Here’s my prescription for moving through the holiday season with a smile on your face and warmth in your heart. It’s one that I fill each holiday season by going into my own archives (inside and out) and sharing what still and always rings true.

Every year around this time I remember, with great fondness, a Christmas eve church service I attended in the East Village in New York City with my one and only sister Louise. It was snowing and everyone who entered the warm sanctuary left a puddle beneath them as they thawed, unwound scarves, stowed mittens and settled into a pew. The church was packed with a diverse, colorful and expectant crowd.

We sang carols and listened to the magic of the Christmas story: the angels speaking, the shepherds harking and the wise men traveling to bring gifts to this child who would save the world.

Then came the sermon – not usually my favorite part of the service – but I have to tell you, I was blown away. The fact that I continue to share this story all these ears later is because this particular sermon went right through me and straight to my heart where it has lived ever since. All it takes is for me to hear a Salvation Army bell in front of Cost-U-Less, inhale the piney scent of the wreath on a friend’s door or see the bottles of guavaberry wine for sale along the road – for the memory to click in and do it’s thing.

The message was simple and to the point: Christmas is about a baby – a soft, sweet smelling, helpless newborn – innocent, full of possibility and hope, vulnerable, soft, dewy. That’s what we are celebrating.

It’s not about shopping and wracking up debt and eating and drinking too much – though we sure do manage to do plenty of that. It’s not about whether you have the perfect family or cook the perfect meal. It’s not about how many or how few parties you were invited to or how big your tree or how many presents you give or get. It’s about a baby and not just about this special baby named Jesus. It’s a celebration of babyhood – the infants we all were and the baby who lives on in all of us – that part of us that is eternally innocent, hopeful and wide-eyed. It’s about the baby in us that inspires love and needs nurturing. It’s a birth announcement and an invitation to check in with our own neo natal inner selves and ooh and coo and be overwhelmed and warmed by what we experience in our own inner mangers.

I used to sit on the subway in NYC on my way to school and I’d look at the homeless guy sleeping and I’d think – that guy had a mommy – which was just another way of saying (and seeing) that he too was once a baby. The effect of that perception was like a magic wand. He transformed before my very eyes and became more like me. He had a mommy too and he became lovable.

The baby sermon as I’ve come to call it – has the same effect. Seeing everyone as an infant is a great leveler. Tapping into that part of us – full of unfilled promise and possibility – makes you want to just pick yourself up and rock to a lullaby or, more in keeping with the season, a Christmas Carol.

This is what Christmas is about and it’s the sentiment on which I’m building my holiday season. The wise men brought gifts to the child – to honor him with what was important in their worlds – gold, frankensense and myhrr. Gold is still a measure of wealth but Frankensense and myrhh are lesser treasures and today the wise men might have brought ipods or electric blankets or musical mobiles to go over the manger.

Here’s to celebrating – you the baby, the most beautiful baby the world has ever seen. It’s the best way I know to celebrate the birth of the baby Jesus and to ensure that your holiday season is anchored in what it’s really all about – love.

However you celebrate, whatever your traditions –  borrow the message of this sermon from long ago and let it light a candle in your heart so that you, in turn, can illuminate the world.

About a Baby

As the presidential election and it’s years’- long build-up has made so clear, there is a storm raging in the hearts of Americans. Hurricane Sandy churning up the East Coast of the Country, and the ensuing blizzard follow-up, mirrored the antagonism, violence and cold hearted ruthlessness that has left a wake of devastation and disbelief inside and out as we, in Hurricane Alley look on, helpless, wishing we could do more and could have cast our vote and, at the same time, grateful to have been spared, this time around, and grateful that Obama is once again our president.

And, as always, in the midst of what looks for some like Armageddon, there is that light that shines so brilliantly as neighborhoods band together to care for each other, keep hot food cooking on camp fires in the Rockaways, pump gas by hand so people can power up their generators and keep warm in New Jersey, help each other out in myriad ways big and smalls and get to know the person down the hallway for the first time, maybe ever. We here in the territories know this phenomena all too well – how disasters are great equalizers that have no regard for color , economic or educational status, age, religion or political persuasion. They say that, in the trenches, no one is an atheist and everyone is a brother/sister. Our common humanity trumps our differences which turn out to be surface illusions anyway once we have our vision checked – and corrected.

One of the last political slurs that I saw on the excessive amount of TV that has kept me and a case of dengue company said “The future is getting worse under President Obama.” I laughed. “What a crock ,” I thought  (not that everyone isn’t entitled to his or her opinion)  but the future’s not the problem and why spend so much energy creating a picture of one that is colored doom and gloom when we could be focusing on fleshing out the dream of what we really long for – a present that is rich in love and full of hope, full, meaningful employment, inner and outer peace,  equal rights, affordable quality education, nourishing, unadulterated food, health care for all and the dawning of the Age of Acquarius where “peace will guide the planets and Love will steer the stars!!!” How could you not want to get on board that train and leave the projected ‘worse future’ to the annals of TV history that will be looked at by future generations as an archaic and dysfunctional way of honoring the gift of life that we’ve been given on this our most amazing mother planet earth.

The Law of Attraction demonstrates over and over again that what we focus on expands and we’ve been doing a lot of focusing on the bad stuff and on what we don’t like instead of putting on our truth telling glasses (and yes I do like a little rose coloring in mine thank you very much) so that we develop a compassionate x-ray vision that allows us to see that we are all facets of the same precious gem, that we can’t reject or neglect anyone without rejecting or neglecting ourselves and that the reason we are supposed to feed the hungry and clothe the naked is not just that we’d better if we want to get to heaven but because they are us. Underneath the trappings of what we may disdain, dislike and be afraid of – Bob Marley had it right – One Love, let’s get together an let’s get it together once and for all.

Like the storms that swirl around and within the weather is constantly changing and finding a center that holds is our work and our joy – first and foremost. Then we can get out there and splash in puddles and revel in the ripples.

Abigail Disney, a film-maker who visited St Thomas several years ago and shared her powerful film  “Pray the Devil Back to Hell” about the transformation of Liberia by it’s women, posted the following poem on Facebook and I just have to share it. I am a poetry lover and Rainer Maria Rilke is one of my favorites. It says more and echos further than my words and I hope it speaks to you to:

The Sonnets to Orpheus, Part Two, XII

Want the change. Be inspired by the flame
where everything shines as it disappears.
The artist, when sketching, loves nothing so much
as the curve of the body as it turns away.

What locks itself in sameness has congealed.
Is it safer to be gray and numb?
What turns hard becomes rigid
and is easily shattered.

Pour yourself out like a fountain.
Flow into the knowledge that what you are seeking
finishes often at the start, and, with ending, begins.

Every happiness is the child of a separation
it did not think it could survive. And Daphne, becoming a laurel,
dares you to become the wind.

I had the pleasure of spending the afternoon with a friend who was visiting from Oregon. Our plan was to watch a streaming on-line webinar, ‘streaming’ in on-line speak meant we’d be watching an event taking place somewhere else in the world ‘live’ in real time.  The only problem was that we had to keep moving around the large house with the computer chasing an elusive wi-fi hot spot which kept fading in and out turning our live streaming into a live sputtering narrated in staccato robot speak – very distracting and not at all in keeping with the flowing meditative event we were watching.

Just as we were about to pick up and move again in search of a better connection,  I noticed that my friend had an iphone so I asked if she had a personal hotspot set up on her iphone.  When she drew a blank, I explained that I can turn my iphone into a hot spot or hub by going into the settings menu on the phone and clicking here and there and connecting to Anne Nayer’s iphone. This means that I can get online on my computer anywhere that I have a phone connection.

She promptly called AT&T to find out how and how much and in less than 5 minutes had added the feature to her menu of services. She was delighted that for the rest of her visit she’d be able to get on-line and live stream the events she watches daily.  We said thank you to the technology gods and settled in to an amazing live streaming event.

My friend is a teacher of a spiritual process called The Oneness Blessing  An essential part of the process involves establishing a connection with your divine (your inner guidance system, source energy or God)  This connection is a prerequisite for moving forward with the meditation. Cultivating the ability to make this connection easily, anywhere and anytime is what nourishes and opens the channels  to experience the full benefits of the meditation, to tap into the answers to our questions and get a glimpse of who we really are in our hearts.

I couldn’t help smiling as I connected with my divine and realized that not only do I have a personal hot spot on my iphone but I have a personal hotspot in my heart.

In order to connect with your divine (your own personal hot spot) you need to know where to look.  On the  iphone, the on/off button is under settings.  For us it’s in our sacred heart which they say is located right behind our physical heart.

In order to know what to look for it helps to picture our divine.  For some this may be easy– if you’re  Christian it’s probably Jesus, a Buddhist, Buddha, muslim, Mohammed and so on or perhaps there is someone in your life who inspires holiness and divinity – the Dalai Llam, Mother Theresa, the Virgin Mary, Quan Yin or a version of the divine that is unique just to you –

This is the part that the ATT support person takes care of for the iphone and the part that you take care of for yourself – naming and locating your personal hot spot so that it is always there on your menu waiting for you close your eyes, activate the connection with your divine and experience the benefits of deep meditation,  a help line for all the ails you, confuses you and causes you to suffer.

The iphone connection is a sure thing once the agent has done her thing and billed you an additional $20.

The personal hot spot connection, while just as reliable, may require some practice.  As with all relationships, true intimacy is a work in progress as we get to know one another, establish trust and tap into the wellspring of wisdom and love that is ours for the asking. We may need to figure out what works to get us connected, into the zone, the matrix, the sacred space.  It might be closing our eyes, kneeling in prayer, listening to music, deep breathing, putting our hand on our heart, sounding a gong or, as my sister does, sinking into a bath tub of warm water.

Back to the live streaming event, we got connected via the iphone hotspot to our event and then got connected via our personal divine hot spot to the live streaming energy that gently led us to a place of deep meditation and joy.

My friend said that her boyfriend calls her his personal hot spot, proving that hot spots exist to connect us to both the worldly and the sublime which is what became clear to me that afternoon –  it’s all about the connection, the world is our mirror and hot spots are the way in to where we all long to be –  on our phones and in our hearts.

Wishing you all a robust connection always.

“You are the only one who creates in your experience—no one else. Everything that comes to you comes by the power of your thought. If there are changes you would like to make, it will be of great value to begin telling a different story—not only about your body, but about all subjects that have been troubling to you. As you begin to positively focus, getting to feel so good about so many subjects, you will begin to feel the power that creates worlds flowing through you.” – Abraham

I try to remember this with each challenge I face when I I don’t like some aspect of my life.   I can either blame ‘him or them’, feel angry and powerless, rant and rave and/or get depressed or create new worlds  by thinking different thoughts, telling a different story, focusing positively, feeling good and acting accordingly.

I had the perfect opportunity to put this principle into practice when I lost my Iphone last week.  After combing the territory between the Blessing of the Animals service and the beach, in my mind and and on ground , that evening and early the next morning I ordered a replacement with ETA of 3-5 days. Today is day 4. 

Life is very different without my Iphone.  Everything is so quiet, I feel like I am on a silent retreat. There are no beeps, flashing lights or charging requirements.  I am more relaxed and less distracted and even though I miss the phone, I’m enjoying the respite from it’s demands and I’ve learned a few lessons  about cell phones and just about anything:

1. Be Prepared – It’s the girl scout motto and it’s where the squirrel comes in,  squirreling away nuts for the long winter, sometimes even stuffing them into her cheeks – very practical, cute, forward thinking and prudent.

A.  Back it Up –  this time around I’m synching to Itunes, connecting to the cloud, time machine – and asking for help.

B.  Have a Plan B –  have other ways of connecting with people, have a land-line, back off and be less dependent on outside stuff  including phones, computers and pass-times other than fiddling with your phone.

3. Be Playful –  In addition to being prepared  squirrels leap, swing and frolic noisily while swishing their bushy tails   as they go about their business.  This is the time to tell a new story, try on a new perspective and lighten up.

3. Be Present – Spend as much time as possible in the immediacy of the here and now and less time in the recesses of the past       and future in your mind.   Since mindfulness has it’s practical applications, along with peaceful mind, there may                                   be fewer lost phones.

I’d be lying if I said I’m not eagerly awaiting the arrival of my new phone.  Taking my own best advice I’m going to:  Be Prepared, Back it up, Have a Plan B, Be Playful and Be Present.  Everything is better when you find something to love about what every is going on: blessing the thorn, compassion for the repeated dysfunction, the clumsiness, the challenges, the lost Iphone and everything else.

I much prefer this to the sob story version I was on the verge of telling,  just as I prefer the state of being a curious creator to a disgruntled victim.   I also like lemonade.  🙂

As the creator of my experience, I’m glad to report back that this one hasn’t been half bad so I must be telling a happier story.

I hope that you will follow suit and do the same.

For the past month, I’ve been playing The Prosperity Game with three women mastermind partners. Since we live in far flung places, we  gather via email to support each other and raise our prosperity vibrations.

The Prosperity game is designed to expand your ability to receive and spend money in joyful ways; to improve your relationship with the energy of money and to become a vibrational match for prosperity by feeling like someone who is already prosperous.

Rules of the Game: On day one you receive $1000(virtual money), spend it all and account for it. On day 2 you receive $2000 and do the same and so on for 30 days when you receive $30,000. Over the course of the month you receive and spend $465,000. Our group emailed daily expenditures. When I do it on my own I have a chart to keep track of money in and money out.

It’s been fun and very enlightening.  It might be too woo woo for some and a bit weird like playing with an imaginary friend, but I keep learning and I feel more and more how it actually works.  I can see my money patterns and am  healing some of my dysfunctional relationship with money and widening the channels to to whole-hearted giving and receiving.

We all tithe right off the top and by now, have set up foundations and trusts to help others and then we veer off and do our own thing, expressing ourselves by how we spend our money. The choices range from swing sets, skydiving, custom made shoes, spas and cruises to paying bills, buying new horses, plane tickets, massages, gifts to family, house repairs, travel, education, limos, gardeners and on and on and then, for me anyway, I started to run out of stuff to want. I had a top of the line vitamix blender and a new paddle board and, to be honest, because I’d been emailing my accounting of how I’d spent my money so I couldn’t always remember if I’d already bought one of those…. Like in my real life where I unearthed 4 digital recorders – none of which I had ever successfully mastered.

I don’t long for a yacht, a private jet or a mansion, preferring simple, low maintenance and charming. I spend my money fixing up my house, building an apartment, helping family, starting a puppet theater, new paddle board, travel, gardening, treating people, paying all my bills for years, a sailing dinghy and much more until  it become a chore  I decided (virtually) to hire a like minded financial adviser who would invest it in businesses with integrity, that I believe in and that make money – to support me and more to allow me to make a difference in the lives of others and of the earth.  My underlying goal was to be financially free and not to have to think about money while always have it available for my relatively simple lifestyle.

One of the mastermind partners said the game made her feel uncomfortable – it was just too much money to deal with so she was going to play another game where the money was more what she was used and she could get back to feeling good while spending and receiving (the point of the game).

Another achieved her initial goal of finding a job – for real. Another found that the game was raising her prosperity consciousness and she was reaping the rewards in her non virtual life and feeling good about giving and receiving on a bigger scale and in ways other than money.  I’m in the middle aiming for the expanded version and getting closer each day.

Where are you? Are you a vibrational match for prosperity?

Money Talks.