I am a spiritual over achiever. The first decade after my spiritual awakening was filled with equal amounts of joy and pain. My belief is that the muck needs to be cleared away in order to become the radiant vessels we were intended to be.

I know a few other spiritual over achievers and I would like to offer a bit of encouragement. Two things come to mind. The first is that you are moving. It may feel like you are coming up against the same issue over and over, but I promise that they are getting smaller each time. The second is that it is so worth it.

Living a life of inner freedom is amazing. Keep walking. Keep weeping. Keep loving - especially yourself.

For the love of peace
I teach the children to be kind
For the love of peace
I teach the children to give and share
For the love of peace
I teach the children respect for others
For the love of peace
I teach children to love
For the love of peace
I teach children to forgive
Today I hope for peace in their playrooms
Tomorrow I hope for peace in their schools
Always I hope for peace on earth
And forever, I hope for peace in their hearts.


Written by Ann Kingsley after a day of watching triplets and teaching them about peace.

Last night my Essentials of Personal Energy Management group met. Wed. evenings are the time that we get together and talk about ways to bring more spiritual energy into our bodies and everyday lives. Each member shared incredible insights and supported one another in their victories as they move toward authentic empowerment.

As I left I found myself overflowing with joy - tickled that the group itself seems to be bringing more energy into our beings.

My daughter brought a book home from school yesterday. After dinner we sat on the couch together to read it. It was about a little girl who LOVED her cool male teacher and wanted to be a teacher when she grew up. One day she became disruptive trying to show the class her new purse and ended up getting it taken away. She was sad and then very angry at the teacher, deciding she didn't want to grow up and be a teacher anymore...

At some point during the day she drew a picture of him saying that he is "fat" and wanted by the FBI and slipped it into his bag. At the end of the day he gave her the purse back. On the way home she opened it to find a note from him saying, "Today was a hard day, tomorrow will be better." She immediately felt horrible for what she had done and did what she needed to do to make it better.

The author's portrayal of the humble teacher and the kind gesture of writing that note really struck me as a powerful demonstration of how to relate compassionately with others. What a wonderful world it would be if we all set our egos aside and extended ourselves like that.

Someone commented on my last entry that getting in touch with their inner self was like digging a hole to china with a spoon, and not even speaking Chinese!

Spiritual writings often neglect to talk about the preparation required to achieve a state of bliss. We all need to clear out old emotional residue which blocks our inner voice. We need to discipline our minds so that negative thoughts don't keep us stuck in the same place year after year. Finally, we need to distance ourselves from toxic people and environments that weigh heavily on the system and impede growth.

Start from where you are. Your inner self is telling you your next step loud and clear. Perhaps it is saying, "Stop smoking," or "Take time alone regularly." You already have moments of enlightenment and these moments will turn to hours, days, and then years as you trust yourself and do what you know you need to do now.

"Ego is no more than this: identification with form, which primarily means thought forms."

- Eckhart Tolle