Being in Touch

Being in Touch

We may feel a lot of tension, most of it quite unnoticeable, because we are not yet really in touch with ourselves.

We have been conditioned to follow directions, go for certain types of economic and social goals, and yet, these may have nothing to do with what our own true goals are.

This produces a lot of tension, but since we are so used to feeling that way, we may not identify it correctly.

When we do find ourselves getting out of the made rush through illness, a sense of disorientation or lack of meaning, failure or simple fatigue, it gives us a change to look at things differently.

In the priority of gaining back our health, relaxing and slowing down, we have the opportunity to reassess what we are doing and why.

When we allow our true feelings to surface, we may be surprised to discover what they are.

Quite often, our true feelings reveal interests and priorities that have absolutely nothing to do with society’s values around us.

So, this is the moment of courage.

While you are feeling your weakest physically you may draw on the courage you never knew you had to change direction.

You will find that this contributes greatly to your health, your sense of focus and direction, your imagination, sense of purpose and your happiness.

© 2016 Kathryn Hardage

www.InspiredPrctices.com

Young Person’s Mentor

Womanhood and Manhood

The competence and freedom you express as part of the identity you create for yourself gives you the most possible fulfilled life.

Through your deep intuition and respect for yourself, your physical strength and dexterity are guided to be of service to yourself and others.

Because of your insight into your identity, you know that as you see yourself, you must naturally see others in the same way.

The more you respect your own beliefs and practices, the more you respect the beliefs and practices of others.

Your womanhood and manhood means that you have an ability to comfort as well as to provide.

Your womanhood and manhood means that you have an ability to listen as well as to express.

Your womanhood and manhood means that you have an ability to be generous as well as to be wise.

Your practice of these abilities are a part of what constitutes your womanhood and your manhood.

© 2016 Kathryn Hardage

www.inspiredPractices.com

Consideration

When one of our adult children began visiting only his spouse’s family, we were surprised.

As it continued, we were confused.  We had met the girl, and originally enjoyed her a lot.

As the years continued, we wondered if she realized that his family loved him as much as her family loved her.

A friend invited me to a Facebook page for people who were experiencing estrangement.  Her adult daughter had ceased contact.

An artist friend told me of visiting her son and his family and asked him why, in the nine years of his marriage, they only visited his spouse’s family.  They had prepared to move there for their retirement.  Instead, they cut their visit short and enjoyed some vacation time in another location. 

In the light of my small circle of friends and their experiences, I was grateful another friend gave me an affirmation to consider.

“Thank you for what you are teaching me through this experience.”

For a few days, I pondered this without trying to come up with any answers.

Very gently, a few days later, I found out what I was being taught.

It was that it is OK to be happy anyway.

I was surprised.

There is so much emotional investment in raising children to adulthood.  One looks forward to enjoying adult conversations with our children once they are grown.  To including them and being included in an expanded sense of family.  To getting to know them in another context besides the challenges of raising them.

This is happening with a number of our other children.  We enjoy our conversations with them as adults.  Their expanding viewpoints and ours.  Their new experiences.  Watching them raise their children and seeing greater maturity permeate their lives.

Even though we don’t see some of our adult children, it is good to know that it is OK to be happy anyway.

The Universe is generous, and has given us full lives, apparently, with, or without our adult children.

And they, and we, are always very deeply loved.

© 2016 Kathryn Hardage

www.InspiredPractices.com

Your Strength of Mind

You have strength of mind that you do not know yet.

Not all of it has been tested.

Yes, you have had some decisions that are life-changing.

And you will certainly have more of them.

How you keep your course is something that will test your strength over time.

You may decide to change your course for good reasons, and sometimes just because you get distracted.

But you will come back to your true course as you refine it and use your strength to maintain it.

Your strength of mind will move you forward.

It will keep you in a calm place while others around you are disturbed and distracted.

It will draw resources to you that will aid you.

Your strength of mind will wait while you grow up to appreciate it.

It will never dessert you.

It is part of the character you were born with.

You will discover more and more of it as you face the challenges in your life.

It will allow you to appreciate the paths others have taken ahead of you.

It will allow you to help lay down the path for others who will follow you.

© 2016 Kathryn Hardage

www.InspiredPractices.com

Create the Peace You Crave

Whether it seems like it or not, your life is under your control.

If it feels crazy, unsatisfying, unbalanced, you can take steps to create the peace you crave in your life.

Instead of accepting the life you see around you, you can state the quality of life you want.

Peace, happiness, balance, joy.

Doing the things you love.

Making a contribution to society.

Creating community with like-minded people.

Take a deep breath, and listen deeply within.

Sit quietly until you can sense a deeper peace.

In that quiet feeling, you will get a sense of direction.

It may be a specific course of action, or it may simply be a peaceful feeling you can carry with you.

Use this as your guide when you feel tense or pressured.

You can turn to it within over and over again all day long.

With practice, this can become a constant factor which redefines and recreates your life.

© 2016 Kathryn Hardage

www.InspiredPractices.com

Set Up a Social Business Model

How does your business/service pay its bills and benefit its recipients?

How much profit do you need/want?

Where is the best place for it to go?

For yourself?

For your community?

what callas and tugs at your heart to create?

How does it feel to you?

What does it feel like when you imagine ourself doing it?

Who benefits?

How?

Is is a good idea to expand?

How does i feel to be in blanche?

Who owns the company?

You?

Employees?

The bank?

Who makes the business decisions?

You?

Employees?

The bank?

What about cooperative ownership?  What are the steps to get that working?

How does the mind-set change?

Yours?

Employee/owners?

What bank?!

© 2016 Kathryn Hardage

www.InspiredPractices.com

The Reason

Do I just want to make this life prettier?

What would I need in order to do that?

Exercise.

Save and invest my money.

Keep to a routine.

Make sure I meet the right people.

Its totally doable.

But then, I run out.

What is behind this?

What is the reasoning?

Look good.  Have more stuff.  Be respected in a capitalist world.

Ideals?

Contribution?

Individuality?

So what kind of success is it really?

Just pretty.

© 2016 Kathryn Hardage

www.InspiredPractices.com