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Articles
& Quotes
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If you're looking for some inspiration, here are some messages and quotes I've posted over the years.
For more inspiration, check out MY SOUL WISDOM BLOG. For more quotes, click HERE. Publishers click HERE for guidelines. Pour yourself a hot cup of tea, snuggle up, and have a read. Enjoy!
(c) 2005-2010 Laurie
E. Smith. All rights reserved.
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"Close
the door. Write with no one looking over your shoulder. Don't try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure
out what you have to say. It's the one and only thing you have to offer."
-Barbara Kingsolver
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Each month, I choose a new theme to focus on in my own personal life, and our collective journey toward
making our dreams--for ourselves and the world--come true. Past messages and quotes are posted here. Thank you for visiting.
Happy manifesting! A YEAR FOR MIRACLES
As I read news coverage of the recent safe landing of the US Airways flight 1549 in the Hudson River, I got shivers
from head to toe. The story of a plane crash struck very close to home. My husband and I had just honored the eighth anniversary
of the safe landing of British Airways Flight 2069, an event that dramatically changed our lives. While we were on this flight, traveling to Kenya for a vacation,
a mentally-ill passenger had broken into the cockpit, attacking the pilot. For five long minutes, the plane tumbled uncontrollably
through the air, dropping ten thousand feet. A series of synchronicities, inexplicable events, and help from other passengers
miraculously saved our lives and those of the other 379 aboard the flight. As I have read news reports these last few days, I’ve been able to relate to the calm stillness
some of those aboard the New York flight reported feeling—certainty of death, then gratitude for life. On the other
hand, I can’t imagine the panic survivors must have felt as the cockpit filled with smoke, or as they waited in the
cold Hudson River to be rescued. Each
of us has a story—a moment in time, sometimes more than one—when our lives are forever changed. Moments like these
can happen during natural disasters, brushes with death, job loss, death of a loved one, unexpected diagnosis or disease,
falling in love, giving birth, losing a job, or during a still point—a moment when we are calm enough to see deeply
within. I believe the coming year is going
to be one of many miracles. In fact, this flight may very well be a metaphor for what is happening to many of us, and of things
to come. Our miracles may not always appear positive at first. Like the smoke and rising waters in the plane were for those
aboard the US Airways flight, the events before us may seem downright terrifying. We may be asked to take leaps of faith, like the survivors of flight 1549 were as they jumped
aboard lifeboats. We may be asked to put our whole lives, our whole fate into the hands of another, like those who were pulled
out of freezing water onto ferry boats. Or, long before we are ready or even believe ourselves able, we may be the ones called
upon to demonstrate the strength we have within. Miracles never come exactly the way we would expect or could plan. The universe is infinitely more creative than
anything “safe” we could come up with on our own. And sometimes, the real miracles are the small changes that
happen within us, gradually and unnoticed over time. For my husband and me, our miraculous plane flight was followed nine short months later by the fatal events of
September 11, 2001. We lived in New Jersey at the time and were surrounded by the uncertainty and tragedy affecting so many
of our friends and loved ones as a result of the terrorist attacks. A few months later, my husband accepted a voluntary severance package from his employer and we
left life as we knew it behind, driving around the U.S. for three months, spending much of it exploring where we were being
called to go next. Life was uncertain not just for us, but for all of America. We knew our future was being dramatically redirected.
We just didn’t know quite where to yet. We are now living in California, a life very different than the one than I ever could have predicted at the time of that
flight to Kenya. I am grateful for the blessings I have received, let alone to be still alive today. I have no doubt where
we are now is in many ways a result of that miraculous event eight years ago. Miraculous events don’t need to be experienced by us directly to deeply affect us. Like
the events in the Hudson River this week, they ripple out to others, making us pause, reminding us how interconnected we all
are, and that we each really do make a difference. I believe miracles offer an invitation to begin anew, choose a new direction,
follow a new path--one that may be more aligned with who we really are. Regardless of what comes our way this year, regardless
of how challenging it may seem at the time, each event will give us the opportunity to pause, listen within and ask ourselves
if we are ready partner with a divine power and allow the greatness and wonder that is possible in this world to happen through
us. I invite you to use this time to take
stock of your life. What do you value? What is important? What changes have you been putting off? What is your soul calling
you to let go of? What is your soul beckoning you to create? Then, lean back and get ready for a rollercoaster ride. You may be amazed what will come your way, and what is
possible for you. Your miracles might not be ones that make headlines, but they are still just as important. Sometimes a shift
in perspective or quiet moment of gratitude is all we need to ensure our own safe landing. © Laurie Smith, 2009
I’m sitting at the old, oak
table that has recently arrived by moving van from our previous home in New Jersey. The table is nothing special, and perhaps
that’s what I love about it most. Its surface worn just enough so I have no worries about the hot cup of tea I’ve
placed on it, alongside the sleeve of chocolate mint cookies—tonight’s special treat. I watch the sun sink beneath
the mountain out the window, the last of the day’s sunlight making the oak wood of the table glow. Soft music plays
in the background. My son and husband’s laughter echoes through the front door as, outside, they happily play some game
with soccer balls and a favorite red car they have invented together. Our daughter sleeps contentedly in her swing,
occasionally opening her eyes drowsily, locking them on me with a slight smile, then closing them again. Dinner dishes are
stacked in the sink, but they can wait. The weekend has begun. There is nothing special about what is happening around me, yet, somehow I am deeply
comforted by it all—the clutter, the chatter, the solitude, the respite. Perhaps “nothing-special” is really
the most sacred.
A FRESH START
As I woke up, I could
hardly believe my eyes. The sky was clear and colorful, the Bay was flat. The world was quiet. During the night, my husband and I had woken several times to the howling
wind, beating against the house. Patio furniture had been flung about in the wind, our son’s sandbox had filled up quickly
with rain water. Waves had crashed angrily on the shore. The storm had lingered through the night, vicious and unrelenting. But, now it has passed. The morning spreads before me
like a new canvas, peaceful, calm, wiped clean by the rains from the night before. A fresh start—what a gift.
FEELING GRATEFUL
-Sarah
Ban Breathnach Lately, I've had lots to be grateful for. The
miracles have come in small packages--quiet moments with my son on a rocky beach near our home at sunset, private celebrations
of ten years married with my husband, new friendships created. Some of the most grateful moments
I've experienced have been when I've been quiet enough to notice signs in nature patterning messages of hope for a bright
future. In the moments when I notice, that's when I'm most grateful. Not just for the fact that I am open enough to see (although this
itself is often a miracle) but also that there is a miraculous energy, or so I believe, in direct communication with
each of us. I wish you peace and miracles this month, and always. A
CLEAN SLATE
"Keep close to Nature's heart...and break clear away, once in
awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean."
-John
Muir Whenever I look at at the San Francisco Bay near our home, it has
changed. Today, the water is flat and shimmering a deep, grey blue. Pelicans are flying overhead, and a line runs through
the water, revealing a boat passed not too long ago.
The thing that strikes me most about it, however, is how clear
it looks--a blank canvas, ready for whatever it is that is about to come.
In my own life, I have been doing a lot of clearing, cleaning
out, straightening, putting systems into place--much needed work as our family still recovers from our move across country.
How wonderful to remember
that, like the Bay, in each moment we are different, changed, new, and the energy that rules the surf and the tides
moves also through us. DO
YOU SEE? “Everything
has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn whatever state I am in, therin to be content.”
-Helen
Keller
“Do you see?” My eyes questioned those of a hiker,
who was just a few steps from the car. Together, in the pre-dawn darkness, we watched as a deer leapt in front of my
car. It then trotted down the center of the road before jumping back up on the hillside again. “Do you see?” I silently asked the other rowers, sweating it out on rowing machines as I was drawn to the window overlooking
the creek below. An eight-person shell launched from the dock, pink reflections flickering off the oars as they
rowed in perfect unison. “Do you
see?” I asked my two-year old son as, after dropping his Daddy off at the ferry,
a single line of birds at least a football field in length bobbed on the water, one after the next. Then, as if receiving
orders from some invisible source, they suddenly took flight as one. “I see a sea lion, poking up its head,” my son answered back, moving his young hands
in the air to show me exactly what he had seen while I had been otherwise occupied. The day had started with the usual complaints—a head cold, an aching knee, an alarm clock
ringing much too early—but truly began when I was overtaken by an unexpected little visitor called Wonder. STORM
BREWING
"Out beyond all ideas of right doing and wrong doing there is a field. I'll meet you there."
-Rumi
The sky looked ominously dark. All morning, I felt an excitement,
an invigoration in the air. Yes, there was going to be a storm and it was going to be a good one.
As the clouds
started rolling in, the wind gusted, tumbling our patio furniture about as if it weighed nothing. The cat and my son started
to get restless. Then, the rain started. Water ran down the window in sheets, pouring past like a wall fountain.
Sometimes a good storm is just what my soul needs. The clouds dim my view and make me look more within than outside. The
darkness provides just the contrast I need to remember how much fun the light is.
Whether it’s a storm out
the window, a grumpy mood, a touch of fear, or even disaster—storms of life aren’t something I would wish for
anyone. But when they happen, they can provide just the perspective we need to move onward, often in new directions.
Storms can help us to redirect our path and accept a new, more gracious perspective than we ever would have, had we not
been tossed about a bit. It can also help to remember the sun is still there, and as soon as the clouds pass, it will shine
again.
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January-June
2006
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JUNE
2006
A MONTH OF MIRACLES
Welcome to June! Last month we celebrated CHANGE. I entered May packing
boxes, expecting the birth of a friend's baby and watching Nature change through buds on trees and new goslings being born.
Aptly, on the last day of the month, a moving van came and took away our boxes and furniture, a baby boy was born
(Congratulations to the Genovesi family!), and Nature moved past fragile beginnings into a New Season.
In my own
life, even amidst the chaos of a move, I have experienced many miracles, synchronicities and the details of life falling into
place with unexpected beauty. I am forever reminded how if we put our intentions "out there," things often happen
better and more magically than we expected. The small stuff really does get taken care of when we're willing to trust, have
faith and let Life happen.
This month, I celebrate Miracles--specifically the miracles that come when we have the
courage to let go of the past in all its forms, and step bravely into the future. Miracles happen when we're willing to Begin
Again.
I wish you a June filled with magical moments, miracles and unexpected surprises. May all you hope for happen,
even more marvelously than you believe to be possible.
MAY 2006
CELEBRATING CHANGE
Welcome to May! As I am preparing to move my life and my family from one coast of the country to the other,
I am becoming very aware of the art of making transitions.
In addition to what's happening in our home, Nature
seems to be echoing my focus on change--how glorious yet sometimes painful it can be to tranform oneself from one form to
another. Eggs are hatching, goslings that are now cute yellow babies will be gangling teenage birds by the end of the month,
and a close friend is growing in girth as she prepares to birth a new human into the world. Life--what a strange string of
transitions it is.
This month, you too might want to think about the transitions you are making in your own life.
What is the world around you teaching you about the graceful (and sometimes not so graceful) act of change? Keep your eyes
open for miracles. They are on their way!
WELCOME IT ALL
"This
being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
Some momentary
awareness comes
As an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they're a crowd of
sorrows,
Who violently sweep your house
Empty of its furniture,
Still, treat each guest honorably.
He
may be clearing you out
For some new delight."
-Rumi, 13th century mystic
KEEP ON KEEPING ON
“Keep on beginning and failing.
Each time you fail, start all
over again, and you will grow stronger until you have accomplished a purpose--
Not the one you began with perhaps,
but one you'll be glad to remember.”
-Anne Sullivan
APRIL 2006
CELEBRATING THE POWER TO DREAM
"You are never given a dream without also being given the power
to make it true."
-Richard Bach
As we enter April, I am celebrating the power of
The Dream. My dream is that someday, this website and my newsletter Spreading Sunshine will act as powerful agents to spread
positive energy and inspiration throughout the world. My dream is that by offering my gifts of writing and insight, I can,
as Emerson writes in his essay about success, "know even one life has breathed easier."
My dream is to
inspire others throughout the world, especially children, to remain committed to their own uniqueness, to trust that they
have unique and important gifts to offer the world and in offering these, the world truly will be a better place. My dream
is that in some small or large way, I can trust and follow what I know to be true in my heart--in spite of pressures and external
messages to the contrary--and inspire others to do the same.
When we share our dreams for our lives and the world,
we set something powerful into action. Like a giant ball of energy growing speed as it rolls downhill, a positive reality
is launched into motion. When we birth our dream simply by speaking it, we set it free and it takes on a powerful, positive
life of its own.
When we envision, believe and support each other in the knowing that what we yearn for in the
deepest place within our souls is vital, we will have a greater impact than any of us can ever know. In dreaming, we are spreading
rays of inner light throughout the world.
What is your dream for your life? What is your dream for the world?
Claim your vision today.
MARCH 2006
"Scatter joy," wrote Ralph Waldo
Emerson. As spring approaches in the month of March, that's exactly what I hope to do. As we welcome March, we will be celebrating
JOY.
I have noticed how being grateful for everyday blessings and asking myself the question, "What will make
me feel more abundant right now?" are two things that are helping me to scatter more joy.
What makes you
feel joyful? What will it take to do more of that NOW? Together we ARE making it a bright, new world.
FEBRUARY
2006
As we welcome a new year and the month of February, we will be celebrating COMPASSION. Last month,
we celebrated courage. In many ways, I think making the commitment to being compassionate with ourselves and others--opening
to all our limitations with acceptance and love--is one of the most courageous things we can possibly do.
This
month, have the courage to be compassionate. Together we ARE making it a bright, new world.
Tuesday,
February 7, 2006
MIRACLES WITHIN CHANGE
"Please be patient. God isn't finished with me yet."
-Unknown
One of the greatest forms of compassion, I believe, happens when we give ourselves
and others the space and permission to change. Today's quote was printed on a glasses case I received at the eye doctor's
office when I was a young girl. At the time, with my childlike confidence, I really didn't like the saying. Inherent within
the words seemed to be the idea that someone, somewhere thought I wasn't good enough to be a final product!
Now,
many years later, I realize that my discomfort with the quote may have been as much its declaration of our ever-changing nature
as it was any underlying judgement. Being truly compassionate with ourselves means having the courage to face the truth. We
are never finished or perfect! In each moment, cells within our body are dying and being birthed. Life is about letting go
of the illusion of finality a little bit everyday, and opening up to the miracles that await within change.
Monday, February 6, 2006
EYES OF COMPASSION
"We all live with the objective of being
happy; our lives are all different and yet the same."
-Anne Frank
When we look into
another's eyes--really look--it's amazing what we can see. Often we see ourselves looking back. What we judge in another is
what we dislike in ourselves. But the same can be said for what we celebrate. Everything any of us have ever wanted and gained--be
it greatness, peace, health, creative prowess, beauty or deep compassion--is available to us all.
Today, try playing
this game. Whenever you pass another person--perhaps in traffic, waiting in line, or your spouse at the end of the day--look
deeply in their eyes with compassion. Expect to be delightfully surprised. Imagine that what you see is you. Most likely,
it is.
JANUARY 2006
Each month, I choose a new theme to focus on in the journey
toward creating the life of one's dreams. As we welcome a new year and the month of January, we will be celebrating COURAGE.
Join me in making a commitment toward facing your fears and walking through them, following the dreams within your
soul and having the courage to do the one thing your soul most wants you to TODAY.
A NEW YEAR!
"What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?"
-unknown
A
new year, a clean slate, a brand-spanking new beginning. I love when the universe gives us these group-mind opportunities
to dive into a fresh start.
Of course, the truth is we all have this opportunity in every minute--every second
of every day gives us an opportunity to put the past behind us, hold our heads high and recreate our future with every, single
breath.
As we have arrived at the beginning of a new year, what a great opportunity to once again commit to building
lives we love! What a great opportunity to share our unique gifts with the world! What a great moment in time to commit to
our role in creating the future--for ourselves as well as the world--our souls are calling us to build!
It's going
to be a special year and I am honored to be here at this point in time traveling this amazing journey with you.
TODAY
is a great opportunity to reflect on what your soul really, really wants. What desire burns so strongly in your heart, it's
a light that you can't put out?
What dream is your truest self calling to you to create--for REAL this time? What
is your soul telling you it's here to do? Starting TODAY, let's join together and MAKE IT SO!
Happy manifesting
and HAPPY NEW YEAR, my friends. I look forward to getting to know you in the new year and celebrating YOU as you live the
life of your dreams.
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December 2005
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DECEMBER
2005
Each month, we celebrate a new topic related to creating the lives of our dreams. As I thought about
a theme for December, two themes kept coming to mind. And so, in the season of abundance of giving—I offer you a two-for-one
special!
The first theme of December is Gratitude. The second theme is Clearing Out and Letting Go. Everything
that has ever happened to us and everything we have filled our lives up with up to this point—be they thoughts, patterns,
possessions, beliefs, relationships, you name it!—always offers us positive gifts.
The more grateful we
are for these gifts, the easier it is to release what has been and bring our energy back to the present—creating more
to be grateful about in the here and now. With the New Year just around the corner, now is a great time to make room for those
dreams about to come true!
Happy Holidays everyone! As we each give ourselves the gifts of self-acceptance and
nurturing self-care, we spread peace throughout the universe. Namaste.
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
LETTING GO OF RESISTANCE
"Kites rise highest against the wind--not with it."
-Sir
Winston Churchill
Today's daily message is about something near and dear to my heart--resistance.
I have found myself at many times in my life feeling as if in a state of struggle.
I look around at my life, scratch
my head and wonder, "It's a wonderful life! Why am I struggling? Why am I in pain? Why am I having such a difficult time?"
Usually when this happens to me, I am resisting--resisting something I know to be true for something I believe everyone
else "thinks" is better! (As if I could know what they think! Resisting the path that makes me afraid for the way
I've always done it before. Resisting what my soul really wants me to do for something I think I "should" do--whether
it's for more money, to avoid criticism from others, or simply because it's the way everyone else in my little world has done
it.
Ah, resistance! The one thing that when we let it go, opens up the floodgates to opportunity, personal power
and CHANGE!!!
Dare I say it? Yes, I think I will. Here on this website, with the internet and anyone who cares
to check in as my witness, I state to the world--"I AM READY TO LET GO OF RESISTANCE!!!"
Okay. So now
there's part two of this month's theme. Gratitude. Am I grateful for resistance? I guess. It's kept me feeling safe all this
time, albeit a bit bored! It's kept my life pretty much status quo, which can be comforting. It's kept my friends' opinions
of me pretty much status quo too. In other words, I haven't had to deal with the changing opinions of the world as I have
changed. Nice payoffs, really. So, yes I'm grateful.
And, I'm ready to let go. Bye-bye, resistance. Thanks for
stopping. Now, I'm ready to FLY!
What are you ready to let go of? You'll never believe the power this has. Join
me! Do it TODAY!
Friday, December 9, 2005
GRATEFUL FOR LIFE’S CHOICES
"It's
like the man who comes to the tree at the fork in the road and says, 'Which way shall I go, this way or that?' Go! Take one
way and go!" -Guru Rhh
My husband and I have recently been making lots of decisions lately—more than usual, it seems. Some of the decisions
we’re making are big life ones, some are little decisions like what to buy for Christmas. Then there are vacation decisions,
money decisions…the list goes on and on. ‘Tis the season of life choices!
Some choices we make in
life affect our lives for years to come. Others may really not seem that important in the grand scheme of things. But whether
the choice we are making is a BIG one or not so big, we often go through the decision process in a similar way.
When making choices, I sometimes act as if there’s a “right” answer and if I think hard enough, I can
solve the puzzle. Perhaps this perspective is a throw-back from my days in school when every question on a test, you either
got right or wrong.
As we focus on letting go, something I’d like to let go of is the perspective of looking
through the world (and more specifically my own life) through a lens of black and white. The older I become, the more I realize
there really is no right or wrong, just different experiences depending on which paths we choose. I believe it’s important
to tune in and listen to what our souls want us to do AND it’s also important to realize in this wonderful adventure
we call life, our choices aren’t so much about wrong or right, but simply giving ourselves different conditions with
which to have fun.
In celebration of this month’s theme, I am grateful for the many tests I’ve passed
thanks to looking at life as if there is a “right” and “wrong” AND I am now ready to no longer rule
my life based on this perspective but rather accept that life is a rainbow of experiences—What a true gift that is!
When we stop judging our choices the way a teacher would but instead allow ourselves to be grateful and start having
fun with the infinite opportunities life offers us, the world seems to soften. Openings are created. We start enjoying the
process of choosing rather being so focused on the result of our decisions.
Today I am grateful for all the risks
I’ve taken that have turned out okay, and all the opportunities that keep coming my way!
How do you make
decisions? What is your soul saying “yes” to? What are you grateful for?
What would make your life
more colorful? Choose it. Today!
Thursday, December 8, 2005
WHAT IS YOUR BEST--TODAY?
“Now that you have reached a new level of being, you may be tempted to look back at the past with regret.
You may think of the many higher, more loving ways you could have handled some things. Yet those very incidents provided you
with the growth that allows you to now see a better way of behaving.
…Everything that happens is meant to
help move you into your greater self…If it had not been for those incidents in the past you would not be who you are
now.”
-Sanaya Roman, Living With Joy
There have been many times in my life when
I’ve looked back over something I’ve done or said and whispered to myself, “Boy! If I were to do it all
over again…!” I have also been known to judge others in my life (upon occasion! :-) for things they have done
or said too.
One of the presuppositions of NeuroLinguistic Programming (NLP, a process for changing your life
by accessing your unconscious mind that is modeled in many different creative visualization and life coaching practices) is
“everyone is always doing his or her best.” What presupposition means in this case is something we assume about
ourselves, others and clients at all times.
Our best changes minute to minute, hour by hour. Some days I’m
really “on,” my writing is sharp, my insights inspiring. Other days, my synapses don’t feel like they’re
quite connecting. My fingers fumble on the keys looking for words, typos are abundant. And that’s just when it comes
to writing!
I know when I first gave birth to my son and was struggling with the worst sleep deprivation I had
ever experienced, postpartum hormones raging, to say nothing of the experience of getting used to being a mother for the first
time, my best on all fronts of my life was very different than it may have been at another time. I learned humility that year.
I also learned to be gentle with myself.
In celebration of our theme this month, I am grateful for the gifts assuming
my best was a constant has given me—a sense of control in an a world that is absolutely not in my control, to name just
one—AND I now choose to accept the view that in each moment, everyone—including me!—is always doing their
BEST (a bright big changeable BEST in a bright, big changeable world).
Today I am grateful for simple pleasures,
happy memories, and the realization that we are creating a new past for tomorrow Today.
What are you ready to change
in your life? What gifts have you gained from the past? What are you grateful for? Ask yourself Today.
Wednesday,
December 7, 2005
NO MORE LOOKING OVER OUR "SHOULD"ERS!
"The one important thing I
have learned over the years is the difference between taking one's work seriously and taking one's self seriously. The first
is imperative, and the second is disastrous."
-Margot Fonteyn
True confessions--I
love People Magazine. In the most recent issue, I was inspired by an article about Rachael Ray, bestselling author and chef
with top shows on the Food Network. In the article, Ray said about her show, "I've never watched it, and I never will...If
I do, I'm going to become self-conscious and start to care too much about what my hair looks like."
Part of
doing our work in the world is doing it--and not looking back. While worrying about what others think is natural, we can only
be in one place at a time. When we're looking over our "should"er, we're not in the here and now--creating the new.
One positive gift evaluating myself (often critically) has given me in the past has been the perspective from which
I like to believe I have improved my art (whatever that has been at the time). In celebration of December's theme, however,
I am grateful for this gift AND I welcome the speed my life will move forward with once I let this go!
Today I
am grateful for beautiful sunbeams, warm cocoa, hot baths, simple conversation and the many different opportunities, perspectives
and achievements I have been fortunate enough to experience in my life. I am also grateful that I am always, always learning.
What are you ready to let go? What gifts have you gained from your past? What are you grateful for Today?
Tuesday, December 6, 2005
WELCOMING THE RHYTHM
"Transcendence is the power
to be born anew, to make a fresh start. to turn over a new leaf, to begin with a clean slate, to enter into a state of grace,
to have a second chance.
Transcendence makes no reference to the past, whether your past has been overflowing with
victories or filled with defeats. When you enter a state of transcendence you are able to create a new life, unburdened by
both the victories and the defeats of the past.
Transcendence is more than just the accurate realization that the
past is over. It is also a realignment of all dimensions of yourself with the very source of your life."
-Robert
Fritz
Today is one of those glorious days where everything happens just "right." We awoke this
morning to discover our lawn filled with fresh-fallen snow. I shortened my morning "getting ready" routine to make
time for playing in the snow with my husband and son.
Then it was off to teach meditation. Because of the weather,
only one person showed, someone with whom I've been yearning to catch up with for a while. We skipped meditating for wonderful
conversation, swapping advice and insight on important life issues. In fact, as so often happens, I got just the guidance
I needed just when I needed it!
Then I had the honor of giving Reiki to a client. As so often happens, the advice
she came out of the session with for herself inspired me as well--"You Define You" and "The more you believe
in the You you are seeking to create, the more you will be that person, AND the more others will treat you that way too!"
Sometimes I find I don't follow the cues in my path. I resist the flow of energy leading me from one place to the
next in life. I think I know a better way. In celebration of this month's theme, I am ready to let go of resisting the gifts
and guidance that so often seem to flow intuitively and miraculously into my life, as if from above.
I am also
grateful for the gifts I have gained when I have tried to control life's flow rather than receiving all the miracles being
laid out for me. These gifts have included a feeling of comfort, safety or control (whether it was true or not)--something
I have definitely needed at different times in my life. And so as I am ready to let go, I also honor all the good that has
been.
I am also grateful today for new insights, the amazing people whose lives have touched my own, beautiful
snowy paths to walk, new discoveries through the eyes of my child, the birthday of the man I love, and a burning in my heart
that just won't "shush!"
What are you ready to let go of in your life? What gifts have you gained from
the past? What are you grateful for? Ask yourself Today.
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October-November
2005
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NOVEMBER 2005
Wednesday,
November 30, 2005
Getting Back In Balance
One of my dearest friends called me today. She said she's been working
so hard, she sits in her computer chair at 6:30 a.m. in the morning and doesn't get up again until she has to pick her kids
up from school at 3:00 p.m. She works in her own business, and while she finds her work exciting, her life has been feeling
out of balance. I knew exactly what she meant--'out of balance' is a place I seem to visit often this time of year.
Yesterday,
however, she said, she had to change her routine because of a dentist appointment. The shift was just what she needed. She
found herself making time, not just for the appointment, but also to go to the gym and work out. Sometimes, the start of self-care
is starting small--doing that one thing that, if it had a voice, would be screaming at us--"do me, do me, stop neglecting
me!"
With one shift, one small change in routine, we often get a second wind, new perspective or an uncanny idea on
how we can do more--more for ourselves, more self-care. If you're finding yourself overwhelmed, be it with the holiday rush
or business as usual, ask yourself, "What one small thing can I do for me today?" and see where it takes you!
Tuesday,
November 29, 2005
Opportunity Is Knocking!
Today as I walked along the river, I felt as if I was being blown from
one direction to the next just as the wind was blowing about the autumn leaves. Life has recently sent me several new opportunities.
I realized that as I was evaluating the choices, I was feeling pulled, tugged in each possible direction as I tried each on
for size.
I have found, in my own life, that the more positive I am in my outlook of the world, the more opportunity
knocks. The more opportunity knocks, the stronger we need to be in our core, not just so we continue to magnetize opportunities
aligned with who we are, but also so we know which knocks to answer, opening ourselves and our lives wide!
Monday,
November 28, 2005
Listen, My Friend, to You!
Sometimes I find myself getting angry with those I care about when
they don’t listen to me the way I want them to. How often do we turn away when someone is speaking with us, or interrupt,
sending the message that what we have to say is more important? I know I do.
Usually our irritations at the outer world
are signals from our truest selves. What we believe we need from others is really what our souls need from us. The greatest
way to change our world is to give our inner selves some undivided attention.
Listening to ourselves and our deepest
yearnings, even if what our souls are saying makes us feel uncomfortable, or is a request for something we’re not sure we
can give—that, I believe, is what true self-care is all about.
Sometime today, sit in silence. Come without expectations,
without a goal. Simply sit. Listen. And see what your soul is saying to you.
Friday, November 25, 2005
Pampering
Ourselves
Long solo walks on windswept beaches, a sunny nook--just me and my book, a hot bath with floating candles,
a long bike ride--hands off the handles.
When I think of pampering myself, giving myself exactly what I desire most,
these are just a few of the delights that come to mind.
Lying on the earth--soaking up the sun, a kayak paddle just
for fun. Laughing, playing hide n seek, an evening with the man I love, no words to speak.
What pleasures make your
soul sing, your heart warm and your life feel more complete? What would it take to treat yourself to at least one? Today.
Thursday, November 24, 2005
Giving Thanks
I used to think giving thanks was a passive event--sitting around
a big table, bowing my head and remembering all that is good and well in my life. Now I believe that is only the beginning.
On this day of giving thanks, let it not just be one of reflection, but one of action. A day of activating all that
is out of alignment in our lives and bringing ourselves back, gradually, gently and effortlessly to all that we are--so what
we are grateful for lives and breathes in all we do.
May your day be filled with many blessings, and may you be aware
of what a blessing your life is to those on earth.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
What Do You Love?
What
do you love? What brings you passion? What makes you feel more gloriously alive than anything else? What makes your heart
beat harder, your soul open wide and takes you to a place where you're sure no one has ever gone before?
Whatever that
is, find it. Do it. Living your passion and being the person you are in those moments is the greatest form of self-care there
is.
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Have The Courage To Be You
When we hide behind some semblance of what
we think is right or will be accepted, we are often sorely disappointed with our lives. We might feel safe. But there's another
part of us--the truth within--that doesn't feel safe at all.
When it comes to true self-care, one of the greatest
things we can do for ourselves is to stop hiding and really be the amazing wonderful people we are. When we do this, we give
others the benefit of getting to know the "real us"!
May you move forward on your path today with real, honest intention.
Monday,
November 21, 2005
Be Your Own Best Friend
When it comes to friends, sometimes it helps to have one yipping at our
heels, keeping us on course, reminding us of what we want in life and cheering us on as we get it. Other times it helps to
have a friend simply listen without judgment and be there as we talk—often discovering what our soul is trying to tell us
as we do. Other times, the greatest thing a friend can do is to let us be, to give us space and freedom so we can relax, breathe
and be alone, discovering the strength we have within.
As we celebrate self-care this month, we also celebrate the
journey toward becoming our own best friends. Ask yourself what you really need most. Is it keeping your commitment to yourself
and doing that one thing you said you would? Is it listening to your own yearnings and honoring them even if they take you
in a new direction? Is giving yourself space and permission to rest and relax?
This weekend, be a pal and give yourself
what you need—whatever it is. You’re worth it!
Friday, November 18, 2005
Giving Yourself Friends
Every
major leap I've ever taken in life has been, in part, thanks to the support of a network of friends who were "watching my
back" at the time.
When I went skydiving--a feat that terrified and exhilarated me--it was my brothers I called soon
after safely landing. When I was ready to birth my first book, it was a beautiful circle of nine soul sisters representing
every different aspect of my life who acted as midwives. When I went on a three-month cross-country trip with my husband and
left everything that was familiar to live out of the back of our car, it was a network of fellow yoga students who were able
to give me the send-off I needed most.
Only recently have I recognized that being a good friend isn't so much about
what we do to help another as it is our willingness to let another into the very depths of our soul. When we trust the universe
enough to be honest and vulnerable, we give the greatest gift we can possibly give.
To ourselves, this gift is the
opportunity to receive real, honest love. To others, the gift is an invitation--if they choose to accept--to also be equally
honest, vulnerable and real with us.
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Awaken To Your Desires
Sometimes the
greatest way we can demonstrate love for ourselves is by separating from others, establishing good healthy boundaries and
tuning within. True fulfillment comes when we can stand on our own two feet and be clear about who we are and what we want
with this lifetime.
Rather than doing for others, we create space in which we can hear more clearly what it is, exactly,
that our souls want us to do for us. As we care for ourselves in this way, we care for others too by giving them the space
and freedom in which to awaken to their own true yearnings burning within.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Loving
What Is
When I think of all the people I’ve admired most, the ones that really stand out are those who seem to really
like themselves. These are the ones who have a softness about them—a simple, gentle power. They seem to laugh a lot, laughter
woven throughout their words as if life is a really fun place to be.
It is natural to want to change things, to make
the world or even ourselves a bit better. Yet, the ironic thing is that the only way to change is through acceptance. When
we wrap ourselves in a loving celebration of all that is, those quiet places within us that we yearned to make different suddenly
begin transmuting themselves, without any additional interference from us.
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Receiving
Love
What if every thought, good deed or loving emotion you've ever had were coming back to you right now? What would
it feel like to receive all that good will you've sent out into the universe, returning to you multiplied?
I have discovered
that any problem we have--however seemingly minor or insurmountable--can be overcome through the simple act of loving. Loving
ourselves is believing there is good in the universe and welcoming it into the depths of our being as a gift for ourselves.
Monday,
November 14, 2005
Celebrate Your Beauty
Today I felt my energy drop as I was plowing through a huge pile of filing.
I stopped what I was doing, took a nice deep breath and asked my soul--"Why?"
In the silence, I heard an inner voice
berating me about how I ever let the pile get so high in the first place. Thankfully, a much wiser aspect of self quickly
stepped forward to make things right. She had a lot to say about how incredible it was that I was actually getting through
that filing (especially on such a beautiful day) at all!
I have found that most of us don't appreciate how great the
feats are that we are achieving. Whether it's a new skill or habit we've mastered, a dream we've made come true, or simply
the miracle of our bodies, we are each more amazing than any of us know. One of the most important steps in making our dreams
come true is celebrating our pure potential, and how far each of us has already come.
Monday, November 07, 2005
Simple
and Happy
When we're filled with a passion for what we're doing, and a genuine desire to give of ourselves, I believe
we can't help but feel abundant.
The harder I work to achieve something, the more I feel like I am going round and
round in circles. When I let go of what I think I "should" be doing and take time out to discover what my heart wants me to
do instead, and do just that with a genuine spirit of giving--I remember how simple happy can be.
Friday, November
04, 2005
The Power Of Play
Some days, the most productive thing we can do toward making our dreams come true is
to take a day off! Rather than scurrying busily in some direction opposite to where our souls want us to go, we rest. Instead
of working, we play.
And when the day is done, more often than not we have renewed energy, clarity and inspiration
to move forward to where we're being called to go. Play is one of the most underestimated steps in making our dreams come
true. So take a day off, and celebrate what happens when you do. Enjoy, and have a great weekend!
Thursday, November
03, 2005
Making Space For The New
When we find ourselves ready to make a change, the quickest way to begin is to
start making space. This means letting go, one by one, of those things that no longer serve us, to make room for that which
does.
Moving the physical is a great way of doing this. Oftetimes, however, the physical isn't what's really in the
way of us manifesting the new. It's what the physical symbolizes that's filling up our lives.
When we have the willingness
to examine all of it--what we view as "right" and "wrong", how we prefer to be perceived by others, even our yearning for
certain emotions over others--we allow ourselves the luxury of disengaging and disentangling from that which no longer fits
to make room for who we really are.
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Life's Little Tests
I have found that
life frequently sends little buggers our way just when we're ready to let go of an old pattern, once and for all, and move
into brand new terrain.
I used to look at these tests--be they in the form of people who bug us, patterns that reappear
or situations that bring out our worst--as big, fat nuisances.
I'm finally at a point in my life where, in spite of
myself, I'm learning to be grateful for experiences like these for the gifts they bring. The greatest of all these gifts is
the opportunity to recognize that we are always responding to the challenges before us in new ways, whether we realize it
or not.
Change doesn't happen in leaps and bounds, but rather second by second. In each second, we are different than
the person we were the second before. Nature teaches us that we are constantly undergoing thousands of little deaths, and
with each death, something within us is born anew.
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Happy November! We Celebrate Self-Care!
Each month, on our website www.dreamcatching.net, we celebrate a new topic related to making our dreams come true.
In November, we focus on the beauty of SELF-CARE. At a time when many of us are gearing up to celebrate the holidays,
and at the same time are adjusting to less sunlight, it can be extremely helpful to remember to do what we can to keep our
own inner light bright. The more we care for ourselves, the more energy we have to share with the world.
Celebrate
yourself this month and give yourself lots of sweet and nurturing care!
November 1, 2005
Who Do You Want To
Be?
I've always had a sense of the type of person I want to be when I'm nearing the time to lose this earth--in my
vision I'm the ripe old age of 107, more or less. Among other things, as an old woman, I'm very peaceful, leading a simple
life, confident and completely comfortable with doing things the way that feels just right to me--regardless of what other
people think.
While 107 is still a long way off, after a recent birthday, it occured to me that it's closer today than
ever before! Maybe the time to start being that person, then, is now.
Often our dreams come true when we make the simple
decision that we no longer want them to be dreams, we want them to be reality. And we're ready. Today.
OCTOBER
2005
Monday, October 31, 2005
Trust Your Emotions
All the turning points I have ever experienced in my life
have come after moments of clear honesty with myself or at least one other person about something that didn't "feel" quite
right.
Hitting rock bottom isn't necessarily what it takes to make a change. Knowing you've hit rock bottom, you're
feeling angry, bored, unsettled, disappointed, impatient, glum, or whatever it is for you, and having the courage to look
that emotion in the eye, I believe, is really the first step.
All emotions offer gifts--even the ones we don't like
so much. If we have the courage to receive them, they can liberate us far beyond anything else life offers. From being honest
about our feelings comes the inability to pretend any longer, and the power to finally do something about whatever it is they
are trying to say.
Friday, October 28, 2005
A Brighter View
Our experiences in life often have more
to do with the stories we're telling ourselves inside our heads than anything else. When it seems as if we've come upon an
impasse, or as if "they" are in our way, it can be helpful to ask ourselves if there might, just might, be another way to
see what we are assuming is truth.
Our perception of others as judgmental might be instead that they communicate differently
than us. Obstacles may simply be a delay so all the details of a future miracle have time to line up perfectly. Silence of
a loved one or dear friend may mean they are just waiting for the perfect time to show how much they care.
What inner
"truths" would help your perception of reality look a little brighter?
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Step-By-Step
When I watch my toddler son learn new skills, I'm reminded how he always does it through trial and error. First he
tries this, then that, until finally he finds something that works. He takes that one tiny learning forward and graduallly,
inch by inch, he's soon mastered something phenomenal.
In the same way, when we're striving to change our lives as
adults, it's nice to remember that if today, we learn one small thing and adopt it into our arsenal, we're on our way.
Wednesday,
October 26, 2005
Creating Beauty
We often think of successful endeavors as the product of lots of action, drive
and hard work.
Great works, however, also come when we have cultivated a sensitivity to the nature of energy. As we
sense energy building, growing into a new form, we wait, watch and listen.
When we have the courage to wait as the
thing takes form, letting the creation guide us rather than the other way around, we are often amazed at what can be birthed
through us.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Flooding Abundance
They say the key to manifesting abundance is
the willingness to receive as well as give.
As I watch river waters flooding with all the rain we've had lately, I
can't help but think it's not just being open to the wealth heading our way that's important, but having a place to put it
all.
When we don't just receive, but cherish, care for and nourish all the treasures life brings us, we don't have
to worry so much about grasping more, more, more--instead we can experience the joy of watching what we've already been given
grow.
Monday, October 24, 2005
The Secret Of Success
The more committed I am to learning through the
act of teaching, the more students I seem to magnetize.
The more committed I am to giving, the more I am gaining.
The
more committed I am to loving, the more loved I feel.
I am slowly learning that possibilities really are infinite when
we're humble enough to be willing business partners with the divine.
Friday, October 21, 2005
Accept Where You
Are
The point of departure for making our passions come true is always in the present moment.
When we have
the courage to see our lives as they truly are, with open eyes--accepting whatever it is we see with compassion and gratitude--that's
when things really start to happen.
Acceptance: True, honest acceptance is always at the root of powerful change.
Thursday,
October 20, 2005
Choose To Believe
Sometimes all we need to make the energy in our lives shift is to choose to
believe that everything is happening just as it should.
Judging or striving to "make something happen" gives way and
acceptance steps into its place. Loving the Now becomes our operating focus, giving us a new source of energy.
We
are carried forward to a place more aligned with our spirit than ever before.
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Soften
Your Hold
When we reach for something better, sometimes we hold too tightly to our dreams, our wishes, our old way
of doing things.
When we choose to instead trust that our intentions will be manifested easily, effortlessly and joyfully--not
only does our grasp softens, making the room for miracles to happen, life also becomes a lot more fun!
Tuesday,
October 18, 2005
Make "You" Happy
When we stop worrying about what others think, when we stop trying to please
“them”—we become freed once more to please ourselves.
By bringing our energies in from external sources and centering
them within, we once more have all we need to create the lives our souls want us to have—and so much more.
Monday,
October 17, 2005
Be In The Now
The best way to attract what we seek is to be where we are.
We can yearn,
we can strive, we can desire. And then, there comes the time to return home--to root, to kiss the ground and be grateful as
we wait for all the wishes we have cast to fall lovingly into our net from a greater source.
The more we are here now
and grateful for all the magnificent good in this moment, the more we attract miracles wherever we go.
Friday,
October 14, 2005
Have The Courage To Let Go
Making our dreams come true is often more about letting go than taking
any grand action.
When we have the courage to let go of anything standing in our way--and that includes the dreams
we could make come true (if we worked hard enough), those we think we "should" make come true, or any other distraction taking
our energy--and choose instead to honor the unique dream our soul wants more than anything in the world, life becomes magical.
Letting
the rest all fall away, the light from within guides us home!
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Enjoy The Adventure
Life is an adventure, one led by a very wise tour guide.
If we don't yet have what we are seeking, we can pretty
well be sure that we are being prepared for it or something better to come our way.
Best thing to do is to open to
the experience, sit back and enjoy the ride!
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Open To A Greater Flow
Letting
go usually doesn't require effort, sweat and toil but rather opening to a great force waiting to do the work for us.
Cleansing
happens when flood waters rise and wash away anything not rooted deep enough to stay. We simply have to open to its flow.
Tuesday,
October 11, 2005
Make Space For What's Next
Sometimes when I look around, I realize that all this "stuff" is taking
up space I could be using for something else.
That prompts me to ask the question: "If not this, then what?"
If
everything is a choice--my thoughts, my possessions, my beliefs--then letting go then becomes not time for grief but for celebrating
what's to come.
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