Saturday, March 30, 2013

Unplugged

Yesterday our internet went down. We spent the day waiting for it to return. It didn't. We spent all day disconnected from the World Wide Web. I am so used to having immediate access to information that I felt lost. My day was aimless. I didn't produce a thing. It didn't have to be that way. I am a writer after all. I could have written all day without the distractions that being continuously connected to the internet brings. I missed the blessing, but I digress...

I realize that my disconnection from my True Self was what was making me feel lost and not my disconnection from the internet. And so it is for many of us. We forget that we are always gifted, always talented, always skilled. We always know what we know, but we disconnect from our own inner web of knowing.

It turns out that the cable that connects our modem to the internet was loose and fell, vanishing in the tangle of cables behind the desk. It didn't matter how many times I clicked reset on the modem, there was not going to be a connection to the internet because there was no connection to the source of the internet, which is, precisely, what we do. We disconnect from the source of our origin, our talents and our purpose and we blame, we search, we throw tantrums, we become dissatisfied, we stumble aimlessly, we don't do what we want to do, we don't fulfill our purpose.

If we can remember who we are, we can stay who we are...we can do, produce, create, perform, write, design, paint, build, contribute. We lose focus because we look for clarity and direction outside of us, when it is inside that we connect to the source, to the truth of who we are.


Tuesday, March 26, 2013

We at The Soulcerer's Apprentice wish you a happy and nurturing spring. We are taking a few days to recharge on vacation. In the meantime we will share our most read past blog entries and inspiring quotes.

Be sure to Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/soulcerersapprentice and subscribe to RSS feeds here. 

With light and love, The Soulcerer's Apprentice

Waking

Waking. I am waking up. I am waking up in more than a literal sense. I am waking up this morning to new realizations, to a new sense of purpose, to truth, to awareness, to the path lighted before me. I am waking up because I am offering no resistance. It is all in the way I woke up from my sleep. 

The way we wake in the morning sets the tone for the rest of our day. If we wake up frantic, moody, fearful and pessimistic, we will experience a day in which we vibrate to those thoughts. Yet we have been conditioned to start our mornings racing–racing thoughts, racing against the clock, racing against each other, racing against ourselves. We begin each day either mulling over yesterday or worried about tomorrow. We don't begin the day with our mind in the moment. We turn on the bright lights in our rooms, we turn on the news, we tune into what others do in common hours. No wonder we are stressed. 

There is another way to begin your day–quietly and thankfully. Upon opening your eyes, smile and slowly breathe a breath of a new day. Be thankful for the rest you had, for the morning, for this new opportunity. Take your time in silence–a few minutes will do, to connect to Spirit. You don't have to say anything. Just consciously sit in silence for a few minutes offering no resistance, offering your willingness to be. Form thoughts of harmony and bless those you love...and those you don't, everyone you will encounter today and every situation you will find yourself in. Ask for guidance. The Universe wants harmony. It never forces our wills, but it responds lovingly to our willingness to be of service, to be love, to be a friend, to be a neighbor, to be a lover, to be a parent, to be a good citizen, to fulfill our purpose, to be peace. 

Today is a good day to start your day again. Take a moment to reconnect. Wake up to more than a new day, wake up to a new life...a life in which you truly feel awake. 


Sunday, March 24, 2013

Ready?

I have a dear notebook. In it I write thoughts, lessons, research and poetry. It comes with me almost everywhere I go. It is my workbook. Today, there's no more space in it. I have used every page, every line in it. I have used every verse I've written and published every blog entry researched and planned in it. I have meditated on every random thought I've scribbled through its pages. I have to let it go. Once full, once bloomed, once it has served its purpose, it weighs me down, it stunts my growth, it hinders my ability to create and to receive inspiration. Such is life.

Once a fern has overgrown its pot, a relationship has reached its shore, a job has Peter Principled, and an idea has run its course, it is time to let go and to move on. We tend to hold on to what we know, what is comfortable, what we feel carries less risk. Yet holding on does not allow us to receive with open arms, staying comfortable keeps us stuck in old patterns and by not risking we don't gain the richness of life.

I have to release my fully-used notebook and open up a new one. In it, I will write new thoughts, new lessons, new verses and research new ideas. Today is a good day for you to let go and move on too. Whatever you've maxed out, whatever you've overgrown–let it go. Use those experiences to move on. Let go and open up to receive. The Universe is waiting for you to say, with faithful action, I am ready.


Saturday, March 23, 2013

Revival

Humdrum. Boring. Uninspiring. Monotonous. Dull. Unexciting. These describe the lives of many people. In fact, it describes the lives of many people I know. Tonight I am sitting in the living room of a dear friend listening to a very interesting conversation, the kind of conversation that makes you salivate.  I look around the room and everyone is engaged, passionately, in the discussion. We are smiling, laughing, amen-ing, interrupting each other, pulling up information on all our smart phones to share, learn and confirm, we are high-fiving, arguing, sharing, asking. We are all excited. Some of us exclaim how much we needed this...the excitement.

We go about waking up, working, sleeping, repeating. We walk about like zombies. We have lost our zest for life. It's time for a revival.

Today is a good day for a revival. Read something that you normally don't read. Read something that will spark your curiosity. Learn something new. Have a conversation that makes you uncomfortable. Go to a museum and awake the right side of your brain. Take a cooking, a boxing, a gardening, an origami, a painting or a bonsai-trimming class. Change your routine and see your surroundings from a different point of view. Go to a poetry reading or a stand-up comedy show. Do something today that excites you. Your excitement will spread. I'm doing just that. Let's start a revival.




Friday, March 22, 2013

The great pretender

Cool, calm and collected...that's the way I am perceived by most people. I don't break a sweat, I don't stress, I am not affected by the silly stuff of life, I handle most things quite well, I am resilient beyond comprehension. It's true. Yet it's a mask I wear. I can count with the fingers in one hand how many people I've allowed to peek beneath my mask. I am the great pretender. I am not the only one.

We great pretenders hide our vulnerability, our fear, our true wishes, our weakness, our insecurity, our feelings of inadequacy, what excites us, our doubt, our apprehension, our lack of knowledge, our wanting to be held, our acceptance, our prejudice, our enough-ness, our misunderstanding, our dissatisfaction, our frailty, our brokenness, our boundaries, our confusion, our change of mind, our mistakes and our humanness. In hiding our true self we erect a wall between us and the love that is around us, we take away from others what we can offer, we close ourselves up to what we can receive, we unwittingly perpetuate the pretending and the attitudes we hide, we limit our opportunities for growth and self-awareness. In hiding behind what we pretend to be, we cheapen life, we narrow our life experience, we raise our defensiveness and we see others through a limited lens.

We great pretenders are either chameleons or we go against the grain. As chameleons we aim to not rock the boat, to blend and hope that we can't be seen under our masks. In going against the grain, we antagonize others pushing them away in the same hope, that our true self will not show through.

Kurt Voneghaut once said that we are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be. This rings especially true for me. If I finally become what I pretend to be, I will not be happy. Today is a good day to stop pretending, to be real, to enjoy life fearlessly, to love thoroughly, to laugh, to learn, to give and receive plainly, to feel pain, cry, to be who we really are before we become what we pretend to be.



Thursday, March 21, 2013

Wherever you go, there you are...

Are you done? Are you tired of life as it is? Are you ready for a change? You are not alone. I know quite a few people who feel the same way. They are ready for a change. Yet in waiting for this change they are setting themselves up for disappointment because they are waiting for the world to change, for their circumstances to change, for other people to change.

Wherever you go, there you are. And with you you bring your thoughts and belief system. You see everything through those lenses. Rather than expecting the world, your circumstances and the people around you to change, change the way you think and then change will happen.

A year and a half ago I moved from one country to another, leaving almost everything behind...including old attitudes, beliefs and ways of thinking. I have never been happier. In the beginning, I didn't know what to think. As though my heart knew what to do, I just flowed. My thoughts became lighter, less judgmental, kinder, more compassionate, open to different opinions and ways of thinking. I didn't do it on purpose. I wouldn't have known how. I just became willing to see things differently and then the world became lighter, less judgmental, kinder, more compassionate and open.

I know now that I didn't have to move an ocean away to find this happiness. Although I wouldn't change a thing, I realize I could have changed my thoughts over there. The world is the same and the people around me are the same, but I am different.

If you are ready for a change, I invite you to change the way you think. Be willing to change the way you see things, open up your heart and then wait for change for it will come.


Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Little annoyances...

I drove for many miles behind a car that had it's right turn signal on–regardless of which direction the car was going–right, left or indifferent. I was annoyed. How can a person drive a car for miles and miles and not realize that it has the right turn signal on?

Life's too complicated for us to be really bothered by something like this. But we do get bothered by simple things that we don't understand. It turns out that the car had a malfunctioning light. I was annoyed, but the driver was on the verge of losing his mind. We crossed paths again at a gas station. We started talking at the cash register and he mentioned that his new car had a defect. He went from being neglectful and mediocre in my mind to I'm so glad it's not me and I hope this is fixed quickly for him. 

This is a simple example to point out that until we understand, we judge harshly. Today is a good day to leave all judgment aside, especially with small issues, and give people the benefit of the doubt. Choose to think kindly and give importance to the important issues of life. Next time you are annoyed by your tone-deaf coworker who is singing too loud, the three-year-old who won't stop crying at the supermarket or the teenager who is walking too slow in front of you, stop, smile and choose a kind thought. You will not change the circumstances, but you will change the way you feel and emit the right kind of energy.




Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Surrendering is not quitting...

Surrendering...the thought of it makes every muscle, every bone, every inch of my skin relax. The thought of surrendering brings me peace. I am a surrenderer.

Surrendering is not quitting. Surrendering is allowing. To surrender is to not interfere with events as they would happen, to let others be, to release the need to control people and outcomes. When you surrender, the struggle ends and things fall into place. When you surrender, the Universe catches your back. Surrendering is an act of faith...faith in Spirit, in your intuition, in your divine origin. To surrender is to win over the hustle and bustle, anxiety, fear, insecurity and uncertainty. To surrender is to ask the questions and know that the answers are coming.

To tap into the springs of surrendering, connect to the spiritual wisdom that you were born with and that lives in you, do all things with love, be quiet, listen, be willing and let go of the need to control. Spirit then takes over. You are led, protected and loved.

Today is a good day to surrender...


Monday, March 18, 2013

Reminders

I woke up today and my day was not fully planned. This is an effect of yesterday. Yesterday my day did not go as I planned it. Don't get me wrong. It was fantastic. In fact, it was so good that when I got home from my date I didn't want anything to interfere with those feelings so I went to bed without opening my planner and working on my agenda for the week. I slept really well and woke up eager to start my day even if I didn't know which end was up. As I was driving in early traffic this morning, I had a feeling that everything was going to be fine...and so it is.

Normally, I am planned and organized. I could be worried that those who count on me–colleagues, contractors, co-workers and peers–will think that I am losing my OCD-type-A-control-freak-ways, that this is not professional, that something in the general plan will fail because I don't have my plan for the day or for the week. I will not worry. I will not worry for a couple of reasons. First, I am learning to live free of the opinion of others. Second, time is an illusion. I have time to accomplish all important things. 

I felt these reminders in my morning mediation which I inadvertently did during my morning drive. The sun was peeking behind gray clouds and it reminded me that behind apparent darkness, the sun shines. We just have interference in our view. People's opinions of us cloud our vision in the same way, interfering with our true identity. We forget that we are divine, that our worth stems from within and that giving credence to the fleeting opinions of others can be discouraging, confusing and scary. 

The other reminder I received is that we have time. We receive time abundantly each day. What we choose to do with it is up to us. With my purpose clear, with my intentions set, with my spirit aligned with Spirit, with my willingness to be an instrument of a higher plan and by allowing things to happen in their time rather than forcing them, I accomplish everything that I need to accomplish for my benefit and the benefit of others. 

I am thankful for these two reminders this morning. They are your reminders too.  


Sunday, March 17, 2013

The process...

While we wait for new habits to form, to get used to new routines, to know what to do with someone's absence, for the answers to appear, to know what path to take, for the courage to decide, for the newborn to sleep through the night, for changes to take place or to overcome sadness, we sometimes forget the process. We meet discouragement, impatience, fear and make snap decisions that can take us a few steps back or in a different direction altogether.

When in times of transition, of uncertainty, of doubt and apprehension, it behooves us to remember that we are going through a process, that what we feel in any particular moment is a just feeling and that we have the power to think a different thought. Choose a thought that puts your situation in perspective. Think of the process. Know that this moment is just this moment...it will not last forever. Don't make decisions based on the feeling you are having right now.

In meditation I have learned that the process is just as important as the cause and the effect, sometimes even more important. It is in the process that I have learned to get along, to be patient, to understand, to know myself, to wait, to enjoy the moment, to listen, to ask, to see what's there. When I am tempted to make a decision that can alter the course of events, I remind myself of the process, take a breath (or two), smile and ask Spirit for strength and guidance. The moment always passes and I emerge grounded in the knowledge that there is a reason behind the moment and the process.

Today is a good day to relax about whatever you are going through. Meditate, find your center, ground yourself in Spirit. This is a process. Go through it in full awareness.


Saturday, March 16, 2013

Monsters in the dark

What scares you? Ask yourself that question. Go beyond heights, spiders and plane crashes. Go really deep. What scares you? What monsters hide in the dark for you? 

Whatever you are afraid of, shine a light on it. Bring it out. Face it head on. Let it bother you. Let it create more questions for you. It is only by facing what we don't understand that we will reach understanding. It is only by recognizing the changes we must make that we are able to make those changes. 

I realize that we may not want to shine a light on our monsters because what we must do, the path we must take may be difficult and may create new fears–fear of what we don't know, of failure, of regret, of loneliness, of being hurt. Shining a light is difficult, too, because it is accepting what we have long denied. It means that we must not only learn our lessons, we must practice them. 

Shining a light on the monsters in the dark ultimately scares them away. It is not an easy process, nor is it quick. Yet it is survivable. Go within where the monsters hide, where the truth hides with them, where Spirit listens and awaits with courage, direction, love, help, strength, answers and clarity. Let the truth burn brighter than the fears and scare those monsters away. 




Friday, March 15, 2013

Not magic...but it feels magical

Last year, I met a fantastic woman, Z, by chance. We clicked instantly. She introduced me to a wonderful volunteer opportunity which I accepted with enthusiasm. While working together in this three-month intense project, I met a slew of amazing people. I remember thinking, my dreams are coming true.

Technically, my dreams were not coming true...yet. But I could see, I could envision what I wanted. I felt that I was in the right place, at the right time.

Shortly after the project ended, the excitement fizzled and a little discouragement settled in, mixed in with a little desperation. Nothing was happening. The momentum stalled. Yet, I pushed through that feeling and kept my eyes on the prize. I continued working in the field, serving as best I know how, detaching myself from a specific outcome. Now, magic, or something like it is starting to happen. Well, it's not really magic. It's synchro-destiny. The Universe has lined up the right people and the right opportunities at the right time. My dreams are really coming true.

My desperation when things were not happening (or so I thought) seems silly now. Everything was happening. I just had to let go and keep working, keep serving. The right moment was coming. I think back to what I attributed to coincidence and realize that there is no such thing. Every encounter, every step forward and every mistake had a role in this unfolding. My confirmation came today. Though I have been working for this great organization for a while now–not by chance, an accident or a fluke, more great things are happening and more great things are going to happen.

Today is a good day to set your intention. Ask for what you want. Ask for guidance and inspiration while opening your heart and your mind to new possibilities and new thoughts. Then wait. Everything will fall into place. Signs and messages will confirm your decisions. And although it's not really magic, it feels magical...


Thursday, March 14, 2013

You know...

Life is complicated and full of questions. The easy questions come with easy answers. The more complicated questions come with complicated answers. Then there are the questions for which we find no answers. The issue with these questions is usually found in the questions themselves–we are asking the wrong ones. Once we form the right question, we know the answer.

Intuition is a muscle, We exercise it by meditating, paying attention and trusting the messages and signs we receive. Intuition is our inner voice. When we come across one of these tough questions, our intuition kicks in.

But then there is the issue of the answer. Many times we delay answering one of these tough questions because we are avoiding the truth. The truth is that we know the answer. We always do.

Today is a good day to think about those questions you haven't answered yet. Look within. The answer is there. You know...




Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Spirit of cooperation

When things do not go as planned, we become frustrated and disappointed. We look at our circumstances through disillusion and negativity and few things seem worthwhile. It is up to us to either stay in this state or to shift our focus. 

We can help ourselves move away from disappointment by doing...doing something productive, helpful, creative, new, different or generous. After a recent loss I decided to do just that. I called a good friend, colleague and mentor and we went for coffee. Instead of dwelling on what hurt inside, we talked about our literary projects. We spent the next few hours working on them. We made plans to continue our regular writing sessions and we are keeping up with our intention. 

In helping ourselves, we invite cooperation. Acting with goodwill has a way of attracting what we need in order to meet what we want. My friend and I are receiving just that. Doors are opening, answers are becoming clear and resources are appearing. We are receiving signs, guidance and direction and obstacles are falling away. We are aligned with our purpose and acting on our behalf. Everything is coming together. The spirit of cooperation has taken over. 

Today is a good day to focus on what you can do and not on any feeling of disappointment you may be experiencing. Cooperation starts with your willingness to participate in the process. Do so and feel the spirit of cooperation take over.


Tuesday, March 12, 2013

In you, In me

Every person we hold a relationship with holds within them something of us, and we of them. We relate to some people of our choosing and others are assigned to us. In both cases, the relationship is necessary...even when the relationship is difficult and dissatisfying.

In relationships with people we choose, we see something in them we admire, we like or we feel a strong connection to because of similarities, perceived compatibility or chemistry. In those relationships we have attracted to us someone like us in one or more ways. If you are surrounded by people you enjoy and respect then you are enjoyable and respectable. In relationships with people we haven't chosen to be in relationship with such as coworkers, and family members, there is still a cosmic attraction to something alike in us. This is especially true with people we clash with. If you find yourself in such a relationship with someone, ask yourself what it is in that person that bothers you. What is the lesson there for you? How can you grow from the experiences you have with this person? 

Every person we hold a relationship with is our mirror, and we are theirs. I am thankful for those people in my life who I take pleasure in. There are quite a few and they are funny, intelligent, affectionate, caring, sensitive, ethical, spiritual, open-minded, honest, grateful, generous, enthusiastic, happy, resilient, friendly, positive, forgiving, creative, inspiring, and considerate among other amazing traits. I aspire to live like them, to learn from them, to be like them. There are others in my life who are not so amazing and I am thankful for them as well. I aim to learn from them.

Today is a good day to find ourselves in each other and to celebrate each other...to find you in me and me in you, to grow into our best selves because of each other. 

Monday, March 11, 2013

The pace of sadness

We feel the way we feel. There is no right or wrong way to feel about anything or anyone. Feelings must be felt and they are all valid. Yet we insist on right and wrong feelings and on how long feelings should last, not only for ourselves, but for others.

I sat across my friend and mourned for her, with her. She is heartbroken, but she can't be. Everyone around her expects her to pull herself up by the bootstraps, smile and move on. People feel that she shouldn't feel the way she does about her loss. She said I'm sorry, as though her being sad was an imposition on me. Feel it, cry it, write it, walk it, sleep it, do whatever you need to do to grieve it, I told her. This is the only way she can start to overcome her sadness.

To get to healing, we must go through, not around, what we feel. In order for others to heal, they must do the same. Let us allow them to. Let's not rush the process, not for us and not for others.  This is not about succumbing to a depressed state, but about surmounting our pain. Today is a good day to let what we feel flow through us and out of us and to let others do the same...at their pace.




Sunday, March 10, 2013

Celebrate today...everyday

Today is my birthday. I celebrate this moment with gratitude and in love with life. I am thankful for Spirit, for my family, my friends, my loves, my colleagues, my neighbors, the strangers around me, for love, for guidance, for books and literature, for freedom, for awareness, for music, for beauty, for art, for the lessons received, for health, for activity, for poetry, for relaxation, for safety, for growth, for companionship, for affection, for laughter and so much more. I celebrate life everyday, but on a day like today, so many celebrate with me...and I am thankful.

I am reminded that we live life moment by moment. I don't have tomorrow, although I hope for it. Yet I keep my mind and my heart in this moment. I am alive now. This is the only moment I have. Today is a good day to let go of the past and, although diligent and responsible in planning, let the future be in its time. Today is the only day we have. Today we celebrate...




Friday, March 8, 2013

Flow...

We say we love, yet we restrict the flow of love with expectations, doubts and fears dressed up as demands and conditions for the sake of relationship. We toughen up our love, we fight for love and we rage against the dying of love. This can't be love. In love there is no conflict. Love is not tough, love doesn't fight, love doesn't rage. Love loves, it nurtures, it understands, it frees, it shares, it welcomes, it blesses, it celebrates, it dignifies and it encourages. What we fear is that it will not come back to us. Yet by restricting those we love, we stop the flow of love.

The agreements made in love–between friends, lovers and family–are sacred because the partners have bonded in understanding. But there's a difference between the loyalty and respect offered in love and the demand for compliance in the artifice of what love should be. What we commit to in love in any relationship–as friends, parents, lovers, community–is to boundless affection, reverence, fidelity, devotion and an engagement of spirit in which we find comfort, healing, and a shelter for our souls. This is the flow of love.

~As we commemorate International Women's Day, I look at women with love and respect. I also look at men with love and respect for we understand the specialness and the difference of womanhood in relation to men. I think of the women in my family, the women around me and my friends. I am proud of them and happy to be in their lives. I think of the women of the world and know that there's so much to accomplish still. I hope that love prevails so that all women receive respect and are allowed creative, intellectual, political, spiritual, personal and literary freedom, in action and expression. I hope that love prevails so that we can commemorate all people, each day, because we are all respected, honored and loved the same.

Today I love in all the ways I know how to love. Today I let love flow.




Thursday, March 7, 2013

A little less conversation...

Read the news. Read Facebook. Read Twitter. Read lips everywhere you go. People are complaining. The price of gas is too high, the traffic is too heavy, the kids are disrespectful, politicians are corrupt, cancer is killing too many, the poor stay poor, my boss is unfair, my wife is a nag, my husband is inconsiderate, the bullies are rampant, the quality of education sucks, there's discrimination of all sorts everywhere, and so goes the list of complaints. Voicing our opinion in order to bring about awareness of social, political and economic issues is important. But it stops being effective when we rant day in and day out about the same issues and don't offer solutions. It is even less effective when we complain to people who can't do anything about it. At that point, we spread negativity and misery.

We all want what is best for us and our loved ones. How about we complain less and share our creativity, our time, our resources and our hands to resolve some of the issues we complain about? Elvis sang "...a little less conversation, a little more action...all this aggravation ain't satisfactioning me..." Exactly. 

Today is a good day to put our money where our mouth is. This is the way to love–to share what we know, what we have and what we can do for our benefit and the benefit of others. Pick an issue, meditate on it and do something about it. An offer made with love will be matched with love. The right resources, information and people will converge. With a little less talk and a little more action the complaining will lessen and a positive difference will be made.

Enjoy the video...







Wednesday, March 6, 2013

The seeds of anxiety

I woke up anxious today. I named my anxiety. I named it after a situation I am facing. It is easy for me to assume that this particular situation is the root of my anxiety. And then I sat down for a few quiet moments and the truth of my anxiety came to me: it is planting season.

I am not only anxious but frustrated because I forget that my life's pulse is rich and varied. I get agitated because I don't see results. I now remember that during this season, I am listening, learning, getting used to new and changing circumstances and planting. I am planting seeds of opportunities, friendships and love. I find peace in knowing that I am doing what I am supposed to do. During this season, days seem to drag on with no fruit, but I trust in what I don't see...yet. Growth is coming and then there will be a harvest.

I ground myself in Spirit for the patience and understanding it takes to wait, for the strength and serenity it takes to accept the balancing and readjusting needed during growth and for the faith that all of this planting will yield abundance, loving relationships, well-being and prosperity.

Today is a good day to put our anxiety to rest, to plant and let go. Let's do what we are supposed to do knowing that soon we will reap what we have sowed.


Tuesday, March 5, 2013

No need to change...

Abraham Maslow is best know for creating Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. I remember first studying Maslow in my Business 101 class during my freshman year in college. I was enamored with his positive views of people opposing traditional psychological views. 

"What is necessary to change a person is to change his awareness of himself, " Maslow has been quoted as saying. It's true. We need to change our awareness of ourselves to be our best Self. How do I see myself? The answer to this question is very important. The way we see ourselves shows through to others. More importantly, we act, think, speak and live according to this view of ourselves. This is not about pumping ourselves up psychologically, but about recognizing our true nature which is that we were created with purpose, divine in nature and gifted with abilities and talents.

I believe that rather than struggle to be better, the idea here is to let go, release, simplify and just be. There is a wonderful being within that is hidden behind complicated views. Aware of who we are, we being to act more confidently with no thoughts of doubt, limitation or lack. A shift in self-awareness brings to light our best Self. There's really no need to change ourselves, just the way we see ourselves. 

Our thoughts of ourselves and the world we live in shape our days, our decisions, what we attract into our lives and the energy around us. Today is a good day to change the way you see yourself. Take a new look at what's been there all along. With this new awareness of yourself, life will be more exciting, inspiring, loving, honest, prosperous, beautiful, harmonious and enjoyable because this is what you are. 


Monday, March 4, 2013

Ready, aim...go

I am writing from a food court at a large shopping mall. It is 8:35 in the morning. I have been here a little more than an hour. I stopped for breakfast and brought my books, notebooks, laptop and research material thinking that I could accomplish a lot before the mall became busy. By the time I sat down with my coffee, the mall was already busy.

As I look around, I see people of all ages and all walks of life here. Some are having breakfast, others are having business meetings over coffee, some are killing time. What surprised me, though, was the amount of people aimlessly walking around this early in the morning. They look lost. Are they lost?

I started to think that maybe this is not that surprising, that many of us do walk around aimlessly even when we are going somewhere specific with something specific to do. We are a busy people. But are we purposefully busy? Are we busy doing what we have been called to do?

We can be productive members of our communities, diligently working and complying with responsibilities and requirements–imposed on us by ourselves or others. This does not necessarily mean we are fulfilling our higher purpose. When we live our higher purpose, we flow in goodness and cooperation. The difference between aimlessly doing and living our purpose is the resulting happiness, well-being and success. There is no struggle.

So how do we find our higher purpose? We go within for answers. We get quiet and listen for what we are here to do. We ask Spirit for direction. We meditate on what we enjoy doing, what we are good at, what we can do best, how we can use what we know and what we can do to help others and contribute and what makes us truly happy. Once we become aware of what Spirit has readied us for, we operate at that level. We aim for the direction the Universe is asking us to go.






Sunday, March 3, 2013

Found in translation

Someone recently asked me how many books I read in a year. It turns out I read about 50 books in any particular year. I don't remember ever not being "behind" on my personal reading list or promising not to buy another book until I have finished what I have in queue to read. I always break that promise.

What's in a book? Oh boy. That's a loaded question. If you are reading my blog, written in English, my second language, and it is the only language you know, then you are in luck since English is the language most works are translated into. This makes our reading choices so many more. Of course, if you know more than one language, then, well, you are golden. You get to experience even more. In books we find inspiration, new perspectives, entertainment, expanded awareness and understanding. In books we learn about other cultures, beliefs and ways of relating. We find ideas, concepts and rhetorical questions. When we read books we travel through time and geographical and cultural boundaries. We see that we are so small, part of humanity, that our problems are not that unique, that we are not alone. In a book we connect to the world. In a book we can get lost with no risk, except for the danger of coming back changed.

Today is a good day to get lost in a book. Who knows what you may find in translation...


Ideas of books to travel by:
The Diary of Anne Frank, Le Petit Prince, Great Expectations, A Thousand Splendid Suns, Les Misérables, One Hundred Years of Solitude, The Iliad, A Passage to India, Ulysses, Doctor Zhivago, The Name of the Rose, The Brothers Karamazov, The Great Gatsby, The Divine Comedy, Drift, Grapes of Wrath, Pinnochio, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Daughter of Fortune, This is How You Lose Her, The House on the Lagoon, Blink, The Wind Through the Keyhole, The Color Purple, Reinventing Back, The Adventures of Tin Tin, Don Quixote, The DaVinci Code, The Hobbit, Perfume, Anne of Green Gables, Freakonomics, Gone with the Wind, The Power of Now, The Firm, Guerilla Warfare, The Republic, Walden, Tao Te Ching, The Devil in the White City...



Saturday, March 2, 2013

Thanks for the pain...

I felt powerless, lost, physically sick–body trembling, shallow breathing, weak. I doubted everything and boomeranged between a steady resolution to divorce my husband and running back to what I knew, to the familiar, even if it meant being unhappy and unfulfilled. I chose to end my marriage. I felt I was going to die.

For a few months I lived with these feelings. I stayed the course accommodating my heartache into my life. The anguish polluted everything. I made peace with the pain. I thought I had to. But then it started to hurt a little less. My thoughts started to drift away from the pain. And then one day I whispered Thank You, and everything changed.

That thank you was spontaneous and heartfelt. I really felt thankful for the courage I received, the lessons I learned, the new canvas and paint I was gifted. I could now choose to have the life I really wanted. I didn't have to paint-by-numbers anymore. I felt free. I no longer pretended to be happy. I was.

It took a while to get to this point, to this life...a life full of happiness, joy and enthusiasm. The pain of divorce gifted me with new perspectives and a chance to know what I want out of life. More importantly, this experience has led me to live sincerely, honestly and thankfully.

Whatever pain you are suffering through today you will overcome if you let love take over. Letting love take over is to open your heart truthfully. Do not look for reasons, justifications or who's to blame. Let the pain be, then let love be. Whisper a Thank You and feel the pain lift and your heart clear for the blessings to come...for new insights, new opportunities, new relationships, new experiences, new reasons to be thankful for. I now know that the key to being happy is to be thankful.

I wish for you the lightness I feel in my heart. I no longer pretend to be happy. I am.

Friday, March 1, 2013

Walking out of our heads...

It's morning. We had worries yesterday. We have worries this morning as well. As we look ahead to this day, it is scheduled with tasks, chores, meetings, deadlines and to-do's. Pressure sets in and today becomes like yesterday.

What if today, for one moment, we walk out in the sun, or out on the sand, or stroll on grass at the park? And what if that moment turns into two...or three? And what if in those moments we don't think, but we just observe and enjoy...and breathe? Wouldn't the long list of things we want to accomplish, the problems we want to solve, the considerations we have to think about, the decisions we have to make and all of our responsibilities still be there when we come back? 

...and what if when we come back some of them are gone?