Everyday Life Spirituality

At one time or another, we all face obstacles, setbacks, and failures. Whenever we make changes in our life or embark on a new venture, we meet resistance from outside sources and from within ourselves. When our plans go awry, the human tendency is to react with fear, despair, or anger. We are angry with ourselves for our perceived failure, with other people for getting in our way, or with God for letting us down. This episode will give you another perspective on your setbacks and suggest positive action to help you push through them.

The music for this episode is “Hymn Triumphant” by Lydia Ferrell. Find and purchase Lydia's music at the link in the list below.

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Why are some people able to accomplish so much good and elevate their souls to great heights, while others become bitter and disillusioned? The difference is in their motivation. To God, only the heart’s true intention is important. In this episode, we'll explore how to do a deep dive into our own motivations so we can become better channels of God's Light and love, without being driven by selfish and ulterior intentions.

Are you looking for guidance and direction in your life? A deeper connection with God? Are you ready for a life-changing experience?  In this episode, I share how I invited the Holy Spirit into my life and experienced the transformative power of His presence, and how you, too, can cultivate a relationship with the Spirit, allowing Him to touch your life in ways you never imagined, through His powerful wisdom, guidance and great love. Let the Holy Spirit be your companion on life’s journey; He is the best friend you’ll ever have!

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Are you feeling stuck in your life? Are you uncertain about your future goals and how to keep growing? If you're struggling with feelings of stagnation, it's essential to address them as soon as possible. In this episode, we'll share practical tips and strategies to help you overcome this condition, feel more useful, productive, and fulfilled in your life. Don't let stagnation lead to depression - tune in now to learn how to break out of your rut and start living your best life! Check out the related episodes listed below for more helpful content.

The music for this episode is "Soliloquy" by Lydia Ferrell, used with permission. See link below to find and purchase Lydia's music.

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RELATED EPISODES MENTIONED IN THIS SHOW:

How do you forgive someone who's hurt you? Forgiveness is an integral part of living a spiritually mature life, yet it is a complex and distressing issue for many of us -- Christian and non-Christian alike. This two-part series will explore how to forgive and present clear steps to help us in the process of forgiveness.

The next two episodes will focus on St. Bernadette Soubirous, the visionary who saw the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Lourdes, France on February 1858 and subsequently brought forth the miraculous spring that brings comfort and healing – sometimes miraculous ones – to the millions of people who visit the shrine each year, Catholic and non-Catholic alike. We will explore her spirituality, and why she has been called "saint of simplicity" and one of "the most secretive of all the saints."

If you are interested in learning more about the canonization process, the miraculous healings at Lourdes, or other aspects of St. Bernadette or Our Lady of Lourdes, I have included some links below for your convenience. There also are many other resources available, online and otherwise, where you can obtain more information.

This episode and previous one are focused on St. Bernadette Soubirous She is the visionary who saw the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Lourdes, France in February 1858, and who subsequently brought forth the miraculous spring that brings comfort and healings – sometimes miraculous ones – to the millions of people who visit the shrine each year, Catholic and non-Catholic alike. We'll explore her spirituality, and why she has been called "saint of simplicity" and considered one of "the most secretive of all the saints." If you are interested in learning more about the canonization process, the miraculous healings at Lourdes, or other aspects of St. Bernadette or Our Lady of Lourdes, I have included some links below for your convenience. There also are many other resources available, online and otherwise, where you can obtain more information.

This episode is dedicated to the memory of my mother, Anna, for Divine Mercy Sunday,  April 16, 2023 (Divine Mercy Sunday is celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church on the first Sunday after Easter).

So, you’ve decided on the goals you want to achieve in order to transform your life into something more closely resembling your ideal. You’re very excited and want to share your goals with others, seeking their support and encouragement. But should you rush out and broadcast your precious ambitions to everyone you know? This is a complicated issue and a personal decision. So keep listening as we explore some points to consider carefully before you decide!

Please note that in many of these episodes, I use the word “God,” because this is what fits in with my personal beliefs. But please use any name for Divine Power with which you feel comfortable. What you call this Power will depend on your own belief system. I also use the pronoun "Him" when referring to God, only to make the words flow better. But being pure spirit, God's Divine nature is, of course, both male and female.

When life gets tough, it's hard to believe that anything good can come from the present bad situation. In his Letter to the early Christians, St. James encourages them, “Consider it all joy." But how can we find joy in the midst of adversity? How can we develop the resiliency to overcome adversity? In this audio blog episode, we will explore how to change our perspective on our struggles and discover the blessings that might be hidden in the rough patches of life. Included is a prayer for strength in adversity.

The music for this episode is “C# Minor Nocturne” by Frederic Chopin, performed by Ilya Esipov and licensed from Adobe Stock Audio.

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Do you sometimes feel lost and confused about what direction to take in your life? 

Some years ago, I was facing a lot of changes and adjustments, as well as new opportunities and possibilities (including a new job). Naturally, I was feeling excited yet stressed, encouraged yet confused. I was praying about all of it, of course, but still felt somewhat overwhelmed. So I asked for a sign to help me know what direction to take with some of my goals. In this episode, I will share the dream and inspirational message I received in answer to this prayer, in the hopes that it will encourage you.

Please note that in many of these episodes, I use the word “God,” because this is what fits in with my personal beliefs. But please use any name for Divine Power with which you feel comfortable. What you call this Power will depend on your own belief system. I also use the male pronoun when referring to God, only to make the words flow better. But being pure spirit, God's Divine nature is, of course, both male and female.

Please subscribe to and follow this channel wherever you listen to your podcasts, and please tell your friends about it! You also can leave a review on Apple Podcasts. The music for this episode is “November Afternoon” by Lydia Ferrell, used with permission. (The link to find and purchase Lydia’s music is listed below.)

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For many of us, patience is one of the hardest virtues to practice. Our prayer might be, "God, please give me patience -- right now!"  In this episode, we’ll explore 7 ways to become more patient.

The music for this episode is Nocturne, Opus 9, No. 1  by Frederic Chopin, performed by Matvey Yesipoff, and licensed from Adobe Stock Audio.

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In this episode, I’ll be sharing with you a simple meditation exercise to help you manifest your goals for Your Ideal Life, once you have determined what they are. The best way to utilize this meditation is to listen to it all the way through once, to familiarize yourself with it. Then, if you’d like to use this episode as a guided meditation, simply pause it after each step, until you are ready to proceed to the next one.

To participate in this week's exercise, you will need the list you created from the a previous episode, “Your Ideal Life.” This list will describe every aspect of your Ideal Life. For instance, where you would live, who you'd be with, your job or career, places you'd like to visit, your achievements, etc. If you don't have such a list, please listen to the episode titled, “Your Ideal Life,” which will prompt you with some questions to create it. I think you’ll find the various suggestions helpful and best of all, a lot of fun to do!

In the last episode, we talked about how to imagine the way you would like your life to be if you had no restrictions or limitations. This week we’re going to take the first step in the plan to transform those dreams into achievable goals, by creating a visual representation of Your Ideal Life. To participate in this week's exercise, you will need the list you created from the last episode, describing every aspect of your Ideal Life. For instance, where you would live, who you'd be with, your job or career, places you'd like to visit, your achievements, etc. If you don't have such a list, please listen to the last episode, “Your Ideal Life,” which will prompt you with some questions to create it. I think you’ll find the various suggestions helpful and best of all, a lot of fun to do!

As we welcomed in the new year, many people were making resolutions, but by now, less than two months later, many of these resolutions already have been abandoned. I prefer to set goals rather than make a laundry list of “should do’s” that I probably will give up after a couple of weeks because they are just so dull, tedious and uninspiring! I promise you that the exercise I’m suggesting in this episode will be a lot of fun, and you’ll probably really enjoy doing it!

Doubt is an integral part of our human condition. No one escapes it, not even the greatest saints and spiritual masters. So how do we deal with times of doubt? It cannot be conquered by trying to get proof of God’s reality. Nor is it helpful trying to force yourself to never have any doubts. This episode will help you to have a different perspective on doubt by seeing it as a potentially valuable and powerful tool, not as a curse.

Please subscribe to and follow this podcast and tell your friends about it. The music for this episode is “String Theory” by Lydia Ferrell, used with permission. You can find and purchase Lydia’s music by clicking the link listed below.

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How do we stay positive when everything around us is negative? The last two episodes focused on becoming aware of our thoughts and feelings, releasing the negative and focusing on the positive, so that we can discover our true heart’s yearnings. Now it’s time to address something that, although unpleasant, is often part of the journey towards changing our thought patterns and fulfilling our goals.  Namely, when people, events and circumstances seem to be conspiring against us, causing us to become discouraged and give up on our resolve to stay positive and determined? This episode is based on some of my personal experiences, in the hope that it will help you when you encounter something similar.

Please subscribe and follow this channel and share it with people you think might enjoy and benefit from it. The music for this episode is “Darkstar” by Lydia Ferrell. The link to find and purchase Lydia’s music is listed below.

The last two episodes, "Time to Wake Up," and “Identifying Habitual Thought Patterns," addressed the subject of negative thinking and how it can set us up for failure at what we want to be, do, or have in life. It can keep attracting the same bad situations and adversely affect how we act and react to the world around us. We explored a number of common negative thoughts, so that we could identify the areas in which we seem to have the most trouble. In this way, we are “waking up” spiritually and mentally, by recognizing the numerous negative thoughts we have on a daily basis.  For the quiz, please listen to the previous episode, “Identifying Habitual Thought Patterns,” or visit my blog, Everydaylifespirituality.com for a written list.

Today’s episode, “Releasing Negative Thoughts & Emotions,” will explore in simple steps how to begin to change your circumstances for the better, and how to cooperate with our Creator to bring more joy, peace and abundance into your life.

Please subscribe and follow this channel and share it with people you think might enjoy or benefit from it.

The music for this episode is “Waltz” by Lydia Ferrell. You can find and purchase Lydia’s music by clicking the link listed below.

Please subscribe and follow this channel and share it with people you think might enjoy or benefit from it.

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The previous episode, "Time to Wake Up," addressed how what we think consciously and believe subconsciously affects how we act and react to the world around us, and how our thoughts can directly influence our future. So it is important that we first identify our habitual thought patterns, to see which ones are serving us and which might be holding us back from achieving the sort of life we would like to have. Today’s episode will provide some guidance in helping you discover your own habitual thought patterns.

Please subscribe and follow this channel and share it with people you think might enjoy or benefit from it.

The music for this episode is “Etude in D-Minor” by Lydia Ferrell. You can find and purchase Lydia’s music at the link below:

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THIS EPISODE BEGINS SEASON 2. 

How do you help shape your life and your future? You do it through the thoughts and feelings that you hold in your mind consistently over a period of time. What we think consciously and believe subconsciously influences how we act and react to the world around us. It sends out a signal that in turn has an effect on other people, drawing those of like mind to us. This episode will explore this concept and how we can develop a greater awareness of our own habitual thought patterns and how they can affect our lives.

The music for this episode is Etude in D-Minor by Lydia Ferrell.  Find and purchase Lydia's music at the link in the list below.

Please subscribe and follow this channel and share it with people you think might enjoy or benefit from it.

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God's peace and presence must be found in our hearts and souls; it is not dependent on anything external. This means we need to seek solitude and quiet, ideally on a regular basis. Our minds and souls need this interlude away from noise, confusion, interruptions, and the many demands of modern life with its overload of information and dependence on electronic devices. We need to disconnect from our devices for a period of time each day, take a break from work, from TV, video games, social media and other diversions, and spend some quiet time with God in prayer and meditation. But for some people, it can be very difficult to find a few quiet minutes of uninterrupted solitude. This episode will share some tips to help you find God’s peace in the midst of your busy life.

During these troubled times, we are naturally concerned about our own country and the world. We wonder what we possibly can do to stay hopeful and do our part to help. Excessive grief, fear and anxiety about the world's troubles will keep us from functioning effectively. It's important to maintain the right perspective. In this episode, we will explore how we can stay hopeful and calm despite what is happening in the world.

Many of us find it easier to be generous with our money than with our gifts and talents. Giving of ourselves feels frightening and risky. We lack confidence in our ability. In part two of this series, we worked on determining your own unique gifts and talents and explored some possible ways to use and share them. In this, our final episode of the series, "7 Steps to Sharing Talents - Part 3," we will tackle problems with confidence, insecurity, and perceived limitations. 

Many of us find it easier to be generous with our money than with our gifts and talents. Giving of ourselves feels frightening and risky. We lack confidence in our ability. In this series, we'll explore seven steps for determining your gifts and the best way to use them. The first episode, Part 1 of this three-part series, explored some of the benefits of sharing our talents and gifts and outlined the first two steps, which were praying for guidance and staying open to whatever answers you receive.  In this episode, "7 Steps to Sharing Talents - Part 2, we will cover steps 3 & 4, which will help you in determining your unique talents and possible ways to share them with others. 

Many of us find it easier to be generous with our money than with our time and talents. Giving of ourselves feels frightening and risky. We lack confidence in our ability. In this series, we'll explore seven steps for determining your gifts and the best way to use them. In this episode, "7 Steps for Sharing Your Talents & Gifts - Part 1" we will cover steps 1 & 2, which are important preparation steps.

Music: "Dawn of a New Day" by Lydia Ferrell, used with permission. You can find and purchase Lydia's music by clicking the link in the list below.

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Hi there. I'm Rose. Welcome to Everyday Life Spirituality, inspiration for living each day to the fullest! In this audio blog, I share what I have learned over the years through decades of my own spiritual searching. My writing (under another name) has appeared in various spiritual books and publications, and besides writing, my areas of interest and study include art, public speaking, acting, Law of Attraction, and Christian Counseling.

Although I am a Catholic Christian, I try to write from a perspective that does not exclude people of other religions, or those who believe in a Higher Power but are not affiliated with any particular faith. I believe that by keeping an open mind and heart, we all can learn from each other, regardless of our religious affiliation (or lack thereof). We "spiritual searchers" are just ordinary people who want to know how to relate our faith and spirituality to everyday life, live our dreams, and fulfill our destiny according to God's plan.

Through this podcast, my mission is to provide hope, inspiration, and motivation to those who, like me, are striving to lead a good and productive life. I want to encourage you to stay true to your High Ideals, while effectively coping with the stresses and problems of everyday living. Most of all, my sincere wish is to reassure you that you are never alone -- that God and God's helpers in the spiritual realm are always nearby to assist you and will never abandon you!