Making Peace With Uncertainty

I am clear that my current reality is merely a single moment in time on my journey as I chase my dreams and live my life.  I also know that more is possible for me that I can even imagine.  Persistence in focusing on the positive, attainable things is uplifting and up-leveling my life as I maintain my daily spiritual practices.

I am also clear that it is only a matter of time before shifts will happen and that the vision of good I have been holding will show up.  What I'm struggling with currently is the uncertainty.

Am I wandering aimlessly or am I exactly where I should be?  When will things start to shift?  Did I miss a sign that I should have done something differently?

Uncertainty is NOT my friend.  I think that's a major reason why I don't enjoy the Space Mountain roller coaster at Disneyland.  Not knowing when a big drop or a twist is coming up is not my idea of a good time.  Haunted houses are not much fun for me either.  I don't enjoy being scared unexpectedly by things that jump out of dark spaces.

And because uncertainty is not comfortable for me, I know it's something I not only need to make space for but I need to embrace it.  I need to make peace with uncertainty.

Knowing that what I focus on grows, I have to keep my focus on being strong enough to let go and let God.  When I am experiencing uncertainty, it is the perfect time to take a breath and pray - to go within and tap into the Divine.

Most of the time, I get it - the idea that it's not mine to say WHEN things happen. That is the job of the Universe.  And, I also realize that I don't get to choose HOW things will happen - again, that is for the Universe to show me.

What I am coming to understand is that it's okay for me to ask for clear signs from Spirit that I'm heading in the right direction, that my timing is perfect and that the choices I'm making are for my highest and best good.

I am always connected to Spirit and It is always leading me.  So, I keep moving forward, one step at a time.  And, I hold the intention that I am more and more comfortable with uncertainty, trusting that events in my life unfold in perfect, Divine timing.

"There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated 

through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, 

this expression is unique.  And if you block it, it will never exist through any 

other medium and it will be lost.  The world will not have it.  It is not your business 

to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with 

other expressions.  It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to 

keep the channel open."

~Martha Graham

"A dream is your creative vision for your life in the future.  You must break out

of your current comfort zone and become comfortable with the unfamiliar 

and the unknown."

~Denis Waitley

Affirmative Prayer:

Today, and every day, there exists unlimited abundance and infinite supply, all contained within the One and Only Source.   It is a magnificence that knows no limits as It expresses through all that is.  And I open my heart to let this Source of magnificence flow through and around and as me.

Holding this consciousness, I open to the possibilities of being well on every level.  My good is showing up in a variety of ways and even through changes and uncertainty, I accept all that God has for me.  I am always supported in amazing, magical ways.  Affirming the support of Spirit, I stay present to being receptive to whatever shows up.  I place no limits or boundaries on my flow of grace and no judgement of myself as I simply allow.  Everything is happening exactly as it should and at the perfect time for my highest and best good.

I am so grateful for all that I have been given in all the various forms that Spirit has made manifest.  Thank you, God, for the magnificence that expresses through me.  Feeling the magnificence wash over me, I release my Word to the Divine action of the Law, knowing that it is already taking place and I simply need to let go and let God.  Life is so good!  And I let it be so.  And so it is!

Courage To Be A Spontaneous Giver

Spontaneous generosity to other people is not something that comes easy for me.  As an example, I have friends who are always gifting things to others that they know will match their interests.  For me, when I see this, I can feel my shadow side start to emerge and there is a push-pull between jealousy and insecurity.

I believe I feel jealous because this type of spontaneous gifting is something I would love to do.  But - my insecurities around being rejected rise pretty quickly to the surface.

So, instead, I play it safe.  I mention to a friend that I saw something I thought they would love.  Sure enough, they agree.  How much more satisfying to be able to give the item to them rather than simply talk about it.  I have the validation that my intuition is spot on.  I just need the courage to follow through on my intuition.

Now that I realize this is happening, I can make space for observing and healing the feelings.  I can honor the jealousy and insecurity and let them go.  And, I can also make space for something new to emerge.

Rather than let my monkey mind take charge, I can become intentional about my giving.  I already get the intuitive urges and nudges from the Universe.  I simply need to trust them and to follow them.

Most importantly, I will not judge myself if it turns out their first reaction is not enthusiasm over my gift.  I am starting to see that it is not about the gift at all - it is really about my experience in the giving.   It is about opening up to possibility.

Knowing that, today, I set the intention to treat giving as a sacred spiritual practice, having faith the Universe will never steer me wrong as I follow my intuition.

"One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to 

give birth to a dancing star."

~Friedrich Nietzsche

"We always know which is the best road to follow, but we follow 

only the road that we have become accustomed to."

~Paulo Coelho

Affirmative Prayer:

The Power to create, the unlimited possibilities of Life - it is all contained within the Divine Intelligence that is God.  Stepping into this awareness and connecting with Divine Intelligence, all is made new in the quiet stillness that exists within me.

It is from within that I can see the grace that moves through me and the love that surrounds me.  I live my life on purpose, remaining open to the support of the Universe to guide me.  Affirming the grace that always supports me, I give spontaneously and freely, just as I am given to by Source, by Spirit.  Life flows harmoniously in the giving and receiving and I am open and receptive as God's thoughts become my thoughts.  I let myself be directed in my choices, trusting they are for my highest and best expression.  I can let go of any insecurities, knowing that my intuition is guiding me in perfect and abundant ways.  Joyfully I give and joyfully I receive.

And joyfully I give thanks for the abundance and prosperity that is a natural outcome of circulation.  I am grateful for the growth I experience and I am grateful for the people who come into my life as part of this growth.  We are all connected in possibilities of Life and it is all good.

It is from this place of the all-good that I release my Word to the Divine action of the Law, knowing the work is already done and I need only follow my intuition.  And I let it be so.  And so it is.  Amen.

Allow Your Dream To Live Inside You

Pulled by a vision.  I love Michael Beckwith's approach to living life - let yourself be pulled by a vision.  There is beauty in chasing a dream.  And - that beauty includes the challenges and the obstacles.

It's been a concept that takes some time to wrap my mind around.  The idea that painful things can be exactly what we need to propel our dreams forward is scary.

My belief - I think they exist because it forces us to get up and take action.

As I spend time each day asking "What is trying to emerge through me?" and "What do I need to become for this vision to manifest?", things show up that, quite, frankly, I'd rather not do.  It involves effort and moving outside of my comfort zone.

And after spending so much time with the knowing that my life is Divinely guided, I STILL hesitate.  If I sit around and spend time in wonder, the spiritual part of me knows that the miracles will be missed if I wait.  If I grab the dream and run with it, the logical part of me comes up with excuses and reasons and creates fear that I will fall firmly on my face.

What has been taking place, though, is something happens that makes it too painful NOT to take action.  Trauma is forcing me to face the realization that I am a Spiritual Being with unique gifts and talents to share.  And by not sharing my gifts and talents, I am impacting others dreams and visions for their life.

We are all connected.  Our lives unfold through a series of events and synchronicities as we interact.  Sometimes, my vision is not about ME.  I can be of service to OTHERS by taking a chance, by planting the seed that is my dream and by starting something new.

In the long run, as I look back at the struggles, it's amazing how often I can see that they were really just a small speed bump on my life path.  It is evidence that I should not let my fears hold me back.

And, it is clear that life is not about the destination - it is about the journey.

So, today, I set the intention to have the courage to go out in the world and try new things, with faith they'll unfold in perfect and beautiful ways.

"Whatever outrageous dream keeps flowing across your mind, allow it to live inside you.  Don't deflect it, diminish it, invalidate it or come up with some excuse for why it can't happen.  This will allow it to explain itself to you - why it's there, what it means,  and what if anything you should do about it."

~ Marianne Williamson

"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them."

~Walt Disney

Affirmative Prayer:

Today, and every day, there is a Universal magnificence that is everywhere present and always available.  This Divine magnificence that I call God is seeking unique expression through me and as me and in me and I let all that is God move me in amazing ways.

Knowing that I can never be separate from my good, I allow myself to follow the vision of God's life as Sandy.  I dream big dreams and follow my heart as I step out in faith.  Affirming my courage to take a leap and jump into trying new things, I can see clearly how I am Divinely guided in sharing my gifts and talents and in so doing, allow others full expression of their gifts and talents.  It is all about circulation and it is with joy that I notice the blessings that show up as I take action.

I am so grateful for the prosperity that flows easily and effortlessly all around me.  Spirit breathes in me and on me and I am thankful for the peace that comes through that breath, thankful for the dreams that are inspired by that breath.

Affirming how much I am loved, I gladly release my Word to the Divine action of the Law, knowing it is already done in the Universal Mind.  I accept that something wonderful is happening right now!  And I let it be so.  And so it is.

Mindful Of My Worthiness

Like the popular Christmas poem, I've had visions of sugar plums dancing through my head.  Well - not really sugar plums.  More like new art for my walls, a new dresser and night stands for my bedroom and new fixtures for the guest bathroom.

It really struck me this morning how much my home is my sanctuary.  I was sitting in the dining room that we newly furnished in July and felt such gratitude for having this beautiful space.

I also realized my nesting instincts are kicking in.

We have a few spaces left that are being taken over by clutter.  There is no great place to put the mail so it ends up on the edge of the kitchen counter.  Our built-in computer desk is becoming a catch-all for random pieces of paper and books.  And, my closet needs some serious organizing.

And so, my search begins for shelving and organizing tools along with some fun pictures to hang on my walls.  Shopping - yay!

The best part - I hold no judgement against myself for this redecorating urge.  I know that I can stick to my spending plan while sprucing up my home.  In fact, it's something of a game to see what I can find that feeds my soul's urge to refresh my "nest" and is still affordable for me.

It makes my heart happy to follow this vision and I'm going for it.   Today,  I set the intention that I am worthy of updating my home and I am free to move forward with decorating plans.

"In every aspect of our lives, we are always asking ourselves, How am I of

 value?  What is my worth?  Yet I believe that worthiness is our birthright."

~Oprah Winfrey

"The snow goose need not bathe to make itself white. Neither need you 

do anything but be yourself."

~Lao Tzu

Affirmative Prayer:

The Divine Indwelling Presence is all that exists in every moment of the day and night.  God, Source, Spirit - the Essence of the Infinite - is contained in every thought, in every word, in every dream, in every vision.  It is endless and forever expressing through me. My life is rich in experience as I allow the Essence to flow in me and as me and I experience greatness as I step into knowing the truth of my Divine nature.

Affirming my worthiness of the amazing good that Life is offering, I allow the abundance of the Universe to flow easily into my day.  As my desire to refresh my sacred space that I call home rises up in me, I have the means to shop for items that speak to my soul.  My prosperity shows up as art for my walls and new bedroom furniture and shelves and organizing tools for my computer center.  My heart grows as I see new creation happening and I am excited to simply sit and enjoy my sanctuary that has been blessed with love and joy.

I am so grateful for the true knowing that the Universe is yearning to support my dreams and desires.  Thank you, God, for showing me how much I am loved.  Life is good and I choose abundance and prosperity as my birthright.  And I am thankful for the freedom to be at choice in every moment.

Claiming the blessings in my life, I release my Word to the Divine action of the Law, knowing that as I let go, it is already happening.  And I let it be so.  And so it is.

2 Tips To Upright The Shipwrecks In Your Life

Over a span of 19 hours, the Costa Concordia cruise ship was pulled completely upright yesterday, after capsizing last year off the Italian coast.  Watching a time-lapsed video of the ship being righted, I could feel my inner observer turning on.

How often in my life have I felt like the battered hull of ship that has been run aground?  How often have I languished in old grievances, letting my damaged ego keep me under water?

One issue that challenges me - I do not like being told what to do.  When someone talks to me as if they have authority over me, I get my back up and some choice words start to fly.  I am certain that my conditioned response in those situations has created a few shipwrecks.

Acknowledging that, what if I could time-lapse my life when there is some clean-up and releasing that needs to be done?

Just like the Costa Concordia, salvage work - whether its relationships or finances or even our health - can be costly and take painstaking efforts.  Looking at how the engineers managed this project, I see two tools that can help me clean up any wreckage I have created, in a seemingly fast-forward manner.

Ease my thoughts away from the need to be right 

The first phase for the salvage crew was to ease the vessel away from its rocky perch.  It took a few hours but they were successful as they used specialized tools and some big equipment.  The need to be right once my "authority button" has been pushed is my rocky perch.

My specialized tool - walking meditation.  Knowing that I carry beliefs around being told what to do, I get out and start moving.  Increased breathing through walking has been key to my awareness and the subsequent release.   Then - I let one word or one phrase surface when I think of the feelings I have around being right and being in charge.  Noticing the words and becoming aware of the feelings, I can now consciously re-pattern my mind to associate new thoughts with the feelings.

As part of this process, I will often ask Divine Spirit to bring me the right words or phrases that need healing as I start my walk.  And, I usually reach a point where I am simply repeating "Thank You", knowing that the Universe is supporting me in this exercise of release.

Prepare for complications

This one seems counter to what we believe in New Thought.  We are always told to sit in expectancy of our good and affirm the positive.

Looking at the second phase of the ship rescue, the salvage workers siphoned off most, but not all, of the fuel.  That leaves the possibility that fuel and chemicals can leak into the sea.  Knowing there was a chance of a spill, as the ship was rotated, engineers monitored the water quality.

As I live my life and travel my path, I realize that while I may heal old patterns, there is always the possibility new challenges will arise.  As I wrote about earlier, some days are great and others, I feel like I'm being swept against the rocks.  And I know that the challenges serve their purpose so I don't want to avoid them necessarily.  What I CAN do is prepare for the ebb and flow - for the fuel leak, for the toxic chemicals.

And, just like the ship's engineers, I will have to monitor the quality of my thoughts and the choices I make as I take inspired action.  I have to be aware of the people I choose to spend time with.  If I notice a friend is always complaining when we're together, I can either redirect the conversation or choose to spend less time with her/him.

I also have to be aware of the words I'm using.  I was reading something Dr. Bernie Siegel wrote recently about word choice.   He mentioned noticing how often we say "I have to."  "I have to pay the bills."  "I should exercise today."  Changing "I have to" to "I get to" brings a different emotional feeling to the task.

If I say, "I get to pay the bills", I notice that my feeling is more about gratitude than dread.  If I mention that "I get to go to the gym today", I feel excited about the opportunity to exercise.

Making a regular practice in using these tools, regardless of how I feel, is where the power lies.  They highlight the subtle nuances that our choices can make and the energy we attach to the challenges.

Life events are about growth and expansion.  They are here to serve a purpose, however, we do not need to spend lengthy amounts of time with a broken hull, rusting and decaying.    We can take the lesson and move on.

So, today, I set the intention to let go of my need to be right and choose happiness instead. 

"In reading the lives of great men, I found that the first victory they won was over themselves...self-discipline with all of them came first."

~Harry Truman

"Our repeated failure to fully act as we would wish must not discourage us.  It is the sincere intention that is the essential thing, and this will in time release us from the bondage of habits which at present seem almost insuperable."

~Thomas Troward

Affirmative Prayer:
Knowing here in this moment that the abundant power and presence of all things is God, there is an awareness that there is no where that God is not.  God is all Life.  God is all Good.  And as I know that, I embrace the presence of the Divine that flows around and in and through me.  I am love and I am loved beyond measure.

Affirming the presence of the Divine is always available, filled with wisdom and grace, I step forward on my path, trusting each decision I make leads me toward my highest and best good.  I am always at choice and choose to use words that affirm my good, my prosperity, my health, my abundance and my joy.  In each moment, I need only turn within to find that I am guided with a gentle hand.  I let the ease of life flow through me and the excitement of opportunities fill my heart and mind.

And as I let excitement and anticipation roll over me, I am filled with gratitude that my highest and best is always at hand.  The Universe has my back and always says Yes! in support of my thoughts and I am thankful.

Releasing my Word to the Divine action of the Law, I am at peace knowing it is already done.  A way is made out of no way.  And I let it be so.  And so it is.  Amen.