Calm Your Body & Feel Less Anxious - Part III

This blog is focused on ways to support you on the physical level, when your nervous system gets hijacked by anxiety, worry or fear.

The first tool:

BREATHE

Take a moment right now to become aware of your breath.

Is it slow? Fast? Deep? Shallow? How we breathe directly impacts how we feel.

When I was in high school, I was on the crew team. Before every race began, when we’d be adjusting the boat, assured we were in the correct lane and pointed in the right direction, I’d get so nervous I’d actually stop breathing.

Of course, that’s the EXACT opposite of what my muscles needed to win! But it’s what anxiety can do. Fight-flight-freeze

Which is why we have to train ourselves to breathe and regularly check in with our breath.

Not only is it oxygenating your cells, it regulates your nervous system, and can instantly calm you down.

Try it and see.

EXERCISE

Another great way to manage negative emotions, is to move. This is especially true when we do aerobic exercise. Of course, you know how helpful exercise is to the physical body, but the main reason I exercise is for my mental health.

It helps me feel more calm, relaxed, present and clear.

How about you?

NATURE

My last great reset for your body, is being in nature.

Spending time outside in or near a park, forest, beach, river or lake can do wonders and help you feel more connected and grounded.

If none of those are available, perhaps there’s a nearby fountain.

If all else fails, try listening to nature sounds. You can also watch a video of animals at play or a video of a beautiful, pristine location.

Feel less anxious and support your body in positive ways by breathing, moving and connecting to the natural world.

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4 Tools to Manage Your Mind - Part II

In the last blog, the focus was on spiritual strategies to help you feel less anxious and afraid. Today, we’re exploring ways to harness the power of your mind to help control your thoughts so they don’t control you.

Ready?

1. Intention

One of the ideas we discussed in the last blog was: How you start your day is how you live your day. Remember?

Intention ties into this beautifully.

Imagine this: as soon as you awaken in the morning, you set a conscious intention for how you want your day to be, and how you want to experience it.

Easy, generous, joyful, peaceful, gentle, loving. compassionate…

We can use this tool for any situation we are facing as well.

Perhaps you have an upcoming meeting that’s causing anxiety. How would you like it to go? Stop and really set an intention about it, and about how you’re going to show up.

2. Affirmation

Using affirmations is another way to solidify your intention.

It’s also something you can use throughout the day if/when you feel like you’ve fallen into fear or anxiety. It can return you to a sense of balance, equilibrium and groundedness.

Utilizing affirmation can help calm your nervous system as well as re-set your mind.

Ones that can be helpful with fear and uncertainty include:

• I am safe.

• Life loves me.

• Life brings me only good.

• Out of this situation only good will come.

3. Input

What are you reading, watching and listening to? In other words, what information is going into your mind?

Are these sources serving and supporting you? Or are they creating even more anxiety and fear?

Of course, it’s important to be informed, but not at the detriment of your mental health. Think about it this way, you aren’t helping anyone if you’re in a constant state of anxiety and fear.

4. What Are You Feeling?

It can be super easy to emotionally detach or intellectualize what you’re experiencing.

Especially when the sensation is uncomfortable like – dread, rejection, shame, anger, disgust. Typically, the first reaction is to ignore it or push it away.

What would happen if instead of ignoring or pushing away that feeling, you allowed yourself to identify it and be with it?

The idea here is to cultivate a relationship with your feelings, to hone in on them – the ones you like experiencing as well as the ones you don’t.

When we do this, they negative ones are less likely to hijack our entire system, too.

Alright, so here are 4 more practices to add to your self help toolbox to support you in managing uncertainty, anxiety and fear.

Let me know how it’s going!

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4 Spiritual Tools for Managing Uncertainty

Let’s be honest, some days are just hard, especially if you’re a sensitive person!

We can glance up from the microcosm of our lives, and gasp at what’s happening across the globe, from searing heats and drought to political discord.

Maybe you’ve found yourself, your emotional self, teetering on the edge - trying hard not to fall into fear or anxiety- as you face this elevated level of uncertainty.

To support you through these times, I’ve put together tools to help you manage the discomfort you’re feeling be it anxiety, apprehension, dread, fear…

Over the next few weeks, I’ll provide you with tools and practices you can incorporate and use. This blog, is focused on the spiritual level. In subsequent weeks, we’ll look at mind habits, body practices, as well as community engagement.

Let’s dive in!

When I say the “spiritual level,” another way to think about this is as a way to connect with something greater than yourself. It also helps us remember that we are not alone.

Here are 4 ways to do that:

1. Starting Your Day

There’s a wonderful expression my husband used to say all the time. Then I heard Louise Hay use it as well: “How you start your day is how you live your day.”

How do you start your day?

Upon waking, do you immediately check social media, your email, or the news?

What if you began a different way? With a thought of love, or a prayer? With meditation?

For the past few years, I’ve begun my day by reading my Course in Miracles lesson, one for every day of the year.

2. Meditation

In 1997, when I first began to meditate, I almost didn’t launch my practice. The healer I was working with told me I needed to start.

My response was, “I don’t have time.” I was, after all, working, had a long daily commute and a a 2-year-old 

Her response? “Make time.”

And I did even though I HATE getting up early in the morning. I made the decision to meditate which meant I got up, half awake, and sat in front of my altar (which was a shelf in my linen closet in the hallway.)

5 minutes. It’s all you need to do. Sit quietly for 5 minutes.

Why not do an experiment? Start your day with 5 minutes of meditation. Sit up in your bed. See what happens.

3. Prayer

Some people say prayer is how we ask God (oneness/universal consciousness) for what we want, and meditation is how we receive the answers, by getting quiet and listening.

Prayer is also the antidote to worrying, which is what often happens when we fall into fear.

And here’s the really cool part. You can pray about anything and everything no matter how big or small.

One way I like to use prayer is by truly envisioning how I want the world to be. It’s so easy to get caught up in thinking about what we don’t want. But instead, try focusing on what you do want to happen instead. Perfect healing.

4. Guidance

Sometimes we crave clarity. Of course, this can come from prayer and meditation, from asking and listening for answers.

It can also come from astrology, tarot, runes, I Ching, or even asking a question and opening a book at random.  

I have multiple decks of oracle cards that I use when I want some direct guidance, or even to give me a sense of a theme for a period of time. In fact, I just pulled a card to offer insight about this month!

Alright, so there are 4 ways you can connect to greater wisdom and guidance to feel less alone, less anxious and grounded. In the next blog, we’ll dive into managing our minds!

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Forgiveness and the Enneagram

If you’re ready to deepen your work with the enneagram and/or with the idea of forgiveness, keep reading!

The lens of the enneagram is a powerful tool to support us in forgiving ourselves. Why do we want to do this? Because, as Louise Hay reminds us, we forgive and we set ourselves free.

If you’re not familiar with the Enneagram, it is a comprehensive system to help identify your personality and default responses to life. There a 9 different personality types or world views, numbered 1-9.

When we’re in alignment with the truth of who we are, we’re able to access all 9 points of the enneagram, using various responses to stimuli, as appropriate. However, all of us have a default number, a fallback position if you like, that’s activated when we experience fear.  

This default setting (number) is your typical way of operating in the world or the set of behaviors you took on when you were young as a response to the messages you received from family, society and culture. In other words, how you needed to act to get your needs met.

I find the Enneagram incredibly helpful in understanding myself, and discerning when I’m showing up aligned with truth and my divine self, or out of duty, obligation, shoulds, or feeling small and insecure.  

Learn more about the Enneagram here.

Once you know your Enneagram number, use the information below to hone in on your core self-forgiveness challenge. This information is based on work by Dr Robert Holden.

Enneagram & Self Forgiveness

Point 1: Forgive yourself for the thought that you have done something wrong or are wrong. For in the mind of the Divine, you are made perfectly.

Point 2: Forgive yourself for believing that you are separate from God and from all of consciousness. Whenever you feel alone, forgive yourself for experiencing separation.

Point 3: Forgive yourself for believing that you are unworthy, (unworthy of love, acceptance, success, healing…). 

Point 4: Forgive yourself for believing the story of abandonment; that you have been displaced, are in exile, or cast out.

Point 5: Forgive yourself for being blind to the truth of who you are and what the world is. Forgive yourself for believing your illusions and misperceptions of yourself, of God and of others.

Point 6: Forgive yourself for detouring into fear where perception gets distorted.

Point 7: Forgive yourself for thinking you have to take a journey to find what you are looking for: happiness, love, belonging, etc.

Point 8: Forgive yourself for any way you experience yourself as being weak or having weaknesses.

Point 9: Forgive yourself for forgetting who you are: the holy child of the Divine.

If you know your loved ones Enneagram numbers, you can support them in this healing work, too.

Have fun with this!

Use it as an inquiry to dive into ways you have blocked yourself from deeper healing and from receiving more love, connection, peace and joy.

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The Power of the Enneagram: Which Number Are You?

The only personality tool I use regularly is the enneagram. Why? Because it’s incredibly helpful in understanding myself!

If you’re unfamiliar with the enneagram, essentially it is a set of 9 world views, orientations, or ways of experiencing the world. There is evidence of the enneagram being utilized as far back as the ancient Greeks. Learn more here

Ultimately, the idea is that when we are in alignment and feel connected to our larger essence (some call this our God selves or universal consciousness), we have the ability to access ALL 9 ways of being and can approach any situation and employ whatever personality traits we need.

That being said, we also have a default way of responding to stimuli. Some call this our learned self, others call it personality. Essentially, it’s how we respond to the world especially when we feel afraid.

I like to think about this as our default setting, how we learned to be in the world to get our needs met and stay safe. It is not, however, who we are. Ideally at some point, we come against the confines of the limitations of this one lens (specific enneagram number) and realize that even at the healthiest levels, we are so much more than our personality.

This is exactly why I find the enneagram useful – it’s a gauge I can employ to determine if I am operating from a place of fear or love. In other words, have I fallen into my default operating system (enneagram number) or am I expansive and approaching the situation using the larger lens?

Alright, so how do you learn your number or, if you already know it, deepen into understanding it a bit further?

The easiest way is to look at what the core challenge/issue is for each number along with the corresponding virtue. In other words, when you drill down, what is your biggest fear or activation? Once you know that, you can tune into its antidote.

Here’s the List:

Point 1

Anger or wrath stemming from the desire to address something that feels unacceptable. Often this anger is aimed at oneself.

The point of healing/antidote is serenity. The idea being that you learn to accept rather than want others/things to meet your high expectations.

Point 2

Pride coming from feeling that others need you because you are the only one who can truly help them. In other words, you have an inflated idea of your own self-importance as it relates to your social circle.

The point of healing/antidote is humility and the ability to honor and recognize that all people are as capable of helping as you are.

Point 3

Deceit arising from the inability to be your true self. Instead, you play a role that is expected of you.

The point of healing/antidote is truthfulness, stepping out of expectations and being yourself.

Point 4

Envy stemming from a warped view in which you only see the positives of everyone else and solely see the negatives of yourself.

The point of healing/antidote is in developing equanimity and seeing all that you have to offer as well.

Point 5

Avarice coming from a feeling of needing to hoard resources – money, time, energy- along with minimizing your own needs in order to not feel depleted.

The point of healing/antidote is in detached engagement from a place of relaxation and expansiveness, knowing you can be involved and active in the world without being depleted.

Point 6

Fear that arises from doubt and anxiety, mostly focused on self-doubt.

The point of healing/antidote is courage. Taking action anyway, which is the courageous response. 

Point 7

Gluttony stemming from a desire to fill yourself up with things or experiences, and to move on when life feel stale.

The point of healing/antidote is in sobriety and in seeing things through to the completion rather than moving on to the next exciting adventure.

Point 8

Lust or excess coming from a desire to release and share the incredible amount of internal energy and ideas you have.

The point of healing/antidote is recognizing your innocence and accepting yourself and others. This opens you to be vulnerable rather than needing to put your stamp on the world.

Point 9

Slothfulness as a desire to be unaffected by life. It can also mean that it is difficult to finish tasks or that you easily lose yourself / are swayed by what others want to do.

The point of healing/antidote is in taking inspired action that comes from you and your truth rather than being comfortable and following what others are doing.

The trick with this is to be HONEST with yourself.

Sometimes it’s helpful to access more resources as well

Try these:

Enneagram Institute

Enneagram User Guide

Have fun with this and see how it helps you understand yourself.

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What Does Money Mean to You?

A friend was visiting the other day and shared that she’s been thinking about money as an “idea.”

As you might imagine, an interesting conversation ensued! Later, I found myself contemplating the many lenses through which we can explore money.

Here are 3:

1. Money as an Idea

If money is an idea, how are you defining it?

If you really think about it, money (I’m not even gonna touch crypto…) is comprised of pieces of printed paper and metal discs. We are the ones who ascribe meaning to these symbols and give them value.

What do they mean to you?

My first answer is freedom. Freedom to do what you want, to go where you want.

Money also offers opportunity.

What do you think?

2. Money as Energy

Money is something that flows from one place or person to another. And just like energy, some is potential and some is kinetic.

Potential money is your funds in the bank, for example. It’s waiting there for you to decide how to “spend” that energy.

Kinetic money is the kind you are either earning, receiving, giving away or spending.

Another word we often use for money is currency, which is also a word used with energy! Again, implying that flow from one source to another.

The invitation is to put yourself into that flow of giving and receiving.

3. Money as a Mirror

You can explore money as a reflection, in terms of inquiry.

Here are some questions:

• How do you see yourself?

• What do you deserve?

• What is the reflection money is showing you?

• Are you feeling abundant and full, or lacking in some way?

• How is the external valuation of money showing you a way that perhaps you are rejecting or undervaluing yourself?

• What internally needs to change so your external reality reflects that?

This is perhaps the most difficult lens but it can also be incredibly illuminating.

Don’t be afraid to take a look.

After all, we are the ones who give money it’s meaning!

It’s worth taking some time to really explore the lenses through which you are viewing money. You might be amazed at what you uncover, and how your perceptions change your situation.

Remember, the inner creates the outer, always.

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Use Dr Emoto’s Research & Change the World

Sometimes we don’t realize just how powerful we are. But the truth is that if you really want to change the world, it’s actually quite simple: tune into love.

This might sound simplistic but hear me out. In fact, let me give you an example of one thing I do, as well as the science behind it!

I live near the Puget Sound, a part of the Pacific Ocean that runs through western Washington state.

Whenever I’m near the water, I look out at it and say, “I love you ocean. I really, really love you. Thank you for providing food, shelter and oxygen for us and for so many creatures.”

Before you roll your eyes in disbelief, keep reading because there’s actual science behind my actions!

Have you heard of Dr. Emoto?

Masaru Emoto was a Japanese scientist who devoted twenty years of his life to studying how the molecular structure of water is transformed when it is exposed to words, thoughts, sounds and intentions created by human beings. 

In fact, Dr. Emoto wrote a book called, The Hidden Messages in Water in which he details exactly what he did and what his findings were.

In one, he exposed polluted or toxic water to prayer and positive intention, and it healed! He demonstrated how these molecules returned to a geometric design akin to those found in clean water!

He also discovered that if healthy, clean water molecules are exposed to negative thoughts and intentions, they actually become disfigured, resembling polluted crystals.

He used Magnetic Resonance Analysis technology and high-speed photographs to document these transformations.

In essence, his research proves that what we think not only impacts us but directly impacts our physical world!

This is proof of the power of our thoughts and words to create our reality.

So how are you going to use this newfound knowledge?

What can you bless with love today?

First, how about yourself?

Then, thank anyone or anything that is causing you anxiety, and send them/it love.

Here are some examples: The atmosphere. The ocean. Your neighbor. A politician. A family member… you get the idea.

May your life be filled with love, that it radiates forth from you and blesses the world.

Learn more about Dr. Emoto’s work here 

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How to Really Change the World

You know that expression, “wherever you go, there you are.”?

I was thinking about that the other morning.

If you’re like me, you want the world to be a better place, more loving, peaceful, sane.

But what if the real way to succeed at changing the world isn’t by going out and tangibly changing the politics, or environment but is all about changing yourself? In other words, changing your mind about the world.

This is what I think the above quote actually means.

Because when we try to change the world, and not ourselves, this is where we end up -

“wherever you go, there you are.” Everything still looks broken or unsafe, desperate or dire.

As a student of non-duality, I’m taught and intellectually believe that the world as we perceive it is not real. In other words, it is something we are creating.

Therefore, if this world is indeed a creation of our mind, then the real way to change it is by changing our minds about it.

Therein lies the truth.

So how do we do that?

On the most simple level, we orient ourselves to love.

One way to do that, is to ask yourself, “is this action, comment, idea I am having/doing, is it loving?”

We have no neutral thoughts. We are either thinking kind and loving thoughts or we are thinking fear thoughts in the form of anxiety, stress, anger, dread, revenge…

And our thoughts are creating the world around us, the world that we experience.

Be a gardener of your thoughts and re-orient them to love.

Become more attuned to what you say to yourself all day long.

The inner becomes the outer.

It’s true that we are constantly taught the other way around. Which is probably why life might feel futile.

So cultivate inner peace, unconditional kindness, and love for yourself and watch the world transform before your very eyes.

If we all do it, imagine what we can create!

Next week I’m giving you a concrete example of how this is really true!

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How Porous Are Your Boundaries?

Boundaries often get a bad rap, as if they’re not a good thing, as if they prevent us from genuine connection.

Is that really true?

First off, let’s define what we’re really talking about.

A boundary can be physical like a fence or a wall, even your skin is a natural physical boundary.

Boundaries can also be set by social or cultural standards. For example, in Japan, people greet one another with a bow, rather than in the United States where we often shake hands or hug.

Boundaries – in terms of dictating behavior- also differ in public versus private spaces, and vary depending on the types of relationship you have with someone.

I might sidle up close to my child or spouse, rub their back in a way I would never touch a colleague or stranger.

Much of this we pick up from our culture and family, although there are nuances to that, right? We all know friends and family who may not enjoy being physically touched.

Boundaries imply limit – physical and emotional.

The physical ones are often more obvious and straight forward, while the relationship or interpersonal ones can sometimes me murkier.

And when it comes to these, sometimes things can get unclear.

Why?

There are many reasons.

One is that we might not know what we want.

In order to have more clarity, we need to be willing to do a self-inventory. That way we can be more aware of what feels supportive to us personally, both physically and emotionally.

It also requires the ability to communicate our needs to others in clear and loving ways.

This can sometimes feel difficult.

After all, if you’re a sensitive person, you don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings or make them feel bad.

The goal therefore, is to state your needs as clearly as possible. Not by saying what you don’t want, but by saying what you do want and by being okay at holding any hurt feelings that might arise.

Why is this important?

When we don’t advocate for ourselves, we can feel taken advantage of, resentful, misunderstood, or at a more extreme level, violated.

Anyone who cares for you would never want you to feel these ways!

But they don’t know if you don’t tell them!

Another aspect of boundaries in interpersonal relationships is around how we live with each other. What are the “rules.”

You can think about it like a set of regulations that you often see when you check into a hotel. What you can and cannot do.

The same could be said about how we live in relationship with one another.

If it’s really important to me that the bed is made every morning, for example, then I need to communicate that to my partner.

Another aspect of this is with children, creating a schedule or structure for how your day with your child goes.

Establishing clear ways of being allows everyone to feel safe.

In truth, the idea of boundaries as limitations is actually one of life’s funny ironies.

We all want freedom and the ability to do whatever we want when we want, and we can assume that boundaries will prevent that from happening. But it’s in having structure around behavior, having clarity of where the end points are, that provides parameters and support which ultimately enables us to do everything we want and feel safe.

Want to do a deeper dive into emotional boundary setting? Here’s a great blog:

https://positivepsychology.com/great-self-care-setting-healthy-boundaries/

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Feel the Presence of God with You Always

When you were a child, did you have an imaginary friend? Someone you held tea parties with, read to in bed, played hide and seek with, or blamed for the mess in your room?

According to WebMD, around 65% of children under the age of seven have them, so if you did, you’re in the majority!

Naturally, there are social and emotional reasons that children have imaginary friends. It’s good company. It’s also a way to try out new social behaviors, or process feelings. An imaginary friend can offer support, too. After all, it’s YOUR special friend, someone who loves you, won’t leave, and doesn’t judge.

Honestly, it sounds pretty good!

Which got me thinking about it in a different way.

Before you roll your eyes, hear me out.

What if God, or the presence of love, or your guardian angel was, in fact, your imaginary friend?

Someone who goes EVERYWHERE with you! You are NEVER alone. You have this loving presence beside you all the time.

Frankly, I’m really liking this idea.

AND it reminds me of the poetry of the Sufi mystic Hafiz. Frequently, in his lines, he refers to God/love/unity consciousness as the Friend.

Like in this example from the poem entitled, Cast All Your Votes for Dancing. Here is an excerpt:

So, what do you say?

Are you willing to consider the idea of having God, your guardian angel, a guide, or the presence of love be YOUR imaginary friend?

I know I am.

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The Key to Having a Lasting Romantic Relationship

February is the month for lovers, for love, for reminding us of what our hearts yearn for.

Are you like me? Have you always been a romantic, from the time you were little?

I completely bought into the fantasy. You know it, right? Get rescued from your unhappy situation when you meet the love of your dreams, and live happily ever after.

As part this, I was HOOKED on the idea of falling in love even though I had NO idea of what love actually was.

I harbored this romantic dream for years.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t until I was ready to release this myth that I could actually experience true love.

I had to face my own unhappiness and learn to love myself. And surrender the idea of romance and relationship to God.

That’s when I learned the secret I wish I’d known when I was 13: Be Friends First. 

I know it sounds simple and I suppose it is, but simple can be true, and simple can be real, and simple can lead you everywhere you want to go.

What do I mean when I say be friends first? Well… 

Hot and heavy is short lived. 

When we get honest with ourselves, we know it’s true. Sex is great but that intense physical attraction isn’t sustainable in the long run. 

Shared interests is. Having fun together is. Enjoying one another’s company is. 

Not long ago I was talking to a friend who’s always looking for love and is chronically disappointed.

This was my advice to him. Be friends first.

Because even if your sex life is INCREDIBLE, it isn’t happening 24 hours a day (be honest).

BUT you are in an emotional relationship with someone 24 hours a day. And it makes a huge difference when that person is your confidante, best friend, most fun playmate and lover.

Don’t believe me? Look around.

Who do you know that’s in a romantic relationship and is happy, fulfilled, growing?

My guess is, they are couples who really value one another, genuinely care about each other and relish spending time together.

So, the next time you find yourself looking for Mr. (or Mrs. Right), think about being their friend first.

Take it slowly.

Get to know one another and allow that love to grow naturally.

You might just be amazed.

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The Tarot Card Influencing 2024

Last year my daughter turned me onto this idea that there is a Major Arcana Tarot card that informs the overarching energy of the year.

One way to think about this is as the TONE for the year on a global scale, reflecting the energy that might be arising.

It’s actually quite simple to learn which tarot card it is for the year. Simply add the numbers of the year together. So, for this year it would be: 2+0+2+4=8

The Card that correlates with the number 8 is STRENGTH.

Immediately that feels heartening, don’t you think? As if it is inviting us to call on our own inner strength, knowing that it’s there for us always. Perhaps it’s an opportunity to cultivate strength even more since we may need this quality as 2024 unfolds.

When I think about accessing strength, one thing that I consider is how can we be firm AND harness our authentic authority, without being aggressive or pushy?

In other words, how can we be gentle and brave?

What might that look like?

Those two qualities are often seen as opposites, but perhaps it is simply that we don’t have many role models for strength on the world stage, people who act from a place of love rather than fear.

Some ways we can embody this kind of gentle strength might be:

1. To set clear boundaries – to know what you want and don’t want to do, and then be

clear about that in a kind way.

2. To state how you think and feel without negative emotions (anger, upset, guilt)

3. To offer support from a place of seeking understanding first without pushing an agenda

or idea onto the other person or situation

4. To genuinely listen and hear what another person in saying

How can you exhibit strength from a place of compassion and kindness?

Any ideas?

It will be interesting to see how strength appears in your everyday life as this year unfolds.

Don’t you think?

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Your Time to Vision

Now that you’ve landed on a word to be your guidepost for the year, it’s time to REALLY vision into how you want 2024 to unfold.

We can choose to be intentional AND allow the universe to support and provide us with mystery, too.

My all time favorite tool for doing this is to create a vision board. It’s such a great way to launch the year with intention, guidance and inquiry.

In fact, doing this activity has become one of my family’s New Year’s traditions! The fireplace is roaring, the Christmas lights (and music) are blasting, and I’m typically on the rug, ripping, cutting and gluing, making a giant mess!

Normally I’m extremely intentional about creating a vision board, thinking about the different areas of my life and how I want to experience them. I’ll have imagery for my spiritual development – perhaps a picture of a book, goddess or teacher. I’ll have a picture of a place I want to visit (typically someplace where I can ski). For years I had African animals – elephants, giraffes… I find images of things I’d like to accomplish – pictures of art, words that are inspiring…

But a few years ago, I began doing my vision boards slightly differently. I call it a Soul Vision Board!

Essentially, I incorporated a new collage technique I learned from a friend called SoulCollage® and use it to make my vision board.

Soul Collage is an intuitive, contemplative way to collage using ONLY imagery (no words). With this technique, you typically make a set of cards, then read/interpret them- eliciting meaning from the images you’ve assembled.

Adapting this idea to a vision board, I allow my intuition to guide me RATHER than control it by looking for specific images and words. Instead, I choose pictures that catch my eye. I don’t worry about finding the “right” word or picture but relax into the process, trusting that the images (and words) I find are the perfect ones.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Before you begin, take a moment to think about the year ahead. How do you want to feel? To experience it?

2. Allow yourself to browse images, choosing things that appeal perhaps from an emotive, metaphoric, or unconscious space, as opposed to being so concrete. If you feel inclined, add words that speak to you, too.

3. Once you have a pile of stuff, follow the basic vision board instructions.

4. After the collage is assembled, step back and take in the whole board. What is it telling you about how you want to live your year?

Perhaps what you’ll hear isn’t so much about WHAT you will specifically accomplish, instead it may be more about HOW you will experience your everyday life.

How does that sound?

I’m excited to see how this new technique influences your year.

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Image by Florian Giorgio on Unsplash

One Word to Rule Your 2024

Happy New Year!

Do you feel ready to start your 2024?

If not, maybe this will help.

One of my go-to practices that I’ve been doing for over a decade is to choose a word or phrase, something to focus on, dive into, and act as a theme or inquiry for the year.

In the past, I’ve chosen lots of words – receive, relax, joy, shine, communion… you get the idea, then I spend the next 12 months deepening into how I can experience that word or phrase in my life.

Perhaps simply reading this is giving you an idea!

Sometimes a word instantly pops into your head. If that is not the case, here are 3 ways to help you tune into your word for 2024.

1. Ask

Allow yourself to take a moment to get quiet.

Take a few deep breaths and relax into a more expansive space. Once you’re there, ask:

• What is my word for 2024?

• Is there something specific I would benefit from focusing on?

2. Use A Book

If you’ve done #1 above and nothing has come to you, you can always try this cool trick.

Grab a book, any book, off the shelf and close your eyes. Think about your word for the year, what you’d like to call in, and then randomly open the book. Look to where your eye lands and see what it reveals!

Any help?

3. Meditate on it

Once a word comes to you, try it on. Settle into the energy of that word.

How does it feel?

Is there an opportunity for learning and growth?

Is this where or what you feel you would like to explore in 2024?

If the answers feel affirming, you’re on the right track. Don’t be dismayed if you feel a bit scared. That’s often a pre-requisite to change.

Most importantly, have FUN with this! This exploration is meant to be joyful and exciting, not another have-to chore.

As always, let me know what you chose!

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Image by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash

What Exactly is Compassion in Action?

Lately, I’ve been ruminating on compassion and this idea: What if demonstrating compassion is our way of embodying God (which I define as love) on earth?

The Christian scholar and theologian, Matthew Fox says, “compassion is, of course, a kind of passion. A caring, a feeling of the suffering of others—and acting to relieve that suffering. It is the opposite of a cold heart. Compassion is also the work of the Holy Spirit.”

Fox goes on to remind us that Meister Eckhart insisted that, “the first outburst of whatever God does is always compassion.” 

Fox concludes that, “compassion then is our origin and our destiny.”

If we embrace this idea that compassion is, in essence, our mission here on earth, questions naturally arise, such as: How can I extend compassion to others? What might that look and feel like?

I often think about it as the small ways we can demonstrate kindness. A simple act of holding the door to a stranger, or picking up litter on the street.

Of course, there are larger ways we can do this, too, by working in a profession like nursing or teaching, where we are constantly interacting with people and able to offer our attention and love.

We can also emulate servant leaders like Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, who dedicated their lives to “waging peace.”

But here’s the thing, don’t allow your mind to get mired in this being hard or big or too much.

Simply come back to the small, seemingly insignificant ways you can bring compassion to the people in your circle. A smile, a wave, an acknowledgement, a prayer.

And see how you feel.

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 Image by Use at Your Ease on Pixabay