You Are Your Own Valentine

While you are spreading the love this Valentine’s Weekend, don’t forget to sprinkle some of that love over yourself.  One of the most important valentine’s in your life is you and your own heart.  Whether it is taking a long deserved nap, special candlelit bath or doing something you enjoy yet put off doing because you feel obligated to take care of others first.  Do something special for you this weekend.  

Perhaps you aren’t quite feeling that much love for yourself.  Do you feel unworthy of love or feel like it would be too much work?  You are worth the effort to renew the self-love that each of us should share within ourselves.  Look yourself in the mirror in the eyes and say “I Love You! You are Beautiful!”  Say it until you truly mean it.  No matter what has happened in your life, what mistakes you think you have made or how you feel your life has turned out – you deserve love and forgiveness.  Give yourself the gift of forgiveness, love and compassion.  Wrap it up in a little box and surprise yourself with the blessing of unconditional love just for being you.  Truly you are a glorious, lovely, beautiful being. 

Perhaps you only see that others’  lives are better than yours, that they are more beautiful, worthy or better than you in so many ways.  When you find amazing traits in others believe that those same wonderful and beautiful things can be found within you.  Perhaps they are shining out the qualities that you have yet to realize are truly found within you at the same time.  Within each of us is the ability to rise above, be more than we think we are and make a true difference in our lives and others’ lives.  When someone else reflects back a positive loving example, take some of that light and raise your own candle high and shine back in unconditional love and acceptance.  Acceptance for the beauty that is in the other person and the acceptance that this beauty is also found within you. 

Love can be expressed and received in so many ways beyond romantic partnerships.  Love can be simply sharing a smile with a stranger, opening the door for a co-worker or helping another carry a heavy load.  Simple acts of kindness are so important in this time when people are so disconnected and stressed out.  You have all of the tools you need to be a miracle in the world waiting for you to tap into.  I dare you to step beyond your comfort-zone and love fearlessly in the world.  Take a small step in that direction and see love blossom and fill your own world in infinite ways that you cannot yet imagine.

Waiting for Your Love

Someone is waiting for only the special love that you can share.  Perhaps it is your partner, your family, your friends or someone new who is waiting on you.  Break down the walls that keep you from sharing the special gift of your love.  The gift of your love costs nothing but has infinite and amazing returns on investment.  Share your heart, share your love.

Never before in human history have so many been so connected all over the world, yet so few feel loved.  How is it that we can chat, write and connect in so many ways yet lose the intimate connection with family, friends and new friendships? People are starving for love, starving for human contact and connection.  The busyness that surrounds modern life places a wall around people’s hearts, places a wall that blocks out true spiritual heartfelt connections.   Granted many are able to move beyond the superficial, but so many get lost in a blur of constact connectivity without the true reward of being known intimately.  Being known intimately for who you are and loved for who you are, boosts a person’s self esteem, boost’s a person’s ability to cope with stress and change. 

If you find that you are not able to cope with the world around you and feel worn out from stress – reach out to someone you can touch, who can look you in the eyes and affirm that you are someone worthwhile, someone who in worthy of love, someone who is worth the time it takes to sit by your side and listen to you.  If babies thrive on human touch, don’t you think adults also thrive on human contact?  Why is it as adults we lose the ability to give and receive friendly affection?  A pat on the shoulder, a gentle hug or a smile with direct compassionate eye contact can help others and yourself thrive and stay alive. 

Perhaps you know of others who are lonely or suffering, perhaps you are the one who can help bring them some comfort, joy, and love.  Don’t let the fear of reaching out and being rejected for your efforts keep you from allowing your heart the freedom to give love generously.  Don’t let the whirlwind of life keep you from slowing down long enough to hug someone, give your ear to listen from your heart and your shoulder to cry on if needed. 

Some easy ways that you can move from being closed off yet overly connected is to smile and say hello to each person you pass while you go about your day.  Smile truly from your heart and through your eyes.  The special light and love that is yours to give will come through in that brief moment where your soul acknowledges another with compassion and respect for the journey we all are on together.  Ask someone new out for lunch, perhaps you feel intimidated wondering what you will talk about or why they would go out to lunch with you.  Don’t pass negative judgement on yourself.  Quit rejecting yourself and removing the option of acceptance from someone else before they even have had a chance to know you.  Believe you have something amazing to offer, something so valuable that the world would be lost without it! 

Everyone has something vital to give this world.  Everyone has a unique love and light that is all their own.  Take time to find out why others are so special and let them find out why you are so lovely, too.  Remember, someone is waiting for your love.

What is the necessity for your life path? 09.29.2005

I wrote the below back on September 29, 2005.  I am surprised by how much it still reflects my journey.  Sometimes old writings can sound like a completely different time or place and no where near where my  mind is at.  However, the below writing still resonates with my spirit.  If you want, take some time and answer the questions for yourself and see what your spirit needs for you to continue on your life path. 

 

What was the turning point where you found your worth?

What is the necessity you have found in this transformation?

What is the necessity for your life path?

 

I have found that I am the center of my peace and well being.   I control whether I am at peace or whether I am spinning out of control.  I have found that I can radiate light, love and peace regardless of what anyone else is doing or how anyone else reacts. It is not up to anyone else but me whether I will shine and be a beacon for light or I will hide away.  My turning point was finding that I still have doubts about my worth but it is getting easier to stand in a place of truth and confidence for who I am and what I have to say to the world.  It is getting easier to be all that I am and not hide my talents, gifts and wisdom from others out of fear of being shunned, invalidated or ridiculed.  I can speak my truth and not react to another for I have faith in my truth and faith in who I am. I am that I am, I am a vibration of love and light, one with the universe and all that is, and it is my own awareness and remembrance in the moment that keeps me in serenity, oneness and love.

 It is a necessity for me to take moments to expand myself out into the Oneness of All that Is, which helps me to be in serenity and compassion for myself and others. Without these moments, I stop honoring myself and delve into moments of stress, anger and fear where I feel alone and wish to return completely to the state of One. It is necessary for me to remind myself in every moment of my oneness with all that is for I am All that Is, and in those moments of remembering I feel love, honor, peace, joy and compassion for all things, myself included.

The Beauty Within

 

Where does the idea that you are not beautiful come from? 

Where does the idea that you are not good enough come from? 

Where does the idea that you are ugly, stupid, worthless come from?

 

So many of the negative thoughts that replay in our head stem from words we heard as children and were not even created by us.  As children, we hear everyone else’s opinion of who and what we are and take that to form our identity.  This identity isn’t always true or even accurate of who we really are.  Sometimes parents, friends, teachers and others around us say some of the most awful things that as children become planted like seeds and instead of growing into beautiful flowers of self confidence and inner strength, they fester and grow into life draining weeds.  We can stop the weeds from growing and draining our self worth and stop the havoc of what was planted so we can create a garden of beauty within us. 

 

Take the time this week to really look at the inner thoughts and dialogue you have with yourself.  What thoughts replay over in your head, what thoughts are hurting you and causing you pain?  When you look at yourself in the mirror – do you immediately turn away or say something negative to yourself?  Look for where this idea came from, did it truly come from yourself in that present moment or are you merely repeating a cycle of thought that you have had for too many years?  These thoughts have no real basis in your life and aren’t true. 

 

For each negative thought, replace it with a positive thought about yourself.  If you think to yourself, I am too fat and I can never lose weight.  You are right – you will continue to be too fat and never lose weight.  But if in that moment when you think ‘I am too fat’ immediately replace it with “I am beautiful and becoming healthier every day.” you will be retraining yourself to succeed.  Each negative thought you have is written on your heart a hundred times, making it harder for you to believe in yourself and transform yourself into who you truly want to be.  It is harder to clear away the negative thoughts because they multiply like weeds in the garden, but one positive and powerful thought can stand over them all like a beautiful rose. 

 

These thoughts extend past weight and beauty to every aspect of our lives.  As children, we soak them up like sponges.  Some of us were lucky to be told positive and uplifting messages, but even the smallest and most meaningless negative thought can sit hidden and block us from embracing all that we are.  A child told that she is stupid and will never amount to anything is just as damaging as being told she is ugly and fat.  Or being told by those around you that you can’t do something, you aren’t good enough or strong enough to live your dreams or accomplish all that you dream of doing.  The only one who can truly limit yourself and the possibilities you have for your life is you. You don’t have to keep believing what others say or think, you can stand tall and know you can do anything you choose to do.  Believe in yourself and there is nothing that can stop you from doing what your heart desires!

 

Some activities you can do to help erase the negative thoughts and start to think about yourself with powerful and positive thoughts are below.  I hope they help you to begin your journey to a positive and healthy new attitude about yourself and your life.

 

·                     Look in the mirror, and really look at yourself.  Take the time to see yourself and not just glance at your appearance.  What thoughts pop into your head as you look yourself over?  Are they positive or negative?  As negative thoughts pop up – consider why you think them.  For each negative thought about yourself, come up with a positive thought or a way to improve yourself so you don’t think so negatively about yourself.  Next really look yourself in your eyes and say “I Love You.”

·                     Every morning as you get ready for your day, say one positive affirmation about yourself.  To help you remember, post it on your mirror so every time you look in the mirror you will see this awesome thought about yourself.

·                     Compliment others – each day compliment someone on something different.  Maybe you have to find something positive about them if you always like them; this just makes it more of a challenge.  As you are less critical of others, you will become less critical of yourself.  This will help you find more positive aspects of yourself!

·                     Pamper yourself – take time to renew your spirit and feel your body at rest.  Take a long bath with some sea salts and light some candles.  Let yourself take a luxurious nap in the sun on a beautiful afternoon. 

·                     Treat yourself to a new haircut, manicure or outfit.  Even the smallest treat can boost your spirits and self esteem.

·                     Take a walk in the woods, by the lake or in a garden.  Look at the beauty in everything you walk by, really discover all the beauty in the world around you.  Think of something that you don’t think is beautiful, something you think is ugly and try to find the beauty in it.  Sometimes we think bugs are ugly and gross, but if you really look at how they are created, the detail and texture of their bodies, you may be able to find the beauty even in bugs.  If you can look at what you once considered to be gross and ugly in something else, how can you not look at yourself and see the beauty of all that you are?  If you still cannot think of yourself as beautiful, figure out why you can’t and find ways to change those thoughts. 

·                     Write down all of the positive and negative thoughts you think about yourself and your life.  If you count more negative thoughts than positive thoughts, find ways to increase the positive thoughts.  Talk to friends, family members, clergy and others to see if someone who has a different perspective on you may think about you in a better way than you think about yourself. 

·                     Think of 3 beautiful thoughts to say about yourself.  Write them down each day and say them to yourself every time you see yourself in the mirror.  Also say them every morning and every night before you go to bed.  These thoughts can be powerful affirmations to help change your life if you choose to create a new positive thought to replace a long held negative idea about yourself.  For example, this thought “I can never lose weight, I always fail.” can be replaced with “Every day I am losing weight and will succeed at my goals.”

·                     Every time you have a negative thought about yourself or your life, imagine a chalkboard and strike the negative thought out with chalk.  Write a new positive thought over the negative one, clearing it out of your heart and memory. 

 

 

Cloak yourself in the stars,

let the sun and moon beams flow down your hair.

 Stand tall knowing that you are a child of light,

filled with all of the hope and promise

that dawns every morning.

Take your inner beauty and wisdom

 and let it gracefully flow from you

 to all you encounter today,

 for your light is special and shines brighter

 every time it is shared with another.

~ Alicia Crystalus

Beautiful You

Beautiful You!

 

Rev. Alicia M. Erchul

 

Be proud of who you are!

No one else sparkles or shines like you do in the entire world!

 

Smile your special smile and love with all your heart for you are loved always!

 

Sometimes we forget just how special we are.  We forget what makes us unique and sets us apart from everyone else in the world. We all have our own special light to give, our own special way of living in this world that is so completely unique that no one else on the planet is living that way now and will never live that way again at any time. Only the present moment of you is all that there is. Your light, your life is amazing and adds so much color and vibrancy to the world and universe around you. Never forget that what you bring to the world is of value.  It is so important to share who you truly are – because you are the only one who can share it!  We may never fully know or understand how our lives affect those around us or who the ripples will reach by the way we live our lives. Sometimes these ripples are positive and sometimes they are challenging; it is all in how we live each present moment.

 

Sometimes we lose sight of our own unique light, but we do not have to lose our voice or our song.  Look around you for ways to add your song and special note to the song of the universe to create the most beautiful melody that can be heard. Let your heart sing out its pretty tune or beat its own drum. Being yourself – your true self creates more beauty than any other form you try to make of yourself. Don’t fit into what others think you need to be or what their beauty ideals are. Be yourself – all that you are is beautiful and lovely just because you are you!

 

Create your life from your heart and see the beauty that transforms around you:

 

~ in this present moment

-you can create the beauty

-you can create the love you need

-you can create the joy and happiness your heart desires

-you can create the peace and serenity that your soul longs for

-you can create your world for your life.

 

Be brave.  Be bold.

Be true to you!

Rose of Life

 

Rose of Life

Alicia M. Erchul

 

May life unfold around you like a blossoming rose

that is filled with wonder, mystery and awe.

 

Each petal unique and softly scented,

unique yet part of the whole rose,

fully connected and important to its beauty.

 

Without each petal, the beauty and wonder of the blossoming rose

would not be complete,

the scent not so fragrant and sweet.

 

Your life is like a petal in the creation of this world.

Your life fills the world with beauty and grace.

 

Without your unique shape and scent,

without your glorious color being added to the world,

the world would not be complete.

 

Let your life bloom from the rose of life,

let your petal unfurl in all its wonder and majesty.

 

Do not hide yourself in darkness like a shrinking violet

or be trampled upon like common clover.

 

You are part of the glorious rose of life

and should bloom proudly and boldly.

 

Thank you for the beautiful part you play in the world

Your rich fragrant scent fills the air and dances on the wind!

 

Into the Void

The past few days I have been getting a glimpse of something that I can’t quite put my finger on. Change is a foot all around us as we begin the slow crawl towards spring, though maybe some can’t tell that now with all of the snow around the country again and more on its way.  This year living in Jackonsville, there hasn’t been any snow but the weather changes have been very severe these last couple of weeks.

 

Overall the weather pressure and full moon seem to reflect the inner and outer pressures that seem to surround daily life, everywhere I look at work or around shopping everyone is under so much stress and appears to be so pressurized that they are about to explode at any second. Many times I catch myself riding with this high pressure, feeling the intense emotions that so many are feeling, stressed beyond words, moved to tears or rage that I scream in my car on the drive home from work.

 

Last night a gift was given to me to see what lies beneath the high pressured emotions that are circling around the Earth at this time, there is also a space of clearing and relief. A void hiding underneath all of the chaos is waiting, simply waiting to be entered. All I can see within the void is a small spark of light, nothing more and nothing less. It is a space of calm, peace, surrounded in an earthly darkness, like an enveloping cave or a mother’s arms.

 

Today at work I tried out the void many times, each time I felt like I was being carried away with the wave of high pressure, I entered the void and touched the spark within. As soon as I remembered the void, I was calm, peaceful, almost joyful and content. Each time I returned back to the void I felt the light within me grow, my own security and confidence return. This is a space of creation for the spring and what is to come.

 

The void waits for each one to enter and create what they need, to leave the mundane world and worries behind that are not real or even tangible, they don’t belong to spirit or to heart. Allow yourself to be taken into the void and see the light within.