Here is my second part of highlights from the book, Parenting with Spirit by Jane Bartlett. I jump all over with the ideas I liked and wanted to take note of, so bare with me & take what you want, with the understanding that there is so much more contained in the rest of her book. This is just a glimpse of goodness!!
“Our creative dreams and yearnings come from a divine source. As we move toward our dreams, we move toward our divinity.” -Julia Cameron, Artist’s Way
Taken from the book Parenting with Spirit by Jane Bartlett:
How to add spiritual depth to CREATIVITY:
Encourage your children to take a short moment of calm before they begin their creative pursuit. This may take the form of a little prayer or simple breathing exercise.
Invite your children to draw a picture or play a piece of music as part of their nighttime prayer ritual. [I think this would be a good daytime prayer activity as well] They could draw a picture of those things that they want to say thank you to God for, or a picture of those who are in special need of God’s love right now. They could choose to play a piece of music tat sums up the spirit of the day.
Use your children’s creative work when you hold family rituals. If you are celebrating spring, this is the time to get your children to paint daffodils or whirl around the hours to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. [I have a picture my daughter drew right now on my fridge that is a piece in ‘perspective’–I look at it and remember to always keep things in ‘perspective’]–
Place your children’s creative achievements somewhere special.This lets your children know that their art is worthy of this very special place in the home, and helps them make the connection between their creative life and worship.
Encourage your children to express their feelings about nature. When you go to the park or out into the countryside, take art materials with you so your children can express their experience of nature through images or words.
[I have been drawn to Andy Goldsworthy’s art lately—he has such a way of using rocks, colorful leaves, space, twigs, etc to create amazing pieces of art from nature. You could take your kids out and collect items to create your own natural creation]
When your children’s artwork becomes explicitly sacred in this way, be extra mindful about the ways in which you respond to it. Treat it with care and reverence, for it has emerged from a very tender part of their being–their soul. By letting them witness that their soul creations are worthy of your complete, loving attention, you are conveying to your children the powerful message that they matter very much.
Glorify God in your BODY: The physical fitness, suppleness, and energy are all God’s gifts to children, and as spiritual parents we must provide ample opportunity for them to enjoy what they have been given.
Yoga: Children’s yoga teachers say that the practice, as well as being good for fitness and health (it’s particularly helpful for asthma), sharpens a child’s ability to focus and helps to develop self-discipline–both essential for the spiritual path. The meditative aspects of yoga enable children to become aware that they have an internal life, “which really helps children get to know themselves.”
Family Walks: Walking in nature is one of the most popular ways in which to relax and feel connected to creation; it is something that we naturally seem to want to do to calm and renew ourselves.
[I can chime in on the importance of family walks: we have a beautiful, natural path near our home and when anyone in our family is stressed or in need of any kind of relaxation–the path is the cure. It is easy to get lost in the leaves swaying, the bird songs, the way the light plays, etc. There is a healing that nature holds & our soul connection finds peace abundant.]
The importance of PLAY: the word “silly” derives from the Germanic selig, meaning ‘blessed.’
Silly games to play with your children before they grow up: toe game “this little piggy went to the market”, Splash tag: an outdoor game in which the person who is ‘it” tries to catch others by hitting them with a wet sponge, make crazy hats to wear to dinner, jump waves at the beach, paint crazy faces on each other or do shaving cream beards, blow up balloons and keep them all going up in the air, balance a ball on your finger, etc.
Vacations: When we go away we have the opportunity to experience life differently. From a spiritual perspective, think of your family vacations no as an escape but as an arriving. If you have been living in a flat and meaningless way, this may be the antidote that you all need. Don’t just take your bodies on vacation; take your family soul too.
Practice Loving Family Discipline:
In it’s origins “discipline” comes from the Latin word for “instruction,” and a “disciple” is a student under the leadership of a teacher. For me, child discipline is more about training than punishment; used wisely it is guidance to ensure that childen become the best human beings they can be. [I LOVED this!! I thought this made such great sense—you don’t need to use harsh punishment—loving guidance]
Quiet time: “Let us be silent that we may hear the whispers of the gods,” -Ralph Waldo Emerson This could be parent quiet time and also family quiet time. Spritual practice for Parents: Sneak a minute of silence into your life as part of your daily routine. If you look for it, sixty seconds of quiet can be found in the most unlikely places. You might find it at your desk before you start work. Or it could be while waiting for a saucepan to boil, or in the car after you have dropped off all the kids.
[in our home quiet time can be a half hour of reading or just listening to quiet music, turning off the television, the electronics and just being still for awhile. Slowing down, having moments of quiet is so necessary to find any space of calm or spirit].
She has so much more including the importance of cutting down on tv time, pets, the importance of nature, community, big questions, manners, and so much more. If you have liked the information that I have shared in the past two posts–I would suggest buying her book and helping it nourish every part of the necessary needs of your family.
Have an amazing day. Thank you so much for taking the time to invest in this little blog. It means so much. Thank you.
I just finished reading Jane Bartlett’s good book, “Parenting with Spirit.” I am always in search of more ideas to enrich the lives of those I love, so this was a good read. I am going to share with you some of the ideas and tidbits that I personally highlighted and the many take aways that you can use with your family. [note: these ideas jump all over from highlighted lines I was drawn to, the book carries many ideas and shares action ideas and many good things for your families, so this is just a glimpse—go buy the book! smile. smile.]
“the greatest enemy of the spiritual life is the human tendency to sleepwalk through life. Prayer calls us to wakefulness.” -Thich Nhat Hanh
Pray with your children: I wrote about the details of praying with your family in another blog post “are you sleepwalking through life” God is not only to be found when we are on our knees with our hands together. I often find myself saying a prayer while driving my daughter to school, praying for her day, that she will be safe, that she will be a light to others…I will also find myself praying when I am alone, praying for my family, having those moments praying for my child, my husband, our life together, and it may be on a drive, parked at a park, sitting on my back deck, just looking at the sky, not necessarily on my knees.
Here was a creative idea that Jane shares from her book: Create a cairn–a pile of stones used as a marker to show walkers the way. This works best when there are a number of you gathered for a communal [family] prayer. In turn, place your pebbles into a pile in the center and as you do so speak aloud your prayers. This is an engaging way of helping children take stock of their day or week. Collect three stones: one smooth pebble, one a jagged piece, and the third a sparkling gem. Offer the children each of the three stones. As they hold the pebble encourage them to recollect an ordinary moment of the day for which they are grateful. With the jagged, they recollect a moment that was difficult for them. And with the gemstone they recollect a moment that was sparkly and happy.
Parental blessings:Giving your child a blessing is a powerful experience for both you and the recipient. You don’t have to be a priest or designated holy person to give a blessing, you just need to have a genuine desire to extend your love and care to someone else. Growing up in my home we had a designated chair that even had a gold plaque that read, “blessing chair” and the prayers in my home were very formal with oils and rules. I have come to a deep understanding that the above statement is so very true. It is a matter of the heart, it is not only men who can gift their child a prayer of wellness or a priest or bishop who is the only one with ‘special keys’, God wants us to care for one another & if our hearts are in the right place, thinking of someone else and there well-being, then so it shall be good enough for Him to help a need, calm a troubled heart, prayer for the gift of a child, heal a sick child, comfort a child on their first day of school, bless them to find a friend, etc.…a blessing is a gift from the heart.
Scientific Studies of Prayer:There is a small amount of scientific research that seems to indicate that prayer might work. One study published in the Journal of Reproductive Medicine followed nearly 200 women in South Korea on an IVF program. Unbeknown to them, half of the women were being prayed for by Christians in North America and Australia, who had their photographs. The results were surprising, particularly for the researchers who had intended to prove that prayer doesn’t work. The women being pray for had a 50 percent success rate, compared with a 26 percent success rate for those not prayed for. Another study, published in the American Heart Journal, covered 150 cardiac patients. They had been divided into five groups: one group received just standard care and the others additionally received guided imagery, stress relaxation, healing touch or intercessory prayer (by seven different religious groups from around the world). It was discovered that, after allowing for all manner of variables, those who received the additional “therapies” showed a 25 to 30 percent better recovery rate, and the group being prayed for fared the best with a 50-100 percent better recovery rate.
Sacred Ritual:Sacred ritual, however, has been disappearing from modern Western culture. As traditional religion declines, so too do the opportunities to experience collectively our connection to God. Light two candles on the mantle every evening after dinner, one to pray for themselves [your children] and the concerns of their own lives, and the second to pray for people in the wider world. [She has lots of ideas for family rituals and traditions–check out her book] I have another blog post all about rituals and traditions—great ideas for your family.
Family Meal:a quarter of families only get to sit down and eat together once a month, and only 15 percent manage it every day. Mealtimes are very important and enjoyable way to gather as a family and share news about the day: in many ways they represent the heart of family life. Taking a moment to say grace adds a deeper level of meaning to the occasion because it makes us aware that the food in front of us is a gift. There is bounty in the world, and here on the table lies the proof. Briefly, we might contemplate the sun and rain that gave the food life, the human hands that brought it to harvest and stacked it on the supermarket shelves, and finally the person who cooked it. In its fullest sense to the forces of nature and each other. There’s something sacramental about sharing food together, and it feels utterly right to have a prayer at that time. I honestly believe that food tastes better when we have had a moment of contemplation.
Story time:Leaving your child to listen to a story on an audiotape may be enjoyable for a child and easy for a parent, but it can in no way capture this magic, because children’s bedtime stories are as much about the intimacy between the teller and the listener as about the tale itself. If you have had a stressful day, this is an opportunity for healing, because on your lap or tucked beneath your arms, your children feel safe and loved. Together you share a story that is like warm milk, feeding your child’s imagination and understanding of the world. Here is a book list she suggested: Chronicles of Narnia, The Secret Garden, Tom’s Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce, Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter, and the Wizard of Ozby L. Frank Baum. You can also look for book awards like the Carnegie Medal, The Whitbread, The Smarties Book Prize and the Guardian Award. Favorite picture books include: The Big Big Sea by Martin Waddell, Guess How Much I Love YOu by Sam McBratney and Anita Jeram, The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister and the Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams. One of my other personal favorite authors—Nancy Tillman, On The Night You Were Born and ANY of her other magical books. Love them!
I LOVED this idea: I have started up a new ritual in our household on Friday evenings. It is called hot chocolate night. Instead of story time taking place in separate bedrooms with individual children, we all gather together, around the fire in the winter, for hot chocolate and a story. You could also do cookies and milk during the warmer months OR ‘Watermelon and Wonder’
AWAKE: to stop sleeping; wake from a sleep. To stir the interest of; excite. To become or make aware.
Here is the second part of info, tools, thoughts and ideas that I took from the inspired movie, Awake in the dream. Beautiful movie I would highly recommend. I had a good friend of mine read my last post and immediately call me and ask me where I saw the movie, she was intrigued. Anyone can find it on Amazon, so get a copy. It is worth the time. Amazon has it for $13.95. [fyi: I don’t make any money or gain anything from promoting this movie. I just truly found it uplifting, beautiful, inspiring]
FEAR: Walsch likes the acronym Feeling Excited And Ready for the word FEAR. If you follow that feeling you can look at situations with a different perspective and step into that space excited and ready for whatever comes.
Fear and disempowerment may disconnect you, but the divine power is always within you. BUT, how do you rid yourself of these self-limiting ideas? Here are some tools…
Root causes for suffering
#1 Identification with the BODY (I am my body)–this is the birth of the EGO. Beliefs begin about how ‘you are your body’–MY feelings, MY thoughts, MY story, MY work, MY country, etc. This causes you to be independent of spirit.
#2 Identification with the MIND. Arjuna Ardagh, Awakening Coach, put it this way…This is the commentary of the mind—future, past, fears, judgements, evaluations, etc. The good—this is the part that allows imagination—to desire to make something–you create it. But it is also a curse. This capacity to think and imagine makes a wonderful servant–can be used, but a terrible master. Almost all human beings have lost the capacity to know how to switch it off.
Thoughts aren’t the problem–it’s letting them stick that becomes the real issue. Sabotage of the mind: you blame, you judge the thoughts, your desires…you resist what is. Catharine (the creator of the movie) talked about how she began to believe and resist that she was a single mother, that she felt like she was a failure for not having the perfect family she desired.
You must let go of perfection and embrace the imperfectly you in this life. Enjoying, surrendering and not defending what is. If you defend–you blow it up. How long do you stay in the drama? When you knock yourself down, how long do you need to stay there? That is a choice. You can accept it as it is OR you can judge it, dislike it, hate it, RESIST it!!! There is the key, when you choose to judge or hate it, you are locked in it. Choose ACCEPTANCE of what is.
“Peace of mind is not the result of obtaining your desires, it is the result of losing your desire.” -Harry Palmer
DESIRE: Every desire will only satisfy for awhile. (i.e.: buy new shoes, new car, want a new house…) Desire is tricky because you think the peace you have is from getting something you desire, but in reality it is when there is no desire running. We are so conditioned by need—I need something, I need something. We are running around like needy beings. Our NATURAL BEING is without need and that is the wealth of being. It’s not lacking anything. FREE and RICH is the one who desires NOTHING (NO THINGS). Not even from God. Otherwise we are all beggars.
STOP RUNNING DESIRES!! See through the illusion. Don’t just jump from one desire to another searching for that little bit of peace. That PEACE will be there when you stop running. Stop believing that the object of your desire is what brings you the peace. That’s commercialism!! The mind does not need an object to be still.
JUDGEMENT: Judging is a very strong attribute of the personal mind. Someone who is judging others usually has a pretty strong inner self-critic. Usually when you are not comfortable within, you seek to pick on others.
EMOTIONS: Emotions help us to realize how clear we are with ourselves and how honest we live our needs. When we have strong negative emotions–we act apart from our inner self. Emotions want to tell us “Look here!” because all our cells are in yourself want to feel good. Everything that does not feel good needs to be changed back to feeling good.
FEELINGS vs EMOTIONS: Feelings versus emotions–when you allow yourself to have your real feelings–but it’s anger–let it come from within, let it all out, don’t attach the stories that often come with the emotions. FEELINGS become a teacher, a guide, free from thought (story).
FORGIVENESS: Forgiveness means FOR GIVING. Often times when we get hurt we shut down, we crack, we pull in. We don’t want to give anymore. If someone hurts us we don’t want to give them anything. When you forgive–you let go, you let go of the past or what happened, you allow giving to begin again. This gave me a great visual—When you are holding on to something (imagine a bag marked hurts, regrets, pain) you are holding tight to this bag—unable to give anything else. Your hands are full of garbage, so you can’t offer anything else. Let’s say you wanted to give someone a bouquet of flowers, but you can’t because your hands are full of the bags of hurts, regrets, pain—things that you need to let go of, so then you can offer the beautiful things you can give to others). In reality, usually when there is a deep need of forgiveness it is usually something within us that is in need of self-forgiveness that is at the core.
In TRUTH there is only YOU that impedes your divine potential.
“You are here to enable the divine purpose of the universe to unfold. That is how important you are!” -Eckhart Tolle
Many religions will tell you that you are separate from God. That is a mistake, an error, so the unfortunate thing is many of us go through life born feeling alone, growing up feeling alone, and not feeling that connection, not understanding that we are always connected.
AWAKENING is not the fruit of getting rid of something. AWAKENING means to realize that the barrier never existed. -Arjuna Ardogh
LOVE is our nature. When you know yourself, you will realize that your true nature is LOVE.
ENLIGHTENMENT simply means to understand who you are—not who you think you are, who other people think you are, what others have told you you are and not what your society conditions you to believe you are. The human experience is an opportunity to discover that we are the divine eternal principle. God is the center of everything. To find the center we must go within to our own center to find the connection, the deeper part is always divinely connected.
Your heart is the GOD FORCE of the creations that come from love. When you are able to shift your own identity to divine essence—the way is in the HEART.
Well, there are SO many more gems from this beautiful movie. I hope this has given you some good food for thought and will inspire you to get the movie to truly enjoy the full experience. It is a beautiful movie. Thank you.
I watched an amazing movie the other day called “Awake in the Dream” by Catharina Roland —I highly recommend watching it and taking the seeds of change that will help you grow into a higher, better part of yourself. It was full of highly intellectual people sharing their deep insights, set to beautiful backdrops all around the world. It was wonderful to watch!!
Here is the trailer for the movie–
AWAKE IN THE DREAM PART 1
I am going to share bits of knowledge from this movie into a few different parts—this one I am going to share the thoughts about limiting beliefs.
She had author, Bruce Lipton, Biology of Belief, talk about what stops us from creating and using our potential—We have settled for our belief system, instead of seeing all the shimmer, shine, possibility of what reality can bring. Beliefs can bring limits or possibility. Thoughts like: Life is hard, I am a loser, it’s out of my hands VS I am beautiful, It’s a new day, I live in abundance, All changes change for the better, I am beloved…
This was fascinating to me–he began to talk about research done with people who have multiple personality issues. He talked about how powerful the brain is and can literally change the physicality of the body like a switch. He gave an example of someone who had two personalities, while one was extremely allergic to strawberries and would have a serious reaction, when the other personality showed up & was asked about strawberries, the response was that they loved strawberries and ate five of them with no reaction. When your mind changes, your biology can change as fast as you change your mind.
He explained most healing truly is the placebo effect—if the person believes the sugar pill will affect and heal them–it will. The pill didn’t heal–the BELIEF OF HEALING is what healed them.
I thought the following DOVE BEAUTY PATCH video would fit beautifully into what we are talking about. MAKE SURE TO WATCH THIS!! VERY POWERFUL. (This was NOT in the movie–I just thought it was a good fit & very powerful)
Bruce Lipton also spoke of the Nocebo effect (negative thought effect/the opposite of placebo)–Here is a video I came across to help explain the “Nocebo effect.” It is equally as powerful as the placebo, but it takes you in the opposite direction. A positive thought can HEAL you while a negative thought can KILL you.
Bruce also talked about the messages from the media that we should be afraid, the world is falling apart. He said, We need to be aware of not believing these things and not begin to follow and live in that fear because then we lose our power. Bruce said, “Let the world fall apart because then the new, empowering ideas will emerge and will be able to replace the old ones that are not working.”
I also really enjoyed listening to Arjuna Ardagh (At first I was a little closed off to his slow, spacey way, but the more I watched and listened to him–I was hooked) He explained thoughts as this…Scientists say that we usually talk about 400 words per minute to ourselves. Thoughts are constantly assessing our surroundings, giving us judgements, how to deal with people, how to act…the mind always thinking, always wanting more. This is the commentary of the mind–future, past, fears, judgements, evaluations. The good–this is the part that allows imagination—to desire to make a movie & then make it, to see a bldg & then build it…BUT it is also a curse. The capacity to think and imagine makes a wonderful servant—can be used, but makes a terrible master. Almost all human beings have lost the capacity to know how to switch it off. So the thinking process isn’t useful in the right way—it can become a disease. Like a television you can’t switch off anymore.
He had a great metaphor—it’s like having a parrot on your shoulder, always chattering, always wanting more—you can’t turn it off. It is genetic, it’s biological, always there, you can’t switch it off, but in the moment you are able to observe the activities of thought as something automatic something interesting happens–you become aware of the thoughts. You are no longer the parrot–you are the observer of the parrot.
“The beginning of freedom is the realization that you are not “the thinker.” The moment you start watching the thinker, a higher level of consciousness becomes activated. You then begin to realize that there is a vast realm of intelligence beyond thought, that thought is only a tiny aspect of that intelligence. You also realize that all the things that truly matter – beauty, love, creativity, joy, inner peace – arise from beyond the mind. You begin to awaken.” -Eckhart Tolle
I had an amazing experience last Friday, I got to spend a day with beautiful horses learning about myself, energy, leadership and finding a deeper part of myself.
I am definitely a follower of my own intuition. I have tried to listen to any prompting, inspiration to try something, a book that seems to keep jumping out at me…there are always gifts and signs that can guide us to situations that will help us grow beyond our current state. I was listening to a podcast of Koren Motekaitis (she has a great podcast show) and she was interviewing someone named Renee Sievert who was a Equus Coach. I had no idea what that was, but I was drawn to her passion and excitement and then she mentioned working with horses. Deal breaker!! my interest was even more heightened, because I have always had a thing with horses, their wild essence, their spirit, watching them run…whenever I have had bad dreams throughout my life, I envision wild horses running and it seems to calm my soul. Not sure why, so a coach who worked with horses was very interesting to me. I listened to the podcast, immediately after I began to scroll my phone for anyone in my local area who did this type of coaching. I was hooked!! I instantly signed up for a class & was scheduled for a week later. Here we go!!!
I wasn’t sure what to expect from my experience, but I went with an open mind and heart, ready for anything. I met up with a great coach, Erin Cutshall who was within about 15 minutes from my home & we began our day with hugs & a walk through the ranch to grab our first horse, Ginger. She was a spirited, cinnamon colored horse that I openly admit was a little intimidating. She entered the round pen and began to kick and neigh, running in circles and bucking with spirit. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with her. Erin began to explain how horses have a “Leader Mare” they follow in a herd. She has to earn the respect and leadership with every horse that is present. Erin ran through some of the steps horses go through when testing one another for leadership and then the signs when they begin to give in and follow the leader—to be friends, to want to have a meal together.
Now, this whole experience was primarily for me to understand myself and seek answers to why I have felt so disconnected to people. I have struggled gaining trust in friendships and have not had the energy to engage with enthusiasm, so I have no friends. I explained how I didn’t like feeling like I was trying to learn and grow spiritually, but everything I read or watched emphasis the need to have close social ties or connections. It was so frustrating to feel so disconnected and not feel a need for others in my life. I did not understand.
She began training me in how horses are able to “mirror” people & will let off the energy they are feeling within the round pen. She explained how if you don’t hold a high energy or an “inviting” energy, the horse will not follow your lead. She talked about how intuitive horses read the energy we carry & if it is not a leadership, or your best self that is being shown—they will not be interested in you. Erin began asking me questions about me, my needs, my disconnection issue, my alone time, if I enjoyed being around people or if it felt like a drain…She helped me to understand that I have a very ‘Introvert’ personality and being alone is very vital to my personal needs. She helped me see that it was okay to not enjoy being around lots of people and that conversations can be very draining. She expressed how I was energized by being alone and social situations were draining to my soul. I cannot tell you what a weight was lifted in truly understanding my feelings. I had felt all those things, but having someone see it outside of me, hearing my needs and allowing me to be—was freeing. Erin helped me see that when you understand yourself, what your needs are and being able to take care of those needs, then you will be your best self—the leader that lies within.
She then invited me into the round pen & began giving me cues of where to stand to make the horse do what I wanted (to move, to run…) it was harder than I thought. I LOVE seeing horses run, so of course I wanted to see the horse run, but when I tried to get her to move, she didn’t listen. My energy wasn’t strong enough for her to listen. It took some practice & finding my playful energy to send her into motion. It was amazing. She ran and ran & then when my energy began to drop she would slow (like me). I stopped & wanted the horse to follow me. Erin walked me through the final steps to win the horse over & she followed me step by step around the round pen.
We worked with three different horses, all with different personalities & it was exhilarating. It was a craft that took time, learning to angle my body, getting over wanting to lead like I would with a dog. That was another aha moment for me. Erin explained how most people are use to leading like they would a dog, but Erin quickly got out in front of the horse and began to say things like, “please come over and love me, follow me, be with me, listen to me.” the visual was so pathetic and disempowering that I instantly imagined how in our own relationships we could be like that with people. BUT, if we learn to be our best self, take care of our needs, then people (horses) will be drawn to us. The energy we carry will free us from the bondages of being small, acting small & will allow us to be who we are meant to be–to shine, to radiate, to be strong, to lead and guide. It was even relevant to parenting. THink of almost begging your children to spend time with you, to listen, to respect you with a tone and action of leadership and love vs begging. You want those around you to admire and love you, to want to be around you because of the good energy you send out.
Watching Erin was even more amazing because she has been able to master the art. She put me in a large arena with one horse & had me try to get it to go through different sets of cones, but the one caveat, I could not get it to follow–I had to lead it. It was harder than I thought. A couple rows near the fence–easy, but when I was determined to get the horse out into the middle and have it go through a isle of cones–no can do!! I tried a couple different tactics, but my reasonable brain couldn’t problem solve because I figured I would have to go one one side of the horse and then run over to guide it the opposite direction. I finally gave in & just walked through the cones and had the horse follow. Erin smiled & was happy that I had at least finished getting the horse to go where I desired. I explained my only reasonable thought of how to get it through the cones & threw her a challenge to see if she could do it. She smiled and agreed to the challenge. She right away led the horse through the cones—I couldn’t believe it. She explained and showed me how when she began to give the horse space, it would then come in closer to her & that ended up putting the horse right where she wanted. It was an art. I couldn’t believe it.
I enjoyed learning the parallels of life and the energy we carry. Horses are definitely a mirror, when I got calm, they got calm, when I got excited they would run, when they were confused by my needs and wants they did not follow, one actually began leading me by sticking her head out in front of me, so I was behind. When you give them space, they want to follow. It’s a balance, a dance, a harmony between two spirits. It was a beautiful experience that I will always cherish.
I just watched a great documentary on HAPPINESS, called HAPPY. Here is the trailer. Go out and watch it!! You will definitely be better for it. You will learn so much. I am going to give you a few thoughts and ideas that I took away from this great show, but I am not going to tell you everything because you need to see the show. FYI-On Amazon in has over 430 4.5 star ratings. Enjoy!
“The constitution only guarantees the American People the right to pursue Happiness. You have to catch it yourself.” -Benjamin Franklin
What do you want?? Most people say…to be HAPPY. Happy has undergone a revolution. It seems everyone is in search of HAPPINESS. Look at Coke’s marketing “Open Happiness” the numerous books on the subject (Happiness Project, The Happiness Advantage, Stumbling on Happiness to name a few) and Harvard’s biggest class that has thousands of students each week attend, a class on Happiness (Positive Psychology). Here is the link for professor Tal Ben-Shahar who is teaching this course (the largest course at Harvard). Make sure you check out his quick Five Steps for Being Happier Today. There are some great links and videos on this site. http://bigthink.com/users/talbenshahar
Happiness helps you achieve your other goals in life. What is interesting is you are born with a 50% genetic set point OR range of happiness, BUT what is astounding is that your CIRCUMSTANCES account for only 10% of our happiness. WOW!! that is so small. That leaves us with 40% of things that we can do on a regular basis that are intentional activities that will bring us happiness. That is HUGE!! This 40% leaves us with options to add variety, add changes, seek out experiences that increase happiness triggers like dopamine (our bodies natural happiness chemical in the brain). A big activity that increases dopamine—EXERCISE. Also, activities that get you into a natural FLOW, like playing music, something you enjoy doing that has a specific rhythm that makes you happy. It gives you a sense of control over what you are doing.
The WRONG Assumptions of outcome. People believe if something good happens (they get married, win a championship…) they will feel SO HAPPY & they do for a short time. The same is when something bad happens (car wreck, divorce…) some sort of devastation & for a short time they are devastated. THe fact is…People actually do really well even when things go bad. Scientific research does not support adversity as a bad thing. You have to have pain to have pleasure.
Can MONEY buy Happiness? They literally looked at 50 years of income vs happiness and even though the income level went up. People were no more happier living in their bigger houses, more cars, etc. then they were 50 years ago. The happiness levels were stagnet despite the increase in income. The ONLY time money brings happiness is when you are homeless or are not having your basic needs (water, food, shelter) met, after that it doesn’t make you any happier. Between the income of $5,000 and $50,000 there is a difference in happiness levels, but between $50,000 and $500,000 there is no difference.
Extrinsic vs Intrinsic motivations: Let’s look at Extrinsic(external) motivations–getting stuff, getting money, concerned about your image, your status VS Intrinisic (internal) motivations—personal growth, friends and family, helping your community, something bigger. People who were more extrinsically motivated were less satisfied with their life, had less energy, were depressed and more anxious. The people who were intrinsically motivated were happier, had less depression, had a sense of meaning in their life.
This movie then took a look at different countries who were the happiest (Denmark) and least happiest (Japan) and looked at the circumstances and stories of why. It was a great show that has so much more and I would highly recommend. Go out and buy it, rent it and enjoy it. It is definitely worth the time.
Here are a few personal tips to take away: Exercise, write down 5 things you are grateful for each night or at the very least once a week, invest in relationships, learn to meditate on compassion, get out into nature, smile, share love, do things you enjoy, be grateful for where you are at…and happiness will follow.
Oh, the wonder and magic of learning!! Yesterday I took an hour and watched a young man’s journey, Take it with you, where he went across the world to a variety of countries in search of meaning, the peace that was missing in his life and his soul’s yearning for something better.
It seems for many of us there is always a constant searching, a yearning for something more.
I just read an amazing quote by Thich Nhat Hanh, “the greatest enemy of the spiritual life is the human tendency to sleepwalk through life.”That thought hit me square in the heart because I have been thinking a lot about spirituality, creating a beautiful understanding of it in my family and having that as a center for all things we do. My husband is in a job that is a revolving door of no time, stress and a void of any type of spiritual awareness. He has been caught in a exhausted state, unable to balance and I have been praying to know how to help him, so this quote hit me and almost knocked me down. THE GREATEST ENEMY of the SPIRITUAL LIFE is the human tendency to sleepwalk through life!! WOW.
ARE YOU SLEEPWALKING?? We all do it from time to time, from one mundane activity to another, so would you like to hear something that is the solution…PRAYER calls us to wakefulness. -Thich Nhat Hanh
Prayer is a beautiful piece to any puzzle that longs to fit contentment. Watching the movie yesterday made me see even more connections that the world has in happiness and prayer. Every tradition, different rituals, different religions, no matter there place on earth, has a well of history, knowledge, symbolism and divinity held within their temples, their churches, their synagogues, their arch ways…it was beautiful to see the Japanese gardens filled with large, red archways that symbolize stepping into a more spiritual place. It was humbling to see a tribe of people in South America who, to this day, still protect their ancient, natural spiritual places and the deep beliefs they hold with the deepest part of their hearts. It was interesting to see the one symbol that is seen all over the world–the flower of life symbol that this young man (from the movie) was able to find in every part of the world, in every temple, every sacred space. It made me understand the even deeper connections that have been placed on this earth so long ago. I enjoyed watching the different rituals of prayer, with candles, crosses, clapping, beads, kneeling, symbols…to see the respect and love of something bigger than us all. Prayer has a deeper connection for all of us, if we take the time to tap into the beautiful beyond.
Prayer is different for everyone. You may be able to focus through meditation or yoga, maybe you sit outside and give thanks with your mind, some may need to kneel in darkness to find clarity or maybe you can talk out loud while driving in your car, or maybe you feel it necessary to be in a church, prayer is different for everyone…BUT…everyone can pray. Here are some resources and ideas to help you get more connected on a deeper level with your higher self:
Maybe you find meditation or visualization a gift & the easiest way for you to get lost in your mind. Wisdom Film’s has done some amazing videos that are beautiful images with messages to slow you down and be mindful. Here is one of their videos: “Set Your Champion Free”—They have additional videos on youtube.
Great Article. Wow! Another quote just struck me—Reading this great article by a women who I have loved listening to [great podcasts], Elizabeth Lesser, I came across this “The Sufis say that our longing for GOD is GOD’s longing for us.” WOW. Does that not break you open and make your heart sing of peace! Here is the article—take what moves you. http://www.oprah.com/spirit/What-Prayer-Really-Means-Elizabeth-Lesser/2
I have been reading, pondering and trying to get the best sense of how to help instill the faith of teaching prayer to my daughter. I just began reading the book Parenting with Spirit by Jane Bartlett and here is what she says: Prayer is a language, a way of dialoguing with the divine. Like any language, it has to be learned. Prayer is not the preserve of any one religion: all faiths have prayer. It’s humankind’s most natural and important way of connecting to a larger reality, and it is available to us all.
Here are her tips to help your family through prayer—-Prayer Nurtures a Family’s Spirit:
Prayer helps children feel connected to a larger reality. Prayer is an expansion of the consciousness and a suspension of ordinary thought. In some ways, prayer is a small act, as easy as reaching out and flicking on a light switch. However, once that light is shining, everything appears differently. You are seeing life as it truly is, albeit briefly. In praying with your children, you are showing them how simple it is to press the switch: to close their eyes, go inside, and “turn on” an experience of a larger reality.
Prayer promotes the development of an interior life. In prayer we quiet the hubbub of the day and hear a deeper part of ourselves instead. Children, just as adults, have an inner life, a world of thoughts and feelings. In prayer, they begin to learn how to attend to these emotions, to sort through them, understand them, and possibly change them. Prayer teaches children self-awareness.
Prayer encourages an examination of conscience. In prayer, we allow God to enter in. In so doing we shine a light on the dark corners, where we might otherwise have preferred not to have looked.
Prayer acts as a tool of transformation. Prayer is an act filled with hope. We pray in faith that things can be better, that the world may become a happier place, and that we may fulfill our human potential. In so doing, we accept that we currently have limitations, but we invite God to help us overcome these.
Prayer develops gratitude and joy. In prayer we count our blessings. Think about all the good things that you have in your lives, and to thank God for them. Big and small things can be included in thanks. Prayers and gratitude help everyone appreciate their world and the people in it, and cultivate an attitude of joy. They also counter feelings of greed.
Prayer increases children’s engagement in the world. We can use our prayer to contemplate the wider world and set our lives into a bigger perspective. Encourage your children to think of people who are sick or lonely or experiencing personal problems. Think too of people in other countries who might be suffering from poverty, famine or war. Prayer promotes compassion.
Prayer brings parents and children together. Praying with your children can be an extremely intimate moment. This is especially true if you are speaking aloud spontaneous prayers. On one level this type of prayer is a profound sharing of thoughts and feelings. In joining each other in this, we overcome our sense of isolation. Your children feel tremendously valued and cared for when you say prayers and ask God to help them in their personal struggles.
Prayer develops reverence for the world. In prayer we take a moment to value the world God has made. Reverence helps nurture respectful behavior in children.
Prayer helps children feel safe. Prayer is a comforting ritual that prepares children for sleep, for their day…It is an opportunity to let go of cares and worries, to feel safe and loved.
Prayer encourages positive behavior. Loving and compassionate thoughts will ultimately translate into loving and compassionate behavior. Children will be more mindful about their actions and aware that they should be behaving in a way that is acceptable to God.
Prayer may have a mysterious power all of its own. You may find it easy to believe that prayer changes something within the person who is praying. But prayer traditionally has another function too: it is thought to change the world beyond ourselves. [She expounds more in her book]
I hope these thoughts and ideas help you to get in touch with a deeper side of your self and avoid sleepwalking through your life.
I think the ideas of Life Wake-up Calls is very thought provoking and makes me wonder and look for moments in my life that may be calling me to change direction or listen a little harder for personal needs for my life. I LOVE inspiring stories of change, stirring moments that may lead someone down a different path, so I thought I would compile some great stories and a fun song to stir your soul. Enjoy!!
Wake Me Up by Avicii—Now, I don’t know anything about this band besides I liked the beat and the lyrics of this song. They resonated with me, so hopefully you will find some hint or need to find the emotional reason why this song resonates with so many. Here is the song
What is the meaning of a wake-up call? To each person it holds a different meaning. For one person it is her son who has a serious illness asking questions about heaven, God, the bigger questions. For another, it is a life altering decision, to stay or go, that shifts the outcome of life. To someone else it may be a dream of better things to come or a feeling of hopelessness that cannot be shelved any longer.
Life is on our side, it is just a matter of how we look at it. Maybe you just lost your job—Did you really love it that much?? Most people may look at that type of situation and see failure, but life is trying to give you a free card–MOVE ON!! Don’t waste anymore time where you are & go forward in your hopes, your passion, the road that will better suit you. Maybe your house was just blown down by a hurricane or burned down from a fire. Was it by accident? Look at the bigger picture–What is trying to wake you up and tell you something? What is important in your life, maybe give you a fresh start…
Here is a great story about Thomas Edison to illustrate
Thomas Edison, who started 100 companies, all before the age of forty had more than 1,000 patents and invented three major industries: motion pictures, recorded sound and light. One of his core principles was never to give up. We all know Edison invented the light bulb. What many don’t realize is that it took him 6,000 attempts before he found the right solution.
Thomas Edison’s laboratory was virtually destroyed by a fire in December, 1914. Although the damage exceeded $2 million, the buildings were insured for only $238,000 because they were made of concrete and thought to be fireproof. Much of Edison’s life’s work went up in spectacular flames that December night. At the height of the fire, Edison’s 24-year-old son, Charles, frantically searched for his father among the smoke and debris. He finally found him, calmly watching the scene, his face glowing in the reflection, his white hair blowing in the wind.
“My heart ached for him,” said Charles. “He was 67–no longer a young man–and everything was going up in flames. When he saw me, he shouted, ‘Charles, where’s your mother? When I told him I didn’t know, he said ‘Find her. Bring her here. She will never see anything like this again as long as she lives.”
The next morning, Edison looked at the ruins and said, “There is great value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Thank God we can start anew.” *taken from Chicken Soup for the Soul 3
About a hundred years ago, a man looked at the morning newspaper and to his surprise and horror, read his name in the obituary column. The news papers had reported the death of the wrong person by mistake. His first response was shock. Am I here or there? When he regained his composure, his second thought was to find out what people had said about him. The obituary read, “Dynamite King Dies.” And also “He was the merchant of death.” This man was the inventor of dynamite and when he read the words “merchant of death,” he asked himself a question, “Is this how I am going to be remembered?” He got in touch with his feelings and decided that this was not the way he wanted to be remembered. From that day on, he started working toward peace. His name was Alfred Nobel and he is remembered today by the great Nobel Prize.
Just as Alfred Nobel got in touch with his feelings and redefined his values, we should step back and do the same.
What is your legacy? How would you like to be remembered? Will you be spoken well of? Will you be remembered with love and respect? Will you be missed? -Story taken from great-motivational-stories.blogspot.com
Talk about a wake up call!!
One last story that hits a little closer to home
I am The Human WakeUp Call. My story reminds people that life is a gift and every day counts. It’s time to wake up to the fact that none of us have endless tomorrows, even though we might be living as if we do. Contrary to the frequent fear-driven messages we hear, this is a lesson of finding the possibility for change, then pursuing it. It’s the small, consistent changes we make that lead to big differences.
I wasn’t always on this WakeUp call mission however. Like so many others, during my career I never played a very active role in where I headed. The promotions and job changes were spaced out well enough to give me the illusion of progress, but in reality I simply ‘floated down the river’ letting life take me from one place to another. None of it truly felt like it was my ‘right’ work. I was not really happy, but moderately comfortable.
Then, one day when I was in my thirties, the ‘river’ I was floating in took me to another Fortune 500 company and I found myself in yet another j-o-b. Great people, the work was fine but yet again, it didnt feel like it tied into something more meaningful for me (even though I had no idea what that would be). I had just moved to Connecticut from New York City and the new office was all the way in downtown Manhattan, increasing my commute from 25 minutes to more than two hours each way! Each morning my wife would drive me to the train station with our one-year-old daughter sleeping in back, tucked sweetly into her car seat. I would come home each night and my little girl would be exactly as I left her, asleep in the backseat as my wife waited in the parking lot for my train to arrive. Days would go by where I wouldn’t see her awake at all. Children look peaceful while sleeping, but seeing her mostly in that state started to remind me that this was not the kind of parent I wanted to be, absent from her waking world.
I soon found myself wishing away my weekdays, hoping for each one to finish sooner than the clock would allow, in favor of the weekend and time – awake! – with my family. I realized that my work felt unimportant to me yet AGAIN, I felt out of place AGAIN, and I didn’t know what to do about it. My wife was taking care of our daughter and upkeep on our new home so I was the sole financial provider. However, I didn’t know what would fulfill me and had no direction. So I did what many people in that situation do – nothing. After all, life was just fine… wasn’t it?
Then, one Monday afternoon, I was sitting outside my office having lunch. It was a beautiful late summer day in New York where the sky was a stunning cerulean blue with not a cloud in sight. As I sat there enjoying the warmth of the sun on my face, I felt more grounded than I had in a long while. I looked up at my office building and was overcome by the sense that somehow it controlled my life. I realized at that moment that I HAD to make a change… even if it was a small change. A new intention was born.
This time had to be different! I had to take action. So I decided that the next morning, instead of rushing to catch the early train in keeping with my new morning ritual, I would take a later train so I could have a nice relaxing breakfast with my wife and (awake) daughter. I remember smiling at the thought thinking this was a good first step. Not a big step, but at least a new beginning. One of the most important lessons I realized from that small decision was that nothing would change until I changed it. It was clear that I would never FIND the time. I had to CREATE it!
The next morning my wife, surprised to see that I was already dressed and ready to go, asked quizzically, “I thought you were taking the later train today?” She asked me whether we were still having breakfast together or if she should drive me to the station so I could make my normal train. Little did I know, at that moment, I was standing at the crossroads of my life and my answer to that innocent question would determine my fate.
The chatter in my head started: “Do I just take the early train and have breakfast together another day? Will my daughter even be aware that we’re having breakfast? Do I risk going in late? Will I get in trouble at work? I’ve only been there a few months, can I even do this?” But then I had a moment of truth and my true values came forth to guide me, stirring something inside me and stopping my hesitation. “No,” I said to her. “The whole point of the morning was to have breakfast together, so let’s have breakfast together. I’ll catch the next train.” It was a simple declaration; as innocent a decision as if made on any other day of my life.
So we spent some wonderful time together having breakfast in our small dining room. It was another beautiful morning and I looked at my family and just smiled. I had known my wife since we met on a Junior High School trip to Quebec in 9th grade and I knew the moment I saw her that she was the “one”. Here we were 18 years later and I was living the reality of my dreams. Life was good!
She dropped me off and I took the train into New York City, smiling the whole way. I’m sure I looked out of place among the cranky faces of so many other commuters who were beaten down by the many hours they had spent getting in and out of the city at such a cost. But nothing could bother me that day – I felt I had some control of my life! It felt great!
I got on the subway, and instead of being in my office, I was underground at 8:45am when the first plane slammed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center, into my floor, hitting my desk. Most of the members of my group were up there when it happened, including my boss and team. The morning I had breakfast with my family just happened to be September 11, 2001.
So now you see why I feel compelled to share my story with you and why I recreated my career to serve as a WakeUp Call for others – so you don’t have to experience a tragedy or a near miss to wake up to the possibility of your life. So you stop drifting downstream looking back at your life asking ‘why?’ and instead turn around to look forward and say, ‘What now? Where do I want to go?’ So you and the many thousands of people I now work with can stop ‘losing’ precious days.
In many ways my life began anew the day before that memorable day in September, but not for the reason that you may think. Most people believe that it was my close brush with death that changed my outlook on life. Yet my feeling of being alive and having control over my life spread a smile over my face long before I arrived to see my office engulfed in flames. It wasn’t the fact that I didn’t die on September 11, but instead the reality that I had already begun living on September 10.
In the simple act of choosing a small step toward my larger goal, I had turned myself around to face downstream and take responsibility for the direction in my life. Sometimes we give in to the illusion that we have no control over our lives. Yet small decisions can make big differences in your life. Do you realize that life is a gift and every single day counts? You don’t have endless tomorrows and the ‘some day’ you are waiting for may never come.
I gave up my comfortable corporate life and chose what for me is a harder road. Today I am a business and personal leadership coach, sharing my message and empowering others through individual and team coaching, mentoring, workshops, seminars and keynote speaking. I have been blessed to have touched people across the US, in Canada, Europe and even as far away as Nigeria in Africa. I love my family and my life as much as ever (including my son who has since been born.) Now, I even love my work! How can you live any other way?
If you feel that you have no control over your life, it’s time to find one small thing you can do to move your life in a better direction. You may have continued down uninspired paths because you were simply stuck or afraid or uncertain of how to break this powerful spell. But if you can find one thing to change, one thing that makes you feel more alive, then you must do it.
September 10th was a day that looked just like any other day. That day was my wake-up call. Today is yours! Today is that ‘someday’ you’ve been waiting for. Ready to get started?
(Note: My story is included in my new book, “Wake Up! Your Life is Calling.” Click here to get started today.)
Last week I got to get away with my husband and just relax and play, just the two of us, it was wonderful!! It is always a good thing to take a break from the normal every day and feed your soul in different ways. We went on long walks in the desert and had a greater appreciation for the beauty that the desert holds. We ate yummy food, relaxed and just talked. We took a morning and did an exercise I would highly recommend to anyone in a relationship—we wrote a eulogy for one another. We called it a ‘Life Eulogy.’ We imagined if something tragic had happened and our life was changed forever what we would say to the other person, about the other person, what we would want others to know, but especially every little detail of what we loved about our life together. This was a great exercise in getting grateful for one another on an even deeper level. It truly made us evaluate what we would miss in one another, what we valued about our relationship and the deep feelings of friendship and love we share. TAKE THE TIME—it is worth it!!
We also spent the trip reading Og Mandino’s, The Greatest Miracle in the World. For some reason this book made me cry deeply with emotion and I knew I needed to make a movie that held some of the beauty this book holds. Here is the movie. Please take the time to watch, read and take in the meaning that is YOU…the greatest miracle in the world. It has beautiful sentiments and thought provoking meaning to who you truly are. I hope you enjoy it and it touches you in some way.
I just saw the movie, Winter’s Tale, which I tried to explain to my father this morning and came up with Love Story, Good and Evil, Miracles, Destiny and beautiful sentiments throughout. I am a true romantic at heart so the first moments of the movie talking about stars and miracles of light moved me.
Last week I went away with my husband and during our long drive to our destination we read Og Mandino’s “The Greatest Miracle in the World.” It was a beautiful book that touched me to my core, that reminded me of the blessed gifts we are given each day & that we are one in millions, like stars in the sky, we light up the world, we touch one another without a thought and we were created to be connected in ways we may never understand.
For some reason between that book and this movie I came away feeling a greater sense of knowing the expanse of who we are, that we truly are miracles and we are meant to be used, have a purpose, and continue to hold on to hope and faith and love in ways that are unimaginable. There is such beauty in that very thought.
Today, I wanted to give you some gifts of verse from these very places and hope that these words may touch you in some way and remind you of who you are and the blessed gifts you hold.
A story of Faith, hope and Love
A story of good vs evil–Light vs Dark
“No one ever said that you would live to see the repercussions of everything you do, or that you have guarantees, or that you are not obliged to wander in the dark, or that everything will be proved to you and neatly verified like something in science. Nothing is: at least nothing that is worthwhile. I didn’t bring you up only to move across sure ground. I didn’t teach you to think that everything must be within our control or understanding. Did I? For, if I did, I was wrong. I fyou won’t take a chance, then the powers you refuse because you cannot explain them, will, as they say, make a monkey out of you.” ― Mark Helprin, Winter’s Tale
A story that touches connection and light held within the magic of eternity, miracles and destiny.
“You can’t expect anyone to trust revelation if he hasn’t experienced it himself. Those who haven’t only know reason. And since revelation is a thing apart, and cannot be accounted for reasonably, they never will believe you. This is the great division of the world and always has been. When reason and revelation run together, why, then you have something great, a great age.” ― Mark Helprin, Winter’s Tale
You are the greatest miracle in the world
“Consider a painting by Rembrandt or a bronze by Degas or a violin by Stradivarius or a play by Shakespeare. They have great value for two reasons: their creators were masters and they are few in number. Yet there are more than one of each of these. On that reasoning you are the most valuable treasure on the face of the earth, for you know who created you and there is only one of you. Never, in all of the seventy billion humans who have walked this planet since the beginning of time has there been anyone exactly like you. Never, until the end of time, will there be another such as you. You have shown no knowledge or appreciation of your uniqueness. Yet, you are the rarest thing in the world.” ― Og Mandino, The Greatest Miracle in World
“Most humans, in varying degrees, are already dead. In one way or another they have lost their dreams, their ambitions, their desire for a better life. They have surrendered their fight for self-esteem and they have compromised their great potential. They have settled for a life of mediocrity, days of despair and nights of tears. They are no more than living deaths confined to cemeteries of their choice. Yet they need not remain in that state. They can be resurrected from their sorry condition. They can each perform the greatest miracle in the world. They can each come back from the dead…” ― Og Mandino, The Greatest Miracle in World
Shine. Look to the heavens with a blessed heart and know you were meant to shine beautifully.
How to add spiritual depth to CREATIVITY:
Glorify God in your BODY: The physical fitness, suppleness, and energy are all God’s gifts to children, and as spiritual parents we must provide ample opportunity for them to enjoy what they have been given.
The importance of PLAY: the word “silly” derives from the Germanic selig, meaning ‘blessed.’ 
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