Welcome, 2013!

It is with open arms that I  welcome this New Year 2013 ... in hopes of many joys and blessings coming my way in the coming year. As usual, I haven't selected any resolutions per se, but I surely know what I would like to continue working on this year ... 

Naturally, in the spirit of continuing my journey toward Spiritual bliss and striving to be my most authentic Self, I will consistently try to remain aware of my character flaws, whether they be ingrained and part of my psyche, or whether they be hormonal. There will be no excuses for my quick temper flare ups when I lose control of my tongue, because I will become aware of these flare ups and 'nip them in the bud' so to speak. This is what I vow to myself in the coming year and with appropriate supports in place, I am sure to achieve it.

I love being 'chill' and not being shaken out of my happy little cocoon of peace and serenity ... and I will avoid that which triggers my authentically gentle and tender Soul into anger. I am going to begin to shed Light on my darkest spaces and places, and bring all that which is toxic and negative to the surface to be bathed completely in the Light and Unconditional Love of spirit and truth. I want to become more tolerant of those around me, whether strangers or friends, and tolerant to those who matter so much to me and to whom I matter, as well. 

I want to remain estranged from negative souls and over dramatic, hateful souls who are not willing to look in the mirror and see their own flaws, but are more than willing to point out mine. I want to release those who no longer serve any purpose to me or to my continuing Spiritual growth. I want to seek out like minded individuals who know they are not above anyone nor below anyone, but equal to everyone else. And to seek out those who understand that to be their most authentic selves, they must let go of that which and those who no longer serve any purpose in their lives. 

I want to continue to love  ALL beings unconditionally, friend or foe, even those whom I choose not have in my Life. I want to remember that even though I love some Souls deeply and unconditionally, I love myself even more and will not tolerate hateful, evil, hurtful words being spewed at me in arbitrary ways and I will not succumb to being abused, bullied, or dismissed by anyone in any capacity. I am a kind, loving, Soul whose only intention is to love unconditionally. If others take me wrongly, that is THEIR game and THEIR issue, not mine. My intentions are generally pure and loving, and ONLY those who deserve my friendship and gentleness will be allowed within my Inner Circle going forward.

My Inner Circle is a sacred and wonderful place, filled with love, joy, kindness, and peace. I share it with those who are like minded and peaceful. I will strive not to become angry and explosive or reactive to those who fire negative words, phrases, actions, and/or thoughts my way. I accept, bless, and release all these negative actions and people with love and grace.

These are my New Year thoughts and hopes in 2013 ... I truly pray I can live up to each and every one of them as the year progresses ...

In Peace & Light ~

Namasté, My friends 

Striving for Balance

Some people maintain their sense of calm when things around them are in a state of flux and confusion. They are so wonderful to be around. Being around someone like that can instantly make us feel calmer. It's interesting how that happens. Perhaps being with someone who is calm activates something deep inside of us that wants peace and harmony. From them we learn that we can be calm and balanced, even when everything around us is in turmoil, because we know that no matter what happens, this inner sense of calm will help us to function well. 

Often, times of confusion are the times that enable us to find that part of ourselves that knows how to cope, and how to be a light to others in the storm. When we are in the midst of the raging storm, oftentimes we can find a sense of calmness deep inside our hearts. We can bring balance to our situation in that way.

If we allow ourselves to be thrown off balance when we hear disturbing news, we may be relying too much on our emotions. Our thoughts may also be unreliable at times like these, as they chatter on endlessly about what might happen next. If our feelings and thoughts activate one another in a hectic way, then we become caught up in the confusion that surrounds us. Perhaps if we can find the stillness in the center of our Soul, we may also find calmness in any situation. Maybe if we can help ourselves find that calm, we could also help our loved ones to find their sense of stillness.

It helps to remember that we don’t need to completely understand what’s happening right now, nor do we need to be able to predict the future. Most of us just want to find our way to being at peace with whatever happens, and we can find this peace inside. Maybe we could cultivate that sense of inner peace through prayer, meditation, being still, writing or journaling. Sometimes all it takes is sitting by the sea, breathing in the air, allowing oneself to be caught up in the serenity of the gentle waters to feel balanced and at peace. Or maybe walking in the woods, listening to the Nature sounds ... it's a matter of connecting with oneself and the Divine that brings that sense of calm ... 


Namaste, my friends ...

Missing You!

My dearest friend, Soulmate, Teacher ...

It's been 30 days today that you transitioned from this plane. I know now that you are well and surrounded by Love and Light. I received information from you yesterday via a very dear acquaintance and like-minded Soul, who reported that you are continuing your Journey and sending love and peace, as you always did on this plane ...

I believe you are with me and even though my heart remains heavy and my tears have not ceased because I miss hearing your voice and knowing you were merely a phone call away, I understand that it was your time to depart from this Earth. And I am rejoicing in the fact that you are now where you felt it was time for you to be.

I know that you will be watching over me and I thank God that you and I shared two hours of phenomenal chat time prior to your transition. I could never have asked for a more lovely Soul to intertwine with upon this chaotic and confusing Earth plane ... you never failed to lift my heart, my Spirit, and my knowledge of all things esoteric, mystical, and Sacred. I miss you immensely, my friend!

Always you will be remembered in my Life as the only person who truly understood my Spirit, and who loved me unconditionally no matter what!!! I love you so very much, Christoff!!! Shine on in your continuing Journey, my friend ...

Always and Forever in my Heart and Soul, Gentle One ...

Your friend,

Kathi

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 ...

Religious Tolerance & Other Things to Ponder ...

connected, and we are all One ...

What does the term "religious tolerance" mean to you? For me, it means I possess the ability and willingness to allow others' their personal beliefs while still clinging to my own. My beliefs are extremely flexible and diversely eclectic. I was raised Catholic, became a "born-again" Christian in my teens, dabbled in Wicca and other metaphysical philosophies for many years, and then fell away from the organized religions to expand and grow in various Eastern philosophies.

Many of my Christian friends gently try to persuade me back into the teachings of the Bible, and their leader-interpreted meanings. I choose to think for myself now. I choose to allow my Inner Guide to interpret meanings for me. All things esoteric are my bible ... various beliefs hold meaning for me, even those that are considered "alternative" or Pagan to others.

 

Jesus taught that acceptance, tolerance, and love are the keys to living a Life that is filled to capacity with goodness and blessings. Buddha taught some of the same of the principles, and so did Mohammed and many of the other prophets of love and peace. Why do these teachings have to be separated, fought over, and argued about hatefully? Why do my views have to be right, and yours wrong, or vice versa? I am pretty sure that's not what the prophets intended these teachings for.

 

The teachings were meant to unite, not divide. Where there is division, there is chaos, unrest, and unhappiness. Where there is unity, there is love, peace, and joy. It's simple, as far as I can see. Jesus told us, among many other wonderful things: "Judge not, lest ye be judged." Mohammed and Buddha and others teach us the same principles ... but do we listen and adhere to the goodness of all that was said, all that was taught us by those Enlightened, those who were before us? Do we practice the Spiritual principles every day, in every way, to the best of our ability?

 

If there is hope, there is hopelessness. If there is light, there is also darkness. If there is love, there is also hatred. If there is white, there is also black. Where there is yin, there is also yang. On a human level, for me it's difficult to just BE. When I meditate in the mornings, my days seem to go more smoothly. When I argue and disagree with my partner or with anyone in the mornings, or forget to meditate and/or pray, my days seem to be difficult, and it's not as easy to gather my thoughts and focus on the tasks at hand. That's the way it seems for me.

But then again, I also try to remember this: Everything is an illusion, and nothing is as it seems ... someday the mysteries of Life will be revealed. In the meantime, I choose to allow others' their beliefs, whether Christian, Atheist, or Hindu ... and I hope to be allowed mine. I choose to love, even where there is no love, because love can and will resolve most anything. I personally feel that it's counterproductive to argue and judge where personal beliefs are concerned, just as it's counterproductive to force my political opinions on others. We all have opinions, we all ~ because it's human nature ~ want to be 'right', but is being 'right' so important that we risk losing loved ones, and friendships, over it? Not in my Life, it isn't ...

May Peace, Love, & Joy guide all of us ...
Namasté