Here Comes Da Judge

The great spiritual teacher J. Krishnamurti said the highest form of human intelligence is the ability to observe ourselves without judgment.  And this is no small task for we all carry an imaginary presence inside of us which we automatically gift with authority and respectability (even though its voice is a hindrance and not a help).  

 My sister calls the arrival of our guest "Here Comes Da Judge".


Imagine our magistrate attired in formal black robe and the British judicial white wig altercating furiously for air time in our consciousness.   If he wasn't so annoying and didn't dredge up old feelings of unworthiness, this creature would be quite amusing.  But the fact is the appearance of our judge introduces negative energy into our aura. Yikes!

What in the world can be done about this vexing creature?

I am thinking this is the perfect time to call in the resources of our Left Brain and turn this disturbing image into a Subject of Study rather than a schlepper of suffering. 


It's "white coat time" and, though you will not be donning the pristine uniform in reality, at least "white coat" your mental process and steer yourself away from subjugating your psyche to the judgmental pronouncements. 

Collect data.  Be curious.  Experiment.  Be a scientist.  Watch how often your "Judge" makes an appearance...and under what conditions and circumstances.  Look for patterns in the magistrate's behavior.  Note his verbal nuances and the disapproving posture and attitude. 

Why would Krishnamurti call observation without judgment the highest form of human intelligence?  Because we cannot attain wisdom (sense of or understanding of something) while we are mired down with the weight of self condemnation. 

 Instead, we need to be able to see the broader view of what is transpiring, how it presents itself, what connections exist within the issue, how we fit into the equation.  We must be free from self judgment for self judgment obscures our vision because of the heavy emotional outlay and prevents us from ascertaining the energies at work.

Once we can see those energies (expectations of society and figures of authority, cries of the ego for attention, co-dependence on others' emotions, etc.), we gain clarity regarding where we are giving our power away and we can make choices regarding how WE choose to respond to the opinions and expectations of others.


It is a natural, human reaction to fall under the heavily subjective influence of our "Judge".  It is cutting edge to take an impartial look at how this magistrate's leverage has materialized.  And it is cutting edge to release this figure's hold on our emotions.


                                                                                               Marie Helena



graphics from can stock.com

Down the Rabbit Hole: Alice Discovers the Rulebooks

There was soooo much to discover, Alice realized, as she blinked repeatedly, wide-eyed at the strange goings-on in the rabbit hole.  


The bizarre behavior she encountered from the various creatures chattering and buzzing about made no sense to her UNTIL she realized that it MADE SENSE to them.  And that was the very secret she uncovered that helped her to understand and navigate this bewildering territory.  
 
Apparently, each of the characters in the rabbit hole had his or her own Rulebook.  And each Rulebook was different from all the others.  It seemed these Rulebooks were not easy to come by and one had to experience some perilous adventures to earn this achievement.  And, furthermore, she discovered, the precepts written in the Rulebooks might magically disappear at any time to be replaced with new prescriptions.  It all seemed to depend on the actions of the characters, she observed, though she wasn't sure that they realized they had this power.

The Rulebooks seemed to be especially important to Alice because they helped her make sense of the thespians' behavior.  Alice began to pay close attention to the interface of the characters' actions and what she deduced was written in their Rulebooks and things began to make sense to her.  She realized that the Rules were there to protect each character.  They appeared in the Rulebook as needed and could be changed or even erased depending on what the character learned from his experiences.
 
Not every character down the rabbit hole was ready to learn anything.  Many of them seemed agitated and anxious; some were totally convinced they already knew everything.  The behavior they exhibited often tried Alice's patience but, over time, she realized they were stuck in a default loop that kept repeating itself.
 
What was Alice to do?  At first, she tried to argue with them; later, she avoided their company as best she could.  But Alice was not happy doing this and she WANTED to be...even if she WAS smack in the center of the rabbit hole.

One day Alice was in an especially happy mood and she decided to try to be VERY patient with the mad hatter.  She listened patiently while he hopped in circles, talking incessantly, trying her best to be attentive and understand what he was saying.  Then, a funny thing happened.  The Mad hatter began to notice that Alice was paying attention and he was NOT used to anyone REALLY listening to him.  He began to look at Alice every few seconds while he was chattering and, then, an amazing thing occurred.  He began to speak slower and slower and before long he slid onto a toadstool near Alice and stopped talking completely, watching her face for a response.

Alice was amazed.  No one had EVER slowed down the mad hatter before.  What was happening here, she wondered.  As Alice continued to give her rapt attention to him, she saw a light began to shine in his eyes.  The light grew bigger and brighter.  Soon it spread to his whole body.  Oh my, thought Alice...he is GLOWING.
 
Alice thought about his new behavior.  She had been very sure that the Mad Hatter's Rulebook stated that he should keep moving and chattering away as that is what he always did.  Now, it seemed to Alice, that his behavior had changed and, therefore, his Rules.
 
How did this happen, Alice wondered.  She had not tried to talk the Mad Hatter into doing things differently.  She had not argued with him nor tried to persuade him to make a change.  In fact, she had done her best to honor and respect his frantic behavior.  Alice felt the erratic movements of the Mad Hatter must have been prescribed in his Rulebook and that the Rule must have existed for some good reason even if she didn't know what it was.  What she had done now was just give the Mad Hatter her interest and care...and he had noticed...and it had circumvented his usual pattern.

THIS was something VERY significant, Alice thought and wondered about the powerful transformation she had witnessed.  The Mad Hatter was still sitting quietly and he was still glowing very brightly...so brightly that many other creatures wandered over to see what had caused this transformation. 

Alice theorized that if the Mad Hatter was sitting still, then a new Rule must have appeared in his Rulebook for he looked very relaxed and happy.


Suddenly, Alice noticed that the Mad Hatter was beginning to look lighter and lighter.  Soon he seemed almost luminous.  Alice thought he might drift away but instead he began to share his glow with the creatures standing near him.  
 
Alice was amazed and delighted and, most of all, she felt happy.  And that is when the Rules in her Rulebook changed.  She sighed contentedly and plopped onto a nearby toadstool.
 

Who was it, she wondered, who had created the Rulebooks and had mysteriously given each creature the power to change the Rules.  This, she thought, would surely be a great question for one of her next, fabulous adventures.

                                                                               

                                                                                             
                                                                                  Marie Helena




  image from commons.wikimedia.org      

What's Behind the Blarney Stone?

According to Dictionary.com, the BLARNEY STONE is a stone in Blarney Castle in the southwest republic of Ireland said to endow whoever kisses it with the gift of the gab and skill in flattery.

What a great year it is for me to consider the question of what’s behind the blarney stone! I just took a trip to Ireland a few months ago to visit my daughter who is living in Galway for a sabbatical year. And I got to enjoy the delightful…no, make that DELICIOUS ways of the Irish as evidenced by my encounters with the Irish taxi drivers.

THEY certainly have the gift of gab. And they’re not just talking to hear the sound of their own voices. Their gift is their beautiful, heartfelt interest in the lives of others. They really want to know about people. How they are feeling…how they are enjoying the day…what’s really in their hearts. And, in return, they open their hearts at the first inkling of interest.

They seem to intuitively know how much information you would like to have and they are happy to provide it. No, not just happy. This heartfelt sharing is like breathing to them. This is probably why I felt so at home there. I, too, share a desire to do this heart connecting.

One taxi driver in Dublin told me about his family history, including the legacy of his father and his grandfather. Interestingly, he was not of Irish descent but he fit in so beautifully with Irish ways he could have been mistaken for Irish. (Probably he was called to live there because Ireland resonated so appealingly with him.)

Other taxi drivers discussed their children when I asked about them…giving me not only the statistical details but also commenting on their strengths and virtues and how they also drove their parents crazy.As for the question of flattery, I’d have to take exception to the inclusion of that word in describing the Irish. Yes, they are given to dramatic descriptions (another reason I loved them so much). And, yes, they seem to love to use language to express themselves but the message of the Irish seems to be that they are sincerely, authentically connected with life…its joys and its hardships…and they have been deeply affected by both.

They do not opt to do a superficial dance with the encounters of life…they immerse themselves deeply. Sometimes they are delighted, sometimes confounded; sometimes they are sad, other times outraged but always they deeply connect with their lives. They ACKNOWLEDGE what is happening to them and around them. At times the pain, I believe, is overwhelming and the attempt is made to quell the suffering by frolic and gaiety, dance and drink. But so often the Irish find the happy note, the joy, the inspiration in the moment and celebrate this discovery. There is a strength to the Irish that buoys them up and helps them rise and meet each day.

What they really have to teach us, I think, is to be unafraid to embrace the flow, to acknowledge it, to speak our truth about how it feels, to deal.

And so, in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, I salute this courage and fearlessness and invite them to inspire us to remember the beauty of dancing Irish eyes and engaging Irish hearts and let that awareness linger just a little longer and inspire us to deeply connect with each and every moment of our day.

                                                                                                       Marie Helena

When Irish eyes are smiling,
Sure, 'tis like the morn in Spring.
In the lilt of Irish laughter
You can hear the angels sing.
When Irish hearts are happy,
All the world seems bright and gay.And when Irish eyes are smiling,
Sure, they steal your heart away.

lyrics by Chauncey Olcott and George Graff, Jr.
music by Enerst Ball


image from pinterest

The Most Unwanted Moments

We all indulge at times  in the reverie of imagining what the wonderful future moments of our life will look like...how they will unfold...the  lovely surprises, the great tasks we will accomplish...how everyone will be lining up to support and help us realize our dreams. 

Ah, yes,we can be very creative as we fantasize about our upcoming adventures.

However,

Sometimes the really big...REALLY BIG things happen to us NOT in the smoothest interactions...NOT in the most ideal settings..and  NOT in the way we would prefer.


And sometimes The Most Unwanted Moments (according to Guy Finley) "can actually prove most pivotal" in the unfolding of our life.


The stinger we feel when things don't happen the way we have envisioned them is a message that the way we have been operating is NOT taking care of our needs and what we really want. 

Perhaps, for example, we are doing things  to please others or to garner validation from outside sources.  And, in doing this, we are not listening to the messages of our own body and our own heart.

And perhaps it is these old ideas we are addicted to...because they helped us survive old experiences.


Finley says...with this  realization (I call it a sting) we can stop trying to find "meaning, purpose and plans through a level of mind that can only reconfigure old ideas."

Now "we simply bring ourselves into the light of the LIVING MOMENT.  Now we are present to what reality itself wants to give to us."

And that reality, I feel, is the Divine Universe giving us the opportunity to make a leap  into  a new and better way of living by forcing us to develop the resources we need to navigate the new experience.


When things go along the way we prefer, we usually just ride the high.  We've been there before, we know what to expect, it's comfortable.  But...we don't change or grow.

 
The changing and growing are what we do when we  are confronted with bzzzzzzzzzzzz...and a stinger...something we didn't expect or invite but which has stopped us in our tracks and is challenging us to find a new way to do things... a better way because our old, familiar method  is not cutting it any more.


And that is why The Most Unwanted Moments are the GREATEST GIFTS.  They present us with the challenge of learning, reaching, growing beyond what we already know.  Yes...this takes work...hard work...but we emerge with new insight, new wisdom, empowered... and much, much stronger.



Keep in mind that our GIFTS sometimes arrive in strange packages...sometimes they are hidden in the "pictures" of our life and/or in the people in the "pictures".  But they are there, nevertheless...bzzzzzzing away..  And they require more of us than what we are used to doing...but they also hold the PROMISE of new strengths and new skills.


If we  can become accustomed to finding the "gift" in every Unwanted Moment we will have learned to use one of the most powerful ways to help ourselves grow.

                                                                  Marie Helena

The Beauty of Jumping In

 

Have you ever gone to the beach, checked out the temperature of the water with your toe and then pulled back from wading in?

Brrrrrrrrr.    
Too cold for you.  You are definitely not ready for this.  


 But then, while you are standing there contemplating the situation, an energetic soul suddenly rushes past you right on into the water, splashing all the way. 

 "Wow!" you think.  "How can they do that?  That's too big a shock to the system.  And not for me.  Oh, no.  I need to get acclimated to things first."
 

While the boisterous adventure of the fearless bather does create an unexpected but exciting disturbance in the (quiet and peaceful) field of force around you...there is a certain beauty to the courage and bravery of the very act of "jumping in"'. 

It symbolizes an all-encompassing embrace of "What Is"with the commitment and determination to navigate whatever obstacles present themselves on the journey.

 
Which brings me to a very interesting and inspiring quote about dealing with life's problems from Mark Victor Hansen :

"Don't wait until everything is just right  [...] There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions.  So what.  Get started now.  With each step you take you will grow stronger and stronger."

 
Are you, like most of us, someone who likes to wait for the "perfect moment"?  

And do you know why this is so?
 

Is it because you are lacking some faith in your ability to deal with the unknown and wish to line up (or at least wait for the lining up of) as many  circumstances as possible that would be favorable to your desired outcome?

Is it because it feels too frightening to take on the responsibility of making a radical shift in your life?

Are you worried about what other people will say or think about you?
 

Even though you may have identified several concerns about the issue of taking action... 

I have found that when you feel stuck in the way you react to situations, it is utterly a-ma-zing to see the impact of a single,  conscious intention to take the higher path.  
 
Even just voicing the words aloud,  "I aspire to _________________" starts us on the journey and notifies the Divine Universe that we are reaching for the Next, Grandest Version of Ourselves.   And, as always, the Universe  hears our intention and responds with opportunities for us to move in the direction we desire.
 
Even when we don't feel up to being this new version just yet we can start the process by "jumping in" to the fray with the recognition and declaration of the person we aspire to be.  
 
It's a bold, brisk step...it begins to break the hold of our old pattern of behavior.  

It's a conscious intention and it's a clear and simple way to offer ourselves the encouragement and support we need for the work involved in our transformation.

Additionally, it shows the people around us a picture of the person we want to be.  

It's the sending of a heart message which is impossible to resist.  And now the  persons involved in the transaction, having heard what you truly want to become, will become guides for your spirit.

 And THAT'S  The Beauty of Jumping In!

                                                Marie Helena

image from zazzle.com

Life Force Work

The energy for everything we choose to do comes to us from one central place, our LIFE FORCE, and this force is intricately connected to our soul station. The soul station is the Chief Operating Officer in charge of all of our decisions and actions and the LIFE FORCE is the fuel we need to carry out these missions.

In order for things on our personal planet to work well we need to have our soul station and especially its back-up system in good operating order. That means when things threaten to erode our life force, we need to pay attention and call in the needed repair system for this spiritual therapy.

Let's look at this on a purely practical level. If something occurs that causes a reaction in us (whether from a person or circumstance), it is a warning bell that we have some unhealed hurt that is making itself known. If we fail to address it by pushing it down, we might be able to squeeze it into a confined space for a finite amount of time, but the top of that metaphorical box will eventually come off from all of the frustrated energy inside and
we will have to deal by acknowledging and addressing our hurt or anger and/or by recognizing our body's message sent out to us through disturbing emotions or physical illness/disease.


How DO we engage the repair system when we are aware of an emotional or physical reaction?

We listen first to the body which does not lie.

We accept the body's message.

We speak our truth about how we are being affected and what we would like to do to release this issue. In this way, we go about clearing ourselves out. And, if we tell others what would help us instead of ordering them to do things our way, we create a very comfortable place for them to choose to support us. When it is their choice, people often feel at ease and are willing to make a commitment about giving this assistance.


Ignoring what is going on does no good. It merely delays the expression of the storm which, no doubt, will find a creative and equally or more powerfully frustrating way to manifest itself again.

And it is important to remember that this process needs to be a two way street. We speak our truth to keep our hearts free to fly (maintain our life force). We listen to others' truths so that they can join us.

Attention and follow-up to these signals WILL keep the life force strong and supple. What a great way to protect such a vital and important feature of the human operating system! We hold the sustenance of this awesome power in our hearts and hands.


Let's make this assignment a priority:
Life Force Work Order March 2018

                                                         Marie Helena