Home Study: Lessons for Living, pt. 2

24 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

by graceandclarity in Home Study

In part 1 of our Home Study of Lessons for Living, we discussed how to live a spiritual life of integrity, wherein our outer actions match our inner Truth.  Learning to authentically express all that we are as spiritual beings–while remembering we are not our emotions or childhood programming–is not an easy task!   To review our last discussion, please visit “Home Study: Lessons for Living, pt.1.”  Today we look at the importance of inner stillness on the spiritual Journey.

Today’s text: Lessons for Living, vol. 1 transcribed by L. Taylor

Available at:  www.hopeofthenewage.com

Study pages: pp. 52-53

On page 52 we receive some wisdom from Eagle of the Night, one of my most trusted allies on the spiritual Journey.  He talks about how in His day, silence before speaking showed a command of one’s emotions and a willingness to be mindful when communicating.  Silence was taught to all children as a thing of value, revealing a heart of respect and patience.  On the surface there may have been a quiet demeanor, but beneath that beat a heart of passion and awareness:

“The surface of the water was still, but beneath that surface many things lived and there was great richness and color.  You can be a living symbol of a time that was once past and is now coming again.  People are learning to live with stillness.”

To a degree, we are seeing a turning in our culture toward greater spiritual awareness through the mainstreaming of things like yoga, organic foodstuffs and holistic medicine.  Of course, there is a sufficient contracted energy to balance it out and we have seen that, too, if the form of technology inundating our lives.  From cell phones to smart cars, we seem to be more insulated from stillness than ever before.

A few weeks ago I read a book review by a woman who called herself a “soft-core Luddite.”  This term refers to a movement among English textile artisans who opposed the Industrial Revolution in the 19th-century on the grounds that it was leaving them without work and changing their way of life.  My young author mentioned she preferred to write her books with pen and paper, allowing her to unplug from the outer world and turn inward to her creative source.

The Farmer’s Almanac for 2012 talks about the growing popularity of “technology fasts” wherein people choose to unplug for a period of hours or days in order to get back to Nature’s pace.  A few years ago, this was less common as many of us exuberantly embraced the benefits of wireless technology.  Now some are starting to realized it all came at a cost.  The slope from “getting connected” to being completely out of touch with reality was more slippery than we thought.

On page 53, we are reminded that having our minds buzzing with constant input is not nourishing to the spiritual Energy present within each of us.  Stillness is the soil from which a healthy spiritual life springs:

“Teach (others) that the empowerment they seek can be coming from a quiet, calm center.  Quiet awareness, stillness, rooted in being.  And from that place you act; from that place you move.  Teach people to hold the silence in their hearts.  Teach them to know stillness and the Hush.”

This Hush is so important because it is within that sacred space that we can know our Truth.  “Should I quit my job?  Is it time to forgive my parents?  When should I talk to my children about sex?”  Many of us think that such answers lie in another’s opinion or in the weighing of pros and cons and analyzing it all with the mind.  Indeed, we should take in all the information we can from others’ experiences and the dissection of facts, but such mental analysis can only take us so far.

In the end, the guidance we seek can only come from once place: our own inner GPS, which is accessible within the Hush of stillness.  Hooked directly into the Divine, this system of intelligent guidance is capable of leading us all the way from cradle to grave with more satisfaction, less frustration and greater success.  But there’s a catch: the GPS only has one volume.  And that volume is set on whisper.

In order to catch that whisper of Truth, that inner sense of which way to go–or if we should go at all–we must become still.  There must be a willingess to be still in mind, silent in words and deeply connected to the Divine as we know It to be.  That sacred force can then communicate to us in both overt and subtle ways so that we can follow the path of greatest fulfillment and ease.

As we do so, we become an example of hope and possibility for others.  As published in our 3-part blog story, “Laura’s Hope for Healing,” attending to our own growth becomes a catalyst for others needing encouragement nearby.  We can know that with each mindful choice we make we are influencing others in positive ways.  Yet, we must always remember that each soul must find his or her own Path (p. 52):

“Not everyone will understand.  But you are doing (what you must) to honor your Path.  And if in the end there is no one there but you, so be it.  You are not here for anyone but your own self, for none of us can live the life of our friend.  We have to live our own life–and our friend has to live theirs.”

Sometimes it is hard to remember we cannot control those around us, especially when we believe it is for their own good.   What we can do, though, is provide an example of what it means to live a mindful life: to honor silence, draw our actions out of a conscious stillness and follow the GPS the Divine gave us.  In the end, our lives are the only thing left to show the world what it is we believed.  What will yours say?

Taking a pen and a piece of paper or journal, contemplate the following this week:

1. Do I practice silence before speaking?  Do I struggle with this more when happy or upset?

2. How does my inner GPS tell me which ways to go/how does it feel when Truth wells up within me?

3. For which people would I like to be modeling a mindful life?  Do they see me at my most or my least mindful?

4. What can I affirm to myself when I am tempted to micro-manage others’ lives?

In session three of our Home Study, we will be diving deeper into Lessons for Living and what the Angels have to say about living a spiritual life in this very physical world…don’t miss it!  Be sure to click and follow our blog so you can be alerted when our next discussion commences!

For more book discussions, please peruse the other selections from our Home Study category.  We also invite you to experience more  uplifting insights from the Higher Realms at www.hopeofthenewage.com

Laura’s Hope for Healing…conclusion

14 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

by graceandclarity in Inspirational Stories

This week we conclude our three-part saga about healing one’s body, mind and life.  What you are about to read is a true story, recounted with the permission of the woman who lived it whose name has been changed for privacy.  If you have not read chapters one and two, I encourage you to take in the inspiring story of a courageous person who would not let the past dictate her future.  And now, the conclusion of “Laura’s Hope for Healing…”

I think by anyone’s standards Laura’s story is an impressive one: A courageous woman has the fortitude to heal herself of an agonizing illness, effectively putting an end to generations of emotional anguish and physical torment.  But the story doesn’t stop there–not even close–because as it happens, Laura was not the only one in her family needing a new relationship with her body.

As Laura faithfully crafted a balanced life day by careful day, healing Energy began to expand outward like ripples on a pond, first saving the life of her oldest son and later bringing healing to her son’s relationship with his father.

When Laura was a young woman and had found out she was pregnant, she had been delighted.  But when she learned her first child would be a boy, she was relieved in a much deeper way.  All during her pregnancy she had prayed for a son; she was sure if she had a girl she would pass her eating disorder on to her child.  After discovering the baby’s gender she thought, “I won’t even have to pay attention to all those issues…” but things were just a little more complicated than that.

You see, when Laura was a little girl herself, she was starved for safety and security.  She used to love going to a special friend’s house after school just so she could get hugs from the girl’s nurturing mother.  A woman with an ample bosom and an even bigger heart, this kindhearted mother kept Laura well-supplied with warm hugs, tasty treats and a sense of emotional stability.  Her friend’s house was the only place she felt accepted unconditionally, and she vowed that her children would never have to go elsewhere to find that kind of love.

Laura’s desire to provide an accepting, loving household was a priority as her son grew older.  But it was not long until it became clear something was wrong.  At an early age, her son began snacking as a form of self-soothing.  His small habit soon turned into compulsive overeating, but Laura was determined that he should never be deprived.

Haunted by visions of her mother spitting food into the sink and her own ordeals with self-starvation, Laura maintained an accepting attitude regarding all her son did.  Only later did she realize that this also meant she had not established any healthy boundaries, either.

As her son got heavier, Laura fell deep into denial.  It turns out watching someone else gain weight is a lot like gaining it yourself: It tends to creep up on you and it is not something anyone likes to admit.  Indeed, many of Laura’s friends chose not to mention her son’s appearance out of a sense of compassionate social decorum.

What’s more, Laura herself could not see her son’s condition any more clearly than she could see her own.  It turns out the skewed perception she had of her own body made it likewise impossible to see others’ bodies clearly, a common side-effect of eating disorders.

Because of this distorted perception and the silence surrounding her son’s health, Laura lived in silent guilt.  She soon had two more children and found it necessary to attend to their needs, as well.  Her son continued his compulsive overeating and by the time I met her, Laura’s son had become dangerously obese.

Both Laura and her son lived in a kind of mental prison, each hiding dark secrets about body image and food.  But when Laura began working with me and healing herself in earnest, she was also able to slowly begin tackling those very same issues with her son.  As she began dismantling her lifelong eating disorder, Laura gained the courage and understanding necessary to help her son address his own addiction to food.  In the face of their combined love for one another, the bars of unworthiness, guilt and shame could no longer hold them in.

During the summer of 2010 Laura scheduled her son to meet with a panel of health consultants to determine her son’s need for bariatric surgery.  The doctors agreed that it was the best option for him and Laura and her son began the long process of getting him scheduled for the procedure.  But not everyone was convinced that surgery was the best way forward.

Laura’s ex-husband was opposed to the procedure from the start.  Her son’s father had struggled with admitting the boy’s condition almost as much as she had and now that surgery was in his future his dad stalled out.  With what she later described as the fierceness of a lioness protecting her cub, Laura recalled one particularly daunting evening when she went to her ex-husband’s house and laid it all on the line.  If she had to take out a second mortgage on her house she would, she vowed, “but our son is having that surgery.”

Laura’s determination helped inspire her apathetic ex-husband, who finally got behind her efforts to get their son get the medical attention he needed.  The pain of facing his son’s condition faded into an inspiration to help find him the best possible care.  Not long after his surgery, their son joyfully began his life again and entered college.  Though they do not live together under one roof, this group of souls has journeyed together from resistance into redemption–all because one woman had the courage to face her own Truth.

Nearly five years after our first phone call, Laura is now savoring the most joyful time in her life.  I knew Laura had healed herself when she told me about her annual spine curvature measurement, which monitors the condition that brought us together so many years ago.  Initially, doctors had told her to expect a more deformed lower back as she aged.  The most optimistic goal, they had said was to hope that the progression of the curve would someday begin to slow.

Recently, Laura informed me that she had just returned from another spine curvature evaluation with her chiropractor.  As always, the degree of the bump was given a numerical value, but this time the tests did not show her back curvature slowing or even stopping.  Instead, her numerical assessment revealed that her spinal curve had actually reversed itself.

The doctor noted that he and the other chiropractors he had consulted with had never seen such results.  To see skeletal material shift in reverse was unheard of—until now.  At her most recent check-up, her spinal curvature had gone from the original 44 degrees of curve to an astonishing 40.  “To clarify,” he said, “your bones are…straightening themselves.”  Even her loyal massage therapist said that Laura now has a healthier back than most people she works on every day.

Laura’s tenacity, courage and power have won me over as an admirer and friend.  Now free of an eating disorder she thought she would never live without, Laura is a dynamic example of health and empowerment to her three children.  She lives each day to the fullest and delights in being able to just lie in the sun and read a book, free of the anxiety and fear that used to rule her life.

Laura continues to surge toward freedom in her body, heart and mind.  Every time we talk, she reminds me that we can each be a ripple of change and that there’s no telling who our lives will inspire next.  Just look who Laura’s story touched today…

For more inspiration, please peruse other selections from our Inspirational Stories category.   Thank you for visiting!

Home Study: Lessons for Living, pt. 1

11 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

by graceandclarity in Home Study

This month we begin a new Home Study series based on words shared with me by the Angels and Guides who assist us all on our spiritual Journeys.  Whether you do spiritual practice in a church, Nature or the silence of your own heart the Higher Realms are constantly guiding each of us.  Some practitioners like myself hear the words of the Angels within our minds through an experience called clairaudience.  Others sense guidance like a quiet urging in the heart, commonly referred to as intuition.  In my case, I was asked by the Guides to record Their words into book form so that others could benefit; this month’s Home Study text is the result.

Today’s text: Lessons for Living, vol. 1  transcribed by L. Taylor

Available at:  www.hopeofthenewage.com

Study pages: pp. 60-62

Many years ago I came across one of my favorite definitions.  It was for the word integrity and the translation was, “When the inside matches the outside.”  Now, Webster’s may not consider this to be a proper definition, but for my purposes it suited just fine.

When discussing spiritual integrity, one of the first things that comes to my mind is whether or not I am living in balance.  Is my mind ruling my life?  Are my emotions taking over my ability to be productive and at peace?  The result of living with a sense of harmony among body, mind and spirit is that we are able to express that harmony with integrity: Our true inner balance shows outwardly in all we do and say.

On page 62, the Guides talk about the Energy of Harmony.  I believe we could also substitute the word integrity in each of Their statements:

“What others need more than they ever needed power is Harmony, the Harmony of one’s Heart’s Desire with the rest of one’s life, the Harmony of thought with Spirit, the Harmony of action with Spirit, the Harmony of Truth with living, the Harmony of stillness with movement, the Harmony of power with Peace.”

It is clear that what the Angels are truly talking about is integration–marrying one aspect of self with another.  As we do so, we are called to live that integration with truth and transparency, allowing the inside to match the outside.  So we re-read these words of guidance as an encouragement to live a life wherein our “thought matches our Spirit, our action matches our Spirit, our Truth matches our living, our stillness matches our movement, our power matches our Peace.”

What exactly does this mean, “Our stillness matches our movement?”  It refers to the difficult but not impossible challenge of being while attending to all the tasks we have to do.  One of the first questions I asked the Guides in this book was how to balance the busyness of a life filled with doing with the Divine Command to Be.  The answer given on page 6 reminds us that being does not mean we just sit around all day.

Roughly stated, Being is the ability to perform any action while remaining immersed in a state of consciousness, also called mindfulness or awareness.  So our former statement, “Harmony of stillness with movement” does not mean we are supposed to learn how to sit and walk at the same time.  It means that we learn to act while maintaining a total sense of awareness.  The Guides’ call for “Harmony of stillness with movement” could now read, “Integration of awareness with each act in our lives.”

I chose to include pages 60-61 with this topic because it provides some important background into the nature of the physical reality around us.  On those pages we hear about how other beings in Nature–including animals and plants–live in this perfect integration or Harmony.  They cannot do anything outside the Divine Plan of what they were meant to be.

But as humans we have been given the golden key of Free Will and that gift allows us to choose.  We can live in Harmony and balance and allow those to be reflected in our lives (integrity) or not.  We can choose to let our minds rule our choices–or not.  The beauty is we get to decide.

Taking a pen and a piece of paper or journal, contemplate the following this week:

1. How do I rate my own integrity–does my outside match my inside?  When am I living in integrity and when am I not?

2. With whom can I be more fully transparent and allow my Inner Truth to show through?

3. What circumstances make me feel like I have to hide my Inner Truth?

4. What small steps can I take to live in greater integrity in those circumstances, allowing who I really am to shine through?

In session two of our Home Study, we will be diving deeper into Lessons for Living and what the Angels have to say about living a spiritual life in this very physical world…don’t miss it!  Be sure to click and follow our blog so you can be alerted when our next discussion commences!

For more book discussions, please peruse the other selections from our Home Study category.  We also invite you to experience other uplifting insights from the Higher Realms at www.hopeofthenewage.com

Laura’s Hope for Healing…chapter 2

07 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

by graceandclarity in Inspirational Stories

Today we begin chapter two in a three-part saga about healing one’s body, mind and life.  What you are about to read is a true story, recounted with the permission of the woman who lived it whose name has been changed for privacy.  If you have not read chapter one, I encourage you to take in the inspiring story of a courageous person who would not let the past dictate her future.  And now, Chapter two of “Laura’s Hope for Healing…”

My heart felt sickened as I heard the story of a young woman deprived of her joy.  Laura had become a slave to her eating disorder.  As she told her story, the Divine Insight of the Guides came into perfect focus.

It always takes a bit of courage to share theories with people when I receive direction from the Guides.  But I sensed that Laura had trusted me in revealing some very intimate history, and I felt that at the very least she deserved a chance to hear the Truth.  What happened next would change Laura’s life forever, and start us on a Journey to unraveling the most mysterious case of body-mind-spirit connection I had ever encountered…

As gently as possible, I told Laura what I had experienced during our sessions.  I started by explaining the gift of clairaudience, which allows a person to hear the words the Angels speak to him or her.  I shared that during our first week together I had been told Laura’s condition was energetically rooted and that I had later sensed it was connected to the way she was using her body.

Was it just possible, I asked Laura, that she had deformed her body through her hatred of it?  Could it be that she had been forcibly willing her belly to go “back, back, back” for so long that her spine had finally bulged outward in a desperate attempt to obey?  Understanding that every cell in the body is known to have intelligence, to be able to read the intention of the brain, was it possible that her spine had tried to acquiesce to the point of deformation?

Laura was stunned.  She had never put the two together before and a new light of awareness dawned in her eyes.  The expression she wore of fierce courage in the face of this new hypothesis spurned me on.

And what of the fact that she could still dance, I asked?  That high-impact form of exercise should have been eliminated far before walking, but still it held on.  I suggested that it was owing to the fact that every other form of exercise was known by her body to be a means of punishment and brutal manipulation.  Dancing was her only method of exercise born of sheer, joyful abandon and it seemed her body knew it.

Laura’s face lit up.  Based upon this new understanding, she speculated that perhaps what had been done by her mind to her body could be undone in the same fashion.  Maybe her mind’s attempt to force her body into an unrealistic ideal could be undone by attending to the root causes of fear and frustration.  In that moment, yoga suddenly found the fulfillment of its true purpose: to create healing in the body with the help of the mind and spirit—not in spite of them.

Together, Laura and I set about making a plan.  The goal was to begin sending healing vibrations to her spine.  At this point, Laura was living with chronic pain the doctors had said would be her lot for the rest of her life.  She had been given an arsenal of pills to manage the searing sensations she lived with every day and I asked her to continue taking her medicine as usual.

However, I also asked Laura to have a daily conversation with her body, telling her back’s pain receptors that it was safe to go “off-duty.”  Let the pain response know it can turn off now, I recommended.  Thank your body for its wisdom and warning, but tell it that you have heard the alarm and are attending to the emergency.

The following week Laura was beaming.  She told me she had been able to reduce her pain medications by almost half in just one week, finding her back hurt much less throughout the day.  We continued sending the signals to the pain system and added communication to the actual muscles around her bump.

The visualization was to be one of an ice cream cone slowly melting away.  Once a day, Laura committed to visualizing her bump softening, smoothing out and becoming even with the other side of her back.  Her visualization practice was over when she could see clearly imagine the right and left sides of her back looking exactly the same.

With astonishing success, Laura began miraculously healing her body of the ravages of pain.  In addition to her yoga and visualizations, Laura had begun working with a chiropractor who supported her mind/body approach and gave her hope that she could lead a life not consumed by pain.  They began meeting on a regular basis and with the combined methodologies, Laura began to see even greater results.  Her medication was now used only weekly and her back muscles were beginning to stretch and respond to her daily yoga routine.

A month later we decided to implement the final level of imagery, which was to visualize Laura’s spinal column itself straightening into healthy alignment.  Instead of taking a jog to the right below her waist, Laura imagined it being slowly pulled into a perfectly straight line before her very eyes.  I asked her to visualize her spine straightening three times in a row before concluding and simply going on about her day.

The results were miraculous.  Week after week, Laura was gaining ground.  The pain and other medications prescribed for her back had been formally removed by her doctor.  She was able to sit in a car without pain and even take a bike ride for the first time in years.

The rest of her body was improving, too.  What were once black and painful-looking toes battered from merciless exercise were now polished and healthy.  She had clearly stopped abusing her body and her entire Energy was changing because of it.

I think by anyone’s standards Laura’s story is an impressive one: A courageous woman has the fortitude to heal herself of an agonizing illness, effectively putting an end to generations of emotional anguish and physical torment.  But the story doesn’t stop there–not even close.  Because as it happens, Laura was not the only one in her family needing a new relationship with her body.

As Laura faithfully crafted a balanced life day by careful day, healing Energy began to expand outward like ripples on a pond, first saving the life of her oldest son and later bringing healing to her son’s relationship with his father.

Who knew one woman’s courage could do so much for so many?

Please stay tuned in the coming weeks for the final chapter of “Laura’s Hope for Healing.”  Simply click to follow our blog!

Tornado Season Tips

04 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

by graceandclarity in Try this!

Each year we find Mother Nature cycling into seasons of upheaval and change.  Tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards and droughts are part and parcel of Her ongoing evolution and growth.  As Mother Earth balances and purifies Herself once again, I am reminded that we must be wise occupants of Her diverse terrain.

Unexpected changes can occur at any time and can be felt anywhere from the debris-strewn fields of our own back yards to the soaring prices at the grocery store.  A few simple preparations can go a long way toward banishing unneeded fear and making a catastrophe feel more contained.  Here are some basic tips from the Red Cross, Backpacker Magazine and wilderness experts to help you manage weather challenges that may come to your area this year:

  • Back up your contact list–Nothing is more unnerving than the thought of being out of touch with those most important to you.  Yet when inclement weather arrives, it may not always be possible to charge your phone or even get a good cell phone connection.  Back up your contact list the old-fashioned way: on a piece of paper.  Write all the names and phone numbers of important contacts on a slip of paper small enough to fold into your wallet or purse.  Then make a few copies and put them in different places like your car, your office and your fireproof safe.  While it is unlikely you will ever need to use it, your list reassures you that you could go to any landline and have important numbers close at hand.
  • Give your loved ones your landline number–At times of crisis, cell phone providers can be completely overwhelmed with calls.  The result is no one gets through and it is impossible to assure loved ones of your status.  In such times, a land line may work when other high-tech gadgets fall short.  Be sure you give–and receive–landline numbers as well as cell phone numbers from anyone you may need to get in touch with.
  • Sign up with the Red Cross “Safe and Well” list–At the Red Cross official site, you can discover if out-of-contact loved ones in ravaged areas have found safety.  The Red Cross home page has a box entitled “How to Get Help” and below it is the heading “Safe and Well” followed by “List yourself or search registrants.”  This page allows you to register, or check on others who have registered, in an area of natural disaster.  Even if you cannot make contact by phone, this list allows you to learn your loved ones’ status such as they are “safe at home” or are “taking refuge in a shelter,” etc.  But participants in affected areas must self-register at the time of the crisis; tell your loved ones and plan ahead to keep in touch!
  • Learn how to handle your region’s challenges–At www.redcross.org you will also find a  heading entitled “Preparing and Getting Trained.”  It drops down to reveal an option called “Preparedness Fast Facts.”  This menu gives you specific preparation check-lists for fires, tornadoes, pet safety or whatever your challenges may be.  You can print up as many as you want and review all relevant scenarios for your area.  Lists include items to gather, how to prepare and what to do in the event of an emergency.
  • Grab a few essentials–Ever had a flat tire?  If you have, you know the key to turning that disaster into a do-able task is preparation.  Having the right tool for the job makes all the difference when you are in a challenging situation of any kind.  Go beyond just printing up a list of suggested preparation items–get out and purchase them.  I like to add one item to my shopping list every week, usually something I see on sale.  One week I buy candles on sale, another week a 12-pack of water bottles.  Keep an eye out for sales at “super stores” where you can grab reduced-price energy bars while picking up an emergency weather radio.  And the beauty is, once you have your non-perishable items, that part is done! 
  • Think of those around you—Many of us don’t feel the urge to provide for our own unexpected needs, but how about planning ahead for someone else?  If you have an elderly neighbor, live in an area with kids or share a walking path with local pets, chances are they may need some help in a crisis, too.  Consider buying an extra bag of dog biscuits when they go on sale or squirreling away some juice boxes.  Perishables need to be rotated, so if you stock up, be sure to use any times nearing their expiration date after purchasing replacements. 
  • What’s the worst that can happen?—I like to keep apathy at bay by asking myself, “What’s the worst that can happen if I don’t end up using the items I’ve collected?”  The answer is simple: I use the candles to light a romantic dinner, take the water on a hike in the summer and pack the energy bars for my next camping trip.  Simply restock expired items the Red Cross says you should keep on hand and enjoy any items that need to be used.  In the end, we find we have nothing to lose–and everything to gain!

Whether you live in an area confronted by an annual hurricane season, are susceptible to frequent blizzards or prone to heat extremes, you get to choose how much power you take over your future.  My hope is I will never have to use my simple supplies, but if I do I’ll be thanking my lucky stars I took the time to be prepared.

“A Picture of a Mountain…”

03 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

by graceandclarity in Wisdom

Spend any amount of time in a yoga studio, meditation center or spiritual book club and you are likely to hear more than a few discussions on spiritual growth.  Seekers often gather to share the challenges of the Journey and talk about tips for success.  Indeed, there is great value in the support and clarity that comes from sharing our experiences with others of like mind.

I personally participate in such a monthly discussion group and have been amazed at how it has spurned seekers on to significant progress.  Month after month I relish the shared compassion, enthusiastic support and gritty dissection of old habits.  But real growth requires more than just talk, doesn’t it?

I recently received a bit of wisdom from the Higher Realms that reminded me that it is important for us to follow up our discussions with action if we truly want to achieve our full spiritual potential:

“Your ability to perceive your lessons far exceeds your ability to master them.  It is similar to how your ability to look at a picture of a mountain far exceeds your ability to climb it.”

It is true that a notable amount of Energy must be given to the practice of self-study in order to grow past old habits and misunderstandings.  But a much greater amount of courage and strength is required if we wish to make concrete, measurable changes as we grow.

The Angels go on to remind us that talking about spiritual growth and actually growing require as different amounts of Energy as looking at a mountain versus actually climbing it.  These are two very different things requiring two very different levels of Energy expenditure and Intent–and they should not be confused.  We must not tranquillize ourselves by believing that achievement is found in talking, “processing” or debating.

In the end, we find that as with many parts of living, the proof is in the putting.  To grow, we must actually grow; it’s as simple as that.  May you be inspired to retrieve your gear, lace your boots and continue to climb!

To read more of the Angels’ Words of Wisdom, please peruse other selections from our Wisdom category or visit www.hopeofthenewage.com/Wisdom