Meditation: the catalyst of my awakening

“Today I choose joy and accept the things that I cannot change”

I originally became interested in practicing meditation as a coping strategy during a very stressful time in my life.

I used it as a means of separating myself from the negativity that surrounded me, to see past superficial issues and keep my mind centered.

What started as a form of self-preservation has opened up more doors for me than I could have imagined.

Once I started meditating I became interested in learning about meditation culture and started reading more and more on all sorts of related topics such as:

·        Mindfulness

·        Journaling

·        Yoga

·        Breathing exercises

·        Positive thinking techniques

and much more…

These things have given me the opportunity to become more in touch with my place in the universe.

I have become:

·        More grateful

·        Focused on the big picture rather than stuck on the little things

·        More accepting of myself as a whole

·        Able to embrace challenges with greater perspective

·        Detached from the value I had placed on material things in the past

·        Able to see silver linings in almost any situation

·        Able to own my participation and responsibility for all things in my life

·        Able to understood that any limitations that I feel in life are of my own creation

·        Eager to set goals for myself

·        Able to articulate my thoughts and feelings in a much clearer way

(via eatcleanmakechanges)

If you are interested in starting a meditation practice here is a very basic info graphic to get you started.

You may also want to include a mantra that you can repeat (either out loud or in your head) to help you clear your mind and tune out your surroundings.

A mantra can be a set of words or even just a grouping of sounds of your choosing.

Depending on my mood, I might do any of the following when I meditate:

·        Repeat my mantra

“Today I choose joy and accept the things that I cannot change”

·        Focus on my breathing

·        Make a gratitude list 
(List all the things that I am grateful for in my life or just that day particular)

I hope this may inspire you to try something new.

love & light

-Katie

Finding your purpose in life

"What am I doing with my life?"

"Am I a failure because I haven't figured out my path yet?"

"Am I falling behind my peers?"


These are ALL questions I've asked myself as I approach my 25th birthday.


I am currently in college for my second diploma (of which I am unsure I will ever fully utilize) and am continually questioning my future goals, aspirations and personal values.

I am always torn between my desire to make just enough money to travel, read, play and listen to music, eat good food and foster new and meaningful relationships vs. settling down with a specific career path in mind to achieve success in the traditional sense.

I recently came across this quote by Bill Watterson (the cartoonist and author of the comic strip "Calvin and Hobbes") that really struck a chord with me.

It made me feel so much more at ease with my current state and lack of "real" career plans.


"Creating a life that reflects your values and satisfies your soul is a rare achievement. In a culture that relentlessly promotes avarice and excess as the good life, a person happy doing his own work is usually considered an eccentric, if not a subversive. Ambition is only understood if it’s to rise to the top of some imaginary ladder of success. Someone who takes an undemanding job because it affords him the time to pursue other interests and activities is considered a flake. A person who abandons a career in order to stay home and raise children is considered not to be living up to his potential — as if a job title and salary are the sole measure of human worth.

You’ll be told in a hundred ways, some subtle and some not, to keep climbing, and never be satisfied with where you are, who you are, and what you’re doing. There are a million ways to sell yourself out, and I guarantee you’ll hear about them.

To invent your own life’s meaning is not easy, but it’s still allowed, and I think you’ll be happier for the trouble." - Bill Watterson ( via brain pickings)

I know that I am not alone in this feeling. I hope this quote not only brings you comfort in your feelings of unease but gives you inspiration for a future fueled by YOUR own values and no one else's. Whether you become a CEO of a fortune 500 company or a bartender who paints on the side; just know that it is okay.

Only you can measure your own happiness.

Only you can define your successes in life.

love & light

-Katie