Quote of the Week

“All great changes are preceded by chaos.” Deepak Chopra

I just think this is SUCH a fantastic insight. When we are working toward expansion the road is never straightforward or easy, otherwise what would be the point right? My experience has always been, the greater the expansion, the more chaotic appearances seem to be. I remember when The Man and I were going through one of our first great shifts as a family. Our entire life from spiritual beliefs, friendships, family dynamics, finances, to employment statuses felt like it was literally flung into chaos! So many times we had no choice but to just hang on tight and hope we’d come out as unscathed as possible on the other side. And you know what, every time the chaos has cleared, we’ve emerged stronger and more aware than ever before. I’ve been learning to embrace the calamities of life, sometimes even with a smile.

Quote of the Week

“Go to the edge of the cliff and jump off. Build your wings on the way down.” Ray Bradbury

If this isn’t a blaring statement of faith, then I don’t know what is. Often we get to the edge of that cliff and stall, even when we somehow know that taking that leap is the key to everything we’ve been working toward. We tend to choose the safer option over the one that will provide us with the highest level of expansion, because though we all have our particular beliefs, we don’t always trust them. Let go and take the BIG RISK!

Trust the process, and then soar! 

Quote of the Week

“Our life is what our thoughts make it.” Marcus Aurelius Antonius

The best information or guidance is often the simplest. Our thoughts are based on our beliefs,
which are reinforced by our experiences. The way we react to, interpret and internalize each
experience can make BIG changes in our lives, or allow things to remain exactly the same. We
make the choice and have the privilege of experiencing the results.

Quote of the Week

“A mind too active is no mind at all.” Theodore Roethke

I can relate to this quote on so many levels as I used to consistently have so much on my mind, at one time, I’d get massive headaches. Not so good. I was taught some very good meditations to help alleviate this situation. The most effective one I was taught had everything to do with allowing/letting go and nothing to do with control.

The basic premise of this meditation (l like to call it Void) was to become still, and instead of trying to “control” my thoughts (which is pretty much impossible anyway), I would let them flow in and then out of my mind, never latching on long term to any specific thought. This way, nothing ever got the chance to get stuck. I couldn’t take the opportunity to ponder, linger or dwell upon any certain thoughts. What this allowed me to do, was stay in the moment, which is where most of us trying to be anyway.

What this caused was a fantastic allowing and releasing of energy that I had been clinging to. When I was able to allow that energy to flow, instead of just clogging me up, it made it easier for me to be openly receptive to my good, especially when it came to creative inspiration. Because I wasn’t busy worrying about how things would come, they just came. Just some food for thought.

Quote of the Week

“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” Eleanor Roosevelt

You have to admit, the lady makes an excellent point! This quote captures the essence of the process that so many of us struggle with, in one simple sentence. Life is to be lived and enjoyed to the fullest that we possibly can. In immersing ourselves in our present, we embrace life and appreciate the journey that our spirits/inner beings came forth to embody. When we let go of fear, doubt and worry there is nothing we can’t experience and/or achieve. Here’s to letting go and living in the now.

Frustration With the Process

Taking responsibility for our lives, our destinies, seems so much easier said than done. We get a lot of guidance from different sources (books, movies, spiritual gatherings, etc), but really they are all saying the same things. Our thoughts (based upon core beliefs) control our realities and it is up to us to live on purpose. So many of us are used to living by default. Life comes at us and then we react often without thinking. We live the same experiences over and over and wonder why, often not stopping to think that the one constant in our entire lives is US!

Even deeper, so many of us actually believe we are being deliberate in our thoughts and actions. The majority of people insist that they are positive thinkers… when they actually are not. I know, because I used to be one of them, and still tend to fall into the trap when I’m not careful. I insisted to the universe (and anyone else who’d listen) that even though I was doing everything “right” I still wasn’t being rewarded for all of my positive ideas and viewpoints. The saddest thing about this was that I was more often than naught, living life from a negative point of view.

I often would tell the unlimited universe what I wanted, but then put conditions on how it should appear, because, what… I knew better than the all-knowing  source of existence? When it came down to it, if I couldn’t see how something was going to come into existence, then I couldn’t believe it was attainable. Doesn’t sound so positive does it? Asking the universe for what I wanted, but then consistently dwelling or spending most of my attention on what made me feel bad about my current life situations, really wasn’t helping me. I would say, “Universe please send me more abundance.” Then I would spend a good portion of time focused on my belief that I didn’t have enough to comfortably sustain myself and even worse, trying (from my limited viewpoint) to figure out how I could get more, instead of trusting in the universe to bring me the means to get whatever I needed. I learned the hard way, that asking for something, then spending all my time pondering what I didn’t have was in no way, shape or form positive thinking.

The bottom line is, if we continue to reinforce the same negative limited beliefs, with the same negative limited thoughts, then we will continue to receive the same negative limited manifestations. This is true no matter how many different mates we leave or find, how many different jobs we leave or find, how many different friendships we leave or find, etc. The energy we put out into the universe is what we will receive, always, every, single time. So let’s do ourselves a favor and be honest about how we’re feeling and what we’re thinking and what we believe. It’s okay to admit that we are not perfect and that we have fears, concerns, issues, things about ourselves we don’t like, things about others we don’t like, etc. All of that is really OK, because we are where we are regardless of how we feel about it. But if we can acknowledge, openly and truthfully, where we are in relation to where we want to be, we can begin the process of acceptance and growth. No one said that just because we accept who and where we are, that we have to remain there if we don’t want to. Thinking positively isn’t something we just talk about or wish about. It takes time to become negative thinkers and it will take time to become positive thinkers and if we are patient and loving with ourselves growth is bound to happen. It takes just as much effort to be negative as it does to be positive, so why not choose the path that leads toward happiness?       

Love,

Quote of the Week

“Trust that still, small voice that says, ‘This might work and I’ll try it.’” Diane Mariechild

The operative word here is TRUST! So many of us know the principles, we spout the ideals as if they are a part of our lifeline. We understand, and it makes since to us, that our thoughts create our realities. And we even recognize the source from within that provides our divine guidance. Really and truly, how many of us actually TRUST in that voice, no matter how crazy the guidance may seem to our “logical” thinking patterns? How many of us are willing to put it all on the line and go for broke, when that genius, but seemingly insane idea comes to us, that inspiration that will take us in directions we never dreamed of? Let’s stop putting off for tomorrow, the things we KNOW we are capable of today. The source, from within will only, ever lead us down paths that are for our highest good. Our job is to believe in it and trust enough to actually ACT!  

Quote of the Week

"Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another." Walter Elliott

I really like this premise. Surely, I can’t be the only one who sometimes gets overwhelmed with … well… life! Sometimes we have so many plans, and so many things we believe need to be completed in order to be successful. Often we feel bogged down when we stop to consider all the things that need to be done. Sure, that to do list may be a long one, but if we could do our best to work on one thing at a time, one step at a time, we could get there with far less difficulty and even, worry.  

Quote of the Week

“What is the difference between an obstacle and an opportunity? Our attitude toward it. Every opportunity has a difficulty, and every difficulty has an opportunity.” J. Sidlow Baxter

This quote is all about attitude (something I have always been accused of having too much of). Your attitude is the disposition you have regarding your approach to life. Do you tend to look for things to feel good about or spend time dwelling on the negative? Attitude and/or perspective will severely alter how you view life and how you experience life. Let’s make the decision today to have the most positive attitude we can in order to enjoy life at our highest possible potential.

Quote of the Week

“Worrying is like a rocking chair: it gives you something to do, but it doesn't get you anywhere.” Unknown

Absolutely one of the most fabulous quotes EVAH! I mean really… seriously… these few words speak such large volumes about the subject. Humans tend to be such control freaks even when we don’t mean to be. We say we are going to follow the process. We do all this work to focus on that we want and to visualize our dreams in such great clarity, it could rival the highest quality HDMI TV, but then we try to physical CONTROL how it’s all going to come about. Instead of letting go, to allow the universe/higher mind/inner being/source energy to do its work, we allow our egos to force us into to trying to take control. We are afraid that if we don’t grab the reigns and dictate the details then it won’t happen. In essence we (in the words of Bashar) “try to worry things into existence,” because we don’t truly have faith in the process. We hold ourselves in the same pattern of life, because while on one hand we focus on what we want, we continue to WORRY about the things we don’t want (which are often things we are already experiencing and trying to “get away” from).

So I’ve decided that from now on, I am going to allow myself to enjoy life as it comes. I will still focus on the inception of things I desire, but once the vision is deeply rooted within me, I am going to do my best to surrender it to the universe and allow my higher mind to do its job, while freeing my physical consciousness to enjoy the manifestations of my current situations.  

Quote of the Week

"The best way to predict the future is to create it."  Peter Drucker 


This one can pretty much stand on it's own. We all have the power to create the lives we want, we just need to be disciplined enough, determined enough, consistent enough and open enough to allow the manifestations to occur. When we are able to focus our thoughts consistently only on what we want, there is nothing to block the creation of our desires. There will always be events, people and things that appear to be preventing our positive progress, but when we only allow ourselves to be immersed in the things we want, instead of wallowing and intensely focusing on that which we don't want, nothing can ever stand in the way.

Quote of the Week

"Excellence is not a destination; it is a continuous journey that never ends." Brian Tracy

What a simple yet powerful statement. I find this idea to be valid regarding all aspects of life. Often we tend to think of excellence or greatness as something to be completed and achieved, like a class or a lesson in school. We often feel that we have to conquer some great obstacle and once done we’ve completed the task of reaching excellence. But really, excellence is the drive that pushes us harder and further to do better and better. Excellence is not the end goal, but rather the ongoing desire, that pushes us to be all that we can… and more.

Quote of the Week

"Sometimes people get the mistaken notion that spirituality is a separate department of life, the penthouse of existence. But rightly understood, it is a vital awareness that pervades all realms of our being." David Steindl-Rast

Short, sweet and to the point. Some speak of spirituality as if it’s something you only work on one day a week or when you can squeeze it in, but truthfully (you know how I love the truth) it is a lifestyle. Spirituality (or even the lack thereof) is something that guides every action, every consideration, every thought, every reaction, etc. When a person is truly aiming to be one with who they really are (their source) then spirituality becomes a way of life.

Quote of the Week

“If you want to reach a state of bliss, then go beyond your ego and the internal dialogue. Make a decision to relinquish the need to control, the need to be approved, and the need to judge. Those are the three things the ego is doing all the time. It's very important to be aware of them every time they come up.” Deepak Chopra

I love how this quote just spells it out. The ego (the human mind) thinks it knows everything, even though everything it knows has been garnered from the physical perspective. The human mind is forever threatened by change or that which it deems as different. As a result if we grow up being taught that the human mind is above all and kept ignorant of the guidance of the higher (spiritual self), our growth will forever be stunted. The ego (often) believes or accepts what society and those around us tell it. So we grow up believing that we have to work to gain others approval, when it is how we feel about ourselves that matters most, especially with regard to creating and enjoying the lives we want. The ego believes that its way has to be the right way and tends to judge others who walk a different path. The ego likes to try and control the atmosphere around it in order to feel superior, though in reality it will never be able to match the true wisdom of the spiritual self. When the ego is in charge everything is the hard way, it will do what it can to hold us back so that we do not try to change and grow past its limited vision. But, when we allow the true spirit within to be the beacon that guides us there are no limitations to how far we can reach. 

Quote of the Week

“A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others.” Ayn Rand

I think this quote is made of awesome fabulousness. I saw it posted a while ago and thought I’d steal it. I’m starting to believe that some of our competitive natures are actually hindering our ability to achieve and/or manifest our desires. I believe it’s one thing to participate in healthy competition when in contest or playing a game, but when everything in life starts to become about beating someone else or being better than someone else, I think we are playing a dangerous game.

The way I see it, competition is (for the most part) about comparing yourself to someone else. What do I have to do to get ahead of, beat or be better than this person?  When your whole life becomes about comparing your accomplishments to someone else’s I believe that is setting yourself up for failure. Someone else may do something differently or faster but that doesn’t mean they do it better and vice versa.

Wouldn’t it be better if instead of looking at someone else’s life for guidance we looked to our own true inner selves instead? What if we decided to look into our own hearts, acknowledge the things that truly make us happy and strive to create those things in the best manner for our own wellbeing and desires? Perhaps if we used our own lives, experiences, progresses and feelings as a gauge for how we’re doing instead of someone else’s we might actually appreciate the strides we’ve made toward our goals. Instead of caring more about comparing our journey to someone else’s, I believe it would be much more beneficial to just enjoy the one we are on and appreciate our own precious achievements. Self-love, come on let’s get with it.

Quote of the Week

"Faith is to believe what you do not see the reward of this faith is to see what you believe." Saint Augustine

Nicely put, sweet, simple and to the point. For many people, (sometimes me depending on the situation) this simplistic yet powerful concept seems too easy or too good to be true. “You mean all I have to do is believe in myself and I can achieve anything, no matter how big or small?” Yep, that’s what it means. The thing is, even when many of us think we’re believing in ourselves, we aren’t. We’re busy worrying and doubting whether or not we can have something or are worthy of it. But who decides our worthiness? Well I guess it depends. Some of us allow society to tell us how worthy we are to have things. Do you have the right background, the perfect credit score, an agreeable attitude? And some have started to break that mold and decide that no matter what, they are going to have the things they want. Regardless, the quote doesn’t mention any hoops to jump through or anyone (or any being) we have to please before we can reap our reward. The quote just says that if you believe it then you can manifest it. I love it!

Quote of the Week

"The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”
George Bernard Shaw

Holy cow! I’ve never viewed communication from this perspective before, but as soon as I read it, it resonated with me. How many times have any of us had a conversation or correspondence with someone, only to feel you’ve left off where you began, run in circles, made no progress, you get me right? How many times have any of us had a heated “discussion” about our personal views with someone who had opposing views? During these times, do you think we spend more time trying to find something of value to take away from the experience or trying to “convert” someone to our beliefs? I mean so many of us believe our beliefs are “right.” Come on, admit it, I know we’ve all been there a time or two and it sucks each and every time.

Well anyway, now I prefer to think that communication should be a dialogue between two or more people, where everyone is trying to find some common ground, actually hear what the other parties are saying and understand them. Even still, if you can’t agree completely, at least try to broaden your horizons, before condemning something you may not have known about or tried. So many want just their voice to be heard. So many just want to be RIGHT, when really, is that what’s most important?

If we take a chance on someone else’s point of view what exactly do we have to lose? What does it hurt to hear out someone else’s thoughts and opinions? Then have a healthy dialogue or even debate as long as you are actually listening to the other person, instead of only focusing on preparing your next argument, because there is no way their opinions could be valid for you? I think I’ll take heed to this quote the next time I’m in a discussion with someone of an opposite view point. It would be fabulous if I take away something of value from every interaction instead of just plane ole’ frustration. 

Quote of the Week

“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”
Albert Einstein

Wow what genius! LOL okay I couldn’t help myself. ;) But really this statement is quite profound. Many of us create problems by continuing to pursue our current pattern of thinking. We use the things we’ve experienced in life to try and create excuses reasons for why our lives are the way they are. Consistently we create conflicts, issues and problems within our own lives (I am certainly no exception). Then we try to “fix” our problems the hard way while continuing to think the same poisonous thoughts that dropped us into the unwanted situations in the first place. Sounds a bit counterproductive doesn’t it?   

What I think the quote really means is, if we really want to solve our problems or move onto bigger and better we first must change our thoughts. We can’t possibly use the same patterns of thought that got us into our problems to now solve those same issues. Bit by bit, day by day we have the power to change our thoughts to something more positive and conducive to our much deserved wellbeing. And as we begin these changes we will see the results manifested within our own lives. Thus if we can change the way we think we can change the way we live on a dynamic level. Let's give it a try, shall we?

Love,

Quote of the Week

"The man who trims himself to suit everybody will soon whittle himself away." Charles Schwab

When I first read this, I was just stunned at the simplicity, yet power of this statement. Too often, we spend our time trying to present ourselves in a way that pleases the people around us, instead of working to feel good about who we really are or want to be. We all do it on some level, it’s hard not to, since society often tells us it’s the “right” thing to do. Often it would seem society tells us that being ourselves isn’t good enough. Commercials boast of age defying makeups, quick weight loss scams… um I mean techniques or diets, tanning facilities and endless photos of perfectly airbrushed people. How is any of this conducive to self acceptance?

But, we don’t only try to appease our pears with our physical appearance; we also try to do it with our actions and personalities. Wouldn’t it serve us better to care more about how our behavior affects the quality of our own lives, than those around us? I think it’s a shame that trying to please ourselves is often perceived as “selfish” and heaven forbid someone have enough self-esteem to actually positively acknowledge they are good at something. Then we are just considered to be full of ourselves, self-important or conceited. Why are we supposed to be these humble people who go around down playing our accomplishments and talents so that others don’t feel bad about what they don’t have? I mean really?

When it comes down to it, we can only view our lives through our own point of view. So why not feel the best about yourself that you positively can. Letting others, in their own way, control how we act and behave isn’t serving us or anyone else. When we live up to our full potential and are in alignment with our true selves (inner being, soul, source, take your pick) then we are at our best and have the best potential to help not only ourselves but others as well. Our inner being only sees us a pure, radiant love energy and that’s how we should all work to see ourselves as well.

Quote of the Week

"He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have."
Socrates

"Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive. Find a way to be thankful for your troubles and they can become your blessings." Author Unknown

I usually only do one quote at a time but these were right on time.  They tie in together so perfectly. The first (to me) states that if we can’t appreciate what we have now, then how will we ever be able to appreciate the things we desire. A lot of us want so many things because we are unhappy with what we have… but as a lot of us know we only attract what we are consistently thinking about, always. We are always in our now, no matter how much we think about or pasts or futures. Our feelings, emotions and thoughts are telling us what we are currently attracting, so why not work to make every thought and every moment better.  If we have a feeling of discontentment about our current lives then all we are going to attract is further discontentment. Have you ever seen miserable people who are rich or seem to have it all or poor people who seem to be perfectly happy and enjoying life? There’s something about that and it’s called appreciation. The universe can always tell when we are genuinely appreciative of what we have and so can we, by the quality of life we appear to be living. Since life is always occurring right now, we can never live in the past or future, why not try our best to make the most of right now and appreciate what we already have?

So, the next quote helps us right along with that whole concept. We all have experiences we wish we could have avoided or that we feel have affected us in a negative way. Question, was it the experience that made us feel bad or did we feel bad first, which then caused us to attract the so-called negative experience? Everything about life is in how we perceive it. If we view something as negative then we feel bad, if we view it as positive then we feel good. So, what if we worked to view the so-called bad things in a more positive, beneficial matter.  What if we stopped stressing over the outside forces we can’t control and work to just do our part in creating a more positive and successful future and present? What if we did find a way to be thankful for our troubles, acknowledge how we’ve grown from them and accept them as the blessings and life lessons they really are. From experience, I can honestly say that my life feels amazingly better when I am working to be positive instead of negative. They both take work so I’ve decided to aim as much of my energy into being positive even when things initially appear to be negative.