Impact

"Consider the importance of becoming aware of the impact you have on others, and remind yourself that by raising your own energy level to a place where you’re in harmony with Source, you become an instrument, or a channel, of peace. This works everywhere, so be a part of the counterbalance to the human negativity you encounter in your life. As Mahatma Gandhi said: “We must be the change we wish to see in the world.” Dr. Wayne W. Dyer from Do You Make a Difference?

Taking a Leap

The on-the-spot practice of being fully present, feeling your heart, and greeting the next moment with an open mind can be done at any time: when you wake up in the morning, before a difficult conversation, whenever fear or discomfort arises. This practice is a beautiful way to claim your warriorship, your spiritual warriorship. In other words, it is a way to claim your courage, your kindness, your strength. Whenever it occurs to you, you can pause briefly, touch in with how you're feeling both physically and mentally, and then connect with your heart-even putting your hand on your heart, if you want to. This is a way of extending warmth and acceptance to whatever is going on for you right now. You might have an aching back, an upset stomach, panic, rage, impatience, calmness, joy-whatever it is, you can let it be there just as it is, without labeling it good or bad, without telling yourself you should or shouldn't be feeling that way. Having connected with what is, with love and acceptance, you can go forward with curiosity and courage. I call this step "taking a leap." From Pema Chodron's book "Living Beautifully with Uncertainty and Change"

Inner Peace

me holding leaves

"When we have inner peace, we can be at peace with those around us. When our community is in a state of peace, it can share that peace with neighboring communities and so on. When we feel love and kindness toward others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us also to de­velop inner happiness and peace." - Dalai Lama

Desire Map Poem

Danielle LaPorte is launching a new project - The Desire Map. I can't wait to read, join, jump and be a part of it when it comes out. But here is a video poem by her. It is hitting many things I am working on and have been working for a long time. Looks like it is going to be very interesting and very helpful.

Sister Giant

I like Marianne Williamson. I have for many years. I have the Course in Miracles which she wrote a book based on that practice.  I also have her prayer book.  Now she is getting involved in politics - in getting women involved specifically. She has some interesting things on her new website Sister Giant and really enjoyed listening to this video she posted there too.

4 Tips for Being Mindful

Another Tiny Buddha that helped me recently...they always seems to post things I need to hear right in the moment.

4 Tips for Mindfulness when Life is stressful and painful....

1. Realize thoughts are not necessarily reality.
2. Use breathing to center you in the now.
3. Stop comparing now to then.
4. Focus on the happy moments.

Good points and lots of insight in the full post: LIVING IN THE NOW WHEN IT’S STRESSFUL

Inspiring Women - Gabrielle Bernstein

You know I was going to sit down here and say that I am into reading or watching/listening too all these amazing women on the web who inspire me.  I am trying to apply some of what I read/hear into my life so that I can achieve my goals.  But what stopped me for a moment is because they are often labeled as self-help or in the self-help field.  Many are in the marketing field, business and life coaches - helping women become who they want to be. They are business and life coaches.  But really the word self-help is what stopped me for a moment because it can be a turn off.  I wish it wasn't that way. But often it makes people wonder why you need help. These women though want you to be able to discover and go after all you dream about and will help you take find a path to achieving everything you want.  Going after dreams is very healing and hopeful.  So I guess  in those terms - they are in the self-help field but it isn't a bad word to me because these women inspire me even when I am having a hard time with my chronic migraines getting in the way.  The remind me to be hopeful and keep moving forward in my dreams.

I thought I would highlight a few of these wonderful women the next few weeks.

My first pick and these aren't in order of favorites or anything. I just happened to watch Gabby's Monday Vlog and thought I want to share this...and share all the inspiring things I read from these amazing women. 

So today I am sharing Gabrielle Bernstein - The Spirit Junkie.  I watch her vlogs (video-blogs). I love her attitude and well...spirit. She is a bright light.  In this video she talks about taking your passion to the next level. She quotes Dr. Wayne Dryer who is very inspiring also. She uses his quote about being inspired means you are inspirit. She also says when we are inspired we are inspirit and when we are inspirit we know that the universe has our back.  I really like that and feel it is true.

Meditation

Don't from susan piver on Vimeo.


Susan Piver's has very helpful 10-minute meditation videos.  To see more of them go here.  I use meditation to help center myself when things seem out of control and just to help me keep focus day to day. Sometimes of course it doesn't go well or easily but most of the time is it a helpful practice.

Compassion

The human capacity to care for others isn’t something trivial or something to be taken for granted. Rather, it is something we should cherish. Compassion is a marvel of human nature, a precious inner resource, and the foundation of our well-being and the harmony of our societies. If we seek happiness for ourselves, we should practice compassion: and if we seek happiness for others, we should also practice compassion. ~ Dalai Lama

Create Solutions, Not Resolutions

"Achievement is still the goal, but ironically, you only get there by letting go of the need for it." from TinyBuddha.com  I really like the affirmations listed in this post. 

TinyBuddha.com

I love TinyBuddha.com and they post things that make me stop and pause and reflect almost daily. So just sharing a few titles with a little snippet from the post.

Dealing with Conflict: Knowing when the Battle is Internal - "When daily life and all its trappings take over, we can sometimes lose ourselves and neglect to do the things that help keep us strong—and that can lead to conflict all around us."

Letting Go of Insecurities with Two Realizations - "We really can be ourselves if we can remember that it’s our perception that matters—and it’s a waste of energy to try to see ourselves through other people’s eyes. Odds are, they’re paying far less attention than we think."

Creating Happiness from Within Even When Times Get Tough - It goes into each of these more....
How to cultivate happiness from within, right now:
* Control what you can, and let go of what you can’t.
* Learn to love yourself.
* Spend time with people who make you happy.
* Get some perspective.
* Pay it forward.
* Get your OM on.

Letting Go of Painful Memories - "We just need to learn what it means to let go in a moment, and then remember what that looks and feels like to do it again when necessary.

It may mean practicing mindfulness, or reminding yourself that it wasn’t your fault, or revisiting what you learned through the experience. What matters isn’t that we find letting go to be easy; it’s that we find it to be possible."

Sometimes No One is Wrong - "Maybe we can define the conduct we believe to be good and kind, without assuming we know people’s intentions, thereby labeling them right or wrong when they stumble. Maybe we can decide and honor what we believe and allow other people the same freedom, choosing not to be threatened if they see things differently.

Maybe loving ourselves is feeling secure without having to convince other people we’re right; and loving other people is wanting to understand instead of wanting to tell them they’re wrong."

The Work

I don't believe there is one end all be all to fixing things. I think actually each person has a responsibility to their ownself and that of course we might come across tools that will help us but won't help someone else. It has taken me a lot of years to become aware of myself and what works and how I tick. And change some of the things I didn't like about myself. But it does feel at times like a continuous journey of learning. Brene Brown's books have really impacted me this year but a friend also suggested Byron Katie so I started reading her book recently. I really am taking some good things from it too. The website really gives the key pieces though.

The 4 Questions are really interesting and they have been insightful and beneficial in many situations. I wish I would have learned them a long time ago.

Life Questions

A good fun article - simple questions but good questions

20 Questions that Could Change Your Life

This is a really good blog too...How to Make a Life List You’ll Actually Do: A Comprehensive Guide

2011 has been about me answering some of those 20 questions and making that list. I have started it and keep adding to it.

I thought it was just me

I am soaking up everything Brene Brown writes and says. Yesterday she was on VoiceAmerica Talk Radio Network - Real Recognition Radio and I have played it several times - link to her interview.

I really want to be reading The Gift of Imperfection but the library doesn't have it. But they had her other book I Thought It Just Was Me - that is about shame. And although I know have shame - I felt that the other book would be better for me at this time. But I was wrong. I am sure the other book will be great for me as well but this book I think is very helpful for me right now too. I am only a chapter in have several flags in it. Many of her definitions have been like light bulbs for me. The illuminate many places in and how those experiences have effected me today. Even in my art which is why I wanted to read The Gift of Imperfection because I suffer with it having to be perfect.

I am sure I will have a lot of flags sticking out of this book by the time I am done with it.

Thoughts Become Things

This came with the prompt for December 25th REVERB. The person speaking does Notes from the Universe. I have pasted a few in this blog. I get them daily and enjoy them. And I am very thankful for them because they often tell me just what I need to hear.

Friends

As I mentioned in my gratitude post yesterday I received some mail love this past week. I couldn't find the card online but it is similar and from the same series as this one.

It said on the front:

"Awake, my dear.
Be kind to your sleeping heart.
Take it out into the vast
field of light
And let it breathe."

Inside she just wrote a very touching message. I have been having lots of insomnia and her words were a comfort.

New Earth Quotes

Reading New Earth so saving a few quotes....

"You do not become good by trying to be good but by finding the goodness that is already within you."

"To recognize one's own insanity is, of course, the arising of sanity, the beginning of healing and transcendence."

"...realize that how 'spiritual' you are has nothing to do with what you believe but everything to do with your state of consciousness."

"I didn't realize yet that thinking without awareness is the main dilemma of human existence"

Compassion

Bean of Coyote Craft posted this.... and I just had to repost it.

"Sometimes we think that to develop an open heart, to be truly loving and compassionate, means that we need to be passive, to allow others to abuse us, to smile and let anyone do what they want with us. Yet this is not what is meant by compassion. Quite the contrary.

Compassion is not at all weak. It is the strength that arises out of seeing the true nature of suffering in the world. Compassion allows us to bear witness to that suffering, whether it is in ourselves or others, without fear; it allows us to name injustice without hesitation, and to act strongly, with all the skill at our disposal. To develop this mind state of compassion... is to learn to live, as the Buddha put it, with sympathy for all living beings, without exception."

~ Sharon Salzberg, Lovingkindness

Soul Collage

A very dear friend of mine, Jessica had been doing Soul Collage. I have seen her breathtaking and moving cards. She inspired me with them. It was one of those things that I thought someday I will get the book and do the work for it. Right now I am still in that "I am 40 years old (41 years old now but started when I hit 40) and what do I have to show for my life and where do I want it to go the next 20 years" phase. So doing that kind of work probably would be very good for me but as always things just get put aside.

Well after yesterday I don't have an excuse anymore. Jessica gave me a gift of the book and brought together 4 of us friends to do this together. I am looking forward to exploring all that comes with it.

Here is another link about them too that talks about how to make them.

A Prayer for the Day of the Election

Almighty God, source of all grace and truth,
to whom we must account for all our decisions
and for all our powers and privileges,
Guide us in the election of our officials and representatives.
Give us grace to see ourselves, as individuals and as a people,
not as we want to see ourselves, but as you see us:
as we are and as you are calling us to be,
That we might see the candidates,
not as they want us to see them, but as you see them:
as they are and as you would call them to be.
Help us to discern your will for our choices,
that we may act and vote, not out of fear, nor out of anger,
nor out of any form of thoughtless bias or prejudice,
but out of your truth and love. Amen

Prayer for Voting and Election by Rev. Ken Howard. I love how it really just says it there...to vote without fear or anger or "bias or prejudice but out of your truth and love." This is a good mixture of state and church because it isn't choosing sides and telling people who to vote for but telling them to vote in truth and love.