self-realization
The Shaman’s Schmetterling In Gottsdorf
In my previous blog I shared the story of the sign I received from the ancient oracle during my visit to the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. Well, the magical presence of the butterfly totem did not end with my visit to Greece. In all of the other countries I was to visit on this particular European tour, I would encounter butterflies at every sacred site, and during special moments I shared with significant others.
The miracle continued when I arrived at a country inn in Gottsdorf, outside Berlin, Germany. This was to be the venue for a four day meditation seminar I was attending. The event was set to take place in a cozy Yoga studio attached to the small hotel.
The moment I entered this room, I noticed a small altar the seminar organizer had set up for the time we would be working in this space. The display was charming and colorful, but that was not what drew my attention. No, what struck me instantaneously was the large, vibrant butterfly hanging on the brick wall behind the altar.
Yes, indeed. I had received yet another mystical route marker along this personal odyssey into self-realization. This time the butterfly was not black and white, like the one who came to whisper in my ear at Delphi. Instead a brightly colored paper butterfly waved hello to me from above! It was like a psychedelic kaleidoscope reminiscent of the shapes one sometimes sees in sacred geometry art… or tie-died T-shirts from the 60s. Continue reading
Nobody Deserves To Be Happy!
Many self-help gurus will espouse the virtues, the sheer righteousness if you will, of deserving to be happy. You deserve to be happy? What does this truly even mean? (meant to be read in a most sarcastic tone of voice with a slight touch of incredulity thrown in for good measure).
I take umbrage, I cry foul to this so called deservedness. What makes you so special? For that matter, what makes me so special? None of us deserve to be happy any more so than the next guy or girl.
People, living breathing people, are being subjected to atrocities all over our planet in ways that some of us cannot even bear to think about, because we’d never sleep cozy in our beds at night if we did. Aren’t these people deserving of this ‘happiness’ also? They often times don’t experience it, because of someone else’s pursuit of happiness. Continue reading
Simple Ways To Restore Daily Balance
Every day, I try to find balance in my life and put it into action, but sometimes it is hard to do. And sometimes it’s hard to see the whole picture of what you’re wanting to do, to have that sense of happiness and well-being in your life.
I find what works best to get me back on track is to center myself mentally first, before I take on any of the daily challenges of life. I admit that I often need a pop of the good old caffeine to get my mind and body going in the morning, but experience has taught me it is much more constructive to focus on something positive at that time. Once you start looking for alternatives to get your mind going, you will be surprised at how many things are easily available for this purpose. Continue reading
How To Heal A Broken Heart
It can be very difficult to heal from a broken heart. It is no accident that there are so many sad songs written about lost love, and so many stories in magazines and on talk shows about failed love relationships. Many self-help experts proclaim they have the true answer to how to heal a broken heart.
I know from personal experience that it can be one of the hardest things in life to understand and overcome. When I had my heart broken, I used music in healing process, because I could relate what the song was about. Some people prefer to write in a diary to process their thoughts and feelings; sometimes they even write a letter to the former lover to get a few things off their chest. Continue reading
Patience Is The Key To Building Bridges
New relationships are not easy. Building that bridge between yourself and another person might get confusing, because of the past. When two people meet for the first time it can be very exciting for them both, and they will most likely have that ‘glow’ that is so bright around them. You can usually see a change both of them.
But as time goes by, it sometimes happens that one person begins to pull away, or pushes the other person away, because of their fears. They become anxious that what had happened to them in the past, might happen to them today. False hopes and broken promises are part of the baggage most of us carry into new relationships. Continue reading
The Powerful Magic Of Being Authentic
If anyone were to ask me what the highlight of my life has been thus far, I would not even need a nanosecond to think about it. It is the easiest question I could ever answer. The most profound moment for me simply was the day I discovered the true power of authenticity. It was the day I discovered me.
Since that day, the quest for authenticity has completely altered my life. Like a Columbus of the heart, mind and soul I have hurled myself off the shores of my own fears and limiting beliefs, to venture far out into the uncharted territories of my inner truth in search of what it means to be genuine and at peace with who I really am. I have been abandoning the masquerade of living up to the expectations of others and have been exploring the new horizons of what it means to be truly and completely me, in all my amazing imperfection and most splendid insecurity. Continue reading
Turn The Mutterflies Into Butterflies!
We so often forget to use our imagination for good things and good thoughts. Instead we bog ourselves down with those constant negative what-if’s. We get a case of the ‘mutterflies’ because our tummies, our core, is in literal crisis with all the stress we load upon our minds, our bodies and our spirit.
This is my call to you, dear reader, to turn those mutterflies into butterflies!
Do you even remember what it is like to have a feeling of excitement, of anticipation, of hope? When I was a kid we described it as having “butterflies in the tummy”. We knew something good was going to happen and we were just so excited. So hopeful. So enthusiastic. Continue reading