2011 Excitment

Last year seems to have been so 'junk' for so many people. Lots of folks I knew died, many others went through physical trauma that left them dealing with the long hidden emotional issues that severe chronic pain triggers...all of this without mentioning the financial trouble affecting almost everyone in the world. Much of 2010 found me struggling to find a sense of balance. With each attempt I would feel myself hit by another force as if I were a mound of clay cast on a potter's wheel. Every effort to rise would leave me feeling smashed, molded and beaten down. Yet, there was always a small quite voice in my mind whispering , 'this is temporary, it is a preparation, hang in there.' The voice urged me as to have faith, suggesting that the new year might be one of 'be-coming'.

I just researched the numerology on the number 11. It is a Master number; it has a very high vibration and stronger energy. This means everything in 2011 will happen faster and with more force. Those who have completed their 'dark night of the soul' and are focused on a higher intention will find the waters parting and their path clearly defined where as those who have not been willing to release the old will feel the full weight of their burden. As with a calender, the old year must end for the new year to begin.

The Day Of the Dead

Today begins the Day of the Dead festivities in many Spanish-speaking countries south of the Rio Grande. This is a time to honor loved ones who have passed on. It is also a time to celebrate the goodness of life, in general. In many countries, graveyards are decorated with brightly colored fabrics and flowers. Music is played, songs are sung and the favorite foods of the departed are prepared and enjoyed in their honor.

Nov. 1^st is dedicated to the ‘Innocents’: A day to remember those that passed before they were old enough to have tasted life at all. Although I lost a sister within hours of her birth, today holds special significance for me because it was the day my younger brother, Ralph, dropped dead. It was only seven years ago. He was 53 years old.

His life was never easy. He was conceived after our father had had lost his job and homestead. Dad and Mom already had two young babies to feed; I was nine months old at the time. They had to pack what they had and return the D.C. area to live with Mom’s family until Dad could find work. I don’t think life was intended to be easy for this new arriving baby. It was as though he was an angel, being tested to earn his wings. He was only nine years old when a tobacco truck catapulted him thirty feet off his bicycle, breaking his right arm and left leg. He spent two tours in Vietnam Nam; dealt with the hardships of divorce and much later suffered third-degree burns over most of his body when a battery vat blew up at his job. He was never able to work in daylight again.

Any one of these (and other) experiences could have forged him into a bitter man. Many people use the hardships of life as an excuse to act out their pain and anger, however Ralph never seemed to lose his sweet, caring demeanor. He and his second wife, Kathy shared their home with over twenty children besides their own during their years together.

I don’t have many pictures of my brother. But the favorite that I do have and that I dig out each year around this date, is one taken of he and I with our older and younger brother. The sweet expression on his face is one he never lost.

? Balance and Harmony ?

As a Life Coach and Spiritual Adviser, finding an e-mail message from someone with a problem is a common event. They arrive in my mailbox from all over the globe. Peoples problems may vary but the theme is often the same. They lose sight of their desires because of the distractions of life. The first message today read:

“ I feel like things in my life aren’t how I want them to be or how I planned for them to be. Something only I can change. I also haven't found an internship or job yet. The person I met with a few months back told me that the job he had in mind for me, isn't going through. I try to stay positive but it seems as if I have no motivation in life right now. My son, that I spoiled, has been giving me a hard time...he doesn’t listen and has been giving a lot of sassy attitude, talking back. I just can't find the patience and I feel as if I am drowning in the situations I put myself in, with no one there for me to reach out to. Sorry I just had to vent.”

My impression was that this person needed a new focus; what did she want? Since we empower whatever we think about it is essential to keep attention directed to a positive path, something other than the downward spiral that she presently saw happening. My reply to her e-mail suggested making a list since ‘today’ can only change by designing a different tomorrow. Where did she want to see herself in 6 months, next year, in 5 years? What did she want to be doing, having; where did she want to be living and most importantly, what makes her feel happiest about herself? I recommended making a list and look for pictures or photos that could support those wishes. Make a poster. If she hung the poster where she would see it every morning and evening, affirming desires as though they were already a reality, she would be investing her attention in the life she wanted. A simple process but so powerful.

After clicking 'send', I pushed back from my desk and gave the same question free space to run through my mind; “What do you want?” Like a lightning bolt striking my chair, I felt my neck and shoulders tighten as I sat upright! I could not answer the same question! Since June I had been caught in a whirlwind of activity; changes in our household, passing an old friend, and projects on the place. The level of distractions even drove me to take leave from yoga classes. As the shock of all this realization passed, memory of a recent conversation with a good friend came to mind. I shared with him that events of the entire summer blurred in my memory like peering through a warm butter smear on glass. The equation echoed the message I had just read; one laced with similar doubts. Life had become a distraction from personal practices I use to keep me balanced and on target. No wonder my summer seemed so out of control.

Awareness is the first step, right? Following my own advice, the best I can do is gather pen and paper, then sit quietly and explore what I want to accomplish in the next 5 years. Then, just like eating an elephant, I’ll need to break that big picture down into bite size pieces to give me my next steps.

Creating Harmony

Harmony is more feeling than a state of mind. It’s a moment when our sense of being becomes free of distrust, pain or anger and our core regains the awareness of its synchronization or vibration with the Source of All Creation. It is as if we feel ‘called home.’ Like harmony,“Home" is a feeling more than a place. It's a feeling of being held in a space of comfort, acceptance and security. It may never have been part of your physical world; it might only have existed during time in the womb or before. However, your core holds that memory and recognizes when the conditions of your body, mind or spirit come into synch with that vibration.

If you have ever experienced the feeling of harmony, you can begin a ripple to reproduce it in your everyday world. Any feelings you have are yours, they are divine gifts. No one can take them away from you. They are lost only by surrendering them. So instead of letting go, hang onto the memory of the feeling. Sit quietly for 5 minutes or more 2-3 times a day and recall the feeling; embrace it so your being accepts that this sensation is yours; is you.

The more often you perform a ritual the easier it will become and the longer it last. It could become your awakened essence. Since thoughts and feelings are energy and all energy vibrates, you may soon see the world outside you begin to rise to one of harmony, as well. Would it be worth investing your time and attention to practice this ritual if you knew the everyday world around you would become just as wonderful as the sense of harmony makes you feel?

Challenge yourself to try this experiment. Relax and create a place of harmony within you, holding it for 5 minutes. Try doing this exercise 3 times a day over the next 10 days by anchoring it to something you already remember to do daily…like eating. Then post a comment and share your experience.