Barking Up the Wrong Tree

ENERGY IS ABUNDANT.

All that we seek can be experienced and created from tapping into the infinite source within. 

When we forget about this we find ourselves in conflict with others as we attempt to get energy from interactions instead of THE SOURCE.  

Peace begins with each of us choosing to tap in and turn on ourselves.  Then showing up fully energized we share and amp up our collaborations and fun.

Meredith Murphy 

Ever hear the saying you're barking up the wrong tree?  That's what Meredith Murphy is talking about here and it's something we all like to do.

We go to others to get our energy amped up.  

We have some pretty high hopes and expectations regarding the experience we would like to have and when the interchange or encounter doesn't deliver what we desire, we are VERY unhappy and we feel sure that "the other guy" dropped the ball and let us down.

What's wrong with this assumption?

"The other guy" isn't here to read the lines we write for him or tell us how great we are doing.   Oh, no.  He's got his own drama going and, like us, he's smack dab in the middle of it. 

What's really happening is a conglomeration of endless dramas, many of them intersecting...each one is of primary importance to the show's principal character.  That's you and me and everyone else.  All of us.  WE are the principal character in our own drama.  It's the human condition.

And, as the principal character on this vivid earth-stage we need to ascertain the fountainhead of our own strength.  And we needn't look far.  All that we have to do is focus on the Divine, Infinite Source within us to find the juice...the power...the energy ,as Meredith Murphy says, to tap into and turn on ourselves.

And it's a tremendous relief to be our own Life Force.   There is no question about getting connected.  No waiting,  No anxiety about being left behind.

And there is no judging or blaming others.

It's a matter of recognizing and taking responsibility for what we are designed to do.  We are Divinely connected.  Our Higher Self is ever-present and is just waiting for the opportunity to guide and serve us.

THAT'S  the right tree to climb and the view is SPECTACULAR from the highest branches.   Up there we have oceans of energy for all of the adventures we have only imagined and, once we access this treasure, we can enter into all the vignettes of our life prepared for full engagement.

                       Marie Helena 

image from georgeideasandconcepts.blogspot.com

The Lotus

 

“If you can see yourself as an artist, and you can see your life as your own creation, then why not create the most beautiful story for yourself?”

don Miguel Ruiz

Take a quiet journey back in time and ponder the artist palette of your childhood.  In those moments you painted the picture of your life with bold, splashy colors and magical dreams.  Everything seemed possible, just awaiting your attention.  Even though the constraints of time have moved you into more grown up circumstances, the vibrancy and joy of your innocence still see so clearly the beautiful spirit you are.

Perhaps your image has been dusted with weariness or tarnished with unresolved pain.  But the child/spirit/artist in you knows your beauty and worth. 

So bring that sense of adventure and vibrancy into your story.  Make something beautiful in your imagination.  Visualize the exquisite LOTUS, a symbol of rebirth and transformation which blooms perfectly pristine even from the murkiest of waters.

YOU are the radiant lotus emerging so brilliantly from the complications and adversity of the world.  

                                     Marie Helena

“Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.”

                           Henry Ward Beecher

Lotus image from pinterest

Codependency, the White Horse Syndrome and True Love

  Let's face it.  Most of us have some degree of codependency (we are mega-affected by the feelings of people around us, and, especially, by their feelings toward us).  

If we bring up an idea or express an emotion that does not sit well with someone and that person seems unsettled or disapproving, we are NOT OK.  Our state of well-being DEPENDS on what someone else thinks about us and our actions.  This state of affairs can produce in us a feeling of disappointment, of sadness and, most importantly, of powerlessness.  


And the fact is we have unknowingly GIVEN our power away.  

We do this by placing every person in our lives on a white horse...in our imagination, that is (and we all know how powerful our imaginations can be).  Everyone knows what people on white horses do...they are the heroes who say and do all the "right" things.  They are busy prancing around on their masterful white steeds bringing happiness and peace to everyone around them.

That's in our version of a "perfect world".  But what happens if the figure on the white horse does or says something that is not what we would like to hear...what we think will make us feel better about ourselves?


 
Disappointment.  That's what happens.   All because we EXPECTED white horse behavior.

 

We expected it because that's what white horse riders do...BUT we have given this assignment to others WITHOUT their knowledge or consent.  And we have assigned this task to others because we have been wounded and want and need to heal our pain.  We have experienced some dysfunction in our lives such as failing to learn to trust ourselves for the answers we seek.  We have missed the all important message that WE have the capacity to heal ourselves, that WE possess that power.  And because we have not developed that belief in ourselves, we look OUTSIDE of ourselves and expect others to heal our hurts.  


We are making a misdiagnosis here and it is something we agreed to do long ago on a soul level so that we can travel the path of discovery and find our way back to the source of our authentic power.  We may not yet believe this fact but that doesn't mean it isn't so.

 
The answer to the conundrum of the white horse syndrome lies in true love.  In the state of true love, we accept others unconditionally.  Attaining this, of course, involves a good deal of experience and learning but when we are ready and able to aspire and eventually exist in this state, we no longer expect everyone around us to take care of us by soothing us with gentle, approving, affirming statements.  We see clearly that we are all foot soldiers, embarked on our own adventures and we love all others unconditionally, regardless of their behavior toward us.  

 
And, when we give this same beautiful, unconditional caring also to ourselves, WE no longer expect to be perfectly happy, satisfied and affirmed at all times.  We accept OUR humanity, including our missteps and misperceptions and the consequences of these actions.  As fellow foot soldiers, alongside our compatriots, we know that we, too, journey through the adventure of discovering where our true power lies...in our own self-approval.  When we have done something we approve of, we do not need anyone else to affirm us.  Deep within our hearts, WE affirm ourselves. And when we look back at something we have done that has not worked well for us, we OWN that "adventure" and learn from it as a part of everyman's (and, in this case, our) journey.

 
Let us all consider adjusting our range of view from holding an expectation about our white horse saviors and, instead, moving our loving gaze to ourselves and our fellow journeymen on foot who are all in the business of recognizing and enjoying their authentic power and, therefore, their ascendancy to their true Spirit selves.


                                                                                           

                                             Marie Helena

                                                      

  image from  pinterest

Longing

I simply gave you what I longed for.

Jason Wilson


If there is something important in your life that you are missing, something you did not receive and desperately needed…a sense of identity or worthiness, for example...there  is a way to make your personal history a beautiful and meaningful experience.  Because you did not receive this gift you so longed for, you have profound clarity about what this loss feels like and, undoubtedly, you have dreamed about what it would be like if things were different.


This deep sense of desire, intense awareness and passionate longing may be exactly what is needed for you to be able to gift others with the very thing you do not have.  And, the very fact that you do not have it may be evidence of a soul contract you have made so that you would be powerfully motivated to see that all others in your wake would not experience your pain.  In this case, your motivation has been sourced through the principle of omission which can be a magnificent impetus for gracious and generous service to others.


There is certainly a mystifying logic to this but the journey of the soul is an original and very creative path.  The breadth and depth of what this caring of yours can accomplish for others is unimaginable.  And, what is gained from this devoted, beneficent action will advance the evolution of your soul in luminous and profound ways.


We are Divine Creatures sourced in Love and we take great delight in finding remarkable ways to traverse our earth journey.


                                                        Marie Helena



image from pinteret.com
girl climbing tree squirrel child wishes red dress watercolor painting

Can You Hear Me Now?

Don Miguel Ruiz tells us that it can be very exciting to create amasterpieceinstead of the emotional dramaearth dwellers so often experience.
 

Perhaps you've never thought about bringing artistry and beauty into your life.

Perhaps you feel  what's going to occur in your future is beyond your control and may not be pleasing to you.

Things will  just happen and you will be left with theJOB of reacting to them.   Hence, the origin of "emotional drama" as you may feel you will be left to deal with events you do not desire and, consequently, you express your dismay, your apprehension and anxiety and, sometimes, your utter frustration.

 

But what if you are missing something in this picture? 
 

WHAT IF THESE EVENTS ARE NOT WHAT THEY APPEAR TO BE? 

 

What if they occur NOT to make you the victim but to inspire you to become the best person you can be...to reveal to you something important about yourself that needs attention...to help you develop wisdom...or compassion...to help you be more generous and loving?

 

According to spiritual teacher and author Gary Zukav, there is nothing you will ever encounter in your life that is not for the healing of your soul.

If that is true (and I believe it is), we are receiving on a daily basis the subtle clues we need to recognize the path to our spiritual evolution.
 

How TUNED IN are you to these messages? 

Are you aware that they can arrive from the most seemingly unimportant detail...from an offhand comment someone makes waiting in line at the store or the paragraph you read when you open up the pages of a book...

 or,

that the message may arrive from a major event... from the storm that brews when everyone in a crisis becomes reactive or the project you put so much time and effort into fails.

 
The Divine Universe is always, ALWAYS working on your behalf in the most creative and  powerful way to bring these messages to your attention...messages that ultimately contain the INSPIRATION for your transformation.  IF you are listening. 

 

These messages may be delivered in the most unexpected ways.  And it is greatly entertaining to see how they manifest in our experience.

We can give an unconditional YES to life when we pay attention to what is happening and choose to learn the lessons contained in the circumstances and events that are being presented to us. 

In doing this we weave together the GIFTS of these spiritual  sparklers tucked into the corners of our busy days and use their wisdom and love to create the masterpiece Ruiz is describing.

 
.
This awareness and attention will truly produce thejoy of awakening to the mysterious and engaging "music" that is playing so lovingly and serenely by the Divine Universe in the background of our lives.

                           Marie Helena 

image from stushieart.com 

Irish Taxi Drivers

“Hello, luv…good morning to you…and are you here on holiday?” This is the beautiful way I was greeted nearly every time I stepped into a taxi in Galway, Ireland.

I had just returned from a trip abroad to visit my daughter Rachel on sabbatical there and I truly must say that the taxi drivers in Ireland so warmed my heart. I was able to sit up front with them in what we would call the driver’s seat here in the U.S. as the steering wheels there are placed on the right side of the car and so I got the wonderful opportunity to ask a few questions and learn so much about their lives. 

I heard about pride in their families, about their wives and children (names, ages and personalities), about how the college aged kids were driving them to the “poor house” and how they had learned to step out of the fray and, thankfully, let their brilliant wives negotiate with their teen aged daughters. I heard about last night’s christening celebration that threatened to turn into a brawl until the taxi driver stepped in and told the offending party to get his priorities straightened out. I heard many comments about the recession and how it had dampened somewhat the spirits of the Irish. (I can hardly imagine what they were like before!) And, when I mentioned that I was visiting my daughter but leaving soon, I heard the comment, “Not to worry for we’ll be keeping an eye on her.”

The sense of living life in the Present Momentand embracing it with such passion are so strong in Ireland it is truly amazing. If I had known what I could find there in the open hearts of the Irish, I would have gotten myself to the Emerald Isle long before this. 

Whenever I left the taxi, I always commented to the driver my wish that he have a beautiful day. And I always received a beautiful smile and blessing in return.

Irish eyes sparkle with fun and mischief…and delight in what the day will bring. What a lovely inspiration!

I am now determined to find the “Irish” in everyone I encounter and am set on uncovering this beautiful gift embedded in every human heart!


                                                                                             Marie Helena

What's Behind the Blarney Stone?

According to Dictionary.com, the BLARNEY STONE is a stone in Blarney Castle in the southwest republic of Ireland said to endow whoever kisses it with the gift of the gab and skill in flattery.

What a great year it is for me to consider the question of what’s behind the blarney stone!  I just took a trip to Ireland a few months ago to visit my daughter who is living in Galway for a sabbatical year. And I got to enjoy the delightful…no, make that DELICIOUS ways of the Irish as evidenced by my encounters with the Irish taxi drivers.

THEY certainly have the gift of gab. And they’re not just talking to hear the sound of their own voices. Their gift is their beautiful, heartfelt interest in the lives of others. They really want to know about people. How they are feeling…how they are enjoying the day…what’s really in their hearts. And, in return, they open their hearts at the first inkling of interest.

They seem to intuitively know how much information you would like to have and they are happy to provide it. No, not just happy. This heartfelt sharing is like breathing to them. This is probably why I felt so at home there. I, too, share a desire to do this heart connecting.

One taxi driver in Dublin told me about his family history, including the legacy of his father and his grandfather. Interestingly, he was not of Irish descent but he fit in so beautifully with Irish ways he could have been mistaken for Irish. (Probably he was called to live there because Ireland resonated so appealingly with him.)

Other taxi drivers discussed their children when I asked about them…giving me not only the statistical details but also commenting on their strengths and virtues and how they also drove their parents crazy.As for the question of flattery, I’d have to take exception to the inclusion of that word in describing the Irish. Yes, they are given to dramatic descriptions (another reason I loved them so much). And, yes, they seem to love to use language to express themselves but the message of the Irish seems to be that they are sincerely, authentically connected with life…its joys and its hardships…and they have been deeply affected by both.

They do not opt to do a superficial dance with the encounters of life…theyimmerse themselves deeply. Sometimes they are delighted, sometimes confounded; sometimes they are sad, other times outraged but always they deeply connect with their lives.  They ACKNOWLEDGE what is happening to them and around them. At times the pain, I believe, is overwhelming and the attempt is made to quell the suffering by frolic and gaiety, dance and drink.  But so often the Irish find the happy note, the joy, the inspiration in the moment and celebrate this discovery.  There is a strength to the Irish that buoys them up and helps them rise and meet each day.

What they really have to teach us, I think, is to be unafraid to embrace the flow, to acknowledge it, to speak our truth about how it feels, to deal.

And so, in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, I salute this courage and fearlessness and invite them to inspire us to remember the beauty of dancing Irish eyes and engaging Irish hearts and let that awareness linger just a little longer and inspire us to deeply connect with each and every moment of our day. 

                                                                                                       Marie Helena

When Irish eyes are smiling,
Sure, 'tis like the morn in Spring.
In the lilt of Irish laughter
You can hear the angels sing.
When Irish hearts are happy,
All the world seems bright and gay.And when Irish eyes are smiling,
Sure, they steal your heart away.

lyrics by Chauncey Olcott and George Graff, Jr.
music by Enerst Ball


image from pinterest

Forgiveness or Understanding?

One of the strongest messages we grow up with and continue to hear throughout our lives from all sources of authority is the importance of forgiveness.

 Forgive yourself!  Forgive everyone!
 
But what if there is nothing to forgive?

What if everything everyone does is merely a forward or backward move or perhaps even a filibuster in the dance of their life, all depending on the stage of their evolution?


What if everything they do has NOTHING to do with us and everything to do with their journey?  A journey which is based on their experiences, their personal growth, their unresolved issues, their unhealed pain.  Given all of these variables, it is truly impossible for us to judge or evaluate the choices they are making.  But, for some strange reason, we seem to think we can interpret their actions and that is our ONLY point of reference...ourselves.

It's pretty easy to do this...we all do it most of the time...It's our 
habitual response but it causes SO MUCH TROUBLE!  We can end up feeling hurt or angry or sad and depressed and what they are doing is NOT ABOUT US!  We are the subject of the scenario because we happen to be in the picture at this time; we are the scenery and setting for the playing out of someone's latest life challenge.  What if we really GOT that and, therefore, NOTHING felt personal?

 
There would be nothing to forgive.  For ourselves or others.  We are merely the playing field where someone works out the latest step in his evolution with any accompanying banging and clatter and others do the same for us when we are engaged in one of our "adventures". 

 
I know it's pretty radical to expect everyone to see this...especially when our emotions are embroiled and our egos feel challenged.  But how wonderful it would be if we could navigate our lives from this trekking star:  Nothing to forgive.
 
We are ALL doing what we came here to do:  use the resources of earth school to finally get the Big Picture of our lives.

                                  
                                                           Marie Helena


image from wallpaperswide.com

Holding Our Light

Everything changes when you emit your own frequency rather than absorb the frequencies around you.

                                                      Barbara Marciniak

We are all aware of what it’s like to “feel the vibe” when we encounter someone who is struggling with some upsetting emotions.  It is so easy to absorb that vibration. 

Suddenly, there it is surrounding us, cloaking us if we let it. And it’s hard to escape, difficult to be unaffected.  But what an awesome opportunity to hold our own light, even in the face of what might feel heavy or negative.  To emit and sustain our own beautiful frequency.  

What if we were to hold space and clarity for our own intention and vibration?  What if we were to see ourself in a luminous spotlight...an emanation that moves when we move...that goes where we go...beautifully illuminating our corner of the world?    

This SPOTLIGHT is a physical expression of our BOUNDARY.

From this vantage point we can view all the many other spotlights around us, each shining on other persons. We can be an OBSERVER as each individual lives his life...writes his own story.  And, most importantly, we can clearly see the difference between their spotlights and ours.

When we are able to hold our own light, it does not matter what kind of situation we encounter.  It is irrelevant because it is not ours.

We are not held at the mercy of what is going on around us. We are Creators… not reactors and not victims.  We create the space in which we wish to exist and we choose to sustain it. 

And, in doing so, we demonstrate for others the beauty of PRIMEcreation.  In this space, we also grow in strength and spirituality and are more able to extend compassion to the individuals in the spotlights where it is needed.

We are here to learn and practice the holding of our light until it becomes an effortless and ongoing sharing of unconditional love.

And everything changes.

                                        Marie Helena

    

image from ArtHearty

Easy-to-practice and Fun Watercolor Painting Techniques

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 

What Would Love Do?

 

   

Whenever we are experiencing fear or anxiety…frustration or anger…and someone else is involved in the situation, we are often tempted to express our distress by accusing that someone else of causing the problem.  

An array of disturbing emotions washes over us…and, if we don’t consciously process what is happening…we can easily become the self-involved, suffering victim.  

It is so easy to feel STUCK in this turbulence…helpless…and, consequently, we often choose to REACT instead of respond…letting loose a litany of accusations about someone else's behavior. 

When these moments strike, a conscious intention to ask one simple question about how best to proceed can save us from behavior we will later regret.

And that question is…What would love do?

If we aspire to having love inform and define all of the actions of our lives…then love is what we need to lead us through this storm.

Love, if summoned consciously, would inspire us to give ourselves understanding and compassion (for we are obviously experiencing some unhealed hurt which has been triggered and wants some attention).  

Love would also inspire us to give the other individual involved understanding and compassion (for, like us, he, too, has been triggered and his pain has been activated).

I believe that under the best of circumstances...when we are fully conscious and present and in good energy, we will act with this compassion and understanding. 

 If we are not able to do this, it is because stress or exhaustion or some old, unhealed pain has appeared in our lives.

Acknowledging this and then taking steps to restore ourselves (and that is restoration for ALL parties concerned) to a place of beautiful energy and consciousness will empower us to come together at that point and navigate the distressful waters with sensitivity for everyone's situation and circumstance.

Consciously asking ourselves this question will help make this happen:

What would love do?

The answer to everything.

                          Marie Helena 

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!