The Pathway to Love Cultivating — Respect

"We must learn to live as brothers and sisters 

or perish together as fools." 

Martin Luther King

Flotsam and jetsam rise to the surface. A cacophony of negativity and chaos seems to rule. Through the noise I have been drawn to examine the deeper definition of the word respect. In contemplating respect I have been lead to examine the qualities and characteristics of self-respect. This inward journey has brought into focus the way in which I communicate, the lens through which I perceive others and the biases I may hold as truth. 

Self-respect is not about being right. It is not ruled by our ego but rather it is fueled by the awareness that all thoughts and all actions are a reflection of the soul.  Self-respect originates from the depth of our inner knowing, our inner light. It is manifested through the honoring of oneself and therefore honoring others. When we have self-respect we understand that it is echoed in how we treat our bodies, how we feed our minds, the way in which we nurture our spirit and how we interact with our environment and fellow humankind. 

As the new year approaches start to observe your Self. Listen to your inner chatter and ask yourself  "What fears are fueling my perceptions?" Hold honor and dignity as the foundation of your soul. Practice letting go of ego. Use love as a springboard for your interactions with the rest of the world. Become a better listener.  With a little courage and a lot of persistence you may realize that  all you need to do is let go.  When we let go of hatred, anger and self-righteousness we open the pathway to love. Letting go leaves space to be filled with enlightenment and wisdom. Self respect leads us on the road to love. 

Wishing you the very best of all for this Holiday Season and 

Holding you in love and light,

Nora

Connecting With Spirit Waiting for Dad Working in the ethereal realm has given me the opportunity to commune with spirit in beautiful and profound ways. Although I don't identify with the label "medium",  there are times when I connect with my client's family members and friends who have passed. Messages of love and healing have brought comfort and peace to many throughout the years. Therefore, I naturally assumed that I would feel the presence of my own departed family members with little effort. Surely I would have an edge, right? My father died on Nov. 8th, 2013. Although it was expected, the gaping hole his death left in our family was immeasurable. My mother and we children experienced the exquisite pain of loss and the monumental missing of a handsome, funny, giving, complex and loving father. After Dad passed I waited to "feel" him around me. Nothing came. I meditated, sang songs, searched the skies and still no sign from my Dad. The desire for one last chat, one last hug hung heavy on my heart. "Come on Dad!" I shouted, "I need you!" The idea that Dad was with me and I was simply unable to sense him gave me little comfort.  I wanted a visceral connection with my Father and I wanted it now! Days, weeks and months went by. The loss was no less painful. Ultimately I came to a conclusion. I decided that in order to connect with my Dad I would just take him along on my day. Since I knew he was as expansive as the universe I realized he could be in more than one place at one time. Just like LOVE. I began talking to him. I talked to him while I worked out at the Y. I sent him psychic postcards of stunning Florida sunsets. I took him on my bicycle rides. I asked him for help. I reminisced with him. Essentially, he became my shadow. This felt good but still I waited. There was no earth shattering tap on the shoulder from Dad. Nevertheless sharing my thoughts and my world with my father helped me grieve and heal while connecting me with gratitude for my world and all in it. One morning I was sitting at a very long red light not thinking about much at all. In an instant I felt my father around me. The experience was all consuming. I was engulfed in his essence. It seemed as if every good and beautiful aspect of my Dad's soul was surrounding me. It was wonderful and it was unmistakingly my Dad.  He was wrapping his arms around me. It was a heavenly hug that left me with a heavenly joy. Peace. Love. Thank you Dad! These days a song on the radio or the call of a hawk can make me think of my Dad. When I hear a certain phrase or see a certain symbol I know it is a message from him. When I say something that he always said I feel the heart tug of love.  Why am I writing this? For those of you who have lost and are still waiting for that hug, tap on the shoulder, or symbolic message. It will come. Just keep connecting with your heart. Stay open and drop your agenda of "how". Love will come to you. Connection will occur. Hang on and stay open. And as Father's Day looms in the near future I am also writing this to say, "I love you Dad!" Love and light, Nora

7 Truths to Live By

We all need a little help from our friends to aid us in getting back on track, releasing sadness, getting over a breakup, or loss, refocusing our energies and feeling loved.  I hope this list of " 

7 Truths to Live By" helps you be the best you can and love bigger and better.

Devotion to self growth and mindfulness is a life long journey, one that offers many blessings along the way. It takes courage to make the commitment.  There is no magic formula for inner transformation. Each person's journey is a beautiful roadmap unique to them. 

The steps to self love and self expression are simple yet profoundly challenging. I wanted to share some "truths" I have learned along the way. I return to them again and again, forgetting one week and remembering the next. When I stumble I go to this list to remind me of what is important and redirect  my mind and heart to what is truly important, the creating and sharing of love.

As I change my thinking, my life will change.

My reality is shaped by how I choose to interpret events in my life. Holding myself responsible for how I feel enables me to live life through love and grace rather than fear and worry.

Worry is a waste of physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual energy.

My physical chemistry  transforms when I worry.  Cortisol levels rise which can boost blood sugar. Worrying is living in future fear.

I need time for me.

Taking time out for myself heals me. I refuel when visiting friends, spending time doing art, listening to music and enjoying the out-of-doors. Discover what you love to do and do it!

My power comes from love and joy.

When I am connecting with another in the purest form it is through love. Love ignites joy.

Being able to say "I was wrong." is a freeing experience.

Admitting when I am in error stimulates forgiveness and harmony.

Appreciating that most people are doing their best leads me to compassion. 

Judging others can be sticky business. When I begin to observe others with an eye for compassion I open my heart. 

Gratitude feels good.

When I am grateful I open my heart and mind for more. More love, more flow and more grace. Life feels good.

I leave you with a playful quote by one of my favorite authors... Dr. Suess

"I've heard there are troubles of more than one kind; 

some come from ahead, and some come from behind. 

But I've brought a big bat. I'm all ready, you see; 

now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!"

Love and light,

Nora

When We "Do a Bad Thing"

"We're not bad people but we did a bad thing."

A recent show on Netflix ended with the line above. It stayed with me the following day as I examined my own actions and reflected on recent events in the lives of my clients, family and friends. Haven't we have all done something we regret, something thoughtless, mean or cruel? Each and every one of us has acted in a way that has been hurtful to another. By recognizing ourselves in the statement above we initiate forgiveness. Through atonement we begin to understand ourselves as well as absolve others. Only then can we be free to love.

Part of forgiving ourselves is to recognize that we have made choices and hold ourselves responsible for them. When we blame others for our actions we become victims. Unforgiving judgement fuels a culture of contempt and self-hatred. What if we chose to rejoice in our mistakes? For aren't they truly the anvil on which our wisdom is shaped and formed? Never miss an opportunity to learn from them.

As we stumble so do we grow. Forgive and be free from painful thoughts that lead to living in the past. Cultivate profound healing and love through forgiveness. 

"Was it you or I who stumbled first? It does not matter. The one of us who finds the strength to get up first, must help the other."

Vera Nazarian, The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration

It Begins and Ends With Love

All Roads Lead to Love

All roads lead to love. That is the message I have been receiving lately, in my life, in my meditations and in my work.

While researching for my tele-class I discovered an interesting book titled "Beyond Forgiveness, Reflections on Atonement" by Philip Cousineau.  In it he writes, "The act of atonement, the experience of at-one-ment, allows you to be conscious that you've never really been cut off, that you've always been one with the only power that is." What struck me while reading the stories of atonement, contributed by a variety of people, is how through a transcendental understanding of those who had injured them the writers accomplished total healing. They embraced "at-one-ment" and by doing so were able to begin a healing journey that brought each person to a deeper and more meaningful understanding of their purpose in life. Often the atonement was so profound that it shifted their entire life path. Think of Nelson Mandela inviting the very guard who gravely mistreated him to join him for tea.

Love is the foundation, the undercurrent, the mystical force that fuels forgiveness and atonement. Love is the power that enables us to transcend our own limited views.

A friend and client recently suggested that I read the book "Dying to be Me" by Anita Moorjani. In it the author echoed the idea that we are all one through the sharing of her near death experience. She states, "I became aware that we're all connected. This was not only every person and living creature, but the interwoven unification felt as though it were expanding outward to include everything in the universe, every human, animal, plant, insect, mountain, sea, inanimate object and the cosmos." In the book she recounts the experience of complete and all encompassing love.

The message of oneness and love is more often spoken of on Sunday mornings than acted on in our every day life. We tend to find ways to habitually separate ourselves from others. Our neighbors build fences; we see the world as "us and them".  There are the democrats and the republicans, the sinners and the saints, the rich or the poor. We find ways to look down our noses at the individual, the group or our community in order to feel superior. What kind of world would we live in if we could begin to understand that when we judge others we judge ourselves? When we see lack in someone it is a reflection of a fear or sadness that resides within.

How can we begin to train our eyes to see the need for love in others, rather than reacting in judgement or condemnation? One tool or method to strengthen and instill the power of love is to choose to focus on the virtues that grow love. First, through the love of Self, the careful nurturing of our soul and spirit, we may build the muscle that manifests love. Daily attention to a practice of living the virtues that open avenues toward love will strengthen the foundation. If you practice forgiveness, you build love. When you experience gratitude you expand love. By creating harmony you grow love. When you act with kindness and compassion you reflect love. Live in ways that open the door to kindness, harmony, compassion, forgiveness, creativity, and joy and you will be spreading love throughout your day.

As Dion Warwick once sang, "What the world needs now is love, sweet love." and it has never been more apparent. As you begin to reflect love in your day be kind to yourself. Do not judge or criticize your efforts. Each conscious act of love can only build on the next until you one day discover that you are expressing your inner light in a more dynamic, beautiful and loving way.

It takes courage and creativity to be on this planet. I so appreciate all of you who are partnering with me on this exciting journey.

Love and light,
Nora

My actions and my thoughts create love.

Suggestions:
Read anything by Philip Cousineau
Read "Dying to Be Me" by Anita Moorjani