I walked the Chartres Cathedral labyrinth today. Well, not the actual Chartres Cathedral labyrinth which is in Chartres outside Paris, France, but a copy of it that exists in Albuquerque in back of the New Life Presbyterian Church off Eubank in the northeast heights. It has eleven-circuits and measures about sixty feet in diameter. It took about sixty tons of material to create it: crushed rock for the base and actual rocks to line and denote the circuits. It was a lot of work for a lot of people to measure it out using sacred geometry and then lay the rock. It's a gift to the community and it's open to the public from dawn to dusk everyday. The only reason one wouldn't walk it at night is because it isn't lit. I find it an unusual addition to a church, and I'm very grateful that it's there.
Today was an amazingly beautiful day in Albuquerque. I had been to my dentist's office, which isn't far from the labyrinth, and I wanted to be outside. It's cool enough now to walk the labyrinth in the heat of the day without melting in the process. The breeze caressed me. The sky was blue with white cumulus clouds pushing up from behind the Sandia Mountains. It was quiet for the most part with birds flying overhead and calling out to each other. Far in the distance I could hear a siren wailing. An airplane was taking off from the airport. The traffic noise from the street reached me. But, these sounds fell into the background as I walked the circuits of the labyrinth.
A labyrinth is not a maze. The purpose of the labyrinth is not to get lost, but to go inside oneself. It's a walking meditation. By starting at the beginning and continuously walking the circuits one reaches the center, which, in a Chartres version, is a flower of life with six petals. One usually has an intention for walking the labyrinth, but it isn't necessary. It could just be walked to let go and give yourself over to the walking. It's very relaxing. You don't have to think about where you're going or how you're going to get there. The circuits take you in and then back out again and no thought is necessary. You give yourself over to the labyrinth and let it have its way with you. Whatever experience you have is a good one.
As I walked into the center of the labyrinth, mental chatter fell away and my internal landscape opened up. I prayed as I walked in the beginning and then just let the emptiness fill me. Because the circuits are lined with rocks that sometimes move out of their places, I repaired the circuits as I went. It's all part of the meditation. I noticed that people have placed small objects along the path and, in the center, a small circle of rocks has been put around a tall candle. These things weren't there the last time I walked the labyrinth. Things have also been placed around the labyrinth on the outside of the circuits...crucifixes, a fat smiling Buddha statue, a Kokopelli. I become sensitive to everything I can see and hear and feel. My surroundings become more alive. Or, is it me who's become more alive?
Because of the way the circuits wind around, I don't know I'm finished with the walk until I'm on the very last leg, right before the end. I walk it very slowly because I'm not quite ready to be done. As I exit the labyrinth, I turn back around to thank it for being there and for everyone who had anything to do with its creation. You can walk the labyrinth with other people, but every time I've been to this one, I've had the pleasure of walking it all by myself.
At one point, I was going to construct a labyrinth in my backyard. But, my backyard isn't really big enough to accommodate one and, once I found the one at the New Life Presbyterian Church, I didn't need to try to make it work because I had one. Sitting in meditation for me is not an easy task. It doesn't seem to work for me as many times as I've tried. But, the walking meditation of a labyrinth is perfect. Somehow the walking and the movement help my mind to let go.
If you look online there's a worldwide Labyrinth Locator. You'd be surprised how many labyrinths there are and where they are. You can also buy small finger-sized ones and "walk" them that way. I have a small finger-sized version of the Chartres labyrinth that I keep on my desk. I would highly recommend walking a labyrinth if you get the chance, or feel inclined to look for one. Even for those of you who enjoy sitting in meditation, I think the experience of the walking meditation of the labyrinth would be grounding as well as opening.
Whatever we do to bring ourselves into a space of quiet communion with Life is a good thing. And, sitting in meditation is only one way. There are many ways to come into the now and be present. Anything that brings you totally into the moment and opens you to the flow of Life all around you is a way. If you've never walked a labyrinth, I hope you give yourself the pleasure of it at some point. But, whether you do, or whether you don't, I hope you have your own way to bring yourself into the vastness of the now.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Friday, September 7, 2012
Solar Flares, Plungers of Light
We are in the midst of experiencing our largest solar flare (CME - Coronal Mass Ejection) ever. CME's travel at about one million miles an hour. The earth is close to 93 million miles from the sun. The full impact of this most recent CME hit the earth last night. I don't know how you experienced it, but I felt it very strongly, and will for some time to come.
I didn't notice the disruption of any household electronics, although did have a bit of cell phone difficulty. But, the thing I noticed the most was my emotional rawness and sensitivity. These huge infusions of light to our planet require huge openings within us in order to receive and integrate them. These light infusions are literally changing us down to our DNA. And, to go through this level of change to the core of our beings can be a bit stressful, to say the least.
I felt anxious and sad and hopeless and despairing. I cried and prayed and, as President Obama said in his speech last night, felt forced onto my knees because I had no where else to go. The plunger effect this level of light has on each and every one of us can make us feel crazy, like we're losing our grip on reality. And, we are. At least the old reality. So much of the past gets moved out of us so fast that the effect can be overwhelming. And, it all streams through our consciousness on its way out. That doesn't mean that we're necessarily conscious of all of it, but it's still moving through our system and triggering a response and/or a reaction.
I got caught up a bit in what was leaving as it was going last night. The emotions that were moving were so strong that it was hard not to get pulled into them. And, I momentarily forgot what was happening and wallowed for a while. I finally forced myself into bed and managed to sleep, although I had very active dreams for most of the night. This morning I feel better, and my presence of mind has returned and I'm able to see what was happening. These purges are not pleasant experiences. Necessary, yes. Pleasant, no.
I've always had an overlay of sadness my whole life. And, I've managed to get into some very hopeless and despairing states of mind. I'm much better now at not focusing on those emotions when they arise, but they can indeed still arise. They do still operate within me at times, and have their way with me at times, which is what happened last night. But, the good thing is that I now come back into consciousness much more quickly than I used to. I know these things are trying to move out of me, and I know they need to move out of me, and part of what makes it difficult is that they've been operating in me for so long that they're very familiar. I know them. They're like old friends. But, they're destructive old friends. They're the friends I have to let go of. They're the things that drag me down.
I've taken more healing classes and had more healing sessions than anyone I know. I've been to more psychics, heard more channels, and had more channeled sessions than anyone I know. My journey to "heal" myself has been extensive and widespread and expensive. I think much of it has helped, but much of it didn't. I have much more awareness through all I've learned and experienced, but the issues I've been working on are still active, and my body still exhibits the same physical symptoms. I used to think it was possible to "cure" myself. I thought it was possible to go in and remove specific energies from the system. I had a very aggressive idea about what healing was and what it could do. But, what's changed more than anything through this long journey is my understanding of what healing is and how it's facilitated. I now understand the level of surrender and acceptance and love that are required.
Cures are possible through energetic healing and do happen. But, they are less common than one would hope. It has to do with the receptivity and faith of those of us wanting to be healed; it has to do with the purity and skill of the healer; it has to do more with what we need than what we want. My healing journey has taken me all over the world, given me many amazing experiences, introduced me to many wonderful people, and shaped my life in ways that have been invaluable and beneficial. My spiritual path has opened through this healing journey. And, even though I still exhibit symptoms and have bouts of emotional instability and frailty, I am stronger and more aware on a soul level. Cures for the outward things have not occurred, but healing for the soul has. And, through my own pain and discomfort and despair, my heart has opened and compassion and understanding have grown. And, as difficult as it is sometimes to see physical affliction and emotional trauma as having a silver lining, it is true.
Humanity has historically grown through pain and adversity. When we are pressed by outward circumstances, we find the strength within. We've bonded through our pain. We've identified with our pain. We've held onto our pain and wrung every last drop from it. But, that time is at an end. The reason we're being so pushed by Life to let go of our past issues and limitations, is because they've served us as far as they're going to serve us. We're in the process of changing our basis of life, and the old ways of pain and adversity are losing their grip. We're being asked to open into a lighter way of living. We're being asked to bond through strength and love, not pain. We're being asked to identify with the purity of our souls and not our outer manifestations of pain. We're being asked to open into limitless possibilities instead of staying within our old limitations and feelings of inadequacy.
We're in the throes of a process that is birthing us into our greater yet to be. We're in the throes of a process that is birthing us into the fullness of our Christed selves. We are being transformed and lifted into the multidimensionality of who we really are. We're being given the chance to remember who we are as aspects of the One. And, as that process continues, we will go through some discomfort as we let go of the past and open to the now. We will forget sometimes what is really happening. We might lament and gnash our teeth at the difficulty of what is being asked of us. But, as we emerge from this process, unburdened and free and full of gratitude, we will realize that it's all been worth it.
Each one of us is here on this planet at this time and in these bodies in order to utilize the energies that are present to move ourselves forward as we assist the earth to move forward. We all volunteered to be here. We're all here for a reason and because we have something to heal and contribute. The gift of being here during the end of duality and the beginning of a whole new way of living as our planet ascends herself from the third dimension into the fifth, allowing us to go with her, is beyond anything any of us have ever experienced, and a gift that is impossible to truly comprehend. We are the galactic guinea pigs. We're the first collective of humanity to be given this chance. We're going where no one has gone before. We're the ones laying the track for those who will follow. We're the ones opening the door. We're the ones who will reach back and lift those behind us up.
Such a task is not easy, and we were never told it would be. But, when we said we'd come and be a part of it, we didn't care. We just wanted to be here, to participate in the grand experiment. So, no matter how difficult things get, or how much is required of us, it's important to remember that it's a gift to be here. It's important to remember that we are trail blazers. And, it's important to remember that no matter what happens, we will succeed in our missions. Hang in there. Be courageous. Remember why you're here and who you are.
I didn't notice the disruption of any household electronics, although did have a bit of cell phone difficulty. But, the thing I noticed the most was my emotional rawness and sensitivity. These huge infusions of light to our planet require huge openings within us in order to receive and integrate them. These light infusions are literally changing us down to our DNA. And, to go through this level of change to the core of our beings can be a bit stressful, to say the least.
I felt anxious and sad and hopeless and despairing. I cried and prayed and, as President Obama said in his speech last night, felt forced onto my knees because I had no where else to go. The plunger effect this level of light has on each and every one of us can make us feel crazy, like we're losing our grip on reality. And, we are. At least the old reality. So much of the past gets moved out of us so fast that the effect can be overwhelming. And, it all streams through our consciousness on its way out. That doesn't mean that we're necessarily conscious of all of it, but it's still moving through our system and triggering a response and/or a reaction.
I got caught up a bit in what was leaving as it was going last night. The emotions that were moving were so strong that it was hard not to get pulled into them. And, I momentarily forgot what was happening and wallowed for a while. I finally forced myself into bed and managed to sleep, although I had very active dreams for most of the night. This morning I feel better, and my presence of mind has returned and I'm able to see what was happening. These purges are not pleasant experiences. Necessary, yes. Pleasant, no.
I've always had an overlay of sadness my whole life. And, I've managed to get into some very hopeless and despairing states of mind. I'm much better now at not focusing on those emotions when they arise, but they can indeed still arise. They do still operate within me at times, and have their way with me at times, which is what happened last night. But, the good thing is that I now come back into consciousness much more quickly than I used to. I know these things are trying to move out of me, and I know they need to move out of me, and part of what makes it difficult is that they've been operating in me for so long that they're very familiar. I know them. They're like old friends. But, they're destructive old friends. They're the friends I have to let go of. They're the things that drag me down.
I've taken more healing classes and had more healing sessions than anyone I know. I've been to more psychics, heard more channels, and had more channeled sessions than anyone I know. My journey to "heal" myself has been extensive and widespread and expensive. I think much of it has helped, but much of it didn't. I have much more awareness through all I've learned and experienced, but the issues I've been working on are still active, and my body still exhibits the same physical symptoms. I used to think it was possible to "cure" myself. I thought it was possible to go in and remove specific energies from the system. I had a very aggressive idea about what healing was and what it could do. But, what's changed more than anything through this long journey is my understanding of what healing is and how it's facilitated. I now understand the level of surrender and acceptance and love that are required.
Cures are possible through energetic healing and do happen. But, they are less common than one would hope. It has to do with the receptivity and faith of those of us wanting to be healed; it has to do with the purity and skill of the healer; it has to do more with what we need than what we want. My healing journey has taken me all over the world, given me many amazing experiences, introduced me to many wonderful people, and shaped my life in ways that have been invaluable and beneficial. My spiritual path has opened through this healing journey. And, even though I still exhibit symptoms and have bouts of emotional instability and frailty, I am stronger and more aware on a soul level. Cures for the outward things have not occurred, but healing for the soul has. And, through my own pain and discomfort and despair, my heart has opened and compassion and understanding have grown. And, as difficult as it is sometimes to see physical affliction and emotional trauma as having a silver lining, it is true.
Humanity has historically grown through pain and adversity. When we are pressed by outward circumstances, we find the strength within. We've bonded through our pain. We've identified with our pain. We've held onto our pain and wrung every last drop from it. But, that time is at an end. The reason we're being so pushed by Life to let go of our past issues and limitations, is because they've served us as far as they're going to serve us. We're in the process of changing our basis of life, and the old ways of pain and adversity are losing their grip. We're being asked to open into a lighter way of living. We're being asked to bond through strength and love, not pain. We're being asked to identify with the purity of our souls and not our outer manifestations of pain. We're being asked to open into limitless possibilities instead of staying within our old limitations and feelings of inadequacy.
We're in the throes of a process that is birthing us into our greater yet to be. We're in the throes of a process that is birthing us into the fullness of our Christed selves. We are being transformed and lifted into the multidimensionality of who we really are. We're being given the chance to remember who we are as aspects of the One. And, as that process continues, we will go through some discomfort as we let go of the past and open to the now. We will forget sometimes what is really happening. We might lament and gnash our teeth at the difficulty of what is being asked of us. But, as we emerge from this process, unburdened and free and full of gratitude, we will realize that it's all been worth it.
Each one of us is here on this planet at this time and in these bodies in order to utilize the energies that are present to move ourselves forward as we assist the earth to move forward. We all volunteered to be here. We're all here for a reason and because we have something to heal and contribute. The gift of being here during the end of duality and the beginning of a whole new way of living as our planet ascends herself from the third dimension into the fifth, allowing us to go with her, is beyond anything any of us have ever experienced, and a gift that is impossible to truly comprehend. We are the galactic guinea pigs. We're the first collective of humanity to be given this chance. We're going where no one has gone before. We're the ones laying the track for those who will follow. We're the ones opening the door. We're the ones who will reach back and lift those behind us up.
Such a task is not easy, and we were never told it would be. But, when we said we'd come and be a part of it, we didn't care. We just wanted to be here, to participate in the grand experiment. So, no matter how difficult things get, or how much is required of us, it's important to remember that it's a gift to be here. It's important to remember that we are trail blazers. And, it's important to remember that no matter what happens, we will succeed in our missions. Hang in there. Be courageous. Remember why you're here and who you are.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Adaptability
Adaptability is an important quality. If we're not able to grow and adapt as things change, we will be left behind. We call people dinosaurs who aren't able to adapt as things change. And, you remember what happened to the dinosaurs, right? They died. Gone. Not able to adapt. Charles Darwin said: "It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change."
Being stubborn and holding on to the old ways doesn't get us anywhere. Refusal to change and grow will render one irrelevant and take us out of the game. Railing against the new and innovative instead of embracing it is ultimately self-destructive. Change is a constant, and to recognize it and go with it keeps one on the crest of the wave. If we resist the new and fall behind it's much more difficult to catch up.
Change used to happen more slowly and people had more time to get used to it and integrate it. But, it's happening much more quickly now. We've had more changes in the last one hundred years than prior history would have ever suggested were possible. It's a lot to get used to. And, even though it would be easier if things were moving more slowly, that's not the case. It's important to be able to respond to the truth of our reality and the speed with which things are changing. It's important to be able to adapt to our constantly changing technology and culture.
Things are speeding up because the vibratory rate of the planet is being raised. She is lifting herself out of third dimension and into the fifth dimension, and we are being given the chance to go with her. But, in order to do that, we have to adapt to the way things are changing, at the speed with which they are changing, and integrate the changes as they're happening. It requires a surrender into the process. It requires us to let go of trying to figure it out and just go with it. There's an acceptance of what is that transcends any kind of sense our minds try to make of it based on past experience and knowledge. There's a trust required in Life itself and where this process is taking us.
If we constantly struggle with trying to make sense of what's happening in the world at this time of transition, things are more difficult. If we're able to feel our way through things and let our intuition come to the fore, then Life becomes more easily navigable. Historically, at least for the last couple of thousand years, we've approached things from a more mental point of view. But, we're now being asked to let that go and move into a more feeling way of being in the world. Our mental processes are too slow and too rigid, too structured. To let logic take the lead isn't going to be the way to get through things the way they're happening now.
We don't know exactly how we're going to be called to adapt to anything until the moment of adaptation arrives, and then we either let go and move forward, or we hold on and stay behind. Sometimes it's a split second decision. And, in that split second, the course of our lives is determined. Will you let go? Or, will you hold on? None of us know until we're faced with each individual situation. You might think today that you would never do something, but then tomorrow that's what's being asked of you. The thing you thought you wouldn't do is suddenly the thing that's necessary. We can't approach any day with preset ideas and expectations. We have to stay open and respond to the truth of each moment as it happens.
Whatever we think we're capable of, we're going to get the chance to push those boundaries and find out that we're capable of so much more. Whatever we think we're not capable of, we'll get the chance to see ourselves differently and blast through those limitations. Whatever we believe is true, Life will give us the chance to test and open those beliefs beyond what we thought possible. Whatever we hold on to will most likely get ripped away. And, whatever we let go of, will serve to set us free. The lighter and freer we are, the more easily we'll be able to adapt to whatever comes.
When you get an intuition, follow it, even if it doesn't make sense. When you have a real knowing about something, pay attention to it, even if it isn't logical. I've had a lot of people tell me that they feel like getting rid of things right now. Do it. Lighten up. Unburden yourself. Be more mobile. Be ready for whatever comes. Pay attention and adapt. That's the energy of the moment. That's what's being required of us...to be adaptable. Be pliant. Be fluid. There's a rhythm to Life. Listen to it and ride it.
The wheat is being sifted from the chaff. Will you let go? Or, will you hold on? Will you move with what is? Or, will you stay with what was? It's up to each and every one of us to make these decisions for ourselves. We'll be given numerous chances, and there's no judgment attached to whatever we decide to do. But, our survival on this planet is the thing being decided. If we're able to tune in and adapt and move with the flow of Life here, we will be able to stay. But, if not, we'll have to go elsewhere and work out our decisions there. Wherever we end up will be the best place for us. Life gives us endless options to have the experiences we want. Here or somewhere else, Life doesn't care. No place is better than another, just different. We get to choose.
Making our choices from a place of conscious awareness would be better than allowing the choice to be made from a place of unconsciousness. So, we'd do ourselves a favor to be as conscious as we can. We can ask ourselves where we're holding on and why? Often, the areas of difficulty in our lives are the areas where we tend to be holding on to old ideas and ways of doing things. We can look at the areas where we're stuck and ask ourselves what the fear is that keeps us there. We can come into awareness of our resistance, and ask what is it that we're pushing against. A lot of the questions that need to be asked are the ones we'd rather not ask because we don't want the answers we know are behind them. But, we need to ask the questions and come into awareness through the answers in order to move forward and be able to adapt to what is.
Do what you need to do in order to adapt...or, not. Whatever we do is okay. And, that's the great thing about this game. Whatever we choose is a valid choice. Whatever the consequences of our choices, there is no judgment. Whether we move forward or stay behind, it's all a learning experience. Whatever we choose, it helps us to know ourselves more deeply. It's really about setting ourselves free, to do whatever we feel called to do, to rise or fall by our own decision and choice. What is your choice? Where do you want to be? How free are you willing to be? How much are you able to let go of? How adaptable are you? We'll all be given the chance to find out.
Being stubborn and holding on to the old ways doesn't get us anywhere. Refusal to change and grow will render one irrelevant and take us out of the game. Railing against the new and innovative instead of embracing it is ultimately self-destructive. Change is a constant, and to recognize it and go with it keeps one on the crest of the wave. If we resist the new and fall behind it's much more difficult to catch up.
Change used to happen more slowly and people had more time to get used to it and integrate it. But, it's happening much more quickly now. We've had more changes in the last one hundred years than prior history would have ever suggested were possible. It's a lot to get used to. And, even though it would be easier if things were moving more slowly, that's not the case. It's important to be able to respond to the truth of our reality and the speed with which things are changing. It's important to be able to adapt to our constantly changing technology and culture.
Things are speeding up because the vibratory rate of the planet is being raised. She is lifting herself out of third dimension and into the fifth dimension, and we are being given the chance to go with her. But, in order to do that, we have to adapt to the way things are changing, at the speed with which they are changing, and integrate the changes as they're happening. It requires a surrender into the process. It requires us to let go of trying to figure it out and just go with it. There's an acceptance of what is that transcends any kind of sense our minds try to make of it based on past experience and knowledge. There's a trust required in Life itself and where this process is taking us.
If we constantly struggle with trying to make sense of what's happening in the world at this time of transition, things are more difficult. If we're able to feel our way through things and let our intuition come to the fore, then Life becomes more easily navigable. Historically, at least for the last couple of thousand years, we've approached things from a more mental point of view. But, we're now being asked to let that go and move into a more feeling way of being in the world. Our mental processes are too slow and too rigid, too structured. To let logic take the lead isn't going to be the way to get through things the way they're happening now.
We don't know exactly how we're going to be called to adapt to anything until the moment of adaptation arrives, and then we either let go and move forward, or we hold on and stay behind. Sometimes it's a split second decision. And, in that split second, the course of our lives is determined. Will you let go? Or, will you hold on? None of us know until we're faced with each individual situation. You might think today that you would never do something, but then tomorrow that's what's being asked of you. The thing you thought you wouldn't do is suddenly the thing that's necessary. We can't approach any day with preset ideas and expectations. We have to stay open and respond to the truth of each moment as it happens.
Whatever we think we're capable of, we're going to get the chance to push those boundaries and find out that we're capable of so much more. Whatever we think we're not capable of, we'll get the chance to see ourselves differently and blast through those limitations. Whatever we believe is true, Life will give us the chance to test and open those beliefs beyond what we thought possible. Whatever we hold on to will most likely get ripped away. And, whatever we let go of, will serve to set us free. The lighter and freer we are, the more easily we'll be able to adapt to whatever comes.
When you get an intuition, follow it, even if it doesn't make sense. When you have a real knowing about something, pay attention to it, even if it isn't logical. I've had a lot of people tell me that they feel like getting rid of things right now. Do it. Lighten up. Unburden yourself. Be more mobile. Be ready for whatever comes. Pay attention and adapt. That's the energy of the moment. That's what's being required of us...to be adaptable. Be pliant. Be fluid. There's a rhythm to Life. Listen to it and ride it.
The wheat is being sifted from the chaff. Will you let go? Or, will you hold on? Will you move with what is? Or, will you stay with what was? It's up to each and every one of us to make these decisions for ourselves. We'll be given numerous chances, and there's no judgment attached to whatever we decide to do. But, our survival on this planet is the thing being decided. If we're able to tune in and adapt and move with the flow of Life here, we will be able to stay. But, if not, we'll have to go elsewhere and work out our decisions there. Wherever we end up will be the best place for us. Life gives us endless options to have the experiences we want. Here or somewhere else, Life doesn't care. No place is better than another, just different. We get to choose.
Making our choices from a place of conscious awareness would be better than allowing the choice to be made from a place of unconsciousness. So, we'd do ourselves a favor to be as conscious as we can. We can ask ourselves where we're holding on and why? Often, the areas of difficulty in our lives are the areas where we tend to be holding on to old ideas and ways of doing things. We can look at the areas where we're stuck and ask ourselves what the fear is that keeps us there. We can come into awareness of our resistance, and ask what is it that we're pushing against. A lot of the questions that need to be asked are the ones we'd rather not ask because we don't want the answers we know are behind them. But, we need to ask the questions and come into awareness through the answers in order to move forward and be able to adapt to what is.
Do what you need to do in order to adapt...or, not. Whatever we do is okay. And, that's the great thing about this game. Whatever we choose is a valid choice. Whatever the consequences of our choices, there is no judgment. Whether we move forward or stay behind, it's all a learning experience. Whatever we choose, it helps us to know ourselves more deeply. It's really about setting ourselves free, to do whatever we feel called to do, to rise or fall by our own decision and choice. What is your choice? Where do you want to be? How free are you willing to be? How much are you able to let go of? How adaptable are you? We'll all be given the chance to find out.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Walk in Beauty
The following is by Tony Hoagland, from "Grammar" copyright 1998 and reprinted from "Donkey Gospel" with the permission of Graywolf Press, Saint Paul, Minnesota:
"When she walks into the room,
everybody turns:
some kind of light is coming from her head.
Even the geraniums look curious...
We're all attracted to the perfume
of fermenting joy,
we've all tried to start a fire,
and one day maybe it will blaze up on its own.
In the meantime, she is the one today among us
most able to bear the idea of her own beauty,
and when we see it, what we do is natural:
we take our burned hands
out of our pockets
and clap."
This poem was on page 63 of the May 2004 edition of some magazine that I can no longer identify, but I'd had enough presence of mind to rip the page out and keep it. I'd put it in an envelope of other things I'd saved over the years, and finally pulled everything out and went through the contents. That was when I found this gem among a few others.
The line that really struck me was: "...she is the one today among us most able to bear the idea of her own beauty..." Wow. So many of us have trouble seeing and acknowledging our own beauty; our own greatness. If you asked us what our best qualities were, we might have trouble telling you. We could go on about out shortcomings, having been reminded of those over and over in our lives; but, the good things, hmmmmm.....that might take some thought.
Blessed are the children whose parents compliment them and reinforce their instincts and talents and inherently good behavior. Blessed are the children whose parents don't shame them or make them feel inferior or punish them for being themselves. Blessed are the parents who are able to love and accept their children for who they are without trying to make them into something "more normal" or "more acceptable" or whatever the "more" might be in any particular family or situation. Blessed are the teachers who teach with love and are able to transmit excitement for learning to their students.
I'm much more able to accept my own beauty and talents at this late stage of life than I was when I was younger. People noticing me or complimenting me used to make me very uncomfortable. And, I had ideas about what beauty was and what talent was that somehow didn't include myself. I've spent my life trying to make myself small and invisible. I've spent my life hiding my light under a bushel. I've been endlessly told to be quiet, to go away, to keep my ideas to myself. But, no more.
Age is a wonderful thing. As time has passed and I've become older I pay less attention to any and all derogative comments that might be directed my way. I've grown to know myself more deeply and to have developed an appreciation for my good qualities and talents. What people want me to do matters less than what I want to do. What someone else thinks of me matters less than what I think of myself. My rigid ideas of what constitutes beauty have softened. I have come to realize that I do indeed have talents.
Everyone is precious. Everyone is valuable. Everyone is beautiful. Everyone deserves appreciation and praise. Everyone deserves love. If we valued each other and really saw and recognized each other at a soul level, it wouldn't be so amazing if one among us could bear their own beauty. We would all see ourselves as beautiful. We would all walk in beauty. We would all be confident and light-filled. We would all realize our unique contribution and be happy to give it.
Each one of us holds the key to a mystery. Each one of us comes with a gift. Each one of us has something invaluable to contribute. Each one of us shines our own special light. So, don't just bear your beauty, revel in it, express it, share it. Create your own "perfume of fermenting joy." There is joy in self acceptance, and that joy is easily shared. Your joy, your self-acceptance might ignite those same things in someone else who's been struggling. Your sense of beauty might help someone else realize that they are beautiful, too.
Beauty truly does come from within. One of the hurdles of our society is that it's so outwardly focused. We see media images of what society considers beautiful and successful, and if we don't fit within those parameters we consider ourselves lacking. But, that is not the truth. Beauty comes in many shapes and sizes, and there are many levels of success, not all of which are measured by how large our bank accounts are or by how many things we own. It's time to broaden our perspectives beyond the limits of the past. It's time to look deeper and see beyond the surface of things.
So, let's all "take our burned hands out of our pockets" and reveal ourselves in all our glory to the world. Let's give our gifts and talents. Let's appreciate ourselves. Let's walk in beauty all the days of our lives.
"When she walks into the room,
everybody turns:
some kind of light is coming from her head.
Even the geraniums look curious...
We're all attracted to the perfume
of fermenting joy,
we've all tried to start a fire,
and one day maybe it will blaze up on its own.
In the meantime, she is the one today among us
most able to bear the idea of her own beauty,
and when we see it, what we do is natural:
we take our burned hands
out of our pockets
and clap."
This poem was on page 63 of the May 2004 edition of some magazine that I can no longer identify, but I'd had enough presence of mind to rip the page out and keep it. I'd put it in an envelope of other things I'd saved over the years, and finally pulled everything out and went through the contents. That was when I found this gem among a few others.
The line that really struck me was: "...she is the one today among us most able to bear the idea of her own beauty..." Wow. So many of us have trouble seeing and acknowledging our own beauty; our own greatness. If you asked us what our best qualities were, we might have trouble telling you. We could go on about out shortcomings, having been reminded of those over and over in our lives; but, the good things, hmmmmm.....that might take some thought.
Blessed are the children whose parents compliment them and reinforce their instincts and talents and inherently good behavior. Blessed are the children whose parents don't shame them or make them feel inferior or punish them for being themselves. Blessed are the parents who are able to love and accept their children for who they are without trying to make them into something "more normal" or "more acceptable" or whatever the "more" might be in any particular family or situation. Blessed are the teachers who teach with love and are able to transmit excitement for learning to their students.
I'm much more able to accept my own beauty and talents at this late stage of life than I was when I was younger. People noticing me or complimenting me used to make me very uncomfortable. And, I had ideas about what beauty was and what talent was that somehow didn't include myself. I've spent my life trying to make myself small and invisible. I've spent my life hiding my light under a bushel. I've been endlessly told to be quiet, to go away, to keep my ideas to myself. But, no more.
Age is a wonderful thing. As time has passed and I've become older I pay less attention to any and all derogative comments that might be directed my way. I've grown to know myself more deeply and to have developed an appreciation for my good qualities and talents. What people want me to do matters less than what I want to do. What someone else thinks of me matters less than what I think of myself. My rigid ideas of what constitutes beauty have softened. I have come to realize that I do indeed have talents.
Everyone is precious. Everyone is valuable. Everyone is beautiful. Everyone deserves appreciation and praise. Everyone deserves love. If we valued each other and really saw and recognized each other at a soul level, it wouldn't be so amazing if one among us could bear their own beauty. We would all see ourselves as beautiful. We would all walk in beauty. We would all be confident and light-filled. We would all realize our unique contribution and be happy to give it.
Each one of us holds the key to a mystery. Each one of us comes with a gift. Each one of us has something invaluable to contribute. Each one of us shines our own special light. So, don't just bear your beauty, revel in it, express it, share it. Create your own "perfume of fermenting joy." There is joy in self acceptance, and that joy is easily shared. Your joy, your self-acceptance might ignite those same things in someone else who's been struggling. Your sense of beauty might help someone else realize that they are beautiful, too.
Beauty truly does come from within. One of the hurdles of our society is that it's so outwardly focused. We see media images of what society considers beautiful and successful, and if we don't fit within those parameters we consider ourselves lacking. But, that is not the truth. Beauty comes in many shapes and sizes, and there are many levels of success, not all of which are measured by how large our bank accounts are or by how many things we own. It's time to broaden our perspectives beyond the limits of the past. It's time to look deeper and see beyond the surface of things.
So, let's all "take our burned hands out of our pockets" and reveal ourselves in all our glory to the world. Let's give our gifts and talents. Let's appreciate ourselves. Let's walk in beauty all the days of our lives.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Autumn
Fall has definitely come to Albuquerque. It's not that the temperatures have changed that much. It's still very hot. But, the quality of light has changed. The earth has rotated enough that the sun is not as much over head as it was. The light has a lower angle to it and it's a bit more diffused. The shadows are a bit longer. And, there's more breeze now and more clouds.
I used to think noticing fall in this way was something I did in California. I thought that in other places, with more distinct weather patterns, fall would be more obvious. The weather would cool. The leaves would turn. I thought it was a subtle change in California because the weather changes are not as marked as they are in places farther north and farther east. But, it isn't just a California thing. And, it happens suddenly. One morning I'll wake up and realize it's fall. It's like the planet made a larger shift of position over night. But, it's like that with a lot of things. It's one way, until it isn't. It's fine, until it isn't. And, it's not a gradual kind of change, it happens quickly. It's like I looked away for a second and when I looked back, everything had changed. It's summer, until it isn't.
I love the autumn. It's my most favorite season. There's a quiet melancholy to it. The colors are earthy and rich. The air is fresh. It signals change and transformation. Harvest time. Roasting chilis. My birthday. The beginning of another personal year. The outward activity of summer turns inward. Sweaters come out. I have to replace my flip flops with shoes. Long pants replace shorts and crops. The days get shorter.
The light from the sun affects us in so many ways. We're tied into it no matter how much electricity we produce and how many artificial sources of light there are. In the fall things start to soften from the glare of summer. Winter drives us inward as it gets darker and colder. And, spring awaken us with light's return as days get longer and temperatures start to climb. If we don't get enough sunlight, we become less healthy. Without enough sunlight, we get emotionally depressed. The sun carries hope with it. It not only lightens our atmosphere, but it lightens our mood. It's not just visual, it affects us cellularly on every level. It affects our glands and the way our bodies work. It affects the way we think and how we feel.
We just had the largest solar flare from the sun we've ever had. Our planet is being infused with huge amounts of light. Our bodies are struggling to open fast enough to receive these infusions of light without going into overload. I feel it by having difficulty sleeping. I feel an underlying anxiety that's not really attached to anything in particular. I feel a vulnerability and a rawness. I'm more sensitive and emotional. As I'm able to integrate each new infusion of light, the symptoms dissipate and I'm lulled into thinking things have returned to "normal," which is not the case. As we integrate each new wave of light, things are changed forever. We get to a place where things feel normal as we equalize, but each new blast of light moves us forever forward.
The sun has always been revered and its essential contribution has been worshipped. There have been civilizations that built religions around it. Pharaoh Akhenaten used a sun disk as the only physical symbol of his religion of the One God...a religion built around light, with the concept that everything is light. No wonder the sun was its symbol. Without the sun there is no life. Without photosynthesis, there is no oxygen. We could artificially create an atmosphere where life could be sustained, but there would be no natural life.
Each season requires an embrace, a surrender into it and what it brings. And, each season lays gifts at our feet. I hope you open to and enjoy the autumn season and all of its gifts. I hope you revel in the change and relax into it. I hope you are able to flow with it and allow it to take you where it will. I find the fall exciting and full of renewal. It energizes me and gives me new direction. As ready for summer as I was when it began, I'm ready for fall now. I hope you're as ready for it as I am and that you enjoy every minute of it while it's here. I hope you're able to fully surrender into it and to receive all the gifts it has to offer; and, that you feel enriched by it on every level. The sun and the seasons are part of who we are, and we become more ourselves as we flow with them.
I used to think noticing fall in this way was something I did in California. I thought that in other places, with more distinct weather patterns, fall would be more obvious. The weather would cool. The leaves would turn. I thought it was a subtle change in California because the weather changes are not as marked as they are in places farther north and farther east. But, it isn't just a California thing. And, it happens suddenly. One morning I'll wake up and realize it's fall. It's like the planet made a larger shift of position over night. But, it's like that with a lot of things. It's one way, until it isn't. It's fine, until it isn't. And, it's not a gradual kind of change, it happens quickly. It's like I looked away for a second and when I looked back, everything had changed. It's summer, until it isn't.
I love the autumn. It's my most favorite season. There's a quiet melancholy to it. The colors are earthy and rich. The air is fresh. It signals change and transformation. Harvest time. Roasting chilis. My birthday. The beginning of another personal year. The outward activity of summer turns inward. Sweaters come out. I have to replace my flip flops with shoes. Long pants replace shorts and crops. The days get shorter.
The light from the sun affects us in so many ways. We're tied into it no matter how much electricity we produce and how many artificial sources of light there are. In the fall things start to soften from the glare of summer. Winter drives us inward as it gets darker and colder. And, spring awaken us with light's return as days get longer and temperatures start to climb. If we don't get enough sunlight, we become less healthy. Without enough sunlight, we get emotionally depressed. The sun carries hope with it. It not only lightens our atmosphere, but it lightens our mood. It's not just visual, it affects us cellularly on every level. It affects our glands and the way our bodies work. It affects the way we think and how we feel.
We just had the largest solar flare from the sun we've ever had. Our planet is being infused with huge amounts of light. Our bodies are struggling to open fast enough to receive these infusions of light without going into overload. I feel it by having difficulty sleeping. I feel an underlying anxiety that's not really attached to anything in particular. I feel a vulnerability and a rawness. I'm more sensitive and emotional. As I'm able to integrate each new infusion of light, the symptoms dissipate and I'm lulled into thinking things have returned to "normal," which is not the case. As we integrate each new wave of light, things are changed forever. We get to a place where things feel normal as we equalize, but each new blast of light moves us forever forward.
The sun has always been revered and its essential contribution has been worshipped. There have been civilizations that built religions around it. Pharaoh Akhenaten used a sun disk as the only physical symbol of his religion of the One God...a religion built around light, with the concept that everything is light. No wonder the sun was its symbol. Without the sun there is no life. Without photosynthesis, there is no oxygen. We could artificially create an atmosphere where life could be sustained, but there would be no natural life.
Each season requires an embrace, a surrender into it and what it brings. And, each season lays gifts at our feet. I hope you open to and enjoy the autumn season and all of its gifts. I hope you revel in the change and relax into it. I hope you are able to flow with it and allow it to take you where it will. I find the fall exciting and full of renewal. It energizes me and gives me new direction. As ready for summer as I was when it began, I'm ready for fall now. I hope you're as ready for it as I am and that you enjoy every minute of it while it's here. I hope you're able to fully surrender into it and to receive all the gifts it has to offer; and, that you feel enriched by it on every level. The sun and the seasons are part of who we are, and we become more ourselves as we flow with them.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini and The Church
Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, former bishop of Milan and a Papal candidate, died on Friday at the age of 85. He is the type of person who gave one hope for the Catholic church. His was a voice of dissension within the church, and accused the church of being "200 years out of date" in his final interview.
The fact that someone of his stature could speak out to the level he did, and that his comments made their way into mainstream media outlets, is amazing and wonderful. And, he was well-loved, both within the church and by parishioners alike. He thought the church to be aged and empty and burdened by too much bureaucracy. He advocated the use of condoms and allowing people in the church to remarry for reasons other than losing a spouse through death.
He was very vocal about what needed to be done in order not to lose the future generations of church members. The fact that the church continued to forbid divorce and the use of contraceptives were things he fought to change. He was embarrassed and appalled by the pedophilia within the church and the church's lack of responsibility in regard to it.
He understood that life was changing and that the church needed to open up to new kinds of families and new perspectives in order to stay current and be relevant in the world. The archaic directives of the church were only serving to alienate its parishioners. He was a liberal and courageous voice within the church and his final message to Pope Benedict, shortly before his death, was to initiate change within the church immediately, saying, "Why don't we rouse ourselves? Are we afraid?"
The church has been of great benefit and given much comfort and assistance to people worldwide. But, as we move forward as a collective and embrace new perspectives and ways of thinking, new practices of behavior and new values, the church need to keep up. If the church isn't able to meet people within the current time frame, and take into account the current ways of thinking, then the people have outgrown its usefulness. The church has to grow with the times. It has to be relevant to the issues people are dealing with in the moment.
To not allow divorce and the use of contraceptives makes sinners of a large percentage of its members. These are not things put forth by Jesus, they were put forth by lesser men in order to control rather than empower their followers. Celibacy among the priesthood was also not put forth by Jesus. Jesus never set about to create a priesthood in the beginning, that was started by Peter and Paul of Tarsus. If Priests were allowed to marry and have children, they would be much more able to help those in their flock. And, they would be less apt to rape children in order to have sex.
The fact that the sexual issues of Peter and Paul of Tarsus have been perpetrated upon the church and all of its followers for millennia is criminal in and of itself. Jesus wasn't celebate. He was married, had multiple sexual partners, and fathered many children. These facts have been suppressed by the church in order to further their own twisted agenda of sexual repression and limitation. Jesus was a tantric master and looked upon sexual union as a pathway to enlightenment. Sexual communion was a sacred act and empowering to those who practiced it as such. The church didn't want empowered members who formed their own connections with the Divine, it wanted controlled followers. So much spiritual and sacred knowledge has been hidden in service to the agenda of keeping its members under control.
The Vatican library, as well as the library at St. Catherine's Monastery in the Sinai, have the most complete works of sacred documents in existence, and yet they are largely unavailable unless one is a member of the church hierarchy. The reason the documents are not available to the rest of us is because they contain information that would run in direct opposition to the tenets put forth by the church. And, God forbid--LOL, sorry, I had to laugh at that--anyone should bring up anything that challenges the church.
The church is afraid because those at the top know that it manipulated the truth from the beginning and that it has been perpetrating lies ever since in order to exercise control over its kingdom. What are they so afraid of? No one grows by hanging on to the past, including the church. It has to be a living, breathing, growing, adapting entity in order to be able to continue. People need to be able to discuss and question their beliefs in order for them to remain applicable to an ever-changing reality. Nothing is stagnant. And, if the church stays stagnant as everything around it grows, it forces itself into irrelevancy.
Because the church has refused to grow and change through the years, people have turned to alternative sources of spirituality and connection. The great thing about this is that it's taught people that each and every one of us is able to connect to the Divine individually. We don't need priests and intermediaries in order to commune with Life. Personal communication with the Divine and gnosis are available to all, and more valid and applicable to life than what one might receive through the church. By the church making itself irrelevant, it's pushed people to be more empowered within themselves.
I think whatever helps us should be utilized, church included. If someone gains value from organized religion and gains comfort from its structure, then by all means continue with it. But, for the rest of us, for whom the church no longer holds any gravity, we're doing it for ourselves. We're forging personal connections with the Divine. We're becoming empowered as we realize things the church never told us about how Life works. We're openly questioning what we've historically been taught by religious institutions. We're more interested in truth than doctrine. And, we want something that helps us to live our lives better, and freer from restriction and limitation.
Some things make us bigger, and some things make us smaller. I think that's an important distinction, and a barometer for what to pay attention to. If you feel empowered and expanded by going to church, then absolutely go. But, if you feel empowered and expanded by other things, then pursue those things. Pursue thoughts and ideas that make you bigger.
Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini lived bigger than most within the church structure. He questioned and he challenged and he wanted to grow and expand with Life itself. I'm sure there are others like him in the church who will now step forward to fill the void he left by moving on to the next dimension of Life. I hope there are, and that they are courageous, and that their voices are heard and heeded. But, it is ultimately up to each of us to find that which expands us and helps us to grow. It is up to each of us to find our own connection with the Divine. It is up to each of us to find that which sets our souls on fire and makes our hearts sing. So, sing loud and clear. Sing like there's no one listening. Sing a new song today. And, sing in gratitude to Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini and those like him while you're at it. Bless you on your way, Carlo.
The fact that someone of his stature could speak out to the level he did, and that his comments made their way into mainstream media outlets, is amazing and wonderful. And, he was well-loved, both within the church and by parishioners alike. He thought the church to be aged and empty and burdened by too much bureaucracy. He advocated the use of condoms and allowing people in the church to remarry for reasons other than losing a spouse through death.
He was very vocal about what needed to be done in order not to lose the future generations of church members. The fact that the church continued to forbid divorce and the use of contraceptives were things he fought to change. He was embarrassed and appalled by the pedophilia within the church and the church's lack of responsibility in regard to it.
He understood that life was changing and that the church needed to open up to new kinds of families and new perspectives in order to stay current and be relevant in the world. The archaic directives of the church were only serving to alienate its parishioners. He was a liberal and courageous voice within the church and his final message to Pope Benedict, shortly before his death, was to initiate change within the church immediately, saying, "Why don't we rouse ourselves? Are we afraid?"
The church has been of great benefit and given much comfort and assistance to people worldwide. But, as we move forward as a collective and embrace new perspectives and ways of thinking, new practices of behavior and new values, the church need to keep up. If the church isn't able to meet people within the current time frame, and take into account the current ways of thinking, then the people have outgrown its usefulness. The church has to grow with the times. It has to be relevant to the issues people are dealing with in the moment.
To not allow divorce and the use of contraceptives makes sinners of a large percentage of its members. These are not things put forth by Jesus, they were put forth by lesser men in order to control rather than empower their followers. Celibacy among the priesthood was also not put forth by Jesus. Jesus never set about to create a priesthood in the beginning, that was started by Peter and Paul of Tarsus. If Priests were allowed to marry and have children, they would be much more able to help those in their flock. And, they would be less apt to rape children in order to have sex.
The fact that the sexual issues of Peter and Paul of Tarsus have been perpetrated upon the church and all of its followers for millennia is criminal in and of itself. Jesus wasn't celebate. He was married, had multiple sexual partners, and fathered many children. These facts have been suppressed by the church in order to further their own twisted agenda of sexual repression and limitation. Jesus was a tantric master and looked upon sexual union as a pathway to enlightenment. Sexual communion was a sacred act and empowering to those who practiced it as such. The church didn't want empowered members who formed their own connections with the Divine, it wanted controlled followers. So much spiritual and sacred knowledge has been hidden in service to the agenda of keeping its members under control.
The Vatican library, as well as the library at St. Catherine's Monastery in the Sinai, have the most complete works of sacred documents in existence, and yet they are largely unavailable unless one is a member of the church hierarchy. The reason the documents are not available to the rest of us is because they contain information that would run in direct opposition to the tenets put forth by the church. And, God forbid--LOL, sorry, I had to laugh at that--anyone should bring up anything that challenges the church.
The church is afraid because those at the top know that it manipulated the truth from the beginning and that it has been perpetrating lies ever since in order to exercise control over its kingdom. What are they so afraid of? No one grows by hanging on to the past, including the church. It has to be a living, breathing, growing, adapting entity in order to be able to continue. People need to be able to discuss and question their beliefs in order for them to remain applicable to an ever-changing reality. Nothing is stagnant. And, if the church stays stagnant as everything around it grows, it forces itself into irrelevancy.
Because the church has refused to grow and change through the years, people have turned to alternative sources of spirituality and connection. The great thing about this is that it's taught people that each and every one of us is able to connect to the Divine individually. We don't need priests and intermediaries in order to commune with Life. Personal communication with the Divine and gnosis are available to all, and more valid and applicable to life than what one might receive through the church. By the church making itself irrelevant, it's pushed people to be more empowered within themselves.
I think whatever helps us should be utilized, church included. If someone gains value from organized religion and gains comfort from its structure, then by all means continue with it. But, for the rest of us, for whom the church no longer holds any gravity, we're doing it for ourselves. We're forging personal connections with the Divine. We're becoming empowered as we realize things the church never told us about how Life works. We're openly questioning what we've historically been taught by religious institutions. We're more interested in truth than doctrine. And, we want something that helps us to live our lives better, and freer from restriction and limitation.
Some things make us bigger, and some things make us smaller. I think that's an important distinction, and a barometer for what to pay attention to. If you feel empowered and expanded by going to church, then absolutely go. But, if you feel empowered and expanded by other things, then pursue those things. Pursue thoughts and ideas that make you bigger.
Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini lived bigger than most within the church structure. He questioned and he challenged and he wanted to grow and expand with Life itself. I'm sure there are others like him in the church who will now step forward to fill the void he left by moving on to the next dimension of Life. I hope there are, and that they are courageous, and that their voices are heard and heeded. But, it is ultimately up to each of us to find that which expands us and helps us to grow. It is up to each of us to find our own connection with the Divine. It is up to each of us to find that which sets our souls on fire and makes our hearts sing. So, sing loud and clear. Sing like there's no one listening. Sing a new song today. And, sing in gratitude to Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini and those like him while you're at it. Bless you on your way, Carlo.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Relationship
The following is a quote from the book "No Man Is An Island" by Thomas Merton: "The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them."
This is an interesting quote, and I understand what its writer is trying to say, but the words don't fully convey the meaning I think he had in mind.
"The beginning of love..." I like this because it clearly states that whatever has come before was not love, because it would have been conditioned and have come with an agenda.
"...is to let those we love be perfectly themselves," Yes...and, this can be a hard one. To let someone be who they are and love them for it, or in spite of it, can be difficult.
"...and not twist them to fit our own image." It's a rare person who doesn't do this. We're always trying to tell others how to do any number of things, or how to be, or what they should or shouldn't do. Or, using the horrifying, "If you loved me, you'd..." Or, the old, "I love you, but..."
"Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them." The problem with this part of the quote is that everyone is a reflection of ourselves, whether they do what we want or not; whether we've been able to affect their behavior or not. If we've managed to influence someone enough that they've become what we want them to be, we might enjoy their compliance, but it makes them no more a reflection of us than if they'd ignored us completely.
We all hold all the aspects of humanity. Some of us exhibit certain of those characteristics more strongly than others, but we have them all. The purpose of relationship is for us to be reflections of each other so we can see on the outside what we're often not able to see on the inside. We often don't want to own a particular aspect of ourselves and so deny its existence, but by our relationships showing up with those who embody our denied aspect/s, we are being shown what we need to address within ourselves, the places we need to heal and love free.
If someone has a quality that annoys us in relationship, we would do best to look at that quality in ourselves. If it annoys us in the other, then it most likely annoys us even more within ourselves. But, like it or not, it's there. If we can let go of our denial and resistance to it, and look at it and give it its space, we will learn more about ourselves and why we are the way we are. What is that annoying aspect? Why is it an issue? Are we willing to love that part of ourselves yet? When we're finally able to love ourselves, even though we have an issue with that aspect, we will be able to accept that it's there and it will start to lose its affect on us, we'll be less afraid of it, we'll relax in regard to it, and it will annoy us less and less in those around us as it dissipates within.
Letting someone be perfectly who they are and accepting them for that without trying to burnish the image is indeed the beginning of love. When we're able to really see someone in the truth of who they are, it's hard not to love them. They become endearing, our hearts open, and we feel joy in their presence. Losing the filters through which we see others is an important part of healing ourselves. To see others without illusion, to take them for who they are, releases all expectation and agenda. We allow them to reveal themselves and enjoy the unfolding mystery of their being. We might like what we find, we might not, but at least it's real.
What is it that draws us to another person? Sometimes it's because we see something in them that we like in ourselves. Sometimes it's because we see something in them that we wish were stronger within ourselves. We love them for the thing they exhibit that we want. We want to be around them because maybe it will rub off onto us. By being around them we are somehow elevated. Or, by being around them, we can trick ourselves into thinking that we're what we want to be. But, when we get into relationship with someone in order to get something from them, it's doomed to failure.
Relationship based on truth is the thing for which we all strive. To see someone clearly; no veils or illusions. To love them for who they are without trying to change them into some distorted image we have of who we think they should be. To just see them...warts and all...and love them. To not judge them for their shortcomings, but to have faith that they're doing the best they can and will change and grow as they are able in their own way. To love someone for who they are, not who we think they could be, or who we think they'll become.
Loving someone for who they are doesn't mean we have to be with them. We might decide we are better off not being with someone who we see clearly. But, we won't need to make them wrong in order to not be with them. They are who they are. It's not what we want to be with, but that doesn't make it wrong. The fact that we don't want to be with them doesn't make them less. We see them, we accept them, we make a decision. It's not about being wrong or assigning blame.
We can love people and know we are not the best for us to be with them. We can love them for who they are and move on. We can be grateful for them and hold them in love. We can let them go because it's the thing that benefits us the most. We don't have to feel sorry for them. We don't have to fix them. We don't have to be responsible for them. We respect them enough to know that they're fine the way they are and are able to be responsible for themselves.
I have not personally achieved this ideal of love and relationship yet, but I do strive for it. Every relationship shows me more about where my veils, illusions and denials reside. Every attempt brings truth that much closer. Every mistake teaches me. Every revelation helps me to know myself better. And, as I know myself better and accept who I am, I'm able to love myself more. And, as I'm able to love and accept myself, I'm able to love and accept others. As I can see the truth of myself, I'm able to see the truth of others. And, the beautiful thing is, that Life just keeps bring us people with whom we are able to fall more and more deeply into love.
When we are able to fall in love with ourselves, we'll be able to love everything and everyone else.
This is an interesting quote, and I understand what its writer is trying to say, but the words don't fully convey the meaning I think he had in mind.
"The beginning of love..." I like this because it clearly states that whatever has come before was not love, because it would have been conditioned and have come with an agenda.
"...is to let those we love be perfectly themselves," Yes...and, this can be a hard one. To let someone be who they are and love them for it, or in spite of it, can be difficult.
"...and not twist them to fit our own image." It's a rare person who doesn't do this. We're always trying to tell others how to do any number of things, or how to be, or what they should or shouldn't do. Or, using the horrifying, "If you loved me, you'd..." Or, the old, "I love you, but..."
"Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them." The problem with this part of the quote is that everyone is a reflection of ourselves, whether they do what we want or not; whether we've been able to affect their behavior or not. If we've managed to influence someone enough that they've become what we want them to be, we might enjoy their compliance, but it makes them no more a reflection of us than if they'd ignored us completely.
We all hold all the aspects of humanity. Some of us exhibit certain of those characteristics more strongly than others, but we have them all. The purpose of relationship is for us to be reflections of each other so we can see on the outside what we're often not able to see on the inside. We often don't want to own a particular aspect of ourselves and so deny its existence, but by our relationships showing up with those who embody our denied aspect/s, we are being shown what we need to address within ourselves, the places we need to heal and love free.
If someone has a quality that annoys us in relationship, we would do best to look at that quality in ourselves. If it annoys us in the other, then it most likely annoys us even more within ourselves. But, like it or not, it's there. If we can let go of our denial and resistance to it, and look at it and give it its space, we will learn more about ourselves and why we are the way we are. What is that annoying aspect? Why is it an issue? Are we willing to love that part of ourselves yet? When we're finally able to love ourselves, even though we have an issue with that aspect, we will be able to accept that it's there and it will start to lose its affect on us, we'll be less afraid of it, we'll relax in regard to it, and it will annoy us less and less in those around us as it dissipates within.
Letting someone be perfectly who they are and accepting them for that without trying to burnish the image is indeed the beginning of love. When we're able to really see someone in the truth of who they are, it's hard not to love them. They become endearing, our hearts open, and we feel joy in their presence. Losing the filters through which we see others is an important part of healing ourselves. To see others without illusion, to take them for who they are, releases all expectation and agenda. We allow them to reveal themselves and enjoy the unfolding mystery of their being. We might like what we find, we might not, but at least it's real.
What is it that draws us to another person? Sometimes it's because we see something in them that we like in ourselves. Sometimes it's because we see something in them that we wish were stronger within ourselves. We love them for the thing they exhibit that we want. We want to be around them because maybe it will rub off onto us. By being around them we are somehow elevated. Or, by being around them, we can trick ourselves into thinking that we're what we want to be. But, when we get into relationship with someone in order to get something from them, it's doomed to failure.
Relationship based on truth is the thing for which we all strive. To see someone clearly; no veils or illusions. To love them for who they are without trying to change them into some distorted image we have of who we think they should be. To just see them...warts and all...and love them. To not judge them for their shortcomings, but to have faith that they're doing the best they can and will change and grow as they are able in their own way. To love someone for who they are, not who we think they could be, or who we think they'll become.
Loving someone for who they are doesn't mean we have to be with them. We might decide we are better off not being with someone who we see clearly. But, we won't need to make them wrong in order to not be with them. They are who they are. It's not what we want to be with, but that doesn't make it wrong. The fact that we don't want to be with them doesn't make them less. We see them, we accept them, we make a decision. It's not about being wrong or assigning blame.
We can love people and know we are not the best for us to be with them. We can love them for who they are and move on. We can be grateful for them and hold them in love. We can let them go because it's the thing that benefits us the most. We don't have to feel sorry for them. We don't have to fix them. We don't have to be responsible for them. We respect them enough to know that they're fine the way they are and are able to be responsible for themselves.
I have not personally achieved this ideal of love and relationship yet, but I do strive for it. Every relationship shows me more about where my veils, illusions and denials reside. Every attempt brings truth that much closer. Every mistake teaches me. Every revelation helps me to know myself better. And, as I know myself better and accept who I am, I'm able to love myself more. And, as I'm able to love and accept myself, I'm able to love and accept others. As I can see the truth of myself, I'm able to see the truth of others. And, the beautiful thing is, that Life just keeps bring us people with whom we are able to fall more and more deeply into love.
When we are able to fall in love with ourselves, we'll be able to love everything and everyone else.
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