I just heard the news of the passing of an old family friend who had reached the spectacular age of 102. She let go of her body after already letting go of so much, including friends and loved ones. We all must let go of so many things along lifes road.
In these last days, of what is soon to become the old year, it is a great time to reflect on what you would consciously like to leave behind you.
Its also a great time to set intentions. Wayne Dyer wrote a beautiful book called The Power of Intention. He says the intention we set must not be self serving or material, it is more about a state of consciousness.
“ Its not about attracting what you want, but attracting what you are. You have to just be. You have to let go. You have to allow. You have to be free and make this your consciousness. Basically, what you would see is a frequency (of energy) that manifests itself through the process of giving, of allowing, of offering and of serving. It asks nothing back.”
I think this is a worthy intention; to be true to oneself, with honesty, and kindness, in reverence and consideration for all life and in service to humanity. Being in the flow of life as our unique selves, with the gifts we have to share and the blessings we give asking nothing in return but the simple joy of showing up, fully present to life. That is my intention this year, to release any efforts at forcing, or feelings of struggle, to let go of efforts to control or manipulate outcomes, to make no judgment of good or bad but to adopt a Buddhist mantra;
"Everything that happens to me is the best possible thing that can happen to me."
I know this wont always be easy when things dont go pleasantly but I do believe I can grow from every experience that comes my way and I allow this to happen. I attract what I am by letting go.
What are you intending or allowing in the New Year?
In and through all things Love is the message that Spirit would have us know; that we are loved, that we are love and that love is always the answer. Let the words you read here be a message for you today from the Universe that created you, perfect as you are.
Saturday, December 27, 2014
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Merry Stressful Christmas!
I take a deep breath as I begin to write today as I am tired and overwhelmed by Christmas rush and busy-ness.
How are you doing?
Are you looking forward to a break? Are you the host that feels the pressure to make it all perfect? Are you feeling money pressures? The loss of someone you love? Distance from family or too close to family & wanting to escape the craziness?!
Most likely you are not feeling peaceful and prepared and with everything in order but I may be wrong!!!
And you know what?
Its all OK.
I recently heard a TED Talk about making stress your friend. The speaker, a psychologist, who for decades had been advising people to take time out, to breathe, to relinquish some responsibilities in order to bring their life back into balance, to take up yoga, meditation etc. etc. had read new data on stress which said its not so bad for you afterall!!
Its the BELIEF that its bad for you that has a detrimental effect!!! A bit like money being the root of all evil....in fact its the LOVE of money that is the root of all evil.
So time to change our beliefs again!!
Affirm, I thrive on stress, it motivates me, it helps me achieve a great deal, it allows me to connect with others and ask for help. I am a dynamo, I am dynamic, full of energy and courage, all is well in my crazy world. I love the energy of Christmas. I dive in and take part in the festivities with gusto! Life is good!
Dont knock it till you've tried it!!!
Thats what Im going to do. Im off to a party tonight after 5 hours sleep and a full day of work. I choose to see the stress response of my body as helpful, as giving me courage, I can trust my body, knowing that stress keeps my heart be strong and my body helps me rise to any challenge.
Have a wonderful Christmas week everybody!
To read the transcript of the TED talk go here
http://www.ted.com/talks/kelly_mcgonigal_how_to_make_stress_your_friend/transcript?language=en
How are you doing?
Are you looking forward to a break? Are you the host that feels the pressure to make it all perfect? Are you feeling money pressures? The loss of someone you love? Distance from family or too close to family & wanting to escape the craziness?!
Most likely you are not feeling peaceful and prepared and with everything in order but I may be wrong!!!
And you know what?
Its all OK.
I recently heard a TED Talk about making stress your friend. The speaker, a psychologist, who for decades had been advising people to take time out, to breathe, to relinquish some responsibilities in order to bring their life back into balance, to take up yoga, meditation etc. etc. had read new data on stress which said its not so bad for you afterall!!
Its the BELIEF that its bad for you that has a detrimental effect!!! A bit like money being the root of all evil....in fact its the LOVE of money that is the root of all evil.
So time to change our beliefs again!!
Affirm, I thrive on stress, it motivates me, it helps me achieve a great deal, it allows me to connect with others and ask for help. I am a dynamo, I am dynamic, full of energy and courage, all is well in my crazy world. I love the energy of Christmas. I dive in and take part in the festivities with gusto! Life is good!
Dont knock it till you've tried it!!!
Thats what Im going to do. Im off to a party tonight after 5 hours sleep and a full day of work. I choose to see the stress response of my body as helpful, as giving me courage, I can trust my body, knowing that stress keeps my heart be strong and my body helps me rise to any challenge.
Have a wonderful Christmas week everybody!
To read the transcript of the TED talk go here
http://www.ted.com/talks/kelly_mcgonigal_how_to_make_stress_your_friend/transcript?language=en
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Holiday Eating
It's that time of year when everything we love is on offer in the realm of food and many items in that arena that don't love us! I adore dark chocolate and I have to admit rarely a day goes by that I don't eat some, for the antioxidant qualities you know!
I will admit also that its easy for me to put on a few pounds and find myself so unhappy about the way my jeans create that lovely muffin top look! Eek!
Well I have been working on bringing food into a new perspective and recently read Marianne Williamson's book "A Course in Weight Loss." It has helped me see not just food but my body in a new way.
Our bodies deserve our respect. In fact if we really think about it, our bodies deserve our reverence. Our bodies are miraculous machines that allow us the gift of living, doing the things we do daily, and supporting our experience of life. Walking in the nature, seeing our loved ones faces, hearing the birdsong, touching velvet or the hand of a lover, speaking words of love, thinking grand ideas, remembering wonderful moments, smelling the turkey baking in the oven, what joys our precious bodies give us.
Yet we don't often fully appreciate it. Instead we berate it, criticize it, and sometimes abuse it. And it is simply responding to how we have treated it and held it in our minds.
Its time to love the body you are in.
I invite you to listen to Marianne talk about this subject and this holiday season be kind to your body, it deserves your love. As much or more than any other body!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wo7VGuPbNo
I will admit also that its easy for me to put on a few pounds and find myself so unhappy about the way my jeans create that lovely muffin top look! Eek!
Well I have been working on bringing food into a new perspective and recently read Marianne Williamson's book "A Course in Weight Loss." It has helped me see not just food but my body in a new way.
Our bodies deserve our respect. In fact if we really think about it, our bodies deserve our reverence. Our bodies are miraculous machines that allow us the gift of living, doing the things we do daily, and supporting our experience of life. Walking in the nature, seeing our loved ones faces, hearing the birdsong, touching velvet or the hand of a lover, speaking words of love, thinking grand ideas, remembering wonderful moments, smelling the turkey baking in the oven, what joys our precious bodies give us.
Yet we don't often fully appreciate it. Instead we berate it, criticize it, and sometimes abuse it. And it is simply responding to how we have treated it and held it in our minds.
Its time to love the body you are in.
I invite you to listen to Marianne talk about this subject and this holiday season be kind to your body, it deserves your love. As much or more than any other body!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wo7VGuPbNo
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Time out
If we are always busy how can we truly savor life's greatest gifts?
As you move through all that needs to get done this holiday season I urge you to make the time for some stillness. In the quiet is where we really get to be with our truest feelings and we get a chance to reflect on all that we have achieved in our busy times, our family gatherings, all that our senses have so quickly absorbed. We can access if there was something left unsaid, or undone, we can access if how we spent our time was truly valuable or if we need to make adjustments. Remember too than in the stillness daydreams bring in valuable visions and new ideas.
Its my intention this year to create this kind of time intentionally because I wont be travelling home. In my mind I will make many journeys. I will visit with people I have known who are no longer with me, some of my past Christmases have been my best gifts and I intend to truly savor them in gratitude. I also intend to be grateful for whatever days are left to me, for there is not one of us who knows the day nor the hour that we will take our leave. I reap as I sow, I intend to sow a lot of love. In stillness I imagine how that will be.
Make time to savor and to intend, its your life, is it good? If not, look harder for the good in it. There is always, always something to be grateful for. What actions can you actively take to make it better? You are the creator of your own experience, there is no one else to look to to make a change.
I wish you time, peace and balance, and stretches of stillness at all times of the year but especially now so you can access what your heart wishes to experience this Christmastime and for all time.
Namaste.
In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you.
As you move through all that needs to get done this holiday season I urge you to make the time for some stillness. In the quiet is where we really get to be with our truest feelings and we get a chance to reflect on all that we have achieved in our busy times, our family gatherings, all that our senses have so quickly absorbed. We can access if there was something left unsaid, or undone, we can access if how we spent our time was truly valuable or if we need to make adjustments. Remember too than in the stillness daydreams bring in valuable visions and new ideas.
Its my intention this year to create this kind of time intentionally because I wont be travelling home. In my mind I will make many journeys. I will visit with people I have known who are no longer with me, some of my past Christmases have been my best gifts and I intend to truly savor them in gratitude. I also intend to be grateful for whatever days are left to me, for there is not one of us who knows the day nor the hour that we will take our leave. I reap as I sow, I intend to sow a lot of love. In stillness I imagine how that will be.
Make time to savor and to intend, its your life, is it good? If not, look harder for the good in it. There is always, always something to be grateful for. What actions can you actively take to make it better? You are the creator of your own experience, there is no one else to look to to make a change.
I wish you time, peace and balance, and stretches of stillness at all times of the year but especially now so you can access what your heart wishes to experience this Christmastime and for all time.
Namaste.
In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you.
Deepak Chopra
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
I Love a Rainy Day
Its all relative. I live in Los Angeles and we don't see rain for 10 months of the year. When it rains the world is transformed. A puddle is news worthy and traffic is crazy and people just don't know how to cope.
Now, in Ireland where they don't see the sun for 10 months of the year we see the same thing in reverse. The sun comes out and everyone goes a little crazy, very quickly the heat becomes too much and people don't know how to cope. I often joke with my family about having an exchange of days so we can bring balance to the experience of life in our diverse worlds.
Unfortunately I cant pack up a day of sunshine and hand it to the US mail for delivery in Ireland so we all continue to endure and make the most of our circumstances.
I think its a bit like that in our lives as we negotiate the circumstances we encounter at our age and stage in life, in our career or in our relationships. We are each given a complete different set of cards to play this game of life, and depending on our choices of what we have left down or picked up we must now deal with the hand we have got! So we endure and we make the most of its joys and its sorrows and even if we could we would not swop our set of issues for someone else's.
So we deal with what is and hopefully we can let go of judging if its good or bad, for all seeming good has a down side and all seeming bad has an up side, or positive to be gained if we look hard enough. All good AND bad come to pass, which is nice to remember when we are going through a bad patch. We don't like to remember that when things are good but more and more as I grow more mature I tend to "cast a cold eye" as Yeats epitaph says and just be with what is, fully living each moment, not wishing anything away but knowing things will change in their own time.
Today I am reveling in the rain. Looking out at the umbrellas running this way and that and the drops falling hard in the puddles, grateful California is getting what it desperately needs and hoping it lasts. Loving what is today is easy! Im warm and dry and the rain is falling across the dry plains and the farmlands that need it. And when the sun returns too hot for Christmastime I will do my best to just be with what is, casting a detached eye, observing and allowing this wonderful and mysterious life to unfold as it will.
"Cast a cold eye on life and on death, horseman pass by." William Butler Yeats
Now, in Ireland where they don't see the sun for 10 months of the year we see the same thing in reverse. The sun comes out and everyone goes a little crazy, very quickly the heat becomes too much and people don't know how to cope. I often joke with my family about having an exchange of days so we can bring balance to the experience of life in our diverse worlds.
Unfortunately I cant pack up a day of sunshine and hand it to the US mail for delivery in Ireland so we all continue to endure and make the most of our circumstances.
I think its a bit like that in our lives as we negotiate the circumstances we encounter at our age and stage in life, in our career or in our relationships. We are each given a complete different set of cards to play this game of life, and depending on our choices of what we have left down or picked up we must now deal with the hand we have got! So we endure and we make the most of its joys and its sorrows and even if we could we would not swop our set of issues for someone else's.
So we deal with what is and hopefully we can let go of judging if its good or bad, for all seeming good has a down side and all seeming bad has an up side, or positive to be gained if we look hard enough. All good AND bad come to pass, which is nice to remember when we are going through a bad patch. We don't like to remember that when things are good but more and more as I grow more mature I tend to "cast a cold eye" as Yeats epitaph says and just be with what is, fully living each moment, not wishing anything away but knowing things will change in their own time.
Today I am reveling in the rain. Looking out at the umbrellas running this way and that and the drops falling hard in the puddles, grateful California is getting what it desperately needs and hoping it lasts. Loving what is today is easy! Im warm and dry and the rain is falling across the dry plains and the farmlands that need it. And when the sun returns too hot for Christmastime I will do my best to just be with what is, casting a detached eye, observing and allowing this wonderful and mysterious life to unfold as it will.
"Cast a cold eye on life and on death, horseman pass by." William Butler Yeats
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Happy Holidays
The holiday season always brings with it some stress and lately I have begun to understand that situations that stress or frustrate us are simply asking us to find the real truth at the heart of life.
Let me explain what I mean. Ups and downs are part and parcel of life, big ones like loosing a job and small ones like screaming kids at the mall; they are pretty much unavoidable so what do we do when we can't change something?
Viktor Frankl says “When we can no longer change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” And the Buddha said the more we resist things as they are the more we suffer.
I dont think its possible to go through life without encountering something that triggers our upset or annoyance or challenges our sanity in one way or another. Its part of being human.
The real truth at the heart of life, as I mentioned earlier, is that we all deserve and are love and understanding. Something that makes us suffer is asking us to find our compassion, to remember that on a soul level we can grow through this experience and find love for ourselves and those around us. Circumstances change, things come to pass not to stay. The only lasting thing is our consciousness.
No matter if you are heading out to shop for Christmas or caring for someone with cancer, in whatever situation you find yourself pushed to your limits, remember it is in your power to practice compassion.
Soften your heart and speak gently to yourself. There is already enough stress in the world. No less than we would wish for ourselves, let us also wish the best for others. Try to find the best possible reason for a person's rudeness or seeming insensitive behavior. There is always room for more love in the world and you can be a channel for it this Holiday Season.
It is a wonderful opportunity to practice goodwill to all men.
And remember if you feel your goodwill toward men running low maybe its time to take yourself back to your sanctuary and make yourself a cup of hot chocolate as you congratulate yourself on your patience and your ability to change yourself instead of fighting the inevitable. How powerful you are!
Let me explain what I mean. Ups and downs are part and parcel of life, big ones like loosing a job and small ones like screaming kids at the mall; they are pretty much unavoidable so what do we do when we can't change something?
Viktor Frankl says “When we can no longer change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” And the Buddha said the more we resist things as they are the more we suffer.
I dont think its possible to go through life without encountering something that triggers our upset or annoyance or challenges our sanity in one way or another. Its part of being human.
The real truth at the heart of life, as I mentioned earlier, is that we all deserve and are love and understanding. Something that makes us suffer is asking us to find our compassion, to remember that on a soul level we can grow through this experience and find love for ourselves and those around us. Circumstances change, things come to pass not to stay. The only lasting thing is our consciousness.
No matter if you are heading out to shop for Christmas or caring for someone with cancer, in whatever situation you find yourself pushed to your limits, remember it is in your power to practice compassion.
Soften your heart and speak gently to yourself. There is already enough stress in the world. No less than we would wish for ourselves, let us also wish the best for others. Try to find the best possible reason for a person's rudeness or seeming insensitive behavior. There is always room for more love in the world and you can be a channel for it this Holiday Season.
It is a wonderful opportunity to practice goodwill to all men.
And remember if you feel your goodwill toward men running low maybe its time to take yourself back to your sanctuary and make yourself a cup of hot chocolate as you congratulate yourself on your patience and your ability to change yourself instead of fighting the inevitable. How powerful you are!
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Thanksgiving
I'm from Ireland where Thanksgiving is not celebrated which is a surprise to some people here.
I don't know why it surprises people unless they have momentarily forgotten that it was celebrated by the Plymouth pilgrims and the natives who helped them survive their first winter in the New World in 1621. It became an official holiday in 1863, when, during the civil war, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of "Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens", to be celebrated on the last Thursday in November.
I have a special relationship with Thanksgiving despite not growing up here, because it was the day I arrived in the US. Of course I had no idea that was the case then but over the years as I celebrate my anniversary as an Irish American I like to give thanks for the experiences that my journey has given me.
I try not to dwell on all that I left behind because I left so much. Every decision we make has a positive and a negative. Every decision we make adds something to our lives. Whether we deem the decision good or bad we still gain.
I have gained very dear friends. I have gained amazing work experiences and financial rewards that allowed me to travel the world and see things I could not have imagined, from the top of Kilimanjaro to the depths of Death Valley and so much more. I have gained a life partner whom I deeply love. I have gained a spiritual philosophy that transformed my life and showed me my own power to choose what I think and how I act. I have gained more than I can say in this small piece of writing, I gained a life that is good and full and in which I can visit my home and family in Ireland regularly, and I am deeply grateful for that.
I have gained an official holiday to give thanks. I am grateful.
What are you thankful for this thanksgiving? Remember the words of Shakespeare,
... there is nothing either good or
bad, but thinking makes it so.
I don't know why it surprises people unless they have momentarily forgotten that it was celebrated by the Plymouth pilgrims and the natives who helped them survive their first winter in the New World in 1621. It became an official holiday in 1863, when, during the civil war, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of "Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens", to be celebrated on the last Thursday in November.
I have a special relationship with Thanksgiving despite not growing up here, because it was the day I arrived in the US. Of course I had no idea that was the case then but over the years as I celebrate my anniversary as an Irish American I like to give thanks for the experiences that my journey has given me.
I try not to dwell on all that I left behind because I left so much. Every decision we make has a positive and a negative. Every decision we make adds something to our lives. Whether we deem the decision good or bad we still gain.
I have gained very dear friends. I have gained amazing work experiences and financial rewards that allowed me to travel the world and see things I could not have imagined, from the top of Kilimanjaro to the depths of Death Valley and so much more. I have gained a life partner whom I deeply love. I have gained a spiritual philosophy that transformed my life and showed me my own power to choose what I think and how I act. I have gained more than I can say in this small piece of writing, I gained a life that is good and full and in which I can visit my home and family in Ireland regularly, and I am deeply grateful for that.
I have gained an official holiday to give thanks. I am grateful.
What are you thankful for this thanksgiving? Remember the words of Shakespeare,
... there is nothing either good or
bad, but thinking makes it so.
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Patience is a Virtue
Our real blessings often appear to us in the shape of pains, losses and disappointments; but let us have patience and we soon shall see them in their proper figures.
Joseph Addison, English Essayist 1672-1719
Patience is not my strong suit, I feel like a tethered wildcat ready to bolt into the next thing if I am forced to wait. I also hate being too early for an event or meeting for this reason. I might have to wait, horrors!
In life when things hit a slow down I'm like a cat on a hot tin roof, jumping from this spot to that looking for a place to find the next resting place or activity. The hardest thing has always been for me to sit quietly, to adopt the attitude of allowing things to unfold, trusting in the future, letting go of control. Anyone out there feel the same?
The first experience I had of meditation was at a yoga class and when I reported how uncomfortable I felt the teacher said, "You are the type of person who would most benefit from this practice." Her words often come back to my monkey mind!
That said I have know the benefits of the stillness. I practiced meditation daily for ten years and I began to feel more centered, content in myself, less frantic. Then life changed and my routine got disrupted. I started to see how what I gained from all the years of practice started to unravel. The old or was it a new restlessness surfaced. There are more days I feel off kilter, more irritable and less calm and able to deal with life's up and downs.
A bit like fitness really. If you stop working out, or running very soon you lose the benefits of more energy, better sleep, weight control, feeling healthy and thinking more positive.
But as with anything there is always the option to recommit. Every day is a new beginning and no matter what the past looked like tomorrow can be different if we are willing to let go of the belief that things cant change.
So I recommit on a regular basis to the practice of mindfulness and though there are days that I look like I never meditated a day in my life, I still return to it because I want the benefits. Life is so much better when I trust the process, when I can be with myself in silence. And when life slows down I can wait for inspiration before making a move. Life will unfold its wisdom if I can just have patience and wait.
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Existential Angst Anyone?
“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Proverbs
I find myself feeling stuck lately, without a vision or inspiration and when this is the case I tend to just do what is right in front of me. I take care of the details of life with a gnawing feeling of purposelessness. During a period like this lots of "why" questions tend to come to the fore and the I end up with "what's it all about Alfie?"
My sister's motto is a quote from Longfellow " I myself must mix with action, lest I wither by despair." It sounds like good advice.
Im very good at keeping busy, being a creative type, there are often not enough hours in the day. Part of that busy action must involve heart connection or it can feel very empty; heart connection with other humans, with animals and most of all with the creative self. There are so many rewarding ways to be involved in life.
And I think there is another layer to this involvement.
I have always been a proponent of Vision Boards for setting intentions, getting excited about new possibilities, creating goals, imagining a future we can feel happy about.
Michael Beckwith Spiritual teacher, leader and Minister of Agape church in Los Angeles says "...the visioning process is about engaging creativity at its utmost, embracing transformation, and saying 'yes' to the best within us ...creating a reality that is literally beyond your imagination."
The visioning process on which he built his very successful church involves getting very quiet, going within and really listening for guidance. We are each here with a unique gift to give. What works for another may not be for you. In the visioning process we ask a series of questions such as, what qualities do we need to embody, what things do we need to know, what do we need to change in our life, and how do we need to unfold spiritually in order to bring forth the vision? This process puts us in alignment with the one energy that animates us all and is a unique expression through each according to who we are. Going with this flow within each of us serves the world in a way that gives us purpose, feels authentic and enriches those around us. We may be called to let go of fear, to take action, to find a new courage in ourselves but for me the alternative is not an option.
Please leave a comment if this blog was helpful to you, thank you and Namaste.
"I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." —John 10:10.
(For more information on this process and Michael Beckwith's book on the subject;
http://www.dailyom.com/library/000/002/000002846.html)
I find myself feeling stuck lately, without a vision or inspiration and when this is the case I tend to just do what is right in front of me. I take care of the details of life with a gnawing feeling of purposelessness. During a period like this lots of "why" questions tend to come to the fore and the I end up with "what's it all about Alfie?"
My sister's motto is a quote from Longfellow " I myself must mix with action, lest I wither by despair." It sounds like good advice.
Im very good at keeping busy, being a creative type, there are often not enough hours in the day. Part of that busy action must involve heart connection or it can feel very empty; heart connection with other humans, with animals and most of all with the creative self. There are so many rewarding ways to be involved in life.
And I think there is another layer to this involvement.
I have always been a proponent of Vision Boards for setting intentions, getting excited about new possibilities, creating goals, imagining a future we can feel happy about.
Michael Beckwith Spiritual teacher, leader and Minister of Agape church in Los Angeles says "...the visioning process is about engaging creativity at its utmost, embracing transformation, and saying 'yes' to the best within us ...creating a reality that is literally beyond your imagination."
The visioning process on which he built his very successful church involves getting very quiet, going within and really listening for guidance. We are each here with a unique gift to give. What works for another may not be for you. In the visioning process we ask a series of questions such as, what qualities do we need to embody, what things do we need to know, what do we need to change in our life, and how do we need to unfold spiritually in order to bring forth the vision? This process puts us in alignment with the one energy that animates us all and is a unique expression through each according to who we are. Going with this flow within each of us serves the world in a way that gives us purpose, feels authentic and enriches those around us. We may be called to let go of fear, to take action, to find a new courage in ourselves but for me the alternative is not an option.
Please leave a comment if this blog was helpful to you, thank you and Namaste.
"I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." —John 10:10.
(For more information on this process and Michael Beckwith's book on the subject;
http://www.dailyom.com/library/000/002/000002846.html)
Monday, November 10, 2014
Spiritual Work
I overheard a conversation today which got me all roiled up. Its a subject close to my heart and it brought out the passionate in me. The conversation concerned charging money for spiritual work, whether it is counseling, energy work, intuitive readings, or passing on spiritual wisdom teachings.
One person argued that it was difficult to charge because its a vocation, something one loves doing and simply has to do for satisfaction in life, maybe something one has a natural ability for.
Well I know at least one accountant who feels that way about his work and he plans to never retire. Numbers have always been his thing. (Not mine!!) But do you think for an instant he would think he shouldn't charge for his work? Not a chance!
But energy work or prayer work is something anyone can do was another argument, or at least can be taught to do.
Yes and anyone can do mathematics or at least be taught to do it with great patience (if you consider me!!) I can teach someone to paint, does that make them an artist, I can teach someone the ropes of a library, but does that make them a librarian?
What makes a good or great librarian is the love of books and of passing on that love to the young and old and everyone in between. What makes a great artist is the inner desire and drive to express something through art.
There are many people doing jobs that don't come from their hearts, simply in order to pay the bills. Why should someone doing what they love not pay the bills also? Of course they do, if they are an accountant, or a lawyer, or a teacher, or a firefighter, the list is endless.
Doing spiritual work not only involves one's heart, it is also the giving of ones time and may have involved years, even a lifetime of training, studying and seeking to know more. There may have been formal training, as I have had as a spiritual counselor (five years through Centers for Spiritual Living) but often there is no degree program for some of the work that people are doing to heal, bless and shift consciousness.
If society does not value it I believe its because we are not taught to trust ourselves, our intuition. Credentials are great but even picking a lawyer I need to listen to my intuition to know if he/she is the right one for me.
If I choose to pay a healer, counselor, spiritual teacher I definitely need to listen to that inner guidance no matter their training or life experience. But pay, I will, as I value everyone's time and their life journey, whether it be butcher, baker or spiritual practitioner.
What do you think? Do you feel you should pay for these types of services?
One person argued that it was difficult to charge because its a vocation, something one loves doing and simply has to do for satisfaction in life, maybe something one has a natural ability for.
Well I know at least one accountant who feels that way about his work and he plans to never retire. Numbers have always been his thing. (Not mine!!) But do you think for an instant he would think he shouldn't charge for his work? Not a chance!
But energy work or prayer work is something anyone can do was another argument, or at least can be taught to do.
Yes and anyone can do mathematics or at least be taught to do it with great patience (if you consider me!!) I can teach someone to paint, does that make them an artist, I can teach someone the ropes of a library, but does that make them a librarian?
What makes a good or great librarian is the love of books and of passing on that love to the young and old and everyone in between. What makes a great artist is the inner desire and drive to express something through art.
There are many people doing jobs that don't come from their hearts, simply in order to pay the bills. Why should someone doing what they love not pay the bills also? Of course they do, if they are an accountant, or a lawyer, or a teacher, or a firefighter, the list is endless.
Doing spiritual work not only involves one's heart, it is also the giving of ones time and may have involved years, even a lifetime of training, studying and seeking to know more. There may have been formal training, as I have had as a spiritual counselor (five years through Centers for Spiritual Living) but often there is no degree program for some of the work that people are doing to heal, bless and shift consciousness.
If society does not value it I believe its because we are not taught to trust ourselves, our intuition. Credentials are great but even picking a lawyer I need to listen to my intuition to know if he/she is the right one for me.
If I choose to pay a healer, counselor, spiritual teacher I definitely need to listen to that inner guidance no matter their training or life experience. But pay, I will, as I value everyone's time and their life journey, whether it be butcher, baker or spiritual practitioner.
What do you think? Do you feel you should pay for these types of services?
Saturday, November 8, 2014
Choosing Happiness
Happiness, the pursuit of it, the very state of it can be controversial. Some people don't believe that its a valid goal or that its really achievable. Instead I hear protests of accepting a contentedness as the best we can expect, or working to eradicate poverty or achieve world peace touted as a better use of energy. The point of achieving peace or eradicating poverty is to give people the opportunity to achieve happiness, is it not? And as much as I like being content, its been shown that happy people are more generous and kind and able to give of themselves.
Its a bit like the chicken and the egg.
One of the best ways to make yourself happy is to make other people happy.
One of the best ways to make other people happy is to be happy yourself.
Gretchen Rubin "The Happiness Project"
It takes a bit of effort to be happy. Yes we can have moments of happiness when something good happens, that's easy. If we depend on events, people or outside influences to make us happy there are no guarantees!! Choice is our greatest tool for happiness, that and gratitude. I just read on Facebook this morning...every day may not be good but there is good in every day. This is so true, its there for us to find if we look.
That's the effort, looking for the good and choosing a perspective of loving detachment from everything else. Choosing to stand guard at the door of our minds for thoughts that judge, are harsh, unkind, mean spirited, paint pictures of doom and leave us feeling powerless. We all know them and their effects. Choosing to be happy empowers us to be more effective in our lives and have a positive influence on others. It takes a bit of effort but I think its worth it, do you?
Its a bit like the chicken and the egg.
One of the best ways to make yourself happy is to make other people happy.
One of the best ways to make other people happy is to be happy yourself.
Gretchen Rubin "The Happiness Project"
It takes a bit of effort to be happy. Yes we can have moments of happiness when something good happens, that's easy. If we depend on events, people or outside influences to make us happy there are no guarantees!! Choice is our greatest tool for happiness, that and gratitude. I just read on Facebook this morning...every day may not be good but there is good in every day. This is so true, its there for us to find if we look.
That's the effort, looking for the good and choosing a perspective of loving detachment from everything else. Choosing to stand guard at the door of our minds for thoughts that judge, are harsh, unkind, mean spirited, paint pictures of doom and leave us feeling powerless. We all know them and their effects. Choosing to be happy empowers us to be more effective in our lives and have a positive influence on others. It takes a bit of effort but I think its worth it, do you?
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
From the Heart
According to the Heart Math researchers it has been scientifically proven that the heart knows before the mind what the truth is of any situation. So often it is difficult to access this wisdom as the mind's rationality or irrationality tends to dominate.
Sacred geometry connects us with everything in the universe by the very beats of our hearts. Averaging 72 beats per minute resting, that number in esoteric numerology is known as a master number; one that encompasses patterns that replicate the frequencies and vibrations of certain energies of the manifested Universe.
Sacred geometry connects us with everything in the universe by the very beats of our hearts. Averaging 72 beats per minute resting, that number in esoteric numerology is known as a master number; one that encompasses patterns that replicate the frequencies and vibrations of certain energies of the manifested Universe.
- The axis of the earth moving one degree every 72 years.
- 72 degrees Fahrenheit considered to be room temperature.
- 72 percent of the human body is composed of water.
- 72 hours is the life duration of the ovule.
- The number of languages spoken at the Tower of Babylon.
- The mass of the Moon is the 1/72th of that of the Earth
- The volume of Saturn is 72 times of that the Earth. And on and on.
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Great Expectations
Do you or did you have expectations of how your life would turn out; of what you might be when you grew up, expectations of a certain amount of achievement and happiness?
In my teens I remember a teacher going round the class asking each student what they hoped for in their future. She got varied answers; I want to be a fireman, I want to be married with children, I want to live in an exotic place, I want to have a big house. My answer was, I want to be happy.
All of the answers were lists of things imagined to bring happiness. I just didn't know what that would be for me in the future. How could I, at 13 years of age know what, at 30, 40, 50 would bring me happiness?
Naturally we have basic needs that must be met for happiness and we expect that they will be met, like having enough to eat, a warm dry place to sleep, like-minded friends and family who love us.
What I am realizing in my 50s is that I also have unconscious expectations that I believe may relate to how my parents lived their lives. In contrast to my parents who lived within 20 miles of where they were born, I live 6000 miles from where I was born. In contrast to them I have no children while they had 10. They lived in one house that they purchased, for over 60 years. I on the other hand live in a rented apartment and the longest I have lived in any one place ever is 12 years.
I have been wondering lately if this is why I have the feeling that there is no stability in my life, that everything is impermanent as if my life has not yet taken the shape it will be. I believe that I feel this because of the contrast with my family's choices and feel that I judge this as somehow not acceptable. The expectation that somehow it will turn out like my parents lives lurks in the unconscious.
My life path and choices have brought me to this moment and asked me to evaluate and appreciate what I now have and what I have done. I say "asked me" to evaluate, as who else is qualified. Only I can truly decide if I have succeeded, if I am happy. I realize the power is in me to choose to look at what I dont have or compare my life with other lives and find it wanting OR appreciate what I do have and see the unique good. I am always going to long for more of what I love and that which makes me happy and I can also practice gratitude for my good fortune thus far. My life has been amazing and I am so grateful for the experiences I have had. Every life has a road or many roads not taken. Hopefully fear has not restricted us and love leads the way. This has to be part of the evaluation. How have you done in that regard?
In my teens I remember a teacher going round the class asking each student what they hoped for in their future. She got varied answers; I want to be a fireman, I want to be married with children, I want to live in an exotic place, I want to have a big house. My answer was, I want to be happy.
All of the answers were lists of things imagined to bring happiness. I just didn't know what that would be for me in the future. How could I, at 13 years of age know what, at 30, 40, 50 would bring me happiness?
Naturally we have basic needs that must be met for happiness and we expect that they will be met, like having enough to eat, a warm dry place to sleep, like-minded friends and family who love us.
What I am realizing in my 50s is that I also have unconscious expectations that I believe may relate to how my parents lived their lives. In contrast to my parents who lived within 20 miles of where they were born, I live 6000 miles from where I was born. In contrast to them I have no children while they had 10. They lived in one house that they purchased, for over 60 years. I on the other hand live in a rented apartment and the longest I have lived in any one place ever is 12 years.
I have been wondering lately if this is why I have the feeling that there is no stability in my life, that everything is impermanent as if my life has not yet taken the shape it will be. I believe that I feel this because of the contrast with my family's choices and feel that I judge this as somehow not acceptable. The expectation that somehow it will turn out like my parents lives lurks in the unconscious.
My life path and choices have brought me to this moment and asked me to evaluate and appreciate what I now have and what I have done. I say "asked me" to evaluate, as who else is qualified. Only I can truly decide if I have succeeded, if I am happy. I realize the power is in me to choose to look at what I dont have or compare my life with other lives and find it wanting OR appreciate what I do have and see the unique good. I am always going to long for more of what I love and that which makes me happy and I can also practice gratitude for my good fortune thus far. My life has been amazing and I am so grateful for the experiences I have had. Every life has a road or many roads not taken. Hopefully fear has not restricted us and love leads the way. This has to be part of the evaluation. How have you done in that regard?
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Here to pass not to stay!
Today is the anniversary of my mother's passing. One year ago today I was probably in the air making the journey to Ireland to be with family and friends to celebrate her life. It was a stark new reality that was difficult despite her grand age of 92. We are none of us here to stay, we are just passing through.
In the year since her passing I have felt my world rearranging itself; priorities shifting, relationships rearranged, drawing closer to those I love, living my own life more fully. This is what death does to those who remain. We get to ask the important questions of our own life. What is most important to me? Where do I want to be, and how do I want to be and what do I want to spend my time doing? Hopefully loss reminds us to not make waiting a habit. Life is now. Its not forever and the moments, good or bad, come to pass not to stay.
This is a new moment and is unaffected by the past unless you bring old thoughts into it. Create from this moment, something that comes out of the past and all that you have been but allow it to be something completely new. Anything is possible and if we remember all of life is about letting go maybe we can go with the flow of change and not resist it. Life is always making itself anew, you can too.
My mother is a new being and so am I, we have let life change us and it is a wonderful transformation.
I am grateful for past present and future, life is good because I choose to see it this way.
Blessings, Joan
In the year since her passing I have felt my world rearranging itself; priorities shifting, relationships rearranged, drawing closer to those I love, living my own life more fully. This is what death does to those who remain. We get to ask the important questions of our own life. What is most important to me? Where do I want to be, and how do I want to be and what do I want to spend my time doing? Hopefully loss reminds us to not make waiting a habit. Life is now. Its not forever and the moments, good or bad, come to pass not to stay.
This is a new moment and is unaffected by the past unless you bring old thoughts into it. Create from this moment, something that comes out of the past and all that you have been but allow it to be something completely new. Anything is possible and if we remember all of life is about letting go maybe we can go with the flow of change and not resist it. Life is always making itself anew, you can too.
My mother is a new being and so am I, we have let life change us and it is a wonderful transformation.
I am grateful for past present and future, life is good because I choose to see it this way.
Blessings, Joan
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Who are you?
As I was on my way to drop off my portfolio to an animation company one day and feeling nervous, I said a prayer as I parked my car and began to walk to the building. Arriving at the cross walk a man was standing there with a folder of animation under his arm. "You must be going my way" I said, "can I follow you as it's my first time to visit this company and I'm unsure how to get there." We chatted and it turned out he was the owner of the company! "Who are you?" He asked.
My immediate thought was, " I am a spiritual being in this body that people know as Joan Doyle."
I wish I had spoken that out loud for it was my absolute truth in that moment but instead I fumbled with the mundane details of my work history.
I did not get any work from that company and it was all OK but I felt I missed an opportunity to open up a deeper conversation. For it is my belief that we are each not the labels we wear, nurse, artist, teacher, librarian....we are angels in each other's lives and here to be of service, to heal and be healed, to love and be loved and most of all to grow in understanding of who we truly are as the light.
The next time someone asks you, "who are you?" I wonder what you will say and if for a moment you will pause and remember this Truth about yourself, that you are a spiritual being in a body with a name looking at another beautiful soul wrapped in a shell.
Maybe you will!
My immediate thought was, " I am a spiritual being in this body that people know as Joan Doyle."
I wish I had spoken that out loud for it was my absolute truth in that moment but instead I fumbled with the mundane details of my work history.
I did not get any work from that company and it was all OK but I felt I missed an opportunity to open up a deeper conversation. For it is my belief that we are each not the labels we wear, nurse, artist, teacher, librarian....we are angels in each other's lives and here to be of service, to heal and be healed, to love and be loved and most of all to grow in understanding of who we truly are as the light.
The next time someone asks you, "who are you?" I wonder what you will say and if for a moment you will pause and remember this Truth about yourself, that you are a spiritual being in a body with a name looking at another beautiful soul wrapped in a shell.
Maybe you will!
Saturday, January 18, 2014
The Dawn Has Come
Happy New Year to you all.
I hope you are feeling positive even if its just a date on a calendar it does give us the opportunity to re-evaluate our choices and make new ones, to look at the past and see what we might like to change about our direction and what ways we can be more proactive in creating the life we want.
I am feeling very positive and as always being conscious of the guidance there is available for us all as I navigate the mundane of my daily tasks.
As some of you know I have been grieving the loss of my beautiful mother. Having lived in LA for the last 20 years I have had a letter from her almost every two weeks over that period of time despite my weekly phone calls! In her thoughtful way she always tucked into the envelope a poem, a photo or a clipping from the Irish newspaper that she thought I might enjoy. I miss her little love notes but fortunately I kept quite a few and have been perusing some of them and sharing them with family.
Now in the first new year she did not see I have been blessed in being busy work-wise and I feel the shift of my focus to my future and not the past. And yet her love is always with me.
Just yesterday I was putting away some printer paper and there as I rearranged the drawer I found a poem and piece of card with a quote in my mothers handwriting. Coming upon it unexpectedly was like the delight of finding a letter in my mailbox. Seeing her familiar handwriting lit up my heart.
And the quote - like a message from beyond said;
"Death is not extinguishing the light; it is only putting out the lamp because the dawn has come."
by Rabindranath Tagore, Indian poet
I was delighted with my first message of 2014 from my mother in Spirit.
Keep your eyes open, Spirit is talking to you and together we can make it a great 2014.
I hope you are feeling positive even if its just a date on a calendar it does give us the opportunity to re-evaluate our choices and make new ones, to look at the past and see what we might like to change about our direction and what ways we can be more proactive in creating the life we want.
I am feeling very positive and as always being conscious of the guidance there is available for us all as I navigate the mundane of my daily tasks.
As some of you know I have been grieving the loss of my beautiful mother. Having lived in LA for the last 20 years I have had a letter from her almost every two weeks over that period of time despite my weekly phone calls! In her thoughtful way she always tucked into the envelope a poem, a photo or a clipping from the Irish newspaper that she thought I might enjoy. I miss her little love notes but fortunately I kept quite a few and have been perusing some of them and sharing them with family.
Now in the first new year she did not see I have been blessed in being busy work-wise and I feel the shift of my focus to my future and not the past. And yet her love is always with me.
Just yesterday I was putting away some printer paper and there as I rearranged the drawer I found a poem and piece of card with a quote in my mothers handwriting. Coming upon it unexpectedly was like the delight of finding a letter in my mailbox. Seeing her familiar handwriting lit up my heart.
And the quote - like a message from beyond said;
"Death is not extinguishing the light; it is only putting out the lamp because the dawn has come."
by Rabindranath Tagore, Indian poet
I was delighted with my first message of 2014 from my mother in Spirit.
Keep your eyes open, Spirit is talking to you and together we can make it a great 2014.
Death is not extinguishing the light; it is only putting out the lamp because the dawn has come.
Rabindranath Tagore
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/dawn.html#ymqbLvvb5IiKHLkm.99
Rabindranath Tagore
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/dawn.html#ymqbLvvb5IiKHLkm.99
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