Tag Archives: empowerment

I AM….Accepting the Challenge, Too

by

The challenge: Once each week during 2012, do something that is ‘outside your comfort zone’ and share it on your blogsite.

Generally the words ‘commitment’ and ‘goal’ are not a large part of my vocabulary. The free spirit of feeling energy move through me is something I treasure and can be known to vehemently defend. So this step forward of ‘committing’ to accept the challenge is stirring some seemingly subtle places in my consciousness. As I read Joss’s post about accepting the challenge, her words began to resonate. Specifically this bit: When I read this, my heart called out “yes” and as soon as I responded to her challenge, via comment, my head started asking “what did you just do?”

My own heart began to chime in with the subtlety of a whisper, that perhaps this challenge moves beyond posting, sharing, experiencing and rests much deeper in the guidance of our souls. While at the same time, my mind began to work her magic: doubts, fears, uncertainty. Commit? Say I’ll do it every week? Ugh. How quickly we naturally bypass the voice of our soul and tune in to the mayhem of the mind. 

In working with spiritual teacher Fay Hart, I’m becoming more and more aware of the way my mind steps forward to do what she feels is ‘in my best interest.’ In this case, she (the brilliance of the mind) thought that perhaps this would be too much pressure. And certainly–saying it out LOUD, posting the YES in a place where others will see it is out of the question. There’s no ability to ‘slide by’ in that scenario. She surely felt it was her place to take control of the situation and prevent the anxiety that quietly crept in the back door. 

And yet…with a moment of stillness, of checking in with my heart, I realized that what Marge’s post on the No Comfort Zone challenge was really doing was speaking to me from the Universe. You see, dear friends, our Divine guidance comes in any number of ways. We are spiritual beings walking this journey through Earth School, so of course the language will often be that of the earthling. Marge beautifully served as channel, delivering the message. What has happened from a Universal perspective is that each one of us who take part are choosing to become even more empowered, to walk hand in hand with our fears–to HONOR the truth of our heart’s desires, to HEAR the whispers that are always there with us. We are answering the call, my friends. The call that comes to us from our sacred souls. 

So YES. Out LOUD and with great reverence, I AM accepting the challenge, too. I am committing to this journey that lies open before me. I am touching even more deeply the heart of Jackie and the light of her spirit. 

I welcome you to join me, whether you are part of the blogging community or a friend who joins us here. However you feel led, consider what it would mean to you to step out of your own comfort zone. Imagine the heights to which you’ll soar and the ways in which your spirit will feel enhanced. And perhaps the most beautiful piece of this experience, is that you are supported by a community of others who join you in answering the call of the Divine. Together, we will each step more fully into the I AM of who we are.

As my dear friend Joss reminds us always….Walk in Beauty. 

Ever Present Reminders

by

We do in fact connect to our inner truth, our soul’s guidance through the whispers of our hearts. And they do keep coming, even if we ‘miss one’ along the way. But I’d like to focus today on another way that we are always being reminded of who we are and our ability to choose to live authentically.

People and situations will enter our lives on a daily basis, bringing to us the opportunity to reassess what we believe to be true–both from the perspective of our ingrained, tribal beliefs as well as from the reality of our life as it is today. What we have grown up believing as true may not be ‘true’ from this perspective as grown, conscious adults. Too often we continue living in our childhood realities, allowing what was ‘true’ then to color our present.

For example: when we were children, many of us felt ‘bad’ if we upset our parents or other authority figures in our lives. As adults, this can translate into being very cautious about letting ourselves speak out loud, be seen in the fullness of who we are–for fear of upsetting someone we care about or with whom we feel a connection. We revert back to that childhood feeling that we’ve made a mistake and must not upset them. When in reality, we are grown adults with the ability to assess what is true for us today, to tap in to our own inner voice and choose from that space. And that space, my friends, is only about us and our relationship to the Divine.

Our choices as mature, conscious human beings are meant to be guided by our own intuitive knowing and guidance, our personal standard of ethics and the compass of our integrity. This is how we step fully into our power. As long as it’s about someone else’s opinion of our choices, we are always giving our power away, robbing ourselves of our true, beautiful identity as Divine beings.

We have them every day: ‘ever present reminders’ of who we are. They are in the whispers of our hearts and the most ‘ordinary’ moments of our lives.

Love to all..xoxo

Share

Own It!

by

Personal power. It’s available to each of us, and we are faced with situations in our everyday life in which to claim it–to own it! One of the greatest gifts we can give to ourselves is honesty about who we are, the experiences in our lives and the ever present opportunity to honor our inner truth. Always–ALWAYS–there are choices. Although it’s true each cause has a subsequent effect, each choice is always ours to make.

In those moments of feeling powerless, stuck, and in the space of ‘have-to’–take a breath and ask yourself–what are my choices in this? While not all may be desirable, there are always options and ways in which to manage your power. And while looking at the potential choices available, part of the equation is to consider the possible outcome as well–the ‘consequence.’ In no way is this meant to infer this will be negative. For clarity, here are some synonyms for ‘consequence:’ effect, outcome, sequence, waves. Now consider your choices and ask yourself what the ‘waves’ of each one might be once put into motion–and go further to feel which option is in alignment with your heart and inner truth.

Especially when the same life situation presents itself to us over and over again, there is a lesson, and indeed even a gift, being offered. The Universe is bringing to us the presence in which to own our personal power a bit more. And this, my friends, is the power of the heart and the voice of your soul. This is not power that is carried around on one’s shoulders or the kind that expands the thinking mind beyond its boundaries. Stepping into this place of power reorders one’s life, and too often we are fearful of the impact of such choices.

Love, trust, warmth, inner knowing and soul alignment with the Divine are what truly await your spirit when you choose for your own empowerment. Although there may be seemingly undesirable outcomes here on the Earth plane, when we honor our own truth, always, always, the Universe holds, loves and supports us. At the core of our being, we can connect to the Source of contentment, grace, peace.

Own the truth of who you are and how you feel. For this is the doorway into walking through Earth school in the path of your soul purpose.

Love to all….xo

“Love Yourself Enough”

by

I don’t like to be redundant in my writing/messages, but this statement feels as though it’s JUMPING out at me–almost like a mantra.  “Love yourself enough to heal.”  It’s included on the “Forgive Yourself” card in the Wisdom for Healing–50 Lessons in Personal Empowerment deck by Caroline Myss.  But truly…”love yourself enough to heal” can be applied to so many areas of our lives.

Love yourself enough to recognize and confront addictive behaviors.  Love yourself enough to choose to step away from a disempowering relationship.  Love yourself enough to stand in the mirror and see the beauty in you.  Love yourself enough to be still and hear the voice of Spirit.  Love yourself enough to take care of your body, eat healthy and maintain physical well-being.  Love yourself enough to feed your spirit daily.  Love yourself enough to use your mental gifts to empower yourself and others.  Love yourself enough to release what no longer supports your inner growth and contentment.  Love yourself enough…..

And couldn’t we just stop the whole sentence right there?  Love yourself enough.  There really isn’t always a call to add an “ending”–a directive.  So often we (I certainly) wish for the DO to accompany the BE.  Love yourself enough.  Period.  Just be…in the space of loving yourself enough.  Is there any end to where this could take us, truly?  It becomes a “limitless” (in the words of Wayne Dyer) existence.  The possibilities for our soul, our love, our life are endless when we simply make this choice to “love yourself enough.”

So this mantra I will take with me today.  Perhaps….or indeed it is the answer to my own inner seeking of this morning.  This was my message from Spirit….and the one to which I am listening.  “Love yourself enough Jackie.”  For I know in truth it’s the voice of my own inner soul, speaking from that place where my Divine being meets THE Divine Presence.  And I’m listening, as I hear it speak directly…from the whispers of my heart…..

“Love yourself enough.”


Claiming Permission

by

It’s one of my most favorite quotes:  “No one can make you feel inferior without your permission”–by Eleanor Roosevelt.  So often I hear its message in my thoughts, and it quickly reminds me that I am the driver of my own destiny.  Meaning–together with Spirit and the Universal Flow–I choose how to live my life.

All too often people see this statement as choosing what your life will be–and for some that’s the case for sure.  But for many of us, this really means we are choosing how to BE in our lives, in our space, in the family into which we were born, the talents and gifts we have been given.  It doesn’t always mean that we can choose to become something we are clearly not…only that we can make peace with all that we so perfectly ARE.  This strays a bit from my original thoughts in beginning this post, so let me move us back toward that path. 

“No one can make you feel inferior without your permission.”  Really contemplate this statement for a moment.  The promise of self-esteem present in this Universal truth shared with us through our former first lady isn’t–as Caroline Myss would say–”playground self-esteem.”  The kind in which we project a sort of “bullying” self-esteem to let people know they had better not mess with us–”or else.”  “No one can make you feel inferior” is remiss without the latter half of the quote:  “without your permission.”  Stepping into this space of honoring yourself as who you are is about recognizing the inherent ability to CHOOSE as Divinely gifted to each of us.

We can choose whether or not to allow another human being to make us feel “less than”–for in reality that feeling comes from within.  Causing that other person to stop what they are doing won’t always produce the result we ultimately seek–an authentic sense of being present to who we are.  They could stop their “bullying” and still we may walk away feeling less than.  Because it’s a belief that lives within us.

So what to do?  How then DO we prevent ourselves from feeling inferior to another?  Stop putting yourself down.  Begin to see yourself as all that you are–no more and no less than another.  Own the fullness of your presence, in all its beauty as well as all its ugliness.  Consider this:  someone does tell you how much ugliness you carry within, how unkind, judging, selfish or prideful you can be.  If you’ve already seen this space within yourself, acknowledged that it can be so (we are ALL human after all)–there’s no power given to that individual for pointing it out to you.  You’ve already seen, acknowledged, owned and embraced it as part of yourself.  And so–you are able to “hold center”–to maintain the stamina of your soul, your presence, your authentic self–in spite of whatever “they” say or do.  For you have looked honestly into the core of who you are, and seen the full picture of yourself.  Not as good, not as bad.  As YOU.

The same holds true on the side of someone telling us how amazing we or our particular gift or talent is.  For so many, that creates a sense of inferiority out of the fear that others will believe us to be better than they are, and so distance themselves from us.  It seems so ridiculous, doesn’t it?   That we would lessen ourselves to meet another where they are.  In each scenario, it’s the same thing holding us in place–our own perceptions, judgments and beliefs.  THESE are what make us feel inferior.

Not only is the message to not give your power to another; but take it one step further, encompassing only you:  do not diminish your own power.  Hold within you the permission–the OWNERSHIP of who you are.  See yourself through eyes of loving grace, compassion and dignity.  Learn where your integrity lies…and where its absence is clearly shown to you.  And step into empowering those places you feel yourself lacking.  For as much as no one can truly make you feel inferior–here’s the companion reality–no one can give you the empowerment you seek.  Each of these falls to our own self.

How do we connect to self-esteem?  Where do we find the answers of what truly inspires us, drives us, draws us closer into the call of our Divine spirit?  You know this, my friends….already you know where to look, where to listen for the answers to these questions and all matters of the soul.  We have only to be still long enough to receive….to hear…the whispers of the heart…..