Aspire Magazine: Inspiration for a Woman's Soul.(TM) Aug/Sept 2017 Aspire Mag Full Issue | Page 28

“Be universal in your love. You will see the universe to be a picture of your own being.” – SRI CHINMOY inspired by love instead of fear do we feel like creators of our lives in sync with all of life. Love frees us to make distinctive choices beyond the options presented to us through limited mind-sets. With love, such enlightened choices, however challenging, are not daunting; if we feel connected to our love source, we know we are well equipped to handle any situation. We can trust that we have created the support and opportunities we need to transform our lives for the better. Last fall, I spent several days with my long-time friend Debbie in Sunset Beach, North Carolina. On Saturday, we took a stroll on the beach with the intent of beachcombing. My friend desired a sand dollar to place in a healing fishing net she was creating. I, on the other hand, wanted a sand dollar to support my intention of abundance for myself and others. While beachcombing with these requests to the universe, we sorted through myriad shells. Each time Debbie or I picked up a shell, we examined it, and decided if it resonated with our intention. We kept those that aligned with our hearts, and returned the others to the sea. 28 As we meandered along the beach, a swath of exquisite shells washed up at our feet―including a perfect, whole sand dollar. Excited, I picked it up and placed it in my pocket to protect it. A little later, we celebrated our rare finds with some yoga sun salutations on the beach, during which I forgot about the delicate sand dollar in my pocket. A few downward dogs later, I reached in my pocket to find my sand dollar in crumbs. But instead of becoming upset or angry, I blessed and released the sand dollar, along with everything else in my life that no longer served me, and simply trusted that the outcome was for the best. Turning toward home, we took divergent paths along the beach. At about the halfway point, Debbie walked toward the sand, while I headed toward the surf, each of us drawn to something we intuitively sensed. Simultaneously calling each other’s names, we saw that we were each holding up an exquisite sand dollar. Like combing the beach for and dollars, you can carefully and discriminately sort through the myriad possibilities in front of you before making a decisive choice. You can consciously select the possibilities that align with your heart, and with a greater good. Then, you can let go of the rest. Here are a few simple tools to assist you in making discerning choices: Keep following the path you are on as long as things are moving smoothly. When things aren’t going so well, pause, assess the situation, listen to your heart, www.AspireMAG.net | August / September 2017