Soul Survival Kit Workshop: Session 6: Love

Hello All!

I am sorry about skipping our final session last Sunday! So many things going on! All good things! Let's dive into this week's session!

Prayer:

I used to think that prayer was all about asking for stuff. Not anymore! Now I see it as a form of COMMUNICATION with the

great Spirit that is us. Melody Beattie, in her book Finding Your Way Home, reminds us that prayer changes things! In fact... she says it doesn't just

change things for us, but also for the world. When you find yourself in a situation where you are lost, afraid, or unhappy Melody suggests stopping,

withdrawing from the battle of emotions and praying. Pray to whomever you feel comfortable with God, Jesus, Spirit, Creator or to your higher self.

This brings a new energy into you and the situation. This shines light into your soul and also your world. Ask for help! Ask for guidance, strength, love, peace and wisdom.

You can say a ritualized prayer, or have an informal talk about what is happening. If you like, you can right a note to yourself in your SSK Handbook about what you need

to pray about most when you are in a difficult situation. You could even write out the prayer you need to hear. Write out a favorite prayer or chant and put it in your SSK.

You can also find prayers in books or online that you can use when you need spiritual help. I purchased a tiny, pocket bible to put inside my Soul Survival Kit. I will mark the

pages I need when I need guidance.Once you have prayed... talked to a greater wisdom then your own... believe that you have been heard. Believe in your heart and mind that you have

connected with this higher power and that this higher power will give you what you need.

Here is a prayer by Saint Francis:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

Where there is injury, pardon.

Where there is doubt, faith.

Where there is despair, hope.

Where there is darkness, light.

Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,

grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive.

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

Amen.

You might create a sacred place in your home to pray. Melody says that "the act of creating a sacred space to honor the sacred

and holy in your home will symbolize honoring that divine space within yourself". She also suggests making prayer a habit or

establishing a routine for it so that when you are upset you will feel quite comfortable with communication with the divine.

Surrendering Control:

Surrendering control is a path that leads to home. You can call it letting go, letting go and letting God, nonresistance, humility, letting things

happen or any number of other things ... but what it means is that you are giving up the attachment to an outcome. You give up the need to totally

control every aspect of life. Attempting to control every outcome of every situation is an overwhelming task! It will take every bit of your energy

and then leave you unsatisfied because you can never really achieve control over everything. Melody says we can practice something called nonresistance!

When we are resisting we are putting much energy in trying to make sure something does not happen. This is ok when you have control over the situation.

But this is much wasted energy if it is a person or situation that you have no control over. She suggests writing about this situation. You can write yourself

a note in your handbook about what it is that you are trying to resist. Being aware of what it is we are trying to resist can help us to bring ourselves back

into harmony. Be honest with yourself. What is it that you don't like about this person or situation. Once you understand your feelings about it, then move in

a direction to be able to work through your feelings and let the negativity of the situation go. Melody advises us to stay calm and take time to get clear about what is

happening. She says to work on accepting your feelings and taking as much time as you need to work through. Instead of reacting to negative situations she shares

that we should move more in a direction of action; keeping your heart open and sending whatever negative vibes are coming at you love. Melody says "reversing the energy of a situation can sometimes create magnificent results, much sweeter than you could have imagined and more divine that the results won through power plays or through putting on the gloves and going into the ring".

The Power of Gratitude:

Melody says we should try to be grateful for everything... not just the things we like. Taking the energy to complain about things we do not like robs us of

energy we could be using to change those things or coming to terms with them if they can't be changed. Taking the time to live in gratitude daily keeps us

constantly in a state of peace and harmony and aids us when things go wrong. She suggests making a routine of gratitude and praise such as doing this in the

morning, at noon or in the evening. Whisper, sing or write about how grateful you are and if you don't feel it at first that is ok... keep on saying how grateful you

are until it soaks through your whole being!

The last section of our SSK Handbook is for our gratitude list! Use this section frequently to list all the things, people, places and situations that you are truly grateful

for. You could also put some pictures in this section of your handbook that make your heart grateful. You could put pictures of your family, your pets, your home or friends.

You could tape tickets from the fair, or movies, or from a trip you took that you are so very grateful for. You could list the lessons in life that you have learned that have

enriched your heart and mind. You could write about the people in your life that you are most grateful for. Being grateful is sending out positive vibrations out into the world.

Imagine what kind of world we could have if we all took the time to be grateful for each other and all that we are fortunate to have.

Forgiveness:

Learn to forgive yourself and others. Forgiveness sets everyone free! Melody says that "conscious forgiveness and praying for a blessing on the other person and ourselves can

bring a tremendous amount of healing energy into any situation." She also says that this requires an open heart and that we deal with our fear and dread. Melody

suggests making a list of all the people you need or want to forgive. She recommends using a powerful exercise that will help release you and others from the past.

"See yourself in a room of white light, talking to each person. Picture God, Mary, Jesus, Buddha - and saint or person you consider holy - with you in the room. She the person you're with asking you to forgive them for anything they've ever said, felt, thought, or done that has in any way caused you harm or pain. See yourself forgiving them and telling them that from your heart. Stay with the process until you can sit it and mean it. Go through all your emotions and objections in your mind. That's what you need to heal and release. Then see yourself asking that person to forgive you for anything you've ever said or done that's in any way caused them harm or pain. Mean what you say. Stay in our visualization until you can see the other person granting you forgiveness from his or her own heart, too. Then turn to God, and ask God to forgive you from anything you've done that's caused that person harm or pain. Stay with this process until you feel how forgiven you are."

Risk Love:

Melody says "live dangerously; risk love". Write in your handbook what you think about love. The good things and the bad things, what disappointments and rejections you have had in life. Write about people you wanted to love but have felt you couldn't. Write about people who have loved you and then left you. What is it about love that you believe? She says to "work at healing and releasing your feelings about lost love and dead dreams until you can give, receive, and manifest real love in your life." Have you closed your heart to anyone because the love you needed was not given? Have you given up on loving someone who has been unloving to you? Have you stopped loving God because you have been hurt? Risk love again! Ask God to open your heart to love. Open your heart to yourself first and then open it to others. Melody says to stay aware of what you are thinking and feeling. This is a great time to write yourself a note in your handbook. Encourage yourself to love... to be open and to risk loving others. Be open to all experiences that can help you to open your heart to love: it might come in the form of a movie, a book, an experiencer or trip. Sometimes it is us that stands in the way of our own healing. Love yourself first. Be gentle with yourself. Allow yourself to go through all the emotions you need to so that you can open and heal your heart. It is when you have healed your own heart that you can begin to truly love others. Take all the time you need. You are so very worth the work it takes to change your life!

The End or is it the Beginning?

We have reached the end of our Soul Survival Kit workshop! By now you should have a box that you can go to when you are afraid, hurt or upset. You have a handbook that you can open and read what you have written to yourself! You have things in this box that you will use to help heal your heart and life. This box is a work in progress... continue to add to it. Continue to write notes to yourself. Continue to look at your little card-deck book of joy. Continue to be grateful for everything you have. Continue to forgive... risk love.... and bring more peace into your heart and life! It's really a new beginning....

Be Blessed and also be a blessing!

Namaste