New Year, New Opportunities

I can already feel 2012.  It feels fresh, new and exciting—sort of like a new relationship.  I can feel the massive amount of transformative energy that this year represents to all of us.  It isn’t just another year.  It is OUR year.  We have all experienced new years, full of resolutions we may or may not keep, but this year my resolution isn’t to change myself (though that undoubtedly will still happen) but, instead, to embrace the person that I already am.  I am already perfect.  You are already perfect.  Everyone is already imperfectly perfect.  Of course, we can still improve in most all areas of our lives.  There will ALWAYS be room to grow and improve.  But perhaps, if we surrender to who we are now, those things will come naturally.  The key is to love who you already are.

Love is the answer to everything…

If you love yourself (flabby abs and all) you open up to the infinite amounts of love constantly surrounding us at all moments.  Breathe into the space.  Feel the connection to everything and everyone.  Feel the feeling of love.  Really—-take a moment and feel it.  Your body will tingle and a smile might start to appear.  Find and feel gratitude for the last breath you just took and the one you are about to take.  Feel gratitude that you know what love is.  Feel it throughout your entire body.   

      

We have all chosen to be alive, and to share this time and space on Earth together.  No one knows for sure what will happen because we are all co-creating it together each and every moment.  Instead of making personal new years resolutions, make a resolution for the world.  Let go of the need to control everything in your life and surrender to the possibilities that you don’t even know exist yet.  Be open.  Be willing. 

Sending out prayers of love and gratitude for this Planet and the human tribe on a daily basis feels right.  May we all be grateful for each moment, each person we come into contact with, each person we dislike or disapprove of.  May we embrace and love that part of ourselves that we know exists even on a subconscious level.  May our ancestors who have already passed over guide us through these new, critical times.  May we understand that we are each multi-faceted individuals with the potential to manifest whatever we desire.  May we each connect to our true, infinite selves. 

(Source: infiniteself.net)

From the West Coast to the Midwest

As I sit writing this in the warm sunshine, a blue jay squawks, its mate answers in the distance.  A soft, gentle ocean breeze caresses my face teasing my decision to leave it.  I question some decisions in life more than others, weighing the pros and cons several times, seeking guidance outside myself for the answer.  But not this time.

When my boyfriend was offered a job in Cleveland, Ohio, I instantly looked at a map and saw that it was adjacent to a Great Lake and decided I wanted to move there.  I asked the Universe for a sign to confirm my intuitive response regarding such a drastic life change.  Within five minutes, I found myself standing under a large sign reading Cleveland Avenue.  Ok, there it was. 

Sure, I’ve heard it’s really cold…and snowy…and icy…and gray for six months straight.  Cleveland has been rated as one of the most dangerous and worst places to live in all of America (how rude!).  Yet, none of these hideous reviews altered my decision, as I just know deep within that I am supposed to move there.  Fear has occasionally attempted to crawl into my psyche, but I kindly tell it to buzz off.  Trusting in myself, the unconditional love and support of my boyfriend and my belief that all change is good, I am saying goodbye to the blue skies and ocean lifestyle that I have come to enjoy so much in California.  I will be trading in my flip flops for Ugg boots, my swimsuit for a down jacket and my comfort for adventure. 

I will do my best to capture our process of moving across the country, as this will, undoubtedly, be no small feat.  Neither of us has ever lived off the West Coast, and I have never even been to the Midwest.  Regardless, I’m very excited to see what Cleveland and the Midwest has to offer.  I’ve heard it’s a foodie paradise, so that should suit me well.  Wish us luck!

(Source: infiniteself.net)

My Enlightenment Trap: The New Living Expo

Yesterday, I went to the New Living Expo located in San Francisco, CA.  I had never been before, but after listening to a very exciting/inspiring/activating Visionary Activist Show hosted by Caroline Casey (who was also a speaker at the event) I decided to get up early (9am…) and head to the event.  I had never been, but my gut was telling me to be prepared for something different. 

Upon arrival, I found myself swimming within a dense sea of New Age merchandise (with a few exceptions such as my dear friends at RockNSocks along with others, I’m sure, that were there to legitimately assist the public with their green/wellness products).  I questioned whether or not I should give up a beautiful day outside to be stuck within the confines of the SF Concourse, which for the record, is a terrible venue.  Since I had just driven almost 2 hours, and Caroline was talking soon, I decided to brave the chaos of this unique event.  With hundreds of ‘conscious’ people’s energy whirling around me, I felt overwhelmed and energetically drained (I figured it would be the opposite).  I attentively listened to Caroline’s talk, which was the highlight of the day for me—along with my dad showing up which helped to ground me amongst all of the cosmic ‘woo-woo’ as we call it.  But I still felt squirmy. 

I wasn’t sure if it was parts of the crowd I was picking up on, or maybe the concentration of energy due to the large amount of  crystals, or the huge and highly conductive sacred geometry metal sculptures or the room of 20+ psychics or the lady down the way showing real photos of angelic beings or all the people getting pictures taken of their auras.  Regardless of the cause, I felt uncomfortable, and I could not get out of my head.  I attended some talks and learned some valuable and thought provoking information, which was nice, but I knew there was another reason I ended up at this event.  There was something bigger stirring within me, I just didn’t know what it was.  Until today…

This morning I woke up, did some yoga to start my day with the intention of creating balance both in and out.  I picked a random page from my favorite book “Dancing the Dream” by Jamie Sams, and started reading about what she was calls Enlightenment Traps.  Of course I instantly thought back to the Expo.  Sometimes in sleep-dreams, things seem so obvious to the observer, but the dreamer can’t see it themselves at all.  Yesterday I was literally trapped inside (a building and myself).  There were so many people seeking something outside of themselves and inside a building.  I don’t know about the rest of you, but for me, the time when I feel the most alive in tune with the Universe is when I’m outside communing with the natural world.  I was so turned off by how many people were trying to sell health, wellness and spiritual growth products when we all know it’s not something you can purchase no matter how many ions are put into the water. 

One of the pieces of information I learned is that the Top 3 killers in the US are:

1) Sleep deprivation 2) Dehydration 3) Lack of physical exercise  

A little bit off topic, but I will to come back to that at some point in the future.

The second thing I learned, which I thought I knew but, apparently, needed to experience first hand is that we must not seek enlightenment, spiritual growth, happiness, etc, from anywhere but within ourselves.  This has been said many times, but I just felt the need to reiterate that no product will do it for you.  Nothing someone says to you will do it either.  You have to do it for yourself.

To savor each and every moment of this life we are living is our greatest task.  We must open our eyes and see the perfect beauty amongst the flowers and within ourselves that is already there. There is no need to worry or try to control the past or present, just live each moment as gracefully as possible.  In that, we are honoring the infinite spirit that we are all connected to—with nature being our greatest teacher and reminder.  I see that products and seminars can assist me on a certain level, but the real stuff comes from within .  Once the trapped feelings and finite ideas are released, we replace the flow of energy with a flood of inspiration and beautiful synchronicity that makes life magical and perfect…just as it is.

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A Few of My Favorite Things

Today, I feel like sharing with you some of my favorite ‘things.’  Although I fully believe that the best things in life are NOT things, sometimes certain ‘things’ can uplift you in times of need or confusion.  These are just a few of mine…

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(Source: infiniteself.net)

Spring Into Self

Along my never-ending journey to be the healthiest person I can be both inside and out, I have come across the word Authentic (defined as: Not false or copied, genuine, real) many times.   Of course we want our food to be authentic—no imitators, please!  But we also want our lives to be authentic as well.  I believe that wellness comes from an overall, holistic approach to living and is not solely what we put into our bodies (although that is extremely important as well).

Since before we were born we have been molded and shaped to be what our parents, friends and society would like us to be.  Often these intentions are good, but they aren’t who we really are.  Many go on to lead a life that, on the surface looks right, but inside it’s crawling with deception and compromises.  We must stop and ask our truest-self what it is that WE want.

If there were no standards or ‘norms’ what would you do?  How would you live?  How would you dress?  How would you cut and style your hair?  Would you live in pure comfort?  Would you express yourself without censorship whether it be consciously or subconsciously? How would you choose to experience reality?  Would you pursue your passions and joys more?  Would you listen to your heart instead of your head?  What else could possibly be more important than following what’s true for YOU.

So start stripping…no, not your clothes, although if your significant other is around, why not?!  Strip away the expectations of others and a lifetime of expectations put upon yourself by who you thought you were.  DIG DEEP.  What do you find?  Perhaps some divine inspiration, spontaneity or a completely new you; a completely true you.  Sure, it might be scary finally owning who you are, you might lose a pretend friend or two, but what you will be gaining is so much more.

Being true to myself came easy at 3 years old, but as you get older it becomes more challenging.

Today, go through your possessions inside and out and get rid of what isn’t ____________ (insert your name).  At first your mind may tell you that that top is SO you, when really, you only bought it because it looked good on someone else.  You might be used to hearing ‘yourself’ tell you that you are too busy to relax, but maybe it’s time you stopped listening.  Ask your heart instead of your head if it’s beneficial to your truest-self.  The answers may surprise you. 

Here are some additional other tools to help you find you:

Meditation—take the time for yourself away from all of the distractions and noise of everyday life and connect with the infinite being that you are.  You never know what’s been trying to pop up but you’ve been too busy to notice

Get into your body and listen—Dance, run, stretch, jump, pogo-stick; whatever you enjoy, but trust your body’s wisdom to help guide you.  Let your body do what it wants to while you simply observe it and reap the benefits

Spring clean—get rid of the old stuff (old you), organize and simplify—your authentic self cannot emerge amongst chaos


Keep a journal—it’s a great tool for self-discovery, but you won’t know why until you do it

Eat what’s in season—this will help you channel more life-force energy into what matters most in life: YOUR TRUE SELF

Spring is perfect time to emerge anew and embrace life with new strength and vigor.  So during these next few months, stand strong and allow your new growth to take root and watch as your authentic-self blossoms into a unique and radiant work of art.

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