Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Turn a difficult situation around

Good Day Beloveds,

Wouldn't it be great if we never had any problems, challenges or hard times! Well, such is not the case; as long as we are here we will have things to deal with that are not necessarily pleasant or welcomed. And, how you handle them says a lot about you, your character, and your self-respect.

Challenges promote growth!

. Where are your growing edges?
. How do you handle crisis?
. What upsets you more, little annoying things or large overwhelming things?
. What challenges are you facing today?

Have a great and valuable day!
Rev. Sylvia

Monday, May 30, 2011

You are a Self

Greetings Beloved Ones,

When people ask you "who are you?", more than likely you will tell them what you do, where you work or where you live, or who you are connected with. However, none of those answers really say who you are in Truth.

It might feel strange to tell them I am a spiritual being, and expression of God. But this is our true nature. You are a divine self! There is that of you that is beyond your personality, your outer identity. You have a mind, but you are not your mind; you have a body, but you are not your body, etc. The real of you is beyond any outer description or inner emotions. You are a Divine Self!

. Who is it that is observing your life from within?
. How do you make a connection with your true self?
. Practice listening deep within. Have you ever heard the "still small voice"?

Well, make it a valuable day!
Rev. Sylvia

Friday, May 27, 2011

Ego And Self.....

Greetings Beloved One,

There is a difference between your Ego and your "Self". Your Ego defends you at all costs and drives you unconsciously; whereas your Self supports your waking up and patiently encourages your attempts at achieving wholeness.

What do you think would happen if you gave up all effort to "defend" yourself, your thoughts, your actions and could simply allow others to have their thoughts and opinions? I think you would truly experience peace and self-acceptance!

. Where or when do you "defend" yourself most?
. Have you ever just remained silent in an argument? Or simply agreed with your adversary?
. What are you afraid of?
. Can you identify when you are being Ego-driven?

Well, make it a valuable day!
Rev. Sylvia

Thursday, May 26, 2011

All you are isn't up for change

Greetings Beloved Ones,

I love the Serenity Prayer. "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference!". That is such a powerful prayer yet it is often challenging to do.

We sometimes spend time and energy worrying about something we did or didn't do and now cannot undo. It is over and yet we still want it to be different in our minds. The more healthy approach would be to accept what has been done and then to see what you can do to bring healing and peace. You may not be able to undo something but you can always practice or offer forgiveness, understanding, compassion, to yourself and others, or to a situation. Hanging onto guilt, shame or blame serves no one!

. What do you need to accept about yourself or others or a situation?
. What can you change about yourself?
. What is non-negotiable for you?

Make it a valuable day!
Rev.Sylvia

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Support Your Well-Being

Greetings Beloved Ones!

We are Spirit, Soul, and Body, or Spirit, Mind, and Body. And, all three phases of our being need our love and attention. If we neglect any area, we more than likely will feel out of balance.

At best, we pay most attention to our bodies and mind because they are more readily identifiable to us. We relate those two compoents as being who we are. However, we are spiritual beings and that part of our nature needs just as much attention.

. What do you do to feed your spirit?
. How do you take care of your mind? Your Body?
. Are you out of balance in any area? What is your plan for healing and restoration?

Well, make it a valuable day!
Rev. Sylvia

Monday, May 23, 2011

You have the right to good experiences

Good Day Beloved Ones,

Has something good ever happen to you and you feel a bit guilty about it? Or, someone gives you a great gift and you feel as if it is too much? These are just examples of how often we feel unworthy or have difficulty receiving.

When we truly feel good about ourselves, we will also feel we are deserving of every good thing. We will not shy away from our good and we will be comfortable letting others support, bless and love us.

. Are there times you feel unworthy?
. How do handle compliments?
. How do you handle receiving extraordinary gifts?

Well, make it a valuable day!
Rev. Sylvia

Friday, May 20, 2011

Growing In Integrity

Greetings Beloved Ones,

Integrity is about being whole, complete and honest with yourself. It is about acknowkledging and honoring all parts of yourself while also healing, transforming, and integrating those parts. It is about being conscious of what is happening within you and then making choices that affirm you and lead you to greater growth. It also means letting your yes be yes, and your no be no! Speaking your truth and expressing your self with love and integrity.

. How does integrity show up for you?
. Where are you feeling less than, and what can you do to heal those feelings?
. Where is your growing edge? What do you need to do to grow and change?
. What is your life telling you right now and are you listening?

Well, make it a valuable day!
Rev. Sylvia

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Lean on Love

Greetings Beloved Ones,

We all know the song title "what's love got to do with it?" well, the answer is, everything! Love is the basic desire of life itself. Everbody and everything seeks love and to be able to honestly say that you love yourself is the ultimate sign of
Self-respect!

. What are the ways you demonstrate self-love?
. How do demonstrate love for others?
. What is love anyway?

Well, make it a valuable day!
Rev. Sylvia

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Behaving well for a pat and a biscuit

Greetings Beloved One,

Have you ever put on your best face just to make a good "first" impression? Or have you ever met someone and they appeared to be one way only to find them quite differently later on?

We all like to put our best foot forward, however often times it is hard to maintain a presence or image if it is not really us. Be your authentic self, it is easier.
. Have you ever pretended to be something you are not?
. Does your personality ever change according to the people you are with at the moment?

Well, make it a valuable day!
Rev. Sylvia

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Are You Supporting or Undermining Your Self-Respect?

Greetings Beloved One,

Here are today's questions upfront:
. Do you unconsciously sabotage yourself? How?
. What do you do to support yourself through your challenging situations?
. Do you have any passive-aggressive tendencies?
. Do you confront or meet situations head-on?

All of these questions determine the degree to which you either support your sense of self, or undermine it. We don't alway do the things we know or desire to do that would really support us and our growth. We shy away, or are unconscious, or ignore the many ways we don't honor ourselves.

Maybe we fear not being liked if we are honest with others, or that people will think less of us if we are our authentic self. However, you matter! Honor your being! Be yourself!

Make it a valuable day!
Rev. Sylvia

Monday, May 16, 2011

To think well of yourself, check your behavior!

Greetings Beloved Ones,

Our author states, "we tend to judge ourselves by our good intentions and others by their actions". Isn't that true! We usually want other people to see or accept our good intentions even when we show up poorly, but.....we rarely offer that to other people. We usually judge them harshly, or see only their actions without considering their intentions.

If we are to grow, we have to reverse the process. We have to begin to observe our actions and check to see if they are in alignment with our principles, intentions and values! Are your actions helping others or harming them? Take responsibility for your actions! And the results, good or bad!

. When have your good intentions not worked out well?
. How do you check or measure your behavior?
. What do you think happens that causes your actions to not match your intentions?

Well, make it a valuable day!
Rev. Sylvia

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Old Fears, New Feelings

Greetings Beloved Ones!

Have you ever been haunted by an old fear that surfaces every once in a while? Do we ever really get rid of our fears? Or can we mange them so that they don't interfere with the choices that move us forward?

Like it or not, fear may also serve a purpose. If we can manage to look into our fears, we can learn a great deal about ourselves and find the strength to grow. We must learn to have more compassion when we are in the grip of our fears.

Here are some questions to ask when facing your fears:
. What is fear teaching me here?
. Where is it taking me?
. If I look deeply into the heart of fear - if I look at fear fearlessly, what will it become?
. What would I do if I weren't afraid?
. What does this situation need, whether I am afraid or not?

Well, make it a valuable day!
Rev. Sylvia

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Treat other people well--and yourself

Greetings Beloved Ones,

"Self-respect, like happiness, lives or dies on how you treat other people --as well as yourself". Ww all want tot treat others with love and kindness. The key is how to do it when they stress you out, annoy you, or treat you poorly!

It is easy to be nice to those who are nice to you, kind to those who are kind, loving to those who are loving. But the scriptures states we should be kind, loving and even forgiving of our enemies! Now that's a challenge! But.....if you have enough self-respect, self-love and inner strength you will find that you can allow them to be in whatever state they are in without it affecting you! Why? Because you know who you are and that needs no defense!

. How do you treat yourself well?
. How do you treat others well?
. How do you handle those who treat you poorly or disrespect you, or are unconscious of their negative behavior?

Well, make it a valuable day!
Rev. Sylvia

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

The "Too Busy" Excuse

Greetings Beloved Ones,

Life has become so stressful, so full, that we don't even have time for ourselves. But, if we don't have time for ourselves who or what will make time for
us?

Being too busy to take care of yourself is the highest form of non self-respect! It is dishonoring and devaluing your own self worth!

. What do you do to make time for yourself?
. Are you good at saying "no"?
. If everything is a crisies then how do you get to what is also important to you?

Make it truly a valuable day!
Rev. Sylvia

Monday, May 9, 2011

Not choosing is also a choice

Greetings Beloved Ones!

"Who you are, and who you are becoming, depends on what and how you choose." And, "Self- respect and Integrity depend on conscious choosing." So, not choosing amounts to having little respect or value for our thoughts, ideas, wants, or needs. When we fail to make a choice, conscious or otherwise, devalue and disempower ourselves! We set our selves up for victimhood. Or, we become "passive-aggressive". Not choosing is also a choice!

. Do you confront people openly and honestly? Or do you lean toward a more passive approach?
. Have you ever refused to make a difficult choice? What was the result?
. How can you get yourself to make clear and conscious choices?

Make it a valuable day!
Rev. Sylvia

Friday, May 6, 2011

The Power of Choosing

Greetings Beloved Ones,

"Your self-respect depends on how you perceive yourself and what choices you made." Your choices say more about you than you realize. They determine whether you honor yourself or others, whether you put others first or yourself, whether you think highly or poorly of yourself or others.

You make thousands of choices daily. The question is do you make them consciously? Remember, conscious awareness maximizes the power of your choice!

. What do your choices say about yourself?
. Name ten things that show how you manifest self-respect.
. Do you believe you have high self esteem? If not why?

Make it a valuable day!
Rev. Sylvia
.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

In Your Own Hands

Greetings Beloved One,

Areatha sang about it, Rodney Dangeffield complained about not getting it, and it is something we all want....Respect! What is respect? Is it honoring an individual? Is it fearing them? Is it an obligation owed to one's elders?

We all know what it feels like when we are disrespected or belittled, or made to feel small and insignificant. It doesn't feel good! We want to feel that we matter; that who we are is worthy of being honored, noticed, valued, and yes respected.

However, respect from others may not carry as much weight as respect for one's self! It all begins with self-respect!

. Do you posess self-respect? How does it manifest in your life?
. Do you feel respected by others?
. How do you believe that you can get respect from others?

Well, make it a valuable day!
Rev. Sylvia

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Anger need not drive you!

Greetings Beloved Ones,

Our author states, "when it comes to anger, we can add to the world's sum total of anger, rage, frustration,and aggregation - or we can reduce it". Dealing with or controlling your anger is paramount for your relationships and personal health.

There are different levels and variations of anger, and being able to identify them is Important in getting them under control. Are you irritated, enraged, annoyed, frustrated, violent, pissed,
feeling dismissed, piveed? Are you short tempered, aggressive, passive-aggressive, smoldering?

It is not that we should not have these emotions nut it is vital that we don't let them drive us or move us into unconscious actions. The author give us plenty of ways to practice working with and alleviating our anger. Practice Peace!
. What are your practices for controlling or reducing your anger?
. How do you take care of your needs? Do you ask for what you need? Or do you just hope you will get it or that someone will notice them?

Well, make it a peaceful day!
Rev. Sylvia

Monday, May 2, 2011

What about anger?

Good Day Beloveds!

Well, we have been talking about our attitudes and how they impact our relationships. And, nothing effects relationships more than how we handle anger.

Anger comes from many places within our psyche. It could be repressed feelings, fear of confrontation, hurt feelings, righteous indignation, jealousy and and whole host of other reason. However, it is good to know the reason for our anger so that we can make a wise choice as to how to handle it.

. How do you handle your anger?
. Do you ever engage in passive-aggressive behavior?
. Can you define different degrees of your anger?

Well, make it a peaceful day!
Rev. Sylvia