CARING ABOUT WHAT OTHERS THINK

I am not what I think I am, and I am not what you think I am. I am what I think you think I am.”

― Charles Horton Cooley

 

I love that Charles Horton Cooley quote. He was an American sociologist from the 1800s. It’s a great observation of how most of us see ourselves. It’s something that so many us get trapped in and it’s a prison that is hard to break out. But you can! It starts by caring more about what you think first. Start putting yourself and your opinions before others and being your authentic self. It takes some practice if you aren’t used to doing it, but it does get easier. Then watch what happens.

Forgiveness

So there’s a beautiful prayer that I say often when I pray for others and it goes like this:

I love You.

I’m sorry,

Please forgive me,

Thank You.

It’s called Ho’oponopono. You can read about this amazing prayer and how a Doctor healed an entire mentally ill ward just with this prayer. Click on the link below to read this amazing story.

But what I found so fascinating was when I started to say it to and about myself. Something inside me said you know what there’s probably a lot of things that I could forgive myself about. I started to wonder what would happen if I started saying this to myself. So one day I decided to go look in the mirror and say this prayer to myself. I started to just cry a big good cry. I mean I was bawling. It was such a release. It kinda didn’t surprise me that I had such a reaction to it because we are the hardest on ourselves. We all make mistakes but how many us really forgive ourselves for them? Or take the time to let ourselves off the hook? I’m so glad I did this because clearly I had a little self forgiveness to do. Now I personally don’t think it matters what I’m forgiving myself for. Meaning I don’t have to recall all the mistakes I’ve made or issues I’m holding on to. I think the important thing here is just to be willing to forgive what happened in the past, letting it go, and then moving on to create a joyous life. By setting myself free from any pain, I am then able to let peace come into my mind, into my body and Into my soul. And that’s exactly what I experienced afterwards. After I had this big cry I just felt this feeling of peace come over me. It was just wonderful and that is why I wanted to share it with you. Maybe you too can let yourself off the hook and do a little self forgiveness. Peace!

My App Journey

For the past two years, I have been developing a mobile app with the intention to inspire and remind people of their own magnificence.  Well-being is our birthright and for most of us we have forgotten that so now it is just a matter of remembering.  The app is called “Moksha” – which is Sanskrit for “liberation”.  Why did I choose that word? Because we all want freedom from suffering.  We want freedom from beliefs and thoughts that no longer serves us.  

 

This app is for those who are receptive to the messages and signs of the universe. We receive them all the time if we stop and listen to the whispers. Moksha is here to inspire and remind you that you are an amazing child of the universe.  Functionality of Moksha includes a library of inspirational quotes, daily contemplations & fun features like push notifications at symbolic time 11:11AM Est. You can also add your own words of wisdom by adding your own personalized quotes and share them with the Moksha community if you choose to do so.  

 

The app was released in the App Store for iPhone (Android version to come) on my birthday, March 27th! I’ll never forget that day. My 10-year-old daughter, Grace, had her little hand on my hand the moment we hit the button to release it. She also wrote my first review!  She’s even a quote contributor!  It’s important to me as a single mom to show my daughter that we can follow our heart’s calling and go after our dreams. It’s taken me a long time to come to this realization myself.

 

So, I guess I’ll start at the beginning of my journey which lead to me where I am today. I’m a first Generation American. My family came here from Chile. My parents left Chile because at the time there was a lot of political upheaval and they wanted to give me and my sisters a better life. I wish I could say it was easy when we got here, but it was not. I came from a household that was full of limiting beliefs and programming like fear and a scarcity mindset. I didn’t have good examples of healthy relationships or even healthy mindsets. But there was always a little voice inside me that just watched the chaos around me that said, things don’t have to be this hard. When you are in this type of environment you basically grow up very fast. So, the moment I graduated high school I was out on my own. Life was hardly peaches and cream once I moved out. Because now I had all that programming that I had to deal with. I moved through life seeing that unhealthy programming unfold in front of my eyes. But I didn’t really know how to change the direction of my path so that I didn’t make the same mistakes my parents did. It wasn’t until I got married and went into couples counseling that I was shown healthy ways of thinking and being. But the real catalyst for my change was the birth of my beautiful daughter, Grace. I knew that parenting was a tremendous privilege after tying so many years with medical intervention. I didn’t want to mess this up. I knew that she was watching and learning from everything that I was doing and saying. So it was at that point that I wanted more for her and me out of life. And just as they say that when the student is ready the teacher will come. That is when I started learning from various therapists, mentors, authors, and teachers along the way. I was learning new ways of thinking.  I started to see how this world is full of unlimited possibilities. I’m truly grateful for the wisdom they all shared with me. I would definitely say I’m a seeker. A seeker of universal truths. I get very inspired and motivated by other people ‘s wisdom and now my own internal guidance system. I have post-its all over my computer with inspirational quotes and sayings. I will pull cards often from various stacks of inspirational decks. I just love to surround myself with these things because they remind me of what I deserve and what I am capable of. So fast forward to the last few years. I will have to say that I am not a very techy person. But I do appreciate it. I for one love my phone. I use my phone for so many things. I use it to change the heat setting on my house. I use it to set up my security system. I use it to keep track of my grocery list. I use it for so many things that enhance my life. I started looking for an app that would also enhance my emotional and mental wellbeing by sending me push notifications of inspiring quotes, messages and thoughts to contemplate. I personally think that we get messages all the time from the universe if we are open and receptive to them. So, I wanted a random message to come through my phone. But I wasn’t really finding what I was searching for. There was a saying that kept popping into my head by a first century Jewish Scholar named Hillel the Elder.  He said, “If not you, then who? If not now, then when?” So, I decided to create it.

 

One of the things that I have learned in life is that this universe is working for me and not against me. So, I come from a belief that everything I need flows to me and comes to me at the very perfect time. So, the people, places, things will come to you in the right time and in the right order. And that has been my experience on this app journey and continues to be.

 

Now I feel it’s important to mention that some people were not the most supportive of my idea and quest. This didn’t surprise me. Because even though some people have the best intentions, they can sometimes project their own fears and doubts unto you.

But I believe it’s not my place to convince anyone of anything. My efforts should go towards my goal. And that is what I did. I focused on my app and just took it one step at a time.

 

I truly love being a part of creating something new. I’ve done this on the animal welfare front as a cofounder of a successful shelter in my state and as a leader in mindfulness in a Fortune 500 company. It’s exciting to be a part of something bigger than yourself and work with likeminded people towards the same goals. Then to see things manifest and unfold is also the best part. I just love it.

 

I’ll never forget when this idea was finally becoming a reality. I got the approval email from Apple it said now you have the opportunity to reach a global audience. Wow I thought! That sentence made such an impression on me. Because I always want anyone that interacts with me to benefit from our interaction and my desire is that they will be elevated from our interaction but that no one will ever be diminished because of this interaction with me. And now I have an opportunity to interact with people around the globe! This was really exciting. Now I can spread positivity to inspire and motivate others around the world through their devices!  How cool is that?!

 

I’m very excited about this app. Because not only do I get to share inspiration and positivity from the collective wisdom that is all around us but it is also giving people an opportunity to share their wisdom with others too if they want.  If there was ever a time to spread positivity, it’s now!  And Moksha is here to help with that!

Your Inner Being is Quite Well

John Quincy Adams, 7th U.S. President, wrote this the day before he died: “John Quincy Adams is well, but the house in which he lives at the present time is becoming dilapidated. It’s tottering on its foundations. Time and the seasons have nearly destroyed it. Its roof is pretty well worn out. Its walls are much shattered and tremble with every wind. I think John Quincy Adams will have to move out of it soon. But he, himself, he himself is quite well, quite well.”

I AM THE NEW YEAR POEM


I Am The New Year- Author Unknown

Life, I am the new year.
I am an unspoiled page in your book of time.
I am your next chance at the art of living.

I am your opportunity to practice
what you have learned about life
during the last twelve months.

All that you sought
and didn't find is hidden in me,
waiting for you to search it out
with more determination.

All the good that you tried for
and didn't achieve
is mine to grant
when you have fewer conflicting desires.

All that you dreamed but didn't dare to do,
all that you hoped but did not will,
all the faith that you claimed but did not have -
these slumber lightly,
waiting to be awakened
by the touch of a strong purpose.

I am your opportunity
to renew your allegiance to Him who said,
'behold, I make all things new.'

I am the new year.

Three Magic Words Meditation

In the book, Three Magic Words by Uell S Anderson, is this beautiful meditation that I can’t stop saying to myself. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. It goes:

I know that I am pure spirit, that I always have been, and that I always will be. There is inside me a place of confidence and quietness and security where all things are known and understood. This is the Universal Mind, God, of which I am a part and which responds to me as I ask of it. This Universal Mind knows the answer to all of my problems, and even now the answers are speeding their way to me.

I needn’t struggle for them; I needn’t worry or strive for them. When the time comes, the answers will be there. I give my problems to the great mind of God; I let go of them, confident that the correct answers will return to me when they are needed. Through the great law of attraction, everything in life that I need for my work and fulfillment will come to me. It is not necessary that I strain about this – only believe. For in the strength of my belief, my faith will make it so. I see the hand of divine intelligence all about me, in the flower, the tree, the brook and the meadow.

I know that the intelligence that created all these things is in me and around me and that I can call upon it for my slightest need. I know that my body is a manifestation of pure spirit and that spirit is perfect; therefore my body is perfect also. I enjoy life, for each day brings a constant demonstration of the power and wonder of the universe and myself. I am confident. I am serene. I am sure.

No matter what obstacle or undesirable circumstance crosses my path, I refuse to accept it, for it is nothing but illusion. There can be no obstacle or undesirable circumstance to the mind of God, which is in me, and around me, and serves me now.

The Wisdom of Trauma Documentary

“Trauma is not what happens to you. Trauma is what happens inside you, as a result of what happens to you.”
— Gabor Maté

A must see film! Our deepest pains can be a doorway to healing. Trauma is a force that shapes our lives…the way we live, the way we love and the way we make sense of the world. It is the root of our deepest wounds. Dr. Maté gives us a new vision: a trauma-informed society in which parents, teachers, physicians, policy-makers and legal personnel are not concerned with fixing behaviors, making diagnoses, suppressing symptoms and judging, but seek instead to understand the sources from which troubling behaviors and diseases spring in the wounded human soul.

Stop and Daydream

“On a regular basis, take time to imagine the very best that life can be. Step aside for a moment from the day-to-day concerns of life. Re-establish contact with your highest goals and most treasured dreams. Remind yourself of the beautiful possibilities that life holds for you. Renew your determination to bring them to fruition." -Ralph Marston

Something to think about…

Guest House by Rumi

Most of us like to avoid negative emotions as much as possible. They sure can be intense. But one thing I have learned over time is to never dismiss your negative emotions. They are there for a reason. It’s part of your internal guidance system. It’s telling you something. So what I do now when I’m feeling intense feelings is really just let them in and not push them away. Don’t rush them. Don’t hush them. Invite them in. Listen to them. Treat them like a guest in your house.

Guest House by Rumi

This being human is a guest house.

Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,

some momentary awareness comes

as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!

Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,

who violently sweep your house?

empty of its furniture,

still, treat each guest honorably.

He may be clearing you out

for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,

meet them at the door laughing,

and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,

because each has been sent

as a guide from beyond.

Life Is A Mirror

“Each moment of our life, the reality of our internal truth (what we have become) is mirrored to us by the actions, the choices, and the language of those around us.” -Gregg Braden

I always say that your external world is just a reflection of your inner world. I recently came across this amazing video by Gregg Braden that goes into a deep discussion about seven mirrors that are reflected back to us in life and what they each mean. It gave me a greater understanding of me and life and that’s why I’m sharing it with you. Enjoy!

The Seven Essene Mirrors explained Gregg Braden.

Are You Easily Offended? Then you need to watch this!

Who or what has triggered you, pushed your button, or irritated you recently that you are going to give some contemplation to? Watch this 6 minute video by Darren Hardy about what it says about you.

I was recently triggered myself. It is giving me an opportunity to look at myself. What am I looking for outside of myself? Why am I giving my power to others? It’s a tough subject but a critical one if you want to be free!

Want To Test My Mobile App?

I created an app to share the beautiful collective wisdom that is all around us. It’s currently in the testing phase. But if you want to participate and download just go to the mobile app page on my website to get early access.

The app is called Moksha. Moksha is Sanskrit for liberation. The Moksha app is for those who are receptive to the messages and signs of the universe. We get them all the time if we stop and listen to the whispers.  Moksha is here to inspire you and remind you that you are an amazing child of the universe.  To help you be free of what no longer serves you. We will send you messages from the collective wisdom through push notifications and inspiring quotes. Allow Moksha to join you on your amazing journey through life!