Willingness is worthiness

I believe that whoever brings the qualities of God into expression, for example practicing kindness, compassion, generosity, experiences kindness, compassion and generosity.

I didn't always know this. I started out in life passively wanting others to treat me with kindness and thinking things come from the outside in. I was constantly looking to receive. It took me decades before I learned it all starts with the self. I went about looking for someone to be generous to me, to love me or to have a kind word for me on a bad day, always in want and feeling depleted and powerless. I found it most often ended in disappointment if it came from a neediness that I was unwilling to meet myself. Having this experience lead me to feel undeserving, compounding the feeling that this was the case to begin with; a belief that was picked up somewhere along the path of life and lingered long beyond its usefulness, if it ever had any.
Thankfully I changed the cycle of experience of lack, of disappointment, of feeling undeserving. 
A place within me knew the Truth. Tired of the pain of my life and inspired by others example I was finally willing to experiment with new ways of being. The change did not come till I truly deeply knew my connection with the infinite source. Without this knowledge I imagined I had to give from my limited resources of love, compassion, praise, prosperity but with God as my source I could give generously and never feel depleted. What a powerful place from which to live. I saw so many areas of my life flourish as a result. The faith of the mustard seed at the back of my willingness, a hope that springs eternal within us all opened the door to truly finding out that I was worthy of the good I wished to experience.
Willingness is worthiness. So knowing this I continue to be willing to know more and more of the good that is to be experienced in this life as I daily remind myself of the Truth of my being as a channel of the Infinite, bringing the qualities of God into expression.

Reality Check

Today I am feeling pulled by thoughts to the past, to childhood places and people especially my Dad who passed away a little over a year ago. Where is he now I wonder? Sometimes I feel he is nearer to me than other times and I wonder if that's my imagination.

I am presently reading a book titled "Why we believe what we believe," by Andrew Newberg and Mark Waldman. Its a fascinating read exploring the biological aspects of how beliefs are formed and the workings of the brain. When you realize how much our brain fills in the blanks for us and how much our beliefs depend on a general consensus from those around us combined with the emotional aspect of it feeling comfortable, you realize I could have a completely different set of beliefs if I'd grown up in another part of the world.

The author says when we encounter someone with a different set of beliefs we naturally want to convince the other that our beliefs are right because we have made our beliefs our truth. In reality there is no truth only best guesses. Even mathematics which is held up as a definable truth as in 2 + 2 = 4 can be proven to be inaccurate by a mathematician by the name of Kurt Godel. If there is no truth we must create it so we can feel comfortable in our world. We cant rely on our eyes or our ears  as our brain is selective and cant possibly process all the information it receives. So what does this all tell us? I haven't finished the book yet so I don't know where the author is taking this but for me it means I need to question my beliefs a little more and hold less rigidly to some while allowing other people theirs. It adds up to greater compassion and gentleness and understanding in my mind.

As to where my Dad is today, I have my theory's but I know he is in my mind, in memories now fuzzy or distorted and his presence in my life is palpably in my heart as the love that never dies.  

Childhood Gifts

“Its never too late to have a happy childhood” Tom Robbins

Our childhoods gave us infinite gifts some we easily recognize as good and grounding and adding to our well being and others not so much.
I just learned that mushrooms dont need light to grow, they get all their nutrients from the earth, however humidity has to be just right for them to flourish. I personally love light, my living room is light filled and I love to sit in the window seat to read and feel the greeness of the plants outside. My least favourite time of day is dusk when the light is fading and night approaches.

When I think about my siblings (of which I have eight) and our unique personalities and life paths, having come from the same parents and home environment, I imagine that we each had individual needs most of which were met there, enabling us to grow and flourish like the mushrooms. I also know that almost always some ingredient is missing in a childhood, some aspect of light or love. Maybe it was a feeling of safety, maybe it was unconditional love, maybe not enough attention, maybe too much attention! Each of us, as we meet the challenges of life have our dark moments of fear or doubt, feeling our area of weakness or lack of confidence. The process of re-parenting, where we identify our unmet need and rather than having someone or something outside of ourselves fulfill it or solve it or mask it, attend to it ourselves, can be the process by which we discover our truest gift of childhood; the one that if we work with it right can be our greatest strength and gift in this lifetime.

Spiritually we talk about enlightenment and talk of bringing the light of love or Spirit to a situation. Bringing something dark into the light dissipates the scary aspect and dispels imagined ghosts and goblins. We often find the thing we thought of as unforgivable or shameful was not our fault and that we are blameless. If we are truly spiritual beings we chose our parents, our life circumstances and the lessons we wished to learn. There are no mistakes in Spirit. Negative associations are just that and can be changed and released if we choose to do the work. We are in the perfect place at the perfect time to begin the healing process. Its a powerful healing choice and we have an ability with our new enlightened vision to turn our previously imagined lack into our gain and strength and most of all our gift to the world. What is your less obvious gift?

Its a great world we live in

Me on Eagle Hill which overlooks my hometown of Hacketstown in the County of Carlow.

I just got back from three weeks in Ireland, the country where I spent the first thirty years of my life. The unique fragrance of the earth and the air there is in my blood. When I'm there I feel grounded, filled up, something deep within me is satisfied like no where else on earth. Los Angeles is like a dream when I'm there, like a bad TV mini series I recall with nostalgia, like "Dallas!" Its somewhat unreal to me and it seems I could slip back into life there in Ireland and never miss the newer one I've been living for over a decade.

Yet I return and take up where I left off. I am in touch with family weekly. I'm OK with this situation even if sometimes I yearn to be there again.

I remember one of my goals in leaving all that was familiar so long ago, was to make a friend of all people, to be a citizen of earth. I felt so dependent on the few back then, which seemed to me to be limiting. I felt vulnerable to loss and fear.

It seemed if I could know, that I can depend on the kindness of strangers, develop a network of diverse friends and essentially trust in the goodness of people I would be free. I am a great believer in our interdependence as a species, even as society encourages us to become so independently isolated. One example is cell phones. Yes we are connected to those in our network and if our car breaks down how great is it to call someone we can trust.

I love my cell phone for such an occasion. But wouldn't you know, when I needed it recently in just such a situation, the battery had run down! So I was forced to rely on the kindness of strangers and pleasantly I found that kindly stranger. I like having faith in humankind. I feel free when I don't live in fear, its a friendly place this world I live in. I like believing this even with all the fear mongering that goes on today. People, be they Muslim, Catholic, American, Armenian, French or Irish are intrinsically good. Lets not let the few who act badly dictate our behaviour or beliefs or limit us. I'm here for you, are you there for me?

Get Happy Today!

If you are not feeling great today - you can change that. Happiness is in your own hands and you can begin right now! Think of one thing you are deeply grateful for and come up with one kindness you can do for someone else. Do this right now! It has been scientifically proven that these two attitudes, gratitude and kindliness can increase your life satisfaction in a matter of days. According to research done at the University of Pennsylvania if you take note at bedtime of three things that went well that day the benefits in general well-being will continue for months, your mood and your relationships will improve. A kindness journal or a gratitude journal can make you aware of how blessed your life already is and can increase optimism and peace of mind. This of course will reduce stress and subsequently improve overall health - so simple yet so profound and powerful! I myself have taken to writing thank you cards. Yesterday I went to lunch at a restaurant that I don't go to very often but one waiter always remembers me, asks how I am and he even asks for my friend whom I usually meet there. This never fails to make me feel welcome and acknowledged. This time I got his name and a card will go out to him today because I want to acknowledge how his great attitude brings good to my life. I know you too have many things for which to be grateful today. Start now and watch not only your own happiness increase but the happiness of those around you.  If you read this far I thank you and I'm smiling! Namaste.

Renewal of Spring

Hiking in the foothills of the San Gabriel mountains above La Crescenta / Montrose today I was awestruck by the profusion of wildflowers and growth since the wildfires of late 2009. Only a year and six months and the land has renewed itself in large part. Charcoal enriches soil, and some plant species have flourished in the wake of this devastation. It was heart warming to see and to recognize the force of nature behind this plenitude of purple and green. Humans have helped reshape the park following the complete obliteration of trails by the torrents of rain and erosion of topsoil that followed. New pathways have been created where none existed before.
It gave me hope.
I felt my spirits lifted.
Then I knew the Japanese will come out of their present circumstances, altered for sure, with losses most definitely, yet good can come in time, as nature and the human spirit have illustrated over and over.

So much of the time, fear of the worst drives us to protect, pull inward, separate ourselves with walls and defenses of various types and we don't know the resilience of our own spirit.
We can come through, overcome, transcend, renew and flourish once again. Yes we are stronger than we realize, we are our own greatest resource, we just need to be reminded of our power sometimes as I was today.

Chasing a rainbow!

All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players, said Shakespeare, but who

is the audience?

Who do you play your life to, whose approval and applause do you hope

to receive?

I know I spent much of my life looking for that approval in all the wrong

places. It was as if one section of the crowd gave me a standing ovation

but I sought to convert those faces that showed disapproval or mere

indifference.

Why would a person do that?

It is human nature to want to be loved and accepted. If we are not then we

may find ourselves alone and isolated. This brings up the primal fear for

our very survival. As a child I learned quickly how to get that approval

from parents who loved conditionally and a pattern was set.

When as an adult I sought approval from those who with held love, then

I am chasing a rainbow. I had lost myself.

How then could I feel good about who I was.

The belief that hides in this behavior is, "I are not enough as I am."

These people I choose to pursue confirmed my belief. Only when I risked

being true to myself, approving of my imperfections, and loving the

whole rather than just parts, knowing at the same time that I was growing

daily, only then could I find those faces in the crowd that already said,

"YES, you are enough!"

They were there waiting but I devalued their opinion as I did my own.

As Groucho Marx humorously put it,

 "I don't care to belong to a club that accepts people like me as members."

This realization for me was the turning point in my relationships. I began

to see the approving individuals that I had dismissed and looked for what

I liked in them. Wayne Dyer says, be a love finder instead of a fault finder. 

We most often find what we look for. I found love and so can you.

Henry David Thoreau - Walden

"However mean your life, is meet it and live it. Do not shun it or call it hard names, it is not so bad as you are. It looks poorest when you are richest. The fault finder will find fault in paradise.
Love your life, poor as it is, you may have some pleasant, thrilling, glorious hours even in the poor house. The setting sun is reflected from the windows of the alms house as brightly as from the rich man's abode. The snow melts before it's door as early in the spring. I do not see but a quiet mind could live as contentedly there and have as cheering thoughts as in a palace.
If you are restricted in your range by poverty, if you cannot buy books and newspapers, you are but confined to the most significant and vital experiences. You are compelled to deal with the material that yealds the most starch, it is life near the bone where it is sweetest. You are defended from being a trifler, no man looses ever on a lower level by magnonimity on a higher.
Superfluous wealth can buy surerfluities only. Money is not required to buy one necessary of the soul."

Written in another time and place in language old and awkward - yet I find his meaning as profound today as ever. It is not how much we have but how much we are that dictates our experience of life. Today I look to gratitude for who I am and the inspirations that are freely given by spirit. I am inspired by this quote which I noted down in a diary in 1995 and find I am motivated to share these ideas in hope you too may be touched and find appreciation for yourself today. How rich are the experiences of this life no matter what form they take. Feel the vitality of the life in you today, the sweetest and simplest pleasures should not be overlooked, what are yours? 

Meditation

I recently recommitted to meditation as a daily practice. I vary my method depending on what I feel I need that day. Somedays I use Vipassana - becoming the observer of my thoughts thus giving me the distance I need to realize the real "I" is separate from my worries and fears. Other days I use a mantra or affirmation that I repeat silently. My favourite at the moment is "God is the love that I am." Another way I like to meditate is while hiking to try to be fully present with nature, observing my surroundings and listening to the sounds I hear; all the time being aware of the solidness of the earth beneath my feet.
Of course meditation for some takes the form of a creative activity such as playing an instrument or painting. Its a time they are so absorbed in their task they forget themselves, loose track of time as if they have been absorbed into everything around them and merged as one.
Joseph Campbell says meditation is simply where we place the majority of our thoughts in any given day. He believes we meditate a lot on how to procure money and how to spend it, how to provide for our children, how to improve our lives and of course whats wrong in our world!
This idea I find very interesting because it is my belief that what we focus on grows. Being aware of what occupies the majority of our thoughts can help us realize how we are creating our life circumstances. Ernest Holmes says trained thought is much more powerful than untrained thought, the more one gives conscious power to one's thought the more power it will have. So be watchful today of where your thoughts are going. Where you feel it necessary try to make more of a conscious choice of what thoughts you think. Then observe the difference in how you feel, and how others respond to you. Add to this better posture, speaking with more confidence in your more positive thoughts and really notice the shifts that happen. Have fun with it and know your own power to create.

New Year, New beginnings?

I love the New Year even if it is just another day designated as the changeover of the calendar. I have always kept a diary and delight in the newness of the page for the January 1st entry. It's a time of reassessment for me, not so much to set New Year's resolutions but intentions for the year to come.
I write out ten things that happened in the previous year and ten things I would like to happen in the coming year. It's my way of acknowledging my progress or the changes that a year brings in circumstances, in relationships and career. At the same time I get to be conscious of what I would like to create. And we create each day anew if we choose to. So whether its January 1st of Feb 1st or the ides of March itself, one thing holds true, the past can only affect the now if we choose to allow it to. I love this passage from Thomas Troward, which acknowledges the possibility for expansion of our lives and the possibility of completely new experiences.

"My mind is a center of Divine operation. The Divine operation is always for expansion and fuller expression and this means the production of something beyond what has gone before, something entirely new, not included in past experience, though proceeding out of it by an orderly sequence of growth. Therefore, since the Divine cannot change its inherent nature, it must operate in the same manner in me; consequently in my special world, of which I am the center, it will move forward to produce new conditions, always in advance of any that have gone before."
-Thomas Troward, The Dore Lectures on Mental Science

May you allow and enjoy in 2011, new conditions beyond what has gone before, as your life expands and the Divine finds fuller expression through you this year. May you create the new beginnings you most desire.
Blessings, Joan

Walking Through Illusion

Betsy Otter Thompson leads us to see with deeper discernment the growth opportunities in life's challenges in her book "Walking Through Illusion." Using different Biblical characters who struggled with memories, complaints, beliefs, handicaps and confusion, to mention but  a few of her chapter titles, the reader is brought on a vicarious life path to the insight and gift of the challenge faced in each situation. The characters were each personal acquaintances of Jesus Christ and Thompson channels His compassionate understanding of the path their lives took. Each individual is doing his best as are each of us. What Thompson offers us is a door to unconditional love of ourselves and others if we are willing to explore our own challenges and look at our lives from a broader perspective.
A workbook, each chapter is followed by thought provoking questions so we may explore our own experiences with each issue. Most helpful I found were her own own personal insights, gained on her own life journey that conclude each chapter; the theory in practice.
I am reminded of a question posed once about upsets in relationships, why is it when we love someone who upsets us we cannot simply skip the anger, confusion and argument and jump to "I love you" which you know will come at the conclusion? This is what would happen if we truly walked through the illusion as Thompson is asking us to do. She offers us gems of great value if we seek a more peaceful and lovefilled experience of life and who would not wish for that. May your Christmas and New Year be blessed by the revealing of what is of true value in all aspects of your life.
To check out her book go to http://www.betsythompson.com/index.php

Season of Light

Personally I love Christmas because I have strong positive associations from my childhood. With nine children in my family we were not affluent in terms of money and but we were abundant in comradery and love. Christmas carols, cards, gifts and get-togethers, its a busy time of year!

These days there are so many ways to be stressed at Christmastime: shopping, lack of funds for shopping, planning dinner at your place or not having a place to go for Christmas, organizing travels, dealing with colds, flu, family or maybe a combination of all of the above!

Or maybe you are someone who stays centered at this time of year, feeling only the goodwill and childhood joys of the season. Its possible!

Whatever your experience, my wish for you this coming week is to find time to really be present to your power and to your every experience. You are alive, you have the capacity to love and be loved - whatever is going on around you or within you, you can choose to be the light of love. Your presence is the greatest gift of all so be conscious of where you spend your time and be aware of your thoughts. A kind word is a simple and inexpensive gift so why not give generously this week! First to yourself and then to others. Its not really complicated but its so easy to forget.

If there is sadness of loss in your Christmas, acknowledge it and find a way to include that person in this year's experience. Lighting a candle in their honor at the Christmas table is one possibility. Loss makes everthing more precious and helps us see what is truly important. Be present in your present relationships.

You have the power to make this a peaceful, love and light filled Christmas. 
YOU are the light of the season!

I Find My Path

I always find my path, even if I sometimes have the impression that I have lost my way. So often I have taken pointless detours. I find the one and only reason for my presence in the universe- my ultimate realization, the return to Unity. I now walk in peace.

Bleak mid winter.

With the images and news I am seeing from my homeland of Ireland I am reminded of iambic pentameter! In the convent where I went to school the poem "Winter" was used as a beautiful example of this rhythm of poetry writing. Reading the poem again I cant help but think of the perishing cold that these characters had to fend off with wool and wood. How hard their lives must have been and short their life expectancy.

The double glazing, the gas heating system and my fleece jumper ensure my body heat, and my electric kettle boiled water for my tea this morning. I am grateful.
I woke up, I walked to my kitchen to feed the cat. I am grateful.
My husband walked by and kissed my head, I am grateful.
I see my sister's latest art on Etsy, I am grateful.
I use Skype to call my mother, I am grateful.
And though money may be tight and the winter bleak, I put a prayer out for protection to my angels for my family and for all people experiencing difficult circumstances. I affirm Spirit as our source and sustenance and know that we have much to be grateful for and grace will see us through. 

WINTER.

When icicles hang by the wall
And Dick the shepherd blows his nail
And Tom bears logs into the hall
And milk comes frozen home in pail,
When blood is nipp'd and ways be foul,
Then nightly sings the staring owl, Tu-whit;
Tu-whoo, a merry note,
While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.
When all aloud the wind doth blow
And coughing drowns the parson's saw
And birds sit brooding in the snow
And Marian's nose looks red and raw,
When roasted crabs hiss in the bowl,
Then nightly sings the staring owl, Tu-whit;
Tu-whoo, a merry note,
While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.

I feel dead people!

"Life is real

Life is earnest,

And the grave is not its goal.

"Dust thou art, to dust returneth"

Was not spoken of the soul."

There are more people dead than there are people alive on the planet today!

Great minds, paupers, kings, mothers and murderers, all gone on to inhabit the next life. And one day we too will join them. Where are they do you think? Many imagine multiple worlds in order that the next might not suffer from overpopulation!

I know people who see dead people. Trustworthy individuals who get messages to pass along and others that seem to make no real sense at all. There are so many opinions and beliefs about the afterlife that it really comes down to your personal experience what you choose to believe.

When we do talk of death I believe it is only of the physical, what we see with our eyes. And we are so much more than that. If you have ever looked on a dead thing, be it an animal, a flower or a human being, you know that what you see is just a shell; a shadow of its former self with the essence of life force gone somewhere else. 

As the poet Longfellow says the soul does not turn to dust.

When I feel in my heart the presence of someone lost to me in the physical, they are as real as they have ever been. This is not uncommon. My friend Robert speaks of his deceased father in the present tense. In meditation we turn inward to experience the vast field of possibility, our connection with the infinite. There it is in our very being as if a portal opens to the other worlds. This is our connection to all life including our beloved in the next. We are never separate except by choosing to think that way. We create and demolish our very own personal blocks to our divinity and to love. Open up today to connection in whatever form your meditation takes; a walk in nature, painting, listening to music, journaling, day dreaming, creating a collage of your loved one. Feed your soul connection and know that you are never alone and you are loved just as you are. Then go forth and love unconditionally and in earnest while you still have time in the physical world!

Talking about death won't kill you!

I have heard people say as a positive conclusion to a list of physical ailments or complaints "Oh well, it beats the alternative!" To which people respond with agreement, acknowledging that whatever we may be experiencing, we are still alive and that is always preferable to being dead! After all death is the ultimate fear, the unknowable and the great void, the end...that's all she wrote!  Shakespeare's Hamlet contemplated "to be and not to be" concluding that there may not be peace even in the permanent sleep of death. How can we know so lets not go there, what's the point?

I was browsing a book at my library the other day, intriguingly entitled "Talking about death won't kill you," just my kind of book by the way. I like to tackle ideas that others throw up their eyes at and have little time for. The author Virginia Morris, a woman after my own heart as we would say in Ireland, was putting forward the idea that talking about death has many overlooked benefits. It can help us appreciate life more fully for one thing, it can help friends and families appreciate the relationships we enjoy more deeply and also can help immensely when the inevitability of loss visits our lives.

My father broached the subject of his demise to me years ago when he was making his will. I kept the discussion brief, adding I didn't want to imagine that day. This is a very natural response and I know I am not alone in my feelings. But I wish I'd been able to say how much I loved him and how unthinkable it was to no longer have him in my life. I wish we could have held each other and acknowledged that love and continued our discussion to its conclusion in awareness of the reality of that eventuality.

So many of us run from emotion - from being real and authentic and we miss out. I really feal our lives would be richer if we could simply allow our selves to be real. Emotion and discomfort just like all things come to pass and not to stay...we will not be swallowed in the slough of despond forever..in fact if we go there we can come out more quickly instead of skirting along the edges indefinitely.  Its all about living fearlessly. All my life I have worked at releasing the fears that restrict my experience of life. I am still determined! So who wants to talk about death?

In the quiet moments...

Lately my life has taken a slower pace. Its the time of the year when in America we turn to Thanksgiving. Yes this involves turkey and friends and travel and the tensions and joys of family. I spent the last two weekends celebrating with my husbands family so the coming break will be quiet and I hope a time to rest. For this I am thankful.
My life has taken a slower pace because work is slow and I am having to use my time creatively without remuneration except of the most personal nature. My own family are caught in the morass of the dismal Irish economy crisis. Every day the news is full of doom and gloom with no hope of a light at the end of the tunnel for years to come. Where can we turn at times like these when optimism is all but quenched?
Help wanted? Apply within! We must look to ourselves for the truth of our experience.
It is our own thinking that has the power to darken our world according to John ODonohue.

"Search and you will find the diamond-thought of light. Know that you are not alone and that the darkness has purpose;
Gradually it will school your eyes to find the one gift your life requires hidden within this night corner."

He seems to be saying there are gifts in times like these that without them we would never discover. Depths and strengths unexplored. Overlooked blessings that if we can pull our eyes away from the external, await our appreciation. Look for them in life's simple quiet moments. This poem by Irish poet Seamus Heaney illustrates, in quiet moments with his mother, the sacred found in the mundane. Turn your eyes from the world this Thanksgiving and find your abundant blessings of love, strength and insight within. Then shine it for all to see, it is the greatest gift you can give to your loved ones and to yourself.
Have a blessed and joyous Thanksgiving!


In Memoriam M.K.H., 1911-1984

When all the others were away at Mass
I was all hers as we peeled potatoes.
They broke the silence, let fall one by one
Like solder weeping off the soldering iron:
Cold comforts set between us, things to share
Gleaming in a bucket of clean water.
And again let fall. Little pleasant splashes
From each other's work would bring us to our senses.

So while the parish priest at her bedside
Went hammer and tongs at the prayers for the dying
And some were responding and some crying
I remembered her head bent towards my head,
Her breath in mine, our fluent dipping knives--
Never closer the whole rest of our lives.

Let Death lose its Sting...

They say that death is our ultimate fear and all other fears can be traced back to the idea of death. The word itself makes us recoil. It means something is devoid of life, inanimate, inert, ended and without power of any kind. Our ego screams at the thought of its annihilation, the idea that we end or no longer exist. This is the human reaction to the death of the body.

In Religious Science we believe very differently; that life never ends, we are not our bodies, we are our consciousness and as such a unique part of Spirit which is infinite and ever expanding. Depak Chopra gives an example to illustrate this idea; your TV until it is turned on is inert but the signal information is always there no matter how long the TV has been off. So too with people when they die in the physical, their energy still exists, its just not channeled in a visible body. For this reason we are never separate from those who have left this plane of existence, though our energy/consciousness still expresses through our bodies it is also connected with the whole, as a wave in the ocean of being. Therefore we can still commune with our loved ones in consciousness and they with us. What a comfort when we truly deeply know this.


As an old friend of mine used to say I'd still rather have someone with skin on!!! Yes we miss those who have left us. I live 6,000 miles from my family but at any time I still gain great comfort in writing a letter to my mother which is an action that I take separate from her. This year as part of my artistic expression I began making collage portraits of my family members. It is one very satisfying way of spending time with the individuals I miss and love. I also get to acknowledge their unique traits and qualities and how they express those in life. My art pieces represent my experience of another individual, what I see in them and the connection we enjoy.
In the Workshop "Remembering with Joy" that I designed with my friend Mary Hylan this is the core idea; we focus on the beauty of a relationship and how we have been enriched by another, knowing that we can still draw joy from it, that we have gained from it and that every situation in life including loss is an opportunity to know our spiritual interconnectedness more deeply.
For details www.GratitudeandGrace.com

“Love is stronger than death even though it can't stop death from happening, but no matter how hard death tries it can't separate people from love. It can't take away our memories either. In the end, life is stronger than death.”

Small Daily Tasks

"A small daily task, if it be really DAILY, will beat the labours of a spasmodic Hercules"
Anthony Trollope

This wisdom is a good thing to remember when we are feeling overwhelmed or that we cannot seem to achieve all we would like to. It reminds me of water on limestone, it has the power to wear away caves over time. Similar to love, whose action is gentle, it has the ability to make its way into the hardest heart with daily acts of kindness.

We put off so much saying I need an entire free day to tackle this task, or I need a consistent day off to really make a dent in this goal. Its not true! This is just one way to hold ourselves back from achieving. We get out of testing ourselves, we can avoid failure but in doing so we also avoid success.

So if you are attempting to love yourself more today or love a difficult person in your life or achieve a major task, know that persistence is omnipotent. Do something in line with what your heart is prompting you toward today, no matter how small. Place reminders on your fridge or somewhere you will see it to remind yourself to take time DAILY. You can achieve so much in just five or ten minutes a day - EVERY DAY. Novels have been written this way. Fitness, closer family connections, forgiveness, a more beautiful home, clearer consciousness, more peace, all of these things can be and have been achieved this way.

What could you attempt to do? I'm certainly giving thought to this idea. I know there is power in it.
I'll keep you posted.

We must maintain love.

Its not what happens to us in this life that matters most - it is the attitude we take to what happens that dictates our experience.

Some people derisively call keeping a positive or optimistic attitude, a Pollyanna attitude as if seeing only the good is some how a delusion. A course in miracles would say that any other way of seeing is ego based and we have forgotten who we are. Only love exists. If a person acts unlovingly it comes from fear. When we choose to love that person despite their negativity or fearful actions we are choosing the power to heal that person. Making a person wrong, pointing to their anger or negativity we lock them into the illusion they are creating, forgiving them we see through to their innocence.

We are all innocent. Marianne Williamson says in her book, A Return to Love that when a person acts unlovingly, if they lie or hurt us with criticism or judgement, that it is a call for love. If we can step out of the way of the insult or negative behaviour and remain nonreactive we can find our power. Our power lies in seeing the illusion or dream the other person is in and seeing with the eyes of Spirit. We are instruments of love not of defense of the ego.

The choice to act this way is not easy but it is within the realm of our choosing. We can ask for help in this shift of perception. Outside circumstances don't bring us peace, it comes from within. Are you willing to stop withholding love as forgiveness? Do you choose love or fear? Let us not let the closing of another's heart tempt us to close our own. "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." (Romans, chapter 12: verse 19) , lets leave that to her as we choose love today!
Namaste.

Willingness is Worthiness

I believe that whoever is willing to bring the qualities of God into expression is worthy of experiencing them. Therefore because I am willing to prosper others I am worthy of being prospered. - Science of Mind Principles

Say this out load to yourself. How does it make you feel? Does this phrase evoke a sense of truth or feeling of hope? Do questions come up in your mind about what it means to prosper others and do you feel you are doing it?
The word prosper has its origins in the latin prosperare, to make happy. The dictionary says it means to make successful or fortunate especially in financial aspects, to thrive, to flourish.

I cant necessarily make others rich, though I circulate money when I purchase services and goods and I give to charity. That's only a small of my power to be willing to prosper others.
What about to make happy? I can't make anyone happy if they are not willing to be but I can add to people's happiness by my attitude, my respect, my time and attention.

I can look at what I need to thrive and flourish in the world and provide that for myself to start with. There are so many ways, I will list just a few; getting to bed early, exercising, eating well, finding time to journal and feel gratitude, to call my friends, to be kind to myself and also exercise self discipline in the areas I am lax, expressing my creativity, my joy, my love. Sharing who I am. Your list may be similar, it may be different.

Then I can look to my family and friends, acquaintances and people I meet in the course of my day and constantly ask - how can I assist or serve this person in order that they may flourish and thrive? What is it they need right now? Is it a smile, a kind word? How can I contribute in the work place to prosper my company, my work colleagues, the patrons of my business?
The Science of Mind principle states "because I am willing," so a willingness to simply ask what a person needs to thrive is the beginning of your own prosperity. What does your sister need to thrive, what does your husband or wife or daughter need to thrive? Very often when we think about it, it is love in some form; understanding, support, compassion, a word of encouragement or approval or a listening ear. Its not difficult to prosper others, it takes our willingness to be present to them. Take that time today and "Live long and prosper!"

Take Time

“Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein."
- H. Jackson Brown Jr.


So many perceptions of time. These days there just doesn't seem to be enough of it. I know I feel that way often. So much so that when I suddenly had some time the other day I wasn't sure what to do with it. I was a little panicked even!!

This morning was a different scenario. I found myself writing my journal as I lay on my couch looking out at the greening trees in my neighbourhood and simply so present I did not want to move. It was a delicious moment and I reminded myself to just enjoy. The house was quiet except for the ticking of the clock. I let seconds go by just listening and looking and breathing. I continued to write and as I did I could feel the morning close in with lists and choices and tasks and the old feeling of rush and tension. I recognised what I was doing and as always I knew I couldn't get everything done this morning so I had to choose. In time all things would be taken care of. Right now my power was to choose. Rather than what I usually do on a task oriented day getting caught up in doing, this morning which I consider my morning off, I chose to spend one hour doing necessary jobs and two and a half hours till lunch doing fun things. Balance!

Its all about balance. We work so hard these days despite our labor saving devices and our computers! Or because of them! The brain needs space to be be undisciplined and free flow, to reflect and rejuvenate. In this time I can assess if I am headed in the right direction, I can access my feelings about my life and my choices. I can make new choices based on what I find. If we don't take time out we are definitely on a treadmill, caught up in the rat race that goes nowhere I want to go. So give yourself time this wonderful Easter weekend. The perfect time for rejuvenation and rebirth and enjoying family and friends. Even if there is sadness in your family this Easter, be with it fully, be present for a time before life sweeps us all forward again. Just choose to be fully present, your present to the universe!

"Time discovers Truth" - Seneca

Who are you in relationship with today?

Relationships, they are the thing of popular magazine covers and scandal, who is Jen seeing now? Will Brad and Angelina last?!!! We love to watch how celebrity relationships play out. Actually we love to hear stories of love. Just look at the movies we watch, almost all will have a little romance if its not the main plot. People love to be in love and if they are not, hearing your story of love will warm their hearts. It is my belief that love makes the world go around not money!
At least it moves my world!

The truth is that love, passion and relationship permeate not just our intimate relationships but every aspect of our lives. Even if we live alone and rarely venture out, love plays an active part in our day. When we put on a beautiful peice of music or choose what to eat for lunch we exercise love or the lack of it. Choosing what to wear, how to spend your day, how to perceive the events of the day or people in our lives, they all ask us to activate care and attention. Loving anything is bringing care and attention to it. Your plants wont grow without it, your relationships wont either, whether this relationship is with yourself or your pet or your mother.

So many people want to find the love of their lives, the One! I say you have found it but you dont realize it. YOU are the One, the love of your life is the love, the care and attention you bring to every task, event and happening no matter how trivial or traumatic in your day. Activating the choice to bring love to your mundane everyday tasks can enrich and enliven our lives immeasurably. When we do this, whether we find our mate or not, we experience the joy of a lifelong and faithful love that will not desert us. Then, if or when that person does show up the joy increases and the person does not carry the burden of being your main source of joy or love.
It makes for a happier and healthier partnership.

So love yourself today as you would wish to be loved. Find time for yourself, do something that brings you joy, eat healthy, enjoy the earth and its pleasures, it is full of wonders.
With love to you, Joan

Creative Visioning

Its life's dichotomy's that challenge me to really think. At this time of the year I love to make a Vision Board. It is a visual representation of what I would like to experience. It is similar to day dreaming, which I have a particular talent for since I was very young, much to the annoyance of my school teachers. God bless you Mrs. Duffy!

A vision board is similarly enjoyable to create as I pull images from magazines that are attractive to me. Its a playful and pleasant dreamy pursuit, yet the intention is there to somehow set in motion the energy of creation. I've heard of people creating them as you will have too if you watched "the Secret" and later finding that they live in the house they pasted on their board or driving the very make of car they chose in that dreamy state.

Getting back to dichotomies, in my attempt to figure out how come some things manifest from these boards and others do not I have heard conflicting things; you must want it with all your heart and spend time focusing on it daily! And you must release it and be equally willing to not have what you want. The moment you do this it will be yours! Can we do both at the same time?
The answer to this became clear to me as I read Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth. He says "Attachment to things will fall away when you no longer seek to find yourself in them." The motivation for wanting something is all important. How much of our value we attach to having that object matters.
Tolle puts it like this. "Ego says - I don't have enough yet, and means I AM not enough yet." When we truly value ourselves and know we ARE ENOUGH as we are - beautiful, precious, whole and complete then can we create and manifest from the substance we already are. Its all one. No separation, no barriers to joy or the idea of deserving it. As Spirit we are joy. Life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness of this truth. Maybe not getting what we imagine will bring us joy serves to teach us we can be joyful anyway. And when we are joyful already more is added to it.

Desiring one more way to express joy, as in a holiday or a new car while we express it already is one way of letting go while also focusing on it daily. Whether we get that car or not we know we can express joy, if we get that relationship or not we can express love.

So with this in mind I will make my Vision Board and as I bring joy and love to my daily tasks, I can anticipate more joy, more love and more abundance in my life. And you can too.

We are Kings and Queens

"Ordinary riches can be stolen, real riches cannot. In your soul are infinately precious things that cannot be taken from you." Oscar Wilde

We look at scenes from Haiti and feel for their struggle, their poverty and their loss of life. People there are suffering what we all dread, hunger, devastation of lives, homelessness, loss of families. Things will never be the same for so many. Naturally there is an outpouring of sympathy and support as differences and separation pale in the light of empathy. There but for the grace of God go I.

I am grateful today that I can give. Though I am not wealthy in finances and I live modestly, I have so much to give thanks for today. I also choose to not just carry on with a self satisfaction that its not me in that situation but look at what I can give.
After I give to Haiti in whatever way I can, I can look to my own life for people who are less fortunate and do what I can for them, remembering there is so much need in the world. Volunteering your time to the elderly living alone or to children who need a stabilizing influence has rewards untold. We are not alone or separate and we can always find something to be grateful for in being able to give. Giving of ourselves is a reminder of how rich we are.

"Riches do not consist in the possession of treasures, but in the use made of them." Napolean Bonaparte

The importance of grounding.

"Unless your heart, your soul, and your whole being are behind every decision you make, the words from your mouth will be empty, and each action will be meaningless. Truth and confidence are the roots of happiness.”

I just got back from a ten day stay with family in Ireland. Living in LA as I do, this visit is exceptionally grounding for me. I always feel renewed, strengthened, more sure of myself and true to myself. With the new year just beginning I feel very positive and ready to create a new experience.

I have dreams I am working toward and goals I have set and I am very much aware of how life can distract from these focused ideas as the year progresses. This is one reason I make a Vision Board. A vision board is a collection of images I put together that represent my goals and in particular the feeling I want to experience as I actualize these intentions.

Goal setting and vision boards are powerful. Once you commit your deepest wishes to paper it's as if you are initiating the process, igniting the spark of divine creation. You have begun something which throughout the year takes on a life of its own especially if it continues to be fed by you with your enthusiasm and energy.

Keeping your vision board before you acts as a reminder of that spark. You may find yourself flagging in April or July. Don't be discouraged if things are not shaping up as quickly as you would like - maintain your attunement with yourself and make the necessary adjustments. Reaching your destination is much like driving a car. Constant steering is necessary to keep the vehicle on course.

So remember to ground yourself so you can find that certainty of who you are and what is your deepest yearning and truth. I cant always make a visit to Ireland but I can connect with the feeling either in nature, in a conversation with my sister or writing a letter to a dear friend. Identify what gives you that feeling of connection with your true self and consistently renew your spirit throughout 2010. From a foundation of stability and rootedness it is possible to build lofty dreams. From a place of deep self love and connection you can make this a great year!

The fairest thing in nature, a flower, still has its roots in earth and manure.”
D.H. Lawrence (British Poet, Novelist and Essayist, 1885-1930)

Can there be new beginnings?

This bright new year is given me, to live each day with zest . . .
To daily grow and try to be my highest and my best.

New Year always invites us to review the old year and reset our course for the new. It's an opportunity to set goals and take action to create something new. I have always loved New Year for that reason. I feel if the previous year was not so great, that this marker divides my experience and can bring a new page in the book of my life. It is a nice feeling to turn over a new leaf, declare how I desire my life to improve and set an intention to take the necessary action to make it so.

Unfortunately often the best of intentions wain and resolutions are broken before we are even a quarter of the way into the year. Why can we not hold for long to our moments of high resolve? It has led me to wonder about the depth of my desire to change or if I really just prefer my old slovenly ways! I have come to the conclusion I do have a strong desire to make changes but that I often set unrealistic goals.

Change happens slowly, gradually unless one is propelled by great pain or great inspiration. So firstly I believe we could be a little gentler with ourselves as we venture to implement change in our habits. Secondly, we need to be mindful, on a daily basis and access if our actions are in alignment with what we have declared as our intention. Doing this reminds us that it is love for ourselves that motivates the changes we have chosen to make. There is no power but in the present moment, the only time we can make a choice or take action is now. Not in the past, not in the future but here and now. Be it New Years Day or March 17th, let us consciously choose our actions.

Human beings are great at self deception and rationalization, so honesty with ourselves and regular evaluation of our motives is essential to real change. The boost of the general consciousness of goal setting we feel around us at the start of the year helps get us off to a good start. This year I am marking my calendar with a big red X at the start of each quarter with the intention to review on these dates the goals I have set today. Once a year is not enough. With that I wish you a healthy and prosperous 2010 and may you effortlessly implement the changes you desire.

Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.”

Jim Rohn

Staying in Faith

“Faith is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted, in spite of your changing moods.”
C.S. Lewis, British Scholar and Novelist 1898 -1963

Its easy to be faithful when things are going well or there are minor upsets that come right with prayer and the passing of a day or two. But what is going on when its been more that a day or two and things are not well, or even a month or two, or a year or more...what then? Can you stay faithful to your belief in an abundantly good universe, a benevolent giving spirit, the working of the force for good, in and through all things?

It gets a little tougher doesn't it? And yet we know that there really is no other choice, no other Truth. I affirm this truth, which is my belief despite what I see with my eyes but I wonder, is there something I am not aware of, in my behaviour or thoughts which belie my belief, which deny or negate that faith I say I have. I wonder more when I am not seeing change, the change I desire or believe is possible. I question and examine my thinking. I look more deeply when I don't see shift or experience peace about the pattern of my life. It means I cannot continue as I have been going, that I need to do or know something different in order to experience something different.

At trying times like these its so much easier to blame the external world, the economy, the politicians, the conspiracy! The truth is, we are being guided, by "doors closing behind us" maybe rather the door we hear will open before us, if we have faith.

If whatever you are doing is not working for you its time to shift focus. Only you know the answer to your own problems. Getting quite in meditation or taking a long walk in nature will help. Ask for guidance and watch for the message in something you overhear, something seen on TV or mentioned by a friend. It's there, really it is. Be open to receive from the most unusual places. Don't forget those pennies in your path that declare in God we Trust. Keep the faith, be aware of your speech and what you are affirming by your words and deeds, remember to be guided by love and most of all be gentle with yourself. Then watch the shift happen.

“Faith makes all things possible.... love makes all things easy.” Anon.

Come from love.

“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

Can you do what comes from love today?
Just for one entire day! Do the things you love to do, and do the things you must do with love as the motivating factor. As you wash another sink full of dishes or carry out the most mundane errand can you imagine you are being of service?

Loving anything or anyone contains an element of service. When we love ourselves we listen to our needs and act and speak up so that we serve the meeting that need; for food, cleansing or letting our emotions be heard. When we love another we serve their need to be themselves and be heard, supported and acknowledged for who they are. When we do what we love it is our unique service and contribution to the world, something we have been born to do. No one else can do it quite like us, from our vision or perspective.

Life will come to an end one day and I hope we wont die with our song still in us. I hope for each of us that we live this moment with a consciousness of the gift of our life, the preciousness of time and the knowledge of how much we have to give. I saw a movie called "The Shift" http://www.dyermovie.com/ this weekend and it reminded me that in the afternoon of our lives our motivations are different to what they were in the morning and that's OK. Its how it's supposed to be.

We desire a more meaningful experience as we age than we did when we were younger. And this always involves service of some kind. Even if it's as simple as being cheerful, this is a definite service to humanity; sharing a smile while in line at the bank. Or as grand an effort as writing that novel! If we are honoring our inner urges we are also inspiring others to imagine they can do the same. What a fabulous service that is to perform.

Service has had a bad wrap. Its not about putting our desires last as we might imagine. It's more about honoring our desire and ability to contribute. The reward is a deeper satisfaction and joy that you can experience in any other way in the afternoon of life. Try it and see.

"Most people live and die with their music still unplayed. They never dare to try " Mary Kay Ash

Comfort for the weary

"Be still and know that I am God. Instead of being disturbed by the condition, be still, that you may know the Truth."
H. B. Jeffery from The Principles of Healing

Being a nurturer by nature I have a really hard time when someone I care about is not doing well mentally or physically. They keep popping up in my mind and my heart yearns to comfort them in some way and make their lives easier, less challenging or less painful. I feel a helplessness and a sadness that weighs on me.

I used to be so much more deeply affected by this type of situation to the point of being unable to sleep and feeling the burden of responsibility to do something, fix it or find out how to make a difference. Thankfully one day it dawned on me that it was not my job.

Yes I could do what was in my power to do to help ease their burden, like bringing hot soup to a sick person or giving a word of comfort or an ear when that's what is required. But it was not my job to remove their burdensome life circumstances. Each person is on their own life path and as friends we can support them but only they can know what is in the challenge for them to learn or change or accept. Meantime there is something we can do.

Our real work is to remember the power we do have. We have the power to hold them in love, visualize them surrounded by the light of the love of all those who care, and of life itself. I try to remember to be still and know the deepest Truth for my loved one, to know the perfect, whole and unquenchable Spirit they are; that God/ Love/ Spirit is more powerful than any circumstance. As I allow myself to simply feel the deep I love have for them I am doing the work of healing. In the service of light. We are more powerful than we know! It's an excellent practice when we feel most helpless. Try it.

“Love is not consolation. It is light.”
Friedrich Nietzsche

Darkest before the dawn.

“When you doubt your power, you give power to your doubt.” Anon

Have you even noticed that its just before things seem to have reached their lowest point that the cavalry arrives? In the nick of time before all is lost we are suddenly saved.
Why do you think this is? Why is disaster averted only when what we most fear is closest to becoming real? Maybe this is not your experience but I know it has happened to me.
If our deepest held beliefs are what manifest as our experience then somewhere I am harboring a notion that things must get worse before they get better. Its a tad stressful to hold this belief so here and I now I let it go!

What do I know that I can replace these ideas with?
The universe is constant in its expansion. The sun constantly shines even if clouds temporarily obscure the sight of it or night gives the impression of its having gone to sleep. Spirit it is more powerful than any circumstance or human held notion. What's true of any part of creation is true in all parts of creation so my life being the life of Spirit then I am an expression of that power. If I can manifest near disaster I can manifest order, harmony and abundance.

I cannot expect this Power to do for me more than it can do through me. My part is to remember the power at my disposal and choosing my thoughts, act in confidence, trusting without anxiety that the outcome is already good. There is no need to worry nor is there any positive effect of worry or despair.

It is necessary to have a good talk with ourselves from time to time, to check in and see where our thoughts are going and what scenarios we are imagining. There will be no need for cavalry for me. I actively choose now to see Spirit's expression in all areas of my life. Things may not always look perfect on the surface but I know the deeper truth, the silver lining tells me the sun is shining behind the clouds.


“If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought.”
Peace Pilgrim, American Teacher and Spiritual leader and Peace Prophet, 1908-1981

A Clarifying Commitee?

“Muddy water, let stand - becomes clear.”
Lao Tzu



Confusion, muddled thinking, or even most definitely right, ego driven thinking can obscure the truth from us. Where do we turn - when the answer isn't clear?


Well, some turn to Psychics, others turn to their spouse or best friend, some become depressed and stuck and others become more forceful, bringing the sheer force of will to bear on circumstances, hopeful of gaining control of their lives. I've definitely flailed around and tried them all!

Here's another alternative I feel could have great merit. A clarifying committee! In the Quaker faith this is normal, when you are faced with a great decision. A clarifying committee is a trusted group of elders, wise people, who question the decision maker about every aspect of their decision. It is done for the purpose of the questioned one to become clear about his or her motives and to really know what their deepest and highest self desires. Her answers must be as honest and as true as they can be.

I just love this idea. I want to gather a clarifying committee. I know the trusted friends I would have on it too. It strikes me as challenging but most of all I would hope that the result would keep me true to myself, in integrity with who I am in the world, my true nature and no one else's. I want to have clarity and live authentically. Afterall its my one and only life that I am aware of, I want to live it according to the unique perspective and expression I am. No one else will do it as I do, in the way that I do and with the vision I hold. Your gifts are unique to you, the world needs what you have to give, if you dont know what that is today maybe its time to gather a clarifying committee! Or simply be your own.
What do you think? Could you go for this challenge?

“Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.”
Carl Gustav Jung

The Creative Process

“The creative process is a process of surrender, not control.”
Julia Cameron

I started a painting with an intention as to what it would look like when I was done. It was an abstract concept which meant I was not stuck to anything too concrete and in watercolor paints that means all kinds of happy accidents can occur to add to the mix. Before beginning I sat quietly and closed my eyes in order to get a clearer picture as to how I was to proceed. Its always a daunting moment putting the first colors down on a blank white page. The only thing for it was to jump in.

And so I did, and as the painting progressed I would regularly walk away and take breaks so I could be somewhat detached from what was emerging. I got it to a place close to how I had originally seen it in my head but I knew it was not finished. I always feel a certain tension throughout a painting. I feel at any moment it can go either way; into the trash can or into a frame. I seem to judge it all the way through its evolution. There is often a point at which I am ready to damn it and declare it worthless and I push on through to make something of it. It can be quite painful, this process of judging your own creation.

My intention from the start of this piece was to let it create itself and so I questioned my creation all the time, "are you finished?" It said no and I proceeded to add a figure at its center. Quan Yin, the Chinese Goddess of Compassion. Trees seemed to sprout from her head, and I saw a moon peak through. She seemed to presided over a tumultuous ocean. I went to bed knowing the painting was not finished yet. In the morning I woke and knew what needed to be added.

When it was done my painting was not at all what I had set out to paint. I was surprised by it, pleased with it for the most part, though I find it hard to be detached enough from my painting initially to know if I'm satisfied with it. Ive heard it said that the way we do one thing is the way we do everything. The process of this painting was so interesting to me. I thought about the way I do life; how I tend to judge the process if things are not yet resolved in some area. My friend calls it 'being in the hallway.' It's a time before you have reached a goal, there are questions, uncertainties, you must bear some discomfort until its resolution. My tendancy I find is to want to rush things to their conclusion.

The truth is we can not know the result until we know the result. Living in the grey area can be uncomfortable but if that is where you are, you have no choice but to practice patience and faith. I realized through the process of this painting that I need to have greater faith in the process. It unfolded as it had a mind to, my job was not to control but to surrender. Ah, sweet surrender!

It does feel good if we can remember to trust that all of life is a process and that what is unfolding has the capacity to surprise us in the most delightful way, if we can let go. I want to practice that more and more. How light it feels to give it over and trust, like having wings and knowing the wind current will support me. All is well. Ah sweet, sweet surrender!

“Mystery is at the heart of creativity. That, and surprise.”
Julia Cameron

If not today then when?

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”
Maria Robinson

When will we choose to live? When will we choose to be happy? When will we choose to be who we really wish to be? When will we dare to risk all for what we want? If not today then when?

Can we afford to wait, will tomorrow come too soon and we find we have not lived the life we have imagined? I hope not. So many people are presently going through transitions of one kind or another as the economy changes and evolves. It's a time to evolve ourselves as well.

This too shall pass. If you find yourself out of work, in dire straight, that's a good thing to remember. In the mean time its good to reassess what is most important to us, our values, our hopes and dreams and set a new course.



Turn your eyes away from what you see around you and ask the inward questions. These answers are what will move you forward. Spirit desires your happiness and abundance, work with it. In this act of co-operation we are unstoppable. Doors open, grace steps in and for no reason you find yourself in another place looking back and wondering why you worried.


Rising above the clouds we see the sun still shines and always shines even when we cannot see it. There is good and abundance and joy even if we momentarily cant see it. Why wait to express it, start today from where you are. Give yourself ten minutes of moping if you must and then do something productive, enjoyable, for fun! Do something for someone else. Call someone you haven't called in a long time. Move, do, be! Now! Life is too short and precious to waste a moment.


“Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.”
Ashley Smith

Growing old is not for sissies!

“The soul is born old but grows young. That is the comedy of life. And the body is born young and grows old. That is life's tragedy.”
Oscar Wilde

I visited with an aging friend today, eighty seven and still working one day a week, wracked with pain, barely able to walk and ready to say goodbye to this world. All alone, she has no children and finances are tight. How must the world look to her who can no longer fully enjoy and savor it's delights? I can only imagine and judge from my perspective. Seeing her always gives me pause for thought and I wonder how my life will be when I am her age. I come away remembering it's not the circumstances of our lives that dictate our experience but our attitude.
I have known elderly individuals, in their nineties and one who lived to 102 years and it was the spirit within them that impressed me most of all. Focussed on the positive and what they could do rather than what was lost to them, these women were inspirational. If we are to grow old gracefully, in fact if we are to live gracefully, this is a wise perspective from which to view our lives. This is who I want to be and I set this intention today, realizing I have much for which to be grateful. Of course it's the simlple pleasures that endure, watching the rain fall on the window pane, the dappling of sunlight on the pavement or the birdsong in the morning. A letter fom a distant friend, a kind word or smile we can give another. Remember this as life is whizzing by you and practice that which will serve you when all the hubbub and hecticness of this stage of your life passes into a quiter phase.
Be grateful for the agility of your body even if it has begun to slow, for the pleasures you enjoy and the companionship you share. Give of yourself generously. " I want to be all used up when you die." said George Bernard Shaw and so do I. May you be too.

“If wrinkles must be written on our brows, let them not be written upon the heart. The spirit should never grow old.”
James A. Garfield

Hope springs eternal!

“Hope is the dream of a soul awake.”
French Proverb



Have you ever come to that place of feeling a situation was hopeless. It seemed like nothing could make things better, either you were out of ideas or someone involved just didn't seem to have the heart or incentive to change their choices. Well, let me tell you from personal experience, be prepared to be surprised, because hope does spring eternal.



When I come across this type of situation in my own life now, or in the life of someone who has come to me for prayer, I absolutely know that nothing is impossible in Spirit. No matter how bleak or impossible the situation may seem. I have been astonished too many times to give credence to what I see with my eyes or even feel anymore.



Our feelings are not realities, they are just the result of what we are telling ourselves. For example if we are saying to ourselves "This will never work, don't even try" or "She'll never change." or "I give up, its hopeless" then you can just imagine how these words do not serve to increase our feelings of well being or allow us to envision something new! Very often we don't see the entire picture, our narrow perspective doesn't encompass the immense possibilities always available.

If we can let go of our declarations of doom and disaster for a moment and open to Spirit's vision, simply allowing for alternatives for just a moment, I think we will be pleasantly surprised. I guarantee it actually. It has never failed me. Have you ever had a similar experience? I'd love to hear about it.


“In all things it is better to hope than to despair.”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Solitude

“Solitude is painful when one is young, but delightful when one is more mature.”
Albert Einstein
It seems when it's our choice, solitude is a delight but if it is not, it is a lot less delightful. Sometimes I long for my space and for quiet, craving the freedom of associating with my own thoughts and reflections. It seems then I am most myself, unaffected by another's energy or opinion. Alone too I seem to be in touch with the creative flow, as I have the spaciousness to explore ideas.
I did not always feel this way. I was fearful of being alone in my twenties, fearing loneliness. Fearing that existential angst of being a life separate from others. It was painful, I did many things to avoid it. When I finally really faced it, living alone in a foreign country, some days it was a real struggle. Eventually I learned to deal with it by calling friends or meeting with them. Later it came to me that a big part of the feelings I had of isolation, of separation and loneliness was really because I was separated from my very best friend, myself!
When I did some inner child work, talking to that frightened child within me and comforting her, it seemed I finally could feel that pain recede and melt away. I've heard it called self soothing. Something we should learn as children but often don't. The healing part in this process, I believe, is being the observer, realizing that the emotion is not who we are.
We are; the observer, the comforter, the wise parent, eternal spirit, the higher self, which is always peaceful, always wise. Realizing this is liberation from pain and struggle. Try it next time you are upset by someone or by your own thoughts.
Just remember to keep the conversation inside your head so you don't risk being accused of insanity!
“I lived in solitude in the country and noticed how the monotony of a quiet life stimulates the creative mind”
Albert Einstein

Affirm what you believe, and as you believe, it will be!

“Affirmation of life is the spiritual act by which man ceases to live unreflectively and begins to devote himself to his life with reverence in order to raise it to its true value.”
Albert Schweitzer, German Theologian, Musician and Philosopher. 1952 Nobel Peace Prize

These days I feel a bit off center as I am faced with many choices in my life. In times of transition nothing is certain, it feels like its all up in the air and who knows where or on whom it will fall! In essence I don't have the answers yet and not knowing can be a difficult place to dwell. I try to remember to deal with what is right in front of me, the ironing for instance or the phone call that must be made. If nothing is pressing then I find a drawer in the house to clear and organize. There are always steps to take.
In order for me to get to that step there is something else I try to remember also. Affirming the truth of who I am and what is going on. I believe I am a spiritual being and that my life is constantly expanding. My life is the life of Spirit and when I let go and follow my inner guidance I will be guided to greater joy, greater peace and greater understanding. So the first step to take is affirmation and that usually leads to a little space for peace to creep in and from there I can act. I can act from fear but peace works better for me!
Christian Science healings amazing amaze me. What impresses me most is the persistence of their affirmations. The evidence before their eyes may say other that what they affirm but they do not stop until what seems amiss comes into alignment with their truth; which is wholeness, well being, abundance, peace! Its profound! While they do this they also look at areas they may have unresolved forgiveness or resentment issues or any thought that is holding back the flow of Spirit's activity through them. You can read more at http://christianscience.com/
It's a good thing to acknowledge that with God all things are possible, the evidence is there. You have nothing to loose but your stress.
“I am optimistic and confident in all that I do. I affirm only the best for myself and others. I am the creator of my life and my world. I meet daily challenges gracefully and with complete confidence.” Unknown

Natural Healing

Live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find eternity in each moment. - Henry David Thoreau

I took a hike this morning for the first time in a while. I offer no excuses but wonder why when I enjoy hiking in the hills so much that I don't go more often. It was a perfect October morning, a little chilly, I needed a sweatshirt at least part of the way. I used to hike three or four times a week so walking on the gravelly earth with the scent of sage all around me brought back happy feelings of deep pleasure.

I had recently listened to a CD on developing your intuition and one of the things recommended is to be in nature and drink deep of its healing energy. We are so bombarded by energy from people all day, particularly in cities. Even buildings and places have energy that affects us in both negative and positive ways. The earth is naturally regenerating and can sooth our jangled nerves and stresses. I think we all know that, but we forget it, caught up in the fast pace of life.

My experience this morning showed me how it takes effort to really relax if you have not done so on a regular basis. I found as I walked I would get caught up in my thoughts and miss the moment. Then a scrub jay would screech and I would be brought back to my environment. I thanked the birds for reminding me to be in the present moment.

Children don't need to be reminded. I think their ability to be present is why time seems to go so slowly for them. At least that's my memory of it. A half hour car drive to the seaside seems like an eternity. "Are we there yet, are we there yet?" Now I drive a half hour and blink, I'm there! I likened my hiking experience to our life experience, if we are not present, we miss the gifts of the moment; time flies by and next thing you know, blink, its over. Is it possible to slow down and smell the roses? It's certainly worth trying. Meditation helps, awareness helps, a desire to be here now helps. Do you have any suggestions? I'd love to hear them.

Life is a great and wondrous mystery, and the only thing we know that we have for sure is what is right here right now. Don't miss it.- Leo Buscaglia