life lessons
The True Meaning Of Bliss
I have been contemplating how often a friend’s photo on social media, a call from a customer, an advertisement, the written word, or an overheard phrase has triggered a really significant memory for me. This was the case again last night, when the word “bliss” featured in a commercial for chocolate on my TV screen. For some reason this prompted a memory from many years ago.
I was working temporarily in a retirement home as a caregiver. Although I didn’t have long-term plans to remain in that job, I loved working with the old people, and used to give them reflexology treatments and healing massages in my free time. The short treatments gave them great relief, and they began asking if I would come back and help them again.
This caused a lot of animosity with the rest of the staff, who were already unfriendly towards me. They made it clear that I was not ‘one of them’. I was the outsider, and not from ‘their village.’ The home’s matron asked me to stop doing any healing or therapeutic work with the residents, because it was not in my job description. Continue reading
Cats Are Great Spiritual Teachers
When I think of the word love I think of my two cats. I have two cats and love them dearly. Most of the people I know also own cats, but we all seem to agree that we don’t really own our cats… our cats own us. We also agree that our lives are better, sweeter and more peaceful with our sweet precious cats. I feel a home isn’t truly a home unless there is a cat that dwells in it.
Cats are highly intuitive and very sensitive. They sense energy and can pick up on static electricity, ultrasonic sounds and changes in vibration. The cats I have lived with over the years always informed me in their own unique way of impending earthquakes, or some form of extreme weather that was approaching. Continue reading
Your Pain Is Telling You Something
Spirit recently communicated the power of pain and the importance of forgiveness to me in a way I had never quite conceptualized before. Pain is a natural process of the human experience. It is a messaging system that tells us something is not quite right with our situation.
This is true for our physical body, as well as our emotional body. The difference between the two is that physical pain is often more easily recognized, and the appropriate steps to relieve and even to heal the pain can be taken when it is recognized. Emotional pain, however, is more often left unrecognized, or the messages that are being sent are pushed aside.
Both men and women are taught to suppress their pain. Traditional adages like, “boys don’t cry,” or “keep a stiff upper lip,” are reflections of emotional ignorance. We now also live in a society where we are being medicated for emotional issues at rapidly increasing rates, which only adds to the ignorance of our emotional state. Continue reading
Helping Each Other On Our Spiritual Journey
At some point in our lives we all cross paths with an individual who has a more profound effect on us than anybody else ever will. Sometimes these memorable encounters are due to something someone said at a critical phase in our lives, and their words then echo on in the years ahead. Or it may be a kindness someone shows us unexpectedly.
Such was the effect of a fascinating man I met more than 20 years ago. Paul is an esoteric counselor and I studied palmistry with him, as well as having past life regression under his supervision. The past lives revealed during our sessions had a big influence on me to this day. They are as crystal clear as when I was regressed by him over two decades ago. Continue reading
Think Spring – A Message From My Guides
In the northern hemisphere the Spring season is now heralding warmer weather and new growth after a long, dark winter. With the blossoms that bring the promise of luscious foliage come the thoughts of new beginnings and infinite possibilities.
Every day you have the opportunity to create your own personal Spring. Yesterday has passed and tomorrow is but a thought. Today counts. This is the day over which you can have some control. This is the day wherein you can make commitments, keep promises and deliver expected results. Today is the day that you can help one another toward success. Today is the day that you can promote love and healing. Today is the day to listen, express empathy and support others. Today is the day you can be true to yourself. Today is the day wherein love triumphs. Continue reading
Finding Healing In This Life, Or The Next
We often do not realize the myriad of ways in which each of us, in our own unique way, touch other souls on a daily basis. Often we do this with just a kind deed, word or physical touch.
Healing doesn’t have to be expressed in the laying on of hands. Just being in a person’s presence can, in itself, be a healing experience. Being a good listener, speaking or writing from your heart can be just the medicine another soul needs. Sending out healing in the form of good intention, or prayer and meditation has a strong healing vibration.
I just had a phone conversation with a close friend overseas, who reminded me of the aromatherapy and reflexology sessions she used to have with me. In those days our relationship was still of the customer-therapist variety. Gradually a friendship grew with both her and her family. I always set my intention to help customers to the best of my ability. In my aromatherapy and reflexology days, I used to ask for my guides’ input in choosing the best oils to assist with healing, or with a specific ailment. I believe that my guides’ input was as significant as mine, and perhaps, even more so. Continue reading
Grief As A Spiritual Life Lesson
Just under a decade ago, a decision I made to let my eight and a half year old Rottweiler Sophie go, was one of the hardest things I have ever been faced with. Sophie had suddenly become ill over the course of four days and nothing could have prepared me for the subsequent grief. Although time heals, I still recall the way it felt when she was gone – like my heart was being ripped from my chest.
Grief can be described as the universal response to loss, and a very natural, yet terribly painful internal process. When there is a significant change, or loss in one’s life, grief is both a physical and emotional response to that change. Grief brings its own stresses, and continued grief actually compromises our immune system, because all cells in our bodies are affected by intense emotions. Continue reading