Making Everything Beautiful

So many of us are trying to get somewhere. We think there is a destination that we must keep working toward. Wherever it is, it seems elusive. We don't seem to be getting any closer. It always seems in the distance. If we just try harder, we might get there. Eventually. But, what if there is no such destination? What if, it is an illusion of our ego that there is somewhere we must get to? What if the journey is the destination? And, we are already there?  

Doesn't more ease and grace in your life sound delicious? It does to me. This is what I've been longing for more of in my own life. I know that when I am focusing my attention on things that don't "appear" to be working out in my life, I tend to feel anxious and uneasy. In those times, when I notice I've allowed myself to get caught up in the worries in my head, I just bring myself back to the present moment and I instantly begin to feel better. I just remind myself that I'm only just this moment. That I only have power to do anything about anything in the present. It's the only place where true power can be found. Because it's the only place where life is happening. When I am present to just this moment, then I realize I don't need to worry about past moments I can't change or future moments that aren't here. I can't do anything about any of that. I'm learning to allow Life to lead me where I'm meant to go. Life knows how everything is interconnected and knows what is the best use of me. We see a beautiful p

Do you ever find yourself complaining about how Life is providing for you? Maybe things don't look the way you want them to look. You look around at the circumstances in your life and don't see your dreams coming true. Not even close. Or, so your mind tells you. Is this you? Take a deep breath. Look a little deeper. Often, when we look at the outer circumstances of our life situation, it appears that something's wrong. That, it shouldn't be this way. But, Life is always working on our behalf. It might not seem that way, but rest assured that It is. Life has a different agenda than we may have, though, which is why it may seem at times to be working against us. Life's objective in everything is our transformation. That we learn who we are at our deepest essence and that we become more and more of that. Its primary focus isn't that we get all the things we want in our outer experience of life. Although, we most likely will get some of those things, too. It sends us exactly what we need, in order to become more

Learning to surrender to what is, to the way things look at the moment, is the key to living Life fully and powerfully. That doesn't mean it's easy to do. Yet, Life gives us opportunities daily to practice. I'm currently learning this crucial lesson: how to allow the moment to be as it is. We cause ourselves much suffering when we resist the moment and think that what's happening shouldn't be happening. Such as: There shouldn't be all this traffic right now, I'm in a hurry. I shouldn't have to clean up after my spouse. The neighbor's dog shouldn't bark so much. It's driving me crazy! All day, every day, we find ourselves in situations where we can choose to resist the moment or allow and accept it just as it is. Just like the caterpillar surrenders to the process of becoming a butterfly, which requires that it dissolve so it can be recreated into a whole new creature, we're in a similar transformation process. Surrender and allowing is the key. If you've been following the last several episodes (links below),

One would not expect to find joy in the rubble of a life crumbling apart. Yet, when we surrender to the process that these events are here to teach us instead of fighting against them, our sorrow has a companion to walk alongside it. Joy. I'm recording this episode from my almost empty apartment. Yesterday, I moved all my stuff out and today I am doing the final cleaning before I say goodbye to this apartment and turn in my keys. I felt the Universe leading me to let go of this apartment even though I didn't know at the time where I would go and how I would pay for a different apartment. I just knew that this place was part of my old story and it was time to release it. It was here that I moved over 9 years ago after leaving a painful marriage. It was here I cried many tears grieving the dissolving of my family. It was here that I experienced much pain and suffering as I attempted to move forward when I felt so crushed and beaten down. But, it was also here that I began my transformational journey. It was her

Every year I create a new theme for my life for the year. I have bracelets made with the new theme and wear them all year to remind me of what I'm focusing on for those 12 months. For 2019, my theme is: Feel Good. Throughout this year I have been working to create a life that feels good. Sooooo, I've been letting go of everything that no longer feels good. Jobs, my apartment, old beliefs, stuff I no longer need, etc. Things that are part of the old story. Things that have served their purpose in my life, but the time has come to bless them and release them. This has not been an easy-peasy process. There have been tears, fears, and lots of continual surrendering. Creating a life that feels good means learning to surrender to Life and the transformational procedure It performs on us while we are in that place of transition. Transitioning from the old way of doing life into a new way of living life. That in-between place. I've been in an in-between place for a while now. Years, actually. As parts of me that are

Ever heard of caterpillar soup? It's actually a thing. Yep. It's cooked up inside a chrysalis and served up a'la butterfly. HUH?? I know. It sounds like something one might be forced to eat as a contestant on Survivor, but let me explain. We know that when the caterpillar spins itself into a chrysalis, it emerges as a butterfly. But, what the heck is happening inside that thing??? The caterpillar actually disintegrates in there until it is just a pile of goo. If you were to open the chrysalis during this time, caterpillar soup would come running out!! YUK!!! But, then...magic happens! The cells begin to restructure themselves. The goo is actually recreating itself into an entirely new being! WHAT THE WHAT!!??!! Isn't that soooo freaking fascinating!?! The chrysalis is really a sacred place where magic happens! Just like butterflies, we also experience this in-between place of transformation. A time when we are in-between what is passing away in our life, the old, and what is still to come, the new. And, it is

Have you ever had the wind knocked out of you? I did when I was seven years old and I thought I was dying. Literally. Obviously, I didn't because I'm writing this right now. Sometimes in life, things happen that "knock the wind out of us". Sometimes, we lose our way and find ourselves in the darkness. Maybe you are there right now. In the darkness. I recently ran across a YouTube video that told the story of a young man, a talented singer, who had experienced great success as a teen. His name is Jack Vidgen and when he was 14, he won the 2011 Australia's Got Talent competition. I had never heard of him until I ran across a YouTube video, in my FB news feed, of his Blind Audition for 2019 The Voice Australia. It turns out this was his first time stepping on a stage in 5 years. A series of painful experiences occurred that "knocked the wind out of him" and he stopped singing. In this episode, I tell his inspiring homecoming story (YouTube links posted below). His story reminded me of a time in my life when pain

Do you find yourself sabotaging yourself repeatedly? Are you still struggling with pain and emotions from events in your past? Do you often feel unlovable, rejected, and like something is wrong with you? Then, let me introduce you to the source of most, if not all, of these experiences. Your inner child. That little boy or little girl that is still inside you who never felt seen, heard, or loved as a child. Your beliefs about yourself, about life and the world, developed when you were little. Your parents, your experiences at school, your friends and family, what was happening in your home and in the world, all helped shape you into who you became as an adult. All the self-sabotaging patterns you find in your life can be traced back to your childhood. Sooooo, what can you do to stop those habitual behaviors? How can you help heal your inner child and ultimately heal your life? In this episode I share: What the inner child is and how it develops My own inner child story Three powerful tools I used to heal my

Have you ever run across a song, quote, book, movie, etc that touched you so deeply that you felt a shift happen inside? That, it caused you to see something in a new or deeper way? And, you felt that in some way, your life was transformed? Even more, you knew that it wasn't a coincidence that you found it and that actually, it was sent to you at just the right moment? I had one of these experiences this past weekend. I LOVE it when the Universe sends me messages this way! A few days ago I ran across a beautiful song by Jason Mraz called Love is Still the Answer. (Video link posted below) Now, I LOVE Jason Mraz. Almost as much as I LOVE using ALL CAPS to emphasize words and phrases! Sooooo, I have NO FREAKING IDEA how in the world I missed the release of this song! It's been out for 6 months! Say, what??!! It must be I was meant to find it a few days ago, which was the perfect timing for this song to enter my life. This song brought up many emotions, and valuable insights. It also strengthened my commitment t

It's so easy for us to fling our words around frivolously without thinking about the impact they might have. In this modern technological age, many new developments in science, neuroscience and positive psychology show us how our words actually create our reality and impact not only our own health and well-being, but also the health and well-being of the planet. One of these groundbreaking insights came through the work of the late Dr. Masaru Emoto whose experiments with water give a powerful picture of how our words, thoughts, and feelings really do shape our world. Dr. Emoto gathered water samples from all around the world. He then took some samples and spoke beautiful words to them, such as "love" and "thank you", and then froze the samples. When he looked under the microscope at them he saw that beautiful crystals formed on the samples. Then, he took samples and spoke violent words to them, such as, "You fool" and "You make me sick", and then froze the samples. But, these samples did NOT form crystals. In

It's important that we acknowledge ourselves when reach a milestone. When we experience a win. This is Episode 25! Today, marks the halfway point of the first year of the Making Everything Beautiful podcast! Holy Moly!! So, today, I am celebrating that I stuck in there and didn't give up. There were a few times I felt like it. But, I didn't want to be another abandoned podcast with only 7 episodes. I made a commitment to this dream/mission that I would keep showing up and giving love and being of service whether or not anyone was listening. That the results are not my responsibility. The Universe is responsible for the outcome. My job is simply to show up, give the best of who I am to the work, and let Life take it from there. I ran across a quote just before I started this podcast in January that actually inspired my to get busy and get my message out there. That I have NO guarantee how many days I have left on this planet. "The minute you begin to do what you really want to do, it's really a different kind

Renewal. Refreshment. New Start. New beginning. This is what was coming up for me as I was listening to the rain outside my window, just before I began to record this episode. I've been working through a financial challenge for about a year now and the rain was bringing up the feeling of longing for a time of renewal, for a new start, for an end to my year long challenge. So, in this episode, I am dealing with myself as I move through the emotions of wanting to be past the challenge, yet still being in the challenge. I bet you have been here before, too. In the middle of a challenge and you can't see how it going to work out. It can feel like we are in a pressure cooker. Like diamonds, which are created by intense heat and intense pressure, the challenges burn away the impurities, the parts of us that aren't helpful to us anymore. I've learned that it's in the pressure cooker of challenges that we experience the greatest transformation in our lives. Life is soooo AMAZING! As I was recording this, life showed

Courage isn't always those big moments... like Mel Gibson, as William Wallace, in Braveheart, fighting for his country, or firemen rushing in to a burning building to save someone. Sometimes, it's a quiet, softer experience that rests inside you, as you take one more step, make it through one more day. And, some days, it can feel like a gargantuan feat to take one more step and get through one more day. I've been there more times than I can count.  I'm sure you have, too. But, do we know where the true source of courage lies? HINT:  It's not in the head. Our source of courage exists in the same place where true Love is found. From the other worldly place inside each of us where our spiritual essence dwells.  It is not of this world and can only be accessed from this spiritual seat inside us. Actually, everything we are seeking is found there.  It is the source of all things. So, that is where we can tap into our courage when it is needed.  When we must face those BIG scary things. And, when it can be challeng

I had such a frustrating day today! Holy Moly! Something that should have been simple ended up being such an ordeal. Have you ever experienced this? I'm betting you have, if you are human. I certainly don't experience life as being all perfectly smooth days without challenges. Definitely not! Actually, life would be pretty boring without challenges to cause growth in us. Today was just that kind of day! Listen in as I relate how the Universe grabbed me by the collar in the middle of my exasperating experience and what happened as a result. It has a happy ending. I promise. I just LOVE happy endings.

Reminders. Wake up calls. These are opportunities Life gives us to recalculate and make adjustments. Life loves us that much! It helps us remember what is of true importance. We often get caught up in all kinds of silly, insignificant things that don't really matter in the greater scope of it all. Life just gave me two such reminders in the span of two days. I share these experiences and what beautiful insights they brought to my life. I know they will resonate with many of you. I was reminded of the fragility of our humanity when I received a call that someone I adored passed away that morning. Life also gave me another reminder of our oneness as spiritual beings as I was invited to a 4th of July cookout with my kids, in which their father was also going to be there. Having not communicated with my former husband for over two years, I wasn't sure how that was going to go. Yet, I chose to go and be the space of love. I chose to not see an enemy. But, recognize the Divine essence in everyone, including my for

Do you ever feel like you are inadequate? Like you aren't enough? Ever feel like giving up? What's the point anyway? That's just how I'm feeling as I record this episode. You see, I've been struggling with feeling like I'm not good at podcasting. I'm just a beginner at all this. My equipment isn't the best. I'm still figuring out what in the heck I'm even doing with this podcast. Why would anyone want to listen to me, anyway? At least, that's what's been running through my head today. At this point, I have a choice. To listen to those thoughts and give up. Or, to chose to be reminded of what is true. That it's ok to be a beginner. That no one masters anything without practice. That mastery takes time. It takes doing something over and over and over and over.....more times than can be counted. "The one thing all famous authors, world class athletes, business tycoons, singers, actors, and celebrated achievers in any field have in common is that they all began their journeys when they were none of these things."

Some angels walk around in human form. This episode is a tribute to two real life heroes that I personally know. These angel ladies are a shining example of turning pain into purpose. As Bryant McGill said, "When the storm rips you to pieces, you get to choose how to put yourself back together again." WE choose whether we will be a victim of our circumstances or if we will use our painful experiences to be a space of love for others and help them heal. Listen in as I share the inspiring and beautiful stories of how these ladies embraced their own pain and then turned it into service for others. They are proof that angels, indeed, do walk amongst us. It starts with us. It starts with love. With Much Love, Darlene Michele   Links mentioned in this episode: Women for Women International Zainab Salbi TED Talk - Women, Wartime, and Dreams of Peace Kute Blackson Website Kute Blackson YouTube Channel You Are The One Book by Kute Blackson *I am not an affiliate for anyone or anything. These are not affiliate links

These words by Elizabeth Gilbert, brought comfort to me today as I was loving myself through a painful day. "I came here to live a life fully, all of it. And I'll take it. I'll take all of it. I'll take the whole thing. Because, I don't want to have come all this distance to live a human life and miss the experience. So, I just want to show up for the whole ride." Elizabeth Gilbert Life often doesn't go the way we'd like. Some days are great and others, not so much. But, I know that I'd be so bored after a while if every day was a great day. No variety. No growth. Being stuck in a stagnant place inside myself. It's in the valleys of life where we learn how to go deeper. Where we deepen our relationship with the Divine being inside ourselves. While the mountain top experiences are awesome and I totally enjoy them, I want to experience the whole range of emotions. I want to experience the whole human experience. I wouldn't trade a minute of my life. Not a minute. It's all beautiful. Settle in and listen as I

It's time, to talk about time. Many of us are not living our life from an empowering perspective of time. There are three kinds of time that drastically impact our lives. They are clock time, psychological time, and Divine time and they are very different from each other. Clock time is what we normally think of when we think of time. What time is it? Our appointments. Calendars. What time we have to be somewhere. Psychological time has to do with past, present, and future. Divine time is the timing of the Universe. Which functions in Its own dimension or realm. It is of the Spiritual realm and has nothing to do with our earthy concept of time. Whichever one we are viewing our life from at any given moment will impact our experience of life. Join me, as we discuss this mind-blowing and fascinating topic. You will never see or experience time the same way again! It starts with us. It starts with love. With Much Love, Darlene Michele   Links mentioned in this episode: Women for Women International Zainab Salbi T