I wanted to share today a few of the things that I found to be helpful to me on my journey to self-love and happiness. There was a point in my journey when it seemed like I was always getting referred to something. A book I needed to read, a podcast to listen to, a person to follow on Facebook. It started to feel overwhelming and heavy, and after awhile, I didn't want anyone referring me to anything. I needed some space to find what was right for me, to trust what was in my heart, and to clear all of the clutter in my head. Therefore, I am not listing any of these with the intention that I feel you HAVE to check them out. There is honestly nothing you HAVE to have on your journey. What each of us needs and resonates with is so different, and further still, we will be drawn to different things at different points in our lives. What is right for you today might not be what feels right tomorrow. Or even an hour from now! Your journey is an organic one, and following your own intuition will bring you the most ease and joy. I present the following because they helped me, and I trust that if something is right for you, you'll know it. I also want to share these resources because I know a journey is full of so many different steps and pieces that come together. I hope that my meditations provide you with a piece that assists in uplifting, inspiring and healing your soul, but I also know they can only be a piece. It's important that we realize all people can only provide us pieces so that we never give our power to one person, but instead engage in a constant feeling of community and that we're all in this together, as equals. So, without further ado, my favorite resources: 1.) The Nature of Personal RealityThe Nature of Personal Reality, by Jane Roberts & Seth: This book came to me when a friend said she found it and she knew, after reading the reviews, it was going to change her life. I read the blurb and I was extremely skeptical. It sounded really weird and I was confused about how it came about. When I read that Jane Roberts channeled the entity Seth and then her husband transcribed her words I was put off. The idea of channeling as a means of sharing divine wisdom has become more popular these days thanks to Esther Hicks & Abraham, but when this book came to me I didn't accept the idea at all. But my friend felt this book was so important she bought me a copy and sent it to me. Once I started reading it, I couldn't stop. This book was my first introduction to both metaphysical concepts and the reality that my thoughts and my intentions are constantly creating my life. It was the catalyst that changed and opened me up to almost everything else in my life over the following years. It's beautiful and powerful and not in any way patronizing or sugary sweet in its message. There are about 8 or 9 other books in the Seth series, and at this point I've now read almost all of them. They go way deeper into the concepts of life and death, parallel universes, past and future lives and so on. But this one is the perfect one to start with. If you also feel skeptical, it might help to see the people who offered their endorsement. I bet there's a few names in there you recognize. Here are some examples: "Seth was one of my first metaphysical teachers. He remains a constant source of knoweldge and inspiration in my life." - Marianne Williamson 2.) Healing With the MastersHealing With the Masters: There are a lot of telesummits, podcasts and radio shows these days dedicated to healing and finding mastery. This one, for me, is still a go to resource. It was the first one I ever found, and it was such a blessing when I needed it most. I used to listen to all of the speakers, but I no longer feel the need to soak up every drop of information being presented to me now. However, when I do feel called, I find tuning in is like returning to an old friend and receiving a warm hug. Jennifer McLean, the host, has been doing this for 8 years, and has put on 16 seasons of this program. What I love is her balance of professionalism and love towards her guests. She's always got an amazing roster of speakers, and it was through her that I was first introduced to the late Wayne Dyer. It's free to listen in, and if you like what you hear you can purchase the show or various packages. I've purchased several, and to say they were profoundly and positively life changing would be an understatement... 3.) You Wealth RevolutionYou Wealth Revolution: This is the only other telesummit I continue to tune into from time to time along with Healing With the Masters. I found it because I wanted to hear someone speak I'd heard on Healing with the Masters. It was because of my desire to listen to various people repeatedly that I tuned into a lot of different shows for awhile, but this one rose to the top of my "keep" list for various reasons. It has a long list of speakers each season, and the amount of choices of topics and people being presented is a huge plus. I also love that Darius has a completely organic and free flow with his shows, which means they sometimes go well beyond the allotted time, but there's always so much great content in them! The shows broadcast twice a day when the season is going, the first airing being the live one. This shows covers everything from multi-dimensional healing to connecting to your guides and angels. I'm pretty sure if there's something you want to explore or learn about, he'll have a speaker on it. Once you sign up you get the calendar of speakers. 4.) The Daily MotivatorThe Daily Motivator: This was one of the first things I ever found when I began asking myself if there was a better way to live my life. When I was fed up with living in fear and pessimism, I looked for something that would provide me with daily inspiration. These daily messages never failed to uplift and inspire me. What I love about them is they aren't a good sounding but completely vague one liner. They aren't a Facebook meme that sounds awesome but that you forget as soon as you read it. They are deep, thought out reflections on life and how to move from a place of sorrow, anger or fear and into a place of joy and gratitude. Like the Seth books, it offered me real answers and asked me to show up for life. These daily motivators provide inspiration while asking you to take real, accountable steps each day in shifting your beliefs and attitudes about life. Many websites have come and gone from my awareness since I began seeking, but this one has remained in my life like a steady pillar. 5.) Energy Healing CardsThis app on my phone is the best oracle/guidance card app I've tried. I love the shuffle feature, which actually spreads all the cards out before you, mixes them up, and then chooses one at random. Each card always delivers a message that is so helpful when I am looking for some insight on inspiration. I love that the cards also don't deliver vague messages, but rather, point to specific areas where you can focus your desires for healing. For example, there are cards for your body, patience, gratitude, each chakra, your bed, focus, flexibility and openness to receive. I like to start my day choosing a card to show me where I'm focusing, or where I might benefit from more focus. If I feel lost during the day, I also sometimes turn to these. If you are familiar with the healing energy of Reiki, you will also see extra meaning in the hands that hold each word on the card. These were created by Alice Langholt, who teaches Reiki (amongst other things). She also runs a free monthly reiki circle, and if you have no idea what reiki is, that's okay! It's open to anyone who wants to receive healing or share their own healing energy (which we all have naturally). You can order the physical deck of cards from her website, but I prefer the app because I can use it almost anytime and anywhere. To get the app go here (or search for "energy healing cards" in the app store of your device).
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Following my bliss made me miserable. Let me clarify that I don’t believe following your bliss is going to make you miserable. At least, not for your whole life. What I do believe is that it’s going to challenge you like nothing has before. The phrase “follow your bliss,” has been touted around as one of those ‘end all be all’ solutions to life. It implies that if you start doing what you love, your life will suddenly fall into place and everything will flow so much easier. Here’s the thing though: when you follow your bliss, you’re the same person you were before you started. If you're rattled with deep insecurity while working an office job you hate, you’re still going to be deeply insecure when you start your Etsy shop. Taking your love for art and turning it into an online shop on Etsy isn’t going to give you self-confidence. In fact, it’s going to rip your insecurity wide open and make you glare into it with a hypnotic pull so strong it threatens to suck you under completely. But, and this is a big but, this is not a bad thing. Chasing your bliss is going to bring up all of your hang-ups, self-doubts, fears and old stories. It’s going to make you confront them, which is terrifying. However, healing them is what leads to a happier, healthier, stronger and more inspired you. When you’re passionate about something, you get fired up to deal with things you didn’t have as much incentive to deal with before. You will glare into that gaping wide hole, and for the first time in your life, you will command yourself to not give your power to it. You will do this because you are now motivated by something bigger than before. You are now motivated by a higher calling, by a desire to offer your unique gifts to the world, by a passion to bring to light the thing you know you were meant to do in this life. Two years ago I started “following my bliss”. For me, my bliss was meditation and spiritual awakening. I always noticed that I was far more driven to make meditation a priority than my friends. For me, it wasn’t only a way to relax and unwind. It was a journey, a cosmic journey, where I got to explore myself and the Universe in ways I had previously never known. It excited me, and I kept hearing from people how they felt I should be making and sharing my own meditations. I resisted for years, but I knew they were right. This was calling to me in every moment of my life. So I did it. I took the plunge, wrote my own guided meditations, recorded them, made a website, and started selling them. And then, the slow burn of panic and deep, overwhelming insecurity rose up and consumed me. I asked myself the questions all people ask themselves when they decide to take what they love to the next level: Why me? Who am I to claim I’m a professional at this? Why should people listen to me? These questions drilled into me. I was so overcome with self-doubt that I nearly trembled when I told people what I was doing. I would stare at the floor, my face red with embarrassment, as I mumbled about my website. My insecurity did nothing to help my sales. Because I made so little money, my self-doubt was reflected back to me. This only deepened my fear and insecurity, and the cycle continued as I felt myself cracking and falling apart. This went on for a whole year, and I had no idea how to handle feeling like I was being split open. I hated myself for having started. I hated my website for reminding me I didn’t believe in myself. I hated when people would bring up what I was doing in social settings, trying to prod me into opening up. I silently thank them now for having good intentions, but you cannot force someone to suddenly believe in themselves. I had to find my confidence myself, in my own time, and what no one knew, even me, was that I had opened the door that would get me there. When the first hellish year was over, I knew I wasn’t going to give up, which scared me even more. Hadn’t I learned that this wasn’t going to work out? Had I not learned I didn’t have the guts to be self-employed? Or did I simply like to torture myself? I didn’t care what the answers were. I had stepped through a doorway, and I knew there was no turning back. During the first year, as I’d stumbled around like a blind and deaf person, I’d had moments where I would taste something. Something so sweet, so pure, that for that searing moment, all of the misery was worth it. I had tasted the freedom of living from my highest potential. In the second year, I kept going, feeling the unquenchable thirst of knowing I could get through this, but not knowing when or how. I only knew I had to, and that fueled me in a way I’d never known. I signed up for public speaking classes and took a big step in reclaiming my power. I reflected every day on why I didn’t believe in myself, and read every book, blog post and article I could on how to reverse this. I prayed. I meditated. I danced. I cried. If there was something that I felt could help me, I tried it. I was relentless. As the year wound down, I noticed a dramatic shift in my inner world. I didn’t feel like I was walking around in a constant state of anxiety. I would have moments were I would tell people what I was doing and speak with such confidence and pride that I was caught off guard. My meditations started selling with what seemed like far less work. People started to tell me how much they enjoyed what I was sharing. The misery began to fall away, and there, like a gem I’d buried and forgotten, was the bliss. If you’d told me a year into this process that you really can follow your bliss, I may have actually snarled in response. I laugh at that now, even though I know I wasn’t laughing at the time. I was struggling. I was scared. I was in pain. But the pain was from labor pains. I was giving birth to my new self. The self that only I could bring to life through consistent effort and courage. My new self was leading me to true self-love and happiness. I was learning to feel good about who I am and what I create because I believe in myself, and not because I am seeking outside approval. To find myself centered and strong is the greatest bliss I’ve ever known. |