Change

We all have wounds inflicted on us from various people in our lives. Many of us have been abused, neglected or been in unhealthy relationships for many years/decades. Change can be challenging. But with gaining insight into our behaviors we can change. Collectively, we know that changing behavior can be tough-but think of all the beautiful lessons we've had in what we don't want. These experiences then give rise to what we do want down the line and when we know more we do better. We can sit in a victim mentality for a long time-in fact some people live there their whole lives. However; we have a responsibility to our own happiness to change our thought patterns to attract different healthier situations and relationships into our lives. BUT this takes time. Take good care, be patient with yourself and do something every day that you enjoy that's just for you.

Patterns

Sometimes it feels as if we are all caught in patterns. On a cycle. Like a washing machine. Doomed to repeat the same old thing or the same old pattern if you will. This is not true. We are always have a degree of control in our own lives and we have the power to make lasting changes that will change the course of our future. We must be able to step outside of what we know to get into a different perspective. Neurally, our brains require some re-wiring and new pathway development in order to continue to grow and change. We must be willing to let go of patterns that no longer serve us to embrace a new way of living. Your life isn't going to change unless you do. Ultimately, true progress comes from doing things differently.

Joy for Others and for the Self

What a wonderful gift from the universe that we can experience the emotion known as joy. It's a beautiful feeling. True joy can be experienced by opening our hearts up, loving ourselves and being truly happy for those around us. In many ways, it is the antidote to the competitive mind that many of us live most of our lives in. If we can experience pure joy for someone else's happiness that is true love in the highest sense. Joy in and of itself is not possible without the emotion of sadness. Sadness gives joy it's meaning and depth. There is always joy in the saddest of moments and always a touch of sadness in the most joyous moments.

Sunsets

Sunsets are beautiful. We get so many of them in a lifetime and they signify the end of a day and the potential beginning of a new one. This is an homage to sunsets.

At the Precipice of Change

Sometimes change happens quickly. So fast we don't even realize its happening. Other times it appears to be slow moving and take a long time to occur. In recent years, it feels as if the planet has been on a crash course hurtling towards more and more change. Things have been changing so quickly it feels like our heads are spinning! At the same time, the inertia from before this large change attempts to pull us back into old ways of being and doing. Sometimes it feels like we are at the precipice of a major change in our lives and sometimes it feels like we are just spinning our wheels. It is at times like these we must be patient and await further instruction on how to proceed. We must be willing to be open while simultaneously practicing discernment at these times. Here's to enjoying the quiet reflective space.

Cleansing

Cleaning up-or cleansing can have wonderful effects on our lives in multiple ways. We can do a body cleanse and nourish our bodies while detoxing from harmful chemicals and debris. We can do an emotional cleanse where we release pent-up anger, sadness, and fear which can lead to feeling lighter. We can spiritually cleanse with smudging, energy work, and meditation. We can clean up our physical spaces-our home, cars and work spaces. We can clean our laundry so we have fresh clothing to wear. Cleaning does something for us and for our physical spaces. The care we put into them is then rewarded with tranquility of the mind and clearing of stagnant energy. In cleansing, it is important that we also clear people out of our lives, or limit contact with them if they are no longer serving our development or adding positively to our lives. We can not be afraid to let go of people that simply do not serve us anymore. We may see them again in the future, but it is okay if we do not. We must be willing to let the cards fall where they may and be brave enough to let things unfold as they will.

Authentic Connection as a Means to Disable Control

We all want to feel connected. This desire is a universal human need. We want to feel like part of something bigger than ourselves. Feeling connected to people, places and things around us can help make us feel like we belong. In this "digital age" we have mistaken communication with genuine connection. For example, many of us have social media accounts-Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pintrest, etc.. We update our status and communicate with other individuals through these accounts-but we don't actually connect with other people through this technology. The connection we have is going through the filter of these various social media tools. So, genuine connection does not exist as communication is lost in the lens of the perspective of these tools. Additionally, there is a lack of emotional awareness and authenticity when communicating via these mediums and for good reason. To be authentic in today's society can have catastrophic ramifications. You could lose your job, your relationship, business opportunities and your family among other things. We are now living an an age where image-the picture-is far more important than the story. These images we are sold from a society that is rooted in controlling us through fear and comparison are false and our true selves understand this. This is why we have the prevalence and incidence of mental illness that we do in the developed world. People know on a core level that something is amiss, but they can not identify what it is that feels wrong. It is not necessarily money or materialism that create these disorders-rather it is living in a culture with constant comparison and fear mongering occurring. Authentic connection, with a sense of community and commonality is one way in which we can disable the controlling systems within our society. Here's to connecting.

Music

Music transcends language. It breaks down barriers. It can be an important agent of socio-political change. Regardless of culture, music communicates on another level. A different frequency if you will. It provides us with a universal connection to one another. Whether music has lyrics or not, it can facilitate shifting our consciousness into new perspectives. Here's to songs that move us.

Boundaries

We all understand the basic concept of boundaries. Some people are allowed in and some people are not. I find that as you learn and grow throughout life, boundary maintenance becomes a fine art. Here's an analogy on boundaries which can help facilitate boundary setting and maintenance. Imagine yourself as consisting of three houses-each house nested within the other-similar to Russian nested dolls. The largest house is the house all your acquaintances have a key to. The information shared in this house is fairly trivial. It is information that is not deeply intimate or personal. It is mostly surface-level information. The second largest house nested in the largest house is the house your closest friends and supportive family have access to. This house contains more intimate and personal information. Access to this house requires a certain level of trust and commitment from people in order for them to obtain a key. If they break this trust you take back the key. And finally, the third house. The smallest house nested in the other two The third house is a house just for you. It's a house you can fill with light or feelings of peace or whatever you like. Perhaps this is where you have your dialogue with the Universe or God. This is a special place just for you. You are the only one with a key and you cannot make copies of this key for any other person. This is JUST for you. Creating and maintaining these boundaries are important to creating the kind of life you can live with necessary peace and energy/love available for yourself. Practice discernment and boundary maintenance responsibly.

Healthy Relationships

Successful healthy partnerships or marriages occur when two whole people come together and walk hand in hand through life. They go down the same path together, but they are separate beings-joined at the hands as they walk along life. Two distinctly different people. In contrast, those of us in unhealthy relationships walk through the path of life with our partners like we are walking a three-legged race with our arms tightly around each other's waist-so heavily enmeshed in one another and very unstable on feet. In order to have a successful relationship, we must become whole people in our own accord. We must put our happiness above other people's and trust in the process of making ourselves whole and happy first. It is only then when we have a healthy relationship with ourselves that we attract other healthy relationships into our lives.