Spiritual inspiriation: From the Fullness of You

“Pushed out of ourselves, we leave space for
Mystery, for the healing alchemy of God.”

– Sue Monk Kidd
From the book, When the Heart Waits

I have been sitting with this concept this week.
I love the idea of leaving space for Mystery,
yet I cannot seem to embody “the emptiness of me.”
I get it intellectually, yet the knowing of it
escapes me. So, I wrote this meditation focus / affirmative prayer
to solidify a bit of what I do know!

From the Fullness of You

Take time each day
to pull yourself away
from the madness and mayhem of the world,
from the relentless piles and to-do lists
and go within to recharge.

Skip through the park.
Talk with your God.
Commune with the trees.
Listen to the stars.
Play with your children.
Walk with your dog.
Write a poem.
Journal your sorrow.
Eat lunch with attention.

Be here.
Be here now.
From the fullness of you.

When you return to your lists and piles,
return from the fullness of you.

Be with your lists.
Be with your piles.

From the fullness of you.

Bringing to your lists and your piles:
Your God, the trees, the stars, your children and the dog.
Your poem, your sorrow and your attention.

From the fullness of you.

 

 

Spiritual inspiration: My personal essence statement

A few months ago, I wrote a “guiding light” for me and how I serve the world. It has brought me so much comfort, always reassuring me about the essence of me and what I have to offer.

I’m sharing it with you now, so that if you feel inspired you may use my personal essence statement “template” for spiritual inspiration and write your own.

Here’s mine:

Ann’s essence statement

I am fully present with:

  • My Self
  • My beloved
  • Loved ones
  • Clients
  • Those I encounter
  • All of nature that calls to me

With my:

  • Love
  • Clarity
  • Generosity
  • Playfulness
  • Focus
  • Grounding
  • Beauty ways
  • Inspiration
  • Truth
  • Empowerment
  • and Strength.

I am present
to the energy
of each of us
and our combined energy;
where it’s flowing
and where it’s stagnant.

In each moment,
I discern
what’s called for
to more fully experience
Love,
presence,
and flow . . .

Now it’s your turn

To write yours, fill in the blanks:

I am fully present with:
(Fill in who and what you most love to be present with.)

With my:
(Fill in your best qualities.)

I am present to:
(Fill in the way(s) you love to engage and serve.)

In each moment:
(Fill in what you naturally do consistently that is almost always helpful to the situation.)

Have fun with this! And, after you write yours, do post it here to share with others . . .

 

Spiritual retreat: observations and ponderings (day 11)

I’ve just returned from four days of personal, spiritual retreat with a meditation focus in the New Mexico desert. I’ve been on many such retreats and every time I’m there, I tell myself I MUST do it more often.

All that quiet, all that open space, all that natural beauty, all that allows me to drop into meditation as I walk, as I eat, as I contemplate . . . simply being there, breathing, walking, soaking it in . . .

When I’m there, I feel most naturally me. I know God in every moment, whereas in the city, I don’t tend to notice God in every moment.

Is it easiest to know God in nature or is it specific to each person? I would love to hear from you. Where and/or when do you feel most naturally you? When do you most notice God?

I also love spiritual retreat because I’ve given myself time to just be and then notice what I’m drawn to – usually in the form of reading, writing or projects. I feel as though I am challenging myself with, “Who am I without computer or television?”

On this particular spiritual retreat I found myself drawn to spending time to really take in responses from my client survey, asking Spirit to help me know what’s most important for me to know. What could I learn about what people most value and appreciate from me? What could that tell me about how I can better serve?

I also found that finishing Seth Godin’s book, Tribes, gave me some wonderful clues about leadership and how I might best lead.

On one of my walks, I spontaneously created the Ann Strong Roadside Beautification Project and collected 96 (But who’s counting?) cans and bottles from a 1/2 mile stretch. Great exercise and a beautiful outcome! And, more road to cover on my next spiritual retreat! Ah, job security . . .

And, I wrote a tribute.

 

The Earth’s Joy

Surrounded by the Earth’s unfettered
majesty and beauty,
I give thanks to the glory of God.

Cradled in Her presence,
Fed by Her bounty,
I give thanks to the abundance of God.

Rejuvenated by Her full acceptance,
Refocused by Her clarity and grounding,
I give thanks to the love of God.

Inspired by Her quiet power,
Awed by Her radiant simplicity,
I give thanks for knowing I am one with God.

Dedicated to Sunshine Valley, NM
Sangre de Cristo Mountains

Twenty one days of spiritual inspiration . . . (day 1!)

“They” say it takes 21 days to develop a habit.

So I’ve decided to combine keeping my commitment to two important Winter 2009 promises to myself:

  • deepen my connection with my own spiritual foundation.
  • begin blogging, after a couple years of thinking about it!

For the next 21 days, I’m going to listen each morning to a sermon from one of my favorite spiritual mentors, Michael Beckwith. And, I’m also going to engage in one other spiritual activity each day. Then, I’m going to share my experiences with you!

Today, my spontaneous spiritual activity involved reading and living my own darn affirmative prayer:

 

Through Me

Oh Great Spirit,

I affirm my ever-increasing awareness
of your omni-presence.

I appreciate you always at my side,
Working through my hands,
Speaking through my voice,
Loving through my heart.

I delight in you.
I delight through you.
I delight as you . . .

 

Okay, yes I am spiritually inspired!

Until tomorrow . . .