Don't Pass Along Your Pain; Forgiving the Bully

Until we have peace, we will have pain. Consider any time you have lashed out at someone, or they have been mean to you. Pain was the likely catalyst, pain pushed outward (albeit unconsciously). That pain was given to another (hot potato!), and on and on! It's the opposite of "paying it forward" within our families, our companies, our communities, our world.

People who hurt others are typically in emotional or physical pain themselves. They may not be consciously TRYING to be mean or even understanding that there is a choice to behave otherwise. They do not have the tools, freedom, maturity, or perhaps the skills to even process, let alone heal their internal pain. They have no idea where their anger, depression, anxiety is rooted. It just IS. 

Understanding what we are passing along as generational or cultural pain is important. We are here to change the script! Awareness = The Power of Choice = The Power to Change!

In writing for UNMUTED VOICES, a collaborative book project in the works, I've revisited many long-forgotten memories of grade school. My personal school bully stepped forward as an illustration for this blog.

Asking For What You Want and Need is Healthy

Generations, cultures, peoples who deny their children's needs do not create stronger adults.

This is not at all about blame. "Parenthood doesn't come with a manual" and some of those parenting guides of the 20th Century and before were not heart-based. I remember repeatedly hearing "spare the rod, spoil the child." Other "experts" told new parents to let the baby cry itself to sleep.

As adults, we either continue what we have learned, or we see what didn't work for us and we change! I am grateful that some of us have said, "that's not how I choose to parent. I'm going to respond to my baby when she cries and when she's hungry. I'm going to be a loving, supportive part of my child's life. My child's childhood is going to be a treasured time of innocence." 

I grew up without a voice and without choices. When my husband would take me on dates, early in our relationship (I was 18), I would feel so conflicted over my food choice(s). If I selected the shrimp entrée would it taste $2 better than a similar offering with chicken? A decade and a half later, we parented with a goal that our children knew how to assess their choices and even suggest alternatives.  E.g., "You cannot go to school in your flip flops because they don't protect your feet; but you can wear your sneakers, rain boots, dress shoes, etc. Seeing choices empowers change, growth, freedom!

I believe that we change the world through the only one we have control to change ... ourSELVES. Each one! We do not rise above our pasts when we repeat the obsolete programs and energies of dysfunction as parents of our own children.

Yet, we can bring harmony, backward and forward, when we provide a loving home/vibe for not only our children, but firstly WITHIN ourSELVES. We heal through love, but we can actually go a bit overboard when we aren't watching our energy. It's not too late; for many of us, this is a new thing. It's a GOOD THING to gain awareness of!

Taking a Stance AS and THROUGH LOVE

A beautiful teaching is found in the Native American Tale of the Two Wolves.

Until you see the whole picture you cannot see the whole picture. We literally cannot stand in the exact same place as another person, so we will never see from exactly the same perspective. 

Love and empathy will create positive change in our world; hate, aggression, fear just continue the cycles we are here to transform. We cannot force someone else to open their eyes to compassion and love by bombarding them with hate and condemnation. Sometimes our focus on what that other person is doing is just our own ego's way of avoiding OUR "inner work". We get so focused on "the crusade" that we forget the love that was in our hearts at its start. 

History will repeat itself until we find a different way to respond and treat one another. 

Are You Living The Life You Came Here to Express? ~ Release Your Hood!

"Dancing Fairy" by Ed Gedrose

As eternal souls, consciousness, energy having a human experience on this beautiful planet, we hold and have access to infinite Knowledge. Through visions, messages, and healing deep-dives, God/Source/Spirit/The Universe has shown me a well-spring of timeless wisdom. 

I  know that as mere, even fragile newborns, we were aware of so much and yet unable to express it except as LOVE. Perhaps a soul-level recognition of this wisdom and Truths is an aspect of the somewhat universal appeal of babies!

Yet as individuals, we rush forward! We grow bigger, eagerly aiming for adulthood. We long to grow up; happily abandoning wonder, glee, non-physical "realities" we are told are "not real". We happily conform to expectations and limitations placed upon us, agreeing to live, express, embody a smaller and smaller essence of Truth and our soul signatures. We become more and more disconnected within to Truth, Love, Higher Guidance.

And yet, we came to bring and live Truth! We can to be this ONE that only we can be! This is why much of my work and self-expansion focuses on Inner Child Healing and Reconnection.

Change is at Hand ~ BE LOVE

Spirit shares "Change is at hand." Often change scares us; our primal selves may wish to carry a big club, When this happens, we have stepped back from our power and into fear. That was THEN, this is NOW. We are directing the change! 

It's so important to shift your fear to empowerment! More winners is always better than one, despite what we have been groomed to beLIEve. 

"Drop your club and raise your wand ... Focus on our Highest and Best COLLECTIVE Outcomes! Embrace the positive, empowered energies of commUNITY. We are co-creating this world; let's do so with LOVE!"

Spiritual Rituals for Prosperity and Abundance

Do you equate money with prosperity and measure your prosperity by your financial position? You’re not alone. If money is your primary focus, you are missing several other yummy pieces of the prosperity pie!

Prosperity Pie:

Assessing and expanding your current definition of prosperity is an important first step in creating a more powerful spiritual practice for abundance! It’s natural for us to focus on money because so much of our physical world is valued and driven by money. Yet, money is only one aspect of prosperity.

Consider these aspects of prosperity and abundance in your life beyond the obvious housing, clothing, and food: Technology and mobility; health and happiness; freedom and choices; quality time; love and relationships; talents, service, ability to give; other (you decide).

Abundance IS – Make Note of It!

Some of these things are naturally ours in great abundance!