unconditional love
Helping Others Is A Great Way To Help Yourself
Ten years ago was a very difficult time in my life. I had a lot of time to reflect and put my own needs in perspective. My experience with that stress gave me coping skills that I want to share with you in today’s difficult times.
We all have choices in life when we believe that we have hit ‘rock bottom.’ We can choose to stay at that bottom and focus on that negative energy, or we can look for the positive side and see that there is nowhere else to go, except back up to the top.
A decade ago my mother was fighting cancer. She was strong and healthy and had always focused on a healthful and active lifestyle. Why did this happen to someone who does all the right things in life, when there are so many people that do not take care of themselves and then live a longer life?
In those days, I could choose to focus on such negative thoughts about how unfair life was, or I could choose to find the positive in that situation. Spending time with my mother, taking her to doctor’s appointments, cooking her favorite meals and offering my listening ear instead created a positive spirit for both of us.
I tried to spend as much time with her as possible, giving her time to live, love and laugh. We focused on one day at a time, but also made plans for tomorrow. Keeping busy and reminiscing over the positive memories we shared, truly helped me through that very stressful time with my mother.
On top of dealing with my mother, I also had a nine year old Doberman dog that was very close to me. He had just been diagnosed with liver disease and his prognosis was not good. The added stress of my dog’s health made matters even more challenging. I still think sometimes that if it wasn’t for bad luck, I would have no luck at all! But I make an effort to snap out of this kind of thought process as quickly as possible. It serves no purpose in the long run.
The Manifesting Power Of Mindful Mornings
Mornings are special. The energy of the morning is different than at any other time. When the sunlight is still fresh and gentle, the world is calm and quiet, there is a magic to this time.
The first few moments of our day help to set the tone for our experiences throughout. Becoming aware and attuned to this fresh universal energy can be as simple as creating a small morning routine.
Now, I realize not everyone loves the morning as much as I do. If this is the case for you, the idea of creating a morning routine may not sound appealing at all. Starting with small, quick steps can make all the difference here.
Your morning routine is meant to set you up for success. It is about doing things you like in the morning, that get you in the right frame of mind and heart.
Bringing a bit of mindfulness into your morning can set you up energetically to respond more effectively to your experiences throughout the day.
Below is a list of things you can do in the morning to create a personalized routine that works for you. You certainly don’t have to do all them! Just pick one or two to get started and build from there.
While consistency is important, if something is not working for you, change it up and try something new. This routine should be fulfilling and meaningful to you.
Affirmations – Start saying ‘I AM’ affirmations. As you are getting ready in front of the mirror, look yourself in the eye and speak aloud three ‘I AM’ affirmations, for example: I am learning to let go of fear and negativity. I am worthy of abundance and fulfilment. I am grateful for all the good things in my life.
Gratitude – Place a note somewhere you are going to see it in the morning that reads: ‘What am I grateful for today?’ Every morning you see it list three things aloud.
Now Is A Hopeful Time For Your Future Happiness
When 2021 finally rolled around a month ago, many of us expressed a great feeling of relief and welcomed the New Year with open arms. The year 2020 was extremely challenging, to say the least. But now we are already one month into a hopeful new year. At last, with some light appearing at the end of the tunnel, we can begin to feel a renewed sense of hope and optimism.
However, we will have to muster some more patience and courage. We can still not let down our guard for the foreseeable future. For the sake of our loved ones and our communities, we must continue to follow the latest health and safety protocols for just a while longer.
In addition, we should continue to give what we can from where we are and with what we have, whether this is in the form of financial donations, personal support for those who are still struggling, or healing thoughts for our family, friends, neighbours, colleagues and, indeed, the entire planet. We must also empathize with those who have climbed steep mountains over the past year and see how we might help them with their journeys.
For the wise and sensible the coming months can be a time of great personal growth and inner reflection. We can pat ourselves on the back for what we have accomplished thus far and have overcome under great duress. We can now look forward with more confidence. We have, after all, come this far!
We must now gather our thoughts and feelings and focus on what we can do to generate genuine happiness, well-being and fulfillment for ourselves and others in the future. It is okay if others do not yet share the same optimism and positive outlook for the future. They must walk their own path. Their negativity must not stop us from learning, growing, expanding and loving life.
Faith Is My Armor Of Light
When I had just completed high school, I decided it was time to venture out into the world, get an apartment and just experience living all on my own. So, one month after graduation, I let my butterfly wings soar and found a little place about a few blocks from where I grew up.
One night something happened I will never forget, even though it was 30 years ago. I remember it like it was yesterday. Someone brought over an Ouija board! I was brought up to believe that the Ouija board is a portal to the lower realm and negative energies, and that sometimes who you want to connect with isn’t always who actually comes through. My friends and I asked the board who we were talking to and his name was George.
The part that really creeped me out came later, after everyone had gone home. I was cleaning up. My apartment was on the third floor and as I was looking down at the four corner intersection below, there was a car sitting under the street light. An older, bald man rolled the window down and leaned over to look up at me through the passenger window. “I’m George”, he said. I was so creeped out!
My roommate was gone and I was exhausted, but I couldn’t sleep. Lying in my bed later, I was trying to make sense of it all. I looked across the room and the light coming in through the blinds made it so I could see the hallway and the doorway. And there I suddenly saw the shape of a man; the figure of a man that was so dark, but you could totally make out it was a man standing right there in the doorway! I will never forget his voice. “I will never leave you, nor forsake you”, he said. Amazingly, I felt immediately comforted.
The church I grew up in was directly across from my new apartment. And I just knew that he was an angel, letting me know that through my faith I am protected. I was never again scared to be by myself.