Open Your Eyes and See

I went to Easter service with my aunt and uncle at their local church yesterday. It was a beautiful church, with high beams, copper pipes, comfortable booths. There was a warmth and a friendliness emanating from the people around me. This church was filled with kindhearted people who truly choose to, more often than not, do the right thing, like most of us.

My faith was different than theirs, although not too long ago, it was the same... or at least, similar. It was interesting to see the perspective that this branch of Christianity presented. As it was Easter, the theme was, of course, Christ's resurrection, and Heaven.

The pastor led us through analogies of the suffering that we are to endure here on earth, to prepare us for the grandiosity of Heaven. He explained how we would need to basically cast our ego's aside when we are in Heaven because we will encounter the most heavenly creatures that will blow our minds! How we will marvel at their beauty and gifts, and how we will essentially feel inadequate in comparison.

And it made me wonder... Have these people not seen the miracles and the beauty that is all around them? Are they so looking upward that they have forgotten to look inward and at the abundance of creation all around them? We live in a place of MIRACLES, with unfathomable beauty all around us! Every ant, dolphin, puffy fish, giraffe, even my least favorite, the mosquito, is an exquisite gift of the Divine! And most of all, each other. We are miracles too!!!

We need to open our eyes and SEE and be GRATEFUL and CURIOUS and HUMBLED here on earth because we are all one with this magnificent creation all around us NOW, THEN, and FOREVER! We live in ecstasy, if we choose to be open to it.

This Easter, I choose to receive the gifts of the Divine that are all around me. You. My pets. The plants. The sea. The many cultures. Art. Comedy. The quiet. The noise. Jesus, one of the great masters, said that if only we had faith of that of a mustard seed, we could move mountains. He didn't say that we could move mountains once we got to Heaven. We can move mountains here and now. It starts with opening our eyes to see, love and appreciate all that is around us. And, having faith that we can create whatever our hearts desire with that of the faith of a mustard seed.

The Abundance Experiment, Day 14

Through my consciousness of my God-Self, the Christ within, as my source, I draw into my mind and feeling nature the very substance of Spirit. This substance is my supply, thus my consciousness of the Presence of God within me is my supply. ~ expert from The Abundance Book by John Randolph Price

It's very interesting when I ponder this statement. At first, nothing much was coming up outside of the blah, blah, blah in my head. And then, as I continued to sit with it, two ideas emerged and merged. The first is that we as humans have constructed the word and definition of "enough". Our sentiment, "My cup hath runneth over", is again a representation of our limitations on what is enough. The Universe holds no measuring device for "enough" or "not enough". When I allow myself to sit with this curiosity inside of me, all of my problems and fears seem very, very small. I'm surmising that the secret is to tap into the infinite supply that is within without suppression, without judging what is "enough" or "not enough". When I am able to do that, when WE are able to do that, the possibilities will truly be endless.

The Abundance Experiment, Day 6

1. My inner supply instantly and constantly takes on form and experience according to my needs and desires, and as the Principle of Supply in action, it is impossible for me to have any needs or unfulfilled desires. ~ exert from The Abundance Book by John Randolph Price

I I went shopping today, not for anything specific, but mostly just to move the energy around.... I'm giggling a little right now because I think that's the first time I've ever used that excuse before to go shopping! I bought a few little things here and there, and each time I made it to the register, the prices were discounted even more! It was a fun experiment of shopping and supply in action!

I'm finding that I'm not processing these last few statements as verbally as the first couple. I guess I feel somewhat like I would be redundant, as I'm actively trying to live with these principles deep within me, flowing out of me. The laws of cause and effect are naturally occurring internally and externally.

Gratitude: The Key to Healthy Relationships

Let’s face it, relationship zeal can falter in even the strongest, most healthy relationships. Be it with your best girlfriend, colleague, or your beloved, there will be times that are more dynamic and intimate than others. So, how do you get a pulse back into your flat-lined relationship? Expression of gratitude. Even when you don’t feel any. Ever heard of the expression, “Fake it till you make it”? Well, it works. Now, I’m not typically in favor of inauthentic expressions, however, sometimes they can be the difference that makes the difference. Did you know that if you are feeling blue and you force yourself to smile that it will naturally start the process of releasing endorphins which will naturally take you out of the blues! Same concept with gratitude. Start feeling it, expressing it, living it, and it will start reflecting back onto you from every encounter. We can even make a difference in our relationships by expressing our gratitude for another in private. Science isn’t sure how it works, but here are the general, non-scientific, explanations: You yourself are putting out subconscious vibes of approval and love and the other person picks up on it. You put your message out into the “collective unconscious” and the other person receives your message through that channel. You literally, psychically, plant the thought and love into the other person, they have no choice but to receive the message. However you choose to believe it works, is the exact and perfect answer to how it works. Just know that it does work!!!

Exercises for Bringing Life into Strained Relationships

Exercise #1

1. Take a few moments to sit down and think about who is in your life that you would like to have a better relationship with. It doesn’t have to be a key person, it can be as simple as the mailman that seems annoyed all the time. But, it can be a key person, such as your husband/partner, that things seem “off” or lackluster with. Make a list if need be.

2. Systematically go down through the list and make mental notes (or physical ones!) describing all the qualities that you admire in the person.

3. Meditate on each of the people on the list with the positive attributes you’ve recognized, thanking them for the parts you’re grateful for.

4. Do this daily as a practice of meditation and gratitude. I like to do it as I go to sleep at night. I feel like it calms my spirit and helps me to remember who and what are important in my life, and why. I sleep like a contented baby….

Exercise #2

1. Think about one person that you have a strained or distant relationship with that you would like resolved. Preferably, this person lives in proximity or you will be seeing them shortly.

2. Think about what has gone wrong in the relationship from your perspective. Then, put yourself in their shoes for a few moments and look at your relationship, good and bad, from their perspective. Allow the feelings to marinade.

3. Write them a letter sharing with them all of the things that you admire about them. It may be that they are handy around the house. It may be that they are amazingly smart. It may be that they make a great supper, or give good hugs when you are sad, or that you think they are honorable. Whatever qualities you appreciate, write it down in a letter format. Do not include anything negative. Only the positive things…

4. Meet with them and read them your letter face to face. Do this from a perspective of love and building a bridge, starting from your side of the river. Keep your expectations at bay and just let the positive energy flow.

5. Leave them the letter if they would like it.

6. Know that you are love in action.