Sometimes, the energy just flies. We're suddenly in the right place at the right time with the right people, and either things start falling into place, or the messages are coming so fast and furious, we can't ignore them.
I try to think of them--the messages--as nudges from the universe, keeping me in the right direction. When we are aware, we're more aware of the events in our life as messages, instead of just random occurrences and "oh, isn't that weird" moments. The people who can help us (or whom we can help), the places we should be or the things we should be doing. At some point, even trying to be unaware becomes impossible--even if it isn't entirely clear what steps to take next.
Today's universal "to do" list seems to include the following possibilities: free-lance editing for fiction writers (this is one message I'm getting a lot--just trying to work out the "who would pay me for this" part), recording meditations and guided journeys for CD or download, writing metaphysical romance...okay, that one strikes me as strange, but people keep telling me they'd buy that book. I think I 'sold' five copies today alone.
Looking now for the "how to" messages that will move me forward in one direction or another, staying open and allowing (instead of my fear of "but who would pay me for that" closing me down).
Friday, October 9, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Synchronicity part 'oh my god and goddess'
Today I ran into someone in a very crowded room (Southern Women's Show) doing something very interesting (energy work). The hemi-sync CDs caught my eye, since my favorite journeying CD is The Shaman's Heart. So I stopped to talk, ran into this guy, chatted a few seconds (a very few) and went on my way.
Tonight when I got home, I pulled out his business card and looked up the website of his organization. Went to the "about us" information and ... found that he and his partner in the organization are both members of a group I belong to. I've heard her name a dozen times, seen some emails from her, probably have seen some emails from him without noticing the name (since I'd never met either in person, but her name had come up in some discussions). And here we were. Crowded room. Chance turn down the right aisle. Wow.
Going with the synchronicity on this one. No idea why we needed to meet, or what will come of it. I've been putting the energy out there to meet more people doing the same type of energy work that I'm doing, and the same journeying work. Rarely do I meet anyone who's doing both, so that alone is tres cool. I love it when a step in the right direction pops up in front of me.
Tonight when I got home, I pulled out his business card and looked up the website of his organization. Went to the "about us" information and ... found that he and his partner in the organization are both members of a group I belong to. I've heard her name a dozen times, seen some emails from her, probably have seen some emails from him without noticing the name (since I'd never met either in person, but her name had come up in some discussions). And here we were. Crowded room. Chance turn down the right aisle. Wow.
Going with the synchronicity on this one. No idea why we needed to meet, or what will come of it. I've been putting the energy out there to meet more people doing the same type of energy work that I'm doing, and the same journeying work. Rarely do I meet anyone who's doing both, so that alone is tres cool. I love it when a step in the right direction pops up in front of me.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Letting go ... again.
If you can't be replaced you can't be promoted.
If you hold on to who you were/are, you can't become what you're meant to be. Or, as I saw TWICE this week (in various ways): from Joe Dispenza: "Only when you are able to break the habit ofbeing yourself can a new self emerge." and from Wayne Dyer: (paraphrased) "If you hold on to what you've always done and been, you're arguing against your own personal growth."
Huh. When you put it that way...
It is, in a nutshell, one of my two greatest challenges. I am not so good at the letting go thing. I guess what I'm really looking for is the new to replace the old in such a way that I don't even notice the old is gone. Too bad it doesn't actually work that way.
On the other hand, it's all well and good to say I need to let go of the person I used to be (and knowing I'm really not that person...none of us are. Sometimes growth happens whether we plan it or not. We learn, we do, we experience, and it all change us.). It's a whole 'nother thing to actually consciously let go of things I'm unconsciously holding onto. Pizza, for example. Actually a good example, because it's possible that pizza is my most favorite food. And I don't eat it any more. But of all the stupid, stupid things...sometimes it pisses me off that I can't. Yes, it was a choice...more or less. The other option is so far worse that it wasn't much of a choice. Letting go of relationships/friendships/family ties...oh, those can hurt, even when you know you're doing the right thing. Especially--and I've seen friends go through exactly this--when you quit being the person everyone can rely on so that you can become the person YOU can rely on.
Sometimes personal growth hurts. But think of it like the hurt of a massage...it's gonna feel SOOOOO good later.
If you hold on to who you were/are, you can't become what you're meant to be. Or, as I saw TWICE this week (in various ways): from Joe Dispenza: "Only when you are able to break the habit ofbeing yourself can a new self emerge." and from Wayne Dyer: (paraphrased) "If you hold on to what you've always done and been, you're arguing against your own personal growth."
Huh. When you put it that way...
It is, in a nutshell, one of my two greatest challenges. I am not so good at the letting go thing. I guess what I'm really looking for is the new to replace the old in such a way that I don't even notice the old is gone. Too bad it doesn't actually work that way.
On the other hand, it's all well and good to say I need to let go of the person I used to be (and knowing I'm really not that person...none of us are. Sometimes growth happens whether we plan it or not. We learn, we do, we experience, and it all change us.). It's a whole 'nother thing to actually consciously let go of things I'm unconsciously holding onto. Pizza, for example. Actually a good example, because it's possible that pizza is my most favorite food. And I don't eat it any more. But of all the stupid, stupid things...sometimes it pisses me off that I can't. Yes, it was a choice...more or less. The other option is so far worse that it wasn't much of a choice. Letting go of relationships/friendships/family ties...oh, those can hurt, even when you know you're doing the right thing. Especially--and I've seen friends go through exactly this--when you quit being the person everyone can rely on so that you can become the person YOU can rely on.
Sometimes personal growth hurts. But think of it like the hurt of a massage...it's gonna feel SOOOOO good later.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Making out with life
There are days, I told a friend recently, when all you really want is for someone to kiss it and make it all better.
Wonder if that would work?
Several months ago, Danielle LaPorte posted "French kiss life," which struck me as a great idea. Of course, there are those French kisses that seemed like a good idea at the time, but turned out...icky. I suppose the same could be said of French kissing life.
But on the other hand, it could turn out to be a turn-on like you'd have never imagined if you'd stuck to just pecking it on the cheek and suggesting it have a good day.
Wonder if that would work?
Several months ago, Danielle LaPorte posted "French kiss life," which struck me as a great idea. Of course, there are those French kisses that seemed like a good idea at the time, but turned out...icky. I suppose the same could be said of French kissing life.
But on the other hand, it could turn out to be a turn-on like you'd have never imagined if you'd stuck to just pecking it on the cheek and suggesting it have a good day.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Back to those shifting sands...
"Discipline is remembering what you want." Great reminder. I might add that discipline is what keeps us on our feet when remembering what we want is NOT the first thing we're remembering.
Meditation and prayer are among the tools we use to build the base to remember from. When life doesn't go according to plan--or we can't see how life is fitting into our plan--the focus and flexibility we've built by sitting on the cushion keeps us grounded and remembering not our goals, or "what we want," but remembering our authentic self--that part of us that is beyond ego, beyond fear.
Disclaimer: I really don't care for the word 'authentic'--I think it's way overused, but in this case, it fits. Our authentic self is the Self that we reach for--the bigger Self, connected to all the other Selfs (spelling deliberate)--when we get rid of the clutter and judgment and interpretation that is often present in our thoughts.
It's easy to remember that Self when we're on the cushion. It's easy to pray and give thanks when things are going according to plan. I highly recommend it. It's good practice. Becauses when the ground moves under your feet, that's the time to remember...what you want, not what you're afraid of.
Meditation and prayer are among the tools we use to build the base to remember from. When life doesn't go according to plan--or we can't see how life is fitting into our plan--the focus and flexibility we've built by sitting on the cushion keeps us grounded and remembering not our goals, or "what we want," but remembering our authentic self--that part of us that is beyond ego, beyond fear.
Disclaimer: I really don't care for the word 'authentic'--I think it's way overused, but in this case, it fits. Our authentic self is the Self that we reach for--the bigger Self, connected to all the other Selfs (spelling deliberate)--when we get rid of the clutter and judgment and interpretation that is often present in our thoughts.
It's easy to remember that Self when we're on the cushion. It's easy to pray and give thanks when things are going according to plan. I highly recommend it. It's good practice. Becauses when the ground moves under your feet, that's the time to remember...what you want, not what you're afraid of.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Practice what you preach
Today was Gandhi's birthday. Lots of messages flying quoting his most famous (perhaps) comment that "you must be the change you wish to see in the world."
I once read the story of where that line came from--I've no idea of its truth, but I don't think that matters. The story goes that a woman came to Gandhi one day with her son and asked Gandhi for his help in getting the boy to stop eating sweets. Gandhi gave her a date to return and sent them away with no explanation or advice. When she came back, Gandhi spoke to the boy and then to the mother, who asked him why he couldn't have had the conversation with her son at the first visit. Gandhi told her that he could not tell the boy to stop eating sweets until he, himself, had given them up. So he'd sent her away so he could do first what he was going to tell the boy he should do. "You must be the change you wish to see in the world."
We often hear it as "practice what you preach" and "walk the walk, not just talk the talk." My dad used to tell us when we were kids, "if you aren't part of the solution, you're part of the problem."
I used to tell my students regarding the 'law of three' that the reason we watch our actions isn't because of some karmic threat. It's because we recognize that our behavior creates the world we live in. Certainly not singlehandedly, but in our collective action. If you want to live in a world full of creativity, be creative. If you aren't, then you are acting to create a world you don't want. Want to live in a world full of love and joy and respect and prosperity? Put your actions toward those things. Want to live in a world where everyone gets what they want materially? Go for what you want materially. Dollar trumps? Live for the almighty dollar.
You may not change the world overnight, but you'll be helping it along. And you won't be fighting your own desires to do it. Be the change you wish to see. It's the only way to create it.
I once read the story of where that line came from--I've no idea of its truth, but I don't think that matters. The story goes that a woman came to Gandhi one day with her son and asked Gandhi for his help in getting the boy to stop eating sweets. Gandhi gave her a date to return and sent them away with no explanation or advice. When she came back, Gandhi spoke to the boy and then to the mother, who asked him why he couldn't have had the conversation with her son at the first visit. Gandhi told her that he could not tell the boy to stop eating sweets until he, himself, had given them up. So he'd sent her away so he could do first what he was going to tell the boy he should do. "You must be the change you wish to see in the world."
We often hear it as "practice what you preach" and "walk the walk, not just talk the talk." My dad used to tell us when we were kids, "if you aren't part of the solution, you're part of the problem."
I used to tell my students regarding the 'law of three' that the reason we watch our actions isn't because of some karmic threat. It's because we recognize that our behavior creates the world we live in. Certainly not singlehandedly, but in our collective action. If you want to live in a world full of creativity, be creative. If you aren't, then you are acting to create a world you don't want. Want to live in a world full of love and joy and respect and prosperity? Put your actions toward those things. Want to live in a world where everyone gets what they want materially? Go for what you want materially. Dollar trumps? Live for the almighty dollar.
You may not change the world overnight, but you'll be helping it along. And you won't be fighting your own desires to do it. Be the change you wish to see. It's the only way to create it.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Gratitude
From Michael Beckwith's book Spiritual Liberation (paraphrased): enlightened people are grateful for things most people take for granted.
I've always had difficulty with the "gratitude lists" -- and other suggestions -- although I've no problem with the idea of gratitude. But it often seems contrived. Do I really need to make a written list of things I'm grateful for?
Sometimes.
Sometimes life just kicks you in the ass, and while you're busy running from the pain, it's easy to focus on the 'oh crap' part of it all. Hard, hard, HARD to think of things to be grateful for if you've lost your job, a loved one, a court fight, or your mind from stress. Hard enough under lesser stressors -- looking back over the past 18 months, I've experienced a half dozen or so events that are considered major stressors, although at the time (and even now) I felt like it wasn't any one event so much as it was that I felt like a cosmic punching bag--I'd get up, and here comes the next blow. Hard, hard, hard to focus away from the crap and onto the bigger story. Plus, I'm very good at focusing to the point of obsession.
Enter gratitude. Silly or not, the act of consciously listing things I'm grateful for is one of the tools I use to pull myself out of any given funk. It's not the list, it's the consciousness. And I find that when I focus on what I'm grateful for, I'm aware of more in general. It's kind of like a walking, talking, conscious meditation.
I've always had difficulty with the "gratitude lists" -- and other suggestions -- although I've no problem with the idea of gratitude. But it often seems contrived. Do I really need to make a written list of things I'm grateful for?
Sometimes.
Sometimes life just kicks you in the ass, and while you're busy running from the pain, it's easy to focus on the 'oh crap' part of it all. Hard, hard, HARD to think of things to be grateful for if you've lost your job, a loved one, a court fight, or your mind from stress. Hard enough under lesser stressors -- looking back over the past 18 months, I've experienced a half dozen or so events that are considered major stressors, although at the time (and even now) I felt like it wasn't any one event so much as it was that I felt like a cosmic punching bag--I'd get up, and here comes the next blow. Hard, hard, hard to focus away from the crap and onto the bigger story. Plus, I'm very good at focusing to the point of obsession.
Enter gratitude. Silly or not, the act of consciously listing things I'm grateful for is one of the tools I use to pull myself out of any given funk. It's not the list, it's the consciousness. And I find that when I focus on what I'm grateful for, I'm aware of more in general. It's kind of like a walking, talking, conscious meditation.
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