Self-Love: Your Gift to You

To graciously accept all aspects of self is to truly love the being that you are ~ ACN

Oh Wow! What a statement! To graciously accept all aspects of self is to truly love the being that you are.

I doubt that there are very many amongst us that can honestly say they love and accept every single little thing about ourselves. We criticise and complain about so much about ourselves. Our hair is too straight or too curly, our eyes are not blue or green enough, we are overweight or far too thin, we are too short or too tall, our skin is not what we want it to be and so on and so forth. We judge and criticise ourselves constantly. Sadly, it does not stop with judgement of the physical. We continue to judge and criticise our personalities, our beings, our souls. How sad is that.

Why do we do this? Why can we just not simply accept what and who we are?

We are programmed from birth, from our very beginnings to listen to the words of others. We listen first to the words of our parents, sometimes gentle loving ones and others harsh critical ones. For some reason we buy into the harsh ones, listening to them and believing them to be true. Not many of us believe the loving words spoken to us yet we take the negative ones on as if it they are our own personal cross to carry and then subsequently structure our lives and how we live them by them.

We buy into the “you are stupid, or you are useless, you are ugly or fat” etc that are spoken by others to us. Eventually we reach a place within ourselves where we believe ourselves to be worthless and undeserving of anything beautiful and good in our lives. What a tragedy and injustice to our souls.

Our bodies constantly change throughout our lives, never the staying the same. We have the joy of living in a baby body, the adventures of living in a toddler’s body, the fun of living in a child’s body, the discovery of living in a teen’s body and so on. Yet as our bodies grow and change we develop the propensity of hoarding negative inflictions about it and subsequently our mindset changes to include these negative inflictions building them into our lives and becoming them as we journey through this life.

Yet in all this there is good news. You can CHANGE the way you think and appreciate, accept and love, yes LOVE, your body, mind and soul for the beautiful creation that it is.

Now I am sure that some of you are sitting there thinking to yourselves; what rot, how can I change this body without a trip to the good old cosmetic surgeon? You can. You do not need the services of those skilled in the art of cosmetically changing a person’s body. Sure you can if you want to and can afford to and certainly you will change the outer appearance of your body. Yet at the end of the day, unless you change the way you think, and see your inner beauty, you will make one consecutive trip after the next to you dear surgeon for even more work on the most beautiful creation that is your body.

Whatever your body is, it was chosen by your higher self to house your soul, to aid you on your life journey. Take the time to celebrate it. Nourish it with good, wholesome food, exercise it and keep it as healthy as you possibly can. Pamper it and love it for what it is. Most important of all, accept and love it for what it is for it is an awesome creation made in the image of your Divine.

Let go of the “baggage” that you chose to carry in your rucksack for it does not serve you. The proclivity of your soul requires that you acknowledge the being that you are. Celebrate this facet of your being also. In accepting each facet of your being, acknowledging those negative issues that have affected you, honouring them for being of service to you and coming to a place of peace for and with them you will see that you are indeed a creation of beauty and wonderment. Yes, you are an awesome, amazing creation of your Divine, filled with love of self and others. All you have to do it find that love within you. Yes, it is there, just waiting for you to open the door and let it flow over you, through you and then ripple out to the world around you.

May you be blessed throughout your journey of self-discovery, acceptance and love of you! You are indeed worthy and deserving in finding that which resides within your being; Divine Love.

In love and light,

Amanda

Image courtesy of: http://www.create-a-life-you-love.com/images/onthebeachfree.jpg

© Amanda C Nicolin 2012

Permission is granted to share this article freely on the condition that the author is credited.

Wisdom

Be in gratitude for the wisdom that you do have as you are in gratitude for the wisdom each experience brings. ~ ACN

Wisdom! Something we all wish to have. And yes! Each of us is filled with the wisdom that our lives bring us. We often think that we are not wise especially when we flounder and have difficulty in achieving our goals. Yet let us ponder on this for a few minutes.

If we were to experience a life of no problems, having only positive experiences, a life of plain sailing and easy going experiences, what would we learn? Through adversity come lessons that teach us all sorts of things. Some of them are small little things and others are monumental. Yet through each collective experience we create our own wisdom.

But what exactly is wisdom? The dictionary defines wisdoms as being the ability to make sensible decisions and judgments based on personal knowledge and experience.

It stands to reason therefore that with each experience we have we create our own wisdom and can draw from it using it in future experiences as the need arises. Certainly, we can learn and utilize the wisdom of others, assessing their experiences or world experiences to live our lives. People such as Rumi, Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer and the like are great inspirations to many of us so as too are Christ, Buddha or the Dali Lama. We constantly draw from their wisdom, taking what they say into our daily lives. Yet we still remain in judgment of our own inner wisdom, often overlooking it as figments of our own imagination, having little or no confidence in our own ability. We either believe that we do not possess it or we question its authenticity.

Whether the experience that you live is a good or difficult one, take a moment to assess what you have learned from it. Sit in silence and really think about what you have experienced, what your life was before the experience and what it is now that you have successfully completed it. What have you learned from it, how you have grown from it, how it affected those in your circle and how you reacted to it? Write this down in a wisdom journal. This will allow you to acknowledge that the experience has brought you wisdom. It is often only when we see it written down that we are able to acknowledge and accept that we have acquired wisdom. The next time you have a similar experience you are able then to refer back to your wisdom journal or retrieve it from your inner being and will surely be in a position to draw it to the fore allowing you to either circumvent the experience or gain even more knowledge and wisdom from it. Either way, using your collective wisdom in a new experience will certainly support you in making better, smarter and wiser decisions to bring you to a fruitful outcome.

Collation of our wisdom starts from a very tender age. Take a child for example, who is inquisitive and who may be learning to walk. As he or she talks each step forward, perhaps toddling forward at a rapid pace, not looking where he or she is going, and may trip up a small step and as a result may endure some form of pain, will certainly remember this the next time they cross the same place. Their collective wisdom will allow them the memory of the pain and they will ensure to carefully mount the stair as they move across the same space. The brain is a wonderful organ and will store the experience, the outcome, the associated feelings etc. It is in reality the wisdom journal. Only as adults do we allow our baggage to cloud what we have learned and block the retrieval of it when we need it again.

Honor yourself today and acknowledge that you are a being of great wisdom. Know that your wisdom lies deep within you, not just from this lifetime but from those of other incarnations. Remember always, that through the act of meditation you are able to tap into it and can therefore use it to best enhance your life and live it to the fullest.

Always be in gratitude for that which you have and are. Always be in gratitude for the experience that led you to gain wisdom for without it you would not have achieved the wisdom that has grown from and through it.

I am in thanks and gratitude for the wisdom that I have gained throughout my life time/s.

In love and light,

Amanda

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© Amanda C Nicolin 2011

Permission is granted to share this article freely on the condition that the author is credited.

BE Peace Within

To see the beauty within, to see the compassion within, to see love within, is to be at one with oneself and to be peace. ACN

Wow! How awesome a place is that to be in? To be in beauty, compassion, love and peace within your being!

When we are children, we find no difficulty in being in this state. We may not know this on a conscious level, but we do actually, before we learn about resistance and experience all the knocks that life brings us, live in this state. In that little body, the bodies we are born into, we are fully able to experience beauty, compassion, love and peace within our beings. We unconsciously remember from the time before our current incarnation exactly what this is and so we incarnate with this intact. In fact, we know exactly how to BE in the moment.

As life happens to us, bringing us to a place where we are positioned to learn what we incarnated to learn, we very soon lose the ability to see beauty, compassion, love and peace within our beings. Most of us choose to hold on to the pain of each experience, blocking our ability to see this within ourselves, and as a result, we lose the ability to see it in others. With the blocking of each of these, we become embittered and often filled with negative emotions that may soon become a habit. How incredibly sad that is.

Yet, despite this, we find that we hunt out love from others, seeking what we are unable to seek within ourselves. Now, some of us find this love from others and are brought to a point by them, where we eventually see it within ourselves. It is prudent to remember that this often does not happen to all of us. Sadly most of us have to journey the road of introspection and self discovery in order to achieve this state of being. This may well be the ultimate on the road to self -discovery. There is little that can compare in the wholeness of finding self compassion and love, the discovery and acceptance that you are indeed a beautiful soul within the body that you have chosen.

As an exercise to develop the recognition it is suggested that you do the following:

· Ask your friends and family to describe how they see you as a person. This should not include the physical but rather you, the being, the inner, your personality, your soul. Listen intently as they describe you even though you may not believe it. Make notes of what they say. In a quiet time, read through what they have told you, what you have discovered whilst doing your survey. You will, I am very sure, be surprised by how you are seen through the eyes of others.

· Each day, stand naked in front of a full length mirror and really look at yourself. Start with your physical self and “find” something to like about yourself. After you have done this, move to your “inner”, your being, your soul. This exercise make takes days, months or years to reach a state of love of self. Please do not discontinue this exercise until you have reached that beautiful state of “being” where you see the beauty within yourself. Be in gratitude always for the beautiful soul that you are.

Doing these exercises is not about exercising your ego. This is about building your self-worth, your self-esteem and finding that awesome state of self-love. Please don’t listen to the naysayers who may judge and criticize you for doing these exercises. There are those amongst you that may well do this, yet most will tell you how delighted they are to see you work on growing your being.

The result of finding inner beauty, compassion, love and peace is ultimate. Once we have achieved this state of being, we find that we are able to see this within others. The absolute acceptance of this state of being in others, without judgment, without any form of criticism, is the ability to be Divine Love for others.

May you be greatly blessed as you journey your road to discovery of self compassion, love and beauty.

In love and light,

Amanda

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© Amanda C Nicolin 2011

Permission is granted to share this article freely on the condition that the author is credited.

The Key

Knowing and acceptance of what you are within is the key to Source from whence your knowledge can be tapped, bringing you to a place of freedom within heart. ~ ACN

This is a question I have often asked of me over the years. In the years before I really started my spiritual journey with intent, I would ask over and over again.. Who am I? What am I here for? What is expected of me? What is my purpose? The questions were endless and I am sure that I drove the Universe crazy with them.

It has been one incredible journey to reach the state of being in which I now find myself and I am blessed in that I realize, now more than ever, that each day brings with it greater knowledge of self and that the realization of this, and more importantly the acceptance of it, has brought me to a place of peace and freedom within my being allowing me to grow even further.

So, how exactly do we do this knowingness of self thing? It’s really quite simple. “BE”.

As we learn to “BE” in the moment of each experience we position ourselves to being open to all that that moment brings us.

It is when we actively question consistently that knowledge of self eludes us. As we gently meditate, asking for direction of our soul’s journey, that we will receive Divine guidance as to why we are here, what our purpose is, and what we need to do to achieve them. The more we nag the Universe the less we receive in guidance. Simply relax and allow the Universe to bring you what you need to know, for as it does so, it will be the right time for you to receive such knowledge, for you to reach a state of acceptance of it and then for you to take action on it.

There may be times when you will react adversely to what you have been guided to receive. Question not why. Simply be in acceptance. Sometimes we really don’t appear to like what our lives are yet we should always remain in gratitude for the circumstance that led us to where we are as well as for the experience for it is after all what we contracted to learn in this current incarnation to Mother Earth.

Each experience that we have brings us closer to the goal of soul learning, to “getting” the lesson and in so doing growing from it. Imagine, if life was one big happy party; what would you learn? Would you really appreciate the life that follows; Or would you learn from understanding what came with the adversity you have experienced? Most of us don’t get what we learn in good times and we gradually stagnate and eventually end up feeling very dissatisfied and unfulfilled.

Once you have realized the purpose of your soul journey, the next step is acceptance of it. Certainly most of want to have lives that are stress free and easy going. Yet when life knocks at our door, bringing with it challenges that we have surmounted or perhaps have not, accept it for what they are just as you would accept it if your life were plain sailing. You would not be complaining and whining about a life of luxury, where all was going well, where you felt loved and satisfied, now would you? No, you accept it as such and enjoy life to the fullest. Please do the same when your life knocks appear to be difficult.

Acceptance of it is the key that enables you to move on and complete the process. With acceptance of it one realizes that there is nothing that you can do to change what is happening to you but allows you to handle it in a calm manner; it allows you to appreciate the “being” of being in the now.

Remember always that you are able at any point in time to access Source, your Divine creator, your guidance, your council, if you still your mind and are at one with the process. Although it is easier to do this in a formal meditation, you do not have to be in this state. No, you can sit quietly and simply “be”. Oft times, it is when in this state of quiet stillness that the most profound direction or answers are given to us.

When communication with Source is constant, you will certainly find that inner peace, the inner freedom, that allows one to continue with courage and grace to continue through our lives, to live the life that we are meant to live as soul and brings us to our ultimate goal; growth through learning.

May you be blessed as you journey to finding your answers, to accepting them and to living in the guidance of your Divine.

In love and light,

Amanda.

Image courtesy of: http://www.psdgraphics.com/file/skeleton-key.jpg

© Amanda C Nicolin 2011

Permission is granted to share this article freely on the condition that the author is credited.

Faith

Remember, In Faith ~ ACN

Three words, one action!

Faith is defined in the dictionary as the belief in, devotion to, or trust in somebody or something, especially without logical proof. How often we forget that faith in itself can carry us through troublesome times in our lives. Yet, if only we have faith, we allow all the other magical emotions to flow into our lives, rippling from one to the other, combining together and cascading into the desired outcome.

Have you ever observed children in the build up to Christmas? Once they have decided on their top choice of gift, the steadfastly have faith that they will receive it. They never doubt it, they never question it, the simply have faith that it will magically be delivered by dear Santa. How awesome is that. And the beautiful thing about this is that they usually materialize their dream by having faith that it will actually happen. You see, by acting simplistically they focus only on this and do not self-doubt as we do as adults. How sad it is that we have mastered the act of self-doubt.

We are our own worst enemies when it comes to having faith. We self-sabotage continuously, we doubt, we dream up little pictures of failure in our heads, in fact we tend to do everything in our power to lose our faith, albeit consciously or unconsciously.

It does not matter in what you need to have faith, simply just have it. Believe with intent that that which you seek will occur in due course. Please do not question the events leading up to the actual arrival of that which you have asked for, just simply believe that it will happen and it will. Sometimes we want things NOW, immediately and become so disappointed and disillusioned when it does not happen as we want. Our Divine, sends us what we need WHEN we need.

Remember always that the Universe will fulfill our desires and dreams if only we are patient and have faith that it will happen. Whatever you do, please do not give up, for giving up is abandoning the dream and it confuses the Universe to no end. It’s as if you are saying now I want it, now I don’t. Imagine if you children changed their minds continuously once they had told you what they wanted for Christmas or their birthdays; how confusing would that be for you? Well it works the same way with adults. Make up your mind and stick to it. Certainly things change in our lives and we have to alter direction yet the premise of asking and then becoming impatient and depressed or abandoning our faith and hope is very different to your life circumstance changing and in so doing, changing your needs.

Keep focused, keep your faith intact and then keep ploughing ahead with intent for your desire is just around the corner. Never give up and never abandon your heart’s desire. It is there, just a short way ahead of you. Remember that faith is the knowingness that the outcome will be as you desire.

When you feel yourself waiver, then take a step back, inhale deeply and with a firm resolution summons your faith from deep within you and resume your path yet again. If this is difficult for you to do, then picture the child who steadfastly has faith that his or her chosen gift is on the way. In fact become that child for a while and pretty soon you will see that you have faith fully in sight once again.

May you be blessed each day as you exercise your faith in what you desire.

In love and light,

Amanda

Image courtesy of: http://engageyouth.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/faith31.jpg

© Amanda C Nicolin 2011

Permission is granted to share this article freely on the condition that the author is credited.

Divine Universal Love

To be love within the self is to be love outside the self, sending it cascading into the universe to love others. ~ ACN

As Divine beings, creations of our Divine, we are born into this world filled with the Divine Love, the love that is not judgmental, the love that is able to arise above all else and flow into the world. It is an absolutely, all consuming, unconditional love. As young children we love in this manner, our souls recognizing this and showering it into the world. We do not judge others or criticize them. We don’t question love nor do we spend hours justifying why we should love. We simply love both ourselves and those in our circle.

Yet somehow, along the way of our life journey, we seem to lose the ability to love in this fashion. We come ensconced with life issues, hauling them around with us and prohibiting us from living as a creation of love. As we receive our life knocks, we firmly shut the door to being a creation of this love.

Stop for just a moment and reflect.

Is living worth the effort if you exist only and do not live? Is the love you have within you so deeply buried that you are unable to retrieve it? Would life not be a joy, and blessing and a pleasure if you were able to live in absolute love?

I am sure that you will find the answers to the latter question a definitive yes. You see, when we shield ourselves so much that we exist only and stop ourselves from living, we miss the gloriousness of that which was created for us to enjoy. Each creation was created by our Divine for our enjoyment and growth. When we close the door to the beauty that surrounds us, we lose out. The beautiful creations are still there, if only we open ourselves to seeing, hearing and receiving them.

When we close ourselves off to the love that resides within each one of us, we may partially see, hear or receive yet by living in a state of Divine love, we can fully experience each thing around us and can really “live” the moment. We can open ourselves up to the sensations that were meant to bring us joy, that bring the Divine Love to the fore and ultimately bring us to a state of peace.

Have you noticed, when in a shopping mall, waves of love emitting from those you pass who are in this state? Yes, they have loving smiling faces, their energy feels different to others around you and you see the happiness in their eyes and best of all, they are peaceful in their energy. This too will happen to you once you have found your Divine Love within your being. You too will automatically send this love into the world as loving vibrations and will raise the vibration of those around you. Ultimately you will raise the vibration of the world. Wouldn’t this just be so great? To impact the world around you with a loving peaceful energy; how awesome would that be?

Please take a chance on you. Open yourself to remembering your Divine Love, to living that love and to giving that love to the world around you.

In love and light,

Amanda

Image courtesy of: http://www.puredivinelove.com/images/heartlightnotext.jpg

© Amanda C Nicolin 2011

Permission is granted to share this article freely on the condition that the author is credited.