Masquerade

Deepak Chopra,world renowned mind-body connection guru, tells us that "All great changes are preceded by chaos."

It is only when our usual, predictable methods of handling our life problems FAIL and we are feeling LOST that we step outside the box and search for new inspiration regarding how to reframe the issues and, thereby, change our perspective, our beliefs and ultimately our feelings.  

 
This point in time is extremely valuable to usbecause without the turmoil and tumult...without the agitation and frustration of the chaos... we would keep doing what has always worked for us...

we would ride the high...

but we would stop growing.

 

And that is why we need to BLESS these moments.  The Divine Universe is sensing we are READY for the next cutting-edge change in our life.  It has upped the ante, sizing us up as capable of dealing with the distress and, even more importantly,  capable of making it work in our favor.

 

In Alberto Villoldo's COURAGEOUS DREAMING he gives us an inspired suggestion regarding how to change the story we are telling ourselves about the chaos.

 

Villoldo says we tend to see ourselves in one of three roles:  victim, rescuer or perpetrator. 

If, however, we can vacate these roles and fly instead to the spiritual level of eagle in our version of the story...we can successfully REFRAME its significance...how it affects us...and what we are able to learn about ourselves.

 

If the chaos we are experiencing makes us feel victimized...

if the fallout of the crisis feels personal...

know that it IS personal but it is not meant as an attack on us...

it is a personal, unique-to-us  OPPORTUNITY to reach deep inside and find the strength and resilience to transcend the experience and find within ourselves the courage...the creativity...and the conviction to see the bigger picture and to nurture a character trait that we have not yet developed.

What brings  us angst, fear, distress, frustration... ALSO brings us the very  powerful occasion for transcendence and release from that suffering.

Chaos is the ultimate MASQUERADE.  What looks like pandemonium  is, in reality, a perfect strategy.


An always-brilliant plan to help us evolve  into the Next, Grandest Version of Ourselves...from the highest state-of-the-art personal development bureau, The Divine Universe!

                                  Marie Helena

                                                                                    

image from ayrerabbitry.webs.com

THE CUTTING EDGE:

THE CUTTING EDGE: 

Soft and Gentle

The words CUTTING EDGE tend to evoke a strong, vigorous effort, a high level of energy and a huge commitment to stepping up to meet a pressing need head on.  There are, however, also other ways to engage a cutting-edge approach than with a zealous, strapping enterprise.  Like a soft, sensitive, gentle effort that also requires a strong commitment and enlists a conscious reshaping of energy so that it flows with warmth and compassionate tenderness towards others and also towards ourselves.

This approach is as simple and profound as these three words:  just keep talking.  But the "talking" here  needs to be of a special quality and intention.  Its purpose is twofold…to understand others and to help ourselves be understood.  The outcome it desires is a sense of peace and harmony.


This particular cutting edge approach involves creating a space which invites heart sharing and self honoring and the honoring of others.   This choice of a grace-filled effort enhances the opportunity to resolve pressing issues of discord with mutual intention and cooperation.


Recently, when I have found myself dealing with an agitating incident, I have chosen to sit down with the persons involved and gently talk about all of our feelings regarding what is going on...to listen with an open heart to others and try to understand how each person feels while also authentically expressing how I feel...softly, gently, in a healing way.


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Here are some SUGGESTIONS for how to begin to open this kind of conversation:

I want to share my feelings with you and hear what your feelings are.

I want to tell you what I would like to do and have you tell me what you would like to happen.  

I want to honor my feelings and also honor yours.   

I trust that we will find a way to navigate this moment that will take care of both of us.

I want to give and receive love, support, joy and wisdom.  And I thank you for taking the time and making the effort to do this with me.

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By introducing this beautiful intention and modeling what we wish to accomplish we can set the stage for others to relax into this loving energy.  As Ghandi expresses this thought to us so eloquently:   "Be the change you want to see."

There is great power in accepting the leadership for resolving issues of dissent.  And also great rewards.  This cutting edge approach is a beautiful instrument of healing.  I have found that in these situations as we keep talking and listening to each others' needs with the gentle, soft voice of the soul and, with an open heart, consider their importance to others, we ultimately come up with a solution that honors how everyone feels.  


I have never seen this approach to fail.  Never.  What a beautiful way for all of us to take care of ourselves…together!


                                                         Marie Helena

image from pinterest.com

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!

                                                                                                                    

                                        Marie Helena 

image from eternalgodz.blogspot.com

Proof Positive

Earth Life is such an interesting combination of the fascinating and the mundane.

And, often, we place our consciousness on those everyday tasks and responsibilities…cleaning, cooking, earning a paycheck, paying our bills (and our taxes), keeping up with the news and the neighbors.


What we often take for granted is the fascinating, the miraculous, the wondrous phenomena that surrounds us and quietly anchors our everyday life.


I am talking about the body…that same body that can get tired and feel aches and get a cold. We can become so caught up with these body sensations that we miss the message right in front of us.


And that message is:

The body is a work of art...a masterpiece.
This wonderful body that can process emotions…sadness, for example, that permeates our every cell and take that sadness and change it into chemicals that move through the body and release themselves through the shedding of tears.

This wonderful body that can harbor an embryo and nurture it so carefully on a beautiful heavenly timetable so that a fully developed infant is born with all of the chemistry and growth patterns intact to help it become a mature adult.

This wonderful body that can produce super-human strength through its resource of adrenalin, aiding a grief-stricken mother to lift machinery that weighs many times her weight to save the life of her child.


This wonderful body that can do all of this and much, more more has the capacity to heal itself...IF we don’t get in the way.

But it’s so easy to do that…and so human to get lost in the duality of our life and the problems we have taken on.

It is our work to see beyond the mundane and our suffering and to trust in the sacredness, the gift of life.  

It is our work to keep our hearts and emotions clear by acknowledging our feelings, accepting them, valuing and not judging them and speaking them in a loving way to ourselves and to others.

It is our work to clear the way for the body to do what it has been designed for…to provide radiant health. 


It is so very clear. There is  Proof Positive that our body has the capacity to do this if we look at the miracles that already happen.


All that we have to do is get out of our own way,
enter into the flow of life
and connect with the LOVE that governs the universe!

                                   Marie Helena

originallly printed May 28, 2012

Wings

 

Our lives are filled with MESSAGESwaiting 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 humwould 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!

                            Marie Helena 

 

image from craftyjenny.com


 

The Witness

Sometimes in the morning we awaken with the most beautiful of intentions about how we will walk through our day in the image of grace and love. 

Hope runs high in our hearts about the wonderful way we will navigate all interactions.  But sometimes our unresolved emotions...still perking on the troublesome hot plate of our experience...spontaneously  flare up before we have been able to answer with conscious intention.

We find ourselves tense or agitated.  Old, unreleased pain colors the words we choose.   Our lovely intention now feels like just so much trouble.

And there goes our beautiful resolve...down the tubes.  Sad.  We had hoped today would be a new beginning.

 And it still can...

 with one easy change in our modus operandi.

And it's really simple to do.  And , if you like a little fun..something colorful and new thrown into the mix...you will love this new approach.

 Here it is:

While you engage in whatever conversations or interactions are unfolding, you will also be playing a second role... as WITNESS to yourself.  Observe everything you say and do...every reaction and response you have...and take note of them.

There is a curious and creative thing going on here...you are now aware of having TWO personas.  You are the person who walks through the interactions and you are the watcher, the observer, THE WITNESS to them,

And just WHO is this witness who can observe what you are doing?  

That's the interesting part.

The witness is your Consciousness...your Spirit...your Higher Self...and just by being able to witness yourself, you can clearly see that you are NOT alone.

You may be undergoing some difficult times.  You may be tense or frustrated.  You may not be living up to all you aspire to be...but you are NOT alone.  Your WITNESS is right there with you, aware of all of your challenges and difficulties...ever present, not judging , just listening to the feelings of your heart.

There is something very beautiful about knowing

that your Higher Self is walking through earth school with you...

that your Higher Self is ever present and observing your experiment in earth school... 

that this life IS an experiment in earth school where you experience trials and challenges and limiting beliefs...

        

But the ESSENCE of you, WHO YOU ARE REALLY ARE, 

Is ALWAYS present, observing you with Unconditional Love.

Somehow this awareness instills in us a sense of peace and calm, empowering us to take a breath, relax and regroup.  Now we can find the energy to remember our beautiful intention to create our grace-filled day.

We are THE WITNESS...there to offer unconditional love and support to ourselves in every moment of our earthly lives.

                                                     Marie Helena 

 image from mementis.info

Yes or No

Everyone loves to hear YES when we ask a question or make a request.  It feels good. We’re happy. We got what we wanted.  But the dreaded NO has some gifts, too, and they may surprisingly enhance our lives.

It has taken me a long time to come to the conclusion that EITHER Yes OR No is a always the perfect answer.  For many years when I made a request or asked a question,  I always had an answer in mind that I hoped to hear. 

I think we all do. The very act of “asking” means we are invested in the subject and want something and we pretty much know what that something is.

Of course, we do not always get what we want or hear what we want to hear.  And that can produce disappointment.  We feel sad…let down by the person we are speaking to.

And here is the heart of the problem we need to see.  How can someone “let us down” when they are speaking their truth?  When they are being authentic with us (one of the greatest compliments we could receive)?  When they are comfortable and relaxed with us just in being themselves?  

And the fact is we have limited vision.  We can see what’s right in front of us. We can know what we want. But we can’t see all of the cooperating components that can determine what is really in our best interest and help us  to transcend our usual default behavior.

When the answer to our question or request is a “yes”, it is simple and easy to embrace the response.  But when the answer to our question or request is a “no”, we may feel despondent or distressed.  And that is only because our plan will not unfold as we had envisioned.  But what now has the potential to unfold is something deeper and possibly has more substance than what we had imagined we wanted.  

The NO response compels us to rethink, reexamine and regroup. Here we don’t just get to ride the high (the prize we asked for).  We get to be challenged. We get the opportunity to get off center stage and see who is on the boards with us.  And hear what they are feeling. And, if we are listening, we can learn something new. A new way of looking at our request.  A new way of understanding the feelings of others.  A new way to apply all of this to our lives.

If we hear the “no” answer with an open heart and the intention to understand, we have the opportunity to learn something important and even powerful about the person with whom we are engaging.  There’s always more to the story when a “no”answer is involved and, if the person with whom we are speaking is ready to share their feelings…and if we are sensitive and aware of this beautiful opening, we may happen upon the opportunity for  a moment of healing or resolution.

Curiosity is so good for us. It keeps us awake and vibrant and growing.  I think this planet we share and the people who inhabit it are gifts of opportunity.  Learning to understand the story behind any NO that comes your way makes you more sensitive, more aware, more empathic and more supportive to others.

The answers you get to the questions you ask and the requests you make can take you on all kinds of adventures.   There is always something more that is wondrous for you to know.

                                           Marie Helena

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