Change and transition – Ruthann M. Wilson

Rest, Renewal, and Going Within

I received the Chrysanthemum plant in the picture as a birthday gift three months ago. It was filled with beautiful white Chrysanthemum flowers in full bloom. It was given to me by someone special who knows how much I love flowers. It brightened the room for weeks. I was sad when the flowers began to wither and die. I know it’s a part of the cycle of life; however, it still made me a bit sad to watch the plant transition to its current state. My sadness has shifted to acceptance and I am now sitting with this beauty each day during meditation as a reminder that winter is a time of rest, renewal, and going within. It is a necessary phase of the cycle of life that requires strength, patience, and trust in the process to begin again.

Each season brings gifts and opportunities for growth as we journey through the year. Winter is a wonderful time of year to commit or re-commit to a daily practice of being still and silent. I invite you to read my post “Give Yourself the Gift of Silence” for inspiration in creating a daily practice. You might want to consider practicing silence in the evening as a bridge to nighttime – a natural time of deep renewal that enables you to begin anew in the morning.

If you are located in the southern hemisphere, I invite you to embrace the essence of the message. Winter is a great metaphor for being still and silent; however, the practice is relevant throughout the year.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. I hope you found it helpful. You can receive notifications of new posts by clicking on the follow button or click here to join my mailing list to receive email updates. If you know someone who might benefit from reading this post, please share it by clicking on a share button below.

All the best,

Ruthann

Happy New Year!

Wishing you all a happy, healthy, and prosperous year! I have included links to posts to help kick off the new calendar year.

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All the best,

Ruthann

Autumn Themes

Each season brings gifts and opportunities for growth as we journey through the year.

Autumn is a season of harvest, reflection, thanksgiving, completion, and releasing/letting go of things that no longer serve you or bring you joy.

Autumn questions:

What have I accomplished this year?
What didn’t I accomplish that I really wanted to? Why?
Who or what has been my greatest blessing? Why?
What is complete in my life and ready to be released so that I can embrace the next phase of my journey?
How can I release what is complete with gratitude and love?

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. I hope you found it helpful. If you know someone who might benefit, please share it by clicking on a share button below.

All the best,

Ruthann

Link to winter

Shift & Move Forward: Day 5 Challenge

Forward

Let’s shift & move forward through a 5-Day Challenge.

Day 5 – Replace “My dream (fill in the blank) is impossible” with “All things are divinely possible”

There is more to life than what you can see. Trust the process and help you stay open to possibility.

In this video, I share 3 tips to stay open to possibility.

Ask yourself powerful questions. Powerful questions influence how you think, how you feel, and motivate you to take action.
Quiet reflection
Daily spiritual practice

Exercise: Implement one of these tips today.

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All the best,

Ruthann

Shift & Move Forward: Day 4 Challenge

Forward

Let’s shift & move forward through a 5-Day Challenge.

Day 4 – Replace “I doubt it will happen” with “I believe it will happen”

Beliefs are powerful things; they are the vehicles through which we create our lives and filter our experiences. Whatever we believe to be true is the reality from which we create our lives. Fear and doubt are a part of life, but they don’t have to rule your life. The best way to move through fear and doubt is to take action.

Exercise: Today’s challenge is an invitation to renew your belief in your ability to succeed. Identify something that you have been putting off because you doubt it will actually happen. Plan and prepare for it or something better to happen.

All the best,

Ruthann

Shift & Move Forward: Day 3 Challenge

Forward

Let’s shift & move forward through a 5-Day Challenge.

Day 3 – Replace “It’s too hard” with “I welcome a challenge”

Our thoughts are powerful. They shape our reality each and every day. If we think something is too hard to accomplish, it will, in fact, be too hard to accomplish. When faced with something that appears be “too hard” to accomplish, shift how you are thinking about it. One of the ways to shift your thinking is to declare “I welcome a challenge”. Welcoming a challenge activates your creativity and problem-solving skills.

Exercise: Think about something in your life that feels too hard to start or take the next step. Declare “I welcome a challenge”. Welcome [whatever it is] as an opportunity to learn and grow. Identify at least one thing you can do today and take action.

All the best,

Ruthann

Shift & Move Forward: Day 2 Challenge

Forward

Let’s shift & move forward through a 5-Day Challenge.

Day 2 – Replace “I have to” with “I choose to”.

The power to choose what is best for our own lives is our greatest power and means of changing/transforming our lives. If your life is filled with “I have to”, it’s time to shift how you think about what you are doing or stop doing things that don’t enrich your life.

Exercise: Write a list of things that you are doing that are draining your energy and/or feel like obligations in a less than positive way. Reflect on why you are doing the things on your list. What is the benefit to you or those you love/care about? Write the benefit next to each activity that you have listed. It will serve as a reminder of why certain activities are important and why you are choosing to do them, even if they are challenging. If there is no real benefit to you or those you love/care about, consider eliminating it.

What will you shift or eliminate today?

All the best,

Ruthann

Shift & Move Forward: Day 1 Challenge

Forward

Let’s shift and move forward through a 5-Day Challenge.

Day 1 – Replace “I can’t” with “I can”.

In order to move forward, we have to believe that we can. Stay open to possibility by shifting your thinking from “I can’t” to “I can”.

Exercise: Write a list of wants/needs/desires that “I can’t” thinking is keeping you from pursuing. Pick one of the things on your list to work on this week. Write down all the reasons you can’t do it and then tear it up. Write an affirmative statement “I can [insert whatever you picked]” three times and commit to taking action, starting today. Post your affirmation everywhere to remind you that you CAN! Celebrate your accomplishments along the way.

Let the shift begin!

All the best,

Ruthann

Find New “Places” to Grow

Next level

“Don’t shrink yourself to fit into places that you have outgrown.” —Anonymous

Life is always inviting us to reach, stretch, and grow. Sometimes we accept the invitation with a wholehearted yes, and sometimes we decline the invitation through indecision and inaction and stay in places (e.g., jobs, relationships, situations, etc.) that we have outgrown. Although these places may not be ideal, they are familiar, comfortable, known.

We usually know it’s time for a change long before we take action. Inner promptings for change are often experienced as restlessness, dissatisfaction, or a desire/longing for something more. If you relate to any of these feelings, take time to listen to your inner voice and be willing to find new places to grow. It might mean finding a more challenging job, new friendships, or new ways for you and your mate to grow.

Progress requires change, and change begins to happen when you leave your comfort zone.

If this post resonates with you, I invite you to reflect on the following questions.

Where in my life am I shrinking myself to fit into places that I have outgrown?
What do I need to believe and do to grow?
What is one thing I can do [today] to support my growth?

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All the best,

Ruthann

Be Willing to Change

Blue Butterfly

“How does one become a butterfly?” she asked. “You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar.”

—Hope for the Flowers

I recently re-read a wonderful book titled Hope for the Flowers by Trina Paulus.

It is a light-hearted story about two caterpillars (Stripe and Yellow) and their journey to become butterflies. It has become one of my favorite gift books about trust and transition/letting go.

The process of becoming a butterfly begins when the caterpillar responds to an internal urge to grow and evolve. In order to fulfill its potential, the caterpillar must give up its life as a caterpillar to be reborn and serve a different purpose. As winged creatures, butterflies provide hope for the flowers’ reproduction through the process of pollination.

The journey of the two butterflies in Hope for the Flowers is a great reminder that we too must trust our inner urges/promptings to grow and evolve in order to reach our full potential.

This week, I invite you to pay attention to inner urges/promptings to do something different/make changes in your life and be willing to step out of your comfort zone.

One of the best ways to step out of your comfort zone is to set a goal and immediately take action. Fear of the unknown will keep you stuck until you put fear in its place through action.

The journey of life is a series of beginnings and endings for the purpose of growth and evolution. Our challenge is to trust the process and be willing to let go of the ‘old version’ of ourselves in order to grow.

Old photo