The Princess Who Works With Angels - Evelyn Princess Villaflor-Buendia

(This blog is 9th of a long series of profiles on friends and acquaintances I have met in my life journey. I invited them to share my spot because I believe in synergy, where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. We are parts of the whole, and together we are indeed great!)

(Photo courtesy of Tots Acebuche)

***

One very interesting thing about Evelyn Princess Villaflor-Buendia – or Princess - is her propensity to attract people – in hospitals, airports, shopping malls, and restaurants. These strangers open up to her about their lives and end up receiving angelic messages through her. The messages are always accurate, specific, and bring about healing and clarity to their hearers. This makes sense because Princess constantly receives divine fine-tuning of her gift of intuition and sensing of angels through years of study, training (with the guidance of Doreen and Charles Virtue), and meditation.

I met Princess a couple of years ago when I conducted an Angel workshop in Davao City, Philippines, through the introduction of fellow Lightworker Atho de la Cruz (April 26 blog). Since then, Princess and I have become soul sisters in shining our Light through different healing modalities. Princess and her husband Danny became my “godchildren” when they celebrated their 28th wedding anniversary just recently.

Princess reveals some of her valuable insights:

Life Work. I learned that God gave me all my experiences, talents, and learnings to prepare me for my higher mission in life. In the past, I always asked myself, “What’s my purpose for existing? What am I destined or commissioned to do by God?” Then, Danny got cancer. In desperation, I prayed to God to save him by using me, my talents, resources and abilities for the greater good. That's when I encountered the unfortunate state of children with cancer. Now, I am impassioned to use my Angel mission to uplift the lives of these children and their impoverished families. Lessons about Angeology, Angel Reiki, Access Bars Consciousness, A Course In Miracles, Aromatherapy and Indigo proved to be very valuable to me as an empathic, effective, and well-rounded life coach.

I would like to be remembered as a person who happily shared her time, talents, finances, and learnings to guide other people to have a more meaningful and Divinely-guided life.

Lessons and Wins. My parents’ love for each other and their being helpful to others have always made quite an impact in my life. I have always admired my Daddy Demetrio's multiple talents. He was a pianist, ukulele player, athlete, great cook, linguist, artist, and dancer. I admire most especially his being an extrovert and loyal friend. I am also proud of my Mommy Lulu's passion for voluntary services in church and her faithfulness and strength. These qualities are part of the values I lovingly impart to my children.

I survived a lot of major failures and challenges in life and the lessons which I learned from these challenging experiences became the basis of my empathy for people who come to me for advices and support. I love to help them understand their life through my angel guidance. I have great faith in God and I trust in His power and amazing Grace.

Role Models. I admire Mother Theresa of Calcutta for leaving her comfortable, rich life to serve the indigent children of her society and giving a powerful voice and representation for the underprivileged. I admire Oprah Winfrey for surviving her major ordeals. Rejections never hampered her to dream big and become one of the world's most influential persons. I would like to emulate her passion to share her bliss and help people find greater meaning in life. Another role model is Louise Hay - for standing strong amidst a life-threatening cancer and proving to everyone that positivity and love for oneself can effectively heal one’s life.

World Changes. I am so happy seeing that our generation right now is more into spirituality - needing to know the real essence of life, loving Mother Earth, choosing organic healthy alternatives, knowing our Divine purpose, and using the power of our thoughts in creating and attracting the life that we dream of. In becoming prepared and balanced throughout these changes, I am now into Naturopathy and Aromatherapy as alternative and complementary health regimens. I cultivate a positive outlook in life despite difficult challenges. I believe in God's saving grace and the wonders of having angels as allies. I am also understanding the effectiveness of Emotional Freedom Technique or Tapping, Aromatherapy, and Angel Reiki.

***

Princess encourages her family, friends, and followers to, “Dream Big, have Bigger Faith, and Believe in the Biggest Possibilities!”

Find Evelyn Princess Villaflor Buendia in Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram. (Her website is still to be launched.)

My Pen Pal - Arnel Mediran

(This blog is 8th of a long series of profiles on friends and acquaintances I have met in my life journey. I invited them to share my spot because I believe in synergy, where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. We are parts of the whole, and together we are indeed great!)

(Photo Credit in Arnel’s words: I think it was the old Mr. Topico who took this picture. He owns a studio there in Malolos, and he was our school photographer. His first name escapes me.
I'm the one looking up.)

***

Once upon a time, there was pen pal writing. It’s the thing you did with a pen and a sheet of paper, an envelope, a trip to the Post Office, and a stamp. You did it with a pal. I was into it in the early 80’s while finishing my degree in Literature and Broadcast Communication. My professor in English wrote for Jingle Music Magazine and she found my classmates and me several pen pals by posting our names in the mag’s pen pal column. My main purpose was to make friends with people who were reading the same magazine that catered to music lovers.

Those were thrilling times. I would wait for the postman to deliver my mails from all over the Philippines almost every other day. Being a snotty university student that I was, I filtered my correspondence. My pen pals had to have basic - if not advanced - skills in the English language, must ask unusual questions and think out of the box, must have a sense of humor, and must be intellectually titillating. My friends and I compiled letters from those who did not pass our standards and used those letters as entertainment during our down times. For the rest of our years in school and all the way to class reunions, we mercilessly made fun of all kinds of linguistic errors found in those letters. (We don’t do that anymore, having realized it’s a sin to judge!)

Anyway, one pal made his way to my heart and brain. He is Arnel Mediran, left-handed guitarist from Bulacan, engineering graduate from UP Diliman. In varying degrees of madness and weirdness, we traded written words about politics, culture, music, food, arts, people, school, travel, family, sex, money, and drugs. Nothing was taboo. For over two years, we sent each other long letters, audio tapes, photos, greeting cards, and silly stuff.

But I got married and had a child, and three more. We stopped writing. He got married and had a son. We each grew our own families, careers, and life goals.

And then, the Internet came and we found each other again (I cannot remember how). We chatted and video-called on Yahoo Messenger and emailed. It was fun again as we recalled the past. It was timely, too. Arnel saw me through that most difficult time of my life, made friends with my children, introduced me to Leo Ramos (see the first blog of this series), counseled me when I filed for annulment, and remained as my most steadfast, dependable male friend. We were intermittently, understandably, and comfortably quiet through the years as he himself also had to deal with his own challenges, as well as enjoy his wife, son, career, and music.

Now we are both more than 30 years older from when we first “pen-palled.” Ours was once a boy-girl-love nourished by handwritten-letters, now a man-woman-kinship supported by three decades of technology: from snail mail to email, from vinyl records to compact discs, from Friendster to Facebook. How many pen pals have endured this long? How many such friendships have grown comfortably and trustingly with the silence and the distance? Out there, how many inventions and revolutions have come and gone? How has the power of the written word evolved? How much of the world has changed?

A few weeks ago, I shot Arnel the same questions I asked others in this series. He has obviously become a man of few written words now, but his words are as wise and as spot-on as ever.

Dot: What do you think are the best positive lessons you learned from your parents that are valuable to you now as an adult?

Arnel: From Ina - a prayerful life. From Ama - "Working hands are the most beautiful hands."

Dot: How do you take care of yourself physically?

Arnel: I'd rather walk than ride.

Dot: Emotionally?

Arnel: Stress will get you nowhere.

Dot: Spiritually?

Arnel: Praying for others.

Dot: Mentally?

Arnel: Doing puzzles, math problems, and learning or playing guitar.

Dot: What beautiful changes are you seeing in the world now?

Arnel: Not much.

Dot: The "not much" means “nothing”?

Arnel: “Not much” means not really as beautiful as change should be.

Dot: Is there at least one beautiful change that you see?

Arnel: Connectivity? Technology? Climate change? He, he, he.

Dot: Ok. Can you tell me about your top three wins or successes in life?

Arnel: Raising a family; getting my only two (yes, only two!) compositions immortalized in hymn and stone; the third hasn't happened yet.

Dot: Who are your three or four role models, living or not, and why do you admire them?

Arnel: Stephen Curry for his unwavering faith; Tim Hawkins for his style of comedy; Eric Clapton for the blues.

Dot: What great spiritual or esoteric lessons have you learned as an adult?

Arnel: Only very recently: That we are only using our faith at 50% - when we are asking for something that is beyond our reach and efforts. The other 50%, the faith we need when asked to do something for others, is totally unknown to us.

Dot: What legacy or life work would you like to leave the world? Does this tie up with what you are focused on or advocating now?

Arnel: That I have done things to make other people's lives happier, more pleasant, and more musical. I don't have any advocacy since then. It tends to limit what you can do.

Dot: What motivates you to do what you do?

Arnel: LOVE. What else is there?

Dot: (Yeah.) What website would you like to include here?

Arnel: Nothing in particular. I don't have a favorite tambayan (hangout).

Dot: A website that you perhaps have?

Arnel: The Giant Roof Foundation (TGRF)* FB page…but we're just a bunch of seniors having a great time!

Dot: What else would you like to tell me?

Arnel: Does it have to be about me, or something about YOU?

Dot: About you, or whatever. Anything you want.

Arnel: You are TIMELESSNESS personified.

As DJ in a local radio station long before the advent of Spotify and YouTube, as clerk of court, music mentor, advocate for the marginalized, and whatever role he is currently serving, Arnel has indeed made many people’s lives happier, more pleasant, and more musical than ever. Mine included, on that day when he picked up his pen and decided to make me his pal.

***

*TGRF is an alumni-based, non-stock, non-profit organization of the Marcelo H. del Pilar High School Batch 1975. Its website says that its “primary goal is to empower the youth through vocational and technical education. It also aims to promote educational, social, and economic growth in the rural areas, assist high school youth through post-secondary educational enhancement to attain sufficiency and better employment chances locally and overseas. “ TGRF also provides awards and incentives to bright and deserving students through educational grants and scholarship programs. (http://thegiantroof.tripod.com)

I Explore Other Ways Of Being In That Zone With My God. – Jorvelyn Jaruda-Espinosa

(This blog is 7th of a long series of profiles on friends and acquaintances I have met in my life journey. I invited them to share my spot because I believe in synergy, where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. We are parts of the whole, and together we are indeed great!)

(Photo taken by Dr. Maia Montebon)

***

Jorvelyn, or Jorvy to friends, represents the energy of the powerful contemporary woman. Maintaining a balanced mind, body, and spirit in two cities in the Philippines, Jorvy is committed to the wellbeing of her family, herself, and her community. As stage performer, community leader, founder and owner of a Steiner school for young children, and wife of a coach for a national basketball team, Jorvy’s lifestyle mirrors her worldviews:

“The beautiful changes I am seeing in the world right now are the connections that have brought us all together to be in constant motion with one another from wherever we are. The world in general and its advancements have brought us all in that sphere where we can be aware of what's happening to all of us from all around the world. I am also seeing people who care a lot, people who go beyond pity and are actually compassionate.”

This connectedness is essential to Jorvy’s current advocacy on traffic education. She writes:

“Iloilo Road Safety Movement was initially known as Iloilo City Traffic Education Advocacy Movement, a group on Facebook. At the outset, the name spoke for itself. The group was zeroed-in on traffic education as a way to solve traffic problems in Iloilo City. The current problems on road safety besetting the country in general can actually be pinpointed to one overarching gap - lack of education in traffic and road rules and regulations. This lack of education translates to a lack of discipline. Both pedestrians and drivers just do not know how to traverse the roads, share them, what to make of road signs and symbols, if there was any, resulting in chaos, road rages, accidents, and death. Not to belittle the government's efforts in handling the traffic crisis that we are in, but more often than not, government officials have to deal with bureaucracy and can be waylaid from their plans and solutions. This is where the private sector comes in. We see the problem, we are frustrated, and we offer to be a part of the solution. Gone are the days of just ranting and complaining and blaming it on everyone. We rise and take up arms, so to speak.

Slowly but surely, the FB group attracted people from all over the city - professionals who have been indirectly working to solve the crisis in their different capacities. We have urban planners, professors, architects, members of the media, doctors, lawyers, teachers, and other Ilonggos who share the same passion and end-goal as we have - road safety.”

From where one stands, so one sees. Because Jorvy is seeing caring and compassionate people, it stands to reason that she acquired this perspective from significant people. One such person is Injap Sia, her cousin. Says Jorvy:

“Injap Sia’s success is no secret to everyone here in the Philippines. I have known him since birth and if there’s one thing that is truly admirable about Injap is that he’s a risk-taker – the true mark of an entrepreneur. He’s not afraid to try out new things and if his gut feeling tells him to go for it, he goes for it. He thinks out of the box and pursues ‘crazy ideas’ as the start of a great idea.”

Another is Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis. “It’s hard to choose a woman inspiration because I do have a lot especially from the royalty of England. I have always been fascinated with princesses and how they can maintain composure and grace amid pressure. But Jackie O was different. She spoke her mind. She was intelligent. She was ahead of her time and didn’t succumb to pressure from the public as to how she should live her life. She was the epitome of beauty and brains, with a very good fashion sense.”

Jorvy’s parents are of course her most influential models.

“I learned from my mother to always find the time to be with your loved ones. She's the epitome of being there in all our special occasions since day one. She will never miss it. She will drop everything for her children. She was like that to all my siblings and myself. No special treatments. And even when I was married and my husband Wewin couldn't make it to my postgraduate graduation, she was there from start to finish and endured the summer heat just to lend support.

Tatay also ingrained in us to love one another as brothers and sisters, to be there for each other, and to take care of the family name. And I learned from my father to value hard work. He has a strong sense of work ethics that he tried to instill in all of us. Although not all of us in the family ventured into the same family business, the one that he grew since he started a family (construction industry), he still had that overarching influence in all of us in our chosen field of endeavor.”

Jorvy’s chosen field of endeavor is Maya Playgarden. She explains that, “learning the life and works of Rudolf Steiner after I was married has opened my mind to a lot of things. It has showed me a way how to raise my own child even before I had one. And not only was I able to raise my child under the Steiner impulse; I was able to educate more parents to raise their children the Steiner way as well through the birth of Maya Playgarden. Steiner’s teaching has opened my heart and soul to a different kind of ‘teaching.’ It all stems from love. Everything that we do is based on that love. We should always consider the paramount interests of the children, that we should guide them and nurture their growing up years, and make sure that theirs is a childhood worth remembering, filled with fun, good thoughts, and acceptance for what they are and what they can do. No harsh expectations. No rush. In time, they will be ready for more challenges and it is but our firm belief that they will grow up confident to take on those challenges under their own terms. The best lesson that I have learned from Steiner is actually from one of his famous quotes: ‘Accept the child with gratitude, teach the child with love, send forth the child in freedom.’”

Maya Playgarden is just one of Jorvy’s many successes in life. The top two are “marrying the man I love and being blessed with a child.”

How does she take care of herself in the midst of her busyness?

“I take care of myself quite well especially now that I am in my peri-menopause stage. I have been exhibiting some menopausal symptoms, causing my hormones to go haywire. I visited a psychiatrist when I couldn't pinpoint what's really happening with me. I followed her advice, read books on menopause, consulted with obstetricians/gynecologists, and have since complemented my physical exercises to address my emotional needs. Physically, I do regular yoga practice (Ashtanga/Vinyasa) and Zumba. Lately, I have added Muay Thai in my repertoire. If I have the opportunity, I dabble in new things and check them out, like the Aerial Silk; it was mind-boggling and worked up some of my muscle groups that were asleep for a long time. So, no meds save for some vitamins that the doctor prescribed, like fish oil. I drink tea to calm my nerves. What a simple delight it is to just be able to sleep well through the night.

I still keep my mind working by constantly reading. I always bring a book with me wherever I go. I also keep a journal so I always write down thoughts. I sometimes feel I have a very overactive mind and I need a place to contain it. I am also quite religious in my Catholic faith, having served two parish churches in different capacities. I write articles for Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage (La Paz) and I sing in a choir at Our Lady of China (Santa Maria). My being religious has helped in my spiritual journey because I grow with the faith. I also have a keen interest in Zen Buddhism, so I transcend religions, so to speak, and explore other ways of being in that zone with my God.”

What would be Jorvy’s encouragement to her family and friends?

“If you want something, go for it and don't be afraid of failure. I've had so many failures in life but I am still here, alive and working on my dreams coming true. They may or may not come true in this lifetime but I just want to put them out there anyway. I just want to try and see. No harm done. I hope that I have made a significant difference in people's lives. I pray that because of that significant difference, the world will be a better place after I am gone.”

Very well-said, Mrs. Jorvelyn Jaruda-Espinosa.

More of Jorvy’s thoughts can be found in her blog and websites, http://geishaincarnate.blogspot.com/ and facebook.com/MayaPlaygarden.

Zen Speak: Attend to Your Mind Day by Day – Sam Prudente

(This blog is sixth of a long series of profiles on friends and acquaintances I have met in my life journey. I invited them to share my spot because I believe in synergy, where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. We are parts of the whole, and together we are indeed great!)

***

Sam and I have roots in the Asian continent where the verities of life seem constantly juxtaposed with the illusions of lack, corruption, and greed. We left our friends in the Philippines, not for dollar-greener pasture, but for Love. In other words, when we flew out of our homeland, it was not because we were impoverished and corrupted; rather, we took our flights with healed hearts and open minds, ready to apply our life lessons onto our Western contexts.

This Easter, my aweSAM friend came to visit me in Las Vegas. Together, we explored the opulence of the glamorous casinos and the barrenness/bareness of the arid desert. We drove against strong winds up the mountains and across the vast valley. We zigzagged through The Strip and through the Joshua Tree Forest to Grand Canyon in Arizona. In these contrasting environments, Sam and I reaffirmed our views of the richness of all of life as well as its meaningful nothingness. Dualities in Oneness. One Mind in Dualism.

Let me share with you some of Sam’s worldviews.

Me: What do you think are the best positive lessons you learned from your parents that are valuable to you now as an adult?

Sam: From my mother, I learned courage. To push boundaries and never accept any given situation as one's definitive status in life. From my father, I learned the soft skills of humor and also leadership as service.

Me: How do you take care of yourself?

Sam: I take care of myself physically by walking, going to the gym, doing core and aerobic exercises. Emotionally, especially at work, my Zen meditations and framework help me engage with compassion. My inherited spiritual tradition of the Roman Catholic faith is a constant source of imagery, while my Soto Rinzai Zen path provides me the grounding and distance to elevate my view of life. Mentally, the exercises of meditation ease over-thinking.

Me: What beautiful changes are you seeing in the world now?

Sam: The realization that Resistance is futile, as it only serves to strengthen opposition; that growth is inevitable because of change; and that our true nature reflects an unbounded potentiality for iterations and growth.

Me: What are your top 3 wins/successes in life?

Sam: Persisting in Love, Acting with Courage, and Lifelong learning.

Me: Who are your 3 or 4 role models?

Sam: The Christ. Our Father. The Buddha, whom I kill. The Essential Self.

Me: What great spiritual or esoteric lessons have you learned as an adult?

Sam: The attended mind deserves more attention than the worries of the world.

Me: What legacy / life work would you like to leave the world?

Sam: To document in writing, theater and film the immigrant experience of the "invisible" Asians in the US: the Filipino...in the time of Duterte & Trump

Me: What is your current focus and your motivation to do that?

Sam: Self care is World Love. Resistance is futile. My motivation: strengthening capacities strengthens agency.

Me: Any encouragement to your friends and family?

Sam: The persistence of your heart is greater than the persistence of your fear. The deepest stories coming from our "Why" reveal the greatest source of our power as individuals. Persist in knowing yourself by attending to your mind day by day, and you will uncover ever-deepening realizations of your purpose in life.

To the Grand Canyon, Sam offered a poem. Here it is:

water

In some places in the world, there exist still, unmoving ponds. They exist to collect water, and detritus, the water blaming itself for having fallen into its situation, the pond smiling to itself knowing its purpose is fulfilled...But water has a way of seeping out, seeping into things, slowly, inexorably, through capillary action; it will seek its own level. Be the water you are meant to be, roar over cliffs and plunge headlong into torrents, roar like the surf and swell like the tides...no pond will ever contain you, and when you leave, a trench as grand as a canyon will reveal the truth of what had tried to contain you...and all will marvel at how long it took, how patient, and how much Love, oh, so much Love!!!

***

(Follow Sam Prudente on Facebook to get to know him better.)

Teeth Are Expressions of Consciousness - Leslie van Oostenbrugge

(This blog is fifth of a long series of profiles on friends and acquaintances I have met in my life journey. I invited them to share my spot because I believe in synergy, where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. We are parts of the whole, and together we are indeed great!)

(Photo credit: Keij Sluijk, Leslie’s daughter)

***

Leslie van Oostenbrugge, a.k.a. The Awakening Dentist, is another dear friend I met on Hay House Summit 2014 FB page. Leslie is the owner of a dental practice in Amsterdam, with about 3,000 clients and growing. She is currently writing Drilling Into My Emotions, a book that interestingly delves deep into the connection between consciousness and teeth. Her in-depth understanding of the physical and spiritual nature of teeth is so comprehensive that I truly believe she is the Louise Hay of dental health.

I asked Leslie the same questions that I asked other friends in my previous blogs, and here are her answers, along with other gems I culled from her writings.

“I am a holistic dentist…and a physical therapist. I know when something isn't going quite right for someone in his or her life. I ‘read’ the gums so to say… I know why people (better) miss a tooth or a molar! Hmm… terrific, right? On one hand, I care a 100% of each 1/1000th inch of your divine enamel. On the other hand I understand that you better get rid of the tooth. Why? You name it: because of *bad relationships *pushing life *not forgiving parents *Resistance (capital ‘R’) *FEAR (all capitals) *money *jobs *family *not releasing whatever. I can go on with this list. ‘You Can Heal Your Teeth’ could easily be a chapter of Louise Hay’s book You Can Heal Your Life!”

“Many doctors and dentists give terrific insights on bodily issues caused by the mind. As a DDS, MSc, I know this is also true for the teeth and gums; in fact, the total oral cavity… Extremely many diseases start in the mind! They can appear through the gums, teeth, molars and also through the muscles of the jaw. Stress can express itself through muscle tension and gum disease.”

“My top three successes are my amazing mind (!), my thriving dental practice, and I also started to enter the writer's world! I would like to leave the world my amazing upcoming book. It shares insights of how teeth are expressions of consciousness! I see many, many clients with no self love at all. They have a very negative image of their teeth. Because of this, they do not treat their teeth well. Bacteria will grow and oral diseases are born.”

“Many treatments are over-treatments. The body can fix itself. We don’t need a lot of stuff pushed in our mouths by a dentist because the dentist thinks we feel or function better in having that stuff. Change your life and you will have no more dental decay! It is that simple, really. I might talk myself out of my job but this is what I believe in. I have shown it to my clients!”

Asked what great spiritual or esoteric lessons she has learned as an adult, Leslie said, “Be your Self! You are good as you are! You come from Source and will return there. In the meantime: choose the right mind. When you have finally started to love yourself, you are able to make a better life.” Being an athlete herself who works out a lot, Leslie also tells everyone to be physically active. Her other self-care practices are reading, and crying, if she has to.

Certainly, one beautiful change that Leslie is seeing in the world now is “people choosing Love.” Having Jesus as her role model, she encourages her friends and family to “start reading or learning about A Course in Miracles and the Law of Attraction.” In her book, she states that, “If people could choose to look through the eyes of Source or the eyes of Love, they would feel so different. Please look through the eyes of Source or Love when talking about, looking at, brushing, smiling with, grinding, and ‘soft-picking’ your … T E E T H!”

Love does prevent tooth decay! That being said, I encourage everyone to watch out for Leslie’s book Drilling Into My Emotions. In the meantime, let her wit and wisdom bedazzle you in her Facebook page, Leslie van Oostenbrugge, the awakeningdentist and in Instagram, @theawakeningdentist.

The Most Important Relationship I Have Is with Myself. – Manpreet Komal

(This blog is fourth of a long series of profiles on friends and acquaintances I have met in my life journey. I invited them to share my spot because I believe in synergy, where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. We are parts of the whole, and together we are indeed great!)

***

I first met Manpreet Komal in the Hay House Summit 2014 Facebook Group. One of our interactions that struck me as very relevant was after she posted her short but pointed comment on Fifty Shades of Grey. Manpreet said it’s a book with “abuse, sexual, and emotional acceptance of violence all over.” She also said, “There needs to be a new book – Fifty Shades of Light!” She agreed with me when I said that sex should be given back its sacred status. I intended to write a review of the book, but never got around to it. Meanwhile, as we went our separate ways in living our lives, I continued to witness online Manpreet’s inner and outer works as Breakthrough Shadow Coach, Choreographer, and Writer. She did write about her own LIGHT, and I saw her Light shining brightly! It also seemed that the theme of SELF was steadfast in Manpreet’s work. In my understanding, it is her Self IN God or God IN her Self that brings about self-respect, self-healing, and self-transformation, and thus radiates and reverberates outwardly.

Me: What do you think are the best positive lessons you learned from your parents that are valuable to you now as an adult?
MK: My mother, Charan Jit, teaches me to be resilient and that I have the inner strength to overcome anything life throws at me. She teaches me that a woman can be all encompassing - kind, gentle, strong, and powerful. My gift of writing and speaking to serve the world comes from my father, Ajit Singh Komal, and my grandfather, Kartar Singh Garib. Both these men have a legacy of helping communities, writing devotional poetry, and stories that come from the Gurus of Sikh Religion. They are highly respected for that by and within the Sikh community and many Gurudwaras (literally meaning, “God’s doors” but plainly, Sikh Temples). My father’s dedication to God is one of the reasons I am alive today. I changed my name to his last name “Komal” at a young age as I too wanted to take on a poetic last name and be like him.

Me: What great spiritual or esoteric lessons have you learned as an adult?
MK: To accept myself the way I am. The most important relationship I have is with myself.

Me: And your top three successes in life?
MK: Forgiving my husband, not being a victim to my health, and changing the pattern that was unconsciously driving me to be rescued by a man.

Me: How do you take care of yourself?
MK: I exercise, I stretch, I practice shadow work, I get help when I need help. I question my pain and difficult emotions and transform them through tools I have learned from shadow work. I ask God to step in all difficult conversations. I pray, light candles, and recite mantras. I aim to be a better person to respect myself more and not for others.

Me: What beautiful changes are you seeing in the world now?
MK: I think there are a lot of beautiful spiritual leaders shining their light and we have hit the next set of conscious evolution. My role models are Kelley Kosow - Leader of Ford Institute; Mark Matousek - International Best Selling Author, speaker, and retreat leader; and Nancy Levin – speaker and author.

Me: These questions are related: What is your current focus? What legacy would you like to leave the world? What is your encouragement to your friends and family?
MK: My current focus is healing myself to the next level and being in the best relationship with myself. What motivates me in doing that is to see my own family members and husband transform in front of me. As I heal and step up in my inner strength of accepting all the dirty, shameful parts of me including the bright, shiny parts of me, I am able to support those I love to do the same. And when they start accepting me and their own self in the new light, I am able to see how many other people I can support, including myself, at deeper levels. If I can heal, transform, and step into my power, they, too, can do that. The legacy I leave would be my Facebook pages, my books, my stories, my YouTube videos, podcasts, speeches, and hopefully a billion more-people content with themselves…and a loving and kind family. My encouragement to my family and friends is to do the shadow work.

***

Manpreet’s inspiring life story is featured in two best-selling international books, 365 Life Shifts and HALO: Lighting Up Heaven On Earth. She is waiting to publish another book. She can be found at www.manpreetkomal.org and Facebook www.facebook.com/lovethebeautifulmind