Sometimes giving up is a good thing

Many of us take great pride in our tenacity, in our ability to keep fighting and keep working towards our goals. However, that tenacity which is seen as great strength may be our greatest weakness. In fact, you might be experiencing a situation that isn’t working for you and wondering whether you should persevere a little longer. You might wonder whether more time will allow you to fix the problem or reach the goal. After all, we take great pride in never giving up. Today, as we all make plans to move forward, make time to process whether it might be time for you to "give up". One sign that it may be time to let go of your valiant effort is that your efforts stop you from enjoying life to the fullest because you can’t stop thinking about your situation. Today, sit down and be honest with yourself if what you want to achieve is even possible. Do not get confused with positive thinking and manifesting-that your positive thinking can create the impossible. You nor I can make anything happen which is not in alignment with our highest good or the highest good of the world. So, today really take a look at what you have been banging away at and making no progress. Recognize there may be a reason why you have not been able to achieve what you want. Perhaps today, you can finally concede that letting go and making room for new things may be in alignment with your highest good. Making the decision to give up might not be easy, but will open the door to new fulfilling and joyful life experiences. Letting go will set you on a path of learning, growth, and expansion!

Just for today, I am willing to let go. I am willing to release everything that no longer serves any purpose in my life. I let go of all expectations. I flow freely and lovingly with Life. I love myself and I know that only good awaits me at every turn. I am safe. It is only change. Out of this situation only good will come. And so it is.

Everything you want is on the other side of fear

We are all born free spirits. Then our environment—our families, schools, religions, and political systems—shape the way we think behave and what we fear. And, fear is a learned practice. Children generally are not afraid of trying, failing, and getting up on their feet again. That’s how we all learned to walk. As kids, we weren’t afraid to step outside of our comfort zone and try new experiences. However, as adults we all fear a lot! We fear failure, we fear success, we fear not being good enough, we fear being rejected, and we fear losing control. Today, it is time to recognize and acknowledge that you are stronger than your fears! Recognize that we all are afraid on some level and that the primary intention of fear is to protect you from things that could hurt you. They began as a defense mechanism to keep you safe, however, now many of your fears no longer serve you and in reality are keeping you stuck. Today acknowledge that you don’t have to let your fears control you. Today make sure that you nourish your mind with positive loving thoughts, knowing that you are the one creating your own world through thoughts feelings, thoughts, and, actions. Be willing to listen to your own stories and realize that they are just that stories of fear that you created. Know that everything you want is on the other side of your fear.

Just for today, I now free myself from destructive fears and doubts. I recognize that it is my mind and my thoughts that create my experiences. I am unlimited in my ability to create the good in my life. I release all fear and doubt and Life becomes simple and easy for me. I feel safe and secure within my world. Everything is working out for my highest good and so it is

Practice new habits

For anyone seeking a change in their life—to stop doing something destructive, to start doing something healthier, to become more confident, to step into the version of themselves—the single best habit to cultivate is mindfulness. Mindfulness is the skill of paying attention on purpose to the present moment without judgment. And, it is the first step to change. It can help you recognize when you are doing the things you want to change. It helps you to understand when you are stuck. It helps you realize what you are really feeling and thinking. From that place you then are able to step outside those emotions of fear and discomfort and look at the situation objectively. From there, you can create change. You can challenge your thinking. You can reframe the situation. You can remind yourself of where you want to go. You can make a plan. However, we so easily live on autopilot and fight the idea that our minds and thoughts create our reality. Today, it is time to cultivate a new habit-of daily conscious mindfulness. One of the foundation of mindfulness is meditation. Many people fight the idea of meditating and create a ton of "reasons" why they can't meditate. Today it is time to stop, stop your old thinking that you can't meditate for whatever reason or rationalizations you have created in your mind. Even a few minutes of meditation can help you remember and build a relationship to stillness by getting you out of our head and into our heart. The more you visit stillness through meditation the more it will permeate you, which means it’s more available for you in your everyday life. In your stillness, you will be able to hear your truth and slowly it will change your life. Today set your intentions to create a new mindful habit. It is your first step towards profound transformation and true happiness. Set your intentions to cultivate the habit of mindfulness.

Just for today, I am open to the new and changing. Every moment presents a new opportunity to become more of who I am. I am willing to learn something new every day. I now flow easily and effortlessly with Life. All is truly well in my world and everything is working out for my highest good. And so it is.

Celebrate your uniqueness

Subconsciously, we’re all searching for true meaning in our lives. We think of it as trying to find happiness. And, society teaches us we’ll be happy by following norms that make us the same as others. We are encouraged to seek happiness outside of ourselves rather than connecting inward and being fulfilled by the things we love. Therefore, we seek approval from others to find our value. We look for partners to complete us and we strive to make money to buy us things that we think will bring us happiness and security. As a result of our need to fit in, we forget who we are. We stop living. But rather, we spend our time grasping for an elusive happiness on the outside. Today, it is time to celebrate and begin to value your uniqueness. And that is the lesson of the sign of Aquarius. It wants us to celebrate our uniqueness, which will ultimately benefit the greater good. Aquarius is paradoxical in that it fosters benefiting the greater good while celebrating the uniqueness of each individual. This brings social change by unifying the collective through the expression of diversity and equality. So today, begin to celebrate and value your uniqueness. Begin to notice where you have abandoned your uniqueness so that you could fit in or appear more "normal". Today, acknowledge that we all have differences in a world that values similarity. But by opening your heart and mind and being completely free to explore what matters to you, you will learn who you are. You will begin to value and appreciate your uniqueness!

Just for today, I am my own unique self. I accept my uniqueness. There is no competition or comparison for we are all different and were meant to be that way. I am special and wonderful. I love and approve of myself exactly as I am. I move beyond self imposed limitation into freedom. I am now becoming all that I was created to be. I am safe, divinely guided and protected. Everything is working out for my highest good. And so it is

Aquarius Season

Today we enter Aquarius Season. And under the Aquarian Sun we will be shaken up a bit, so we can awaken, inspire change, and shift the way we have been choosing to see our world. During this re- arrangement of our world and our lives, it can often bring with it a certain level of chaos that comes before real, meaningful change. However, Aquarius is also a community-driven sign, and turning to our community is going to be key during this season. The message that Aquarius brings is that YOU and I need not walk through our own journey or through our struggles alone. While it has been harder to maintain a sense of community during this pandemic, this is a good opportunity to see how you can find creative and innovative ways to create a sense of community with what you is available to you. We all have fought against creating completely new lives since we wanted to go back to our "old" lives, as they were. Today, as we enter Aquarius season, let go of who you were, what you thought was going to happen and what your old life looked like. Know that you are not alone. And know through all of these shifts and potentially volatile energies that you and I are stepping into a truer and fuller power. Aquarius Season 2021 will have its moments of intensity, but it is from this that we will be able to give rise to a better, fairer, and more just world for all.

Just for today, I recognize that in the infinity of Life where I am right now, all is perfect whole and complete. I no longer choose to believe in old limitations and lack. I now choose to see myself as the Universe sees me, perfect whole and complete. I now choose to live with this understanding that I am always in the right place, doing the right thing and the right time. All is truly well in my world. And so it is.

Step out of your comfort zone

Today it is time to step out of your comfort zone because that is where your new life awaits you in this new year on this new day. Today, it is time to take baby steps out of your comfort zone, no matter how afraid you may feel. We all tend to forget that struggle and discomfort are where all growth comes from. However somehow as adults we just don’t like to try new things because we fear failure. But despite our fear, we need to understand that failure isn’t the end of the road, it’s the beginning. We learn and gain more from failure than we do from success—and way more than if we never took the chance in the first place. Today, recognize that whether you succeed or fail at whatever you’re doing, it will be a hundred times more valuable to your growth than if you never took the chance in the first place. Either you succeed and you grow or you fail and you grow, but trying anything is better than doing nothing. Today, consciously step outside your comfort zone. Taking the first step is always the hardest, but once you do it, the only thought you’ll have in your head is “Why didn’t I do this earlier?” Every second you spend in this world is precious, and you shouldn’t waste a single second of it wondering if you should have done something. Today, Life is waiting for you to take the reigns. So grab them and remember everything you want is on the other side of fear.

Just for today, I do something different. I am willing to step out of my comfort zone and experience life in a whole new way. Each day I stretch my comfort zone a little further. When I make a mistake, I understand that it is not the end, but only part of the learning process. I am safe. It is only change. Everything in truth is always working out for my highest good. And so it is.

Loss and grief

We all have lost so much. And whether you have lost a friend, a family member, your identity, your goals, money or just the illusion that you were in control of what comes next in your life, the result is that you and I are in all likelihood grieving for our losses at some level. And, grief is one of those emotions that has a life of its own. It carries every feeling within it and sometimes there’s no way to discern it. However, it also carries one of the greatest lessons that we as humans must come to terms with-the lesson of impermanence—that everything that comes into being will go out of being. And, no one escapes that lesson. So today, allow yourself to grieve your losses but also take extraordinary care of yourself. Accept that there is so much that you and I can never fully understand. Give yourself time and space to allow yourself to cry, mourn and to then come to peace that nothing lasts forever and that your pain will pass. Like everything else, all suffering will go, until one day it comes again.

The greatest thing about loss is that it helps us grow up. It matures us. It brings wisdom. It teaches us to let go. We learn we can go through hard times and we will come out the other side. And, we will discover that our happiness never really went away—it still exists inside of us—yet, we are remembering it anew. We are all beginning anew.

Just for today, I know that it is okay to be sad sometimes. Sadness is just another feeling. I allow it to be and then it passes away. I have the strength to remain calm in the face of change. Nourishing myself is a joyful experience. I am worth the time I spent on my own healing. I am safe and I am in the process of healing every part of my life. Out of this situation only good will come. And so it is.

Compassion

When we face a conflict we face an opportunity to learn from the pain caused by the conflict. It’s like putting your hand against a hot burner on a stove. The burn warns that you have to do something differently. However, our natural inclination when we experience conflict is to outsource the blame, making it impossible to get the lesson and to move on-it is always someone else's fault. And, as a result of not learning our lesson, many of us live in a constant or re-occurring experience with conflict. We experience the same fights and struggles with a varied cast of characters-but always the same conflict. It’s the same story running over and over. In its most basic form, the story is: I have been wronged by someone who does not see my value. They are self-centered and are not considering my point of view. Oddly enough, that story is also the story we ourselves are actually acting out. We are refusing to see the others’ point of view; maybe because it puts our own sense of self at risk. And, in the end, all our conflicts can boil down to winning and losing. Today, consciously begin to change the way you look and deal with the conflict in your life. Allow yourself to instead of letting your ego lead you, let compassion guide you. Today, let go of your perspective long enough to feel another person’s pain-to have compassion for them. Release your need to be right or to win. Take responsibility for yourself and your feelings by acknowledging that in reality no one has the power to "make" you feel anything, except you. Today, set your intentions to use the conflict in your life as an opportunity to grow. Use the conflict as an opportunity to learn to accept other people's limitations and to take care of yourself without feeling indignant, bitter, or self-righteous. If you can do that, you can grow, and move through the pain toward compassion.

Just for today, the kinder I am to others, the more kindness I attract. Divine peace and harmony surround me and dwell within me. I feel tolerance, compassion and love for all people including myself. I now create a wonderful new day and a wonderful new future. I am safe. It is only change and everything is working out for my highest good. And so it is.

Your stories are keeping you sick

We all have created a narrative to our lives, filled with stories from our past, which we repeat over and over again, making them our reality, even if the stories are fictional, created by our monkey minds and our fears. Nonetheless, we have allowed those stories to define who we are in the present and those stories keep us stuck from moving on with our future. Today, take some time to listen to the running narrative that you tell yourself and others. Is it serving you any purpose today? Is it keeping you mired in the past. Is it completely negative? And why have your chosen to use those stories to define who you are right now. Then, set your intentions to stop telling yourself and everyone else about your stories, about your suffering, your pain and ultimately how you are a helpless victim to your circumstances. Those stories do not define you unless you continue to let them. Today, change or let go of those stories that really don't serve you any longer and create new positive ones in their place. Your stories define who you are, change them up and you'll start to change your life.

Just for today, I recognize that it is my mind that creates my experiences and that I am unlimited in my own ability to create the good in my Life. I do not fix my problems. I fix my thinking and my problems fix themselves. I have the power to create all that I wish for with my mind and my thoughts. I am truly someone special. I say out to every negative thought that enters my mind. No person, place or thing has any power over me for I am the only thinker in my mind. I create my own reality and everyone in it. As I change my thoughts, the world around me changes. And so it is.

Practice the Pause

Anger is our body’s response to a perceived threat. It triggers the body’s fight-or-flight response, during which our heart rate increases, we become tense and adrenaline is released. As a result, we often spiral into reaction mode in order to protect ourselves. Although we tend to view anger as a negative emotion, I have come to learn that anger itself is a valid emotion, just like happiness or sadness. And it does, in fact, serve a valid purpose. Anger sends a message to our body and brain that something painful within us has been triggered and is asking to be acknowledged. However, since most of us do not feel comfortable with anger, we avoid it or act inappropriately since we have never been taught how to deal with our anger in a constructive and healing way. And, because 2021 will be filled with social unrest, you and I will undoubtedly be triggered by many people, places and things. And although goodness will eventually prevail, you and I need to learn better, more constructive ways of dealing with our anger. And, we can begin today. Today, begin to appreciate the importance of pausing before you react-of stepping back, going inward, and instead of reacting in explosive ways, begin instead to explore where the triggers for your behaviors and reactions stem from. When you experience that old familiar feeling of anger or frustration bubbling up inside you, don’t react. Instead of erupting like a volcano pouring out hurtful words and reactions, try pausing for a moment. Today, take some space to reflect and name the emotions that surface—maybe fear, resentment, shame and explore underneath the anger. Our conditioned responses and behaviors are our defense mechanisms, the coping strategies we learned to protect yourself in the world. Today, acknowledge that you’ve always done the best that you knew how to based on what you learned growing up, and you’re now doing your best to change. Remember, every step you take brings you closer to personal freedom. Today, practice the pause. Pause before judging. Pause before assuming. Pause before accusing. Pause whenever you’re about to react harshly, and you’ll avoid doing and saying things you’ll later regret.

Just for today, 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 choose happiness and peace no matter what they say, do or think. I release the need to judge or criticism anyone, including myself. We are all living the best way we know how. I am safe and I accept that everything is always working out for my highest good. And so it is.

New Moon in Capricorn

We have a New Moon in Capricorn and its message to you is that you are strong enough to handle whatever comes your way. It's energy will help you overcome your current challenges. And, no matter what challenges you may be experience that just like the Capricorn Seagoat has the talent and skill to climb to the tallest mountain and swim to the deepest depths of the ocean, you too have the ability to overcome any hurdles that are sent your way. Today, amidst great social unrest and uncertainty, remember that you have made it through lots of difficult times in your life and you will make it through these hard times. Remember that despite the doom and gloom that there is always things for you and I to be grateful for. And, remember that however long the dark night is, the dawn will always come.

Just for today, I am a capable person. I can handle anything that comes my way. Whatever happens, I know that I can handle it. I have the power, the strength and the knowledge to handle whatever comes my way. I am safe, divinely guided, protected and loved. Out of this situation only good will come and everything is always working out for my highest good. And so it is.

Lessons

Tomorrow we will experience our first new moon of this year. It carries with it potent energy that will ask us to process and to let go of all of the trials and tribulations of last year so that we can all move forward-stronger, wiser and more authentic. Today, allow yourself to begin to process all the lessons that you learned during 2021. Today begin to allow yourself to process your lessons and to consciously see how far you've come and how in truth you are very different than you were at this time last year. Hard times teach us lessons, make us stronger, and give us a deeper sense of self, even if we struggle and suffer throughout the growth process. And, the truth is that most of us will experience hard choices, stressful events, and difficult situations, which will impact us in one way or another for the rest of our lives. Some of those events can even leave you feeling like you want to give up, curl up and hide or at least hide your head in the sand and pretend that nothing is wrong. Today it is time to confront your struggles head on and to stop trying to numb them out or ignore your pain by putting on a happy face. Today instead allow yourself the opportunity to feel and to process every thought and emotion. You cannot move forward until you process your past and then let it go. You and I cannot go back any longer- only forward. Today give yourself the space and time to feel everything, to process it, to integrate it and then you will be able to move forward without regret but with gratitude in your heart and a new appreciation for the good times that undoubtedly lie ahead for you and for me.

Just for today, I am willing to learn something new about myself. I am willing to see how and where I need to change. No matter how old I am, I can always learn more and I do so with confidence. I look towards my future with hope and optimism. Life supports me in every possible way and everything is always working out for my highest good. And so it is.

Strength from sensitivity

I've always been accused of being too sensitive, too feeling. I've continually heard, "just get over it; “don’t be so sensitive;” or that I should “"toughen up” and grow a thicker skin. Although I have heard this advice so much over my life, I have never seen it make anyone happy and I've watched countless people being taken down by their need to show how strong and together they are. Perhaps, you too have been advised to become tougher or perhaps you take great pride in walling off your emotions and then telling everyone in your life that they "should" get tougher-they should stay in their minds like you do and avoid emotions at all cost-because that makes you feel strong. Today, no matter how much you pride yourself in your thinking and your avoidance of emotion, no matter how much you've judged other people for their feelings, it is time for you to actually feel your feelings and know that in reality that is what makes you strong. Today, do not try to have a thicker skin because in doing you end up just bottling your feelings up inside, pushing away how you feel in hopes it looks like you are being strong. In some way it is like trying to avoid your own shadow. You believe it’s gone because it’s behind you, but it’s totally visible to anyone else who cares to look.

Today, do not try to be any stronger than you are; recognize and acknowledge your feelings and know that your sensitivity in reality gives you strength, power and true wisdom. And, ignoring them keeps you stuck and unable to move forward. Today, recognize that you are strong enough to handle your challenges, wise enough to find solutions to your problems and capable enough to do whatever needs to get done. And recognize that by acknowledging your feelings you will gain the strength to stop surviving and begin thriving.

Just for today, I listen to my feelings and I am gentle with myself. I know that all my feelings are my friends. I am safe when I express my emotions. I can remain serene in all situations. I am safe and secure in my world. Life supports me in every possible way and everything is working out for my highest good. And so it is.