What About Me?

"I am and have always been a very open and accessible person,

but at a certain depth, my core could not be touched."

Mark Nepo

THE BOOK OF AWAKENING

It is inevitable to leave a small part of ourselves behind, buried deeply within us.  This aspect of our beautiful spirit can be the center for unprocessed emotion; loss or grieving; desires or dreams; trauma or fear.   If this internal space in never recognized, it can trigger physical, mental, and/or spiritual disruptions.  

This compromised space is referred to in many ways.  "Fire in my belly" or "Wounded Heart" or "The Unrecognized Soul" or "Inner Child".  It is a part of us that has not been recognized and therefore needs nurturing.  When we can unleash this portion of our greater self, we will journey towards wholeness.  

As we mature, we release the idea that someone will come to our rescue.  When we recognize we have the power within to cleanse our core, we can soar into greater creative dimensions or relationships.  Be still and listen to the abandoned voice asking, "What about me?"

Conflicting Goals

"What lies behind us

and what lies before us

are tiny matters 

compared to 

what lies within us.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

In my parents generation, it was too risky to change jobs or not safe to raise the personal standard of living as the market could change.  Businesses were passed down through the family without respecting individual desires to pursue other options.  Our culture grooms us to secure a home, extend a career, stabilize income, and numerous other goals without including the development of our inner spirit.  

We are multi sided perfectly geared to accomplish conflicting goals. There is a genius in science, who  has a hidden talent and obsession for playing the drums.  The fashion model traipsing down the runway is secretly dreaming of being a forensic specialist.  Then there is a homemaker who at night sneaks into her garage studio succeeding as an accomplished artist.  We can be many things!

We have an abundance of creativity inside of us.  This creativity can be pursued in a variety of ways, but we must recognize it first.  We must cultivate and experience what makes our heart soar.  Whether it is a hobby, a change in career or bursting out of our shell, we bring greater balance into our lives when we fulfill our dreams.

Capable Of Positive Change

"In other words, when you don't know how much things have changed,

you don't see that they are changing or that they can change."

Rebecca Solnit

The media feeds us with negative perspectives and the reader or listener or observer is lulled into a sense of doom, believing in a negative outcome.  Everything feels like it has been tainted and continued slanted reporting eliminates any sense of hope.  Once we are convinced of a doomsday ending, we ignore how we are capable of positive change. 

Yes, bad things happen and wrong choices are made, but the other side of the coin needs to be understood as well.  Great things are happening on all levels, but they simply don't make the news.  When the positive is recognized it definitely can compete with the negative.  

Those in power would like us to believe that things are so bad, there is no room for change, which reinforces their power.  When we make the effort to see healthier options and invest in our personal power to choose, positive change advances.  Affirming what is good can create hope which propels us to further explorations.  With our free will and focus on the good, our world can change for the better.

Facade of Smallness

"Create a sacred space to learn more about your body and mind, 

go on a date with  yourself and explore emotions, sensations, desires, dreams, 

and accept yourself as you are.  By spending some time getting to know yourself better, 

you will know what you have to offer and, it will be easier to ask for what you want."

Nityananda Das, Divine Union

You intrigue me.  Yes, you who hide magnificence behind the facade of smallness ego builds for you.  I catch a glimpse of stars set so far back into your awareness, you do not see dreams, passion, and visions reflected there.  Your heart radiates beams like the sun wanting to warm the lonely existence of others.  

Your hands are so busy accomplishing the mundane instead of enhancing the gifts within.  The words drifting through your consciousness are waiting for a melody.  Everything within you is holding its breath waiting for you to express every glorious thing you know as truth.

It is spring and so many inner sprouts  are waiting to push outside to better define your lovely self. Let the spring rains wash away all of your fear and the winds will bring clarity.   Nature is watching you, waiting for you to fully engage in this physical life using your spiritual wings towards freedom of body, heart and soul.  When you step though illusion, you will unfold into who you were always meant to be.

Birth, Death, and Rebirth

"The "Course in Miracles' says one day you will realize 

that death is not the punishment but the reward.  And

 it says that birth is not the beginning of life but a continuation.  

And physical death is not the end of life but a continuation."  

Marianne Williamson

We seem to die little deaths in order to be born anew.  We may struggle against the endings, only to awaken in a better place.  We may hide from ourselves the knowledge that something is over, and carry on in pain, until we are broken.  We release our resistance and piece by piece we begin to rebuild. New found knowledge from experiencing this cycle propels us forward.

We see this cycle in both the sun and the moon.  The sun rises with the new day and sinks into the horizon at the end. The moon shines brightly against the back drop of darkness dotted with stars as it travels from New Moon to Full Moon.  Mother Nature is vibrant with cycles of birth to death then rebirth.

Birthing ourselves into new situations can trigger labor pains.  The process for some is easy whereas for others it can be long and painful.  It can be difficult to release when we cannot see what awaits us. When we have the courage to take the leap, the cycle begins again ... birth, death, and rebirth.

.

Cozy and Comfortable

"When I'm home, I like a cozy 

comfortable, calming space."

Stacy Keibler

There are a variety of definitions for home spanning from tent to house boat.  Homes can be brownstones, colonials, mansions, cookie cutters and cracker boxes.  If we are very materialistic our lists for 'must have's' could be quite pricey.  What is considered a bachelor's pad might have very slim pickings.  

Feeling at home usually means we are comfortable in our surroundings.  We feel safe physically and emotionally, and we are fed and nurtured.  We anticipate consistent expectations, and we know the language or cultural practices.  It is a place to rest and rejuvenate.  

Giving the word home a deeper meaning, we find ourselves in a more spiritual realm.  The yearning to return home can be the desire to leave the physical dimensions.  Home might be a meditative state or place of contemplation.  For some the sense is felt only on water, mountains, or flying in space.  For me, home is a warm spot in my heart where I can truly be free.  

Grace, Harmony, and Bliss

"To direct the mind towards the basic unity of

all things and to divert it from the seizing of

differences ... therein lies bliss."

Tejo-Bindu Upanishad

Lives are filled with diversity and when we focus on differences, we feel separate.  If we can change the word diversity into the word variety, we may be more willing to embrace each other.  It is where we place our attention that either distorts or enhances similarities.

While our mind may be calculating uneasiness, our hearts might be joining.  If we view a person through squinted eyes, we most definitely fail to see the entire person.  When we release the illusion of one opinion being more powerful than one other, we can establish respect and honor for all.  

Our minds become too selective when narrow, and the mind becomes deluded when irresponsible. When we evolve together respecting individual preferences without harm to each other, the earth, or space, we will establish grace, harmony, and bliss.

Push Chaos of Life

""Forget about enlightenment.

Sit down wherever you are

And listen to the wind singing in your veins.

John Welwood

We spend so much energy trying to please or impress others, there is little time left to meet our own needs.  As children, we sense our parents or teachers are constantly watching our every move.  We become self-conscious worrying about what others are thinking.  We feel pushed into a success story or some form of fame.

As years pass, we gather insight and no longer care about an audience.  If anything we may struggle with feelings of being invisible.  We may feel under appreciated, neglected or taken for granted.  We question our importance in living this life.

When we distract the over active mind and allow our desires to surface, we begin to gain a stronger sense of self.  We no longer care as much about others, and invest our energy into meeting our own needs. If we push the chaos of life back, we finally hear the wind singing in our veins.  A deep sense of connection takes place, encouraging us to return to who we were always meant to be.

Time Out Chair for Ego

"Be yourself; no base imitator of another, but your best self.

There is something that you can do better than any other.

Listen to the inward voice and bravely obey that."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

We all need a time out chair, not for ourselves, but for our ego.  Right before we look in a mirror, do self inventory, or evaluate our worthiness, kindly ask ego to sit to the side in the time out chair. Once ego is silenced, we can hear our hearts speak.

Often times, our ego is our worst enemy.  It will stop us before we start, interrupt us in the middle, or sabotage a happy ending.  Ego is like a small child who throws tantrums instead of being quiet. It needs to be confronted with compassion,  "Please, have a seat!"

Before every presentation, important meeting, or creative project, I appropriately invite my ego to sit to the side.  I don't want to be distracted, squelched nor minimized.  I want to dream, succeed, and feel filled with life.  I want all of us to place our ego in a time out chair, so we can listen to the Divine and become our very best self.

The Perfect Time To Begin!

"This is a time for you to act intentionally,

with focus and commitment, to help bring

exciting possibilities into reality."

Ron Pevny

Spring will soon be upon us and we marvel at determined sprouts pushing themselves up through the ground, and the buds attached to flowering trees.  We witness new birth, authentic growth, and inspiration.  This fertile time with the reflection of creativity surrounding us, is the ideal season to begin to release our own repressed ideas out into the world

Name the secret longing that continues to get pushed to the back burner.  Identify the landscape suspended in the mind, waiting to come to fruition.  Whether our desires are for music, painting, writing, dance, or gardening, this is the season, the perfect time to begin.

If our repressed desire was a need for our children, it would have been met years ago.  If it were the project of a friend, we would have been the most effective supporter.  Why do we not do the same for our lovely selves?  What allows us to ignore personal value and sink to the bottom of the list?  Start planning today!  Jot off a loose outline and begin to prepare.  Gather what is needed and become a unique and colorful blossom during this beautiful spring!

Response To Harsh Words

"It is no little wisdom for you to keep yourself in silence

and in good peace when evil words are spoken to you,

and to turn your heart to God and not be troubled 

with the judgment of others."

Thomas A. Kempis

Harsh words directly articulated are challenging to ignore.  Even when we know the words are misplaced and untrue, we feel pain like little darts shot into our heart.  Our immediate response can be hateful words filling our own mouth, prepared to take flight ... words that are also misplaced and untrue.

Living each day communicating with the Divine, keeps peaceful reactions near no matter what we face.  If we turn inward and not outward, we will keep our dignity and integrity in place. In relationship with the Divine, our confidence builds to withstand the harshness of others.

When we choose silence to be our action, we reflect God's kindness. (This is not to mean in any way, shape, or form to remain present in the face of destruction or harm.)  It means we lovingly accept God's opinion of us, and deeply believe in our personal goodness more than the opinion of one other.  It is a strength to offer silence and not engage with the negative remarks of others.  

Emotional Residue

"Being alive takes time."

Mark Nepo

THE BOOK OF AWAKENING

We are hurt by disappointment and sorrow; but do we allow enough time for it to move completely through us?  When we are too quick to move ahead, we do not deeply absorb all there is to learn from the moment.  Unaware, we continue to carry the residue of emotion deep within our hearts.

Mark Nepo states, "When the wind stops, the trees still move."  The same is true with lodged emotion.  The brain stops dwelling on sadness, but the ripples of emotion continue to flow within us.  In the following days, we may feel irritated or angry not making the connection back to the original sadness.  We think we have dealt with the loss, but it is still playing out in our life. 

"Nature has a sway," comments Mark Nepo,"its approach, its impact, and especially, its echo."  The same can be said for emotions.   When a deep emotion, seemingly out of no where, penetrates our heart, we can be sure it is an echo from a previous experience ... emotional residue.

Be An Angel

"Make yourself familiar with the angels, and behold them frequently in spirit;

for without being seen, they are present with you."

St Frances De Sales

When we broaden our perception of angels, we are no longer limited to cherubs captured in stained glass windows.  Angels surround us wearing all kinds of disguises.  They could be a cab driver, a grocery store clerk, or a stranger on the train.  They may be a life long companion or an image we glimpse from a passing car.

How often to do we allow Divine Spirit to work through us?  When God whispers into our heart to help the elder who has fallen or the child who is lost in the grocery aisle, do we readily acknowledge with loving action?  If we are nudged to randomly call a friend or a person's face keeps popping up in our mind, do we follow through?  When we do, we often are angels bringing comfort to others.

We can be an angel and supply water to an unattended patch of flowers or feed the birds.  We can leave an unexpected tip or feed an expired parking meter.  We can offer kind words to the befuddled stranger.  A simple smile can make a desperate person finally feel as though they are actually seen. Be an angel ... respond to others with loving kindness whether we are seen or unseen.

This Or Something Better ...

"I may not have gone where I intended to go,

but I think I have ended up where I needed to be."

Douglas Adams

THE LONG DARK TEA-TIME OF THE SOUL

It can be a blessing in disguise when our wants and needs are not met after hours spent praying.  If our request had come true, it might not have been to our favor in the long run.  We may believe that our prayers have not been heard so we try again, begging for wishes to be granted; but these too go unanswered.  Prayers are answered, we only listen for the answer we desire.

As we attempt to bring our visions into reality, we plead with the Divine to support our efforts.  We might ask for help or for a missing piece to bring our plans to fruition.  Synchronistic events happen, filling in our gaps, but do we remember to send a prayer of thanksgiving and gratitude?

A mentor once told me to  include, "this or something better" to my prayers.  It was explained to me that when we ask in specific detail, the Divine works within the given boundaries.  When we allow God to meet our needs, when we trust Divine Intervention, we will be blessed with more than we would ever dream of asking for ourselves.  Our lives become enhanced when we allow Spirit to lavishly color our landscapes as the Divine is limitless!

Taken As A Slave

"Christ beside me, Christ before me,

Christ behind me, Christ within me,

Christ beneath me, Christ above me."

Saint Patrick

Imagine being sixteen years old, kidnapped, and taken to a foreign country as a slave to look after animals.  Think of all things familiar disappearing:  language, food, cultural practices, family or friends, and personal identity.  Think about this abduction lasting six years and the resulting emotional consequences. 

Now imagine being twenty-two and having the courage to escape captives.  It would require bravery and intricate plans to safely travel back to the home country to seek out family.   Perhaps solace is found by joining a religious order. What would inspire the once captive to return to the foreign land?  Imagine serving the population  to the degree of becoming Bishop.  What forgiveness, understanding, compassion and core values propelled this man's service, later to be revered as a patron saint?  

St Patrick's life was just like that.  Think of the resilience it took to bolster his inner spirit and create such an exemplary life.  Imagine how strong his faith was to overcome his physical boundaries and to unlock both his mental and spiritual dynamics.  His dedication to Christ consciousness allowed him to follow an inner calling that guided him far beyond expectation. A life to be celebrated by all.

(Wikipedia: Confessio of Patrick) When St Patrick was about 16, he was captured by Irish pirates from his home in Great Britain, and taken as a slave to Ireland, looking after animals, where he lived for six years before escaping and returning to his family. After becoming a cleric, he returned to northern and western Ireland.  He served as Bishop in later life.  He became revered as the patron saint of Ireland. 

Eucalyptus Trees As Symbols

 "Beloved child, break your heart no longer.

Each time you judge yourself,

you break your own heart."

Swami Kripalu

The bark of the Eucalyptus tree is of varying shades of gray, and it is streaked with strips of bright coral and piercing green.  The pealing of the gray bark and the iridescent colors causes the tree to appear surreal.  These trees evoke the process of pain.

The pealing bark resembles the  layers of wounds we endure.  The streaks of brilliant coral represent old wounds still unhealed.  The brilliance of the green beckons us to heal and bravely stand taller.   The unique leaves at the top of the tree offer a distinctive fragrance similar to the joy at the end of pain.

This symbol of pain demonstrates the benefits of remaining grounded and seeking brighter endings in spite of our broken hearts.  Like the artistic Eucalyptus leaves, we too can produce gifts to our world in our own authentic way after experiencing pain.

Potentialities

"Once when I was a young lady and on a night express,

I was awakened by a man coming in from the corridor

and taking hold of my leg.  Quite as much to my own

astonishing surprise as his, I uttered the most appalling

growl that ever came out of a tigress.  He fled, poor man,

without a word; and I lay there, trembling slightly not at

my escape but at my potentialities."

Sylvia Townsend Warner

Challenges come into our life to carve our character, test our depths, and expand our relationship to the Divine.  It may take days, months or even years before we are able to trace the transition from helpless to empowered spirit.  

The required stillness with spiritual transition is the arena where we can discover the sudden sharp pain or the subtle unfolding of personal saga.  It is not until we are open to accept our abilities and use them for distribution of kindness, that we fully expand into who we are meant to be.

Whether it is through meditation, contemplation or prayer, we need to strengthen our connection with Spirit.  We can implore the Divine or mentors or guides to repeatedly remind us of all we possess hidden under criticism and trauma.  Daily, we must remind ourselves of our potentialities! 

The Cocoon Has To Go!

"You are destined to fly, 

but the cocoon has to go."

Nelle Morton

We spend so many of our early years hiding our natural instincts and desires.  We disguise our passions in order to fall into line with others.  Like a time traveler, we go through incredible passages of time reconstructing who we are and who we want to be.  Ridiculous as it may seem, we arrive at yet another stage where we turn about face and begin to unpack the heaviness of out grown masks. The inner Divine pushes at our core to once again flourish as authentic gifts to the world.

"If you travel far enough, one day you will recognize yourself coming down the road to meet yourself. And you will say - YES!" (Quote by Marion Woodman)  We will be delighted to be in our sacred place once again, to flourish and nourish both ourselves and others. 

When we finally meet ourselves coming and going on this journey of life, we can be joyous for the beauty we finally see surrounding us.  Compassion fills our hearts for others as they too are travelers, just maybe at various resting spots.  Acknowledging we have no control, we face each moment trusting God's plan as we gracefully follow the sun.

Traveler, Not Tourist

"Please be a traveler, not a tourist.  Try new things,

meet new people, and look beyond what's right in front of you.

Those are the keys to understanding this amazing world we live in.

Andrew Zimmern

While we travel, broadly invest in the surroundings, rather than zipping in and then out.  Observe the difference in speech or diverse ways of adapting to life.  Notice the changes in nature while seeking the similarities.  Face the sun and feel it warming the face.  Search the stars and connect with the moon.  A traveler embraces the journey without losing touch with the core of the soul.

As we travel for pleasure or work, it is easy to get pulled out of routine.  Time, weather, and surroundings all change and our physical, mental, and spiritual support systems are altered.  It is necessary to keep our body, mind, and spirit, connected to our core. 

Exhilarating experiences or schedules of exhaustion, need to be counter balanced.  It is imperative to carve out time to be alone with stillness to rejuvenate.  Enjoy  a walk and breathe in surrounding beauty or add yoga stretches to  help  release stress.    Place a favorite snapshot  by the bed.  Journal or read passages from a favorite book.  Any small comfort can initiate a relaxed state.

Cognizant Moment

"Release me from all fears of loss."

Tosha Silver

Change Me Prayers

When we keep our support system in place, utilize favorite resources, and engage with like minded acquaintances, we steadily move forward on our life path.   If we remain in communication with whom we revere (Divine, Universe, God, Goddess, Angels, Saints, Spirits) we are supported when the strong winds of challenge cause us to waver. 

Even when we are at our very best, we may be blind sighted by a crisis.  All of our support may momentarily drift to the side as we silently ask "Why me?"  In the state of overwhelm, fear clouds our thinking and emotions run wild.  

Tosha Silver, author of Change Me Prayers, refers to spiritual amnesia when we are broadsided by chaos.   Our belief system takes a hard hit and we somehow forget things we deeply believe and know to be true.  When the wind is knocked out of us, we enter into a suspended state of panic. When we balance our breathing, we then remember that we are not, will not, and never will be in control.  In this cognizant moment, we return to the Divine trusting that all unfolds as it needs to be.  We stay the course as Divine Spirit knows the deepest needs of our hearts. 

Take Flight

"This life is full of trials and tribulations,

so you have to capture humor whenever 

and wherever you can find it."

Steven Callahan

ADRIFT: SEVENTY-SIX DAYS LOST AT SEA

My intentions for yard work is once again delayed. Another day of weather predictions not met.  There is a lack of sunshine and the temperatures are not rising.   Feeling adrift, I step into the backyard feeling cold mud beneath my feet. I am caught somewhere in between being stuck and taking flight.

My coffee cup warms my hands and my eyes gaze into the yard.  A Blue Jay is screaming at me with a message I simply don't understand.  Shifting my eyes elsewhere, I see three Cardinals  in a heavy game of chase.  Sudden action jerks my head to the fence line where my eyes capture the tiniest squirrels I have ever seen.  

Coming back inside, I find myself laughing.  Nature has just given me three examples of how to use my day: I can be crabby and judge everything; I can engage others in play; or I can remain stuck in an  unproductive pattern of racing back and forth.  In the end, I decide to be a redbird by going to the market and engaging fellow shoppers about which flowers to plant this year.  Through our conversations of shared experiences, our hearts take flight.

To Be Heard and Understood

"The more attention we devote toward learning how the people in our lives think and feel,

the better equipped we are to relate to them on their own terms."

Daily Om

Communication is a major component in relationship.  Disagreements and misunderstandings abundantly flow when we are not on the same page.  When we assume the opinion of the other, we may find ourselves responding totally off topic.  

"Help me to understand," is a magic phrase when offered as a first response.  Instead of building our defenses or automatically spewing words out of fear,  we can extend an invitation for the seemingly opponent to further express his or her thinking.  As we receive the broadened perspective, we can usually detect the authentic origin of the viewpoint.  

Whether it is with our children, neighbor or boss, open minds facilitate understanding.  We may not entirely agree, but processing full knowledge will assist in finding a solution to compromise.  We might agree to disagree, but at least we have displayed respect for the opposition and respect for ourselves.  After all, in relationship, each of us yearns to simply be heard and understood.

  

Power Within Me

"Something amazing happens when we surrender and just love.  We melt 

into another world, a realm of power within us.  The world changes 

when we change. The world softens when we soften.  

The world loves us when we choose to love the world.

Marianne Williamson

In sixth grade, my teacher entered a mark under the behavior heading on my other wise exceptional report card.  The check was by the statement, "Does not keep profitably busy."  In that moment of discovery, feelings of humiliation, shame, and even anger pulsed through my young heart.  

This experience shadows me, creating anxiety when life offers unexpected free time.  Pressure  builds as I try to justify how I live my life.  How can I appropriately display wise use of God given time on this precious earth?

Once I surrender to the power in me, my fears melt into love.   With compassion, I release the criticism of others, knowing they do not  see the murals I have painted replacing my shadows, nor do they read the cherished words scrawled across my heart.  My sharp edges have been softened and I easily hold light for this changing world.  I have found strength in the realm of power within me.

 

Earnestly Adjust

"If you could kick the person in the pants responsible

for most of your trouble, you wouldn't sit for a month."

Theodore Roosevelt

By accepting responsibility for our part in the problems at hand, it is easier to move  toward correction.  If we place blame on others, we can become debilitated by complex emotions, delaying any resolve.  It is necessary to understand the part we played.

As long as we place responsibility entirely onto someone else, we will miss the lesson.  If we do not own up to our portion, we will recreate a similar situation for the exact lesson to resurface. 

What is that saying, "Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice, shame on me."  The best of us can be hoodwinked, and  when distracted by revenge, we will continue to miss the point.  Focus on personal behavior and accept responsibility for the actions we take.  Begin to earnestly adjust ourselves as we are the only ones we can change.

Respecting Images

"The beginning of love is the will to let those we love
be perfectly themselves, the resolution not to twist
them to fit our own image."
Thomas Merton

We find ourselves drawn to a person who is unique, charismatic, and dramatically informed.  Drawn like the moth to the fire, we are mesmerized by just the voice alone.  An unexplainable connection immediately builds, strengthening the new relationship.

Fast forward and we will find ourselves resenting this persons ability to gather others in any given place.  We may feel embarrassed by the flamboyant actions, wishing for someone who would just fit in.  This person now irritates us like a narcissistic know it all.

The ability to respect differences and embrace commonalities is vitally important with any contact.  Grounded in our own uniqueness, we are not threatened by others.  We are eager to listen and truly hear the message and receive its gift.  If we can allow each other to be who we are called to be, we can find ourselves thriving  in a loving relationship. 

Efforts to Change

"When people make changes in their lives in a certain area,

they may start by changing the way they talk about that subject,

how they act about it, their attitude toward it,

or an underlying decision concerning it."

(Author Unknown)

We can intend to change, but until we come up with a plan to guide us, chances are we will not follow through.  With a plan, our new corrective actions are easier to follow.  By using affirmations to support our mind-set throughout the day, we will continue to move forward into our chosen direction.

Without action, personal change will not occur.  It is when we involve body, mind, and spirit that the adjustment can be permanently made.  There is nothing wrong with asking our bodies to support what we are attempting to change.  Our bodies, especially our bellies, will signal us as we wander off course.  When we remain mindful in each moment, our success is more likely to occur.  Asking for help through prayer, contemplation or meditation will reinforce our actions.

Resistance linked to fear reduces our courage and desire.  It is when we step through the illusion of fear that we become empowered by our success.  Even if the change dissipates, we have still made ourselves stronger through the effort of action.  The experience will help us move farther ahead the very next time we try.

Suspended In The Hush

"If you want the truth, I'll tell you the truth:

Listen to the secret sound, the real sound'

which is inside you."   

Kabir

The true gift of hearing comes in silence.  It is within the pauses of life that messages awaken in the heart.  When we are still, we can embrace the rhythms that calm and comfort us.  Clarity floats on the secret waves within.

The resistance to being still resides in all of us.  It requires effort to adjust our surroundings and orchestrate time for quietude.  Even then, we can remain so hyper, the experience is nil.  We are not always cognizant of how tightly wired both our bodies and minds become.

Inspiration flows once we are listening.  Resolution for challenges become available and new direction begins to guide us.  Uncomfortable emotions we  repress, surface for us to acknowledge and discard.  We begin to breathe deeply and our nervous system is aligned with our natural balance. The Divine  spiritually reconnects us and we find ourselves suspended in the hush.

A Woman, Divine

"Only a Woman, divine, 

could know all that a woman can suffer."

Willa Cather

Captivated by the stained glass window, my heart filled with joy.  The sun would shine through the many hues and I would be mesmerized.  I deliberately avoided eye contact with the stern grandpa looking man in the midst of the stained glass with penetrating ice blue eyes.  I learned he expected perfection with absolute obedience to his ten rules.  At my young age, I already knew I was somehow imperfect and would never find myself warmly invited into this man's presence.

There was another stained glass window on the side of the room centered with a younger man who had kind blue eyes and gentle hands.   His lap was filled with children and his eyes welcomed everyone.  This man simply spoke of love.  I trusted him and silently spoke to him and listened to his responses.

There was also a woman with an infant in another piece of stained glass art. She was not the center of attention and it would not be until many years later that I would perceive her compassionate heart.  She fueled a fire within me to experience her concept of the love between mother and child.  Her broad spectrum of strengths were admirable even though she seemed to silently move through her life.  Her thrust was not of obeying.  Her diligence focused on compassion, acceptance, and deeply embracing what was not always seen.  I still want to be like her.

Lapse In Routine

"Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries

of earth are never alone or weary of life."

Rachel Carson

Time management instructs us to complete our tasks for the day and if we complete them prior to a deadline, we must not pile on more work to fill the newly created space.  Instructions encourage the person to utilize the extra time as a means for revitalization.

There are days when we might have fifteen minutes between appointments and we tell ourselves it is not enough time to do anything and this is so not true.  Here are some options:  carry a small journal or sketch pad with you;  do a mini meditation right where you are;  mentally do yoga stretches; pray; go outside for a brisk walk; stand outside looking up at the sky; deeply observe people around you; or sit in your car and sing ... loudly!

When we deviate from our highly organized schedules, we discover spaces to calm our chattering minds and relax our stressed out bodies.  In this lapse in routine, we begin to see the beauty of life reflected by people, places and things.  The mysteries of life await our attention to distract us from the weariness of life.

  

Leave Finger Prints

"Our finger prints don't fade 

from the lives we touch."

Judy Blume

Part of the human experience is reaching out to assist others ... not enable, but to assist.  All of us can probably remember a time in our past when we really could have benefited by the presence of a kind heart.  

Each day brings us an opportunity to be that person who was never there for us.  We can turn the tables and touch the life of an unsuspecting soul.  Compassion calls us to  help the overwhelmed mother of four struggling to get groceries into the car.  A child comes to our attention who is the only one unable to attend camp, so we anonymously pay the fee. Death has visited a young wife and we may be nudged to sit with her infant child so she can attend a support group.  

Who was not there for you when you needed help?  Can you be that person today for someone else?  Even if it is just a friendly hand shake or a random hug, we hopefully leave finger prints embedded with courage to assist a person through the threshold of fear.

Silent Partner

"Time flies. It's up to you

to be the navigator."

Robert Orben

Children have imaginary friends and we tell them they have guardian angels, so why should grown ups be any different?  As an adult we may choose the Virgin Mary or Kwan Yin or a Goddess or a deceased loved one.  We may request the guidance of nature, the Universe, or even one lucky star.

When I feel the urge to travel deeper into life, I am much more willing to do so when accompanied.  Through a gentle request, my guide is with me, enabling me to stretch my mind with deeper understanding, leaving judgment far behind.  I am able to open my eyes and see panoramic views rather than a dot on the head of a pin.  The reflection shows there is nothing but change, and yet some remain fixed on one small dot rather than stepping through fear into new landscapes.

My silent partner guides me through waking dreams, nightmares, and unsuspected insights.  The presence of my guide reminds me to walk more slowly to see beyond veils and to hear without words. I navigate into my spiritual life and with help, I blend it into my human experience.