by Ginger | Oct 31, 2024 | Blog
Are you feeling undecided about something in your life? In the current U.S. election cycle, much has been made of the “undecided” voter. Some may truly be undecided as they weigh the options while some may have made their decision but still haven’t fully accepted their choice because they’re still hoping for something “better” to come along. Sometimes, there is something else near on the horizon, and we just need to master a little patience. Other times, we aren’t truly ready to create other options because there is still more to learn from our current situation. Either way, the lower self tends to want a clear answer and a clear direction while our divine selves know there are opportunities for healing no matter what choice is made. With so many things feeling uncertain in the world, this may be a great time to ask yourself if you’re being an “undecided voter” in any area of your life.
I was recently talking to a friend about a significant choice she is considering, and we both shared our sense that a lot of people are wanting things to change but don’t like the options they’re seeing for making change. There is building frustration and a desire to just get things over with and “back on track”, as they see it. The levels of frustration are palpable and many are doing their best to look for different options, but still feeling like the world is just spinning its wheels.
As I watch all of this on the world stage, I have also been looking at areas where I’m still energetically “dragging my feet”, even though my choice in the outer world may already have been made. But if I want my new path to feel as light and uplifting as it has every potential to be, only I can create that experience for myself.
In Standing in the Light® we teach that the circumstances we manifest are a reflection of the energies we’re holding within. If we don’t like our options, then the answer isn’t to go looking for a different one or to try to avoid making any choice at all. The answer is to look within for insight about which unhealed energies are blocking us from connecting with a higher frequency and more joyful experience. The smallest shift within can open up many new doors or allow us to see the existing doors in a whole new light, from the divine perspective. That inner transformation is what changes our experience, not the number of choices we can find in the outer world. If we’re fully committed and in perfect alignment, one door is all we need. Take a moment to ask your soul: What experience am I voting for with my intentions?
Image by Micha from Pixabay
by Lori | Oct 28, 2024 | Blog
“How does your light shine in the halls of Shambala?”
My favorite self-indulgent TV show to watch at the moment is NCIS: Hawaii. I love the vistas and I have found the plot lines and characters engaging in a light, easy and relaxing way. CBS canceled the show after three seasons so I will probably have the episodes memorized soon!
In one of the episodes in the first season, the subplot for the NCIS team is going out for karaoke night. They end the episode singing “Shambala” by Three Dog Night. This is a perfect karaoke song with its memorable tune and lyrics.
Many times a day recently, I have found myself humming this song. I finally decided to look up the lyrics and the story behind it to see if I could receive whatever message I was supposed to receive.
The lyrics, like the tune, are happy and uncomplicated. I will post them at the end of this entry.
I decided to dig a little to find out what “Shambala” is. I found the Shambala.org website from Toronto, Canada, with this explanation.
“Shambhala” is the name of a mythical kingdom in Central Asia where the people enjoyed harmony, good health, and well-being. The basis for such an enlightened society is the people’s confidence and respect for inherent goodness, wisdom, and dignity—in themselves, in each other, and in society.
The Shambhala teachings are grounded in ancient wisdom and practical knowledge from many traditional cultures, especially teachings from ancient Tibet. These teachings begin with the understanding that all beings are basically good, and that life is worth living. We call this a path of spiritual warriorship, which here means living a life of fearlessness, gentleness, and intelligence. The Shambhala teachings emphasize being in the world, and bringing together everyday life, work, family, and social action with the path of meditation. The teachings focus on how to help this world. In essence, Shambhala is about living a full human life, right in the midst of challenges.
I realize that this is similar to what we teach in the Standing in the Light® programs. We emphasize being in the world but not of it, as Jesus advises us. We teach bringing the light to everything in our lives, not just to the aspects that we think are “spiritual”. Ginger Withee has this phrase as her automatic signature on her emails.
“Today the vegetables would like to be cut by someone who is singing God’s name.” ~Hafiz, Sufi poet
We strive to be and bring the light to all that we touch even if it otherwise seems mundane. We are “light workers” which means bringing and sending the light where it is needed based on guidance.
We believe light and love will help us transmute density and lower frequencies. Will we see the change in the outer world with this light and love, immediately? That really isn’t the focus. First, we bring the light to ourselves and our inner world. Whether we see the hoped for result in our own experiences or in the experiences of those we are sending the light to, is not really the focus, either. Raising our frequency is the goal. Being the light and the love, even in the midst of the challenges is the goal. Walking through the chaos without our own frequency diminishing is the goal.
Then, we will be able to help those around us who want help. We want our light to shine, not just on the road to a place where every one else is already evolved. We want to shine our light in the middle of the challenges and the chaos until we help others to realize that they have the same light within them. We want to help others know that they can tap into the light that they already are.
That is what we will truly find on the road and in the halls of Shambala. The light that we already are.
Enjoy this YouTube link to let your light shine! Shambala
SHAMBALA by Three Dog Night written by Daniel Joseph Moore
Wash away my troubles
Wash away my pain
With the rain in Shambala
Wash away my sorrow
Wash away my shame
With the rain in Shambala
Ah ooh yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Ah ooh yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Everyone is helpful
Everyone is kind
On the road to Shambala
Everyone is lucky
Everyone is so kind
On the road to Shambala
Ah ooh yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Ah ooh yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
How does your light shine
In the halls of Shambala
How does your light shine
In the halls of Shambala
I can tell my sister by the flowers in her eyes
On the road to Shambala
I can tell my brother by the flowers in his eyes
On the road to Shambala
Ah ooh yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Ah ooh yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
How does your light shine
In the halls of Shambala
How does your light shine
In the halls of Shambala
Tell me how does your light shine
In the halls of Shambala
Tell me how does your light shine
In the halls of Shambala
Ah ooh yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Ah ooh yeah
On the road to Shambala
Ah ooh yeah
To Shambala
Ah ooh yeah
On the road to Shambala
Gratitude to Joe Plenio with pixabay.com for the above image.
by Lori | Sep 30, 2024 | Blog
When is being positive not positive?
As a scuba diver and one who tries to see the world from a high frequency, I always thought that having a scuba shop named “Positively Buoyant” would be fun. However, besides learning the first rule of diving that you never hold your breath and the second rule that you always dive with a buddy, you quickly learn that being positively buoyant is not usually preferable.
When a diver starts a dive, they start with weight on them in order to be able to descend. Wet suits have pockets of air in them. Our lungs have air in them. The defacto set up of the human body is to float. (Don’t ask me if I can prove that scientifically, I am just saying that most people would not be able to descend and stay at depth without weights to allow them to overcome the air in their gear.)
Once the diver is at the depth they want to dive, they switch modes to wanting to be neutrally buoyant. We don’t want to drag ourselves or our gear on the sea floor. This can damage the coral and it brings up sand or other sea floor particulates which obscures visibility. At depth, a diver might put a little bit of air into their buoyancy control device (BCD) in order to stop descent and to level out. Being neutrally buoyant is more efficient for consumption of air, as well, because you don’t want to get into the cycle of letting out air of the BCD to stay down and then putting in air to keep off the bottom.
Even when it is time to end the dive, you don’t want to be positively buoyant. Yes, you want to ascend, but you want to ascend in a nice slow fashion not popping up too quickly. It is dangerous to ascend too quickly. So, even when it is time to get out of the water, being positively buoyant is not recommended.
I am sure this is why no dive shop ever, has been called “Positively Buoyant.”
Where are there other times where being positive might not be recommended?
I recently tested positive for Covid 19. (I know, it is 2024, but I am a late bloomer!) As symptoms go, I had such mild symptoms that I tested twice because I was surprised by the positive result. Also, the people I would have been exposed with did not have any signs or symptoms of covid. Because of the delay in understanding I had covid, I exposed my husband who did subsequently also test positive.
Trying to make lemonade out of lemons, I realized for me, that having a reason to relook at my third dimensional schedule was actually a benefit. I was able to not feel guilty about rearranging a driving trip which I had on my calendar and to not feel guilty about napping and taking it easy. I don’t normally feel guilty about napping, meditating or taking it easy, but this felt like a hall pass that I otherwise would not have had.
Just before sitting down to write this blog entry, my husband and I finished an almost 3 mile walk with our dog around a nearby lake on this beautiful autumn afternoon. Otherwise, I would have been half way to Salina, Kansas. I have postponed the trip to Kansas until the end of Oct where I am sure I will have a great time with my parents. But just for today, I feel like Ferris Bueller and am getting to enjoy a beautiful day off in Colorado.
It might be interesting to ask your soul if there are sometimes when you need to throw the schedule out the window, allow yourself to relax without self-judgment. Are there times when up is down and down is up? Or when positive is negative and neutral is positive? Without the need to contract covid, or a cold or any physical impediment, is it time to dialogue with your soul about more free time to enjoy your surroundings and circumstances? What is going to make you positively buoyant?
Gratitude to Kim Donghwan with pixabay.com for the above image.
by Ginger | Sep 28, 2024 | Blog
I visited my local farmer’s market with friends recently. I meant to get some fresh veggies and maybe a little seasonal fruit. As we moseyed through the stalls, however, I ended up buying several hand-crafted items and refreshments at various booths. I genuinely enjoyed each item and felt a connection with each vendor. When I got home, I sat down on my deck to relax and found myself getting misty-eyed with emotion. I wondered, “Why am I crying? I had such a lovely morning!”
Then, I thought of the coffee I bought where their products are advertised as “good for the soul” and a portion of profits go to organizations that bring “more hope into the world”. I bought face serum from a woman who described how much thought she puts into each ingredient for her different potions and shared how much she loved being in her home kitchen/lab creating products that she uses herself. I got a pumpkin spice roll that tasted divine from a fresh-faced young baker who was charmingly enthusiastic about her pastries. My green beans and corn came from the produce stall where they proudly announced that everything was freshly picked that morning. I remembered my conversations with the other sellers I didn’t purchase from but appreciated nonetheless, like the ceramic crafter with the beautifully clever glazed designs which required playing with temperature variations in the kiln. His playfulness with his art created that beauty!
In that moment, I had a very clear revelation: They were each sharing their love with the world. I realized I was feeling a little overwhelmed by the power of that energy. Why would I ever buy something produced with anything less than that absolute love and commitment ever again? I realize this may not be fully practical in our modern world, but it brought home the importance of the energy we put into any of our creations, even if it’s as simple as a cup of coffee or handmade soap. What we bring home into our space or into our bodies or give as gifts carries the energy of the intentions with which they were made.
I invite you to ask your soul if there’s anywhere in your life where you are settling for less than absolute love and joy- not the satisfaction of the lower self/ego but the true divine love of your soul. If something comes along that isn’t a clear “yes”, then let it go with gratitude. Why would we allow anything less than pure love into our lives?
Image by NoName_13 from Pixabay
by Ginger | Sep 2, 2024 | Blog
Whether you jump into new experiences head-first or take a more measured path, moving forward with a spirit of adventure is an important ingredient for fully enjoying life and truly thriving. I was recently reminded why we came into this grand experiment to explore duality. We came for Love. To expand our Love. To deepen our experience of Love. Though we may have forgotten this along the way, everything we create has the seeds of this divine love within. When we create from this perspective, every experience is an adventure in Love.
We don’t have to commit to bungee jumping off bridges or climbing K2 in order to re-connect with the spice of life. It’s important to find your own perfect balance of stretching into the unknown without causing panic. For some, adventure might be introducing themselves to total strangers and striking up a new connection. For others, it might be trying a skill or activity that brings out a new aspect of themselves they may not have felt confident in sharing. When I was very young, my mother enrolled me in gymnastics class. I had the balance and coordination needed but I did not like the feeling of falling backwards into backbends. She switched me to dance classes, where I spent many years happily twirling and leaping through the air- just right side up! That was adventurous enough for me.
I am currently working on manifesting a potentially significant change in my outer world. As we teach in Standing in the Light®, I’m starting with receiving my vision for the divine plan from my soul. I was recently working on greater clarity with that vision when someone suggested that I expand my scope from that specific situation to a new life vision. This was an exciting “aha” moment for me. All aspects of our life experience are connected, so why would I focus on just one aspect? Any outer world change always reflects an inner shift in energy, so my whole life will include that shift even if the change is most noticeable in one specific area.
By working with a “blank canvas” of my entire life experience, I’ve opened myself up to being more adventurous with my vision. I’ve re-connected with the pure joy of creatorship. This is why we came here in the first place!
In the Star Trek franchise, the opening credits give us the famous line that space is the final frontier. From spirit’s perspective, exploring our expanded consciousness is the next frontier for humanity. Remembering who we are as Source and consciously creating from that awareness is our big adventure. Our adventure in Love.
Image by Pexels from Pixabay
by Lori | Aug 29, 2024 | Blog
“And the winner is…Emma Stone.” The 2023 movie Poor Things, starring Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo and Willem Defoe, is an interesting topic for my blog entry. Stone won her second Oscar for her role in this sometimes bizarre yet fascinating film. I saw that Stone won the award and didn’t bother to read the movie synopsis when I checked out the DVD from the library. After the first 5 minutes of the film, I wasn’t sure I wanted to finish it. But I pressed on and soon couldn’t look away, much like not being able to look away from a train wreck.
The DVD cover gives this description. “The incredible tale about the fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter, a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter.”
Stone, Ruffalo and Defoe all play their characters perfectly. Defoe is a master at playing odd characters but Ruffalo and Stone definitely are playing against type. They both were wonderful.
As I became more fascinated with the movie, I realized that Stone’s character is the original pattern of what we all were when we first came into the experiment – curious, experiencing everything without shame or judgment for ourselves or for others, without concern about what society might say, without concern that we might be doing anything wrong, without concern that we might fail. Even when Bella relies on her sexuality for money, there is a fascination regarding the experiences and no self-judgment.
This movie nudges us to heal any issues we might have regarding judgment. The Christ tells us that judgement is THE block to knowing ourselves as Source. May we all remember that everything we are experiencing in the illusion is simply that – an illusion. There is no need to hold judgment for ourselves or for each other. We are all here for the experiences and to learn more about ourselves as Source. Ask to clear the judgement of ourselves, of all others, and of all situations. The judgment sustains our separation. It was never our intention to give our power and sovereignty away to the belief in separation. Allow yourself to realign with yourself as Pure Energy, Pure Light and Pure Love. Holding these frequencies will help us to eliminate judgment and the belief in separation.
It is a delight to watch Bella mature from her innocent self into a fully sovereign being. May we all navigate the experiment in duality from the place of non-judgment for ourselves and for each other that Bella models for us.
If you are interested in a more 3D review of the movie, please check out this review on RogerEbert.com. Poor Things movie review & film summary (2023) | Roger Ebert
Gratitude to Gert Altmann with pixabay.com for the accompanying image.
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