What did I learn today? Lessons on the Journey to Unconditional Self Love

" Grace is always a gift. It cannot be summoned, seduced, cajoled or earned; only embraced, only received. We can be allies and agents of grace in the simplest of ways. By the quality of care and attention we bring to our everyday encounters. By nurturing our own bodies and hearts, tending to those in our sphere, extending welcome and hospitality to the human and non-human world alike. Touching everything our hands encounter with love, with respect, with appreciation. Building, in ourselves, in our homes and in our businesses, the qualities of the world in which we want to live. Grace lives in the heart of our humanity. We don’t need to zoom out to the rim of the cosmos to find it – it’s right here, in you, in me, in the way we live our everyday lives. Grace lives in choosing to love every part of you, especially the parts of which you are embarrassed or ashamed; the parts you have banished to the underlands of your life. Grace lives in the act of pouring the honey of mercy into t...

  Every new beginning you've experienced has led you to the person you are today . Rachel Astor New beginnings can be exciting, particularly when it is a personal choice to  start over, to begin again.  New beginnings provide an opportunity to make a fresh start, forge a new path. How do you perceive new beginnings? Life is impersonal. When the end of a relationship, job, situation or whatever it is has been reached, life will simply give us cues. We may feel a certain heaviness, our feelings become less joyful, our intuition tells us to take the next best new path. Many times when we ignore life's cues and force to remain where we are, this is the genesis of suffering. New beginnings does not mean giving up, it may mean surrendering to the notion that there is something different out there for you to do.  New beginnings can build character, it allows us to see how much progress we have made and how much progress we still have to make, Change is happening all ar...

  Self-acceptance has been the greatest gift I have ever given myself. In it, I have found peace amongst the chaos within me. Because of it, I can permit others to be more of themselves too . Stacy Herrera I am naturally open to listen, but insanely private. I crave intimate moments, but I find intimate acts can sometimes be intimidating.  Sometimes I avoid eye contact because I want to remain invisible as much as I want to be seen.  An then... Anonymity, I have learnt, triggers me.  Connection and solitude is high on my list of priorities . Reading is one my favorite things to do , mainly because that is the only activity that allows me to do both simultaneously.  Some days I wake up with my heart overflowing with gratitude and excitement. And other days, I struggle to wake up because I feel anxious and imposter syndrome takes over. I am inspired by people with lots of  genuine friends, I feel also that it may include some serious work. A few friends will ...

  Opening ourselves to willingness may feel like we are surrendering or abandoning all that we believed. But at the same time it is an act of power and courage because it is a conscious choice we make about how to apply our personal will. Being willing is to be in a state of willing something into creation. It is at once allowing ourselves to be while also choosing to direct our energy in a focused way. It is being and doing from a place of openness, where we can work with the universe rather than resist it. It is an open hand rather than one that is clenched into a fist. When we make a step toward willingness, we open ourselves to truth, possibility, and the movement of the wise universe in and through our lives . Daily OM One of the greatest lessons I have learnt on the Journey thus far is "be willing" At the onset of being told to be willing...again, I resisted it. I could not wrap my head around why people were going on about how important it was for me to be "willin...

  Funny how simple it is to settle into discontentment. So much so that there is a sense of security in sorrow and frustration. You unwittingly become Stockholm to dysfunction. It’s not what you like; it’s what you know .  Stacey Herrera As we approach the end of this cycle called a year, self reflection of the lessons learnt become a priority for me. Allow me to share the top 21 lessons that I learnt. Please drop a comment to share yours. This too shall pass. We are all connected, despite where we live, what we believe. Always show up in love, rather than in fear, it makes a difference. Have boundaries - use them! No. Sometimes it is all you must say in response. Yes. Sometimes Yes is all it takes. Everyone is going through their own internal battles. Some people need to be loved from afar. There are times you need to and must mind your own business You cannot save others, nor can you do their work for them. You do not need to share your opinion on every single thing. Feeling...

  Your healing will change the world around you . Valencia Your healing is your responsibility. It may sound harsh, hear me out though. Your ability to respond to situations that are in your life, some perhaps out of your control, is with you. How do you respond to situations, challenges and difficult situations says where you are in both your growing and healing. Life is very consistent in reflecting back to us where we are, where we must grow, heal, forgive, move, change, shift, love, forgive, get courage. It is up to us to pay attention to the signs. What happens when we don't? life will keep showing us over and over again. The moment we look to blame or give up our power to the external, we find ourselves right back in the cycle. Pay attention to your life, to the signs and signals that life continues to give you. Pay attention to your responses. are you blaming, externalizing, looking for scapegoats, rationales, justification and excuses. Pay attention if you are not or never ...

  Hard pill to swallow : a lot of us practice emotional avoidance & call it a positive mindset . Marcos Alvarado Feel all of your feelings, do not be afraid of them, they are guides, they are here to reflect to you where you are in life. Feel them, deal with them, then you heal. Avoiding your feelings manifests itself in not just poor health, in poor relationships - all relationships. December is a month to focus on feeling, dealing and healing. Peace Akosua