Full Appreciation

Oh dear body, how I appreciate you. I honor the ways in which you carry me through my days. I celebrate the gifts you bring to me as I evolve in my human form. I recently tweaked my back. It is simply an old back injury from 30 years ago that surfaces from time to time. I know what needs to be done to restore the balance; rest, strengthening stretches and slow and gentle movements. I can do that. And while I rest I cannot help but recognize and appreciate how tremendous my body is!

It is funny how we tend to forget our gratitude for the basic everyday gifts until they are taken from us. With our body, this happens far too often. And yet we fall into that pattern from time to time.

The simple movements of my body are compromised right now. Stairs, bending to put on my shoes, petting my cat, even sleeping all have become a challenge. It gives me reason to reflect upon how much I appreciate my usual good health, flexibility and strength.

What else do I tend to take for granted? This will be a great day for reflection and appreciation! Some of what comes to mind immediately is the abundance of choices available to me daily, whether it be in what I eat, where I go, who I share my day with, where I shop, what I read or even what I can discuss! Imagine any one of those things being restricted or taken from you. How different life would be!

Why wait for life to tweak something for you to have an enforced day of pause and reflection? Take a moment now. Right here at the end of this blog. What in your life do you tend to take for granted that you truly appreciate and would sorely miss if it were any different? Take a moment to acknowledge your appreciation, to share it with someone and to breathe in gratitude for the many blessings in your life, no matter how big or small.

Blessings ~ Lisa

©COPYRIGHT 2012 Lisa Meade

Global Friendships

"Just like a sunbeam can't separate itself from the sun, 
and a wave can't separate itself from the ocean, 
we can't separate ourselves from one another. 
We are all part of a vast sea of love, 
one indivisible divine mind."

―Marianne Williamson

I read the above quote from the inspirational Marianne Williamson and I love how it moves me. Our society has many new ways of connecting us; from social media, cell phones, email, meet-ups and more! Regardless of the method we use, the connection is what matters most. While face-to-face, eye-to-eye brings perhaps a more human connection, there is most definitely a heart-to-heart connection that can be bridged with today’s newer available methods of communication.

I have been introduced to and developed many wonderful relationships with people I now call friends that I have never met face-to-face. Yet daily we share laughter, support, heartache and knowledge. We celebrate each other. We hold each other’s hearts tenderly when we suffer.

I believe that the evolution of humankind can embrace this technology building bond and create from it connections that extend beyond our fingertips. We truly are global citizens now. While I fully appreciate simple living and the treasure to be had when we gather together physically, perhaps around the fire, over a glass of wine, or on a hike in the woods, I equally enjoy the delightful banter of a lively chat session, the heart felt intention of an unexpected email or the surprise and laughter shared on Skype.

My chosen family has grown in the past several years and for that I am blessed. I would have it no other way. My life experience is fuller for it. My opportunities and possibilities have multiplied beyond the count. And my heart is full and rich with the friendships and partnerships that are accessed via the computer screen.

Blessings ~ Lisa

©COPYRIGHT 2012 Lisa Meade

One Ordinary Day

I had to run errands today. Just an ordinary day. My busy schedule included grocery shopping, holiday shopping and more. The faces are what I was drawn to. So many different faces holding so many different emotions. Smiling faces made me smile back. It felt contagious. Twinkling eyes met mine and we smiled, nodded even gave the right of way to one another with grocery carts or at entrances. Holiday cheer was radiating from many faces as the hustle and bustle was carried with joy and delight. For them I allowed my soul to dance with. Our energies celebrated each other and we enjoyed our kindness and pleasure of humankind together as we faced the ordinary tasks at hand with a lightness and grace that flowed through and around.

Irritation and annoyance was also present in many knitted eyebrows and downturned mouths. Mere utterances from clerks as they checked me out, barely meeting my eyes when they handed me the receipt with an almost inaudible “thank-you” spoken in terse tones. I would imagine this is a taxing time to be a cashier, but so much of their attitude is setting the momentum of their day. For them I felt compassion as I have often had to pull myself out of a bad moment or a bad day and try to salvage it, try to rise above and make something good come from it. If anyone had offered me a small dose of compassion on those days, it would have carried me so far. And so I dosed it out today, like Mary Poppins and her spoonful of sugar.

Then there were those who simple were not engaged in any way at all. They looked like walking zombies, their minds and hearts elsewhere, vacant stares, plodding along down aisles with a step that lacked any intention. For them I felt the most love of all. Where had they lost themselves? What could be so heavy that their burden was obvious and palpable? My silent prayer of hope for lightness to rest within their spirit was made and I offered as much kindness as they would allow, if any.

One ordinary day spent among so many strangers, some more familiar than others. One ordinary day where I crossed the spectrum within my heart errand by errand, face by face, chance by chance allowing the ebb and flow of my spirit gracefully weave its way through the hearts of the community.

Blessings ~ Lisa

©COPYRIGHT 2012 Lisa Meade

Imagine If....

Imagine if today, right in this very moment, you were granted everything you have ever hoped for! Imagine! No waiting for it, no having to see if everything aligns, no having to wait for others to come on board, to have enough money-time-skill-knowledge…Imagine you are ready, the Universe is waiting with arms wide open and you can have it, NOW! What runs through your mind? Do you begin to celebrate, to move forward, to embrace all the possibilities, to live large, to pay it forward, to ripple outward? Does your soul shine even brighter, your heart beat faster, your steps quicken? Or do you begin to fret, to worry about if this is really what you want? Do you start thinking about what ifs and cannots?

Our thoughts create energies around our realities. If we believe in what we want and prepare ourselves for the manifestation of that and learn to trust that as it unfolds it will be the right fit for us…we eliminate many of the worries that people tend to carry around with them in life. We let go of the concern over what we cannot control.

The Universe holds for us the possibilities of everything we can imagine and more. Spirit holds us in radiance and brilliance. Love creates abundance in our lives. Those who achieve their dreams learn early on not to think about what they cannot do. They don’t fret over why it could be impossible. They never pause to worry about what might not happen. That simply puts the brakes on our potential and opportunities. Perspective is everything and intention is the rest.

We often do not believe in our selves as much as others do. We often carry stories around of being less deserving, less talented, not as skilled, even not as lucky as others. Truth is we all have amazing gifts within that go untouched or underused. We get in our own way with our negative thinking and our fear based beliefs. What if that were all to stop and what if whatever may BE actually happens? Get ready, it could! Imagine the possibilities and then allow them!

Blessings ~ Lisa

©COPYRIGHT 2012 Lisa Meade