Whether we like it or not, we are our fathers, our mothers, our grandparents. No amount of denying, pushing away or ignoring will change that. How many times have we thought that if we move enough miles away or emotionally separate ourselves from our family, that somehow it will make a difference? That somehow we will be able to change the circumstance that we were born into?
It’s amazing how much denial is spent running away from the truth of who we are. It’s easy to blame those who raised us, feeling that perhaps they didn’t give us what we needed to receive.
But, what if, for a moment, you looked at you parents with the eyes of an observer, noticing that your parents experienced injustices in their own upbringing and that they were doing the very best they could in raising you. Would that make a difference in how you viewed your parents? It’s easy to cast blame, and to not responsibility for how your life turns out. Yet, in the end, the only ones that are missing out are us, the ones who continue to carry the anger and rejection of how we were raised. By carrying the anger, resentment and disgust of how we were wrongly treated as we were growing up, only leads one to living a life of separation and loneliness.
Perhaps, this is the time to release your anger and judgment and consent to the greatest gift you could ever have received from your parents, the gift of Life. What if you put down your resentments and handed back the burdens you were given and step into the light of forgiveness and grace? Would your life look any different?
This article is based on the words found on page 27, Our Family is Where We Begin, of Catherines's newly released book of heart whispers, "The Soul of the Heart". To review the beautiful, heart-filled pages of "The Soul of the Heart" and to listen to a section of the accompanying meditation CD visit http://TheSoulOfTheHeart.com
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We are living in a world where there is a lot of contrast and division. Battle lines are being drawn and tempers are rising. As we break away from old paradigms, or ways of thinking, it creates separation and fear. It can be threatening and scary to move away from one way of thinking and perhaps entertain another way of looking at life.
With our new administration we are being asked as a country to look within and find a way to shift our view, so that a whole new way of being can emerge. We are being called to put down our disagreements and shift our focus to finding solutions. Releasing our long held opinions of how we think things should look. We are being called to look deep within with compassionate eyes, to see that I am another you and you are another me. We breathe the same air and walk down the same sidewalks. It is time to embrace each other with compassion, knowing that each of us have suffered, each of us is wounded, each of us is deserving of compassion.
When I do ritual, I am reminded that we are all interconnected. Our stories may differ yet our primal need is to be heard and to be held with compassion. I invite you, as you step out into your world, to notice the people who you see and who you interact with throughout your day. Notice how you feel when you encounter them. Is it with disdain and judgment, or love and compassion? They may be very well be mere images of you. So stop for a moment and reconsider, is this a time to practice compassion?
This article is based on the words found on page 23, Feeling Compassion for All, of Catherines's newly released book of heart whispers, "The Soul of the Heart". To review the beautiful, heart-filled pages of "The Soul of the Heart" and to listen to a section of the accompanying meditation CD visit http://TheSoulOfTheHeart.com
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All that we have ever needed is within us. Yet, we often look outside ourselves for the answers to the questions that surface, as we step into this thing we call Life. Where did we ever learn to stop trusting our own intuition or our little voice that tells us secrets in the middle of the night? This distrust in our own wisdom and truth can lead us down the road of disillusionment and pain.
So, how does one begin to trust their inner wisdom?
One of the ways to start is to sit, be still, and listen. Allow yourself some time to get to know your inner self. Sometimes when one starts to do this, there may be a lot of mind chatter. This is natural and with practice will begin to subside. Our mind has been trained to figure things out and will often find something to worry about or be concerned with. When we are still, or perhaps lying in bed trying to sleep, our mind goes into overdrive. Instead of allowing it to take over, one thing a person can do is to sit and notice. When thoughts come up, say “Just Thinking, Just Thinking”, and begin to notice how perhaps the thoughts become quieter and less persistent.
It’s been noted, that one of the most courageous things a person can do is to meditate. Our mind is like a cap that keeps us contained. When we are still, the mind cap is removed allowing feelings, thoughts, and emotions to begin surfacing. When this begins to happen, there is a type of internal restlessness that occurs. To relieve this restlessness, often the individual, who is not used to this, may get up and start moving around. Which is a type of distraction. If one can instead remain sitting, and allow the restlessness to move through their body, then it’s easier to retrain one’s brain to settle down. When this happens, we’re then able to hear the inner whispering of the truth that lies deep within.
I invite you to step into the inner world of “You”, by sitting in silence. If you are just beginning, start off with sitting for just a couple of minutes, and notice what comes up for you. If you can, allow the feelings to just be. Everyday, add on a minute or two. Before you know it, you will be sitting comfortably accessing your inner wisdom.
This article is based on the words found on page 11, Finding Your Truth Inside, of Catherines's newly released book of heart whispers, "The Soul of the Heart". To review the beautiful, heart-filled pages of "The Soul of the Heart" and to listen to a section of the accompanying meditation CD visit http://TheSoulOfTheHeart.com
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Join me for a reading from my book, "The Soul of the Heart", as I talk about the metaphor of being like a blade of grass during times of shift and change. May you be inspired.
Whether we like it or not, we are our fathers, our mothers, our grandparents. No amount of denying, pushing away or ignoring will change that. How many times have we thought that if we move enough miles away or emotionally separate ourselves from our family, that somehow it will make a difference? That somehow we will be able to change the circumstance that we were born into?
We are living in a world where there is a lot of contrast and division. Battle lines are being drawn and tempers are rising. As we break away from old paradigms, or ways of thinking, it creates separation and fear. It can be threatening and scary to move away from one way of thinking and perhaps entertain another way of looking at life. 
All that we have ever needed is within us. Yet, we often look outside ourselves for the answers to the questions that surface, as we step into this thing we call Life. Where did we ever learn to stop trusting our own intuition or our little voice that tells us secrets in the middle of the night? This distrust in our own wisdom and truth can lead us down the road of disillusionment and pain.