Mirrors in Life

"Any situation that you find yourself in, is an outward reflection of your inner state of being-ness." -- El Morya

Have you ever noticed that what you are feeling on the inside is showing up in your "outside" world? I have had my own experiences lately that just amplify this and have been in coaching sessions where clients have shared this with me.

I would like to say that my mirrors were reflecting peace and harmony, but alas, no! It was just about the polar opposite - it was the disgruntlement and frustrations of people that I encountered which was simply a reflection of what I was feeling about some issues for me at work lately. What it meant for me in the short term was that we had alot to whine about...but even as I was complaining and trying to be right (a BIG clue!), there was that small, still voice that yelled at me: "MIRROR!"

So, for the long term and for my own health and well-being, whining was not the answer but it was a red flag to me that I was off center, out of balance, and stressed! As much as I did not want to succomb to that still voice within me immediately, I did hear it - it was right - my ego was shouting loud and clear, and frankly, about nothing really all that life-altering.

These mirrors in our lives are gifts - we should thank them and learn from them...they are there because we are not "mindful" and aware enough to notice our own being-ness by ourselves. I keep thinking, one of these days, I will not need the mirrors, but I doubt it...I always want the teachers and the lessons.

Clarity and Opportunity

When I think about what I really want, these two things come to my mind.

I often feel that clarity is a solution to stress...getting things back into perspective for me reduces an sense of anxiety or fear. It gets me back to my values. I can also have a better sens eof the opportunity that was in the chaos of what I was experiencing....that opportunity was always there, even if I wasn't open to seeing it before.

So, how to get back to clarity and harmony? The body needs a re-boot and how that works for you is a unique thing. For me, it can be a short visual meditation, a piece of music, a word or phrase to remind me to get centered, and what it mostly is, is turning off the external world for a moment in time and going inside my own heart and mind. That is the re-boot, the re-set, because when I "come out", the stress is less and I do have a better clarity about what's important, some better ideas, and the opportunities open to me in my life.

What is your re-boot strategy?

Name it and Claim it!

The hardest thing for us sometimes is to just admit what it is that it causing the stressful and anxious feelings. It might "appear" weak, we think...ha! Who hasn't had moments and tough times in our lives where we needed assistance???? We are all hypnotized to think everyone else is doing "it" better...and that admission of what we need assistance with is almost like we think we have failed.

Here's the news: we ALL have these moments and we all can relate to others who are having them, not out of pity, but out of compassion as a fellow human. We need to know and trust and have faith in our friends and colleagues...then name it and claim it...and feel the stress start to ooze out of us...release and letting go of the strangle-hold it had over us. Just like the wicked witches broom which melted in the Wizard of Oz.

When we name it and claim it, it has less power in our lives and we reclaim our inner essence of that REAL power - the Source within us, that really drives us to GREATNESS. Then, that melted broom is as it should be - just a thing, a long lost perception of our little mind. Bring on the Big Mind - it is waiting for us to recognize it as Truth.

Happiness is a Decision

"Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time." -Unknown author

Sometimes we wait...and wait...and wait...for the "right" thing to come around so we can be happy. It is stressful being in a place of constant anticipation, waiting for some external event to make life work for us.

Better to take some action, in the happiness and joy that we have a choice...and that whatever we do, it is right! We can't make a mistake. If our intention is happiness and joy, that that is what we will experience, not stressing about what someone should have done, or could have done to make it right for you.

Be empowered to make it right for yourself, and choose happiness as the way of being, created by you, especially for you.

Back to School...

I love fall and all that I see...the leaves...the angle of the sun...the smell in the air...the little creatures collecting their stuff for the winter.

But mostly I love the idea of back to school...back to learning...a reminder. I enjoy the openness...the possibilities...the freshness...of new ideas and thoughts. Then, I enjoy the sensemaking of it all...trying to fit what I learned into context of everything else.

Learning should not be stressful, it should enjoyable. If I feel stress about learning, I need to look at the human overlay - what expectations are creating the stress? Time? Perfection? Challenging my ego?

Time to reflect on that...otherwise, enjoy the ride and be in that wonderful space of an open container, to be filled with knowledge.

What is versus what it SHOULD be!!!

Stress comes from judging and believing "what should be" versus "what is." It is about feeling right and needing others to acknowledge it...forgiveness comes from knowing that the self-care of personal peacefulness is more important to our health than being right. Need creates need, creating stress. Clarity creates clarity and peacefulness.

I know that being right in my mind for my health based upon my values is what matters. When I am clear about what's important, clarity surround me and all of my activities. And I also see that, compared to what's right in my world, there is very little wrong.

"You can never get to peace and inner security without first acknowledging all of the good things in your life. If you're forever wanting and longing for more without first appreciating things the way they are, you'll stay in discord." --- The HeartMath Solution, Doc Childre and Howard Martin

Flexibility of the Willow Tree (Latin: salix)

"Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape." --- Unknown

The willow tree is very meaningful to me - flexible but firmly rooted. Being flexible enough to be conscious of my environment and to note the information I detect - same or different?

"Same" means I do what I have been doing if it is working for me.

"Different" means a change...in my routine, my paradigm...not out of fear but in adapting to what's new and different. It is not personal, it just needs a d different "answer" from me...a new path...the Salix Path, grounded in who I am, my values.