We all come to this life with strengths and gifts to offer. It takes a village or a community to accomplish all of the complex tasks and goals that we humans want to accomplish. Within that village we have the opportunity to find a niche, to express our gift, to offer our unique strength toward serving the larger endeavor, the greater good. In its highest expression, this is what coming to this life is all about. It's about each of us offering our best selves. In so doing we find that we have enough people to create a harmonious gathering of talent, and enough resources to complete all of our complex and necessary tasks for meaningful livelihood. Subsequently, we then have enough of everything for everyone.
"The One Mind
Of heaven and earth is dyed into
A thousand different
Grass colors."
--Unattributed poem from Japan
This feels like such an auspicious time. Webster's dictionary describes this word as "good omen, boding well for the future, favored by fortune." That makes it feel even more "awe-spicious." This year of large changes and high energy is having a crescendo at this summer solstice time. Our world is in some chaos, yet for me it feels like creative birthing. We are all helping to unfold something creative that bodes well for the future. It feels important to continue to steadfastly hold up thoughts of mindful compassion for ourselves and toward others.
"Our compassion for ourselves and for others is one way to invest our life force energy in order to collect the benefits of unswerving compassion and inner peace. We can see that in order to maintain balance, walking our talk can involve a whole new set of disciplines that require boundless energy, grounding, compassion, focused intent, and mercy toward ourselves and others."
--Jamie Sams
I have been doing a lot of thinking about life purpose. We don't always have to be clear about what our life purpose is or how we are to "make it" in the world. Our culture has taught us many negative things about competency, money, success, and power. Love is our life purpose. We are loved by the Universe, and love is what we can share with others. Being who we are is also our life purpose. The closer to this we can come, the more joy we are able to experience. Others benefit from our love and joy when it is true to who we are. These are the building blocks of our life purpose.
"The purpose of your life is to serve in a way that brings great joy to yourself and others. Don't worry about finding your purpose. Instead, focus upon serving a purpose, and then your purpose will serve you."
--Doreen Virtue
So often we carry more than we need as we travel through life. I have been doing this much of my life. The other side of this is that I have also been letting go. This letting go clears the way for new expressions, new exchanges, and takes us to new places. It also releases burdens that are not necessary on our paths. This process brings us peace, calm, and courage in these high energy times. I am daily finding the ability and the permission to let go, and to rest and relax as I release.
"I used to carry the weight of the world, but now all I wanna do is spread my wings and fly."
--song lyrics by Chantal Kreviazuk
Dreams are like seeds. We are in that season of the year when seeds are germinating and becoming the plants that they are coded to be at the heart of their seed. Dreams are similar. They begin with the germ of an idea, and that idea begins to grow when it lives in the right environment under the best conditions. All of the necessary elements exist within the code of the seed or within the germ of the idea. It is our task to listen, to attend, and to act with our highest being in ways that will nurture the plant or the dream into full flowering. It is there for our enjoyment and for our full interaction. Being and allowing are the greatest gifts we can bring to the experience.
"What you desire to create is not down a path into the future. It is not just beyond your reach. It exists right now, and is simply waiting for you on a higher spiral of creative consciousness.... Do not strive and struggle, but dream, create, and manifest as you co-create with Divine Consciousness."
--Celia Fenn
At times recently I have felt discouraged. I have been watching my life unfold, and I have also wanted to push for change. After some quiet time to myself I received the wisdom that I am in a process. My growth within this process is taking me where I want to go. Changes are happening within this process, and I am the steward of my process. So I will listen and act when that fits, and I will watch my life emerge from these actions. I am witnessing and letting it be.
"Now today, moment by moment, realize that each person and event that happens is life for you. Life is not somewhere else. See how fully you can accept the life that presents itself to you now."
--Brenda Shoshanna
Compassion trumps everything--judgments, criticisms, brokenness, negativity, ignorance. Being compassionate triumphs in all circumstances--wins out over anger and denial. It allows us to feel and be who we are in the moment. This is one of the most important things in life.
Practice loving-kindness, give yourself permission to receive compassion, bring compassionate energy forward in your daily exchanges with the world.
"In cultivating compassion we draw from the wholeness of our experience--our suffering, our empathy, as well as our cruelty and terror.
Unconditional
good heart toward others is not even a possibility unless we attend to
our own demons. Everything we encounter thus becomes an opportunity for
practicing
loving-kindness."
--Pema Chodron
