A New Year's "Light" Show

After the magical days of Christmas holidays…when pine-scented boughs and cranberry candles perfumed the air and glittering lights whispered their grace-filled secrets into our happy hearts…decorating our spaces with joy and celebration…

after these magnificent days have passed and things have grown so very quiet and restful the steady, sure-footed march of the New Year alights on our doorstep, enters our homes and slides into our hearts.

It’s time…to renew and redirect our energy to the wonderful life we have imagined and make the changes that were placed on hold as we made merry and felt merry and loved the "merry" of the holidays.

Now, there is a NEW JOY that awaits us and it is born of reflection and inspiration and discipline…our New Year’s Resolutions.

Much has been said and advised about NYR’s…suggestions that we examine our lives, compiling a list of every change we can imagine…suggestions that we make NO resolutions and not place ourselves under that kind of stress... even a suggestion that we only try to improve ourselves by one percent in the category we identify as “most needed” or, even better, “most desired” and, thereby, let our accumulated steady, slow progress become its own source of motivation.

This morning in the quiet moments when I found myself awakening a different thought occurred to me.

I had been searching for a simple resolution…one that would be easy to hold onto and yet would change my perspective and this is what arrived in response to my request:

As you go through the day and encounter many moments…some relaxing and some difficult and challenging…as you go through the day, just take a moment and imagine how your Higher Self would respond to what is happening. Do not put any pressure on yourself TO DO what Higher Self would do. Only IMAGINE it and TAKE NOTE.

This sounded wonderful to me…and it feels instinctively that just choosing to put myself in the place of imagining a Higher Response would do some subtle, behind-the-scene work for me even while I went busily about my day, impressing my consciousness with a more beautiful, more loving, more joyful way to navigate it…and, most importantly, a way to be my own SOURCE of happiness and satisfaction.

And it actually sounds and feels quite practical, too, to become, on a continuing basis, the ANCHOR for my joy.

So I am going to give it a pop!   This means I may pause a few seconds before I react and respond to what is going on…allowing myself the time and perspective I need to call up a Higher inspiration than what would automatically appear on my default button.

It will be very interesting to take this journey and, no doubt, it will have its own BRILLIANT  LIGHT SHOW as I enter into this universe!

                                                                                     
                                                                                        Marie Helena


originally printed January 3, 2011

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

originally published July 13, 2011

Dolce Far Niente

In the midst of the holiday season when so many preparations are being made…Christmas trees bedazzled with shimmering lights, ingredients assembled for an array of culinary pleasures, shopping excursions planned to catch the latest sales, spotlighting of porches and roofs with illusionary reindeer…

In the midst of all of this, does it seem strange that I would wish you Dolce Far Niente...The Sweetness of Doing Absolutely Nothing!

And yet, what more perfect time to just BE in the midst of all of these treasures?

Time moves so quickly now as we hasten to finish our self-appointed tasks for the holidays and, if we don’t pause to take in the ambiance and flavor and spirit of these moments, they will be gone before we know it. We will be left with crumbled Christmas wrappings to clean up, dishes to wash from the fabulous dinner we have prepared and an exhausted body for our reward.


So let’s imagine another dimension to our celebration.


I invite you (and myself as a reminder as I write this), to not miss a single breath of this breathtaking season.  To allow the brilliant red poinsettias to nourish and sustain us with their glorious color and powerful presence.  To honor the trees populating our landscape outside as they abide winter’s passing and keep their spring secrets warm inside their roots for us. To enjoy  delicately flavored herbal tea and gingerbread one sip and one small and succulent bite at a time as delicate snowflakes descend outside our windows.  To watch the faces of the young and young-at-heart as they embrace the magic of families gathering and the waves of joy layering the room as gifts expected (and surprising) are revealed.

Let us all fully embrace the beauty of this season, honor its festive and joyous rhythm and reverence the MAGNIFICENT MOMENTS being given to us!

Marie Helena

 

Yes! We Have No Bananas!

  
 As a young child I remember so enjoying singing the first lines of a delightful song:

"Yes! We have no bananas.
We have no bananas today!"

The song tells the story of a fruit store run by a Greek gentleman.  Whenever he was asked about some item he did not have in the store such as bananas, for example, he always began by saying, “Yes, We have no bananas.” 

The lyrics to this song are light-hearted and paint a vivid picture of the fruit market and its owner.  I’ve included them at the end of this blog post so you can enjoy them.


However, a very important reason for me to remember the No Bananas song is serious.  I cannot even recall how I came upon it…and it’s possible I dreamed it up when I was trying to help someone solve a problem…but I know that I have used this story in my life many times to help me get perspective and have shared it with others so much that it’s become an integral part of my philosophy.


And so it is my pleasure to share it with you now.

Let’s pretend you go into a fruit store and ask the clerk for some bananas.  The clerk replies that he is sorry that he has no bananas, but he does have apples, pears, strawberries, oranges and kiwis.

You listen to his list of available luscious fruits and answer, “That’s great.  But I want bananas.”  He replies, “But we have NO bananas.”  You answer, “I don’t care that you don’t have bananas."

 

"I came into this store to buy some bananas and that’s what I want."

So you ask what is the point of this story…and it’s this:

Often in life we identify something we want from someone (not a physical thing but rather a satisfying or comforting emotion).  

It’s something we would really like to have in our life so we approach the person and either ask for it or drop hints…but…we never get the “bananas” because the person doesn’t have them.  

And, because our desire and need feel so great to us (no doubt because of empty spaces from other parts of our life), we lose sight of the fact that this person does not have what we want…perhaps because he is on his own journey and has not cultivated it yet. 

But our need for the “bananas” is so great that we have blinders on and cannot see that there are no bananas in that store.  Thus, we feel disappointed and alone and abandoned.  

The emotional need we have has blinded us to the bigger picture of what stock items (read many other luscious fruits) ARE possibly available and we stay stuck in our banana obsession.

Persistently looking for something that we know (on some level) is not there seems counterproductive and exhausting...albeit a very human reaction when we are in emotional need.

Have you ever searched for bananas at a store that doesn’t have them but insisted that bananas are what you want and must have?  

And have you ever been so upset and distressed when you couldn’t find the bananas that you missed all of the other wonderful offerings that ARE available at that store?

Here’s to opening our shopping baskets (and hearts) to welcome in all of  the delights that HAVE BEEN cultivated and are waiting for us to partake of their pleasures!

 originally published August 3, 2011

Yes! We Have No Bananas!

Folk Song written By: Frank Silver and Irving Cohn

There's a fruit store on our street
It's run by a Greek.
And he keeps good things to eat
But you should hear him speak!

When you ask him anything, he never answers "no".
He just "yes"es you to death,
And as he takes your dough, he tells you...

"Yes! We have no bananas
We have no bananas today!!
We have string beans and onions, cabBAges and scallions
And all kinds of fruit and say
We have an old fashioned toMAHto
A Long Island poTAHto, but

Yes! We have no bananas
We have no bananas today!"

Business got so good for him that he wrote home today,
"Send me Pete and Nick and Jim; I need help right away."
When he got them in the store, there was fun, you bet.
Someone asked for "sparrow grass"
and then the whole quartet
All answered:

"Yes, we have no bananas
We have-a no bananas today.
Just try those coconuts
Those wall-nuts and doughnuts
There ain't many nuts like they.
We'll sell you two kinds of red herring,
Dark brown, and ball-bearing.
But yes, we have no bananas
We have no bananas today."

The Best Christmas List of All

It's December and time for our Christmas to-do lists. 

Some especially ambitious individuals have started on their lists many moons ago.  But for those of us who kick into high gear after Thanksgiving...it's time to get down.

And I bet you have LOADS OF ITEMS on your list: 

 buy a Christmas tree (and decorate it), 

 shop for presents,

 plan a holiday party, 

 balance that budget so finances will work smoothly,

 try some new holiday recipes...

oh, and clean the house (including those jobs you've left undone but now have to do because out-of-towners will be staying with you).

I'm guessing you might be exhausted just thinking about these tasks and that's nothing compared to the EXHAUSTION you feel when you start trying to complete the tasks and keep on trying...even when you are stressed and tired...and in need of sleep and relaxation and nourishment. 

In other words, when the concept of BALANCE has gone completely out of your life.

 

Just yesterday I got   a wonderful idea  about this whole conundrum of how do you get the work done and avoid feeling STRESSED to the max.

 

And here it is.

This is probably going to sound radical to you, but after some reflection I am convinced it's the answer to this problem.

The first premise of this idea is:  Christmas (and all of the preparations that go into the holiday) should be fun. 

Easy enough to say.  But, you may wonder, how can we have fun doing the Christmas to-do list when we are bone-tired...weary...dragging ourselves around?

The answer is not to do it.  DO NOT make yourself do the things on that list when you are not  IN YOUR POWER and have good energy, a  positive disposition and are ready to be in-the-flow.  

Just DO NOT do that list of tasks when your chin is on the floor.

Instead (and here comes the next premise) do WHATEVER IT TAKES  to get you  back to your place of power.  This might mean taking a  nap, relaxing, having a lovely conversation, enjoying  nourishing food for your tired body (and eating it slowly and tasting and enjoying every bite).  WHATEVER IT TAKES.

Then... when you have reclaimed your power (whenever that is)...do something on the Christmas prep list.

 

You are probably thinking THIS WILL NEVER WORK.  There won't be enough time.

But here's my thought:

If you've ever pushed yourself to do things when you DID NOT have the energy (physical, mental or emotional) to do them, then I am sure you know there is a hefty price tag on that delightful maneuver. 

And I bet this is when you develop that cold or catch that flu or get so totally out-of-sorts that nobody wants to be around you. 

Then...what good did it do to have the things on your list completed and you can't even appreciate what you have accomplished?

 

I know...I know...this concept will take some reframing of the way we usually tackle our tasks but consider this:  

How wonderful would it be to actually enjoy all of the holiday preparations...to be in such a lovely space that  it felt like you were constantly accessing the joy of Christmas and what it represents? 

How lovely also for all of those around you to engage with the happy, positive person you know you can be!

 

Wouldn't it be worth taking the leap to give this a try and then see how everything plays out?  

And, by the way, this isn't just a wonderful plan for Christmas...I think it's the best way to engage life all year round.

So start making that special list of all of the wonderful things that will rejuvenate you and move you back into that DELIGHTFUL place of joy and power and make that one THE LIST you always remember!

                                                                                        Marie Helena

image from vickiblackwell.com

The Cutting Edge: Won't It be Wonderful When...

American inspirational speaker and author Esther Hicks has a great suggestion for those moments when we begin to fret about something that is not working out the way we want it to.  She cautions that our fretting, which feels like such a logical expression of our discomfort and anxiety, only serves to bring us MORE OF THE SAME. 

Vibrations are attracted to each other.  We are sending out a vibration of angst and we are attracting more angst into our life.  And, if we have fully surrendered to this distressing  position, we can get so dramatic about the situation and even up the vibrational ante with our philosophical renderings:   
"I knew this would happen." 
"This is the way it always goes." 
 "Why me?"

In effect, we have placed our order with great emotion and drama, unaware of the fact that the Universe is the PERFECT delivery system and it gives back to us whatever we present.  Whatever vibration we send out with our thoughts and emotions is the determining factor of what we will get back.  Our perception of trouble brings more trouble. 



"Really?"  you might think   "Thanks a lot.  Just what I need...more trouble." 
 "I can't catch a break."  But the fact is, YOU CAN just by understanding the natural rhythm of the Universe and being willing to put some conscious effort into the messages you deliver to yourself.


Of course, there is more to the story.  You are not going to be willing to consciously formulate a hopeful message if you haven't noticed these things...

The Universe is designed to bring you whatever experiences that you are attracted to. 

Whatever you wish to experience will come to you when you ALLOW it...
    when you don't mess things up with your fear of unworthiness and doubts and
          concerns,
    when you trust that what you desire will be delivered to you in the perfect time.

All that you have to do is KNOW that this process will happen and anticipate the arrival of what you have dreamed.


Our home base here IS earth school and our lessons are supposed to be uber challenging.  And this is no exception.  This work is not easy.  It takes some CUTTING EDGE awareness and wisdom and...curiosity.  We are often unwilling to leave our old habits and default of victimhood because it feels so comfortable there.  It's what we know and everybody talks like that...right?

See where that kind of thinking takes you?  In circles of suffering...and why should you have to be stuck there because it's what everybody does?


Why not see for yourself?  Experiment.  Try feeling Esther Hick's new mantra, one which expresses so eloquently the way you would like things to be and celebrates, in advance, the "perfect" moment in which you get out of your own way and your desired vibrational wish makes its way to you.


Won't if be wonderful when...


                                                                                           Marie Helena




image from chemersgallery.blogspot.com
from the book, "Wishing Ball" watercolor/collage

The Third Identity

We all want to have the most beautiful relationships…kindred souls sharing our thoughts and feelings, listening to each other with perfect engagement, affirming the amazing gifts we see in each other, sharing the joy and pain of our adventures.

But…

The “instant snapshot” of this idyllic picture reigns mostly in our hopes and dreams and in our imaginations…for real relationships take a great amount of work…and patience…and nurturing… and, often, our egos join in and cause even more complications.


Recently, I heard a podcast by Meredith Murphy of Expect Wonderful in which she discusses “whole relationships” and how to achieve them. In this presentation she says that every relationship between two people has a third identity, too…and, that is, the energy of the relationship that is created between them. And, this, according to Meredith, is an important place to put our attention, especially when there is discord and strife.


As I reflect on this thought, I feel drawn to the invitation to leave self and move beyond to this energy vortex. Tuning in to this energy field seems to change the picture for me. It releases my personal reactions and, instead, focuses on what is going on in this energetic exchange and, especially, it focuses on the question of where/what is the energy of the other person in the relationship at this time.


This conscious choice naturally (and immediately) introduces CARING and COMPASSION directly back into the picture for me. It SHIFTS the focus to a loving place. And this is what I aspire to.


It is so wonderful  TO FIND A WAY TO GET TO LOVE so directly during a time of dissonance and unrest.



                                                                                                 Marie Helena

originally published December 10, 2010

The Cutting Edge: Lose the Default

As we travel through the life map our soul has designed, we adopt a LOT of coping mechanisms to help us navigate the journey.  When things get really difficult, we find ways to sidestep the enormity of the lessons and rest our weary selves in the comfort of a subconscious, conditioned reaction, honed to perfection by our repeat visits to this isle of escape.



Tension in the workplace?  Misunderstandings?  Misinformation?  Traffic holdups?  Long lines at the supermarket?  Fretting family members?  Briefcase full of unfinished assignments?   
 
Stop!  Enough already.  

And here our culture and conditioning step in to give us options for these kinds of difficult moments.  A wine cooler...or chocolate...football...games on the IPhone...shopping...Whatever...

We may get some temporary respite from our chosen "distraction".  But, ultimately, it is not enough to drown out the din inside us.  Next, we have learned to figure out where we can assign the blame.  "Mikey" did it.  The world is full of potential "Mikey's".  It's their fault.  Whatever is wrong is their fault.  We can always make a case for why our problem and our reaction are someone else's responsibility.

And so, in the face of pressure and stress, we find the easy way out.  And these "easy ways" become our defaults.



But these default reactions don't serve us well.  Although they give us some short term relief, they ignore the Message we are receiving.  Something we are doing is not in alignment with our Higher Self.  And we need to see what is really transpiring.  And we need to find a new way to get that information.



HERE is the perfect moment for us to LOSE THE OLD DEFAULT.  Here is where we can recognize that we have been hiding by defending ourselves, attacking others or ignoring or covering up our upset with methods of comfort.  Here is where we can bravely try something new...lose the old default and design a new and better way to deal with what is bothering us. 

Like letting ourselves FEEL what is happening to us instead of "beating it out of there".
Like recognizing that our angst is coming from some unhealed pain from the past...pain which we originally buried because we did not have the tools to deal with it.  Pain we have been watching ourselves resurrect over and over and over...whenever we are triggered. 

How great it would feel to finally get that negative, stuck energy out in the open...see it for what it is...offer ourselves compassion for experiencing it and give ourselves and/or others understanding and forgiveness for, in reality, only doing in that moment "what we/they knew how to do".
 
This is tough, brave work and we must be gentle with ourselves when we undertake it. Now, our "default" may need to be quiet moments in nature, meditation...a cup of herbal tea. And a message delivered to ourselves and possibly to others that we need time to process what has happened and our reaction to it.

THIS is how we gain the opportunity to become our best selves, to begin to live what we aspire to be.  We change our old, predictable ways of reacting by FINALLY hearing the wisdom of the "Message".   By realizing that any upsetting reaction that we experience is really about us and some unhealed pain in us that needs to be addressed.  By owning our feelings and resolving to hear what they are trying to tell us.  It is THEN that we are able to lose the old defaults and replace them with something much better.  Something that makes us feel self-respect and self-affirmation regarding our response to VERY difficult situations.  

Simple...but not easy.  Cutting edge.  

 
                                                                                            Marie Helena




 
image from hatoola13.deviantart.com

The Cosmic Mall

Whenever we find ourselves with some extra financial resources, it's often delightful to go shopping, indulging ourselves by seeing what's new in our favorite area of interest...clothes, computers, cosmetics, gadgets, music, books.  If we are in the mood, it's great fun.  Nothing like checking things out, feeling in the groove.

Interestingly, it seems there is a shopping plaza that NONE of us is able to resist and we may not be consciously aware of this oh-so-fascinating draw, but our souls surely are because that is why we are here in earth school...to go shopping in  
THE COSMIC MALL.

And there are some really alluring boutiques there.  Do you know what they are selling?  Experiences.  Human Experiences for spiritual creatures.  That's you and me and everybody else on planet earth, by the way.  That's the captivating charade we've all opted into.  

Now this may sound strange but spiritual creatures are very curious and they love adventures so they may choose to see what melancholy feels like...or utter frustration, pain, sadness or perhaps joy or perseverance.  The opportunities are endless. Once our choices are made, the Universe lines up to fill the requests with full powered gusto (translation:  hang on to the rope, folks, it's going to be a R I D E).

It's all a mystical monsoon and while we are bravely buffering through the tempest of our creations,  wouldn't it be wonderful if we could "remember" our master plan?

What if on some level we really GOT THIS?  Perhaps we would feel less lost in this intense illusion we have designed for ourselves because we are so divinely and 

astonishingly powerful and, unfortunately, have "powerfully" forgotten the masquerade we have envisioned.

Here's the beautiful help I get during these formidable provocations. Just when I begin to feel totally lost in the challenges in front of me that seem overwhelming, I am able to recall the words of William Linville, my "new best friend" (spiritually speaking) who is clear Creator Consciousness in a physical body:  "What a riot!"

Linville's "spirit"ed exclamation takes me out of my earthbound weariness and brings me shooting up to the stars where a new perspective holds welcome clarity and my soul whispers, "It's all a magical playground...so PLAY!"

                                                                                                            

                                                                                         

                                   

                                                                                                      

                                                                                           Marie Helena

image from www.mitsuifudosan.

originally published July 20, 2014