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

Presumption of Innocence

One of the most important principles upon which the American judicial system is based is the presumption of innocence.  Regardless of how heavily evidence may appear to be weighted against someone, the law requires that we consider him innocent of all wrongdoing until testimony in court proves otherwise.  And holding this position can be very difficult to do when an individual has already been charged, arrested and bound over for trial.  We cannot help but speculate and draw conclusions regarding what looks like culpability when law enforcement has already moved to take action.

This very conundrum of the law is also a strapping example of how we often react to
each other when we are faced with a disagreement and experience the accompanying backlash of emotion.

When an individual addresses us in an unfeeling or harsh manner or rampages over what we consider to be an innocent remark, it is a very short jaunt to our accusation that HE is guilty of creating the chaos.  We pronounce him GUILTY of wrongdoing.  Guilty as charged.  BY us.  Guilty on the face of it.

But, perhaps, this is the exact moment when we need to considerthe principle of presumption of innocence.


Let me explain.


Tracy McMillan, American author, television writer and relationship expert, makes the profound observation:  People act on the outside the way they feel on the inside.


Whoa!  That is a very significant reveal into the psyche of others.  And an important confirmation of the pain they are feeling.  Someone who acts miserably is feeling miserable inside.   Someone who speaks in an angry manner is angry in his heart.  Someone who accuses others of wrongdoing is really accusing himself.


Here is where the principle of presumption of innocence enters the picture.  Each and every one of us carries the beautiful heartwe came into the world with… the lovely innocence and joy and peace of the newly born.  When we incarnate, each and every one of us enters into an agreement to experience life and to learn from the lessons.  But "experiencing" can be very painful, confusing and difficult and the "learning" can take a very long time. When we interact with someone who is still "learning" from his "experience", we are actually witnessing that innocent heart struggling through the self-selected challenges of earth school.

 
And, rather than reacting to our original perception of wrongdoing,  it is a loving and generous thing for us to presume the innocence of that primal heart which is still trying to find its way through the difficulties it is encountering.  That heart is still suffering… this much is clear.  As Tracy McMillan tells us, we are being shown by the outside action of an individual the nature of the suffering he is enduring within.

And, it is in this moment, that we are called by Compassion to presume the innocence of an individual and the absence of his conscious, harmful intent and, instead, to extend love and understanding to him for the pain that is clearly still in emotional residence and complicating the issues at hand.  


Appearances can be very deceiving and  what we see as attacks on our person are only the countless interwoven stories of earth dwellers finding their way through the pain of unhealed hurt and the havoc it causes when brought to bear on a triggering situation.  Supporting and understanding others during this time of emotional affliction is an act of unconditional love that helps them gain the hard won clarity of self-confrontation.  When we have no one to react to, we are left to examine ourselves.
 

"Although we cannot help but speculate and draw conclusions regarding what looks like culpability," it is an extraordinary act of trust and wisdom to offer to someone the LOVE that helps him access the inner chambers of his heart.


                                                                                         Marie Helena

 

image from pinterest



                                                                                                    mysticmarks.blogspot.com

Pilialoha

What if you had the opportunity to holiday at a beautiful, exotic island filled not only with azurewaters and a mahalo moon but also with the dancing,  dazzling ambiance of vibrational  magic!  

What if every move you made there...every sight you saw...or sound you heard...every thought you entertained...or word you spoke...was spontaneously translated  into an energetic readout for your consideration...a compassionate, loving soul view of how life was unfolding through and around you!


Here you would be privy to the secrets of the Universe...you would no longer be lost in confusion or misunderstanding.  Your heart would sense and know and appreciate the hearts of others, effortlessly extending them caring and understanding for the challenges they were experiencing...and also extending that beautiful compassion to yourself for the work of your life journey.


What if that exotic, magical island is where you already reside...wherever that may be?  What if the power of that mysterious island magic is already in you...awaiting your discovery?


Your soul already harbors the magic of that island but the MAGICis something we must all divine. 


Working with and through our bodies our soul sends us the subtle, sensitive energetic messages of what is truly unfolding... 

the soul view, the compassionate translation of what is behind the sadness, the pain, the outbursts of emotion...an authentic, clear and loving interpretation of our own actions and the actions of others. 

To receive this treasured transmission, however, we must possess an open heart.  A heart that has traveled beyond gratification,  power, acclaim to the search for life's meaning and has asked itself important questions:  

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?


Our beautiful, exotic island with its soothing and serene magic dances to the sound of Love...and it is not very far away.  It can be found hidden in the Heart which is generously and lovingly OPEN  to every pulse of the universe.

Pilialoha!

My wish is that we all reach and realize this island paradise in "a bond of love".





image from theartfestival.wordpress.com. 

Virtual Gifts

 If you combine the amazing accessibility of the Internet with the fun and splendor of creativity...what do you get? 

                 Virtual Gifts!

At least that is one of the many combinations possible when combining these two wonders and it's one I have recently fallen in love with.

Do you know someone who is going through a challenging experience and you would like to send them an "e smile"?  Want to squeeze a thoughtful hello into your busy day?  Perhaps you would like to entertain and delight yourself by indulging your vibrant imagination.

Consider sending a VIRTUAL GIFT to the someone you are thinking of.

I started this practice a week or two ago and am having great fun with it. 

Recently, I emailed a message about tulips to a friend whose husband was undergoing surgery. 

(By the way, did you know that tulips, unlike all other flowers, do not stop growing even when they are cut and placed in a vase of water?  Their life force is so strong that they continue to lengthen and expand and, as they do, they form a lovely arc over the vase.)

Here is the message I sent her:

"I am sending you a virtual gift...a vase of freshly cut tulips.  These beautiful flowers represent the life force embodied by your husband that will help him heal and the love and support he is receiving from you and your family and friends."



A few days later I sent a follow-up offering....
                                                   
Virtual Gift.....

"Relaxing nap on a sultan's billowy cushions, royal musicians to gently serenade you while you fall asleep, gentle breezes blowing soft white curtains, the scent of jasmine somewhere nearby"

She loved it...and so did her husband.  


Soooo much fun to create these "gifts"!







Later, I designed a virtual presentation for a recovering musician...

"Soothing sounds of a copacetic saxophone, accented by a lovely blond torch singer wearing a ruby red gown, leaning against a street post and dreamily singing her heart out..."

Guess what happened next? The musician sent me this message:   

                                              "The song - Stormy Weather"     

Now the subject of my get-well wish was playing along with me (and, hopefully, was distracted by these few moments of connection).

What a lovely way to let someone know you are holding them close to your heart!


In the world of "virtual" gift-giving, we are only limited by the parameters of our imagination.  There really is no end to the munificence of our caring hearts engaged in this delightful entertainment.  Why not expand your creative horizons by moonlighting from your usual preoccupations and indulging in this free gift shop of our amazing techno-universe!

                                                                            
                                                                                                Marie Helena

image of tulips from www.kathleenpequignot.com
Kathleen Pequignot Fne Art:  January 2005

image of sultan's palace from www.wikipaintings.
Sketch for the opera "Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and Maiden Fevronia" by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov - Ivan Bilibin, 1929


image of saxophone from colourbox.com

The Basque System

The Glossary of Chess defines the Basque System as a chess competition in which the players simultaneously play each other two games on two boards, each playing White on one board and Black on the other.


If we were to adopt the classical interpretation of Black and White,  we could see the color Black as a representation of the discrete, finite, earthbound and white as the picture of the spiritual, the ethereal, of higher dimensions.  When Black and White come into play simultaneously, we have the potential for a most exquisite example of earthbound evolution. 

Capturing, now, this metaphor within the interplay of our every day lives with others, we can clearly see the limitations and travails of earthbound experiences that often occur such as tension, stress, frustration, hurt...the well-worn human paths we encounter. 
Playing Black chess on a board.

And, as we walk ourselves through a contemplation of the maze of alternative moves on that board, we only "see" those which vibrationally match the state of our emotions and that is exactly what we attract to ourselves.  More of the "limited" options.  More difficulty.  More Black.

But, the very decision to simultaneously play White on another board represents our desire to transcend our earthly choices EVEN while we make them.  Our desire to WITNESS our behavior signals the yearning to take in the complete horizon...to see the inter-workings of every element in the picture...each person, each action...and to see how we fit into and are affecting what is transpiring.



And when we are able to observe the part WE are playing in the drama, we have the opportunity to recognize, appraise and choose to redirect the energy flowing through us.  We can transcend the drama, and, choose, instead, to RESPOND from a choice of peacefulness and acceptance, still speaking our truth but allowing our heart to shift the vibration we have encountered from unrest and agitation into a gentle response of honoring the emotions so clearly being felt and expressed by ourselves and others.



This dual engagement is a beautiful and challenging path leading to our personal evolution.



Still in earth school...experiencing the BLACK emotions.  But, simultaneously, being guided by Higher Self on the ALABASTER archetype.  With stunning results and transcendence.  CUTTING EDGE.



                                                                            Marie Helena