In A Word---Gratitude

                                                     

All through my conscious journey I have heard spiritual truths. They are repeated in our lives over and over and in many different ways, in an attempt to get through to us. That is how things work on this road to enlightenment. It is a continuous repeat of every "good thing" we can do to hasten ourselves down the path. Some times they "hit" home, other times it is a "miss," but we always get it, eventually.


The one simple truth that disturbed me the most, was the one that surprised me the most, by the power it had in changing my life. In a word, gratitude. Yep, that simple word would make my insides buck and twist into knots. I just could not see how being grateful for the mess my life was in was going to help change it. On top of that, it was difficult, at best, to find something to be grateful for.

Oh, I would give it a go now and then. Especial in those moments of disbelief that my life had taken the turn it had. I would say something like, "I am grateful that the cliff I just went over is only 2 feet down instead of 100 feet down!" You can see how that helped my life. I was confirming, that I had just gone over a cliff and according to the laws of attraction, another cliff was soon to appear on the horizon!

Seriously now, what I did find interesting was that every time I did say I was grateful for, "..." and really meant it, I felt my insides tie into knots and resist the thought. The angry, negative part of me started screaming in my ear all the reason I had, NOT to be grateful. And that angry voice was right in most cases and I just wasn't in a place to, not agree with it. So, I decided that, when I can FEEL grateful, then I will say, I am grateful. Humm.

Then came the testing. I would test myself all the time. "I am grateful for "..." Nope, still nothing. Don't feel a thing. In fact my insides still refuse to budge on this issue, so surly this doesn't work!

One day as I lay face down and too tired to move as my life used me as a trampoline, I simply said, "I am grateful that my life looks to be over, and now I can rest." Do you know that in that moment my insides actually yelled, "YES! you are grateful!" And for the first time I actually felt it! It was in that moment of least resistance that I cracked open the barriers and felt what gratitude feels like. It was amazing!

Now, just because I cracked that shell open did not mean that being grateful and feeling it was easy. What I realized was that at first, I didn't necessarily need to feel the gratitude before I could be grateful. Even though the mental concept of gratitude is only mental until felt, I still had to start somewhere. And so I began to mentally list every day all the things I was grateful for. The first one on the list was always the hardest. The second one a tad easier and by the forth and fifth item on the list, I noticed that it was getting easier and easier and the list was getting longer and longer! All of a sudden the door swung open and the amount of things in my life that I had to be grateful for came tumbling out.

Today, I don't get out of bed before listing all the things in my life that I am grateful for. Nor do I go to sleep at night without doing this as well. Even throughout the day when things go awry, I immediately begin to list all the things that are going right and how grateful I am for that! Even when it is hard and I am angry, I push through the anger and find one thing. Then the next thing comes a little easier and more show up. Most of the times that I do this, the thing that went awry just magically disappeared or changed! 

There is no other feeling like the feeling you get when that subtle shift occurs and you are taken from the realm of anger and frustration and into the realm of calm and center-ness. I would call this realm the, "state of grace" and that is where gratitude is realized and life takes on a newness never experienced before!

From my grateful heart to yours,
Just loving you along,
Kathleen
Photo credit: http://autismhomerescue.wordpress.com

Through The Looking Glass

      

                                       

Have you ever found yourself completely baffled by an experience you are having, wondering how you ever attracted it into your life? Well, if you have, you are certainly not alone.

Things happen to "good" people and "bad" people in a way that doesn't make much sense to us, as we view the event through our own life experiences. We can not look at anything in life, without running it through our own personal lens of perception. Everything is colored by this lens, and therefore we see things as we believe them to be more then seeing them for what is truly taking place.

It is as if we are standing inside a  glass container, looking out wondering how we got into that container at all. We stand there and watch as the experience we are experiencing swirls around us, disconnected and feeling totally "apart" from the experience. There is a sense of "surreal" to these kinds of events, that of the "otherworldly".

It is at these times we are the viewer of the events. We are the witness, witnessing and therefore, not a part of the experience even though we are standing in the midst of it. We are in it, yet out of it, at the same time. There is a numb feeling that overcomes us as if we are being held in the protectiveness of a space, that was not present only moment before. We are ourselves, looking out at ourselves, apart yet strangely together.

These are the times of our greatest learning. It is likened to, "being in the world, but not of it." It is the twilight zone of learning that we place ourselves in, in order to learn who we really are. In that place of surreal calm, we are more able to view our lives from a dispassionate state. We are able to view the event from a perspective that is not colored by past experiences that we have stored within our subconscious minds. We are viewing the event from the totality of who we are, in truth, not illusion.

Here in these spaces of great reward are hidden vast stores of wisdom to be claimed, maybe not in the moment of happening, but in moments of reflection afterwards. It is then that we can truly experience the wholeness of who we are, in the context of who we are not, without the trauma of experience.

We are always sheltered from the storms of life, but in these rare moments of detachment, we are placed within a protective web of life where learning becomes far more important to our journey then the pain of experience.

So, when these types of experiences come to call and even though these times may be frightening and last on your list of things you wish to experience, open fully into the gift that is present and learn at the deepest level of yourself, just who you really are! These are life changing events that come to us by the grace of God, for it is always the desire of God, that we come home into fullness with Him. Place your trust there, and reach inward towards home.

Just loving you along,
Kathleen
Photo credit; wakingdream1 http://sunnynala.wordpress.com

Health and Aging, OH MY!

Throughout the years we have all heard that, what we think, is what we are, right?" Well, it wasn't until recently did I really understand fully, what that statement truly meant. We are all so inundated by all the different "new thought" movements that after a while we don't really hear it any longer. It becomes so tiring to always be doing "this" or "that." Most of us just throw our hands up and refuse to move another inch. It almost seems impossible to meet all the criteria to what it will take to change our lives for the better.

What really hit home for me was a very simple idea that became a HUGE, aha moment for me. I mean I finally really GOT it, through I had heard it probably a hundred times. It begins with this simple statement; "What you think and feel, you become." The second thing to add to that statement is, "it has been scientifically proven that the cells in our bodies regenerate each and every day, and in approximately 7 years, every cell in our body has been 'reborn' or regenerated back to its original health." Humm.. So, I asked myself this question, "If my cells are being released and regenerated every day and I have a brand new cellular structure every 7 years or so, then why do I look ancient and feel even older that that?

 Of course! It all came rushing in. Our thoughts and feelings can re-create even our aging process! I mean, really think about this! Each day the old is being replaced with the new! If we are always focused on what is sagging and aching all the time, we are teaching those new cells that behavior! We are literally taking these new cells and telling them that they are OLD and UN-healthy! What if we began to really believe that we were getting younger every day (because physically we are) instead of older? It is a scientific fact isn't it? Hasn't it been PROVEN?

So, lets take our focus away from the aches and pains and place it on the joyous FACT that our "aches and pains" aka; old cells, are naturally being shucked off everyday! By doing this, I am sure that our new cells would regenerate at a quicker rate and health, youthfulness and well being would be the result! It can be no other way! It is cosmic law! Do you see? 

So, the next time you look in the mirror and see what your thoughts have created to date, just move your focus away from that and onto the new cells that are replacing the old ones and maybe one morning, we will wake and see a much younger version of ourselves, looking back at us in that same mirror!  

Mirror, mirror on the wall, you ARE the fairest of them all!

Just loving you along,

Kathleen

Fixing Our World

"Problems cannot be solved at the same level of thinking that created them."
Albert Einstein

Fixing my world was probably the most important thing I wished to do, when I really began to understand that my every thought and feeling was creating it. Gone where the days when I could look outside of myself, and blame another person or thing for the mess that my life had become. Going about changing it was my first priority. The hunt then began for everything I could read about, regarding the laws of the universe that govern our lives.

First came the, "fix your world by monitoring your thoughts." Oh, boy! That was a lot of work! I had more thoughts then I could keep up with and I soon found myself tired and frustrated. The thing was, I knew this was an important part of the puzzle, but not the whole puzzle.

Then came the, "visualize your life the way you wish it to be." That was a little easier for me, though I sure had to work on my visualization techniques. But all in all, my mind became a cartoon land, where I played with images of how I would like my world to look like. Still, this too was only a piece of the puzzle.

Adding to this, I began the rounds of mantra's. Over and over I would recite to myself exactly how my world was, not what it seemed. This too was just another layer, but only a piece of the puzzle.

So, there I was, doing the best I could to control my thoughts and to visualize my perfect world. Even though I found my life improving, it sure wasn't the world I was seeing in my mind. It wasn't until I really understood why I was here on earth that things began to make more sense to me.

We all came from paradise didn't we? So, why would we do such a thing? Why would we come to an imperfect world from a prefect one? Because, we are all here in this imperfect world in order to know our perfect self's!

Have you heard the phrase, "Earth is a school of learning"? The reason for that is because, this is a world of contrast. A world of polar opposites to be exact. Without one, the other could not exist! So, fixing our world would be likened to removing the text books out of grade school and expecting to graduate college. There would be no way of reaching our potential without a guideline to getting there.

It was in that moment that I quit trying to fix anything! I began to realize that in order to "fix" my world I had to allow my world to show me what I wasn't, without the need to "fix" it! The more I focused on my True Self, the more my world reflected to me, everything that I was NOT! Do you see?

I began to empower myself by KNOWING that I was NOT this, or that! It was in those moments that I could see clearly who I AM, because of the contrast. When my bank account said I was "poor," I knew I wasn't poor, I AM a child of God! As soon as I moved away from trying to fix it, I pulled my attention away from what I was not and onto what I AM, until doing this caused a tipping point in which, by universal law, my life had to begin reflecting to me who I really am! It is law!

So, the next time you see or experience something in your world, that does not reflect what you wish to see or experience, remember who you really are and fix it by, moving away from the reflection of what you are NOT, and focus instead on who you really are! Then step back and watch as your world changes to reflect who you really are, without you having to fix a thing.

As a side note, I firmly believe that as each one of us does this in our own life, we will begin a momentum that will tip the scales collectively. Then there will once again be, Heaven on Earth.

Just loving you along,

Kathleen

The Power of Surrender

                                        

The other day I saw a picture of a person holding a tiny tree in his outstretched hands. What was interesting was that the photo was called, "The Power of Surrender." I saved the picture and it wasn't until I went back and really looked at it, did I come to understand what the title was telling me.

The power of surrender was not within the person holding the tiny tree, it was in the surrender that the tiny tree had shown, in order to be uprooted and then replanted. That was pretty profound for me, since my life has been in this state of suspension for quite some time now.

As I sat staring at this picture, I noticed that the hands that were holding this tiny tree, were holding it with pure reverences and care. You can see that this tree was being loved and cared for. There was no need for this tree to be fearful or mistrusting. There was no need for it to wonder where it was going to be planted, or if the soil would be rich enough for it to grow and thrive. None of these things were a concern, because it was being held in a loving embrace.

How perfect this picture was, in it's simplistic showing of how each and every one of us, is held in that same loving embrace. We are constantly being asked to "surrender," but we have learned that to "surrender" means, giving over to something or someone more powerful then us. That is the furthest thing from the truth.

Surrendering into the loving hands of the universe, is a surrender given in trust, to a force that has every intention of seeing us safely, to where each of us wishes to go. It is the surrender of a child to it's loving parents. One that is in total trust, that the parents are protecting them and leading them into joy and happiness. It is a surrender into safety and nurturing that creates a space for child like enchantment and joy.

That is what this picture was telling me. It was telling me that it was okay to be unsure right now, because where I am choosing to go, is being prepared for me. It is now time for me to BE prepared to go there and the only way to get there is to, "surrender" into the loving hands of those that are able to lead me there. It is in detaching from the outcome of this place I find myself in, and in allowing, that what I dream of for my life is small in comparison to what is being offered to me, by the loving hands that are holding me.

How grateful I am to have been drawn to this beautiful picture! This little tree for me, is my own little "tree of life," being lovingly transplanted into its new home, where new life can be sown and where it can beautifully flourish. So, I ask you, what does this beautiful picture suggest to you?

Just loving you along,
Kathleen

Changing Directions

In these times of accelerating change, I find it fascinating how quick our path can veer in a direction so different then where we were currently heading, or from what was expected.

In one moment, we are racing down the highway and the next we are parked in a parking lot, bewildered and shaken, from the instant change of direction. There is no mistaking the fact, that some thing bigger then us is steering our lives.

This is our higher intelligence at work. Though it would seem that we operate on earth alone and some times fearfully, the higher parts of us are here as well, helping us move quickly along our chosen paths.

Since the early 90's our guidance systems, (ie; higher intelligence)  has been coming closer and closer, to our physical earth bound self's. It was at that time that the gates of heaven open fully, in order to propel us forward toward the ascending path and away from the path of self destruction. It was a critical time for us all, as we were preparing to cross the 2000 year mark.

Before that time, most of our higher intelligences was connected to us through a thin silver cord and it was difficult to reach our conscious self's, because it had to reach us through layers and layers of negativity and conditioning. That was then, but in-between that time and now, we have made huge evolutionary leaps forward and because of that, our higher intelligence is closer to us then in any other time, since our fall from grace.

Now, it is involved in our lives like never before. We are heading towards complete integration and with that privilege comes, not only responsibility, but great acceleration with our learning process.

What I have found interesting lately, is that the situations in life come quickly and leave quickly. It doesn't take weeks or months to have an issue, face it and then rectify it. It comes in quickly and moves out quickly, unless of course, we drag our feet or avoid what is happening. If we confront what is in front of us in a clear and precise manner, the issue moves quickly into resolution. That is because our higher intelligence is the puppeteer of our show and it is here, in order to move us along.

So, when you find your self baffled, because you were headed down one road only to find yourself, stopped, searched, re-routed and some times even asked to park, no worries. Your higher intelligence is steering your car and there is nothing to fear. The amount of life we are living in one day, is currently equaling, a month worth of living. Relax when this happens and let someone else do the driving.

Just loving you along,
Kathleen

The Internal Hush.

When I woke this morning, I woke to the sound of silence and a feeling of a deep inner "hush". It felt like all life on the mountain was holding its collective breath. The earth herself seemed hushed, as the birds stayed quiet in their nest.

At first it seemed odd, since for the last few days, the mornings have been full of bird song and squirrel chatter. The snow here has been melting under a new sun, that has laid dormant for weeks. All has been ablaze, in this new spring light and all of nature has been breaking free, from cold winter nights.

I instantly connected to the earth and sent myself down deep within her, seeking that still point, where all of life connects. There I found only a soft heart beat. The rhythm of a drum.

I wondered at this, since no other sound could be heard. The normal movement of nature, absent. It was then I realized that this was a "pause". A place mothers go when the contractions subside. A place of utter relief, of momentary stillness. This is what I found this morning, as the hush settled into my bones and I too felt that calm reassurance that all was well.

Even with the sense of well being I had slipped into, there was still the knowing that this was only a "pause" and birth was still in progress. This was a time, in which to rest and gain strength for the next contraction, the next change, the next surge forward.

I have heard the heart beat of earth and her pulse is strong. Like any mother, who has taken on the burdens of her children, she has grown in strength, not weakness. She prepares, but for now she rest. She is in-between contractions and soon, once again, she will move, she will push, she will struggle to bring forth, new life.

Up ahead, not far off, it will all begin again. The earth will move, the oceans rise, the volcano's will send forth the life blood that lays simmering inside. She will birth the new world, ready or not.

As these changes occur, they occur in phases in order to sustain the status quo. Sustain a system way too old. In order to proceed, in ease and grace, there still needs to be, a plan in place. If all was to fall, all at once, then this birth would be harmful, to the new one to come.

So, while there is time, in which to rest. Let us all find peace with this. No pushing, no pulling it is time just to BE. While the earth and all life, prepare to be free.

With you always,

Just loving you along,

Kathleen