I am inspired by this quote from The Art of Thought, by Gene Dennis.
” You would not plant a valuable seed in your garden and then a day or week after go out and dig it up to see if it were sprouting. Don’t plant the seed of your desire in your subconscious mind and then go out the next morning with doubts and fears. Nourish it by living it in thought, the thing you desire, by realizing it, visualizing it, seeing it as an accomplished fact.”
I love the analogy between planting peas and planting the seeds of our desire. Both require patience, care as love and non-attachment. Days go by and one day we go out and the vines are climbing up the trellis or the tiny stems are poking out from the earth.
It’s harder to leave the seeds of our desire to their own devices. We worry, doubt, question and metaphorically pull our little seedlings out of where they are growing. In effect, we cancel our order to the universe by focusing on not having, not getting – on scarcity and lack.
The Law of Attraction is simple. What we focus on expands. When our focus is really on not having the money, love, health…. that we say we want – we get more of “not having”. Switching our focus to everything coming up in its own perfect time and thriving under our care – creates a sense of eager anticipation that is great for the healthy growth of desire and seeds of all kind.
Every seed knows exactly what’s it supposed to turn into. Same with our seeds of desire. If we nourish them with our attention and a lively imagination and throw them into the universe. Some will grow and some won’t. We walk out of our houses and are constantly amazed at the spectacular surpises our lives keep dishing up for us.
The more we focus on the good stuff and keep the faith about our seeds – the more we can get on with our business smiling.
Plant a seed of desire today. Care for it with the tonic of eager anticipation and positive focus.
The news of Michael Jackson and Farah Fawcett’s passing yesterday only added to the list of friends and acquaintances far and wide who have left this earthly plane over the past 6 months. Most of them have exited earlier than planned, many unexpectedly. All left sadness, shock and fear in their wake.
Michael was 50, Farah was 62. I remember when those numbers seemed ancient. Not so anymore. It sure makes me think about my own mortality and about my life right here and now. I read a tweet (yes, I’m an avid tweeter) that said something along the lines of, “If our lives will flash before us when we leave this earth – is yours worth watching?”
So… I mentally reviewed my life. It needs a lot of editing but, for the most part I feel pretty good about what I saw. I figure that what leaves room for more color, adventure, love and good fortune is my direction from here on in, starting now.
I know that I am the director of the movie of MY LIFE and also that I am the star, casting director, camera, crew and sound person(s). I may want to enlist the services of some stellar talent to amp it up a notch but it’s my script. I already have an ending in mind that blows my socks off, warms my heart and sticks in my mind for days, leaving me feeling transcendent and luminous. It’s Academy Award or Palme D’Or material and a star on the Hollywood walk of Fame would be nice.
No one else can play me like I can and the same is true of all of us. It’s no mistake that we are the stars of our own movies. If we find ourselves cast in roles that leave us feeling like we are extras hiding in the shadows, or playing the part of a victim or a cold-hearted character, who’s casting this film anyway? We are – you, me. So what’s with that? Why would you cast yourself in the role of the wronged woman or the guy who doesn’t get the promotion or the anti-hero who watches everyone else have fun while they gaze through a fogged up window.
We can all recast ourselves, shed the layers of out-dated costumes and cliched lines we’ve all heard before, and emerge as OURSELVES in capital letters in neon – our best, truest, most authentic selves. It is absolutely possible to change ourselves from the inside out and, as Wayne Dyer says in his new book Excuses Begone!,
“Every self-limiting thought that you employ to explain why you’re not living life to the absolute fullest – so you’re feeling purposful, content, and fully alive – is something you can challenge and reverse, regardless of how long you’ve held that belief and no matter how rooted in tradition, science, or life experience it may be.”
Once we accept total responsibility for our lives and give thanks to everything that has and is happening for what it has taught us, and is, at this very moment, revealing – and once we decide to plug into source energy, God, the higher power from which we were created and which is accessible to us at all times, our movies will really start to grab us. The parts we play, the people who we cast to be in it with us, the scenery, music, lights, action will be unbeatable and totally US – Me -You. I’m smiling just thinking of it. We’ll all be parading and celebrating and honoring the creative source that brings everything to life. We’ll not only be surviving, but thriving.
I love the twists and turns, the suspense, the mystery, the slow sensual scenes and well… I’m not giving it away. I’m living it and I hope that you will try on this idea of Your Life, Your Movie.
Kids chant “sticks and stones will hurt my bones, but words will never hurt me?” Sticks and stones will definitely hurt bones but words cause longer lasting damage. No bruises to go through color changes or scratches to scab over but words cut deep and hit the heart. We may cover them over with thick skin and an “I don’t care attitude,” but a look or criticism can deflate our best moods and find us slinking off into corners.
We eat. We sleep and we communicate. We talk (some more than others) all day long. Even our dreams are full of language and we are constantly chattering to ourselves.
The Buddhists say that “to be human is to have a hero’s heart and a monkey mind.” Monkey mind is that inner dialogue that is full of criticism, judgment, self-doubt and “what-ifs.” It talks to us in a personal, familiar way and can seem logical, irrefutable and seductive. It says things like, “who do you think you are?”, “you could never do that,” “you’ll never amount to anything,” “you want to do what!?” It may have the voice of our mothers, fathers, teachers, society – “sit down and be quiet.”
When I learned about monkey mind I really started paying attention and tuned into what I was telling myself on a minute by minute basis. I was horrified! Most of what I had to say was negative, critical and, what’s more – it wasn’t true! I was appalled that, for so many years, I had been believing my chatter and taking it to heart – letting it define who I was, how the world was and what was possible. I realized that I was living in a self-imposed prison.
When I work with clients and groups I share the idea of monkey mind right off the bat. I encourage them to be observers of their thoughts. I ask them to question those thoughts and ask if they are really true. Mostly they’re not. It’s a liberating experience. Once you choose to ignore the chatter, it will quiet down clearing the way for you to proceed toward your dreams and goals. Who cares what monkey mind thinks? It never has your best interests at heart anyway.
In addition to noticing what words are going through your head, it’s equally amazing to pay attention to the words that come out of your mouth. Parents may think that saying “you’re my little pudge ball” or “the kid with the head screwed on crooked” are terms of endearment. Listen again – they’re not. Even if you say you don’t really mean it – think back to the sticks and stones statement. Words cut deep. WORDS MATTER. Right speech is one of Don Miguel Ruiz’s Four Agreements. Start paying attention to how you speak to your children, spouses, friends and neighbors.
If all your words really did matter (and they do) what would you no longer say? What words cut down, dimish, hurt? What words lift up, empower, warm the heart and heal?
Works are powerful. During the difficult learning curve of a new job, a friend noticed that she kept telling herself, “I’m losing my mind. I’m losing my mind….” She caught herself and changed her words to help rather than hinder.
In the beginning was the word. If we remember this we will all rise to the challenge of paying attention to the conversations in our heads and to the words that come out of our mouths. We get to be censors who ban all negative words, all put downs, all mean-spirited comments and self-deprecating statements. If we can’t replace them with something uplifting, positive, loving or at least neutral, remember that silence is golden.
I’ve been having a hard time staying positive lately, and it’s gotten me thinking. How do you stay positive when you feel sad and bad in your heart, in your mind or in your body?
I’ve been struggling with running over my own beloved miniature poodle Ginger as she hid under my car (she lived and recovers). Then I got an allergy attack only to wake up the next day stuffed up with congested lungs and, low energy. That derailed my plans and stopped the hum of the momentum I’d been smiling about. Not to mention worry about Ginger’s recovery and future and worry about my lungs. .
I know, as only a Law of Attraction Coach can know, about the many law of attraction processes and tools available to help me feel better and soothe my energy. I know that feeling better leads to feeling better. Even when it’s an effort to find something, ANYTHING positive about a situation – finding it is worth its weight in gold – it’s alchemy – transformational.
I have to gush about my vet. He saved Ginger’s life. He was there; he diagnosed her quickly and sprung into action. But what he also did was he always had something positive to say – even when the situation was critical. He didn’t hold out false promises but started with the good. The day after the accident he said, “The good thing is that she’s made it through the night.” And each time I called he pointed out some bit of progress. His focus helped me focus on the good and it was exponential. When someone asks me how Ginger is doing I start, “ she’s limping and I can’t believe what I did…” and then refocus and say “She’s getting better every day – walking around, eating regularly, barking…” and notice how much better I feel when I focus on her truly miraculous progress.
I do the same thing with myself. I despair that I have been sick more this winter than ever and am mad that I’m not feeling good again. Then I think, “Wow you’re lungs are healing –walking Roxy felt good today and it didn’t yesterday.” I feel better right then and there.
If I can’t find a silver lining or if my positive spin sounds nauseating, even to me – I find something that makes me feel better – today it was on-line photos of baby dwarf hedgehogs. Rainbows. Whatever floats my boat?
We don’t have to wait until we feel better to feel better. No matter how challenging it may be to cross to the sunny side of the street – the light and air are better, the living is easy and it’s a moving sidewalk – always new and different and you can hop on and off when ever you want.
Resistance has been on my mind – that feeling of pushing against, struggling with, locking horns with some person, place or thing. It’s the feeling that even though I’m doing everything I can to get what and where I want , things keeping getting in my way so I can’t proceed smoothly or quickly.
Sigmund Freud – father of modern psychology described resistance as an inner stance protecting memories so disturbing the we create a psychic armor to prevent us from shining a light , dealing with and watching the resistance crumble.
When we are swimming and encounter a strong current we panic and try to swim against it back to shore. WRONG. We deplete our strength and lose energy if we confront the current head-on. We supposed to swim across it and out of its way – it does its thing and we do ours.
Maybe we live or work with people who drive us crazy in any number of ways – meaning we are in resistance. We wish they ‘d be different and believe our stories about them and how they are effecting our lives. It can be your kids, spouse or co-workers or a stranger and doesn’t it always seem that the more aggravated and judgmental we get, the more they dig in their heels?
Whatever we resist persists. Whatever we focus on expands and, when we’re resisting and struggling and complaining we are focusing on what is getting in our way and pissing us off. Our focus feeds the resistance to match our own determination to push past it. Pretty exhausting! We all do versions of the myth of Sisyphus every day, using up lots of energy in the process.
I’m all for doing things differently. I’m tired of pushing against, judging, feeling self-righteous and like a victim struggling against the current to get to shore or to town or just to a peacful place in my heart.
So…. I have started telling a new story about resistance. I LOVE RESISTANCE and I’m proclaiming it to the universe. I am grateful every day for the push and pull it sets up in such a rhythmic and musical way. Resistance is my latest favorite dance and, as a dancer from way back, I welcome the spins and twirls, the pushaways and the pullbacks. I love finding and relaxing into exactly the right dance ‘frame’ and moving gracefully. I love coming from a place where leading and being led are part of the same package.
When I think about resistance this way I start to smile and have fun. I become a superhero (Lady Wonder) and leap over resistance, trick it, allow it to spin me and even catapult me in the direction I’m going. I can walk on by – singing the song. I affirm that there is plenty of space for all kinds of energies to co-exist in love and support.
When I encounter someone and am about to but heads, I will compliment their tie pattern or shoes and melt the resistance for a moment, or I’ll spin and know that we are really one spinning dervish energy. Or I’ll get passionate and do a tango or say, “later gator, my dance card is full.”
Creating a new story about resistance is doing me good. Maybe we just created resistance as an excuse to stay safe and stuck. What if resistance doesn’t exist? What if what we call resistance and place outside of ourselves were really drag, ie all the baggage we haul behind us all the time, dragging behind us and holding us back and slowing us down? What if resistance is just a projection of our inner drag onto the outside world?
Just imagine: if we did away with the idea that anything OUT THERE is preventing us from doing anything, then what’s the big deal? Could it be us? Could we be the resistance? If we are – we’re in luck. We can change our thoughts and the way we see things – and then the world changes.
Just for today I’m going to try on this new way of seeing resistance. Next time I feel like I;m pushing up against some person, place or thing I’m going to stop, breathe and say “WANNA DANCE?”