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Next Kindred Spirit Network Meeting!
Following the last meeting in November, a number of people have asked when the next evening meeting will take place.
I have provisionally set the date for
WEDNESDAY 27TH JANUARY 2010
Further details will be provided in the next newsletter but pencil it into your diary if you'd like to come along for more inspirational chat and discussions!
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Newsletter Archive!
Click the logo below to take you to the archive page where you can find all the previous newsletters - now with full details of each article included!
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Greetings!
The end of 2009 is just round the corner and many people are feeling that this year has been one of the toughest for them and their families. And for many it has. Some have lost their jobs, some have lost their businesses and some have lost loved ones. Some have maybe lost everything that they held dear to them.
So is the end of the year a time to reflect on hardships and difficulties? Or is the end of the year a time to look back to the achievements of 2009 and to look forward to another year of opportunity? I guess it's your choice but before you do reach the end of 2009, there is the Christmas period to enjoy (or endure - depending on your state of mind at the time!) and I feel that this Christmas will be more poignant than most that I can recall. So why is Christmas more meaningful for many people this year?
Christmas is a time of gratitude. Its a time when we think of others less fortunate than us. Its a time when love surfaces as the most important factor in our lives. And 2009 has been a year when many of us have seen our lifestyles change quite dramatically and financial hardships experienced that some of us have never known. We have watched as the world has struggled with recession, wars, poverty and greed. And many of us have realised that something has to change in the world to help us rediscover what we knew all along - that wealth isn't measured in pounds, dollars or euros, or in wars won and enemies defeated, or in the size of our houses, cars or bank balances. Our wealth is in the strength of our families, in the strength of our friendships and in the strength of our beliefs and faith. And the basis of all of these strengths is love. The more love we give and receive, the more wealthy we become.
So as Christmas approaches and we plan to spend time with our loved ones and in quiet reflection, my wish for you is that despite all the trials and tests that 2009 may have placed upon you, that you look into the eyes of your loved ones or to the memories of times shared and simply say "I am blessed. All that I need is within me and around me and I'm grateful for what I have."
And in that peaceful moment, you'll know that within the tests that 2009 has sent you is a strength that will help you grow in 2010. And that the losses you may have experienced are simply an opportunity to recognise the riches that you still possess.
Thankyou for reading the Kindred Spirit Network newsletter in 2009 and for all the support I have received this year. I am humbled by the support and love of people that have only recently entered my life and I hope that this newsletter has in some small way, played it's part in maintaining your spirit in 2009.
I wish you and your families a wonderful Christmas. But my dearest hope for you as you end this year and enter the next, is that you recognise that you do indeed have a "wonderful life" and to do everything in your power to enjoy it.
In love and life,
Paul
x x
P.S. Next issue will be the first weekend of 2010!
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The Torch
"I'm going for a run" said
Jenny.
Terry looked at Jenny in
horror. "But it's pitch black
Jenny! If you run through the park,
you'll fall over and hurt yourself"
Jenny smiled back at Terry
and produced a head lamp from behind her back.
"But I've got this" she said as she pulled the strap around her head.
"That's ridiculous" said
Terry. "That's just going to give you
enough light to see 2 feet in front of you.
You'll have no idea what's ahead".
Jenny knew he was right and
that her head torch would only light her path a few feet ahead. "But I know where I'm going" she said. "The path leads all through the park to the
other side so as long as I follow the path, I'll be quite safe. I only need to see the few feet in front of
me and the path will take me the rest of the way".
Terry looked at Jenny and she
smiled warmly at him. "It'll be OK Terry
- my head lamp will show me the way - even if it is just a few feet at a
time...."
*******
Life is a journey that we
take a few steps at a time.
We all have a path to follow
which we need to discover and believe will take us to where we need to get
to. But we only need to see the next few
steps in front of us to follow the path.
Jenny knew that the path took
her to the other side of the park. She
knew her destination. And even though
it was dark and she couldn't see every step of her way along the path, she knew
that if she just took a few steps at a time, she would eventually reach the
other side.
We all have our own in-built
head torches. It's called our intuition
which helps us make decisions and knows which are the right steps for us to
take. We can choose to take the guidance
offered by our intuitive head torch or we can ignore it. But we ignore the guidance at our peril as
beyond the path that is destined for us lies doubt, worry, unease and a lack of
fulfilment.
And from time to time, our
torch may go out. Our batteries run flat
and we need a re-charge. This can come
through quiet reflective moments, from reading a book, attending a meeting, being amongst nature or
just spending time with good friends.
This re-charges us and helps us light up our path once more.
But there are times when we
need the head torch of another to show us the way. Ours has dimmed so much that we simply can't
re-charge. At these times, others may
use their torches to show us back onto our path. Or they may fill our souls with the energy we
need to re-charge our batteries.
But in each case and at all
times, whenever we look down the pathway of our lives, we simply need to see
the next few feet in front of us and take the steps, trusting that we are on
the right path. The universe knows our
path and can see our destination clearly. Our journey in life is to travel the
path not always seeing where it will end up but trusting in our hearts that the
universe and those around us will always be there to help us find our way. Just like Jenny...
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Stepping Stones
They walked towards the river which rushed past in torrents
of raging foam and spray.
"There is no way across" shouted Mike over the sound of the
water crashing against the boulders that were scattered along the river bed.
"We'll have to walk alongside the river a bit further and see if there is a
safer place to cross".
Sharon was standing staring at the river as if transfixed by its beauty. "Come on Sharon" shouted Mike, "you'll get
left behind". Sharon didn't move but
continued to stare at the river and its swirling currents. The group was beginning to move away and Mike
called to her again. "Sharon, come with
us, we need to move quickly to find another place to cross".
Sharon looked up and towards Mike. "But we can cross here" he shouted towards
the group. "There are stones we can use as stepping stones to help us cross".
Mike returned to Sharon and looked across towards where she
was pointing. "There," said Sharon. "And there, there and there. Some of the stepping stones are just below
the water so we might get a little wet but if we cross here, we'll get across
sooner and be home before it's dark".
The group returned to where Sharon was standing and slowly
and carefully, Sharon lead the group across the river using the stepping stones
that she had found. And they crossed
safely and were quickly on their way.
******
Sometimes in life, we are so eager to overcome challenges we face as easily as possible, that we actually spend our time constantly searching for the "perfect" solution before we tackle the task. We put off crossing the river of our problems in the belief that if we wait to find the best way to cross, we'll get ahead more quickly. In fact, we can spend so much time walking alongside our problems in the search for the perfect solution that we never get to cross our river at all.
Sharon spent more time looking at the river than Mike. She looked deeper into the problem and could see a solution that may not have been perfect and may have involved a little dampness to the feet, but it was worth the mild discomfort to get across and genuinely get home quicker.
And within our challenges, we will always find a solution that will overcome them. But it is often not the most obvious solution. And we need to slow down long enough to look more deeply and ask ourselves it we are prepared for a little discomfort to reach our goal.
The easy crossing is often the way that remains out of reach and beyond us. And that's because the easy crossing contains fewer lessons for us. We have to overcome our challenges in a way that requires effort, commitment, faith and belief.
So next time you are faced with a challenge that seems difficult to overcome, look more deeply into the problem. Don't rush past it hoping that the easy way to overcome it is further down your river of life. The stepping stones may already be in front of you, just below the surface where they are waiting to be found. And in the searching comes greater knowledge and fulfillment - even if you do get damp feet in the process...
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Take one step
Listen to your inner voice and promise that you'll take positive action where you need to. If you've been addicted to a harmful substance, to overeating, or even to being a doormat, listen to the voice within that begs you to be big rather than small, and to take one corrective step.
Selected from "Inspiration" by Dr Wayne W. Dyer.
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Books that Inspire Me
 Brazilian storyteller Paulo Coehlo introduces Santiago, an Andalucian
shepherd boy who one night dreams of a distant treasure in the Egyptian
pyramids. And so he's off: leaving Spain to literally follow his dream.
Along the way he meets many spiritual messengers, who come in
unassuming forms such as a camel driver and a well-read Englishman. In
one of the Englishman's books, Santiago first learns about the
alchemists--men who believed that if a metal were heated for many
years, it would free itself of all its individual properties, and what
was left would be the "Soul of the World." Of course he does eventually
meet an alchemist, and the ensuing student-teacher relationship
clarifies much of the boy's misguided agenda, while also emboldening
him to stay true to his dreams. "My heart is afraid that it will have
to suffer," the boy confides to the alchemist one night as they look up
at a moonless night.
"Tell your heart that the fear of
suffering is worse than the suffering itself," the alchemist replies.
"And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its
dreams, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with
God and with eternity."
Click on the image above if you would like to purchase the book from Amazon
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Mystical Moments
 Synchronicity occurs all around us all of the time - it's just that we often take it for granted. Even within an organised event, business meeting or family gathering, coincidences and synchronicity can occur.
Mystical moments are just that. Moments that occur when we least expect them. We don't have to go looking or searching for the synchronicity in our lives. We simply have to be open enough to spot it when the universe trys to help us.
So when you meet someone who appears to have a message or guidance for you, or you experience a coming together of events that appear to conspire to help you, simply accept the synchronicity and move on.
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