A Few Things I've learned Along the Way

I am grateful for my dark moments because I now see where life is leading me. I found excitement again, I recognize my purpose, I have goals, I have a vision.

All it takes is one step at a time, don't give up, don't give in, don't turn away. Stay connected to positive resources, find supportive people who care and are willing to hold your hand along the way. Begin a Gratitude Journey, a real one, not just thinking of three things before bed, but one that asks you to look deep inside and find real appreciation for everything in your life, for everything in YOU.

Ask yourself what you really want and don't be practical about it. Use your imagination and find that one thing that stirs you up inside. Pay attention to your body. If you listen closely enough, it will tell you if you are on the right path. If you find out you need to make changes in your life, don't be scared about how to do it. ONLY focus on the result of the change you want.

As you envision the life you want, have faith that everything is conspiring to give you what you desire. The more you focus on what you don't want, the more you will get just that. I am living proof of that. I had good intentions throughout my whole life, to be a better person than I was but I had it all wrong. I was so busy saying, "That is not going to be me," that I didn't spend that energy finding out what it was that I wanted to become.

Shift your thoughts. Change your perception to one that is aligned with your Higher Self, with your Soul. When you catch yourself thinking about the negativity in a situation, turn it around to something positive and focus on what you want instead.

Your reality is a result of your thoughts. You created this life, all the good and all the bad. Let go of judgement, and blame. Begin to take responsibility for the life you have and learn to let go of past regrets and resentments. Learn the REAL meaning of forgiveness. Read that last sentence again. I said the REAL meaning of forgiveness. Because most of us got it all wrong.

Live in the present and be mindful; find your curiosity and begin to enjoy life as you did when you were a child, young and carefree. We have access to an infinite source. Everything you need, everything you desire can be yours. Have faith and look within yourself. You are the gateway to this source, we are all connected to it and to each other. Just look inside, you were born with everything you need to find your happiness, your wholeness, your bliss.

My Gratitude Journey

Written on November 16, 2014

I am currently on my second gratitude journey. Between the two, I found that I slipped back into old habits and let life slip by without appreciating anything. This second journey is teaching me how important gratitude is to my transformation. Not only do I get to join in on the exercises but this time I have been blessed...I also get to create them. Creating gratitude exercises that go beyond the journals that only name 3-10 things you are grateful for has really given me a deeper understanding. We are trying to get to what truly matters to us and trying to profoundly incorporate gratitude at our core. We want it to become a way of life so much that it just comes natural without trying.

I felt compelled to share this particular exercise because I do believe gratitude is essential for us to become more happy. If you are interested in taking part in a gratitude journey, check out my friend, Essence Turner, on her Facebook group and her website. Be sure to like the page and feel free to share your comments with us! 

Gratitude Reflection:

We tend to focus on things that are the most important to us in our lives. Some of the more common ones include: family, friends, people who have affected us in... a variety of ways, faith, freedom, health, happiness, and possessions that give us comfort. We have even started learning how to be grateful for our challenges and struggles for the lessons and strength they give us.

Does having a home for your family deserve more gratitude than a nail or a piece of wood? Is the air you breathe into your lungs worth more of your appreciation than a tiny seed? You wouldn't have the house you live in if you didn't have materials to build it and you wouldn't have oxygen to inhale if that little seed didn't grow into a tree.

“What about the mundane? The common? The usual? The overlooked? The unconventional? Our happiness depends on our ability to feel and express gratitude. The more grateful we are, in fact, the deeper our happiness will run.” ~ Ken Wert

Throughout our gratitude journey we will be randomly focusing on the little things. Aglets was just the beginning. We want to practice gratitude until it is ingrained into our psyches, until it becomes such an automatic way of life that one day we look around and find we are surprised that we once took anything for granted. We want to manifest all of our heart's desires, and gratitude is the way.

If you practiced only one principle for the rest of your life, gratitude would be the most crucial. Joe Vitale believes that if each of us would practice gratitude in the moment, all worries would vanish, all problems would resolve, all miracles would come easily — in fact, if we really were in gratitude in the moment, we’d realize we are already happy, already peaceful, and already living the miracle.

“Active Gratitude means noticing the good in every moment. When you actually come from gratitude, you wouldn’t judge the moment as good or bad because you’d realize the jury isn’t in yet and so every moment can be seen as good.” ~Joe Vitale

Exercise:
Gratitude is a key ingredient in having an abundant life. How important is gratitude to you? How often do you practice? Are you just beginning your journey, off to a great start, or are you becoming a pro? Do you feel gratitude is an essential part of your overall happiness? Why? What benefits or opportunities have you received or hope to obtain because of the gratitude you express? Have you gained any insights since you have become more thankful? Are there ways you can incorporate more gratitude in your life? Are you able to stop yourself the next time you catch yourself taking something for granted and show some appreciation?

My Answer:

Gratitude is becoming very important to me because I see its worth in my life. I will admit that I don't practice as much as I believe I should but I realize that I am a beginner and I have faith that each day is bringing me closer to having a deep appreciation for gratitude itself.

I have had many experiences throughout my life that prove to me that gratitude is definitely one of the MOST essential parts of happiness. I can feel it within when my spirits are up but when I am down, the lack of gratitude consumes me. That is when I need it the most. When it becomes imperative to look around and think about how much worse things could be without those little things that may seem insignificant and even unneeded and unwanted in the darkest moments.

I am a firm believer in "if you want more, praise what you already have". Everything in existence vibrates; gratitude raises vibrations just as love does. I have greatly benefited from my gratitude. I have been directed to a path of self-discovery, found resources to guide my way, and received positive people that support me, became my friends, mentors and role models. I believe because of gratitude, my lifelong prayers are being answered, my vibration is rising, and now I have unlimited access to infinite opportunities. I know the possibilities for me are endless if I keep practising gratitude daily, stay connected to positive outlets, and never give up on my goals.

I am not an overly materialistic person; the only object that I ever really desired was a house that I designed myself, and only because I want to feel the joy of seeing the beautiful completion of something that came from my own creativity.

My hope is that gratitude will send me to those who will show me the way and guide me to those who need my help. Through gratitude, I hope to recapture the wonder of all life has to offer. I hope to be able to feel joy and see the world through the innocent eyes of my daughters. I hope to feel excitement the moment I wake, and peace as I close my eyes at night because then I will know that I love life enough to live each moment to the fullest.

What I really want is to live a life of Active Gratitude. The most important insight I have learned is that you must FEEL gratitude. When you feel, really feel it at your core, that is when miracles happen. I have seen it happen for me on occasion but I want to feel that again and again. I love the sensation I get inside when appreciation overwhelms me.

There are so many ways that I could incorporate gratitude into my life more. I think the most important aspect to focus on throughout my day is the little, the common, the overlooked things that I don't give much, if any thought to. I don't know if I can stop myself from taking things for granted but from now on I am going to put more effort in being mindful of what I do and say, the things I touch, the places I go, the people I see. I want to question my thoughts. I want to imagine what life would be like without these things. I want to see why these things have importance to me. I want to express my gratitude for the value they bring into my life.

Forgive and Forget

Children are our best teachers. Everything we seek in enlightenment is what they naturally possess. If we could only harness the power of their wisdom and see it for what is really is, we would think twice about molding them into what we think they should be or subjecting them to our own ego's fears.

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#‎Forgiveness‬

Embrace Motherhood

Motherhood can be challenging and overwhelming but learning how to embrace it is empowering. In my journey to become authentic, I realized I was focusing on what I wanted to be rather than BEING who I am right now.

And right now, I am a mom, to two beautiful little girls, who is learning the value of presence, patience, and acceptance, and the lesson that the things I resist the most are the things that will set me free.

I have many fears that I won’t be able to break the cycle of my past or be the type of mother my children deserve. I have a wounded inner child that is crying out for help and I am overwhelmed with the inability to overcome my control drama.

Because I don’t have much of a support network, I sought out as many resources as I could find on positive parenting. They are so great with providing alternative techniques, but that’s all they were, professional resources and information.

I was so grateful when I found this page: Finding Joy . Rachel Martin has the courage to talk about those mom moments we’d rather keep hidden. She is an inspiration to my wanting to be authentic. She is honest and real. No shame. No judgment. Just love in her journey to find joy to share with us, encourage and celebrate our motherhood, and to cheer us on.

In my quest to BE me as I am now and embrace motherhood, I will be adding a ‪#‎Parenting‬ section to my ‪#‎BreakingTheCycle‬ day. My hope is to have as much courage as I have seen in Rachel to face my fears and the truth of myself in order to be the best mom I can be.

We are in Between World Views

We exist in a time of transition from a materialistic worldview to a more authentically spiritual outlook.

That means we are awakening from a world that for centuries has concentrated on the everyday shuffling around of material things – work, acquiring homes and food, dealing with educations, kids, and all the other day to day tasks necessary to make our lives secure.

In this old materialistic worldview, spirituality has been an afterthought – a mere decision to “believe or not to believe.” For a long time, we have engaged in religion, but this has usually been for one day a week only, after which we would forget about our belief and return to the material world.

Don’t get me wrong. I believe this materialism was a necessary step in the spiritual evolution of humanity. We had to settle in and create the means of survival and security before we could move on. In fact, it was this general improvement in material security that allowed the spiritual awakening I’m talking about to begin.

Our problem is that we are now “in between” world views. All the juice has run out of our pursuit of material progress as a life purpose, while, at the same time, the replacement worldview has not yet been fully formed. Many people have concluded that the war, hatred, and incivility now occurring means all is lost. Our hopes for an enlightened world seem thoroughly dashed.

But this is only the chaos of being in a transition phase. Losing a dominant world view is traumatic and brings uncertainty about life. To ease the pain, all kinds of crazy ideologies and realities have been embraced as substitute world views.

We have to be strong at a time like this. Seeing all this craziness can make a person discouraged, even depressed. But not if we see the nuttiness as a temporary transition and concentrate on aiding in the formation of the next worldview.

~ James Redfield

Read more at http://www.celestinevision.com/…/growth-towards-spiritual-…/

‪#‎Spirituality‬

Think you are too busy to take time for mindfulness meditation?

Did you know that you don’t have to stop what you are doing or working on in order to do these exercises. Practicing mindfulness in the activities you do will increase your focus and improve your productivity.

The following is a short excerpt and a basic exercise from http://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/mindfulness.htm. The article has a lot of good information and more exercises for those who would like to learn how to still their mind and increase their focus. 

Mindfulness is a very simple concept.  Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way:  on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.  This increases awareness, clarity and acceptance of our present-moment reality. 

Mindfulness does not conflict with any beliefs or tradition, religious, cultural or scientific.  It is simply a practical way to notice thoughts, physical sensations, sights, sounds, smells - anything we might not normally notice.  The actual skills might be simple, but because it is so different to how our minds normally behave, it takes a lot of practice.  

Mindful Breathing Exercise

The primary focus in Mindfulness Meditation is the breathing. However, the primary goal is a calm, non-judging awareness, allowing thoughts and feelings to come and go without getting caught up in them. This creates calmness and acceptance.

1. Sit comfortably, with your eyes closed and your spine reasonably straight.
2. Direct your attention to your breathing.
3. When thoughts, emotions, physical feelings or external sounds occur, simply accept them, giving them the space to come and go without judging or getting involved with them.
4. When you notice that your attention has drifted off and becoming caught up in thoughts or feelings, simply note that the attention has drifted, and then gently bring the attention back to your breathing.

It's ok and natural for thoughts to arise, and for your attention to follow them. No matter how many times this happens, just keep bringing your attention back to your breathing. 

Reasons to Spend Time Alone

I love the article 9 Reasons Why You Should Spend More Time Alone With Yourself from Purpose Fairy . Which ones ring true for you?

Number 5 really resonates with me right now: You learn how to become who you are and not who the world thinks you should be. There’s also my ego who thinks I should be something other than who I am now. I’m currently working through this as part of my self-discovery and in my Coming back to Life E-course with Jodi Chapman – Soul Speak.

The article quotes Leo F. Buscaglia, “Love yourself—accept yourself—forgive yourself—and be good to yourself, because without you, the rest of us are without a source of many wonderful things.” 

What a wonderful thing it is to know that even though we may be just one person in this big world, we alone can make such a huge impact that stretches farther than we can imagine. Our life purpose has great meaning; once we are in-tune with it, each one of us is capable of creating glorious miracles.

‪#‎SelfLove‬