HOPE – Page 17 – Daily Muse

The greatest gifts in the world are not wrapped in the most beautiful paper tied neatly with a bow. Boxed gifts and material possessions cannot heal a hurting soul. The most precious gifts you can give are those of love, compassion and forgiveness.

This year those gifts are more important than ever; Our economy is in a shambles, people are losing their jobs or homes, many are in pain and losing hope. You might not recognize those hurting inside as you pass by them on the street or you might be the one in pain carrying the burden of an illness or emotional pain which cannot be seen. People may lash out and hurt you not because of something you said or did but because they are hurting inside themselves. It might be you who does the lashing out for the same reason. NOW more than ever is the time to open your heart, forgive and have compassion for those around you and the best way to do this is to start with yourself.

If you or someone you know is carrying a heavy load it is important to remember that you (or the others) are not broken and don’t need fixing. What is needed is love, compassion and understanding. Until you walk in another’s shoes you can never know what triggered an emotional reaction or outburst. This is true for you as well. If you walk around thinking you need ‘fixing’ that is the message you put out to everyone you meet. Sometimes it’s necessary to bravely look at yourself and your own burdens. Do have expectations of how others should treat you as if you are the only one carrying burdens? Do you love and respect yourself? Do you treat your body with compassion and forgiveness? If you expect others to treat you with love, compassion and forgiveness no one will be able to live up to those expectations unless you treat yourself that way.

How you treat yourself is how you teach others to treat you. It is precisely the vibration you put out that others react to. Take a moment to reflect on those areas you can love yourself more. Can you forgive yourself if you’ve lashed out at another whether (in your eyes) they deserved it or not? Do you love yourself for who you are with all your faults? Do you treat your physical body with love even if it’s not perfect? Do you strive to open your mind and expand your knowledge so you have a deeper understanding of yourself and or what someone else is going through? Can you put judgement aside and forgive yourself for the indiscretions and choices you’ve made which may have inadvertently hurt either yourself or someone else? Now is the time to love yourself and forgive. After all you’ve been through love is the one thing that stands by you, has faith in you, supports you, and is always there for you. Love teaches you to forgive the seemingly unforgivable. Compassion and forgiveness lead to loving unconditionally.

Open your heart to love. Allow love to flow through your heart and surround you. Allow your actions to match. We are all connected by love and when we show love and compassion through our actions every moment is a loving moment. Our actions show the outer world what we have inside. Our actions show the intimate relationship we ultimately have with ourselves. Make gift giving a daily habit by giving the gifts of compassion, forgiveness and love. Start with yourself….begin within.~Shine Your Light Debbie

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“Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh.

Let’s face it sometimes ‘life’ just takes the life right out of you and at times it feels easier to give up or give in to that which sucked the life out of you. If your comfy bed of velvet rose petals has turned into a bed of thorns it’s time to breathe new life into your life! Though your challenges may be overwhelming it’s never too late and you’re never too old to shift into a new way of thinking and clear the recurring patterns in your life.

No time like the present….

Often times challenges and pain are met with thoughts of past or future events or are dealt with by resisting or ignoring altogether so you can deal with them later. The former causes you to become so focused on pain from the past that either you have difficulty moving on or the fear of being hurt takes over and it takes away from the fact that in the here and now you are safe. Unless your life is in immediate danger you are safe at this very moment. Breathe and let it be your anchor.

The latter causes one to fall into addictive patterns to feel better. Addictive behaviour (patterns) doesn’t always mean using drugs or alcohol. You could use food or work or sex or TV to comfort you and turn away from the pain. In many ways everyone is addicted to something which takes their mind away from what is going on. The problem is your challenge does not go away and eventually you will have to take care of it. Focus on today and the fact that you are safe and alive in this present moment. Living in the now calms your physical body and allows you to see things from different perspective. Take a deep breath and breathe in new life for each breath you take breathes new life into you!

All Roses have thorns….

“What the caterpillar calls the end the rest of the world calls a butterfly.”~Lao Tzu

The thorns in your side, so to speak, can indeed make you feel like you are going to die or you want to. You don’t want to feel them so you resist instead of seeing them for what they are; A learning experience. What you consider a negative life experience is a transformation not the end. You must take the good with the bad, the happy with the sad. Everything is in balance and you can’t have one without the other. If you lived in Utopia you would actually limit your range of emotions and feelings. Everyone needs help now and then. Never be too proud to ask. Pull out the thorn or ask someone else help you do it.

If you are constantly looking for the thorns and on guard you may not even recognize how much help, love and support surrounds you. Take solace that you are exactly where you are supposed to be in that particular moment. Although a thorn can cause pain, it can also gives strength. Once you have healed the wound you are stronger because of the experience. Breathe in the clean, crisp air and transform from a caterpillar only able to make its way on the ground to a butterfly who has the choice to fly and alight on many flowers.

It’s never too late….

“Your mind, this globe of awareness, is a starry universe. When you push-off with your foot, a thousand new roads become clear.”~Rumi

Life is precious and right now this life is the one you’ve got. You can focus on the thorns of pain or lay beautiful rose petals on your path. Breathing new life into your life is about breathing in passion and excitement and allowing your breath to transform you. A rose must endure stormy skies and rain to grow tall and strong. It needs to breathe fresh air and bask in the sunlight to bloom in all its glory so it can offer a place for butterflies to land and petals for you to make your bed.~Shine Your Light Debbie

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