Tag: awareness

Getting Rid of Dark Side Thinking Patterns

Dark Side Thinking Patterns is the best phrase I can think of to describe unwanted thoughts. These may be thoughts about ourselves or others. They may repeat like a broken record in our heads or come up when we are triggered.

It doesn’t matter what they are about because it will be different for each individual.

I used the phrase “Dark Side” because I relate to the Jedi on a deep soul level. (I will talk about that another time.) As I am not a psychologist, I like to use terms that I identify with and that others can relate to.

If my relative geekiness is too much for you, please bear with me and just call it negative thinking patterns.

Dark Side Thinking Patterns are habitual thought processes that have become ingrained within us. They are usually oriented in the past (as depression) or the future (as worry or anxiety) and have no meaning in the present.

I wrote this post because I still struggle with negative thoughts and I intend to break free from them. Completely.

If you have a lifelong battle with unwanted thoughts in the form of anger, hatred, worry, fear, anxiety, or feelings of low-self worth, I’m talking to you. If you have struggled your entire life in some area that no one around you has a problem with, I have been there also. Many times.

If you have no problem with negative thoughts and you know of someone who may benefit from reading this post, please share it.

Dark Side Thinking Patterns may be deep-seated fears caused by our beliefs that we are not good enough on some level. We may be more critical of ourselves than others. Our thinking patterns may carried-over from previous incarnations. We may not even be consciously aware of the reason.

In order to grow, we must break free of these negative thoughts in whatever way we can.

Here are techniques that I use:

STOP

STOP stands for the 4 parts of this technique.

The following is from the Cognitve Behavioral Therapy Los Angeles blog.

STOP is an acronym that stands for:
  1. S: Stop. Whatever you’re doing, just pause momentarily.
  2. T: Take a breath. Re-connect with your breath. The breath is an anchor to the present moment.
  3. O: Observe. Notice what is happening. What is happening inside you, and outside of you?
  4. P: Proceed. Continue doing what you were doing.

It is all about mindfulness, being in the present moment. Shifting your focus to the here and now. Which leads us to the next technique.

BEING PRESENT

You are not your thoughts. You are the one thinking the thoughts. Thoughts are mental projections created by you. When you are lost in Dark Side Thinking Patterns, you are not in touch with what is happening outside of you.

Being present and looking around wherever you are is a way of bringing you back to where you are. Just observing the present moment, the temperature of the air, the scents, the sounds, the feeling of the ground beneath your feet. Take a moment just to be in the present. This is practicing mindfulness. It is even more helpful when practiced along with the next technique.

GRATITUDE

When we are in a negative emotion, we have lost all sense of everything. Practicing gratitude allows us to see that things are not as bad as they seem. I think about how grateful I am daily. I have a roof over my head, heat, and warm clothing. As I write, the sun is shining and I’m grateful for that as we haven’t had many sunny days lately. I am grateful for the breakfast I just ate. I am grateful that my fingers can type these words. I am grateful for my computer. I am grateful for the chair that I am sitting on. I am grateful for my eyes. I am grateful for my breath.

Just going through a small list uplifts me. I have so much compared to others in the world. When I express gratitude, the focus shifts from me to everything else.

If I stay in the feeling of gratitude, I can feel the shift internally. This brings me to feeling a great sense of compassion for others. Oftentimes when I express gratitude, the Buddhist Metta prayer of loving-kindness comes to my thoughts.

May all beings be peaceful.
May all beings be happy.
May all beings be safe.
May all beings awaken to 
the light of their true nature.
May all beings be free.

Metta Prayer by Ginny Gaura

We are all in this together. When one person helps themselves to break free of negative thinking, everyone benefits. Imagine how uplifting the world would be if we all do.

May you break free.

Always,
Alice Always

P.S. The Metta Prayer is available as prints and on other products. To see more designs, visit my Prayers and Blessings Galley on Fine Art America.

Metta prayer products in two different sun designs by Ginny Gaura. See more on Fine Art America. 

The Great Awakening, Ascension and the Role of Lightworkers

We are in a time of the Great Awakening when the masses are waking up from our collective sleep of unconsciousness. This is happening on every level of our existence. We see it being played out in the news stories of the day as well as in our individual lives.

Old systems are on their death knell as people are getting fed up with the ways things are. The powerful patriarchy is coming to an end, but not without a fight as witnessed in the political arena here in the USA. Women are coming forward in the MeToo movement taking down men who used their positions to subjugate them through sex.

These systems have been in place for over 2,000 years
and it is beginning to shift.

Since the 1960s, we’ve been hearing about the Age of Aquarius. It’s even immortalized in the Grammy Award-winning song of 1969, Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In by The 5th Dimension.

This song talks about the dawning of the Age of Aquarius. In the 60s, hippies woke up to the knowledge that something was happening on the planet and it corresponded to the positions of celestial bodies. They also took on the old belief that was trampled by industrial progress, that the Earth is sacred and an actual living being with consciousness. Many refer to her as Gaia.

Whether you accept that the Earth is a living entity depends on your own level of consciousness. I am not here to persuade you to believe in anything. I’m only here to tell you what I know. It’s up to you as to what you do with the information.

Astrologers feel that the Age of Aquarius will begin in December of 2021, either on 12/12/21 or 12/21/21. They both are significant because the ones and twos reduce to 333. The time between is a gateway, an opening of energy between two significant days.

The repetition of 3s in 333 makes it a Master Number, increasing the energy of the vibration. It is the number of Christ Consciousness, the return of the Christ within each of us. It goes beyond religion to the core of all spirituality. Basically, spirituality is our personal connection to all of creation.

333 is also the number of the Ascended Masters, spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans, but who have undergone a series of spiritual initiations leading to transformation.

There are many on Earth who have incarnated on Earth at this time to help heal Gaia and help anchor Christ Consciousness. They are masters also and when they are ready, they fully ascend to the next level of consciousness, which is the fifth dimension or 5D.

It is no coincidence that the group that performed the song Aquarius was named The Fifth Dimension.

5D is a state where you have left the suffering of the 3D world behind and come into alignment with your soul. It is living from the heart and not the head.

Not an easy thing to do, if you are heavily indoctrinated in the 3D mindset. Religions, with their indoctrinated rules and rigidness of thinking, are manifestations of 3D. Spirituality, feeling connected with everyone and everything, is an aspect of 5D. When you are fully operating from 5D, you live from the heart, trusting in the Universe and allowing for the unfolding of your own divine perfection.

Before we all were born,
there was a clarion call throughout the Universe
that Gaia was ascending to the next level
and she needed help to do so.
Her ascension to 5D
happened in December 2012.

Throughout the galaxies, many beings stepped up to assist. Though some came in before, most started incarnating here in mass after the destruction of World War II.

These souls chose to bring their Light to a planet that sorely needed it. Commonly referred to as Lightworkers, each had a specific mission to accomplish. All were asked to use their unique gifts to the benefit of humanity, the Earth, and her creatures.

Some call themselves Lightwarriors because they chose to battle the dense thinking patterns of 3D Earth.

They incarnated in waves, the first being the hippies and flower children of the 60s. Often referred to as Starseeds because they came from various planets and star systems. Their task was to bring in the new awareness.

A few colors are often used to describe Lightworkers. The oldest groups to incarnate are the Blue Rays and Indigos.

The Blue Ray Beings are a soul group with empathic qualities. Coming from ascended planets and light realms, they are here to enlighten the genetic code of humanity and raise the consciousness on Gaia.

They came here to transform the damaged, mutated DNA of humanity and set the stage for the later rays to come. Their mission was to infiltrate the system in a normal capacity, always remembering who they are and where they came from.

Then came the Indigos, also known as Indigo children, called such because of the indigo color of their auras and their high attunement to operating out of the third eye. They are creative beings with heightened psychic abilities.

Some abilities are clairvoyance and clairaudience. Each has unique gifts specific to them. Some see spirits and angels, detect dishonesty or have accurate inner knowing about events, situations or people. Sensitive and intuitive, they are wise old souls returning to lead us into a new age of cooperation, creativity and functional society where there will be no corruption and deceit.

The Crystal children were the next group to incarnate towards the end of the last 20th Century. They came to show humanity the way to peace and acceptance. They are the peacemakers. Some are autistic. This is because they are vibrating at higher levels of consciousness and the density of the third dimension can be overwhelming.

Crystals are highly telepathic, many have the ability to read minds and people’s energy. Sensitive, caring and forgiving are aspects of their nature. Remarkedly different from generations ahead of them, they are the frequency holders of 5D consciousness and above. They are able to feel the universal consciousness.

The latest group to arrive is the Rainbow children. Born with ninth dimensional consciousness, they have huge hearts that exude joy. They are drawn to color. Their abilities are that they are natural healers and instant manifesters. Strong willed with large personalities; their gifts are revealed as they grow older.

This is a general outline. Each Lightworker is unique and chose to incarnate with specific gifts that would help fulfill their mission. Some came in remembering who they are and some chose to awaken at a certain time when they are ready. Younger ones are born awake.

You may be a Lightworker or may know someone who is one. As we are all at different levels of growth, there is no need for judgment. Being a Lightworker does not make you superior to others. It simply means you are here at this time to help transform the planet.

Just as the French philosopher and Jesuit Catholic priest,
Pierre Teilhard de Chard proclaimed,
we are all spiritual beings having a human experience.

It’s not the other way around. Our collective task is to move from separation into Oneness.

My appointed task in this time of the Great Awakening is to wake you up in the world of imagination.

Always,
Alice Always

2018: The Year of Illumination

As I said in a previous post, Numbers are a shorthand code. As we live in a universe of vibrational energy, numbers are significant.

The year 2018 is broken down as:
2 + 0 + 1 + 8 = 11

 

Here is what Joanne Walmsley wrote about it on her Angel Numbers blog:

Number 2018 is a combination of the energies and influences of number 2 and number 0, and the attributes and vibrations of number 1 and number 8.  Number 2 relates to service and duty, balance and harmony, adaptability, diplomacy and co-operation, consideration and receptivity, fulfilment and happiness, and your Divine life purpose and soul mission. Number 0 resonates with developing one’s spiritual aspects and represents the beginning of a spiritual journey and suggests that you listen to your intuition and higher-self. Number 0 also amplifies the energies of the numbers it appears with, and relates to eternity, infinity, oneness, wholeness, continuing cycles and flow, potential and/or choice, and the beginning point.  Number 1 resonates with initiative, instinct and intuition, self-leadership and assertiveness, new beginnings and a fresh approach, motivation, tenacity, striving forward and progress, and also reminds us that we create our own realities by our thoughts, beliefs and actions.  Number 8 brings personal power and authority, inner-wisdom, truth and integrity, dependability and self-reliance, good judgement,manifesting abundance and prosperity, the concept of karma and the Universal Spiritual Law of Karma.

Since Eleven is a repetition of the number one, it doubles the energy, making it a pattern. Repeated numbers like 11, 22, 33 and 44 are master numbers. When the numbers within a year are reduced to a master number, it is a powerful year.

Here is information from Angel Numbers blog about the Number 11:

The karmic Master Number 11 symbolizes the principles of spiritual awakening and enlightenment, high energy, idealism, inspiration and intuition, illumination, visionary, enthusiasm, creative/creativity, self-expression and sensitivity, and mysticism. Number 11 tells us that to connect with our higher-selves is to know and live our soul mission and life purpose. Master Number 11 is usually called ‘the Illuminator’, ‘the Messenger’ or ‘the Teacher’ and relates to those who are here to be inspirational guiding lights, and their mission is to bring illumination to others and to help raise spiritual awareness.

Angel Number 11 brings a message from your angels to pay special attention to your thoughts and ideas as these are revealing the answers to your prayers. Your positive affirmations and optimistic attitude will manifest your desires and help you to achieve your goals and aspirations. They will also assist you upon your spiritual life purpose and soul mission.

Angel Number 11 encourages you to contribute your unique perspective and philosophy to instigate a new consciousness. Seek out some form of outlet where there can be active participation, whether it be through one’s own profession or some charitable organization. Working with others gives the opportunity to be the inspirational leader, setting an example for others to learn from.

Angel Number 11 encourages you to assist and inspire the human race via your natural abilities, relying upon your inner-wisdom and intuition to guide you.

Angel Number 11 encourages you to be an inspirational guiding light to bring illumination to others and help raise spiritual awareness.

There’s that magical word for this year:
i l l u m i n a t i o n

 

We are here to shine our Light this year in whatever way best expresses our soul, using our own unique talents and abilities., otherwise known as our gifts.

One of my traditional New Years rituals is listening to New Year’s Day by U2.

Here are the lyrics that have a special meaning for us now:

Under a blood-red sky
A crowd has gathered in black and white
Arms entwined, the chosen few
The newspapers says, says
Say it’s true, it’s true…
And we can break through
Though torn in two
We can be one

It’s so relevant that lyrics were written by an Irish band in the early 80s about the Polish Solidarity movement for an album entitled “War” could hold so much meaning in 2018. Especially here in the USA where “fake news” and politics have divided a nation.

I believe that there are enough of us who can stand together and break through this separation that we have been in way too long.

I feel it is time to light up the world with our joy. Time for new insights. Time to listen to our intuition if we haven’t been before. Time to be inspired and follow our inspiration to create new ways of interacting with each other. Time to imagine the endless possibilities…

It’s time for Illumination. Time to shine brightly this year!

Always,
Alice Always

What Awareness Can Do For You

In a previous blog post, I wrote about my personal experience with pain. After I published it, I asked myself, now why did I do that?

My original intention for this blog was to be something l fun, light-hearted and inspiring. But writing that post, I went down a rabbit hole that I didn’t expect.

Given what is happening currently worldwide, I think a lot of people feel that they also went down an unexpected rabbit hole also.

I said that there are no accidents. only lack of awareness of what is happening. In questioning my action, I began to see more clearly.

The pain I felt within my body had slowed me down to the point to see the gift, which was to see the beauty of my own pain.

I realized what is truly important, just being in the moment. When you don’t rush yourself, you realize that you are exactly where you need to be.

You begin to see that your life is unfolding perfectly and always has been.

You begin to see the purpose behind everything that has happened in your life, the truth of who you are.

The veil of forgetfulness that is placed upon you when you are born begins to lift.

You begin to fully awake.

Always,
Alice Always

The Present of Being Present: Awareness

I started writing this post exactly 4 months ago today. At that time, I was working at a job that was wreaking havoc on my health. It’s rather curious that I would return to this post on the exact same day (on the 23rd of all days – more about that another time). It’s also rather curious that my mind would be concerned with being present. My present (yes, pun intended) circumstances lend a lot to what is happening.

I will say this now and probably will say it again and again:

There are no accidents,
only lack of awareness of what is happening.

Here is what I wrote on June 23, 2017:

The word for today is present. Every single day, not just this one, that is, if we are truly present.

I’m in a very difficult situation. I work at a back-breaking job and I’m reaching my personal breaking point as Humpty Dumpty in regards to my joints.

I have arthritis in my fingers, wrists, neck, back, hips and now possibly in the knee. Pain is par for the course.

I just came back from the doctor. I wanted relief. He said I’ll just have to live with it.

I refuse to accept pain as a way of life.

Today, October 23, 2017, I am experiencing severe pain in my joints throughout my body. There is a low-pressure front and it is causing swelling.  On days like today, the stiffness makes me move extremely slow like an Ent.

I’m not complaining about this. I am trying to illustrate what it feels like to have widespread arthritis with a bit of humor. I’ve been doing a mental exercise to alleviate the pain by just observing it. In time I hope to be in a pain-free life, but that is not today.

This morning when I woke up an old poem I wrote years ago came to my head:

After we see
the beauty
of our own pain
then we begin

The image of a painting I did that was based on that poem also flashed through my mind. Here it is:

“Beauty of Pain” by Ginny Gaura

I created this mixed-media piece about 15 years ago when the arthritis was localized to my lower back. I didn’t create this painting because of physical pain. I was experiencing emotional pain back then.

But pain is pain whether it is emotional or physical. It is not pleasant.

Back in the early 2000s my fingers were just beginning to develop osteophytes, bone spurs that disfigure my joints. Back then, I didn’t have pain in my hands, I just had a few swollen joints. Now the hand pain is sometimes so severe that daily activities such as typing can cause pain. Also, my fingers are crooked on my right, which is the dominant hand.

I am only 55. My mom developed bone spurs in her hands later in life. When she passed at 77, her joints were not as disfigured as mine are now.

I have had back issues since I was a teenager and was diagnosed with osteoarthritis of the spine with bone spurs in my thirties, so the illness has had a long time to progress.

Someone in the public eye claimed that his bone spurs got better. At least from my experience, bone spurs only get worse with time.

Sometimes there is a gift within the pain if we allow ourselves to see it. For me, it is awareness. I am aware of what is hurting but I am not letting it overpower my life. I am listening to my body, moving it slowly and treating it with care. What is happening is allowing me to open more fully in awareness, to see things in a more intense light, to be more present in the moment.

What new awareness have you had recently?

Always,
Alice Always