kimillig, Author at Kim Illig

Accepting the Life Path of Acceptance

Some people hate life the way it is and try to change the world and themselves so they will feel better. Those of us who have been around the block a few times realize that we can’t change the world. This is a given; it is as easy to change the world as it is to hold back the spring flooding of a river’s delta! All the energy that goes into changing something that is most likely impossible; whether it is the world or our lives’ dismantling events is really wasted energy. If we can relax (use less energy) into accepting life as it is and ourselves just the way we are, we have more energy at our fingertips to engage in areas of our lives that have more potential of change. Another common waste of energy is the belief that it is helpful to push our pain away or try to get rid of it, Rather than pushing the pain away, what if you put that energy into being your authentic self which is inclusive of being congruent with your standards of integrity?

Growth

Birthing the Self Through Intimate Connection with the Divine

Many of us spend half of our lives living the life we were told to and the other half learning how to let that go and become who we really are. To create a fulfilling life, we need to understand who we are, how to get what we need, and what gets in the way of that process. Birthing the self means bringing that authentic self into being.

Motivation

Managing These Times

When I wrote the title of this month’s essay I noticed how I wanted to put a qualifier before the word ‘times’; like difficult, or challenging or bad or chaotic. But if I do that, I’m aware that I am hedging myself into a an attitude of interpretation and that hedging is probably not doing these times any justice.

Read more “Managing These Times” →

Acceptance

Will I Be Mine?

Let’s go radical this Valentine’s! Let’s make it a priority to ask OURSELVES to be our valentine. Why should we do that? This is where my thoughts are going this Valentine’s Day.

One of the foundational components (or, as I am apt to coin them, core threads) in my work with people is the idea of radical self acceptance. An ordinary motivation for people to choose the work of self inquiry is wrapped up in the packaging of a low self esteem. It is a common occurrence to see that someone is their own worst critic and the challenge of the work of personal growth is an attitude adjustment from self judgment to self acceptance. Another common motivation that draws people to their personal spiritual work is the deep desire to serve; to serve in a way that allows service to be offered easily without an attachment to an outcome. Detachment from outcomes comes only as a result of a deep acceptance of one’s self. I can only love fully if I accept myself. By loving myself and having compassion for all of me, I am better equipped for loving others.

New Year’s Resolutions That Actually Work

I don’t know about you, but I know that I have made many New Year’s resolutions over the years. For myself though, both personally and as the professional observer I am as a spiritual director, there’s a standard hitch that generally affects all New Year’s resolutions: we are lucky if our excellent intentions last out the month of January! Why is this and how can we optimize our success at achieving the goals we set?

Acceptance

Relaxing Into the Dark

Here we are heading down the path to Winter’s Solstice which will happen on December 21st. In my view all the holiday celebrations center around the age old reality that this is the dark time, the time that the sun shines on us the shortest and we have the darkness to enfold us.

For many of us this is a time we dread. If you live in the north, you have the very real reality of how it gets dark very early and stays dark so much later in the morning. You might look at this as problem, a time where you get depressed and tired all the time. It might be a time that you actually hate, wishing and wanting it to go away; to have the light days of summer come around again, NOW!

Read more “Relaxing Into the Dark” →

Motivation

Finding the Right Counselor – No Matter Where You…

You are probably standing at the crossroads, realizing that some things about the way you have been managing your life just don’t work anymore. You could be facing scarcity, loss, anxiety or anger and you’re looking for a way through the resulting labyrinth. Or you could be facing such abundance that you need to find a way to manage it all well and maintain a healthy balance in your life.

Motivation

Learning to Set Your Personal Boundaries

(printed in the New Spirit Journal August 2007)

As an intuitive counselor, I help men and women gain a deeper understanding of their emotions, dreams and goals. Together, my clients and I create opportunities for self-discovery that allow them to open doors to create the lives they want. One obstacle to living authentically that I see very often is people having soft personal boundaries.

Interviews

Helping People Heal Themselves

This article was featured in the Snoqualmie Valley Recorder on January 24, 2007.

Uncategorized

Calling In the 8th Direction

(published by the Inner Yaga in their newsletter September 2006)

In the personal work arena generally, (and specifically in the Inner Yaga), we have readily accepted the idea of indigenous peoples’ incorporation of the directions as a part of a work template for setting sacred space. We all know how calling in and using the six directions of East, South, West, North, the Above, and the Below help to focus our intention and help to ground the safety of a container. The Inner Yaga introduces the formal additions of the 7th direction of the Within and the 8th direction of the Without into the closing of a sacred circle. Yaga circles are being encouraged to use this directional template in their circles’ structures by honoring each direction at sequential meetings. This provides a cycle of 8 meetings. At the end of the cycle, the circle starts the pattern over again. This cyclic format provides a familiar container which results in a level of safety that has rarely been achieved before in the personal work arena. I suggest that the 8th direction is greatly responsible for this phenomenon.

Author: kimillig

Accepting the Life Path of Acceptance

Birthing the Self Through Intimate Connection with the Divine

Managing These Times

Will I Be Mine?

New Year’s Resolutions That Actually Work

Relaxing Into the Dark

Finding the Right Counselor – No Matter Where You…

Learning to Set Your Personal Boundaries

Helping People Heal Themselves

Calling In the 8th Direction

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