:: Aham Prema ::

All that we perceive as suffering is really a gift. When you understand this, you can dance with it. If you don’t know what the struggle is for, it can make it really hard to keep going. Pain truly is a wonderful opportunity to heal imbalances or mistakes, move toward wholeness, and know your divine connection. Not saying it’s easy, but with the right tools and attitude, it can be much more enjoyable. We are here to learn, grow, and experience. Throughout life, lessons never cease. Sometimes we open to them easily and learn them naturally. They can be fun explorations. Sometimes we seem to learn the hard way and really struggle with our lessons. In my experience, I find we are continuously given chances to learn our particular lessons. When we seem to be stuck in an area or on a particular level of understanding about a topic, the opportunities seem to get more and more in our face (A.K.A. painful) – until we can’t miss them. All of our situations are attrac...

Been going through a lot of change lately.   Without it, things can get stale and boring.  Too much at once can feel overwhelming.  A steady balance of change is an ideal way to keep things moving and refreshing. However, right now is one of the times of extreme change for me.  New home, new work, new school for my son.... everything seems new. Some days it feels exciting.  Some days it feels excessive and stressful.  On the extra challenging days, I stop and think of what I have to be thankful for - which is a LOT!  I think back to the other times of great change I've been through (there have been MANY) and reflect on how well things always work out.  I feel better pretty quick. =) by Danielle Crume © 2010      

I am one who LOVES technology and the conveniences of a modern lifestyle. Two of my favorite posessions are my MacBook and iPhone. They make life easier and more fun. =) However, going out of range and away from chargers was absolutely refreshing last week. I spent seven days camping in the Sierras, on the backside of Yosemite. Fresh air, a running creek, lots of trees, a campfire, the warm sun, and simple family times were such a delightful change from the usual routine. It took a good three days to adjust and truly appreciate my surroundings, but this trip out of "the norm" was deeply nurturing in many ways. So many things about the trip stand out.   Playing with the kids brought out my inner child. Seeing my son catch his first fish was absolutely amazing (please note it was the biggest one of the day, of course). Hanging out with my mom and dancing to "I'm Too Sexy" was a blast. Sitting on a big rock in the middle of flowing water and soaking up the su...

Here's another lesson for me... and as I explore it more deeply, I write myself instructions, and share it with y'all =) As always, the key is balance.  Most of us are great at either giving or receiving, but not at both.   If you give more than receive, you feel drained, resentful, and experience lack. If you receive more than give, you won't enjoy what you have and may experience boredom. Balance comes from giving as you are guided to, without fear, and receiving with joy and gratitude.   This applies to all kinds of things, not just presents but also presence - in things such as service, time, and love. How much do you give to others each day?  Do you hoard what you have?  Do you give it all away?  Ideally you'd give away that which you do not need or which would benefit someone else more than yourself, keeping that which you most treasure for you.... and loving it like crazy. How much do you receive each day?  When you do re...

Ready for a Fresh Start for the New Year? I am! I feel very excited. It feels like the right time to let go of things that I no longer need or prefer to have in my life anymore and to stand up to new levels of growth and experience. This week, I felt tuned inward, like I've been tending to some inner work and resting, in preparation for a great start in the New Year. As it gets closer, I am more enthusiastic about it. I feel very ready for moving forward. Exercises to Renew Your Experience and Start Your Year Off Brand New Ring in the New Year by celebrating your experience, growth, and love. Do something that is very fun for *you*. Spruce up your desk area with creative objects such as a new set of colorful pens, an array of sticky notes, a rubber band ball, new pictures, etc. Organizing and cleaning always helps to tidy us up on a deeper level too. Change your internet home page (the website screen you always start on) to something that inspires you. Find one that...

This does not qualify as my favorite thing to do… but communication is a basic skill that we all should have.  The fact is, however, that many of us are very gray and elementary in this area.  It’s not something emphasized in school and it’s not fun to deal with unhappy feelings and challenges – so we usually avoid them like the plague.  But if we open to the divine opportunities within them, we can reap great rewards and change feelings into freelings . Communication has been rising for me during the challenges of the holidays, so as I brush up on my skills and refresh what I know, I share it with you! :)  This is an expansion of what I previously wrote about in many articles including  Communication and Dealing with Conflict , but goes much farther into the earlier steps of being clear about the emotions you need to communicate. I am still very stubborn and many times I delay this process, but through my experience with it, I always come back to...

Life is challenging. At times it seems like a test - or perhaps a final exam. It can feel like a culmination of your previous lessons where everything is on the line and every move you make is extremely important. At these pivotal points - and sometimes in our regular daily active life - it can seem impossible to make it. Or perhaps not worth the trouble. But these challenges are the exact things that we need to grow. As we master our smaller lessons, they get bigger and may seem impossible at times. It's important to trust, especially when everything is on the line. Notice it always works out somehow. Check your faith and your "talk" or ideals. While you're at it, step more fully into it. "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see". ~ Hebrews 11:1 Although you can't always see how everything can work out, you often can see the next step to take. There may be several options and it m...

Last week I was down and out with a terrible flu. I awoke one morning feeling like I’d been hit by a train. My entire body was extremely achy in every possibly place. I had a fever, was very nauseous, felt cold, and had a strong headache that made me nearly useless. I lay in bed as much as possibly for four days to help speed along the recovery. I didn’t eat much but did drink lots of water and soup broth. I nurtured myself full-time as I felt driven to heal this bug. My back pain was unbearable. There was nothing I could do to just get comfortable enough to drift off into a restful sleep. As I lay there in pain, I recalled the metaphysical probable causes that Louise Hay teaches in her book “You Can Heal Your Life.” In this book she shares her findings from working with millions of people to uncover the deeper meanings behind their physical ailments and diseases. She’s researched the most common causes of body behaviors and diseases based on people’s modes of thi...