We are now at the last pillar of well-being which is defined as purpose.
Purpose has had a resurgence of interest in the past few years, and I confess to have done my fair share of contemplation with it!
Most inquiries around purpose seem to focus on action, as in what you do, how you do it and then show up in the world. But underneath that is another layer, isn’t there? It’s the motivation behind the action.
Here’s what I mean. If you think you are here to be helpful, of service, then you will choose a job to illustrate that belief.
We’re already at the 3rd pillar of well-being!
As a quick review, the first two are:
-Meaning, the ability to be more present, tuned into your here and now as well as to your mind chatter.
From Dr Davidson directly:
“Awareness: A heightened, flexible attentiveness to one’s environment and internal cues such as bodily sensations, thoughts, and feelings.
Skills: Mindfulness, attention, self-awareness”
How is your practice of awareness coming along?
Another way to think about awareness, is mindfulness. If you google that word alone, you’ll find loads of practices (in addition to the pause one I gave you) to support you in cultivating more awareness.
Today we’re exploring the 2nd pillar of well-being that Dr Richard Davidson identified with his neuroscience research.
Have you heard of a neuroscientist named Richard Davidson?
He’s been doing research on the brain specifically related to mindfulness, meditation, and well- being for decades. And his research is fascinating!
One of his key findings is around the idea of well-being. Through extensive study, trials and research, he has identified what he calls 4 pillars of well-being.
The really exciting news is that these so-called pillars aren’t inherent qualities, or even simply acquired knowledge. They are qualities that each and every one of us can cultivate and apply every day of our lives! Wahoo!
Have you experienced the past few months as intense, chaotic, and full of uncertainty?
Yes?
You’re not alone.
Some days feel like a tough slog. Like we’re moving through dense resistance. Which is all the more reason to embrace your spiritual practice and deepen into it.
Many seers have spoken of this time we are in as an amplification, when everything is speeding up and gaining power. This is exactly why you have to choose your own sanity, clarity and peace.
Not only because the chaos is ever growing, but because the benefit of you doing your inner work is amplified during this time. In other words, you can use this time to fast track your liberation.
I woke up the other morning remembering a concept that came to me in my early 20s.
The idea is fairly simple, that there are 4 different quadrants of self:
Mind, or intellect
Emotions
Physical Body
Spirit
What I recognized back then was that some of these quadrants are easier to be in than others.
Take a moment and think about yourself.
All of us are all now fully informed about COVID-19, or the corona virus that initially appeared in China, and has now infected humans across the globe.
And, in addition to that, there are shortages of hand sanitizer, masks, toilet paper and cleaning products!
But here’s the good news. In all likelihood, you will be absolutely fine AND there are simple and constructive ways to stay healthy both physically and mentally.
Here they are:
I was lying in bed thinking about a friend of mine. She's absolutely amazing - beautiful, talented, funny, kind, and single.
Apart from feeling like she wants a partner, it's more the feeling of BEING ALONE that plagues her.
Have you ever experienced that?
I know I have.
And let's be honest. Even if you are in a committed relationship, you can still feel alone. Or lonely. Right?
So what can we do about it?
Tired of feeling alone?
Ready to have some Divine intervention in your life?
Want to feel aligned with Spirit?
You are not alone.
I want that too - even though it’s always been hard for me to ask for help.
Ever since I was little, I always felt like I had to do everything myself.
I never felt like I could rely on anyone to be there for me. Naturally, life kept providing opportunities to prove that this was true (ugh!)
It’s January and everyone is scrambling to get those resolutions and promises in place.
But what if i told you there’s a really simple technique to start your year that would help you truly align with grace and ease?
Ready?
It’s super simple, really easy, and fun!
It can be any word.
Sometimes the word pops right into your head as soon as you sit for a second with it. Other times, it takes a little coaxing.
I’ve been doing this to start my new year now for nearly a decade and it’s become a profound activity for me, as much as my beloved vision board.
This week’s advent theme is faith.
Well, what is faith exactly?
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, here are the definitions:
Allegiance to duty or a person; loyalty (lost faith in someone or something)
Fidelity to one’s promises; sincerity of intentions (acted in good faith)
Belief and trust in and loyalty to God
Belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion
Firm belief in something for which there is no proof
Complete trust
Something that is believed especially with strong conviction
We bat this word around – especially those of us on a spiritual path.
According to advent, a Christian tradition of preparation, the 1st week of December is the week of hope.
I always thought advent was about those fun children’s calendars. Remember them? The cute posters with little doors and windows that open for every day of December, and often hold little surprises behinds them.
Apparently there’s much more to advent than candies behind closed doors.
Advent invites us to slow down and reflect.
Did you enjoy the equinox?
Good news because the fall celebrations continue!
Everywhere folks are welcoming in the harvest. In India, it’s Durga Puja, the celebration of the Mother. And in the Jewish tradition, it’s the new year and the days of atonement, otherwise known as Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
This time of year always feels like new beginnings to me. Maybe it’s the decades I spent as a student and then a teacher, but the fall is definitely a transition time.
There is a closeness to God now, and we see it actualized in many faiths. The veil is thin.
The spring and summer were all about outward expression, and now, as we have reaped the rewards from nature, it’s time to turn within.
What is it about failing that feels so hard?
Is it perfectionist syndrome?
Has our society become so risk averse we’re all afraid of looking stupid? Inadequate?
Because this fear of failure, it's pervasive!
Students unwilling to raise their hands lest they appear ignorant.
Employees afraid to ask for help, concerned they’ll look incompetent.
When I find myself stymied by the fear of failure, I always go worst case scenario.
Here's what I say, "if this all goes south, what’s the worst thing that can happen?"
The physical body truly remarkable.
And the more we learn about it, the more we see how interconnected our physical body is to our emotional well being.
Thanks to neuroscience, we now know that the body stores stress, memories, and trauma.
In part because the physical body is always present!
Whether you’re watching a movie or sleeping, working on the computer or making a speech – regardless of where your attention is, your body is present in that physical space.
It’s like the silent witness.
The other day I was talking to a young woman who’s been living in the city for a while. On a work trip recently she visited a sleepy town surrounded by national forest. While there, she realized the city was no longer feeding her.
More and more I hear that. And it echoes my own experiences.
I crave nature- trees, water, silence.
How about you?
I recently learned a new spiritual tool!
Do you have one?
If you’re like me and JUST heard about this, you’re in for a treat!
A God Box can be anything – a container you already have, a mason jar or a cardboard box you want to collage.
I’m always about collaging, but when I thought about what to use, I instantly knew.
I was recently asked to do a Daily Insight for the mediation app InsightTimer and the topic i chose was:
INNER JOY
Joy is what we all want, right?And yet is can feel so elusive.
If you’re ready to access that loving, happy place, here are 3 ways you can experience more inner joy right now.
The other day I got asked a question by a client about POWER.
As a woman, I'm acutely aware of when I have agency and when I feel powerless, know what I mean?
As we talked, I was reminded of a way of thinking about power that I learned from a book called Spiral Dance, by Starhawk that I read in the 1980s. (A kind of new age book before we even had that term, lol!)
As I remember it, she explained that there are 2 types of power:
Power Over & Power From Within
What we experience A LOT in our world is people exerting their power OVER others- to get what they want, to control people, to exert will...
But true power isn't about that at all.
True power is about being EMBODIED.
You know the difference, you can feel it.
So how do we awaken and harness our own internal power?
veryone wants to be happier, don’t we?
Yet connecting to that deep feeling of contentment, that absolute joy, that pure bliss often feels elusive.
We know it’s there. We see people who clearly have it. But we don’t.
The truth is, there are no exceptions.
Joy is here for you too.
And if you want to experience it right now, try one or all of these:
