“The problem in America isn’t just that hate is speaking so loudly; it’s that love is speaking too softly.”
~Marianne Williamson.
I am not responsible for other people’s happiness or healing, I am not responsible for their problems or pain. And yet every interaction I have with another person can be healing or hurtful depending on how I choose to be with that person.
Am I open hearted and authentic? Am I distracted and disinterested? Am I mean and hateful? I chose. And what I choose affects my entire world.
We ‘do’ so much to get praise, we ‘do’ to distract ourselves, we ‘do’ to convince ourselves of our own worth – if only we could relax and just BE! Just BE our big beautiful selves in this moment. Stop trying to get somewhere else or be someone different. Just BE.
The cosmic joke is that all our pushing and striving to accomplish so much matters far less than how kind we are to other people – and to ourselves. But we’re so busy pushing to finish our to-do list that we lose sight of basic love and kindness. We don’t have time to be kind, we’re too busy to stop and open our hearts. In the process of hurrying towards our next goal, we strip our lives of what truly matters.
Love is the Force that Binds the Universe Together. Love is the Source of all Things. Love is God. God is Love.
It is a kind of love, is it not? How the cup holds the tea, How the chair stands sturdy and foursquare, How the floor receives the bottoms of shoes Or toes. How soles of feet know Where they’re supposed to be. I’ve been thinking about the patience Of ordinary things, how clothes Wait respectfully in closets And soap dries quietly in the dish, And towels drink the wet From the skin of the back. And the lovely repetition of stairs. And what is more generous than a window?
I have found that one of the most effective ways to shift and change my state of mind is actually quite simple. This method is simple enough that I can remember it even when I am feeling less than perfect, upset or off-balance:
Step 1: Pause and Get Still. Breathe. And breathe again.
Step 2: Offer Up a Simple Prayer to the Universe, “I don’t know Spirit / God / Source. I don’t have the answer here. Please show me.”
Step 3: Open Your Heart to Yourself. Open to the flow of love that is within you in this very moment. It’s not about calling or pulling in love from outside of you – because, at the core, you are light, love and grace already! Allow yourself to feel your pure loving essence. Breathe deep and open up to the essence of love that is within you in every single moment. If this is difficult, just ask for help from Spirit.
Step 4: Allow Your Love to Flow. Your essence is pure light and love. You were birthed from an ocean of love. Pure unconditional love is the foundation of our Universe. And your cells flow with that same light and love now.
Can you open your heart and accept how truly amazing you are? You do not need to move mountains, create more success or perform miracles – you already ARE a miracle, a walking talking miracle! Allow the miraculous love that is your true essence to flow in you and through you now.
You are always praying; thought itself is prayer. Whatever you focus your mind on, increases. To change the world, change your thoughts about the world. If you want to experience peace—become peace. Peace is always present, though sometimes hidden. Love is the only force in the universe. The world is already healed.
I attended a writer’s workshop near Seattle last week. I camped in a little tent in the middle of a beautiful forest. I was camping alone, but I didn’t feel lonely. The frogs of the nearby pond serenaded me nightly. I would lie each night in my tent beneath two huge old spruce trees and revel in their chorus. Here’s what I learned about frogs…
Frog timing is impeccable. Each night, one or two tiny frogs begin the frog chant and then another 2 or 3 will join in echoing the melody of the first perfectly. Then a third group joins, echoing the same melody. They join their voices and build a master symphony piece by piece, until their ultimate harmony rises and falls, undulating and echoing off the pond. Each masterpiece only lasts for one moment, maybe two. And then silence. Each serenade abruptly stops as if a maestro has cut the air with his baton to signal cease! Yet there is no maestro conductor on this pond. Only a few tiny green frogs magically harmonizing together.
At times, the nightly frog serenade would get so loud that I would literally have trouble thinking. But I was actually ok with that. Witnessing their creation up close was my compensation. It was fascinating to me that each frog sang out his piece of the symphony so loud and proud. I sensed zero hesitation and not an ounce of shame. One night as I listened to the symphony, I wondered to myself what I might learn from these little frogs. There had to be a reason my tent was positioned on the front row at this frog concert. It was too serendipitous to be an accident.
On my third night in the front row at frog symphony hall, I finally received the lesson frog was offering. I realized that I had been lying in my tent each night, debating with myself about how much of my story to write. I had been debating how much of me it was safe to share with the world. Meanwhile just outside, a tiny little frog sat on the muddy bank of a tiny little pond and bellowed out his song. He bellowed out his offering to the Gods with joy and gusto, night after night with little hesitation, Frog refused to be silent. He just belted out his creations for all the world to hear.
Frog didn’t waste time worrying about who was listening. He didn’t worry about what his audience would think of his song. He just sang his song night after night. He sang it with gusto. Maybe, just maybe I was lying there in a tent next to frog’s pond to receive a lesson in the art of expressing myself with joyful abandon?
Joyful abandon… I love the sound of that. Juicy green joyful abandon! I could definitely use more of that in my life. 🙂
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A·ban·don əˈbandən/ noun – complete lack of inhibition or restraint
