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What is mine to give?

Brilliance

I don’t often share another’s work in its entirety, but this poem was shared in sacred circle yesterday, and it touched me deeply:

Clearing by Martha Postlewaite

Do not try to save
the whole world
or do anything grandiose.
instead, create
a clearing
in the dense forest
of your life
and wait there
patiently,
until the song
that is your life
falls into your own cupped hands
and you recognize and greet it.
Only then will you know
how to give yourself
to this world
so worthy of rescue.

Many of us desire to have positive, powerful impact in our world. We see all that needs attention and we want to do our part. Martha’s words remind us of the importance of discernment.

What is mine to give?

We cannot do it all – we don’t have to! But we will never know what is truly our gift to offer if we don’t create the time and space to listen to our inner voice, our heart and soul.

Today and every day, give yourself the gift of listening through meditation, journaling or just the pause to take 3 deep breaths. In the space you create, be open and listen. You may hear the song for the moment; you may receive the song for your life. With your song on your lips, give yourself to Life as only you can.

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The Value of Intention …

Intention … Vision … Dream … the future that you see in your mind and heart and soul and move toward with every cell in your body.

What do you vision?
What dream is in your heart?

Today’s message is especially for those of you who have struggled with the idea of vision or had dreams that you gave up on and have since stopped dreaming. The first piece of the message is:

Don’t stop dreaming!

But choose your dreams carefully and then add to your dream statement:

This dream — or something better!

Always stay open. Rather than seeing your dream or vision as specific and detailed, think of it as an intention or energy toward which, and in which, you move. In your daily choices, ask:

Does this activity align with my dream?
Is this relationship supportive of my vision?
Is this thing I will purchase part of the future I desire?

Even (or especially!) the thoughts you ponder and the words you speak, these too are VERY powerful!

Is this idea, this thought stream, aligned with my vision?

If you can answer “Yes!” to the questions above, then your dream or vision is a valuable intention that is guiding you. Your journey will undoubtedly twist and turn and you will have choices to make. Keep choosing in alignment with your intention and surprises will be delightful!

Will your dream be fulfilled?

Most likely as “This, or something better!”

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Daring …

How many times have you heard, “I dare you!”, especially out of the mouths of children? Actually, only out of the mouths of children! It seems, as an adult, daring has been trained out many of us. While that isn’t totally a “bad” thing as some of those childish dares were quite dangerous, the quality of daring has a place in our “grown up” world, especially for those of us who choose to be leaders on this planet. Ready?

Dare to disturb
Dare to be wrong

Do you dare to disturb the status quo, the way we’ve always done it? How else does powerful change happen? If we always do what we’ve always done, how will we experience anything but what we’ve always experienced? Actually, in this world where so much is evolving so quickly, trying to keep the status quo is nearly impossible!

Do you have the courage to be wrong? Do you dare to move forward without knowing the steps? Do you dare to be wrong in service of your vision, your dreams, your powerful intention for something better?

Today, notice where your daring is absent but needed. Notice where you go with the flow without question. Notice, too, where you are afraid to take a step because you might be wrong, you might fall down, you might fail.  Then …

Dare to disturb!
How will you shake up the status quo today?
Dare to be wrong!
Where will you feel the fear and do it anyway?

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All in … and Unattached!

Today’s message is simple yet possibly life changing.

What does being all in mean to you?

For me, it’s about giving my all, investing 100% of my energy, full commitment, staying power. Often, I’ve been very careful about where I am all in. Why? Because I’ve been concerned with the outcome. If I am going to give it my all, it better succeed or be good. Also, at times I’ve hesitated to be all in out of fear that I’d be all spent. I chose to stay back and conserve my energy.

What is the impact of my effort when I’m not all in?
What is the impact when I stay back and conserve my energy?

Am I wishy-washy? Am I only half there, only giving some of what I could offer? Today, I want to offer you and me an alternative way to be in this life:

All in … and Unattached!

What does this mean? It means this: give our all. Be all in. Live fully. And … be unattached to the outcome. If we choose to participate, give fully and freely, be all in. Then let go of the outcome – remain unattached – and open.  I suppose this is similar to giving without any strings attached. When I apply this to my life as a whole, it means living forward, deeply, richly, freely. It means not holding on or holding back. It means not trying to control the outcome and not fearing the unknown.  I am reminded of this quotation:

DalaiLama

In what ways do you hold back?
In what ways will you arrive at death having not really lived?
How will you live today All in … and Unattached?

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From which perspective?

My morning journaling held a strong message for me about choosing from which direction or voice or perspective I am to be with “it” – whatever the current “it” is in life. While there are many perspectives, today I was aware of:

  • IN THE TRENCHES: Purely emotional perspective characterized by internal unrest, the pain body, focus on my needs, sometimes filled with blaming others for how they aren’t supporting me
  • TAKE CHARGE ATTITUDE: Physical or material perspective characterized by seeking a fix, wondering what “I” should do about “it”, often ignoring that inner emotional reaction to “it”
  • SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: Intellectual or calculated perspective characterized by evaluating societal rules or beliefs held by organizations I affiliate with and asking what the “right” thing to do is, regardless of my personal wants and needs
  • EVOLUTION OF CONSCIOUSNESS: Stepping beyond the body/mind/emotion of life and resting in the meta-view of soul or consciousness where we are one, where all of humanity is connected. Here, what I do, say and feel impacts the greater whole and that greater whole impacts me. What I am experiencing is reflective of what others are experiencing. Daring to take this perspective, I become willing to see and act upon what is best for the greater good. Actions from this perspective are resonant and intentional. They may be uncomfortable and difficult on the human level, but the energy of resonance with the greater good supports us. Those actions might look like:
  • Taking a day off to honor personal wellbeing in order to return to work, people and responsibilities rested, open and loving
  • Taking a deep breath and muscling through what lies ahead one more time
  • Having that difficult conversation with a spouse or co-worker and respectfully speaking personal truth that may be hard for them to hear and then staying with them as they respond
  • Dropping allegiance to an organization that seems to need you yet is not aligned with your deeper, perhaps evolving, beliefs

This is a lot! Perhaps take a moment to notice the perspective that you habitually operate from and how that is – or is not – working for you. Then:

What challenge am I facing?
What perspective would I like to try on?
What do I see from this perspective?
What support do I need?