Child’s Play

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Allow, Appreciate, Child, Divine, God's Plan, Gratitude, Heart, Inner Child, Innocence, Life, Love, Manifest, Miracles, Open, Playground, Self, Soul, Trust, Vulnerable, YOU

~*♥*~

“The child’s naïve dream of life is the only one worth having.”                                        ~ Marty Rubin

~*♥*~

Continuing with the yesterday’s post on Manifesting Miracles, I realized how important it is to mention how our lives have become so serious we’ve lost our childlike innocence from the time when we had visions of grandeur!

Where did it all go?  It turns out, we learned bad habits, behaviors, ways of thinking and being as we grew into our adult ways.  We were trained, conditioned, and told how we should be.  Along the way we lost our natural penchant for seeking with our heart and feeling our way through life.  We were told we needed to grow up and we listened because we wanted to belong and feel loved.

Anything was possible in our minds.  What thwarted this way of thinking?  Isn’t it interesting to note that we were actually right all along!?  I still believe anything is possible and I strive to reconcile my way of thinking, seeing, and believing that everything has potential.  It does, you know!  Just trust and follow your Heart.  You did when you were very little without any hesitation …. until, you were no longer a child.

Have you ever considered what it was you were so passionate about as a child?  What brought you the most joy?  What did you want to be when you grew up – not the practical but the impractical!?  Do you remember when you gave it up or why?  Were you one of the lucky ones who was able to maintain it or Have you found yourself at a point where you’re returning your childhood passions? 

Either way, it’s time to recapture your Heart’s Desire and pursue what makes your Soul Soar and Heart Sing!

This life is a Playground! 

We came into this life for a reason.  We’re meant to en~joy, explore, and contribute to cultivating our natural gifts, talents, and blessed abilities.  These are what we were meant to share with the world.  Don’t you notice how much joy they bring you by using them but when suppressed, you feel weighed down missing this vitality!?

When was the last time you allowed your Inner Child to play with its natural gifts?  Do you go back from time to time to play?  Don’t loose yourself by suppressing your Self! 

Hearts break and Souls Shatter when we don’t follow the Truth that radiates the innocence of our Inner Child!”

~ Lana A. LaBonte

Wash yourself of the old restricted living.  Let your Inner Child come out to miraculously and fully experience this life without over-analyzing it from the adult perspective of conditioning & learned behaviors, patterns, & thoughts.  Throw caution to the wind with each experience new and fresh, not tainted from what you have you’ve had occur in your life up to this point.  We base so much of our trepidation to try new things by all the experiences we’ve had as if they determine the outcome.  Nothing could be farther from the truth!

Take each day fresh and ask yourself, “What would I do if I were still my Child Self?” 

Small changes will bring surprising results to your daily life ~ more joy and patience from the perspective a child arises when you tap into the simplicity from whence you came. 

Open your Heart to your Childlike Innocence and allow yourself to be vulnerable once again to the unknown.  Healing comes from Feeling and it’s the only route to a fulfilled life. 

Let your Inner Child come out to Play!  You know it’s time and you deserve to live in Joy!

~*♥*~ Life is a Playground so, Let your Inner Child come out & Play!  Know the Love you Radiate when your Heart Sings & your Soul Soars is contagious ~ Pass it on! ~*♥*~

~ ♥ Lana A. LaBonte ♥ ~

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Sat Nam ~ Truth Is My Identity!

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Authenticity, Choice, Distraction, Flow, Freedom, Heart, Identity, Know, Life, Live, Patterns, Power, Present, Sat Nam, Soul, True, Trust, TRUTH

What is our Truth?  Truth is what our Heart & Soul Speaks! 

We can talk about all the things which BEing in our Truth can be described by, like living with Integrity, Consistency, Demonstration of Character, Honesty, Love, Devotion, etc…but only YOU know if you are living from within your Truth!

Nobody can tell you what your Truth is because what is true for one is not true for another.  It is also not to be confused with tangible facts.

We may feel IT but we are not always listening inwardly to IT!  In fact, typically, our Mind believes it’s in control, running this show we call Life.  The truth is it’s this conditioned Ego Mind, which misleads us; meanwhile, the Heart will never lead you astray! 

Think about the last time you felt you made a bad decision or ended up in a situation you felt you could have avoided if you had just trusted that little voice inside, you know the one I’m speaking of.  Your logical mind was probably the one who deduced how you should proceed and how you landed there to begin with.  If only you had tapped into your inner wisdom.

The other day I spoke with a woman who asked me: 

What is the one thing you could never give up that brings you joy?  That one thing you live for and could never imagine being without?  How could you do more of it?”

We’re not talking eating ice cream, insert whatever your vice, everyday unless you can say you feel complete and total bliss and this feeling sustains you well beyond the passed blissful moment ~ because moments are fleeting. 

What this means is what is it you can’t explain but comes from deep down within your BEing, your Heart & Soul, the Truth of who you are and were meant to BE!  Can you identify something resembling this?  Many times it cannot be explained because it drives you ~ it permeates your entire mind, body, & Spirit. 

Without this, would your life still have meaning?

We got to discussing the difference between living and having a J.O.B. (If interested, look up the history of Job = “persecuted”)

A J.O.B. guarantees an exchange of services for money, which is recognized as a strong sense of security, a belief system of many.  It may not be the case for all but it is a mental programming of what we’ve been conditioned to believe.

If you’re living a more creative life and go with the Flow, your life is always provided with security and this doesn’t always come in the form of money!  This requires real Trust, a deep inner Knowing!

For me, I desire the freedom to travel, write, create, and experience as much as I possibly can!  I didn’t always have this, so I thought!  Having freedom of Choice in my life is essential and tremendously important to me.  I admit there are moments where I feel like I’m on shaky ground and I have no idea what will happen next but I remind myself how everything always works out.  It just does!  How else can one explain this but to live in the Divine flow of miracles.

Ultimately, the message clearly came to me how

“We spend most of our life trying to figure out where we came from, who we are, what we’re doing here, where we’re headed and what happens after we die.  This is how we’ve lost sight of the PRESENT!  We don’t LIVE.  We’re caught up in the Past & the Future trying to decypher mysteries that will be revealed, but long after we’ve Lived this physical existence.  The key word here is LIVE!  Why not tap into this Moment Being TRUE to our Hearts & Souls ~ NOW!?!  There’s no time to waste so why have we become so complacent and caught up in bad habits and behaviors?  Let’s LIVE the Life we were meant to and forgo the distractions!” ♥

We all have those days when we want things to be a certain way.  We think it should BE that way because well, that’s how we’ve been convinced to think it should be.  What if it’s ALL WRONG?  Haven’t you ever questioned or doubted what you think?  What if all those distractions were purposely created for us to loose our sense of power and inner wisdom; or better yet, remove us from our True identity and the Power we innately have inside each and every one of us?  Nobody can take this away from you.  Power has to be given freely; even if you don’t realize you’re doing it.  It’s Force that’s used to fear you into giving it away.  There’s nothing authentic about force.

Authenticity radiates from within when you allow the Truth of who you are to shine ~ Your Heart & Soul!  The only one you can offend or hurt if you deny your Truth is your Self!  You deserve so much more so BE True to You!

~ Lana A. LaBonte

Take some time to sit down and reflect upon what it is that drives you.  What is it in your life that reflects the truth of who you are?  Do you feel your life is complete or do you lack (see my previous post)?  If you feel something is missing, it’s time to tune in and listen.  All it takes is a choice and… It’s up to YOU!

Once you recognize the Divine Order and flow, you see everything as a Blessing! 

~ Lana A. LaBonte

~*~  May you awaken to your True Wisdom within.
May your Heart Sing & your Soul Soar leading you on your Divine Path with Purpose, Grace, and Ease.
May you BE in your unwavering Truth!  ~*~

♥ Sat Nam! ♥
~ Lana A. LaBonte

Reflect Upon What You Have Learned & Live

Tags

Change, Child, Dorothy Law Nolte, Emotion, Insight, Learned, Life, Live, Poem, Reflect, Sight

CHILDREN LEARN WHAT THEY LIVE
~ Dorothy Law Nolte

If a child lives with criticism,
he learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility,
he learns to fight.
If a child lives with fear,
he learns to be apprehensive.
If a child lives with pity,
he learns to feel sorry for himself.
If a child lives with ridicule,
he learns to be shy.
If a child lives with jealousy,
he learns what envy is.
If a child lives with shame,
he learns to feel guilty.
If a child lives with encouragement,
he learns to be confident.
If a child lives with tolerance,
he learns to be patient.
If a child lives with praise,
he learns to be appreciative.
If a child lives with acceptance,
he learns to love.
If a child lives with approval,
he learns to like himself.
If a child lives with recognition,
he learns that it is good to have a goal.
If a child lives with sharing,
he learns about generosity.
If a child lives with honesty and fairness,
he learns what truth and justice are.
If a child lives with security,
he learns to have faith in himself and in those about him.
If a child lives with friendliness,
he learns that the world is a nice place in which to live.
If you live with serenity,
your child will live with peace of mind. 

With what is your child living?

[Source: Canfield, J. & Wells, H. C. (1976). 100 ways to enhance self-concept in the classroom: A handbook for teachers and patents. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.]

I felt this was an appropriate reflection for today as I have noticed the patterns in my own life and how they’ve affected my behaviors and beliefs spiraling out into my daily life circumstances and relationships with others.  Sometimes we need to reflect within and what our own inner child has endured unnecessarily.  At any point in our life, we have the opportunity to recognize and correct years of suffering just by choosing and adjusting how we think, speak, interact, and relate to the world. 

Upon reading this poem, what emotions did it evoke in you? 

What memories came up?  Where did it bring you in your past?  Can you relate patterns of behavior and beliefs systems you currently have and live?  What does it reveal about you in your present life? 

Are there aspects about your life you would like to change?  By seeing these areas, are you willing to change?  The choice to change has to be a willingness to adopt new patterns to replace the old.  When we make the choice to change, it means courage, persistence, and determination to commit no matter how difficult it may seem.  Start with small baby steps.  This is the best way to approach change.  While even the smallest change leads yet to a bigger one and continues to grow, we must continue to move forward! 

“The world changes when we change. The world softens when we soften. The world loves us when we choose to love the world.”

~ Marianne Williamson

~♥~ I wish you a day filled with in~Sight~ful Steps
Toward the Life you were meant to Live
Filled with Abundant Love ~♥~
♥ ♥ ♥
~ Lana

♥ P.S.♥

Death Makes Life Worth Living

Tags

Blessed, Bliss, Breathe, Change, Choice, comfort, Cry, Death, disease, Gratitude, happiness, Heart, Hug, Joy, Laugh, Life, Manifest, Smile, Suffering, victim

The other day I read something so simple, yet profound,
“Death makes Life worth living!” 

So, the question becomes:
“Why don’t we actually see our Life as precious as it IS?”

I look around and see people in states of unconscious living ~ captivated by their technological device to the point they can’t even hold a conversation with another person without its distraction.  Never really taking the time to engage in a conversation with another to fully listen but ready to respond before the other person is finished speaking.  Lives revolve around creating distractions and buying into anything that will distract them from the present moment.  Boasting their own self-importance by making claims there is always something or someone dependent upon them so as to excuse them from anything which may allow them to be responsible for their own free will or choice in a matter because now they have to consult another.  If they’re not in a hurry to be somewhere they don’t know how to calm and relax where they are; the pun ~> they can’t sit still in silence to save their life.  In a hurry to get to a destination where there is no appointment yet looking around to point things causing their delay instead of seeing how they’re actually creating their reality.  This one did this to me or claiming people are against them; yet, never seeing how their reaction and how they handle the situation is what allows it to impact them or penetrate their being into these states of stress, drama, and chaos.  The irony, most fight or flight reactions have nothing to do with fighting or flighting because these are identified as stress by the monkey mind that created them! 

Nobody ever does anything to us even if intentional unless we allow but it’s the fact that we highlight and give it attention which brings it into focus as if it were done to us.  Most everything in life is created through the conscious and unconscious choices we make to react, act, respond, create, distribute, disperse the energies of any situation that comes at us.  We are creators in this life!  We are alive.  We are constantly living while constantly dying but which do we choose to cultivate?  How often do we fall victim to our circumstances while putting us into a depression, feeling as if we’re choosing death? 

Our personal state dictates our living or dying and there is always opportunity to shift and change it.  Why not BE PRESENT in the NOW and Be Grateful for the Breath of Life you Breathe! 

So, why do some choose suffering over living?  Even the most unhappy people can fall prey to staying unhappy because it’s all they’ve ever known or it’s easy to just stay stuck.  It’s all Fear-based ~ the idea of change is much scarier to them than actually being happy.  Change is like death but why not try it out for a change since there’s really nothing to loose!?  Eventually, after making those scary steps a few times it will become second nature and won’t be so scary anymore.  In fact, you may even find it exciting!

How do we get so caught playing the victim of our lives when we have the power to change?  Many of us were not brought up with a strong self-esteem, felt discouraged by the circumstances we feel life forced upon us, we feel we’re helpless or unable to stand up for ourselves, ah but then there’s the comfort in being validated by someone who condones our victim behavior perpetuates it to continue (why change if it’s supported), or just simply Fear, again.  Just owning the fact that we choose if we’re the victim or the victor in any given situation is pivotal to making changes.

Why wait until death is pounding on your door [in the form of disease or near-death] to decide you want to live?  This is the one that makes the least sense.  Our health is a result of our thoughts, our words, our actions, and choices ~ this can be in the form of loving or hurtful energies.  If you harbor resentment, it will curdle in your veins and create dis~ease in the mind which will manifest in the body.  If you have certain addictive and unhealthy eating habits that comfort you in times of stress (which is when cortisol is present – the stress and anxiety hormone), you are feeding another dis~ease to fester into something bigger.  Just as denying yourself one food to choose another less healthy option in the name of diet can have a psychological effect, as well as, set you up for failure because any restriction to the Ego will undeniably come back in retaliation of falling of the wagon.  If you choose to watch sad depressing television instead of exercise (which is a natural antidepressant), your body deteriorates and “if you don’t move it, you loose it.”  Anytime you experience a elevated state of stress, your hormones are thrown out of whack and adrenals go into overdrive.  This is not a time you want to eat but instead, choose a form of movement which will provide an outlet.  Something as simple as walking can elevate your mood, improve muscle tone, flexibility, blood circulation, and burn calories.  Even petting an animal can do this, as it’s been proven to release the feel good hormones – serotonin, prolactin and oxytocin, which is sometimes dubbed “the cuddle hormone,” and it also helps reduce blood pressure and decreases levels of cortisol in the body! 

Food is the most abused anxiety drug.  Exercise is the most underutilized antidepressent.

~ King Kirby, KingKirby.net 

What can you do to Live a more fulfilled and joyous life?  You have absolute, full control to make positive choices in your life at all times!  Kick any old habits of self-defeating thoughts or actions.  Smile often, Laugh more, Cry for Joy or even when you feel you need to cleanse, clean, and wipe away the old, and Keep a Daily Gratitude Journal and fill it with all those things that made you Smile, Laugh, or Cry!  How else can you recognize what makes your Heart sing if you don’t praise what it brings you every now and again [the key is to keep it coming]!?  DO WHAT YOU LOVE!  Could it get any simpler than that?  Whatever it is that allows you to express yourself in the most creative and passionate way is why we’re here. 

Make time to focus, breathe, and meditate because this will not only extend your life but literally slow the aging process.  In addition, it will allow you time to go within and witness the thoughts consuming your mind.  Meditation doesn’t need to be a struggle and there is no goal.  Allow it to guide you, journal what comes up, and allow any thoughts to drift away and over time it will be easier to find stillness more calming.  You may also be surprised over time as you make the time to meditate you will also find it feels like you have more time for other things.

Hug another because we all need and crave human touch; it also releases those uplifting endorphins like serotonin, reduces blood pressure and the heart rate, which makes you more relaxed and content.  And you know, we can ALL use a Hug!  It could turn out you also uplift another and you know the joy in being able to provide joy for another also enforces it in ourselves. 

Where attention goes, energy flows so, ensure you keep your mind clear.  No matter what, focus on the positive because there is plenty out there even in the bombardment of negative media and news.  You can better spend your time and energy away from these things you cannot control, don’t contribute to your own personal life, and only bring you down.

~*~ Life is an echo: what you send out comes back. ~*~

~ Chinese Proverb

Next time you find yourself a little down or catch yourself in negative self~speak, make a choice to turn it around.  Remember, we’re Blessed with this physical body for a limited time so use it wisely! 

Embrace it, Honor it, & Nurture it!
Empower YourSelf! 
Choose Happiness, Choose Life, & Choose to Soar Above!

Blessings,

 ~ Lana      

Life’s A Dance ~ Finding the Balance

Tags

Authenticity, Balance, Dance, Divine, Ego, Experience, Express, Extreme, Feel, Grow, Harmony, Inspire, Integrity, Intention, Labels, Life, Love, Middle Ground, Open, Peace, Rules, Self, Siddhartha, TRUTH

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A teacher was teaching his student a music lesson:

Siddhartha heard the teacher say “If you wind the string too tight it will break and if you have the string too loose, there will be no music.” 

Upon hearing these words,  Siddhartha came to the realization of the “Middle Way of Life” ~ It must be neither of strict and nor disciplined!  

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

Reading this really struck a chord with me!  I’ve been noticing how so much extremism is rampant right now and sensing how important it is to keep centered by not getting so caught up in all the external stimulation.  It’s so important to find inner peace and cultivate your calm.

Life is a dance ~ we need to feel, find our center of balance, and get into our own rhythm!  Walking the middle ground, we don’t need to choose one over the other.

~ Lana A LaBonte

Look at how many of us are so caught up in the rules.  Most of these phantom rules aren’t even written down anywhere but they are there, haunting the minds of many people.  People go through their entire lives adhering to these rules never even questioning them but always holding onto a subconscious animosity toward them.  Some go so far as to police others into following what they have interpreted as being the right way because you know “There are Rules!” 

A human being always acts and feels and performs in accordance with what he imagines to be true about himself and his environment.

~ Maxwell Maltz from Psycho-Cybernetics

Remember, “misery loves company” and this rule-pushing has been perpetuated to the state we’re currently in as a society (***I speak mostly on the part of the US but have seen this in other countries, as well).  Haven’t you noticed how the rules are always changing while the game remains the same?

Have you ever questioned these so-called rules to find out if they’re humane, necessary, or even apply to you?  I can come up simple examples from walking on the right side to marriage.

I can even attest to even having adopted the notion my life should follow what I call the white-picket-fence path.  Really!  I was convinced, like many other young girls growing up, how a woman should get an education, find the love of her life, get married, have children, and raise a family.  For some reason, in the back of my mind this really didn’t sit well with me and looking back, I know it had everything to do with my environment and other outside influences than what I felt in my own heart.  This conditioning only led me to chase after someone else’s dream or idea of how life should be and not my own – until the day when I woke up to my own truth! 

By the way, rules are distracting and take us away from our personal truth.  Life was not meant to be as serious as we have made it!

There’s no need to mimic, impersonate, idolize, or copy another person because we are all  uniquely who we are.  I had to learn this  myself.  Labels are one way we separate us from them because the conditions, there are those rules again, which apply to these labels give us a generalization of how someone is while we rarely question if this applies to each person.  I have personally never really liked labels or associating myself with groups.  It’s a complacent way to move through life to just put everything into categories, groups, or labels and relying upon the generalizations to discriminate.  Consider how many of us simply just want to belong to a group instead of being an individual.  Well, again, it all goes back to what we’ve been exposed to and I believe it’s important to detach from this pigeonhole way of thinking. 

Each person is born with a unique individuality, and each person has a destiny of his or her own. Imitation is crime, it is criminal. If you try to become a Buddha, you may look like Buddha, you may walk like him, you may talk like him, but you will miss. You will miss all that life was ready to deliver to you. Buddha happens only once. It is not in the nature of things to repeat. Existence is so creative that it never repeats anything. You cannot find another human being in the present, in the past, or in the future who is going to resemble you exactly. It has never happened. The human being is not a mechanism like Ford cars on an assembly line. Never imitate anybody.

~ Osho from The Book of Understanding

Being original is clearly uncommon in this day and age but people do recognize it as we are all naturally drawn to authenticity!

Extreme is extreme no matter what rationalized spin we put on it.  If you are compassionate but witness another not being like you, condemning them is no more compassionate than the person you are condemning or judging.  Our ideals cannot be imposed upon others nor should we. 

You cannot help another who will not help him- or herself. In the end, all souls must walk their path — and the reason they are walking a particular path may not be clear to us…or even to them at the level of ordinary human consciousness. Do what you can to help others, of course. Show love and caring whenever and wherever you can. But do not get caught up in someone else’s “story” to the point where you start writing it.

~ Neale Donald Walsch

What makes any of us think what we believe is even real or true?  Where did we learn it?  Do we even know?  Not one of us is any better or worse than another but we’ve been raised to believe old ideas like, it’s us versus them ~ whoever us and them are!  As if we have something to prove?

Remember, we learned a lot growing up that wasn’t necessarily beneficial in our lives and some of us have been there before in similar experiences so we should consider compassion toward those who have not yet reached our own level of awareness.  We all have to grow into our own awareness in this life at our own time and not at the will of someone else’s.  We already live in a state of constant change, much of what we don’t even see, so it only seems fitting to keep a constantly open mind to change because that is where we seem to find the most resistance.  It is all about wanting control or order as if we haven’t already created and contributed to chaos.

Sharing information is one thing but what a person does with that information is their choice and karma that they have to live with.

I see this a lot with political parties, religion, sports teams, war, and such…but truly, who is the better?
If we’re pointing fingers trying to get everyone to be just like us, what good is it doing?  Who does it serve?  How is it benefiting one’s life?  Why do people make it their mission to change others as if they have this special power?

What one does is what counts.
Not what one had the intention of doing.

~ Pablo Picasso

There was a time when I used to attempt to help people with my words of encouragement or advice.  Eventually, I recognized where I was wasting my time and energy on someone who clearly wasn’t receptive to it nor did they want that help – even if they ask for it ~ They weren’t “open to receiving!”  There has to be a flow; otherwise, you’ll walk away depleted of your energy!  Don’t waste your time where it’s not appreciated because there are plenty of people who are seeking and need it.  The key is to recognize where there is open communication, receptivity, and a willingness to receive the information.

It took me years to understand:

When the student is ready, the teacher will appear!

In order to thrive in this life, it is imperative to have an OPEN MIND to keep up with and constantly evolve with the changes we experience.  It is necessary to question everything, continuously research, learn, and share information.  Without the ability to listen to one another, how can we expect others to listen to us!?  We must demonstrate this openness to learn, teach, share, process, and grow with each other.

In Many Lives, Many Masters, Brian Weiss spoke of how easy it is to attract people on the same vibrational energy level but we’re also here in this life to help uplift the others who need it the most! 

This life is about uniting & finding balance.  It’s not meant to be a battle of my way or the highway.  There are no rules about how we arrive, per se, but the true goal is to come back to Love ~ and this means us all on a collective level!  There is no us against them!  There is only US and we are ONE even if we don’t like what we see around us. 

Be the Change You Wish to See in the World!

~ Mahatma Gandhi

Because ultimately, how else can others find the way and permission in doing the same if you don’t lead by example!  It’s what we do that’s important and not what others around us do.  Our focus needs to be on balancing our own life through living authentically.  The more people who do this, the more it will ripple out like waves when a drop of water drips into the larger body of water. 

Don’t let the EGO Edge God Out, as Wayne Dyer says.

Call forth the Divine within as the strength you need in order to do what you know you must do. Know that what you need already exists within you.

~ Iyanla Vanzant

Replace your Fear of the Unknown with Curiosity!

We also have to consider if we’re happy with who we are.  If you’re not, chances are you’re lashing out a others because you see the exact qualities you dislike about yourself reflected in them.  How we react outwardly toward others is amplified on the inside.  We need to strive for the balance of who we are and how we relate to our environment and those around us.  We must establish a deep sense of connection with our Self, contentment with who we are, and peace with what we’ve been through and experienced.  The external factors are not who we are even if we identify strongly with our experiences.  It’s the way we acted in them and how we showed up for each life lesson that creates the strength of our character. 

Authenticity is about how we show up in life with our Integrity intact!  It’s not about playing roles, building walls, or putting on a mask but removing all the labels, layers, and cover-ups for our pains to expose our vulnerability.  We must not allow our Self to get caught up in the distractions of the external world because it hides who we are underneath of it all. 

BE YOU in your Divine Truth!  Take the time to get to know who you are and allow yourself to feel all your emotions; Accept yourSelf for all your past and present emotions, BE with them, Allow them to come through without denying their presence, Make Peace with them, Express them but don’t let them linger or hang around, Thank them for serving you in another life lesson, and Release them from your life.  There is always a time to honor emotions but also a time to release them with gratitude for teaching you contrast in life.  Allow others to see you and, again, it will set an example to those who do…so they may feel permission to step into their own Divine Truth.  Because, what you do may Inspire another to honor who they are!

A signature of vitality is the ability to act consciously and authentically while being emotionally flexible and available to the entire universe of emotions.

~ Yogi Bhajan

Encourage yourself by remembering that any detection of negativity within you is a positive act, not a negative one.  Awareness of your weakness and confusion makes you strong because conscious awareness is the bright light that destroys the darkness of negativity. Honest self-observation dissolves pains and pressures that formerly did their dreadful work in the darkness of unawareness. This is so important that I urge you to memorize and reflect upon the following summary: Detection of inner negativity is not a negative act, but a courageously positive act that makes you a new person.

~ Vernon Howard from The Power of Your Supermind

♥ ♥ ♥ Here’s to Inspiring your Perfect Balance & Harmony Today, as well as, Every Day! ♥ ♥ ♥

Love and Light Blessings,

~ ♥ Lana ♥

Growth From The Seeds ~ Achieving Desired Goals ~ Life Purpose

Tags

Energy, Goals, Growth, Inspire, Life, Light, Lists, Meditation, Nurture, Permanent, Purpose, Roots, Seeds, Self, Success

A teacher cannot give you the truth. The truth is already in you. You only need to open yourself – body, mind and heart – so that his or her teachings will penetrate your own seeds of understanding and enlightenment. If you let the words enter you, the soil and the seeds will do the rest of the work.”

~ Thich Nhat Hanh

It’s a cleansing rainstorm here complete with the thunder and lightening spectacular.  Just before it began, I finally put the cucumbers in the ground.  I also have mint, romaine lettuce, cilantro, parsley, basil, culantro, a tomato plant, passion fruit, dwarf papaya and macadamia trees.  I’m unsure how well they’ll thrive with the sandy soil we have here.  I though I’d try planting some pepper & date seeds in pots. 

I’ve spent the past 4 years living out a suitcase!  I’ve yet to “grow & establish roots” in any one location that has felt permanent during this time.  Hence why, this is the first time I’ve been able to plant a small garden.  Of course, I do have a home I can return to with family in the sunshine state so, I’m not destitute – though, even this doesn’t feel like it’s where I’ll be for long.  The miracle of a seed sprouting and transforming into Mother Earth’s Bounty ~ a live plant, tree, or herb and that has the power to nourish and sustain another life while regenerating if cared for properly.  Is there any doubt or wonder how we don’t see ourselves in this same way?

As I hear the rain falling, I think of all the amazing insights I’ve had over the past week.  Some people have been fortunate to hear them spew forth in conversation while I scurried to write them down just to keep up with it all.  I’ve recognized how far I’ve evolved over the course of my life through all my experiences and where I am today.  Compared to what many may have viewed as my most successful professional moments, my life was not nearly as vibrant and fulfilling as it is now!

Let me ask you all to ask yourself these questions:

~ How do you view your life? 

~ Are you happy and fulfilled? 

~ Can you map out your life and see a theme or any repeated patterns?

~ Do you recognize yourself from where you were 10, maybe 15, or 20 years ago?

~ Did you set Goals for yourself? And, did you achieve them?

~ Do you see what thoughts/seeds were planted in your life and how they grew? 

~ How were they cared for or tended to? 

Sometimes we need to step back and review our life.

Make a list of all of your accomplishments and, if you were goal-oriented, if you achieved what you’d set out to do.  How did it feel when you achieved each of your GOALS, accomplishments?

Write down your barrier thoughts, and then consider ways to reinterpret the situation.  In the process, ask yourself questions like… What else could this situation or experience mean?  Can anything good come from it? Does it present any opportunities for me?  What lessons can I learn and apply to the future?  Did I develop any strengths as a result?

~ Sonja Lyubomirsky from The How of Happiness

I remember many times over the course of my life making lists of goals and I achieved them all.  It felt amazing at the time and even looking back, I am so grateful for the strategy of setting and accomplishing.  But then, at one point I found myself at a loss ~  I hadn’t made any new goals! 

At that moment I knew I really needed to reevaluate My Life!

I know I’m not the only person who has gone through this sense of feeling lost in the world and not knowing what to do so I invite you to consider taking the time to reexamine your life. 

Sit down with pen and sheets of paper ~ write everything that comes to mind everything you ever wanted to do in your life on one page, or more in many cases.  *** Don’t worry if it sounds silly because “no thing” is impossible!  On another page, write down all the things you have done you never thought you’d do.  Now, this may take some time but be patient with yourself!

When you’re ready, look over both & put stars with the ones that correspond and match each other.  Do you come up with any you didn’t achieve on your first list?  Are there things you have done you never even considered on your second list? 

How does this exercise make you feel?  I suggest keeping a journal to track how you feel so you can determine if it resonates with who you are and if it will aid in serving your passion, your Purpose. 

Many years ago someone said to me, “Marianne, you’re so hard on yourself.  And the reason you’re so had on yourself is because you’re so easy on yourself.”  It was one of the wisest things anyone has ever told me, and it has guided me ever since.

Sometimes we’re too easy on ourselves, lacking self-discipline and giving ourselves slack and in places where we simply shouldn’t. Then we’re loaded with guilt and suffering! The only way to end the torture of self-condemnation is to try to live a life that earns your self-respect.

~ Marianne Williamson

Now, there’s something you can do to reignite your passion.  Set aside time for YOU, make an appointment with yourself ~ this can be daily, weekly, or however you feel will most benefit you but most importantly, it must be honored, respected, and a date and time you will be present for YOU.  Not everyone can meditate, as this is when I find my most inspirational messages come through, but what I suggest is find books, videos, audios of people who inspire you and you would want to glean wisdom from. 

I’ll use an example of one, Jack Canfield is one I admire.  I’d read the Chicken Soup for the Soul books and never realized his story until one day in the library I came across The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be.  There is a wealth of information in this book and I highly recommend it, there is also an audio version if you prefer.  If you click the link to his website, you can register for a free mentorship and get access to free Goal-setting tools. 

I also have attended Anthony Robbins‘ Date With Destiny and this really catapulted many of my shifts.  It was exactly what I needed to start to recognize where my life story had originated, how much was mine and how much was emulated from my parents.  For me, as with many others, there was a LOT of Healing I needed to work on ~ and I still am working on this now!  

I know there are plenty of motivational resources available that will resonate with you.  If you are interested in more of what I’m using or have used in the past, don’t hesitate to ask in the comments. 

Everything, a horse, a vine, is created for some duty. For what task, then, were you yourself created? A man’s true delight is to do the things he was made for. 

A man’s true delight is to do the things he was made for. 

~ Marcus Aurelius

I invite you to find what modality works for you because once you start making shifts in your own life, everything will take on a new perspective and the world will feel like a new place filled with opportunity!  It’s all about planting the seeds of change and cultivating them so they can grow.

Your mind will be like its habitual thoughts; for the soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts. Soak it then in such trains of thoughts as, for example: Where life is possible at all, a right life is possible.

~ Marcus Aurelius

I hope my writings inspire you to find ways to reignite the spark you may be missing or just excite you with endless possibilites, as I know I’m always looking for ways to maintain my childlike enthusiasm and keep motivated.

As gold or silver first covered with Earth, and then cleaned shines full of light, so the embodied man seeing the Truth of the Atman (soul) as one, attains the Goal and becomes sorrowless. 

~ Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

I wish you much success in actively finding and refining your Life’s Purpose through Planting Positive Seeds of Thought and Action, by Seeking your Soul’s Passion, establishing Goals and setting milestones, Nurturing YourSelf, and Growing from the Process, aka, Your Journey!

~♥~ May the In~Spirit~ation Rise from Within YOU!  ~♥~
♥ ♥ ♥
~ Lana 

For more ideas on how to cultivate your Purpose, check out these 12 Happiness Activities on Brian Johnson’s en*theos site

We think in generalities; we live in detail.

~ Alfred North Whitehead

The Child Within

Tags

Addiction, Change, Distraction, fear, Fears, Feel, Heal, Inner Child, Law of Attraction, Lesson, Life, Murphy's Law, Past, Purpose, Self, Trauma

The Child Within

Recognize ALL That YOU Are!

Past Pains, Shame, Betrayal,

Abandonment…You Are Not!

“Stepping back into your injured or traumatized child-Self is necessary for the healing to occur!  Recognize & Acknowledge it because it’s never too late to nurture that part of you you may have been hiding out of fear.  All physical, mental, & emotional pains manifest themselves in the body and this why we need to Tune back in to Self & FEEL because ~
This is How We HEAL!”
~ Lana A. LaBonte

As with everything in my life, there is a synchronicity and Divine Flow to what occurs.  It turns out reposting my previous blog I AM THAT I AM continued with more inspiration in the days following. 

We just had a rare Full Moon Penumbral Lunar Eclipse this past Saturday.  This means the Moon was the closest to the Earth ever.  If you understand that our body is made up of 70% to 80% water, you may also be aware of the effects of the Moon on our bodies ~ balance and emotions.  The fact is, the gravitational pull is greater as the Moon gets closer to the Earth and the surface point most visible will experience a stronger pull as it is not evenly distributed to the entire surface.  It doesn’t seem logical that scientists agree the tides are affected by the Moon but then claim the amount of water in our bodies to insignificant to affect us.  I would suggest looking at our body as a bigger entity and not just a small presence occupying such a large surface.  Here is a coincidence –>  The Earth’s surface is composed of 70% to 80% water!  In addition, we have had a significant amount of solar activity which affect our geomagnetic field and disrupt electronics, and us.  Click for some insightful information to aid those who have also been experiencing How Recent Solar Flares Are Affecting Humans.

I suspect you felt this in some way but if you didn’t, you witnessed some extraordinary events around you.  I know I had a crying cat for the entire Saturday evening.  

For me, I felt this strong sense of “Coming Together” and this has dual meaning as I feel things, ideas, visions are coming together, as well as, people uniting!  It’s like things are speeding up and I feel more in tune with my Self, Purpose, and the next steps for moving forward on it.  Memories are returning and I feel so much clearer with the signs and confirmations of what I sense.

I discussed this with a couple others who had arrived earlier for Power Yoga on Sunday morning.  At the same time, they both expressed injuries and being out of balance the day before.  I happened to remind them by mentioning the Moon and how it is recommended to avoid extreme exercise or heavy eating during the height of the Moon Cycle, also for women on the height of their cycle.  Here is a good explanation of why ~ Should you practice on moon days?

Honor the Body = Water = Moon

For me, I’ve had to learn to humble myself by taking it down a notch because the majority of my life consisted of high-impact aerobics, weights, and running which, have attributed to spinal misalignment.  Fortunately, I do believe we can heal ourselves and I now honor my body by listening to it more and the Ego less. This is what Yoga has taught me
~ Tuning in More to My Inner Wisdom! 

Enjoy the Journey ~ Respect Where You Are Now, In THIS MOMENT!
Honor YourSelf ~ Mind, Body, & Spirit!

Continuing with this, there was a slim woman who arrived with strong muscular definition.  I noticed she had a frenetic energy about her as she began practicing on her mat with fly-backs into plank and doing pushups between down-dog and up-dog.  I recognized this as I know I was once very into my powerful and competitive exercise regimen – and, that’s what this was because Yoga is focused on moving with the breath and practicing the 8 Limbs of Yoga.  When the instructor began, she brought up practicing these 8 Limbs of Yoga to which I pointed specifically out Ahimsa (non-violence to Self & others) hoping this woman would understand when the instructor explained it.  Sadly, not.

I used to be more easily distracted but, because I acknowledged this person’s stuff was not mine, I was able to focus on my own practice than her continuous need to move into other postures out of the sequence.  It was clearly more distracting to others as complaints were made.  In the end, I felt it was one of my stronger classes working on my headstand!

After class, I met this woman who came up to me asking if I was an instructor and what type of Yoga I taught.  I explained how my practice evolved from the need to sweat in Hot Yoga to the need to move my body more fluidly outside of a strict routine leading me to incorporate other styles.  I hadn’t known until she told me she had injuries and maybe should slow down but how she gets bored easily ~ ah, yes, we do when we’re trying to avoid confronting something within ourselves!  This constitutes an addiction as it is a distraction from deeper seated issues.  I know, I’ve been there!  My suggestion to her was to come back later that afternoon for Yin Restorative Yoga because the instructor of the class is phenomenal in her guiding the us through realigning the body gently. 

Needless to say, she did not show up.  I had already planned to go, knowing I needed to work on some tight areas I’ve had ongoing issues with.

It is a shame she did not show up because JoAnn’s class on Surrendering really released a lot for me.  She softly spoke about breathing into any resistance or tension in the muscles while releasing into the postures ~ Surrender.  Her approach is so soothing with continuous reminders like “Relax the jaw and unpark the tongue off the roof of your mouth.”   She explains that Yin Yoga is the Surrender ~ relaxing of the body versus Yang Yoga which is more actively engaged maintaining core strength.

You can read more on it here:  What is Yin/Yang Yoga?

As class began, she had us focus on the color yellow for the Third Chakra; also known as, the Solar Plexus, Manipura Chakra, or Emotional Body.  During class she brought up and discussed ways to heal the Traumas of Shame, Betrayal, & Abandonment.   That these traumas reach down to the cellular level if they’re not healed properly and manifest physically.  I could definitely see this for me.  This brought up memories of how I’d experienced these traumas in my childhood and throughout my life. 

This is where I feel our inner child needs to be nurtured because I don’t believe there’s one person on this planet who hasn’t experienced these traumas.  My prayer for ALL is to find emotional healing ~ Self Love!  There are too many people walking this Earth dissatisfied with themselves and a low self-esteem.

Many of my own personal patterns go back to my childhood and stories I took on from others along with traumatic experiences I allowed to hold me victim only to continue to repeat the same unwanted experiences.  It wasn’t until I finally decided I was ready and it was time to change ~ I KNEW I NEEDED TO CHANGE!  I had always wanted healing but had no idea how to go about it until I desperately sought it out.  

When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.”

~ Buddha Siddhartha Guatama Shakyamuni

What does it take for us to clue into the need to change? 

Well, for starters, I knew I was extremely unhappy with my life.  I felt everything was happening to me through the actions of others when it had so much more to do with my own perception and how I viewed things.  My reality was so skewed.  Now I know whatever I look for, I find but back then, but looking back, I only focused on the things I didn’t want.  That was the period of my life when Murphy’s Law ruled and the Law of Attraction was unknown to me.  I had an addiction to bad situations and relationships because that was what I’d been exposed to.  If you don’t know what real love is, you may very well find yourself in an abusive relationship.  If you don’t treat yourself well, others will follow that up with poor treatment.  I misunderstood a LOT about how influenced I’d been over the years.  The Blessing is in how Life will continue to repeat these same scenarios, Lessons, to test you and see if you’ve learned them, yet.  Even when you think you’ve got it down, it will reappear just to assure you know you are certain of this ~ sometimes just so you can witness it and the humor of the Universe. 

Nobody can tell you you need to make changes in your life when you’re so caught up in your head!  Only you can make up this decision and only then ~ everything in its perfect time!  

So, now the key is for you to look within YourSelf and see ALL that you are and to recognize You are not your experiences but those experiences were only a part of your path to better prepare you for your Purpose in this Life.  Acknowledge, Honor, Accept all your feelings and emotions because you deserve it to yourSelf to go through the process of mourning, grieving, and finally, releasing.  Allow your Inner Child to be guided to heal through whatever path you feel resonates with you.  It won’t be the same for everyone and you’ll know.  I will tell you, it’s a continuous journey that’s not always easy but over time, it really does get easier and Life is so much more Alive!

Can you do it?  If you can, you may find yourSelf with a Renewed Childlike Enthusiasm for Life, once again!  Can you believe this will slow down the aging process?  It will!

Many Blessings to YOU & Your Inner Child Reconnecting!
~*~ ♥ ♥ ♥ ~*~

~ Lana A LaBonte

Moving Mantra

Tags

Conscious, Life, Love, Mantra, thoughts, Unconscious

What is your Moving Mantra?

Everyone has one but rarely even notices it.  It’s the continuous verbage you ◊think◊ to yourself.  The words in your head ~ Conscious or UnConscious.  It could be up-talk or down-talk.

Do you think positively to yourself or do you focus on faults, fears, and worse case scenarios? Are the words your mind uses kind and loving or harsh and critical?

Whatever it may be, try to pay more attention throughout your day to that voice in your head and try to recognize what it is you’re telling yourSelf.  The thoughts may be more than just one but clearly, there will be a theme and tone to this voice.  Once you tune into this voice you can decide if you need a change of thought scenery. 

This is one of the reasons I recommend meditation.  When you make time to sit, be still, and quiet the mind, thoughts arise you cannot deny.  Witnessing these thoughts is a key to the preoccupations you have, what you give so much of your attention to, and focus on.  It’s not a bad thing to have a busy mind while you meditate.  What better way to see if that inner voice reveals your Moving Mantra.

As you move through your day, pay attention to what you’re thinking about and see if a repeated theme of thoughts keeps processing.  I’d love to know if this brings up any Aha’s, revelations or epiphanies, for anyone else.  

If you don’t like what you find, consider coming up with a chant that will bring you more of what you need to nurture your soul. 

While I was writing about this Moving Mantra, I decided to do a search.  Ironically, a woman had written a short article on  What’s Your “Keep Moving” Mantra?  The idea of motivational SELF TALK is not a new concept but why don’t we use it more often?  I believe, as I know for myself, it’s sensory overload from external sources.  The more we are out there in the world, whether watching the television, listening to the radio, or out in public, we’re being fed more stuff to distract our mind from our Self and what we really should be focusing on.  Music is a great example because you don’t even realize how easy it is for the words to train your subconscious.  Meanwhile, we allow these distractions to permeate us, unknowingly.  We let these external forces penetrate us to the point we’re never really even with ourselves because we’re always out there.  All of it influences us in ways like how we see things around us and especially how we compare and judge ourselves against them.  In pretty much all cases, none of it even pertains to us nor does it enter our personal life but we allow it to.

It’s a pretty rough exterior we’re living with and focusing on our interior is much needed.  Our inner world needs us!  Find the uplifting UP-TALK you need to nourish your soul through the words you attach to your thoughts or “sing” and the images you keep in your mind.

I came across this lovely poem:

Keep Moving…Mantra of Life 

I am precious like
Any other human being.
My life is precious
As anyone’s else. 

Keep moving, like a pure stream.
No hurdles could ever stop its flow.
Takes the available path, though unexpected.
Keep flowing, the mantra of the stream. 

~ Ambrosia Ambrosia
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/keep-moving-mantra-of-life/

Here’s to finding YOU and your Moving Mantra!

Plant those seeds of Love out in the world today by starting with
♥ ♥ ♥ YOU! ♥ ♥ ♥

~ Lana

Life

Tags

Blessed, Consciousness, Experience, Feel, Gratitude, Heal, Life, Love, Purpose, Soul, Wisdom

What are you experiencing in your LIFE at this time?

Everything serves us in this life as our experiences are predetermined according to what we need for our Soul’s Purpose.  I feel we come into this life with a Soul Contract, one we agreed to prior to our incarnation, and our experiences are decided to serve our Purpose.  I’ve actually never read A Course In Miracles by Helen Schucman but I do believe I heard this is mentioned in it.

Don’t know what your Soul’s Purpose is?  Don’t dwell or worry about it because this as it will come to you even if in an epiphany!  Just live your life authentically from your heart and not your head. 

The meaning of life is to find your Gift.  The Purpose of life is to give it away. ~ Pablo Picasso

What are your thoughts on this?  How do you feel about your life right now?  How do you look back on your life?  Do you feel regret or remorse?  Are you content with where you are or just accepting it for what it is?  Can you see how it’s been guided and shaped into who you are now?  Has it made you stronger, wiser, and grateful or have you become bitter, distrusting, and the victim of a story?  What is your story?

Maybe we take life too serious looking at all the pains we may have suffered but as I read tonight:

We have to FEEL IT to HEAL IT! 

Try to see everything as Divinely guided ~ Flow and accept what comes in.  There is wisdom in the events and circumstances meant to shape your life.  The question is if you are able to see this or if you get stuck in the events or circumstances.  Do you get caught up in the details?  Where is your focus?

Be in a Spirit of Gratitude for the amazing Life you Have!  Open yourself to be Blessed and allow the Gifts of the Present embrace and bathe you with heightened senses! 

Take a moment to Stop and Be Present on this day! 

Smell a flower
Pet an animal
Smile at a Stranger
Hug Someone
Sing at the top of your lungs
Dance you Heart out
Call the first person you think of that makes you smile & tell them this
Sit under a Tree & Feel it’s Healing Wisdom ~ Hug a Tree!
Look in the Mirror & Say “I LOVE YOU!” to YOU! 

We will only continue to experience what we demonstrate in our thoughts, through our words, and in our actions ~ Be of the utmost and highest form of Pure Love and Integrity!  We are not only Students of Life but also Teachers and someone is always watching!

♥ ♥ ♥ BE BLESSED & BE In HARMONY! ♥ ♥ ♥

~ Lana

From Forgiveness, A Clean Slate & New Beginnings

Tags

Behavior, Blessing, Embracing Inspiration, Enlightened, fear, forgiveness, Gratitude, Inspire, Life, Love, Manifest, Patterns, Present, Purpose, Self, self-love, Spiritual, Trust

Life isn’t as serious as the mind makes it out to be.”

~ Eckhart Tolle

How did you always imagine your life would be growing up?  What did you want to be or do?  Did you feel this in your heart and you actually come up with these ideas or were influenced by the ideas of others? 

I know for myself, I had a sense as a child.  For a period of time, I knew what made my heart sing because I loved creating and expressing myself through dancing, reading, writing, drawing, crafts, making, building, inventing, exploring, being out in nature, learning, and the like.  It was only through the influence of what my parents said or did, friends, culture, and media that my ideals shifted.  In fact, I didn’t even recognize it back then.  It took me many years to observe my life to see it. 

So, now, here I sit typing…wait, let me share that, in my former life, I spent over 10 years in the USAF.  I had successfully made a name for myself and went into US Government contracting as a Systems Engineer supporting the same systems I had worked on while in the military.  *Side note: most people are stunned to hear this about me!

One day in February 2008, everything came crashing down at the outburst and beratement of a US Navy sailor towards me.  It was a day where everywhere I turned, people were condescending, verbally abusive, and attacking me while labeling me a troublemaker.  He had built up so much frustrated aggression towards me he exploded at me – because I had requested he refrain from using inappropriate language several times and even worse, he had dropped the expletive but was still repeating this same mantra in the exact tone and expression of “What the ….!?”  as if he was actually using it.  To get a better understanding of the environment, we worked at cubicles in a large open space in a call center where anything spoken could be overheard by clients and customers on the other end of the phone lines.  Everything could be heard!

Basically, I had tapped on the cubicle plexiglass asking this sailor to lower his voice because I could not hear my client on the other end of the phone with his loud speaking voice.  It was a simple request.  He actually waited a good half hour before he stood up stating under his breath “I’ve had enough of this s#@*…,” and then, while standing up, looking over the cubicle and pointing his finger down at me to tell me how I “better watch myself…” claiming I had pounded on the plexiglass where all his pictures were but they never moved.   Unfortunately, all the other contractors in the office space just turned around and crawled into their cubicles so as not to get involved, out of fear from backlash.  Eventually, the new US Navy Chief stepped in and commanded this sailor to “Stop <insert name>!  Come with me!”

At that moment, I actually thought, no, I believed, someone was finally going to counsel him on his behavior in an attempt to better his career specifically with regards to how he had lost his military bearing and was being disrespectful.  Instead it was quite the surreal day as my contracting colleagues who knew better, and clearly knew, didn’t want to get involved and so, turned a blind eye to say they didn’t “witness” anything.  Instead, they all feared for their own job security as the tension had built up from upper mis-management levels despite our collective attempt to plead our case.  We were basically told to shut up and do our job and not rock the boat by our own company manager.  In the end, it turned out I was the sacrificial lamb because word came back through after lunch that management wanted me gone and shouldered the responsibility on me “being the cause of hate and discontent between military and contractors.”

But there was a huge blessing in all of this! 

At the time, I was truly floored.  The history of this situation was a doozy and with my reputation, it was the last thing I expected let alone anyone else who knew me.  What I realized months later was how unhappy I knew I had been in my work environment for a very long time and underneath it all, I was able to see how I’d manifested a way out of it, despite the means. 

I believe that if you’re truly unhappy and you don’t do something about your situation, something will be done to take you out of that situation, with or without your permission and choice! 

The other thing I was later able to see was a pattern of how my deeply rooted unconscious thoughts were just as strong as my conscious thoughts; but, in this case, much stronger.  It was apparent that the more I avoided confrontation of something, the more I was drawing toward me and creating the confrontation.  In this particular scenario, I had been very uncomfortable working in the office space with a severe physical disability and then, I was dealing with a total lack of compassion from the military, their blatant disregard for rules and lack of respect for others, and especially toward their management who wasn’t reinforcing those rules.  (One can see how disrespect is created by not setting boundaries and limitations along with the fact that if you don’t have respect for yourself neither will anyone else.)  We had brought this up to management on numerous occasions but, in the end, we all feared loosing our jobs – for these reasons:
1) Government management did not like our Project Manager nor our Company;
2) Our Company wasn’t protecting us; and
3) The US Navy sailors did not demonstrate any respect for their management, rules, themselves, nor anyone else.
By witnessing this, it was recommended we come in for our prescribed work hours, do our work, and go home.  It was a hostile environment, to say the least. 

You can see the Blessing in being removed from this, right!?! ;~) 

So, despite all of this, I actually found myself moving home.  I started looking for ways to heal and try to change my old behavioral patterns.  I will tell you, it wasn’t always an easy road and I’m still working on it but it seems like I have been blazing through some serious crap.  I knew there were patterns but I saw patterns throughout my entire life that mimicked all the way back to childhood and even reflected my parents.  Yup!  I found myself in awe, utter shock, and a little mortified! 

You know what!?!  I also started to realize the things I found myself interested in at earlier years were starting to make a full-circle around.  For me, this showed me something else we take for granted: 

In our earlier years of developing, we have an innate and still naive sense of what moves us, which is not completely corrupted by conditioning or cultural programming. 

I was even more excited finding this out because it felt like I had something to look forward to I’d always been interested in and it was something I had always been passionate about.  It’s really like starting a new life ~ A Clean Slate & New Beginning!

Do you remember what you were drawn to in your earlier years or what moved you?  Are you stuck in a place you would never have dreamed you would have chosen?  Are you ready to start fresh and do you want to?  Can you let go of the old and make room for the new?  What if you had a clean slate?  How would you proceed with your life?

From my own personal experience, I believe a good way to start is to extend Forgiveness!  I would like to share with you something that was read in my recent Yoga Meditation class. 

Forgive 

     Whatever someone has done to you, forgive them.  Now.  No Matter what.  This has nothing to do with condoning their behavior or letting them be right.  It simply means that whatever pain someone has caused you, you refuse to be hurt any further. 

     Forgiveness is for you, not for anyone else.  It is a way of saying, “I release any energetic ties that bind you and me, and while I don’t condone your behavior, I no longer wish to be bound by it.  I am whole, free and full of spirit, and I leave your actions behind.”  Forgiveness raises your vibration and your energy.  The person doesn’t have to know that you’ve forgiven them, although that can be healing, too.  You are the only one who has to know that you forgive and let go. 

     I’ve been through intense pain in my life, and I believe that the power of forgiveness got me through.  Don’t make room in your heart for bitterness.  Fill it with love so you can’t waste any space.  It’s a constant choice that you have to make, and sometimes it can take several rounds of forgiving before you really feel done. 

My version of her meditation exercise:  Visualize the person or thing that was done to you connected to your heart with a silver cord.  Imagine them surrounded in love, forgive them from your heart, thank them for serving you in your life, and allow the cord to be fully released from your heart while sending them love and watching it retract back to that other person.  Then feel lighter. 

     Forgiveness gives you the freedom you seek.  And sometimes– and this is the key –the most important person to forgive is yourself! 

My personal belief is:

 ♥ We all have Angel wings to ‘Rise Above!’  Only some have forgotten or haven’t learned yet how to use them. ♥

Let’s learn to rise above what our minds or other people tell us and tap into our hearts!

We are all Love! We just need to start Loving ourselves first so we may truly understand what it is and feels likes; then, we can share it with others! 

God created you, therefore you should be hopeful.  Things will come at the right time, the right place, and the right reason.

~ Yogi Bhajan

Isn’t that the truth!  Try recognizing the Blessing in every scenario you experience.  Just because it isn’t going the way you want it doesn’t mean it isn’t working out.  Listen to your heart and it will guide you!

After writing this, I read another *sign* of this theme:

If we can let go of judgments, both of ourselves and others, let go of fear and open our hearts, we will realize that everything is a reflection of ourselves, that every experience is happening for our highest good and that we’re only ever being walked home.

~ Shayne Traviss
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shayne-traviss/were-only-ever-being-walk_b_3268848.html

♥  Let your Day Be Filled with Love ~ Look & Find the Blessings of your path to A Clean Slate & New Beginnings!  ♥

~ Lana