• In the Flow

    • November 20, 2009 10:04 am

    Dearest Readers,

    Does being “in the right place at the right time” only happen sometimes? Or are we always there, exactly where we are supposed to be, every single moment?

    I prefer to believe the latter. I like the idea that my life is unfolding according to a Higher Plan and that as it unfolds, the Life Force Energy of the Universe is adjusting, like the automatic pilot, to whatever direction I happen to take.

    When I allow this theory to work in my life I am in the Flow. When I get in the way, force my hand, make fear-based decisions, I’ve stepped out of the Flow and things go awry. But even then, I do not have to fear, because the Universe will still adjust, and give me another opportunity to step into alignment with its Wisdom, Grace or Guidance.

    Sometimes, however, the fact that I am in the right place at the right time is just so magnificently obvious that I am floored and deeply humbled by the Great Power That Makes it All Happen. (All of Those Words Deserve Capital Letters, Dontcha Think?)

    Example:

    I need to hire someone to record a group of musicians. I am given a name and I happen to know the man. I had already been thinking about working with him in some capacity!

    I don’t call him. I intuitively trust that he’s the person for the job but I hold off because someone mentions another name and I am now unsure.

    At a café, I run into the man who was initially suggested to me and, being used to working in tandem with the Universe, I see this as my opportunity to mention the job. He tells me his friend, a recording engineer, is in town and that the two of them can help.

    We set up a meeting but my friend can’t be there. I meet the new man alone. He is leaving the day after we plan to record. He has all the equipment we need with him. He has the expertise and the desire to do the job.

    In other words, he’s a frickin’ angel.

    So I’m sitting there speaking with this angel and thinking, “I did not do this. I didn’t have to DO anything to make this happen!”

    I simply had to show up in my life, trust my intuition, and take action when the opportunity presented itself to me.

    Whenever I have a big project that could easily overwhelm me or send me into fear-mode my mantra is this:

    This project is not mine. I am the Assistant. The Great Director is running the show.

    And my prayer is this:

    Show me what to do.

    And then I suit up and show up for the adventure of my life, allowing it to unfold, trusting Guidance, and letting go of my need to control things myself.

    I do not do this perfectly. I do it to the best of my ability, which changes from day to day.

    To keep the process in flux, I remember to give thanks for all the gifts that are my life and for the opportunity to be of service.

    Inspiring Message of the Day: If you don’t like your job, become an Assistant to the Universe. It’s the best gig you’ll ever get.

    Rest in the Moment

    • November 19, 2009 9:35 am

    Dearest Readers,

    I was saying to a friend the other day that the time between my birthday in September to Christmas in December always goes by at lightening speed. It feels like the fastest time of the year.

    This is silly. Time doesn’t move any faster during certain months any more than it moves slower during others. It just seems this way. What makes it seem this way I do not know.

    What I do know is that I’m buying into it and it’s making me a little crazy. I feel the days zooming by and my head is often in Christmas, and then January and then February…

    It is a constant practice to bring myself back into my body and into my life as it is happening right now. When I am on track spiritually I’m good about remembering to do this myself. When I am not, it usually takes something happening like a slip-and-fall accident or biting my tongue when I’m eating to bring me back.

    Since I like to avoid those two-by-four-over-the-head moments as much as possible I do my best to nurture my spiritual condition each day so I can stay here.

    Some of you may know that I’m working on a project for the Olympics. There is a “countdown” happening, you may have seen/heard it, and it is especially prevalent in Vancouver. When I was there recently I kept seeing electronic signs and little headlines in newspapers saying, “So-and-so number of days left!”

    Someone said they’d now reached the 100 day mark and then what felt like 2 days later I heard on the radio “88 more days.” I don’t know which is right and I’m not going to find out. I do not want to know, thank you very much! I’m working on one day at a time here, if you don’t mind!

    What is this obsession we have with living in the future?

    I have a theory. If we are present in our lives we have to feel our feelings. We have to connect to the truth of our reality, which is that we are going to die one day. So the temptation is to get out of the present and go somewhere else: tomorrow, the weekend, Christmas, the first day of the Olympics, next summer. Just not here.

    A stretch? I don’t think so. I know that if I rest in the moment, be here now, I have to feel my fear. And I’d rather not do that so away I go. But if I come back, if I breathe into my heart, if I let go of all time but the present, I am living.

    Inspiring Message of the Day: My goal today is to practice returning to the here and now. This is where my life is! I can rest here knowing that the days ahead will come. Until then, I’m going to celebrate the now.

    If I Only Had a Brain

    • November 18, 2009 10:55 am

    Dearest Readers,

    Time is very tight this morning so a short blog it will be.

    An article in the Saturday Globe has me now feeling wonder, awe, amazement and all good words that mean “holy moly”.

    Brain surgeons no longer have to saw open a human skull to perform certain kinds of surgery. They can now feed an instrument, called a micro-catheter, which is about the thickness of a single human hair, through a blood vessel to seal off an aneurysm and save a patient’s life.

    The technology is astonishing! Not only am I stunned by the neurologist’s ability to perform this feat of medical wizardry but by the person who actually invented and built such a device.

    Inspiring Message for the Day: We can do anything! We really can. If we refuse our limitations and let our imaginations take us higher there is no telling what can happen.

    I’m a Big Job

    • November 17, 2009 8:39 am

    Dearest Readers,

    (Thank you to those of you who joined as followers after yesterday’s blog.)

    Last night I was speaking with a friend who has had some health issues in the past but is now much improved. She has been working very hard in the last couple of years on getting her physical well-being back and she is now able to do certain things that she previously couldn’t do.

    She talked about looking forward to getting back to work one day in the future and not for the reason that one might think. She was anticipating being able to have a real answer to the question, “So what are you doing these days?” There is such a stigma attached to not having a job and she feels it acutely whenever she is asked about “work”.

    I encouraged her to think of her life as her work. “The next time you’re asked that question,” I said, “Simply say, “My life is a full time job.””

    Because looking after ourselves really is a full time job. Self-care takes time and energy. There was a time in my life when I didn’t even know what self-care was! Though I do not do it perfectly I do my best to make self-care my top priority. I have to. Without it I’m no good to anyone.

    Self-care involves putting my Self first. People may mistake this for selfishness but there is a big difference.

    This computer’s dictionary defines selfishness as “a lack of consideration for others; to be chiefly concerned with one’s own personal profit or pleasure.”

    It does not even have a definition for self-care.

    Dictionary.com, however, describes self-care in this way: “care of the self without medical or other professional consultation.”

    Not exactly what I’m talking about.

    Self-care is about taking care of our needs first so that we may be of maximum service in the world. It’s about looking after our inner life so that our outer life can thrive.

    It takes commitment and vigilance. Taking time to pray and meditate, making sure I get enough rest and exercise, working with the team that keeps me on track (coach, mentor, spiritual director, support groups), clearing out Old BS’s (Old Belief Systems) and practicing new behaviours, letting go of control issues, facing fears etc.

    This is deep work and it’s not easy. I said to another friend with whom I was sharing on the same subject, “I’m a big job!” and she laughed so hard she had to write it down and post it on her cork board.

    I do all of this work because it enriches my life. I do it because when I put my Self first everything else becomes first class.

    With self-care being my full-time job, my “work” as a writer/performer becomes the service I do to give back for the great gift of my life. It’s the Christmas bonus all year round.

    Inspiring Message of the Day: When I put my Self first, everything else flows from that. I don’t have to “work” as hard when I am working on making self-care my number one priority.

    No Person is an Island

    • November 16, 2009 8:52 am

    Dearest Readers,

    I’d like to start off today’s blog by inviting you to become an official “follower.” I spoke to a woman yesterday who told me she’d been reading the blog but wanted make sure she’d informed me of this fact before she posted a comment. She didn’t want to be seen as “lurking”.

    I wonder how many other people feel this way? If you are reading the blog on a regular basis, please don’t be embarrassed about posting a comment or becoming a follower. I would love to know who you are. It inspires me to see your little pictures up there, even if there is an empty frame.

    Speaking of an empty frame, I have posted my picture on the blog today as a way of practicing what I preach. Anonymity is great, I’m a big fan of it. But sometimes we need to open the door to being a little bit more “public” about ourselves to create a deeper feeling of community.

    Believe it or not, I’m an isolator. I always have been. I’d rather be by myself and hiding from the world. I know it doesn’t make a lot of sense for a person who lives much of her life in the public eye but there you go. Fear is not logical.

    And my desire to isolate most certainly comes from fear. I don’t want to be vulnerable, hurt, or rejected. By putting myself out there as a writer/performer I’m doing the thing I think I cannot do. I’m walking through my fear. I’m refusing to give the fear the power to control my life.

    When I look at the reasons behind the fear I discover an old belief system. “I’ll be safe if I protect myself from other people. If people find out who I am they won’t like me.”

    Old belief system. Old BS.

    So how do we squash the Old BS? We practice new behaviour. In my case, opening up to people, getting involved in community activities, inviting people to join me for events to which I’d normally go alone. Posting my photograph on the blog. Scary stuff!

    But as a result of these changes I have expanded my experience to include so many wonderful things, this little blog being just one of them.

    So if you’re afraid of being seen, you’re not alone. Click “Follow” and let us know who you are. Be a part of an Inspiring Community!

    Inspiring Message of the Day: We need each other. When we support one another our lives grow richer and more complete.

    Say A Little Prayer

    • November 14, 2009 7:55 am

    I’ve blogged before about prayer being a powerful tool for personal change but I find the subject endlessly inspiring, which suits well the primary purpose of this blog. So keep an open mind because it’s going to come up a lot!

    I heard a great story once from a man who had major reservations about praying. He was not a religious man and he thought if he prayed it would mean he’d have to become a Bible Thumper.

    Part of his story was about the woman who taught him how to pray. She showed him that prayer doesn’t have to be connected with religiosity. It can simply be a request followed by an expression of gratitude.

    This man was having a very bad time in his life. The woman suggested to him that he go to the window each morning upon rising, open it up, stick his head outside and yell, “HELP!”

    She then went on to suggest that before turning in at night, he return to the window, open it back up, stick his head out once more and yell, “THANKS!”

    The man said that the more he asked for help, the more he received it, in untold ways, and the deeper and more truthful his thanks became.

    Love this story! It shows not only that we do not necessarily have to believe in anything to begin to use prayer as a tool but that even a process as rudimentary as this man’s can be effective.

    I always say, “I don’t know how prayer works, I just know it does.”

    A while back a gentle reader posted the following comment after a post that mentioned prayer:

    “… Prayer gives you conviction and a new perspective in life…”

    So true! I’ve heard it said that prayer isn’t for the one being prayed to, it’s for the one saying the prayer.

    The same reader also commented on the idea that people generally resort to all sorts of problem-solving rather than using prayer as a tool to work things out. This was certainly my own experience before I began yelling out the proverbial window.

    I was always trying to figure it out. Whatever “it” was. I still try to do that.

    But I have learned that there is nothing more effective than asking daily for help and guidance. When I pray for solutions to problems, when I pray for courage, acceptance, forgiveness, whatever, it comes to me.

    And then I stick my head out the window and yell my thanks.

    Inspiring Message of the Day: I do not have to figure everything out by myself. If I ask for help today I will receive it in untold ways.

    Attitude of Gratitude

    • November 13, 2009 7:23 am

    I’m in the middle of a 2-day video shoot for a project I’m working on for the 2010 Olympics and I’d like to use this blog today to express my gratitude.

    I and a 3-person crew drove around Whitehorse yesterday interviewing Yukoners of all different ages and cultural backgrounds about what it means for them to live in this magnificent place. It was a mild day, thanks weather gods, and the sun even came out in the afternoon, giving us warmth and great lighting options. All went very smoothly.

    One of the people I interviewed was a First Nations Elder, a man who is greatly respected by his own people as well as the larger community. He grew up in a small northern village where traditional ways are still practiced and though he likes Whitehorse he says living here makes him lazy.

    “I can pick up the phone and someone will bring food to my house,” he said, chuckling. For a man who grew up living off the land, the “Delivery” option was a luxury that deprived him of exercise and outdoor activity.

    When I asked him to sum up his experience of living in the Yukon in one word he said, “Gratitude.”

    According to the dictionary on this computer, “gratitude” means “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.”

    To show appreciation for kindness and to return kindness.

    The kindness I experienced yesterday was extraordinary. So many people willing, despite their reservations about being in front of a camera, to give. In turn, I was able to give back through kindness by being patient, enjoying their presence and encouraging their individual answers.

    What gifts! The words “thank-you” fall short.

    Inspiring Message of the Day: When I am full of readiness to show my appreciation for kindness and to return it, the gift of gratitude enriches my life. Thankfulness breeds joy.

    Walk Through the Fear

    • November 12, 2009 6:44 am

    I have a full day of shooting ahead. No, I’m not going on a duck hunt, I’m creating a video about the Yukon for the 2010 Olympics and we’re filming a segment today.

    I’ve got a small crew assembled and we’re heading out into the urban landscape to talk to Yukoners of all ages and races about why they live in this magnificent place. It’s going to be an adventure.

    Trouble is, I have woken up feeling extremely exhausted. My energy is very low.

    Now, this could be because I am, in fact, tired. Although I have been averaging between 7 and 8 hours of sleep a night, I have been waking up at five and putting in long, full days. I’ve been resting during the day, taking cat naps if and when necessary but it’s been a marathon week.

    My low energy could also be due to fear. Fear baffles me. How is it possible that I can have a crackerjack team that is well prepared for the day, a track record of successful shoots behind me, and a deep, abiding faith in the loving and supportive energy of the Universe and still feel fear?

    It makes absolutely no sense.

    So I have stopped trying to figure it out. I simply say a little prayer and walk through it. I do not let it stop me. I say, “Yes, open the door.” (See the blog post entitled Into the Mystic, dated 9/29/09)

    I’m feeling better already. Another amazing tool: share your fear. It reduces it, removes its power, returns us to a calm and steady sureness, readies us to move forward.

    There are a few really great acronyms for the word fear:

    False Evidence Appearing Real. I like this one because it addresses the baffling nature of fear, as I just described it. It makes no sense that I would be afraid of something known to me but there it is anyway. I’m anxious. Why? This little phrase answers the question. My fear is a false interpretation of the way things are. There is actually nothing to fear. I’m creating it and I can, just as easily, let it go.

    F$%& Everything And Run. This is generally what fear makes us wish we could do. It’s too much! It’s easier to retreat. Let the fear win. Give up. But no…

    Face Everything And Rest. Rest in the truth. The truth is, I am okay. No matter what, no matter where, I am okay. The only thing to fear is fear itself.

    My favourite quote comes from Eleanor Roosevelt and those of you who know me, know it: We must do the thing we think we cannot do.

    So I’m going to do that today, trusting that everything will unfold exactly as it should. I’m feeling the fear and doing it anyway. (Thank you Susan Jeffers for the best title of a book ever.) I’m going forth with strength, continuing to cultivate my courage one day at a time.

    Guess what? My energy is back. Thanks, readers!

    Inspiring Message for the Day: Share your fear. Remove its power. Ask for courage and step into the adventure of your life!

    All We Are Saying…

    • November 11, 2009 6:35 am

    It is Remembrance Day in Canada today, Veteran’s Day in the US. In many countries around the world, today’s slogan is “Lest We Forget.”

    “Lest” means “for fear that”.

    For fear that we forget… what?

    How atrocious war is. How many die. How many are wounded. How war destroys the very core of a nation, its culture, the will of its people.

    Today is a holiday. We are supposed to be taking this day off to remember these things. Why? For fear that we forget them.

    But how can we “forget” them when we are still at war? We haven’t stopped fighting each other long enough to forget anything. We haven’t stopped starting new wars. We are still at war, here, there, everywhere.

    Sometimes when I see clips of different male species attacking each other full force in the animal world I think that fighting really is just a part of our nature and that it can’t be avoided. Even ants battle each other!

    But human beings have Reason. We have the ability to discern. We have the capacity to forgive. What is our excuse?

    When John Lennon and Yoko Ono staged their bed-in in Montreal in 1969 and Lennon was asked how he expected countries and politicians to stop war he simply said, “Declare Peace.”

    Declare Peace! Can you imagine? It’s so simple it’s ridiculous. What if we declared Peace in Afghanistan? In Iraq? What would happen?

    There is a saying: “What isn’t tried won’t work.”

    We will never know unless we try it.

    Part of me believes that our endless warring with one another is simply a reflection of our massive inner conflict. How many of us have peace in our own lives? Is it possible for a country to Declare Peace when its own people have no sense of what it means to have inner peace?

    These are big questions and I do not have the answers. I do know that having peace of mind or peace in my heart does not come easily. It involves letting go of expectations, practicing non-judgment of others, and forgiving my enemies.

    It’s a heck of a lot of work. But I still strive for it. I am doing my best to live out these principles today. Why? Pure joy. Having peace makes life worth living.

    Inspiring Message of the Day: Striving for inner peace is to have a great purpose. Perhaps if we Declare Peace in our own lives the dream of World Peace can become a reality.

    Patient Practice

    • November 9, 2009 6:38 am

    My mother is a great writer. Her novel, written in the eighties about her life in the Yukon, makes me weep every time I read it. For years she wrote a personal column for both the Toronto Star and the Montreal Gazette and she had many fans.

    Every so often I’ll get a long email from her about the Great Dane she and my father are raising. One of my sisters suggested she start a “dog blog”.

    Yesterday I helped my mother set up a free blog account, much like this one. It was challenging. Her computer is a dinosaur and my parents live in the sticks outside Chicago, which may or may not have something to do with their Internet connection being as slow as molasses.

    I sat patiently on the phone with her as we went through the procedure, step by step. There were lots of hiccups and she almost gave up a few times but we persevered and finally achieved success.

    The miracle of this little story is that I was able to stay calm throughout the process and be kind and helpful. Believe me, when I use the word miracle I am not being grandiose.

    I used to be the kind of person who would lose my temper in an instant. Lose it.

    Example: I’m moving house. I’m trying to get a wicker chair through a door. It’s too big. Instead of turning the chair on its side and taking the time to manoeuvre it slowly, which would have surely worked, I pull and I wrench the thing so hard that I shred the edges and, once through the door, whip it across the yard.

    That was years ago but a pretty standard illustration of my life-long inability to act in a patient manner.

    I haven’t just willed my way into becoming a patient person. I’ve done a heck of a lot of inner work and I have had a great deal of help. Therapy, support groups, spiritual direction. I’m not perfect and I fall short all the time but yesterday I spent an hour on the phone, with my own mother, helping her start a blog and I did so cheerfully and with lots of love in my heart.

    Hallelujah, brothers and sisters.

    Inspiring Message of the Day: Change is possible. We do not have to remain bound to who we think we are. We can let go of old behaviours and practice new ones.

    BTW, become a follower of http://doggedblogchicago.blogspot.com