dandelion in seed stage in various colors
Image by Monsterkoi
 


Written and Narrated by Marie T. Russell.

Watch video version on YouTube.

We are constantly in the process of renewing ourselves and transforming. Physically, we are continually growing new cells, and old cells are continually dying. 

Shedding Old Beliefs

In some cultures, snakes are seen as messengers of transformation. They transform themselves by shedding their old skin.

We human do the same physically as we shed skin cells, but more importantly, we also do so, on an energy level, by shedding old attitudes and behaviors. Some attitudes no longer serve us, thus we can let them go. Some behaviors were tied to childhood, or other situations, and no longer apply to our current life.

It is now time to shed self-sabotaging attitudes and limiting beliefs to reveal a new layer of renewed attitudes and transformational possibilities. Like an onion, we can peel off the outer dried-out layers, to reveal the vibrant interior. 

Breathe Deeply & Release

Our breath is essential. We need to breathe for anything we do. Life itself needs us to breathe to sustain itself. Yet more than just sustaining life, breathing can provide us with calm, clarity, and help us attain higher consciousness. 

When breathing consciously, we can breathe love in and breathe fear out; breathe in relaxation and breathe out stress; breathe in wellness and breathe out limitations. We can breathe in what we need, through focus and visualization. And whatever we no longer need, we can breathe out.

Choose what you need, and release what you don't.

Let Go of Guilt

We probably all have things we feel guilty about. Whether those are small things or major ones, they still engender a feeling of guilt, and thus negative energy which hangs on in our being. This negative energy keeps us locked out from moving forward in life. 

You can't undo what you did. What's done is done. There is no value in continuing to blame yourself. However, there is value in freeing yourself by having an intention to avoid repeating said behavior, and of course to make amends when needed or appropriate.

The solution for past aberrations is to let go of guilt and love yourself, and others, unconditionally. Unconditional love creates a sort of "insurance policy" that insures that you won't repeat the behavior that engendered the guilt in the first place. 


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Respect and Love

Every thing, and every one, needs respect and love. While it may, at times, be a difficult "gift" to give ourselves or others, it is essential. Love is as essential as air and water. Without love, just like plants starved for food and water, we struggle and will not bloom.

In order to bloom into our fullness, and to help others bloom into theirs, we must provide love and respect... if not for who people are right now, for the potential that is within each and everyone of us. 

And in the same way, we must love and respect Nature and our abundant Mother Earth. The more love and respect we can give to the Planet, to plants and animals, to humans, and to ourselves, the more that energy will circulate and return to us ten-fold... and it will keep growing out in the world. As we give, so shall we receive.

Respect and love, and everything those two energies entail, are the cure for what ails humanity and our beautiful planet.

Jump for Joy

Joy is a fuel for the human soul. Joy recharges us, both physically and emotionally. When we are joyful, we have an abundant supply of energy. Our whole energy system becomes renewed and transformed.

There is a meditation practice called laughter meditation or laughter yoga which has been shown to reduce stress. And you may have heard of Dr. Norman Cousins who discovered, through the process of healing himself from a life-threatening illness, that merely ten minutes of induced hearty laughter would produce about two hours of painless sleep. So joy (and laughter) not only make you feel good, they can help your body to heal itself.

Laughter, joy, love... all of these are beneficial for us -- physically, emotionally, and spiritually. So, let's focus on discovering things to love and be joyful about. They don't have to be life-altering things. They can be small things, like an easy commute to work, or an especially good cup of coffee, or a rainbow in the sky, or... whatever you can find to be joyful about. Let's learn to be like children and jump for joy -- even if we just jump on the inside.

Be Gentle with Yourself

We can be our own worst enemy. We judge ourselves, criticize ourselves, put ourselves down, and often times, think we're just not good enough. What kind of friend are we to ourselves? 

Would we talk to a child,  or to our best friend, the way we talk to ourselves? I hope not. We tend to be more accepting and loving towards a child, and to our friends, than we are to ourselves. 

Be your own best friend. Give yourself encouragement and a pat on the back for the small successes in your life. Be gentle for any failures or foibles -- they are simply part of the learning process. Be your own cheerleader and life coach. Love yourself, and be gentle and kind to yourself.

Be Proud of Who You Are

Even if we haven't attained all of our goals or become the "evolved" person we want to be, we can still be proud of ourselves. We're at one stage of the process -- just like a child, an adolescent, or a young adult are all on the way to becoming an adult. There is no judgment for a child not acting like an adult... they are a work-in-process.

We can be proud of our goals, of our efforts, and even of our failures. Our failures show that we were striving to reach a goal -- even if we didn't succeed. And our failures also demonstrate that we have the gumption to reach for success, and if we fail, we get up and try again.

If you're not feeling proud of yourself, change your perception of yourself. And perhaps change your look... a new haircut, or different colors for clothing or even different styles than what you usually wear. Go for a new image if the old one doesn't make you feel proud of yourself. Strut your stuff like the peacock with its beautiful plumage.

Be proud of who you are and let the world see the true you. Let yourself be transformed, releasing any limitations you may have placed on yourself, or accepted from others. And then be renewed as the "you" that you truly are -- self-confident, joyful, and loving.

Article inspired from:

Animal Whispers Empowerment Cards

Animal Whispers Empowerment Cards: Animal Wisdom to Empower and Inspire
by Madeleine Walker.

cover of: Animal Whispers Empowerment Cards: Animal Wisdom to Empower and Inspire by Madeleine WalkerThis divination card deck brings empowerment and inspiration in tune with the rhythms of nature and the planet from the animal kingdom. Personally gleaned and intuited by Madeleine Walker as she traveled far and wide to meet and communicate with both wild species and domestic animals, these missives "whisper" the animals' tidings of love and compassion and dispatch their greatest wish - for humanity to find reempowerment so we can finally integrate into interspecies unification.

Daily usage of different animal cards enables access to profound messages that pinpoint current, troublesome life situations and foster renewed self-belief and release of self-doubt. Reproductions of the 45 lavishly illustrated cards and expanded interpretations contained in the companion booklet further enhance the experience.

Publisher: Findhorn Press, an imprint of Inner Traditions Intl.

Info/Order this card deck.

More Inspirational Card Decks 

About The Author

Marie T. Russell is the founder of InnerSelf Magazine (founded 1985). She also produced and hosted a weekly South Florida radio broadcast, Inner Power, from 1992-1995 which focused on themes such as self-esteem, personal growth, and well-being. Her articles focus on transformation and reconnecting with our own inner source of joy and creativity.

Creative Commons 3.0: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 License. Attribute the author: Marie T. Russell, InnerSelf.com. Link back to the article: This article originally appeared on InnerSelf.com