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Inspirational words

Appearance day of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabbu..

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Chaitanya-Maha-Prabhu

Today is a very special day in Krishna Consciousness the appearance day of Lord Caitanya Mahabraphu.

May that Lord who is known as the son of Srimati Sacidevi be transcendentally situated in the innermost chambers of your heart. Resplendent with the radiance of molten gold, He has appeared in the age of Kali by his cause less mercy to bestow what no incarnation ever offered before.

The most sublime and radiant spiritual knowledge of the mellow taste of his service.

SRI CAITANYA CARITAMRTA – Adi Lila Volume 1

Chapter 1 – Text 4

Reflections

The importance of a spiritual practice…

spiritsoulcoaching

20200303_110840I was thinking today about just how important my spiritual practice is for me.

I can quite easily get bogged down In trying to find solutions to situations that lead to more frustration and angst.

Trying to desperately find answers and manage circumstances. The answer comes in letting go of trying to control.

For me, my spiritual practice is where I feel at home and at peace. That doesn’t mean that my life is always smooth and without suffering but it means that I have a place within myself to come “home” to, even when I might abandon myself.

I have been chanting for a few years now and this has very tangible benefits for me. I witness and feel the space in conversations and behaviours.

Herein lies Freedom.

If I spend time every morning with the God of my understanding the day tends to go better.

I’m wondering how you “start” your day and how this impacts you in positive ways?

Inspirational words, Reflections

Awakening…

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White wings and radiating light

I wanted to share these insightful words of wisdom from a wonderful book that I read called the Instruction Manual for Recieving God by Jason Shulman.

It’s a simple to digest book and highly recommended.

The hard work of truly awakening involves getting a clear idea of just how much of life we cannot bear.

We need to see how limited we really are. Then we will have the chance to meet God in reality and not in the fateful fantasy of saving or punishing ourselves.

The real self is not found in the movies or on the stage. It is not in books and has no script.

It is filled with surprise entrances and sometimes inexplicable exits.

All of this is OK.

It takes practice to let go of some limited idea of perfection or goodness. God is not a reward. God is your own miserable, magnificent self.

inner child

Your not who you think you are…

spiritsoulcoaching

 

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Who are you?

Such a simple question but one that can be hard to answer.

I know for me that part of my journey has been to “unfold” who I am without needing to mould myself into other people’s expectations of me.

I call it the chameleon affect.

Trying to always “blend in” with my surroundings.

I also understand that this can stem from a “deep routed” sense of not being ok with self.

I remember as a child creating fairytale lands of magic powers and invincibility which I now know was in an attempt to escape the harsh reality of my less than perfect upbringing and often tumultuous home environment.

I created places and worlds where I would be “safe”.. All powerful and connected to something other than what was happening around me.

Today I allow myself to escape in healthier ways.

Movies, books, art, colouring books and poetry are ways that I allow my inner child to feel acknowledged.

This is important for me especially  with the sometimes over whelming responsibility of having to “adult”.

When I connect with myself through creative expression and to my inner child, I can then go into the world with a greater confidence and able to remain consistently in self approval.

I can look at myself and know who I am.

Back to my original question..

Who are you?

Who “can” you be and what part needs your attention today?

How would it be to listen to the inner child within and see what they need?

Even just for while before you need to be a responsible adult again.

 

With love and light.

 

Paul.

Reflections

The Power of Imperfection

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I wanted today to share my thoughts on being imperfect.

I read a beautiful quote from a book called “The Instruction Manual for Receiving God” by Jason Shulman today.

God would not be God if what God needed was our “perfection”. We would not be humans if all we learned was to awaken a single time.

We need to know that we can awaken over and over again, and that in every state we love or hate, in every falling down or rising up, God is with us…

So many times I have fallen short of a self imposed goal or a new ideal or approach, due to not being able to do it perfectly.

In my “own mind” I have created this conflict. The self imposed perfection that limits me and actually blocks me from “connection” with my own understanding of a Higher Power (God)

This conflict can manifest in many ways and also has a physiological aspect.

Who do I need to be perfect for?

Who am I trying to impress?

Where did I learn that perfection = love?

What would happen if I showed up, just as I am in all my wounded glory?

Sometimes I am fully aware that these patterns are unconscious and not accessible but when they start to show themselves it is worth exploring these limiting beliefs in which ever way suits you. It could be a life coach, a friend, a therapist, or simply spending time each day in quiet and reflection.

Maybe its just OK to show up, turn up and be who you are in this very moment?

Reflections

Forgiveness…

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Today I wanted to share my thoughts on the power of forgiveness.

It’s true to say that in my own life and witnessing the life of others around me one of the biggest “hurdles” is that of forgiveness both of self and others.

Bringing compassion to those wounded parts from which possibly, self sabotaging behaviours still come from is key.

How many times have you found yourself saying . “I can’t believe I have done it again!!”

The strong voice of the inner critic can be a powerful force in disabling ourselves.

I have seen people after having “accomplished” something good will sabotage it again and return to the familiar place of feeling less than. I certainly recognise this in my self.

This is the voice of the Ego mind that wants to keep us small. To feel less than and live in a “dark” place

We are I believe a product of our pasts which include our upbringing, external stimulus, experiences and from a deeper prospective from past lives that may be still “playing out”.

Whilst we are on the road of recovery in whatever form that takes, there will no doubt be an element of self parenting required.

This can be the hardest “job” in the world but also the most rewarding.

To forgive ourselves is the ointment for the soul that intrinsically wants us to feel at peace and reside in a space of joy.

We need to shine the light of awareness and curiosity on where we are at rather than judgement and self hatred.

Next time you say I’ve done it again would it be kinder to take this stand point of gentleness and self enquiry rather than “beating yourself up”?

Love and blessings.

 

Paul.

 

Reflections

Life coaching as Transformation

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Today I would like to share my own thoughts and experience in learning and how to bring this to clients.

When people learn a new skill to help others I believe there is an element of transformation that will be two fold.

Transformation for the clients that come to you for coaching, and also transformation in your own life that can enrich what you do and who you are in exciting ways.

I can cast my mind back to many different training courses that I have been on where I have learnt new skills and tools that whilst I am in the learning domain on the day can be exciting and purposeful but become diluted and less impactful after the event.

Whilst adding to my skill sets in personal development and coaching is not a bad thing in itself I also feel that to have the most impact personally I need to on some level connect with the learning that has taken place and part of this will be a certain self enquiry in to my own cognition, feelings and emotions and proceeding actions and behaviours that have shifted in light in what I have learnt.

What is the most useful part of the new experience and how can this be appropriately brought into my own client practice when coaching?

I also see this, as a bit of a balancing act that I need to be aware of. Not to bring my own agenda to the client – coach session that could impact the coaching exchange in negative ways.

I like to see my own learning as a container of experience that can sit comfortably in my conscious awareness that does not need to be discussed in front of a client.

I am not the benchmark of my client’s experience. I am just an explorer in their world and when underpinned by curiosity and connection can alleviate my need to get it right and be perfect.
I also do not need to fix the client in anyway.

Coaching is a wonderful and elegant exchange of conversation that is best served with meaning with a side dish of purpose.

A smorgasbord of richness and experience in my client’s world that is fully person centred and congruent with a strong belief from me that the client I am working with is not broken.

If I deliver a solution or fix the clients “apparent” challenge, who is this about?

I am also not going to be black and white here in saying that there aren’t times that this could be useful as there could be a great deal of frustration felt by the client if I am coaching them into dead ends when a simple suggestion or a well framed amount of advice could help them move ahead and with greater clarity.

The conditioning from parenting is being questioned, some of what people continually do with less than desirable results may start to change and also the need for validation and approval from clients will start to shift into one of trusting the process and not needing to get a feel good from my clients changes but rather a deeper routed acceptance of my capabilities as a transformational coach.

When you are out in the world creating change ask yourself what can I learn and how can this be useful to others.