Your Spiritual Growth and Support

"The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen."
— Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

Most of us at one time or another has sought out spiritual support from a friend, family member, mentor, minister or clergy. As many of us are faced with so many life changes, we are unsure where to turn; who to trust; how much to share or if we will ever really be ok again.

I, myself have sought out advice and consulting from a Spiritual Advisor and in turn have done my own share of Spiritual Advising, Consulting and teaching. We should never be ashamed to ask for help, to seek out alternatives, or to say to someone 'I'm struggling'.

Some great ways to help you through these tough times is to seek out local practitioners, take classes and workshops on spiritual development or any other type of class that will teach you the tools to empower, enlighten, motivate and inspire you.

Its important to feel connected to the practitioner and/or teacher when scheduling a session or taking a class or workshop.

Here are some helpful hints to start or continue your own healing journey:

• Seek out qualified practitioners and/or teachers. Word of mouth is the best way to find those who can help support you on your journey.

• Know that what you will learn, the knowledge you will attain has to be put into action. The practitioner/teacher cannot do the work for you, but once you are given or shown the tools, you can set out on your journey.

• Be your own advocate. Listen to your intuition. If something doesn't feel right or sound right, listen to your 'gut' and go with what you feel. You are your best spiritual advisor.

• Invest in your journey. Most classes and workshops are affordable, and for those that are out of your price range, contact the facilitator if they can do a sliding fee scale or if they have scholarships. I have attended (and facilitated) great classes that only cost $20.00 a class to take.

• You get what you pay for. Be cautious and do your homework. Check the credentials of the person teaching the class.

• When scheduling a session with a practitioner, ask for a phone consultation first. You may be looking for a Reiki session, but the practitioner will be able to help you design a session just for your own healing needs that may incorporate other healing modalities, most of the time for the same price of your session or a few dollars more.

And finally, and this is very important: please support your local practitioners. Many of us do this work that we are called upon to do and when a class or workshop is offered, please consider attending. These practitioners spend time putting together classes, planning, executing and pouring themselves into it.

I remember a time when I kept being asked when I would have classes and workshops. When I scheduled them, most people were either busy or had other reasons. Timing is always an issue with many of us, and it cannot be avoided. But,  we get so busy making a living that we forget to make a life. Take the time to stop, re-charge and give yourself the gift of a workshop, class or even a session with a qualified practitioner.

As life gets tougher for many of us, we need to connect and pull together. There is power in numbers. Let your power shine!

With Gratitude, Donna

Surrender and Release

"Sometimes what seems like surrender isn't surrender at all. It's about what's going on in our hearts. About seeing clearly the way life is and accepting it and being true to it, whatever the pain, because the pain of not being true to it is far, far greater". ~ Nicholas Evans

In our lives, we work hard, we play hard and at the end of the day, sometimes there are difficult decisons to make. We can be in denial, we can choose to skirt the issue, but sooner or later it pops up and we need to face the reality of the situation.

In my shortsighted way, I had looked at surrendering to mean giving up. I was a born fighter and although I choose my own medium in which to fight my battles, I usually don't go down without a fight. I will fight to the end to right  the wrongs and to defend people close to me.

When I read an article by Cheryl Richardson about Learning to Surrender I started to look at it in a different way. I was holding in my heart and in my life, so tightly, the things I did not want to lose. The evolution of change and its existance is nothing new, and its a part of life.

But, I wasn't ready to go down without a fight. I held onto anger, emotions, sadness, grief and control. And while doing this, I missed out on some joyful moments, moments of clarity and opportunities for growth. So yes, I am ready to surrender to releasing those emotions that have kept me stuck for so long. Will it be easy? Hell no. But, I am on this cusp of change and I need to allow the universe, God, the Divine to guide me. After all, I did ask for help, didn't I?

Part of the surrender and release process for me occured this week. I had worked for many years in a corporate job, leaving last year due to health reasons. I realized upon leaving that the environment I was in, was not a healthy one for me and made a determination that I would never want to work an office job again. For over a year, I have held onto the anger of the situation of leaving that job. I was bitter and angry. I swore I would never sell my soul for a paycheck again.

Admittedly, I can be quite steadfast and stubborn. But, this week, as the reality set in that I need to find full time employment, even if its a temporary position,  I found that the only jobs I qualify for are in accounting and finance because of have 10 years experience in that field. My soul screamed at me for even looking at those types of jobs. It was as if the retina was burning by just seeing those old accoutning terms of accrual and general ledger. I screamed inside....NO..NO..NO!

As I perused the internet for jobs, the common theme kept occuring. Seriously? Was this some cruel trick being played by the universe? I kept in my mind what I held so dear for the last year; I am a licensed massage therapist, I am a holistic practitioner. I can't go back to an office job. I just can't.

Applying for any of them would feel dishonerable to my soul. After all, I made a promise to msyelf that I would no longer work in a corporate job.

I came face to face with this reality this week. I needed to face the reality that my dreams of being a writer, my dreams of owning my own business, of being a life coach, had to come in second to the reality that I needed a full time job that paid decently. I wasn't giving up my dreams. I wasn't giving in to pressure. I was just awakening to the possibility that because I had compared my former employment to every other job out there, I was being unfair. This new revelation did not come easy. It was after some deep soul searching, bouts of crying, bargaining with the universe and lots of praying.

It was then that I remembered Cheryl Richardson's article and revisited it once again. It gave me hope. It gave me closure. It gave me the courage to surrender and release on my own terms.

I still hold my ideas to heart. I will never ever sell my soul for a paycheck. I realized that I am a different person than I was a year ago. My resolve is that I will never ever let another person or company treat me the way I was treated. I have found my voice. I will never be silenced again. I have found my purpose and even though I will more than likely work in an office job for a paycheck, I will never give up my dreams of writing, helping others or doing what I love to do most. I know that both can co-exist together. I realize now that the reailty of having to go back in the work force made me feel unfaithful to my passion of being self-employed and living my passion.

I release and I surrender to what was, to bring in what can be. I am grateful for what was, for what is and for what will be.

May you find your own surrender and release.

With Gratitude, Donna