More lessons learned through fairy tales

I often find that my life experiences mirror the lessons that I learned in childhood from nursery rhymes and fairy tales.   Yesterday, as I finished up another fundraiser, I awoke again from a self created fairy tale and realized that I was done! I was done saving a world that did not want to be saved or that did not want my help.  For over ten years, I have been raising money for every good cause under the sun. I now am tired and I am ready to serve only my own cause & myself!  I have once again awakened to find that I have allowed myself to believe in illusions and fairy tales, ignoring any good sense and most of all,  overriding my inner wisdom.  I had awakened from illusions filled with nursery rhyme characters, all created to teach me profound lessons.

Here are the lessons that I learned through my journey of over 400 events and fundraisers:

Lesson learned #1: Con artists, fakes and imposters come in all different forms.  It does not matter if they say they are champions of the environment; if they proclaim they are"reborn" and spout religiosity; if they are the most popular person in town or for that matter, even if they are our President.  If your inner radar is sounding an alarm,  listen to it, even if you don't have any concrete evidence and even if every one around you chooses to believe in them.  You are being warned and it is time to believe in that internal warning system. I believe and I am now listening!

Lesson learned #2:  People will take from you until you stop allowing them.    Then, they will act offended when you stop.  If you stand firm they will test you and ask for more.  When they finally get the idea that the well is empty,  they surely will find someone else, probably better than you, to serve them. Fear not, they always find someone else to fill your shoes!

Lesson learned #3:  You are the most important person in your life.  Everyone else are only additions to or frills to your already perfect being.  If the people in your life are no longer giving you anything, and be honest, there are many energy suckers in your life, then let them go! Expect righteous indignation when you do let them go because they are good at manipulating reality to make you think that they are actually helping others, when in fact it is always about helping themselves. That is why they are part of fairy tales, they are make believe.  I do not believe any more.

Lesson learned #4: You already have everything you seek inside you!  All you have to do is to listen and trust.  That sounds so easy but ego wants illusion to make it feel good. Unfortunately the illusion is guaranteed to vanish at some point, reawakening you to what you already knew.  Just like a fairy tale always ends and you close the book, it is time to stop giving fairy tale characters any importance.  I've closed the book on those stories. I know exactly how each of those stories end and I know that they were never real!  Lessons learned!

It is new day for me.  In fact,  I am hoping a new era for me.  I am done with the things that have been weighing me down.   I have let go of it all and it has left me feeling empty.    But, that emptiness has opened me up to the new. So, today, I move forward without fear and in anticipation of more awesomeness than I could ever imagine to come.  Today, l know that when I listen to my inner wisdom I hear the answers I need. I know that all that I seek is already in me.  Today I trust that inner wisdom.  Today I trust me!

New moon intentions

Happy Super New Moon in Gemini!  This new moon encourages us to take a chance, to do something new, to learn new skills and meet new people. This new moon offers us the energy to explore the possibilities of breaking out of our comfort zones.  It asks us to imagine what our lives would be like if we weren't afraid and then make it our intentions on this new moon to act on those unfettered and uncensored dreams for our future! 

Be willing today to step out of your comfort zone and experience your life in a whole new way, unlimited by fear. Allow yourself to think big and then allow yourself to accept even more.  Because in truth we all live in limitless light, love and joy if we would only allow ourselves to do so.

I set my intentions to listen more, to be truly, authentically myself and to be true to myself no matter what!  How about you?

 

 

 

 

The new normal

It's raining in May, which may not seem odd to you if you don't live in San Diego, but I do and rain in May is odd.  In fact, I can't remember rain ever in May,  since I've moved to SD twenty years ago.  Upon researching San Diego's current weather, I found out that San Diego is indeed currently 134% above its normal rainfall.   That new normal for San Diego's weather seems to be just one of many new normals that I'm trying to adapt to these days.

Perhaps, "new normals" are just part of the process of being alive.  However, this year has presented so many new normals, so quickly and in such a complete manner, that It's hard for my mind to keep up with what is normal for me today.  I continue to reach out for people, places and things, which are not part of my new normal.  It's as if by muscle memory, my thoughts and actions want to return to the old normal despite my intentions to adjust to the new normal.   And when I do reach out to the old normal, you can bet I get burned.  I try the old normal and all I keep getting is the same old results. I think that is the definition of insanity, right?! Well, it sure felt like I was going insane this morning, as I tried to push an old button and got the same old, disheartening results.

So what is my new normal.  My new normal is one in which I honor and love myself first. I love myself first, so that I can better take care of others.  I accept people as they are in hopes that they accept me.  Because I honor myself and my feelings, I let go of those people who do not honor me or my feelings.  My new normal is free from fear and doubt and filled with faith.  In my new normal, the one that I created,  I choose to believe that all my changes will be easy to make.  And, so it is.

 

Last Autism Tree Project Foundation Food Farming and Nutrition Workshop

  As April ended so did the program I created for the Autism Tree Project Foundation (ATPF), the Food, Farming and Nutrition came to an end.  Last Saturday, we wrapped up the series of six workshops by planting two butterfly beds in the children's garden at Wild Willow Farm.  We then crafted wooden butterflies that will adorn our butterfly garden, beautifying it and raising awareness about ATPF.   So much profound change took place during the six workshops that it is impossible to capture it all of it on film or in words.  That being said, here are a couple pics that let you see the fun, love, family bonding and happiness that was had by all at our last workshop!

What you can't see in the pictures are the kids eating vegetables at home.  You can't see the mothers, who have wept in joy to see their kids at peace with their environment and within themselves.  What you can't see is the enormous growth that took place within the kids, their parents, the volunteers and within me. 

Personally, this experience has helped me gain confidence in myself and my ability to make change.  It has allowed me to know that I can do anything if I put my heart and mind to it.  It has taught me that if I trust,  ask for help, when I need it and stay in my highest purpose, success is sure to follow! 

Happy May, y'all!  May it be filled with love, harmony, balance and peace!

It's spring and our seeds have sprouted!

It's spring and the seeds that I planted have begun to sprout.  All the intentions that were planted on each new moon of this new year have begun to come to fruition.  Here's a quick synopsis of what's been happening this spring.

The Food, Farming and Nutrition Program, which I wrote a grant for with the Autism Tree Project Foundation has continued on every other week since February 4th.  Every session I witness profound change in the kids, their parents and in the volunteers.  The kids, and I mean all the kids, are now eating kale, beets, and carrots.  I witness parents crying in joy because they never imagined their child eating and even asking for vegetables.   If it is not obvious, this is important because as these kids on the autism spectrum begin to eat better, they receive more nutrition, they grow stronger, they become healthier and they are able to reach their optimal potentials.

In addition to the kids eating their veggies, everyone involved has become connected to the earth and can't wait to get to their farm.  What I've witnessed, is that the sensory issues that many of these kids on the autism spectrum experience,  such as light, sound and smell sensitives melt away on the farm.   On the farm,  they are allowed to interact with their environment with all their senses.  In this way, using their senses they come to understand their environment, feel in control in their environment and begin to participate in it instead of becoming overwhelmed by it.  

I would love to take credit for these changes.  But alas, it was not my ingenuous program that has spurred on the changes, it was the farm, the environment and I'd like to think some universal assistance.   Everyone involved in this program has changed, grown and has become better in so many ways. 

With this new realization of how powerful and how therapeutically healing a farm or a garden can be, I researched and have learned a lot about sensory gardens.  And, by the law of attraction,  I have been hired to create and design a couple of sensory gardens.  Here's one of the sensory gardens, which I helped Joel and Sandi Anderson to create, it's called Think Tank Ranch

Other seeds that I metaphorically planted last year in my business also began to sprout in the way of new clients. I am grateful and privileged to have the opportunity to assist Goodnow Farms Chocolate break into the San Diego artisan, bean to bar chocolate market!  Their single origin 77% cocoa chocolate bars are some of the best chocolate I have ever tasted.  I am certain that San Diego foodies and chocolate lovers will love them as much as I do.

Life is truly sweet, it always is! However,  today, as I look back at the past month, I am reminded that I am abundantly blessed when I remain in my purpose, I serve all that is good and I allow Life to love me.   It is my hope that I just reminded you that Life loves you too!   Happy Spring!

 

 

 

Marching right on!

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As I turned the calendar page from February to March, I finally feel like it's a new year and that I am truly becoming a new person! February was filled with some gut wrenching self examination offering me the chance to clear out the clutter deep in my soul and to finally let go of people, places, things and thoughts, which only weighed me down and kept me stuck.

So I march boldly into March with a new sense of direction and very little tolerance of illusion and bullshit!  This year already looks different and will produce real results not just pretty pictures.  In February, I kicked off the Autism Tree Foundation Food Farming and Nutrition program at Wild Willow Farm.  The program will continue every other Saturday through the end of April.   This program is perhaps the most important thing I will ever do in my life!  The universe agrees and I have over 300 families waiting to be a part of my program. 

Furthermore, as a part of that program I will be taking close to 1,000 autistic kids and their parents to local farms for pumpkin picking; a mother-daughter tea at a lavender farm and milking cows at the last remaining dairy farm in San Diego.  The underlying goal is to use those farms to not only heal the participants, but also to help heal this earth by bringing new awareness of where our food comes from. 

In addition to my Autism Tree Project Foundation programs, I've been blessed to collaborate with some new friends and some old ones.  I was privileged to be able to help Mendocino Farms, an amazing new restaurant space that specializes in really delicious sandwiches, get connected with San Diego farms.  Mario and Ellen, the owners, are what I refer to as the "real deal".  As you know, I've attempted to help several local restaurants source local produce and have not been successful, until this year!  This year the Mendocino Farms spring menu will feature radishes from Wild Willow Farm and their summer menu will feature the heirloom tomatoes from my friends at Suzie's Farm.   Mission finally accomplished!  If you haven't eaten at Mendocino Farms, run don't walk 'cause they are creating deliciousness and supporting the community that they do business in. 

It is a new year and I am grateful that you care enough to follow along with me on this amazing journey! I promise this year will not disappoint you or me!

 

 

 

 

My vision for 2017

It's been five days since I've returned from my epic trip through the Polar Vortex and I'm finally starting to regain my strength.  While I was away, wrestling with my past and present challenges, I wrote a vision of what I wanted for 2017.  This morning I returned to that document to see if it made any sense or had any meaning to me now that I have returned to my normal equilibrium. 

Guess what, it did.  In fact, it felt even more relevant this morning than it did when I wrote it.  From the calm and peaceful place, where I sit this morning, I realized that I needed to share it with others with the hope that you'll get inspired and create an intention list of their own.   It is my hope that collectively we can manifest goodness in our lives and create a peaceful and loving world in which we are all blessed and prospered. 

Here's my Vision for 2017

  • Be authentic no matter You never get away with making what does not feel good to you ever feel good to you. I will follow what I know to be true, even if it seems like I’ll be alone or jobless!  Just trust and remain in gratitude and joy!
  • Think bigger!  Love bigger, love less safely!
  • Think bigger!  How can you really make a difference?  Make sure what you're doing is coming from your heart not your ego.  Fancy dinner parties don't really count in the larger scheme of things and don't count as helping any higher good!
  • Stop fronting for non authentic people or those people, places or things that you clearly know are illusion.   You know the truth and the truth is that they are just illusions to teach you how to be authentically you.   By choosing not to support their illusion,  you will no longer have to resent them for being fakes.  Instead you can just accept them for what they are.
  • Let everyone learn his or her own lessons.   Unless asked do not give your opinion cause no one really cares what you think!!
  • Walk away a lot more.  Say YES to things that are right for you.  Stop making everyone else’s feelings and problems your problems too.
  • Stop taking care of the world and allow it to take care of me, a lot more!
  • Love myself more.  Respect myself no matter what.  Trust my intuition and my inner voice. 
  • Be my own best friend!  No one else can ever be that to you, except you!
  • Fear less! Feel more! Feel it and then release it into the light!
  • Let go willingly, joyfully and easily of all I do not need in my life.
  • Believe in myself more and accept that I am wise beyond my recognition.
  • Believe the words that people speak.  Do not make up sub-plots or rationalizations that make what they say and what they are any different.  People always reveal who they are, just believe them.  They are as sad, bad, mad and devious as they say they are!  And, you will not change them or help them become anything that they do not want to be or believe in.
  • Believe in new beginnings.  Believe in love.  Believe that I am moving into a time of great prosperity, abundance, love and service that is mutually beneficial to me and to the world.  And, so it is!
Happy holidays, Merry Christmas and blessings for a warm and prosperous New Year!

Happy holidays, Merry Christmas and blessings for a warm and prosperous New Year!

 

Happy holidays, Merry Christmas and blessings for a warm and prosperous New Year!

A picture perfect day

The Polar Vortex arrived today in NYC causing the temps to drop to the low 20's and causing me to seek shelter in some of NYC museums.  Although the temperatures drop today, my mood and my heart were warm and cheery.  I got my wish and was able to easily let go of the self doubt and fear that came from being released from one of my clients.  I am grateful that I am now free to pursue work that is more closely aligned with my purpose.

That being said, I wanted to share some of the beautiful, odd and puzzling art that I saw today at the Whitney Museum and the Museum of Modern Art

After spending the day getting lost in art and my imagination, I headed out to dinner at Gabriel Kreuther, a one Michelin Star restaurant, followed by some jazz at Lincoln Center.  Sitting in the warm theater, I realized how lucky and blessed I was and how I am always given everything I need if I just trust!  Despite the frigid temperatures, I went to sleep feeling warm and so hopeful for everything that I have right now, everything that I lost and everything that I am certain is coming my way in the New Year!

My holiday adventure continues..

Today is officially our last full moon and last Super Full Moon for 2016!  Full moons as most of you know are a time of high energy and often cause us to feel energetically unbalanced! 

That is how my third day in the Big Apple began filled with tons of energy and uncertainty.  I came on this trip to find closure for some past stuff.  Little did I know that my present stuff was what I would need to focus on today.

That is exactly what I found as I made my way to the Bronx to visit the New York Botanical Gardens.  I have never been to the Botanical Gardens and the Holiday Train Exhibition came highly recommended.  The gardens were spectacularly beautiful and the trains were magical.   I quickly became engrossed in their rhythmic clacking on the tracks.  Then, the click clacking was replaced by the ringtone of a text, followed by the ringing of my phone, followed by a truly disingenuous conversation with a client of mine letting me know that he know longer needed my services.  Evidently, my poor performance is the reason that their business is failing.  From fairyland into the fire in three quick minutes.

I must admit that I was not surprised by what happened this morning!  I only wish that I was able to listen to my own advice and my own inner wisdom, which told me to walk away a month ago.  Instead, I waited to be asked to leave.  My performance really had nothing to do with their failure.  It is their ego which continues to be their stumbling block which their "positive rhetoric" covers up.  Illusions can be powerful.  But illusions can also be eliminated by shining a light on their deception and ego driven actions.  It is my belief that next year, truth will clear all illusions. I am grateful for all experiences for they teach me.  This morning in NYC I learned a lesson about my present.  That I must be listen to my inner voice and it's truly time to let go of all that serves me in the present as much as the past.

Not deterred by the nuisance and nonsense of being so elaborately emancipated, I moved forward with resolve to eat some of the best Italian food that I've ever eaten ! I was in Little Italy in the Bronx surrounded with shops that makes fresh mozarella and butchers whole animals. hanging them proudly in their windows.   With each bites of deliciousness, I resolved to let go of everything that no longer serves my purpose right now in the present AND to finally listen and act upon my inner wisdom!

Homish for the Holidays-#1

The universe saw fit to send me back to the East Coast, from whence I came, for the holidays to revisit my ghosts from the past, present and future! How this visit happened and what I thought it would offer me still remains unclear to me.  I think that at some point many months ago,  I said yes! I know that I quickly forgot about that plan, going about my business, living in the present moment, in the now. 

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But, I am here, in the middle of the big apple, trying to make sense of my past, present and clearing the way for my future.  I'm hoping through this process of looking back at my past, I can finally let go of all that no longer serves me and I can move forward into a new year.

  I believe that one cannot nibble at the Big Apple!  It is imperative to just a take a big bite. I know this because I used to live here.  I lived in NYC for eight years in my twenties, after graduating from undergraduate school as an RN, BSN.  So, today was like coming home to a very old friend who has transformed, just like me, into a place that I never imagined it would become-a clean, safe and hospitable place to visit. With all that said, I go forward ready to devour the Big Apple!

Almost immediately Big Apple offered me a rare chance to relive a "good" childhood memory.  As I visited Rockefeller Center and watched the skaters, I remembered how I skated there as a small child, finishing up with a warm cup of cocoa and some rare family togetherness.  My family visited NYC every Christmas while I was growing up to see the windows, walk the city and of course, see the Rockettes.   Funny enough, today I even saw the Rockettes!  However,  they weren't kicking up their heels on the stage at the Radio City Music Hall.  Today in 2016, the Rockettes were handing out coupons for their next holiday extravaganza matinee outside on the street in front of the theater.  Everything changes!

Although lots has changed in Manhattan since my childhood visits, I am so grateful for the gift to remember a time, when so much of my history hadn't been written yet.  I hadn't made a whole lot of bad decisions and hadn't overcome so many challenges.  I remembered a time when my only worry was about staying warm and getting extra whipped cream for my hot chocolate. 

I spent the rest of the day walking 5th Avenue taking in the spirit of the holiday season that you can only get on 5th Avenue in Manhattan.  After taking in all the glitz and the glamor of the store windows, listening to the incessant playing of Christmas carols, I made my way to St Patrick Cathedral.  When I lived in NYC, I often made my way to this church, praying for strength to overcome illness and the death of my father. 

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Today, as I entered the cathedral the same sense of grace washed over me.  To me, this is not a place of religion but rather of spiritual retreat.  Today,  I prayed for the courage and the strength to let go of all the beliefs, people, places and things that no longer serve any purpose in my life.  I prayed that all my changes would be easy and that I would have the strength to shine my light brighter in the new year.  

I awoke the next morning filled with hope, energy and anticipation for another day that would undoubtedly offer me more opportunities to remember and let go.  This "today" is the day of our last full moon so letting go and releasing the past was definitely on my mind. 

I started the day off with a walk through Chelsea and Granmercy, home of my first employer, NYU Medical, my first apartment in NYC and so many other firsts that it seemed like I was reliving my 21st year.  Just how much I remembered surprised me since I've burned a bunch of brain cells in the last 27 years!

I walked through Greenwich Village, where you can longer find any dudes selling or smoking weed.  Now there are really clean children's playgrounds and lots of tourists taking pictures.  My walk then took me through Little Italy, Christopher Street and onto the Chelsea Market, a feast for every sense and my stop for breakfast and time to reflect, again! I love the Big Apple and marvel how quickly I adapted to the subways and to the faster pace.  My feet somehow remembered the cadence of the city streets and the sound and the smells of the subway. Where had almost thirty years gone? Why did all these places feel so familiar when I hadn't been here in almost 30 years?  And, how had I become someone who was now a completely different person.  That is a subject for another blog.  Here is some the beauty I saw:

This ends day two of my adventure.  Please continue to follow me as I uncover and release through my journey with my past.   I will post during my trip and after so that you know how this trip ends!

 

 

 

Staying awake is so hard to do!

It's been almost two weeks since the election, since we all were awakened by its results.  I initially was empowered by the knowledge that perhaps this was exactly what we all needed-to awaken to the truth that we all had gone to sleep and allowed darkness and hatred to seep into our lives and take root.  However, after weeks of watching and absorbing the collective fear and anguish about what was happening as the new administration began to nominate the darkest leaders in our country, I began to be worn out.

I purposely have not turned on the news, knowing that all the hypothetical, apocalyptic predictions of every talking head on the 24hr news channels only add to the collective fear being experienced in our country, in my world.  Their predictions are no more real than the feelings of complacency that we collectively had a month ago, before the elections, when all seemed well in our world.

I forged ahead,  boldly feeling empowered by the hope that we had been awakened and now we can go about healing ourselves and our country.  I approached every person with joy, love and compassion, all week long. However, by this weekend, the collective pain that I absorbed during the past week, finally took me down.  So, this weekend, I hid and searched for something, someone who would make this darkness go away.  But, no matter how I tried, I could not go back to sleep.  I could no longer find comfort in the illusions, people places and things that used allow me to move through my life anesthetized, believing in what plainly is not real, just because it made me feel better.  Of course, I only felt better, until it was time to re-awaken again.

I am awake!  I promise myself that I will remain awake.  I will continue to let go of the illusions, once, for all and forever! I will remind myself often that they are not real and have no power over me in present moment.   I acknowledge that this is not a painless process.  It is through going through the pain of separation, letting go and awakening that I become enlightened.  That I become more of who I am supposed to be.

Please stay awake with me!  Honor your truth now matter what!  Be authentic no matter what!  Let go of everything and everyone who does not serve your highest purpose.  You know exactly what those things are and you have known for a every long time what those things are.  Now, today is the day, that you move forward into raising the frequency of your world and our world collectively-through love!

 

Make a Wish!

Sometimes the Universe has to shake you to awaken you…and that's exactly what collectively the Universe did this week with the results of our election. So many of us are feeling shaken and fearful of what will happen in our future.


However, when you take a moment to step back…to zoom out and take a bigger look at our world, you will see that we live in awakening times, times of rapid change.  Although change is sometimes scary, and as humans we tend to resist it, change is what carries us forward on the awakening path. It transports us into awakening, into greater love, oneness and the disclosure of the fullness of our true selves.

It is happening NOW and for those who are aware, awake, and willing to turn away from fear, they will find unlimited opportunities await them.   As layers of the veil,  which keep you disconnected and trapped in ego,  are lowered, doorways will open to experiences, people, place and things, which are more aligned with your true purpose.

I invite you to step through that open doorway and move forward into the light, into greater awareness and power. Use today's 11:11 energy as a springboard,  to begin to boldly love, courageously trust, and see the blessings beneath the surface that are here and now.  Focus your intentions because they're supercharged now and stand in the fullness of your light. Step Into your vibrant truth, peace and oneness of the new paradigm, which we’re all in the process of fully stepping into.

Take one step and one moment at a time.  Together we can stay awake and rise above the chaos, negativity and fear! Together we can wish our lives and our planet into a new age of love and connection!

Faith in the power to heal

I never blog unless I have something to say;  something that is burning in my belly and can't be contained any longer.  This morning here's what I've got to say!

When I awoke this morning, I found my world had been completely turned upside down.  Because I choose not to obsess over the poll reporting last night,  I truly awakened without any idea of who had won the presidential race. So, when I reached for my phone this morning, I was indeed blindsided by the news that Trump was now our new president. 

Funny enough, I initially didn't even try to make sense of the news.  I just went about my usual 4 am meditations and intention setting for my day.  When I finished, I received very clear messages that

  • We are now given the chance to rise above darkness and fear. 
  • We are now being given the chance to become involved in what is really important to us. 
  • We are the change in our individual lives. 

Finally, this is not the time for blame, anger or more hate.  It was those emotions and fear that has led our world to exactly where we are this morning-wounded, sad, hopeless.  And worst of all,  projecting that fear into what your futures will look like!

My future is love.  I made that commitment to myself years ago and although my ego has allowed me to stray and think illusions are real along the way.  Today, I know that love is the only way we will heal. 

Today, I make another commitment to myself and to you, that I will continue to be the light in my life and my world.  I commit to take responsibility for my own life,  my own happiness and the world I live in.  I willingly let go of all that no longer serves any purpose in my life because it distracts me from my real purpose!  My real purpose which is to heal myself, the world and for that matter YOU, as you read this blog post. 

I invite you all to "get real".  To find love in your hearts again for others and for yourselves.  It is only in that way will we heal ourselves, move forward and remember to see the beauty in this all precious and fleeting thing that we call life. 

In the words of my friend Louise Hay: I am renewed and restored by the faith I have in my own healing power of love.

 

The Second Noble Truth

The second noble truth of Buddhism tells us that the root of all suffering is attachment.  To avoid suffering, we need to understand what causes suffering and then weed out those causes from our lives. Sounds easy doesn't it?  I am here to testify that it is not as easy as it sounds!

So, here's the questions that I've been pondering: "why is it that it is so hard to let go of things that clearly do not serve any purpose in my life".  To discover the answers to those questions,  I started by looking up the word "attachment" .  According to Dictionary.com, attachment is "a feeling that binds one to a person, thing, cause, ideal".  Sounds rather benign doesn't it.  Further more, from a psychological perspective, attachment is"an emotional bond between an infant or toddler and primary caregiver."  So, if it is normal and happens to all of us, how can it also be so hurtful and lead to suffering.  Alas, my quest to clarify the meaning of attachment proved to be of no help or comfort at all!

Next, I decided to take a look at the opposite word, non-attachment. The Buddhist teaching on non-attachment is ultimately about realizing the truth of yourself which is realizing that you’re an expression of the entire universe. And, that you’re in the universe and that the entire universe is in you and that there is no separating the two.     In other words,  it’s about what we believe about ourselves and the world around us.

Now, I was getting somewhere in my quest to understand attachment. In fact, it was with that realization that I began to grasp why I struggling with letting go! Upon more introspection, I realized that I had been making people, places and things "mine", a permanent part of my world, in order to create a sense of safety and security for myself.   However, by attaching to those people, places and things,  I created neither safety or security but rather a vicious cycle of suffering when everything inevitable changes or goes away.  

Last Saturday, I participated in the creation of an Earthscape or Playa Painting led by Andres Amador on Del Mar Beach.  During the workshop, the idea of impermanence is never far out of consciousness for you see the designs that you create are quickly and without warning washed away by the tide throughout the workshop.  The impermanence of our designs was a perfect metaphor for life and although I didn't recognize it at the time, the notion or concept of impermanence would finally be the key to help me "let go".  The exercise on the beach made me realize that nothing truly is intended to belong to me or stay the same for everything changes or goes away.

What surprised me the most was that by integrating the idea of impermanence in my life, my fear of going through life detached and lonely because I let go of everything was alleviated.  It was through the understanding of that everything is impermanent that actually made the interactions with those people, place and things even more precious and valuable to me without the need to attach to them.  I liken it to when you hold a picked flower in your hand, being well aware that the flower will wilt and die in a matter of days.  The fact that the flower will be gone inspires you to savor its beauty even more, every moment that it stays alive.  In that way, you can live your entire life savoring every moment knowing that in each moment everything can (and often does) change.

We are all one with the universe ,  with each other and soon we all will be gone. Through the exercise on the beach and through the exercise of creating this blog, I have come to new a understanding of attachment, letting go, and have gained new wisdom and sense of inner peace through the acceptance of the impermanence of life.   I have become, once again, enlightened and by reading my story, so have you!

 

 

 

Remembering...

Today, in all probability you will remember the tragic events of 9/11/01, just as I have been doing this morning.  I remember where I was and what I was doing.  I bet you do too!  I remember very clearly the first plane hitting the towers and all the chaos that followed. 

I remember the horror and the wave of fear that swept through our country.  But I also remember how that terror and pain brought us together as a nation, as one people together, not separated by race, nationality or religion.  We were all just Americans, who had been attacked and together as a nation, we healed.  The tragedy somehow united us all, as we began to try to make sense of it all.

It's been fifteen years since that day.  Since that day, we as a country have experienced even more violence and terror here at home and abroad.  However, the terror attacks do not seem to any longer unite as a nation.  Instead, the daily images of suffering and senseless violence seem to have filled us with fear, looking for someone to blame and hate.  Today, our fear divides us and fuels our hatred.

Moreover, it is the fear and hatred that stops our world from healing,  keeping us connected to the darkness and disconnected from the light.  It is my belief that the key to healing the wounds of our world is mending the wounds in our souls.   For you see, our biggest contribution to world peace is to be at peace ourselves. So, today I plan to shine love and light on everyone I meet.  I intend to radiate my light so brightly that it will lift the vibration of the planet.   Please join me in lighting up this day and remembering that we are love!