Comfort the Disturbed and Disturb the Comfortable

Yesterday one of our 3rd-grade students was suspended from school for upturning his desk and throwing his chair across the room.

Perhaps he is the wisest one of all.

Taking Flight

The car I drive is a 1994 Honda Accord with 186,000 miles to its fame.  We call it the Spaceship Accord because large areas of the clear coat and paint have worn off ~ perhaps like the outside of a space vehicle upon re-entry through our atmosphere. :-D

Tomorrow I will embark on yet another Spaceship Accord adventure
~ all the way to Erie, Pennsylvania!

Yes, I am going to Embody Bliss at the delightful Lilypad residence of Marcy & Christine ~ oh, and Lilly, Daisy, Toby, Tuppy, Blueberry, and Elizabeth!!!

I was there once before, in the summer of 2009.  And I expect many wonderful, life-affirming experiences this time as well.

Kindred spirit connections

A visit to Her Majesty Lake Erie

Many fresh animals investigating my luggage and lounging on my air mattress

Some of Marcy's incredibly delicious homemade creations

Several adorable cups of the-elixir-of-life-espresso

GNOMES!!!

All, of course, under the watchful spirit of Miss Zoe!

I hope this first full weekend of Spring finds you embracing your inner Bliss Chick and forging an adventure of love, laughter, creativity, kinship, nourishment, healing, and whatever else your Soul Self might be most in need of right now.

Make it so!  :-)

Bonjour Printemps!

HELLO SPRING!!!

There is a song I have been trying to find for over two weeks.
I heard it on the radio and was immediately smitten.
And this morning, my persistence paid off.

At the time, I thought of BlissChick, musing that it would be a perfect tune for her.
After watching the video just now, I am even more convinced of that.
(See if you can spot the reason(s) why!)

Unfortunately, the video cannot be embedded.

Please click here to watch it...

And join me in welcoming Spring!!!

Do Your Own Thing

Yesterday afternoon one of our students, a 10-year old boy from the 4th grade, asked me this question:

"Ms. Lisa, what do you think it would be like if I had never been born?"

What followed was a powerful conversation about every person's own unique purpose on the planet and the divine spark within each of us (that often times doesn't match up with what others think about or expect from us).

Although this particular kid can be *extremely* difficult and challenging (sometimes even downright scary) at times, in that moment I saw his divinity.  I affirmed that he is indeed here for a reason ~ pointing out his amazing talents and abilities.  I acknowledged his pain and sympathized with is experience. I tried, as best I could to someone of his age, to put the whole karmic thing into perspective and explain that, regardless of what others think about us, the most important thing we can do is to be true to ourselves.  (In the midst of all the pain, suffering, confusion, heartache, etc....which is what prompted his question in the first place.)

How interesting that my own needed medicine is often reflected back to me in the words I offer to others.

As I continue to move through my midlife transformation, I am becoming impatient for some definitive answers to the BIG questions.  (Much of this,  I find, has to do with the expectations of myself and others.)  I want to be DONE with this 'mess' and be delivered to some neatly packaged set of circumstances where I can finally say (and present to others), "Ah-ha!  THIS is IT!"  "See, it has all been worth it because now I have/am _______________!"

Yeah, right.

I'm getting that it doesn't work that way.

A few nights ago, I came upon a PBS special by Brene' Brown.  What a treat!  Having dabbled in her writings/blog/research just a little bit ~ and knowing others who find her work incredibly valuable, it was great to finally hear her speak and receive her powerful wisdom.

I immediately started taking notes.

One thing she mentioned stopped me in my tracks...

"We must live without pleasing, perfecting, or performing."

WHAT????

Shit.  I wouldn't even know how to being doing that!!!

(Although upon further contemplation, I realize I have indeed come a long way in overcoming my tendency to do those things, I also realized I am still hardwired to live that way ~ and they are often my default mechanisms when I am not fully engaged in living my own passionate life.)

Still, those words stupify me.

In what followed as a 'down the rabbit hole' experience ~ where a click on a blog leads to a book ~ and another book ~ and an author ~ and an "Oh, yeah, I think I have that book upstairs somewhere."... I am now reading, When the Heart Waits by Sue Monk Kidd.  It is the perfect companion to give words to what I continue to feel as I remain in the chrysalis of transformation.

And there, on page 9, I again saw THOSE words:


"The overarching roles that created the theme song for my life ~ Perfectionist, Performer, Pleaser, Good Little Girl, submissive church-goer, passive and traditional wife ~  began to lose their music.  It's anguish to come to that place in life where you know all the words but none of the music."

Later in the book, on some randomly opened page, I found this story under the title heading of Authenticity:

"In another Hasidic tale, a rabbi named Zusya died and went to stand before the judgement seat of God.  As he waited for God to appear, he grew nervous thinking about his life and how little he had done.  He began to imagine that God was going to ask him, "Why weren't you Moses or why weren't you Solomon or why weren't you David?"  But when God appeared, the rabbi was surprised.   God simply asked, "Why weren't you Zusya?"


The spiritual journey is one of becoming real.  Waiting can offer us the gift of authenticity.  It can help us give birth to a new way of being true to ourselves.  As we wait, we discover that it's okay ~ really okay ~ not only to imagine who we truly are inside but to say who we are, welcome who we are, and even BE who we are.  (pg. 196)


One of the points Brene' made in her show, when discussing how her family began to re-prioritize their choices, was to ask, "What brings us joy?"  Through this exercise, they found that the things on their "to acquire" list (car, house, bigger TV, etc) were not in line with what brings them joy (more free time, travel, less work, time spent outdoors, etc.)

And, even though I have *known* this before ~ why I keep forgetting I have no idea ~ what makes me happy is simply being own self and doing my own thing.  Looking back, I can see that I have been a rebel for my own cause from a very young age.

It's really that simple, I need to just DO MY OWN THING.

With Zig markers and colored pencils I wrote that in my journal this morning.  In large, colorful, block letters.

DO MY OWN THING
BE MY OWN PERSON

And from today forward, it will be my new mantra.

You see, one of the main reasons I divorced FB, was to get all the other voices out of my head.   Some well-meaning voices, perhaps; but *way*too*many* voices of expectation, direction, invitation, exhortation, ramification, education, invalidation, frustration, manipulation, comparison....on and on they go...

...ultimately just muddying the water in what is actually a very clear pond of Truth right before me.

What/who do you see in your pond of Truth?

And in yet another powerful example of trusting my own self, yesterday I had this timely affirmation. (When faced with a week of fatigue ~  in need of much rest and healing, yet feeling like I "should" be out and about ~ doing more and being productive (aka pleasing, performing, perfecting), I read these words) from Cathy Pagano:

This Virgo full Moon is dedicated to the Hermit within each of us.   A hermit usually lives in seclusion from society, going off to live by himself in the forest or desert, where he deals with his inner issues and complexes, thereby gaining wisdom and knowledge of life that he passes on to those people who are questing for their life's purpose.   We are called to be both the Questor and the Hermit, taking time to understand our inner life and finding the voice of Lady Wisdom within so that our outer quest can bear fruit.   So take time this weekend to meditate on what direction your life will take in the coming years.  

HA!

Right on track!

And the miracle of today's message from the Universe, is that it really is quite simple most of the time...do my own thing.  :)

"It was not your intention as you came forth into this physical experience to ask the world to change in order to accomodate your opinions of the way things should be, by eliminating all the things you do not approve of and adding to the things you do approve of.

You are here to create the world around you that you choose..." 

~The Law of Attraction, page 32

I can think of no better advice for you today, dear reader, than to simple BE YOURSELF and DO YOUR OWN THING.

Because, like God reminded Zusya after that fact, we are here to be ourselves.

"To be yourself in a world that is constantly

trying to make something else

is the greatest accomplishment."

~Ralph Waldo Emerson 

Tenderness

The most powerful symptom of love

is a tenderness

which becomes at times 

almost insupportable.

~Victor Hugo

(1802-1885)

Cultivating Spaciousness ~ Part 2

Inside Looking Out ~ The Seattle Public Library ~ November 2010

* * *

"Healing, when properly understood,

merely means casting a firm decision

in the direction of your Higher Self's priorities."

~Doreen Virtue

Journal Entry ~ March 8, 2011

I have decided to take yet another Internet (social media) break.  After this past yoga training weekend, I feel the condition of information overload.  It's all just too much.

Distraction and over-stimulation...no wonder our culture has so much attention deficit!!!

The pseudo-communication does not make for deeper relationships.  I find myself being pulled in too many directions...and needing to cultivate more reciprocity.

I want to spend time slowing down, being centered, and nurturing the calm spirit within me; the place from which I am connected to Source and in the quiet zone where heart-centered connection and healing occur.

...The sources I am reading, The Cosmic Path and Self Ascension, both talk about *really* needing to let go of that which no longer serves....and making choices that will help usher in (birth) whatever 'new' world is coming.

Perhaps because of my age, I feel caught/torn between the 'old' and the 'new' (methods of communication and nurturing relationships)...And maybe neither system is the answer.

What is coming won't look like anything we've seen before.

* * * 

My spring cleaning is starting from the inside out this year.  This strong desire to re-prioritize how/where/when/with whom I spend my time and energy* has taken me by storm.   The cacophony of voices in my head must diminish so that I can acutely tune into the whisper of my Soul.

For, indeed, there is much more wisdom and many more answers (steeped in the juices of my own inner knowing) than I have long given myself credit for.  Recent manifestations and intuitive messages are leading me down this path...with a new-found sense of intrigue and trust.

In addition, I am buoyed by a tremendous thirst for deeper spiritual truth and relevant teachings regarding the current shifts taking place in the Universe.  (Two recent finds that I am enjoying immensely are Spiritual Partnership and The Light Shall Set You Free).

Absorbing and integrating the intense yogic teachings, as well as digesting what insights I am gleaning from other sources, is a demanding, visceral process for which my body leaves me no other choice.  This requires a great deal of rest, renewal, solitude, silence (my how I love quiet!), and ongoing nourishing self-care.

"When you create authentic power you determine what is healthy for you and what is not; what is worthy of your interest and what is not.  You decide which of your sensations, thoughts, and intentions originate in love and which originate in fear.  You become the authority in your life, and your life becomes a continual meditation.  Every experience offers you an opportunity to create authentic power or pursue external power."

~Gary Zukav

* * *

*Please, if you are someone with whom I have kept in contact with electronically, please take no offense at my choice to unplug for a time.  This decision in no way affects my desire to continue to cultivate meaningful, reciprocal relationships.  You, dear readers and friends, bring me great joy, happiness, encouragement, and inspiration.  I just need to re-design the ways in which I communicate so as to greatly limit my exposure to the myriad of 'stuff' that shows up in these forums ~ and to also deliberately enforce a sense of self-discipline upon myself so that I may perhaps move in a new direction (AND finish some long overdue tasks on the home front!).

"The ground rules of a life on the Earth have changed, and these changes are permanent.  Old ways of doing things don't work anymore, or they work but produce experiences we don't want.  Old ways of relating don't work anymore, either.  The new consciousness brings a new type of relationship that is as different from the old type as the new, multisensory consciousness is from the old, five-sensory consciousness."

~Gary Zukav

* * *

{Interestingly enough, I read the above quote just earlier today.  It seems I am making decisions (in favor of my Higher Self and that inner voice I am so keenly attempting to hear) and then, within a day or two, finding affirmation of these decisions in the printed words of others.  Wow.}

* * * 

Let it all come. 

And bless it all with your Light. 

But don’t hold on… 

not to anything… 

and let your heart do all the talking…

all the walking.. 

all the Being it can. 

It’s what we’re here for.

~Stephanie Azaria 

 * * * 

By the way, I will still be monitoring and responding to comments.  

I'd love to hear more about what you're cultivating these days.  :)

Cultivating Spaciousness ~ Part 1

Ferry Views ~ Puget Sound ~ Seattle ~ November 2010

 I adore the expansive skies of the Pacific Northwest!

It seems funny to say this, but there's a whole lot of nothin' going on around here these days.

Well, not nothing really, but *much*less* than could be happening.  

(From an outside perspective, anyway.)

And it's intentional.

I have simply lost any and all desire to hurry or be overly busy ~ or actually busy at all, for that matter. My spirit is truly calling me to slow (even further) down and continue to embrace the wisdom that can be found in solitude and silence.

It is a very restorative time ~ and it is proving to be quite rewarding.

My spiritual studies and self reflection continue on a daily basis.  {I am almost half-way through my year-long yoga teacher training ~ and that, in and of itself, is enough to rock my world!}

All of my decisions go through a much different filtering process now than they used to.  I think much of it has to do with my happiness project ~ and really honing in on where I find my joy.

I have long admired the concept of voluntary simplicity, and I dare say that I believe I am getting the hang of it!  (It involves much less striving and much more peace than what used to fill my days.)

Even well-meaning, good-sounding, admirably-intentioned opportunities are being left unattended because I find I am perfectly content with the simple, yet abundantly rich, routine that life offers me right now.

In talking with a dear friend earlier in the week, I likened my situation to that of digesting food.  You've got to take a break between meals to let your body digest and utilize what you've just consumed.  I am finding this to be true on my spiritual path as well.  Too much of even a good thing is still....well... too much!

In the midst of this spaciousness, there are a lot of changes going on in and around me.  (Interestingly enough, a great deal of it is being worked out in my dreams.)  Absorbing and adjusting to these transformative aspects of BE-ing requires time for digestion and integration.  Just like our computers, each time new software comes on board, a reboot is necessary!

Amazingly, many synchronicities surround me on an almost daily basis ~ enough to confirm that I am indeed on the 'right' track.  (I had two BIG intuitive hits/manifestations last week!)

If I'm sounding rather cryptic here, I apologize.  It's just that I seem to have trouble putting into words the nuances of all that is taking place ~ mainly because it's unlike anything I've ever gone through before.  

I wish I could say I coined the term at the top of this post.  However, the amazing Wayne Muller gets the credit.  His book A Life of Being, Doing, and Having Enough is brilliant!  Please visit his site and take advantage of whatever wisdom you can soak in.  (Here's an excerpt from a great blog post of his from last year.)

"To relentlessly force the tender wisdom, thoughtful reflection, and perceptive honesty of the human heart to conform to the ridiculously impossible, inhuman speed of the world, its effortlessly generated images and mind- driven technologies, is to do violence to our most precious, valuable treasure: the necessary guidance of the human heart. Without it, we may get more and more done, and push ever faster through the gauntlet of our to do list, but we may never, in the end, catch up to anything."

Hmmm...the necessary guidance of the human heart.

Perhaps it is that very landscape that I am discovering.

Beauty

"For every beauty there is an eye somewhere to see it.

For every truth there is an ear somewhere to hear it.

For every love there is a heart somewhere to receive it."

~Ivan Panin

Russian Mathematician 

(1855-1942)