I am not perfect but I keep growing

Sometimes when we are running on E, it's our body's way of telling us to slow down. To stop. To take stock of what's important. To let go of everything that can be put off for another time. To accept we are imperfect human beings not machines. To say no when we want to rather than yes because we feel we have to.
I am coming off a long week of meetings, presentations, and travel and I am exhausted mentally and physically. Disappointed that a presentation I had worked on did not work out the way I had anticipated. My finale not coming through due to technical difficulties. My high replaced with a sigh.
And last night I got to my hotel late with no luggage discovering that because my connecting flight is less than twelve hours my luggage was checked right through to Bermuda. Accepting I will have to wear the same clothes I had on the day before begrudgingly.
Turning my laptop on last night just to see what had happened in my world to see several people enjoyed my blog post. Immediately feeling my spirit lifting because despite disappointments from one aspect of my life I found joy from another aspect of my life. From writing that comes from my soul. From writing that comes from spirit. Pure and unfiltered.
Thinking about how I debated about whether to post that blog because I had intended it for something else and was not sure if my general blog was the place to post it. But I decided to post it because my inner voice told me the time was right to do so. That the piece I had written was meant for my blog and not to be submitted to anyone else's. So I posted it and let it go. Surrendered it to the universe. Only to discover many people needed to hear the words I had written as much as I did.
And then I thought about why I was so focussed on my disappointments for the day when there was so much that had gone right in the day. Recognising that sometimes we have to accept that our best laid plans are not always what are best for us. Not what we are meant to achieve at that moment. But if we are strong enough and forgiving enough of ourselves to let our plans go, we open ourselves to see the joy we have in our lives. The abundance. The power of choice.
And my mindset changed from lack to abundance. Shifting my thought to gratitude instead of disappointment. Allowing me to accept that today I will arrive home in the same clothes I had on the day before.  Grateful for the fact that I have clothes considering there are many people in this world who have none or wear the same clothes every single day because that's all they have.
 Gratitude in knowing though my presentation did not go as well as I planned, at least I had the wherewithal to be invited to speak in the first place and got through the presentation even though it did not come out the way I thought it would.
What I am learning is when I accept I am always where I am meant to be, receiving the gifts and disappointments I am meant to receive, I am always growing. Always open to the Universe and for these realisations I am truly grateful. Because I accept I am an imperfect human being learning more about my imperfections so I can keep going. Keep growing. Keep learning more about me and life. About choices. Sometimes pleasant and other times not.
And when I am running on E, I need to stop. To take stock. To rest and rejuvenate. To express gratitude for all I have and then rest. As I intend to this evening when I am at home.
And I am more than grateful to be returning home today to my family and friends. Imperfections and all. Namaste.

The Storm may never come

“If you spend your whole life waiting for the storm, you’ll never enjoy the Sunshine.” Morris West
Right now we are being bombarded with so much despair, anger,  destruction and hate. So much lack, distrust, greed and jealousy. So much darkness that it’s difficult to see the light. It’s no wonder so many of us are afraid.  Hiding. Hunkering down waiting for the storm. The avalanche. The end of the world to come.
Reading this quotation today led me to this wonderful and empowering Tiny Buddha site. And I am so grateful for allowing myself to be led. For feeling the sunshine in the words of the quote and following them like the Yellow Brick Road.
Allowing my inner voice to be my guide. Showing my spirit the way out of the storm. Into the light. Allowing me to feel lighter. My load to lessen. My burdens to become not only tolerable but no longer viewed as burdens; but, rather opportunities for me to explore. To grow.
Forcing me to accept when we spend our whole lives waiting for the storm, we lose out on the perfect and beautiful sunshine right before our eyes. When we are so afraid of being destroyed, we forget to live. We forget to harness the joy that is constantly available for us. To us.
Instead we shut down the blinds. Hastily. Afraid to look outside.  Because we’re terrified that sun is not meant for us. Believing we don’t deserve its light. Convincing ourselves at any moment the storm is going to arrive. Snatching the sun from those of us that are less deserving. Those of who trying to claim what isn't ours.
Fear threatening to take us down. Keep us in that place of darkness. Of lack. Trembling with the thought that we may be discovered for who we aren't rather than embracing who we are. Trepidation forcing us to close our eyes to all that we are and can be. Shrouding us in doubt.
I know this story all too well. Because it is my story. Whenever I feel like everything is going too well, I stop. And wait. Wait for the storm to come. Inviting it into my life. Begging for it to come so I can stop being labelled the lucky one.
So I can show people that I am not lucky. I am just as unlucky as they when the storm comes. Sabotaging my own well being  My own chance of abundance. My own chance to grow. Sacrificing myself to make others feel more worthy. Lessening myself so I will not be vilified.
But when I read the quote about waiting for storms, something happened to me. Something forced me out of the darkness and allowed me to not only open my eyes to the outdoors. That place outside the confines of my walls. But to see just how much the day had changed from the perception of the day I had in my mind.
I was surprised by how bright the sun had become. Surprised by how crystal clear everything was outside. How the day had moved from one that was overcast, full of gloom and rain to one that is full of sunshine and light.
And I realized right before my eyes the Universe was sending me a message – a message that even when the storm is predicted to come, it may not come but if we are so bogged down waiting for the storm, we may not notice the storm changed its mind and instead decided to pass us by. Leaving space for the sunshine - the light to enter our lives.
Allowing our hearts to open. Giving us the opportunity to breathe. To see and feel its warmth. To understand waiting for the storm blinds us from the light, the opportunities right before our eyes, the abundance so readily available to us. The joy unbounded.
Feeling a sense of freshness following through my being as I embraced the knowledge that the only storm I can control is the one that rages inside of me. Not the storm sent from Mother Nature. Laughing lightly as I decided to fling open the windows and allow the sunshine in.
Declaring positively to myself, I am no longer interested in wasting precious time waiting for something I can’t control. The storm that may never come. And neither can I live my life afraid of how others may perceive me. No longer lessening myself to be accepted by those who choose lack over abundance. No I am embracing that light and enjoying every bit of that sunshine because I finally know I deserve it. Particularly knowing the storm may never come.

The magic of a Monday morning hug

Monday Morning was one of those days heaven sent from above except I was not with my family but trying to make the best out of where I was, I woke up with the mantra for the Universe to use me as it saw fit. To allow my love and light to radiate out to others. To feel the abundance of the Universe.
I woke up in one of the best hotels I have stayed in from a décor standpoint, Nine Zero, A Kimpton Hotel in Boston. Met my colleagues downstairs so we could walk to the office together and encountered  a man standing on the corner giving free Monday morning hugs. I watched people making wide arcs away from him. Almost as if he was toxic. Repelled by him. Like they were terrified of him. I watched his posture start to change. His shoulders starting to droop. And at first I thought it was because he was trying to sell something but when we got closer he said he was giving free hugs for Monday.
The sun was shining, The sky was cloudless. The air chilly but fresh. And I was in a new location  walking with two of my male colleagues so I felt infused with confidence to accept a hug from the man on the corner. At first I walked past him then I decided to turn back to hug him. When I did I could feel his joy coursing through us both. His gratitude for me taking him up on his desire to be a positive change agent. I said to him, "It's all about spreading the joy."
He was so excited when I said this that he stammered a bit before agreeing with me. I walked on from the man realising just as much as he had brought me joy by hugging me, I had brought myself joy by hugging him. Affirming when we operate from a place of love, abundance and gratitude we always attract it as well as radiate it out to others. Also affirming there is a conscious shift in energy occurring because there was no way that I would have ever thought there would be a man on a Monday morning giving free hugs in a big city like Boston.
I walked away from that man with the biggest smile on my face with two stunned colleagues looking at me like I had two heads. But it really didn't matter because I was full of inspiration, joy and peace.
I inhaled the fresh morning air, looked up at the cloudless blue sky and silently thanked the Universe for living in the present moment and allowing the magic of synchrodestiny to guide me to hug that man.

A wonderful shift in consciousness is occurring

There is a shift in consciousness throughout our Universe occurring right now. A shift in many of us wanting to understand the more. To be more cooperative with each other rather than combative. To replace competition with sharing. To shake the feeling of lack and embrace abundance.
There are more teachers and bringers of the light emerging. People who want to share and spread love and light to all those willing to listen. Oprah is once again one of the pioneers in this shift by putting herself out there at the expense of her own reputation for the non-believers.  Allowing herself  to be targeted by those who do not believe in the light nor the shift in consciousness.  Because she believes so much in the light and the need to bring positive affirmations into the world, she is still forging ahead.
Oprah is willing to be used by the force that we know but don't understand to help channel this shift in consciousness  Her OWN network is perhaps before its time but is opening doors for people who may not have understood what spirit is and what it means for us all.
She is providing a platform for like minded people from around the world to connect. To know we are not alone in our thinking that the world is going through a shift in conciousness  Super Soul Sunday is one of the best shows on television now because it is all about empowerment. About understanding we are miracles just by virtue of us being here
Each time I have the opportunity to watch Super Soul Sunday I come away filled with such hope, faith and inspiration. My soul feels full and my mindset shifts to embracing the miracle that I am. Furthering my desire to be a part of the shift in consciousness by making myself a better person. By allowing my light to shine on everyone I encounter even when they don't want to embrace me.
Movies like The Life of Pi would not have had an audience before yet the movie theatre was packed with people. Silence throughout the movie's duration as people watched their own emotions unfolding through the eyes of a young man trying to survive under the worst of conditions.
Deepak Chopra introducing his free 21 day meditation challenge is another brilliant medium to empower those of us seeking the light. Collective meditation is a powerful way to shift global consciousness because it allows people from different walks of life to share their consciousness in  a positive way. And I know when I finish my meditation I feel total bliss and possibility.
Blogs and websites are emerging confirming people's quest for more. Searching for the light. I am so proud to be a part of this movement. Of embracing the light. Of believing. Of having faith, trust, compassion and love. Of knowing I was born of love so I am love and that is my natural state of being no matter how dark it may get around me.
And what I am finding is the more I open myself to the possibility of the Universe, the more I offer to be used by the Universe to help spread the light, the more I am attracting into my life. There is definitely a shift in consciousness occurring right now and I love every single moment of it even when I am facing my own demons because I know I am growing. Here's to spreading love and light and peace. Namaste.
@Oprah Winfrey
@Deepak Chopra
@The Life of Pi
@21 meditation day challenge
@SuperSoulSunday

@The Life of Pi

My husband, son and I went to see the movie,The Life of Pi, together. And what a treat it turned out to be for us. Each one of us taking something from the story. The Life of Pi is a fascinating allegory of what our true and basic nature is when we are confronted with self, death and the void. Who do we become and to what extremes will we go to preserve ourselves?
It was a very long movie but at no point did I believe the story was dragging. I wanted to feel every emotion the main character  Pi, felt when he was forced to confront his greatest enemy, himself, after surviving a horrific shipwreck only to be left marooned at sea for 227 days before he washed ashore in a place very distant from his homeland of India.
Our conversation began when I asked which story Pi told about his journey do you believe? To which my husband replied, "There is only but one story, the true story." Causing me to pause and think is that answer really true. Is there only one story or are there many interpretations of a story based on our beliefs and desires? And my thoughts were confirmed because each of us had a different take on the movie.
My thirteen year old son preferred the story of the animals and Pi. Preferring to believe in the fantastical journey Pi preferred to use as his truth to help him to understand and accept who and what he became in the face of the devastation and destruction. Agreeing he preferred the fantastical journey of Pi because he found it difficult to accept we could be so animalistic.
My husband expounding on the fact that we must always explore and come to our own beliefs about religion, life and thoughts rather being indoctrinated into something we do not understand. Explaining that Pi was actually the lion in the movie who had to become the wild animal he did not believe existed. The wild animal his father had shown him existed when they still had the zoo in India by throwing a wild goat into the lion's den. Despite his father's lesson, Pi still felt we all have a soul where we connect and cannot destroy each other for the sake of destroying each other. Once he was lost at sea, he had to confront the fact that when we are faced with a choice of survival or death, our true nature emerges - much more basic when we have no more layers to hide behind.
I took from the movie that life is about letting go. Surrendering to all that is and all that we will never understand. Having faith that we are where we are meant to be and the hope that if we are our true selves we will always be found and rewarded. Life is about saying goodbye - bringing closure to what was and when we don't we often feel like something is missing from our lives. My pain parallelling Pi's for the loss of his beloved mother. The one person he could not save. Could not rescue from death. And he did not have the opportunity to tell her goodbye. To tell his family goodbye. To tell them sorry for the choices he made.
I understood that pain and felt it deep within my soul. Awakening the fear and guilt I harboured inside me from the death of my mother. For not treating her well in her last hours on Earth. For not having the chance to say goodbye. For turning my back on her on the day of her death because I took her presence for granted. Never believed I would ever lose her because that was not what I had envisioned for myself.
Pi taught me that when we let go, release the demons that threaten to pull us down into the deepest darkest pits of our own void, that's when we are given the wings to fly. To begin anew. To grow. Letting go means having faith there is more than us as individuals out there. There is a greater force that keeps us all together. Provides for us all. And steers us where we need to go for the greatest lessons we will ever learn. The gifts and power of compassion, forgiveness and surrender in allowing us to understand so much more about who we are and what we are here to do. To embrace the miracle of our existence in a field interconnected in  more ways than we will ever know.
The Life of Pi is wonderful imagery of all the demons we face in an exaggerated way so that we can learn that life is all about faith, hope, trust and the belief that we are one no matter where we come from. Energy within energy. An allegory that challenges us to decide which story we believe. To question is there but one truth or are there many truths depending on where we are in our lives. The answer for each of us to decide.

You are what you believe

Yesterday my nephew posted he had done something and it came back to him in a positive way. Reached out to someone who he thought was beyond his reach and that person asked him for more information. Sending him into a state of glory. And joy.

His sister has been reaching out to different people because she is trying to find solutions to her present situation. Doors are opening that may not have if she did not believe she is worthy. And I know she will continue until she finds what she is looking for. Adjusting her paths accordingly.

His brother is living in another country. Finding his feet. Discovering who he is. Taking advantage of the opportunities he may not have if he remained where he was before. Willing to let go of what was comfortable to find what will be comfortable to him as he grows and changes.

I decided to centre my blog on this wonderful progressive family because they remind me of the expression, “you are what you believe”. Your dreams only come true when you believe you are worthy of them. When you don’t stop at the first no but keep going until someone or something says yes because there is always someone who will agree with us. We just have to find them. Convince them by having passion about who we are and what we are trying to achieve.

Where did my nephews and niece get the confidence to go for it from? I believe it stems from their parents. Their mother recognized that living in Bermuda would not allow her children the education and opportunities she knew they were capable of achieving so she packed her family up and moved without a plan. Without thinking about the ramifications. She just knew she had to go if her children were going to flourish.

And while she was getting them together she took the opportunity to better her education as well. Now she is a fully educated woman giving back to her community. And her children saw her do this. Saw her give up to get. To let go and trust. Have faith and life has worked out for them and continues to work out because they have seen and lived, “you are what you believe”. They have experienced being taken out of their comfort zones and have survived and thrived. Redefining a new comfort zone for themselves.

My brother leaving his family for months at a time to help to support them so they could continue to pursue their dreams.  All of them having the patience to weather many storms.

Their children have learned they have to keep going for it until something opens because they believe they are worthy of what the world has to offer them. They are what they believe. They know when one door closes another will open for them. They have lived it and continue to live it.

I woke up with them on my mind this morning. Feeling such pride about how well my brother and his family are doing. How they continue to reach for the stars and beyond because they have faith and they trust and they believe they are worthy. May this be a lesson to us all. And may they continue to keep believing and trusting even on those darkest days. And may I continue to learn from them.

Nothing is impossible unless we believe so. Here's to feeling worthy and reaching for the stars and beyond. Happy Saturday everyone.

Writing authenticated comes from my inner voice

I used to contemplate, adjust and correct before I released my blog. Before I wrote my blog. I used to think everything had to be perfect. To wait for the profound to hit me. To judge and be afraid of putting myself out there. Frustrating myself. Waiting for that stroke of genius to hit me. Waiting for the perfect words, moments and time.

But now I know the first thought that sends tingles through my body is what I need to write about knowing that’s my inner voice directing me, asking me to explore. And what I have learned from this process is the power of following my inner voice, my inner compass, my inner divine. When I follow it from a writing perspective before I know it I have created a blog within seconds. No contemplating. No second guessing. No fear just going for it.

And when I step back from that piece of writing I am often amazed at what I have produced because it feels like I am reading it for the first time. Seeing the words and thoughts I formed from a different perspective. My words on paper seeming like they have sprung from a well of knowledge only accessible when I let go. Filling me with pride and abandon.

And when I reflect back on life, I understand that like my writing, I have to learn to trust and listen to my inner voice.  To those sensations that spring from that well of abundance deep within me because it always operates from a place of more rather than lack.

It’s better to journey than to stop. To fail than to not begin at all. To go for it rather than being afraid of being judged. Life is all about the choices we make, the steps we take, the triumphs and failures, the good and the bad. It is all about lessons learned and friends made. Accomplishments and disappointments. But most of all it is about living. Living our passions in whatever way we can.

It is not about waiting for the perfect moment or the perfect time because there is no such thing as perfect. It is all about trusting, faith and the courage to embrace the miracle that we are. My writing has taught me that and has opened me up to the more that I am. And for my gift and passion for writing I am truly grateful.  Namaste.

A starry morning of Thanksgiving

When I wake up in the morning, I love to go to my family room and look out the window at the star filled sky and let my imagination fly. I often wish for a shooting star to go whizzing by. But that wish does not often come to fruition. But it does not mean I ever give up hope because I know one day I will see a shooting star so I never give up. Particularly since I love to feel the magic of infinity fill my soul when I see the stars twinkling so brightly in the otherwise dark sky. I feel such a deep sense of peace, such a sense of warmness, such a sense of wonder when I look out at the sky.

And then sometimes as I did this morning, I question how we could ever become so arrogant to believe we are the only ones to inhabit this Universe. How could we not believe there are more worlds out there simultaneously existing as do we. Feeding, living and breathing just as we do.

How did we become so insular to believe we are the most advanced of all the existence in the Universe? How did we come to believe anyone or anything else out there should be feared and treated as alien? When in fact we are all one from the same energy. Coming from the same source. Sharing a common identity as we sprang from one Universal Source.

Sometimes I stand and look out at the stars and wonder what they really represent. What they really mean for us and the balance they help to provide. Because I know deep down inside nothing or no one could exist without the other. Each one of us, each thing in our universal plane is here for a reason. Without one we could not have the other.

This morning I stood at my family room window and allowed the wonder of my existence as a part of a universal existence to flow through me with gratitude. Allowing the light of the stars to fill my body with the feeling of all knowing. Allowing myself to be filled up with the Power of Unity. With the power of knowing each step I take in the direction of promoting positive energy is a positive step for each one of us. Recognizing we are all interconnected in ways we cannot even begin to comprehend.

Smiling with the knowledge that I don’t have to try to change the world, all I need is to change the way I am and if I do I can help to effect change without even trying. Change does not have to be sweeping. It can sometimes be as simple as adjusting our smile and letting it radiate out into the world from a place of peace allowing everyone and everything that crosses our path to feel the love radiating from deep within us. Allowing them to feel the same and spread it out as well.

I love waking up in the morning to a sky full of stars. When my world is quiet and serene. When I have the time to reflect on how much wonder, beauty and abundance exists for me and I fill with such joy and thanksgiving for all that I am.

Today is the American Thanksgiving. A day of togetherness, family, love and appreciation. May we feel the essence of what this day represents no matter how it came about being. And even if we don't celebrate it in the traditional way as Americans do. But honour it for the gratitude it represents. May we also help to spread the feeling with whomever we may encounter. Thanksgiving is a state of mind that allows us to be grateful for everything and everyone.

And this morning it was the stars providing so much light to a pitch black sky that allowed me to see and feel the abundance and possibility that exists for us all if we are willing to share with our fellow brothers and sisters.  And for this day of Thanksgiving I am truly grateful. 

Letting go and letting be

Yesterday morning I woke up with great anticipation to do my 21 day mediation challenge with Deepak Chopra only to find the site was down for maintenance. I kept checking every second to make sure I was able to do my meditation. After 10 minutes I gave up because I only have a limited amount of time to do my morning rituals before I get my family up.

I had woken up with the mindset that I would begin my day with Chopra and was very disappointed when I could not. I let the feeling of disappointment wash over me. Let my whole self feel it then I let it go. And got on with my morning. 

And when I did, I was led to a site on YouTube called Angel Humans where I listened to beautiful angelic music and closed my eyes and meditated with the music.  Distancing myself further from the disappointment I originally felt. Letting my body relax with the music and letting my thoughts centre on the abundance of the Universe.

After coming out of my meditation, I wrote a blog about gratitude because I felt such gratitude for having followed my inner voice which allowed me to be led to the YouTube site. And then just about 5 minutes before I woke my family, I decided to check Chopra’s site again and discovered much to my delight that it was back up. The delight turned to panic very quickly when I realized I did not have time to do the meditation. Breathing through my anxiety, I realized I had time to listen to the message of Chopra and to read his introduction. Lo and behold his meditation and message was about gratitude, exactly what I had written my blog about. I got shivers up and down my spine because I knew I was in direct concert with the flow of the Universe.

I also knew the Universe wanted me to see that even when things don’t work out the way I had envisioned, they always work out the best way for me. By listening to the music of the Angels in the morning, my mindset shifted from disappointment to gratitude. Gratitude for having found the music that soothed my soul. Music I may not have found had I connected to the Chopra meditation.  This music in turn led me to explore my feelings about gratitude and to writing my blog.

And then when I was able to reconnect on Chopra I realized the Universe was affirming that I was on the right track because his meditation was about all gratitude as well. Lifting my spirits to new heights because I know that if I am present moment living, not projecting into the future, not dwelling in the past, finding solutions to the place I find myself in, I will always be shown the way. And I felt much lighter, much happier, much more at peace knowing no matter where I find myself I am always where I am meant to be.

When I got home from work last night and after my children were in bed, I settled myself down in front of my computer and listened to the Chopra gratitude mediation from beginning to end. Ending my day the way I thought it would begin. Grateful for going with the flow. Grateful for not giving up. Grateful for the abundance and gifts around me every single second of every single day. And grateful for knowing sometimes the path we thought was for us isn’t but if we trust and have faith we will always end up where we are meant to be. Namaste.

Gratitude sometimes comes from our darkest hour

It’s amazing to me to discover so many people who have so much but can’t even see or appreciate what they have. There is such pervasive fear snaking throughout our communities that people are holding onto everything they have without realizing that sharing is what opens the door to more. Not hoarding. I hear people over and over again talking about the sky is falling so they are storing just in case. Just in case what?

Remember we are what we attract. We are what we believe. What we focus on, whether good or bad, is what we manifest. I find that when I practice the simple act of gratitude no matter how bad my situation may seem, I instantly realize how much I really do have to be grateful for.

When I was a little girl I used to dream about lots of exotic things. About how much of a big wide world there was out there. I believed in magic and fairy tales until my mother was tragically and suddenly ripped away from me forever. And there was a time when I really didn't understand how I would ever live again. How I would ever smile gain. How I could ever forgive.

My heart, body and soul were shattered. Splintered into a million little pieces. But eventually the guilt and pain started to recede. My heart started to repair. My soul started to heal and I realized I was still on this earth for a reason. That I had a life to live. The life that my mother did not complete.

And soon I understood gratitude. Gratitude for having had her in my life for 13 years. Gratitude for all her life and death taught me and continues to teach me. Simple expressions of gratitude for waking up in the morning taught me how to smile again, laugh again, live again and my life took off again. And believe me here I stand some 36 years later and sometimes I still feel the darkness of her death hanging over me but on those days when I do, I take snapshots of my life through my mind’s photo lens and I realize many many things came out of my mother’s death. Experiences and lessons I may have taken for granted but for her tragic and sudden death.

I realize because I experienced tragedy when I was so young that I know deep down inside no matter how bad it may seem, no matter how dark it may get, eventually the pain will recede, the sun will shine again and I will smile again, laugh again and live again. So there is not much that keeps me in the darkness for long periods of time because I know I have the power to shift whatever comes my way. But more importantly I know that whatever bridge I am meant to cross is there to teach me more about me. And I know above all else that when I practice gratitude even in my darkest hour, when I wake up in the morning and everything around me feels like too much if I say thank you for allowing me to wake up this morning, for the presence of my family, for breathing, for feeling, seeing and being then instantly my mindset shifts.

And when my mindset shifts I open myself to the possibility that exists for me. For us all. And I know I must share the blessings I have. To spread love and light to whomever is receptive. To focus on what I have and what I would like rather than on what I don’t have and what I don’t want. And the easiest way to do so is to express gratitude. For I know that after every storm, comes a rainbow. And for all many blessings, whether they come in the guise of trail or reward, I am truly grateful.  Amen.

Synchrodestiny revealed in plain sight

Yesterday my son and I went to see Breaking Dawn 2. The last of the Twilight series. A journey we began some three years before when we read the book series out loud together. He even gave up going with his friends so we could share the experience together. To say I was pleased he thought that much of our tradition is an understatement. Particularly since he is 13 now and going through his own desires to be more independent of us.

We sat together side by side, mother and son, reliving the time when we read the book years before. Eating popcorn together. Chatting with some of his friends from school who sat behind us. Awkward to think of the time that had elapsed since we began the series and how much we had both grown but stayed the same.

When the movie finished, I looked at my son and said, “Well that’s the end of that”. Feeling a certain sadness to know that connection had passed for us. A silent exchange between us both as our eyes locked. My son shrugging his shoulders as if not knowing what to say. Nostalgia filling my soul. It really did feel strange to know we had seen all the movies together over a span of three years. Chatting about how they differed from the book. The last movie being the climax of the Twilight series. And the end of an era for us as well.

And then last night as I was writing in my thoughts for the day journal and comparing it to the year before, I realized with surprise that we had gone to see Breaking Dawn 1 exactly one year before to the day. Goose bumps rising on my arms to see the synchronicity of that event for us. Here I was mourning the end of a tradition for us only to discover that we began the last part of our journey together on exactly the day a year before we ended it. Wow, what a coincidence.

Shaking my head about the event, I then wrote in my grateful journal that I was grateful we ended our tradition together. Grateful we had embarked on the tradition together in the first place. Grateful we have something we will always share together. Particularly on the day one year later that we began the journey of the end of the Twilight series.

 And then this morning when I did my meditation with Chopra, it was all about synchrodestiny, the effortless flow of seemingly unrelated events coming together that can bring fulfillment to our lives. Chopra calls this mergence of coincidences and destiny,  synchrodestiny.  Suggesting to me there are no coincidences in life. Everything happens for a reason to let us know we are properly aligned with the magic of the Universe. Goosebumps rising again knowing the coincidence of my mediation being about coincidences was to show me there is no such thing as a coincidence. Trusting there is a rhythm to life and when we live in harmony with that rhythm everything we desire comes to us effortlessly. We can make miracles happen with no limit and with no end. When things go right everything goes right.

When we are on the path we are meant to be on, doors always open to affirm we are on the right track. Messages come from the Universe to guide us, affirm us and keep us moving where we need to go.  Feeling tremendously blessed that I am listening to my inner voice letting me know I am in concert with the Universe and the Universe answering me by allowing my son and me to go to the movie on the same day one year later and for me to be led to Chopra’s meditation this morning. Telling me. Willing me. Reminding me about synchrodestiny, which according to Chopra means, “harnessing the power of everyday coincidences to help you realize your long-held dreams. When we trust that there is a rhythm to life, and choose to live in harmony with that rhythm, everything we desire comes to us effortlessly.”

Today I trust and dance in the rhythm of life because I have been shown through my everyday awareness that when I do, everything I desire comes to me effortlessly.  Remembering today and always, “As I live in present moment awareness, I live the magic of synchrodestiny.”

Understanding the Law of Detachment

This morning’s meditation focused on the Law of Detachment. Focusing on what we desire. Taking steps to achieve our dreams. Finding the security in the wisdom of uncertainty. Letting go of all outcomes.

I had to listen to the introduction to this meditation over and over again to understand it. To hear there are no such boundaries as opportunity, space or time in the realm of spirituality. Opportunities are limitless. What exists is pure possibility. Pure potentiality which we activate through our thoughts, beliefs and intentions.  Abundance springs from this unlimited source. In order to access the abundance readily available to us, we have to go directly to the source and proclaim our intention. And then we have to learn and be able to release any thoughts of limitations.

Abundance is unlimited creativity. And I am a source of the Universe therefore my possibilities are only limited by my thoughts, beliefs and intentions. And even more so by my expectations. My desire to reach the destination without enjoying the journey along the way. Without seeing the paths that take away the struggles but because I am so intent on the outcome, I miss them. Ignore them.

Being open to the field of uncertainty rather than fearing it allows us to see all there is available to us. Learning to repeat today’s thought, “As I let go of the need to arrange my life, the Universe brings abundant good to me.” Repeating this over and over again. Willing myself to let go. Allowing myself to be without judgment of self and others. Relinquishing the need to get to the end without seeing everything along the way.

Recognizing that life is a journey not a destination. Embracing the fact that my actions are blissfully free from attachment to outcome. Freedom spreading through me as I listen to these words resonating through every single cell of my being and flowing out into the limitless possibility of the spiritual realm of my existence and beyond. Accepting there is no beginning or end. Accepting there is more in this world rather than less. Accepting I am abundance because I came from the source. And there is no reason to believe I deserve any less.

That embracing the concept of The Law of Detachment allows me the freedom to go about my everyday life without limiting myself. Understanding how when I decide something is really for me then surrender it to the Universe doors fly open and before I know it I have all I dreamed I would have. Without expectation. Without demand. Without limits. Without directing every aspect of my journey. Just putting one foot in front of the other and letting my inner voice and intention lead me to where I am meant to be.

Embracing the security of the wisdom of uncertainty allows us to just keep moving until we feel where we are meant to be. Now knowing not to be afraid of uncertainty but accepting it as part of the journey of abundance and detachment. Giving myself the permission to move beyond uncertainty and limitation by surrendering all to the Source of Abundance. Limitless possibility and potentiality. Amen.

A morning of clear sight

A morning of silence. A morning of reverence. A morning of Thanksgiving for the abundance I have in my life. For being present in this moment. For accepting I am where I am because this is where I am meant to be.

Listening to the thoughts bombarding my mind. Releasing them like butterflies to the Universe. Surrendering to my thoughts. Opening my heart, mind, body and soul to the fact that I am the miracle I was sent here to be.

Tingling with anticipation. Filled with unbounded joy. Loving life and releasing the need to understand it all because I will not and cannot. But accepting it all is in inside of me because I am a part of it all.

Loving the fact that one day I will be in the wilderness searching for the path. Then the next day I will realize the wilderness is the path and I need not search but just allow myself to be found.

Waking up this morning without tension. Without pressure. Without the overwhelming sense of foreboding about all that lies ahead. Instead waking up this morning feeling incredibly light and full of hope. Gratitude sweeping through me that I can appreciate the days when I feel like I have clear sight. When I know I have clear sight.

Reading the quote from Huang Po, “Those who seek the truth by means of intellect and learning only get further and further away from it. Not till your thoughts cease their branching here and there, not till you abandon all thoughts of seeking for something, not till your mind is motionless as wood or stone, will you be on the right road to the Gate.” And feeling every single word resonate through my soul. Grateful for this morning of pure thoughts.

Watching the morning light burst out red over the distant east horizon. Inhaling and exhaling Louise Hay’s quote for the day,” There is a gold mine of abundance within me. I now let it flow.”

Today is a good day because I choose to set my consciousness that way. Opening myself to the abundance of the Universe. Fully embracing the fact that there is enough for all of us and there is no need to hoard because when we share and give we open ourselves to the flow of the abundance of the Universe.

And for this glorious morning, I am truly and honestly grateful. Standing in the field of abundance with my arms spread wide. Feeling my entire being opening and receiving and giving. Opening, receiving and giving. The infinite circle of abundance and possibility is within me. Within us all when we realize we are it all. What a beautiful feeling. Namaste.

Life was never meant to be a struggle

“The Universe is an elegantly orchestrated symphony. When our body mind is in concert with the Universe everything becomes spontaneous and effortless.  And the exuberance of the Universe flows through us in joyful ecstasy. This is the essence of the Law of Least Effort. Trusting that everything in the Universe is as it should be in perfect harmony. Knowing this we dance to the rhythm of the Cosmos. Living life in comfort and ease.  Shedding the belief that abundance is the result of struggle. The Law of Least Effort tells us we can do less and experience more but first we must practice acceptance. The easier our life becomes when we accept where we are.”@ Deepak Chopra

Deep thoughts. Deep vibrations. Beautiful words that resonate from a place deep within us all. But so very hard to remember when we are faced with obstacles that seem too great to get through.  How is it that some of us are better at acceptance than others?

When we struggle against the Universe we struggle against all that is, ever was and ever will be. Yet we have been conditioned from when we were very young to believe if we want to reach the mountain top of success and good fortune, we have to struggle. We have to feel the pain in order to gain. We can’t get to the mountain top any other way but to struggle.

This concept of resisting struggle is not new to me as a matter of fact it is something I have “struggled” with for a long time. How can I ever be in the wrong place at the wrong time when I am always where I am meant to be?

After coming out of my meditation today and during my meditation, the phrase from Stuart Wilde etched itself deep into my consciousness, “Life was never meant to be a struggle.” And I thought about these words in conjunction with the Chopra mediation and something clicked. I received my answer loud and clear from the Universe. I understood when I find myself in places and situations I was not expecting I must practice acceptance. Not resistance. Embracing that I am where I am and learning from the situation or place. Opening my heart so I can forgive myself first in order to make space for acceptance and abundance to flow to me. Not placing blame on myself or on anyone else but accepting I am where I am meant to be.

Releasing the need to control, direct or condemn. Embracing the Law of Least Effort which allows me to resist the need to struggle. Trusting all is as it should be. But more importantly recognizing I am worthy of the abundance of the Universe because I am of the Universe. Life was never meant to be a struggle because there is enough for all of us when we believe we are worthy. So today I will dance to the rhythm of the Cosmos allowing myself to go with the flow resisting the need to resist.

Conscious awareness yields better choices

Fear creates all kinds of negative energy within us. Often manifesting the very outcome we most fear. The very outcome we do not want to happen.

Fear opens us up to all the fear so prevalent in our world today. Limiting our beliefs and our choices because it forces us to stay within the confines of our limited three dimensional physical being. Rather than accepting that we are much more than our physical. Much more than the limited experiences we may have as individuals.

Fear is a conscious choice to stay in the darkness and to breed more negativity. And it is so tempting to remain in a state of fear because we are often validated when we come from a place of being a victim than when we come from a place of owning our shortcomings and acknowledging our greatness.

Last night I was so angry with certain events that have been occurring in my life that I snapped and let out such rage that I felt like the little girl from the Exorcist. I was surprised my head did not start spinning as hers did. But I noticed when I filled with such rage, my whole body became stiff and brittle. My insides felt like they were going to burn up and I found I was grinding my teeth.  My whole body was rigid with fear I realized. And it did not feel good in anyway.

So why do we get angry? Why do we allow ourselves to become mired in so much fear? How does it happen and more importantly how do we get ourselves out of such states? Last night after looking at myself from the outside in. After seeing the concern on the faces of my children, I knew I had to step back and ask myself what was truly the cause of my anger.  And the only answer that came to me was fear.

Fear that I am never going to please certain people in my life. Fear of where my life is going. Fear of not fulfilling my dreams. Fear of absorbing some of the negative energy that is swirling around me. Fear of fear. And it was only this morning when I woke up that I was able to reach this conclusion. To understand because I was not centered last night. Because I allowed the negative energy of certain people to flow into me, I became exactly what I did not want. Exactly what I was trying to resist. I became exactly what I thought I was better than because I had judged, condemned and by doing so became the mirror of what I was resisting.

So this morning after doing the Chopra meditation, I have decided to do my best to breathe through my judgment of others. To breathe through any comments that come from them. To breathe through my fears and just make the conscious choice to be where I am as I am for that moment. To not project into the future. To not dwell in the past. To try to find forgiveness, empathy and love in my heart even when I feel like there is nothing left.

There is no one outside of me who can control my emotions unless I allow them. Last night I made the choice to join with the negative rather than consciously choosing to remove myself from it. I forgive myself for doing so recognizing that the choice I made was an invaluable lesson to me. Allowing me to recognise my actions are controlled by the choices I make. Conscious choice is always available to me especially during those times when I feel like I have no choices.

By asking myself in my darkest hour, will this choice bring fulfillment and happiness to me and to those affected by my choice. To step back from the situation I find myself in. To take the time to breathe through it. To make choices made with full awareness rather than from a place of fear.

Thank you Deepak Chopra for helping me to know when my choices are made from the heart and with intention, they will be the best choice for me. And even when I make a bad choice, I can always shift the outcome by consciously making a different choice.

Today I make great choices because they are made with full awareness. Not from fear. Not from expectation. Not from judgment. But from full awareness.  Namaste

We are what we attract, and we attract what we are

Yesterday my family decided to spend some alone time together as we have been moving in different directions lately. Each with his or her own agenda. Forgetting to go back to our touchstone of togetherness and love. Our children caught up in their worlds of gaming, computers, television and doing their own thing. My husband and I not connecting because we are too busy doing rather than being. Not giving each other the time of day.

But the beauty of the cool breeze, the crispness of the Fall air and the call of nature was too much for us to resist. So after working, late in the afternoon, we stole some time together as a family to be out in the abundance of nature. Walking and talking. Exploring and discovering. Simple acts that bring the most pleasure.  Allowing us to see before us the vastness and plenitude of abundance readily available to us every single day.

Breaking down silos between us without trying. Feeling them naturally receding because we were giving each other the gift of time. Without pressure. The gift of being in each other’s presence. Away from all distractions. Away from what would normally keep us away from each other by moving away from our normal routines. Shifting our consciousness away from lack to being open to receive all there is.

This interlude away from our everyday allowed us to cross path with a woman we had not seen for quite some time. As soon as she spoke I realized she was my angel for the day. Her words unprompted by anyone of us were like music to my ears. She talked about the importance of shifting our consciousness. The importance of asking for what it is we really want then surrendering it to the Divine Force. She talked about how life works out according to what we ask for. She filled me with such joy because I knew she was sent to me. To my family. To remind us we are on this journey together for a reason. Each one of us having chosen to be a part of our family unit for a reason. To learn from each other. To teach each other. To share the same space because we are here to give and receive from each other.

She was the very woman that taught me how to look up when all I had known was to look down some twenty five years before. She was the very woman who helped me to meet my husband by showing me how to look up and out rather than down on the ground. And by doing so when I looked up the face I saw was my husband’s. Here presence reminding me of what we share, have shared and can share if we remain open to each other. 

And for this woman to appear again out of the blue yesterday with her message of positive thought, positive energy, I knew she was my angel for the day. I felt her words resonating through me from her. An exchange going on between us that was like a spiritual encounter. Proving to me, we always get what we ask for. We are always given what we need. We just have to be clear in what it is we want. If we think negatively, that's what we will attract. If we believe the glass is half empty, it will be. If we think the world is against us, it will be. But rather than feeling this way, if we make the conscious shift to believe we are worthy, we will be. If we believe we are abundant, we will be. If we think positive, we will attract positive. If we believe the glass is half full, it will be. We attract what we are.

I felt this for sure yesterday because what I saw in my friend's eyes and felt deep down in my soul was a reminder that we have the power to change whatever situation we are in by asking then letting go. Surrendering to and appreciating the Divine. And being open to receive the answer from whatever source it is sent through at any time. Because we are what we attract and we attract what we are.

Dreams and the Ocean

Yesterday morning I woke up with sunshine streaming through my blinds. Calling my name. Lulling me out of sleep. Inviting me outside. Like the voice of angels, the sound of the morning stirred my soul. Beckoning my spirit to go outside and merge with my nature kindred spirits.

I tried to ignore the call. Pulling the covers back over my head. Telling myself I was more than comfortable where I was. But the light refused to go away. Refused to be shut out by the darkness under my covers. So I got up and went into the bathroom. Pulled up the shades and was pleased to see heavy clouds coming in from the North. Signaling to me it was going to rain. And black girls like me don’t go out in the rain unless we really have to. Can’t afford to get our hair wet. So I left the window and started doing other things around the house.

Both the nature spirits were not ready to let me be. Not content for me to stay inside when they were putting on their best show for me outside. The voice of angels filling my head again. Whispering promises of endless joy outside of the confines of my home. Filling me with abundance and appreciation. Filling me with pleasure. So I gave in. Put on my walking clothes and shoes and went out into the abundance of the outdoors.

I walked through my tree line street feeling the freshness of the breeze. Listening to the whistling of the wind through the trees. Letting my thoughts wander as I looked up at the cloudless blue sky. The heaviness of the dark clouds long gone. Like they had never even been there. Filling my lungs with the purity of the air. Feeling gratitude rising from my toes to my head and beyond. Mingling with that place of infinity. That place where all that is Divine resides and gives back.

And then I walked along the beach. Listening to the sound of the ocean. Watching its waves gently rolling in and out on the sand. Playing games with my feet. Showing me that it could take me at any time if it wanted but letting me enjoy its motion.

I looked out over the horizon. That same horizon I used to look out over as a little girl wondering what people outside of my sight were like. When I questioned whether they were just like me. When I had big dreams to cross that ocean to experience the experiences of others. When I dreamed I would one day be more than the little girl who had been confined to an Island. When I knew without a doubt that the world was much bigger than my little 21 square mile home and I wanted to be a part of that big world.

I looked out over that horizon as a fully grown woman with the realization that I have crossed that ocean more times than I can count. Realizing the people I meet no matter from whence they come are just the same as I am. With the same hopes and dreams. With the same worries and fears. With the same underlying desire to be loved and to give love.

And I realized the ocean has always been telling me there is so much out there to be explored. So many people to meet and see. So many experiences to be had. Dreams to be dreamt and realized. Letting me know, I have realized many of my dreams.  Willing me to not stop dreaming. To keep seeing there is more beyond the confines of our vision. Much more.

Inhaling and exhaling the salty air, I walked slowly on knowing the ocean has always given me the strength and power to understand dreams are portals into my soul’s desires. Reminding me when I give my dreams all the intention and attention they deserve, no amount of ocean will ever stop me from achieving them because like the ocean rolling in and out, so are my dreams. The rhythm of life. Waves coming and going.  Dreams realized and not.

There for the making and the taking, my dreams. And for the voice of angels, the serenity of the ocean, the abundance in my life, and for my morning walk, I know I am not limited by what I see. I am only limited by what I don’t want to see. And for this lesson from nature, I am truly grateful. 

We all have something to share

There is a great importance in giving back. In sharing our life experiences with others so they know they are not alone. In helping to lift another up out of the shadows of darkness. Only then will we know success as humans. Many of us, including me, think in order to change the world we need to do something grandiose. Make a huge statement. Have our names up in bright lights so all the world can see. But what I am learning as I age, it is the little things in life that have the greatest ripple effects in our consciousness. And the reason why they do is because  they come from a place of genuine human kindness and love.

The simple little things in life are not done to gain accolades from the masses. They are done because it is our natural instinct to do them. And when our actions are natural rather than forced they resonate that much more throughout our human consciousness and existence.

The smallest gestures fill our spirits with the most joy. Simple pleasures like smiling at someone who looks like they need a smile. And seeing their whole soul brightening. The feeling coming back to us.  Complimenting someone because they look good to you. And feeling their spirit lift. And feeling it boomerang back to us. Helping someone in need and feeling their gratitude pour back in us. Really listening to someone when they need to be heard. And feeling their burdens lessen. Spending quality time with our families. Taking some time to appreciate all the abundance in our lives because even when we feel like we have none, we do. There is always the presence of abundance in our lives simply from waking up in the morning. Only then do we learn not to take any simple gesture or person for granted.

We are all here to bring joy into someone’s life. Even if that someone is ourselves. Success and abundance are not measured by how much we have. Nor are they measured by how many recognize us for what we have done. Success and abundance come from that place in our inner most selves that is filled with contentment and joy for all the simple pleasures in our lives.

Many of us falsely believe we have nothing to share when in essence we always have something to share. Because it is the simplicities in life that bring us the most joy. Imagine how different our world would be if we recognized our joy and spread it to someone else.  What a wonderful world it would be.

There's a place for dreams

After coming out of my Chopra meditation this morning, for some reason Barbra Streisand’s voice was in my head. Her song “Somewhere” was within my subconscious mind. The words, “There’s a place for us.  A time and a place for us. Hold my hand and we’re halfway there. Hold my hand and I’ll take you there . Somehow. Some day. Some way. “

So I went to You Tube and I listened to this song to see what the message was from the Universe when I realized the significance of her words. “There’s a place for us. Somewhere a place for us. Peace and Quiet and Open air. Wait for us… Time to learn. Time to care. Some day. Some way. Well find a new way of living. We’ll find a way of forgiving. Somewhere.”

And I listened to it over and over again. Letting it flow through my being. Filling me with joy. Filling me with possibility. Hope. Inspiration. Chill bumps because I realized and accepted the message I was being sent from the Universe. The theme of the Chopra meditation today is “Today I embrace my potential to be, do, and have whatever I can dream.” And Chopra said we have the ability to release all negative experiences and thoughts by shifting our consciousness to something that is uplifting and inspirational such as a beautiful song. True transformation comes from within us. Attention energizes and Intention transforms. What we place our attention on expands in our lives and our intention for the object of our intention will allow the Universe to hear us and bring us what we need. Harnessing the power of attention and intention allows us to enter into the field of all possibility and change any situation in our lives. To visualize what we want. To surrender and allow the Universe to bring us what we need.

When I came out of my meditation to the sound of Barbra Streisand’s voice, I followed my subconscious mind until I found the answer. Realizing with great certainty that there is a place where dreams come true. A place where thoughts become reality. A place where there is fear but with the courage to get me through my fear. Where I understand that darkness comes to allow me to appreciate the light. Where everyone reaches their fullest potential. Achieves their greatest desires.

And I used to believe that place was outside of me. Somewhere in the distance. For the lucky ones. Not for the ones who are meant to struggle like me. But now what I know for sure is this place is inside of me. Inside of all of us. And it is not just for the lucky ones. It’s for all of us who are willing to take the time to listen to the inner stillness within us. To hear it calling our name. To take the time to center ourselves and let that stillness guide us through the darkest night. To put our attention on shifting our consciousness to leave space for intention to take us to that place of transformation inside us all. Intended for us all.

And then I inhaled and exhaled. Allowing me to embrace my potential, to be, do and have whatever I can dream. Surrendering to the Universe.  Peacefully accepting I am in that place where dreams come true when I focus my attention on the intention of my desire then surrender all to the Universe. Pure joy. Bliss unexplained. Namaste.

The aftermath of the US Presidential Election

Yesterday was one of those interesting days. The aftermath of the United States presidential election. The day many people exposed their true feelings about President Obama being reelected to power. And the most interesting facet of his reelection was the level of emotion it evoked from people. The polarity it exposed that exists within our psyche.

There were a lot of people who were gravely disappointed that he was reelected. Angry. Frustrated. Furious.  Spewing hatred and contempt for his reelection. There were others who were euphoric. Embracing, Filled with hope. Over the moon that this man went up against the 1% who hold the key to the financial fortune of this world and won. It’s like the David and Goliath story all over again. The biblical battle between the small man and the giant that seems to continue even in our modern age of excess and technology.

I observed that people automatically believe that because of where you are from or what you look like, you are meant to blindly follow the person that is from a similar background to yours and if you don’t that makes you a traitor or backstabber. I also observed that people that come from different backgrounds did not want President Obama to win because they felt he was their enemy.

When I told someone that I had been on the fence with both candidates and I would have found it more difficult to vote this year than years before if I was American, they were outraged. But I felt the race was a tight race. A race that represented different and varying strengths of each candidate. I felt Romney was the better candidate for quickly getting the US back on its feet fiscally because of the contacts he had in the top 1%. Those who were willing to give him whatever he needed to get them back into their position of power. And by doing so allowing the US economy to grow.

 I also thought President Obama has the charisma and empathy necessary to soothe global ills that are occurring outside the US. I felt he gives people hope, a feeling of comfort and most of all a feeling of trust. I felt if there was a candidate who combined the traits of both these men; the choice would have been that much easier.

But what I learned on the day after the election when I listened to the President of the United States' acceptance speech is that more than anything he answers the global call for inclusiveness.  For hope. For faith. For giving the small man and woman, who incidentally represent the majority of the world, the confidence they can make it in this world. The world is not looking for division. It is looking for inclusion. The world has changed so much with the advent of social media that no place in the world is isolated from the other. We all know with the touch of a button on our computers what is happening anywhere in the world. What happens in the United States affects what happens in Africa. What happens in China affects what happens in Russia. What happens in Germany affects what happens in France. What happens in Bermuda affects what happens in Brussels. You get the point.

We have become a far more interconnected world physically in the last 2 years just with Facebook exploding from 500 million users to 1 billion users, than we could ever have done before. Technology is exposing our vulnerabilities because it is allowing us access to worldwide events before we can even blink sometimes. So the age old politics of rhetoric and isolation have become as obsolete as the rotary dial telephone.

What the world is looking for is someone who can lead them through this worldwide web of information with the greatest feeling of hope. With the feeling that though we may not be in the top 1% of the financial giants, we are in the vast majority of people who fall outside of that 1% and we want a say too. To believe we have the right to our say. People want to know they have for a fighting chance to make it even if they are not wealthy. That they have the right to a good education. Good healthcare.

The worldwide web is the physical representation of the spiritual worldwide web we have always shared. The fact that we are all interconnected. Part of a global consciousness showing us that no matter where we come from or what we look like, we are one and we want to be treated as such.

And out of the two candidates President Obama, to me now, is the best man for the job. He is the one who gives people hope that no matter where they come from, no matter what they look like, no matter what their beliefs are, no matter what their sexuality is, no matter what goes on behind their closed doors, they matter. We matter and that is what we are all striving for – to believe we matter.

Above all else, we are one. We are hope.

“I have always believed that hope is that stubborn thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us so long as we have the courage to keep reaching, to keep working, to keep fighting….We are greater than the sum of our individual ambitions…,” President Barack Obama at his victory speech in the United States of America.

Hope is that which ignites the fire in us. Gives us the stamina to keep moving. To keep stumbling through the darkness until we find the light because deep down inside, we know there is always light after that darkness. Hope is that inner compass that reminds us. That inner feeling that asks us, wills us, cajoles us to keep going even in our bleakest hour and if we hold on to hope, hope ultimately pulls us through and allows us to prevail. But we have to understand hope alone doesn’t do it. We have got to keep doing the work that needs to be done to get us to the Promised Land. To that place or thing we want. We have to strive for our ambitions but not at the expense of others. But to the benefit of us all because when we do, we realize and accept that we are all part of the unified field in this Universe.

I have to admit I was on the fence about the US election because as President Obama said I have become one of those cynical people who believes that politics gets us nowhere but divided along party lines. That I have become jaded about the effectiveness of leaders because they are so driven by the desire for power that sometimes they forget about all the promises they made to those who put them in power in the first place. That power corrupts. That there are no morals left in politics because politicians will do what they need to do to get elected.

But when I heard the speech delivered by President Obama after securing his second term in office, I knew in my heart he was the right person for the job. I knew and felt he was not just talking politics. He was speaking to the very essence of our being. His words were coming from a spiritual place we all carry. That place where pure unlimited potential comes from. That place that allows us to manifest miracles.

Any president who can speak to the division created by partisan politics, who can speak to the inherent prejudices we all carry, who can express gratitude for all those who remained with him and those who left him, who can address the mistakes made, the lessons learned and embrace the tough road ahead by defining it as hope is a man who will always look out for the best interest of the whole. For him to declare that we are greater than the sum of our individual ambitions sent chills down my spine because despite him talking about the United States for all that it matters he could have been talking about all of us around the world. We are greater than the sum of our individual ambitions. Greater than the sum of individual differences. Greater than the sum of our individual choices because we are one. Connected to one Divine Source. We are our brother’s keeper. Our sister’s keeper and it doesn’t matter where we come from or what we look like or what we believe in. We are one.

Until we recognize that our every action creates an equal and opposite reaction, we will never move forward as a united people. And I know that we cannot and will not always live in Utopia. That we will never all share the same philosophies or beliefs but as long as we are willing to embrace the differences between us all, we will prosper. And flourish.

Any President that can fill me with hope as the acceptance speech of President Obama did last night is a president worth having not just for the United States but for the rest of the world as well. Because at these bleak and negative times, we need all the hope we can get. We need all the faith we can muster. We need all the courage we can harness to climb to the top of that ever steep mountain threatening to keep us down because of fear, pestilence and cynicism. And more than that we need each other globally to survive.

Congratulations to the United States of America for bringing hope back into my heart. For electing a man who reminded me that above all else, there is always hope that something better awaits me as long as I have the courage to keep reaching, to keep working, to keep fighting. And restoring my faith in the Universe that we are greater than the sum of our ambitions.

In gratitude to Deepak Chopra

I love Deepak Chopra. He always seems to know when I need a reminder of the simplicities of life. The very ones that I make so complicated. And he has not failed me this time either. Chopra has come out with his free 21 day meditation that started on November 5.

The theme for this challenge is Creating Abundance. A very timely theme because of all the sense of loss, scarcity and abandonment happening in our world right now. We have a global economy struggling. Putting a sense of financial strain at the forefront of everyone’s minds. A sense of lack creating  a strong sense of pestilence and fear.

We had a super storm devastate the Northeast of the United States particularly New York and New Jersey and the Caribbean. We have many people in those place who at first were grateful their lives were spared who are now faced with the steep climb of rebuilding their lives. Creating a sense of scarcity in their mind. Leaving them to question why?

We have a United States presidential election as well as the possibility of a Bermuda government election going on that is bringing to the forefront all that is negative with the hopes of wooing the undecided to the Promised Land by painting a bleak picture of what has been. Playing on people’s sense of fear. Rather than emphasizing all that has gone right and can go right to ignite people’s passions and sense of possibility.

We have people around the world that are exploiting people’s fears. So for Chopra to come out with his challenge at a time like this is much needed. I am so grateful for his reminder that, “I create my source of abundance from an infinite source.”  In other words, each one of us has a source of abundance because we are all from the same infinite source. Some of us recognize this more than others and in doing so recognize that no matter how bad the situation may appear for us, the source of abundance is always available to us if we believe we are entitled to it.

According to Chopra, “All material creation, everything we can see, hear, touch, taste and smell is made from the same stuff and comes from the same source. This source is the entire Universe.  The Unified Field. …The key to living an abundant life is to embrace the idea that abundance comes from this unified field. Within it lies the power of infinite creativity.”

True abundance begins with a thought followed by an intention. It’s up to me, to all of us, to believe in infinite possibility. To accept it as our divine right. To invite unlimited abundance into our lives requires only awareness, intention and silence. The only thing that stops us from achieving the abundance that is meant for us, is us. Is our desire to hold onto the negative rather than the positive. To allow fear to take us down. Rather than hope lifting us up. To become lost in the darkness rather than seeking the light. We are the only ones who can place limitations on ourselves.

In order to shift the consciousness of our world it begins with each one of us shifting our consciousness and accepting we can create our personal abundance from the infinite source.  And by taking part in this meditation, I recognize it is the infinite source of possibility that has brought Chopra into my life at this time because I asked for guidance and I was answered. Affirming to me the source is always there when I am ready because I am a part of it. As are you. As are we all. The infinite source is always ready and waiting for us to tap into it. To answer our call. And I am grateful for the awareness and power of its existence. And I am grateful that I asked and was answered. Namaste.

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Chopra Meditation Challenge Facebook Community.

Autumn, the last burst of colours

I realized over the weekend that I really love the fall. Autumn. Even the name sounds romantic. I love the colours. The crispness in the air. The transition where I know the dark is coming and the light is fading but the days are bright. I love the oranges, the yellows. The reds. The golds. The warmth and earthiness of Fall.

The season where a lot of nature is preparing to go to sleep through the darkness. Where some trees can’t sustain themselves through the winter so they decide to sleep through the dark times to reawaken when the spring comes. When the light comes. Fresh. Rejuvenated. Full of life again.

I love watching the leaves drifting to the ground. As if they are doing their last dance. Their last pirouette before they succumb to the soil. The gracefulness in the moments before they dance no more.

I love the unfiltered light of the day when the haze lifts and goes away. Because the humidity recedes. Where greens become greener. Blues magical. Reds scarlet. Oranges pumpkin. Where everything is so vivid that you can almost feel the soothing of the cooling air replacing the wretched heat of the summer.

I was driving down the South Shore along the stretch by the Botanical Gardens and the beauty of the changing trees took my breath away.  The sight was totally unexpected because we don’t see many fall colours on the trees here as most of our trees are evergreens considering we are subtropical. But having that experience of seeing the colours of autumn even if for a short while filled me with joy.  Giving me space to breathe again. To inhale. To appreciate. To see the abundance of nature all around me.

I slowed down and took my time allowing the feeling of change to wash over me. To witness that nature knows there is a season to everything. A time to live and a time to die. A time to rejoice and a time to cry. A time to grow and a time to stagnate. A time to love and a time to hate. A time and a season for it all but knowing all the time that as the seasons change, everything and everyone has a turn at some point in their lives.

And then I drove on feeling nature embracing me after feeling my embrace. The memory of that special moment forming a permanent picture in my brain. And for the seasons and my awareness of them I am truly grateful. Because I know that sometimes I will be up and sometimes I will be down in  this journey called life but if I remember everything has a season including me, I will ride through each one just fine. That 's why I love autumn because it's the season where nature gives us her most varied and vivid colours. The last burst of colours just before she fades and goes to sleep for the winter. Namaste.

In the presence of wonder

There is definitely a shift in consciousness going on in our Universe right now. People everywhere are searching for meaning. Searching for the spiritual connection. That which connect us to the Divine spirit. That which provides us with the comfort that we are not alone in the Universe.

I read a poignant story last night about a man who lived on the shore in New York who has lost everything. How he can see his house on the television but can’t get to it. How he knows he will never be able to live there again. And I felt a deep sense of empathy for that man who had lived in the same home for the last 35 years and now all that he knew is gone. What must that feel like? To have your whole life turned upside down. To have no sense of belonging. No sense of security anymore.

And then I thought could it be because there is more than the physical to our lives? Is there more than the material possessions to our lives? Is  every devastation that is occurring around our world at the moment forcing us to come face to face with that fact? Are we  being asked to find that inner sense of being? That inner state of peace. Are we being asked to examine who we truly are as sentient beings?

There are many more stories like the man in NY. Too numerous to mention. But there are also stories of people becoming more neighbourly. People who have lived side by side who never spoke to each other before are now getting to know each other. Helping each other because the everyday conveniences like electricity have been taken from them. Opening them up to be there for each other. This is the beautiful side of human nature. The shift in consciousness that is opened when we share common tragedies. Common stories. When we are taken out of our comfort zones, we are given the opportunity to examine who we are and who we are not. Allowing us to open ourselves to compassion, empathy and love. As is happening in NY, NJ and other parts of the world struck by the devastation.

There is definitely a shift in consciousness going on now for many of us to be more in tune with our spiritual and compassionate nature and I am so happy to be aware of it. A part of it. And I will continue to try to spread the light as much as I can.  Because as E.B. White says, “Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder.”

We are always in the presence of wonder even on our darkest days. Just as the tragedies are unfolding, a kinship is forming. May the shift in consciousness continue. And may we continue to be aware.

Embracing the Choice Point Movement

November is the month of Thanksgiving in America and it is touted as the month when we are to be thankful for all that we have. To be in a good space for all the abundance in our lives. To shift our consciousness from a state of lack to a state of abundance. A state of joy from a state of apprehension.

Last night I was on the verge of overload. Of feeling tremendous pressure and responsibility for the burdens I felt had been placed on me. Feelings of anger, despondency and lack. Feelings of regret. Feelings of failure. Worrying about whether I would be able to meet the NANoWrimMo challenge. Worrying I am moving far from my passion if I can’t meet the challenge. Just worrying. Creating a black cloud about me. Allowing the cloud to grow larger and larger until all I could see was the darkness.

But my children were so full of possibility. So full of joy. So full of energy that soon their energy started to seep off into mine. Replacing my darkness with light. Allowing me to shift to feeling their joy. To feeling their excitement. To living in the moment just as they were. And then they went to bed. And a silence enveloped the house. A silence that seemed to scream so what next? A silence that seemed to challenge me to ask, was I going to allow the darkness seep back into me or was I going to try to find the light? Realising I was at that critical point of making a decision about how I was going to feel.

 And then I sat at my computer and started to search. Search for what I did not know but my instincts told me I needed to search. So I did. I just searched. And there on my face book page I found exactly what I was looking for via a post by Malathy Drew. And it was this wonderful, uplifting and all inspiring movement:

By the time I found this post it was about 10pm and I had promised myself I was going to have an early night because I had been feeling defeated and tired. But my instincts told me that despite this film being over an hour long, I had to watch it because I was meant to watch it. As I am a great believer in following my instincts, I watched it in its entirely. Feeling my consciousness shifting with each moment I watched the film.  Because I knew without a doubt, I was being given a gift from the Universe. A message from the Divine. A message to accept I am where I am because of the choices I have made.

A message to know that at any point in my life I have to power to change anything I want. That when we come to a choice point in our lives, the transition can feel like a real struggle but like the caterpillar turning into a butterfly, if we make it through the transition we will transform into the beautiful person, creature we were always meant to be.

And I felt that message resonate through my whole being. Goosebumps from head to toe. Allowing me to be receptive to the Divine message. Opening my consciousness to something profound. Einstein said, we can’t solve any of our problems with the same consciousness that created it. We must shift our consciousness to make room for the solution(s).  We can not run away from the fear of change because that fear is allowing us to realise we are at a choice point in our lives. Allowing us the window of opportunity to take a leap of faith and move through our fear in order  to embrace the miracle that we are.

So I will say no more. Instead I am sharing the gift that was shared with me when I needed it the most last night with the intention that by passing it on, I will help to shift someone else’s consciousness as well. And for the gifts of the Divine, the power of the Universe, and the power of intention I am truly grateful. Namaste Malathy Drew. Namaste the Choice Point Movement.

Choice Point Movement

Malathy Drew

Can I face the NaNoWriMo challenge again?

[NaNoWriMo] 

Okay so it’s November 1 Nano write month. For all of those aspiring writers out there, you know what that means. Nano Write Month is dedicated to writers from around the world who discipline themselves to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. I did it last year for the first time and shocked myself because I wrote every single day and ended up with a novel with over 50,000 words on November 30.  This year I am struggling with whether I can do it again. Whether I want to do it again. Whether I have the time.

Or should I change tactics and just write my blog every single day and write it to a theme? Not sure how to go about the Nano challenge this year because my life is very different from where it was last year. Last year I had no job and was not sure where I was going with my life or where I was going to work so it was very easy for me to challenge myself to meet the challenge. To spend each day in front of my computer writing. My mind was more open because I was searching for answers. Much the same as this year but from a very different perspective.

Some days I sat outside in the wonderful fall sunshine writing to my heart’s content. Other days I sat at my desk at the computer staring at the screen. No words coming to my mind so I would get up and do something else until inspiration hit me once again. Then there were days when I could not face writing but would eventually get the bug and just start writing. Losing myself to the chatter of the characters that had become a part of my psyche.

This year I am working full time with many more demands on me than I ever expected. This year my creative juices are not flowing as much as they were last year because my mind has become more analytical considering that is what I do every single day at work. Analyse. Compromise and Analyse some more. Over and over again. Depression setting in.

So instead of beating myself up because I feel like I can’t commit to writing this morning, I am going to give myself the day to fulfill my analytical role then when I come home tonight if I sit at my computer and my creative juices flow,  I will begin. I will just let my mind direct where I am going to go. So as of this moment I am surrendering to the moment. Not projecting. Not placing undue expectations on myself.

But then ego took over when I looked at one of my friend’s Facebook posts. She had not only started the Nano challenge but she had already written nearly 2000 words! Despair and exasperation quickly replaced all thoughts of surrender for me. She had a head start and I had not even begun.  The competitive, egotistical side of me wanted to scream because she was just doing it while I was still in the contemplating stage.  All romance about surrendering flew out the window as I thought, Oh my God, I am never going to be able to do this because my mind is not there. Giving room for fear and self doubt to creep in and sabotage my feelings of surrender. Feelings of inadequacy. Feelings of desire replacing all feeling of surrender and hope.

So I stepped away from my self induced panic and thought for a moment. Telling myself to breathe and I did. To think positive thoughts. And I did. Then I felt proud of my friend for starting her story. Proud of her for just doing it without projecting. Then my mood shifted and I felt better because I realized without a doubt I am where I am because this is where I am meant to be and as long as I sabotage myself I will never accept there is no there because I am always here.

And then I remembered a quote I had seen the other morning, a quote that was hidden on my desk that had been waiting for the right time for me to really see and understand its meaning. And the quote appeared in plain sight for me this morning and it said, “Self is the only prison that can ever bind the soul.” Henry Van Dyke.

And then I surrendered again. Breathing again normally. Telling myself if I am meant to meet the challenge this year, I will and that’s all there is to it. So I now wish my friend  and everyone else embarking on the NaNoWriMo challenge the best of luck and all the creative juices needed to finish the month with 50,000 words.

nanowrimo.org