I just saw Julie and Julia this weekend ( I know, it takes us a while...) and I really enjoyed it. I've heard from others that they loved Julia but didn't care for Julie. I was no different. Why is that?
Sure, Meryl Streep is an actress at the top of her field and portrayed Julia so well. But, Amy Adams is also a good actress who portrayed her character well ( the little I know of her in real life).
For me, the big difference in feeling about the characters has less to do with the actors and more to do with the people they played. Julia is bubbly, joyful, abundant, clear, passionate. She is true to herself and stopped caring what others think early in her life. She loves her husband Paul with a passion and still loves herself enough to go for what she wanted in life.
Julie is portrayed as someone who complains, suffers, is victimized, is lost and confused. She is never satisfied with herself or her husband. She makes goals but gets lost in them. The journey is not fun for her. It becomes a burden that must always be validated and approved. She worships Julia as her savior and becomes little obsessed.
No wonder everyone prefers Julia! Julia represents our HigherSelves. She embodies the qualities that we aspire to- she is forever optimistic, honest, loyal, true, and never runs from the obstacles put in her way. She is forever faithful to herself and her knowing that it's all fine the way it is-even in dire circumstances.
Julie represents our egos. She embodies our tendency to see the trouble in things, the pressures that we create, the dependence we have on others for approval or validation, and our focus on the outside to dictate the inside.
Eventually, Julie triumphs but not without a whole lot of trouble. Julia has fun in her work and everything corresponds to that- her husband hangs out with her in the kitchen, fellow chefs find her and seek her out, a friend helps her find a publisher for her cookbook.
We don't want to think of Julie because she reminds us (or maybe just me)of that part of myself (the egoic part) that I buy into when things are going "badly" or "too well".
But, it is good that she is there. She highlights the Julia in us and when Julie does finally get what she wants, it is only because she shifts into Julia mode- she starts to enjoy the ride!
Are you Julia or Julie right now? Clear or confused, focused or scattered, confident and calm or worried? Watch Julia and Julie and get inspired to shift into Julia mode.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
No Problem and 10,000 Solutions
I went to the movies recently and a 7 year old child said "Wouldn't it be cool if there was a movie and the story was about about no problem and 10,000 solutions?"
I immediately thought that she had started to read the Tao Te Ching or was channeling Lao-Tzu.
She explained further about what she meant. To paraphrase, the story would be that someone would be just living their life and get something really cool (like an ice cream cone) and be thrilled.
I agreed that, yes, that would be "super cool".
And maybe, that's how it can be, if we allow ourselves to see it that way.
Perhaps our lives can be without problems and 10,000 solutions. In other words, we can see life's challenges as just that- not problems or dramas, but challenges and opportunities to view the unlimited solutions that are available if we can get out of "problem mode" and into "solution mode".
I know it can be a challenge, at times, to see what is happening in your life as an opportunity. In fact, in the moment, it may feel extremely painful, lonely, or at least a pain in the butt, but it is all created by you, for you. Even when it feels like it is all against you.
Experiencing ugliness allows you to appreciate beauty, hunger allows you to enjoy food. When we stay in the ugliness or the hunger because of our minds, we postpone the beautiful food that can be in our midst. When we are no longer condemning the ugliness, we can access the beauty in everything.
And, yes, there are many people in the world that experience daily horror and terror, hunger and violation. I would often focus on how horrible it all was and be stymied about what to do. I would be overwhelmed by the problem and be closed off to the solutions. But in those experiences as well, there is an opportunity for the world to see the 10,000 solutions that exist right now.
There is enough food in the world to feed the world. There are projects that assist families in wellness, as well as, emotional and financial ways. Local communities are shifting their awareness of how members, particularly women and girls, are treated. Little by little, folks are becoming aware of the myriad of solutions regarding economic scarcity. Does there need to be more of this? Absolutely! Join in!
We are in fact joined together in mutual liberation in these experiences. It is not about being in denial, it is exactly the opposite. It is stating what is without drama or judgment. It is about awareness that we have all that is necessary for our joy.
When we focus on the opportunity- instead of the "problem"- we gain access to the possibilities, the solutions, and we all expand and evolve together.
How do you experience the challenges of your life? Are they problems with no solutions? Are you overwhelmed and frightened or inspired to see how it all unfolds? Can you see the 10,000 solutions?
I immediately thought that she had started to read the Tao Te Ching or was channeling Lao-Tzu.
She explained further about what she meant. To paraphrase, the story would be that someone would be just living their life and get something really cool (like an ice cream cone) and be thrilled.
I agreed that, yes, that would be "super cool".
And maybe, that's how it can be, if we allow ourselves to see it that way.
Perhaps our lives can be without problems and 10,000 solutions. In other words, we can see life's challenges as just that- not problems or dramas, but challenges and opportunities to view the unlimited solutions that are available if we can get out of "problem mode" and into "solution mode".
I know it can be a challenge, at times, to see what is happening in your life as an opportunity. In fact, in the moment, it may feel extremely painful, lonely, or at least a pain in the butt, but it is all created by you, for you. Even when it feels like it is all against you.
Experiencing ugliness allows you to appreciate beauty, hunger allows you to enjoy food. When we stay in the ugliness or the hunger because of our minds, we postpone the beautiful food that can be in our midst. When we are no longer condemning the ugliness, we can access the beauty in everything.
And, yes, there are many people in the world that experience daily horror and terror, hunger and violation. I would often focus on how horrible it all was and be stymied about what to do. I would be overwhelmed by the problem and be closed off to the solutions. But in those experiences as well, there is an opportunity for the world to see the 10,000 solutions that exist right now.
There is enough food in the world to feed the world. There are projects that assist families in wellness, as well as, emotional and financial ways. Local communities are shifting their awareness of how members, particularly women and girls, are treated. Little by little, folks are becoming aware of the myriad of solutions regarding economic scarcity. Does there need to be more of this? Absolutely! Join in!
We are in fact joined together in mutual liberation in these experiences. It is not about being in denial, it is exactly the opposite. It is stating what is without drama or judgment. It is about awareness that we have all that is necessary for our joy.
When we focus on the opportunity- instead of the "problem"- we gain access to the possibilities, the solutions, and we all expand and evolve together.
How do you experience the challenges of your life? Are they problems with no solutions? Are you overwhelmed and frightened or inspired to see how it all unfolds? Can you see the 10,000 solutions?
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Appreciation and Letting Go to Manifest Your Desires
On Saturday morning, the piano from my childhood, where I learned "Chop Sticks" and Mozart, was delivered to my home. It had spent many years at my brother's home where my nieces had learned how to play and now they were off to college and careers.
Having the piano here was something I had desired for a while, but moving it here seemed complicated to me. It seemed more expensive to move than it was worth.
Then, when my eldest daughter expressed a desire to learn the instrument, my husband suggested we finally pluck it from my brother's house. There was a guy who did moving at my husband's work who was willing to do it for a favor and we made plans.
Great, not complicated!
On Saturday morning, when my husband and the team of men arrived, he immediately came up to the front door to deliver some "bad" news before I noticed. "It got damaged."
Perhaps it is not as uncomplicated as it seemed.
"Oh.." I thought. Let's see. They got the piano inside and it looks like it really needed a chiropractor. Its back was uneven, as if it was twisted.
The moving guys were really mortified and when I mentioned that the piano was from my childhood years, they felt even worse.
Apparently, it fell in the truck.
After they left and I studied the keys (some were inaudible and other stuck) I immediately went into blame mode. "Why did I let guys, with no piano moving experience, move a piano?" "How could it have fallen?" "Why didn't I just pay some more money and get insured movers?"
I realized with time that I was not OK with this situation. My husband told me to start calling piano repair people. I was trying to avoid complications, and yet here I was, in a situation that was getting more complicated. "Trying to avoid" anything usually brings to the fore, right?
I got appointments with two repair men to give estimates of repairing the damage. The first one arrived on Wednesday morning and looked the instrument over. "I would condemn it" he said. It would take at least $1000 to repair plus moving costs. The piano was worth only about $400. "It's totaled." "I've never seen this type of damage before" he added.
After he left I emailed my husband with the sad news and decided to cancel the 2nd repair estimate. Then I went upstairs and looked for consolation in my latest Wayne Dyer read Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life which is about the 81 verses of the Tao Te Ching. The verse it opened on was about letting go of attachments.
Yes, I was really attached. I was attached to a $400 upright Hammond piano. I was attached to my fond memories of making music on this piano and then hearing my daughters do the same. I was attached to the sounds of a piano in my home. It had been out of my life for more than 20 years and then back for 4 days and I was really attached.
Then I opened another book at a random page and it talked about how temporary everything is. "This, too, shall pass", a phrase my mother repeated many times in my childhood, was sitting on this page for me to see. My favorite part, which was also in the Wayne Dyer book, was that in a seemingly terrible ending is a beginning.
I clung to that one. What's the beginning here? What beginning can the end of this piano bring to me? And then, I decided that all I can do now is be sad. Allow the sadness to come and not try to change it.
The rest of the day, more or less, I was sad. I was grieving the end of my days and my kids' days of music with this piano.
My husband encouraged me to have the 2nd repairman (Richard Ziss) see the piano after all. I was hesitant to waste his time, but left a second message to have him come anyway.
He arrived and looked at the piano the same way the 1st man did. Taking off exterior pieces of the piano cabinet and explaining the damage. Then he got out a mallet, raised the piano off the ground, and using another piece of wood to protect the piano, he began to bang the piano cabinet. I left the room. It was like watching a doctor continue to try to perform CPR to a lifeless body.
The pounding stopped and I returned to the room. "Well, it's back in place." He said matter-of-factly. He ran his fingers up the keyboard. They sounded great! No stuck or inaudible keys.
"Oh, my God! You did it!" I exclaimed.
"Yep."
"The other guy said it was condemned...."
"I've heard that before. Sometimes, these old pianos just need some adjusting..."
I couldn't believe it. I had said good-bye to this poor twisted instrument that I hadn't really appreciated until I learned that it was leaving, and now someone just made it so it can stay.
He explained what other repairs needed to be done to protect from future problems and made an appointment to return next week to finish up. He charged me just a couple hundred dollars for all the repairs and tuning. Money gladly spent.
I realized that there was a lot to learn here. The biggest lesson for me was that appreciation can create miracles. Through the damage sustained in moving the piano, I appreciated the music we created with the piano. Through the potential loss of the piano, I appreciated the instrument itself and all the joy it brought me in childhood and now. Through the process of getting another opinion, I appreciated the repairman who fixed it (and the one who could not) and my husband. I also appreciated hearing and watching my kids enjoy the piano. You can find out more about appreciation creating miracles through the Abundance Course.
The second lesson was that letting go is so important in manifesting. I had to let go when the piano was damaged, when I got the news of it being "condemned", and in being sad. Then I had to let go of the prognosis that I was sure was final and see what Richard had to say.
Here's the experiment: What are you holding on to that could be holding back a dream? What could you be appreciating that can help you in allowing your dream to come to fruition? Are you feeling like it is just not possible? That's OK. Allow yourself to grieve your attachment to your dream and know it is an ending that brings a beginning. Then let it all go and appreciate the opportunity to acknowledge the attachment. Letting go of the attachment is what makes you free. That's what makes it not matter whether it all happens or not. And when you appreciate what you have and let go of what you desire, it allows for miracles. Either way, you are whole.
Need a piano repaired or tuned? Gotta call my "Miracle Piano Man" Richard Ziss: 973 325-5052 or pianoman07059@aol.com
Having the piano here was something I had desired for a while, but moving it here seemed complicated to me. It seemed more expensive to move than it was worth.
Then, when my eldest daughter expressed a desire to learn the instrument, my husband suggested we finally pluck it from my brother's house. There was a guy who did moving at my husband's work who was willing to do it for a favor and we made plans.
Great, not complicated!
On Saturday morning, when my husband and the team of men arrived, he immediately came up to the front door to deliver some "bad" news before I noticed. "It got damaged."
Perhaps it is not as uncomplicated as it seemed.
"Oh.." I thought. Let's see. They got the piano inside and it looks like it really needed a chiropractor. Its back was uneven, as if it was twisted.
The moving guys were really mortified and when I mentioned that the piano was from my childhood years, they felt even worse.
Apparently, it fell in the truck.
After they left and I studied the keys (some were inaudible and other stuck) I immediately went into blame mode. "Why did I let guys, with no piano moving experience, move a piano?" "How could it have fallen?" "Why didn't I just pay some more money and get insured movers?"
I realized with time that I was not OK with this situation. My husband told me to start calling piano repair people. I was trying to avoid complications, and yet here I was, in a situation that was getting more complicated. "Trying to avoid" anything usually brings to the fore, right?
I got appointments with two repair men to give estimates of repairing the damage. The first one arrived on Wednesday morning and looked the instrument over. "I would condemn it" he said. It would take at least $1000 to repair plus moving costs. The piano was worth only about $400. "It's totaled." "I've never seen this type of damage before" he added.
After he left I emailed my husband with the sad news and decided to cancel the 2nd repair estimate. Then I went upstairs and looked for consolation in my latest Wayne Dyer read Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life which is about the 81 verses of the Tao Te Ching. The verse it opened on was about letting go of attachments.
Yes, I was really attached. I was attached to a $400 upright Hammond piano. I was attached to my fond memories of making music on this piano and then hearing my daughters do the same. I was attached to the sounds of a piano in my home. It had been out of my life for more than 20 years and then back for 4 days and I was really attached.
Then I opened another book at a random page and it talked about how temporary everything is. "This, too, shall pass", a phrase my mother repeated many times in my childhood, was sitting on this page for me to see. My favorite part, which was also in the Wayne Dyer book, was that in a seemingly terrible ending is a beginning.
I clung to that one. What's the beginning here? What beginning can the end of this piano bring to me? And then, I decided that all I can do now is be sad. Allow the sadness to come and not try to change it.
The rest of the day, more or less, I was sad. I was grieving the end of my days and my kids' days of music with this piano.
My husband encouraged me to have the 2nd repairman (Richard Ziss) see the piano after all. I was hesitant to waste his time, but left a second message to have him come anyway.
He arrived and looked at the piano the same way the 1st man did. Taking off exterior pieces of the piano cabinet and explaining the damage. Then he got out a mallet, raised the piano off the ground, and using another piece of wood to protect the piano, he began to bang the piano cabinet. I left the room. It was like watching a doctor continue to try to perform CPR to a lifeless body.
The pounding stopped and I returned to the room. "Well, it's back in place." He said matter-of-factly. He ran his fingers up the keyboard. They sounded great! No stuck or inaudible keys.
"Oh, my God! You did it!" I exclaimed.
"Yep."
"The other guy said it was condemned...."
"I've heard that before. Sometimes, these old pianos just need some adjusting..."
I couldn't believe it. I had said good-bye to this poor twisted instrument that I hadn't really appreciated until I learned that it was leaving, and now someone just made it so it can stay.
He explained what other repairs needed to be done to protect from future problems and made an appointment to return next week to finish up. He charged me just a couple hundred dollars for all the repairs and tuning. Money gladly spent.
I realized that there was a lot to learn here. The biggest lesson for me was that appreciation can create miracles. Through the damage sustained in moving the piano, I appreciated the music we created with the piano. Through the potential loss of the piano, I appreciated the instrument itself and all the joy it brought me in childhood and now. Through the process of getting another opinion, I appreciated the repairman who fixed it (and the one who could not) and my husband. I also appreciated hearing and watching my kids enjoy the piano. You can find out more about appreciation creating miracles through the Abundance Course.
The second lesson was that letting go is so important in manifesting. I had to let go when the piano was damaged, when I got the news of it being "condemned", and in being sad. Then I had to let go of the prognosis that I was sure was final and see what Richard had to say.
Here's the experiment: What are you holding on to that could be holding back a dream? What could you be appreciating that can help you in allowing your dream to come to fruition? Are you feeling like it is just not possible? That's OK. Allow yourself to grieve your attachment to your dream and know it is an ending that brings a beginning. Then let it all go and appreciate the opportunity to acknowledge the attachment. Letting go of the attachment is what makes you free. That's what makes it not matter whether it all happens or not. And when you appreciate what you have and let go of what you desire, it allows for miracles. Either way, you are whole.
Need a piano repaired or tuned? Gotta call my "Miracle Piano Man" Richard Ziss: 973 325-5052 or pianoman07059@aol.com
Monday, July 27, 2009
Daring to Be Happy
I got a recommendation from a good friend to see a movie called Happy Go Lucky. It's an interesting film about a British primary school teacher who is almost always happy. The beginning credits show her riding her bike through the streets of London, enjoying the ride, relaxed and...happy.
For me, the most striking aspect of the film was how people reacted to this young kind woman. Some of the characters were is various states of pain and sadness and either ignored her, berated her, or blamed her for their misery.
It stayed with me because this was my excuse for not being happy. It was my fear. I might offend someone. I might threaten someone. I might remind someone that they don't feel good and they'd take it out on me. I might be betraying some unspoken agreement for both of us to stay unhappy and unfulfilled.
It was not until I was really sick of being unhappy that I was willing to risk the consequences of being happy. I was willing to let go of the fear of change and experiment with being happy. I was willing to let go of relationships that could not survive the change. I was daring to be happy.
That's what happens with this woman in the film. You never see her blame the other person. She has empathy and compassion for the pain of the other person, but she does not allow it to deter her from her own happiness. In some cases, she has to let go of relationships.
What's stopping you from being happy (or passionate or abundant or loving)? What are you afraid will happen? Who might be affected by this change? Will you be breaking an agreement with someone?
Now that you have those answers, are you ready to let go and see what happens if you allow yourself to be happy? Can you let go of caring about what others think about you and dare to be happy?
Do this experiment for a week and let me know what happens!
For me, the most striking aspect of the film was how people reacted to this young kind woman. Some of the characters were is various states of pain and sadness and either ignored her, berated her, or blamed her for their misery.
It stayed with me because this was my excuse for not being happy. It was my fear. I might offend someone. I might threaten someone. I might remind someone that they don't feel good and they'd take it out on me. I might be betraying some unspoken agreement for both of us to stay unhappy and unfulfilled.
It was not until I was really sick of being unhappy that I was willing to risk the consequences of being happy. I was willing to let go of the fear of change and experiment with being happy. I was willing to let go of relationships that could not survive the change. I was daring to be happy.
That's what happens with this woman in the film. You never see her blame the other person. She has empathy and compassion for the pain of the other person, but she does not allow it to deter her from her own happiness. In some cases, she has to let go of relationships.
What's stopping you from being happy (or passionate or abundant or loving)? What are you afraid will happen? Who might be affected by this change? Will you be breaking an agreement with someone?
Now that you have those answers, are you ready to let go and see what happens if you allow yourself to be happy? Can you let go of caring about what others think about you and dare to be happy?
Do this experiment for a week and let me know what happens!
Friday, July 24, 2009
Is Boredom the Ego?
I was sitting at the computer recently and found myself feeling bored. This is hard to imagine if you knew that I'm a mother of three young children and running a business out of my house. But, there are times when there is not much to do. In fact, I have purposely made it so. I could be cleaning something or writing something (like a blog post?) or "fixing something". Still, everyone seemed to be accounted for in the family and I didn't have the desire to do any of the above.
The first impulse was to call or IM someone, but suddenly I realized that it was covering up the feeling and I wanted to see why I felt that way. Boredom, to me, feels like restlessness. Uninspired, low energy that is not easily remedied. There is an underlying anxiety to it.
"What should I do now?" "How do I make this moment move more quickly so I can get back into the action that I call 'my life'?" There were definite plans for later in the day, but none right now. How could I be bored? This gap in a busy schedule rarely happens, but when it does, it feels...not so good.
Here's the big question: Is this boredom I am feeling just the ego? Is it just a story that the ego has spun out of control? Have I totally forgotten that I am part of the Everything, the I Am that I Am?
The story is that I have this moment. The spin is that this moment is boring- not fulfilling and must be filled up with stuff to feel better. Yeah, pretty much sounds like the ego to me!
I decided to just look at one of my favorite things in the world, a tree. I don't know why I love trees so much exactly, but I do. They are still and strong and beautiful and I always start to remember, or at least remember that I have forgotten, who I am.
I looked at the tree for just a moment and breathed and felt the feeling. Feeling less bored, more in the moment. Looked a litte longer. Feeling less restless, more peaceful.
I stopped feeling the urge to fix and do and cover the boredom up with "being productive". I stopped feeling like I needed to speed through the moment so I could act out my plans and "do my life".
Here's an experiment: Next time you are feeling bored or restless or anxious or you don't know what, ask yourself some questions. What are you feeling? What story have you created to justify this feeling? What if you did not try to get through the moment so you could stop feeling that way, but just stayed in the moment and remembered that this is a feeling?
Perhaps look at a tree or a flower or your kids playing and remember that this feeling is not you, it is a story the ego is spinning. Then that gives you some space to remember who you really are- you are the peace that you are craving, the love you desire.
Let me know what happens!
The first impulse was to call or IM someone, but suddenly I realized that it was covering up the feeling and I wanted to see why I felt that way. Boredom, to me, feels like restlessness. Uninspired, low energy that is not easily remedied. There is an underlying anxiety to it.
"What should I do now?" "How do I make this moment move more quickly so I can get back into the action that I call 'my life'?" There were definite plans for later in the day, but none right now. How could I be bored? This gap in a busy schedule rarely happens, but when it does, it feels...not so good.
Here's the big question: Is this boredom I am feeling just the ego? Is it just a story that the ego has spun out of control? Have I totally forgotten that I am part of the Everything, the I Am that I Am?
The story is that I have this moment. The spin is that this moment is boring- not fulfilling and must be filled up with stuff to feel better. Yeah, pretty much sounds like the ego to me!
I decided to just look at one of my favorite things in the world, a tree. I don't know why I love trees so much exactly, but I do. They are still and strong and beautiful and I always start to remember, or at least remember that I have forgotten, who I am.
I looked at the tree for just a moment and breathed and felt the feeling. Feeling less bored, more in the moment. Looked a litte longer. Feeling less restless, more peaceful.
I stopped feeling the urge to fix and do and cover the boredom up with "being productive". I stopped feeling like I needed to speed through the moment so I could act out my plans and "do my life".
Here's an experiment: Next time you are feeling bored or restless or anxious or you don't know what, ask yourself some questions. What are you feeling? What story have you created to justify this feeling? What if you did not try to get through the moment so you could stop feeling that way, but just stayed in the moment and remembered that this is a feeling?
Perhaps look at a tree or a flower or your kids playing and remember that this feeling is not you, it is a story the ego is spinning. Then that gives you some space to remember who you really are- you are the peace that you are craving, the love you desire.
Let me know what happens!
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Manifesting From the Heart
Yesterday, my husband drove in our new Toyota Prius hybrid car. I was thrilled. The kids were excited to meet our new family member "Priscilla Prius" (our mini-van was named "Sienna" since it was a Toyota Sienna).
I had manifested this car from my heart.
Huh?
Let me clarify.
Several years ago, before children and suburban living, we were car-less and loved it. Living in NYC didn't require a car and if we did need one, we'd rent a zipcar.
Then after our first child was born and we decided to live in a place that did not require climbing 5 flights of stairs, we bought a VW Passat, my husband's desired car. I wanted a hybrid, but they were out of price range for us. In other words, I let the "how", that is, price, get into my psyche and before I knew it, I was riding in the VW.
It was great! It served us well, and my husband promised a hybrid as our next car.
Speed up 4 years later and we're selling the Passat....for a mini-van. What happened? I was pregnant with our third and our options for vehicles were narrowing as our size of family was widening. At least that was what I told myself as I looked around at the hundreds of mini-vans we saw around us. Once again, the "how" dominated the equation. We'd never be able to fit 3 kids in a Prius, right? The other hybrids were not as great as reported, so I'd wait.
Then, as I was dropping my younger daughter at an appointment, I noticed some friends in their Prius. " I'd love one of these, but with three kids, it doesn't work", I lamented. My friend asked me to check out the back seat. He had three carseats snuggly set, ready for their brood of twins and an older child.
I couldn't believe it. "How'd you do that?" I riddled him with questions. "How you'd get those carseats?" "When did you buy it?" "Do you like it?"
It was then that it hit me that having a hybrid was really within my grasp. We could fit our whole family in this car. The times when we have more than 5 people amounts to perhaps twice a year. We could rent an extra for those times.
The "hows" of this manifestation were cleared.
The "whys" were becoming more clear, as well. Having a hybrid would be in keeping with my values. It would be more environmentally sound and save money. It would be pro-active in breaking the country's addiction to oil and getting us out of compromising relationships with oil-rich countries. It short, this was a manifestation from the heart. It reflected my heart and what I wanted for my world.
Still, I wasn't sure it would pass with my husband. I floated the idea with no attachment to the result. At first he was doubtful and then by the next day he was looking a Consumer Reports. This is always a good sign.
Before I knew it he wanted me to pick out colors for interiors. Then he calculated that between trading in our van, getting a better loan, and saving on gas, we would be spending less on this car than the van. All good news!
And today, 5 weeks later, we have our new Prius, my heartfelt manifestation, in our garage. It's a beautiful sight.
In case I was not clear in this story, manifestation is influenced by "whys" and "hows". The "why"s usually help to expand your vision and inspire you to continue or not. Think about why you want something. Is it for the ego or for the heart? Does it make up for something you think you lack in your life or is it a confirmation of your highest self?
Now, for the "hows". "How"s tend to contract the vision. When you start trying to figure out the "how"s you usually get discouraged, overwhelmed and the manifestation dies out or is delayed. Let the Universe figure out the hows.
When I started to think about the hows of having the car, I got discouraged and then my thoughts and feelings stopped matching the desire for the car. They reflected that is was not possible. It delayed the manifestation for years.
Then, when it was revealed that this would work and not all the reasons how it couldn't, I had no reason for delay. It was a sign from the Universe to have faith in my desire and not worry about the "how"s. (I could have easily dismissed it as a unique situation that would not work for me.)
The trick with future manifestations is having that faith that the "hows" would work themselves out before it is revealed. That probably would have brought the car even earlier to me. (In truth, it was fine either way..)
I had manifested this car from my heart.
Huh?
Let me clarify.
Several years ago, before children and suburban living, we were car-less and loved it. Living in NYC didn't require a car and if we did need one, we'd rent a zipcar.
Then after our first child was born and we decided to live in a place that did not require climbing 5 flights of stairs, we bought a VW Passat, my husband's desired car. I wanted a hybrid, but they were out of price range for us. In other words, I let the "how", that is, price, get into my psyche and before I knew it, I was riding in the VW.
It was great! It served us well, and my husband promised a hybrid as our next car.
Speed up 4 years later and we're selling the Passat....for a mini-van. What happened? I was pregnant with our third and our options for vehicles were narrowing as our size of family was widening. At least that was what I told myself as I looked around at the hundreds of mini-vans we saw around us. Once again, the "how" dominated the equation. We'd never be able to fit 3 kids in a Prius, right? The other hybrids were not as great as reported, so I'd wait.
Then, as I was dropping my younger daughter at an appointment, I noticed some friends in their Prius. " I'd love one of these, but with three kids, it doesn't work", I lamented. My friend asked me to check out the back seat. He had three carseats snuggly set, ready for their brood of twins and an older child.
I couldn't believe it. "How'd you do that?" I riddled him with questions. "How you'd get those carseats?" "When did you buy it?" "Do you like it?"
It was then that it hit me that having a hybrid was really within my grasp. We could fit our whole family in this car. The times when we have more than 5 people amounts to perhaps twice a year. We could rent an extra for those times.
The "hows" of this manifestation were cleared.
The "whys" were becoming more clear, as well. Having a hybrid would be in keeping with my values. It would be more environmentally sound and save money. It would be pro-active in breaking the country's addiction to oil and getting us out of compromising relationships with oil-rich countries. It short, this was a manifestation from the heart. It reflected my heart and what I wanted for my world.
Still, I wasn't sure it would pass with my husband. I floated the idea with no attachment to the result. At first he was doubtful and then by the next day he was looking a Consumer Reports. This is always a good sign.
Before I knew it he wanted me to pick out colors for interiors. Then he calculated that between trading in our van, getting a better loan, and saving on gas, we would be spending less on this car than the van. All good news!
And today, 5 weeks later, we have our new Prius, my heartfelt manifestation, in our garage. It's a beautiful sight.
In case I was not clear in this story, manifestation is influenced by "whys" and "hows". The "why"s usually help to expand your vision and inspire you to continue or not. Think about why you want something. Is it for the ego or for the heart? Does it make up for something you think you lack in your life or is it a confirmation of your highest self?
Now, for the "hows". "How"s tend to contract the vision. When you start trying to figure out the "how"s you usually get discouraged, overwhelmed and the manifestation dies out or is delayed. Let the Universe figure out the hows.
When I started to think about the hows of having the car, I got discouraged and then my thoughts and feelings stopped matching the desire for the car. They reflected that is was not possible. It delayed the manifestation for years.
Then, when it was revealed that this would work and not all the reasons how it couldn't, I had no reason for delay. It was a sign from the Universe to have faith in my desire and not worry about the "how"s. (I could have easily dismissed it as a unique situation that would not work for me.)
The trick with future manifestations is having that faith that the "hows" would work themselves out before it is revealed. That probably would have brought the car even earlier to me. (In truth, it was fine either way..)
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Just Be Present
If I bothered to look at past posts I would most likely see quotes from the animated film Kung-Fu Panda, but at risk of being repetitive, I want to write this one again.
It's that important.
Here it is: "The past is a mystery. Tomorrow is history. But, today is a gift....that's why they called it 'the present'." The kung-fu sage turtle says this to Po, the chubby, dumpling-loving, kung-fu master hopeful.
Gotta love it. Don't worry about the past, don't concern yourself with the future. Just Be Present. And I will add to that. When you are present, you are your present (or gift) to the world.
I get asked fairly often about why we are here in the world. What is our mission? How do you know if you are on the right path?
If you are in the here and now, you are on the right path. If you are present to yourself and others, you are fulfilling your mission.
What? Come on. That's not practical. There must be something I need to do, right? Specifically, what do I do? This is often the response.
I totally get this. I've asked the same questions and on occasion, I have the same doubts about the simplicity of this statement. And, I always come back to the same conclusion.
When I am present, I am not resistant to what is. When I am accepting of what is, I can see all the options out there for me. When I am present, I am clear and if action is necessary, I can take clear, effective action in the direction that feels best. How do I know if feels best? I am present. I am at peace.
How do you become present? Get still and quiet. Sometimes I close my eyes and just listen to my breathing. Sometimes and I sit and look at a tree and feel its stillness. (Trees awaken us to our stillness. Gotta love 'em!) Sometimes I watch my children laugh and play and see their presence in what they are attending to. Children are very present. I become aware if my mind is focusing on the past or future instead of enjoying what's happening right now.
Give it your attention and see what gifts the present reveals to you.
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