Month: June 2018

Self-improvement journeys are not for the faint of heart.  It takes courage, persistence, and determination to work through.  Sometimes that forest can be so full of thick trees & dense fog before the thinnest of mist rises to show us any progress.

At times, we’re ready to throw up our hands in defeat, but that will only accomplish further dissatisfaction.  At least it does for me.  When I find myself losing faith, it dawns on me – would I rather lose my struggle for further development?  Or forge ahead & work through the issues, knowing there is a horizon in the distance?  Once you’re fully awakened to the stark difference of finding clarity and peace, why would you want to remain in the murky depths of old habits that keep you on that hamster wheel of pain and resentment?

Continue reading “(Dis)enchanted Forest….”

The best part of any treat is the gooey center…that holds true for YOU as well.  But we don’t always show the world that part of us…why?  Most of us are afraid of being vulnerable.

I’m here to tell you that these days, more and more folks are very accepting of authenticity and being genuine.   I’d much rather follow someone who’s real than someone who dons a mask of false promises while not living by their own teachings.

People have flaws and weaknesses.  Would you prefer to know a person who keeps it real?  Stumbles & recovers?  Or a person who claims they have it all together and never makes a mistake?  That’s someone I can’t relate to.

Along my journey of self-reflection & searching for people I can believe in, I find myself more drawn to those I connect with on a human level.  They’re not gods and don’t pretend to be my salvation.  They work from a place of wanting to help others as they help themselves in their own quest.

Continue reading “The Gooey Center”

Just Observing You …JOY

Take a “ride” each day and Just Observe You...what makes you smile, what makes you laugh, what touches your heart?

It’s important to find joy, because it can balance an otherwise overloaded life.   We get so busy, distracted, focused on work,  spending time on social media, or any number of things, that we can forget the joy.

It’s too easy to get bogged down in what goes wrong and not spend enough time on the good.  Acknowledging this helps lighten our heart and goes back to something I stress often – being grateful for the little things.

I bet on your way to work or the grocery store, you could spot several things that fill you with a sense of awe.  The trees blossoming (or falling leaves) during the change of another season…the passing car with a driver singing at the top of their lungs…your child who utters a comical observation…these all have the capacity to bring us joy if we let them.

The more we can do this observing, the more contented we’ll be…and that makes for a wonderful life.

 

 

 

 

 

Research your own development!  Anything that enriches you and helps you grow, put some time into it…whether you want to read up on it, talk to others, do your research.  There are so many choices out there, and only you can decide which method works for you.

Whether you follow the philosophies of the Law of Attraction (that will be a separate post), Wayne Dyer, Esther Hicks, Louise Hay, Kyle Cease, Mike Dooley, Marianne Williamson, Joe Vitale, Tony Robbins (the list is endless)…as long as you feel better about yourself & your life, then you’re on your way!

Follow your own path – you’ll know it when you feel it, or you’ll actually FEEL it when you KNOW it.

This doesn’t mean the road ahead is rosy…there will be thorns…hell, I’m still scraping my elbows on them…but I’m motoring through, because the alternative spells another defeat for me, and I won’t admit defeat anymore.  It doesn’t serve me or my peace of mind.

Continue reading “Research & Development”

Unfortunately, we now live in a world where no one takes responsibility anymore.  It’s a true detriment to healing, and that’s a shame.  We are responsible for ourselves — how we feel, how we act, and how we react.  These are all choices we make, whether consciously or unconsciously.  The sooner we ‘fess up to this, the better.

True healing ‘begins at home.’  When we put in the work and reflect on what triggers us, we can start to dig deep & take those baby steps toward change.  It may be painful, but working through that hurt will walk us forward to a better life.

I’ve had to do this…it isn’t easy, but it gets to a point where NOT doing so is worse than continuing to live each day in misery…for myself & those in my orbit.  It isn’t fair to bring loved ones down with you.  It’s a struggle each day to pinpoint — “why is this making me so mad?”  or “why does this make me want to cry?”

Once we find that source, we can thank it for stopping by & bringing something to our attention. We don’t have to wallow in it, but look it in the eye & choose how to handle it.  We can think, “ah yes, this reminds me of when I was 10 and my best friend didn’t want to play with me anymore,” or “this reminds me of how I felt when my brother came home with an A and my parents fell all over him.”

Take the reins, and realize that now you can handle these feelings and begin to walk toward the sun, rather than shrinking back into the shade.

 

Are you chained by burdens of obligation?  Feeling weighed down by family, friends, work, or some other requirement that leaves your shoulders heavy?

I’ve done something drastic, which I don’t recommend unless you’ve put serious thought into it…I had to break away from a toxic relationship.  It happened out of nowhere, when years of  pent-up rage & wounds bubbled up to the surface and refused to quell anymore.  In a moment of weakness (or perhaps untapped strength), it all came tumbling out.

Not exactly the way to do so, or how I would have planned it, but it happened…as a result, we’re no longer speaking.  Oddly enough, immediately after the incident, I remember telling my husband how utterly relieved I felt!  My shoulders were lighter, my soul was free.

As days passed, naturally the old guilt came back…did I do the right thing?  Should I apologize?  For me, there’s no going back.  Not for now.  At some point, there comes a time when it’s kinder to yourself to push away toxicity & no longer allow it.

When you’re on a journey, as I am, for personal growth & peace, it doesn’t help to have non-supportive people around.  They can only drag you down into the mud, and once you’re finished with the mud wrestling, it no longer serves you to jump back in.

This doesn’t mean I don’t long for the relationship to have improved, but if other people aren’t even open to serious discussion, you might as well be talking to a cactus.  So I must accept this & do some soul searching.  I’m trying…one day at a time, I focus on the betterment of myself.  I can lean on those who do support me, and I’m grateful for that.