Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude.  – Martin Luther King Jr.

 

When we find ourselves in situations that call for forgiveness, this often needs to be a regularly exercised act before it becomes fully realized.  (Meaning:  you have to practice! It may take a while to forgive and to learn the art of forgiving readily.)  After forgiveness has been felt and given for a perceived injustice or trespass, you may find that it has to be constantly in practice, a skill developed by you like any other that can be called on and applied again and again.

Love to you all in the practice of persistence !

Repeat daily until you believe it:

It’s okay if everyone does not like me. I will offer myself as I am, and that is enough.

We can hold reverence for our uniqueness and that of others.  We can honor individual personalities without demanding that each is in sync, coming into full appreciation when they are and also appreciating when they’re not as an act of acceptance.

Happy Monday!!

 

Change is the one constant, yes?  Ebb and Flow.  The dance we all are obliged to follow.  Some days are brilliant, easy and some days are disturbing, deflating.  Some days, events and moments make it all seem completely unfair, exhausting and lonely.

Change is coming.  Wind, movement, flow are always with us.  The dance keeps going, I hope you do too.  When you are able, smile.  Through it all…..BREATHE.

 

What snack do you love midday that is not only healthy for you but encourages you to focus on EVERY bite out of pure JOY?   These are the ways that we bring purposeful presence into our days.  That we know, see, and taste life as it is happening. 

Mine is pomegranate in the winter.  What’s YOURS?

As we prepare to ring in a new year, many people will plan to make resolutions for improving some aspect of their lives.  How about considering components that are uniquely you and not necessarily those that are implied as something you should want by the masses.  What if you called for your perfect self expression.  Whatever it is that more clearly defines you and brings you joy, that speaks directly to your heart so that you can better share your essence with others… what is that?  How can you allow more of that?  Can you make time for something you’ve been overlooking?  Can you let yourself say something you couldn’t before?  Can you love yourself through allowance of what is before undertaking a change that you believe will bring more happiness to your day?

Love yourself and the honest expression of you.  The rest will fall into place.

Happy New Year!!

This is a song by Rising Appalachia that Jess shared with me a while back and we both enjoy so much!   Hope you’ll appreciate the words as much as we do:

Be Brave Enough to Bloom

 

 

One easy way of practicing a meditation or a presence within your day is to watch liquid.  It’s fascinating and like a fire, you don’t want to look away as your eyes and brain keep taking in the present movement’s evolution.  Whether it is carbonation, a lava lamp, a Calming Glitter Jar or colored vinegar and baking soda interaction….these are quick and easy ways to take quiet time and watch, absorb, find a quiet mind.

 

The Glitter Jars are great for ALL ages.  Here is a link to make one out of mostly household items: https://preschoolinspirations.com/6-ways-to-make-a-calm-down-jar/

When our aim is to be uplifting to others, we can come to feel that honest reflections on challenging periods or experiences have no place in the current reality though sometimes these things crop up in conversation.  What should we do with them?  Allow the conversation to turn from being only an uplifting exchange?  Quickly change the subject?  It all depends on how you feel.  If you’re at peace with yourself and can see your experiences as teachers, it may be beneficial to let past experience flow into the present for what it may offer you in understanding or another in support. Challenges don’t have to be perceived as negative downers.  How topics flow all depends on listening to yourself and trusting yourself to know when to listen and when to speak. Distractions happen and old protective patterns may play.  The most important thing to remember as you navigate personal expression, boundaries, and vulnerability is that it’s okay to let others hear you and you’re not alone.  Whatever you have experienced has value in it’s lessons.  You are not too much for this world that birthed you and your experiences, but a worthy expression of everything you have endured.

Begin with affirming the feelings you want present in your home.  Ask yourself, “How do I  want to feel when I walk into my home? How do I want others to feel when they share this space with me?” Collect your ideas on paper.

Light a candle, burn the paper over a firesafe bowl, gather flowers (dried or cut) that bring you a feeling of Earth’s abundance and place those in the bowl after affirming. Carry your blessing into all the spaces of your home.  You can extend this outside of the home if that aligns with your heart wishes and the layout of the place you inhabit.  You may also consider working with other materials, placing a crystal or two in the window sills with your uplifting words.

Affirmations that may help as you bless your space:

Inside:

This home is a safe haven for all who enter.  Let many blessings bestow upon the rooms that hold us.  Thank you for our blessings, those of today and those to come.

Outside:

The property of this home is surrounded with loving energies, there is a flow of spiritual abundance, and the gates of goodness are wide open for the cycle of giving and receiving to be honored.  May all who come here be filled with the knowing of their worth and inspired to carry kind feelings with them into their daily interactions.