The True Home

In the cave of the heart, the true I

Radiates alone with a subtle light:

The one essence shining forth without defect ~

Blissful consciousness of Being.

Oleg Mogilever

(trans Nadhia Sutara)

Inquiry into the "I'

For many years, my focus was on "Who am I?" while discovering what part I was playing in the greater theater of the Universe.  My attempt to identify myself with worldly labels left me empty lacking a sense of passion.  Upon realizing all I was seeking resided within me, satisfied my yearnings and allowed me time to explore my gifts and how I was to use them.

The other day a friend remarked about the difference between helping and serving and it is a point worth sharing.  When you help someone, there is occasion to become an enabler or to become a barrier to a lesson the person needs to experience.  In serving, a person is assisting and empowering the other person.  The individual is led to a higher understanding, actualizing personal growth.  It is no longer about 'me' anymore, but it is about how Divine Spirit can best use me to serve others.

Instead of using my energy to be seeking from outside of myself, I sit filled with bliss just being connected to the radiant inner light of my soul.  This is the true home.  This stillness is the source of comfort and hope.  The whispers of the soul create vivid images of inspiration and flight.  There is no better place to be. 

Making Connections

"For most women, the language of conversation is primarily a language of rapport:  a way of establishing connections and negotiating relationships.

Deborah Tannen


The most important conversation we will ever need to have is with our selves.  If it is honest communication, we will make the important connections in our lives avoiding limitations, barriers, and diversions.  This conversation can be made through contemplation, meditation, and most importantly through the writing of our own hand.

There is something to be said for putting pencil to paper, ignoring grammar, and just allowing words to flow.  We can be amazed at the information we receive that would be otherwise hidden or buried beneath years of experiences. 

In Julia Cameron's book, THE RIGHT TO WRITE she discusses working with a man for four years.  She found him to be distant and unapproachable.  She felt it must have been his up bringing and left it at that.  Then one day in particular, she was tired  of the lack of connection between them as it stunted her creative expression.  She went home and immediately started dumping out all of her feelings onto paper.  As she expressed her feelings, she was surprised when she wrote down this man reminded her of her snow white Arabian horse.  As she drew comparisons between the attitude of the horse and the attitude of her co-worker, she realized they both played a game of control.  "The inevitable dynamic here," Julia wrote, "is about power ~~~
power manifested and maintained through withholding."  She realized that she would never be creative in an atmosphere of hide and seek with power, so she quit her job.

The important thing here is through writing, Julia Cameron was able to make a connection she might not have made otherwise.  It is through our written word we become intimately connected with our hurt feelings, wounds, and pain.  We find the triggers that set us off and make the connection of why it happens.  We find our selves connecting our present with buried incidents in our past.  Understanding our selves does not always mean taking action such as resigning from a position.  It does allow a direct connection to what is happening between our body, mind, and spirit.  Writing allows us to keep our experiences private, to recall unhappy occasions without having to experience personal shame in front of others, and to be able to control just how long we want to spend on the subject.  When we feel we have reached an understanding, we can tear the paper up or burn it, never to be shared if so chosen.

There are some of us who do not have confidants or people we feel safe exploring our personal lives.  Sometimes we just need to hear our selves think without causing consequences.  Writing is a perfect tool to connect self with self.  We can sincerely listen to what we say and then read what is written.  There are times when what we have written does not match what we were thinking.  In exploring our inner thoughts through the safe practice of writing, we can feel our selves shifting.  Either we are moving closer to a decision or we are understanding the underlying problem. 

Here is a challenge for making connections.  Just for this week, keep a journal randomly writing down whatever comes to mind.  Be consistent and honest.  At the end of the week, find a quiet space and read each page of the  journal from beginning to end.  Notice what we have left out or what we included not knowing it had been bothering us.  As we read through the pages, we can discover a theme displayed in different scenarios.  There is so much to learn from our very selves if we just by making connections!

  

Breath of Fresh Air

       

       

"Who will tell whether one happy moment of love or the joy of breathing or walking on a bright morning and smelling the fresh air, is not worth all the suffering and effort which life implies.

Erich Fromm

Today, I was allowed to breathe in fresh air.  The sun was shining on my face and precious breaths of pure air filled my lungs.  I felt more alive than I have in months.  These cleansing breaths poured over my troubled thoughts, sluggish body, and tainted cells.  I am alive once again.

It is like this when traveling the spiral, repeating lessons, and healing a little deeper each slide around a coil.   These transitions seemingly take forever when I am anticipating the very next segment.  I wait and wait, but when nothing rises on the horizon fear settles in ... what if there is nothing more? 

Seclusion seemed the most obvious way to settle my mind and open my heart to something new.  To eliminate distractions I focused  on reading, writing, and contemplating, but I did not seem to speed a transition along.  Desperate, I finally reached out to kindred spirits, hoping for some direction to appear.  Foolish gesture, indeed as all answers are within.  

Aware of my despair, a special soul held my hand and walked with me into my depths, helping to clear the debris blocking my path.   With her wisdom, she silently held her light for me to see more clearly the illusion of fear. She witnessed the dawning of my need to get out of my own way.

A surprise gathering of three eclectic spirits  reminded me of the power we all hold within.  As if waking from a long winter's nap, my strengths stretched  awakening the better parts of me.  How could I have fallen into such a deep sleep that I could no longer hear what I deeply know and what I have learned through a life time of lessons. 

My soul sounds like it is humming, happy to be inspired once again.  The breath of fresh air has ignited my visions and creative play is bouncing around in my head.  I had been worried my spiritual contract was complete, but today I know I am very far from done!

Deleted Files

The truth is a force of such magnitude that it demands to be known one way or another.

If buried, the truth will push its way to the surface.  Denial or suppression of the truth will manifest as ill health, dysfunctional relationships or financial problems.  The truth does not remain silenced or suppressed comfortably.  It may take a lifetime, but the truth will win out.

Deborah King

 TRUTH HEALS



Our minds are like master computers.  They record information regarding people, places, and things.  Our personal computer is our Secret Keeper recording and repressing.  We have special files we store information in, the inbox for current thoughts, and the delete button to get rid of what is no longer useful.  As in all computers, however, deleted files can be reclaimed if we know what we are doing or secure a person who knows how to guide us through the process.

We take our unpleasant experiences and store them in a file.  Each time we open the file, we can review and heal just a little bit more to the point of eventually eliminating the file all together.  It no longer serves any purpose and is just taking up valuable space. 

Repressing information is much different.  When we repress something, it means not looking at it, not coming to understand the relevance and not healing.  We do not comprehend the importance of this information and it impede our mental health. 

When we hide something from our present state of mind, it gets dumped into the physical body.  We will carry it in the form of a headache or stomachache, even to the point of a more serious physical illness.  We are so uncomfortable with the information it creates a "dis-ease".

Continued repression of issues we have not dealt with, impacts our mind, then our body, and then our spirit.  The flow of our natural spirit is impaired and we become depressed.  In this depression we may continue to remain in denial about whatever is buried deep within us.

Repressed memories will not surface until we are ready to deal with them.  Sometimes they float to the surface, but we may not be ready so once again we push them down, even unknowingly.  We may realize something is nagging at us but we can't quite put our finger on it.  There seems to be something just under the surface and we cannot identify it.

Repressed incidents can be released through a random fragrance, touch, physical location,  passing remark or a dream.  In fact, when something originally happens and we repress it, it may resurface in a dream.  If we ignore the dream, it may resurface again in a form of a nightmare.  If we continue to ignore these incidents, the ignored issue will be repressed from the mental into the physical.

So the button on the keyboard, "escape" is really too convenient for us to use.  We think by just clearing the document we will be fine and this is not true.  The longer our deleted information is repressed, and the virus is ignored, the damage grows greater. 

The broken spirit eventually wears out or we can say our computer crashes.  Reclaiming our lost or deleted document requires outside help ... a technician of sorts.  We can reach out to a trusted friend, minister, life coach or minister.  Admittedly, this can be a long process requiring patience, diligence, and forgiveness.   With the elimination of so many old files, one may want to downsize to an iPad or just an iPhone requiring future years of learning all of the new aps! In the end, however, we will feel liberated with the sense of advanced programing. 

Clean Slate



 

 

I live in my own little world.

But its ok, they know me here.
Lauren Myracle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Traveling by airplane is very stressful for me.  I am intimidated by going through screenings based on nothing but irrational fear.  I am always early and relieved to sit by the appropriate gate, hoping flights won't be canceled or delayed.  I never feel quite secure until I am finally strapped in my seat.  I have no fear of flying preferring the speed of take-off to the jolt of landing. 

 

Arriving in Key West, descending the stairs of the airplane, anticipation spreads through my being.  I will go with the flow, follow a loosely structured day, welcoming every spontaneous event.  I will breathe in the warm air, soak up the sunshine, and delight in the diversity I find so endearing in this special place of mine.  I am much the same here, and I just blend in, being the observer of a life so different and carefree.  The creative energy surging through the art galleries, eateries, musicians, and kindred spirits seems to lift my spirits to a level where I can soar.

 

Our living quarters are quite small compared to our Illinois home, but they support the effort to live minimally without clutter and distraction.  I settle my clothes, find a place for my journals and lap top, and wander to the porch ... a perfect hideaway to use my iPad and dream.  In bare feet I walk through thick grass to the small heated pool and let my feet uncoil in the pleasure of the water in this small private garden of a yard.

 

This will be my home, although void of all my personal treasures ... family pictures, books, old journals and collections.  There is nothing but freedom here waiting for me.  No responsibilities or expectations or commitments.  Free to be a different me without associations, labels, or recognition. 

 

This is an opportunity to begin a new beginning.  The slate is clean waiting for the newness of this authentic and  inspirational adventure.  Oh, I can hardly believe I have yet once again returned to my lovely Key West!

Completion Is Mine

There comes a time when the world gets quiet and the only thing left is your own heart.  So you'd better learn the sound of it.  Otherwise, you'll never understand what it's saying.

 

~Sara Dessen

 JUST LISTEN

 

 

Since Christmas Day, I have been cloistered, unplanned.  I have had numerous hours for contemplation and wide spaces in time for writing, but my physical weakness curtails my desire.  I have slept more hours than actually awake, and I have had many a journey into the depths of my soul.    When I find myself actually awake, I use the idol time to translate the images, symbols, and teachers who have visited my slumbers. 

 

As I inventory myself, I find bits and pieces missing or out of place.  It is as though certain aspects of myself are not working quite as crisply as they had.  There is no time to loiter over a suspicious loss when magnificent doors have been thrown open into realms of  ancient past, current present, and the forever on going future.

 

There is great comfort in recalling the sound of the last piece of the puzzle sliding into place.  The "ah ha" moment when the entire world falls into peace, calm, love and order.  When all the senses align themselves opening the heart to embrace all that is ... and there is nothing but the presence of Divine Spirit intertwined in us all.

 

All else falls away and I feel transcended, a true light body; and yet I have gone no where.  I remain in the same place, surrounded by all that was there prior, but what is unnecessary turns translucent and shimmers away.  Sweet sounds of music tune my memories into revelations easily understood.  Completion is mine, and I am all I need to be.

 

Inward Gaze

 

Truth be told, the inward gaze is something she's not too fond of.  But there are secrets that lurk in the mind, and she doesn't want any of them sneaking up on her.  Sometimes it pays to take a deep look inside even if you get queasy gazing into those dark corners.

 

Alden Bell

The Reapers Are the Angels

 

 

We all repress unpleasant memories for a variety of reasons.  Who knows what really triggers one to unexpectedly surface.  We might respond with a fit of nervous laughter or a startling realization of the return of something thought to have been left in the past.  There may be a sense of foreboding or dread, but if something has surfaced, we need to take a look.

 

It is said with recalling memories, nothing will appear we are not prepared to examine.  If our mind feels certain we are capable of exploring, it will release what it is we need to know.

 

Exploring inner landscapes is not always a pleasant thing to do.  We find our selves discovering both shadow and light.  We search for words to articulate the silence held within and this is not an easy task.  In fact it takes courage and resilience to face what appears to be the unknown.

 

Our hidden truth is like a seed buried in the ground, pushing to sprout and be known.  When we are capable of  embracing whatever lurks under the surface, we will find our selves to be a creative master of our garden.

Writing, My Forever Friend

                                                Write what disturbs you,

what you fear,

what you have not been willing to speak about.

Be willing to be split open.

Natalie Goldberg

Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

If you have any interest in writing, get your self acquainted with Natalie Goldberg.  She in not only an excellent writer, she is an inspiration to those wanting to write.  While reading her endless material, you instantly feel connected with a personal mentor. 

A few years ago, local writers joined together to form a weekly writer's forum.  Although some of us were strangers to each other, we seemed to bond right away.  All of us liked to write, and we seemed to have a different focus ... fantasy, poetry, memoirs, non-fiction  ... so there was never any competitiveness.  On the contrary, the support we received from each other was amazing. 

While attending the writer's forum a fellow writer Becky, now living in New Zealand, taught me how to set up a blog.  Once I began posting, I never stopped.  I post every day about familiar subjects that randomly appear in that scary place known only to myself ... my mind.

In grade school, I developed the love for writing.  By the summer between 7th and 8th grade, I had written two novels.  In high school, my writing turned very dark and was a more cryptic style of  off-beat poetry.  I only wrote when I found my mind to be in a very dark and lonely place, which unfortunately was often. 

Once in college, my writing expanded.  Even though I had kept diaries since mid-grade school, my writing demanded more and more time and space.  I seemed to write everywhere and anywhere.  I was encouraged by a few professors to take my writing a little more seriously and to focus on journalism.  I graduated with a double major in Psychology-Sociology and used my skills writing case manager notes and court documents.

As the years crept by, I continued my love for writing.  I have numerous journals spanning over my life.  With my love for typing which I developed in high school, the computer took me flying as fast as my fingers could go.  I began printing e-mails of correspondence or articles of interest and saving them in binders.  For seven years, I kept deliberate journals tracking my dreams. 

Smaller journals were wonderful to take on trips or to slide into my purse.  There never seemed to be a question of what to write as much as there was the question of when I could write.  These smaller journals held different writings like quick insights or topics I wanted to follow up on or an author recommended for a great new book.

Now, of course, my iPad has been added to the mix.  It seems to be my forever friend, willing and waiting to just accept what I have to write or to link me to cyber space in quest of something in particular. 

Everyone can write interesting material.  It isn't about sentence structure and punctuations, it is about whatever sits in your soul.  Everyone has something to say and writing is the avenue to say it.  Even if your writing never sees the light of day and is kept locked in a drawer, the words need to sprawl across the page!

We Are All Called

Do not die with your music still in you!

Wayne Dyer

What makes the heart sing?  Are there words to the music we only  hum?  Where does the cadence of happiness originate?  Who creates the melody accompanying joy?

We all have a song of some sort within our heart.  A melody, perhaps, that brings us comfort or inspiration.  A dream that needs to be set in motion.  As unique human beings, we all have an original score to bring out into the world. 

We are not all Masters or Artists, but this is not a reason to prevent each of us from contributing in creative ways, big or small.  There are inventors, entrepreneurs, and explorers, who are every day people being brave enough to submit their notes out into the world. 

Lyrics come in dreams, conversations, and literature we choose to read.  They present themselves during exercise or cleaning or watching a child play. 

Inspiration needs to be shared, as we are all called to create.  Whether it is a matter of sharing a garden flower arrangement or an undeveloped scientific formula, we are called to leave a trace of our authentic selves in the midst of others.  We can extend this creative part of ourselves either discreetly or boldly, however we decide.  Just follow through and do it!

Just Being Me

 

 

 

I bare my nakedness to the world

that the world may see who I am;

not the mask that hides my flaws,

not the mask that hides my beauty.

I bask in the light and I take off the mask!

 

Jocelyn Soriano

 

 

It is difficult for all of us to stand naked before the world.  For some it takes years of great courage while others are adventurers leading the way.  Then there are those who simply forget they are wearing a mask and therefore never disrobe.

 

Thinking back, I can remember how frightening it was to allow people to see the real me.  To be able to be the same person in private as well as in public, risking judgment and scorn.  And then when I became fully integrated, I experienced incredible freedom and joy with the prospect of just being me. 

 

No matter where I went, there I was ... not wearing masks to fit particular occasions, and not cloaking values which would dishonor my spirit.  Instead of feeling vulnerable, I felt empowered.

 

In order to live fully in our own skin, we must articulate our silence, explore our inner landscapes, and decipher our dreams.  We must know ourselves thoroughly in order to present ourselves as in integrated human spirit.   There is nothing better than simply just being me!

 

 

 

 

Sacred Moments

Two perhaps three times, I was sure I would touch the essence and I would know.  I was sitting immobile with watery eyes, I felt my backbone fill with quiet certitude.  Earth stood still, heaven stood still, my immobility was nearly perfect.  If it happens to me once more, I shall be moved neither by the postman's bell nor by the shouting of angels.  I shall sit immobile, my eyes fixed upon the heart of things.  

ZBIGNIEW HERBERT
(trans Czeslaw Milosz)
Revelation


Magical moments come unannounced.  If we do not embrace them at the very moment, we may never recapture them again or worse yet, never recognize them at all.

Inspiration appears in the face of a newborn, the sun gently setting,  or a star streaking across the sky.  Insight awakens as we whisper a prayer or sit quietly in meditation.  Others find total connection with Divinity as they stretch into a yoga pose or slip in the the runner's "zone". 

When sacred awareness arrives unannounced, the mysterious essence sinks deeply within, while the moment itself disappears as swiftly as the brush of a butterfly wing!  If we neglect to carefully stay in the moment, the experience can be overlooked entirely.  It is as though a sheer veil is slightly pulled aside for us to glimpse into another world, and when the veil gently falls back into place, we question what tricks our imaginations have played upon us.

Since we so readily dismiss these experiences with details falling to the way side, it is a good practice to keep a journal just for these special moments.  Then on particularly challenging days, we can be reminded of the sacred moments when wisdom came our way.

Wizard, Not Magician

In the West a wizard is primarily thought to be a magician who practices alchemy, turning base metal into gold.  Alchemy also exists in India, but the word alchemy is really a code word.  It stands for turning human beings into gold, turning our base qualities of fear, ignorance, hatred, and shame into the most precious stuff there is:  love and fulfillment.  So a teacher who can teach you how to turn yourself into a free, loving person is by definition an alchemist.

Deepak Chopra

THE WAY OF THE WIZARD

Some of our best teachers in life may have appeared to be our enemies.  Think about it.  Looking at our lives, who have taught us the harshest lessons ... kind folks or those in clear opposition? 

I have been blessed with many loving teachers, but I have definitely gone up against opposition sometimes learning the hard way.  There have been times that I longed for a teacher to come into my life, but not always did one appear. 

The expectations we hold for a teacher, are they for magic or wisdom? Do we long for a magician to appear and remedy all of our problems or do we prefer a wizard who will teach us wisdom to face our own challenges?  

Many of us long for a secure place to enter and listen to wisdom. Some of us travel near and far seeking the wisdom of would be wizards.  Deepak Chopra says, "A wizard exists in all of us.  This wizard sees and knows everything."  So once again we are prompted to stop exploring outside of our selves, and begin to explore our own inner landscapes.  

When we are finally open to the wizard within, we begin to not only hear wisdom, but we begin to use it to free our creativity, love, and spiritual nature.  Embracing the knowledge within, we begin to expand our awareness and attract wisdom from all surrounding people and things.  We experience a full sense of being and a true purpose in life.  

Rumi shares with us:  "You are the unconditioned spirit trapped in conditions, like the sun in eclipse."  We can endeavor to set our selves free through self-discovery and deep appreciation for who we truly are ... Wizard, not Magician.

Discovering the Temple

What's In The Temple?

In the quiet spaces of my mind a thought lies still, but ready to spring.
It begs me to open the door so it can walk about.
The poets speak in obscure terms pointing madly at the unsayable.
The sages say nothing, but walk ahead patting their thigh calling for us to follow.
The monk sits pen in hand poised to explain the cloud of unknowing.
The seeker seeks, just around the corner from the truth.
If she stands still it will catch up with her.
Pause with us here a while.
Put your ear to the wall of your heart.
Listen for the whisper of knowing there.
Love will touch you if you are very still.

If I say the word God, people run away.
They've been frightened--sat on 'till the spirit cried "uncle."
Now they play hide and seek with somebody they can't name.
They know he's out there looking for them, and they want to be found,
But there is all this stuff in the way.

I can't talk about God and make any sense,
And I can't not talk about God and make any sense.
So we talk about the weather, and we are talking about God.

I miss the old temples where you could hang out with God.
Still, we have pet pounds where you can feel love draped in warm fur,
And sense the whole tragedy of life and death.
You see there the consequences of carelessness,
And you feel there the yapping urgency of life that wants to be lived.
The only things lacking are the frankincense and myrrh.

We don't build many temples anymore.
Maybe we learned that the sacred can't be contained.
Or maybe it can't be sustained inside a building.
Buildings crumble.
It's the spirit that lives on.

If you had a temple in the secret spaces of your heart,
What would you worship there?
What would you bring to sacrifice?
What would be behind the curtain in the holy of holies?

Go there now.

~ Tom Barrett ~

(Keeping in Touch)
 

There is something about this poem that seems to capture my thoughts about transitioning on the spiritual path.  We tend to out grow original belief systems and then struggle to find new words and definitions for what we now hold dear.  We look at other denominations or outside of the organized church.  We may explore other cultures hoping to find a more personal image of God.  We might visit sacred places expecting to be filled with insight. 

All the while, Spirit waits patiently for us to discover the temple within us.  Yes, we need support an guidance from others, but if you are seeking Divine Connection, be still and listen for the whisper waiting inside.  Surrender to the spiritual calling and sacrifice ego which allows us to see God deep within and in all things, as the world is a spiritual kingdom.

Don't Compromise

Don't compromise yourself.

You are all you've got.

Janis Joplin

 

It is unfortunate in our early years that our uniqueness is seldom highlighted and often times squelched.  Our parents want us to 'fit in' and we are desperate to be accepted by others. We are so young and we begin to abbreviate or delete very valuable parts of our self. 

We silence our voices, repress emotions, and restrict our selves from being fully comfortable in our own skin.  We sacrifice our personal needs, dreams, and desires to be secure in a group no matter how distorted our original self becomes.

When we have 'sold our soul' for the attention of others, we are no longer feeding our potential and we are starving our inner longings.  When we are starving our selves in this manner, we begin to 'stuff' our selves with food, alcohol, drugs, exercise or other compulsive behaviors.  Ultimately, we wander farther and farther away from who we truly are.

Awareness presents itself differently for each of us, but there is usually an echo of a whisper haunting us ... who am I?  In our own time, we eventually begin the long trek back to our authenticity.  Layer after layer of masks come off in the process of self-discovery.  We find our voice once again, and we reconnect with our heartfelt feelings, no longer numb or invisible in life.  We can recapture our dreams and use our gifts and talents to create a satisfying and original life.

Whatever you do, do not compromise your beautiful authentic self ... the price you will pay is just too high!

I Can See Myself ... Georgia O'Keeffe

 

I know now that most people are so closely concerned with themselves that they are not aware of their own individuality.

I can see myself, and it has helped me to say what I want to say

in paint.  ~ Georgia O'Keeffe


There are many ways to project our voices ... through creative expression.  Whether we use paint, pen, or song, the need for self-expression is vital.  We often do not realize what we are thinking or believing until we express it for examination.  We are often surprised as the truth slips out or the out grown evaluations spew. 

How can we seriously expect others to know us if we do not know our selves?  If we hide behind masks, those around us react to what they see and not what is hidden inside.  It is similar to going to the doctor complaining about a pain in the foot when it is really the right shoulder we cannot move. 

Some years ago, in an attempt to know me better, a man asked me what I most liked to do.  Without hesitating I blurted out, "I love to swim!"  Then waves of horror washed over me ... my body in a bathing suit at my age, shaving more than my legs, being exposed to cancerous sun rays that would burn me to a crisp!  This shared insight was so far off course I started to laugh hysterically.  I quickly supplied a different answer, "I love water ... everything about it!" 

Truth be known, I love the sound of water whether it is a gentle rain drop or a crashing wave.  Water soothes and calms me, lulling me into a state of peace.  Whether it is a bubble bath or a sprinkler, my body awakens to the caress of water.  It is cleansing and refreshing.  It is everything opposite of being stuffed into a bathing suit!

Perhaps if we made a list of things we truly enjoyed and then went back over the list adding all of the ways we supported our desires, we would become more aware of how well we knew our selves.  The list would also be a good indicator of how well we met our creative or personal wants and needs and what means we used to express our individuality. 

Can we clearly see our selves?   Do we present our selves accurately?  Are we saying what we need to say? hmmm ....










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!

Going Within ...

It takes a sensitive ear

to tune in to the

silence of the heart,

but it is there in each one of us.

The Daily Om

Nurturing Body, Mind, & Spirit

There was an earlier time when I believed enlightenment could only be experienced in a mountain monastery or in the presence of a spiritual guru. After years of seeking, I slowly discovered enlightenment residing inside of myself.  

Resources are wonderful ... books, lectures, trainings, mystical experiences ... but you can save a lot of money and time if you simply go within as you already have everything you need.  You just need to quiet your mind and listen.

Simply light a candle sitting comfortably in a chair.  Let your mind be distracted by observing the dance of the flame.  Breathe deeply and slowly while your heart opens spreading love throughout your body.  Feel the calm melting away thoughts and fears.  It is within this created space where silence resides.   Your body relaxes into this solitude and you can hear your heart speak ... maybe without words, or with color and images, senses or feelings, or a strong impression.

It is best to have no expectations and to keep an open mind.  Results may not be noticed for several hours.  If you fall asleep during the process, your heart still speaks as your spirit listens.

Try to maintain an awareness afterwards in order to recognize the synchronicity this experience provides









Clearing in the Forest

This is what I believe:

That I am I.

That my soul is a dark forest.

That my known self will never be more

than a little clearing in the forest.

That gods, strange gods, come forth

into the clearing of my known self

and then go back.

That I must have the courage to let

them come and go.

That I will never let mankind put anything

over me, but that I will try always to recognize

and submit to the gods in me and the gods

in other men and women.

STUDIES IN CLASSIC AMERICAN LITERATURE

D. H. Lawrence

There is something about this poem that truly speaks to me.  It resonates within me with every reading and stirs my inner 'knowings' with certainty. 

In the past, I have always used the word 'veil' to describe  unexpected moments seen with precise clarity.  The veil is pulled to the side and spiritual vision comes into focus bringing understanding to elements of life otherwise indescribable.  The moment passes and the veil slides elegantly back into place leaving the viewer at a loss for explanation.  There are no words in our language to explain what the eyes have seen and the heart has heard.

The unexpected moments of 'knowing', I believe, are the same as the 'strange gods' mentioned in this piece.  Spiritual intelligence or whatever term comfortably used, nudges us into an awareness so we can receive insight, encouragement, and rekindled faith. 

The unfortunate part is the brevity of the experience.  It is never lengthy as a vision might be or as detailed as a dream.  It is simply a pocket in time where an other worldly impression is made with all senses responding and miraculously understanding. 

The experience passes as quickly as it arrives.  In the passing instant the entire universe has been opened to detailed comprehension, but only leaving a vague memory. 

Is Divine Spirit really... out there ... or does this supreme power also reside within each human being?  If this deity could be seen deep inside each of us, would be quite so eager to kill and destroy or would integrity and diversity prevail.

I believe my life is more peaceful when I listen with my compassionate heart, respecting the spirits within me as well as the strange gods residing in others. 

.

One Step At A Time

“Look around you. Everything changes. Everything on this earth is in a continuous state of evolving, refining, improving, adapting, enhancing…changing. You were not put on this earth to remain stagnant.” 

~Steve Maraboli

Life, the Truth, and Being Free

Even though we are tempted to rush up the stairs, taking several steps in one big stretch or to simply sit on the bottom step fearful of moving, we evolve more fluently by going slowly ... one step at a time.

Our subconscious minds or soul if you wish, tends to know a plan prior to our physical and mental realization.  Perhaps it starts with a longing or a discontent even though we have no thoughts of change.  We may tell ourselves we should be content with what we have and it might be selfish to look for more.

There is a visualization of a person having one foot firmly placed on the ground with the other foot sticking straight out without any substance under it.  We often times find ourselves not wanting to leave and not knowing where it is we want to go.  We can become agitated by conflict and fear.

Self-definition evolves through out our lives or else we become stagnant.  While exploring new options, we do not have to sever old relationships.  Friends and family ties may have to be arranged just a little bit differently, but not given up entirely.  Just as we do not obliterate older parts of ourselves, we adjust, redefine, and integrate the old with the new.  

There is so much to be learned that if we run up all of the steps at once, we miss important layering that will keep our foundation strong.  The journey, after all, is to be enjoyed one step at a time.  

This process at times may feel selfish, but really it is a way of protecting our selves while climbing the stairs.  If we repeatedly step to the side to let others by, allowing their passage to be priority over our own, then who is really the selfish one?  Why is someone else's wishes less selfish than your own?

To trust in ourselves, we must know ourselves ... intentions, motivations, guidance.  We must be patient while conflict unravels as we continue to step through our fears.  

Come to the edge, he said.

They said:  We are afraid.

Come to the edge, he said.

They came.

He pushed them ... and they flew.

Guillaume Apollinaire

Who Am I

      

Someone's spirit, however, has no name;  it is pure truth and inhabits a particular body for a certain period of time, and will, one day, leave it.  ...  The great mystics changed their names, and sometimes abandoned them altogether.  When John the Baptist was asked who he was, he said only: "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness."  ... When Moses asked God his name, back came the reply:  "I am who I am."  

THE WINNER STANDS ALONE by Paulo Coelho

Paulo Coelho is one of the most widely read authors in the world and was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace in 2007.  I have read all of his books and I have my definite favorites.  He is widely known for his book entitled, THE ALCHEMIST.   If you have not read it, please do, as it is a classic.

"For that is the essence of life:  the ability to love, not the name we carry around on our passport, business card, and identity card," states Mr. Coelho.  And yet one of the first things we learn is our name.  Many of us are born with very lengthy family names or named after historical figures.  We abbreviate our given names in our youth and acquire 'nick names' as we navigate through education. In our careers, we work towards titles or letters to be added behind our names.  We marry and change our names or for whatever reason take on entirely different identities.  Even God has endless names...Yahweh, Divine Spirit, Allah, Creator, Father, Jehovah, King of Kings, etc... and yet God replies to Moses "I am who I am."

After all the naming is said and done, we still may have no sense of who we really are.  As Paulo Coelho says, the essence of life is not about a name.  

Once I attended a party and very few people knew each other.  As an 'ice breaker'  the host created a game that  disallowed anyone to say who they were.  Each person was required to respond with information about himself or herself while engaged in conversation, but could not reveal an occupation or current business association.  

We learned a lot about ourselves as we struggled to represent our life without our socially acceptable portrait.  The experience was awkward, soul searching, and at times quite humorous, but the essence of our life was more forthcoming than normal.

I believe it is imperative to frequently ask one self:

What is the essence of my life?

Who am I ?

No, really.

Who am I?