Personal Rituals

When something feels missing in your life and you can't quite figure it out, what do you do? How much time do you spend with yourself? Usually not much time. We are all busy with work, family and life responsibilities that can be overwhelming. Take time to get in touch with yourself and learn about things that can rejuvenate the mind, body and spirit. Whether it's mediation, yoga, reading or even just simply be yourself doing nothing. Create a set of time for "personal rituals" pursuing your hobby or to do the things that make you happy. There are many ways to unwind and nurture your soul.

When feeling overwhelmed or out of touch, take two minutes and do one, or a combination of, the following:

2-minutes to Mindfulness. Speaking of no judgement, mindfulness is “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally,” as defined by Jon Kabat-Zinn. I learned two mindfulness practices for regulating attention and getting in touch from Chade-Meng Tan’s “Search Inside Yourself.”

Way One: Bring gentle and consistent attention to your breath for two minutes. That’s it. Start by becoming aware that you are breathing, and then pay attention to the process of breathing. Every time your attention wanders, just bring it back very gently.
Way Two: Sit without an agenda for two minutes. Life really cannot get much simpler than that. The idea here is to shift from “doing” to “being,” whatever that means to you, for just two minutes. Just be.

Establish Personal Rituals. Get clear on energizing rituals that turn you inward. A few of my ideal favorites include: morning visualization of how I want the day to feel and what is dying to be born, reading quotes, going through my pictures on iPhoto, savoring a cup of tea, 2-hour blocks of creative time, and yoga.

“Don’t worry about where or who you’re going to be in five years. Like high school, you will look back and wish you had done so many things differently. Know that and do them differently now. Focus on what’s in front on you. Work on the relationship you have with yourself first. Slow down. Enjoy today. It’s okay to not know. Eat alone in restaurants. Stop trying to prove something. Seek growth instead of validation. Be heard. Have non- negotiables. Go somewhere. Pull from your Solid Self as much as you can. Process (get therapy). Don’t compartmentalize people. Love fearlessly, even if you’ve been crushed before. Eat clean. Toss your scale. Pull yourself out of the victim role. Exercise your forgiveness muscle (you will need this). Don’t be concerned with what others think of you. Accept your story. Don’t chase paper. Seek truth. Be patient.” — THE ANGRY THERAPIST: Twenties 

Every day I would remind myself of this "to-do" list:

1. Trust your journey.
2. Breathe.
3. Nourish your soul.
4. Smile.
5. Be love.

"You need not worry about your worries. Just be. Don't be restless about ‘being quiet’, miserable about ‘being happy’. Just be aware that you are and remain aware - don't say: “Yes I am; what's next?” There is no ‘nex’t' in ‘I am’. It is a timeless state". ~ Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

Our Intuitive Mind

I have been feeling very insecure about decisions I have made in my life. I always feel like nothing is ever be right and I am wondering if I have veered off course. I now know that if I trust my intuition and just let the universe take care of it then I will feel better. Intuition is difficult to describe but somehow we already know if we truly understand and listen to our inner voice. "Intuition is the guiding voice of our souls and a natural and important part of who we are. Without it we cannot find our way to our purpose and path in life. Without it we cannot truly discover what brings us authentic joy. Joy is a landmark of an intuitive life. Living the intuitive life is the greatest personal power!" What I realize is that everything happens in perfect time. It does not need to be a struggle of monumental effort but instead, when we surrender ourselves to the laws of the universe, it is a natural outpouring of being in alignment with the Creator.. the state of true spirituality. This message reminded me that I will never be "off course" if I stay in tune with my nature as a radiant spiritual being.

“How do you know this is the experience you need? Because this is the experience you are having at this moment.” ~Eckhart Tolle

Make it a habit to ask yourself ‘What’s going on inside me at this moment?’ That question will point you in the right direction. But don’t analyze, just watch. Focus your attention within. Feel the energy of the emotion. If there is no emotion present, take your attention more deeply into the inner energy field of your body. It is the doorway into Being. If you worry about what might be, and wonder what might have been, you will ignore what is.  ~ Eckhart Tolle

“Your mind knows only some things. Your inner voice, your instinct, knows everything. If you listen to what you know instinctively, it will always lead you down the right path.” ~Henry Winkler

I love this article about highly intuitive people do differently. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/19/the-habits-of-highly-intu_n_4958778.html

Here are 10 things that people in touch with their intuition do differently:

They listen to that inner voice
They take time for solitude
They create
They practice mindfulness
They observe everything
They listen to their bodies
They connect deeply with others
They pay attention to their dreams
They enjoy plenty of down time
They mindfully let go of negative emotions

Let's just take a few minutes to simply BE. Aware of your surrounding and enjoy the present moment. Pause. Listen. Recognize your instincts. http://www.happinessinthisworld.com/2010/05/08/listening-to-your-inner-voice/#.U3Gfy_ldWSo

Feel the rain on your skin. No one else can feel it for you. Only you can let it in. No one else, no one else can speak the words on your lips. Drench yourself in words unspoken. Live your life with arms wide open. Today is where your book begins. The rest is still unwritten. (Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield)

Happy Mother's Day to all fabulous Moms!!

The Golden Rule

I have read The Four Agreements few years ago and re-read it several times! I think if more people lived by these words of wisdom, the world could be a very different place to live. None of these principles were new and if we simply aware then accept it, our life will be more peaceful. 

I keep telling myself this simple principle: Don't take anything personally. What other people think about you is their reality, not yours. Always do your best effort and that's all that matter. "Everything is alive and changing all the time, so your best will sometimes be high quality, and other times it will not be as good... Regardless of the quality, keep doing your best."

The way to avoid making assumptions is to make a conscious effort to find the quieter space in our minds. "If we go deeper, if we find a place in between thoughts -- that inner silence -- then we will see that we really can control our thoughts and we can create that silence inside of us."

These are the "golden rule":

1. Be Impeccable With Your Word
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

2. Don't Take Anything Personally
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.

3. Don't Make Assumptions
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

4. Always Do Your Best
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.

You don't need to trust others as much as you need to trust yourself to make the right choices. ~ Don Miguel Ruiz

Find yourself and express yourself in your own particular way. Express your love openly. Life is nothing but a dream, and if you create your life with love, your dream becomes a masterpiece of art. ~ Don Miguel Ruiz

Love of One Self

People tend to focus on feeling good which is 'positive' thing to do. We do things that make us happy. But often times, we also focus way too much on 'negative' issues that always pop up to mind. The mind is amazing.. which is why we must watch our beliefs and from time to time, change all our negative beliefs into positive and empowering ones. I personally love reading affirmations quotes and using them to change my belief system.

People are constantly changing and growing. Do not cling to a limited, disconnected, negative image of a person in the past. See that person now. Your relationship is always alive and changing. - Brian L. Weiss



One of the best days of your life (if you have not yet already experienced it) will be when you discover beyond any doubt that your thoughts and feelings are creating your life. The universe keeps throwing challenges at us until we finally get the lesson and move on.

Life is miraculous progressive journey where life gives us with countless stormy times in the highway of life and success. You must dare to rise above every stormy circumstances being positive to discover your true self. As every stormy circumstances gives birth to great achievers. You are divine being in the form of human gifted with infinite intelligence but you can be who you desired to be only when you take massive passionate action on your dream purpose rising above stormy circumstances.

With everything that has happened to you, you can either feel sorry for yourself or treat what has happened as a gift. Everything is either an opportunity to grow or an obstacle to keep you from growing. You get to choose. - Wayne W. Dyer

Honor your past and embrace your journey. You've grown on your path. Have the courage to let go of control. Choose to forgive yourself for mistakes made and learn from each one. You are empowered. Challenge and face fears, embracing opportunities as they come. Change can happen in a moment. Be present and ready. You are exactly where you need to be. Embrace the present moment as if you've chosen it. Live the present moment as if you're choosing the next.

There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement, and acceptance. We need to learn to love ourselves first, in all our glory and our imperfections. If we cannot love ourselves, we cannot fully open to our ability to love others or our potential to create. Evolution and all hopes for a better world rest in the fearlessness and open-hearted vision of people who embrace life. - John Lennon

These are two of my favorite quotes by Marianne Williamson:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Stand YOUR ground today.
Stand on your wisdom.
Stand on your principles.
Stand on your clarity.
Stand on your compassion.
Stand on your flexibility.
Stand on your serenity.
Stand on your love.

Living the Law of Attraction

What a wonderful feeling to wake up to if we just take a little moment to recognize our gratitude for being alive.

"When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive. To breathe, to think, to enjoy and to love."

Take time to be thankful for everything that you have. When you're thankful for what you have, you are always rewarded with more.

We have thousands of opportunities every day to be grateful: for having good weather, to be able to sit in such a beautiful room on such comfortable furniture, to have slept well last night, to be able to get up, to be healthy, to have enough to eat. There's opportunity upon opportunity to be grateful; that's what life is. ~David Steindl-Rast

You are receiving thousands of messages from the Universe every single day. Learn to become aware of this communication from the Universe, who is speaking to you and guiding you in every moment. There are no accidents and no coincidences. Every sign you notice, every word you hear spoken, every color, every scent, every sound, every event and situation is the Universe speaking to you, and you are the only one who knows their relevance to you, and what the communication is saying. Use your eyes to see! Use your ears to listen! Use all of your senses, because you are receiving communication through them all! ~Rhonda Byrne

I believe that living the Law of Attraction is like speaking to the Universe. I have to remind myself whenever possible to choose healthy and positive thoughts. We have to be careful in choosing anything that comes to mind as well as choosing the words we speak. We often have self doubts or negative thoughts that aren't quite true but we allow those thoughts ruin our day because we focus on the negative energy. When we faced with potentially thinking of something or saying negative, we need to STOP ourselves. Acknowledge it and instantly switch to a POSITIVE thought. When I speak to the Universe, I speak to my Higher Power / Creator.

I need to constantly focus on a POSITIVE mental attitude and fill it with gratitude and get the ABUNDANCE energy mode ON. When we started counting our blessings in life rather than our failures, things begin to change because we recognized the things we do have instead of things or goals that we don't succeed. The positive energy would outnumber the countless negativity around us. The simplest way to always be grateful is to tell ourselves with these powerful affirmations: "Ask and You shall receive" and "Once you make a decision, the Universe conspires to make it happen." The universe will give you signs to point you in the right direction. Look for them. Let your heart and your inner person guide you, rather than your mind.

For each new morning with its light,

For rest and shelter of the night,

For health and food, for love and friends,

For everything Thy goodness sends.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~

Ask, Believe and Receive.