whether or not you meet your destiny is up to you.
Your destiny may be waiting for you, but whether or not you meet your destiny is up to you. There are those of us who believe that our lives are predestined and that we should resign ourselves to our lots in life. Yet the truth is that it is up to each one of us to decide what that destiny will be. While each of us is born with a life purpose, it is up to us whether or not we will say yes to fulfilling it. And just like when we choose what to eat, who to keep company with, and whether to turn right or left when we leave our home everyday, choosing to say yes to your destiny is a decision that can only be realized when you take action to make that choice a reality.
Whether you believe it is your destiny to be a parent, an adventurer, an artist, a pioneer, or a spiritual guru, saying yes to your destiny is only the first step. While manifesting your destiny starts with knowing what you want and believing you can attain your goals, there are then the actions that must be taken and the decisions to be made before your destiny can truly happen. When you take responsibility for fulfilling your destiny and begin acting with the intention of doing so, you not only take fate into your own hands, but also you become the hands of your own fate. Doorways inevitably open for you to step through, and every choice you make can be a creative act toward realizing your goals and dreams. You begin to follow your instincts and intuition, recognize opportunities when they are presented to you, and seize those golden moments. You also begin to recognize the decisions that may not serve this greater picture and can more easily push them aside.
Remembering that the decision to fulfill your destiny is always a choice can be empowering. Knowing you are fulfilling your destiny because you want to, rather than because you have to, can make a huge difference. When you are freed from obligation, obstacles in your way become challenges to be overcome, and the journey becomes an adventure rather than the obligatory steps you are being forced to take. Your destiny may be waiting for you, but whether or not you meet your destiny is up to you. Your fate is in your hands.
Meditation creates the space you need to get through your day, your life, your challenges.
Dear Friends,
The month of May has arrived, which is one of my favorite months of the year. Spring is in full force in most places, and the anticipation of summer’s arrival is palpable. I start working more outside, bringing my laptop to the outdoor table and setting up for the day under an umbrella in anticipation of new and wonderful ideas to come forth. Another thing I love to do outside is my daily meditation practice, and the lovely weather of May makes it ideal in so many ways.
For those of you that have been reading my work for years, you know how important meditation is in my life. Some of you already have a practice in some form, and still others either have not yet tried it or are a bit reluctant to try. When I do radio interviews I always talk about meditation and how it is for everybody, not a select few. You don’t need special equipment or to go to a sacred place or to even sit in the lotus position (legs crossed over each other). All you need is the intention to sit and be still for as long as you can, whether it is only a few minutes to start or 30 minutes. People ask me why I love to meditate, and the reason is that it is my quiet time to connect to spirit and listen. Then my mind clears out and I come to a place of complete peace. This, in turn, sets the stage for my day, and if I become upset or scattered I need only tune into the feeling I had during my morning meditation. I wrote a story a while back about prayer being an active time ! of asking and meditation a quiet time of listening. For some reason people thought I was bashing prayer, which is far from the truth. I was simply explaining the difference between the two practices.
Over the next four Mondays in May, I will be sharing with you different stories about the topic of meditation. Keep a look out for those in your email Inbox.
If starting a meditation practice sounds like something you may want to explore further, I have gathered four courses to assist you.
Learning to Meditate by Madisyn Taylor. This is a course I wrote with my DailyOM readers in mind. It is an eight-week course that takes you through everything you need to know about meditation, from the very basics. I also explore all of the ways you can meditate, such as guided meditations, music meditation, walking meditation, etc. Everybody has a way to meditate that is ideal for them. You just need to explore to find what suits you best. more info
How to Quiet the Mindby Gina Lake. This is an eight-week course that includes exercises, videos, and meditations to help quiet your mind. Explore the truth about your mind and who you really are, detach from the egoic mind, and learn how to experience the ”now” and stay there.more info
A Year of Guided Meditationsby Dudley and Dean Evenson This is a 52-week course brought to you by our friends Dudley and Dean Evenson. Each week you will receive a new meditation featuring soothing voices and beautiful musical background with video images of nature. The meditations are about one minute long and are spoken in the ”I am” tense, or affirmations. more info
Being Here Nowby Ram Dass. This is an eight-week course where you will learn to live with change and to navigate the complexities of your life by being in the moment. Come back, come home, be present again, be here now. more info
I would also like to mention that I have a new guided meditation that I released last month called Releasing Fire GuidedMeditation. It has been so warmly embraced by you, my readers, and I am so happy to hear that it is helping you. Look for more of my guided meditations coming soon.
Until next time, please be well and wishing you the best on your meditation journey.
A personal outdoor sanctuary is an important part of feeling connected to all of life.
Each of us has been blessed with an innate need to celebrate and glorify life. At a most basic level, we honor the forces that came together to bring us into being by caring for our bodies and our souls. To truly rejoice in existence, we must also learn to cultivate loveliness in those special places that replenish the soul. When we create a garden sanctuary, we are reminded that we are a part of both nature’s essence and something more. An outdoor retreat is a place we can surround ourselves in nature, beauty, and the life force. It is not difficult to create a sanctuary—we should endeavor, however, to create sanctuaries that speak to us as individuals.
Whether we have a yard, a grassy corner, a patio, or a porch at our disposal, our creative potential is infinite. Any of these spaces can become a magnificent garden. When we feel drawn to specific themes such as Zen, angels, paradise, or the ethereal, we should explore them. Décor and furniture crafted from natural materials like wood and stone blend seamlessly into nature. Yet we can also augment the natural world by filling our garden sanctuaries with statues, bells or gongs, or colorful flags. Running water, like that in a created stream or fountain, helps energy flow smoothly. If space is a concern, crystals and mirrors can fulfill the same function. Hidden features like concealed swings and reflecting pools veiled in shadow can surprise and delight. As your garden sanctuary evolves, remember to invite the elemental spirits of nature to assist you in your efforts to create a small pocket of harmony, beauty, and peace in your own backyard. If you have not already felt their presence, sit quietly in your garden and reach out to them. You will feel these earthly guides at your side as you continue to develop your sanctuary.
In the refuge of brilliant color, sweet scents, and stillness you create in your garden, the burdens imposed upon you by a sometimes hectic world will melt away. The splendor and tranquility of what you have brought into being will entrance you, allowing you to forget the constraints of time and space. No matter how large or small your garden sanctuary, the time you spend reveling in its pleasures will refresh your spirit and provide you with innumerable opportunities to celebrate life.
Serenity's Gift Cove (sgc) 