Discover Your Sacred Gifts

Know Your Gifts; Live Your Best Life

Monique — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:21:16 +0000

I’m always writing and talking about why it’s so important to know what your gifts are so that you can align your work and life with them. It was great for me to read what someone else had to say about it. David attended our workshop this past weekend. Here is his blog post on the topic. Copy the URL into your browser if the link doesn’t work

http://in2deep.wordpress.com/2012/02/07/sacred-gifts/

Thank you David for this well written piece. You captured it all beautifully.

Focus On What You Want to Experience

Monique — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 19:00:26 +0000

Focus on what you want for the holiday season. Keep your eye off the “busy” feeling. For me I want a week filled with fun, family, friends, food, frolicking, festivities, surprises and lots of love and connection. I keep my eye only on that and when I feel myself going to the stress place of shopping I shift my attention to the things I want and then the path getting there seems less stressful. I also set really clear intentions before I do any shopping. My intention was to stay out of busy malls unless it’s to buy something for me. The night I did go it was not busy and it was easy to find what I wanted…. GREAT strappy black shoes…. I expect to find what I want and if I don’t know what I want for someone I expect it to show up and that I’ll know it’s perfect for that person. I put a lot of demands ( in a reverent and loving way ) on the Universe/ God/ my team of angels at this time of year. If I try and do it alone it just gets to be too much. Yesterday I was so happy that while I was at Maya’s for a healing treatment I got to see the most magnificent hand made soaps she makes and they were a perfect gift for some on my list. I did many many years of super shopping stressed out Christmases… Not any more. I keep my eye on the outcome I want and I keep focused on giving my Sacred Gifts to others and receiving from God through others.

Take your attention off how others will behave or what they will do. If your Aunt Mary is a pain in the butt at Christmas dinners and you’re wanting her to behave remember to reframe into what you want. Instead of ” I want Aunt Mary to stay sober and behave” try.. I am wanting to enjoy my Christmas Day more than any other Christmas past… no matter what happens” Now it’s in your power and not Aunt Mary’s to determine the way you feel on that day.

Give it a shot. You’ve got nothing to lose except the stress and frustration of a busy holiday season.

Merry Christmas and God bless you

Spiritual Gifts vs. Sacred Gifts

Monique — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 23:20:47 +0000

I often get asked what the difference is between Spiritual Gifts and Sacred Gifts. The short answer is: not much. In 2003 I participated in a church program that introduced me to the idea that I had within me ‘spiritual gifts’. This fascinated me and sent me on a path from which I’ve never actually returned.

I was compelled to study everything I could about ‘spiritual’ gifts only to discover that outside of a religious or church context there wasn’t much information to be found.

Most new thought teachings do elude to gifts and current popular spiritual authors/ teachers like Wayne Dyer, Caroline Myss and Marianne Williamson stress the importance of aligning with your gifts. No one however seemed to be providing a map on how to find them outside the church. I was determined to do that and to make the map available to people who will never set foot in a church yet who long to live a life that is congruent and authentic.

The program that I initially took through the Catholic church taught me about 26 of these very specific ‘spiritual’ gifts of which I was showing evidence of a couple. Though initially ticked off that I didn’t show evidence of all 26 of them, I soon came to understand that this was the whole idea of gifts. I’ve got some that can benefit you and you’ve got some that can benefit me and if I had them all I wouldn’t need you in my life or anyone else for that matter. I could exhaust myself by trying to do it all myself. OH! This is what many of us do anyway isn’t it?

I was clear that knowing my gifts had changed the course of my life once I aligned my self with them. It was so so freeing. Knowing which gifts were not mine was equally if not more freeing. I am not Miss Hospitality.. nor have I ever been, nor will I ever be. I am not super creative in terms of making beautiful things but my sisters are. I’m not psychic and I’m not a brilliant writer! But I can teach and I can counsel and I can advise even on things I shouldn’t know anything about. This speaks to the awesomeness of gifts. I can do things I have not been trained to do, shouldn’t even be able to do and so can you.

After completing my training in gift discernment I was CLEAR this was my path. I was not so clear that I was to teach a religious program. Actually I was clear that I was being guided to not teach a religious program. Not because I have anything against religion, but because I was being clearly guided from the inside to take it in a new direction. Thus the birth of the Sacred Gifts program and naming the gifts ‘sacred’ vs. ‘spiritual’.

Not much difference to most people however a big difference for me. I wanted to give the message clearly that these gifts are to be treated with reverence and respect.. thus choosing the word ‘sacred’ and I wanted to depart from the connection to the religious teachings around gifts. Spiritual Gifts are also often referred to as Gifts of the Holy Spirit in Christian language and they are taught to the followers as ways for them to find out how they can best ‘build up the church’. My passion is to build people. My passion is to help people understand the amazing gifts placed in them by a loving Source. Applying them only to how they can manifest in churches isn’t as real to me as wanting to help people apply them where they spend most of their lives.. working and in their family and community.

I didn’t want anyone to miss out on the opportunity to completely reinvent their life and to love their life by not knowing they were gifted. Whether they belong to a church or not is of no significance to me whatsoever.

The program I developed only looks at 24 gifts. I dropped Speaking in Tongues and Interpretation of Tongues. Not that I don’t think these are gifts, they are referenced as such in scripture however it just didn’t seem like a good fit outside the church circle to be talking about Tongues at all. I have stayed true to the other 24 gifts.

Call them what you want: Spiritual Gifts, Gifts of the Holy Spirit or Sacred Gifts. It matters less what you call them. What really matters is discovering what yours are and then beginning to create your authentic life by aligning with them. This is what will lead you to a life filled with purpose and passion.

www.yoursacredgifts.com

Finding Your Gifts Opens New Unknown Doors

Monique — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 21:24:15 +0000

This is a wonderful story that Kelly shared with me. Beautiful example of her gift in writing.. and her raw honest feelings on her journey to uncovering and accepting her Gifts.

Sacred Gifts – A Year in Review

This time last year I was invited by a co-worker to a Sacred Gifts workshop and, somewhat reluctantly, accepted the invite. Frankly I was tired of other people’s spiritual programs and the suggestion that, perhaps, I needed one too. Too often I feel the pressure to twist myself into the teachings they offered when all I really wanted was to know what God wants me to do and how to be happy doing it.

From the beginning, I watched and listened, all the while comparing myself with others, worrying what my co-workers would think of me and envying those who seemed to already know that they were in the right place. I admired those who walked up to me, shook my hand and pronounced their intentions and goals. Meanwhile, I participated with others in the room secretly hoping that if I shared a deep or vunerable moment they wouldn’t hold it against me.

Bit by bit however, I found myself nodding and resonating with the descriptions of the gifts. I found that Monique wasn’t telling me who I was or claiming any spiritual authority, she was simply creating a space to explore each gift one-by-one. I could see, from the rows of heads bobbing, that the other people in the room were feeling this way too.

By the end of day one I had accepted that I needed to relax, wait and finish the process we had began. I had begun to trust that Monique was going to lead us all to our answers and I would simply have to wait for the “assignment” of my gift. I was tired but my reluctance had eroded and was replaced by a feeling of hope.

Day two the world was different. I was going to know for sure. The second guesses where floating around in my head. My coworkers predicted Writing (which I secretly hoped for) and I predicted Service (which I kind of dreaded). I had no clue. Which gift would be mine? More patience, more process and then finally my gift was revealed. Wisdom. I have the gift of Wisdom? Really? That wasn’t on my list of top picks. Me? Wise?

But it made sense. All my life I’ve been an accidental counselor. People come to me when they are really confused about big issues in their life sometimes reconnecting with me after years of no contact. They always say the same thing, “I know you won’t tell me what I want to hear but what I need to know.” But that manifestation of the gift often left me worried and overwhelmed by other’s problems and a bad habit of focusing on the negative. Many times I doubted if my counsel was helping or hurting others. How could this be a gift if it was so conflicted? I didn’t get it.In short order two other gifts tied for second place. Encouragement and Facilitation. Funny how they fit together isn’t it? Bits of my life came into focus and the faces of people I’ve helped flashed before me (a little life review as it were). Perhaps these gifts were true too. I was able to lift spirits, find solutions and teach others. But again there was this shadow side. Sometimes these gifts manifested in resentment of always having to be the cheerleader or exhausted by doing things for others that they should do for themselves. Shouldn’t these gifts just bring me bliss and joy? What’s the deal with that?

After the workshop I decided that I needed some more help from Monique to find the balance. After one session on the telephone it was obvious that I needed to answer a single life-changing question. Was I using my gifts as a channel for God’s work or to get people to like me? Ouch. A pin-pointed observation of my Achilles heel – the need to be liked. I had to learn that when I channel the gifts well I might have to be, not just loving, but perhaps a little tough if the need arises and risk disapproval. If I’m not open to exploring my need to be liked, things can get, well, interesting. I’ve learned a lot about my tendancy to do the right thing but for the wrong reasons and the need to fogive myself for doing so.

So I decided that 2011 was my year of understanding, forgiveness and going within. There’s a few more months to go but by applying the gifts of Wisdom, Encouragement and Facilitation I’ve been lead closer to true connections with others and developed a compassionate honesty for myself. It’s a very positive force and evolution in my spirtual and personald development. I can now trust that when they are called for, the Sacred Gifts will work through me for the benefit of others without negative repurcussions. That seems to be working for me.

I am happy to report that, since then, nothing in my external world has really changed. No life path revelations. No new job and Heaven knows, no extra money. What has changed is my inner world. Slowly and progressively I’ve built an unshakable understanding and confidence in myself. I’ve be able, for the first time in my life, to move forward and get unstuck. I’d tell you more but I want to keep things to myself for a just little while longer.

Warmest Regards

K .P.

Sometimes You Just Have To Wait

Monique — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 18:56:47 +0000

The Universe works according to the readiness of our soul. The Universe isn’t coersive or forceful. It waits upon us and knows our readiness to receive and use our gifts. We are guided according to perfect timing should we choose to invite that experience. When the timing is right the actions needed are more effortless and seem like the next natural step. The other option is to try and make it happen. When fear is operating in me then I tend to want to try and force things to happen or make things happen which often doesn’t turn out quite like I expected so now what I do is put more time and effort into first collaborating with the Universe/ God. I ask for what I want and I ask for support in making it happen. Usually I begin to see evidence quite quickly and the next step shows itself. Then I have to overcome the skepticism in my mind that it really is the next step. Is this God showing me something or is this me wanting to see something that really isn’t there yet? When I have consciously spent time asking for what I want and drawing up a contract with the Universe that I’ll hold up my end of the agreement, I know that likely whats in front of me IS for me to act on. When I try and figure it out in my head or try and force something to be because I’m in a fear place then it all seems like hard work and usually ends up frustrating me. If there isn’t any flow at all and it all seems like an uphill climb then it usually is and I’m not following the Universe’s gentle nudges. Both approaches may get you there and actually I think that it’s helpful to spend a few years pushing at things uphill in order to get tired enough to say.. Screw this! I need help. That’s when I’m ready to connect and ask both the Universe and others for help. I’ll be explaining the cycle of knowing when to act and knowing when to wait in the next blog.

When Someone Hurts You It May Not Be What It Seems

Monique — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 00:36:58 +0000

Have you ever had someone say something to you that was hurtful or unnecessarily nasty and it caused you to want to react back equally negatively? I’ve been in that situation and even though I know it’s not about me and the person is venting their own pain or suffering and even though I know better, sometimes I really want to just let it fly. It’s at times like those that I remember this story that usually helps me shift into a more helpful response.

Cindy was on a long overdue holiday in Mexico and after unpacking she changed into a sundress and headed to the pool to lay in the late afternoon sun and just relax. She was so excited to relax and unwind and do nothing. She ordered a cold beer from the pool bar and then found a chair and stretched out in total bliss. Her bliss was cut short by a noisy kid who swam into the end of the pool and began playing near where she was. This kid was playing in such a way that Cindy was getting splashed. The splashing not only interupted her brief moments of peace it was also getting her dress all wet. Cindy says she wasn’t going to let this ruin her first day of vacation so she made up her mind to just ignore the kid and let the sun dry her off. The splashing however got worse and after tolerating it for a few minutes Cindy got up and went to the edge of the pool to see who was responsible for all the noise. When she looked in the water she saw a young boy drowning… splashing at the water trying to stay afloat. Cindy immediately jumped in and pulled him to safety. Cindy never for a moment considered just splashing back at him. She reached in to help.

I think of this story when someone says or does something that in the moment feels hurtful and uncalled for. I think : “They are splashing because they are drowning”. That makes it easier for me to reach in and see what I can do to help rather than react by splashing back. Things just aren’t always what they seem to be. When someone splashes you with toxic or hurtful words remember that splashing back won’t help them or make you feel better. You would certainly not feel good splashing back at someone who was drowning. Reaching in and offering your hand may however save their life. Hurting people, hurt people and emotionally drowing people splash those around them.

Purpose? Soul? You?

Monique — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 02:02:06 +0000

Purpose? Soul? You in the middle? We got to some good meaty stuff on this interview last night. Have a listen. Leela who is interviewing me is doing so for her women’s circle. This info is JUST as imperative for men. Enjoy. I put my best in it. http://auntymonique.audioacrobat.com/download/56a2e4d9-9b24-9b96-7b29-2693ebe84cc1.mp3

Is it Fate or Destiny?

Monique — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 00:09:31 +0000

What’s the difference between fate and destiny? Are they the same? Are they both predetermined outcome of sorts? I think of that line in the Abba mega hit ‘The Winner Takes it All’ where it says: The Gods may throw the dice, their minds as cold as ice, while someone way down here loses someone dear…. I can’t say that the idea of my life being dependent on a heavenly crap shoot appeals to me. I like to think that I have a part in co creating my future either by partnering with my fearful mind or by partnering with my inner heart guidance. Fate for me is the outcome of following my mind while destiny is the outcome of following my heart or my inner guidance or Divine guidance.

Most of us lead our lives using a combination of both approaches. It usually depends on how high the stakes are as well as what conclusions you’ve drawn when looking back at situations where you’ve followed your fearful mind or your heart.

FATE? You hate your job. You feel like you are checking your soul at the door each day that you show up. You don’t feel on purpose. You know your heart is calling you into a new direction however fear keeps you working at that same job for another 10 years: Your life stays about the same, you try and forget your dream and find happiness in places unrelated to your work.

DESTINY? You hate your job. You feel like you are checking your soul at the door each day that you show up. You want to feel on purpose. You know your heart is calling you into a new direction however you’re not really sure yet what that new direction is. You trust your heart and intuition, you leave your job and you create your dream board filled with the kind of experiences you’d like to have in your new still unknown venture. You ask the Universe for help and guidance, you trust inspite of some fear creeping in. Then just when you’re about to give up, the window of opportunity opens and leads you in a new direction that fills you with inspiration. You love your new life and the new people you meet.

FATE? You are in a relationship that you both know is done however neither of you is willing to admit it or to consider moving on because the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t know, in other words you feel safer staying where you are rather than risking that you may never find someone else. You figure out how to make it work.

DESTINY? You are in a relationship that you both know is done. You seek guidance from your heart on what you should do and you clearly get the impression that it’s time to complete and move on. It’s scary and you wonder if you’ll ever meet anyone again however you can’t give up the dream of a connected intimate relationship so you act in spite of fear and you tell your partner that it’s time for you to go. You tuned into your heart and took your direction from within rather than from your scared mind. A year later you meet someone that exceeds your hearts desire in a relationship.

I haven’t looked up the dictionary definition of either of the terms and I’m not sure for the sake of this observation that it really makes a difference. I think you likely get what I’m saying. The outcome of following the fearful mind vs. following your heart likely lead to different outcomes however as I say, I’m not so sure we’ll know until it’s all done and we have a bigger vantage point to look back from. I’m willing to hedge my bet that “destiny” is a very different ride than “fate” and I constantly pray and ask for the courage to choose the former.

What are you thoughts?

Finding your purpose vs. Feeling on purpose.

Monique — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 23:04:57 +0000

I see it often written, quoted, taught, preached that we must find our purpose. As the result of being shown a different perspective I’ve concluded that my mission isn’t to find my purpose. My mission is to FEEL on purpose.

The wording differences may seem subtle however the outcome for me has been hugely impactful. This idea of feeling on purpose vs. trying to find my purpose came in as a download while I was huddled away in a hotel bathroom praying for Divine inspiration for a presentation I was about to do at a friends’ event.

I had been asked to speak on the topic of purpose and my presentation was going to start with the following quote.
“Where talents and the needs of the world cross, therein lies your vocation.”
Aristotle (384 – 322 BC)

However right there in the bathroom stall the inspired thought came in that I was to loosely translate that quote to better suit my message.

“Where your gifts and a need in the world cross, therein lies your purpose.”

Monique (1958 – AC)

This new slant on an old quote caused me to realize that there had been many times in my life where one of my gifts had been coupled with a need and that in the experience of that combination I had felt completely on purpose. That activity was not what I was doing anymore however I did recall that I had felt on purpose at that time. I then remembered an earlier time in my nursing career when another of my innate gifts had met up with a need at my work and in bringing those two aspects together I had also felt completely on purpose then as well. In looking over my life in just a few moments I identified many many times in my life where I had felt joyously on purpose. Sometimes these experiences lasted months, sometimes years and sometimes only days or even moments.

All these thoughts were tumbling in fast, as I huddled in my toilet chapel…whilst I was being introduced to speak. By the time my presentation started an equation was born which for me now has been a guiding force in my life and based on feedback apparently in the lives of others.

Here’s the equation: G + N = FP

When you combine one of your GIFTS with a meaningful NEED at your job, in your family, in your community, in the world at large you will FEEL on PURPOSE.

Like any simple math addition equation, if you know what two numbers to add together you can get the answer. Same is true here. If you know what your gifts are and you identify a need that is meaningful to you and bring them together you will feel on purpose. Having said that I know that I’ve had the experience of using one of my gifts and bringing it to something that was meaningful to me and feeling totally on purpose only to find after a few years that the purposefulness of what I was doing wasn’t feeling juicy to me any more.

This is easily explained when you see the GIFTS and the NEED as variables. You have more than one gift and there are many needs that you can identify that are meaningful to you. Feeling on Purpose however is the constant when the previous 2 aspects are combined.
Here’s a very simple example from my own life as a nurse that may make this concept easier to understand.

1983 – Teaching (one of my GIFTS) + lack of easy to understand information pamphlets for patients (NEED at my job) equals (=) my feeling totally on purpose as I went about over the course of 6 months creating teaching pamphlets for patients to prepare them for all the investigational tests they would be undergoing during their hospital stay. These pamphlets are still in use today and I recall how excited, on purpose and fulfilled I felt in being of contribution in this way. (FEELING ON PURPOSE)

Maybe not a big deal in the scheme of things on this planet however a big deal to the patients who felt more at ease and better prepared to face medical procedures and a big deal to me in experiencing the joy and fulfillment it brought to me. Is that still what I’m doing today? NO. Would I still feel on purpose 28 years later if that was all I was still doing? Not likely because what is meaningful to me now is being of contribution to others by helping them shift from where they are to where they want to be.

Each person has access to and is innately equipped with several very sacred “gifts”. Find out what yours are. This is valuable beyond words.

The needs in the world, at your job, in your community are many and change with time. The needs that are deeply meaningful to YOU are what you want to be aware of. The result doesn’t change when you bring these two factors together.

If you are currently not feeling on purpose then one of these two factors or perhaps both need to be re-evaluated. Which gift in you is being called out and which need in your world is calling to you. Bring them together and discover the power of living your life feeling on purpose at all times vs. trying to find your purpose.

Click here to watch a short video on this on our YouTube Channel

Welcome

Monique — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 01:20:23 +0000

Knowing your Sacred Gifts just makes good sense!

Don’t you want to be spending your time doing things that are meaningful to YOU? Not to your parents, not to your boss, not your friends but to YOU. And the way to discover what is most meaningful to you is by discovering and awakening your Sacred Gifts and then unleashing them.

Discover Your Sacred Gifts is a program that connects you to the gifts that have been placed in you. These gifts are like tools. How can you know what you’re equipped to do in life if you don’t know which tools have been placed in your toolbox?