Aligning with Grace

I am marveling at things I recorded in a journal a year ago. Though I have journals going back to when I was 15 years old, I rarely revisit them. Why? Many reasons, but that's beyond what I want to share today... This year, I decided to go back and review what I wrote and plan to dive further back into the shelves housing my collection. I am deeply touched by the level of insight and prescience I experienced in the last year and look forward to revisiting other journal entries. "For last year's words belong to last year's language. And next year's words await another voice." T.S. Eliot Maybe you already keep a journal. Maybe you think you can't do it. But here's the thing: It can be whatever you want, when you want.  Over a period of nearly 55 years, my journals have taken shape as poetry volumes, and evolved into various formats. They have been collections of favorite quotes or lists of books read, or pictures, or an assembly of practices I found help...

What will you give birth to in this new year of 2024? Many people like to begin the new year with a word that exemplifies what they want to focus on, give birth to, and embody in the coming year. This year, the word "Hope" chose me. Perhaps it did, because it is so needed in our world right now. I certainly need it this year. You can always pick a word for yourself - one that you want to work on or experience more of. Or a word can come to you spontaneously. Mine came in so many ways - it was insistent - demanding my attention. I couldn't avoid it. It showed up in everything I seemed to read. It does not have to be one word. It can certainly be more than one, but I find that even with a couple of words, one of them tends to be the predominant one. If this speaks to, it is a simple yet wonderful practice to anchor in the coming year and refer to from time to time. You might want to journal on it periodically to see where you might currently be in your life and decide wheth...

I took this picture in Dachau last year. It was such a haunting experience and I have thought of my time there over and over again. It was profoundly moving. And while the focus of that trip was something totally different - this is what I think of the most and it is what haunts me. A friend of mine told me her father had been held there. I cannot imagine what that must have been like. Since then, I have read many books on the need for ancestral healing and how the wounds of one generation are passed on to the next and the next... I felt compelled to thank the guide I had for teaching countless others about what happened in that camp, so that we would never forget. I asked myself then, how could this have happened? But the truth is, I knew. And we all know. And yet it continues to happen. Like many, I am profoundly affected by what is going on in Israel and Gaza. I am also very concerned about all of this escalating into something much bigger. I have many friends who are Jewish. And I ...

This quote, from the poet May Sarton's writings, is one that is often repeated and illustrated. It is a favorite of many, and certainly of mine as well: "Help us to be always hopeful gardeners of spirit, who know that without darkness nothing comes to birth, as without light, nothing flowers." You and I, might not be actual gardeners in the traditional sense, but we are all called to be gardeners of spirit - tending our own inner, delicate, souls.  Another famous writer and spiritual figure, John Henry Newman, wrote: "Growth is the only evidence of life." And still another, Francis de Sales, noted in the 17th century, that true growth is often a slow and hidden process. What is to be learned from all this wisdom? We are told that true growth - within and without - is often slow, and perhaps not noticeable to many outside of us. There are difficult and challenging experiences to be dealt with along the way. There are days of both light and darkness, as well as da...

  If you are anything like me, you are probably easily triggered. By the silliest of things. Some of mine are: The noise my hard of hearing husband makes in the morning as I am trying to meditate. Or, towels that are not folded "correctly." Or, the overflowing neighborhood cars parked in front of my house. I'll fret over a hypothetical situation like - what if a workman is coming.to repair something that happened overnight? Where will he park? We all have thoughts and concerns that fill our minds - many of which we can't control - and others which we simply want to control all of the time. Sometimes I remind myself, that NO ONE appointed me Master of the Universe! A hard reality to swallow! But the reality is, that the things that upset us most about others are things we harbor within ourselves that need our attention and that we need to change. In other words, others hold up a mirror to where we need to do our own work to further our growth. A couple of days ago, as ...

You have probably heard the old adage, "Be yourself. Everyone else is taken." This is so true, but so hard to wrap our brains around because we often do not believe that we are enough - not good enough, not smart enough - well, just not enough... But we are. Why? Because each one of us is an irrepeatable spark of Divine Light. No one like us has ever been, or will be again.  Read that again. So I say to you: Be bold. Be brave. Be you! This morning, I read this wonderful quote: "The way you treat yourself is one of the few things you control in life. There’s no reason to be anything but kind to yourself, in both your speech and your actions." Toni Bernhard, “Self-Care in an Uncertain World” So yes, you are you - unique in every way. Notice your self talk. Treating others well begins with us treating ourselves well. Go out today - and every day, and simply, Be Bold! Be Brave. Be Beautiful. Be who you are and BE that well! Be YOU! Supportive resources wait for you here...

On this day of August 8th, often called the Lion's Gate, because the numbers of the day are 8:8, there is supposed to be a special energy that permeates the day and allows for creativity and change. I don't think it matters whether you believe in this or not. I think you can choose to see this day as one of change or transformation. But then, I sincerely believe that all days can be that, if we invite that change and transformation into our lives. One of the easiest ways to do this is by formulating an affirmation that is relevant to our circumstance, and then repeating it over and over again, until it becomes our reality. Mostly, the affirmations should benefit us on a personal level, but they can also have an impact on a global level as well. When we change. The world changes too. You have have heard the adage,  "Change your mind, and change your life."  I would also add this:  "Change your life and you change the world." Here is a wonderful affirmation fo...

This is the time of year many of us go on vacation... We begin to slow down.... My favorite places to visit are religious or spiritual in nature - mostly connected to a spiritual titan of the past. I relish walking the same land and perhaps the same path that someone I hold in high esteem for their thoughts or insightful writings once walked. But don't get me wrong, I like a beach trip or a European trip as much as much as anyone else as well! For several years, at least before the pandemic, I loved going to Florida, where I went to college, to visit many friends, and relatives that live there. But I've especially enjoyed exploring places - or journeying deep inside of myself just as much as getting on a plane. Yes, I call it - taking a journey of the heart... Whether you go away this summer, or whether you are unable to venture forth, go on a pilgrimage of the heart, It doesn't take much or cost anything. Just some quiet time is all that is needed. And some stillness. A go...

  IT IS ACHIEVABLE! 6/27/2023 0 Comments   Recently I came across this wonderful African word - "tinogona." It simply means, it is achievable. We do not have a similar word in English. It often amazes me, how in other cultures and languages there can be tens of words to designate unique qualities or aspects of emotions such as love or things like snow - but English is not really that kind of language - perhaps it is more precise than it is nuanced. Tinogona - it is achievable - is an incredibly hopeful word - at least to me. It seems to convey encouragement and positivity and the belief that anything can be possible. There is a certain solace and comfort to that. Take a moment to consider your greatest and seemingly most insurmountable challenges in this moment of your life. Close your eyes. Hone into the scene. Then imagine a different outcome from the one you have been playing out in your mind. See the situation resolved with ease and grace. And perhaps, a solution arises i...

Today's entry is very simple. It is summer in one part of the world and that invites us to live in greater simplicity. In another part of the world, it is going into winter, and that invites introspection and one to slow down as well. Either way, the season invites rest. Are you too busy? Feeling overwhelmed? Then rest! Take time to: REST. REFLECT. AND REPLENISH. That is what I am doing right now.  Last night I gave myself permission to let go of tasks and goals I had set out for the year. It felt instantly freeing. Instead, I thought to myself - "Let's just see where things go. Let me be open to whatever presents itself." So yes! Just: REST. REFLECT. AND REPLENISH. If you don't take time to rest, you can't reflect. And if you don't have time to reflect, you won't be able to figure out what you need to replenish - and make your life better, more peaceful, and joyous.  It's really that simple. Try it! Want some tools to help you on your journey? Che...

Are you one of those persons always in motion? Always trying to get from point A to point B? Have you spent most of your life acquiring things - degrees, trainings, certificates, collectibles?  Is life always about "more this" or "more that?" Is it about traveling to every state or as many countries as you can? Or learning more languages? Or getting better at a game - a sport - or something? Are things always a means to an end? We spend a lot of our lives working towards something. But what I am coming to realize more and more as I get older is - that it's not about the destination. It's always about the journey. Now, looking back at my life, I am seeing more deeply that "less is more." If I could do some things again - I'd certainly acquire less. Now, I am consumed with establishing a more zen like life - with less material things - less striving - and less "to do" things on my list. But it's not easy. There is the continual matt...

I have this yard stick, or as a dear soul friend today pointed out - a litmus test - that helps me navigate this often confusing and turbulent world. We live in times filled with misinformation, violence, and division. If I chose to focus on that, I would constantly live in fear and erode years from my sanity and life. How to decide what is real? How to know whether to trust or believe in anyone, most especially, those in leadership or seeking it? The answer for me, is very simple. It contains the essence of every ethical, spiritual, and practice traditions: Are the words and actions rooted in Love? I look at the information, I consider the character of a person and what and how they are presenting their information - and: I simply ask myself whether what they are saying or how they acting - is in alignment with love. Does it engender love - or at least strive to? We may not always succeed in all of our endeavors, but what is our intention in the long run? Is it to be a better person a...

There are days that are filled with good things. Those days are easy and bright. And then there are days that are challenges - filled with anxiety and fear. And perhaps without even a ray of hope or sense of possibility. And in those days, we must especially hold on to hope - grasping it as tightly as we can. Yes my friends - despite everything - we must: Hold on to hope. As I went to a park near where I live this morning, feeling all kinds of things, this beautiful instrumental piece came on the radio, and it just happened to be titled,  "Hold on to Hope."  I sensed immediately that it was a message for me sent from the Beyond. Holding on to hope may not always be an easy thing - but it is a necessary thing. Hope gives us life. It helps us put one foot in front of the other when everything else seems challenging and bleak. We can even turn it into an affirmation, to repeat over and over again until it becomes ingrained in us: I hold on to hope. I used to come down to the riv...

I have the power to change. Read that again. I have the power to change. To change what? EVERYTHING! But first of all, I have to power to change myself - and the direction of my life. Because I can make choices. I can change what I allow into my energy field, what I focus on and dwell on - what I read - who I spend time with. Even the direction of my life. Yes, especially that. I can end what does not serve and always begin again. Every single day. The list goes on. Even well known figures like Nelson Mandela and Viktor Frankl who were incarcerated, have written about what enabled them to survive. It was ultimately about changing their thoughts and seeking and finding meaning in their lives. You may not believe you have the power to change. I'll be honest and tell you that at times, I don't either. But we can "change" that by converting our long held beliefs into a simple mantra: I have the power to change. Commit to saying this to yourself several times a day for a w...

Recently, I heard Marie Forleo,  the marketing guru, speak about a mantra she uses that is life-changing for her.She was able to reverse all sorts of situations, attitudes, and outcomes, by simply by saying to herself, something like: "I don't do overwhelm." The key is to implement the words at the beginning of the sentence:  "I don't do..."  and then finish it with whatever speaks to you in a particular moment or situation. I immediately asked myself, what would speak to me in this moment? What do I want to most let go of right now? I had an instant response: "I don't do fear." I went around repeating this mantra over and over again, particularly in anxious moments, and I found myself slowing down, becoming more calm, and being able to handle situations that normally paralyze me. "I don't do fear." What speaks to you? What do you need to let go of? Where do you need more strength? Simply say to yourself -  "I don't do .....