Home Articles Channels Daily Retreat Inspiration Classroom Boutique Community Singles Resources Contact

SoulfulLiving.com :: Personal Growth, Spiritual Growth, Self Help and Self Improvement

Your #1 Online Resource for Personal and Spiritual Growth Since 2000.
Mandala and Chakra Pendants
New Age Gifts and Products, Buddhist and Tibetan Jewelry, Meditation and Yoga Supplies
Mandala Art Prints

  Welcome!

 

Our Sponsors:

The Mandala Collection :: Buddhist and Conscious Living Gifts
Inspirational Gifts


Energy Muse Jewelry
Energy Muse Jewelry


Body of Grace
Eco-Friendly Gifts


Yoga Download
Yoga Download


The Mandala Collection
Give a Gift with Soul


Laura V. Hyde

Gifts of the Soul
December 2002

Click Here to See
Laura's Current Column

by Laura V. Hyde


The Power to Change

To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on
creating oneself endlessly. --
Henri Bergson

In the eyes of Spirit, each of us has the unlimited capacity to change, grow and express our brilliance. Spirit reminds us that if we keep doing things the way we’ve always done them, we’ll continue receiving the results we’ve always gotten. But by surrendering our thoughts, perceptions and patterns to a power greater than us, we enlist the assistance to redesign our lives and manifest a new reality.

Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year’s are a wonderful time to contemplate what we most need to change in our lives. It’s a season to imagine infinite possibilities, to stretch our imagination beyond what we’ve known, to reach beyond our comfort zones. The power of change always reminds me of the familiar Christmas story of "Scrooge." The story line is a wonderful example of how a man is motivated to change by seeing his past, present and future. In the past, he is shown how he once was; innocent, childlike and with an open heart. His present life demonstrates what he has become; rigid, materially oriented and closed hearted. His future reveals the most frightening experience of all…what he will become if he does not change. Scrooge has lost touch with the love inside himself and it is not until he is brutally honest with himself that he is willing to change and be the person he was born to be.

People do change. Isn’t that a relief? I remember one of the coldest and depressing things I ever heard was from a former boss who firmly believed, "People do not change." Well, if that we’re true, then we would all be in trouble. Seasons change, our bodies change, and we can change if we choose to do so. Mary Manin Morrissey once stated, "If you're traveling down life's highway and take a 10-degree turn, there's not much change. But if you keep moving steadily in the new direction, by the time a month or year has passed, you will find yourself in a completely different place from where you began."

Change begins with self-honesty and being willing to surrender. And the true power of lasting change begins with the feminine. For within the feminine aspect of us all, exists the space where we consciously open, surrender and receive. The yin, being the feminine attitude, represents the forces of openness and receptivity. In Christianity, Mary symbolizes the divine feminine within us; she opens herself, surrenders and is impregnated by the masculine forces of Love. When we open ourselves to higher guidance and express the love inherent within us, we cannot help but change for the better.

What are you ready to change? You don’t need to know how to change; you only need to be willing. A Course in Miracles reminds us, "You can stretch your hand and reach to Heaven." We are not healed alone nor do we change on our own. In fact, it is arrogant to think that we do. Rather, we need only be willing to admit what is not working in our lives and surrender to Spirit our attachment to outcome. The rest will be taken care of. If you have doubt that you can change, look back over your life and see how far you’ve come. You’re not the same person you were ten years ago, one year ago or even one month ago, for that matter. And neither is anyone else.

"Charity," as a holy concept, means being willing to see someone more evolved then they currently appear. Or, in other words, it means being willing to see the light and love in someone even when they are not expressing it. Charity means having faith. Charity requires having trust. For if you are willing to let go of what you’ve known, of what has been "comfortable," your limiting patterns will be released and transformed for your higher good.

So, go ahead and imagine how you would like your life to be. Dare to think big, really big. And finally, remind yourself that you can handle anything when you take it one step at a time….

© Copyright 2002 Laura Grace. All Rights Reserved.


 Laura's Books:

Gifts of the Soul by Laura Grace              The Intimate Soul by Laura Hyde


Read Laura's Past Columns:

November 2002 Column - "Peace Begins at Home"

October 2002 Column - "Spiraling to Higher Ground"

September 2002 Column - "Cradled in Nature's Arms"

August 2002 Column - "Recovering Your Soul"


Laura V. Hyde
Laura Grace is Co-founder of Infinite Wisdom, an organization dedicated to the highest human capacity, and a national author and speaker. As a regular contributor for publications across the U.S. and Canada, Laura writes about human awareness and spiritual growth. Laura is the author of the widely acclaimed books The Intimate Soul and Gifts of the Soul, and the creator and teacher of various programs including the Self-Mastery Program, The Art of Compassionate Forgiveness, Wonderful Women: Reclaiming Our Power, Passion and Purpose, and Cultivating the Intimate Life. Please visit Laura's web site at: www.LauraGrace.net.

As a spiritual counselor, Laura provides assistance in person and by phone. You may contact her for a free brochure at: laura@laurahyde.com.

 

Visit:
www.LauraGrace.net

 

BACK TO "SOULFUL THOUGHTS"



Daily Soul Retreat at SoulfulLiving.com
Soul Retreat Goodies!


Support SoulfulLiving.com
Show Us Your Love ♥

 
 

Energy Muse Jewelry
Energy Muse Jewelry


Wild Divine Meditation Software featuring Deepak Chopra
Meditation Software



Energy Muse - Sacred Yoga Jewelry

Copyright © 1999-2014 Soulful Living®.

Soulful Website Design by The Creative Soul®.