Dear people,
Hope is a choice is a wonderful healing concept. Often people feel that some people are naturally hopeful, while others are more 'realistic'. Some people feel hope is bad for us, because when our hope has been in vain, we feel betrayed or disappointed. Hope in many cases has gotten a bad rap I fear, so today I'm writing about why hope should be celebrated.
Difference between hopeful and naivety
When we are hopeful, we choose to focus on a good outcome. We choose to believe that a good outcome is possible for us. Hope itself isn't based on good rational arguments, it's based on faith in a higher power, in ourselves, in humanity etc.
Yet hope is not naive, so hoping a spouse that strayed will stay faithful, can be truly hopeful, if you are also acknowledging that it is based on faith. But if you believe a known liar, because you want to close your eyes for your own intuition or for the truth, it's not hope, it's naivety or denial.
So hope doesn't give up discernment. You can acknowledge that you hope your romantic relationship will survive, while being honest that there are challenges ahead. So often people say: 'I hope X', but what they mean is: "X must happen for me, despite all rhyme or reason", while a healing hope would be: "I hope for X, knowing I need a miracle/help/support/ etc.". In that case, you focus on what you can do or you choose to consciously release fears.
Why you should hope
When we are without hope, it's much much harder to make a change. Hopeless people will tell you that nothing they will do will ever matter. So they are not stopping their addictions, making healthier choices, trying for a new job etc. Hopelessness kills our drive for change, for without hope, nothing will matter. So meaninglessness is also very connected to despair.
It's not easy to hope sometimes, especially when we feel we have had so many negative outcomes before. After 20 job interviews, a divorce, rejected bids on a house, years of not being pregnant, it's though to find hope. However, hope makes our journey so much better and if we acknowledge the signals from our intuition that tell us to persevere we will receive the help we need.
When I'm helping others who still have hope or who are willing to find it, they have an easier time dealing with disappointments, dealing with upsets and pain, because they know a good outcome can be just around the corner. So the journey is much easier to bear. Of course hope is something that can be very fleeting, so it's definitely normal to lose it again sometimes or to have to consciously choose to let go of fears. If you want to manifest more hope, try my Manifestation Meditation: Hope.
When you shouldn't hope (anymore)
Sometimes it's clear that there is no hope left and we need to accept that what is dying in our lives. It could be a dream, a job, a relationship or even our life. It's though sometimes to give up and surrender, understanding that this particular cycle has ended. If all signals are showing you to move on, to let go and to give up, then trying to wade against the current will only cause you more harm.
It's not easy to grief the end of hope, so definitely be gentle with yourself and others. It's easy to be angry that somebody is in denial, but it's very human to not want to see the truth sometimes. I've had people upset with me because in their eyes "I refuse to help", while others have been glad I'm not willing to let them pay for an unattainable outcome.
Hope exercise
If there is something you'd love to accomplish or a situation you feel hopeless about, this exercise will help you get back in tune with the Flow of Miracles. Try to find the place to sit quietly for around 15 minutes.
- Breathe in an out and release all frustration, tantrums and sabotage you have around this. Consciously let go on how you feel things should work and allow the work to be done through you. Place your hands on your body wherever it feels comfortable.
- Consciously release all fears around the situation. Acknowledge that this can be accomplished through you.
- Allow Higher Power to fill you with hope and listen to what you can do to help co-create. Acknowledge that you might hear that you are going in the wrong direction and if so, ask for the situation to be resolved through you.
- Breath in and out again and allow the wonder of hope to circulate through your (energy) body
If you still have trouble being filled with hope or are worried that you are focused on something that isn't right for you, don't hesitate to reach out. If you want to share your experiences with this exercise or your thoughts, leave a comment on this Blog, my Facebook Fan Page or contact me on Instagram.
The world can be a dark place sometimes filled with war, pain, loss and death. It's though to keep on finding the bright spots, the support, the help and the light. Even if the global situations isn't worrying you - there might be things you'd love to manifest in your own life but which seemingly aren't happening.
If you recognize that - it's time to affirm some hope back into your life. To remind yourself that often things work out just fine and that there is always love, support and light available to us. We just have to look for it. Don't let any fear mongering or negativity tell you that hope is naive, because it's not. It's simply a deep spiritual trust in ourselves and others.
Pick and choose what works for you and affirm away (I recommend three times a day if you can manage it).
Dear people,
Shadow work can be super though but it's one of the most rewarding healing work that you can do for yourself. Shadow work is all about confronting yourself with your deepest and darkest 'parts' that you won't accept, fears and desires. Our shadow belongs to us, but we put everything we won't face in there. Consciously making the choice to face up to it brings big wounds to the surface to be healed. So let's talk about shadow work today.
Why I recommend Shadow Work
Imagine that you are an ice berg, with some of your energy above the water in your conscious mind and some below in your Shadow. If you have only little energy in your Shadow, you'd rise up, but if you have a lot of energy in your Shadow, you droop down. Everything that's in your conscious mind can be used - talents, skills etc. while everything in your Shadow can't.
When Shadow work is effective, you will notice an increase in life energy - feeling more vibrant, more alive and more energetic. You will find more acceptance and mildness for yourself and for others. Sources of anger and annoyances have disappeared. You are more able to connect with your body, your talents and your power. You feel more satisfied with yourself and your life and are generally happier.
So it's very clear why I recommend doing Shadow work and why I offer it in my practice.
Doing shadow work alone or with a healer
There are of course many reasons to do Shadow work alone: it's free, it's private and you can do as much as as little as you want. The downside is that nobody is calling you out on your own lies. So if you just skim the surface of your Shadow or won't really go to the nitty gritty of uncomfortable feelings, you won't get much out of your own Shadow Work.
I highly recommend checking how effective your work is and then deciding
if you want to continue alone or not. If you notice yourself wanting to
do this work, but never creating time for it, definitely get somebody in
your corner to help you through it.
Ways of doing Shadow Work
There are many ways to do Shadow Work. I will cover a few ways with solutions on how to tackle that energy, so pick what you think will give you the best results.
- Focus on what makes you angry/what you can't accept in others. Check out how often you do this same behavior and heal and forgive yourself. Once the acceptance is complete - you will notice your anger is gone
- Focus on what parts of yourself you hate - what won't you allow yourself to feel or do or what body parts do you hate? Spend some time releasing judgement and returning yourself to innocence. See yourself as a wonderful Soul.
- Focus on what parts of yourself scare you - what power/talent are you unwilling to bring to light or use? Why are you scared/push that part of you away? Bring holy energy towards yourself to remind yourself that God/Spirit/The Universe has entrusted this with you for a reason.
- Open yourself up to listen to what you have repressed. Just allow it to be within you.
- Draw cards to see what you have within your Shadow and work with those to heal.
There are still so many more ways to do Shadow Work, but these are some of the simplest to do at home.
Shadow work blockages
Having to face and confront your fears, your demons, your hate, your littleness, these are all very difficult things to do. So it's perfectly normal to find yourself stumped. You might notice yourself rationalizing that you 'aren't like that', or 'had a good reason'. You might notice that you evade the work or lie because you say for example that there is absolutely nothing that you hate about yourself and others.
So if you have tried some of the small exercises I wrote above and you notice this, Shadow Work is absolutely for you, but you need to work first on wanting to see yourself clearly. For Shadow Work the truth is paramount, but so is love and kindness towards yourself. So definitely start dropping judgements about yourself if you can.
If you still have trouble, don't hesitate to reach out and we can work together to create a better integrated you. If you want to share your experiences with Shadow Work or your thoughts, leave a comment on this Blog, my Facebook Fan Page or contact me on Instagram.