Tag: Inner Peace

Between Breaths

there are times

when we stop.

we sit still…

we listen

&

breezes

from a whole

other world…

begin to whisper.

~james carroll

In wellness,

Susan

Photo by Mike Enerio on Unsplash

Your True Light

“Only the light within us is real. We are not afraid of the dark without ourselves, so much as we are afraid of the light. The dark is familiar. It’s what we know. The light, the thought that we might indeed be good enough, is such a thread to the ego that it takes out its very big guns to defend against it. Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure…”

~Marianne Williamson

In wellness,

Susan

Photo by Rhett Wesley on Unsplash

Friday Focus – 11/10/17 {Resting In Silence When You Need An Answer}

Have you ever wrestled with a big decision and didn’t know what to do? Then you have multiple conversations with various people trying to hear the “right thing” that will give you the big ah-ha?

I’ve come across this many times  as one of the “various people” as well as experienced this myself whenever I needed to talk things out with friends. However, if there’s one thing I realized throughout the years, it’s that only you know the answer.

There’s something special about resting in the silence. Not thinking, just sitting in silence and resting in that space between thought and feeling, and observing what comes up.

Ask the question aloud and sit in silence. Watch the analytical debate. As you rest in silence longer you will begin to notice which voices (or nudges) are from your small self and the ones from something much greater within you. They sound a little different don’t they? 😉

Of course, some times we may not be able to get the ultimate answer we wanted to hear, but we now realize we are OK with the outcome, the direction we decided to go in. There is now a peace around the decision because ultimately you know you are held. You know that whatever decision is made you now will have one more data point to make the next decision, and the next, and the next.

Lastly, I’ve realized that ultimately life is a dance! How do we want to interplay with life and see the greater picture of what we are composing? Can we allow what is to be and approach any next step as an adventure? Can we love what is and drop the many fearful voices that keep us strapped in anxiety and worry?

So as we rest in silence during moments of distress and decision making, don’t forget one thing: dance. play. allow. lean in. love. and have faith.

You are magnificent no matter what.

In wellness,

Susan

Unresolved Emotions

Do you often find that unresolved emotions lead to regretful decisions?

Why is that? Well here are a few examples:

1) Anger at someone > “I’ll show him/her!” > Send hasty email
2) Anxiety, depression > Escapism > Open pint of ice cream
3) Regret, shame > Need to fix > Run 5 miles
4) Frustration, angst, sadness > Need to get it off your chest > Call friend in a heated moment, say the wrong things
5) Guilt > Need to fix > Over compensate or over commit to something you, deep down, don’t want to do

I don’t know about you but I have certainly found myself in a number of these situations before… and then I realized there was a key step in-between the emotion and the decision:

SELF AWARENESS / MINDFULNESS / SURRENDER / GOD / COMPASSION

Call it what you need to fit into your framework but for simplicity’s sake let’s call it Awareness.

When you have the awareness right **after** the emotion begins and right **before** the decision THAT is all you need to step back for just a moment.

And in that stepping back can you just sit with the emotion? Where is it in your body? Can you drop into it? What is it really trying to tell you?

Take a moment or two, heck take a week if you must! Take as long as you need until you feel good about your decision and know you aren’t trying to avoid the feeling. We seem to be good at that as we humans evolved.

Last but not least, don’t beat yourself up if you don’t get it each and every time! For some it comes easy and for others it requires a bit more practice, mindfulness, and/or guidance. But but know this: there is absolutely nothing wrong with you. You are everything you need to be and everything is unfolding in your divine order.

In wellness.

Friday Focus – 7/14/17 {Stay In Your Lane}

Good morning beautiful people! It’s absolutely stunning here in Seattle on this magical Friday morning. I hope no matter what season it is in your area you are diving into the weekend with an expanded heart and inspiration.

This week’s theme came to me suddenly but resonated deeply. I may have written about this before but I always welcome the reminder, and it is this:

The time spent worrying or thinking about what others feel/think/act/say to you is their business. Stay in your lane and keep your eyes on your business. 

Take a moment to truly ask yourself, “is this really true?”. No matter what worries you, ask yourself this question. How much of what is going on in your head are your own projections, worries, and fears?

Remember no judgement, only awareness.

As we dive into the weekend take a moment to pause and ask yourself this question whenever you come up against a resistance. Oftentimes you will find the thought you were just thinking is either based in the past or is a future projection. And what a relief that is!

You are free in THIS moment.

May you find a bit more peace, love, and laughter as you head into the weekend.

Namaste.

 

Photo by Tanner Larsen

Friday Focus – 6/9/17 {What Is}

There has certainly been a theme that sticks out for me this week and it is this – being ok with what is and knowing it is unfolding in perfect divine order.

The mind is a slippery one. An innocent thought about one thing leads you down 10 deep rabbit holes until you find yourself in a complex maze of what ifs and one way too many options. And then what? You’re paralyzed. Does anyone feel me on this?!

While it seems healthy and proactive to be solving, thinking, planning… whatever you want to name it, if any of this leaves you with any of the following feelings:

  • angst
  • anxiety
  • tension
  • worry
  • fear
  • generally unsettled

…then we need to hold the phones. ?

The moment any of these feelings start to creep in it’s time to inquire – what am I striving for?

I find that the moment I ask myself this question it all becomes clearer. And while sometimes it may take more time than usual, it always gets clearer.

With clarity comes peace. A knowing that in THIS moment (and the next, and the next, and yes, even the next one :)) I am always held and perfectly where I need to be. Tension would indicate otherwise. Yes?

I find that this is a much more freeing experience than needing to control every outcome…

Namaste.

A Course in Miracles – Lack

“While lack does not exist in the creation of God, it is very apparent in what you have made. It is, in fact, the essential difference between them. Lack implies that you would be better off in a state somehow different from the one you are in. […] Needs arise only when you deprive yourself. You act according to the particular order of needs you establish. This, in turn, depends on your perception of what you are.

A sense of separation from God is the only lack you really need to correct. This sense of separation would never have arisen if you had not distorted your perception of truth, and had thus perceived yourself as lacking.”

Whether you are new to A Course In Miracles (ACIM) or not, I love this excerpt specifically talking about “lack”.

We are told left and right that we are not enough until one day we believe it to the point that it seems so real. Actually we end up believing there is no other reality.

Take some time to assess your thoughts, decisions, and actions… do you notice how in some way “lack” might be an influence however small or large? Can you notice how in some way things might be “better” by doing things one way or how you might “fix” something by doing things this way?

How much of a relief would it be to not be driven by lack? How much freer and spacious would YOU be?

When I first came across this text I was floored, and I mean FLOORED. It was as if a light bulb went on in my head and immediately after I felt a huge sense of relief. This was around the time I was in deep recovery from adrenal fatigue and not only was this sense of lack one of the major players of getting to the point of adrenal fatigue, it was playing a small part in my desire to be in a different state other than adrenal fatigue as well. Ironic isn’t it?

The sense of relief was immediate and lasting…. What a relief it was to know there was no need to strive so hard! What a relief it was to just BE!

So take a moment… if your mind is driving you crazy with thoughts that are fueled by tension, striving, or desire, take a moment to inquire and allow for a bit of space. Allow for the possibility that you are MORE than enough in this moment, and even the next.

Namaste.

Mirror Image

Saturday morning reflections… may we recognize the power we have, beginning with the mind.

In wellness,

S.

Wheels of Life

Friday Focus – 6/2/17 {It’s JUNE!}

JUNE. JUUUUUUUUUUNE.

Can you believe it? I can’t…. we are half way through 2017!

In the previous seasons I would be revisiting goals and/or intentions I had set at the beginning of the year, but I find myself in a space where the focus is truly on NOW. The present.

Some of the questions I find myself asking this season include:

~ Am I enjoying the day? Right now?

~ Am I being with what is?

~ Can I open up fully in grace, love, and light?

~ Can I connect openly and deeply with myself and others?

~ What seeds am I planting in the areas of love, relationships, community, and deep connection?

~ Can I open to the breath, and the next breath, and the next, and the next?

This season I am loving this gentle opening and space for the present. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with re-visiting goals either! I am just noticing what is needed for me in this moment. How about you? Are you in a season for more opening? acceptance? love? ambition? speed? dreaming? harvesting?

No matter the season may this be a moment to reflect on what is needed most in this moment for your heart, body, mind, and soul.

Namaste.