Spirit In Gear

Goosebumps with Susan Boyle

In the rare chance you haven't heard the buzz about Susan Boyle, listen to her sing "I Dreamed a Dream" from the musical Les Miserables, when she auditioned for the show Britains Got Talent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

She knocked the cynical socks off the judges and stupefied them.  She had the audience cheering in the first stanzas.  Bet you can't listen to it just once!

What a lesson -  the most magnificent surprises often come in unassuming packages!  Susan, you rock!

Flash Bites

For the past week I've been receiving intuitive flashes.  They come through as an insight, an inner knowing, a glimmer, a picture, or a physical sensation on personal and business issues in my life.

Like sound bites, they're brief and get my attention.  It occurs to me this morning, as I lay in bed, that these are "flash bites."  They grab me and shift me from smallness to expansion, all in the space of seconds!

For example, yesterday afternoon we are watching the movie, Henry Poole is Here.  The central character struggles with a loss of faith.  He depends solely on what he knows logically.  He is challenged by neighbors whose faith and beliefs summon  "miracles." 

Near the end of the movie my flash bite comes.  In my need to make the lives of my husband and two daughters "better," I am shown a different way of being.  I am released from needing to control outcomes.  I can let go.  With my husband, my job is not to help him become more "spiritual" but to grow in my own faith.  My job is not to fuss over my 26 yr old daughter in her present state of unsettledness, but to love her.  She is much wiser than I was at that age, and will choose well.  My job is not to obsess over my 23 yr. old daughter finding a job in Chicago when she moves there this summer (by the way . . . anyone need a talented graphic designer?).  She's perfectly capable finding work, if past performance is any indicator.

As I read over the flash bite above, it sounds rational.  But it did not come through that way.  I felt lightened and free when I received this intuitive flash.  I felt like a different part of me (yes, I'll call her the Divine One) was reassuring me that my job was done.  I can relax.  I can love.  Translated . . . I can give up worry.

You cannot worry about someone and love them at the same time. Most people mistake the emotion of worry for the emotion of love. They think that worrying about somebody means that you love them.
- Abraham

In hindsight, I look back and see the pivotal flash bite that arrived last weekend, setting off this series of flash bites the past few days.  It all starts with a visit to downtown Asheville, a 75 minute drive from our South Carolina home.  We have made it a tradition on all of our trips to Asheville to make our last stop at Malaprops Bookstore.  Street musicians play outside the doors.  Stepping into the doors of this independent bookseller, I feel immediate pleasure.  For book lovers like me it's an orgy of delight.  Because it's not a chain store, even the coffee aromas smell more intoxicating.  Walking on old floor boards that creak, I scan the colorful book displays and creative organization that draw me further in.  I wander over to a shelf entitled "Banned Books" - all  those books we are so familiar with that have been banned at one time or another, including Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.  I feel myself losing sense of time.  I acquaint myself with new authors, and check in with familiar ones.  

Over and over again, I find myself drawn to another area with a book entitled Life is a Verb by Patti Digh.  The subtitle - "37 Days to Wake Up , Be Mindful, and Live Intentionally."  Why does the author's name sound so familiar?  I soon realize that she is a blogger that I have read sometime in the past.  Holding her book is a tactile pleasure in itself.  The book feels so smooth and silky!  Colors pop throughout the multitude of unique illustrations.  As her blog proclaims, her book is not a self-help book, but a soul-help book.  Without hesitation I buy the book.

After our friends head back to Ohio, I nestle my derriere on the couch to soak myself in this book for awhile.  My flash bite shows up during a writing exercise.  I become aware that I've put myself in a pissy funk by comparing myself to others who are better writers, better bloggers, know more than me, ad nauseum.  I'm filled with a sense of mean smallness towards myself.

Simultaneously something else comes through - call it soul help.  I feel a physical sense of warmth come from my heart.  I feel my heart expand and open as I sense a loving, compassionate presence.  I flip from holding myself with disdain to a sense of deep love and gratitude for being me.  I do feel a regret for the wasted time, but make a contract with myself to do something loving or compassionate for myself each day. 

The following morning, I decide to stop multi-tasking at breakfast.  I don't check email while eating and watching Good Morning America before rushing off to Jazzercise.  I give myself the gift of being present.  The rest of the day unfolds without the typical sense of urgency and pressure that I inflict upon myself.

And so it goes . . . as I learn to be more present, flash bites find a receptive state as I move through my week.  What I wish I had done, and will do from now on, is jot down my flash bites as they come through.  I hope to capture as much of the essence of the message, and the feeling as possible.  Later, when I fall back, I can turn to my written flash bite and "remember" again.

Forgive this rambling story.  I tell it to myself to understand how the Universe supports me, tracing my steps back to Malaprops, and taking note of the numerous flash bites that have come through since then just this week.  Take heart, Deb, you are never alone.  And neither are you!

Photo Credits:  Light in sky - Dimitar Tzankov; Malaprops Bookstore - Malaprops website

Words That Give Me Pause - There is No Path

I realized meditation was not about chasing states of consciousness or following a path, but about letting go of the path.  It's a long journey to realize there's no path.

- Peter Russell

I find this passage in the latest issue of Ode Magazine, in an article entitled "Good Morning World, This is Your Wake-up Call," about physicist-turned-futurist Peter Russell.  Letting go of the path resonates for me now that I am in my middle years.  I take quiet comfort in these words, while letting out a deep sigh.  I can't articulate to myself why these words settle so deliberately deep inside of me.  My analytical mind wants to know why, while I hear my spirit say it doesn't matter.

Yet I do know that it is in the letting go, the allowing, the focus on the now moment that I, we, can experience real peace, true contentment, joy,happiness . . . rather than through the material consumption we believe will give us these.  Not having to be on a path feels liberating!

Speaking of now, you'll find Peter Russell's site The Spirit of Now filled with a wealth of resources ranging from science and consciousness, spiritual awakening, earth and environment, and meditations.  The site offers articles, audio, and video, including meditations that can be downloaded.  I learned there that I am 21,015 days old - and you can learn your age in days here.

For an additional perspective on paths - see Dick Richard's recent post The Mythic Pull of Pathways.

Peaceful Warrior

If you'd like a dose of positive reinforcement along with your entertainment, check out the DVD Peaceful Warrior.  The movie is based on one of Dan Millman's best-selling books, The Way of the Peaceful Warrior.

Based on true events in Dan's life, the movie plays out in the mid to late 60's on the Berkeley campus where Dan attends school and trains to qualify for the Olympic trials in gymnastics.  Along the way, he experiences a life-changing event.  How Dan responds to this event provides the dramatic inspiration.

During this period, Dan encounters an older gent nick-named "Socrates."  "Socrates" runs a gas station while serving as a mentor to Dan.  He introduces concepts to Dan that Dan initially resists.  We are familiar with these concepts, mainstreamed over the last couple of decades, but not so prevalent in the 60's.  Concepts such as staying in the present, noticing the moments, detaching from reactive thinking and ego-based fears, and even the notion of seeing life as a journey, not a destination.

Most compelling, Socrates teaches Dan how to look within for his own wisdom, not to depend on what comes from the outside.  While Nick Nolte's Socrates character spouts off these familiar ideas (and at times it sounds a bit trite, but I easily overlook this), Dan discovers his own wise insight - there are no ordinary moments (which years later became a title for one of his books).

Great inspiration, and interesting cinematography. 

You Tube Paul Potts Opens Your Heart

One of the things that brought goosebumps to my body and tears to my eyes occurred when presenter Alan Cohen showed a clip from You Tube.  We viewed this clip on the jumbo screen at Seminar of the Century in Aspen earlier this month.  Alan used this clip to illustrate how being real and transparent brings us in touch with our brilliance.  When the clip ended, 2000 people rose to their feet to clap and cheer.

See for yourself - take in Paul Potts' You Tube clip.  Maximize your screen, crank up your computer speakers, and grab a tissue.  You are in for a soul-stirring treat!

Hallmark Moments

Wow, I felt this nostalgic smile grow on my face as I read Jory's post on her reflections on her new status as wife.  Reading her articulate words can't help but take me back to my own wedding more than three decades ago.

I found that the digital shots of Jory's wedding spoke most eloquently.  Seeing Jory and her husband atop a mountain definitely takes the breath away.  Weddings bring out the heartfelt in me, even the ones I read about vicariously.  Guess it's that combination of love, and family, and friends, all gathered together to wash our world with some much-needed happiness.  Thank you, Jory, for letting the rest of us get in on a little of your joy.

Sentimental times continued in another place this past weekend.  My younger daughter turned 21 last week and the big party took place at her college in Athens, Ohio.  Athens is a tiny college town in the Southwest corner of Ohio.  Diane's boyfriend, and girlfriends from childhood drove several hours to join her.  The big surprise - Diane's older sister left work early in the day and drove from Chicago to surprise her Friday evening. 

In typical college sleeping arrangements, bodies covered couches and floors of the house Diane and her roommates rent. Along with Diane's college friends from the Fine Arts Program, a good time was had by all.  Mom and Dad remained in South Carolina to preserve our sanity and allow Diane to move through this rite of passage on her own.  Her sister filled us in on the juicy details by phone as she drove back to Chicago.

As if we needed to be reminded - where would we be without our friends and family to help us celebrate the good times, and get us through the bad ones?  When my husband lost his job in February, we drove up to Ohio to see family.  On the way home, we stopped in Cincinnati where we had lived for 30 years.  On the spur of the moment, one couple we stayed with invited all of our old friends we'd known for 30 years.  They all showed up!  It's hard to describe that feeling, knowing that we were surrounded by people who wanted to share their love and support with us.

On this rainy day, I decided to interrupt my real estate investment dealings to insert a note on behalf of sentimentality.  I'll toast to that! 

And now . . . back to my regular programming, but with a slightly sappy grin on my face.

Soul Support

Here are two resources I routinely turn to that inspire and nourish me on the emotional and spiritual fronts - the Abraham teachings, and Notes from the Universe.

The Notes, brief philosophical/inspirational messages, can be emailed to you 1-5 days per week, depending upon your choosing.  What really rocks me about these notes - the underlying tone of unconditional love, wrapped in playful, hip humor.  Here's a recent example:

Asking "how" is pure, unadulterated, low energy, health zapping, fun squeezing, party-pooping doubt.

Oh!  So sorry, Debbie!  You said, Wow!"  My mistake . . .

As you were -
         The Universe

Sure you said "Wow?' Debbie?

When you sign up, you have the option of taking the oath as well, which, if I remember correctly (it's been several years), takes you to a page where you can have some of your Notes customized to your particular goals.

What began as inspirational messages to an email list of 38 has grown to 65,000 subscribers in 169 countries.  Sounds to me like the world is hungry for messages of hope and love.

In my Oct. 5th post, I made reference to Abraham (an entity of spiritual teachers).  A fellow blogger emailed me about his hesitancy to dig into the Abraham material and asked me to share my honest opinions about this resource with him.  That's a fair question, especially for those of us who consider ourselves aligned with particular religious/spiritual beliefs.

I'll share with you what I told him.  I was introduced to Abraham in the mid-1990's but didn't pursue it.  Timing is everything.  Apparently I didn't feel I needed it.

Several years after that, I was reintroduced to Abraham and began listening to tapes that a friend lent me.  Then my husband and I attended a live workshop 6-7 years ago.  These workshops are held all over the country, and on cruises to Hawaii and Alaska - see workshop info.

I have found the material beneficial and subscribe to a monthly CD (weekly CD program also available).  As with anything, I suggest you listen for yourself to see if it resonates with what you value and believe.  I'm a practicing Catholic, active in my church.  Abraham does not take away from that, or does it act as a substitute.  I find the material helps me expand my appreciation for the miracle of our human lives.  More than anything, Abraham emphasizes our connection to our Divine Source, and reminds us of our innate worthiness.

Rather than describing the material, I'll let you explore this at their site, if you feel drawn to learning more about it.  There you will also find free downloads.  If you are familiar with Abraham, feel free to share your thoughts in a comment.  Readers will appreciate other perspectives.

Looking ahead, I will be devoting my next post to what I learned from a recent Abraham CD on the difference between inspiration and motivation.  I found it so riveting that I listened to that section two more times.  Must mean I needed it!

Blogs That Tickle and Touch Me

Cruising down the blog highway this week I took a few exits, thanks to links from other blogs, and discovered some delightful places.

I want to mention a few of these that tickle my fancy (I have no idea what a fancy is, but I know when it's been tickled!).  I particularly like to read blogs that speak from the voice of the heart and soul.  They provide balance from the assault of linear information that hits me from the neck on up every day.

If, along with excellent content, you're into the visual splash effect, scoot over to Tony D. Clark's Success From the Nest.  I felt mesmerized by the color and illustrations that Tony has created to augment his content, geared for parents working from home.  I'm a middle-aged adult who digs the magical quality that Tony, an artist, has created here.

Liz Strauss' Letting Me Be . . . deftly takes us on a journey into her heart and soul, giving the rest of us the inspiration to look deeper within.  I find her posts lyrical and soulfully satisfying.  Beautiful graphic images accompany her posts.  What a treasure.  Liz also has another blog, and contributes to two others, which you will find links to at Letting Me Be.

You'll find provocative posts at Alexys Fairfield's Unraveling the Spiritual Mystique.  She writes in a strong voice, discerning her own spiritual learnings about everyday events most of us encounter.

I've been reading our Denmark neighbor, Halina Goldstein's The Inner Travel Journey for several months because of her honest, open and reflective style of writing.  She recently added a new forum to her blog - "Magical Stories from Real Life," contributed by her readers.

Please feel free to stop a moment here and pass along your favorite soul-stirring, touch the heart, and tingle your spirit blogs!

Red Finger Meditation

You just never know when one of those moments hits you and you realize you're in a space of unplanned meditation.

Yesterday afternoon found me out in the country, away from the noise of cars and people.  I'm crouching down, close to the ground, picking choice ripe strawberries.  I notice the bright red colors, and how natural the strawberries look, unlike their counterparts sold in the grocery stores.

I pop one in my mouth, enjoying the warm sweetness.  I find my focus planted in the present moment.  I watch my fingers gently handle the strawberries underneath the green leaves.  I experience unexpected delight when I find a small cluster of strawberries linked in perfect ripeness together, almost as if I've discovered a deposit of gold.

I let out a sigh of appreciation.  Contentment washes over me.  I take in the blue sky, the perfect 78 degree temperature, the balmy rays of the sun.  The storm the night before washed away the humidity, leaving a rare crispness in the air.

I note the muted voices of other pickers off in the distance.  My husband and friends silently fill their baskets a few yards away. 

I realize Nature has provided me with a moment of meditation.  As my body and spirit relax, my mind downshifts too.  A tranquil calmness settles over me.  It remind me of how little time I spend in the present.

As we get back in the car after berry picking, I notice my red-stained fingertips for the first time.  They serve to teach me that meditations may lurk behind routine activities, waiting for us to become aware.

Who knows, you just may find a meditative moment the next time you pull weeds, dig in the dirt, iron a shirt, twirl your pasta around your fork, watch the leaves sway in the breeze, or pick berries. 

May we all become intentional about tapping into the power of "now."