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Written by Catherine VanWetter
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Tuesday, 20 April 2010 00:00 |
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 Change is definitely in the air. It’s as if everyone’s Achilles “heel” is being stretched and is begging to be “healed”. With the loss of jobs, dreams, homes and family, how does one move forward in a proactive way embracing the challenges and welcoming the transition, as scary, frustrating, and humiliating as they may be?
Most recently, I re-located to a different town leaving a community I had lived in for 26 years, a home I had owned for 11 years and my 2 young adult sons. Though my move was something I emotionally wanted to do, and moved only 45 miles away, I have experienced grief, loss and a deep wondering of where my place is. Not only have I physically moved but I have also experienced a huge change in my financial situation. I went from having a monthly income of several thousand to living off of my credit cards. Now that I am, gratefully, debt free, I have a whole new perspective on what is important in my life.
As I was going through my “dark night of the soul”, releasing my own dreams and fully realizing the reality of what was occurring in my life, I came to understand that I could live with so much less than what I was used to living on. Through this deep understanding and acknowledgment, I became more resourceful, frugal, aware and grateful to how much I truly have. In ways, it feels as though I have grown a “backbone” that enables me to fully engage all of my insights, wisdom and resourcefulness that I have acquired over the years.
The biggest limiting belief that I overcame, was the deep inner fear that I was unable to support my self and thrive during such an enormous upheaval in my life. I grew up believing that I could not support myself, and even though I am trained in so many different areas, that self-limiting belief continued to influence my life and ultimately my choices. Curious, how such a distorted frame of reality can embody one’s perception of self. Yet, how many of us lack the inner confidence that we are enough? Failing to realize that if we set our minds to it, we could accomplish anything? Yet, for whatever reason, so many of us falter and fail to find our way?
During this time in history we are all being called to look deep within and heal those parts of ourselves that are preventing us from fully showing up in life. Now is the time to know, that we are the ones we have been waiting for. And so, how does one go about doing this? Here are a few guiding tips that I hope will be helpful:
1. Become aware with how much you tell your “story” or drama, and why you want to keep repeating it. Is there something that you feel isn’t being heard from those you are retelling it to?
2. Pay attention with whom you spend your time with. Our friends and acquaintances can either help us grow or keep us in our “story” and smallness.
3. Spend time alone reflecting on what is important in your life and make a list. Then, do those things.
4. Spend time in silence, noticing your repetitive thoughts and how they “make” you feel. Do you feel uplifted or funky? Remember; You are just a thought away from feeling happy or sad.
Even though it may seem like our circumstances warrant or control our lives and feelings of contentment or discontentment, we have a lot more control over our lives than what we think. Become proactive and start taking small steps to move forward in gratitude, appreciation and love. You truly are one thought away from making a change that will forever shift your life. If not now when? And, if not you who?
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Written by Catherine VanWetter
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Monday, 12 October 2009 01:00 |
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 Have you ever noticed when life gets to be too much and you’re feeling overwhelmed and uninspired, how everything becomes difficult to handle? It’s as if life has lost its color and zest, and nothing looks promising. Negative self-talk becomes more pronounced, people seem rude and uncaring, and the world surely is headed towards disaster.
Stress has a tendency to do that and during this time of tumultuous transition, it can be easy to get swept away with hopelessness. So how can this be prevented or at least halted before overwhelm takes over? I have found that there are some easy, proactive steps that a person can do everyday to help ease the build-up of stress resulting in overwhelm.
First of all, a small amount of self-care everyday is crucial for maintaining a state of well-being. This could be as simple as spending 3 – 5 minutes in the morning, before getting out of bed, focusing your awareness on your breath. As you breathe in and out, notice how easy and effortless it is, to just be. As you relax into this, I invite you to pay attention to the area around your heart and breathe in gratitude, appreciation and love for yourself, a loved one, or a memory. Allow yourself to fill up with the fullness of your heart and breathe to all areas of your body releasing any tension or tightness. Doing this on a regular basis every morning will help you as you ease into your day.
Another suggestion is to become aware of your thoughts. Notice with curiosity the ones that help you feel good and the ones that pull you down. Its amazing how insidious thoughts are, and how powerful they can be with creating a mood. If one is unaware of their thoughts and don’t pay attention to whether or not they are positive or negative, within a short period of time a person can either feel uplifted or downtrodden. Just becoming aware of this and subtly shifting your attention, you can divert a negative thought and flow into a positive one.
While it is not always easy to shift out of an overwhelmed or uninspired state, there are very affective and proactive steps that you can take. Sometimes it’s a matter of faking it till you make it. The more you practice, the easier it is to notice and shift. I invite you to try out a variety of different strategies and notice which ones become your favorite.
"Are you ready to step away from who you think you are, and fully become the magnificent person that you are? Together, we will separate the facts from your "story" that will help you step into the field of infinite possibilities." Catherine invites you to attend her complimentary teleclass "Honoring Your Past - So that you may Embrace This Moment and Step Confidently into Your Future" http://totheheartofthematter.com/teleclass/
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Written by Catherine VanWetter
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Thursday, 08 October 2009 10:39 |
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Now, more than ever, we are being challenged to look at the areas in our life that are difficult. Be it financial distress, the loss of a job or a diagnosis of a life threatening disease, all of us, in some way or form are getting stretched with what doesn’t feel good.
So how does one deal with adversity or hardship, and do it with grace? Ultimately, we are given a choice. Either we can struggle with what is or relax into the reality that so blatantly makes up the circumstances that one finds themselves in. When we are at choice, there can be some confusion because we have a decision to make. When one knows what direction to go in, there is no choice, you just do it. Instinctively, one makes that ultimate decision to move beyond the choice and move into a direction. Be it right or wrong, it is a direction that at anytime can be corrected or realigned.
Presently, each of us is at a certain choice point where we can either continue resisting and struggling with our current situation or decide to relax into it and choose a different direction. This is a time to be gentle with oneself because the changes that we are undergoing are difficult and life changing. It can feel as though we are being harshly awoken from a wonderful dream into a nightmarish realm.
Ironically, the U.S has been a country that has been idolized throughout the world, as being the center of a perfect paradise. A place where dreams became a reality and opportunity was everywhere. Now, the stark reality has affected a large proportion of our population whose dreams of grandsire have melted into endless debt and emotional turmoil.
So again the question is, how can an individual bow deeply to their adversity and “new” reality and gracefully step into an opportunity that is rich with potential?
 One suggestion is to breathe deeply into what is, and within the silence of oneself, ask for divine guidance. Be still and listen. Being gentle with wherever you are in your life is imperative. Look within and with a compassionate heart, assess what changes can be made and move forward with the conscious intention of shifting your current mindset thus ultimately, your current situation will shift as well.
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Written by Catherine VanWetter
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Friday, 02 October 2009 01:00 |
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As you walk through your day, do you practice gratitude and grace? When things are going our way, this can be an easy task. When life is difficult or stressful, being grateful and being graceful about it can be quite the challenge.
I notice that when things are running smoothly for me, I sometimes forget to be grateful. Often, I catch myself saying out loud, “Thank you” for the beautiful sunset or the new friend that I met. It’s curious how easy it is to forget to be grateful when life is going smoothly and our way (smile) and grateful when life is the pits.
Through all of my learning’s, teachings and experiences, I am reminded to be equally, if not more so, grateful for those experiences, situations or people that can be challenging. This can be particularly hard because one may say to themselves, “I’m grateful for the way that my life is pushing all of my buttons, for what reason?” Yet, it is during these difficult moments that we often grow the most. It’s when we are able to surrender to the moment and the situation and gracefully step into it, that we notice with gratitude how to stand up in this world with a backbone.
Have you ever experienced a situation that was so difficult that you felt you couldn’t possibly get through it? Yet, when you collapsed into the situation and consented to what was, you found a strength that you didn’t realize that you had? That is a wonderful reminder of being in gratitude when everything in you, told you that you couldn’t possibly get through it. That is your greatest gift.
During this period of tremendous shifts, challenges and transitions, all of us, to some extent are being pushed and pulled in directions we may not always like. Yet, when we can utter those words, “I am grateful”, even if we don’t believe it at the time, can prove to be our greatest ally.
 I invite you when you are faced with a situation that is not to your liking, to say, “I am grateful for this moment” perhaps repeatedly and notice how the situation changes for you as you gracefully step into the present.
Join me on SoulDancer Radio for a heartfelt discussion on Gratitude & Grace ~ Don't Leave Home Without Them http://tinyurl.com/souldancer
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Written by Catherine VanWetter
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Tuesday, 25 August 2009 18:42 |
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