It's all in your mind!

Everyone has days when we feel tired, hopeless, lost, frustrated and just like giving up.  Those are the days when we ask ourselves questions like "Why am I here?" and "What is my purpose?"  On tough days, and we ALL have them, it sometimes feels like it's hard to function beyond getting out of bed.

I am not one of those people who is going to tell you to "get over it" or "cheer up".  In fact, when I am having a hard day, I actually avoid people who spit out cheerful platitudes.   Our struggles are real and hard on this journey we call life.

I believe there are MANY paths to healing.  I also believe what is right for one person may not be right for another.  But what I do know from personal experience is that God, Spirit, the Universe has infinite healing opportunities at our disposal, we just have to be intent on finding the ones that are right for us.

Where to begin?

We all have a tool that we use everyday, consciously or not.  Most of us will never tap into the full potential of this unique God given tool bestowed us at birth.  A tool that is so powerful it has helped send people into space, and propelled humankind into greatness.
That tool is our MIND.
Our mind can be a safe, loving sanctuary, or it can be a lark living hell.  Many believe that we have no choice over what thoughts our mind will bring us on a daily basis, but that's just not true.
WE have control over what our thoughts will be throughout the day. We have control.
Isn't that great news?

Most of us were raised in a society that contradicts the fact that we can control what we think about.  On a good day we give it no thought to it at all, we go with the flow.  The challenge is on the bad days, the hard days.  Is it possible to shift our thoughts on the days that are tough?  Yes!!!!  I am not suggesting that if you have suffered trauma that you should be able to shift thoughts and just be happy, some days we do need to feel bad.  It's okay.  But if you find yourself stuck in a negative thought pattern, the following exercise may help you.  I have practiced this exercise for over a decade.  Often times people ask me "How come you are always so happy?" "How come you are always in such a good mood?"  I promise you, I too have bad days when I'm not feeling my full potential.  Years ago I was introduced to this exercise that I am going to share with you.  If practiced regularly it will shift your thoughts to a more positive place.  It's not a miracle, it is an exercise to practice in order to get the benefits it offers over time.  Try it, if it speaks to your soul try practicing on a regular basis.  I usually do this practice at night before I fall asleep or in the morning as I am waking up.


The practice of gratitude 
This is an exercise to focus on what is going right in your life.  If you only ever focus on the negative aspects, how can God/Spirit give you more? You're already unhappy with what you have, so by focusing only on the negative you actually block the universe from giving you more of the good stuff!

Sit or lay comfortably and think "Today I am grateful for..." and fill in the blanks.
You may be able to come up with only one thing, that's okay.  With time and practice, your list will grow.  It can be big things like "I'm grateful I have a job that lets me support myself" to little things like "I'm grateful I saw a hummingbird today, it really lifted my spirits".   If you can't come up with anything, don't get mad at yourself.  Just repeat the word "gratitude" over and over to yourself.

This is what my list looks like today.

Today I am grateful for the sun shining because my tomato plants really need sun!  I am grateful that I have a secure home to live in.  I am grateful that my family members are alive and well.  I am grateful for my health.  I am grateful that I feel God's support on this next journey in my life.  I am grateful that I have friends that I dearly love.  I am grateful that my pets are healthy and with me on this journey.  I am grateful that I have a car with no issues.  I am grateful that I saw a beautiful lizard today.

Don't try to control how much, or the order of your gratitude, just let it flow.  By practicing this exercise, you are using your mind to set the course instead of letting unhealthy negative thoughts control you. You can practice this exercise anywhere at any time.  If you are having a challenging day, try it.  Remember, it is your God given right to heal, thrive and grow!

Blessings and love, Cheryl

Going with the flow

Yesterday I had my day completely planned out.

I got up early, and was going to write on my blog, go to yoga, and get tedious chores done.  I had everything timed in order to best fit my schedule into my busy day according to how I thought it should flow.

 As I sat down to write I was overcome buy a sense of writers block.  I would try and write, take a break, come back to my desk, struggle with the writing again.  But the words just wouldn't  flow.

I needed to get my blog post done because my yoga class was at 10:45 and I really wanted to attend.  Meanwhile as the words were stuck in my brain, my dog Ellie was going stir crazy.  She kept trying to get my attention by chewing on things like my favorite pair of shoes, grabbing the toliet paper roll and streaming it all over the yard, sitting next to me staring with her forlorn sad eyes, and just generally being a pest.

Between chasing Ellie around the house cleaning up whatever mess she made and trying to push through the writers block,  I was getting nothing done as I planned.  I found my mood shifting to frustration and irritation.  I sat and thought "okay, what I am doing is not working, so what do I need to be doing?"

The answer came to me: take Ellie to the dog park and let her work off her energy.  That meant I would not get my blog post done and I would miss my yoga class.

I looked online and found that there was another class that I could take later in the day.  I was a little nervous because it was more advanced class and I wasn't sure my body would be up to the challenge, but I crossed my fingers, hoped for the best, and signed up.


Meanwhile, poor Ellie had not been out of the house/yard in about three weeks.  When I adopted Ellie she had heart worms and after treatment she could not be spayed for six months.  For the past 20 days she had been in heat, and not wanting to risk a pregnancy, I kept her home.  She was more than ready to run and play, so off to the dog park we went.  While Ellie ran around meeting new dogs and people, I was able to get some exercise in by walking around the dog park and just enjoying life.  We both had a great time!  Ellie got to work off excess energy and the walk was rejuvenating for me.

I came home, changed, and headed off to my yoga class.  Even though it was a more advanced class, I knew the instructor, and had taken classes with her before.  The class was small and intimate.  As we started working into our postures, my instructor came over and did gentle corrections, like helping me place my hands in the correct direction, or assisting me to deeper into the posture.  As the class continued, we started doing poses that involved balance and holding the weigh of ones body with just  arm muscles.

"Uggh" I thought, "I can't support my own body weight with just my arms."

My instructor came over and gently supported my body as I worked into the pose.

"You don't have to try this pose if you're not ready, but I think you can do it" she calmly said while she stood next to my shaking body as it threatened to collapse at any moment.  I made it into the pose, not gracefully mind you, but I did it.  After the class as I was heading to my car, one of my fellow students shouted out to me "You did really good today Cheryl!"  My inner child glowed with pride!

My day did not go as planned, it went better!   I was able to let go of my rigid beliefs of how my day should flow, and in doing so I gained new insight into my true authentic self.  I will admit, I'm not always good at going with the flow, but it was a great reminder that God/Spirit is always present.  Sometimes with things are not flowing the way we think they should, that may be the time to let go, and go with the flow and see what insights you gain.  Try it.  If you are having one of those days that just feels off, try sitting quietly and ask yourself "what should I be doing".  The answer may surprise you.  See what insights you gain by flowing.

Hugs and love Cheryl