Sweet one,
I have just returned from my 10 day Pilgrimage to the Holy Land in Israel followed by a short stop in Rome to visit the Vatican that deeply moved me in unexpected and beautiful ways.
I was really inspired to share my intimate thoughts and experiences from this life changing trip so I hope you’ll stay with me through the end.
Following in Jesus’ steps from his birth to his death was unbelievably powerful . I imagined the love for humanity that went into this monumental sacrifice and it moved me to my core as we followed in Jesus’ final steps along the Via Dolorosa – Jesus’ journey from the moment of his judgment to his crucifixion and death in Jerusalem. On a dark and quiet morning at 5am, we read passages from the bible and prayed on the sacredness of this sacrifice and what it meant for us individually.
While this was a Catholic pilgrimage, this trip wasn’t about deepening my faith as a Catholic, per se, but rather about cultivating a deeper relationship to a higher power that transcended the physical world.
As I step into deeper spiritual leadership in my work this year through my Akashic Records readings, this Pilgrimage was very timely.
With each leg of our journey I kept asking myself:
How can I deepen my faith and trust in myself and in God? How could that transform how I show up in the world?
Regardless of your religious beliefs and affiliations, I invite you to continue reading as what I’m about to share is poignant regardless of any religion.
While praying one day I clearly heard the following in my heart:
“Honour your desires and the sacred in life as they are one.”
I contemplated this message throughout my trip. What does the sacredness of our desires have to do with our overall wellness?
This question isn’t about religion.
Rather, it’s about what you value and cherish above all else in life.
Our desires are our soul’s calling for deep joy and unparalleled freedom {tweet it}.
When we feel free and joyous we are well.
Suppressed desires lead not only to illnesses of the body but more importantly – to diseases of the soul:
- Depression
- Anger, frustration
- Envy
- A deep sense of emptiness and a feeling of being disconnected from yourself and the world
- Feeling lost, hopeless and without a sense of direction or purpose in life
- A lack of passion for life and a loss of faith that life will ever get any better.
Visiting the Old City of Jerusalem brought this topic home for me even stronger. In this holy city where Christians, Jews and Muslims co-exist, I was struck by how in spite of the obvious physical differences there were a few distinct and powerful commonalities among them:
#1. They all wanted to live an honest, decent life with their families and to have the freedom to workship and to honour their God in peace.
#2. They were believers. They were faithful to their God and I dare add, to their desires. In the face of conflict, they stood fiercely for what they believed in because they had a strong sense of what was sacred (holy/Divine) in their lives.
So as I meditated and prayed during my Pilgrimage I asked myself the same question which I want you to also ponder:
What do you hold sacred in your life?
This question isn’t about religion. Rather, it’s about what you value and cherish above all else in life.
As the New Year dawned upon us and I meditated, I wanted to share with you what came up for me:
This is what I hold to be true and sacred:
1. Freedom:
The freedom to live as I please, to follow and achieve my deepest heart’s desires, to believe as I choose without persecution and the liberty to create life on my own terms.
2. My body and well-being:
The Holy Land is thousands years old. There are hundreds and hundreds of steps to climb wherever you go. No elevators in sight! A Pilgrimage of this kind cannot be fully experienced by someone who isn’t in good physical shape. It requires not only physical stamina but emotional and spiritual stamina too. I appreciated my knees, my feet, my heart and my often jet-lagged and sleep deprived body for all it supported me through not only on this trip but in my life. I recommitted to putting my body’s well-being at the top of my priorities list.
3. The power of love: to heal, connect and cross all geographic barriers, religious and language barriers and to deepen my relationship to myself.
Fulfilling our desires is THE greatest act of self-love we can give ourselves {tweet it}.
Our desires are SACRED.
It’s like a higher power directing us – like a Desire Compass – in the direction of our highest good and the good of all.
Our desires are the gateway for us to fulfill our deepest longings and in turn:
- Share our soulful gifts and make a difference in the world
- Choose to leave a job we hate
- Decide to start our own business
- Find and marry our life partner
- Start a family
- Give back to the community
The key to sustainable wellness is the fulfillment of our desires.
It’s true that my Holy Land Pilgrimage was the fulfillment of my mother’s life-long dream . As mother and daughter, we now have life-long memories and a deeper relationship with one another, with ourselves and with God. Not bad for a 14 day trip.
2014 and your desires realized
I know you want to feel more vibrant, free and alive in 2014, right?
So, How would your life be different if you let your desires be your compass and guide the course of your life?
Take 1 second right now and ask yourself: In 2014, what do I TRULY DESIRE?
How do you want to FEEL?
How do you want to BE in the world?
Really tune into what desires your soul is asking you to fulfill.
Your desires are your soul talking to you. So take a moment to connect to this sacred space within you (in your heart) and ask yourself:
“If I could have anything I desired in 2014, I desire ____________________.”
Let the feelings that your desires bring forth guide you.
In a time when we may already have fallen off the wagon with your resolutions, focus on the feeling of the desired outcome you desire and see how that inspires you to take action.
In the coming weeks, we’ll be exploring the link between your desires and your health so stay tuned. I have some juicy goodies in store for you.
Until then, remember to honour yourself and your desires. You are worth it!
To your sweet desires and healthy success this year.
