“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.
“Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking,
the whole world belongs to you. Lao Tzu
As a new Science of Mind student, I would passionately pray my spiritual mind treatment. Immediately I would speculate how my prayer was going to be answered. My prayers were usually about money since I believed that there wasn’t enough to go around. I would wait for the mail to show up only to find an empty mailbox. I would check to see if any clients called with potential business, but no one called.
When I complained to my practitioner, she reminded that it was none of my business where or how my good will appear. She said, “If you continue to look for it, you haven’t developed your faith.”
I discovered there are three steps to building faith: Hope, trust and gratitude. Hope is a sense of doubtful expectation. We hope something good will happen to us but underneath, doubt and fears linger. Those doubts and fears produce a type of anxiety called waiting.
As we release the doubts and fears, we begin to develop trust. We have a deeper conviction in the creative process of life and develop greater patience. The stress of waiting is replaced by patience and a sense of calmness that all is well.
Here was the important part for me: not to look for the demonstration of good but to give thanks that it was already done. Gratitude is the expansiveness of faith.
I learned it was none of my business how my prayer would be demonstrated but I now give thanks that it is already received. Lesson learned.
Affirmation: I give thanks that what I desire is already received.
“You are word. You are an aspect of God being brought forth into light.” – Paul Selig. I Am the Word
Some days a brain fog seems to set in and we forget about the power of our words. We often speak aloud words of criticism, complaint, and judgment coming from our inner critic instead of empowered messages of love and inspiration from Spirit within. The words of the critic come from the head, and the empowered words of Spirit originate in the heart.
As Emma Curtis Hopkins tells us; “Complaining and whining are only exhibitions of great desert spots in your character. You must fill us deserts with rain and fertilizer. So you must transform your moments of complaining by praise and descriptions of the Good in the Universe.”
Sometimes we have to dig deep to give thanks and praise for conditions amid any challenge. But when we do, there is a shift in energy and awareness.
Do you ever talk out loud to yourself? When we do, we tend to say things that are not very positive and uplifting. Try this for a change: Speak your praises and gratitude out loud. Your heart needs to hear your voice. Your heart hears constant words of error and false beliefs. But when your voice speaks words of truth aloud, your vibration is raised, your awareness is heightened, your experience of love expands.
Practice your spiritual readings out loud, as well as your prayers. Speak your gratitude for the beautiful day, for loving friends and family, for your delicious meal. Affirm your success, prosperity and good health.
Our words are adding to the vibration of humanity. Let’s make them count.
Affirmation: I consciously speak words of faith, love and joy.
“Without butterflies the world would soon have few flowers.” Trina Paulus Hope for the Flowers
Each one of us has unique skills, talents and abilities. Yet we often compare ourselves to others and may find ourselves feeling the need to compete. Competing out of fear only diminishes the gifts we have.
One of my favorite books is by Trina Paulus called Hope for the Flowers about two caterpillars that get caught up in climbing the ‘caterpillar pillar’, a squirming mass of bodies stepping over each other to get to the top. The top is so far away no one can see it.
The two caterpillars, Stripe and Yellow, are disillusioned and leave the pillar to find who they are. They risk going into the darkness of the cocoon to discover their true selves. They emerge as beauty, freedom and joy.
Here are some helpful tips when you find yourself squirming your way up the caterpillar pillar:
Go into your cocoon: Take a few moments to reflect, renew and regenerate. The quiet helps to disconnect from the frantic world.
Practice gratitude: Give thanks for your unique talents, skills and abilities, for your current clients and their willingness to take advantage of your services.
Transform fear into affirmative thoughts: The world is conspiring to make me happy. I am open and receptive to my highest good. I am abundantly rewarded for my talents and abilities.
A few simple practices can transform fear into freedom, doubt into faith and competition into collaboration. It begins with intention. May hope light your path and wisdom guide your journey!
Affirmation: Everyone is conspiring to make me happy.
