Reflexology For The Spirit

spirituality of one's health

Interested in Self-Care? Try Self-Forgiveness

Let me start this article this way:  Self-forgiveness is never easy.

I’ve written about self-forgiveness before.  It’s a theme for me – even though I didn’t realize it when I began writing.  It’s definitely a part of my books and essays on wellness and hunger.

I have forgiveness chapters in all of my books.  My two favorite chapters are in “The Ketchup Sandwiches Chronicles” beginning on page 103 and 145.

These two chapters focus on two real people and the voyages they traveled while  seeking self-forgiveness.

Begin self-care with a few questions:

Who am I in this community?  In this country?  On this planet?

Remember:  My community, my country, and my planet have value.  I believe the value is greater than the sum of all of us combined.

Self-care means joining the community of the planet.  Everyone, without exception, has value and a role to play.

No one, not even the least of us, is irrelevant.  No one, not even the greatest of us, is above it all.  Being rich or poor simply isn’t part of the equation.

Self-forgiveness in the context of self-care is a journey where we become a part of something greater.  We don’t write off people and situations.  We challenge, encourage, love.

Self-forgiveness allows us to not always be at our best.

Self-forgiveness includes renewal and support.

Self-forgiveness can be a calling.

When you sign onto the journey of self-forgiveness, you’ll travel to places you’ve never been before.  You may find yourself involved in activities and events for which you may not be quite prepared.

You can’t complete a self-forgiveness journey with an isolated incident like you would complete a puzzle or word game.  It is a part of a process.

Forgiveness is always a challenge.  Everyone seeks forgiveness and self-forgiveness is the hardest part.

How does it work?  Well, do what you can with what you have.  Work where you are.  A good starting point is to sketch your community.

Really, what you’re doing is muddling through.  Frankly, I think that’s how self-forgiveness works.  This journey is not going to be perfect.  At times, it may seem overwhelming.  Other times, it may seem simply like a blank page.  Self-forgiveness comes with very few maps.  Certainly, there is no GPS.

Forgiveness is a journey with its own timetable.  There may be surprise stops along the way.  That’s because forgiveness has its own messages and meaning.

A bottom line is this:  Forgiveness is for you and you alone.  When you forgive someone, you are not forgiving them for them.  You are forgiving them for you.

And, that’s what self-care is all about:  YOU.

Self-forgiveness happens when you move beyond your  thoughts and memories  to a new place.  At that moment, you see things differently.  Sometimes this new place can be a sort of miracle.

This happens when you see your open heart and embrace new hopes and blessings.  After a few moments, you may also hear things in a new way.

This is true change.  True change, and self-forgiveness, happens when you face the same condition that caused you to behave in a way unacceptable to yourself and now you see things differently.

You break out of your past.

You’ve changed.  You are a different person.

You wake up and claim your self-forgiven reality.

                                       

Thank you for reading this blog post.  Please forward it to your preferred social media network.  Share it with your friends and family.

To hear stories of healing and of hunger, tune into YouTube.  There are several segments where I read the stories.  It is one thing to read the stories and another thing entirely to hear them.  ENJOY

When traveling on your self-forgiveness journey, I recommend you include regular reflexology and Reiki sessions.  Spiritual journeys include physical, mental, and emotional changes as well.  Your feet are a command center of your body.  They need consideration and attention during this time.

If you have questions, contact me at thurmangreco@gmail.com

THANKS AGAIN!

 

 

Spirit is a Change Agent: 5 Ways to See. 6 Questions. 3 Lists.

Sometimes, when spirit reaches out, we rejoice.

Spirit speaks, whether or not we are interested.  The message may be loud or soft, depending on your self-care situation.

Lately, I’ve been hearing from people, each of whom is in dialogue with  spirit.  One thing, spirit brings change.  I think about change this way:

When I choose change, the words in my life are different:

I can love myself more.

I release resentment so forgiveness can become part of my life.

I move from the old to the new.

I express love in more ways.

Today’s article focuses on one prompt instead of the usual list of 5-7 self-care suggestions I’ve been offering.   I’m interrupting the series with this one focus because it needs attention.

Do you feel resentment when a client, a relative, a neighbor, a manager, a stranger asks something of you?

Do you want to spend more time with someone but cannot?

The tendency is to swallow your feelings and press on.  Whatever the message, spirit speaks truth. However spirit reaches you, the message is an opportunity.    Eventually, when spirit bubbles your feelings up, you cannot pretend you don’t feel the tug.  Spirit is a change agent.

How does spirit speak to you?  Do you feel anger, depression, fear?  Do you feel love, calm, excitement?  Do you smell roses?

Do thoughts enter your head?  “I really don’t want to do this job, see this person again, drive this commute, feel this stress, stay in this apartment, live in this town, put up with this pandemic stress even one minute more.”

Do you see answers in clouds, on pages of books you find open?

Eventually, spirit convinces you to honor your situation and yourself.  It’s time  to honor change.

A good next step is a list.  After all, “if it’s not on the list, it doesn’t exist.”  Right?

For starters, I propose two lists.  A heart list comes first. This is an ongoing document you create while traveling on your life path.

I first found the Heart list in a book, “Fireflies” by Coleen Murtagh Paratore – a successful and spiritual writer:

Take a piece of paper and draw a large heart on it.  What words make you happy?  What words make you smile?  Put those words in the heart you just drew.

Set this heart list aside for the moment  while you create your Change list.

On a second piece of paper, list things to change in your life. You are creating your Change list.

Now, ask yourself:

How can I turn the Change list entries into action?

What should I do to improve my situation?

What can I give away, move, rearrange?

Change is a gift.  Is it time to allow gratitude into my life?

Can I get comfortable with change?  Do I even want to get comfortable with change?

How long do I want to live with negativity in my life:  Ten minutes?  Ten days?  Ten weeks?  Ten Months?  Ten years?

Put your two lists away.  But, don’t hide your heart list.  Place it where you can see it whenever you want.  Add add words to your heart list often.

When tomorrow comes, look at your Change list.  Your positive future may lie in this list.  Seek ways  to create what will work for you.

Find ways to graciously and generously reduce contact with stressful people, places, and situations.

Are there people and aspects in your life you want to draw closer?  Do you  want to spend more time with others?  What places do you want to know better?  Are there positive activities you want to include in your life?

What are the best ways to remove unwanted habits?  Changes shift outcomes. Situations move and create a rejuvenating ripple effect in your life.

The third list, my Ben Franklin Change List, is important now.  I’ve used this list for years when  taking action becomes confusing.  .

Sometimes I’m trying to decide what to do.  My options have narrowed down to two or three and I’m still trying to decide.  I haul out another piece of paper and draw two or three lines on it.  I list everything that can happen if I move down path A, and then I list everything that can happen if I move down path B.

I include “the best thing that can happen if I…” in each option of my Ben Franklin list.  I also include “the worst thing that can happen if I…”

After I’ve written down everything and anything, I examine the opportunities these lists created.  One list will be longer than the other.

Listing all the options and then seeing them for what they are on the page clears my head and my heart.  This information usually points me in a direction.

And, finally, if I’m at a yes/no point and have not reached a decision, I dowse for an answer.  My trusty pendulum always helps.

If you don’t dowse, there are still things you can do:

Several years ago, I was in a real quandary.  I felt I was going in circles.  Confusion reigned.

Someone invited me to visit New York City for a weekend.  On that visit, I wound up walking through Washington Square Park late on Sunday afternoon.

I’ve been there many times – there were always people enjoying themselves in this park.  People sat around visiting with one another.  People walked their dogs.  Watching everyone was always fun.

On this  afternoon, the place was deserted.  Seated all by himself on a  bench,  sat a smallish, older man wearing an unusual hat.

I was drawn to him.  How could I not be?  The dogs, the college students, and  the tourists were gone.  Even the pianist playing songs for tips on his grand piano  was gone.  There was only the quaint little man and me.  As I got closer, I saw a tarot deck next to him on the bench.

You know how this story ends.

I walked over to him and we chatted.  He read my cards.  His words coaxed my own intuition to pull what I needed from his message.  His voice, his posture, his cards, were perfect for me at that  moment.

– – – – – – – – – – –

My book, “Healer’s Handbook,” dealing with the spirituality of  health, discusses change in several entries.

People get angry when they aren’t comfortable with change.  Sometimes this anger surfaces as health issues or disease.  Arthritis, boils, burns, carpel tunnel syndrome, cold sores,  depression, diarrhea,  kidney infections, laryngitis, menstrual problems, obesity,  pink eye,  sprains, and warts are just a few.

Sometimes, when contacted by spirit,, we see our souls hanging out in front of us.  Messages we didn’t ask for show up at a time when we don’t want change in our lives.

When that happens to you, acknowledge the situation and move on.  Maybe you’ll be up for change soon.

Take whatever steps you can when you are ready.

Consider this:  You may be more ready than you think.  After all, spirit is connecting with you and you are listening.

I’m reminded of the old children’s game:  “Ready or not, here I come!”

Change is the journey we travel.

Change is opportunity in the face.

Change is a naturally occurring life event.

Change surrounds us all.

Change can create joy.  Joy allows  you to love yourself and everyone else.

Doing what you can, connect with however many things in your life bring joy.

Change can sometimes be ungrounding.  That’s where reflexology comes in.  Schedule a session.  Grounding is something to appreciate during stressful times.

Reflexology sessions bring the change of homeostasis.  With homeostasis, you can  take responsibility for your health and find the person you are meant to be.

When working for change, I focus on the immune system and nervous system together for the first part of the reflexology session.  This can be transformative.

 

Thank you for reading this article.  Please refer this blog post to your preferred social media network.

Please share it with your friends.

Thanks again.

Thurman Greco