Boundaries

We usually set up boundaries to keep other people out. Or animals, ex-boyfriends, or zombies.

Our boundaries sometimes look like country lines, steel gates, and screen doors. They look like ID cards, passwords, uniforms, organizational labels, religious jargon. They also take on the forms of silence, distance, and indifference.

We keep other people out because they're not like us and they might attack us with their guns or pamphlets, with contrasting ideas that they peddle, with behaviors that they display. In their 'attack,' we believe in our vulnerability.

In setting up boundaries, we like to believe we safely keep Darkness out.

But in setting up fear-based boundaries, we also box ourselves in and keep our Light to ourselves. Within our boundaries, we keep Light from entering.

Would we not rather tune in and listen to God, the Voice Within, the Holy Spirit, our Inner Guidance for perfect direction? Like celestial beings, we are guided to stay within Divine gravitational boundary so that as we spin round and round in this thing called Life, we remain in orbit.

We remain in orbit not because we fear or disdain other stars but because it is our place in the universe. Our orbit is our direction, our boundary. Such a boundary is not set up in fear or in separation, but in celestial order.

When the 'time' comes for us to 'leave,' then we receive the Go signal to implode, or explode into heavenly smithereens, or collide with other stars to transform into... bright StarLights!

So when we tune in to God, we will not need to build human boundaries out of fear. God will set up Divine boundaries to keep us in His orbit while Life Lessons are ongoing - a soft 'no,' a sudden 'stop!'... a hushed 'not yet.'

Boundaries will disappear when the Lessons shall have been learned.

And then Light is upon us, and we Light up the world.

(Reflections on ACIM Workbook Lesson 69, Matthew 5:14-16, John 8:12)

Loving My Country: A Mindset of Conscious Living - Marirose Cacho

(This blog is 13th 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 by Boy de la Peña)

Here is a confession: Before I came face-to-face with Marirose Cacho in a transformational workshop in 2007 in Iloilo, I had heard unfavorable things about her. Being a person of stature in the city, she was undoubtedly subject to public scrutiny. However, I was so deep in my own messy marital quagmire at that time to pay any serious heed to the hearsays. I am glad I bypassed the gossip: Marirose and I turned out to have similarities in our situations, and I personally experienced her to be one of the sweetest, most vulnerable and yet most courageous and authentic women I have ever met. Our relationship since that meeting, although irregular, has been of intimate spiritual sisterhood through our support group, Fastrack.

Here is my attempt to know more about her, and to share her strengths with my readers.

***

Dot: Please tell me a little bit about yourself and your passion or advocacy. What motivates you to pursue your advocacy?

Rose: What motivates me is my love for country. I believe I was gifted with love for country from the time I was born. I learned in Gawad Kalinga* that to love one’s country, one also has to care for the poor and it’s not about funding alone. It’s not about charity. It’s about being involved. It’s about a lifestyle change. It’s about being present. I’m a seven (7) in the Enneagram** so there’s a struggle for continuity of the programs for the poor since I enjoy my party time. I kinda balance it out with spurts of short trips out of Iloilo into places I haven’t been to. I love promoting the different parts of the country. I believe that loving one’s country is a mindset of conscious living like buying Filipino products, promoting the country, not littering, caring for the poor, greening, etc. Great countries like Japan depend greatly on the actions of their citizenry, how responsible they are, how aware they are that their country depends on them and not the government alone.

(*Gawad Kalinga means “to give care” in Filipino. It is a Philippine poverty-alleviation and nation-building movement whose mission is to end poverty for five million families by 2014.)

(**The Enneagram is a model of the human psyche which is taught as nine interconnected personality types. A type 7 is extroverted, optimistic, versatile, playful, and spontaneous, and can have problems with impatience and impulsiveness.)
Dot: So far, what great spiritual or esoteric lessons have you learned?

Rose: Staying still or meditating is extremely important. I’m action-orientated so I struggle to keep "still." Zen meditation is one of the best practices I’ve gotten into, although I’m pretty delinquent at it. It has shown me and made me feel the greatness of God’s love by actually just sitting. Everything is just here. I still practice my Catholic faith because it keeps my equilibrium. It’s the religion I grew up with. It’s the religion that taught me first to love God, country, family, etc., but spirituality is far more than religion. I miss Fastrack a lot. That’s the inner circle I belong to. Zen and Fastrack have taught me so much outside the box. My purpose became clearer with this. I still have much to learn being a 7 (in the Enneagram), although I’m far from being shallow. I need a group to remind me of staying still.

Dot: What do you think are the best positive lessons you learned from your parents that you want to pass on to your children?

Rose: From my father: integrity, compassion, honesty, frugality, hard work, love for God, fairness, and consistency. From my mother: keeping the family close, a beautiful home, good taste.

Dot: Can you tell me about your top three wins in life? Have they something to do with your lessons?

Rose: My first win is Gawad Kalinga (GK). It’s about consistency, love for God and country, compassion, and responsibility (also a lesson I got from my father). Second, it’s handling money and small businesses. This win is about frugality, simplicity, integrity, and hard work. My third win is having a beautiful home and good children. These are about good housekeeping methods, fairness, compassion, and keeping the family close together.

Dot: And your role models? What makes them your role models?

Rose: My father. I guess the lessons say it all. My siblings and I are quite steadfast, simple, "homing pigeons," and hardworking because of him. I learned social responsibility from him. GK founder Tony Meloto is my next role model. He is tireless and relentless in finding solutions and innovations to give back dignity to the poor and to country. There’s also GK Executive Director and my boss Luis Oquiñena. I admire his simplicity, dedication, and loyalty to the work without showing a trace of frustration, although there is much to be frustrated about in this type of work. Lastly, there’s my mother-in-law. Her total dedication to her husband and family was admirable.

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

Rose: Life has always been beautiful. Although this country is in a rot right now, I believe there are always enough good people to light up the darkness. I like it that people are more aware of natural products more than chemically-based products, and more aware of the environment. It’s easier to connect with people. The world has become smaller. People are thinking beyond religion for their spirituality. In a world of uncertainty, there are endless possibilities.

Dot: In connection with these changes, how do you take care of yourself physically? Emotionally? Spiritually? Mentally?

Rose: Physically, I play golf, run, walk, go to the gym, use the juicer, and take in fruits, supplements, and kefir water. Emotionally, I try to create balance between work and play through travel, (taking a break) being with close friends and cousins, and tending my vegetable plot. Spirituality, I meditate (delinquent though), go to mass, visit GK villages, do my work in GK, read books (delinquent also), sit in silence or stillness. Mentally, I watch telenovela, specifically Korean. Nakaka in love . I also exercise, de-clutter, put some kind of order in life, drink wine, travel, walk in the garden, visit nature. I wish I have more Fastrack time also for spirituality.

Dot: What legacy would you like to leave the world?

Rose: A better Philippines. A Philippines that is sanctuary for all Filipinos, like my home is to me. I wish for my children to somehow continue that legacy.

Dot: Do you have any encouragement for your family and friends?

Rose: Live, love, and be happy, ha ha, ha, ha. There is so much joy in giving. That doesn’t mean you are not thinking of yourself because to be able to give, you have to love yourself. Give to yourself. All those leadership programs like those of the Organizational Change Consultants International and Discovery Weekend are a great way to start in the right track. Love yourself, then your purpose. Meditation is soooo important. Because of it, life falls in place. Have an inner circle that reminds you that "what is essential is invisible to the eye."

Dot: How can you be reached by people who wish to connect with you?

Rose: People can find me in FB as Rosa Mistica Ca. Also through my cell phone, email (upon request), or telepathy he, he, he (it works sometimes).

Shiela R. Castillo: The Passionate Earth-Lover

(This blog is 12th 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 met Shiela R. Castillo during a campaign for Nicanor Perlas when he ran for the Philippine presidential election many years ago. Since then, I’ve witnessed her initiatives concerning environmental issues in the Philippines and beyond. In this interview, we get to know Shiela behind her role as Climate Reality Leader of (Al Gore’s) Climate Reality Project.

(Dot, thank you for giving me an opportunity to look inside myself and ask these difficult questions that I have never asked myself before. I love you. – Shiela)

***

Life’s Victories
There are three things to know about me: I am a mother of two wonderful beings, Kim and Toni; I’m an environmentalist; I’m a lover of life. I am many other things but these seem to me most important. My passion is in trying to live a life aligned with what I believe in. This might sound simple but it’s not always easy, so for me this is a life-long journey. I consider it a little victory when I feel that there is no disconnect between what I believe and what I actually do. This is not always the case, that’s why I have to be mindful.


Concrete Expressions of Loving Mother Earth
My advocacy is showing people how to love Mother Earth in many ways. Some concrete expressions of this are me being vegan, climate communicator, blogger, initiator of the Disposable Bottle Busters, and doing some green bits and pieces in my home, community and country. Here are some links you might want to look up.
https://shielarcastillo.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/disposablebottlebusters
https://www.bataris.org.ph/petitions/ban-disposable-bottles-from-school-canteens


We All Go Home

I think the most important spiritual lesson that I’ve learned is, in the end, we will all be together; we will all go home and be one. For me, this is a very comforting thought. I have struggled with self-esteem issues, feeling that I’m not good enough. I have suffered from bouts of loneliness and alienation, feeling that I am different and/or misunderstood. I couldn’t count the times I was alone and feeling lost and away from the people I love, even when sometimes they are not very far from me. I have lost people I love in failed relationships, romantic and otherwise. I get so affected by what is happening in the world like wars and conflict, disasters, traditional politics, and environmental degradation, that sometimes I feel helpless. And yet I feel there is so much love in me, sometimes so overwhelming. So, the thought that ultimately we will all be one is the most comforting thing. I have to remind myself this whenever I feel down and alone. I’d like to share this link also: https://shielarcastillo.wordpress.com/2015/10/31/the-persecution-of-love/


Live for Others
My father will be 80 in June 28, still handsome, active, and intelligent. From him, I have learned to live for others. I have seen how involved he is in the community, how he read about politics and wrote letters to newspapers and local leaders. I’ve never known a person as heroic as him, knowing what he has done for his children. Despite not being rich, he always tried to provide us a good life. But more than anything, he provided us with good education and life lessons which were not always expressed in words. I think I take from him my social awareness and civic engagement. I hope my kids would also learn this.


Persevere
From my mother I learned that one should persevere no matter what. What an amazing woman she is to be able to weather so many storms with so much strength, all the while being kind, gentle, generous, and pious. So much grace and heart! She raised me as if I’m her own and I could only repay that not just by being her daughter, but a daughter she could be proud of.


Parenting without Expectations
My top three wins in life, I think, have something to do with the lessons I’ve learned from my parents. As a young mother and single parent, I had a lot of shortcomings to my children. Later, when I had an opportunity to make up for them, I tried too much. What I consider my first win was when I was able to overcome my being a mother and start being a friend to my daughter Kim. As a mother with so many fears and failures, I projected all of them to my firstborn. I thought I was doing the right thing. So the more that I imposed my expectations on her, the more she wanted away from them. But when I started to love her without conditions and expectations, we started having a beautiful relationship. Now I think we are more open to each other and have a deeper bond. Now I know she knows that I love her no matter what. This is also instrumental for me on being a cooler and better mom for Toni. I think I am now a more accepting, allowing parent who does not impose expectations but share aspirations for their future.


Honoring My Feelings
My second win is still an ongoing battle. There was a time when I was depressive and suicidal, and although I no longer consider myself any of the two, at times I still undergo inner turmoil. But what I do now is to honor the feeling, to just let it flow. I recognize it and come face to face with it, knowing that although I hurt so bad deep inside, I will be able to manage and overcome it in time. It’s a cycle for me, but it’s not something that I get used to. When it comes, it’s a real struggle and a real hurt. I know many people would not understand because they don’t go through what I go through. It’s an inner life that only I could manage and understand.


My Biggest Victory
Third is choosing to love. It’s easy enough to give up on the world, but despite all the mess, all the hate, and all the bad in the world, I choose to continue to love. It's easier to give in to hatred and negativity, to be cynical and no longer believe in the good things in the world. Despite my failures and flaws and the inner turmoil I go through, as well as the day-to-day challenges of living, I choose to go on. It's easier to give up, walk away, and forget, but I still choose to care, I choose to love, even if people dont and I consider this my biggest victory.

Focusing on Traits Instead of Persons
I think the problem with having role models is that sooner or later, you will be disappointed that the person you admire does not turn out like the image you make her/him to be. It has happened to me many times, and the reality just bites and hurts. Nobody is perfect; even the best people have flaws, so I tend to shy away from seeing people as my role models. It is also unfair for people we admire to put them in a certain mold and just abandon our admiration if we see some little flaw. So instead of having role models, I just focus on a specific positive trait I admire in a person, knowing that with it comes that person’s unique personality, eccentricities, flaws, and perfect imperfections. Anyone and anything could be a spiritual teacher to somebody willing to see the lesson and learn. This is very hard lesson for me because I’m also very stubborn, and I’m not a fast learner in the spiritual/philosophical lessons of life. I have to learn and relearn the same lessons many times over.

So for spiritual and philosophical teachers, I love Jesus, the Buddha, Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji, and Rudolf Steiner. Each of them lived a life worthy to be emulated. Their universal teachings reverberate for generations. For environmental activists, I admire Al Gore, Bill McKibben, Naomi Klein, and Richard Louv. They are also very good writers. I admire them because I’d like to be like them, an environmental activist who writes well. I admire Rachel Carson, John Muir, and Henry David Thoreau. They are the giants on whose shoulders Al, Bill, Naomi, Richard and hundreds of other contemporary environmental activist writers stand on.

I will never forget my college paper adviser Prof. Guillermo Roman Jr. For four years at the Philippine Normal University, he was our father figure. He’s the coolest, best mentor, teacher, and friend one could have in college. A few weeks ago I received a message from him on LinkedIn, inviting me and other former college writers to visit his farm in Bataan. That’s how he is. I will always remember him for his passion for teaching, and for being genuinely interested in his students.

I also admire Atty. Allen Salas Quimpo. Despite being an accomplished politician, businessman, educator, and environmentalist, he lived a simple life. He’s down to earth, low-profile, humble, and caring. I knew him for only a few years and met him only six or seven times, yet he made a mark in my life. I consider myself blessed for knowing him and having walked with him in caring for Mother Earth. If I could only accomplish one fourth of what he has done in his lifetime, then I could consider myself a huge success.

I admire so many others but you only asked for three or four and I've given you more than a dozen.


A Blooming Humanity
I see that humanity is starting to bloom, shifting from being a humble bud into a glorious beautiful flower. People are starting to love one another and feel brotherhood/sisterhood despite differences in color, creed, gender, etc. Never in the history of humanity have people been so connected, even to others on the other side of the globe. Technology plays an important role for this to happen, but I think ultimately people just see what’s common in each other, the divine in each other, the need to love and be loved.

I see bigotry and misogyny only in the fringes, and even if sometimes I focus too much on them and other negative things, I don't think they are the real story. I see people’s growing respect for the environment and growing awareness of their impact not just on the earth but on other living beings as well. I think the real story is that we are relearning our oneness with all of creation. It’s a slow but steady process, and what a beautiful thing it is!


Self-Care: Vegan Diet, Reading, and Writing
I don’t do much physically. I love cycling but I don’t have a bike now. I have to do yoga again but I’m too lazy for it. I exercise once in a while but only in bed, such as leg cycles, crunches, and planks but I’m lucky if I do this one week in a row. I rely heavily on my vegan diet for my physical well-being.

I take care of myself mentally by reading and writing. I read a lot every day - news items, feature articles, e-books. I can’t go a single day without reading. I know I’m not writing as much as I should. I feel there are so many things to write about, but I get distracted by a lot of things. Reading does not demand as much from me as writing does. I am lazy that way. Aside from these, I also read and write a lot in my work.


Self-Care: Music, Time-Out, and Social Work
Emotionally, I surround myself with things I love since I can’t always surround myself with the people I love (because they are people and I can’t simply keep them with me just for my emotional well-being!) I love Indian movies, music, culture, food, as long as it’s vegan. I can’t live without music. I basically work, read, and study with music on. I think half my waking hour is with all sorts of music that I love, so Spotify is my best friend. If I need time to take care of myself emotionally, I have to be by myself and wallow and exhaust my feelings and hopefully figure things out. I go out to nature or just go for a walk while crying my eyes out. I love people but I also love being alone.

I also take care of myself emotionally by doing what I love, which is social development work. I've been working for almost two decades but I only worked in a corporate setting for less than four months. I always knew that I wouldn’t last there, that it was just a half-way-house kind of thing for me. My work has got to be something I love doing, and something I believe in.


Self-Care: Silence and Prayer
I’m an introspective person and I think this is what I do to take care of myself spiritually. I should do meditation regularly but I just don’t get to do it often. I do a lot of silent moments and introspection though, which is not the same as meditation but they’re close cousins. I also talk to God a lot of times, many times a day; a one-way conversation because I don’t actually hear answers. Sometimes I get a feeling that something is being revealed to me through things that happen in my life or the life of people around me. Sometimes I also pray the way people normally pray, asking for what I want, but not always necessarily for myself. There was a time I totally stopped praying, thinking that it is lack of trust to ask God for what I want. But recently I started praying again. I had to stop myself from feeling guilty for asking, but I very seldom pray for material things, and seldom also ask for myself, so I think it’s okay.


I Walk Lightly and Love Immensely

For my kids I would like to be able to write a book that they could proudly show their children. Maybe my family and friends have many encouragements for me because a lot of times I’m the one who needs them. But if I need to encourage someone, I would say, 'Just listen and follow your heart; it knows the way.' The legacy I really want to leave is to be remembered as somebody who walked lightly on the earth, but loved immensely.


On social media but not always there
https://www.facebook.com/shielarcastillo.ph
https://twitter.com/shiela_rc
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shielarcastillo/

You can read, comment on, and share my blogs. Please see the links I shared above. You could also email me at shielarcastillo@gmail.com

Invincible Mother

Mother Earth is not some weakling that we need to save and protect.
 If she has to die (which I doubt), she will die because it's her time, just like all those species that have lived before and are gone now, those stars that imploded and exploded long before we humans were created. 

This is part of the cycle called Life. I will not be so arrogant as to believe that my misbehavior will destroy Earth. If anything, my own misconduct will only affect myself. If my destructive actions will affect others, it's because they have attracted my actions unto themselves. 

But Earth? She is Mother. She is feminine. She is invincible. She is energy. She regenerates. She evolves. She is infinite. It is God who has control over her existence, and I am just one of those microscopic beings who co-exist with her.

I Really Love What I Do: Social Transformation Through Self-Mastery - Hermz Gacho

(This blog is 11th 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!)

Hermz Gacho is a cheerful young poet-scientist who is actively passionate about his culture and environment.

And that’s as far as I knew about Hermz. After meeting him a few times in workshops in Iloilo, I wondered about his life path. I read a couple of his poems and I loved them, so I sent him my questionnaire last month. Read on.

(Photo by Alex Manlapao)

***

Dot: Please tell me a little bit about yourself and your passion or advocacy. What motivates you to pursue your advocacy?

Hermz: I love the outdoors, I love to experiment, I love to read, I love to watch movies, I love to act, I like to write poems in Hiligaynon. I am pretty interested in indigenous culture and knowledge and conservation of our heritage. My motivation for doing these is that I really love what I do and I am geared towards social transformation by self mastery and continuous learning and mentoring others.

Dot: (Wow!) So far, what great spiritual or esoteric lessons have you learned?

Hermz: 1) Trusting the universe on things beyond my control and doing something that the universe prepared me to do. 2) Manifesting change by doing simple acts of kindness and love.


Dot: What are the best positive lessons you learned from your parents that you want to pass on to your children?

Hermz: From my father, I learned to love unconditionally and be always forgiving. From my mother - taking care of myself and making myself a priority once in a while in order to be of service to others. I want to pass on to my children these things: love and compassion to all beings; passion in whatever they do; and their self-love to sustain them in whatever endeavor and service they want to bring out to the world.


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

Hermz: 1) Building a community of young, passionate environmental advocates. 2) Connecting people with the same advocacies. 3) Inspiring others to look for their passion in life. Those are my three successes in life.


Dot: Have they something to do with your lessons?

Hermz: Yes, they are pretty much connected to my life lessons.


Dot: Who are your three or four role models and what makes them your role models?

Hermz: First, my Biology professor, Joselito Mendoza, encouraged and inspired me as a teacher and advocate. He was the one who introduced me to "outdoor learning," "research," and quotes like: "The world has enough for man's need but not for man's greed" by Gandhi. He always repeated to us: "You cannot give what you do not have," which is very applicable to everything I do.

Second, Roger Galvan, my Philippine History professor and Debate coach. He opened my eyes and heart to history. He gave amazing perspectives like no other History professors have done. He used a lot of learning approaches in class, from role-playing to investigative research, film making, analysis of Ambeth Ocampo's articles, and a lot more. He probably gave me that strong background on the art of teaching and how to engage the youth in social issues.

Third is Nicanor Perlas. He was the one who gave me a holistic perspective on life and beyond. He strengthened and verified all of the things that I got from my previous professors and added a spiritual dimension to them.


Dot: And so what beautiful changes are you seeing in the world now?

Hermz: I see that people are already becoming more connected and are striving to create a community and a movement that will challenge the problems of our society today. I see people are planning more and getting more ideas, researches, initiatives, and innovations that are making a significant difference in our world.


Dot: In connection with these changes, how do you take care of yourself physically? Emotionally? Spiritually? Mentally?

Hermz: Physically, I still do outdoor activities such as biking, mountaineering, or snorkeling. Emotionally, I practice writing about people. I try to express my feelings through writing. Spiritually and mentally, I practice Zazen to communicate with my body, my emotions, and the higher beings and to clear my mind with day to day tasks.


Dot: What legacy would you like to leave the world?

Hermz: I just want to leave a legacy of authentic love to all beings regardless of whatever or whoever they may be. I want to leave the legacy that people have the freedom and courage to choose their life path; they have the freedom to redeem themselves.

Dot: Do you have any encouragement for your family and friends?

Hermz: I encourage my family and friends to love one another and to be true to their self and their calling.


Dot: How can you be contacted?

Hermz: People can connect with me through email or message me on Facebook. My email is hermzmerkury12@gmail.com. Until the end of the year, I’ll be in Quezon City, Dakila Office in Kalayaan Avenue. Next year I will be back in Negros Occidental for my thesis on the Monitoring of the Critically Endangered Negros Bleeding Heart Pigeon (Gallicolumba keayi) and its reintroduction back in the wild in Danjugan island. Thank you for this interview, Ms. Dot. This is a wonderful reminder for all Seekers and Change-Makers.

***

So now, I know a bit more about this Seeker and Change-Maker, and I am duly impressed. To close this blog, let me post one of his poems (sorry, no English translation):


Lumlum Sa idalom,
Sa madulom,
Sa pinakamainit nga kurông.

Ang manok ni Lola Lucing,
Naga lumlum sa iya mga chikiting,
Sa idalom sang balay,
Naga kamang ako nga daw subay.

Para lang makita ang mga pisô,
Ako ya daw si intó,
Naga ligid sa mga itî,
Ang lawas ko daw puno sang asaytî.

Sa pagbuka sang itlog,
May kabuhi nga gaka tulog,
Pamatyagan ko ang bilog nga kalibutan nag buylog,
Sa simple nga okasyon,
Nga ako isa lang ka miron,
Daw damo damo nga ga samo samo nga mga emosyon,
Ang akon nabaton.

Sa pagbuka sang itlog,
Ang simple nga bilog,
Nangin may kabuhi, may kusog,
Sa pagbuka sang itlog,
Ang pag lumlum sa madulom,
Nangin matahum!

Actively Participate in Your Own Transformation - Candace Lynch

(This blog is 10th 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: Lindsay Thuy Dao)

***

Candace Lynch and I completed our year-long life coaching certification under Christy Whitman’s Quantum Success Coaching Academy (QSCA) last year. She and I, together with two other classmates, belonged to one pod group where we coached and supported each other, studied together online on a weekly basis for over ten months, and reported our progress to our mentors, instructors, and deans.

Candace is a perfect example of someone who received coaching from masterful coaches at the QSCA as well as insights from the world’s greatest teachers. She has applied her lessons to every aspect of her life – professionally and personally. In this blog, Candace’s answers (to my usual questions) illustrate some universal spiritual principles.

· By reconciling what our parents gave us with what they left for us to resolve, we can get a clear picture of who we are and what we are meant to do. (James Redfield, The Celestine Prophecy, An Experiential Guide)

· When our line of work is aligned with our interests, our life work will make a contribution to the greater good of mankind. (Orin and Daben, Creating Money)

Candace: The best positive lessons that I learned from my parents are: “Always treat everybody with kindness,” (Mom) and “A calm mind makes wise decisions.” (Dad) My passion is wellness. I believe that when you are centered in your source of well-being, and you are feeling your best in mind, body and soul, then you can do, achieve and be your best for others and the world. To make this a reality, I teach people how to create and live a healthy lifestyle for a better quality of life. My calling is to inspire meaningful lives through purposeful intervention and empower individuals to actively participate in their own self-transformation. I do this through my roles as a Certified Recreation Therapist and as a Certified Law of Attraction Life Coach.

· Whatever we broadcast out into the universe is joined by energies that have an equal frequency, resonance, or vibration and come back to us like a boomerang.

· Through deliberate creation, we offer a vibration knowingly so that we don’t create by default. (Christy Whitman, 7 Essential Universal Laws)


Candace: My top three wins in life are: 1) Overcoming a spinal cord injury and learning how to walk again, 2) Consciously creating and attracting the love of my life, Forest (my boyfriend), and 3) Being chosen to mother Forest’s children as my own and help raise them to be the best versions of themselves. These wins continue to challenge and teach me about the true transformative power of unconditional love.

· We are teachers and students to each other. “He who was the learner becomes the teacher himself…he has seen in another person the same interests as his own.” (A Course In Miracles, Manual for Teachers)


Candace: My role models are Oprah, Deepak Chopra, Gandalf from Lord of the Rings, and my mother. I admire these people because they are all Bigger-Picture thinkers, promote world compassion, love, courage, and elevating consciousness and are strong leaders who are always looking for the greatest good for everyone. They are all calm, wise, centered and have a strong sense of who they are and what their life purpose is.

· As within, so without. As above, so below. Where one stands, so one sees.


Candace: I take care of myself physically by making sure I maintain a balanced and disciplined lifestyle. I regularly work out, eat whole, healthy foods, spend quality time with family and friends, seek new experiences for personal growth, read and learn new evidence-based research that I can apply to my Recreation Therapy and Life Coaching practice. I make sure to be kind to myself, treat myself with days at the spa or getting my nails done. I make time for meditation, future visualizing, and introspection to stay emotionally, spiritually, and mentally well. My family and friends are all very supportive, loving and encouraging of my aspirations and life choices. My relationships with them are all healthy, happy and make my life richer.


Candace: I am seeing more people with a desire for spiritual connection, greater consciousness, living healthy, and being more kind and compassionate individuals to one another.

· We come from One Source. We are all interconnected. We are Love.

Candace: The spiritual lessons that I have learned so far are: 1) The universe is always looking out for you even in your darkest hour. 2) Just notice your ego, learn from its contrast and always choose to follow the Voice of Love and Grace. 3) Laugh, smile, and say ‘I love you’ to yourself every day. 4) When you are helping others, you are helping yourself.


The legacy that I would like to leave the world is one of being Love, creating beauty and remembrance that we are all always connected to Source and that we are Source.

Also, be silly and find a way to make things fun and ridiculous. Humor and laughter bring such powerful energy to the world and open up new possibilities and perspectives in difficult situations.

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Candace can be reached by people who want to connect with her by phone (916) 337-7748, or email at Candacelynch@sbcglobal.net.