Are you loving and understanding when you ‘talk’ to yourself? Are you patient and forgiving? Many, many of us aren’t.

Ease up on yourself and begin to think of yourself as your best friend. Louise Hay offers many strategies to help us learn to like and love ourselves again, as we naturally did when we were born into this world, such as mirror work, Inner Child work and the use of positive affirmations. As Louise says, we loved ourselves completely as babies; every bit of ourselves, including our faeces. We weren’t focused on our bodies in a negative way, thinking our hips were too big example, but in a healthy self loving way. We were joyful just to have a body.

When we learn to love ourselves again we find our outer world changes to reflect that. When we love ourselves we cannot behave in a way that contradicts that; we cannot hurt ourselves or others.

And… love heals……

There are many, many authors out there that tell us that the way in which we look at our life experiences is a choice. It is a choice of perception. We can choose to view things from a negative perspective or we can claim our power back by choosing to look at it from another perspective. To choose to take responsibility for our own life experiences – what we have created, so far.

Authors like Louise Hay and Abraham-Hicks are good examples of advocates of these teachings. They encourage us to become conscious; to become aware of the thoughts we choose to think and to begin to make changes. As we choose to think positively, so we invite positive changes into our lives. The trick is, to stick with it. For those of you that have already tried using affirmations, such as those suggested by Louise Hay, you may have felt despondent as you tried but observed little changes in your own life. Even if at first the affirmations you have chosen to work with feel like a lie, it is important to stick with it. As you practise, every day, you will begin to feel a shift in how you feel. It may be that there is some resistance there for you that you have to work through or even a fear of change, even though that’s what you want so much.

As Louise Hay says ‘You Can Do It’!!

You may need some support as you work your way through any issues you may still be carrying around. Get the help you need. Our health is an investment. You may need to see your GP for immediate help. You may be interested in experiencing all manner of Complementary Therapies such as Reiki that support you at many levels.

Start with the person in the mirror. Support yourself with love and acceptance. Be your own best friend.

Feel good! Think positive!

There is a character – Sully - going along with his life in the same way he had every day for however long and he was naturally upbeat and happy and this was reflected in everyone he came into contact with. He’s great at his job – the best in fact. But all is not going well with the company. In their desperation they resort to underhand means to try to fix things. And that’s when the fun starts! In comes Boo, the little girl, and Sully’s world is turned upside down and everything he believed in questioned. She is his catalyst for change. He moved through fear because of her and sees himself from a completely different angle ultimately as well as finding the child within himself. He goes through turbulence in his relationships and has to stand for what he has now come to realize. He comes through the other side and has a wonderful idea that provides even more abundance than he could have dreamed of and all is well. He has been on a journey

The symbology of this story really jumped out at me. It reminds me of a workshop I listened to by Caroline Myss on Spiritual Alchemy and the symbology of great stories like ‘The Wizard of Oz’ for example.

Do we see the truth and symbology of our own lives?

I am just about to begin reading another Caroline Myss Book, ‘Sacred Contracts’ and am very excited about the synchronicity of attracting this book into my experience at this time.

My year has been rather interesting so far. Challenges in both my personal and business life took me by surprise but after the storm it appears that the Universe can have far better plans for us than we can imagine ourselves. The trick for me was to ditch the fear and the worry and simply to trust. Go with the flow, as Abraham would say.

Do you ever just stop and listen to your inner self? Just feel? Feel that excitement?

Have you heard of the teacher known as ‘Abraham’? If you haven’t, you’re in for a real treat! The collective consciousness known as Abraham, chanelled through Esther Hicks has been one of my greatest sources of enlightenment. Information and an introduction to them can be found at www.abraham-hicks.com

By focusing on whatever we perceive is wrong – in a person or in a situation, for example all we are doing is asking for more of the same. If you don’t like something, rather than allow it to become a part of your vibration by focusing on it and ‘fighting’ against it, try shifting your focus onto an aspect of it that is positive and that when you focus on it, it makes you feel good, rather than feeling bad. No matter how small or insignificant it may be, focus on the positive, change your perception. You will be amazed at how much better you feel and what a difference this makes to the people and situations you begin to attract. At times this may mean letting something go yet it will open a door through which wonderful new experiences can happen. This may not necessarily be a situation; it could be a belief that you have been hanging onto that no longer serves you. Have you ever noticed that the same kind of situations or people seem to keep cropping up? What lesson could be learned from it? What patterns within yourself might you be repeating? It is possible to change and to change the way we think and respond to any given situation. Where can you look within to see the mirror of your life experiences? When we go within and change ourselves, so our outer experience of life will change too.

Being grateful is a wonderful place to start. Look around.  What can you be grateful for in this moment? Your life is meant to be joyful. Look around. There are always aspects you can choose to focus upon that make you feel good. It really doesn’t matter what your current circumstances are, you can begin to make those changes now, from exactly where you are.

Let’s choose now to quit complaining about things we don’t want and begin to change our focus of attention onto what we do want. Let’s begin to express gratitude. The Universe will send us more and more experiences to be grateful for.

I had a visit from my dog last night, in my dreams. It’s lovely when that happens, isn’t it? I feel at peace – I have let go. Probably like many people, when we lose someone – be it a person or a beloved pet, I went through feelings of guilt. Did I do everything I could? Would he be alright on his own? Of course the answer is yes and no-one is ever really alone but it doesn’t stop the thoughts from entering your head.

Guilt. What a destructive emotion. Let it go. As I go into 2011 I choose to let go. To forgive. To forgive myself and others. I choose to be free and to free them. It’s ok and safe to do so. Forgiving others for perceived wrong-doings is not to condone specific behaviours but an act of love towards ourselves. It allows us to move on, to reclaim the bits of us that are still stuck in the past. However justified we feel at staying angry with someone or resentful or beating ourselves up for past ‘mistakes’, all that does is keeps us stuck, unable to move forward and unable to heal. How can we progress on our healing journey if we still feel ‘wounded’?

Could the past simply be lessons to be learned? What did we learn? Have we learnt or are we still repeating the same cycle over and over again? When we refuse to forgive the only person we are really affecting is us. Do you use any of the social websites like Facebook? I love FB, especially since I am so far away from friends and family. One day whilst I was reading the updates of all my friends I realized something – everyone is getting on with their lives. Everyone has moved on – had I? Was there anyone or anything still buried deep down that I was still holding onto and so stunting my growth? You know, Osho has written of becoming concious and that once we become concious of something it then becomes impossible to continue doing it. I have found that as I ask myself deeper questions and continue to seek the truth of myself that is probably right for me. The answers come and as I become conscious of them I let them go. I make my peace. I move on. I forgive. I heal.

Is it time for you to let something go? To forgive someone?

I just recently bought another book by Louise L. Hay on the power of affirmations with an accompanying CD. I always find that I am drawn to the right books or CDs at the right time for me and this one is no exception. I recently lost one of my dogs. He was young and his death was unexpected and traumatic. I love Christmas. It’s my favourite time of the year but this year it felt different as it approached and my feelings were mixed – tinged with sadness. Listening to Louise again has helped to remind me that I still have the power to choose what I think and how I feel. Of course we grieve but rather than think about the fact he’s gone I now smile as I remember what a character he was and still is, no doubt, in heaven. I love the way Sylvia Browne describes it in her book ‘All Pets Go to Heaven’ and perhaps many of you are familiar with the following poem:

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

Let’s choose to change the way we think as we go into 2011.

“I am now willing to change”

“I now choose to think positive, empowering thoughts”

“I know that I am in control of my thoughts, they do not control me and thoughts can be changed”

Use your creativity to make up your own affirmations. They should be positive, empowering and in the present tense. Express your gratitude and know that every day and in every moment you are creating powerful changes that will grow with practise. Give yourself the great Christmas present you deserve – your power to create – your power to choose.

Have a wonderful Christmas and a very healthy, happy and prosperous New Year.

Are you willing to share your experiences with us? Some years ago I asked a question. At the time I didn’t actually realize that this is exactly what I was doing – asking the Universe a question. I felt fed up. I wasn’t happy at work, with the way I looked, with how I felt but I had no concious idea of what I did want. Have you ever felt like this?

The first part of my journey took me back overseas. Already, things were in motion unbeknown to me. A woman awaited who would create a chain of events which introduced me to Reiki and opening my mind to be able to listen to my inner voice.

For me, and perhaps for most people, change initially feels awkward and uncomfortable – it takes us out of our comfort zone. Even though we may not feel happy or fulfilled in our current situation, change can feel difficult and it can often just seem easier to stay where we are, with the familiar patterns of our life. For me, it felt strange and confusing at first. Meditation was alien to me and I felt silly sharing any insights I received during meditation. What if it was just my imagination? What if the others judged me? With time and guidance I began to feel more at ease and began to trust my intuition.

Once I began to open my mind it was like opening Pandora’s Box and felt incredibly overwhelming and at times, confusing. This is, I believe, an inevitable consequence of healing. Old patterns of thinking came to the surface to be released and I found I was reading related books constantly which made me question further and begin to look at my life experiences in a new light and certain areas of my life began to feel uncomfortable. I seemed to be more sensitive to the energies around me. Some situations felt empowering but others felt toxic. Change was in order. I finally had the courage to follow my instincts to make changes.

I am referring to positive changes here, not ones made from a place of fear. In fact, I realized I had been holding onto certain things, beliefs and thoughts out of fear and I had to work through this. I think it is important to say here that I had help and support in doing this. I attended workshops which helped me to identify issues I was still hanging onto subconsciously, which was often emotional and I needed support to implement practises which could deal with them and assist me in releasing them. I believe that everyone has issues of one sort or another. Some people aren’t ready or willing yet to acknowledge them and some people know they are not happy but don’t know what to do about it. Some people are already feeling the physical effects through dis-ease or illness because of the emotional charge of their issues. As Caroline Myss states in her book, ‘Anatomy of the Spirit: The Seven Stages of Power and Healing’, “our biography becomes our biology”.

In some, even small way, change is required in order for healing at any level to occur. It requires our participation and action.

If any of this resonates with you, please feel free to share your experience or get in touch for a chat.

No matter how small or insignificant you feel it may be, I encourage you to look around you for anything positive which creates that ‘feel good’ factor and that which you can be grateful for.

When I am with my horse, for example, I know that I am creating more and more positive experiences in my life because I am filled with a feeling of joy. My heart literally feels like it is overflowing with love. In those moments I know that I am experiencing the joy that is my birthright and my reason for being here.

What experiences in your life have made you feel an overwhelming sense of love and joy?

What could you focus on here and now, around you, that makes you feel grateful? The home you have made for yourself, your comfy bed? The food in your fridge? The air in your lungs? The sun in the sky? The beautiful white, crisp snow?

When we choose to look positively around us, deliberately seeking out things which are pleasing to us, it is amazing how the way we feel also changes. We can all get bogged down in the day to day drama of our lives and end up seeing nothing but negativity. Choose today to begin focusing on the positive.

‘Today I choose to focus only on the positive aspects of my day and those things around me that make me feel good.’

What other positive affirmations could you come up with?

When learning Reiki, Master/Teachers tend to split the training into three or four levels – some teach the Master/Teacher level as one, some separate them. At Level 2 three symbols are introduced, one of them being the Distance Symbol. In mentioning ‘symbols’ here I am not referring to ‘signs’ such as road signs or a company logo. I am referring to ‘symbols’ in the sense that they are beyond language – an image or representation which points to something unknown, a mystery. Symbols within Reiki are generally only passed on from Master to student at the time of Attunement at Levels 2 and 3. They are treated as sacred.

Reiki Practitioners, like myself, may utilize the Distance Symbol to send Reiki anywhere. In addition, Reiki can be sent through time to traumas of the past and to important events in the future. It can be sent to connect people and bridge time and space allowing the practitioner to beam energy across a room or around the world. It also becomes useful when treating animals which for whatever reason cannot be treated hands on.

Groups of Reiki Practitioners often come together when Distant Reiki is requested and send energy collectively, such as in the case of my horse or a relative or friend who is in hospital or is fearful about undergoing an operation in another city or country. Reiki has certainly brought comfort to individuals about to have an operation and it can help with the recovery process post-op.

I personally use Distance Reiki in my everyday life - sending Reiki to important events that I may be nervous about and as a beginning to my day to make the most of each day, help me make good decisions for me, do the right thing and recognise any opportunities that cross my path.

In this way there is nothing and no-one that Reiki cannot reach.