What Matters 6-29-2016

I believe that most people have multiple groups of friends and I may well be wrong or delusional about that, but I myself have different groups of friends, from different places.  Some I grew up with, went to school with, many I have met in different places along life's journey.  And I love them all equally, from my heart and soul.

It doesn't matter to me if you are or are not a part of any one of these groups or all of them, I love each person individually because they are in my life.  Your affiliation with anyone else does not matter to me, I love you because you are you.  Period.

It is called unconditional love and it is not based on you meeting any criteria or standards.  I simply love you as another soul that I see the beauty in.

And I don't really comprehend the logic of a group mentality that if one person should step back from the group for their own growth, why many in the group will turn their backs on someone they claimed to love.  That is conditional love folks and not what we are meant for.  That person who steps back has something the group needs because only they have that gift to give. 

And it is one thing to wish them well and another thing entirely to basically cast them out of your life altogether.  You can give a person space without deserting them, completely erasing their existence from your life.  If you do that you are the one who will suffer the most, not the one who stepped back.  They will go merrily on their path, as they should, without abandoning you, just doing what they are meant to do.

If the group or pack mentality is not beneficial to your growth, it is in your best interest to step back.  Not desert individual people from those groups, but to step back from the crowd, as it were.  You came into this physical world to shine, like the light that you are, not to be dimmed by others around you.  If they desert you, it is for the best as they did not love you unconditionally anyway.

Your soul has a purpose and it is to love, unconditionally.  Imagine a world where everyone did.  Can you?  So those who do not yet understand or practice unconditional love are not meant to be in your orbit until they do.  Our actions speak volumes and letting your light of love shine will draw them to it when they are ready for it.  Let your light shine <3

Faith 6-27-2016

Faith, the substance of things hoped for, a belief in something you cannot yet see, is a wonderful thing.  But leaving yourself out of the equation may not get you as close to it as fast.  Since we are all connected to the Divine, and made in its likeness,  with the same power as our creator, if you do not have faith in yourself and that spark of divinity within you, how strong can your faith be in the Divine itself?

Not to get at all religious here, but biblically speaking, the scripture says that if you have faith the size of a mustard seed you can say to the mountain to move and it must move.  But where does faith dwell?  Like the Divine, it dwells within you.  So if you do not have faith in yourself and your power, then you lack the faith to move the mountain, relying on something outside of yourself to move it.

If you believe that you were designed by a divine creator or deity, how can you not see that when you look in the mirror?  How can you not love that person in the mirror the way that your creator loves you, who is loving itself within you, created you in its likeness?

And by likeness I am not referring to physical attributes as anyone can plainly see, who looks, that we do not all resemble each other physically at all.  It is that spark, that love that is within you that is the likeness, the power to believe in your power. A power you cannot see until you trust in it, put faith in it and watch it manifest what you ask of it to manifest.  Be it moving a mountain or providing you clear guidance each day.  That still small voice they speak of, that is your divine voice, the one who wants to guide you to your highest and greatest good.  It is within you and so:

Faith in yourself is the bridge to what you want and where you want to be.

Unconditional Love 6-26-2016

I have said this most of my life.  It is true for me.  And my true meaning is that I love unconditionally or without conditions placed upon it.  Does it mean that I will agree with everything you say?  No, but I will love you anyway.  Does it mean I will condone bad behavior? No, but I will love you anyway.  And in loving myself the same way, without condition, it may require that I distance myself from you if you are unkind to me, but I will love you all the same.

There is no switch within my heart that I may turn my love on and off because I simply love, unconditionally.  And should I choose to separate myself from you to protect myself for a time, it does not diminish my love for you.  I told my son, many years ago,  I love you but right now I do not really like you all that much and it is not you personally but your behavior.  Which was true.  As a mother, it is hard to watch your child self destruct by their own choices.  So as much as I loved him, it was hurting me and I chose to distance myself from his activities.  He was an adult and free to make his own choices but I did not, out of love for myself, have to, nor choose to, witness any of it.

And even while distanced from those I have chosen to distance myself from for periods of time, I loved them, thought about them and prayed for them.  Because I truly love them.  But I also love myself.  In order to love fully, you cannot love yourself less than you love anyone else.  And since we are all connected what you do against yourself, you do against all.  Yes, it hurts when I hear others demean themselves or anyone else and more so when they demean themselves.  Because you cannot demean anything you truly love.

Yes, people lash out when they are hurt and it hurts others when they do.  And I get that people do that as they are human.  But if you can remember, in the heat of that moment, to stop, take a deep breathe, let it go and not lash out in hostility, you will not be adding negative energy to the world, which affects everyone.  If there is a wrong done, it is possible to state it calmly, to point it out, then move on.  There is nothing wrong in speaking up, it's how you speak up that matters.

I went a little wayward there, as I do tend to digress, but this is my process and I speak from the heart, where:

My love does not have an on and off switch.

Habits are mental 6-25-2016

Habits are mental conditioning, plain and simple.  And yes, the feelings can be quite physical as well as I will demonstrate shortly.  Our brains are a phenomenal thing really and can adapt as need be.  Think of an animal (or person for that matter) who loses a limb, they do not just roll over and die for the lack of it, they adapt to what their new physical reality is and the brain helps accomplish it through our neuronal pathways there.

For the sake of showing you how habits are a mental process, clasp your hands together as in the photo above, (not exactly as the photo, it is there merely for reference as to clasping hands in case my verbiage is incorrect), without looking because whether the left or right thumb are on top is irrelevant at this point, which is to clasp your hands in what feels comfortable to you.

Now, look down at your hands and see whether the right or left thumb is on top.  Ok, got it?  Now unclasp your hands and turn them just enough to re-clasp them with the opposite thumb on top.  Feel awkward?  Chances are good that if your right hand is your dominant one that your right thumb was on top to begin with and vice versa.  But if you practice both, then either feel "right" because  you have sent the message to your brain that triggered a new neuronal pathway.

And any habit can feel comfortable, good or bad, on a mental or physical level, until you practice other habits that create new pathways.  Having sustained a brain injury years ago where I did not know my own name, let alone how anything in the world was done, I had to create new pathways and now I can pretty much do anything comfortably.  I have always been curious and loved to experiment, that is how we learn, and it is just easier and more comfortable for me to be a little ray of sunshine.

Not that I haven't always been, mostly I have, but I have been through things that caused situational depression and I have learned that it did not help my situation one bit or myself and my mental and emotional health for that matter.  And so I always strive to look for the next best feel good thought, to stay in the flow of feeling good because that is where our power comes from that best suits us.

I prefer to choose happiness for myself rather than reach for a pill that will help me not give a crap how I feel, which really only benefits big pharma and not the individual they hook on their drugs, unless the person has an actual chemical unbalance.  Most do not, in my opinion, it is just such a chaotic world that many people see who are glued to the media, who would have you see all the negative and not the positive which takes place right next to it.  I digress, as my point is that happiness is an inside job and if you tap into the power that is within you, you shall find it.

Your brain is a very powerful ally and can help you if you are willing to tap into it, experiment, and see that nothing outside of you need have any affect on what is inside of you.  The universe has a sense of humor.  It has laid the most powerful tool in the spot that most will never look, right within you.

If you catch yourself clasping your hands and going back and forth with it, you are on the right track to seeing the power within you.  Plus it brings a smile to my face thinking of people clasping and re-clasping their hands in practice :-)

Poop sandwich 6-23-2016

It is not what you are thinking, which is part of the problem.  For the younger generation, let me first say that back in the day money, currency was referred to as bread and I heard this sentiment uttered more than once.  But money is not your true currency.

For me, my currency is love and kindness, what I am made of and to do and my thoughts and feelings dictate what that looks like in my reality.  Your true currency is the inherent value of you, which is immeasurable.

So yes, if you look at life in less than positive terms, you are going to taste a lot of poop.  And though poop may surround me, I do not allow it in, not into my thoughts or feelings or into that peaceful center of me.  So I taste very little poop in my sandwich of life.

I don't personally know of anyone who has not at least heard of the Wizard of Oz, or anyone who has not seen it.  It was a fantastic metaphor of life and in the end the good witch Glinda says "you had the power all along" and we do.  It is in us from our beginning and with us at our end, all we need do is recognize and remember that fact.

If you are tasting a lot of poop, chances are good that you are living from your ego, which would have you believe that your happiness lies somewhere outside of yourself (it is vicious like that because it would have no purpose if you woke up and knew that it was within you all along) and so you are seeking outside for your happiness and contentment.  And so you are disappointed when that thing you thought would make you happy is not "it" and you seek for the next thing.  You shall never find it.  It does not lie outside of you, it is within you.

But I will tell you that you are the source of your own unhappiness or happiness, your "sandwich" and it is all in what you think, say and feel.  No one can make you feel anything, you choose your feelings.  Period.  If another can make you feel anything it is because you have given them your power.  And then you will taste more poop.  I prefer not to give my power to anyone else. Therefore I taste less poop.

So love yourself and others, it is the best currency one can have because:

Life is a poop sandwich, the more bread you have the less poop you taste.

My creators name is Art 6-22-2016

As in "Then sings my soul, my savior , god to me, how great thou art, how great thou art". Everything that has been created is a work of art. Yes, Chrissy logic at work for you. But think about it, all of life is created as a masterpiece and a masterpiece is a work of art. A work of Art. And so I do not say oh thank God, I say oh thank Art, a real name, not a title or deity. And whether you believe in God or not, it doesn't matter, whoever or whatever you believe created you and the entire universe, it's a creator all the same.

Really think about the words to that song, your soul, singing to you, how great you are. It is a true, heartfelt sentiment from our creator, telling us how great we are. Even the bible says we were created in the likeness of God, not that we look like it in a physical appearance way, but what we truly are, love, was created in likeness to the love that created us. And it is our soul, our energy and essence, that is connected to all that is.

As I have said before what we now believe is not our own thinking, it is all learned from childhood from others. It is our soul that calls us back into being what we were created to be and we are created to be great, to achieve great things. We always have been great, we just forgot for awhile, but I am here to tell you:

You ARE great.

You deserve 6-21-2016

Indeed, you do deserve someone who will always look at you like you are the most beautiful thing they have ever seen.  Every single time they look at you.  I will not say that type of love is rare, but it is not commonplace either and it should be.  And I am not just talking about a partner, I am talking about when you see your own reflection, to look at yourself this way.

I was fortunate to have a husband who looked at me this way and I viewed him the same way and was in awe that he saw the beauty in me that I didn't quite comprehend at first.  The fact that this beautiful man loved me so much, and I could feel it in his glances at me, was beyond anything I had ever felt up to that point.  And so I was awe struck by it.

We all deserve not only to be looked upon this way but to look upon others this way, too.   Start with the person in the mirror, realize you are more valuable than gold, are loved far more than gold by your creator and see it in yourself, then give it to yourself, too.  It makes it easier to practice on others after you have seen your own inherent beauty and worth.

And then, when you go out into the world each day, look at others the same way, see their inherent beauty and worth and gaze upon them lovingly as you are connected to all things.  And all things reflect back to you that which you are.  If you do not love yourself that will be reflected back, just as when you do love yourself, that too is reflected back to you.  It is one of the laws of nature.  If you don't have anyone who looks at you this way, get out your mirror and look at yourself this way.  It's a practice.  Because:

You deserve someone who will always look at you like you are the most beautiful thing they have ever seen.

Love is love 6-20-2016

I was talking about communication the other day in my post and how we all don't communicate the same way and so misunderstandings occur.  But love is love and seeks only to love, therefore it overcomes even communication barriers.

We communicate differently because of our upbringing and how we learned to communicate as children from the elders in our lives.  Then it is colored by our experiences and the baggage we carry and then some years ago we, as a society, decided to become politically correct in what would "could or should" say and what was acceptable or not.

I am all for non-discrimination and speaking more kindly in general, but are we really so callous that we need to have that 1% who run our country tell us how and what to say?  But I digress... My point is that it was added into the mix of how we communicate.  Just because we are told that something is acceptable or not, does not necessarily make it the gospel truth and our souls, love itself, knows better, seeks better.

But with all of that, we can miscommunicate when we are not using the "language" that another person uses, from a different point of reference.  So it is important to try to understand their background and how they may take what you are saying, as your intentions may be totally honorable and yet not taken that way at all.

On the other hand, if you do keep the bridge of communication open and keep the dialog going, you can come to the understanding that was meant in the first place.  Unconditional love is about accepting people where they are and seeing things from their perspective.  They could just be having a less than stellar day and what you say may hit them wrong.  If you care about them, you will do whatever is required to resolve the difference of perspective.  A little love goes a long way.  And so it is that:

We don't all communicate the same way, but love is love.

Meeting of the hearts and minds 6-18-2016

For me, personally, there can be a meeting of the hearts long before  any words are spoken.  I see souls, not just physical bodies and so I can fall in love with a person in my heart long before we ever exchange words.  And when there is a connection of hearts, there can be differences that can attempt to divide them, however, if you can use your words, then you can have a meeting of the minds as well and I think only by having the heart connection can you do that.

If you are not invested in another person, through your heart, it may seem like no great loss if you never see them again, which means there was no meeting of the hearts that took place, yes?  But if you are invested in another human, you want to keep them close in your heart and you will do whatever it takes to find a way to do so.

I had a misunderstanding with someone I hold dear and I was trying to be as kind as I could and I was being misunderstood as well.  But, given I have that heart connection, I was trying my hardest to find a better way to express my thoughts more clearly so that we could resolve the difference.

We don't all communicate the same way.  And we all carry different baggage that shapes how we hear things.  Finding (or building) that bridge is vital to keep the connection close.  Sometimes we do have to distance ourselves from some people, for whatever reason, but I believe that if you can avoid that altogether that the relationship will be closer and stronger.  Such was the case with my friend who I adore and am richer for having her in my life.  If she did not care for me the same way I care for her, it may not have turned out as happily for me.

And so if there is a meeting of the hearts, there can be a meeting of the minds.

All of life 6-17-2016

All of life is a miracle.  It really is.  Like the Corpse Flower plant in the poster above.  It is so called for the smell it evokes as it blooms, producing chemicals that are also found in smelly socks, for one, and it only blooms at night.  The fact that it exists at all is a miracle, as is everything in life.

When I am sitting at the bus stop nearest my home, I observe even the smallest of creatures, going about their business and not giving a whole lot of consideration to anything but what they are doing.  And I realize that there are microscopic organisms that we cannot even see, how miraculous is that?

Even walking around in my yard I am fascinated by all of the life in it, from the largest trees, to the smallest of creatures dwelling there.  Little geckos, cocoons and caterpillars, ants, and even tadpoles, they are all miracles.  Which is part of the reason I live in a rain forest, all that nature to be enjoyed and I marvel at all of it.

And then there are us humans, miracles, to be sure.  Consider the intelligence that created us, as we are, and there were no flaws in our design, everything as it was intended to be.  It boggles the imagination, for me anyway.  And we are all connected, every bit of life, bound by the same love, energy, force that created us, is in us, in all things.

Yes, all of life is a miracle.

Row your boat 6-15-2016

I have always loved this nursery rhyme and thought it was a good way to live life in general.  And then I was watching Wayne Dyer on PBS last night and loved how he explained I was right.  In essence, he said:

Row, row, row YOUR boat, not someone else's boat or to let anyone else row your boat, no, row YOUR boat, it is your boat to row. 

GENTLY down the stream, with ease, down stream and not upstream, fighting the current.

Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, this is how you are to row down the stream, it says it 4 times, to do all things merrily.

Life is but a dream.

And seriously, it is.  We have dreams while we are sleeping and we have waking dreams as well, things we dream of doing or accomplishing, in any case, it is all but a dream.

Of course life will throw you curve balls in the form of challenges, that is what you came for to enlighten yourself, but that is to test yourself on your ability to row your boat gently down the stream. We are created of love, from love, to love, not to be miserable, but to be joyful, to feel good and that comes from within, not from outer circumstances, whatever they might be.

I am generally good at rowing gently but not always downstream or merrily, I'm human and forget sometimes.  But when something doesn't feel good, I know that something in me is resisting my good and the good the universe offers us and try to reflect on what it is.  And even if I do not figure out what that is, the mere quiet reflection feels good so I know that I am in the flow of that.  And I realize that whatever it is in me that is resisting, it is something I learned in my past and I can relearn a different pattern of thinking.

And so I love this nursery rhyme and the fact that it came up to remind me to row gently down the stream, merrily, for life is but a dream.

On being disrespectful 6-14-2016

If you care about someone I can't grasp why you would choose to be disrespectful to them but I do see it happen time and again.  So this is my response to those who would choose to be disrespectful to me.  I will basically "unfriend" you.  It does not mean that I don't still love you, that never changes, it means I will love you from afar.

I have a lot of friends and on Facebook I have hundreds of requests to be friends that I have chosen to ignore for the time being, simply until I get to know something about those making the requests.  I am not sure how those people found me to make their requests and as loving as I am, I do love myself enough to protect myself from those who may have less than desirable motives.  You just never know.

I do NOT need to get pictures of men's body parts in my messages (and yes that has happened) because then I have to control my snarky side and not reply, I merely block them.   Why would you do that to a stranger anyway?  Seriously?  On the other hand, if you are kind and have something intellectual to exchange, I love hearing others' ideas and thoughts.

But the disrespect is not limited to strangers, no, it includes dear friends, too, even family members.  And I will distance myself from those who choose to be disrespectful to me.  There are those who can tell you this is true.  It is also possible to work your way back into my inner circle, I am not heartless nor do I want to deprive you of all the love and friendship I can offer, but it takes time.  And respecting my boundaries is the single most important way to get back in.

Boundaries are vital, they tell people what you think of yourself by what you will and will not allow.  I had a high school teacher who said "If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything" and being the rebel that I always have been, I was standing for something that was likely frowned upon but he admired my willingness to stand for something.

Boundaries keep people from walking all over you.  You are not a doormat.  Don't act like one.  Stand up for yourself, let people know you are worthy and will not tolerate disrespectful behavior.  And watch how people come around to being respectful if they want to be around you.  True story.  You are worthy, created for a purpose, of love, to love and be loved.  You were not created to be walked on or anyone's punching bag, either physically or emotionally.

So, yes, you have the right to be disrespectful, but I have the right to distance myself from you. 

Fear of Change 6-12-2016

It is human nature, mostly EGO nature, to fear the unknown and so we resist change but that keeps us trapped where we are.  However, fear is a learned behavior, we don't come into this world afraid of anything and everything, we are taught to fear.  Many of those lessons are for our own safety, such as not touching the hot stove, but many are just behaviors our parents learned from their parents who only knew what they knew and on and on it goes.

And if you are happy with your life and where you are, it is most likely because you do not fear change, you relish it, so this message is not intended for your growth.  No, it is for those who feel stuck and yet cling to what is instead of letting it go so they may have the better experiences that would come in.

So, somewhere in your past, you had an experience (or even many) that perhaps did not end well, according to your expectations, and you formed an opinion of it and made the decision to never do that thing again.  The problem was not the experience itself, it was your expectations that caused the problem in your mind and closed you off from doing anything even remotely like it again.  Fear.

But you are here, in the physical body, to experience different things.  And that includes all things.  Pleasurable and less than pleasurable.  The unpleasurable is what we generally cling to and fear repeating but in essence those are the lessons that teach us the most.  And in learning those lessons we strive to make better choices for our lives, to have more pleasurable experiences.

We all struggle with something, it is part of the human condition, but we need not fear changing either ourselves or our circumstances because if we do, nothing ever changes.  To me that is scary.  It is ironic that we want what we want but we fear having it.  For it is only fear that keeps us from obtaining it.  It is fear that makes us feel unworthy of having what we want.  It is fear that keeps us from moving forward and only looking back.  But we have already been there.  We have to look where we are going (or want to go) in order to get there.

If you are still where you were a year ago (or 5 years or 10) then you have not changed and so neither have your circumstances, most likely.  The reason the rear-view mirror on your car is smaller than the windshield is because it is a small reference point, not the focal point.  We are meant to move forward, into our greatness, not stay where we are or move backwards.

The point is not to fear change and loose your expectations while you are at it.  Just be the amazing being you are, always have been and always will be, and move towards your dreams and desires, without fear.  Fear keeps you trapped where you are, what is scarier than that?

Enjoy Your Days 6-11-2016

This came about for me because although I appreciate the time and energy one puts into making their dreams come true, we also need to enjoy relaxing as well.  I am not a type A personality so I absolutely DO know how to relax and enjoy everything.  I do know people who may find that a waste of time until your dreams are realized, but I, once again, choose to differ.

If you are so busy DOING, what happens to you as a human BEING?  I do what I can, remain unattached to what I cannot and trust the Universe to fill in the gaps.  I can achieve my dreams in my way, which is with enjoyment on the way.  Perhaps I will not "rise" as fast as the many go-getters in this world but I will arrive all the same and won't have missed not being busy all the time.

If you are not enjoying each day, you are likely doing something that you don't like or that isn't in alignment with who you are.  Yes, sometimes we have to do things we would rather not do to accomplish what needs are to be met but at the same time if you are trying to control every little thing how is the Universe to help you? You are not leaving it space to help you that way.  

Me?  I prefer to do what I can and trust the Universe while I enjoy whatever it is that I may be doing.   Like enjoying watching this handsome young stranger surfing yesterday because I knew he was enjoying his day as well.   Enjoying my days :-)

Differ 6--9-2016

My take on the old adage of "I beg to differ" because I am not one who chooses to beg.  And this was brought about by hearing people debate yet another old riddle - if a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear it, does it still make a sound?  Most would say no but I CHOOSE to differ.

And the reason I choose to differ is simple.  If you were alone in those woods when the tree fell and it landed on you and broke your leg, would you not make a sound because no one else was there to hear it?  Seriously, think about it.  I believe all living things cry out when they are broken, humans do so when they are emotionally broken as well as when they are physically broken.  It doesn't matter if anyone else can hear those cries or not, they come forth. And all things are created from the same energy, same source, so why would the tree not cry out?

Not that it matters in the big scheme of things to anyone else, but it does to our creator.  And just because we do not or cannot hear the cries of other "things" does not mean they do not cry out.  And living things cry.  For instance, sea turtles cry when they are hurt, their tears are black I have been told.  I do not know if they vocalize their pain or even if we could hear it if they did.  But just because we do not hear it does not mean it does not happen.

When you cry out and no one else is around to hear it, do you make a sound?  And so I choose to differ.

On being correct 6-7-2016

I said this to a friend of mine yesterday when we were talking about life in general.  You know, those conversations that just flow from one thing to the next and about life in general?  And it occurred to me that I have never been one who was into being politically correct as society would condition us to be, or the need to be correct at all.  It is just that I usually am correct.  Ask my kids, it has always kind of blown them away.

It is not that I know everything, although I do know a lot, from watching and observing throughout my life, so when I say something, I usually know what I am talking about.  I can learn from observing other peoples' "mistakes" on what works and what doesn't, as well as from my own past on what has worked and what hasn't.  I would not go so far as to call them mistakes and that is why I put it in quotes above.  I consider them all as learning opportunities.

I do joke with my BFF when I flub something that "I made a mistake" but in such a lighthearted tone so as not to take it too seriously.   If you look at things as mistakes, you may have guilt over them.  I prefer not to guilt myself for my choices and accept them for the opportunities for growth that they are, so I have no regrets.  Are there some things I would do differently if I had to do them again?  No, there are not, because everything that I have been through and done to this point in my life has made me the fine being I am.

And I am comfortable in my own skin, with who I am, and how much I love and that love includes myself, just another being on a journey through this life experience with all the other beings on theirs at the same time.  I am constantly striving to listen to the universe and her messages for me, and the universe, or source, already knows all things, as do we, and is always trying to remind us that we do.  We come in with everything we will ever need in this life, it is just about reconnecting to it after learning as a child how to conform to what society expects of us.  But how can you improve society if you think as they do?

Einstein said that you cannot solve the problem with the same thinking that created it.  And being the little nonconformist that I am, I think for myself, I observe and I learn.  And I have learned it is far better to be loving than to be correct.  And on this journey, I have no particular "need" to be correct, politically or otherwise, it is just that I am correct so many times :-)

Greatest gift 6-6-2016

This is, of course, second to loving yourself because if you don't love yourself you are not really inclined to be of service to anyone else.  But once you do love yourself, this is the greatest gift you can give yourself - to be of service to others.

Even if it is merely a smile or kind word to a stranger, that may make all the difference in the world to them, to be seen, that keeps them holding on.  It can be monetary but it need not be, it could be your time, your presence,a helping hand, the simplest of things, really.

I find that when I give of myself to the service of others and I hear "I needed to hear that today, you made a difference to me", there is no greater gift than to know you lifted someone else.  To you it may have been the smallest of gestures or second nature to have done or said a thing, but to the other person it may mean the world to them.

We are all connected, together on this planet during this time, to help each other.  It is as simple as that.  You may feel alone, like you have to do everything yourself, but it just isn't so.  Reach out if you are the one needing help, and reach back if someone has reached out to you.  Everyone goes through all range of things and feelings in life, that is the human experience, and so it should be easy to relate to others going through something that we already have experienced.  And if no one was there to help you when you went through it, do you wish there had been?  Be that for someone else.

I cannot fathom a person who wants another person to have the hardest life journey possible.  It is beyond my comprehension.  If I can help someone who is facing a struggle that I have been through, I want them to know that they can and will get through it and if I have anything in my experience that can make that struggle easier, I will share it if it will lighten their burden.  Life was not meant to be hard and horrible.

So who can you bless today?  Who can you help if even in the smallest gesture?  You will find a blessing in it for yourself as well, there is no greater feeling than lifting the spirit of another human being.

Signs 6-4-2016

I talk to the Universe, a lot.  I may look like a raving lunatic when I have these conversations with the Universe, out loud, but I do not care.  I have learned that when you ask for signs and are open to receiving them, the Universe will provide them.  

I think I may have mentioned this before, saying that for myself, I need to be very specific when I ask for them, so that I clearly understand the answers.  But the critical step is being open to seeing or hearing them when they are presented to you.

Seriously, what is the point in asking if you are not open to receiving the answers?  Sure, you can put the requests out there all day long but if you are not paying attention to what you are getting back, the point is moot.

In a way, the cocoon in the photo was part of the answer to one of my recent questions, or requests, from the Universe.   And that is the stage I am currently in at the moment, the chrysalis, and soon enough I will emerge and fly, in all my beauty, as will the Monarch that will emerge from this cocoon.

Is it uncomfortable in this stage?  Yes, yes it is, but I know it is only for a short time and when this stage is done, better things are to come.  It was only a part of the answer, but the totality of the answer has me floating a bit already.  And that is a great thing.

So it is that when you ask the Universe for signs, be open to receiving them, no matter what form they take.  The Universe ALWAYS responds, without fail.  

Be a beacon 6-3-2016

This song has been stuck in my head lately.  Not a bad "earworm" really, because it is so true.  So my whole thought process was that I was and am a beacon, that my inner light shines.  I have had confirmation of this fact from so many others.  And it shines because I am my authentic self.  And yes, I know I talk about this a lot, but being who we were created to be is so very important.

We were created to shine, not to live in anger or sadness or depression or regret.  Sure, we, as humans, are meant to experience these emotions and feelings, for contrast (I believe), but we are not meant to live in them.  We were created of love, to love.  We are powerful beyond measure (thank you Marrianne Williams) and not powerless.  But until you can look in the mirror and love the person you see, how can you truly shine?

And when I say look in the mirror, I am not speaking of just the physical person you see there, but the spirit that dwells within it.  Although we are all unique like snowflakes, since we are all connected, we share that quality of love that we are created from and so we all are very alike.  Shaped by different life experiences, yet we all feel the same emotions at some point.  And when you see that you will come to the realization that we are more alike than different.

The eyes, being the window to the soul, so it is said, how can you not look into your own eyes and not see the world?  And the light within it.  And until that light is shining, how can you be a beacon for others?  As this song says "there's a little light in all of us by God's design" and even if you don't believe in God, there is light in all of us, by design, and we are meant to shine.

I know it is old, but so am I, I was around when Donna Fargo sang this originally :-)  Here, hopefully it will show up as a link, but if not, just do the copy/paste thing into your browser, have a listen:

 https://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0SO8wK82FFX5yYAuwxXNyoA;_ylc=X1MDMjc2NjY3OQRfcgMyBGZyA21jYWZlZQRncHJpZANiMWFzMjJlWlRhT3U5RmQ3MjhJeHpBBG5fcnNsdAMwBG5fc3VnZwMwBG9yaWdpbgNzZWFyY2gueWFob28uY29tBHBvcwMwBHBxc3RyAwRwcXN0cmwDBHFzdHJsAzgxBHF1ZXJ5A3dobyUyMHdyb3RlJTIweW91JTIwY2FuJ3QlMjBiZSUyMGElMjBiZWFjb24lMjBpZiUyMHlvdXIlMjBsaWdodCUyMGRvbnQlMjBzaGluZSUzRgR0X3N0bXADMTQ2NDk4MTcxMw--?p=who+wrote+you+can%27t+be+a+beacon+if+your+light+dont+shine%3F&fr2=sb-top-search&fr=mcafee&type=C211US105D20151210

Doubts and fears 6-2-2016

This is true, doubts and fears are the killers of dreams.  It links back to what I said about being open to your dreams.  You cannot say you believe something and doubt it at the same time. The fear thing is a tad different.  Saying, for instance, I believe I can zip line or para sail and still be afraid will not necessarily keep you from doing those things if you really desire to them, but if you doubt that you can, you will never even try.

On the other hand, if you are too afraid of any thing, you will not attempt it.  A certain amount of fear at trying something new is okay, so long as you are not so in fear you never try.  You dream of travel but are afraid to fly?  You will never see that dream then will you?  I look at fear and doubt as cousins of a sort.  I really don't fear much of anything.  While it is true there are things I am less fond of (mosquitoes and spiders and fleas, for instance)  I do not fear them, I just find them annoying and lacking a purpose for anything good.  Seriously, what good do blood sucking little flying and jumping insects do for the good of anything?   But I digress...  Both fear and doubt are related in a sense that they can keep you from doing anything.

It is self sabotaging to harbor these if you dream of more for yourself.  You were meant to live a full, joyful life.  Not just get by or "survive" or merely exist.  What kind of life is that?  But you have to ditch the fear and doubt in yourself to realize your dreams and desires.  And once again, yes, I say this to remind myself as much as anyone else.  This blog is just me, sharing my thoughts and feelings and if you are reading them and they help you, that is great.  And it is also perfectly fine if no one else is looking at or reading my blog, I am not attached to that anyway.  

I just question why you would dream of or desire a thing you are in fear of happening or getting.  See how silly that sounds?  And if you are trying to manifest your dreams or desires, why would you doubt them as if they could never really happen for you?  Just something to ponder.....

Who are you ? 6-1-2016

Seriously, who are you when you are being your authentic self?  Are you the same person with everyone you encounter?  I don't think most people are, not a judgment, just an observation.  I was thinking about this because I am genuinely ME all the time.  I am the same whether I am interacting with  family, friends, employers and coworkers or the public at large.  My behavior is no different, no matter the circumstances.

This is not to say that I do not act more silly with some of my close friends, I do, because they allow me to be be me and are not ashamed to be seen with me when I am sillier.  It's a joy thing really.  I am more joyful and therefor silly when I am with them and they are too.  These are the friends that you have "inside jokes" with, and they are the only ones who get it when you do or say them.  Like laughing hysterically when someone merely says ha ha.

But basically I am my genuine, authentic self all of the time.  I had a supervisor once who said of me "you never have to have any doubts when Chris speaks, she is totally honest in her feelings".  I don't hold grudges and if I should have an issue with anyone, I say what I feel and ask them to help me understand their point of view more clearly.  As in "how can I help you to help me be better?". Yes, I actually said that to my boss, although it was more accurately stated as "how can I help you to help me do my job better?'  It wasn't that I was bad at my job, I was the only one who actually could do it, it was more of a supply chain thing and getting my things I needed ordered.  Without supplies there could be no build and I took issue with that.  But I digress.....

The point is that no matter who I am with or where I am, I am always the same, just me being me.  I have observed people over the years and they seem to wear many "faces", each shown to a different segment of population. How they are with friends is not what they are with family and not at all how they are at work.  And I think that must be tiring.  Constantly changing a way of being.  I am forever that inner child, the 6 year old who just loves to laugh and play.  That knows what it wants and attempts to get it, that forgives and forgets hurts only moments after an offense.  That lives in the moment.

So I wonder who other people are when they, too, are being authentic, or more specifically, who they think they are when they are being their true selves.  Or do they even know who their true selves are?  That in the moment (and it actually feels good) self.  I can see it in people, I just wonder if they can.  So who are you when you are being yourself?