Awaken the Genie Within

A Single Flower

I couldn't possibly count how many times I've walked past the corner of a certain street in my neighborhood while on my daily walk. But during this particular walk, something happened that I've never experienced before.

On the corner of this street is a house with a lovely garden. As I approached the corner, my eyes were quickly drawn to a single flower and I suddenly found myself in tears, unable to take another step. In that moment the flower and I were absolutely one - there was no separation. The joy, peace and beauty I saw in that flower I also felt in me. I could see and feel the energy coming off of it and filling me up. I saw the miracle in that single flower while understanding the miracle of all of life at the same time. It was one of the most profound experiences I've ever had.

After a few minutes, the feeling and vision of energy dissipated and I continued my walk toward home in a state of awe and gratitude beyond words.

I have always believed and understood from a scientific, quantum physics level that everything is connected and made up of energy - there is no separation. But to experience it physically and emotionally takes this belief and understanding to a whole new level and allows me to share with you, with the utmost confidence..........

We are all connected. There is no separation. Be the love you wish to receive. Emit the energy you wish to feel in return. Expose the beauty that lives deep within you. Namaste.

Butterflies and Change

I was in a location recently that had several butterflies fluttering about. As I sat there for a while just observing their beauty, I found myself in awe of the journey it took them to arrive at this stage and the process that was required to transform from caterpillar to butterfly.

What's even more amazing to me is the short life span of most butterflies considering what they go through to become a butterfly. Many will only survive for a week or two while others can live up to a year. A very short period of time in the scheme of life.

When I arrived home that afternoon I picked up my journal to do some writing. Remarkably, the page I would be writing in not only had a glorious rendition of a butterfly, but these words were underneath the picture:

If nothing ever changed there would be no butterflies.

Needless to say, I was incredibly grateful for the Universe's perfection in this synchronicity. And what also struck me were the words that allowed me to be even more grateful for a life that is always changing.

Next time you're going through a difficult time in your life, and you know a change in necessary, imagine this change turning into something as beautiful and vibrant as a butterfly, giving you the wings you need to rise to new heights.

Be Who You Are

To truly be who you are isn't always as easy as it sounds. Especially when you observe others and think to yourself, "I love their energy. I love how serene they are - so at peace. I want to be like that."

And before you know it, you're giving your all to be that type. But try as you might, it just doesn't last that long. Why? Because that's not who you are. And when you go against your natural Beingness it takes extra energy and work and becomes down right tiring and frustrating. You're going against the flow of your natural state and that's not what you're here to be or do.

So what if you're louder than someone else. So what if your laugh can be heard across the other side of the ocean. So what if you talk more than others. If you like who you are then good for you. No, not everyone is going to feel a connection to you and thank God, because of they did, well, that just might be a bit overwhelming!

Being who you are doesn't mean you can't take a look at yourself every now and then and access where you would like to make improvements as a human being. It doesn't mean you can't take some of your habits that you'd like to tone down and adjust in a way that feels even better to you.

You bring a gift to the world when you allow your whole Self to shine through in its most authentic form.

Review, Release and Reset

Everyday we are given the opportunity to do life differently - physically, emotionally, spiritually and mentally. The choice is ours. And even if that's true, that idea can feel like a far off possibility leaving us waking up each morning with the same thoughts and feelings from the day before. Probably not the best way to start the day if those thoughts and feelings are focused on what's not working in life.

If you've been noticing yourself starting your day with what's not working then I invite you to play a little game before you fall asleep at night.

Close your eyes and review your day in chronological order. Allow yourself to be the observer releasing any emotional attachment to anything that happened just for these few moments. If your Gremlin shows up say: "This is simply an exercise which will be over very quickly so chill out, please."

Release any and all judgments if they come up. Remember, you are only observing. As you review each segment of your day, silently or out loud, however you prefer, say; "I honor this experience and now release and let go knowing tomorrow is another day to begin anew." If there are other words that you come up with that feel better, by all means, use them.

Once you've completed your review and release, imagine yourself hitting a reset button that leaves you with a clean slate to go to sleep with allowing your to start your tomorrow completely fresh and with the opportunity to make new choices from this clean slate.

I created this exercise recently for myself and I found it to be wonderfully effective. The bonus with this exercise is you can do it even if you've had a fantastic day. It let's you wake up with a fresh new start with more room for even more goodness to show up.

So tonight, take your 3 R's to be with you and Review, Release and Reset. Sweet Dreams!

Brave Heart - Strong Weapon

I caught a bit of Oprah the other day and a young man named Rudy was on that touched me deeply. After he was born his legs never developed enough to allow him to walk. He made the best of what he had - doing what he could with only the ability to crawl. After many, many operations before he was 5, the decision was made to amputate his legs below the knees so he could be fit for prosthetics and be able to walk.

This young man went on to do many things any young boy would choose to do - bikeride, skateboard, baseball, swimming. And, he had a big dream since he was 7 - to be a part of the Paralympics. Not only did he achieve that dream at 15, but he also won a gold medal in swimming, setting a new world record!

He has a saying and it's this saying that just absolutely rang true with every cell of my being. "A brave heart is a strong weapon." How powerful is that! He proved, from day one, how brave his heart is and it became his weapon of construction in order to build his life in the best way he knows how.

We all have the option of having a brave heart. We just have to decide and commit to it. It is our heart that allows us to love. It is our heart that gives us compassion. It is our heart that let's us see what our eyes won't. It is our heart that breathes life into us.

It's time to add bravery to that list and make it the strongest weapon there is on the planet. 

Falling Awake

Sometimes, when I meditate, I find myself going so deep into the silence of my mind that it feels like I have fallen asleep. But what I know to be true for me is quite the opposite. I am actually falling awake.

How do I know this? Because when I experience that kind of a meditation I feel refreshed, peaceful and in a state of bliss when I finish. I have greater clarity and my creativity is heightened.

Falling awake is something that you can do any time you choose. It's really just a concept that I'm inviting you to play with. As you go through your day allow yourself to fall awake to the experiences you are having. No need to judge them, just awake to them and let them be there. As you do, you just may find yourself gaining greater clarity and heightened creativity without the formality of meditation.

Step Out

If there is a passion and talent that lies deep in your heart, let it out. Move forward. Take action. Don't wait for someone else to tell you it's okay. Don't hold back because you think you have to look a certain way. Don't think you have to wait until all your ducks are in order. You were put here to utilize whatever gift, talent and passion you have to offer the world. You were not put here to keep it a secret.

The gentleman in this video decided it was his time and he went for it. As shy and humble as he may be, he still stepped out and faced a group of judges who seemed ready for the worst just by his appearance. So much for appearances! In an instant, he transformed the opinions of all who were watching from the moment he sang his first note.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k08yxu57NA

If you're going to wait for the perfect time to step out, you may discover, when it's too late, there is no perfect time.

Non-negotiable

It's not unusual to hear the word non-negotiable during a business deal or even from a parent when their child is trying to change the parent's mind about something. I've lost count with the amount of times I've told my own son during our 19 years together, "This is non-negotiable, so quit while you're ahead."

Recently, I've come to learn to use this term in a new way - one that doesn't involve any other person except myself. During the past month I've been incredibly busy and realized I was feeling out of balance. Wondering if my being busy was the reason for this. I discovered it wasn't. It was the fact that I was not being consistent with my spiritual practices.

I was skipping my morning meditation and journaling. I didn't exercise regularly. I stopped doing my walks in nature. All of these things and a few others were being ignored. I shared this with my spiritual teacher and she brought up the non-negotiable concept. The idea that no matter what was going on in my life, that there would be certain things that were non-negotiable for myself so I could maintain my balance and remain feeling connected to Spirit no matter how busy I was.

When I put this into practice I was amazed how beautifully it worked! As my Gremlin so willingly chimed in why it was okay to skip a non-negotiable spiritual practice, I simply wouldn't tolerate it. Non-negotiable was just that - non-negotiable.

If you find yourself wavering with your spiritual practice or anything else in your life that you want to be more consistent with, consider making it a non-negotiable with yourself. You'd be surprised what those two little words can do to keep you on track with what matters most to you.