Do You See Me?

Oprah Winfrey's twenty-five year run on national TV was designed to give the television viewing audience the opportunity to learn what Oprah always called Living Your Best Life.

To this end she invited individuals of varied talents and skills to be guests on her show... encouraging the direct, honest sharing of what those individuals have learned in their life journeys.

She always demonstrated a very powerful interest when interviewing her guests in truly hearing and understanding what they had to say.  She is a magnificent listener and learner and her guests always prized and savored her attention, entrusting many of the lessons learned on their spiritual journeys with Oprah and her devoted followers and fans.

Oprah's passion to listen and learn has made her not only a compelling TV personality but also a role model to all of us.

In her last broadcast of twenty-five years...when she spent the entire show talking about the most important things she had discovered through her work...Oprah shared this thought with the audience:

Everyone wants validating.  Everybody wants to be heard.  Every single person you will ever meet shares this common desire:

They want to know...

Do you see me?
Do you hear me?
Does what I say mean anything to you?


What a beautiful legacy and life lesson Oprah has gifted us with...and perhaps the secret to achieving a real CONNECTION with the individuals who populate our life.

It is not always easy to focus on another...when there is so much we want to say.  But, when we are the only one doing the talking, we are not learning anything new and we are the only one starring in the production of our life.

And, really, the script is always essentially the same. It is our script....the script we have learned and written.

And when we only tell our stories we are depriving ourselves of the enriching experience of interacting and communicating and connecting. There is so much to be learned from being open to others...from listening to their responses...from sharing their adventures and challenges...and from hearing about the lessons they have learned.

There is such a beautiful variety of individuals in the world.  No two alike.  And why would we want them to be!  When we interact with others it is very possible we will hear stories that don't match our experiences... stories that seem strange and foreign to us.
In those cases, we will probably not find common ground for agreement.  But what we can do is learn about what is important to others.

We can honor their feelings and try to understand them. We can listen with sensitivity and caring and we can help them "see" us and know the substance of our hearts.

Just the giving of this one gift will make all the difference.
Just the generous desire to understand another's motivation, concerns, joy and pain and also to share our own story and feelings will produce an exquisite interaction.


Let's follow the wonderful inspiration of Oprah to live our best life by treasuring the gift of CONNECTING with others.

That connection will automatically happen when we make the effort to understand how others paint the picture of their lives and to share the landscape of our own.




originally printed June 25, 2011

Juice

There's a very special tip off that tells us when someone is dipping into an issue fraught with unresolved and unhealed subconscious pain:  

         JUICE!



I'm talking about the "Juice" of their reaction to something that is being said or done.  


The unusual pause...
the tense breathing...
clenched hands...
the muscles pulsating in the side of the jaw...
raised voice...
harsh words... 
halting words...
silence...
fear...
anger...
resentment. 

All of that STUFF that tips us off that something  did not go down well with someone but rather took a HARSH DETOUR down the pathway of their pain, hurt or vulnerability.


It happens to all of us at times and thankfully so for this "Juice" is a message to those around us and, most especially, to ourselves that we are hurting and in need of compassion, tenderness and love to strengthen us so that we can glimpse a SOUL VIEW of what our emotions are trying to tell us. 


The body is such a true, authentic  indicator of what we are feeling. 

And our feelings NEED to be accepted, recognized, understood 
       and 
 they need to be spoken. 

This process is called Speaking Our Truth and it is crucial to our health and well-being.
 

It is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL that we keep our energy clear and open and moving.  


 
When we do not speak our truth, it doubles back on us, lodges somewhere in our bodies causing roadblocks and obstacles to our sense of well-being.


We MUST speak our truth in the best way we know how and, equally important, we MUST invite and listen to others' truth and attempt to understand their point of view.  


When we do this from the intention to act from pure love, we can feel sure that the most perfect course of action (a change in perception...in attitude...in something we choose to do) will find its way into our hearts.



Whenever we observe our own or someone else's "Juice" showing up on the scene, we have been given

 a very special opportunity 

to minister to a PAIN ready to reveal itself to our open hearts.  




image from christineranck.com.  

A New Year's "Light" Show

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



originally published January 3, 2011

Heaven's Casino

Here’s what we know:

People like casinos.

And in our earth density this is what our casinos are like: crowded, noisy, full of smoke and, sometimes, reckless squandering of money that should be used for the basic needs of living. 

 It’s true that people do enjoy themselves there because there is always the “promise” of the win…the hope of doubling and tripling the money and maybe even scoring really BIG.

These casinos are an earth density version of a GAME.

Then there is the GAME of pretending…pretending that we are alone and not the creators of our lives. This game is like a casino, too, and in this casino we experience ups and downs, fun-filled times and challenges and suffering of our own making, but suffering nevertheless. We question why things happen and sometimes feel we are victims of what we call fate. There are many great moments but also lots of upsetting surprises (which we have programmed in and have forgotten). We are playing a GAME that we have forgotten the rules to. Which is actually pretty risky and foolhardy…like gambling in a real casino…but this is a virtual one.

And since we seem to love the concept of casinos so much, perhaps we could up the ante and take a look at the ultimate casino, ETERNAL LIFE.

Here’s what’s different about this casino.
EVERYBODY WINS BIG. ..EVERY TIME!

Instead of rolling dice and pulling handles on slot machines we are watching ourselves in the movie called The Challenges of Living in Earth Density. And everything we see is an illusion. But this is an awesome game and, therefore, everything seems real. This includes the very wide range of experiences that humans encounter. Including conflict and fear and suffering. We have literally forgotten that we have dreamed these up so that we can learn the lessons we want to have.

The big part of the game, the part that gives us the truly BIG WIN is when we understand that we are already perfect…we are Divine Beings having a human experience…and all of this is a highly sophisticated illusion we need to move through in our attempt to make the connection with our Divine Selves. And when we really get that it is our Divine selves who are running the show…who have actually constructed this casino so that we can play this game of remembering who we are….that is when we become the really big winner.

Imagine the celebration when one of us gets it. Hear that excitement, the roar of the spiritual crowd. Listen to the comments from your soul family:

“Aha, I knew he was on to us! Way to go!”

“Here’s comes another breakthrough. What fun. And earlier than I expected.”

“What a fantastic job she’s doing. Awesome!”

Now, that is the ultimate casino. And it’s full of the most beautiful and fun-loving creatures, our Higher Selves. And they are just waiting for us to play the GAME of catch-up.

Let’s play ball!



originally printed February 21, 2011

Secrets of the Universe

Spiritual author Gary Zukav tells us that when we practice acts of  
love, fear  begins to disappear from our lives.

What an intriguing thought:  The on-going offering of love releases fear!

 
As I reflect on this concept, a simple, mathematical observation comes to me.

I have read authors on many occasions who say that there are only two primary emotions:  love and fear...and so it seems to me that if one of these emotions prevails, the other will only take up the space that is left.  

And, to extend this thought even further...

If love is fully present in every moment, there will be no space for fear.
 

Could it be that simple? 

Perhaps there is also something intrinsic to this equation regarding the substance of love...and fear.

Love implies a fullness of heart...generosity, caring, compassion..joy that is waiting to be shared.  Fear implies a lack...of abundance, of trust, of safety.
 

In order to feel joyful and generous I think we must first feel EASE and SAFETY and, perhaps, that is the first and possibly most important thing that love gives us...a sense of safety...the feeling of "home"...a place where we are free to be ourselves and know "it's all good".
 

So, perhaps, the question is:  Can we look at the world and sense this AWESOME FEELING OF SAFETY?

Can we find it in the order and cycle of the seasons moving through the year?

Can we see it in the way a tree takes root and grows?  

Can we feel it in the rhythm of a fetus growing in the womb and, after birth, progressing steadily and in perfect order through the stages of life? 

 

Perhaps the consideration of these beautifully orchestrated events can provide us with the sense that we ARE safe...that there is a Divine Order at work and a loving and caring Creator authoring this order.  

And, if we are, indeed, safe, we can relax into ease and naturally share that beautiful space with others.  

This, then, delivers us directly into love.
 

And, when we practice acts of love and nurture it, love grows exponentially.  And the MORE we love, the less room there is for fear.
 

The choice is ours: expansion or contraction...love or fear?


The structural beauty of the universe seems to offer the evidence of expansion (Love).  Is the possibility of this conclusion yet another gift we have been given?



image from emergent-culture.com


originally printed August 22, 2012

Tea by Special Invitation Only

We design our lives by making conscious choices. 

If we do not purposefully choose the direction in which we wish to go...the body will react to whatever emotions we are experiencing. 

And,  if those emotions are fear-based or anxiety-ridden, that is what the body will express.

 

We CAN, however, bypass this avenue of default by choosing to keep our bodies in a state of bliss.  If we engage in something that is truly  joyful to us and we sustain that state of being...the body will do its healing work, undeterred by emotional obstacles.

And to help us stay continually in that beautiful place of bliss we can allow Higher Self to take over the  Heavy Lifting.  

We do not need to know or understand what is needed for our greatest good.  All that we have to do is express that intention with the knowingness that  the Divine Universe will guide us to the most perfect way to achieve our goal.

 

If we find ourselves experiencing the lower energies of fear, anger, judgment or self-doubt, we can respond by acknowledging their presence, thanking  them for visiting and informing them that  they will NOT be having tea with us today so they either have to transform themselves to a higher vibration or leave the premises.

 

Remember, this is our territory and WE get to decide which vibrations visit and which get to stay.

 

We need to do whatever it takes to place and keep ourselves in the   

EXQUISITE STATE of JOYFUL FLOW...

listen to enchanting music, 

read beautiful words,

drink in nature's glorious offerings

...do whatever produces this bliss for us 

and we will present our body with the perfect state for healing and rejuvenation.

What a Beautiful Opportunity to direct our energy flow for the purpose of achieving radiant health!

image from conceptart.org

 

originally printed October 29, 2011

The Glorious State of Grace

The beautiful and powerful Oprah Winfrey bid goodbye last year to the faithful fans who followed her afternoon production for twenty-five years.

In her last broadcast she talked with the audience about the most important things she had learned from her guests during her show’s tenure.

One of the most significant, she said, was this:


ALL LIFE IS ENERGY. Every rock, every butterfly, every blade of grass…the sky, the clouds, your body, your thoughts, everything you see and feel…is energy.

We are responsible for the energy we create for ourselves.
We are also responsible for the energy that we bring to others.

A very commanding thought.

If…WE are responsible for the energy, then WE are the originators, the creators…with all of the powers inherent in that title.


Dictionary.com says to create means to be the home of.

If  WE are the home… then WE are the resting place where peace and nurturing are needed and the launching pad for vitality and action. Quite a responsibility. And privilege.


To do this well certain things seem important.


Seeing the soul view behind appearances 
Telling ourselves the truth 
Being aware of the consequences of our choices 
Trusting in the Divine 
Connecting with our Higher Self 
Being open to learning our life lessons 
Honoring our path and the paths of others 
Loving ourselves and others 
Feeling gratitude for the gifts of life 
Experiencing JOY in the Present Moment.



When our world is filled with the presence of this goodness the energy we create for ourselves and the energy we bring to others will be life enhancing. We will be creating a glorious expansion of our own bliss.


Can we dream for a moment to a future where every person cultivates the most beautiful HOME for his energy?

What would the world look like if we each felt this Glorious State of Grace and sent out this wondrous gift to each other! 



originally printed June 15, 2011