Spiritual awakening kit

A 23-year-old from the online dating site asked me, after reading my profile, if I have any advice for him. He’s a young Buddhist and is interested in learning more about life. I told him the best advice I could give anyone is to be here now and to be in the present moment as much as possible because only from the present moment do we have the power to heal the past and create the future.

So now, I am wondering if I were to put together a spiritual survival kit of sorts, what would be in it? Here are some of the books, dvds and other items I would put together for someone starting down the path I have been on:

• The Bible
• A dvd of What the Bleep Do We Know, the extended quantum edition
• The Game of Life and How to Play it by Florence Scovel Shinn
• Living Buddha, Living Christ by Thich Nhat Hanh
• You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay
• A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson
• A Course in Miracles
• Angels 101 by Doreen Virtue
• The Secret by Rhonda Byrne
• The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
• Science of Mind by Ernest Holmes
• Tao te Ching
• Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
• Siddhartha by Herman Hesse
• The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo
• Crystals, specifically: clear quartz, rose quartz, amethyst, citrine, moonstone, and blue lace agate
• Beautiful music
• Candles
• Incense
• Paper and pen
• A sense of humor

There are a lot more books I could put on the list. In the past few years I have read so many that have impacted me. Whenever I find a book that speaks to me, it invariably leads me to others that do as well.

Even with its ups and downs, this has been an amazing journey I’ve been on the past several years. It makes me really look forward to whatever is next. It  just gets better and better.

It’s a privilege to share what I have learned with everyone.

 

Healing love

A few days ago I wrote about waking up with near debilitating anxiety.  When I searched my mind, I decided the anxiety and panic were related to not having a job and not knowing how I am going to pay my bills next month.  It never occurred to me that it could be anything else. It is all about me after all.  Or maybe it isn’t.

This is the second time recently I have had a realization of the level of my empathy for the world.  My insights come in the form of messages from elsewhere.  Because I believe in the unity of all things, the elsewhere the messages are coming from does not feel separate from me, but it’s definitely not coming from my rational, thinking brain. That’s really the best way I can explain it.

Last night as I was watching the news coverage of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, I was talking to my kids about how we need to see Japan healed and not think too many disaster thoughts.  I really believe this is the right way for us to make our contribution.  We can make a monetary donation and probably will very soon, but I think we need to send positive, loving thoughts to Japan and not focus on the devastation.  Acknowledge it and have compassion, but do not indulge in panic and thoughts of calamity.

This brings me back to the inexplicable panic and anxiety from a couple of days ago.  Last night when I went to bed I started writing in my journal.  I was expressing gratitude that I was safe and warm and comfortable in my bed.  I had just taken a shower and had clean pajamas and just felt good.  It occurred to me that there are many not as fortunate as I am and that when I am tempted to whine or bemoan my circumstances it’s good to remember there are a lot of people worldwide who would gladly trade places with me.

As I was writing, it came to me that the panic and anxiety I experienced was a premonition of the earthquake.  I have had other mild psychic experiences, but I’m new to all of this and probably not as open to it as those more accustomed to thinking this way.  Premonition explains the level of anxiety I felt that morning.  It felt like something very bad was going to happen.  It took most of the day to shake it off and it was scary, nearly terrifying.

It’s hard to explain how it feels when I receive messages, but I wish to stress they come as answers, not questions.  Last night the premonition idea came to me as the explanation of why I experienced the panic and anxiety, not as a sense of wondering if there was a connection.  All I can say is that things either feel true in my gut or they don’t.  This felt true.

I’m learning so much about myself and my ability to perceive things beyond the five senses.  It is fascinating and I hope to use it for the good of the world.

Marianne Williamson just posted this on Facebook and I think it is very pertinent for this post and for anyone with the gift of empathy.  We must not forget to pray for others, constantly:

“The earthquake in Japan is a screaming emergency, but there are silent emergencies that trap billions of people elsewhere in daily despair as well…people whose suffering doesn’t often make the front pages because it’s part of a status quo reality. Perhaps if our hearts are broken open by the screaming emergencies, we’ll become more sensitive to the silent ones too. I hope so.”

Blessing the world with healing love.

Cheryl

Healing the world with lovingkindness

I find it ironic that the more things I have on my mind, the harder it is to think of something to write about.

Things are changing in the world.  It is palpable.  And I don’t even watch the news.  The only place I see news is on Facebook or Twitter.  Avoiding news and advertising driven media in general has not left me as out of the loop as one might imagine.  I don’t seem to need a lot of details to know what I can do to help in a situation.  If it’s something I can take direct physical action to correct, I do.  If it’s something out of my control, I think positive thoughts around whatever it is, knowing that this is what I am called to do and that by focusing my intent, I put power behind those thoughts.

Marianne Williamson posted this on her Facebook page earlier today: “A revolution of love is sweeping the planet. Fear has material resources, but love has cosmic support. Ultimately, love will prevail because only love is real.”  I believe Marianne speaks the truth.  I probably differ from her on some issues, but fundamentally, I believe her to be someone very much in the know on spiritual matters.

This revolution is happening largely because of websites like Facebook and Twitter and all the blogs people are writing.  It is an amazing time in history because of technology.  These global conversations that weren’t possible ten years ago are changing our world…and speeding things up.

If you would have told me a year ago that I would be on Twitter and find myself truly engaged and caring about the people I am following, I’m not sure I would have believed it.  A year ago I thought Twitter was a toy for people who thought of themselves as the cool kids and I didn’t really want any part of it. I have changed my mind completely.

A few months ago I decided to give my Twitter account a chance and after a couple of weeks, I realized that I had the answer to my life’s question at my disposal.  I have carried around this message of unconditional love and forgiveness that I have wanted to share for years now and thought the only way was by writing a book.  I’m still working on a book, but I am no longer attached to that being the only way to get my point across.

I have tweeted almost 1700 times in less than 6 months.  Probably less than 5 months, actually.  And of those, I’d say 99% of them were really positive, affirming tweets.  Plus, I’m following almost 1200 people and of those I’d say half are doing the same thing I’m doing.  It’s an amazing thing to daily read so many affirmations, mantras, blessings, quotes and bits of really lovely poetry.  It renews my hope in humanity.  I hope the people who read my words are uplifted by them because I have gained so much from what I have been reading.

I feel this shift in consciousness happening and it’s really exciting.  It’s not unlike watching some kind of entertainment event with millions of people who are all there for the same reason.  The enthusiasm is infectious.

Spending the majority of one’s time in the present moment, mindfully aware, makes every day an adventure.

I think the people of the world are weary and are looking for ways to feel better.  As it begins to catch on that meditation and positive thinking produce miracles in people’s lives, there are going to be more and more happy people on this planet.

For some reason, tough times seem to bring out the empathy in a lot of people.  And things have been a little bumpy on the planet recently.  As A Course in Miracles teaches: Anything that is not love is a call for love. I believe the things that have been happening in our world lately, from the natural disasters to the political unrest are a call for love of cosmic proportions.  And I believe and can actually feel that call being answered, by regular people, just like me, who truly want to see every heart be at peace.

Every single good-hearted person who takes a moment to send up a prayer or affirmation for our world makes a difference.  Now is a really good time to be thinking happy thoughts.  We create what we focus on.  We all have much to be grateful for and we need to stick together and save our world.

Blessing the earth and all the creatures on it.

Cheryl

A guru for the rest of us

My blogs have been a little whiny lately and I apologize for that.  I’m going through something.  It doesn’t feel serious, but nonetheless it makes it harder to be my normally positive self.

My adult life has been spent practicing some kind of spirituality or other.  I spent 20 years being a church going Christian soccer mom, then discovered Buddhism and since then it’s been a spiritual free for all.  This is not a bad thing, in fact it is and has been a very, very good thing.  I feel liberated from the confines of Christian dogma and legalism.  And I feel no obligation to categorize or define my beliefs.  I know of no religious organization to which I feel compelled to be a member.  And I’m totally okay with that.

I have gone from fundamental Christianity to an unnamed form of New Age spirituality.  Through so many different channels.  Books like The Game of Life and How to Play it by Florence Scovel Shinn and You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay changed my entire outlook on life and the world.  From there I found Marianne Williamson and A Return to Love and ultimately A Course in Miracles. I have gone from a very narrow religious and spiritual life to embracing angels, numerology, astrology, reiki healing, crystals and so much more.  My mind dismisses nothing as impossible now.  My search has opened the entire universe up to me and I am so grateful.

Most days this path brings me joy and peace.  And then there are days like today.

I have been in a slump recently and it is affecting my thinking and my ability to see things from a perspective that feels good.  And I am nearly ashamed to admit that it is because I feel very lonely.

Since I have been on this path of spiritual discovery and self-responsibility, I have alienated my entire family except my children and nearly all the friends I had.  I have added a few new ones and reconnected with some of the more open minded people from my past, but I go to bed alone every night and I spend most of the rest of my time alone as well.

The part of this that makes me mad at myself is that I know I could be making better use of this time.  I recently finished a big work project so I’m in between things and have time on my hands.  Do I spend that time reading things that will inspire me or spend more hours in meditation like I did when I was going through some of the roughest parts of the past few years?  No, I have been spending time feeling sorry for myself.  Not constantly, I am still a very optimistic, upbeat person.  But I haven’t felt well lately and walking my spiritual path is difficult and heavy these days.

Part of what inspired me to write this blog is the feeling that nobody gets it.  I can read the words of Marianne Williamson and Louise Hay all I want and it doesn’t relieve the loneliness.  In fact, when I feel the way I’ve been feeling all I can think is that Louise Hay would be disappointed in me.  Believe me, that doesn’t help.

I will say that of the authors I have read in recent years I believe that Marianne Williamson and Doreen Virtue would both understand what I’m going through.

What does Marianne Williamson call these moments?  AFGO–Another friggin’ growth opportunity.  I love that woman.

I guess what I am looking for is some humanity in this spiritual stuff.  We have so many shining examples of successful people who have turned it all around and are now happy, radiant spiritual gurus that we should all aspire to be like.  But what I would like to know is where is the guru for those of us who are mired deep in the world of human “reality?”  Those of us who are trying to walk the same spiritual path as the people we admire so much while losing jobs, struggling with finances and finding ourselves alone just for being on this path to begin with.

There is the truth, which is that we are all one and that it is very important to stay positive, to love one another and to help each other.  And then there is the day to day reality of living in this world in this body at this time.  And for me, one who feels like a spiritual infant, going it alone is sometimes very difficult.  Finding my way through these dark places back to the light is not always easy and sometimes I don’t feel like I have the strength to reach out to anyone, let alone find a supportive group to be a part of.  Not that I have ever truly felt a part of any group I’ve been a member of.

It would be nice to know that others on this path have bad days too.  The books, blogs, Facebook pages and Twitter feeds do not always show this very human element of the world of spirituality.  As for me, I feel like if I post a tweet that is anything but 100% positive, people will stop following.  I’m probably wrong about that, but it doesn’t feel like something I can do, at least not at this time.

It’s going to be okay.  I always make it out of these places, I just wanted to say to the world that this is work, it’s not all rainbows and warm puppies.  Sometimes it is loneliness, judgment, misunderstanding and struggle.  But we endure…and we keep moving forward knowing tomorrow is a new day full of promise.

I’m listening to the Beatles and All You Need is Love just started playing.  That’s what I’m talking about.  It’s all going to be okay.  This too shall pass.

 

KarunaMettaCAT