self-worth
Calming The Stormy Waters Of The Inner Child
I walk on the beach daily, near my home. In fact, I often walk multiple times a day. This is my meditative and contemplative time, to reflect and see what areas in my life I can improve or change, what areas are working well, and what shifts are going on.
In the morning, the water can be as smooth as glass. This represents true peace, clarity and reflection. In the afternoon, the water can have three-foot to ten-foot waves, and the beach space that was so abundant in the morning, is gone. This represents the turmoil that is happening in my life and on our planet, or just what comes and goes in the daily news.
In the evening, the water settles down. It’s not quite as glass-like as in the morning, however it has a small and calming wave. This represents all the cleansing that happened during the day and the cleansing that is to happen through the night, bringing me full circle to another calm again in the morning.
Stop Comparing Yourself To Others
I believe that my own tendency to compare myself with others began at a young age, when my mother would constantly compare me to my cousins. For example, she would talk affectionately about their lovely physical attributes, like their thick hair, high cheekbones or deep-set eyes. Their personalities were louder and more assertive than mine too.
I was an overweight kid, and the more withdrawn I became, the more I would eat. I felt that my overweight was seen by others as greed, but I now believe I was layering deep insecure feelings.
I now know too that I was not meant to be like my cousins. In hindsight, I thank my mother for the life lessons. Perhaps she helped me in learning about insecurity and experiencing an inferiority complex. Today, I have a much deeper understanding of how my clients feel, when they don’t feel good enough. Or, as is often the case, when they are concerned about their children not feeling good enough for whatever reason. This is not always due to faulty parenting. Parents often suffer terribly when they see their kids, whatever their ages, suffer from lack of self-esteem. They see their kids as having every reason to be super-confident, yet witness them withdrawn and unhappy.
The Power Of Your Words
If only people realized how powerful their words are each time they make a statement. For example, I have heard some of my callers say things like, “I always attract partners who cheat on me.” The caller will be phoning in with hopes of getting a prediction which indicates a brighter future. And yet, in the meantime, they are programming their subconscious to accept their old negative dialogue.
I aim to help these clients understand that bringing about change is a process. To begin with, they truly have to want change. In truth, there are some individuals who derive a subconscious comfort from remaining stuck. Also, they need to feel worthy, which is why positive affirmations are so helpful.
Let Spirit Put Ego In Its Place
I recently had a conversation with a lovely, learned lady who was quite beside herself, because her husband of ten years simply got up and walked out on her… with no explanation whatsoever! She was understandably beside herself with shock and grief. I asked her what kind of relationship she felt they had and she assured me it was a very loving one. I find it almost impossible to believe that a loving, caring partner would all of a sudden just turn his back with all they had shared together and walk out the door, in what appeared to be a cold and callous man.
I then asked her why she felt they had such a good situation between them and she said it was because she loved him so much. She did all she could to keep him happy and satisfied. Well, now we were obviously getting somewhere. On further probing I found this man had been emotionally detached, and certainly oblivious to her needs. How can this, by any definition, be a warm and loving relationship?
Her ego most assuredly suffered a blow, but I do wonder where spirit was in all of this. It would make no sense to me if spirit accepted such a one-sided relationship that was completely devoid of any care or kindness.
My suspicion is that she had convinced herself that this ‘relationship’ had to maintain itself, or she would not be an ‘acceptable’ woman if she did not have a prominent male in her life, even under these trying conditions. There we go, when ego runs the show a myriad of pains can certainly appear on the horizon! Continue reading
The Truth About Dragons
Dragons are often relegated to the realm of myth, but in my experience the energy of these beings can serve as an ally in our everyday life. Dragons in the western tradition tend to have a bad rap. For example, in some Judeo-Christian theology, the dragon is considered a symbol . When I first encountered this type of being in my own life I was taken aback. My roots stem from the Judeo-Christian tradition and much of my training and personal evolution stems from this background.
In eastern cultures, dragons are looked upon in much the same way westerners consider angels. These beings bring with them blessings, help, and unique power to facilitate change. Dragons are also represented in the Biblical tradition as well, but they have a different name.
Several years ago, I had my first encounter with a dragon-like being. When I saw it I heard the word seraph, even though at the time I had little familiarity with the term. I looked up the term and the literal meaning of the word is, ‘flaming serpent.’
In my experience, the creature looked exactly like the traditional conceptualization of a dragon, with a few minor differences. I realized after this first encounter I had interacted with a seraph – one of the classes of angels. Continue reading
The Life Lesson Of Unconditional Love
I was talking to a friend one day about wedding vows. She is an articulate academic, and a really deep thinker when it comes to the breaking down of words and their more profound meaning. I asked her whether she honestly saw what was coming when her pastor recited the wedding vows ‘in sickness and in health’ and ‘for better or worse’ on the day of her wedding.
“No, I did not,” she replied. “I could never have imagined the turn our path together would take. And there were well-meaning people who warned me of what might lie ahead, and asked me if I knew what I was letting myself in for. But I loved him so much that I didn’t want to know. Besides, how would I have experienced those harsh, and lonely life lessons of living with a secret drinker if I had gone with my head instead of my heart. Not to mention the role played by ‘nature’s trap’… my hormones!” Continue reading