gratitude | Marian Buck Murray

A Little Bit Better

April 5, 2022 by Marian Buck-Murray Leave a Comment

Just a little bit better. What if that’s all it takes to eventually feel a lot better. It’s something I’ve been playing with during my recovery from heart surgery last summer. It’s been a long recovery, not quite sure why. Perhaps because I’m getting older. Perhaps because I have more to learn about loving myself unconditionally. Perhaps because of a number of bumps along the way. Perhaps all of the above and more.

It’s been rough. Rough physically, but rougher still because I’ve struggled with beliefs about what healing truly means. This was my third aortic valve replacement. I was used to bouncing back quickly. I was used to feeling incredibly healthy, despite health concerns. So, I assumed this recovery would be quick. When I realized it would be anything but quick, I grappled with a slew of negative, disheartening thoughts. This, again, was not something I was used to.

What I’ve learned, is that the miracle of healing is sometimes so subtle it can be hard to notice. As the days turned into weeks and months, I found I was very disappointed with my progress. I dismissed small progress because it was not the full-on recovery I was seeking. This disappointment, and lack of gratitude, led me down the ‘nothing’s working, I’ll never feel better’ rabbit hole.

It was when I decided I just couldn’t stand it any more that I began to hear: “just a little bit better”. I heard it on podcast, in a workshop, from a healer, during my own meditations. I asked myself if I could simply focus on feeling just a little bit better. What if that could be my daily goal. Surely I could do that.

And to the best of my ability, that’s what I’ve done since. I’ve acknowledged subtle progress, and expressed gratitude for feeling a little bit better. Right away I noticed that by taking my attention off what was going ‘wrong’, I began to see what was going right. I opened up to more and more gratitude for the blessings I did have.

In addition, I used a number of self-help techniques to help me relax and boost my mood. I also reached out to a gifted EFT Practitioner for help in releasing thoughts and feelings that were not serving me. Before long, I realized a number of my symptoms had improved — I was feeling a lot better.

Now I’m not saying that this is what helped heal my symptoms. Could be that it did, or maybe not. And, I’m not completely out of the woods yet either. The point here is that this practice helps me feel a lot better emotionally. Feeling better emotionally helps me stretch into more joyful activity. Feeling better also helps me appreciate the numerous gifts within some of my darkest moments.

Here are some of the tools I used to help myself feel a little bit better:

A Walk in Nature – Fresh air does wonders to lift the spirit. Sunshine brings vitamin D, a mood booster. Nature’s beauty is a feast for grateful eyes.

Acupressure Mat – Lying on an acupressure mat helps reduce cortisol, and relax the nervous system, body and mind. A perfect time to listen to a soothing audio.

An Uplifting Podcast – An upbeat, uplifting podcast, or radio show, or youtube video, can be a wonderful way to shift to a better feeling perspective.

Do Something Nice for Someone — Contributing so someone else’s happiness is an effective way to boost feelings of connectedness and belonging.

Express Gratitude for Anything – Feeling grateful, truly grateful, for anything, is a good way to shift out of a negative head space.

EFT Tapping – Sometimes we need to go deeper to help release distressing feelings and thoughts. EFT tapping is a fast, effective tool. Because EFT Tapping helps to reduce cortisol, it can also help release physical pain. It can be used as both a self-help tool, and with a certified practitioner.

Meditation — Silent or guided meditation can be very helpful for clearing the mind, and calming the nervous system. It’s also a great tool for tapping into your intuition for guidance around your current issues.

More Self Help Tools— Magnesium baths to detoxify and relax. 750 Words to encourage and uplift. Nutrient-dense foods, herbal teas, lemon water, etc. to hydrate and nourish.

Reach Out To a Healing Professional — Self-help techniques are wonderful and effective. Yet, there are times when a healing professional can help us face what might be too difficult to face alone. Reach out to someone you trust.

May you enjoy an abundance of well-being.

Peace,

Marian

Contact me to learn more about using EFT Tapping to feel better.

Butterfly Wings

September 27, 2019 by Marian Buck-Murray Leave a Comment

I came across this butterfly the other day as I walked in the wildflower garden in my local Reservation. She was on the ground, flapping her wings, not going very far. Above her, beckoning, were the wildflowers she had come for. But there she was, stuck in the dirt. At first glance I thought she was dying. At second glance I realized she was showing me exactly what I needed to know.

We are all butterflies in some stage of development.

While some of us are soaring high, many of us are cocooning, or struggling to fly. Like the butterfly in the garden, we often struggle on the ground, moving in circles, never enjoying full flight. Our wings, heavy with judgement, feel unable to lift us into the garden where we belong. Sometimes we’re so burdened with self-doubt that we can’t even budge our wings.

So, to that beautiful butterfly, I sent my love and deep appreciation for her being on my path that day. And though she continued to struggle, I held my vision of her well-deserved flight.

Within moments, just as I was about to move on along my path, the butterfly fluttered up into the garden, alighting on a nourishing blossom. Satisfied, and happy, I continued my walk and I immersed myself in the fragrant flowers, and the sounds of bees and crickets.

A while later I found myself back in the spot where I had seen the butterfly. She was gone. Though I looked for her in the flowers, on the ground, in the grasses at the edge of the path – I couldn’t find her anywhere. I began to wonder if she had fallen to the ground and staggered off to die.

So, in that moment, I asked for my higher power to show me the butterfly, or show me it was time to leave. I looked one more time, didn’t see her, and I turned to go.

And there, right as I turned to go, was the butterfly — flying high amongst the flowers.

Its when we surrender to the power of love, grace, and invisible sources of assistance, that we’re able to embody the power of our wings. Lifting off of the ground, we fly, reaching higher and higher, until we’re able to see that the garden was here all along.

Peace,

Marian

If you need help lifting your butterfly wings, contact me.

10 Ways to Raise Your Vibration

July 26, 2019 by Marian Buck-Murray Leave a Comment

What does it mean to raise your vibration? It means, simply, to improve the way you feel. To shift from a negative state to something that feels more positive. To change your thoughts from weakening worry to empowering gratitude. To express love and kindness instead of anger or judgement. When we feel good, we radiate goodness. And right now we need a whole lotta goodness in this world!

Here are some suggestions. Find what works for you. Practice daily.

And remember, any time you feel even a little happier, better, lighter, or more peaceful, you are raising your vibration.

Smile. Smile in the mirror. Smile at people. Smile at animals. Smile at people in the store. Smile as you read something inspiring. Smile because you’re you. Smile right now. Smiling tells your brain to release feel-good neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine.
Journal. Journaling will help you release whatever is nagging at your mind. Release it and let it go. No need to re-read.
Commit Acts of Kindness. Practice kindness. Open doors for people. Let people go ahead of you in traffic. Do something nice for an elderly neighbor. Call or text a friend to tell them how much you appreciate them. Acts of kindness don’t have to be enormous. When done spontaneously they bring joy to both you and to your recipient.
Clear and Cleanse. Use tools such as dry brushing, shower, salt bath, sauna, and sound bath to help you detoxify. By releasing toxic stagnancy, you will naturally raise your vibration.
Chant. Chanting a yogic, or Sanskrit mantra, repetitively, will help boost brain function, and reduce stress and anxiety. These mantras are designed tune your system to a higher vibration. Choose a mantra that appeals to you, and chant it for 108 times daily for maximum benefit.
Move. Movement moves stagnant energy. Exercise. Dance. Do yoga. Take a walk in Nature, where you’ll get bonus points from all the high-vibe negative ions. Any time we release stagnant energy, we feel better. The better you feel, the higher your vibration.
Meditate. Meditation helps you tune into Divinity within you. It can also assist you in receiving guidance from invisible (or visible) sources. Meditation helps you tune into the higher vibrations of love, peace, and gratitude.
Use EFT Tapping. EFT Tapping will help release unwanted ‘negative’ emotions that pull down your vibration. Sometimes we’re not even aware that we have underlying low feelings such as shame, anger, or self-doubt. EFT can help us pinpoint and release these feelings, so we can raise our vibration. To learn how to use EFT Tapping, click here.
Practice the Heart Breath. The Heart Breath is a beautiful way to bring yourself into heart energy, the energy of unconditional love. Unconditional Love radiates at a very high vibration. To learn how to use the Heart Breath, click here.
Express Gratitude. Gratitude is a powerful way to help us shift from a place of lack and scarcity. By appreciating even the smallest things in our lives, we fill ourselves with sweet gratitude, and a feeling that all is well.

Best Wishes for Your Highest Vibes Ever!

Marian

Contact me for a complimentary 30-minute call where I’ll help you pinpoint the best ways to embrace, care for, and celebrate your sensitivity.

Daily Practices for Focus, Peace, & Joy

September 10, 2018 by Marian Buck-Murray Leave a Comment

I know sometimes I must sound like a broken record. I repeat myself again and again to my clients, my students, my friends, my family. And I’ll say it again. Self-care is not an option if you want to live a happy, peaceful life. Especially if you’re a sensitive, empathic, person.

Self-care, of course, includes the obvious elements, such as a nutrient-rich-plant-rich-diet, plenty of exercise, and good hygiene. None are optional if you want to maintain good health.

To maintain happiness and inner-peace, self-care must include emotional, spiritual practices as well. My daily practices, which I share below, help me stay centered, focused, optimistic, connected, creative, productive, peaceful, and happy.

These are the tools and techniques that work for me. With most, I mix and match, depending upon the day, the amount of time available, and my emotional/spiritual needs. Some practices, such as Meditation and Gratitude, are non-negotiable, and I do them every day.

Most days I usually do at least 4 or 5 of these techniques. Some days I do only 2. Other days I might do them all! Some are so quick, or so easy to fit in my day, that they don’t take ‘extra time.’ And, truth be told, when I don’t do anything, which does happen once in a while, I feel completely off, out of focus, and anxious. That’s why I use a checklist to track my progress. I’ve learned the hard way, it’s not worth falling off track.

Create your own plan. Take any of the following techniques that work for you, add in your own, and tuck them into pockets throughout your day. Choose at least one activity, such as meditation, to do each day, no matter what. None of the activities need to take a lot of time. And, as long as you’re peppering them throughout the day, you’ll be optimizing your energy.

Meditation
I practice some form of meditation, each day, from 10 to 60 minutes. Some days I do two or more shorter meditations. Insight Timer, is a fantastic, free, app, that I use to time my meditations. It comes with an extensive library of sounds, bells, meditations, and music.

Another meditation I love is the Eco-Meditation, created by Dawson Church, founder of EFT Universe. When I assist at Dawson’s professional trainings, we practice this meditation each morning before we begin class for the day. At home, I use this meditation on my own, without audio. Click here for the Eco-Meditation instructions

Abundance Meditation
For this meditation, I use The Abundance Book, by John Randolph Price. It’s a little green book with 10 principle statements. I meditate on one principle a day for 15 minutes, for 40 days or more. This helps keep me in an abundant, spiritual, frame of mind.

Gratitude Meditation
Closing my eyes, I meditate for 5 minutes on something for which I am grateful. It can be something that I already have, or that I would like to have. This sense of gratitude feels truly authentic, and really, really good.

Goals
I hand-write write my goals, in present tense, expressing my gratitude for reaching them. This feels good, and it helps me keep on top of my goals. I write my goals nearly every day. This takes about 10 minutes.

Morning Pages
Originated by Author Julia Cameron, morning pages are 3 hand-written free-flow pages each morning. They’re invaluable for clearing the mind, and sparking creative flow.

Yoga or Exercise
Exercising in the morning invigorates me for the rest of the day. Movement is crucial for efficient energy flow, lymph flow, strength, anxiety release, and more.

Heart Breath
I add the Heart Breath in whenever I feel stuck in my head. The Heart Breath helps me drop out of a busy, over-worked mind, into the peace and calm of my heart. It’s a great tool for reducing anxiety. 1 minute, or longer.

Uplifting Reading
Somewhere during my day, I find time to read. Sometimes it’s work-related, but it’s always uplifting.

Uplifting Listening
This includes music, podcasts, Hayhouse Radio, audio courses, and more. I like to listen when I make dinner. This helps keep me in a positive, optimistic, frame of mind.

EFT Tapping
This is an any-time-of-the-day, as-needed, practice. EFT Tapping is perfect for releasing anxiety, tension, fear, sadness, or any other unwanted feelings that might creep in. Click here for an illustrated guide for the tapping points.

More Gratitude
Gratitude is something that can be expressed in many ways throughout the day. In addition to my 5-minute gratitude meditation, I enjoy spontaneous moments of gratitude, or write a gratitude list, or a thank you note, or simply say thank you, thank you, thank you as I do something that brings me joy. Gratitude helps me feel more connected to the spiritual world. And, the more grateful I am, the more I have to be grateful for.

Nature Walk
Nothing better for pleasing the senses and soothing the soul.

Enjoy! And reach out — let me know what works for you!

Love,

Marian

To schedule a FREE 30 Minute Call, where I’ll help you get clear on your best strategy to honor your sensitivity, and give you a tool to turn it into a superpower, click here.

Finding Gratitude in the Dark

November 20, 2017 by Marian Buck-Murray Leave a Comment

With all that’s happening right now in the world, I’m actually finding it easier to feel grateful for what I have. This good, since gratitude is something I use to lift my spirits and optimism.

Frequently, during my meditations, I envision my negative feelings, habits, and beliefs, as gems, hidden in the dark. Sometimes, I envision a friendly group of light-beings with a spray bottles of love, misting me with unconditional LOVE.

Always, during these meditations, I feel a sense of gratitude for my dark places. I shift into a new perception of the deeper meaning of my feelings and habits. Afterwards, I often notice a change in my behavior and life experience.

What I noticed recently, was an ability for me to feel gratitude for some of my ‘faults’ but not others. In other words, I could easily send unconditional love to some of my dark places, but not others. I found myself automatically justifying my negative judgement of certain behaviors or habits, while easily forgiving others. This new perception is now helping me let go of crusty, old self-judgements I took for granted.

And, yeah, okay, some things in life really suck. And it’s not that I want to bury things, or pretend everything’s okay when it’s not (been there, done that, doesn’t work.) Rather, I believe that it’s important to first acknowledge the pain, and then to find gratitude.

This is not a head-thing. It’s not a matter of deciding to be grateful and waiting for it to happen. It’s not a matter of pretending to be grateful. It’s not about ‘shoulding’ yourself to be grateful.

This is about finding gratitude. Finding hidden gems in dark places. Going on a treasure hunt right smack in the middle of the places you’d much rather avoid.

Here are some questions that will assist you in finding gratitude in the dark:

PHYSICAL PAIN OR ILLNESS – When I found gratitude for my own illnesses and heart surgeries, I was able to see how they had enabled me to deepen my spirituality. From my physical pain, I was able to learn what I needed to heal emotionally. In addition, I met wonderful people, learned how to receive love, got really healthy, and on and on and on.

Helpful Questions: What is this illness/pain telling me? What am I learning that will help enhance my life? What enjoyable experiences am I having as a result of this illness?

PERSONAL QUALITIES — My sensitivity always seemed to be a weakness. I was prone to feeling hurt and misunderstood. I was constantly being worried about other people’s feelings and opinions. When I began to find gratitude for my sensitivity I saw all of its incredible qualities: Deep understanding for my clients, strong intuition, compassion for humankind, and so much more. This gratitude helped me let go of so much of the pain.

Helpful Questions: How is this quality helping me be the person I want to be? How did this quality help me navigate a difficult time? How can this quality help me understand myself more deeply?

CURRENT LIFE SITUATIONS: It’s can be really tough to feel grateful for tough times. I’ve found however, that it’s my gratitude that helps shift my situation. For example, by feeling grateful for ‘lean times’ I can see all the ways in which I am not a victim, and how I can actually use the situation to strengthen myself and learn new helpful habits and skills.

Helpful Questions: How is this situation helping me change what needs to change? How is this situation deepening my spirituality or inner strength? How is this situation teaching me something valuable for my future?

CURRENT GLOBAL SITUATIONS: Okay, sometimes it might feel downright impossible to feel grateful for a dictator, an environmental disaster, human rights violations, or political disarray. Without condoning, or excusing anything about what seems unacceptable, you can find gratitude for what happens as a result. For example, finding gratitude for new revelations, new innovations, grassroots efforts, or a deeper understanding of the human condition. Despite my own upset over the current political climate in the USA, I am grateful for my growing ability to discern what’s truly valuable to me, and to speak out more vocally.

Helpful Questions: How is this situation causing positive ripple effects? How could this situation lead to new innovations? How has my awareness changed as a result of this situation? What can I do to help?

Experiment with gratitude in unlikely places.

In Love and Gratitude,

Marian

For a free EFT Tapping Audio, Overcome Your Fear of Shining, click here.