Bugs are so Crafty

Photo by Alma Sacra

A few weeks ago, my husband Rob saw a small bug run across our living room floor.  He got a tissue and went to gently pick up the bug.  Of course, the bug was quite frightened and zipped out of his reach  My husband said, “Come on baby.  I am not gonna hurt you.”  He then said to me, “They are so crafty.” 

It truly is amazing how bugs can move so quickly and get away from us.  We are like the thundering cumbersome giant…”Fe, fi, fo, fum”….kabooommm (Oops, he fell down again.).

I think we should appreciate the craftiness of those little bugs and take a lesson from them.  Don't look up and say "Oh, *#@*!  I will never survive.  I give up."  Instead, be crafty, be creative, and be strong. 

Love to your creative natures today!

Sacred Places

Sometimes we encounter places that send us a rush of feelings and give us a great sense of peace and serenity.

There are obvious places like the Wailing Wall, Machu Picchu, Stonehenge, and so on.  For many entering a church may give this feeling.  You may also find other places that touch you deeply.  It is even possible to feel this way in your own backyard, in the woods by the creek, by a particular waterfall, on the beach, etc.  One of my most sacred places is the campus of St. Mary-of-the-Woods College in Indiana.  When I did my undergrad study there all I had to do was pull through the gate and the absolute presence of God wrapped me in warmth and my heart glowed.  I always felt such peace and joy there.  Another place for me just happens to be my husband’s embrace. 

Do you have a place like this?  Take a moment to close your eyes and consider it.

Making a Change

A new year is just around the corner.  With it brings a new beginning, a new chance to change your life.  New Year’s resolutions are part of that beginning, but why wait for a particular day to change?  If you want to make a “new” beginning, why not start when you think about it?  As soon as a new thought enters your mind think about it, and if it is truly something you want then start that minute.  Whether it is to stop smoking, lose weight, or just to help in your community more make the commitment right then.  Have you ever considered that waiting until a certain day is truly procrastination?  If you really want to make a change, go for it now. 

Books, books, books

There is a wealth of knowledge out there just waiting to be soaked up.  There are classes you can take, seminars you can attend, and groups you can join to learn and expand your knowledge.  However, one of the best places to look is your local bookstore or library.  Picking up a book and reading the author’s opinion or material can give you insight into a variety of different topics.  Today with the vast number of books libraries have and as inexpensive as they are you can surely find about anything you would enjoy learning about.  You can also download books electronically for quick and easy access.  You can find books on lifestyles, different cultures, healthy alternatives, spiritual traditions and the list goes on and on.  Picking up a book on a subject you know little or nothing about can open a door that you might not ever have even seen. Maybe it won't resonate with you.  On the other hand, maybe it will be a life changing read.  You might just find a little bit or piece of something you want to add to your personal lifestyle.  By reading you can learn and experience the energy each subject has to offer all while sitting in your bed, on the train, or even eating your lunch.  I love to view each book as a doorway into an exciting room, what that room holds I don't know until I get to the back of the room and find the doorway out (back cover).  As I go through the room, however, I might just sit in a comfy chair or look out a window as I learn and grow.  Never have I encountered a book that I haven't taken something from.  Even if I dislike the book I still learn or gain knowledge from the information inside.  Think about that the next time you go looking for a book.  Maybe picking up something a little different is just what you need.  Too much knowledge has never been a problem, but a lack of knowledge may be a problem. 

Photo from Creative Commons

If the Shoe Fits...

Photo from Creative Commons

Have you been told time and again that you are not good enough?  This is something that is painful to think about, but it can be helpful if you are ready.  As a child, were you told you were a pest, you did not understand this or that, you should be quiet, you weren’t good enough?  Think back to your teen years.  Were you ever made fun of?  Did you get turned down for a date or dumped?  Never made the team or never allowed to get off the bench?  What about as an adult?  Been fired?  Passed over for a promotion?  Told to keep your mouth shut and just do your job? 

Okay, sometimes we do things that might make us a pest.  Sometimes we really aren’t good enough to play on the team.  Sometimes we mess up and should be fired.  So, perhaps sometimes the shoe fits, BUT it doesn’t mean that you aren’t good enough overall! 

We all have unique and special talents that we are good enough at doing!  So, if the shoe that someone else is trying to shove your foot into doesn’t fit, kick it off and be willing to put on the shoes that do fit you.  In fact, if you prefer, just go barefoot.  At some point, you may find a pair of shoes that fit perfectly or you may change shoes along the way.  The choice is yours after all! 



It's Not Just Soup and Grilled Cheese

Photo by Arnold Gitilao

Whether you cook your own soup and grilled cheese or purchase it at a restaurant take the time to be mindful of it.  Any meal you make or any meal you eat has been nurtured in some fashion before it ever reaches you.  With tomato soup and grilled cheese - the tomatoes were planted, watered, weeded, harvested – the wheat was planted, watered, weeded, harvested, milled into flour, which is in your bread – the cheese…well, you get the idea.  Then these ingredients were put into your meal and cooked for your enjoyment.  A lot of energy went into your meal and I am not talking about just the cooking of it.  As you consume your meal be mindful of that and appreciate each delectable bite.  Believe it or not being mindful of the little things can make a huge change in your life and your connection to Spirit.   

It Doesn't Come in a Box

The present doesn't come in a box and you can't even come close to wrapping it up.  As you enjoy your holiday season no matter what your beliefs are all you have to do is look around to find your true joy.  Look at the people you are spending the holidays with.  These people are the true joys of the season.  If you have a partner, think about how much he/she brings into your life and how much more special the holidays are with him/her.  If you are lucky enough to have kids, you could write a book on the wonders and excitement of the holiday season through the eyes of those children.  Make it a point to show your children how important the giving part of the holiday season is.  Let them see how wonderful and important it is to appreciate those who mean the most to you. 

Photo from Creative Commons

 

Traditions

Photo from PhotoXpress - dip

Sometimes it is good to make new traditions.  We are doing just that this year with our family.  We have experienced great change in our lives this year and will not be a part of some of the traditions we have been in the past.  Therefore, we have decided to make a new tradition.  We are going to take our sons out to a nice lunch and then go see a movie.  Then we will decorate cookies in preparation for Santa coming. 

Most importantly we will be spending precious time together as a family. 

No matter what you do or do not celebrate we want to wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy Hanukkha, Happy Kwanzaa and so forth.  Great love and warmth to ALL!

Silent Snow

Feel the joy of listening to it snow. There is such beautiful silence.

Dream Journal released!!!!

Dear Friends,

We have just released our Dream Journal.  This small journal easily fits on your bedside table or tucks under your pillow.  If you want to remember your dreams, it is best to write notes about them right away.  If you don't jot down some quick notes, your dream is likely to evaporate back into the ether. 

Our Dream Journal gives you short and sweet tips about dreams.  It offers you room to jot down notes as well as space to draw pictures from your dream, write a poem, etc. 

Uncovering and reflecting on your dreams can be quite empowering - not to mention, for many, a very enjoyable experience. 

Get yours now!

Keep Going

There are times when we need to stop and reflect, times we need to go within and reconnect.  Yet, at the same time when things in our lives become difficult or challenging we must never simply give up.  We need to keep moving forward.  Remember that a rolling stone gathers no moss.

Photo from Creative Commons

Joy of Giving

Shouldn’t this time of year be about giving to others?  So many people want, want, want.  There is a rush of shopping for those who celebrate gift giving.  People flock to the stores sometimes even pushing and shoving to get their hands on some coveted gadget.  We teach our children to make wish lists and send it off expecting to have packages magically show up.  Now, I admit that in my family we do follow the tradition of Santa coming on Christmas Eve, but we teach our children the joy of giving to others.  The joy of being open to love and giving love to ALL.

Even more importantly wouldn’t it be wonderful if people expressed their love and kindness and giving spirit throughout the year and not just at Christmas time?  Just imagine what the world would be like if people opened their hearts and cared about others every day.  Not only do those we give to receive blessings, but when we give we receive blessings as well – the joy grows within our hearts and spirits.      

Photo from Creative Commons

Spending time with those you love

Spending time and truly being present with those you love and care about is so uplifting.  My family had a beautiful day yesterday.  We did a little shopping, wrapped Christmas gifts, decorated cookies and watched a hilarious movie.  We were present with each other and that is something that lasts and lasts.  Those are times to be treasured.  Those are times we want and need more of.  Love to all of you my friends.    

Photo from Creative Commons

Soul or Spirit

Do you believe there is a difference between your soul and your spirit?  I just recently began to contemplate this question.  After discussion with friends and some research I finally came to my current conclusion.  Here is my perception:

Soul – This is who you are at your deepest level.  It encompasses your personality traits, your desires, your expression of self.

Spirit – Your spirit holds your soul as a parent holds a child.  It is there to help guide your soul and open the door to the spirit of God or the Divine.

Now, my next question to ponder – if these descriptions are close to the truth, then who do spirit guides guide – our spirit or our soul or both?  Hmmmm… 

Photo by AlicePopkorn

Gratitude Rocks

Photo from Creative Commons

Being grateful makes your life GREAT and FULL!

Joyful

Photo from Creeative Commons

Every one of us can choose to be joyful just for the sake of being joyful.  We do not need to have obtained a new gadget or found a new love or had a fabulous vacation or received a wonderful gift from someone.  We come to this beautiful planet with an inner light – an inner joy.  As we grow older layers and layers of junk – hurt, daily life, stress, and so forth get piled on top of our inner light; therefore, sometimes it has a hard time shining through.  Even though peeling those layers away can be a good deal of work just know that no matter how deep you have to go you have an inner light and an inner joy.  Choose to feel it from the inside out and you will find that you can be joyful for no particular reason at all!

Illusion of White

Deep, vivid blue

Frozen, sharp crystals

Floating helplessly in the wind

Heavy, bulging with more

Miniscule, massive individuals

Rushing yet drifting to the earth

Clear, reflecting all

Bouncing light reverberates

An illusion of white

Merry Christmas to ALL

Time...

Time - does it really move faster or slower at times?

Have you ever been doing something fun and exciting and then suddenly you look at the clock only to realize far more time has passed than you realized?  On the other hand, have you even been somewhere that is extremely boring?  Time seems to drag there.  It seems like the clock slows down.

In this physical world we believe that time doesn't speed up or slow down.  But, does it?  Could time actually speed up when we are having fun or slow down when we are not having fun?  This poses an interesting question.  How do we actually know?  Some people believe that time doesn’t really exist at all.  

Here is something to ponder.  If one person is having fun and time speeds up for him, and at the same exact time someone else experiencing boredom and time is slowing down for her, what happens when they meet?  Are they on different planes and not notice each other at all as they pass?  Or, is it a form of time travel, and they actually find themselves at the same place just at different times in space?  The answer might never be known or it might not even exist if time doesn't exist.  Only time will tell. 

Strength

Strength has so many forms.  We typically think of strength as being physically stronger than another person. Yet there are so many ways to be strong.  Strength can be the alcoholic saying no to a drink, a battered wife having the courage to leave a relationship or the confidence to stand up and state your opinion when it goes against everyone else's.  Strength comes from the inside—be it physical or not.  What spurs the person on when he has nothing or makes her get up after being knocked down by life?  Strength can be compassion and the ability to care when no one else does or the vision to look deeper into a situation to see the real problem.  Sometimes the weakest person physically can have amazing strength in the form of courage to lead a nation.  Don't look at the size of the muscles on the outside when you try to measure strength.  Look into the heart and see one’s desire and courage.

Photo from Creative Commons

Heartbeat of All

I am a spiritual being my friend

As are you

We are not above the animals, the plants, the water, the air

But instead intertwined

Close your eyes

And listen

Openly wait

Feel the heartbeat of All

Whispers

Do you listen to the little whispers that Spirit gives to you?  Those random thoughts that pop into our heads may just be whispers from Spirit.  If you listen to those little whispers, you might be amazed at what you will learn.  You will also become amazed at the synchronicities that begin to appear in your life.  Shhh…just listen.

Photo by rbgspace

Why Can't I Let It Go

Why can't we let go of the hurtful feelings that we have?  You know the ones that have come from bad experiences or hurtful memories.  Somehow we can't shake these feelings and they creep into our current daily life.  We don't take a chance because we failed at something a long time ago.  We are afraid to fall in love because the hurt we felt from the last time it fell apart.  Maybe it was a traumatic event that has been burned into our memory that affects the way we look at all situations now.  Why do we hold onto these feelings?  Why don't we just let them go?  Are they a way of protecting ourselves? 
I am not sure of the exact reason, but I have my own take on why we hold onto these hurtful feelings and memories.  It is our balance.  This is the way we justify all the good that comes into our lives.  How would we justify our great feelings if all we had to compare them to were our other great feelings.  All our feelings would be neutral at that point. 
Here is a suggestion for the next time these nasty feelings pop up.  When you feel one of these bad feelings creeping into your mind immediately think of the most wonderful feeling you can recall.  Now strike the balance between the two.  Maybe other kids teased you in school?  Put that on side of an imaginary scale in your mind.  On the other side of the scale put the wonderful things your partner says to you now!  Using balance will soon have you using these hurtful memories as a means of balancing instead of a way to shy away from reliving them.

Photo from Creative Commons

Aware of Your Choices

Working on my master's degree in transpersonal psychology at ITP, I did an exercise that I wanted to share with you.  It asks whether or not we are aware of the choices we make and whether or not we like those choices.  Below is a snippet of that exercise.

Though I am not sure I have actually ever asked the question, “Am I aware of the choices I make?” I realize after completing this exercise that for the most part I am aware.  I choose to get up at 6:30 AM so there will be enough time to get myself and my sons ready and off to school.  I choose whether or not I eat breakfast before we leave and I pay attention to what I choose to eat.  I choose to come home (or go to the grocery on a specific day each week because it is less crowded) and head to my office.  I choose to work from home.  I choose to read my email first thing.  I choose whether I am going to work on business or school work first.  I choose what I drink at my desk and I choose not to randomly snack.  If I have a snack in the morning, I pay attention to what it is I choose to eat.  I choose to inquire about my son’s day at preschool when I pick him up.  I choose to arrive early to pick up my high schooler.  I choose to ask about his day as well, and I choose to listen to him.  In fact, I choose to try hard to be a “cool mom” and not embarrass my teenagers or harp on them :-)  I choose to find something tasteful and healthy for dinner.  I choose to work together with my husband on our business.  I choose to watch a movie occasionally. 

I choose, I choose, I choose.  As I sit here thinking about what I do not choose to do and just let happen, I look at my desk.  Right now, it is quite messy with a pile of school work here, a pile of business work there, a pile of SLB notes over there, a stack of artwork and Christmas cards my youngest has created piled on the corner, my cell phone and iPod tossed on top, and so on.  Part of me says I have just let this happen without thinking.  Sometimes I would agree, but other times I believe I have chosen to leave it this way because I have chosen to do other things instead of taking the time to straighten up my desk.  This exercise leads me to believe that I normally am aware of my choices.

Now, do I like those choices?  Except for my desk, YES!  Do I like choosing to do laundry or the dishes?  Actually, yes, because there is a sense of pride and joy in knowing that there will be clean dishes to eat off of and clean clothes to wear.  Now, I don’t like a messy desk or baskets of laundry waiting to be put away, but I know the consequences of my choices and I choose what is most important to me first.         

So, my dear friends pay attention to your actions.  Do you actively choose to do the things you do?  Are you pleased with those choices?  Be aware and mindful within your daily life. Every move you make has a consequense - good or bad.

Photo by Han van Vonno

   

Sharing the Languages of Others

We should understand and remember that are all part of one another.  It does not matter if you consider another human, an animal, a tree, or your cell phone.  Truly it is all interconnected.  We must love and respect every one and every thing around us.  Know that we each have our own language.  Sharing in that language, learning part if not all of it, can help us share in the love and joy of those we do not necessarily understand.  Peace, my friends.

Being Naughty Occasionally is Okay

We can't keep our darker side shoved deep down all the time.  Sometimes we just feel like letting it out.  Now the key is to not actually harm another in anyway.  But, if you feel like being a little naughty once in a while, why shouldn't you?

Spiritual Recipe

In many recipes you are asked to combine a lot of different ingredients blending them together to create a dish.  This is very similar to what you need to do to find your spirituality.  Listen to all the aspects and soak them in.  Then start taking the parts that feel right to you.  Just as with a recipe add the amounts that feel right to you.  Some recipes are bitter to the taste for some people while others find it to their liking.  Creating your own recipe will help you find the recipe that works best for you.  You will start to find out there are a lot of similarities within all of these.  However, the one that fits you will be a combination of what you feel is true.

Photo from Creative Commons

Grains of Sand

As the hour glass of your life passes, each grain of sand falls gently into the lower level of the hour glass.  Imagine that each grain is an experience in your life and as it passes through the present or middle of the hourglass you experience it.  When you start the top part is filled with experiences that are going to pass through your present.  Then fall into your past.  One by one these grains pass through the slim part of the hour glass dropping your experiences into the past.  Until the last gain passes through the middle and gently falls on the pile of all your other memories.  Some view this as the end, the finish, death.  Perhaps, it is just time to turn the hour glass over and experience all those feelings and moments again or experience new feelings with new moments.   Are you one who is open to embrace the turning of the hour glass, when the time arrives, or are you one who fears it?

Photo from Creative Commons

Dreams

Dreams may be messages.  Dreams may be prophetic – telling us of something that will happen.  Dreams may feel fragmented. Dreams may be only sounds or feelings.  Dreams may be in vivid color while other times in black and white.  Dreams may be peaceful.  Dreams may be frightening.  Dreams are doorways to our souls.  Dreams are a Divine gift.  Only you can interpret your dreams.  And, not all dreams need to be interpreted.  Sometimes we just need to compassionately accept and honor our dreams.  

Be Who You Are

There are so many different kinds of nuts.  There are peanuts, cashews, almonds, walnuts, chestnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, and so forth.  You can get them salted, unsalted, roasted, in the shell, raw, at a local grocer, from an online store, or maybe even from your own backyard.  I must ask you – Has anyone ever ridiculed you for eating one kind of nut and not another?  Or has anyone reprimanded you for buying a bag of mixed nuts? 

It is important to remember that one thing does not necessarily fit well for everyone.  We are all individuals as well as being connected to each other.  Because we are individuals though we must follow our own path.  Is there truly a right or a wrong way?  I don’t believe so.  It is about what resonates with you.  I am talking about everything in your life from your spiritual path, to how you exercise, to your diet, to any spiritual practices you do (yoga, meditation, painting, hiking, reading to your child – the list is infinite), to your education, to the kind of nuts you may put in a bowl on the table.

Photo from Creative Commons

It is vital that we be ourselves first with deep compassion and love for others.  Do not forget or overlook those around you, but be true to yourself.  Know who you are.  Then, be who you are. 

If you are unsure of who you are or you know, but you realize that life is a journey, stick with us.  We are here to help you grow, expand, and connect with your authentic self.  That is – who really are J    

Moon Rising

Each night as the moon rises high into the sky it signals a time for us to reflect on the day, month, year, or life we are within.  The moon signifies the end of the day and so it comes to signify the end of many cycles.  Thus when the moon shines bright upon your life it is time to rejoice and morn our memories.  Think about the wonders you have meet during the day or your times on this plane.  Think about how special each and every tiny bit of life is, be it the words of a child or the vision of your god.  As each cycle ends with the rising of the moon so to brings it a new beginning as it gives way to the rise of the sun.  Reflect on the past joys and sorrows but be prepared for the new beginning that comes after each moon rise and meet it with warmth and passion the same way, always. 

Photo from Creative Commons

A Different Perspective

Sometimes we think we know it all.  Other times we think we don’t know anything.  Wouldn’t it be nice if we could find the balance and just hang out there in the middle somewhere?  Even once we learn to stay in the middle more often we still lean one way or the other at times.  Our ego just jumps into action and without thinking or feeling starts running headlong in that one direction.  When we know it all, we become arrogant and have less compassion and/or patience for others.  When we feel completely unsure, we may suffer from self-doubt, low self-esteem, and even for some--self-loathing. 

When our ego tips the scale and we realize it, we just need to take a deep breath, quiet the mind, and consciously request the tension to leave our bodies.  We want to open to possibilities and be open to other’s perspectives.  We will, hopefully, learn a great deal from looking at things from a different perspective.     

Photo from Creative Commons

Never too old

Photo by Natalia Pavlova

You are never too old to make changes.  Sometimes after so many years of stress and strain, years of ignoring or forgetting our true selves, so many years of shutting off the voice inside one can come to believe that it is too late to reconnect and make a difference.  That is just not true.  The sooner you are open to recovering your true self the better.  Too many people do not find their true selves again until they are weak and feeble with age.  If you are already there, so be it – it is still important to reach into your soul.  Yet, if you have the opportunity to make these connections before you grow old (and I mean really old - not just older), then take that opportunity and run with it (or sit quietly and cradle it to your chest).  I only ask that you do not turn your back on the opportunities to grow and expand spiritually and to find your true self – not just for you, but for those around you and for the World at large.

I Am

Powerfully I came from the

Sapphire above and beyond to a

Willow resiliently standing through the

Winter waiting to share space with the

Daisy

--Janelle Alex 2010

Don't Clean up that Mess Yet!

Do you have a child that seems to make a complete mess out of the house when he/she is playing?  Does this make you feel a little frustrated after having to pick up after him/her day after day?  Well let’s look a little closer at what you are complaining about.  I have often heard that some of the most creative people have issues with neatness.  Papers strung across their desks, files in disarray, yet they still come up with the most amazing ideas and creations.  Albert Einstein was said to have had one of the messiest offices ever, and I hope you would agree that his theories were amazing.

So as you look at the mess your child has created should you really reprimand him/her for it or should you look deeper into the mess and see the absolute beauty in it.  The imagination that goes into playing and creating and yes leaving a mess behind is something we don't want to put a lid on now, do we?  I would much rather see that child creating and making a mess than sitting lifeless in a chair playing video games.  Understand that with a great imagination little bits of paper strung across the floor might be a vision of a snow storm or confetti from a party in an alternate plane or maybe even a cure for cancer. 

Perhaps, the next time you are having trouble coming up with a good idea, you should sprinkle snow (paper) all over your desk and see what happens. 

Don’t limit an imagination.  Allow it to bloom and grow.  That is where the truly great ideas come from.

Photo from Creative Commons



Your own Silence

Photo by Andy Roberts

We are so swamped with distractions – television, books, cell phones, video games, music, email, the Internet, busy work – that we often forget the importance of true silence.  Time alone is vitally important to all of us.  It is time to reflect and go within to hear within and without.  This alone time is more powerful if you spend it without distractions.  Sit quietly by a fire.  Go out into nature.  Watch the snow silently falling.  Watch the waves roll in and flow out.  Breathe in life and accept whatever comes to you from your soul, your Spirit, the Divine.  Just witness it and honor it.  It is not necessary to interpret what comes to you.  Just be thankful for the quiet and the connection. 



Thankful Giving

If you’re in the United States today is Thanksgiving, a holiday which has actually held its true meaning for the most part.  Today we get together with family and friends and celebrate the things we are thankful for.  Thanksgiving started by having a feast and continues with that tradition.  Take some time and think about what you are thankful for and enjoy a very spiritual holiday.  Oh and don't forget the pumpkin pie, I am thankful for that.

Photo by The Culinary Geek

Release the Wound

Photo by Nina Matthews Photography

Have you ever been in the doghouse?  Someone is really upset with you.  Maybe your darker side came out.  Maybe you had no intention of upsetting or hurting another, but it happened anyway.  Whether or not this situation can be fixed may not be the issue.  Sometimes we have things that we have done that seem forever ingrained in us.  They wound us even though we brought this pain to ourselves.  These memories stick with us for days, weeks – sometimes even years to come.  How can you heal that wound or lighten the scar?

Making amends with the one you hurt may or may not help heal your wound, but there are ways of releasing your pain.  One option is that you can write a letter expressing your sincere regret and/or apology.  You do not have to send the letter unless you feel that is best.  Actually, you can write the letter then burn it – releasing the pain symbolically.  You can pour your deepest emotion into the letter allowing it to flow away from you.  If you choose to send the letter to someone, you can request that he/she not respond to it – just accept it for what it is.  If you choose to burn the letter, you can create a ceremony out of this.  Perhaps, you can do this at night with no light other than the flames consuming your letter.  When the fire is gone your pain has fully been released.  You may also consider creating a circle of stones large enough for you to sit inside as well as build a small fire within.  When the fire has died and you leave the circle, you leave the pain behind.  If you are unable to burn the letter, you could tear it into tiny bits and then scatter the confetti-like pieces (cup them in your hands and blow them away from you).

*A word of caution – remember that fire is dangerous.  Please take all safety precautions.

What is Spiritual Practice?

Spiritual practices may be quite different than you think.  Prayer, yoga, and meditation are all spiritual practices, but have you ever considered how spiritual gardening or bicycling or keeping a dream journal or painting can be?  There are an infinite number of spiritual practices.  It truly is about what makes you feel connected, open, peaceful and filled with joy. 

Photo by Melinda Nagy

You might choose to spend time in nature, make love with your partner, light a candle, spend time with your pet, read a book to your child, or keep fresh flowers on the table everyday.  It doesn't matter what they are.  What matters is that you invite spiritual practice into your life and into your heart - your soul and spirit will thank you.  You are loved by us, by everything, by ALL.

Fences

A fence not only keeps our fears out - it also keeps them locked in.

Photo by Knowles Gallery - Charles Knowles

 

Choose How You View Others

Do you want to change the world around you?  Do you find that others don’t understand you?  Do you feel like an outsider sometimes or do you feel that if you shared your views people would not understand?  Taking a bold stand is not for everyone, but you can change how you view others.  We need to appreciate their differences.  Sometimes that can be quite challenging especially if someone stabs you in the back or tries to manipulate a situation.  You don’t have to accept unpleasant treatment from others – just try to remove yourself from it.  Most importantly do not allow yourself to get worked up over it.  Breathe it in, then release it and let it be.  You can choose to change how you react, how you feel about things even if you can’t change the “thing” itself.

Photo by Haller

By doing this you will actually change the world around you.  It will no longer matter how understood you are.  You can focus on other things than being left out in the cold - perhaps, being in the middle of those around you at work or wherever would not make you comfortable anyway.  You get to choose how you view others and how that will affect you. 

First Steps

Photo from Creative Commons

Recently I found myself in a strange spot.  My wife was already in the process of learning more and exploring her spiritual and life path.  I was still wondering, “How does mine unfold?”  She has been experiencing specific courses and exercises in which to dig deeper and go inside.  I am not in classes.  I do not have support of mentors, teachers, or peers with whom I can bounce things off of or get feedback from.  I am adrift on a raft with only a paddle and myself to guide my path.  

Where do I take my first step?  In which direction should that step be?  I stand with my foot raised wondering and pondering these thoughts.  I gently set my foot back beside my other one to figure out where this first step needs to go.  I listen to the wonderful ideas my partner brings home with her.  I enjoy discussing them, but feel alone as she retires to write a paper or post in a discussion forum. Again I set my foot beside my other foot and wait for that first step.  I watch her grow and learn and follow paths of many sorts, and still my feet stand side by side. 

Suddenly, it fills my heart like lightning fills the sky.  My first step need not be perfect or precise.  It just needs to be a step, a leaving of the spot I stand upon.  For you see as I take my step and learn something I didn't know before I quickly find something else for me to learn more.   My first step has now become two steps and I find several directions in which my steps can lead.  Soon I find myself walking and then running.  I wonder why that first step took me so long to achieve as now my steps are easy and come quite frequently.  I realize something new with each step that I take.  It is now a first step from the step I took before.  These steps are not any clearer then the first one I took, but now I know if I take a wrong step, I will only be learning more.  I do not hesitate with my steps anymore.  Yet, I appreciate how long that first step takes to hit the floor for so many.

Don't be afraid to take your first step.