Free At Last!!

"Free at Last! Free at Last! Thank God Almighty we are Free at Last!!" --Martin Luther King, Jr.

What have you Freed yourself from?  Or what should you Free yourself from? 

Do you need to be Free from an unhealthy relationship, that you know is not good for you? 

Do you need to Free yourself from regrets of the past?  Or unknown fears of the future? 

There are various methods to utilize in order to Gain more personal freedom in your life:

• Set Boundaries with your loved ones.  Verbalize your boundaries and stay firm.
• "Say what you mean, without saying it mean."
• Stay True to Yourself. By living authentically, you will naturally follow your own path of peace. How do you wish to spend your time?  In a state of anxiety, "walking on eggshells", reacting to situations/your partner/spouse...OR In a state of Peace, living from a proactive, productive, peaceful center, living from the Heart.  Free yourself from stressful situations.  "Detach" from the situation by removing yourself physically, or "detach" by letting go of the struggle with the other person; take a time out and revisit when perspectives may be more clear.  If there is not an agreement to be reached, agree to disagree.
• Establish your "bottom lines" for your life, what you refuse to tolerate, and you will be Free from negative influences you may have tolerated in the past.
• Free yourself from regrets of the past by casting them to God.  Cast them to God, then try not to reel them back in.  If you reel them back in, recognize that you are thinking about your regrets again and Cast them back to God.  Do this over and over, until you feel lighter, more Free.
• Free yourself from unknown fears of the future.  Remember, God is in control; we are not.  We can not control the future.  We can do our best;  live with positive energy, expecting an abudndance of peace, health, beauty and prosperity in our future.

We are ALL held in the Heart of God...We only need to recognize that fact...especially through difficult times.  Set yourself Free...Free At Last!  What are you going to set yourself Free from this year?

God, Grant Me The Serenity...

Gotta love the Serenity Prayer.  This one prayer/meditation can help you navigate through rough times in your life, as well as deal with daily dilemmas. 

GOD GRANT ME THE SERENITY
TO ACCEPT THE THINGS I CAN NOT CHANGE
COURAGE TO CHANGE THE THINGS I CAN
AND THE WISDOM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE.

"ACCEPT the things I can NOT change"

• can NOT change other people
• can NOT control other people
• can NOT "fix" other people
• can NOT make someone happy

 "COURAGE to change the things I CAN"

• CAN change my self
• CAN change my attitude toward other people and situations
• CAN set new boundaries with others
• CAN change my "bottom lines"--what I will allow into my life /what I will not tolerate
• CAN choose to disengage from an argument--"let go", stop doing "the dance"
• CAN change the way I react to situation

"WISDOM to know the difference"---Discerning between the things I can change and the things I can not change.

When you have a problem or dilemma, break it down using the Serenity Prayer:

• What aspects of your situation can you NOT change?  A spouse, family member or friend? 
• Accept that you can not change the other person. 
• Next, what CAN you change about your situation?  What can you change about yourself?
• Pray/meditate for Wisdom to know the difference between what you can change about your situation and what you can not change.
• Pray/meditate on building the Courage & strength within yourself to change the things you can.

Have you applied this in your life?  Have you tried to change someone else, then realized that the Only person you can change is Your Self? 

      

Zen Living Simply: Who are You Without Your Stuff?!

Zen Living Simply: Who are You Without Your Stuff?!: "So often in today's culture of 'more is better', 'bigger is better', we can be consumed by our desire for more, bigger, better Stuff. ..."

Who are You Without Your Stuff?!

So often in today's culture of "more is better", "bigger is better", we can be consumed by our desire for more, bigger, better Stuff.  It is a never-ending cycle perpetuated by our consumeristic society and marketing tactics promoting the latest Stuff.

I can so get caught in the consumeristic trap; I like this question--

Who are You Without Your Stuff? 

---without your Cars?
---without your House?
---without your Furniture?
---without your Clothes/Shoes/Handbags?
---without your latest greatest Tech gadgets?

Who are You Without Your Stuff?
Are you:
---a Patient,Loving parent?
---a Loyal, Trust-worthy partner or spouse?
---a Peace-seeker?
---a source of Positive energy toward Yourself and others?
---a Dependable friend?

Our Stuff does not define the Divine Luster of who we are--God's children, Precious and Free.