Category Archives: Inspirational Posts

A DANCE OF SPIRITUAL FORGIVENESS

Posted on November 2, 2011 | 1 comment

When we have been deeply hurt by someone, especially someone we love, reaching a point where we can truly forgive can be a challenge.  It is easy enough to say we forgive the person, and we often say that because we know that is what good people do.  But to truly feel that forgiveness on an ongoing daily basis, to be unattached to the painful feelings we experienced as a result of another person’s words or actions, we must go much deeper.

Awakening to Detachment as Forgiveness

What often blocks our desire for true forgiveness is the feeling that in order to forgive we must accept the fact that the other person is not to blame for their unkindness.  By saying we forgive them, we feel we are saying that they weren’t responsible for their actions when we know what they chose to do was a free choice.

 Oneness describes those feelings this way: We give “lip service to releasing the blame for a past action.”  It could be ours or someone else’s.  “While in theory this effort appears to be well-directed…it rarely produces the desired result.  The key to completing these patterns is not to forgive the other party their transgression, which keeps the energy polarized, but rather, to release in total detachment, any care one may still be carrying, whatsoever, about the outcome of any drama revolving around that issue.  The gesture then becomes…one of total transcendence of one’s attachment to the outcome.” (Page 62)

Understanding Attachment

So how do we come to this place of harmony and detachment?  I have often found that if I can understand why a person has done what she or he has done and see the situation from his or her point of view, I find it easier to let go of my resentment.  Sometimes that is all I need to know, and I can feel enough compassion to release my anger or hurt.  This may apply when I need to forgive myself as well.  But when the negative energy around an issue is more powerful, releasing my attachment is not so easy.

One of the things we need to remember is that some people come into our lives in order to act as adversaries or “triggers.”  The most infuriating interactions may be the very dramas from which we learn the most significant lessons.  The more powerful these experiences are, the more likely they are to be karmic.  They may be part of the agreements we made prior to coming into this life.  (Oneness, p. 59-61)  These situations are the most challenging to detach.

Being in the Moment Beyond Past and Future Fears

Beyond finding empathy for our adversary’s motivation, we must learn to release the fear that attaches us to the past and the future.  We are often caught up in the fear that what has happened is a repetition of old patterns and we wonder how many more times must we go through this pain.  Or we fear that what has happened is a pattern we cannot break.  As Eckhart Tolle suggests, we are concentrating on the content of the situation.  What will liberate us from our past and future fears and pain is to be in the moment.

When we are truly in the moment, meditating or walking by the shore or through the forest, we are able to experience that beautiful, peaceful energy at our core.  In this place we are beyond the drama and content.  We do not need to label an experience “good” or “bad.”  At this moment, we do not need to understand.  We understand that what is, just is.  When we have practiced this enough, we are able to move back into the situations of our lives without resistance and attachment.  And maybe when the next challenge appears, we will be able to stop, observe what is happening and choose not to lose ourselves in the drama.  As I learned when I studied Science of Mind, forgiveness is not about the person who hurt you, it is about you learning to let go.

What are your greatest challenges with forgiveness?

© 2011 Georganne Spruce

Related Articles:  *Eckhart Tolle-Not Reacting to Content (Video), How to Forgive Yourself, Bouncing Back

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AWAKENING WITHIN TO AN ABUNDANT HARVEST

Posted on October 26, 2011 | 1 comment

The passionate colors of autumn always touch my soul deeply.  As we move toward the cold and darkness of winter, they joyfully distract us for awhile with their brilliant colors.  They are part of the abundance of this harvest season when what we have planted comes to fruition.

What have you planted in the last year that has come to fruition?  Entrepreneurs are abundant where I live.  People are not waiting to see what will happen with the economy.  They are finding ways to follow their passions and support the lives they really want.  Ironically, out of the losses created by a failing economy, creativity has blossomed.

Do You Feel Worthy?

How we think about our lives largely determines how we experience them.  If we have received our sense of worth from the money we make or the things we own, or the house we live in, it is difficult to feel worthy without them.  We have to look deeper to find our true abundance.  When we take away the façade, what lies under it?

We need to know that we are all worthy, that we can love and be loved, that we have the strength to overcome adversity.  We need to know that we are connected to Oneness, the loving Spirit of the Universe, and it is always there to guide and uplift us.  The more we believe and affirm the good in our lives and in ourselves, the more we are able to manifest what we desire.  We are the only ones who can create the persons we want to be.

Creating the Inner Strength to Succeed

For the last year, I have been passionately committed to my writing.  I created this blog and have completed a book I hope to publish soon.  In order to do this, I have had to commit to putting this passion first in my life, to believe that it will bring abundance and joy, and that whatever I need to succeed will come to me.  I have had faith that the inner guidance I receive is authentic.  The joy I have felt as I pursued this path and the remarkable support that has appeared has convinced me I’m doing what I was meant to do.

In order to pursue this passion, I have had to harvest only supportive and positive thoughts about what I’m doing and let the negative ones lie fallow.  I remind myself daily that I have the wisdom to sort and choose only those thoughts and words that will give value to what I write.  I have had to release any self-doubt the moment it arises or it will burrow into my consciousness like the voles that undermine my backyard.  When a negative thought arises, I release the fear connected with it and affirm the positive aspect of the thought, thereby neutralizing its negative effect.  I then luxuriate in the peace that follows, and then repeat the positive thought I want to be my guidance for the day.

Having an Abundance of Inner Resources

Feeling that we have the inner resources to solve the problems in our lives is a great gift.  To reach that point, we must monitor our thoughts frequently.  It may require us to meditate daily or read inspiring materials.  It may involve avoiding negative people.  It may require more time alone.  Creating this inner abundance always results in a happier, more peaceful life. Even if the exteriors of life are challenging, we are better prepared to learn and grow from those challenges.  And even in the midst of those challenges, we will be able to know “All is well,” in the deepest sense.  When we plant an inner landscape with positive ideas, we will have an abundant harvest.

© 2011 Georganne Spruce

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Related Articles:  The Power of Thoughts, No Ordinary Light, The Only Manifestation That Matters – Esther Hicks, Abraham

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DANCING WITH SPIRIT IN A NEW WORLD, Part 3

Posted on October 19, 2011 | Leave a comment

 Taiowa is the breath, humankind is the mouthpiece

to carry the sounds of creation to the far reaches of eternity.

 The people are the building material,

bringing on their wings the lessons of time.

 Timelessness, selflessness, oneness are

the rhythms of the song the ancestors knew well.

As I read and watch the Occupy Wall Street protest, I am carried back to an earlier time in my life when my generation protested racism and the Vietnam War.  It was our intention to change the world, and in some ways, we did.  Now, we are ready for more change, and I am deeply touched by the timeliness of the last two lines of this ancient Native American song which the ancestors sang.  We are on the verge of a new world where timelessness, selflessness, and oneness will be valued.

It is not healthy to live in the past, but it is foolish not to learn from it.  Each experience we have is a lesson from which we learn how to live a better life.  We are now being forced to look closely at our attachment to consumerism and greed.  We are being forced to simplify our lives.  We are being forced to look within where the real treasure lies.

Awakening to Past Lessons to Enhance the Future

 We can learn a great deal from the values of indigenous peoples.  They honor and live with the natural flow of seasons.  They value community and the old wise ones in that community.  They are one with nature.  They are connected through generations by respect and stories.

Timelessness Connects Us With Spirit

 In this new world we are creating, we will learn to respect timelessness, selflessness and oneness.  Timelessness teaches us to be in the moment: to feel our emotions, to connect quietly with Spirit and ourselves so that we can be guided to the best solution or course of action.  When we step outside the rigidity of our structured time, tasks are completed easily.  When we do an activity we truly enjoy, we are caught up in the pleasure of it and lose track of time.  When we have finished the activity, we don’t feel tired and depleted, we feel energized and joyful.  One of the gifts of timelessness is joy.

Selflessness Opens Our Hearts

 Selflessness requires us to give from the heart of our deepest selves.  The intent of our giving is as important as what we actually give. It is from the heart that we are able to choose what is best for all.  Many people have been taught that they must help others in order to be worthy.  When others are in need, they feel compelled to fill that need and become very uncomfortable when they can’t.  On the other hand, the martyr never knows when to stop giving, and in the process, harms herself, often feeling that the thanks offered are never enough to fill the emptiness inside.  Neither of these is selflessness, for selflessness has no strings attached.

Oneness Connects Us With All Living Beings

 When we experience timelessness and selflessness, we experience oneness.  We may experience oneness in meditation or making love, walking in the forest, or talking deeply with a friend, but always we sense a deep connection.  We are more than one; we are One – an integral spot in the cosmos, stripped of individual identify to become more than we could ever dream of being.  The mystics know this experience well.  But in our world, we separate ourselves from others because we are afraid of our differences or afraid we will be rejected.   We fear we are not worthy enough and so we avoid looking deeper within although we cannot heal the fear that separates us from each other and Spirit without going within.

In the book Oneness, the authors say, “By making the highest possible choices in any given moment—one makes the optimum vibrational contribution to the energetic collective of you.” (Page 222) We are not separate from each other.  This is our greatest illusion.  When we make the highest choice for ourselves, we contribute what is loving and positive for all.  When we act toward others in the highest possible way, we uplift our own vibration.

The Basis of a New and More Humane World

As the protesters grow in cities all across the world, we become more aware of the oneness we all share, for all people desire justice in their governments in order to live a humane and enriching life.  Whether it is political or economic justice they desire, whether they are Christian, Muslim, or have non-sectarian beliefs, we are now united by the same human desires.  With timelessness, selflessness, and oneness, we will be guided into a new and better world where we are one community.

How are timelessness, selflessness, and oneness important in your life?

© 2011 Georganne Spruce

Here are the two previous posts on the topic of Dancing with Spirit in a New World, Part 1,  Part 2.    Related Articles:  Time and Timelessness, Selflessness—Core of All Major World Religions—Has Neuropsychological Connection

 

 

 

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DANCING WITH SPIRIT IN A NEW WORLD, Part 2

Posted on October 12, 2011 | 2 comments
Hut of Toda tribe (Nilgiris, India)

Image via Wikipedia

Taiowa is the breath, humankind is the mouthpiece

to carry the sounds of creation to the far reaches of eternity.

 “The people are the building material, bringing on their wings the lessons of time.

Finding the Perfect House

I will never forget the feeling I had when I first looked at the house where I now live.  I had been looking for months, and there were two houses I had almost chosen, but each had a very steep driveway, not a good choice for mountain winters.  This house also had a somewhat steep driveway; yet, the moment I entered it, I knew it was mine.  The peaceful energy enveloped me, and I wanted to stay there forever.

What I felt in the house was not something I had created, but was the energy of the person who lived there before me.  Whoever she was, she had left good energy for the next owner to enjoy.  I didn’t realize until later that much of the house had also been arranged according to feng shui principles.

In addition, I loved the materials used in the house: light, bright hardwood floors, red brick and white frame, the green door, and an all white interior where the reflection filled most rooms with light.  Somehow, it all fit together in a perfectly complementary way.

Building a Spiritually Based Life

Just as the builder of this house chose the materials to fit and blend in a balanced way, we choose the materials with which to build our own lives.  We are the materials of the Universe, and as we each build our lives, consciously or unconsciously, we help to create the world in which we live. If we make choices that are spiritually based, then we help to create a world that is more spiritually based. What are the basic materials of our lives?

The Foundation Is Our Soul

Like the foundation of a house, our core or soul is who we are when all temporal circumstances and physical exteriors are stripped away.  It is our eternal spirit.  In the “dark night of the soul,” it is what seems like that tiny thread to which we cling when all else has crumbled or fled.  It is that place in us where the light of Spirit reminds us we are always One, and we become aware that we are never just me.

The Frame Contains Our Spiritual Philosophy

Like the frame of a house, we need something sturdy to hold us up which will weather time and all circumstances.  In addition to our core, our principles and ideas form a basis for our decision making.  For some, these are religious principles, for others they may be intellectual or spiritual guidance that support good decision making.  Some may follow Jesus’ teaching of “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  Others may follow Confucius who said, “They must often change, who would be constant in happiness or wisdom.”  Regardless of the philosophy, these ideas provide us with another level of guidance in addition to our core’s guidance.

Our Boundaries Create Our Walls

 Just as the walls of the house provide us with protection, and within them, we experience a safety zone where we can rest, the emotional boundaries we create serve much the same purpose.  However, if we pull these boundaries too tight around us, restricting greatly the people, ideas, and opportunities we allow inside our lives, our home will be a small one.  We may feel safe, but we may suffocate in such safety.  If we trust the flow of life and allow our boundaries to expand and open our hearts, minds and souls to more possibilities, we will find a deeper richness.

Awakening to a Life That Is Good For All

So, as we move through time and share with our world the materials we have used to build our lives, we help to create the world in which we live.  Sharing the lessons we learn empowers others and may also help them avoid some of the negative experiences we have had.  As we awaken, we will build the future together, and so we must choose our materials carefully for the greater good of all.  When our choices come from deep inside our spiritual being, we are dancing with Spirit, and the result can only be beautiful and the energy peaceful.

What are the materials of your life? the foundation? the frame? the walls and roof?

© 2011 Georganne Spruce

Related Articles: Tips and Pointers For Building A Spiritual Life From Scratch,  Wayne Dyer on Living A Spiritual Life 

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DANCING WITH SPIRIT IN A NEW WORLD, Part 1

Posted on October 6, 2011 | 1 comment

Taiowa is the breath, humankind is the mouthpiece

to carry the sounds of creation to the far reaches of eternity.

The people are the building material,

bringing on their wings the lessons of time.

 Timelessness, selflessness, oneness are

the rhythms of the song the ancestors knew well.

 The preceding excerpt from Powamu: The Last Myth of Creation is on a poster I bought at Chaco Canyon in 2001.  This song is in Meditations with the Hopi.  Chaco Canyon was the center of the great Anasazi culture in New Mexico.

The words of this ancient song speak to me deeply today as they did on that day so many years ago as I watched the first light of day shine through an opening into the Great Kiva and strike the wall beyond as it had for centuries.  A great civilization lived in that place.  As I think about it today, I am struck by how the time in which we live is significant in relation to the future of mankind.  As a result, I will take each stanza of the song as the theme for my blog post this week and for the next two weeks, exploring how the ancient wisdom relates to us now.

What Changes Will We Make in the World

We are experiencing huge changes in physical and spiritual world.  We are in a process of ascension, a change in individual and world consciousness.  We are approaching the end of the Mayan Calendar, another signal that we are moving into a new paradigm. So who will we be in this time and what do we wish to contribute to our new world?

We are the mouthpiece through which the holy speaks.  We are the individual expression of Spirit.  When what we create comes from Spirit, we become who we really are:  beings of Love and Light.  Although we are but a moment in time, our voice travels through all eternity.  When we are gone and our civilization is only miles of ruins, what will the scholars have to say about who we were?

What sounds will we choose to carry to the far reaches of eternity?  Will they be the sounds of falling buildings, the explosions of weapons, the cries of the dying?  Will we carry our obsession with self-destruction into eternity?  Or will we choose to carry the sounds of peace?  To choose silence over noise so that we can hear the sound of the bird’s flight and the fish slipping quietly through the waters?  Will we choose competition or cooperation? When will we begin to listen to the holy within ourselves, to hear our own heartbeat and follow its guidance?

The Dance of Our New Life

The time is now to decide how we will dance in this new life.  Ancient peoples danced for every celebration, for it put them in touch with the eternal spirit in themselves.  To dance in this life is sometimes as simple as listening to the sound of the birds and sharing the laughter of a friend.  It is often about awakening to the choice to see what is positive in an experience and focusing on that.  It is about dancing as a community where we care for others and they care for us. This is the energy we need to take into our new world, spreading the joy and hope wherever we go, committing ourselves to creating new structures that equally meet the needs of all people, and caring responsibly for the resources we have.

Being the Mouthpiece of Spirit

We are the mouthpiece of Spirit, and our words and choices carry the sounds of our creation into the far reaches of the future.  Despite the chaos around us, we have the power to reinvent our lives, our cities, and our relationships.  Let us choose wisely and lovingly as we create this new world.  It is time to create an opening for the Light to come through and venture into a transforming way of life.  Join the dance as we move into this higher consciousness.

What is your vision of a new world?  How are you helping to create it?

© 2011 Georganne Spruce

Related Articles: The Quickening (2012), Nearing 2012 of Spiritual Emergence Teachings: Krishnamurti, Gandhi, and Eckhart Tolle

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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.

© 2011 Georganne Spruce

Related Readings: How to Let Go of Negative Feelings – Abraham Hicks (video), Graceful Exits: Knowing When to Move On, Moving Through Change

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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?

© 2011 Georganne Spruce

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

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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?

© 2011 Georganne Spruce

Related Readings:  How Simple Thinking Leads to a Brilliant Mind, The Change Paradox:  Transforming Fear into Excitement and Opportunity

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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?

© 2011 Georganne Spruce

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

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INSPIRATIONAL REFLECTION: DANCING DEEPER

Posted on August 31, 2011 | 1 comment

“Learning without reflection is a waste, reflection without learning is dangerous.” Confucius

Who Are You Really?

When I start feeling restless, I know I need to stop, quiet myself and go within.  My restlessness always comes from being too engaged with the outside world and not taking the time to reflect on who I really am and why I’m frantically rushing around.

Usually, when I’m rushing, it is because I want to be efficient or productive.  At that moment, I think it’s important to cram as much activity as possible into the day. It’s like dancing the salsa without the sensuality.  I define myself as the one who gets things done, the one you can depend upon to complete the task on time.  I buy into our cultural idea that being productive is what gives us value and that not being productive is laziness.  I am off-center.

Dancing Deeper

When we take the time to be quiet and go deeper, to save the salsa for another time and sit in silence, we find the dance within is smooth, a solo performed at adagio or lento, rising and falling with our breath.  What is unnecessary drops away.  We awaken to who we really are spiritually.  Here we can see that society’s and our self definitions are not who we are.  We are Oneness.

The book Oneness by Rasha points out the significance of these moments when we connect to the Divine.  “When one is in conscious alignment with the sum totality of one’s connectedness to All That Is, there is no limit to what can be experienced or created in physical form.”  (p. 230)

So here is the secret to infinite success.  It is inside of us. This is the connection that awakens us and empowers our dance of life to be all it can be.

Tools For Awakening to the Dance Within

There are many ways to experience reflection.  Sitting quietly or meditating is one.  If our quiet minds are disturbed by fears, then we need to direct our minds to release this fear.  During this quiet time, we may choose to ask for guidance or simply be open to whatever insights or thoughts emerge.  Walking or sitting in the forest or near the sea shore, any place where we have contact with Nature, may be very helpful.  This approach is what I would call passive reflection.

There are other, more active ways to reflect.  Journaling about events may stimulate new perspectives or insights.  Writing down our feelings is very healing and often inspiring.  I have been surprised a number of times when I wrote something, then suddenly thought, “That’s not true.  That’s my ego blowing this incident out of proportion.”  There are also times when I only become aware of a significant insight after I’ve written it down.

Similar things happen in the silence when we read from spiritual or inspirational works.   A truth suddenly appears in words we’ve hardly noticed before.  An idea that conflicts with our current perspective on an issue may shock us.  These discoveries are part of the dance too.  Reflection provides us with an opportunity to learn, as Confucius said.

Understanding Reflective Inspiration

An understanding of the lessons we need to learn from our experiences doesn’t always come at the time we are experiencing the lesson.  Time and distance often give us clarity.  Twenty years after a long-term relationship ended, I was still having dreams in which issues from this relationship were resolved or new insights appeared.  I had spent an extraordinary amount of time trying to understand the conflicts of the relationship soon after it ended, but it took years for my reflections on this subject to reveal the truths hidden underneath. Never assume that a reflection that doesn’t produce immediate insights is wasted.  Reflection provides an opening where wisdom may appear in its own time.

How do you make time for reflection in your life and what have you learned from it?

© 2011 Georganne Spruce

Related Sites:

Reflecting on the Divine Presence in Our Lives

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