HAPPY HALLOWEEN

        What haunts us? What spooks and goblins rattle our nerves? Is it past spectres or ones from the future that jump out at us from behind dark corners and terrify us when we least expect it?
     Let's put on our brave masks and heroic costumes and face our ghosts. Let's welcome them and give them treats. Let's admire the ways they are dressed up, and recognize that underneath they are probably not so scary after all. Let's honor the things that haunt us and then send them on their way.

I call out my ghosts and welcome them straight-on. Then I let them go.

COMMUNICATION

      Relationships choke and sputter without frequent and honest communication from the heart. And it takes courage to listen as well, without taking whatever is being said personally and becoming defensive.We need to talk about our daily emotional experiences, and encourage others to share with us in the same way.
     More often, we shut down, and feel miserable and misunderstood. We speculate and justify and point blame. Mis-emotion rages inside of us like wildfire, and consumes us from the inside out. But all it takes to put the fire out is to express what we're feeling. Even if it seems silly. Even if it seems un-necessary. When we spill it out of us, it dissipates. We are finally heard and understood, and we feel relief. In the open air of honest communication, our internal rages diffuse like smoke.

Whatever I feel matters and needs to be expressed.

LUCKIER THAN WE THINK

     Sometimes it takes witnessing someone else's hardship or tragedy to put our own problems in proper perspective. We are frustrated having to drive in the rain and we see a jack-knifed eighteen-wheeler and five car pile-up on the opposite side of the highway, with police lights and ambulances and fire trucks, and all of a sudden, our lack of visibility and the water on our windshield is no big deal.
     As we pass miles and miles of standstill traffic, we are filled with gratitude. Silly us. Here we thought we were unlucky to have to drive in the rain, and it turns out, we have been unexpectedly blessed.

I am grateful for where I am and what I have. It could always be so much worse.

THE PATTERNS THAT RUN OUR LIVES

     We are not as complicated as we think we are. Fundamental patterns circle over and over and round and about in our lives. They scare us. They motivate us. They inspire us, and put us on the defensive. They form the scaffolding of our entire belief system, and give structure and background to all of our action.
     Let's take the time to learn these patterns and understand where they come from; to bring ever higher awareness to why we do what we do. That way, we can change the things that don't serve us any longer, and refine the things that do. Whether we are conscious of our patterns or not, they operate on every level of our lives, so maybe it's worth it to take the time and make the effort to look at them. Maybe becoming conscious of these patterns is in some way the whole point of our lives.

I identify patterns in the way I behave and in order to behave better, I am willing to change.

SNAKE SKIN

     Eventually we change so completely that, like a snake, we have entirely shed our skin, and we are the same in some way, but also new. It takes time and consistent effort, a focused desire for something other than what we have, a whole lot of integrity, and faith.
     And sometimes it feels as if we are never going to change at all, but we keep going anyway, because once we have started, we can't go back. And then, in the course of some otherwise ordinary day, we realize that we have turned the corner at last. Without knowing exactly how or when, we have fully integrated our desired change, and can't imagine any longer being the way that we used to be. We look back and see that the skin we have shed lies empty on the floor.

I am changing even if I don't realize it, and completely changed before I even know.

SPORTSMANSHIP

     When we are "needy" it turns people off. We are all more inclined to give to those who are doing the best they can without complaint. There's something about whining and self-pity that makes us want to punish instead of reward.
      Perhaps we could all use a bit more of a chin-up kind of attitude when faced with challenges. Good sportsmanship in life, as in sports, is appreciated by others, and feels good on the inside too

I bring my best to every experience. I think about what I can contribute instead of all the things I want to get.

BEING STRONG

     Physical strength and fitness are helpful in life. Being able to climb stairs without gasping for breath, to lift things with ease, to hold ourselves in good posture with our core and chest stable and secure; these things make for good living. And it's possible for everyone to be strong. All it requires is a bit of consistent effort and a dedication of time- minutes a day- not hours.
     Let's do push-ups. Let's do sit-ups. Let's do bicep curls with soup cans. Let's use our muscles everyday. Let's walk. Let's dance. Let's tighten our stomachs and hold them tight while we're waiting in traffic. Isometric contractions work as well as repetitions with weights. It's doable and we're worth it. Let's all get a little stronger in some way every day.

I work my muscles and enjoy the benefits of being strong.

SIENNA AND NICK

           
     I am grateful for my children. They have taught me courage, patience, resilience, and unconditional love. They have pushed my limits, stretched my heartstrings, and impressed me over and over with their unique gifts. They have inspired me with their incredible twin connection, and shown me what it is to have that kind of sibling by your side. Sienna is all heart and ferocity, and Nick is charisma and grace. They rise. They fall. They struggle. They yearn. They push into the world for success and independence and come home for love and hugs.
     Their being here has changed everything.

I love my children with all of my heart.

 

PLAYING WITH MONEY

     If I have the right attitude, I can experience money and all of my financial fears and obligations almost playfully. Money comes in and money goes out. It ebbs and flows like the tides, sometimes a trickle and sometimes a rush, but always moving one way or the other. That's its only guarantee.
     We want to arrest money and hold it captive and demand that it stay, but it evaporates in the misty night like a ghost, and arrives in a whirl-wind. It teases us and we get frustrated. We want assurances. But money wants to play, and we can learn to play along, and laugh at the game, or suffer indefinitely from pushing against something that is ultimately as evasive as smoke.

I keep my levity when dealing with money matters and don't let the dollar drag me down.

THE WHEEL OF LIFE

     Life is a wheel, and everything is circular: days, nights, energy levels, moods, bills, seasons, impulses, fortunes, love, and tears. Much as we might get overwhelmed on occasion and want to stop all movement and be still for as long as it takes us to regroup, stopping in that way is not possible. We cycle and cycle even as we pause.

I am grateful that everything changes and the world keeps moving no matter what. I am willing to see this as a blessing.

GETTING IN TROUBLE

     I  have an insidious fear that I am going to "get in trouble." It seems childish. I'm afraid some great authority figure from out of the sky is going to swoop down and punish me.
    We want to be celebrated, but so much more often we are judged, and unfairly. We want to be validated, freed, told it's ok. But instead we are questioned at every turn. "Are you sure about that?" And told, "You'd better not do it. Better play it safe"... And so we do. We play it safe to the point of spiritual strangulation. Let's be intelligent, but let's not lose our spirit out of fear. Guidelines are just that. They are guides, not rigid walls with jaws of steel to impale us if we step just an inch too far.

I can trust myself to always do the best I can.

LIVING BY HONOR

     It's not possible to get ahead in life by taking advantage of others, not ultimately. In the short run, advancement and success can result from squashing people, and discrediting them, and bullying. But sooner or later, the negative action circles back. Call it karma or the law of attraction or justice. Whatever we call it, it never fails to play out... somehow.
     Let's prosper by spreading prosperity. Let's lift others with us as we climb to the top. Let's win by winning, and succeed by having integrity, and rise by doing what's right.

I live by honor and grace.

MAKING LIFE COUNT

     Are we so busy that we don't remember who we are or what we love? Do we go through the motions of our life almost as if we are sleep-walking? Do we do things just to get them done, or do we appreciate subtleties of detail and opportunities for blessing and growth in everything we experience?
     Let's wake up and pay attention. Let's pay attention to the people we encounter and talk to them and listen to what they have to say. Let's make every day and every hour count towards something worthwhile. We have a chance to make the most of who we are and what we've been given. Let's not waste it.

I do what I love, and I love what I experience. I make the most of my life.

MINI BLOG VACATION

~Posts will resume on Monday, October 15~

 

Happy Weekend everybody!!!

 

:) :) :) :) :) :)

MOUNTAINS

     I love the mountains. They are rolling and sensuous and nurture those who live in their view. They change colors with the light and raise the morning sun. They curve and bend. They are solid and fluid, stalwart, supple, and ever-earthed.
     Let's be like the mountains. Let's rise above things, and overlook them. Let's change fluidly with the light. Let's be inspiring. Let's be sensuous. Let's be grounded and always maintain our magnificent view.

I am beautiful like the mountains, ever changing; ever the same.

TAKING CARE OF OURSELVES

     We need our sleep. It restores us and keeps us fresh. But we sacrifice it recklessly. We stay up too late. We indulge our busy minds and lie awake thinking and thinking and thinking. We do not express our emotions in the daytime and we clench our teeth at night.We eat poorly, fail to exercise and deprive ourselves of fresh air. We discount our needs and then we wonder why we suffer.
     Let's not. Let's take good care of ourselves, as we would a child. We know how children get when they are tired, or hungry, or need to go outside and play. So that they can feel as comfortable as possible, we attend to them. Don't we deserve the same?

I stop short-changing myself and honor my needs. 

ENOUGH CRITICIZING!

     We needn't waste any time criticizing other people. We can rest assured that they are plenty thorough criticizing themselves. We ride ourselves mercilessly. We tell ourselves that we should and shouldn't this, that, and the other thing, and we think negative thoughts about every aspect of our being. It's sad and un-necessary that we do this, but largely true.
     Let's be positive instead, and look for the good stuff. Let's be forgiving and encouraging. Life feels so much better that way, and it keeps us in the light.

I stop criticizing everything and enjoy my life.

GETTING IT ALL DONE

     I am so anxious to check things off of my "to-do" list that I often miss the pleasure of doing them. I put pressure on myself to hurry up so I can move on to the next thing, and the next. I try to maximize my time and squish hours of work into minutes... and all so that I can relax.
     While things remain undone, I feel like I have to keep on going, and keep on, until everything is finished, and accounted for, and tied with a bow and put away. What insanity! It's never all done.On the heels of one project comes another and another. Challenge follows challenge. I want to learn to take my time, to enjoy the "doing process," and relax along the way.

I can relax even if I'm in the midst of doing things.

FACING-UP TO LIFE

     When a life situation gets uncomfortable, my instinct is to bolt. I am an escape artist from way back. And there is a certain relief in running, but it's short-lived, and eventually, I always have to face-up. We all do.
     It's actually easier in the long run to face whatever we have to face, and stay where we are, than to take off. If we run every time life gets hard we will be running forever. But if, on the other hand, we stay and face-up, we will discover our creativity, and resilience, and courage, and grace.

I am willing to hold my ground and face whatever comes.

 

FIGURING OUT PROCESS

     Fear is a creeping trickle under the skin. It is panic that is pretending to stay calm, but still bubbling anxiety under the surface. Fear hooks us at the level of our limiting beliefs- that we are not good enough somehow, and we hang by these hooks.
     But everything can be resolved. We think if our first idea won't work that nothing will, but it's not true. We have to remember that for every plan, there is a plan "b," and there's no need to be afraid to use it. We don't always get it right the first time, and this fact doesn't make us worthless. It sinply means we are human, and in the process of figuring something out.

I am not bad or wrong if I can’t make something work. It just means I have to keep trying.

LONELINESS

     In some ways, loneliness is more a state of mind than a physical reality. We can feel lonely in crowds, lonely in marriages, and lonely with a group of friends. Lonely is brethren to self-pity. No one understands us, or feels like we do, or cares. We are so alone.
     But we're not. Not really. We are connected to others at our very source, and any time, in any way, we can step into the middle of life and make friends and make connections and make room for others in our hearts. We can listen to someone who needs to talk. We can tell someone what's going on with us. Getting out of loneliness is a question of changing our mind. It's learning to think about what we can give, and what we can share, and how we can contribute instead of thinking about what we're not getting. The irony is, that when we give it, we get it!

If I am feeling lonely, I go out in the world and interact with people. I think about what I have to offer, and I offer it!

DRAMA FREE LIVING

     Even if big things are happening, life doesn't have to be high-drama. It can be calm, and proceed steadily, no matter what, if we are calm, and proceed steadily. The currents of our lives reflect us. If we are frantic, we feel anxious. If we are defensive, we feel angry. If we are always in a rush, we feel harried.
     Or if, on the other hand, we accept whatever happens in stride, and trust in the ultimate goodness of our path, we needn't fly off the handle at any little thing, and constantly be losing our cool. We can keep our cool, and live drama-free.

I consider my part in creating the drama of my life, and make changes in the way I behave to calm the drama down.