ONE LOVE CAFE

COMING SOON....

2008-11-09T11:11:00.001-08:00

FEED YOUR SOUL! A new blog about wellness. Stay tuned...............

If God Invited You To A Party

2008-04-11T13:42:00.000-07:00

A dear friend of mine, Alan, is in hospital right now. He is a great teacher of love and compassion and he infuses everything and everyone he touches with a radiant, healing light. He is all heart. Yesterday another friend and I went to visit him, and the three of us shared an incredible experience of love and connection. I feel so blessed, and so grateful.
One of Alan's favorite poets is Hafiz, and I read a poem to Alan yesterday during the visit. I would like to post it here, in honour of Alan and his ability to be the love, to embody the light and savour each moment.

IF GOD INVITED YOU TO A PARTY

If God
Invited you to a party
And said,

"Everyone
In the ballroom tonight
Will be my special
Guest,"

How would you then treat them
When you
Arrived?

Indeed, indeed!

And Hafiz knows
There is no one in this world

Who
Is not upon
His Jeweled Dance
Floor.

As Alan said, "We all showed up to the party." Yes, Alan, yes we did. And what a party it is! Each of us dancing our own unique dance, each so beautiful and so necessary......

You Are Connected

2008-03-30T11:13:00.000-07:00

Tall tree

There is no lonely.

Feel

your roots,

Drink in

your life.

You are connected

to everything,

Oh beautiful

Tree.

Just What I Was Looking For

2008-01-30T10:32:00.000-08:00

"The maturity we can develop in approaching our difficulties is illustrated by the traditional story of a poisoned tree. On first discovering a poisoned tree, some people see only its danger. Their immediate response is, 'Let's cut this down before we are hurt. Let's cut it down before anyone else eats the poisoned fruit.' This resembles our initial response to the difficulites that arise in our lives, when we encounter aggression, compulsion, greed or fear, when we are faced with stress, loss, depression, or sorrow in ourselves or others. Our initial response is to avoid them, saying, ' These poisons afflict us. Let us uproot them; let us be rid of them. Let us cut them down."
Other people, who have journeyed further along the spiritual path, discover this poisoned tree and do not meet it with aversion. They have realized that to open to life requires a deep and heartfelt passion for all that is around us. Knowing the poisoned tree is somehow a part of us, they say, "Let us not cut it down. Instead, let's have compassion for the tree as well.' So out of kindness they build a fence around the tree so that others may not be poisoned and the tree may also have its life. This second approach shows a profound shift from judgement and fear to compassion.
A third type of person, who has travelled yet deeper in spiritual life, sees this same tree. This person, who has gained much vision, looks and says, 'Oh, a poisoned tree. Perfect! Just what I have been looking for.' This individual picks the poisoned fruit, investigates its properties, mixes it with other ingredients, and uses the poison as a great medicine to heal the sick and transform the ills of the world. Through respect and understanding, this person sees in a way opposite to most people and finds value in the most difficult circumstances.
How have we met disappointment and obstacles in our life? What strategy have we brought to our difficulties and losses? What spirit of freedom, compassion, or understanding is yet to be found in the midst of these difficulties?
In each and every aspect of life, the chance to turn the straw we find into gold is there in our hearts. All that is asked is our respectful attention, our willingness to learn from difficulty. Instead of fighting, when we see with eyes of wisdom, difficulties can become our good fortune."
- Jack Kornfield - 'A Path With Heart'

If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking

2007-12-02T15:03:00.000-08:00

If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain.
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.

- Emily Dickinson

Community

2007-10-31T20:09:00.000-07:00

Why is it so often that the thing we desire is often the one we push away? Is it that we feel we are unworthy of this desire?

Community is something I have been yearning for. A group of people who understand me, who support and love me and are there to remind me of my Truth on those days when I forget. In my heart I long for this connection, and this longing feels ancient. Often I feel disconnected from my fellow humans, and from the pulse that connects everything on this planet. I am hungry for love and belonging yet at the same time I resist it, or at least a part of me does, the part that doesn't trust, the part that has been hurt by others and looks for safety in aloneness, separateness. I see that if I desire community then I must be willing to receive it. It is a practice to open to others and allow love in, and I know that it is truly the work I have come here to do.

I like what Starhawk says:
We are all longing to go home to some place we have never been — a place half-remembered and half-envisioned we can only catch glimpses of from time to time. Community. Somewhere, there are people to whom we can speak with passion without having the words catch in our throats. Somewhere a circle of hands will open to receive us, eyes will light up as we enter, voices will celebrate with us whenever we come into our own power. Community means strength that joins our strength to do the work that needs to be done. Arms to hold us when we falter. A circle of healing. A circle of friends. Someplace where we can be free.

All Connected

2007-10-25T11:36:00.000-07:00

Ever notice the flow that happens between thoughts and happenings? The flow that connects everyone and everything? It never ceases to amaze me that when I think of someone or something, put my attention on that person or thing in my mind and in my heart, then I invite that energy to show up in my life. It happens over and over again. And each time it happens, when I notice that magical flow that the head cannot comprehend or figure out, then I am reminded to let go, to trust in this flow, in this Divine force that connects everyone and everything... I am exactly where I am supposed to be...and that which I desire is already here.

For more heart surrender mandalas visit New World Creations:
http://www.nwcreations.com/gallery_surrendermandalas.htm

Flow In North Vancouver

2007-10-05T09:21:00.000-07:00

After I posted the quote from Amma yesterday, I set off to do some exploring in North Van. This seemed to be where I wanted to go, so I caught the seabus and wandered up Lonsdale as the rain began to fall, and fall. I poked around in several shops and ate a veggie sandwich with avocado in the Artisan Bakery. There wasn't much happening in NorthVan, or was there? Flow was most certainly happening, as it always is, whether I chose to acknowledge it or not. Then, Utopia appeared. Yes, a little store full of candles, incense, buddhas , tarot cards, spiritual books and lovely, calm energy. Ahhh..... immediately I felt peaceful, loved.

Since finishing the fabulous book "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert, I've been searching for another book I can escape into and enjoy. Nothing has appeared. In Utopia I discovered several shelves of used books, and instantly one popped out at me, "AMMA. Healing The Heart Of The World." Now, prior to discovering and posting the quote from Amma here yesterday, I had never heard this name and knew nothing about the Indian woman known as "the hugging Saint." I picked up the book and smiled at this beautiful example of synchronicity and flow.

As it turned out, the cashier had met Amma twice, once in a small hall here in Vancouver many years ago, and then again at her ashram in Kerala, India. As I paid for the book the cashier said, "It's strange, I feel that I could have met you at one of Amma's darshans in India. You have this energy about you. Perhaps it's that you look like one of Amma's followers, a woman who travelled everywhere with her. Yes, strange."

I left the store feeling elated, connected. I stopped into a cafe and read about Amma for an hour. "Throughout the world she has been called the hugging saint. Revered in her own country as a healer and a sage, credited with thousands of miracles by her devoted followers, Ammachi, or Amma (Mother), spends most of her waking hours providing strangers with hugs of unconditional love."

Imagine if we could each do this, even if it was just one hug a day, there would be more love and togetherness in the world. Thank-you, Amma.

Outgrowing Our Individuality

2007-10-04T10:18:00.000-07:00

"Surrender arises from helplessness.

Helplessness provides the opportunity

for you to release your ego.

The ego makes you feel important,

but a hopeless situation makes you realize

you are nothing and will not be free

unless you give up the sense of I.

This realization dawns

when you experience the burden of the ego.

Only a great blow or a serious threat

can bestow this knowledge.

***

The difficulty is not expressing love

but letting go - outgrowing - the ego.

Love is human nature;

it is already present within us.

but we are held back

by our individual boundaries.

We have to outgrow our individuality

in order to become universal.

Ego stands in the way of love.

When it is removed, we can flow like a river. "

~Amma

For more artwork for the soul visit: http://www.nwcreations.com

Giving Up Results

2007-10-03T09:33:00.000-07:00

I like what Marianne Williamson has to say in her book, 'A Return To Love:'

"When we surrender to something bigger than ourselves, we surrender to a universe that knows what it's doing. When we stop trying to control events, they fall into a natural order, an order that works. We're at rest while a power much greater than our own takes over, and it does a much better job than we could have done. We learn to trust that the power that holds galaxies together can handle the circumstances of our relatively little lives. "

So true. The sun is shining this morning and I feel a new kind of peace, thankfully. I intend to let the day unfold and flow as it will............... I am safe and cared for...................

FLOW

2007-10-01T22:16:00.000-07:00

I was sitting here tonight, listening to the rain outside and trying to come up with a topic for this new month. What I wanted to write about was faith, because I seem to be lacking in this area at the moment. My faith has slipped, and this means everything looks dismal. However, I have already had faith as my monthly topic, so... the word that then popped into my consciousness was FLOW. I want to get back in the flow. And I relate this flow to faith. The flow of the river that just takes me, when I can surrender and let myself be guided instead of fighting and resisting and wishing for something other than my current reality. There is a reason why I'm here. Floating is much easier than swimming upstream, and once I let go then immediately I find peace and the world brightens..... can I do it? This month I am going to try. FLOW IS MY GOAL.

Letting Go Of The Past

2007-08-16T06:56:00.001-07:00

Why is it that my mind often insists on convincing me that whatever happened in the past is destined to repeat itself? This, I am discovering, seems to be attached to all my fear. I worry about feeling ill when I drink an iced latte because the last time I had one I got a headache. I fear that loving someone intensely and passionately will eventually mean abandonment because this is the direction that all my intimate relationships have taken in the past. I don't take the risk of having fun incase something really nasty happens like it did that time last year when I made what I am labelling a poor decision. So what then, is true today? If I am constantly guarding against repeating what I perceive as past mistakes, then how can I truly live fully, radiantly, like that open flower I spoke of yesterday? Is anything actually happening now, or I am I just dragging old dramas around with me and preventing myself from experiencing the present? And will I not recreate my past fears, as long as I dwell on them and make them real again?

All that arises, passes away. Everything changes. Nothing is the same as it was even a second ago. And anything that may have hurt me in the past can touch me not. I don't need to repeat a lesson learned. So why worry? If worries are based on times gone by then they are nothing more than illusion. My thoughts alone can hurt me. It is but my thoughts I fear.

Learning From Flowers

2007-08-15T09:12:00.000-07:00

I can learn alot from a flower. A flower grows and changes effortlessly, from bud to colourful, petalled beauty, no drama, no desire to be anything other than what it is. A flower opens without fear, because this is how it receives the light it requires to live, and the vulnerability it shows in opening is what makes its beauty even more dazzling. It offers its gift of radiance to the world unconditionally, expecting nothing in return. The bees come with love.

When its petals begin to wither and grow brittle, the flower weeps not, for it has lived in all its brilliance, and fulfilled its destiny. How can there be a sadness for a life lived fully, in openness, with love? And when the time comes for the flower to die, it does so without pain, or sadness or fear, for death is not an end, but simply another change in the great circle of life.

Leaving The Familiar

2007-08-14T08:24:00.000-07:00

All The Hemispheres

Leave the familiar for a while.

Let your senses and bodies stretch out

Like a welcomed season

Onto the meadow and shores and hills.

Open up to the Roof.

Make a new watermark on your excitement

And love.

Like a blooming night flower,

Bestow your vital fragrance of happiness

And giving

Upon our intimate assembly.

Change rooms in your mind for a day.

All the hemispheres in existence

Lie beside an equator

In your heart.

Greet Yourself

In your thousand other forms

As you mount the hidden tide and travel

Back home.

All the hemispheres in heaven

Are sitting around a fire

Chatting

While stitching themselves together

Into the Great Circle inside of

You.

- Hafiz

Resisting Change

2007-08-13T20:40:00.000-07:00

Everything in our world is in a constant state of flux. The tides shift, the leaves turn colour and fall off the trees, our bodies age, our lives twist and turn in ways we could never have imagined. So why is it that we resist change? Why does change have to feel so uncomfortable at times? Tonight I search for an answer to this question, whilst being aware that the search is futile, the answer unreachable. The only way to be with change is to embrace it. It seems I am moving on in life, moving away from family and friends and into the unknown; a new home, a new job, new friends, new verse to the song in a new cafe. This is frightening and somewhat overwhelming! A huge part of me would like to remain in my comfort zone, to take the "easy" path and stay with what I know, stay with what appears to be secure in a routine that is familiar. However, there is no room for growth in this and my Higher Self knows it, as it urges me onward to exciting opportunities.

When I resist change I feel that I am resisting not just the immediate change before me, but all the things in my life that are changing. I don't want my parents to get older or my body to get softer in all the wrong places. Why can't it still look like it did a few years ago? I don't like all the new buildings that are going up where there used to be green spaces and I can't believe how quickly my friends' children are growing. I want my cat to stay forever my companion instead of going to a new home in the country where he will be happier. And I am starting to understand what people mean when they say that "you always feel the same age inside, even if you look older on the outside."

So, why resist? All my fighting and resisting is not going to stop the world from turning and the sun from setting for another day. I feel calmer and lighter when I take a deep breath and trust in these sometimes overwhelming changes in my life. The flow of this river knows where it is going..... and it gets there, and there, and there, effortlessly and beautifully, when I don't interfere.....

Rest

2007-06-13T19:05:00.001-07:00

Tonight I feel so tired, infact, I've been feeling exhausted for more than a week now, like my body is made of heavy rubber and it's all I can do to lift my limbs. Tonight I want to eat and I want to escape, through a juicy novel or an absorbing movie. I know I really must be tired, me, who recently read a novel again for the first time in years. I suppose life is a bit of a slog lately, like wading through a thick field of mud. Maybe that's why I haven't been writing. The cafe is somewhat uninspiring ( I know it's me, but why not blame the cafe?) and the summer sun is slow in arriving. And so, acceptance....

I like what Tara Brach has to say here: "When some people talk about accepting themselves they have this fear that they're condoning some bad behavior, or that if they accept themselves, that means they'll never improve. But the truth is, we're not saying, "It's OK that you did that bad thing." All we're accepting is the actuality of our experience in the moment: I'm accepting this shame is here, I'm accepting this fear is here, I'm accepting this anger, I'm accepting that there's craving, I'm accepting the truth just now, that I acted out of that craving and I ate too much. I'm accepting how bad I feel about that. But in the moment of accepting, we're not condoning. We're just acknowledging the truth of what's here with kindness. The reality is, if we can do that, it actually begins to free us so we can in the next moment, be a lot more wise."

Here's to wisdom and the lightness of body, mind and spirit that I know awaits me if I will only allow myself to embrace it.

Self Acceptance

2007-06-06T12:27:00.000-07:00

SO, today I am accepting that I completely missed writing for the entire month of May. I'm accepting that I had other priorities and that, well, sometimes I just didn't feel like writing, and that's perfectly okay. I'm accepting that I wore my winter boots in the rain this morning and now the sun is out and it's hot. I'm accepting that I am eating a scone that is probably not good for me...... but it tastes delicious, especially the white glazed icing on top. Yes! And my hair looks kinda funny today and I didn't ride my bike this morning. Ahhhhh......... to accept myself completely anyway, just as I am, and love ME, with my sweaty feet and scone tummy...... this feels like peace...................

The Guest House

2007-04-17T20:24:00.000-07:00

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
Some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they're a crowd of sorrows, who violently sweep your house
Empty of its furniture,
Still treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
For some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
Meet them at the door laughing
And invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,
Because each has been sent
As a guide from the beyond.

- RUMI

Thank-you, Sally

2007-04-14T10:30:00.000-07:00

After I wrote my last post, on ingesting positive energy with my food and enjoying it, being grateful for what I eat, I had an interesting conversation at the cafe. I will admit I wasn't in a particularly open or joyous mood, infact I was feeling sorry for myself and somewhat miserable. A woman came in quite early, and couldn't decide what she would like to drink.
"I want something like a cafe au lait," she said, pronouncing the words with a twang. This irriated me. I tried explaining what several of the drinks had in them, but nothing appealed to her. I became annoyed with her and impatient. I labeled her as strange and somewhat slow.
"Oh, forget it. I'll just have six old fashioned donuts," she said, with a sigh, "Now that I can enjoy them."
As I put the donuts in a bag, she started to tell me that she used to feel so guilty about eating a donut. "Until I got ill," she says, "Oh, but I won't tell you, it's well, sad."
At this point something in me became interested, and I knew that I needed to hear what this woman had to say. So, I opened to her and invited more conversation. This woman, who I will call Sally, proceeded to tell me that she has a malignant tumour in her stomach, and has refused an operation. "I'm just trying to enjoy the time I have left."
"Did you always feel guilty about eating sweets, or things you considered fattening?" I asked, curious.
"Oh yeah," she says, "I could never allow myself to eat a donut. And if I did, I felt so awful and guilty. I'm 5'9" and I used to weigh around 118lbs. I would not allow myself to weigh more than 130lbs. "
I stood there, completely riveted by her words, hearing my own story within hers.
"And what was all that guilt and worrying for?" she said, laughing ironically, "So I could show off my body in the summertime, look good in a bikini? So what! Now I can finally enjoy my food, and even though there is so much pain when I eat, at least I don't feel guilty anymore."
I felt so much compassion for Sally in this moment. When she left she said, "Thank-you, you're a nice person. Thank-you."
I watched her walk across the street and into the morning with her bags of goodies. I stood in silence, knowing that I had judged her, at first, as weird and bothersome and wanted her to go away. Yet if I hadn't talked to her I would have missed the beautiful gift she had for me. What a lesson! A real life example of what ingesting guilt can create. I honour your journey, Sally, and I have learned from your suffering. Thank-you for sharing. You showed me that everyone has gifts to share, and those whom I judge are often my greatest teachers in disguise.

Ingesting Gratitude

2007-04-07T08:19:00.000-07:00

I will admit that I am what some may consider neurotic when it comes to food. I try to eat only organic foods and stay away from dairy, wheat and processed foods as much as possible. Recently I finished a two week candida cleanse which had me completely off sugar. It is hard for me to recall a time when I have not been obsessed with eating well, and I will admit that I am tired. Tired of obsessing and planning and strategizing around food. Tired of being the one that can never find anything to eat on the menu, tired of feeling guilty when I have foods that I consider fattening or "bad" or unhealthy. What happened to enjoying food? And, what kind of energy am I swallowing with my food when I am indulging in something that is not allowed?

Yesterday, after a ridiculously busy day at the cafe, I spoke with a friend about this very issue. My friend is also rather obsessive about her eating, and together we decided that we would like to try viewing our food and eating differently. Instead of beating ourselves up before, during and after eating chocolate cake or hazelnut cookies or whatever food we may consider "bad", we challenged each other to make that cake the best cake we've ever had, to practice LOVING it and enjoying every mouthful, and being grateful for what we choose to eat. We are going to make a point of thanking the Universe for this nourishing food while we tell ourselves as we are chewing and swallowing "this food is so yummy and so good for me and boy will my body love this food." Even if we don't believe it at first, we are going to say it until we DO believe it, until our minds are trained to think this way all the time, instead of thinking in the negative.

I want to be ingesting positive energy with my food, thank-you! If I am believing that all my food is enjoyable and healthy for me, then this is the reality that I shall create. I will be grateful for the food and I will enjoy it. And I will imagine all those hands that played a part in creating this delicious treat for me. From this moment forward I choose to enjoy all foods that I put in my mouth and be thankful for the scrumptious abundance in my life.

Springtime Gratitude

2007-04-06T06:12:00.000-07:00

Spring is here! My heart is overflowing with gratitude for all the emerging beauty! Budding flowers, trees alive with greenery, birdsong, longer daylight, warm breezes, sunshine, ice cream, bare feet, flip flops, t-shirts, smiling faces, fresh organic vegetables, juicy fruit, YES! My energy soars as I wander through the world and witness all of the wonders unfolding around me. I am grateful, so grateful.

Take a moment to stop and notice the spring bursting forth. Breath in the scents of the new season! Smell a flower. Notice the colours. Feel the energy. Listen to the robins twittering. This is a beautiful time to be alive, and a perfect opportunity for gratitude.

I Am Grateful For My Body

2007-04-02T06:27:00.000-07:00

So many in this world, particularly women, struggle with body image and an obsessive desire to somehow measure up to this cultures' idea of physical beauty. Everywhere we look there are images of impossibly thin bodies and messages that we are not good enough as we are. These messages come from companies who want us to believe that we will feel better about ourselves if we spend money on their products. The trick is, even if we reach our goal weight, even if we look like those magazine covers and have all those fancy products, our discontent, our ugliness our unworthiness may remain. When are we ever satisfied? Is it possible to feel good about ourselves however we look, with whatever body we have been given?

Is it not an insult to God to be so ungrateful? Are we not Diving beings, created perfectly, given the perfect bodies for our learnings here? How do we forget that? I, for one, would like to learn to be grateful for this body that I have been given, or perhaps even chosen. Today I will try to do this. Each time that I look in the mirror and do not like what I see, each time that I feel my clothing may be a little tighter than I would like, if I am tempted to look at another and compare myself to her, I will remember to be grateful for all that I have. This is my committment today.

GRATITUDE

2007-04-01T17:24:00.000-07:00

When we can take a few moments to be grateful, there is no space for fear, worry, anxiety, victimhood. Gratitude instantly puts us in a space of heart, a space of calm connectedness and love.

As Melodie Beattie says:

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity.... It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow."

And what if we were able to see everything that comes to us as a gift from the Universe? Perhaps the wrapping won't always be as tidy or as pretty as we might like... and it may take time to see the gifts in some occurrences. However, if we can trust that everything that comes to us is perfectly planned for our highest good, then we can, indeed be grateful and celebrate our many blessings.

Take a moment to write down ten things you are grateful for today. Do this once in the morning and then read your list over at night. How does it feel to start and end your day with gratitude?

The Creative Force

2007-03-25T10:03:00.000-07:00

We are creative beings. The very force of life itself, the force that sprouts the seeds and grows the flowers is the creative life force, God, Spirit, Love, whatever one chooses to call it. It is up to each of us how we choose to channel this force, the force that is within everything. When our creativity is not loved, not brought into the light, only then can it create negativity and destruction. If there are parts of us that we fear, or we consider bad or wrong or ugly, these parts will hold us back. They are part of us too, and there is no need to be afraid of them. It's when we keep parts of us locked up, repressed, that our creativity becomes stifled, "blocked" as we often say, and the life force cannot flow. Stifling the creative force can lead to addictions and depression. The force of life itself is powerful beyond measure and wants expression! Look at the state of our world these days! Is this not an example of what can happen when the creative force is misused, channeled for fear instead of love?

I will share a passage from my journal, written after a particularly liberating session last year with a therapist:

Talking about the creative force..." I am afraid that I will use this power, this tool, inappropriately. I feel the huge responsibility of it. And this responsibility is not just my own, it's the responsibility of the entire human race. I feel the gravity of that. I want to channel this creative life force positively. I don't want to stifle it anymore. I don't want to be afraid of this power, this infinite potential, of Love and Creation itself. I want to ask Spirit to please use me as a positive channel for the creative force. This power is MASSIVE, limitless. Let me not squander it. Show me. Use me. Guide me."

Perhaps we can all choose today to express our creativity and channel the creative force as LOVE. We only need become willing to be used, to be open..... Spirit will do the rest.

For more inspiring images from New World Creations: http://www.nwcreations.com/gallery_ascension.htm

Creativity As Meditation

2007-03-24T09:55:00.000-07:00

When I am in a creative zone, busy at writing or painting or collage, time ceases to exist and I find myself in a deep meditative state. In this state I am able to focus my mind and be free of the often incessant chatter and planning of the ego. Recently a dear, dear soul moved onward to work in another part of the country and my heart rebelled at our parting. While allowing myself to be with and move through whatever feelings arise in each moment, I have found that creating is a wonderful way to be present with my emotions. I can channel my heartfelt love into my paintbrush or pen and marvel as I witness the birth of something new and unique and inspiring, something that has never been created before. Instead of numbing out, distracting myself by watching movies, or eating to stuff down my feelings, I can sit and breathe and let the creative river flow from within. This is FUN! This brings JOY!

For more metaphysical paintings by artist Julio Mateo go to: http://www.mateo.net/

Sharing Creativity

2007-03-11T09:09:00.000-07:00

Recently I met a new and inspiring friend. She is a collage artist and her body of work is incredible! She uses vibrant colours and interesting materials to create multi-layered works of art. Her passion was palpable and she creates simply for the joy of it, without attachment to making money from her work or 'doing something' with it. I left her company feeling uplifted and ready to begin my own projects. I was reminded of how sharing our creative works and ideas is such a gift to others. Please check out Jill's website and experience her creativity for yourself: http://www.bcdxc.org/stoneyground_studio.htm
She gives workshops here on the island.

If there is someone creative in your life whom you find inspiring, arrange to spend some time with that person. Notice what motivates them and talk to them about their work. Passion is contagious! Remember, creativity does not always look like the things we learn in art class. Think outside the box!

To Live Is To Create

2007-03-10T09:26:00.000-08:00

I like this writing taken from "Zen Soup" by Laurence G. Boldt:

"To live is to create. While consciously creating, we move in harmony with life, actively participating with the creative power that is the Universe. There is no conflict between consciously creating your life and "letting things happen." Indeed, creation is what is happening, and we are "happening" to the extent that we are consciously creating our own lives. Rather than viewing ourselves as static objects, tossed about by the waves of life, we can identify ourselves with the vast ocean of existence and consciously participate in what it is doing.

Creativity is not a special genetic endowment reserved for a favoured few; neither is it the objects or events it produces. Creativity is fundamentally an attitude toward life. It requires equal parts receptivity and resourcefulness- an openness to intuitions and ideas and a readiness to put them to work. Spontaneous and disciplined, flexible and focused, the creative life is a marriage of opposites.

A creative approach to life begins with the recognition that we have all that we need, if we but know what to do with it. Nothing drains creativity like the thought that we are lacking, either in our inner or outer resources. Yet it is on precisely these kinds of thoughts that we too often dwell. The innate creativity which every human being is heir to returns to all who will give up complaining about the hand they have been dealt and learn to play the one they have."

Today I am choosing to create harmony, peace, and well being. I intend to create a day of relaxation, healthful eating and gratitude. What are you creating today? Whatever you would like to create, choose to create it with mindfulness and love.

CREATIVITY

2007-03-01T19:33:00.000-08:00

Here it is March already, and I have not prepared for the coming month's writings on creativity. Guess that means I'll have to get creative! Actually, recently I've been inspired by a dear friend who is teaching me about creativity and its limitless possibilities. This life is about creation! We are constantly creating, every moment. Let's play! Why not let go and have some fun, create some joy, invent some crazy, amazing ideas and activities? This month I intend to be creative and get expressive. Stay tuned! And so I ask you, what will you choose to create this month?

I Am Grateful For All The Beauty

2007-02-28T07:28:00.000-08:00

I cannot help but be in awe of all the incredible beauty that surrounds me, in every moment of every hour of every day. I am so blessed! My gratitude knows no limits and I extend it to all the world through my light and love and joyousness. Hallelujah! AMEN! YESSIR!

I Open To Beauty Without Attachment

2007-02-26T06:43:00.000-08:00

One of the most difficult lessons in this world is how to open to love without attachment, without needing the person or feeling or situation to stick around and keep giving us more and more and more. Love feels good. When something is beautiful to us it is our natural human reaction to want to maintain this beauty and hold onto it for as long as possible. And yet, it is the willingness to enjoy something or someone fully for the moment without grasping and controlling that allows for true love and connection. If we show up fully, love completely, while being willing to let go at any moment... only then can we appreciate the beauty and enjoy it for as long as it's here. There is nothing in this world that is not in a constant flow of change and growth. Why tire ourselves trying to hold on?

Practice opening to someone or something without attachment. What if this was the only moment with this beauty before you? Would you see it differently, appreciate it more? Are you able to let go, knowing that this beauty is not yours to hold or keep?

For more inspiring images: http://www.astrostar.com/agape.htm

My Vulnerability Is Beautiful

2007-02-25T11:59:00.000-08:00

Ah, to be vulnerable in a world that teaches us everything but. We are taught to be tough, to hold it all in, to suck it up, to present a perfectly "together" and outwardly strong picture of ourselves to others who may wish to know us. And so, when we meet another do they really see us, or are they relating with a mask, a false image, a facade? And from this manner of relating will they ever truly know us? What will it take to allow them to see behind the mask, into our wounded places and our hidden truths? If we cannot be vulnerable we will never connect with others from a place of heart and soul. Isn't it true that when another shares from his heart, opens up and allows his deepest richness to have a voice, we do not feel disgusted and wish to pull away as he may fear, but are instead brought closer to him? Vulnerability is indeed beautiful. Vulnerability requires trust and faith and a willingness to show up as we are, moment to moment. Go on, take off your mask! You may be pleasantly surprised at what you discover.

Allow yourself to be vulnerable with another today. Tell that person how you're feeling or share somthing from your heart. Notice what happens between you. Do you feel closer to that person, or further away?

I Feel The Beauty In True Connection

2007-02-24T08:21:00.000-08:00

When we truly connect with someone we let go of our false selves, our ego masks, and come from a place of Spirit, from our true selves. In truth we are all connected, yet it often seems that we try every tactic to hide from each other, using substances and various forms of what we call entertainment to numb out and stay separate. True connection is a reminder of who we really are. It is a reminder of our limitless possibilities, our strengths, our eternally loving nature. It is a reminder of the power of two, and the beauty that exists when we open to one another and let ourselves be seen.

Make a true connection with someone today. Attempt to really see that person, to see the beauty and possibility within them, and thus within yourself. If it helps, focus on the light in that person's eyes and know that it's the same light that shines from within you.

I Appreciate The Beauty In Another

2007-02-23T06:30:00.000-08:00

Aren't people beautiful; their eyes, the quirky mannerisms that make them unique, their humaness? When was the last time you really looked at someone and saw them as they are, right now, in this moment? Too often we take others for granted, particularly those that are closest to us, those we love and trust and share our deepest truth with. Just look how much beauty! The heart could burst open with it! How we see others is ultimately how we will see ourselves. If we see only faults and imperfections, then so shall we focus on those parts of ourselves that we find lacking or flawed. Let's celebrate beauty! Natural, real, honest beauty. Let's appreciate it in others, and honour it as the blessed gift of abundance that it is.

Take a moment today to appreciate the beauty in another. You may do this however you wish, whether it be through words, actions or simply silent acknowledgement. They will feel it. Imagine how it would feel to do this every day, and imagine the healing this kind of appreciation could bring to the planet.

I Find The Beauty In That Which I Dislike

2007-02-22T07:05:00.000-08:00

It's easy to find the beauty in those things and people we consider beautiful, but what about those we dislike? Can we see the beauty in someone who we feel has done us wrong, someone whose very presence seems to create resistance and negative feelings within us? Can we find even one small thing about that person beautiful? Can we appreciate the beautiful gift this person may be giving us, the gift of bringing up our wounds for healing? What about other dislikes? Tuna fish sandwiches, screechy voices, elevator music, hairspray, unrecyclable plastics, dirty fingernails.... can we find the beauty where we tend to see only ugliness, in the places that we usually turn away from in disgust?

Consider some of the things or people you dislike or label as ugly. What would it be like to see the beauty that exists alongside this ugliness? Would it not be interesting to try?

Photo: Fes, Morocco 1999

Beauty Is Found In Unexpected Places

2007-02-21T06:40:00.000-08:00

Why is it that often something has to be brilliant and blindingly beautiful for it to impact us? What about all the beauty found in the little things, in the most unexpected places? Have you ever noticed how beautiful someone's hands can be, as they reach out to play, to work, to greet or wave good-bye? What about the beauty found in the streets, slick and wet after a heavy rain? Eyelashes can be beautiful in their subtle sweep downwards, just as there is beauty in a cold, quiet morning, 6:35 am, before daylight has crept into the alleyways and stairwells.

Go on, look for it! Look for beauty where you would never expect to find it..... it's there. It's everywhere...

I Appreciate The Beauty Of Nourishing Food

2007-02-20T06:16:00.000-08:00

Each of us must eat in order to live, but how are we eating? Often our meals may be rushed, choked down before and appointment, or barely tasted as we engage in conversation or zone out infront of a T.V. How often do we actually savour our food and appreciate its beauty? Imagine how many beings have participated in creating the food you see on your plate and think how much energy and love went into each morsel that you are putting into your mouth. The sun, the rain, the soil, the bugs, the animals, the farmers, the transporters, the vendors, and on it goes, each supporting the other in the beautiful circle of life.

Practice eating mindfully today, without distraction. Eat slowly and taste the love and beauty each bite contains. Consider all the effort it took for this food to reach you, and appreciate its nourishing gifts.

Photo: Market in Konya, Turkey 1999

I Listen To Beautiful Music

2007-02-19T05:49:00.000-08:00

I absolutely love this quote by Martin Luther King Jr.:
"Music is the art of the prophets, the only art that can calm the agitations of the soul; it is one of the most magnificent and delightful presents God has given us. "

Like art, music is an expression of the Divine. Music has the power to transport us to another dimension, the dimension of the heart, where time has no meaning and words become unnecessary. Music can tell of memories long forgotten and stir up feelings and emotions that have been hiding quietly, awaiting our attention, our recognition. Music tells a story. In every culture, in every family all around our world, music is bringing people together and connecting us all with its beautiful, soulful truth.

Take some time today to listen to music that you consider beautiful, music that moves you. Let yourself be transported beyond your mind, beyond your daily distractions and routine, to a place where you are free, your heart open and receptive.

I Appreciate The Beauty In Art

2007-02-18T06:47:00.000-08:00

It's the that heart recognizes the true beauty in art. When an artist is creating she is in the zone with God, in a place where time ceases to exist and magic happens. Art not only adds colour and dimension to our world, it gives a means for the Divine to express itself and the soul to share its deepest truth and longings. There is no right or wrong to art, no up or down, no definite black or white. Art cannot be truly defined or anazlyzed, but only admired and appreciated for the unique gift that it is.

Go to a gallery today and take in some art. Let your heart guide you and allow yourself to touch the Divine through the creations of others. Or, create your own art! Express your deepest longings!

Photo: Chefchaouen, Morocco 1999

I Appreciate The Beautiful Colour Around Me

2007-02-17T08:56:00.000-08:00

The world around us is not as black and white as some would like to make it. Just look! A glorious kaleidoscope of colour awaits us as we open our eyes each day. Do we see it? Yes the grass is green, but what shade of green exactly? God has painted the entire universe with every hue of colour imaginable and created a neverending exhibit of art for our enjoyment. Sadly, some of us are asleep as we walk through the gallery. Wake up! This is a show that cannot be missed!

What is the colour you are most drawn to? Celebrate that colour today. Look for it and notice the many different ways in which it shows up. Appreciate the varied shades of this colour and be open to its beauty.

Photo: Mandala of rocks, shells and sand on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, Scotland 2000

I Am Inspired And Touched By Beauty

2007-02-15T17:05:00.000-08:00

True beauty is inspiring. It reaches out to touch our heart, often through our five senses, and impacts us, moves us, changes us somehow. We may feel uplifted, perhaps joyful and overcome with emotion. Let it in! Can we have the courage to open our hearts to the beauty that surrounds us in every moment and feel it, smell it, touch it, taste it? There is so much to experience!

Write a list of ten things that you consider beautiful. Make a note of how they impact you, and why.

I Am Grateful For The Beauty Of The Natural World

2007-02-15T06:07:00.000-08:00

There's no shortage of beauty in the natural world. As we venture out, away from the sounds and schedules of the city, we find ourselves in an engaging new land of wonder and beauty. The air we breathe is sweeter and the language of nature begins to whisper its secrets and share its abundant gifts. Life seems effortless here, and overwhelmingly beautiful in its unconditional acceptance of our presence.

Go into nature today, to your sacred spot or somewhere you have not yet explored. Directly experience the beauty all around you and give thanks for nature's gifts. Hug a tree or smell a flower and connect with nature's miracles.

For more sacred images visit New World Creations: http://www.nwcreations.com/home.htm

I Open My Eyes To The Beauty Around Me

2007-02-14T06:44:00.000-08:00

Within each unfolding moment is endless beauty. When we take the time to stop and look around us, we see the incredible dance of life, in which all beings are a part. Watch! Flowers opening to drink in the sun, ants carrying home supplies, friends interacting, leaves falling, babies smiling. The world is performing this beautiful ritual, yet many of us miss it. Too much thinking and rushing around, all the while wondering why we feel so disconnected. The show goes on, with or without us. Why not enjoy it?!

Set aside time today to notice the dance of life. Find something you consider beautiful and connect with it. Be open to its beauty and choose to really see its details and appreciate the gift it's offering you.

I Recall The Beauty I Enjoyed As A Child

2007-02-11T22:32:00.000-08:00

Children see the world as their playground. Their uninhibited nature allows them to freely explore their surroundings and marvel at what they discover. Everything is beautiful and exciting; let me taste this! Can I touch that? What does this do? Children live completely in the moment, using all of their senses, without planning for the future or agonizing over the past. They re-mind us of our own purity of heart and teach us how the appreciate the now.

Get in touch with your inner child today and recall something you considered beautiful at that age. Perhaps a treat you enjoyed, a flower you loved, a toy you played with. Try to re-capture those feelings and experience that beauty as you might have then.

For more fairy clip art: http://www.webstarwest.com/Standard/clipart.htmlart:

When I Feel Beautiful The World Is Beautiful

2007-02-10T07:08:00.000-08:00

The world outside us is a perfect reflection of our inner world. The situations, experiences, and beings we attract act as our mirrors and show us where we are living from truth and where we are in need of healing. When we feel beautiful and extend this beauty through loving words and actions, our universe responds by reflecting love and beauty back to us. Once we see this we can stop blaming the world around us and instead learn to emulate that which we desire to receive.

What is your world reflecting back to you? Do you like what you see? If not, notice what it is you are giving out, and take responsibility for any ugliness or negativity that you're attracting. If your world doesn't look beautiful, start to change it by developing your own inner beauty. Watch what happens!

My Inner Beauty Emanates Outward

2007-02-09T07:38:00.000-08:00

Being in the company of someone who is truly beautiful, from the inside out, can be an extremely uplifting experience, providing we are open to it. They enter a room and suddenly everyone feels energized, inspired. And this is not because of their clothing, or stature, or hairstyle. It's the aura that affects us, the energy that attracts us, emanating outward and blessing us with love.

Make time to observe someone whose inner beauty affects you. Perhaps it's someone close to you, or a person whom you have admired in the world. Notice why you consider this person beautiful. What is it about him or her that inspires and uplifts you?

For more of Paul Heussenstamm's amazing mandalas: http://www.mandalas.com/SquareMandalas/sqmandala_gallery.php

The Light In My Eyes Re-minds Me

2007-02-08T05:36:00.000-08:00

We are not bodies. We are infinite Spirit, eternal in our existence, created in love, made of love, eventually returning to love. Any time we are focused on the body and relating from this point of reference we are not aligned with our Source, with God. What is bringing this body to life? Just look at the beautiful light shining in the eyes. The light that knows not of suffering or death, but only love. This light is the truth, and it's this light, in us all, that lives on.

Look in the mirror and notice the light in your eyes. Let this light be a reminder of the beautiful Spirit that you are. If there are times when you struggle and feel disconnected, or focused on the physical body, connect with the light in your eyes and let it bring you home.

My Beautiful Thoughts Create A Beautiful World

2007-02-07T06:57:00.000-08:00

The garden of the mind can indeed be a beautiful place. It may also be unruly and overrun with unproductive thoughts. Planning and analyzing and remembering and fantasizing. STOP! In the moment is where we find Spirit and let our minds be directed and filled with thoughts of love. The mind becomes peaceful, and as our thoughts turn to those of beauty, we are clearer and better able to appreciate the blessings of abundance in the world around us. Like it or not, our thoughts create our world. How does your world look?

Notice today how your world is affected by your thinking. How do you experience the world when your thoughts are angry or ugly? What happens to your world when your thoughts are beautiful and loving?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY DIVINE FRIEND ASH. My world is more beautiful with you in it. You are an example of someone who embodies today's message. Thank-you for your inspiration.

My Mind Is A Beautiful Garden

2007-02-06T18:39:00.000-08:00

Imagine a beautiful garden, lush and colourful and bursting with life. Imagine the mind like this garden, in need of regular tending so it may produce an abundant harvest and continue to grow and blossom with positive and loving thoughts. A gardener weeds her plot and so must the mind be weeded, kept free of negativity and filled with love, so only beauty may seed and germinate.

Imagine yourself as a gardener today, tending your mind. Notice any negative thoughts and practice plucking them out like you would a weed.

My Body Is A Beautiful Instrument

2007-02-05T06:44:00.000-08:00

What is an instrument before it's played? A collection of parts, formed and assembled perfectly for the means of creating music. What is it that brings this instrument to life and makes it quiver and sing with joy? On its own it does nothing. And so it is with the body; a beautiful instrument, fashioned by God to channel love. The instrument makes its own unique music while staying in tune with the rest of the symphony, and is laid aside after the final note of the concerto.

What kind of music wants to come through you? Take some time to play with your voice and see what happens. You may wish to sing or chant or tone or yell. This is an excellent way to get in touch with your inner processes and move any blocked energy. Be daring! Experiment!

A Hole In A Flute by Hafiz

I am
A hole in a flute
That the Christ's breath moves through-
Listen to this
Music.
I am the concert
From the mouth of every
Creature
Singing with the myriad
Chords.

My Inner Beauty Illuminates My Body

2007-02-04T06:37:00.000-08:00

When we admire someone's beauty, what is it about that person we consider beautiful? Is it a physical attribute, a part of the body that makes him/her beautiful, or something else? All this effort to modify the exterior; clothing and make-up, expensive products and surgery. So much wasted energy! The body is simply a shell, a suit of clothing, a house for the Spirit. And it's the Spirit that is radiant, that creates a glow, illuminating the body as it shines from the inside out. True beauty comes from within.

Notice what it's about others that makes them beautiful. If it's a physical attribute, consider what it's that is bringing life to this body. Isn't it something from within? Is it possible that this same inner beauty is what others notice about you?

I just love these images from New World Creations:http://www.nwcreations.com/home.htm

I See The Beauty In All Parts Of My Body

2007-02-03T09:08:00.000-08:00

Most of us have at least one area of our body that we judge as being less than beautiful. Some of us may take this judgement to an extreme by dieting or exercising obsessively, believing that molding our body into an impossible ideal will bring us happiness. Others of us are just depressed because we can never live up to the image we think the world wants to see. When we dislike a part of our body we are suggesting that we were not created perfectly. We are suggesting that we could have done a better job. Like anything that is neglected, this area of our body will suffer without our love and acceptance. We are a miracle! Each and every part of us is beautiful, working together with all other parts to carry us through our days. Our body wants our love!

If there is a part of your body that you dislike, practice sending love to that part of you today. Really love it and see it as an integral part of the miracle that you are. You may wish to do this in a meditation or prayer, or in front of the mirror. Whatever works.

For more images of Universal love: http://www.astrostar.com/agape.htm

My Body Is Beautiful

2007-02-02T06:28:00.000-08:00

The body we are born into acts as our vehicle throughout this lifetime. Some believe we choose this body before we arrive, selecting the perfect model for the lessons on our journey. Our body is not who we are; it is a unique and beautiful creation of God, serving us well while we are here and deserving of our respect. Wishing it were different or comparing it to other bodies will only bring discomfort. Every body is beautiful, regardless of how it looks, how it moves, or how many fingers and toes it has.

Take some time to experience what it's like to be in your body. Feel your body. Touch your body. Look at your body in a mirror, naked if you wish. Do you consider your body to be beautiful? Why or why not? Do you appreciate it? Notice any thoughts or feelings that arise.

BEAUTY

2007-02-01T07:07:00.000-08:00

Welcome to a new month, a month of appreciating BEAUTY!

Each of us will define beauty differently, depending on our consciousness, values and perceptions. In truth, everything is beautiful, nor thing more of less so than the next.

The world's view of beauty is often restricted to stereotypical examples and ideals. It may be based on comparison and judgement and is therefore limited and biased. This month, I invite you to transcend cultural norms and existing notions of what beauty looks like, feels like, tastes like. What if, starting today, we choose to view every living being as beautiful, knowing that the source from which it all originated is beauty itself, God, and that we cannot be separate from this, our true, beautiful nature? What miracles could be possible? We are all an intricate part of this glorious tapestry which we call life, each of us integral to the whole, all woven from the same Divine thread. Oh, to go beyond the five senses and open our hearts to the miracle of creation! To directly experience the beauty that exists within and around us, all-ways. This is bliss! LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL, my friends, and there is so much to discover... Let's explore!

I Follow My Own Path In Life

2007-01-31T05:53:00.000-08:00

Following our own path in life means staying true to ourselves at all times, regardless of what the world outside us has to say. It's a process of courageously moving toward what we desire while trusting in ourselves and remaining centred within. Each of us has a life purpose. Our deepest longing is to fulfill this life purpose, and our faith and intuition will guide us appropriately when we pay attention and walk without fear.

Set aside some time today to consider your unique gifts and the deepest longings of your heart. How can you start making these longings a reality? How can you best share your gifts? Have the courage to walk your path, and see what happens. Let life be an exciting adventure!

Photo: Kiniskan Lake Chain, Northern BC, 2001

I Contact A Relative Or Old Friend

2007-01-30T06:38:00.000-08:00

Most of us have someone in our lives we've lost contact with. Days since we've talked turn into weeks and even years, so long that we are at a loss as to how to re-connect. The thought of that person may induce guilt or regret or a sense of loss. What is it that keeps us from reaching out? Is it fear, or discomfort, or simply laziness? Do we give any thought to the joy that our reaching our may bring, not only to that person but to ourselves aswell? Isn't it worth at try?

If there's someone in your life you've lost touch with and miss, make an attempt to contact that person today, by phone or letter or email. Reach out and let that person know that you're thinking of them.

I Have A Genuine Interaction

2007-01-29T06:49:00.000-08:00

Our world is filled with people, each of us existing in our limited separateness, often oblivious to the infinite possibilities available to us in every moment. Just watch in a city. People in cars, people crossing the street, people talking on phones, all hurrying places with little care or concern for anyone except themselves. Looking straight ahead, focused on a destination with no time for distraction. Then, one day, perhaps quite suddenly, the earth journey ends. What happened?
Everyone wants connection. It feels good to interact with others, however briefly. Is it that difficult to slow down and pay attention to the person standing next to us? They may have a beautiful gift to share.

Have a genuine interaction with someone today. Just make an effort to connect without being superficial. It makes no difference how the other responds; you may be pleasantly surprised!

Photo: Market in Konya, Turkey, 2000

I Offer Encouragement To Others

2007-01-28T08:20:00.000-08:00

It cannot be said often enough; whatsoever we give, we give to ourselves. Therefore, when we offer encouragement to others, perhaps those who are struggling with fear or self-doubt, we are reminding ourselves of our own courageousness. Encouraging others makes a statement to the Universe that we are willing to receive, and calls forth an inner strength of which we may not even have been aware.

Encourage someone today. Let them know, in your own way, that you notice and appreciate them, just as they are.

For more fairy images: http://www.webstarwest.com/Fairies/index.html

I Offer Another A Heartfelt Compliment

2007-01-26T07:52:00.000-08:00

If it feels so good to receive a compliment, then why is it often so difficult to give one out? Do we fear that the other will misinterpret our intention? A compliment is a gift we can give another from our heart, anywhere, at any time. It costs us nothing and as long as we are giving, we will also be receiving.

Make a conscious effort to compliment at least one person today. Try to make it a practice every day!

For more fairy images visit Apple Blossom Art: http://www.appleblossomart.net/fantasy.php?topic=Fairies&cat=Themes

I Communicate Without Fear

2007-01-25T07:59:00.000-08:00

During moments when words are necessary, it's important that we're able to communicate our truth and ask for what we need without fear. Holding back our words and letting our fear keep us quiet will create inner turmoil and build resentment which may come out sideways later. Summoning the courage to communicate in the moment allows our energy to remain unblocked and our truth to be expressed in a calm and loving manner. Ironically, it's the withholding of our words and our subsequent shutting down that creates the rejection we fear, not the communication itself.

Any time you notice yourself holding back words today, words that you would like to express, make an effort to communciate in a loving, unthreatening manner. Notice how you feel, compared to how you feel when you choose to withhold.

Click on Anni and watch her communicate without fear.

I Open My Heart To Others Without Fear

2007-01-24T06:45:00.000-08:00

In some of our relationships there may be a tendency to fill the space in which we relate with unnecessary words. So much talking without really saying anything heartfelt, all the while keeping the other at a distance. The relating then feels empty, devoid of substance, of truth, of emotion. What is it that we fear? When we can close our mouths and instead open our hearts, words are unnecessary, for a transmission happens, an outpouring of love in the silent language of the heart, which knows no fear and gives freely and infinitely.

Practice opening your heart to someone today and sending love. Words are not necessary! Feel your heart expand as you silently offer the other this gift.

I Stay Calm Within The Storm

2007-01-23T07:38:00.000-08:00

A true test of our strength and courage is our ability to stay calm and centred within when a storm is happening outside. Are we fighting the storm and letting it consume us, or do we have the ability to remain unaffected in times of adversity and chaos? Like being safe and sheltered within a warm house, we can find solace within anytime we feel that the world without is too distressing.

If meditation had not yet become a regular part of your day, take some time to go within today and experience peacefulness.

I Remain Authentic With Others

2007-01-22T08:29:00.000-08:00

It may be difficult to remain authentic in the company of others. Often times it's those people we love and are closest to who trigger us the most and challenge us to be true to ourselves. Perhaps we want to please them and thus strive to be someone we think they want to see, giving ourselves away in order to gain their love and approval. When our behaviour is seeking a response from another, we are living from fear and our pseudo self, our mask, and not from our true nature. It's our truth that will ultimately serve the relationship, for when we show up authentically we invite others to do the same, setting the stage for honest, uninhibited relating. This is freedom!

If there's someone you have trouble being authentic with, practice letting go of whatever you are seeking from that person and try to just be in their company without expectation. If you're in the habit of doing what that person wants to do, or talking about what you think they want to discuss, instead allow yourself to just be with that person. Observe what happens.

I Face A Truth I've Been Denying

2007-01-21T06:15:00.000-08:00

Our deepest truth is within us. Our true self is the knowing and holds the answers to each of our most difficult questions. It's the ego mind that goes around and around, talking and analyzing and not really listening. Perhaps if we truly listened we would have to face something we fear. Perhaps we would upset another or be required to make changes that seem impossible from where we stand now. And so we keep talking and denying. We look outside ourselves for others who will justify our position or help us look for answers that we don't actually wish to find. The answers are within. They will whisper to us until we summon the courage to listen. And if we choose not to listen, the whispers will get louder, and louder...

Is there a truth within you that you're denying? Something you know you must deal with, yet the implications of doing so seem too frightening? Allow yourself to consider facing this truth, knowing that you are being guided and your true self does not lie. It's impossible for us to see the bigger picture. There's a reason why you feel as you do, and chances are, these feelings are not going to go away.

For more of Paul Heussenstamm's amazing mandalas: http://www.mandalas.com/SquareMandalas/sqmandala_gallery.php

I Dare To Do Something I Have Feared

2007-01-20T08:01:00.000-08:00

Most of us have something we are afraid to do. It may be something that others appear to do with little effort, while to us it represents the never, the won't, the cannot. The fear may even be a long and scary story based on a very traumatic past occurrence. What would it feel like to experience this activity now? Is it possible to write a different story based, instead, on the present situation and on who we are today? How will we know unless we try? Are we willing to empower ourselves, or is it easier to keep telling the same story and remain stuck?

If there's something you fear, begin to entertain the possibility of facing and conquering it. Consider how you may go about doing this, and dare to try! Start gently if it helps and remember not to put pressure on yourself.

For more artwork visit New World Creations: http://www.nwcreations.com/home.htm

The Courage Is In The Trying

2007-01-19T07:53:00.000-08:00

How often do we set unrealistic goals for ourselves and then condemn ourselves and feel guilty when our goals are not met? What does this do for our confidence and self-esteem? Yes, it's a wonderful feeling to accomplish our goals and tick something off our list. However, isn't the true reward in the journey itself, in every step along the way to reaching a goal? It takes courage to try, to show up each day and make an effort, no matter how seemingly small. As much as we may want to have it/do it all now, nothing of true value is attained without effort.

Make one step along the path to reaching a goal. In taking this step you will be making a statement to the Universe that your goal is important and be one step closer to meeting it. Remember, progress not perfection!

Photo: Essaouira, Morocco 1999

I Allow Myself To Be Vulnerable

2007-01-18T08:24:00.000-08:00

It takes courage to be vulnerable. The fearless heroes depicted in books or movies, who consider rigidity and anger a strength, are depicting only weakness and cowardice. Admitting that we are afraid and revealing the intimate parts of ourselves demands an inner power that no physical strength can compete with. It takes courage to show up fully in each moment, just as we are, and let that be okay.

Practice being vulnerable today. Share something about yourself with another, something that you would be more 'comfortable' keeping to yourself. Go on, say it! Doesn't it feel freeing to reveal yourself? Did anything bad actually happen, or did you instead feel closer to the other person in that moment?

For more inspiring artwork: http://www.nwcreations.com/home.htm

I Confront My Fearful Stories

2007-01-17T06:34:00.000-08:00

Realizing that our fear is only a story will inevitably lead to peace and freedom. It doesn't mean that fear will cease to arise or that the mind will stop telling its stories. Avoiding our fear will only strengthen it, as it's our resistance that causes our suffering. However, before we let our fear shut us down, we can stop and look within for guidance and grounding in the moment. When we get out of our head and feel the love in our heart, we are able to see the fearful story and work towards letting it go.

Whenever you feel fear arising, confront it. Get out of your head and become present in the moment. Ask yourself what is actually true and what is part of a story your mind is creating. If it helps, write down what is true for you, right now.

I Stay Focused In The Present

2007-01-16T07:07:00.000-08:00

The present moment is all there is. If we are not in the present we are missing out on what is happening now, and living in a fantasy world. We are letting life and all it has to offer moment to moment, pass us by. And there is so much unfolding, every precious minute. Look around! When we stay focused on whatever is occuring in the moment, without letting the mind create its stories, we can find unending joy in our perfect being-ness. The simplest tasks become celebrations and fear dissolves into the eternal expanse of our existence.

Practice keeping your attention in the present. When your mind starts to wander, bring it back. Notice what is happening around you.

My Fear Is A Story

2007-01-15T06:25:00.000-08:00

Our fear holds us back. In an effort to keep ourselves safe from imagined hurt, we miss out on life and lose energy and power. What if our fear is really only a story that our ego mind has created? Does what we are imagining and prophesying have any basis in reality? Our fear is based on past occurrences long over or future happenings that may never unfold. What do we actually know to be true? Why waste time and energy in a place of fear and worry when we can be here, now, where all is well?

Consider some of the things you are afraid of. What is the basis for this fear? Is it possible that this fear is a story your mind is telling you? If so, can you tell yourself a joyful story instead and let the fearful one go?

For more angel clipart:http://karenswhimsy.com/angel-clipart.shtm

I Walk My Talk

2007-01-14T08:12:00.000-08:00

We all have values and convictions and most of us have causes we believe strongly in. How many of us have the courage to walk our talk and work towards making a difference in the world? Do we give our causes lip service and leave the efforts and challenges to someone else? Our actions speak loudly and make a statement to the world about who we are and what we consider important. Standing up for what we believe in does not have to mean fanfare and big parades. Every effort counts, every action teaches others and has an impact on our planet.

What do you believe in? Are you walking your talk? If not, what can you work at doing that will impact the world positively and help support your cause? Find one thing, no matter how insignificant it may seem, and do this today.

I Believe In Myself

2007-01-13T08:39:00.000-08:00

To believe in oneself is not to put faith in the small self, the ego, but to believe in the infinite Spirit that is our true nature, at one with God and the entire Universe. When we come to know that we are so much more than a body, that in truth we have access to limitless possibility, our belief is strengthened and we are capable of creating anything we desire. To be discouraged is to lack faith; it's only our limiting beliefs about ourselves that hold us back and keep us stuck in painful patterns.

Tell one person today that you believe in yourself. Just come out and say it, "I believe in myself." The other person does not have to say anything in return. This is about you making a statement to the Universe.

For more of Jessica Galbreth's enchanted art visit:http://www.enchanted-art.com/index.php

I Dare To Be Seen

2007-01-12T08:09:00.000-08:00

So many of us spend our lives in hiding. We build walls to protect ourselves from imagined hurts or wear masks that present an acceptable facade to others. It's not always easy to let ourselves be truly seen. What will the world think of us if we really show ourselves; our vulnerability, our innermost uglniess, our raging anger? Do we fear that we'll be locked up, abandoned, judged? Are we willing to take the risk, or are we only interested in living a safe and pretty life?

Practice allowing yourself to be seen. If you're angry, find a way to express it in a healthy way, without injuring another. If you need some quiet time, let others know. When another asks you how you are, tell the truth. Notice what you experience. Are your connections with others more meaningful?

I Dare To Be Authentic

2007-01-11T09:09:00.000-08:00

Who is it that we are trying to be? A movie star we admire, a Saint we worship, a hero we idolize? Or do we want to be more like someone we know in order to impress another, thinking that our authentic self is not good enough, not attractive enough, not stylish enough, not smart enough? Our world, especially the western culture, appears to be selling products and making money based on what we are not and what we should be. What happened to authenticity? We are not our jobs or our clothing or the cars we drive. We are Divine beings, each with a purpose and unique gifts to share. It takes courage to be who we are.

Dare to be authentic today. Forget about what you think others want to see or hear. How do you want to show up for life? Are you being real, or acting a part?

Artwork from New World Creations:http://www.nwcreations.com/gallery.htm

I Accept Myself Today, Just As I Am

2007-01-10T07:14:00.000-08:00

True acceptance requires courage. It means letting go of our demands and expectations and shoulds, and relaxing into the reality of what is. Self acceptance is a gift we can give to our being. It is allowing ourselves to be exactly as we are, without judgement. Ultimately, it's our resistance to accept what is that causes our suffering. If we are experiencing anger, we can make a choice to accept this and know that it will pass. If we feel agitated, we can open into the agitation with compassion, remembering that this a changing state and not the truth of who we are.

Allow yourself to be exactly as you are today without judgement. Whatever you experience, try to let it be there and open into the feelings or emotions that may arise. You may wish to practice this in a meditation.

For more fairy art: http://www.webstarwest.com/Fairies/index.html

I Complete An Activity I've Been Putting Off

2007-01-09T19:04:00.000-08:00

The server was down earlier, so I apologize for the late posting...

When we avoid a task we would like to complete we lose power. We may experience inner conflict between the desire to meet our goal and the resistance to take the first step. Often times it's a fear of failure that creates the resistance, or a rebelliousness that fights against the pressure we may be putting on ourselves, perhaps unknowingly.

It can be difficult to relax when there's something we've left unfinished. We may wish to ask for guidance or attempt to get in touch with the energy behind our original vision. There's a reason why this task is important! When we give time to it and eventually meet our goal in completing it we empower ourselves and place trust and faith in ourselves to succeed.

If there is something you've been putting off, make an effort to complete it (or at least devote some time to it) today.

I Try One New Activity

2007-01-08T07:06:00.000-08:00

When we are children, the world is filled with new and exciting activities to experience. Children are endlessly curious and are able to try new things with a sense of joy and wonder. As we get older, many of us lose this curiosity and playfulness and lack the courage required to expand our horizons. If we can become like little children again and dare to be adventurous, we will find that there are always new activities to experience and enjoy, new people to meet and more to learn about ourselves and the world.

Pick one new activity to try and go for it! Perhaps there's a sport you would like to play or a club to join, or something you have always been curious about. What are you waiting for?

I Go To One New Place Today

2007-01-07T07:18:00.000-08:00

Many of us never take the time to explore what lies beyond the often limited area of our daily existence. Endless gifts await our discovery, yet we are too busy or too exhausted to appreciate the abundance all around us. It's often the story one who, once she makes the time to explore, feels so elated and inspired by doing so that she wonders why it took her so long to get there.

Make an effort to explore a place you have never been to before. Perhaps a new park or hike, or a new restaurant or coffee shop in a different part of town.
Artwork from New World Creations: http://www.nwcreations.com/gallery_nature.htm

I Try One New Food

2007-01-06T07:46:00.000-08:00

Food is our fuel, but it's also one of life's pleasures. As with anything, the food we eat can become boring and routine if we are not willing to be somewhat adventurous. It's exciting to step out of our comfort zone and try a new food or recipe. We may even enjoy it so thoroughly that we will wish we had discovered it sooner. There is so much to savour in life! We do not have to suffer through the same old sandwich every day.

Try one new food or recipe today. Be adventurous!
Photo: Marrakesh, Morocco '99

I Take A Different Route

2007-01-05T06:02:00.000-08:00

Many of us work or participate in regular activities outside the home. As part of our routine we will probably travel the same route to reach our destination each day. Perhaps we will go by car or bike, walk or take the bus. Occasionally we may notice a house or landmark that has always been there, yet somehow we have missed it. How many other things pass us by in this way, unobserved? Taking a new route requires us to pay more attention and adds interest to our day. Once we become more aware we learn that even the same route is always different.

Wherever you go today, try to find a new way to there and make a conscious effort to be observant.

For more inspiring artwork visit New World Creations: http://www.nwcreations.com/gallery_nature.htm

I Alter My Routine

2007-01-04T08:19:00.000-08:00

Most of us have some routine in our lives and many of us do not function well without it. In truth, routine is mostly about maintaining a false sense of safety, security and control. What, then, happens when we change our routine, even slightly? Do we experience discomfort? The negative aspect of routine is that life may become automatic. We are so used to everything being a certain way that we forget to show up; in fact, showing up becomes unnecessary. Instead there is a cardboard cut-out eating breakfast and brushing its teeth. And the cut-out doesn't notice or really experience the beauty of each moment, or anything at all! Then suddenly life is over, and we weren't ever even there...

Make one change to your routine today. Shake things up a bit! Notice what you experience. Are you more aware?

For more of Jessica Galbreth's enchanted artwork visit: http://www.enchanted-art.com/index.php

I Step Out Of My Comfort Zone

2007-01-03T06:20:00.000-08:00

When we establish comfort zones in our lives we set parameters in which we feel comfortable and secure. Many of our comfort zones are developed unconsciously and often we are unaware that we are living within them until something or someone pushes against them. Living a comfortable and safe life is not really living. It may be easy, yes, and familiar, yet without growth and change there can be no learning, no evolving. Stepping out of our confines can be frightening and distressing but ultimately, when we discover new things about ourselves and the world, we are empowered.

Practice stepping outside of your comfort zone today. Take a different route to reach a destination or navigate the grocery store in the opposite direction. Notice how you feel.

I Am Open To Change

2007-01-02T18:01:00.000-08:00

Resisting change in our world is futile. Everything on our planet is constantly shifting and growing, and to fight this natural cycle is to fight evolution itself. Keeping things the same in our lives gives us the illusion that we are in control. It takes courage to admit that we are aging and that one day we will die. It takes courage to remain open to the changes and surprises that are happening in our lives every second of every day. Yet once we are open to the reality of change, each moment becomes a unique and beautiful treasure to be lived, then let go of... to welcome the next, and the next...

Change one thing in your life today. It can be something as simple as changing how you brush your teeth, or a bigger change that you've been wanting to make. Be courageous!

For more Osho tarot cards: http://www.osho.com/

Beginning

2007-01-01T18:40:00.000-08:00

I came across this reading, in the book "365 Tao", and thought it applied to today:

"This is the moment of embarking.
All auspicious signs are in place.

In the beginning, all things are hopeful. We prepare ourselves to start anew. Though we may be intent on the magnificent journey ahead, all things are contained in this first moment: our optimism, our faith, our resolution, our innocence.
In order to start, we must make a decision. This decision is a committment to daily self-cultivation. We must make a strong connection to our inner selves. Outside matters are superfluous. Alone and naked, we negotiate life's travails. Therefore, we alone must make something of ourselves, transforming ourselves into the instruments for experiencing the deepest spiritual essence of life.
Once we make our decision, all things will come to us. Auspicious signs are not a superstition, but a confirmation. They are a response. It is said that if one chooses to pray to a rock with enough devotion, even that rock will come alive. In the same way, once we choose to commit ourselves to spiritual practice, even the mountains and valleys will reverberate to the sound of our purpose."

I Am A Courageous Person

2007-01-01T13:30:00.000-08:00

Just living each day requires courage and faith. To get up and go out into the world, not knowing what the hours ahead will hold, not even knowing if we will live or die. This is not easy! Yet, we are here, and we each find our own way to move forward and create our lives, moment to moment. Some appear to struggle more than others, but we all have challenges. If we can accept that it takes tremendous courage to conquer obstacles we may face each day, we can learn to have compassion for ourselves and give thanks for our strength.

Do you consider yourself a courageous person? Take a moment to reflect on some of the obstacles you faced in the year just passed. How did you find the courage and strength to see your way through? Can you have compassion for yourself and appreciate your fortitude?

Also, how would you like 2007 to look for you? What are some of the things you would like to create and manifest? What would have to happen for you in order to manifest these desires and have the most amazing year yet? Consider this today.

Please see below for more on this month's topic.

COURAGE

2007-01-01T13:11:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! 2007 has arrived, and a new month full of opportunities to transform your world and create the kind of life you desire. The topic for the month ahead is courage. How do you want this new year to look for you? What would you like to manifest and achieve? Do you have the courage to ask for what you desire and allow yourself to receive the gifts of abundance that are always available to you? Let's find out...

It takes courage and a strong faith to be who we are! Courage is required to create an authentic life that is an expression of our deepest, heartfelt Truth. In a world where we are taught that showing fear or emotion is a sign of weakness, we may struggle to remain true to ourselves. What if what we say upsets another? What if facing a fear means changing a part of our lives that isn't working? A warrior is one who has the courage to stand up for what he believes in regardless of what others may think. A warrior calls on her inner strength during times of adversity and stands centered and balanced. Stepping out of a comfort zone is not always easy, but growth cannot happen without the willingness to change. We have probably all experienced what we perceive as failure. The courage is in the trying. Why not let life be an adventure!

I Express My Gratitude To The Universe

2006-12-31T08:26:00.000-08:00

There cannot be faith without gratitude, for who can know the gifts of their God and the Universe and not give thanks? Who can be peaceful and joyous without sharing what she has received? This month has hopefully reminded us all of how very much we have. We need not look anywhere to find our Truth or seek anything or anyone as a replacement for it. Faith is within us. Our gratitude for what is ours at birth, for all the love, in everything, opens our hearts and brings a smile to our lips and a lightness to our steps. We are cared for. We are eternally held.

If you are able, go to your sacred place today and express your gratitude to the Universe and your God, in whatever way you choose. Give thanks for all that you have been given this month.
For more celtic designs:http://www.webomator.com/bws/data/reclip.html

I Spread My Wings And Fly

2006-12-30T07:17:00.000-08:00

To have faith is to trust in a Force that is in us but not of us. To tap into this Force, to experience its infinite power, is to know God. We are not in charge here! Of ourselves we cannot make the sun shine or the grass grow. To become a co-creator with our God is to surrender to the Divine plan and let creation happen through us. Our wings are strong and the sky awaits us, if we trust in God's guidance and fly!

Test your wings today. Imagine that God is the wind.

Please visit: http://www.nwcreations.com/ for more beautiful artwork

My Foundation Is Built On Faith

2006-12-29T18:45:00.000-08:00

A dwelling built with faith as its foundation is strong and able to withstand whatever is happening outside. A dwelling made of straw, however, is like a person lacking faith; without proper support and more likely to collapse under pressure. This world is unpredictable. Fierce storms erupt, unforseen disasters may threaten survival, losses occur. Without faith at our core we may believe we must go it alone, wandering separate and afraid, with death as our only certainty. Faith reminds us that nothing can truly harm us, for we are never alone and we cannot die. We are love. Love is eternal. Photo:Essaouira, Morocco'99

What is your dwelling built on? Consider this today.

My Healing Extends To Others

2006-12-28T08:23:00.000-08:00

When we heal we are never healed alone. We are all connected, and when one of us becomes willing to heal and grow, that healing extends out into the world. It starts with each one of us, finding the courage to look within and live from our truth and the love that is our natural state, not from our limited woundedness. As we embrace our creative power and infinite potential, we teach it. Our personal healing becomes a unique and miraculous gift we can share with those in our immediate circle and those around the planet, now, and for generations to come.

Remember that you are teaching and extending all the time. What are you teaching others? Is your message one of love and healing? If not, why?

The Love Of The Universe Heals My Wounds

2006-12-27T06:37:00.000-08:00

When we feel our pain and trust in the Universe and our God to care for us, we create a space for love to enter in and healing to occur. We may be carrying wounds within us from times when our needs were not properly met. Many of us harbour childhood hurts or unhealed trauma from past relationships or life experiences. The love of the Universe acts like a healing salve when we apply it to these injured areas within us. Occasionally, triggers will happen to remind us of our woundedness. It is in these moments that we can turn to our God and ask for help, trusting that we are safely held and that our request for healing will be gently answered.

The next time you notice yourself being triggered by someone or something and feeling wounded, practice asking your God and the Universe for healing help. Trust that the help will come, if you allow it.

Please visit http://www.nwcreations.com for more beautiful artwork

To Heal It I Must Feel It

2006-12-26T08:31:00.000-08:00

Much of our time in this world is dedicated to seeking pleasure and avoiding pain, and we have created a multitude of distractions to assist us in our avoidance. Just look around! So much anger and addiction and debt and suffering, and we wonder why? Healing our wounds in order to overcome unhealthy patterns and evolve along our journey requires a willingness to feel our pain. Nothing is solved through escaping or avoiding. This only ensures that the pain will continue. When we can open our hearts to the anguish and feel it, breathe it, stand in the middle of it with faith, only then can we be free of it.

Feel what you feel today. Allow yourself to be wherever you are at and trust that you are exactly where you are supposed to be.

For more mandalas:http://mandalas.com/CircleMandalasGallery/circlemandalas_gallery.php

I Open My Heart. I Let Go Of My Head

2006-12-25T08:13:00.000-08:00

The mind is an intelligent and powerful tool if it is utilized properly. Left to its own devices, the ego mind can inflict endless suffering and unnecessary anxiety. When one lets go of all the needless thoughts and plans and worries, space is made for peace and joy! The head is not the one in charge and it's not who we are; the heart is where the True Self resides. Opening the heart takes courage, when perhaps we were wounded before at a time when we allowed ourselves to be vulnerable. With faith we see that we are safe, and that opening our heart is the only way we can truly experience love, now, this moment.

If you are aware of the mind and its tangents today, try to let go and sink into the heart. Notice how the thoughts then cease. The more we can live from our hearts without fear, the more they will open.

Merry Christmas! Wishing you a day filled with love and peace.

Love Fills Me Up

2006-12-24T08:20:00.000-08:00

During the holiday season there is often alot of consuming. We eat elaborate meals and goodies and drink festive beverages, we may spend money on fancy clothing or gifts for others. But do any of these 'things' really feed our souls? It seems to me that what we are searching for beneath all of our consuming is love. Love is like nourishment for our entire being. It sustains our spirit and wraps us in comfort in a way that nothing we put in our mouths or buy in a store can do. All the distractions and substances we seek are but substitutes for love, and our addictions the result of this seeking. The nourishing love of God and the Universe is the only substance that will satisfy our desires and still our relentless quests. We need not chase after anything! We are already complete, and we already have all the love we could ever desire, right here within our hearts.

Today, BE LOVE! Open your heart and feel all the love within you. Share it! Give it! Let it feed your spirit and quench your soul.

For more clip art: http://www.webstarwest.com/Weihnachten/index.html

Faith Brings Peace

2006-12-23T08:27:00.000-08:00

Many of us feel the need to rush around at this time of year, shopping, preparing, entertaining, consuming. While it may be wonderful to get into the festive spirit, sometimes we find ourselves more stressed than joyful. And what is it that we are actually celebrating anyway?

There is a place of infinite peace, where we can go to remember our Truth and be cradled in love. What problems can disturb the mind, what obstacles stand in the way, when we can look within and have faith and trust as our guides? Suffering becomes needless, joy and bliss effortless, and a smile occurs more frequently. Does it not feel peaceful to take a moment to remember your Truth, now, at this time of year, and every day? What it is that we would actually like to give? Asking for assistance and guidance throughout the day and surrendering our fears through prayer or meditation opens us into an infinite spaciousness where we are free to live and create from our deepest hearts.

Sink into the peace that faith brings. Allow yourself to be enveloped in the calm serenity of Universal love.

HAPPY SOLSTICE!

I Have Faith In The Journey Of Others

2006-12-22T07:36:00.000-08:00

It's not up to us to dictate how others should live their lives or pass judgement on the choices they make. Yes, even if they are our children or intimate partners! When we have faith in others and trust in their unique journey we create freedom and space for them to live fully from their truth. We may notice in the process of letting go and trusting others that we actually draw them closer.

Practice supporting others in whatever choices they make for themselves. Radical acceptance! If you are asked for your opinion, give it. Otherwise, simply honour them by trusting that they are learning their own perfect lessons on their adventure through this life.

I Place My Relationships In Divine Hands

2006-12-21T08:16:00.000-08:00

Along our path in life we meet others. Through knowing them we change their lives, and they, ours. This process is both joyous and painful. As with life, it is when we let go of our attempts to control and mold our relationships to suit our needs that we experience true union. In truth we want to love each other and there is help, if we become willing to relinquish our selfish desires and place our relationships in Divine hands. We cannot know what is best in any situation or see the bigger picture that is unfolding for us and those we care for.

Practice letting go of your needs and desires in relationship. Try it first with someone who is not as close to you, and notice how you feel when you allow the other and the relationship to move forward on its own. Is there freedom? Do you really think that it is up to you to make it work, and that without you it will fall apart? Could it be that the opposite is true? Consider this today.

My Trials Are Opportunities

2006-12-20T06:18:00.000-08:00

Life is filled with the unexpected. Circumstances change, relationships take on a new form, loved ones pass away. Instead of experiencing the inevitable suffering that comes from wanting something different than what is, we can see these trials as opportunities for our growth and evolution. Grieve, yes, mourn, of course, but move on and keep living! As doors close behind us new ones will open, and when they do we will know that we are ready to walk through them.

Practice viewing your trials as opportunities. See the many gifts in the experiences you've had and know that all you have learned has prepared you for this moment.

Photo: Chefchaouen, Morocco '99

Dawn Always Follows The Dark Night

2006-12-19T09:07:00.000-08:00

There may be times in our lives when a darkness comes, a night so black and foreboding that to traverse its length, its depth, without annihalation seems impossible. And yet, the darkness may fall so suddenly, so heavily, that there is no choice. We are in it. We must move through it, trusting that the dawn will come, that this, too, shall pass. And there is no guarantee. Surrender is the only choice, with our faith like a lantern to light our way.
Eventually the horizon does brighten, and we are reborn. The dawn comes, bringing with it a freedom and serenity that far surpasses anything we have yet encountered. We are changed, transformed, if we are willing to trust.

Notice today that each state of being that you enter passes and shifts to a new state. Nothing is permanent. Everything is in constant flux, and each moment, no matter how dark, passes into another, and yet another.

Photo: Sunrise at East Cape, New Zealand, December 1994

I Surrender My Problems To God

2006-12-18T08:59:00.000-08:00

It seems that the mind is always looking for a problem to solve in order to keep itself busy, which often results in creating problems where none actually exist. Again, this is all about fear and a lack of faith that we are cared for. Often we treat our finances, relationships or jobs like mathematical riddles. If I do this then this will occur; if I have this much money then I can do that; if he is really thinking of leaving me then maybe I should do that. And does all this equating and calculating actually solve our problems? Are there truly any problems anyway, or is the mind simply keeping itself active? If we give our perceived problems up to our God, we affirm our trust in the Universe to give us what we need and we leave ourselves free and available to experience and enjoy our lives more fully.

If there are problems in your life that don't seem to have a solution, practice surrendering them to your God. Just give them up to the Universe. Through prayer, meditation, or creative expression, whatever! Anything to stop the figuring out! Notice how you feel. Lighter? Freer? Does it seem strange to let go of the drama? What amazing things could happen if the mind was able to focus on the positive aspects of life? Or would that be too boring?....

I Breathe In God's Love

2006-12-17T08:52:00.000-08:00

In order to function, our bodies require oxygen. If we are not breathing fully and deeply, not just in the upper chest but down into the diaphragm, our health and well-being may suffer. Taking a moment to breathe deeply encourages the pause and promotes calmness and relaxation. When we are concentrating on our breath, as in meditation practice, the mind is quieted and we surrender, again and again, to the present moment. Breath, or Prana, is the natural energy of the Divine. Allow yourself to be filled with it!

Set aside time today to practice breathing more deeply. As you inhale, breathe in God's love, all the way into your abdomen first, then your middle chest, then your upper chest. As you exhale, exhale your fear, from your abdomen first, then your middle chest, and lastly from your upper chest. You may wish to begin your day this way or combine the breathwork with meditation. What about visiting your sacred place?