What ONE thing would you like changed in your life?

Do you have this overriding urge to clear/clean up/change/remove a certain situation in your life -- or it might be a person, a habit, a circumstance, a relationship that you are aware is very toxic and must change, but you have no clue as to how to make that happen? Would you like to know how to bring it about?

Here's what to do: write down all the information about this issue with regard to HOW having this in your life makes you FEEL... first list the feelings in the body, in terms of tightness in the chest, your throat feels dry, tightness in the jaw, a feeling that your teeth are clenching, or there might even be present a feeling of nausea, a little queasiness in the solar-plexus or its vicinity...

Move on now to what emotions are being brought up... Do you feel anger, fear, feel like a victim, feel a sense of humiliation, shame, loss of control, being judged, resentment, jealousy or any others not listed here. If there are several emotions choose the most powerful, the strongest to work with first. REALLY FEEL this emotion and connect with it as deeply as you can. Once you've done so, identify where in the body it is present -- and then using your breath start breathing out this emotion out of your body. What works easily for most people is to breathe IN some formof healing energy, or light, and with every exhalation breathe OUT the negative emotion ... you may visualize breathing it out into some form of a container, even a balloon... all in your mind's eye...

When there is a sense of completion that everything is OUT (remaining aware that you don't have an empty space inside, because this has been filled with the healing energy, or the Light), take care to dispose off the contents of the container in a safe way, preferable seeing them 'sent up' into the heavens, the outer space to be transmuted into benefic energy for wherever oit might be needed most. Returning your attention to yourself enjoy the calm state of the body and mind without the agitation caused by the earlier emotions. And remember to each time breathe out the emotions if they return.

So, what happened here? What's the magic? The magic is the fact that negative emotions keep you in a state where you just keep attracting events that keep in you the status quo -- the vicious circle of negative emotions attracting negative events continues. Once a break can be made and the body no longer holds on to the experience of unpleasant feelings and emotions, you stop attracting events that in turn create them. I promise you this works!

After writing this blog non-stop since mid-November I have decided to write six days a week and take a break on Saturdays. The next entry will be on Sunday, March 2.

;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

Of soul, and body

I'm very fortunate to have in my life, this wonderful 31 year-old young woman. My young friend is wise beyond her years and a joy to know. On most days she has a bright smile, her face shining, matching her eyes, ready to banter to turn anything into a joke -- but there are days her eyes don't shine the same way, her skin too then takes on a pallor, and the smile is a bit wan. I bumped into her this morning --both our smiles were big, we were mirroring our affection for each other, and so I'm guessing our eyes were shining too, reflecting the joy we both felt in seeing the other, and she asked me how I was. 'F-i-n-e,' I said, stretching it a bit, and asked her how she was. Turning her swivel chair to face me I noticed her smile became a bit smaller even though the light in her eyes was strong: 'My soul is fine,' she said, 'but the body is weary.' Her answer made me laugh out aloud -- she was part serious and part hamming it... but she was spot on, and more honest than me I realized, because I had given her a rhetorical response and was now feeling closer to her answer than my own, at the end of a big week. 'Yes,' I told her, 'me too - but the blessing is that the soul is fine, just fine.'

And what's YOUR sense of what's happening within? Take it from me that if the body isn't fine and the soul is, you don't need to worry -- a bit of rest is all you need. But, if you can't answer how the soul is doing, then there's a good chance that the body is pretty numb, and if you don't know what you're going to do then chances are that you'll find a not-so-nice way to get out of this messy/yucky feeling, and your choice of action will take you away from feeling healed, to feeling more despondent than before.

Choose well, choose right, and find 5 minutes each day to read the entries in this blog, which are geared to help you find answers to life's existential questions and issues, with the larger goal of having a first hand experience of enlightenment... YES, IT'S POSSIBLE - AND YES, YOU CAN DO IT!

Be well,

Kiki;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

Verse 29 from the Tao Te Ching

Another entry from the Tao Te Ching worth paying attention to:

Do you think you can take over the universe and improve it?
I do not believe it can be done.

The universe is sacred.
You cannot improve it.
If you try to change it, you will ruin it.
If you try to hold it, you will lose it.

So sometimes things are ahead and sometimes things are behind;
Sometimes breathing is hard, sometimes it comes easily;
Sometimes there is strength and sometimes weakness;
Soemtimes one is up and sometimes down.

Therefore the sage avoids extremes, excesses, and complacency.

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

From the Tao Te Ching

I own a beautiful version of the Tao Te Ching that is translated from the original Chinese by Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English. I have filled many, many hours of my time losing myself in the wisdom of 'the Way' (the Tao). The Taoist "Way" is not dependent on race, creed or any cultural form. It is very fluid and mainly demands an openness to 'truth', the nameless mystery. On different days different verses grab my attention. Here are two from today:


Verse 24

He who stands on tiptoe is not steady.
He who strides cannot maintain the pace.
He who makes a show is not enlightened.
He who is self-righteous is not respected.
He who boasts achieves nothing.
He who brags will not endure.
According to followers of the Tao,
"These are extra food and unnecessary luggage."
They do not bring happiness.
Therefore followers of the Tao avoid them.


Verse 33

Knowing others is wisdom;
Knowing the self is enlightenment.
Mastering others requires force;
Mastering the self needs strength.

He who knows he has enough is rich.
Perseverance is a sign of will power.
He who stays where he is endures.
To die but not to perish is to be eternally present.


Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

Write something... get reacquainted with yourself today

Yes, yet again! Write - that gratitude list in the journal that's been lying closed for a while... make a new list of new dreams... write that fear down so that you may stare it in the eye, instead of letting it control you... write down incidents that provoked negative emotions - and remember, it wasn't the incidents that caused the problem -- but something within YOU needed healing, and it attracted the incident so that you would pay attention and give that wounded part some care.

Remember, it sometimes may not seem so, nor seem fair, but each one of us is at a 'perfect' place in our lives. If you don't like the outer scenery, work on the inner landscape. No one said that was easy, but it's definitely worth the trouble.

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

Grasshopper or Eagle?

Where do you see yourself in this story? If a grasshopper, would you like to fly? Does it call to you? Tug at your heart? Do you ever wonder what the view might be from a vantage point? Did you ever wonder what the gurus, the mystics, the enlightened know? Perhaps you did - and then wondered if it was going to be worth your time and trouble to try figure it out? Were/Are you worried about what it will cost you in terms of time; could you deal with the stretching of the mind; take the risk to acquire new knowledge? - yes it feels like a risk because it's uncharted territory and we are all afraid to, and of, change... we are afraid that if we changed, people who are our friends and family won't know us any more. We are afraid WE won't know US any more. And if we are not who we now are, who will we become? And these, by the way, are the reasons most people shun personal growth - they are afraid.

Many years ago I took the decision to have only one answer to all the above, one that brought me closer and closer to flying. And one day I did it - I FLEW! I took the decision NOT to hop. If some others were flying, then so could I. Just by their doing it, they showed me it was possible. Sure, flying can make you dizzy. So can a myriad other things. Actually, it was hopping that was making ME dizzy, and I wanted no part of it. Like everthing else flying can be learned - except that we call it learning till we realize it is an innate capability in all of us, that we YEARN to 'remember', to 'awaken to'. Change your teachers, awakening more and more with the teachings of each, till you finally get 'reminded' of all the knowledge that you already have within, as you connect with Source Energy - this source, by the way, is IN YOU. If the desire is there, anybody can choose to fly - and touch the face of God!

Bon courage - go fly!

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

The Eagle and the Grasshopper - A story in 3 parts

As a result of being on various mailing lists of spiritually-inclined networks and websites, I discovered Ed Spina one year and ordered his book 'The Mystic Warrior' and thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

Last November he wrote the following story in his Newsletter which made me go 'Aaaaahhhh' and I decided to save it in my archives. It completely reflects how I think, and am happy to share it with everyone today :-)...

****************************

***** The Mystic Warrior Newsletter *****
November 2007 -- Issue #27
===========================================================
The Eagle and the Grasshopper

Once upon a time there was a grasshopper, who through
diligent practice became one of the best hoppers in the
land. She loved hopping so much, she began teaching other
grasshoppers how to hop. She was very disciplined and
required they faithfully follow her commands. She told her
students what to eat, when to eat and how to eat. During
their practice sessions, she barked out orders telling them
exactly what to do.

Soon, baby grasshoppers that had never hopped before were
learning how to hop, adults that could barely hop were
hopping much better, and even those who already were good
hoppers could now hop much higher. The teacher felt very
fulfilled.

Then one day a creature showed up that she had never seen
before - an eagle. She was determined to teach the eagle how
to hop, as she was certain that hopping was the path to
fulfillment and enlightenment. But every time she approached
the eagle, he just said, "There is no need." She kept
trying, but the eagle insisted, "There is no need." Finally,
at a large gathering of all the grasshoppers, she pointed to
the eagle and announced angrily, "No matter what I say or
do, this stupid eagle will never learn how to hop. He does
not understand us."

The eagle looked at the grasshoppers and said, "You are
content with hopping, but I can fly."

(Continued tomorrow)
***************************

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

The Eagle and the Grasshopper - Part 2

"Stop this foolish talk of flying!" screamed the teacher.
"Flying is just imagination and fantasy." She turned to the
grasshoppers and said, "Any time such thoughts arise,
immediately focus your energy back on your hopping - this is
how you will become enlightened."

"You know nothing about flying!" said the eagle with a
commanding voice that silenced the grasshopper. The eagle
turned to the grasshoppers. "I can show you a world far
beyond your grass fields. If you listen to me, I will teach
you all to fly."

The eagle waited for them to respond, but when he looked
around, incredibly, all he saw were blank looks on the faces
of the grasshoppers. He walked away, very sad.

Later that day, while soaring far above the tall grass of
the fields, an insight emerged from deep within the eagle's
innermost being. He realized that to communicate with the
grasshoppers, he would have to speak the grasshoppers'
language - the language of hopping.

The next day, the eagle returned to the grasshoppers' world
and quickly learned how to hop. The grasshoppers were
surprised. Not only could the eagle hop, but he could hop as
well as any of them.

The teacher kept a wary eye on the eagle. She feared her
grasshoppers would get swept away by the eagle's stories.

But the grasshoppers were curious and some of them began to
sneak away to talk to the eagle. "How is it that you know
how to hop and yet you talk of flying? It goes against our
teacher's orders."

"Hopping is useful, but when you can fly, it is no longer
necessary."

"Tell us more," said the grasshoppers.

The eagle began describing the world beyond the grass
fields, a world that included mountains, rivers and oceans.
He sensed they were nervous but assured them there was
nothing to fear.

The grasshoppers asked, "What's it like to fly?"

"When you are flying, you are totally at peace. Sometimes, I
feel like I am connected with everything and watch as
everything happens automatically without any effort on my
part. I am no longer an eagle flying, but I become flying
itself."

(Continued tomorrow)
*************************

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

The Eagle and the Grasshopper - Part 3

Later that day, a solitary, brave grasshopper approached the
eagle and asked, "Can you take me flying?"

The eagle nodded and gently took the grasshopper in his
powerful talon. With a few beats of his wings they were
aloft. Circling overhead, the grasshopper could see the
mountains, rivers and ocean that the eagle had described,
far beyond the familiar grass fields. Careful not to go too
high, the eagle soon returned the grasshopper to the ground.

Hearing the commotion, the other grasshoppers rushed over to
find out what had happened.

"He took me flying!" announced the brave grasshopper
proudly, but then admitted, "I got dizzy. I didn't like it."

"But our teacher has told us that flying is just
imagination," said another grasshopper.

"Bless your teacher and be grateful to her, for she has
taught you to hop," said the eagle. "But now you know the
truth."

The eagle looked deep within the eyes of the brave
grasshopper. Though she was still a bit dizzy, he saw a
spark within her very being. He looked at the others and saw
that the spark was already spreading to them. Soon, they
would no longer be content with just hopping - they would
all want to fly.

"My work here is done," announced the eagle abruptly. "Some
day you will all learn to fly!"

"But if you leave, who will teach us?"

"Rest assured, as it has always been, when the student is
ready, the teacher will appear."

With that, the eagle unveiled his powerful wings and soared
off into the sky.

Best wishes,
Ed

I'd like to hear from you. Please let me know if you have a
subject you'd like to explore from a mystic perspective.
I'll try to address it in a future newsletter. Please send
your comments or suggestions to: ehspina@MysticWarrior.us
********************************

I sincerely hope you all enjoyed that...

Kiki ;-)
gP.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

You are DIVINE

In the words of the revered Indian saint, Swami Vivakananda:

"All the powers in the universe are already ours.

It is we who have put our hands before our eyes

And cry that it is dark.


We are what our thoughts have made us;

so take care about what you think.

Words are secondary.

Thoughts live; they travel far.


When an idea exclusively occupies the mind,

it is transformed into an actual physical

Or mental state.


We reap what we sow.

We are the makers of our own fate.

None else has the blame, none has the praise.


There is no help for you outside of yourself;

You are the creator of the universe.

Like the silkworm

You have built a cocoon around yourself…


Burst your own cocoon

And come out as the beautiful butterfly,

As the Free Soul.


Then alone you will see Truth.


In one word, this ideal is that you are Divine.

God sits in the temple of every human body.


~ Swami Vivekananda, (1863-1902)

(Thanks to my friend Cezanna Malter, who I got the above from.)

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

What does God look like?

A couple or so years ago I got this 'forward', an email passed on as a 'funny story about a child' -- one of those 'Out of the mouths of babes' kinds!

In a kindergarten, the teacher asks a group of 4-year olds to draw something - anything they wished. After a few minutes the teacher realized that only one little girl hadn't finished. 'What are you drawing, honey?' asked the teacher. 'I'm drawing God,' replied the little girl. 'GOD?' repeated the astonished teacher - 'no one has seen God.' 'The little girl kept drawing as she said, 'In a minute they will.'

I don't know about you, but I was awestruck when I read the little story. I adored the confidence of the little girl, and the profundity of her comment just amazed me. Yes, no one has seen God, so what does God look like to you? How would YOU draw God?

To me, God is the all-pervasive energy, omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient, that fills, and IS, every cell of mine, just as it is in, and IS, every atom of creation. Its essence is JOY. Its emotion is LOVE. To EXPERIENCE and to KNOW this ENERGY then, is my reason to be here, is what I believe.

Did you understand my drawing of MY god :-)?

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

Believe it or not

Believe it or not, you have full control on how your day can be. No one can control the events that will show up, but is the day good? was it bad? - that for sure is for you to decide -- just as it is YOU who must decide what adjectives you want to use to describe yourself, your life, your day, and believe me that's exactly what it's going to be :-)! And not only that... whatever you decide to call it, MORE of that is going to follow. Does that sound good? or does that sound scary? Well, what would YOU like? Good? Or Scary? If you chose 'good', which I'm sure you did, then stay connected with a GOOD feeling in your heart. Feel JOY... and as I have said before, SEE YOURSELF laughing - like crazy - your head thrown back - tears rolling down your cheeks... and that's what life will provide you with -- more and more opportunities to experience joy, happiness, and laughter!

Have a good one,

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

Let's talk about what's not working in your life

'Aha .... I have so much to say I could pull out the toilet paper roll and get cracking' -- Is this what you're thinking? You're wrong, my friend -- for this is not an exercise in self-pity, or an opportunity for anyone to gloryfy their 'sucky' life. Ok, you're allowed the first part. Start unravelling the toilet paper roll and start listing what's not working. Be thorough, very diligent, get everything off your chest -- very important this... don't leave anything within - careful about the residue - out, out with EVERYTHING that seems to not work for ypou, or in your life. REALLY take your time with this...

Done? The second part needs a bit of time. It needs for you to be by yourself - you need quietude and solitude. When you're able to make time for these then one by one look at what's on your list. Connect with the overriding emotion connected to each item - not together, but one by one. F-E-E-L it -- and then very slowly start breathing out the negative emotion, and the discomfiture. Inhale a beautiful golden light, and exhale the heavyness and negativity you're feeling. Take whatever time it takes, till the dark feeling within is replaced by light. Taking your time, do this with each item on your list. Once complete, trear off the item and flush it away.

Does it work? You bet! You just have to try it. Nothing ventured, nothing gained!

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

Let's talk about what's good about your life

Long years ago, when I was in school and autograph books were in fashion I remember a rhyme soneone had written in mine. This is how it went:

As a rule
A man (a woman too) is a fool.
When it's hot it
S/He wants it cool.
When it's cool
S/He wants it hot;
Always wanting what is not.

I'm thinking of this and sighing, because in the long Canadian winter we get this a lot. Suddenly everything is the weather's fault. People who were always grouchy, angry, irritated, frustrated, whining, griping get the excuse to throw tantrums and blame it all on the weather. 'Now wait a minute, Kiki' ... I can hear you getting started, SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is a scientifically proven fact -- but you know what, even that has a solution - the special lamps people buy when they are seriously affected by SAD. But more often than not, we can change our attitude twoards what we have no control over and the problem ceases to exist. Become a happier person and there'll no need for excuses for negative emotions to be felt... because they'll vanish.

If drawn to complains about the snow, put music on and then watch the snowflakes fall to music - try it, it's pretty incredible. When it rains in spring, look at the trees and how it's helping the new golden-green shoots to grow -- the trees sure look happy!

I don't remember who invented the prayer: "Lord, give me the patience to deal with the things I cannot change. Give me the courage to change the things I can. And give me the wisdom to know the difference." Just don't worry! Instead, bhe happy! Put your energy instead into gratitude for the things that are good about your life... and multiply them manifold...

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

What now?

What WAS it - your promise to yourself? What aspect of yours did you decide to honor first? Your need for survival? The need to enhance your physical self? Have the courage to stay with your emotions, or as before run away from them because they seem hard to face?

Chances are that you're already doing the first two pretty well. But to hang in there and stay with your emotions is a challenge most run away from. How about, then, accepting the challenge, and instead of quickly finding a diversion when faced with difficult emotions, STAY with them -- allow yourself to process them fully and go to 'the other side' of them. That is where the real riches lie. That is the other end of the tunnel, where a glimmer of light could be seen...

There ALWAYS IS Light at the end of every tunnel.

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

Happy Valentine's :-)

Happy Valentine's to each and everyone... May you ignite a new relationship with yourself today - and begin loving, honoring and respecting yourself as never before. To fulfil this, what one new promise are you going to make to yourself?

Loving, Honoring, and Respecting you,

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

St. Val's - are you there yet?

The importance of loving oneself FIRST cannot be overemphasized. I met a client yesterday who at age 53 is still 'finding' himself. Power to him, I say -- better late than never! My clients are often angry when we work together to help them find their various blocks that prevent them from living life authentically -- this stuff, they tell me, should be taught in kindergarten. 99.9% of families are dysfunctional say the statistics, and I wholeheartedly endorse that - and NO, don't tell me what a wonderful childhood YOU had, and how great YOUR parents were because there is no co-relation between any of that and the learnings our souls came here for. Our childhood is never great -- our souls choose the families they'll be born into, where they'll receive the learnings they came for. To a greater or lesser degree we all suffer the existential pain, which if we successfully move through, unites us with our soul-purpose -- and after muddling through the first 3 or 4, and sometimes 5decades of our lives, some of us want to make sense of it all. And although the entire jouney has its high and low points, the magic of finally 'arriving' where you were always meant to be, is unfathomable till experienced - the sense of freedom, of joy, of lightness, of experiencing the Light, of knowing without doubt that YOU ARE LOVED, YOU ARE SAFE, and ALL IS WELL.

To search for, and find, this state - the veritable heaven on earth, requires a high level of self-love. What are you going to choose?

Happy Valentine's Day...

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

St. Val's - 2 days and counting

A long time ago, when love went terribly wrong in my life I had to work a lot to re-develop my relationship with it. The process was a steep learning curve... Amongst the most important things I learnt were:

1) Discover and understand your reasons for wanting someone in your life, and give to yourself what you want from them. Don't leave it to someone else to love and cherish you and make you feel lovable. If you love and cherish yourself FIRST, and believe that you are lovable they will too, because they will see you as worthy of their love, and they will find you lovable, and deserving of care and attention.

2) As for marriage, or a long-term serious relationship, it is said, "Marry yourself first, and then someone else."

Because what you do not have you can neither attract its like, nor can you have any to give to someone else. You can only give something that you already have. So, if you're looking for a new love, or looking to enhance an existing relationship tighten your bond with yourself first, and plan that date with yourself. My plan is to take myself, and 'all my parts' :-), for a Reiki session -- and have ourselves a good, loving conversation during the session :-).

What are your plans?

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

St. Val's - 3 days to go

So why am I making such a fuss about this day that some people even say is purely commercial. Well, as far as I'm concerned it isn't the day or the month that's key but the idea behind it -- the dedication of a day to LOVE - and to me that is so wonderful!

Mind you, the day is not all chocolates and roses for every body. For many the day brings sadness as there is no one to share it with. Why, I ask myself, is so much more importance given to how someone else loves us, than how much we love ourselves? The sad truth is that the day is sad only for those who don't love themselves enough -- for if they did, there would be no sadness.

So, those of you who are going to be by yourselves, for you I have a special question: What are you going to do on Feb. 14? Be miserable? Cry that you have no one to share the day with, and no invitation for a special dinner? Did you know champagne is sold in single-serving bottles? The supermarkets are full of pre-cooked delicacies, including delectable desserts? A flower shop will sell you a single rose? -- enough material here to have a date with yourself, and spend an enriching evening getting to know yourself more and better.

Remember the famous quote, by an unknown author: 'YOU ARE THE ONE YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR!'

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

Countdown to St. Val's - 4 days to go

I don't know who said it but have always found this quote very interesting: "We treat ourselves as we wouldn't treat our enemies." Yep - the insults we heap on ourselves are incredible!

As if just on cue, my today's message from the Abraham Hicks website says: 'So many people need you to behave in a certain way for them to feel good. They condemn you for your selfishness. "How dare you be so selfish as to follow what makes you feel good? You should follow what makes us feel good." At an early age, you were convinced that you weren't smart enough to know, and that somebody else should make the decisions... ' Tell me then, how much of the above is true for you?

Because if the above is true, and you are giving in to this kind of manipulation, are you then not treating yourself worst than you would treat your enemies? How come, you ask? In response I will remind you that you are more than your body and your physical body houses a soul. Each soul uses the body as its vehicle... and the primary purpose of our being born as human beings is to discover our soul path, and walk on it. How then can someone else tell you to not take care of yourself? Why is taking care of yourself and your needs, selfish? The greatest need of a soul is to be allowed to thrive, and one of its sources of nourishment is unconditional love. Who, I ask, can it receive pure and unconditional love from, but YOU? So, BECOME YOUR OWN BEST FRIEND, and find time for YOU this Valentine's Day to spend sometime to get to know YOURSELF better.

I'll end once again with my favorite mantra: "I AM LOVED. ALL IS WELL."

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

Countdown to Valentine Day - 5 more days to go

Hi there,

So, did you plan yet how you are going to celebrate Valentine's with yourself? Where are you going to spend some quality time with yourself? What gift are you going to give YOU? Did you give any thought to some of your physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual feats that have made you so proud of yourself? You did read yesterday's blog entry, didn't you? What promise are you going to make to yourself for the rest of the year?

Good job - keep going...

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

Preamble to a new kinda Valentine's Day

Everywhere you look are red hearts in different sizes, styles, textures and more... Valentine's Day is going to be here soon. Everybody is focused on LOVE and different ways they are going to express it to a loved one, and are in anticipation of how a loved one is going to express it to them. LOVE, the beautiful emotion with a whole day dedicated to honoring and celebrating it, and honoring and celebrating a cherished relationship...

Here's a suggestion for doing it a little differently this year :-)... Instead of one, have two celebrations. The FIRST, and the more sacred one, with yourself! Fall in love again, with yourself. Make a date yourself. Buy yourself a gift - something you want, not something you need. Honor yourself by finding some quiet, quality time to listen to and talk to YOU. Look back on your life and commend yourself for some high moments when you were at your best - whether physically, emotionally, intellectually or spiritually.... when you did yourself proud. Congratulate yourself for having comre this far. If you are reading material of this nature, you haven't done badly at all. Give your recognition by a pat on your own back. And finally promise yourself that you will take still better care of yourself. Not better care of the physical part of youself that others see and admire, your outward appearance -- but better care of the authentic part of you... the part you REALLY are deep inside... the part that suffers when you move away from it.

And last but not least, you love-affair with yourself will remain incomplete until you forgive yourself for the shortcomings you see in yourself. Forgive them first... if you don't, others too will pick up on them and will certainly bring them to your notice by being critical and less than loving.

I hope this is enough to get you started on your plans - of making a date with yourself!

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

'Surrender' made easy...

All spiritual practices speak about the concept of 'surrender' - to 'let go'... in French 'lacher prise'... This is the stage that calls for complete faith and trust that all is as it should be. While not one to sit around and twiddle my thumbs, I'm definitely a person who believes in taking action and giving everything my best shot, but have, thankfully, understood that after action comes 'inaction' -- the quiet moment when we let go of our attachment to the result of our effort and release the manifestation of the result to a higher intelligence which in it's wisdom brings to us what is optimal for us to have -- for often in our asking we are not always wise. There's a saying 'Be careful what you pray for, because you might just get it.' The idea here being that we don't always know what's good for us.

Our next concern then is how do we surrender, and to whom? The easiest method for this I have found in the material from Esther Hicks and Abraham. Like a mantra I repeat to myself 'I Am Loved. All is Well'. I have found this to help me through all kinds of situations and moments when I have had a problem connecting with the deeper, authentic, higher-self part of me. "I Am Loved. All is Well." How beautiful, and full of faith and trust these words are. When I think of them, I immediately have such a sense of peace and calm within. And let me share a secret with you, dear reader -- when in this state I manifest miracles for myself :-)!

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

This is how we may be... if we choose to

Yes, it's always a choice... how and who we want to be. To illustrate my point I'd like to share this story from a few months ago. It was an email from a North American traveling to a Scandinavian country (possibly Norway). The writer of the story related how on a trip to Scandinavia he had a most humbling experience. His host drove him to their workplace in the morning at a very early hour, and upon entering the company parking lot this man parked his car at the furthermost point. When our friend, the writer queried him about not parking closer considering there were all the spaces closer to the entrancde of the building available to them the host answered: 'Well, since we are here early we have anough time to walk to the office... I prefer to leave the closer parking spaces for those who are late so that they have less to walk and get to work quickly." The writer confessed he was astonished at the simple logic and shame-faced because this hadn't struck him.

I too was amazed at this out of the ordinary explanation and gesture and thought how little it took to be the kind of person that was a part of a solution instead of being a problem; how simple to choose to be someone whose presence is life-enhancing instead of life-depleting. The choice is always ours. Which do we want to be?

Be Light, be Joy, have an open heart, and embrace the world... If you think it's easy, it will be easy; if you think it's hard, it will be hard!

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

The Guest House by Rumi

Here's another delightful poem by Rumi. Savor - and enjoy!

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This being human is a guest house. Every morning a new arrival.

A joy a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all! Even if they're a crowd of sorrows, who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture, still, treat each guest honorably.

He may be clearing you out for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice, meet them at the door laughing, and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes, because each one has been sent as a guide from beyond.

- Rumi

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And of course, we can meet all these 'guests' laughing, and invite them in, if we are sufficiently grounded and operating from an authentic space, without losing ourselves in the stories and dramas underlying the difficult emotions.

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

Unafraid to be wrong

The below too is from my archives while I'm travelling. Ralph Marston writes a wonderful daily message. To find him please google his name.

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Do not be afraid to contradict yourself. For enlightenment is
a moving target.

Be willing to admit when you are mistaken. For that is how
you gain valuable wisdom from the mistakes.

Take no offense if others say that you're a hypocrite.
Instead, consider that they may have a point, and use it to
learn something about yourself.

Steadfastly devote yourself to truth. Yet keep in mind that
there is more to the truth than what you can now see.

Let go of any illusion you may have that you're infallible.
Get beyond your own ego, and you'll open yourself to
profound truth.

Be willing to be wrong. For in so doing, you can discover
what is truly right.

Ralph Marston
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Remember, it's the weak who are afraid to be wrong. A strong, clear, grounded person is ever open to becoming stronger, clearer, more aware and enlightened, and therefore welcomes an opportunity to learn from their mistakes. Ego is not their enemy, but their 'healthy' ego is their best friend. For them, life is NOT a popularity contest, but a wondrous journey, with potential for more beauty, more joy at each turn...

Here's to the next turn on yours,

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

A Prosperity Blessing

I was checking out my archives today and found some gems - here's one of them.

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May you be blessed with an amazingly abundant day today!
May the clouds break and the heavens pour down upon you more joy, more love, more laughter and more money than you could have ever dreamed of.
May the sun shine its golden light of prosperity through every cell of your extraordinary body.
May you be cleansed today of any resistance or feelings of unworthiness that you may still be holding onto.
May your false illusions of doubt, fear and scarcity gently fall away like soft white feathers on a gentle breeze.
May you be willing, simply willing, to allow the Universe to shower you with miracles today.
May the Angels wrap you in their shining wings of opulence.
May the fairies deliver you to their pot of gold at the end of a majestic rainbow.
May your eyes shine with the glorious truth of who you really are and may that truth uplift others in your presence to their own inner knowing.
May your ears hear the sound of perfection ringing in your soul.
May you taste the deliciousness of every precious bite of life as your day unfolds moment by moment with amazing grace, heartfelt love and a bounty of magnificent prosperity.
As this day ends, may you slumber wrapped in an exquisite blanket of enduring peace and profound gratitude.
And may the last words you speak today be Thank You!

Veronica M. Hay
Copyright 2004
Veronica Hay is the author of "In a Dream, You Can Do Anything, A Collection of Words" and publisher of "A Magazine of People & Possibilities." Listen to the audio of Veronica's Prosperity Blessing at: www.wealthwithoutlimits.com

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And more than anything else, I want to draw your attention to these two thoughts: 1) There is enough in the world for everybody and you don't have to feel guilty about wanting something for yourself -- because your having it will not mean that someone else has to go without. They will simply have, or not have, depending on their belief in prosperity or in lack. 2) A belief in unworthiness will keep away from you what you want - so do what you have to do to 'clean up' this belief from your system.

With gratitude to Veronica Hay for the above blessing,

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

Get to know yourself

Yesterday I suggested that you familiarize yourself with your emotions to dicover yourself. As a second step, doscover more about yourself by listing all those things that make you 'feel alive'. Make this list exhaustive, as log as you possibly can because therein lie clues to understanding yourself. It will be quite natural to think of good things at the start, but if you continue long enough, you'll come up with things you might not feel too comfortable with admitting to ypurself. For example, if you have problems with your body-image and what makes you feel alive is a tub of full fat ice-cream then you might not want to write that down. But, for the purpose of this exercise don't cnesor yourself - give yourself free rein and in the next step we will further analyze your list.

Whatever turns up on your list is only to understand yourself better -- it has no bearing on who you are as a person. You are special, a being of Light, unique, deserving of love, happiness and all things good. KNOW that. BELIEVE that.

Honoring you,

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

Life is not a popularity contest

For all the time I lived as though life were a popularity contest, I could write a book. It seemed a natural way to be, and I am astonished today how completely I had bought into this way of being.

In fact it's an overwhelming fact of our lives... the great majority appears to believe that our raison d'etre in life is to participate in this contest of being more popular than the next gal or guy. How this plays out then is to live in ways that look to others for approval: of what we do, how we behave, how we dress, our social and financial status etc. etc. We cease to live our lives for our own sakes, our own joy and pleasure, with abandonment, genuinely and authentically. Instead we become experts in anticipating what people around us expect us to be and we mould ourselves into fulfilling those expectations.

The system is very insidious, yet powerful, and the whole game is played very subtly and unconsciously. Before we know or realize it we lose our authentic selves and then struggle to deal with what is left - a fake version of ourselves which we start believing is the real us.

What to do to change things? As a first step allow yourself to feelthe emotions that you are constantly suppressing. Don't resort to automatic 'avoidance' behaviors such as eating, going shopping, picking up the phone to talk to someone, turning on the TV, and a host of such distraction-creating behaviors. Gently, and slowly, get to know yourself, by first getting familiar with your emotions. This will be the gateway to understanding yourself better. It is this understanding of the self that is the key to developing respect for oneself and one's real and deeper needs.

Congratulations, if you're starting this journey, on a quest to 'find' yourself - not to impress others, but only because you deserve to be known to yourself -- so that you may treat yourself better, and give yoiurself the love and care you deserve. And as always, please feel free to email me for any help in understanding any of this better or for more information on how and what to do to help yopurself.

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.