Post 151: Negative Visualization as a Path to Gratitude

I feel the falling away of the old parts of myself as winter winks his eye reminding me that the shedding, the restorative hibernation and then the rebirth of spring, that all of us sunshine lovers cling to, are all natural cycles of the spirit as well as in nature.

I have had several experiences recently that have reminded me of just how wonderful my life really is and that right here in this moment is all I have. It is easy to feel the feelings of a past nearly forgotten and the dreams of a future that may never come. The mental rapture of daily life teaches us to stay outside in the happenings rather than starting from within and playing a part in the creation of the outside occurrences.

A huge part of that for me and my lesson consistently is learning to operate from a place of gratitude. Over the last several months I have been toying with creating and purposely not being conscious of my creating, playing scientist by testing my own power. Have you ever done this? I don't really recommend it (although most live this way all the time) unless you are open and willing to accept all that it brings. Because we are so powerful it becomes very apparent that there are no coincidences and that I am all of this and all of this is me. The whole exists as a microcosm within me. How I view it is how I will experience it and how I experience (thinking, reaction and feeling) creates future events.

I had a car accident in October totalling my car and leaving me with a euphoric sense of deep gratitude having walked away from it with minor injuries when so many other things could have happened. I began to ask "How can I stay in this feeling of gratitude?" And as always the a possible answer or exactly what I needed in that moment showed up. A book on the top of a tall stack of books at a friends house where we were watering plants while they are out of town called called A Guide to The Good Life by William Irvine - popped out to me.

It is based on Stoic Philosophy, a philosophy which apparently has been misinterpreted for nearly as long as it has been around. Students, intellectuals, lovers of philosophy have understood that the goal of a the Stoics was to suppress all emotion and therefore live a very dulled existence. As the author explains in great detail this is not their philosophy in the least. Basically the Stoics were individuals who valued joy and they found that by learning to desire what one already has and by following the Stoic principles one can experience "a cheerful disposition and secure joy which will automatically follow."

One of the principles called Negative Visualization took me by surprise even though I do it naturally once in a while. Negative visualization is thinking about not having the things you have and how that would be. Or thinking about a all of the possibilities of situation - the good, the bad and the ugly. Hmmmmmm... I know that by thinking about not having certain people in my life I can appreciate them more so, I could see what the Stoics were going for. They also believed that all things are perishable, which kept them from getting to attached or placing to much value on things or situations.

As someone who has spent the majority of life studying self development and spiritual/consciousness expansion this was something completely opposite from what I had thought were true and correct. I love it when this happens - this is where the real growth takes place because I had to then question my beliefs and question the Stoics regarding how this creates reality energetically. Some deeper understanding and consideration needed to occur so I began to practice this principle and found it to be very helpful. It really seems to keep me focused on gratitude in the moment and allow the moment to just be what it is.

So to coincide with what I have discovered to be true regarding creating our reality I made some parameters around it to keep myself from creating the worst case scenario I was thinking about in my head because as you well know I believe that our thoughts are so very powerful. When I begin thinking of not having this person in my life (as an example) to increase my gratitude towards them, I detach myself from any details or emotion behind it. I just simply think what would my life be like without this person or thing or situation and that begins the deeper sense of appreciation. I do not allow my mind to go into details nor allow it to be planted by putting any energy/emotion behind it. Like in a meditation the thought is a passing cloud I am observing.

In my studies I have only been taught to keep my thoughts positive and in a certain light, which is very difficult and not always possible. Well, this seemed to fit with the natural way the mind works and the Stoics found a way to use the natural negative tendencies of the mind to work for the most positive outcome. 

The recognition of what it means to value joy has been the greatest discovery.

JOY: 1. the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation. 2. a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; something or someone greatly valued or appreciated. 3. the expression or display of glad feeling. 4. a state of happiness or felicity.

To value joy to me means to find it in everything - to use whatever helps to create that sense of joy so strongly inside that it becomes the vibration filling the inner world and naturally creating the outer follows suit. If nothing else this little helper from the Stoics is a state changer - getting my mind focused on what is truly important.

I surround you in the state of valuing joy and seeing all that you have in your life with a deeper sense of gratitude. NAMASTE XOXO

Day 150: On Track - Off Track - On Track - Off Track

Chuga chuga choo choo!

Life has been moving very quickly and in all the right ways, well almost...! My art businesses are taking off, while my love and family life are continually strengthening and then there is me: the common denominator...

I have recently been caught up in pushing my art business to a new level as well as my love relationship and completely let go of my time in the process. Creating balance is a continual shifting of energy and remaining focused. Uggggg!

I recognize that my inner work is key to drawing in my business (and personal) success and building relationships. It is so obvious: A recent example..I had a verbal agreement to paint at a huge party and was about to receive a contract and deposit, when I had doubt (FEAR) rise up. At that time I was concerned about getting $ in the bank and not paying attention to my thinking or to knowing - I was disconnected, which set into motion the result of not getting the contract/event!!

Of course I have gotten back on track with giving myself time to focus on my spiritual practice and with that comes great relief because I feel connected again. Ahhhhh!

It is constant: the getting on and off track. Catching our train of thinking from going in one direction or another. Getting caught up in the momentum of life. One instant - one thought is all it takes to shift the energy back in a good or not so good direction. This is the nature of the Universe - in constant motion - moving forward with this truth helps us to roll just with it. The journey then becomes not thinking I need to remain focused, but noticing when my thoughts are not serving my higher purpose.

When I am in it, it is difficult to pull back and correct as it feels like I am on a ride that I can't get off of. The momentum of creating is wonderful, but backfires when it begins to come from the self or ego. It is true that I must create the idea and the action behind it to set it into motion, but the main ingredient of knowing releases it to the force-God-Universe to place it on my path and when ego thinks it's in control all life force is squeezed out! And momentum alone cannot sustain movement to a higher level or the level of the dream in my heart.

Sadly, it is easy to shift into this way of being without even realizing it is happening - especially in our society. Where I can improve is my stepping back and checking myself to make sure I am being what I want to draw in. When I am not connected what am I really creating or allowing to be drawn to me? Questioning statements of the ego helps us to see how crazy it can be to allow it to lead our thinking.

It can be frustrating to feel like I am getting to some sort of deep understanding - in a groove and then suddenly find myself moving enthusiastically in the opposite direction! The real kicker is that while it is happening it is difficult to catch especially when there is no time set aside for introspection.

I feel this is why so many people suffer from depression. I can see how one could go down the spiral fast. Also, there is a mental attitude in many on a spiritual quest that once they get "it" or some understandings under their belt that "it" stays solid. HA! No, everything is in flux, everything in the universe is in motion.

A person prone to getting down on themselves for falling off track, only furthers the issue, and can set one on that downward spiral - maybe never to return. Anyone who relates to this must work on attaining the belief that we cannot afford to find fault or to hate or to even hold anything against any living soul and that includes our own! Also, the belief that we are all ONE and that there is no such thing in the Universe as separation. Gratitude is my go to because it automatically puts me back into my heart = back on track. What is your way to get yourself back on track?

It is soooo easy to get off track! Our energy fields are so sensitive and we are inundated with all sorts of different life stuff not to mention our world stuff. The way we choose to deal with it is where the distinction is drawn. We can simply react, which is really coming from a place of separateness/fear like we are not connected to those things that are happening. OR we can teach ourselves how to step back and move into that place of Oneness/love and go from there.

THE BIGGEST PART IS TO BE HONEST ENOUGH WITH MYSELF TO NOTICE WHEN IT'S HAPPENING. It is so true that saying, "can't see the forest for the trees". When I'm in it it's hard to process compared to when I am on the other side. It is as if I forgot everything I know when I am in a poor mental state. It usually catches me off guard when my body hurts or I am sick. And here I ask myself which came first the cart or the horse;)? I have to be really strong/honest with myself and do the work to change it and fast!

In order to move in another or new direction when in a negative/overwhelmed/fearful, the state must be changed, which is rooted by some belief inside. My recognition was quick, but I felt like I couldn't get out of it. I even voiced that statement, which kept me there longer. Until, I stopped. I just physically stopped (with a cold to help me stop:) and got my mental state connected back to my heart through gratitude meditation and letting go.

Moving with heart centered awareness is the best healer and turns the direction of life back around instantly even if it's manifestation physically takes a little longer.

Also important to note: I was voicing my gratitude to the universe for this example to help me grow and grateful that it had passed (even before it really had). Seeing done what I desire is a part of the knowing that what I ask from my heart is already in motion and mine. Ask and you shall receive - should read Ask and know that you have already received!

It is a journey and an exciting one!! I just know that it can be difficult because we allow it to be. By getting caught up in the motion of things or the E motion of things disconnected from the heart center where all good comes from, we can have a totally different experience.

I surround you in the gratitude for all your potential realized!!!

No room for doubt... staying connected to our source - LOVE - is our life line and the only absolute.

NAMASTE
XOXOsloan

Day 149: The Difference Between Wanting and Knowing

Windows are down and the spirit is up...dare I say spring has arrived?! Is the end of winter funk over? I have to say that I am definitely a different person when the sunshine is turned up. The funk was super funky but also productive in the manifestation department.

I have discovered within what makes the difference in manifesting the things I desire to show up. It is the difference between wanting (wishing) and knowing (trusting). The universe responds to the deeper of the two which is the knowing in our hearts. And if that knowing is attached to the thing we want, it will come.



How do we get from desire to a knowing in our hearts?

It all begins with our beliefs. Our thoughts and how we believe created by the knowing inside which is the energy behind the thing. I was just reflecting the other day on how far I have come with shifting old patterns and beliefs. Revisiting the way I used to think in contrast to how I think now. And the major difference is obvious in what is showing up in my life and shaping my world. It is the knowing that I am ONE - I am an expression of this greater force which is always at work within me.

"Learning to use the mind is learning to live." ~Ernest Holmes

First, there is the internal desire, thought. Second, there is the expression of thought into our words and actions. It finally becomes a knowing through our belief that it is already there for us. Knowing is deeply seated in the heart. A knowing can be created where nothing existed before. A knowing is the driving force behind desire and begins inside love, which is the strongest natural law in the universe. The only thing that can cancel out knowing is disbelief or wavering thoughts.

I recognized that my knowing is a definite feeling inside. It is a trust in God/Spirit/Universe that I am taken care of, that I am also the same power and have the ability to have all that I truly desire as long as it is in line with that love inside.

People who are afraid do not believe that they are taken care of that they are a part of that force behind all of creation. They don't believe that they create what happens. They are always the victim to the happenings in their world. Does this describe you or people you know?

When I was younger my knowing was a weakness because it was over powered by not trusting what to believe therefore, I was constantly contradicting the knowing I felt with fear, negative thinking or disbelief.

How do I work at strengthening the knowing part of my self?

I don't know when exactly it happened, because I know it is happening all the time, but there is a turning point where the knowing becomes bigger than the unknown and I suddenly trusted without having to convince myself.

Affirmations can be of great help to instill belief but in order for them to really work we must open to the possibility of truth within the statement and make it our own. Use affirmations like the one below to break down fear and build trust - to affirm what is already really the truth within which has been neglected for so long.

***I am completely supported by life. I let go of my fear and trust in the all knowing intelligence that I am a part of to guide me to recognize my true power. I am powerful beyond measure. I move forward in love. I am safe. I do not strain, will or coerce...I KNOW!*** ---Create your own affirmations or change them to fit you and use them to retrain your mind to trust!

It is the same with learning anything. You have to practice the scales and the tune before you can play/know it by heart. And WHAM! suddenly you don't even think about it - you're just playing the song as if it was always there inside. Trusting in the invisible energy behind all things is the same. Jumping off into trust is only scary the first few times before it becomes second nature.

As I was reflecting I remembered feeling as if knowing was so far away, but really it wasn't. This is where training our minds through repetition and affirmation (which at first feels like we are convincing ourselves of an untruth) come into play. Affirmations won't work unless the knowing inside is established as a result of the repetition. Old beliefs must be suspended long enough for a new belief to be created in it's place. We have to decide that something better is in there waiting to be discovered - this is how I trick my mind from shutting out new thought, suspending disbelief. I leave room for possibility that there is a belief that better serves me with the more I learn and expand in my mind.

Suspending disbelief is like putting a tiny hole in a balloon, soon it will be out of air and no longer able to rise to the forefront of our minds. Suspending belief gives our consciousness permission to explore and expand - all of a sudden there is room where there wasn't before. Beliefs block out space in our consciousness creating limitations or windows for expansion.

The feeling inside, that longing to connect to the deeper meaning of life is the knowing that I am talking about. It is a natural desire to connect with this innate part of ourselves and others. It is elusive because we are not taught enough about it, which is why we go against it and have not established that trust. It must be built. And we must remind each other all the time.


It's the difference between knowing and wishing. If a wish is backed up with the knowing that the wish is absolutely, without a doubt, possible to obtain then it will appear! But wishing is kind of like hoping there is doubt because if we really trusted our hearts (the connection to the infinite) we would never have the urge to wish or hope...we would just know in our hearts that it is already ours and on it's way!

I also strengthen the knowing inside by going with my instincts/gut (this is a common way to describe the knowing inside) no matter what. When I don't I am always sorry I didn't. The more we begin to trust the all knowing part of ourselves, the more it will reveal to us. Living from this center of love - imagine how your world will begin to shape itself through the manifestations closest to your heart! We are unstoppable moving from this place of knowing.

We all have God/Spirit/Universe running through us at whatever capacity we allow it to come through - it is still there nonetheless. So, the more we begin to trust ourselves through our intuition the bigger our capacity becomes to create the opening for all of our dreams to come true. The more we let go in that trust the more supported be become. And through our recognition of being supported from the highest force imaginable we become equally as powerful in our own ways.

Trust in that little voice in your heart, follow it no matter what and be led back to your highest and greatest potential ever!

I surround you in the knowingness of your true hearts desire to fulfill your purpose and to really let go of any doubt that you are anything less than the most power force in the universe!!!

XOXO

Day 148: Who Am I If I Am Everything?

Well, I got my little slice of sunshine before the rain came and today again pushing the wind aside to warm my spirit. Ask and you shall receive, and be sure you want what you ask for:)


I heard a song lyric yesterday... "Who am I, if I am everything?"



There are so many things that come into our worlds taking our attention and kicking us off of our focused path... and then there is something little, like a lyric that instantly snaps you back on track. Such is life...because it is a journey, where we get to keep rediscovering the truth behind the veil in special ways everyday. This is what makes it so special. This is what makes our journey's so unique.

"Who am I, if I am everything?" I love this question because it makes me look at the world as if it is all inside of me. It, in all of it's beauty and ugliness is a microcosm of what is happening on the inside of me. I am that multidimensional to encompass everything. I have it all within me.

The self acceptance that it takes to get to a place of true peace where this question then becomes a statement or a mantra, comes from real love and understanding.

When I was a kid people would tell me that everything would change once I could really love myself. This really irked me because no one could explain to me HOW to really love myself. What in the heck does that mean anyways!!?? So, I read everything I could get my hands on that might be able to explain. I did the exercises. I dealt with my past. But still I didn't get it. The voices in my head were still berating and trying to tear me down. It wasn't until I learned how to energetically open my heart and forgive myself that I began to feel that love and acceptance.

It was a true revelation. I think what most don't get is that just because you have an aha moment doesn't mean it will stay like that forever. Just like exercising a muscle in order to build strength we must continue to have those aha moments to build upon one another, which is the journey. I am constantly forgiving myself and learning about the everything that is me and owning up to it so that I can go deeper in my own love and compassion. It is easy for me to be that way with others, but less sincere if I don't first have a foundation built inside my own heart.

This question also purposes Oneness, which I have been talking about vs the separation that we are reared with in the general consciousness of society. Raising the level of consciousness is saying to ourselves what if everything was inside of me? what if i am everything? What if there is no such thing as separation? What if I am connected to everyone and everything on an energetic level? What would my life look like if I operated from such a place? This line of questioning is so important because it leads us to try it on, which then leads us to raising our level of consciousness from what seems to be into the realm of what is possible.


Who am I if I am everything... begins to break down the walls of the ego if you can really take yourself there. I see the violence, the peace, the resilience, the grace, the ridiculous, the magic, the unbelievable, the ugliness, the beauty, the universe and the ant all inside of me. I believe through my own experience that it is those things I try to ignore within me that grow bigger and badder;) Through acceptance their power to grow diminishes and I come into a more peaceful place, which allows me to expand into the possibility of all that I really am.

There is no trying, there is simply doing or not doing - believing or not believing. What would my life look like if I choose more than not to look through the lens of possibility? I challenge us all to keep these questions forward in our thought to keep us moving to the next level within our own unlimited realm of possibility - raising world consciousness - because we are everything. We are One.

I surround you in the self acceptance it takes to wrap your being around the thought that you are everything and that everything is at your disposal to be ONE.

XOXO

Day 147: From Suffering to FREEDOM

Today comes stacked high on the pile of grey days as if they all ran into each other and the aftermath is a beautiful blanket of snow. All I need is a little crack in the sky to let the sun through. Like a dandelion growing through a sidewalk, I tredge forward knowing it will give and I will have that sense of relief only spring can bring. And then I get excited thinking about it.

Yesterday, I went into the bank and asked the teller for sunshine. She then remarked that she just loves these gray days! And that is what snapped me back inside to make some shifts in my thinking. In her world it is a lovely day and in mine it is blah...hmmmm What do I really want?

Sometimes I feel like that dandelion in this world. Wanting so much to shine through the darkness (my own created darkness). So much suffering in this world that is self perpetuated by my buy in and focus upon it. At times it is difficult to keep pushing forward in love, when I allow my mind to become lazy.

The thing that intrigues me most about Buddha is the basis of all his teachings were about our attachment to suffering. And the first thing that comes forward in thought is I don't want suffering - so, I am not attached;) There in lies the true teaching because in the "not wanting" of suffering we are attached to it and creating more of it.

I'm not Buddhist, I'm not anything, but interested in learning all I can to form my own opinions based also on how I feel inside. And lately with the weather and the world the way they are (or seem to be) and this lingering cold, I have gotten a glimpse of what it truly means to be attached to my suffering. My awareness of it also makes it crystal clear to me in regards to the way those around me and the world of thinking are attached too.

"The only thing you need to know is that FREEDOM is the most precious gift we are born with on the inside and that it is the hardest to hold onto." line from old TV show Quantum Leap

This got me thinking...What is Freedom to me? And my answer is broad because there are so many freedoms I cherish and am grateful for, but the ones I have to guard most are the ones that are the most elusive... The freedoms of my spirit. The the signature of my soul working through this body, this society and these beliefs it is a miracle that it can even eek through!

It isn't easy to recognize these aside from other natural freedoms - except when they are taken or held back by ourselves or others. Then they build like a raging fire inside and they have to come forward. I think of Martin Luther King a lot in regards to Freedom of spirit. The fire inside of him came blazing forward and still ignites! But the fire inside doesn't need to necessarily show up to the extreme of his, most of my internal struggles with my own freedom come in the form of protecting what must come through me in a spiritual sense, like simply not allowing others beliefs/ideas/judgements to sway my pure action in regards to what I know must come through me.

In America we are born with so much more freedom than others across the world, yet we suffer just as much as anyone else. Why is this? Why is it okay with us to use our freedom to create suffering? We have all of this intelligence and consciousness that we do not fight for... We go along, buying in, until we forget that we have independent freedoms that are inside of our souls. At a certain point we even become numb to those.

In my experiment, meditation has helped me to reveal these other layers of my soul that vine me into a greater intelligence/consciousness than I could ever muster up with the 10% brain power that 'they' say I am utilizing;)

I have come to understand that it is our attachment to suffering as a whole that has diminished our power to follow the freedoms that speak to us from within. I believe it is my focus on my cold, dreary weather, silly job that keep me from experiencing something so much greater! And since we are ONE I am keeping you from yours too in some way.


Freedom from Suffering = Shifting focus. Does the dandelion focus on how hard it will be to grow up between slabs of cement? No! it is just doing what is in it's nature to do...reach for the sun. It is a wake up call (once again in a new insight) to redirect my gaze on the sun - on the brightness of what it is all really about, what connects us all - making us ONE, what is in my heart and all else must remain in a fuzzy blur.

How do I shift my focus... ?
Well, the way I do it is through gratitude and by writing down what is really going on in my mind to make the feelings of blah show up all around me. Then I can redirect my attention/focus by getting back to what I REALLY want and what is truly important and to really go for it because I have the freedom to do so!!!

Ahhhhh that feels so much better! It is only through healing my own attachment to suffering that I can heal the suffering of the world. It is only through discovering and living from my internal freedom that I can fight for the freedom of others. Releasing ourselves from the bondage of suffering by discovering that we create more of whatever it is we place our focus on... and bam! the feeling of exaltation spreads to the corners of our minds and this earth making an opening where none existed before.

WOW, We are so much more POWERFUL than we can even imagine!!!

I surround you in the freedom from your suffering and the worlds suffering to hear loud and clear the inner wisdom that is speaking to you always ...of your true freedom.

XOXO BIG LOVE

Day 146: The BIGGEST Possibility of Me...

Enjoying life, love and a new year! The new start has so much movement, transformation and new beginnings with the old escaping leaving more to be invited in. Gratitude for all that has brought me to this place within my own heart that makes everything happening now, possible. My heart is full like this sky wanting to snow.

What is the BIGGEST possibility of me?

Leaving space in my life for creativity to flow through me is not easy. I have to be my own distraction police. Living in this extreme existence with all the information, ideas and instantaneous impulses it is a lot of work not to jump at them all. Saying no to things is saying YES to me. Sounds like a a greeting card but it is so true.

Part of my new year is to incorporate saying YES to life and taking opportunities that present themselves. All I have to do is to define what sorts of things that help me to create the opportunities and all else I must say no to. I also have been creating a new statement for myself - a mantra of sorts to read and embody daily. This statement is formed to help me create those opportunities into being.

I highly recommend that you too create a 2011 statement for yourself. One that lifts you and brings forth your passion when you read it. It can be a poem that inspires you but it is better if you write it because the closer it is to your heart the more it will ignite your universal connection and pull it towards you.

My statement is a whole paragraph and it is adapted from some writings I have collected and made into my own. When I read it, I feel powerful, unstoppable, completely in my spirit!! It is awesome.

If I learned anything this past year it is how powerful of a creator I am especially when I am creating consciously. It does place way more responsibility on the quality of my thinking, feeling and actions. Growing my knowledge, compassion and love is where my focus shall remain always, everything else is second.

This is the question that helps me to clarify what to say no to: Is this growing me spiritually and drawing or pushing me further away from my ultimate possibility? If it is no then I say no. Sometimes though, I still say yes when it should be no;) It is important as well to be spontaneous and carefree.

I know that it is only through our limited knowledge/understanding/compassion that we perpetually create a limited experience. I have experimented over and over to the point that it is so obvious, I can see it coming as I am creating it in my thinking.

THINK BIG

I don't know about you, but I was not taught to think big. I was taught to thrive in the status quo, get a job, not to rock the boat, to be happy/thankful with what I have, and not to be selfish.


Thinking Big is a relatively new concept to me and having a Big Picture in mind for myself has been a key part of what I have been able to create for myself. Thinking BIG is being more of who you really are inside. Following those dreams that kindle in our hearts and pushing ourselves past our own taught limitations. If we were taught that walls could not contain us then could we walk through them?! Many physicists believe that science proves this to be true. What do you think is possible?

What are your limitations and how are they keeping you from all of your possibilities?

Visualization is one very important key component to all of creation. If you can see it you can be it - heard this one before?! My dad used to say, "If you say you can't then you can't." Same sort of idea. All we have to do in order to have something or to be who we really are completely is to be able to first visualize what that looks like. I find it best to start writing it out as my mind is quick to make all sorts of pictures and colorful images.

When I teach art the first think I ask my students to do after warming up is to visualize their drawing on the paper before they begin. It is amazing how this takes away that blank page hesitation/anxiety. The same is true in life. Give it a whirl - it is MAGICAL! And so are we!

THINK BIG & LOVE BIG

I surround you in your biggest idea of yourself, in your full creative spirit, being all that you don't even know that you are yet!!

xoxo

Day 145: A Message From Denny...

Last night I had a conversation with a 70 year old gentleman who by no coincidence shares my grandfather's nickname "Denny". He had been many things in his lifetime including: a college basketball star, a coach, a father, a ladies man and investment banker. He had recently found a new passion in film. He is now promoting/shopping a few films for investment. It's not what he does that caught my attention it was with the passion he exuded when he so colorfully described scenes from one of the films.

It was his spirit lighting up that made me stand to attention and hang on every word even though it was late and I wanted to be home in bed. I listened and absorbed his energy. Then he said, "The way I see it, is that I am in the prime of my life now and I have a 5-10 year window to really do something great and to give back. So, it is now or never."

I thought to myself the Prime of his life...? Really? WOW! It was really the first time I had ever heard someone his age say that, which is absolutely extraordinary!! I wanna be saying that when I'm 70:) Sometimes I wonder where my passion is and why it goes dormant... and here he is running passion circles around me at twice my age. What an inspiration!!

He said there are 6 ways "they" have figured out how to dumb us down in society:
1. media/news
2. sports/ tv programing
3. religion
4. politics
5. sex
6. drugs/alcohol

He said that he allows himself to be dumbed down when it comes to football and basketball;)
He is so right on. How much of our lives are we allowing to be eaten up by our distractions? And what would happen if we cut back on these distractions? Would we uncover our passions?


When we ask all we have to do is listen internally for the answer that feels right to either bubble up from inside or suddenly out of no where comes to you through someone who says exactly what you needed to hear... like this message from Denny. In order to really listen we have to have silence inside. Otherwise we are just preparing for what is next rather than taking in the information to stir something up inside of us that wasn't there before.

The answer is YES! For me for sure...

Well, I believe a balance is very important. When I am not spending time on any of these, I am doing more of the things that connect me to my spirit. Like time in silence, reading, taking a walk, writing, painting, time with the people I love...which is what my quest last year (and forever) was all about... getting further away from the distractions.

As long as we are physically here, there will be distractions. There will be the things we get caught up in that take us so far away from who we feel we are, but if we lay our life in the hands of those distractions - one day we will wake up and say where did my life go?

So before that happens it is a good idea to ask: Where is my life right now. What am I passionate about? And how is what I am doing serving humanity?

When we lead a life with a handle on our distractions, we allow ourselves to be led by the greater purpose inside of us, which comes through in our life experiences. When I am in tune with myself I am able to make strong choices and get excited about what is coming. When I am living too much in the world of distractions, I get irritable, foggy and dull inside because I am unable to express what needs to come through me - that part of me that is bigger than all of this.

My grandfather passed nearly 5 years ago and throughout that time his messages for me come through in many ways. I believe Denny is my glimpse into my own future with golden wisdom to abide by now. Thank you PAPA!

(To any of you who have lost a significant family member who you looked up to for wisdom, advise and support of your spirit: look out there in the world for their messages - they are still there.)

And to all of you who claim to be old - it is never too late to discover or UNcover your passions and be age defying! BTW... our spirit is eternal therefore it never ages!









I surround you in the space between thoughts and distractions where it is calm and silent- this is the place of your pure spirit/creativity awaiting to come forth through your expression. What will you choose?

NAMASTE XOXO

Day 144: A Magical 2011!!

The New Year is here relieving the build up of the Holidays and all of 2010 by bursting into the fresh start of 2011. AHHHHHHHHHHH!!! It's the time to re-evaluate our lives, selves and relationships to look at what is working, keep doing that and let go of what is not. It is a time to dust off those dreams and figure out what has been holding us back. It is a time to look around, make changes and embrace the opportunities that abound.

I have spent the last year figuring all of this out for myself so as I head into 2011, I continue to tweak and refine myself in the goal of living the best life I can everyday and living my life like a prayer. I guess that for me just means that more than not I am moving from love in all that I do. It is not easy, but has become easier. And now that my focus has been there for some time, I catch myself quicker now when I am not moving from love.

I also have been playing with my own ability to create my world around me, because I have come to know on multiple levels, that the world around me is a mirror of the world inside of me. My choices, my thoughts, my inner connection, my beliefs... everything is constantly in question so as to make sure that I am not choosing out of complacency or remaining in the realm of general social consciousness.

"You are the most significant being in the world, because at the level of the soul you are the world." ~ Deepak Chopra

We are all microcosms of the Universe! So many miracles that we see in the world around us also happen within us. Like the way that our cells can communicate with one another and instantly respond is similar to the way a flock of birds move together/communicate in formation and know when and where to go internally. The Hawaiians used non verbal communication for centuries. Their history is latent with telepathic communication. Yogi's also communicate this way. We all can, we just don't use it to it's full capacity, because we are taught to think it is something bad when it is just something that is totally natural and in our nature to utilize. We are naturally magical!

Anyway, this past year has allowed me to see just how powerful and magical I really am. How I can bring anything into existence in my life through creating it first within me. I have had several things happen to help me to realize this at a very profound level and I will continue to really put it to work for me in a very conscious way this year through questioning and refining.

It is always so enlightening when I talk to someone who is having a rough time. Have you noticed it is always the circumstance that is causing their woes...? Really it is the other way around. The circumstance is just the result of many instances colliding within us (the way we think, believe, love, talk, act, participate in the world...) Change what isn't working and change the patterns that helped it come in...

I believe that my mantra for this year will be to question everything especially myself and make sure I am aligned with what I am inviting in or creating. We are constantly creating whether we realize it or not!

I BELIEVE IN MAGIC

The magic of life is our real life!!! And this is why I get up in the morning. I choose to live in the magic of life working not to get caught up in the ego's physical world and the attachments.

Do you believe in the magic of life? What is magical about your life? What do you want more of and is it aligned with your heart?? How can you love yourself more?

How can questioning help me get to the level of truth where the magic exists?
Glad you asked;) Questioning is vital to becoming who you are really on the inside of the masks that we have been conditioned to use to hide behind, because it helps peal them back so we can get underneath.

Do I like the person I am being? Do I know my own true hearts desire? Do I really want to make this choice...is this the choice that makes me who I want to become? How does this affect those around me as well as myself...and the world as a whole? The questions are endless and by asking them we get really good at listening and hearing the truth inside that will lead us to our own unique magic manifesting in the world around starting first within.

We are so fortunate to have the luxury of such inner discoveries. So many who are bogged down with mere survival do not have the luxury to go within unless they are raised with certain beliefs that create this avenue. Think about it. We live like Kings here in America and we take our freedoms, our power, our time for granted because we get caught up in the ego...judgement and the lie of scarcity.

In 2011 let us take ourselves on and grow the magic that lives within each of us and lets do our best to see it in every flower, landscape, animal, every person and most importantly within ourselves.

I surround you in the realization of your innate magical self that will lead you to living the life you have always dreamed of in your heart.

NAMASTE xoxo

Day 143: In Between

Ahhhh Christmas has passed and a fresh start for the new year is in the air. And like a bird it leaves no tracks. There is just this feeling of pushing through to the other side. I, like most, have allowed myself to indulge quite a bit this season, chalking it up to the 'Holidays' knowing quite well that it is just my excuse to relax and has been well before the holidays began.

All is well and good in the land of balance if the balance is being kept;) I find that habits are so easily formed, as we are habitual by our nature. So, in my efforts to create this balance, I am reminded of the beginning of this blog and this year. How my body already knows how to leave behind the patterns and to embrace all that I really am.

I am filled up... full of love and treats..ready to take on this new year!! It is an exciting time because the reflection over the last year and my self experiment have given me so many gifts to gauge the balance of what I really want and how to create the clarity of mind to bring it forth.

I have a new understanding of my power and how I hide from it or embrace it. I know that I can create anything into being and so often I allow myself to get tied in a knot by the social swirling of an illusionary truth rather than what my heart/higher self/spirit knows is the real truth. And to live in this world, to participate, there is a certain level of this "buying in" that has to happen yet, here it is also vital to have a balance of consciousness where there is an overarching view of things (from that inner knowing place) where buying in isn't even an option.



I have experimented with slipping in and out of these two worlds long enough to see how they integrate and how they create separation within me. There is a constant exchange of the outer with the inner and visa versa. It is easy for me to adapt to both yet without keeping a balance it is more like only using one leg even though I have two.

“There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception.” ~Aldous Huxley

This next year I will continue to take on the internal leaps of consciousness. Taking on and off the cloak of Sloan as I go between worlds - the one that is creating and the one that becomes. I am excited for all of the new events that are on the horizon of my life and I will move forward even when I am fearful and I will not hide behind my habits for too long anyway;) I will rise up to the challenges that will come, from a place of love. All is beautiful and I am so grateful!

It has been an amazing year!!! Thank you all so very much for being a part of it with me. I hope you will continue with me as I enter this next stage on the journey.

I surround you in the balance that comes from walking this journey from your own heart. May it fill you up and shine through both worlds creating a broad spectrum of understanding and compassion within.

NAMASTE XOXO

Day 142: What, When, Where, Why, How.. IS My Inner Wisdom?

Well, the days are nearing to one year since I began my little self experiment. What I have learned so far is that learning balance is the key to my over all happiness. Quiting everything I will do repeatedly in my lifetime because it brings me back to a neutral spot to realign with what is truly important to me. I figured out that one way for me to keep balanced is to focus on keeping habits from forming. I do like change and fast pace so this is a good way for me to keep my lifestyle in check. My biggest take away has been my meditation practice. It has, hands down, opened up a whole side of life that I would occasionally tap into, but now access daily. It is hard to describe the feeling of centered calm I feel from meditation...highly recommend it!

I came across this quote the other day by Confusius:

"By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest."

It made me think over this last year and the wisdom gained. I also believe that we must use all three and maybe in no particular order to come to wisdom. It is seldom that we can actually reflect without having experienced something. And imitation is a great way to come into the person you wish to be by developing empathy and deep compassion without having to experience. But we are in these bodies to experience, to create, to find and fulfill our greater purpose, which is unique to us.

There is one universal truth for all of man kind and that is this deep inner longing to connect with the age old question "why am I here" or ones supreme purpose in life. There is no mistake that we all since we were little have felt this tugging at us. We numb it out, buy into the physical world of doing rather than being and/or simply resign to the idea that there isn't a greater purpose because it's just easier that way.

What in your heart is longing to be expressed?

I wonder if everyone asked with the open heart to receive and the courage to go after whatever the answer might be, what would happen...? What would happen if we all were moving in the direction of our true hearts? How would that feel on a world or Oneness scale? How would our choices be different? How would it shift our view of our selves and all things?

I love learning different perspectives on life, love and happiness, which is why I read so much and love studying different philosophies. I believe that through this type of reflection and adapting such lessons to my own world that I have actually been able to apply those wisdoms for everyday use. Still there are those that I must experience and some over and over until it sinks in.

I don't buy into everything I read or learn. I listen inside to what feels like truth inside my heart and I take those with me. And sometimes those change too, depending on what new information comes in. Everyday we are being shaped by our experiences or what we come across in our daily lives. Holding ourselves to old beliefs can keep us from our true purpose. Our perspectives are constantly shifting and expanding based on how we interpret the interactions, lessons and wisdoms that we are exposed to. And our exposure depends on how open we are and how connected we are to the part inside that helps us filter out the crap and recognize the truth for us individually. Once we open our minds to this understanding we begin to get the messages in a bigger way. You don't notice all the red cars on the road until you own a red car.

In expression of truth, I see how most people are more concerned with how they will be perceived (ego) rather than how they really feel inside. Do you get caught up in what others will think? In writing what I believe and think, I had to push past the notion of what other people might think. Especially my family. Initially I watched what I wrote to make sure not to stir the pot or rock egos. Now that I am used to saying how I feel, I honestly don't care how others perceive what I do, believe or say because it really has nothing to do with them other than their choosing whether or not/how to react to it.

I learned a long time ago, that if you are acting from a place of love and taking responsibility for your own stuff then how others choose to react to you is their own stuff. If we are living our lives afraid to offend or hurt someone then we get no where within! Our purpose here is creating and expressing our uniqueness in this world! Embracing our uniqueness is so vital to our spiritual health and well being.

While it is important to respect and care for others, we cannot live by the beliefs of others. We must learn, seek and choose to follow our own unique inner guidance and find our own truths. I used to always be confused when people would use the expression "I need to find myself." Now I understand that it is not so much about finding ones self as it is allowing ones self to have that connection to the divine wisdom inside and learning how to tune the others out.

I am thrilled by the inner discoveries I have made this year. A lot had to fall away in order for me to be able to really allow my connection to become solid enough to guide me to my own inner wisdom. We all have this access!! We don't have to go anywhere or to any special teacher (everyone is our teacher)! And it's free!

This year the best gift we can give ourselves and the rest of the world is to strengthen our connection to the innate wisdom of the ages inside of us. Through being silent, through study, through being really honest with ourselves, acceptance through letting go of what the ego buys into and to allow ourselves to be led by what is really true inside our hearts.

I surround you in the wisdom that is uniquely your own singing to you from inside your heart and the courage to share it in your own unique way.

Namaste xoxo

Day 141: From the Balcony

Today I woke up wanting more and feeling stuck. Feeling the need to move my life, but with no idea of how, where, or which direction. I had an overwhelming feeling of grief, for forgotten dreams, fill my heart.

Sometimes when things aren't going in the direction I envision, there is frustration that builds and begins to dominate my faith in the moment rather than being diffused by my big picture thinking.

This is where trust comes in. Not just wishful thinking but a knowing rooted in that core part which does not focus on the details, but on the knowing that it is all leading to the greater expression of my purpose here. It is a deep sense, a knowing that keeps me looking for the light within myself when it seems to be MIA!!!

With bills to pay, Christmas around the corner and no foreseeable jump in income it is easy for many to get let down by the details of life especially this time of year. Today, I wallowed a bit then I talked to myself about my choices and what the symbols of my life are telling me, when I happened upon this phrase by world negotiator William Ury "From the Balcony". It is his way of staying out of reaction mode in negotiations and getting all parties looking at the bigger picture.

When I am focusing on this day reacting to this moment minus the view from the balcony, I am in trouble! It takes knowing better and reconnecting with the trusting core (my spirit) to redirect that train of thinking from taking me on a road to nowhere...

What does the view look like from your balcony?

I was asking for guidance and direction to move beyond emotion into some solution, I ran across this beautiful phrase to remind me that all I have to do is ask. When I stepped into the metaphorical balcony, I was above the clouds shinning in the beaming light of my dreams, where I saw the ones that had fallen away hadn't really...they had just bloomed into new dreams out of necessity for the bigger picture.

How to live in the moment while keeping the perspective of the bigger picture...very very tricky!

I believe that the balance here can only be kept by learning to catch ourselves, having a connection to our source and growing the ability to see beyond. Had I not caught myself- it could have led to a downward spiral, which would happen often when I was younger and didn't know myself.

I seldom feel regret because of my trust in how every piece of life makes up the whole puzzle and that I am the one creating how they fit together. So, when I begin to have symptoms of regret it is time to take a breather and back out of the emotion to get a better more clear picture of what is really going on.

There is a conviction missing within, that I once had for my dreams. Is it gone? How do I get it back? Where did it go? And how long has it been missing?

You know how big I am about questioning myself...so these questions led me to some very interesting findings. Usually, when there is a block, there is a trauma that occured at some point in our lives (that is traceable and healable) creating a sort of damn holding back parts of ourselves from coming forward now. I know when mine happened. I got worn out and slacked on believing in my dreams. Having conviction is believing so much that you cannot be stopped!

The conviction must match the thoughts and words spoken about the dream. Everything must be congruent to have the ultimate power of realization/manifestation. And now I see where I have fallen short with my own. I have been pushing forward and rolling back. You know the feeling. UGGGGGG - talk about frustration! If we are solid in one area and weak in the other then we are negating all the energy we are putting forth in one fell swoop.

Which area of creating are you best at? How can you align your thinking, words and actions better with your bigger picture for the most powerful creation?

From the balcony this seems so clear. From here it is silent and I can just watch how things fit to perfect my creating forces to be more aligned rather than negating each other. It is a great meditation.

There will always be circumstances and issues happening in the moment taking us out of our big picture view, clouding our perspective on the bigger part of ourselves...our spirit/Godself. It is always a great reminder to stop pull back, assess, ask good questions, and take a look from the balcony to see how it is all truly perfect.

I surround you today in the power of your vision from the balcony. May your trust grow from the power of your alignment to your purpose here.

NAMASTE
xoxo

Day 140: Being Released With Love

On Friday I was in a car accident. Everyone is okay and the damage could have been a lot worse. I hit a woman who was really pregnant. I just looked down for a second (to hit play on my itouch) and went off the road. When I went to correct it and get back on the road the back tire got caught in the dirt and when it hit the pavement again the whole car spun round into her oncoming car... It was really scary. The first accident I have ever been in and it was my fault! I am so grateful that she was okay and for all of the inherent lessons it provided for me.

Really the energy around me this last week from my ex was intense, negatively affecting me and draining me - throwing me completely out of wack. I know this had so much to do with my accident, and of course taking for granted that I can take my eyes off the road and be fine... Yesterday, I finally pleaded with him to release me and to only send me love, to be my friend and to be happy that I am happy. He really did in his heart and I felt it instantly all over and through me. AHHHHHHhhhhhh! I am so grateful!!!!!!!!

When we have negative feelings toward someone it effects their lives on multiple levels, not to mention our own. Is there someone who you are connected to that is clouding your energy? Or is there someone you have not released or have negative feelings for? To carry grievances only lowers our vibration therefore, lowering what can come into our lives because we are opperating from this level - creating all kinds of effects to wreck havok in our lives.

I played around a lot with this as a kid. I was intrigued by the magic of life, how I could think of something and then it would appear in my world somehow. I used it negatively too (innocently because I didn't fully believe it was real or that I could actually effect the outside world with a thought), against anyone who I felt wronged me deeply.

The last time I ever did this was when I lived in Hawaii, this man had slandered my name in a very small town, out of jealousy. It made my blood boil and I envisioned him breaking his left leg in a construction accident. Low and behold that is exactly what happened two weeks later. It may have been a coincidence, but since I don't believe in coincidence... I vowed that moment to only direct my thoughts in a loving and creative way in the world and began to study energy healing, using what I called 'mental magic' for good only.

The way we think of people, events and ourselves greatly influences the vibration of the entire world. Not to mention the actions we put behind them. All thought is creative and creating in this 'mental magic' or force or God whatever you want to call it is real and it is happening regardless if we believe it or not. We can either use it to create consciously or be the person stuff just happens to. Which one are you?

I guess, really I am both. I work at creating consciously and yet I get sucked into mass consciousness and shit happens to me, but I do take full responsibility for my energy, thoughts and actions. For a couple of days leading up to the accident I could feel that my energy was off and I consciously did not make choices to get myself back on track in fact I allowed it to compile and the worst part was that I felt it building. I was split.

We have all felt this way, but most don't know what to do to correct it and get realigned. Asking for forgiveness and truly being grateful are two of the most powerful energies we can tap into in the entire Universe. These both create love and release us from the entanglements that can send us into a tail spin of disaster.

Go back for a second and bring up a time that you really forgave someone in your heart. Remember the lightness and the love flooding through you? And how the release from this holding on made you feel free...? It is tremendous and effects every cell, tissue, thought, every person you come into contact with ... EVERYTHING is different.


We all have so much to be grateful for not because this is Thanks Giving week (my favorite holiday:) but always. We can pull from the power of our gratitude to lift our vibration out of turmoil, negativity or to get us back on track instantly!

So, let's lighten up our lives and the world with our forgiveness and gratitude!

Here is a gratitude meditation that I like to do: Sit comfortably and use relaxed breathing. Important to be sitting up straight so that the breath flows effortlessly - so I usually use a wall or a chair or a pillow under my sits bones to align my spine. As I close my eyes, I I give thanks for my sight, then my breath, anything and everything that naturally comes to mind even tension, aches or pains. As I am doing this I imagine my heart expanding with everything I am grateful for filling it up. I go through everything no matter how silly or profound. I end up with the entire universe inside my heart and this statement "I am not of this Universe I am this Universe." Try it - it's amazing! You will feel so empowered and light as a feather;)

“Gratitude is a vaccine, an antitoxin, and an antiseptic”~ John Henry Jowett


From Day 99 Forgiveness Meditation:
Here is a great meditation for forgiveness that I have used for many years - for myself and for others. You can sit or lay with your eyes closed and bring up any situation or experience where you feel shameful or bad for in your minds eye. Now in that situation see yourself fill with light, then see it spilling over and the entire scene is filled with this light of your love. Thank this situation for teaching you, forgive yourself (I forgive you Sloan for...) and then forgive all those involved or apologize to each person and fill them with your loving light. As you begin to come out of this situation first see it in bright light as it shrinks getting further and further away - until it looks like a lightening bug in the night. Then end with the feeling of love expanding from your heart as a light encompassing the entirety of the world and everything in it.

“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.”~Lewis Smedes

I surround you this week in the letting go of held grievances that instantly free you lifting you to your higher self.

NAMASTEXOXOXO
I am so very grateful to all of you on this journey with me and beyond.

Day 139: A Bird's Eye View of Love

Yesterday morning I went to the park to walk the dogs as I normally do and was reminded of my childhood when I saw three crows in the baseball diamond. In Kentucky when the crows come, winter has really arrived. No matter how much it feels like fall when they show up, it is game on. When I was little I remember the giant black birds crowding the tree in front of my window and crowing their loud swalky crows.

I have been having some emotional stuff going on with my ex boyfriend recently, which has me questioning myself in several different ways. Relationships are so important to pay attention to because they mirror aspects of our inner world. As I pay close attention my need to step back increases.

To zero in on details equals disaster. The big picture only comes into focus from a distance. In art I teach my students to stand back from their painting/drawing and then look at it as well as your subject as a whole. Learning to see this way helps us from zeroing in on one part. A painting/drawing/sculpture just like our lives must be worked on as a whole. And each relationship is it's own picture, beautiful, colorful, full of lessons and growth.

It is easy to look over the whole of a relationship and zero in on certain things and make it about those things when actually it is so much bigger. It's not those certain things, it's all the things together that make or break it. Not to mention the BIGGEST picture which we can only see through retrospect. All of the feelings, intentions, things that are said that you can't take back, the struggles, the deep meaningful moments, the laughter, all the levels of love, the tears, the joy, the hardships, pain and relief are all tied together and cannot be boiled down to this or that.

My way of dealing with emotional issues is to step back and really see how I feel beneath my initial triggered response which is purely emotion. I don't like to fight it out or linger in the details. I want to look at the whole of my life and assess from that perspective.

We are all growing and changing in so many ways on so many different levels all the time. Sometimes that growth can take us away from what we once desired. All the while love remains. It simply changes. Our growth spiritually and emotionally messes with our ego mind which wants ownership.. doesn't want to loose.. attaches to the illusion of security that a relationship can provide.

I believe that every relationship I have ever had has brought me to exactly where I need to be and I trust what is going on inside of me to steer me towards my own destiny - NOT - towards someone elses. The questioning part has been really eye opening in that I see more of my true self coming forward, leaving behind the parts that I was trying to be for him. It just wasn't me.

It is only through retrospect that I can see what those things are and how they were draining my spirit. Stepping away, gaining perspective and being quiet inside are the keys to allowing the truth to rise up... the creme de la creme.

It is difficult to be in the position of breaking the heart of someone you love. I know what it feels like and I don't wish it upon anyone and hate being in this spot! I just hope that through this experience that our love can continue to develop us in new directions. Love doesn't stop it just shifts. And it can never be controlled or forced. It is bigger than the ego's desire to hold on and it must be free!!!


I am like a bird and just like the crows, I bring news that not everyone will like, but it is bigger than me, just like the migration of crows, it comes from the force within that connects us all.

Accepting and relinquishing control are some of the easiest things to write about and the hardest to truthfully apply. Acceptance stems from understanding and understanding through the bigger picture of love can only come when the emotions are put aside, the ego is laid to rest. Relinquishing control is giving up that initial response of "mine". I believe it is the age of 2 that we learned our separation and the "I", that is when most children begin to assert their individual power over things. Let's move beyond that learned response and get back to looking through Oneness glasses, which shows us the only truth and trust that it is leading us individually to our ONE greatness together.


Deep in our emotional pain we ask "Why?", but really why doesn't get us anywhere but deeper in the pain and details. Everyone has their own way of dealing with the pain of loss. But just think about how much easier it could be if we chose to see it differently... like from a birds eye view and trusting that there is something bigger in store - we just can't see it from this place in time. Everything is perfect and all roads lead to ONE.

love relieves all suffering of the mind

I surround you in the birds eye view of your world to see the people that are in your heart as blessings/gifts for the time they are there. To surrender to the notion that life is better because of them in any way shape or form. Unlocking the door and allowing love to be free.

Day 138: Walking the Halls of My Mind

A string of memories forgotten and like dried leaves scattered upon the ground of my mind eventually, turn to dust. Living in the moment is a wonderful thing! Although, it doesn't help with memory recall. I have found that the more I live in the moment the more forgetful I become. I am just going with it and writing down what is needed. The rest can go.


Mind space is so important to me these days. Walking the halls of my mind is a past time that I have become very fond of and when there is mental clutter it's simply not fun. Clearing out the clutter of the mind is easier than we think. It happens naturally when we are living in the moment more than not. Because when we are living in the moment we are more apt to be open and moving from love. Functioning from this place, all else just seems to just fall away or become unimportant.

We all have our stories that play in the background which are propelled by our telling of them or reinforcement in other ways, but some stories should never be told again! This is why I do not watch the news. I have a very narrow opening for stories that are allowed to enter into my world. Some really bad ones get in before I can stop them, but to retell them is forbidden. I did retell a recent one only once before I decided that it's energy should never be released again.

I also, just yesterday, nearly allowed an old story to interrupt the opportunity to create a new more powerful story! YIKES!!! Catch yourself doing this! Do not allow for old experiences to jeopardise your ability to live bigger...NOW!

There are those people, you know the ones, who can't wait to tell you the craziest most negative story leaving you holding icky feelings and visuals. Remember that our subconscious mind does not know the difference between a story and reality. The way we react creates a whole domino effect of that negativity pulsating beneath our every moment of creating. We simply cannot allow them in and if we do, then finding a way to release them positively and never retelling is the only way to be free of the clutter.

But if you never retell, how do you release it? Good question - thought you'd never ask... releasing a negative story or a negative memory is actually really easy and fun to do. I have taught this exercise before in a different post but it works here too. First, bring it up in your mind to re-feel the feelings of it. Second, see yourself floating above the story as it becomes smaller and smaller, you can no longer hear any sounds of the story. Then see it becoming fuzzy as if on a tv set. Third, change the channel and replay a beautiful story in it's place that fills you with love or good happy feelings. Keep doing this every time it comes up. After about the 3rd time you will notice that you don't have the same triggers emotionally with that particular story line. The rewrite/channel change is important. Try it - it works! Also refer to the exercise in The Re-Do Factor post.

Retelling, restating...keeps that energy alive. I did a post not too long ago about repetition, how we learn and how we also get stuck in patterning through recycling stories. Recently, at a party someone was trying to tell me a bad animal story and a friend piped in, in my defense, and said "oh no, she doesn't want to hear that story." We train the people around us on how we want to be treated and when he did that, I thought YES! he gets me:) Feels so good to have your spirit supported by your family and friends.

What stories are you replaying that zap your energy or make you less than you can be? Who are the people in your life that keep retelling awful stories? Is it you? How are the stories in your mind helping or hindering your growth? Do you have free mind space? Do you enjoy quiet thinking time?

"The Secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the future, nor to anticipate troubles, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly." ~ Buddha>

To live in the moment is not to let go of everything else, but it does require a detachment of sorts. The reason we do not live in the moment all the time is because we are either in the past or in the future. Certainly, I do believe that we have to look at our past to learn and to look ahead to create, but living in either place takes us out of all we really have, which is right this second. This moment you are reading these words: where is your mind? Is it thinking of a past or future moment or are you totally present?

The best teachers for living in the moment are children. If you've ever really been immersed in the world of a child, totally connected and present with them, then you will understand what I am talking about.

"Let go of what you know and everything will come."

Knowing too much can hinder us in acting on impulses or moving in the flow with life. Knowing too much makes us fearful and careful. How could limiting what enters your mind space help you become the best you? This means that sometimes you will need to stop someone mid story and say: "I am so sorry but I cannot allow that kind of story to enter into my mind." I am never afraid to hurt someones feelings when it comes to protecting my mind space - it is that important! Besides, maybe in me saying that it helps them to be conscious of what stories they are retelling.


Letting go in the moment is sorta like taking a nap because it releases the cognitive thinking processes and releases us from the focused need to retain information. There is a airy freeness to being in the moment that is the sweetest part of life...in my opinion. Einstein came up with the relativity theory while taking a nap because his mind was free!

While our experiences shape us, so do the stories we tell and relive by retelling. Our bodies respond as if it were happening all over again in that instant! Therefore doing the same damage on us over and over...if we allow.

"I always say to myself, what is the most important thing we can think about at this extraordinary moment." ~ Francoise de La Rochefauld

I promise not to share any bad stories or to retell any stories that do not serve and support me or you ever again. I know what I choose affects everything in this world because I am connected to everything. We are ONE.

I surround you in the beauty of choosing the stories you wish to shape the BEST you, you can be!!!

NAMASTExoxo

Day 137: Kiss The Ground Moments

Close calls happen. We never know when our forever is upon us. Life is so precious, this moment is gone and we don't know how many more we may see. There is no time for worry or pain or suffering. There is only time to live from our truest place. To follow that heart felt desire to fulfill our purpose at every opportunity. To create opportunity where it does not exist - to pursue peace and internal happiness at all costs!

"As soon as man does not take his existence for granted, but beholds it as something unfathomably mysterious, thought begins." ~Albert Schweitzer

Ever had a close call that made you kiss the ground? I think everyone has, but as the memory wears off and you are still here...it is so easy to take life and each other for granted. What does it mean to take something or someone for granted? It means to underestimate the value of. I believe in order to really recognize the value of a place, a time, an event, a person that we must know and appreciate our own value!

Do you know your value? What do you value most about yourself? Where do you sell yourself short? How do you stand up for your value in the world? Do you believe you are special?

That is one thing that I distinctly consciously remember from my childhood: this deep belief (that I instinctively knew needed to always be protected) that I was special. This came with a mixed bag because although I believed it, there were many parts of my life where I questioned it - took it for granted. I did not value what was in my heart because I allowed the outside world to shake my only connection to the truest part of myself. Not anymore!!!

I had a lot of help learning my value on the multiple levels of myself. (Thank you!!!) Confidence has a little to do with it, but it is so much deeper. It is that cord that connects us to our real selves that when ignored creates a hole inside. You know the feeling..right?

How we value our own lives says a lot about how we value everything else. It is the barometer for how we will either value or take for granted. Appreciation also comes with a perspective or a scope of the fortune that lies all around us filling the moments that whiz right by. Having a grand scheme scope to look through life with is so very helpful to notice all of the little things that make up all of the big ones. There is a miracle in every moment...don't let them slip by!!!

A miracle is the magic of life. The synchronicity that is constantly guiding us to live in our truth. We are taught that a miracle is a huge AWESOME event that blows our doors off. Well, if we are looking through that scope we are missing everything! Miracles are sometimes so small, we take them for granted. Like for a woman to become pregnant for instance, is a huge miracle because there are so many factors that have to line up exact and perfectly for it to even happen. But because it happens naturally all the time, every second actually, we take it for granted. Now the woman who cannot get pregnant and wants to, does not take it for granted! Hmmmmmm.

"When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude." ~Gilbert K. Chesterton

If we can broaden our perspective and slow down enough to take notice of the preciousness in the moments and how cool it is to watch how things line up...magically then we are broadening our scope. Even the things we label as bad or terrible are actually a miracle in a way we can't yet see because our scope is only so wide.

How to widen the scope?? Of course it begins in that heart centered connection, the core to our everything that we have to align with to gain the perspective of miracles. Once you consciously choose/decide to let the miracles into your scope, you begin seeing them all over the place. Like how a lady bug traveled from Mexico in a bag of lettuce, to crawl upon my fork, to bring me the message I needed that day. Miracles like this are all over and are interpreted instantly in our hearts.

I notice that when I am meditating regularly (which I have not been the last couple of weeks) I can easily see things that pass others by. My meditation practice has this way of putting me in a place, when I am not actually in meditation, where the messages come almost in slow-mo as if they are being highlighting in the world around me. I gotta get back to meditating twice a day. I am just in a better constant state of consciousness in my day when I am consistent with it.

Well, I know there are always ways that we can appreciate more, open our hearts more to the messages all around and work at not taking it all for granted by living in our truth more than not. What are some of the ways you will incorporate broadening your scope?? Let's not wait for Kiss The Ground moments to appreciate the everyday miracles!!

I am so grateful that you are on this journey with me and that together we are changing the world through the expansion of our personal consciousness! YOU ROCK!

Sending you love and miracles in every moment...catch them if you can!

NAMASTEXOXO