Maintaining a Spiritual Balance

Ways I Maintain a Spiritual Balance:

• I embrace with all of my heart the love for my children.
• I accept imperfection, and I forgive myself for my mistakes.
• I feel my emotions and trust them.
• I listen, observe, and respond, not react.
• I chose to see and accept the reality of an experience, even if it is painful.
• I remain present in my life during crises and do not desert myself.
• I have loving intent in all of my actions (toward myself or others) and reach out to help others.
• I dream big dreams and am not afraid of asking for help; sometimes I seek counseling or ask for a hug when I need one.
• I believe in a higher plan, trust my process, and go beyond obstacles.
• I am in the “here and now” and connect with myself when I grieve or laugh.
• I like simple pleasures and spend as much time in nature as possible.
• I appreciate the smallest adventure or gift.
• I rest when I hurt.
• I eat what I enjoy that is healthy for me.
• I admit when I am wrong.
• I continue to explore what works for me and what does not.
• I teach with passion.
• I fulfill my responsibilities to others.
• I enjoy being with friends.
• I eat chocolate at least once a day.
• I listen to music that touches me.
• I live what I have learned.
• I weed out areas of my life supporting unhealthy responsibilities.
• I engage in daily physical exercise, preferably riding my bike.
• I am ME.

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Values of Others

Why We Share the Same Planet

A small child felt drawn to my grandson Kyle because they had something in common.

When I share my journey with someone else, spiritual energy soars.  Sharing a dream gives purpose and love to relationships, lifts the spirit above hardships, and creates a connection to truth.  My spiritual energy soared as my daughter Joann and I shared our compassion for life and desire to become all we could be.  We supported each other when our own individual strength, faith, perseverance, or courage was not enough.  We listened and provided loving foundations for desires within the heart. We both knew hardships were part of the journey, and loving encouragement was the assistance needed to persevere and attain the blessings in store for us.

There is importance of time alone to bond with our ourself and the beauty of nature and later there is great joy in sharing individual experiences and  the similarities we found in our journeys. Two people can go beyond seeming limitations or obstacles.  A new discovery can lighten any burden when it is shared with someone who cares.

The Amazing Story of Suriyana and Roscoe

After losing his parents, this 3-year-old orangutan was so depressed he wouldn’t eat and didn’t respond to any medical treatments. The veterinarians thought he would surely die from sadness.

The zoo keepers found an old sick dog on the grounds in the park at the zoo where the orangutan lived and took the dog to the animal treatment center. The dog arrived at the same time the orangutan was there being treated…

The 2 lost souls met and have been inseparable ever since. The orangutan found a new reason to live and each always tries his best to be a good companion to his new-found friend. They are together 24 hours a day in all their activities. They live in Northern California where swimming is their favorite pastime, although Roscoe (the orangutan) is a little afraid of the water and needs his friend’s help to swim. Together they have discovered the joy and laughter in life and the value of friendship. They have found more than a friendly shoulder to lean on.

Suriyana and Roscoe – their story

Do you have someone in your life that has given you laughs, hope, courage and inspiration? Please share your story with us in the comment section of this post.

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Living in the Moment Challenge

Are you capable of living in the moment?  Participate in my Seven Day Challenge, it is a great exercise in self-discovery.

What I worry about seldom happens so I try to save my energy for what comes next.

I attempt to fire all the “shoulds” in my head – they usually result in resentment. I cultivate loving choices, they always create a sense of pride.

When someone talks to me, I give them my undivided attention and listen to what they are saying. This not only shos them they have value but is a great way to be totally in the moment.

In this journey we will encounter all kinds of experiences. Some will bring us incredible highs; others will bring us to our knees.

Studies have found that our minds are wandering helf the time, drifting of to thoughts unrelated to what we are doing.

Research shos that whenever a simple act of kindness is extended, it results in a significant improvement in the immune system of the recipient and the giver.

When I am willing to open my heart in the moment, truth provides answers to my questions. and solutions to problems.

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True Serenity

Here’s a picture of my grandson Kyle during one of our hikes in the woods when he was 3 years old.

In this age of information overflow, loud noises, violent games and movies, you can give yourself a wonderful gift by finding a place of solitude and peace to empty your mind and be totally in the moment with no distractions or worries.

Mental stress and worry affect your ability to receive the answers you are seeking. The term “you can’t get there from here” truly applies to this situation. At first worry may seem to motivate you to look for options in situations where you are feeling a sense of powerlessness. However, worry does not lead you to feeling powerful. Worry, when prolonged, simply reinforces your sense of powerlessness.  –Payment for Passage

How many times have you realized the answer to while doing something totally unrelated?

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Spiritual Awakenings

Anyone who cares deeply and searches for truth with a tender heart can be wounded on earth. Yet we can soar, even through grief, fear and anger. Never waste a moment. A broken heart is meant to be an opening for wisdom and compassion to emerge. – Payment for Passage

 After my daughter was murdered I thought any chance for happiness in the future was gone and the best days of my life were behind me. This picture was taken the last time Joann and I hiked the Grand Teton Mountains together. After several years of heartache, I found the courage to hike that trail once more without Joann by my side. I hiked and I cried. I hiked and I cried. Suddenly I transcended into a consciousness I had never experienced but have grown to love….living totally in the moment with no expectations in order to feel the presence of Joann and the magnificence of spiritual enlightenment.

Have you had a moment of truth during a painful process? I would love to hear from you.  Please leave your comments below.

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What do you see?

Stare at the dot in the center and then move your head closer to and then farther away from the image.

Follow the instructions under the image and see how your perception changes by moving back ever so slightly.

Loss always cause a change in how I see life and myself.   When I feel overwhelmed after a loss or some frightening experience, I try to step back and observe what is happening with no judgment or expectations.  The solution has a better chance of showing itself to me if I am an observer and not the person down in the trenches.

How I perceive my surroundings and experiences makes me unique from anyone else on the planet.  I only experience ME in life, guided by my perception of each moment.  People and conditions in life help provide my experiences but have no control over my decisions and future.  Ultimately, choices I make are guided by my perception of what is happening and what I believe about ME to be true.

Changing my perception can be as easy as blinking my eyes, moving back from the situation to observe, refocusing my attention to something pleasant or a sincere prayer for help.  When I feel empowered or at peace I am ready to proceed with the emotions that follow any decisions I make.  Count the black dots below.

Some of the white circles contain a black dot. See how many you can count.

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Life Lessons

The Gift of Wisdom Through Pain And Grief

We don’t receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can discover for us or spare us. -Marcel Proust

Do you accept life’s lessons or resist them? How many times do you experience negative results in the same situation before you stop, process the situation and become open to a new solution?  Are you open to learning through pain?

Interesting Insights on Wisdom

Life can be a constant barrage of new and exciting experiences. Still even the most savvy and confident of us can get thrown off balance during the unexpected changes life throws our way.  Fear and a broken heart are part of the emotional suffering when something or someone you love is taken away, without no decision or action on your part.  What possible good could come from such a painful and frightening experience?

When I lost my daughter I was in shock, and pain ran through my body.  Once the shock wore off and the heartache remained, I became very fearful.  I was afraid the pain would never go away.  I was afraid that I no longer had any choices in my life; I was literally afraid for my safety, both physically and mentally.  My belief systems shattered and truth challenged me every day to find its meaning in my decisions.  I could no longer live with trust in the moment and tried to control everything around me.  It felt like I was free-falling through life without a parachute and didn’t know where I would land.

When I gave up control out of sheer exhaustion and asked for help, truths and peace began to emerge.  The wisdom I learned through the death of my daughter is that love IS more powerful than evil and true peace of mind is only attained when I accept what is and let myself be who I am in every moment.  Understanding was not my answer, acceptance was my answer; acceptance of whatever takes place in the moment and acceptance of who I am in the moment.  I am now free to be me.

A loss can be the loss of a child, the loss of a spouse, the loss of any loved one in your life, the loss of a pet, the loss of your home, the loss of an illusion that served you well up until now – any loss that stops you in your tracks to take a look at who you are and all that you value.  Have you had a loss?  What did you do to start living with faith in yourself and your future again.  What wisdom did you learn?

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