Year Nine

In numerology, each year carries the vibration of a specific number, ranging from one to nine. This means that one cycle consist of nine years, and towards the end of a cycle, we enter a new period. For the year of 2016, when you add up the numbers (2+1+6), you get the vibration of nine. Therefore, whatever happened this year, consisted of finalizing the old chapter, and getting a new chapter ready for the year of 2017. If you felt apprehensive and/or noticed that things were shifting drastically, then you know why.

For many individuals, the shift happened at the very beginning of the year, and for others, the shift will be happening (very drastically) during November and December. Some people may have had their chapter's ending in the beginning of the year, and spent the rest of the year preparing for a new beginning. When I state shift, I mean major life event occurrences such as marriage, new business opportunities/growth, ending of old relationships/divorce, conclusion of a large project, moving to a new country or city, beginning a long-term relationship/marriage, finding a new employment place, moving to a new house/apartment, and etc...

The year nine will make you tie up loose ends and close the door to the past completely. It has been heavy transformational year for many which may have caused us to question our old belief systems and re-visit the past. All the memories that you've been shoving under the table come forth for healing, and all the achievements (small or large) that you've had want your recognition. There may have been times where you were dealing with the past, present, and future all at once (think in one day or week). You might have learnt some important, painful lessons as well, because the vibration of nine is making sure that you won't repeat your mistakes in the next cycle. You may have realized or received the courage to achieve some big dreams in the next cycle. 

Spiritually speaking, nine is also an awakening of consciousness and realization of your true purpose. All the light workers and humanitarians are being called to take action in the new cycle, and any remnants of karma and ego are being cleared off completely. After these two months, we will be entering the vibration of one with all the wisdom that we acquired along with a fresh perspective on life. Move through November and December gracefully and know that all the pieces are being put together for you. In other words, think of it as the season finale of your show. Don't be disheartened, because the upcoming season is going to be much more epic than the last one. 

Change your Narrative, Change your Life

The world is filled with numerable narratives located within our environments, histories, books, internet, dialogues, and last but not least, our minds. Our lives are dictated by our internal monologues, assisting us in helping us make decisions and choices that lead us to different outcomes. A simple technique that allows us to change our lives (for the better) is called narrative therapy. Narrative therapy permits us to reframe our stories and aids us in developing feelings of empowerment with a greater sense of self-compassion. In the following, I will provide to you the DIY method that will assist you to reframe your story. 

The Process  

You can do this with a trusted friend, family member or in front of the mirror. Recite your whole story as you normally would. You may include specific details such as time, dates, environment descriptions and/or any other aspects that you feel is important to your story. As you narrate it, be aware of the emotions that you are projecting. When you are done narrating your story, consider how it makes you feel. 

Did you feel sad, stressed out, fearful and/or powerless? Did you feel happy, blessed, lucky and/or empowered? Write down these emotions and/or talk about it to your close friend/family member. Anything else that strikes you, feel free to write it down. 

What's your role in the story?

In our stories, we always play a certain role: martyr, victim, hero/heroine, failure, winner, rebel, and etc...In the story that you narrated, take note of what role(s) that you were playing and note them down. It is possible that in multiple segments of your life, you may have played different roles. You may organize it by categorizing each segment with a role. For example, ages 7-10: rebel, ages 15-19: failure and ages 30-40: victim.  

The Ending

Towards the end of every story, there's an outcome or a brief statement summarizing the narrative. 

Here are two examples:

  1. "Yes, I felt terrible in the process and like nobody cared, but I was able to overcome ___. Now, I feel like I can follow my purpose."

  2. "Yes, I felt terrible in the process, and every day, I feel even more terrible. I feel that even after going through all of that, no one wants to support me. I wake up thinking, why me?" 

Both endings depict different roles. The first example may show someone who played the role of a victim and ended up becoming a hero. The second may show someone who feels like a victim or martyr and continues to project him/herself as one. 

I Don't Like My Story and/or My Ending 

No problem, create an alternative story. This time, repeat your story by focusing on the positive aspects, and reframe negative situations by focusing on your strengths and abilities that allowed you to overcome them. You may do this by yourself or with the assistance of someone close. In this stage, you are externalizing the issues and stepping out of your story. This allows you to see your story for what it is; instead of allowing yourself to identify with your previous story.  

At this stage, you may feel emotionally drained or stressed out. Allow yourself to take a deep breath. If you are having any form of anxiety, panic or revisiting traumatic experiences, then it would be best to reach out to a therapist. A therapist would provide to you a safe space to contain and process your emotions and memories. 

Conclusion 

Our narratives become our way of viewing the world. The more we identify with certain roles, the more we become those roles. When we are so engraved in our story, it may become challenging to change ourselves. We end up looping the same movie over and over again in our heads. We have the freedom and power to change our stories. We just have to be ready to hear them.  

After all, Socrates said:

The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new. 

Meditation Stages

Many of us fear the idea of meditation, while others seek to find ways to learn it. We all know that it requires time, and of course, the ability to become comfortable with ourselves. When I talk about ourselves, I am emphasizing the notion of who we truly are, and not who our mind perceives us to be. Our mind has the capability to create an illusion of who we are and this is the biggest barrier that we must overcome. In the following, I will explain the stages of meditation and how it's possible fight the fear around it. 

Planting the Seed (Stage 1)

In the very early stages, you will feel inclined or curious to learn about meditation. Perhaps, a friend or therapist mentioned it. You will begin to look for ways to learn how to meditate through the Internet, books, and/or possibly attend several meditation meetings. You may give up and say that you don't understand it, there is too much on your plate, and/or you are not fit or patient enough to meditate. Here is the catch: your mind is the one giving you these reasons. 

Wait, what?? Why the heck would I do that to myself?

Well, when you finally get meditation, your mind will have to surrender a.k.a. shut up once and for all. That's basically like asking a dictator to come down his throne and give away his power. Why would your mind allow that to happen? Be aware of all the excuses your mind gives you. 

Sitting with Yourself (Stage 2)

Cool, you got past stage one. Guess what? It doesn't get better. 

Your mind is going to keep sending you thoughts as you try to meditate. The chatter is going to be so useless and loud that you may have a difficult concentrating on your breath. Possibly the longest you can go without listening to your mind's chatter is a minute or maybe thirty seconds (let's be realistic). What do you do? How do you keep going?

Buddy, you just keep going. 

How can I keep going? I'm frustrated and I even bought a pillow to meditate on. 

Then, you have to get your ROI for the pillow you purchased. ;-) 

Jokes apart, what happened to me is that I got very tired of my mind's chatter. It was making me anxious and stressed out for no reason. What you need to do is to find a reason to silence your mind. When you become tired of the master (the mind), only then will you be able to rebel (silence it). 

When you find a reason, you can start with thirty seconds of silence, then everyday, add thirty more seconds of silence to it. After a while, you will be able to meditate for an hour or so. 

Shikha, Sitting with Myself Got Weird (Stage 3) 

Dude, it's normal that it gets weird. You have to become friends with yourself all over again.

Strange memories are going to come forward as you sit on your pillow. Emotions might come to hang out with you as well. You might need to mourn your break up from seven years ago or you might see yourself as a child running through the playground. Whatever it is, meditation (after stages 1 and 2) is all about healing especially at the beginning.

Human beings carry a lot of baggage within them and they hide it in the closets of their mind. This causes them to disassociate from their memories. Meditation forces you to see yourself for who you truly are.

Conclusion 

Many people are afraid to sit with themselves, because they fear who they are. I couldn't meditate for years, because I thought it was so pointless and I had a certain amount of self-loathing established. Finally, I surrendered and said that i would do anything to feel better, because I was fed up. I needed to be happy. I learnt that when the mind takes control, it creates unnecessary stress and anxiety. The only way to regain control of the mind is to silence it, and that is what meditation is all about. 

  

5 Life Lessons I Learned

1) Acceptance

It's important to be aware that we cannot control situations and people to be the way we want it to be. This is why we must learn to accept situations and people for what and who they are. At the end, we can only control our actions and responses. 

2) As cheesy as this may sound, do everything with love

If you love what you do, then every aspect of your life will depict this. By working from a sense of compassion and love, people will be drawn to your positive energy and your world will be filled with small and large forms of inspiration. 

3) Your internal world is reflected in your outer world

What do you see? Chaos? Fear? Joy? Bliss? 

If you don't like what you see, then it's time to polish your internal mirror. It's time to let go of thoughts that are wearing you down or making you feel fearful. Dig deeper within you to understand how you can heal. Be watchful of your self-talk, because it manifests experiences in your outer world (your environment). 

4) Choose to be happy 

Yes, happiness is a choice. Everyday, you have the option to follow this route. When you consciously make this choice, it will become much easier to manifest what you seek and to have experiences that you truly want to have. You need to feel good to attract better things in your life. Feeling good does not necessarily come from your external world, accomplishments or material purchases. It comes from being authentic, doing what you love, pursuing your life purpose, and aspiring to improve your well-being. 

5) Speak only the truth

When you're honest with yourself and towards others, your heart becomes clear of worry, stress and fear. Always fight for the truth, this will keep your spirit free. 

 

Risk Takers and Our Society

How many people have told you that you need to take risks to make changes in your life? 

How many people have told you that the most successful people took risks to become great leaders? 

How many people have put these risk-takers on pedestals, hoping that they could (one day) break-free from the reigns of habit? 

However, what happens when you want to take a risk?

The same people will shiver and give you reasons why it's not OK to pursue that risk. The same people will slowly back away from you. The same people will pretend that they do not know you. 

When I speak of risk, I'm not talking about gambling your money or endorsing an addictive lifestyle. I'm talking about making positive changes to your life, such as starting your business, changing your career path, moving to a new country/city, putting your mind/heart/soul out there, and/or restarting your life all over. These major changes are all risks. 

Our society is fear-based, and it's ironic, because it's envious of those who take risks. Risk takers seek freedom from the constraints that our society has built to keep us safe from harm. Our society loves creating business cases and presenting them in classes as inspirational information. However, the minute you are out of school, society is going to try to force you back into safety. 

Hey baby, be safe and get a safe job where you can work safely as long as the work gets done on time. Ok? Love you forever. Stay safe my baby. -Society

Eventually, you may realize that you want much more from life. Much more than what is being offered to you. However, the minute you decide to break the news, you might hear a speech that sounds like this:

Excuse me? Baby, we are not supporting you in this decision. You are on your own. How exactly do you think you will take this risk? Do you have a plan at stake? We are here, trying to make safe changes, and you are trying to disrupt our safe environment! We can guarantee you that you are going to fail, and when you do, then don't come back crying to us. We don't love you that much anymore. -Society

What's going to happen when you take a risk?

At first, you might regret it very much. You might hate yourself for getting out of your comfort zone. Remember that this is a matter of perspective. You will have to remind yourself that you have a purpose, and that to reach the peak, the climb will be slow and painful but consistent. You need to take risks (may it be small or large) to attain your dreams. 

Who will support you?

Maybe your parents, a few friends or no one. Whatever it is, it's going to make you a very resilient person from the very beginning. Eventually, your close friends will catch up to you and support you in every way they can. The ones who doubted you may come back and want to be part of the movement as well. One aspect that you will remember is who was there from the very beginning. 

I want to take a large risk, but I don't think that I have the personality for it. 

Start by taking small risks, such as meeting different types of people, trying new cuisines, attaining smaller yet atypical goals, going to unusual events, reaching out to people you usually don't, taking a class that you never thought you would and etc.... The options are endless, but start small. This will help you gain confidence and inner-strength. Basically, take baby steps to get out of your comfort zone. Sometimes it takes people years and years to get where they want to be. However, the key is persistence and to never give up in what you believe in.