Gratefulness ...

Today has been such a beautiful day that I'm reminded to be grateful for what I have, not disgusted and defeated for what I don't have. Every day I am reminded that I'm a perfectly imperfect Soul, having a human experience, and moving forward in my Life so as not to get stuck in the muck and mire we tend to create in our own minds and with our own dark thoughts.

This morning I found some crystals that I hung outside the picture window in the living room, so each time the sun catches them, they send shards of rainbows, splashes of bright colors all over the living room walls. How lovely! And, for me, very relaxing and peace-enhancing. Also, I unpacked several wind chimes and hung them outside the same window. I love the sounds of wind chimes. Wind chimes tend to soothe my Soul, relax my nerves ... allow me to access higher realms when I'm attempting to meditate. I love the twinkling, tinkling sounds they generate!

Anyway, I am grateful that I can ride my bicycle, walk, laugh, love, and sing! I'm grateful for my baby granddaughter! I'm grateful for my handsome son and my lovely daughter-in-law! I'm grateful for my family, my sisters and my brothers, cousins, aunts, uncles ... no matter how infrequently I see them. I'm grateful for the fact that I can write, type, think, be ... I'm grateful for my friends, old and new ... I'm grateful for my acquaintances, my ability to play guitar, my ability to write music, my ability to SEE. I'm grateful for my ability to garden, to follow through on tasks ... to be a NURSE. That was the dream of my lifetime ... to become a nurse.

I'm grateful for having learned Reiki and having become a Reiki Master teacher ... for being a massage therapist, a certified hypnotherapist ... for having delved deeply into my own recovery and having had the COURAGE to look at my self introspectively and become aware of my character flaws and admit them ... one can only CHANGE when one becomes aware ... and one can only become aware when one is WILLING to be HONEST WITH ONESELF ... otherwise, we stay stuck in our own sickness. I'm grateful that as each day passes, I have my health. This is so important as we get older! I'm grateful that I've learned over the years that I don't know anything ... we are always constantly learning ... until we die.

I'm just grateful to be alive today. To be here in this place, in these surroundings, able to witness the beautiful sunsets, sunrises, the wind, the ocean, nature ...

Namaste, my friends ~
Kathi

The Only Constant is Change

Most anything that is worth doing undoubtedly has some fear attached to it. Things like having a baby, getting married, changing careers—all of these life changes can bring up some deep fears. It helps to remember that this type of fear is good. It is your way of questioning whether you really want the new life these changes will bring. It is also a potent reminder that releasing and grieving the past is a very necessary part of moving into the new.

Fear has a way of throwing us off balance, making us feel uncertain and insecure, but it is not meant to discourage us. Its purpose is to notify us that we are at the edge of our comfort zone, poised in between the old life and a new one. Whenever we face our fear, we overcome an inner obstacle and move into new and life-enhancing territory, both inside and out. The more we learn to respect and even welcome fear, the more we will be able to hear its wisdom, wisdom that will let us know that the time has come to move forward, or not.

While comfort with fear is a contradiction in terms, we can learn to honor our fear, recognizing its arrival, listening to its intelligence, and respecting it as a harbinger of transformation. Indeed, it informs us that the change we are contemplating is significant, enabling us to approach it with the proper reverence.You might wish to converse with your fear, plumbing its depths for a greater understanding of the change you are making.

You could do this by sitting quietly in meditation and listening, or by journaling. Writing down whatever comes up—your worries, your sadness, your excitement, your hopes—is a great way to learn about yourself through the vehicle of fear and to remember that fear almost always comes alongside anything worth doing in your life.


Namasté & Peace, my friends ...

The Processes of Life ...

We have all experienced challenging situations and know that it is sometimes difficult to maintain a positive attitude and a measure of faith when the going gets tough. This is partly because we tend to think that if God loves and supports us, we'll experience that love in the form of good positive things happening in our lives.

However, we are much like children, and the Universe is much like a wise Mother who knows what we need to thrive and grow, sometimes better than we know what we need ourselves. Just as a young child does not benefit from getting everything she wants, we do not benefit from our lives being all peaches and cream! In truth, we learn from times of constriction and difficulty which truly help us grow, if we choose to learn and grow from the difficult times. If we keep this in mind, and continue to trust that we are loved even when things are not going so well, it helps us bear the tough times with grace, ease, and a healthy perspective.

This period of time in history is chock full of difficulties for many of us, and we may feel less alone knowing that we're not being singled out when difficult situations arise in our lives. There are extreme energy changes pulsing through the Universe on many levels and naturally, we're all part of the growing process and the growing pains. It helps me to remember that Life is about constant change and the difficult times will inevitably give way to something new and different.

When I feel overwhelmed I know I can somewhat comfort myself with the wise saying: This too shall pass. At the same time, if I feel that nothing is going right for me, I know it's time to examine my Life and see if there are some changes I can make to alleviate some of the pressure. Honestly and compassionately exploring the areas giving me the most trouble may reveal some things I'm holding onto and need to release: unprocessed emotions, unresolved transitions, or negative ways of looking at myself or reality.

I always try to remember that each and every person in my Life is merely a mirror image of myself. I see in others what I see in myself ... As I learn to take responsibility for the things I can change, (myself!) I can more easily surrender to the things I can’t change (other people's behaviors, Life situations that I don't necessarily create, etc.) remembering all the while that this phase will, without a doubt, give way to another. As the old cliché goes: When one door closes, another one opens ...

Until next time, my friends,
Namasté.