Your Purpose is Within: Meaning And Clarity Begin Within

If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Why am I here?” or “Do I have a purpose?”, this practice is for you. In this video, I share why the answers you’re seeking are within. When you turn inward, you discover meaning, guidance, and clarity that no external source can provide.

Release what limits, nurture what empowers, trust what unfolds.

You’re welcome to follow the blog to receive notifications of new posts, subscribe to the mailing list to receive new posts and updates directly to your inbox, or connect with me on social media, whatever feels most supportive.

All the best,

Ruthann

Create Harmony: Align Your Thoughts, Words, and Actions

ZEN

Align: to change something so that it agrees with or matches something else.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

You can create any experience that you desire by aligning your thoughts, words, and actions. It’s a lot easier said than done, but truly transformative when put into practice.

Thoughts and beliefs are powerful—they create your reality (positively or negatively) each and every day. What you choose to focus on will magnify in your life.

This week, I invite you to identify a quality that you would like to magnify in your life and bring your thoughts, words, and actions into alignment with that quality. For example, if you want to experience a greater sense of peace in your life, think peaceful thoughts, speak peaceful words, and create a peaceful living and work environment.

Spend a few minutes in silence and let your heart be your guide in choosing a quality to magnify. Through this process, you will not only enrich your life, you will enrich the lives of others and the world (yes, the world!). 

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All the best,

Ruthann

Copyright © Ruthann M. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.

Create Your Ideal Day: Visualize and Achieve Your Goals

Sunflower

If you look up the word ideal in the dictionary, you will see synonyms like perfect, flawless, seamless, and impeccable. For most of us, these are words that make an ideal anything seem unattainable. So, you may be wondering why I am encouraging you to create something that is seemingly unattainable. There is a method to my ‘madness’.

The process of creating your ideal day taps into your imagination and opens you to possibility. When you compare your ideal day to  your current reality, you are able to see where changes are needed to make reality more like the ideal. It gives you something to aspire to each day.

This week, I invite you to spend some time creating your ideal day. Compare your ideal day to your typical day. Identify 3-5 things that you would like to change and create a plan of action. Small changes on a daily basis can have a big effect.

Consider creating a vision board/visual representation of your ideal day. It is a powerful tool for staying focused and bringing your vision to life through the use of words, images, and symbols. The key is to include words, images, and symbols that are meaningful to you. Keep your board in a place where you will see it on a daily basis. It will serve as a reminder of how you would like to live your life on a daily basis.

What you will need:

  • Your goals/desired outcomes for your day
  • Poster board, cork board, or large piece of paper
  • Glue, tape, push pins (depending on the type of board you are using)
  • Words, images, and symbols that you cut out of magazines and/or download from the internet
  • Colored pens and/or markers for handwritten words and/or images
  • Scissors

Alternatively, you may also decide to create a digital vision board via software or app.

There is no right or wrong way to create your board. It is a creative process that produces a visual representation of what you desire for your day/life. Need some inspiration? This link will take you to Google images for vision boards.

Living life one day at a time will help you stay grounded and present to your life.

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All the best,

Ruthann

Copyright © Ruthann M. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.

Be Prepared to Receive: Trust, Prayer, and the Practice of Asking

be prepared

“Ask for what you want and be prepared to get it.”

Maya Angelou

I love this quote by Maya Angelou. It is a great reminder that we should not only ask for what we want but believe so strongly that it will happen that we prepare to receive it. The degree to which we prepare for something to happen is indicative of our belief and trust that it will actually happen.

Making requests/asking for things is a part of our everyday lives. We ask for information, directions, meetings, assistance, etc., on a regular basis without much thought or risk. There are times, however, when we need or want something that is beyond what we can see or control. It is during these times that we often go to a deeper place of asking/requesting through prayer. When we pray and prepare to receive, we create conditions for what might seem like magic to happen in our lives. 

This week, I invite you to think about the requests/prayers that you have for your life. Are you clear in what you are asking? Do you trust that what you are asking will actually happen? Are you preparing/taking action in anticipation of it happening? Are you open to more than one outcome?

Ask for what you want and be prepared for it or something better to happen.

You’re welcome to follow the blog to receive notifications of new posts, subscribe to the mailing list to receive new posts and updates directly to your inbox, or connect with me on social media, whatever feels most supportive.

All the best,

Ruthann


Copyright © Ruthann M. Wilson. All Rights Reserved. 

In-Progress, LLC | Walk your path with intention, at your own pace

As Within, So Without: Understand Your Reality

Listen closelyAre you familiar with the phrase “as within, so without”?  It means your external reality (i.e., physical reality that you see) is a manifestation of your inner reality (i.e., thoughts, beliefs, and emotions).

Your inner reality affects how you live your life each day. Many of us are operating on auto pilot, not fully paying attention to how our inner reality is shaping our lives day to day. If your external reality is not what you desire, take a step back and listen to your life to help you make changes from the inside out.

Questions for reflection (best accomplished in writing):

  • If my life reflects my inner reality, what is my life telling me right now? 
    • You can make this question specific to an area of your life that you would like to improve (e.g., if my finances reflect my inner reality, what are my finances telling me about my thoughts/beliefs about money right now?)
  • What seeds (thoughts/beliefs) have been planted in my mind? Are they seeds of faith or seeds of doubt?
  • What thoughts/beliefs do I need to replace to create the life that I desire? Affirmations are an effective way to replace disempowering thoughts/beliefs with empowering thoughts/beliefs.

Get clear and take action:

  • Get clear as to what you would like to change, why you would like to make a change, how and when you plan to make it happen. 
  • Take consistent action and trust the process.

All change in the physical world begins with a change in your mind. Take time to listen to your life. It can help you make changes from the inside out.  

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All the best,
Ruthann

Copyright © Ruthann M. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.

Weekly Reflection for Personal Growth

Days of the week

Reflection is a powerful way to learn, grow, and keep moving forward. Taking time over the weekend to look back and look forward to the week ahead will help you keep your life in progress and your goals on track. Small changes on a weekly basis can have a tremendous effect on your life.

Make a commitment to spend 15-20 minutes over the weekend (Saturday or Sunday) to first, look back and then, look forward. I have outlined a few questions, best answered in writing, to help get you started.

Look back

  • What did I accomplish?
  • What didn’t I accomplish that I wanted to? Why?
  • What did I learn?
  • How did I grow?
  • What’s working/going well?
  • What’s not working/not going well? What can I do to shift or neutralize what’s not working?
  • Who or what was my greatest blessing?
  • How was I a blessing to others?

Look forward

  • What are my top priorities for the week ahead? Why are these priorities?
  • Based on my review of last week, what might I do differently in the coming week?

Use the power of reflection on a weekly basis to help you learn, grow, and keep moving forward.

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

All the best,
Ruthann

Copyright © Ruthann M. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.

Release the Past: Reflection Practices for Healing and Moving Forward

Past Future

I can think of a time in my life when my primary focus was on past mistakes, missed opportunities, and the wrong doing of others. It was a dead end focus that kept me anchored in the past, silently suffering in the present, and not truly moving forward. 

Through an ongoing process of forgiveness, I learned to release the past, resentment, and anger that I felt toward myself and others. Instead of looking back on challenging or painful situations with resentment and regret, I began to look back and ask what I learned about myself (first and foremost) and others and how the ‘lessons learned’ could help me grow. This was an ongoing process that helped me get unstuck and move forward.  

The first step to release the past is to decide to release the past. There is great power in deciding to let it go. There is even more power in writing your decision down.

Once you have affirmed your decision to release the past in writing, sit with your decision in silence and allow your wise self that awaits you in silence to guide your steps forward. You have the power to release the past so that you can begin to truly moving forward.  

Questions for reflection:

  • What in my past is keeping me from enjoying the present?
  • What in my past is keeping me from proactively creating my future?
  • What steps can I take to release the past so that I can truly move forward?

Feel free to share this post with others via a share button below.

All the best,
Ruthann

Copyright © Ruthann M. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.

The Power of Silence: Embracing Solitude for Inner Peace

Candle

“Let silence take you to the core of your life.”

—Rumi

When I was growing up, my mom used to make me and my siblings spend time alone on a regular basis. She felt it was important for us to learn to enjoy our own company and not feel compelled to fill our time with other people or activities to be content and happy.

Spending time alone was never an issue for me. I am an introvert by nature and quiet time alone is how I recharge and reenergize. I looked forward to and enjoyed my time alone.

As I look back on my childhood, I feel a deep sense of gratitude to my mom for laying the foundation for what has proven to be a very important daily practice, time alone in silence to cultivate patience, peace of mind, and trust in the process of being internally guided.

If you don’t already have a regular practice of spending time alone in silence, I encourage you to create time in your day to be still and silent. Strive for 15-20 minutes in silence each day.

If sitting in silence is new to you, start small. Take five minutes or ten minutes out of your day. Set a timer so that you can be fully present to the moment and not watching the clock. You may want to consider using your breath as a focal point for your time in silence. When the timer goes off, bring your quiet time to a close in a spirit of gratitude for the gift of silence. Capture your experience of going within in a journal or notebook. 

In the beginning, the benefits of spending time in silence may not be obvious, however, as you continue with this practice, I believe you will feel a deeper sense of peace, calm, and balance. Give yourself the gift of silence.

Questions for reflection:

  • Are you comfortable being alone? If not, why not?
  • Are you comfortable in silence? If not, why not?

Thank you for pausing here. If my writing has offered meaningful insight or sparked a shift in you, I would be honored to hear what stayed with you.

You are welcome to follow the blog to receive new reflections, subscribe to the mailing list for updates in your inbox, or connect with me on social media, whatever feels most supportive.

All the best,
Ruthann

Stand For, Not Against: Focus on what you want to grow

Take a stand for what you believe and magnify it in your life.

When we know what we stand for, we spend time and energy creating what we want instead of fighting against/resisting what we don’t want.

Resistance can feel good in the moment and give us a sense of power, however, resistance is not solution or growth oriented. When we are in resistance mode, we are focused on what we don’t want; rather than creating what we want. 

Take time each day to renew your connection to your heart to help you stay focused on what you want to magnify in your life and in the world (e.g., peace, love, joy, etc.).

Global change begins with personal transformation. 

In preparation for the week ahead, I invite you to reflect on the following questions. 

  • What do I stand for? 
  • How can I magnify it in my life?

Feel free to share this post with others via a share button below.

All the best,
Ruthann

Copyright © Ruthann M. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.

Awaken to Possibility: Living from Within

Carl Jung once said, ‘Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.’ This video is an invitation to awaken, to stay open to possibility and to live from within. I share three practices to support your journey: asking yourself powerful questions, engaging in quiet reflection with the intention of learning (not judging), and cultivating an ongoing spiritual practice. Together, these practices help you move forward with clarity, openness, and purpose.

Feel free to share this post with others via a share button below.

All the best,
Ruthann

Copyright © Ruthann M. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.