Friday, October 7, 2011
I've Moved!
I've taken the blog to my official site www.angelaivy.com, changed up the format a little and hope to expand it as I grow and become all that I came here to be. Please join me there!
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Creating a Personal Mission Statement
I've given a lot of thought lately to the importance of a personal mission statement. I understood why a business needed one but it's only recently come to me that individuals can benefit from them as well. I've been researching this and had set aside this afternoon to begin brainstorming my mission for my coaching practice. Many of the books and websites I've read have discussed them from business as well as personal perspectives. Then I came across a link to creating your own personal mission statement.
It took longer than I was planning to devote to it but there was no point in doing it half-assed. Besides, having a defined personal statement could help me develop my business mission statement.
Check it out and please, feel free to share any thoughts you had on the process.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Monday, August 1, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Plant a Dream Seed!
Are you a blooming human? Are you ready to manifest your wildest dreams? Are you ready to live the life you know you deserve?
The world is evolving and ascending with each passing day. I firmly believe we came here with a purpose. Are you living yours? I wasn't until recently. I was shown my dharmic purpose many years ago in a journey. I didn't understand it and couldn't make it fit into the conventional wisdom I held. I gave up on it and let my ego trick me into following a much "safer" and way more difficult path of resistance.
My Red Tent experience opened me to amazing shifts in consciousness and awareness that's surfaced my dharmic purpose once again. I've grown and I'm now in a space that I grok what it means and how to bring it to fruition. Planting a Dream Seed is one more tool.
I invite you to join me by Planting your Dream Seed in the Blooming Humans Garden. Spend a few minutes each day contemplating the power~filled possibility. ASK for guidance on how to grow and nurture your Dream Seed and take ACTION on the inspiration you receive. Share your Dream Seed with others, invite your friends and family to plant their own. Let's co~create an over~flowering garden ~ divers, healthy, and filled with possibility!
I also invite you to share your Dream Seed in the comments box below. I'd love to know who my "neighbors" are!
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
The 9 Skills Every Woman Should Master
Today, I'm sharing an article written by Christine Kane, Mentor to Women Who are Changing the World. (I *love* that!!!) As I move forward in my journey I'm treated to daily reminders of the synchronicity of the Universe. This article parallels an "epiphany" I experienced in my coaching group yesterday. As I reviewed my mind-map of goals and tasks for the next three months of my life, I realized I filled five pages with "chores" and "services to others." FIVE pages of giving away my time, energy, and resources with NOTHING coming in.
WHOA!
*BLiNG* "Order UP!" called the Universe and delivered this article to my inbox!
by Christine Kane
There's a popular Esquire Magazine article called "75 Skills Every Man Should Master." There's stuff about baseball, neckties, and other things that most of the extraordinary men in my life could care the least about.
It got me thinking about the happiest, coolest, most successful women I know. And how they would take the question of mastery about 40,000 leagues deeper than neckties and baseball.
In fact, it dawned on me that the burning desire beneath my outward goals is almost always the mastery of one of the following skills. The goals themselves - be they money, fitness, etc - are reallythe means to becoming a student of something much much cooler.
So, here are 9 Skills Every Woman Should Master...
1 - Reveling in your own preferences.
Taking the time to notice your delight. Trying new things, and honoring yourself enough to make time for them. (No matter how stupid they seem.) This is the key to the authenticity we women crave.
Unapologetically reveling in your own preferences gives you permission to be real - and serves others by letting them see your joy and choose (or not) to bask in it with you!
2 - Listening without judgment.
I'm convinced that suffering comes from judgment. Not just self-judgment. But ALL judgment.
That being said, many people think that "listening" means "waiting my turn to talk." Which means that much of our time is not spent actually listening. It is spent judging what's being said.
Learning how to truly listen without judgment - whether to another person or to yourself - awakens the intuition. It heals and empowers the speaker. It enriches the present moment.
3 - Discerning "Nurture" from "Distract."
Many of us lead exciting, challenging and sometimes stressful lives. We are serving children, clients, parents, co-workers. Our self-care matters if we are to be of true service in the world.
There's a huge difference, however, between nurturing ourselves with what we truly want and need - and distracting ourselves in order to stuff the stress or fill the time. Learning that difference, and honoring our true needs (ie, getting a massage vs. eating a sleeve of Oreos in one sitting) is crucial.
4 - Letting go of the need to "fix."
Most of us know that when we try to fix another person, we rob them of empowerment. (And often, our "fixes" are more for US than for them.) Allowing others to find their own wisdom, to make mistakes and to be exactly where they are on their path teaches us to accept the present moment as well as the mystery.
It also teaches us that we are not the ultimate deciders of what is right and wrong!
5 - Becoming an Imperfectionist.
Having a purpose, taking action, trying new things - all of these contribute to our deep satisfaction and joy. When we expect ourselves to be perfect before trying new things, we cut off many avenues to happiness.
When you become an Imperfectionist, you finally recognize your ego voice exactly for what it is: Your own personal Success Prevention Expert.
6 - Getting Out of the Comfort Zone.
Our growth and success are often proportional to how often we're willing to let ourselves be uncomfortable. We kid ourselves (and our souls) when we convince ourselves to play it safe.
Getting out of the comfort zone doesn't mean extreme sports or stepping onto a stage. Sometimes it can be as seemingly small as saying no - or trying a yoga class.
7 - Saying No with Clarity.
Learning to say no is really about learning to say yes.
When we say no to something we don't want to do, be, or have - we are actually saying Yes to our deeper desires. Many women don't believe they can have what they truly want, so they learn to settle, and their lives are filled with "maybe's."
Saying no - with clarity and without explaining - is really about honoring other people as well as ourselves.
8 - Allowing disappointment.
When we say no, or when we follow our dreams or true callings - people might be "disappointed" in our choices.
Life is not a campaign. We don't have to get votes. People can love us and still feel disappointed that we didn't do it their way. Too many women go on campaign trails to get others to agree with them before they take proactive steps. This only serves to rob them of the creative energy they need.
Allowing people their disappointment sets us free.
9 - Making support mandatory.
I can't remember NOT having a coach. It's now a requirement in my life in the same way it's a requirement for a world-class athlete.
I feel the same about hiring people and about asking for help. Too many women hope for the best and go it alone. (Been there, done that!)
Well, remember this little ditty from Einstein: The problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them.
Translation? Get support, training and encouragement. Make it a mandate. You will soon discover a new level of lightness and velocity!
Christine Kane is the Mentor to Women Who are Changing the World. She helps women uplevel their lives, their businesses and their success. Her weekly LiveCreative eZine goes out to over 20,000 subscribers. If you are ready to take your life and your world to the next level, you can sign up for a F.R.E.E. subscription at http://christinekane.com.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
A Whole New World
That's what life feels like lately ... a whole new world! I feel like Jasmine on her first magic carpet ride ... where Aladdin sings, "tell me princess, now when did you last let your heart decide?"
I must admit, I've always had a secret passion for Disney princesses. They're smart, beautiful, talented, and well they're Princesses ... hello!! *grin* I grew up on the magic of Cinderella but soon realized that "happily ever after" takes love, compassion, perseverance, and more than a little action and effort on both parts.
Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling through and endless diamond sky ... of possibility! My reawakening consciousness is delivering unbelievable sights and indescribable feelings. I'm allowing myself to be guided by the Universe. It's like stepping onto that magic carpet. Will it fly? How can it? It's a freaking rug for Christ sake!! ... but it does! It soars higher than I've ever dreamed because of faith. So I blindly take each step, some of them baby steps, trusting in the support and guidance of Godde. I'm always surprised and grateful when I see the spot light move with me ... shining brightly before me illuminating the way.
That's where I find myself, in the spot light pursuing a career change. I've enrolled in a Life Coaching program and I love it! It challenges me daily to look deeper into myself, to uncover the root cause of my decisions and take responsibility for my life.
I'm identifying monsters and shining beams of light into the darkest corners of my ego. I'm growing and becoming so much more than I ever imagined. I'm up to my eyeballs in responsibility and like Jasmine on the magic carpet singing, "I'm like a shooting star, I've come so far, I can't go back to where I used to be."
I must admit, I've always had a secret passion for Disney princesses. They're smart, beautiful, talented, and well they're Princesses ... hello!! *grin* I grew up on the magic of Cinderella but soon realized that "happily ever after" takes love, compassion, perseverance, and more than a little action and effort on both parts.
Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling through and endless diamond sky ... of possibility! My reawakening consciousness is delivering unbelievable sights and indescribable feelings. I'm allowing myself to be guided by the Universe. It's like stepping onto that magic carpet. Will it fly? How can it? It's a freaking rug for Christ sake!! ... but it does! It soars higher than I've ever dreamed because of faith. So I blindly take each step, some of them baby steps, trusting in the support and guidance of Godde. I'm always surprised and grateful when I see the spot light move with me ... shining brightly before me illuminating the way.
That's where I find myself, in the spot light pursuing a career change. I've enrolled in a Life Coaching program and I love it! It challenges me daily to look deeper into myself, to uncover the root cause of my decisions and take responsibility for my life.
I'm identifying monsters and shining beams of light into the darkest corners of my ego. I'm growing and becoming so much more than I ever imagined. I'm up to my eyeballs in responsibility and like Jasmine on the magic carpet singing, "I'm like a shooting star, I've come so far, I can't go back to where I used to be."
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Collage as Divination
Yesterday I attended a collage playshop and was BLOWN AWAY by the insights I received. I went in thinking it would be a fun, creative afternoon. I had no idea it would be so insightful and could be used as a tool for divination.
Divination, just in case you don't know, is the attempt to gain insight to a question or situation by way of a standardized process or ritual. It's from Latin "to foresee, to be inspired by Godde." There are many forms of divination out there, the key is finding one that *speaks* to you. My favorite (until now maybe) has been tarot cards. I love reading cards and Spirit flows freely through them. I've collected many decks over the years, some I could read from and some not; some I just had to have because the art was so spectacular. Maybe that's what drew me in about collage. It's given me a new way of using imagery to divine messages from Spirit and to gain insight to my subconscious.
From a scientific perspective but without delving too deeply into the numbers... With all of our vast knowledge and advances in medicine, we know so very little about the majority of our brain functions. We use our left brain 5% of the time (yes, for ALL those left brain activities!) and our right brain is processing the other 95% of stimuli. It's where our subconscious lives, plays, and constructs the experiences of our world. I think it's where our Godde Self resides. It's our intuition, that little voice or screaming insistence, that *knowing* that comes from out of nowhere.
The right brain is our animal brain. It's scanning the environment for all the sights and sounds useful for survival. It's responsible for vision, spacial sense, music, body senses, memory, the creative "yes" center and the area of inhibition or "no" center to balance us and keep us safe. The right brain speaks to us in images and it talks a lot. Unfortunately, in this society, we've trained ourselves to be dismissive of the right brain, giving more weight and value to the logical left. When we choose to pay attention to the right brain, it can, it will provide you with incredible insight into your personal landscape.
Enough of that, let's get on to the juicy, creative, right brain stuff!
Supplies - it's pretty much the same stuff used for the Magical Mystery Vision Boards. I like canvas board for this project instead of poster board but either one works. I also personally like filling in "white" space with paint. That's me; if you think you might, an assortment of craft paints and brushes are obviously helpful.
The process is pretty similar too but there are a few differences. I always begin pretty much everything with lighting some incense and finding the music that suits my mood. From there, get comfortable, ground and center yourself and find that place in the quiet where you feel the connection to, the oneness with everything. Ask yourself, "What do I need to know that would be most beneficial to me right now?" You may get an answer ... hear words, see images ... you may get nothing. It doesn't matter. The asking is what's important. Trust that the answer is coming.
Begin flipping through your magazines; do this very quickly so that you stay in your right brain. If you feel your left brain drawing you into an article or debating about whether or not you should use a particular image, sit back, close your eyes and connect with your right brain again. When an image strikes you rip it out and set it aside. Don't think this through. You're staying in your right brain. There is no right or wrong picture and you'll rip out more than you'll use in your collage. Honestly, I sometimes get carried away with this part. My inner artist devours the images like she's been starved of sustenance. (...she probably has. One of the many things I'm learning about myself on this journey.)
After a bit, you'll have a nice pile of pix to choose from. Sort through and begin to pull out the ones that seem the most important. It's okay to not know why or how they'll fit together, TRUST that it's part of this yummy process. Listen to your body, it will guide you to cut some a certain way or only a specific piece. In yesterday's collage, I was guided to cut a young boy from a group of children. Not so easy, but take your time and pay attention to how it feels.
The feeling is everything!
As you cut out the various images begin to lay them on your board. They will tell you where they want to be placed. Sometimes, even moving it a fraction of an inch feels better. Trust the feeling...it's your Self / intuition / sub-conscious / Spirit speaking to you. Begin gluing them in places as it feels right. Don't forget to step back from time to time to see how the next piece joins in. Will it overlap or does it feel better to go under?
Trust your instinct to guide you when it's finished as well. It isn't necessarily when everything is glued down, your space is covered, or you've used all of your images. Again, it will feel complete. Maybe there are chunks of white space; maybe it just feels full. Keep your attention on your body and how it feels and you'll know.
What does it all mean?
Step back, maybe even walk away or let yourself sleep on it before trying to interpret the meaning. You'll have some idea of what all or some of each picture represents. Don't be surprised though if there are some you cannot explain at all. As time passes, days or weeks even, the message will unfold for you.
When you're ready to read it you can generally think of the top of the collage is the Spirit axis - the un-manifest; the bottom is the Earth axis - the manifest. The middle is the focal point or what's most important in the collection. I also can see it being the Higher or Collective Consciousness (top), Consciousness (middle), and Subconsciousness (bottom). The left tends to indicate the past; the right, the future. There are also relationships between opposing diagonal corners (i.e. upper left/lower right). As always though, TRUST how you're being led. This is about you after all and there is no right or wrong way to read your inner landscape.
There will be a flow to the imagery...find the beginning and follow it outward. Pay attention to how images relate to each other. How do they under/overlap? How do they join together? What parts of the images are touching? What parts are hanging in open space? Is the figure looking at you or something else in particular? Is the figure facing you or does she have her back to you?
Not every image will have a significant meaning; it could have a supporting role in your landscape. As in life, it's part of what adds to the richness of the experience. Follow your intuition to what's most important. If you need to Google an item for help in understanding it's symbolic significance, by all means do so. Check several sites and compare what you find. I had to do that with Leopard - I had no clue and was stunned by my discovery. Again, because I can't say it enough, TRUST what you're feeling. You'll know when you're on target because it feels *good* ... that warm, fuzzy, love feeling.
Here's my collage from yesterday, I call it, The Power Within.
My second day assessment is that it speaks of cataclysmic events in my life, of resurrecting and healing childhood traumas, of the guidance and peace of Godde, and of reclaiming my power ... of remembering that it's been inside me all along. I'll let you know what develops.
I'd love to hear about your insights or see your collages. Please feel free to share or post links to the photo.
Namaste
Divination, just in case you don't know, is the attempt to gain insight to a question or situation by way of a standardized process or ritual. It's from Latin "to foresee, to be inspired by Godde." There are many forms of divination out there, the key is finding one that *speaks* to you. My favorite (until now maybe) has been tarot cards. I love reading cards and Spirit flows freely through them. I've collected many decks over the years, some I could read from and some not; some I just had to have because the art was so spectacular. Maybe that's what drew me in about collage. It's given me a new way of using imagery to divine messages from Spirit and to gain insight to my subconscious.
From a scientific perspective but without delving too deeply into the numbers... With all of our vast knowledge and advances in medicine, we know so very little about the majority of our brain functions. We use our left brain 5% of the time (yes, for ALL those left brain activities!) and our right brain is processing the other 95% of stimuli. It's where our subconscious lives, plays, and constructs the experiences of our world. I think it's where our Godde Self resides. It's our intuition, that little voice or screaming insistence, that *knowing* that comes from out of nowhere.
The right brain is our animal brain. It's scanning the environment for all the sights and sounds useful for survival. It's responsible for vision, spacial sense, music, body senses, memory, the creative "yes" center and the area of inhibition or "no" center to balance us and keep us safe. The right brain speaks to us in images and it talks a lot. Unfortunately, in this society, we've trained ourselves to be dismissive of the right brain, giving more weight and value to the logical left. When we choose to pay attention to the right brain, it can, it will provide you with incredible insight into your personal landscape.
Enough of that, let's get on to the juicy, creative, right brain stuff!
Supplies - it's pretty much the same stuff used for the Magical Mystery Vision Boards. I like canvas board for this project instead of poster board but either one works. I also personally like filling in "white" space with paint. That's me; if you think you might, an assortment of craft paints and brushes are obviously helpful.
The process is pretty similar too but there are a few differences. I always begin pretty much everything with lighting some incense and finding the music that suits my mood. From there, get comfortable, ground and center yourself and find that place in the quiet where you feel the connection to, the oneness with everything. Ask yourself, "What do I need to know that would be most beneficial to me right now?" You may get an answer ... hear words, see images ... you may get nothing. It doesn't matter. The asking is what's important. Trust that the answer is coming.
Begin flipping through your magazines; do this very quickly so that you stay in your right brain. If you feel your left brain drawing you into an article or debating about whether or not you should use a particular image, sit back, close your eyes and connect with your right brain again. When an image strikes you rip it out and set it aside. Don't think this through. You're staying in your right brain. There is no right or wrong picture and you'll rip out more than you'll use in your collage. Honestly, I sometimes get carried away with this part. My inner artist devours the images like she's been starved of sustenance. (...she probably has. One of the many things I'm learning about myself on this journey.)
After a bit, you'll have a nice pile of pix to choose from. Sort through and begin to pull out the ones that seem the most important. It's okay to not know why or how they'll fit together, TRUST that it's part of this yummy process. Listen to your body, it will guide you to cut some a certain way or only a specific piece. In yesterday's collage, I was guided to cut a young boy from a group of children. Not so easy, but take your time and pay attention to how it feels.
The feeling is everything!
As you cut out the various images begin to lay them on your board. They will tell you where they want to be placed. Sometimes, even moving it a fraction of an inch feels better. Trust the feeling...it's your Self / intuition / sub-conscious / Spirit speaking to you. Begin gluing them in places as it feels right. Don't forget to step back from time to time to see how the next piece joins in. Will it overlap or does it feel better to go under?
Trust your instinct to guide you when it's finished as well. It isn't necessarily when everything is glued down, your space is covered, or you've used all of your images. Again, it will feel complete. Maybe there are chunks of white space; maybe it just feels full. Keep your attention on your body and how it feels and you'll know.
What does it all mean?
Step back, maybe even walk away or let yourself sleep on it before trying to interpret the meaning. You'll have some idea of what all or some of each picture represents. Don't be surprised though if there are some you cannot explain at all. As time passes, days or weeks even, the message will unfold for you.
When you're ready to read it you can generally think of the top of the collage is the Spirit axis - the un-manifest; the bottom is the Earth axis - the manifest. The middle is the focal point or what's most important in the collection. I also can see it being the Higher or Collective Consciousness (top), Consciousness (middle), and Subconsciousness (bottom). The left tends to indicate the past; the right, the future. There are also relationships between opposing diagonal corners (i.e. upper left/lower right). As always though, TRUST how you're being led. This is about you after all and there is no right or wrong way to read your inner landscape.
There will be a flow to the imagery...find the beginning and follow it outward. Pay attention to how images relate to each other. How do they under/overlap? How do they join together? What parts of the images are touching? What parts are hanging in open space? Is the figure looking at you or something else in particular? Is the figure facing you or does she have her back to you?
Not every image will have a significant meaning; it could have a supporting role in your landscape. As in life, it's part of what adds to the richness of the experience. Follow your intuition to what's most important. If you need to Google an item for help in understanding it's symbolic significance, by all means do so. Check several sites and compare what you find. I had to do that with Leopard - I had no clue and was stunned by my discovery. Again, because I can't say it enough, TRUST what you're feeling. You'll know when you're on target because it feels *good* ... that warm, fuzzy, love feeling.
Here's my collage from yesterday, I call it, The Power Within.
My second day assessment is that it speaks of cataclysmic events in my life, of resurrecting and healing childhood traumas, of the guidance and peace of Godde, and of reclaiming my power ... of remembering that it's been inside me all along. I'll let you know what develops.
I'd love to hear about your insights or see your collages. Please feel free to share or post links to the photo.
Namaste
Monday, July 4, 2011
It's O~K~A~Y!
I've been working with my inner child lately. Something I've egotistically avoided doing until now. She started showing up in my dreams about a month ago. A precocious little thing who purposefully kept her back to me and pretended not to hear me when I spoke. Normally that would infuriate me but this was different. I was intrigued!
A week or so went by and there she was again, but as an infant. In my self-absorption, I'd allowed her to be injured. As I desperately searched help for help I was jolted awake. I was physically shaken by my blatant neglect. How could I live as an enlightened being when I was so careless with the most precious and fragile part of me?
I journaled about little precocious Angela. I drew pictures of her (me) at the different ages she appeared. I talked to her (me) for the first time in my life. Not the ego-mind thinking out loud talking to myself but an honest heart-to-heart conversation. I spoke to each age...infant, toddler, pre-school, school-age, and adolescent. I spoke from my heart about love, about using my adult powers to protect and be responsible for us, and to say it's OKAY to feel what I felt, explore the world, be curious, ask questions, experiment, and to say what I wanted to say. It's OKAY to like what I like. It's OKAY to ask for what I want and expect to get it. It's OKAY to be me. 100% full vibrant, vulnerable, happy, smart, beautiful, quirky, sometimes crazy, chatty, creative, reclusive, moody, quiet, introspective, angry, silly, playful, sexual, inquisitive, unsure, sassy, sparkly me!
It's OKAY to be ME! And, it's OKAY to be YOU!
I encourage you to get to know your inner child. It's an amazing journey that can be frightening and beautiful. Get to know her, play with her, LOVE her ... that's all she's really looking for.
My Happy Birthday America wish to all today is:
Embrace Life, Celebrate your Uniqueness, and fall in LOVE with YOURSELF!
A week or so went by and there she was again, but as an infant. In my self-absorption, I'd allowed her to be injured. As I desperately searched help for help I was jolted awake. I was physically shaken by my blatant neglect. How could I live as an enlightened being when I was so careless with the most precious and fragile part of me?
I journaled about little precocious Angela. I drew pictures of her (me) at the different ages she appeared. I talked to her (me) for the first time in my life. Not the ego-mind thinking out loud talking to myself but an honest heart-to-heart conversation. I spoke to each age...infant, toddler, pre-school, school-age, and adolescent. I spoke from my heart about love, about using my adult powers to protect and be responsible for us, and to say it's OKAY to feel what I felt, explore the world, be curious, ask questions, experiment, and to say what I wanted to say. It's OKAY to like what I like. It's OKAY to ask for what I want and expect to get it. It's OKAY to be me. 100% full vibrant, vulnerable, happy, smart, beautiful, quirky, sometimes crazy, chatty, creative, reclusive, moody, quiet, introspective, angry, silly, playful, sexual, inquisitive, unsure, sassy, sparkly me!
It's OKAY to be ME! And, it's OKAY to be YOU!
I encourage you to get to know your inner child. It's an amazing journey that can be frightening and beautiful. Get to know her, play with her, LOVE her ... that's all she's really looking for.
My Happy Birthday America wish to all today is:
Embrace Life, Celebrate your Uniqueness, and fall in LOVE with YOURSELF!
Sunday, June 26, 2011
What Inspires Me This Week
I wrote those words to a dear friend as I sent her the link to a YouTube video, The Sounds of Space, and instantly fell in love! Part of my reawakening has been to fill my days with inspiration; whatever it may be. Earlier that day, over lunch I was explaining how my life has changed because of my Red Tent experience. How the shift in perspective it brought about has touched every single part of my life and filled me with such peace and joy.
How do you do that, she asked; her sadness as palpable as the dolmas and hummus in front of me. She had been struggling in her career for a couple years as she was given project after project. It seemed her superiors no longer cared that she was pushed beyond her ability to perform well on any of them. The stress of it was spilling over into her home and personal life so that even getting to yoga seemed a chore. She confided that it had been so bad some weeks that she’d forgotten to tell her husband, I Love You.
I remember vividly how that felt. I too was there in the months leading up to the Red Tent. The stress in my life was part of what led to the dis-ease that culminated with the hysterectomy. It made me think, would I have made such radical changes in my life without my Red Tent experience? The truth is, I don’t know. I can’t help but feel deep gratitude for my experience because it changed my life in so many ways!
What do I do differently?
I started with social network sites; after all I give them much of my attention. I changed up my friends list on Facebook. I unfriended those folks who are a drain on my energy. You know who they are because you have them too; the “friends” who elicit a “ugh” feeling in you when they come up in your newsfeed. If you can’t seem to unfriend them, at the very least hide them. I promise you though, enforcing that personal boundary, choosing consciously who and what you allow into your sphere is extremely empowering.
I changed my Twitter feed to only include people that consistently post stimulating, spirit-filled, growth promoting tweets. It has become my new obsession, I must be honest. Need a five minute inspirational pick-me-up but it’s too busy, noisy, etc for meditation? Twitter, as I have it structured, does that for me. Whether it’s at my computer or on my phone, I can read through the last page or two of tweets and I’m encouraged and uplifted. It’s one way to bring about that shift in perspective I need when the world gets to me. Again it’s about consciously choosing what information you allow in. It isn’t about the numbers … it’s about what you find inspirational.
Do something that encourages your creativity. I began The Artists Way by Julia Cameron and absolutely LOVE it! Writing my Morning Pages, honoring my Artist’s Dates, and exploring my creativity and removing the blocks life has given me has been one of the best gifts I’ve even given myself. Maybe it would work for you; maybe not. But I highly recommend you find some way of indulging your creative spirit. It brings you closer to your inner child and with her/his help, you begin to see with child-like wonder and rediscover the magic of the world.
Connect to Spirit in whatever way is appropriate for you. Go to church, spend time meditating in nature, talk to Godde in your dreams, hold ritual, join study groups, go to meet-ups it doesn’t matter. Just Do It. Having a connection to Source energy helps you remember who you really are, a spiritual being having a human experience. From that perspective anything is possible!
Learn something new! Stimulating your brain is vital to feeling alive. What is that secret thing you’ve always wanted to do? What would it take to make it real in your life? What step can you take this week to set you on that path? Allow yourself to learn more about it. Even if it’s only in internet searches and a visit to the local library. Learning inspires growth! The more you know, the more you want to know!
There are many, many ways and places to find inspiration. These are a few of mine. Where do you find inspiration? How have you changed your life to allow for growth an inspiration?
Quote of the week:
Love the Godde of all, drink the wine, and let the world be the world. ~ anonymous
Monday, May 30, 2011
Magical Mystery Vision Boards
Let's talk about vision boards! Are you familiar with those? Maybe you've at least heard of them. Remember that guy in The Secret who manifested his super mansion using a vision board? Yeah! Now that's what I'm talking about!
I've thought of his story several times over the years but had never given any thought to creating one for myself. Then I was in a place of looking for a tool to keep me focused on what I learned and the goals I created in the Red Tent. Enter, Vision Board!
What is a Vision Board?
It's typically a poster board on which you paste or collage images torn from magazines. You can use a bulletin board and pin images to it if you like. I prefer the intimacy of creating the collage though. I also like including words or phrases that inspire me and support my goals. After all that is the purpose: a focal point for what you are drawing into your life.
The Law of Attraction, simply put, says that "like attracts like." If you surround yourself with images of who you want to become in the life you want to live and believe that you're worth it and live as if it's already yours, the Universe conspires to give it to you. Your life changes because you draw change into your experience. What you think about you bring about!
A few years ago, I began journaling about a partner to share my life with. I wrote pages and pages about the type of man he would be. I listed everything I could think of from getting along with my son, to love and companionship, to shared morals and values. I didn't want to go through the getting-to-know-a-stranger bit so I added the caveat of him being someone I already knew.
As I was writing, I really let myself get into the space of being in that relationship. Every night before bed, I would feel, deep in my heart, the amazing love we shared. Love is omnipresent; he didn't have to be physically present for me to feel love for him. I had total faith and trust in the Universe to fill in the blanks ... all I had to do was love him.
One night, a few weeks later at a Christmas party, an old acquaintance walked through the door. *B~L~I~N~G* "Order up!" I was the first person he saw and years later we still talk about the bolt of lightening that surged between us as the Universe aligned our trajectories.
My journal, my writing was like a vision board in that it was a physical reminder of my goal ... a loving and kind partner. Taking the time to write about him and love him helped me to live as if I were already in the partnership I so desired. A vision board is a pictorial reminder of your desire.
Supplies
One of the best parts is it doesn't cost a lot of money. I bought poster board at the $1 store, picked up some rubber cement (don't use Elmer's glue, it makes the pages ripple) from Wal-mart and asked my friends for old magazines they were ready to recycle. You could also ask at your local library or doctors offices. I got stacks of magazines! The more diverse the subject matter the better. You'll get bored looking at the same things but too, limiting the subjects limits your imagination. Limitations are not part of this process!
Before you begin
It's exciting seeing the possibility before you and it's hard not to dive right in. But before you begin have a little ritual to help you get clear about the purpose of your vision board. Sit quietly and focus on your breathing for several minutes. Gently and with kindness ask yourself what you want. Maybe one word will pop into your head. Or maybe you see images. Sit with them for a bit, feel them, and allow yourself to be guided by your intuition. This deepens your experience and helps you set your ego aside to get at the root of what's important to you.
I like to include soft music and incense or candles (safely out of the way) to create a luscious ambiance. I'm all about the luscious ambiance! I like Steve Roach or Anugama for this process. Use whatever speaks to your heart though, that, after all is the whole point. Let's get started!
Steps of Creation
I've thought of his story several times over the years but had never given any thought to creating one for myself. Then I was in a place of looking for a tool to keep me focused on what I learned and the goals I created in the Red Tent. Enter, Vision Board!
What is a Vision Board?
It's typically a poster board on which you paste or collage images torn from magazines. You can use a bulletin board and pin images to it if you like. I prefer the intimacy of creating the collage though. I also like including words or phrases that inspire me and support my goals. After all that is the purpose: a focal point for what you are drawing into your life.
The Law of Attraction, simply put, says that "like attracts like." If you surround yourself with images of who you want to become in the life you want to live and believe that you're worth it and live as if it's already yours, the Universe conspires to give it to you. Your life changes because you draw change into your experience. What you think about you bring about!
A few years ago, I began journaling about a partner to share my life with. I wrote pages and pages about the type of man he would be. I listed everything I could think of from getting along with my son, to love and companionship, to shared morals and values. I didn't want to go through the getting-to-know-a-stranger bit so I added the caveat of him being someone I already knew.
As I was writing, I really let myself get into the space of being in that relationship. Every night before bed, I would feel, deep in my heart, the amazing love we shared. Love is omnipresent; he didn't have to be physically present for me to feel love for him. I had total faith and trust in the Universe to fill in the blanks ... all I had to do was love him.
One night, a few weeks later at a Christmas party, an old acquaintance walked through the door. *B~L~I~N~G* "Order up!" I was the first person he saw and years later we still talk about the bolt of lightening that surged between us as the Universe aligned our trajectories.
My journal, my writing was like a vision board in that it was a physical reminder of my goal ... a loving and kind partner. Taking the time to write about him and love him helped me to live as if I were already in the partnership I so desired. A vision board is a pictorial reminder of your desire.
Supplies
One of the best parts is it doesn't cost a lot of money. I bought poster board at the $1 store, picked up some rubber cement (don't use Elmer's glue, it makes the pages ripple) from Wal-mart and asked my friends for old magazines they were ready to recycle. You could also ask at your local library or doctors offices. I got stacks of magazines! The more diverse the subject matter the better. You'll get bored looking at the same things but too, limiting the subjects limits your imagination. Limitations are not part of this process!
Before you begin
It's exciting seeing the possibility before you and it's hard not to dive right in. But before you begin have a little ritual to help you get clear about the purpose of your vision board. Sit quietly and focus on your breathing for several minutes. Gently and with kindness ask yourself what you want. Maybe one word will pop into your head. Or maybe you see images. Sit with them for a bit, feel them, and allow yourself to be guided by your intuition. This deepens your experience and helps you set your ego aside to get at the root of what's important to you.
I like to include soft music and incense or candles (safely out of the way) to create a luscious ambiance. I'm all about the luscious ambiance! I like Steve Roach or Anugama for this process. Use whatever speaks to your heart though, that, after all is the whole point. Let's get started!
Steps of Creation
- Dive into the magazines tearing out the pages or images, words, or headlines that resonate with you. No gluing yet! This is about finding inspiration. Have fun with it. The perfectionist in me sometimes gets stuck trimming the images to be just right. If that works for you, go for it. There is no right or wrong. It's all about you, in every moment of this process. Follow your heart, it's where Spirit speaks to you.
- Sort through the images you've collected and begin to lay them out on the board. Trust your intuition in this. You may be led to create columns or themes for each corner, such as Spirituality, Relationships, Career, and Health. You maybe led to fold the board as if it were a book telling a story. The images may want to scatter randomly across the board. Go with it! Allow yourself to be wildly creative!
- Glue everything to the board. Feel free to add your own touches or words with paint, marker, or glitter.
- An optional but extremely powerful step is to include a fantastic photo of yourself. Choose one where you are radiantly happy. Save space in the middle or design your board around it. Paste yourself in the center of your board, in the middle of your new life!
- Hang your board in a place where you will see it often.
That's it! Simple huh?
There are many types of vision boards and yours may evolve as you go through the process of creation. That's okay, it's called creativity. Go with it! it's the yummy, sparkly, magical part of life. Trust that you are being Divinely guided to create the BEST goal, experience, or life for YOU. Remember it isn't about imposing limits. Release the thoughts of "how" you think it should happen and focus on the end result. Focus on living the great relationship, having a loving family, beautiful house, the job you love, whatever it is that you're VISIONING!
Go make magic, baby!
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Emerging From the Red Tent
Today is the 'official' last day of my Red Tent. I've made myself miserable for the past week because I could only see an end or that I was losing something exceptionally valuable. I've woke every morning with a sense of dread, unable to escape the countdown in my head. I've countered it by scolding myself, saying, "you should be grateful." That only served to heap guilt on to my anxiety. I've really struggled but today, I was given one more blesson. (blessing+lesson)
I've come to associate the Red Tent with all the positive qualities of life. I consciously created a sacred space to recover in but it became so much more than that. It's taken on it's own characteristics and energy, it's absorbed my partner's energy and needs, and we've adjusted and accommodated each other. My sadness has been in leaving this *space.*
How do I leave sacred space for the 'real' world? How do I reconcile my re-awakened consciousness and the sense of peace it's given me with the chaos of traffic, schedules, and demands on my time and energy? How do I live in the moment and juggle busyness, distractions, interruptions, and obligations to others? How did I do it before? What have I forgotten?
I'd forgotten my tools: meditation, Reiki, love. Most importantly though, that I am a co-creator of my experience in this world.
I've allowed my ego to run amok and drag me into the victim mindset, that all of this was happening to me. I wasn't loving or honoring myself and I certainly wasn't creating an experience I wanted any part of!!
It was one of those screeching halt moments and I breathed deep cleansing belly breaths as I let the realization of that settle in me. I sat with it for several minutes gifting myself with the space it was creating. My body physically relaxed and my breaths became even deeper. There was an expansive peace about me and clarity was shining through from deep in my soul.
Sacred space is WITHIN me, within each of us. It isn't some place we visit, we carry it inside us, we were born with it, it's our Divine birth right!
I stopped everything I was doing and settled into meditate. I was moved to send distance Reiki to the office ... beginning at my desk, moving out through my space and across the whole floor. I expanded it to cover the whole building and property as well. There were several spots that required extra attention, one being the office adjacent to mine. The energy in it was spilling over into my space. I boosted the Reiki and kept Love in my heart. I focused on the gratitude I have for my "work family" and the benefits that allowed me six-weeks away. I radiated joy and peace into the space.
I'm psychically cleansing the space and reinforcing it with a new plant and crystals to capture and deflect or transmute any negative energy. And I'm adding the Satima prayer as a gentle reminder that *I* (or you) am what's important.
In peace, love and joy for the next leg of the journey!
I've come to associate the Red Tent with all the positive qualities of life. I consciously created a sacred space to recover in but it became so much more than that. It's taken on it's own characteristics and energy, it's absorbed my partner's energy and needs, and we've adjusted and accommodated each other. My sadness has been in leaving this *space.*
How do I leave sacred space for the 'real' world? How do I reconcile my re-awakened consciousness and the sense of peace it's given me with the chaos of traffic, schedules, and demands on my time and energy? How do I live in the moment and juggle busyness, distractions, interruptions, and obligations to others? How did I do it before? What have I forgotten?
I'd forgotten my tools: meditation, Reiki, love. Most importantly though, that I am a co-creator of my experience in this world.
I've allowed my ego to run amok and drag me into the victim mindset, that all of this was happening to me. I wasn't loving or honoring myself and I certainly wasn't creating an experience I wanted any part of!!
It was one of those screeching halt moments and I breathed deep cleansing belly breaths as I let the realization of that settle in me. I sat with it for several minutes gifting myself with the space it was creating. My body physically relaxed and my breaths became even deeper. There was an expansive peace about me and clarity was shining through from deep in my soul.
Sacred space is WITHIN me, within each of us. It isn't some place we visit, we carry it inside us, we were born with it, it's our Divine birth right!
I stopped everything I was doing and settled into meditate. I was moved to send distance Reiki to the office ... beginning at my desk, moving out through my space and across the whole floor. I expanded it to cover the whole building and property as well. There were several spots that required extra attention, one being the office adjacent to mine. The energy in it was spilling over into my space. I boosted the Reiki and kept Love in my heart. I focused on the gratitude I have for my "work family" and the benefits that allowed me six-weeks away. I radiated joy and peace into the space.
I'm psychically cleansing the space and reinforcing it with a new plant and crystals to capture and deflect or transmute any negative energy. And I'm adding the Satima prayer as a gentle reminder that *I* (or you) am what's important.
May I clear my mind of all thoughts
And focus my intent on stillness
May I clear my field of busyness,
And connect to my deepest faith
May I open my emotional body
And allow healing flow
May I honor this physical form
As a sacred temple
May I walk my highest purpose
With gratitude
For this precious time.
In peace, love and joy for the next leg of the journey!
Thursday, May 5, 2011
The Art of Receiving: Judgement Free (The Silver Lining Experiment)
The Silver Lining Experiment is a blog by one of my favorite women, Lyric Kali. She has been an source of great inspiration and guidance in my life. She is a sister of my soul and a cherished friend. Her words so eloquently describe one of the greatest lessons of my Red Tent, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
The Art of Receiving: Judgment Free | The Silver Lining Experiment
The Art of Receiving: Judgment Free | The Silver Lining Experiment
I Am Opening Up In Sweet Surrender
This speaks deeply to my soul this morning.
I Am Opening Up In Sweet Surrender
I am opening up in sweet surrender to the luminous love light of the One.
I am opening / Ya Fattah (one the 99 Beautiful Names of Allah, The Opener of the Way)
~*~*~*~*~
Yesterday I struggled. I felt no inspiration and was angry. The more I searched for something to inspire me, to pull me out of the funk, the worse I felt. I cried. I missed the grace and peace that was so palpable only a few weeks ago. I wanted to roll back the clock, even to the point of repeating the first week of the Red Tent...pain and all. How else could I get that back?
Then I heard this song and I played it again and again.
At first the Ya Fattah call bothered me in it's masculinity. I've been so focused on the feminine that it seemed off kilter. The reality is both energies exist within each of us. I needed that balance today. Moreover though, I needed the reminder that opening is a process. It didn't happen overnight the first time around, yet, I remember I had the same rush-rush-rush-want-it-now sensations then too.
It is a process though and it has to be nurtured daily. I was spoiled by the abundance of energy surrounding my surgery. In the days leading up to it I consciously and mindfully sent distance-Reiki to the hospital and staff, from surgeon and his team to the administrative personnel. The energy was available to anyone that could potentially work with or for me during my stay there. My friends and loved ones were flooding me with Reiki, loving-healing energy, and prayers as well. It was everywhere and readily available to draw upon.
That influx of energy was exactly what I needed. Now that I'm several weeks into recovery though I've become lazy. The energy isn't as strong because *I* haven't been helping myself the way I should. Schedules have prevented me from getting the weekly Reiki treatment I hoped for, true. But I haven't given myself Reiki as I should. Yesterday's meltdown came from the depletion of energy in my body. While I've physically taken care of me, I haven't been as diligent in my emotional and spiritual care. I found myself asking, "wasn't that the point of the Red Tent, Ivy?"
Daily nurturing of our souls is vital to our growth. After all, we would not expect our bodies to function for days on end without food. Why should we treat our souls differently? We're not bodies with souls; we're souls with bodies. How can we expect vitality from our bodies (secondary) if our souls (primary) are malnourished?
I am blessed with an abundance of time for the next few weeks. I have no excuses. I worry about what happens when I return to work but I'm not even focused on my immediate needs. Being present, being aware is the key. Daily meditation, contemplation, prayer, mindfulness ... whatever you choose to call it, is the food of our souls. When our souls are well nourished, the process of opening occurs naturally.
Today, I am opening up in sweet surrender to the Luminous Love Light of the One!
I Am Opening Up In Sweet Surrender
I am opening up in sweet surrender to the luminous love light of the One.
I am opening / Ya Fattah (one the 99 Beautiful Names of Allah, The Opener of the Way)
~*~*~*~*~
Yesterday I struggled. I felt no inspiration and was angry. The more I searched for something to inspire me, to pull me out of the funk, the worse I felt. I cried. I missed the grace and peace that was so palpable only a few weeks ago. I wanted to roll back the clock, even to the point of repeating the first week of the Red Tent...pain and all. How else could I get that back?
Then I heard this song and I played it again and again.
At first the Ya Fattah call bothered me in it's masculinity. I've been so focused on the feminine that it seemed off kilter. The reality is both energies exist within each of us. I needed that balance today. Moreover though, I needed the reminder that opening is a process. It didn't happen overnight the first time around, yet, I remember I had the same rush-rush-rush-want-it-now sensations then too.
It is a process though and it has to be nurtured daily. I was spoiled by the abundance of energy surrounding my surgery. In the days leading up to it I consciously and mindfully sent distance-Reiki to the hospital and staff, from surgeon and his team to the administrative personnel. The energy was available to anyone that could potentially work with or for me during my stay there. My friends and loved ones were flooding me with Reiki, loving-healing energy, and prayers as well. It was everywhere and readily available to draw upon.
That influx of energy was exactly what I needed. Now that I'm several weeks into recovery though I've become lazy. The energy isn't as strong because *I* haven't been helping myself the way I should. Schedules have prevented me from getting the weekly Reiki treatment I hoped for, true. But I haven't given myself Reiki as I should. Yesterday's meltdown came from the depletion of energy in my body. While I've physically taken care of me, I haven't been as diligent in my emotional and spiritual care. I found myself asking, "wasn't that the point of the Red Tent, Ivy?"
Daily nurturing of our souls is vital to our growth. After all, we would not expect our bodies to function for days on end without food. Why should we treat our souls differently? We're not bodies with souls; we're souls with bodies. How can we expect vitality from our bodies (secondary) if our souls (primary) are malnourished?
I am blessed with an abundance of time for the next few weeks. I have no excuses. I worry about what happens when I return to work but I'm not even focused on my immediate needs. Being present, being aware is the key. Daily meditation, contemplation, prayer, mindfulness ... whatever you choose to call it, is the food of our souls. When our souls are well nourished, the process of opening occurs naturally.
Today, I am opening up in sweet surrender to the Luminous Love Light of the One!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
My Journey
The re-awakening of my Goddess Consciousness happened during my last "official" Red Tent. For years I had struggled with female issues and the havoc they reeked on my body and in my relationship. I'd been told that the only real solution was a hysterectomy but I was quite attached to all my parts! I didn't want to give them up for any reason. Besides, while I maintained that I didn't want any more children (my son is 16), a hysterectomy was so final. I wasn't ready for that or the questions of what would mean to my understanding of who I am as a woman.
Over the last two years I'd tried every recommendation for managing my pain and maintaining the status quo of my health issues. I took herbal supplements, OTC, and prescription pain medicines. I went to physical therapy (who knew there was PT for our girl parts?!?!), ate healthfully, and practiced yoga, abdominal massage, and Reiki. My dear, sweet man even learned several new massage techniques to release the tension the pain created. The combination of it all had my day-to-day pain under control but it created a different set of intimacy issues in our relationship. After many tearful, soul-baring conversations with my partner, I came to the decision; it as time for the hysterectomy.
We scheduled it for April 11, 2011. Once my mind was made up, I quickly found peace with the physical aspects of surgery. I did my research, talked with my doctor and had a good understanding of what it would entail. One afternoon just a few days later, I saw an ad on Facebook for a Healing Your Uterus yoga/meditation workshop in south Florida. I knew instantly it was exactly what I needed but the timing conflicted with many things I needed to accomplish before my convalescence.
Over the last two years I'd tried every recommendation for managing my pain and maintaining the status quo of my health issues. I took herbal supplements, OTC, and prescription pain medicines. I went to physical therapy (who knew there was PT for our girl parts?!?!), ate healthfully, and practiced yoga, abdominal massage, and Reiki. My dear, sweet man even learned several new massage techniques to release the tension the pain created. The combination of it all had my day-to-day pain under control but it created a different set of intimacy issues in our relationship. After many tearful, soul-baring conversations with my partner, I came to the decision; it as time for the hysterectomy.
We scheduled it for April 11, 2011. Once my mind was made up, I quickly found peace with the physical aspects of surgery. I did my research, talked with my doctor and had a good understanding of what it would entail. One afternoon just a few days later, I saw an ad on Facebook for a Healing Your Uterus yoga/meditation workshop in south Florida. I knew instantly it was exactly what I needed but the timing conflicted with many things I needed to accomplish before my convalescence.
What could I do? I, of all people, needed to be in that workshop! Travel was not an option for me but I could feel that I was being led, no, pushed forward. I opened myself to the Universe and realized that while I couldn't travel I could do something similar for myself, I could make my own Red Tent. It galvanized that quickly … My last Moon was just days away. It would be my Red Tent. And my recovery would be as well.
I had loosely based concepts of a Red Tent -- a place where women gather during their moon time to celebrate being a woman. In my mind it was a beautifully decorated Persian tent, lined with plush rugs, luxurious pillows, and shimmering lanterns. All conveniently disguising the AC vents, bathrooms, and other modern necessities!! In reality it was my bedroom with a good cleaning and dusting plus new candles and beautiful new bromeliad. I picked up a copy of The Red Tent by Anita Diamant, explained to my dear, sweet man that this truly was my "special time" (as he'd so often teased over the years), and settled in to bleed.
I devoured The Red Tent the first two days; so moved was I by the strength and grace of it's women. In the days that followed, I spent many long hours in silence listening to my heart and journaling. I was completely in tune with my Goddess Consciousness for the first time in many years. Everywhere I looked ... a random package from a friend visiting Egypt, the gentle rain, the oak snake on my deck ... I could see the synchronicity of Her, of the Universe waking me to Her divinity, to my divinity.
It was through that process that I became aware that the hysterectomy was more than physical surgery. My GYN, a man who came highly recommended and whom I trusted, was about to split my root chakra and rearrange pretty much everything at my sacral chakra. I was terrified. The root chakra is responsible for our physical energy and everyday survival. It governs our vigor, heredity, survival, security, passion, money, home, and job. This would be the entry point for surgery.
The Sacral Chakra rules our vital, sensual body. It governs sexuality, reproduction, emotions, instincts, food, and general communication of the body with the consciousness that lives inside it. As well as other kinds of creativity including cooking, eating, dancing, and gardening. It depicts our emotional consciousness, our “animal instincts,” and tribal consciousness. The earth’s sacral chakra lies in the rainforests of South America! (home of the bromeliad … synchronicity!) It would be at my sacral chakra that all of the "work" would be done.
My partner, who almost never travels with work was called out of town that week. I was alone in my Red Tent, my sacred woman's space. In my fragile physical and emotional stated I succumbed to the emotions. I gave myself the night to freak out ... honestly, I wasn't conscious of that until later, only that I had to move through the emotions as they came. I woke the next day with a clear understanding that I needed Reiki treatments to address these 'new' issues. The whole reason I decided to have the surgery was to improve my quality of life. I had to take steps to prepare and protect my whole self, not just my physical body.
My first appointment with the Reiki master solidified that I was moving in the right direction. I am a Reiki II practioner and had been giving myself Reiki throughout this process but there is nothing quite like the deep relaxation and bliss that comes from letting someone take care of you. The Reiki was exceptionally powerful and kept me "buzzing" through to my second treatment, two days later. We included an emotional clearing in the second treatment. It established balance and allowed me to 'fine tune' the messages I was receiving from my inner Goddess and the Universe. I was completely blissed by the end of that session.
My mind was clear. My body was balanced and healthy, and healing had begun on the wounds that would be created during the surgery. I spent a peaceful weekend in that shimmery state with my dear, sweet man gently preparing for Monday, April 11, 2011. My new beginning!
Saturday, April 23, 2011
The Beauty of Humanity
Found Magazine was the jumping off point for this blog ... Enjoy!
The shared antics expressed by our fellow humans on Found have given us more than a few chuckles. One in particular caught my partner's attention this morning though. An amusing and poorly spelled letter from a fellow expressing his amorous desire to the "...Fine mamacita in the library." "We're all a bunch of bumbling idiots" he said.
In that moment, I saw his truth and the beauty of humanity at it's greatest. We're all rocking along, bumbling maybe but hopefully learning and growing into a more evolved beings. The odd grocery or to-do list, a child's art, and random notes offer us a fleeting glimpse into the life of a stranger. It's also an opportunity to see ourself reflected in another.
Think of all the scribbled reminders, vented frustrations, and expressions of love you have created over the years. I am the Queen of Lists and I have journaled for years. I often come across old pieces; some scribbled just to get the thought out of my head. I'm generally amused and occasionally embarrassed by what I find. But I am always grateful for the opportunity to reflect on my progress. How does it feel when you find a piece of you? How does it feel when someone else finds a piece of you? Moreover, did it serve it's purpose? What's changed since then?
I toss most loose scraps and old tablets... eventually ...allowing them to take their place in the world. Hopefully to be recycled but who knows, maybe one make it's way to Found. I usually transfer the most meaningful bits to the latest note source. Others, I release to the Universe with gratitude for the lesson I pray I've learned well. The journals I keep, they are too much a part of me. They're hidden away but always close at hand.
They give substance to my journey and remind me of the lessons, pleasures, and joys I've experienced along the way. They are the framework of my life; charting my growth, my greatest loves, and most secret dreams. Most are old composition books filled with pages of sometimes illegible scrawl but there is something special about them. They become sacred through the process of writing. My soul fills their pages. My girlish doodles spilling into the margins.
When I write to purge, I do so with intent to clear my mind and heart of whatever troubles me. I love the tears that come with the process; cleansing my soul and leaving peace in their salty tracks. Although it leaves a tangible trail of my shadow self; of temper tantrums, broken hearts, and genuine pain. It also destroys all of the hiding places. Reading through old journals, I can see how I've projected my shadow onto others only to have it reflected back to me. My only choice is to (re)awaken my consciousness, to become aware of my shadow and that it's reflected because it's inside of me.
That's where the beauty of humanity truly lies. In our courage to live authentically, to risk exposing our vulnerabilities for the joys of love, to fully engage life and all it's fabulous possibilities! I wonder what will happen next?
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