Every year the holidays make their way back around. This means different things for each of us. Some of us spend our days shopping for family and friends, then spend our nights sleeping in heavenly peace while warm and snug in our beds. Some of us struggle throughout the year-financially, physically, mentally, emotionally, and/or spiritually-and would love to be able to skip the holidays altogether. Some of us don't celebrate the holidays because it's just not something we do. The holidays are known for bringing happiness, sometimes magical miracles, and let's not forget stress! This year in particular, however, has brought with it a very different holiday season. Even for those of us who choose not to celebrate the holidays, I think it's safe to say that this year, we all have a reason or two to be thankful. Just making it to the end of this year is a major accomplishment in itself- and that alone deserves some recognition at the very least.
2020 brought many bizarre events with it...but the one most impact that also affected our entire planet, was the COVID19 pandemic- and the fear attached to it. It caused world-wide devastation. The world was stopped dead in its tracks, stripping us all of our lives as we knew them.
To say that all of the devastation, pain, sorrow, loss, and hardships that I, and the rest of the world have witnessed, completely shattered my heart and crushed my soul, is the understatement of the century. It tears me up inside to know that so many people are suffering. If I could take all the pain from every single living being in this universe so that everyone and everything could experience what it would be like to live in a world with no pain, I truly would not hesitate to take it.
My goal is to be a light in the dark. Even the tiniest little spark can light a dark room...but a room full of darkness cannot put out that tiny spark. I hope to help others out there find there spark. I hope to give hope to the people who are out there suffering for any reason at all. I want them to know they're not alone. I see you. I feel you. I love you. I am you. For the people who feel like they're at their breaking point, I'm here to remind you that you are so much stronger than you realize...you got this! WE got this! The power of shared connections forged through love and compassion are unbreakable! There is nothing more powerful and absolutely no force is stronger than love. It's not too late for us. Our beautiful planet and the magnificent creatures who inhabit it are in desperate need of love and healing. When we heal ourselves, then we can help each other heal...which helps heal our planet, animals, and everything under the sun that may need healing!
It is said that not all storms come to destroy, some come to clear a path. I truly believe that this storm that has came to wake us up, break us down, and leave us no other choice than to face our own individual truths, as well as bring to our attention this reality we have managed to carelessly create as a collective. Despite the amount of damage we have caused, we do have the power to fix everything. We can re-emerge from the chaos as better humans if we choose to. Sorting through the wreckage after disaster strikes forces us to face things...the things we find beautiful and pleasing are now side-by-side with our shadows...everything is exposed- the things we keep hidden from the rest of the world, the things we don't want to accept about ourselves, childhood traumas, broken hopes and dreams, and all of the painful emotions that we have worked so diligently to keep suppressed. It all comes to the surface. No warning. No time to prepare.
It's one thing to know the world needs to change, yet continue on living our busy lives. We convince ourselves that we have plenty of time to make the necessary adjustments, or we tell ourselves that things aren't really that bad. That one little lie packs enough punch to rid us of our guilt, then more second passes, then it's stored in the deepest file cabinet in our minds to collect dust. But how different is it to not have the power to choose whether or not you are ready to meet the darkness face to face? Then forced to be on lockdown with it? To have to sit down, shut up, listen closely, and most importantly- take responsibility for your own life. I think one of the most painful, yet liberating things we can ever do is meet our shadows. It opens a floodgate of emotions, and even forgotten memories, that you thought didn't have any effect on you anymore- but have actually been the driving force in your life.
When we love ourselves and start accept every part of ourselves, we start to see everything more clearly. We realize that we aren't really that different after all. We all have experienced hurt. Every one of us has suppressed emotions and has buried parts of ourselves that we don't want to accept or don't want the world to see. When we finally realize that we all share the same struggles, we tend to have more empathy for one another. Community status, who drives the most expensive car, or who has the larger bank account doesn't matter whatsoever anymore once we have willingly knelt down in our own fire, letting the flames engulf us...burning away judgement, resentment, jealousy, anger, fear, shame, and all other debilitating emotions that we have carried around with us for years. They are melted away as we face them, feel them, and love ourselves through the pain. When we finally sit and listen to the shadows who go by the names of Fear, Shame, Guilt, Worry, Confusion, Blame, OR many others, we realize that these scary shadows are just disguises that our inner child has formed as a defense mechanism. That precious child needs to feel safe. Needs love and acceptance. Needs patience and Faith. The inner child deserves these things, and deserves to grow. So be gentle with yourself...the inner child is you.
Once we When we gain the knowledge, wisdom, and understanding we need, we rise up out of the ashes...liberated and transformed. Our soul takes flight. Our purpose becomes crystal clear- to help liberate others through healing so that they too can go through the transformation. The ultimate goal is to have the entire world undergo transformation so that a new peaceful, loving, harmonious, disease and war-free world can emerge.
It will take a total unravelling of every false belief that you may have clung so tightly to the majority of your life. To completely let go of everything that no longer serves us individually or serves the greater good of everyone. It requires total surrender and trust. You have to trust yourself and know that you are worthy of love, peace, and happiness. You are perfect just the way you are. It isn't easy. It isn't always pretty. And it is very painful at times. But it is definitely the best thing you can ever do for yourself.
A person who hasn't healed will end up passing the trauma down to their kids...then their kids' kids...and so forth. I believe we have to heal ourselves in order to successfully start teaching our children how to be more compassionate. More selfless. More understanding. More patient. More empathetic. And more loving. All my life I have heard grown-ups tell little boys to not play with dolls because dolls are for girls. Or "boys don't cry". Is it really so shocking that these boys grow into men who don't show emotions or know how to connect with their children? What would happen if we would encourage all kids to feel their emotions while guiding them and teaching them how to constructively deal with them? What if we did the same thing for the sweet little boys who want to play with dolls that we do for the sweet little girls who pretend to be mommy to their dolls? In reality, denying a child, of either sex, to act out the very first loving interaction they experience when coming into this world is the same as telling them that the interaction was staged or a procedure. Not allowing a child to cry or feel their emotions will more than likely lead to destructive behavior, strained relationships, confusion, and other types of damage that will be extremely hard to correct. Every stage of their life will likely be affected. If we correct these things now, I would be willing to bet that not only would more children have their fathers around, but the fathers would be much more emotionally healthy and able to better nurture children and have stable connections with a significant other; verses the men who were taught that to be a boy means you can't play with dolls or cry. The only way to correct the errors in our ways is to admit we have done things wrong, then do them the right way.
I put together a gift guide for the 2020 holiday season. It does not include a list of the hottest products or the most expensive or trendy brands. I feel like this year has been a wake up call for all of us to reflect on what's important to us, learn to stop and appreciate one another, and focus more on the things that help us grow and heal, and things that help build us up and encourage us to become the best versions of ourselves that we can possibly be. Let's remind each other of our strength and our worth. Let's love one another, unconditionally.
This guide is short, sweet, and very powerful. It doesn't require spending any money. This guide is about self-love and self exploration. It will hopefully serve as torch on the path of higher understanding. To help others we first must help ourselves.
1. Gratitude Journal
Try writing down five things you're grateful for each day for a month. You can do this with a loved one and then share what you write with each other. You will start to notice how much happier you are and you will start to appreciate the small things we tend to stop noticing a lot more too. This can have a profound effects on relationships. When the month is over, still do this everyday. Add a separate list of things to write down that you love about yourself. You will not be disappointed after doing this for just one week!
2. Compliment a Stranger
Every time you go to a store or anywhere in public, compliment a stranger. I like to pick someone who looks like they need a little love. This seems so small, but it has the same effect as throwing a pebble into the ocean...it ripples out into the world carrying the potential to become a massive wave. It is true that we never know what battle someone is secretly fighting. A person who looks mean may be having a bad day. Spread love everywhere, to everyone, every chance you get.
3. Go for a Walk in Nature
This can bring peace, calmness, help you slow down, clear your mind, and get grounded. When I go for a walk with my kids, we bring along gloves and a bag to pick up trash along the way. The more you do this, the more you will enjoy it. If possible, try to do some journaling. Write down anything that crosses your mind. You will be surprised at how it may help you later on. Meditating in nature is amazing also!
4. Declutter, Detox, Rest
Our environment has more of an impact on our mental state than what most of us realize. If your home has clutter, try dedicating 30 minutes to 1 hour each day on clearing out the clutter. Buried emotions may surface...write them down then let yourself feel them. Ask yourself if what you're trying to hold onto is serving your highest good, or is it weighing you down. Same goes for diet and exercise- are you putting things inside of your body that cause you to feel unhealthy? Are you getting enough rest? Run a bath with some lavender oil in the water. Sprinkle in some Himalayan Pink Salt if you have it. If not, it's fine. Light a few candles and turn out the light. As you soak, imagine all of your stress being drawn into the water. Imagine starting a new day full of energy and gratitude. When you are done, go to bed super early. When you wake up in the morning you will feel refreshed and your body, mind, and soul will thank you. You can run a relaxing bath like this for a loved one to help then rejuvenate too.
5. Seeing Without Eyes
Try seeing everyone as if you are looking at a small child. See their mistakes as them learning and growing. Help them up when they fall. See them with your heart, not just your eyes. Offer guidance and assistance. Give them a safe place where mistakes are opportunities to learn and being accepted is automatic. Encourage them to keep going and acknowledge their accomplishments, no matter how small. Show them unconditional love. This is the best gift anyone can give or receive. I believe this is the master key to unlock the door of soul ascension. When we can radiate love and understanding instead of judgement and hate, then we will see magic happen. Let's fill our hearts with grace and compassion, and ALWAYS show kindness. We can change the world...all we have to do is change ourselves. We need only allow the flames of purification to melt away our faulty ways of thinking and destructive behavior patterns. Then we can rise up from the ashes as the limitless, loving, and transformed beings we were always meant to be!
About the Creator
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Ezomindus
In a valley where silence grew like silver grass, And the mountains seemed to hold their breath, There lived a soul whose name no map could claim—Ezomindus. He was no king of armies, no lord of stone halls, But a traveler of thought, a seeker of questions, A spark that refused to bow to fear or certainty. Ezomindus was born on a night When the moon hung low, swollen with mystery, And the wind whispered secrets through the cracks of the world. The elders, wise yet fearful, said, “This child will wander paths unknown, And his thoughts may burn like fire.” The stars, however, had their own counsel: “This child will wonder, And in his wondering, awaken others.” From his first breath, he listened—not just to people, But to the heartbeat beneath the soil, The rhythm of rivers carving their patient paths, The quiet ache of shadows folding over themselves. He heard the sorrow hidden inside laughter, The longing beneath simple words, The unspoken truths between two people’s eyes. While the villages built houses of brick and pride, Ezomindus built bridges of questions. “Why does the river never hold its shape?” he asked. “Why does the flame dance even as it dies?” “Why does the heart ache for what it cannot name?” His questions were neither rude nor loud; They were gentle arrows of thought, Piercing the illusions of routine and comfort. He wandered through forests older than memory, Where trees leaned close as if to hear him think. Roots twisted like ancient riddles, Leaves shimmered with the dust of forgotten stars. “Everything changes,” the trees whispered, “Even the one who asks.” Ezomindus was not afraid of change. He feared the stillness that numbed the mind. He saw cities wrapped in golden noise, People chasing shadows of approval, Running toward mirrors that reflected only themselves. He whispered to them softly, “Your chains are not iron—they are thoughts You never dared to examine.” Some laughed. Some scowled. Some left. A few felt something stir inside, A small trembling recognition of a mind not yet free. He carried no sword, yet battled storms of doubt. He climbed mountains that seemed to pierce the sky, Where air thinned into honesty, And only the purest thoughts could survive. At the summit, there was no throne, No crown, no prize—only a mirror of ice. In that mirror, he saw himself Not as hero nor as failure, But as a river of becoming. His courage and his fear flowed together, His wounds glimmered like constellations, His mind stretched out like the horizon itself. He understood at last: To conquer the world is smaller than conquering the mind. So he descended, carrying no gold, No trophies, no scrolls of fame, Only awareness. He spoke in marketplaces, empty fields, In the hush of midnight and the blaze of noon. “Do not fear the darkness,” he said. “It is the canvas upon which your light can paint.” As years passed, Ezomindus did not grow old in spirit. His eyes remained young with curiosity, His voice tender with truth. Children gathered around him, Drawn to the way he asked questions Instead of offering answers. “What is strength?” one child asked. He smiled and replied, “Strength is choosing truth Even when lies are easier, Even when the world calls for silence.” “What is freedom?” another asked. He touched the soil, the roots, the wind. “Freedom,” he said softly, “Is seeing your own thoughts Without becoming their prisoner.” “And what is love?” they asked. He paused, feeling the wind trace his weathered face. “Love,” he said, “Is the courage to let another soul breathe, To honor their mind as you honor your own, To walk beside them without claiming their journey.” Ezomindus became a legend, Not of battles won or lands conquered, But of minds awakened. He did not build empires of stone; He built awakenings, Invisible yet eternal, A revolution of thought, quiet yet unstoppable. When his final evening came, The sky blazed in amber farewell, And the valley seemed to lean closer in sorrow. He lay beneath the same moon That had watched his first breath. Around him stood those Who had once been lost in noise, Now awake to the rhythm of their own hearts. “Master,” they whispered, “What remains when you are gone?” Ezomindus looked at them, At their trembling hope, At their eyes opening wide to their own truths. “I remain,” he said, “In every thought you dare to examine, In every fear you face with courage, In every moment you wake instead of drift asleep.” His breath faded like a candle surrendering to dawn, Yet the valley did not grow silent. It hummed with awareness, Alive with the minds he had stirred. Ezomindus was never a body— He was a question set on fire, A space between impulse and reflection, A courage to look within. He was the whisper that said: Do not live asleep. Do not fear the depths of your own mind. For the greatest journey Is not across oceans or stars— It is through the vast, uncharted realm Of your own consciousness. Long after, children would trace his steps in the forest, Listening to the trees, to the rivers, Learning to see the unseen. They carried no scrolls, no crowns, Only the seed of questioning he had planted, A spark that refused to die. And so Ezomindus lives, Not in stone or story, But in every mind that dares to pause, Every heart that dares to reflect, Every soul that refuses to sleep While the world drifts blindly onward. For life is fleeting, And the noise of the world can drown the quiet, But the mind that awakens is eternal. Ezomindus taught this: To live is to be aware, To be aware is to be free, To be free is to walk the endless path Of truth, courage, and love. And somewhere, when the wind bends the silver grass And the moon hangs low like a question, A voice stirs inside the restless heart: “Do not live asleep. Do not fear your own depths. For the greatest journey Is not across oceans or stars— It is through the vast, uncharted Realm of your own mind.” Ezomindus is not gone— He is the question set on fire, The mind that will not sleep, The whisper inside every heart That chooses awareness over comfort, Courage over fear, Truth over illusion. And the valley, ever alive, Breathes on, Shimmering with the light of a mind awake.
By The best writer about 22 hours ago in Motivation
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