Open Your Mind

I was driving this weekend and passed by a church with a sign that said the following: "Do not open your mind too much, or you might lose it." I didn't have my camera on me or I would've whipped the car around to take a picture of something I believed was an awful message to tell your congregation or the public. While maybe not in such an extreme way, I have found that many religious people express similar sentiments, as they've listened to my belief system or journey through finding one in my life. My grandmother comes to mind. But, I was born with an open mind. I believe we all are. And, I also believe that while children may need guidance through their life to protect them, they also have innate gifts of knowing that we all can learn from. I was saddened to think about the children in that church and the messages of fearing free thought that they might be receiving.

As someone going through many changes in my life, I have to admit that at times I take in more information, from more sources, than maybe I should. At times, I'm in a frantic attempt to find answers that simply may not be meant for me to find yet. Patience, listening, waiting are all necessary but incredibly difficult when we're in turmoil. I'd like to remind you that while we may all have different ways of finding our truth, our voice, our spirit, please be kind when other's use different methods of seeking than you do. Meditate. Pray. Write. Sing. Dance. Paint. Cry. Do whatever you feel called and moved to do through your life in order to discover your deep connection to humanity and creation. Remember to have compassion on those who try to steer you in the direction that worked for them, and know that they mean well...usually.

If you find that you, too, are seeking answers...may this message provide you some peace: "I beg you to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer..." -Rainer Maria Rilke

Breathe.

Sometimes...
you
have
to
remind
yourself
to
do
the
only
thing
you
can
do...
breathe.

Defining Love

All of us need to love and be loved, but in this world it can be very confusing and painful to learn how to love and receive it. From self help books to reality tv shows, everyone has their own ways to define and determine what love is. No matter what I've ever read, seen, or experienced, there is only one place and one definition of love that I know is true. If you find yourself in the painstaking assessment of how well you've loved or have been loved, this message is also for you.

While we spend our lives learning how to love deeper, may we never forget its true measure: If I speak in the tongues[a] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,[b] but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Crockpots & Cameras

I bought a crockpot and a camera today-two things I've never personally owned before. Thanks to some friends who care about me, as well as my need to do some creative things with my time, the purchases were made. No big deal, right? Well, for me, it was. You see, I have never been real good at taking care of myself before, and one way or another, it does catch up to you. The poor diet, the stress...they will stop you in your tracks, if you don't heed their many warnings. I, of course, being so smart and determined to do things "my way"...didn't listen to the warnings. And, you better believe reality snuck up on me and BAM!! Wake up calls arrived.

So, it's time for me to be healthy, to cook at home, to learn new recipes, and to accept the fact that no one will ensure I am healthy and well but myself. The camera is from a whisper inside of me telling me that I need to slow down and really SEE how many amazing things are in this world. Like this morning..this puddle of water was just dancing infront of me from tiny raindrops falling into it. Or the brightest pink I've ever seen in my neighbor's flower pot. Noticing lots of little beauties all around us can add up to a big appreciation for being a part of such creations.

So, what's your body and soul crying out for you to do? What tiny steps can you take now that can add up to a lifetime of a better journey? You might be surprised at how seemingly insignificant things can end up having such significant inspiration.

The Mesmerizing Dawn

This morning, like many mornings, I found myself in an altered state of consciousness-somewhere between sleeping and awakening. I don't know about you, but for me, it's a place where if I listen closely enough, there is a tiny whisper deep within me. I experience a deeper awareness about my life than I do once I fully awaken. Some people insist that this is almost a meditative place that we all naturally experience-a place where we are much more in tune with our spirit, mind, god, or the Universe. Because we have kids, have slept in, or a million other distractions that find us upon awakening, we can easily miss this extraordinary experience with our higher selves.

The language spoken within the soul simply can't be translated easily. Receiving messages from within is almost like telling someone a crazy dream you had. In that dream, everything seemed to make sense-the sequence of events wasn't confusing-but as soon as you grab your friend or partner and start to explain it, it can be challenging. We usually substitute what was understanding in our dream for explanations like "I don't know how to explain it now, it was 'weird'." The experience made sense in our dream mind, but not our conscious one. Soul messages are often the same.

My soul was telling me in my altered state of consciousness things I cannot easily explain, for my words could never do it justice. In essence, it was the knowing that every day we awaken to this world in which we may feel so scared or overwhelmed in, we can truly decide to change the way we live. While we may take it for granted, human beings have only begun to operate on auto-pilot going a million miles an hour in the last century or so. We hadn't always lived this way.

So, if you find you are bogged down by stress, make it a habit to not jump out of bed in the morning. Awaken slowly. Listen carefully. Your soul has many things it wants to tell you.