Inspired

Possibilities

Do you let yourself believe in possibilities?  I've thought about this a lot and for me, the definition of an optimist is someone who believes in amazing possibilities, even when life is showing you every indication that they're simply not possible.  I've often been called a "Pollyanna" and told that I "have my head stuck in the ground" (or elsewhere!) because I've always refused to believe that life sucks 100%.  For some reason I've never let myself go there...maybe because I just couldn't bear the thought that things would never get better.  For me, that's untenable and unthinkable.  

I do believe that it's important to look at our beliefs and if there's something happening in our lives that we don't like, we may be sabotaging our success in that area with our own limiting beliefs.  These beliefs are different for all of us and most of them come from far back in our childhood...often so far back that we're not even aware of them.  They might come from something we overheard, or were told as a child but they stuck and have been running our lives since then.

I've been doing a lot of "work/play" in this area recently.  As a child of depression era parents I absorbed much around the belief of lack and impending doom as in..."yeah sure, things might be fine now, but we all know it's only a matter of time until the other shoe drops and we'll all be left with nothing",  kind of belief. 

 

 

You can see that the "impending doom" belief and the "pollyanna" belief might have caused some conflict over the years!  I'm often reminded of the story of the grandson who goes to his grandfather asking for wisdom...

The child says, “Grandfather, there are two wolves knocking at my door. One is the wolf of abundance, pleasure, blessings, generosity, wealth, and bounty. And the other one is the wolf of anxiety, grief, sadness, lack of abundance, stress and pressure.”

The child continues, “They are both knocking hard, Grandfather. Please tell me who will come in? Who will win and gain entry into my home?

The grandfather answers, “Which ever one you feed.”

There are several variations on this story but the grandfather's reply is always the same, as is the question I always end up asking myself.  Which one will I feed...fear and lack or joy and abundance? 

 

There's a lot going on right now, both on the planet as a whole and within each of us, and I suspect I'm not the only one who's focus is on feeding the right wolf. 

There are many things bringing me joy right now but the biggest is that beautiful sense of possibility. It's so full of potential and excitement.

I'm feeling especially inspired and excited by possibilities that have been languishing in the corner of my mind for some time now and this is the wolf I intend to feed.  In fact, I'm preparing a huge banquet!

 

 

(I picked this bouquet of happy pansies yesterday and they’re smiling at me right now from the kitchen counter)

The Artist of the Dream

You are an artist of the Spirit.

Find yourself and express yourself in your own particular way. Express your love openly.

Life is nothing but a dream, and if you create your life with love, your dream becomes a masterpiece of art.

The Mastery of Love by Don Miguel Ruiz

I’ve recently been re-reading The Four Agreements: a Toltec Wisdom Book by Don Miguel Ruiz.  It’s clear, concise, uncomplicated and to-the-point, spiritual advice.

The Four Agreements are:

Be impeccable with your word - Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

Don’t take anything personally - Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering. (if we could get this one under our belts, our lives would change instantly!)

Don’t make assumptions - Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. (another one that will completely transform our lives!).

Always do your best - Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.

And in Don Miguels Ruiz's Book, The Fifth Agreement he outlines the last agreement:

Don’t believe me, don’t believe yourself, and don’t believe anyone else.  We must become clear, free from old knowledge and beliefs that bind us. Your reality is often not about what is actually happening but instead what you have decided it means. Closely examine the stories you tell about yourself and everyone else and you just may discover a few things that are simply not true.

Now…to put this all into practice!  Have you ever noticed how we can read something like this, completely agree with it and then turn around and act like it has nothing to do with our own lives??  Our habits and behaviours are just so ingrained that we often don't recognize them for what they are.

psst…I’d like to add a sixth agreement…Find humour everywhere and laugh often!

Blooming

 

Today is Earth Day…a day to honour our planet and all that grows upon it…including we humans!

As I look out the french doors onto the patio and further to the forest behind my home, I see the leaves are finally unfurling.  On my schedule, they’re late…about a month late…but on their schedule, they’re right on time.  Being the introspective soul that I am, I often wonder why that film is in my camera?  What is it showing me?  I like to look at my outer world and see what it’s reflecting and manifesting from my inner world.

 

 

I too am a “late bloomer”.  I’ve often felt frustrated that I didn’t jump into life with more confidence at 20…or 30…or even 40!  No, I didn’t burst forth in all my glory in young adulthood,  It’s been more of a long, slow germination, waiting for the right conditions to nurture the unfolding.  Just as the plants need moisture and warmth and sunshine, I too (in hindsight) have slowly but methodically over the years, been gathering all the nutrients I require to blossom. 

And just as the warmth of the sun pulls the first plant shoots to the surface of the earth, my own soul has for years, patiently been whispering in my ear, encouraging and nurturing my own growth.

 

 

A bloom is always appreciated, whenever it arrives; a snowdrop in the early spring,  a rose in the fullness of summer or a bold fall chrysanthemum.  I have felt the petals unfolding for some time now and the blooming is all the more full and glorious for the waiting.

Our blooming…that unfolding and opening…is a beloved treasure for the earth and never has it been more in need of it.  When I close my eyes in meditation, I see the blooming of millions of hearts around the world. 

Allow your beautiful unfolding now.  For you.  For the earth.

(all of these flowers were photgraphed in their blooming splendor at the beautiful Butchart Gardens yesterday.)

Five Years Later...and I’m still here!

blossoms on our red current bush

Yesterday I realized that today, April 17, marks five years of blogging for me...and it all started here.  Whew!  I find it amazing that I’m still around after all this time.

There have been many times when I’ve contemplated packing it in.  If you blog, you know what I mean.  There are times when it feels like I have absolutely nothing of interest to say...that I’ve said it all and how many times can I reinvent the same old, same old.  It’s kind of like having an old friend who knows all your story’s and sometimes you’re not sure what you’ve told them already and really, are they even listening any more?

But at the same time, I know I’m not the same person I was five years ago…but then, neither are you!  A few of you have been coming by since the beginning but in blogland as in life, things change, people change, and people come and  go.

 

 

The one thing that has kept me going is that when all is said and done, I write this blog for me.  I made a decision early into the game that I’d stop looking at my stats to see if ANYONE came.  Checking stats is a sure way to bring up all our feelings of insecurity and rejection!  A few years ago Typepad changed their format and made it more difficult to avoid this, so I now have to move through the stats page to get to the posting page...but I still make a point of not checking the numbers.

It may sound odd but one of the main reasons I blog is because it’s a record of me…my life...and the fact that I have lived, had these thoughts, did these things…that I existed. It’s a modern day version of the journals that women have been keeping for years.  The difference now is that these journals are interactive. 

 

 

It’s the retrospective that gives me so much satisfaction; I like to look back to see who I was five years ago (someone very insecure about being so visible) and where the photographs have documented my ever so tentative steps on my creative journey...through the various stages of photography, digital art and more recently, mixed media and painting.

I’m in the process of taking all of these posts (666 of them now, from both my first blog... Thru My Lens Lightly and this, my current blog, Inspired) as well as nearly 2000 photographs...and turning them into hard covered journals (one for each year).  I’ve completed and printed one and another is ready for printing.  Two others have been started but the editing is a slow and detailed and I can only handle short bursts of it.  I’m hoping to be caught up on all five by next year!

And of course…there are the connections. I love the connections I’ve made through blogging.  I know I don’t stop and comment often enough and yes, it’s important and takes less than a moment to say “great post”, “love the artwork” or "thanks for stopping by”.  I know how much thought goes into your postings, and how much talent and expertise goes into the creativity.  I always feel very honoured and privileged that you’re willing to open your souls and be vulnerable, both with your words and your art and I appreciate and  respect that.

 

 

So thank you all for sharing your lives, your talents, your deep thoughts, your humour, your interesting links, your darkest fears, your greatest hopes and your inspiring stories.  I always look forward to hearing what’s happening in your world…the arrival of new grandchildren, books read (or published!), trips planned, art retreats taken and love found. 

And I worry about you when you disappear for too long and feel a happy relief when I hear you’ve just been very busy.  But there are times too when I’ve found that a husband has died, a painful divorce has devastated, a feared diagnosis was given and even a cyclone had hit.  Although I’ve never met most of you, you’ve all become a dear and precious part of my life.

Thank you to each and every one of you for bringing such a rich fullness to these past five years.

Five Senses Friday

  

Seeing: rain, clouds, brief glimpses of sun.  Yes, it’s a chillllly spring here on the island.  The plus side is that I don’t feel guilty about staying inside to play!  I actually dragged out my old sewing machine and started some crafty stuff.  When I say old, I do mean old…it was my grandmothers machine and dates from the 70’s, or maybe even the 60’s!  Anyway, my first attempt was seriously a “trial” run.  If my project works out, I’ll post pic’s…or maybe even if it doesn’t!

Tasting:  pineapple and oranges with mango ice cream…and this, after chicken tandoori and cucumber/mint raita, with mango chutney….mmmmmm.  (there seems to be a mango theme happening here).

 

  

Hearing: Laughter. It’s evening and the TV is on…(The Big Bang Theory) and Mr. I. is laughing. The sound of laughter is so wonderful, so infectious, so...happy!

Smelling: This afternoon I was taking some pic’s of some beautiful hand made soaps and the honeysuckle one has a heavenly fragrance.  My friend Martie at So Many Roads is now making and marketing these hand made soaps and kindly sent me some to try out.  Truly, these soaps are so soft and leave my skin feeling very moist.  There’s something quite wonderful about the way this soap feels.

 

  

Feeling:  a little frustrated with above said sewing machine, contented after a wonderful meal and happy to be where I am right now...right next to the laughing Mr. I.  No, my life isn't perfect, far from it, but right here, right now…I am content.  There is always so much to be grateful for and I choose to focus on that. It's not always easy but considering the alternative, I choose to feel peace.

Wishing all of you a very peaceful weekend,

 

Let My Love Open The Door

the church doors at Santa Maria del Oro, Nyarit, Mexico

I’ve been humming this song for days now and this morning I stopped humming long enough to wonder why!  I hadn’t heard it recently and when something insistently “knocks on my door” like this, I tend to pay attention.

I know It’s a bit trite and cheesy to say that love opens doors but sometimes the truth does sound cheesy…it’s all been said so many times.  When I’m ready to really hear something that I’ve heard many times before, suddenly it will seem louder, brighter, and ring with a truth that makes me question why I never heard it…really heard it…before!

The recent energy coming to the planet has been feeling very “new” and very intense and yet at the same time, it's a much higher energy.  The energy is changing quickly and is facilitating an opportunity that's ripe for new choices, new paths and new adventures.  For months…even years now, we’ve kept doors shut on possibilities that didn’t feel right or that we weren’t yet ready to embrace or the time wasn’t yet right. 

But this month, the time is now right to open those doors.

This month I find I’m believing in myself in ways I’ve never done before.  I’m believing in possibilities that I had previously shut doors on.  I’m letting my love open the door…to my heart!  Don't be surprised if major changes start opening up for you.

I'd like to introduce you to someone who has taken a step this month to open a new door...my dear friend Peggy, who has started her own blog The Messages of Spirit.  Peggy is a beautiful, heart centered woman who channels loving wisdom and provides spiritual readings and intuitive guidance.  I’d would love it if you stopped by to say hello and welcome her to blogland!

(I had such fun designing her blog and working with her on that.  Also, be sure to take a few minutes to listen to Pete Townshend sing…you’ll be up and moving or at the very least, bobbing your head and wiggling your toes!  This song, along with much of his music was influenced by his spiritual beliefs…he is a devotee of the teachings of Meher Baba)

Let love open your door today…and I’m so happy you stopped by to knock on my door! 

Feeling The Peace

Peace of mind is not a goal I need achieve.

It's a place inside I never want to leave.

I close my eyes, still my thoughts and then I say

I choose to live in peace today

Robert Alan

 

Responsibility does not only lie with the leaders of our countries or with those who

have been appointed or elected to do a particular job.

It lies with each of us individually.

Peace, starts within each one of us.

When we have inner peace, we can be at peace with those around us.

When our community is in a state of peace,

it can share that peace with neighboring communities.

Dalai Lama

 

Hello my lovelies…I’m home again and regrouping once more.  The photographs above were taken in the interior where the buds and spring growth are all a little behind us here at the coast.  I liked the denseness of the first one and textural twisting and turning of the other two.

And I've been dealing with a sinus thing for the past several weeks…it comes and goes and can’t make up it’s mind whether to stick around or not…I’m intending not!

I’ve also been feeling a huge energy shift this week…as though I’ve stepped up and out of one space and into something else.  It feels  good.  It feels peaceful.  It feels like the chaos is still out there in the world but I’m not immersed and swirling around in the middle of it.  Very nice. 

Wishing you a beautiful sunny day of basking in your own personal sunshine…and thanks so much for stopping by.

Five Senses Friday (on Saturday)

 

Seeing:  early signs of spring here in the Okanagan Valley.  We are in the interior of BC once again, visiting with my dad…making copious amounts of beef barley soup for his freezer.  Our trips here alternate between making pots of soup and chicken pies, which are then piled into his freezer to keep him well fed until we return once again in two months.

 

Smelling:  again…spring and new growth.  We just returned from a walk with Molly along a canal that connects two lakes and although things are a not quite as advanced as they are at the coast, there’s that heavenly scent of the earth as it warms up and comes back to life. The smell of the sap and pitch in the trees say’s “spring” to me too.  (I’m also smelling a dog that needs a bath!

 

 

Tasting:  black tea.  Hot black tea.  Hot decaf black tea. (and maybe a little chocolate too, she says with a barely audible whisper )

 

Hearing: the different birds in this area that we don’t see where I live on the coast.  The quail bustling along with their new families, the call of the red winged blackbirds…and others that I hear but can’t see, so I’m not sure what they are.

 

Feeling:  very, very full.  We went out for breakfast this morning with dad.  I’m also feeling warm for the first time since leaving Mexico…well, maybe not Mexico warm but still warmer than I’ve felt for a month.  And I’m loving it!

 

Wishing you a lovely weekend filled with all the sweet “weekendy” things that you love to do.  What makes a weekend special for you?  I’d love to hear.  (I love to go out for a leisurely breakfast and then depending on the weather, curl up with a good book, immerse myself in some art or go for a walk with my camera…and of course, meet up with friends!)

Putting Into Words: Good...Bad..or Just Interesting?

This post is one of a series that are chanelled through me by a non-physical source of wisdom, a spirit guide called Shera, and it came in answer to a question I had recently about a situation where I was judging and doubting myself.  Sound familiar?

 

 

Dearest one,  Do not judge the experience as good or bad. It simply is. And this is what we will speak of today.

It is wise for all of you to begin questioning your beliefs and your judgements. You do not truly understand how much your beliefs are limiting your experience of the world. You have been taught your belief system by the world around you, you were not born with it. When you were growing up it was your parents, teachers, friends and perhaps religious organizations, who moulded your beliefs about what is true in the world and today, your media is contributing to that process.  There are as many truths as there are people, for each individual has their own truth.

The question to ask yourself then, is if your “truths” are truly your own or do they belong to your family of origin or your culture? If you moved to another area of your world you would find yourself absorbing new truths from a new perspective and indeed this is why travel is so broadening to the human experience.

During the day, pay attention to where you are labelling things as good or bad. It is a constant and often subconscious inner mind chatter...the rain is bad today, the sunshine is good. The dirty person at the bus stop is bad, the cake is good, the cranky store clerk is bad and the song playing on the radio is good. I don’t like this but I do like that. All day, every day, your mind is running judgements on even the smallest details. We are not saying that you cannot have preferences but in truth, all is not bad or good, it just is. This is important to understand dear ones, so we will say it again...it simply is.

We ask you to notice these thoughts as they come into your mind and become aware of them. You may be surprised at just how much judgement goes on within yourself, daily. Judgement is an impediment to your peace and dear ones; peace is what you truly desire.

When you notice a judgement come up, it would be wise to say to yourself, “I’m tempted to feel judgement right now. I’m tempted to think that judging this as good or bad will keep me safe and reinforce who I am when really, it actually defines me in a way that limits my experience.” By releasing these judgments as they come to you, you will begin to expand your perception, your belief system and eventually, your life.

What is it you are you limiting yourself from right now based on old, out dated beliefs that were never yours to begin with? There is another way of perceiving and processing the information you take in; be interested, be curious, observe and be open. The world you experience will take on a new hue, a new depth and a new sense of wonder but most of all, a longed for feeling of peace.

We leave you now dearest ones with the knowledge that you are deeply loved and you are never alone. Your own guided ones long to assist you, you have but to ask.

Shera

I found this advice to be extremely helpful to me by making me aware of just how many times a day I put judgements on even the simplest thing.  I realize we make our lives so much more difficult than they need to be because everything labelled as “not good” brings a certain amount of dissatisfaction and stress into our lives and really, who needs that!

Wishing you all an interesting day!