When I come from my heart and not my head, those are the moments I can best hear my soul speaking to me. And when I stay open to the energy of love and joy and happiness, I get an inner-knowing that all is well with my soul.
But - human life always sneaks in. My car needs repair. My daughter is sick. My boss is overwhelming me with work.
So, my "head" feels compelled to step in and take control. It needs to direct the "how" and take back decision-making from my heart. And, in the moment when I turn away from letting go and letting God, my soul gets battered in the process.
"I'm not worthy of a great love." "I'm not deserving of that promotion." "I'm not good enough to have the nice house and the new car." These thoughts and emotions steal my joy and box me into a house of guilt and shame.
The good news - I am learning to listen to feelings that usually hit me at the gut level. I can actually feel it in the pit of my stomach. When that happens, I have created a few go-to steps to restore peace to my soul and to rejuvenate the Spirit within.
Create a ritual
My ritual involves clearing a space to sit for 5-10 minutes, light some candles and start writing down all the things that are annoyances. I just let them flow and try to get as many down on paper as I can. Once the 10 minutes are up (I usually set a timer), I take a deep breath, fold the paper and either burn it - if it's safe - or I physically tear it up into as many small pieces as I can. Then, I take 5 minutes and write down everything I am grateful for. After 5 minutes, I bless my gratitude list, usually with an affirmative prayer so I can get into that space of feeling Spirit. For me, this ritual has brought me back into alignment with what's really important and wakes up my soul to all the good in my life.
Listen to inspirational music
There is truly a healing power to music. And, if I can pair listening to music with walking outside in nature, even better. Sometimes the music I choose has more of a meditative tone and other times, it's something lively like Michael Beckwith's Transendance. I even find myself turning to traditional Christian music when I need to get into that space of knowing that God is all there really is. Or there are some Top 40 pop music songs that inspire me and have me singing out loud (think Natasha Bettingfield's Unwritten or Fleetwood Mac's You Can Go Your Own Way). I may not be the best at carrying a tune but it sure feeds my soul to belt out a song like a rock star.
Find something to laugh at
Laughter is food for the soul. Try and find something that brings you that deep, full belly laugh. You can start with something that will simply make you smile until it develops into something you're giggling out loud about. Keep a few movies or TV shows that you know you enjoy. For me, Wanda Sykes comedy clips are hilarious and, of course, The Big Bang Theory is pretty good for a chuckle-fest. I also know that my daughters can having me rolling on the floor when they banter back and forth. By cultivating laughter when things are a bit rough, I seem to tap into a Divine moment that reminds me I'm always at choice in how I respond to events.
Aromatherapy
Our five senses are very strong and our sense of smell is particularly potent. I find that when I am purposeful and seek out scents that make me feel good, it raises my energy level up quickly. Who wouldn't admit that the smell of fresh roasted coffee beans are close to Godliness? Just another reason there is always a line at Starbucks :-) When I'm surrounded by the smell of lavender, I breathe in deeply and the calm penetrates every nerve ending. Lemon and mint are especially energizing as well. Make a note of your favorite smells and seek them out when your soul is feeling drained. And, really focus on the taking in the scent. When I walk into a coffee shop hoping the caffeine will provide a pick-me-up, I deliberately slow my pace and savor the smells. Almost immediately, I feel lighter and my soul is rising to meet me in a very visceral moment.
Using these steps consciously, there is a "remembering" that my soul is limitless. And taking the time to give my soul the space to tap back into the Divine, I remember that everything is here for my highest and best good.
So, today, I set the intention to nurture my soul, balancing my human existence with my Spiritual being and remembering to be present in the moment.
"Put yourself into life and never lose your openness, your childish enthusiasm
throughout the journey that is life, and things will come your way."
~Federico Fellini
"Say not 'I have found the path of the soul.' Say rather, 'I have met the soul
walking upon my path.' For the soul walks upon all paths. The soul walks not
upon a line, neither does it grow like a reed. The soul unfolds itself like
a lotus of countless petals."
~Kahlil Gibran
Affirmative Prayer:
There is a lusciousness to Life, overflowing with abundance and prosperity. It pours through the fields of corn and wheat and the vines of grapes waiting to be harvested. It fills the tables with healthy foods and delicious treats. It is the Divine Nature of Goodness that blesses everything that is.
Claiming this Divine Nature as my birthright, I let it flow through and around me, affirming that all of Life is mine for the taking. It is a Spirit of Joy that moves me and I embrace this joy with an openness for life. The love, the beauty and the perfection of this moment is all God and there is a knowing from within that everything that God is, I am.
Celebrating the good that is God, I step into my soul's desires for life as Sandy. I nurture the desires that show up in beautiful ways, knowing they are here for a Divine purpose. My soul sings with a happiness that shines out from every cell of my body. And just as the fields are harvested for their bounty, my soul harvests my unique gifts and talents, allowing them to reveal themselves in perfect, Divine timing. I remain present in each moment, releasing any seeming challenges and letting my life flow effortlessly down the path to my greatest good.
As my soul expresses the unlimited potential for my life, my heart is filled with gratitude for this day. I am so thankful to know that there is always more than enough for me to receive and to share. And I am grateful that in this plentitude, my soul is restored to its connection with Source, to its connection with Spirit, to its Infinite Nature.
I sing, I dance, I breathe in and out and I settle in to the stillness, releasing my Word to the Divine Action of the Law. And as it is released, it is made manifest in my life and brought into my experience in joyful, loving ways. And I let it be so. And so it is.
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