-- 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.
So you’re here
What good is it
if you’re unhappy
Be present
This seems
the first step
But then, what’s next?
Accept what is
Stop fighting it, judging it, telling stories about it
Notice what you’re feeling
Where in your body do you feel it?
How do you feel about you when you’re feeling this?
Listen to your inner voice
Let it occur to you,
what’s mine to do?
Release
Breath, move, yell, dance….
So simple
So hard
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It’s hard to hear the news and not go down the rabbit hole of things you don’t agree with, are fearful of, or get angry at. What you focus on you tend to create and attract more of. Focusing on what you don’t want only gives it power.
So, I’ve been asking myself what do I want for the world. Here it is:
Intention for the World
There is only one God, one Life flowing through each of us, through every animal, bird, tree, mountain, the ocean, sky, the Earth, the Universe.
We and our leaders have a reverence for all life.
Everyone’s personal freedom is honored.
We find ways to live with diversity, knowing it is an expression of our love for who we are, the source of creativity, and the way we each express our purpose here on earth.
Love is our motivator. We seek wisdom not just knowledge.
We understand we are all connected, interdependent and seek to understand the nature and laws of the Universe. We collaborate.
We actively support the health and well-being of everyone, all ages.
We find creative ways to help all people find their own power, purpose and agency.
Everyone has healthy food, clean water and air, clothing and shelter.
We measure our success by the level of happiness, peace and joy we embody and share with others.
This is my intention. I focus on it every morning. And then ask the Universe, “What is mine to do?” What is yours?
Humor me and look at this picture. What do you see? What is it? What could it be?
When a friend and I first saw this earring, it looked like a tiny figure with big ears.
Or maybe, I thought, a ceremonial figure with a headdress on.
“Odd choice for an earring,“ we thought.
Then, I turned it.
Suddenly, it looked like a rabbit. We laughed.
Which is right? Maybe either. Maybe neither.
What you think is dependent on your sensory input and experience. What you see depends on how and from where you’re viewing it. Your thoughts are limited by your perspective. It is not the whole truth. If we could remember this maybe we could stay curious.
And maybe we might learn something.
I started to look for my phone and passed my printer. It said I needed to replace a cartridge. I started to do that and remembered I was on my way to the basement to get toilet paper. Went down to get it and saw the Kitty litter needed cleaning. Did that and got the Toilet paper. I passed the kitchen counter and realized I hadn’t finished the letter to my sister yet. Oh yes, the phone, let me use the old flip phone to call myself. Oh, there it is on the porch. I got distracted when I saw the cat throw-up and decided I’d better clean it up before the heat cemented it into the rug. And then I remembered to put up the toilet paper. Oh, and I need to send that email to my neighbor before I forget. And, I need a new phone. I need to check them out but am I ready to take on more technology?…
Why do I feel distracted, unsettled? Life seemed simpler when I had one big project or thing to focus on. I get caught up in the minutia of life.
Breath! Settle back into my body. Remember what matters.
Do what needs to be done but stay present. So I exhale. Practice, practice, practice.
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?
What is acceptance? I’m defining it as acknowledging what is, the current reality, without judgement.
Without accepting what is, I believe we spend our time fighting, analyzing or repressing it. The alternative is to be aware of it, and then ask ourselves “If this is current reality, is this what I want? And if not, what do I want in my life.”
“When I say “welcome to reality,” I am saying, “Welcome, self, to reality, both what I know and what I don’t know.” And I am also saying, “Welcome, reality, whatever you are, both known and unknown, into my awareness.” Brian McLaren, from Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditations, May 13, 2024
Eckart Tolle says “To offer no resistance to life is to be in a state of grace, ease and lightness. This state is then no longer dependent on things being in a certain way, good or bad.”
Acceptance of what is, the first step in creating the life we want.
Spring has sprung
the vision of beaches
and vacations loom
And, the billboards show up:
Breast Augmentations $6900.00
Tummy Tucks $1000.00 off
White, slim, voluptuous women
Are you in?
NO, I’M NOT IN! But after ranting, I decided to stop being manipulated by other’s money making definitions of beauty.
So I return to nature where each flower, plant and so-called weed shows up, whether someone likes it or not. Each divinely created life is authentic to its own unique self regardless of someone’s judgement. The sun shines on every flower, plant, and weed alike.
So too, we are meant to show up and be authentic to our own nature. We are not meant to be controlled by externally determined rules for how we should be or look to please someone else. I seek to please myself, to love myself. And that is enough.
Lessons in Chemistry is a story of white patriarchy and the constricting, demoralizing stereotypes of women in science and in life. But it is also the story of women’s strength, love, and the general complexity of people, men and women. The story keeps evolving and I stayed engaged for 390 pages. It’s a good read.
I can feel the weight of being on the receiving end of how others defined what was acceptable for me to express, to be and to do in my life. I can still feel the anger in my body at times. But it’s being replaced by my ongoing commitment to being me and to discovering who and what I am. I’m letting my experience of me evolve and change, looking inward rather than “out there.”
Books like these bring awareness to how things are and have been in the U.S. They help many see they are not alone. Hopefully, they also challenge men and women to look at how they’ve supported and/or have bought into these stereotypes . After all patriarchy couldn’t continue without support. Although this book focuses on gender bias, the same holds true for race, class and other controlling boxes we put folks in. But there is hope.
Here’s to our growing awareness and freedom!
“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” ― Howard Thurman
What makes you come alive? What does coming alive even mean?
I’ve been sitting with this question all month. Then this came to me last night.
I think it starts with realizing I _am_ alive. In this moment, experiencing through my body what’s around me, what I taste, smell, hear and feel in my body. Knowing that my body tells me when something is off.
There is a vibrancy to being in this moment. And, I believe it’s from this being place that I find what I am drawn to, my passion. And perhaps, following my passion is my purpose in life. Doing what I want for myself, for others, and for the collective whole.
It’s ok for me to be me, to feel and live big (i.e. don’t be concerned with what others think),
to trust my guidance and follow my heart. And, once you “come alive,” the challenge is to stay there. The journey continues.