Empty Container

"I am not bound for any public place,

but for ground of my own

where I have planted vines and orchard trees,

and in the heat of the day,

climbed up into the healing shadow of the woods."

Wendell Berry

The presence of my  Spirit is simply gone.  Like an empty container, I wander the house looking for what I have lost.  I feel so empty and cold, lacking in substance and depth.  Quickly dressing, I leave my home and immediately feel the sun shining upon my face.  Out of sync, I push myself forward down the street.  

The wind is swaying the heavy branches of the trees as though greeting me.  Looking up, I see the magical colors fading from the gently shaped leaves.   I admire the strength of all trees, and I find myself thankful for their sturdy presence.  

Propped against a tree, I idly watch children swinging on the park swings and rambunctious little boys racing down the slides.  A sense of softness creeps back into me. The  tree which is holding me up,  gently fills me with strength, appreciation, and gratitude.  Naked feet on the ground, I feel my roots sinking deeper in to the richness of this earth.  

With tears gently streaking my face, I feel unburdened and more alive.  I then  hear the whispers of all holiness ... "I am always here."  Sigh.

Harvest of Goodness

"Plant seeds of happiness, hope, success, and love;

it will all come back to you in abundance.  This is

the law of nature."

Steve Maraboli

When we share a smile or an act of kindness, we immediately feel better.  Loving kindness lifts the spirits of others as well as our own.  Whether we are assisting an elder  or propping up a broken  plant, we are projecting goodness.  If we simply remain open, numerous opportunities come into our lives.

If we become aware the moment a negative remark triggers an upset in our thoughts, words, or actions, we can also be mindful to let it go.  Do not engage before there has been ample time to process appropriately and not simply react thoughtlessly.

Whatever seeds we plant, nurture and tend  will bring us a harvest of abundance.  We can place our energy into offering kindness without giving thought to what we will gain in return.   If we remain open and aware, we will recognize goodness in many disguises. 

Following the Path

"Being guided does not protect us from challenge,

but helps us to navigate with integrity."

Virginia's Voice

Aligned with the Divine, we still face challenge.  It is through challenge we learn our greatest lessons.  We travel our paths ready  to embrace differences;  forgive ourselves and others; and apply what we learn. 

An automatic response might be, "Why, God?  Why me?"   The best question of course is "What am I to learn from this experience?"  By asking this question, we are not a victim, but a researcher.  We believe the answer will prove to be an encouraging experience to propel us further.  The situation helps  to expand our awareness and strengthen our integrity.   

When we remain aware, we may even discover the lesson before us might even be a repeat.  By applying what we have already learned, we will move through the challenge more swiftly.  There will be minimal emotional stress and a stronger connection with the Divine.  If for some reason we stumble and lose our way, call upon angels, spiritual guides, or ancestors for help.  We will feel additional presence; receive a message through a book, friend, or nature; and regather our strengths to continue following the path of God.

Remain Vigilant

"For the lotus is a beautiful white flower that opens in  the light at  the surface  of the pond,  though its roots lie deep in the mud and muck below. No mud, no lotus.  The dark and the light are one."

Clark Strand

WAKING UP TO THE DARK

If we take something to the extreme, we can cause disease or disruption.  It is good to be profitable, but if it tumbles into greed, then our focus shifts and we lose parts of our original intention.  Even love, if we love too hard, we can suffocate the spirit of that person.  Accountability is good for our character, but if we become rigid task masters, using control or comparison over others, it becomes a deficit.  If compassion does not tame our dislike, it will grow into hate which can end in violence.  

It is important for each of us to see the potential of living in the light while experiencing darkness.  We cannot indefinitely avoid darkness as the denial will eventually overwhelm us.  Perhaps the point is responsibility.  Understanding that we can be  drawn into extremes, it is necessary to remain vigilant.

Nature demonstrates the power of light and dark rather well.  The elements, air, fire, water, and earth, can be both nurturing and debilitating.  Without air, we cannot breathe, but tornadoes can demolish entire cities.  Without fire, friends could not enjoy camping nor families gather around fire places; yet the California wild fires illustrate the damage fire can cause at great length.  We would not survive without water and yet there is flooding devouring properties.  Lastly, the earth provides us with many resources ... the same resources that man is running asunder, damaging our earth.

Step Through Fear

"Don't wait for a light to appear at the end of the tunnel,

stride down there and light the bloodily thing yourself."

Sara Henderson

Fear can be more strenuous than gathering courage for moving forward.  Once we take action, our energy can be used to propel us farther into uncertain areas of our lives.   When we remain stuck in fear, our energy is exhausted and we are held captive.  If we start moving, the scenery changes. What we find inside of the tunnel can be a life changing moment or an unsuspected relationship.  We may find ourselves wondering why we had waited so long to initiate the first step.

Our inner light may be just a small flicker, but it never dies completely out.  At times it may be a raging flame, but it can also be the twinkle of a warm glow.  If we place our hand over our heart, and pause for just awhile, we can feel our warmth.  When we close our eyes, we can visualize our light creating it to expand or contract.  Out of kindness, we can bring someone to mind and send them our loving light.  We can extend our light to anything ... people, plants, earth, or anything in nature.  We can carry our light throughout our homes, cleansing it of any angry words, or frightening thoughts.

We are never alone, not really.  The Divine light within us awaits recognition and moves with us in all things whether we remain cognizant or not.  Bring awareness to the light, and step through fear.

Falling Into the Same Pitfalls

"A fresh attitude starts to happen when we look to see that yesterday 

was yesterday, and now it is gone; today is today and now it is new.  It is like that ... 

every hour, every minute is changing.  If we stop observing change, 

then we stop seeing everything as new."

Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche

If we were to sit upon our shoulder and observe our actions for one day, we would find ourselves very surprised at how we invest our time, emotions, and physical energy.  We would notice how often we override intuition and then be surprised when we hit a dead end.  Our rigidity would become apparent when we travel in deep grooves of habit, rather than spontaneously taking a different turn to discover something new.   We would quickly become numb from the constant criticism droning on in our heads.  It would make us speculate how more relaxed our bodies might be if the volume would be turned down on that harsh voice in our head.

When we pay attention to our lovely selves moment by moment, we avoid falling into the same pitfalls.  Instead of discovering a pounding migraine at the end of the day, we may notice by mid-morning our bellies are empty in need of some fruit.  We go to lunch like a gaggle of geese, not wanting to offend someone else by straying off.  On some level we do know that a slice of alone time can relax our shoulders, clear our head, and let the sun on our faces brighten our spirits.

As the afternoon drags on, we observe our shoulders getting tighter and tension lifting them up to our ears.  We watch ourselves deny a break as the need to get our job done is paramount, ignoring the fact that a break would help us regroup with a fresh awareness.  We watch our energy levels speed from high gear into an adrenalin rush, leaving our bodies exhausted.

When we are overly tired, nothing seems hopeful.  Instead of creating dreams for a new tomorrow, we crash with the weight of all those not-so-good yesterdays.  We watch ourselves drag our bodies to bed, only to twist and turn unable to fall asleep.

As the observer, we are glad for the day to end.  We feel sadness in reference to how we waste our lives, when other options truly are available.  An eagerness returns to us with anticipation for a new day, knowing for sure, every moment is an opportunity for change!

Living in the Gray

"The truth may be stretched thin, but it never breaks,

and it always surfaces above lies,

as oil floats on water."

"Miquel de Cervantes Saavedra

Spiritual growth over the years has led me to living in the gray.  I realize that my right answers might be wrong for someone else and we both might be wrong.  The questions I search offer a multitude of scenarios and it is with faith, I wait for the answers to unfold.  And the answers may change from situation to situation or from person to person.  I am very much aware that change moves me through answers.

In earlier years, I had an obsession for telling the truth, as being in a gray or neutral area was extremely uncomfortable.  I needed rigidity and not wide open spaces.  I needed to know where I stood in relationship to people, places and things.  Change or gray was almost intolerable.

Things had to be black or white as I was confused enough by life experiences.  Just out with it!  Tell me the truth ... right or wrong ... love or hate ... denial or accept ... life or death.  No matter what the truth happened to be, I could embrace it easier than a later discovered lie.

I describe myself as a truth teller, and I realize truth is rarely black or white.  Rigidity has less to do with the truth and more to do with ability to perceive reality from different viewpoints.  I actually enjoy embracing diversity which turns my gray into a sparkling metallic gray! And yet,  a lie is still a lie.

Denial, Avoidance and Resistance

"The primary course of unhappiness

is never the situation,

but your thoughts about it."

Eckhart Tolle

Denial has been a long time friend of mine.  It introduced me to avoidance which in turn connected me with resistance.  They became my family of choice.  In my heart I believed they were excellent tools for survival, thinking this was very smart of me.

It has taken repetitious trips into my past to excavate what had been buried beneath these terrible three ... denial, avoidance, and resistance.   Memories were  altered by time and additional experiences.  Emotions tightly wrapped bundles of fragmented history into one.  Recollections surfaced and I dealt with them according to where I happened to be in my mind.    This was not always successful nor in any way healing.

Thankfully, I have learned to widen the scope into my past.  Yes, there was this trauma, but what else was going on?  I begin to see images of more positive elements.  Out side of my immediate arena, I displayed different sides of myself.   With silent exploration, I begin to feel a sense of pride in how I succeeded in spite of my limitations.  To focus on my strengths slowly removed the numerous applications of  denial.  Exploring truth, opened avenues to travel rather than avoiding reality in some imagined dark alley.    Prying open my tunnel vision, the view became less painful.   Glimpses of  light drew me closer to living a happier life.  

Words Discarded Carelessly

"Silence in an ocean.

Speech is a river."

Rumi 

The silent brain is as expansive as an ocean.  It collects knowledge, experiences, and emotions which can all become garbled together.  Truth becomes buried in the deeper waters or it can be untimely washed up on a sandy beach for all to see.  We can float upon a wave of silence or be caught in a riptide, pulled into a quagmire of complicated thoughts.

When we detach and listen to ourselves in the midst of conversation, are we contributing wisdom or are we exchanging mediocre pleasantries?  If our speech is simply a river compared to the vastness of of our silent mind, is it not important to make our words impressionable?  Will our river of words  compare to a babbling brook or a calm heart?   Do our words represent who we authentically are or are they deliberate false leads?

Our words can be as pleasing as a shinning rock, for years washed smooth by the river, finding its way into the magical small hand of a child.  Through conscientiousness, we must avoid our words turning into debris, discarded carelessly.

Fall Equinox, Season for Harvesting

"The beginning of wisdom is found in doubting;
by doubting we come to the question."

Pierre Abela

Fall Equinox is the time to bring awareness to what we have harvested.  Last spring, we planted new seeds for new beginnings and how we tended to this process determines our outcome.  If we remained nurturing, sheltering, and supporting, our crop will be thriving.  If we did not respect nor honor our desires, the weeds of doubt more than likely diminished our growth.

In the fall, nature beckons to us to come outside of ourselves and observe the beauty of the earth.  It invites us to be aware of how we can better cultivate our dreams and intentions.  It is in nature we can see the grace in approaching death and absorb the beauty of each remaining moment.

We can be inspired by the autumn colors and creatively express our progress in many ways.  Just sitting on a park bench with the sun on our faces, we can take inventory of our stock.  We can accept where we were not diligent and increase practices which were helpful or nurturing.  We can weed out questions, release doubt and embrace new wisdom of this season.   

Etching In Our Hearts

"Sometimes it is unbearable,

almost too excruciating, impossible,

to draw someone you know very well"

Frederick Franck

The Zen of Seeing 

We survey the physical appearance, tone of voice, and body posture when we are first introduced to a stranger.  If the conversation is extended, we are pulled into the internal workings of this person.  We   become curious as to what he or she is  like in different situations.  We step closer in appreciation of humor or intelligence while noticing a slight defect in speech or inability to maintain eye contact.

We fast forward into a deeper relationship, whether it is professional or social, and when asked to describe this very person, we may not use any of the initial observations.  We may overlook height, weight, or lack of natural charisma, preferring to remark on capabilities, accomplishments, and experiences.  The longer we engage with someone, we dismiss physical descriptions in exchange for recognition of integrity or honor.  

As the relationship unfolds into a deep connection, it will become harder yet to entirely portray this person.  When a person grows close to us, the physical fades, emotions engage, and the heart embraces.  The more up close and personal we become, the more difficult it is to portray the entire person.  We are warmly content, perhaps, by the etching the individual has made in our hearts. 

Shaping Personal Sabotage

"If you are not moving steadily in the direction of what you say you want,

you can be certain that you are sabotaging yourself somewhere."

Debbie Ford

Lies, we tell our lovely selves so many lies.  We beg through prayer and visualization for dreams to come true.  We seek solutions to support our dreams and intend to follow through.  Then we might say we need to be more organized and thrust our energy into details of reinventing the wheel  or cleaning which is a total distraction from our heart felt desire.  We tell ourselves untruths, instead of following our hearts.

"Give me a sign" we implore, as we gaze into the beautiful blue sky.  Clouds float into formations and while our minds are distracted, our hearts are filled with inspiration.  The key to manifestation  is unveiled, but we savor the experience of the key without unlocking the door.

"Show me how Divine Spirit" we pray.  In our dream time, we are shown the perfect plan! We awaken with excitement and pen every last detail into our journal.  We have the missing link, the last piece to the puzzle, or the glue to hold it all together.  Then we shower and begin our day thinking we best wait to begin.  Wait until the kids are older!  Wait until more experience can be had!  Wait until there is more time!  Elements of procrastination we tell ourselves, shaping our personal sabotage.

Master Gardeners of the Heart

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy,

they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."

Marcel Proust

Bombarded by both emotional and physical lessons, the extremes of life were destroying my peaceful garden.  Lovely flowers I had planted were being uprooted and weeds were growing at a rapid pace.  I knelt by my garden, falling from grace.

My garden was dying and I no longer had tears to shed  Shame and humiliation soaked up all of my strength, and I could barely hear the voice within. "Reach out," it said.   

Feeling entirely too vulnerable, I entrusted my plight to sisters of my heart, hoping my parched voice would be heard.  These loving women immediately began nurturing me until small sprouts in my garden appeared.  The inner light of these master gardeners untangled gnarly roots in my heart and produced  joy while I was beginning anew.  

Returned to Spiritual Alignment

"And most important, have the courage

to follow our heart and intuition."

Steve Jobs

Sincere relationship with the heart creates a rapport enhanced with insight, guidance, and encouragement.  There is no longer a sense of being alone as our open heart creates compassion for our lovely selves and others.  From the heart, we are guided to see the similarities between all peoples and to embrace the differences.  We are all one, but each of us is called to be authentic.

Intimate conversation with our heart or soul is not enough.  We must follow where we are nudged to go.  We may have to tune out the criticism of others as well as our own personal fears.  Our hearts' desires will lead us onto a path of discovery.  Being guided does not protect us from challenge, but helps us to navigate with integrity.

The joy of being propelled along our personal path with other kindred spirits surrounds the earth with peace.  We will be faced with challenge, followed by forgiveness and release.   Through love, we are returned to spiritual alignment.

Communication With The Divine

"more than anything, i want to trust the journey 

i don't understand."

terri st cloud

bone sigh arts

If we had a sense of understanding when challenge interrupts our lives, we might be able to respond with a higher level of acceptance.  Life is usually not that generous, however, and we are called to action with faith and trust.

We can  become bombarded by questions of fairness, by denial of any responsibility, and overwhelming emotion.  When we do not remain focused on the issue at hand, supported by faith and trust, we can be misled from our path.  If we listen for guidance in the midst of chaos, we become more purposeful.

The underlying question is "What is the lesson I am to learn?"  We are not being singled out by some evil force, and we may be unaware of how much worse it might have been had angels not intervened on our behalf.  Being faced by the unknown  does not mean we are alone.

When we finally can determine the point of any experience, we are willing to participate with a more  productive attitude.  If understanding is veiled from us, our faith and trust need to be paramount followed by repeated communication with the Divine.

Heighten Our Earth Experience

"So I figured Divine was saying

there was another, better plan, that's all."

Tosha Silver

Change Me Prayers

"This or something better ... " is an important phrase to attach to the end of dreams or intentions.   The Divine Universe to create better endings than we would have ever imagined.

While in contemplation, it is vital to not be rigid with our requests or prayers.  If we are obsessed with one particular result, we may entirely miss a greater opportunity Spirit is willing to provide.  By expanding our vision, we are not locked into one deliberate set of expectations.

When we do not experience the answer we want, it is important to trust and have faith. We may not have had the foresight to see further down the road where our request could have led to unbearable challenge.  By being patient, the Universe has more time to align other opportunities to heighten our earth experience.  

Darkness, My Old Friend

"Sadly, in demonizing the dark,  we have deprived

ourselves of all the treasures that it holds."

Clark Strand

Waking Up To The Dark

Darkness has taken on a persona of evil or negativity, ignoring the many positives it can offer. Shadow work or Dark Night of the Soul infers digging out or enduring the negativity within.  We tend to elevate the sense of light and denote the essence of the dark.

Historically, darkness offered larger periods of rest, higher awareness of configurations in the sky, and   more ease with intimacy.  Electricity, more specifically light,  has extended work hours, exposed our eyes to higher levels of brightness than necessary, and created a lengthier period of time to 'shut down' prior to sleep.

Our ancestors turned to sleep much earlier than we do and frequently woke up at mid-night.  They would remain in a state of suspension until they fell back asleep for the second portion of their rest.  The pause in between these two sections of sleep was regarded as a time to communicate with God, Goddesses, Deceased Relatives, or a time to just 'be' open to holiness.  Often times monks would pray nightly  hours  as they felt closer to divinity during the darkness.

Many people currently complain of not being able to get to sleep.  Their eyes have been overly stimulated as well as their brains.  There is also the problem of waking in the middle of the night.  Some may get up and eat, or clean, or read or watch television until they are ready to fall back asleep.  Our bedrooms may have night lights, television or computer screens glowing with brightness.

Our desire for solitude reflects our loss of middle of the night darkness.  Meditation is a substitute for a time we once experienced in the night of ancient times.  It would be beneficial if we would go to bed earlier in a darkened room to be in perfect stillness.  If we happen to wake in the night, we can open our hearts and minds to what may be offered by saying, "Welcome darkness, my old friend."

What We Want To Hear

"Alternatives that benefit us mightily in the short-term 

can often interfere with our long-term progress, 

while choices that will help us achieve our larger purpose 

may not always add value to our day to day existence.   

Madisyn Taylor

Short-term experiences may be a simple distraction from our main path, or they might be a piece needed later to form our greater picture.  Choosing a distraction for simple pleasure can be good for us if we have been working too intensely and harming our health.  On the other hand, if we have not been focused, our choice of pleasure can interrupt momentum causing  us to lose the thread of invention.  

Freedom of choice comes with responsibility and contributes to our integrity.  It takes courage to keep moving forward when we are tempted by random instances.  If we pause to give consideration, we can make decisions for our higher good more easily.  

When we find we cannot stand back far enough from a situation, we can quietly contemplate what would be in our best interest.  We can remain still, requesting guidance and then remain alert for an answer to appear.

Guidance appears in many shapes and forms, so we need to keep both our hearts and minds open. If we endeavor to recognize synchronicity, answers may fall readily into place.  Unfortunately, as human beings, we tend to ignore the answer completely if it is not what we want to hear. 

Earth Keeps Spinning

"In my better sense of mind, I know that I'm far from alone and 

far from the worst, and the earth keeps spinning.  Everything 

keeps moving, with or without me."

Phil Anselmo

You do not feel the hard knot by my brow, nor do you see the bruises on my skin.  The pain streaking up my arm is not heard nor the piercing of my breast.  I have fallen yet again and the puzzle of it all keeps me spinning.  

As I whimper, my eyes remain tightly closed as if to deny this incident in full.   I focus on not spinning, hoping to make sense of this waking dream. This being cast to the ground has such a sense of humiliation and vulnerability, which I do not understand at all. 

Gratitude for the quickness of earth angels to be present as I lie in pain, unable to breathe. What magic in the discovery that both were nurses.  Even a paramedic idling near by stayed in my presence until I could deeply breath again.  

Cars raced by as the airplane continued on its path in the sky.   Clouds came together and then parted, allowing the sun beams to fall from the sky.  Broken glasses in hand,  I returned to my home and  scuttled to my room.  Layered with ice packs and heating pads, the world continued to spin ... without me. 

With Deep Appreciation

With Deep Appreciation 

  

Great Spirit, Almighty Healer and Creator of all things, it is with humbled hearts that we unite together to offer up many thanks.  We thank you for the sacred circles found throughout your creation; from the outer expanse of the Universe to life cycles and the nests in the trees.  We thank you for the rising of Grandfather Sun each morning as he begins to light our paths and provides photosynthesis to the plants.  We thank you for the clouds that bring the rains to area of need.  We thank you for the rushing waters that flow from the mountaintops to hydrate the bodies of all living things.  We thank you for our daily food and ask for its blessing.  We thank you for the dense rain forests that supplies with the air to breathe.

We ask for continued healing for those that are suffering from diverse diseases and disorders.  We ask for closed eyes to open so they may see the destruction that continues.  We are a weary people, Father, of the hatred, greed, lust of power that permeates from the wealthy and the governments of all nations.  We have done little to change this and ask for your forgiveness and your guidance, so we may live a life of peace and true equality.  We ask for a greater unity among your people so we may begin the arduous task of repairing what we have nearly destroyed.  You have guided this generation to building a firm foundation for the next to build upon, and we ask for your strength and further guidance to accomplish this for them.  We ask for strength, guidance and courage to stand against those that would further destroy what you have created.  We ask for strength and positive motivation when we become surrounded by those that know only negativity in life.  We ask for a time of repose where we can clear our minds and bring back the fire of our spirit.  We ask for comfort and guidance also for those that have lost their way.  We ask for signs to be given to those that do not believe you exist.  We ask for blessings for those that have great faith in you.  We ask for freedom for all those that have been imprisoned with false accusations, as well as for those that have found themselves in modern day slavery. We ask for greater compassion to be shown towed the poor and the homeless across the four corners during this time of great turmoil.  We ask for an end to the hatred and stereotyping that continues to divide your people.  We ask for healing for those that have endured violence and abuse in their lives.  We ask for protection for those that continue to endure these horrendous acts.  We ask for the rains to come to areas of drought and those of wildfires throughout the West coast.

We thank you for our Elders and the lessons they have given.  May we continue to honor them with the deepest respect.  We thank you for our children that will one day take over and lead your people. We thank you for your many blessings and gifts that you have bestowed upon your children.   We thank you for all answered prayers.  We thank you for the precious gift of life and the reminder that all life is sacred.   We thank you for our families and friend that continue to support us when we are in need.  We thank you for our animal friends in nature that show us the true meaning of life and the wisdom that comes when we learn to watch and listen.  We thank you for our thorns, as they keep us from becoming boastful.

Dennis Binns ~ WindHorse Circle for Rainbow Warriors

Authentic Light of the Heart

"Beauty is not in the face;

Beauty is a light in the heart."

Kahlil Gibran

Loving relationships offer open hearted acceptance.  We move beyond the exterior manifestation, into the hearts of those before us.  We engage with the cores of others and discover the authentic lights glowing within.  Afflictions, shapes, colors, and language fall to the way side in route to the core of the being.

The person before us, when dwelling from his or her heart, shines a captivating warm light allowing us to feel connected.  The light is similar to a tunnel as we can gently follow it, discovering the authenticity of each person.  On this journey of relationship, we may see scars or wounds never healed from challenges and we may hear the sounds of loss or grief.  Each depicts the survival of a trial leading to the bridge of new hope.

When we stand in the light of the heart, we understand the chemistry between us.  We acknowledge differences but they are far less than what we share in common.  Our authenticity creates a curiosity to truly grasp the amazing souls of each other.

Impedes Our Path

"Every human has an unfathomable gift

that only meeting life head on 

will reveal."

Mark Nepo

A gift is hibernating within us.  We may be aware of it in childhood, but over the years it is buried in the depths of our lives.  We may give pause in an attempt to recall what it is we have forgotten, but the memory is so buried, we are not particularly successful.  In odd moments we may feel something  tickling away at our creative brain, but it is so distant it quickly fades and our monkey minds jump to something else.

Resistance to uncovering our source of joy, prevents us from living authentically.  We may have a sense of a particular strength, but fear of judgment impedes our path.  Some inner part of us becomes sad at our inability to follow through with our hidden desires.  While watching television or a movie, we may hear our selves silently saying, "I have always wanted to do that!"  

When we believe in our worthiness, we become determined  to carve out a chunk of time to hone our skills even if it is on a minor scale.  We begin with what is available to us and work towards something better.  Our inspiration, no matter how small, will bring joy into other areas of our lives, rekindling our hearts desires.

Short Slips of Time

"There's something in everybody

that longs for that awakening

to be more true to yourself."

Eckhart Tolle

We are practicing loving kindness, attempting to spread good feelings to others we come into contact with, both friend and foe; but, we too often overlook ourselves.  When we do not nurture our lovely selves with loving kindness, we will create feelings of emptiness, loss, resistance, and withdrawal.  We cannot just give it all away or we run dry.

When working full time, raising a family, and meeting the agendas of others, it seems impossible to find time for ourselves.  We look at our planners hoping to find a slot to pencil ourselves in.  If we wait for a date with ourselves written in pencil, chances are very good it will be erased with something else penned in with permanent ink!

We need to find short slips of time throughout our day to maintain our equilibrium.  And this can be done with very little effort.  Keep a votive candle in your bathroom with a tea light. Light the candle and feel the presence of the flame as we run through our morning routine.  Begin the day with a touch of reverence. No matter how long or how short our lunch offers, we can walk outside or find a nearby bench to sit and step out of routine.  Traveling home, take a different route and notice people, flowers, and homes.  Keep a book of affirmations in the kitchen so while we wait for the water to boil, we can quickly scan some good thoughts.   As the family is at the table, take turns sharing one good thing  that occurred that day.  After dishes, we can slip our shoes off and momentarily stand on the solid ground outside our door while looking up to the sky.  When we fall into bed exhausted, gently bring our minds to  appreciation and gratitude.  Allow the words to slip from our heart uncensored:  "I appreciate my pillow and I am grateful for the day to be over."

Coming Home

"What comes, will go.

What is found, will be lost again.

But what you are is beyond coming and going

and beyond description."

Rumi

 Mention the word nature and my mind instantly travels outside to find a tree.  With birds singing in the background and water trickling down a stream, I take unhurried steps towards a favored tree.  I offer the tree a sense of reverence as I am humbled and in awe for all of the years this tree has offered to our world.  Requesting permission to approach as though it were an altar, I sit in the midst of the mighty roots, and gently place my back against the ridges of the bark.  I feel all stress drain away as the sun dances  between the leaves sweetly kissing my face.

As in prayer, I reverently ask the tree for wisdom, closing my eyes to patiently wait for a response.  The wind gently moving the branches creates a subtle background of melody.  My body tends to loosen its barriers and I feel my inner beauty escaping into the tree.  We are one as I absorb the massive power of this giant force.  

My feet are digging down through the diverse roots to the center of the earth as my arms raise to join the branches bending towards the clouds.  I feel strengthened and renewed, as I slowly return to my physical self.  I settle in, desiring to spend time in the shadows of this tree, watching life in bloom all around me.  

As I prepare to respectfully remove myself from this magnificence presence, my heart stirs trying to grasp what the tree has said.  It sounded like, "Thank you for coming home."

Insert A Small Space

"Anything that annoys you is teaching you patience. Anyone who abandons you is teaching you how to stand up on your own two feet.  Anything that angers you is teaching you forgiveness and compassion.  Anything that has power over you is teaching you how to take your power back.  Anything you hate is teaching you unconditional love.  Anything you fear is teaching you courage to overcome your fear.  Anything you can't control is teaching you how to let go.   

Jackson Kiddard

There is a difference between aimlessly wandering through our life and participating within each moment.   Instead of swiftly moving down the street, slow down a bit and glance up at the sky.  Rather than pushing into the crowded elevator, see if there is someone to be allowed before us.  If we have a cart filled with groceries, let the person with the little basket step in front of us.  Let our pauses be filled with kindness and great understanding.

What goes on around us is for our benefit, but as long as we remain reacting, we miss the blessing in disguise.  If we would use this gap to ask ourselves why we were responding in this certain way, we would sense a moment to heal within.  If we continue to observe and immediately react, we simply return our opportunity back into the world.

Are we disgusted to see the homeless begging on the street ... does it trigger our personal fear of loss.? Are we resentful of the person cutting in front of us ... does it trigger our fear of unworthiness? Do we not like attending group functions ... does it trigger the sense of no control?  We decline invitations that truly are attempting ... does it trigger the fear of not being accepted?  What is it waiting to be learned?

As we wander through our day, we are usually on automatic pilot, reacting to things going on around us.  If we can insert a small space, it gives us enough time to identify the trigger allowing us to respond authentically and not just react.

Attract The Love We Need

"Love isn't an act,

it's a whole life."

Brian Moore

Love is intended to be available to all peoples including ourselves.  When we accept ourselves lovingly, we are far more prepared to reach out to others.  Love becomes infectious.  It is through radiance building within us that attracts the love of others beyond the barriers of age, ethnicity, and religiosity.

We seek perfection, when we have not yet accepted ourselves.  We yearn to be loved and endlessly search for one true love or soul mate.  We explore with focused vision, disregarding people who do not meet our agenda or rigid requirements.  Tunnel vision distorts the value of all side liners.

Love is not a singular action spearheaded for a specific person.  Love is not a tiny filament reserved for coupling.   Love is for everyone (excluding inappropriate behavior or  repeated abuse).  Everyone who crosses our path is deserving of a loving smile at minimum.  Kind words or a gentle touch can be felt as love.  No matter how we present ourselves, we are all deserving of love.  The more we extend our basic love, the stronger it builds, increasing our ability and desire to share with all, ultimately attracting the love we need.

Series of Completion

"Life is a full circle,

widening until joins

the circle motions of the infinite."

Anais Nin

The circle is one of the most recognized ancient symbols.  It can be displayed in art, architecture, fabric or graphic design, gardens and the list continues.  A circle can be the continuation and recycling of movement or the no beginning and never ending pattern into the infinite.

We believe we have mastered a challenge and learned  from its depth only to discover it to reappear.  The pattern of behavior comes in a different disguise so we don't recognize it until  another circle of completion. 

When we find ourselves arriving at a completion of any kind, it benefits us to simply acknowledge  the completion.  We can pause and recognize the skills and tools we put to use and if we used our energy for courage or fear.  We can compare it to other puzzles we have completed to recognize a particular theme or unfolding wisdom.  

The on going circle of life spins into infinity, touching ourselves as well as any object created by the Divine.  Whether it is a rock or bug, sun or moon, water or fire, circulation spins our lives into series of completion.

The Challenge of Boulders

"Jumping from boulder to boulder and never falling,

with a heavy pack, is easier than it sounds."

Jack Kerouac

The Dharma Burns

Life is a mysterious trail, leading us on diverse paths.  With guidance or in spite of guidance we make our way over boulders.  As we work our way, we begin to pick up little pebbles as talisman.  They graduate to stones and then interesting rocks.  At some point, our baggage is so heavy we have to stop, and ask ourselves, "What no longer serves me?"

With newly found freedom with less weight, we begin to skip from boulder to boulder, building a steady rhythm which of course never lasts.  Whether we run out of breath, vision shunted by fog, or a dead end trail, our quest confronts us.  Should I stay or should I go?

To view the journey of life, we come to realize we have options in facing our challenges:  

*  We can sit at the base of the boulder, stuck in emotion and indecision,  overwhelmed by

     our loss of stamina and fall defeated in the shadow of the stone.

*  We can gather our skills and strengths; anticipate tests and trials; exclaim threats and protests; and 

     in exhaustion reach the other side, vaguely recalling what the hike was initially about.  

*  We can recognize the boulder as an opportunity to open our heart to growth; with awareness

     carefully place our feet while observing the oneness of nature as it surrounds us; and arrive

     enhanced on the other side deeper in faith and wisdom.

Challenges are not mandatory to be experienced with pain and suffering.  When we add our trumped up emotions, creating high drama, the boulder simply grows larger  and our energy dissipates.  Take the time to discover if the boulder is one we have previously climbed.  If so, recall the lesson and apply the learned response.  Avoid creating a mountain out of a mole hill!

The Door Swings Open

"Questions are the keys that cause

the secret doors of the psyche to swing open."

Clarissa Pinkola Estes

Challenges appear in our lives, blocking our normal pathway to peace and calm or mildly chaotic maneuvers.  We set all else aside, and delve into the seemingly giant task at hand.  There is a time element and so we must work quickly and yet meticulously.  We are required to unearth old documents and outdated resources.

Hours slide by and we tire of the task, and yet reinvest our energies to persevere.  The deadline looms in front of us, but with an exhausted smile, we know we have met this challenge with success.  Then just as suddenly as it appeared, we are notified it is no longer of importance.  In spite of our efforts, no one will ever see the skills we applied to this outstanding document.  

If we can set anger aside, along with criticism and judgment, and ask our inner selves, "What was the lesson here?"  On some level we know there is an unseen purpose, some beneath the skin itching that needs to be scratched.

Exhausted, we fall into contemplation.  Again, we ask the question, "What am I to learn?"  If we sit quietly and leave ourselves open, the answer will come.  If we do anything otherwise, we will miss the entire lesson.   

The answer is the key to open the door to new self-awareness.  With open hearts, we warmly embrace an unspoken insight, just as we hear the click of the door's lock.  Exhaling a deep breath, the door swings open and with confidence we stride into the next segment of life, believing more deeply in our personal resilience and accumulating abundance of worth.

The Way of the Human

Carl Jung:  "the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle 

    a light in the darkness of mere being."
Adam Phillips: "to kindle a light in the darkness of non-being."

Ironic how we spend our earliest years delighted with who we are, special in fact.  Then through educational years, we learn a sense of competitiveness and a straying from our exuberant spirit.  Tossed out into the business world or life with a family, our insides are all garbled trying to settle into one composite.  Time is finally secured to sort through old debris, and uncover our original self.  

Like a child fascinated with a magic marble in his or her hand, we begin to recognize all that lies within.  Understanding takes shape and we begin to respect who we were created to be.  We then take strides to keep enhancing our spirit, hoping for it to stretch and grow.

The next phase brings us a true sense of who we really are ... a piece of the sacred whole.  We respect all things and peoples as we are all one.  We are all a part of each other.  As our inner light magnifies, we walk through our own darkness and accompany others through theirs.  This is the way of the human.