Celebrating Change

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acceptance, allowing, becoming, Believing, bliss, choice, compassion, Conscious Living, courage, courageous heart, Courageous Vulnerability, faith, healing, health, heart, heart path, hope, humanity, inspiration, journey, joy, learning, life, light, love, Love Between Men, loving, patience, peace, Soul to Soul, universal heart, Vulnerable, well being, wellness

There is a lot to be said for navigating dark waters. It’s scary. It’s difficult. There never seems to be movement forward. It’s exhausting both physically and mentally. It often feels as if this is the worst thing that could possibly be happening.

Yet, ironically, this is the best time. This is a time of the unknown. This is literally a gift that is signaling immense change and immense growth. This is actually a time to celebrate. This is a time of great healing that will transform your life for the better and create a new opportunity that will welcome joy, happiness, love and light.

This is your time. The is the time of new beginnings. This is a time of storing the murky water to actually allow it to settle more clearly. It is not the time to fight or to struggle. That never works in quick sand nor does it work in times of darkness. What does work is a change of focus and a change of mind.

Softly begin to shift how you see things. Gently allow yourself to celebrate your courage to actually welcome change. Recognize that you are a gentle warrior and your sword is that of love. For no matter what is happening, love will always pave the way with grace, dignity and light. No matter what, if you choose love as your point of view, at the end of your struggle you will be left with the love you invited in. And trust that love always wins. Especially when it comes to the love that is meant for you.

140 Days of Sitting

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acceptance, allowing, becoming, beleif, Believing, bliss, body, change, changes, compassion, Conscious Living, courage, courageous heart, Courageous Vulnerability, Creative Flow, Creativity, Dance, development, Energy, faith, health, heart, heart path, hope, humanity, inspiration, journey, learning, letting go, life, light, listening, love, Mindful Action, patience, peace, sharing, Soul to Soul, spirit, spirituality, Teaching, universal consciousness, universal heart, well being, Wonder

Today marks the 140th day of a meditation practice that I began as a 40 day challenge. To say that this time has been transformative would be completely denying the fullness of what sitting in peace has done for me. I am incredibly grateful for choosing to sit and practice my spiritual journey and do so with a commitment I have not had in decades.

Somewhere along the way of becoming I got lost in the going. Dreams, desires and societal and cultural expectations simply knocked me off balance. That of course is understandable when we succumb to the illusion of the busyness of being. We are sold that to be busy is to be successful. To be busy is to be validated. This is especially true in academia where I live to butter my bread.

Drifting through a sea of disillusionment it is easy to get lost when the goals are not congruent or in alignment with the true vibration of you. We think to know and yet what matters most is that we should feel to know and better yet, understand. And as the rocks tumble in this avalanche of despair we are seeing all around us, we see and feel how fear seems to be getting the best of us.

I made a conscious choice to heal while Covid ravaged our very existence. In a time of heightened fear, I chose freedom. In a time of chaos, I chose quietude. In a time of heartbreak, I chose healing. This is the key element in allowing ourselves the time and space to heal ourselves of the hurt, shame, trauma and fear that we have been collecting as well as spreading. For one can’t but help hurt others of in fact they are hurt themselves. Choosing to break the cycle of pain takes the courage to make the choice for change.

I realize not everyone believes in meditation nor is it part of many belief systems. Yet, what is part of all spiritual paths is the simple thread of the power of love that is woven through them all. For me, meditation has been a way to return to loving myself and therefore all those around me. Perhaps your path is different in the form of finding oneself, but regardless, sitting in meditation and opening the magnetic field of love that emanates from the heart is what allows for magic, wonderment and awe.

There have been many transformative, synchronistic and enchanted moments during these past 140 days. For this my heart is grateful. My body is also grateful. In addition, the energy I live in continues to make me giddy with ecstasy like I have not felt in years.

From where I sit now, all I can see is possibility. As I heal, I grow. As I grow, I become. As I become, I am able to welcome all that is in true alignment with the most beautiful vibration of me and the me that I can be. I accept and allow to do more good, no, more great in the world. I have it to give. And so I shall.

Possibilities Abound

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acceptance, allowing, becoming, beleif, Believing, bliss, body knowledge, change, compassion, Conscious Living, courage, Courageous Vulnerability, Creative Flow, Creativity, development, Dream, Energy, faith, heart, heart path, hope, humanity, inspiration, journey, joy, learning, life, light, love, Magic, Mindful Action, peace, sharing, Soul to Soul, spirit, spirituality, universal consciousness, universal heart, well being, Wonder

Since Covid I have found myself giving over to healing from so much of my past that I never allowed myself the time to heal from. Despite the horrific tragedy of the pandemic and all of the lives lost and devastating heartbreak, I committed to choosing healing the heart as a way of taking time to honor the space of this moment.

A few years into what I have deemed my heart work, I am so grateful I made that choice and stuck with it as life returned to a new normal. What didn’t return was the man I was pre-pandemic. And for all of this I am able to see the immense change in who I am, what I desire and what is truly possible when one begins living from the heart and unconditional love.

As I diligently engage my meditation practice, my affirmation practice, my running practice, my waking practice, my movement practices and even my hypnosis; I see the abundance of possibilities that are there for me. Not a day goes by or a dream expressed that I don’t see the potential for a whole new life, mind and way of living.

Decisions have been made for huge shifts and transformative opportunities which slowly begin to reveal themselves in so many synchronicities and ah ha moments. I have returned to so many instinctual remembrance’s that all whisper that this is the right direction and path for my voice of the heart to begin speaking and literally singing once again.

This is the time and I realize, now more than ever, that the work I do, share and creates are needed now. My sensitivity, empathy, compassion and love is needed now. In these challenging and very turbulent times, I am needed now. As are you.

If we are going to move the world into the space of love, we all are needed now. In all of the many different ways, being and becoming; we are all so desperately needed for a time of healing for ourselves and for one another. The earth needs us. Our hearts need us. All that you love needs us.

In acknowledging that you are needed and putting the energy and focus in that loving space; possibilities will abound. You are capable of magic and miracles. We all are capable of magic and miracles. I choose magic and miracles each and every day. And let me tell you, it is divine.

I Think The Butterfly Knows

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acceptance, butterfly, change, changes, faith, inevitability, mindfulness, new beginning, new life, patience, peace, time, transformation, vulnerablitiy

I think the butterfly knows the hardship of transformation. They know the process takes time and understand that patience and faith are its only weapon.

I think the butterfly knows what it means to be vulnerable as on is left suspended with little defense waiting for the change. 

I think the butterfly knows the inevitability of change and what it must require of ones being to accept ones individual path to beauty and well-being. 

I think the butterfly knows how to embrace temporality as their life span is but such a small blip on the radar of time. 

I think the butterfly knows the value of being present and to welcome the tumultuous and dynamic physical shift that must occur in order to take flight. 

I think the butterfly knows what most of us human beings need to know; patience faith, vulnerability inevitability, acceptance, mindfulness and peace. 

Yes, without a doubt, I think the butterfly knows! 

One Word Week

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acceptance, allowing, becoming, Believing, change, compassion, Conscious Living, empathy, equality, graciousness, harmony, justice, love, peace, respect, seeing others, sharing, supporting

In the wake of all of this goodness, I have been so amazed by the noise that surrounds it all. Saying this isn’t commenting on the perceived positive or negative noise that always surrounds the shifting of times, but rather the amount of outpouring and claiming through celebration. Again, this is not a comment on the pride or needed exhale, but rather watching in wonderment of it all.

And yet, I am realizing for myself that I am absorbing our changing world in a very different way. For me it has been one of great internal reflection. I have observed the amazing things that have been occurring and have been digesting them into my being simply because I often can’t believe that they have actually occurred. If I can swallow them into my body and consume the joy within perhaps I can better believe that they are happening as they have become a physical part of me somehow.

In light of all of this, I have decided to use only one word this week to describe the feelings or thoughts that have been occurring as I process all that has transpired. I am calling it “One Word Week” simply distilling what I need to by choosing only one word rather than a rant or exchange. In doing so I hope to quiet those around me to enter into the simplicity of joined thought while contemplating more quietly through a focused and directed emotion. I realize I always connect better with those around me and those I love when I share what is in the moment without anything extra; stripping away unnecessary noise so that the connection is better tasted due to its simplicity of flavor.

So as I move forward this week I will express in a very succinct way and look forward to the ways in which those around me respond to the dialing back and humbling of the emotions. In addition, I am also very aware that the way we respond to change will help us better to change the other necessary and long over due shifts that need to happen immediately in our country. If we celebrate to loudly or wildly, the noise drowns out  and detracts us from addressing the pressing needs of our brothers and sisters who are also fighting battles of equality and justice. We are all not free until we are all free. We are all not legal until we all are legal. We are all not equal until we all are equal. It is a quieting respect that we offer even in times of great celebration. Our graciousness in the way we celebrate will help to let others know that we will fight along side them as well.

My One Word Week began yesterday with the word love. Simple and profound. Yet universal and necessary and needed for all. Join me in this directed expression and see what happens to your feed or to your exchanges. See what happens when we create a bridge through simple words and thoughts so as to bring people together even if they do not think or feel the same. If we create a platform to welcome others to the table for discussion while seeing them through a simple idea, perhaps we can begin to bring in more love as the walls will have come down. I wonder if we can disarm the fear and anger by simplifying the exchange?

The Freedom to Be

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Conscious Living, courage, Courageous Vulnerability, faith, journey, joy, love, patience, peace, spirit, universal heart, well being

Whisper the words of love by the actions of your heart

Water the garden of the soul by tears that fall from your sorrowful eyes

Absorb your fragile humanity by swallowing your pride

 

It is only through action that we can truly know

It is only through pain that we find our strength

It is only through vulnerability that we enjoy freedom

Nothing is Useless

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Balance, brother and sister, compassion, cultivating love, equality, harmony, love, necessary, open eyes, open heart, peace, seeing oneself, seeing others, sustaining, Understanding, useful

There is value in everything. However small something is, it has a significant reason and purpose even if one does not see it at the moment. If we find ourselves too busy to honor something or someones value, we know we have disconnected from reflection and ceased being present.

Yet, despite usefulness of all things, we must remember the balance in our lives as we do not need all the things that fill our lives. Many of us have too much and therefor are being suffocated by the things that overcrowd our internal and external space. If we find ourselves weighed down by this clutter, we know we have lost our faith in simplicity and efficiency.

It is important to recognize the value in all things and in one another. In acknowledging the importance and usefulness that allows us to see one another and the world around us in a much more sacred and interconnected way. This type of seeing allows compassion and understanding and reminds us of the balance and equality necessary for the very system of sustaining life and cultivating love. We see ourselves as equal; brother and sister.

In order to see these things, we must free up the space around us so that we might free up space in our hearts. It is this space that allows us to recognize the light of the universe inside one another and appreciate the value and sacredness of each individual, each being and every living thing. The more open the heart, the more light we see. The more light we see, the more gracious our lives.

A Meander in Peace

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alone, anonymous, becoming, Believing, discovery, inspiration, introvert, journey, Paris, peace, quiet, silence, spirit, walk

When I wander the streets of a foreign country I always feel at peace. This is mostly due to the anonymity of being in a place where you don’t speak their language and they don’t, for the most part, speak yours. I love to meander the streets and listen. I know not what they are saying, or pick up fragments, but non of it really matters. I am there to experience and to absorb. I watch for all intense and purposes and simply become a fly on a wall of international happenings. 

I love this because I am able to wander and become lost in a culture that just assumes I am one of them and then I am allowed to just be. Even if people approach me and start speaking to me, I am always quickly left alone when I share that I do not know their language. Or, if I do understand, I swiftly acknowledge them and answer their question. This happened at the train station here in Paris and some Americans asked me if they were on the correct train in French and I answered them without acknowledging I knew what they were saying after they stood in line behind me. 

Such a pleasure in given space to walk in a land where you observe and become part of the culture simply by existing in it. The joy of getting lost in a foreign land and permitted to simply just be and do. How glorious a luxury is that for an introvert. Walking through your day without the bother of a question or pull of conversation. The joy of anonymity and space. The joy of travel.

There is Room

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brotherhood, compassion, getting along, love, open hearts, open minds, peace, Understanding

You know, in my heart of hearts, I believe there is room for us all. There really is. There is room for us to express ourselves sharing in discourse and perspectives allowing for understanding, compassion and empathy. There is room.

 

There is also room for us to share the same space and great one another with love and an open heart. When seeing one another we see the light of the universe that is the same light within ourselves. We recognize that although we may come from different places, we are one. There is room.

 

There is so much room that we are forgetting to go to the very place that we can find it. Ironically, we are searching outside of ourselves looking for others to open spaces for us so that we can easily walk through. We are searching for a place that is so far away from us out there that exhaustion and fear take over disabling the heart and mind and enabling hate. There is room.

 

The place where there is the most room is deep within. Spaces so vast we cannot even comprehend its gateway to a spacious infinity. Inside exists a lighted pathway leading to what it is every human being is looking for: Love. The love of oneself with the acceptance of all that one is, is one of the most freeing and liberating places of all. And if we are free, truly free from the tyranny of anger, fear and hate, we can love ourselves fully this allowing ourselves to fully love one another.  Within, there is room.

 

Happy Birthday, Baxter!

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connection, dogs, dogs birthday, Grateful, peace, pets, soul of a dog, Soul to Soul, spirit, zen dog

Today is the fifth birthday of my sweet Zen dog Baxter. I am amazed at how quickly time has passed and how rich my life is since he adopted me just five years ago. It is truly amazing the energy and spirit he brings to my life and what he continues to teach me and remind me about what it means to be fully human as well as what it means to be a citizen of this planet.

 

Five years ago I found myself dog less as both of my previous beautiful dogs passed. I had Basil for 15 years who passed from old age and Anise who passed due to a liver disease. Both of them were a tremendous joy and brought such light and love to my life as I crossed the country dancing and making work. They were two of the best well traveled dogs one could ever meet.

 

Once they both passed, I promised myself I would let time heal my loss and be sure not to replace them or the memory of them with just any dog. Since I knew I would know when the time was right, I simply waited for the right dog to find me, and find me he did.

 

I spent about a year and a half open to seeing dogs, going to rescue places and just waiting until I knew. One August day I happened to walk by a rescue site that sets up outside of Pet smart. I began walking slowly looking in the crates. I make sure to make eye contact to see the light in the eyes of the dogs and to feel is there is a connection. When my attention was drawn to a crate a little up the way, I looked in and two giant green eyes surrounded by chocolate bliss were staring back at me. It was then I knew he was meant to be with me.

 

When the volunteer took him out and put him in my arms I could feel it in my bones. His coat was ratty due to having just been getting through carcoptic mange, but his energy and spirit would have made you believe he never had a rough day in his life. So full of light and spirit was he that all that mattered was to simply be held in the arms of me.

 

We spent some time together walking and just being. I knew that quiet time was an indication of many things. His personality, his energy and maybe even a relation to the spirit of Basil was very much the same way. There was something about Baxter that had much of Basil in him. It made me wonder if perhaps Basil had come back to spend some more time with me. If he did, he certainly made his way back well through the cosmic soup.

 

Whatever it was, we found one another that day and for this I celebrate and honor him on this glorious day of him. Happy Birthday, Baxter! May I give to you even half of what you share with me.