Present | Live What You Know

This quote has been on my mind sporadically since I came across it. It struck something deep in me when I first saw it; since then, I have continued to let it roll around in my head and take on various meanings and inspire a variety of learning opportunities.

There are several ways to look at it. It can be interpreted in so many ways, depending on our state of mind when we see it, hear it or think about it. Here are just few things that may occur to us:

At a glance it can evoke the feeling that lots of people say a lot of stuff that they don’t exactly live up to or in alignment with. Always too easy to see what others are getting wrong; feels much better to see what is lovable about them.
It can also make one wonder about their own actions and if we ourselves are truly living what we speak about or living aligned with what we value most, etc.
It can simply beg the question, “I know that is the best thing for me, why am I not doing that?”
The old, “Actions speak louder than words,” can also seem the easy comparison or conclusion.
Considering how we listen to others occurs to me as well…can I hear what isn’t being said or in some cases ignore what is being said and look at the actions? Can I look past actions or directly at them and hear or feel what is really being said at the deepest level?

If we can take it up a notch, through a lens of deeper awareness, we may look at these words through this perspective:

We may consider our deepest intuition and what makes us do the things we do, say the things we say, etc. To know that intuition well is to know the Miracle of Life. It knows what It is doing. Walking with our Divine Intuition is so much more relaxing (among other great and meaningful things) than walking with the smaller version of us that remains wrapped in fears and judgment.
By leaning back and looking at the many versions of “me” we have known over our lifetime so far, we can ponder the changes and the versions we have seemed to be throughout the years. We may cringe at our younger years or hopefully just smile and love ourselves with gratitude for becoming more of the person/spirit we are opening to. We can awaken to the Divine Knowing of who and what we truly are.
The shift happens…what we do, how we behave and who we are changes over time…we only need Live what Life would have us Know…it is always teaching us, guiding us and Loving us. The quote above can gently remind us to Live What We Know.

Obviously, these thirteen words strung together by Emerson can lead us to consider a myriad of possible meanings; some inspiring, some disappointing. I think the key to getting the most out of something like this and just about anything we ever encounter is to look within and figure out what it means for us. We can observe how we choose to live and how that shift begins to show up in our daily lives and the things we spend our time doing.

When we look at these words and apply them to what we think we see on the outside or in others, we may get stuck in painful memories or recall past experiences that can make us pretend to live in a world without enough Love. We must find the courage to look within and let these words comfort us in the moment of Life we are currently in as we do our best to BE and Live more of who and what we really are.

On a personal note, I’ve been somewhere in the shift for many years. I now know that not everyone likes to see change or the beauty of fresh unfamiliarity in lifelong relationships or even newer ones. Our journey towards our truest self that is a lifeline for us is not always seen as positive by everyone. Sometimes others just cannot see us. Misunderstanding and the painful feeling of not truly being seen as we grow can be tough. Sometimes we have setbacks or things happen that can make it seem as though we aren’t moving far enough along the path. The pain can block us or clog our flow if we let it seem real for too long. Those setbacks are blessings. They are the blessings that awaken us to the truest part of Life…the One we are meant to Live. We must remember that we are just where we are meant to be in Life and at the perfect place to Open up and allow abundant Blessings for All to flow through us.

Today, I pray to see recent suffering as a blessing and hold firm to the knowing of who I Am. I am reminded that although there have been painful repetitive experiences that I have known since childhood, I am not bound by that pain and continual misunderstanding. I can release the guilt that I have always felt since childhood and set it free knowing it does not serve me or anyone or anything around me that I may bless without it. Page 241 of A Course In Miracles says, “…it is only your guiltlessness that can protect you.”

May we all love our choices and see the shift in our lives today. May what we do speak of Love for ourselves as well as for others. May we know deeply that our intentions are pure and we are led by the Divine in Us. May we have compassion for others’ reactions to our choices without taking those reactions personally. May we unclog the flow of Life by surrendering and releasing guilt and see only the Oneness and Beauty that Life is beyond all the mirages caused by fear. May we be thankful and filled with gratitude for All.

Sending you Love and Joy!

September 28, 2015

Shift Happens

There are several ways to look at it. It can be interpreted in so many ways, depending on our state of mind when we see it, hear it or think about it. Here are just few things that may occur to us:

At a glance it can evoke the feeling that lots of people say a lot of stuff that they don’t exactly live up to or in alignment with. Always too easy to see what others are getting wrong; feels much better to see what is lovable about them.
It can also make one wonder about their own actions and if we ourselves are truly living what we speak about or living aligned with what we value most, etc.
It can simply beg the question, “I know that is the best thing for me, why am I not doing that?”
The old, “Actions speak louder than words,” can also seem the easy comparison or conclusion.
Considering how we listen to others occurs to me as well…can I hear what isn’t being said or in some cases ignore what is being said and look at the actions? Can I look past actions or directly at them and hear or feel what is really being said at the deepest level?

If we can take it up a notch, through a lens of deeper awareness, we may look at these words through this perspective:

We may consider our deepest intuition and what makes us do the things we do, say the things we say, etc. To know that intuition well is to know the Miracle of Life. It knows what It is doing. Walking with our Divine Intuition is so much more relaxing (among other great and meaningful things) than walking with the smaller version of us that remains wrapped in fears and judgment.
By leaning back and looking at the many versions of “me” we have known over our lifetime so far, we can ponder the changes and the versions we have seemed to be throughout the years. We may cringe at our younger years or hopefully just smile and love ourselves with gratitude for becoming more of the person/spirit we are opening to. We can awaken to the Divine Knowing of who and what we truly are.
The shift happens…what we do, how we behave and who we are changes over time…we only need Live what Life would have us Know…it is always teaching us, guiding us and Loving us. The quote above can gently remind us to Live What We Know.

Today, I pray to see recent suffering as a blessing and hold firm to the knowing of who I Am. I am reminded that although there have been painful repetitive experiences that I have known since childhood, I am not bound by that pain and continual misunderstanding. I can release the guilt that I have always felt since childhood and set it free knowing it does not serve me or anyone or anything around me that I may bless without it. Page 241 of A Course In Miracles says, “…it is only your guiltlessness that can protect you.”

Sending you Love and Joy!

February 3, 2015

We Don’t “Know” and IT is Wonderful! Let’s Go With IT!

Trust Life.

IT knows what IT is doing.

We don’t “know” what is best or even how to label anything — ever. IT is wonderful (if we choose to see it that way)! We can let go of trying to know it all, label it all and figure it all out. Instead, we can just BE and experience all of IT without needing to call it one thing or another. IT works perfectly that way. IT is the only true perfection. IT gets to experience ITself that way, and that is what IT is here to do. Meaning, that is the only reason We are here.

Whatever we think it is — whatever seemed to happen or not happen, whatever seemed unfair, terrible, wonderful, amazing, like a blessing, sad, happy, IT didn’t happen the way we may think it did. IT wasn’t bad or good. IT was perfect!

Truth is — we don’t know if IT’s good or bad and we don’t need to. Labeling IT either way only keeps us from experiencing a deeper version of Life. Good and bad only exist in the illusion that most of us have agreed to call “reality” — it isn’t reality once we know who is creating Life and who is choosing what we are looking at and how we see it.

Deeper Truth is — there is no good or bad, there is only the exact thing the Universe/God/Life picked out for us to experience at the precise moment we experience IT. We can lean back and look for the message we are meant to receive. We can trust that IT is the experience we are meant to have because we are having it. This is the way of Life. It is going with the Flow. It is following our Heart. We can call it anything we like as long as we embrace the courage to do our best each and every day to Live IT.

It is easy to get caught up in judging situations. It is easy to waste time resisting what already is. It is easy to dwell in distracted doing. These seeming “easy” choices aren’t actually “easy” at all, they are the hardest ones to live. They only exist in the illusionary world of suffering. Even to call it suffering misses the point. If suffering leads to bliss, was it ever really suffering? Was it more like a trusted friend trying to wake us up? We do have a friend that we can trust no matter what form IT comes in. Our friend is Life.

We can build a relationship with Life based on trust and do our best to give IT our fullest attention. We can stop ignoring IT and/or wishing IT would change. As our relationship with Life deepens, something much better than “easy” will embrace us. That thing that is “better” than “easy” and beyond our habitual illusions is without a label. We could choose to call it peace, joy, love, consciousness, awakening, being, reality, truth and many other words. These are all just labels pointing in the right direction. What IT really is cannot be summed up in words, only felt deeply within. It is in the silence, not in words.

All is well. Thank you All, I’m grateful for every part of you!

4 Comments

December 31, 2014

Love Doesn’t Come From Our Head and Fear Doesn’t Come From Our Heart

I have been quiet here in this space for a while now. I have been waiting until the distinct and authentic urge to post returned to me. It thrills me to feel that I am now ready once again. I have missed this lovely space; my experience sharing and connecting here has always warmed my heart. Thank you for sharing it with me! A few months ago, I stumbled into the following quote:

“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” ― Socrates

It wasn’t the first time I had seen these words from Socrates, but it was the time that I was really meant to feel them. These words struck me and stayed with me for quite some time. They made me quiet here and within myself. After all, this space is called “Live What You Know,” so the desire to truly reflect on how to live the wisdom of knowing you know nothing became the focus of my journey. I certainly don’t have it all figured out. 🙂 But, I am ready to share with an open heart as I continue down the path of Life and all its wonderful lessons.

To break this idea down to any specific points would be to miss the meaning of it entirely. It is a tricky thing to explain knowing nothing. You have to sound like you know something to explain it at all, hence, the quiet lately. Although I did a good job of keeping quiet here, I didn’t always do so well in my daily life. It’s always a blessing to live and learn (unless of course, it isn’t.) 🙂 I kept watch over myself as I interacted with others and I was aware of the times I had clung to the idea of “knowing” how things “should” be or how my ideas of things clouded my reactions and allowed the part of me that “knows” everything to push itself forward. It is a delicate balance and an amazing gift to figure out how to allow your truest self, that knows it knows nothing and stays open to life to guide your choices and align your personality with your soul. Seeing and living from a place beyond the little thoughts from the head holds the key that opens the heart and allows our perception and experience of Life to expand and include All.

Simply put, Love doesn’t come from our head and fear doesn’t come from our heart. While the truest part of me knows I know nothing, it does occur to me that I feel deeply from my heart and the things it allows me to feel are vibrating at a higher level than any thoughts ever could. That frequency of Life that the heart allows brings me such peace and allows me more compassion and connectedness to Life in every way. The feeling pervades within me that a life without doing whatever it takes to learn how to live from that place on a regular basis would seem to miss the point of being here entirely. While, I don’t “know” this for sure, I do feel it as sure as I feel my breath.

As I continued to watch and reflect on “knowing” things versus feeling Life, the Universe sent me many helpful lessons and tools to guide me to great teachings that were delivered perfectly at the best moment and in the best possible way. Just one example is The Fifth Agreement, by Don Miguel Ruiz. Even though I loved the book that preceded it, that book had been sitting on my shelf for years without me ever feeling the time was right to read it. Finally, it made it into my daily reading time. It was a wonderful guide in letting go of all the ideas of right and wrong that have been programmed into us since birth. Not to say that I have given up all the ideas that have been injected into my mind just yet. But to know that I should question everything rather than accept even my own ideas as truth is a wonderful place to start. I have heard this lesson in many different ways by many different teachers, but in this case, the tools and teachings life was sending me were perfectly answering the questions I was asking at the perfect time. I share this example of one of the tools that came my way, not to suggest reading this particular book, but to encourage or inspire us all to allow Life to show us what it has picked out for us perfectly at this time. If we are interested in living from a deeper place, Life will surely show us the way in the perfect manner for each of us. We must look with fresh, clear and open eyes to receive the gifts that await us. Important note (not something I “know,” but something I feel): if we are not interested in living from a deeper place, Life will provide experiences to increase our interest; we are Life, so Life wants our attention.

I pray for all of us as we continue down the path of open-hearted living. Sometimes opening your heart all the way can allow things to hurt. The hurt won’t stay because the heart is very resilient, but sometimes it still gets hurt. Recently my heart hurt very bad, I was quite surprised that it could happen. I value allowing things to be as they are and I feel that resisting and insisting things change only brings more suffering (unless my heart is guiding me towards initiating change or otherwise). I thought my intention to go with the flow and my desire to avoid judging whatever I saw would protect me from a deep hurt. Instead, I now feel that hurting is just part of the process. Sometimes people are afraid of an open heart and uncomfortable in its presence. Sometimes heads convince people that they would rather be upset, right, important, insignificant, superior, inferior or a million other things fear disguises itself as; often people choose from any number of distracting activities to quiet the noise the head is continuously making. The distractions keep us from opening our hearts and living within the experience Life is trying to give us in every now. People can treat an open heart in a rough manner at times as they juggle their thoughts and fears. When it hurt, I sat with my weeping heart, shared openly with my sweet little family and allowed it to be as it was. It didn’t close up, it isn’t wounded and it doesn’t love any less, it simply hurt for a bit. I smile now, because it doesn’t feel possible for my heart to hurt. The heart doesn’t waste time keeping track of awful memories and bad feelings. It beats now. The head likes to keep score, be right and convince us we have problems that need solving. The heart doesn’t remember, it lives the blessings of the moment. It is worth it to allow your heart to hurt sometimes because only a truly open heart can provide the place to rest without fear. The heart hurting is nothing to fear. Love comes from the heart and its power to do so is beyond comprehension. Believing in our hearts and allowing them to feel everything can only bring the peace, joy, love and aliveness that has been waiting for us since the beginning of time.

Three wishes for us all:

The courage to feel, connect and be guided from our hearts.
The desire to learn how to truly quiet the mind without leaning on meaningless distractions.
The ability to reside comfortably and excitedly in knowing we know nothing.

Sending you love and joy!

9 Comments

November 6, 2014

The Last Judgement

What if today was the day I made my last judgment? I could break free from the world of labeling everything I see. I could stop making things right and wrong. I would no longer see separation around me. I wouldn’t need people to agree with my perspective or see me in a certain way. I could use all the energy that no longer went to those things to spread love, see oneness and bring peace to all that I encounter. I would be in heaven, suffering would end and joy would become my permanent state. People would feel something in my presence that made them feel safe. They may not know what it is, but it may help them seek more peace and allow more awareness to come through. Things would align. All would be well.

Without all the judgements, we could live in peace and let go of creating stories in our head about the importance of every little thing coming in and out of our lives. We would not torture ourselves with the harm done in placing judgements on our fellow humans and in wishing things were different. We would not spend so much time trying to arrange things how they “should” be. We would BE rather than assign labels, wish things were different and create problems. We would vibrate at a peaceful frequency and so much more would come through us.

If someone were to do me some harm or wrong or bring hurtful intentions towards me, I wouldn’t be able to see it because without the label of it, it wouldn’t have that power. I wouldn’t be able to feel wronged, harmed or hurt. I would simply love the person just where they are on their path and wish them every bit of peace they could possibly feel. My energy would soar because I wouldn’t waste it on the dream of a smaller life in the way I sometimes had before. My soul would emerge and guide me to create and give my energy to all the things I came here to do. There would be no limits. All would be possible.

Without judgements, we would return to the joy we had when we got here…before we learned all the labels and how to judge everything we think we see. Our presence would be like an innocent infant and we would bring joy and peace to all.

What if today is the day I have made my last judgement? If it were not possible, then why would I have this desire?

Sending you love and joy!

1 Comment

October 21, 2014

Twinkle

Recently, we were enjoying the fresh air in our backyard late in the afternoon. We enjoyed a lovely dinner and then settled into comfy spots to enjoy the nature around us. My husband and I chatted and sat quietly together as the kids ran around watering plants and playing with dirt. We moved our chairs closer to the edge of the yard to see even more. The light hitting the mountain across from us as the sun began to set was spectacular. The lighting created a new scene every few minutes. The beauty was breathtaking. Right there in our own backyard. The birds were dazzling us and the energy around us was miraculous. It was lovely to let life pause and feel ourselves as part of the scene we were enjoying. It was a beautiful Sunday night. We were at one with nature rather than observing it or missing it altogether. My soul delighted in the peace, natural stillness and beauty.

As the night began to approach, the family headed in to begin the nighttime routine. The kids were especially ready because dessert was first on the agenda. I said I would join them in a few minutes. I wasn’t quite ready to leave my peaceful spot. I felt like offering a prayer of thanks for my time out there. There was still the tiniest bit of light from the sun, but it was fading fast. I thought I would meditate for a few minutes to hold the peace. I rested my head on my chair to look up at the sky. I noticed a faint little star beginning to become visible. My heart skipped a beat. I looked around and there were a few more of them coming out to shine. The miraculousness of it hit me like a wave of, well, Divine Love. That is the only way I can describe it. Those precious stars were shining the whole time and until our magnificent sun was out of sight we couldn’t see them. Within the next few minutes many more joined the scene. It was so lovely and so much more than I can explain. I joined my family within just a few short minutes, I never like to be far from them. I felt changed and ready to see them twinkle too. Oh, how they shine.

The stars that blessed me that night were twinkling all the time, I just couldn’t see them until the right moment when circumstances allowed and I was ready to give them my attention. I am made of the same stuff as the stars. We all are. Imagine all the things in the world that are shinning and yet still unable to be seen for various reasons. Couldn’t it be that any time we see one another with anything but love in our eyes, we are missing the twinkle we all share. Perhaps something is blocking our way. Some little annoyance, some grave injustice, some petty circumstance, or whatever it may be is blinding us from the reality of what we are really looking at. We are looking at a shinning star in front of us no matter who or what our eyes fall upon. We are all connected to each other and everything around us like the constellations in the sky. We can connect the dots and see that twinkling around us. We will shine all the brighter when we do.

Whether something is blocking our vision or if we are simply distracted and busy, we can choose to see what is really around us. We decide what we see and how bright we shine. We can wake up or slow down or get present or whatever you want to call it. We can see the love, the miracles, the connection to everything and everyone. We can shine and feel the light shinning on us.

Let’s twinkle bright enough that we may be seen. Let’s keep our eyes and hearts wide open so that we can see even the faintest twinkle before us. Let’s love and be loved. Sending you joy!

7 Comments

August 18, 2014

Spiritual Simplicity

To become a happy person have a clean soul, eyes that see romance in the commonplace, a child’s heart, and spiritual simplicity. —Norman Vincent Peale

I came across the above quote in my morning reading recently. The idea of spiritual simplicity struck me deeply. I instantly loved that notion; the deepest part of me knew exactly what it meant when I came across it. That idea stayed with me all day and carried me through my choices of love and non reaction. Simply put, it helped me stay firmly in the moment and accepting of all that each moment brought with it. It is a very helpful thing to remember first thing in the morning, so I want to share it here this morning.

Spiritual simplicity means loving all that we encounter. It means accepting and truly living each experience as it comes. It means knowing that whatever circumstances we are experiencing, they are the perfect ones for us at the exact moment the Universe has created them for us. It means listening to Life and flowing with it in the rhythm that our spirits know. Living in acceptance doesn’t include feeling like we don’t want to or cannot change things. It empowers us to know the impulse of the Universe and give our attention and energy to changing things that are ready to change. In some cases, our mere acceptance of things allows them to change before our eyes; like how a hug or loving smile can melt the anger, sadness or frustration of a loved one. Other times, our acceptance of what is allows us to hear the Universe/God/Life telling us about what it would like to bring to us or through us. Resisting anything is a force that does not allow listening, it makes hearing Life’s messages impossible. Spiritual simplicity is love and listening. It is only found in the sacred moment we are in. It isn’t found in the thought stream and stress of daily life. It is in the flow of our spirit. Our spirits flow together. We are all connected and we can flow through our days in spiritual simplicity. Let’s listen and love.

As for the rest of the quote above:

A clean soul — we all have that.
Eyes that see romance in the commonplace — we can do this by opening our eyes and truly seeing all the amazing miracles that are constantly around us. I like to think of it as seeing the unfamiliar in all things and never assuming we know how things are going or how they will turn out. It is staying fresh and alive to each moment. Love is all around. We can choose to see it.
A child’s heart — we all have that. We must remember what it feels like to live from it. Be amazed. Be present. Expect wonder and excitement.
A very important note — the quote begins with the idea of “becoming” a happy person. We don’t need to try to do that. We already are that. We came into this world with that intact. We simply choose when we are ready to remember it. “Happy” becomes peace and joy and is accessible in every moment.

Let’s set our intention this morning and feel how well it will serve us. Today, I choose to live spiritual simplicity and I intend to spread it to as many lives as I can touch and as many places as my energy can visit.

Sending you love and joy!

11 Comments

August 4, 2014

Giving Up the Roles We Play and the Labels We Assign

“Authentic human interactions become impossible when you lose yourself in a role.” ― Eckhart Tolle

“Living up to an image that you have of yourself or that other people have of you is inauthentic living.” ― Eckhart Tolle

Life is not a performance. We don’t have to play the roles we have been assigned or even the ones we have chosen. We are much much more than the roles we play and labels we assign. We can be great at all the things we have chosen to do while we are here, but we do not have to let the roles take us over completely. In fact, we can do everything much better if we are not attached to the role surrounding it. We are not meant to be actors inhabiting a role and fulfilling a function in our latest production. We are meant to experience Life in a much deeper, more meaningful and miraculous way. Inauthentic living dulls the senses and makes us lose connection to All that is around us as we go through the motions of doing the things we “should” and expecting everyone around us to do the things they “should” too. Life can get muddled up with roleplaying and expectations if we allow it. There is another, more joyful way to approach all that we do as we remember all that we are and all that everything around us is too.

Truly Being with each other without playing a role is the best feeling in the world. It is our true state of being that we all have within reach, no matter what our circumstances look like. It is where laughter and music come from. If we are with others primarily as a function or role, we can completely miss the abundant miracles that surround us. Often in my life as a mother and homeschool teacher I can find myself entrenched in the responsibilities of the role I am supposed to be performing. It comes from my good intentions of wanting to do a really good job and prepare my kids for life in the best possible way. However, that intense intention can get in the way of authentically experiencing the moments as they come and turn the whole process into a job instead. When this happens, it’s a life full of parenting and instructing without allowing in the joy we always have waiting for us. I am not just a parent and my children are not just my kids. To enter the joy and help my little ones dwell there as well, I must let go of the role and let Life come to me and them in the way it is trying to. Then I can truly see the Life I have before me and within me. There is always a glimpse or glimmer of authentic light shining through in my interactions with my sweet little ones. When I stop playing the role, I can feel the laughter, hear the sweet voices more clearly and allow a space for authentic interaction to occur. I can be the best mother I can be by letting go of the role and expectations of it. I can stop performing to the crowd or worrying about it looking like it should and pleasing all the right people. I have felt the difference between mothering my children and living in the moment with them. Life, love and joy are found only in the present moment, not the roles, labels and expectations that our minds like to attach and assign.

Role playing is all around us, it is everywhere and most people inhabit several roles throughout each day. In my prior work life there were plenty of roles and labels to learn from. I can kind of laugh at all of it (myself included) now. Oh, how important all the labels seemed. Who was who, etc. With all the titles and pecking order entrenched in the workplace, it is easy to see how people get in the habit of showing up as their role rather than their authentic selves. There is a lot of fear out there and the fear of not having an important role or label seems terrifying to people, that is why they must hide behind their roles and label others so fiercely. In our society there is so much pressure to act as we are expected and do what everyone else is doing. So called success makes all of the roleplaying seem attractive. No matter what our life situation looks like, we can easily fall into the habit of playing various roles to please a variety of audiences. This type of living doesn’t leave a lot of space for Being. This may be a blessing, as it may push us to seek our authentic selves sooner. We may sense that something is missing and hidden underneath all the masks. Everything happens as it should and we can all grow from our exact situation. We can bless each other with experiences as we do. Sometimes the greatest blessings are tough to bear. We can only call them blessings in hindsight. They are still blessings.

We can shift from playing roles and assigning labels and help others do the same simply by Being with each other more. If we show up playing a role or with a label attached to us in any way, we instantly put a label or role on the person we are interacting with. It just happens. We are entrenched in our role and we search for the part they play in our story. We enter the interaction with all kinds of preconceived ideas and notions and completely miss the chance to truly experience the Being in front of us, the Being within us and the true moment the Universe created entirely. If we can learn to show up as the Being that we are and create a space that allows others to feel safe showing their true selves in, we can create more authenticity everywhere we go. We can relate to others from the truest part of ourselves and watch the same essence take shape in them. We can change the landscape around us simply by setting our intention towards Being rather than roleplaying and labeling. Soon, we will live in a world without all the roles and labels because we won’t even see them or participate in them anymore. It can be done. We can create a more authentic world to live in now. One moment at a time.

Wishing us all the courage to Be more than our form or function. Wishing us ample time found in Being that nurtures our souls, spreads love everywhere we go and creates a new earth one interaction at a time. We are meant to interact with each other from our Being, not our tiny form. We can bring the Being found in silence to our relationships and everything we encounter. Peace is meant to be shared and spread. We can do it!

Sending you so much Love!

August 2, 2014

Let My Life Become a Love Letter

Well done is better than well said. —Benjamin Franklin

This quote sums up why I have been rather quiet lately. I’ve been working on the ‘well done’ part and a bit shy about the simple ‘well said’ stuff that comes much easier to me. I am never ever shy, so my continued unwillingness to share my writing lately has come as a big surprise to me. I have been listening to my heart and just waiting until I felt more ready to share and push through my weird plateau I have been living in lately. It is a comfort to me to know that my soul always returns me to trying to live what I know and push through whatever slows me down or derails me. Thank God there is always a new moment to inhabit.

The desire for spiritual growth and the pull to walk the path towards self-realization and self-actualization feels like a tough way to go at times. I read somewhere recently that a great spiritual master asked his audience to raise their hands if they were just beginning the spiritual path. When they did, he told them to go home and not start. He said it was too hard and they were better off not starting at all. He added that if they did start, they must finish. This is not the most upbeat and inspirational look at things, but I knew what he meant. Just admitting that makes me feel better. I am not sure why, but it does.

Sometimes I feel that I have read too much and learned too much to ever know how to live it all. Thus, the musings here to sort out what is most meaningful to me and share it in a way that I pray may be helpful to others as well. Letting too many concepts and intentions run around in the head doesn’t bring peace and wisdom, only the moment can do that. If only I had just read a few simple lines about the living in the moment and committed myself fully to that, maybe I would be farther down the path. But I didn’t. I kept searching and adding different ways of saying things to my head. Luckily, the moment is mixed in to all the great teachings. Just come back fully to the moment where all is well that comes from within…

At this very moment as this writing comes through, gratitude is growing in my heart that knows that every book, every message, every experience, every different translation of the same essential truth was meant to be shared with me. The Universe is always showing me the things I seek and the things It wants me to know. I don’t have to wish it were ever any different, I can sort it all out. I have always been happiest when communicating at the deepest level, so perhaps that is what I have been doing with Life. After all, the best conversations have several points of view and ample rough patches to maneuver. In my experience, tremendous joy ensues when mutual understanding prevails. Perhaps I can shift to peace and the overwhelmed feeling can dissipate. I believe I can. I believe I will. I believe I Am.

With all my stumbling, soaring, falling down, dusting myself off and trying again, here is the clearest message I can feel around me now:

My purpose here is to spread love.

I pray to have loving thoughts about all I see. I wish to let go of judgements and love all that I encounter. We are all doing our best and Love can only bring out a better best in us all. Through giving and receiving Love we can take steps down that path towards who and what we really are. Love feels good, it brings good. Actually, there really isn’t even a good or bad, Love is what there truly is underneath all the masks fear creates. Love shows us what there really is and frees us from all the false labeling and separating that we habitually do. I pray to let my life become a love letter. Let my actions become pure like the pen in my hand pouring out my soul on my favorite stationery. It is so easy to write a love letter. I pray to fall deeply into the ease of living one. Pray for me too please. I will pray for you.

Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier. ~Mother Teresa

It is astonishing how little one feels alone when one loves. ~John Bulwer

Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place. ~Zora Neale Hurston

Wishing us all loving thoughts, loving actions and a kindness towards ourselves and others that can only come from our deepest Love that we are meant share.

2 Comments

June 20, 2014

I Am My Breath

Smile, breathe and go slowly. ~Thích Nhất Hạnh

Breathing is the greatest pleasure in life. ~Giovanni Papini

Good morning! Today I wake up feeling utterly blessed and grateful. There are infinite things to be grateful for in Life, but today, and I sincerely hope, for each and every day for the rest of my days, I am in awe and complete wonder of my breath and it fills me with absolute joy. As always, I have been trying to stay more present, feel more of my moments and live more of my life through all that I have learned. Lately, something has clicked with my breathing; of course, it was right there under my nose all the time :-). For quite some time, I have known the power of adding more breath, taking a deep breath before reacting, focusing on the breath during meditation, etc., but something even more profound has taken hold for me lately. Perhaps the practice of it, reading about it, writing about it, etc. has finally allowed the path for me to live it more consciously and consistently. The idea that the path to live what I know has presented itself makes me smile in peace.

As I shared previously, I have been exhausted lately and my body has been in a bit of a broken down state. I knew relief would come and that all would be and already was well. I was able to feel peaceful even in the midst of my worn out state. I was allowing my circumstances to be as they were and see what Life was trying to show me. That felt like progress to me for sure, considering that I used to only feel “happy” if I was doing everything “well.” That path leads to a lot of stress, pressure and wasted moments trying to arrange things on the outside in order to feel good on the inside — a never-ending circle that doesn’t allow the true joy that lives inside us all to come forth. In my allowing things to be as they were recently, I noticed my breath silencing my thoughts often throughout the day. I noticed that I was, in fact, leaning back and allowing my breath to ease everything that wanted to bring anxiety or tighten my grip on life. My breath was the gateway to joy and the force that was grounding me deeply in the true gift found in every present moment.

After a few days of truly enjoying the breath that was at the forefront of my interactions, the thought popped into my head, “I Am my breath.” I heard it and I felt it deeply. I smiled. My daughter appeared by my side to tell me something and I noticed my breath as I enjoyed her lovely soul face and heard her sweet voice more clearly. My breath allowed me to truly be there so much more fully. I Am my breath much more than I am my body or my choices or my reactions. My breath feels good, no matter what and it allows me to BE my true self. It helps me choose well, speak kindly and Love deeply. Our breath animates this form we have. We are more our breath than any other thought, action, reaction or emotion we could ever have or feel. Our breath is more of our essential self than we can ever know. Someday, when our breath leaves, we will go with it. We can live with our breath more fully now and bring joy to everything around us. The deep pleasure that comes from our breath is truly amazing. There really aren’t the proper words to describe it. Just breathe and you can feel it.

Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor. ~Thích Nhất Hạnh

What we call ’I’ is just a swinging door, which moves when we inhale and when we exhale. ~Shunryu Suzuki

Today, I am wishing you the joy of realizing the pleasure, peace and astounding gift of your breath. Sending you joy and love!

6 Comments

Live What You Know

Tag: Present

November 29, 2015

Shift Happens

September 28, 2015

Shift Happens

February 3, 2015

We Don’t “Know” and IT is Wonderful! Let’s Go With IT!

December 31, 2014

Love Doesn’t Come From Our Head and Fear Doesn’t Come From Our Heart

November 6, 2014

The Last Judgement

October 21, 2014

Twinkle

August 18, 2014

Spiritual Simplicity

August 4, 2014

Giving Up the Roles We Play and the Labels We Assign

August 2, 2014

Let My Life Become a Love Letter

June 20, 2014

I Am My Breath

Tag: Present

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: