Be yourself; everyone else is already taken. – Oscar Wilde
Today, we have the absolute pleasure of welcoming Guest Spark, Geay, the brilliant mind behind Café 42 on Substack. At Café 42, she serves up piping hot takes on life, the Universe, and everything in between (no reservations required).
Get ready, because today she's dishing out the power of self-alignment and how our focus and mindset can shape our reality.
Thank you, Geay, for this insightful Spark!
ALIGNMENT
By Geraldine Claudel
A few days ago, I commented one of Taylor’s Sparks about the importance of being aligned. He invited me to share more on The Daily Spark—and here I am, honored, hoping to shed some light on this powerful concept.
What is alignment?
Alignment means being aligned with the flow of life. It feels like falling in love with the right person, everything is smooth and simple, no fear just bliss, except the person you fall in love with is yourself.
It’s that effortless, joyful state you experience after a fulfilling day, where everything just clicks.
How do we achieve alignment?
Like a muscle, alignment strengthens with time and practice. Here are a few exercises to practice:
Gratitude
Gratitude is the best way to achieve alignment. I personally have a gratitude journal in which I list 3 things I’m grateful for each day big or small: a favorite T-shirt, a meal, of living in a country that grants me freedom as a woman, or simply being alive. The trick is not to simply write them down but to feel them.
The more you pay attention to the feeling gratitude creates, the more it will present itself during the day, and alignment will follow.
Self-Love
As a human being, you are a perfect creature full of beautiful things to offer the world, starting with your smile and the unique way you relate to life. Treat yourself as your own best friend—without judgment, only love. Open your heart, expand your love, and keep in mind that everyone makes mistakes before mastering what they are learning.
In the same way, don’t judge others. Have compassion, as everyone is on their own journey. Imagine putting yourself in their shoes and ask yourself how you would feel if you were them.
Circumstances
Circumstances don’t define who you are, your response does. Change the ones you can, and for those you can’t, change your perspective: ask yourself why something makes you angry or miserable and find another perspective to reframe it in a positive emotion. Note sometimes indifference is the best response.
You’re not a victim. Life happens for you, not to you. The Universe won’t serve you with something you can’t handle, and, believe me, you can handle anything coming your way!
Joy
Joy is the salt of love. In our societies, we mistake joy with pleasure. Pleasure is a shallow short-term fleeting moment brought on by outside elements such as food, sex, alcohol, cigarettes…Whereas joy is an inner, deep, long-lasting emotion brought on by your inner self such as watching your child play, admiring a butterfly, or standing in awe of the stars above in the night sky. Joy is seeing life with fresh eyes, like a child.
For me, joy is walking along the beach, feet in the ocean, watching a pelican fish. But joy isn’t just a moment—it’s a choice. I choose to love everything in my life, both the good and what others might call bad. I take what serves me, what I enjoy, and leave the rest.
Purpose
If you don’t choose what you want to do with your life, someone else will. Find what you love, align it with your skills, and take small steps toward it. Be patient because growth takes time.
Trust
Fear and faith are two sides of the same coin. Both offer a possible future. Fear is the projection of what could go wrong, faith is the projection of what could go right. Both are hypothetical events that may never occur so let’s focus on the bright ones that illuminates our path rather than the dark ones that freeze us.
Trust with all your heart that you can achieve your purpose, that the Universe, when seeing where you’re heading, will provide you with the knowledge, the people and the abundance you need to achieve it.
I will conclude by telling you that when you live in alignment, you live in peace and freedom. Life still has ups and downs, but you respond with trust, not fear. You focus on love and joy, and the Universe mirrors that back to you.
That’s what alignment is.
—Geay from Café 42 on Substack
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What a great way to look at life! Geraldine, you nailed it.
Taylor, you made a great pick this week to include Geraldine as your guest spark.
Beautiful Geraldine. Thank you. I think that simple is always the best place to start. Each of your encouragements are simple and yet go to the heart of the matter. Simply wonderful❤️ Thank you.