Our Challenge Can Be Our Greatest GiftOur Challenge Can Be Our Greatest Gift
According to Shakespeare: "Nothing is either good or bad but thinking makes it so.” Life is actually neutral. I believe it is our own perception of life challenges that causes us pain. We give everything in our life its meaning. We make ourselves upset by what we tell ourselves about a particular experience. We only see how the conditions affect the present time, seeing through the filters of our own beliefs. Our perception of things is limited; we cannot see the whole picture. Years later we may see the real implication of a significant event in our life. What we once judged as “bad” actually may have been a turning point in one’s life.
Here is an ancient Chinese story, found in the Tao of Pooh that reflects this point of view. This old man has the philosophy that in the long run you never know whether something is good or bad. Wait and see.
In ancient China an old man lived with his son. One day he lost his only horse. All his neighbors...
More...Living AuthenticallyLiving Authentically
Living authentically is a journey of remembrance, acknowledging that we are powerful spiritual beings, co-creators with the Universe. To remember this truth, we need to move away from our mind’s incessant chatter, and move directly into our hearts. This is the quiet space of our true essence, our knowing. Aligning our heart with the heart of God allows us to be in touch with our spirit. Each day we can request to see ourselves as God sees us, in all of our perfection, without judgment or expectations. We are no ordinary beings. We are powerful spirits destined to remember our greatness, our Divine connection.
When we are living our truth, we act on the guidance that we receive, even if our ego begins to question that guidance. Recently I attended a workshop in another state. I arrived early and looked forward to checking into a hotel to relax before the workshop. Suddenly I just knew that I was not to get a hotel; I would be invited to stay with another wor...
More...A Smile Costs NothingA Smile Costs Nothing
"A SMILE costs nothing, but gives much. It enriches those who receive,
without making poorer those who give. It takes but a moment, but the
memory of it sometimes lasts forever. None is so rich or mighty that he
can get along without it, and none is so poor but that he can be made rich
by it. A smile creates happiness in the home, fosters good will in
business, and is the countersign of friendship. It brings rest to the weary,
cheer to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad, and is nature's best antidote
for trouble. Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is
something that is of no value to anyone until it is given away. Some
people are too tired to give you a smile. Give them one of yours, as none
needs a smile so much as he who has no more to give."
-- believed to be based on the writings of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch
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More...Encouraging Dream Recall in ChildrenEncouraging Dream Recall in Children
Since we spend a third of our lives sleeping, we can teach our children to be creative and even problem-solve during this time. Children are often unaware of why they should remember their dreams because so much of their effort is dealing with their outer world.
I invite you to share that dreams can help them access new ideas, develop their creativity, and even help them problem-solve.
Children can be taught that dreams are fun and adventurous. Dreams can present them with new ideas. Children may present a particular problem to their “dream-makers,” asking how it can be resolved for their highest good. Before drifting off to sleep, encourage your children to ask to remember their dreams. As they awake in the morning, before moving about in their bed, encourage them to get in touch with their dreams. Alarms often jolt us out of the dream state, so it is best to awaken before we actually have to rise in the morning. This can be programmed as...
More...Happiness Lies WithinHappiness Lies Within
As a hypnotherapist, I challenge people to change their thoughts to change their destiny. I believe the whole purpose of this incarnation is to learn to love our-selves first, and then to extend that love to others. Until we really learn to fully love ourselves, we put on a protective shield because we do not feel safe in the world. We create self-imposed limitations to love. The good news is that we can free ourselves from our self-limitations. We can change our mind about how we see the world by getting in touch with our inner spirit. At the core of our being we are love, so there is no need to search for it, just acknowledge it.
It is our inner critic, bombarding us with negative messages, which blocks our receptivity to love. Most of these messages we heard and accepted about ourselves date back to our early childhood. Our negative thought patterns may have come from parents, siblings, peers, relatives, authority figures or others who played a major ro...
More...Creating Your Own Healing ToolsCreating Your Own Healing Tools
I believe that we all possess the inner resources needed to make changes in our lives. When we get in touch with our “Wise Mind,” the part of us that knows, we can be self-healers, Masters of our lives. Mastery means that we are no longer victims; we are no longer feeling out of control. Each of us has the capability to gather our inner strength and to select some strategies for healing that utilize positive belief and expectancy. What we focus on expands! Healing involves turning from isolation to a connection with Spirit. I believe that most dis-ease stems from not being at ease with ourselves, that is, feeling a disconnection from Spirit. Some see disease as a gift, serving as a redirection, a “reset button.” It is only through the darkness that some of us find the light.
Progressive relaxation is a technique used to promote health by releasing tension through direct suggestions. Muscle groups begin to relax as we focus our breath and intention....
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