It would be pretty wonderful if life could be problem-free, right?
But we all know that's not going to happen any time soon. In fact, it often feels as if we take one step forward and three steps back. Because... well, life happens.
Here's the thing... we attract the problems we encounter for the opportunity to learn, grow, and change. Each time you face a problem with a belief in your own ability to find a solution, courage, determination, and an intense desire for resolution, success becomes easier to achieve.
Have a problem that you need to solve right now?
Try this...
Do you ever feel like you’re stuck on a treadmill, running and running, but never really getting anywhere? Perhaps you feel like you’re trying so damn hard to make your life work, or make a change, but nothing seems to come together?
We can probably all relate, since we are constantly being told to “grab life by the reins” and “take the initiative”, and that hard work is the only true path to success and happiness. But then, if we are all working so hard, putting in so many hours, and making so many sacrifices…why aren’t we happy?
So many people are in a constant state of stress, afraid of losing control, lest their entire life come crumbling down at any moment. That kind of strain and fear-based thinking is what keeps us stuck, terrified to loosen our grip and go with the flow of the Divine. We are taught that we should always be at the helm of our life’s ship, but what if the truth was actually the opposite? What if we...
In many ancient healing traditions across the globe, it is believed that stagnation is the enemy of good health, and when you really step back and look at your life, this truth can be applied to every aspect.
Why do we, as humans, feel so restless and dissatisfied when things stop moving and changing? Why do we lose our luster when we fall into a rut of doing and believing the same things, day in and day out? It’s because our entire existence, the whole of the Universe, is built on dynamic movement! Everything, all around us, is in a state of constant flux.
The truth is very simple: when we are constantly evolving and growing, we are in tune with universal law, and when we are stagnant and stuck, we are out of tune with it. And since we are all connected to this luminous web, when we step out of alignment with the Divine flow, we feel uncomfortable. We get anxious, we feel bored, we feel fatigued. All of these things can simply be symptoms of being closed off to...
Personal transformation is an amazing thing, and one that requires a good deal of intention and energy. It embodies the magic of change, of movement, and of momentum, and it only happens in between the feeling of being stuck, and being empowered.
In the middle of where you are right now, and where you want to be, lies a vast and exciting land of awakening that, like the tides, can flow and shift you from an existence of boredom to a life lived on purpose and with passion. Too often, we get overly focused on the end goal, and find ourselves longing and planning and wishing that things would hurry up and just be different already! You’re probably familiar with the phrase, “It’s the journey, not the destination, that really counts”, and now is your chance to really live that wisdom.
For anything to change in nature, a strong, sometimes violent, force is needed to shake things up. Powerful storms blow through to clear out pollution and bring in life-giving...
Our spirits thrive on change, always looking for new, engaging growth opportunities and pushing us to expand our awareness of the world around us. But our minds and bodies are not always on board, since we have a hard-wired ability to get into a rut and never want to get out!
Most of life is a balance between action and rest, between change and settling down, between movement and stagnation, and this is a fine and normal thing. However, many of us get stuck in the resting part, and may have a seriously hard time breaking free, especially when we have lots of clutter, both material and emotional, holding us down. Perhaps right now, you are frustrated with the lack of energy and direction in your own life, and you need some help getting going again.
Over time, we tend to burden ourselves with all sorts of things that don’t serve us- boring jobs, lackluster relationships, negative self-talk, or self-limiting beliefs. Perhaps these felt right at one time, but as you progressed...
Do you have past fears and hurts that are still nagging you? Do you struggle with limiting beliefs and unhealthy patterns that you just can’t seem to let go of? Most of us do, but most of us also go about trying to heal these things in a haphazard way.
Perhaps we put ourselves in talk therapy for a few years, say some affirmations, go on a spiritual retreat, or move to a new city. We may feel relief for a little while, but those same old pains and belief patterns start coming to the surface again, and we’re frustrated and unsure of what to do next. When all along, a big clue may have been staring us right in the face!
If you are at home right now, take a moment to look around you. If you’re somewhere else, try to envision your living space in your mind’s eye. Really pay attention to the physical things that you have in your environment- hanging on the walls, strewn on the countertops, packed in the closets…just start with what you can easily see...
The mandala of life
From the ancient language of Sanskrit and loosely translated as ‘circle’, a mandala is a series of concentric lines arranged around a unifying centre. An interwoven lattice of intricate beauty and complex sophistication, mandalas represent the cosmos and symbolize the forces of the individual and collective flow of energy to and from a central point.
Since ancient times, mankind has always been attracted to circles. Our ancestors used the symbol of the circle in rock carvings and often placed objects in circular patterns. The ancient Aztec’s used a circular calendar as both a timekeeping device and in religious expression and the Native American’s create medicine wheels and sand mandalas. The yin-yang symbol of Asian culture honours creation as both male and female and the Tibetan mandalas are the focus of meditation - their detailed designs symbolise wholeness and are a matrix or model of a perfected...
Did you know that when we come into the world as babies, we only have two fears? The fear of falling and the fear of loud noises. All of our other fears are collected along the way in life, when we’re exposed to something in a negative way.
One of the main fears that holds so many of us back is ‘failure’. We have dreams and desires and aspirations, but we allow the fear of failure to keep us safe in our comfort zones.
Whatever the stimulus, our confidence was chipped and we began to hold back. Eventually we held back so much that we stopped thriving in that area at all. We gave up.
We assumed the lead role in a new story:
“I’m not creative."
“I’m not artistic/musical”
"I can't write/paint/draw/cook/make"
The fun we used to have with the activity we once loved became the first casualty in this new plot. The door to this creative outlet closed.
It closed the minute we decided that our creativity was a...
You might have heard about a pleasant neurological condition called synaesthesia, which results in the brain making unusual connections between colours and letters, numbers, words and music. There are other wonderful ways in which the condition plays out, with some people making links between other senses too—taste or touch or smell—and language.
According to neurologists, we’re all born with our senses crossing over. Most people’s brains ‘fence off’ these connections during development as a young child. For ‘synaesthetes’ some of those gates stay open, and the connections continue to be made, filling their worlds with extra colour.
Here are a few brilliant ways that you can add extra colour into your life:
1. Bring the outdoors in
Pick or buy some gorgeous flowers and place them somewhere close to you. Choose the most fragrant blooms to add scent to your visual feast.
2. Update your desktop background
Clear the clutter from...
Have you heard of 'Beginner's Mind'? It's where we experience each moment just for what it is. We're not clouding a situation with knowledge, judgment, old patterns or story-lines, we're in a childlike state of exploration and 'newness'. We see this a lot in young people, of course. All the world is new to them, and they're learning how everything fits together and what it all does and means. While playing, children's minds absorb information rapidly and solve complex problems.
Our creativity can feel forced. Or even absent! We're more stressed, less relaxed and have a higher chance of developing brain diseases like Alzheimer's. Problems stay unsolved, or our solutions become 'clunky'. We're frustrated, short-sighted in our outlook and shorter-tempered. Play is a crucial part of our development and success—and often a much overlooked one! Have you noticed the recent trend in colouring-in books for adults? Bookstores are...