Revelation

I see with new eyes.

I see through the eyes
of relationship and union.

I close the eyes
of separation and judgment.

I live in the expectancy
of revelation –

expecting the purpose
of each experience
to be revealed –

as I recognize that I exist
in union with the
Source and Cause
of revelation.

Revelation

I see through the eyes
of relationship and union.

I see with new eyes.

As always, post your comments, experiences and insights below …

I Am Love

Love is not something I do.
Love is not something I get from you.
Love is not something I give to you.

Love is who I am.
Love is who you are.

LOVE IS WHO I AM.
LOVE IS WHO YOU ARE.

As I feel into this,
I notice my brain wants meaning.
What does this mean?

As I feel into this,
I realize my heart KNOWS.

Without words.
With a softening of my body.
With a slowing of my breath.

Experiencing myself as love.
Experiencing you as love.

I Am Love
Experiencing this road, this snow, these clouds, these trees as love.

Experiencing the air I breath as love.
Experiencing the sun upon my face as love.
Experiencing life as love.
Experiencing. Love.

What about you? What’s your experience? Post your experiences below…

What If We Love the Beautiful and the Mess?

A few weeks ago, after working with a client, I was reflecting on the messiness of being human. The piece below came forth. Yesterday, I was agitated about the messiness of my own life and thought it might be good to share this piece!

What If We Love the Beautiful and the Mess?

So, I’m not getting my work done as fast as I’d like . . . Do I really want to overlook the pure joy in this “annoyance?”


All of It

Without perfection,
there’s presence.

Without criticism,
expression.

Without procrastination,
progress.

Attempting perfection
brings completion.

Hearing criticism,
compassion.

Procrastinating,
a bit of movement.

Breathing in,
Breathing out,
completing the circle
of being alive.

As always, I’d love your thoughts and comments below.

(Excerpted from my forthcoming book, “Strong from Within: Simple perceptions and practices for transforming stress and overwhelm into clarity and purpose”)

The Magic That Chose Me

As I feel this spine,
As I feel this heart,
As I feel this mind,
As I feel this Spirit,
I know the magic that chose me.

As I experience this present moment,
As I experience this breath,
I know the magic that chose me.

The Magic That Chose You

As I experience the strength of this spine,
As I experience the love of this heart,
As I experience the clarity of this mind,
As I experience the freedom of this Spirit,
I know the magic that chose me.

As I attend to this magic,
As I allow this magic,
As I accept this magic,
As I give affection to this magic,
As I appreciate this magic,
I embrace the glory known as me.

As I express and express and express this magic,
I give the world this glory known as me.

(Excerpted from my forthcoming book, “Strong from Within: Simple perceptions and practices for transforming stress and overwhelm into clarity and purpose”)

Heart Wide Open

Happy Gratitude! On the eve of our US holiday of appreciation, I give you this poem from my forthcoming book …

Heart Wide Open

Heart Wide Open

Warm sun.
Deep breath.
Kitty purr.
Coffee gurgle.

Soft eyes.
Beating heart.
Soft heart.
Armor melted.

Open arms.
Embracing all.
Boundaries melting.

Open mind.
Open heart.
Quiet mind.
Quiet heart.

Recognition.
Realizing.
Beyond the beyond.

Heart wide open.
Mind in awe.
Surrendered.
In awe.

No rush to cover.
Or control.
Or contract.
Heart wide open.

Heart wide open.

(Excerpted from my forthcoming book, “Strong from Within: Simple perceptions and practices for returning to the joy of you”)

The Source of Our Experience

Recently I had to sort out something between my doctor, insurance company and pharmacy. Not fun. I realized that the root of my frustration and anxiety was about feeling powerless.

While waiting for replies from them, this piece, Returning to Center, came to me. It reminds me that regardless of how it looks, I am Source. When I remember I am Source, my energy shifts and the external world shifts, too.

Instead of continuing to try to strong-arm things into place (yes, I am good at that :), I decided to leave it alone until the next morning. By 9:30 am, they had worked it out themselves.

To returning to Center, again and again . . .

Returning to Center

Returning to Center

Off balance.
Out of sorts.
Beside myself.
Ah, to be human.

Remembering.
Center.
Returning to Center.
Ah, to be Divine.

Disconnected.
Defending.
Feeling separate.
Out of control.

Connected.
Clear.
Open.
Returning to Center.

Messy misery.
Miraculous Center.
Ah, to be Divinely human.

Returning to Center.
Again and again.
Again and again.

No judgment.
Returning to Center.

All.
One.
Center.

Returning to Center.

(Excerpted from my forthcoming book, “Strong from Within: Simple perceptions and practices for returning to the joy of you”)

What do you notice for you?

I Didn’t Know How to Integrate

I’ve had a lot going on this week. New work. Meeting new people. Two emotional family situations. Spending time with a new man. More volunteering at church.

And then this poem for my new book came to me . . .

White horse of Camargue free in the swamp

This guy seems to have mastered Settling Down.


Settling Down

Less thoughts.
Deeper breaths.

Less contraction.
Greater expansion.

Less restriction.
More freedom.

Less figuring out
who to be,
how to be.
Actually being.

Less judgment.
Expanding openness.

Less agitation.
Bigger love.

Less all-over-the-place.
More present.

Less concerns.
Many blessings.

Less in my head.
More in my body.

Less me.
More Divine me.

(Excerpted from my forthcoming book, “Strong from Within.”)

I would love your thoughts and responses. Post comments and insights below . . .

Coming Back to Center

Earlier this week, I attended an Evening of Exploration at the Academy for the Love of Learning. We explored Coming Back to Center – Embodied Leadership.

One of the most profound things I learned involved not always being able to tell if I was present within myself while being present with another person. What an amazing awareness . . .

How do I know when I am present with myself? What does it feel like? If I’m not in my own center, what does it take for me to become present in my own center?

I’m excited to share this piece with you – exploring this . . .

Experiencing being present with myself . . .

Experiencing being present with myself . . .


Home

Hello, is anybody home?

As I take a deep breath,
I check inside.

Can I feel myself here?
At home in my body?

I feel the energy of me
In my heart center.

I feel the edges
of my physical home
In the tips of my fingers
and the tips of my toes.

I feel my energetic presence
beyond my physical home.

As I feel out farther and farther,
I experience my Oneness
with my Big Home.

All that Is.

Ah, to be home
And to be Home.

(Excerpted from my forthcoming book, “Strong from Within.”)

I would love your thoughts and responses. Post comments and insights below . . .

Find Your Strongest Life: What Pattern Wants to Be Dissolved, Released?

Our Winter Solstice new moon brought us the opportunity to release old, unproductive patterns and step into our bigger truth and potential! (Thank you, Nancy Ogren.)

What pattern wants to be dissolved, released from your life?

Mine involves the faulty thinking that I can avoid abandonment by being attached. What I’ve noticed: this tendency to be attached keeps my focus outside myself. And, the more I’ve been attached, the more I’ve felt abandoned – the very thing I was trying to avoid.

I cannot be abandoned if I don't abandon me.  How simple and clear  is that?!?

I cannot be abandoned if I don’t abandon me. 
How simple and clear is that?!?

I wrote a short poem that gave me my key to freedom.

Without Anyone

I thought I had to hold
On to you
Because it was better than
Being without anyone.

Refusing to notice
That
I was there
All along.

Oh my goodness, what an immediate and dramatic shift! I can’t be abandoned if I don’t abandon me by running off in search of someone who won’t abandon me!!!

I am loving being here with me, for me. Ah, the consistency. The immediacy!

I have done a lot of work around abandonment over the last 30 years. And, it had significantly lessened it’s grip on me. Yet, not until now did I realize that me staying with me radically reduces my suffering, regardless of whether others stay or go.

I’ve now created a daily practice and an “in the moment” practice to develop a new groove to replace that well-worn attachment rut . . .

So, what about you? What old pattern wants to dissolve, be released?

Post your comments and insights below.

==========================

Extended: still time to win between now and Jan 6th!!

Win a solo retreat in Santa Fe (A $1900 value)!!!!!
(Or we can do it on the phone if traveling doesn’t fit for you.)

(Read about the retreats to see if one speaks to you:
http://annstrong.com/retreats/)

We have been hard at work for months and are so happy to share the new beautiful, spacious website!
http://annstrong.com/

I was sad because we were not able to bring the comments on the blog to the new site when we made the move. I have figured out a way to remedy that! Bribery!!!

Between now and Jan 6, 2015, if you will take the time to look at the blog and make a comment on 10 or more of the blog posts, I will enter you into a drawing for a facilitated solo retreat with me in New Mexico.
Read all about the retreats at: http://annstrong.com/retreats/

We will announce the winner of the retreat in the Jan 7th newsletter . . .

==========================

My book, “Thriving Work” is now available
on Kindle at Amazon for just $3.99:
Click here to order

Transformation: One

I’ve been living in Santa Fe for almost two months. Long enough to start noticing that all my friends don’t live here.

Several have already come to visit. And, I do have some new friendly New Mexico acquaintances.

Still, as much as I’m loving my new life and my new home . . .

So, I wrote a piece about it . . .

One

ONE

I thought I was alone.
I felt alone.
Lonely.

One.
I am One.
Even the words
alONE and lONEly
include ONE.

Not the one that is
the loneliest number.
Rather, ONE that is ALL.

There is only ONE.
ONE.

Alone.
Looks suspiciously like
ALL ONE.

So much for lonely.
Perhaps impossible
if seen from this ONE perspective.

Ah, the blurry line of reality.

And still
ONE.

You gotta love what this Land of Enchantment does with a typical thought like, “I feel lonely”!!!

Post your comments, insights and progress below.

==========================

My book, “Thriving Work” is now available
on Kindle at Amazon for just $3.99:
Click here to order