No Pity Parties

"It's all right to sit on your pity pot every now and again. Just be sure to flush when you are finished." 
~ Debbie Macomber

I have a friend who is always there for me at any time for any reason with just one caveat. 

No pity parties.

At our last visit, we had butter cake topped with a scoop of ice cream. 

I should mention that I love ice cream, but it hates me. My friend knew well while watching the bliss of that first dollop on my tongue carry me straight to Jesus the torture that would soon rage through my system as a result. 

I called the next morning to relate my night of misery and received the usual flat response, "You knew what you were doing while you were doing it." 

Click.

My friend decided as always not to listen as I moaned my way through an ordeal of my own choosing.

"Each patient carries his own doctor inside him." ~ Norman Cousins

When called to bear the burdens of our faulty decision making setting the table for a pity party is tempting, but our choices are our responsibility alone.

All else being equal, the only difference between you and another is the quality of your decision making.

It's a challenge to examine the results of our choices, especially when they're initially gratifying. However, when the outcomes prove to be unpleasant the necessity to make changes becomes evident.

"And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician heal thyself."
 ~ Luke 4:23

Marinating in chaos of our own making creates opportunity for self reflective correction.When the Universe requires a shift in our thinking, a change of course exercise in the form of a huge bowl of discomfort may be just what the internal doctor ordered.   

We are free to choose what we will, but we are not excused from the consequences of a choice. Though for me, there is heaven in every spoonful, I know a scoop of ice cream proves to be "hell in a bowl". 

It never fails, but the power is in my hands to spare myself the aftermath if I choose to do so.

And friends ... don't let friends throw pity parties. 

How are you being victimized by your own choices?
When was your last pity party?
Would a shift in your decision making change your current circumstances?

"Instead of complaining about your situation, actually do something about it. Playing "poor me" just ain't sexy." ~ Miya Yamanouchi

Available Now on Amazon!
The BreakUp Call
Learn To Be Your Own Bae
www.amazon.com/dp/B079RWN286

Available Now on  Amazon!
Recover Yourself
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078LZ8PC5

Coming Soon to Amazon!
Rediscover Yourself
and
Getting To Know You

Join the journey and experience the joy of unfolding!
FREE EBOOK DOWNLOAD
Reawaken to Joy!
http://newjoyzbooks.weebly.com/join-nya.html

Help Is On The Way!

"The best advice I can give to anyone going through a rough patch is to never be afraid to ask for help."
 ~ Demi Lovato

A few years ago, I chose a difficult road to learning when to sound my alarm, but have since learned to be better to myself.

Like most of us, at times, I have way too much going on. I manage well for awhile until the clouds of confusion move in and I am unable to focus clearly on any one thing.

Just when I think I've retired my t-shirt and cape emblazoned with a Bedazzled S, there it is tapping me on my already over burdened shoulders. 

Fortunately, during such crises I now know when to ask for help.

Prayer changes things and having praying friends has changed everything for me. 

"True friends see more than your fears because they see your courage. They see more than your tears, because they see and believe in your strength." ~ Unknown

Fortunately my friends know me well enough to sense when I am struggling. They are always ready to pray me through my weakness and remind me of my strengths.

My inner circle is a small, eclectic group, each grounded in spiritual wisdom. They remind me that I don't have to fight battles I have already won.

The true value of these relationships rests in the lack of a codependent nature. They take care but never hesitate to confront me and jolt me back into the lane of forward movement. 

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you." ~ Matthew 7:7

Ask the Creator to help you build an earthly circle of empowerment you can call upon. He uses each of us mightily in the lives of others when we are willing to serve. After all, we are here to support the Universal purpose of His good.

My modified daily 'to do' list is breathe, trust God, and feel good about breathing and trusting God. When I am consistent in doing this, my ship remains steady and I find everything else falls into its proper place at the appropriate time.

God is faithful to provide support in our times of greatest overwhelm. Ask and it will be given. 

His help is on the way. 

What does your daily 'to do' list look like?
Have you been asking for help when you need it?
Is your inner circle committed to personal growth or codependency?

Available Now on Amazon!
Recover Yourself
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078LZ8PC5

Coming this month!
The Break Up Call
Learn To Be Your Own Bae

Join the journey and experience the joy of unfolding!
FREE EBOOK DOWNLOAD
Reawaken to Joy!
http://newjoyzbooks.weebly.com/join-nya.html

I Feel You

"Among my stillness was a pounding heart."
 ~ Shannon A. Thompson

Our current reality is of our own making.

I find that when I am at my most anxiety-ridden, I am living in a state of resistance. Clinging to circumstances the Universe has made attempts to move me beyond into more expanse, abundance, and joy.

Captain Jack Sparrow's magic compass pointed to what his inner being wanted most. And so it is with us.  As we walk out our freedoms, cultivating the stamina necessary to take pause and reflect is a must to awaken to the internal compass of our emotional selves. 

"But pain is like water. It finds a way to push through any seal. There's no way to stop it. Sometimes you have to let yourself sink inside of it before you can learn how to swim to the surface." ~ Katie Kacvinksy

Our feelings are the barometer for how we are moving toward any matter of concern and we all exist within the cumulative effects of our choices. When aligned with Universal purpose, our pain filled experiences reveal to us that which we do not want as our reality, while our joy filled times are born of the inner expression of our truest desire. 

We are born of the Creator whose will it is to bless us with abundant peace and joy. 

Unfortunately, too often we become so committed to pain that we resist any attempts to alert us to what is no longer working in our lives and we choose fear. By our own refusal to embrace the new, we therefore sabotage ourselves and block our opportunities to experience a joy filled reality.

Simply put, if an experience no longer feels right or provides peace, that thing or circumstance is no longer serving our best interest. Our inner compass alerts us to shift focus from that thing and open to receive the abundance that awaits. When we choose to ignore the messages in our pain we invite more of the same. 

Pain.

Whether we read the current chapter of our life as a scenic cross country adventure or a runaway train wreck about to happen, we are not only standing near the track waving as the train passes, we are also its conductor.

"If you can sit with your pain, listen to your pain and respect your pain -- in time you will move through your pain." ~ Bryant McGill

Are you pleased with your current reality?
What has your internal emotional compass been speaking to you?
Have you been resisting incoming experiences of joy by committing to your pain?

To Begin Again

"Begin, be bold, and venture to be wise." ~ Horace

The beauty of each New Year is the prospect of beginning again.

The year 2016 presented transformation in its most aggressive forms. The energy of a number 9 year creates major upheaval and for many it felt as if Dorothy dropped a house straight down on us. 

Kundalini energy was hard at work on the inner chambers and to say it was challenging is one hell of an understatement. Unresolved issues, destructive thoughts, and faulty patterns of decision making demanded our attention in forceful and urgent ways.

 "What I would be quite wise to remember, is that 'pieces' are not the end of what was, but the beginning of what is to be." ~ Craig D. Lounsbrough

In such intense times a deepening meditation practice helps to absorb the incoming and supports the clearing process that makes way for a fresh awakening. The more acute the experience, the more profound the changes. 

Embrace all that arises and release what has chosen to be let go. The goal is to remain open to the flow and allow the temple to be cleansed.

"Each new breath and moment is a gift. We can choose to start with a clean slate in the here and now." ~ K. J. Kilton

So, welcome 2017 and its fresh opportunities to learn and be drawn into the higher levels of expansion. Treat yourself well as new ways of thinking and improved patterns of behavior emerge. 

The lessons were necessary and a more enlightened path has been revealed.


"The best is yet to be." ~ Robert Browning

What inner work did you complete last year?
Are you ready to embrace new levels of awakening this year?

"Recover Yourself"
Available Now!
https://www.amazon.com/Unfolding-Joy-Yourself-Nya-JoiLotus-ebook/dp/B078LZ8PC5

Join the journey and experience the joy of unfolding!
http://newjoyzbooks.weebly.com/join-nya.html

FREE EBOOK DOWNLOAD

Watch Your Selfing

"Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself." 
~ Jalaluddin Rumi

Ego: Why won't they just act right? 

Spirit: Well, they are acting right. They are acting in the way that is right for them and that has nothing at all to do with you.

At times we become obsessed with what, whom, and how we want something to be or someone to behave. Forgetting our true purpose is to grow and transform in the service of the Universal greater good, we get tangled in a perpetual web of selfing.

So what is selfing? 

Selfing has to do with actions and feelings related to our self image and our perception of what we deem we must own or possess, including people and how we go about seeking control. 

Jon Kabat Zinn describes it as the inevitable and incorrigible tendency to construct out of almost everything and every situation an I, me, or mine and then to operate in the world from that limited perspective which is mostly fantasy and defense.

Phillip Moffitt talks about selfishness, self-centeredness, and self-referencing as three types of selfing which demonstrate how ego identity is created and informs our methods of interaction.

When left unexamined, the habit of selfing leads to an unhealthy reliance upon reactivity and clinging in our interactions as opposed to the awakened approach to living that allows us to simply respond to being with what is as it exists.

"The great benefit of practicing mindfulness is presence of mind within a storm of emotions." ~ Phillip Moffitt

Basic human decency includes the empathy shown by giving others the space to grow even as they move away from us in the purpose of their own path. As the mother of a daughter soon to be off to college, this is an especially difficult challenge for me.

Respect for the boundaries of another increases a sense of peace, freedom, and well being. This is the give and take that creates harmony in our personal interactions.

We are accountable to our intentions and we must be willing to embrace right action within the practice of being with what is just as it unfolds. 

"We must be willing to encounter darkness and despair when they come up and face them, over and over again if need be, without running away or numbing ourselves in the thousands of ways we conjure up to avoid the unavoidable." ~ Jon Kabat Zinn

The cure for this virus of the ego mind is training to be alive in the awakened state of mindfulness. 

Each interaction we experience is a golden opportunity to address our own evolvement and we must learn to operate from the framework of appropriate questioning. We must acknowledge our wanting and our fear of losing what we believe should be and examine what lead us to that belief.

When an individual or a circumstance causes agitation within us, the immediate question should not be one based in reactivity by way of clinging and asking 'what's wrong with them' or 'why are they doing this to me', but should be an awakened responsiveness that compels us to examine why another's choices are affecting us in this way. 

"Change that does not lead to liberation from fear, greed and delusion is not wholesome. Furthermore, any change that does not yield more compassion and loving kindness for yourself and others is a waste of precious life energy." ~ Phillip Moffit

In His infinite wisdom, our Creator loves us enough to grant us the freedom that makes room for our choices even when that means deciding to live separate from His will. 

It is not within our purpose to deny anyone the same gift.

"Free will is a precious gift from God, for it lets us love him with our "whole heart" because we want to." 

~ Matthew 22:37

Are you mindful of your intentions as you interact with people and circumstances?
Have you been operating from the space of controlling reactivity or awakened responsiveness?
How can you begin showing empathy and learn to respect the free will of others?

Realigning Our Energies

"The art of living is neither careless drifting nor fearful clinging. It consists in being sensitive to each moment in regarding it as utterly new, unique, in having the mind open and wholly receptive." ~ Alan Watts

I spent much of the summer in quiet reflection. 

A holy solitude observing and listening for energetic changes from within. Seeking the Creator's guidance and realigning my intentions to ensure I am on purpose with what He has in Universal mind.  

I treasured time spent on the coast watching the waves and becoming one with the peace that exists there when the water is calm. It was a reminder of what I must invite into my Being. A continuous surrender to the constant healing flow of life force energies intent upon a balanced clearing and the stability it creates. 

"You are a function of what the whole universe is doing in the same way that a wave is a function of what the whole sea is doing."~ Alan Watts

Seated near the waters edge, I set intentions based upon these revelations. I carried this focus home and began to empty my living space of things which no longer supported or served as blockage to the purpose of my Being. It is amazing how much "stuff" we accumulate in a year that can hinder our expansion. Not just in our physical environment, but our inner spiritual and emotional environment as well. 

Releasing as a means toward realigning my energies became priority to the progression of my ever evolving soul journey. 

As a result, I feel better prepared to meet new challenges in the areas into which the Creator is calling. Preparation is key and minimizes the fear and anxiety that comes along with the requirements of growth and change. 

I'll spend the fall months connecting with family and friends with intentions from a space of ever increasing clarity and renewed energies. 

"There are years that ask questions and years that answer." ~ Zora Neale Hurston

In what ways has the Universe encouraged your clearing process?
What can you do to invite a more peaceful flow into your Being?
Are you prepared to meet the areas of expansion the Creator is calling you into?

"The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance." ~ Alan Watts

Join the journey and experience the joy of unfolding!
www.newjoyzbooks.weebly.com

Flight of the Hummingbird

"Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God."   

~ Job 37:14

The Universe is on everyone's side. 

Every good gift comes from our Creator and it is His desire to bless us and He through every aspect of His creation is always speaking truth to our reality.

As I experience more life, I seek to create quieter moments to digest my experiences. Lessons are all around us and many times nature proves to be our best and most profound teacher.

I live in an area that was once forest, and though I make no claims to being a country girl, I enjoy having a home close to the city, yet just outside it. Of great advantage are opportunities for frequent wild life visits in various forms from deer to foxes, to turtles and rabbits and the chance to observe them. 

"Hummingbird teaches us to transcend time, to hover in the moment, to appreciate its sweetness." ~ Constance Barrett Sohodski

I find that my favorite visitor has been the hummingbird.

The hummingbird is a fascinating creature. It is all at once fierce, yet delicate. Fragile, yet vigorous. There are many take aways as I observe their comings and goings but what stands out most to me is their focus on presence.

The decision to be present for my life is a continuous process. Waiting, listening, and observing can be a great challenge in today's fast paced society. 

Learning to hover, like hummingbird is a true test, but it is necessary and proves fruitful in the long run. As I take time to draw wisdom's nectar from each experience, I am nourished and able to expand and move forward into greater possibilities.

"Never be afraid to sit awhile and think." ~ Lorraine Hansberry

When listening to fellow travellers speak of their spirit animals, I imagine I have been lovingly adopted by the energy of the hummingbird and I am grateful for her teachings. The habit of taking a bit of joy in waiting, even when it's especially difficult, I have discovered I can sit in anticipation for beauty to return. 

Do you make time to absorb the most pressing events of your life?

Have you been adopted by a spirit animal?

What valuable lessons from nature have you been missing?

"Like the hummingbird sipping nectar from every flower, I fly joyfully through my days seeing beauty in everything." ~ Amethyst Wyldfyre

Join the journey and experience the joy of unfolding!
www.newjoyzbooks.weebly.com