(In memory of my friend Heath McBriarty)
Oh, for the peace of a perfect trust,
My loving God, in Thee;
Unwavering faith, that never doubts
Thou choosest best for me.
Best, though my plans be all upset;
Best, though the way be rough;
Best, though my earthly store be scant;
in Thee I have enough.
Best, though my health and strength be gone,
Though my weary days be mine.
Shut out from much that others have;
Not my will, Lord, but Thine.
Even though disappointments come
They too are best for me;
To wean me from this changing world,
And lead me nearer to Thee.
Oh, for the peace of a perfect trust
That looks away from all;
That sees Thy hand in everything;
in great events and small.
That hears Thy voice –
A Father’s voice-
Directing for the best;
Oh, for the peace of a perfect trust,
A heart with Thee at rest.
______________________________________________________________________________
It is hard to lose someone you love. I remember when I lost my Dad. Even though he had a terminal diagnosis from the beginning of his journey with cancer, it was still a shock to hear the news when he finally passed. No matter what the circumstances may be, we are just never ready. No word can console and no deed can bring peace. That is why we grieve. Grieving is our human way of releasing the emotions surrounding a loss. That is why grieving is so important. In order to move on, we must release and let go. Not let go of our loved ones memory; but let go of the idea of how we wanted it to be, what we think should have happened and the feelings of regret, blame and denial that hold us hostage. Our holding on keeps our deceased loved one in a holding pattern in their new world…waiting to be released to finish their journey.
Some grieve for only a moment…some for a lifetime. My experience with my father’s death has helped me understand what happens from the perspective of the person who has passed. As a medium, when I first spoke with my father after he died , he said these words to me:
“Consciousness survives death. We take our love, thoughts and emotions with us. When we pass we are welcomed by our angels and guides who escort us to “the other side;” as we are traveling we are greeted by all of our loved ones who have passed before us and we finally feel as if we are at home. All of the pain, worry and fear just dissolve into the unconditional love that is felt from all of the people present on this journey. We are given a life review and are able to see what impact the choices we made had on our lives and also on the lives of others. We sometimes chose to pass for reasons not of our own, but to help gently guide those we love to the door of the lessons they have scripted to learn while on Earth. We finally understand the power of the free will of making choices so we can then use that knowledge on our next journey. We are then given a choice to return to Earth to continue to learn and evolve to our highest self, or to balance our karma from the other side. We never really leave…we are just in different form.”
Our loved ones never leave us. Their soul never dies. There is no death…simply a change of worlds. A world we will one day all know and meet with them again.
Love to all of my grieving friends and family,
Chris
Chris Sopa is founder and owner of Chris Sopa International, Inc. You can learn more about her at www.ChrisSopa.com. Find her at Facebook.com/ChrisSopaInternational, Twitter @ChrisSopa, LinkedIn, and Google+.
The Fine Art of Worry“If a problem is fixable, if a situation is such that you can do something about it, then there is no need to worry. If it is not fixable, then there is no help in worrying.”
~Dali Lama
Worry = a state of anxiety over actual or potential problems.
I will admit it…I am a recovering worry wart. Yes, it is true. I used to have worrying down to a science. I would worry going to bed, worry in my dreams and be worried waking up. Worrying is like any other habit that we have – the more we engage in it the more we do it without thinking. Half the time when I was worrying, I didn’t even really know what I was worrying about. Then, if there was nothing obvious to worry about, I would make something up.
As humans, our learning habits are formed when we are little. Whatever the dominant environment was in your household when you were growing up is the environment in which you learned to function. I love my mother dearly, but she will be the first one to tell you that she loves to worry. I grew up in a household where the dominant environment was chaos. There was always a crisis…even if it was an imaginary one. As I grew older, because that was the only environment in which I knew how to function, that is the environment I created. And worrying was my tool. Even if something is painful to us, as humans, we prefer comfort. Whatever is in our comfort zone is what we choose.
Regardless of what environment you prefer, we all find ourselves worrying at some point in our lives. Here are some things to remember when you find yourself worrying:
Gratefully I let go and let God be God as me…
Have a worry-free weekend…you can do it!
Chris
Chris Sopa is founder and owner of Chris Sopa International, Inc. You can learn more about her at www.ChrisSopa.com. Find her at Facebook.com/ChrisSopaInternational, Twitter @ChrisSopa, LinkedIn, and Google+.
Self-Love
~Jennifer Posada
I was recently asked by my friend Daylle Deanna Schwartz to contribute to an article she wrote on self-love. She asked me and several other experts what we did to love ourselves every day. Click on the link below to see what she had to say:
Self-love is a tricky thing. Why do we find it so easy to love someone else but so hard to love ourselves? Where did the whole mind-set of breaking ourselves down begin? Love is like your gas tank. I know it is not the most romantic analogy, but think of it this way. When your gas tank is full, your car can go miles and performs at its peak. When your car is on empty, it sputters, stalls out and then you are going nowhere. Love is the same way. You cannot give what you do not have. Loving yourself is the key to being the best person you can be for the others in your life who you also love so dearly. Don’t you want to give them all you can?
At this moment, if you realize that you are lacking a bit in the self-love category, here are a few suggestions to get you started:
The biggest gift you can give yourself is loving yourself. This not only benefits you, but everyone whose life you touch. ~Chris Sopa
Loving you,
Chris
Resources:
For more on self-love, visit Daylle Deanna Schwartz’s self-love movement at http://howdoiloveme.com/ .
Or Jennifer Posada at http://www.jenniferposada.com/.
Chris Sopa is founder and owner of Chris Sopa International, Inc. You can learn more about her at www.ChrisSopa.com. Find her at Facebook.com/ChrisSopaInternational, Twitter @ChrisSopa, LinkedIn, and Google+.
Choosing the Life You Were Born to LiveRecently, I had the honor of being a guest on Madison Morgan’s radio show, “Life in the Fast Lane,” which airs out of Sedona, AZ. Please enjoy this 45 minute live radio interview where we discuss my new book, “Choosing the Life You Were Born to Live.”
Note: From my website, click on the play arrow to listen or you can click here to be redirected to play.
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/75340252″ params=”” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
Enjoy!
Chris
Chris Sopa is founder and owner of Chris Sopa International, Inc. You can learn more about her at www.ChrisSopa.com. Find her at Facebook.com/ChrisSopaInternational, Twitter @ChrisSopa, LinkedIn, and Google+.
The Jonah Complex“More than any other kind of knowledge we fear knowledge of ourselves, knowledge that might transform our self-esteem and our self-image…While human beings love knowledge and seek it – they also fear it.”
~Abraham Maslow
Abraham Maslow was a brilliant psychologist who is most famous for the human hierarchy of needs he created, referred to as Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, or Maslow’s Pyramid. The foundation for this theory lies in the premise that humans are ultimately seeking self-actualization, or in other words, reaching our full potential. We must have our basic needs met, such as food, shelter, safety, being loved and having self-esteem before this can be accomplished.
For those who are unaware of the story of Jonah in the Bible, Jonah was asked by God to go to the city of Nineveh to warn the people there that if they did not change their ways, destruction would follow. Jonah, fearful of his destiny, chose to go to a city named Tarshish instead. On his way to Tarshish, God sent a storm after him which alerted the others on the ship that Jonah was a danger so they threw him overboard. Jonah was then swallowed by a whale and spent three days in the belly of that whale. Upon being spit out by the whale, Jonah went on to fulfill his destiny.
The Jonah Complex refers to the fear of our own greatness…the fear of success. We all have a destiny – a unique reason we were brought here to earth at this time that only we can fulfill. Reaching our potential is up to us. We must learn to look at life and ask questions such as, “What am I supposed to learn from this situation/person?” The storms in our life are not punishments by God. They are not karmic situations happening to balance the scale. They are signs from above telling us we are no longer on our path. How else can God get the attention of humans who have a hard time believing what they cannot see? My own illness 10 years ago was just that…a sign that I was not on my path. God does not wish harm upon us, we allow things in our lives to happen (some of which are pre-scripted) to give us yet another opportunity to learn something about ourselves.
You are the only one who can choose what path you walk. Watch your environment, look into your life and see if there is a pattern in the things that have happened to you and instead of asking, “Why did this happen to me?” ask “What is it that I am not seeing?” ”What do I need to learn to get back on my path…to get back to a state of joy?” Please show me the way.
Marianne Williamson states the Jonah Complex the best:
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us…and as we decide to let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
Forging ahead on my path,
Chris
“Choosing the Life You Were Born to Live: How Changing Your Thoughts Will Change Your Life” by Chris Sopa published by Balboa Press.
Chris Sopa is founder and owner of Chris Sopa International, Inc. You can learn more about her at www.ChrisSopa.com. Find her at Facebook.com/ChrisSopaInternational, Twitter @ChrisSopa, LinkedIn, and Google+.
F.A.T. = Focus“To believe in the things you can see and touch is no belief at all – but to believe in the unseen is a triumph and a blessing.”
~Abraham Lincoln
I had an amazing experience happen to me this week…I became a Grandma for the first time! Little Noah James came into the world on January 8th and what a sacred little soul he is! 2012 was a rough year for many and I think we all breathed a sigh of relief when the clock turned to 2013 hoping easier times were on the way. My little man came in at just the right time!
Throughout our lives, we see many things…some good and some not so good. We tend to believe that what we see is what is real. If we can touch it, taste it, hear it, and see it then that is our proof of its reality. During my life, the most amazing experiences I have had have been “surreal.” Synchronistic events that put me in the right place at the right time, a chance meeting with someone who seems to say just what you need to hear, smelling the scent of a loved one who has passed away making you wonder if they are near, and even the miraculous birth of child.
At this time, the most important job you have to do is focus on F.A.T. No, I don’t mean the excess adipose tissue around your belly and behind. I mean Feelings, Attention and Thoughts. Just like the fat on your body keeps you warm, protects your organs and a certain amount of it is necessary for a healthy body, so follows that your feelings, thoughts and attention keep you warm, safe and spiritually healthy.
Your feelings are the physical manifestation of guidance from above. We all have different beliefs about God and what is beyond this world we live in, but regardless of your beliefs, one thing we all have in common is that we all have feelings. There are really only two feelings…good and bad. The formula is simple. Once you learn to listen to your feelings, you will know that anytime you feel good, you are moving in the right direction. If you are feeling bad, you are off of your path. Pause and either wait if you are not sure what to do or make a different choice.
Where we focus our attention is the exact thing that magnetizes people, places, things and situations into our lives. Focus on the things that you want…focus on your dreams. Stop beating the drum of “what is” and beat the drum of “what is possible.”
Your thoughts are in your control whether you believe that or not. Focus on the thoughts that make you feel good. Your thoughts are connected to your attention and where your attention is dictates how you feel. Your brain does not work in a vacuum. If you have a not so good thought, don’t just ignore it, replace it with one that is in alignment with where you want to go and what you want in your life. Replace it with a thought that makes you feel better.
I challenge you to focus on F.A.T. and watch how your life begins to transform before your eyes. Believe in what you cannot see. What if there is a world just beyond ours where we can manifest what we want instantly, feel good all of the time and have a life of abundance, unconditional love and joy? That world exists…you just haven’t created it yet.
“Granny” Chris
“Choosing the Life You Were Born to Live: How Changing Your Thoughts Will Change Your Life” by Chris Sopa published by Balboa Press.
Chris Sopa is founder and owner of Chris Sopa International, Inc. You can learn more about her at www.ChrisSopa.com. Find her at Facebook.com/ChrisSopaInternational, Twitter @ChrisSopa, LinkedIn, and Google+.
Just Think…You are not here by chance,
but by God’s choosing.
His hand formed you and made you
the person that you are.
He compares you to no one else –
You are one of a kind.
You lack nothing that His grace cannot give you.
He has allowed you to be here
at this time in history to fulfill His
special purpose for this generation.
~Roy Lessin, DaySpring Products
Make it a great week filled with purpose,
Chris
“Choosing the Life You Were Born to Live: How Changing Your Thoughts Will Change Your Life” by Chris Sopa published by Balboa Press.
Chris Sopa is founder and owner of Chris Sopa International, Inc. You can learn more about her at www.ChrisSopa.com. Find her at Facebook.com/ChrisSopaInternational, Twitter @ChrisSopa, LinkedIn, and Google+.
FrictionIlya Prigogine, a Nobel Prize winning physicist, has a theory called “dissipative structures.” This theory states that friction is a fundamental property of nature and that nothing grows without it…not a mountain, pearl or person. Prigogine states that the key to growth is fragility, or the capacity for being “shaken up.” Now let’s pause for a minute and I want you to ask yourself this question…Has there ever been a time in your life when you have experienced growth where you did not experience some kind of “shaking up?” If you think hard (don’t hurt yourself) the answer is probably no.
“Any structure, whether at the molecular, chemical, physical, social or psychological level, that is insulated from disturbance is also protected from change. It becomes stagnant. Anything that is true to life will not be unshakable.“ ~Ilya Prigogine
As our world, our nation and our personal lives experience chaos and turmoil, remember that in order for that thing or person to change they must experience “friction” of one kind or another. They must be shooken up! It doesn’t matter if it is the economy, politics, gas prices, gun control or a person…a “shaking up” is necessary for growth to take place.
Allow your life to unfold in the perfection that it is with no judgments of how it should be. Have no expectations. Drop your definitions of good and bad, right and wrong, black and white, want and need. Look into your life and see the beauty of how it unfolds.
I always say that when my life gets “shook up” it is only because the finger of God is coming down to stir my life up a bit. How do I know? Because even I can’t screw things up THAT bad! God’s hand comes in many sizes, shapes and colors. Sometimes he allows us to make choices that “rock the boat” of our lives so we can fall over board, get back up, take a deep breath and start again.
Shakin’ my booty,
Chris
“Choosing the Life You Were Born to Live: How Changing Your Thoughts Will Change Your Life” by Chris Sopa published by Balboa Press.
Click here to purchase your copy!
Chris Sopa is founder and owner of Chris Sopa International, Inc. You can learn more about her at www.ChrisSopa.com. Find her at Facebook.com/ChrisSopaInternational, Twitter @ChrisSopa, LinkedIn, and Google+.
