by Lori | Aug 30, 2015 | Blog
All around the world this year, we have seen crazy weather patterns. From the last of Boston’s 110.6 inches of snow finally melting from their “snow farm” on July 14 to record breaking heat in Berlin, Germany of 102 degrees Fahrenheit this August, the conditions are hard to predict. My little neck of the woods was no different in its oddity this year. Pat and I live north of Fort Collins, Colorado, and have a ¼ acre vegetable garden and a few fruit trees. (The fruit trees didn’t make it through the bizarre November 2014 weather of 14 degrees below, but that is a topic for another day.) It is the spring rains of 2015 that I am not sure anyone in this arid climate would have expected.
Following the seed company recommendations, Pat planted our usual crops that are Northern Colorado friendly. And then came the spring rains. At first we thought, “how wonderful, we won’t have to water.” But the saying “too much of a good thing” does come to mind. The seeds didn’t sprout. If you dug down a little, you would see that the seeds were moldy. So – Pat replanted most of the garden. And then more rain came. Anyone living in Northern Colorado might have had thoughts regarding building an arc as much as building a green house.
Again, the seeds were not sprouting. By now, it is getting to be pretty far into the growing season. I thought maybe it was time to rely on purchasing our produce for the year. But, Pat had perseverance on his mind. He bought starter plants for crops we usually can start from seeds and bought more tomato plants and tried one more time. Eureka. His perseverance paid off.
As for the division of labor for our garden, Pat does most of the heavy lifting, planting, weeding and irrigating of our garden. My inclinations and skills lean more toward the harvesting and cooking, pickling, and freezing of breads and soups from the bounty, reminiscent of my Grandmother in Kansas except that she and Grandpa relied on the produce more than those of us with a King Soopers only 7 minutes away.
It is now August and our harvest has been so abundant that I have had to learn 4 new soup recipes, a new bread recipe and how to pickle cucumbers in our deep freezer. And we still have enough to share with friends and neighbors.
I believe the lesson this is teaching me this year, is to not allow one or even two setbacks to change what you know to be the path or goal for yourself. Sure, in the short run, abandoning the garden after the second seed planting would have made less work for us, but what other benefits would we have missed out on? Sharing with friends, eating really good zucchini bread, having soups already prepared for a cold winter day, to name a few. What about missing out of the self-reliance of gardening, the truly “getting back to nature” that so many of us say we want and the ultimate in local sourcing? I really enjoy the surprise gift like quality of seeing what is ready to be picked and the seemingly miracle of how fast and big zucchini grow!
When we are trying to create other projects in our lives, whether it is a more peaceful and serene inner self or writing a book or designing a new class, we need to remember the perseverance of seed planting. It may take more attempts to get yourself in the right frame of mind, or the right energetic level than you had originally hope for, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t on the right track. If there is frustration along the way, don’t focus on the failed attempts, focus on the harvest, the vision, the goal to keep yourself motivated. Dory from Disney’s Finding Nemo probably said it best. “Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. What do we do? We swim, swim.” This is the Power of Perseverance.
by Ginger | Jul 29, 2015 | Blog
When I was young, one of my favorite books was Happiness Is A Warm Puppy, which featured all of the Charlie Brown characters sharing their simple pleasures in life. Whenever I think of that book, it takes me back to a time when happiness just was. There was no searching for it or trying to figure out all of its components; it was just there. So, how did we lose that as we got older?
I recently saw two films which, though very different, had a similar key theme. The first was a wonderful movie by Pixar called “Inside Out,” which featured the inner thoughts and emotions of a young girl. The Joy character was always trying to make things better and happier by pushing away the experience of other emotions like sadness. She eventually came to realize the value that comes from not pushing away other emotions like sadness, but honoring them. Acknowledging sadness allowed for a rich opportunity of compassionate connection with others which ultimately brought about…. Happiness.
In “Hector and the Search for Happiness,” a stuck-in-his-ways psychiatrist goes on a global adventure to search for the keys to happiness to help his patients. He keeps a notebook of all the things that might bring people happiness. In his final revelation, he understands that true happiness is a combination of all his emotions and experiences, not just one. In other words, once he accepts the whole of his being unconditionally, without trying to engineer a specific situation or experience that he deems to be his source of happiness, he actually feels happy. As one of the psychiatrists in the movie puts it, we don’t find happiness when we’re actively searching for it but when we go about our lives in a way that’s connected, present and engaged. In that state, we realize our happiness.
So, maybe one of the keys to “finding” happiness is to understand that we never lost it. We may have gotten distracted, sidetracked, or maybe thrown a little off-course, but it was always there. We began to believe that we had to “do” something to get what once came completely naturally to us. In those moments of childhood wonder, there was no laundry list of things to do and no worrying about finding the meaning of life. If you felt sad, you cried and then were done and went back outside to play. Kids can get really enthusiastic about their tears and then get really enthusiastic about something else just as quickly. There is no judgment, just allowing the feeling to flow through. And that state of total acceptance of what is in the moment, is happiness. So, there really is no magic bullet or trick to any of it. There is no “one thing” that will bring us happiness. If we relax and accept all of it, we find that happiness just is.
by Lori | Jul 29, 2015 | Blog
Is there one action step today that you can take that will help you clear through blocks or resistance to moving forward in your life? There was for me today. I am so excited to tell you that I took the step and feel much freer. Taking that step was liberating! So you might ask, what life altering, life affirming, and block-eliminating action did I take? I pinned something on Pinterest! Yes, that’s right, this Luddite joined the 21st Century and pinned something on Pinterest! Not only did I pin something on Pinterest, but I first had to convert the Eminent Reiki™ flyer that I pinned from PDF to JPEG! Wow! I am feeling quite a bit like a pioneer!
I have been putting off setting up my Pinterest account for almost 6 months. Finally, today, when I had a great flyer from two wonderful Eminent Reiki™ teachers discussing their upcoming classes I could not come up with any good excuse for delaying any more. I asked the font of all knowledge (the internet search engine!) how to convert a PDF to something that could be pinned…and I was off to the races.
It is hard to overstate how excited I am to now be able to pin other flyers, other classes, quotes, blog entries (like this one) and other fun and interesting things on this form of social media.
I was allowing my fears of new technology to get in the way of communicating with the masses…ok, I only have one follower so far, but hopefully that will change soon! If you like, you can be my next follower! https://www.pinterest.com/lori6247/inspirations-and-events/
The real gift here is that by facing what may seem like a small fear, I have released some block to moving forward and have given myself a day filled with joy! We meta-physicians sometimes think that our only way to resolve a block it to meditate on it, recognize the issue and resolve it through energy work or breathing in a higher frequency like Love, Bliss or Self Forgiveness. That is usually my self-prescribed cure, as well. But many times, the final line of the prescription is to make the change, take the action in the “real” world to prove to ourselves that the fear no longer controls us. Instead, now, we are guided by the highest plan for ourselves and the willingness to move onto that path more and more.
What action step can you take today that will help you move through a fear of yours and allow you to move further into your service and give you a day filled with joy? Take it! Make your own day!
by Ginger | Jul 4, 2015 | Blog
As we celebrate our nation’s independence this month, I have been reflecting on the spiritual meaning of the word “freedom.” The concept of freedom is often filled with images focused on what we get out of it- personal freedom, financial freedom, religious freedom and freedom in our relationships. Freedom has taken on the connotation of not being answerable to anyone or anything. I am free to do what I want. So, how does freedom fit into Oneness? Where is the “we” in “free”?
The founding fathers of this nation created a unique document guaranteeing each citizen a number of freedoms. But we are also free to discern which freedoms to exercise and in what way. I may be free by law to draw any satirical cartoons I desire, including ones picturing certain religious prophets, but does that mean it is in the highest good of all that I exercise that particular freedom? Does drawing such cartoons come from the genuine belief that it is the best way to support other oppressed groups in being free, or is it done just to prove the right to do it? How we choose to express our freedom is as significant and precious as the freedom itself.
In order to be a citizen of this nation, we agree to give up certain personal preferences in the name of what benefits the community. It might be personally expedient to drive as fast as I want when I’m late to work, but I don’t because it is against the law and is not safe for those on the road. It might benefit an industrial company to be able to use certain cheaper chemicals, but that company doesn’t do so because they are banned and would do far greater environmental harm. We surrender certain personal freedoms, but we do so in the name of the greater good and because it allows us to enjoy far greater freedoms that come from being part of a larger community.
True spiritual Freedom requires true Surrender. In order to be free to be in Oneness, we must first be free of our old selves, our separate selves. We must allow ourselves to be free of “me” in order to enjoy the greater spiritual freedom of the “we.”
The Spiritual Hierarchy might take Kennedy’s famous quote, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country,” and kick it up a notch with “Ask not what the God/Goddess can do for you, but what you can do for the God/Goddess.” In other words, rather than looking at all the benefits of freedom to ourselves, let’s start focusing on gifts we’re able to give because of the freedom we enjoy.
by Lori | Jul 1, 2015 | Blog
Mohandas Gandhi said, “My commitment is not to consistency. My commitment is to the Truth.” I have always liked this saying. It isn’t that I think Gandhi was advocating “flip flopping” on topics or issues. But, I believe he was making the assertion that if the facts or even our understanding of the facts and possibly our own progress through our own evolutionary process is now different from when we first held an opinion about a topic, then we should let the Truth be our guide, not our adherence to something that may no longer serve us or our world.
In addition to the Truth, I also like to use the concepts of Compassion, Tolerance and, ultimately, Unity, Oneness and Love as guiding principles for my beliefs and actions.
There are many many issues that face Americans and all of humanity right now that could be viewed as crises. Some of these issues are economical, others political, some social, some ecological and most affect how we treat each other financially, politically, socially and ecologically.
I believe all these issues would have different arcs of evolution if we used Truth, Compassion, Tolerance, Unity, Oneness and Love as the guiding principles instead of just contracts, laws, treaties, traditions and holy books or philosophies of any of the world’s religions.
As Americans are celebrating our 239th year of when our forbearers declared independence from Great Britain, when was the last time we each looked at the words of the Declaration? I always find reading the Declaration of Independence a moving experience. In what other document or tradition, do we find this statement so eloquently stated and benevolently used to guide how we wish to assemble, treat ourselves and treat others? (And, yes, I realize we have not always lived up to the standards stated in this sentence.)
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
This statement does not imply that a majority of the people need to agree with you in order for you to have the right of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Sometimes, I believe that we have inferred that we must fit into the societal norms in order for us to access our right to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Or perhaps more to the point, others believe we need to fit into their view of societal norm in order for us to have the right of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. The right to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness equally applies to those whose opinions and beliefs are more liberal, those whose opinions and beliefs are more conservative and to those considered “swing voters” every four years. To paraphrase the Bible, the rain falls equally on the left, the right and the center.
This is why I believe we need to dovetail in the principles of Truth, Compassion, Tolerance, Unity, Oneness and Love for each other as we look at laws, agreements, contracts and treaties in order to determine our own actions. These ideas can help us discern our way forward regardless of the issues and challenges that present themselves to us, our country and our world.
May this Independence Day be a time of reflection on what Truths you hold to be self-evident.
by Lori | Jun 17, 2015 | Blog
We are excited to announce STANDING IN THE LIGHT® Level 1 – Foundation Series will be taught in Buena Vista, CO this Fall! Jamie Hagen is hosting Lori Rock on Sept 26/27 and Oct 3/4 for this series of classes. Here is a description of the classes.
SITL Level 1: The Foundation
Ending duality means coming back into the experience of Oneness. Oneness is a state of being, an experience, not words on a sheet of paper. However, understanding why we entered into the Experiment, how it operates and what we have learned is helpful to the lower-self in understanding what we need to do to come back into a state of Oneness.
SITL Level I teaches the foundational principles of Oneness, how to connect clearly to one’s highest level of guidance (one’s Soul/ God-Self) and how to use 4th and 5th dimensional principles and techniques for manifesting Oneness and one’s life vision, one’s Soul’s Vision.
- Part I: Ending the Experiment in Duality. Learn the founding principles that will take one to Ascension no matter what program one chooses to follow. Unity and Oneness are for all.
- Part II: Channeling. There is NO higher source of guidance than one’s own Higher Self/Soul/God/Goddess Within. Learn how to clearly connect and, most importantly, how to validate the information.
- Part III: The 5th Dimensional Process of Manifesting. The energies of December 16, 1994 have changed the process by which humankind can bring their Souls’ desires into form. Learn the 5th dimensional process of manifesting and move more quickly into creating the Soul’s vision.
- Part IV: Clear Blocks and Receive the Soul’s Vision. One cannot manifest without a clear intention and a clear vision. Learn to clear blocks to being fully aligned with the Higher Self/Soul to clearly receive and manifest the Soul’s vision/goal (versus your Lower-Self’s vision) in any area of life.
For more information www.iamstandinginthelight.com, email Lori at lori@iamstandingthelight.com or call 970-472-2029
