tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64242004136356085392024-03-13T07:14:58.910-07:00Daily Spiritual Tools - opening to the quiet voice of graceThere is an innate human need to know ourselves, our divinity, a quiet voice that keeps the truth alive in us, despite a myriad of evidence to the contrary.Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099531367466589827noreply@blogger.comBlogger226125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424200413635608539.post-59350155456404578102015-02-06T14:38:00.002-08:002015-02-06T14:38:49.260-08:00Breathing Life's Breath<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've found that there is a very big difference between knowing something to be true in my head, and living it as truth. <br />
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I've known for a long time that I am God in expression, and I'm grateful for that awareness because it took quite awhile for me to be able to accept that gift. Although my intellect had been able to wrap itself around the idea, it took my body much longer to grasp it as truth.<br />
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Awareness of the truth that I am God in expression came from a lifetime of seeking to know who I am. That God lives in me and as me is a deeply certain and heartfelt belief that is central to how I perceive existence.<br />
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In looking back I can see that the yearning to recognize the divine within myself was fueled in large part by an intense amount of resistance to who I thought I was, but didn't want to be. I wasn't aware of it at the time, but I was deeply terrified to be me. I didn't want to be my body with its imperfections, or the painful void that was left when my grandmother died. I didn't want to be the pain that I carried for my birth family so that it wouldn't fall apart, or the shame that I felt at being so vulnerable. I felt that if I kept seeking, I could find out how to be content and brave, articulate and powerful. I could finally stop being so afraid.<br />
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So I lived and learned, as we all do. I continued seeking because I had to, and came to a place finally where I knew that God lived in me and in all things. I was very grateful for that, and still am. I felt that nothing could happen that could rattle me too badly because I knew that God was in all of it. <br />
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But divine wisdom, in her infinite ability to set us toward our true north, shook my perspective. She led me to the hermit's path so that I could slow down to listen more carefully to what I'd been unconscious to. Questions came up for me that I'd never faced before. I still believed with all of my being that everything that happened is God, but I found that I hadn't really been living that belief. In my head I believed that I was an expression of God, but realized that I had become very adept at ignoring where my experience in my body didn't feel like that at all. I realized how much I was burying feelings that didn't fit into my previously held belief system. I'd tried to create a good life and succeeded, but hadn't even realized that in trying to put my experience into a box and tie it up neatly into a bow, I had been causing my own deepest emotions and motivations to be hidden from myself.<br />
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It was an unsettling time, to say the least, because I had spent so many years seeking what was uplifting and hopeful that the angry, shameful, scared person who lived in me whose voice had been silenced for so long was a very unknown and unwelcome presence. <br />
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Meditation in particular brought me face to face with these conflicting sides of myself, and so meditation went from being something that had been very positive for me for many years to an often uncomfortable experience. I sometimes felt in meditation as if I were dying, and I guess in a way I was, to the need to see myself in a particularly one-sided way. I truthfully hadn't been sure that I'd be able to shift enough within myself to be able to recognize God in all of those angry, scared and shameful parts of myself that I'd been afraid to see. <br />
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And so this brings me to breathing life's breath, and the point that I began with, which is that there's been a lot I've known in my head that my body didn't know at all.<br />
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I was sitting in meditation a few weeks ago, noticing how stirred up my emotions were, and how familiar it felt being niggled by anxious thoughts about something that I should have done differently or better. I sat and noticed the turmoil, and didn't deny or distract myself from my feelings, because I try really hard not to do that anymore. <br />
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I noticed how fragile and sensitive I felt, and at the same time also noticed the truth I've held in my head about being an embodiment of God, and I sat with the immense contradiction of that. I became aware then of my breath, and that the Life that God breathed into existence is the very same breath that was moving in and out of my own body. I breathed deeply into all parts of myself, knowing that the Life I Am is wise, perfect and never ending in a way that my mind could never comprehend in all of its seeking. My body was able to come home then, to know herself as an expression of an absolute and joyful perfection that transcends death. I recognized myself breathing life's breath along with every other expression of miraculous creation. Just as the Sierra pines that I love so much have their time in the sun, expressing life in their unique way, being nourished and experiencing hardship, expressing their own beauty, and then moving into another cycle of eternal creation, so do I.<br />
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And so now, just beneath my thinking mind's awareness of the too-early alarm clock and freeway traffic, calendars and to do lists, aspirations and disappointments and all of life's details, is my body's awareness of the constant hum of life's breath breathing in me. I Am, and my body dances!<br />
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<br />Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099531367466589827noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424200413635608539.post-11267008043593936802015-01-11T12:33:00.000-08:002015-01-11T16:12:13.558-08:00Honoring the Hermit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am happy to be back to blogging after a rather long hiatus. I spent a couple of years honoring the hermit within me, and in upcoming blog posts I look forward to sharing how the process affected my perspective.<br />
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I was surprised when I began to recognize the strong need that was growing within me to pull back from many of the relationships and activities that had defined me for a long time. It wasn't that I wanted to permanently step away from all of these things, but rather that I felt an increasing lack of energy and drive for them.<br />
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At the time I had been active and busy, feeling successful enough, enjoying my
work and relationships and all of the trappings of the life and
identity I had crafted. I began to have very little desire to socialize or work on hobbies and activities
that I had enjoyed, and felt very unmotivated. I went to work every day
and took part in a minimum of activities, and even those were a chore.
I didn't even want to write. Thank goodness that my husband and I have had almost thirty years of
witnessing each others' processes and learning to trust them, or I think he
would have been wondering who this new person was and where his wife had
gone. <br />
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I started hearing the word "hermit" in my head because that is what I was beginning to feel like, and it felt foreign and negative, mostly because I thought a hermit was someone who couldn't deal with people and was forced to isolate himself from life. I didn't want to <i>be</i> a hermit; I wanted to be me in my familiar life with its typical interactions and responses, anxieties and validations. I wanted to be comfortable in "my place," secure in where I fit in to the big picture. <br />
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In looking back I can see the wisdom in pulling back from what I thought I knew about who I am, but at the time it was very disconcerting because I had no idea where it would take me. I was afraid to stop interacting in the world as I was, and getting the responses that I was used to getting, because those responses from others proved to me that I exist, and that who I have become would be allowed to stay.<br />
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I got to a point where I recognized the wisdom of this urging to slow down and pull back into myself as the same quiet but insistent voice that has guided me many times in my life in a direction that I had no conscious awareness of wanting or needing to go. I only know that it speaks to my heart and I must follow, and it is not always comfortable.<br />
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And so I sat with the discomfort of feeling like what I thought was important maybe wasn't, that the characteristics that made me me probably didn't, uncertain about my own deepest needs and priorities and fears beyond the persona that I had thought was all of me.<br />
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I allowed the hermit within me to express as fully as possible and spent a lot of time alone. I tried to listen carefully to my feelings and what my body needed. I tried to give myself as much compassion and space as I possibly could through the process. I tried to find a way to just be with myself in the middle of all of it, and not try to escape into busyness or distraction. I realized just how loud the doubts and fears were when I stopped being so busy. And I managed to mostly stay with it, not gently and peacefully, but with an ever growing amount of awareness.<br />
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I recognize the gifts that this time has brought. In tarot the hermit card means introspection and looking for answers within, a solitary quest in which answers do not lie in the material world but within us. <br />
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It allowed me to explore the question of who I am, if I'm not my personal tendencies and habits, my relationships, my trappings, the way I look, my job, my particular abilities and handicaps, my loves and prejudices, my fears and hates and hopes. It allowed me to find that place where I am all of these things and none of them, and where I can hold that dichotomy as the truth of myself.<br />
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Honoring the hermit within me helped me increase my ability to honor myself in all of my parts and shifting shades; a spectrum of color living in me and as me, the full range of darkness to light.<br />
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Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099531367466589827noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424200413635608539.post-36114474374628819032013-08-07T06:48:00.000-07:002013-08-07T06:51:20.615-07:00Finding the Gift in Endings<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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We generally welcome new beginnings, looking forward to the
possibilities inherent in a fresh start or in novel experiences that we feel
will be good for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Endings, on
the other hand, often aren’t perceived as positive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When something important in our lives ends there can be
feelings of failure or regret, even if we are relieved about being finished.</div>
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In order to create in this life we must also be able to
destroy, and therein lies the grace in endings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we hold on to something that no longer serves us, the
message that we give to this infinitely-creative universe is that we intend to
stay right where we are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we
instead choose to end what it is that no longer serves us, even if the ending
is painful, it makes room for what we are meant to grow into.</div>
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Endings can be a vast gift to the spirit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although we may not see them this way
in the moment, endings allow us to collect our energy from the past and bring
ourselves squarely into the present, which is important because creation always
occurs in the Now.</div>
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I’ve noticed for myself that I’d really rather avoid
endings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hold on, at least on an
energetic level, to the person or situation whose time in my life has
past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Endings can feel like a
death, and in a very real way they are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Truly letting go of something means the death of the person we used to
be, whose roles, priorities and perspectives defined us in a certain way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Letting go forces us to evolve, and can
be scary because it requires moving into as-yet-unknown parts of ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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I’m learning that I need to fully experience the meaning and
emotion surrounding the endings in my life, rather than try to bury my feelings
and quickly move on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether the
ending was full of conflict or felt appropriate and supported, we need to take
the time to process the life experience we’ve just been through so that we can
own the gifts it has provided.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Endings can bring us more awareness of our capacity for love
or understanding or of our own power, make clear our need to set firm
boundaries, help find our areas of resistance to what is, or countless other
steps in our continuing evolution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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We can sit in meditation or prayer and allow our
understanding to come to us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
can spend quiet, undistracted time just feeling our emotions and letting ourselves
acknowledge them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can process
our experience through journaling or writing poetry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In whatever way we choose to connect with the infinite
wisdom that lives within us, it’s important to take the time to find and
assimilate the lessons and the growth so that we can carry them into our
future.</div>
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May you take time to gather the gifts that come when
something ends, and may this tool be a blessing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099531367466589827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424200413635608539.post-5146913772553521722013-05-09T10:07:00.000-07:002013-05-09T10:10:26.041-07:00Staying the Course<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I wrote a post a while ago called “Stepping Off the Path of Least Resistance,” and I’ve had quite a bit of opportunity lately to revisit that concept. I’ve been able to continue recognizing the gifts that come when we commit to something that tests our mettle, and helps us grow into the people we are meant to be.<br />
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Growth for the most part is not easy. It comes with all kinds of resistance from others, self-doubt, and rethinking everything about who we thought we were. We can feel as if everything we’re doing is futile, or the new ways in which we’re expressing ourselves are certain to leave us alone and wondering why we thought ourselves capable of that level of expression in the first place.<br />
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I spent a large amount of my life playing it safe. I changed and grew, but I did it quietly. Although I didn’t realize it at the time, I was trying to evolve into my best self while trying to make sure no one around me became uncomfortable. And I got to a point when that strategy didn't work anymore.<br />
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We can spend a lifetime attempting to make decisions that keep us safe and comfortable, but the urgings of spirit will make that uncomfortable, too. I’ve found that after spending an amount of time trying to rest easily and avoid challenges, my spirit pushes me to say yes to something that stirs up all kinds of discomfort. <br />
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It reminds me of something I read by Anais Nin, “And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” I love that.<br />
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And so, we blossom. When we could decide to say no to something difficult, when we could just pull our energy out and move on to more enjoyable pursuits, we stay the course. We recognize that it’s only in the long haul that the fruits of our intention will be gained. We turn our attention to the still, small voice of pure knowing that lives in our hearts, which urges us to take the steps that will help us realize our own greatness. We focus on that voice when everything we’re doing that is different from how we’ve always done things feels just plain wrong. <br />
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May you trust the Divine Wisdom that guides you in being more than you thought you were, and may this tool be a blessing. . .<br />
<br />Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099531367466589827noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424200413635608539.post-64751500018194210752013-03-05T09:38:00.001-08:002013-03-05T09:38:18.424-08:00Letting Life Live Itself Through You<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In an ongoing attempt to feel safe, our human egos strive to feel in control of what’s happening in our day-to-day experience. Our level of comfort is directly proportional to how much mastery we feel over the events that impact us.<br />
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Studies have shown that people feel happy in relation to how much control they feel in their lives, which makes sense because none of us enjoys feeling at the whim of something outside of us, and unable to create our own outcome. <br />
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This speaks to the interesting paradox of control: how much do we really control, and does control actually create a happier and more fulfilling life? William Martin in his book, <em>A Path and a Practice</em>, states that “Attempting to control external events will never keep us safe. Control is an illusion.” Life lives itself through us in its own way, and on its own terms.<br />
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He goes on to say that “Our life is an expression of life itself. Our true nature expresses itself in everything we do. Success and failure are seen as part of a seamless, joyful whole. Each is accepted and fully lived… It seems natural to avoid loss and seek gain, but on this path such distinctions are not helpful. There is no gain without loss. There is no fullness without deprivation. Who knows how or when one gives way to another. So we remain at the center and trust events instead of forcing them. This is the heart of all spiritual paths.”<br />
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How do we trust events instead of forcing them, when this human experience fairly demands that we make choices and take actions that further our own agendas and perspectives? How can we not choose to step in to right a wrong or clarify a misunderstanding or push for an outcome that feels right to us?<br />
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My dear and very wise husband navigates this paradox by focusing on his ability to <em>influence</em> an outcome, rather than control it. At the end of the day we are really never able to control outcomes. We have no control over other people’s priorities or perspectives, but we can contribute our influence in creating the best outcome we are able to envision. We can state our opinions clearly and even forcefully if we need to, knowing that we can’t control the outcome but we can let our unique voice be involved in the situation. We can take actions that feel right to us, knowing that we have done our best for all involved, and that what happens after that is up to Divine Wisdom. We can live as an expression of our best selves, while allowing life to live itself through us. We can let go of outcome.<br />
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I had the pleasure of hearing a speaker at Unity last weekend who said a few times that no matter what she thinks or how much she resists, life is going to happen anyway. How true. We can choose our own expression and who we want to be in response to everything that happens, but how each individual expression interacts and contributes to the whole is in the hands of ongoing Creation in all its perfection.<br />
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May you know the joy that comes from letting life live itself through you in its own perfect way, and may this tool be a blessing. . .<br />
<br />Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099531367466589827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424200413635608539.post-49232145673003854722013-01-23T15:01:00.000-08:002013-01-23T15:01:46.465-08:00Allowing Others Their Hero's Journey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In order to fully experience our own hero’s journey, we must allow others to walk their own sacred path. As a mother, wife, teacher and generally concerned member of society, focusing on my own stuff and leaving others to theirs is not always easy to do.<br />
<br />My children are adults now, and it takes a great deal of talking to myself to remember that when they’re having money issues or health concerns, or whatever else it might be, they don’t need me to jump in with all of my motherly advice. It’s amazing how hard it is for me to stop myself in those moments. I feel literally pulled to help, and to fix, because I don’t want them to hurt in any way.<br />
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As much as I see them as smart and infinitely capable human beings, and know them without question as perfect expressions of God, still, in my forgetting, I feel pulled to intervene. Honestly, I do this a lot, at home and at work, with family, friends, and patients.<br />
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When I look back over my own life’s challenges, I see without exception that getting through the biggest ones made me who I am today, and nurtured in me the things that I am most proud of. Each of us creates just the right obstacles that we need to move us along on our soul’s purpose of knowing God within us.<br />
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I know that my forgetting is a part of me that is separated from truth, and mistakenly believes that my loved ones, or anyone else, can be separated from their highest good. It is a part of myself that mistakenly believes that I can run things better than God can, or that somehow maybe God forgot just this one thing, and needs my help. Silly, I know, but that really is the heart of it.<br />
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When I jump in and try to impose my opinions onto someone else’s process, I am making the assumption that they are unable to handle it on their own, and I am helping promote that belief in them also. Nothing could be farther from the truth.<br />
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Directing another’s path not only perpetuates the false belief that they are unable to manage on their own, but it keeps me from my own path as well. Sometimes we use staying busy with other people’s issues to keep us from being fully present and responsible for what we’re creating on our own hero’s journey. I’d much rather be here for my own life.<br />
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So once again, in my remembering, I choose to release my concerns for anyone else’s creations, and allow them the space to walk their hero’s journey in grace. And I give myself permission to be joyfully present and engaged in my own.<br />
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May this tool be a blessing. . .<br />
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<br />Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099531367466589827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424200413635608539.post-25514274420097070392013-01-14T12:34:00.001-08:002013-01-14T12:39:22.960-08:00Giving Life to Your Dreams<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The new year is a time of hope for our dreams. Every January, we step into that time when the slate feels more clear, even if conditions are mostly the same as they had been in December. People feel drawn to create resolutions to do things better, or to make the new year more meaningful or fulfilling in some way. It is at this time more than at any other time of year that many feel inspired to take a step up in what they can do or have. I love the holiday season and the new year for many reasons, but mostly because we are more open to possibilities.<br />
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People may or may not follow through with their resolutions, but the important part is the dream itself. Just being open to the possibility that we can create what we envision for ourselves is a very powerful consciousness. </div>
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When we are even slightly open to manifesting our good, even if we previously hadn't been able to figure out how to make it happen, we trust in a universe that always delivers what we expect. The divine consciousness that we embody is just waiting to provide all of our heart's desires. We just need to find the place in our heart that is open to the possibility, know it is done, and then do our active part in moving toward it.</div>
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I'm finding on my own path, as I glimpse in tiny pieces and in fits and starts <i>the possibility</i> of myself as God, that taking action toward my dreams is the easier part. Staying connected to the quiet voice within that knows without any doubt what I want and need, what's mine to do in every situation to create the highest outcome for myself and everyone involved, and my inherent capacity to do all of it (and knows this with completely peaceful and joyful ease), is more challenging!</div>
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Life is busy, and for me hearing God within means making time to create a relationship with her. She is always here, but I can't know her quiet, powerful, resonant presence if I don't stop every day and be alone with her, without any distractions. I can say hello to her quickly in the midst of my day, just to say, "Thank you, God, I am here!" And that is wonderful. But I also need to gift myself with the precious time I need to stop and really listen.</div>
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When I spend time with the God of my heart my dreams come alive, because all things are possible. I see my dreams as joyful possibilities that are already complete in spirit, but that I have the amazing opportunity to watch unfold on this physical plane. The world, and my life, are my playground, and I am born again as a child to myself.</div>
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May you stop to hear the God in your heart that <i>is</i> your dreams, and may this tool be a blessing. . .</div>
Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099531367466589827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424200413635608539.post-17325337066870388942013-01-07T05:33:00.000-08:002013-01-07T05:33:58.812-08:00A Small CorrectionIn all the excitement of my book debut, the free promo date for my book Daily Spiritual Tools, Healing the World, was pushed back a day. You can buy it today for $5.99 or <a href="http://amazon.com/author/dailyspiritualtools" target="_blank">get if for Free on my Author Page on January 8th</a>; sorry for the inconvenience.Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099531367466589827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424200413635608539.post-29303219506738461172013-01-06T23:00:00.000-08:002013-01-06T23:00:07.220-08:00My Latest Book is Now Available!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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I'm excited to say that my latest book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AXHA8T8/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=dailspirtool-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00AXHA8T8">Daily Spiritual Tools, Healing the World</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=dailspirtool-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00AXHA8T8" style="background-position: 0px 0px; border-bottom-style: none !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-width: initial !important; display: none !important; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; opacity: 0 !important; visibility: hidden !important;" width="0" />, is
now available as an e-book on Amazon. Normally priced at $5.99 there is a
promotion happening to herald its debut. </div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2bx6AB8BBMI/UOn_v16QVGI/AAAAAAAAAj0/5P0cJ5Tj0Qg/s1600/Healing+the+World+Cover+1.5.13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2bx6AB8BBMI/UOn_v16QVGI/AAAAAAAAAj0/5P0cJ5Tj0Qg/s320/Healing+the+World+Cover+1.5.13.jpg" width="204" /></a></div>
On Monday, January 7th, follow the link in this post or just visit Amazon.com and you can get my book for
free!</div>
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I wrote this book because I believe that people around the
world are connecting in their hearts with hope, aware at a very deep level that
we are healing, personally and globally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At this point in our human evolution, healing our world and all who
inhabit it is the most important and sacred thing that we can do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the surface the task seems too vast
to even consider, and we literally do not know how to begin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But as humanity moves forward in its
unavoidable evolution to knowing ourselves as the beings of light that we truly
are, we get closer to knowing the true power we have in creating a world that
works for all.</div>
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The tools contained in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AXHA8T8/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=dailspirtool-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00AXHA8T8">Daily Spiritual Tools, Healing the World</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=dailspirtool-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00AXHA8T8" style="background-position: 1px 1px; border-bottom-style: none !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-width: initial !important; display: none !important; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; opacity: 0 !important; visibility: hidden !important;" width="0" />, are meant to help the reader become more aware of their true identity as
a being of light and love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
May you
know yourself as a person of good intentions, compassion and peace and allow
these tools to nurture and support our collective path as we heal the world.</div>
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Please share this book with friends in order to spread the
message that the best is yet to come.</div>
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Blessings,</div>
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<br /></div>
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Sherry</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099531367466589827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424200413635608539.post-25918860337893840742013-01-01T16:54:00.000-08:002013-01-01T16:54:02.733-08:00Healing the World in 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DjAGTxGqrr4/UOOAWXcL02I/AAAAAAAAAjU/X-eQnqc97lQ/s1600/worldhealing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DjAGTxGqrr4/UOOAWXcL02I/AAAAAAAAAjU/X-eQnqc97lQ/s320/worldhealing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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December 21, 2012 is behind us, and the world is, not
surprisingly, still intact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
will always be periods when fear takes up a good deal of our collective
awareness, and that is as it should be, because large-scale fears of doom
provide very potent opportunities for us to choose even more intentionally what
truth we will serve.</div>
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I remember another period of fear that happened not too very
long ago; it was called “Y2K.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
son was 10 at the time, and worried about all of the predictions he was
hearing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On New Year’s Eve I
remember telling him that throughout history people have predicted the end of
the world, but we are still here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And I explained to him that when people confront their fears and walk
out the other side they are better for it, because they grow in their awareness
of what is true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He understood
that, in his way, even then.</div>
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I work in healthcare and interact with many people every
day, and I am struck by how many people in the past month have said, “2013 is
going to be a really good year.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Collectively, we recognize the energy and know it to be true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The end-of-the-world hopelessness that
has affected us, even though it was mostly unconscious for the majority of us,
has past, and people recognize a new beginning, which is exactly what the Mayan
calendar was all about – the end of one period, and the beginning of an
entirely new and different one.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I believe that people are connecting in their hearts with
hope, aware at a very deep level that we are healing, personally and
globally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this point in our
human evolution, healing our world and all who inhabit it is the most important
and sacred thing that we can do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>On the surface the task seems too vast to even consider, and we
literally do not know how to begin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But as humanity moves forward in its unavoidable evolution to knowing
ourselves as the beings of light that we truly are, we get closer to knowing
the true power we have in creating a world that works for all.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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I write this on December 31 2012, the 27<sup>th</sup> Annual
International World Healing Day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It began on December 31, 1986, at noon Greenwich Mean Time, when 500
million people on 7 continents, in 70 countries, from 500 spiritual and
peace-related organizations, took part in the most comprehensive prayer in
history, creating a global mind link aimed at reversing negativity on many
levels (taken from the website).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Our Unity Church took part in this worldwide prayer this morning, as we
do every year.</div>
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Some time after the 1986 beginning the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
reported “remarkable progress toward a
peaceful world,” manifesting as a “break in the pattern of a constant increase
in the number of major conflicts with which the world had grown accustomed.”</div>
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<br /></div>
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From our limited individual perspectives, this may not seem
like truth at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It often seems
as if conflict continues to increase in both frequency and severity, but in
looking back over just my lifetime I see that that is not the case.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are definitely more bombarded by it
via the Internet and our immediate access to information.</div>
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Regardless of appearances to the contrary, we can, and we are, using the power of our collective
intention for good to move without error toward the truth of who we are, Divine
Creators made in God’s image, manifesting through the physical.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I leave you with a world healing meditation used by many on December 31 every year. <a href="http://www.quartus.org/WHMeditation.html" target="_blank">Click here to view the meditation.</a></span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">May you hold the light of your
intention on healing yourself, our world and all of humanity, and may this tool
be a blessing. . .</span><br />
Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099531367466589827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424200413635608539.post-30941928315608804402012-12-22T13:09:00.000-08:002012-12-22T13:10:35.688-08:00The Perfection Underlying All<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wU0BowBUjos/UNYftqkzqII/AAAAAAAAAhk/pi7DEKJMkrk/s1600/perfection.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wU0BowBUjos/UNYftqkzqII/AAAAAAAAAhk/pi7DEKJMkrk/s1600/perfection.jpeg" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<i><b>In the midst of all of the joy and challenge of our world, may you know in the coming year the inevitable, inescapable truth of Divine Good in all things. This post, from last year, remains my wish for you.</b></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
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During this time of year, as many are honoring the growing light of God consciousness being born within each of us, I offer up my humble blessing.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
May you find more of those moments where in the middle of whatever is happening your mind is content and your heart is full because you know that all is well.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
May you trust more, and laugh more, as you turn over your expectations about how things are supposed to be and make more room to just enjoy the ride.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
May you know the peace of being born of a perfection so absolute that all you need ever do in this life is rest in it.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
May you move ever closer to that sacred but tricky balance of knowing your own eternal divinity within this precious, bumbling and often chaotic human life.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
May you <i>notice</i> the blessing that you are and the blessings that you receive in the year to come.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
And may you stand tall and <i>be</i> peace on earth as you remember who you are, and may the bright beacon of your remembering shine brightly over those around you.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
You are the light of the world!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099531367466589827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424200413635608539.post-53934199671258639752012-11-29T15:13:00.000-08:002012-11-29T15:13:56.634-08:00Being God in Otherwise Ordinary Moments<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m-0igv2BccE/ULfq-zP7TxI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/yjOY--YTvw8/s1600/god-of-small-things.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m-0igv2BccE/ULfq-zP7TxI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/yjOY--YTvw8/s320/god-of-small-things.jpg" tea="true" width="320" /></a></div>
My feelings often turn to awe when I remember the precious gift that is this life. Along with those feelings, I end up wondering what is mine to do to best honor the gift I’ve been given. Like many others, I yearn to fully express the light of God that shines within me.<br />
<br />
While at the same time realizing that all that happens is right and perfect and definitely enough, I am also aware of wanting to do more to share the greatness of my experience of being spirit in a body. And so today I am again left wondering, what is my spirit’s next step in expressing myself as God?<br />
<br />
When I take the time to ask the question and then stop to hear the answer that wells up from deep within me, the answer always comes through different words but the essence is the same.<br />
<br />
I am reminded that I have shared the many gifts I’ve been given not so much through the bigger, life-altering moments that I will probably remember for a lifetime, but in each and every small moment of my life.<br />
<br />
I share the profound gift of divine wisdom living through me in every sacred moment that I live, when I consciously choose who I want to be, and then be that person.<br />
<br />
It is through every small thought and action of each ordinary day that I choose to express the light that is always there shining brightly within me.<br />
<br />
In any moment, I can choose the kindest possible interpretation of another’s actions, recognizing that I never have the complete story about someone else’s experience. I can speak clearly and truthfully, allowing the vibration of my truth to affect a situation.<br />
<br />
In any moment I can consciously let go of fear by turning a situation over to God, allowing myself to be fully and joyfully present, knowing that all is unfolding for good. I can take an extra moment to smile at or hold a door for a stranger. Or I can stop often and acknowledge my deep gratitude, saying thank you for the light that lives in my heart. <br />
<br />
All we need do is ask, as often as we’re aware enough to do it, “What would God within me do now? And now? What about now?” Our awareness of ourselves as God allows God full expression in the world. In every small moment that we are aware of this, we add ripples of ever-expanding light to our human experience. We make each moment extraordinary.<br />
<br />
May you remember the God of your heart in your everyday experience, and may this tool be a blessing. . .<br />
<br />
Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099531367466589827noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424200413635608539.post-86795469058681928882012-10-24T20:59:00.000-07:002012-10-24T20:59:01.104-07:00Being Open<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f2S_6Ds6tMA/UIg9fAvOSOI/AAAAAAAAAg8/lh344IEMrjk/s1600/man%2Bin%2Bcage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f2S_6Ds6tMA/UIg9fAvOSOI/AAAAAAAAAg8/lh344IEMrjk/s320/man%2Bin%2Bcage.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>
I am at a time in my life when my choices, both conscious and unconscious, are guiding me toward being more open. To do that I’ve had to see how fear keeps me closed down in resistance to what is. How automatic but unrealistic it is to assume that by resisting something we can keep it from happening, or control it somehow! Things unfold as they will, and I appreciate the opportunity I’m getting to see just how tiring and unproductive my struggling really is.<br />
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In this vast, amazing world we know that every combination of circumstances can, and does, occur to help us remember the truth. I know this, but it doesn’t stop me from digging my heels in when the situation is happening in my life, and causing me to worry over an outcome that might not go the way I want it to. Some things just feel like a problem when I’m looking at them from my human perspective.<br />
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I think I’m finally beginning to find the blessed happy medium, where I can step up in action toward a goal or outcome that I believe in, but not need to hold on so tightly to the outcome. It is important to remember that my perspective is valuable, and that my efforts in pursuing them are good enough regardless of the outcome.<br />
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As worthy as I may feel a direction is, there is so much more in the mix in the form of all of the other people who I share my experience with, and what is helpful to them in their growth and remembering.<br />
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We all see things through our own unique lenses, and our opinions shift. Sometimes we’re clear, but at other times we’re afraid. People get sick. Finances change. Even with the best laid plans, stuff happens.<br />
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We never really know what’s coming around the bend because it’s dependent on what will serve our collective good, and that’s an awful lot of variables. But the one thing that we can trust is that it is all working for our good, and because of that we can learn to let go. We can do our active part to the best of our ability, and then let the outcome unfold as only divine wisdom can orchestrate.<br />
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In trusting that the outcome is never in question, we can be fully open to our path, knowing that however it unfolds, we can fearlessly express the divine within. We can also be open to others’ experience, acknowledging the divine expressing in them, also. That is a precious gift, to live in open, joyful expression of ourselves, without concern about the outcome.<br />
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May you trust enough to stay open to what comes, and sing the song in your heart through it all. And may this tool be a blessing. . .
Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099531367466589827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424200413635608539.post-14349608233516224212012-09-13T08:23:00.000-07:002012-09-13T08:23:57.329-07:00Trusting the Process<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yeaHEtudGF0/UFH5rRPv3hI/AAAAAAAAAgk/1V0ii0F4xkg/s1600/trust%2Bthe%2Bprocess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="261" width="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yeaHEtudGF0/UFH5rRPv3hI/AAAAAAAAAgk/1V0ii0F4xkg/s320/trust%2Bthe%2Bprocess.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I saw this recently on the internet, source unknown, and it spoke to my heart.<br />
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What you seek is far greater than anything you have ever known.<br />
There is nothing in the past that can possibly describe where you are going.<br />
No past experience will explain the new person you will soon discover within yourself.<br />
You are learning.<br />
Keep that in mind as you stumble and fall; you are learning.<br />
Keep in mind when you are tempted and become distracted from your truth that you are learning.<br />
Give yourself the gift of compassion.<br />
Give yourself a sense of grace.<br />
Remind yourself that you have chosen this way and you have the power to accomplish it.<br />
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May you always trust the perfect process that you embody, and may this tool be a blessing. . .Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099531367466589827noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424200413635608539.post-49058609794445105062012-09-06T10:46:00.001-07:002012-09-06T10:48:41.468-07:00Surrendering, Again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3xku6KLgz6g/UEjgxiQ_JkI/AAAAAAAAAgM/sUrsipnKS-c/s1600/surrender%2Bart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="229" width="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3xku6KLgz6g/UEjgxiQ_JkI/AAAAAAAAAgM/sUrsipnKS-c/s320/surrender%2Bart.jpg" /></a></div><br />
And again, and again. We’ve probably all heard the term “sweet surrender,” and there are times when I am acutely aware of just how sweet it really is.<br />
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How easy it is for me to take on the weight of the universe, or at least the weight of the situations playing out in my little corner of the world. Sometimes it feels like I need to act, to help, to fix, or to contribute what I hope will turn out to be a bit of light in the darkness. And when the situation of the moment is a particularly challenging one, heavy with the conflicting agendas, perspectives and fears of other people, my energy gears up to try to manage all of it.<br />
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Although I am not fighting, it feels like a battle to my body and my spirit. My contribution to the situation becomes a huge burden, fraught with responsibility and the feeling that there is simply no way to win.<br />
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But most gratefully time and life experience are very effective teachers. I remembered this morning that I have been here before, more than once. I have faced times when I felt at a loss about how to bring about the best outcome, and when I felt that I lacked the resources I needed to keep going. In those times, the most important and effective thing that I did was very consciously choose to surrender.<br />
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I remembered difficult times in the past, when my frequent, simple prayer to God was, “May the best happen for all.” It was my mantra, an affirmation of what I wanted and what eventually came to pass. <br />
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Rather than get caught up in the “how” of a situation’s best resolution and struggle to make it happen, I can surrender. By turning the “how” over to God, I create so much more space for myself to just move forward as the best me I know how to be, without fighting against anyone else’s choices or expression. Not only do I bring peace to myself, but I open the door for a more profound wisdom to play out.<br />
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In letting go I experience the sweet truth that I really never walk alone, and that all I need do is my best. As long as I’m doing that, God within me guides the rest, and all is well. <br />
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May you know the peace and clarity that come with surrender, and may this tool be a blessing. . .<br />
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Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099531367466589827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424200413635608539.post-72064219586709517752012-08-22T14:15:00.000-07:002012-08-22T14:15:30.934-07:00Mothering Yourself<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d8WVzI-hlo8/UDVK1ygSQAI/AAAAAAAAAfw/Sye47KNByA4/s1600/mother.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="241" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d8WVzI-hlo8/UDVK1ygSQAI/AAAAAAAAAfw/Sye47KNByA4/s320/mother.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Regardless of our gender, our age, or our ability to take care of ourselves, we all need mother. Mother is a deep, archetypal force in our collective consciousness that begins in childhood with our birth mother’s role in fulfilling our need for unconditional acceptance, love and safety. As we mature and find our own way in the world, in order to be our best selves we must grow in our ability to mother ourselves.<br />
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I pass a small farm on my way to work in the morning, and lately I’ve been enjoying watching the young calves standing near their moms, sometimes feeding but mostly just standing close-by. They seem to be trying to maintain just a bit of physical contact. We know that human infants are healthier and less anxious with regular, close physical contact, and I’m sure it’s true with many other species as well.<br />
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We accept that mother is important for the young, but what about as we grow older? It’s not common for adults to be aware of or express a need for mother, but I believe it’s always there. Our mothers may no longer be present in our lives, or we may not look to them to provide the love and acceptance that we seek, but we need it nonetheless.<br />
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I’m finding that my adult self experiences a need for mothering in many different ways. Sometimes it’s that feeling of being alone or lonely in the middle of my busy, people-filled day. Other times I’ve come to recognize it when I’m frustrated or disappointed with someone who isn’t acting in accordance with how I think the world should operate. When I’m too focused on taking care of business and not enough on myself, and I start feeling resentful or overwhelmed, it’s a sure sign that I need mothering.<br />
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The first step in mothering ourselves is asking “What do I need?” Just stopping to ask the question is an act of mothering, because that’s what “mother energy" does; it seeks to nurture and protect. In the middle of the busiest day there is always something that I can do to take care of myself, even if it is only to stop and take three deep breaths, or smile and say thank you to the divine wisdom that breathes in me.<br />
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We may be grown-ups, but the child we were lives in us and contributes her perspective to all of our experience. We may be better able to reason through things and navigate the world effectively, but the dear child within never stops seeking mother.<br />
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Ask yourself often what you need, and do your best to listen carefully and nurture that need. You may be needing more quiet time for reflection and introspection, or you may need more fun. Whatever it is, engage it fully. Get on the floor with crayons and paper. Roughhouse with the dog. Lie on your back in the grass and watch the clouds float by. Sing to yourself, and for yourself. Brush your hair. Take time to watch the geese as they fly honking overhead. Make faces at your dinner partner and giggle, or better yet, show up with some big, wax lips. Stop and let yourself do absolutely nothing for five minutes, and see how delicious it is. Set a timer if you have to. The possibilities are endless.<br />
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May you always mother the child within you, and may this tool be a blessing. . .<br />
(Dedicated to my daughter, Mara, with love)<br />
Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099531367466589827noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424200413635608539.post-68373184217371245112012-08-01T08:43:00.002-07:002012-08-01T08:46:37.759-07:00Letting God Do the Work<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6VtMwXYGAWE/UBlNc-TKnBI/AAAAAAAAAfY/z4o-gvEocpI/s1600/let%2Bgo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="254" width="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6VtMwXYGAWE/UBlNc-TKnBI/AAAAAAAAAfY/z4o-gvEocpI/s320/let%2Bgo.jpg" /></a></div><br />
When the alarm woke me for work this morning, it interrupted an amazing dream. In the dream I faced a series of challenges, and in the middle of each challenge I noticed feeling pushed and unsure how to proceed, just as I do in real life when I’m not sure how to handle something.<br />
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What was different about this dream is that none of the trying circumstances continued to play out. Instead of engaging them, I chose to breathe into my heart, and then simply tell myself that God is at work here. <br />
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In my dream I moved through this series of obstacles quickly. They weren’t really big things, but I was aware of knowing exactly how to manage them. As I reminded myself that God was at work in the situation, the obstacle ended and a new one started. I didn’t get caught up in the stories, but just breathed into my heart, and remembered that it was all God at work.<br />
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I felt such peace when I awoke. I also felt empowered by being able to live my own truth in my dream, rather than become caught up in some story that took on a life of its own and left me feeling like I had no choice but to get dragged along. <br />
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I was reminded that by feeling buffeted by circumstances, we are provided with opportunities to choose to see a higher purpose in our experience, and with that choice the highest comes to pass. <br />
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It’s an act of faith to let go of every challenge we face and trust that in doing so we allow divine consciousness to do its best work. But that’s exactly what happens. It can be very scary to choose not to worry about things that are uncertain or seem wrong somehow, but the more often we take those leaps of faith and do manage to let go, the more able we are to get out of our own way and allow creation to work through us.<br />
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My dream reminded me beautifully of the divine purpose of this life, of its challenges and how to handle them, and of the truth of myself as an unlimited creator. I am so grateful for the infinite good that expresses in all things, even my dreams!<br />
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May you lay down your burdens large and small to God’s infinite good, and may this tool be a blessing. . .Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099531367466589827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424200413635608539.post-49301462574151126442012-07-05T08:24:00.000-07:002012-07-05T08:24:05.985-07:00Laying Your Burden Down<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vzeYB8Xn0B0/T_WwqRIPudI/AAAAAAAAAfE/9dSe16oyDxg/s1600/burden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vzeYB8Xn0B0/T_WwqRIPudI/AAAAAAAAAfE/9dSe16oyDxg/s320/burden.jpg" width="317" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; color: #55494b; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">I read this article in the <a href="http://www.dailyom.com/articles/2012/34138.html" target="_blank">"Daily Om"</a> and knew that I wanted to re post it here. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.</span><br><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; color: #55494b; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">We all know the feeling of walking through life as if we are carrying the huge burden of our worries and stresses on our backs and shoulders, struggling to keep moving forward. There is no real way to move freely and fluidly in such a situation, and we are all longing to lay our burdens down. Just imagining that it would be possible to do such a thing can be enough to elicit a sigh of relief and a feeling of lightness. </span><br />
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The human imagination is a powerful tool, and we can use it to take journeys to faraway places without ever leaving our home. Because of this, we too can lay our burdens down at the feet of a divine being such as the great Mother, Buddha or a mountain. Releasing ourselves from that which we can’t handle on our own. No matter how smart we are, how capable we are, or how hard we work, no one can single-handedly cope with all the worries that we tend to take on in the course of our lives. And, we aren’t designed to do so. Our wellbeing depends upon our ability to hand over that which we can no longer carry by ourselves.<br />
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Visualizing yourself carrying your burdens to the feet of someone or something much bigger than you can be a powerful daily practice. To begin, sit with your eyes closed and envision an all powerful, supremely comforting being in what ever form that takes for you, standing at the end of a road. See yourself carrying a large sack, box, or other container, imagining that all your worries are inside it. Watch as you make your way to the being of your choice, and lay your baggage down at their feet. Allow yourself to feel the lightness and relief of this action, express your gratitude, and surrender. You will be amazed by how this simple meditation can liberate you from a burden you were never meant to carry.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; color: #55494b; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">May you lay down your burdens at the feet of your God and may this tool be a blessing...</span>Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099531367466589827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424200413635608539.post-58425433476054699362012-06-25T18:35:00.000-07:002012-06-25T18:35:07.957-07:00Being Centered and Safe in the "Home of Yourself"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aWE7U80NIuo/T-iuDGiB51I/AAAAAAAAAek/xdIf8-zZArU/s1600/home.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rca="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aWE7U80NIuo/T-iuDGiB51I/AAAAAAAAAek/xdIf8-zZArU/s320/home.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>There is a place I can go that is always peaceful, where I hear my truth without distraction and can rest in the knowledge of who I am. It is the "home of myself."<br />
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During my time with the Church of Divine Man, and its teaching arm, the Berkeley Psychic Institute, I became aware of the question of whether I was in, or out of, my body. Up to that point I had heard about “having an out-of-body experience” as something to strive for, with the expectation that being out of the body was how we connected with something greater than ourselves.<br />
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I soon learned that being out of the body was no big deal. I was out of my body most of the time, and if I’m honest with myself that's still true much of the time today. It goes along with being human, learning to become fully aware of ourselves as God.<br />
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Spirit is not “out there,” but within us. It doesn’t exist in our thinking, and so we can’t intellectualize it. We can try; I know I do. But in the end we know ourselves as eternal spirit, and see God in all things, when we are present with what is happening, noticing the body’s reactions, feeling the emotions that arise, and choosing consciously in that moment who we will be in the midst of all of it.<br />
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I’m finding that I’m much more true to myself when I feel my way through things, rather than think my way through. My thinking can lead me down the path of being reactive or defensive, and can limit my ability to see my highest truth about how I want to proceed in any situation.<br />
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But if I first choose to just sit within myself and fully notice the experience, my emotions are felt and honored and processed. Sitting with emotions can be uncomfortable, and that’s why we tend to think and react instead. But if I go within and allow myself to really experience how I feel about something, I can usually move forward from a place of peace, forgiveness and understanding that all is here for my good.<br />
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One simple technique for going home to yourself is “pulling the aura in.” When we attend to things out in the world, and are affected by them, our aura expands to encompass all that we are attending to. The aura is the energy field around the body that many believe contain our spiritual energy, and they can get very big!<br />
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You can try pulling your aura in like this: Without effort, allow yourself to “see” or sense how large your aura is. Does it seem to envelop a much larger amount of space than just yourself? If so, begin to pull the edges closer to you, and allow everything that your aura had contained to be released to divine consciousness.<br />
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When you sense that your aura is about 12 to 18 inches out from your body and no more, take a moment and notice how that feels. You may be aware of your body quieting down, and feeling less anxious or responsible. <br />
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I do this sometimes at night when I’m having trouble falling asleep. I bring all of my “energy” back so that all I’m aware of is my body and about 12 inches beyond it. My thoughts quiet, I'm aware of my heart beating, and I exist fully in that space without distraction. In that moment, I am one with myself. I am.<br />
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As you move into the "home of yourself," you will likely find even greater amounts of peace and joy!<br />
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May you come home to yourself often, and may this tool be a blessing. . .Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099531367466589827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424200413635608539.post-52008643366165979142012-05-30T16:00:00.000-07:002012-05-30T16:00:52.958-07:00Holding the High Watch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NWULmrl6k08/T8altmF0DUI/AAAAAAAAAeU/_Rx4P2bCghk/s1600/super-hero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" rba="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NWULmrl6k08/T8altmF0DUI/AAAAAAAAAeU/_Rx4P2bCghk/s320/super-hero.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span id="goog_1726574681"></span><span id="goog_1726574682"></span>I heard someone say long ago that it doesn’t matter what we do; what matters is the energy we’re in when we do it. How very true. Our vibration in any given moment gives rise to our experience, and affects those close to us and ultimately the entire world.<br />
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We have a choice in every situation what energy vibration we will “own.” Thank Goodness we have a lifetime to remember this, because it’s very easy to forget when we get caught up in some dramatic human moment. <br />
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Someone came to me today angry at a person we both know, and as I listened I certainly understood his point of view. It probably shouldn’t have happened, but it did, and my colleague needed to talk about it and find a way to rectify the situation.<br />
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As he described the situation, what I heard behind the words was that he felt judged, and diminished. It’s a frustrating situation, and it would have been easy for me to “match” his vibration and move into anger myself. But it was a good opportunity for me to “hold the high watch.”<br />
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There are countless opportunities for us to do this. It simply means standing firm in truth no matter what is going on around us. In this situation, I listened, and told him that I understood how he felt. And then I gently suggested that the other person is doing the best she can, and that it really is not personal. I mentioned that perhaps she gives us an opportunity to find the best, most loving parts of ourselves.<br />
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We can also hold the high watch without saying a thing. It is an energetic “space” that we choose that actually speaks louder than words. By just standing quietly in our own highest truth about something, we allow others to recognize and match it.<br />
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It reminds me of what happens here at work sometimes, when gossip starts. I try really hard to stay out of it, and am mostly successful. I’ve noticed that when gossip does start, if I hold loving thoughts but don’t participate, the gossip stalls. As sensitive energetic beings, we are aware of the vibrations of others. When just one person holds the high watch, standing firmly in the truth of the divine in everyone and in all things, there is light in the darkness.. <br />
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May your high watch shine divine light in the world, and may this tool be a blessing. . .Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099531367466589827noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424200413635608539.post-39579207603675922152012-05-15T14:34:00.003-07:002012-05-15T20:22:26.821-07:00Letting It Be Enough<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LWopR5AuwcU/T7LIr02LFzI/AAAAAAAAAeA/8hVJYXDhEjU/s1600/you-do-enough.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" kba="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LWopR5AuwcU/T7LIr02LFzI/AAAAAAAAAeA/8hVJYXDhEjU/s320/you-do-enough.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I heard the notion of “enough” discussed in a way that caught my attention recently. As I thought about it, it made me realize what a gift it is to notice that we have, in all things, enough.<br />
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We expend a great deal of energy working on accumulating enough – enough money, enough connection and intimacy, enough success, enough leisure and play and health. The list is endless. The quest seems to take on a life of its own, and the seeking to have becomes the focus rather than simply enjoying what we have. What we think and believe manifests in our experience, and so seeking reinforces the reality of lack.<br />
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I believe that what people feel most lacking in is love. The yearning may be unconscious and the sense of lack can manifest through many different thoughts, but what we really seek is enough love. The part of us that is disconnected from our true selves cannot imagine ourselves worthy of the amount of love that we want and need. <br />
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This can cause such conflict in relationships, when we get caught up in expectation about how someone should treat us, then we can feel that we were not loved enough. It can happen in the important relationships in our lives, or with perfect strangers. If I get ticked off at the driver who cuts me off on the freeway, it could be argued that the core belief behind all of it is that the stranger didn’t love me enough to treat me differently.<br />
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As with all things, I’ve noticed what a really small shift of awareness it is to move my thoughts from darkness to light, and from a lie to the truth. The ego lives to preserve our identity as individuals, and is in constant battle with anyone or anything that might seem to threaten us. But I can thank my ego for its concern and then pull my energy back from its worry, and say “it is enough.” <br />
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The love I have is enough, even when hurrying people act without thinking, or when others don’t put me at the top of their priority list. The connection I have with family and friends is enough, even when we are all busy and moving through life’s demands and challenges as gracefully as we can. The resources of money and time that I have are enough, and have always been enough, to provide me with the security and opportunity that I need to navigate this glorious life.<br />
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It brings to mind the words to one of Unity’s prayers:<br />
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The inexhaustible resource of spirit<br />
is equal to every demand.<br />
There is no reality in lack.<br />
Abundance is here and now manifest <br />
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It’s all in how we choose to see it.<br />
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Thank you, God, that I can be worried over a perception that something important is missing, but then affirm that “it is enough,” and I realize that it is so.<br />
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May you know "enough" as the essence of who you are, and may this tool be a blessing. . .Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099531367466589827noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424200413635608539.post-10685110821972329982012-04-26T09:07:00.000-07:002012-04-27T21:22:30.745-07:00Sacred Longing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I attended a wonderful Unity workshop last weekend on peacemaking. One of the facilitators introduced the idea of sacred longing, which was new to me and intriguing. I love the idea of it, because it describes a very holy gift in our human experience. <br />
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Sacred longing is that deep, persistent need to know the presence of God within us and in all things. It is the profound wisdom that leads us to seek to better understand ourselves, even when we are so busy with life’s details that without that intrinsic longing we would never even realize that there was more to our experience than we can see.<br />
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My spiritual path has most definitely been one of sacred longing. Throughout all of the circumstances of my life, relationships that came and went, ones that stayed, job changes, things that were important to me for their time and then faded as new interests emerged, the longing has remained constant. At times its voice was loud and insistent, and I took very definite and intentional actions to learn more about my spiritual nature. I actively sought out philosophies and teachers that felt right. Big jumps in my understanding happened during those times.<br />
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At other times, the voice of sacred longing was quieter, not urging me toward big changes but to gentle shifts in my awareness. In those times I felt the need to slow down and listen more, both to my own thoughts and feelings, and to the subtleties of others’ expression.<br />
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To me, sacred longing reflects that part of us that is always on our perfect path, no matter what chaos our personal growth may be creating in the moment. It is the beacon within that guides us to the light, even as our human experience feels disconnected from the light. Once we become aware of the unquenchable thirst of longing to know the divine, we must open ourselves to its gentle but insistent pull.<br />
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Sacred longing always knows the right next step, and its urgings are infinitely trustworthy. Even though it is not a roadmap indicating the exact twists and turns that we will make, it keeps us moving ever forward in the right direction, and we are never lost. <br />
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May you recognize and heed the pull that is your sacred longing, the voice of God leading you unerringly home, and may this tool be a blessing. . .<br />
<br />Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099531367466589827noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424200413635608539.post-58400034351783026452012-04-05T14:18:00.002-07:002012-04-05T14:21:51.339-07:00Healing the World as We Heal Ourselves<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uVM891204aA/T34Lm5tpvAI/AAAAAAAAAdQ/RiCgXLCL5oM/s1600/pause.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" nda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uVM891204aA/T34Lm5tpvAI/AAAAAAAAAdQ/RiCgXLCL5oM/s1600/pause.jpg" /></a></div>I have recently discovered the writings of Pema Chodron, an American Buddhist nun who teaches in Nova Scotia, at the first Tibetan monastery in North America established for westerners. Her books have provided me with some very practical and appreciated insight from the Buddhist perspective.<br />
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In the book I’m reading now, called <u>Taking the Leap</u>, Chodron addresses in her gentle but powerful manner how we often use our spiritual practice as a way to feel better, but could broaden our perspective to allow our practice to teach us the tools we need to help uplift others.<br />
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More specifically, she states that “for many, spiritual practice represents a way to relax and a way to access peace of mind. We want to feel more calm, more focused; and with our frantic and stressful lives, who can blame us? Nevertheless, we have a responsibility to think bigger than that these days. If spiritual practice is relaxing, if it gives us some peace of mind, that’s great – but is this personal satisfaction helping us to address what’s happening in the world? The main question is, are we living in a way that adds further aggression and self-centeredness to the mix, or are we adding some much-needed sanity?”<br />
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She quotes a story about a Native American grandfather who was speaking to his grandson about violence and cruelty in the world and how it comes about. The grandfather said that it was as if two wolves were fighting in his heart. One wolf was vengeful and angry, and the other wolf was kind and understanding. The young man asked his grandfather which wolf would win the fight in his heart. And the grandfather answered, “The one that wins will be the one I choose to feed.”<br />
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The challenge, says Chodron, for our spiritual practice and for the world, is how can we train right now, not later, in feeding the right wolf? <br />
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One practice that she suggests in our “training” is something she simply calls “a pause.” Throughout the day, as we are able, she recommends that we just pause from what we are doing, and step back from the mind’s activity for a count of three breaths. That is all.<br />
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I’m finding that when I do this I step back into that space of being the watcher, the I who watches me, the divine within me that is able to notice where my mind has been, but remains forever loving and peaceful regardless of its travels.<br />
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Chodron’s belief, as I’m coming to understand it, is that as we step back from the unconscious activity of mind we are able to access our natural intelligence, openness and warmth, and carry that forward into our interactions with others. These are words to heal a world by!<br />
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May you pause often to connect with our collective, perfect good, and may this tool be a blessing. . .Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099531367466589827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424200413635608539.post-62825899969070088482012-03-24T10:56:00.000-07:002012-03-24T10:56:16.068-07:00Having Compassion For Yourself<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F82-mH3o1ig/T24HTbgcgWI/AAAAAAAAAdI/COvVm82XRSw/s1600/Be+your+own+kindred+soul.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F82-mH3o1ig/T24HTbgcgWI/AAAAAAAAAdI/COvVm82XRSw/s320/Be+your+own+kindred+soul.png" width="320" /></a></div>In the years I've been writing I haven't yet gotten to this topic, which isn't surprising given how much easier it is for most of us to offer compassion to others than it is to have deep compassion for ourselves. It seems that the very definition of being a good person must include trying to understand that others have different perspectives than we do, seeking to forgive when others have somehow wronged us, and just generally taking the high road and cutting other people some slack. I think we would do well to remember to include ourselves in this gentle approach.<br />
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Many of us tend to be harder on ourselves than on others. I see other people facing challenges and sometimes acting in negative ways, and compassion comes easily. My deep intention in those times is to find a way to understand, and to forgive. I send my prayers out into the universe for the best to happen for them, and I know that it is done. I try to remember to allow my best and highest to express in the situation, too, and know that it is also done.<br />
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I'm finding that compassion for myself needs to go deeper than that. I'm seeing now that it's not wrong or selfish to focus more on compassion for myself than for others. That's a different approach for me, but I see the importance of it. <br />
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The more intentional we are about listening to ourselves, taking the time to hear what we need to do to take care of ourselves, feeling and honoring our emotions, and holding ourselves in compassion and love, we are a light in the world, allowing others to do the same. <br />
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When I step out of trying to fix a situation for someone else and focus instead on my own wholeness, I find myself again in truth where everything around me is already perfect, and there is nothing that I or anyone else need to do better or differently. <br />
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When I seek first to understand myself, and forgive myself, and then cut myself the same slack I would for another, I am holding a space for divine love. When I shift my awareness to seeing myself, and the situation, as God does, there is limitless compassion.<br />
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May you find compassion first for yourself, and may this tool be a blessing. . .Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099531367466589827noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424200413635608539.post-43875554239709816872012-03-08T15:23:00.002-08:002012-03-09T09:11:00.715-08:00Asking for Help<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3l_nFFQ_K6c/T1kTgCv6lFI/AAAAAAAAAdA/7Nz6GdG60mA/s1600/helping-hand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3l_nFFQ_K6c/T1kTgCv6lFI/AAAAAAAAAdA/7Nz6GdG60mA/s320/helping-hand.jpg" width="320" yda="true" /></a></div>It can be hard sometimes to ask for help. We feel the need to manage things on our own because we don’t want to appear incapable or weak, or because we don’t want to burden others. Or maybe we just get so caught up in pushing our way through something that the thought of seeking help doesn’t even occur to us. <br />
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There have been countless, everyday situations in my life when my load was made lighter because I decided to ask for help. There have been times when I probably should have asked for help but didn’t, and other times when I felt uncomfortable asking but did it anyway, and was later gratefully aware of what a gift it was to be unexpectedly held by another in my time of need. I’ve also been able to move forward from major, life-altering events in my life because I reached out and someone was there on the other side to grab my hand.<br />
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We all experience these times in life when maybe we could go it alone but it’s difficult, or when we just can’t manage something by ourselves. When it’s hard to ask for help, I’ve found that just choosing to be <em>willing</em> to seek help with something opens the door for Divine Consciousness to present the help I need in the most perfect way. <br />
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As the song says, “We get by with a little help from our friends,” or from our family, a stranger we encounter, a caring professional, or from that perfect passage that jumps out at us from a book we’re reading. The key for me seems to be the willingness part - being willing to acknowledge that I am confused and stuck, and that God in her infinite expression will provide the answer I need. I just need to ask so that I can be answered.<br />
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I’ve learned what a gift asking for help can be to the person providing the help. There is a state of grace inherent in caring for, and being cared for by another. In helping another we know ourselves as strong, and loving, and compassionate. And in being helped by another we are able to experience the truth of how precious we are.<br />
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May you trust that the help you seek awaits you, and may this tool be a blessing. . .Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099531367466589827noreply@blogger.com3