A New Year, A New Day, A New Me

 



I delight myself with the Gift
of peaceful slumber.
I awaken naturally
when I am ready
to experience
the Beauty of a New Day.




Mystic Marks: Bookmarks for the Soul





originally published January 2011

A New Year's "Light" Show

After the magical days of Christmas holidays…when pine-scented boughs and cranberry candles perfumed the air and glittering lights whispered their grace-filled secrets into our happy hearts…decorating our spaces with joy and celebration…

after these magnificent days have passed and things have grown so very quiet and restful the steady, sure-footed march of the New Year alights on our doorstep, enters our homes and slides into our hearts.

It’s time…to renew and redirect our energy to the wonderful life we have imagined and make the changes that were placed on hold as we made merry and felt merry and loved the "merry" of the holidays.

Now, there is a NEW JOY that awaits us and it is born of reflection and inspiration and discipline…our New Year’s Resolutions.

Much has been said and advised about NYR’s…suggestions that we examine our lives, compiling a list of every change we can imagine…suggestions that we make NO resolutions and not place ourselves under that kind of stress... even a suggestion that we only try to improve ourselves by one percent in the category we identify as “most needed” or, even better, “most desired” and, thereby, let our accumulated steady, slow progress become its own source of motivation.

This morning in the quiet moments when I found myself awakening a different thought occurred to me.

I had been searching for a simple resolution…one that would be easy to hold onto and yet would change my perspective and this is what arrived in response to my request:

As you go through the day and encounter many moments…some relaxing and some difficult and challenging…as you go through the day, just take a moment and imagine how your Higher Self would respond to what is happening. Do not put any pressure on yourself

TO DO what Higher Self would do. Only IMAGINE it and TAKE NOTE.

This sounded wonderful to me…and it feels instinctively that just choosing to put myself in the place of imagining a Higher Response would do some subtle, behind-the-scene work for me even while I went busily about my day, impressing my consciousness with a more beautiful, more loving, more joyful way to navigate it…and, most importantly, a way to be my own SOURCE of happiness and satisfaction.

And it actually sounds and feels quite practical, too, to become, on a continuing basis, the ANCHOR for my joy.

So I am going to give it a pop!   This means I may pause a few seconds before I react and respond to what is going on…allowing myself the time and perspective I need to call up a Higher inspiration than what would automatically appear on my default button.

It will be very interesting to take this journey and, no doubt, it will have its own BRILLIANT  LIGHT SHOW as I enter into this universe!

                                                                                     
                                                                                            Marie Helena


originally printed January 3, 2011

Wings

 

 

 

Our lives are filled with MESSAGES waiting to be delivered to us.

And the messengers who deliver these messages are everywhere.  

They include everyone we encounter... from our family to our colleagues, sales clerks, repairmen, television personalities, the little boy playing across the street...even the bad-tempered clerk who waited on us in the store or the driver who cut us off in traffic.

They exist in our world to present to us the life view we hold about ourselves and they may be engaging and endearing or frustrating and fractious.

If you can summon up some perspective about this and add in a dash of creativity and humor,  I have a suggestion regarding how to enhance and enjoy this experience.


Give them all WINGS...in your imagination!  Make them all ANGELS! 
 

They are all actually doing the work of angels...helping us see the picture of the world we  have created  for ourselves and master the earthwork we have undertaken.

And since this is how the earth school system works we might as well put a big, broad smile on our face while we learn our lessons.

Consider the visual delight of walking into a GATHERING of family or friends and imagining all of them with their own unique set of wings fluttering in a beat to match their personality.

The gregarious individual would have wide, flapping appendages whisking the air to and fro with the vibration of his excitement.

The person who loves to sing or hum would be sporting smooth pinions undulating with a distinctive rhythm.

The joker in the group would probably have one of his wings tucked into a piece of clothing so he would attract the second takes he loves so much.

All of these individuals could be illustrating for us the joy and excitement and fun we are experiencing in our lives.

In our next encounter, however,  we might find a road rage driver with stress written all over his face.  He, too, would be sporting wings but his accessories might be audacious wings that would move thunderously in a loud, clapping sound.

Now it may be easy to picture the so-called "nice guys" in the angelic costume but it may seem strange to picture our road rage driver wearing wings and you might wonder how this frustrating individual can fill this
angelic role. 

Fact is...he may be resonating with  something inside us, something unsettled...a stress we have not  acknowledged, perhaps, or let ourselves experience.  And  he is showing up in our life to bring this omission to our attention.

And here is how he might be  an angel to us...Emotions that are not acknowledged go underground (translate...deep inside us) and often make their next appearance dressed as a major upset,  illness or disease.

So it would behoove us to welcome ALL of the angels in our life and give thanks for the messages they bring us regardless of  the varying roles they play.

After all, the Divine Universe only assigns them the reflections of our own mojo so we can "hear" the sounds and "see" the pictures we are making with the way we choose to live our life and also learn the lessons we have chosen for our experience here.

So, I say, WING ON!

Recognize these Divine creatures  with their dazzling

 (if imaginary) WINGS who are educating and enlightening us and enjoy their sometimes affirming, sometimes challenging messages while we earn our own bright and beautiful wings in earth school!

 

image from craftyjenny.com

originally published March 21, 2012
 

 

Dolce Far Niente

  In the midst of the holiday season when so many preparations are being made…

Christmas trees bedazzled with shimmering lights, ingredients assembled for an array of culinary pleasures, shopping excursions planned to catch the latest sales, spotlighting of porches and roofs with illusionary reindeer…

In the midst of all of this, does it seem strange that I would wish you Dolce Far Niente...The Sweetness of Doing Absolutely Nothing!

And yet, what more perfect time to just BE in the midst of all of these treasures?

Time moves so quickly now as we hasten to finish our self-appointed tasks for the holidays and, if we don’t pause to take in the ambiance and flavor and spirit of these moments, they will be gone before we know it. We will be left with crumbled Christmas wrappings to clean up, dishes to wash from the fabulous dinner we have prepared and an exhausted body for our reward.

So let’s imagine another dimension to our celebration.

I invite you (and myself as a reminder as I write this), to not miss a single breath of this breathtaking season. 

To allow the brilliant red poinsettias to nourish and sustain us with their glorious color and powerful presence.  To honor the trees populating our landscape outside as they abide winter’s passing and keep their spring secrets warm inside their roots for us. To enjoy  delicately flavored herbal tea and gingerbread one sip and one small and succulent bite at a time as delicate snowflakes descend outside our windows.  To watch the faces of the young and young-at-heart as they embrace the magic of families gathering and the waves of joy layering the room as gifts expected (and surprising) are revealed.

Let us all fully embrace the beauty of this season, honor its festive and joyous rhythm and reverence the MAGNIFICENT MOMENTS being given to us!

Marie Helena

The Master Gardener

Although it’s December and some places in the world are covered with snow, there is a secret for all of us deep in Mother Earth and in her devoted and trusting disciple.

No gardener is ever going to go out into a garden and say "Give me some vegetables and then maybe I'll water you."  That's not the way manifestation occurs.  What you do is you go out and you tend to the vegetables and you water them and then...the harvest comes.

 

                                                               Gay Hendricks

 

The Master Gardener is an absolute joy to behold. 

He holds a relationship of trust and gratitude with the earth. 

He lovingly prepares the soil, feeds it nutrients and designs the space for his garden, carefully allowing each plant the room it requires to grow and access the sun. 

He waters his plants as needed with gentleness, honoring and caring. 

As green shoots begin to break the earth in the first steps of their journey, the master gardener celebrates them, carefully removing stray grasses that may impede their progress.


When harvest time arrives, the master gardener is filled with pleasure and gratitude, knowing  that his loving care will be rewarded as his plants produce for him whatever his DNA requires for the fullness of his health. 



The Master Gardener holds many lessons for us regarding our efforts at Manifestation.




LIKE THE MASTER GARDENER, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE:


Tend to the "garden" of our desire with trust and gratitude...

Prepare the "soil" of our environment with the energy of welcome and
     openness...

Give our soil the "nutrients" of love and compassion for ourselves...

Open ourselves to the "sunshine" and "watering" of affirmation and 
      encouragement from others...

Honor the guiding voice of our Higher Self...

       and

Remove the "stray grasses" of our limiting beliefs as we recognize their
     residence within us.



When we give conscious and loving attention to the things we wish to manifest and we prepare ourselves to receive them with grace and gratitude, we align ourselves with the Divine Universe in realizing the perfect expression of our desire.




image from broadwaymarket.org.       

The Best Christmas List of All

 

 

It's December and time for our Christmas to-do lists. 

 

Some especially ambitious individuals have started on their lists many moons ago.  But for those of us who kick into high gear after Thanksgiving...it's time to get down.

 

And I bet you have LOADS OF ITEMS on your list: 

 

 buy a Christmas tree (and decorate it), 

 shop for presents,

 plan a holiday party, 

 balance that budget so finances will work 

   smoothly,

 try some new holiday recipes...

oh, and clean the house (including those jobs you've left undone but now have to do because out-of-towners will be staying with you).

I'm guessing you might be exhausted just thinking about these tasks and that's nothing compared to the EXHAUSTION you feel when you start trying to complete the tasks and keep on trying...even when you are stressed and tired...and in need of sleep and relaxation and nourishment. 

In other words, when the concept of BALANCE has gone completely out of your life.

 

Just yesterday I got  a wonderful idea  about this whole conundrum of how do you get the work done and avoid feeling STRESSED to the max.

 

And here it is.

This is probably going to sound radical to you, but after some reflection I am convinced it's the answer to this problem.

The first premise of this idea is:  Christmas (and all of the preparations that go into the holiday) should be fun. 

Easy enough to say.  But, you may wonder, how can we have fun doing the Christmas to-do list when we are bone-tired...weary...dragging ourselves around?

The answer is not to do it.  DO NOT make yourself do the things on that list when you are not  IN YOUR POWER and have good energy, a  positive disposition and are ready to be in-the-flow.  

Just  DO NOT do that list of tasks when your chin is on the floor.

Instead (and here comes the next premise) do WHATEVER IT TAKES  to get you  back to your place of power.  This might mean taking a nap, relaxing, having a lovely conversation, enjoying  nourishing food for your tired body (and eating it slowly and tasting and enjoying every bite).  WHATEVER IT TAKES.


Then... when you have reclaimed your power (whenever that is)...do something on the Christmas prep list.

 You are probably thinking THIS WILL NEVER WORK.  There won't be enough time.

But here's my thought: If you've ever pushed yourself to do things when you DID NOT have the energy (physical, mental or emotional) to do them, then I am sure you know there is a HEFTY price tag on that delightful maneuver. 

And I bet this is when you develop that cold or catch that flu or get so totally out-of-sorts that nobody wants to be around you. 

Then...what good did it do to have the things on your list completed and you can't even appreciate what you have accomplished?

 

I know...I know...this concept will take some reframing of the way we usually tackle our tasks but consider this:  

 How wonderful would it be to actually enjoy all of the holiday preparations...to be in such a lovely space that it felt like you were constantly accessing the joy of Christmas and what it represents?  

How lovely also for all of those around you to engage with the happy, positive person you know you can be!

 

Wouldn't it be worth taking the leap to give this a try and then see how everything plays out?  

And, by the way, this isn't  just a wonderful plan for Christmas...I think it's the best way to engage life all year round.

So start making that special list of all of the wonderful things that will rejuvenate you and move you back into that  DELIGHTFUL place of joy and power and make that one THE LIST you always remember!

image from vickiblackwell.com

Adjust Your Sails

A wise sailor holds an awareness of every element that is affecting his journey and he navigates his vessel accordingly. 

 He knows that if he wants his voyage to be smooth and efficient he will need to pay attention...to respect and honor...every circumstance of his environment.

Just imagine, for example, what would happen if he took to the sea and set sail on his own course, disregarding the winds and currents around him.  Chaos would ensue...he might encounter unexpected storms or turbulence...and possibly even experience a shipwreck.

And that is why a wise and knowledgeable seaman will be completely aware of his environment and will adjust his sails accordingly.


There is a lesson to be learned from this sage sailor.


Sometimes we set our course and plunge ahead with enthusiasm, fervor and, unfortunately, a huge set of blinders.  We march to our own drummer and are so rapt up in our journey, that we fail to notice that everyone is making his own music. 

This great variety of musical compositions can be coaxed into a beautiful song with some conscious attention and awareness. 


Let's take this down to terms of HUMAN INTERACTION. 

If we are interacting with a die hard humorist, we are not going to make great progress if all we do is make serious statements. 

If we are speaking to a gentle-hearted soul, we will surely encounter difficulty if our words tumble out in erratic cacophony.

If we are speaking to a no nonsense bottom-liner, our efforts at presenting elaborate examples will not be appreciated.


However, if we invest our energy in knowing our audience and appreciating the chemistry and propensities of each participant, we can ADJUST OUR SAILS to the human  variables of this interpersonal weather. 


I have found the payoff to this approach to be mind blowing. 

When we "pay the price of admission" regarding what is close and what is dear to someone's heart and, thereby, help them into a space of comfort and ease...that individual is poised and ready and open to considering whatever message we wish to deliver.


All sea winds and currents are navigable when we are willing to honor their energies.



image from blog.craftycutie.com.    

On the Way to the Light

There is a vase of flowers sitting on my desk.  Baby white carnations. 
 In a very tall, (actually, too tall) glass vase with a square opening. The interesting thing about the arrangement is that most of the flowers peek out the top a few inches and a few of the flowers, the shorter ones, are actually under the water.

The carnations crowning the vase are expressing their joy and enthusiasm, coexisting together, sharing their “home”, brushing one another’s petals…making the bouquet even more radiant.. They look like love expressing itself.

The carnations under the water level seem to be nourished by the liquid around them which is clear and translucent and seems to be holding some mysterious message. It’s as if they are exactly where they need to be and are getting just what is required for them at this moment in time. Their stems touch the bottom of the vase just as do the taller ones…each flower is grounded, regardless of its placement.

I can’t help but feel there is a lesson here.

On our way to the top of the vase where we shine in all of our glory…we may well need to stop and be nourished by the water of others’ kindness. We may need to be open to receiving the care often given to us with such love and compassion.

I think sometimes we don’t recognize that we need to be immersed in the water or even that someone is providing it for us…but it is life-giving and so powerful…a step  on the way to the Light.

Perhaps, like the flowers, we need to pause in our day, experience our thirst, let ourselves be satiated and recognize who is sustaining us with this beautiful gift.




originally published November 6, 2010

Beyond the Words

I  always start to lose focus when I think I understand what I'm hearing rather than feeling it.
                     Mark Nepo






There's a reason why we have a left brain and a right brain.  They both have work to do. The left brain is logical...it grabs the meaning...makes sense of things...understands.  The right brain, on the other hand, is feeling- centered, emotional, intuitive.


Sometimes we make the mistake of thinking that logic (the left brain) is ALL that we need.  Like in conversations, for instance.  Once we get the idea of what someone is saying or even just hear the drift of it and fill in the blanks ourselves, we think we have truly gotten the message.


Not so.

We have heard the facts (or, perhaps even assumed them).  We have heard the sequence of how things transpired.  We may have even heard the end of the story...at least to this point. 


But what we have not done is FELT the message being sent to us.  That takes right brain work...and a little time...and an investment of our heart energy. And we are not going to make this effort if understanding others is not our

priority...if we are consumed with what is transpiring regarding our own agenda...and if we are not tuning in to the emotional states of the individuals with whom we are interacting. 




And, if any of these conditions is true and we are not really perceiving the emotions of others, we are missing the opportunity to participate in the exquisite experience of CONNECTING with them through our understanding of their heart.



The giving of a gift engenders joy and appreciation and connection...and connection is one of the greatest pleasures we experience.  Feeling cared about... listened to...honored in that way...is beautiful and so soul satisfying.



When we give our full attention AND invite our heart to respond, we open a precious pathway of mutual caring and consideration. 



Listening beyond the words someone speaks and really taking in the emotional impact they represent creates the most beautiful environment for the expression of compassion and empathy...in both directions.



Put on your metaphorical headphones...
open your heart to someone's emotional music! 

Choosing the intention of listening BEYOND THE WORDS may be the most wonderful gift you ever give to others and yourself!





image of girl with headphones from colourbox.com
 

The Amusement Park

By the time we leave our childhood behind and get on with issues of the "adult" world most of us have managed a trip or two to the glorious island of escape called
The Amusement Park. 


There we stuffed our faces with cotton candy while we waited in line to take our seats on VERY scary and unpredictable rides.  And why did we do this?  Because it was FUN! We screamed our hearts out and then turned around and doubled back for more.


Maybe we loved these "wild rides" so much because there is something in our makeup that loves the unknown... mercurial adventures, precarious positions, challenging perspectives.


Which brings me in a roundabout way to an interesting occurrence I had just this week. 

While sitting in morning meditation a few days ago I experienced a very unusual stream of imagery.  I often have images popping up during meditation and, in fact, they routinely do,  but this meditation scenario was the most delightful I have ever encountered.


Several Disney characters were whirling inside a powerful vortex, riding it downward at a very fast speed having the time of their life and shouting "Whee!".  


When they reached the bottom (as they all invariably did), they were bounced back up to the top and were each affectionately catapulted into a bed floating in space.  They were tucked into warm covers and were soothed, comforted and rewarded from their madcap adventure by having a nice, long rest.


The all encompassing feeling of this fantasy was one of fun and delight.  The Disney characters were All IN.  They had no question of their safety...of the road they were traveling or of the loving embrace (the comfortable, billowy beds) awaiting them at its completion.  The TRUST was implicit, palpable.  Its vibration provided a powerhouse of energy for this adorable and motley crew.

So, here's the thing.


The vortex in my meditation feels like earth school.  We've all experienced the WILD rides of life when it took us some time to
B r e a t he, take it all in,  restore our equilibrium, gain perspective and choose our response, hopefully learning from the lessons being presented to us.


The Disney characters bouncing back up to the top and landing in a comfortable bed feels like a message that we are always looked after and deeply appreciated for our sojourn on this planet.

And the fact that the characters were all having such an exciting, fun time feels like guidance on how to look at earth school as an exercise in curiosity and wonderment because it's all an illusion.  Real as it may seem, earth school is the vortex playground for trying on various personas and life situations to see what we can make of them...and learn from them, all the while sending the vibrations of our new wisdom out for everyone to energetically tap into.

When WE (our Spirit Selves) watch the glorious adventures we have designed for ourselves as earth dwellers, the story of our lives becomes truly enchanting!



roller coaster image from clipartist.info
Disney characters image from childcoloringpages.net
pillow image from wikihow.com




 

Coloring Outside the Lines

As little children we were often gifted by family and friends with coloring books.

These books had very distinct pictures of people and places and things. The guidelines, no doubt, helped us learn about the many aspects of life and told us what to expect from our surroundings.


We were instructed by most of our supervising adults to color carefully inside the lines …and we learned to do so. This served us well for a time…but life proved to be much bigger and bolder and more complex than that original coloring book.

Coloring inside the lines is a careful response to what we have learned to expect. Stimulus…and reponse. Coloring inside the lines is often our goal. So precise, so clear…so easy to understand.

And we often carry this preoccupation over into adulthood into the world of interpersonal communication…anticipating that the people in our lives will fulfill our expectations. When they do, we know exactly how to proceed…what “colors” to choose, what the “picture” should look like.

But… when the people and circumstances and events in our lives don’t look like the pictures in our coloring books (our images of them), we can’t use this childhood process.

Coloring inside the lines won’t work because the people, places and things won’t stay inside them.

And this is not a bad thing.

In fact, it’s a wondrous, challenging thing. Admittedly, sometimes it is very, very difficult…and sometimes very messy. We have to color outside the original lines. We have to see what boundaries will fit each picture (and try to honor and respect them) and we can’t determine that ahead of time. We have to watch where the borders are each moment for they are constantly moving. We have to see how the whole picture itself looks and how it meshes with ours.

To put this in human terms:

If we have a certain image of someone or something and then we see that based on what is happening, the image we have is not holding, it is very natural to be distressed. But the problem isn’t with the person or thing or circumstance; the problem is the fact that we are holding onto our old coloring book with a very structured mind picture we have created.

In doing this we are missing the opportunity to see what really exists in this LIVING work of art.

We are missing the opportunity to learn something new from each other.

We are missing the opportunity to be brave and adventurous...to engage in life and be fully present in that Moment.


If we only color inside the lines, we are missing out on one of the most profound and moving opportunities of life.

Let's redefine our creation to include the bold and bright colors that rush headlong into each other alongside the soft and gentle hues that open channels of converging energy with their loving interactions.

All are brilliant and beautiful. All tell the story of how we come together and, sometimes, stand apart.

Perhaps the ENGAGEMENT with this colorful, messy, ever moving picture is an ART unto itself.

 

 

 

originally published June, 2011