luck
Rebuild Your Trust In A Benevolent Universe
Have you ever watched a child learn to ride a bicycle? There is a certain excitement associated with this rite of passage as youngsters wholeheartedly embrace the possibility of being able to soon ride down the street without help.
The first time they get on a bike, they have no prior knowledge or experience to compare it to. Nevertheless, it is usually easy for most children to accept that they will be able to accomplish this task.
Most kids, in their innocence, focus on the joy, freedom and fulfillment of riding a bike rather than worrying about not being able to do it, let alone falling and getting hurt. They also don’t think in terms of good or bad ‘luck’ determining their ultimate success, nor do they imagine that riding a bike is a special gift, talent or privilege reserved only for certain people.
Perhaps this self-belief stems in part from an encouraging parent who has confidently assured the young person that they will indeed be able to achieve this skill. Perhaps the child has seen other children learn to do it and therefore trusts that they can do it, too.
The thing about children is not so much that they blindly or foolishly trust, but simply that, unlike most adults, they have not yet learned to distrust. Being able to trust as an adult is therefore not so much a matter of learning to trust, but of regaining the ability to trust that we once had, until we lost some or all of it through trauma, disappointment, betrayal, or hardship.
Frog’s Wisdom To Adapt To Change
I must admit, when I initially discovered that my spirit animal is the frog, my ego took somewhat of a dive! The frog is such a small, insignificant creature that is mostly overlooked, and certainly not the most attractive of species.
In had secretly hoped my totem animal might be a majestic, powerful animal that commands attention and is admired, even adored. But here was the tiny frog, my spirit guide.
However, once I uncovered some of the spiritual symbolism of this amazing little being, I soon grew to embrace its guiding presence in my life. Frog has in fact been teaching me much about myself, my path, and my place in the world.
The magnificent little frog’s most prominent attribute is its ability to adapt and transform. Frogs are all about change and new beginnings. They are also associated with purification, rebirth, and welcoming luck and abundance into your life. Frog is therefore the ideal power animal for anyone going through major changes in their life.
In my case, it was the opposite. Over the years, I had gradually developed a worldview that was somewhat stringent, restrained, and resistant to change. My inability to communicate with grace and clarity further complicated this outlook by causing me to become frustrated, and sometimes even angry and resentful.
The fact that I chose to perceive life in a self-limiting way was not apparent to me, until frog showed up. But with frog’s inspiration the realization started to sink in that it was not that the world was not kind, patient and accommodating towards me, but instead that I was creating resistance and that my needs and expectations were not always clearly expressed to others.
Miracles Happen Every Day
I’ve been very blessed in my work to hear so many people’s stories. Often in my yoga class, we take time for people to share their personal miracles and spiritual experiences. I’ve also had people tell me about miracles that have happened to them throughout their life, privately and in psychic readings.
One of my clients told me about the day she was sitting in her parked car with the window down. A young man suddenly came up to her and put a gun to her head. He demanded she give him her wallet. Then the gun accidentally went off, she believes, while it was pressed right up against her temple.
She instinctively closed her eyes when she heard the click of the trigger and the blast of gunfire. But then she opened her eyes and was still very much alive! The gun was still pressed up against her temple. She turned and looked at the young man, who had a terrified look of shock on his face. He immediately ran away.
Something had prevented that bullet from hitting her. When she called the police, she actually started wondering whether she might have imagined the gun going off at all? When we have time to think about something we tend to rationalize, and we may begin to think that perhaps we are delusional or making something up. However, the police did find a bullet hole in the side of her passenger door!
A student once told me that she had lost the diamond in her wedding ring. She was devastated and looked all over the house, at work, and even in her car…everywhere she could think of. She spent over a month looking for it, intentionally not vacuuming her car or house.
Transform Your Tomorrow With Gratitude Tonight
Have you ever had a ‘bad hair’ day? You know, one of those days where nothing seems to go right, including your hair refusing to cooperate? On days like that everything just feels off, and everything that can possibly go wrong does exactly that.
It’s a frustrating experience that can leave one feeling negative, stressed, and overwhelmed. Getting through the mess is one thing, but carrying this negative mindset to bed quote another. If one does not properly resolve the ‘bad hair’ state of mind by bedtime, it will adversely impact your sleep, as well as your mood the next day.
It’s easy to get caught up in a negative thought pattern and spiral into increasing stress, worry and anxiety, from one bad day to the next. Therefore it is vital to adopt a nighttime routine that will help you shift your mindset and promote a more positive outlook the next day. The best way to achieve this is to harness the power of gratitude.
The most common practice for this purpose is to keep a gratitude journal, but I prefer a more hands-on, practical approach. I do a simple ritual with a collection of small stones or crystals that I personally resonate with. I keep them in a bowl on my night table and in the morning, after I’ve made my bed, I place the stones on my pillow.
Then, at night, when I am getting ready for sleep, I sit on the side of my bed and pick up one stone or crystal at a time. I hold the stone in my hand and then think of something that I am grateful for that happened that day. It could be something as simple as a smile from a stranger or a compliment from a client. I focus on that experience or event, and feel the gratitude in my heart.
The Year To Reimagine Your Career
In numerology the year 2023 is a universal year 7 (2 + 0 + 2 + 3 = 7). This energy represents a unique convergence of creativity and practicality, and spirituality and materialism. This year brings with it an introspective, creative, transformative energy that is very favorable for anyone seeking to start a meaningful new project or business, or transform their career. It is especially ideal for anyone wishing to pursue a creative or spiritual career.
The number 7 is a mystical, highly spiritual number. It can further also be broken down into 3 and 4, because it is a prime number. This makes it a combination of creative, optimistic, lucky number 3, and practical, solid, grounded number 4. It is an ideal energy for personal transformation, reinventing career goals and innovative business plans.
However, to fully benefit from this transformative energy, significant soul-searching and self-reflection will be necessary for us this year. A fine balance will have to be found between analysis and logic on the one hand, and intuition and imagination on the other. This will empower us to set clear, powerful professional goals and better prepare us to successfully put our plans into action in 2024.
Next year will be universal 8 year, which symbolizes the flow of energy. It will be a strong year for material wealth, success and personal power. Next year will be spectacular for money and finance, business achievement, and professional success.
To make the most of this opportunity we need to utilize the creative inspiration and energy of self-knowledge and personal reinvention that 2023 offer us now to prepare. If we thoroughly lay the groundwork this year, we will be able to fully take charge of our career or business in 2024.
Creating A Brand New Life
Many teachers, philosophers and authors have said the same thing in different ways. We create our own reality; we are the masters of our own destiny.
Some of my favorite books with this message include James Allen’s As a Man Thinketh; Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich; Shakti Gawain’s Creative Visualization; Mike Dooley’s Manifesting Change; Deepak Chopra’s The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success: Bob Proctor’s You Were Born Rich; Rhonda Byrne’s The Secret; and Bud LaBranche’s audio recording What You Believe, You Become.
The average person has had access to this information for generations. For example, James Allen’s book was first published in 1903. If the universal Law of Attraction was indeed ever ‘a secret,’ it has not been so for at least a century. So, why don’t more of us apply it in our lives? Why don’t more of us take more control of our destiny and create the life we desire?
I think the first reason is that many people do not even think it possible. They choose to believe that life happens to them, instead of for them, and that they are merely meant to react to whatever comes their way in the best way humanly possible.
Others are so buried in the day-to-day chaos of their lives that they don’t have the time, nor the inclination to sit down and learn about a different way of living.
Then there are also those who believe that their life is simply pre-ordained, and they have minimal choice in the matter. For them there is no point in trying to get out of the rut in which they find themselves.
The Metaphysical Properties Of Houseplants
Many people who use houseplants to brighten their living space do not realize that they also have metaphysical properties to enhance our spiritual and energetic well-being. Plants, in addition to beautifying our environment, have mystical qualities, and also serve to purify and detoxify the air we breathe.
Herbs are especially powerful and traditionally associated with mental clarity, serenity, and purification. An ancient spiritual cleansing tradition is smudging in which the smoke of burning dry sage and other herbs is used to purify spaces and banish negative energies.
Many herbs are also edible and can be made into elixirs, teas, or potpourri mixes. Delicious and nourishing herbal teas are the perfect way to begin or end a day. Herbs can also be added to healing baths and to enhance nutritious food. Some of my favorites are lavender, mint, rosemary, and basil.
Herbs are easy to grow and do not take up much space. They are no doubt the most versatile houseplant, and even a small apartment can host a herb garden if it has a sunny windowsill.
If you’ve never owned houseplants before, begin with a succulent, such as a cactus or aloe plant. They don’t require much maintenance or watering. Many succulents have spines or spikes, which is why they are associated with protective energies and healing. They are the ‘armor wearers’ of the plant kingdom and keep feelings of despair, gloom, and anxiety at bay. Aloe is also well-known as a treatment for minor cuts, itches, and burns, so grab a piece if you have a slight accident at home and rub some on.