Why Small Steps Will Serve You Well

One of my favorite sayings in New Thought is, "Change your thinking, change your life."  What this means for me is that I CAN create the life of my dreams.  On the flip side, I want the life of my dreams NOW.

So, while I have my sights set on big dreams, I know that I must also have patience.  I will get nowhere fast if I try to plow through and steam-roll over people to accomplish my vision.

I also know that I cannot do everything by myself nor can I control everything (as much as my controlling nature would like to).  As I co-create using my thoughts, things flow much more smoothly when I let the Universe guide and steer my direction, bringing people and circumstances into my life to help propel my dreams forward.

Knowing all of that, if I am going to be realistic about achieving my dreams, I can't NOT take action.  But - the action that works for me is to take small steps towards my goals every single day.  That's where my daily spiritual practice becomes important.

Every day that I wake up and roll out of bed, it's a new chance to be still, go within, and ask the Universe to show me the next best step toward my dreams.

Then - I listen.

One dream that I am working on is to become more of a musician.  While I'd like to be playing my flute on stage somewhere, I'm not quite ready for that leap (although I can see it very vividly in my imagination).  So, every day, I pull out my sheet music and practice.  I started with just 20 minutes q day, five days a week and have now bumped up to 30 minutes a day (small steps).  My next step will be to hire a flute instructor so I can clean up my technique.  And, as I take that next step, I trust that the next step after that will be revealed.

The same goes for my choice to eat more whole foods and clean up my diet.   I started by swapping my normal breakfast with a fruit smoothie.  From there, I tackled lunch and snacks.  Now, my kitchen is pretty well stocked with fruits and vegetables and I've tossed out most of the processed foods.  But - it took small steps of making that choice every time I went to the grocery store.  And, I still make that choice every day, especially when I eat out.

As I take these small steps, I'm noticing that my body feels so much better.  I've also made small changes to my exercise plan, even incorporating a day when I do just a 15-minute high intensity run rather than the longer three or four mile run I would normally do.  I've picked up slightly heavier weights for my muscle training as well and I have to admit, I'm liking the results.

I'm not perfect at this.  I do have days that I slip back into having a Snickers bar rather than kale chips.  However, it's so much easier to jump back on the bandwagon now that my small steps are becoming more of the norm rather than the exception.

So, what are some small steps that you can take today?

Today, I set the intention to continue taking small steps into unchartered waters, listening for guidance as I keep my thoughts focused on living the life of my dreams.

"The control of the mind is said to be the highest yoga; it is like the 

control of an unruly horse which must be made to obey its rider."  

~The Bhagavad Gita

"The individual writes the story of our lives through our thoughts, 

deeds, and interactions with creation."  

~Edgar Cayce, Akashic Records/The Book of Life

Affirmative Prayer:
Going within, there is a truth that is revealed - that a Presence for Good exists in all that is.  And, there is a truth that is known - that there is only One.  One life that is God's life now.  It is filled with joy and harmony, with peace and with grace.

It is always available, guiding and directing in perfect ways, and I unite with this Presence in this moment.  I can see clearly that this Divine Presence is a Power that is working through me and as me, sustaining my every choice and every action.

Embracing this Presence in my life, my wishes and my desires and my goals are filled with prosperity and abundance.  And as I align with the presence of Spirit, my life unfolds in ways even better than I can imagine.  I set intentions based in love and in joy and my intentions are made manifest in perfect, Divine timing.  Like precious pearls discovered within the shell of an oyster, so to are my dreams precious and revealed when they are ready to shine.  I take small steps in faith and the Universe reaches out to meet me, making my way easy.  I smile as I see reflected back to me a life filled with wonder and magic and miracles.

And from this place of miracles, I am so grateful for a loving Presence that says Yes to my wishes for a life filled with joy and harmony.  And I am thankful for the Divine guidance that directs my steps in delightful ways.  I am filled with gratitude for the prosperity and abundance that comes from following my heart.

Knowing that it is already done, I release my Word to the Divine Action of the Law.  I accept and I celebrate this truth.  And I let it be so.  And so it is.

Relationships Are Like Riding A Bike

In The Science of Mind, Ernest Holmes teaches, “People are dying for real human interest, for genuine friendship, for someone to tell them they are all right.  We always welcome the man who looks at the world as his friend and loves it.”  For me, there is no better way to further my spiritual growth than to spend time with others, whether they are family, friends or complete strangers.   

It is an opportunity to move further away from my ego – “They have more than me”, “I’m better dressed than she is” – and move closer to embracing the truth that this is a loving, supportive, friendly Universe.

The challenge for me, I’ve noticed, lies in cultivating relationships.  It’s easy for me to meet people and I am filled with a genuine curiosity for each new person I have a chance to interact with.  

But - when the relationship starts to evolve into something that might be a friendship, partnership, or business interest, I find that I subconsciously put up barriers to deflect anything going beyond a surface level acquaintance. 

Knowing this is happening, I have started putting myself into places and situations where I can develop deeper relationships.  To give you an idea -  I love to run and bike so I have joined training groups where we share a similar interest and I see the same people regularly. 

This has forced me to become more of a “friend” – to offer to carpool to a racing event, to accept an invitation for lunch after a bike ride – and as I become more of a friend, I am seeing more friendships develop in my life.

As a result, I find that my spiritual growth is deepening as well.  I am more and more able to see the indwelling Spirit within each individual.  

And - if there is a lesson for me to learn in the relationship, I more easily accept that lesson and let things unfold, using my spiritual practices to remain in integrity with myself through the growth. 

Relationships are often like riding a bike.  Along the way, there will be rough terrain, smooth curves, speed bumps or flat tires.  They are all opportunities to learn how to continue to pedal and ride with ease regardless of the circumstances.  And, before I realize it, I have fallen in love with riding a bike – with the journey and the chances to get back on the bike as often as I can. 

So, today, I set the intention to embrace the adventure of life, knowing I am attracting powerful relationships that are for everyone's highest and best good.

"You never change things by fighting the existing reality.  

To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete."  

~Buckminster Fuller

"If you want an interesting party sometime, combine cocktails 

and a fresh box of crayons for everyone."  

~Robert Fulghum

Affirmative Prayer:

In this moment, there is only One - one Divine Presence and Divine Power that surrounds all that is. This Presence and Power is in every fiber, weaving through the fabric of life in beautiful and magnificent ways.  

Breathing in this magnificence, there is a knowing that this Presence and Power that I call Spirit is moving through me, around me and having Its being as me.  I am transformed as I allow myself to go with the flow of the Divine Intelligence that blesses my life as I surrender to this consciousness.

Every day, life flows through me with grace and with ease.  And, as I step up and meet new people, I know that I am always in the right place at the right time.  I attract relationships that will reveal my destiny and I dive deep into the relationship, being fully who I am meant to be.  I trust that as I am a friend to others, my friendships and partnerships are reflected back to me as I move through the twists and turns that make my life such a glorious adventure.  And I am always at peace, knowing I am exactly where I need to be in every moment.

I am so grateful for the good I receive every day, the good that shows up in amazing abundant ways.  And I give great thanks for the people who reveal the God within to show me how beautiful true relationships can be.  I am filled with gratitude for the love that is expressed fully and deeply as I connect to Source in simple prayer and thanksgiving.

From this place of thanks, I release my word to the Divine Action of the Law, knowing it is already done.  The dreams and desires of my heart are here now.  And I let it be so.  And so it is!

How To Rally When You Want To Stay In Bed

For the past few days, some intense emotional ups and downs have been following me around.  And, they're feeling pretty extreme - WAY more extreme than my usual daily, go-with-the-flow attitude.

What I've learned is that denying them or trying to avoid them does NOT usually work as a way to move through them.  I've also noticed that it's difficult to talk about them, especially since most people want to "fix" the problem.

So, I've had to stop everything I was doing quite a bit lately, put out the "Do Not Disturb" sign, and really just go deep within - deeper than I've been before - pulling out every mantra and affirmation that I can think of.  And, I'm having to ride the wave of my emotions.  I believe they are here to transform some area of my life and they serve a purpose.  Very likely, they are here to heal something that needs to be released.

I KNOW I am a spiritual being having a human experience and the human experience includes all of my emotions.  At my core, I also KNOW that I am perfect, whole and complete.  Rather than get down on myself for the emotional turbulence, I am accepting myself for who I am in this moment.  And the next.  And the next.

And - I am using a tool that I've learned from and Abraham-Hicks.  I start to reach for the next best feeling.  Once I've gotten into the energy of that new feeling, I start to reach for the NEXT best feeling.

This trick has been great at lifting me up.   Not only that, but it is helping me get clarity in the areas I need to transform.  Specifically, what came up was that I need to get really serious about my eating habits.

I keep saying I'm going to lose weight.  I'm going to get more toned.  I'm going to really commit to eating healthier.  But, the weekend comes and I fall off the bandwagon.  No more!

It's time to rally.  I need to show up just as I say I'm going to show up.  Every. Single. Day.  No more excuses.

With that, I step back into the flow of the Universe and accept that I am a GROWING spiritual being.  There may be more turbulence ahead and I will simply take it one day at a time.

So, how do you handle those days when you aren't thrilled about rolling out of bed?  How do you rally back and restore good feelings?

Today, I set the intention to accept myself for who I am, knowing that I am doing my best in every moment and am never separate from my perfection within.

"Have patience with all things, but, first of all with yourself"  

~Saint Francis de Sales

"There is that within us which partakes of the nature of the Divine Being, 

and since it partakes of the nature of the the Divine Being, we are divine."  

~Ernest Holmes, The Science of Mind

Affirmative Prayer:
In this moment, there is an awareness of a Divine Presence, a Divine Spirit, that lights and guides the way.  It is a radiant light of beauty and harmony, of grace and of peace.

This Presence that radiates such brilliant light shines through me, moves as me, in every minute of the day.  It is always available and reflects back the perfection that is my true nature.

Trusting this knowing that I am never separate, I lean into this as my starting point.  I am conscious of the joy that fills me as I embrace the Spirit within that wants my highest and best in every thing that I experience.  I can release feelings of lack or sadness, knowing they have served their purpose in my healing.  And I can move forward into my day, claiming that my path is filled with growth opportunities that reveal my unique gifts and talents in Divine perfect timing.  I am always enough, just as I am.

I am filled with gratitude for the healing that takes place and moves me closer to my ever-increasing good.  And I am thankful that, as I sit in expectancy of my good, it always reveals itself in perfect and beautiful ways.  I celebrate my life, grateful for everything and everyone that is a part of it.

From this place of ever-increasing good, I release my word to the Divine Action of the Law, knowing it is already done.  The gifts and the blessings unfold in miraculous ways.  And I let it be so.  And so it is.



How Do You View Giving?

How I view my money and my finances has come full circle over the past few years.   To be clear, I've never been destitute, however, I've had my financial challenges.

Looking back as 2013 has come to a close, I realize that I had become afraid to give for fear of lack and not being able to provide for myself or my children.  Of course, I am now very clear as to how the Universe works.  The tighter we hold on to the cash, especially when we can feel the worry and anxiety of "not enough", the less the cash seems to come to us.

And - the Universe tends to deliver us the lessons we need to learn around things like money.  Not always in gentle ways, I might add, but definitely in ways that get our attention and get us to listen.

So, in this last year, I've gotten my finances sorted out and am on a budget that works, thanks to help from my husband.  However, I'm still facing some demons in my giving financial help to others.

I've included intentional giving in my budget and am able to stick to that.  But - when I meet someone who's asking for money, I am torn with guilt  - and that's guilt on both sides of the coin.

I'm happy to give a dollar or two but, quite frankly, it starts to add up and my budget gets out of whack.  Then, I feel guilty about not sticking to my budget.  But, when I choose to say "sorry, not today", I still feel guilty because, let's face it - I just walked out of Trader Joe's with $50 of food.   Who am I to not give someone a few bucks?

To be in integrity with myself, what is starting to feel right is to listen to when I feel called to give - to not give out of guilt but to give because I feel the love in the moment.  And, to give within my budget.

I don't have to be everyone's Sugar Mama.  I am okay to occasionally simply give a silent blessing of love and light.  I have still given something precious - it's just not in money form.

I have had my financial wake-up call and I have come out the other side of it in much better shape.  Maybe, when I DON'T give, it's because the Universe is moving the other person toward their wake-up call.  Sometimes, it takes a dark night of the soul to realize we need to re-connect to our Source, to Spirit.

In either case, I now live in a place of trust that I am always provided for, regardless of the form it takes.   And, I have faith that I am giving in perfect and right ways - either financially or with my time or in a silent prayer.  I will not love myself less for the choice I make nor will the Universe.

So, how do YOU view giving?

Today I set the intention to practice intentional giving, releasing any judgements against myself when I choose to say "no" and to be open when I am called to say "yes". 

"Never be bullied into silence.  Never allow yourself to be made a victim. 

 Accept no one's definition of your life; define yourself."  

~Harvey Fierstein

"At all times, I am aware of my immediate Oneness with God.  

There comes a warm sense of my oneness in essence

 and experience with all the good there is."  

~Ernest Holmes

Affirmative Prayer:
In the stillness of this moment, there is a Oneness, a Divine Intelligence, that is everywhere present and always available.  It is heard in a bird's song and in the gurgling of a running stream of beautiful blue water.  It is felt in the warmth of the sun and in the cold of the blanket of white snow that covers the fields and mountains.

Leaning into this moment, there is a knowing that I am one with this Divine Intelligence.  It lives within and has Its being in me.  It is God manifest in me and it is perfect just as I am perfect, whole and complete.

From this place of Oneness, I realize that I am abundance, I am prosperity and I am generosity itself.  I trust that as I circulate, it is returned to me multiplied.  I release any fears around lack, knowing that I am guided by a Divine Presence in all things, including giving.  I will always give in perfect and right ways when I stop and tune into my heart, into that space that knows Divine timing and Divine order.  And I release any judgments I have about myself and others, with the faith that there is a higher power for good that knows better than me when I am called to say "no".  I am the beloved and I step boldly forward into perfect, right action each and every day.

I am so grateful for this life of ever-growing prosperity and financial abundance that allows me to give in ways that are meaningful to me.  And I am thankful for a Universe that is supporting me and sustaining me and is filling me with a wisdom that goes beyond what I have experience before.

From this place of thanks, I release my word to the Divine Action of the Law, knowing it is already done.  My life is filling up with blessings.  And I let it be so.  And so it is.

You'll Never Know Until You Try

I'll never know until I try.  That mantra keeps going through my head and I'm feeling a calling to be like Alice in Wonderland.  I need to step into the rabbit hole and stop playing it safe.

It's almost as though I'm remembering something important about myself that I've forgotten.  It's so easy to get caught up in adult responsibilities - going to work, paying the bills, buying more "stuff".

But - what if I could prosper and thrive by being more like a child and using my imagination to create my reality?  There are new treasures my soul is longing to discover.  I can feel it move through me like a wave of energy, building momentum every day.

And - just like Alice chased the rabbit throughout Wonderland, I'll need to chase the ideas to discover my true abundance.

The key, for me, will be to let go of the need to be perfect before I put myself out there for others to see.  I will need to accept myself for exactly who I am, exactly where I am.

The challenge of doing things perfectly showed up recently while I was practicing my flute.  It has been YEARS since I've played and I'm very rusty - VERY rusty.

After 30 minutes of failed attempts to hit certain notes, I was berating myself for my awkwardness.  I grew up playing flute and I should have this down, regardless of how long it's been since I've played.

All I could think in that moment - I'll never be good enough to play in front of other people.  Thank goodness for The Course In Miracles.  I stopped, took a breath, and asked "how can I see this differently"?

The answer came quickly - Google.  I searched for "flute emboucher".   A number of results came up including YouTube videos of master classes by James Galway.  I grabbed my flute and started practicing the tips he gave.  What a difference that 5-minute lesson made.

My aim, now, is to work with the videos and find a good flute instructor who can guide me.  I may never be "perfect", however, I am loving the time I get to spend practicing and I am REALLY loving how much better I am sounding.

My new goal is to get good enough to perform again.  Because - I'll never know how my life might unfold even better than I can imagine unless I try.

So, I set the intention today to surrender the need for perfection and to embrace the path that is unfolding as I try new things.

"Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it.  

Boldness has genius and power and magic in it."  

~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"To embark on this glorious challenge, you must leave

 the known and jump away from the familiar, the status quo,

 to discover who you truly are and can be."  

~Judith Wright

Affirmative Prayer:
In the stillness and quiet of this moment, there is a beauty that flows around all that is.  It is filled with wisdom and with love and it is a Divine Presence that is the essence of life itself.  It is ever present, revealing and expressing as the One Life, amazing and dazzling in Its brilliance.

Breathing in this brilliance, I embrace this Presence as it moves through and around and as me.  I am a perfect expression of Divine love and Divine wisdom and I let my heart be filled with Its peace and glory and grace.  I close my eyes and know that I can never be separate from this Intelligence that exists within me.

And as I open my eyes, there is knowing that my natural state is perfection - my natural state is confidence - my natural state is abundance and prosperity and joy.  I let go of any fear that might hold me back from sharing my gifts and talents with others.  I let go of any worry that I might not be good enough.  Instead, I claim that I am Divinely guided down a path that supports me as I try new things.  I claim that the right and perfect experiences align with my journey as God expressing as Sandy.  I hold the consciousness of faith and hope and know that miracles are occurring every day as I make the choice to step boldly into the light and shine.

Leaning into this feeling, I am so grateful for the miracles and blessings that prosper my life, that support me to live fully and completely.  And I am thankful that my unique gifts and talents are the Truth of who I am - a spiritual being having a human experience.  I am filled with gratitude for the knowing of a Source that calls me Beloved in every minute of the day and night.

From this place of gratitude, I release my word to the Divine Action of the Law, knowing it is already done, it is already made manifest in brilliant and amazing ways.  And I let it be so.  And so it is.  Amen.