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!

More Stories

I've come across ho'oponopono. Anyone heard of this beautiful Hawaiian spiritual practice?

It is based on the idea that we are always replaying DATA - old memories, formed opinions, set beliefs in our heads and so as we encounter others and situations we are full of perceptions and judgements rather than being present as our essence or pure soul. The practice of ho'oponopono then is about CLEANING, letting go of dead material and being free to be spontaneous and inspired by love, our essence, or divinity. Its very much on the lines of "the power of NOW" or non-attachment in Buddhist terms.

The unique thing with ho'oponopono is there is a mantra for self cleaning and it goes like this, (directed to your enemy, your friend, your body, your family, your boss, yourself or anyone you have ever though badly of)
I LOVE YOU,
I'M SORRY,
PLEASE FORGIVE ME,
THANK YOU.

I liken this process to coming into alignment with love, what would LOVE do here? There are many ways we come back to this place of stillness and remember who we are. The book of stories I am compiling about how Spirit talks to you is all about just this. These stories of signs and momentary encounters are all incidents that bring people back to the TRUTH, I am a spiritual being. If you have a story you would like to contribute go to www.SpiritIsTalkingToYou.com.
 And remember your divinity today, you are a creative and loved being and so is every person you encounter.

Be your own Valentine

"Love is all you need" The Beetles

Is your inner dialogue loving?
Do you think of yourself as a loving person?
 For myself I notice that the answers to these two questions conflict.
I can be least loving to myself while trying to be loving to others. It doesn't work very well.

Sometimes I notice my judgements of others as if I sat on some pedestal of virtue but really I am judging myself equally. That does not feel good either.
When I noticed this most recently I realized I am shallow breathing as if constricted in my body, holding tight somehow.  Once I became aware of this physical aspect it was easy to take a deep breath to assist in the release of all restriction including the withholding of love. What a relief it was to breathe and say to myself I let it go. It worked, in this instance anyway. Nice to have that experience and know it can be that easy sometimes.

So if you recognize any of what I describe here I offer this technique to you as a Valentine gift.

Whether there is one special person in your life or not, love can be increased as your experience in any moment by remembering to breathe deeply and let life flow through you without resistance.  If you are single do not resist it, find someone to compliment. If things are not ideal in your relationship, find one good aspect to be grateful for in your partner and tell them you are grateful for it.

Choose love, self first then spread it around and have a wonderful love filled Valentine's Day.
Namaste.

Love again

Who or what represents love in your life? When you close your eyes and picture the face of those you love truly and completely without question, who is there? 

For me, the faces of love are my parents, first and foremost. In the past I may have had anger or resentments toward them because I felt that I did not receive some form of love I believed I needed from them. Now that is all dissolved as I have come to take responsibility for my own experiences and stopped asking for perfection from them and myself. All that remains is love. My relationships with them are the longest standing relationship of my life and our differences have been resolved.

I am still working on the relationships I have with everyone else in my life and they are at varying stages of resolution. I would like to come to that same place with each and every one but unlike with my parents their influence on me has not been as deep or demanded such urgent attention. Even so I am making a conscious effort lately to resolve issues and develop better relations with those I love because I believe it will greatly add to my peace. Being at peace I am more free. Free to be myself and to feel more connected knowing my oneness in the universal energy of life.

I am practicing by giving the compassion, understanding and generosity I would like to receive. Some days its not easy but having set the intention I am more conscious of where I am not being love. I have a long way to go yet. I begin the journey in hope and enthusiasm.

Blessings to you this day and may your circle of love grow with each moment in time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhMCBnwS220&feature=related

Love, Love, Love

I was speaking with my mother across thousands of mile the other day when as the phone call was finishing up she said "Enough talking about nothing!" We didn't have a lot of news for one another but we still wanted the call to last a while. My reply was, yes, on the surface it may seem like nothing but what we are really saying is "I love you." She agreed that that is the most important thing.

Three different stories have been related to me in the last week of people coming to the end of their lives and in each case the person was able to see life from a different perspective. Facing death all they saw in life was love. One individual let go of a life time of judgment and resentment, mending relations with his brother.

Wouldn't it be great if we could see this sooner, if we could learn from these people, and know only love. I have been looking at my own life to see who I have distanced myself from or if I am holding unresolved anger or resentment toward anyone. If I am withholding love in any area then I may be blocking the channel for more self acceptance and greater flow in other areas of my life. If I am truly to embody love and peace I must let go of anything that is not love from my heart.

Is there anyone in your life that you still blame for some hurt you still hold on to? In the present the only one suffering is the one holding the hurt. Can you see your part in inviting this person into your experience and what you gained from it? For me it's time to explore, through journaling where these blocks may lie and to take back the power I am giving away. I am not a victim, I always have the power to forgive and to find my part and be responsible for it. I am ready to see the truth of every situation and see only LOVE. Are you?

Who loves ya baby?

When you first arrived on the planet did you deserved to be loved? You were cute, you were cuddly, fresh smelling, vulnerable and wide eyed, so I 'd say yes, you were deserving, you were innocent, being loved was as natural as breathing.

Where or why did all that change? On my bad days I can be so mean to me. I say harsh things, I make unkind judgments, I am not a good friend. Thankfully I have good friends who can mirror to me my strengths and love me despite my weaknesses. I dont have to put up a facade with those loving friends, I can expose my fears and doubts and be nurtured. Because of them and because I have some experience of unconditional love in my life I can in my darkest moments see some sliver of light. I am grateful. As if I was latching on to the trail of a distant star I focus on that glimmer until I can come out into the light of truth. I am still that innocent child and no matter what state my life is in I am still deserving of the same love.

This goes for you too, so be gentle, encouraging and compassionate to yourself. Life supports you in its infinite possibilities, life supports you in the myriad of inspirational ideas that spring to mind, your job is to follow through in trust. Take the action that feels most uplifting to you and as my mother would say "one step and then another and soon the longest journey is done." Don't loose heart, she also said "Rome wasn't built in a day" so be patient. My co-workers mantra lately applies "It all comes right in the end!"

So "Who loves ya Baby?" Me and God and Kojak!!!!!

Make me a channel

Today I would like to share a hymn I have always particularly loved as it represents a goal worthy of our aspiration. If you want to hear it sung by Sinead O'Connor click here. Enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdgSPu4vO94&feature=related


 The Prayer of St. Francis
Make me a channel of your peace.
Where there is hatred let me bring your love.
Where there is injury, your pardon, Lord
And where there's doubt, true faith in you.

Oh, Master grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console
To be understood as to understand
To be loved as to love with all my soul.

Make me a channel of your peace
Where there's despair in life, let me bring hope
Where there is darkness, only light
And where there's sadness, ever joy.
 
Make me a channel of your peace
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned
In giving to all men that we receive
And in dying that we're born to eternal life.