Archive for the ‘Empowerment’ Category

Who Are You?

Friday, December 24th, 2010

Most spiritual journeys start with an identity crisis.  It’s when we are going through transitions that we begin to question our role in the world, our goals, our mission and inevitably, who we are.  We are here to do more than go to work, have children, meet friends, fight with our family and then back to the same old routine.  We are here for a much bigger reason.

During the moments of crisis, we allow ourselves to let go of our identity; the things we identify with the most.  We find ourselves in the middle of questioning if we are on the right path:  ”Am I doing the right thing?”, ” Am I in the right profession?”,  ”Is my current partner the right person for me?”, and so on.  Asking questions like these, allow us to really begin the process of discovering our true identity.  If we are filled with our ego we are not able to see that we really are souls playing a part in this lifetime.

I used to be a world class swimmer.  To let go of my identity as a swimmer, was one of the hardest things I went through in my life.  Why?  Because I identified so strongly with that role that I could not see another role for myself.  And yet, I was only playing the role of the swimmer in this lifetime so that I could identify with my higher purpose.  This role was a step necessary for me to get on a path that allows for me to be a conduit for a higher energy to come into the world.  Through the use of my talents I can channel this energy and help to make the world a better place.  And that’s why we are all here.

We use our talents to be a conduit for the immense energy of G-d to make Its way into the world.  When we tap into that magnificent force we begin to feel useful, blessed, connected, and in a path that leads us to growth.  This is why we must strip ourselves of our persona, the role we play in this world, and welcome the energy of the divine into our lives.  We are here for a higher purpose and we need to allow ourselves to connect with that to develop our potential effectively.  We are only able to see it if we put our ego aside and allow ourselves to be used by the higher energy of G-d.

Dig deep in to yourself and find out what roles are you playing in this life.  Then try to become the observer and realize that you are much more than that.  You are a divine being who is playing a certain part for a reason.  Pay attention to the situations where you feel most connected with a Higher Power and a higher purpose.  That’s when your true self – your soul-  is at work and not simply the role you play.

Happy 2011!

With energy,

Ana

The “M” word

Tuesday, April 27th, 2010

balaoThere will be times when we all make mistakes.  Sometimes big ones.  There will be times when we overreact, offend someone, slip up, overlook the obvious, and so forth.  The most important question isn’t so much whether or not we will mess up, but rather how quickly we can recover when we do mess up.  We can turn a relatively minor setback or mistake into a much bigger deal by over analyzing our actions (or someone else’s).  I can so relate to that!

See your mistakes, admit to them, and move on – in other words, recover quickly.  The trick seems to be a willingness to forgive yourself – and others – for being human and for making mistakes.  By recovering more quickly, you will learn from others as well as from your mistakes, and as a result, your life will become substantially less stressful.

This week bring more forgiveness into your life.  Firstly by forgiving yourself and then by forgiving others.  We all learn and grow precisely by making mistakes.  Learn to recognize that in your life and in the lives of others around you.

With energy,

Ana

It’s ALWAYS a matter of choice

Monday, March 8th, 2010

woodsSometimes I find myself in a conversation with someone who tells me about how difficult it is to get what they want.  It seems that someone, somewhere, is  magically stopping them from doing things; or worse, from being the best they can be.  It is as if a conspiracy plot has been established against them and there is no time, no money, no opportunities, no encouragement, no energy in their lives.  Wow, can you feel how stuck this sounds?  No wonder nothing is happening!

I realize that there has been a bit of a rearranging of sorts in the world lately, but that has become an excuse for people to become comfortable with the victim mentality.  It’s like quick sand; it pulls us in and unless we work to change our own perspective we are quickly drawn to it.

There are two main points I want to make here.  The first one is we ALWAYS have a choice on how we perceive the world and what’s happening around us.  More often than not, many people fail to realize that they are in the process of making things happen and quickly forget that it takes time to harvest what they have planted.  When they don’t see the quick results they go in to resentment mode, then anger and then the victim mentality.  I guess we established in the beginning of this post how unattractive this is!  The negativity that this state of mind brings will make everything very difficult and the negative self-fulfilling prophecies will begin to take shape.  Who’s choice it was to feel that way?

Pause for deep thinking……

Now to the second point.  It is crucial to understand that it takes time for the seeds you have planted to grow roots, sprout and bear fruit.  Instead of keeping fostering the resentment and the anger, you want to be in touch with your vision and your dream so that you keep yourself aligned with what’s important to you and what gives you energy while you wait for the seeds to bear fruit.  Having a clear vision will also keep you away from the negative feelings that tend to creep in once we let our doubts come into the process.  When you remind yourself of your vision and keep getting energy from it, things seem to work themselves out and results start coming in quicker than you imagined.

You are responsible for your success and for your actions.  You create your future based on how you choose to see what’s happening to your life.  A victim will see fault in the process.  A survivor will see lessons and opportunities no matter what happens to him/her.

How do you see yourself?  A victim or a survivor?  Are you blaming the process or are you seeing opportunities?

Feel free to share with me the answers to these questions.  I would be happy to send some feedback to you and to ensure that you get the support you need to see things in a different light.

With energy,

Ana






Passion and Love

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

heart-in-handsWhat you put your attention on grows stronger in your life.  Imagine for a moment that your life revolves around what you are passionate about; your family, friends, your ideal career, your favorite hobbies, etc.  Everything that you do has the element of passion and love involved.  How much different would your life be?

Living your passions is the secret to have more joy and love in your life.  It seems like an easy thing to do, but let me ask you this:  Are you passionate about your work?  Are you making time for your favorite hobbies and sports in your life now?  Are you spending quality time with your loved ones?  How long since you and your partner went out on a passionate date?

The writer Viktor Frankl wrote in his book “ Man’s Search For Meaning” that “The greatest task for any person is to find meaning in his or her life.”  We can only find meaning in our lives if we follow our passions.  And how do we find our passions?  Great question!

First you need to be clear about who you are – what your values are, what’s important to you, what makes you smile, what your strengths are and where your creativity lies.  After doing the inner work, you will have clarity and clarity leads to the power to act.  The clarity about who you are will lead you to the clarity about what your passions are.

Your passions are the loves of your life.  They are the things that are most important to you.  When you are living your passions you are aligned with your personal destiny.  When you are aligned with your destiny, your life is joyful, delightful, exciting and fulfilling.  That’s our natural way of living.  That’s the way that leads us to experience true LOVE!

With energy and passion,

Ana

What’s In It For Me?

Saturday, August 15th, 2009

humilityHow did you treat the waiter at the restaurant last night?  How about the beggar you passed by on a busy street?  Relationships in today’s world are very much about utility.  If the other person doesn’t serve me to get to my goal, directly or indirectly, why would I invest in the relationship?  

The one who respects the person that has no power whatsoever and treats him/her with deference has great merit.  This act alone will attract respect and admiration and will build a great deal of friendships.  When we avoid treating others with respect because we can’t see how this person will be of use to us, we are sending a message that she doesn’t matter to this world and denying her right of being acknowledged.  This act alone is almost as serious as murder.  We are “killing” her from a social point of view.  We are saying “you don’t matter to me and to society.” 

In many levels, the treatment we give to others is the treatment we are giving to ourselves. If we only engage in relationships that will have some “utility” for us in the present or future, we are bound to be treated the same way by others.  

Think about that the next time you are face to face with a person that can do nothing for you.  Would you smile to this person?  Would you say a kind word?  Or would act with entitlement and remind them of their powerless state?  It’s always your choice.

With energy,