" Spiritual …"

Magic, or one, or mystery
All of you trying to work on me
I would surrender myself
Holy how, and heaven high
You will open up my heart
And I'm finally here

This is spiritual, under your spell
For not me no, the way you make me feel
Like an angel, oh, at blow
Like a feather, you make me float
Love you crazy kite on your left
Lost in sweet ecstasy
Under nirvana finally

~ Katy Perry ~ Spiritual ~

***

Are you willing to risk losing by telling the truth?  Are you blazing new trails?  Do you embrace new challenges?  Do you learn from detours and diversions?  

... and why all the questions???  

Because it takes a heart full of courage, integrity, loyalty and honesty to become “spiritual”.  

The generic definition of spiritual is a difficult one, as it has been hard to define ... but to get our heads around it ... Spiritual is a search for the sacred, where the sacred is broadly defined as that which is set apart from the ordinary and worthy of veneration ... whatever that means.

And I remember someone I use to know that really struggled with “life”.  She use to grasp at whatever would give her some sort of comfort.  Only to suffer, as all grasping does.  Yet all she would talk about is how awakened she had become and how she could give me my awakening ... 

Personally, spirituality is about spending time getting to know myself ... allowing me to know when something isn’t working and to let go ... trusting my instincts ... acknowledging my inner voice ... trusting that all is well and for my higher good.  Being grounded and responding consistently & consciously to the inevitable tension that growth creates inside of us, meeting each opportunity fully present, and ultimately integrating our experiences ... is what spiritual awakening means to me.

Our resistance to change causes pain. 

Acceptance releases it. 

And all this work on the inside allows us to see past the illusion so that we can connect deeper to other wonders of life.  As we accept change on the inside, our external possibilities expand.

It is about acceptance to what IS.  Which leads to spiritual awakening … 

and here are signs that you may be in the middle of experiencing just that ....

1. You're feeling confused

Confusion feel muddy and scary — almost paralyzing. Yet resisting create more confusion. The way out? Stay open to the new, and relinquish your attachments to beliefs that no longer work.

2. You no longer ‘fit’ your life

Like confusion, feeling disconnected from your current life can be re-framed as one of the signs of spiritual awakening. and is calling out for change.  You notice what no longer fits, also notice what you're drawn to, what lifts your heart. Then take action. 

3. You're rebelling against where you came from

Questioning is one of the signs of spiritual awakening  as it will lead to new activities, rituals and a new dynamic in your relationships.  Be happy — you're ready to come into your own! Keep what works and tweak the rest for you.

4. Your life feels ‘blocked’

Sometimes, ‘blockages’ can be one of the signs of spiritual awakening. Or it's a soul sign to turn inward and re-evaluate. 

5. Your dreams are wildly intense

The dream realm is powerful. It's where we can get in touch with our own and the collective unconscious. When dreams rise up, honour them. Truly, dreams are one of the signs of spiritual awakening.

6. You've had moments of psychic clarity

A deep knowing, psychic vision is simply our attunement to the realms which we cannot detect with our five senses, presenting possible and probable outcomes. Embrace it. This vast knowledge is there to guide you.

7. You notice more chronic body pain

This represents the cells of your body waking up to a new vibrational level. Our minds and spirit is more fluid than our bodies... which need support when we awaken. 

8. You've encountered death

Facing your own mortality or that of a loved one because of illness.  A gateway to a new way. For bursting forth from the resonance of grief, incredible beauty and healing is possible. 

I imagine many spiritual teachers, gurus and scholars would much to say around the aforementioned, yet this comes from my own personal experience.  

I now understand what it is to be “spiritual”.  I now understand what it is to have “faith”.  

I encourage you to “truly” find yours …

www.walkstrong.ca

" Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah ... "

Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah 

Zip-A-Dee-A 

My oh my, what a wonderful day

Plenty of sunshine heading my way

Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah

Zip-A-Dee-A

Mister bluebird on my shoulder

It's the truth

It's actual

Everything is satisfactual

Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah

Zip-A-Dee-A

Wonderful feeling

Wonderful day

Yeah

~ Aly & AJ ~ Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah ~

***

Four words ... Zip line At The Park.  Yep, that is what we did on my birthday this year.  Russell said to me, “let’s make it memorable”.  Now to be honest, I didn’t really give it much thought.  At least not until the morning of ... which is when I realized what I was about to do and said to myself ... am I crazy?  Then I figured, well what’s the worst thing that could happen ...

So why not?  How else to experience turning 43 years old than zip lining from the top of Canada Olympic Park’s ski jump tower.  Consider North America’s fastest zip line, you can fly down the cable system reaching speeds between 120 and 140 km/h.  Now those that don’t know, this ski jump was popular in the 1988 Winter Olympics and is 500 metres long with a vertical drop of more than 100 metres.

Here is a play by play for you ....

As we approached the site, I remember looking way way up the hill and still thinking I had time to chicken out.  But I didn’t.  Inside the staff was great, super helpful and very young.  Most if not all had experienced the zip line and said it was a load of fun.  And they still had all their limbs to show for it!!  So we checked in, got our quick instructions, suited up and even got cameras on our helmet to capture our rides.  Speaking of rides, the first one is a trial, to show you all the positions ... to start, to fly and then to brace yourself at the end.  Looking around, there were all ages too, which was cool to see as upon meeting the restrictions, it can be a family event.

Once thru the trial line at the base of the hill, we all got into a school bus that drove us up the windy road.  And since we had to carry our harness et al, it wasn’t the most comfortable sitting down but the ride was short.  Next we made our way up the tower via an elevator to the zip line floor.  It was really cool realizing this was the very spot our Olympic athletes jumped from 24 years ago.  And ... this was also the most frightening moment for most of us.  Some had to excuse themselves to the loo ... others just froze ... and others were so keen, first in line, ready to go! ...

We made our way to the front, with Russell on one line and I on the other.  The staff chats you up, probably to ease your nerves, while asking how fast you wanna go.  This determines when your parachute is released, right away (me) or part way down the hill (of course, Russell).  Then your harness gets hooked in, three in all, and your trolley above is online.  That is pretty much it.  Yep, three hooks and a trolley.  

As you can see from the raw footage, after my initial scream, I was simply flying like a bird ... and it is simply awesome!! 

FOOTAGE 
~   http://youtu.be/eqRJ-x6yEMA (me)
~ http://youtu.be/3YMvky__rDI  (Russell)

" Sweet Inspirations ... "

I need your sweet, sweet inspiration

I need you here on my mind every hour of the day
Without your sweet, sweet inspiration
The lonely hours of the day just don’t go my way
Inspiration, yeah, oh what a power
And I got the power every hour of the day
I need your sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet inspiration, yeah
To go on living, to keep on giving this way

~ The Temptations ~ Sweet Inspirations ~ 

***

I am humbled when I hear that I inspire others.  Being able to positively affect just one person is such a rewarding experience.  I truly desire to inspire the people around me by focusing on some fundamental principles of character and make them a part of my daily life.  

The beauty is that we all have the ability to positively impact the lives of others.  We can start by the way we carry ourselves and interact with others.  This directly impacts how much inspiration is drawn from being around us and is irrelevant to your place of employment, your salary or the way you look.

You see, it is a mistake to try and change others; real change can only come from within.  When we seek to ‘change’ others we are only met with frustration. However, we can inspire others if we lead by example ... 

Practice Sincerity ~ Sincerity means we act with honesty and integrity.  We can unmistakeably notice the difference between a sincere person and an insincere person.  An insincere person is driven by the winds of social attitudes.  A sincere person has faith in their actions  

Practice Encouragement ~ Encouragement is the best way to inspire others to do the right thing and become the right person.  Encouragement is infinitely more powerful than denigration.

Practice Humility ~ To act without expectation of reward.  To speak without trying to impress others. To be humble and able to follow our self.

Practice Happiness ~ Happiness is infectious because it is something we all aspire for.  We are inspired by those who brush aside difficulties and retain a cheerful attitude to the world.

Practice Detachment ~  Detachment means we are concerned and thoughtful, but not demanding.  We do not expect other people to behave in a certain way, instead we give others freedom to make their own choices.  All we can do is support and inspire others to do the right thing without being attached to the result. 

Practice Kindness ~ Acting with kindness is the easiest and smallest of acts ... it makes a world of difference, and people are inclined to follow our lead.

Practice Selflessness ~  To be selfless means putting other people first.  When we give of our self, we encourage others to do the same. We don’t want to emulate selfish people, but people with selfless motives.

Most of us will rise to the expectations of the people who believe in us.  And one of the best ways to help each other live meaningful, significant lives, is to set an example by living that kind of a life yourself.