-- a journey into awareness
In the whirlwind of change
Stand tall
Root in the Earth
Breath into your heart
Feel inward.
From this place
Open your eyes
And see.
When drawn out of yourself by another’s fears, the events, pain of the world, pull back into your own center.
Your gift to the world is you
Rooted in what is true.
Your inner knowing
Connected to the Universal Truth.
Cultivate presence, meditate, contemplate life, pray, dance, sing, walk in nature…..
Now is the time.
“Man, sometimes it takes a long time to sound like yourself.“ ~Miles Davis
When we start, we make sounds but we’re surrounded by others who are also making sounds. We listen. They tell us how to play, tell us what we should sound like. They argue among themselves about the right way to play. So we play. If we can, we play with others. Some of us find ourselves playing in a jazz group, others in a symphony, others in an alley behind where we live, and still others play alone in the shelter of the woods.
Overtime we begin to notice what feels natural. Our music starts flowing through us. The notes start coming from deeper place, somewhere inside. And we begin to appreciate that this is what we’re here to play. It’s our music. We appreciate other’s music but we don’t try to play like them. And we don’t tell them to play like us.
We develop confidence, not because others approve or because they change but because we know it is our music to play regardless of results. This is faith.
“Only in “the cave of the heart,” as the mystics are fond of calling it—does a person come in contact with his or her own direct knowingness. And only out of this direct knowingness is sovereignty born, one’s own inner authority.” —Cynthia Bourgeault
Click to get my musings: https://forms.aweber.com/form/29/2011751929.htm
I’m addicted to billboards these days. I saw this one and I thought, “Does this mean people should live in fear of not getting it right, of eternal damnation after they die?”
I believe the Divine works through us, guides us when we are open to listening. What if we chose to co-create Heaven on earth now? What would Heaven on earth look like?
What do you envision as Heaven on earth? What do you want to experience?
Most people I know are against violence: physical attacks, murder, rape, emotional abuse, the “isms”…. Some are against war, the death penalty, cruelty to animals, destroying the earth….
But the absence of violence leaves a void. So this past month I’ve been sitting with the question, “What am I for (not against)?
I was hampered by my ”shoulds”. I should be an activist. I should be heading up projects. I should be “out there” making a difference.. But the longer I sat with the question, this is what came to me.
What I want to focus on and help create:
Efforts to connect people/kids to nature.
Efforts to connect people to themselves.
Self-expression and creativity in the arts and music.
The ability to see and relate to a person as who they are beyond stereotypes, preconceived notions and biases.
I need to accept who I am vs. who & how I think I should be. Mine to do on this planet will not solve all the injustices and serious problems and I’m learning it can’t and doesn’t have to. We are in this together. One more step on the journey.
So, what do you want to create? What are you for?
“You must fight, take sides,
WIN!”
Join the drama….
The body holds me back
Keeping me safe
I don’t share I’m
not buying into the struggle
Because being happy in the midst of…
It’s not how “we” do
I believe it’s not about “Being Right”,
it’s about “Being Here,” breathing deeply
Feeling into my heart.
Relaxing does not mean not caring
Being happy & seeing the good
Doesn’t mean ignoring pain
Without my Centering Heart
My head goes into overdrive
Overwhelm moves into my chest
And the heaviness stops my breath
And then the world is a threat, others
Are a threat.
So, I’m learning
Breath, relax, trust
Become aware of my heart
And listen to the inner voice
It’s rooted in love and wisdom
It’s my hope and what the world needs
I’m committed to doing what is mine to do. My heart knows. I just have to listen.
“If you can’t be with the one you love, honey,
Love the one you are with”
If you can’t be in the heaven you long for
Love the life you’re given on earth
If you can’t have the body you desire
Enjoy the one you have
If your loved one died
Let yourself love again
Turn your heartache into joy
Love what you have,
And, find peace.
David Crosby died Jan. 19, 2023. His death reminded me of all the songs Crosby, Stills and Nash sang, including “Love the One You’re With” sung in 1971 (written by Stephen Sills, 1970). Reminiscing about those times past, the advice in this song seems to fit a lot of things. Love what you have. Enjoy your life. Peace!
When your heart breaks open again,
Do you go to hate?
Or, do you surrender?
When there’s one more negative headline, a shooting, a rant,
Does despair start filling you? Do you drown? Or,
Can you shift and reach out,
letting the Light fill you.
When the negativity, the violence, the anger of others overwhelms you, what do you do? Many stop reading/listening to the news and social media. Others move into a “fighting back” mode. Some let fear drive them into withdrawing from life because nothing seems to matter, nothing is safe anymore.
I’m learning to use another option. Suzanne Giesemann* talks about learning to “Shift.” When I start focusing on the negative, or when despair or fear arises, I notice, and tell myself “Shift!”. I can then change my point of view from “this is awful” to “isn’t that interesting?” I then ask my higher self (God, my guardian angel, my guides) “What is the best reaction to this situation?” I breath, focus on my heart and just listen. Sometimes I get a response right away, other times I just get the peace of shifting into the Light.
Other times when I say to myself “Shift!” I take some deep breaths. I smile. And, I consciously choose to let the Light /Divine grace and God’s Love flow through me. I consciously choose to remember that I AM one with Mother/Father God. I am not alone.
Both of these work. Lately I’ve found many opportunities to use them.
Sometimes I have to say “Shift” to myself 40 x a day LOL! Yet, I know with practice, I’ll live there.
May we all live in gratitude, peace and love. Choose to enjoy this moment of Life. It’s a gift we are given.
*https://suzannegiesemann.com/ or https://stream.humanitysteam.org/cosmic-forces-shaping-a-whole-new-future
One earring lost
Always from a favorite pair
The one “left behind” a tease
Reminding me of what was
There’s always the hope you’ll find it. This one has to be in the house. Or does it? How long have I been walking around with one earring? Does anyone notice? Why is it always my favorite pair? Why does this happen!!!!
Simplistically, maybe the answer is “Hey you, be more careful!”
But maybe, the loss is a reminder that the things you love can disappear at any time.
It’s a reminder to slow down, to really see & enjoy, to pay attention.
Life is precious. Even little things are gifts. May I take the time to enjoy, appreciate, to love…. May I take nothing for granted, even my earings.
After I wrote this blog, I received this from a dear friend:
“No amount of regret changes the past.
No amount of anxiety changes the future.
Any amount of gratitude changes the present.”
You are responsible for the energy you bring into a space.
I’m turning a corner
What does that mean?
I don’t know
What’s next?
I don’t know
What now?
I trust
For the last few months things have been shifting. How? I can’t tell you. Some of it has been inner work as I release, at a deeper level, some of what I took on as a child and throughout my life that does not serve me. Hurts, self-doubt, fear of being seen, not believing I matter….all resurfacing so I can more consciously say, “I forgive myself and others. I let go. I just am.”
I’m learning to live in liminal space, the time between the ‘what was’ and the ‘next’.
I’m practicing becoming self aware vs self obsessed. Noticing the mental chatter, the mind busy planning, reacting, telling my story yet again. I then consciously breath and focus on doing whatever it is I’m doing. What’s my body feeling? Breath. Really see the carrot I’m cutting or the weeds I’m pulling. Breath. Feel whatever emotion arises but don’t start telling a story about it. Breath. And Life continues to unfold in me and around me.
Simply experiencing what is brings peace. I’m beginning to trust. I pay attention to the little surprises and notice how things work out in ways I couldn’t possibly expect (another blog). I continue to practice.
