A Time for Renewal

Easter is usually thought of as the time for a break from work, Easter eggs, hot cross buns and DIY. But it is so much more, it is one of the most special holidays of the year. Of course there is a special significance for Christians celebrating Easter and Jewish people celebrating Passover. But, there is also something in the air for everyone.

As the mornings and evenings grow lighter and as the last of the winter frosts disappear, there is a great feeling of new beginnings. The first trees are in blossom and the others have green buds. The grass is starting to grow faster than even the most avid gardener can mow it.

This is a great time of the year to look back at those New Year resolutions, to review progress and to take any corrective action needed.

The seasons can affect our feelings and attitudes. The chances are that you made those January resolutions in the midst of a cold, grey and wet winter, that probably made your emotions and optimism pretty cold, grey and wet too.

But, when the natural world is bursting with the promise of a glorious spring and the warmth of summer, this is an ideal time to decide that you too will start over and put right anything that you feel needs correction in your own life.

Unless humans interfere with nature, it has its own graceful balance. The old and used makes way for the new and the vibrant. Anyone can do the same with their own thoughts and attitudes. Perhaps those fondly held beliefs that served you well in the past are due for an overhaul. Perhaps it is time to restore your own natural balance.

Balance means harmony rather than discord. This should include a brief but thorough examination of all the areas of your life, relationships, career, health, finances, leisure and talents.

This is an example of how easy it is to get out of balance. A businessman was successful by most material measures. Despite his large house, ample income and luxury car, he was an unhappy person. He had spent so much time and energy building his business that he had no time left for all of the other aspects of his life that were also important . He decided it was time for change and began working on restoring balance into his life. Within weeks he had found happiness too and without putting any of his material gains at risk either.

You would have to be a very cold person indeed, to totally ignore the promise of Easter. So take some of that promise for yourself and then make sure it is a promise that is delivered. You deserve nothing less.

Happy Easter - Happy Pesach   

Copyright The Coaching Academy

Maintaining Resilience In Adversity

Every person faces difficult, sometimes life altering, events at various points in their life.  These events might include the loss of a job, a serious illness, the death of a loved one, a natural disaster or other situations that bring unwanted changes. Some can even be traumatic. We can all relate to this now more than ever, with the coronavirus pandemic  engulfing the entire world. However, your ability to cope with these stressful life events has much to do with how resilient you are.

What is Resilience?

Resilience is your ability to adapt to adversity or unexpected changes that occur in your life. Contrary to what many believe, resilience is not an inborn personality trait that some people naturally have and others lack. It is a learned skill. That is good news, because being resilient is one of the best ways to protect against the effects of stress. Since we cannot completely avoid stress the goal of effective stress management is two fold, exercise good decision making over the things you can control in order to minimise self imposed stress, while being resilient toward the stressors you cannott control, such as sickness, accidents and losses.

But, if like a tree in the wind, you learn to bend, become flexible and adapt to the new challenges that emerge, you can find ways to not only survive but thrive.

Here are ways you can build resilience to stressful life events:

Seek out Supportive Relationships 

One of best ways to adapt to life’s challenges is to build and maintain positive and loving relationships. It is hard to overstate the importance of this type of support. When you are feeling stressed, discouraged or overwhelmed, turning to trusted people in your life can give you a renewed sense of strength and cut through any distorted thoughts you might have about your situation. Thankfully with the help of social media, this is still possible even in the current lockdown.

Practice good Self Care 

Your ability to be resilient under stress requires you to have emotional and physical reserves to draw upon. One of the most important ways to build these reserves is by practicing good self care. Deliberate, conscious choices to care for your body, mind and relationships can help you manage even the big stressors in your life. Even if the stress temporarily knocks you down, you are more able to get up and keep going. So how do you build up these reserves as a protective means against stress? Start with getting an adequate amount of sleep, eating nutritious food, making time for exercise, investing energy in maintaining contact with friends and family and taking time to meditate. The better you care for yourself, the more equipped you are to manage stress.

Be proactive against Adversity

When you are proactive you create or cause something to happen rather than responding to it after it has happened. You strengthen your resiliency when you are proactive but you weaken it when you become passive and reactionary. Just like resiliency, being passive and reactionary is a learned response and one that you can change with practice. When you encounter adversity, figure out what needs to be done to move through it, make a concrete and realistic plan and take action. Continually set goals for the future to help propel you toward more action.

Build on your Experience

Most people know when they feel stress, but, most do not learn from their experiences with stress management. How have you coped with hardship in the past? What skills and strategies have helped you through tough times? What approaches have not worked well? Write these down and make a conscious effort to apply what you know about yourself as you navigate future life challenges.

View Adversity as Normal

No one likes the fact that hardship, trauma, sorrow and pain are part of our lives. The question is not whether we will experience adversity but how we will manage it. When you brace yourself against the winds of adversity in an effort to fight it, you can end up broken. The gale force winds are simply too strong at times. But, if like a tree in the wind, you learn to bend, become flexible and adapt to the new challenges that emerge, you can find ways to not only survive but thrive. And when you can learn to do that, you know that you have learned resilience.

Stay Safe

 

With thanks to Gary Gilles LCPC

https://www.mentalhelp.net/blogs/build-up-your-resilience-to-stressful-life-events/

A Message Of Hope

With permission from Sage Taylor Kingsley, I am sharing this chanelling with you from Archangel Michael on Coronavirus:

Dear Ones! Archangel Michael "Mike at the mic" here!

Allow me to embrace you and grace you all...

This may surprise you but I want to speak with you about the coronaviruses. And yes, there is more than one. BUT - here is the good news. It is very, VERY, VERY unlikely any of you will contract it, and even if you did, it will likely feel just like the 'common cold' virus.

So take a deep breath and stand down from Red Alert!

It is ok to take some precautions though - It is always good to maintain your health and have EXCELLENT hygiene and self-care, and also to put extra shielding around yourself physically and energetically if you are in a public place.

Many in your media are generating too much fear and panic so I want you to stand down from Red Alert—a bit of yellow but mostly green. So here is what you need to know:

1) Yes, it was man-made. Literally.

2) Remember the words: 'The only thing we have to fear is fear itself...' ?

There is a lot of fear-mongering going on, and various governments and health agencies are handling this to various degrees of efficiency and care, so you do need to take some steps, but then LET IT GO, dears, let it go.

3) Steps to take:
[Physically] Wear a good mask if you are in a hospital, medical office, airport or airplane, child care center, elderly center. [And wash your hands often and thoroughly! Sage adds]

I want to talk to you about the metaphysical (energy, thought, emotion, belief).

[Metaphysically]

Imagine a Golden Bubble of Protection around you. Right now.

Enveloping you in Divine Love and Light,

Supporting Your Body's Natural Health Systems.

KNOW that you are safe.

KNOW that you are healthy.

KNOW that you are loved.

That is about 90% of making it so = knowing it is so, and so it IS!

Pay attention to your intuition, and put your attention on your intention.

Read that 3 times, please.

Attention >> Intuition

Attention >> Intention

Intuition is the YIN

Intention is the YANG

Divine Female and Male flow together to create Cosmic God Consciousness within YOU.

See your double-spiral DNA helix and ribosomes dancing and ascending,
expanding and contracting, with God's Cosmic Breath within YOU.

(And do not worry if you do not remember what a ribosome is; it relates to RNA and protein, just trust the intention in these Words of Light and FEEL IT.)

4) The last reminder today is to EAT VERY CLEAN & HEALTHY. 

For many of you that means only plant-based foods, for some of you it can include some animal proteins.

But please be aware that MORE plants is always a good thing God thing.

And please remember to shop and cook and eat INTUITIVELY & GREAT-FULLY.

When you do so, you are putting Love into the food and into the beverage and into the water that is YOU.

You are realigning with your Natural Blueprint for Perfect Health and Vibrancy.

If you do these things, and above all, remember that LOVE IS WHO YOU ARE, AND LOVE IS ALL YOU ARE.... You will be and do just fine. (or with an occasional bump or "hiccup" because that is life, and you will even be ok with those little bumps because you learn from them!)

So, repeat after me:

MANTRA:

LOVE IS WHO I AM.

LOVE IS ALL I AM.

AND ALL IS WELL WITHIN ME AND AROUND ME.

AND SO IT IS!

This is your MANTRA. Sage, please make it pretty and share it widely and wisely. The world needs this now. Love, sweet Love. It is the antidote to everything, truly.

And one of the greatest blessings all of YOU have [here in Wisdom School of Light] is COMMUNITY.

There is a reason that so many studies show that people who feel connected to others, people who have purpose, people who feel cared for and loved live longer, live stronger, prosper and enJOY life much more!

So do be sure to connect with Sage more often, with your peers here more often, with anyone who gets you and sees you and celebrates you. You are MUCH stronger together!

I love you, and we love you, so very much. See you next time!

And remember to talk to God, talk to me and all your Angels.
We are always here with you. All Ways!

~ Archangel Michael via Sage (with smiles)

With thanks to Sage and Archangel Michael 

WWW.ARCHANGELMICHAELWISDOMSCHOOLOFLIGHT.COM

Staying Calm In A Time Of Crisis

The world as we know it, is being turned upside at the moment, every time there is news on the radio or TV it adds to the heightened feeling of stress, fear and worry.

So how do you stay calm in the midst of turbulence and anxiety?

It is the principal question we are challenged to resolve during this troubling moment in time.

In the quest for balance and alignment between body and soul, use  as many tricks and tools learned along the way to keep you on course and not to give in to the unstillness, panic and chaos surrounding you.

Here are some tips to keep calm and centered:

Your Physical Space

Transform our physical space into a haven, a place of nurturing and safety by:

Playing soothing or upbeat music. 

Burning scented candles or incense in the living room.

Placing a bouquet of fresh flowers on the table.

Once you having established tranquility in your space you can....... 

Focus your Attention

On staying calm by:

Not allowing continuous news coverage to invade the serenity of your space.

Keeping TV, radio and online news coverage to a minimum

Instead switch to comedy shows, nature documentaries and the like.

Once you aware of what kind of content creates anxiety and fear you can then eliminate it immediately.

Start Practicing:

Meditate to create an inner safe place. Meditation is easy, sit calmly in front of a burning candle, go inward with your breath.Calm the busy mind with deep breathing and focus on the candle. With the breath, become aware of your body inside and create a secret garden of safety and peace you can go back and visit.

Physical activity such as Yoga, Tai Chi, Dance or whatever sport you prefer are invaluable tools for alignment.

Singing in a choir or at home in the kitchen, shower, wherever, builds up the joy factor.

Cooking your favourite recipes, comfort food, and pastry making are remarkably effective ways in cutting down stress. 

Communal projects with friends and neighbours, such as book clubs, meditation and support groups, wine tastings, parties are great morale boosters.

By creating a safe place inside yourself, fully anchored in your cozy physical space, you are well-armed to venture out into the outside world.

This calmness is contagious. 

We are all linked together in a chain of peace. Remember the words of the song, “We are the world”.

With thanks to Madeleine Czigler

https://inspirelle.com/ways-to-stay-calm-during-turbulent-times/

The Art Of Contentment

Contentment is the greatest wealth.  If you happen to be discontented with your life right now, I would assume that you have never encountered these words before. While happiness is something that we want to achieve in this life, it is something that we can never fully attain. Contentment, on the other hand, is readily available to us and all we need to do is take a hold of it. There is nothing wrong with striving to be happy, but happiness is fleeting and can go up or down each moment. Contentment, on the other hand, is more stable. It allows you to get rid of things from your life and still feel happy. In other words, contentment is a far better goal to achieve than happiness. The question is how to master the art of contentment. Here are a few steps:

Take Time To Meditate

A lot of people are discontented because they fail to take time to step back and consider everything that is going on in their lives. By taking time to sit back, relax, and meditate, you give yourself the opportunity to reflect, which in turn gives you the power to think rationally whenever a problem arises. It also helps you understand and realise that true happiness cannot be found in external things such as eating, shopping, partying, or even working. Meditation can be done in a number of ways, from praying, to writing in your journal, to going on long walks once in a while, to going on retreats.

One Step At A Time

If you have lived your entire life being discontented most of the time, it is going to be a challenge for you to change your mindset. You have to realise that it is going to take time before you can fully grasp what contentment is all about. For this reason, be patient with yourself and take it a step at a time. You do not build trust with someone right away instead, you start in small steps. In the same manner, avoid taking huge steps, but do the little things first. Be faithful doing the little things first, and see the trust building up gradually. Over time, you will open yourself up to more, and before you know it, feeling content and happy despite your circumstances will not be that difficult anymore.

Stop Feeling Bad About Yourself

One of the biggest problems for finding contentment in this life is having ideals. Ideals are not bad, but when we constantly feel bad about ourselves for not being able to meet our ideals, that is when the problem comes in. Our ideals usually come from what we see on TV, read online, and mostly from what we see in our news feed. We compare ourselves to our friends who have bigger houses and  cars, and then we start feeling bad and wished we also had what they have. What is interesting is, that most of these people we compare ourselves to also struggle with comparing themselves to others, perhaps even to us! Once you let go of your ideals and unreal expectations in life, you will start feeling good about yourself, and that is a good place to start to find contentment.

Find Opportunities To Give

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” – Tenzin Gyatzo

Nothing could be further from the truth of what the 14^th Dalai Lama said. Many times, we feel discontented with our lives because we fail to see that there are other people who are less fortunate than we are. We think and feel that we are deprived just because our neighbours’ houses and cars are much bigger, or because our friends get to go places when the furthest we can travel to is the grocery store. However, once we realise that we actually have more capacity to give than we think, we will feel joy and happiness that we can never have by acquiring more stuff. Instead of thinking that you are poor and feeling depressed about the idea all the time, why not find opportunities to give? It does not necessarily have to be in the form of money. You can give a hug to a friend who is feeling alone. You can give food and clothing to the homeless man on the street. You can offer to babysit even just for an hour for the single mom next door. You can offer to teach a few unfortunate children in your community for free. You actually have more to give than you think. All you need to do is to stop looking at yourself and start opening your eyes and your heart to the circumstances around you.

Learn To Appreciate The Little Things

Happiness is a choice, they all say, and that is true. If you want to have a life of contentment, you have to learn how to appreciate the little things. The fact that you are alive right now and are able to read up to this part should be reason enough for you to be happy and content. One practical example of appreciating the little things in life is to simply be thankful for the air you breathe. Oxygen is free, so being thankful that you do not have to buy air in order to breathe and stay alive is one way to show appreciation. Another example is to just be thankful for the people who love you. You have your family, your friends and colleagues, not a lot of people have that privilege.

The principles in this article may not apply to everyone, but for most people, I believe that they will. Happiness is a choice and contentment is the greatest wealth. Choose happiness and you will realise that you are the richest person in the world. Choose to be content, and you will be the happiest person on the planet.

With thanks to Eric James 
https://servingjoy.com/how-to-master-the-art-of-contentment/