Sochi 2014 paralympic games:How tough are we?

Paralympians during a medal ceremony

The Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics have come to a close. It was an exciting 2 weeks to witness the greatness of Olympians all racing for the gold medal. On March 7th, the second round of Olympians will take the stage to perform feats of accomplishments, that may have many of us question our own inabilities to change a circumstance.

Being an Olympian takes a certain mindset that has a description of dedication, determination, and drive.  As a Paralympian all those factors are also included in their description, however, there is sometimes another factor included, not having all the physical capabilities in one human body. What is most admirable about these athletes is that without those capabilities they still manage to create an atmosphere which shows the amazing resiliency of humanity.

While these athletes are out in the winter elements, representing their countries, one can not help but reflect on their own lives. These men and women Olympians are an inspiration. Whenever we are caught up in a circumstance that we feel not able to physically withstand, it is up to us to muster the strength within, using these athletes as our example. Humanity is to evolve. It is our birthright to exist in this life, to create something meaningful for us, and to share the beauty of who we are with the world. This world is our stage, and we are here to have the best performance of our lives.

Photography as a Spiritual Practice

Join Juli Isola, San Clemente photographer and spiritual seeker, for March's Center for Spiritual Living Capistrano Valley Women's Group meeting on Friday, March 7, 7 p.m., for an evening discovering Photography as a Spiritual Practice. The event is free and participants are asked to identify and bring 3 to 5 favorite images that they have created. The images can be from an Instagram feed, on their smart phone, printed on a home printer or snap shots from the past. We will be learning how to read photos and studying the ones people bring.

More about the Workshop:

From the moment Juli started her photography journey she realized that something greater than her was at work; and within the images she captured she found clues to revealing more of her spiritual truth. The more she studies the very accessible art of photography, the more she notices spiritual principle at work.

Photographer Juli Isola offers insight into photography as a spiritual practice
at March's Women's group meeting.

Juli believes that every photo we take is a window to our soul. It's the Divine within that entices us to bring out the camera or phone and snap the photo. We think, on the surface, it's the beauty or humor or memory we are trying to capture and preserve, but in reality it's our higher consciousness inviting us to stop and study what's right in front of us; to notice the reflection of our thinking.

Do you think of photography that way? Do you know why you pick up your camera? Do you see the visionary messages in your photographs?

Mark your calendar for Friday, March 7th, 7 p.m. You don't want to miss this enlightening photography workshop designed to give you more insight and a greater experience of higher consciousness in your life.

Rain or Shine: It's all about Perspective

In just a couple of days, Saturday morning to be exact, I am slated to walk in the Festival of the Whales parade with my teenage daughters, Marissa and Alison. We volunteered to help carry the large balloons down the parade route as part of our National Charity League service hours. It’s something we’ve done every year since joining the chapter, and it has become something of a tradition for us.

It’s not easy to guide those balloons down the parade route. It can get pretty sketchy dodging the various traffic signals, street lights and trees along the way. Add some wind to the mix, and it really gets dicey. However, they assign someone from the balloon company to escort us down the parade route (to make sure we don’t inadvertently destroy the balloon – those things are expensive!) so we always manage to survive our adventure.

So here we are… gearing up for this year’s parade, which seems to be offering something new: rain. Lots of rain, according to the forecasts that Alison has been monitoring like this really is the storm of the century! I am grateful for the rain, and do not wish it away, but I’ll admit, the timing is inconvenient. They tell us the parade goes on rain or shine, so I’m looking forward to see how they’ll do this.  I am, however, even more interested in how the three of us have responded to the prospect of carrying the balloon in the rain…

"Between stimulus and response there is a space.

In that space is our power to choose our response.

In our response lies our growth and our freedom." Viktor Frankl 

Alison plans to strike a deal with the cosmos. It is her intention that the heavens will part and the rain will cease for the duration of the parade. I am totally on board with that, however, I must confess, I feel the need to leave nothing to chance. I have been digging out the foul weather gear and trying to figure out how I can carry an umbrella without damaging the balloon. I welcome the rain, because I know we need it, but I want to stay warm and dry during the parade. That’s not too much to ask, is it? Marissa has embraced the whole adventure. Her only concern is that she hopes they will let us carry the eagle again this year, because it was particularly challenging last time. (It was rather windy, and our crew struggled to control the balloon. As if on cue, the eagle balloon took a nosedive as we passed the announcer’s booth, prompting him tell the crowd, “The eagle has landed.” Our crew was mortified, but it was funny!)

Hopefully, we will be greeted by sunshine breaking through the clouds. Regardless, my water polo playing daughters don’t mind getting wet (that would be me), but I’m going to pack some rain gear in the car. Just in case they decide that warm and dry is nice, too.

Rain or shine, the three of us will be there Saturday morning, each with our own perspective on how the rain affects our experience. 

In every situation we are at choice.

Good to Give from the Heart

My Orchid 

“Goodbye,” said the fox. “Here is my secret. It’s quite simple: One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes. . . . It’s the time that you spent on your rose that makes your rose so important. . . . People have forgotten this truth,” the fox said, “But you mustn’t forget it. You become responsible for what you’ve tamed. You’re responsible for your rose. . . .”

The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupery

For my entire adult life, I have not been able to grow any indoor plants. My good friends wince and shudder when someone gives me a house plant for no matter how vital and alive it was when it arrived to my care, within weeks if not days, it starts looking bedraggled and puny. If not rescued by someone with a green thumb, it has little chance of surviving.

A few months ago I was given a beautiful orchid plant with large white blooms. I nurtured it by giving it an ice cube every day. Gradually it lost all its blooms and I was about to give it a burial when I noticed the wee sprouts of new leaves. With hope, I continued my regimen of a daily ice cube and nothing seemed to happen. I almost gave up hope, but I talked to it encouragingly every day. Then it shot up a stem which looked like nothing but a stick. Still I kept talking to her and nurturing her. I reminded her of her beauty and perfection.  By the end of January she had five or six buds. I could see that the largest one was ready to pop but it did nothing until I was away in  Florida.

What I returned to see is the beautiful orchid with two full blossoms and more on the way. I am ecstatic with joy for the beauty and also for the joy of being in the role of nurturer. It felt good to give.

One of the most quoted expressions in our philosophy is "There is a power for Good in the Universe and you can use it." 

Preparing for a class on the Law of Circulation, I read "There is a power for Good in the Universe and It uses me!" 

How important it is to remember that our teaching is based on two equally important aspects of the Divine-- Love and Law. As Ernest Holmes writes in the textbook, "Love points the way, and Law makes the way possible."

When we quit trying to get something, and instead focus on what is ours to give, the good in our lives increases. It's as if we had been stepping on the hose of abundance and only dribbles of good have been our experience.

To step off the hose, you need to shift your perspective, to a perspective of unity, love and harmony. There is no one against you and there is nothing that stops you from experiencing greater good. Not even I have a "black" thumb. As the fox says to the Little Prince, "You become responsible for what you've tamed." I was responsible for my orchid and now the orchid returns my love by bringing me joy and beauty.