Pleasant Surprises

After continually hearing songs from Jason Mraz's new CD, it was time to break down and get a copy....I've loved him and his style from before he made it big and was primarily doing acoustic stuff. So when I popped the cd into my computer to listen, much to my surprise, there was a link to his recent european tour. Continued proof that he not only knows how to rock, but he's also an amazing example of what it looks like to love life. Thanks for sharing Jason...keep dancing. :)

One person at a time

Catching up on e-mails as I often do in the morning, with Gracie (my cat) coming to perch on my lap for our good morning ritual, I was reading Cathy Pagano's latest article about the upcoming Virgo new moon (thanks Mac!) and perhaps a bit about what's in store for us in the near future.

I really grokked what she was talking about, and found many similarities to what we know to be happening through our understandings from Human Design (or at least what we collectively want to be happening), which is the shifting of our power from external to internal...knowing that to be of any benefit to others, we must BE ourselves. For those who want forward motion, there were certainly some hopeful statements in her article, but what caught my attention and quickly diverted to my internal dialog was in her statement "to remember we are here to serve our fellow human beings." 

What it brought up in me was this disconnect that I've always felt about  the connotations with 'being a good person/wife/mother/employee/(fill in the blank),' you have to sacrifice or to negate oneself...as is the old and distorted application of the energy, and certainly a pattern within my family of origin and it's showing itself in the form of breast cancer in my grandmother, aunts, mother, and sister.

So what I got in that moment was clarity around my/our misinterpretation that being of service was personal. What came to me was a replacement of the words 'fellow human beings' with the word 'humanity', which is impersonal. Additionally, I also had been conditioned to think that we needed to be overt about it all, yet the fact is, that by changing ourselves internally, we ultimately change the world externally. Our job is not to be running around trying to fix everyone and everything else (especially when our own house is a mess), but to honor, trust and take care of self and to be moved internally to take action appropriately. Only in this manner can we ultimately contribute positively to the state of the whole, as is the case with a single cell...in it's proper function, with everything else acting accordingly is the only way that the body thrives. So how do we change the world? One person at a time...and that person is me.

A minor detail, but a distinctly different understanding for me. Why it makes a difference to me, who knows...but for some reason when I got that it wasn't personal, my energy shifted. Having a completely open throat (no gate activations) I find myself playing around in the meaning of things, and that often the way we say things can be interpreted so many different ways...often looking for the meaning beneath the words. For whatever reason, today was the day that this one finally dropped in for me. Not that I hadn't understood this concept previously, but somehow it landed a bit deeper.

So, what this bit of rambling is ultimately about, is my internal shift and one more thing that got put into perspective...checking off one of those subtle disconnects that through living the question, I finally walked my way into the answer. At least in my version of reality. :)

The Gut Wisperer

I've been getting Oprah's newsletter ever since I heard about the Eckhart Tolle series that had millions of people talking recently about The New Earth and the Power of Now...I never did afford the time to listen to the programs, nor do I know if I ever will. So much to learn, only 24 hours in each day. It reminds me of a saying that goes...You can do everything you want, just not all at the same time. While it's taken with a grain of salt, now knowing what I know, the point is taken. That's why I'm planning on hanging around for many more years and looking forward to the triple digit club. :)

So as I was (continually) attempting to clean up my inbox, an article in a recent newsletter caught my eye...The Gut Wisperer...

Through the continual development of awareness, there are those who have come, or are coming to understand and feel the consistency of the gut response more and more. I am finding this as well as I talk about Human Design and introduce those willing and open to learn about their body response (what we call inner authority). Unfortunately the 30% of us that are non-sacral, and have-no-gut-response will be spun around trying to access something that doesn't exist, (at least not in that way) the fact that it's being discussed pointedly and has the ability to impact the 70% that can relate, I'd say is a really good thing.

Baby Steps...Thanks Oprah.

Live the Questions Now

So often we are wrought with confusion, trying to understand and make sense of life and the things that show up in our lives. A handful of years ago I came upon the work of Rilke and I continue to find peace in these wise words and gift them to you, whether you find yourself challenged or in appreciation.

Rainer Maria Rilke - Live the Questions Now


Rainer Maria Rilke, 1903
in Letters to a Young Poet

A simple walk...

As I sit here, my face feels like it is defrosting from the cool temps after my walk. As part of my homework of a class I’m in, I was to take a walk and notice aspects of my breathing, feeling, sensing, and movement and how it all filters into self-responsibility and self-love and visa-versa. I am so enjoying this particular class…as it’s taking me deeper into the awareness and respect for my body in a way that’s showing up very natural. Something significant is shifting it seems as I’ve found a number of other things recently that are all contributing to some really great changes physically as well as to my overall well being.

As I began the walk, paying attention to my breathing, there was no rhythm to it and I found myself trying to find the ease in my breathe and how interesting that a simple thing as breathing can feel so labored…what showed up over time was that it seemed to take a bit until my body organized the processes on it’s own. All I had to do was to allow it. Pretty fascinating and a wonderful feeling when it did…

On the infrequent occasions when I walk I usually try to be as efficient with my time and to listen to one recording or another for the numerous things I’m studying at any given time. A friend and I joked that we have enough material to hide out in the woods for years without coming up for air…it’s been and continues to be quite an immersion process! Anyway, what happened on my walk was such an experience. I’d realized after paying attention to all my senses and what I was taking in…was that when I’m focusing on the audio and getting though the walk, there’s so much I’m missing…It was lovely to notice what I noticed…the amazing beauty of flowers and trees and grass in bloom, the colors vivid from the rain that we’ve had, the temps pretty cold for a spring day but nothing that has inhibited the growth, if anything it seems to be in part to the natural process…rather than the jumping into near summer weather that is often the case. So as I walked it all came alive and things that I’d walked by right numerous times had escaped my awareness. I was present to the amazing appreciation that welled up within me to all of what I was taking in…the landscaping that I liked or didn’t, the appreciation for quality workmanship, and the awareness when it wasn’t…noticing how even the color of the cars had added to the abundance that was in view. Trees that were beautiful for no other reason, the aroma of the blossoms and the freshness of the air after the rain…and as I took all of this in, I was aware of the continuing sense of appreciation for this particular ride in this body. How often I had disliked my body and it’s seemingly limitations…what I became aware of is the great sense of humor life has and that similar to the video games in which one has to master the game…I see our own process as similar…in that the things that have challenged me whether mentally, emotionally or physically have all played a part in the refinement process to live well within this particular form…I am eternally grateful for the teachers that continue to cross my path whether initially seen that way or not, and grateful for the grace and the presence within myself to get the learning.