“The 'gift' I offer is from heaven. I've opened up through my spirit and asked to receive pure energy, pure love, so that I may offer it to someone in need. What they receive is not 'from me,' but 'through me.' The same is true for them. If they accept the 'gift' of pure energy, it transforms their current 'troubled' energy, changing it into pure love. They have chosen to exchange a lesser energy for a greater energy.” – Claire, Little Buddha
I’ve had to radically shift my diet, so much so there are only a few treats I can eat.
I have a decision to make now.
Do I feel bad that so much has been taken from me OR do I give thanks for what I still have to savor?
Which do you think profits me the most?
Am I a victim or do I have a choice?
That may seem like a simple question, but I don’t think it is, and here’s why.
It feels to me that the world tries to fill our heads with strong opinions about this and reinforces the whole idea of victimhood. So much so that it may be our first reaction. We simply accept ourselves as the victims of our circumstances.
When I sit back for a moment, I realize this may even be our default setting, an immediate prescribed reaction to events we encounter.
I wonder, how can this possibly benefit us?
My first thought is, it’s an easy escape. We don’t have to be held accountable and there’s usually someone else to blame. We don’t have to take any responsibility or even make changes to fix things.
We’re simply off the hook. After all, we’re the victim, aren’t we?
This whole thought process bothers me to my core. I understand why we might gravitate to this way of thinking, but to me no one is served by it. Not really.
I do not believe I came here to this earth to be a powerless victim of my own thinking or because of someone else’s actions.
Of course, I realize there are things outside my control. Lots of them. And many of them create situations I’d rather not experience. But that doesn’t mean I am powerless.
In fact, once it becomes obvious to me that I’m falling into the grips of victimhood, that’s the time for conscious decision making.
This starts with a giant step back and some deep breathing.
I need to take a wide view of the situation and truly consider all of the choices available to me.
I’m sure there are many ways to evaluate before choosing a path forward and everyone ought to use the one that offers them the best outcome- the one that works to achieve their ultimate benefit.
The question may be- how?
I have a suggestion you might want to consider.
Hang on, because it comes from a surprising place. As some of you know, I have certain recollections about heaven. I remember things and one of them is the ceremony that centered around me before I came to earth. During the ceremony I created a framework, a basic plan of things I wanted to experience. I think of it as my spiritual DNA. It remains flexible throughout my earth life, so I am able to make any changes I desire.
When I was constructing this basic plan, I chose to live in the world and be impacted by my cultural training, BUT I also chose to retain the ability to choose what best served me, despite what my culture believed.
In a way it doesn’t really matter if you decide to believe me about remembering heaven, because we all end up in this same place having to decide what path best suits us.
What I am suggesting is that we do not have to accept the ‘victim’ role. It is an option, not a requirement. It’s a choice.
We can acknowledge its presence, but give ourselves permission to make a better choice, one that serves our immediate and long-term aims.
I feel all decisions are open to me. I may not always like the immediate outcomes, but I do still have a choice, and I believe that it is always possible to find a wonderful path forward.
It’s likely that you watched, listened to or heard about Billie Eilish’s song, What Was I Made For, which was the Official Music Video for the film, Barbie.
No doubt everyone has their own opinions about the song. I find it eerily haunting and beautiful. The undercurrent feels eye opening to me, especially when you consider how it fits into the movie.
Of course, you can take the song and movie at face value, but there is so much underneath of benefit and worth.
What would you answer if I asked you this deceptively simple question…what were you made for?
Perhaps you’ve already arrived at your answer.
But for those of you who have not previously considered this, what are you inclined to respond?
I always feel it’s fair that I answer the questions I ask, so here’s my response.
I need to back up a little.
I still carry with me some memories from heaven. There was a ceremony I participated in, and many choices were made. I do not remember all of them, but there are some that are clear to me. I probably ought to say, they become clear to me as my life goes on.
I believe I chose where, when and to whom I was born. It feels obvious to me that the experiences I’ve encountered fit neatly into my life plan. I realize and believe that each choice is fully and completely under my control because I have free will. This is not to say that I haven’t been manipulated or coerced or brainwashed into making choices others wanted. But the truth for me is that I allowed or sanctioned or surrendered and accepted the path others wanted me to take in order to please them or keep me from their wrath.
That is until I decided to put my self first. You may be thinking, that’s kind of selfish, isn’t it? And you would be correct.
I realized I am here, on this earth, to create and experience my life. MY life.
I love others here and I certainly want to show love, support, and encouragement, but not at the cost of losing myself in the process.
I don’t believe that is what I was made for.
I was made to explore, discover, absorb, create, connect, give and receive love. I was made to be able to make my own choices, follow my own path, and share whatever radiance that burns inside of me.
I believe you have this same birthright. It’s part of your spiritual DNA. It’s one of the reasons you were given free will, so you could choose and chart your own path.
However, for you to answer this really important question has nothing to do with what I think or what I say. It’s entirely up to you.
So, what were you made for?
Whatever the answer is, I believe it already exist inside of you and if you give yourself a chance to listen, you’ll hear the sweet quiet voice guiding you toward your own answers and choices.
I am wondering something.
Let’s say that instead of deciding right away, what if we choose to exercise an automatic time delay before we labeled anything as good or bad?
What do you think would happen?
I have a suspicion that I would profit from this experiment. Rather than applying a quick label I might see that it takes time to know for sure.
Even then, I might not be correct.
Do you have any interest in giving this a try?
Suppose you wrote down the situation and your immediate response and set it aside, promising to come back to it “later”.
And suppose, just for one time, you watched what happened, like an observer without an opinion. You simply stood off to the side and waited…for a day, a week, a month, a year. And when the time period was up, you reevaluated.
I’ve tried this from time to time and it always astonishes me. Almost every time I learn something profound. Almost every time I recognize how far from the truth my first response was and how much more I have to learn.
I have many teachers in my life, some exist in proximity to me, others are farther away. Each of them reminds me of things I want to learn to release or to be at peace with. They are predominantly things that irritate, annoy or upset me.
I guess by now I ought to be used to this, but I’m not.
If I am not careful, I get sucked into their orbit and react in kind. This does not serve me.
To be at peace, I know I need to release any attachment to my version of what is ‘right’. I wonder to myself, how is this done?
At first glance, I’m tempted to accept and embrace what my culture has taught me, which is that I deserve to feel the way I do, about anything. If I can find someone who shares my feelings or who otherwise supports my right to feel the way I do, I have no incentive to make any changes, despite the amount of conflict and internal suffering I experience.
Feeling justified is an end unto itself and it halts all other thoughts and holds me in place.
The other thing it does is it creates a host of troublesome feelings inside me and ultimately keeps me from any sense of peace or freedom.
It’s too high a price to pay.
My feelings create a crack in the doorway, a place where some light comes in. And when the light hits my feelings, I sense there is the possibility for change.
Perhaps my view of the world is wrong. Perhaps there’s another way to view my situation that would be better for me. Perhaps I don’t have to stay in the rut created by constant reinforcement.
This feels like good news to me. I try to open my eyes and heart further. What change could I make that would allow my life to be more peaceful, contented, even joyful?
The first thing that occurs to me is that I could remind myself that there are numerous ways to live in this world. This translates as, my way may not be the best or only way and others’ views might make more sense.
It takes some inner strength to say this out loud to myself. For whatever reason, it’s challenging for me to think I have it wrong, but what a wonderful opportunity it is for me to entertain this idea.
This whole concept is one of suspended belief and judgement. A sort of time out or pause, so that I can reconsider what I believe.
It’s a mind opening invitation I can give myself.
If I sit back and think about any given situation from a neutral position, maybe I’ll see a bigger picture, one that may offer me a wider view and provide space to see if what I believe still rings true.
It feels like a wise choice to make and I’m going to give it a try.
I want to share something that I wrote for a dear friend of mine recently. It was intended to provide a spark to ignite a different way of viewing life. It was something that I needed. As with all of my posts, the thoughts and words arrive for me and then moved outward into the world.
The post is a dream in a way. Of a richer life. And of course, as it is in all cases, it depends on what we choose. I wonder to myself what will I choose, I wonder too, what will you choose?
What if today…
What if today…I choose to believe…to truly accept and embrace…that every single thing that happens to me is here to benefit me. What if I choose to see beyond appearances and all of the things that blind me. What if I give myself permission to believe that I am loved and cared for and know that everything I experience in my life is there to offer me something of value. That no matter what the world tells me, I can choose my own path. What if I embrace that my heart and spirit are the ones that set me free.
What if today I release any need to control the uncontrollable. What if I spruce up my ability to yield and let go of all the things that weigh me down…to set them aside and feel the precious liberation and the expansive freedom that choice creates.
What if today I collect all the most lovable parts of me and hug them and ask them to spread their joy throughout my body…my life.
What if today I allow every sorrow, pain, challenge, and concern to take the day off…to rest…what if I placed them all gently in the ocean of bliss that is my true home, where they can be washed clean.
What if, for one day, I give up needing to be in charge of anything and allow life to flow gently through me.
What if today…I breathe in peace and breathe out love.
What if today…is that day.
I want to make better decisions. Ones that cause less pain and suffering. Ones that elevate me. Ones that work to my advantage and serve me. And ones that don’t cost me time, money, effort.
How about you?
Do you ever end up realizing that the choices you’ve made moved you in reverse somehow? Or that they’ve derailed you or created more problems than they’ve solved?
I was reminded recently just how easy it is for me to lose perspective and make a bad decision.
I was putting away some photo albums on a shelf near floor level. I thought it would be easy to lean down and slide them onto the shelf, but the combination of leaning forward while twisting was too much for my back and it immediately informed me of my mistake. It didn’t give me one of those horrific spasms, it merely tightened into a knot and refused to release. I tried icing it, a hot shower, muscle relaxation cream, gently stretching it…all my tricks. But nothing worked. It got worse and I knew if I didn’t get a chiropractic adjustment I was in for a long haul.
The funny (and not so funny) thing was that I believe there was a part of me that knew better than to lean over the way I did. I remember thinking it would be much smarter to move my massage table out of the way, set all of the photo albums on the top of the shelf within easy reach, and put a kneeling pad on the floor, so I could kneel there in comfort close to the shelf.
But I didn’t. I did what seemed easiest and told myself it would be okay, even though I really think I knew better.
So, why didn’t I make a better decision? That’s the questions that is lingering in my head.
Maybe you have situations like this in your life, where one part of you knows what the smart choice is, but another part of you acts before the smart part gets the chance. It’s almost like a contest between smart and easy. I want to call it ‘dumb’, but I’m not fond of offering myself criticism when there is a more productive way to view things.
How is it that you or I can shift toward making better decisions in our lives?
One answer that raises its hand, is to consider the likeliest outcomes of our choices. Using my example, I had to know there was a big risk of injury by not taking my time and using good techniques. I had to know that I might encounter significant pain and suffering, loss of sleep and quality of life. If I had weighed these probable outcomes versus the mild inconvenience of moving the table and getting the kneeling pad, the answer would have been incredibly clear to me. I don’t truly understand why I chose what I did but maybe that doesn’t matter. Maybe what matters is that next time I remember and make a better decision.
I think that’s one key. Remember the outcomes of our actions and consider their impacts, so that future choices are clearer to us. I definitely feel I’ll pay more attention when it comes to my physical movements, at least I certainly hope so.
Other ideas come to mind, and I prepare to listen.
I could research for the best answers. I could weigh the pros and cons and see what directions they suggested. I could use my intuition to guide me. I could ask someone I trust and see what they suggest. Maybe they’ve encountered the same thing(s) in their life and could offer me sound advice.
One final thought comes to me. I could ask the divine for assistance. For me, this is similar to using my intuition, but even more powerful because it allows me to engage in a dialogue with my divine self, in my case Lia, an ethereal feminine voice that speaks to me whenever I ask for help, support or encouragement. Whichever direction you choose, I hope you find yourself choosing good decisions, ones that lead you forward into happiness and joy
If you thought about it for a moment, how many references come to your mind for the word, ‘spot’?
If you’ve been reading my posts for a while now, you’ll remember that my mind doesn’t always travel in a straight line. Often, I see new routes and explore different directions.
So, when I landed on the word ‘spot’, many things came to mind, and I thought I’d share some of them with you, ending with one that may alter your life.
Looking down at the carpet on our floor, I noticed several spots. I wondered how they all got there, and something occurred to me. Two different ways of thinking, objective and subjective.
Objectively, it’s most likely that someone (and it could have been me), spilled something on the carpet and obviously, something that couldn’t be cleaned, otherwise, I wouldn’t still see it.
Subjectively, the cause could have been carelessness on someone’s part (animals included), or it could have been a simple accident, and no one’s fault. This led me to wonder what the difference between the two is.
Perhaps in the first case, the one responsible doesn’t care and in the second case, the one responsible may care a great deal. I wondered how I determine which one it is? Do I judge solely by their reaction to the spot? And how does my judgement impact how I feel about the spot and the one responsible for putting it there (me included)?
Another reference to ‘spot’ is the saying, “x marks the spot”. In some cases, this means that there is an ‘x’, perhaps on a map, which exists to indicate something significant is located there. Maybe the ‘spot’ is the source of buried treasure or marks the place to dig, so that a project can be accomplished. The spot is important, not in and of itself, but because it serves as a guide.
I wonder, are there ‘spots’ in our lives which would help guide us, if we knew they were there? Is it a case where they are already there, but we don’t recognize them? If so, what would we need to do, so that we would take note of them?
After a bit of consideration, it seems to me that everything in our lives is actually a ‘spot’. If we pay attention, everything is here to guide us, especially our intuitions.
A scary ‘spot’ is the one found on an x-ray. Once located, it usually creates immediate anxiety. It’s almost impossible to calmly sit back and wait for the results. Our minds are inclined to fill in the absent results with worst-case scenarios. Although it might be nothing but a shadow, we’re strongly tempted to believe the ‘spot’ will be life threatening.
This kind of ‘spot’ generates panic and fear and for good reason, especially under certain conditions.
So, what else can do we do about this kind of ‘spot’? Are there objective and subjective ways to approach it or do they blur together, making our path forward difficult?
Can we see this ‘spot’ as some sort of guide? And if so, how can it give us direction?
This feels to me like one of those decisions where, to use another expression, “the rubber meets the road”, meaning the point at which things become the most important.
This is everyone’s own personal decision point. And we each arrive at this ‘spot’, sooner or later.
If you have a guide who aids you, this would be the time to connect with your guide.
But, if you have arrived here, and have done so many times in your life and haven’t found a source, a guide who offers you wisdom and comfort, perhaps you’d like to consider this invitation. It is an invitation to form your own connection directly with the divine.
The process is simple. Sit back, close your eyes, breathe in and out gently and allow your body to settle. Relax into yourself. If you hear or see any objections or obstacles, acknowledge that they exist and promise to talk with them later, then release them, let them go. Allow yourself to feel a sense of freedom. Give yourself a chance to create some space inside you, as an opening to the divine, by whatever name feels comfortable to you. Imagine whatever ‘spot’ is creating a challenge for you and ask for help, then sit in stillness and listen. It may be a quiet voice at first, but over time, it will become a great source of strength, comfort, and wisdom. It will become a sure guide.
Would you like an opportunity to speak with yourself, either from the past or the future? To have things revealed to you, to make your life easier or to offer you a chance to avoid pitfalls.
That’s the question that came to me recently.
The event that created this was the purchase of a new bed for our upstairs bedroom. In order to make space I needed to relocate all the storage bins I’d shoved under the old bed. I’d really packed them in and basically only had a vague idea what they contained.
I made myself a promise to sort through every bin and make decisions regarding what was worth keeping and what needed to be thrown away.
My discoveries were very enlightening. There were all sorts of interesting things covering several different time periods in my life, some from college, some from my early working years and a few things that were more recent.
I found a lot of journals I’d written and decided to leaf through a few. I was struck by the life events that concerned me at the time I wrote them, some of which remain with me today, while others have long since been resolved.
A question popped up.
I wondered how my life would have changed if the ‘current me’ could go back and have a conversation with the ‘past me’. What could I have learned? And would I have listened and changed course?
I’m not sure.
Some part of me believes I wouldn’t have paid attention, and gone ahead and made the same decisions, despite the sound advice I received.
I don’t know about that either.
What would you have done; listened or ignored your ‘future self’? It’s an interesting question to kick around. Certainly, I’d have liked to avoid many of the problems in my life and taken an easier route.
But would I really?
The reason I ask is, would I still be the same person that I am today if I’d made different choices? And if I had, what would the consequences have been? Suppose the advice given me by my ‘future self’ altered the decisions I made that led me to a new friend, or a better job, or a wise investment?
How can anyone know the right path to take so that they experience the outcomes they most desire?
Something twisted during my musing about this.
I wondered, what would my life be like if the ‘current me’ could talk with the ‘future me’?
What if that were possible? What questions would I ask?
A few came to me quickly. How long will I live? Will I lose those closest to me? What will my day-to-day life be like? Will the New York Giants ever win another Super Bowl?
I sat with all of these questions and more for a while before deciding that I don’t really want to know.
I think it would spoil the surprise. And I think it would change every moment of my ‘current life’ because I’d be thinking about the ‘future me’.
I also think my life would lose its spontaneity, its spark, and its sparkle.
So, despite how much I might learn, I would choose just to wave to my ‘past’ and ‘future’ selves from a distance and go on about living my ‘current’ life.
We can still be friends, but for now, I choose to live in my present moment.
Messages For Inspiration 