Christmas

There are often a  lot of mixed feelings around this holiday season. The consumer hype doesn't encourage me to want to go out and buy everything in sight - rather the reverse! But I do love the lights which are on show which really help to brighten up a wet, misty evening. Some of them can be quite stunning!

Excitement

Excitement is such an energizing emotion and one that can inspire us to great action when activated. With the approaching holidays there's a lot of busyness in preparation and a lot of excitement around the events that lead up to the holiday itself. So it's particularly important for us to make sure that we take enough time for ourselves and rest so that we can enjoy the festivities!

Drawing a Blank

That confused feeling when we don't know what comes next. Not something that's comfortable or reassuring. But perhaps this is the time when we receive our 'spiritual updates' - something beyond our minds understanding and we need to integrate the new information into our bodies. So all we need to do is to be able to accept that this is the possibility and to allow things to evolve.

Structure

We all tend  to like  a certain amount of structure in our lives but too much of it can be very limiting. So we need to decide for ourselves how much structure supports us and how we decide to break through those parts of our lives over which we have control but over which we are either consciously or unconsciously limiting ourselves.

Strength

Many people think about strength in the physical sense, and value this attribute; but there are many ways in our lives to show our strength as we face the various challenges that come our way and choose to meet them with strength the resolution to do all that we are able to overcome them while also valuing that not everything is within our ability to resolve. And it takes strength too, to face this in our attitudes and determination.

Stories

Myths and stories are so much of our culture. At their best they can inspire us to heroic effort and deeds. Others, however, can be so limiting and can keep us small if we cannot discern what lies behind them. In making the decisions in our life, it's so important to be able to feel into those stories which inspire us and move us forward.

Random Thoughts

Can sometimes help us to move into a new direction. Out of the blue an idea can come up and often we'll dismiss it out of hand but sometimes something useful can emerge if we follow the hunch. Perhaps these random thoughts are the way that our Higher Guidance is contacting us and we may need to pay attention!

Luxury

I feel that luxury is not just for the rich, it's for everyone. It's the opportunity for us to take something special and say 'this is for me, I deserve it' and enjoy the pleasure of the experience. For me this takes the shape of visiting my hairdresser who's a good friend and we have a great time laughing and chatting while she does awesome work on my hair. Afterward, I have a renewed sense of gratitude and appreciation which spills over into all areas of my life! So what's the bit of luxury you treat yourself to in your life?

Health

When we're feeling well and buoyant, it's easy to take our health for granted. Often it's only when we get ill that we question our lifestyle choices as they relate to our health. But perhaps we need always to be aware of how our lifestyle impacts us in larger ways than enjoyment, for instance in our spiritual and family life as well as in other relationships. How does our career and work life affect our overall health? If we can become aware of how these aspects of our life interact with our health it's easier to make choices that heal and nourish us.

Thanksgiving

I'm looking at the practice of thanksgiving to be a way of life, a permanent practice for me. It's so easy to be in a place of lack and see all of those things we don't have and wish we did but then for so many of us there's so much to be grateful for!

Journeys

There's a tendency to see a journey as a physical thing, something we may do to go to a holiday destination, for example. But I've noticed that my whole life is a journey on so many levels, a journey through life and its experiences, a spiritual journey and latterly a heart intelligence journey. Viewing my life in this way allows me to see where I've come from but not always where I'm going but then that's where the magic happens!

Sleep

It's part of our lives but we often take it for granted. But how marvellous it is when we can allow our bodies to relax and repair themselves after a busy day and wake up refreshed the next morning. Many people believe that we also use this time to connect with members of our family who have passed over, when we're in a dream state, and when the conscious mind is not so vigilant. People vary in the amount of sleep they need each night an opinions vary among experts as to what the optimum amount of tine is.

Winter

Winter is the season when nature rests after the abundance of autumn and the mad glory of summer. It has an atmosphere and beauty of its own.

Sharing

What a wonderful society it would be if there were no hugely rich people or very poor people in the world and where we all shared what we had freely among ourselves!

Allowing

In our culture we're encouraged to push for what we want whether it's a new job, house or partner. While there are times when action needs to be taken for us to move forward in our lives, there's also a time for allowing what shows up in our lives to be and to point us in the direction that's right for us now. If we continue to push forward according to our conditioned beliefs, it's easy to miss these little pointers that the practice of allowing shows us.

Complexity

There is no doubt that our lives are very complex these days what with the amount of information and life-style choices that we need to handle and the changes in technology that we're faced with every day. It's easy to get overwhelmed with it all! So maybe we need to break things down into smaller, simpler steps. In that case all we need to ask ourselves, in the present moment, is what's my next step and how do I do it. By allowing ourselves to let go of the complexity of it all, we can focus on where Life is leading us.

Motivation

What is it that motivates us in our lives? Is it power, money or friendships or family? Are we able to motivate ourselves through our own inspiration, connecting to the Divine as well as others, or are we driven by our thoughts and perspectives about what others think about us?

If we consider that we incarnated to share our own particular gift,which nobody else can give, then we need to look inside ourselves for our own inspiration and intuition in how to share these gifts, allowing others to support us on the journey but not allowing them to inhibit what we came here to bring the world.

Challenges

How do we deal with the challenges in our lives? Do we respond with optimism and enthusiasm to what is occurring or is there a part of us which tends to feel victimized? If we can realize that these challenges can be seen as opportunities for growth and expansion, perhaps we could embrace them more whole-heartedly for the gifts that they really are.

Forgiveness

As the results and reactions to what happened in Paris on Friday reverberate around the world, it has become more and more clear to me that revenge is not the answer but forgiveness is. Perhaps this could start us all on a journey towards world peace . . .

Loving what Is

This phrase comes from the work of Byron Katie, author of 'The Work' among other books. Basically the idea behind this is to move beyond our stories of what life should be like to the truth of  what is actually occurring in front of us.

For me it is being able to see clearly beyond my judgments and preferences to what is arising for me in the moment and how that can inspire me to move forward in my life. What are the events that occur for me showing me? What part of my inner self is being mirrored, will I acknowledge what I'm being shown. look at it and do the necessary work before moving on? Like much of my life, it is an ongoing process . . .

Gentleness

How beautiful it is to bring a little gentleness into our lives, both for ourselves and for others particularly when we're not feeling at our best  . . .

Needless Tragedy

My heart goes out for the people of Paris in the aftermath of this terrible, needless tragedy. How long do we as a species have to hurt each other? Will we ever learn and evolve past this primitive barbarity?

Eldering

It feel so important in these changing times to involve all sections of the community into conversation and interaction. Often those people who have a lifetime of experience are sidelined into isolated communities that are separated from the rest of society. But often these people have so much to offer. Who can question the wonderful gifts that Barbara Marx Hubbard has brought to our changing times and evolution?

Poignancy

Poignancy is a complex and subtle emotion, for example when something ends there can be a feeling of achievement for what has taken place but also a sadness at having to let go of what is past and move on. It is something I'm feeling deeply in my heart right now as I've finished doing the current package of Heart IQ video training and am looking toward the next part of my life and what will evolve there . . .

Astrology

The study of astrology is often greatly underrated by science but, in fact, a correctly constructed horoscope can be a mine of information to someone who can interpret the information correctly. I've found it very useful in my own life and before starting coaching, used to construct horoscopes for people. It's a fascinating subject and well worth studying.

Agreements

It's amazing how much of our society operates on implicit agreements and understanding. A lot of interactions and behaviours are taken for granted, which is all well and good when a mutual understanding is arrived at but much less so when total confusion emerges. But for a true sense of safety to emerge some agreements need to be reached so that everybody concerned will know what's expected of them and then can concentrate on the main topic of the event.

Dreams

Our dreams can be our inspiration if we allow them to be and not let them be quashed by other people's views and perspectives. Our dreams make us more incredible than we can ever imagine if we only have the courage to follow them and the direction in which the heart points . . . This is not to say that it will always be easy but if we have the dream to inspire us, that helps us overcome any challenges that arise.

Going Within

As the days grow shorter and colder in the northern hemisphere, this is a wonderful opportunity for us to set aside time to go within, to give ourselves time on our own personal journey, however that might look for us. Perhaps this is a time to develop a creative skill that we've ignored for some time or to catch up on our meditation or reading. This can be such a nurturing experience as the year turns, to allow ourselves to develop new abilities and skills during the long winter nights which we can share with others in a way that connects us more deeply.

Resolution

We often feel uncomfortable when we can't find a sense of resolution in our lives and we feel ambiguous about something. There can also be a tendency to worry if a solution to a problem is not found, adding further to the stress of the situation and  inhibiting our creative processes in finding an answer. Yet if we can give ourselves a break, do something that we enjoy and relax, often the resolution to whatever was bothering us can come easily to the fore!

Family

There is probably no word that evokes stronger feelings than the word 'family'. For me it certainly denotes feelings of closeness and challenge as well as a sense of belonging whether this is with blood relations or those people who I feel are part of my family by way of a close heart connection.

And it is also within my family, in the broadest sense of the word, that I feel the strongest connection as we support and encourage each other to step forward in the world . . .

Relationship to self

When we consider our relationships to others, how often do we consider our relationship to our self, either with a small or big 'S'? Do we give as freely to ourselves as we do to others? Do we allow the time and care for ourselves that we do for others? Often we can find that we treat ourselves worse than we would think about treating another person but may not always consider the implications of this. So maybe now is the time to consider our relationship with ourselves?

Interest

How interested and excited are you about what's happening in your life right now? Does it all seem routine and comfortable or are there more challenges coming up for you at the moment. And how do you deal with what actually does arise in your life? Perhaps it's possible to come from that place of engaged interest in all that is going on around us, never taking anything for granted for who knows what could happen in the next moment which we might miss if we weren't paying attention?

Interesting Times

There is absolutely no doubt that we're living in very interesting times and then some! Yet the part of it that I find difficult quite frequently is to be able to live in balance with it all, with the excitement of what is possible, the alternatives that are available and being tried and often lived by others; but also the deep frustration with the old that also exists, the old ways of making money, for example, where the bottom line is more important than people's lives or even the ecology of the planet and the well-being of all the other species which share it with us.

So all the time, I have to go inside, into presence and be able to be with it all and hold it all with love and compassion . . . and then seeking the step forward from that place.

It's a continuing practice, day by day . . .

Breathing

We often take our breathing for granted as part of our lives yet how we breathe has a profound effect on not only our physical but emotional and spiritual well-being. Breathing, if used effectively, can be something which can calm us down in a crisis, for example as well as to be able come into more appreciation and joy for the gifts we have around us. This is why traditions like yoga have taught so much about how best to use the breath to enhance both our health and spiritual practice.

Water

Not only is water essential to life on Earth but I feel that it has an important lesson to teach us in life. It has its course to pursue but if anything like a rock gets in its way it quietly flows round it and continues on its journey down to the sea. Perhaps if we could absorb this lesson more into our lives we could learn to 'flow' around the obstacles in our way without allowing them to make us deviate strongly from what's important to us whilst reacting to these changes in a calm and reflective manner.

Happiness

A walk on a beautiful October afternoon allows me to not only get in touch with nature and the changing season but also brings great joy and happiness!

Relaxation

As we move into the weekend, what a wonderful opportunity for us to take time for ourselves, to relax and indulge in those activities which bring us joy and fulfillment away from the world of work. Perhaps this is also a time to meet up with friends and family, to connect and have fun . . .

Listening

This seems such a basic skill. We're listening to everything that goes on around us most of the time. - but there is also a deeper kind of listening which is possible, particularly when we're with other people and this includes a deeper presence and attention than the everyday type. It's a great gift to be able to be present with another person (or even an experience) and listen closely to every part of what is said as well as the underlying energies that are present. That is how true communication begins . . .

Beginner's Mind

There is a spiritual practice that is known as 'beginner's mind' which basically means approaching every situation from the posture of not knowing, looking at everything with completely new eyes and not being influenced by our past histories and conditioning.

This is an approach I'm beginning to find more and more useful as my everyday plans change and evolve without warning. Taking the approach of 'beginner's mind' helps me to be curious about what's evolving in my life and to flow more easily with it . . .

Heart Connection

There is a part of us, I feel, that has this longing for a truly deep heart connection with other people that we often don't find in the world. This yearning is for recognition, acceptance, respect and love for ourselves and each other. How wonderful it would be if we could bring these qualities into the world and what healing would occur . . .

Technology

Whether we like it or not, technology is part of our lives. Most of us often don't really understand it and thus when something goes wrong it can be very stressful. But when it all works well it allows us to connect and speak to people all over the world clearly in a way which would have been considered magical in years gone by. So this is an aspect of our lives we need to embrace and be gentle with ourselves as we undertake the sometimes steep learning curves!

Imagination

What a divine gift imagination is. Where inspiration nudges, imagination can flesh out some of the details, help us to think creatively around any obstacles to find a solution. Also it's a lot of fun, helping us to enrich our lives with what is possible.

Divine Guidance

How much can we let go of control in our lives? We have been conditioned to believe that we need to control so much of how we live our lives and the decisions we make are often based on purely rational judgments and agendas.

Yet, if we can let go of that control, even for a few minutes, then that allows for the voice of Divine guidance/Soul/Higher Self/Source to speak to us which can guide us in a far more beautiful and integrated manner than just our individual thought-based decision. And sometimes these Soul whisperings will not seem rational but often there is a much higher wisdom at work here that can inspire us to fulfill our higher purpose.

Learning

It is probably true to say that we go on learning throughout our life. Although we spent a concentrated period of our lives when we're young at school to learn the basics and then later maybe at college or university, we still need to learn other skills and abilities after that period. And the interesting thing about learning anything, whether it's a skill or a job, or both, is that we're also learning on other levels as well, not least in how psychologically to deal with the experience of learning. And so many judgments can come up about us in relation to that learning and who we are. And that is why it's always so important to have compassion with ourselves when we learn something new. We all have our own pace of learning, so it's important to be aware of that and also of specific tricks which help us learn  quicker. We live now in a fast-paced world where everything is changing so quickly so any help and compassion that we an give ourselves and each other has to be a blessing!

Practice

Often in life in order to improve our skills we need to practice them. This is true whether it's a sport or a musical instrument we feel we would like to master to some degree. The art, though, comes in doing the practice consistently for any lasting effects to manifest. And that can be the difficult part. 

The same is true in our relationships with others. Often we need to make a practice in our lives of gentle loving kindness towards others, particularly under challenging circumstances. Think how much our world would change if we all undertook this regularly!

Depth

There is a lot of joy that can be found when there's depth in a relationship. When we can truly hear and feel another person and also be felt and heard in our own turn. And it's such an important practice in our lives to be really present with another and to really listen to what they're saying, to feel the depth of their experience and to accept them fully for who they are.

Que Sera Sera

Or . . .whatever will be will be. The truth is that our culture tends to encourage us to over-think aspects of our lives which, in turn, leads us to have expectations of how life will turn up for us, in what manner and often according to a specific agenda. And then when this doesn't happen we can become angry, disappointed and stressed.

But if we and all of life are constantly changing and evolving maybe it's unrealistic to have expectations of what will show up and when and in what form. Sure, it's good to have intentions for what we want from our life in the future but perhaps the skill is to hold these intentions lightly, allowing for the reality of life to reveal itself and knowing that all of it is for our highest good.

To boldly go . . .

I feel that there is a part of us which is in search of adventure and often a much larger part which is hanging back playing safe. It's a scary world out there, after all, and we don't necessarily want to raise our heads above the parapet because we all think that we know what happens when we do that, right?

But as I grow older and evolve, it becomes more and more evident, that playing small and safe is so limiting - after all where's the fun, that part which excites us and inspires us into action? And taking risks can be scary but it can also be fun. So I've decided that I can and will boldly go (OK with a certain trepidation) but go nonetheless into the next adventure. How about you?

Re-visioning

We are not static but are constantly moving forward, not fixed but a process which is continually evolving. But do we allow ourselves to see our futures and possibilities differently as we grow and evolve. Perhaps it;s important every day to re-vision who we are and how we wish to share our gifts.

Humility

True humility is a beautiful quality. It means, for me, not assuming that I'm right in my beliefs and world view and that people who disagree with me aren't. We all have a unique perspective on life and it's important for us to honour that in another person. It also means being open and receptive to others, to be willing to listen to their point of view as well as being able to acknowledge when we have made a mistake and apologise. But this doesn't preclude us honouring our own beliefs and way of life providing that we don't do so at the expense of another person; to treat them as we would like to be treated ourselves.