The best way to take care of your heart Dear One, to strengthen it, and protect it, is to open it, trust it, and use it, as often as you possibly can.

Closing it off, shutting it down, or trying to shelter it from unwanted feelings will only serve to weaken it in the end, cutting you off from your source, leaving you far more vulnerable to hurt, deception, and negativity, than you would be otherwise.

So the next time you are in a situation where you feel like your heart needs protecting, remember, there is only one thing that you need to do; open it wider.

Release your expectations of them Dear One.

Let them follow their bliss, and you follow yours.

Your happiness is not at all dependent on what they choose to do next.

It is solely and completely dependent on what you choose to do next.

And you can choose to say, think, or do anything that you would like.

What more could you possibly want from the moment Dear One, from them, from yourself or from the universe, then the freedom to choose?

And that you’ve got.

So, are you ready to let them off the hook and start choosing for yourself?

When the choices you are committed to don’t seem to be leading you towards a better feeling state Dear One, it may time for you start thinking about making different ones.

People make mistakes Dear One (yourself included).  It happens.

Berating them for it, making them feel badly about it, attempting to scold or punish them for it, is not going to help, fix, or undo it,  is not going serve anyone or anything in any positive way.

Bitching, complaining, ranting, raving, and acting out, while it may feel good and appropriate in the moment, will not help them or you to turn things around, or improve the situation at all. But, focusing your attention and energy on the desired outcome, on identifying a solution, on making things better, on how to improve things from here,  will.

Childhood is over Dear One. You are no longer a little person living within an environment that you have seemingly no control over. You are an adult and whether you believe it or not, you are able to make decisions for yourself.

When faced with a trial that requires you to face your past, remember that whatever it is, it is no longer your currently reality. You don’t have to bring it back into the present moment with you if you choose not to. Others might approach you on the subject with energy, impressions or patters that used to exist back then. It may still be their reality.  That doesn’t mean that it has to continue to be yours.  Remember, at those moments, that you can choose not to dive right back into old patterns with them. You can choose to stay right where you are, in the present moment and deal with the situation from where you now stand. Just because they are choosing to engage in old patterns, does not mean that you have to join them in this practice.

When facing the past Dear One, anchor yourself in the present first, for that is the only place from where you can impact change.   KNOW that what you have learned and accomplished for yourself since that time, no one can take away from you, ever.

In the present, you get to decide what your past means to you. You can assign a lot of meaning to it or no meaning at all. That is completely up to you and only you.

When your behaviors are no longer serving you Dear One, when they stop yielding the desired results, when your actions are no longer in alignment with your thoughts, feelings,
and desires – don’t start doubting yourself, your choices, your abilities, or your judgment. Don’t get angry, frustrated, or hopeless.  Don’t start looking for something or someone to blame.

Instead, try remembering that life is constantly changing, and so are you.

If the beliefs, routines, rituals, patterns and behaviors that brought you comfort, security, health, relief and joy yesterday, do not do so today – it may simply be time to change them.

They will follow your lead Dear One.

They will take their direction from you.

They will treat you the way that they see you treating you.

Just one more reason for you to treat yourself well.

Just one more reason for you to treat yourself with love, kindness, forgiveness, flexibility, generosity, honesty, compassion and respect.

Taking care of yourself Dear One; caring for your physical, emotional, and energetic body, allowing yourself to experience joy, to feel good, to be happy, healthy, and at ease, maintaining your connection to source, well-being, spirit, light, God, whatever you choose to call it, is one of the most powerful acts of self-care that there is.

And anything that you do, say, create, engage in, or give your attention to that does not honor, maintain, or strengthen that connection, in our eyes, in an act of self-neglect.

You are meant to know more today than you did yesterday Dear One.   Don’t punish yourself for that which you did not know before – praise yourself for that which you do know now.

And remember that this holds true for those around you as well.  They too are in the process of learning.  They too will know more tomorrow than they do today.  While you are practicing acceptance and forgiveness of yourself as you learn Dear One, remember to practice it for those around you as well.

Don’t fault each other for that which you have not yet learned– Help each other to learn all that you can.

Unfortunately Dear One, avoidance is not going to help you to relieve your anxiety.

Neither is confrontation, bravery, denial, will-power, brute strength, comradery, or perseverance.

The only thing that is going to do it, that is going to bring you relief for any sustainable length of time is trust, is learning how to trust yourself again.

And how, you might ask, are you suppose to do that?

The same way that you learn how to do anything else.

You practice.