by user_dd | Jan 18, 2019 | Transitory Thoughts
When I was young, I wanted nothing more than to be Merlin, the magician. Our weekly trips into town to visit the library from our rural Ohio farm allowed me to fill my imagination with epic fantasy stories and romantic Arthurian legends. 
I could almost see the mists of Avalon opening before me when the fog settled on the fields, making the grasses glisten in the early morning sun, as it often did in early Summer. I had the benefit of lots of free time, and 80 acres of wild forest to explore. My favorite moment was falling asleep in the branches of my favorite tree, confident it would hold me safe, until I awoke again.
Now, I wonder if I ever woke up from that tree. The world continues to surprise and delight me, being full of fantastic people and things and experiences. Miracles happen all around me everyday. They get so little fanfare however you’d barely notice they happened, but they’re there. It’s amazing how little we see of what we don’t expect to see.
A crevasse of my own making
I didn’t always see life from rose-colored glasses though. There were years where I was hiding so no one would see me. I developed elaborate ruses and games to elude anyone really trying to know me at all. I was a master obscurer, but what I didn’t realize was that I was only tricking myself. While I left others confused, I was in an even deeper crevasse of my own making. I couldn’t access my strengths and gifts, because I separated myself from their power. I didn’t want anyone to know my true powers, my true gifts. I didn’t want anyone to SEE ME!
I hated expectations, I feared assumptions, I definitely did not want to be put in a box. I was allowing others to imprison me in my own mind. They were just trying to ‘get’ me, I was too busy running away to see that.
It wasn’t until I leaned into my discomfort, and got really uncomfortable, that I started to see what was going on. My third grade teacher taught me the benefits of discomfort when I cried my way through a book report presentation in front of the whole class. Surprisingly, I’m not afraid of public speaking today. Another time I felt a lot of discomfort was pretty ironic when you think about it: I was admitting the truth of my sexual desires to my partner. He’s still around, haha!
It’s amazing how the most true things about us, deep down inside, can be the source of so much fear.
What happens when you encounter fear is that geometries of thought and emotion get thrown into your aura as you try to make sense of the new information. But they don’t stay there forever. They do muck you up for a time, but depending on the strength of your energetic systems they either get pulled back into your system and re-assimilated, providing a new puzzle for you to solve, or they get pushed out of your system and recycled back into the universal symphony, interminably singing it’s glory all around us. Remember, everything is energy and energy is vibration. Who doesn’t like to listen to music?
I like to listen
Eventually I had help. I found a path, the initiatory path, the path of of my soul’s progression, and I began walking down it to see what I would find. I didn’t just happen on the information in the above paragraph. I sought it out. After moments of intense desire and prayer, I started to get little hints. Later I realized I was guided, and thus I got there a lot faster than many of my peers. And now I see what’s happening and I have tools to handle it because that guidance helped me resolve and release what was holding me back in life. That way I could get back into the game, winning life one step at a time. It ain’t always easy, but it’s a helluva ride!
I think at this point, you’re probably pretty convinced there’s a higher power helping out, guiding your life, assisting you in times of need. I believe that too. And whether it’s true or not is not really what I want to get into, but even if you just pretended for a moment that it was true, how would that change your life? How would you act differently? And even if you didn’t believe in some invisible force that can’t be truly understood or measured, what if you heard some good advice from a spiritual friend? Would it change your what you do at all? Would you listen?
I think the answer is ‘yes,’ because the more assured you feel, the more confidence you have, the more risks you’re going to take on this crazy trip called life. And there’s nothing truly great achieved in life without taking risks. The worst that can happen here is that you don’t get the result you’ve been looking for. But if I told you people have been walking this path of thousands of years because it works for them, do you think it’d work for you too?
If you’re curious, come learn more at my upcoming lecture on “Upgrading your Energy Body with a DNA Life Activation” Jan 29th at 7pm at Incite Healing Center. I promise the information will only help you on your path. It did when I heard it six years ago, and my life continues to accelerate in the most beautiful ways.
I pray you have peace, and joy, and I pray I get to see you soon so we can drop into some conversation over tea. Life begets life, how will you live yours? Covered up like I was for many years, hiding from the Light, or will you come out and play to discover where the seat of your joy lies?
The invitation is open to you.
by user_dd | Nov 5, 2015 | Transitory Thoughts
“As above, so below. As within, so without.”
I find it endlessly fascinating to discover examples where the macro-context informs or clarifies what’s happening on a micro-contextual level. Like to consider that, as our solar system travels through space, it’s creating the same pattern DNA strands do within our cells. Or that cell walls contain the mitochondria (i.e. power plants of our cells), nucleus, and other cell parts, like a city wall contains the structures inside that sustain it. Is it any wonder that we design computers with a CPU (brain), motherboard (circuitry/circulatory system), memory and power source similar to our own biological makeup?
We are all living organisms within living organisms, relations within relations. The quality of the food we eat affects our health, the quality of thoughts we think affects our mind. Are you a passive consumer or actively creating in these relationships? What relationships do you continue to feed, and which relationships do you let fall away? Rather than be trapped by your current relationships, make an effort to assess those relationships that serve you (i.e. best friends) and those relationships that don’t serve you (i.e. in my case, ice cream). And with that information, what are you creating?
I like to remind my clients that they’re always creating. The question is: are you participating consciously in the process?
Let me know in the comments below what you’re creating in your life.
by user_dd | Jun 16, 2015 | Community Conversations
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_code]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[/fusion_code][fusion_text]Many of us living in big cities may be wondering how we can connect with the natural world in a meaningful way. Some of us don’t even know what that truly entails. We may go for the occasional walk in a park, and our interactions with wildlife might be as extensive as feeding the neighborhood cats. But how do we bridge the divide?
When I was young (and still today), I’d love throwing myself into random places where trees grew crooked, grass reached high, and strange critters roamed about. For me, green literally meant go! This was often a sacred experience, and something inside me yearned to merge with my surroundings, to feel Gaia’s pulse.
Our ancient ancestors, living in the Paleolithic era, were very much in tune with their environments. They had to be, in order to hunt and gather food well. Rich stories emerged from these tribes, personifying the forces of nature, and rituals developed to commune with and appease them. We can see vestiges of this life today in indigenous tribes around the world.
In the Industrial West, we could judge such traditions as unevolved or even absurd—but look at where we are. We’re wreaking havoc on our planet, something which will one day come back to bite us all, unless we change. The way to change is understanding. The way to understanding, in this case, is becoming aware of our relationship with nature, and how all things are interconnected.
How do we do this? Here are some simple practices that helped me:
- Explore. Find the most natural setting you can, even if it is a patch of grass outside your apartment complex. Be observant, with the curiosity and enthusiasm of a child. If you get a little dirty, that’s fine. Nature is dirty! Using all of your senses, feel out your surroundings—smell, touch, listen, look. Even taste, if you KNOW something that is edible….or simply taste the air. When you return to the “normal world,” try this experiment again, in your modern settings. What sort of animals are around you? Plants you’ve never seen? Floral smell you’ve never paid attention to? Instead of swatting away spiders, take a minute to check them out, how they act, how many eyes they have. Then let them free outside.
- Imagine. For the sheer hell of it, try to see if you can “communicate” with the rocks, trees, and plants you come across. Imagine you’re having a dialogue with them. What would they say? What would be their personalities? Keep a level head, of course, but try to have fun with this. You might uncover some interesting new insights.
- Commune. Sit on the ground, near a tree, or by a body of water—really, anywhere in nature. Relax. Let your thoughts flow without getting caught up in them. Focus on your body. Then focus on the sensations you have – the texture of the ground, the feel of the air, the sounds around you, the smells. This is similar to the first exercise, but let yourself go this time. Be completely in the Here and Now. Try to feel as if you are becoming your surroundings. How does that feel? Let this be your sole attention. Allow all other thoughts to pass by like clouds until you forget about them.
- Partner. Nature can be our ally. To realize this more, try to figure out a project that immerses you in nature or is directly dependent on it. You could construct an art piece that uses natural materials, i.e., pine needles, bark, branches, leaves, stones, feathers, etc. You could grow a garden, even a little window garden from a pot or wooden box. Maybe you could study up on medicinal or edible wild plants, and go searching for them. Ever build a rainwater collection unit? It could be fun. Get creative. Please be conscientious with what you take – don’t hoard and don’t disrupt an ecosystem.
- Respect. Show nature you care by cutting your energy usage, carpooling or riding your bike, recycling, planting trees, donating money to help protect wildlife or the rainforests, and not littering. Give friendly reminders to others, as well.
These are just some basic ideas to get you started on the path of building a relationship with nature. It’s the Gaia Mother of us all, and we would prosper by giving Her the respect She deserves.
How do you connect with nature? Please share below![/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_code]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[/fusion_code][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
