Beings of light

"We are all beings of light. Put another way, we are spiritual beings having a human experience. As children, most of us know this, but other human beings who have forgotten what they really are and who cannot help us to know ourselves train us to forget. As a result, we are led to believe that magic is not real, that our invisible playmates do not really exist, and that we are limited beings with only one earthly life to live. There is enormous pressure to conform to this concept of ourselves and so we lose touch with our full potential, forgetting that we are beings of light.

At this time, many of us are reawakening to the truth of who we are, because we are living amidst such large-scale changes in the world. We need to access this light in order to not only survive but thrive as we shift into a new order of consciousness. As the changes around us proceed in rapid progression, we will want to be able to trust our own ability to sense what is happening and how we can best respond. We are no longer living in a predictable world in which we can trust external authority figures and prior ideas about reality to guide us. We need to be able to access the information that will help us navigate these uncertain waters, and the ultimate authority resides in our awareness of ourselves as beings of light.

It is through our connection to this light that we know things beyond what the visible world can tell us, and we see things beyond what the physical world reveals. In order to access this wisdom, we can simply allow ourselves to remember that we are not limited, as we have been taught. In fact, we are filled with divine grace and power that is ours for the asking. A daily practice of tuning into this vast potential, conversing with it, and offering ourselves up to it opens the door through which we can reclaim our true identity, taking ownership of the calling that the time has come to create bliss on earth."

Taken from The Daily Om

People in need

Due to the Coronavirus pandemia, we have found ourselves wanting to help in different ways. I, myself, have collected money to buy pillows for police patients who need them and have hosted 4 people in my house during the quarantaine because they had nowhere to go as immobilization got them when they were here. I know that a lot more is needed but then when I read some comments in FB, I sometimes wonder if some of the people who help do it for getting some recognition or for really wanting to help.Then, as it usually happens whenever I ruminate on some ideas for a while, I came across this article which threw some light into the issue. It is from The Daily Om. 

"When we see a person in need, we may want to give them something as a way of helping them, but if we give without taking the time to see who they really are, honoring that most of all, our gift is nowhere near as powerful as it could be. We may want to give a homeless person a sandwich, for example, but if we give it without also taking a moment to look the person in the eye, making authentic contact, we rob them of the experience of being human.

Being in a position of need leaves a lot of people feeling vulnerable and full of self-doubt. The greatest gift we can give is to meet people in need without judgment and with the awareness that we are not superior to them simply because we are not currently in their position. If we take the long view, we can see that we all began life in need of a lot of care and attention, and many of us end life in the same way. Giving and receiving are companion energies that take turns throughout our lives, and we all get a chance to be on both sides of the exchange from time to time.

It's important to be aware of our own tendency to give from a desire to feel good about ourselves, rather than from an acknowledgement of our connection to all people. Letting go of our self-importance allows us to see that, regardless of appearances, we are all givers and receivers. When we are in the position of the giver, we honor those we are helping when we remember the many people who have helped us. Then we can look the person we are helping in the eye, aware that we are making contact with a human being who is our equal".

Happy Chinese New Year!!!

Chinese New Year - Year Of The Rat

BY MADISYN TAYLOR The Year of the Rat is sure to offer the type of enjoyable challenges that will enable us to become all we can possibly be. Chinese New Year this time around is the Year of the Rat, which brings with it the promise of prosperity. The Chinese admire the rat for its quick mind and ability to gather valuables and save them for the future. Since 2020 is the Year of the Rat, the year ahead should offer many opportunities to acquire wealth, as well as the ability to make choices that enable us to provide comfort for a long time to come. This is especially true for those born in the year of the rat. Since the rat sign is the first in the Chinese zodiac calendar, we may feel the energy of a cycle beginning. We may also feel a pioneering spirit that helps us to forge ahead with a completely new endeavor. Looking beyond Western culture's distaste for rats, we may be able to appreciate their intelligence, resourcefulness and adaptability. This quality might offer us hope that whatever challenges we may face will only serve to make us stronger and more able. The rat's ability to solve problems is well-known, so we can choose to enjoy any challenge that helps us keep our minds sharp while also making life more of a game. A competitive nature may develop within us, leading us to use the rat's ability to focus on priorities. The rat can also remind us to be less worried about pleasing everyone we meet and more focused on our goals. We should be aware of the rat's habit for collecting and not allow ourselves to become so focused that we neglect those around us. Being constantly on the alert for opportunity can be stressful, so we can make the decision to balance our pursuit of prosperity with the enjoyment of good food and atmosphere and the people we trust to offer us both support and space. With the energy of challenge and possibility, the year is likely to be exciting without being explosive. The Year of the Rat is sure to offer the type of enjoyable challenges that will enable us to become all we can possibly be.

Live Every Day as your Last

"It's interesting to think of what it would mean to us if we let ourselves wear our nicest clothes and eat off the good china on a daily basis. We might be sending ourselves the message that every day we are alive is a special day and a cause for celebration, and that we are worth it. There is something uplifting about treating ourselves to the finest of what we have. It is as if we rise to the occasion when we wear our best clothes and set the table beautifully, as if for a very special guest. We are more mindful of where we place things, what we are eating, and who is with us. Using the good china, eating in the dining room, and taking the plastic off the sofa might be an invitation to be more conscious of the beauty and grace inherent in our everyday lives". 

(Extracted from Daily OM)

Although this video was meant to raise awareness of the need for immediate action in 2013, it is still one of the best videos to motivate people to make some changes to protect the Earth.

I am really excited with the beginning of this new year. I am full of plans, wishes and activities. I do not search for recognition or money, I just want to be happy and spend time with my loved ones.

I am reading more and bumped into this, I do love it. 

We have a habit of presenting life with a set of conditions--ifs and whens that must be fulfilled before we will say yes to the gift of our lives. Now is the time for each of us to bloom where we are planted, overriding our tendency to hold back. Now is the time to say yes, to be brave and commit fully to ourselves, because until we do no one else will. Now is the time to be vulnerable, unfolding delicately yet fully into the space in which we find ourselves.

 

I had a hectic week last week with academic presentations to make, family decisions to support and health issues to take care of. I also had to sit for an exam on a topic I am just learning and had not prepared well enough for it. I really thought I would not be able to make it through the week. However, while I was talking to a good friend of mine -more as catharsis than to keep small talk - she told me she was convinced that I could manage since I had been through worse. What she said shocked me at the beginning but she said it so convincingly that her faith in me gave me the courage to do it all. The cherry at the top was bumping into the text below in a magazine, it raised my spirit so high that I decided to share it.  Hope it helps somebody else as it helped me. There are times in our lives when we may find ourselves facing challenges that can seem overwhelming. The situation or task we are struggling with seems hopeless, and it is easy to stop believing in ourselves, our goals, and our dreams. It is during these moments that it can be reassuring and reaffirming to turn to the people in our lives who do believe in us, especially when we are finding it hard to believe in ourselves. An encouraging word, a reassuring look, or hearing the words "I believe in you" from someone who matters can help us turn our situations around in an instant.  Everybody has someone who believes in them, whether this person is a teacher, parent, friend, loved one, or an employer. Often their belief can wrap us in warmth, bolster us, and offer us a supportive hand to grab onto until we can regain our own support. Having that special person who believes in our abilities and our worth is a wonderful gift. But when we are feeling unworthy, it may be difficult to take in something so precious. We may even feel like we need to do it all on our own and that we shouldn't be asking for help. However, in letting their belief and support impact you, you are acknowledging the part of yourself that knows you are worthy of trust and esteem. By allowing them to believe in you, your own belief in yourself and your abilities will start to emerge again. Borrow their vision, and you can make it your own.

It's difficult to clearly see what needs to be done when your environment is burdened with half-completed projects, unfinished to-do lists, old files, clothes that don't fit, and equipment that no longer works or serves any purpose. At moments like these I remember the words of a folk song that asks for taking everything out and making room for new things to come. Renewal as spring does in nature, that´s what we need. 

When 2017 started, I was committed to creating the best year of my life – a year that completely surpasses anything I've known before!  That would not happen if I do not clean out the old and make room for the new. 

It is half year now, I still have time!!!

  

Easter Holidays have different meanings and celebrations for me. For my family in USA it is a happy time, a time when the land renews and happy things are expected. For my family in Peru, it means a time of reflection and prayers since we celebrate the Holy Week, the death and resurrection of Jesus.

In any case, it is a good time to stop and think of how life is presented to us and it is also a time to be grateful for all the wonders God has put in front of us.

There are a lot of evil things taking place in all the world. There are also lots of tragedies and catastrophes happening, but we should not lose faith that we have been put in this world to help each other and to do good.

Whatever the meaning of Easter is for you, celebrate and rejoice because God is with us.

Making changes in our lives

I am attending a course in NLP to shape some aspects of my behaviour that - I believe- can make my life more useful. Today I read an article about editing our lives and I thought it was close to what I wanted to express so I chose some excerpts.

"Our lives can be compared to an ongoing movie script over which we have complete creative control. Within us lies the power to examine what works or isn't working in our lives and make "edits" to our life's script, accordingly. Choosing to actively edit your life can be incredibly empowering. As you evolve, you have the choice to accept the script you've written thus far or edit it so you can create a life that fulfills you. You can cut out from your life's script what is no longer working for you. Acknowledging that you are responsible for the experience you create gives you the ability to create the life you've always longed for".
Isn´t it wonderful? However, I am not sure editing your real life  is as easy as erasing a line of text, especially if you've carried emotional baggage . But when you do cut out what isn't working from your life, you'll feel lighter and more alive. Editing out activities that you find stressful, disassociating yourself from people that drain your energy, and letting go of your emotional baggage are all beneficial cuts you can make.

What can we put in the empty spaces that are left behind? That´s the magic! you can add in anything you like. We can now include the kinds of positive experiences, people, and beliefs that you would like to fill your life with.   

I can´t wait to start!

Let´s get together!!!

I bumped into this video and couldn´t help sharing it everywhere. I have always believed there are a lot more things that unite us than separate us and it makes me feel good that other people think the same.

The time to Blossom is now

Having a vision for our future that differs from our current circumstances can be inspiring and exciting, but it can also keep us from fully committing to our present placement.  

There are no guarantees in this life, so when we hold back we do so at the risk of never fully blossoming. This present moment always offers us the ground in which we can take root and open our hearts now.  

We have a habit of presenting life with a set of conditions--ifs and whens that must be fulfilled before we will say yes to the gift of our lives.

Now is the time for each of us to bloom where we are planted, overriding our tendency to hold back.

Now is the time to say yes, to be brave and commit fully to ourselves, because until we do no one else will.

Now is the time to be vulnerable, unfolding delicately yet fully into the space in which we find ourselves.

(Extracts from the Daily Om. www.dailyom.org)

Being Real
I´d like to share this article since I believe we all need to grow being who we really are.

Most of us are familiar with the idea of keeping it real and have an intuitive sense about what that means. People who keep it real don't hide behind a mask to keep themselves safe from their fear of how they might be perceived. They don't present a false self in order to appear more perfect, more powerful, or more independent. People who keep it real present themselves as they truly are, the good parts and the parts most of us would rather hide, sharing their full selves with the people who are lucky enough to know them.

Being real in this way is not an easy thing to do as we live in a culture that often shows us images of physical and material perfection. As a result, we all want to look younger, thinner, wealthier, and more successful. We are rewarded externally when we succeed at this masquerade, but people who are real remind us that, internally, we suffer. Whenever we feel that who we are is not enough and that we need to be bigger, better, or more exciting, we send a message to ourselves that we are not enough. Meanwhile, people who are not trying to be something more than they are walk into a room and bring a feeling of ease, humor, and warmth with them. They acknowledge their wrinkles and laugh at their personal eccentricities without putting themselves down.

People like this inspire us to let go of our own defenses and relax for a moment in the truth of who we really are. In their presence, we feel safe enough to take off our masks and experience the freedom of not hiding behind a barrier. Those of us who were lucky enough to have a parent who was able to keep it real may find it easier to be that way ourselves. The rest of us may have to work a little harder to let go of our pretenses and share the beauty and humor of our real selves. Our reward for taking such a risk is that as we do, we will attract and inspire others, giving them the permission to be real too.

From "The Daily Om"

I´ve just read this and wanted to share it with you.

"I am old but I am forever young at heart. We are always the same age inside. Know that you are the perfect age. Each year is special and precious, you can only live it once.

Do not regret growing older, it is a privilege denied to many."

"The choices you make upon waking can have a profound impact on your day.   By beginning your day in a focused and centered fashion, you make it your own. You set the tone of your expectations and choose the mood you will use to respond to your circumstances. A gentle, reflective, and thoughtful morning will prepare you to create a gentle, conscious, and thoughtful day. "

"The simplest way to eliminate the rush from your morning routine is to rise earlier. Though this may seem like a hardship at first, you will soon grow to love the extra minutes or hours that afford you an opportunity to really enjoy watching the sun come up or connect with your loved ones before you go in your separate directions."  

 "If you want little more than to enjoy your day, devote a portion of your personal time to activities that both ground and delight you, such as meditation, yoga, chanting, singing, reading, or listening to music".  Today I decided to catch up with some friends who I had not written for quite a while and It felt really good since writing to them made me think of them and the various reasons why I loved them filling my heart with a warm feeling.

"Your morning is yours and should reflect not only your practical needs but also the needs of your soul. When you center yourself at the start of your day, you will likely find it easier to remain centered during subsequent work, play, and downtime because the overall sense of serenity you create through your choices will stay with you throughout the day".

I had already made plans for my day so there is not much I can change and to be honest I fell rather sleepy now but let´s see if I can follow the advice from the quoted recommendations from the Daily Om.

 

When I take the time to stop and look around, I feel blessed for all the people I have met and all the things that surround me and make me happy. I love my house, my garden and my pets. I love the fact that I can usually get up when I am not sleepy any more and enjoy the early morning, sometimes sunny sometimes misty but always beautiful.

I read the newspaper and my day starts becoming gloomy with so many pieces of news about wars, conflicts, acts of violence and corruption and then I feel as if I do not deserve to feel so happy with my life when so many other people live in such terrible conditions. I realize my life is a gift but sometimes I feel I have done nothing special to enjoy it fully as I do.

I also like to read some books and magazines of different sorts whenever I can and today I bumped into this extract which made me feel at ease with what I have.

When we receive a gift and find that feelings of unworthiness crop up, we can simply acknowledge the feelings and then remind ourselves that they are beside the point. We might say to ourselves, “I am meant to have this.” As we allow ourselves to accept the gift, we might feel tenderness in our hearts that naturally shifts into a deep feeling of gratitude. As we sit for a moment, consciously holding the gift in our hands or in our hearts, we say “yes” to the universe’s many blessings, and we also say “thank you.”

Thank you God for all your gifts!!!

Nothing is permanent:

The sun and the moon rise and then set,

The bright, clear day is followed by the deep, dark night.

From hour to hour, everything changes.

 

from (Buddhist offerings 365 days)

"The gifts we are born with and those that we work to develop throughout our lives vary in form and function. Some we find use for every day while others are only useful in specific circumstances.

Yet many times we overlook opportunities to share our unique gifts with others. It may be fear of criticism that holds us back or the paralyzing weight of uncertainty.

Ultimately, we doubt that our innate talents and practiced skills can truly add value to others’ lives. But it is the world as a whole that benefits when we willingly share our gifts. Whether you have been blessed with the ability to awaken beautiful emotions in others through art or industry, or your aptitudes transmit more practical advantages, your gifts are a part of who you are.

As you make use of those gifts as best you can, be assured that your contribution to worldly well-being will not be overlooked."

(From the Daily Om)