A safe harbor where beliefs are respected and kindness prevails.

Are We There Yet?

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janetthomasI listen to daily updates from my friend who writes plays. She is waiting for producers to get back to her regarding possible interest in one of her projects. She had hoped to hear from them last week, and with each passing day that she doesn’t hear from them, she is convinced they aren’t interested in her project.

I suggested that she take a step back for a moment and consider the idea that they didn’t give her a timeframe on when she could expect to hear back from them. Moreover, it is her OWN expectation regarding their timing that is driving her crazy! Somehow, somewhere she decided that if she hasn’t heard back from them in “X” days or weeks, it means they’re not interested. And that isn’t true at all. The only facts are (1) she submitted a play for consideration, and (2) she hasn’t heard from them yet. And that’s it. Any ideas she has beyond that are of her unique creation and vast imagination until new facts arise (with a phone call to them for an update, or them reaching out to her to tell her how magnificent she is).

The concept of time is so fascinating to me. We may think of time as this finite thing that is measured by the ticks of a clock or in the beautiful lines on our faces, yet we have a personal relationship with it, and it is very malleable. Time will shift to be whatever we decide it will be. In my friend’s case, she set up an expectation regarding time that became suffocating pretty quickly. When she adjusted her timing expectations, she felt much better!

Can you believe that it is already fall? Here it is, another change of season. Where, oh where did the time go, and how did you spend it? Did you spend a lot of it feeling like a prisoner to your personal expectations for the year (like me, lol), or did you find yourself smiling and laughing through it, playing and dancing with whatever your experiences? Now that I have had an enlightened moment about the concept of time and how I personally use it, I have made a conscious decision to loosen my belt a bit when it comes to my expectations, and I feel better already.

After all, why wouldn’t I be okay with my life exactly as it is? What is it that I am expecting that will make me feel better, happier, or more relevant?

Be willing to consider that what hasn’t happened for you as of this very moment is in perfect order. When you allow life to be okay at this very moment, there is great peace in that glorious split second. I have found that for every split second that I feel good and grounded and whole just as I am, it feels like time slows down and becomes simply the experience of “now.”

For now (and every subsequent “now”), not only are you wonderful, you are as worthy and as valuable as the stars in the sky, regardless of how tightly you have drawn your belt or what has or hasn’t happened in your life. The Glorious You transcends any and all barriers, conditions and definitions. The Glorious You is immersed in the goodness of All That Is while you navigate the fertile and creative waters of human existence. And, the Glorious You is timeless.

Right now, and in this season, LAUGH. Right now, and in this season, BREATHE. Right now, and in this season, LOVE. It’s what you do best!

And… my friend heard from a producer today. They are considering next steps. Yaay!

Connect with the Spirit of your Inner Child

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Fotolia_5492051_Subscription_LEach of us has an inner child who is longing to come out and play; to laugh, be silly, have fun and enjoy life. Our inner child is the curious, fun-loving part of our personality that seeks spontaneity and adventure. It wants to explore all that life has to offer with an open mind and heart. It knows how to have fun for the sake of having fun. Our inner child unapologetically embraces who we are, perceived flaws and all. When you connect with the spirit of your inner child healing takes place, leaving more room for joy, peace, and fun in your life.

One of the best ways to connect with your inner child is to do the things you are passionate about. So often the things we care about the most get pushed aside as we get swept up in our daily to-do lists packed with things we feel we have to do, instead of want to do. Become very clear about what matters most to you and make an effort to have your daily activities be a reflection of these things. Start taking note of the activities and people who put a smile on your face and fill your heart with joy. Notice the times when you are feeling at your best; what are you thinking? What are you doing? Who are the people around you?

To truly make your inner child smile it can be helpful to reflect on the things you enjoyed doing during childhood. What were your favorite activities? Did you have an imaginary friend? What toys did you like to play with? What games were you drawn toward? It can also be helpful to reflect on your childhood dreams. Did you envision yourself as an artist creating breathtaking paintings for the world to see? Did you imagine yourself as a teacher sharing your knowledge and wisdom with others? Childhood dreams may be expressed differently today but there are still ways to honor them. For instance, if you wanted to be a singer you could join a choir or go to karaoke. If you had dreams of becoming an actress you could take an acting class, or try out for a local play. Looking over childhood pictures can help trigger memories of things you enjoyed doing. Thinking back to these earlier years can provide insight into things you may still enjoy today but have not made time for.

So what stops us from letting our inner child play? Often we feel we need to hold ourselves back. We remain composed, serious, and ‘adult-like.’ Or we get so weighed down in the demands of daily life that there seems to be no room for fun. It is true that we have daily responsibilities and at times we need to step into our adult shoes, but it does not mean that we need to leave our inner child behind. Allowing our childlike spirit to shine through makes us more open-minded, joyful, creative, and productive. It can even make our daily routine seem more interesting. Through the eyes of a child everything is a new, exciting adventure, full of possibilities. Every situation is made more enjoyable with a little imagination.

When you allow your inner child to shine through you will see the world with new eyes; eyes of love, positivity, and joy. Give your inner child the love and approval that it is longing for by making sure your self-talk is supportive and encouraging, honoring the unique, beautiful person that you are. Don’t take yourself so seriously. Be silly, laugh, and have fun. Let the spirit of your inner child shine through in all that you do and your daily life will be transformed in many magical, fun ways.

Blissful Beliefs

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JU1What do you believe about your beliefs? How often do you stop to consider what your beliefs allow in your life? Are your beliefs expansive, or are they intrinsically constricting? Our belief systems create our states on a moment-to-moment basis. Whether we are strict, playful, committed, or scatterbrained, the interplay of our character joined with our belief system creates the fabric of how we live our lives.

Many people live with some pretty awful, unhelpful, and downright depressing beliefs every day. Just the other day, a friend of mine honestly confessed that she felt ‘fat and pathetic.’ Not surprisingly, she is neither in my eyes, and I’m a fairly objective person.

That’s what bothers me so much about beliefs. No matter what I might say to cheer, negate, or influence her beliefs, they are deeply held and will likely not budge by any of my ‘opinions.’ Beliefs come from the way we are raised, the experiences we have had, and in many cultures, the inherited energy of our ancestors’ experience. Beliefs ripple up through our thoughts, then into our actions, and then cycle back to either shift or enforce those beliefs. That cycle is where the magic can happen.

Beliefs can change. We can influence them. In many instances, like my friend’s, beliefs really must change. Here’s the place where personal choice comes in. For life to be wonderful, wonder-filled and fulfilling, beliefs must be fully life-affirming and expansive. Chances are that all of your beliefs do not fall into that excellent category. Life has perhaps jostled you about, given you some aches and pains from the hurtful actions of others (who acted from their own crappy beliefs), and now you have some pretty jaded, edgy beliefs. That’s okay. But you don’t have to stay in that state.

Have you ever found yourself wondering about someone: ‘Gosh, they’re always so happy,’ or ‘I wonder why they are so positive all of the time?’ or ‘Life isn’t as easy for me as it is for her. I have no reason to be so happy all the time’? Most of us have, at some point or another. Those are beliefs inside of us affirming that ‘Life is full of struggle’ or ‘To succeed you must sacrifice hugely’ or ‘People will only take you seriously if you act serious all of the time.’

I beg to differ. Some of the most successful, influential, and responsible people I’ve known have also been the most relaxed, pleasant, and open-heartedly generous. Their belief systems allowed that to happen, and they simply proceeded accordingly. Their beliefs were trained and molded to support their roles of responsibility and still keep them open to the expansiveness of life. As T Harv Eker says, rich people have different beliefs about money, and their bank accounts reflect that.

I also grew up around many devout religious people. I cannot tell you how many wonderful, fun, and warm-hearted people I’ve known who cared daily for long-ill relatives, had little money, and worked very hard to simply survive. They didn’t carry the weight of the world on their shoulders, they just enjoyed their lives and got on with it, best they could.

Some of us are certainly predisposed to happiness more than others. It’s proven that about seventy percent of your happiness is genetically coded for you. However, thirty percent is a pretty high percentage when talking about your daily joy. Shifting the deepest state of your beliefs can make a huge impact on that thirty percent.

There is a marvelous book that I hope you will go out and read immediately called Bliss, by Raphael Cushnir. It is all about experiencing full-blown bliss in your life every moment of every day. And the formula is astoundingly simple. Cushnir says that it is nothing more than this: joy+love-cause=bliss.

Choosing to embrace joy and love each moment while choosing to do so without any actual cause can create a state of pure bliss. Stop and imagine for a moment what staying in that state might do to shift some of your unfortunate, unsupportive beliefs. Remember that movie Pollyanna? Not such a bad state to be in, huh?

What could you get done in a state of moment-to-moment bliss? What could you achieve? How much more energy might you have? How much more creativity might you invite out of yourself – it’s all there within you all of the time anyhow! How often will you call upon the creativity, joy, and bliss in others to shine forth? Do you sense how the fabric of the world could shift, could open up, could envelop decisions globally and, certainly, locally. What does your role in that look like? Live in the moment and choose bliss. I dare ya!

A Droplet of Courage

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JordanA beloved Facebook friend posted this delightful quote: “Living from your heart is an art. It takes creativity, focus, and time.” (Original source unknown) These wise words touched my heart and spoke to my spirit.

I immediately sat in contemplation and pondered the insight so gracefully offered in the post. As I sat quietly with the idea of living heart-art, my teacher, Joshua, spoke to me. He gently talked about an additional ingredient for a heart-based life. Joshua added that living from the heart and letting love show also requires courage. As we awaken it is easier to release the social mask of fear we hide behind to reveal our extraordinary love for one another. Yet, in moments of insecurity, it remains a habit for us to hide our heart behind a mask. Good reasons led humankind to create a heart-shielding mask, and there’s no shame or guilt about using our heart shield. Joshua reminded me this tool has purpose. He urges us to utilize such tools consciously. Sadly, from Joshua’s point of view, we have allowed ourselves to hide our hearts habitually, and he added that now is the time to form new habits.

Each of us has the freedom to choose the moments when we lower our heart-shield and allow the mask to melt. We sense the unseen and unheard energy body, vibrations, and feeling tones around us with great accuracy. There are times and places when it is wise to shield our heart and proceed with caution. Sometimes we must refuse to harmonize with the energy around us. However, the time of transformation is calling to us, and we grow increasingly aware of our fear-based habits. Our feelings of love feed our courage and transform our environment. Love softens mistrust. It boosts our courage and eliminates the fear that amplifies our insecurity.

As we transition into our loved-based life, we will create a new reality—we’ll find ourselves in increasingly warmer and safer communities. Even in our current society Joshua says that in every circumstance we may let love flow. Love shows through our heart light, our eyes, and our smile. Indeed, feelings of love flowing through our being speak more powerfully than words. The heart center of our body is a lighthouse. Our light has no boundaries for it is the light of the One that dwells in All That Is. Letting this light grow and letting love show transforms our world. Love is that powerful. Awakening to our eternal and infinite nature reminds us that we have nothing to fear. Allow this understanding to drip into the pool of collective consciousness like a droplet of courage.

The global shift out of a fear-based reality into a time of love, peace, abundance, and understanding begins within each of us. Finding our courage to let love show is a practice of letting go of our fear. We practice letting go of our fear of being rejected or judged as soft, too sensitive, or weak. Together we plant the seeds of change and water these seeds with love. We remember that love dissolves fear, and we know in our whole self—there is nothing to fear. We are eternal and infinite beings now.

How do we advance toward the modern golden age? Joshua inspires us to set intentions in the direction we want humankind to move. He teaches that intentions are powerful, and at the same time, intentions allow us to side-step the suffering associated with expectation and attachment. I want to share an example of an intention that Joshua inspired me to write as we work together on our next book. Joshua’s statements of awareness are suggestions intended to move us forward. These intentions are offered as food for thought.

Intention to Let Love Show: I am awake to the unseen energy and the unheard sound that flows through my being. In this awareness, I know that the energy of my being touches everything and everyone. I have the privilege of influencing the energy field around me right here, right now. I know that love is unseen light and unheard sound broadcasting through my heart chakra, love shines in my eyes, and love beams from my smile. I intend to let love show everywhere I am. In my presence may others experience the love my heart sings, the love my eyes shine, and may my smile gently kiss All That Is.

Letting love show is an act of courage and strength that changes the world. Love is our personal power. Love plants the seeds of an amazing harvest, and we practice letting go of any fear keeping us from living a heart-based life. Imagine what we can transform with a droplet of courage to let love show. This challenge is heart-art worthy of our creativity.

   

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