The Difference Between the Heart and Mind

For months I have heard abundance experts talk about how important it is to be present in your body and allow yourself to act through your heart in order to live in "flow". While I have been heeding this advice and making a conscious decision to be present and act from my heart, I found I was still missing pieces to the puzzle. Most of my decisions are based on my rational thought--my mind. Today, I believe I have found a missing piece connecting another large portion of the whole.

I took the time to listen to a Body Dialoging session with Jennifer McLean on her Masterworks Healing membership site (http://www.masterworkshealing.com/) from this past Saturday, which just happened to be 9/11. The call was all about being present in your body and being in flow, but this time it was different. As I allowed myself to participate and went from being present in my body to being outside it and back again, I finally grasped what I had not been able to before. When you are in your rational mind, the mind throws barriers in your path in an act of self-preservation. These barriers are things like the prejudices we are taught or the negative perceptions we have about ourselves or others.  This is where your life's problems come from. This is where disease comes from. This is the seat of conflict. My "A-hah" moment came when I understood that all the problems in my life are outside of me!  I had always believed the turmoil was inside of me. Consequently, I would try to "escape" by using my imagination to leave my body, but in reality my "escape" was the place where conflict lives! At those times during the session when I was present in my body and living in my heart, there were no barriers, there was no conflict--only solutions, only peace, only love. It was powerful!

With this new understanding, I feel confident I can overcome the pitfalls in my life as I learn to stay present in my body and live from my heart. I know my heart is the source of my love, my peace, and my flow. My mind is what the world has taught me. I follow the path of least resistance.   

From Fear to Authenticity

I have walked this same path so many times I have lost count. I dream of a life much bigger than the one I currently live, yet each time I attempt to get there fear seems to take over and I find myself back in the same old rut. Every time I fall back into this rut, I fall back into a deeper state of depression, knowing that out there somewhere is the life I should be living. My fear keeps me from becoming the person I was meant to be--my authentic self.

This point was driven home this morning while listening to another of Jennifer McLean's wonderful Healing With the Masters interviews (to listen to this resource for FREE go to http://www.healingwiththemasters.com/ and sign up!). Sonia Choquette(Traveling at the Speed of Love), an insightful intuition teacher, talked about the battle between our earthbound egos and our spiritbound authentic selves. The earthbound ego places limits on the choices we make and consequently keeps our authentic selves boxed up if we let our egos rule us. Our egos tell us things like, "you don't deserve it" or "it's just not practical". If we believe these things, we don't listen to our dreams. Our dreams are what the authentic self uses to guide us to the lives we were meant to live.

I have prayed for months for help in finding my authentic self and living my dreams. As usual, I am stubborn and not listening and have finally been brought to a state containing enough pain that I felt I had no option but to quit the life my ego has been telling me to live! Let me explain: my authentic self has told me for years that I need to work for myself in order to achieve the life I want. Still, I continue to make a sure buck working a low paying, high stress job. Last week, between the stresses of the job and stresses at home, my boss suggested I take a week off to get myself together. I was upset at first, but then I realized that this was indeed my time to assess my current situation. My dream job has the following elements: time to think, plan, study and grow and involves teaching others how to evolve themselves. My current job will never get me there! Also, I know my current job will only bring me more stress and trouble, and that is not a state I wish to continue in. As a result, I quit the "sure money" in order to pursue something more in line with my dreams.

I have an old high school friend I admire greatly--probably because he is so authentic. He has lived a unique, exciting and successful life in many ways, and it is precisely because he is not afraid to listen to his dreams and does not let his ego limit him. He makes mistakes, but he learns from them and goes on. Intuitively, he knows that mistakes are important for growth.

I'd like to say I am currently on my way to living the life of my dreams. The battle now, as it has always been, is which part of myself to listen to--fear or authenticity. As I learn to tune out the fear and follow my dreams, my purpose in life becomes fulfilled.  

Taking Responsibility!

     I am so tired of the "evil wealthy" rhetoric! It is obviously true that there are large wealth disparities in the US. Some people make millions, even billions, of dollars every year while others can't get by without government assistance. The perception is often that these wealthy people have become wealthy stepping on the backs of the poor, but is this really the case? My thought is that everyone needs to take responsibility for what IS.
     In the political arena, attention is often called the the huge salaries of CEO's of major corporations. Yes, they do make more money than the person who cleans their office. Yes, they do make more money than Joe the Plumber. Yes, they do make more money than 99% of the population! Is it fair? Maybe not, but how did it happen? Did they necessarily step on the little people to get ahead? Who knows for sure? The fact of the matter is, stockholders in the company, looking to make money on their investments, decided this person was worth their incredible salary to help them make more money. The CEO was able to convince those same stockholders that he/she would be able to take that company in a positive direction.
     Let's look at something similar but more acceptable to many Americans--athlete salaries. In the big leagues, most are paid hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars a year to play their game. They also make more money than the vast majority of Americans, but for some reason this is acceptable. The irony here is that many of them get caught in blatantly illegal activies and are criminally prosecuted for it. These people have all had to fight and claw their way to the top in such competive fields, some resort to the use of illegal steroids to do it. Still, becoming a top athlete is something many people aspire to. Do these athletes deserve their huge salaries? The fact of the matter is, these top athletes are what draw fans (and their money) so their salaries are justified. In other words, WE are the reason these athletes draw those incredible salaries.
     What is the difference between the CEO and the athlete? Nothing. Both are there to make money for the people they work for. They draw the ability to make money from who? Us! The bottom line is, they make money for their companies because of the value WE place on what they do. We may not be responsible for the exact dollar amount, but our attitudes and preferences definitely make us responsible for the end product.
     The next time you decide to complain about the disparity in American salaries, maybe you ought to look to those truly responsible. The responsibility lies with each one of us. 

The Bus Comes Every Day!

     In our often fast-paced world, it is easy to get lost in the madness. Work, school, meetings, and chores meld into one great big to-do list. There is not enough time in the day to accomplish all the things we are "supposed" to do. At the same time, the drudgery and monotony of life seems to spin out of control as we go through the routine of our lives. Just when I think this is the way my life was meant to be, I get a dose of reality as I look at my life through the eyes of the very young children I work with.
     At present, I am a preschool teacher with a class of two-year-olds. It is a high energy, sometimes stressful job that requires a lot of patience and stamina (not to mention a whole lot of stubbornness). One of the best things about the job, however, is the fact that I get to re-experience aspects of life that usually get taken for granted.
     For a two-year-old, the world is still a new, exciting place. It is a chance to observe, experience and learn. Experiments are common. What will happen when I smack my hand down in the milk I just spilled on the table? Where will the car land if I roll it off the table? You get the idea.
     One of the things that cracks me up is the coming of the school bus. When school is in session, the bus comes through the parking lot every day to drop off the elementary school children who need childcare while their parents are still working. Most afternoons, my little class is outside on the playground when this happens, and our playground is right next to the parking lot. Consequently, we see the bus pull through every day. You would think it would be old news after a while of seeing this day in and day out, but not to two-year-olds. Every day they hear the grind of the school bus' gears and make a mad dash for the fence as the bus pulls through, shouts of "Bus! Bus!", filling the air. Every day they wave and cheer for the bus and its driver. It's the same drudgery every day, but to a two-year-old it is a new, exciting experience every time.
     As I reflect on this, I come to one fateful conclusion. In our "wisdom" we have a tendency to take the wonders of our lives for granted. We cease to find joy and fulfillment in the little things because we have become bored by and caught up in the routine. The fact of the matter is, boredom is a choice. We can choose every day to see the world as a wonderous opportunity, or we can choose to be bored by the sameness of the routine. Which will you choose? After all, the bus comes every day! 
    

Forgive Yourself!

Having grown up in a very religious home, I was often bombarded with the idea that, because of my humanity, I was prone to mistakes. This idea was reinforced by my observations of the harm caused to others by my actions or inactions. Consequently, I have struggled with feelings of guilt and unworthiness most of my life. These feelings have been a huge source of blocked energy in my life, keeping me from enjoying those things in life I truly deserve--things we all deserve. As I reassess my life, several things become abundantly clear.

First, mistakes are really good things! While it is true they can carry negative and even harmful effects, mistakes can be our best teachers. Our spiritual goal is to wake up, recognize the negativity, and correct our actions. All mistakes are meant to lead to our spiritual growth, and spiritual growth is what we come to earth to do! Yes! We are prone to make mistakes, and that's a GOOD thing!

Second, there is no cause and effect between our imperfection and what we deserve in life. Look at the world around you. Some of the most loving and giving people I know have nothing but problems, and some of the meanest people around are very outwardly successful. Do those loving souls deserve problems? Do those mean people deserve success? Life is not fair. It could be fair, but often our feelings of guilt and unworthiness get in the way of the abundance we could have.

The bottom line is, we need to embrace our imperfection as a way of life. Feelings of guilt and unworthiness serve no worthwhile purpose and can actually hinder those positive activities we came to earth to participate in. Learn to let go and forgive yourself! Your effectiveness on earth depends upon it!

The Mirror

There is a mirror inside myself
I fear to look at,
For it reflects my very soul.

Memory holds the bitterness of my
Many mistakes--
Mistakes I know
Must darken my spirit and
Make it more hideous with each passing day.

Yet, when I find the strength and courage
To gaze into the mirror’s depths,
It is not the monster I see.

I see the white light of perfection
Made even more beautiful
By the problems and mistakes
Which occur every day.

Mistakes that teach.
Mistakes that perfect.
Mistakes that bring out beauty
Which never before existed.

There is no monster.
It is fear that hides the truth
Of who I am.

I acknowledge this reflection of light
And embrace my power.

--Cindy Shippy Evans

Take Time For Joy!

     In my seemingly endless quest for meaning and purpose, I find myself stuck. Stressers from many different areas in life attack from all sides, making my search feel even more critical (and ironically adding even more stress!). Consequently, I am once again caught in a trap of my own design. As I search for signposts in my latest crossroads, several questions pop up. What is my passion? Where is the fun? What is my joy?
     I had the privilege of talking to a gifted intuitive couselor, Susann Taylor Shier (http://www.soulmastery.net/), a few nights ago on a teleconference call. She "reads" people on a soul level and gives insightful suggestions to help them on the right path. After explaining how I was stuck, Susann gently pointed out how little time I take for myself. I have been so focused on finding my purpose in life and saving the world I have forgotten that I am also here to experience joy. People who are passionate and joyful create an abundant life! I am stuck because I am not seeking out those activities that bring ME joy!
     Low self esteem definitely plays a role in this process. Somehow, I have internalized the idea that I have to do for others to be worthy of the good things in life--like I don't deserve blessings if I am not constantly giving to others. The fact of the matter is, a person who is filled with joy overflows naturally to the world around them! My ideology has all been backwards! You cannot give what you do not have!
     Susann's suggestion to me was to find those activities that allow me to have fun. She and Jennifer McLean (http://www.masterworkshealing.com/), the host of the call, tuned into my love of music and suggested that may be one avenue to explore. As I thought about it more today, I realized writing was also something I really love to do to express myself (hence the blog post). In addition, I am ready to pick my pen and paper back up to work on a series of children's book I got the idea for well over a year ago.
     Joy is definitely missing from my life right now. My sense of responsibility coupled with low self esteem has brought me to a place of immobility. Fortunately the path to passion and joy has been revealed! Time to take the first step.