The Amusement Park

By the time we leave our childhood behind and get on with issues of the "adult" world most of us have managed a trip or two to the glorious island of escape called. The Amusement Park. 


There we stuffed our faces with cotton candy while we waited in line to take our seats on VERY scary and unpredictable rides.  And why did we do this?  Because it was FUN! We screamed our hearts out and then turned around and doubled back for more.


Maybe we loved these "wild rides" so much because there is something in our makeup that loves the unknown... mercurial adventures, precarious positions, challenging perspectives.


Which brings me in a roundabout way to an interesting occurrence I had just this week.  

While sitting in morning meditation a few days ago I experienced a very unusual stream of imagery.  I often have images popping up during meditation and, in fact, they routinely do,  but this meditation scenario was the most delightful I have ever encountered. 


Several Disney characters were whirling inside a powerful vortex, riding it downward at a very fast speed having the time of their life and shouting"Whee!".  


When they reached the bottom (as they all invariably did), they were bounced back up to the top and were each affectionately catapulted into a bed floating in space.  They were tucked into warm covers and weresoothed, comforted and rewarded from their madcap adventure by having a nice, long rest.


The all encompassing feeling of this fantasy was one of fun and delight.  The Disney characters were All IN.  They had no question of their safety...of the road they were traveling or of the loving embrace (the comfortable, billowy beds) awaiting them at its completion.  The TRUST was implicit, palpable.  Its vibration provided a powerhouse of energy for this adorable and motley crew.


So, here's the thing.                                      

The vortex in my meditation feels like earth school.  We've all experienced the WILDrides of life when it took us some time to 
B r e a t he, take it all in,  restore our equilibrium, gain perspective and choose our response, hopefully learning from the lessons being presented to us.


The Disney characters bouncing back up to the top and landing in a comfortable bed feels like a message that we are always looked after and deeply appreciated for our sojourn on this planet. 

And the fact that the characters were all having such an exciting, fun time feels like guidance on how to look at earth school as an exercise in curiosity and wonderment because it's all an illusion.  Real as it may seem, earth school is the vortex playground for trying on various personas and life situations to see what we can make of them...and learn from them, all the while sending the vibrations of our new wisdom out for everyone to energetically tap into.

When WE (our Spirit Selves) watch the glorious adventures we have designed for ourselves as earth dwellers, the story of our lives becomes truly enchanting!




                                                                                                  Marie Helena


roller coaster image from clipartist.info
Disney characters image from childcoloringpages.net
pillow image from wikihow.com

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

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

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" MODEof 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!

                             Marie Helena 


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

Yutori

The Japanese have a word for the beautiful concept of

spaciousness...Yutori. 

Writer and story coach Sally Fox describes it as: 
living with enough time and enough space to allow the world to fill you, often in simple ways.

Seems easy enough to do, doesn’t it?  But so often we find ourselves rushing to an event or appointment arriving exactly on time or, perhaps, even a few minutes late and, thereby, leaping directly into the scheduled activity, missing the beautiful ambiance of the moment.   And, yet, it is in this wondrous and mystical ambiance that the world speaks to us and fills our souls with the energy of every element that is a part of each scene we enter.

We live truly enchanting lives.  Each new setting we find ourselves in holds vibrational  character and potential personal impact.  Each setting is just waiting to interact with us having been assembled by the Divine Universe to address the issues we care about and are concerned with.

But we must trust our hearts to be the connectors, inviting them to listen, see and feel the moment.  Every living thing has an animating spirit.  Every animating spirit exists to support our journey.  All we need do is invite and engage the support we seek.  We are surrounded by thousands of opportunities, by animating spirits excited for us, joining together to help us evolve.  Everyone and everything is BREATHING this joyful ministry.

Messages are waiting to be delivered to inspire and motivate us. The scent of a beautiful flower may evoke a tender feeling in our hearts.  The sight of a child’s playfulness can remind us of the purity and power of authenticity.  The coldness of the steel we touch may evoke the memory of a news report of immigrant children sleeping on cement floors.  Any or all of these moments may stir our hearts to take action in the direction we wish to grow.

But to SEE all of this, to not pass it by we must invite each moment of our day to speak to our hearts and we must create the spaciousness for this to happen.  We must pause in our valiant efforts of DOING to choose BEING instead.  Being present.  Walking into a moment and breathing it into our hearts.  Feeling ease.  Seeing the love and support awaiting us.  Inviting the spirit and beauty of all things to engage with us in our SPACIOUS lives. 

YUTORI 

                                                         Marie Helena 

image from Pinterest

The Ride of Your Life

Spiritual writer Eckhaart Tolle comments often about the power of the Present Moment and the importance of our acceptance of it.  

Recently, I encountered

a quote of his in which he goes beyond that guidance, instructing us to do more than just take the Moment and reconcile ourselves to it.

Here is the leap he is recommending.

"Accept - then act.  Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it."  

And Tolle promises us that this action "will miraculously transform" our whole lives.

What a  powerful concept to consider!  

This action would ensure a strong forward movement in life without the doubts and misgivings that we sometimes harbor about the choices of our actions.

If we were actually able to do as Tolle suggests, what would that say about us?

It would say that we trust we are unconditionally loved and cared for.

It would say we have an unshakable faith in the wisdom of  Divine Guidance.


It would say that we understand that everyone and everything exists together in the Divine Matrix. 

It would say  we are not attached to the whisperings of our ego.

It would say we have chosen the creativity and excitement of the spiritual evolutionary path over the comfort of old " fixes".

It would say that we watch with anticipation and expectation for synchronicities to show up and point us to areas of our lives that need attention.

What a system!  

Could  it be more perfect?

If you were to take an audit on the stipulations listed above...where would you land? 

Are you ready to take the ride of your life?

                     Marie Helena 

Invitation to the Dance

Simplicity is such a beautiful virtue.  It has a purity and clarity to it...and a certain easewhich comes when we understand the basic principle upon which something is operating.  



Let's apply that to life in earth school which can seem so full of twists and turns, complications and complexities.


But maybe it really isn't what it appears to be. 


Our souls have chosen to have an earthly experience and have designed opportunities for us to learn the lessons we have selected for ourselves.  Those opportunities include the circumstances and events in our lives and the people with whom we come in contact.  Each of these plays a part in our earth school story representing an opportunity for us to be encouraged, affirmed or inspired by what we experience. Some of these vignettes are positive and delightful...some are challenging, frustrating and even painful.  All of them provide us with the impetus for growth and change if we so choose.


Viewed from this vantage point, life reveals itself to be a number of scenarios
which attract our attention and invite us to embrace each opportunity by stepping INTO the Present Moment, navigating our way through intense circumstances, acquiring new wisdom and stepping UP to a new and grander version of ourselves.


The protocol is simple AND profound.  We need not worry about what will happen to us next as IT'S ALL GOOD.  We only need decide IF and HOW we want to rock each opportunity.


We are the designers of our multi-faceted plan.  We have come here to experience, to learn.  Because of our agreement in the veil of forgetfulness we may be bewildered by the unfolding of these events but, on some level, our soul clearly knows the heights we can reach.




Are you dancing with this Divine Universe in the amazing story of YOUR life?

                                 Marie Helena 

image from Thyme Graphics

Our Treasure Chests

In a recent blog post I made the deeply passionate statement:  If we keep ourselves in a state of BLISS our bodies will naturally do their  work of healing.

A wonderful genie (metaphorically speaking), Georgiann Voissem,  had shared that amazing thought with me  recently and I have been totally entranced with this concept.

Today I spent some time reflecting on how to achieve that state. 

I came up with the thought  that we naturally end up in that place when we make healthy choices regarding what we are putting into our bodies. 

That idea sparked a memory for me of an earlier blog post I had written (Happy Birthday to Me, June, 2011)in which I had listed a number of ways I would celebrate my birthday all through the year by having the intention to return to radiant health.

Today it occurs to me that this list was a wonderful beginning to my quest for reaching this avenue of BLISS so I am reprinting it here for your consideration.


Ground each moment.

Walk often during the day.

Enjoy the beauty of nature.

Connect with the rain.

Adore the sun.

Enjoy every different color in the sky.

Drink generous amounts of water.

Meditate.

Stand tall.

View each person as a mystery... unraveling...
and bless my role as witness to that.

Experience the day in vignettes.
When one is complete, release and move on.

Celebrate my efforts.

Study others to find their beautiful character.

Choose foods from nature’s bounty.

Hug my favorite tree.

Completely feel my emotions.

Clear out a little clutter each day.

Be authentic.

Speak my truth and listen to others' truth.

Get up and move around every twenty minutes.
 
Write my blog.  :)

Give thanks.

Embrace the Present Moment.

Embrace the pain body and gain the wisdom of each lesson.

Dance.

Sing.

Be silly.

Simply be.

Invite a sprinkling of moonbeams to help me see the soul view of what is happening.

Do Over difficult moments guided by Higher Self.

Vibrate at a high frequency using Conscious Intent.

Listen to water.

Embrace my intuition.

Appreciate life for the amazing gift that it is.

Read uplifting thoughts.

Acknowledge every wonderful thing I see.

Hold space for those in distress (as my energy permits).

Watch the birds and squirrels outside my window.
 

I am sure YOU will have many other unique ideas regarding achieving the state of bliss and I invite you to send them to me as a comment to this blog (see section below) so we can all share in the TREASURE of your imagination!

                        Marie Helena 

image from lytle.lps.schooldesk.net

Painting the Picture of Your Life

L

  

If you can see your path laid out in front of you step by step, you know it's not your path.  

Your own path you make with every step you take.  That's why it's your path.

                                       

              Joseph Conrad

  THE GIFT OF CREATION  is not reserved for artists, composers, designers, authors.  

EVERY ONE of us is a creator and we are creating the journey of our life with every step we take...every decision we make... every thought we think...every word we speak... every emotion we feel.

And we are constantly reinventing that journey...

turning in new directions, becoming aware of new concepts, discovering new beauty in life, observing our reactions and behavior and learning from them 

or

staying stuck in old patterns, resisting new information, dwelling on what feels uncomfortable or difficult and, thereby, digging ourselves deeper into depression or desperation.

We are not static beings.

We are constantly dipping into thoughts,memories and emotions to produce the colors of the art which is our life.

And there is great reason here for hope and optimism.  Every day...every moment is an opportunity to influence the unfolding of this object 'de arte,

And we have the OPPORTUNITY to choose how we respond to every thing that happens.  

We can choose to recognize, acknowledge and experience our feelings. 
  
We can choose to express those feelings authentically...to speak our truth in the best way we know how.  

We can not only love ourselves enough to honor and own our feelings we can also love others enough to respect and honor theirs.  

We can choose to accept the flow of life and be open to the lessons it is presenting to us.  

We can choose to find the GIFT in every moment.

What makes up the artist's palette of your life?  

Are you constantly trying new brushes, new colors, new materials and tools?   

Do you stand back or to the side to get a different view of what you are creating? 

 Do the sun and moon illuminate your work and make it sparkle?

Every day, every moment you  bring new perspectives, new vision to your work.  How will you paint your picture today?

                      Marie Helena 

image from clipartof.com

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 whileconfusing 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 presentedto 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 awarenessand 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