Empowered Way Podcast

Hello Empowered Wayers!

Lately, I have been thinking a lot about sovereignty.

Sovereignty is defined by Meriam-Webster as “freedom from external control.” It’s a concept that is usually applied to nations or countries, but I would like for you to consider it in your own life.

Sovereignty means you decide the direction of your life, instead of listening to the loudest advice or an annoying social media meme. Imagine standing at the wheel of a ship, guiding it through waves and storms, choosing your direction instead of drifting with the wind.

It’s not about control over others. It’s about owning your choices and steering your own course.

When you embrace sovereignty, you stop waiting for permission. You trust your instincts. You listen to your inner voice instead of the noise around you.

Why Sovereignty Matters

Sovereignty is a concept that we don’t talk about. The world knows what is best for you. The quiet still voice inside is drowned out by the loud, aggressive messages of commercialism, racism, individualism, etc. And one day, you wake up and you don’t know yourself in the mirror. The moment you realize you aren’t you is the moment you decide to be different.

Instead of listening to others, when you step into sovereignty,

* You become the author of your own story.

* You stop waiting for someone else to say, "You’re allowed."

* You gain clarity and confidence.

* You build a life that truly reflects who you are.

* You claim your power to create your life.

Without sovereignty, you hand over your power like loose change. You let others decide your path. You hesitate at every fork in the road, fearing the wrong turn.

Signs You’re Not Living in Sovereignty

When you don’t live from sovereignty, the course of your life depends on others. Instead of following your own dreams and passions:

* You look for approval before making decisions.

* You feel like life is happening to you rather than through you.

* You blame others when things go wrong.

* You shape your choices around what others expect.

This isn’t about ignoring advice or refusing guidance. It’s about knowing that at the end of the day, you are the one behind the wheel. And only you can allow your inner voice or intuition to decide the wheres, whens, and whys of your journey.

How to Reclaim Your Power

All it takes is awareness of when you have allowed the outside world to determine your decisions. As you notice, you begin to separate yourself from your habitual response. There is a moment of space between what you always do and your new identity.

Take a deep breath and choose sovereignty. Your life will change from outward-directed to inner-focused. Some of the ways this shift may manifest are:

1. You Stop Asking for PermissionHave you ever seen a tree ask if it’s okay to grow? It simply reaches toward the sun. Next time you hesitate, ask yourself—are you waiting for someone to tell you it’s okay to be you?

2. You Trust Your Own CompassDoubt is like fog blurring your vision—it slows you down and makes you second-guess where you’re going. Build self-trust by keeping promises to yourself. If you say you’ll do something, do it. Your word should be your North Star.

3. You Set Boundaries Like a Castle WallNot everyone deserves a seat at your table. Some people drain your energy and cloud your vision. Decide who gets access to your inner world and who stays outside the gates.

4. You Own Your Choices, Rain or ShineBlame is a leaky boat—it won’t get you far. If something isn’t working, adjust your sails. Even if the situation isn’t your fault, your response is always within your control.

5. You Make Choices That Align With Your SoulWhat truly matters to you? What kind of life do you want to live? Every decision is a brick in the foundation of your future. Lay each one with care.

A Personal Reflection

I used to live in the waiting room of my own life. I’d look around, hoping someone would call my name and hand me the keys so I could unlock the door and leave. I finally realized the door was never locked—I just had to get up and walk through it.

Now, I make decisions based on whether it is aligned with my values, goals, and dreams.

I trust myself to know what is best for me, in this moment.

I know the difference between my ego-voice and my soul-voice. Ego is always based on fear, and soul is always Love. In fact, I teach that “soul” is the Source of Unlimited Love.

When you live your life soul-based, magic happens. Everything seems to fall into place without you having to control, manipulate, or strive. There is an ease about your decisions and peace in the process and outcome.

Sovereignty is how we are designed to live.

Final Thoughts

Sovereignty isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about having the courage to ask the questions and make the choices that feel true to you. The more you practice, the clearer your inner voice becomes.

According to Kelley Murphy of Spirit Seeds, the Sovereign Archetype

[C]laims full responsibility for her reality. The Sovereign does not look to external systems for validation, permission, or security. She governs from within.

Your power isn’t something you need to find—it’s something you already have. The only question is: Are you ready to claim it?

To your prosperity,

Kathryn

P.S. I recently released a new meditation called, “Discover Your Sovereignty.” It’s on Insight Timer, a free app that gives you access to more than 260,000 meditations. Please follow me, KathrynEriksen, on the platform. You will gain access to my library of short, guided meditations and be the first to learn of new material.

Dear Empowered Wayers:

The rain lashed against my skin like a thousand icy needles, my breath coming in short gasps as I struggled to keep my balance against the wind. I gripped the handles tightly as my body vibrated in tune with the engine. I couldn’t feel my feet, because the rain had sneaked inside my boots, soaking my socks. The red tail lights of the motorcycles in front of me blurred as the rain smeared my glasses.

We still had miles to travel before we reached Fredericksburg, Texas. Our group was small - only three couples. Instead of riding as a passenger on our Road King, I wanted an adventure, so I decided to drive my motorcycle.

It was not supposed to rain. I checked the weather before making my decision to ride solo. I had never driven in the rain before and I definitely wasn’t ready to start on this trip.

When the rain first began, it was a light drizzle. “No problem,” I thought as we motored along. We stopped at the next rest stop to put on rain gear. That should have been a clue that it wasn’t going to get better.

I only had a half—face helmet. That meant no visor to protect my face from the wind and rain. It slowly dawned on me that I may be in trouble if it really started raining.

It did.

Buckets of rain as if someone had turned on the faucet full force and I was the one beneath it. Bluetooth hadn’t yet been invented, so I had no way to communicate with my husband or the group. There was nothing to do except keep moving forward.

Alone but not alone

I was utterly alone. No one could help me if I decided to give up. No one was available to drive my motorcycle. We either left it by the side of the highway or I kept going.

At first, my self-talk was judgmental and berating. “What an idiot! What are you doing?” I argued with that voice and I kept insisting, “It wasn’t supposed to rain!” to justify my decision. After several miles of chatter, the voice changed to fatalism when the rain started pounding on the pavement strong enough to bounce. “You must have a death wish.”

In that moment, my heartbeat was a frantic drum against my ribs, my mind racing through every possible escape—until I realized there was none. That’s when I whispered the only prayer I had left.

I called in celestial help and asked my angels and guardians to keep me safe. As I prayed to God and surrendered to his will, my fear receded. In it’s place, I knew I was safe, no matter what happened. The fear that had gripped my chest loosened, replaced by an overwhelming sense of warmth, as if unseen hands had wrapped me in a cocoon of love.

I was soaked in rain and covered in love.

City lights appeared ahead of us and the rain let up. We stopped at a restaurant for dinner and warmed up inside. Everyone was amazed that I made it, but they didn’t know I had a co-pilot riding with me.

Why did I share this story?

I will always remember the moment I surrendered my limited perception of the situation. The moment when I knew I couldn’t save myself.

The storm didn’t change, but I did. And maybe that’s the secret—when we stop resisting and trust in something greater, we find the strength to ride through the storm.

Have you ever felt fear in your bones? Your mind frantically searches for a way out? Like a mouse in a maze, searching for the bit of cheese next to the exit.

When you are faced with an impossible situation and there are no outs, remember to breathe intentionally to calm your nervous system. Then do the only thing possible, surrender to God, or whatever is your higher source. Love will cover you and keep you safe.

Remember this truth: fear grips us when we believe we are alone, but surrender reveals the truth—we are always held by something greater than ourselves.

Many blessings,

Kathryn

Hello Empowered Wayers!

What if everything you’ve been taught about money is wrong?

Women have only been taught one way to make money. It’s the masculine approach of working longer, controlling everything, and measuring your progress. If you don’t meet the metric, it means there’s something wrong with you.

There is another way—one that aligns with your intuition, your heart, and your soul.

At Empowered Way, wealth isn’t created through struggle—it flows from your connection to your higher self. When you shift from external control to inner alignment, money stops being a source of stress and starts becoming a natural extension of your energy.

Instead of chasing wealth, let it find you.

Join a growing movement of women who are rewriting the rules of abundance. Sign up for Empowered Way emails and receive "The Abundance Formula"—a transformative guide to shifting your money mindset and activating true financial freedom.

Subscribe now and claim your gift. Your empowered financial journey starts here.

To your prosperity,

Kathryn

Beloved Empowered Wayers -

Ever since you took your first breath, you have been on a quest. To discover yourself as a human.

You see, we all start out as beings (born to express the infinite Nature of God). After you landed in a body and learned to navigate the physical aspects of time and space, you absorbed messages from your family, caregivers and friends.

You were conditioned to believe certain things that may no longer serve you. Over time, your beingness dimmed as your humanness took center stage. Your focus was outward, toward the next achievement or sparkly bauble. It may have been years before you noticed that the next thing was never enough.

A spell was been cast on you, darkening your light. Until…

* a tragedy

* a loss, or

* unexpected turn of life

You found yourself in the liminal space - the threshold of something new. The past shimmers but can never be relived. The future may look dim or foggy. And you stand in the gap between what was and what could have been.

“Why did this happen?” you cry to the heavens. “I’m a good person - I don’t deserve this!” There are no answers that satisfy you. The axis of your world view has titled and you may fall off the only life you have ever known.

Human eyes, mind, and ego cannot never make sense of the “whys” of life’s unexpected turns. What the mind and ego create can never control the unseen life force that spins the earth at just the correct speed to create gravity.

It’s time to step back from seeing the world through your physical eyes, and step into being (born to express the infinite nature of God).

Why are you here?

You are called to be so much more than who you think you are. You are here for a reason and only you can discover it. No one can tell you what it is, because no one carries your DNA (Divine Nature Assigned).

Your DNA belongs to you and it’s your job to discover, uncover, and bring it to the world. When you accept that you are not a random accident or a freak of nature, it becomes easier to take an inventory of yourself.

* What comes naturally and easily to you?

* What lights you up?

* When do you loose track of time?

Notice the areas of your life or the times in the day that you can point to - yes, that! Make a note everytime you notice and soon you will have a roadmap of your DNA.

You hold a piece of the Universal puzzle

I have always believed that each person holds a piece of the Universal puzzle.

Who you are is divine and should be on display for everyone to see.

I know. Because I hid my light for many many years until finally it burst forth. It could no longer be contained. The after affects sent shock waves through my life. Instead of waiting for the bursting forth… Why not guide your unfolding divine light to shine?

That's where I can help. I have been where you are covered in illusions and thinking like a victim. It's not a fun place. But I know the way out. I know the elixir that will charm the spell and open the door of the cage from which you've been imprisoned.

Come. Follow me and find your light.

You are the Universe expressing itself as human for a little while.

Blessings,

Kathryn

P.S. Start with meditation. Insight Timer is a free app that gives you access to more than 300,000 meditations. Won’t you do me a favor and follow me?

Empowered Way is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Dear Empowered Wayers -

When shame is an active participant in your money decisions, your life isn’t peaceful and it definitely doesn’t feel abundant. Let’s take a deeper look at shame and how women tend to use it as a weapon against themselves.

The Shame Spiral Starts Early

Money shame often starts innocently enough: Maybe you overdrew your account in college because you thought “pending transactions” meant they didn’t count yet (spoiler: they do). Or you splurged on those amazing boots, forgetting about the electricity bill. Mistakes like these should stay mistakes—things you learn from and move on. But many women tend to turn those moments inward.

Instead of thinking, “Oh well, bad decision,” women’s self talk may sound like this: “I’m terrible with money. I’ll never be able to retire. My future self will be living in a van down by the river, eating tuna from a can!”

It’s not just anecdotal. Studies back this up. Research published in Psychological Bulletin found that women are more likely than men to internalize their mistakes, tying them to their self-worth. Men tend to blame external factors for the mistake.

For example, a woman might think, “I’m terrible with money,” while a man in the same situation might think, “I didn’t get enough information.” Because women tend to internalize and judge themselves, shame is amplified. The shame spiral makes it harder for women to shake off financial missteps and move forward.

When Shame Becomes a Full-Time Job

Remember, shame is sneaky. It convinces you that your financial mistakes aren’t just mistakes—they’re proof that you, as a person, are fundamentally flawed. That extra charge on your credit card isn’t just a budgeting error; it’s evidence that you’re irresponsible, lazy, or not good enough to success at the money game.

Brene Brown defines shame as:

[t]he intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love and belonging.

If this definition resonates with you, then you are familiar with this emotion. The first step is to notice where it shows in your body. As you move through shame, know that it thrives in silence. As you notice you are feeling shame, put words around it to bring it out to the light.

Awareness is always the first step on the journey of transformation.

Laughing (and Learning) Through Shame

The good news? Shame is like a vampire—it dies when exposed to sunlight. If you can name it, share it, and poke a little fun at it, it will begin to lose its grip. Remind yourself that everyone has made money mistakes - the trick is not to let those moments define you.

Case in point: I once joined a network marketing company that sold premium skin care. I had just left my law practice and impulsively grabbed the first opportunity that presented itself, instead of being mindful about why I left my practice. I spent months trying to convince people they needed the fancy skin care that would remove all signs of aging. (Spoiler: they didn’t.) For years, I couldn’t think about that fiasco without cringing. Now, I see it as a hilarious story—and a reminder to stay true to myself and my goals (and never sell to my friends).

Tips to Move Through Shame and Transform It

If you’re stuck in a shame spiral about money, here’s how to start climbing out:

* Name It and Claim ItOwn your mistakes without letting them own you. Say it out loud: “I spent too much on Amazon this month.” The world won’t end, I promise.

* Reality Check Your StoryAsk yourself: Is this mistake really proof I’m terrible with money, or is it just… a mistake? Guess what - it’s the second one.

* Talk About ItShare your money mistakes with a trusted friend or therapist. Odds are, they’ve been there too. And if they haven’t, they’ll at least remind you that one bad decision doesn’t define you or your self-worth.

* Learn and LaughEvery financial misstep is a chance to learn something. And if you can laugh about it later, even better. Remember: The network marketing years are behind us.

* Set One Small GoalShame thrives on overwhelm. Focus on one positive step forward—like creating a budget or setting up a small savings plan. Progress, no matter how small, is the best antidote to shame.

Remember: You are not your bank balance, your bad decisions, or your credit score. You’re a fabulous, complex human being who sometimes makes questionable purchases.

To your prosperity,

Kathryn

P.S. To learn more about how to forgive yourself and improve your money relationship, please read “The Money Tree” and leave a 5 star review on Amazon. You will fall in love with Flo, and laugh at her mistakes as she learns to navigate the energy of money.

To my dearest Sisters of Empowered Way:

Please take a moment to center and align with your inner knowing. As your mind quiets and your breathing lengthens, read this letter out loud, to yourself. And know that I see you in all your magnificent, messy, glory.

Dear Sister:

There is a landscape within you more vast and intricate than the external world. It is a terrain of whispers and thunders, of quiet resilience and explosive potential. You are not defined by the margins others draw, the boxes they attempt to confine you in, or the voices that have tried to diminish your song.

Imagine, for a moment, that you are a river. Not the placid, contained water in a man-made reservoir, but a wild river—untamed, carving its path through ancient stone, nourishing entire ecosystems with its journey. Sometimes gentle, sometimes fierce, always moving, always transforming. Your essence is not static; it is a continuous becoming.

Society often presents women with a narrow template of worthiness—a checklist of achievements, appearances, and roles. But you are not a template. You are a living, breathing ecosystem of complexity. Your worth is not measured by how small you can make yourself, how perfectly you can conform, or how quietly you can exist. Your worth is inherent, carved into the very bones of your being.

Think of the women who came before you—your grandmothers, great-grandmothers, the unnamed ancestors who survived impossible circumstances. Their blood runs in your veins. Their resilience is your inheritance. Every challenge they overcame, every silence they broke, every boundary they challenged—these are not just stories, but living energies that pulse within you.

Your intuition is not a whisper; it is a powerful language. When the world becomes too loud, too demanding, too confusing, there is a wisdom that resides deep in your core. It speaks not in words, but in feelings, in gut responses, in that inexplicable knowing that defies logic. Trust this. Honor this. This is not weakness—this is your most profound strength.

Vulnerability is not a wound; it is a portal that reveals who you really are. When you allow yourself to be truly seen—with all your scars, your dreams, your contradictions—you create space for authentic connection. Your tears are not a sign of fragility but of immense emotional intelligence. Your sensitivity is not a liability; it is a superpower that allows you to navigate the world's complexities with grace and depth.

You are not here to be perfect. You are here to be real. To be messy. To make mistakes and learn. To fall and rise. To reshape yourself continuously. Your journey is not linear—it is a spiral, where each return brings deeper understanding, more compassion, a broader perspective.

Look at your hands. They have held pain and joy, have worked, have healed, have created. Look at your eyes. They have witnessed beauty and struggle. Your body is not just a vessel; it is a sacred library of experiences, a map of your unique journey.

Remember: The world will constantly try to tell you who you should be. But your truest power lies in knowing who you already are. You are not a problem to be solved, but a mystery to be explored. You are not a project to be completed, but a continuous revelation.

Breathe. Trust. Become.

You are enough. Not because someone tells you so, but because your very existence is a profound and irreplaceable miracle.

All my love,

Kathryn

P.S. Please share this letter with the women in your life. Watch them nod their heads as they read and absorb the energy behind the words. As we support women to rise and become, the wounds begin to heal. As women heal themselves, they heal the world.

Empowered Way is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Hello Empowered Wayers!

The way you treat money reflects what you believe about yourself.

I discovered this truth the hard way. When I graduated from college with a psychology degree, there were not many jobs available. Graduate school wasn’t an option and I was a newly married bride who needed to find a job. Money was the brass ring and I was on a carousel of searching for that perfect fit where I could excel.

But employers were not lining up at my door.

Money was breathing down my neck as I became more desperate for the brass ring, which kept moving just out of my grasp. Finally, I was offered a job at a local bank to be a secretary. By this time, my dreams of an exciting job had morphed into a willingness to take whatever I could.

Money changed from being available (parents) to a monster that loved to torment me.

Your Beliefs About Money Influence How You Use it

It took me many years to realize that money is energy.

In college, when my parents supported me, money was a playmate that enhanced my first taste of independence. There were boundaries, of course, but I didn’t worry about whether I would have a cute dress to wear to the next dance.

During my next phase of independence, looking for a job with a liberal arts degree was eye-opening. When I received my first paycheck from the bank, it was spent on bills and the cost of living. My priorities had changed, and so did my relationship with money.

I began to resent that fact that money no longer played with me. I didn’t mind working hard to earn money, but my frustration of never getting ahead tainted my beliefs. The first year-end bonus made me feel like a kid again – let’s go play!

It was feast or famine – not a great way to be with money.

Looking back, I can see that my money beliefs created my experience with money. My beliefs and thoughts, not my circumstances, created my experience.

Shine the light of awareness on your beliefs and discover who you are with money.

Shine the Light of Awareness on Your Beliefs

You can only experience what you are aware of.

The expansion of your awareness is the key to transforming your money experience. When you become aware of the beliefs that motivate your money behavior, you take back control of your experience. Unmasking your beliefs is an essential step to financial freedom.

When I began using the following technique, I noticed the limiting beliefs I held about myself. As I changed my beliefs and connected with myself, I silenced the noise of the outside world and escaped the vortex of self-doubt, judgment, and fear.

Instead, I discovered freedom, clarity, and wealth.

Three Steps to Unmask Your Limiting Money Beliefs

You absorbed beliefs about money when you were a young child that are stored in your subconscious mind. Those hidden beliefs influence your decisions, your finances, and your well-being. Your lack of awareness of these beliefs keeps you stuck in the same financial vortex.

When you unmask your hidden beliefs about money, wealth, and abundance, your awareness expands and you now have the space to make a different choice. As your energy shifts and you continue to make different decisions, your experience also shifts from fear to freedom.

The following steps may seem too simple to transform your financial experience. Follow the steps consistently for 12 days, then decide whether they are worth your time.

* Begin a Money Journal and use it to record your limiting money beliefs as you go about your day. As you uncover what has been hidden, it triggers more insights.

* After three days of writing in your Money Journal, circle all the limiting beliefs. Write each belief in it’s own row and name the emotion that supports it. Then ask yourself if that emotion is based on fear or love. Remember:

Fear-based emotions always contract and repel.

Love-based emotions always expand and nurture.

Look for patterns and create a chart that looks like this:

* Repeat Steps 1 & 2 four times, adding to your chart every three days. At the end of 12 days (and four cycles), you will have uncovered many core beliefs about yourself and money. You will also notice a pattern underlying your beliefs.

Look at your chart and notice how many beliefs are based on either fear or love. These beliefs either expand or contract your energy with money. Beliefs based on love produce more love. Beliefs based on fear produce more fear.

Both love and fear are creative, but love expands and fear contracts.

Move from Fear to Love and Discover Freedom

What do you do with your fear-based beliefs?

Sit with the fear, because it is trying to tell you something. Fear will only destroy you if you believe you are fear. When you sit with it, you create a gap between your awareness of fear, and the fear itself.

And you discover something quite remarkable. You are not your fear.

This one aha moment changes everything! If you are not your fear, then you must be something else, something bigger than fear. What that something is - that is for you to uncover. You could even say that your life is the journey to discover Who-You-Are.

I discovered that I was worthy of wealth, that abundance could be my dance partner, and that I loved to teach others how to uncover these truths for themselves.

Only you can decide to transform your limiting beliefs about yourself, your place in the world, and why you are here. As you unravel your limiting money beliefs, you create the space to choose expansive ways of being. The energy of money is attracted to love-based energy and your experiences will naturally shift as your energy shifts from fear to love.

And the next time you look in the mirror (and your bank balance), your smile will light up the world.

To your prosperity,

Kathryn

P.S. If you want to learn more about who you are with money, why not download my latest book, The Money Tree: Transform Scarcity Thinking into Empowered Wealth Consciousness.

Happy New Year!

I love this time of year when everyone is excited for a new year. It makes me smile to wish a stranger “Happy New Year” and hear their joyful response.

Soon, sometime after the last football game or when the last bit of reverie has been cleaned, reality sets in. Despite the new calendar and the shining possibilities the new year promises, you remember your problems, dilemmas, and worries.

Instead of willing yourself to stick to your New Year’s Resolutions, there is a different way to experience the new year.

It’s called an “Offer Prayer.” I first learned it from Tosha Silver, the author of “Change Me Prayers.” She also wrote one of my favorite books about money that I recommend to all my clients” “It’s Not Your Money.”

The Abundance Change Me Prayer and Why It Works

The Abundance Change Me Prayer is Tosha’s most famous prayer, because it has touched so many people. As you say these words, notice the shift in your perspective from ego to love. You might even feel relieved that you no longer have to figure everything out. All because you offered it to God.

Start your day reciting this prayer. Keep a journal and make a note as things unexpectedly smooth out or clear up. There is magic in these words and you are the open receiver. When you become aware of a shift in your life, celebrate the power of this prayer.

As you receive, gratitude naturally flows. As you continue to offer, you may even start hearing a voice guiding you. Whether or not you believe in God, you will still be more open to communicating with this voice. Something opens in you and you are not the same.

That is the power of Change Me Prayers. Your ego begins to release it’s hold on your mind and the space is now free to allow a greater power to enter. Once you experience this shift in perspective, the ego-speak no longer binds you to playing small. Instead, you are open to receive guidance from a higher consciousness.

Who doesn’t want to live that way?

The Abundance Change Me Prayer by Tosha Silver

The complete prayer is shown below (reprinted with permission). Print it out, carry it with you, say it often.

Divine Beloved, allow me to give with complete ease and abundance, knowing that You are the unlimited Source of all.

Let me be an easy, open conduit for Your prosperity. Let me trust that all my own needs are always met in amazing ways and that it’s safe to give freely as my heart guides.

And equally, let me feel wildly open to receiving. May I know my own value, beauty, and worthiness without question. Let me allow others the supreme pleasure of giving to me. May I feel worthy to receive in every possible way.

Change me into one who can fully love, forgive, and accept myself, so I may carry Your Light without restriction.

Let everything that needs to go, go. Let everything that needs to come, come. I am utterly Your own.

You are me, I am You, we are One. All is well.

As always, thank you for joining me on Empowered Way. You are the reason I create!

Love & Light,

Kathryn

P.S. If this newsletter resonated with you, could you please share it? The more subscribers who join, the higher the collective energy.

Hello Dear Wayers -

Today is Christmas Eve, the Holy Night when Jesus born. The Christian story is the angels appeared to the shepherds, signs directed the Magi, and a babe was born in a humble manger.

Watching The Chosen brings Jesus’ life to visual reality. Learning through stories is how Jesus taught his disciples and followers. He shared a new way of seeing the world - through the eyes of love.

What if we could live our lives that way? It’s a question that I try to answer in my quiet moments, before life intrudes with demands, obligations, and expectations. My morning practice always includes meditation, contemplation, and journaling to set the day on the best course.

How do You See the World?

Is it through the eyes of fear (your candidate lost the election, people are being killed around the world, the earth is dying, etc.) or through the eyes of love (everyone struggles but love prevails, look not on another’s behavior but to their divine essence, what someone says or does has nothing to do with me and everything to do with their internal conflicts, etc.)

When you remember you have a choice in every moment between love or fear, that makes you responsible for your experience. Your internal choice leads to what you experience.

Why not choose love?

Today, of all days, choose to be love. You will discover that it’s the small things in life that capture your attention. Rain drops glistening on a leaf; rays of sunlight filtered through the tree limbs; the smile of a stranger when you are kind. You will discover a reverence for the mundane, everyday details that embrace you when you pause to notice.

Listen to this Meditation for 9 Minutes

No one can experience the everyday miracles of your life - only you can do that. One way is to listen to a guided meditation about that very topic. As you sink into the bliss of the moment, feel your heart and soul expand beyond your limited, human perception.

Sarah Blondin is one of the most popular teachers on Insight Timer. The following meditation has been listened to more than 876,000 times! (Please create a free account on Insight Timer and follow me too).

Find a quiet place and use headphones. Listen with your heart as your mind settles. Use this time to be still, present, and loved.

Reverence for the Everyday: Cherish Your Existence

Please share your experience in the comments below. My hope is that you felt the love that is in everything that surrounds us in time and space, if we stop for a moment and allow it to be our experience.

May this presence carry you through the holidays.

Love & Light,

Kathryn

P.S. You can follow Sarah’s newsletter on Substack too.

Hello Empowered Wayers -

For many years, I practiced law and over time, the stress and high expectations became exhausting. A friend introduced me to the concept of mindfulness, and everything slowly became manageable.

As I grew more comfortable and proficient at watching my thoughts, I noticed that I would not engage in situations that used to make me upset or angry. The beauty of a mindfulness practice is the realization that you have a choice in every moment to react or not. To decide to impose your opinion or not. To choose peace instead of being right.

This transformation wasn’t quick and it certainly didn’t happen overnight. Instead, moment by moment, choice by choice, I slowly retrained myself. And found peace.

What is mindfulness?

Imagine you are sitting on the banks of a river, the water rushing by. You notice leaves floating on the surface of the water, and you watch them pass by. The water and leaves are your thoughts and feelings that you experience in any moment. Just as you watch the water and leaves flow by, you can also train yourself to watch your thoughts and feelings go by without engaging with them.

The key to mindfulness isn’t trying to stop the river or the leaves from moving past you - it’s about sitting on the river bank peacefully observing the flow. You become a River Watcher.

When trouble arises

Life moves in constant change and flux. That includes your mental state as well. Just like the river churning during a storm, you have experienced intense emotion or stress. Then, it becomes difficult to remain the observer and you may be swept away by the intensity of the experience.

During the winter, the river may freeze - similar to when you feel stuck or numb. But water continues to flow underneath the ice, just as your mental processes continue beneath the numbness.

Mindfulness helps you recognize that these states are temporary and can still be observered from the riverbank - your grounded awareness. As you become aware of your troubled state, intentional breathing and other mindfulness practices return you to your centered states.

Return to the river bank

When your mind is turbulent or you feel troubled, there are three mindfulness techniques that help focus on a different anchor of awareness:

* Five Senses Check-in

Take a quiet moment wherever you are and slowly notice:

* Something you can see (maybe the play of light on a wall)

* Something you can hear (perhaps distant traffic or birds)

* Something you can feel (the texture of your clothing or chair)

* Something you can smell (the air around you)

* Something you can taste (even just noting the current taste in your mouth) This grounds you in the present moment through sensory awareness.

* Three-Breath Reset

This can be done anywhere, anytime:

* First breath: Focus entirely on the physical sensation of breathing

* Second breath: Let your shoulders consciously relax

* Third breath: Notice your current emotional state without trying to change it This technique is particularly useful during stressful moments or transitions in your day.

* Walking Bells

During your regular walking (even just around your home or office):

* Choose a common sound in your environment (phone notifications, door closing, car honks).

* Every time you hear that sound, bring your attention to the sensation of your feet touching the ground for three steps.

* Then continue your normal activities This builds mindful moments into your day without requiring dedicated practice time.

The key with each technique is not to strive for a "perfect" practice, but rather to gently return your attention whenever it wanders.

The takeaway

As I learned to turn to mindfulness in my moments of stress, my inner calm became the foundation of my experience. I am more present and aware of my surroundings and my relationships. Social media no longer holds me captive, because life is so much more fun!

Please let me know your thoughts on this subject and whether you tried one of the mindfulness techniques mentioned.

To your peace,

Kathryn

P.S. Another calming activity is to use colored pencils or pens and color. Freedom to choose how you color opens the door to a deeper sense of self. That’s why I created The Sacred Feminine Journal and Soul Wave Container.

It’s a journal and a coloring book - all in one! It makes a great gift for that spiritual woman in your life. :-)