Learning to Live: The Tool Box.
When it dons on you that you don't like the way you feel-and I'm not talking about long periods of sadness (although this is the first step I'd recommend to turn that around as well), but when your driving your car and you realize that you're frustrated, or down, or any other emotion that isn't "good'-
YOU CAN CHANGE THAT.
-and I mean Right Away.
It just takes some forethought and a little bit of planning.
Schedule in a half hour for yourself this week-make this as elaborate or as convenient as you'd like. If elaborate, plan you're time accordingly! You need a half hour for this excercise. Id' recommend having a notebook ready.
Once your positioned comfortably......JUST BREATHE..........as a thought comes into your head, recognize it, and then JUST BREATHE ....
Joy
Do you have a memory of feeling sheer joy? Remember it fully. Every detail of the occasion. Colors, sounds, people, words. Remember it until you can feel the Joy...then stay in that place as long as you'd like.
Peace
Do you have a special place? One in which you feel peaceful and calm, content? Imagine it. All the details. colors, sounds, shapes. Imagine it until you can feel the Peace...then stay in that place as long as you'd like.
Creating Joy and Peace
Once you're in the reflective Joy or reflective Peace state and you're ready to move on, ask yourself "What would make me feel even more Joy/Peace than this? And imagine THAT.
Sometimes you'll find that when you plug in your answer to the imagery, it DOESN'T bring more joy/peace, but less! And this is a great segway into the chapter about getting to know yourself and being sure that what you THINK you want is what you REALLY want...more on that another time...LOL.
Repeat the CREATING step as many times as you'd like!
Now you have created mental movies that you can put in your tool box, and plug em into your mind whenever it dons on you that you don't like the way you feel. Instant Joy, and Instant Peace.
Strengthening these images produces greater results, so try to take the time to write them down, but at a minimum, remember to plug in your mental movie on your way to sleep at night. Falling asleep peaceful, content or joyful brings a more restful evening, pleasant dreams and a happier wake-up.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
I'm not Asking That you Take Me As I Am, I'm not Asking That you take me...AT ALL.
Where there is Light, there is darkness: my personal liberation rant.
I am perpetually forgetful- if you tell me something of importance, I'll likely forget it.
I'm often lazy-if you offer to do it for me, I'll let you.
And I'm highly distractable-ooooh, what's that shiny thing?!
I'm flighty, high strung, and have a healthy Irish temper.
I have little patience for excuses and I always procrastinate.
What I offer of myself I offer without conditions, and for the sake of sharing. I expect nothing in return. I'm not asking you to take me as I am, I'm not asking you to take me, at all. I'm not asking anything from you, as I have everything I need. I dont seek approval, respect, or even your love; although if you offer it, without conditions, I'll accept it with immense gratitude.
If I have something you want/need, you can have it. You're welcome to take what you can use, and leave the rest- LEAVE the rest---ALONE. I'm very happy to keep it. I embrace all of my attributes, and I hope you embrace yours. I wont hide my colors, and although I dress myself in the brighter characteristics of my personality like clothing, and offer you the most attractive features, if you choose to look closer you'll undoubtedly notice a rainbow of my other "styles" coming through. I'll never ask you to take anything from me, offered or noticed. I'll not pretend to be anything but myself, and will only offer what I truly feel is valuable. If you expect more from me than what I am and what I offer, then the disappointment you experience belongs to you.
I will always treat you in kind. I respect your human-ness. I acknowledge and appreciate the Light of your spirit, and unless you offer me your other colors for consideration, I wont examine them. I'll never expect anything from you but what you give willingly and who you are, naturally.
I am perpetually forgetful- if you tell me something of importance, I'll likely forget it.
I'm often lazy-if you offer to do it for me, I'll let you.
And I'm highly distractable-ooooh, what's that shiny thing?!
I'm flighty, high strung, and have a healthy Irish temper.
I have little patience for excuses and I always procrastinate.
What I offer of myself I offer without conditions, and for the sake of sharing. I expect nothing in return. I'm not asking you to take me as I am, I'm not asking you to take me, at all. I'm not asking anything from you, as I have everything I need. I dont seek approval, respect, or even your love; although if you offer it, without conditions, I'll accept it with immense gratitude.
If I have something you want/need, you can have it. You're welcome to take what you can use, and leave the rest- LEAVE the rest---ALONE. I'm very happy to keep it. I embrace all of my attributes, and I hope you embrace yours. I wont hide my colors, and although I dress myself in the brighter characteristics of my personality like clothing, and offer you the most attractive features, if you choose to look closer you'll undoubtedly notice a rainbow of my other "styles" coming through. I'll never ask you to take anything from me, offered or noticed. I'll not pretend to be anything but myself, and will only offer what I truly feel is valuable. If you expect more from me than what I am and what I offer, then the disappointment you experience belongs to you.
I will always treat you in kind. I respect your human-ness. I acknowledge and appreciate the Light of your spirit, and unless you offer me your other colors for consideration, I wont examine them. I'll never expect anything from you but what you give willingly and who you are, naturally.
Do Unto Yourself as you wish other's would!
Go easy on yourself today. Be kind to yourself. Treat YOURSELF as you wish others would treat you! For you cannot to give to others what you dont give to yourself first...nor can others give to you what you haven't already granted yourself.
Do you feel un-loved? LOVE YOURSELF! How? Well, how would you love your best friend if she were feeling as you are right now?
Do you feel un-appreciated? Appreciate yourself! How? Well, how would you show appreciation to your best friend if she felt as you do right now?
Feel un-productive? Un-happy? Un-energized? un-worthy?
Give these gifts to yourself! Practice being your own best friend!
If you dont, no one else can....for you ccannot recieve anything from outside of yourself that you haven't accepted from within yourself first.
Be kind and gentle to yourself today.
No one is judging you, but you............ Give yourself a break, for Godssake! :)
Everything Roses
When I look at my life I cant help but assume that somewhere, at some time, I did something really, REALLY nice for someone of extreme spiritual importance. I fantasize that maybe it was even an angel posing as a human.
I mean, certainly I have never travelled the traditional route or engaged in the western approach to achievement, but somehow I landed here, in this life; and because I know that we are all bound by the natural laws of the universe: karma, cause & effect, ect., I cannot deny that I deserve everything I've got. (whether I like it or not).
There have always been people (and always will be) who say I've not worked for what I've received. That blessings just land in my lap, that no matter what I do-or how much I mess it all up, it always comes up roses in the end. And that is cause for frustration by some-and always pleasant surprise for me. However, if it's makes the frustrated feel better, to whom much is given, much is expected (the blessing and the curse). And certainly, the frustrated have not taken a look at my tired, and tattered shoes.
There have always been, and will always be people who feel better about themselves by pointing out my (and your) flaws, mistakes, weaknesses (as if we, especially women, dont already brood over those lists every day). I certainly don't try to be the best-I gave up competition when I took the crown off my head in 1994, and couldn't care any less about good,better, best. I certainly dont claim to be smart, organized, or an expert at ANYTHING I DO; although I know my gifts and weaknesses intimately. What I DO put effort into caring about is honoring my authentic self by listening to my inner voice, respectfully bringing to physical manifestation the surges of inspiration that I receive, and caring for myself-body, mind & spirit. Thats conscious and healthy selfishness. I also try to be a good momma and wife, sister, daughter and friend.
Beyond that, what I do outwardly, and possibly what I've always done is for the sake of sharing with others-not because I'm a good person, but becasue that is just who my authentic self is. It's the way I'm wired.
You see, it's the INTENTION behind the inspiration that determines your outcome. What are your motives? Are they selfish-I mean the ego-driven kind of selfish? Certainly there's nothing wrong with knowing your personal value, that's the healthy-selfish I alluded to earlier. Why and for whom are you wanting this? Important question- heck, the most important question.
Moral: when the soil of your garden is fed with nutrients (Intentions) that are rich in love, compassion & benefit for others, then the seeds (Inspiration) you plant will not only grow, but will always come up smelling of roses.
.....No matter how inept you are as a gardener.
and that's the truth for today.
:)
Happy Tuesday!
Elle
You Don't Get More Than You Can Handle
Often we hear this statement as a prayer. A source of strength and assurance that we really are capable of handling the trials we are faced with.
I believe that it's also a lesson in learning to recieve.
I want so much more for/of myself than I currently have/am. I'm not talking about material things, of course. This is about character, attributes, feelings.
I know that we cannot have and do not recieve more than we can handle. So we must handle ourselves with care: compassion, unconditional love, & forgiveness. We must handle, manage all the things we wish we had more of....that can be anything at all.
What AREN'T you managing? What is nagging you for your attention? What is spiralling out of your control? Chances are it's the same thing you wish you had more of, or it's an indirect product of it.
For me, I want to feel good. Body, mind and spirit. That means a body that is strong, flexible, without pain. A joyful spirit that wakes each morning and cannot wait to jump out of bed, grateful for another glorious day of magic on this planet; a clear and sharp mind free of confusion and self deprevating thoughts. A complete "well-being" that moves through the day with purpose IN the flow, not resisting what is and not fighting and/or running toward anything more....just moving, progressively and joyously.
Old habits are hard to break, we habitually think the same thoughts, make the same self sabotaging mistakes, relive the same unhealthy relationships just with different names and faces, have the same unwanted experiences in different times and places-----until we don't. Until we make changes. and change, although with a shift in attitude and perception can happen in an instant, for most of us takes self discipline and comittment (two of the many charateristics on my list of "things I wish I had").
So for me, that's what I need to work on first: building self discipline. Building my stregnth and character first, as well as my physical body will give me a foundation in which to make the other changes I feel are necessary to my mission: I want to feel good. making a lifetime comittment to one thing. Just one thing. And it doesn't have to be a difficult thing. Fullfilling any comittment with self discipline will begin to build that muscle and in turn start to shift the way I think of myself. It can be creating a new habit, or eliminating an old one. My gut tells me that creating a new habit may be easier than eliminating an old one. So I will begin there.
Is there anything calling to you, nagging you for attention, feelings of unease? Is there something you long for more of? Just one little thing? Let's break that one little thing down to it's smallest cell. What's that final seed that needs nuturing so that you can blossom?
Much Love,
Elle
Saturday, March 12, 2011
My Heart is Weeping
I just can’t get the devastation in Japan out of my heart and mind. I appreciate the international media's care in editing the videos so that we didn’t see any of the driving vehicles or the people walking getting swept up in front of our eyes, but just seeing them in the distance and knowing the terror they faced in their last moments is maddening. Thinking about the mothers who couldn’t get to their children at school, or the children who don’t know where their parents are now is breaking my heart. How can I justify just going on with my Saturday knowing the suffering of our fellow human beings? And even if I could justify it, my heart couldn’t' accomplish it anyway.
Right now-RIGHT THIS SECOND in Japan thousands of women are searching for their families in the debris of what was their community just 48 hours ago. RIGHT THIS SECOND women are being captured and brutally beaten in the Middle East. RIGHT THIS SECOND in the Conga, thousands of people are being brutally killed; women being gang raped and forced to watch their children slaughtered. TODAY the FBI will receive 2000 missing child reports in the USA, 74% of them will be female, and many of those teenagers feared to be sold into sex trafficking right here in America-which means that RIGHT NOW, a child is being terrified and teenage girls are being raped by our American men. And right now, I'm in my beautiful house, listening to my children play, drinking coffee and writing while my husband gets errands done......my heart is heavy, my conscience at odds, and my mind determined.
What is happening to our world? And how can we be so brazen to think that this devastation is not coming for us? Buddha said that "The world will be saved by the western woman". What is it that we are to do? As women, especially, we have so many blessings that much of the rest of the world isn't privy to. Our sisters right here at home and around the world are raped, beaten, treated like animals. What are we doing to help them?
Our fellow mothers and sisters cannot feed their families, are forced to drink and serve to their children water that they know will kill them. Little boys forced to watch their sisters and mothers brutalized. And we, with all of our resources, and all of our blessings, and all of our entitlement feel helpless. We close our eyes because it is too painful to watch. But once we know, and still do nothing, we are in part to blame for its continuation.
We are so busy with our carpools, and out task lists and our jobs, and our play dates, basketball, karate, softball, soccer, girl scouts, dance lessons, guitar lessons, haircuts, deadlines, parties…we choose not to look at the women whose struggles are to stay alive, and keep comfortable their baby who is dying before their eyes with no medical access.
There are things we can do. It does take time and effort to figure out exactly what those things are. I promise that when Eve Rising Wellness Center opens, my friends will have a place to find these answers. It is my mission to bring as many of the sisterhood together to aid our fellow sisters. To learn how to change and grow personally by connecting individuals to teachers who will inspire us to become our authentic selves, and help us reach our potential-individually and collectively, and by encouraging new and inspiring friendships that will aid us on our path of growth. To link each of us with members of our local, regional community who we can help in a very direct way, to link us to the agencies and organizations who can teach us how to help with international efforts to serve our sisters and families around the world. If the world can be saved by the western woman, don’t we have a responsibility to be part of the healing?
And what can we do in the quiet of our minds, before we have tangible items and tasks in front of us? We can PRAY. WE can breathe deeply and slowly and replace the focus of ourselves with the focus of our sisters. WE can send them our love and our power to be strong. WE can pray over a map of the world, sending our intentions to each region. And if you can call your BFF and do this together-even more powerful. Feel the pain, for as you feel the pain, you alleviate some of it from the sisters who are in the middle of it. Help take some of their suffering away by accepting it into your personal experience. And of course, we can donate money to the organizations that we already know are helping our sisters. An email to your senator and the president offering your concern and support of aid to any region you feel compelled to isn't a bad idea either.
May peace, healing, and Light of the Universe surround our fellow human beings everywhere, be the air that they breathe, filling them with a sense of calm, strength and knowing that we are spiritual beings having a human experience, and that we will all be one again. And may the Light of The Universe surround all of us in the blessed countries, be the air that we breathe, filling us with a sense of compassionate responsibility, and determination, and knowledge that we are all one, right now...what happens to one of our sisters, happens to us. And when we help one, we help all.
Peace, Love, Health and safety.
Elle
Right now-RIGHT THIS SECOND in Japan thousands of women are searching for their families in the debris of what was their community just 48 hours ago. RIGHT THIS SECOND women are being captured and brutally beaten in the Middle East. RIGHT THIS SECOND in the Conga, thousands of people are being brutally killed; women being gang raped and forced to watch their children slaughtered. TODAY the FBI will receive 2000 missing child reports in the USA, 74% of them will be female, and many of those teenagers feared to be sold into sex trafficking right here in America-which means that RIGHT NOW, a child is being terrified and teenage girls are being raped by our American men. And right now, I'm in my beautiful house, listening to my children play, drinking coffee and writing while my husband gets errands done......my heart is heavy, my conscience at odds, and my mind determined.
What is happening to our world? And how can we be so brazen to think that this devastation is not coming for us? Buddha said that "The world will be saved by the western woman". What is it that we are to do? As women, especially, we have so many blessings that much of the rest of the world isn't privy to. Our sisters right here at home and around the world are raped, beaten, treated like animals. What are we doing to help them?
Our fellow mothers and sisters cannot feed their families, are forced to drink and serve to their children water that they know will kill them. Little boys forced to watch their sisters and mothers brutalized. And we, with all of our resources, and all of our blessings, and all of our entitlement feel helpless. We close our eyes because it is too painful to watch. But once we know, and still do nothing, we are in part to blame for its continuation.
We are so busy with our carpools, and out task lists and our jobs, and our play dates, basketball, karate, softball, soccer, girl scouts, dance lessons, guitar lessons, haircuts, deadlines, parties…we choose not to look at the women whose struggles are to stay alive, and keep comfortable their baby who is dying before their eyes with no medical access.
There are things we can do. It does take time and effort to figure out exactly what those things are. I promise that when Eve Rising Wellness Center opens, my friends will have a place to find these answers. It is my mission to bring as many of the sisterhood together to aid our fellow sisters. To learn how to change and grow personally by connecting individuals to teachers who will inspire us to become our authentic selves, and help us reach our potential-individually and collectively, and by encouraging new and inspiring friendships that will aid us on our path of growth. To link each of us with members of our local, regional community who we can help in a very direct way, to link us to the agencies and organizations who can teach us how to help with international efforts to serve our sisters and families around the world. If the world can be saved by the western woman, don’t we have a responsibility to be part of the healing?
And what can we do in the quiet of our minds, before we have tangible items and tasks in front of us? We can PRAY. WE can breathe deeply and slowly and replace the focus of ourselves with the focus of our sisters. WE can send them our love and our power to be strong. WE can pray over a map of the world, sending our intentions to each region. And if you can call your BFF and do this together-even more powerful. Feel the pain, for as you feel the pain, you alleviate some of it from the sisters who are in the middle of it. Help take some of their suffering away by accepting it into your personal experience. And of course, we can donate money to the organizations that we already know are helping our sisters. An email to your senator and the president offering your concern and support of aid to any region you feel compelled to isn't a bad idea either.
May peace, healing, and Light of the Universe surround our fellow human beings everywhere, be the air that they breathe, filling them with a sense of calm, strength and knowing that we are spiritual beings having a human experience, and that we will all be one again. And may the Light of The Universe surround all of us in the blessed countries, be the air that we breathe, filling us with a sense of compassionate responsibility, and determination, and knowledge that we are all one, right now...what happens to one of our sisters, happens to us. And when we help one, we help all.
Peace, Love, Health and safety.
Elle
Friday, January 28, 2011
I'm not asking that you take me as I am, I'm not asking that you take me, at all...
Where there is Light, there is darkness: my personal liberation rant.
I am perpetually forgetful- if you tell me something of importance, I'll likely forget it.
I'm often lazy-if you offer to do it for me, I'll let you.
And I'm highly distractable-ooooh, what's that shiny thing?!
I'm flighty, high strung, and have a healthy Irish temper.
I have little patience for excuses and I always procrastinate.
What I offer of myself I offer without conditions, and for the sake of sharing. I expect nothing in return. I'm not asking you to take me as I am, I'm not asking you to take me, at all. I'm not asking anything from you, as I have everything I need. I dont seek approval, respect, or even your love; although if you offer it, without conditions, I'll accept it with immense gratitude.
If I have something you want/need, you can have it. You're welcome to take what you can use, and leave the rest- LEAVE the rest---ALONE. I'm very happy to keep it. I embrace all of my attributes, and I hope you embrace yours. I wont hide my colors, and although I dress myself in the brighter characteristics of my personality like clothing, and offer you the most attractive features, if you choose to look closer you'll undoubtedly notice a rainbow of my other "styles" coming through. I'll never ask you to take anything from me, offered or noticed. I'll not pretend to be anything but myself, and will only offer what I truly feel is valuable. If you expect more from me than what I am and what I offer, then the disappointment you experience belongs to you.
I will always treat you in kind. I respect your human-ness. I acknowledge and appreciate the Light of your spirit, and unless you offer me your other colors for consideration, I wont examine them. I'll never expect anything from you but what you give willingly and who you are, naturally.
Boy, getting older really IS liberating.
Today, and every day may we only take from eachother what we can use to grow in love, and may we respect eachother's personal human journey.
Blessings of Love and Light,
Elle
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