Surrendering, caving in and succumbing to our feelings, is one of the most rewarding, honest and renewing choices we can make.

Each time I have yielded to my highest, most authentic self, with every instance of allowing someone else to see my vulnerable humanness, I have had a breakthrough and grown.  Some inner knowledge, however small, has peeked through and as I topple over the walls I built, answers and solutions seem to pervade my consciousness, entering the conversation of discovery, revelation and finally, the keys to unlock the meaning of any emotional or mind game entanglement spun out of control (in my own head).

Often, bandaging up our wounds, we miss the breakdown and miss out on finding new perspectives and re-building ourselves.  When we gloss over or hide beneath the façade of “normalness”, we forfeit the opportunity to cut into the core of an emotion, the motive behind the emotional response and we end up just treating the symptom.

Triggered by an openness to heal, a willingness to divulge pain (and not see it as weakness) and a forthrightness to be rigorously honest with another, and ourselves  – that, my friend, is Courage!

Surrender to win!

My feet are firmly planted in the foundation of spiritual pursuit and the maintenance of it on a daily basis.

I have no need to judge, compare, compete, criticize or otherwise scoff.  I am all I need.

Creative Intelligence is within and all around me.  Whatever I want or desire, I ask for.  What I need is already here.

Divine Source of all things, as I see it, completes me, created me and will envelop me when I die.

I give up all my past thinking and begin anew, never losing sight of the sagacious ideas left me;  never allowing myself to believe myself wise, for I am always learning and I never want to be unteachable.

I am in process. I sit myself down, I write.

There are some truisms that are universal to all and then there are specifics which are singular to each person.

Examples:

I prefer to be corrected rather than punished for my mistakes.

People can’t let go of what they hold on to.

If you want to stop thinking about it, then stop talking about it.  Stop giving it more power than it has.

Just because they ring the bell, doesn’t mean you have to go into the ring and fight.

If you want a sense of peace, stop fighting everyone and everything.

Work with what you have – stop trying to change it, sacrifice yourself for it, will it or wish it differently.

Never underestimate the power of keeping your mouth shut.

You are either in Fear or Love.  Whenever you are in fear, you are listening to your ego; it’s not getting what it wants or is afraid to lose what it has.

As my road gets narrower, my horizon broadens.

Every encounter, challenge, “mistake” is an opportunity for growth and learning.

Be all you can be.

The Four Agreements:  1.  Be impeccable with your word.  2.  Don’t take anything personally.  3.  Don’t make any assumptions.  4.  Always do your best.

Live and let live – Easy does it –  One day at a time – Think

None of this is original, I gathered and remembered it from various sources, but all of it is pertinent to my daily life, relationships and in all my circumstances.  It’s always helpful.  I am sure I have more but this is what came to mind instantly.

Do you have any universal type and/or specific mantras, sayings or affirmations that help you frequently and/or you love and live by?

My friend, J, the dog rescuer, was kind enough to let me use her photo of happy ceramic pumpkin decor she owns and displays.  Happy Halloweeny!!! To all my kids and friends and readers!!!!

I desire to be accepted, respected and noticed for the person I am, so therefore, I need to focus on, empathize with and allow others to be themselves, at this moment in time, wherever in life or the journey and path they are on – and maybe, I will learn something about myself in the process of acceptance.

MY behavior requires me to reflect on my thoughts, words and actions that I myself would like to be treated with.  As I do unto you, I do to self.

I know this intellectually and profoundly believe in it – but actually implementing this practice and living by this ethical value and tenet is more a striving, progressive reaching rather than an accomplishment consciously sought.

I sink and explore further into my inner realm in proportion to any generosity or service I extend outside myself onto others.

A quick on the go kind of snack I go to almost every day and is easy, delicious and satisfying is a raw wrap stuffed with hummus and powerful organic greens.  What I love about packaged raw food products is they are always organic.  I always have a raw bar (look for raw crunch, it’s the only one I recommend) or two in a pocket in my purse.  More than once, it has gotten me or someone else out of a hunger jam.

Being vegan lends itself to quick raw snacks and I became a raw foodist 100% back in 2009 for four and a half months because raw desserts attracted me to no end when I was vegan even then.  Alas, a trip to NYC and Europe led me back to cheese especially and then eventually meat.  Then, during my yoga training, I returned to veganism and about 75% raw in 2010 – 2011.  Somewhere along the line, I got off track again and now here’s my third try at vegan living.  Some people yo-yo diet.  I yo-yo styles of eating.

I buy the raw wraps that come in about four flavors.  Smokey Heaven is my favorite.  They all include organic everything.  Smokey is made with zucchini, apple, onions, flax seeds (think omega 3), coconut, turmeric, nama shoyo sauce, black salt (unbelievable if you can get it) and smoke flavor.  One wrap is 45 calories and I split them lengthwise down the middle because it’s smaller and easier to roll.