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      

The Very Special Grace of the Tulip

During the spring and summer months of the year I love to keep a tall, clear, glass vase of beautiful cut flowers on the counter in the kitchen. 

I pass by them frequently and they never fail to bring me joy.  There is, however, a particular flower that not only reveals to me its color and shape and exquisite design, it also impresses upon my heart the mystery and glory and the wonder of  staying-in-the-flow.  

This lovely flower is the tulip and watching it work its magic is almost mystical.

The first time I noticed that tulips have this special quality, I was amazed at what I witnessed.  Unlike all other flowers... when they are cut and placed in a vase of water, tulips do not stop growing.  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.

This beautiful tulip dance reminds me of the grace of surrender (trust in the perfection of the moment), of the beauty of bliss, of the sheer joy of being alive and  

B R E A T H I N G.

Nothing...not even the experience of being separated from its root...prevents this blossoming forth.  You will not see a freshly cut tulip sadly grieving the separation or losing its vitality because circumstances have rearranged its life.

This flower seems the physical incarnation  of  the beauty of a soul which trusts and embraces "what is", holds space for it and continues to radiate wonder.

                                                                                            Marie Helena

          

image from www.kathleenpequignot.com

Kathleen Pequignot Fne Art:  January 2005

The Grace of an "Angel"

The best way to show that a stick is crooked is not to argue about it or to spend time denouncing it, but to lay a straight stick alongside it.

                                          D. L. Moody

I love this quote from Dwight Moody and I want to carry its wisdom to a new and beautiful dimension.  One of the most profound sources of inspiration we can experience in life is having someone show us THE WAY to what we desire.  Not with judgment, dissatisfaction or even evaluation of our efforts but rather with gentleness, calm and mastery and with no need to receive accolades or even be outwardly recognized.  

The spirit which moves the WAYshower has no need for applause. Instead, it loves to gently share what it has, fortunately, already learned.  Quietly, in a barely noticeable way, it provides what is still needed in our offering with sprezzatura (effortless elegance).  It carries the grace of an angel arriving on the scene, assessing the elements that are missing and then unobtrusively introducing them into the picture by “laying the straight stick”, reflecting back what we hoped for and imagined with all the missing parts now in place.

No words are needed by the “angel” to convey a message to us.  Just a gentle presentation in the perfect moment, a joining with us into the excitement of the enterprise and a soft and sweet contributing of the angel’s perception, illustrating by its very presence what needs to be noticed and assimilated.

Truly, we should keep watch for these angels among us.  They illuminate the role we can also play as WAYshowers, making something beautiful  out of every situation we encounter by infusing it with gentleness and grace.  “Laying a straight stick” can truly be a magnificent moment of LOVE.

          

                                            Marie Helena                                                                                                                                                  

Identity Crisis

One of the important journeys we all eventually undertake is the challenge of trying to make sense of our lives.

We become very intrigued with this consideration, viewing ourselves as  the main character in OUR story…

wondering about who we are and what we are doing here.   About our many “adventures”…the choices we make and their consequences.  

We find ourselves deeply involved and fascinated with this main character.  

 It’s WHO we believe we are.

What’s so interesting about this approach is that we expend so much energy invested in understanding this soubrette but fail to recognize the role we are REALLY playing.  And it is not the main character in our story. 

We are something far more interesting and far more powerful.  We are the ENERGY that is ANIMATING the lead character.  And that energy is our Higher Self.

This changes things in a very important way.

As we play this main character in our story, we no longer need to feel alone with our confusion, our sadness or disappointment, our frustration or our suffering.  We are ONLY the “character” experiencing these things.  We have given ourselves the opportunity to experience life’s  challenges as this character.  And while we (as this character) take these challenges on, the beautiful animating energy that WE REALLY ARE is there to offer support end guidance in moments of grief or confusion or frustration. And it is also there to celebrate with us when we find our way back to the LOVE that sources the universe.

We are this stellar coach and cheering section, encouraging our “character” to grow and stretch beyond our usual boundaries, to expand our awareness and to make new connections for ourselves and other earth travelers. 

We exist on the leading edge of evolution.

Though our story may be intense and unpredictable, we are never in any danger.  

And we are never alone.

         

                                              Marie Helena

image from      SmallBusinessify.com