SoulTraveler

Politically and socially, 2018 was a bad year for our country with human rights being under attack and some truly shameful things being orchestrated by our government. It feels as if the moral fiber of our country has been torn apart. The sight of children in caged spaces, torn apart from their parents is something I will never forget. The mass shootings that have taken place nearly every week is appalling. Fear and anger reign, yet so few speak up. Bad times indeed. I thought our country was so much better than this. Though we cannot control everything that is going on around us, we can and must find avenues to fight the good fight against all that is bad by speaking up often and, activism of any kind. What we can control is ourselves and how we choose to experience our lives. Once we have a handle on our well being, we will be better equipped to handle and help with the outside. It's important to separate the universal from the personal because it helps us to balance reality so t

Oh those holiday blues. Holiday angst is common among so many people and for so many reasons. However this doesn't have to be the case. You've heard what to do in  case of a fire, those three simple words: STOP, DROP, ROLL. Dealing with the holidays can also be summed up in three simple words: STOP, THINK, ACT. Let me explain in greater detail. STOP Reliving the past . It's gone, it is no longer a reality. Everyone experiences some kind of loss. Accept this and decide how you want to live now. The pity party. Again, the past is gone and the present is what you choose to make it. Ask yourself why you are focusing on the hurts of the past instead of making the now a celebration. If your life appears to be full of negative distractions, realize that many of them are under your control You alone create your reality holiday season or not. Trying to live up to expectations whether they be from family, friends or society. THINK What does the holiday season mean to you. I

I daresay that I hardly know anyone who could not stand to lose at least a few pounds, maybe more. Carrying extra weight is a burden to the soul. I'm not referring to physical weight loss. The kind of weight I'm referring to is the weight that is made up of feelings of self importance, overly serious attitudes and non communication. Some of the most spiritual people you may know (Dali Lama, for one) approach life with a sense of humor born out of their ability to let go of the ego and embrace their soul urges. If you have ever seen photos of the Dali Lama you might notice that he is often seen smiling. His whole appearance is one of relaxation and openness. He looks approachable. He is ready to receive. He is embracing the whole package that is his life and living it openly and honestly, without pretentiousness. You do not have to be a spiritual leader in order to live a gratifying, happy life. You simply need to be yourself. Once you can be true to yourself, you can then b

The obvious sentiment around the Valentine holiday is to celebrate romantic love. For many people without a romantic interest in their lives, Valentine's Day is a poignant reminder of what is missing in their lives. This may be in part why Valentine's Day is a much maligned holiday. There is however, another way to look at February 14th. Look at it as a day to celebrate love. Love of yourself, your friends, your family and beyond. Valentine's Day is the red and pink color holiday that brightens up the drab grey of Winter with hearts, chocolates and flowers Here are some ideas to help you celebrate a day of  love. For the kids in your life: tuck a valentine into their lunch boxes or backpacks when they aren't looking. Even the snarky teenagers will get a kick out of it even if they won't necessarily want to admit it. Heart shaped cookies in the lunch box along with a red apple would be a nice addition as well. Surprise the family with a heart shaped cake for desser

Happiness is the product of accepting the choices you have made for your life path thus far, while understanding that we can decide to alter these choices anytime we choose if we find that we need to grow in a different direction. Happiness comes from embracing our soul purpose and self sacrifice.                                                      Honoring our Soul Choices When we make a choice to partner up with another person or to become a parent, we take on a soul commitment to another being. The challenge of such commitment, is in being mindful of the well being of those who we made the commitment to and putting aside our egotistical tendencies to worry about what we are getting in return. Empowering our children to feel good about themselves and their place in the family and affirming that they can achieve their dreams, is in itself empowering to us. What greater gift is there then to create and nourish a soul that can go on to live and grow with a strong sense of self wort

When the New Year arrives, many of us are determined to make changes in our lives, and so we set out to make resolutions. Often times many of these resolutions fade away almost as quickly as we write them down and we are left wondering why this happens to us nearly every time we make the attempt to improve ourselves. Some of the most common resolutions involve losing weight, exercising more and eating healthier. I feel the main reason these resolutions fail is because we are coming from an ego point of view rather than from our spiritual selves. If we remain mindful that we are first and foremost spiritual beings, then the notion of hitting the gym 3 times a week or dieting to lose that extra twenty pounds becomes amusing. Why? because perhaps we are doing it for the wrong reasons or maybe we are doing it for the right reasons but going at it the wrong way. If the goal of diet and exercise is so that we can look good to ourselves when we look in the mirror, or in the hope of attracting