My friend Barb from UCLA days called this morning. I hadn't talked to her for a couple of months. She said she had just read my post about being home alone and could tell I was lonesome. I reread that post and I never wrote that I was lonely, but Barb was right, I am lonely. We had a great, long chat, and she didn't know it when she called, but I did need a little spirit lift and she certainly provided it.
And then, when I got off the phone there was an email from Jeff who is still in Boston and a picture of me was attached. He likes to think I am the most beautiful person in the world. Did he know I needed a little boost, too?
I really believe that caring from the heart makes us do wonderful things. I wonder whose spirit I could touch with a call or email? If I listen to my spirit, I will know.
Showing posts with label inner knowing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label inner knowing. Show all posts
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
187.6 Asking and Receiving
In yesterday's post I mentioned using my inner spirit to help me continue this weight loss adventure. Part of this adventure and working with Jennifer Scott has been the emergence of this inner spirit within me. You can call this power whatever you are most comfortable naming it. To some it is inner voice, inner knowing, inner spirit, God, Guides ~ you can call it what you will.
Until recently I thought prayer was a one way street. By that I mean that I would bow my head and ask God for help, direction, or a blessing on me and others. It was a one way conversation in which I did all the talking. (For those who know me, this is not a surprise :)!) This is the kind of prayer that I was taught in church and I don't ever remember being told that God would talk back to me if I gave Him/Her a chance to get a word in edgewise.
Learning to use the inner voice, or my Guides as I call this phenomenon, is all about listening once the request for particular guidance has been made. And, it also involves suspending the ego so that the honesty can flow without being inhibited by the ego, dictating what we want to hear.
So how do I do this? I start with a prayer that goes like this: "Dear Guides, I come to you foregoing all ego considerations, all doubts, fears, worries and judgments so that I can receive your divine inspiration clearly and forcefully. Can you help me.............? I am open to receive." Then I take a deep breath, hold it for about 5 seconds, exhale and the message begins to flow within me. I like to do this at the computer and simply start typing what I receive without judgment or thought while writing. I know when the message has been completed because I hear the words, "We rest."
So why am I writing about this in this blog? Because I have been using Guidance to help me all during this process to help me with a wide range of issues in my life as well as weight loss.
I know this is getting really long, but I wanted to share with you what my Guides told me after I asked for help in accepting my imperfect legs and ankles:
"Your imperfections as you call them are important only to you. You wear your ego as an accessory and are so alert to real or imagined criticism or disapproval that it is constantly getting hurt. You are not your legs or your ankles or your feet. You are much more and much less. Your essence is like a light gleaming for all to see and that is the most important part of you. It has no shape, no size, nothing tangible about it. It is what it is and what you allow it to be. Understand that your discomfort with this physical aspect of yourself takes away from your spiritual being and lessens who you are. We understand that you have focused on this for much of your life and felt that it has held you back from being that other you would have wanted to be. Don't give this physical trait power. Get over it and get on with just being who you are. Getting slimmer will help to a small degree but will not really change how your legs and ankles look. The shift needs to happen in your mind, that you are okay no matter what your legs look like. You are not your legs and you never have been and you never will be. Move on and you will be happier and at peace with yourself. Achieving peace within and about who you are is key to living an authentic life and isn't that what you really want? We rest."
And, I feel that shift taking place as I am wearing shorts today and have let go of my concerns. Phew!
Until recently I thought prayer was a one way street. By that I mean that I would bow my head and ask God for help, direction, or a blessing on me and others. It was a one way conversation in which I did all the talking. (For those who know me, this is not a surprise :)!) This is the kind of prayer that I was taught in church and I don't ever remember being told that God would talk back to me if I gave Him/Her a chance to get a word in edgewise.
Learning to use the inner voice, or my Guides as I call this phenomenon, is all about listening once the request for particular guidance has been made. And, it also involves suspending the ego so that the honesty can flow without being inhibited by the ego, dictating what we want to hear.
So how do I do this? I start with a prayer that goes like this: "Dear Guides, I come to you foregoing all ego considerations, all doubts, fears, worries and judgments so that I can receive your divine inspiration clearly and forcefully. Can you help me.............? I am open to receive." Then I take a deep breath, hold it for about 5 seconds, exhale and the message begins to flow within me. I like to do this at the computer and simply start typing what I receive without judgment or thought while writing. I know when the message has been completed because I hear the words, "We rest."
So why am I writing about this in this blog? Because I have been using Guidance to help me all during this process to help me with a wide range of issues in my life as well as weight loss.
I know this is getting really long, but I wanted to share with you what my Guides told me after I asked for help in accepting my imperfect legs and ankles:
"Your imperfections as you call them are important only to you. You wear your ego as an accessory and are so alert to real or imagined criticism or disapproval that it is constantly getting hurt. You are not your legs or your ankles or your feet. You are much more and much less. Your essence is like a light gleaming for all to see and that is the most important part of you. It has no shape, no size, nothing tangible about it. It is what it is and what you allow it to be. Understand that your discomfort with this physical aspect of yourself takes away from your spiritual being and lessens who you are. We understand that you have focused on this for much of your life and felt that it has held you back from being that other you would have wanted to be. Don't give this physical trait power. Get over it and get on with just being who you are. Getting slimmer will help to a small degree but will not really change how your legs and ankles look. The shift needs to happen in your mind, that you are okay no matter what your legs look like. You are not your legs and you never have been and you never will be. Move on and you will be happier and at peace with yourself. Achieving peace within and about who you are is key to living an authentic life and isn't that what you really want? We rest."
And, I feel that shift taking place as I am wearing shorts today and have let go of my concerns. Phew!
Friday, January 8, 2010
199.4 The Doubt Devil?
I am thinking of calling this post the Doubt Devil, sort of like the Dirt Devil. Recently I have been doing a lot of thinking about how often I play the doubt card so I don't have to even think about making change. And usually no matter what the goal is that I set for myself whether it be a new belief system or simply upping my exercise, there are lingering doubts about whether I really believe I should, can, or really want to reach a specific goal. Jennifer just wrote an interesting blog entitled Overcoming The Mental Barrier of Doubt. I know blogs are supposed to be short, but I do want to quote what she wrote:
"I’ve been asking the question on this Blog, “What is your biggest frustration?” Overcoming the mental barrier of doubt is one response I’ve recently received.
And MY response to this is that “doubt” is healthy, but letting it become a reason to stop, quit or not move forward in your life is not.
Doubt is healthy when it leads to your honest questioning about what you’re up to. For example: Am I on the right path? Is there a better way? Can I get through this? Am I strong enough? Am I up for the challenge? Can I handle the stress I now feel?
Don’t be afraid if you’re doubtful that you’re on the right path! You might as well find out NOW so you can change. There just might be a better way, and only your Inner Teacher will be able to Guide you.
But if you absolutely know that what you’re doing is right and you’re passionate about it, then your Inner Teacher or Guide will help you get through the challenges and stress. Once you learn to trust in that Inner Knowing, you’ll find your doubts will be replaced with confidence.
On the other hand, if you let doubts keep you from asking healthy questions, then you’re bound to freeze and become immobilized."
The weight loss path that I am on has had its fair share of doubtful moments, but as I have overcome using doubt to excuse inaction, I have also succeeded in making change. One of the first things Jennifer proposed to me as we talked about taking on the weight loss issue was weighing myself everyday. I was so filled with doubt that that was a good idea. Hadn't doctors told me to weigh only once a week? Hadn't a weight loss specialist told me not weigh myself because only she could be trusted to get it right, on her schedule? Facing doubt and then letting go of it and embracing new behaviors has been one of my important tools to success. So maybe doubt is a devil if I let it control my attempts to change without examining or challenging it.
"I’ve been asking the question on this Blog, “What is your biggest frustration?” Overcoming the mental barrier of doubt is one response I’ve recently received.
And MY response to this is that “doubt” is healthy, but letting it become a reason to stop, quit or not move forward in your life is not.
Doubt is healthy when it leads to your honest questioning about what you’re up to. For example: Am I on the right path? Is there a better way? Can I get through this? Am I strong enough? Am I up for the challenge? Can I handle the stress I now feel?
Don’t be afraid if you’re doubtful that you’re on the right path! You might as well find out NOW so you can change. There just might be a better way, and only your Inner Teacher will be able to Guide you.
But if you absolutely know that what you’re doing is right and you’re passionate about it, then your Inner Teacher or Guide will help you get through the challenges and stress. Once you learn to trust in that Inner Knowing, you’ll find your doubts will be replaced with confidence.
On the other hand, if you let doubts keep you from asking healthy questions, then you’re bound to freeze and become immobilized."
The weight loss path that I am on has had its fair share of doubtful moments, but as I have overcome using doubt to excuse inaction, I have also succeeded in making change. One of the first things Jennifer proposed to me as we talked about taking on the weight loss issue was weighing myself everyday. I was so filled with doubt that that was a good idea. Hadn't doctors told me to weigh only once a week? Hadn't a weight loss specialist told me not weigh myself because only she could be trusted to get it right, on her schedule? Facing doubt and then letting go of it and embracing new behaviors has been one of my important tools to success. So maybe doubt is a devil if I let it control my attempts to change without examining or challenging it.
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