Spirituality

Death Changes You to Live Well

~ jodiheisz ~ 2 Comments

“The life you have left is a gift. Cherish it. Enjoy it now, to the fullest. Do what matters, now.”

― Leo Babauta

It was a clear and sunny spring day. The sky was bright with gentle blue gradients falling from the heavens to the earth. Two worlds colliding together creating a sense of peace and harmony bringing serenity to the hustle and bustle of the morning. 

But the tranquility of the moment came to a halt. The hospice nurse called me while I was at work. Before she spoke her first word, I knew why she called.

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Five Ways to Hear God

~ jodiheisz ~ Leave a comment

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”
– Revelation 3:20 

We all want to experience the voice of God speaking in our hearts. But most of us struggle hearing him especially when we need his guidance the most. Learning how to hear God is crucial for our spiritual lives to grow and mature in our faith. 

For me personally, the busier I am, the less I hear God. The more distracted I am in social media and surfing the internet, the more God’s message is muddled. The more I worry, the more God’s voice is stunted. When I haven’t been reading God’s Word, the wrong voices creep in.

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Live Lightly and Peacefully

~ jodiheisz ~ 3 Comments

“Nothing can dim the light that shines from within.”
— Maya Angelou

Now is the time of year when we create our goals and resolutions for the new year. We set SMART goals created in detail with deadlines marked in our calendars. We create our vision boards to help visualize our dreams and desires. We enlist our accountability partners to make sure we stay on track and don’t lose focus.

All these are great things, and I encourage you to use those techniques. I do as well. But what if for the new year, we make a conscious effort to live peacefully and lightly. Choose letting go of the baggage in your life weighing you down with the intent of creating peace and joy.

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Finding Joy

~ jodiheisz ~ 1 Comment

I don’t know about you, but I am finding it hard to find joy with how crazy the world is. Every time I turn on the news, I hear something traumatic creating anxiety and frustration. I feel hopeless with current events allowing it to steal my inner joy.

Many of us, including myself, turn towards materialism and worldly success as distraction hoping it will find the joy we have lost. But this is not the path to long-term joy and happiness.

When you use material things or accomplishments to make you happy, it’s only temporary. The truth is happiness comes from within. When you choose to find happiness within yourself, it’s long-lasting. Nothing external can bring lasting joy. If you wait until the tragedies of the world dissipate before you find happiness, you will be waiting forever.

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Turn Pain Into Power

~ jodiheisz ~ 5 Comments

Not one of us escapes pain living in this world. Experiencing trauma, pain, disappointment, and loss is a part of being human. It’s inevitable.

When you’re in swirling in chaos and being swallowed by darkness, it’s hard to understand you will get through to the other side. It seems too impossible to comprehend or believe one day your pain will go away and happiness will appear.

But no matter difficult things are, you always have a choice. This pain you are experiencing is bringing you to a crossroad.

You can take the road to the left and walk the path of resentment, self-destruction, and victimization.

Or you can take the road to the right and walk the path of healing, empowerment, and transformation.

The choice is yours.

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Lost, But Never Gone

~ jodiheisz ~ 3 Comments

For the past few months, I’ve been feeling…lost. My sense of who I am vanished making me a stranger to myself. I thought I knew who I was moving forward in a specific direction towards my goals. But then out of nowhere, I was thrown way off path leaving me disorientated, unsettled and bewildered.

Have you ever felt lost and out of touch with yourself? Have you felt you were on the “right” path but then suddenly went astray moving into unknown territory? You knew for sure where you were going and where you were headed but unexpectedly, you veered way off course.

It’s unnerving and upsetting being lost in a chaotic and distressed world. Especially when you thought you knew where you were going. The notion to choose our destination and stay on track no matter what is drilled into us. Don’t get distracted. Don’t move your eyes from the prize. And heaven forbid, don’t look backwards. You are expected to keep driving down the road you started on at all costs. 

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Discover the Joys in Difficult Times

~ jodiheisz ~ 5 Comments

This is a very difficult year for many. Maybe one of the hardest. No doubt. We are all suffering from constant trauma, crushing stress and debilitating fatigue without much respite from the daily challenges we face. For me, I have trouble sleeping at night thinking about the division, hate, sickness, the suffering of others, climate change and the civil unrest in this country and worldwide. 

But in the midst of troubling times, there are gleams of light shining through muckiness revealing the joys hidden underneath. It takes intentional effort to see the goodness when all things seem dark and dreary. I know I find it extremely difficult to be positive and to see the limitless sky beyond the raging storm.

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Don’t Feel Bad for Saying No

~ jodiheisz ~ 3 Comments

I have a problem.

I have trouble saying no.

And when I do say no, I feel bad.

Then I obsess over and over about being a bad person for saying no.

But when I say yes to something I don’t want to do or don’t have time for; I berate myself for not saying no. 

With all this ridiculousness and mental nonsense going on in my brain, I had an aha moment.

I should never feel bad again for saying no to something if it’s not a priority, if I don’t have time, if I don’t have the energy or if it’s not aligned with our current goals. Saying no when the situation isn’t right, is healthy for my well-being and inner peace. 

But even with my mind-shattering aha moment, I still apologize for saying no like I did something wrong or need permission to choose what to do or not to do in my life. 

I know! Crazy, right?

Do you struggle with the same thing? Do you feel like a jerk for saying no when your heart says yes? If so, why the heck do we do this to ourselves?

  • Fear of making someone mad, upset or disappointed
  • Fear of losing out on an opportunity
  • Fear of hurting someone’s feelings
  • Fear of being perceived as unhelpful or rude
  • Because we are people pleasers
  • Because we’ve always done that thing in the past
  • Because it’s expected of us

But these reasons are phooey, rubbish and pieces of junk. Saying yes when our hearts say no leads to resentment, frustration, stress and burn out. Neglecting self-care, family time and the space to pause are vital for a joyful and peaceful life. 

Yes, there are times to sacrifice when someone really needs your help. But on a regular basis, saying no and setting boundaries creates the space you need to expand your creativity, deepen your faith, to serve in areas most meaningful to you and to be present with your loved ones. 

When you feel bad for saying no, investigate yourself and ask these questions:

  • Why do I feel guilty for wanting self-care?
  • Am I really feeling guilty or not confident about my decisions?
  • Am I imagining others being upset with me or is it really true?
  • Am I afraid to be who I really am in front of others?
  • Am I afraid of confrontation?

For your family and for yourself, the best thing to do is to create healthy boundaries and sticking to them. Saying no and setting boundaries is hard at first. If you’re not used to it, you’ll feel mean and rude. I know I am still working on it. It feels weird, and I feel like a jerk!

But once you get over this initial hump, you’ll feel empowered and free. It will feel healthy instead of feeling oppressed with another weight added to your to-do list. 

When you say no, you are saying:

  • Yes, to honor what’s most important.
  • Yes, to allow the time to be creative.
  • Yes, to make family time a priority.
  • Yes, to have the space to heal and relax. 
  • Yes, to focus on my passions and goals.

One of the best decisions to make, is learning the power of saying no… and not feeling bad about it. You’ll be in charge in your life with the confidence to make the right choices regardless of what anyone thinks. If you want to live your best, harness the power of saying no. 

Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash

Unsubscribe

~ jodiheisz ~ Leave a comment

For 2020, I want you to unsubscribe. What??? (not from me of course lol). I am asking you, including myself, to unsubscribe from all thoughts, actions, commitments, or activities holding you back from living in peace, vitality and joy. 

Unsubscribe yourself from:

  1. Feelings of unworthiness
  2. Toxic relationships draining your energy
  3. Thinking you’re not good enough
  4. Trying to control everything 
  5. Overcommitting and filling your plate too high
  6. Not saying no
  7. Eating unhealthy foods and not taking care of your body
  8. Not getting enough sleep
  9. Allowing others to take advantage of you because you’re nice and generous
  10. Being a people pleaser instead of a God pleaser
  11. Spending too much time on social media
  12. Making excuses for not doing what you love
  13. Comparing yourself to others. We are all unique and special created by God.
  14. Not spending enough time with family and friends
  15. Negative self-talk
  16. Watching too much TV
  17. Not having the courage to be yourself
  18. Being too serious
  19. Worry, fear and doubt
  20. Trying to be perfect
  21. Clutter and obsessing over material things
  22. Whining and complaining
  23. Living in the past
  24. Giving up when things get too hard
  25. Not believing in yourself to accomplish your dreams
  26. Being a victim
  27. Drama
  28. Settling for less
  29. Playing it safe
  30. Not forgiving

Subscribe to things bringing you joy, peace, energy and love. Fill your mind with books, music, entertainment and articles to grow your consciousness. Nourish your soul with prayer, meditation, creativity and spending time in nature to embrace your true essence. Feed your body with healthy foods and activities to thrive with vibrant energy. 

Let go and release yourself from all the junk and crap holding you back from the life you deserve. You only have one given to you by God. Not it’s time to really start living your life with meaning, love, passion and purpose to be all you are meant to be.

Photo by Denys Nevozhai on Unsplash

The Quiet Power of Humility

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“As I have said, the first thing is to be honest with yourself. You can never have an impact on society if you have not changed yourself…Great peacemakers are all people of integrity, of honesty, and humility.”
– Nelson Mandela

Humility is a beautiful but lost virtue in today’s power seeking, narcissistic world. Harnessing the quiet power of humility is not something people readily seek out or learn.

With our culture placing tremendous value on worldly things such as fame, awards and accolades, notoriety, and outward appearances, humility gets lost in the sea drowned by the noise of egoistical desires. 

It’s not the favorite virtue to seek because humility requires us to be honest with our faults and to own up to our mistakes. But in the end, having humility is the path to joy and fulfillment by looking deeply within and taking the rights steps to improve.

People with humility take responsibility for their lives, are open to other’s suggestions, ideas and perceptions and have a self-controlled view of their skills, talents and abilities. They are happier because they live simply and know what really matters in their lives.

Being humble means knowing there’s a greater power working beyond ourselves and our own understanding. To accomplish our dreams and our heart’s desire, we need to surrender to God’s power knowing we can’t do this on our own. 

We need help, guidance, grace and strength to carry us through. We have to trust He will guide us through our journey, and He is in control. We are along for the ride and if we choose the right car to get in, we will arrive at the right destination in God’s time.

Here are some other ways humility is an important virtue to learn and harness. 

Humility is a Quiet Strong: 
Sometimes humility is perceived as a weakness. But in reality, it’s the opposite. To be humble is to be strong. 

A quiet strong. 

This type of quiet strength doesn’t need a loud speaker, a boisterous voice or the need to shout on a mountaintop. Humility is a strength that’s gentle, kind, nonjudgmental and the willingness to be of service to others.

Being humble relies on truth no matter how painful it is or how difficult it is to face our shortcomings and mistakes. It’s easier to push our suffering aside and ignore the faults we harbor. 

It takes great strength and wisdom to see our truth as it is unfiltered and raw. When we see our truth head on, we bow down to it with great honor and reverence encouraging us to change and become a better person. 

Humility Shows We are Human:
Being humble allows us to accept failures and mistakes with a deep understanding we are all human and one way or another we’ll make mistakes.

People with humility are able to handle failures because they don’t tie their accomplishments to their self-worth. Mistakes and accomplishments don’t define us. They are not who we are but only what we’ve done.

We are spiritual beings having a physical experience, so our self-worth is much more than the labels we own, the materials we possess, our corporate status or how many likes we get on Facebook. Humility knows we are deep souls and our lives meant to live with a higher calling and purpose.

Humility Opens the Door to Learning: 
No matter how much we know, there’s always more to learn. No matter how much an expert we are in something, there’s always someone who knows more than we do. 

To learn, we need an empty cup to fill more knowledge and wisdom. If we are overflowing with our egoistical views of ourselves, there’s no room to add anything of value and meaning. We stunt our personal growth and spiritual development.

But with humility, we open the door wide to expand our consciousness to gain a deeper understanding of life while simultaneously knowing we can never stop learning.  

Humility Teaches Compassion and Patience:
Being humble with an open heart unlocks the door to compassion. With humility we cultivate empathy, patience and tolerance towards one another.

Once we accept we are in a constant state of learning and growing, we see others with grace and mercy. We are no better than them and they are no better than us We are all learning and growing together.

It’s easy to comfortable around someone who is humble because we are free to be who we are. We don’t fear being judged or criticized because the humble ones don’t feel or act better than us. They understand when we make mistakes and are willing to hold our hand when we get back up.

Humility relieves the pressure of always needing to be on top. It’s exhausting to portray perfection and trying to perform at our best in every waking moment. 

But with our humble humanity we know perfection is not possible. Once we embrace and surrender to this truth, we can find peace. In this place of honest humility and integrity, we become servants of the world on a mission to spread love and help our fellow humans to bring out the best within each other. 

Photo by Sasha Freemind on Unsplash