Sliver of G
I am a Divine Emanation.
A Spark of the One.
Completely unique.
Never before.
Never again.
Only Now.
Brilliant, shining Now.
I am a Sliver of G.
Goodness.
Genius.
Gumption in action.
Grace in the moment.
The Glory of God incarnate.
I am a Sliver of G.
Join the conversation ~ post your insights, feedback, experience below.
“It is futile — one hundred percent, absolutely, positively futile — to seek love in relationship with anything or anyone.
It is, however, quite appropriate to extend Love in each relationship with everyone and everything. But the extension of that Love requires that you have awakened to the truth that the only relationship that truly holds value is the relationship between you as the soul and God as your Creator.
Perhaps my love affair with nature runs so deep because I see God everywhere, love wholeheartedly and ask nothing.
(Bear Creek Trail. Lakewood, Colorado)
When you have surrendered the last vestige of an insane possibility of contracting away from the Truth, when you have given that up, Love will flow through you. But notice that if it flows through you, it must first flow to you. Therefore, seek always to receive in order to give. For what can you give another if you have not yet received it to yourself?
Am I being busy extending love, or am I busying myself fearfully trying to grasp at what I think can give me love so that I do not lose it?”
– From “The Way of Mastery – Part One: The Way of the Heart,” Shanti Christo Foundation
Wow, so I’ve been deeply contemplating this for awhile. It feels true, and it brings into question all the relationships I love.
Here’s where I’m at today. When I know my Creator first, then I see the holiness, wholeness, in everything and everyone. When I “forget” to know my Creator first, then I’m making gods of the people and things I love.
What about you? If you’ve read this far, I’d love to know how this speaks to your heart.
As always, post your comments, experiences and insights below . .
With Valentine’s Day next Tuesday, I’m happy to share this new piece with you.
Love Breaks Through
When you think your heart can’t hurt any more,
LOVE Breaks Through.
When we live courageously,
LOVE Breaks Through.
When I’m unbearably hard on myself,
LOVE Breaks Through.
When we feel so scared we’re paralyzed,
LOVE Breaks Through.
When your hatred seems justified,
LOVE Breaks Through.
When I notice my self-compassion,
LOVE Breaks Through.
When it seems there is no answer,
LOVE Breaks Through.
When our hearts are full,
LOVE Breaks Through.
When all you feel is despair,
LOVE Breaks Through.
When we’ve lost hope and given up,
LOVE Breaks Through.
When there’s so much tenderness in your heart,
LOVE Breaks Through.
When the injustice seems too great to bear,
LOVE Breaks Through.
When your arms are open wide,
LOVE Breaks Through.
When I don’t know which way to go,
LOVE Breaks Through.
When the rage threatens to consume you,
LOVE Breaks Through.
When it looks like we’re at an impasse,
LOVE Breaks Through.
When I feel so alone,
LOVE Breaks Through.
When we have no idea how to solve this,
LOVE Breaks Through.
When you become aware you’re numb,
LOVE Breaks Through.
When it feels like there’s only confusion,
LOVE Breaks Through.
When we can’t seem to move forward,
LOVE Breaks Through.
When you feel like you’ve tried everything,
LOVE Breaks Through.
When I’m railing against what is,
LOVE Breaks Through.
When we aren’t sure of the question, much less the answer,
LOVE Breaks Through.
When we get comfortable with discomfort,
LOVE Breaks Through.
When I must say the hard thing,
LOVE Breaks Through.
Through every joy and every sorrow,
LOVE Breaks Through.
With every breath we take,
LOVE Breaks Through.
LOVE.
Breaks Through.
So, what about you? When do you notice love breaking through? What happens for you when love breaks through?
Recently, one of my clients thought she didn’t have what it took to change a habit. Another wasn’t sure she had enough entrepreneurial drive to develop a successful business. And another didn’t feel she had support in her life.
The solution for each of them is exactly the same. The solution for any lack that you or I feel is the same. Remembering who we are.
When each of us knows, really knows in our bones, that we are The Entire Ocean in this one unique drop, then we lack nothing. Nothing.
Ah, to be as clear on who we are as are these magnificent horses.
For the first client, when she owns that she is fortitude and strength and love and Spirit incarnate, then she dissolves that habit. When the second one knows that she is God-driven, then she can do anything. And, when the third one recognizes that she is Support, then she no longer looks for support.
So what about you? What do you tell yourself that you lack? When you become quiet and still and straighten your spine, what do you know about who you are?
As always, I’d love your thoughts and comments below. Proclaim your true identity here now!
Grief arises from any event or new condition that shatters
the foundation you previously knew as your reality.
– goldenwillowretreat.com
Very few of us embrace grief as part of living. We tend to reserve the idea of grieving for something we do after someone has died. And we don’t want to do that for very long or talk about it much at all.
We do ourselves a huge disservice by keeping grief in the shadows.
When we recognize the loss in the death of a loved one, a diminished savings account, grown children moving to another state or a health diagnosis, we give ourselves the opportunity to feel what we’re feeling and allow a new identity to emerge.
What losses have you experienced that demanded a new you?
Most of us tend to not want a new identity. Yet our former identity is no longer available.
If we don’t take the conscious journey of grieving, we tend to numb ourselves, sometimes to the point of barely living.
If we do take the conscious journey of grieving, we give ourselves the opportunity to embrace more of who we truly are and perhaps even serve others in a whole new way.
Ironically, consciously grieving gifts us with more authentic, joyful living.
If you’ve read this far, I would love you to share something in the comments. Let’s move grief out of the shadows . . .
(Excerpted from my forthcoming book, “Strong from Within: Simple perceptions and practices for transforming stress and overwhelm into clarity and purpose”)
After studying A Course of Love for 10 months, I finished reading it a couple of months ago. At the end of the book, it instructed me to begin again – read it a second time!
Since then, I had resisted rereading. After all, it is not light summer vacation reading.
Then, a couple of weeks ago in my study group, I was guided to re-read several specific chapters. In the past two weeks, I have repeatedly read and re-read seven chapters.
These chapters addressed what to do about not liking several situations in my life. My takeaways: I do not have to like the circumstances, but rather I need to accept how I feel about the circumstances.
Homage to an Audi. I loved this car, my dream car. Such a beautiful car and an amazing driving experience. And a few weeks ago her engine died. To say I didn’t like this is a ridiculous understatement. I’m still grieving. And, I have accepted that I’m still grieving. And yes, I know she was “just a car.” A car that I loved.
This has been life-changing for me. I quit fighting myself and my feelings.
I wonder if every war there ever was, internal and external, was started to get away from feelings we didn’t like.
What a simple solution to accept that I feel sad or mad, lonely or hopeless, envious or not enough rather than wage an internal battle against these feelings or try to get away from them.
As I’ve accepted my feelings, I’ve felt this new tenderness for myself. It’s also been heartwarming to witness how quickly my feelings shift as I am willing to embrace them. And, I’ve noticed that I’m advocating for what I need and desire in a more clear and direct way.
I highly recommend accepting whatever you are feeling.
I’d love to hear your experiences . . . post them below in the comments section . . .
(Excerpted from my forthcoming book, “Strong from Within: Simple perceptions and practices for transforming crisis into clarity and purpose”)
You may not realize this, but chances are good you already know the answer for you!
Let me tell you my answer, and then let’s explore yours . . .
A few days ago, several challenges occurred on top of each other, minutes before I was to meet with my next client on the phone. Instead of attempting to resolve all of them in that time, I instinctively went outside and laid on the ground.
I am still astonished by how quickly Mother Earth restores my inner peace even though I have known this since I was a little kid. And, I love that my job requires me to be in a state of inner peace!
During those few minutes of laying on the ground, anger dissolved into love and open-heartedness around one situation. A second challenge became easily resolvable. I found kind wording for dissolving a third challenge. And, the exhaustion I had felt disappeared.
All that in less than 10 minutes and I was ready for my client a few minutes ahead of schedule.
That’s how I restore my inner peace.
At some point, this conversation comes up with almost all of my clients.
One realizes that walking her dog, even just around the block, almost always does the trick. Another puts on loud music and dances like crazy for 3 to 5 minutes. Yet another asks himself, “What is the Big Boy response here?” Years ago, one of my clients took her kids to the park. Now that they are growing and grown, she goes for a run in the park.
So, what about you?
For many of us, it’s a physical thing. For a few, it’s some kind of mental challenge. For others, engaging in or reading something that touches their heart or stirs their creativity. For some, it involves extending kindness or care to another.
I challenge each of us to make a written list of our top 3.
In addition to laying on the ground, I find sitting on the ground and stacking rocks brings me back to inner peace.
Mine:
Yours?
Post them below in the comments section . . .
(Excerpted from my forthcoming book, “Strong from Within: Simple perceptions and practices for transforming crisis into clarity and purpose”)
“You’ve been walking in circles, searching. Don’t drink by the water’s edge. Throw yourself in. Become the water. Only then will your thirst end.”
– Jeanette Berson
When we throw ourselves in and become the water, we are completely present. And when we are completely present, we have no fear.
What does it take to become the water?
Fear lives in the past through regret. Fear lives in the future through uncertainty. Fear lives in attempting to control others and outcomes.
My clients often question me about being present when they don’t like the present. It’s such a great question because we as humans spend a lot of time attempting to avoid what we don’t like.
A vivid experiential answer I have for that comes from when I used to have debilitating migraines. I spent a lot of time fighting them, doing anything I could to distract myself from the pain.
When I’d exhausted all those distractions and myself, I would finally surrender. What I found in those present moments after the surrender: this sweet, tender way of being there with me, for me.
Every time, it seemed so strange to me to be relishing being with myself while at the same time experiencing excruciating pain. I no longer feared the pain. I accepted it and I stayed with myself through it – cherishing myself as the beloved.
Ah, to be the water. So very similar to being the migraine. Isn’t that fascinating?!?
I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences . . .
(Excerpted from my forthcoming book, “Strong from Within: Simple perceptions and practices for transforming crisis into clarity and purpose”)
I learned earlier this week that my car needs a new engine. And, I learned this the way I learn many things – experientially.
Sitting on the side of the road waiting for AAA, I realized that, as we always do, I had a choice. I didn’t have the choice I wished I had – choosing my car to get back on the road, drive to Whole Foods and then drive home.
I did have the choice of where to focus my thoughts and attention. My human inclination was to think of all of the things I should have done differently in the past to have created a different future.
And then I heard, clear as could be, “we spend our lives trying to manipulate the future to correct the past.” In that moment, as I felt the cool evening breeze coming in the car window, I realized the insanity of that.
How rich are our lives when we truly receive the moment, moment by moment?
We have the opportunity in any moment, no matter how much we assess the situation as “bad,” to receive the gifts of the present.
When we are willing to let go of our thoughts about the past or the future, we create a stress-free zone in the present. When we are willing to focus on what is right in front of us, we don’t need to manipulate or change anything. How freeing is that?
(Excerpted from my forthcoming book, “Strong from Within: Simple perceptions and practices for transforming crisis into clarity and purpose”)
