Portrait of the Human Spirit

The probable cause of addiction:  not knowing how to love the self.

                     Louise Hay
                
                                                                               
      



Have  you ever paused to gaze into an ethereal pond  tucked away among swaying grasses and cattails and noticed its peacefulness and stillness and the incredible object d'arte it displays to passers-by?


I am speaking of the beautiful reflection it offers...

a pure and stunning portrait painted as these teardrops of the universe  gather their energy to magnify, enhance and affirm the subject of their loving reflection.
 

This incredible perspective and breathtaking beauty is possible because of the water's ability to FOCUS and ILLUMINATE...

and these wondrous skills can be a powerful inspiration to us as we move closer to 

an expansion and unfolding of THE NEXT, GRANDEST VERSION OF OURSELVES.




So what am I suggesting that we focus on and illuminate?
The simple act of loving ourselves.


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If everything we did during the day was an expression of that one, focused action...what would this scene look like?



I think it would be a portrait of a peaceful, centered person who was not distracted by the "noises" of the world around her but rather listened with total awareness and confidence to the messages of her own heart and honored them with reverence and appreciation.


This is someone who would be mindful of everything she did.  


She would choose food and drink that nourished her body.


She would stay active, moving in ways that felt comfortable and invigorating to her.  


She would choose actions/activities that filled her with joy and satisfaction. 


She would be very aware of and monitor her resources of energy and would rest and replenish herself as needed no matter what items remained unfinished on her to-do list.


She would welcome, experience and express her feelings, speaking her truth with gentleness, ease and conviction.




She would grace her home with beautiful things that reflected her interests and delights.


She would be someone who is responsible for her own happiness and regardless of what may be going on around her, she would look to herself for guidance and direction.


She would have learned how to focus on unconditionally loving herself...perhaps the biggest task we earth dwellers must complete and  one which gifts us with the resources we need to navigate our journey with strength and confidence.

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And THAT portrait... of unconditional love for herself and all that this implies...

like the beautiful pond reflecting the beauty of nature.

reflects the beauty of the human spirit 

and is its own MASTERPIECE...offering grace and inspiration to everyone who encounters it.





image from musivation.com.     

Blow Open the Door

Navigating earth life can be a very challenging proposition. 

There's lots to be aware of physically, mentally, emotionally...and...keep in balance if we are to sustain our health and well-being.



Now imagine that on some level we choose to add another layer of concern and  "self-appointed" responsibility to our list of things to manage...

the  PRESSURE OF KEEPING OTHER PEOPLE HAPPY 

and THE PAIN OF SUFFERING when they don't land in that "satisfying-to-us" space.  




I am speaking of co-dependency...an emotional state which seems indigenous to earth dwellers because it is so widely experienced by us.


CODEPENDENCY layers our life with emotional and corresponding physical fatigue because the work of  keeping everyone happy is NOT OUR JOB but we have somehow missed that message and are trying to  squeeze 96 hours of effort (a conservative estimate) into 24!



No  wonder we are so exhausted and beside ourselves. 

No wonder we can be so easily  agitated and stressed.  

We are fettered...we have chained OUR happiness to the impossible-to-control happiness of others and when they are not OK, we are not OK, either.



It all comes down to needing someone else to give us their stamp of approval.  

We want everyone to "get" us...

to understand us...

to see it our way.  


But we don't NEED them to do this (even though it feels like it) because WE can make that assessment for OURSELVES.  

We don't need a team of consultants, a task force, a VIP to endorse the way we are because WE are the VIP and we have somehow failed to recognize this.




Did we miss our job description?  Did we miss the fine print?  



Not to worry...because that's what earth life is all about...
REMEMBERING that "WE GOT THIS".  



And, when we do remember, it is GLO RI OUS...
it is FREE ING...it is let-out-of-jail BEA U TI FUL!



We have a masterful assignment in just taking care of us and the fact is everybody has that assignment...so let's not mess with the plan.



We can all co-exist taking care of ourselves...speaking OUR truth... and also listening to OTHERS' truth.  

And it is OK if we don't see things the same way...it is actually interesting and exciting as long as we know that we have the right and responsibility and the innate know-how to make our own decisions AND change them whenever we've learned a new way to do things and want to give it a try. 


We do not need other people's endorsements and they don't need ours.
 

Let's Blow Open the Door we've been stuck behind  and let a fresh, authentic vibration power its way into our lives...

the awareness and  satisfaction of knowing WE are in charge of our happiness and our own decisions.


image from realsolutions4life.com.      

The Release

Our beautiful Spirit Selves hold the psychic anatomy of the lessons of many lifetimes.  


Some of these lessons we have already embraced and assimilated; 

others have not yet been completed...

and the holding of these uncompleted...these powerful and challenging energies...is a daunting task.


While we carry them, OUR DEFAULT REACTIONS (unconscious impulse to fear, anger and other limiting emotions) present themselves in our lives as a survival mechanism indicating...

we have not yet acquired the spiritual "tools" to deal with the lessons that we have chosen to learn 

and are still dancing with the presentation of those issues through the difficult and painful experiences of our life.



However, when we are ready to bring our desire and commitment to evolve spiritually through conscious choice into our practice,
we can communicate a powerful request that will clear the way for our peace.

I call this conscious choice The Release.  


And we begin the process of Release by ACKNOWLEDGING our limiting reaction (an emotional impulse such as anger, frustration, resentment,  fear, anxiety... or a physical symptom such as a headache, pain or stress).  

We also ACKNOWLEDGE that this "expression" exists because our subconscious has been protecting us from confronting the catalyst or issue we have not been ready to deal with.


Now, however, in our CONSCIOUS effort to grow spiritually, 

we can choose to

thank it, 
bless it,

and then



RELEASE it with the beautiful, parting  message that we no  longer need the "protection" but instead are choosing to act from "PURE LOVE".


And when we act from PURE LOVE, we are ALWAYS generous, compassionate, supportive and  understanding of ourselves and others for that is how LOVE operates and LOVE will ALWAYS lead us to this place of peace.
 

As we grow in our spirituality and are ready to ascend to The Next Grandest Version of Ourselves, we can choose to RELEASE the burdens our emotions and bodies are carrying and move more directly into the Path of Pure Love.


In your earthly  adventures...as you choose to ascend into the beautiful perfection of WHO YOU REALLY ARE, may  your journey be filled with lightness, love and joy and the very special blessing of RELEASE!

 

 
image from greenermagazine.com         

From the Inside Out

Whenever we come across some advice  that seems practical and well-thought out... 

we usually take note of it and mentally bookmark it for future reference.

And there it stays UNTIL something brings it front and center in an AHA moment and catapults it into action.


My AHA moments come when someone or something gives me a NEW way of looking at things...something that clicks with me in a mysterious way and, yesterday, I received an unexpected treasure of this kind.


The subject of my latest epiphany is HOW TO GO ABOUT MANIFESTING THINGS THAT WE DESIRE IN OUR LIFE.


I've read a lot about how to do this.  

I know it's important to be very precise about what we want to bring in...
I know that it's important to consider our highest good...
I know that we need to bring strong, intense emotion to the request...and

I  know that we need to think and feel and act as if what we want
 is already there.



And that last point (about the emotion of already having something here) is usually where I get stuck.  It takes a lot of energy (and I find it very difficult) to intensely feel something that HASN'T HAPPENED, especially if I am in a state of sadness or anxiety.


But then I read something that somehow made the thought of doing this easy.

I was browsing through this little, pocket-size paperback called Miracles (aptly named in my estimation) by Start Wilde.  The interesting thing about this tiny booklet  is that I have had it for many years and every so often I dust it off and read it again (when I need a miracle, I guess).


Miracles is a wonderfully simple yet profound statement about how the Universe works and I occasionally find myself dipping into it for whatever piece of wisdom I need at that time.


Yesterday, I read that the reason  we need to conjure up intense emotions and vividly visualize what it feels like to enjoy the object of our manifestation is because we have to first create our inner world 
and then 
the outer world will MATCH and MANIFEST it for us.


That's the principle operating here.  We work
 FROM THE INSIDE OUT.


Suddenly, the idea of creating "the inner world" we desire seemed doable. It felt like a logical approach...one I could embrace EVEN if I was mired in some distressing emotions.

As I reflect on this shift in my thinking, it seems to me that I find this concept so appealing...inviting, even... because, for me, the approach marries left and right brain. 

The right brain here is the EMOTIONAL work; 
the left brain is the CONCEPT of moving from the inside out.


I am thrilled to find this connection and it IS catapulting me into action...

and it's both a joy and relief to finally put the manifestation formula into clear, committed enterprise.


As I walked down a couple of stairs this morning and found my knees creaking at each new rung, I decided to create an inner world where I was stepping into velvet which was oh so delicately cushioning my knees.


This is obviously going to be the beginning of a HUGE adventure for me.


What kind of adventurous inner world might be waiting for your attention?




image from en.wikipedia.org.     

Quiet Glory

Nature is all around us.  It is in being quiet in nature that your eyes begin to OPEN as you observe how it tends to itself.
           Gina Quaries
                                                                         
                               

                                        


In contemporary society we find ourselves deluged with messages of
how to achieve "the good life" 
shouted at us through the media:  newspaper articles, magazines, books, radio, television, the entertainment industry.  

The drama is everywhere in big, bold, intense packaging and we, in our desire to feel pretty and powerful and successful, are often beguiled by the appeal to our ego.

And yet, interestingly, while this commercial carnival intensifies our appetite for recognition and achievement, waiting patiently as close as outside our door

is 

the most beautiful, spiritual guidance regarding how to care for ourselves with loving attention and deep wisdom.


Nature...in all of its glorious splendor...is the perfect paradigm for this very important task.


Observing her intuitive intelligence, we see her move graciously through the passage of time and the influence of elements in her environment. 

She responds to her earth cycle with a simple yet profound acceptance of WHAT IS transpiring and enters into its rhythm with joy and jubilation.

When she needs sustenance, she takes it from the bounty surrounding her..and only what is needed, leaving the rest for service to her compatriots.

She stands tall..with pride, honoring her strength and beauty.  

She blends with her entourage, acknowledging its gifts and glory.



Nature is an eloquent example for us regarding how to "tend to ourselves" so that we can live a beautiful, natural spirit-filled life.


Why not take some quiet moments to indulge your senses and  inspire your spirituality by taking a holiday with this magnificent Mentor!

 

image from globeattractions.com.  

The Ride

DURING OUR EARTH JOURNEY we have the possibility of experiencing many different kinds of rides.  

There is the slow, meandering jaunt,..the steady-as-you-go excursion...the hustle and bustle we've-got-to-keep-moving expedition...and the roller coaster loop-to-loop that leaves us breathless and downright disoriented.

Yes, we have a wide variety of choices on how we wish to navigate life.

But there is a VERY SPECIAL OPTION that is so unique and so perfectly designed for our ultimate success, happiness and delight that it seems incomprehensible not to choose it as "THE" MODE of transportation for our earth journey.


There IS a ticket that is required for this ride...and that ticket is FAITH.  Faith that our life is unfolding in what I call "perfect time". And, there's more...Faith that it is also unfolding in the "perfect place" and in the "perfect way".

Can it possibly get better than that...Perfection!!!



Now let's get down to exactly what this means.  

In very basic terms it means that no matter what...NO MATTER WHAT is transpiring in our life...whether it is soft and smooth, topsy turvy, or difficult and very, very  challenging...whether we must summon up our patience and tenacity or find some hidden inner strength...

WHAT IS HAPPENING is the right path, the right combination of circumstances.  

It involves the absolutely right people who will help us learn our lessons...sometimes by example and positive inspiration and sometimes by motivating us to step up our game, rise to the occasion and let our Best, Highest Selves show up to deal with the challenges of the situation.



IF you truly have this faith, this trust that you are loved beyond measure...this experience we call Life on Earth can be One Essentially Smooth Ride. 

Yes, you may have to hang on to your hat through the twists and turns, but when the Divine Universe is providing the Guidance, there is no question 

that the ride is perfect for you...

for your evolution,

for your growth, 

for the opportunity to transcend the challenges of earth life and duality 

and

for the RECONNECTION with your beautiful Spirit Self who has long been your loving passenger with you on this journey and who now celebrates your remembrance and return to the SPECTACULAR PERFECTION of WHO YOU REALLY ARE!

Bon Voyage!


Relax into THE RIDE and Surrender to the most beautiful journey that is Your Life!




image
Alicia Florence on the Gondola
by Kythana
mewdragon.deviantart.com.      

The Line Up

BEFORE OUR EARTHLY INCARNATION...
I imagine that each of us metaphorically stood in a spiritual line ready to  receive an infusion of 
the most beautiful graces to aid us on our journey.  
 

I wonder...which lines we all stood in?  

Were we gifted with strength, perseverance, tenacity? 

Perhaps our bounty was warmth, compassion, devotion.


Maybe our special grace was acceptance, endurance, resiliency.

Perhaps there was yet another avenue we strolled to gather a boatload of common sense and cut-to-the-chase moxie.

Or...we may have picked up the beauty of creativity and talent or the fun of humor and lightheartedness.  

Perhaps we dipped into the visionary cloud or sang nature's joy as we connected with the gifts of the earth.

Regardless of the lines in which we stood and the gift of graces we "received", every one of us holds these gifts...and this beauty gets expressed in a myriad of surprising, delightful, amazing ways.



And the message I am feeling about this virtual lineup in which we all  engage is:    

The importance of the power of Appreciation...

Our Appreciation for the amazing gifts we enjoy AND our appreciation for the skills and talents and stunning attributes and loving character traits of EVERYONE we encounter.

The more we recognize and appreciate this bounty in ourselves and others, the more we are all encouraged to open ourselves and 
VIBRATIONALLY share our glorious gifts.
 

Have you ever recognized and admired something strong and amazing and beautiful in another person? 

EVERY ONE of us carries gifts from our Divine Creator. 

By expressing our admiration and appreciation for all the amazing attributes we see in ourselves and in others, we help open the vibrational portal to empower all of us to share in this heavenly abundance.



image from seattle.urbansketchers.org.   

Perfect Time

One of the most popular occupations of earth dwellers  seems to be the frenzy of staggering preparations that go into the MAKING OF PLANS. 

Oh, what a glorious time we have acknowledging ALL of the circumstances we see surrounding us and figuring out how to accommodate every one so we can accomplish our special goal in the most satisfying way.

 

Parties are planned, important conversations mulled over beforehand, career goals envisioned, sports events practiced for, buildings designed, vacations imagined...

all in the never-ending dream of completing those arrangements in the most perfect, most beautiful, most satisfying way.

 

In our very earnest determination to MAKE THINGS HAPPEN we work so very hard...we struggle...we strive...we exhaust ourselves...
and we often forget that we have a Partner on our planning team.

 
A Partner that never tires...

A Partner that totally supports our dreams and visions...

A Partner that has the advantage of seeing ALL of the parameters of the project...

A Partner that is working within the context of THE DIVINE MATRIX matching   every need and desire with the perfect circumstance to bring them into fruition.

 

This Partner is the Divine Universe and this Partner unconditionally loves us  and supports us and gives us exactly what we need.

 

What we get  may not be what we want...what we have envisioned as the "best" way to achieve our goal...but it is the perfect way. 

It takes EVERYTHING into account and ministers to ALL needs.  

It is inclusive.  It is perfect.  It operates whether or not we are aware of its existence.

 

And it moves  in  PERFECT TIME.  This is most probably not the time schedule we have envisioned, but it is the one which BEST serves our needs and desires.

 

How wonderful to have such a magnificent Silent Partner operating in the business of our lives.  And there is no need for competition...for striving to get this Partner working on our side.  

This Silent Partner is already there...for us...and for everyone.

 

This Divine Process does not exactly jibe with our contemporary concepts of commercialism and competition.   It is not concerned with material gain.  It comes from a place of great depth and love and compassion, the HEART of our Creator.

 

Here's an interesting thing we can do:  

Watch how this Partner operates in our life and take note of the astounding Sensitivity and Caring and Intelligence that are present in Its intricate workings.

 

We will probably not see the magnificent, bigger picture at first, but, over time, we may catch it in an Aha Moment and, when we do, we can bask in the supremely beautiful awareness of knowing how very much we are LOVED.

image from ciracar.com




originally printed November 1, 2011

Do You See Me?

Oprah Winfrey's twenty-five year run on national TV was designed to give the television viewing audience the opportunity to learn what Oprah always called Living Your Best Life.

To this end she invited individuals of varied talents and skills to be guests on her show... encouraging the direct, honest sharing of what those individuals have learned in their life journeys.

She always demonstrated a very powerful interest when interviewing her guests in truly hearing and understanding what they had to say.  She is a magnificent listener and learner and her guests always prized and savored her attention, entrusting many of the lessons learned on their spiritual journeys with Oprah and her devoted followers and fans.

Oprah's passion to listen and learn has made her not only a compelling TV personality but also a role model to all of us.

In her last broadcast of twenty-five years...when she spent the entire show talking about the most important things she had discovered through her work...Oprah shared this thought with the audience:

Everyone wants validating.  Everybody wants to be heard.  Every single person you will ever meet shares this common desire:

They want to know...

Do you see me?
Do you hear me?
Does what I say mean anything to you?


What a beautiful legacy and life lesson Oprah has gifted us with...and perhaps the secret to achieving a real CONNECTION with the individuals who populate our life.

It is not always easy to focus on another...when there is so much we want to say.  But, when we are the only one doing the talking, we are not learning anything new and we are the only one starring in the production of our life.

And, really, the script is always essentially the same. It is our script....the script we have learned and written.

And when we only tell our stories we are depriving ourselves of the enriching experience of interacting and communicating and connecting. There is so much to be learned from being open to others...from listening to their responses...from sharing their adventures and challenges...and from hearing about the lessons they have learned.

There is such a beautiful variety of individuals in the world.  No two alike.  And why would we want them to be!  When we interact with others it is very possible we will hear stories that don't match our experiences... stories that seem strange and foreign to us.
In those cases, we will probably not find common ground for agreement.  But what we can do is learn about what is important to others.

We can honor their feelings and try to understand them. We can listen with sensitivity and caring and we can help them "see" us and know the substance of our hearts.

Just the giving of this one gift will make all the difference.
Just the generous desire to understand another's motivation, concerns, joy and pain and also to share our own story and feelings will produce an exquisite interaction.


Let's follow the wonderful inspiration of Oprah to live our best life by treasuring the gift of CONNECTING with others.

That connection will automatically happen when we make the effort to understand how others paint the picture of their lives and to share the landscape of our own.




originally printed June 25, 2011

Juice

There's a very special tip off that tells us when someone is dipping into an issue fraught with unresolved and unhealed subconscious pain:  

         JUICE!



I'm talking about the "Juice" of their reaction to something that is being said or done.  


The unusual pause...
the tense breathing...
clenched hands...
the muscles pulsating in the side of the jaw...
raised voice...
harsh words... 
halting words...
silence...
fear...
anger...
resentment. 

All of that STUFF that tips us off that something  did not go down well with someone but rather took a HARSH DETOUR down the pathway of their pain, hurt or vulnerability.


It happens to all of us at times and thankfully so for this "Juice" is a message to those around us and, most especially, to ourselves that we are hurting and in need of compassion, tenderness and love to strengthen us so that we can glimpse a SOUL VIEW of what our emotions are trying to tell us. 


The body is such a true, authentic  indicator of what we are feeling. 

And our feelings NEED to be accepted, recognized, understood 
       and 
 they need to be spoken. 

This process is called Speaking Our Truth and it is crucial to our health and well-being.
 

It is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL that we keep our energy clear and open and moving.  


 
When we do not speak our truth, it doubles back on us, lodges somewhere in our bodies causing roadblocks and obstacles to our sense of well-being.


We MUST speak our truth in the best way we know how and, equally important, we MUST invite and listen to others' truth and attempt to understand their point of view.  


When we do this from the intention to act from pure love, we can feel sure that the most perfect course of action (a change in perception...in attitude...in something we choose to do) will find its way into our hearts.



Whenever we observe our own or someone else's "Juice" showing up on the scene, we have been given

 a very special opportunity 

to minister to a PAIN ready to reveal itself to our open hearts.  




image from christineranck.com.