Category: personal empowerment

Flying.

Flying.

by kimberly gruber ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

It would be so cool to fly. I would love to soar over treetops and just watch the world pass by below me. The only noise would be the wind against my face and the very distant sounds of life doing what life does. I imagine things looking better sometimes from this vantage point. I could focus just on my flight and looking at the big picture and all the possibilities below me. No heavy baggage would weigh me down. I’d be so engaged in excitement and wonder that there would be no time for all the “whys”, “what ifs” and “whens” that burden me when my feet are on the earth. Seeing the world from way up above would remind me of how everything is connected. I’d be reminded that trusting in the process and the progression of life would be more fruitful than sweating the ups and downs of our everyday existence.

When in flight, I would realize the importance of taking the time to look at the beauty all around me. I would notice the many things that are actually working. I would see the things that are not working despite our best laid plans and find the courage to bring about change. If I’m flying high enough, I would hear life below me, but it wouldn’t drown out my own voice or the voice of the Divine telling me to enjoy the ride and trust. The voices would encourage me to trust from the bottom of my heart and not try to figure out everything on my own. I would remember how the Divine delights in my ability to fly and is the wind beneath me keeping me in flight. And if I let the wind take me, it would help me avoid all the sideshow distractions that can cause turbulence during my flight. I can’t continue to fly if I let others pull me down. Getting out of my own way helps keep me soaring too.

I know if I was flying, I would feel free. I would twirl, dive and be so excited by all that I can do when unencumbered by the weight of gravity. Excitement would replace the worry in my heart because I’d be in the moment marveling at my tricks and how good this freedom feels. Maybe while in flight, I could take notes. I’d want to remember how much I can do when I feel free. I’d want to remember the abundance of all I see and how I am not alone. I’d want to remember to be in the moment more, marvel more and remember to drop what binds me to the ground. I’d want to note how the positive energy that comes from feeling free is real. I’d jot down all that I’m grateful for and hold that in my heart. I’d be at peace with being human doing my best to twirl, dive and use all my tricks to build a beautiful life for me and those around me.

Taking flight and soaring using my own resources and talents is where I want to be. But I have to remember, it is up to me to fly. It will involve trusting in the Divine, courage, a flight plan that’s flexible, support from others and the ability to dodge the negativity that comes from non-fliers and sometimes from me when I stay chained to fear. When I fly high and soar freely in the sky, I do so because I feel worthy. I’m not putting on a show for anyone else, I’m just doing what I was meant to do. If I remain present as hone my craft, then it’s impossible to miss all the sky waiting to embrace my flight so I can do my thing. Because flying makes me feel free, let the sky be filled with other fliers too twisting, twirling and diving in ways that only they can do. Fly beyond the rainbow fellow bluebirds, fly.

Questions/activities to ponder or good journal prompts!

  1. If you were flying high above the earth, what do you think you would notice and why?
  2. How do you see your life as being interconnected and how has that supported you or hindered you?
  3. Why is being accepting of “the process” of life important to our personal growth?
  4. How does feeling free create a positive energy that becomes real? How can you manifest this energy into your life?
  5. Do you take the time to marvel at the miracles and abundance? What intention can you set to help make this happen?
Put up your sail.

Put up your sail.

by kimberly gruber ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

The beauty of a new day is that it can be a new start. Maybe even a “do-over”. So, if that’s true, then a new day is full of opportunity. It’s a chance to make things right, to try something new, to see things a new way, to let something go or to just be grateful for what is. We could also see a new day as a reminder of all the choices we do not have. It is a choice to see abundance and a choice to see lack and what we decide to focus on is typically related to how much fear we invite into our daily thoughts. When in fear, we try to take charge of what is not controllable to alleviate our worries of what could be. We participate in this exercise of futility even though we know that what lies ahead is out of our hands. It’s tiring, stress-inducing and leaves us on edge. Breaking this habit is a life-long endeavor because we want those we love and the world to be safe. Change can be hard too. But if we take a cue from nature and women, new life and change is born everyday despite uncertainty – it always has and always will be. Whenever anything is born, renewal is certain and so is opportunity. Stand in that corner when thinking of what could be. Let go of the habit of trying to control future outcomes so you can focus on what is happening right now. Allowing life to unfold and accepting change means we stand with open arms alert to all the opportunity that each moment of renewal sends our way. Imagine it raining down on you now.

Staying present allows us to feel less controlled by our environment when we notice “what is”. And “what is”, is always changing. Some changes bring about pain and loss. But knowing each day starts a new moment, we can be certain that our pain will lessen and calluses will develop. Renewal shows us that opportunities will arise, dots will connect and new paths will light up just for us. We can always look back in time to see how things unfolded and connected but have never been able to predict our stories. Change and uncertainty mean that every experience we have will always be different and worthy if we choose to see it this way. When circumstances change, something new happens. Staying present allows us to notice the newness and see more good, more opportunity. Choose to step into the river of light from the Divine which is always in constant motion just like the water here on earth. To refresh and renew, we have to swim in changing currents and tides because that’s how we learn to see the world in new ways. That thought may evoke fear or sound like a blessing. It may heighten worry or invite excitement about adventures that await. Choosing your mindset about what might be is a tool that could assist you in your quest to stay present or force you to burrow under blankets.

Can you trust that where you are now is where you are meant to be? Do you believe there are an infinite amount of possibilities that swim in the ever-changing river of uncertainty? Because if you submerge yourself in these thoughts, uncertainty becomes more like a friend waiting in anticipation for your arrival. Control is elusive but dreams stay alive in your mind if you see life as delivering unexpected paths, doorways and people to place their hands on your back. Dreams of what may be can only occur if you take chances, say “Yes!” more than “No!”, and ride in your boat with the sail up trusting that the changing winds will steer you on your next course. You still need to navigate at times, utilize your rudder to stay on course and be inspired by the other boats that float along with you. Winds will whip, rough water will toss you around a bit, but just hold on, stay focused on what is happening right now and trust that beautiful, calmer water is ahead. Embracing uncertainty is not for the weak because every time you try something new and sail into a different waterway, the cycle of discomfort will repeat. Put your trust in the Divine, your capabilities to do hard things and the people who support you along the way. This is how you become captain of you own vessel growing wiser and appreciative of all that awaits you on distant, unknown shores.

Stay in the moment savoring all the beauty around you, be in awe of all you know, all you’ve learned and don’t let your need to think on future events steal the joy of what is right now. Keep track in your navigational notes of all the moments for which you are grateful. Re-visit what you’ve noted as a as a reminder that uncertainty can be OK when you forget that lesson from time to time. Plan for rough sailing but don’t let that stop you. Close your eyes, lift your face to the sun and try to find contentment in letting go of something that you could never hold in your hand or change no matter how hard you try. Trust in the universe, your compass of truth and the winds of change where miracles and opportunity wait just for you.

Questions/activities to ponder or good journal prompts!

  1. Do you have the habit of trying to control future outcomes? Why or why not?
  2. Are you able to recall a moment when opportunity “rained down on you” at some point in your life? Looking back, connect the dots and recall the series of events.
  3. Recall a new experience that made you see things differently or broadened your perspective. What was the event and why did it bring about a change in you?
  4. Have you ever put your sail up and let the wind take you someplace new? If so, what feelings were evident during your travels and why? If not, what would it take for you to let go of the need to always steer your own ship?
  5. It’s common for us to miss out on joy because we are not in the now. Develop a practice to steer yourself back to the present. Record some ideas as to how you plan to do so.
Fingerprints.

Fingerprints.

by kimberly gruber ♥ 2 Comments

There are 7.8 billion people in the world right now and no two have the same fingerprints. It’s just more proof that we are miracles in the making designed to live out a mission, a purpose. Our fingerprints fit like a puzzle piece with that of countless others to move us in a direction that is better than where we are now. Your life has meaning, a role to play in the Divine order of things. You are a living, breathing unique cell that makes up the body of our planet, each one integral to how well the system functions as a whole. But, if you’re a bone cell trying to be a liver cell, you’ll never leave your true mark on the world. You may even feel the weight of other cells trying to remind you of who you are so you don’t leave a faulty mark or a print that is not yours. You won’t feel in step with the order of things.

Ripples travel present day and from the past tapping you to move in a direction that might feel scary or counter-culture. These ripples were generated by someone who lived out their fingerprint, their uniqueness as governed by the Divine. The ripple may have been a tidal wave costing that person everything. But, they knew that their fingerprint was needed to move us where we must go. The drive to leave their imprint on the world may have caused that brave soul so much pain, but working towards justice is never light work. It always starts with a single movement creating an energy that fuels love if the energy is fed by your unique, loving being. Whatever is in your heart, will regulate your hands, fingers and the prints you leave to bring about love or not.

We owe recognition to the souls who cast huge rocks into the lake. For they felt indebted to those before them to keep the ripple traveling. It is love for these souls and their bravery that moves us to recognize the stone throwers who came before us and all the people that make up the concentric circles that travel from that initial throw. Feel indebted to yourself too, grateful for who you are and in recognition of your gifts, your purpose. Be aware of those moments when the authentic you revealed itself and clicked with an event or an encounter. What were you doing at that time? What were you feeling and thinking when you were 100% invested in leaving your imprint at that moment? What ripples hit you? If it was a virtue that promotes love and you moved it along, it joined the concentric circle created by the courageous souls that came before you. The Divine, along with ripples of love, nudges us to tear down those things that prevent people from telling their story and leaving their mark. Play a part in that revolution.

Be mindful of our collective power! Do not forget those who came before you and worked towards love, justice and peace. We never pay tribute to those we are indebted to by staying in the darkness and wearing gloves because we are fearful of leaving a mark or getting our hands dirty. Whether your rock is a boulder or a piece of sand, throw it because it will make a ripple, a difference in the energy of the lake. Just make sure it’s an energy that promotes positive change so as to not disrupt the love ripples sent out by others and those before you. That’s how you show gratitude and recognition to those who sacrificed for love. Your thumb print is a constant reminder that you play an important role in the march towards peace. Look at your thumb print. It kind of travels in concentric circles.

Questions/activities to ponder or good journal prompts!

  1. Think of a time when “you didn’t feel in step with the order of things”. What was happening? What were you doing?
  2. “Whatever is in your heart will regulate your hands.” What does this quote mean to you? What in your heart now regulates your hands?
  3. What big “stone-thrower” comes to mind for you? How did the ripples they created affect you? How have you moved those ripples along?
  4. It is everyday people that leave amazing marks on others and the world. What mark do you desire to imprint on the world? What “little” ripples have made a big difference on you?
  5. Have you ever been in the presence of collective power? Where? What were the circumstances and how did it affect you?