Not Giving Away Your Power

There are all kinds of pressure; peer pressure, parenting pressure, career pressure, beauty pressure and more. We are continually bombarded by standards that are set for us to adhere to, rise to and accept. But these standards are set by forces outside of us. They are set to keep a division between the haves and have nots, to create a chosen few, the elite, and the beyond special. It creates a series of checks and balances that most accept. But what if you are one who does not accept them as the norm, or a measure of who you are and what you do?

Who are these forces to deem that someone is more worthy than you? For anything? How do they become so powerful in our world? What right has been bestowed upon them? Why do we turn to them for guidance and approval?

We have given our power away in so many circumstances. We believe that others know better who we are and what we need to do. We give them the power to call the shots, set the bar, make our choices and form our opinions.

What if we began to lean into ourselves? What if we gave ourselves permission to trust our own truth, to listen to our own voice, to learn from our own mistakes and successes? You are the very expert you need to consult on decisions about your life. Practicing this act of listening to one's truth and authentic voice takes time, it is often not modeled to us or encouraged. But, that does not mean it is not doable or possible.

No one is more worthy than you of your power. You have the greatest insight on what is right for you. You have the best opinion on what you want. You have the wisest thoughts on what feels true. You have the deepest connection to your truth. No one else does!

Embracing this fact and applying it to your life is a power filled action. It puts you in control of your decision making, your choices, your interests, likes and dislikes without any need to rationalize or hide.

We all need people in our life to share out thoughts with, to have conversations that help us expand in our views and concepts, but in the end it is you who puts the final thought in place within your essence. It is you who creates the pattern for your life tapestry and chooses how to embellish it or trim it back.

Learning to not give our power away is a practice. It is a commitment. It takes time. But in a world where an "expert" is around every corner, to learn to rely upon our own power, strengths and wisdom is a very important skill of survival and leads to days of happiness and grace.

Blessings, Lisa

What Defines Your Reality

What defines my reality? A question that I have worked with over time so that I become more aware of where I am energetically in the moment. This question has given me opportunities to keep my process clear, to find my direction and to heal what comes up.

We see in our lives situations, energetic relationships with people, places, events, things, that we try to understand, embrace or let go. Our reality in the moment ebbs and flows with the work we do around these. Remembering this is critical.

Think back to the last time you were frustrated with a situation. Perhaps it had something to do with work, or a family relationship or even the traffic. Your perception created your reality in the moment. You had the choice to see this from a perspective of complete overwhelm, bringing in all kinds of negative self talk and energies. Or you could stand grounded in the knowledge that the feelings and emotions wrapped around the moment would eventually pass, that you would more than likely resolve the problem, make amends with your family, and, yes, get through the traffic and arrive at your destination.

We need to learn how to train ourselves to view life and its events from a place of gentle understanding that our ego often likes to take charge and be in control. When this happens we often are walking a tightrope of emotions. We see ourselves so differently than who we are truly and authentically. Our reflection of our Self and the events we are in can become skewed and inaccurate

We have all been there, listening to someone go on and on about a situation in their life, how limited their choices are, how much a victim they are of the circumstances, how unfair it all is, how impossible things have become and so on. We have listened to the voice inside that responds with comments like, "Well, that is because you won't let go of the old story, or You are not ready to embrace your truth, or That is only one way to see this." What if we took these kinds of comments and applied them to our own dialogue the next time we are defining our reality.

Imagine what could shift, imagine how quickly you could pull yourself out of the egoic sludge and move on, imagine what you could learn about your inner Truth! It will most likely take you out of your comfort zone the first few times you try this. Even pain can be a comfort zone for us, especially if we feel we know no other way. But, with gentle tenderness and consideration that we are a work in progress, we can find that taking small steps in this understanding of our moment by moment perception can be a path to living in our Truth, in the moment, and not projecting into the future the what ifs or draggin along the past's old story lines.

Blessings, Lisa

The Simple Touches of Beauty

The beauty industry and media and advertising world want us to believe that we need their assistance somehow in uncovering or discovering our beauty; money needs to be spent, certain actions must be made, trainers and coaches sought, gadgets bought, supplements taken, injections given, creams applied and so on. Yet, beauty is most often found in simplicity.

The simple touches of beauty surround us. They are found in the laughter you share with family and friends. The exist in the compassion you bring to  your community. It twinkles in your eyes when you gaze upon a loved one. It is felt in your embrace. It is imparted in your praise. It is received in your thanks.

Beauty, true beauty, cannot be packaged or sold. It is something that lives within our essence. It grows brighter and becomes more expansive with our positive energies. It becomes alive the more we share it and embody it. Our beauty is unique to us and that in itself makes it even more stunning and attractive.

We need to do what we love, dress in what makes us feel amazing, dance to the songs that get us jazzed up, wear make up if it delights us, AND always be true to who we are! We can't be fooled into thinking that someone else knows what makes up our beauty. We ARE our beauty!

So many of the gifts in life come within the simple wonders and moments. We don't need to over complicate our beauty. Learning to embody our strengths, to celebrate our vulnerabilities, to honor our talents, to share our gifts...then our beauty shines through. Remembering who we are and embracing what we bring to the moment is the most effective way to show others our true beauty.

Blessings, Lisa

Thinking Positive

The shaman knows that everything in life is made of energy. This energy is diverse and alive. Its vibrations are what set it apart from other energies. For example, a  living pine tree has a higher vibration than a fallen dead branch. You and I  have different vibrations as well. This diversity is what makes life so beautiful.

Our thoughts are filled with vibrational energies as well. Imagine the difference between a positive thought and a negative one. Imagine how your soul resonates with this energy. We know how others do. We can see it in their eyes, hear it in their words and feel it in their energies when we are sharing our positivity versus sharing our anger or frustration. If we find ourselves focusing on the past, reliving past wounds, angry feelings and even dysfunctional relationships over and over, without any kind of forward movement we are said to be dwelling, even stuck in the past. But we can shift those energies and make efforts to move away from them. Each step that we take to stop a negative thought from growing we shift the energetic vibration that surrounds us and flows within.

Now, imagine how this energy ripples outward to those that cross your path, influence your day, participate in your choices and more. If you bring positive thoughts to your relationships you are more likely to have a positive flow to the way things unfold. And if for some reason you hit upon a stumbling block, your positive vibrations will help you discover a resolution more readily.

Keeping our thinking more positive takes intentional effort. It is easy to slide down the slippery slope of negative thinking and have it impact our actions. Some use affirmations to help support their thoughts. Others use rituals and connection to Source. Some find honoring the body temple through healthy food choices and movement keeps the vibrations of their thoughts high. Others meditate or journey. And then others utilize the relationships with others to help keep them in a positive frame of mind. Sometimes it takes a distraction, a new practice or a supportive conversation to remain in the positive and away from the negative, but that black cloud does not need to remain and if it seems to hover, it does not need to drag us down. We can observe it, but not let its energies drown us in negativity.

Finding what supports your efforts of thinking positive is an important part of your day's energies. It is worth the effort and intention brought to it. By bringing positive thinking into balance for yourself you will find that your energies will begin to shift. You will see it reflected in your relationships, your work, and your overall life.

Blessings, Lisa