Monthly Archives: September 2011

THE SPIRITUAL TREASURE OF MOVING ON

Posted on September 28, 2011 | 6 comments

“How do geese know when to fly to the sun? Who tells them the seasons? How do we humans know when it is time to move on? With the migrant birds, so surely with us, there is a voice within if only we would listen to it, that tells us certainly when to go forth into the unknown.” Elisabeth Kubler Ross

Letting Go and Moving On

The first red and yellow leaves of autumn fall in my yard, and it begins: the dropping away of what is not needed, the extraneous, the extra weight of burdens, the sadness we kept hidden while the light of the summer sun lured us into denial. Tears surface for no apparent reason, feeling like toxic waste that our cells and minds have finally released. Autumn reminds us that in our own lives, it is the season to let go and move on.

The towering oaks shed their acorns, and the squirrels, filled with delight, fly from tree to tree like circus acrobats on speed and gorge on the nuts, becoming plump. Some things will die, while others come alive, gathering the rich harvests before the first freeze like the bears preparing for their winter hibernation. The Spirit in all of nature whispers guidance for this transition, where to find the best blueberries or the best migratory path to warmer lands.

Choosing Wise Paths

That voice whispers to us as well. Walking in the forest after several days of rain, I turn my face to the patches of sunshine filtering through the trees, drinking it in as if it were water in a desert. My friend and I start to take a different hiking path and have no idea where it will take us. We have to be home at a certain time, but when the trail starts to curve away from the stream we know will lead us back to our car, a quiet voice inside whispers. We reluctantly turn back, agreeing we will explore this path another time.

During autumn, here in the Appalachians, the variety of color and the length of time it lasts, gently and sensually eases us into the introversion of winter. It gives us time to think about where we need to go in our migration through life. It gives us time to explore what changes we need to make and what habits, thoughts, or attachments we need to release. We are gently reminded there are some things we cannot control. Change is inevitable. Parts of our lives will fall away. But deep inside there is a voice that will tell us when to let go.

Spiritual Gifts of Accepting Change

Now in the autumn of my days, I have learned to quiet my mind and listen to that voice. I love the richness of this time. Like autumn shedding her leaves, I must shed some attitudes. If I expect my body to perform as it did twenty years ago, I will incur injury; yet, by scaling back the intensity of the activity, I can do almost everything I used to enjoy. I can be the squirrel running up and around the tree if not the squirrel flying from branch to branch.

Just like the beauty of autumn leaves, being willing to transform and move into a new mind-set, relationship or job, even if they are not what we envisioned, can bring beauty and wisdom to our lives. Without the change of seasons we live a boring existence. We would become so attached to our limited ideas of what a life can be that we would never move on and venture into the unknown where treasures we cannot even imagine lay buried, waiting for us to unearth them and become transformed.

As the cool breezes blow and the brilliant autumn sun shines through the branches of the trees it is time for us to reevaluate our lives. Where do we need to be in our own hearts and minds when winter arrives? What path do we need to take on our journey to reach an abundant and warmer land?

As a reader, what topics would you like for me to write about? What issues concern you? I appreciate so much the comments you all share, so let me know how I can be more helpful to you. You may leave your suggestions in the comment box.

6 Comments

Posted in Inspirational Posts, Uncategorized

Tagged Awakening to the Dance, Change, Flexible Thinking, Going Deeper, Letting Go, Spiritual Journey

AWAKENING TO WHO YOU ARE

Posted on September 21, 2011 | 3 comments

“You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you’ll discover will be wonderful. What you’ll discover is yourself.” Alan Alda

How do you define yourself? Do you think of yourself first as a man or woman, as a Christian or Buddhist, as an accountant or a teacher, as a cancer survivor or as disabled person? Who are we beneath the appearance or the definitions we and society give us? We are so much more. We are infinite possibilities.

Self-Judgment

How do you let your definitions of yourself limit your life? Were you told as a child that you weren’t very intelligent? Did you carry that belief about yourself into adulthood? When confronted with challenging information, are you quick to say, “Oh, that’s way over my head. I can’t understand that sort of thing.”

We make these self-judgments in many areas of our lives. A man I knew years ago said, “I don’t know how to have a successful relationship. I’ve failed at every one I’ve attempted.” Like so many people, he was afraid to try one more time, unable to see that he had learned from every relationship he had. He judged the end result of each experience rather than valuing the gifts of the journey.

We set these standards for ourselves and if the outcome of an experience doesn’t fit our vision of it, we choose to see that as failure. At some point, we may give up, feeling we are simply inadequate, rather than choosing to explore new possibilities in relationships, job, or life styles. We forget that we are always evolving, always capable of learning and changing. The negative definitions, that we and others give us, distort who we think we are.

The Mistake of Choosing Ego Over Being

Eckhart Tolle in A New Earth states, “…when you are so identified with the voice in your head and the emotions that accompany it that you lose yourself in every thought and emotion, then you are totally identified with form (things, body) and therefore in the grip of ego….Ego arises when your sense of Beingness of “I Am,” which is formless consciousness, gets mixed up with form. This is the meaning of identification. This is the forgetfulness of Being…the illusion of absolute separateness that turns reality into a nightmare. ” (p. 54)

Releasing Judgment, Accepting Gifts of the Spiritual Journey

We must not to lose touch with our sense of “Beingness.” It is who we really are. It is not in the outer form that we discover who we are. It is the inner “I Am” that is the core of who we are, our spiritual center where all our richest treasures lie. We must stop the swirling dance of inner thoughts reminding us of our inadequacies and failures and choose a gentle dance that calms the mind. Then we can see who we are without any definitions.

When you leave “the city of your comfort” and “step into the wilderness of your intuition,” you go beyond all definitions. The intuition is not rational. It is not form or ego. We step into a field where the labels of this physical existence have no meaning. There, we can find the freedom to release from our lives whatever restrictive definitions limit our growth and listen for the wisdom of Spirit within. Unattached to ego, we surrender to the natural “wildness” of spiritual life, to the acceptance that all that matters is that we know we are worthy and part of something deeper than the physical. As we strip away our attachment to the thought forms that tell us we are not good enough, we accept our natural spiritual state, knowing that all experiences are lessons from which we may learn. It is not about failing or succeeding in life. The spiritual journey is about being open to learning, and Spirit is not keeping score.

How have you discovered who you really are?

Related Sites: Eckhart Tolle: Being Judgmental, You Are Not Your Mind

3 Comments

Posted in Inspirational Posts

Tagged Being, Eckhart Tolle, Ego, Inner Peace, Self-Judgment, Spiritual Awakening, Spiritual Journey

TRANSFORMING THE FEAR OF CHANGE

Posted on September 14, 2011 | 8 comments

“People can’t live with change if there’s not a changeless core inside them. The key to the ability to change is a changeless sense of who you are, what you are about and what you value.” Stephen R. Covey

Fearing Change

We always have more than one choice in life. Will we give into our fears in a situation or will we find that core within us that will give us the strength and guidance to go beyond the negative choices that fear dictates? Carlos Castaneda said about difficulties, “We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.”

We live in a time of enormous change and fear. The Universe, our lives, the structures of nature and government are changing and evolving. Even Facebook has just made some changes. Every time I go to the grocery store, I have to hunt for a product I have bought for years because its container has been redesigned. Our DNA is changing. Everything is evolving toward an experience of Oneness that will create a new and more cooperative world, but it sure is a pain sometimes.

At our best, we just give up and flow with what we can’t change. At our worst, we fight the change every inch of the way building a wall of useless resistance. We wonder if we will survive this. We fear the consequences because the unknown is always a scary place, unless….

Finding the Spiritual Gift of Change

How often do you consider the possibility that the changes in your life may be good? When I had to give up being a dancer, I thought, “Who am I, if not a dancer? As the years passed and I looked at who I was more deeply, I realized what a narrow definition I had given myself. I was much more than a dancer. Now, if you ask me who, I will say, “I’m a creative and spiritual person.” These aspects are part of my core.

When we choose to feel miserable about the changes in our lives, we choose to be less and see ourselves as the victim without any power. Although this may seem like the easy way out, it isn’t. Our most powerful strength is not the strength we use to fight against change; that will only defeat us. What we resist, persists. The strength that we need to develop in these changing times is unrelated to the exterior.

Awakening to the Strength of Our Spiritual Core

When we meditate or sit with Nature and escape from the external worries of our lives, we find that quiet, centered place where we connect with Spirit and our own soul, for they are One. When life is raging around us, being able to stand in a place that is peaceful allows us to make wise choices. From this place, we can release our fears, separate ourselves from the outer discord, and look within our hearts and souls for the best answers. When we choose to stand in our own inner power, we empower ourselves.

While I can’t say change never bothers me, I have learned not to fear most of it. Many times I don’t know the answer to my most current challenge, but I know that if I stay in touch with who I really am, I will find the answer. I know there are lessons in all experiences, and I know a significant experience may appear out of nowhere. I have learned to see life as a wonderful mystery and I’m willing to take the ride, even when it gets bumpy. I have had many challenging experiences in life, but whenever I have chosen to be strong rather than miserable, amazing opportunities and lessons have appeared.

What path do you choose today? What do you think about Castaneda’s comment?

8 Comments

Posted in Inspirational Posts

Tagged Change, Dance of Life, Flexible Thinking, Inner Peace, Inner Strength, Release Fear, Spirituality, Transformation

AWAKENING TO THE PEACE AND WHOLENESS BEYOND FEAR

Posted on September 7, 2011 | 7 comments

Release Fear and Awaken to the Dance

Beneath every negative emotion is fear.

Every psychological fear blocks us in some way from receiving the guidance we need to find peace and know the best action to take. Without fear, we can stop saying, “What’s wrong with me?” and begin to say, “What can I learn from this experience?” Self-judgment has no value. Without it, we can reflect on a situation and gain insight and inspiration.

We all have moments when we feel we are not good enough or have handled a situation badly. Our inner critic recites the long list of our deficiencies, blaming us for every experience that did not manifest in the way we wished. We may be, in fact, very compassionate in our interactions with others, but forget to offer ourselves the same kind of consideration. To awaken to the dance of life completely, we must have this compassion for ourselves.

Wholeness, the Gift of Accepting Who We Are

One of the most profound ideas I have ever read comes from Oneness by Rasha. “Those moments when you judge yourself most harshly and in which you feel you let yourself down are the moments most deeply yearned for as a soul. For, in the moments you look back upon with regret—the ones that conjure up within you the most profound humiliation in your own eyes—are the moments for which you chose a human incarnation.” (p. 237) “And in your embracing of all that you Are—and in your acceptance of all that you are not…is the unconditional gift of wholeness that awaits you.”(p. 238)

We do not have to be perfect to be whole. If we had reached a level of consciousness where we no longer needed to learn lessons, we would not be on this earthly plain. It is our ego’s pain and feeling of lack that feeds the fear that we are not good enough. Through the fears that surface, we glimpse the shadow, that darker side of our unconscious, and we are able to see the issues we need to address.

How To Release Self-Judgment

Last week I tried to communicate with a friend by email. It was clear he had misunderstood something I said and he seemed to be avoiding the issue. I was frustrated, thinking, “What have I done wrong here?” After pacing the floor a bit, I released my fear that I had offended him and asked, “How can I best bring peace to this situation?” I felt calmer, and in a moment, a positive, light energy rose in my body, and I knew I needed to call him and arrange to talk face to face. When I called, he eagerly suggested we meet for lunch. As a result, we had a wonderful, open talk and parted with peaceful feelings toward one another.

When we find ourselves in these self-critical modes, we need to look beneath the surface issue and ask, “What is it I fear?” Then, we need to release the fear, so that our minds are not busy coping with the fear. Once we have released the fear, the mind feels clear and we can ask, “What is the best way to solve this problem?” or “How can I create peace out of this discord?”

When we do this, we shine light on our darkness. We become open to identifying the lesson we need to learn. Inner guidance will appear to guide us in the best direction. Free of fear, we are able to let go of self-judgment.

Finding Inner Peace Beneath the Fear

Evaluating and revising is a helpful learning process. We all have to explore and experiment in order to learn. Sometimes we will find the right answer; sometimes we won’t, but being afraid to try a new approach blocks our ability to learn. With these fears released, we can find solutions and awaken to the peace that lies beneath our fears. When we are able to accept all these parts of ourselves, we will experience wholeness.

What fears do you need to release? How do you find peace?

If you are interested in my upcoming “Release Your Fear” workshop on September 18 when I teach a specific technique for releasing your fear, see my Workshop page. Advanced registration is not required. All are welcome.

Related Articles: Spiritual Practices: Shadow, Shadow Exercises