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.

Unexpected Opening

You are in the driver's seat ready to go about your normal life.  Suddenly there is a tap on the window.  What you see is not what you expect.  Everything suddenly looks different to you.  Where are you?  You realize there is an opening just in front of you.  An opening you were not expecting.  It is time to give up the path you you have been on and time to seek new territory - perhaps even with new transportation.  This does not mean that we abandon our responsibilities or our lives, but suddenly without expecting it we realize we need to make changes.  We need to find what we are missing.  We need serenity and rejuvenation. 

The Never Ending Quest

Photo by David Hughes

There is one journey that never ends.  That journey is the quest for knowledge.  Like the abundance of energy in our world there is learning all around us.  As we learn we unlock many more doors.  Each one having a lesson held behind it.  The more we learn the more our minds thrive for knowledge and the more accepting of this knowledge it becomes.  This knowledge is a never ending stream for as we learn newer and even more advanced lessons are being planned.  Learning comes from the strangest places.  Like a lesson a child can teach us or one that nature gives us.  This knowledge isn’t always from a book nor is it always something we can see.  However, you can bet that this learning is your greatest quest.

Listening to my Body

Photo by Ky Olsen

Today I awoke with a great pain in my lower back.  I have not felt anything like this in quite some time.  It is certainly unpleasant, but I thank my body for letting me know that something just isn't quite right today.  I am still not certain what that is, but I know I need to listen.  If I only complain about my back hurting and keep popping over-the-counter pain meds, I am not going to uncover the message my body is trying to get through to me.  Okay, a couple of pain killers aren't a bad thing when it hurts really badly.  Yet, I need to listen.  Why exactly is my back hurting.  Hmmm...I may not figure that out today, but if I pay attention instead of just covering it it I will likely figure it out whether consciously or not.

Use the Moment

When you are sitting at your computer and for some reason it takes a really long time to download something instead of feeling frustration - use the moment.  Take that moment to sit back in your chair and breathe slowly and deeply.  Focus on your breath and relaxing your shoulders.  Turn the lights low if you can.  Or you can get up from your chair and run around the room.  Whatever relieves your stress and offers you a sense of peace.  Use the moment...it has been given to you for some reason :-)

Support

We all need a good support system.  Without one the hills and valleys of life are just not the same.  The journey up the hill is more treacherous.  Even the descent into the valley can be more difficult.  If the tire on your car goes flat and you have a spare you may have to drive a few miles on a donut until you can replace it.  Sometime people just keep driving and driving for days (maybe even weeks) on that donut.  It puts the driver and all those around her at risk.  

If you find yourself feeling alone or even lonely within a group of others, it is time to find a good support system.  Quit riding around on the donut.  Reach out to others that have similar interests as you.  You may be able to find a group who meets regularly in your area.  Or, you can even go so far as to find groups on Facebook that have similar interests as you.  Find a class that interests you.  It can be a weekly class or just a class that runs for a few weeks.  

It is so important that we have support around us or that we can access.  It certainly warms our hearts and souls to know we are not alone.

Dancing Leaves

There is so much beauty around us.  We just need to be aware - be mindful.  One day last week as I was driving our sons to school the wind was whipping wildly.  I chose to be aware of the beauty and peace of the leaves dancing across the road.  I felt the joy in noticing the spirituality of the ordinary and the splendid feeling of warmth offered by nature even in the midst of the blowing wind.  Later as rare fall tornado warnings sent my children to safe zones in their schools I felt no fear for them.  I still felt the inner joy and sense of serenity.  I knew they would be safe that day even as the storm raged outside my office window.

The Bridge

We all have bridges to cross.  Some are long and some are short but they all take us to the other side from where we start.  Some are high and some are low but all take us across some form of valley.  Without our bridges we would just stand on one side wondering about the other side of the bridge.  

Watch this free hugs video and feel the love.