by Tina Games | Feb 10, 2013 | Authenticity, Inner Wisdom, Journal Writing, Moon Phases, Spiritual Growth
Like the moon, we all go through phases in our lives. We have ups and downs, we go forward and backward – and sometimes we seem to circle back around. We may hide behind the clouds or peek from beneath the clouds. But in the midst of what can feel like a blackout, when we are open to making a connection with our authentic self, we can get to a point where we’re able to beam with full light.
During a new moon phase, the sky is completely black, with the exception of little sparkles of light in the form of stars. It’s the point in every month when the moon takes a retreat and begins to grow again, redoubling her light and reflecting new creative energy on all worldly things.
For women with a strong desire to live life more authentically, this phase represents a time for our own retreat and withdrawal from the outside world. During the darkness, it’s an opportunity to reflect on who we are -underneath the layers of life. It’s a time to turn within and write about our inner thoughts and feelings.
It’s a time to ponder where we’ve been, how we got to where we are now and where to go from here. It’s an opportunity to explore new ways of thinking and to prepare for a new path of travel – and it marks the ideal time for connecting with our inner selves and our heart’s desire.
This is a time where dots start to connect and patterns start to reveal themselves – just as the stars do in the night sky. Everything has a place and everything has a purpose. Now it becomes our job to find our place in the next phase of life’s journey.
The energies of the dark moon can feel especially potent. That’s because they are. They represent the unknown – and they can send a magnetic pull to lure our willingness and our desire to find out – “What is it that is waiting for me?”
Grab your journal during this dark moon phase and ask your authentic self, “Who am I and where do I want to go from here?”
The timing couldn’t be more perfect.
by Tina Games | Dec 28, 2012 | Authenticity, Inner Wisdom, Life Purpose, Moon Phases
One of the gifts that the full moon gives us is an overwhelming desire to come alive. Whether that’s bringing a passion front and center or finally making the decision to take a giant leap forward in a new direction that is fully aligned with our life purpose.
Imagine driving through a fast food window and placing an order – only this time the menu lists the one thing that you’ve been contemplating for quite some time.
Perhaps it’s that life-changing book you’ve been working on for eons, but keep finding yourself facing one creative block after another. Or maybe it’s that passion-filled business that you’ve been wanting to start, but you haven’t yet gotten the courage to just go for it. Or it could be the foundation you’ve been pondering, the one that’s destined to change the world.
Whatever it is – it’s on the menu right now. And the clerk (who happens to be representing the positive energies of the universe) says, “What can I get for you today?”
This is your moment! Will you order it? Will you tell the universe, “Yes, this is the right time for me. I’ll take it.”
And then the clerk says, “Would you like to super-size that?”
What would it take for you to say, “Heck yeah!”?
Whenever the moon is full, her energies are incredibly powerful. With her light beaming brightly from the sky, she showers the earth with the capacity to forge ahead. Projects and endeavors that are began during a full moon carry a special passion and energy that is unmatched during any other moon cycle.
If you’ve been sensing “your calling” knocking at the door, it’s time to answer! Open up the door – and step into a whole new world of possibilities!
What would it take for you to fully step into your life purpose?
by Tina Games | Dec 6, 2012 | Inner Goddess, Personal Growth, Self-Care, Self-Love
As a creativity coach and life purpose intuitive, I attract highly-creative women who are looking for more meaning in their lives, both personally and professionally. They want to feel more alive by being fully present in each and every moment.
This mere act requires a woman to be completely in-tune with what’s going on within her body and with what’s going on outside of her. And while she’s “tuning in” – it’s not uncommon for a woman to connect with her emotions on a deeper level.
This always raises the question, “How well connected am I with myself? Is there a genuine love and appreciation for ME?”
Today, I’ve invited Christine Arylo, author of Madly in Love with ME to share a few words of wisdom as it relates to the self-love that’s required in becoming our own best friend.
Here’s what she had to say as it relates to Three Simple but Mighty Self-Love Practices for Being Your Own Best Friend:
*****************************
Be kind to others. Show up and be supportive. Be there unconditionally and without judgment when your friends are having a hard time. Tell your friend the truth, even when it’s hard. Remember to celebrate you friends. Cheerlead for them. Inspire them to go for their dreams. Respect you friends, honor them, appreciate them, be compassionate – in other words love them.
These are the rules of being a good friend. And while you may not be perfect at always showing up as a good friend for others, you know how to love others well. And when you do show up as a good friend, you feel good about yourself. Proud. Like you are doing a good thing, being a good person. Because you inherently know that giving love to others is a good thing.
But take that love and friendship and apply it to yourself and something different happens. Suddenly you feel guilty for taking care of yourself, selfish for choosing yourself first, and shy about tooting your own horn. Giving love to yourself in the forms you need it most – compassion, appreciation, nurturing, pleasure, etc. – feels wrong, weird and uncomfortable. In situations where you’d have no problem telling a friend to take a break, stop working, leave a relationship, or go for her dreams, you find yourself totally unable to give yourself permission to do what you really need. Until now.
Today, I invite you to take a stand for the most important relationship in your life – the one with yourself – by saying YES! to becoming a really good friend – maybe even a best friend – to yourself, and start giving yourself the love you need, no matter what. There’s nothing selfish about that. For the better friend you are to yourself, the more you fill yourself up with love, the more you will be able to give to others. You will be both a giver and receiver of love!
3 Simple but Mighty Self-Love Practices for Being Your Own B.F.F.
One of the biggest reasons we fail to be good friends to ourselves is because we don’t know how to give ourselves permission to take the actions we know would be best for us. Ask yourself these simple questions on a regular basis, or whenever you feel overwhelmed, lonely or out of sorts. Be honest. And if the answer to the question is “No” take the love prescription and daring act of love listed to get yourself the love you need in the form you need it in.
Am I happy?
If the answer is no, you are likely starving for joy. You need self-pleasure. Take this Daring Act of Love: Make a JOY Portrait, by filling up one piece of paper with all the things that make you happy – big and small. Then choose three, and turn then into “acts of joy” – actions you can take to create joy for yourself. Enjoy them within 24 hours, no matter what you have going on.
Am I taking care of myself, as well as everything and everyone else?
If the answer is no, your energy tank is likely depleted. You need self-care. Take this Daring Act of Love: Give yourself what you need, pronto. Close your eyes, put your hand on your heart, take a deep breath, and say to yourself, “What do I need right now to take care of me?” Then be quiet and see what your Inner Wisdom says. Whatever guidance you receive, do that one thing, no matter what.
Am I willing to disappoint another to not disappoint myself?
If the answer to this is no, you are putting others needs in front of your own, to the determinant to yourself. You need self-honor. Take this Daring Act of Love: Love-line a friend, and ask them to give you permission to do what’s best for you. If you are really stubborn, ask them tell you why it’s okay to give yourself permission to disappoint another not to disappoint yourself, and then you repeat back what they say. Often, when we can’t be a good friend to ourselves, we need to elicit the help of others who can be a good friend. This is how we learn to be better friends to ourselves.
Imagine what your life would be like from this day forward if in the moments when your inner critic wanted to tear you down, in the times you got scared to go for your dreams, or in the instances when you felt exhausted and needed a rest, you were able to wrap your arms around yourself, and give yourself permission to do exactly what you needed – without guilt, fear or judgment. This is what is possible when you make the choice to love yourself unconditionally and as a result choose to show up as a best friend, no matter what. A daring adventure indeed, but the only way really to live – in love, with yourself.
Christine Arylo is the author of Madly in Love with Me and Choosing ME Before WE. She is an internationally recognized speaker and transformational teacher for women and girls, and the founder of the international day of self-love (Feb 13). Visit her online at http://www.ChristineArylo.com and http://www.ChooseSelfLove.com
*Based on the new book Madly in Love with ME ©2012 by Christine Arylo. Published with permission of New World Library http://www.newworldlibrary.com
by Tina Games | Dec 1, 2012 | Authenticity, Inner Wisdom, Life Purpose, Life Story, Personal Growth, Spiritual Growth
When we take a close look at our own life patterns – it’s a real eye-opener! ~ What an awareness – to follow the dots and very clearly see HOW we arrived at where we are now. ~ The key is understanding the WHY – and how it fits into our larger life purpose.
We all have a life purpose legacy? ~ What’s yours?
For a complimentary Intuitive Consultation to discuss your life purpose “dot-to-dot” – send me a note via the e-mail link in the bottom right-hand corner of this page.
by Tina Games | Nov 20, 2012 | Creativity, Inner Wisdom, Journal Writing, Personal Growth, Self-Care
While the holiday season can be quite joyous, it can also bring up a lot of stress and overwhelm – and for some, it can stir up feelings of pain or loneliness.
According to the American Institute of Stress, more than 110 million Americans take medication for stress-related causes each week. And when the holidays come along, people already predisposed to stress can find themselves feeling blue and more anxious than usual. Even those who don’t ordinarily feel stressed under the pressure of events or deadlines, still find that the holiday season can play havoc on day-to-day routines.
So what can we do?
“Plan for stress,” say the experts – just like you plan ahead for any calamity you want to avoid. The more prepared you are for the upcoming schedule, the more relaxed you’ll feel going into it.
During the holiday season, I always think of the film, “It’s a Wonderful Life.” It seems to capture the “heaviness” that can come around this time of year, with a gentle reminder to really appreciate the smaller things in our lives. It requires a mindset shift – a change in our perspective.
The good news is – you don’t have to let stress ruin your holidays. You can begin this shift in perspective by pinpointing what you’re anxious about.
• Are you feeling stressed because you’re not going to be able to fulfill your children’s gift requests?
• Are you and your partner wrangling over holiday expenses?
• Are you overloaded with too many invitations and don’t know how to say no.
• Are you feeling left out because your friends are enjoying the season and you’re not?
Start by considering your attitude. There’s no magic bullet, but your attitude can make a difference. Ask yourself, “Is my situation a small, medium or large problem? How upset do I want to get over it, and for how long?”
Look at the possibilities around you, not the restrictions.
Learn to recognize common holiday triggers, so you can disarm them before they lead to a meltdown.
• Relationships – Relationships can cause turmoil, conflict or stress at any time, but tensions are often heightened during the holidays. Family misunderstandings and conflicts can intensify, especially if you’re thrust together for several days. On the other hand, facing the holidays without a loved one can be tough and leave you feeling lonely and sad.
• Finances – With the added expenses of gifts, travel, food and entertainment – the holidays can put a strain on your budget and your peace of mind. Not to mention that overspending now, can mean financial worries for months to come.
• Physical Demands – Even die-hard holiday enthusiasts may find that the extra shopping and socializing can leave them wiped out. Being exhausted increases your stress, creating a vicious cycle. Exercise and sleep – good antidotes for stress and fatigue – may take a back seat to chores and errands. And to top it off, burning the candle at both ends makes you more susceptible to colds and other types of health issues, both physical and mental.
The key is – don’t forget to take care of yourself during all the busyness! Take a few minutes for meditation or journaling – or perhaps an hour for a morning run or walk – or a good stretch during yoga.
As an avid journal writer, I find that dumping my anxieties out in my personal journal helps clear the space for me to step back and take a look at the bigger picture. This one simple act helps me turn overwhelm on its head and look at it from a different viewpoint.
Here are a few journaling prompts that can support you during a hectic holiday season. They’re broken down into categories (based on the type of journal writing prompt).
********
Springboards
These are simple statements or questions that help you focus and clarify your writing. Like the diving board at the swimming pool, they provide a jumping-off place.
• What brings me peace?
• How (and/or what) do I want to celebrate this holiday season?
• As this year closes, I choose to let go of –
• This holiday season, I need —
• My stress triggers are –
Captured Moments
These are captured images in our mind – that freeze a moment in time. They are usually brief (often two or three paragraphs) and focus on the sensory descriptions of an event.
• My best (Christmas/Hanukkah/New Year’s) ever
• My most challenging (Christmas/Hanukkah/New Year’s/holiday) ever
• A memorable Christmas morning
• A memorable holiday family dinner
List of 100
Lists are great for clarifying, itemizing, gathering and noticing. Lists of 100 are particularly useful when you want to find out what’s going on beneath the surface of an issue or you just want to clear your mind. And it’s okay to repeat yourself (it just means it’s important)!
• Gifts you’d like to give to the world
• Ways to a peaceful heart
• Ways to cope
• Things that cause me stress during the holiday season
• My “holiday” to do list
Unsent Letters
Because the whole point of an unsent letter is NOT to send it, you’ll benefit from the opportunity to get as angry, sad, swoony, unreasonable, silly or indignant as you want. Unsent letters are a safe, satisfying way to release pent-up energy.
• Someone who has passed on
• Family member you’re having a struggle with
• Disappointment
• The year 2012
Tapping into Your Inner Wisdom
When we take the time to really go inside ourselves, we always know the right answer. Choose a question (or two) that is relevant to “self” during the holiday season. Some examples are:
• How can I stay calm?
• How might I contribute to peace on earth, good will toward all?
• What is the message of the season for me?
• How can I embody the true meaning of the holidays?
• What is my next right action with (someone with whom you’re having difficulty)?
********
Journal writing is an excellent way to ease holiday stress – and to minimize or make sense of any pain or loneliness that may surface during this time of year.
Here’s to the power of journaling through the holiday season!
****************************************************
Tina M. Games is the author of Journaling by the Moonlight: A Mother’s Path to Self-Discovery (an interactive book with an accompanying deck of 54 journaling prompt cards). As a certified creativity coach and life purpose intuitive, she is the “Moonlight Muse” for women who want to tap into the “full moon within” and claim their authentic self, both personally and professionally. Through her signature coaching programs, based on the phases of the moon, Tina gently guides women from darkness to light as they create an authentic vision filled with purpose, passion and creative expression. For more information about her work, please visit: www.JournalingByTheMoonlight.com where you can receive her 12 best tips for journal writing.
