The power of the collective. Our true power lies in our connection to each other. It is also one of our greatest needs – to feel connected.

This is one of the most wonderful things that I have witnessed at this time. Our desire and striving to remain connected at this time of challenge and physical division.

I have been observing an underlying heavier energy that is creating division at this time – even the name ‘Social distancing’ seems manipulative. The fear, of these words and actions to enforce these words, have brought into our reality have been very visceral and observed personally by me in the supermarket a couple of days ago.

It is not a useful or accurate term- it is PHYSICAL distancing that we are being forcefully coerced into practicing. The word Social in the distancing is inferring that we are not safe to communicate with each other, not safe to support each other. This is one of our deepest fears. It has been one of mine – to be alone.

This writing is not to discourage or encourage any kind of action… only to spur the reader onto deeper thought and awareness about current circumstances and your reactions, actions and choices of response and to hopefully bring a more relaxed state of BEing, observance and kindness into your daily lives.

I want to share here my recent personal dive into fear, that I was experiencing and in sharing, hope that it will encourage you also to look at and address the fear you maybe feeling at this time, or perhaps have been doing your best to avoid feeling. I have found that I have in the past avoided feeling many things, it’s not always been a conscious choice – to avoid feeling – but more of a survival instinct and I know that I am not alone in this.

The volume of the current situation is so high that we can no longer ignore these feelings and I am so glad that I have invested a significant amount of time and energy into personal work in the last few years with the help of some amazing individuals and now have some fabulous tools that I can use to help myself navigate the shifting sands.

So I decided to allow myself to write down and feel the fear. Some of my words – I am afraid to be alone yet I want to be left alone – to have space, time to myself, to reflect and nurture myself. So I sat and wrote – Fear I hear you, I see you, speak to me freely now and let me know what I need to know and ….I listened.

Fear – ‘I am here to keep you safe. I have always been here to keep you safe. This is my one and only job. It is my purpose. It is your mind that likes to play tricks on you. To stay in control, to move you by manipulating you in certain directions. The circumstances appearing in your world around you now have always been needed and coming. The circumstances in your life are all part of your growth and expansion.

I am here to keep you safe. Stop judging me, stop being afraid of me, stop not listening to me, stop not feeling me, I am an important part of you, you need me, just love and accept me – be my friend as I am yours.’

So what I learnt about FEAR – ‘False Evidence Appearing Real’ is true however it is an emotion that has and can keep me safe, it is an important job in this physical incarnation. It is the games the mind can play that I need to be aware of and what is a real threat and what is not! Fear itself is not bad or a threat.

I can take deep breaths and focus on what is in front of me and engage my conscious brain and decide how I need to react and how I choose to feel.

I recognise the duality in the whole scenario – physical distancing and this virus has connected the people on the planet like never before. It has allowed us to feel our humanity. It has enforced us to slow down and take a whole review of our lives and how we are living them. How our actions affect each other and Mother Earth.

I encourage you all to stop and think for yourselves, consider everyone and Mother Earth – take the best action that you can in each moment….and then take another deep breath.

Sending love from my heart to yours ❤️❤️❤️

Happy 2020 to everyone ❤️

I always find it valuable to look over the year that has passed and allow myself to feel deep appreciation for everything that has shaped the experience of the year for me and also to recognise the growth in myself and all the blessings that I have received. I am writing this to enable me to share the gratitude and to inspire.

The picture above is the vision board I created for 2019 and before dismantling it and creating a new one for this year, I want to recognise and celebrate all the things that have manifested for me in the past year.

The year was very challenging for me, as I know it has been for many people. I want to mention that there were a few months earlier in the year where I experienced heaviness, fear and anxiety. I was depressed, in fear and finding my way back to trusting and allowing at a whole new level. Honestly I did not enjoy this process much or the feelings that came with it but kept taking each day as it came and doing my best. DEEP REST is how I interpret the word depressed and it was very difficult for me to allow myself to experience it fully. Old parts of me that were ready to be let go of kept challenging me to listen to them and to keep them on board, beliefs about needing to work hard to be able to survive, amongst them. I just wanted to share a bit of this to make it clear that I experience the shadow, as well as the light and I also feel it deeply. By enlarge I did this journey by myself because of my belief that I am Superwoman and I can do it all – who hasn’t had that belief and experience? The question I ask myself now is ‘If I am meant to do this all by myself – why am I on a planet with approx. 7.7 billion other people? ‘ Thankfully I have done ALOT of work on myself and my beliefs (work in progress) and I did reach out and allow a couple of close friends help me through this time for whom I am truly grateful. I am also grateful to myself for allowing the RECEIVING of this help. Aaah that’s another blog altogether.

Now onto the celebration of my manifested visions. I have circled the ones that I would like to recognise and honour here.

The feather is a wonderful reminder that my angels, guides and supporters – seen and unseen are always with me and helping me. This “knowing” is such a wonderful gift and when I find feathers on my walks – it always lights me up and my heart is always grateful. We can sometimes forget about this support and having it on my vision board is a great visual reminder to ask for help when I need it and to be grateful for all the signs and help that I do receive daily.

The light grid connecting the earth is also a reminder that we are all part of a bigger picture, that we are all connected, that there is light within and surrounding us at all times. In this year it has been a slow but gradual journey for me allowing myself to connect on a deeper level to myself and thus to everyone else. The support and gifts of the Earth is also recognised in this picture for me.

As mentioned previously my TRUST has definitely been tested time and again and the experiences throughout the year have deepened my ability to feel it, to trust TRUST. This was basically during my darker, heavier months of feeling this year when I was not trusting – it was trust calling me back to itself.

The soaring high – well that happened in a real visceral experience for me at ‘SOUL MAGIC’ Retreat with Lee Harris Energy in Costa Rica where I joined a few courageous souls on a three hour zip line tour. Courageous … hmmm maybe a bit naive – that’s how I felt when they handed me the gloves with special padding to slow myself down on the line!! What the?! LOL . I have experienced an enjoyed zip lining in Tasmania and New Zealand but this was by far the highest, longest and dare I say it SH** your pants kind of experience. It was also me BEing courageous, taking a deep breath and making the most of this exhilarating, scary venturing into the unknown. The big open army truck drive up the unsealed and washed out dirt roads began this adventure, getting bogged and stuck on the way back, the close encounter with black howler monkeys,  huge spider holes,  deadly wasp sighting, injured team mate with burn marks from the line on her hand and arm, was all a rewarding, adrenaline pumping adventure highlighted with incredible views, soul family supporting each other and a swim under an incredible waterfall. Not the kind of soaring high I had imagined when I put the words on my vision board… in fact this was much much more than I could have imagined.

The connection, courage and elevation also happened on that trip through Peru with my friend Marilyn and the retreat at Costa Rica. As well as in my community with the amazing network of women and friends that I am blessed with.’ Breathe easy’ were also an interesting choice of words on my vision board and I certainly received another level of appreciation from our Peru trip, where at higher altitudes breathing becomes a labour of work. I received such a deep appreciation of the simple, daily gift of breathing with ease, that not everyone in this world can appreciate daily.

I placed the picture of the hummingbird on my vision board for the beauty of it and the words that came with it -“Legends say that hummingbirds float free of time, carrying our hopes for love, joy and celebration. The hummingbird’s delicate grace reminds us that life is rich, beauty is everywhere, every personal connection has meaning and that laughter is life’s sweetest creation”. These words have certainly been felt by me in the last year and the complete surprise for me was the actual hummingbird that we saw in Lima on our first day of our trip. This was such a magical and breathtaking experience for me, as I had not even imagined seeing this gorgeous bird in nature. We saw many more on that trip around bird feeders that were strategically placed but this first one was by far the most magical for me because it was such a surprise and in an urban area. It had never occurred to me when I had crafted my vision board that I would actually see a real hummingbird in nature.

Macchu Picchu has been a spiritual place of interest, magic and excitement which also ‘happened’ for me in the last year and to be honest when I placed that picture on my vision board I was just happy for it to be there and had no idea how it would happen or even if it would happen in that year. I was happy to know that I would go one day and was blown away that it happened in 2019. I am still so deeply grateful for the support from my dear friend and soul sister Marilyn for sharing this journey and helping make it possible.

The central picture of the lighthouse was also a reminder for me of BEing the lighthouse and allowing myself to shine my light brightly and the value of that simple task, without the DOing to prove to others or myself of my worth. It was a good visual reminder, yet again I did not consciously see myself at a lighthouse – yet I found myself with dear soul family bringing in 2020 at Byron Bay Lighthouse, also seeing this in real life. My heart expands just at the realisation of this magical power of holding a vision and taking steps towards it.

The $100 notes were there to instil a feeling of abundance and to allow me to feel safe and looked after in the financial areas of my life. This is a feeling that comes and goes for me. Magically and again thanks to my friends and family – all the money that was needed for my endeavours this last year was available and I am so, so grateful for that.  I continue to trust that I am always taken care of and am also aware of the action required to BE in this space. The words ‘It is easy for me to give and receive gifts graciously’ has certainly helped in this area and my awareness of the need for the flow.

I am currently so happy that I found my red Mazda that also was on the board (bottom right hand corner) and am really joy full and grateful for her. She is known as Magical Marvella. 🙂

As I am taking one last look at the board, which I am a bit hesitant to dismantle, I also notice the island picture on the lower right near the frangipani flower and my thoughts turn to my next adventure that has been in the planning stages all last year. The amazing and wonderful ultimate girls week away in Fiji featuring Elizabeth Gilbert and so many other amazing, incredible women. This epic event was imagined, created and shared by my dear friend and soul sister, Liesel and it has been such a ride already getting it all happening and I have witnessed so much growth and expansion in everyone involved during the planning stages and am so so grateful to be a part of this transformative event which is happening in February 2020.

I had a wonderful realisation around JOY as well. There have been many things that I have been grateful for but I had not recognised those moments as feeling JOY. It is a mindset that needed to be reset for me. Even though I had deep appreciation for all the wonderful things that happen in my life – I had never allowed myself to realise that there were times of joy, so I now allow myself to realise that I am feeling Joy when I am grateful for the experiences.

BEing myself has become a practice and wonderful journey. Allowing me to be who I am, first needed discovery. I had become lost in the beliefs and programs in my subconscious and in life, in the DOing. It has been so worth exploring, letting go, discovering myself, my needs and is an ongoing, exciting, changing landscape. I believe the knowing and trust in my guidance and the courage to walk this path in an ever expanding consciously aware way is what continues to bring these beautiful gifts.

Thank you for sharing this journey with me. This is part of my new allowing of BEing seen and heard, of feeling significant and I thank you for being here and being a part of that important stage of my journey.

To finish I would like to share this important formula which is necessary in achieving our dreams and our visions. The reminder that action is always involved in success.

Intention + Action = Outcome

Much Love to you all ❤️

It just occurred to me, as I was writing a message to a friend, that this is a great time to create a daily space for remembering and BEing grateful for ourselves. Something to celebrate and feel the uniqueness that we each have and how incredible we are just by BEing here.

We have created public holidays to create space to remember and celebrate past events. We hear stories that are told to us as children, in church or through media that speak of greatness in others, courage displayed and we as a nation and as a world celebrate different events and people.  People and events that have happened in our past.

When we think of people that have fought for peace and love and remember them, I feel we owe it not only to them but to ourselves to reach for that love and peace within ourselves, to realise that peace and love begins within ourselves and that is something we do have control over and can choose it every day. When we choose it for ourselves, we are also choosing it for the world we live in.

I could write so much more but today I am keeping it simple, because it really is simple.

I encourage everyone to create a space and time every day to Re member You, to Re connect to the greater part of you that You are, to your Light.

I choose to BE more loving to myself each day (it is a Practice 😊)

I choose to FEEL the peace that is within me each day

and that makes it easier for me to share with others…. ripples in the ocean of life.

Much Love from my heart to yours 🧡

As part of my last Masters in Conscious Leadership Workshop we were inspired to write Our Creation Story and it was such a wonderful experience. This exercise followed a discussion about the importance of a ‘myth’ in connection.

The stories that came forth were all beautiful, unique, very moving and inspiring and I would like to share mine here. I would like to encourage everyone to take some time out and free flow write on this topic and see what shows itself to you. Definitely worthwhile. Much love xo

This story is a story within many stories of a place within a place, and energy within energy , colour in layers of colours, sound within vibration, vibration and beauty.

A vastness, an expansiveness, an all-ness, a one-ness, that had ceased the ability to expand beyond where it found itself.

A need arose from this momentary stillness, the need to expand in a new way. A need perhaps or a shift, a change.

This caused a void which created space for a new creation and an infinite number of new creations to occur, ongoing, eternal, multifaceted, a harmony, a wave.

So in the darkness, in one of these voids, an explosion occurred, in some ways quite small and yet in another absolutely, overwhelmingly huge , miraculous and unique.

A spark, a light, created from love, from sacred union by divine design. A design of complete perfection , as a gift unto itself – a creation and creator in one infinitesimal and yet infinite spark of light.

In this darkness the spark expanded, it expanded and thought began in a new way. As the energetic memory of its previous place, of its previous form and existence, of being, state of being began to fade away, the thought came….”What am I?”

Then the answer…”A HUman”, followed by another question “What is a HUman?”

The silence and darkness continued for some time then the transition yet again into a new light. The light this time on the outside, daylight on a planet known as Earth. Another newness.

Further expansion, more growth, a new journey – yet deeply and intrinsically connected to the journey that came before, that runs next to this journey, that is within this journey, that also exists outside this journey. A journey that leads the spark, the light back to itself and as it travels this winding path, it continues to expand and grow.

Quite often I like to look deeper into things in order to allow more exploration and reach a deeper level of a subject. Words are one of the things I like to explore more and I find it exciting when I learn how some words have originated and also break them down and find what I believe is quite a different meaning to my first concept of the word itself.

When it comes to the word – Over thinking – my question is – does it mean Above thinking?

Thinking above the original thought, raising our awareness beyond the subconscious? Beyond the programs and beliefs that we have established in our life?

When someone else says to you that you ‘overthought’ something – what do you make of that? Are they judging your level of thinking? Are they in disagreement with your thoughts? Or are they trying to keep your thinking to a lower level, trying to keep you small or are they not willing to grow above their current understanding themselves?

There is of course multi layers to all things and another way we can look at overthinking is when we think in circles. This could be another way of interpreting the word. This is where the feeling of ‘overthinking’ actually rings true for me. When I think of this word and feel a ‘heavier’ energy  (when I see it in a ‘negative’ light) which I believe we quite often do.  I would be prone to apply it to this pattern of thinking.

We have probably all done this many times in our lives, when we have been caught in a loop of our own thinking. Going in circles endlessly. In this place there is usually the lack of asking ourselves questions or we ask ourselves the same questions, which keeps the perpetual loop happening. Our feelings seem to amplify as we do this and they are usually ‘heavy’ feelings like anger, frustration, sadness and can lead to anxiety and depression.

There are ways out of this and sometimes we just need a little help from someone else. There is a need to step out of the loop and out of our own minds and one of the ways to do this is to speak out loud to someone that you can trust, someone that has the ability to hear you and in turn this allows you to hear yourself. They don’t need to give you advice or an answer – maybe just a question to enable you to explore in a different way.

We actually have all the answers that we need within ourselves but bringing our thoughts out into the open, speaking out loud, helps us to hear it ourselves and allows the cycle to change. Another way that may work is to write the problem or issue down on a piece of paper and explore different questions to come to new thoughts, new understanding and new feelings.

As with all things in this life, there is good and bad feelings that can come from our thoughts and ultimately its up to us as to what thoughts we choose and then that leads to how we feel in any given moment.

The good news is that we can choose our thoughts.

We can change our thoughts and we can change our feelings.

This is where we can begin to change our lives and our realities.

We can change our lives and our realities.

I hope you get excited when you read those words. I do. I get excited every time that I RE MEMBER this TRUTH.

It takes awareness and some effort but as always – WE ARE WORTH IT.

I loved a recent sticker that I saw on a caravan “Every Day Is Choose Day!”

What thoughts/Feelings are you choosing today?

Much Love to You All as always xo

It has been quite some time since I have written and I am ready now to get back to it :). Lots of time and energy has gone into self care and growth in the last year particularly and I have needed space to give all the energy to myself during this time.

There may be blogs to cover this growth but for now I’d like to share a recent recognition. A story about the humble worm.

Observation

This time last year when I was going for walks regularly….I would see worms crossing the footpaths. I saw many worms that had dried out and died on the paths.

Assumption

From my view as a caring person but also maybe a biased one of playing the role of rescuer. I felt the need to pick up these worms and place them in the grass. I felt good about myself. I needed to take action to feel good about myself.  I rescued many worms…. and felt like a caring, wonderful human being. I did wonder though – why they chose to cross the paths?

Thinking further

After much inner healing, learning and growth this year, I have found myself enjoying my morning walks again and observing the humble earth worm and expanding my thinking beyond last year. Why do these worms choose to cross the path? What is calling them to take this journey? Are they asking for my help?

I believe all beings have a purpose or serve a purpose. I also believe that we are all guided to some level, some extent. Instinct, intuition, life force flows through us – energy, vibration. So if this is the case – who am I to decide where these worms should be? Where they should be going?

I believe my impact on them is my choice – so I chose not to step on them as I walk by. But the deeper thought now is – by picking them up and moving them – am I helping or interfering in the big order of things? Who am I to chose their fate? What other life forms am I impacting by interfering?

I noticed some ants cleaning up one of these worms that had ended its journey mid path… enjoying their meal for the day. Serving their purpose as clean up crew.

It reminds me of the story about the caterpillar that had transformed into the butterfly in the cocoon and the human ‘rescuer’ that saw the butterfly ‘struggling’ to break free. The assumption that struggling is bad…The human then gently cut open the cocoon ‘assisting’ the butterfly to freedom but dooming it to a life without flight. The rescuer didn’t understand that in these last stages of breaking through the cocoon the butterfly completes its metamorphosis and liquid is pumped into the wings and they harden to give it the ability to fly….

There are many things we don’t always know and I know this story may seem simplistic or maybe like I have put too much thought into the crossing of the worms. I feel nature is one of our greatest teachers. The purpose of sharing this story is to encourage everyone to think a bit deeper. The question a bit more. To look at yourself and recognise what is motivating you to make certain choices and take certain actions in life. And to also know that you can continue to grow and learn and change.

I am now choosing to trust that the worms are doing what they need to do (just like the chickens crossing the road😊) , that natural selection is happening, that the right number of worms continue to live and breathe for as long as they are meant to and I am choosing to continue to not step on them but I am also no longer feeling the need to rescue them.

The year that was 2016 – challenging, fast paced, quite often overwhelming, tiring and in many ways rewarding. A significant year for many, with many souls passing over in the 9 year of endings and completion – my dear father being one of those souls.

The passing of my father represents the year of contrast for me in many ways. Although it has brought many feelings to be honored to the surface – the one that stands out for me the most is joy.  As I reflect on the circumstances that brought my fathers end to his physical journey, I sit in a space of gratitude and honor to have been able to be a part of such a sacred thing. My initial thoughts were of how fortunate he was to have had my presence in those last moments – it wasn’t long before the recognition came of how it was me that was the fortunate one to have been able to be a part of such an significant event. Fortunate to be chosen to hold such a sacred space and so very blessed to feel the presence of his soul. It was a joyful rebirth and such a feeling of vibrancy that is hard to convey in words. These are not words that I would have envisioned writing a few years ago and are a testament of how far I have come in my journey of understanding in what we know as life and death. It felt to me like my fathers last years were more like he had been only partially alive and that his passing allowed him to become himself fully again.

The celebration of my 50th year also was a landmark in many ways and again the joy with this celebration for me was the recognition of all the wonderful people that I have in my life and the blessings they bring to me.  I have felt such gratitude, humility and honor at feeling such a connection and support from my tribe of women and the community. The end of the year has seen some study, course writing and teaching whilst still running a business, a household with two teenagers and being the main carer and support for my aging mother – all rolled into the same three months – this has been challenging, wonderful, exciting, rewarding and at times exhausting ….

So many lessons and opportunities this year has afforded us. Opportunity to grow, opportunity to heal things from deep within ourselves, opportunity to see the light and to turn towards it even though we feel the pull and sometimes we get stuck wading our way through what seems like mud, quick sand. Like a lotus flower that rises from the depths of the mud and murky waters (the foundation and nourishment) to the beauty of the flower that lays on the surface of the water. Which leads to a great quote I heard last week –

“Wisdom is knowledge experienced.” (Thank you James Greenshields).

Don’t be afraid to experience life or to recognize the value of all experiences.

So many of us have said this year that we will be glad to see the end of it. It’s not soon enough for it to be done – 2016 – yet I see all the jewels that this challenging year has brought forward. I see the strength that has been brought through the challenge in peoples lives, compassion, wisdom. I see people supporting and holding each other through the challenges, kindness and love. The opportunity to recognize that we need to continue to work on self care, on being present and mindful and being grateful. Grateful for the people and the blessings that exist in our lives in this moment.

I do encourage people to let go of things that no longer serve them as this year comes to a close but to remember to be grateful also and to open your arms to what the New Year will bring with it. New beginnings, new challenges, new excitement, inspiration.

I have written previously about judging things as good and bad. The expectation of the year ahead being “better” than the year that has passed – I encourage you to recognize that the challenges will be an ongoing thing as we are here to grow and learn in order to expand consciousness and that in fact it is us that have become ‘better’ due to having lived the last year. Like that piece of coal that has been under immense pressure which turns it into a beautiful diamond – in the last year the pressure cooker has continued to apply pressure to that diamond and now we have transformed into diamond dust – star dust. Star Dust shining brightly as a collective of light.

Keep shining brightly and remember to en-joy the journey that we are so privileged to be on together.

And if I may quote from the new Star Wars movie (art reflecting life) – I am the force, the force is with me

or perhaps more appropriately from Matt Kahn –

I am the Light, The Light I am

Blessings and Love to All.

Thank you for reading and sharing my thoughts 💗

Annabel

I am living the life of a healer.

Aren’t we all?

Experiencing Love, Joy, Devastation, Exhilaration, Frustration, Pain, Sorrow, Grief, Depression, Struggle, Achievement, Motivation, Unmotivation (is that a word? I’m adding it to the dictionary!), Discomfort, Fear, Bravery, Loneliness, Expansiveness, Smallness, Abandonment, Self loathing, Self loving, Judgement, Disappointment, Heartbreak, Overwhelm, empty, full, amazement, celebration and oh sooo many other things.

Sometimes we look at other people and think “They’ve got it all together.” but what is all together? I think we’re here all – together – sharing the journey of life in different ways.

And for fear of repeating myself but mostly to remind myself (for the times that I forget or wish that things were different) – we are here on this earth to experience contrast. Without the pain – how would we be able to appreciate or fully feel joy?  Without heartache or heartbreak – how would we experience more love?

There are days when I fall completely apart and days when I have it completely together and days of mediocrity in between. The black, the white and the grey…

The days I fall apart I realize how blessed I am to have friends

And the days I have it together I realize how blessed I am to be a friend..

All the things we experience, makes us who we are, expand our hearts, our understanding, our lives.

Some words I want to share : “An elder walks the path, stomps the grass down, and throws the boulders out of the way so that the path is easier for others. Sometimes you might find yourself alone or tired, but know what you’re doing is making a difference in the lives of many. Be a beacon for others.”

May we be blessed with the ability to appreciate all things that life brings us.

Wow! Hasn’t this year been moving along at a rapid pace? The energy is continuing to move at an accelerated rate and I think if we are thinking or hoping that it slows down – that would be a wonderful fantasy.

It is exciting, challenging and spurring on more growth. We need to be more aware and constantly adapting our self care regime. If you are like me and have let that self care slip a bit and have found yourself washed away with the constant demands and busy-ness of life – take comfort in knowing – you are not alone. It is merely another opportunity to learn about ourselves – to stop – BREATHE and refresh your goals, your focus, have a chuckle at life and yourself and love exactly where you are at. Try to move away from judging yourself and your circumstances, accept what is and move forward or simply stay still where you are and breathe. Appreciate how amazing it is that you are alive and realize that the rest is a bonus – a game we are here to play -and hopefully enjoy.

So looking at ‘my game’called life I try to reflect on my current challenges, as well as my blessings and take time to decipher what it is that they are bringing to me and my growth. I have found that the things that affect us the most – that touch us to the core – are the things that need attention – to be explored. The observation can initially be about another persons actions but ultimately our feelings are always about ourselves. The best we can do is to observe it and work our way through healing it – to understand our world but ultimately ourselves more deeply.

I choose to see it as a way, an opportunity to love myself more completely

Wishing you all more blessings than you can even imagine 💗

I share my thoughts in the hope that it touches some lives and as we share more of ourselves – it encourages others to do the same.

This year has been filled with so many experiences, challenges, feelings, struggles, joys and triumphs. It seems like time is passing quickly and yet we seem to be able to fit in so much more. A week at times seems like a month has passed with so many experiences and achievements and yet the year seems to have passed in a blink of an eye.

As we near the end of another year it presents an opportunity to take a moment and reflect on the year that has passed, to release things that may have caused us to hold onto experiences with negative attachments, to be grateful for all the things we have learnt and all that has been shared with us. Gratitude for our family and friends and community support. The opportunity to open the door and welcome new changes, new experiences, lessons and adventures, which enable emotional, mental, physical and spiritual growth.

An interesting thing that I have learnt recently is that not all choices we need to make for ourselves necessarily FEEL good. It’s an interesting thing that we sometimes can mistake feeling good as an indication that the choice we make is right for us, or that we look at it as a confirmation of having made the right choice. One of the most difficult decisions I have had to make – made me feel an enormous amount of emotional pain and sadness. Allowing some time to pass has helped confirm the decision was right because of the sense of peace that I felt within. An interesting lesson -“If you love something – set it free”. This is sometimes so hard to do because of our fears, of losing someone or something or even change itself. Essentially we are all free spirits and don’t ‘belong’ to anyone, we owe it to ourselves to make sure we are happy in our own skin and are doing the best to love ourselves enough to let go of things that aren’t 100% right for us (authenticity within). We never know what the future holds and if we can truly let go then we might be nicely surprised .. given patience, trust and love.

Many people look back at the year that has passed and look to the new year for something “easier” or something “better”. There is no denying that it is good to have a positive outlook but I find the judgement of things as being bad and looking for things that are better – can booby-trap us and set us up for  disappointment.

My thoughts are focused a little bit differently for the year ahead. My intention for all is that we allow assimilation of our lessons in the past to add to our inherent wisdom. For us to be brought closer to our spirit, our true selves, for our connection to our higher selves (the universe, God or whatever you wish to name it) to be clear and audible as it guides us along our paths. To allow ourselves to be kinder, more gentle with ourselves first and foremost and to connect with the pure love that dwells deep within us, the pure love that we are.

I believe that if we set this as our intention – To be unconditionally loving and accepting of ourselves and To love whatever arises – our journeys will be easier to traverse.

My gratitude for being here at this special time with all the amazing souls and the journey we walk together.

May you be blessed – not just in the year ahead but always, in all ways.