A Secret Energy Source

  
 Whenever we decide to make a change in our lives we require a great deal of ENERGY and a free path for it to flow.


Once we clearly see that the way we are doing things is not working well for us, we are primed and ready for a transformation, but the WAY we try to make that change could be the source of a very big problem.
 
Very often the first thing we do is create a picture of how we can do things differently.  This picture usually features a 360 degree turnaround from our usual behavior.  We feel motivated and ambitious and so we embark on the journey...

only to find ourselves stuck in the quicksand of our default.


Here we have envisioned a huge shift in our actions...something we really want to do...and we get VERY frustrated when it doesn't fall immediately into place. 

And that starts the verbal barrage we toss at ourselves for not being able to shift things and, even more pointedly, for having practiced such poor behavior and made such bad decisions in the first place.  ):


And herein lies the biggest issue we are now facing.  We have become our self-appointed prosecutor, judge and jury and are now reciting to ourselves a harangue filled  with disappointment and recrimination.  ):   ):   ):
 

And it's a BIG energy drain.  HUGE.  And it's seeping the life force out of us.


The fact is that change of any kind is very daunting...and uncomfortable.
And yet we are beating ourselves up for not being able to kick habits of long standing...possibly years of long standing...OVERNIGHT!

 
So WHY do we persist in putting ourselves through this agony?


Susan Menanno, a leader of Shamanic Journey Workshops, would say our mind wants to give our spirit indigestion by condemning our perceived inadequacy.

The mind wants to stay in control while our Spirit is growing into the Light.



So how do we stop this intellectual onslaught?  

We stop it by accessing the heart...we stop it by loving ourselves.  

We stop JUDGING ourselves... 
because the very act of judgment is LEAKING OUR ENERGY.  

The more we criticize ourselves, the more we lose this vital life source.


Instead of voicing criticism and condemnation,  Mennano tells us to:

Call forth in our  internal dialog what we want and need. 

Voice a clear and sincere intention regarding what we hope to accomplish.  

And then trust that we will be gifted with the insight, encouragement and opportunities to make this happen.
 


It is then, I believe, that the Divine Universe guides us to the perfect circumstances to support us in our desire to transform our behavior.


This way of thinking lifts our hearts beautifully and moves us seamlessly into the delightful flow of energy with which Spirit fills our lives.  

Now we feel strangely free and liberated.


The absence of self judgment keeps us in the beautiful vibration of evolution and  transformation.  And the faith that we are loved and guided informs and directs our journey.

Now the energy pathway to our desired life change is clearly OPEN and waits only for us to step forward and accept this gift of grace and opportunity.    :)




image from spirituallivingandhealing.com.   

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, 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. 



reprinted from October 31, 2011

The Art of Alchemy

 


In the ancient art of alchemy philosophers used the magical practice of turning base metals into gold or silver. This mysterious process transmutes a common material into a substance of great value.

Alchemy has a mystery to it...a sense of wonder and amazement.  We may ask ourselves how this transformation is possible.  It makes no sense to the intellect.  But the heart understands only too well.


The extraordinary ability to execute this amazing tour de force is one of our greatest abilities in earth school.  

When we access our hearts to find the wisdom regarding how to deal with the things that frustrate and irritate us...

we are gifted with insight and understanding...
we are gifted with a beautiful wisdom...
we are gifted with a soul view of what is playing out FOR US in our lives.


I use the words FOR US because everything we encounter exists to give us the opportunity to become stronger, wiser...more loving.


And when we generously extend our caring to others, we transform their lives as well.  

We communicate through our hearts.  We move through the emotional chaos, past the irritation and annoyance, past the feelings of hurt and anger.


Thich Nhat Hanh, Buddhist monk, teacher and author, tells us:

When another person makes you suffer, it is because he suffers deeply within himself, and his suffering is spilling over. He does not need punishment; he needs help. That's the message he is sending.

           
We ARE capable of this courageous vision that Thich Nhat Hanh describes. 


It is certainly not easy to release our very human reactions to what has upset and hurt us.  But it is a glorious endeavor to reach deep within our hearts and see and understand another's pain...especially when the person himself may not know what is motivating his behavior. 

Holding this HIGHER VIEW even when the person involved cannot see his pain... or talk about it...IS responding to the message the person is sending.  And it is the beginning of helping activate the healing process for him.


In this way we, too, practice the ancient ART OF ALCHEMY, and in this beautiful moment, our practice is infused with a true understanding and reverence for the glorious capability and expression of our human spirit.





image from people.tribe.net.    

Denying Our Pain

The truth is everybody's addicted to something... shopping, food...drugs, alcohol.  We don't choose to be addicted; what we choose to do is deny our pain. 

The good news is that every choice you make supersedes and overrides every other choice you have made so today you can choose to be in peace not pieces.
                                           
             Ilanya Vanzant
                     spiritual life counselor



What we choose to do is deny our pain.


We are probably not even aware we are making the choice that Ilanya Vanzant describes.  

And we may not even know we are carrying PAIN.  THAT would take some significant conscious and courageous attention to what is going on inside us. 


A good deal of the time we might just assume we are edgy or irritable from the stresses of the day (which we often feel have been inflicted on us by someone else).  

And, as we take on that victim mentality, we feel a need to COMFORT OURSELVES and we turn to our addiction of choice.


But the addiction (comforting though it may initially appear) has no real peace to offer...only a MASK to hide behind...for now.  But the pain which is driving the addiction remains.


Soon we find ourselves repeating the process as needed.. with the same results.  And we wonder why this keeps happening.




When we become upset, the event or circumstance and the person that triggered our aggravation tend to take center stage in our consciousness. 

We find ourselves living and reliving the "thing that was done to us", getting more and more upset with each replay...all the time missing the DIAMOND that is buried in the interaction.

The diamond I am speaking of is the REVELATION to us (IF we are listening) that we are upset because we have unhealed pain.  

And that unhealed pain is the ONLY thing we need pay attention to.  We do NOT need to concern ourselves with WHAT was said or done nor with WHO said or did it.


Now that proposition may seem quite radical.  Ignoring the perpetrator?

Where is the justice in that?  


The answer is that this is not an issue of justice, this is an issue of LOVE.  And the individual who has triggered our ire is performing an act of love by showing us the pain...the unhealed hurt we are carrying.


To heal that hurt we must become aware of the PAIN...embrace it...let our body feel it...all of it...understand that the pain has served the purpose of protecting us until we acquired the tools to deal with its source.
 
And this moment...this stunning awareness... holds the potential and power to break that pattern. 


We must see that WE own the pain...and that is why we are upset.  

Once we recognize that we have been hurt and can send ourselves love and compassion, we can begin the process of healing. 

In this space of feeling loved and cared for (by ourselves), we begin to gather the strength and insight and wisdom to see that ALL people need compassion because they, too, carry the scars of their struggles. 

And that universal, unconditional caring provides us with the beautiful energy we need to release our pain and begin the path of healing.



Following this path takes courage. 

It's so much easier to deny the unhealed pain which has been activated in us, to  blame the other person and, therefore, feel justified in comforting ourselves with our addiction.


But, as Ilanya Vanzant says, every new choice we make overrides every other choice we have already made.  

Regardless of how we HAVE BEEN navigating our upsetting experiences, we can choose NOW to accept the messages that are waiting in these moments  to help us free ourselves from the underlying but ever present pain.


The grace we need to break free from our suffering waits patiently for our awareness.  

We are always free to choose peace...the  beautiful gift awaiting us at the end of this courageous undertaking.



image from classicalmusiccalmsthesoul.blogspot.com

"Hitting the Wall"

During the last week I crashed into the jarring experience we all know as Hitting the Wall.  Twice.

Knock, knock...

Somebody wasn't listening to the sound of the first crash and, for sure,  not listening to the ever forceful contract that this kind of unconscious "driving"  produces...

and that somebody was me.



The driving I am talking about takes place on what we label as the
"racetrack" of our lives. 

Racing here...zooming there...prepping and practicing like there's no tomorrow...awash with the compelling and urgent thought that EVERYTHING has to be done and it has to be done NOW.

When we Hit the Wall, we are literally forced to stop.  It is as if someone blew the whistle on us (mercifully) and now we are allowed to rest from our utter exhaustion.

But the fact is when we Hit the Wall it is very CLEAR EVIDENCE that we are truly  
off-track... 
out of balance...
not truly in the game...
and not even a contender.
 

Somehow, we have  missed (or ignored) the signals that we need to rest...or change what we are doing...but most of all,  take a deep, cleansing breath, relax...and LISTEN to the messages of our body.

This wonderful body we inhabit is exquisitely designed to monitor our lives and direct us towards what is healthy and healing for us. 

If, however, we override its signals, we are left to contend with the incorrigible flag waver signaling we are off track with such interesting messages as aches, pains, illnesses and emotional upsets. 

And having to negotiate these results truly just slows down the whole process of getting our tasks accomplished and produces a boatload of frustration.


So let's drive those beautiful instruments...our bodies...with loving care and consideration...that way we arrive at our "destination" with the assurance and calm and mastery of a champion.


All of the "fun" that accompanied my two crashes has brought my attention front and center to this significant realization.  I am formulating the clear intention of honoring my body and choosing to balance my life.

How about you?
 




image from internetmonk.com

Follow the Energy

We often ask ourselves the question: Why can’t I make this thing happen?


Perhaps it is something we want to achieve or acquire…perhaps it is a personal change in our lifestyle, something that appears to be for the good of our health and well-being.

We struggle and struggle and still we fail. Then we end up blaming ourselves for not being strong enough to make this desire of ours a reality.


But Sanaya Roman, author of Spiritual Growth, says what looks like culpability on our part, like weakness and a lack of follow through... may be entirely something else. Things are not always what they appear to be or feel like.


What is really happening in this case is that we are trying to use our forceful will to accomplish our goal. But if our goal or the way we are pursuing it is not for our highest good, our wise will jumps in to intervene with this message from our Higher Self: This is not for your Higher Good. "Create resistance; stop; do not carry through with the action."


In this picture whatever we were planning to do and/or the way we were planning to do it are clearly not in harmony with our life path.


According to Roman, “When it is good for you to do something you will feel a desire to do it; you will be drawn to it because it is something you love and not something you are forcing yourself to do.”


The implications of this spiritual design are astounding.

When we follow this scenario we stop focusing on feelings of failure and disappointment. If something is not clicking for us, we sense there is a reason…a good reason…a Higher Self reason that is protecting and guiding us. So when we hit a roadblock, when our energy flags and we feel defeated, we release our attachment to the goal with the knowingness that it is not the best path for us to pursue at this time.


How do we then know what path is the best choice to pursue?

We follow the energy of our day.

The feeling of vitality and interest which makes us feel engaged and strong.

We hold the knowingness that this focus is the very best direction for our journey at this point in time and that our other goals will be reached at the most perfect moment for them.


This way of thinking lifts our spirits so beautifully and moves us seamlessly into the delightful flow of energy which is filling our lives, often from unexpected places. Our willingness to hear this message and engage and respond brings us exactly to where we need to be.


And we do not have to find this place ourselves.


All we have to do is notice what energy is entering our lives and embrace it.


What an adventure life then becomes when we understand that EVERYTHING is being done for us and for our ultimate happiness. Our only work is to watch for the signs and signals that tell us what is moving into our path right now and with a full heart enjoy every present moment of that beautiful energy surge (which is already making us feel alive and happy).


Quite a master plan…so ingenious it is hiding in plain sight.


All it takes is the faith and trust that we are loved and supported and cared for and the knowingness that everything we need will be delivered to us… and everything we experience is a lesson for our souls.




originally posted 4/18/11

The Ultimate Prescription

Emotions play an important role  in helping us process what is happening in our lives.  

They enable us to take in the impact of an event, feel its significance to us and express our reaction or response. 

They carry our feelings outward...moving them out of the body,  clearing any emotional residue and purging us of emotional toxicity that might be hiding inside us.
 

But there is an even MORE POWERFUL function of emotions that we experience in our life. 

Regardless of the kind of emotions we are feeling, they are all doing HUGE WORK in strengthening…or weakening the body.

Rhonda Byrne, author of  The Power  tells us that, "Every feeling you have saturates every cell and organ in your entire body." 

If you are radiating love, "you receive the full force of health through your body at an astounding rate."
 
On the other hand, Byrne tells us that  tension  from anger, fear, stress, etc. causes your nerves, cells and blood vessels to contract, “changing the vital chemical production in your body...all of which reduces the force of your health.”


LOVE appears to be THE ULTIMATE PRESCRIPTION  for strengthening and protecting  the immune system and every cell in the  body.

This means that WE CONTROL THE STATE OF OUR HEALTH by what we choose to believe and, therefore, feel (through the force of our emotions).


We DO NOT have to stay programmed to any beliefs we have been taught that violate what is in our hearts, our intuition, our instincts.  All that we have to do is stay true to our authentic selves by recognizing, acknowledging and speaking our truth. 

This includes accepting and acknowledging ALL that we feel, including the troubling emotions. 

It includes giving them a voice (actually BEING their voice) so they can be heard and embraced by us. 

By not denying these emotions, by not chasing them back into the shadows we are LOVING WHAT IS and, because we let ourselves love what is within us, we naturally extend that love to all that is around us.



iT IS MY BELIEF THAT WE NEED TO COURAGEOUSLY CONSULT OUR HEARTS, MAKING THEM OUR FINAL AUTHORITY IN ALL OF OUR DECISIONS. 

In doing this we will feel the beautiful freedom of designing/embracing our own life journey and will be inspired to choose the universal path of caring and love.  


This path CAN be our legacy if we are not impeded by a compelling need to meet another's expectations at the cost of our own honor.



Nature is Divinely designed to serve us and reward our self honoring and consequent outpouring of love by taking BEAUTIFUL care of our health and vitality. 


To achieve this,
LOVING and ACCEPTING OURSELVES 
are the ultimate prescription.



image courtesy of ClipartHeaven.com


 

originally printed 9/8/11

Power Struggles

Power struggles are conflict ridden, often messy, low vibration exercises in EGO dominance.  

And yet we can be easily enticed to play ball in this highly competitive arena because it feels like so much fun to WIN...

for awhile.

When the dust settles, however, and we reflect on the quality of our behavior, we may not feel quite so satisfied.

And yet we are often baited to engage so easily in power struggles by the thrill of emerging as the smartest, quickest, cleverest contender.  But the reward for winning that title, though appealing at first, is ultimately a hollow victory.

And the reason this is so, I believe, is that all we did is strut our stuff and hear accolades for our trouble.  We didn't walk away with anything of substance...or spirit...from the encounter.


There is, however, another way to approach POWER STRUGGLES that will leave us in a much different (and higher) vibration.


Power struggles are fueled by our ATTACHMENT to the outcome.  If both parties aren't strongly invested in the outcome, what looks like a storm brewing on the horizon won't even combust.



Here's how Gary Zukav and Linda Francis view the process in their book, The Heart of the Soul:

"A power struggle collapses when you withdraw your energy from it."


And here's an interesting suggestion from them on why we might want to choose that action:

"Power struggles become uninteresting to you when you change your intention from winning to learning about yourself."



I'm loving that idea: 

Observing our reactions and our process for dealing with them.  Learning about ourselves...checking out how our reactions feel...and, ultimately deciding if we want an encore performance (which will  be sure to occur IF we don't change our strategy for dealing with negative feelings that have been triggered in us).


This approach has a great deal of merit...in substance (because it may change our ego driven reactions) and in style (because it could transform us into more gracious personalities) and, most of all, in spirit (because it helps us evolve into more caring members of society).


As Alberto Villoldo says in his book Courageous Dreaming:  

"Letting go of the need to control the outcome and instead serving the unfolding dream is extremely potent."



Why not consider leaving the human attraction to power and dominance and choose instead to reach for what Villoldo calls the EAGLE level of  spirit?


Use EVERY opportunity to learn about yourself and apply that knowledge to improve your life.

Villoldo says, "Making the choice to break out of the old script, even in a small moment such as this, takes GREAT COURAGE."


Are you ready to fly?




image from studiosonthepark.org

The Joy of Receiving

Joy is a commodity we all want to experience...and we go to great lengths to find it.  

Often we orchestrate the joy by deciding to DO something that we passionately enjoy. 

And  this is a beautiful avenue of entry into this glorious state.  It is a direct path...one we consciously choose to experience.

There is, however, a path to Joy not so ordinarily accessed.  But it holds the promise and opportunity for tremendous happiness...the path of Receiving.


When we open ourselves to what is flowing INTO our lives, we intersect with a myriad of energies surrounding and moving through us.  Each of these energies holds the opportunity for us to give to and receive love from others and ourselves and to address issues that need to be felt, accepted and released. 

A single phrase uttered by someone nearby...the realization that we cannot bring ourselves to do a certain household chore...the inspiring email we receive...the tears that keep appearing when we remember a moment of our defensiveness or reaction...

EVERYTHING that comes into our path...into our consciousness... is a message flowing in from the Divine Universe to help us on our path of healing.

 
Spiritual author Gary Zukav says

"You cannot, and will not, encounter a circumstance, or a single moment 
that does not serve directly and immediately the need of your soul to  heal."



What an inspiring and soothing thought that is...the belief that EV-ER-Y-THING that comes into our lives is there to guide us!  

Our work is to pay conscious attention to the guideposts and  open ourselves to the lessons. 

Now THIS is the Ultimate Heavenly University.  We don't even need to apply.  We're already accepted.  And the studies we need to undertake AND the  guidance we need to master them just magically appear for our consideration every single day.
 
But...we have to be aware that all of this beautiful support is there.  We need a generous supply of FCB...faith, confidence and belief in how deeply loved and cared for we truly are.

With that strong and steady faith... and that vibrant confidence...and that unwavering  belief...we are poised to experience the glorious Joy of Receiving what is continually being created to help us heal and,..to ultimately ensure our happiness.
 


image from Facebook.com