Michelle Lewis, The Blessings Butterfly A Samhain Blessing Samhain is an ancient, pre-Christian Celtic festival to celebrate the end of the summer, the final harvest before winter sets in. It is traditionally marked by bonfires, and corresponds with a time of honoring the spirits of the dead. Rituals may include a dancing, feasting, nature walks, ancestral altars, and/or a silent supper to remember loved ones who have passed beyond the veil of the living. For those in the Northern Hemisphere, October 31 marks the start of Samhain (which can be tricky to pronounce- “Sow [like cow] In” or “Soh Een”…
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It is thought that each person we encounter is in some way a mirror of ourselves (and vice versa). This is comforting whenever we see aspects that are considered positive or admirable, but when we see the worst in someone? Oof. Well, that’s not exactly fun. Especially when you consider that we are equally capable of unleashing some nasty, unpleasant, and downright awful behavior of our own. Sorry to tell ya, but “Love and Light” isn’t all that we are made of. We also carry hurt, anger, hatred, unhealed trauma, sadness, and a whole lot of darkness throughout our time…
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Blessing #31: I Am Complete In launching The Blessings Butterfly, I initially set out to write a simple book of affirmations, meditations, blessings and encouragements that would express to the people I love the most just how much they mean to me. I chose words and thoughts and themes that would empower the handful of people I had hoped would read it. Beautifully, in the process, I came to discover a new sense of love and acceptance and joy and freedom within myself. The blessings became circular, as they poured out of my heart and flowed over me and came…
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Blessing #30: I am Free “I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.” ― Charlotte Brontë I AM FREE! I am Free from anyone’s control over me. I am Free from all unhealthy relationships that once defined me. I am Free from my old addictions, and I am Free from my old unhealthy behaviors. I am Free from the old beliefs that limited me, that made me feel unworthy or incapable. I am Free to think, Free to speak, Free to love, Free to live my life exactly as…
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Blessing #29: I am Honest “It’s discouraging to think how many people are shocked by honesty and how few by deceit.” ― Noël Coward When did being honest and truthful become such a rare bird? While I don’t consider myself to be one of those “brutally honest” people (mainly because I am not comfy with the “brutal” part) I do value honesty in myself and in the people I allow into my life. I do not want to be lied to, and I do not like to lie to anyone either. If you ask me to tell you the truth…
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Blessing #28: I am Wealthy “Money is only a tool. It will take you wherever you wish, but it will not replace you as the driver.” ― Ayn Rand Wealth is commonly described as the abundance of valuable resources or valuable material possessions. But what does it really mean to be wealthy? Can you have wealth in some areas but not in others and still be considered wealthy? Are you wealthy enough, and do you- or can you- know it when you are? “Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.” ― Epictetus In my travels…
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Blessing #27: I am Successful “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” ― Napoleon Hill What does it mean to be successful? It is in dreaming, it is in desiring, it is in accomplishing the things that we set out to do. It is in trusting that one crazy calling of our heart and following it along an obstacle-filled path, down a few rabbit holes, into a brick wall or two or three and then ultimately to the place where we can quietly whisper, “I did it!” “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in…
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Blessing #26: I am Always Learning Knowledge is not finite. There is simply too much to discover! I do not claim to be the smartest person in the world, but I love knowledge so much (and equally despise ignorance) so that I made up my mind long ago that I never want to stop learning. Knowledge is not finite. There is simply too much to discover! “Learning never exhausts the mind.” ― Leonardo da Vinci I have such a nerd-crush on the brainy people, the problem solvers, the philosophers and deep thinkers of this world. I love the spirit of…
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Blessing #25: I am Good at What I Do “No one learns as much about a subject as one who is forced to teach it.” ― Peter F. Drucker Take a moment to review all that you do in your current vocation. Know that you are better and more experienced today at the job you do than you were yesterday, last week, or last month. Push yourself to give your best effort and put your many talents to work. It is OK to acknowledge that you are good at what you do! When you are starting out in a new…
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Blessing #24: I am Courageous “Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.” ― Nora Ephron When I was a child, my mother always used to tell me that I was fearless. I think it really freaked her out, but she also admired that quality in me. My boldness carried over into my teen years, but when I first moved out of the house to try and start my own life, I lost that. Or rather, it was (temporarily) taken from me by the hands of my abuser. There came a point in time when I decided…
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