“Peace is not the absence of war. It is the pervasive presence of compassionate connection.” – James O’Dea
My heart hurts and I suspect yours does as well. It feels like we move from one daunting experience to another.
In this trying time it can be challenging to know what to pray for. Here are three simple prayers to speak for yourself and others. There is great power in our collective prayers.
The prayer is repeated four times– for yourself, for a loved one, for community and for all humanity. I like to visualize a small pulsating light that grows with each statement and circles the planet.
The Light of God surrounds you. The Love of God enfolds you. The power of God protects you. The Presence of God watches over you. Wherever you are, God is. And all is well. Amen.
This Thing Called You by Ernest Holmes
“When you become confused, stop and listen to your inner calm. Turn from the confusion to that deeper something within. Say:
I am submerged in peace. I am surrounded by peace. I am immersed in peace. There is nothing but peace. Peace–deep, calm, undisturbed.
Visualize humanity surrounded with love and light.
“In the short term and in the long run, how we treat people is our legacy. We have a daily responsibility to stay conscious of that and show up in ways we can be proud of.” – Sam Horn, Talking on Eggshells
It’s holiday time! That exciting time of year when we navigate the emotional terrain of spending time with loved ones. Anxiety, anyone?
Some loved ones are a joy to be with. Others can be more challenging.
Here are some helpful tips:
It’s not about them. We often have attachment as to how we would like our loved ones to behave. In fact WE have lots of ideas about how they can live better lives. Breathe and step back. Practice letting go.
Respond not react. Our loved ones know how to push our buttons. Disable your button. Disconnect from your high mindedness. Dissolve the need to have the answers. Practice responding peacefully and not reacting to situations.
Claim your intention. Instead of imagining all the terrible, awful, dreadful things that the holidays might bring, practice visualizing what you do want. What is your intention? To have loving communication? To have peaceful interactions? To have joy-filled experiences? Set your intention before you venture out the door.
Remember to breathe. Conscious breathing keeps us grounded in our awareness of our divinity and our oneness. Allow your breathing to center yourself in love. Pause and take a breath.
Practice gratitude. Gratitude lifts us up to a higher vibration. In that vibration of love, all things are possible.
I am grateful for my many blessings… I am grateful my family…I am grateful for my body and good health…I am grateful for my home…I bless my neighbors and my co-workers…I bless the economy…I bless our country…I bless my spiritual community…I bless the world.
I am so grateful for you. You are a blessing to the world.
“If you can’t do something about the situation in your life, go be a blessing to someone else.” Joyce Meyer
We spend so much time worrying about things we often can’t do anything about. We obsess about family and friends and wish they would change. We wake up stressing about things that haven’t happened yet. We worry for the world, for the planet, for our children.
Something powerful happens when we move from the place of needing to get something to being willing to give. The best place to start is being willing to listen. Listen to the experiences of others. Listen to their stories, their pain, their process. Practice listening and not responding. Listen without attachment.
Then when you are ready to move outside your comfort zone, a good question to ask yourself is: “How can I be of service for the highest good today? Please guide me to think the thoughts, speak the words and take the actions that will allow me to be love, and to bring that love into service.” Then observe everything from that moment forward as a sign responding to that question.
You are needed during this very important time. Some are needed to be in prayer and meditation, others are needed to give hugs or to hold signs, others are needed to service in positions of influence. Some are needed to raise a family, to care for others, or to stand up for those who cannot speak for themselves.
You are needed. Your gifts are needed. Your presence is needed. Your love and peace are needed. Ask yourself, “Where can I be a blessing today?”
“Regardless of what you feel about the physical form that you stand in, your body is a joy and it is a significant one. It is what allows you to have your experience on the physical plane.” — Paul Selig, Book of Love and Creation
A friend was describing her book club to me. She said they called it a book club but it was actually an organ recital because they spent more time complaining about what was going wrong with their internal organs than they did reading the book. Funny — and completely relatable.
Let’s face it, pain in the body takes all our attention. Recognizing physical limitations can take an emotional toll on us, feeling frustration, loss of control and a deep sense of grief when we lose the physical abilities we once had. We are called to reach in and expand our compassion for ourselves. Sometimes we are much more tolerant of our friends and loved ones than we are for ourselves. Take the time to be gentle and understanding with yourself. Speak words of kindness and understanding to your body.
Remember that whatever we put our attention on increases. As we complain about what is not working, we notice more of what is not working. It’s like a car speeding down a steep hill: If you don’t stop it in the beginning, it will just pick up momentum and speed out of control. Before you know it, our aches and pains have completely taken over our thought process.
Martha Graham, dancer and choreographer, says, “The body is a sacred garment. It is your first and last garment; It is what you enter life in and what you depart life with, and it should be treated with honor.” I acknowledge my flexibility, strength and energy—even on those days where it feels like I don’t have any. I appreciate the parts of that are in good working order and send love to those parts that are aching and in pain.
I bless my body temple which houses my living Spirit within me. My voice is an instrument for peace, my hands a medium for service. My feet and legs transport me so that I may be vehicle to express Divine Love in the world.
I invite you to use this attunement from Paul Selig in the Book of Love and Creation as part of your daily practice:
“I am now realigning my knowing to become newly aware of my responsibility to heal my body as is required by my choices to feed myself, care for myself, and inhabit my surroundings in wellness. I am now coming to know my body is a joyful vehicle and I am celebrating it in Divine Love and thanking it for being with me on this remarkable journey in consciousness.”
Breathe. Move. Give thanks. And bless your body temple.
Affirmation: I praise my body. I raise my body. In the name of Love.
“As I become conscious of my Oneness with God, I am filled with enthusiasm and a sense of energy and vitality.” – Ernest Holmes
Feeling tired lately? You are not alone! Vitality seems to be in short supply these days. There are so many challenges that drain our energy and can leave us sleepless and exhausted.
Vitality Is defined an exuberance; living with purpose. But some days it can be quite a feat to move from exhausted to vitality. It takes practice to take a breath, take a pause, and let go of our self-imposed demands. It often takes courage to ask for help and compassion to release our need for perfection. When we practice letting go we open the heart to more love, and we naturally feel more enthusiasm and vitality for life.
I feel vitality when I am in nature. Whether I am at the ocean, forest, or desert, I feel a newness and freshness. My friend feels it when she is with her granddaughter. The world seems to stop and she is completely in the moment and in a state of unconditional love. Another friend feels exactly the same way when playing with her dog, feeling immense love and joy.
When we tap into vitality we are tapping into our connection with the divine and we vibrate the life force energy. We feel an aliveness and appreciation for life itself. Eric Butterworth describes vitality as “All the the attributes of the Infinite are in focus as you, flowing forth through you. You are this flow.”
Pay attention to what makes you feel energized. You may not feel it every day and that’s okay. If we are willing to recognize vitality and pay attention, it happens more frequently. To some it may show up as an abundance of energy and to others it may be a quiet sense of purpose and gratitude. Wherever we are, we are connecting with the frequency of love.
I would love to hear from you. Let me know what energizes you and renews your vitality?
“Your own consciousness is always creating thoughts, and the more you energize those thoughts, the more they come into being, good or bad.” – Paul Selig
Do you ever have those days where you wish for a magic wand—just for a moment to wave over life’s troubles and make them magically disappear?
If you’ve been on the spiritual path you’ve come to realize that change doesn’t come automatically. If I want my life to be different, I have to change my thinking, attitude, and perception. I have to be the one to initiate the change. There is no magic to it. Just consistent, dedicated practice to shift my thinking from wishing to doing.
In I Am The Word, Paul Selig writes, “This is not something that can be done once. This is about a new pattern, and like any new pattern it needs to be ingrained in consciousness and in behavior for it to become fully realized in your life.”
No one can do our work for us. We can’t will it or wish it away. There is no being in the sky that grants wishes for us. Each of us has to do our own work and look at old patterns, old beliefs, past experiences and take responsibility for them.
Responsibility is the ability to respond. We have the opportunity to bring conscious intention to whatever we are engaged in.
Ernest Holmes reminds us, “Realizing that all action starts in and is a result of consciousness, prepare your mind to receive the best that life has to offer. Become increasingly aware of the one Presence, the one Life and the one Sprit which is God. Drop all sense of lack or limitation.”
Affirm: I am willing to receive the best life has to offer me.
