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Sunday, February 26, 2012

What Would Love Do?



   



Whenever we are experiencing fear or anxiety…frustration or anger…and someone else is involved in the situation, we are often tempted to express our distress by accusing that someone else of causing the problem.  

An array of disturbing emotions washes over us…and, if we don’t consciously process what is happening…we can easily become the self-involved, suffering victim. 

It is so easy to feel STUCK in this turbulence…helpless…and, consequently, we often choose to REACT instead of respond…letting loose a litany of accusations about someone else's behavior.

When these moments strike, a conscious intention to ask one simple question about how best to proceed can save us from behavior we will later regret.

And that question is…What would love do?
If we aspire to having love inform and define all of the actions of our lives…then love is what we need to lead us through this storm.

Love, if summoned consciously, would inspire us to give ourselves understanding and compassion (for we are obviously experiencing some unhealed hurt which has been triggered and wants some attention).  

Love would also inspire us to give the other individual involved understanding and compassion (for, like us, he, too, has been triggered and his pain has been activated).


I believe that under the best of circumstances...when we are fully conscious and present and in good energy, we will act with this compassion and understanding. 

 If we are not able to do this, it is because stress or exhaustion or some old, unhealed pain has appeared in our lives.

Acknowledging this and then taking steps to restore ourselves (and that is restoration for ALL parties concerned) to a place of beautiful energy and consciousness will empower us to come together at that point and navigate the distressful waters with sensitivity for everyone's situation and circumstance.


Consciously asking ourselves this question will help make this happen:

What would love do?

The answer to everything.



Saturday, February 25, 2012

Polishing of the Pearl




In the business world when a CEO wants to improve his  company's level of performance or expertise he will often consider hiring a consultant to help him perform this task. 

The consultant's credentials are usually impeccable and contain a special level of experience in the area of need.

Of course, this undertaking will require planning, checking of resources and a certain amount of financial investment.

A brilliant potential solution...but the "consultant" best equipped to do the job is...

already here, has a spectacular resume complete with wisdom and universal insight and doesn't cost a thing.
 

This consultant comes as a gift when we enter earth school (although we often don't recognize this).

It's LIFE itself...

 
And what may appear to be a motley assortment of unrelated incidents and experiences is really  the unfolding of a glorious plan  to help us accomplish what we have come here to do.

 

Like the underside of a piece of embroidery with loose threads tumbling over one another LIFE may appear to be a series of disjointed episodes.  But, when the fabric is turned right side up...a beautiful pattern emerges and it becomes clear that all of those loose threads are playing a role in the execution of the design.

 

Michael David Lawrence, author of
The Secret for Freedom from Drama,
Trauma and Pain, observes:
 
"In looking back upon a quest to better myself emotionally, mentally and spiritually spanning over forty years,  I now realize how each challenge strengthened and prepared me for my next step in self growth."





If we look very carefully and very closely at our lives we can see the profound wisdom contained in the experiences we undergo.  It is not so easy  to see this when they are happening but we are constantly being strengthened and prepared for the next step of our journey.  And  it is usually the most difficult, most challenging, most painful experiences that reward us with the greatest growth.

It's the DiviƱe Universe sensing our strength and readiness to learn yet another of Life's challenging lessons and helping us move forward with this work.

 

And that is why it is important to BLESS  EVERYTHING...to EMBRACE EVERYTHING...

To  ROAR through life and meet each experience bravely and boldly...with intensity and heart.

 

We are so loved and cared for and are, every one of us, given the perfect opportunities to learn our lessons and strengthen our souls.

 

Let us all move forward in welcoming this magnificent treasure.

And why not..when ALL of our experiences are designed to  polish the pearl of our existence!




image from krikawa.com

Monday, February 13, 2012

Beams of LOVE



And we are put on Earth a little space
That we may learn to bear the beams of love.

William Blake



LOVE is the gift of the Divine Universe. It patiently waits to be acknowledged and enjoyed.

It is the exquisite experience of being cared for, cherished, honored.

It is so MAGNIFICENT and BREATHTAKING that we may feel the angst of fear on some level and draw back from it...without even recognizing this shift. And, after having created this space, we may fill it with words and distractions which serve to separate us from this astonishing experience, to keep us protected by ego from the perceived possibility of being hurt or the disquieting sense that something this wonderful cannot be…or the feeling that we are not worthy or deserving of it.

But this magnificent gift IS the ENERGY of the universe…and we are worthy of it by reason of our existence. And we cannot escape it anyway for LOVE follows us everywhere, tapping us gently on the shoulder, awaiting our recognition and response…awaiting our SURRENDER.

We are here to find our way to LOVEthe receiving of it and the giving.

And it is the GIVING of LOVE that provides us with the courage to make the leap to RECEIVING it for when we give LOVE, we join with the universe in wanting and wishing only the best for each other.

If we look to the example of a person very dear to us whom we love and care for…we can recognize that we want this person to do what is best for himself…even if it is not what we prefer. LOVE prompts that understanding, that acceptance, that behavior in us. And the giving of that unconditional, unselfish LOVE brings us happiness and peace.

If we view this loved one as a microcosm of the world, it is clear that loving everyone is wanting everyone to do what feels best to him…as each individual navigates his life lessons and journey.

Ram Dass says LOVE is “your deeper heart, your intuitive heart. It is the place where the higher mind, pure awareness, the subtler emotions, and your soul identity all come together and connect you to the universe.”



And we are put on Earth a little space
That we may learn to bear the beams of love.
William Blake








originally published February 10, 2011

The Pillow of LOVE





I
magine the feeling when your head first touches your pillow and you sink into that beautiful serenity, calmness and ease. At that moment, when you allow yourself to embrace the support and blessing of this gift all seems right with the world.

Besides the joy of relaxing our bodies and our minds, this pillow also holds the promise of even more sustenance. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could make all of our decisions and choices from that beautiful place of peace!


Instead of feeling the stresses of the day, the unfinished business we are carrying with us, the bone tiredness from perhaps pushing our bodies beyond the boundaries of balance…we would feel AT EASE.

And when we are at ease we are much more connected to our heart center and can act from that intuition. We can observe the world around us and ourselves with loving, compassionate eyes. We can enjoy the sprinkling of moonbeams that falls gently on every moment, helping us to see with our soul eyes what is really happening.


The moonbeams are ALWAYS there… if we only choose to access them.
And the reality is that our pillow waits patiently for us. It may be manifesting as a gorgeous down filled object waiting with anticipation for us to access its pleasures, but the pillow is really LOVE.




And, if during our day, we made all of our choices as if our heads were resting on that pillow, that place of welcome and peace, what would our decisions look like?

Would we be able to see the bigger picture? The pain behind someone’s angry words? The choices we clearly have in front of us that would nurture our bodies and souls and also the choices which would distract us from that loving path? Would we view ourselves and others with caring and compassion? And act on that compassion with our words and actions?

Seems like it would be so much easier to choose a higher path when we feel rested and comfortable and at peace.

This pillow feels like a priceless gift to us...and we already have the opportunity to access it every moment of the day.

We CAN recognize that LOVE is our pillow and let its wisdom and discernment soften our hearts and ease our souls in this life journey we have so ambitiously embarked upon.




originally published March 30, 2011

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Loving OURSELVES

How can we tell that we truly LOVE ourselves?

Do we:

Welcome and experience our feelings and recognize the importance of expressing them?

Speak our truth (even when it is difficult and awkward) in the best way we know how?

Fully accept ourselves, the dark and the light, with the clear awareness that the dark parts of us are just lessons waiting to be learned?


Extend love and compassion to ourselves when we go through difficult times?


Honor the messages of our body regarding our health and well-being?

Forgive ourselves when we make mistakes?

Acknowledge our mistakes, knowing that they teach us what we need to know. 

Freely enjoy the gifts of life, knowing they are our birthright?

Trust that the universe is a friendly place?

Take risks to help ourselves grow, even if this means the possibility of being hurt?

Know that we are unconditionally loved by the Divine?






originally published Jan. 16, 2011

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Best Friend Forever

 Sometimes it's easy to feel  alone.  Especially when we are going through a difficult time and can't see our way through to the sunshine.  By ourselves...that is.


But one quick connection can change all of that.  And that would be a direct connect with our Higher Self, truly our BFF  (Best Friend Forever).
 
When we feel lost in our distress and do not think we have the insight nor the energy to pull ourselves through the black cloud...we just need to call in our back-up system and here's how we do it.

We become the OBSERVER of ourself. 

And who is it that is doing the watching? 

Our  Best Friend...Higher Self.

And this Best Friend  is filled with love and compassion for our difficulty but also (and this is the really wonderful part) this  Friend has objectivity.  This  Friend  lets us know that it is OK if we do not have an objective view at this time.  Our BFF will do it for us and will gift us with insights about how to proceed.

How cool is that!  


We get compassion and empathy AND some wonderful guidance from a Friend that really loves and cares about us.

What a great arrangement...and all we need to do is tap in!

Who knew we could carry our BFF right in the middle of our hearts!




image from graphicshunt.com

Monday, February 6, 2012

The Divine Tapestry





 
The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches but to reveal to him his own.

    Benjamin Disraeli



There are so many wonderful ways to let others know the strength and beauty we see in them. 

The first and perhaps most powerful way is to hold space for them...thereby clearly communicating how much we care about their feelings, their experiences, their burdens, their joys.  This means giving focused attention to them without our automatic advice giving but rather with the intention of seeing...and feeling life through their eyes.  Validating others' feelings implies the significance of their response to life.

A second way to communicate this is to acknowledge the efforts they make toward helping others and improving themselves.

We can also take the time and energy to let them know how they have touched our lives...how the imprint of their actions has gifted us with some special grace.


Within the Divine Matrix we all work together to minister to each other's needs and share our Love.  The exquisite unfolding of this glorious design is amazing to behold.

How magnificent that we all get to play a part in this elegant and ethereal Divine Tapestry!



image from ytfe.blogspot.com

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Energy Audits






We’ve all heard the very practical advice of putting our toe into the water before we jump in. And very often we do. But, occasionally, our “enthusiasm” gets the better of us and we leap first.



And sometimes with unfortunate results.


One place the foolhardiness of this is most evident is in interpersonal relationships.

And here’s how it goes.
WE
are ready to roll and off we go…with whatever emotion has sprung up for us.

This could be the
excitement of a new idea for something to try (which might mean some work for everyone involved). It could be the expression of our displeasure at something that has just occurred. It could be our wild, crazy side rocking an impulse to “seize the day”.

 However, we could be jumping into some turbulent waters if we ASSUME that someone is ready to be in the same space with us. So much could be transpiring emotionally with another person that we are not aware of.

There could be some sadness or anxiety we don't know about or, possibly, exhaustion...and our jumping into our “dance” could feel strange to them and, possibly, even unwelcome.



There is a very gentle way to navigate these waters and that is with an ENERGY AUDIT.


This is a very important information exchange that needs to occur before we ASSUME that someone is ready for us. It can come through words or non-verbal behavior but it is always a very wise move to test the waters of someone else’s emotional altitude before we zoom in for a landing.

And, it’s important for us to share where we are on the emotional map, too.


This gentle checkpoint approach will help make both people aware of each other’s inside story and will give good direction on how to proceed at this point or not.



So many misunderstandings and awkward moments can be avoided if we appraise someone’s store of emotional energy before we bring our own to the mix.


Energy audit…a prelude to a very successful communication experience!




originally published May 25, 2011