The Peaceful Journey

"Tell me a story......."

What parent hasn't heard these words hundreds of times?  And then comes "tell it again,.....please...."  

And the story gets retold over and over. 

Even now, I can quote whole sections from books our daughter plead to hear endlessly.  Imprinted in my brain is the complete text from "Five Minutes Peace" and "Blueberries for Sal".  (Amazing recall, in light of the fact that I can't ever find the car keys!)

We all have our stories - sometimes the very long version (usually assisted by wine and good friends) and sometimes the "elevator speech" (that quick assessment that happens during the space of an elevator ride).

The long stories are encouraged by therapists and memoir writers, by budding relationships and by explanations to children for how we behave.  The elevator speech is a favorite of business coaches - a succinct nugget that defines us immediately to a stranger. Our "go-to" definition of who we are.

We spend our lives honing our stories.  Each moment of insight demands a slight revision, each memory holds the possibility of distortion. We become so attached to our story that we believe it - even when we become aware of the many subplots we have created. These show up all the time, unnoticed as we live our life, in the form of "always" and "never". 

In my quest to "Call off the Search", I was surprised to bump into my story.  I began to see that my story had led to much of my searching.  And I was even more surprised to feel how deeply attached I am to this story - after all, it seems to be my masterpiece.  I have written every word, polished all the phrases, memorized key lines. It defined me perfectly, I thought.

My subplots are many and varied.  My right shoulder "always" hurts, my mother can "always" push my buttons, we are "always" lost in our new city.  The story starts to take over, pushing aside the truth in the facts - my shoulder is not hurting right now, my mother and I just had a pleasant conversation, I got to the bank and back just fine with nary a U-turn.

But who would I be if I came to the table alone - without the story of a small town that I labeled as claustrophobic, the story of a a deeply religious upbringing that I painted in so many words as fanatical, the story of a family that was framed with the labels of passive-aggressive and just plain nuts?  What if I lost my story of mistakes and hurts and wrong turns on the path?

How would it feel to just show up as myself, in this very moment - without the baggage? What if calling off the search included calling off the back-story?  Who will I be without the shadows?  And more importantly, where will the blame fall for all those faults I tend to focus on?

So I am having a grand experiment.  I am consciously removing the adjectives that have defined my story.  I am exploring how it feels to be alive in this moment, just as myself.  The self that has been hidden under all the chapters in the story. The self that doesn't need to discuss old body aches, painful religion, dysfunctional families, and decisions made decades ago. 

I've lived with the old story for six decades and tried endlessly to restructure it into a format I felt would be acceptable.  (Deep sigh) - ENOUGH.  This is the moment for a new story. 

This story will be fresh, newly minted every day.  This story is not in history books - it's the latest breaking news that scrolls across the bottom of the television.  This story is authentic, not tinged with rewrite after rewrite of scenes needing to be long forgotten.  It is so much easier.  It's a quick read, so simple to tell. 

No more carrying around the heavy tome of Karen's life.  Today, it is more like a menu - what will I have today?  And the best part is that it's my decision.  I can write this story however I please and then enjoy it.

I realize this sounds rather naive, after all, what about REALITY?  My personal belief is that my thoughts become things, and I create my own reality. So, I am ready to create a new reality.  A new story could be the first step.

So here comes the HUGE footnote: 

A glimpse behind the words -

Without the story (we could never....), without the search (what does _______say about this?) and in a new city in a new state without the physical presence of friends, I have been feeling stripped down, exposed, vulnerable and yes, scared.  What have I gotten myself into? 

This road is so new to me and yes, just like driving the freeways of Austin, I feel frequently lost.  And sometimes a bit sad.  Losing that old story is like having something physically torn away from my body.  But the tear is healing. Underneath the fear I know there is such bravery; and even though I am not enjoying this little section of the journey - I truly believe there is a gorgeous view just over the hill.  I would be so sorry to miss it.  So I travel on, some days easier than others, but still sure this is a path I want to explore.

Maybe soon I will have some great photos to share :))

 

Hello to an old friend.....

One year ago, I started this blog, A Peaceful Journey, to expand on my aromatherapy work - or so I thought!

Looking back on the 58 posts, I am astonished to see that I have never written anything about A Peaceful Path or my aromatherapy blends. Wow - what is up with that? 

This is a huge part of my life and yet, as I have chronicled my journey, how could this sincere love not be mentioned?  So, maybe today is the day to acknowledge what has been a huge part of my path for the last 5 years.

The story goes....... 

I had left a corporate job and was a bit lost (enormous understatement!). 

I was working as a personal organizer and the owner of the company had a huge bag of these little bottles in her car trunk.  As we were looking for a folder, I pulled out the bag and began to explore.  One tiny bottle just pulled at my heart.  It was like inhaling all my past memories - the scent was unknown and yet so familiar.  And I felt at home.

It was a fairly obscure essential oil called Palo Santo - holy wood.  I don't know what lifetime it touched deep inside my heart, but the effect was palpable and could not be denied. I was hooked - I wanted to know more.

At the time, I did not see the irony of the fact that I had spent the last 25 years working for an international fragrance company.  It began to seem I had been in training before I even felt this calling! 

I took classes to know more, and what I learned was that my experience with this energy would be different than what I would learn from my teachers.  I was so strongly drawn to the emotional shift I felt with the oils, the way their energy and mine combined to create a new space.  The oils led me to crystals and color and sound energy and a whole new world opened before me.

I was profoundly changed.

A Peaceful Path was born and today it continues to change along with me - workshops have been added, new friends have been made, and who knows what lies ahead on this journey.

Today, what brings me the most happiness, the most joy is the connection with those of you who are also drawn to these blends.  I am so honored that you have allowed a part of me to become a part of your practice, of your work, of your life. 

Everyday, I pause with immense gratitude that I have a tiny part in the journeys of so many lives.  I am awestruck that those of you whom I respect as my teachers also respond the energy and the love in each tiny bottle.  These blends have allowed me to take part in so many lives, with my closest friends and with those whom I have never met, but share these sacred vibrations.

So now I have finally written a post about what began this journey - it only took me a year!  I want to close by offering thanks to each plant, each flower, each seed for the gifts they have so generously given to us all and for allowing me to share their journey.

Thank you!

My "AHA" Moment

Have you ever struggled with a question and then, the answer appears and you can say nothing except "AHA"?  Well, that was my experience last Friday.

I guess I need to preface this by telling you I was anticipating something - my friend Brenda Hoffman had stated in her channeled message last week: "The last piece we wish to discuss is that you will most likely experience some sort of shock or memory opening in the next few days”.  So I was on the lookout but I had nothing particular in mind.

I woke up Friday filled with excitement - I was sure the skies would part and I would see enlightenment manifested. I was ready! 

(And no, I never have big expectations - LOL)

As the day goes by, nothing is happening.  Life is just moving forward.  So while I am on hold for my enlightenment experience, I take a few moments to just let go and ponder a dilemma. 

I have been questioning a longing I have had for some time.  I could not understand how I can feel very positive about our upcoming move to Austin, and yet I am so drawn to Hawaii.  

I can't keep those images of the beach and Hawaii houses off my vision board!

But my struggle has been the "hows" - I keep listing all the things that would make this difficult - the logistics of owning another home, the money involved, getting our stuff to Hawaii, our dog, the list just gets longer and longer.

I have had this vision of living in Hawaii for a couple of years and I have really refined it. I realize that I even put myself to sleep at night thinking of sleeping in my bedroom in Hawaii, I feel the soft breezes and the white linen curtains in my imaginary bedroom poof out a bit.   I know how to walk outside our room and sit by the ocean at night and watch the moon.  I know how the coffee smells in the morning as I stand in the kitchen.  I am so into this - but so puzzled.  This is 180 degrees from where I am packing to move.

What is up with this?

Am I making some sort of huge mistake?  It's like saying I am in love with two people at once (and let's not go into that conversation!).

And then I GET IT! 

Yes - the "AHA" has not forgotten me. :))

It is so clear that I might as well have seen the skies part and heard the voice from above explain it all.

I don't need to own a house in Hawaii to fulfill my dream.  I don't need to be there all the time.  I don't need to lug a bunch of my stuff across the ocean.

I just need the invitation to a space - I can be perfectly happy being a guest.

I just want to have the space to gather the teachers I love together and this share with friends.  What I want is to have retreats and classes and cook the meals for those I love. I want to stay up late and talk about what we love accompanied by wine and ocean breezes.  I want to provide a space where healers of all kinds can do their work. And I can do all of that in someone else's house! 

Eureka - that had never occurred to me.

I had been busy for months arguing with myself about how to realize my dream and yet continue on in the life that feels right.  I had not gotten quiet enough to hear that there are so many ways to manifest a dream - so many ways I cannot even imagine.  And I have not remembered that the "hows" are not my job - I just need to feel the end result.

Yes - I just need to know that welcoming others on a similar path and opening to that sharing is all that is required of me.  Goodbye to the plan.

AHA!

 

My Badges of Honor

I was a Brownie for about a week or two (any other Brownie drop-outs out there?) - but I do remember lusting after the older girls' Girl Scout Badges.

Fast forward half a century!  I have a new badge collection - and I didn't have to earn them.  I can sit back and just enjoy them.

These are the badges of blogs and sites I love - they are places that inspire me, make me re-think what I thought I knew, and urge my creative self to spring forward.

So, today's blog is a share day (you know my motto is "Sharing is Caring" - LOL).

Maybe you'll make a new friend or get fired up or even just chill out :)

I'm listing 7 today (with a few extra links thrown in for fun) and maybe soon, I'll share again!

Each badge is linked to the blog - just click on what calls to you.

My Smiling Heart

Jen Saunders is my hero - I love her art, her blog and her commitment to connections.

Stay tuned for her next launch, an eMagazine Wild Sister coming soon.

 

ABC Creativity

I just bumped into Andrea Schroeder and fell in love with her work. I can't wait for our move to be settled and I have time to sign up for her class.  She has amazing free downloads that got me started with opening to creative journaling and her blog is just so heartfelt.  ***Major Fav

 

Kind over Matter

I recently completeld a 30 day course with Amanda Oaks called "Be Gentle- be Love"- I received a post each day with a quality, some thoughts and prompts for me to apply it to my life.  This site is filled with goodies of all kinds and well worth the trip.

 

Roots of She

A great tribe of women you just want to hang with, filled with beautiful posts and other yummy stuff.  Plus links to other fab blogs and sites. Prepare to stay a while!

 

 

Goddess Guidebook

I popped in here yesterday and was hooked.  Goddess Leoni had me at hello! I want to participate in everything - I love the vibe, the visuals, the message. Why did I pack away my markers and glitter???? 

 

Brave Girls Club

And I quote:  'We want to feel alive, every day! We want you to feel alive again….we want you to get your dreams back….remember who you are and what you have always wanted to do with your life. We want you to LIVE A GREAT BIG LIFE!

So what is the GOAL of BRAVE GIRLS CLUB??????
WE JUST WANT TO CHANGE THE WORLD, ONE BRAVE GIRL AT A TIME!!!!"

 

Big Sparkly Life

A col­lab­o­ra­tion between Jo Anna Roth­man of The Receiv­ing Project and Lau­rel Bleadon-Maffei of Illu­mi­nat­ing Souls. They are two amaz­ing intu­itive coaches who are col­lab­o­rat­ing to help you rock your world! Be sure to check out the blog section.

So I know you are going to have some fun and find some new buddies.  I would love it if you would respond with some of your favs - Let's join together and share  the wealth!

 

So this is how change manifests......

A few years ago, I held some workshops called "Cliffs Notes from the Cosmos". It was basically a book club reviewing books I wanted to explore, and I loved sharing.  I guess the best way to describe this post is a revival of the book review.

I am reading "Manifesting Change" by Mike Dooley; and every page is another "aha" moment.  Today, reading the book while spending a couple of hours at the local Laundromat washing huge comforters, I had the best "aha" ever! 

So time to share...

I am a total believer in vision boards, I love to create them, I give workshops about them, I even hang on to old ones. But Mike explains in perfect detail how they really work. It's all about seeing the end - not the path, not the wish - just stating the end result and then opening to receive. 

On page 69 (you really need to get this book), is a little chart I filled out.  The steps are: the turning point - you remember a turning point in your life when everything changed. Then you jot down what led up to that event. Step three is to write down how your life was affected by this change.

So I am going to go through my entry because I am still having that Wow feeling of discovery.

One of my turning Points was when I stopped being mad at God.  Some of you know I was raised in an EXTREMELY (get the point?) conservative fundamental Christian home and I accepted the belief that there was only one way to relate to the Divine.  Since that wasn't for me, I was out there on my own.  I moved to California, but I stayed just as connected to these beliefs - only now the connection was through my anger. 

Next, after remembering this, I went through the steps that lead me to my epiphany.  I remember a friend beginning to study A Course in Miracles with Marianne Williams and I said I wished I could be more open - that I was so tired of being mad at God. I just wanted to be happy. 

I had decided to go to yoga and I got a coupon for a local class.  I went and liked it, so I went back.  I met a nice older man there who referred me to a chiropractor when I mentioned my neck was stiff. This chiropractor was only a mile from my home and although he had graduated from chiropractic school, he was truly a spiritual teacher.  I saw him every week for 4 months, yet he never touched my neck.  We talked. I learned. I softened. Although he personally followed Sai Baba, he felt perhaps I should explore Christ consciousness because of the baggage I was lugging around. Eventually, I began to see that the beliefs of a group of humans were not a reflection of the Divine. Slowly, week-by-week, the anger slipped away.

Lastly in this exercise, it was time to list how my life changed because of my turning point.  So very obvious - everything changed.  My heart opened up to the love that was always there, I became friends with others traveling the same path.  I found a job I loved that honored the Divine.  The intense energy I had use in my anger found a more productive outlet in my excitement to learn more.

I became happy.

So this is how it works - I see it so clearly.  I state I want to be happy.  I don't want to be mad at God.  Then the Universe brings me a yoga class and a retired man who knows a chiropractor.  And the chiropractor adjusts my spirit rather than my neck. 

I couldn't have dreamed up that path if I really tried!

Now I have some new goals - I just realized that the ones I have been holding onto needed some revision.  Upon examination, what I truly want, the very end result, is not having no credit card debt (although I am not discounting that!), it's not even having an abundant income.  What I really want is to be able to pursue what I love, travel where I want to go and enjoy life.  And however that arrives is great with me.

Thank you Mike for helping me to see how this all works. Amazing.

Creating Space for the Future

 

I wanted to write about how the energy so changed in our house as we let go of the things we no longer needed.  Then I got this lovely ezine from Marci Shimoff that just states it to perfectly that I'm just going to repost her thoughts.  Marci has been wonderfully supportive of A Peaceful Path and my blend  Happy Heart was inspired by her book, Happy for No Reason.

So here is what Marci has to say:

"Have you noticed that there are some people who can let go of things easily and others who hold onto things for dear life? Well, historically, I've fallen into that second category.

So, a few years ago, I decided to counter my tendency to hold on by practicing letting go. I did that by starting a ritual that I call the "give-away game." This is a feng shui ritual that consists of giving away or throwing away 27 items a day for 9 days in a row -- that's 243 things!

I've just completed my latest round of "give-away," and boy, do I feel lighter, clearer, and more excited about what I get to create next in life. I've done this practice three times now, and each time, wonderful things have happened: the stalled deal for my PBS show miraculously came through, the ideal business manager showed up in my life, and I lost 15 pounds, to name just a few.

Everything we own carries an energy with it. As we let go of old energies, it clears the space for us to open to greater new energy. It's amazing how letting go of old pots and pans can help us let go of the bigger things that hold us back.

I've had a lot of practice in the past few years in letting go.

Last year, my family went through a big clearing-out process as we prepared to sell our family home (the one we'd had for 58 years). As we sorted through my mother's belongings, I marveled at her ability to let go of things she'd had forever. Perhaps she had a sense of what was ahead (she passed away three days after the house sold).

But letting go of that home and so many of the items I grew up with (much of the furniture was still the same) was a huge challenge for me. It represented the ending of my childhood (yes, I know that officially ended many years earlier, but there were deep emotional ties that went with that home).

Then letting go of my mother, just days later, was like the Mount Everest of releasing challenges.

A few weeks ago, on the one-year anniversary of my mother's passing, my family visited our old family home. The new family that bought our home is fabulous. They've renovated, repainted, and decorated it beautifully. And, best of all, there was love and laughter throughout the house. It was thrilling to see the "baton" being passed to this family. Coincidentally, they have the same family configuration that our family had when my parents, brother, and sister moved in almost six decades earlier (one six-year-old girl and one five-year-old boy). Our letting go was their fresh start.

If you're ready for a fresh start in any area of your life, I invite you to try the "give-away game." Here's how to do it: 

1. Each day for nine days in a row give away or throw away 27 items. Notice what you're hanging on to, not because you love it, but because you're afraid to let it go.

2. Stand in your closet and touch or try on every piece of clothing. Ask yourself whether you want to carry that into your life ahead. If not, give it away or throw it away.

3. Clear out old books that don't have messages that speak to you anymore, vitamins or medicines you no longer need, kitchen items that are cracked or worn-out. (Or how about those half-used shampoo bottles from four years ago?)

4. Fix items that are broken (or get rid of them). Clean items that are dirty. Put your loving attention on everything in your environment to see whether it represents who you are now.

Then notice what happens in your life -- and watch for miracles. As you let go of things that carry old energy, you also strengthen your ability to let go of old ideas of feelings that no longer serve you. Then, you're freer to create a magnificent future.

After just finishing this third round of "give away," I'm already eager to start the next round.

Wishing you a beautiful letting go and fresh start,

Marci Shimoff

** Marci Shimoff is a celebrated transformational leader and #1 New York Timesbest-selling author. To learn more of her powerful techniques for establishing deepand authentic happiness and well-being, visit www.HappyForNoReason.com/

Thank you so much Marci for taking over for me this week - beautifully done

Karen

 

My vision - revisioned!

Yesterday I led a workshop focusing on creating our vision - I love vision boards and am a big believer in their power in my own life.  This workshop had such a great energy and after everyone left, I was really inspired to make a board that was dedicated to our move to Texas.  I had all these ideas about what I wanted to manifest and literally about a hundred magazines, ready for action.

As I began to plow through the pages and look for images that called to me, I came to a huge realization. Gulp.........

I have often told others that it is common to feel fear when we begin to actually visualize our dreams and to just breathe through it - literally, to just jump in and to go for it.

Yet, as I looked at lovely homes, beautiful views, lives being celebrated - I was paralyzed.  I was filled with the belief that I could not have what I loved, immersed in the deep feeling that downsizing meant loss, less, lack.

I was stunned.  Just 24 hours ago, I was inspiring others with the genuine belief in the process of seeing the end result and letting the Universe take care of the details. I encouraged everyone to lose the 5 year plan and just let themselves be swept away with their vison.

And here I sit, surrounded by bountiful images and I cannot imagine having a single one. I am shocked by this deep sense of unworthiness that is residing in a place that has been so hidden from my consciousness.

I am grateful for this - once I get over the dismay.  How else would I be made so completely aware of my old left-over beliefs?  I have created so many vision boards with great joy and anticipation. So I began to analyze what is different about this one - why is it pushing all the old stuff up to the surface?  All those core convictions that I felt had previously been opened up and cleaned out? The ones that seem to have taken over and are now running the show?

I think it is because this board is immediate - it's not that safe "someday" that many of my boards have focused on.  I suddenly have my ideas about living with less completely exposed.  By talking about downsizing, I have convinced myself that less didn't just mean less stuff, less stress, less obligations - it meant lack, it meant insufficiency, it meant scarcity.

So of course I couldn't feel comfy with pictures of cute cottages and a gourmet kitchen.  My vibration was too far from this reality - I have been firmly planted in the city limits of the town of meagerness.

I am so very grateful for this insight - I know I create my own vibration and now I have the knowledge that will help me move to a vibration I want to embrace.

So I will follow my own advice - I will breathe into the fear. And follow Abraham's advice to reach for the next best feeling - and then the next - and then the next - until I can feel the warm morning air surrounding me as I drink coffee on our cozy deck, enjoying the flowers and the dogs running with their owners.

Wow, I'm already getting there.  It's that easy...........

 

 

Why is "Easy" such a four letter word???

Today, while looking over a past newsletter, I saw this blog and as I reread it and realized how much I wanted to remember this, I thought I would just repost it here. So....

Thought for the day:

Talk about mixed messages - the word "easy" takes the cake!  On one hand, we reassure our children that a task will be easy, we want to live on Easy Street, we wish for it to just be easy.    Our dream is a life of ease.  And simultaneously, we discount anything that comes too easily, we comment "Well, that was way too easy", and we are convinced that an injustice has been done if someone "gets off easy".  How odd - we are reprimanded for taking the "easy way out" and yet we repeat the affirmation "Let it be easy".  Doesn't it feel that this push/pull relationship leaves us confused? Just using the word seems to create a conflict.    I love the word easy - I love that big red Staples button that is imprinted with EASY.  With my whole heart, I know I do not subscribe to the "No pain, no gain" concept. However, as I have been pondering this, I see that I have also often bought into the   "it really can't be that easy" attitude. Yet it can be.  This is an absolute fact.  Here is the experiment I have tried for the last 3 days (I'm kinda ADD, so short time spans work best for me - LOL).      I made it a point to notice when something was easy.  Then I stopped for a nano-second and felt immense gratitude for the ease. And guess what - I began to notice more "easy".  These were not new miracles; they were the very activities that appear in my life regularly.  But I began to realize that I had been so focused on the few things that were not easy that everything else just slipped by. I failed to appreciate how easy it is to take a lovely hot shower, how easy it is to connect to friends on FB, how easy my remote control works.  How easy to just hop in and drive my car, how easy to smile at the postman.   Why am I so surprised when I see so clearly that easy is a huge part of my life? And not the "discounted easy" - this easy totally rocks! Easy is a "four letter word" of the very best kind - right up there with love, good, kind, hugs. I bet you have an easy life too - if you look.  So I am challenging you to invest three days, and live consciously watching for "easy".  My guess is not only will you see the easy, but like me, you will begin to anticipate it. And what we pay attention to grows - hence, even more easy!    Maybe we'll all meet on Easy Street.. (please bring coffee and maybe a snack!)

 

Turn a Corner, Find a Miracle

Sunday Morning -

It is one of those days that make everyone want to live in Los Angeles. 

Torrents of rain have scrubbed even the dirtiest streets clean and it seems every leaf sparkles. 

I am out for a walk, loving the bluest sky, the hawk soaring above me, the palm trees looking ready for Oscar night. 

The sun's rays feel great on my face, but as I begin to warm up, I turn a corner onto a shady street.  And in the space of forty feet (about the width of a residential street in my neighborhood) - a miracle happens!

I look up and the entire vista has changed.  I literally gasp as I view our usually smoggy mountains, often not even visible, majestically dressed in brilliant white snow. I feel like Dorothy with her first glimpse of the city of Oz.  How could this be where I live?  I want to ring doorbells and share this with everyone.  Do they know that there is the most spectacular miracle just outside their door?

 A Course in Miracles teaches that a miracle is a change in perception. 

In the few paces it took me to turn a physical corner, my perception changed a full 180 degrees.  My previous view was lovely, no complaints - but this new view literally took my breath away.

And it hit me - this is life.  

This is the most beautiful picture of how life works.  I go along with my life. It's a lovely walk; in fact it's pretty awesome.  I'm not frantically seeking big changes. I'm enjoying the air, the sunshine.  For this moment, the status quo is fine with me.

And Wow!  Right in front of me is a big, big surprise.  Something so completely unexpected that I am just struck with wonder.

A corner appeared and I decided to turn. 

What if I hadn't noticed this corner?  What if I was just walking along listening to my iPod and staying on the same street?  It was a perfectly fine street.  There was a lot to appreciate.  It would have continued to be a lovely day. The sky would still be brilliant blue and the palm trees would be shining.

But because I noticed that I might like to walk on another street, because I was secure that if this turn wasn't to my liking, I could just go back to my previous route, I followed my instinct and turned a corner.

And this tiny action changed my day.

I know not every turn holds the glorious view of snow-covered mountains, not every decision leads to something worthy of photos and blogs.  But what I have taken from this experience is that I want to be aware that there are choices. 

I want to be conscious of the option of turning, without knowing the outcome.  I want to feel safe that my previous street is still there and I can turn around if I wish. I want to be "pleased and grateful for where I am, but eager for more", to very loosely quote Abraham-Hicks.

I know my curiosity will be rewarded with surprises.   I want to be open to see miracles.  

 

Good Vibrations!

I've been practicing changing my energy - I have always known I could, but you know how sometimes knowing something and actually practicing it don't intersect?

I admit there are times I eagerly embrace this power and times when I don't want to be responsible.  I get cozy in my whiney place and even though it isn't very comfortable, it is very familiar.

But what I am finding out is the more I embrace a higher vibration, a sun-shiny energy, the more I long to have it be the familiar place where I live my life.

I love how there are just so many ways available - an energetic buffet with something for everyone. There is no single method - just as Abraham-Hicks says, "First reach for the joy and all else follows". According the Abraham's teachings, there is no judgment of what works for each of us.  Maybe it's a funny movie or a sit-com, maybe it's chocolate (this probably ranks higher than a maybe!), perhaps it is music, or meditation or a walk in the sun (or the snow). Maybe it's rolling on the floor with our child or our dog. Maybe it's three deep breaths.

 The point is we are in control and we have an endless array of tools available.

I personally use a combination of essential oils (now that's a shocker, isn't it?) and music to put me on the fast track to raising my vibration. Sometimes when I am aware of what is draining my energy, I use a specific oil blend to "reset" myself. And sometimes, when I just need a lift, I close my eyes and reach into my basket of blends and let the Universe deliver the perfect remedy for the moment. And guess what - it always works!

I confess to being one of those people who play their iPod way too loudly - but I love the feeling of soaring music literally coursing through my body. I have this CD that features quotes from Abraham-Hicks "Joy Joy Joy"  that I have listened to so often just choosing it on the playlist lifts me up! A sense of well-being begins coursing throughout my physical body and I shift into the energy I choose.

I think where I am going with this is we can all find what rings our chimes. We can be aware when we are not feeling the joy, the love, the fun that is our right and we can shift.  And the shift is fun and quick.  Our only decision is really just to acknowledge we are not in the place we desire and choose -

" To reach for the joy and then know all else follows."

 

 

 

Change is in the Air

Yesterday, I joined the world in watching the celebration in Egypt. 

I am no political pundit, I have no idea of all the ramifications of any of this - but to be able to remember only 2 weeks ago, when anger reigned supreme and then to be able to see it transformed into joy was just amazing.

Yes, I am aware that these problems did not just arise.  But what really interests me is the "tipping point" - that moment in time when enough people said this must change. And how rapidly that change happened once the declaration was made.

As my heart sang out with joy for their success, I saw how this is such a great example for us all.  How often have we lived in an oppressive state (many times of our own creation) for years?

And yet, we can shout out "this must change".

Along with the shout, comes the action - some things, some people, some beliefs have to leave. It could feel like rioting in the streets, our status quo being looted and burned.

As Egypt has just shown us, this does not have to take years.  Change can come rapidly.  We can state our dream, our deepest desire with fierce intensity to the Universe and then stand by and watch the walls tumble.

With all my heart, I truly believe we are living in a time of very rapid change. The more we can embrace this fact, the less resistant we will be to a new viewpoint, a new fact, a new attitude.

We can declare our desires and then, we can celebrate our victories in the streets with a huge display of fireworks!

 

The Benefits of Pie

 

It's a lazy Sunday  morning, I'm having a cup of coffee and reading yesterday's newspaper when I come across a comment that I am choosing as my new theme:

"Sometimes it is important to make sure that there is space left for the pie -  first."

The LA Times has decided to feature an article on the popularity of pie and this guy is saying he regularly has his pie first.

A great take on "Eat dessert first".  I love it because being from Texas, pie ranks supreme.  Always the perfect ending - the reward for eating those veggies.  But how cool that it is also the perfect beginning!

I've forgotten this lately.  In the midst of running a business, learning to write, being a wife, "the pie" has gotten lost.  I've fallen into the familiar pattern of my childhood, when playtime came after all the homework and chores were finished.

I realize that I have pushed my pie to the end of the list of to-do's - you know that list that never ends and in fact seems to grow daily?

So I am rearranging the meal - a few days a month, I am going to eat my pie first,

Maybe this will be a very literal interpretation - pie for breakfast! Maybe it will be a day devoted to something I love that is not on my to-do list. Maybe it will be connecting with someone I love and sharing their pie.  But whatever form it takes, I'm going to make sure pie is not just included in my life but holds a place on honor.

Want to join me for a slice?

photo credit

Reverberations

I love the cosmic treasure hunt of the Internet.

While reading a business blog, I liked a comment and went to a website.  I was interested in another comment there and found myself at another site. Alice down the rabbit hole!

And then I arrived at #reverb10 and something wonderful opened up for me.  An invitation to reflect on this amazing year and imagine the upcoming 2011.

So here is the deal - every day they send me a prompt and if I feel its call, I will write my blog about it.

I love this - a combo of appreciation and manifesting. Yummy.....

Let's begin - Day 1

December 1 One Word.
  Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word. Explain why    you’re choosing that word. Now, imagine it’s one year  from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2011 for you?
(Author: Gwen Bell)

 

My word for 2010 is EXPAND.

This has been a year of tremendous expansion for me in so many areas.

My heart has expanded as it opened to new wisdom, new experiences, new communities.

My life has expanded with new friends who are my teachers and old friends who have grown into a more heartfelt part of my life.

My trust has expanded as I experienced some of my deepest fears and came out on the other side intact, and ...expanded.

My viewpoint has expanded as I have explored concepts so new to me and yet so profoundly imbedded in my soul. I have soared through the Universe and looked deeply into my DNA.

My concept of myself has expanded - I am so much more aware of my eternal self, of the I AM that resides in every subatomic speck of my being.

I feel my expansion of a physical level - I am breathing more deeply and standing taller.  My confidence in my own truth has expanded into a knowing, a stillness that cannot be shaken.

2010 - EXPAND

Now, it's December 1, 2011 and my word is WONDER. I sit in amazement looking at a year that has held such luscious surprises.  I feel the crystal clarity of the wonder of a child thrilled with being astonished. 

Seeds long planted have finally spouted into healthy, strong stems.  I see the wonder of synchronicity  - meeting others who share my aspirations and goals, being in the right place, BEING.

I plan to be filled with WONDER in 2011 - I am clearing a space for that wonder to grow, to have a room of its own.

2011 is WONDER-Full.

 

The Courage of a Seed

At lunch the other day, a new friend and I were discussing
   changes in our lives and how everything is feeling very new
   and different.  I remembered the most beautiful description
   Mark Nepo writes in his book, "The Book of Awakening". 
   Another friend had recently given me this book and every
   page is amazing.  Mark is a poet, and he sees the world through
   such a lovely light.

I can only try to paraphrase the way Mark describes the process of change.
He compares it to the immense bravery of a seed, being forced into the ground. 
He describes the painful experience he imagines the seed must endure, as it splits
apart and becomes something entirely different.  Still deeply under the earth, the
seedling struggles to find light, water, nutrients for life. And one day, it emerges -
not recognizable to those who only knew it as a seed.  Yet it remembers the
journey - the journey to something larger, but unknown.

Mark says, " As a seed buried in the earth cannot imagine itself as an orchid or
hyacinth, neither can a heart packed with hurt imagine itself loved or at peace.  
The courage of the seed is that once cracking, it cracks all the way."

This metaphor calls to my heart.  When I look at nature, I see our lives reflected -
we truly are one. I feel all the process, the splitting away of the old and the
beginning of a new life that is so unfamiliar and yet so strong, bravely traveling
into a new world.

I am excited as I feel this beginning taking hold and surfacing.  I am embracing
change and trusting that the process of cracking the old shell is so worth the

sweet tenderness of the new sprout.  I invite you to join me in the courage of the seed, surrendering to a process we cannot see; knowing that what will ultimately appear is beyond all imagination.

First posted 5.23.2010

What I Deserve

"You better watch out, or you'll get what you deserve!"

This was a common "threat" during my childhood.  What I deserved was obviously so scary I should run from it - hopefully as rapidly as possible.

For most of my adult life, my assumption has been that what I deserved was not what I wanted.  What I deserved was lack, punishment,and even worse -  being seen for who I "really" was.  Getting what I deserved was misery at its fullest.

My dictionary says that deserve is to do something worthy of punishment or reward.  Even the dictionary puts punishment first!  And states that I need to do something to be deserving - either way - good or bad.

Wow - today I had one of those "ah-ha" moments.  Just like the coffee commercial on TV, I know we all deserve the best.  It's our lot in life. It's what we deserve. It's okay, it's better than okay, to deserve everything you desire.

I would be so very happy to get what I deserve!  How could I not deserve love,  deserve happiness, deserve wonderful?

I am getting what I deserve - I have great friends, a loving family, I have a job I adore.  What a blessing to tell someone they might get what they deserve.

Today, I hope you get just what you deserve.  I know I will.

First posted 5.11.2010

Expect Wonderful

xpect......wonderful.

Expect......WONDERFUL.

What a concept - I admit this became a favorite phrase after I met Meredith Murphy and loved her website www.ExpectWonderful.com.

I kept thinking about what I expect.  I grew up in the 50's - the common viewpoint was not to expect too much - that way you "wouldn't be disappointed".  So expecting the worse became my habit.  Guess what?  I was generally proven right.  I got exactly what I expected. When, by some miracle, things got confused, and I got "lucky" - well I knew that was a cosmic mistake soon to be rectified!

I have a vision board at my desk that I look at a lot, and I realize it is full of "expect wonderful". And as I am in training, learning to have my first response to be to expect something amazing, more amazing things are beginning to happen. 

Meredith gave me the idea of having a manifesto, a declaration, so here is mine:

"I expect wonderful, I know it is easy. I am completely safe going with the flow. Wonderful is my natural state."

Feels like I am daring the Universe, but that's my 50's child scared of wanting too much.  What could ever be too wonderful for the Universe??????

I'm thinking we could have a support group - our own 12 steps to Wonderful. Want to expect wonderful with me? 

First posted 5.6.2010

Believing Eyes

Yesterday, a group of women met at my house to create vision boards. I love vision boards because I like to see where I am heading! But what I noticed, aside from the cutting out of pictures and arranging them on a board, was how sharing the desires of our hearts brings us closer.

Often in my past, I have felt I needed to protect my dreams, hold them close to my heart like tiny children that need to be shielded. Perhaps there is a measure of reality in that - we have all shared a dream only to have someone we love, we respect, we look up to dash it with a single phrase, regardless of how well meant.

But yesterday, I saw how energizing it was to share dreams with those we trust.

Sonia Choquette calls it having "believing eyes" - meaning I believe in you, I believe in your dreams. In our lives, it is easy to feel diminished, but seldomly do we feel honored and encouraged. "Believing eyes" are such a gift to those around us.

I watched as this group of women with very different dreams supported each other’s quest to make their dreams visible. There was no judgment about what each woman had chosen as her vision - we all had "believing eyes".

Honoring a vision is something we do for ourselves as well as for others. I tend to forget to be the cheerleader for myself that I am for my friends. For me, looking at my "board of dreams" reminds me to also have believing eyes for myself.

So this week, perhaps you might want to experiment with "I believe in you, I believe in me, I believe in us" to quote Sonia. And then pause to feel the honor that comes from "believing eyes".

first posted 3.21.2010