setbacks
Who’s To Say If It’s Good, Or Bad?
Who’s to say if it’s good, or bad? There is a wise Buddhist children’s story I often read to my son that answers this question.
A young boy tells his father in a panicked, desperate tone, that his horse has gone missing. He is obviously very distraught and terrified he will never see his horse again.
The father says, “Who is to say that this situation is good, or bad?”
The son, of course, is confused. How could the loss of his horse not be a bad thing?
They go out into the woods to search for the horse. After many long days, they eventually find the horse. It has since made friends with a wild horse.
The father turns to the son and says, “See? Now you have two horses!”
But on the way back home the son stumbles and injures his leg. Again, he is miserable and terribly distraught. He tells his dad this is the worst possible thing that could happen. Now he will not be able to ride his horse.
His father says, “Who is to say that this situation is good, or bad?”
Of course, the son is perplexed and cannot figure out how injuring his leg could possibly be a good thing?
A week later, some of the son’s friends come to visit him. They tell him that they have been commanded to head out to war, along with all men over the age of 18. They tell the son he is lucky to have broken his leg, because now he would not be required to go to war with them.
Over the years, I have known many people, especially energy healing clients and Yoga students, who had suffered serious illness or injury…who later said it actually saved their lives, or brought them significant personal and spiritual growth, joy, fulfilment, and even bliss.
The Stages Of True Love
When we fall in love with a potential life partner, we need to understand the lessons and challenges it may bring. Couples grow further with each of these organic stages, and we can learn much about ourselves, as well as our beloved’s life, needs, wants, wishes, goals, and desires.
Those who do not make it through the initial stages will not stay together for very long, and if they do it may become a very toxic relationship situation. Meeting someone is only the first step of the journey. For lasting happiness and fulfillment, we must complete all the stages successfully.
The Matching Stage
Take a moment to feel each one of these checklist items and apply it honestly to your current relationship situation:
1: Attracted to what your eyes see.
2: Appearance, feeling comfortable with their way of dressing
3: Mannerisms, how they hold and present themselves.
4: Voice. Their voice sound has a comforting feeling.
5: Speech. The words they use resonate with your communication style.
6: Values. Does their values line up with yours in life?
7: Lifestyle. Does it blend with yours?
8: Obligations. Are they something you can accept?
9: Goals in life. Matching your goals is a must.
10. Past Experience, can you understand and let go of these.
Boldly Into The Future With Jupiter In Pisces 2022
It’s a new year and I feel the need to exhale and wipe the sweat off my forehead. We all made it through a very intense 2021. I know I’m not the only one to feel the sense of relief.
Astrologically speaking, Saturn square Uranus was no laughing matter in 2021. I personally know many people whose lives were shaken. We’ve all taken a hit from the pandemic, losing loved ones, jobs, and our emotional sense of security (Uranus in Taurus).
And then for a brief time, from May until July, Jupiter, the planet of hope, freedom, and happiness, dipped its big toes into the ocean of Pisces with many public health precautions lifted and optimism returning.
We nervously stepped out, albeit a bit ‘grungy’ looking. Fashion became comfy loungewear, the beards were left bushy, and women owned their greys. But we ventured out of our caves and life began to stir as the sun’s rays nourished our now socially awkward selves.
It was nice while it lasted.
Then Jupiter went back into Aquarius, once again cohabiting with the Scrooge of the planets, Saturn, and we went back into our cocoons, experiencing increasing shell shocks as Saturn and Uranus completed their final square dance right before Christmas. Polarizing politics, flights canceled, families torn asunder.
And many celebrity deaths in the news this past two years, including our beloved Betty White to close out 2021.
But, the first four months of this year we will once again feel the benevolent optimism, miracles and good fortune of Jupiter returning to Pisces shining its light in the world! Jupiter will do the same again at the end of October to finish out the year.
Maybe It’s Time To Dream Big Again!
The first week of a brand-new year is an opportune time for reflection on the past year, and an opportunity to visualize the upcoming year with fresh optimism and conviction.
For most of us, the past two years have been difficult and even overwhelming with various social restrictions, stress, political upheaval, illness, anxiety, fear, grief, financial loss. We endured a roller-coaster of events that made us hopeful yet kept us off-balance. Our lives and daily routines have been repeatedly disrupted.
However, in spite of the various set-backs, we made it. We showed courage, strength, perseverance and the ability to bounce back. We can now face 2022, trusting that we are slowly but surely heading in the right direction.
So, take a minute to pat yourself on the back. Reflect on some of the hurdles you overcame in 2020 and 2021, whether they involved financial strain, health challenges, family issues or unpredictable relationships. Regardless of the outcomes, you can rest assured that you did the best you could with what you knew at the time. We can take pride in the fact that, despite the constant setbacks and obstacles, we somehow figured things out and made it work. Job well done!
Now, let’s look to the future for the year 2022. Maybe it’s time to dare to dream big? Think of all the things you would like to accomplish over the next twelve months. What would joy, fulfillment and happiness look like for you?
Does it involve changes to be made regarding lifestyle choices, personal responsibility, or perhaps self-care? Might your happiness involve the mutual support of friends and family with group goals? Is a well-deserved vacation long overdue? Would taking a course, conducting some personal research, or working more efficiently improve your chances for a promotion or starting that new business?
Reversing The Reversals
You’re moving at a breakneck pace and everything is going like gangbusters. Good health, great job, satisfying relationship. You just moved in with the person of your dreams and you’re banking some major coin that gives you many options in life. Travel, designer clothes, flashy car with all the latest bells and whistles. You’re the belle of the ball, the center of attention, feeling like Ms Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With The Wind.
Any problems you might have, like those recurring nightmares in which you’re being chased and can’t get away, you simply disregard. You’ll rather think about it tomorrow. Every morning you simply turn a blind eye and start another glorious day. Today is good, forget about last night. No time to see the truth in the rear view mirror.
And then a global pandemic hits. Suddenly the entire world is reversed and upside down. Everywhere people are dropping out and tuning into misery. You’re stuck at home with your new live-in partner who no longer looks so shiny, neither does the new car, even with all those bells and whistles.
You’re feeling shell-shocked, overwhelmed, scared. You feel like a trapped lab rat, waiting for an insidious disease to strike. Meanwhile you are getting a crash course in relationship 101, learning about all your partner’s peccadilloes, those annoying little quirks and habits you used to find so cute. Then the awesome job goes away, and you and lab rat partner are left to fight all the time. One of you needs to leave. But neither of you can go anywhere.
All you can do is go within. Sleep becomes a refuge, until those nasty nightmares become more of a reality to you than your waking life. And now you feel like a zombie; the dead version of your former vibrant self.
This is what’s called a reversal in life. Dramatic? Yes. Depressing? Absolutely. We all encounter it from time to time, the reversals, the spiritual contrasts. Sometimes not quite so dramatic, other times even more so.
The Power And Beauty Of Your Inner Divine Light
A friend recently asked me to help her hang a new chandelier. And reluctantly, I agreed to give up my treasured Sunday evening movie time to help with the project.
Arriving at her house, I found her with a very heavy box nearly five feet tall. At first, I could not fathom the actual size and shape of the chandelier hidden beneath the layers of packaging and thick pieces of unyielding plywood and cardboard.
I was surprised to eventually find what seemed like a chaotic mess of tangled wires affixed to hundreds of tiny quartz crystals. Could it be a warehouse or shipping mishap, I wondered?
I stepped back and took a deep breath, asking myself if I had maybe taken on more than can handle. But before I could speculate any further, my friend proceeded to life up the chandelier to allow each of the seemingly coiled wires to gently fall into place!
I was amazed at how something that appeared so entangled and messy one moment, could suddenly transform into this breathtaking spectacle of sparkling light. Then we added the large quartz stones for the ends to complete the fixture, and soon it was hanging in my friend’s dining room. And I stood back in awe of its magnificent beauty. I was speechless.
This experience reminded me of those times in life when everything seems to be upside down and off-kilter. Those unexpected situations that render us temporarily overwhelmed. I have no shame in admitting that I have succumbed to feeling somewhat defeated in moments like that.
But what I have also learned with the guidance of Spirit is there is always the opportunity in our lives to transform with just a little bit of courage and perseverance a seemingly messy dilemma into something positive and beautiful. No matter how difficult a situation might appear, there is always a silver lining. Continue reading
Honor Your Goals And Dreams
Sometimes the goals and dreams we aspire to remain dormant, because it may seem daunting, challenging, or even impossible. But these ambitions deserve their rightful place in our lives. There is certainly no shame in dreaming big, but there is potentially much disappointment in giving up on one’s goals and dreams too easily.
Several modern technologies, such as motion pictures, sound recording, alkaline batteries, the telephone and the electric light bulb, that we take for granted today were once deemed impossible, until Thomas Edison defied all odds and made scientific research the focus of his life.
At just 12 years old, Edison lost hearing in one ear and was nearly deaf in the other ear, but instead of feeling defeated he used this traumatic loss to increase instead his ability to focus. From a tragedy emerged an uncanny gift for unrelenting concentration for hours at a time without distraction.
Edison subsequently honored his dreams and transformed our world with many great inventions that have impacted out lives exponentially. His industrial research lab was established in 1876 and was one of the first laboratories that welcomed teams of scientists and inventors to participate in the process of invention.
The world as we know it today would not exist without the many contributions of Edison and his teams of fellow scientists and researchers. These individuals were true mavericks who honored their goals and dreams. Their unyielding focus drove them to uncover many scientific complexities. By honoring their vision, they harnessed the power of nature to bring light to the world, and so much more.