Tag: personal development

from where?

Published on by CathyLeave a comment

I posted that I planned to “pray with my feet moving.” To pick a position and take action regarding it. I am a person of peace, but the actions of leadership of our country have gotten to me and I began feeling some anxiety. There is a feeling of helplessness, of vulnerability, of not knowing what to do to cope or how to effect a change. And I’m hearing the same from others and they are asking what they can do.

Here is where I am starting. I have the number of the Senate and I have a phone, and I have a voice. I have heard it truly does make a difference, but it takes numbers and I invite you to join in. I do not sign every petition, or call for just anything. My voice, and energetic vibration, is strongest when I feel strong about the situation.

Here is my second step. I have a belief that we need to be gentle with our planet. I admire the people who can organize their lives to shop and prepare food with a mason jar of trash remaining after a year. I am a bit envious of those who can ride a bike and use it as their primary mode of transportation. But I am not there yet.

But I do have a strong belief in foundational statements. If I have a belief that Kindness is important, then all else must flow forth from there. If I have a belief that God is Love, then that can be built upon. If I believe we need to be gentle with our planet and I think there is a problem with plastic bags and straws, then I need to be in integrity with myself and act accordingly. If I believe that our dependence and usage of oils is harmful by fumes or spills, then I need to act accordingly. I am not ready to give up my vehicle or in a position to buy one that runs on other than gas right now, but I can walk more, like when picking up Indigo after school. I can schedule my errands to be a efficient as possible. I can take my reusable bags to the store and use them. And that is only the beginning. If I want action, I need to be living from those deep beliefs by taking action. If we don’t, then maybe we are the ones living by “alternative facts”.

 

just a word

Published on by CathyLeave a comment

In this space between the quiet rebirth of the spiritual within and the explosion of growth that becomes a new year, is the perfect time to contemplate what will guide the direction of that growth. I have found, along with an amazing number of others, that a word can be all the platform needed to rest on and spring forth from.

What’s in a word? This word will be a reminder. When making decisions from myriad of choices, it can be a Light on the path. It is the foundation on which to build a sturdy structure to withstand the winds of whims and possibilities. It is a resting place for a busy mind. It is a calling forth of the best with us in a focused manner.

In selecting a word, go deep. The faith or fear lesson that I so love to work with isn’t just in a choice between the two. It is the premise that we all have faith inherent in our nature and  on occasion will direct it and  focus on what we fear or don’t want in our life. That one became more of a phrase of “where is my faith?’ than a word, but it was great to explore over a period of time.

Courage, strength, peace, love, mindfulness, Light, are examples.Be aware of what a word may trigger, side effects may be stirred up. Best example… patience. Those who focus on growing with this word may find they have many opportunities to learn the practice of patience and that can be very exhausting. Faith is a better choice, or divine order, because you can develop patience in knowing that by faith all things work together for good, as in divine order and that the current condition will pass.

Recently I became aware of someone who chose the word “dig” for the word of the year. It seemed odd yet as I considered the implications, it is a great word to employ for revelations and understanding. As an artist, she wanted the reminder to go deeper with her artistic expression and over the long term, I’m sure she will find healing at depth to be part of her year.

What’s in a word? Transformation.

Christmas morning

Published on by CathyLeave a comment

There is a special vibration in the air as I sit in the quiet of the early morning hour of Christmas. I feel it every year. But it isn’t just feeling it, it is embracing and riding it to make the most of it, of this entire Holiday season.  It doesn’t even matter if this is your holiday, the vibration is there and can be engaged by anyone.

I have my own tradition I bring out during this time of year. It starts with my birthday shortly before Christmas. That’s the time for celebration and reflection. I find as I add more years, I am gentler with myself. It seems easier to get into the regret of what I haven’t done. I celebrate what I have done and begin to look at what I can do.

Christmas is the time to embrace and be embraced by the Spirit of the birth of Love, Hope and Joy. When I was leading churches, I would hold a Candlelight Service on Christmas Eve. Late in the evening, when it was a blessing to have some quiet time and consider the nature of the holiday. It was more than a time to be grateful for an event so long ago, it was a time of rebirth of the Highest in us. In a group with a defined focal point in consciousness, the richness of the atmosphere would be penetrating, A time of deep and clear embracing and honoring of the holiness in each of us.

And it carried into a New Year ritual. On New Year’s Eve, I prepare for a Burning Bowl. It is the perfect time for a culmination of the past weeks revelations. I write down whatever I need to let go of, a hurt, frustration, old anger. Sometimes even a dream that has been on the back burner needs to be released to make room for something new. From the best in me that has been enhanced by the season, I can let go of whatever isn’t in alignment with the higher vibration and possibility of fulfillment that has encouraged me. It has sometimes been an outpouring, but usually just a word or two can express what I want to release. Then I burn it. I want a visual context for what I am doing within myself. I see it be transformed, to become ash and I let go. But I don’t want to leave empty spaces. I write a letter, a prayer for what I want to fill the spaces, what what I want to grow in to in the coming months. In the church, we wrote our letter to God and put it in a self addressed envelope which was placed in the prayer box and mailed back mid year. It was fun to get a letter addressed to our self and be reminded of that season and the feelings of that time. It was, for some, a time of gratitude for blessings bestowed and for others a reminder of a plan.

So I sit in the quiet. I relish the time of re-birth of the divinity within and I allow the joy of celebration to expand – I am ready for Christmas morning. I am ready for the joy I will see in my grandchild’s eyes in the morning and the excitement as we celebrate a Holy birth. She may not understand yet, but I do and I know the feeling will flow through our day, and if allowed, through our year.