What do tough times mean?

Why do we go through tough times? Trying to find the answer probably leads to sleepless nights more than the problem itself. There’re probably a million answers ‘why’ depending on our world view, religion, spirituality, culture and so on. One of the common answers when we look back, is tough situations purify and purge us of things that no longer serve our higher self. The purge is often painful and life-shifting as we may lose family, friends, characteristics we held on to so dearly, coping mechanisms that once saved us but are no longer useful, spiritual beliefs we thought were holy grail. It is this lonely space of…

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Where is Your Enemy?

We like to think the enemy is out there somewhere, but a well-kept secret is the enemy is almost always within…YOU. Yes, the most formidable enemy you will ever meet is yourself. This is a hard concept to wrap our heads around because we are used to blaming others and so we blame the world when things seem to go wrong. In the meantime, the true enemy goes undetected which is often our toxic thoughts, child-hood trauma, dysfunctional beliefs, fear, lies we tell ourselves , unforgiveness and so on. Great levels of honest introspection and self-reflection are required for us to come face-to -face with who we truly…

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Nature Speaks!

Nature is loaded with the mysteries of how life works. Think about it. Look at the trees, flowers, vegetation etc; everything has its season. Something critical we forget is that WE, humans, are a part of nature but we like to play a spectator role and LOOK AT nature. This makes us blind to the valuable lessons that are all around us. Nature tells us that the storms of life play a role; when trees face terrible winds, something remarkable happens, their roots go deeper. In winter, certain animals migrate to warmer climates. Autumn strips away plant life in preparation for something new. A seed is buried in…

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Make Intuition Your Friend!

Your intuition is always talking to you and if you are like most people, you probably ignore it. Why is this? For the most part, many don’t know when their intuition is speaking and ignore it unintentionally. This is largely because we’ve created/absorbed so many layers of feelings, concepts, perceptions, thoughts etc. that our intuition has to fight through before it gets to our knowing. Sadly the majority of intuitive messages die in the layers with a lucky few that do make it to our knowing; but that’s not the end of the battle. Once the message gets to our knowing mind, the layers resurface stronger than ever…

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The Balance of Life

“THANK GOD FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR ME!!!” These are words we often say when we get a new job, land a big client or graduate. On the flip side, when we can’t find a job, loose a well-paying client or struggle with getting a qualification we may say “Why is the devil attacking me? The truth is “good things” are not always a miraculous manifestation of our heavenly father and “bad things” are not always the workings of a malevolent devil.  Perhaps you can’t find a job right now because the one that is meant for you is yet to come; or you lost your well-paying…

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The Value of Boundaries

 “Most of your problems would disappear if you had some solid personal boundaries.” Anonymous WHAT IS A BOUNDARY? A boundary is where you draw the line on how people treat or interact with you AND how you treat or interact with yourself. It is a limit that promotes integrity, preserves vitality and advances relationships. Boundaries consist of the limits of what we consider safe and appropriate, according to our unique set of feelings and reactions, individual perceptions, values, goals, concerns, roles we choose to play, etc. Boundaries also tend to vary according to culture, age, gender, race and so on. Boundaries can be set for any area of…

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Increasing Wisdom

Wisdom, a word we hardly hear in day-to-day conversations, is often thought of as philosophical or something bestowed on the old and experienced. More common related words we hear are clever, intelligent, smart. Loosely defined, wisdom is the ability to reflect on knowledge and experience and consequently have sound judgement to make good decisions. Interestingly, famed King Solomon of the bible asked Yahuah (God) for wisdom when he was struggling to govern his kingdom.  Yahuah was impressed that he didn’t ask for long life or riches; things most of us would probably ask for if we are honest. King Solomon proceeded to write the book of proverbs, a…

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Courage: An Enduring Quality

At some point in life, we all go through tough times that stretch our abilities and seem impossible to navigate.   To get through these often unpredictable times requires strength, perseverance and hope to name a few. A fundamental trait that creates a good foundation for all other traits is courage. Courage is often confused with bravery; while they’re similar concepts, there is a slight difference. The brave have guts and strength; there’s usually a level of calculation and confrontation with a great risk or feat. Bravery is typically short-lived, like rescuing someone in a burning building or tackling a criminal; there is a surge of emotion and energy…

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What’s Your Story?

We’re free to give whatever meaning we want to any situation we find ourselves in. In turn, the meaning we give a situation determines how we respond to it. Meaning is not to be confused with a statement of facts. For example if there is a minus zero balance in your bank account, it’s a fact. The meaning of an empty bank account though, will differ from person to person.  One might see it as the end of the world, a time to give up.  To another, it may be a wake-up call, a time to work harder. Our freedom to choose meaning or put differently ‘the story…

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Into the Mind of a Straight Talker

“It’s just the way I am, I’m a straight talker. If people get hurt it’s their problem” I used to say this often and I’m sure you know someone who proudly says this. I was so focused on speaking my truth and that was the most important thing. After working on myself, I identified what drove me to be that way and perhaps you can identify with some of them: Self-righteousness When I spotted something that was wrong or bad, it was a moment for me to demonstrate my rightness by strongly opposing. I justified my harsh directness in the name of righteousness. Desire to prove that I…

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