Monthly Archives: December 2014
Kintsukuroi: Broken Places are Golden
This is a wonderful post from Jamie Walters, shared by my friend Linda of http://litebeing.com/. Perfect to reflect on as the year comes to closure and something to remind yourself of daily – the beauty and value of your splendidly perfect imperfection.
27 Simple Things to Start Doing for Your Happiness
This is a wonderful article written by Marc Chernoff providing easy “actionable tips”, as he puts it, to work into your daily life with conscious intention.
As people are reflecting on their year behind them and the New Year to come, I know that many are creating intentions and resolutions, so perhaps these might find their way into your commitments to engage and embody.
Remember, every day can be an empowered choice to commit yourself mindfully to intentions. You don’t need to wait for the New Year to roll around to create more happiness, harmony, well-being, and vibrancy in your life and the world around you.
I know from my own experience, that these truly DO make a difference and I keep staying mindful to work on them consistently because of actualizing their value and quality contribution to my life.
Some things are easier than others. Others take more practice to make a natural part of your life.
But if you commit to bringing them into being, you will definitely see, feel, and experience a difference in the quality of your life.
Here are the 27 things, but you can read the full article and in depth description of each here:
27 Simple Things to Start Doing for Your Happiness
- Start learning to be more human again.
- Start filtering out the noise in your life.
- Start choosing differently, for your own well-being.
- Start being way more productive than you are busy.
- Start dedicating time every day to meaningful activities.
- Start being present.
- Start replacing your worries with positive actions.
- Start running toward things, not away from them.
- Start letting your love overpower your fear.
- Start doing what’s right, even if it’s not the easiest option.
- Start comparing yourself to yourself, and no one else.
- Start genuinely being happy for others.
- Start being more tolerant of those who see things differently.
- Start letting grace have the last word.
- Start giving without expectations.
- Start being the difference you want to see in the world.
- Start making your “relationship wealth” a top priority.
- Start SHOWING your loved ones what they mean to you.
- Start being grateful for the life that is yours.
- Start replacing the phrase “I have to” with “I get to” whenever you catch yourself starting to complain.
- Start opening up to new growth opportunities.
- Start letting little frustrations go as soon as they arrive.
- Start focusing only on what you can control.
- Start turning the pages that need to be turned.
- Start embracing the lessons life is teaching you.
- Start measuring your progress every day, no matter how small.
- Start embracing the uncertainty in front of you.
Oasis of Light
Day after Christmas explorations of Indian Canyons Hiking Trails brought a brilliant illumination of light around every enchanted moment.
I’ve spent a LOT of time in Palm Springs in my past, but I’ve never explored the trails and areas discovered this time around.
All things in divine timing.
Seven miles of beauty on the Stone Pools and Murray Canyon/Seven Sisters Trails uncovered a stunning, hidden desert oasis jewel that was breathtaking.
They were truly some of my most favorite trails ever and I couldn’t help but smile at the dance of light that was present.
I found a butterfly on the trail beneath the towering palms and gently let her crawl onto my finger and hand so that I could move her to safety.
She had one damaged wing, but I’m believing that with the kiss I gave her on her wings, some Reiki love, and moving her out of harms way, that she will enjoy some more days spreading her magick.
So grateful to have found this area and I look forward to exploring more in the future.
I hope you find some inspiration and reflection of the light and hidden, innate beauty within you, as you journey through these images.
YOU are the treasure!
Today’s Reading: Pick a Card
How cool is this?! Thank you Amythyst for offering this gift. A fun way to trust your intuition and see what it reflects. My card reading for the day was Card #2. I won’t share what that is so that you can see which card YOUR intuition is drawn to.
The Rupture of the Mother Line and the Cost of Becoming Real
This is such an incredibly rich and important article. I’ll let it speak for itself. Thank you Bethany for sharing your insightfulness.
Caring Spirit
Daily Thought from Shakti Gawain’s Reflections in the Light: Daily Thoughts and Affirmations:
~ The spirit of giving ~
Take a few minutes to reflect on how you give of yourself to the world. Often we get caught up in the frenzy of buying and giving things. Look at the ways you give appreciation, friendship, energy, time, love, and affection, and give of your special talents and abilities throughout the year. Acknowledge yourself for having enriched the lives of others. Spend some time loving yourself for the giving light that you are.
I honor myself for all that I give.
Illuminating Renewal ~ Christmas in the Desert
Christmas Eve retreat grounds and view outside the window
I love creating my own way to spend the holidays, airing always on the unconventional and mixing in things that have always touched the child in me.
We all have ways that speak to us for experiencing all of life. I choose to experience it by my own heart’s gauge, and am always open to how that may reflect, change, and create itself at any given moment.
Christmas Eve desert beauty
This year seemed to be about the desert for the seasonal celebrations, as that’s where I find myself again for the long Christmas weekend.
The desert couldn’t be a more beautiful way to relax and reflect on the year behind, the year ahead, and the integration of both in the now, while doing a lot of nature connecting.
There is a purity and sacredness to the desert that feels supportive of receiving clarity and standing in the raw nakedness of my personal truth.
This Christmas weekend’s retreat at a remote little sanctuary with the Pacific Crest Trail steps outside the door is perfect. And all of the little touches that have just seamlessly woven themselves together, are infusing my soul with much-embraced nurturing.
Arriving yesterday on Christmas Eve afternoon to a just-made-fire by the hosts, an old record playing on the old-fashioned record player, and 360 degree breath-taking views, was more than I could have asked for.
After settling in, I enjoyed reading a book that has personal connection, and is supporting a deeper soul exploration and integration, while I retrieve more parts of myself and increase my understanding of who I am. It’s sparking new ideas for what’s next.
And there is nothing like being snug in your jammies by a real stone fireplace on Christmas Eve, with the wind howling outside out in the middle of nowhere, warm apple pie filling the air, and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer for viewing, listening, and feeling pleasure, like a Christmas story that tucked me in for the night.
Christmas morning sunrise
Today, Christmas morning welcomed a beautiful sunrise on the desert landscape, inviting tea and Christmas cookies, and then a gorgeous hike on the Pacific Crest Trail, ascending 1000 feet through enchanted terrain without a soul around except for the Elementals.
This provided the ability to take it all in and stroll intentfully along the way.
Christmas morning hike
It’s so wonderful not to have any plan or particulars to do. That left some exploration time of this little remote oasis to take in the other unique and hobbit dwellings and landscape.
Definitely feeling in my element. It’s like a desert Shire.
Christmas morning hike
A lot to explore both inside and out this weekend and I’m listening to what wants to voice itself to me…subtle or loudly.
I definitely don’t believe that we need to “go away” on retreat to do so, but we do have to consciously and intentionally make the effort to listen, where ever we choose to be.
And we can use our surroundings, the people in it, and the triggers to take a conscious look within as to their reflections.
Oasis grounds lined with olive trees and cactus gardens galore
I just particularly need the literal adventure, as it is my soul requirement in order to feel my most expansive and free.
View from Pacific Crest Trail of the little secluded oasis retreat area I’m enjoying below
Today there were conversations around what “enlightenment” is, how being mindful and conscious makes a difference, why people have a challenge with attaining things they say they desire, and an exploration of the spirituality around this time of year.
On the Pacific Crest Trail
And it all has been flowing a lot of illumination and connection in deepening and emanating ways.
On the Pacific Crest Trail
The images I snapped quickly along the way, reveal the light of this renewing energy of today that is available to us all.
Arise and shine!
Naturally etched stones watching over the valley – I see a horse’s head and?
The Three Guardians
Faery cactus garden with hard-to-see crystal tree at center with bells hanging at the ends of each branch and a crystal fish
View of the valley out toward Palm Springs on Pacific Crest Trail
Astrology for the Soul ~ Tom Lescher on the Holiday Energy 2014
This is another great share from Tom Lescher/Kaypacha for the current holiday season and energetic environment. Thank you sweet Dawn for sharing.
There are a lot of good reminders in this that can provide that shift in perception, hence shift in experience.
As Tom expresses, “The mind and intellect never knows…if you want to know yourself, you feel your feelings because your feelings know.”
Triggers will come up especially during this busy holiday when you are showing up for, and feeling drawn to be there for, others at gatherings and lose yourself in doing so..
“Be in integrity, be authentic, speak your truth and this will serve everyone better in the long run.”
The Enchantment of Your Own Divinity
Today’s Daily Thought from Shakti Gawain’s Reflections in the Light: Daily Thoughts and Affirmations:
Your Own Divinity
In the stillness of meditation be with your own divinity. Pause and quietly rejoice in the feeling of oneness with the universe. At some point in your life’s path you became aware that there is more to life than what you perceive with your physical senses alone. At that moment your own spirituality was born in you.
I celebrate the birth of my spirituality.
May you fully reclaim the purity and wonder that you are innately and may you come to consciously embody the joyous and miraculous spirit of creative love endowed upon you.
And if the bell doesn’t ring for you anymore, perhaps today can be your day to listen a little bit more and to invite imagination into your heart once again.
In the spirit of enchantment and wonder, I hope you enjoy last year’s Christmas post, “Believe”.