Becoming Aware of Our Thoughts ...

Not many people can truly say that they enjoy being around others who persistently have negative attitudes towards Life, or towards others. It's draining for me to be around people who judge me constantly ~ whether out loud or psychicly ~ or people who simply cannot recognize the good in others. Many of us consistently tolerate the idle negative chatter in own minds, as well. We're used to the "voice" in our own head that dictates our course of action. 


This voice is often self-limiting, self-deprecating, and self-doubting. Only when we become aware of this negative voice, can we begin to change its detrimental messages. Thoughts follow a succinct pattern: our thoughts create words, and ultimately, those words become our actions. For example, if I allow my internal voice to consistently tell me that I am a failure, I eventually do create my own failures.

While first exploring the avenue of becoming aware of my own thought patterns some twenty years ago, I constantly caught my mind telling me that I was a loser, that I would never amount to anything, that I did not deserve love and true happiness, and so on. I have continued to work at catching ~ and changing ~ the negative thought patterns that attempt to wreak havoc in my head, and ultimately in my Life. 


I am wise enough to know that the process of re-creating my Self is just that: A process. It is not an event. Change comes slowly, but when working on oneself, the changes are definitely assured. The changes are felt internally at first, and eventually those people in our lives who truly love and accept us for who we are, become aware of the healthy changes we are making in our lives, usually letting us know what they observe.

Many people, upon paying careful attention to their thinking patterns, are surprised at the negativity they find there. But when we take notice of our involuntary thoughts in a nonjudgmental way, we initiate a healing process that will eventually allow us to replace intimidating and upsetting self-talk with positive, empowering thoughts.


While the occasional downbeat or judgmental thought may have little impact on our contentment, the ongoing negativity that passes unnoticed can have a dampening and damaging effect on our moods and our behaviors. When we are aware of the tone of our thoughts, however, we can begin to challenge those negative attitudes and thoughts, and replace them with positive and empowering thoughts and attitudes. Sometimes it takes an objective person, such as a therapist, to assist us in our self-exploration. This is a good thing: seeking help is NOT a sign of weakness, on the contrary, it is a definitive sign of courage!

The awareness we cultivate within ourselves will eventually enable us to create a foundation of positivity from which we can build a more authentic existence. A more authentic Self. The first counsel written over the gateway to the temple at Delphi was: "Know Thyself" That counsel was not advising us to know our pretentious Self, but our true and authentic Self. I take heart in the fact that only we, human beings, have the power of choice. Only we have the ability to change our outlooks, our thoughts, words and actions. I am empowered in knowing that only I can direct the course of my Life. And only I can allow my Self to be happy, joyous, and free ~ even in the face of adversity and negativity.

Namasté, my friends ...

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 ...