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

Allow your expectations of yourself and others be fluid instead of rigid. Raise them when you can; lower them when you must. Lisa Olivera   D uring the pandemic, I wrote a book called Now What? The Flipside , the process of writing supported me as there were days of silence and solitude. I was finally in one place where I could reflect and share lessons rather than working, travelling, and flying about the world. With the previous books I wrote, I would sit and chat with my grandmother about life, get her perspective and experiences which somehow put me in a more centered place, and explained so much of how I operated in the world. During the writing of this last book, my grand mother fell ill, and somehow I believed that she would live forever.  As far as I could remember I have never seen her sick or bedridden my entire adult life. At 87 years old, she was a vibrant woman who still moved to her own beat. When I went to visit her, the shock I received seeing her lying in her bed unabl

"What you run from will chase you" Danielle La Porte  Each of us, the hero of our own story, our own life, faces different earthly and spiritual challenges from which we learn lessons that allow us to evolve different and higher qualities of power.  Every challenge we face, all  the stresses present an opportunity for spiritual learning in which we can gain insight into the use, misuse or misdirection of our personal power. The aim is to be content about who we are rather than to always strive for that good feeling with a focus only on what we "have" and where we work. Until then, we will continue to focus on games and things we own rather than our inner power. We will measure our success by how much we control the external world and other people when what is most important is how we define what success is to us.  It starts on the inside, recognizing and believing that: 1, You have the power to design the life you desire - that does not mean there will  not be chal

" Dear Love, what would you have me know today? ” Elizabeth Gilbert  Love says I got you, I always have and I always will. The challenge is that you doubt. You want proof and evidence and even more than that you want everything in your way and your time. I am patient and I work on divine timing - are you willing to accept this? And even if you are not, I will continue to have your back- always Love says I want nothing from you but for you to know yourself. There is nothing for you to prove to me, not a thing. You don't have to compete, cajole, push, prove. Do your best in the moment. Love says I do not judge you - perhaps you can follow suit?  Mistakes, missteps, failures are part of the human experience and last I checked  you are a human being. No one is exempt from those experiences. Love is how you transcend them. Love heals. Love transforms. Keep love in your life.  Love says today, show up with me, pay attention to the signs the Universe and have courage to take action a

  How do we know when we’ve shaken the hunt for enoughness and are moving from deep-abiding sufficiency? I don’t think this question can be answered. It needs to be practiced .  Chela Davidson I have always had the desire to inspire others, I wanted to be the one others turn to when they required an extra does of motivation. I wanted to be seen, have my name in lights. My mother said that I told her at quite a young age that I will make her proud. The question I am now asking myself is when does it go out of balance and become an ego fest! When does it shift from wanting to make myself proud to gaining external validation?  That yearning to succeed, to become "someone" can become a never ending spiral of reaching and reaching, rather than being in the moment. I am now embracing that doing my best is enough that showing up real is enough that following divine guidance with courage is enough Without having others tell me, show me, validate me.  It really is an inside job. There

 Events do not cause feelings. It is how we perceive, view, and think about events or comments that give rise to feelings . Law of Metaphysics  This weekend we resumed our second Sundays with the  Nina Young Women's Leadership Program . Every second Sunday we meet with the young ladies and chat about issues, have fun and build community. Yesterday I had a moment where I realized that I am many times not present and in the moment because of wanting everything to "be right", wanting everyone to "be happy" and not failing.. And in that state of mind, I miss so much of what is happening.  What happens moment by moment makes up our memories, our experiences. It shapes our perspective. Wanting things to be right, perfect, make everyone happy - can be laced with fear and lack. We miss the lessons and the moment because we are in our heads. What I have learnt is to 1. Do the work, be prepared then let it go - making everyone happy and pleasing them all is not your job.

  Life will cause somethings to have to pause. Sometimes life will slow us down and that is ok. Nedra Glover Tawaab I just retuned from a trip to Salvador de Bahia, Brazil. The calling to Brazil was an internal one, during the last year I have experienced so many encounters with different types of spirituality, I felt the need to be in a place where spirituality was entwined with the culture in an undeniable way. Salvador De Bahia's culture is entwined with their Candomblé, it is undeniable. There is an energy that I felt being there, the drumming, the music, the water (being on the coast) it filled me up and I knew I made the perfect decision going I  also had the opportunity to spend a lot of quiet time with Self and in that time mixed with the energy I learnt that there is a difference in focusing on being special and remembering your worth. This lesson has led me to focus on knowing that I am worthy and valuable rather than believing I am special. Special denotes separation, co

The issue is not if you are a size 2 or 22, the issue is, what do you believe about your body and what thoughts are you feeding yourself consciously or unconsciously . Iyanla Vanzant  At the start of the year, a few of my friends have decided to make changes with their bodies, how they eat, how they move their bodies and how much attention they are paying to their health. The start of the year provides us with an opportunity to reset.  I jumped on board the train wanting to take the opportunity to reset. Of course, in doing so, I had to reflect a bit on my "why" Am I willing to make this change part of my lifestyle? Are my thoughts about my body healthy? What is the motivation behind losing weight, and having a "six pack"? When I answered those questions honestly and got out of ego's way, I feel pretty excited about going on the journey to being healthy. The focus is on a healthy lifestyle, eating foods that nourish my body and not putting unnecessary  pressure

Balance applies to our body, mind and emotions, to all levels of our being. It reminds us that anything we do, we can overdo or underdo. If the pendulum of our lives or habits swings too far to one side, it will inevitably swing to the other. You apply the Law of Balance by noticing your imbalances . Dan Millman Look around you, the Laws of Balance operate naturally supporting the efficient running of the Universe. Night and Day Darkness and Light Inhale and Exhale Sunlight and Moonlight Work and Rest Hot and Cold Life let's us know when we are out of balance and calls upon us to recentre ourselves. The challenge is that we must make the choice to do so. When we continue to live out of balance the consequences show up as illness, addictions, pain, and suffering in its many forms, Balancing our lives takes practice, it takes stillness,  it demands that we pay attention to our bodies,  to our intuition,  to our divine guidance  which puts us in a better place live  a  harmonious life