I believe we're born with a loving, caring and happy soul, but negative experiences can affect the soul. Those experiences can also begin to make up and reflect our personalities.

It is through those experiences that bad patterns can be formed. Often we may be too busy trying to work on our own survival that we don’t look beyond our opinions and attitudes, to what truly lies within our core. We are all capable of changing how we perceive ourselves and others.

Attitudes, opinions and approaches

Our attitudes, opinions and approaches build into what people see on the outside and that is what we show family, friends and the world. It's always good to work from the outside in, so that what people see on the inside is what they will see on the outside.

Living with a disability made me angry

I was an angry child, living with a disability I didn’t know I had, but inside there was a soft side, different from my siblings, which others rarely saw. Every now and again that soft side would appear and I’d be sweet and caring and my family would get to see that side of me. Just before my father passed he said I was the most, kind, caring and compassionate of his children.

My sweet and caring side

It has taken a long time for me to unwrap the sweet, caring side. I know I was quite a challenging child, but in my defence, no one took the time to understand why. I am disappointed, but after years of using reflection, and working on myself, I have been able to put most of this behind me.

Spiritual awareness

What is spiritual awareness? It is the consciousness of 'spiritual matters' which allows for spiritual growth. It is a process of inner awakening, where we start to become aware of our ‘inner-self, of our inner thoughts.'

Being aware

Being aware helps us to develop a higher awareness so that we’re able to tap into our unconscious thinking: it enables us to go beyond what’s in our conscious thoughts, helping to bring an understanding of who we really are and what makes us, us.

We all have the ability, but usually that part of who we really are is tucked away behind the ego-personality. Being spiritual allows us to listen to our inner thoughts, so that we’re constantly in tune with them.

Spiritual beliefs

Spiritual beliefs help us to become better, more compassionate people, and live more peaceful and tranquil lives. Being spiritually aware, helps take away fear, anxiety and stress. It also helps us to compose ourselves, so that we are able to remain calm under pressure, with whatever we have to deal with.