Do you remember the game Telephone?  You would whisper a short sentence into someone’s ear, and they would then turn and whisper it to the person seated on their other side. By the time the message had passed through a dozen people it was so different from the original it had everyone laughing hysterically.

  That game came to mind when I was wondering (and I bet you were too!) how did we go from a pagan holiday, the resurrection of Christ, Pentecost, Passover to The Easter Bunny, a male egg-laying rabbit (remember, the Easter Bunny’s name is Peter and he wears a bow tie) who sneaks into homes the night before Easter to deliver baskets full of colored eggs, toys and chocolate?

  Let’s follow the bouncing matzo ball through the timeline of these seasonal holidays and then we’ll tie it all together with how the shared symbolism can apply to your life now. Ready?… let’s go.

Bunnies and Easter and Matzos…..Oh My!

 A SPRING GODDESS 

  The name “Easter” was likely derived from Eostre, (or Oestara) the name of the Anglo-Saxon lunar goddess, as was the name for the female hormone estrogen. Eostre’s feast day was held on the first full moon following the vernal equinox (First day of spring). A similar calculation is used for Easter among Western Christians. On this date the goddess Eostre is believed by her followers to mate with the solar god, miraculously conceiving a child who would be born 9 months later on Yule, the winter solstice which falls on December 21st.   Now…isn’t that interesting

EASTER

  Easter is the sacred celebration of Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead.  Prior to Easter is Lent– a period of spiritual renewal. Easter Sunday or Resurrection Day is typically the well-attended Sunday service of the year for Christian churches.

PENTECOST 

  Pentecost is the festival that marks the birth of the Christian church by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Pentecost means “fiftieth day” and is celebrated fifty days after Easter.   

SHAVUOT

     Originally an agricultural festival celebrating the end of the winter grain harvest (which began at Passover), Shavuot later commemorated the giving of the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mt. Sinai. Shavuot occurs… guess when?  50 days after Passover!

 PASSOVER

    Passover is also directly linked to springtime, with the Torah repeatedly describing Passover as “the holiday of Spring.”  Spring follows the darkness of Winter and Passover celebrates the Jews going from slavery (a metaphorical darkness) to freedom (a new life). 

                                                                                          TIE IT ALL TOGETHER……

     Two of Eostre’s most important symbols were the hare (aka Peter Cottontail) both because of its fertility and because ancient people saw a hare in the full moon) and the egg, which symbolized the growing possibility of new life.
    The pagans hung on to the rabbit and eventually it became a part of Christian celebration. We don’t know exactly when, but it’s first mentioned in German writings from the 1600s. The Germans converted the pagan rabbit image into Oschter Haws, a rabbit that was believed to lay a nest of colored eggs as gifts for good children even though he is believed to be a male.
 And those Jelly beans……
     Although they are now a traditional Easter candy it wasn’t always so. The Jelly bean did not become associated with the holiday until the 1930s. The association derives from their egg-like shape, which renders it a symbol of fertility and birth.  And if you can stand just one more parallel: ”The Sleeping Beauty”

    The story of The Sleeping Beauty can also be interpreted as a nature myth: the Princess represents Nature, the Wicked Fairy is Winter, who puts the Court to sleep with pricks of frost until the Prince (Spring) cuts away the brambles with his sword (a sunbeam) to allow the sun to awaken sleeping Nature.  Amazing, is it not? But we’re not quite complete. Let’s go back to the beginning and find our gem of inspiration.

BELTANE                 

   Beltane is one of two primary Celtic festivals. Beltane marks the passage into the growing season, the immediate rousing of the earth from her gently awakening slumber. Beltane is about honoring Life.
    Special Note:  For all you Law of Attraction and ritual enthusiasts, take note that Beltane (like Samhain, its Winter counterpart) is a time of “no time” when the veils between the two worlds are at their thinnest. “No time” is when the two worlds intermingle and unite and the magic abounds. This year Beltane falls on May 1st
     Surely Spring, in every religion is recognized as a time of resurrection and transformation. Take full advantage of the energy of the season and release outworn beliefs and transform outmoded ideas. Plant seeds of forgiveness, love, happiness and those of your passion, desires and dreams!

   For extra Pa-wow (a word I made up) for your intentions, check out Astrologer, Maya White’s site at MayaWhite.com. She has some really special information about an incredible Golden Trine taking place March 12-15th. week.                                                                       

As always, wishing you a Magical and Miraculous life!     

Namaste,

Michele

“Honesty is not something we flirt with. We must be married to it”

As we go about our daily lives, tending to jobs, families and obligations of one sort or another, I wonder how many of us stop to examine the path we’re on and whether or not it is truly the one we want to take, or are even meant to take right now?

Are we Living Miraculously, as I so often ask? Or as my friend Chad from the movie Leap, pointedly   inquires; “are we living from Inspiration, Obligation or Desperation?”

Have we invested so much of our time, energy, money and even belief in a particular way of life that the thought of “walking away” is unfathomable or worse yet, not even on our radar screen?

There are many of us who are consciously pursuing a spiritual career path. (Although, in my opinion whatever you’re doing…conscious or not… is miraculously, a spiritual path).

But, “what if”…. at this particular time…. you’re not meant to work at being a massage therapist, or a Reiki healer or a Hypnotherapist or Life coach or herbalist. What if….. at this particular time….  you’re meant to be in a more business… or “heaven forbid”…. corporate environment,  sharing your gifts in a way that is not as obvious?

I know of openly spiritual people who are in what seems to be the most “un-spiritual” professions, yet they know their presence can miraculously bring light to the darkened areas  of their workplace.

Reversely, maybe ….at this particular time…. you’re not meant to be a financial advisor, lawyer, physician, accountant or any number of “on the grid” professions.

My point is this; maybe we’ve outgrown the path we’re on, whether that involves career, relationships, marriage or even friendships. And sometimes we’re so entrenched in a way of living that we lose all perspective and hence ourselves.    I’m not judging, just saying.

Suggestion: consider the following questions to determine how you are feeling about your life.

• What areas of your life are you truly excited about?
• What areas of your life seem like a struggle?
• If you could do ANYTHING…. what would that look like? Mountain climb? Peace corps? Travel Agent? Nurse? Circus clown? Doll Maker? Clue: what did you aspire to as a child?
• Would you live alone, with one other person or a group of people?

These are just the ramblings of my early morning Saturday mind and I hope they incite some “out of the box thinking” for you. Ill close with this quote by Pearl Bailey;

“You will never find yourself until you face the truth.”

Live Miraculously!

Michele

PS: Coaching is a wonderful and powerful way to find your true path or tweak the one you’re on. Coaching Special: 3 sessions $250

Today is a solemn day. The events of September 11, 2001 will forever weigh heavily in our hearts and minds. And more often than not and whether we want to admit it or not, a devastating situation such as this raises the question of whether God exists.

For those who were not directly touched by this horrific event, it might be a bit easier to say “it’s God’s Will.” For those mothers, sons, spouses, children, relatives, friends and colleagues who went through the torture and anguish of that day and beyond… maybe it’s not so easy to find belief much less relief in those three words.

I often ask the Million dollar question, “Does God exist?” But, before I render my opinion to such a loaded question, I would like to explore some of our beliefs surrounding our ideas of a deity.

It’s very common for people to pray, especially during trying times and most often during times of desperation. As the saying goes, “There are no atheists in foxholes.”

So, why do we do this? Why do we pray? Do we really, seriously, believe that if such an omnipotent presence exists, they wouldn’t already know our every desire and need? And what about the poor saps who don’t believe in prayer? Is God like the spiteful Aunt who says, “Well, if you’re not going to call me, don’t expect me to buy you a birthday gift!”

I often hear people say things like, “My God is a vengeful God.” Really?? If God is “GOD”, why would we assign a very human quality like revenge? And for that matter, why do we so often attempt to pigeonhole God into a human image? Here in the West, the typical image of God is of a WHITE, human (male) with a beard and piercing blue eyes. Other religions have different images, of course, but the point is we seem to have a need to put a form to the name.

Even if you believe that your metaphysical brain has gone beyond that old-time religious belief and when you think of God, you see a huge burning light, I’d bet that if I say “God”, the immediate image you have is the human one that you have to quickly erase before you see your new 21st century Photoshop’d image

And how does the Law of Attraction fit into this metaphysical soup? Is God sitting back and saying, “It’s your deal on earth. You thought it into existence, and you’re the one believing/thinking every experience you have. I’m out of this.”? First of all, why are you praying for help? More importantly, I don’t think this line of thinking would sit well with the victims’ families of 9/11, the children in Darfur, and all the other victims of worldwide atrocities that we know exist.

So from all this, what can we deduce? Although, I think Bill Maher is an extremist in much the same way that he preaches against religion, I do agree somewhat when he says, “… And anyone who tells you they know, they just know what happens when you die… I promise you, you don’t.”

Many people have had experiences that convince them absolutely of the existence of God. Usually, these experiences are described within the context of their own personal religious beliefs. If you think I’m inferring that there is no God, I’m not.

Personally, and as I so often talk about in this blog, I believe in “Miracles.” And I subscribe to St Augustine’s interpretation of Miracles, “Miracles are not contrary to nature, but only contrary to what we know about nature.” Really think about that for a moment and what that implies. And try to wrap your mind around the concept of infinity – that there is no beginning and no end.

I believe in Miracles and I believe in quantum physics and how Einstein describes this peculiar field as “Spooky action at a distance.” I believe that something is happening at the quantum level that could be interpreted as having God-like qualities. And I believe that prayer is the focused attention and intention on something we desire. And when we pray without ego and with profound reverence and with deep love, it is such a powerful force that it can literally alter atoms and, therefore, matter. I believe that if our beliefs promote first and foremost, non-judgment against other’s beliefs, love, compassion, kindness, understanding and forgiveness, then it’s a positive thing.

So today, I will focus on all those who suffered a loss on September 11, 2001, and on our world and sending love to all, that we may transcend violence, hate, greed, and prejudice and realize the profound connection we have to one another… and yes, I will pray.

And as an afterthought and an experiment, what if we all join in with this intention at 9:11 EST tonight?

Namaste,
Michele

“Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance and order and rhythm and harmony.” Thomas Merton.

Summer seems to have flown by and now Labor Day is upon us. Labor Day is the unofficial end of summer and the beginning of the majestic season called “Autumn.” I’m originally a “Jersey girl” and Autumn was surely one of my favorite seasons. In the Northeast, the exquisite colors of fall are simply breathtaking!

I remember weekend jaunts to Princeton and Flemington where you could laze away the day in a charming little café, reading, sipping wine and nibbling on delightful hors d’oeuvres in the crisp autumn air. Roadside farms abound in this area and I would often stop by and indulge my taste buds with a sampling of cheeses or to purchase homemade pies and fresh produce of which those incredibly crisp and juicy Macoun apples were my favorite! Alas, in Florida, the only color changes are the license plates!

Wherever you are this Autumn, on September 23 at 5:05 am EDT is the Autumn Equinox. The word equinox comes from the Latin words for “equal night.” The fall and spring equinoxes are the only days of the year in which the hours of day and night are equal as the Sun crosses the celestial equator. In other words, the Equinoxes are about “balance.” The Autumn Equinox corresponds with the astrological sign of Libra. The symbol for Libra is the scale which is associated with …you guessed it… balance.

Mother Earth fully appreciates this word and she will — quite often these days – make adjustments to achieve that equilibrium.

Personally, having balance has been a challenge for me most of my adult life and although I haven’t conquered this tricky area, I’m more inclined these days to consciously invite it into my life.

How do we achieve balance, especially during times that appear so stressful? Because I like simple remedies, I’ve come up with “The 5 R’s” – a template for achieving balance.

Reflect: What areas of your life are you experiencing the most tension? This is also a clue to of course to where you are most out of balance. Make a list of the internal (mind, heart, health, spirit) and external (work/money, relationships, fun) and decide where you feel most out of balance.

Reassess: Ask yourself; what are your “have to’s” and what are your “want to’s?” Do you have to vacuum/clean/work overtime every day? Prioritize what you want to focus on and why. For example; “I want to spend more time with my friends (a good source of positive energy, by the way!) because I want to experience more fun in my life.”

Reorganize: Make a plan. You know the old saying: “fail to plan, plan to fail.” Without a plan to reorganize your time, you are likely to repeat the same pattern (please trust me on this…I’ve learned the hard way!) Think back to other goals that you’ve accomplished and what tools you used to achieve those goals. Shameless Plug: A Life Coach is a godsend when it comes to strategic planning and assisting you in achieving your goals!

Resolve: To not take things so seriously! “How important is it?” is a wise saying from the 12 step programs. Ask yourself this question before you begin every task and when you feel yourself getting upset.

Renew: Yourself everyday with meditation. I know I harp on this a lot, but truly this is such an important step for achieving balance, inspiration, health and happiness in your life!

Wishing you a magical and miraculous life!

Namaste, Michele

“Courage is doing what you’re afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you’re scared.” ~Eddie Rickenbacker

I was away for a few weeks,crossing over a couple of states; big fun and big work… and well…. just never got around to posting this for the 4th of July. Hope you’ll forgive me for this late posting and also hope you find the content helpful!

235 years ago, on July 4th (or there about), Thomas Jefferson delivered the formal announcement that the 13 American Colonies were no longer part of the British Empire. These 13 colonies wished to break away from the British Empire and govern themselves…. and for good reason. Tired of paying more and more taxes (thank goodness that’s changed! LOL) to the British Empire and resentful of the restrictions placed on their religious beliefs, they decided to proclaim their freedom and independence. And that’s the very short version of why on July 4th we ate dogs and burgers, macaroni salad and brownies, listened to “Born in the USA,” watched spectacular fireworks and drank mojitos (Ok….well that’s what I drank)…. all in the name of freedom and independence.

We celebrate our country’s freedom on July 4th ….and I wonder: why does it seem easier to free a country than to free ourselves emotionally?
As a Life Coach and Living Miraculously author I hear countless stories from incredibly independent, intelligent, worldly and savvy people who can eagle eye a bad deal, build & run successful businesses, yet still be emotionally trapped.

Part of my Living Miraculously program and manifesting miracles in your life involves disconnecting from emotional traps. How do you know if you are emotionally trapped? Here are a few clues:

• When I’m angry with someone, I don’t breathe and center myself and I react as opposed to respond.
• If I’m blamed for something, I feel the need to defend my actions
• When I’m stuck in traffic, I’m impatient and annoyed
• I find it difficult to set limits with people who drain me
• I find it hard to let go of negative situations and dwell on the past or future.

These are all situations that we might allow ourselves to be controlled by. And of course in actuality, it’s not the situation that is controlling us, but our thoughts about the situation.

So how do we free ourselves? When we are in harmony, in tune and in love with ourselves, we are set free. And of course, I’m not talking about the ego’s deluded and comparative love of self; “Why, I’m better than you…or I’m less than you.” What I’m referring to is a love of self that comes from the place of self esteem. As opposed to the ego’s view of self, real self esteem recognizes our inborn goodness and our equality with the rest of the world. (More on this topic at another time!)

Declare this YOUR independence day …and just for today… be emotionally free… Here are some tips to help you:

1. Love yourself like no other lover! Honor your strength, your courage, your creativity, your beautiful mind and body. No criticisms!
2. Picture a life that flows peacefully along, like a smooth and gentle river meandering around curves and over small pebbles and branches, without resistance, yet strong and deliberate. Get that “Easy” button you see advertised on TV from Staples!
3. Be fearless, vulnerable and willing to take risks! How do you know how far you can go unless you try? In order for us to discover who we are authentically, usually means going where we haven’t gone before. Try new things, meet new people, take a course in something you’re really interested in. Be willing and eager to discover what special gift you have to share with the world.
4. Release the need to be all things to all people. You know what they say: You can please all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot please all the people all the time.
5. Stop Scaring yourself! Our thoughts can terrorize us. Find a mental image that gives you pleasure and immediately switch your scary thought to something happy!

Namaste, Michele

“If you really put a small value upon yourself, rest assured that the world will not raise your price”

It’s unfortunate that so many people suffer from a lack of self esteem. Just take a look at the amount of crime that exists, the number of women and men who stay in mentally, emotionally and physically abusive relationships and all the people who are afraid of following their passion. It takes a strong sense of self to be able to stand up for yourself and to be and feel empowered.

We often hear the phrase “being empowered.” What exactly does that mean and how can you feel empowered to Live Your life Miraculously?The simple definition of empowerment is having power. Another way to put it is having inner strength and resiliency – the ability to overcome obstacles and to be able to move forward in life.

Here are some helpful tips to develop your miraculous and empowered self.

1. Pardon yourself & reappraise the situation Even criminals on death row get pardons! For a variety of reasons the average person is so hard on themselves when they feel as if they’ve made a mistake. And to make matters worse, we believe that others might see us as foolish. Flip the switch and find something empowering from the experience. What did you learn from the situation?
2. Accept and love yourself as you are unconditionally. I think it’s wonderful that we have the desire to improve ourselves and in fact that is a basic human characteristic, to be “productive”. But let’s quiet that committee in our head that is continually criticizing. The inner critic that says we’re not good enough or smart enough. Stop the monkey mind chatter
3. Be free to be yourself without the need for the approval of others. This is a real hot button for many people. Of course we’re in this world together and there’ s nothing wrong with getting input from others…. at times. But too often we go around asking everyone “What do you think? What do you think? What do you think?” We’re terrified of making a decision ..or making a mistake. We hold back our real feelings for fear of being rejected. So, release the need to be all things to all people.
4. Allow yourself to say “Yes. Saying yes to offers from others to assist you. Say Yes to taking some “Me” time….without feeling guilty. Saying yes to yourself in some form of self pampering is very empowering
5. Allow yourself to say “NO.” This is a difficult word to say, especially for women. But, give it a try! You don’t have to say yes to every request that is made of you. I promise that you won’t make life long enemies. And if you do… well it’s likely they didn’t care that much about you anyway.
6. And above all, acknowledge your uniqueness! YES, YES! We are all so very unique! There never has been nor ever will be anyone exactly like you. Honor that, love that and explore that about yourself.

“You have been criticizing yourself for years, and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.”
Louise L. Hay, Best-selling Author of “You Can Heal Your Life”

If you are a woman, congratulations! You belong to a Goddess divinely inspired exclusive, sorority.  Sadly, many of us don’t have the belief, the notion or a clue about our Goddess Divinity. What exactly is Goddess Divinity? It is experiencing the spiritual aspect of your feminine and divine nature that is your birthright, one that predisposes you to extraordinary wisdom and talents.

Before I discuss how you might tap into your Divine nature, I want to talk about some extraordinary women that I know both privately and publicly.

Speaking from a purely non sexual point of view, I love women.  I am continually amazed at the depth of knowledge and power we women possess.  Over my lifetime, I have been blessed to know and befriend the most extraordinary women!

Women who have single handedly raised families, their own, others and all generations in between. They have driven tractors from the age 12 when there was no one else to do it.  One woman I know, raised four siblings without a father her mother who was too ill to care for her children. She was 13….. and at that tender age, drove a car to visit her sick mother in the hospital.

I have known women who’ve managed to support their children in the most ingenious ways, because of husbands who abandoned their family. There are women who left home at 15 to escape abuse and yet somehow managed to educate themselves and build successful careers.

We don’t break, we bend. We are the lioness defending our pride. We invented the phrase “Multi-tasking” and now we have little time to whine about life’s injustices or complain about what could have, or should have been. We live in the present and learn the lessons of the past.

We are Rosie the riveter, Demeter the goddess of earth and fertility and Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty and love.

Despite all this independence and fiery determination, we don’t do it alone. Behind every great woman is another woman cheering her on. We comfort, console, support and rally around one another when the chips are down and we are their champions when things are up.  We will not forsake a friend or break a promise. We are mighty and magical!

“A woman is like a tea bag.  It’s only when she’s in hot water that you realize how strong she is.”

Attributed to both Eleanor Roosevelt and Carl Sandburg

Notorious and Interesting facts about Women

• In parts of Malaya, the women keep harems of men
• The two highest IQ’s ever recorded (on a standard test) both belong to women
• In Kenya where 38% of the farms are run by women, they manage to harvest the same amount as the men, despite men having greater access to loans, advice, fertilizers, hybrid seeds, insecticides. When given the same level of help, women were more efficient than men, and produced bigger harvests
• Virginia Woodhull was best known for three things: being the first woman to address Congress on the subject of suffrage, running as a presidential nominee in 1872, and breaking a scandal about Henry Ward Beecher
• Caresse Crosby, born Mary Phelps Jacob, poet, publisher, and peace activist. At age 19, she invented the first modern brassiere to receive a patent and gain wide acceptance.

“Can you imagine a world without men? No crime and lots of happy fat women.” ~Nicole Hollander

Now aren’t you doubly glad you are a woman? If you’re feeling less than Divine-like like these days, here are a few tips to get your Gorgeous, Goddess going.

• Trust your intuition. You have a natural intuitive guidance system. Follow its instructions!
• Write down all your gifts and talents. Think of ALL the things you have ever done in your life (big and small) and really pay attention to the talents hidden in each one. You’ll be amazed at what you’ll uncover.
• Introduce yourself to the child inside of you. She has important information and secrets to share with you about who you are and how to break free of limiting beliefs.
• Look in the mirror. Have you ever gazed deeply into your eyes? You may feel uncomfortable at first, but do it anyway. You’ll get a glimpse of your beautiful soul.
• Listen to the lyrics of Helen Reddy’s song “I AM Woman.” It is timeless and inspiring.

And most importantly, find yourself and be yourself because, as Oscar Wilde says “everyone else is taken.”

“May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.” Mother Teresa

As so often happens with me, I’m not quite sure what I would like to share in my blog on Living a Miraculous Life and then something will draw my attention. Today it was Mother Teresa.  Reading the above quote, I felt a profound peace descend upon me.

Since I’m of the mindset that everything is infused with energy of varying levels, I could literally feel in my body the comfort and strength of Mother Teresa’s words.  What an awe inspiring connection she had to the Divine and one that I continually strive towards.

The Miracle is that we all have this ability to be consciously connected to the Divine. What seems to keep us from regularly experiencing it, is how often during the day we allow ourselves to be pulled off our spiritual path by outside influences; the bills that have to be paid, the house that has to be cleaned, the jobs we have to go to, the disagreement we had  and so on and so on.

Somehow, we disconnect from the fact that every “ordinary” thing we do on this physical plane is already connected to the Divine.

We may do our meditations, say our prayers, read our inspirational books and hope it carries us through the day. We feel empowered, inspired, euphoric! And then…..as the joke goes, we get out of bed.

I say this so often in my workshops; it’s EASY to be spiritual when you’re meditating and levitating off a mountain in the Himalayas.  Anyone can do that.  And just about anyone can spend hours meditating and feel profound peace. And if you have the luxury of doing so, that’s wonderful.

However, what I am saying is the real test of the strength of your conscious connection to the Divine and truly living your life in a miraculous way is an action and not just a thought floating around in your head. You carry it forth into the world, on an everyday basis and in your every interaction with others –ala Mother Teresa.

Of course I know we’re all not Mother Teresa and believe it or not, even Teresa  had her “off days.”  Yet, all in all, her physical world was her spiritual life. Can we not strive just a little more to experience that in our lives?   Just a thought.

“Serenity is not the absence of conflict, but the ability to cope with it.”

Namaste,

May You be Abundantly Blessed Always,

Michele

“In the real dark night of the soul it is always three o’ clock in the morning, day after day.” F. Scott Fitzgerald

Here I am sitting at the computer and wondering what to write about. I’m feeling kind of sh**ty  today and thinking well now…. that’s not a very good space to write from.

I’m the happy, positive “make a miracle happen” girl. I’m a Life Coach for god’s sake!  So the thoughts in my head go like this; come on girl, chin up, cheer up! lighten up, look on the bright side… blah, blah, blah.

And the reality is:  at this moment, it’s really just words and none of it moves me past this grayish/blackish feeling.

Well, here’s an experiment; I think I’ll work this out right here and right now in this blog. I hope you’re game to come along for the ride and join me as I cautiously meander through some murky avenues of my brain. Here’s your chance to bail.

For those of you still on board, let’s go.

There are certain characteristics associated with The Dark night of the Soul. They are; feelings of hopelessness, indeed you feel as if nothing is or ever will work out favorably for you. Check √. You feel as if you’re backsliding. Check √. Things that normally cheer you up, don’t. Check √. It’s an effort to do anything (Uh huh…like this Blog) Check √. And probably worst of all, you feel profoundly alone. Almost Check √.

It feels like a nasty little brain bug that first attacks your body with a feeling of “low energy” – as if your life force  battery’s  been unplugged.

So, what to do? Normally we want to resist this very uncomfortable feeling, get rid of it anyway we can which often leads to choices that actually can cause us to spiral down even more. i.e.; taking drugs, drinking, misdirected anger, etc.

I know what I must first do. I must acknowledge this feeling and then….love it, love it, love it. Honest. If I want to introduce light into the darkness, what better way than with the light of love? When I’m sitting here “being” with the feeling, and loving it, something begins to shift ever so slightly.  Ok…. I breathe in deeply and a thought pops into my brain.

I decide to mentally construct a two-sided list of likely causes and immediately think of the Carpenter’s song; “Rainy days and Mondays.” Although all the lyrics fit, sadly it’s neither a rainy day nor Monday so I’ll have to scrap that off my list of probable causes.

Next; how’s my sleeping, how’s my eating, how’s my health?  Hmm, health. That’s a bit of hot button for me right now, so I place “health” on the cause side of my mental list. I go through an inventory of spirituality, career, friends, family, finances, relationships, love life, free time, fun, travel, living and working space and find a few more hot buttons that qualify on my possible suspects list. Now the next step is what can I do about what’s troubling me?  I pause for a moment because I realize that miraculously, I’m feeling even better. How’d that happen?

Actually, I did three things. First, I acknowledged, embraced and yes even loved where I was. (As a post script I would add stay there as long as you think you need to before moving on to the next step). Secondly, I made a list of all the things in life that can potentially pull me off center and felt what intuitively or literally is allowing me to do that. This action was also a realization of the duality of life; ebb and flow, up and down, perceived good and bad. And thirdly, I put into action the Serenity Prayer:

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the ability to change the things I can and (above all!); the wisdom to know the difference.”

The miracle for me today was going into the darkness and coming into the light of awareness. Phew!! Thank you for indulging this very public catharsis and know I wish you a miraculous journey through your own dark night of the soul.

Namaste and Abundant Blessings Always,

Michele

“The one thing about life that is unchangeable is that life always changes.”

“Be Content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.’ Lao Tzu

It seems we are always searching for ways to improve upon ourselves. We fill our minds with as many books, seminars, workshops, CD’s. movies, lectures, radio & TV shows, programs, blogs and more to overflowing. We exercise and eat the right foods to strengthen our body, practice meditation to quiet our mind and yoga to nourish mind, body and soul.

We choose our friends with care in the hopes that they are resonating at our same energy level. We are on an eternal quest to live right and up to our potential, to progress, enhance, develop, expand and perfect ourselves. We go on mind expanding retreats, self help conferences, have our charts and aura’s read, wear jewelry to raise our energy level and maybe a colonic or two to clear out the toxins. By god, it’s exhausting!

Don’t get me wrong I don’t mean to infer that any of these therapies are wrong, it’s just that we can become so attached and obsessed to the outcome that we behave like rats on a treadmill, never stopping to feel what has real meaning  for us and certainly not discerning what is calling to our soul.

Like our upside-down external world, we sometimes approach the spiritual the same way and do things from the outside in, not the inside out.

You may say, “hey, wait a minute, that’s why I’m doing all this, to find the real me.” I hear ya! I’ve been on a lifetime quest myself and yet it occurred to me that if I could really hear the truth of the words “I’m already perfect” I would see, hear and do things much differently.

If my motivation is to be reminded that I’m already perfect and not out of neediness to make myself into something I think I’m not, I would be moved to certain activities and experiences out of a calling to remember who I really am and not out of a desperation to fix what I’m not.

Can you see the difference? And what a relief to stop the frantic “if only I” and “when I.”

If our only goal is to remember who we really are, there is much less striving to do, to have or to even change. No desire to compare yourself with others and no feelings of lack.

We stop chasing the illusion of perfection and acknowledge we are perfection.

This concept can be hard to accept, but this is only when we are see everything and everyone from the little ”i” or ego. The ego, aka the personality exists only by comparison. It only knows “I’m better than, I’m worse than” and the ego would die if it didn’t have something to battle with.

The big “I” or the I AM knows it is all ok, that we are always lead to the right people and experiences. We can do this with a lot less angst when we allow ourselves to just be. What freedom! You can be passionate and really enjoy the things you love and take the pressure off of having to do one more thing that you feel you “should” do. Did I just hear a big sigh of relief? I hope so!

So today, do something you’re really, really called to do and don’t hesitate. Maybe you’re called to sign up for that anthropology course, maybe it’s to go off and read a really racy novel or maybe it’s to eat that piece of rich, deeply dark and heavenly chocolate that you know is calling your name… ok, I mean my name.

Namaste,

Michele