Potential...

It takes a great deal of courage to find the strength to be vulnerable.

We often live behind a front of invulnerability and pretend as though we are impervious. We suffer from an unrealistic need to be self sufficient to such an extent as to need nothing from others. This is an unnatural state of being, and as such, it is ultimately impossible to sustain.  Human beings are creatures designed to rely upon the relationship and dynamic power of connectivity.  The ego’s tendency to convince us that we must “go it alone” or “handle it ourselves” is its shrewd way of manipulating and controlling our spirit. Our spirit’s true purpose is to realize its divine potential, to recognize our own limitless depth of possibility. True vulnerability is the key to this mystical door, opening our hearts to give and receive love. Admitting and embracing our own vulnerability is not easy. It challenges all that we’ve been taught about self-preservation. However, the strength gained by this type of awareness is profound. It releases you from the egoic prison in which you are now a hostage. How much pain and suffering could be prevented if we simply accepted that fact that we all need each other?

When we are hurting or feeling insecure, we see it as a character flaw, a weakness to overcome. This is not defect. This is our most amazing ability. This is an opportunity to move beyond the limited perspective of the ego and to have a truly powerful interaction with the universe. In this life, there is no one thing more remarkable than human connection. No other force known to man can accomplish so much with so little effort. The potential for unlimited magnificence lies right before our eyes, in the simplest of interactions between human beings.

We see vulnerability in babies and children, and we are intrinsically drawn to their liveliness, inspired despite ourselves, to soak up the pure energy exchange that is so inherent to their very nature. We recognize that need for others and accept it fully as a rite of passage into adulthood. Somewhere along the way we become convinced by our own ego that we should not need others, that if we are fully developed we will be able to stand on our own and should not require others to feel contentment. This is a grave misgiving. We should take a cue from the innocence that graces our world and recognize the joy and beauty that exists within the intimate connection between people.

We are social creatures, intended to work together in an intricate pattern of connections. We must be brave enough to embrace our true potential. We must declare our own nature and recognize the power that lies hidden in our own ability to love and be loved.

-Love.

The Path of Least Resistance...

Change is constant. Change is inevitable. Change is the one thing that never fails. Trying to hold something unchanged is the ultimate resistance. The path of least resistance is the hidden key to happiness. Relinquishing our unattainable need for control and allowing the current of change (life) to carry us is the only true way to get to our destination. Let go of the bank! Trust the flow! It only feels perilous because of our limited scope of awareness. If you resist the flow of life, it will batter you and leave you broken and bruised. If you allow it to carry you with grace and faith, you will wash up gently upon the shores of paradise.

We are all in a constant state of evolutionary change. Stagnation is detrimental to this process. Fear of the unknown keeps us from moving gracefully through the stages of our own enlightenment. Through faith in this process and relinquishment of the mistaken concept of setting one’s own course, we become master life captains by following the course that presents itself and navigating our vessel through unexpected waters with confidence and ease.

We are the purveyors of our own destinies; in so much as we are able to let the paths unfold around us… Then are we able to see the bigger picture, the greater realm of possibilities, not hindered by our own short sightedness. When we are in a state of compliance with what is, we are truly sailing upon the sea of existence rather than struggling to avoid being drowned by the all-powerful mysteries of the unknown.

Welcome change. Open your heart and your mind to the concept of allowance. Embrace change, and live fully. Let go of senseless fear.  ALLOW life to BE what it is. And in so doing, allow yourself to BE a part of it.

-Love

A Poem called Truth...

My mind has been a torrent lately of thoughts and meanderings that are too complex to relate just yet. I haven't the skill to translate these thoughts into comprehendible, considerable, readable text. However, I remembered a poem I had written about five and a half years ago, that I’d like to offer for your contemplation...

Truth

In truth there simply has to be

A way to cause the world to see

From here we can not get to there

This place can only serve despair

Choices made and sides begot

Fear be fed and hatred taught

A distance furthered in between

Illusion wrapped up in a dream

Self inflicted pain and rage

Caught up in this twisted cage

Where heaven’s light doth barely seep

Lost from love in places deep

Children who deserve a life

Suffer through unending strife

All because we cannot see

Our false individuality

How is one worth more or less?

Based on where they lay their heads?

Until each mother’s safe and fed

And every child’s life is led

Until all people hold it true

That you are me and I am you

This downward spiral’s sure to spread

Leading to foul’s own sick end

And those who sadly can’t believe

In peace, love, and prosperity

Will continue on this evil trend

From fathers on to grandchildren

Damning us eternally

To live in false reality

Separation feeds the beast

Until the masses pray for peace

Seeking mercy fair and sweet

Alas in truth we’ll be set free

Thanks for reading today!

-Love.

Practicing...

When I was younger, a lot younger, almost 10 years ago now… I had a bout with some pretty intense anxiety. I suffered from panic attacks and irrational fears. I had obsessive thoughts, heart palpitations, irritability, depression, insomnia, difficulty breathing…  ANXIETY in all of its ugly, glorified splendor.

What triggered it is irrelevant in hindsight. What matters now is what I learned during that trying time. I began, while struggling to “survive” the scariest time I’d ever experienced, to “let go”. To stop struggling against what was and to actually release my death grip on control and allow what was happening to unfold without resistance. I discovered that resisting anxiety is like struggling in quicksand, it only brings you down faster. The only way out of that vicious cycle was to relax into it… Once I stopped “panicking” I found that I was able to “float” above the deadly quicksand… The trap was still there and depending upon how I dealt with it, I could still find myself entrenched in the muck. However, I’d caught a glimpse of something inexplicably useful. I’d found a tiny bit of surrender. That was the beginning of a lifetime of learning to “allow” what is to BE.

When I became pregnant with my second child, I was terrified at the prospect of giving birth. After the experience I’d had with my first born, I felt certain that I was going to panic and freak out. I’d been left traumatized by the sheer intensity of childbirth. That infinitely insane, overwhelmingly intense experience that nobody could ever be totally prepared for. I decided that I NEEDED to prepare. I convinced my husband that we needed to take Hypnobirthing classes. I practiced my visualizations, and learned to “allow” my body to do what it was meant to do without fear and resistance. I practiced deep relaxation and trust. I learned about the miraculous event of childbirth as a natural occurrence that needed not to be “managed” but experienced.  I learned how to breathe into the contractions and release all tension with my exhalations. I learned a great deal about “allowing” nature to take its course and unfold without the preconceived notion of any need to force. The lessons that I attained through Hypnobirthing have had infinite applications in my everyday life. It was yet another exercise in “letting go”.

Yoga for me is yet another lesson in this same concept… I find that it mirrors a lot of those ideas of strength through release. Finding my threshold of ability and then allowing it to BE. Breathing into a difficult position and then relaxing fully and allowing myself to become pliant and open to whatever sensation arises; recognizing that whatever I’m feeling in the moment is exactly what I am meant to be experiencing.  Through my yogic practice, I am furthering my understanding of the concept of accepting things as they are and not trying to “force” them into some other configuration to suit my needs. Finding the truth that what is in any given moment, is exactly suited to my needs of said moment.

This is something I aspire to everyday. Remembering to “breathe” into the uncomfortable and release it. Being present enough to relax into what IS and not trying to force it into something else but just to BE with the moment as it unfolds… Letting go of fear and a need for control. Utilizing these skills and applying them practically in my day to day experience. Difficulty, pain, and challenges are often great motivators for cultivating awareness and learning the fine art of BEING. I keep practicing. I keep learning.  Life is a challenge. The key then becomes embracing the challenge. Living and loving, not in spite of the challenge, but because of it.

-Love

Let it BE...

*Sigh*... I am finally breathing with an air of relief; after a long period of feeling as if I had been holding my breath…

We (my family and I) recently found ourselves in an unexpected and most uncertain situation. After relocating to Az. for a job, my husband’s chronic back condition unexpectedly made it impossible for him to continue working. This presented a whole list of questions and concerns as to where/how we should live, how we would get there, and what would be best… We were in limbo… A most frustrating place to be… Waiting for answers to arise from outside our own realm of decision making capacities…

I struggled with this scenario greatly; refusing to even discuss the situation with most everyone for fear of facing the full magnitude of insecurity, frustration, and utter uncertainty that these unanticipated, undesirable, conditions ignited within me. I found myself feeling utterly helpless in the wake of undetermined scenarios and completely unable to “do the right thing” while waiting for the undecided factors to play out and give us a course to set out upon... Have I mentioned that patience is not my strong suit? And that instability and uncertainty make me incredibly uncomfortable? (Duh!)

During this time of trial, I have tried to practice trust, and faith, and told myself (as has proven true time and time again) that all things happen for a reason, this too shall pass, and sometimes the path we cannot see is exactly the path upon which we are meant to travel… I tried to keep my energy and thoughts positive and focused on the here and now. I made a conscious effort to BE where I am fully, and tried wholeheartedly to “allow” the situation to unfold in due time. To let the cards fall as they may so to speak. However, during this time of “waiting” I was actually avoiding a large portion of the “now” which I was experiencing. I was fooling myself, and not truly being engaged in the “now”. I was not voicing my feelings of insecurity. I was not being honest with myself or others about my own inability to fix it all away. By avoiding discussing the details with my friends and loved ones, I was practicing a form of denial disguised as faith. It wasn’t true faith, for I was too afraid to face the actual situation for what it was and admit that I was not in any semblance of control.

I finally conceded to tell the children the details that we did know, as far as when and where we would be moving, how we would get there, and that as of now,(then) we were still uncertain where exactly we would be living upon arrival. I spoke to family members and told them all that I knew (questions and everything). I stopped resisting what was. I began to allow myself to feel the fullness of that moment, unanswered factors included instead of avoided. I practiced true faith in my own admittance of powerlessness. Within days the unanswered variables had been resolved. Our questions were answered. We finally have a plan! *Sigh*.

Sometimes we just need to get out of our own way in life. I’ve learned an important lesson about honesty, and true acceptance. Accepting the “unacceptable” aspects as well, and allowing them to BE. To "Let it BE". I think by resisting what was, I was blocking the way for what would be to come through! Lesson learned… This time anyway! J

-Love.

A Shift...

Forgive me upfront, as I am about to go on a rant. You may or may not like what I have to say in this particular blog, in fact you might even disagree with me, which is your right. And for those of you, whose sense of self may feel threatened by my thoughts and suggestions, please believe that my intent upon writing this is not to cause anyone any distress. While I have the utmost respect for others and their beliefs, I am only “calling it like I see it” so to speak. This is my truth. I hope you can find some benefit from my sharing it with you.

I find myself grappling right now to understand, no, to even begin to comprehend a society in which a natural disaster can bring about a wave of humanity driven care and effort and then be followed immediately by destructive, violence driven tactics in another part of the world. How is there this disconnect when it comes to the value of a human life? Why is it that casualties of war are socially accepted while casualties of uncontrolled events are travesties???  Isn’t the idea of a civilized society to prevent unnecessary death and suffering?

I think people on this planet have forgotten the basic rule of human interaction… DO UNTO OTHERS. We teach our children, not to hit or act out of violence when they are upset and yet the adults who run this world act like unaware, undisciplined toddlers when it comes to negotiation and policy making. Where is the TOLERANCE? I am not suggesting that we allow people to be massacred or oppressed and stand idly by while others are abused; but honestly what are we accomplishing by fighting? As long as we are willing as a race of humans to take it to that level and “fight” it out, there will always be “a reason”. It is time for a shift in how we cope with adversity. Nay it is waaayyy past time. It is bordering upon too late.

If what we need as a society is to get to a certain point where we stop and say “ENOUGH”! This is not who we choose to BE. Then I for one say that time is now! Look at this Earth, look at the consequences of our unbalanced society. Look at the way nature is reacting to our ignorance. We can not as a species stop killing ourselves and our planet… We poison our water… our air… our food…  We strive for material comforts and distractions all the while turning a blind eye to the grave injustices that make it possible for the few to have much and the many to have little.

Until the people begin to recognize that we are all connected, the Earth and all of Her people.  Until we begin to make decisions based upon the well being of ALL, this terrible imbalance we’ve created will only magnify, and multiply until the entire planet literally expires under the strain of intemperance and unawareness. When we begin to truly see that what happens on the other side of the world happens to us as well, when the illusion of separatism begins to dissipate, we will no longer be able to fool ourselves with temporal reassurance and diversion. We will be forced to see the truth, that what we do to others so too do we do unto ourselves. And perhaps, maybe... if we shift our perspective fully and soon enough we may have a chance to create a true family of humanity and experience a greater joy and peace than we have ever imagined.

In every moment in all of your personal dealings try to keep this in mind. Try to give the love and consideration that you’d like to receive and not get caught up in the I/me/mine mentality that nourishes this dysfunctional situation. Keep your focus on the light, give it your attention and together we can overcome the darkness. We can as Gandhi says, “Be the change”.

-Love.

Summertime...

It’s summer here. Well, at least it feels like summer (to me) here. Cool in the morning, blazing by noon. The birds are chirping excitedly as the sun comes up…

 I have skipped right over spring fever and have been flung headlong, straight into summer mania! I am finding myself assaulted by tangible summertime associations. I can smell the morning dew, taste the watermelon, feel the refreshing sensation of a dip in lake water… I can hear the cricket’s endless song in my mind… The tree frogs serenading an evening filled with fireflies and the lingering smell of dinnertime barbeques… The sound of distant radios and laughter, the clinking of ice in sweating glasses filled with something light and fruity to drink… The scent of suntan lotion, and bug spray, Skin So Soft, and chlorine pool water… Sweet, sticky babies and children all drippy from ice cream cones and popscicles…

Mmmmm…  Summertime…  Nostalgia at its very, very, best. I will smile all day just thinking of this. J

-Love