Category: Spirituality

Sep30

Peace Begins with Me

by Cheryl Brewster

Audio File Prayer of ReconciliationNational Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Each year, September 30 marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. The day honours the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. Public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital component of the reconciliation process.

As individuals, it can be difficult to know what one person can do. The pain is so great. As I pondered what can I do today, I was inspired to create an audio of the Ho’Hoponono prayer for the survivors of the residential schools, and the deep suffering that has plagued humanity throughout history. This prayer technique is from a legendary Hawaiian method of healing and purification that is centred on self-love as a means of healing.

Ho’oponopono means doing something right or putting something right – it stems from “Ho’o” doing something and “Pono” balancing out or the path to perfection. It’s about taking personal responsibility for not only my own actions, but for how I deal with everything that crosses my path. As I clean up any aggression inside myself, my outside world returns to order, because it is an expression of what is going on inside me. Prayer is the first step.  Contributing in more physical ways is the next.

From my heart to yours, thank you for considering this prayer as a means of contributing to the healing of humanity. Healing and peace, begin with me. Click here to listen or download.

More information on the prayer:
The prayer came to me through the story of a therapist who achieved miraculous healing outcomes at a Hawaiian state hospital through the use of four simple affirmations. Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len, a spiritual practitioner well-versed in the ancient art of Ho’oponopono shared this legendary Hawaiian method of healing and purification, is centered on the concept of self-love as a means of healing.

Dr. Hew Len meticulously reviewed the files of each patient at the mental hospital he worked in. He didn’t meet the patients, as he perused their records, he intoned a specific mantra for each individual file: “I love you. I am sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you.” He repeated this process consistently for months. Patients who had previously been restrained were granted their freedom, while others were gradually weaned off their medications. Eventually, all the patients experienced healing and were reintegrated into society.

What makes Dr. Hew Len’s approach intriguing is that he did not request the patients to recite the mantra themselves. Instead, he held the belief that, as individuals interconnected by a shared energy, we possess the capacity to influence this energy either positively or negatively for others. He believed that our actions and intentions have the power to attract healing. Thus, by choosing to focus on the one aspect he could control—himself—his humility ultimately facilitated the healing of those connected to him, in this instance, his patients. While this concept may seem radical and almost implausible to many, it has been profoundly transformative for many, including me.

May each one of us be inspired, to continue to “feel to heal,” and do our part to embody a consciousness that transforms pain into peace. Our continuation as a species demands it, our divinity directs it, and our willingness to forgive and be forgiven ensures it.

 

Sep25

Courage to do Hard Things!

by Cheryl Brewster

Ahoy, courageous voyager!

Welcome back to another inspiring edition of weekly inspiration. I love the archetypal energy of the Inner Pirate as metaphor for triumph. It’s easy to stay inspired when things are going well, but when hard things come along, massive courage is required. It’s worth looking to some of history’s greatest leaders who embodied the pirate archetype to inspire change, reshape the world, and make a positive impact.

1. Nelson Mandela – The Compassionate Buccaneer: Mandela’s unwavering commitment to ending apartheid in South Africa is testament to his courage. He faced imprisonment for 27 years but emerged stronger, not bitter. He used diplomacy and forgiveness as his weapons, proving that courage can change an entire nation.

2. Eleanor Roosevelt – The Fearless Captain: As the First Lady of the United States, Eleanor Roosevelt was a trailblazer for human rights. She fearlessly championed causes like civil rights, gender equality, and children’s welfare. Her tenacity reminds us that true leaders never shy away from difficult battles.

3. Mahatma Gandhi – The Peaceful Privateer: Gandhi’s nonviolent resistance against British rule in India transformed the world. His courage to stand up for justice through peaceful means inspires us to navigate turbulent seas with grace and determination.

4. YOU – The Brave One: “When I am weak, then I am strong” means believing that the divine power within you is greater than any challenge you face, and choosing to live that strength in the moment. (2 Corinthians 12:10)

Leaders remind us that courage isn’t about wielding swords or hoisting flags; it’s about fearlessly embodying the courage of spiritual transformation to bring positive change in the face of adversity, into our inner and outer worlds.

🚢 “Courage to me is doing something daring, no matter how afraid, insecure, intimidated, alone, unworthy, incapable, ridiculed or whatever other paralyzing emotion you might feel. Courage is taking action….no matter what. So you’re afraid? Be afraid. Be scared silly to the point you’re trembling and nauseous, but do it anyway!”
― Richelle E. Goodrich

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Dec25

Joy is not the absence of pain, it’s the sacred acceptance of it

by Cheryl Brewster

Like you, I’ve experienced a lot of joy in my life, and a lot of pain. I recognize that both are integral dance partners, challenging assumptions and perceptions of reality.

JOY in my experience is the ever-present, inner quality of the soul, always in the background, and yet often expressing itself spontaneously and with great love. In fact I would say it’s one of the highest forms of love. And nothing is more comforting than knowing whatever befalls us, whatever conflict is gurgling inside of us, love prevails. When love prevails, joy does too. It’s an immutable law of the universe.

Which is why I’m so big on JOY. It’s fear’s faithful companion in the Hero’s Journey; the call to the Soul to express its true nature. By embracing what’s NOT working with kindness rather than with judgment, JOY looks for what is possible, opens dimensions of consciousness for fresh insight and new that solutions expand soul growth and greater effectiveness in life.

JOY means you’re true to the “real you” inside. The one that you’ll always be in discovery of. The one that lives in integrity with the law of nature, at one with itself and the universe.

JOY is always possible because it takes conflict and uses it to evolve consciousness.

There’s nothing more rewarding than that! No matter what’s going on, as we surrender to this inner quality inside, we make peace with our inner dragons and begin to tame them. That’s my definition of J.O.Y. – Just Open Yourself to this exquisite power inside. The sooner the better, for as the Course in Miracles reminds us:

Peace is our only goal and forgiveness is our only function.

Joy is not the fluffy stuff of unicorns and rainbows. It’s not surface. It’s deep. It’s strong because it’s emerged from transcending the sorrows of life. It knows that day always follow the night, so it trusts the light even when it can’t be seen. That’s joy. That’s the culmination of a deep, solid decision to trust life and be willing to continually face uncertainty with courage, grace, commitment and eventually, a sense of adventure.

Joy is the willingness to keep growing.
It’s the decision to embrace Beginner’s Mind, to cast ego pride aside, admit uncertainty and keep going anyway, learning how to walk in the new world with baby steps that include vulnerability, asking for help, many falls, scrapes and the infinite call to patience. Joy is knowing we are multi-dimensional, that everything really is okay, even when the ego insists it’s not. Joy is mindfulness, presence, and power rather than force.

In Stoicism, the Ancient Greek philosophy that emphasizes self-control, happiness or joy is defined as “eudaimonia” which means human flourishing and consists of growth, authenticity, meaning, and excellence. I’d say my definition of Joy is the same, it’s just a whole lot easier to spell . Like Stoicism, it speaks to the true nature of authenticity and the our evolution of expanding integrity and virtue of character. This is where joy and pain intersect. We’ll keep finding parts of ourselves that need to be surrendered to reveal the deeper authenticity within. I believe we do this best using joy – we will find all kinds of things that need to change, but joy’s response will be purposeful because it’s one of evolution. First we do things from love, then through love, then AS love. Joy identifies and releases patterns that don’t work, that keep us stuck in guilt or paralysis and makes healing possible.

Joy befriends the guilt. It provides safe passage for the pain to flow through. It is more interested in growth than being right. It’s not argumentative nor a perfectionist. Metaphorically, it likes to play in the dirt, in the imagination of mud pies that call to us when we take life too seriously.

So, the next time you find yourself wondering what happened to your joy. Know that it will come back. It didn’t go away, it’s still there, always in the background; you’ve just got some emotional processing to do. Painful emotions are a sign of growth and the reward is truly worth the effort. That’s why joy is not the absence of sorrow, it’s the sacred acceptance of it.

In the immortal words of poet William Blake, we find the seeds of resilience and true prosperity in this force of love called JOY:

Joy and woe are woven fine,
A clothing for the soul divine,
Under every grief and pine,
Runs a joy with silken twine.
It is right it should be so,
We were made for joy and woe,
And when this we rightly know,
Through the world we safely go.

 

May18

High Vibes for Hard Times

by Cheryl Brewster

Make no mistake – you were groomed for times like these… if you weren’t, you wouldn’t be here at this precise moment in history, or be drawn to reading the words that follow. High Vibes for Hard Times isn’t just a fanciful thought… it’s a way of life and Viktor Frankl, whose words appear to the left are living proof. He, who survived concentration camps in WWII because he had a bigger why to live for… his high vibes resulted in an epic demonstration of the power of these tools, that we can follow.

Your most important asset is your attitude… will it be based on the intuitive, solid, un-shakeable knowingness within or will it be based on the past habits of limiting beliefs and conditioning? You will know by how you feel.

Feelings are a barometer; they reveal what’s really going on both consciously and sub-consciously. Perhaps a fear virus has been in you long before the pandemic hit. As metaphor, the Corona Virus invites us to step up… to be the thought leaders and visionaries we were born to be; to drop the malaise or programming that kept us from living and contributing our fullest potential. The virus put us all on an even playing field; none of us has been exempt from its affects. Rich or poor, unemployed or not each one of us has a deliberate choice to make – to responsibly contribute to humanity through our own evolution. To bring help, healing, connection to family and work environments is an individual choice, with massive impact. We need healthier, kinder, more synergistic ways of living and being. The quality of your life is the proof.

The virus forced us to slow down. It’s imperative that we keep harnessing the power of this pause as we get back to work and re-create our worlds. They can’t be done in the old way anymore; a new economy awaits us as we discover and harness a new economy within our own mindsets and attitudes.

From my experience, “high vibration for hard times” defines an attitude that is courageous, clear, aligned with infinite intelligence and produces people of strong character, high ethics, solid values with legacies to be lived, and blessings to be shared. It’s one that defies “what has been” in order to “create what can be.” High vibration means that we forgive ourselves for past mistakes, and courageously embrace blind spots to excavate the hidden nuggets of gold within. High vibration means living intentionally, on purpose. It calls us to live from worth, spiritual wealth and well-being. (Did you know that the word wealth actually means well-being)?

High vibration living means that we accept the magnificence of our creative abilities; we create a world based on harmony, not on scarcity or consumerism. We become more willing to value what is innate inside of us, rather than feeding the voracious appetites of an ego that insists it can’t be happy unless or until….. In other words, we choose to be happy now and create from a place of having rather than wanting. Easy to say, hard to do when there are bills to pay and the whole economic landscape has changed. I know. I’ve been there too. But it’s been in those times, against all odds, when I’ve employed the power of deliberate intent using “high vibration” thinking, feeling and visualizing, that things have changed. It’s time to do so again. For all of us.

I’ve found both Stoic philosophy and spiritual tools of prosperity thinking to be invaluable for tough times:
In the words of Epictetus:

“There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power or our will.”  His life as a slave is proof of the power to use the high vibes of deliberate choice: “Sick and yet happy, in peril and yet happy, dying and yet happy, in exile and happy, in disgrace and happy.”

Spiritual mind treatment – the decision to be in alignment with our highest good manifests in the physical world:
Step 1: Desire
Step 2: The Universe responds, so we can trust the process and be at peace, optimistic, joyful, in gratitude and appreciation
Step 3: Make your most dominant vibration the receiving mode of your well-being

Faith is required. How strong will your faith be? In order to be strong, it must be nurtured… and we do that, one kind, better-feeling thought at a time. We surrender into the hope and joy of our desire – we dare to think, feel and act differently. We begin with the end in mind. Make this pandemic count. Take Your Stand for What Inspires You – and Do It. It’s your gift of contribution to a world that needs you, as you, for you. You were groomed for High Vibes in Hard Times.

Call to action – what were your insights in reading this blog? How will you apply them? What’s something you’ve been meaning to do, that you’ll stop deferring and start doing?  Let me know – that’s part of the integration process as we continue to expand and grow.

If you enjoyed this post, let us know and please share!

Rev. Cheryl Brewster, B.Msc.
I empower individuals and organizations to stay inspired and keep moving forward in positive, productive ways, no matter what changes, challenges or adversities they may face.

Personal and Business Intuitive, Consultant/Training/Keynotes/ specializing in:
Intuition in Business, Radical Joy through Conflict Resolution/Communication/
Resiliency Skills, Ordained Minister/Wedding Officiant and Life Celebrant

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mar24

In Times of Crisis, Step Up Into Grace

by Cheryl Brewster

You can and are making a difference by paying attention to your intuition, and practicing self-care. Your intuition is destiny calling. We were made for this times, let’s use our uncertainty and vulnerability to step up into Grace to support the birth of this new earth.

I’m writing this blog shortly after global states of emergency have been called… my heart breaks. Our world is being held hostage by the ravages of a virus that kills on so many levels. This can go two ways;  we can step up – contribute, connect and create necessary change, or we can get distracted and remain powerless. Historically, we are surrounded in a world gone mad with consumerism on one side and manipulation and control on the other. Both are steeped in ignorance and a refusal to support ethical living based on the simplicity of prosperity for all, kindness, community and compassion.

No more!

No longer can we afford the luxury of pretending and postponing reality. It’s here. And it hurts. Time therefore for individual and collective reflection and course-correction. It’s obvious that that at this critical time in history, we have the opportunity and obligation to bring about massive and necessary change. But that change will only be possible and sustainable by us each taking personal responsibility for how we choose to respond

We are connected as individuals to mass consciousness, which means that metaphorically,  each one of us has and continues to, create our own heaven or hell on earth by the assumptions and conclusions that determine our life experience. What if…

  1. Ethically: What if I am on the planet at this particular time to usher in a new wave of consciousness?
  2. Economically: As fear comes up, what if I am here to release my own fears “on behalf” of my loved ones? What if I am here to give to myself, the comfort I want them to have… innovation, creativity and confidence to establish a prosperity consciousness.
  3. Intellectually: What if I really “got” that trusting my intuition is the voice of reason, here to source practical solutions?
  4. Emotionally: What if rather than shutting down or going into panic, I give my feelings safe passage, I bless them as they move through me, to find the comfort and acknowledgment they need.
  5. Spiritually:What if, I’m here to embrace my own struggle with kindness and compassion and “step up into Grace” so that I can effectively support others in healthy ways without losing myself or draining my own cup dry?”
  6. Practically: What if I practiced consistency with the Mindful Minute and the ABCs of Intuition to keep me resilient in the “new normal” so that I can still live confidently, creatively and peacefully?
  7. In Community:  What if, I am here to use prayer and intention circles, to  share the power of healing and encouragement that we all need. (Check this website and resource page for audio recordings, online workshops and free inspirational talks).

This is a time of great spiritual awakening and as we each do our part in “stepping up into Grace” – we turn challenges into opportunities. We must be diligent in what we “choose” to create and how we wish to respond to inevitable crisis and uncertainty. We must come together in community to support each other as we adapt physically, psychologically and emotionally to strengthen our immune systems on all levels. Take good care, practice physical, spiritual and emotional hygiene  and continue to open your heart for the Grace that supports you managing the waves of change by creating your own that bless and serve.

Click here for the audio file “Mindful Minutes Even in States of Emergency”

I hope this blog has supported you at this particular time and look forward to supporting you further in the online talks and programs. Check my calendar here to stay updated and be sure to sign up for Daily Inspiration and my newsletter to stay connected.

 

Rev. Cheryl Brewster, B.Msc.
I empower individuals and organizations to stay inspired and keep moving forward in positive, productive ways, no matter what changes, challenges or adversities they may face.

Personal and Business Intuitive, Consultant/Training/Keynotes/ specializing in:
Intuition in Business, Radical Joy through Conflict Resolution/Communication/
Resiliency Skills, Ordained Minister/Wedding Officiant and Life Celebrant

 

 

Dec29

Radical Joy: Embracing Your Shadow part 2

by Cheryl Brewster

Radical Joy means embracing the shadow parts of us that we don’t like; seeing them as potential power houses rather than shameful attributes to be hidden and avoided. Embracing our shadows frees up their creative potential to move us forward, rather than hold us back. This is why the word radical is so important. We must be diligent in pursuing our joy… we must be radical in cultivating it in our lives, which includes being radical in how we look at our shadows and their inherent repressed emotion.

Radical both as noun and adjective are defined as:
a) “of going to the root or origin; fundamental”
b) favouring drastic reform
c) a person who holds or follows strong convictions or extreme principles

When it comes to joy, going to the root or origin of joy is fundamental to our health. We must nurture it, and if we haven’t been (how many of us really do?), then we definitely need to favour drastic reform, which means getting clear and strong in our convictions.

In her book Molecules of Emotion, American Neuroscientist and Pharmacologist, Candace Pert says….
“I believe that happiness is our natural state, that bliss is hardwired. Only when our systems get blocked, shut down, and disarrayed do we experience the mood disorders that add up to unhappiness in the extreme…. My research has shown me that when emotions are expressed… are flowing freely – all systems are united and made whole. When emotions are repressed, denied, not allowed to be whatever they may be, our network pathways get blocked, stopping the flow of the vital feel-good, unifying chemicals that run both our biology and our behavior.  This I believe is the unhealed feeling we want so desperately to escape from.”

This is where intuition, faith and follow-through come in. In the spiritual awakening process that we are going through en masse, our intuition is leading us to the places that we have been avoiding…. As Eleanor Roosevelt said so wisely, many years ago “you must do the thing you think you cannot do.” Ugh! That’s hard! Yet we are being shown a better life, if we would but trust our heart’s guidance.  Faith in our natural state of being hardwired for bliss means a radical shift in perspective… it means that we must forfeit “apparent success” for the foundation of “what’s real.” Not easy. But necessary.

We must be radical in embracing our natural state of bliss which includes embracing shadow work which doesn’t feel so blissful. This is the faith and follow-through of sound spirituality and communication with self and others…. The ability to observe, to practice mindfulness and to understand and embrace and transmute previously denied emotions. If left denied, they will tear us apart and we remain ignorant of their true function… to help us integrate our humanity and our divinity.

Over time, as author Michael Singer outlines in his book The Untethered Soul, “you will come to realize that the center from which you watch disturbance cannot get disturbed… you will understand what it means to be transcendent. This transcendence can only come from embracing the shadow which eventually drops the insistence that things be different than they are. When we are willing to let that go, the inner force that sustains, feeds and guides us from deep within returns us to the ocean of energy that we came from. We will still have thoughts, emotions and a self-concept, but they will just be a small part of our experience.  We begin to stop identifying with anything outside the sense of Self and over time, we never have to worry about things ever again!”

How radical is that?! To embrace the shadow with its terrifying emotions, knowing that in doing so, we are channelling that previously stuck energy into productive pathways that are nothing less than pure freedom.

Radical? Yes! Necessary? Absolutely. Viable? Only to the extent that we are willing to experience the temporary pain of letting go of our long-held suffering. It takes time. It’s not comfortable. But it’s the most authentic life we will ever live.  Keep going. Be strong. Have faith. Listen to your heart. Purify the mind, drop the insistence that things must be different than they are, and experience the mystery of “peace that passes all understanding.”

Radical Joy is Radical Self-Acceptance… giving yourself the compassion and respect that you so desire from your world. From the inside-out, radical joy embraces the shadow for a radically different life.

Call to Action:
Rather than judge your emotions as good or bad…. see them all as equally important. As Pert outlines in her research, we do this “first by acknowledging and claiming all our feelings, not just the so-called positive ones. Anger, grief, fear – these emotional experiences are not negative in themselves; in fact they are vital for our survival…The goal is to keep information flowing, feedback systems working and natural balance maintained, all of which we can help to achieve by a conscious decision to enter in the bodymind’s conversation.”

If you enjoyed this article, let us know! Individuals and organizations find Cheryl Brewster’s expertise as a Transformational Speaker and Coach refreshing and timely. She inspires growth in empowerment and connection through creativity and transition. To explore her work further, visit TheIntuitiveLife.com or email to book a complimentary 15 minute exploratory session.

 

 

 

May29

Time to Shake Things Up!

by Cheryl Brewster

“The term “spirituality” lacks a definitive definition.” This statement from the online etymology dictionary caught my attention…  (see more from Wikipedia) . How ironic and appropriate to come across a term that cannot be defined except by oneself! I have often found that until I can define something, I don’t have an understanding of it;  if I don’t have an understanding of it, then I am not consciously applying in my life.

What is your definition of spirituality?

In the defining, we begin to see where we are actually living what we say is important to us.  This practice of self discovery invites not only greater understanding, but greater authenticity and accountability – we begin to see where we are being effective or ineffective, where we’re being honest with ourselves or not.

Social scientists have defined spirituality as:
The search for “the sacred,” where “the sacred” is broadly defined as that “which is set apart from the ordinary and worthy of veneration.”

This begs the question, what is sacred to you…

  • in life?
  • in business or career?
  • in relationships?
  • in how you do anything – the big things, and the little things?

Are your life, business, relationships and how you operate “set apart from the ordinary and worthy of veneration?” Or are they dull, boring,  or overcrowded with anxiety,  overwhelm, reaction or repeated ineffective patterns? Is there a sense of energy and aliveness? Does your spiritual life seem separate or disconnected from your everyday life of down to earth, practical matters like running a household or a business?

Veneration is defined as respect or awe inspired by the dignity, wisdom, dedication, or talent of a person.

  • Where are you in awe of yourself and your life?
  • Where are you inspired by your own dignity, wisdom, dedication and talent?
  • How have you defined your life in ways that hold these parameters as sacred, as non negotiable?

The act of defining spirituality shakes things up – we begin to look beyond the assumptions and perceptions of conditioned thinking or inherited beliefs or habits that have lost their life-luster.  It’s the “shake-up call” to awareness of what’s really going on and what we can do to come back to a vibrant life filled with its own dignity, wisdom, dedication and talent. It’s the “shake-up” we need to  share this vibrancy with a world that desperately needs it. We live in a time where the shift of consciousness that is occurring is so important and so needed.  Look at just a couple of statistics and we are reminded, and called to “Take Our Stand”:

  • The Global Study on Homicide reported that in 2012, intentional homicide took the lives of almost half a million people.
  • The US federal price tag for the Iraqi and Afghanistan/Pakistan wars is  close to $4 trillion (let alone the cost of all other countries involved)
  • The  United Nations reported that in 2010-2012,  nearly 870 million people, or one in eight, were suffering from chronic undernourishment
  • According to Food Banks Canada, nearly 900,000 Canadians are assisted by food banks each month and 38% of those helped are children and youth

Huh?! We live in a world gone completely mad!

  • How can this be happening?
  • How can it be acceptable?
  • What can we do to change things, to shake things up?

If each one of us took responsibility for honoring our own dignity, wisdom, dedication, talent, wonder and awe, wouldn’t we in turn, seek to help our fellow human beings? Isn’t it time we awoke from the apathy we’ve grown up in and ask those hard hitting questions?  And isn’t that what spirituality is about? As we define it for ourselves, we come to see the responsibility that we have to live from a higher place in consciousness – to engage the thinking and actions that will access creative solutions to heal our planet.

How can we make this a better world? By defining and applying our definition of spirituality… we move beyond our egos, our self absorption and limited perceptions; we begin to grasp what the mystics have been saying for thousands of years and we yearn to engage that infinite intelligence within… if indeed we are unlimited, infinite, changeless consciousness at our core, then what are we doing to demonstrate this for real-world solutions? What are we doing to “get over ourselves” so that we can instead “give of ourselves?”  I believe it begins with listening to “the call,” the call to greatness that comes to each one of us in the form of listening to a deeper, more authentic, awe-inspired place within us.  As we follow through in the commitment to do the work, we become more mindful of the possibilities… and THAT is the living, breathing, dynamic definition of spirituality… the awe inspiring experience of our infinite, changeless, effortlessness… imagine the possibilities of coming together from this amazing space of creativity to bring healing to our hurting world.

It begins one step at a time, one person at a time, with the courage to change, and none of us does this alone.  As Ram Dass said, “we are all walking each other home.”

If you enjoyed this blog, we welcome your comments and insights.  If you would like to know more about Cheryl Brewster and her workshops and retreats, visit TheIntuitiveLife.com – where you can learn more and also sign up on two different places on the home page: one for general events and newsletter and the second one for a daily inspired quote (look under the testimonials box for this one).  Cheryl is a highly respected professional speaker and personal and business intuitive specializing in helping people transition from stress to success in life and business.

Dec15

The Power of Personal Reflection

by Cheryl Brewster

December is the invitation to reflect in  a time of stillness and quiet beauty.IMAG0558

This December has transformed itself into a month of stillness and beauty despite the hustle and bustle of the year…. Perhaps it’s because I’m up at 5:00 am every morning to drive my son to his new job until his pre-arranged car-pooling kicks-in again. I’m sure that’s a big part of it… I’ve enjoyed the extra time… it’s been quite magical. Not usually such a morning person, I have been gifted with so many things, like the play of light that streaks across a dark horizon; the stunning purples and blues behind the starkness of leaveless trees, mixed in with moonlight reflected off a sleepy river… it’s all been so memorable and powerful. In addition, the quiet, reflective time with my son has been such a gift of bonding that we wouldn’t normally have had.

I am very grateful and with winter solstice just around the corner, I’m reminded that we each have the opportunity to reflect, to go inside before the shortest day of the year arrives. The name solstice means ‘sun stands still’ and spiritually, it offers the opportunity to pause and reflect. How else can we measure the effectiveness of what’s really working or not working in our lives without that quiet pause?

Winter Solstice is symbolic of allowing the darker shadow side of our experience to come out; to be acknowledged and transformed as it heals, and we lovingly, kindly, with compassion, tell the truth to ourselves… what do we really want more of in life? What are we willing to let go of in order to embrace the new?

This meditation by author Meg Casey captures so succinctly the hushed beauty of this special time:

December is a holy month. Maybe it is the dark, silky silence that descends so early that speaks to me of reverence. Maybe it is the promise that December holds — that no matter how dark, how cold, how empty it can get, the light is coming back. Something always shifts in me when December arrives — I embrace the darkness, and am eager for the coming solstice when the whole world is still and holds its breath, waiting to be reborn again.

What is seeking to be reborn in you? Time to pause, to reflect and vision in the quiet of your own heart is always a good thing.  May the balance of December be for you, a quiet reflection of stillness and beauty. Happy Winter Solstice!

If you would like to be a part of the 2014 Visioning Tele-Seminars in December, click here. To be a part of future teleseminar series that focus on prosperity and visioning, email us here.

Photo credit of Trees in Mist: Tina Doughty, Photo credit for Cheryl Brewster: Amber Light Photo

 

cheryl75Cheryl Brewster is a Personal and Business Intuitive who provides intuitive readings and coaches entrepreneurs, business people and individuals to embrace intuition at deeper levels for personal effectiveness, self development, stress management and self discovery.  She founded The Intuitive Life in 2004 and delivers interactive, dynamic keynotes to business teams wanting a refreshing approach to communication, stress management and inspired business building.

 

 

 

Oct28

The Energy of Money

by Cheryl Brewster

Are you pushing away the very thing you say you want? Can the energy of money be a profound tool for spiritual transformation? Is there really any difference between tangible cold hard cash and esoteric, metaphysical principles of abundance? Asking these questions is important; they clear the path for us as heart-centred entrepreneurs and change agents, living on purpose.

In my teleseminars and coaching over the last year, a pattern that has struck me as very curious, even bizarre yet absolutely life changing, is this: although we want to create more prosperity in life, a growing shift is the ability to actually accept what we really want. Whether that prosperity is financial, improved health or relationships, most of us are shocked to discover that what has been holding us back has been our own inability to actually receive.

This anomaly is best reflected in some of Dan Millman’s writing (Way of the Peaceful Warrior) where he asks “how good can you stand it?” Wow! Good question… How good CAN we stand it? Are we willing to let it be that good? And if we are, when… and is right now a good time?

Notice that it all begins with awareness. A tiny thought. A tiny pinprick of light pointed in a certain direction.

In studying this phenomenon, I’m drawn to the wisdom of Lester Levenson, the inspiration behind The Sedona Method:

  • There is no difference between the spiritual and material from the viewpoint of Truth. The difference is in outlook; whether you see it from the ego’s point of view or from the Self. A realized person sees the world only as an out-projection of themselves.
  • Any time we see any difference between the spiritual and the worldly, it’s because we don’t have enough understanding of the spiritual as yet. We are separating. The highest state is when we are in the world and in spirit at one and the same time and there is no difference.
  • When we’re there, we don’t see it as world and spirit. We see it as one and the same thing; we see a oneness; we see it all as our very own Self.

To manifest in the physical, we must understand the spiritual.
To understand the spiritual, we must take inspired, authentic action in the physical.

This is where the power of intuition is truly at play:

  • what is calling you, inspiring you, directing you?What do you most want?
  • notice any hesitancy or resistance to receiving it, allowing it, taking action towards it
  • what happens when you hold the resistance in pure compassion and kindness?
  • does it help you become more aware of driven behaviors ?
  • can resistance now be a gift, one that points to the separation that really isn’t there, but one that you believed exists?

Perhaps in answering these questions, a bizarre, counter-intuitive pattern begins to emerge; we begin to see that the very thing we disowned in ourselves is our treasure. And therefore, there is no need for separation. There is nothing to fear, and no one to judge. When it comes to money, if we drop the separation, the fear and judgement; what remains? We begin to realize that all resistance is simply the invitation to let go of refusing what we most want to experience. As we embrace the learning, all manner of energy is freed up; we clear in the spiritual to take the inspired action necessary in the physical.

How good can you stand it?
Isn’t it time to have more fun visioning with the energy of money?
Isn’t it time to accept more wholeness with the energy of health?
Isn’t it time to enjoy manifesting your sacred partner as you fall madly and deeply in love with yourself?
And isn’t now a good time?

Intuition. Mindfulness. Prosperity. All here now. Are you accepting it or pushing it away? How do you know? Sometimes we go through unexpected, unwanted events, but when we remember that  “the highest state is when we are in the world and in spirit at one and the same time and there is no difference.”  This takes new vision and the willingness to apply emerging certainty through the vehicle of uncertainty. Brave work, powerful work, requiring repeated steps and application. “We are what we repeatedly do,” said Aristotle, “excellence is not an act, but a habit.”  Here’s to our new and strengthened habits as we grow stronger through accepting resistance and treasuring all the tiny, exquisite moments that are so incredibly rich, even in the midst of resistance.

If you enjoyed this blog and would like to learn more about Cheryl Brewster and her work in supporting Conscious Changemakers in creating prosperity as they live their passion, visit TheIntuitiveLife.com

Sep10

Spiritual Awakening – can we choose outrageous joy?

by Cheryl Brewster

How willing are you to be brave, positive, confident, adventurous, fun, and peaceful? What feelings do these words invoke? Try this experiment: take a moment to reread these words and REALLY experience the feelings they represent.  What would happen if you were outrageous in bringing them into your day,  moment by moment, including today’s:

  • to-do list
  • biggest problems or challenges
  • judgment of yourself and others

What would happen to your day? Your relationships? Your past hurts?
What would happen to how much you got done? Or the quality of the work and how you did it?
What would your experience be?

The power of our emotions plays a crucial role in everything we do, including our intuition and our prosperity.  Just a short few minutes consciously, deliberating choosing to be in alignment with our positive feeling emotions can help us:

  • become more  aligned with our center
  • help us see things we need to change so we can course correct into balance with love and compassion
  • be more patient, kind and accepting of the process of spiritual awakening
  • stay more present
  • be more at peace

1. Awareness first, then Action
As Esther and Jerry Hicks remind us in their book The Astonishing Power of Emotions: “An awareness of your emotions and what they mean is essential to your conscious evolution…. allowing yourself to become what life has caused you to desire is not about action. It is about the aligning of thought Energies. It is about focusing your attention in the direction of your desire rather than looking back at the current conditions that have given birth to your desire.” I interpret this as mindfulness birthing right action; it starts with a willingness to be emotionally present not only with what is, but with the certainty of what CAN be. As Napoleon Hill said, “you must have a keen, pulsating desire that transcends everything.”

2. Are you swimming against the current or going with the flow?
To paraphrase Hicks: we believe that anyone who amounts to anything has to work very hard, against the current. Turning downstream to go with the flow is labelled as too easy, even lazy. However, here’s the rub: “Nothing that you want is against the current!” The Stream of Life, if we allow it to carry us, is always downstream… the flow of life that we can trust… hence today’s “DARE YA!”.  Spiritual awakening – can you let yourself go with it’s flow?

3. Emotions help direct from ineffectiveness to improvement
“In this moment, am I turned toward improvement or away from it? The emotion you feel will give you the answer.” We’re either choosing to struggle or to flow… it’s that simple.

4. Take the dare, go with the flow
So let’s go back to the challenge of the day and be willing to experiment…. how will you know the power of peace if you don’t actually choose it? No matter what happens… can you let peace be here too, amid the inherent discomfort of painful emotions of spiritual awakening? Take a look at the list of emotions at the top of this article…. how will you know their power if you don’t actually choose them?

Helen Keller said that life is a daring adventure or nothing. Despite the physical challenges of being both blind and deaf, this amazing woman became one of America’s most famous educators, and internationally acclaimed inspiring speakers. She accepted her impediments; she let them carry her into her awakening. You do the same, when you allow fear to be here and choose peace anyway.

Experiment for just one hour, one day, one week…. in the process of your spiritual awakening…. will you BELIEVE; can you let the flow of life carry you into the present moment where inspired action arises in its own timing? In doing so, you let go of the unconscious patterns contributing to your worry and stress. And let’s face it… isn’t spiritual awakening only possible by choosing to allow peace, happiness and freedom to be here now, even when, or especially when we don’t really feel like it?

Dare ya!

Cheryl Brewster is a Personal and Business Intuitive, providing Readings and Mentor Programs for individuals experiencing plateaus in life, change and spiritual awakening. She supports entrepreneurs in building their businesses through conscious awareness and hosts Intuitive Gatherings and Teleseminars to build awareness and community. Participants experience first hand, the amazing power of their own intuitive prosperity that always starts as an inside job.

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