At Peace Within

At Peace Within

What is it about the holiday season that makes me feel so good? The most important and profound things in life – the people, emotions and shared experiences, familiar and new – make the holidays meaningful. Within that sense of meaning, everything seems to come alive in a special way.  The music, our family and cultural rituals, food only served at holidays and seasonal festivities are sensual delights.  Then there are the lovely expressions of Spirit – getting together with others to wrap gifts, decorating the hearth, toasting life or simply helping neighbors – that exude an energy of connection and demonstrate how good caring about each other and our world feels. The inspiring influences of this time of year, when compassionate thoughts, stories of kindness, acts of giving and receiving, and offerings of hope and love connect and uplift us, fill my heart with a high spiritual energy. It’s as though a light emerges from within me and shines more brightly the more I take pleasure in our seasonal togetherness.

 

How do we experience the joys of the season of light?

 

There’s a beautiful experience to behold in the season of light and it starts with finding peace and contentment within ourselves. From an intentional perception of appreciation for all we are, and all we have – even with the challenges we are currently moving past – we connect with our basic goodness, the essence of our true selves in our hearts, minds and souls. Focus upon that inner connection to goodness allows awareness of the light within to arise. Our own inner wisdom is the doorway beyond limiting thoughts and beliefs. Open your heart to what is truly most important for you and experience the intelligence of Spirit that fills your world with light. When I allow the energy of peace to flow through me, I can discern how I closed off a part of myself and was seeing the world through a narrow slit. With intention and attention to what mattered most to me I moved past what I was seeing with my limited sight.   When I choose my potential for good, and believe in the well-being of life, the door opens each day to a vast wonderland of ineffable joy.

Within each of us we can find the magic of good cheer, compassion and joys of the season. You don’t need to do anything extraordinary; just remind yourself of the peace and light that dwells in your own heart and mind, and intentionally focus on allowing it to shine brighter. You can imagine a simple candle growing brighter within or multiple candles lighting up your heart, your body, your home and your day. Surrender any resistance you may have to this satisfying experience and let that be enough. Do this for a few minutes each day and the peace in your heart is sure to echo throughout your activities not only this season but all seasons.

If you are looking for inspiration to guide you to a more peaceful perception of your life, my book,
Seeing With The Heart, A Guided Inspiration Journal is available here.

Episode 3: Tune Into Your Inner Rhythm

Marching to the beat of your inner music enlivens the journey of living authentically, your way. As you become familiar with your inner rhythm you strengthen connection with a reliable guide, respectful of your desires and choices. Following your inner rhythm you find clarity and satisfaction in your day.
Tune Into Your Inner Rhythm

You can listen to the audio video or audio MP3 file below.

Reset Life With The Energy Of Joy

Reset Life With The Energy Of Joy

SEEKING JOY

 

 

 

I have sought more joy in my life for a very long time. Since adulthood I have inherently known that joy is fundamental to a meaningful, fulfilled life. However, it was not until I realized I had grown to identify with, and even desire things that kept me from feeling truly joyful that I discovered joy is always an inside job.

 

Why would I do that? Why did I lose touch with my true inner joy to begin with? To get to the root of all of that would be quite a saga. I could go through a long list of values ascribed to conditions and systems I believed were not only real but vital to my survival. I could go back to childhood and dig through family beliefs about money or love. I might even try to understand when and under what influence I felt I had to prove the value of my existence. In any event suffice it to say that I learned to turn my power over to outside conditions; giving the appearance of things, circumstances and events the ability to make or break me according to their standards. My security, success and self-worth depended on achievements determined as valid by the chorus of critics I deemed as official in the outside world.

 

Here are the questions I asked that helped me realize I had not consciously listened to the call of my true joy up to that point: What is the music that my soul wants to sing through me? What is the wisdom that I have been carrying around that wants to express in my life’s purpose? What am I passionate about at my core that is uniquely me?

 

Once I asked those questions everything that was in the way of knowing the answers showed up for me to step beyond. I had to get real with the fact that coming into joyful, satisfied living meant that I acknowledge I am more than what I had chosen to be up to that point. I had to understand that I had been reacting to beliefs that I could be stymied; that others held the power over me, even when I thought I was coming up with solutions to problems. My focus was still on the problems. Kind of like being in a room and looking for a way out but being trapped by a belief that those four walls have to contain a doorway. Maybe the answer is jumping over the walls.

 

I held some pretty rigid beliefs about what joy should look like from others’ perspectives and my ego often pointed out when I was not meeting expectations around happiness. I began to notice as those limiting ideas about what joy should be surfaced by paying attention to my emotions of disappointment and self-judgment. You see, I was defining joy based mostly upon my emotional reaction to conditions I thought were not working out in my life, rather than what I truly felt joyful about coming from my individual heart and soul. I had gotten into the habit of pushing against what I did not want instead of feeling empowered to determine and create what I wanted. Believing in the power of my own unique dreams and desires, believing in my worthiness and deservedness was the path to recognizing the power within.

 

As I practiced meditation during which I allowed calm and peace to flow through my body I discovered the experience of a new reality, of living in conscious connection with the pure inner essence of who I am more and more. My priority became tuning into an energy of inner clarity and wisdom; of making peace with myself and my life in the present moment and knowing that when I focus on my inner goodness all is well for me. I began to see myself and my life through the eyes of love rather than fear. I stopped labeling feelings as negative and listened to what they were telling me about my beliefs. I accepted that I am a multi-faceted person with a unique, creative perspective. From this place of contentment I became motivated to embark on a path of living in conscious connection with the true source of my joy – my soul self. My path to joy has been winding but ultimately it is leading me to become more fully who I am as a wholly loved and loving, divine human being.

 

 

 

What if I have the power to create what is joyfully calling to me from within?

 

 

 

The answers that came through my questioning experience changed my perspective because I was able to recognize when I was feeling disempowered. The shift came when I chose to own my power to create what felt joyful to me. Letting conditions control my emotional reactions kept me feeling like a victim. How had I lost that sense of living through my personal power? I recalled what it felt like to be a child playing in the park, rolling in the grass, looking up at the sky, the birds chirping in the background. That child-like freedom to express, to feel, to enjoy and to explore in the moment was enlivening. When had I stopped being a conduit for the expression of that joy?

 

I have learned that we really never stop questioning, discovering and experiencing who we are in new ways. It is an eternal process. But I did want to understand how to be happy more of the time, and to live from a place of freedom and self-love rather than judgement and fear. So the next step was to understand how to be consistent with the process of creating from joy. I mentioned that once I started asking how to live with more joy many limiting beliefs that stood in the way of confidently hearing and following the call to joy came up for me to recognize. Part of my process has been to take time each morning to listen to my inner self-talk. Am I satisfied with what I tell myself or is it uncomfortable?

 

As I first practiced feeling my feelings around not being worthy or good enough I easily slipped back into feelings of failure, shame and guilt. There were times when I just couldn’t stop the merry-go-round of pain and I was easily flung off into the worst-case scenario of whatever issue I was confronting. I have to say one thing about myself here – I am one of the most determined people I know about this subject of evolving into what I call, higher consciousness. I have been on a journey of discovering how to communicate with the divine within me since I first tried a ouiji board as a teenager. The journey has been mired with false expectations followed by revelations, followed by painful beliefs, anxiety, feeling dejected and essentially all of the crap I threw in the way of loving myself through life. As I look at this journey to date I recognize that these have all been growth opportunities that have led me to present perceptions. I never gave up on my intention to be more, to know more to change and to grow. The idea of experiencing the fullness of unconditional love – how beautiful and wonderful that experience must be – has

 

called me forward through examination and experiences in religious organizations, a variety of education approaches, traumatic incidents, international travels, family relationships and dynamics, spiritual teachers and professional careers. In many cases I would get swallowed up by negative feelings that resulted from any less than comfortable experiences. While I was very good at hiding those feelings, they remained underneath my world-view and colored the way I approached life – it became harder and more difficult to be happy.

 

The upside of looking at life through lenses clouded by fear and a need to control conditions is that I have learned to come to myself mindfully and compassionately. I can recognize when I have fallen into an old energy pattern and see its undermining pull into panic or anxiety. Herein lies the ongoing work of self-awareness. This process is actually something that I have consciously integrated into my life in order to manage my intentions and attention to joy. It is also the source of my power to create my life through joy.

 

 

 

Self-Acceptance is Key

 

 

 

What is that we need to understand in order to change our self-perception from weak, powerless and fearful to strong, creative and free? Not only to think of ourselves differently but to actually shift into a consciousness that is open to a new way of living. Cultivating the courage to be willing to step into a perception of the self beyond uncomfortable beliefs and limitations and hit “reset” is one thing.  Courage also allows us to trust in a process of growth, integration and acceptance of who we are wholly -body, mind and spirit.  Being aware of our emotions also supports willing self-discovery. Sometimes we refer to this process as “finding our purpose”.

 

But how can we find our purpose if we do not accept that our unique personal dreams and desires are integral to our creative message, our unique gifts; and that our inner essence is a powerful energy always available to tap into to express that beautiful, unique spark? Loving ourselves for who we are, unconditionally, demonstrates the self-acceptance and belief that allows the cooperative energies of the universe to join us, to work through us to bring our personal joy to life. That means being responsible for how we feel, what we think and why we want what we want in a loving way – whatever feels right and good to you and you alone. This may sound selfish to some, but if we cannot love ourselves, how can we accept or love another? If we do not love ourselves will others love us? The adage about hiding your light under a bushel is this very idea. We each have a light, a spark, a radiant glow within that guides us to that which is joyful. I am on an intentional quest to follow that spark, to breathe into it and allow it to grow, and see life through the eyes of the amazing creator of joy that I am. I have lived the opposite of that and it has not served to lift me up, or those around me. It is time to surrender the reasons why I cannot be joyful, and consciously embrace the never-ending magic of a fully free and joyful life.

 

If you would like to understand how to connect with your unique, inner spark of joy and reset your path forward through love, harmony and peace, rather than struggle, reach out to me for a consultation. marilyn@marilyndecalo.com

 

Generating Happiness Within: Conscious Joy

Generating Happiness Within: Conscious Joy

HAPPINESS IS A CHOICE

 

Are you aware of the energy stream of joy that is constantly available and flowing through your life?  Conscious awareness of the joy that courses through your day and activities is the absolute best way to bring more of it into your life and start living your life as you are meant to, happy.  Let’s take cooking as an example.  There are really great gifts in treating yourself right by creating a good meal, but if you are thinking of cooking as drudgery or boring your focus obviously isn’t on the idea of treating yourself right; or if it is, you are negating the potential for happiness with your resistant feelings about cooking. Consider that you may have a habit of thinking that you can change.  The question to ask yourself is, “How can I shift my energy and focus to open up to positivity around cooking?” You may have to practice shifting from what you are feeling to exploring the idea of “Where is the joy in cooking for me?”.  Choose the energy you want to be in because you do have the power of choice about what you think and see in life.  In our cooking example you can start the process by telling yourself how much you appreciate caring for your body, mind and spirit and feeling that goodness inside of you. You can immediately recognize your connection with joy when you hit upon an idea of what feels good about enjoying a healthy meal. Think about how healthy it is to source fresh ingredients and how enjoyable it is to have good food and to honor what fuels you from the earth.  You are creating a new more expansive perspective of yourself as you choose to happy in the moment, and when you do something from a feeling of love; rather than it is a chore.

 

HAPPINESS COMES FROM WITHIN

 

While often we look for things or people to bring us happiness, the truth is that happiness comes from within every time.  Even when we receive the delight or surprise of happiness from an unexpected circumstance or relationship, we have already internally created a sense of appreciation for the experience by delighting in our perception of it as a possibility before it occurred. In other words, our sphere of influence includes enjoyment of happy experiences that we may not expect, but we may be receptive to receive.  The way this happens is using our emotions to guide us to what makes us feel happy (desires), and finding fulfillment in basking in the idea of those things before they come into manifestations.

Within you is the ability to let go of struggle by using your thoughts and emotions to come into balance with your essential (joyful) self.  You have done this many times in the past unconsciously.  To consciously know the truth that this is your creative (super)power – to intentionally bring more joy into your experiences and activities – allows fulfillment to grow stronger and more common in all areas of your life. In other words, the outer experience is a reflection of your inner state of well-being. As you free yourself from the grip of needless, unconscious, limited thinking around having to struggle in order to gain anything you have cleared the pathway for ease, grace, joy and happiness to shine through your days. It starts with choosing to feel happy within, first, and allowing yourself to appreciate those good feeling experiences around you every day.

 

HOW DO YOU BRING FORTH HAPPINESS?

 

How do you bring forth happiness within?  It’s about intention, quieting the mind, breathing into your consciousness and allowing yourself to connect to your joy.  You can activate the energy of joy and love in your heart by seeing what’s good in your life and focusing on the happy feelings of imagining more of the same.  Say to yourself, “I have an abundance of happiness in my life.  I see my happiness in … my home, my work, my friends, my family, my team, my community, etc.” Let your heart open to feel the connection to joy as you imagine those situations, events and people.  This is your path, your life and your happiness. Clear it to appreciate all the good and happiness that you are meant to have in your life every day.

This is the new consciousness that is awakening the world.  Be open to the possibilities that in everything, including the seeming mundane, is the joy of loving all you are and what you do in your day. Science has shown that if you are a happy person you are more likely to have success in life.

 

BRING FORTH MORE HAPPINESS

 

Harness your happiness by:

  • Self-Respect –Know have respect for your unique powers of intention, imagination, conscious choice and the right to be happy. We are all on this journey together but each of us has unique creative abilities and expression that make the journey more enjoyable, rich and fulfilling. Honor your gifts and creativity and how they complement the larger community.

 

  • Self-Care – Be sure to take time to rest, relax, and create on the inner plane before jumping into action.  You’ll find that inspired action is more efficient and enjoyable than slogging through something.  Take responsibility for your well-being and give yourself the satisfaction of taking care of what you need in the moment.

 

  • Empower your true self by finding inner fulfillment through knowing what has meaning for you, your values, the good you create and your power to manifest it.  Find ways to serve by sharing innate or cultivated gifts, wisdom and abilities. The word needs you!

 

  • Be appreciative of the people and experiences that have brought you to the threshold of who you are now. There is plenty more where that came from, and fortunately for you, now you are ready to harness your inner happiness to bring more abundant joy into your future experiences.

Learn how emotional transformation can transform your life in my new e-book- “Transform Your Emotions, Transform Your Life”

True Passion

True Passion

There is a bit of a debate going on about overuse of the word ‘passion’ to describe doing what you love.  It seems that it doesn’t matter if you are talking about a career, a relationship or an exercise routine, passion has become synonymous with feeling like you are “all in” to whatever excites you most. In my own life I have felt enthusiastic about many things but I am not sure I would classify doing them as my passion. So that made me wonder, what is true passion?

Perhaps the controversy over ‘passion’ has more to do with attempts to define it simply as ‘living your dream’ rather than delving into the emotional aspects of passion – that inner excitement that isn’t so easy to explain.  I am a big proponent of living your dreams, but if those dreams are not fueled by an inner personal connection to an undeniable source of delight (some may describe this as a calling), then roadblocks on the path to realizing them might put my dreams in jeopardy.  It doesn’t seem to me that something I am passionate about – something that feeds my very soul – should incur insurmountable obstacles or that I should have to struggle to experience it . However, I am not sure this distinction is understood in the current way passion is interpreted.

What is true passion?

I like the idea of passion feeling like a call from within; and knowing that I can become aware of the passion already inside of me. In the psycho-spiritual sense, passion is experienced as an all encompassing, joyful or happy feeling that flows from deep connection with your true essence, that higher consciousness of self, the feeling you have when you know you are on the right path, doing what you were meant to do.   My passion runs through my heart and soul waiting for me to align with it.

According to Dr. Wayne Dyer, “Passion is a feeling that tells you: This is the right thing to do. Nothing can stand in my way. It doesn’t matter what anyone else says. This feeling is so good that it cannot be ignored. I’m going to follow my bliss and act upon this glorious sensation of joy.”

Think of something that speaks only to you, something you feel intensely happy about doing. It can be something that feels meaningful or purposeful. Passion is that exciting, emotional fuel or energy from your inner spirit that drives expression of your unique purpose.  It lights the creative spark within as you open your heart and feel a tingling within you. It doesn’t go away. In fact, its force grows bigger the more you focus on the joy it offers. Passion is the wonderful feeling of your Divine spirit alive within you, awakened and powerfully flowing enthusiastic energy to an idea that feels like it has to unfold as you contemplate it.  Consider passion as a new way of experiencing your authentic self, one that moves beyond the trappings of accumulating things and the approval of others, to living with gusto.

Passion lives in us all

The fulfillment of true passion comes from enthusiastically sharing gifts of the authentic self as you engage in the activities of your life.  Everyone has the presence of passion within because each of us has unique gifts and abilities that we can align with, creatively express and experience as our greatest joy. Passion isn’t dependent upon money or family dynamics, and there are no excuses that can prevent true passion. Passion is the key ingredient in fulfilling who you truly are – aligned with the energy of Spirit joyfully expressing.

How do you find something to be passionate about?

Take a moment to contemplate something that frees your passion. What can you be? Is there something you have been feeling called to do?  Write a book? Build a ship? Start a business? Perhaps you have a vision you have been carrying around for years. What wisdom do you have that gets your juices flowing? That’s all you need to know.  Be willing to allow your passion to speak up and feel the presence of your inner essence wanting to be active in your life. Give yourself some time to reflect as you think about your passion. Use a journal or a sketch pad to bring your passion forward in your imagination. Shape it into a vision – what does it sound like, feel like, look like? Let your enthusiasm create it to life.  Do not worry about how it will be accomplished. Just keep saying ‘yes’ to the feelings, images and the burning desire coming from within. Those are the signals your passion offers you to follow as you bring your dreams forward. You will find that you are propelled in a direction that seems motivated by a force beyond your control. Then when you experience good feeling ideas, or observe doors opening on your path be willing to act and take the next step.  Following your passion is the surest way to living a life of meaning, fulfillment and joy.

3 Steps To Tap Into Your True Passion

There is no need to struggle to tap into your passion. Passions can shift and change in intensity but in essence they are always with you.  Think again about that thing that gets you going and fills you with purpose.

  1. All the things you love to do, that motivate you because you fill up with a deep appreciation and love for them when you think about them are things that may ignite your passion.  However, you want to truly go to the depths of your soul to narrow in on them. Make a list of things you love and hone in on the top 5 things. You may start with a list of 25 but get it down to 5 by thinking about those things that you can lose yourself in; that make time, and the distractions of the outside world irrelevant to your enjoyment.
  2. Make it a point to express appreciation for the smaller passionate moments when you notice a feeling of joy flooding through you.  This can happen on walk outside in nature, or in the moment of a child’s smile. The more ways you appreciate passion the more passion you bring into your life.
  3. Tune into who you really are.  Act on the small things that excite you each day, that you feel inspired to do, without judging or measuring them against any standard except your own joy.  These are the threads that shed light on your path, connect you with your purpose and resonate with your passion. 

     

     Seeing with the Heart Guided Inspiration Journal.
    Available For Purchase HERE.

     

Marilyn Decalo Logo, Phoenix

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