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Sunday, July 29, 2012

Don't Push the River







EACH RIVER HAS ITS OWN BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY.. moving, flowing, unfolding in its own sacred space and time. 

It may follow a straight, focused path moving forward with determination. 

It may carefully navigate earth fragments...twigs, rocks, trees, boulders. 

It may move forward in near silence, absorbing  with deep appreciation every living thing it encounters.

All  rivers have a rhythm...a wisdom that needs to be honored.  They represent the onward flow of Life itself which animates our spirit.


Listening to our river and RESPECTING its forward movement (whatever that may be) is essential for us to progress through our earthly journey with joy and ease.

 

On the other hand, pushing "the river" produces tension and anxiety.  

 

If we are feeling anxious or upset...if we are frustrated by events or circumstances that trigger us...and we choose to pretend this is not what is happening...we are pushing "the river".   


 
"The river" inside us wants to express itself with the freedom and grace of authenticity.  


If we deny that authenticity, we fight the natural unfolding which is so important to our health and well-being.
 

Like the river, we are designed to be open, transparent, expressive. 


 

When we deny "What Is" clearly going on because of fear or discomfort...because of limiting beliefs or unhealed hurts, we interrupt the beautiful rhythm and flow of our life. 

 
And when we try to force an action or reaction from someone  (or ourselves) instead of waiting for its natural expression (which comes in its own time), we create disharmony. 



 And, by so doing, we not only compromise the health and well-being of the body, we compromise our emotional and spiritual progress and we surely cause disturbance to our relationships.
 

"The rivers" of our life must be welcomed and honored.  If we respect their flow we will feel the beautiful ease of being our true, authentic selves and encouraging others to join us in this Divine unfolding.



And so I offer you this gentle reminder...


As you move through your day and navigate the "scenery" of your life, take a deep breath,  bless the moment, remind yourself of Life's innate wisdom and DON'T PUSH THE RIVER.


 

image from ClipartHeaven.com

Friday, July 27, 2012

The Gathering



Media cinematographers have perfected the process of superimposing an image on a screen…with one image overshadowing the other.

Both images can still be seen but the superimposed image is the stronger, more impressive one.


What if we were to borrow this beautiful artistry and use it energetically to help us stay connected to what is the true purpose of our life!

When we encounter another in a moment of challenge or distress, perhaps we could superimpose right over them the image of their Higher Self.  Could be a brilliant white light…a figure our imaginations have created…a beautiful blend of harmonic colors and sounds…however we wish to portray the image of Higher Self.


This superimposed figure would no doubt be bathed in love and caring for its human counterpart, softly offering the energy of confidence and support, smiling and nodding as the individual breaks through the barriers of the challenge and finds his way to a LOVE directed answer.

And, if the human counterpart has not yet found his way but is suffering from some hurt or pain, Higher Self would be offering the energy of compassion and unconditional love.


And… as WE enter the scene… we would also be accompanied by our Higher Self superimposed upon us. The two beautiful Spirits would recognize each other, and connect telepathically through the realm of LOVE.

What if we made a habit of seeing this superimposed figure covering EVERYONE we saw.

Wouldn’t life look different to us?

Wouldn’t we be eternally bathed in the higher vibration of Spirit?

Wouldn’t we see others through new eyes, through the vision of our and their Higher Selves?


Let's consider the beautiful and inspiring possibility of GATHERING all of our Higher Selves and welcoming them into our consciousness.


What a wonderful way to experience the day and see ourselves protected, honored and loved by this supreme vibration!



image from eternalgodz.blogspot.com



originally published July 13, 2011

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Road to Amazement










Oh, how we love to be in COMPLETE CONTROL 
of our lives.   

The technical and artistic designer.  

With a strong, persistent vision. 

We LOVE to construct our experiences.   Place them in a box of our design.  

We can see them in our mind playing out beautifully.  Just as we imagined.

In this picture there is precision and polish.  Everything works just as we envision  it.  Stimulus...response.   Action...reaction.  
 
It's our story and it's a work of art


But...are we missing something?


Is this picture we have so carefully planned going to help us create the life we want for ourselves?
 

Whenever we are strongly attached to an experience playing out just as we have conceived it...


and someone agrees to say the lines we "write" for them...

and agrees to be contained in OUR vision of the world...

we get what we prefer and we are comfortable.

 



BUT WE MISS SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES.

***************************************************

We miss the excitement of something new and unexpected entering the scene.

We miss the challenge of having to create our response IN THAT MOMENT...the challenge of testing ourselves to see how we can call on the influence of new things we have been learning.

We miss the glorious opportunity to see different aspects of the persons with whom we are interacting.

We miss the opportunity to learn something new or gain a new way of viewing things.

We miss the ENERGY of a brand new moment expressing itself with twists and turns and full to the brim with the promise of awareness, excitement and challenge.

***************************************************

In short, we are stuck in the groove we have been digging for a long, long time...and that groove is called  Having It My Way.

 

Jesse Nichols George says, 

 
*When we let go of our attachments we set things free to be so much more.  If we try to restrict people and relationships to be a certain way we miss so much of what they have to offer; when we let them be themselves, WE CAN BE AMAZED OVER AND OVER AGAIN."


Here's a thought...  


What if the "program" we create for the experiences in our life was blank?  

No predictions or hints of what is to come... no plot points.
 
Just a tabula rasa, a blank page waiting to be created by the information and emotions of the players revealing themselves in each moment.


 

Life would never be static or boring, would it?  


There would always be something new to consider...enjoy...watch for.  We would never have to travel to a Mecca for something new and exciting.  

OUR LIFE and the way we live it would be the new, exciting thing.


If we allow...no, let's make that  INVITEENCOURAGE and  DELIGHT IN the scenes which  are WRITING THEMSELVES (even in this moment), we will undoubtedly have a front row seat to the evolution of our awareness, joy and wisdom!




image from casualtext.wordpress.com

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

The Good Hearts Club


 


It is my belief that every one of us has a Good Heart

We are born that way.  

Some of us keep our heart  bright and buoyant throughout our lives, surviving many challenges and difficulties and quickly patching up any nicks and heart scrapes we suffer. 

Some of us, though, acquire a tarnish on our Good Heart. 


These individuals undergo some very heavy and disheartening experiences and get caught in the undertow. 

But the Good Heart they are born with is still there.   
        Under the tension and fear and pain. 

(Even if these persons are very frustrated and angry, their emotions and behavior are just a cover up for their fear.)
 

Which brings me to the subject of this blog post... 

The Good Hearts Club.
 

I believe that every one of us is a member of this club.  


Some members are easier to identify because they are often found  spreading sunshine and doing good deeds and, when necessary, mending the heart tears they may experience.


But those who sustain UNHEALED heart tears...tears that need attention...tears that need to be looked after...also still carry that  beautiful Good Heart inside them.


Only it's tired and maybe sad from all the hurt.  
They just need to be reminded gently and possibly often that others see that their Good Heart is still there. 
 

Club members already sitting in the sunshine can easily find these hiding hearts.    


They can find them by connecting with the intention of a person and not merely his behavior.   They can find them by remembering that underneath all of the drama of life there is always a person just wanting to be acknowledged, listened to and loved.  

And, when they do find these hiding hearts, they can access them immediately by offering unconditional caring.
 

This special attention given freely and generously to fellow earth dwellers is a signature gift of  The Good Hearts Club and a beautiful expression of LOVE.



Are you someone who keeps your heart bright and buoyant?
Is there some sunshine you are just waiting to spread?





image from glitters123.com

Monday, July 16, 2012

Download

 
   

Ninety-six per cent of the time it is our subconscious that is powering our actions and emotions.  

The subconscious is downloading the effect of millions of years of struggle and experiences from our psychic anatomy.  


A good deal of the time we may not like the program that is running.  That program may be evoking uncomfortable feelings...like sadness, rejection,  frustration, feelings of unworthiness, fear...all kinds of unhealed hurt.

And we are left to deal with this cargo that is ours by reason of consignment.


Often we try to run away from these feelings. 

And there are all kinds of  hiding places.  

We might put them out of our mind or turn off our emotions.  We might shine a spotlight on someone else to escape the glare of our own issues.  We might turn to alcohol or shopping or some other addiction.

We do this to bring ourselves comfort.  To escape.

 

But escape is not possible. 

And what we resist, of course, persists.
And the body has its own methods of dealing with this attempt to sidestep the issue.


There is another answer. 
And that answer is to EMBRACE what is making itself felt and heard...to recognize  and acknowledge the DOWNLOAD, and...to go even further...to LOVE WHAT IS.

 

And so...if we feel ourselves reacting to something that is upsetting us...

we give ourselves permission to HAVE that feeling. We don't busy ourselves with the business of self-judgment and the voice of condemnation:  I shouldn't feel this way.  What's wrong with me?

The point is we DO feel this way and so we don't choose to argue with reality.  


We get that there is a source (and, possibly, many sources) for this feeling which is being  downloaded and we ACCEPT the download as a part of our journey. 

We stop beating ourselves up for feeling what we feel. 

We visualize the scrambled energy stored in our vortex which is streaming out as A MOMENT OF RELEASE

And we bless it and love it.
 

This downloading process is a striking example of  what is...and we choose to Love What Is.
 

Love is ALWAYS the way.


And in loving WHAT IS is we free ourselves from self-judgment...from the accusation that we are not good enough because we have this feeling.  


We truly get that this unfolding is our Divine journey and when we recognize it and allow it to flow through us free from incrimination we are able:

to dance with the issue...
to find the truth in the moment...
to honor our lifepath...
to see what unmet need is calling for our attention.

 

If we truly LOVE WHAT IS we no longer need to hide and take cover.  

The unfolding is an integral part of our journey and, when we welcome it and experience it and love it, we are free to feel compassion and understanding of our difficulty... and that love discharges the dissonance. 
 

We have Surrendered.  We are In Flow

 

Perhaps this is the greatest gift we can give ourselves.




image from esotericteachings.org.            

Friday, July 13, 2012

Attraversiamo



  


The Italians have a beautiful word which translates as "crossing over"

...Attraversiamo.  

To me it means both moving through and moving on





As I looked through some interesting comments I have saved from my readings, I came across some lovely impressions of how this process happens.
 
Lauren Gorgo tells us that 

"we are not here to own or hold experiences but to fluidly move thru them so as to continually embrace the next experience...and the next, and the next."
 
When I attempt to visualize the  process  Lauren describes the scene I see is filled with gently moving images that are translucent...they are effortlessly transforming into new images (read experiences).  The feeling is one of lightness and the most beautiful energy vibrating joyfully.

According to Lauren Gorgo this is Conscious Co-Creation and it means to live in the moment and create the next moment from the moment that preceded it.

 

As I reflect on this picture I see that  LIFE looks very purposeful.  Every experience we have holds the gift of a sacred lesson which anchors the next step in our spiritual evolution.

 

Does this image of moving pictures seem difficult to engage...to stop fixating on or obsessing over our experiences...especially the ones that feel difficult, uncomfortable or painful and move instead into the on-going  grace of transformation?

 
 

Here are some words of encouragement I feel are especially inspiring to help us develop this approach to life.  They describe a gentle process, a habit we can cultivate that will facilitate this spiritual exercise. 

I do not have the author's name recorded in my notes but the tone of the message sounds a lot like the words I read from Meredith Murphy's Expect Wonderful and I share it with you in the hopes that it will spark your motivation and oh so gently touch your heart:
 

Continually allowing myself to let go of things without resistance just opens up ease and makes life so happy.  

I let things come into my life.  I let them go.  I stop trying to control this or take it personally.  I just am.  Amazing.  So simple, isn't it?
 

 Can you SIMPLIFY the moments of your life?


 


image from art-saloon.ru

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Painting the Picture of Your Life





 

If you can see your path laid out in front of you step by step, you know it's not your path.  

Your own path you make with every step you take.  That's why it's your path.
                                      
              Joseph Conrad



  THE GIFT OF CREATION  is not reserved for artists, composers, designers, authors.  

EVERY ONE of us is a creator and we are creating the journey of our life with every step we take...every decision we make... every thought we think...every word we speak... every emotion we feel.

And we are constantly reinventing that journey...

turning in new directions, becoming aware of new concepts, discovering new beauty in life, observing our reactions and behavior and learning from them 

or

staying stuck in old patterns, resisting new information, dwelling on what feels uncomfortable or difficult and, thereby, digging ourselves deeper into depression or desperation.

We are not static beings.

We are constantly dipping into thoughts, memories and emotions to produce the colors of the art which is our life.

And there is great reason here for hope and optimism.  Every day...every moment is an opportunity to influence the unfolding of this object 'de arte,

And we have the OPPORTUNITY to choose how we respond to every thing that happens.  

We can choose to recognize, acknowledge and experience our feelings. 
 
We can choose to express those feelings authentically...to speak our truth in the best way we know how.  

We can not only love ourselves enough to honor and own our feelings we can also love others enough to respect and honor theirs.  

We can choose to accept the flow of life and be open to the lessons it is presenting to us.  

We can choose to find the GIFT in every moment.

What makes up the artist's palette of your life?  

Are you constantly trying new brushes, new colors, new materials and tools?   

Do you stand back or to the side to get a different view of what you are creating? 

 Do the sun and moon illuminate your work and make it sparkle?


Every day, every moment you  bring new perspectives, new vision to your work.  How will you paint your picture today?



image from clipartof.com

Sunday, July 8, 2012

The Heart Responds









Awareness simplifies the experience of life by bypassing the mind and giving a direct experience of feeling...which the mind cannot experience or comprehend.

                                 Robert Cosmar







It would seem so very admirable to invest our time in understanding  the beliefs and concepts that have been formulated and expressed over time regarding the great questions of life:

        Who created this amazing universe?

       What role do I play here?

       What is the best way to live out that role?

       What truly brings me joy?

       What causes suffering?

To be able to logically explain the answers to these questions could appear to be very empowering but using this method to explain the answers would include mentally LABELING concepts... and that process is confining and limiting

 It defines concepts according to an individual's perception and it is based on that person's influences, conditioning and experiences. 
 
It places the great gifts of our life into a BOX of specific parameters and dimensions envisioned by one individual.

 
But the breathless beauty and amazing legacy of life is so much more. 
 
And it is accessed not through logic or mental exercise or through indoctrination of the ruling of authority...the dictates of someone's interpretation...it is accessed through our  direct experience of feeling...

        through entering the Divine portal of AWARENESS...the awesome, mysterious state of complete connection to what we are experiencing...

        the FEELING of SENSING and KNOWING  the essence of someone or something.  Not the trappings or even the ambiance...just  the purity of What Is.


 
And we know when we are in this beautiful place because we do not feel the oppressive weight of argument and persuasion.  When we are in this place time and circumstances and issues slip away...there is nothing but us and the experience.

And  the heart responds to the moment.  Something feels right...true..natural...a beautiful gift to us.  

This is when the true nature of life and its secrets are revealed.

 
They are not revealed through the mind but rather through the heart

This amazing pathway is open to each of us...it waits for each of us to become aware of its existence.
 
This amazing feeling of  intensity, this fascination, this connection-to-ALL THAT IS  cannot be named...or labeled or described.  It must be experienced.

 
Pema Chodron tells us that when we  open our hearts in this way to all the people we meet, to all the situations we encounter, without closing down, trusting that we can do that – then  we will understand all the teachings that anyone has ever taught.
 

THIS path, the HEARTpath is the way in to the glorious experiences of life and their meaning.  

Everyone can access this Divine knowledge by opening and listening to  their own heart.





image from crestock.com


 


 

Saturday, July 7, 2012

Mystic Messages









The universe 
and 
the light of the stars come TO me.*






What a dazzling visual...the beautiful, breathtaking light and energy of our universe streaming to and through our consciousness.



 Have you ever felt this happening?
 
I enjoy the essence of this concept being manifested to me each and every day as I watch and listen for messages from the Divine Universe.

*One of the first things I do each morning is CHECK MY BLOG to see which blog posts are currently on the top ten list as "most popular". 
That list is changing all the time as people around the world read selections. 
I have learned that the blogs that are showing up on that list (sometimes from nearly two years ago)  are ALWAYS messages I need to be reminded of that day so I go back and read what I had already written and receive the guidance I need.



*Here's another way that Divine Light streams into my life. 
 I often find that when I experience a problem THE SOLUTION LIES IN A BLOG I had written just a few days before. 
The solution shows up BEFORE the problem!  

What a brilliant example of the Divine Universe always attending to our needs and, in this case, there's a sense of lightheartedness and whimsy in the order in which the solutions appear.


 
*I ALSO PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO COMMENTS made by people I am with and even people I am around (but not interacting with).   
Especially when someone feels very strongly about something.



*AND THAT ATTENTION ALSO EXTENDS to what I am reading or perhaps viewing on television, too.


*SOMETIMES I GET VARIATIONS OF THE SAME MESSAGE from different sources.  That is always an indicator of an important message waiting for me.



*AND IF THE PLUMBING GOES AWRY (or anything else)... I hear a "Knock,  knock... Something's going on" coming in.



The mystic  messages are EVERYWHERE and it's great fun discovering them and doing my detective work to ascertain their meaning.
I BELIEVE THAT EVERYONE CAN HAVE THIS WONDERFUL ADVENTURE.  


The clues for the advancement of our life journey are but waiting for our attention.  
Some are quiet and subtle.  And some (the really pressing, urgent ones) are over-the-top obvious IF we are paying attention.


The universe and the light of the stars come TO me...
and they can come to you, too.

Invite this breathless display of INTUITIVE RADIANCE into YOUR life.



*variation on a quote from Rumi
     quote courtesy of  Rose Shanti



image from examiner.com
The Universe and Me
Photo credit: 
Bodylovetalk.com