Dear Friend,

How are you? I’m back from vacation. We had the best time.

Time with family in Corolla, NC was so relaxing, connecting, great food, and political disagreements. I said, “We learn something new every day about our loved ones and ourselves. I

learned that I’ve loved my cousin, Michael for  70 years and I’ve only known of his political views for a short time. Love always wins!”

The second leg of our trip was to Carolina Beach, NC to stay with one of our best friends, Michael. She is also our son, Brendan’s Godmother. We went to the beach, and the North Carolina Aquarium saw fireworks, ate delicious food, and more. Michael is one of those generous hearts that when I am with her, I always feel loved and safe.

My Walk with Spirit

The world feels so fractured and polarized to me right now. Honestly, it’s been fractured for a while. How about you? Does the world seem fractured to you as well? Do you have ways that you manage your anxiety and uncertainty? I’ve been overwhelmed by the world at large. In addition, I’m working hard to manage these feelings. I know that I must work hard to stay grounded and steady. What is your experience with staying grounded and in your body?

One of the ways that I stay grounded is to have a relationship with Spirit. Do you? I haven’t always connected with Spirit but once I started to tune in, my relationship has really grown. Having a relationship with Spirit can have many perspectives. It usually includes a sense of connection to something bigger than us, and it typically involves a search for meaning in life. It is a universal human experience –something that calls to us all. 

You may describe a spiritual experience as sacred or transcendent or simply a deep sense of aliveness and interconnectedness. Some find that their spiritual life is intricately linked to their association with a church, temple, mosque, or synagogue. Others may pray or find comfort in a personal relationship with God, or whatever they call this higher power. Still, others seek through their connection to nature or art. Like your sense of purpose, your personal definition of spirituality may change throughout your life, adapting to your own experiences and relationships. 

My Spiritual path started when I was a child in the Catholic Church. I remember skipping home from Mass on Sunday mornings with joy in my heart. Hearing the priest give his sermon at the Children’s Mass helped to put my childhood worries into perspective. As the years went on, I questioned the church’s teachings. I found myself struggling. 

I’ve always been a seeker of truth. I just didn’t know whom to trust or what to believe as I grew into my teenage years. I grew up in an alcoholic family where promises were broken, and the truth was distorted. In my 30s, I found Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACOA) 12-step meetings. I learned that there were lots of seekers trying to make sense of what it’s like to grow up in an environment that denies our reality.  

I now know that alcoholism is a disease that evolves over time to medicate feelings and memories of trauma. Wow! It would have been so much easier to understand all of this at a much earlier stage in life. But ACOA meetings really opened me up to understand that to have a better life, I had to stop blaming my alcoholic family for my problems and to take charge of my life with the help of a higher Power/Spiritual/God/Jesus/Mohammad.

This realization ignited a desire to walk my spiritual path more consciously. I learned about turning my concerns over to a power greater than me. I learned about meditation ad prayer. I learned to take responsibility for my part with those I had harmed along the way. I started focusing on gratitude instead of the trauma I had experienced. Sometimes the trauma will still rear its ugly head. I luckily now have so many more tools that I previously did not have. 

Mental Health & Creativity

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the impact that Mindfulness Painting had on my mental health. I knew very early on that I had found my creative home. It was like meditation with a paintbrush. Painting intuitively or mindfully is the process of painting what you are feeling on the inside. It is the art of true self-expression and healing. It takes me into my creative zone where I have no words.

Since those early days of finding my Spiritual identity, I’ve learned to rely on my connection to Spirit to help me find my way in life. In addition, my mental health and spiritual health go hand-in-hand. If I’m feeling off, it is because I haven’t been tending to my mental/emotional, and/or spiritual health. I believe the same goes for my physical and intellectual health as well. All four aspects of myself are integral parts of my living my best life. It’s hard to say that one is more important than the other but when I walk the earth with spiritual practices in my toolbox, I am more skillful in weaving the fabric of my life together.  

I am so interested in hearing about your spiritual practices. What sacred practices do you follow? Feel free to hit reply and let me know how you balance and ground yourself.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. 

Be Safe. Be Brave. Love Big. Be Compassionate.

Love,

Jody