Boundaries

Boundaries define us. They define what is you and what is not you. A boundary shows you where you end and someone else begins. It sounds so easy and yet many of us struggle with maintaining our boundaries because we were taught that it was selfish, self centered to say no to someone. However, boundary setting is not about being selfish. It is about protecting yourself and others. Because it’s not just about protecting yourself from others, it’s also about protecting others from your own potential toxic behaviors that may unconsciously occur when your needs are not being met-when you say yes when you really mean no. And setting boundaries is really about modifying your own behavior to conform to the reality that you are limited in what you can do for others. It means recognizing that to effectively bring your authentic self to others, you must care for yourself—not as an afterthought, but as primary focus. Today, it is time to become aware about your boundaries, or lack of them and begin to take steps to create better boundaries in your life. Begin by clearly defining your values-what do you really want. Then, set you intentions to say no when you mean no even if the other person attempts to guilt you into doing what they want. Finally allow yourself to ask for what you need and to make time for yourself. You have in reality trained the people in your life to "use you", to bully you and they have come to count on you to not have any boundaries at all because that meets their needs. Today it is time that you consciously stop making other people's needs and wants more important than your own. Today begin to ask for what you need. Say no when you need to, and when you say yes, mean it. As a result of you setting better boundaries, you will be able to be more compassionate toward others because your healthy boundaries will keep you out of resentment and anger because your needs will finally be met. Remember, the only people that will be upset about you setting healthy boundaries are the ones that benefit from you having none.

Just for today, I respect my boundaries and I insist others do too. I say yes when I mean yes and no when I mean no. I know what I want and I do not need to apologize for it. I am a master at setting healthy boundaries that save my time, energy, creativity and emotional well being. I ask for what I want. I am safe when I speak up for myself. I reclaim my power now and everything is working out for my highest good. And so it is.

Libra Season

Yesterday we entered Libra season. Libra is the sign of justice and with so many injustices being played out in our world today, you might just feel like the scales of justice would be tipping over. However, the key to keeping your personal scales balanced this month is to stay true to yourself and centered in what you truly believe in. Today begin to use the justice loving energy of Libra to help you heal your relationships and to bring balance to every part of your life.

Just for today, my mind and body are in perfect balance. I am a harmonious being. I am even tempered and emotionally well balanced. I am an open channel to creative ideas. I know that experiences will comes and go but my love for myself is constant. I trust the power the created me to protect me and guide me at all times and under all circumstances. I handle my life with joy and ease and all is truly well in my world. And so it is.

Fall Equinox

Happy Fall Equinox! The Fall Equinox is a day where we experience equal hours of night and day, symbolizing both duality and oneness. It is the halfway point in the astrological year and indicates a change in the flow of energy as we move through this next stage of the cycle. The Equinox is also seen as a time where the veil between dimensions grows thin, as it represents this idea of light and dark coming into balance. It is also a reminder that one can’t exist without the other. It is only when we have basked in the shadows that we can fully appreciate the light. It is only once we have ventured into the light that we can fully understand the shadows. On the Equinox, with the thinning veil, we can connect to the Oneness within and around us. And, today the Sun moves into Libra, adding more focus on your relationships and how you might just be selling yourself short in them-that you need to bring balance to them. Today on the first day of Fall, allow the energies of the Equinox to help you to evaluate where you are, find balance in your relationships and your life as a whole, methodically plan for the next steps in your journey, as you prepare for winter. Today, make time to tune into what balance means to you, how you can restore balance into your life and to take ownership of the direction of the rest of this year and the rest of your life.

Just for today, I recognize that I am one with everyone in the planet. I know that I have come to this planet to learn to love myself more and to share that love with others. For every problem that I may create I am confident that I can find a solution. My life is perfectly balanced between work and plan. I am safe and everything is working out for my highest good. And so it is.

Embrace the Uncertainty

Our lives are filled with so much uncertainty these days. And, uncertainty for most of us makes us feel vulnerable, so we try and escape it any way that we can. We convince ourselves that we are fortune tellers and can therefore see the future. We make ourselves crazy, spinning our minds through the same handful of scenarios we come up with, over and over again, never feeling any closer to some sort of resolution. However, it seems, despite our need for control, a great paradox of life is that it is only through the embracing of uncertainty that we actually can thrive. In fact, our lives are greatly determined by what we do when we get uncertain. And, without uncertainty, we might never grow because we would never be pushed beyond our comfort zones. Many people do not end up following their true passions because it is seemingly impractical, or because there is a large degree of perceived uncertainty associated with following that path. Today it is time to awaken to the fact that contrary to popular beliefs, not knowing exactly what will happen next in your life is okay. In fact, it is actually liberating. The ability to let go, not know, and not try to totally control what will happen next is a necessary skill for living happy, joyous, and free. And, when you accept that things are unknown, that you don’t have all of the answers, you can see that lessons are always available if you are paying attention. When you trust, let go, and embrace the uncertainty, that noise in your own mind subsides.

Ironically, the quietness created by letting go of the need to know then allows contact with your own intuition, and you actually get clearer direction from within your own heart and you can feel more certain about this direction. Today, let go of your need to know what comes next, trust yourself and your intuition to guide you and allow yourself to get comfortable with the uncertainty of life.

Just for today, I am willing to do something different. I am willing to step out of my comfort zone and experience my life in a whole new way. Each day I stretch my comfort zone a little further. I release all fear and doubt and Life becomes simple and easy. I feel safe and secure in my world. I trust Life. I trust myself and I trust that everything is always working out for my highest good. All is truly well in my world. And so it is.

Be compassionate

People are always fighting battles we can’t see, or know nothing about. Often their reactions to us are truly just a mirror of what is going on within them and has nothing to do with you. Remembering this will help you be patient, kinder, more empathetic, and far less critical and judgmental. Life is hard and some days the best we all can do is to show up using every ounce of energy and willpower we can possibly muster. And, none of us can be in top form all the time. You and I are human beings, not human doings. Today, choose to be compassionate and choose to notice what’s going on with the people around us and know that they suffer like you and that they are doing the best they can right now, just like you are. Today, allow people to be who they are and accept them and accept yourself just as you are.

Just for today, I forgive everyone for not being what I wanted them to be. I release all criticism of myself and others. As I release all judgement and criticism of others, judgmental people leave my life. I no longer judge or criticize others. I now recognize that we are all doing the best we can with the knowledge, understanding and awareness that we have right now. I now accept everyone as they are, including myself.. I am free to love who I am. I am safe. It is only change and everything is always working out for my highest good. And so it is.

Grieve

We are living in a time of unprecedented and volatile changes and loss. So, it is normal and natural that with these changes a variety of feelings arise-sadness, grief and anger. Unfortunately, we live in a culture that embraces toxic positivity. Scrolling through the incessant happy, exciting adventures on your social media feeds, you can begin to feel guilty or like there is something wrong with you when you have a normal human emotion like grief, anger, or sadness. The end result of us ignoring our pain, however, is that we actually are limiting our own positive emotions. For you see, you can only feel the positive emotions to the depth and degree that you allow yourself to feel deeply into the difficult, uncomfortable emotions. Any joy or happiness you experience is blunted and/or limited by your inability to lean into the difficult emotions you have as part of the human experience. Today, make some time to grieve and allow yourself to really begin to understand the impermanence of this life. Allow yourself to grieve the fact that nothing is forever. Today, acknowledge that all of life, our possessions, and our relationships are temporary. Making friends with impermanence can help you suffer less, and acknowledging impermanence encourages gratitude for all that is good in this moment. Today allow yourself to feel all your feelings and share them with those who you trust. Accept all your emotions with an open my heart, knowing you are not limited by them. Feel compassion for yourself and your own suffering and extend that compassion to those around you. Compassion encourages us to not turn away from suffering, but to lean into it. This is another way that feeling all of our emotions allows us to be fuller, more tender hearted human beings. Finally, be grateful that in reality that you and I are learning so much from our current losses and that we will come out of this time of loss, fear and great turmoil, stronger, smarter, more compassionate and ready for our next steps of our journey.

Just for today, I listen to my feelings and I am gentle with myself. I know that all my feelings are my friends, not just the ones that I like but all of them. Every experience I have is perfect for my self growth. I recognize that every obstacle is but a stepping stone. My good cannot be stopped. I feel safe in the rhythm and flow of my every changing life. I love life and out of this situation only good will come. And so it is.

Slow down and stop forcing things to happen

You might just be feeling like things have slowed down and that you are trudging through quicksand, forcing things to happen. And, that is the intention of Mars Retrograde. Mars Retrograde can bring delays and slow things down to a crawl, but this is only so you can take time to ensure that what you actually want to do is in alignment with your true and highest self. As humans, we find it hard to allow ourselves to slow down or to stop because it means that we must reconsider and re think which direction is really in our highest good. Most f us just want to keep moving forward without taking any time to really evaluate our next decisions or actions. Today, if you are meeting resistance, you might just want to stop and ask yourself if your heart is really into where you are headed or what you are doing. We all have so many lessons to learn right now. Today do not force things to happen. Instead just let them happen. If you try to force a decision, you are most likely to find that what you thought you wanted no longer aligns with where you have ended up. Today trust and listen to your intuition and take time to make your decisions. Sometimes doing nothing is the best thing you can do. Today stop forcing and start flowing.

Just for today, I flow easily and effortlessly with new experiences, new challenges and new people who enter my life. I am proud that I can easily adapt to the ebb and flow of my life. I trust the power that created me to protect me and guide me at all time and under all circumstances. I do not force things to happen. I am willing to allow life to unfold the way it should. I am safe. I am willing to change and all is truly well in my world. And so it is.

New Moon in Virgo

We have a New Moon in Virgo and New Moons always welcome in beginnings and initiations. Virgo is a sign of practicality and solutions and during this time of chaos and unrest, Virgo can help you discern what needs to be done to get you back on track. While Mars in retrograde you might lack the energy and ambition to fuel you forward, which is to protect you from proceeding in the wrong direction-in a direction that is not aligned with your soul purpose; in a direction ruled by your ego. During this time of Virgo's discernment, you can reflect and ask yourself what is absolutely essential for your well being and then, act upon it. Ultimately, Virgo is a sign of efficiency in action and it can teach you to prioritize self care so that you can help others. Today, make time to tune into your true nature. Ask yourself how you can honor your instincts so you can allow yourself to be to yourself and have the clarity to live your purpose. You and I cannot go back to they way we were living, ignoring what we knew didn't work in our lives any longer. Today, look within and let your inner voice lead you. You are not alone and can do anything when you put your heart and mind to it.

Just for today, I go within and connect with the parts of myself that knows how to heal. I know that healing means to make whole and accept all parts of myself not just the ones that I like, but all of me. I affirm that I have the power to heal myself and that I am worth the time I spend healing and nurturing myself. I am safe. I am willing to change and everything is working out for my highest good. And so it is.

Authenticity

When circumstances in your life invite you to present your true self to others, do you accept the invitation? Or do you choose to play it safe by telling people what you think they want to hear? Do you leave conflicts wishing you had spoken up for yourself; leave social settings feeling totally drained; over-commit to obligations and under-commit to activities that bring you joy; and do you give more than you receive in the majority of your relationships? Today it is time to change all that people pleasing, inauthentic communication and superficial relationships that leave you feeling disconnected and alone. It is time to begin to have faith in yourself enough to stop telling people what they want to hear and instead speak your truth. Today, begin small and when asked how you are, despite the knee jerk reactions of saying fine, respond with the truth. Of course do not try to be authentic with people who clearly do not care about you nor your real feelings. It is time to let them go of them or at least stop using your energy to placate them at your expense. Today begin to be yourself in every situation. And remember, inauthenticity breeds inauthenticity. Authenticity breeds authenticity. Give yourself permission to say “I’m a little sad today, but I’m hanging in there” or “I’m fantastic; today’s been an inspiring day” or “I’m so stressed I don't feel like I can go on. Whatever’s going on for you, give yourself permission to share it. These small moments of authenticity will replace the loneliness of emotional isolation with the belonging of vulnerability, and allow you to receive others’ gifts in the form of compassion and empathy. The inner liberation that comes as a result of the simple acknowledgement can feel enormous. It removes the conflict between what you feel and what you portray to the outside world, which is what authentic communication is all about. And it is what you can begin to be today.

Just for today, I have too much integrity to ever lie or tell people what they want to hear. What I give out comes back to me. So I always speak the truth. I create easily and effortlessly when I let my thoughts come from the loving space of my own heart. The door to my heart opens inward. I move through forgiveness into love. I cannot change another person. I let others be who they are and I simply love who I am. I am safe when I speak my truth. I can remain calm and serene under all circumstances. Everything is working out for my highest good. And so it is.

Worrying is just a waste of time

Worrying is exhausting such a waste of time. It drains you mentally and physically. And in the end, nothing gets accomplished except worrying. We worry because we feel that if we are worrying, we are taking a positive action. We feel as if doing so can change the situation, when in reality it cannot. In fact, it usually makes everything situation worse. Worry can also distract us from even scarier parts of our lives, or from our own intense emotions. And it can help us feel like we’re protecting ourselves and what’s important to us just by thinking about them. Today, it is time to let go of your need to constantly be worrying about something or someone. It is time to begin to practice trusting in the process of Life and in the Universe, which after all provides you and me with everything we need, although it just might not be what we want or what we thought we needed. Today begin to accept that most of the good things in your life didn’t happen solely because of your own foresight or effort. Sure, you contributed to many of them, but they also required a lot of luck, happy accidents and coincidences, and forces outside of your control. Today, recognize that trust is the ultimate antidote to worry, trusting in powers that in reality are bigger that your brain and thinking. You may not have been born or have cultivated that trust, it is possible to build trust in ourselves and the universe through practice, one worry at a time. Begin today to consciously stop yourself from worry.

Just for today, I release all negative thoughts of the past and all worries about the future. I realize that stress is only fear. I release all fears. I am a capable person and I can handle anything that comes my way. I am good enough and I trust the power that created me to protect me, guide me and love me at all times and under all circumstances. I am safe in this present moment and everything is working out for my highest good. And so it is.

World peace begins with you

Mars retrograde in Aries is teaching you and I how to use our personal power in positive ways. Paradoxically, you also may be awakening to how you give our power away, leaving you feeling powerless, frustrated and in some cases, just plain enraged. Today, it is time to reclaim your power and to use that power in new positive ways. It is time to begin to be the leader you want to see in the world-to be the change in your world. If there is something you would like to change, posting pictures on social media or hash tagging it does not change anything. Getting lost in illusions that make you feel powerful are in reality, keeping you stuck. And, making other people the enemy does not solve anything. It only creates more division and more discourse. Today, recognize that if you want to change the world in which you live, make sure you are seeing the humanity in other people. Find solutions instead of attacking them. Use your language to uplift others rather than tearing them down. And, stop creating illusions that in the end only keep you stuck in conflict and anger. Today, let's begin to heal the deep seeded animosity towards those people who do not see the world like you do. Everyone of us now have created ways of seeing other people as the enemy-keeping us separated and filled with fear. Today let's begin to heal this in ourselves. Let us begin to approach our lives from love and we can begin to heal individually and collectively. World peace really does begin with you and me. Let's do this together. Begin today.

Just for today, I recognize that world peace really does begin with me. The more peace I have inside, the more peace I have to share with others. I release the need to blame anyone, including myself. I know that we are all doing the best we can with the knowledge, understanding and awareness that we have right now. I reclaim my power and now create the life I desire. I am safe and everything is working out for my highest good. And so it is.

Just be yourself

One of the keys to real happiness is to stop caring about what other people think about you. And, the only way to tune into your intuition is to stop caring about what other people think of you. And, when you stop caring about what other people think, you will find your passion and purpose. Today, consciously take some time to think about how other people's opinions have kept you from expressing your true self. How often are you afraid of saying how you truly feel because you want to avoid conflict or you just want to be liked. Mars in retrograde can help you to have the courage to be yourself. You might now be able to change the entire world but you can allow yourself to be completely you, and you just might find that the whole world changes for the better. Today, just be yourself because everyone else is already taken.

Just for today, I choose to be happy no matter what other people say, do or think. It does not matter what other people do or say. What does matter is how I choose to react and what I choose to believe about myself. I am far more than other people's opinions. My opinion of myself is the only one that counts. I have the courage to be myself. I am safe. It is only change and Life supports me in every possible way. And so it is.

Forgive the person who is hardest for you to forgive

Harboring anger and hatred toward anyone guarantees that you remain in low energy fields where problems will continue to crop up repeatedly in your life. And, your worst enemies are your greatest teachers because they allow you to examine the emotions of anger and revenge and then to transcend them. They give you the exact tools you need to elevate yourself to the spiritual energies that eliminate problems and provide solutions. Today, choose to forgive instead of holding onto to resentments and the hurt that you have experienced. Forgiving someone doesn’t mean condoning their behavior. It doesn’t mean forgetting how they hurt you or giving that person room to hurt you again. Forgiving someone means making peace with what happened. It means acknowledging your wound, giving yourself permission to feel the pain, and recognizing why that pain no longer serves you. It means letting go of the hurt and resentment so that you can heal and move on. Today, when you feel that fire in your belly or you find yourself fixated on what you "hate", stop yourself, ask what you need to learn, even if the answer is that you need to let go and then, consciously forgive and move on. Forgiveness will free you from negativity and allow you to grow and change. It is a gift you can give yourself right now.

Just for today, I am willing to forgive. I know that the person who is hardest to forgive is the one that I need to forgive and let go of the most. As I forgive myself, it becomes easier to forgive others. I forgive others and release the past. I now create my own life the way I want it. Every experience is perfect for my self growth. I am safe. It is only change and out of this situation only good will come. And so it is.