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

Leaning into gratitude while we do our soul work will stretch us in ways we cannot imagine.   Alex Elle Confessions on the Journey- June has been a tough one.  It has been one of the months that I have felt most vulnerable and uncertain in years.  Another confession - vulnerability is tough for me. I feel extremely naked when I am called to be vulnerable, when I am in a space of being vulnerable. I feel that I am losing control. I gently remind myself that vulnerability is part of life, it is a strength and to feel all my feelings - Dang its a challenge for me. This month, I have gone through the feelings of vulnerability, changing my self talk about it. Still challenging! Here is what I have learnt -  1. Vulnerability is indeed a strength - to stand within yourself, with yourself and with others showing your emotions in an authentic way is empowering. 2. Having a safe space to be vulnerable helps - find your safe space. 3. When we hold back, there is a lack of authe...

  Do yourself a favor: Stop being offended by opinions. Social media has many benefits, it has indeed given us a voice, and reach to others which would normally not have both voice and reach. As with any tool, it really is how it is used. A hammer may be able to drive in a screw driver, however it is not the most suitable tool for its use. It may also damage both the tool and what is being fixed. Social media is full of opinions, some we may agree with and some we will not agree with. If we spend time being offended by all and every opinion we must ask ourselves why and what do we do with those feelings. One of the best lesson I have learnt is - stay grounded, look inside to see what is shaking you so much so as to comment, especially if the comments are unkind and venomous.  When we are being triggered to come out of ourselves - we are children of the Universe, full of love and light. It is up for us to remember that...all the time! I have a mantra when I find myself getting ...

  Conscious Commitment - Consciously Committing to yourself Maryham Hasnaa Taking the time and effort to consistently do what is required to love and live the life that I deserve. I am consciously committing to: 1. Having an open, authentic and consistent relationship with the Most High. 2. Healthy living through mind, body and spirit. 3. Loving myself unconditionally. 4. Daily Journaling and Meditation. 5. Deep Rest. 6. Respecting and honoring nature. 7.Having the courage to have difficult conversations. 8. Speaking up even when its hard. 9. Doing my best in the moment minus guilt 10. Balance, Fun and Dreaming. What are you consciously committing to? Peace

  Health is a sense of being that allows you to live productively as you pursue your purpose. Health is a complete physical, mental , emotional, spiritual and social wellbeing, is not merely the absence of illness. Your body is nourished and nurtured and your spiritual is aligned with something bigger than you.   Health is also about what you think and feel about yourself in addition to being physically sound. Iyanla  Confessions on the Journey. When I start feeling ill, a bout of terror comes over me, a type of fear. Its a combination of me thinking that something is "wrong" with me or I swing fully into the "what if's?" Living alone, "the what if's" come around to haunt me. What if something happens and no one knows? What if no one can come to me in a timely fashion, and on and on and on. Making up stories!  Reframing what health and healing is have moved me from the place of terror to a place of hope. Stopping the making up of stories, I  The l...

  effort, tears and truth . Francia Marquez Everything takes effort! Perhaps you have heard the saying that faith without works is dead. The lesson that rings through for me is how do we define work and effort and is there a balance. I define work as the effort you put in to achieve your dream, purpose and vision without compromising your values, with honoring yourself and having balance. When the work scale tips to ignoring your health, it no longer is work, its self sabotage, When the work scale tips to dishonoring your self and your values, it is no longer work, it becomes fear. When the work scale tips to proving others wrong all the time, it is no longer work, it is the ego running  amuck. Having that balance is extremely important. Of course there will be tough days, challenges and frustrations- important to allow for them and feel all of the feelings. Let it pass through you, get the lesson and get out of the mess. This is where the tears come in. Some days, the tears o...

  identifying the pattern is awareness, choosing not to repeat the cycle is growth . Billy Chapata Self awareness is an extremely powerful part of how we heal and grow. There is a saying which goes "Knowledge is Power". This applies to self development, growth and breaking patterns that no longer are in our best interests. Self awareness is your knowledge, ownership and acknowledgement of your patterns, traits, feelings and behaviors in situations. Self awareness is usually the first step in making a change in how one approaches situations, particularly emotional situations. Do you know what triggers you, what makes you uncomfortable, what brings you joy? Do you own that? If you know yet ignore or disown then you are not fully self aware. The acknowledgement has to come with being accountable, having the ability to respond and without judgement. The clincher with all of this is taking action. When you become self aware, what are your new choices? Are there any new choices? It...

  There is something about our culture that looks down on showing emotion. We’re just not huge fans of allowing people to feel things out in the open. Living in this kind of society teaches the people in it to deny what they’re actually feeling. We’re constantly pretending. Nedra Tawwab Hello Lovelies I loved this so much from Nedra, I am sharing... In some instances, like when you’re at work, you may not want to burst into tears, or if you’re around people you don’t know that well you may not feel comfortable being vulnerable. But that doesn’t mean to shove those feelings down and never feel them. It’s ok to put things off for a moment, as long as that moment doesn’t become forever. There can be some value in compartmentalizing. It is ok to tell yourself, “I can’t feel this at the moment, but at some point today, I’m going to allow myself the time and space to really feel the impact of this.” Just to be clear, compartmentalizing doesn’t mean that you don’t revisit those emotions. ...

Mastery is giving of your self with excellence. Iyanla   Last week I went on my customary annual hike in my birthday. I decided on this day, as part of the Journey to Courage, to go into the river that we hiked to. I have been on countless hikes, I love being around the sea, rivers and waterfalls. Can you believe that I never go into the water? Confessions on the Journey - I have a fear of losing control in the water. So I sit on the shore, I walk in the water, I marvel at the falls from a far- never venturing in due to fear. I decided that this day will be different, I am getting into that water. I must journey to courage. I sat on the rock for twenty minutes searching my mind for justifications why going into the water was a bad idea. I told myself, the water feels good sitting on the rock, the pool was too deep, I can always return and on and on. Isn't it funny how we can justify and rationalize anything? I decided to change my self talk "I can do this! I can do hard things...

  The master observes the world but trusts his inner vision. He allows things to come and go. He prefers what is within to what is without. ― Lao Tzu There is nothing, NO-THING outside of you, out there,that you need to have, acquire, and get to feel whole. You have already been born whole. Freedom, Courage, Confidence, Love, Connection – somehow we associate these qualities with products, material possessions, we have bought into the idea that if you buy/get/acquire the products that will allow for you to have the feeling. So instead of selling you a car they say they are selling you freedom We think its out there and we have to get it, bring it into our lives in order to experience it. It’s the other way around You don’t have to get it, you have to know it, believe it, sense it, feel it, BE IT You have to BE it You have to BE the love to experience it You have to BE the confidence to experience it You have to express and be in your power But we believe its out there and you have...

  Why do I do what I do? Alicia  Rodriguez Have you ever asked yourself that question in  a quiet moment and ponder authentically on the response? Why do I  what I do - daily. In fact, apart from what you know that you absolutely must do, are you aware of why you do some of those things routinely? The job you have chosen The hobbies The automatic response to situations? How does what you do contribute to the life that you now live? I have sat and ask myself the questions and this was the automatic responses: 1. It brings me joy 2. I am afraid to do something different 3. My family does this all the time 4. This is who I am Here is what I learnt, the moment I am not at peace and have started justifying, blaming and rationalizing, its time to look at what I am doing and why. If there is no peace in the response, take another look- with open, willing and  honest eyes Peace Now What - The Flipside What Did I Learn Today? Nyabo (Madam) Why Are You Here?

           Courage- the ability to do what you need to do before you are forced to do it. Iyanla                 June is upon us. As we move on from our Journey to Stillness, we Journey onward to                   Courage. Maya Angelou said "courage is the most important of all virtues because without courage you cannot practice any other virtue consistently" she also went on to say if we have courage, nothing can dim the light that is within. As I Journey throughout this beautiful blessing called life, I have learnt that courage can be a quiet determination to live a life that I am proud of, one that I have designed, rather than one that has been designed for me, given to me or expected of me. I have learnt that it takes courage to accept and face what I fear. It also takes courage to take the action required to move past the fear. Courage requires...