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

Secrets of the Rain Stick

 Some time ago while wandering through a small, quaint shop filled with Native American art & 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.

RI 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.            

                                                                

                              Marie Helena

Image from achildrenspoemaday.wordpress.

comI 

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?

                                                 Marie Helena



image from studiosonthepark.org

The Alto Horn, Multiple Moons and Other Secrets of the Universe

Owen Waters is a favorite author of mine. Any time his name appears in my email I stop to read the wisdom and insights he is sharing. Owen is the author of The Shift: The Revolution in Human Consciousness, Discover Your Purpose in Life and the creator of the website InfiniteBeing.com.

Today I read an offering from Owen’s newsletter Spiritual Metaphysics for the New Reality in which he talks about the unfolding of his spiritual quest.


Owen’s journey began at the age of thirteen when he was practicing the alto horn and noticed that a “long, deep note started to sound unusual”. Immediately after that he noticed that he was no longer looking straight at his music stand but was viewing it from above.
This out of body experience began for him a lifelong journey to understand the nature of life and our place in it. On this journey Owen feels he has received a great deal of inspiration (being in spirit) from guides and ascended masters.


Owen believes that every one of us can make this journey to what he calls “the profound depths of understanding” but we need to create the beautiful environment and support for this work…as artists phrase it, theambiance for the reception of this wisdom.


Our days can be so easily filled with the noise of activity and projects…lists of things we wish to accomplish. So much of life feels like a hurrying to get somewhere and when we finally land there, we are exhausted…we recoup…and  then start composing our next list of to-do’s for tomorrow. 


Owen cautions us: "don't limit your potential by spending the entire day in conscious thought. Give yourself the time to go within, expand.”
In the restful state of “expanded awareness” we are much better able to find peace and balance..We are more receptive to guidance…more open to new insights.


Two days ago while on a late evening stroll, I stopped to gaze at the moon and became so fascinated I stayed there for several moments.. Within seconds I saw not one moon, but four. three distinct moons which were intertwining and one surrounding the three on two sides which seemed to be composed of etheric energy.  

The moon has never looked like this to me before…but I am sure there was something in it for me to discover. If I had not stopped to be in that moment, I would have missed this exquisite demonstration of some important truth which is still to be revealed.


Does your day allow for this beautiful state of expansion so available to all of us?

Do you choose to open yourself to the messages of the universe?

Do you create the opportunity to be spiritually connected in this way?

Perhaps we should all follow the very wise advice of Owen Waters when he says: “Inspiration is there for the asking, if you just pause to reach upwards to where it exists.”

                                            Marie Helena

The Flower in My Hair

Ever since a rather serious encounter with a rogue candle resting on the kitchen counter, I have been a dedicated convert to the battery operated version of this venue of light.  I have several colored lights arranged on a wall bookshelf, all beaming in a luminous, verdant, brilliant shade of green.  To me, that beautiful color represents the luxury of stability and safety.  

Recently, I realized that there was something else I wanted to bring into my life as a subtle yet constant reminder that I aspire to keep transforming into a more glorious version of myself.  And so, one of those magical green glowing tapers has now been transmuted unto a rotating color bearer gently flashing rose, ivory, lavender, blue...reminding me that I aspire to embrace the ever changing face of life:  the surprises, the perplexity, the compression and the expansion, the pleasures AND the pain.

And, in that willing embrace, I aspire to allow myself to fully feel the power and impact of each moment andlet my body entrust to me, as I am ready to receive it, the message and accompanying inspiration of the moment.


For this same reason, I have begun wearing a flower in my hair each day.  Whenever I pass by a mirror and glance into it, I see a lovely offering of nature tucked into the wisps of hair surrounding my face, bringing a freshness into my consciousness and the lovely scent/ reminder of the beauty of an open heart.


Simple gestures...the gentle arrangement of candlesand flowers.  Simple but also profound for they signal a tender aspiration to connect more deeply with the challenge and joy of returning to the love-filled creature Who (underneath our earthly disguises) We Truly Are.

I believe the impulse to RETURN to this place of pure radiance is present in every human heart.  What is your very special way of inspiring and directing your cosmic journey?

                                           Marie Helena

                                                                                                


image from pinterest

Watch Your Heart Open

We are filled with breath, with life force. We walk amidst the beauty of this planet. We experience an incredible range of emotion. We are the beneficiaries of grace. And never so much as a thank you is required. Just for today, see if you can appreciate everything you encounter. Watch your heart open.
 
                        Pamela Hope DeLuca-Price



One of the primary tasks toddlers face in growing up is learning the names for everything.  This practice is convenient and practical.  We all have the same point of reference.  We "agree" on what a dog looks like...and a flower...and a tree.  


But a ramification that occurs from this exercise is that we begin to reduce everything we see and encounter...no matter how unique or breathtaking...to the "box" in which it fits most easily.  For example, dandelions, roses, and gardenias are all "flowers" even though they each evoke a different sensation and emotion, look and smell different and are found in different terrain.  Oaks and sycamores and pine trees share the same surname even though the "cousins" lead such different lives.


My point is that by taking on our cultural mores, by learning how everything functions and fits, we entermainstream thinking which we need to survive but we lose the wonder and awe of experiencing a beauty which seems to have no name.  It is just something our hearts and senses embrace with fascination and awe.  Can you imagine, for example, describing the beauty of the gardenia...how it speaks to your heart....if you didn't know what a flower was?



And there is even more stunning beauty beyond what the eye can see.  There are things we can sense on varying levels of intensity and through subtle nuance such as our breath, our life force, our myriad emotions.  In the midst of our busy days, we often pass by this beautiful GRACEthat awaits our awareness.  

Just for today, see if you can appreciate everything you encounter.

Watch your heart open!


                                                                                                        Marie Helena

The Cutting Edge: Deconstructing Anger

Rough edges...
gruff sounds...
a voice growing in intensity  

  
Oh, dear....Where can we hide?

Most of us feel like "leaving the building" when the vibration of anger explodes in our midst.  Whether it is our own fiery voice we hear or someone else's, this is not a fun place to find ourselves and we wonder what happened to bring this on?  How did things escalate so fast?  

And, in the face of this growing tension, it is so very difficult to get our bearings, to take that deep breath, to step away from the fray and summon a glimpse of the bigger picture.  But this is exactly what is needed in the heat of that moment for what is transpiring has many possible layers to it and it takes a clear head, a centered consciousness and a calm, compassionate heart to embrace the significance of the event.

Psychologist Phillip McGraw tells us that anger is a masking defense, called out to front the troops which are harboring hurt, fear or frustration.  Where anger feels hot and aggressive, the emotions "behind the scene" are actually full of pain...and vulnerability but they are lacking the courage to directly speak what has caused their siren call.  And that is because the angry person (whether it is ourself or another) has not experienced the trust that it is safe and it is important to name the feelings that are flooding his soul.  

And so anger, instead, emerges as the front guy and anger takes the hit, eventually encountering a counterattack, distressing emotions or even remorse at a later moment.   And all of this drama is not productive because it isn't even the real issue.  But what it does do is bring  our awareness to the fact that there is someone needing love and attention...and, most of all, needing understanding that their heart is unprotected.

The most powerful elixir in this moment is to have someone bravely dance right through the emotional maelstrom of the anger and lovingly embrace the tender heart which is longing  to be heard.  Unconditional acceptance in a safe environment as this soul speaks its truth the best way it knows how.  


Deconstructing anger...cutting edge.


                                                                                                     Marie Helena




image from Pinterest.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.


                                 Marie Helena                                                                      


image from realsolutions4life.com.