Bad, Bad, Bad Stuff and Spirituality....

Spirituality is never clear cut. More often than not it's the 'least spiritual' things, the really bad things, that turn out to have the greatest spiritual effect upon us. In my book, The High heeled Guide to Spiritual Living, I say everything is spiritual. Every action, every word, every deed, every thought. And all these things are spiritual because we are spirit. So this makes even the least obviously spiritual things actually rather spiritual indeed. Whilst we should not actively indulge in hurtful or harmful behavior and classify it as our spiritual practice, we can look back on our lives and see how the mistakes we have made have helped mold our character and perhaps push us towards something deeper.

I don't want this post to turn into a full on confessional... But if you do want to share, then please do. If you don't, then perhaps simply contemplate your life, have a think about how your actions, even your worst actions, have helped bring you to this place you are in now. How has every bad event, word or action helped you to become a person searching for spirituality, a person looking to be better and on a path to enlightenment?

We need to accept our mistakes and errors to help us move on. And whilst we will no doubt go on to make many more mistakes, having a knowledge of the spiritual value of these mistakes can help you very much on your spiritual path.

So.... what's your foulest worst deed, your deep dark secret, your hidden shame? And in this darkness what light has been shone, what have you learned. How can you celebrate the joy that bad times have allowed through learning. How have the very worst of times and very worst of behaviors helped transform things powerfully for the very best?

Alice's Vegan Virgin Diary

And so the time has come...

I have decided to give my Veganism another go. I had flirted with a vegan diet before, but never went all the way. As such I still consider myself a Vegan Virgin. Given my strong feelings about animal rights, and the distress I think of when I contemplate using animals in the way our society does, It believe it is time to pop my Vegan cherry and to go the whole hog.... for want of a better phrase!

I have briefly referred to why I want to be a vegan. And this is still an area I am learning about. But at present I am truly upset by the way humans use animals as though they were products. We turn them into commodities and we don't care what pain or suffering they might incur. Not to mention the vile effects such industries have on our own health, environment and consciousness as we become more callous to the feelings and lives of other species.

A year ago it was the Viva! website that got me contemplating veganism. A year later I am working with David Gerow Irving and his book The Protein Myth and I feel I am being nudged, nay shoved into accepting the part of myself that says, 'Veggie is not far enough, Miss Alice, go Vegan!' Last weekend James and I watched the film Charlottes Web, and that was pretty much the last straw. So with excitiement this is the way I intend to tread.

And to help encourage my adherence to this new diet, I am keeping this diary for you all to see. I know many of you may not even be vegetarian, and I don't want anyone on Soul-Cafe to feel elbowed out. Until 18 months or so ago I was fully signed up to a love of Bacon Sandwiches, and maybe in your own time you will change, or not, that's your thing - no judgement. But if I do inspire any of you to join me on this vegan quest, then let me know, we can support each other, and maybe you can start your own Vegan Virgin Diary too!

So today is day one. I didn't mean to start today. But I was sent a sample box from Redwood Food. They do a lot of 'fake' meat products. Having been a veggie, it has been very weird to try fake duck and fake beef. Strange, but kinda nice. I was never a big meaty person. I liked things that were indecipherable as flesh, such as bacon butties, or duck wrapped up in pancakes with hoi sin. So to eat big chunks of fake meat has been disconcerting, especially on my first vegan day! That said, it was nice to have a texture and flavour that was different. I am, however, looking forward to what I can do with vegetables, beans and tofu!

I am now off to a festival for the day. Not sure what will happen when I get hungry, but I guess there is always French Fries - without mayo :( Noone said this was going to be easy!

Alice the Vegan Virgin has gotten all the way to first base. I'll let you know how this new flirtation progresses!

Have a Fabulous Weekend.

Lola et sa Plume: Alice Grist 's Book Launch- The High Heeled Guide ...

Lola et sa Plume: Alice Grist 's Book Launch- The High Heeled Guide ...: On the very last weekend of July, in the city of Leicester, the author Alice Grist , launched her new book "The High Guide To Spiritual Livi...

Coping with being Judged...

Today I was the 'victim' of somebody else's judgement. Ouch. Now as you know I am forever pursuing my spiritual path, I talk alot about non-reaction, and rising above etc etc, but, in spite of what I have learned- being judged still hurts. Particularly when the person in question happens to be soooo wrong about me.

Now in my books I talk a whole lot about not judging others, and really, after today, I think that this can be the easy part. It's almost easy to withhold our own opinion, or even to choose not to have an opinion. And so we presume other's find that easy too. We join spiritual sites and expect to be treated well and peacefully. But I was on such a spiritual site, when a person decided to let me have the full venom of their opinion. It was the 2nd time this same person had let me feel their wrath. The first time was based solely on the colour of my hair - they hated blondes - apparently we are all ice cold evil bitches - wowsers!

Inspite of how ridiculous this was there is something quite painful, about going about one's business, being good and kind and then someone taking a metaphorical swipe at you. Today the same person came at me again, with a whole new set of accusations. Completely untrue, but horrid and hurtful nonetheless.

One of my fave phrases is 'What you think of me is none of my business'. So I am employing that into my own personal situation. But I am still human, and whilst I may spiritually cut my cords with that person, there is still a bit of a tug, that would like to set them straight, a very human part that would like to slap back.

Instead of this, I left the group where this person dwelled. I felt unprotected and exposed there. I thanked my lucky stars that I have this lovely site, full of kind hearted people to come home to and I 'blocked' the person from my life. The facebook version of cord cutting! I am now having a little vent here, but will go on to send love and light and peace to that person, and in swift time I hope that all things inside myself rebalance themselves. I will ask for healing for me and for them. All things happen for a reason though, and so I will examine that too inside myself.

So this judgement thing... Maybe there is more than meets the eye? What reason has this happened for? My challenge is to react with unconditional love and to learn whatever I need to learn. And of course this situation has sparked this discussion, and I hope will help you guys too! So on that note let's talk! How do you cope with judgement, and what have you learned from it's occurence in your life? Please share your experiences with us, as we all learn to live in a world that is not always safe from other people's venom.

So when being judged by others... how do you cope?

Me on the radio!

Catch my interview on Monique Chapman's radio show last night in the archives here... http://www.achieveradio.com/intuition-iq/index.php

When chaos and calamity turns into a dream come true....

I love, love, love it when something bad happens, and yet out of it comes something very good, perhaps something that we had wanted all along!

I have seen this happen time and time again to myself and people around me. They have a wish or a desire that they want to fulfill. It seems impossible though, and sometimes they won't fully commit themselves to it.

They become lazy, and the wish becomes just that... a wish. Then all hell breaks loose and life turns chaotic. But somehow, out of the dust and debris, their wish is granted.

Not the easiet way to wish fulfillment, and far more emotional than a simple genie in a lamp, but undisputable all the same. The universe works in some funny, funny ways!

I have witness this quite a few times lately. My own life has been testament to that fact. I even cover this in my latest book tHe High Heeled guide to Spiritual Living. Let's hope the chaos in the world is heading the same way too!

Now if you don't believe me... try this. Think back to 5 or 10 years ago, to a truly yukky situation in your life. Then think about the good that has come out of it, and how as ar esult you may have had one or two simple or amazing dreams come true. You may be suprised! And of course feel free to share...

Much love and blessings Alice

Try a little Forgiveness and Grace

I hope in this post to encourage everyone to forgive those who have harmed us and experience the sense of grace and peace that tends to bring about.

Forgiveness can be very difficult. Whether a wound is brand new or scarred and old, either way we have a glut of emotions to tend to. We can get so lost in these emotions, they can run so deep, that they may feel a part of our psyche. Our anger becomes a defining characteristic and we thrive on the rush it gives us.

We feel our wayward turmoil belongs to us, we own it, we need it maybe? We can make it a part of our character, and it influences the way we conduct ourselves. For example a past hurt may now rule how you act in a classroom, with a partner, or how you wear your clothes even. We see this as our 'learning' from that hurt. But really in changing ourselves to fit a past hurt are we not just exacerbating that hurt? Making it real and fresh, day in, day out. Are we living off that hurt, because we have not yet found a way to let it go. Instead we keep the scars fresh by revisiting time and time again.

I suggest that rather than fitting your hurt to suit your soul, or wearing it on your literal sleeve, it is wiser and more glorious to simply drop it - although of course this is the more difficult thing to do too!

I believe that anger is something you can put down if you choose to. You may not realise that yet, it may be difficult, trust me i struggle also. But it can be done. The first step is to simply try. To release it. Maybe ask for help from spirit guides, angels, the big electron or whoever or whatever you do believe in. Meditate on it. Contemplate it whilst in the shower, cleaning the car or sitting in traffic. Hold the intention in your heart to drop the bad feelings and see how that feels a little... Do it everyday, be conscious about it. Let the feelings ebb away and enjoy the space this leaves.

Forgiveness is, in the end, always, about you. About your abilitiy to live and to cope with all things. It is about your ability to endure and to seek solace in your own skin.

Forgive someone today one small thing and then take it from there! Make a definite decision to release all frustration, sadness and ugly feeling towards whomever has hurt you. Who knows by next week you could have ascended past all your pains and be living afresh, full of smiles and not one iota of bitterness dragging you back! Good luck!