Perfect Imperfect Beings

Have you ever truly looked at a rose? A newly bloomed rose in all its natural glory. This morning I was standing at my bathroom window when this perfect little garnet rose peeping out from behind my husband’s truck called my name.
I went down to the rose tree, and looked in wonder at this little lone rose that had bloomed overnight and was waiting for someone to appreciate it. Looking at it took my breath away. Smelling it heightened my senses and I suddenly thought it really is true that out of the thorn bush comes the most beautiful rose. I witnessed it for myself and realised that we are always striving for perfection. Always feeling that if we aren’t perfect, we are failures. This little rose told me today that imperfection and perfection go hand in hand. The rose that bloomed was perfect, its petals perfectly formed, tight with each one making room for the other to form the most beautiful product of nature. Yet it sits atop a spiny and thorny stem – imperfection at its best. But it is this imperfection that protects the rose from its predators and allows it to bloom unthreatened and free.
And then I realised that’s what our lives are all about – our imperfections allow us to become the perfect person we truly are inside. My beautiful garnet rose did not try to hide its imperfect thorny stem from me but I did not see it until I went to cut the rose to bring inside with me. But when I cut the rose and examined it, I understood that imperfection and perfection are one in the same. I have walked by that little rose tree every day and forgot it was there until the perfection of the newly bloomed rose caught my eye because it had bloomed into exactly what it was meant to be. I brought it inside and placed it on my desk, its sweet perfume intoxicating my sense of smell, letting me know that sometimes we have to grow thorns before we bloom into the person we are meant to be – before we can display our natural beauty to the world, before we can be what we need to be.
Next time you see a rose in its natural environment, stop, look and smell it and you will find that all of your senses are awakened to the natural beauty of the world we live in – thorns and all. Side by side illustrating that we are all perfect imperfect beings.

Life truly is wonderful

Life is truly beautiful. A gift when we recognise the abundance it offers.
This morning was one of those magical Sunday mornings with the sun streaming in through the windows. That perfect sound of birds chirping and then silence. Time to reflect on what it is we want from life and where we want to go.
A time to tell myself, I am worthy of my life and all that comes my way. I open my heart, body and soul to the well of abundance – giving out all that I can to enrich the lives of others while at the same time enriching my own. Because one thing I have learnt is the more abundant I feel, the more abundance I attract. The more I feel lack, the more lack I will attract.
Look around you today at the birds, the flowers, the trees, examine the wonder of children who truly believe there is a bottomless well and there is always more and see just how genuinely happy and resourceful they are. And then transfer that feeling to yourself. That’s what I am planning to do on this glorious Sunday. Live in the moment because there is really no such thing as time. Wayne Dyer really made me think about this concept when he said the past = the present= the future. What I just wrote is the past yet I am in a present moment and what I am going to write next is the future yet I am in a present moment. So why fret about the past or the future when all we have is the now and the abundance we attract.
Days like today put it all in perspective for me – it’s a day that can take your breath away, ease the pain you may be feeling and fill you with hope if you open your eyes to its abundance. And the beauty of it is, it's all there for us free of charge. Abundance is plentiful and there is enough for all of us if we open our hearts, souls and minds to it letting it flow through our beings recognising it is as infinite as our Universe. There is more than enough for all of us to share.

The Sound of Silence

At some hour this morning I was awakened by the sound of silence. Have you ever heard and really listened to the sound of silence? It can be frightening and unnerving when you’re not expecting it. It creeps into your soul and awakens your sense of awareness to all that is around you, challenging you to identify what it is that has changed.
We have had wind howling for the last week, its sound echoing through the trees, noisily moving anything in its wake, disturbing the peace; then suddenly and abruptly the wind went away this morning, leaving in its wake, the sound of silence.
The sudden change forced me out of my sleep as I am a very light sleeper – a common trait for mothers – and I sat up in my bed, looking around, trying to determine what it was that had changed. Why the air seemed so different and then I realized it was the sound of silence. Everything was so still, so calm, so eerie. And at the same time it was so peaceful so restful, the storm had passed. Feeling reassured, I pulled the covers back over me and drifted back off to sleep.
Then I was awoken in the morning by a blissful and hopeful sight - the sun was streaming through my windows pulling me out of my sleep, making me even more grateful for the brightness of the new day after a week of darkness, wind and rain. I went to my bathroom window and looked out at the day wakening. I watched the bluebirds return, going in and out of the bird box we had made for them trying to build their nest, trying to protect their nest from the sparrows, crows and kiskadees.
And then under the large golden shower bush, which incidentally held on to the majority of its brilliant yellow flowers during the storm, sat a brilliant red bird singing its morning song. The colours and peace after the storm were starting to return, the birds comfortable now to resume their daily lives, and the flowers on the trees. The garden was a flurry of activity as nature went about restoring itself amidst the sound of silence. Sending through me a sense of purpose. A sense of peace. Gratitude.
I often take my lead from nature because it reminds me of our inherent resilience - the ability to regenerate and renew and it often begins with the sound of silence. A place where we need to go after every storm to allow us to calm and renew in order to grow.

11.11.11

Happy 11.11.11 everyone. This is a day of new beginnings and manifestation by those who believe in spirituality. People have been waiting for this day for a long time. There are a lot of expectations surrounding this day. People around the world are performing all kinds of rituals to mark this day.
I have to admit that I have fallen into the whole excitement of 11.11.11 because sometimes I just want to believe in magic, the unexplainable and the unknown because isn’t that what we all are. The other night my family sat at the dinner table debating about where we came from and how we got here. My husband stating that if there was a God where did he come from? How did we all begin? My son questioned how we keep regenerating and changing – what and where is the beginning. Even my daughter chimed in with her theories, probing trying to understand.
It was a very passionate and thought provoking discussion because it forced my family to accept there are some things that we just cannot explain. Whether we accept this fact or not is up to us but sometimes just letting go instead of trying to place our human limitations on the vastness of our world can stunt our growth. Accepting we don’t know it all can free us so much because it allows us to be open to possibility.
I believe we are a part of a much larger plan – a plan that is unfolding as per the Divine – whether we want to call it God, Allah or worship an idol – just as long as we have a belief system in something, we will have faith and it is faith that allows us to weather any storm that comes our way.
I looked out last night at the beautiful full moon and marvelled at the fact that the wind was still blowing like crazy, there was a Tropical Storm approaching, but the sky was as clear as could be full of stars and the moon was so bright, so radiant that it actually sent chills down my spine. Occasionally clouds, some wispy, others so dark and menacing, covered the moon and hid its light but within seconds because of the strong winds, the moon would come popping out again casting its magnificent light on me. I stood mesmerised by this sight, watching the interplay between light and darkness, between the wind and stillness, between the clouds and the wind and I knew that everything and everyone has a place in life – sometimes some are stronger than others and then the roles reverse allowing each one of us to feel the effect of the energy we put out.
Today is 11.11.11 – whether that means anything to you or not – take the time to give thanks for all that you have and all that you are about to receive because to me it is a new day, a new beginning, a magical time and I fully intend to make the most of it.
The birds are chirping, the wind is starting to die down a bit, the sun is holding steady behind the heavy clouds waiting for them to pass, knowing that when its time has come, it will be revealed and it will shine for us to see once again.

Detours often point us in the right direction

“Often in life the things that go wrong lead to the things that go right.” Glamour Magazine

It’s a full moon tonight and the wind is still howling in Bermuda – it’s enough to drive anyone bunkers. So when I saw this quote it brought everything back into perspective for me.
We have had a few periods of sunshine today reminding me that it is there light even on the darkest days but then the clouds roll back in blocking out the light, plunging us into darkness followed closely behind by the heavens opening to release torrential downpours – making us all stop in our tracks to question whether what we were going to do is still necessary. Making us take a breather from rushing around to decide whether we were going to do something because it was easy and once the weather changed it became more of a challenge – forcing us to decide if we could do without that one action.
And that’s the same thing that happens to us when things go wrong. It’s not because we have failed at all but more because things go wrong to force us to stop and question whether we were moving in a direction that is good for our souls. Forcing us to decide whether we need to change direction to make things right again. And often times these detours put us on track for the outcome we were seeking in the first place but in a much more enlightened way.
Okay so now I’m going to drag myself back to writing, the sun is out again for the minute, giving me inspiration to write again; without feeling bogged down by the darkness.

PS Happy Birthday Brodie, a whopping 10 lb baby who came into this world two years ago pushed out by his Amazon mother without an epidural showing us all that often in life the things that go wrong ( a 10 lb baby trying to come out of his mother – I can only imagine her pain) lead to the things that go right ( a healthy baby boy thriving and flourishing). The power of the mind is totally unbelievable and shows that when we engage it we can move mountains or push out a 10 lb baby without any drugs!!!!.

Let go to be in the flow

I am definitely restless this week as you can tell from my writings. Too many demands and pressure on myself – self inflicted of course – isn’t that always the way? Trying to be too many things to too many people and losing myself in the process.
I was wide wake at 4.30 this morning thinking about all the what ifs, listening to the howling wind, wondering when the wind was going to stop thinking it would help stop all the noise in my head. Again looking for external reasons for why I am feeling so uncertain at the moment instead of accepting that I need to face my own demons if I want to progress. Procrastinating is my middle name and I need to shake it.
I got up at 5.30 because I couldn’t lie in the bed anymore. I went into the family room and stood at the door for a while watching the trees swaying, bending, and in some cases almost toppling over in the wind. I thought about the Earthquakes in Oklahoma, the Cyclone that is approaching Alaska, the fact that we are on Tropical Storm watch and thought wow, there is a lot going on in this world – a lot of unrest, governments are being toppled, protestors are protesting Wall Street, so much anxiety. So much stress. Everyone and Everything seems to be trying to find a place in society.
To quiet the noise and apprehension, I meditated for ten minutes and came out still feeling uneasy. What is going on I thought? Then I turned my computer and read the quote from Tao Te Ching, “When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. When I let go of what I have, I receive what I need.” I inhaled because this message was being sent to me to let me know that I have to let go in order to be in the flow.
Mantra for today, “Let go to be in the flow.”

Swimming against the tide

If you always do what you’ve always done, you will always get what you always got,” Doug Kaufman
Inspiration for today.
I laughed when I first read this because it occurred to me just how true this simple statement is. Then I wondered why I can’t always see the truth in it. How often do we feel like we are swimming backwards, paddling our arms as fast as we can but end up going nowhere fast. Leaving us exhausted, depleted, bitter.
This quote made me realise we can complain all we want about where we are and what we are doing but unless we change either our outlook on or direction to where we are and what we are doing, the only person we can blame is ourselves.
Take a deep breath today and allow yourself to go to a quiet space in your head, close your eyes and allow what you’ve always wanted to come to the forefront. Hold on to the image and whisper to the universe, “I am ready for this next chapter in my life.” And see what that feels like. I am saying this as much for you today as I am for myself. There is a cosmic shift going on right now and it’s up to all of us to embrace who we truly are and what we want to be.
Short and sweet today as I’ve got to write today for my writing challenge but when I saw this quote it made me want to touch base with everyone to say, if you’re sick of what you’ve always got it’s up to you to change what you’ve always done – simple but so hard to do.
Think about it, it’s not rocket science, if you always do what you’ve always done, isn’t it true that you will always get what you always got.” It’s up to all of us to claim what’s ours and go for it.