Tuesday, June 29, 2010

A promise is a promise....

This past year or so has been all about forgiveness and letting go for me. I've blogged about it and spoke about it and I'm not going to go through the details.

However, recently during a Reiki training I found myself sharing how I got through it with my students and realized that I don't believe I have ever shared it with my blogging community. But it can have a tremendous impact on your life.

So here it is today.

We've all read the self help books, read about the 12 step programs towards forgiveness and none of us are really any closer to understanding how to truly forgive and even if we do understand the concept we have no clue how to activate it in our life.

The one thing that I found that gave me an instant connection to forgiveness, was to take the situation back to the planning stages.

By planning stages I mean, before incarnation. When, at a soul level myself and each person involved in the situation sat together, lovingly arranging the details of my life. Laughing at the good spots and crying and holding eachother at the rougher spots.

When I see myself sitting with my loved ones in this way, listening to their conversation. Telling each other how dedicated we would be to each other's growth and learning this lifetime. Expressing how hard it will be once we are on earth, but that it will all be worth it if we stick to the plan; I am immediately connected with a feeling of love and forgiveness.

In this way, we see the truth of our existence. The truth of our relationships, our arguments, our love, our turmoil, our peace.

In this way, we can see nothing but the pure divinity of each of our lives, the best laid plans.

Have you ever looked at your verbally abusive father and saw him at a soul level. Agreeing to be an abusive father (a very hard thing for a soul being to agree to by the way) so that you could become a loving and peaceful one? Or the distant, non existent mother who agreed to be that way to show you how to be a present and loving mother.

Each person in our life has promised us something at soul level, as you have promised them.

I don't care what it is that you are going through in this moment. This idea is something you need to try.

I'm not interested in having you go back and relive the moment the hurt began. I'm not interested in having you rehash old, yucky feelings (although they are still there, they are still wreaking havoc on your mind & body). I am only interested in having you sit with this moment and find the thing that hurts the most and then see it at a soul level.

Take it to your imagination. A round table, light beings seated around, some standing because there are so many beings involved in our life stories. A large book in front of you where you are writing out the details as they are being finalized. What is it that these beings are promising you? How hard are they willing to work for YOUR benefit?

Sit with this image for a while. It doesn't take long for this image to find your heart and connect you with the divine truth.

This is forgiveness. The moment you connect with the truth of the situation, the moment you make the decision to stop believing the lies that your ego has been telling you all those years. This is the moment of forgiveness.

And all of the people in your life who have seemingly "ruined" you, they are the soul beings that promised you they would help you become something bigger, something better.

And a promise is a promise.

Judgement call....part 2

So immediately after I posted the last blog about judging people I judged the post.

I judged it because I wondered if it was appropriate for me to post something so....well...true.

I almost deleted it.

Then I realized if I deleted it, I wouldn't be honoring my intention for this blog. And that is to be completely honest, hold nothing back within that honesty and trust that if I am guided to blog about it then it must be something others need to hear.

As much as the last post seemed to be about me judging others, I judge myself the most often and the most harshly about everything from...well...blog posts to my housewife status....to what to make for dinner!

Truth be told we are all judgmental at times. It's human nature, it's one of those things that has been placed before us that we are to conquer (or at least tame) during our lifetime.

I realized after speaking to a few people that read the post that it brought the issue to light for others and offered them an opportunity to examine their own judgments. Be it towards themselves or towards others.

Judgment can give us a clue as to something we see in someone else that is reflecting our own personal nature. Or it can bring to light something we see in someone else that ultimately we wish we were.

"Oh, she is WAY too outgoing!" Says the shy girl.

"If I had money like her, I'd buy fancy clothes too" Says the woman who feels too guilty to buy something new for herself.

As long as we are spiritual beings having a human experience we will find judgment in our day.

It doesn't make us bad people, it makes us people who are on a journey to find inner peace. Without judgment what would teach you how to be more tolerant and loving?

It's helpful to be aware.

Most importantly, it's helpful to forgive yourself.

Friday, June 25, 2010

A Judgement Call

It's so easy for us as human beings to get caught up in the competition of life, to compare ourselves with everything we come into contact with. It seems a never ending cycle.

It's also easy to come upon a blog, website or facebook page these days and find yet another reason to feel inadequate.

Lately I've been working on pinpointing my dominant energy profile. For me it's just an exercise in further self awareness, to be able to bring myself into a more comfortable space of being me.

I have been feeling a little more comfortable in my own skin, after years of being told who I was is not acceptable. Or that people would prefer me to be one way until they called upon me to be needed another way. This way of living is exhausting. It really is more satisfying and takes less energy to just be you, whatever that looks like, feels like, tastes like and acts like.

In finding out better who I am, I've come up against some things that I don't necessarily find flattering about myself, things that I know are changeable and I have total control over.

Mostly learned behaviours that I know I will have to be diligent about if I want to correct them.

One of those things is that I find I am a very judgmental girl.

This is a pretty big thing to me and lately I seem to be given many opportunities to notice and come into awareness more about it.

Years ago I met with an intuitive who warned me about this behaviour. I took heed to everything else she told me, but for some reason I paid little attention to this particular piece of news.

As a child I grew up in a very judgmental family. Gossip was my mother's middle name (as was my neighbours). We lived in a small town and everybody knew everybody else's business and there seemed to be someone new standing judgment by the local housewives each day.

This doesn't excuse that I have taken this behaviour and nurtured it.

Lately though, the uncomfortableness level climbs each time I hear myself placing judgment. I even become irritated by judgmental people when in fact I am judging them for being judgmental.

The irony is not at all lost on me. I can see what is happening, it's an interesting thing to hear words come out of your mouth and instantly see the truth of the situation, your insecurities and the reasons why you are judging another. Like a viewer watching a movie playing out on the screen. I believe this is what rapid karma looks like... A perfect mirrored reflection in the moment that it is occurring. What a gift!

I wish I could snap my fingers and my judging ways would disappear magically. But I've tried that and....well it doesn't matter.

For now, I simply say a silent prayer to those I have judged when the awareness arises that I have done so (it doesn't take long to pop up to the surface these days). And hope that the energetic damage to the judgee is minimal.

I've been known to call and apologize to the person I was voicing my judgment to.

It's not an attractive trait, and I am quite ashamed of this behaviour. I know I'm not the only one in this world that judges, but I would like in the very near future to be one more person who doesn't.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

The 5 Reiki Principles & you

When you learn First Degree Reiki, you are introduced to the 5 Principles. The more I spend time with this healing modality and the more I speak with friends and family about life situations, the more I realize that the 5 Reiki Principles have a place in everyone’s life.
As a reminder or a way of life, the principles give us an outline of how to live in the moment and how to obtain peace, happiness and serenity.
And isn’t that what we are all searching for?

Just for today, do not anger: Anger is powerful energy. It is often a reaction to unmet expectations. There is no need to feel guilty about anger, we simply need to recognize why it has surfaced in the first place and deal with it appropriately without causing harm. We need to give ourselves permission to release feelings of anger, it is a strong Earth emotion and has a respectful place in our life if used with caution.
Ask yourself “What am I REALLY angry about?”

Just for today, do not worry: We often worry about our past, present and future. Things we do not have any control over. Worry is linked to our fear of the unknown and can have an effect on every aspect of life.
Worry is a thought pattern and comes from negative beliefs that lead us to not trusting ourselves and our inner divinity, wisdom and power.
Ask yourself “Is it peaceful for me to worry?”

Just for today, be kind to all living things: Being kind and honouring one another is something we have forgotten how to do. With life becoming so fast paced, we forget to respect and be kind to those we meet along the way.
A smile for the cashier; a thank you to the man who holds the door for you. All of these things seem like common sense, but really how often do you experience or offer them throughout your day?
When we take part in actions of kindness, however small or large they may seem at the moment, we are nurturing our inner wisdom, our true nature, that of loving, kind human beings.
Ask yourself “How have I shown kindness today?”

Just for today, be grateful: I believe the key to happiness lies within gratitude. When we become thankful every moment of every day for each and every thing that life provides for us we will find true happiness.
What have you done to show your gratitude? How about writing your child’s teacher a personal note of thanks for doing such a tremendous job at helping you raise a confident child. How about thanking the sun for shining and the moon for glowing. Thank your house for keeping you dry, warm & safe. Be grateful for the penny you find on the sidewalk or the shoes on your feet and you will soon be singing a tune of contentment.
Ask yourself “What am I grateful for in this moment?”

Just for today, work hard/earn your living honestly: Being honest with yourself as well as carrying out your work as well as you can is the basis for this principle.
Honesty to the self is a doorway into knowing your true nature.
When we work at a job that gives us no satisfaction, goes against our morals or has no positive impact on our lives, we are not being honest with ourselves. True honesty comes when we can recognize when something needs to change, if we are earning money just to earn money we may begin to see lack come into our lives because we are not aligned to our truth. When we are working hard at a job that is aligned with our truth, we attract abundance.
Ask yourself “Am I being honest with myself?”

And finally, the idea of each of these principles applying “just for today”. Living in your moment of now and not consuming yourself with the goings on of the past or future is an important step in finding true happiness.

When we can “live where our feet are” we notice that all things are well in the moment that we are living them.

Keep on running.....

I keep having those dreams where I am in familiar territory but I can't find my way... And I think I remember where I am going, but then I realize I have no way to get there but to run...and run....and run... Only to NEVER get to where I am going (or worse yet, get there too late).

All of this makes me a very tired girl in the morning.

You would think the meaning to these sorts of dreams would be obvious.

They are.

But I choose to ignore the obvious, because the obvious might mean that I am spending my time running around in circles in my awake state only to be unproductive, or never accomplish what I set out to do. And all of that makes me nervous.

It also is very true.

And so the avoidance comes in handy.

Here are some meanings to these dreams I like a little better than the "maybe" obvious reason stated above.

1) My subconscious mind wants me to know that running around in a panic to get to a destination is NOT productive at all and it wants me to know that I need to take a breath, start walking towards my destination at a leisurely pace all the while stopping to smell the roses and take in the beautiful scenery.

2) My subconscious wants me to recognize that making my self uncomfortable trying to get somewhere is also NOT productive and makes me feel even worse at the end of the day.

3) My subconscious mind wants me to breathe.

4) My subconscious mind is bringing me into awareness so that I can recognize and avoid running around in unproductive circles during my awake state.

5) I've been pondering getting back to my running routine lately and have been putting it off, maybe my subconscious mind wants me to not start running again because clearly I suck at it since I am late everytime!

I think that's it...

This is what my dream book says about running dreams: "If you dream of running, you need to keep going with what you are doing. Don't stop now". SWEET!

Now if you are having trouble running (sometimes I have a bum leg that just flails as I run making it very hard to move properly...no joke) this means: "symbolizes anxiety about progress, inability to reach a goal, or frustration about circumstances beyond your control that are holding you back. You need to relax and remember the fable of the tortoise and the hare" YUCK! The truth hurts.

Running dreams are frustrating and funny all at once. When I think of the way I run in them it makes me laugh out loud!

Maybe that's the real reason for the dream... I may never know {wink}.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

In Honour of a Father

Every Father's Day brings with it many thoughts about my Dad. So many good thoughts and memories.

He died of colorectal cancer in March 2000 a few hours after my 4th son was born.

Growing up my Dad was known for his loud country music blaring from his truck stereo as he worked away at tinkering in our backyard. He was also known for the Dukes of Hazzard horn that also sang from said truck...

He was generous, when it came to helping out friends and family with anything they needed, and supportive of his children in his quiet, fatherly way.

In death I heard stories of him helping anyone he came across. People locked out of their homes, flat tires needing to be changed, tune ups and anything else required in the automotive department, even escorting a father to pick his son from the local police station after a minor incident (that young boy is still paying for that favour through being married to me).

He had the most prized garden in town. And a crop of rhubarb that people are still talking about today.

He loved to drink, well maybe he didn't love to but for him it was a necessity. It's all he knew, it was what he was taught by his own father. I remember how that affected my childhood. I remember he quit drinking too and began to enjoy the company of his family more just before I reached teenhood.

He was passionate about his beliefs that all people deserved to be treated with respect and dignity, unless they pissed him off.

He loved me, my sister and brother dearly. He loved my Mother with all of his heart, even after they divorced.

He was a dedicated firefighter and gave 110% to that love.

Now that he has been gone for 10 years and I have grown in my journey and my wisdom, I can see that my father was intuitive and sensitive. He was as healthy as he could be for someone that never once visited a doctor in the whole time I can remember. He was the first person to introduce me to alternative holistic practices when he offered me flower essences to bring me peace after the death of my infant son.

If my dad was alive today to see what I am doing with my life, to see what I have accomplished I know that he would be cheering with his loudest voice, he would be my biggest fan, because he got me. He understood my passion, because he was passionate. He understood my desire for something better, because he desired something better.

I didn't see this while he was living. Though I appreciated and loved him more than words can say, I didn't see the richness of our connection. I didn't see the depth at which his lessons and his experiences taught me and brought me to where I am today.

The more I experience life, and move through various lessons, the one lesson that I can take from my Father is that of Being True to Oneself, Always.

He was without a doubt, always true to himself.

That was something you could depend upon.

He was Stan Tymec. My Dad.

Monday, June 14, 2010

Oil spills & littering..... It's all relative!

There is so much talk and action surrounding the Gulf of Mexico oil spill these days.

But as I walked my dog this morning and saw the trash that lined the streets I wondered if some of us are giving too much energy to the oil spill and not enough on doing something to clean up our own back yard.

The some of us I speak of are those who sit in their homes, watching the news and complain about the spill or offer their "expert" advice as to how this mess needs to be taken care of to everyone they meet on the street, completely ignoring the fact that they have had to step around someone else's garbage in the middle of the sidewalk.

To be quite honest with you, unless you have magical powers and can suck the oil up with your baby finger, your ranting and raving is doing nothing to help the situation and all we can do is send Love to the experience and trust that all is in divine and perfect order, which it is.

Now, lets get back to something you can change! Litter.

It surprises me beyond belief when I see a child throwing their garbage on the ground. Who taught them to do that? Aren't our children more sensitive to these types of things? And if they aren't sensitive to it now, what on earth encouraged that change?

A week ago I was walking around the park picking up someone else's Slurpee cups off the playground floor and tossing them into the garbage that wasn't 2 feet away from where the cups lay.

This morning I saw newspapers stuck to fences, empty Tim Horton's cups and empty plastic bottles in the gutters and in people's front lawns and much more!

It makes me wonder what people are thinking?

This is your town. Your piece of the Earth, that you've been given the privilege to live on and you are covering it with your garbage?

So, if your one of those people who is crying about oil spills and how devastating it is to the environment, I suggest you get off your butt and go out and do something other than cry to show Mother Earth you support, love and care for her.

Pick up your garbage, encourage your children to use garbage cans or bring a bag with them to pick up garbage they find on the street during your family walks. Teach them to love this earth, teach them to honor her existence because with out it you and they are nothing!





And don't get me started on the dog poop that doesn't get picked up!

Crayons can change your life.... Who knew?

I'm feeling a bit pink. So, I decided to switch the color scheme of my blog to reflect where I am in mind, body and spirit these days.

There is this childlike, whimsical feeling that lives inside of me lately.

I contribute it to all the artwork I have been working on.

I am usually a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl and I find myself guided towards the pretty sundresses when I shop.

I am feeling drawn to nature more, revisiting my connection to Mother Earth and appreciating all that she has provided for me.

I am laughing more and enjoying life.

All because of opening up to my creativity? No doubt!

The more time we spend in our right brain, the more fun life gets, the easier things seem to flow and the more energized we become.

This is what I have been experiencing over the past couple of weeks. I was getting ready to show my art at a local Wellness Fair and was putting together some note cards and framing some prints. All of this attention to my artwork totally shifted my energy and I could feel it the instant it happened.

When I am in "artist" mode, I find that life is just more calm. I don't seem to get overwhelmed like I used to and the normal everyday worries seem to slip away.

It really is like entering another world when I pick up my pastels.

I am allowing the creative little girl that lives inside of me to come out and play, to express herself. And in doing so I am living in alignment with who I am, what I value and what I ultimately wish to accomplish each day.

What is it that you are seeking in life? Is what you do each day once your feet hit the floor in alignment with what you are seeking?

I believe creativity is everything from journaling your thoughts, to coloring with your childrens' crayons, to sculpting a magnificent piece of artwork.

You don't have to be Picasso to re-connect with the right side of your brain and experience a different way of life. You just have to be open to allowing yourself to be creative, no matter what comes out of the experience, no matter what the end result of your efforts are, because the right hemisphere of your brain is where the secrets to your happiness lie, connecting with that for a few moments each day will more than likely bring you all of what you desire.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

We are Love

I woke up this morning feeling so Loved.... For no particular reason.... Just Loved.

It's not my birthday, it's not Mother's Day, it's actually no special occasion at all.

I was alone in my room when I woke up. No one was standing beside the bed with flowers, no one was showering me with kisses and hugs.

But still I felt Loved.

I laid in bed with my eyes open wondering who was sending me all of this beautiful Love? Was someone thinking of me in that moment with Loving thoughts in their mind?

Maybe.

No sooner had I thought that someone outside of myself was sending Love my way, did a voice come into my head and say "It's you. It's the Love that you ARE that makes you feel this way. It is always there, you just need to notice it."

It's a message I think that is meant for all of us, and so I am sharing it with you. Consider it YOUR message for today.

When your marriage is a mess. When your boyfriend/girlfriend decides you aren't the one for them any longer. When it seems your family doesn't support and appreciate you. When you are feeling lonely and unloved.

Remember this message.

You are the Love that you seek. It is not outside of you. Someone else cannot give you the Love that you want. Only you can give you that Love!

You are Love.

We are Love.

Isn't that GREAT!?!