New Blog
Topic: Spirituality

I have changed the location of my blog. You can read more at http://msdebbiep.wordpress.com/

 

See you there! 

continued
For more thoughts...

visit: Life Unfolding "BLOG"

www.lifeunfolding.ca/blog.htm


Have a great day.

Listening
Topic: Spirituality
Many people fill their lives with activity and sounds so that they can avoid doing any thinking. They don't want to think about their lives, the situations they are in, the mistakes they have made, and their feelings.

Avoidance of thinking is really avoidance of listening - listening to their inner Self, listening to the truth. As our Selves talk to us, trying to guide us along a path that is where we are meant to head, along the lessons we are to learn, using our gifts that we have been given, we are at the same time trying to justify our actions, follow a path filled with "success and achievement" of the man-made kind. These two paths may be the same and that is wonderful but when we are afraid to listen to the truth it is probable that we are not walking our true path.

Listening to our inner Self gives us the insight to know our path and to take responsibility for our actions. We make choices in life that don't turn out the way that we thought they would; we unintentially or intentially hurt others by our words and/or actions; we let opportunities go by out of fear; we wrap ourselves in blame and resentment, holding onto unhealthy relationships with no efforts to change the situations. When we listen we hear the truth, the truth that we already know but try to tune out - the truth is holding us to our visions, our passions, our integrity, our responsibilities. The truth, our Selves is telling us to take responsibility for our actions, to make amends to people that we have hurt, to look at our fears that block our path, to let go of blaming and respect people's right to walk their own paths, to form and reform healthy relationships. Break through the walls, remove the barriers to happiness and inner peace and live life with Truth.

"May the truth set you free" - listen to the truth and respond to it; set yourself free, letting go of the past and unhealthy dreams. Live with inner peace, knowing that you are true to your Self, that you walk your path with honour and integrity, and that you are living your true dreams, using your gifts that you have been given, and living life to your fullest.

-Debbie Life Unfolding

The Hyphen
Topic: Spirituality
I attended the funeral of a relative yesterday and the Minister mentioned the "dash" between the year she was born and the year that she died. He went on to talk about her life and I stashed that little bit of wisdom away for a future discussion on spirituality.

Spirituality is about knowing that you have been put on this earth with special gifts to be discovered and used, to build an awareness and to benefit all. This process of discovery and of using our gifts all takes place in our "dash".

Our hyphen is now. The time between our physical birth and death is now. Today, this now, this moment is when we do our living. Are we making the most of it?

If you look at the dates of a lifetime it looks something like this: 1920-1990. The hyphen is such a small part of the story. It is a very tiny symbol for the life that was lived. Is this because there was so much more before and after? Is it because that the beginning and end is what life is all about, as we are born not knowing, and end with all that we have discovered along our way?

I think of Steven Covey's task to help people create a mission statement for themselves: picture yourself at your funeral; what do you want family, friends, and co-workers say about you? These messages that are typically presented at funerals talk about the person's "Self", about their special gifts that they were given. These messages are also, I think, an indication of how well the individual was able to achieve Self-awareness and was able to live true to Self.

All this, the learning, the growing, the living, the creating of the epitath, take place during the hyphen. How does your hyphen look so far?

-Debbie Life Unfolding

Excuses
Topic: Spirituality
Most of us tend to use excuses every day to avoid doing/saying something that we don't want to do/say. The excuses come in many forms, from: "it is your own fault", to "I'm too tired", to "I didn't know", and so on.

When we are walking a path of self-discovery (or I should say "Self-discovery") it is important to be aware of these excuses. Excuses are one of the best opportunities to learn about one's Self as well as to take a step towards personal growth.

During your day record the excuses that you use: how many were there? What were they? Why did you use them? What were you avoiding? What did you learn about yourself? What do you need to do to take a step forward, to avoid the excuses?

Learn about yourself; take control of your life; remove the barriers from fulfillment.
"A lesson a day keeps the psychiatrist away"

-Debbie Life Unfolding

Finding Self
Topic: Spirituality
Finding Self is a process, a journey, a path filled with challenges and moments of enlightenment.

Over one's years of life Self has become buried with labels, with experiences, with observations and comments, and with intentions.

Through experiences we might have come to see ourselves as "shy", but as we peel back the label we may see that this "shyness" came from an early childhood experience and is not truly part of one's Self.

We may think of ourselves as being a parent or a photographer, but again these are labels not characteristics of Self.

Discovering Self is about looking behind the labels, peeling back the layers of time and behind the "self-awareness" that we have achieved through our experiences, in order to reach "Self-awareness", discovering the inner traits, inner passions, and inner peace.

I am me - connected to all through energies but separate from all through my uniqueness. I am more than my parents, more than my childhood experiences, more than my social relationships and interactions, more than my education, more than my hobbies, and more than my career.

To be true to myself, I must find myself, I must recognize and acknowledge who I am and walk my journey, follow my life path in an effort to live according to who I am. Living through my inner passions, following by inner beliefs, talents, and natural gifts I will find my inner peace and the world will benefit.

-Debbie; Life Unfolding

Spirit Soars
Topic: Spirituality

My Spirit Soars

I spread my wings Ready to soar. Life awaits me to take the plunge, To catch the wind And let it take me to heights yet unknown. The feelings of the power Sets my heart on fire And a glow lights my smile. The future is mine. I am ready to fly -- to that which lies before me.

All that is a part of my past Is also a part of my future, As it has formed who I am; The me that everyone knows, And the me who is yet unknown to myself and the world. I stand before you Ready to walk the new path; Knowing it is filled with life With love, and challenges, And the excitement of the moment fills me.

Standing on the edge of my future, I lean forward And feel the support of life; I spread my wings And off I go -- soaring into my future with love and joy Debbie Roswell-P, 1998

This poem was written as an expression of the power and passion that lies within me. It is also a reminder that that is how one should feel on a regular basis. It should be the light that shines through family, through work, through social and private time, and through hobbies.

It is also a reminder that, often, others (including family members and bosses) take actions to squelch this fire. For their own reasons, their own journeys along their life paths, their efforts stifle the passions of others, put skills and talents within a box, limit potential and limit Self.

It is our choice to keep to our path, to be true to ourselves, to let our spirits soar, or, for a number of reasons, to follow their path and to bury or quiet our spirit. To be true to Self, this quieting of spirit needs to be short-term; it needs to be a step along our path; it needs to have purpose and meaning.

As with all situations in our lives this quieting of spirit is a challenge that provides us an opportunity to discover and heed a life lesson, for our path to become clearer, for our understanding of Self to become clearer and to be move consciously and purposefully along our path.

Spread your wings; feel the spirit fire in the core of your body; be true to yourself, your passion, your spirit. Love life; live life;

-Debbie www.lifeunfolding.ca

Conflicts
Topic: Spirituality

Conflicts are a natural part of relationships; they may play out in a quick and simple way and they may take on a traumatic and devestating role in people's lives. Conflicts may also be nagging, repetitive conversations that take place over and over and over.

As always situations in our lives can be opportunities for us to become more aware about some element of our Selves or our lives and to grow beyond who we currently are.

If you find yourself in an ongoing conflict with someone, step back from the situtation, removing yourself and observing from the outside. Look at the role that you play in the conflict. How are you keeping the conflict going? Why are you keeping it going? What is your motivation?

We can only control our own choices. We are in control of our own choices. When a conflict is continuing it is because we are choosing to have it continue. If a conflict is resolved - if only because we walk away from it - it is because we choose to resolve it.

I read recently, in "Power Spirit" (I forget the author's name), that when we try to force someone to do something against their beliefs, both on a physical and emotional level, it is a rape. Trying to force someone to believe what we do, trying to force them to walk their path in the same way that we walk ours, trying to force them along our path, is a way of raping them.

Their path is their own; their beliefs are their own; their timing of lessons and growth is their own; their past and their motivations are their own. We can provide people with information and our perspectives but the rest is up to them. If they do not believe or if they are not ready to learn the lessons that you have learned we cannot force them to do so.

And what are your motivations behind your need to change the other person? Why are you pushing? Why are you fighting to have your way? What lesson about you is lying in this conflict? How can you use the conflict as a lesson to become more aware about life, about Self, about you?

Conflicts: an opportunity.

-Debbie Roswell-P; www.lifeunfolding.ca

Barriers
Topic: Spirituality
Ah, the frustration of barriers placed in our path, preventing us from achieving a goal, from moving forward, from acquiring, from happiness. We could do without them, don't you think? Or could we?

Barriers come in many forms - from psychological blocks that we place on ourselves due to past experiences, to detours created by other people walking their paths and interfering with our plans, to "life" barriers that pop up unexpectedly and unexplainably.

Barriers play a major role in our journey through life. Just as roadblocks and detour signs guide us safely through our land, avoiding dangerous situations, so do barriers in our lives.

On a human level we could do without many of the barriers life provides and some never make sense. But there is a bigger picture, one that we may never see completely. The number of times that our actions, our detours, have provided others with what they need to walk their path we may never know. One person’s actions affect everything that takes place in our world, one way or another.

And then there is our personal journey – it is not the end result that is what life is about it is the journey itself. Each barrier provides a lesson for us. It is an opportunity for growth, for self-awareness, and to change our goals to become more Self directed rather than self directed. Perhaps we want to become a lawyer for the financial benefits and the title but barriers in our path keep directing us to becoming an artist where our passions lie, our spirit can shine. We can ignore the barriers and continue our pursuit of being a lawyer, that is the gift of freewill. Perhaps we weigh the benefits and decide that to truly “live” it is better to follow the heart than the bank account. Or perhaps we can listen to the barriers and do both. Perhaps.

I have learned during my life struggles that when the barrier has been overcome there is a wonderful experience at the end of it. That wonder might be very small but the impact is large, when I let it in. Now, when times are tough I often smile and even get excited knowing that I am in the process of discovery. I know and trust that when this time in my life is over that I will be a better person having gained some human or spiritual benefits from the experience.

I also believe that some experiences are beyond our human understanding and that some barriers have no positive outcome on this level of awareness. I trust that in the bigger picture there is a purpose. Perhaps it was my goal in this life to experience such a trauma and so in the after-life I can say “oh so that is what that is like”. I can not “know” this but I can believe this and this belief, this faith, will hold me up.

Barriers - opportunities for awareness, for growth, and for trust.

-Debbie Roswell-P, www.lifeunfolding.ca

Silence
Topic: Spirituality
Listen to the silence, or perhaps I should say: don't listen to the silence. It is during the silence that wisdom and truth appears but "thinking" and consciously "thinking" may block the truth from our awareness.

Imagine or remember a time when you have forgotten a name of something or someone and no matter how hard you try, how close the name gets to the tip of your tongue, you just simply can't find the word. Then, later, perhaps hours or days or even during your sleep, it jumps into your mind and you remember. It was by giving to the silence that the word was retrieved from your mind. It was by 'not thinking about it', by putting it out of your conscious mind that your subconscious mind was able to work and do its work for you.

It is this same "silence" of the conscious mind that gives your subconscious mind the time to talk to you, to whisper to your conscious self, to provide you with the creative thinking, taking you outside your box, and help you become aware, help you understand, and help you make conscious decisions about the past, the now, and the future.

I read recently, in a book by Iyanla Vanzant that sometimes people work so hard during the day being busy (probably to avoid looking at themselves, their Selves, and the truths) that at night they are so tired that they cannot hear the truth then either. How often do you wake up from your sleep with a brilliant idea? How often do you wake ready to meet the challenges of life with new vigour, new determination, new clarity? Our dreams, we are also told, are messages to us about ourselves, our Selves, and about decisions/experiences in our lives. All we have to do is hear it.

Each day, as part of your daily routine, and during the times of chaos and confusion, take the time to clear your mind, to let the silence clear your conscious thinking. Listening beyond the silence or not listening at all allows your subconscious, your Self to speak to you, to provide you with the questions and the ideas to help guide you along your true path.

Debbie, www.lifeunfolding.ca