The Only Resolution: Crease Your Cheeks!
#spiritsays: Your expression has flat-lined — it is time to crease your cheeks.
1/6/12
Being the jovial guest and the “Hostess with Mostest” left us feeling a bit drained in December. We had fun, a blast in fact, but the year ended with us scanning the room for a soft pillow. Understanding our need for rest and even when our tank is teetering on E, Spirit reminds us to put the putty on our cheekbones, rig the strings and pull up!
Cheers to wiping the slate clean!
5, 4, 3, 2, 1, we went from hunchback to perfect posture in a matter of seconds as the 2011 mattress of old hurts, harms and exhaustion was lifted. Standing tall and taking our first deep breath of the new year, opportunities suddenly revealed themselves and with a twinkle in our eye we left the gate at a sprint.
I resolve to..
Whether you are a resolution maker or not, there is one resolution Spirit wants us to make and keep; to smile. Make a bumper sticker, imprint on a t-shirt (oh wait, I think that’s been done), a post-it note on your computer, whatever it takes, but SMILE.
They say there will be much on our plate this year but unlike last, we are prepared. Stopping by the coconut stand we stocked up on our rations and set off down the paved road toward our potential. Now almost two weeks in, we have to sit a spell. Checking our blisters and changing our socks, we absently reach into our backpack, our fingers find the sticky post-it missive “even when it hurts, smile”… and our cheeks puff as the corner of our lips lift.
Spirit shares their “secret sauce” ingredient to help us maintain our pace and our eye on the prize, to keep our cups full and flowing year-round.
K: Why smile?
S: A smile is the outward sign of an inward shift. When you smile, it signals to the universe that you are not only a willing participant, but more, that you are embracing your role as designer of the outcome. Your effort opens doors.
K: Do we have to smile to have a good outcome?
S: No, but just as staying stuck in your story reduces your opportunities, so too does a bad mood. If you are reading this, then your intention is to live to your highest potential. When you “crease your cheeks”, you go from regular to high octane Spirit support at the pump.
#spiritsays: Your choice of mood, one way or the other, recruits joy or blocks it entirely.
1/12/12
K: Sometimes I don’t feel like smiling.
S: And? Accepting the gift of humanhood, you signed on the dotted line for the parcel. It is part and parcel of the gift of humanhood to experience the roller coaster emotions that life in the fast (or slow) lane offers. The point is to overcome. You did not come here to rest on your laurels or pout.
We understand there are days when it is a struggle to turn the frown upside down. Fake it and you will make it!
Grief and smiling
K: How can we smile when our heart is breaking?
S: How can you not? Whether grieving the loss of a loved one, a relationship or a job, the principle of choosing your mood still remains.
Death
In the case of a loved one that has passed, it sounds trite but tis true that they are safe and well-loved. They are at their favorite diner surrounded by happy cherry pie eating friends, who are patting them on the back for a job well done.
S: They are whole, restored, safe. There is no hell except those who make it for themselves. For those who stubbornly persist, we have heavenly grief counselors on call 24/7 to dispel the nonsense and reposition thinking caps.
Do not mourn for them, but for yourself. Just remember, the more time spent weaving a tale of woe, the less we have to work with as far as angelic intervention and healing. Prolonged and determined sadness shields you from outreach, heavenly or otherwise. So smile in gratitude for their humanity, their impact, their love. Know that they will be waiting with cherry pie (or apple if you prefer), a wide smile and open arms when you return home.
For those of you left with an aching and open space in your heart, it is important that you know that God did not “take” them, God “received” them.
Divorce/Breakup
S: As to divorce or any relationship breakup, it is always those who remain behind who feel as if their heart went through a meat grinder. People come into your life, if only for a moment, to serve a purpose, for mutual growth. No relationship is ever “time wasted” as all is in divine order and perfect timing. For those of you who simply must eek out every last drop of experience, if you choose to hold on to an imaginary passion, it stops you from receiving the gift of a healed heart and a happier outcome. Release as they were only yours for a time.
#spiritsays: If you were wronged, release it quickly lest it take hold like a barb riding around in your soul, pricking, poking, causing harm and havoc. Don’t claim ownership of the perpetrator’s foul.
1/9/11
S: Still smarting, if you say there was never a time where I was treated with love, you are fooling yourself at a pity party that no one else wants to attend. Remember a joyful moment and replace sorrow with gratitude. If you hold on to your anger, the toxin will poison your system and make you fit for more of the same. Like attracts like so like yourself, and others will like you too. Love yourself and oh, the places you’ll go.
#spiritsays: You were not sent with shoulder pads and shin guards, prepared to do battle in your relationships. Rather than keeping a safe distance, let your guard down and allow yourself to be loved and lovable.
1/8/11
Job Loss
#spiritsays: The fabled wolf may have blown over a house or two in his day but remember a house is just sticks and bricks, you are the home.
1/11/12
S: As to job loss, again the trials of life are meant as lessons. You were never meant to stay and stagnate, but to start, experience, learn and move on. Smile as you remember the people you met, the friendships forged, the stepping stone and skinned knee lessons, the opportunities to grow and shine. Again, if you don’t believe in yourself, you send a signal to others to question whether they should have confidence in you also.
#spiritsays: Determined ‘not to fail’ is fear based, determined to succeed is not. Repackage your thinking.
1/10/12
S: Losing a job often results in discovering your passion. Passion leads to purpose and purpose leads to life tailoring and a higher outcome. Do not mistake success for wealth, for they are two very different goals.
S: A smile is a gift of outreach, a shingle saying that you are open for business and ready to engage. You have many keys on your “open sesame” keychain, but this must-do is one to pencil in as you curl over the drawing board designing your outcome, your entrance to door number 3, behind which all glory and potential lives. A smile is your go juice, and our signal that you are at the pump and waiting to be filled.
Dial up your dazzle and smile!
