In our Speaking with Intention class, we discussed the power of fully listening to what another is saying.
Very often we think we are listening but the mind is wandering to other topics. This is very prevalent today as we engage in multi-tasking in a very unhealthy way. We may be on the phone with someone, but responding to emails, reading mail, driving the car or engaging in any number of other tasks. It is rare to have a one-to-one conversation any more! We lose sight of the divinity of the other person when we listen in this way.
Other times we think we are listening but we are so reactive to what the person is saying that we are busy formulating a reply and not really listening to what they are saying at all. We’re cheating the person speaking out of truly hearing what they have to say.
The true gift of listening is where we are fully present and receptive to what another person is saying. We may not fully agree with what they are saying, but we honor and listen to their story.
Words of wisdom from Fred Rogers, host of “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood” :
“The greatest gift that you can give another person is to gracefully receive whatever it is that they want to give us.”
We are giving others the greatest possible gift by gracefully listening to them.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
I was talking with a friend over the weekend and she was sharing about her new job and new home. She was very grateful for this sudden turn around in her life. I reminded her of her years of trial and error, of dedicated spiritual practice and of faith.
This is similar to when people say that an actor or actress was an ‘overnight’ success. There was nothing ‘overnight’ about it. It was long journey of hard work, patience and dedication. It always seems overnight because when good happens it is sudden and profound.
The same is true of our spiritual journey. It is so important to stay connected to our spiritual practice, intentions and purpose. The Good that we desire is coming...it may not happen on our timeline but it absolutely is on God’s time.
This is similar to when people say that an actor or actress was an ‘overnight’ success. There was nothing ‘overnight’ about it. It was long journey of hard work, patience and dedication. It always seems overnight because when good happens it is sudden and profound.
The same is true of our spiritual journey. It is so important to stay connected to our spiritual practice, intentions and purpose. The Good that we desire is coming...it may not happen on our timeline but it absolutely is on God’s time.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
A Mountain of Doubt
It’s our two year anniversary of being in our new home. We love it and always feel such gratitude for it. But I remember when we were in the closing process when I began to feel a hesitant and uncertain about our purchase—maybe we were making a hasty decision. Then there were reservations about the paperwork. Suddenly it became this mountain of doubt, wondering about my ability to buy a loaf of bread let alone a house!! (By the way, I am grateful for my patient, non-judgmental husband who lets me work through my process!!)
Doubt is debilitating, disempowering and diminishing. Doubt makes us afraid to take a step forward in fear of what would happen. What if I make the wrong decision? What if things don’t work out? ‘What if’ is similar to the energizer bunny; it keeps going and going and going… It saps our energy and renders us ineffective.
How do we overcome this mountain of doubt? Faith. Faith is defined as believing unconditionally. Faith is knowing that the next step I take will lead me closer to my goal. Faith is believing that whatever I need will be provided. Faith is a deep conviction of belief.
Deepening faith doesn’t happen overnight. It is monitoring our emotions, reprogramming old thoughts into new ones. It is picking ourselves up when we feel beaten down or finding something to be grateful for in the midst of challenges.
Ernest Holmes states in the Science of Mind, “In order to have faith, we must have a conviction that all is well. In order to keep faith, we must allow nothing to enter our thought which will weaken the conviction.” I am grateful for tools to scale the mountain of doubt and find peace in the midst of uncertainty. Blessings for a peaceful and faith-filled journey.
Doubt is debilitating, disempowering and diminishing. Doubt makes us afraid to take a step forward in fear of what would happen. What if I make the wrong decision? What if things don’t work out? ‘What if’ is similar to the energizer bunny; it keeps going and going and going… It saps our energy and renders us ineffective.
How do we overcome this mountain of doubt? Faith. Faith is defined as believing unconditionally. Faith is knowing that the next step I take will lead me closer to my goal. Faith is believing that whatever I need will be provided. Faith is a deep conviction of belief.
Deepening faith doesn’t happen overnight. It is monitoring our emotions, reprogramming old thoughts into new ones. It is picking ourselves up when we feel beaten down or finding something to be grateful for in the midst of challenges.
Ernest Holmes states in the Science of Mind, “In order to have faith, we must have a conviction that all is well. In order to keep faith, we must allow nothing to enter our thought which will weaken the conviction.” I am grateful for tools to scale the mountain of doubt and find peace in the midst of uncertainty. Blessings for a peaceful and faith-filled journey.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Love as Intention
What a powerful Speaking with Intentions class ! We spent a majority of time discussing emotions. Often times we speak ‘off the cuff’ and in response to something or someone that has stirred up our emotions. As we deepen in spiritual practices we become an observer to emotions. The emotions we feel can give us information about our beliefs based on our past experiences. By spending time in meditation and journaling we can identify the experiences that caused the beliefs and have a greater understanding of our feelings and compassion for ourselves.
We also talked about setting intentions for our speaking. So that we speak from a loving centered place and not one of reaction.
In the book, The Prospering Power of Love, Catherine Ponder states, “As you begin developing love from within outward, you are truly proving your method to be spiritual, scientific, and satisfying. You no longer feel at the mercy of people, situations, and conditions. You become master of your world and free from hurt, fear, disappointment and disillusionment.”
Love is truly a powerful intention to speak from.
We also talked about setting intentions for our speaking. So that we speak from a loving centered place and not one of reaction.
In the book, The Prospering Power of Love, Catherine Ponder states, “As you begin developing love from within outward, you are truly proving your method to be spiritual, scientific, and satisfying. You no longer feel at the mercy of people, situations, and conditions. You become master of your world and free from hurt, fear, disappointment and disillusionment.”
Love is truly a powerful intention to speak from.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Piercing the Fog
Life can be so intense these days. We have instant news that is up close and personal, whether events happen in Iraq, Africa or West Virginia. Dealing with all of it can sometimes leave feeling like we are moving through a fog: a little unclear what step to take next and most uncertain about what is on the other side.
The fog clouds the mind and creates confusion, low energy, high anxiety and an inability to accomplish anything. The impulse is to shake off the fog as quickly as possible and get on with life. Don’t stop, don’t look back, move on ahead.
I recently found myself in such a frustrating state. I can’t afford to be in a fog when I need to be working on my goals, checking off my to-do list, leaping over tall buildings with a single bound and other such activities in my quest to serve the world.
I stopped where I was and took some time to meditate. By focusing on my breath instead of my thoughts, I felt more centered. With my mind at rest I felt more peace in my body. As I felt peace in my body, I was open to possibilities. I eventually got back to my list and my life.
Taking the time to meditate connects us with our divinity. We don’t have to do things alone, we can access the universal power that surrounds us and nurtures us. It is the power that pierces the fog and guides our journey with grace. Blessings for a clear and peaceful journey.
The fog clouds the mind and creates confusion, low energy, high anxiety and an inability to accomplish anything. The impulse is to shake off the fog as quickly as possible and get on with life. Don’t stop, don’t look back, move on ahead.
I recently found myself in such a frustrating state. I can’t afford to be in a fog when I need to be working on my goals, checking off my to-do list, leaping over tall buildings with a single bound and other such activities in my quest to serve the world.
I stopped where I was and took some time to meditate. By focusing on my breath instead of my thoughts, I felt more centered. With my mind at rest I felt more peace in my body. As I felt peace in my body, I was open to possibilities. I eventually got back to my list and my life.
Taking the time to meditate connects us with our divinity. We don’t have to do things alone, we can access the universal power that surrounds us and nurtures us. It is the power that pierces the fog and guides our journey with grace. Blessings for a clear and peaceful journey.
Friday, April 18, 2008
The Daffodil Principle
A friend sent this to me a while ago. It's a great message.
The Daffodil Principle.....
Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, "Mother, you must come to see the daffodils before they are over." I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead. "I will come next Tuesday", I promised a little reluctantly on her third call.Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and reluctantly I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn's house I was welcomed by the joyful sounds of happy children. I delightedly hugged and greeted my grandchildren."Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in these clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see badly enough to drive another inch!"My daughter smiled calmly and said, "You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience."
After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw
a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand lettered sign with an arrow that read, "Daffodil Garden."We got out of the car, each took a child's hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, as we turned a corner, I looked up and gasped.Before me lay the most glorious sight. It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it over the mountain peak and its surrounding slopes. The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns, great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, creamy white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, and saffron and butter yellow. Each different-colored variety was planted in large groups so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue. There were five acres of flowers.
"Who did this?" I asked Carolyn. "Just one woman, " Carolyn answered. "She lives on the property. That's
her home." Carolyn pointed to a well kept A-frame house, small and modestly sitting in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house.
On the patio, we saw a poster. "Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking" was the headline. The first answer was a simple one. "50,000 bulbs," it read. The second answer was, "One at a time, by one woman. Two hands,
two feet, and one brain." The third answer was, "Began in 1958."For me, that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than forty years before, had begun, one bulb at a time, to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountaintop.Planting one bulb at a time, year after year, this unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived. One day at a time, she had created something of extraordinary magnificence, beauty, and inspiration. The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration.That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time--often just one baby-step at time--and learning to love the doing, learning to use the accumulation of time. When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world.
"It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn. "What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five or forty years ago and had worked away at it 'one bulb at a time' through all those years? Just think what I might have been able to achieve!"My daughter summed up the message of the day in her usual direct way. "Start tomorrow," she said.She was right. It's so pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson of celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask, "How can I put this to use today?" Use the Daffodil Principle.
Stop waiting.....Until your car or home is paid off
Until you get a new car or home
Until your kids leave the house
Until you go back to school
Until you finish school
Until you clean the house
Until you organize the garage
Until you clean off your desk
Until you lose 10 lbs.
Until you gain 10 lbs.
Until you get married
Until you get a divorce
Until you have kids
Until the kids go to schoolUntil you retire
Until summer
Until spring
Until winter
Until fall
Until you die...
There is no better time than right now to be happy. Happiness is a journey, not a destination. So work like you don't need money Love like you've never been hurt, and Dance like no one's watching. If you want to brighten someone's day, pass this on to someone special. I just did!Wishing you a beautiful, daffodil day!
The Daffodil Principle.....
Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, "Mother, you must come to see the daffodils before they are over." I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead. "I will come next Tuesday", I promised a little reluctantly on her third call.Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and reluctantly I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn's house I was welcomed by the joyful sounds of happy children. I delightedly hugged and greeted my grandchildren."Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in these clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see badly enough to drive another inch!"My daughter smiled calmly and said, "You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience."
After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw
a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand lettered sign with an arrow that read, "Daffodil Garden."We got out of the car, each took a child's hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, as we turned a corner, I looked up and gasped.Before me lay the most glorious sight. It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it over the mountain peak and its surrounding slopes. The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns, great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, creamy white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, and saffron and butter yellow. Each different-colored variety was planted in large groups so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue. There were five acres of flowers.
"Who did this?" I asked Carolyn. "Just one woman, " Carolyn answered. "She lives on the property. That's
her home." Carolyn pointed to a well kept A-frame house, small and modestly sitting in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house.
On the patio, we saw a poster. "Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking" was the headline. The first answer was a simple one. "50,000 bulbs," it read. The second answer was, "One at a time, by one woman. Two hands,
two feet, and one brain." The third answer was, "Began in 1958."For me, that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than forty years before, had begun, one bulb at a time, to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountaintop.Planting one bulb at a time, year after year, this unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived. One day at a time, she had created something of extraordinary magnificence, beauty, and inspiration. The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration.That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time--often just one baby-step at time--and learning to love the doing, learning to use the accumulation of time. When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world.
"It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn. "What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five or forty years ago and had worked away at it 'one bulb at a time' through all those years? Just think what I might have been able to achieve!"My daughter summed up the message of the day in her usual direct way. "Start tomorrow," she said.She was right. It's so pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson of celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask, "How can I put this to use today?" Use the Daffodil Principle.
Stop waiting.....Until your car or home is paid off
Until you get a new car or home
Until your kids leave the house
Until you go back to school
Until you finish school
Until you clean the house
Until you organize the garage
Until you clean off your desk
Until you lose 10 lbs.
Until you gain 10 lbs.
Until you get married
Until you get a divorce
Until you have kids
Until the kids go to schoolUntil you retire
Until summer
Until spring
Until winter
Until fall
Until you die...
There is no better time than right now to be happy. Happiness is a journey, not a destination. So work like you don't need money Love like you've never been hurt, and Dance like no one's watching. If you want to brighten someone's day, pass this on to someone special. I just did!Wishing you a beautiful, daffodil day!
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Love is an Inside Job
Do you ever find yourself sitting alone, waiting to be recognized and acknowledged? We want to be recognized for being enthusiastic, caring, and attractive and acknowledged for being motivated, a hard worker and a good provider.
We think being loved and appreciated has to come from someone else. So we go looking for love in all the wrong places. We search for someone to validate the fact that we deserve to be loved. We hunt for someone to toss us a small morsel of appreciation.
Years ago I worked in an office and I completed a difficult project in record time. My supervisor reviewed it, made some corrections and shipped it off. After lunch she handed me the next project without a word of appreciation. I resented her for the longest time.
The biggest obstacle that keeps us from love is hanging on to resentments from the past. It’s like wanting to buy new shoes but the closet if full of old shoes we don’t like anymore or they don’t fit or they are out of style. There’s no room for anything new. We have to purge the old shoes out in order to bring the new shoes in. And so it is with love. As we let go of old hurts and resentments we clear the way for love to come in.
Love is an inside job. It starts with letting go of the pain from the past. Then there is an opening to express love. As we acknowledge and appreciate others, we begin to receive it ourselves. And it is contagious! Try it and see for yourself. Blessings for an extraordinary month of Love!
We think being loved and appreciated has to come from someone else. So we go looking for love in all the wrong places. We search for someone to validate the fact that we deserve to be loved. We hunt for someone to toss us a small morsel of appreciation.
Years ago I worked in an office and I completed a difficult project in record time. My supervisor reviewed it, made some corrections and shipped it off. After lunch she handed me the next project without a word of appreciation. I resented her for the longest time.
The biggest obstacle that keeps us from love is hanging on to resentments from the past. It’s like wanting to buy new shoes but the closet if full of old shoes we don’t like anymore or they don’t fit or they are out of style. There’s no room for anything new. We have to purge the old shoes out in order to bring the new shoes in. And so it is with love. As we let go of old hurts and resentments we clear the way for love to come in.
Love is an inside job. It starts with letting go of the pain from the past. Then there is an opening to express love. As we acknowledge and appreciate others, we begin to receive it ourselves. And it is contagious! Try it and see for yourself. Blessings for an extraordinary month of Love!
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