It’s time to give yourself some space to explore. When’s the last time you were quiet and undistracted—maybe outside in nature or in a cozy spot in your home with devices off—and allowed yourself to JUST BE, daydream and wander? Allowing thoughts and ideas to arise and travel from one to another without hesitation. Feeling nudges and Spirit-longings come to the surface to be exposed and nourished? We need time and space to hear promptings, to receive insights, direction and inspiration. We have to gift ourselves this time. You are worth it. Yes, the laundry and emails will still be there, that’s OK. You need this dreamy space to receive, adjust, change, grow—and become the best version of YOU!
Absorb these song lyrics from Limitless by Colton Dixon:
Oh wake up you dreamers Become make-believers This is who we are
We are limitless, limitless Limitless, limitless The power of love Alive in us Is limitless, limitless Unstoppable and nothing less No nothing can hold us down We are limitless
Doubt sees a mountain, no way around it Faith sees a victory, no doubt about it Fear sees a ceiling, hope sees the stars Love be the light inside of our hearts
“Awaken to the storyteller within and share your story with the world. Tell it with joy and flair. Commit to telling it with love and passion. Tell it through living your life fully, doing your work well, and creating the best life you can. Be who you are and love being that. Live your life from your heart. Share from your heart. And your story will touch and heal people’s souls.” ~ Melody Beattie
“… ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.’ But we know these things because God has revealed them to us by his Spirit, and his Spirit searchesout everything and shows us even God’s deep secrets.” ~ 1 Corinthians 2:9-10
Hear the deep secrets. Awaken to the storyteller within. Remember you are LIMITLESS = without end or boundary.
“Take time to develop a vision. As above, so below. First it happens in spirit. Then it manifests in the physical. Not the other way around. First we see a vision. Our soul tells us through the words and eyes of our heart. Then the steps become clear and we see the order in which they should be taken. We waste so much time and effort when we try to accomplish something before we have envisioned it. Learn to let the vision come first. Take time to shape it in spirit before you try to shape it in physicalform. If you can’t see something clearly, the vision may not be complete. Take the time you need to think about it, to let it come into focus, to let the vision take shape in your mind. Operating from vision will guide us onto our highest path. It will also make our life and work much easier.” ~ Melody Beattie, Journey to the Heart
Take time to develop a vision for all you want to do. Let your vision guide you. When it manifests itself first in spirit, the physical form will follow.
Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others.
Jonathan Swift
The Open Door A door opens. Maybe I’ve been standing here shuffling my weight from foot to foot for decades, or maybe I only knocked once. In truth, it doesn’t matter. A door opens and I walk through without a backward glance. This is it, then, one moment of truth in a lifetime of truth; a choice made, a path taken, the gravitational pull of Spirit too compelling to ignore anylonger. I am received bysomething far too vast to see. It has roots in antiquity but speaks clearly in the present tense. “Be,” the vastness says. “Be without adverbs, descriptors, or qualities. Be so alive that awareness bares itself uncloaked and unadorned. Then go forth to give what alone you can give, awake to love and suffering, unburdened by the weight of expectations. Go forth to see and be seen, blossoming, always blossoming into your magnificence.” ~ Danna Faulds
“Wait. Wonders are unfolding. Cultivate silence. God speaks in silences. A silence, a soft wind, each can be a message to convey My meaning to the heart, though by no voice, or even word. Each word or thought of yours can be like a pearl that you drop into the secret place of another heart, and in some hour of need, lo! the recipient finds the treasure and realizes for the first time its value. Individual efforts availnothing. It is only the work of the Universal Spirit—My Spirit—that counts.” ~ God Calling: The Secret Pearl
Recharging Mudra Flow
We give so much of ourselves everyday and in every way. Remember to take time to meditate, to listen, receiving Divine love, peace, wisdom and strength. Continue to develop your vision and be a radiant offering and blessing to others!
Mudra = seal; an action taken to lock in an intention. 1. Inhale in Anjali (offering) mudra at heart center. 2. Exhale as you cup hands into Kapota (Dove, gesture of peace) mudra. 3. Inhale as you bring fingertips inward to create the budding of a flower. 4. Exhale into Pushpanjali (offering of flowers) mudra; representing your offering or service to others. 5. Inhale lifting hands into Padma (lotus, openness & growth), receiving & recharging in Divine love. 6. Exhale drawing all from above into heart center, Anjali mudra. ♡
Quest by Susan FrybortTake me pastthe guarded placein youwhere confusioncovers itselfin unrelenting confidencethen marches onIn lively stepsTake off the facadelet it fall awayinto nowhereTurn around and face meI search the infinite depthwhere beyond all entrenchmentsI find your thirstto be met and understoodthe sadness in your bones,the want of your silent criesto be heardand be known—abiding within those unseen landscapesis a world of preciousdreamsLet me touch wherethe battle woundslie quietly healing—Buried beneathan armored sheathrests a lifetime of loveand loneliness,blame and triumph, honor and defeatWithin this blended webof scars and treasures,glistening with honesty,there you are—I FOUND YOU,beneath the soldier’s plated heartSo loosen the knots around my ownsee all its agony bared and mendingand in between each open spacewe’ll breathe upon the frailtyAll the wishful longings to be hadbring to me yoursas I meet you there with mine.
This week we focus on TRUTH and INTEGRITY — aligning our thoughts, words and actions. In Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, SATYA, or truthfulness, is identified as the second yama (observance, social behavior) on the path of yoga. The guiding principle in adhering to satya is removing what the yogis refer to as the “veil of self deception.” When body, mind, and spirit are in sync, truth rises to the top. In Hebrew, integrity means whole or complete. Be motivated by the truth in your innermost being. Create the space and time to listen for inner truth, heeding any wisdom received. “Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.” ~ Psalm 51:6
❤︎ I connect to the truth deep within. ❤︎ I listen with an open heart. ❤︎ I am safe to make changes and move forward.
Value your connection to truth…We often know the truth long before we let ourselves see and believe it, long before we’re ready to acknowledge it. For many reasons — fear, timing, and a myriad of issues too long to list — we ignore and discount what we know in our heart. But the truth doesn’t go away. And even if we try to run from that truth, our experiences will ultimately lead us back to it.”
Remember a time when you listened to the voice of your own conscience and experienced the power of embracing your truth. What did it feel like in your body and inner being?
Now be open to any ways you are not acting with integrity at this time in your life — not living your truth. When is your behavior clouded by desire or aversion, or influenced by someone else’s expectations? How does this feel in your body and mental self? Experience without judgement, observe and just be aware.
Observation and awareness are the first steps toward change.
Quest to find the true you. You are safe to make changes and move forward. Integrity is your legacy.
“No more running, no more hiding, no more hurting, no more crying, no more trouble, no more sighing, no more falling, no more striving, no more heartache, no more fighting, no more fears, only FLYING!” ~ Lifehouse, lyrics from Flight
What truth do you need to hear or speak this week? ❤️
In my pursuit to SEEK 2022, I recently listened to an insightful Centering Prayer Summit (Christian contemplation/meditation event) sponsored by Closer Than Breath. One of the presenters, Dr. Jana Rentzel, lectured on the embodied practice of Guard of the Heart. I loved it so much, and since it’s all things HEART this month, I’ll share this powerful, yet simple practice with you.
Our spiritual heart is our inner room, our innermost core and being, where we commune with God, experience our true self, and abide in perfect peace. “Guard your heart above all else, for everything you do flows from it.” (Proverbs 4:23) Our heart’s desire is to be light, open and free — yet through life’s circumstances and our thoughts and emotions about them — we can feel a sense of tightening or uneasiness in our heart space. The spiritual heart is a valve, just like the physical heart. When our heart closes off and we lose our peace, it signals we may be off course. This is when it’s helpful to practice Guard of the Heart (also referred to as Watchfulness or Presence Practice).
Guard of the Heart Practice
1. Right when you notice a tightening or uneasiness in the heart area, witness the disturbing emotion or troubling situation, and let it move through you. Take some deep breaths as you feel the sensations in and through the body. Staying present, before thoughts entertain or attach to the situation, return your heart to rest with God.
2. Let go and give everything to the Lord as a gift. Visualize releasing the tightness and uneasiness to God. The Lord knows what to do in every circumstance. Let go of the need for control or approval. Open your heart to God’s loving and wise presence within. Release negativity and return to peace with God. When we anchor into Divine love, we reunite our human will with Divine will, and move beyond our desires and reactive tendencies. “And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)
This practice can be used anywhere, at anytime, throughout our daily lives.
“When My Presence is the focal point of your consciousness, all the pieces of your life fall into place. As you gaze at Me through the eyes of your heart, you can see the world around you from My perspective. The fact that I am with you makes every moment of your life meaningful.” (from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young)
Try Guard of the Heart practice this week, and let me know how it works for you. ❤️
Challenging times build our inner strength. They develop our faith, refine our character, and GIVE US A UNIQUE STORY. It is always enjoyable to have the mountaintop experiences in life, but we learn the most during the valley times. Challenging times are often the gifts we do not want. As Hellen Keller stated, “character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” Three things to remember and ask yourself: (1) What you go through, you grow through. (2) It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish. (3) We all have a story: How are you using your unique story to help others? (4) Are there some new avenues to explore?
“Sometimes, the road ahead is blocked, but clearing the way becomes part of our journey. Learn to tell when it’s time to let go, to surrender, to search for another road, a different path, another dream. But also learn to tell when it’s time to move forward, through obstacles if need be, because the dream is electric, charged by Divine energy and love. If a side trip is beckoning, perhaps there’s a lesson there: an old feeling to be felt, healed and cleared; a new attitude or belief to be acquired; a revelation, a surprise. Remember this: a side trip, with all it’s emotions, isn’t about another person. It’s about you and your journey to healing, freedom, and joy. Ignoring a situation that can take you off center won’t take you to the next place. Going more deeply into your own growth process, going more deeply into your soul is what will further your journey. Everything that happens to you can be used, felt, shaped and transformed to further your journey. This process of growth, of side trips and healing, is your destiny, the magical journey of your soul.” ~ Melody Beattie
“My scars tell a story. They are a reminder of times when life tried to break me, but failed. They are markings of where the structure of my character is welded.” ~ Steve Maraboli
What voice from your past, yours or someone else’s, do you need to silence today? Reflect upon the challenges in your life and be thankful for them. Three great rules to live by: no blaming, no shaming, no judgement. In gratitude, focus on those qualities in yourself and others that inspire you and spur you on!
WHO HAS INSPIRED YOU?
Let’s journey together through a motivating meditation… Take a few deep, centering breaths… Now, reflect upon your ELEMENTARY SCHOOL YEARS and think of your FAVORITE TEACHER. Notice who comes to mind first. Visualize this special person. Did they have a unique voice, smell, distinguishing feature or mannerism? What did they say or do that was memorable and inspiring? How did you feel in their presence? What qualities did/do you respect about this teacher?
And now, fast forward into your HIGH SCHOOL YEARS and choose one YOUTH LEADER, COACH, COUNSELOR or TEACHER who positively influenced your life path. Visualize this individual: their smile, their gaze, their listening ear. What did they say or do that was motivating and encouraging? How did you feel in their presence? What qualities did/do you respect about this leader?
Now dwell upon a CURRENT MENTOR, COACH, TEACHER who challenges and lovingly spurs you on to the next level. Visualize their whole being, their essence—body, mind and spirit. What do they say and do that is heart-felt and wise? How do you feel in their presence? What qualities do you treasure about this respected guide?
Encompass now these three influential people. Are there any common themes or threads in your teachers, coaches, and mentors? Can you choose ONE QUALITY, ONE WORD that describes them all? Notice what arises first.
Looking at your own life, does this ONE QUALITY, ONE WORD represent you and how you desire to inspire and influence others?
WHO DO YOU INSPIRE?
How do others feel in your presence? What do you say and do that is motivating and memorable? Allow yourself to smile in gratitude and joy for those who have inspired you and for those you inspire.
Never underestimate the POWER OF ONE. ONE PERSON. ONE SMILE. ONE WORD. ONE CHALLENGE. ONE INSPIRATION.
Remember, it’s not where you start, it’s where you finish. We all have a story, now use your story to help others.
✨Love ~ Serve ~ Inspire✨ 