YOUR DIVINE RICHES: Life Empowerment Fast Tracks for Life Change™
  • Home
  • About
    • Your Divine Riches Mission | Vision
    • About
    • About Catherine
    • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Products and Services
  • The Book
    • The Book Trailer
    • The Book
  • Toolkit
  • Consultation | Coaching | Speaking
    • Life Coaching | Consultation
    • Private Intensive
    • Chart Your Course Intensive
    • Speaking
  • B2B | Govt
    • Leadership Life Coaching | Consultation
    • Business Coaching
    • Employee Mental Health
    • Veteran | Military Wellness
    • Government Contracting

Are You Feeling Regret? Help for Letting it Go

5/15/2022

0 Comments

 
Woman feeling regret with a box on her head

Regret is defined as "to feel sorry, disappointed or distressed about something."

​Guilt is defined as "remorseful awareness of having done something wrong."
​

American Heritage College Dictionary

When Regret and Guilt Come Calling

I was raised in the Catholic faith. All jokes aside about Catholic guilt in the era when nuns still wore traditional nun clothing and before more recent events grabbed headline news, it's negative affects had me running for the hills as a young adult.

As a spiritual person I eventually explored, in different degrees and in no particular order, alternative traditions from Native American, Eastern, and New Thought to Islam, Spiritualism, and variations within Christianity.

On a related note, having been involved in "Know Thyself " personal development in one way or another for as long as I can remember, I thought I'd explored, handled or managed most of my stuff.

It was a surprise when unwelcome and unwanted faces and events from a particular period in my life started bubbling up in my awareness with regret, revulsion, guilt, and shame.

Specifically around experiences from my twenties that I'd describe as Life in The Big City Wild Child.


At that time, although feeling tormented by inner demons that at times were crippling, on the flip side I just wanted to experience the adventuresome side of life and have fun.

Since most of this was diametrically opposed to my Thou Shalt Not upbringing, experiences were mentally compartmentalized as time went on and shoved into a dark corner.


"We all do things we wish we didn't do. Often it's survival. God forgives us."  
MOM



​Fast Forward, Present Time
​

However you define or not define God or Something Greater than yourself, it's said that He, She, Him, Her, It (or whatever politically correct pronoun you choose these days) works in mysterious ways.


Finding myself muddling through a series of unforeseen setbacks, the latest being a broken ankle that required wearing an Ortho-boot to hobble around, I was forced to live in slow motion so my body could heal. 

Having read all the books in my house, I decided to finish one I'd started a year ago but had lost patience with. Timing is everything.




Spiritual Giants With a Checkered Past

​
Thomas Merton's The Seven Story Mountain locked my attention.

It's the famous autobiography of a brilliant and worldly young man and his struggles to find inner peace, which he eventually does within the framework of a Trappist monastery in Kentucky.

​He was not only a monk who became a best-selling author, but also a social activist speaking out on political subjects during the time of the VietNam war.
Which may have cost him his life, but that's another story.

He came from a unconventional international background and after being yanked from a London school for illicit behavior during his teen years that also involved fathering a child, he continued his hard-partying lifestyle at Columbia College in New York, which had him booted out of his first attempt at entering a monastery.

During this time, he met and became friends with an Eastern Indian monk by the name of Brachmari who completely surprises Merton when he says, "There are many beautiful mystical books by the Christians. You should read St. Augustine - Confessions."

Which led me to check it out for myself.


Augustine is, to his parent's great disappointment and concern, a Wild Child rebel, capital "R", who comes from nothing and eventually rises to significance with friends in high places in the location where it's all happening in those days, fourth century Italy. Not before taking up with a mistress or two and also fathering a child. Come to find out, his mom became known as the "go to" patron saint for moms with troubled kids.


He eventually embraces Christianity as an older adult and leaves a lasting legacy as a force of the early Christian church.

So for all this Thou-Shall-Not-or-suffer-dire-consequences indoctrination via the Catholic faith, here are two pillars, spiritual titans that both had seriously 
Wild Child backgrounds. They don't tell you that in church.

Reading about the very human lives of Thomas Merton and Saint Augustine, the lingering burdens of regret and guilt within myself started lifting.

woods with fog lifting representing lifting of regret


​Surprising Reasons For Letting it Go

​Merton's book also talks about humiliation and the state of personal hell within those who go over and over their past mistakes.

He says feeling the burning of regret, guilt, or shame is a byproduct of pride or ego.


In contrast, he says that when saints remember their "sins" or negative behavior from the past, they don't dwell on their mistakes, but choose to remember the "mercy of God and therefore past evil is turned into a present cause of joy".


​I had long ago buried the parts of my past that radiated regret – perhaps because from my current "I can't believe I did that" perspective it was too painful to look at until I was forced to.

Through no-such-thing-as-coincidence, I was given the opportunity, through grace, to read of two extraordinary people who's worldly experiences were necessary parts of their life path. As are mine and yours.

Knowing this has given me the perspective to look at past regrets and guilt through the lens of compassion – for myself and others.

According to Merton, if we've already been forgiven by the Divine, it's the destructiveness of pride that unnecessarily continues to revert to anguish and rehashing of our regrets.


​

The Bottom Line Takeaway

My mom is almost ninety so she's seen a thing or two. On this subject she said,

"We all do things we wish we didn't do.
Often it's survival.
​God forgives us."

_____

Learn from your experiences, forgive yourself, let go of whatever it is or was, and let yourself move on.
​
Picture
_____
​
​• Would you like help working through forgiveness for yourself, someone or something else? 


My book, Your Divine Riches - Your How To Guide For Creating The Life You Want, has a simple yet powerful forgiveness technique in the chapter Freedom Through Forgiveness to help you work through regret. The link has a free preview of the book.

Consultation/Life Coaching is also available. 


​Photos: Ryanniel Masucol, Alexey- Chunihin
0 Comments

Lightening Up for The Holiday(s)!

11/17/2021

0 Comments

 
close up photo of mashed potatoes

Mashed Potatoes And You:
​A Timely ​Forgiveness Analogy


​

​Do you like mashed potatoes? 




A Seasonal Similarity

Earlier in the year I discovered the best mashed potato secret you'll ever find.

I knew I wanted to save it for you for the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday when mashed potatoes are typically part of the holiday table.

So what's the secret and where's the analogy?

Soaking and rinsing peeled potatoes before you cook them rinses off the starch.

Why does that matter?

You'll get the lightest fluffiest potatoes you've ever had – even after you stick the leftovers in the fridge and heat them up the next day! No kidding.



The Analogy Part

Rinsing off the potatoes so they cook up lighter reminds me of the fact that a lot of times we often walk around bogged down with old mental and emotional "stuff."

When you have the opportunity to take a look at this internal gooey-ness that keeps you stuck on all kinds of levels and are able to let it go, you feel lighter. What's revealed is a happier, healthier, "fluffier" you.




A Life-Giving Process

One of the best things you can do to help yourself "rinse off" is under the lid of forgiveness. Forgiveness of yourself or another person, entity, or situation is bar none, one of the greatest things you can do for you. The long-reaching positive ripples eventually affect every area of your life.

​Often, it isn't easy.

In my newly released book, Your Divine Riches: Your How To Guide For Creating The Life You Want, there's a chapter called Freedom Through Forgiveness. Here's an excerpt:
​


If you’ve lived long enough on the planet, you’ve most likely experienced deeply painful hurts. They can seem impossible to forgive. 

Forgiveness doesn’t mean you have to personally like anyone, anything, or the actions that hurt you. 

Forgiveness is the purposeful act of releasing a hurtful incident from your mind. It’s an act of self-love. The freedom you’ll receive from doing this is truly life-giving."
*
    

​
​
So whether you're cooking, mashing, or eating those fluffy potatoes on Thanksgiving or at another time, remember the potato analogy and forgiveness for yourself, someone, or something.

You'll give yourself the wonderful gift of Lightening Up!
Picture
Copyright ©2021 Catherine Lenard. 

Your Divine Riches book cover

​Get the Book as a Gift to Yourself or Someone You Care About:

*The powerful Forgiveness Release process is in the Your Divine Riches book.  
Learn More

rose-colored plate of mashed potatoes filling the plate
The "Secret" Mashed Potato Tip

Catherine's Easy Button Version: Simply soak peeled and quartered potatoes until the water gets cloudy then rinse them well before putting them into boiling water. If you want to get cook-tech geeky in detail, google the original Cook's Illustrated "fluffy mashed potatoes" recipe!

white coffee mug on wooden rustic table

​Need Some Help?
​

Book a complimentary life-changing Self-Discovery Coaching Session. If it's a fit for us to continue working together, brilliant. If not, no worries, you'll have the benefits of our session as my gift to you. ​

0 Comments

    Get occasional News and Updates:
    Subscribe
    Catherine Lenard picture
    .
    ​Welcome,

    ​We all have life challenges. Some you see, some you don't.

    Your Divine Riches was created to make it easier for you to not only get through existing changes, but to also discover how to deliberately create changes you want in your life.

    You're invited to check out the rest of my website to Learn More.

    :-) Catherine
    ___



    View Catherine's LinkedIn Profile:
    View my profile on LinkedIn

    ©2010-2023 Catherine Lenard. All rights reserved.

    Legal stuff and guidelines:
    Copying, by any means, is not permitted. If you'd like to include something you've seen here, you'll need written consent and permission from the author. When in doubt, please contact us.


    Archives

    February 2023
    October 2022
    September 2022
    May 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    September 2021
    June 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    September 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    August 2019
    February 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    September 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    October 2016
    July 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016

    Categories

    All
    Business
    Forgiveness
    Gratitude
    Inspiration
    Manifesting
    Mental|Emotional Health And Well Being
    Mindset
    Money
    Relationships
    Self Mastery

    RSS Feed

P r o d u c t s   +   S e r v i C e s

Life Coaching
Leadership Life Coaching
​
Business Coaching
​​Your Divine Riches - The Book
​​My SOS Toolkit 
Life Empowerment Education
Inspirational Print Collection
Speaking

C O m p a n y

About
Mission​
Testimonials

​
___


#PowerToChangeMyLife

S u p p o r t

Blog
Contact
​Privacy Policy
​Terms and Conditions
​___
​

> Newsletter Subscribe

Copyright ©2010-2023 Catherine Lenard.
​All rights reserved.
Picture
  • Home
  • About
    • Your Divine Riches Mission | Vision
    • About
    • About Catherine
    • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Products and Services
  • The Book
    • The Book Trailer
    • The Book
  • Toolkit
  • Consultation | Coaching | Speaking
    • Life Coaching | Consultation
    • Private Intensive
    • Chart Your Course Intensive
    • Speaking
  • B2B | Govt
    • Leadership Life Coaching | Consultation
    • Business Coaching
    • Employee Mental Health
    • Veteran | Military Wellness
    • Government Contracting