Faith and Spirituality Archives - Page 2 of 2

Zucchini Pasta + God Winks Encouragement

Zucchini pasta is one of the God winks to encourage healthy eating. It’s using food from the land that starts with wheat. Zucchini is a food you can grow or admire in gardens.

God winks appear all the time and in front of us if we’re paying attention.

Small miracles of God often speaks in nature like in bright sunflower blooms 🌻 and occasional rainbow skies 🌈 And in science like the rare total eclipse 🌘 and even in a pair of daily ducks going about daily life.

God winks in nature like these common pair of ducks. They are the many wonders that keep us wondering!

We also sometimes forget that God winks in our food where nature provides plant-based foods.

Like these authentic whole wheat zucchini pasta (fettuccine) getting drying-ready for cooking (recipe below 🧡).

Jump to Recipe

zucchini pasta you can make at home with or without a pasta maker.

I believe everyone needs encouragement in this life. It’s part of the healthy and happy journey. And one special form of encouragement that you may already turn to is the God winks that are specific to your life…

The daily favors, blessings, miracles… whatever you want to call it… like driving by a surprising display of flowers instead of the usual path to radiate the day 🌷

When something special, small or not happens in your day, you’re reminded that you’re watched over.

You know that you were given luck in some way by the Universe if you allow your beliefs to take you there and you push your ego aside that can thwart your efforts in your mind.

God is love and the ego is fear. And how you noodle yourself out of those times where it’s hard to see the love, will get you to more God winks sooner because you’ll see them. 👀

And if you’re intentional and relaxed like you would be if you’re making zucchini pasta, those moments can help you pause and set a reminder.

To tune back into the higher channel where your good “luck” is.

…Where you see favor in life, whether you bypass a long line that was just there seconds before you got there. …Or, you’re lucky with your online submission that comes back favorable.

Your timing is perfect and the opportunity is for you.

And that was no coincidence.

That is meant to be encouraging to your day if you don’t miss it.

These can be a part of your every day, if you pay attention to the discernment message that the Universe sends. As you live longer and practice deciphering more you will get better at this!

In Christian living, it’s the Holy Spirit helping us out or the spirit in you.

There’s no mystery or woo-woo, it’s just the way it is on our planet and was established, all documented during Biblical times.

And we can this live out daily in our version of modern Biblical living if we choose.

An interesting thought: the book that made it in every hotel room (I worked in hotels) is full of good daily instruction.

Most of us don’t give it daily thought.

I know I didn’t for the first quarter of my life until the words came to life when I learned the content that helped align my life.

And in your life, the more wondering and connect the dots to the wonders and little miracles, the more you’ll see them and get God wink favors. Not everyone sees a rainbow in front of them. 🌈

And whether you do or don’t think you receive favor, your life will have ups and downs.

But if you know in the end that all will be well, that provides a sense of peace. And we all can use more of that if we want to live a life of meaning. Or when we feel discouraged.

So when things aren’t exactly working out the way you thought they would or you feel stuck, look up for the God winks. They will keep you going.

Align your prayerful thoughts and whether you speak them aloud or just think the thoughts especially while in public or around people.

When we stay on the channel of our daily, small thoughts that are mostly negative because it’s on the worldly level of this limited life, then we lose time with negative moods or emotions.

We keep ourselves from growing and getting to the next level. If we think and reach higher, we’re better off.

And we gain more then in the time it takes for us to try and do it by ourselves. If we plan about the future, that may not happen the way we thought if we don’t check in first with our heart and soul.

This is a simple exercise you can try.

Find something in your situations that has given you some tension or hasn’t worked out. You have several productive options. You can try again or look for a new solution.

An example is a tool that has broken. You can try to fix it. If you look at it from another angle, sometimes you figure it out.

But if you get upset or frustrated, then nothing gets accomplished. If you spend the same time praying, the solution comes to you.

It’s the same way you can pray off your worry, as Norman Vincent Peale taught in The Power of Positive Thinking.

It works because of your productive mindset and calm mood, but is also because of the higher-reaching power working in your life.

Another example, and one that was recent for me is new baking challenges. As someone who likes to experiment, not all bakes turn out. And when I wondered what happened, I use the bake as a lesson. It reminds me of what can go wrong. So instead of being disappointed, I see it as a way to grow.

Because in order to grow, there is always a struggle or sacrifice of sorts to varying degrees. You have to give up perfection or success in order to get better. You let go (or let God and reject ego).

Or you spend more time invested in learning than you thought. And this is how you get good and skilled at anything… by the failures and challenges. You don’t learn as much from the ones that turn out and where you get a few minutes of joy from right away. Never judge a book by its cover. Give things a second chance.

But joy does keep us encouraged and engaged in the balance of everything in life.

And these joyful zucchini pasta-ccines are very balanced with protein and fiber full whole wheat. 😋 You can make this with or without a pasta machine. Zucchini is high in Vitamin C and an anti-inflammatory food.

Print Recipe

Zucchini Fettuccine Whole Wheat Pasta

This is a great homemade pasta making recipe to get your veggies in (or for picky eaters) or if you have a leftover zucchini you don't want to go bad. Homemade pasta is easy to make once you get the hang of it and you can enjoy same day! And as grocery prices rise on pasta, this is an economical way to get fresh pasta with ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen!

Course dinner, lunch

Cuisine American, Italian

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Equipment

blender or mortar and pestle (optional)
cup measuring cup (optional)
pasta machine or dough roller

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour (can use gluten-free flours) per serving
1 egg per serving
generous pinch of salt
1 zucchini, cooked and mashed

Instructions

Make a flour mound. Make a deep well with a spoon or the measuring cup you used. Add egg and salt.
Knead. Add blended zucchini to the pasta dough.
Make a dough disc. Let rest for at least 20 minutes.
Divide the disc into two halves. Roll out pasta as thin as you can without getting holes. If using a pasta machine, start on a medium/wide setting such as "5" and then run through thinner setting such as "3." That may be the thinnest setting.
If rolling by hand and dough roller, roll evenly to about 1/16".
Let strands dry out enough so you can still make a curled nest or can break (like packaged processed pasta). These took about 2 hours.
Cook like you would packaged pasta for about 20 minutes on medium heat for "al dente" pasta. Whole wheat pasta will take longer than other plain flour homemade pasta. You can store uncooked pasta in fridge for 2-3 days. Buon appetito!

Work-Life Balance Idea To Get What You Really Want

Work-life balance idea is a good one! Let me explain…

Being a living balanced advocate and practicing balance as a way of life, I often hear others who believe that the work-life balance idea is unrealistic for dream life goals to pan out.

Work-life balance doesn’t have to be like a non-working time warp clock (in photo). It can be a priority for your best life yet 🧩

…That is, if we want the life we want, we have to go all in. And giving up on work-life balance is one way to better achieve this.

But, I don’t think “either/or” is the best option.

And from my perspective, the more you lean into deeper desires from your intuition source, the work-life balance idea becomes more important (not less)… and then you don’t want to live without it so you can explore and discover more about yourself and manifest more in your life.

It can become a spiritual pursuit, and not necessarily the desire you start with.

You can aim for self-discovery, balance, and success goals, and be healthier and happier.

If we delay gratification in those two places (healthy and happy), then we’re most likely seeking instant gratification in other ways like outward material things and experiences that have a short-lived impact.

So I break down below how balance can be part of the life you want if that’s what you choose, to not miss out unintentionally…

Balancing Life Priorities

As an adult and individual, you’re busy and usually juggling your time working, managing your relationships, and putting yourself out there. Plus, spending time and prioritizing what you value most today.

Balancing time can be a challenge as we all only have 24 hours in a day.

But prioritizing living out balanced healthy intentions today (and not some future someday) is still a good goal even though it’s not measurable… and I wholeheartedly believe leads you to the best life.

In the process, you dig deeper into your heart’s desires and purposes in this life.

You get further investing in yourself more than in the things of this ever-changing world.

And by prioritizing and investing in yourself, you have more to give to the people around you… and get more out of this life.

It’s where “it’s better to give than to receive” has a deeper meaning.

On the other side…

Without work-life balance, the regular daily grind of draining tasks, stress, and overwhelm is taxing and a burden on health.

Our bodies keep score and one day can snap. And just like that, the juggling balls can all drop.

So then it’s best to prevent an ongoing or recurring stressful life situation that an unbalanced life can bring.

By replacing a giving-up-to-get perspective with mindfully focusing on today’s priorities that build your tomorrow, you can let go of control over things that aren’t the best for you.

Gradually I made this mental shift away from the first perspective that I now think hinders abundance.

…But in my earlier bright-eyed-bushy-tailed days, I had no work-life balance. I worked in hotel catering sales where events I planned happened every day, including weekends.

Hotels are a 24-7 operation like hospitals, but without the saving life aspects.

In my high-energy 20’s, I was drained by the end of the 60-plus hours including commute time.

Plus, my role included sales weekend hours and rotating hotel manager-on-duty responsibilities (to relieve the general manager) where I would stay in the hotel over a weekend.

Dine for free in the restaurant and stay in a luxury hotel. …sounds fun, huh?

…But it’s not when you’re stuck under one roof with 400 occupied rooms in a full-house hotel where anything can go wrong.

And then exhausted, I would go home for a few hours and put on a new customer service smile and clothes for work Monday.

My manager co-workers were the only others that fully understood this life, as it’s not usually uncovered in the news.

And as an insider… the first hotel I worked at was an airport property and many hotel guests were unhappy because they were distressed passengers that couldn’t get on their flights.

You can imagine how a whole new level of customer service has to show up engaging with a bunch of grumpy guests whose flights were canceled.

I’m happy I never had a guest throw a drink in my face or anywhere on me. I think my naturally friendly and happy aura rubbed off on them. 😊

…And then I moved out of that hotel life for a more balanced corporate 9-5 gig where I could actually get vacation time off… and enjoy a hotel room without any responsibilities.

Ah, but stability in any corporate job is dependent on the world and the economy. Through recessions, I moved on sometimes landing back at rung zero with more experience… but no lasting balance learning the ropes in new and different organizations.

Starting over seemed to be a theme for a while. But striving for work-life balance was not something I EVER gave up on after my first taste. And I learned to value work-life balance even more having seen both sides.

My lesson takeaway over the years, is that balance is not always consistent but you can high-value prioritize it if that’s a desire you choose. And it’s a healthy sustainable design in this changing, sometimes chaotic life for us breathing humans.

Experiencing constant change amplified to me that nothing here lasts.

The systems and routines that I desperately wanted to stick, didn’t… like when I left a job or moved.

All those accumulating pivots (…would be great if they were like travel reward points 😊) had left the impression on me that only this moment matters most.

“Today is all we have.”

The timeless cliche is wisdom when you’re navigating uncertain waters that most of life is in some way, shape, or form.

You get to keep going and growing and let go for a better outcome.

Staying open to possibilities is more achievable with a healthy work-life balance lens. It can help to steer you in times of setbacks or disappointments when you start over and aren’t sure of the next steps.

And balance keeps you from holding onto a part of life or a desire that was never meant to last.

You can decide it all ends up working out and those beliefs work out as reality.

With work-life balance, you can spend more (or as much) of your free time being reflective instead of busy. Reflection time is more strategic.

…I’m sure this has happened to you as it does for me often… where I reached out to someone I know and they say, “funny, I was just thinking about you this morning.”

That ain’t no coincidence.

In texting, I usually would smiley face back with my words, BUT through mindful reflection I know that was the Universe orchestrating connection. I could’ve just as easily dismissed the moment.

With every little situation, we get to decide what we see and act on (free will). And in the balanced order that this planet we live on is, the steps we take are the ones that were specifically meant for us. Like a mysterious puzzle piece that just fits. 🧩

We can grow and become aware of our greater and empowered existence which makes us want and strive for more out of this life.

Especially, when we choose to see the amazement of our world in the small and joyful moments. Without work-life balance, we can miss it like a vanishing rainbow. 🌈

And without balance, I know I would have taken longer routes. And worse, I could’ve stayed in the Murphy’s Law realistic or pessimistic way of thinking that used to be popular in my adult formative years… when I was meant to be (and better off) optimistic and hopeful as I am today.

With a work-life balance, I was more proactive in my life and am able to see out from two helpful lenses instead of just one. These two are:

The achievement lens that’s on the level of our choices and decisions we make, our rational brain, and what we want. Most of us look out from this healthy lens.

Aiming and working at high standards makes for better personal progress and innovation than just waiting to see what happens.

And then there’s the spiritual lens. The one that’s trusting the Universe when we let go, that our mind-body can help us better see when we’re calm, and not stressed or busy.

There can be an internal tug-o-war between the spiritual lens when at odds with the achievement lens.

Because the achieving mind can become unhealthy with our born ego in us, where we can lose sight of what’s good, and then reject mind-body health and happiness.

Keeping the mind-body-spirit alignment is part of the smart checks and balances. And being attuned to your intuitive and balanced mind-body can lead you to your best life… and not just listening to and relying on the mind for answers.

These are just some good things I encourage you to think about this week. 💭

Experience Your Deeper Joy Instincts

Instincts help you out. You’ve probably heard of the Joy of Missing Out (JOMO).

During the global lockdown, we went with our better instincts to make decisions, as no one knew for sure immediately what next steps to take.

Deeper joy is unleashed here in my Sunday brunch experience.

Some healthy outcomes during that time were that a lot of people grew, became more resilient, and today are still reaping the benefit of becoming better versions of themselves. That’s something to celebrate! 🎂

Even though “missing out” wasn’t something we chose, that’s what most of us did to stay safe and healthy in the world.

But tell that same story logic to a child or a teenager (…or the child still in us 🧸), and missing out on events can be devastating. But it doesn’t have to be!… and below I share two ways that “missing out” can be the biggest blessing for you and us all.

If our happiness is based on external situations, and not on ourselves, we can suffer sadness and disappointment.

Instead, inside us, we have the peaceful joy instincts built-in that today we may or may not have developed fully yet like we would in learning a skill.

…Wherever you are on your journey now is great. You are exactly where you’re meant to be, and you have a choice to replace what doesn’t work best.

And from what I’ve experienced, I know those deeper instincts are there to help us if we’re ready.

They give us more peace and steer us to our best life. And I wish I tapped into my inner joy instincts sooner in life.

Feeling inner joy gives us better control over our lives and our feelings in situations we can’t always control dealing with specific people, places, and things we encounter.

And with practice, we can bring out our inner joy and turn it into a daily healthy habit we apply (replacing our original “happy” lens that doesn’t always help us).

I know this all too well from my younger days when I got excited about going to parties that sometimes got out-of-hand… a little too many Animal House-type parties that I wish I could take back now (…and go figure I became a professional party food event planner as my first career to round it all out).

During those immature pre-school graduation days, I wasn’t in control of my life on the inside. I lived for the outward happiness feelings that put me on an emotional roller coaster when situations didn’t go as planned.

And as I grew up… and as you and I are growing now, we naturally grow out of what we already experienced that wasn’t good for us whatever that looked like… and maybe even a bit relieved that we’re past those years and times… grateful we’ve “been there, done that” and not going backward.

For me today and maybe you too… happy fun is re-defined from a new lens of daily joy.

Inner joy is more freeing than external happiness that’s fleeting.

It doesn’t mean giving up on fun because that would be no fun! But coming up with new ways… that’s what I do anyway to please my Enneagram 7. We tend to get our enthusiasm from fun. That’s one thing I hope to never change.

…And that motivated me to set out a fun day (Sunday) anti-inflammatory donut table while Nadal showed his sustainable match win, and the Queen her Jubilee and longevity.

You don’t usually see donuts on an anti-inflammatory menu, but these ACV cinnamon honey ones are without added sugars.

…While creating a menu and daily food joy like with a veggie pizza from a homemade pizza crust or cinnamon donut is nice. It doesn’t make or break the day. That’s an example of finding joy in the moment and then movin’ on.

And that keeps the inner peace, and naturally feeling good in daily calm living. Good grows. And I don’t mess with good growth! 🌱

And if you’re into growing, want new experiences, and are ready to tap more into your deeper sides and joy instincts if you’re not already… or still wondering why that matters or how it’s different than what you could be doing…

Here are a few more differences…

By developing your joy instinct by filling up your moments with your peaceful and calmer desires, you feel less disappointed moment-to-moment (or not disappointed at all) when events don’t happen and situations don’t pan out.

And ultimately, you’re in deeper control of yourself, thoughts, and feelings… and that’s super powerful to your life. Finding deeper instincts feels like a superpower when you discover it later in life.

Finding that life-giving abundant space inside is a gift. I think so, anyway.

And experiencing that chosen path opens you to a whole bunch of other great things you pick up along the way.

…Like, I rid of the worry habit. Worry is helpful until it isn’t. It helps when it gets you to think, and those thoughts help you to initiate solutions or a new way to look at a solution.

But staying in the habit of worry is not helpful or healthy. So one day in the bookstore (…remember those?), I picked up The Power of Positive Thinking written by the late-Norman Vincent Peale, and read the “Worry” chapter in the self-help book.

It starts like this… “Worry is just a very bad mental habit. And I can change any habit with God’s help.”

I read that chapter over and over again and practiced the 10-point steps that literally transformed my life of worry in less than a decade. That sounds like a long time, but most great things take time.

And at the time, I loved it so much that I went out and bought a few additional book copies and gave them to my co-workers around me. And I’m passing it on to you here. Hopefully, you can read it…

How to Stop Worrying Chapter (Steps 1-6)

The Power of Positive Thinking Book — How to Stop Worrying Chapter Continued (Steps 7-10)

So then I carried less unhealthy worry turmoil, and I worried less about my workers as they knew what to do. 😉

So leaning into joy has perks and side benefits.

…I hear myself talking about joy like it needs to be sold as a natural drug, haha. And sometimes it does feel that way in a good way!

Two cool perks about stepping into your inner joy are:

Feeling contentment – and not getting emotional when things pan out or don’t. Being free of this feels relaxing, stress-free, and breathes in more joy. Back in the day, when we didn’t know any better, we would describe this as, “you’re so mellow.”

With contentment, you feel more peace and get more done without the thought-feeling drama.

Your creativity – is the gateway to your highest purpose, second or next act, and clarity with what you want to do with your life if you’re not feeling fulfilled with the one you’re in. You can unleash greater imagination, gifts, and buried talents.

There’s a treasure trove in you. And it costs nothing to discover what’s inside. Not only can it bring new ideas and save you from spending money, but also save you from losing time and unnecessary headaches.

The two C’s can be a ticket to your best life today. They can make the difference or be your launching pads to a “new life” in a world of uncertainty and give you a peaceful escape from your job, especially if you’re not happy there.

If you’re looking for more joy in your life, be encouraged that the way you started out and the path you’re on doesn’t have to be the one you stay on.

And choosing to trust and lean into your healthy natural instincts is easy, light, and aligned when you pick the channels meant for you. ✨

Where to Find Joy, Hope, and Faith Sources

Looking forward to the peony bush that usually only blooms for a few weeks in May.

Earth laughs in flowers.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Easter just weeks away is a reminder that we’re embarking on a new spring season and wild ride that this life is. Easter is a symbol of hope and a sign of life. It’s a time of celebration and joy. It’s one I look forward to, despite all the world’s turmoil.

I made this imprime (imprinted) cherry blossom jelly sponge roll over the weekend to take a break from all that’s going on.

I cut it in the shape of a letter and added cherries.

On that note and when life doesn’t feel like a bowl of cherries–when you feel hope is missing in this life–it’s important to reset on the hopeful. That’s a good time to evaluate your thoughts and hear uplifting messages of faith. That’s what I do and is one way to restore your joy and get out of self-sabotage moods.

Here are 3 other effective ways:

✔️ Feel compassion for others less fortunate than you. There are always people who fall into those categories. You don’t have to go far to hear about the needs. You can turn on the news to feel.

✔️ Answer the question: what is the worst that can happen? Come up with options from your current standpoint and knowledge. Doing this helps put your mind at ease with plan options. And so does knowing you’re never alone in this world (that’s never-ending evolving). If you stay in the belief that things will be better on the other side, then you stay hopeful.

✔️ Bring curiosity back. Reflect on daily unique coincidences in your life and try to discern the meaning. Maybe you keep running into the same good situation… like you’re the first in line or there’s one item left for you. Do you see these as blessings or nothing out of the ordinary luck?

Children are in awe over common things so much easier than adults. They get excited and wonder about the things we glance over. Things like nature, butterflies, and ladybugs. Children and growing living things give us hope.

You can also borrow hope from others who believe there is life after passing through this life… another form of hope.

If you are (or become) a believer, then your outlook and outcomes are very different than if you aren’t sure or don’t know. No one is born a believer even if they’re given guidance. It’s a deliberate choice that each person has the right to.

Believers know what’s at the end. That’s why they can walk around with a smile on their face even when they are going through chaos. Because they know in the end, good wins. But they too have to feed daily their healthy mind-body with the hopeful fuel to keep growing.

And they know who’s in charge at the end of the day and where to turn to, that’s not other people. And when they see other like-minded believers, they know they will see them again.

With a deeper perspective, there is a greater purpose in life. What if you could feel this way if you don’t already? You get to choose what you believe in almost any situation.

Seeing the writing on the wall happens from a change of heart, baby step actions towards a want, and often many failed attempts. Fail forward and fast is a much better belief than the one I grew up with of “don’t fail.” That was just a setup for failure. So glad that the world has wised up in its beliefs.

When I was younger, I didn’t know there was a free will choice to live a life other than the one I was living. But before knowing this as a young adult, I knew I didn’t like the course of life I had or the limited resources I carried. Or the problems that I was burdened with. I felt like I was missing something even though everything seemed to run okay on the outside. So I looked for other possibilities that I couldn’t see.

Having this why of wanting better led me to try to find formal mentors or professional help like therapy that turned into failed attempts that eventually steered me to the right places.

I also read self-help and expert-led books, getting knowledgeable through words and not just guessing. Authors I didn’t know were my mentors and I was my self-therapist. 😉

I also read Scripture and certain words jumped off the page. The comforting ones like “do not worry…” and “If God is for us, who can be against us”… which sometimes can be ourselves getting in our own way. (Amen?).

In the beginning, I thought the fun side of life I had would end. And for an Enneagram 7, that’s hard to swallow as one of our motivators. I thought I’d have to start living a stricter life and had no idea how that would work.

But gradually, I learned the keys to daily peace, enjoyment, and guilt-free living. I went to Bible Study and church and then church again in the same week because I wanted to. My soul was fed and my spirit grew. The people were nice and liked to have fun, and we listened to the same types of rock music. And I felt safe.

All the things I wanted to change, gradually changed on their own with the desires in the back of my mind. It was an inside job that I can’t credit myself for.

And if you can relate or already live in a similar way, are you happy and healthy? Are you taking care of yourself (body, mind, and soul)? Are you living your “highest and best use”? This is a phrase I learned in business school that pertains to living out an optimal life in every area.

Pleasing others or playing it safe may not be your best life. The biggest rewards are from taking chances and having faith. Because I do think it’s a test and how you live here matters.

But if you’re unhappy (or know others who are), there’s a good chance that your (or their) gifts and talents are getting buried. You would know this because you’re not as creative or productive as you’re capable of or once were. And if you’re possibly feeling stuck or spinning wheels. I know this because that’s how I felt a lot when I knew it was time to move on.

Do you know or remember the parable of the gifts and talents? It’s a good reminder that the more you use your talents, the more you will get. We want to see your gifts in the world. Give and you will get more.

That’s how I believe I discovered hidden talents I didn’t even know I had inside me, as a mature adult. I started using gifts blindly not knowing what was ahead.

…Which btw reminds me of the idea of blind baking where there’s no real risk. But you do wonder if you’ll have an amazing bake, and if nothing else you learn something new in your repertoire to build on.

That’s how I see blind people in the news who better use their talents without sight, and who are both amazing and constantly learning. Now that’s hope. 🙏

Faith Over Fear Grows Your Love

Faith conquers fear. And the opposite of fear is love. So when you choose faith, you’re choosing love. This article is meant to help encourage you in your daily journey.

None of us were handed a life manual. Because if we were, we’d have all the answers we needed but we don’t.

We live life. And we let life play out.

And our best life is when we learn how to positively go forward, grow, and let go.

Letting go and healing of the past is one productive way.

Another is letting go of what our “shoulds” are in our daily walk.

We trust that the world of miracles we see every day translates into our beliefs for the things that matter most to us like relationships, family, resources, and provision.

And finding our unique purpose to do good, make impact, and give back to our world.

But what commonly hinders our growth in the modern world is our fear, that’s a form of anxiety or worry that gets into our subconscious minds.

That’s where it starts.

…Like a thief in the night, we don’t see what’s happening unless we are critical observers, looking in our own minds for us to be the solution instead of our own problem.

Having faith over fear helps to counteract your hurtful thoughts but doesn’t prevent your moods and emotions.

Faith is “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” – Hebrews 11:1

So if we know faith is believing before seeing, we know it’s a free-will choice.

You can choose to bypass how you feel. You can shake and pray it off.

You can pray to not have fearful thoughts take a stronghold over you, and replace them with higher, loving thoughts that are more self-serving and better.

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” -1 John 4:18

Believe there’s a better outcome or a bigger picture answer for why you’re going through your sour grape situations or when life serves up lemons.

You can flip the script on your trials and tribulations.

Those lemons you receive in life can give you the exact breakthrough you need to get over the hump.

Maybe that’s what your soul needs to heal and evolve, that grows you into the bigger purposes of your life.

Beyond being comfortable and happy that can keep you stuck.

The better way is to live open, authentic, and curious.

This invites in new opportunities to grow and unleash empowered happiness and contentment from the inside out.

And keeping faith as priority, you bypass feeling self-pity or self-inflicted victim mentality when triggered by fears.

These can be show up from childhood or past experiences (like my PTSD story).

But letting faith in the room like fresh air allowed my being Born Again and doing shadow work that helped to restore me and feeling love in a way that nothing or no one else could.

You weren’t meant to do everything on your own. You were meant to get help from outside you (and inside you), that makes you stronger, and builds you deeper inside.

That’s the healthy cycle of life.

People who stay frustrated at life can live in a vicious hamster wheel life cycle, letting their minds run them.

Without your pro-activity, your mind on its own is a lazy machine that is meant to protect you from danger.

If you’re tired, you just don’t want to think super hard after a busy day. If you have a foggy mind that can happen to anyone at anytime, then going to your higher place helps to escape.

At that moment, you can find wholeness and love to be free to live authentically.

Remember, you have a higher intellect or source that you can tap into to collaborate with and get better answers than the ones you can see.

Here’s a better way on how to access your faith and higher self…

Find a daily spiritual practice that has variety, and is 100% yours.

Have a daily silent practice in peace, prayer, or meditation without noise and device distractions.

Doing this as a regular habit can remind you in your darkest moments, that you have a higher thinking place where you can get deeper answers.

It’s also where you find creative solutions if you carve out some time.

If you are consistent with some quiet time, then you will feel in contrast what wholeness feels like and when it’s missing.

Having a quiet daily practice is different than religion that’s all about regurgitating and memorizing the right things to say and think.

Do what feels good for you as there is no right or wrong for healthy growth.

And create your own path way.

Piece together what works for you like an organized mosaic tile.

A pattern that makes sense will form.

It can feel like a mess or your thoughts can be jumbled at the beginning where you have a lot of distractions and noise in your life.

That’s normal in transformation work and going through growth processes.

But the more you stay intentional on finding more peace, joy, and living purpose-filled, the more spiritual growth you get.

You become more aware and self-aware.

Like when you’re sharpening a skill, the more you prioritize, spend time in, and focus on, you get good at it.

Then as soon as you get comfortable with your peaceful self, your season will usually change on you.

That’s how life evolves you.

You help yourself out by taking steps forward and leaning into busy activity, and knowing when the timing or season is off or has come to an end.

If that’s the case, take your foot off the gas pedal you thought you should be hitting, and go in another direction to live in an authentic flow where you don’t need to know the exact outcome.

Life in faith helps take you to where you need to go without your need to suffer if you don’t fight what is coming your way or about to happen whether you choose the situation or not.

You’ll eliminate feeling fear and anxiety in your life that doesn’t need to exist for your survival.

Be encouraged and have faith that miracles are happening all the time for you in love.

On your faith journey, you get to enjoy and witness the process as you connect the dots for your best life.