Tag Archives: Oneness

DANCING FROM OUR CENTERS

Posted on January 25, 2012 | 2 comments

“People often say that this or that person has not yet found himself.  But the self is not something one finds, it is something one creates.”  Thomas Szasz

Who is running your life?  Is it you, deep from your center?  Or is it your family, employer or the mentality of society herding you into the role they want you to play?

The last time I visited the Biltmore Estate and met the Tina Turner Chickens, I also observed a sheep dog herding sheep.  I had seen this on the nature channel, but I’d never seen it in person.  As the dog herded the sheep together, they were so close they were touching, moving like one being.  After herding them to a particular area, he left, but the sheep remained sandwiched together as if they were afraid to each step out into their own areas.

 The Dangers of Conformity

I immediately thought of people and conformity.  How often do we allow something outside of ourselves to limit our capacity to be who we really are?  Conformity isn’t all bad.  It’s only negative if it forces us to be someone we are not or causes us to hurt others in order to be accepted.  The McCarthy trials of the 1950’s are a good example.  Neighbors reported neighbors for being communists and whether it was true or not was irrelevant.  People lost their reputations and employment by merely being accused.

Inner Self and Ego

 I don’t know exactly what Thomas Szasz intended when he made the statement I quoted today.  But I suspect he was referring to the ego/personality level of who we are, for the spiritual level that is deeper is something we find only when we let go of ego and go deeper.  It is eternal.  We do not have to create it.  But we do create the person we are in this lifetime based on the choices we make and the way we think.

Creating Our Personalities Based on Our Eternal Selves

If we are in touch with our eternal being, the choices we make from that place, rather than from external influences, tend to be wiser.  In modern dance, the pelvic area of the body is the center of our body and this core must be strong in order for the dancer to perform the off balance tilts, falls and swings that are unique to modern.  Without a strong core, the dancer flounders.

If we make choices from that loving center within us that is our core, our choices will have integrity and compassion, and will enhance our lives and the lives of others.  That deeper self is the basis of our personality, but making the right choices can lead us to an integration of the two.  When we dance from our center, we are One.  But if we always allow others to dictate how we think and act, we are being unfaithful to ourselves.  We are letting life happen to us rather than creating the life we want.

If we spend our whole lives hiding behind the temporary high of buying things or being entwined with a dysfunctional family’s dictates or constantly searching for a quick fix to happiness, we will never find who we truly are.  We will not discover that by following someone else’s lead in the dance of life.

Lead Yourself in the Dance

When you create yourself, you become the dancer and the leader.  You look at each opportunity in life and decide if it contributes to who you are or want to be.  You find the courage to step away from the flock and follow your own path.  You love yourself enough to take charge of your own life.  If you have not found yourself yet, perhaps you are not looking deep enough.  Perhaps you have betrayed who you are in order to keep peace and have security.

Fear always surfaces when we try to break an existing pattern.  It’s then we have to turn to faith. “When you have come to the edge of all the light you know, and are about to step off into the darkness of the unknown, Faith is knowing one of two things will happen:  there will be something to stand on or you will be taught to fly.”  These words have comforted me more often than I like to admit.  Have faith and trust yourself to become who you really are.  You are your greatest creation!

What challenges have you faced in becoming who you really are?  What helped you take the risk?  Please comment.

© 2012 Georganne Spruce

Related Articles: Living Your Unlived Life: Coping with Unrealized Dreams and Fulfilling Your Purpose in the Second Half of Life, Being True to Oneself, Dare to Be Yourself

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DANCING TO THE MUSIC OF YOUR HEART

Posted on January 11, 2012 | 11 comments

“And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.”    Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

Do you ever feel that you don’t belong? Or that the people around you at work or home don’t understand who you are?  Are you searching for more meaningful experiences with others?

Tina Turner Chickens - Biltmore Estate

Is Our Inner Music Positive or Negative?

If you can answer yes, to any of these questions, perhaps you are dancing to the music that others don’t hear. And that’s okay as long as you like the music within. Is it a song of joy and love of life or of depression and sadness?  If you don’t like the song vibrating within you, then it’s time to change it.  If you do like it, then it’s important to just accept you are in a different place than those around you and that’s okay.

It is not surprising that we sometimes feel we are dancing to different music than the people around us.  When we are rooted in Spirit, we often do not share the values of our society at large.  We may try to explain to others who we are, but often they are not ready to hear this, for our different point of view threatens them.  In this situation, we experience discomfort because we feel separate.

But we are the only ones who can release feelings of separation by choosing to raise our vibration.  For example, I have a tendency to sing when I’m drying my hair.  It distracts me from the discomfort I feel holding the much too large hair dryer over my head.  Lately, I’ve been singing “Summertime” from “Porgy and Bess.”  I suppose it’s wishful thinking.  When I finish drying my hair, instead of thinking the usual, “Thank goodness that’s over,” I feel cheerful and in touch with my passion for life.  Throughout my day, I dance to the energetic music I created from the heart.

Awakening to the Highest Response For All

We feel good when we feel One with All that Is.  When we meditate or walk by the seashore, we become One with the beautiful energy of Spirit.  In less peaceful situations, we need to allow that core energy to resonate within us.  We do not need to repress our feelings.  We need to feel them, then go within to take the time to choose a wise response.  We need to ask our inner selves, “What is the highest response for all concerned?”  That response will also be the best response for us as well.  We need to learn to be responsive rather than reactive.

The highest response does not always guarantee that the other person will agree or understand our perspective, but it is an opportunity to influence others.  Oneness says, “Those of you who have chosen to experience your awakening amongst the masses are planting the seeds of that heightened perspective in plain view, right where the world needs them most.  The lives of those you touch, even in passing, or teach by example, as you follow your own inner path in their presence, will be transformed by it.” (Pages192-193) Being different is often a blessing.

As with many things, we may not be present to see that transformation in our adversaries.  It will first be internal and invisible.  It may take place years from now.  We need not become attached to knowing what happens.  This was a lesson I had to learn as a teacher.  Over the years, so many students came through my classroom, and I never knew what influence I had on all of them.  I could only do my best and know that those who needed to learn the nonacademic lessons and were ready to learn, would learn.

Dancing With Others to the Music of Our Hearts

When others can hear the music to which we dance, we are energetically drawn to one another.  The more I concentrate on keeping my own vibration up through dancing and exercise, meditation, good food, mental stimulation, and positive thinking, the more I draw  like-minded people into my life.  After all, we are responsible for the song our heart sings.  Although it may be tempting, betraying the song within in order to connect to what is around us is never wise.

If you continue to dance to the beautiful music within you, others will begin to hear the music of your heart and soul.  Blessings for the New Year.

© 2012 Georganne Spruce

Related Articles:  Beyond the Beyond (how music and prayer transformed Tina Turner), Heart Chakra Meditation, Conflict Resolution or Heart-Centered Communication

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AWAKENING TO OUR TRUTH

Posted on January 4, 2012 | 7 comments

“To know that you do not know is the best.  To pretend to know when you do not know is a disease.” Lao Tse from the Tao Te Ching

The beginning of a new year is always a good time to look at our lives and evaluate if we are living our truth.  Have you told any white lies lately? Exaggerated an event to make yourself look better? Embellished your resume or job application? Told a loved one what they wanted to hear rather than what you really felt?

Fear Keeps Us from Telling the Truth

What is it that keeps us from telling the truth? It is always one of two things: the fear of rejection or the fear of inadequacy.  Fear is what separates us from ourselves.  When we are not truthful to ourselves, we separate ourselves from the Oneness of Spirit that is our essence.

I learned during my first year of teaching high school that it was pointless not to admit when I didn’t know something.  The students could spot a lie in a minute.  When I began the second year of teaching, I explained to the students on the first day that if I didn’t know the answer to their questions, I would tell them and help them find the answer.  They liked that and it set a tone of trust for the year.

I was in my twenties, and just after I married, I realized there was something I didn’t like about myself.  I occasionally told little white lies.  I had started doing this when I was growing up with parents who fought frequently.  In order to avoid upsetting a parent, I would answer a question based on what I thought they wanted to hear rather than the truth.  It made me uncomfortable, but it was better than being screamed at or having them scream at one another.  Most of all I needed peace.

When I married, I wanted an open, honest relationship and knew there was no longer a reason to lie.  My husband was easy-going and loved me.  Not to tell the truth seemed like a violation of our commitment.  I began to monitor myself and eventually let go of the insecurity that had led me to believe I needed to lie.

Lies Separate Us from Love

Where there is fear, there is separation—not just from another but from Spirit.  Our inner and outer must match.  If we pretend to be loving when we don’t feel it or do it just to impress people, we betray ourselves and them.  Love cannot exist where there is fear.  When we pretend, we do so because we feel we are not good enough.  We think that if we do good deeds, we will earn spiritual points.

The Ego Feeds on Fear

Admitting our mistakes and weaknesses is not an easy thing to do.  Our ego will rebel and insist its well-being is more important than our soul’s.  Ego will give us all the reasons why we need to appear more competent, more beautiful, or more loving because ego feeds on our fears.  When we are truthful and at peace, ego is diminished.  When ego is diminished, we make wiser choices.

Speaking the Truth from the Heart

How we tell the truth to others is just as important as telling it.  If we think it will be hard for another person to hear what we have to say, we need to center ourselves first and speak from the heart.  It is more likely that another will be able to hear what we say if it is said with love.  If we speak from love, then we speak with integrity and are one with the other person.  In this place of Oneness, we will know if we really need to speak this truth.  Many relationships have been damaged by the way in which we express our truth.

Lao Tse’s words are very wise.  When we don’t know what to do and allow ourselves to know that we don’t know, we open ourselves to the possibility that Spirit will provide the answer.  If we remember that we are one with this loving, creative energy, we can release our fears of inadequacy and rejection, knowing that all is well just as we are.

How do you maintain your truthfulness?

©2012 Georganne Spruce

Related articles: Where Does Your Sense of Self Come From – Eckhart Tolle

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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 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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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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AWAKENING THROUGH SPIRITUAL REFLECTION: WHAT DO YOU MIRROR?

Posted on August 24, 2011 | 4 comments

“Do you ever wonder if the guy in the puddle is real, and if you’re just a reflection of him?” Calvin and Hobbs

Seeing Who We Really Are

Do you ever find yourself observing someone’s behavior, being irritated by it, then suddenly realize the reason it irritates you is because it’s a reflection of your behavior?  The idea that we are mirrors for each other is a powerful one, but whether or not we learn from these experiences depends on what we are willing to see.

Sometimes reflections are so clear, exact replicas of our faces, words or behavior that we cannot miss the message.  Other times, like the picture above, the reflection seems cloudy with undefined edges and unclear images.

Sharing Our Awakening

Last night, I listened to a presentation on Human Design with several people, many of whom are friends.  We discovered that most of us belonged to the same design type.  As the characteristics of our type were revealed, we mirrored one another with startled stares, exclamations, and laughter, amazed by our similarities. We were told that the strategy for centering our energy was “to wait and respond.”  To use our will power to force things to happen would create frustration.  Considering the fact that several of us are self-employed, we also mirrored our shock at this revelation.  How could that be?

Awakening Through Reflection

As I attempted to integrate our similarities, I also became aware that some of my companions, in the past, have reflected my behavior in ways I don’t particularly like.  I was looking at both sides of the mirror at one time.  Flashes of memories came flooding back:  the times I wanted to control something that was uncontrollable, the times I responded insensitively to another because I was frustrated (ouch), the times when I held back information for fear I would reveal too much of myself, and most of all, the ways I criticized the person mirroring this to me.  Each person in that room was my teacher.

Reflecting Who We Really Are

Along with getting a glimpse of the way others mirror who I am, I became aware that the strategy for my design type, wait and respond, was basically the same as the major spiritual lesson I had been learning.  About a year ago, unhappy with the direction of my life, I meditated on how to create a less stressful life where I could put my writing at the center.  I felt I needed a master plan.  Then, the awareness came to me that all I needed to do was to take the first step.

Wait and Respond

I was tired.  Tired of trying so hard.  Tired of planning.  I decided to try a different way.  So I took the first step.  I began writing my memoir every day, decided to set up a blog and learn to use social media for marketing.  Okay, I did have sort of a plan, but what should I do first other than work on the memoir?

I waited.  Before long, what I needed showed up.  The community college offered courses on social media and blogging, and a woman I knew understood this new technology.  I took the courses and my friend became my mentor.  Waiting, something I hate to do, led me to the next step; then I responded.  The human design strategy simply reflected back to me what I already knew: when I wait, what I need shows up, then I respond.

I have much to reflect upon as I look deeper into the experience I had last night.  Some of edges in these reflections are crystal clear, while others are blurred and mysterious.  The latter will require that I go deeper.  In next week’s blog, I will explore the way we may use reflection to do that.

When you look at those close to you, what do they reflect back to you?  What are you willing to see?

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© 2011 Georganne Spruce

Related Articles:

I See You, Now See Me – Neale Donald Walsh

How God Tells You It’s Time To Change – Wayne Dyer

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AWAKENING TO THE DANCE OF THE HEART

Posted on August 17, 2011 | 1 comment

“Out beyond right-thinking and wrong-thinking there is a field.  I’ll meet you there.” Rumi

Dancing As One

Today let’s talk from the heart, for only the heart can take us to that place beyond the rational mind where we can let go of ego’s need to be right.  When we live and dance from the heart, we are not limited to dancing with one partner; we dance the circle dance that includes us all.  The man doesn’t always lead, nor does the woman, because there is no leader.  There is room for all in the circle, for we dance as One.

As we dance, we may pull and stumble, but after a while, the movement begins to flow, all individuals moving in harmony as if the circle were only one body.  It’s not hard to see why circle dances have been a part of spiritual ritual since the beginning of humanity. They were powerful dances of community where all came together for the good of the whole.

The Dance of Cooperation

In many aspects of modern life we have forgotten what our ancestors knew.  We cannot survive without cooperating.  I’ve lived all around the country and been exposed to many cultures.  In some places, community is about conforming.  Everyone has to think and act alike. New solutions to problems are not welcome. In those places, I felt I was suffocating.   But now I live in a community that embraces individuality and revels in new ideas and innovative businesses.  Here we have found a way to cooperate and honor what is unique about each of us while we find solutions to meet the needs of the community.

Dancing from the heart as we live life takes us to that field to which Rumi refers.  There is no competition there, only cooperation, a field where we can act from the heart, a place where we come together and release our need to be right and feed our egos, a place where love of humanity is sincere.

In all aspects of our lives, we need to shift our focus from competition to cooperation.  Competition teaches us that someone always has to lose, but in reality, the only time we really win is when we cooperate.  Then we all win.  Working together creates healthy, wholesome bonds.  In this atmosphere, we are not afraid to think creatively and to consider the possibility of solving problems in a totally different way.  With this thinking, we move beyond what is a right or wrong idea and focus only on what works and enhances our lives.

Finding “The Field”

What would the world look like if we all lived from our hearts, our seat of wisdom?  What if our leaders created coalitions instead of blocks?  What if we embraced our differences instead of fearing them?  What if we could accept and love our partner’s eccentricities.

Where there is love there is peace.  With our hearts open, let us find “the field.”

© 2011 Georganne Spruce

Related Links:

Young@Heart, Heart-Centered Leadership

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