by Lori | Sep 27, 2017 | Blog
Have you ever fell into the habit of thinking you were responsible for other people’s evolution? Maybe you have made vows to help all others on earth or maybe even tied your own evolution to whether other people evolve?
For those of us who are lightworkers, spiritual teachers or facilitators, or even those who are parents, we sometimes struggle to discern when our service of guiding others to evolve either spiritually or into full fledge adulthood stops and our service of simply supporting or encouraging others to fly on their own begins.
Recently, I was having a conversation with a friend about this topic and trying to integrate the wisdom of Divine Responsibility: knowing when it is time to help others or when it is time to step back with discernment not judgment for either the teacher or the student / the parent or the child. We were discussing that sometimes since the teacher or the parent seems more aware or more experienced that this might be confused for more responsible. We heard that this is not the case when looking at the topic from the perspective of Divine Principles and Truth.
The analogy that came to me to help explain this situation is that of a puzzle. In a puzzle, no matter how big the puzzle or how little, how complicated or simple, the scale of each puzzle piece is the same. The puzzle pieces might have slightly different shapes and definitely have different colors, but they are all the same size.
That is how we can look at our responsibility for ourselves and others. We are all responsible for ourselves and our evolution / our willingness to change. And all other beings are responsible for their own evolution and willingness to change because we all have the same proportion of “responsibility” in our puzzle piece / in our DNA.
If one of the puzzle pieces thinks it is less responsible because it still holds a victim mentality, that puzzle piece won’t fit where it is supposed to fit. If another puzzle piece thinks it is responsible for another’s position on the puzzle, then it is overshadowing or enabling another puzzle piece to not be in its full place in the puzzle.
If you find yourself holding more responsibility than is in the highest plan, look inward to discover why. Vows, guilt, promises? Then ask to clear those beliefs. If you are not owning enough responsibility, look inward to discover why. Fear, overwhelm, abandonment issues? Then ask to clear those beliefs.
Allow yourself and others to fill each equivalent space in the puzzle, the puzzle of Oneness.
by Ginger | Sep 1, 2017 | Blog
Have you ever seen a plant growing up through the sidewalk cracks and marveled at its strength and determination to thrive in any environment? We all have that energy within us and we can tap into it!
The sunflower growing in the parking lot feels no shame for its surroundings of hot, crumbling asphalt while its brothers and sisters sit in a wide field on the other side of the fence. The tree bowed sideways by the heavy winds in the region doesn’t feel broken for its unusual shape. Each simply exist to fulfill their maximum potential of growth and expansion. That is their purpose and there is no judgment of the end result.
We can hold that same level of self-love and acceptance if we open ourselves to it. The concept of the mid-life crisis need not exist. We need not have the self-doubt that comes from the questions so many of us demand of ourselves: “How did I get here? Why haven’t I done more with my life? Shouldn’t I be doing something else? This isn’t what my life is supposed to look like!”
To the God-Goddess, love looks like love regardless of the outer form it takes. A sunflower is still a divine sunflower whether rooted in concrete or the soft earth. A tree is no less a valued part of creation for being twisted or bent as the tall, straight cedar nearby. We can have the experience of truly thriving in our lives regardless of our circumstances or surrounding environment. We can know ourselves as successful whether we’ve built a company, traveled the world, spent a quiet life of spiritual reflection or all of the above! Truly thriving in life is an energy from within, regardless of the physical result.
Ask your Soul to help you identify where you are blocking yourself from truly thriving in your life as it is right now and how to heal those blocks. In Standing in the Light®, we teach techniques for healing such blocks, but there are many techniques available. You simply need to ask!
Let go of any self-doubt, shame or regret for the shape your life has taken and be grateful for everything you’ve received from all of your experiences. Focus on the beauty that you already are. Be like the sunflower and allow yourself the joy of thriving wherever you are!
by Lori | Aug 25, 2017 | Blog
Many of us believe we need to get out of our living space and out of our daily lives in order to fully transform into the Divine Light that we are.
There are many books and movies that tell of spiritual journeys of transformation. Eat, Pray, Love and Wild are two popular ones that come to mind. A friend of mine loaned me her copy of Mutant Message Down Under by Marlo Morgan which is an autobiographical or fictional story – depending on your belief system – of the author’s “walk about” journey for four months with an Aboriginal Tribe in Australia.
As Morgan tells the story, she was invited to a meeting with the Aboriginal Tribe that called itself “The Real People” when, unbeknownst to her and without planning or warning, she was to join them for this journey where she learned about their culture and the wisdom of the ages.
As I read the book, the concepts were very familiar to me as the lessons and wisdom that The Real People helped Morgan discover are similar to what we teach in the Standing in the Light® Program.
One of the similar messages is that we are first and foremost One with everything in creation. What is done to someone or something else is done to yourself. Morgan speaks of the The Real People’s belief regarding Divine Oneness – basically their term for the Creator, Source or God. Morgan quotes one tribe member like this:
“You believe Divine Oneness sees and judges people,” Ooota said. “We think of Divine Oneness as feeling the intent and the emotion of beings – not as interested in what we do as why we do it.”
In Standing in the Light® we say “It’s not the what. It is the why.” Similar idea as it is the intention behind the action which matters most. There are many other similarities since The Real People are tapping into the same universal truths that we are.
As part of the experience, The Real People and Morgan do not take much more than the clothes on their backs on walk about. Very consciously, they set the intention to have all of their needs met. They live off the land. They use ancient wisdom to heal themselves, find food and water and telepathy to speak to each other. They are living life simply with natural intelligence and wisdom as opposed to technology. Being a part of nature vs. having dominion over it.
Morgan’s journey is transformative. She admits that she would not have scheduled this for herself but is grateful for the wisdom and insights she gained from the experience. She writes in the book,
Born Empty Handed
Die Empty Handed
I experienced life at its fullest,
Empty Handed.
The question to ask ourselves is whether we need to go on a physical journey to have a transformational spiritual journey. For some, the answer may be yes. Getting out of the everyday physical realm and reality may make it easier to connect to the Oneness in everything, the Oneness within. If you are guided to move to an ashram, a conscious community or another country, that is great.
However, for most of us, living in the everyday work life and culture is what our path is. We are to transform ourselves where we are planted. Finding issues that still need to be healed within ourselves can be done right here, right now.
We may be guided to help others on their journey. Because most others on the planet will not be traveling for their journey, becoming the master that we are where we are is key to being role models. Most others will be reading books, taking classes and listening to speeches in their home towns or at least within their general local area. For most of us, transformation to knowing we are Home begins at home. To quote another Kansas girl on her transformational spiritual journey: There is no place like home, There is no place like home!
by Ginger | Jul 29, 2017 | Blog
We’ve all heard the saying, “Laughter is the best medicine.” There is great truth in this statement, though it is not so much the comedy itself that is healing but the divine state of joy and relaxation that we become when we truly laugh. We are closer to our divine state of innocence and are more open to high frequency energy. Laughter is a gateway to the pure joy and wonder of our inner child.
I once took a wonderful series of classes in Expressive Arts Therapy. The key to this work is that the freedom to express through artistic mediums allows us to let our guard down and be open to the deeper insights within us. I remember that one of my most profound “aha” moments came during an exercise with something called sand tray therapy. This technique is used by some counselors with children, though it also works with adults, and involves filling a tray with sand and then allowing the clients to select whatever toys they are intuitively drawn to and start playing with them in the sand tray.
Despite already being on the spiritual path, I was skeptical that something so “silly” would actually bring any real understanding. But I went forward with the activity and sure enough, right in the middle of moving the figures around in the sand and narrating their story, I had a very significant revelation about something I wanted to release that had been a repeating pattern in my life for a long time. I was surprised that something so deep came out of such a seemingly random moment of play.
Spiritual warriors are also children of the God/Goddess. Commitment to our spiritual path is an important ingredient for ascension, but so is the joy and ease and love of our inner child. In that childlike state, we allow ourselves to step into non-judgment and become fully present in the Now. As it says in Mathew 18:3:
Except ye be converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Just as we make time for quiet meditation in the silence, we should also consider balancing that with unstructured time for play and laughter. Both of these are ways for us let go and open ourselves to divine inspiration from within. Let the pure pleasure of play be part of your spiritual path.
photo from www.pixabay.com
by Lori | Jul 23, 2017 | Blog
Where do you find your Bliss? Where do you find your Being-ness? Many of us find ourselves in a blissful state when we meditate. Standing in the Light® Classes, as well as many others, teach techniques that can help you get into a meditative and blissful state. We suggest that people meditate and find bliss daily as this is where you know your true self and this is where all true inner healing is done. It allows us to feel the joy of who we are and to eliminate the stress of the 3rd Dimensional world. The metaphysicians are not the only ones to know this. I recently came across this headline and summary of an article.
Meditation: A simple, fast way to reduce stress
Meditation can wipe away the day’s stress, bringing with it inner peace. See how you can easily learn to practice meditation whenever you need it most.
What guru or new age magazine did I stumble upon? The Mayo Clinic website. http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/meditation/in-depth/meditation/art-20045858
One of the suggestions in this article is to walk and meditate at the same time; basically using walking as a meditation. I will go one step further… pun intended… and say to use dance as a meditation.
This morning, I went to Soul Kitchen Dance in Fort Collins to join friends in a freeform style of dance. I love this group. No judgment, just great beats to dance to and freedom for the soul. https://www.facebook.com/groups/SoulKitchenDance/
While I was dancing today, I had an overwhelming awareness of my being-ness. My physical body was in motion for 70 minutes and yet I felt the connectedness and being-ness of the universe throughout my physical, emotional, mental and spiritual bodies. I found my bliss.
Allow yourself to find your bliss and the relaxation of meditation in many different forms and activities. Forget the belief that there is only one way to meditate – sitting in lotus position for hours on end. Find your bliss in the silence, in the moment, in the noise, in the colors, in the music, in the dance. Be Well. JUST BE.
by Ginger | Jul 4, 2017 | Blog
Are you making your spiritual evolution your top priority?
Many of us may think we are. We think to ourselves: Of course we want the peace and joy of coming into total Oneness with All! But have we asked ourselves if we are willing to give up everything that holds us in separation? No matter what?
Everyday life can move at such a fast pace that we allow ourselves to get distracted by things we believe we “must get done” or “can’t do without.” We lose ourselves in the illusion of the physical world when we cling to that reality to replace our divine Truth. From the mental/ emotional perspective, spiritual evolution is about giving things up. We fear losing certain people in our lives, giving up physical pleasures or not having any fun anymore. Our limited self sees only hard work and self-sacrifice. It does not have to be this way! But we will need to shift our perspective.
The rose bush growing next to the street sign does not experience itself as better than its neighbor. The consciousness of the rose bush knows itself as one with all of the molecules in the street sign and knows that they come from the same source. They are each highly unique, yet also know their inner sameness. The rose bush knows that some day its stems will wither and die to become mulch in the ground, losing its colorful petals but not its essence of Oneness. It will “give up” its current form but not the sense of its divine nature. As long as it remains strong in the awareness of its true self, this transition will be easy and natural. But if it clings to the need to be wearing those petals, then it will experience that change as a painful loss; a death.
When we choose not to give up any TV time to make room for daily meditation to connect within, we are clinging to an illusion of who we truly are. When we take a job with greater money or prestige even though our heart sings doing something that may earn less, we are denying ourselves true joy. When we say we cannot live without another person, we are already not living as our true self. These are all attachments we must let go, for our spiritual evolution.
The ascension process is not always easy. It requires our commitment and focus, and there are no shortcuts. We will each have to look at some unpleasant truths about ourselves in order to heal. But it does not have to be a struggle nor feel like a sacrifice. What we gain in our spiritual mastery is exponentially greater than what we give up. Surrendering to that truth is the greatest gift you can give yourself. Are you willing to love yourself that much? So, ask the question: What am I willing to do for my spiritual evolution? No matter what.
