For some time now, I’ve been working towards becoming more spiritually grounded while also detaching my emotions and expectations from people, places and things that were draining my life battery. What I’ve gleaned from being in this space of duality has forever change the trajectory of my life experience. For me, one of the best life skills that one can experience is detaching from the outcome in certain areas of life. Simply allowing fate and free will to design the life of your dreams takes courage and patience. This does not mean that we should throw caution to the wind; however being fully focused on living and enjoying life as opposed to judging the outcomes of my life decisions has been a breath of fresh air for me. I’ve reduced my anxiety and depression, strengthened personal relationships and have a renewed sense of hope and optimism. Here’s how I was able to accomplish this for myself. 

Healing in the Mountains:

I was the kind of person that was not very tapped in to the wide range of emotions that flow into the mind and body throughout the day. I had basically shut those off probably due to childhood trauma or just not having the tools to understand what I was feeling. My life had become unbearable and it seemed that I was stuck in a loop sort of like a vintage record player. This caused me to search for answers so I took a trip to Central America by myself in order to get away from it all. During that trip I allowed myself the time and space to feel, heal and plan how my next life journey would be. It was time for a reset and my soul guided me all the way to a mountain peak in a sleepy town called Boquete.

Allowing Myself to Feel: 

I spent most of my time in awe of the landscape and the natural flow of life that I was able to witness. My accommodations weren’t much; a couch, bed and a warm shower. During my stay, I did a vast amount of journaling and contemplating. The beauty of making time to just sit and think about what had just transpired and how I was going to pull myself out of being in such a dark space. The key for me was slowing down a bit and getting away from the hustle and bustle of life in the US. Also while there, I met my now good friends Elizabeth and Diane to discuss their plant based formulas to help with my nagging anxiety. I had done some research prior to my arrival and was excited to meet them and hear more about their amazing company Cloud Forest Botanicals. 

Creating My Manifesto:

Towards the end of my trip my soul yearned for me to make a manifesto based on my truest and rawest emotions. While determining what to include, I asked myself hard questions about what was holding me back from living my truth. I dug deep into my fear based consciousness and started accepting the parts of me that were hurt, wounded or rooted in ego. Once I did this, those scenarios no longer had power over me. I decided that when I left the mountain town and returned home that I’d live, love and be more empathetic to myself and all people. With that empathy in my heart, I was able to determine what I stood for without any outside interference or opinions. 

The Season of Self Love: 

As we enter into the Summer season, I myself have transitioned into a new life season where I am more focused on what brings peace, joy, excitement to my life. I’ve detoxed from overindulging in social media, apologized to those that I had wronged and have been committed to living a more healthy and balanced lifestyle. With this new cadence, I am beginning to understand the importance of providing healing options and retreats for those that just need fresh air to breathe and the space to truly feel alive. 

As a spiritual coach to millennial clients, 28-35 years of age, one of the more persistent issues that comes up time and time again is anxiety and uncertainty. Most have big audacious career goals, family planning stressors and are simply seeking to live more holistically both inside and out. I have an affinity for this generation whose reputation is based upon the fact that they grew up during the digital/technological age where life was instant, quick and at their fingertips. I’ve found that although the technology age may exacerbate the issue, one of the main contributors to their sentiment is quite simple- many lack basic life skills and the awareness of the cycles of life. Most have a strong desire to be ambitious, moving towards what makes them happy but not recognizing that their are “obstacles to conquer in order to gain rewards” no matter your nationality, gender, race or religion. Anxiety and stress are an equal opportunity employer. 

When I receive inquiries for spiritual coaching, my clients have come to a point in their lives where the traditional way of handling their issues or continuing to bury their heads in the sand regarding physical and mental wellness just isn’t working and are seeking some form of reprieve. I oftentimes get asked a version of this question during my introductory consultation: “What exactly is meditation and how can I implement it?” After a somewhat lengthy banter on what their yoga teacher says, what the article in Mindful Magazine pointed out or seeing their favorite Instagram influencer mention it in his/her latest post, we almost always conclude with one word, ALIGNMENT. 

In my opinion, operating with a more mindful and present state of being means that you are committed to discovering and aligning with your higher purpose. Alignment simply means taking responsibility for your emotions, actions, thoughts and desires. One key principle that I tout often to my clients is the idea that “you create our own reality” and if you are experiencing obstacles that are restrictive or holding you back in some way then you have the responsibility to change it. As we dive deeper into each session, introspection and clarity begins to take shape. I specialize in uncovering chakra blockages, which show up as matters of the heart and mind that have been left unattended like a garden of overgrown weeds. This is where the real work begins as I am able to shine a light on the root of the issue to help influence healing. My role in the process as a spiritual coach is to assist and encourage you in a positive way so that you can continue on with your life journey equipped with skills that you can build upon.

Below are a few simple words of encouragement to help promote growth and healing during your own spiritual practice.

1. Identify what your life “feels” like- not just the way it looks on the outside. Spend time with your thoughts to see what bubbles to the surface.

2. Work towards mastering the art of self love. Understanding that as adults, we are responsible for our own healing and no one can do the work for us. 

3. Be kind to yourself and others. Kindness is free and should be sprinkled everywhere. 

4. Growth begins internally and manifests outwardly. 

In March, we begin to see the tiny buds manifesting from goals set at the beginning of the year. Opportunities, choices and wide open paths that were once illuminated by pure enthusiasm are beginning to take root. During this time, I find it helpful to pause and disengage my mental auto pilot in order to assess what’s true for me in the moment and what my next course of action will be.

This month, I will seek quiet moments of contemplation so that subtle answers flow in and the wisdom that I may not have seen while toiling, lead me to a new state of awareness. For continued soul growth, Spring is an ideal  time to consider where necessary pivots should be made and what can be cleared out in order to make space for what’s blooming.

Below are a few journal prompts to consider during this auspicious season. 

Are you juggling or are you flowing? 

There is not right or wrong answer to this question. You are only assessing where you are and what feels the most authentic to our soul. For me personally, I struggle with maintaining flow but it works best for me overall and I strive to flow as opposed to juggle as much as possible. Following my own personal flow requires a balance of work, rest and being in a state of allowance. Knowing that I am an active participant in creating a life that I am proud of and that gives me joy. 

What can be released from your life at this time?

Making plans, setting goals and creating benchmarks can be exhausting. At times, there are just too many to-dos that keep us from focusing on what’s most important. If something feels too heavy or burdensome, decide if should continue taking up space in your life. Examples of this could be commitments, relationships, tasks and even thought patterns that no longer serves your highest good. 

Do you still believe in your goal? 

When working towards something that has not yet come into fruition, I find that maintaining a strong belief in what I desire is what ultimately pushes me towards achieving. That extra ounce of faith is critical especially when life presents obstacles and challenges that seemingly try to get you off track. Stay positive and know that in life there are ebb and flow periods to help us learn to become our best selves. 

Welcome Spring with open arms and believe in the abundance that you crave. If you’ve taken time to plant your seeds of intention then now if a perfect time to take a break and honor the work that you’ve done thus far.

At any moment, you have a choice about who you are being. You are not limited in any way to the person you would like to become. You can change your entire life through the choices you make and the actions you boldly take to bring those choices to life.  As you align yourself to your authentic desires, goals, and dreams – a successful life starts to unfold.  Here are some ways to accelerate that unfolding:

• Bet on You: When you’re trying to make a significant change in your life, limit your consumption of listening to too many others, trying to copy other people’s ideas, or asking too many people for advice about your next steps. We do this when we’re feeling fearful or we’re not clear on what we want and asking everyone else or doing what someone else is doing seems simpler on the surface but, it often further complicates our situations and tends to push us into procrastination and feeling confused about our next steps.  It also tends to lead to poor decisions, which can have a negative ripple effect in our lives.  Remember, you are the CEO of your life, so know yourself and your strengths and start making decisions that align with your personal values.
• Get Clear on Your Big-Picture Vision: I shared various tips and strategies for mapping out a vision for yourself in my last blog. We all have 24 hours in our day. Research shows that we have anywhere between 20,000-70,000 thoughts per day and if you’re not careful, you will simply fall into a pattern of what’s known as busy brain.  As many as 98 percent of our thoughts today are the same as we had the day before! Talk about being on auto-pilot! That’s why having a vision to work from is so important to moving your life forward in the way you want. Gear each day to your bigger picture vision and tell yourself the truth about what you want your life to look like and go after it!
• Monitor Your Self-Talk: As much as 95% of those thousands of thoughts we’re having each day can be negative in nature, but we can retrain our brains.  Take time to observe yourself daily and hear the words you speak. Are phrases like I would do…if I had the time or someday when I have more time (or money or skills) I want to… sneaking into your conversations too often?  Begin using more words of commitment. For example, this is important to me, so I will… or I can take this next step now… or I may have thought that previously, but now I believe this to be true.
• Capture Your Goals: Once your vision is defined, list out the top three goals that you feel will move your vision forward.  For example, let’s say your Big Picture Vision is to write and publish a book.  Your top three goals could be as follows:
  1. Create a writing space in my home
  2. Hire a writing coach
  3. Set up a writing schedule that I am committed to adhering to

• Define Your Next Actions for each Goal: You Next Actions ARE the very next step you must take to move the goal forward. So, let’s break the first goal down into Next Actions.
  • Create a writing space in my home
  • Clear out room or corner this weekend
  • Order a desk online or purchase in store this weekend

The more time, energy, and commitment you put into your vision, goals, and next actions, the more you will see the positive results you desire.  Now that’s succeeding at your life!

Peace comes from within. This means: “Be change.” Don’t wait. Keep your conscious awareness at a level that creates change for you. In doing so, you are also facilitating change by transforming the ever-evolving collective (everyone).

(Remember to send “Thank-You” notes)

Does anyone still have a wooden recipe box? Most, from time past, are dovetailed oak, and often have yellowed newspaper clippings dripping out of the lid. These days, I usually just look online for a recipe, but something special is contained inside the recipe box . . . Whoah! A note written in cursive—wait, is that a teaspoon or a tablespoon? I can’t quite tell; the recipe has been used so much, there’s a big spot of oil blurring the measurement. And yet, there is a feeling that this recipe, with personal notes written in the margins and parentheses indicating, “(I use less)” have struck a chord with me. Every part of this is now personal, in fact, it hardly qualifies as a recipe anymore. Instead, here is a form of personal communication from my father’s mother. I’m holding her notes, written on a scrap of paper, detailing the process to create her homemade German noodles. Her note is one of love, caring, kindness, and fulfillment!

I can hardly think of anything more personal than a handwritten note. Recipes come to mind, because most of us have access to, or can remember our moms, or other family members, reading off those old notated recipe cards making food that has, “been handed down”, and we know the rest – delicious . Notes are indicators of one’s impressions of something. Some notes for quick ponderence are:

• Key note
• Collateral note
• Sentimental note
• US Treasury note
• Floral note
• Bank note
• Musical note
• Blue note
• Liner note
• Mash note

A note is a brief record of something written down to assist the memory for future references. I use notes more than ever, to stay on top of my chores; I think we’ve all done this—gone to the store for one item, come home with a bag of stuff; and he one item we actually made the trip for, alas, never made it home. Sticky notes have become the shoppers success tool! What about the thank you note? Older people (past 55) report the thank you note has gone by way of technology. If they get a gracious response it’s by email or cellphone; that’s good, but it’s just not the same as paper you can hold in your hand and read again and again! Truly, my encouragement is this; take a moment in time to hand write a personal message from your heart, and drop it in the mail. Trust me, the recipient will be thrilled with a card, an old family recipe, or even something as simple as a scribbled note from college-ruled paper. “But she lives across the street”, you might say. Fair enough; how many days do any of us get personal correspondence in the mailbox, telling us we are valuable, loved, and cared about. Be the  person; pause your busy day, add a drop of lavender oil to a to a note that will carry magic into someone else’s world.

If you are musically inclined, you may want to use staves (the five-line template) to compose a musical score for someone who brings harmony into your life, maybe even include a sixty fourth note (a musical note having the time value of a sixty-fourth of a whole note), WOW! The message remains the same. Whether you’re a musician, a lyricist, a writer, or a chef, all of us possess the ability to make a note on the origin of the original phrase or thought. The gift of something written by your hand is priceless, indeed.

“Spirit Fuel” leads to Divine Guidance. Develop a spiritual connectivity practice to do every day. Quiet your thoughts and sink into soulful rest. Kindle the sparks of your Divine Essence, so they may burst forth to flame the Spirit, as it is purified by fire.