In the Quiet

The Quiet

Found within My Self

Within windows of time

Past, present & future

Colliding

Bringing forth

Wisdom of the Ages

Cosmic downloads

Throughout my day

Throughout my life

Revelations spring

As flashes of inspiration

Burst from this space

Sacred knowings

Eternal Truths

Not outside of me

Yet part of the whole

Shifting me

Spontaneously healing

All of me

Mind, body, heart & soul

Filling cracks unknown to me

Allowing me to receive

These graces

So mystical

Words fail to paint

The ecstatic dance of Soul

Yet more real

Than any external experience

That knocks into me

Wanting to sweep me away

Drama

Chaos

Dense energies

Swallowing like quicksand

That confine

That cage

That grip

That choke

From the safety

Of the Quiet

I enter this world

Fully engaged

In the dance of life

We are ONE

Connecting with others

But no longer tangling

Bleeding my life force

In their perpetual dramas

The addictive chaos

That stops life from flowing

That silences the music

That cuts off the play

That starves my soul

Taking me out

Of the Ecstasy

In being

ALIVE!

 

Life is noisy!  Some noise we create and welcome while some noise others create which makes us want to cover our ears and run the other way as fast as we can.  This is all a part of this sacred dance we do individually and collectively.  There is no escaping the noise of life, but I have found that resting in the quiet frees me from being tangled in the chaos and drama outside of me so I can remain engaged and at play without the energetic drain.  The quiet within is an invisible bubble that creates a barrier, a layer of protection where I consciously choose what I want to plug into and what I don’t.

I am a fan of crankin’ up my favorite tunes, watching television, talking on the phone and texting, going out into the world enjoying festivities with friends and family.  And I know that shutting everything down, going into the quiet for snippets of time makes my life experiences much richer as I am more present, more of me shows up.

In the quiet, I am so tuned in that I trust my Self to take good care of what I need and what I want, what feels good, who I enjoy being with and who I don’t so where I am and who I am with at any given moment is where I want to be and who I truly want to be with.  No second guessing.  No betraying my Self.  No sacrificing martyr complex BS.  No talking my Self into what isn’t in alignment with my sense of aliveness.  There is a profound safety in this depth of trust as I don’t look outside wondering who is trust-worthy because I have my own back.  I can dip my toe in the water, lean into and explore new life experiences and see if I really want to jump in.

The quiet whispers to me, downloads of inspiration flood through, sacred knowings, truths revealed bringing healing beyond my doing, an invisible grace filling cracks I wasn’t even aware existed until I felt more vitality springing from the whole of me; and could see the infinite beauty of my life and all life no matter how ugly it may appear, no matter how noisy it is, no matter how chaotic or drama-filled.

The invitation this day is to drop into the quiet using your breath to guide you to the world within you that will free the joy in living in the outer world no matter how noisy it is.  The quiet will make you more aware of what you really need and what you really want.  From this space, you can set intentions for your life feeling inspired from being tuned in to your Self as never before; claiming the happiness as you are more engaged in the moment,  in a sense of aliveness that brings more of you out to play.  Revelations through clarity burst from the quiet!  With eyes wide open, you will become aware of the choices you are making that drain your precious life force, bleeding your energy that you need, that is essential to fueling a life of passion that you absolutely love.    

This MAGIC Moment

 

Untethering our Self

From yesterdays

Letting go

Of all that was

Recognizing the LIFE-giving energies

All that served us THEN

Remains with us NOW

Blowing through us

All our days

Never-ceasing

Flooding us with graces

We Step into the MAGIC of this moment

 Both feet on this Earth

Welcoming the heavens

Dwelling in possibilities

Writing new scripts

Allowing worlds within us to SING

As they have never sung before

Like the birds in the Sky

Using the winds to carry them

When we dare to surrender

To the MAGIC of this moment

The flow of life

Pulsing through us

Will guide us with its invisible forces

To destinations

Throughout our lifetime

Beyond our wildest dreams

The courage

To wave our wands

Believing in the MAGIC of life

Stepping into the unknown

Pulling rabbits out of hats

SURPRISE!  SURPRISE! SURPISE!

Willing

Open

Receiving

Unwavering

Sprinkling pixie dust

So we might see with fresh eyes

Instead of recreating

That which stops the flow of life

Forgetting we are here

To come ALIVE!

Take my hand

JUMP into the now

Step into this MAGIC moment

Bang your chest with your fists

Opening your heart

To ALL of your Dreams

Remembering:

You are KING of this jungle

You are QUEEN of this jungle

And

Knowing this

Invoking the MAGIC of life

It is ON!

Anticipate the wonder

Be excited

PLAY

BeFRIEND spontaneity

SHOW UP

This moment

This MAGIC moment

Is YOUR LIFE

Make it

All you want it to be

AND MORE

Will be revealed…

Tada!

This day is MAGIC!  was my first thought of the day.  And moment by moment, more MAGIC has been revealed as I am completely open, allowing life to blow through me, resisting nothing as waves of feelings come and go, as thoughts enter and leave.  I tune in to the thoughts and feelings that make me come alive recognizing in this space I am connected to the magic of life, the graces that never-cease and bring forward what I alone simply cannot.  I let go, untether my Self from thoughts and feelings that stop the flow of life, that cut me off from the Truth of who I am and the beauty of this wondrous adventure.

The fall air enlivens me as my breaths are full, feeding all of me:  mind, body, heart and soul.  As I headed out on my run, the day was breaking, revealing in this first light all that had been hidden, concealed in the darkness just moments before this moment.  I was struck by nature mirroring my inner world.  One moment, I believe this and I know what I know and then, more is always revealed.  I am constantly shown beyond my limited thinking, ushered beyond my beliefs as new life hatches in perfect time.  Even though I am standing here, where I have stood before, appearing to be the same yet I am made anew by the light of this moment, this day.  Magic!

Unplugging our Self from yesterdays, letting go of what was, knowing that the life-giving energies from the past companion us as we travel into the present and future, we become vessels sailing to new destinations fueled by our dreams, our visions, our hopes while guided by the soul force of the universe. Living in the openness frees us from recreating old scripts that have played out and welcomes the surprises so vast the mind could never contain them. 

The invitation this day is to take my hand and JUMP into the now, stepping into this MAGIC moment, banging your chest like Tarzan with both fists, opening your Self, your heart to all of your dreams as you REMEMBER:  I am KING of this jungle!  I am QUEEN of this jungle! claiming the power that pulses through you, owning your gifts, navigating life choice by choice, knowing from this space:  It is ON!  Nothing can stop you but YOU.  Anticipate the wonder.  Be excited.  Reach for the GOODness.  Play joyfully.  Befriend spontaneity.  SHOW UP for life with all of YOU using the energies you uniquely embody.   This moment, this MAGIC moment is your life.  Make it all you want it to be.  Dare to pull rabbits out of hats.  And MORE will be revealed…tada!        

Life's Simple PLEASures

To pause

Drop into life fully

Experiencing PLEASure

Simple but profound

As our senses

Engaged

Are enlivened

Gratitude pouring through us

Mind, body, heart & soul

PLEASing our Self

Through the LIVING of life

Valuing our Happiness

Tending to our needs

Nourishing

Caring

Loving

Instead of dismissing

Silencing the call

To shift gears

Connect

Slow down

Tune in

Knowing what we give

Our Self

We get to share with others

Our Happiness

Our Passion

Our Joy

Our Aliveness

Our relationship with our Self

How we treat our Self

Is essential

To our relationship with others

And the whole of Creation

Our interconnectedness through the Web of Life

What we deny our Self

We deny others

As we can’t give

From an empty well

When we PLEASE our Self

 We cannot NOT PLEASE others

Our hearts so full

Effortlessly fill the hearts of others.

 

Yesterday afternoon, I was lying on my yoga mat with my 2 kitties, Jefferson and Beauty as the sun beamed down on us through the window.  The kitties had their motors revved purring as I loved them up, a harmonious exchange as their good vibes washed over me.  I closed my eyes to drop fully into the experience of this pleasure breathing in the sunshine and all the beauty of the moment.  My heart was so happy and light with gratitude pouring through me:  mind, body, heart and soul.  And when Jefferson started to bat at my crazy hair with his sharp claws, believing it to be a ball of yarn, I cracked up laughing shifting into another pleasure right there in that moment for the taking.  He wouldn’t stop, tangling his paw and pulling my hair so I sat up to escape but Jefferson started squawking at me which I refer to as him bitching at me.  He was glaring at me, staring me down, relentlessly bitching, wanting what he wanted, which kept me laughing as I imagined he was saying:  You belong to me.  You are my maid, my playmate, here to serve my every want…REMEMBER!  REMEMBER!  REMEMBER!

I love football so I finished my chores – stripping my bedding and doing laundry and turned on the Notre Dame versus Michigan State football game, delighting in the energy of the rivalry as the cameras panned the stadium packed full of die-hard fans.  Hearing the ND fight song flooded me with memories:  the thrill of going to ND football games as a girl with my godfather, Bennie who was a 1948 graduate; and watching games as a family gathered around our one TV with my dad screaming in disgust at the refs, players and coach and my mom shrieking nervously: Get’em!  Stop’em!  Hold’em! covering her eyes when she couldn’t bear to watch.  I sat there in my condo alone, pleased by the knowing that washed over me:   I am still connected to my parents who are long gone and to my siblings who I know are keeping this tradition alive, cheering on the Irish from their homes.  I sipped an O’Doul’s and munched pretzels because beer and snacks add to the pleasure of watching football.

There was a birthday celebration for a dear friend at one of my favorite restaurants so I slipped on a party dress and some heels, relishing the joys of being a woman as I put on my make-up, fixed my hair and put on jewelry.  Heading out, I expected a night of fun, knowing where I was going and who I was meeting up with yet open to the unfolding adventure of the night.  I connected with a friend and his friends joined my friends and the night unfolded, our circle expanding with an easiness, engaged in the joy as we danced and chatted and laughed our asses off about nothing and everything. Our stomachs were actually sore from the explosive bursts of laughter that poured through the night and through us.  Being silly and playful pleases me to my core as I delight in clever bantering, rolling one-liners that feed into the next thought, allowing the absurdity, freeing our spirits collectively in this divine comedy that is life.  We were in timelessness together energized by our connection. We headed to grab pizza at Two Boots when someone looked at their watch and announced it was 2:15 a.m.  As I savored a giant slice of pizza the size of my head, I spontaneously began to make yummm! noises as I chewed; and announced how happy I was.  We laughed some more at how some hot dough with sauce and cheese can make us so happy.

I arrived home around 3 a.m.  Taking off my high heels, brushing my teeth and washing my face, I was still smiling with all of me, from the depths of me over the pleasure of my day.  Climbing into bed, I consciously gave thanks for my life and for my soft clean sheets that still smelled freshly laundered from 12 hours before.  4 hours later, I was up, wide awake and ready to get this party started again, inviting more of life’s simple pleasures to fill me with the joy that enlivens me.

 

The invitation this day is:  

To pause

Drop into life fully

Experiencing PLEASure

Simple but profound

As our senses

Engaged

Are enlivened

Gratitude pouring through us

Mind, body, heart & soul

PLEASing our Self

Through the LIVING of life

Valuing our Happiness

Tending to our needs

Nourishing

Caring

Loving

Instead of dismissing

Silencing the call

To shift gears

Connect

Slow down

Tune in

Knowing what we give

Our Self

We get to share with others

Our Happiness

Our Passion

Our Joy

Our Aliveness

Our relationship with our Self

How we treat our Self

Is essential

To our relationship with others

And the whole of Creation

Our interconnectedness through the Web of Life

What we deny our Self

We deny others

As we can’t give

From an empty well

When we PLEASE our Self

 We cannot NOT PLEASE others

Our hearts so full

Effortlessly fill the hearts of others.

Showered by GOODness

The Rain

Invoked by Sacred Dance & Ritual

Throughout the Ages

Its nourishment essential

To fertile soil

Flourishing crops

Sustaining our ecosystem

To ALL life

Holds a magic

All its own

Falling from the skies

Forcefully & gently

Shifting angles with the winds

Washing over us

Clearing away the old

Showering us with its GOODness

Sprinkling new life

Seeds of potential

Within Us

Within Creation

In this moment

In this day

In this lifetime.

 

I love me sum rain!  I do.  In climate weather feeds my soul especially rain storms that crash through setting the skies a blaze mirroring my inner fire and awakening more that longs to spring from me.  As a child, I remember our city street flooding and I had to go plunge into the murky waters – completely unaffected by my mom shouting how filthy the water was and I was going to get sick from it.  Hell!  I’d wade in the creek water too and loved how its waters moved more forcefully like a river following the storms.

Last night, I headed out on foot, walking the streets of Nashville, putting my face to the skies so I could feel the rain drizzling.  Cab drivers stopped to ask if I needed a ride and I politely said No Thanks! smiling from the depths of me as I soaked up this adventure, feeling so grateful that I have weatherproof hair that just gets wilder and curlier which I actually don’t mind.  Walking back home at the end of my night, it was raining much harder and with every step I felt myself enlivened by the magic of this primal connection at play within me.  My clothes and hair drenched, I walked into my building and the concierge’s jaw dropped open as he said, OMG!!!  You got caught in the rain! I responded enthusiastically:  I did!  And it is so FUN to be showered by GOODness!

As I pulled my drapes this morning, I was thrilled to see the rain.  I pulled on my running duds and headed out for more GOODness.  With the streets empty, they became my playground as I jumped over puddles and danced at a pace set by the rhythm of the rain.  The squirrels danced with me, shimmying up the trees and bounding up the hills.  No earphones in my ears, I let the birds serenade me with their sweet songs.  The crows cawed reminding me of the message that washed upon my shore yesterday morning and is still settling in my bones:  There are new worlds within you READY to sing!  My creative juices flowing, valves wide open with no resistance, from all this GOODness; I am inspired by the rains washing over me, clearing out the old, sprinkling new life, cultivating seeds of potential within me, within us all, within Creation.

Running over the Shelby Street pedestrian bridge downtown, there was an event being held on the other side.  I could see balloons and hundreds of people in running gear.  A DJ was announcing that the race would begin in 5 minutes and then, I heard The Black Eyed Peas song:  I gotta FEELIN’! blasting from the speakers.  Pumped!  I sprinted back over the bridge kicking its ass – READY to get this party started, live this day fully from being showered by GOODness that is, that always is if we choose to let it in.

The invitation this day is to not allow the conditions the day brings whether stormy or calm, to cut you off from the GOODness that is ever-present.  Welcome it!  Look for it.  Let it shower you with its abundance.  The proverb:  Some people walk through rain while others just get wet speaks to the power of our attitude to meet life, as it is, loving it and invoking the GOODness, the magic to wash over you come what may.        

New Worlds within READY to Sing!

 

The only way to open

The expensive gifts

Born of life’s heartbreak

Is to make the pain sacred

To cup it with both hands

Holding it

Honoring it

Letting it touch us

Cut us

So it can FREE us

Trusting the Beauty will be revealed

In perfect time

As we show up

One day at a time

Not expecting the wounds to heal

Rather inviting them to show us more

Who am I?

Beyond this story

Beyond these circumstances

Beyond these experiences

Meeting our Self with eyes wide open

VULNERABLE

Yet Safe

Wrapped in BIG Love

With no judgment or conditions

Acknowledging the horrors

Feeling the grief

Telling the fu$%ing Truth

With no sugar coating

Allowing the bitter

Allowing the biting

Allowing the stabbing

Weeping for our Self

For all we have endured

For all we wanted to be

Taking our own hand

Soothing our Self

With a fierce commitment

To nurture

To nourish

To Mama our Self

Through the care of our Soul

That will usher us beyond our Story

That longs to take us on the ride of our lives

That whispers: 

“There are Worlds within you

Ready to sing!”

Bring ALL of your Self

Uncensored

Raw

The wounds of your Story

That which is bruised

That which is bloody

That which ain’t pretty

And

That which is untouched

Unharmed

Unbroken

Heaven within

Wholly human

And

Wholly divine

Ushering the Passion

That springs from it ALL

The Beauty we are

Only known

From daring to go to depths

Worlds within

Welcoming Truth

That is the ultimate gift

We give our Self

The Key

UNLOCKING

New worlds

Within

READY to Sing!

 

In this dark still morning, the light of the full moon summoned me onto my perch, my 16^th floor balcony where I stood on the edge with bare feet grounded, my hands stretched out receiving the invisible energies of the moon in her glorious expression when these words gently washed upon my shore:  There are new worlds within you ready to sing…I let this message in, sipping it breath by breath into my body, heart, mind and soul – all of me.  Oh, the delight of this truth, knowing it is time, knowing it is ON while living in the unknown.  What Songs?  Where will I sing?  How will I get there?  Resting in what my journey thus far has revealed to me: Life orchestrates perfectly.  Show up for the direct experiences of your life, one day, one moment at a time doing what you do, living my life, tuning in to the guidance, the inner nudges and staying open to the more, the surprises that make life an expanding adventure. 

All of my life has led me here.  It has.  Everything – every step, every cut, every fall, every twist and every turn brought me here into this moment of life which flows wildly in an untamable rhythm.  The greatest gift I gave my Self was making my pain sacred in the wake of my late-husband’s death which I had never done before, which I had never permitted judging it as weak, doing whatever I could to avoid feeling, staying in the comforts of my backbone that had held me together for years, a companion that served me well until it didn't for which I am grateful.  I had wanted to paint pretty pictures of someone with her shit together, an image for others to admire and aspire to become - someone I thought I should be.  But over the last 2 years and 10 months, I have traveled to depths of fear that have allowed me to meet my Self and tasted the fire of rage that pulsed through me with an intensity of heat that melted the barriers I had created to protect my heart.  I didn’t realize that keeping the truth at bay had buried me alive unaware of the beauty of my life and all life.  Now, the wounds of my life are here within me open and magnificent shining gloriously as I walk my path.  They have connected me to my Self, to the whole of humanity and to all of creation in a way nothing else could have.  The truth of my life, of my story has set me free.  And in this freedom, I am privileged to offer my Self, my gifts in awe of this odyssey where new worlds are ready to sing within me and within all, in this sacred dance that never-ceases.

Denying the pain of life, keeping it at bay, dams up precious energy, graces bestowed on us through wounds born of life’s heartbreaks.  Our culture wants tragedies wrapped in pretty packages with fancy bows trying to dress up the truth. Wallowing is initially necessary as we are swallowed by the trauma; but prolonged wallowing in the pain of life keeps us stuck in the story, the circumstances that truly cannot be reconciled at the level of mind that wants to know Why?! attempting to make sense of the senseless, grinding and spinning, binding us to the events.  Making the pain sacred is a fierce acknowledgment of all we have endured, putting it all out on the table in full view and being present to it with a compassionate heart that breathes love into the open wounds.  From this space of allowing and honoring, we get to use the pain instead of it using us in unconscious ways which kills our spirit from the repression of what was or from wasting energy trying to rewrite the story as we wanted it to be or wished it could have been.      

The invitation this day and this lifetime is daring to go to inner depths, worlds within, welcoming the truth, knowing our Self as we have never known our Self before which frees us and allows us to connect to others human to human, soul to soul.  Knowing our Self, honoring all of our experiences:  the pain and the joy is the ultimate gift, the key that unlocks New worlds within READY to Sing!