Inner Self

It is when you lose sight of yourself, that you lose your way. To keep your truth in sight you must keep yourself in sight and the world to you should be a mirror to reflect to you your image; the world should be a mirror that you reflect upon ~ C. JoyBell C.

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Photo by Grady

Until our Inner Self and Outer Self merges into one and becomes calm and centered, we will continue to pursue our seemingly elusive purpose in life. If there is to be any purpose to our life, we need to be able to make a connection with our Inner Self, our true Authentic Self. To know our Inner Self is to know our purpose, our values and beliefs and to be mindful of our thoughts and actions. We take our breathing for granted when in fact it is the means with which to reach our Inner Self. Through meditation and by practicing slow, deep, rhythmic breathing we are able to reconnect and be graced with an encounter with our Inner Self. That moment during meditation when our mind’s eye takes us to a place where we come face to face with our Inner Self is a most powerful and loving experience. To recognize and be recognized as one and the same and feel the embrace of our Inner Self, is pure Bliss.

As the Great Egret keeps sight of itself in the mirror-like swamp waters, it feels no fear or threat. The harmony between the bird and its reflection is where we need to be in mind, body and spirit. The Great Egret draws energy from its calm and in its stillness is embraced in a surround of golden Bliss.

Inner-Compass

In these dark and uncertain times, there can be great value in imagining a bit of star in each human soul. Not just that it gives some hope for humanity at a time when man’s inhumanity to man seems ever on the increase; but also because it points to an inner brightness that can light the way in dark times  ~ Michael Meade
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Photo by Grady

In order to achieve Inner Brightness we need to Self-Love and with that comes Self-Respect. Self Respect fills every facet of our lives. It is the foundation for all of life’s Virtues. We should never compromise our Self-Respect for anything or anyone. Virtues are the essence of our being, our very Spirit. The more we realize the impact that living our lives with virtuous intention has on ourselves and those around us, the more we will open our hearts to love and compassion.

Like this Gondolier guiding his Gondola through the canals, towards the Sunset, so do we journey throughout our lives towards our Inner Brightness guided by our Inner Compass. Trust, Love and Respect your Self.

Unlock your Life Purpose

The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Photo by Grady

 

Sometimes we feel more comfortable securing ourselves within our innermost thoughts. All our emotions, mostly negative, are locked away in the darkest recesses of our minds. We have a padlock for each hurt, grudge, failure; each personal inadequacy. Sadly, with each padlock we take away our sense of purpose, our strength of spirit, our personal power. Therefore, it is imperative that we find a way to free ourselves of these inhibitions. We need to focus on Spirit, on Passion. We need to focus on Purpose. The unlocking of Purpose is essential to our health, to our happiness, to our physical and spiritual growth.

We need to smash the locks that hold us hostage. We need to break out of our self-made prisons and walk free, with Purpose and Meaning.

 

 

 

Spirit of Nature

Thunder is no longer the voice of an angry god… No river contains a spirit… no snake the embodiment of wisdom, no mountain cave the home of a great demon. No voices now speak to man from stones, plants and animals, nor does he speak to them thinking they can hear. His contact with nature has gone, and with it has gone the profound emotional energy that this symbolic connection supplied ~ Carl Jung

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Photo by Grady

Maybe not. There are those of us out there who still try to preserve the spirit of Nature, if we would just use our inner energy and power of Thought. We live in a world of Illusion. Two worlds in fact. Day and Night.  We have laid claim to the Day whilst the night belongs to the animals, the creatures, the plants and Nature’s elements: Earth, Fire, Water and Air. Which is the real world? Most likely the one under cover of night. The one that lives in the moment.

We need to spend more time away from the cyber world we have created and find ways to let nature balance our lives.  We need to become more present minded. Everything in the ‘natural world’ lives in the moment whilst we tend to either live in the past or,  be constantly wishing ourselves into the future.

This quote was written by a man who was born in 1875 and died in 1961. It is now 2019. We need to prove him wrong. We need to make our personal connection with nature and the time is here and now.

Flight of the Daydreams

Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world ~ Harriet Tubman 

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photo by Grady

Whenever we daydream we are able to lose ourselves in a flow of conscious thought.  During these seemingly timeless moments, we are able to slow ourselves down enough so as to reach that place of absolute calm.   That place where we are able to do anything and go anywhere simply through power of thought.  Daydreams take us to a place where we are able to escape the outer world and at the same time we are free to explore our inner sanctuary. For when we daydream, we strengthen our creativity and our well-being. We allow ourselves to be transported to places where ideas take form and fire our passion.

And when we give flight to our daydreams we give spirit a chance to soar.

Winds of Change

Men do change, and change comes like a little wind that ruffles the curtains at dawn, and it comes like the stealthy perfume of wildflowers hidden in the grass  ~ John Steinbeck

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photo by Grady

We reach a point in our lives where we realize our need for change. On reflection we may see something in ourselves that we feel we can improve on, make worthier. Instead of trying to attempt immediate and profound changes within, we should rather allow our inner essence to flow freely, gently, slowly.  For it is our spirit, our authentic self, that wants to express itself, to grow and experience life and for this to happen, our spirit needs change.

Change is like soft gusts of wind, blowing through the entrails of our minds within the colorful fabrics of our lives.  Embrace the Winds of Change.