Words

A beautiful little poem crossed my path today and I used it for my morning reflection: WORDS. So powerful. They can crush a heart, or heal it. They can shame a soul, or liberate it. They can shatter dreams, or energize them. They can obstruct connection, or invite it. They can create defenses, or melt them. We have to use words wisely. ~ Jeff Brown

It is so true isn’t it? Think of the way your heart expands and your soul resonates when someone shares kind words with you, words of appreciation or love, words of acceptance and grace, our body embraces the energy with peace and warmth and we radiate as we walk away with the words echoing in our thoughts.

But we all have also been the unfortunate victim of harsh and unkind words, words that act like curses, words that sting and cause horrible pain, words that emphasize negative patterns and create harmful thoughts. Our souls shrink, our hearts ache, our body’s drawn inward and feel the need to protect and conserve as our inner light dims from the pain.

These are the extremes of our words, but what about the more simple utterances that are spoken in the everyday conversations about the mail, or homework, chores, request of assistance from a co-worker, ordering our lunch and more. How can we add a vibrancy to those simple words? How can we soften any criticism so that it is positive and not harmful? How can we show appreciation without turning it into a Hallmark moment, but maintain genuine gratitude? How do we become mindful of this and intentionally choose to use our words wisely?

I am specifically carrying this in my heart today as weave my way through my day. I will cross many paths, I will meet up with many strangers, I will share exchanges with family and friends and I will be selective in my words. I will also be observant to the energy created in this specific act. It feels like a sacred act as it is holding intention of grace and beauty, compassion and acceptance, peace and consideration. May it ripple and ripple and ripple out into other’s wise words.

Blessings ~ Lisa

©COPYRIGHT 2012 Lisa Meade

The Act of Nothing

When was the last time you did nothing? Are you obsessed with productivity? Do you place your self worth on how much you accomplish and manifest? If so this blog may change your perspective. Our world supports productivity and often we feel guilty if we are not in the process of DOING. But what we often fail to recognize is that if we place into our day time some time for inactivity we actually become better grounded, often more energized, have clarity and focus and a presence of mind that is not bogged down with lists or exhaustion. Inactivity nurtures and restores our balance.

What message do we send to our bodies and our souls when we pause and seek rest. We send honor and respect to the needs of our bodies. We offer our souls time to be expansive or to be idle and in wonder. Healing often takes place in these times of rest. Introspection becomes an open door. Delight is can be found dancing during moments of peace.

Don't get me wrong. I appreciate that effort is important. If we lack that we then become beings who sit beside the side of our path waiting for opportunity to stroll by or for something to drop from the sky into our lap for us to work on. Truth is many times we need to put our intentions into actions. But not all the time. Spirit sometimes whispers and we have to be still to hear. Sometimes the need for sitting back in the grass and looking up into the clouds and breathing in the cool breeze feeds our soul more than any ritual or ceremony, more than any accomplishment or finished task.

Variety is the most important aspect of life we can embrace. It keeps us passionate and enthused. It keeps us balanced. It allows us to entertain new concepts and try on new approaches. If you are feeling overwhelmed, bored, frustrated or out of sorts…pehaps you need to just DO nothing for a bit. See if it does you any good. To change what is not working in your life you may have to do things differently and if doing nothing is something you would not normally consider…give it a try.

Blessings ~ Lisa

©COPYRIGHT 2012 Lisa Meade

Digging Deep

"If you are ready to accept all which you find in yourself, you will be able to move through everything with deep sensitivity, awareness, love and understanding." ~Gerd Ziegler Open any self help book, speak to any motivational speaker, listen to any lecture about finding your spiritual path and you will at some point come across the words “Go deep within” to find….life’s lessons, inner gifts, true self…etc. But for many that is a very scary task. Often support is needed.

There is a fear of uncovering old memories, feeling the pain of hidden wounds, revealing negative behaviors, or exposing vulnerabilities. Not easy work. And often if not done with the right intention and with the needed direction…it can be disempowering and create results less than what we hoped for.

When working with a shaman the soul work is done in a way that brings about positive change. It offers healing energies. It sheds light to loss. It reveals ways to nurture, release and embrace in meaningful ways that the soul resonates with. Soul work does not focus on the unattainable perfection that society has created. Soul work is about embracing our wholeness without judgment or story filled drama.

As Julia Cameron so beautifully states, "Wherever you are is always the right place. There is never a need to fix anything, to hitch up the bootstraps of the soul and start at some higher place. Start right where you are." The whole of who you are is what creates your beautiful individuality, adds the wonder to your life and the depth to your soul.

Working with a shaman allows your soul to receive the care and attention it needs. Life is often filled with trauma, loss, pain or suffering, abuse or neglect, even old labels placed upon us that we have owned that are not true. All this imprints a sort of energy within your soul and the shaman uses tools and guides to restore the soul, to heal it and to return its lost parts. This work must be done with great sensitivity, compassion, the greatest of love for the life designed for you and integrity.

Life shines brightly when good soul care is intact. Possibilities appear from realms beyond our recognition. Hope awakens within us. Struggles become manageable and we recognize our potential. A peace and grace fills us as we heal and embrace the whole of who we are. The “deep” work, done on a soul level creates the opportunity for us to be our fullest self.

Blessings ~ Lisa Meade

©COPYRIGHT 2012 Lisa Meade

Witness to Myself

I am re-reading one of my favorite books, Active Dreaming by Robert Moss and as I read this quote, I got goose bumps this time. It is amazing how you can come across something on your path, read something…but until the moment is right, it holds a different meaning. This time…it resonated strongly and I had to share with all of you. Here is the quote: "The ability to observe yourself from a witness perspective and notice where you place your attention and how you choose what you'll focus on in a day is crucial to the art of conscious living." I read this and paused and went back and read it again. Then I took out my journal. How important of an exercise! I had to put it to practice. I went back into my journal and pulled out 2 different experiences I had in the past 2-3 weeks that were particularly important to me and to my personal growth. They were places I felt stuck, that I knew I was in process with and wanted to see how this exercise would impact it.

I took each of these situations and played them through my mind, but I stood on the outside looking in, detaching myself, as much as possible to the emotions and feelings, and viewed it from that perspective. I immediately saw that my focus was so skewed because I was in one situation struggling with wanting to control the situation…ha! And in the second situation I was focusing on the emotional pain this was causing me and being resentful of the time it was taking. BIG observations.

So then I replayed each situation in my mind, but re-scripted. I saw myself moving forward with the new perspective and saw an unfolding of many new possibilities. The place of stuck shifted and I felt optimistic, hopeful, possibilities expanded before me! I had many moves available to me to take. Amazing! So simple and yet so profound.

Perhaps you can stand as witness to a place you may feel stuck, or a relationship that feels unhealthy, or a scenario that has gone wrong…what new perspective can you bring to your life? Imagine!

Blessings ~ Lisa

©COPYRIGHT 2012 Lisa Meade