Dire straights to home straights – There’s light at the end of the tunnel

Having already spent many years helping people towards their own healing and playing my part by being a catalyst for their change, it has been frustrating during recent years to notice that my own change was not readily forthcoming.  I’ve become accustomed to the fact that those who turn up to welcome in change would inevitably attract messages that would also apply to myself.  And, over time, I just got to thinking that I had to wait patiently, with blind faith as my only companion, for whatever was deemed to be my lot in life.  What I hadn’t realised was that during this extended period of waiting, my ego had dug a deep rut for me to reside in.  Oh, it has undoubtedly been a comfortable rut, so much so that I didn’t realise it was a rut … until today.

Following the very powerful new moon last weekend, I sensed something had to give – maybe all this professional hanging around had to go – it was either time to grab change with both hands or drown in a mire of stagnation.  Well, I couldn’t bear the thought of staying still any longer, so I opted for change and began to make notes about what has to go from my life. If I’m going to make any changes, I need to see clearly where I’m going or how I want my life to be, so I’ve had to lose a few trees in order to see the wood.

It’s early days at present, and progress is slow.  A pre-clearing meditation showed my real self as being represented by a gazelle.  This is what I found out about the gazelle as a power animal:

“The gazelle has the ability to zig-zag swiftly from side to side, often outwitting the cheetah and putting themselves out of the cheetah's straight line run of attack.

  Similarly, those who try and escape depression, fear, negative emotions and habits of the past often find themselves stopped in their tracks, with the negative emotions they try to avoid at their throats. “

And the suggested learning is:

“The gazelle means being at ease with our own vulnerability and using the acute awareness and sensitivity we have.  Acknowledge the ability to discover new paths yet change direction when required, freeing ourselves from the negativity of the past.  Put all your energy into a positive way of living and thinking. Life is an adventure.  Grasp it with both hands and a heart filled with anticipation and eagerness.”  (By Ina Wolcott)

How apt!  Ok, message received and understood.  A subsequent meditation showed me a tortoise crawling out of a hole – perhaps after hibernation – the message from that one simple enough to understand.

So now, I’m making a point of taking one small step each day towards making what might seem like small and inconsequential changes to my life.  Because these changes are deeply personal to me and involve digging to the very heart of myself, there are times when I feel very uncomfortable and even scared, but I’m not giving up.  I know that mental discipline is required and a tenacity, which I thought I had, but only now do I realise what it actually means to use it.  This has to be the hardest part of all I’ve gone through because it's totally self-generated and no one can do any of it for me.

So, I’m setting off on the journey into the second half of this lifetime and breathing deeply in anticipation of all that is to come.  Wish me luck and I’ll post an update when there’s more to tell.  I’m sharing my experience because I know that in these uncertain times, only one thing is certain, and that is change, so I can't be the only one upon this journey.

Blessings to one and all.

... and breathe

Winter is often a time of introspection, consolidation and a desire to hibernate - all good for a time, but not things you want to uphold for too long - it gets boring!  So, with the absence of a defined lurch into spring this year, and the drawn out wet weather, many people are feeling pressured and worn by the lack of upliftment that we expect at this time of year.  

With spring, we expect feelings of awakening, upliftment, forward movement.  This year, a hiatus seemed apparent - things were somehow different. We found ourselves having to stop and think more about what we want, what we're doing and why - in other words, questioning what we've taken for granted.  Indeed, these are times of change, so having a questioning mind would certainly be the order of the day if we are to consider the road ahead.  

A renewed outlook highlights how we easily become complacent within a society that is built upon expectations of what we feel we should have access to and what should be provided for us.  We see the uselessness of things we once held dear and how the need for some things we thought we needed is now no longer apparent.  It becomes evident that being more responsible for ourselves and what we attract into our lives is essential if we want to build a more suitable foundation for our own future.   

When you choose to wake up from the dumbed-down slumbers of the have-it-all society and have a more mindful approach to living, its easier to accept the power that being responsible for yourself brings.  Making up your own mind about anything and everything that comes your way makes the weapons of guilt and blame useless against you because your own truth makes you stronger than you ever imagined.  The trick is to drop the notion some would have you believe that life is about struggle - it's not.  There are only two things you need to remember about life ... Acceptance and Humility.  

Why not start each day by taking a long, slow breathe and letting the river of life take you where it will, knowing that all will unfold perfectly for your highest good.

From my truth to yours ...