Creating a Mantra

Come into my heart, O Lord.

I love you and I need you.

Harry Dudley Clarke

(1888 to 1957)

Gospel Hymn

We all have a song in our heart whether we sing it or not.  Sometimes the melody quietly plays in the background or the lyrics escape through our lips.  At times we surprise ourselves by singing while alone on a walk or driving in the car.  There are always a particular string of words, however, which offer praise, beckon a presence, or calm anxiety. 

Mantras can be found in meditations, yoga practices, prayers, lyrics, or straight from the heart.  When we repeat a mantra, it may seem mechanical and ineffective, but the more we use it the stronger it becomes.  In fact, in many instances, a personal mantra can feel like a direct connection with our higher self, the Universe, Divine Spirit or deeper consciousness.  If we feel afraid, self-conscious, depressed or threatened, using a mantra is like speed dialing to whomever we revere.  We can feel an immediate connection.

We all need to choose a mantra for our selves as the effects of using a mantra can be very powerful, .  Whether it is an affirmation, prayer, or Sanskrit phrase, choose something that is short and easy to remember.  Select something with personal meaning, a group of words resonating within you.  Then develop the habit of using the mantra throughout the day ... randomly or deliberately.

To thine own self be true.

Om, Shanti, Shanti, Om

Give me the courage.

Come into my heart.

My spirit is calm and patient.

Angels be near me.

I love my self and I am safe.

Help me to step through this illusion of fear.

Open my heart oh God.

I am lovable and powerful.

My body is cleansed, healed and strong.

Help me find the way.

I am filled with thanks and gratitude.

Speak to me Great Spirit.

Joy flows through me.

I lovingly release all that does not serve me.

Thank you for letting me be me.

Let me be of service today.

Here I am.

With a little exploration, we will come across a phrase suiting our needs perfectly.  Simply pay attention, be on the look out, and it will appear.  Use the mantra at least three times a day.  The more deliberately we use our mantras, the stronger our connection grows.

Habit Forming

Criteria of Emotional Maturity

*  The ability to deal constructively with reality

*  The capacity to adapt to change

*The capacity to find more satisfaction

in giving than receiving

*The capacity to love

William C. Menninger, MD

Body language has always intrigued me while observing others.   It is interesting to listen and observe a person saying, "I am good.  Really good."  All the while, the speaker is shaking his or her head no from side to side conflicting with the yes answer.  There is almost comic relief when a person says, "I am open to anything you have to say."  He then crosses his arms in a very defensive position. 

One time I read a depressed person walks with his or her head down, looking at the sidewalk or feet.  A person bracing for what awaits, walks hunched over and into an imaginary wind.  The optimistic person walks looking up into the sky seeking sunshine, birds, clouds, and happiness.

Positive and negative thinking is linked directly to positive and negative behavior.   We choose our thinking and behaviors.  Both are habit forming. 

Positive Thinkers                                                      Negative Thinkers

Connected to creative power                                   Feeling scattered

Be constructive                                                         Heavy criticism

Look for the good                                                     Expect the worst

Choose how  to feel                                                  Lack of emotional control

Do the best in every situation                                 Muddle through unprepared

Eat mindfully and healthy                                        Poor diet  lowered immune system

Happy and optimistic                                               Anxiety, depression, pessimistic

It is easy to see that negative thinking can be bad for our body, mind, and soul.  When we respond by being hesitant and resistant we are not open or flexible to change.  If we do not change, we remain stuck in negative thinking and negative behaviors follow.

A positive attitude does not spare any one from challenge or sorrow.  We all experience both difficult and precious times.  The optimist allows the memories of precious time to sustain and to give courage when experiencing life's disappointments.  An optimist is more likely to step through fear and face the known or unknown consequences.

It is important to use self-talk or affirmations to set the tone of our day.  'Today will be a good day.'  'Today I will embrace all people with patience.'  When we know we are facing a difficult morning we can acknowledge it but also see past it.  'This morning is going to be challenging, but I will get to the other side where calm awaits me.'   

Life is consistently teaching us lessons and is not out to destroy us.  When we endeavor to be a positive and  receptive student, things will still unfold, unravel, and undo, but if we can maintain an open attitude we are more able to  withstand hardships and succeed. 

Recognizing Parts of Self

I feel like I've never had a home. You know? I feel related to the country, to this country, and yet I don't know exactly where I fit in. And the same thing applies to the theater. I don't know exactly how well I fit into the scheme of things. Maybe that's good, you know, that I'm not in a niche. But there's always this kind of nostalgia for a place, a place where you can reckon with yourself. Now I've found that what's most valuable about that place is not the place itself but the other people; that through other people you can find a recognition of each other. I think that's where the real home is.

SAM SHEPARD               

There were two observations shared with me by two different friends over 30 years ago.  Both assessments were mentioned in a positive way.  For some reason, both statements remained affirmations helping me to be aware of the importance of perceptions.

Each and every one of us are multi-faceted, but rarely pay attention to the small things, the little things making our personality or character unique.  Some of our strengths we take for granted, being so used to having them we falsely assume others have the same abilities when in reality they do not.  They have their own strengths and their own weaknesses.

Although these two statements were made by people unknown to each other  during two different stages of my life, the comments support each other and have helped me be more gentle with my self.  The descriptions of my self allowed me to re-frame what I had considered to be negative aspects and turn them into positive qualities.

I grew up in a large city, attended a small town college and then lived in several different states, traveling around more than the average woman.  It was unsettling to me to hear acquaintances mention how they had never moved from the the location of their birth home or lived in the same area their entire lives.  For whatever reason, these comments always made me feel some what like a transient or lesser than even though each of my travels were made deliberately for personal or professional reasons.  A dear friend made reference to me saying, "I think you have some gypsy blood in you allowing your self the courage to travel into the unknown."  It was said in a very supportive and positive way.  It gave me food for thought.

A few years later, during a private conversation with a trusted friend, the second statement was made.  This is what was said: "I admire you, watching you move from one situation to the next and always adjusting your self to those around you.  You some how make your self comfortable no matter where you go or who you are with."  These words offered me a positive reflection of my self that frequently assisted me in traveling through my gypsy life.

Now in my later years, I do a lot of traveling and it is true, I adjust well with strangers and I have a lust for visiting diverse places.  I no longer see this as good or bad.  I embrace these qualities as a part of who I am.  Applying  this awareness has helped me to remain comfortable in my own skin.

                                  

Imperfections and Flaws

Please heal my wounded places

and free my heart to love.

Marianne Williamson

Our lives move in cycles.  What lessons we think we have learned seem to appear once again, disguised just a little differently.  When we think we have mastered the lesson, life seems to run it by us just one more time to make sure we really did get it!

Our lives travel in spirals.  We may meet different people or live in random locations, but our life experiences seem to repeat themselves.  No matter where we go, there we are.

It takes so long to recognize our 'wounds' and then even longer to cognitize how they are impacting our behaviors.  Then corrective measures are taken to replace inappropriate thinking or actions with positive affirmations and constructive movement.  We must be willing to allow healing to occur, but even when willing, it takes time.

Forgiveness speeds our healing and is a necessary part of the process.  Forgiving our selves is perhaps the hardest task of all, even when we were the victim. 

Climbing out of the darkness becomes easier once we put down our baggage.  It is important for us to clear out the old before the new can be entered.  Even when we do this to our satisfaction, we take another turn on the spiral and find our selves shedding yet another layer of 'stuff'.  The good news is each layer becomes easier to shed.

In learning to love our selves, imperfections and flaws, we are better prepared to love one and other.  We must not be afraid of the dark.  Let us shine our lights for each other, helping everyone to find the way!



Savor, Digest, or Destroy

The great end to religious instruction

is not to stamp our minds upon the young,

but to stir up their own.

Not to make them see

with our eyes,

but to look inquiringly

and steadily

with their own.

William Ellry Channing

Eclectic reading presents my mind with a variety of ideas and I have the freedom to pick and choose the information I want to savor, digest, or destroy.  Frequently, I will express my thoughts while working out the facts in my head or waiting for feedback before I make my final decision.

Entertaining my mind with diverse thoughts helps me to continue to stretch and grow.  Expanding my mind enables me

a broader view of things said, accomplished or abandoned.  To remain neutral while accessing information, concepts can be understood without feeling threatened or prejudiced.

The same is true with my heart.  I have had to learn to hold it open not to just those I love.  Compassion and acceptance once established in the mind and heart can greatly add to the learning experience of life.  Our minds and hearts need to remain open.

As an articulate explorer of the written word and human experience, my views perhaps fall from the norm.  My intention is not to make believers out of listeners.  I simply desire to share what I have learned and expect others to embrace whatever resonates within them and to leave the rest.

A dear mentor of mine reminds me, "We have an obligation to speak our truth ... once.  And then let it go."  I write what I hold dear and what happens after that, well ... savor, digest, or destroy!

Screaming on the Inside ...

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.


Steve Jobs
Charismatic pioneer of the personal computer revolution
 (1955 ~ 2011)




We each have an obligation to speak our truth, clearly and accurately. We have been given a voice for this specific reason,to express ourselves at every level of being human.

It is interesting to me that the throat is situated between our heart and our head, a perfect location to blend emotions with thoughts and to connect with the Divine. When we do not use our voice, we are not allowing our energy to flow nor are we honoring our inner self. We become repressed on many levels.

Little thought is given to the possible damage to our throat and voice through the careless use of alcohol, drugs, and unhealthy foods. Keeping silent is just as damaging as screaming and yelling. Consider how we physically feel while driving in our car, singing along with the radio. Now allow the feelings occurring after we have been yelling or screaming. It is not very difficult to figure out which is the healthy action.

As children, perhaps we were told, "Children were to be seen and not heard." Maybe we were taught early that we did not have worth, so we remained silent and adapted to the idea that we had nothing worthy of saying.

If we had elders in the home, we may have been blessed with storytellers or kind souls willing to listen to our words. We may have gained not only respect but the freedom of articulation and an openness to hear our inner voice. Otherwise, we become a silent child ... well, silent on the outside and screaming on the inside.

Our ability to articulate impacts the amount of energy in our bodies. Again, we find the body, mind, and spirit connection. All three work together and by doing so supplies energy to the highest capacity.

By allowing Divine to contribute to our thoughts and emotions, articulation lifts us to a stronger sense of all things being related. We feel a force that all humans have as well as every living thing in nature. Energy or force can also be felt and registered in rocks, earth, or other materials we do not normally consider to be alive.
Think of the forces found in water or air or fire.

Once we allow ourselves to be changed by the strength found in speaking our truth fully, we find a new sense of vitality, beauty, and passion for life. We feel totally connected to the positive forces in life and embrace others with compassion. By being true to our selves, we encourage others to do the same. Our new found energy can be felt by others and the like~hearted will be drawn to us.

Try to create a few affirmations.


"Words of integrity flow from my heart"

"Truth brings calm and energy"

"Communication with Spirit inspires"

"I love and respect all parts of my self"