JD LeJeune

Allowing Others To Walk Their Paths Watching a loved one or a peer traverse a path littered with stumbling blocks can be immensely painful. We instinctively want to guide them toward a safer track and share with them the wisdom we have acquired through experience. Yet all human beings have the right to carve their own paths without being unduly influenced by outside interference. To deny them that right is to deny them enlightenment, as true insight cannot be conveyed in lectures. Rather, each individual must earn independence and illumination by making decisions and reflecting upon the consequences of each choice. In allowing others to walk their paths freely, you honor their right to express their humanity in whatever way they see fit. Though you may not agree with or identify with their choices, understand that each person must learn in their own way and at their own pace.

The events and circumstances that shape our lives are unique because each of us is unique. What touches one person deeply may do nothing more than irritate or confound another. Therefore, each of us is drawn to different paths-the paths that will have the most profound effects on our personal evolution. If you feel compelled to intervene when watching another human being make their way slowly and painfully down a difficult path, try to empathize with their need to grow autonomous and make their own way in the world. Should this person ask for your aid, give it freely. You can even tell them about your path or offer advice in a conscious loving way. Otherwise, give them the space they need to make their own mistakes, to enjoy the fruits of their labors, to revel in their triumphs, and to discover their own truths.

The temptation to direct the paths of others is a creature of many origins. Overactive egos can convince us that ours is the one true path or awaken a craving for control within us. But each person is entitled to seek out their path leading from the darkness into the light. When we celebrate those paths and encourage the people navigating them, we not only enjoy the privilege of watching others grow-we also reinforce our dedication to diversity, independence, and individuality.

DailyOM

Accepting Compliments Many of us find it difficult to accept compliments but easy to believe the slightest criticism. Today, right now, let’s make a choice to fully accept compliments as we would a gift. Sincere compliments are gifts of praise. They are kudos given for wise choices or accomplishments or perhaps for just letting your light shine. There is no reason not to accept the gift of a kind word, but some of us argue against them, even giving reasons why they aren’t true.

If we visualize the energy of a compliment, we would see beautiful, shining, positive energy being sent from the giver. That energy, if accepted graciously, would brighten our personal energy field. Our gratitude then returns to the giver as warm, fuzzy, glowing energy, completing an even circuit of good feelings. But if we reject a compliment, what could have been a beautiful exchange becomes awkward and uncomfortable, making it a negative experience instead. Misplaced modesty can ruin the joy of sharing this connection with another person. But we can accept a compliment and still be modest by simply saying “thank you.” However, if compliments are rejected due to a lack of self-esteem, then the first step would be to start believing good things about yourself. Try giving yourself compliments in the mirror. Beyond the initial feelings of silliness, you will notice how good it feels and can watch the smile it puts on your face. The next step would be to see how it feels to give compliments to others. Notice how great you feel when you’ve made another person’s face brighten and how differently you feel when the gift you’ve offered is rejected. Having experienced all sides, you will be ready to play along fully and willingly.

We are our harshest critics. When we accept compliments, we are reminded that others see us through different eyes. All living beings crave positive attention, and we all deserve to have positive energy shared with us. Perhaps if we happily and gratefully accept compliments, we will give others permission to do so as well.

DailyOM

You may experience feelings of uncertainty about your own abilities today. You might feel nervous about making the wrong choices or doubt your ability to overcome obstacles. One good way to overcome feelings of doubt is to infuse yourself with the confidence and determination to keep moving forward no matter what. If you simply refuse to entertain feelings of fear or doubt today and instead affirm with passion that you will succeed, you will be more likely to believe it and act accordingly. You may find it helpful to write an empowering statement that you can repeat to yourself several times a day, such as, “I will not be deterred by fears or challenges. I can and will succeed, no matter what it takes.” With repeated use, this type of statement can fuel your desire and propel you through any difficulties.

By filling our minds with empowering statements of determination, we dissolve fears, doubts, and disbelief about our ability to succeed. Our thoughts are the most powerful aspect of our potential for success, because they often determine our actions. Rather than allowing doubt to stall our efforts, we can choose to empower ourselves with thoughts of passion and determination. The more we do this, the more likely we are to push through obstacles and continue toward our goals, even if we stumble or fall down occasionally. An empowering mind-set is the most valuable gift you can give yourself today, because it is the one thing that can propel you through any obstacle or challenge.

DailyOM

ReCreation Foundation Newsletter #205 By: Neale Donald Walsch, Author “Conversations With God” series of books. …snip

So here you are, at the beginning of the Enlargement stage on the Path to Self-Awareness. You have already moved through so much. You’ve come through abandonment, requirement, resentment, argument, and discernment to get to Contentment. You just want to stay there for a while. You want a rest. It’s only natural. Yet the inner yearning to do more, to go further, to advance in your spiritual development, to expand your expression of who you really are, is undeniable.

All of this makes a perfect recipe for inner conflict. For some, that could even look like inner turmoil. Certainly there are days when it has looked exactly like that in my life. Yet now I have stopped becoming frustrated about the apparent slow pace of my next step, having reached the awesome heights of Contentment. I have given myself permission to notice that this is just part of the process. And as I let go, I move on. Little by little, perhaps, but I move on. I experience more “starting” and less “stopping.”

Now here is what I am starting to do:

1. Declare, inwardly, who I am and who I choose to be. Create the next grandest version of the greatest vision ever I had about myself. Dare to step into that vision more often and more fully.
2. Deal with my tendency to procrastinate (in a lot of things, not only my spiritual development) by pushing ahead on my most important projects (such as writing this very material) and my inner work as well (like daily meditation and physical exercise and rearranging my eating habits so that I can eat well).
3. Stop denying who I really am and begin to act like who I really am.
4. Broaden my concept of how I can apply my inner vision to my outer reality.
5. Send thanks daily to God for all that I am and all that I have. (I talk a lot about this but I don’t do it nearly as much as I know is good for my soul.)
6. Trust the Universe, trust Life, trust God to bring me exactly what I can most benefit from right now and in every moment of my life, see the opportunities being presented to me, embrace them and engage immediately in moving them forward.
7. Forgive myself for my past and let go of the pain of guilt. Resolve to live a newer version of myself, to never repeat the behaviors about which I have previously felt guilty, and mean it.
8. Stop lying, immediately. Know that it’s the little lies that kill me. The exaggerations, the half-truths, the avoidance tactics, the hide-a-ways and the cover-ups that I think are shielding me from damage, but that are only opening me to continue hurting myself and others.
9. Empower everyone around me to be, do, and have what they choose as benefiting them on their own journey to self awakening and self awareness.
10. Read, read, read ; write, write, write ; pray, pray, pray, and stay connected with God. Use God more and more in my daily life, in the moment-to-moment of my experience, and become far more creative and far less reactive in my environment.

These ten “starter-uppers” have gotten me on the road to getting moving again in my spiritual development. I am paying more attention to my soul, and my soul is rewarding me by bringing more into my inner and outer reality that I have hungered for-specifically, a grander experience of my true self. The third phase of Enlargement is sustaining that experience.

• NDW

Being Your Own Village

Simple survival requires us to be in possession of many skills. The pursuit of dreams requires many more. Most individuals rely on the support of a village, whether peopled by relatives or community members, to effectively address the numerous ways we need assistance. This can mean anything from asking favors of acquaintances and leaning on loved ones for support to paying a skilled artisan to handle specialized tasks. However, each human being is born with the capacity to be their own village. We embody many roles throughout our lifetimes, all of which are representative of our capacity for self-sufficiency and self-determination. In different moments in our lives, we are our own counselor, janitor, caregiver, cook, healer, teacher, and student. Our willingness to joyfully take on these roles grants us the power to maintain control over the direction our life’s journey takes.

In times past, human beings learned all of the skills needed for survival. Today, the majority of people specialize in a single discipline, which they hone throughout their lives. Thus, many of us feel uncomfortable standing at the helm of our own existence. We question our ability to make decisions concerning our own health, happiness, and welfare, and are left feeling dependent and powerless. But the authority to take ultimate responsibility for our lives is simply a matter of believing that we have the necessary faith and intelligence to cope with any circumstance the universe chooses to place in our path. Proving that we can each be our own villages through action enables us to accept that we are strong enough to exist autonomously. Cooking, cultivating a garden of fruits and vegetables, undertaking minor home repair, or adopting a healthier lifestyle can help you reassert your will.

Being your own village does not mean embracing isolation, for a balanced life is built upon the dual foundations of the inner and the outer villages. Rather, being your own village is a celebration of your wondrous inner strength and resourcefulness, as well as an acknowledgment of your innate ability to capably steer the course of your life.

DailyOM