Mum's the Word!

 
It’s almost Halloween and I am a holiday junkie.  

The front porch is filled with scarecrows, corn stalks, bales of hay, a black cat and some very big (and I mean big) pots of chrysanthemums in purple, wine, yellow and white. 

 And though I love the color and texture of everything on the porch, the really big deal for me is putting my face right into the flowers and taking in their essence… the touch and smell and coolness…in other words, their vibration!


I take breaks during the day to go out and do this. It connects me with nature’s bountiful gifts and beauty. It lifts me out of my everyday tasks and says, “We’re right here…just waiting for you to enjoy us.” Yep, those flowers are smiling. I know it. They love to have someone get right in their faces.

Which reminds me…I am also addicted to hugging trees. I have a particular tree in the neighborhood that lets me feel its roots straight down into the earth. I used to look around before I approached the tree, but, naw…I don’t look around anymore. I just see that beauty and go for it. I hug bushes, too. And have been for many years.

Although I am no gardener, I think that this is exactly the kind of  high  that gardeners feel when they do their thing. Now here’s a really interesting fact I learned recently about plants and gardeners. If you are raising plants that you will eat, when you tend them with personal, loving care they produce for you whatever your DNA requires.
 

Now that’s mind blowing. And it sure tells you that the universe is alive and wanting to spread its goodness everywhere. 

 So have at ‘em…pumpkins, flowers, trees…the whole works. They’re just waiting for your perceptive eyes and glowing attention. 



originally printed October 31, 2011

Secrets of the Universe

Spiritual author Gary Zukav tells us that when we practice acts of  
love, fear  begins to disappear from our lives.

What an intriguing thought:  The on-going offering of love releases fear!

 
As I reflect on this concept, a simple, mathematical observation comes to me.

I have read authors on many occasions who say that there are only two primary emotions:  love and fear...and so it seems to me that if one of these emotions prevails, the other will only take up the space that is left.  

And, to extend this thought even further...

If love is fully present in every moment, there will be no space for fear.
 

Could it be that simple? 

Perhaps there is also something intrinsic to this equation regarding the substance of love...and fear.

Love implies a fullness of heart...generosity, caring, compassion..joy that is waiting to be shared.  Fear implies a lack...of abundance, of trust, of safety.
 

In order to feel joyful and generous I think we must first feel EASE and SAFETY and, perhaps, that is the first and possibly most important thing that love gives us...a sense of safety...the feeling of "home"...a place where we are free to be ourselves and know "it's all good".
 

So, perhaps, the question is:  Can we look at the world and sense this AWESOME FEELING OF SAFETY?

Can we find it in the order and cycle of the seasons moving through the year?

Can we see it in the way a tree takes root and grows?  

Can we feel it in the rhythm of a fetus growing in the womb and, after birth, progressing steadily and in perfect order through the stages of life? 

 

Perhaps the consideration of these beautifully orchestrated events can provide us with the sense that we ARE safe...that there is a Divine Order at work and a loving and caring Creator authoring this order.  

And, if we are, indeed, safe, we can relax into ease and naturally share that beautiful space with others.  

This, then, delivers us directly into love.
 

And, when we practice acts of love and nurture it, love grows exponentially.  And the MORE we love, the less room there is for fear.
 

The choice is ours: expansion or contraction...love or fear?


The structural beauty of the universe seems to offer the evidence of expansion (Love).  Is the possibility of this conclusion yet another gift we have been given?



image from emergent-culture.com

originally printed August 22, 2012

The Dance of Dharma

We are given talents that match our Soul's Purpose and lead us in the right direction through our enjoyment and satisfaction. 
  
Follow your heart
  and 
pay attention to what is pleasing to you.   
                                     Nur Ray


  

 Study hard what really interests you
 in the most undisciplined, irreverent and original manner possible. 
                            
                                                                    Dick Feynman 



There we have it...directions for answering the eternal question: 
What am I here for? And they couldn't be easier or more fun. 


If we could just disregard the confusing street signs posted by culture, society and authority figures:
 
        THIS WAY to success.
        WE have the answers.
        That's not practical.
        Follow in our footsteps!

 ...we could see that 

being true to ourselves...authentic in everything we do...
is 
THE road to happiness and success...
and the fulfillment of our soul's sacred contract.


Our sojourn here in earth school has been undertaken for a very special purpose. We are here in the perfect place at the perfect time to make our own unique contribution to humanity. And the journey to discover our oh-so-special gifts is not brain surgery.


All we have to do is NOTICE what we like to engage in...what feels like fun...what's easy for us and what makes time stand still.  Once we find those answers and slip into our special  slot in the universe,  we've found our dharma!

Congratulations!   It is now PLAYtime because that's what it feels like to follow your heart...easy, effortless, relaxing...like HOME.  

You're safe there...so this is the time to be irreverent, original.  Make your OWN discoveries...your OWN connections...follow the stars and YOUR intuition.  Go wherever they take you.

What a beautiful example of the salience and simplicity of listening to our own beautiful hearts.  That's what we were designed for...our own true North!


And when we truly embrace our place in the Universe, JOY spills over onto everyone and we end up making those around us delightfully happy, too.


Honoring ourselves honors everyone...we all learn these glorious lessons from each other


If you've lost your way and you're not packing a compass to guide you, dip into your
soul sense...your so lovely Guidance System...

 Ask yourself, "What DO I love to do?"  
 Then go do it. 

Life  takes on a very special HAPPINESS when you're cruizzzzing with something you really care about.

                                                                                              Marie Helena

 

image from anitafolio.blogspot.com

originally published October 7, 2013

Lemons, Lemonade and Quantum Physics

Everyone's heard the famous saying encouraging us to  
MAKE LEMONADE 
OUT OF LEMONS. . 

And we often take that sage advice to heart, taking a difficult situation and making improvements for ourselves. 

And we are very proud of our work and rightly so, taking ownership of the lemonade.
 
 
BUT WHAT IF WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LEMONS, TOO?


Quantum physics tells us that we create our "world"... and that sounds wonderful to us and we often view that statement as referring to the great things we want to bring into it.

But what if we are creating those wonderful things...the things that really bring us joy  by starting with the lemons first.
 

Let me back up for a minute and explain what I mean.

The thing that really brings us joy, I feel, is the lemonade that comes from the lemons.  

That lemonade is no easy concoction.  it requires acceptance, surrender, faith, trust, perseverance and, often, tenacity.  (Ever see that recipe In a cookbook?  I'm sure it appears in a celestial version.)

And now let's get to the lemons.  The pesky, annoying, difficult and sometimes devastating things that rock our world...and not in a good way.  The things that sometimes make us feel like a victim and give rise to the feeling of "Why me?".
 

What if the force behind the lemon eight ball is really us...throwing those lemons at ourselves with vigor and even delight because we know what we are capable of...the heights we can reach?
 

What if the lemons are a masterfully creative way of inspiring us to reach for a new insight, a wisdom that will totally transform our lives? 

And what if WE dreamed them up...and those lemons weren't coming AT US but rather to us and for us?
 

Now the "lemons" of our lives look different.  They're our creation...our compatriots...our partners in the glorious experiment we call Life in earth school.
 

Wow...aren't we the clever ones? 
 
While we are busy making that lemonade, let's bring some real appreciation to our sense of invention and creativity. 
 
And, when we recognize the details of our master plan and transcend the mystery, we can actually ENJOY the art of creating that divine drink from the mysterious and powerful lemons we bring into our lives.

                                                                                 Marie Helena

image from medilodge.wordpress.com

originally published August 27, 2012