The Finish Line

"No one has a problem with the first mile of the journey.

Even an infant could do fine for a while.

But it isn't the start that matters.

It's the finish line."

Julien Smith

THE FLINCH

 

 

If I need to be inspired, reading Julia Cameron's book THE RIGHT TO WRITE rekindles all of the excitement I experience when I choose to write.  This was not so true when I was younger.  I would choose to write from my dark side and my words were angry, harsh and abrasive.  There was also  a time I wished I could write while I was happy.  I did not notice being happy was a choice.  It was something I waited for ... and waited for.  Now, when I am feeling unsettled, I can write and feel balance creeping back in carrying calm and connection.

Julia Cameron comments that writers say, "I just string words together."  She believes that writers choose words like jewelers choose beads.  Words are fingered like beads, selecting and joining them until we feel as though something has been completed.  We pay attention to cadence and harmony, arranging and then re-arranging as something different catches one or more of our five senses.

Very seldom will I leave a writing incomplete.  If I do not finish in one attempt, rarely do I continue when I come back to it.  Some how I have lost the flow, the intention, or where I was headed.  I find this to be true in my life as well.

Gary Zukov in his latest book, SPIRITUAL PARTNERSHIP, discusses how we express ourselves in various roles we play in life.  He suggests we may be playing dual roles simultaneously and they may switch completely from time to time or within minutes.  He cautions that the danger is becoming all too familiar with a role and forgetting who we truly are as the role becomes our singular identity.  Living authentically calls for us to navigate in and out of roles learning our lessons as we go. 

So as I move from child to mother, mother to grandmother, I am adapting and learning through each role.   As a Universal Human, my primary role is life itself with all else becoming sub roles.  Perhaps this is the so called shift so many are experiencing currently.  As we learn to move in and out of roles, discovering our authentic self, there might be some discomfort in not actively playing a role.  When we are simply 'being' and experiencing just life itself without acting, we may find the sensation to be calming, but strange.  This is where the culture of productivity comes in.  When we are simply being in the moment, we may feel uncomfortable not being able to account for our time.  It may even seem selfish to just be when so much waits for us in the side wings.

The key is to keep moving forward without attachments.  Finish what we can doing the best we can, but having the ability to start anew when we are directed into a different means of experiencing life.  If we happen to become stuck along the way, we are distracted from finding the end wherever it may be waiting.  No matter what it is or when it is, the finish line is wherever Divine Spirit hopefully says, "Job well done."

Seeing the Difference

"O God, help me to believe the truth

about myself

no matter how beautiful it is!"

Macrina Weiderkher

Benedictine nun

It is amazing how quickly we believe the negative about ourselves, even when we know it is untrue.  It is equally amazing how long it takes us to find it the beauty within our selves and how difficult it is to embrace it. 

We ease into our awareness when we embrace the beauty in others and in all of life.  It is a bit more challenging to perceive everything as a reflection of our selves.  Unfortunately this includes the weaknesses right along with the strengths.  It some how takes our weakness to appreciate our strength.  We tend to take our personal strength as common and not unusual when in reality, we all are uniquely gifted.

In his book, THE SEAT OF THE SOUL, Gary Zukav (a favorite male author other than Mark Nepo and Alan Cohen) references the difference between external power and internal power.  Our culture grooms us for the need to manipulate and control others at the cost of our personal integrity and denial of true nature.  When we bring our focus on cultivating our own strengths in an effort to enhance not only our lives, but the lives of others, we begin to feel internal power. 

We each have a unique gift with the responsibility of sharing it with our community and our world.  As we devolop our skills to enhance our offerings, we are no longer in competition or threatened by others.  When we learn to balance our selves with multiple perspectives, there is no driven need to be right or wrong.  There is just a drive to 'know' and understand. 

When we place our faith and trust in the Divine and activate our internal power, we attract others endeavoring to enhance themselves ... The Universal Law of Attraction.  When we disengage from people not supporting our creative process or not having the highest good as their intention, we feel stronger in facing the challenges before us. 

In time and with practice, we learn to observe the beauty within our own nature.  We begin to see all of the beauty in the world.  As we focus on the positive, we impact our selves and others creating healthier communities ... physical, mental, and spiritual.  Individually and together, we begin to see the difference.



 

Awakening to Personal Power

“Once the soul awakens, the search begins and you can never go back. From then on, you are inflamed with a special longing that will never again let you linger in the lowlands of complacency and partial fulfillment. The eternal makes you urgent. You are loath to let compromise or the threat of danger hold you back from striving toward the summit of fulfillment.”

John O'Donohue
Anam Cara:  A Book of Celtic Wisdom



It is believed by many that our souls are waking up to discover a Divine Presence within us, shifting us into a different way of embracing our world.  It is becoming apparent to many that the power once needed to govern new territories has become a weapon used to manipulate and control for an outcome of greed.  It is no longer a simple act of safety, but an act for personal gain.

The souls that are awakening are not focused on external power.  They are discovering the power within themselves.  They are discovering unique gifts and talents allowing them to be compassionate, accepting and respectful to all peoples.  They are not competitive and exclusively looking for private gain.  Everyone wants to prosper, but not at the cost of repressing others.  These awakening souls are finding God in everything and everyone, so extending harm is not their answer.

Awakening can happen over a very long period of time.  We can be aware of it and ignore it until it pesters us enough to finally respond.  When we awaken, we feel a personal power, not to be used over others, but to be used to fulfill our life's purpose.  For others, awakening can be a very potent spiritual experience. 

If we choose to be fully awakened and alter a time worn belief system, we move from being a five sensory human being into a multi-sensory being.  We recognize the presence of the physical but also the non-physical.  We begin to lose our sense of separation and feel connected to all there is.

Throughout history, there have been awakened souls, but they have been a minority escaping to monasteries or living in exclusion.  The awakened soul today realizes the need to not only discover gifts and talents, but the necessity to share the gifts and talents with others in order to help them follow their own hearts as well.

When like attracts like, kindred spirits can be a source of encouragement, receptive listening, or a way-shower.  The light we all carry within begins to beam brightly attracting other light of those who are also dedicated to honesty, respect, and calm. 

According to Gary Zukav in his book, SPIRITUAL PARTNERSHIP, the generation coming into the world today are already awakening and by the time the following generation arrives, the world will be using personal power on the basis of supporting each other with our gifts and talents rather than manipulating and controlling for personal gain.

"A pipe dream," one may think, but it is a beginning to be believed in.  Improvement must be made to delete the violence of man and his selfish thinking.  Increment by increment, we all can change if we choose to and I do so hope we all will choose. 

Called To Be Present

"Some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength. However, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go and then do it.”

Ann Landers

There are times we find our selves in an awkward position with a family member, neighbor, friend or co-worker, as they seek help with a particular problem.   We feel the need to supply them with helpful information to 'fix' whatever the problem may be.  If we cannot supply an immediate solution, we may take on their stress as well.

For some of us, it is easy to fall into the caretaker role and feel the need to fix others.  It is one thing to share knowledge and to be compassionate, and quite another to become overly involved in some one's  personal challenges.

Gary Zukav's most recent book, SPIRITUAL PARTNERSHIP discusses how to make all of our communications and actions conscious and loving.  He suggests to first consult our intuition.  Check in with our selves to touch base with our most honest feelings.  Then be certain of our intention prior to speaking out.  Are we wanting to judge, gossip, or blame the person or do we sincerely care to respond. 

Take the time to explore our own wisdom.  Give sincere thought to what information resonates in compliance with our truths.  Our intuition coupled with appropriate intention will allow us to speak clearly from our higher self without focusing on an immediate quick fix. 

It is important to respond with "I" statements as the information being shared is what resonates within our own selves.  We want to share what is our own truth without giving direction or solution.  The other person who is listening, needs to gather such information and then decide what is for his or her own good.

We can display support without specific intervention.  We are called to be present, but not necessarily to be invested in the outcome.  We do not need to be attached to the other person's process.  This does not mean we do not have compassion. 

Spiritual Team



The purpose of our journey on this precious earth is now to align our personalities with our souls.  It is to create harmony, cooperation, sharing, and reverence for Life.  It is to grow spiritually.  This is our new evolutionary pathway.  The old pathway ~ pursuing the ability to manipulate and control ~ no longer works.  It now produces only violence and destruction.

~Gary Zukav~


Years ago, I had a friend who was always kind, thoughtful, and happy.  I mean always.  She was sincere not at all false in her efforts.  Everyone loved being in her presence.  I had the opportunity to spend a length of time  with her, and I knew I would see her true nature.  I was amazed to discover that 24/7, she was as heartfelt as anyone I had ever met.  I asked her, "Marge, don't you ever get tired of being happy?"  She looked at me confused as she clearly didn't know what I was talking about. 

My continuously happy friend Marge was intimately connected with Divinity.  She was completely integrated with body, mind, and spirit.  When puzzled over something, she would pray, meditate or contemplate until the issue was resolved.  She never reacted out of anger or disappointment.  She felt every emotion I ever felt, but unlike me, she experienced life like she was a part of a spiritual team.  She did not face life alone.

We have more choice than we are willing to believe.  When we wake up do we choose to be grumpy or happy?  Are we selective with our kindness?  Do we spend time doing what we love or what we rather not do? 

We always have resources at hand, but we do not always use them.  We have hunches, insights, and gut feelings about decisions we are about to make.  Do we pay attention to our intuition?  If we are so totally disconnected from the God within, we may never hear the guidance available confirming that we are never alone.



Heart of My Soul

Some persons are very decisive

when it comes to avoiding decisions.

Brendan Francis

My mind has been a muddle for several weeks now.  I have been longing for new insight, for spiritual stimulation, and for ancient wisdom to unfold.  My search has taken me to a dead end without resolution.   I have been frustrated and discouraged as my expectations go unmet.

Then it is as though an unseen mentor pulls a heavy curtain to the side and I see with new eyes a passage way overlooked before.  The hallway is filled with warmth, light, and understanding.  It seems to embrace me in such a way that I realize I am being led down a path into the heart of my soul.

Sitting ...  being ...  in solitude,  I find company with myself once again.  I pull in all of my energy being wasted on outward searches and let it rekindle my own truth.  I open my heart to trust in the spiritual process, knowing that soon I will be led.

Within hours, I receive Mark Nepo's wonderful new book, SEVEN THOUSAND WAYS TO LISTEN.  I skim through it excitedly and as I go to put it on the bookshelf, I discover a writing of Gary Zukav. THE MIND OF THE SOUL resonated within me and thankfully my favorite parts are  heavily highlighted!  Returning to my computer, a particular DAILY OM is waiting for me about The Start of Change.  And so it all falls together.

I feel alive again, empowered and ready to cartwheel down this corridor which had been temporarily hidden from me.  In my own small thinking, I have been avoiding my own self-worth.  Doors kept closing of course, until I was safely corralled back into the heart of my soul.  I have yet again learned another lesson and it is good to be me!

Extending Light

The multisensory personality sees Divinity or God or Divine Intelligence or whatever word it chooses to use for this, as Light.  It sees those through whom Divinity flows consciously, such as the Christ, the Buddha, and Krishna, as beings of Light, beings of wholeness, integration, and completeness.

Gary Zukav

THE SEAT OF THE SOUL

Light is energy and light as Divine Energy is in all things ... both living and inanimate objects.  Auras of energy or light can be seen around plants as well as human beings.  If a rock is held in our hand or if we sit on a large boulder, eventually we will begin to feel energy coming from the formation.   All elements of life have energy or light:  water, air, fire, and earth.

So if we can sense the presence of light or God in all things and all beings, we are called to treat everyone and every thing honorably or with respect.  If we maintain the awareness of Divine being present, our actions are called to a higher level of relating.

Violence or harsh reactions attract very abrasive energy over shadowing the light within us.  When we allow our light to stay strong, we operate on a higher frequency or more compatible vibration.

As an energy worker (Reiki Master and Karuna Reiki Master) I use light every day.  I send light or energy to those who are challenged or to those whom I love dearly.  The more I use energy, the stronger my light grows which allows me to extend light out into the world. 

Light can be thought of as Divine Energy or prayer or love as it takes on many forms.  As we open our hearts and let our light shine from within we attract more light and make our surroundings a better place to be.  Let us be more deliberate in extending our light as it not only  improves the well being of others, but our own sense of joy, as well.

Learning Through Relationships

  When men and women are able to respect and accept  
  their differences then love has a chance to blossom.
                                      John Gray

  Ideally, couples need three lives; one for him, one for
 her and one for them together.
                                Jacqueline Bisset


Gary Zukav is the author of a wonderful book entitled, THE SEAT OF THE SOUL.  Although published in 1998 the book continues to trigger insight into human beings evolving into a more multi-sensory experience that not only enhances authentic power, but impacts the collective experience as well.

Each chapter of THE SEAT OF THE SOUL is filled with information to be digested slowly.  It is not a quick read by any means as it covers a variety of subjects that deserve attention.  At this time, however, I center my thoughts on his writings about relationship.

At one time, a relationship was established for security, shelter, protection and procreation.  Gary Zukav discusses spiritual partnerships as being just as committed, but with emphasis on individual spiritual journey or personal growth.  He suggests that spiritually, we desire the very best for our partner who is on his or her own journey bringing a richness to the partnership as well as to the collective consciousness.  In doing this, however, by supporting the desires of our partner, it may mean that either partner may be called in a different direction through the process of further spiritual development. Ideally, each partner can continue to support and celebrate the transformation of the other, but at times, one partner may be left behind.

So how do we react when we are the partner who is left behind?  Gary Zukav understands that we do not 'react', but rather, we 'respond'.  In truly loving and supporting the significant people in our lives, we must be holding their highest desire in our hearts.  We are called to encourage and embrace change without the drama of emotions such as anger or self-pity.  This is no easy task.

In A DEEP BREATH OF LIFE, author Alan Cohen states:  "Even when we do something foolish or unkind, we may be participating in a plan that ultimately serves everyone involved.  In retrospect, even those who tried to hurt us ultimately contributed to our healing.  If we are better off after an adventure, we can thank everyone involved, no matter what part they played in the drama.

"Trust that good things can come out of an apparent mistake. The big picture reveals that love is always present."

This attitude indeed requires a stretch of our emotions and understandings.  The question is not "Why did this happen to me?"  This question places us in the role of the victim.  The question needs to be, "What is the lesson for me to learn?"  This inquiry eliminates the emotional drama and propells us forward with understanding and empowerment.

The only constant in life is change and rarely do we have the vision to grasp the larger picture.  If at an earlier age my entire life flashed before my eyes, I feel quite certain that I would have been overwhelmed.  I sense that I would have said, "No thank you" believing that I would not have the tools to navigate through the challenges that I would encounter on a dark and shadowed path.  

So I have gathered bits and pieces as I have traveled through my life.  Individually, many circumstances did not make sense, but later, when coupled with other events, a picture begins to take form.  There are patterns, cycles, and the never ending spiral as we continue to learn through relationships.  Step by step, day by day, I strive to stay present in the moment ... it isn't always easy.