You Need To Get Good At This

Thoughts about work woke me up at 3am this morning.  And, of course, I lay there fighting between the tasks I had ahead of me and the need to get more sleep.  Talk about frustrating!

I had emails to get out and meetings to attend and things to correct & resend for approval.  Taking on this new job, I knew there would be a workload to tackle on some weeks but I was certain I could manage with no issues.  After all, I'm a spiritual being.  I have a whole took kit of tricks to keep my life balanced.

The real trick is remembering to pull them out when I need them.  Fortunately, I'm getting better and better at this as I continue my inward journey.

So, after about 20 minutes of letting my mind go crazy with thoughts of work, I called a halt to my spinning mind and switched into meditation mode.

What surprised me about this process is how quickly I was able to adjust my attitude.  With that decision to stop and to focus on my breathe, to connect with Spirit and turn over my work to a higher power that has all the answers, I began to feel a freedom and peace calm my thoughts.

There was a visceral feeling of stillness in my heart.  And flashes of insight emerged.

In the past, I would step out of meditation and write down the insights.  Instead, I stayed in the quiet and simply noticed as ideas came and went.  I stayed focused on my breath.  And, eventually, I fell into a restful sleep.

I am seeing that every time I turn to my spiritual practices for a solution, each experience is different.  It becomes deeper.  There is an acceptance for what is and then a release to trust and have faith that something wonderful is happening.

It's beautiful to see that my practice is paying off.  I only need to keep going and remember that, in every moment <even at 3am> the solution is within.

So, where are YOU seeing the efforts of your continued spiritual practices become something wonderful that works in your life?

Today, I set the intention to remember the power of my spiritual practices when the demands of my busy life start to overwhelm me.

"Dig within.  There lies the well-spring of good; ever dig and it will ever flow." 

~Marcus Aurelius

"Go within; get quiet; become still until the peace that passeth understanding descends." 

~Joel Goldsmith

Affirmative Prayer:
As the fog settles gently over the mountains, there is a knowing of the essence of life itself, a Divine Power, that settles gently over all that is.  It is the breath of the One Life; magnificent, joyful, serene.

In the newness of this day, I see clearly that I am the joy of Spirit made manifest.  I am the magnificence in every action, the serenity in every moment as I allow the One Creative Life to flow through me and around me in all that I do.

And as the fog clears to reveal the mountaintops, so too are visions and dreams for my life revealed. I see so clearly that I am here to create, to be happy and healthy, prosperous and strong.  Within me is the spaciousness to allow unlimited possibilities to flow forth into expression. I affirm that as I grow strong in the use of my spiritual practices, my life is transformed in beautiful, meaningful ways.  I say Yes! to Life and release what is in the way of something even greater unfolding on my journey. New ideas call to me and I step out in faith and trust, knowing they are a Divine expression of Life itself, and I will never need be overwhelmed, only take each moment as it comes.

I give thanks for the newness of my life with each day.  Life is so good and I am grateful for spiritual practices like meditation that allow me to go within and find peace and comfort.  And I say, Thank You, Spirit, for a remarkable life filled with wonderful experiences and loving, joyful people who lift me up.

From this place of deep, deep gratitude, I lovingly release my prayer to the Divine Action of the Law, knowing it is done and all is well.  God's got this.  And I let it be so.  And so it is.  Amen.

Photo courtesy of Alexcoitus/Flickr

Does Prayer Change Anything?

Yes.  Absolutely.  Definitively.  Prayer changes things.  Prayer makes things that you thought were impossible, possible.  It opens doors, and sometimes windows, where there was only a wall.

But, most of all, prayer changes me.

I have been a bit freaked out lately with everything going on in the world.  Between the fighting in the Gaza strip, the Malaysia Airlines plane being shot down and a whole host of scary news, I started to feel uncertain about my safety, my finances, my children's well-being and on and on.

It became hypnotic to listen to other's opinions and theories and speculation.  And, before I knew it, I was waking up anxious in the morning.  I was going to bed with worry in my heart and crazy thoughts of panic sitting in my gut.

You would think that with all of my spiritual practices, I would be less inclined to go down this path of fear.  But something was triggered in me that wouldn't let me NOT go down this path.

And this is life.  Life happens and it happens in ways that can bring me happiness or have me concerned.

So, I'm thankful that I can turn to prayer.  One of the things I love most about New Thought and The Science of Mind is affirmative prayer.

I can take the issue I'm concerned about and put it into a context that lets me see the abundance that is everywhere.  It lets me turn away from the worries about the global economy and my finances.  And it allows me be grateful for recognizing that through it all, the sun still rises every morning and the ocean waves continue to crash on the beach.

In prayer, I can say anything and claim what I desire without being scoffed at.  I can claim peace for those affected by the airplane crash.  I can claim resolution to the fighting in the Middle East.  I can claim for those in Europe whose economy is struggling from these events, that they realize an abundance and prosperity in spite of outward appearances.

It's a way for me to make a shift in the Universe and have an impact.  And I am changed as I realize there are MILLIONS of people who are thriving in spite of recent events - including me!  The knot in my stomach eases up and I can roll with what happens without having to get all worked up about it.

So, I'm praying a lot this week and keeping my vision steadily on what I would like to see manifest in the world.  And I have enough faith to know that the Universe is supporting everyone on this current journey and something beautiful will emerge from a seemingly "bad" outer condition.

Do YOU believe prayer changes things?

Today, I set my intention to pray without ceasing, having faith that prayer makes the best out of a bad situation and cannot help but change me for the better.

"I will be honest with myself today.  I will not think that I already know 

what must remain beyond my present grasp.  I will not think I understand 

the whole from bits of my perception, which are all that I can see.  Today

 I recognize that this is so.  And so I am relieved of judgements that I cannot make.

  Thus do I free myself and what I look upon, to be in peace as God created us."  

~Lesson 243, A Course In Miracles

"Never let the future disturb you.  You will meet it, if you have to, 

with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present."  

~Marcus Aurelius

Affirmative Prayer:
In the things that are seen and unseen, in the invisible realm beyond our vision, there is a force for good.  It is the divine over-flow of Spirit that feeds all creatures, great and small.  It is the light and love of the Universe, always revealing more than enough, no matter where and no matter what.

I live and move and have my being in this light and love of the Universe, knowing I am more than enough in every moment.  I am the freedom of Divine Choice that shows me how good life is, all of the time.  I am joy, circulating happiness and peace through every situation in my life, always guided to my greatest expression of Source as me.

Keeping my eyes fixed on the good and the joy, I accept the changes that are happening in my world and see the beauty unfolding in every event.  In this human experience, I welcome the resiliency to bounce back from anything, knowing at my core I am one with Spirit - perfect, whole and complete.  As I pray each day, I remain steadfast in the vision I have for peace and harmony that spreads like wildfire into every region of this world.  And I am humbled as I see big and small miracles revealed in ways beyond what I can even imagine.

Affirming the highest and best for me and for those who read these words, I am grateful for the clarity that prayer brings to every situation.  I give thanks that each day, my next steps are clear and I can accept and allow things to be just as they are.  And I am filled with gratitude for the positive results that are manifesting in my life and around the world.

From this place of gratitude, I release my word to the Divine Action of the Law, knowing it is already done.  I let go and let God. And I let it be so.  And so it is.

Photo courtesy of Marjan Lazarevski/Flickr

Aligning Routine With Spontaneity

I have been riding on the party vibes of my birthday for the past few weeks.  It was a fun few weeks and very energizing, considering it means I'm another year older.  I allowed myself to enjoy anything that caught my attention - trip to Washington State, late night happy hour, playing Cards Against Humanity, shopping trips at the mall.

Unfortunately, my enthusiasm for saying yes has left me feeling a bit overwhelmed.  So, I'm throwing out the last of the party cake and tossing out the lingering cards and empty boxes.  Truth be told, I'm ready to step back into more of a routine and relax in my everyday rituals.

Meditation, journaling, walking the dog, exercise - all of them have me remembering to breathe and connect back to my source, to Spirit.

But - what my "party" time has allowed me to see is that life is all about God expressing and experiencing as our life, right now.  We are Spiritual beings having a human incarnation, as Michael Beckwith likes to say.   It is in living and stepping into the things that call to us in the moment that we expand our connection to each other and our connection to the Universe.

Our journey's here are intertwined and it is often through synchronicity and coincidence that I am propelled to my next level of opportunity.  Sometimes, it's just for the experience of fun or joy or compassion so that when I need to tap into that energetic feeling, I can remember.

Other times, it truly is through the connections I've made with others that I find an even better job, meet a soul mate, or make the introduction that might be life-changing for someone else.

So, while I need the routine to take a breathe and recharge, I also embrace my free-spirited nature for the gift that it is.

Claiming my free-spirited nature as part of my purpose here, I set the intention today to enjoy my journey, balancing the routine days with spontaneity in perfect ways for me.

"Be like a sponge when it comes to each new experience.  If you want

 to be able to express it well, you must first be able to absorb it well." 

 ~Jim Rohn

"Waste no more time talking about great souls and how

 they should be.  Become one yourself!"  

~Marcus Aurelius

Affirmative Prayer:
In the awareness of this moment, there is a light that shines as Spirit, bringing a warmth and a newness to all that is.  It is a Power for good that illuminates possibility and awakens the magnificence that is the Indwelling Presence of God.

Feeling the warmth and the newness of Spirit, I let It spread through me as my life now.    I allow Source to pull me into the experience of the journey, knowing It is guiding and sustaining me from a place of love and of peace.  I am made new in each moment, in each breathe, in each heartbeat.

Restored by the newness, I know perfect right action for every choice I make in my life.  I step into my journey, sitting in expectation of the beauty of the outcome, trusting that each person I meet is for a purpose.  I let go of any past hurts or wounds and embrace only the now.  I lean into the spontaneous moments, attracting people and situations that propel me into opportunities that look like miracles and answered prayer.  And I bless the routine moments of my day, accepting the gifts that they bring as part of my expansion.

I am so grateful for the ever-increasing good in my life.  And I am thankful for the miracles and answered prayer that are showered on me by a Power greater than me.  Thank you, Life, for the joy that is always available in every moment of the day and night.

It is from this place of gratitude that I release my word to the Divine Action of the Law, knowing my word is returned to me fulfilled in powerful and amazing ways.  And I let it be so.  And so it is.