Teaching our children about limitless potential through stories

One of my favourite pleasures in life is reading bedtime stories to my son. It’s good for us to wind down together, and his vocabulary is expanding by leaps and bounds. He recognizes letters and numbers and he’s a heck of a counter, but I digress!

I like to think about what I’m reading him and what the morals are teaching him. One story he and I really like is Scuffy the Tugboat. I was taking a harder look at Scuffy the other day and what he teaches us, and now I’m wondering if I really do like Scuffy as much as I thought.

Let me take you into the story. Meet Scuffy, a toy tugboat who is not content with sailing around a bathtub because he is “meant for bigger things.” So far so good, Scuffy. You are aware of your infinite potential! Good job.

The man who owns the toy shop and his little boy take Scuffy to a brook, where he quickly takes off and travels along many different waterways, a brook, a stream, a river and eventually the ocean where he gets quite scared and wishes he was back with the man and the little boy because the ocean is too scary for him. Low and behold, just as he is about to sail off into the ocean and he’s wishing for the man and the little boy, they scoop him up and take him back home where he is content to be in the bathtub. Wait, what?

I get the lesson that you should stay with your parents and not take off. That’s a good one, but I think it teaches us that when you get scared and hit a fear block, you shouldn’t try to conquer it. You should just go back to your bathtub and be content to settle into mediocrity. Oh no, Scuffy. You had such potential.

I think with kids it’s so important to impart spirituality and lessons in consciousness when they are young. I want my son to know that his potential is limitless and that the world is his oyster. The only limits in life are the ones that you place on yourself. If you can dream it, you can do it. Cliché, but true.

There are so many reasons that you are the bomb dot com (did I just say that? Oh well. Proud 90’s child here). We can take goals and crush them. We can either allow others to limit us or we can power through those blocks we encounter and push on through. We are amazing, strong co-creators of our lives.

I think a better example of resilience and belief in oneself is The Little Engine That Could. She’s just a little blue engine, and after the big strong engines have left the dolls and toys high and dry, she’s their only hope. She’s never been over the mountain, but she thinks she can, she thinks she can, she thinks she can (LOL). She gets over the mountain with the dolls and toys and saves the day and as she puffs down the mountain she says, “I thought I could, I thought I could, I thought I could.”

That’s better. She believed it and she did it.

Maybe I’m taking too much time to think about the stories I’m reading my child, but I just thought that at the end, Scuffy was a little bit disempowering. You go out, you get scared, you settle for the status quo.

I get the lesson about gratitude for what you have, and that’s a good one in Scuffy’s book, but I think it could have been done in a more empowering way.

Just thought I’d share that with you today. What do you think?

Your past doesn’t define your future… unless you let it.

Today, I thought I’d take a couple minutes to talk about your past and more importantly, the choice that you make to release the past in order to improve the future.

Know that your past does not equal your future, and take some time to forgive and release issues from the past. Forgive others and yourself with compassion. Remember that people are doing the best they can from their current level of consciousness.

The past can be empowering or disempowering, what makes the distinction between these two options is the choice that you make.

Either you can dwell on the past and how it has damaged you, or you can rise above the situations that occurred, brush yourself off, raise your head and walk confidently into the future knowing that the experiences have taught you valuable lessons about yourself, others and compassion and humanity.

In meditation, when there is someone you have to forgive, imagine them in your mind’s eye. As difficult as it is, tell them that you forgive them. Sometimes our beef from the past is with ourselves. Maybe we didn’t handle something as well as we could have, or there’s something that we’ve done that’s not up to our personal standards.  When this happens, picture yourself in meditation and forgive yourself. Tell the image in your head, “[your name here], I forgive you. I realize now that you were doing the best you could based on your current level of consciousness. I am grateful for the lessons I’ve learned and I release you with love”.

The more you practice this meditation technique, the more you will feel yourself let go of the experiences in your past. You will feel empowered by the past, rather than dragged down by it. Focus upon your strengths and use the momentum of the knowledge that you are the co-creator of your existence to propel yourself forward with ease and grace.

Your past does not create your future, unless you make a choice to dwell there. Move on and move up!

The week I lost myself: how to get out of a negativity loop.

It’s been a tough week. I’ve been stuck in a negativity loop, but I’m pleased to report that I’m pulling myself out. I’m finally feeling much better.

I felt disconnected most of this week, to the point where I cancelled some readings.  I want my clients to get the absolute best experience possible from their readings and I didn’t feel like I was up to snuff. I was lost!

This happens to all of us. Something happens that we don’t like and we start to feel disempowered, especially when it’s something that is outside of our perceived realm of control. When it feels like we are stuck between a rock and a hard place with no means to get out and we are so upset, frustrated and disappointed that we just get stuck on that same loop of anger and disempowerment, which lowers our vibrational frequency.

How did I get out of it? On Thursday, I felt like I was pretty close to physically hitting someone, I was so upset. Those of you who know me, know that isn’t me. I’m a positive and happy person about 80% of the time.  After a really hard run on Thursday evening, followed by an hour of meditation, I cleared my mind and had a plan on how I was going to deal with the situation. Once I sat down and thought about forgiveness and gratitude and remembered what was really important, everything came back into focus and I was back on track again.

Friday was a more successful day. At least I could see the light at the end of the tunnel, took my plan of action and was much better for it. These negativity loops happen to all of us. The key is knowing how to break your own negativity cycle and I think it’s different for everyone.

Are you negative? Take these steps to turn it around:

1. Get Moving – physical movement can really help you put things into perspective. If walking’s your thing, get outside and wander around at a brisk pace. If you’re into running, go for a run. Focus on the energy that is flowing through your body and remember your balance in the universe. Remember that you are balanced between Mother Earth and Father Sky. Feel the energy flowing through your body in a figure eight between your crown chakra at the top of your head and your root chakra at the base of your spine. Remember this divine flow as you get your body moving.
2. Assess the “size” of the problem – How “big” is this problem and can you do anything to change it? Can you come up with some sort of a compromise to solve the problem or can you put it into perspective? Remember that you are never stuck and that there is ALWAYS a way out. Think about this and remember that you are part of something so much bigger than this Earth experience. Remember that there is nothing to fear in this moment, and ask how you will feel about this problem 10 days from now. Will you still be thinking about it then? How about a year from now, or five or ten years from now? Does that put it into perspective? It should!
3. Ask why this situation is bothering you – could it be related to a larger problem? – Stick with me here. Is what’s happening and your reaction due to some old beliefs or part of a larger issue for you? Is the belief something you can change? Is it that this may be a situation that is no longer serving you and you have to release?  Take steps to release the situation if it is no longer serving you.  See if you can work on forgiveness, releasing or changing your beliefs. Ask yourself some questions.
4. What can you learn from this situation or how can you use it to grow? – Here’s where we really start to raise our frequency again and turn things around for the better. The good news usually is that this situation is temporary! We are not bound by it forever and we can use those wonderful brains of ours to come up with a solution. Hey – this is where we remember that we are in control of our lives! Yay us! What can you learn from this situation? You can learn how to solve a new problem, you can learn about your own beliefs, you can learn about the other people involved and how to work with these people in the future or you can learn what does and does not serve you. Just the identification of things that do and do not serve you is proof of all of the growth you are doing and your commitment to taking care of yourself by taking control. Who’s in the driver’s seat of your life? You are!
5. Daily Spiritual Practice – Whatever it is. We’re non-denominational here at Metaphysical Musings. Whether you believe in God, Jesus, Allah, Buddha, etc. go to that place within yourself. My Daily Spiritual Practice is meditation. It clears my mind (and my chakra system) and nothing else seems to matter after I’m done. It put things into perspective for me and clears out my mind. I really notice when I don’t take the time for practice because my shoulders seem to be up at my ears!

Take those steps and you’ll be on your way out of that negativity loop in no time.

Remember, what we think about manifests, so try and get yourself out of that negativity loop as soon as you can to avoid attracting more negativity to you. Remember also that you’re always in control.

No Negative Thoughts for 10 Days

So I’m reading Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins and he’s challenging his readers to go 10 days without indulging in negative thoughts. As I was reading it I was thinking about how hard that would be. 

I’m a positive person most of the time, but I have my off days and negative times just like everyone else. In this challenge, if you wallow in a negative thought pattern your 10 days starts all over again. 

I think the point of the exercise is to become aware of the number of negative thoughts we have and the understanding that we have the power to change our thoughts and turn things around at any time. Our life experience is always in our control. 

I’m pretty excited to try this. It will be fun to turn the experiences on their heads and see them from the other side and look at the lessons I’m learning as well as empowering myself to change my own situation. Hopefully I won’t have to start over too many times! Ha ha. 

Are you with me? #nonegativity

I love a clear answer! The answer is yes.

Here is the card of the day spread for Wednesday, October 19. 

The first card is Let it go. This card reminds us to relinquish control to the universe. Struggling against the universal flow can result in frustration and blockages. When you give it to Spirit, you allow gateways of support and love to open, bringing an outcome that will exceed your expectations. Let go of any long term hurt needing forgiveness, be compassionate and gentle with yourself and trust that the universe always has your back!

The next card is Purification. Purify your motivation and intentions so that they are about service to others and are not focused on competition or fear. This could also mean literal Purification of your body by eating healthy food and drinking plenty of water. Clearing your home of any clutter or using sage smoke for an energetic cleaning may also be useful to you today. 

Adjust your life so it is in line with your beliefs. This may involve leaving relationships and situations that are disempowering and no longer serve you. 

The last card is Yes. I always love a clear answer. If you let go of the need to control and you purify your actions and intentions, everything will come up aces. All the doorways are opened and the path is clear. Keep a positive mindset for the best possible outcome. It’s a good time to make a move or a change. Keep the faith. You have tons of spiritual support for this situation!

Take stock, be courageous and free!

Hi everyone! Here is the card of the day spread for October 15.

The first card is Grandmother Earth. This card reminds us to stop and take stock of our lives. Assess who and where you are. Ground yourself and make your plans for the future, but don’t take action on these plans until you are ready. Your strength and power are expanding. Put down your roots and go deeper. Now is the time to plant seeds for the future. It’s also a good time to make secure financial investments.

The next card is Warrior of the Heart. You have the spirit of a warrior of the light. Courage is filling you now and it is not the time to be timid. Step forward and speak your truth with conviction. Live from your heart rather than your mind. Face your boundaries and fears. Go past the limited perceptions of yourself. Through your example, people find and act on their truth. You are a light bearer for others.

The next card is Freedom Horse. Look at that horse running free! Don’t hold back. Run free and express yourself! Go beyond predictable behaviour and get out of the rut. Don’t allow yourself to be trapped by convention or the expectations of others. Replace the phrase “I should, but I choose not to at this time.”

Select meanings for experiences that empower you. Break free of your boundaries and limitations and run around with wild abandon!

You just have to remember…

Image credit: enlightenmentportal.com

My child is a sponge. Today I thought it was kind of funny that he was reciting affirmations from Deepak Chopra’s Soul of Healing Meditations. 

“A is for acceptance. Today I will realize that I am a beautiful person just as I am. “

When I plug my iPod into my car, it starts playing things in alphabetical order so we hear A is for acceptance a lot! I just thought it was kind of funny that people pay such good money for programs like the Soul of Healing Meditations, readings, spiritual gurus because we seem to have forgotten how awesome and wonderful we are due to the beliefs and social programming we accept as truth about ourselves. 

Putting it in context with my little one: I’m always telling him how amazing he is and that he can do anything he wants, and how loved he is. When do we make that shift where we forget how loved we are and how worthy of love we are? When do we forget that we are enough?

When do we stop accepting ourselves for who we are? Why do we do that?

Now we pay money as adults to be reprogrammed by affirmations. 

Don’t get me wrong: affirmations are great and I use them a lot, but hearing my three year old recite one today just got me thinking. 

Remember how awesome you are. Remember how loved you are. 

Remember you are worthy of love. Remember you are worth the struggle. Remember that you are the co-creator of your existence. Remember that you are perfect. 

You’ve known it all along. 

What inspires you?

I’ve been thinking about inspiration and what inspires me and gets me fired up. 

I’m excited about life and the changes I’m making. Great things are manifesting all around me from my taking the steps required to get momentum building. 

I’m fired up from the intuitive and psychic work. The phone is ringing, clients are calling and my videos and blog posts are gaining traction and being viewed by more people. 

Giving messages gets me excited. Being in service to others and being able to provide guidance, comfort and closure make me happy. To be able to help someone else deal with grief, sadness or indecision is why I’m here and I’m in my element when I’m doing that work because that is where I’m supposed to be. 

You know the scene at the end of a Christmas Carol, where Scrooge is jumping all over the place in excitement because he hasn’t missed Christmas? We should all be running around like that in a state of pure joy all the time. Be thankful for another day. The more gratitude you express, the more you’ll have to be grateful for. That’s the way the LOA works. 

I’m doing Facebook live videos to get out of my comfort zone. I was thinking about catalysts for change today. I think the biggest catalyst for me was ordering my business cards in May. I ordered those cards and everything started happening. 

If you take the first step, the universe will show you the way!

How have you inspired yourself today?

Your beliefs are the lifeblood of your thoughts.

Today, my Facebook memories brought up an interesting status update I posted on this day last year. That was this: 

Belief is the lifeblood of your thoughts. It makes them both real and true. 

I am a random spouter of brilliance!

Think about that for a minute. You are always in control of your thoughts and your reactions to any circumstance. Things are only true because you believe them to be true. 

I’m sure we all know someone who, in our eyes, lives in a world of complete delusion. We wonder how they can live their lives the way they do. Did we not witness the same situation? No. That person sees the situation from their own perspective and then believes that their perception is truth.  

Belief drives our engines. We believe our religion is the right one, we believe that we were wronged by someone else, we believe we aren’t worthy of our desires. 

Those are negative examples, but we can turn them around to make them positive and start drawing in the stuff that we do want. We can believe we are worthy of our desires, we can believe everyone is acting in accordance with our highest good. We can believe that we are awesome. When we believe, we achieve. It doesn’t work the other way. 

I picked a Wayne Dyer quote for the open of this post. I quote him often. His most popular quote is: 

When you believe it, you’ll see it. 

Beliefs are so powerful and so many beliefs are learned from the adults around us as we grow up. Some beliefs are outmoded, but all is not lost. We have the ability and control at any time to change our beliefs! Woohoo!

You can create your best life by changing your beliefs today. Why not start now?

Trust your emotions and take control!

  
Here is the three card spread for September 9, 2016. 

The first card is Clairsentience. Archangel Raguel says: “Notice your recurring physical and emotional feelings, as they signify divine guidance”. 

Remember that post I did a while back about your emotional guidance system? Now is the time to use it. You might say, “but Amanda, I’m not intuitive…” 

I say that everyone is. We all have gut feelings or hunches and a lot of us ignore them. Start listening to your emotions and that voice inside your head that tells you to do or not do something. 

It’s also helpful to focus on whether what you are feeling is actually yours as well. We can pick up and carry the emotions of others. Do you ever encounter a person and have your mood completely change? You’ve likely picked up their emotions. Next time this happens, ask if what you are feeling is yours. If it is, work with it. If not, let it go. 

The next card is Career Transition. Archangel Chamuel says: “Your life purpose is triggering a blessed career change.”

Have you been asking the Universe for help with your career? That help is coming now! Pay attention to your repetitive visions, ideas and dreams as they will point you in the right direction and help illuminate your next steps. Career changes are always stressful, but the new career is more in line with your life purpose. 

The next card is Take Back Your Power! Archangel Raziel says: “Use your God-given power and intention to manifest blessings in your life”. 

It’s time to take your life by the reins and believe that you have the power to manifest your desires into your life. You are divine and you are meant for greatness. Set clear intentions, journal, trust, believe and allow. You can have anything you want!

Have a happy Friday!