self-compassion
Seeing Yourself As You Truly Are
The art of ‘being seen’ begins within. It is not in the eyes, or heart, of an external beholder. It is the grace of being able to see oneself through the Divine Eyes of our Creator.
Every soul is unique. No two are the same. Each soul emanates from the Supreme Loving Source to offer its unique beauty and pleasure to God in an incomparable, individual way. When we look at ourselves through this lens, the true beauty, light, and power of the spiritual spark of our being shines upon our inner vision.
Relationships offer mirrors too. But what they show vary according to the quality of the reflecting surface. And what we see in them depends upon how well we know, see, and stand in the truth of our own higher self.
For example, if I look at myself in a broken mirror, do I see a crack in my face? I might…if I am not sure of who I am. However, if I know myself to be whole, I can readily recognize that the crack is in the mirror, and not in my face.
Similarly, there are relationships in life that reflect broken images back to us. That does not mean that we are broken, nor that the other person or people involved are broken either. We all have wounds and scars and other gaping holes yet to be healed, or not.
Whatever the case may be, it is the relationship itself that offers up the reflective element. It is the dynamic of exchange that shows itself as either clean, clear, balanced, cracked, smeared, skewed, and so on.
Knowing oneself in truth and wholeness is thus extremely valuable. If we do not possess such certainty of self, we may accept a broken or distorted impression projected by an ill-functioning relationship to be a reflection upon ourselves.
A Sincere Apology Is Good For The Soul
One of the most difficult things in life is knowing when to apologize. It is obvious in some situations, but in others not so much. There are times when we need to weigh out all our options. Is the situation worth an apology, even if you are not the one who created a problem?
Knowing the right time to apologize is critical to the resolution. Was it done intentionally, or was it unintentional? Did the action cause others stress, worry, or pain?
You must also ask yourself if you can live without apologizing the rest of your life. Is it worth losing a friendship, leaving a group, resigning from a job, or not speaking to a family member ever again?
The good old Golden Rule can always come in handy in this dilemma. If you have done something that you would not want done to you, then apologize and seek atonement! Many people find it almost impossible to apologize. They struggle to acknowledge their own part in an argument or wrongdoing.
Some just do not seem to understand their actions were unacceptable, or they always feel that the world is out to get them. There is no compromise in their mind. They always try to twist every situation to make it seem like it is another person’s fault.
For some people, on the other hand, an apology seems to roll off their tongue a little too easily. When a sincere apology is made it must be followed by actions. Actions speak louder than words. By not repeating the offense, for example, it shows a true and sincere apology.
Sometimes all the other person needs to hear is a sincere, “I am sorry.” When we accept responsibility for our actions, we tell others we are sorry for hurting them. It is not always easy, but releasing guilt always is good for the soul.
Pay It Forward With Holiday Gratitude
As the year end approaches, most of us would normally be shopping, entertaining and gathering with friends and family to celebrate the various holidays and the New Year. Lots of special food, drink and laughter would also be the order of the day!
With a few exceptions, many of our usual traditions are however being curtailed this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, at a time when holiday shopping, traditional music and festive lights usually brighten the scene, many of us will have to be low-key and socially distanced, even isolated and alone.
In addition, although many people will be able to celebrate virtually, those with limited access to technology will not, so some loved ones will be forced to limit their contact to the telephone only, or even do without.
It is therefore even more important this year to think of those who will not be able to find an easy way to compromise or ‘make-do’ with alternative online shopping or virtual socializing.
Give thought to those you personally know who may have been cut off from their usual social activities, friends and relatives. Perhaps you can make an extra phone call or two, or send an old-fashioned Christmas card by postal mail, or surprise them with the delivery of an unexpected little gift.
Let just one person outside your intimate family circle know that they are still in your thoughts, even though you cannot visit or see them in person. It can make really make a world of difference for someone who is unable to get out to visit friends, or welcome family this year.
Many people have also lost loved ones in recent months and will be grieving this Christmas, instead of celebrating. If you know someone who is in this predicament, do reach out to them and offer a comforting word and some emotional support. Even just a little can go a very long way!
Time To Cleanse The ‘Energy Clutter’ Of 2020
The year 2020 is coming to an end. It has been a challenging year for most of us, to say the least. Some have lost everything that they thought was important in their lives, while others discovered what truly is important in their lives.
In many cases, the material and superficial things that we used to cherish so much have now been replaced by the simple longing to just hug a loved one, touch a friend’s hand, or just be part of a crowd of like-minded people at a music festival or sports event.
It has indeed been an exceedingly difficult year for our relationships, social life, careers, businesses, finances, and especially our mental health and well-being. The lockdowns, social distancing and mask wearing (or lack thereof) has been taking its toll.
Mental illness is said to at an all-time high, and suicides rates have increased significantly. Families will be celebrating the holidays this year without one or more of their family members, and many are having to grieve the tragic passing of a loved one.
You may look at all this stress, chaos and suffering, and ask yourself if any possible good can come from the events and circumstances of the past year?
Well, I do believe 2020 to be the best opportunity we will ever have in our lifetime to truly find the deeper meaning and purpose of life. This is the ideal time to identify everything that is not important in our lives and release what no longer serves us.
This is a time to cleanse your aura, clear your vibration, and discard the ‘energy clutter’ in your life. Loving and caring for yourself is fundamental at the moment. Be kind to yourself and do not judge yourself harshly for things you have no control over. Just do the best you can with what you have and take it one day at a time. We are simply being sidelined for a period of time. This to shall pass.
White sage is my go-to for clearing my living space and my personal energies. When bad vibes and negative energy clutter start to pile up, I take a few moments to simply breathe and relax, cleanse my aura with white sage, then breathe again. It lifts my inner being.
How To Have Peace And Calm This Christmas
The year 2020 has been quite a year! The pandemic has turned the world upside down. Given what we have all been through, there is now an increased emotional need to have something to celebrate, and with Christmas around the corner, we have just that.
However, as magical a time of year as Christmas may be, it can still be somewhat stressful, and this year may prove even more challenging due to the need for safety precautions, social distancing and travel restrictions.
Nevertheless, with a little pre-planning, you should be able to get your Xmas off to a good start and enjoy the celebrations to the maximum without experiencing too much stress and drama in the process! How good is that? Here’s how.
Set Clear Intentions
Given the kind of a year we have experienced, we can indeed be excused for not celebrating a perfectly traditional Christmas this year. We are now in an excellent position to enjoy the kind of Christmas that we prefer.
Let go of the idea this year that Christmas must be ‘perfect,’ and that you must make it that way for everybody. Set instead a clear intention for what your ideal Christmas will be. After that, all you need to do is make plans that go along with your vision. Having established what Christmas really means to you, you can then use it as a guide to prepare your celebrations.
Keep It Simple
Simplicity ensures peace and calm, whereas complexity causes stress and drama. It really is as simple as that! It is imperative that any Christmas plans you make are as simple, straightforward and as streamlined as possible. Doing so should help to create a sense of calm and empowerment, which you will no doubt need to take into the New Year with you.
The Joy Of Being Your Authentic Self
Many people feel forever discontented, because they are constantly trying to find ‘happiness.’ However, like love, there is no real limitation to the experience of joy and fulfillment in our lives.
Joy is not something that we find outside of ourselves, but rather the unconditional expression of our authentic self. It cannot really be found through chasing ‘happiness.’ Joy comes when we are free from fear, worry, resentment, blame, guilt, criticism, and judgment – whether it is the practice of these things, or the fear of them.
True joy comes from just being yourself, which requires that you learn to accept yourself as you are, with all your unique quirks. Without this authentic expression of the self, we will always feel incomplete.
The Univeral Law of Attraction states that we attract our life experiences based on our state of consciousness and our energy frequency. Joy is a state of consciousness that is limitless, because your authenticity is unending and expansive. In other words, being joyful brings about more joy!
The trouble with chasing happiness is that it becomes a frustrating ‘wild goose chase.’ We try and manipulate circumstances, or we rely on chance, or other people, to bring us fulfillment. Neither works. Have you ever tried to change another person? How did that go?
There are two caveats to this. First, true joy does not mean that you are happy all the time. Yes, you experience happiness more often, because you are aware that whatever negative feeling you may be having is only temporary.
Some people try and feign happiness thinking that these universal spiritual laws can be tricked. There is no twisting of spiritual truth. There is no amount of ‘happy thoughts’ or positive thinking that can shift one’s inner reality. Only true authenticity brings joy.
There Is Magic In Sending Yourself Flowers
I recently had a client who called in for a psychic reading, who told me that she had recently sent a bouquet of flowers to herself, and had it delivered to her at work.
At first I thought it odd, but then, after having some time to think about it, I realized what a brilliant idea it actually was. Such a simple, yet powerful act of self-love. How often do we do nice things for ourselves in this way?
We are often so consumed with other people’s attitude or behavior toward us, or seeking the love and approval of another, that we forget to love ourselves first. For once when we truly love ourselves, we can receive so much more of what we’re looking for from others, and we are also able to love others more, in a way that they too deserve.
My client who sent flowers to herself also told me that she found it oddly synchronistic that the very first bouquet she spotted, on the first floral website she visited, contained two flower varieties that were highly significant to her. These flowers represented happy moments she has shared with the man she loved, and also held for her a secret, intuitive message that she considered a sign.
It made me think of the basic principle of the Law of Attraction. The energy we put out, is what we ultimately get back. My client was not only sending love to herself with these flowers, she was also working a little bit of magical alchemy without even realizing it!