Author: Kimberly Kingsley

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Will Power

Being spiritually oriented, I used to have a problem with the whole idea of will power. It felt like muscling through something rather than gracefully moving toward a goal. Now that I understand the energy centers in the body, I know what it means to have will power and why it’s so important.

The energy center of will is located in your solar plexus, which is around your abdomen. The chakra below that is the creative/procreative energy center, which is driven by desire. The creative center is impulsive – like a wild animal. It wants to experience pleasure of all kind and RIGHT NOW. Because we live in an immediate gratification society, many of us give in to our desires at the expense of our overall well being. For example, having the goal to save money, but then stumbling upon a great pair of shoes that you can’t live without. Or, wanting to lose weight only to give into the temptation as you walk by a plate of pastries at work.

Your will is strengthened each time you don’t give in to the impulsive, self-defeating desires of your second chakra. Every time you say “No” to the untamed animal in side you, the energy in your body is able to rise up toward your abdomen where it accumulates and becomes power. Hence the term, will power.

Giving in to the impulses of your pleasure center (sacral chakra), causes the energy that’s meant to fill you up from the inside and nourish you, to prematurely release in favor of immediate gratification. So the insane game goes like this: Energy rises within your body to fill you up prior to extending into the world as your light, but the thrill of some impulsive behavior tricks you into thinking you’ll get immediate energy if you go for it. Giving into whatever impulse is in front of you releases the energy that’s meant to fill you up, before it even makes it to your solar plexus. You may get a short thrill from feeding the impulse monster, but you lose vital energy which leaves you more powerless to make the right choice next time.

Expect the first couple of times you say no to your impulsive self to be difficult. The knowledge of how it all works does not take away cravings. Success does however, and it doesn’t take much success to fill you with the power you need to make good choices effortlessly. One final piece of inspiration: Once enough energy collects in your solar plexus it can begin to rise up to your heart, which is when the real fun begins!

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Be that person…

Every now and then I see someone who inspires me toward the best version of myself. One day in college I remember seeing a young woman walking down the street as I drove by the campus. I can’t recall what she looked like, but I can tell you that she emanated inner peace. During that time I had more inner conflict than peace, and the impact that she had on me was astounding. In just 20 seconds – the amount of time it took to drive by – I knew she had something that I needed.

It happened again today. Earlier I had an interaction with someone that knocked the wind out of me. You know the kind that hits so hard that it takes a long time to get your breath back? Well, it was that and more. If there’s such thing as past lives (and I’m pretty sure that’s the case:) then today’s incident reached back many lifetimes to expose a very old wound.

I was so flooded with emotion that I wasn’t being productive at anything, so I went for a long walk. I decided to go by my favorite house – you may remember me describing it in a prior blog – smooth, white stucco with a water fountain in the front yard, amidst dark stones covered in red wild flowers… It just so happens that the owner was working in her garage. She, like her house, emanated creativity, divine order and health. Without my even saying hello (she was busy), I walked by and caught a big big dose of her balanced energy. So much so that I came home, cleaned my house and did some other things in order to regain my balance.

I share this as a reminder that energy is contagious and you never know who your presence is going to inspire. There is now research showing that we catch happiness from others – even more so than frustration or anger. And I’d be willing to bet that the same is true for inner peace, joy and the other positive emotions. For me, this is just one more reason for impeccable self care. If there is any cell in your body that believes loving yourself is selfish, let it be known that we affect others by our presence alone.

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Portals of Peace

For some time I’ve been working on a book called, Portals of Peace: Healing the World One Person at a Time. The book was inspired by an image that came to me of one person after another opening up from the inside, light streaming from them into the world.

What has become increasingly clear over the past several years is that the majority of us – good people, loving people, religious and non-religious – have divided psyches due to continuously suppressing emotions and aspects of ourselves that we don’t like. This inner division is projected onto the world as outer division and conflict.

As we claim and integrate our suppressed selves, we can’t help but channel light – it naturally flows forth from a clear vessel. The beauty is that inner peace precedes world peace, so it truly is a win/win.

I know that those of you following this blog (200-300 views a week) are committed to being a light in the world, so I wanted to share what’s coming. There’s some momentum toward integration right now and each one of us who courageously reclaims that which is buried within dramatically affects the healing of the collective psyche. It is this – a healed collective psyche – that translates into a more peaceful world.
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Show Your Spots

Yesterday I was on a business owners teleconference and one of the coaches, Molly Luffy, was talking about authenticity as it relates to success. She said, “Flaunt your quirks!” I had to laugh out loud, because I’m in total agreement. If you read The Energy Cure, you’ll remember the part about how we are all quirky when really being ourselves.

In this culture of over-socialization and over-homogenization, there’s a lot of pressure to fit into a certain mold. Trying to be like others is such a trap! What is ideal really? One of my favorite people in the whole world has a nice, round booty (you know who you are girl). She likes to sing the song, “baby got back,” and where clothing that accentuates this lovely feature. Because of this, she’s hot!

As spirit flows through your body it produces a completely unique and un-replicable essence. It is impossible to reject a part of oneself without diluting your essence. I’m still working on embracing my quirks – my over-analyzing mind, roundish hips, and the tendency to do whatever I want – but the better I get at celebrating my quirkiness, the more spirited I become.

I encourage you to look for people in your life who flaunt their quirks – let’s make them our role models. And once you find them, flaunt your own!

By the way, I’d love to hear what you’re quirks are and celebrate them with you:)

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Shine Like the Sun

I’m not big on resolutions. As a self help enthusiast, personal development happens year round. Reflecting on the year that’s ending is always good however, as it provides continuity and inspiration to create an overall vision for the upcoming year.

This year – 2009 – my vision is to shine like the sun. To get a feel for what I’m talking about, picture the sun emanating from your core with the rays burning off anything in their way. This is a powerful meditation as well.

What I’ve noticed is that most of us shine like the sun when the conditions are perfect, but when something happens that we don’t like, we pull our rays back. What if we were to shine brightly even during a fight with a loved one, or while broke and uncertain of our future?

I’ve also become aware that the rays become blocked when trying to get something from another – attention, approval, etc. It is impossible to shine brightly and be needy at the same time. For who needs an other’s light when you have your own?

My intention for all of us this coming year is to shine brightly regardless of the weather. Here’s how:

1. Visualize the sun shining brightly from your core.

2. Notice if the rays are blocked in any area – perhaps there’s a block around your heart or a part of your body you have previously rejected.

3. Allow the sun to shine through your blocks.

4. Notice the situations that cause you to pull your rays back, then take a deep breath and allow yourself to shine again regardless of the circumstances.

5. Don’t be surprised when people start calling you Sunshine:)

Happy New Year!

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Hustle and Bustle

The holidays are here – a sacred time to enjoy each other and the magic of rebirth. But many of us are rushing around getting our shopping done and attending parties, only half aware of the magic around us. The word that keeps coming to me is “priority.”

When we consciously remember what’s important, it’s easier to let go of the stuff that’s not. What’s important to you this holiday season? Is it the spiritual significance of rebirth? Is it celebrating traditions that have been in your family for generations? Is it being with loved ones and en-joy-ing them?

Whatever your priorities are, I encourage you to take a moment and remember them and put them at the top of your list. Chances are there are some things at the top that shouldn’t be there.

I for one am going to slow myself down internally. I’ll still do many things, but I’m going to make sure there is enough space in between to allow my spirit to fill me up from the inside. This way, when I’m with others or celebrating the sacredness of this time of year, I will be full, present and engaged.

Here’s hoping you enjoy all the fun and love that the holidays bring!
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My Spring

I’ve written before about seasons in one’s life. Not only are there seasons of fall (change), winter (death), spring (rebirth) and summer (abundant life), but there are longer seasons, such as seven year cycles.

I just completed a seven year relationship cycle. It has been seven years since my marriage ended. Prior to that was seven years of marriage. I have been aware that another seven year period was coming to a close and felt the ending of another phase in my life. Strangely enough outer circumstances have shifted as well, pointing to an end of an era.

The irony is that I’ve been trying to get on the computer all morning to write this blog entry, but my Internet connection was down. I little while ago I called Cox and they walked me through a few things, none of which were successful. Finally the guy helping me said, “let’s try something else.” He had me go to my Internet “Tools” and clear out my browser history. When I tried to get on the Internet after that, it worked. I immediately went to my browser to select “Blogger.com” from the drop down window. Nothing came up. All had been cleared out, like the last seven years of my life.

The organic nature of change is baffling. It’s as if everything is on its own time, and despite our best efforts, life moves at its own pace. Change is always bittersweet, but a clear past and open future feels good to me. This is my Spring.

God Bless.
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Living Like Dogs

Have you ever noticed that dogs are always happy? To illustrate this point, allow me to describe a typical scenario with my dog Mucci (Pronounced like Gucci). Sitting on my living room floor, he looks up at me with big, relaxed eyes. A noise interrupts his focus. He raises his head, adjusts his ears and waits for more information. Just then my daughter walks through the door. Excited beyond containment, Mucci runs to her, wagging his tail faster than the speed of light, giving her an eager and warm welcome.

This same scene happens every day without fail. There’s no rolling of the eyes, grumbling beneath his breath, or thoughts of being imposed upon or interrupted (not that I can tell anyway). Rather, he responds with focused, positive attention. Dogs are always inspired – energized enough to share their enthusiasm with others. This is not to say that they are manic, in fact, for the most part, my dog is quite chill.

Here’s my point… We are only grumpy when our energy is low. Have you ever been grumpy when you felt rested and balanced? It just doesn’t happen. The moral of the story is not to sleep all day like dogs and then wag your tail at the first sight of someone you love, but to do the simple things that balance your energy. This is different for everyone. One person might enjoy taking some time to be alone, while another might find it energizing to call a friend and chat for a while. Whatever it is that works for you, let’s all try to be more like dogs. As my favorite bumper sticker proclaims: “Wag more, bark less.”

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Just More Frosting…

Like most people, I have a practical side and a frivolous side. While I enjoy beautiful things and have a wonderful, abundant life, I find a lot of stuff over the top.

I was at a birthday party with my daughter over the weekend. The girls were making pottery while the moms chatted about Thanksgiving and other mom stuff. The conversation came around to purses, as one of the women showed us her new designer bag. She told us to “run, not walk” to Saks for the current sale. When asked about the price of her bag, she said, “Well, it’s less than a Chanel.”

A deep belly laugh forced it’s way out of my body as I heard that statement. I’m not sure why and I’m hoping it wasn’t rude, because I thought the woman was really nice. But the idea of paying thousands of dollars for a purse struck me as funny.

Upon reflecting on the whole scenario and the insane amount of money that oozes from the area that I live, I was given the intuitive insight that anything beyond being comfortable is like piles of icing on a cake. Not the first layer that makes it yummy, but ribbons of frosting on top of flowers and such. Truth is, too much of it can make you sick.

In a society that leans toward putting money above God, I thought the image of cake frosting was worth sharing. And while I have many nice things and lots more to come, I will always prefer one smooth layer of frosting on top of my cake.