying dentistry in Spain, as I knew she’d spent her early years in England. Her father is Spanish and her mom is English, and this prompted me to ask how her mom and dad met.
I must admit, the first thing that would come to most people’s minds is that Daniella’s mom might have fallen in love with a young, dark and handsome young Spaniard, whilst holidaying in Spain in the Seventies. It wasn’t like that at all. Continue reading