 Life really does seem like a roller coaster ride. Sometimes you're slowly climbing your way uphill with something, sometimes you round one curve to only find another, sometimes it's a series of loops and twists, sometimes you end up going through dark tunnels and sometimes it's straight downhill. Like life, a roller coaster ride can be thrilling, scary, heart-stopping, terrifying or exciting - usually it's a combination of those feelings. The past few weeks alone have been quite the ride, especially for people in Ecuador and Japan. There has also been a number of pets crossing the rainbow bridge as of late and it's hard not to be sad when you lose a fellow passenger. Recently, for myself, there have been some highs, quite a few lows, some new twists and turns and I've been thrown for a couple of loops. What I've come to realize is it's up to me as to how I see this ride. I can tightly grip the handle bars and and brace myself for what might come next, I can allow the ride to terrify me, I can smile and enjoy it as much as I can or I can throw my arms up in the air for the duration. It's totally my choice how I'm going to react to this ride called life. I can scream, I can laugh, I can cry, I can be pissed off it's not going the way I want it to, I can sit and observe or do all of the above. While there aren't any wrong choices, each choice does affect how I perceive the ride. There's a photo of my nephew when he was little and it was his first time on a kid's roller coaster ride. The photo captures the sheer bliss and joy on his face. To me, it's a magical moment caught in time. It's a reminder that we're all capable of experiencing that bliss, that joy - when we let go and enjoy. I also love the photo you see below. Take a close look at the passengers.  The women in the first two cars seem to be having a great time. The women in the third car look bored and irritated. The women in the last car look like they're too busy worrying about their valuables to even enjoy the ride. This is your life, your ride - you have the power of choice too. Life will definitely throw some twists and turns, some curves and some huge ups and downs - the question is, how are you going to ride? Here's to enjoying the ride as much as possible - Love, Adrienne :)
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 This coming Friday, the 22nd, is Earth Day. It's a day to demonstrate our support of environmental protection. We live on such a diverse and beautiful planet, yet the short-sighted actions of humanity have contributed to the elimination or near elimination of tens of thousands (if not more) of species who also inhabit(ed) the Earth. It punches me in the gut every time I drive by a piece of land being strip mined. It brings me such sadness to see tree after tree being chopped down. There are places in the U.S. where the water is undrinkable due to contaminants from corporate dumping, run off from mining, fracking - to name a few. Don't get me started on the fact that many countries are still dumping massive amounts of trash into the ocean everyday including tons of plastic - as in 8 million tons a year. Out of sight, out of mind - until you're personally affected by it. At this point, go to any coastal beach and you will find trash washed up on the shore. I was recently at a beach preserve on the East Coast and was flabbergasted by the amount of tampon applicators lying all over the place. This is trash that washed up on shore. Just drive along any roadway and you'll be sure to find trash along the side of the road that someone tossed from their car. Unfortunately, mankind has taken on the role of parasite - we are feeding off of and infecting the planet we inhabit. Looking at the photo above, tell me, where are the boundaries? Where are the borders? They are man-made. The ever growing trash dumps, the ridiculous amount of plastics we use and toss, the inhumane ways our meat is raised and butchered... we are the cause of what's happening to our environment, we are the ones shooting ourselves in the foot. We all live on this planet and only for a short while in the grand scheme of things. It's time that every single one of us becomes aware and conscientious of the footprint we are leaving behind. We are the ones consuming. We need to consume less and demand that companies work in harmony with the planet instead of gutting, contaminating and destroying it all in the name of profit. It's time to let your voice be heard. It's time to take action to protect our home. It's time to speak up and on behalf of our Earth. When tragedy strikes, we tend to unite and help each other out. Yet, tragedy, on a greater scale, is unfolding on a daily basis and we choose to remain oblivious or are so overwhelmed to the point where we don't do anything. Find a cause for the planet that you're passionate about and get involved. Be conscientious of what you're buying and research where it goes when you throw it away. Instead of using a plastic baggie for your sandwich everyday - place it in a reusable container. Turn off the lights when you're not using them. Use a reusable drinking bottle instead of constantly buying plastic bottles of water. One small step I've recently taken is I refuse to buy products that are packaged in materials that aren't recyclable. My next step will be to contact the companies and let them know why I'm not buying their product. What are some ways that you too can work and live in harmony with the planet instead of against her? For the Love of Earth, Adrienne :)
"To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you." - Lewis B. SmedesIf there's one thing I've always been quite good at, it's holding a grudge. If you really hurt me, you better believe I'd hold a grudge - for decades. I've been working through a lot of these grudges over the past few years, but I've found that there are some that I just can't let go of. I try very hard to walk my talk. I want nothing more than to be at peace, but the pain is pretty deep. I've been open to that 'next step' to help me with forgiveness. As fate would have it, I was recently able to attend a healing circle on forgiveness. I left with quite a few takeaways that I'd love to share with you. If you're struggling with forgiveness of yourself or others, perhaps something here will help shift your perspective. 1. A LOT of energy is spent on holding a grudge or not forgiving. Consider how much energy is used up thinking about what someone did to us. How many times do we replay it in our mind? Add to that the drain from all of the emotions that are tied to that situation. If you think about how someone did you wrong - you're putting your energy there and reliving all of the associated emotions. Is that where you want your energy to go? 2. Forgiveness and compassion go hand in hand. It is about having compassion for others, but it's more about having compassion for yourself. It involves loving yourself enough to release the burdens of non-forgiveness. As they say, when you forgive someone, it's more about doing it for your sake rather than theirs. It's not about forgiving what they did, it's about releasing the emotions and thoughts that are still causing you pain. 3. Forgiving someone does not mean that you condone their actions. It means you are ready to be at peace with the situation. Forgiving someone does not mean that you have to let them back into your life. Also, be sure that when you forgive, you're not just glossing over your feelings or stuffing them down - they need to be acknowledged and processed. 4. If you can't forgive yet, that's ok - just love yourself anyway. This was a huge takeaway for me. Sometimes it takes longer to forgive someone. You're not a bad person if you can't offer someone absolution. Give yourself the time you need and work through your emotions. Definitely keep loving yourself through the process. 5. Forgiveness contributes to a peaceful world. Forgiveness is about returning to a state of peace in your own being. As within, so without; our inner world reflected in the outer world. If you would like more peace on this planet, start with yourself. As Marianne Williamson beautifully stated, ”The practice of forgiveness is our most important contribution to the healing of the world. Angry people cannot create a peaceful planet. It amuses me to think how angry I used to get when people wouldn’t sign my peace petitions." Forgiveness is so important and not usually easy to achieve. Can you think of some people in your life who you hold a grudge against? Who do you need to forgive to bring yourself more peace? What are you holding that you need to forgive yourself for? Start there. Make a list of the reasons and emotions. Work through them. If you're struggling and feel that you can't forgive something/someone, keep loving yourself and work at it as you go. As you work through it and open your heart, you will reach that point where you can honestly say, 'I forgive you' and be at peace. There's a wonderful song that I invite you to listen to by Matthew West, titled Forgiveness. Here is a glimpse of some of the lyrics to his song: It’s the hardest thing to give away And the last thing on your mind today It always goes to those that don’t deserve It’s the opposite of how you feel When the pain they caused is just too real It takes everything you have just to say the word… Forgiveness Forgiveness It flies in the face of all your pride It moves away the mad inside It’s always anger’s own worst enemy Even when the jury and the judge Say you gotta right to hold a grudge It’s the whisper in your ear saying ‘Set It Free’ Here's to working on setting ourselves free. Love, Adrienne :)
As a kid, I would have frequent excruciating pain in my knees. I was told this was called growing pains and that it was a phase that would pass as I grew older. What I've discovered is that growing pains can occur at any age and can last throughout our lifetime - the growing pains I'm referring to are those that result from life lessons and experiences. Life can dish out some pretty intense experiences. I know, from the core of my being, that when we go through something painful, there is a lesson there. What keeps us from re-experiencing that pain in future circumstances is to learn that lesson so that we can view life with new eyes. When we're going through a trying time, we basically have 2 choices: 1. We can allow ourselves to wallow in our emotions, which keeps us trapped and creates more drama. 2. We can take a step back, look at the situation for what it is and allow ourselves to grow from it. Choice #1 is really easy to do. We feel justified in our emotions. We even go as far as to identify ourselves with our emotion - I am anger, I am unworthy, I am unlovable, etc. Many of us revel in the victim role: it's their fault I'm feeling this way or what did I ever do to deserve such treatment? You may not have done anything, but you are holding some belief system which attracted this experience into your life. And, yes, people can say and do things that feel awful, but ultimately, you're the one in control of your emotions. How others act says more about them than you. Choice #2 is harder as it requires responsibility, determination and action. We make the choice of stepping out of the drama and victimhood. We acknowledge how we feel, but we don't allow ourselves to live there. It takes work to stay out of victim mode which requires commitment and determination. We have to take action in confronting our outdated beliefs that no longer serve us. We have to work through our emotions. We have to take back our position in the driver's seat. The seed of a flower has to push its way up through the soil before it can blossom and bloom into its full glory. Growing our Soul involves struggle and it can be painful. What's important to remember is we are not those emotions, we are not that pain, we are that beautiful bud on the verge of blossoming. Love, Adrienne :)
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October 2024
AuthorHello! I'm Adrienne Almamour, an empathic intuitive conduit. I assist people by detecting and clearing their subconscious emotional energy blockages. This blog is a commentary and reflection of life from an intuitive standpoint which also incorporates ways that allow us to be from our heart. |
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