At the same time, in Creative Thought magazine, Rev. Veronica Wright talked about how we can make our life our business. She recommended that "at regular intervals it is wise to look back at our lives to review, to evaluate, to see what we have accomplished, and how we have progressed."
She suggests that "sometimes, the quality of our life we want doesn't seem to show up, no matter how hard we work to 'earn' it. This might be so because the Universe does not compensate us based upon the activity of our work, but on the activity of our thinking, on the activity of our consciousness."
If we make the time to do a review and reflect, we can then see the changes (or the lack of progress) we've made. Then, it becomes a great opportunity for a course correction if we're not happy with what we see.
What I noticed during my reflection is that I didn't really have a super clear vision for how I want my life to look. I did write a sort-of script for how my ideal morning would flow and I'm certain that has driven some of what I have manifested. (I attribute that to Jennifer Grace's book, Directing Your Destiny).
I also noticed there are days that I still feel a little lost tho' and I blame that on the push to have a "9 to 5 job" and a "steady stream of income". I'm often asked by others what I do for work and I haven't quite figured out the best answer to that question so it usually comes out as "um, ah, well, I'm on sabbatical right now."
And the conversation stops.
But - I'm not uncomfortable with their response....and that's completely different from how I would have felt a few years ago. So how did I make the change? I believe it's because I have been doing the internal work and purposefully setting intentions for what I'd like to create.
I have been taking control of my thinking and not settling for the old patterns stuck in my subconscious mind.
So where did I see progress?
1. I no longer need the approval of other people. I am the only one responsible for my life. Keep in mind, that's different from the support of others - friends, family, a mentor - when you need a little help or just a sounding board.
However, I am really the only one who knows what fuels me, what makes me get out of bed in the morning, and what lets me sleep like a baby at night. And staying true to that vision has let me release the need to feel guilty or ashamed when others don't agree with my choices.
2. I'm allowing others to be themselves. My biggest challenge, although I love my husband, is that there are certain things I'd like to change about him. I have to believe we all feel that to a certain extent. What I'm clear on now is the things I wanted to change are really issues inside of me that I wanted to improve on or didn't really like.
My husband was the perfect reflection back for the areas I needed to clean up in my life. Now that I'm being mindful of those things, I no longer feel I need to change him. I'm much more accepting and loving and, as a result, our relationship is thriving.
3. I am more open to sharing my spirituality. I have been fed and fueled by so many inspirational leaders - Louise Hay, Michael Bernard Beckwith, Eckhart Tolle, Wayne Dyer. And on Sundays, it's easy to be in conversation about Spirit and a Divine Source and offering affirmative prayer. It was much more challenging to weave it into my everyday conversations with friends and family. I was hesitant and slightly embarrassed about how they would react.
But, as I see things like mindfulness become mainstream, and as I have become better at the language around spirituality that I'm comfortable with, the easier it is for me to lay it all out. I don't have to preach, there's no one to 'save', and it's not about religious choices. The conversation is about the wisdom of choice, my belief that thoughts become things, and that the Universe is always conspiring for our good.
I am getting better at understanding myself and accepting of myself. When I am challenged, I no longer need to defend why I do things. I don't lash out. And I don't shout. More and more, I flow through life with grace and ease and a sense of humor.
That's the quality of life I want to show up - every day!
So, if you reflected on the last year of your life, what are the changes you'd notice the most?
Today, I set the intention to make time to reflect on my life, noticing my progress and having courage to make adjustments as needed.
"People say that what we're all seeking is a meaning for life. I don't think
that's what we're really seeking. I think that what we're seeking is an experience
of being alive, so that our life experiences on the purely physical plane will have
resonances with our own innermost being and reality, so that we actually
feel the rapture of being alive."
"Placing the blame or judgement on someone else leaves you powerless
to change your experience; taking responsibility for your beliefs
and judgements gives you the power to change them."
Affirmative Prayer:
In the space between thoughts and the stillness, there is the One Divine Source. It is a Creative Life that ripples through the water, clear and vibrant and always available. It is an Infinite Allness of perfection and love, of harmony and grace. It is a sacred shelter that provides safety and peace in any moment of the day.
Opening my heart to this shelter, I allow the Divine Creator to move within me and to express love and perfection through me. In the sacred now, Divine Spirit has Its being as me, ever-expanding Its consciousness as the uniqueness that is Sandy.
With a sense of appreciation and awe, I embrace my alive-ness, celebrating my relationships and my finances and my health. I release all doubt and affirm that my quality of life gets better and better each day as I keep my thoughts focused on what I want to create. As I share this experience of humanity with others, the vibrant possibilities for life are reflected back in beautiful ways. And I rejoice in the new beginnings that hold the potential for even greater good than I can imagine to be made manifest. I am free to be who I am here to be, never separate from the Divine Source that says I am enough, just as I am.
Accepting the perfection of life as mine now, I am thankful for the blessings that rain down on me all the time. In deepest gratitude, I see the possibilities unfolding as I stay the course. And I give thanks that my good shows up so quickly and so effortlessly, just as I have envisioned.
Aligning with Spirit, I open at the top and release my word to the Divine Action of the Law, knowing it is already done. My highest and greatest good is here now. I let it be so and live my life fully. And so it is.
Photo courtesy of Scott Swigart/Flickr
