You Can't Always Eat Life's Veggies!

By Michelle:

I remember when I was a new mom and learning how to care for my babies. There was so much to learn, so much to do and be aware of. I remember learning about how to feed toddlers and how they can be finicky. One day they love something and the next, they hate it. The important thing I learned was that as long as they were getting a balanced diet over the long haul, they were OK.

It was a hard concept to embrace because as a mom you want the best for them and you think that veggies at every meal is the most important thing you can do for their diet and yet the reality is that it just isn’t always possible. Looking out over the month or 6 months to see that maybe they didn’t eat what you wanted that week but they made up for it the following week was a very important lesson for me.

I think this way of thinking actually applies to all areas of our lives when it comes to trying to find balance. We seem to want to strive for this idyllic life that is perfectly balanced each and every day. We want to exercise the perfect amount, eat the perfect amount, take time for self-care, nurture our children, our houses are perfectly clean, we nurture our friendships, volunteer, and…the list goes on and on.

The reality however is that sometimes we just can’t eat our veggies! Everyday isn’t going to be perfect. Some days we may be lacking in self-care or our house is a mess and we haven’t talked to our friends in weeks because we are too busy.

Sometimes we have deadlines or commitments that we have to honor and other things have to be put aside for the time being and guess what, it’s OK. Our lives are like the earth’s seasons and each season has its own energy and is designed for a specific thing. We aren’t meant to plant vegetables in the winter and we can’t always accomplish the things we “think” we “have” to.

This is where I think it is so important to have a strong foundation for what your priorities in life are. What is most important to you? What are your intentions for your life, your family, your work, your social life? Once you know what you can and can’t live without, you are able to make choices based on what is best for you in the moment.

I think the best way to do this is by learning to turn inward. I know we talk a lot about this here at Inner Alignment Mandalas and I think it is crucial. Time and time again when I am working with people and I see that they begin to incorporate this idea into their lives; things magically begin to happen for them.

It is through establishing a relationship with yourself that you will be able to live your life aligned with your highest calling and sometimes that might mean sprawling out on the couch and watching a movie. It might mean staying up late to work on something because you are so inspired and it might mean turning off your phone and having a quiet night at home with your family. It might mean all of those things…over a period of time…spread out to where you might not even realize that you are living a life of complete balance for YOU.

Personally, I’m hitting my busiest time of the year and in the past I let myself get completely stressed out about how I was going to handle it and get everything that needs to get done. But now I don’t feel that same stress. I know what my priorities are and during this time of the year they are different then they are in the fall or the winter. That’s my life and while I have been known to complain about it, I wouldn’t change it so now I am embracing it.

This is such a powerful practice, one I would like to invite you to bring into your life. Spend some time going inward to get clear on your priorities and your intentions for your life. I have been using my I AM Love Mandala to help me get centered and tune into the energy of self-love. This has helped me be gentle with myself and forgiving when my days don’t unfold the way my thinking mind would like. If you haven’t downloaded the I AM Love Mandala, I would like to encourage you to do so and use it daily. It can be just 1 minute of focused attention that can change everything. I also took a picture of it and put it on my phone so I can look at it when I’m sitting out in the 30 degree weather watching a baseball game. Woo hoo! I love spring!

Are You Listening?

By Jill Marie (re-posted from my Journey To Empowerment Blog February 2012)

A bit back one of my friends/clients told me that while she was all tucked in  bed ready for a good night sleep she heard clearly…”go and check the windows” (or maybe it was close the windows.)  Her husband was out-of-town and she was home with her  young children.  Being tapped into her Intuition was not new to her.  Her connection wasn't as strong as it had been before marriage and kids but she was still pretty tapped in.  After having a few Reconnective Healing sessions and her Personal Reconnection she was having more and more experiences of hearing her Inner Wisdom.  But she was really comfy in bed and tired and decided not to get up and check.

The next day she remembered and checked the windows and sure enough three of them were unlocked so she locked them.  That night in the wee hours one of her dogs was barking which is unusual.  I think she also said she may have heard something outside.  Wow how wonderful that she listened and then took action…even if it was the next day!  I lovingly reminded her how important it is to listen to that inner voice.

Well…I might want to practice what I talk about in my own life!  I was in Target with my daughter picking up a few items.  I found myself in the lighting section looking at floor lamps.  I don’t know why…I was drawn to them like a magnet.  I thought I might get one for my daughter’s room even though she didn’t need one but then I started looking at the blue ones and thought of my son.  In fact he needed a new light for his room and his birthday was coming up in two days.  "No"…I thought,  that is a dumb present for an 18 year old!  But I still felt like I should get him a light.  Again I thought "no waste of money"…(something I am working on by the way...sticking to a budget).  That night it popped into my head to bring up a floor lamp from my workshop and put it in his room.  Problem solved ~ I don’t spend money not in my budget and he gets a light that he needs. 

 I got distracted and didn't do it.  I still had a weird feeling that I should do it…but I didn't   Two days later I was back in Target and again was drawn to the lights.  Now it was my son’s birthday and I was sure his light had to be replaced… forgetting that I would bring up one from the workshop I picked up the light  to put it in my cart…then a  flash of my workshop lamp came to mind.  I laughed out loud (thankfully nobody else was around me) and put the lamp down.  I was sure I would change lights when I got home as it must be really important that I do that. 

Yikes forgot again!  A few hours later we smelled a horrible smell coming from upstairs…my daughter was in the shower and I knew she had her iPod docking station next to the tub…I was afraid water got on it and there was a problem. Even as I went to check her I heard a voice say…”its the light".   The awful smell was coming from my son’s room and it was indeed his floor lamp.  I don’t know that it was smoking but it was hotter than the oven and the smell was literally making everybody feel nauseated and sick.  When I moved the lamp the light-bulb cracked but thankfully  it didn't shatter.

It took about 3 minutes to remove the light and bring up the other one.  3 minutes!  Instead of doing it when I was guided to…I kept pushing it aside.  Now we were all feeling ill from the awful smell albeit grateful that a fire didn't start or the bulb explode and hurt somebody.

How humbling!  How often do I tell my clients one thing and then not follow that in my own life!  Okay Inner Wisdom…I am paying more attention and yes I will take action! 

 Story not over though.   This past Sunday I went to an all day Wellness event.  I really felt called to go for several reasons.  The rational part of me said "No…waste of money",  but that Inner Wisdom was gently saying that I was supposed to be there.  I sent an SOS to two of my friends that are helping me not make purchases not in my budget.  I heard what they said and was so grateful for their insight and for a bit I was sure I would not go…but the feeling urging me to go was so similar to the light experience above.  I decided to follow my Inner Guidance and go,  and you know…it was AMAZING and just what I needed.  I met the most wonderful people, got a Chiropractic adjustment from a B.E.S.T practitioner, opened my Throat Chakra a bit more and loved the whole day!  I found out they even have Bellydancing classes!  Something I have jokingly said I wanted to do for the past few years but secretly really would love to do just for the fun of it 

How often do you hear that still small voice and then don’t listen?

How often do you hear it and listen and then take the action?

Let’s celebrate that Inner  Wisdom in all of us today and continue to make a conscious choice to listen more often and take the inspired action!