Whether we choose fear or we choose love – both are just that; a choice.
I believe that every single event in life happens in an opportunity to choose love over fear.
– Oprah Winfrey
When we live in our shadow; fear, worry, anxiety, disappointment, anger, blame, doubt, resistance and resentment reign. These preconditioned reactions to discomfort are a result of social conditioning, past traumas, learned behaviours and the false perceptions of our ego. But in any moment, we can choose to live in our light.
Acceptance, understanding, joy, awareness, trust, surrender and forgiveness are all acts of love. Love has the power to dissolve even the greatest of fears – to illuminate even the darkest recesses of our minds.
Whatever fears are holding you back – choose love. Everything in life has it’s opposite. Even fear serves its purpose – without fear, we could not recognise our ability to emerge from the darkness into the brightness of our very essence.
Today, acknowledge your fears. Make peace with them. And watch how they melt in the light of your love.
Life is rarely perfect. Last week I failed to meet deadlines, managed to work through only half of my to do list, and arrived at the end of the week feeling like I’d accomplished very little. There were disagreements, disappointments, tears and set backs, but amidst the chaos that is life, I can wholeheartedly say: “I am grateful for each and every moment.” As mentioned before, life is rarely perfect – but we can learn to love our perfectly imperfect lives.
When things don’t go according to plan, look for the beauty in the lessons. Take note of all that you have to be thankful for. If life appears to rush by faster than a Busta Rhymes rap, take a moment to breathe. Give yourself permission to do absolutely nothing. Sometimes we need to lose ourselves in the many contrasts of life to remember that life is for living; the good, the not so good, and the crazy!
In releasing some of the expectations we place on ourselves we can learn to accept life as it is. We make peace with the parts of our lives that are working for us, and those parts which need some tweaks. Experience and observation allows us to regain some momentum and clarity, and it is through this process of trial and error that we can begin to make the necessary adjustments
Today, let go of the ‘what ifs’, the ‘should haves’ and the ‘could haves’ and embrace this new day. Release all expectations of what today should be. Whatever life throws at you, give thanks for it’s many lessons and blessings.
In love & light,
Hayley xx
p.s I though you might like to hear a mega fast Busta Rhymes rap! Enjoy 😉
Welcome to my twenty-eighth instalment of ‘Soulful Sundays’. A weekly share where I post a roundup of soulful reflections, each including recipes, songs, quotes, blogs I have read and/or any other inspirational discoveries to sooth the soul.
For me, Sunday’s have become a day of quiet contemplation and simple pleasures. A time to reflect on the week gone by and to consider my hopes and dreams for the week ahead.
My hope is to extend some love outward and to share some simple pleasures with anyone who cares to receive them.
Soul Reflections
Heaven knows we need love now more than ever. In a world pervasive in deep depression and anxiety; stress and disease, separation, hostility and confusion – it is time we listened to our hearts, time for us to acknowledge the deeper yearnings and whisperings of our soul. It is time we became whole again.
With the recent terror attack claiming 22 lives in my home city of Manchester, I can’t help but feel our world can, at times, feel so fragmented. So senseless an act which claimed those innocent lives. So much sorrow those family’s affected will surely endure. Yet in spite of this, I refuse to believe we live in a hostile Universe. Manchester has shown much love during hostile times. And this is what I choose to focus on – the love, not the hate.
I believe that, if we all discovered authentic love and connection that the world would not only survive, but thrive.
‘The universities of the future will do one thing we do not do today. They will teach the art of self-discovery. There is nothing more fundamental in life.’
– Ben Okri
As a Teacher of Mindfulness and Yoga for children, I visit multiple schools each term across Victoria, Melbourne. Throughout my teaching career, I have recognized the student’s parents and teachers crave simplicity and stability as much as their young ones, often (apologetically) participating in my sessions to surrender their busy lives to a moment of pure peace.
‘If every eight year old in the world is taught meditation, we will eliminate violence from the world within one generation.’
– Dalai Lama
Only with full hearts, can we bestow our loving gifts upon the world and shine our light upon those we love. I wish to bring more love and light to the world. Please support my journey towards spreading more love and connection; heaven knows we need it during these times of upheaval.
It is my wish to give something positive back to Manchester.
There is an opportunity to learn from the pioneers of spiritual healing by attending the Hay House Writers workshop in Sydney, where I’d have the incredible opportunity to submit a book proposal – a beautiful meditative Daybook of soul connection and hope in times of struggle. It teaches women to live by their own light, and by extension, their young ones and families. However, I cannot do this alone. I need YOUR help.
I have three days to try and push my votes above 565. I am currently sitting at 35 votes… So please VOTE, share, and spread the light. Thank you to those who have already supported me on this journey. My heart is so full of gratitude for each and every one of you. I am completely overwhelmed by the kindness shown from friends old and new and the connections I have made here in our online community of like-minded individuals and writers.
Your support means the world to me.
Let’s do this for Manchester. Let’s do this for my beautiful city. Let’s do this because the world needs more hope, more connection and more LOVE. You can vote here! Just click on ‘vote’, find my video (Hayley) and click on the love heart underneath! Thank you in advance ❤
Soul Strolls
Nature heals. This weekend I felt I needed just that, some time spent in Mother Nature and some energy healing. So we drove two hours out of Melbourne to join up friends who were camping at Cathedral Ranges. We enjoyed a beautiful climb up the mountain and some yummy food around the camp fire.
The view from a rock we stopped to perch on halfway up
Soul Food
It’s a rather cold and wet day here in Melbourne, so I thought I’d share my Chunky Chickpea & Sweet Potato Soup for those who may have missed it. It will warm your tum on a chilly day like today. Enjoy!
Soul Music
I am sharing Don’t Look Back In Anger by Manchester’s legendary rock and rollers, Oasis. Crowds sung this song recently for those lives that were taken too soon, and so I’d like to share the song here today as a reminder for us to avoid looking back in anger; love is stronger than hate.
Soul Sisters
Today, I’d like to share a post titled Releasing The Little Person Within by Di over at Matters For The Heart. A beautiful, poignant reminder for us to make peace with our inner child. I urge you to head over for a read of Di’s blog where she shares beautiful matters of the heart which resonate at a soul level.
You are not your past. Although it can sometimes feel that way. We hear a certain song play on the radio; an innocent comment triggers something within us; we pass a familiar street and are suddenly transported back – but those spots in time are mere memories of seasons passed. They do not define us.
Once we become aware of our past hurts and disappointments, we can better prepare for those moments that provoke feelings of vulnerability and self-doubt. Sit with those feelings for a while. Recognise them for what they are, and then let them go. We can’t undo what has already been done. The past cannot be re-written, but we can untangle ourselves from the spell it holds over us. We can re-write our future.
Do not live a life of regrets. In every heartache there is a lesson. With every dashed dream a new one is waiting just around the corner. Be kind to yourself. Forgive yourself and others. It is time to set yourself free. For ‘one can never change the past, only the hold it has on you.’ Today, live for the moment.
Today at school, I asked 91 kindergarten students what it means to be peaceful. As always, whenever I listen to children’s responses regarding matters of the heart, I am blown away by their wisdom and intuition: ‘Peaceful is being kind to your friends…’ ‘Peaceful means you are calm and still…’ ‘When we are peaceful we help others and never be mean…’ ‘Peace is when we love each other…’ So many beautiful responses at the tender age of five. I am forever moved and amazed by our little ones.
It got me thinking about what it means to have peace in one’s soul. For me, it is a sense of being aligned with my truth; choosing right words and right action; making peace with my mistakes and the past; forgiving myself and others; attempting to right my wrongs and expressing myself honestly from the heart… What does peace look like to you?
Each day we have a series of choices and decisions to make. We may not always get them right – but if we aim to choose our words, thoughts, deeds and actions from a place of peace, if we listen to our hearts and respond to life rather than react, then rest assured we will meet with a life of fulfillment and joy.
Today, take a moment to be still and listen to your soul. Choose love over hate, joy above sorrow, and peace before conflict. Because ‘to have peace in one’s soul is the greatest of happiness.’
There comes a time when we must be free. Free from the binds of the past and the limitations it has imposed upon us.
Have you been feeling trapped or misaligned from your truth? Maybe you relinquished control to another? Did you compromise on your values in order to keep the peace? We may lose our way momentarily and forget who we are, forget all that we stand for – but it is time to let go of all that. It is time to forgive ourselves. For it can happen to the best of us.
As we become attuned to our deepest selves we begin to recognise the ways in which we feel limited or constrained. In what ways have we handed over our power? In what ways have we sacrificed our own sense of joy and happiness to avoid rocking the boat?
Today make peace with yourself. Make a firm promise to never settle for anything less than your own self-respect and integrity. Now is the time to take back control of your life – to rewrite your story, to step into your truth and reclaim your forgotten sense of freedom. You are entitled to be free. So free yourself. ‘Stand up and walk out of your history.’
I have just hit ‘publish’ on my latest post: ‘5 Simple Steps Towards Letting Go.’ If you are struggling with the loss of a loved one, job or relationship, then check out the link here.
I hope the tips I share ease your pain somewhat and provide you with some comfort.
Ahh the ego. We all have one. That shadow side in each of us which grasps, blames, condemns, judges, offends, defends, competes, sabotages, attacks and punishes. And whilst we’d all love to be egoless beings, part of the human experience consists of the contrast between our light and shade. Some days we are triggered, our ego is revealed, and there is little we can do to avoid this. At best we can breathe, notice, and learn to respond rather than react. It’s not our job to judge or condemn the behaviour of others, nor should we criticise our own momentary descents into the ego.
At a soul level, we are all equally loveable, perfect, whole and complete.
Beyond our egos, we each possess within us a light of awareness; our authentic Self. Our soul. That peaceful part of us that forgives, loves, accepts, understands, inspires, compliments, encourages, nurtures, perseveres, expands and seeks the Truth. We must look beyond our character flaws and discover the perfect soul within. Our aim is to reach a stage where we can say to one another: ‘The soul in me sees the soul in you.’ – regardless of how much pain and suffering has been caused. That is how we forgive – that is how we love; ourselves as well as others.
Today, be unafraid to show that tender side of you. The side of you who is loving and accepting of another’s flaws. For in doing so, we accept our own.
Let us not forget that ‘the authentic self is the soul made visible.’
As we approach the close of 2016, we reach a stage when self-reflection is inevitable, especially if we are to live a life of purpose and peaceful fulfillment. And we can start with the essential vibe of love.
Have we loved enough; ourselves as well as others? Who have we taken for granted? Are there any unhealed hurts left unresolved? Is there someone we have neglected or forgotten to express our love and appreciation for? Let us not be idle in thinking that they already know.
When I lost my Dad without warning, there were a million things left unsaid. Expressions of love and gratitude I assumed he knew and never had the chance to say to him. Don’t let yourself be that person who only knows the depth of your love at the hour of separation.
Here’s my wish for myself and you in 2017… Let us express more love; may we appreciate those we often take for granted; let us forgive easily and love passionately; may we live a life free from regrets; may love flow easily and often.
That I can post this even with a tear stained face from having a psycho mental breakdown moment is a true sign that we are only ever one breath away from pure, immeasurable peace.
The key is to not berate ourselves. When we judge ourselves, we fail to recognise that life, beautiful pulsating life, ebbs and flows, just as sure as the tides flow and the winds blow.
So no more judging yourselves in your moments of craziness please. Smile, laugh it off! Forgive yourself. LOVE yourself! (Crazy psycho nutbag moments and all!) 😉
Dear Dad 