mental health
A Silver Lining In Times Of Uncertainty
We grow in our spiritual awareness and insight in different ways. Some of us read spiritual material by great authors, for example, and learn from their wise teachings, while others meditate and go deep within for guidance, and so on. However, in my experience the most powerful catalyst for spiritual growth is a time of trauma or crisis.
With the Covid-19 pandemic currently raging around the world, many people have lost loved ones, income, savings, businesses and homes. These losses can be devastating, especially when children are involved. Many people are in grief, many are lonely and isolated. Normal life has been greatly curtailed for many, with no clear end in sight.
It has also been an extremely stressful, challenging time for our essential frontline workers and healthcare professionals. The novel coronavirus has affected everyone to some extent, and it is during such trying times that many of us turn to Spirit, or the God of our understanding, and ask: why?
In these times our faith in a higher power, in ourselves, and in our world at large, becomes even more pivotal to our mental health and personal well-being. Hope and faith give us the strength and courage to carry on another day, regardless of not being able to see the end result at the moment. When we dig deep, we can often find untapped spiritual and psychological reserves, that we were unaware we actually had.
Although living through a global pandemic is an experience our generation has not encountered before, many of us are rising to the occasion by helping others in person, online or by donation.
People are also transforming from within. Many are becoming stronger, more resilient and positive, knowing that they will be able to surmount this challenge, and even support others throughout the ordeal too.
The Healing Embrace Of Mother Nature
Throughout my life, especially during the most difficult times, the one thing I have always been able to count on is Mother Nature. Gaia, the Great Mother, has always served me well.
I grew up in California, where there is an abundance of water: water falls, creeks, rivers, lakes and the spectacular Pacific Ocean. I had quick and easy access to hiking paths, and other adventures and recreational activities in the great outdoors. In fact, next to dance, hiking was my favorite form of exercise in my teenage years.
When times are difficult, I have always sought out nature. It is so much easier to block out other people’s negativity when all you can see is God’s magnificent creation. It’s divine intent, joy, beauty, harmony, balance, and timelessness.
In the arms of Mother Nature, there is the freedom to tune out all the noise and toxic energy of others…and just hear the voice of Go. It helps you to center yourself, and clear out the negative energy and drama other people sometimes bring into your life.
I find that those of us who live in large cities and urban areas are more likely to get swallowed up by the negative energy of others. We can simply not get away from it in our daily lives. Going back to a home every day, where there is still a lot of radiation and traffic noise, will not let you heal or reenergize.
We all need to take the time to hear our inner voice. No cars, no talking, no noise. Just our own thoughts and inner guidance. We must make time to just hear the voice of spirit within. Otherwise, the voice of the ego that we hear in our head becomes toxic with negative self-talk.
God’s natural world is a temple of healing, a shrine of grace, a sanctuary for the burdened soul. This is why nature must also be protected. By protecting nature, we are protecting God. Mature is a gift to us from Source. It belongs to all of us, including future generations.
How Sticky Notes Can Change Your Life
We live in a world where we are bombarded with negativity every day. Whether it comes from social media or the mainstream news, it’s easy to feel like you’re drowning in a sea of negative information and fear-based messages. And the more we are exposed to all this negative input, the more we internalize it, until it becomes part of our self-talk and general state of mind.
Fortunately, the solution to some of life’s most complex challenges can often be found in the most mundane. Enter the simple sticky note! By writing down simple, positive affirmations or slogans on a bunch of sticky notes, and placing them anywhere you will see them frequently, you can significantly change your inner dialogue from constant negativity and nay-saying to one of possibility, hope and optimism.
Choose simple, short affirmations that resonate with who you are, and what you truly want in life. Whether it’s something like, “I am worthy,” or “Love surrounds me,” or even, “I will get that dream job,” it will inspire you to change the narrative and negative self-talk each time you read one of these short statements out loud.
This technique always reminds me of the famous opening scene of the television cartoon, The Simpsons, with Bart Simpson writing a phrase over and over on the chalkboard. There’s actually some method in the madness of this old-fashioned way of disciplining schoolkids. When our brain repeats a word or phrase over and over again, new neural pathways are created with new associations. Saying something once or twice only, we’re just as likely to forget it. But if it’s something we repeat many times, our brain will literally change over time, and so will our patterns of thought, feeling and action.
It’s been shown that establishing a new habit, or making new behavior automatic, takes on average about two months. Try placing your sticky notes in those places you spend most of your time every day: in your workspace, your car, on the bathroom mirror, the kitchen refrigerator, or on your bedside table. The more you see (and repeat) the words written on them, the more you will start to transform your thinking.
Let It Go Like The Leaves Of Fall
Sitting at my living room’s huge picture window this morning, I saw the trees blowing in the wind outside and the colorful leaves that are slowly turning, before they will finally let go of those branches that they were a part of for so long.
The turn of the season is in full swing outside my window and the morning rain has passed. It is a typical fall day here. You really truly never know what you’re going to get with our weather. People often say the weather here is bipolar! We tend to get all the seasons in one day – summer, fall and sometimes even winter, all in one day!
Earlier it was raining outside – a great time for me to sit quietly and indulge in some deep mediation and chakra balancing. I do this to raise my vibration for the day ahead, which will include the channeling of messages for my clients, courtesy of their spirit guides, ancestors and dearly departed loved ones.
After calibrating my energy centers. I invited my main guide to share with me some general spiritual guidance that may benefit all of my clients today. Is there anything that I need to share with them at this time?
I closed my eyes and went in deep. My guide told me to help heal those who need it at the core level in these difficult times. I am to help them to let go of feelings that they have struggled with since childhood, and to replace it with healing light and invite in new, higher vibrations.
Keeping pent-up emotions is causing much dis-ease these days, and it has been hindering many people who will be approaching me today for help, spirit said. I need to plant seeds of healing in their minds and teach them that they have the power to do it too!
Will The Aliens Come And Rescue Us?
I don’t know if is due to the havoc that has been happening on our planet in recent months, but lately I have consistently been having an unusual, recurring thought. I have been wondering whether the aliens might be willing to come and rescue us? Unfortunately, my next instinct is usually, I doubt they will!
If we had the opportunity to express our fears and worries to highly-evolved extraterrestrial beings, and ask for their help, how would they respond?
Let’s say we tell them how terrified or confused we have been of this insidious new virus that has been spreading all over our world. Or maybe we would whine and fret over the changing climate, extreme weather patterns, pollution, the plight of the animals, or environmental decline. Or we might lament the many socio-economic hardships, cultural difficulties, psychological suffering and physical pain many of us face in our daily lives.
My guess is the aliens would immediately question our fears, and remind us that it only creates panic and paralysis. Fear does not heal, or solve problems. The aliens will also explain to us that while we are here in this particular plane of physical existence, there is great value in learning to creatively cope with all the trials and tribulations that are thrown our way.
Even though life’s setbacks may appear to be frightening and insurmountable at times, each time we accept the challenge, it will enhance our personal growth and spiritual expansion. We become stronger and wiser as spiritual beings, and with the conquering of every passing fear and obstacle, we become more adept at understanding the true purpose and meaning of life and our place in the Universe.
Your Eternal, Beautiful Soul
We are not just a physical body. We are spiritual beings and our soul is ageless and eternal. It never comes to an end. The soul is energy and merely takes on different forms. For energy cannot be destroyed, only transformed.
Your soul is currently manifested in a physical body, but you are not your body. Your soul is who you really are, the very core of your existence.
It is my belief that the soul chooses many new and different experiences as a physical manifestation, each time it decides to incarnate. Some of these physical experiences are very joyful and fulfilling, while other can be very challenging and evolutionary.
Many of us consider ourselves to be ‘old souls.’ An old soul is basically a person that seems to have deep wisdom, unusual insight, or profound compassion from their early childhood. As children they are often said to be ‘wise beyond their years.’
Old souls are often what others may call ‘the voice of reason.’ They tend to see all sides of a situation, or know just the right thing to say to help others with guidance, without dictating to them which path to take.
Most people are conscious of taking care of their body and mind, but not so much about taking the time to nurture their soul. To this day many scientists and medical experts still do not associate physical health and well-being with the mind-body-soul connection. Adding the soul to the wellness equation creates the best medicine possible, in my opinion.
Reset Your Spiritual Energy In Just Three Days
The Covid-19 pandemic has been a source of much fear, stress and emotional discomfort. Especially empaths and highly sensitive people are experiencing this very intensely and it has been overwhelming for many.
It is my belief and experience that we can manifest whatever we can clearly envision in our mind’s eye, as long as it’s for the highest good. And I have to wonder, why are there not more of us currently working towards shifting the world to become more healthy and safe for all of us?
The answer is very simple, but difficult to accept. We do have a choice with everything we do with our lives. However, we cannot make someone else choose the same manifestations that we choose. Everyone has free will. Some may choose to live in world of fear, anxiety, and chaos, while others choose peace, safety and harmony.
Maybe it is time for each of us to look at our life and decide what is most important to us. How do we want to live? What does our ideal or best life look like?
Know that you can create change in your life and in this world. You can start fresh by starting over. Do you realize that you create a tiny ball that you become stuck in, as you obsessively focus on your problems or issues in life. This ball expands like a snowball, but it feels tighter and tighter with each passing moment. You can crawl out of this ball of tension and fear by simply setting the intention to take three days and do the initial work to reset your energy focus. Continue reading