A New Year’s Light Show

 

A New Year’s Light Show

After themagical days of Christmas holidays…when pine-scented boughs andcranberry 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 thesteady, sure-footed march of the New Yearalights 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 SOURCEof 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 journeyand, no doubt, it will have its own BRILLIANTLIGHT SHOW as I enter into this universe!

Let It Begin with Me

 A truly peaceful mind is very sensitive, 
very aware.

Tenzin Gyatso

Have you ever noticed that some individuals are especially conscious of the beauty they see around them?  To be in their presence is to experience the continual expression of joy and wonder.  They are curious, mindful souls, awake to the innocent and guileless nobility of nature...bountiful, brilliant, fragrant blossoms, the astoundingly intricate navigation of the hummingbird, the metaphor of majesticthunderheads presaging a clearing of deep emotions, the merriment and mirth of the monarchbutterfly dancing its delight with the celestial scenery.  Gifts of the universe presenting us with a playground of unparalleled splendor!

And it is not only nature that sings to these perceptive creatures.  They easily discern every gesture of love and good will being expressed to and around them.  And, having recognized these gifts-of-the-heart, they cannot help but laud their elegance and grace and the engagement of the souls which are sourcing them.

Conversely, when these glorious individuals encounter dissonance and distress, they immediately open their hearts, ministering to the unhealed pain that is being manifested.  They are patient and receptive while the troubling emotions are expressed, releasing their iron grip upon the chambers of the heart.

These sages see beauty in and through everyone's journey, however it is being expressed.

This is the gift of Peace… a recognition that all is right with the world and with everyone in it. A recognition that each of us is following a path of our own choosing, a journey we have willingly embarked upon for the purpose of gaining experience, insight and wisdom through life in this glorious, precarious dimension.

When we fully comprehend the nature of our earth school sojourn, every action and reaction we feel or witness, every emotion we or others express, every event we experience becomes a thing of beauty… The story of the odyssey of our souls.
Though it is often difficult to ascertain the significance of what is unfolding in, around and through our lives, there is concord and serenity in the recognition that each of us has the opportunity to create experiences that enhance our wisdom.  And each of us can choose how we want to respond to our own "adventures".

The beautiful gift of Peace comes from awareness and understanding of the nature of our journey.  Once we fully recognize this fascinating opportunity we have chosen to experience, we cannot help but acknowledge with great sensitivity and appreciation the evidence of every grace-filled moment.

How lovely to imagine a world of "peace"ful earth dwellers!


                                                Marie Helena                                                                                                                                                



Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.*
                                                                                 

 *song by Jill Jackson Miller and Sy Miller
   image from mymospot.com

Make Something Beautiful...

There are many profound philosophers in the world…thinkers of great thoughts, deep introspection, challenging suppositions...sharing their answers to life's great questions:  Why are we here?  How should we navigate this earthly journey?  What is truly significant?  

Many of these brilliant individuals have lived before us; some are with us now...all leaving us the treasure of their experience through their magnificent words, their art, their music.

Often we are inspired by the messages of these gifts…and, if they feel resonant to us, we choose to embrace what feels in concert with our souls.  

The lessons we learn instruct and guide us as we navigate our daily lives which are often replete with challenges and invitations to become more than we presently are.  The lessons often give us careful steps to follow regarding how to acknowledge, accept, embrace, experience and release the issues that are plaguing us, issues that may have followed us throughout our lives, painful remnants of days gone by, problems left unsolved and unsettled.

The serendipitous messages that flow from these artists and philosophers guide us through moments of chaos and cacophony, helping us come to resolution of difficult and embroiled issues.  This is a worthy goal.  A true achievement.  

  

As I formulate my own philosophy of guiding principles for my life and embrace the perceptions of the philosophers which sing to my soul, I feel a longing to do more...to take a step beyond achieving the "settling" of the issue at hand.   

I have come to imagine the delight of taking the resolution of a problem and Making Something Beautiful out of each puzzling Gordian knot, leaving my "Signature" in that moment as an artist would portray his original conception, embossing and inscribing each challenge with evidence of  Love and Beauty.  I aspire to transcending their boundaries, infusing them with a luminous outpouring of grace, imprinting each challenge which enters my life with beauty and light…and the glorious vibration of dazzling, radiant love. 💗

This kind of endeavor is a completely personal one as each of our lives carries its own stories and stumbling blocks.  Like the artist, it is we who can choose to Make Something Beautiful out of the raw material of our lives.

This is a supremely creative act and a deeply satisfying one.  It is immensely empowering for no matter what enters our lives, we have a canvas waiting for us to find the “Beautiful” as we uniquely envision it, solving an issue of great discord with an open heart and a beautiful grace that engages and animates our souls.

                                    Marie Helena

        

from 

The Night Blooming Jasmine in Your Heart 💗

image from pinterest

watercolor of a gardenia

You in Wonderland!

 

Do you trust yourself and believe you can create what you want? 

Make a list of the things in your life that you are doing well and that you feel good about. Anchor that feeling to what you want.

Kathleen Martin

Looking to go to a new place on the list of things you do fabulously well? 

Kathleen Martin has a great idea. 
  

Tap into the amazing energy you have already generated from one of your most stellar accomplishments.

 
Perhaps you are already a gourmet cook or world traveler.  Perhaps you've mastered the art of origami or you can solve computer problems by thinking through the issues.  Maybe you can repair any household item that's been disabled.  Or you could qualify as a contender in Dancing With The Stars.

MMMMMmmmmm.  Just thinking about something you already do well makes you smile.  Good work...relax into that empowering emotion.

Now,  take those beautiful vibrations...that delightful cloud of satisfaction...that golden beam of accomplishment and aim them in the direction of the new task you want to accomplish or skill you want to perfect.
 

Vibrational levels attract each other.  if you can hold your vibrational level high and steady you can transfer that beautiful energy to the new wish on your to-do or to-be list.  And, if you want to intensify the effect, draw in ALL of the a-ma-zing feelings you have regarding ALL of the things you do well and you will have created the perfect environment for this new skill to take hold.

You have now assembled AN ENERGY SOURCE to work with in acquiring your new desire.
 

And here's the next step.

Spiritual writer Sanaya Roman recommends that you IMAGINE a grid work of light around your head, connecting upward to the Universal Mind.  The higher
the grid work extends, the more beautiful and delicate it becomes.

Now, take the beautiful energy you have built from your past successes and use it to create your new desire through the grid.
 
Use your imagination to visualize the concept.  

Roman recommends considering what this energy would look like…how it would move…its rhythm…its dance…its musicality…its nuances…its strength…its power...its beauty…its texture…its appeal to your senses. 

Then make the energy vision even more flowing, open and harmonious, adding sounds and fragrance, picturing the unmanifested energy as alive and interacting with you.   Luxuriate in this vision and bathe in its magic.


Now you are ready to bring this breathtaking energy into form.
Transform the vision into subatomic particles of light, with as high a vibration as possible. See the particles becoming form and bring them together into a shape and mass. 

Then  open your heart to receive this very personal energy you have designed from your desire.  Greet it with LOVE, letting it next move into your DNA, then your cells and then, finally, into your emotions and mind.
 

Give thanks for this gift and make a place for it in your life.  Now you are ready to recognize and receive it when it appears. You feel the CONNECTION to it.  It is becoming part of you.
 

Sanaya Roman says the Universal Mind is perfection.  It perfectly creates what you think about.

And here you have thought about and imagined something new you wish to bring into your life.  You have enveloped this desire within the magic of your earlier  accomplishments, raising its vibration, utilizing light and energy and moving through the beautiful ambiance of sensory expression.  Finally, you have transformed the energy into form and opened your heart to receive its manifestation.
 

By reflecting on the power and beauty that is already  in your life and by focusing that energy into manifestation through the quantum field you have become  the source of inspiration and creation for yourself.
 
You are a part of the Divine Universe and all of its power already resides in you.  Make a wish with the awesome energy of your beautiful, open heart!


                                   Marie Helena


image from aliceinwonderland.wikia.com

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, on-line shopping 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 the 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 surprised) 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                                                                                             

For our experience to feel whole, our body must be allowed to permeate our experience, BE our experience, entirely. And our awareness must be released from living in our heads and allowed to flow into EVERYTHING.

Meredith Murphy

EXPECT WONDERFUL

Identity Crisis

One of the important journeys we all eventually undertake is the challenge of trying to make sense of our lives.

We become very intrigued with this consideration, viewing ourselves as  the main character in OUR story…

wondering about who we are and what we are doing here.   About our many “adventures”…the choices we make and their consequences.  

We find ourselves deeply involved and fascinated with this main character.  

 It’s WHO we believe we are.

What’s so interesting about this approach is that we expend so much energy invested in understanding this soubrette but fail to recognize the role we are REALLY playing.  And it is not the main character in our story. 

We are something far more interesting and far more powerful.  We are the ENERGY that is ANIMATING the lead character.  And that energy is our Higher Self.

This changes things in a very important way.

As we play this main character in our story, we no longer need to feel alone with our confusion, our sadness or disappointment, our frustration or our suffering.  We are ONLY the “character” experiencing these things.  We have given ourselves the opportunity to experience life’s  challenges as this character.  And while we (as this character) take these challenges on, the beautiful animating energy that WE REALLY ARE is there to offer support end guidance in moments of grief or confusion or frustration. And it is also there to celebrate with us when we find our way back to the LOVE that sources the universe.

We are this stellar coach and cheering section, encouraging our “character” to grow and stretch beyond our usual boundaries, to expand our awareness and to make new connections for ourselves and other earth travelers. 

We exist on the leading edge of evolution.

Though our story may be intense and unpredictable, we are never in any danger.  

And we are never alone.

         

                                   Marie Helena

image from      SmallBusinessify.com

The Basque System

The Glossary of Chessdefines the Basque System as a chess competition in which the players simultaneously play each other two games on two boards, each playing White on one board and Black on the other.


If we were to adopt the classical interpretation of Black and White,  we could see the color Black as a representation of the discrete, finite, earthbound and white as the picture of the spiritual, the ethereal, of higher dimensions.  When Black and White come into play simultaneously, we have the potential for a most exquisite example of earthbound evolution. 

Capturing, now, this metaphor within the interplay of our every day lives with others, we can clearly see the limitations and travails of earthbound experiences that often occur such as tension, stress, frustration, hurt...the well-worn human paths we encounter. 
Playing Black chess on a board.

And, as we walk ourselves through a contemplation of the maze of alternative moves on that board, we only "see" those which vibrationally match the state of our emotions and that is exactly what we attract to ourselves.  More of the "limited" options.  More difficulty.  More Black.

But, the very decision to simultaneously play White on another board represents our desire to transcend our earthly choices EVEN while we make them.  Our desire to WITNESS our behavior signals the yearning to take in the complete horizon...to see the inter-workings of every element in the picture...each person, each action...and to see how we fit into and are affecting what is transpiring.



And when we are able to observe the part WE are playing in the drama, we have the opportunity to recognize, appraise and choose to redirect the energy flowing through us.  We can transcend the drama, and, choose, instead, to RESPOND from a choice of peacefulness and acceptance, still speaking our truth but allowing our heart to shift the vibration we have encountered from unrest and agitation into a gentle response of honoring the emotions so clearly being felt and expressed by ourselves and others.



This dual engagement is a beautiful and challenging path leading to our personal evolution.



Still in earth school...experiencing the BLACKemotions.  But, simultaneously, being guided by Higher Self on the ALABASTERarchetype.  With stunning results and transcendence.  CUTTING EDGE.



                                                                            Marie Helena

Always Something MORE

There is ALWAYS more to the story.

No matter what we think we know about something that has happened, there is ALWAYS more to the story.  Always something MORE that explains a person's motivation for what he does, has done or is considering doing.  And it is ALWAYS a story of how he has been affected by what has already transpired in his life.  What is happening in this moment is contingent upon what has already been. 

Imagine the trillions upon trillions of events that are occurring because someone's need has gone unrecognized or unfilled.  Or...perhaps the need has been generously and magnanimously met and this gift of caring has, therefore, helped shape and form an even greater effort of love

WE are all a part of this human tapestry.  Everything we experience is contributing to and shaping our world view and the world view of others and, extending even further....into the formation of the universal consciousness.

Nothing is lost.  Every choice - every effort, every decision not to choose to act - is playing a role and joining with other variables to produce a new occurrence.

What place do we hold in this process?  What do we bring to contribute to this cosmic brocade?  How well do we understand our role as co-creators?  And do we acknowledge the subtle, powerful and fascinating influence we have the power to bestow upon each other?

                                                                                                    Marie Helena



image from exalted-beauty.blogspot.com.

The Birth of an Addiction

Addiction is an attempt to relive the past.

               Ken Porter


Some of the moments we experience in our lives are breathless in their reach.  They satisfy a core longing, mask a painful pictureor fill a pressing need and they can be intoxicating to the soul.  Often we see them as a pinnacle...an epic event in our lives and we refuse to emotionally separate ourselves from them.  We become attached to the feelings we have experienced and, because of that attachment, we consign ourselves to their remembrance. And our emotional memory of the event becomes a default during times of stress...and, eventually, births an addiction.

But it is impossible...and unwise...to continue to  try to re-experience events exactly as they occurred because we are NOT the same individuals who experienced those original moments.  We are constantly reinventing ourselves, reacting and responding to new stimuli, developing new perceptions and insights...and, hopefully, growing stronger and wiser.  We are encountering opportunity after opportunity...blocks building one upon the other…all available to us for our consideration.

If we persist in our attachment to past moments and become addicted to reliving their significance, we pass by magnificent opportunities appearing in our lives, offering us new adventures and experiences designed to help us grow even more.

What could becthe source of this addictive behavior?  What is it that might prevent us from experiencing each moment in our lives as an original scenario...one in which we are focused, alert, centered, willing and eager to address each new issue or question with clarity and compassion for ourselves and others? 


The ability to effectively deal with what is presenting itself to us in this moment depends upon whether we have steadily and consistently aspired to become the next, grandest version ofourselves and have matured through our encounters, eventually remembering the nature of Who We Truly Are.  Once we have reached that remembrance, we naturally move toward expressing our loving response within every circumstance we encounter.


This is a worthy and amazing challenge...to respond originally and authentically and lovingly to every "invitation" that crosses our path.  The spiritual growth we achieve would be amazing and exponential, contributing not only to our evolution but to the evolution of all earth dwellers for everything that we do adds to the collective unconscious and becomes accessible to all.


Are you in?  Are you content to constantly replay your back story, reliving that moment of comfort or contentment...or ARE YOU READY for the starring role you have been given to be a creator and light the way for others with your original thought, tenacious exploration and curious and loving heart?


                                                          Marie Helena

image from Pinterest
The history of Bohn S Printing Pictures

Who Writes the Story?

Don Miguel Ruiz, author of The Four Agreements, tells us thatRESPECT is one of the greatest expressions of LOVE...and that, if we love someone, we respect that this person is a good artist and can write his own story. 

Ruiz further says that  this person was, in fact, BORN to write his own story and if we respect him, we do not try to write his story for him.

What is even more important is that imposing ourselves in someone else's story is a blatant example of our lack of faith that the other person is capable of learning for himself what there is to be learned and applying those lessons to his life.  The consideration of how and when and if he does this is not In our job description.

 

I do believe that we can communicate to others in a gentle, positive, loving manner any suggestions that we may have about the turmoil they may be experiencing BUT that is it...just SUGGEST...not expect and not punish if someone does not wish to embrace what we are envisioning as an answer to a dilemma.

We are NEVER in the place of knowing all of the factors involved in how someone's life is playing out and  to act as if we are and to envision what we think is the perfect answer is to exalt ourselves and fail to honor the other. 

It represents the giving of affection with CONDITIONS, falling short of a truly loving response and indicating a lack of respect.

Truly understanding our place in the world and the place others occupy is a challenging task for us.  It requires clear boundaries for ourselves and others  but it frees everyone involved to make life choices in an atmosphere of support and caring.

Expressing our faith in everyone else's right and ability 

to listen to the guidance of his own heart...

to  decide issues for himself...

to experience the consequences of his choices and to learn his own lessons when and if he chooses..

is a most beautiful and pure expression of love and caring.  

It also frees us to use our energies for the selection, welcoming and experiencing of our own adventures.

                              Marie Helena 

image from tootsiegrace.blogspot.com

Balloon Prints

The funny little balloons we see above the heads of characters in the comics are the place we look to see what words the personalities are speaking.



They appear to contain the "message"...the information we are meant to have. And, it is true, they do contain a message...just not ALL of it.



In the same way, the words we speak in real life contain a message but they actually do much more than that...they emit energy, sending a vibration out into the immediate vicinity and even much further on...to the universe.


It's interesting to imagine our words hanging above our heads in a balloon and wonder what kind of impression they would make. 

If we could view them objectively, would they appear to be direct, friendly, well-considered, kind? 

Would they be slapped together without much thought or consideration for the impression they would create?

Would they notice the beautiful things in life and express gratitude?

Most of all, would they enhance someone's life?

Would it make a difference to someone that WE were there...that the words we spoke felt affirming....showing the warmth of our hearts?


When we make the choice of which words to speak we are also determining what kind of energy we send out. Is it loving energy? Is it truth? Does it take into account the person to whom we are speaking and how that person will be able to receive the message?


Do our words affect someone's life in a positive way? Does the environment feel lighter and more beautiful because of what we have said?


What kind of balloon prints do we really leave in our wake? Are they skirting the air with ease... bouncing and bowing in pleasure and joy?

The effect of what we say lingers long after we have left…to delight or disorient someone's heart.

                             Marie Helena

Island Metaphor

 

Imagine you have been selected to appear on the newest reality show which will be taking place on an amazing island where everything you might possibly need has already been provided.  No matter what you decide to do...design something, construct something, invent something…ALL resources are available.  But, and here is the sticking point, they are hidden within the topography of the island.  They are most certainly there, but they are not easy to see.  And they emerge into your view only when you are truly ready for them and not a moment before.

The challenge then becomes how does one get ready to receive these resources?  And this cannot be done through manipulation, force or trickery. Only authentic responses ensure their accessibility.

Welcome to the reality show of your life!  And it is simultaneously amazing and magical while confusing and challenging, too.


And this is because we perceive that we live in linear time but, in fact, there is only the NOW.  The past and the future are only an illusion but we are so convinced of them that we can only recognize things within the context of logical progression.  And so we fail to see that the opportunities… the resources… are ALWAYS available but, because of our programming, they are hidden in plain sight.

Wondrously, it appears the Divine Universe is designed to accompany us on our journey and offer us support precisely at the moment we are ready to receive it.


        Isn't it amazing how so many of the things we need arrive 
              at just the opportune moment.
       Almost like magic or a miracle.  
       But it can't be a miracle if it is already there.  
       It just must be something in us has let us see what we need.

                                               Paradigm Shift


In the reality show of our life we move through a series of challenges designed by our soul to learn lessons and help us develop character traits. If we authentically embrace whatever is being presented to us and offer no resistance, we are "ready" and the Universe  makes accessible to us whatever ideas or resources are necessary to navigate our path.


What so often appears to be a coincidence or good fortune that has just occurred, in reality, has been residing in the eternal NOW, awaiting our awareness and receptivity.
.

If, indeed, everything we ever need to grow and evolve is available to us whenever we are ready to "see" it, could we possibly live in a more loving and compassionate Universe?  Cerebral, provocative, emotionally rich and intelligent.  Profound in conception.   Home.

                                                              Marie Helena



image from pinterest.com
Caribbean islands and island life