serenity
How To Be A Clear Channel
It is said that we are spiritual beings having a physical or human journey. I often also hear people say that some people are ‘more spiritual’ than others. I cringe whenever I hear such things, because we all come from the same Source, which means that there is no differentiation between any of us.
In fact, in nearly every spiritual tradition the term ‘spiritual’ is derived from one of two words. It either comes from the word breath, or it comes from the term life source. This means that everyone that is alive and breathing is equally spiritual, no matter who they are.
It is true that there are some people who may be more effectively walking a ‘spiritual path.’ This is because such people embody spiritual principles to a greater degree, or are more in alignment with certain spiritual principles, such as love, joy, peace, and serenity. But we are all ‘channeling’ spirit at all times, because we are all spirit at our core.
So, what does it mean to ‘channel’ spirit? Many believe that there are distinct supernatural components to being spiritual, which may sometimes be the case. However, channeling spirit simply means to live in such a way that you actually embody the primary spiritual principles.
Channeling spirit is simply living a life that exudes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. These are principles that show up in nearly every spiritual tradition or belief system. In Christianity, for example, these principles are known the Fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Choosing Love And Expecting Miracles
I begin each day with the affirmation, “I focus my attention on the love that is around me, and I expect miracles.” After saying this affirmation of faith, I step back and watch the many miracles of the day unfold.
I learned this, and many other spiritual techniques, from the author and speaker, Gabrielle Bernstein. The daily result can be as simple as coming across a favorite book in a second hand shop, knowing it is Universe’s way to tell me that it’s time to read it again… or realizing that I hit every green light on my way home!
When the Universe blesses you with such miracles, big or small, it’s important to say thank you. Your relationship with Universe should always be an ongoing conversation, in the same way you would with a close, loving friend. Connecting with the Universe daily, is the key to receiving these miracles.
If you want to be on a powerful spiritual path, meditation is the best way to get there. Even if you have to start by sitting silently and simply listen to your breathe for a few minutes, you can begin to feel the benefits almost immediately. Continued meditation can lead to amazing miracles in your life, and also offers you less stress, reduced chance of depression, calmer mind, and the ability to have successful relationship.
I argue less with my husband since I started meditating, for example, and our relationship has grown stronger (another miracle). In times of crisis I have also been able to reduce my stress significantly, compared to what it used to be before I chose to meditate (another miracle).
Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired
I first learned of the HALT acronym when I joined Alcoholics Anonymous many years ago. In hindsight, had I applied its simple, yet powerful technique, I might have avoided several slips along the path to my sobriety. I also realize now that the HALT concept is an integral part of loving ourselves, and it thus assists us more on our spiritual path to greater serenity.
HALT is an acronym for:
H – Never get too Hungry
A – Never get too Angry
L – Never get too Lonely
T – Never get too Tired
During one of my heavy drinking episodes, many years ago, I was working a job which required me to be away from home constantly. I was working extensive and erratic hours with a team of co-workers who were all heavy drinkers.
At this time I was subject to everything in the HALT scenario. I was often hungry, because we were pretty much on call to travel anywhere in the world at a moment’s notice. I never knew when I would next be able to eat. In hindsight, I guess I could have been better prepared with personal emergency provisions, but we were always promised that the next trip wouldn’t be so grueling.
I was also constantly angry at the company for exploiting me. The amount of erratic and long hours we slaved was not what we had signed up for.
Connecting To The Universal Power
I have been in a very contemplative situation lately; probably because there have been so many deaths of loved ones that I have been so attached to. We all accept the idea that one day we will leave this existence and move on to another. But what happens in between? Where do we go immediately after leaving this realm? Is it safe? Will we enjoy it there? Do we get to come back? All of the above may be a small part of what plagues us, while we are trying to establish and maintain ourselves in the meantime.
My greatest desire for myself right now is to find a way to connect to the grand Universal Power and to solidify that connection. This will enable me to go about my daily existence with inner peace and calmness, and not allow myself to get mired down in the minutia of circumstances that I cannot change.
My first step is to understand why I am here. I feel part of the reason I incarnated into this world was first of all to help repair my karmic debt, by becoming immersed in some pain and suffering as a human being. There is no other world that I have been made aware of that would enable me to do this.
Near-Death Experiences Teach Us About Living
Near-death experiences have been in the public consciousness for some time now. The experience itself is rather universal across different cultures: a feeling of peace and serenity, as well as a glimpse of the world beyond, before returning to this life. Each of these experiences has a lesson to be learned for those still living, no matter who the survivor may be.
Maybe the most widely reported feeling by those who have had a near-death experience (NDE) is a renewed sense of purpose and meaning. A mundane life may lack these qualities (we think) until a brush with death reminds us why we live, and for whom – ourselves, our loved ones. Additionally, even those who previously said they were not spiritual may find themselves more drawn to the Divine and the mysteries of the Universe following a NDE.
Are You A Magnet For Drama And Chaos?
One of my clients recently relocated to a quieter area, after many years of living a city life. Naturally, she was anticipating a more tranquil existence in her new rural setting, as well as in her new job in a ‘not-so-corporate’ environment. But her new lifestyle did not live up to her expectations. Her geographical change still brought with it a fair amount of chaos.
“What is it with me?” she asked me. “I am like a magnet for drama, and I want the chaos to stop!” Although I kept my focus on doing a reading for her with psychic tools, this was quite a challenging question or me personally, because I had, in fact, also been attracting my own share of drama these past few years.
From my own experience, I know that a certain amount of drama can feel temporarily invigorating, as it prompts the body to produce an adrenaline rush. It can produce a pleasant surge of energy. But it can eventually become particularly debilitating when we are in continuous adrenal overdrive. It’s not an advisable state to be in constantly. After all, we are spiritual beings in a body, and spiritual teachings advise a balance of work, sleep, rest and play!
Learning To Deal With Toxic Individuals
If, as many teachings suggest, there is spiritual growth in every experience, and in particular the more difficult times, then being strongly affected by another person’s negative behavior must also be one of life’s lessons.
I have been pondering this because of the increase in psychic reading calls I have been getting related to this very topic. Some of my clients have been profoundly upset lately by the negative outbursts of people in their lives, including family, friends, partners, work colleagues, or even random altercations in public places.
I love these words from the poem Desiderata: “Avoid the loud and the aggressive – they are vexations to the spirit.” How very true. However, more often than not, we are not in the position to avoid those individuals altogether, in order to escape their toxic influence. Even in a friendship turned sour, we often want to give the toxic friend the benefit of the doubt, knowing that they don’t always behave that way. We might even be in love with a negative person, hoping we can change them one day. Continue reading