What Are You Here to Teach Me?

Recently I saw a presentation on OWN, Oprah Winfrey's television network, in which she was telling spiritual writer Gary Zukav about a dream she had experienced.  Oprah said she was flying in the dream and she kept encountering groups of children who asked her the same question: 

         Where's the magic?  What are you here to teach me?

Oprah commented to Gary Zukav that every time she was able to express those very words of the children in her dream, she would fly higher.



What are you here to teach me?
Where's the magic?

What are you here to TEACH me?



There is a special innocence and wisdom possessed by children because they have not yet become enmeshed with the more worldly values of society and culture.  Children speak the truth...exactly as they see it...purely, directly, authentically. They are OPEN to learning.  They do not censor their thoughts or words. 

And so it seems perfectly natural that it would be the voices of children that Oprah heard in her dream asking her such an important question...and asking it with such eagerness and curiosity:  What are you here to teach me?


Underlying this question is a  MOST POWERFUL PREMISE:
the promise that everything we encounter in life is here to teach us something. 

Quantum physics tells us that we CREATE our life and, if that is so, then we must be CREATING the lessons we want to learn AND the circumstances that catapult and propel us into that learning.  We are busy, indeed, going about the work of our lesson/creations.  And, we become so engaged and involved with these adventures, that we "forget" we designed them...and with the very highest intention in mind.  As Gary Zukav says, we will never encounter any experience in life that is not designed for the healing of our soul.


Given all of this, it seems very wise for us to be focused and alert as these challenging moments enter our lives.  EVERYONE  and EVERYTHING we encounter are carrying a message for us.  Talk about a five star, Tony winning  Broadway production!  No wasted, empty, boring moments here.  Oh, no...here we live through the MAGIC of what we have imagined and set in motion to keep us on course and making beautiful progress in achieving the dreams of our soul.


BUT we have to stretch beyond our ordinary mentality to recognize these gifts. 

We have to vacate the role of "victim" and fly to the spiritual level of eagle to metaphorically scan the universe and solve the mystery of the sometimes frustrating and sometimes extremely painful messages that LOOK like the illusion of suffering but are, in reality, the GATEWAY to our enlightenment.  These adversities influence us to step up to a grander, more beautiful, more powerful version of ourselves.


What are you here to teach me?

Asking this question every day...every moment of our lives...with true desire to recognize, to embrace and to master our self-created lessons is THE PERFECT WAY to participate in the awesome journey of our lives in the illusion of earth school.






Clipart from Clipartheaven.com

Secrets of the Rain Stick

 Some time ago while wandering through a small, quaint shop filled with Native American art and artifacts I came across a majestic RAIN STICK resting quietly against a shelf. 

 It was a VERY large rain stick...the biggest I had ever seen...and it was definitely calling my name.

I was very taken with the energy of the rain stick which I clearly perceived but found there was much, much more to discover about its magic.

Of course I could not leave the shop without it and so began the journey which  has led me to writing this blog post today.

A big part of the beauty of this rain stick is that it is totally unassuming.  It rests happily in the corner of a room...leaning against a wall...softly blending in with its surroundings.


But...when we  hold the rain stick in our arms...it reveals its incomparable beauty.


The important aspect of this gesture has to do with the WAY we hold this precious object.

If we gently cradle it...intensely aware of its presence and texture...and then ever so gently tilt the rain stick...we will receive the honeyed, mellifluous resonance and vibration of rain ever so slowly beginning its earthward journey. 

And, if we almost imperceptibly and with great patience, continue to move the rain stick in an upward direction, it will gladly release the precious and continuing outpouring of its exquisite melody.

Shortly after the last time I experienced this amazing occurrence I realized that I was being gifted with a beautiful wisdom about how to hold the rain stick's beauty forever in my heart.

And here is that message.

The rain stick is a metaphor

...an image representing the people and circumstances and events of our life and, if we "hold" their presence with the same admiration and esteem that we give to the rain stick...and if we "cradle" them with our loving attention and compassion and understanding...they, too, will gift us with the beauty of their song.

What an important lesson the rain stick just waits to reveal in the perfect moment when we are ready to listen!

Our curiosity and approach and the strong intention to enter into the beauty of each moment will ALWAYS bring us the blessings of this beautiful and loving RAIN.

Image from achildrenspoemaday.wordpress.com

"Here's the Thing"

 

Have you ever had the experience of trying to convince someone to "do it your way" with less than spectacular results?

Have you ever wondered what influences were at work behind the scenes in this particular equation?

Well, for one thing...when we are trying to convince someone of our point of view, we are probably holding fast to OUR idea of how things should be and when someone "holds fast", he doesn't come across very approachable or friendly.

Secondly, in this case, we are obviously NOT convinced there IS a "better" way. We've done our homework...we've thought about the situation...and have found what feels like the BEST way to handle things. Therefore, we have assumed the role of determined INSTRUCTOR to the person we are trying to convert to the merits of OUR view.

Third, with this kind of mental positioning, the emotional environment can feel intimidating...something that is not conducive to promoting open mindedness nor

transformation.

There...we have it...the scenario is stuck, mired in a difference in approach or view...and the atmosphere is getting clouded over with S T R O N G opinions and stubborn mind sets.

But,

It doesn't have to be this way.

If we can dismount from that stallion we are riding so vigilantly and take a long look onto the horizon, we may be able to see that SOMETHING NEW AND DIFFERENT is needed to achieve our enlightenment. Like a completely different approach...a one eighty.  So we might need to get R E A L L Y flexible and do some experimenting...and I am speaking of experimenting with the other guy's approach. Like trying it on for size even though it makes NO SENSE to us.

The part that does make powerful sense here is our willingness to consider this different (and possibly opposing) view closely...to try it on...to ask questions...to seek clarity...to attempt to understand it and the foundational thinking behind the position. 

THAT'S the key thing here...our willingness to genuinely understand another's view and preference.

Our flexibility and openness will not be lost on our compatriot. We may even inspire him to take a closer look at our position. Together, we may conceive of a concept that is greater than our individual offerings. And...who knows...maybe this fresh perspective will propel us into an even grander version of what we had previously felt so strongly about. And, for sure, it will keep our mind open to further expansion,

The willingness to step past our comfort zone into the experience of a radically different thought process may prove to be one of the great adventures of our life.

Happy exploring in the challenging AND exciting wilderness 

of  OPEN COMMUNICATION!

image from dreamstime.com

"Help Wanted"

It's very interesting to note that people walk around all the time looking like they are all grown up but this is actually a disguise. The truth is some parts of them are VERY grown up and some parts of them are stuck in patterns of reactivity and dysfunction.

And that is because they are a work-in-progress...the stamping ground of earth school...and EV-ER-Y-BOD-Y goes through this challenge.


And it is very important for us to remember this fact because if we don't, we can get soooooo annoyed with people's behavior wondering why they don't have their act together or why their reaction feels so off the charts.


If we hold them accountable as if they were "all grown up", we can get pretty perturbed.  BUT, if we remember that they are trying to "grow into their calm, mature self" but are struggling with the weight of some damage, confusion or pain,  it is much easier to view their behavior as the spirit of a child trying to make sense of the world...still developing his sea legs...still bewildered by what feels like judgment...unable to see the bigger picture...awkwardly expressing himself in the best way he knows how.


And, when we are interacting with him in these moments, if we can extend to him the patience, understanding and affirmation we would so readily give to a child who is trying to learn something...we can help him on his journey.  And we can help ourselves, too, for whenever we act from support and compassion, we bring peace to ourselves.



There is also the VERY IMPORTANT FACT that we, too, experience our own "little child" moments when we are struggling and are sometimes not so much  fun to be around.  We can also benefit greatly from someone's loving support.


Let's all try to visualize the child in each of us who is struggling to make sense of the world and to learn to interact with others in a responsible, loving manner.  This seems like a most direct way to enhance our mutual peace and personal growth.



image from micheleborba.com.      

Speaking Your Truth

Home Base

 
Where 
do 
you
live?



  


A space where you are a victim and you suffer from what is being "done" to you...by others, by society, by global occurrences?

                                   OR


A space where you are a creator...where you are constantly being offered opportunities to evolve into 
  a more loving, 
   more compassionate, 
     more caring human being... 

a space sparkling with possibilities and potential waiting for you to fashion them into your signature embrace, extending them into the universal consciousness, making them accessible and available to all who wish to tap into your vibration?





 image from envirogadget.com.     

Why My Soul Craves Chocolate

Last night close to the moment when Lady Midnight sweeps onto  center stage adorned in her ebony velvet gown I found myself wandering through one of the groups I belong to on Linked In. 

 I decided to see if any fellow wanderers  were out and about in this particular neighborhood of cyber space.


It wasn't long before a fellow group member answered my call.  I proceeded to ask my newfound correspondent how the day had gone and where beauty was to be found within it.  I finished my request with the comment:  My soul craves connection.


The answer I received to my request for evidence of beauty was a delightful description of an encounter with a giant frog perched on a window panel next to a front door at eye level.  My cohort commented to me that the frog appeared to be a happy amphibian. 

His coloring was soft and soothing - a velvety grass green.   His toes had little suction cups and his eyes blinked as if smiling and saying "hello".

I myself was smiling happily at this description when I noticed a postscript to the message:

...Oh, by the way - maybe your soul is just craving chocolate - :)



Shortly after this interchange... this delightful, random "moment"...I happily and
sleepily turned in for the night.

During the wee ours, in the midst of my deep sleep, some level of my consciousness sprinkled all of these elements into the mix...my late night wandering, my newfound cyber friend, the darling frog perched on the window pane, the longing for connection and the "chocolate" of my soul.


As a result of my nocturnal processing, I feel it was no accident that my cyber friend responded to my search for roaming night owls within MINUTES of my request.  We were MEANT to connect in this way. 


The frog perched on her window panel undoubtedly came to bring her a message but I think he came for me, too, because she described him in answer to my question, "Where did you find beauty in your day?"


And there is beauty also in the symbolic meaning of the frog (Intuition, creativity, transformation, metamorphosis) which, I believe, was meant for both of us as encouragement and inspiration for our spiritual journeys.


My cyber friend saw the frog (in all of its awkward glory) and then helped me see it through her eyes.



And now to my cohort's comment:
"Oh, by the way - maybe your soul is just craving chocolate."



 Chocolate, I find, has a strong, symbolic meaning of love, passion, care and a happy life.  It is a great simple gift that surprises us...


Like the frog at eye level blinking a hello while he balanced himself adventurously with the suction cups of his toes...

Like the beautiful bonding and camaraderie that developed between my cyber friend and me in just a few moments of full-hearted attention...

Like the wondrous possibilities of connection that the institution of Linked In provides.



I think my new friend was right. 

My soul DOES crave this "chocolate" sweetness.


These moments do constitute the beauty of the day and they telegraph LOVE...through the frog's smiling eyes, for example, and his encouragement  for transformation and celebration of intuition.  (We are both writers who ."listen" to the messages of the universe). 


Finally, the lovely bonding of the late night cyber travelers (the pure joy of human interaction) was, in itself, a sweet surprise.


We are all so lovingly "LINKED IN".


Oh, yes, my soul does crave "chocolate" in whatever clever surprise the Universe delivers it to me.     : )



   image from birdfood.ie