Final Draft is not final: Revising your story.

Your life: What a story to tell. 

In the Joyous Living Journal, March 8 is titled, The Script of your Life.  Rewriting your life story can be quite an undertaking, especially if not ready for it.  Imagine everything that you are, everything that you thought you knew, all being completely topsy-turvy.  How would you be in the world if everything was turned upside down?  When you are living with remnants of thoughts that do not serve you, seeking out a change to living may start to look alluring.  It can take on a life of its own, when you decide that it's time for a change. Once you make that decision, your world starts to come into a different view.  When you begin to come from a different reference point, your peripheral vision begins to expand and you start to look at life as you have never seen before.

A shift in perception occurred in my own life recently.  I attended a one-day event as a guest from a friend's invitation.  I wasn't really sure what to expect, I went with an open heart and willingness to experience whatever happens.  It was a group of about 16 people.  As the introductions of each participant occurred, I felt at ease.  Then, as the facilitator, from the Academy of Intuition, Ghazaleh Lowe, began to question the participants, I felt the stirring occur.

As the day went on I was in a lot of physical pain.  My headache was huge and all my cells felt on fire.  It was an uncomfortable experience to say the least, however I knew that something was really happening, something was really changing.  All these years living with an unresolved emotion were pouring out of my body, and pain was the by-product of suppression.  The emotion revolving around the judgment I have on myself as a special needs parent, and regarding the label of Autism was the subject of my stirrings. The past suppression felt necessary so they wouldn't get in the way of my advocacy.  However, this was the time I choose to release them.  At the end of the day I was physically exhausted, and I needed rest.

Over the course of the days following, I was in an interesting place, moving through life in a more profound contemplation and introspection.  Did I really change?  This is the question I am left with when in contemplation.  What I have found is that the question has to stop being asked, and at some point the answer has to take over, embodied and acted upon.  The really interesting part of it all is that the real answer is two-sided.  Did I really change?  "Yes" and "No."  "Yes," in regards to thoughts, "No," in regards to the true nature of who I am as a Spiritual Being.  All the thoughts in my head can be a distraction from knowing Self, yet Self is always Known.  The action is to remain connected throughout the entire day, not just during meditation or in prayer, in every moment of life, training myself to continually come back to center.  I do not have to remind myself to breathe, my body automatically functions without me having to think about it.  This is the call to action of this training, constantly come back to the Awareness of Now.  Be in a state of constant connection, so the thoughts floating in my mind can be tamed, or become non-existent.

And the end of the group, Ghazaleh asked me, "Are you ready for this?" My answer, "Yes." her response, "Are you sure?" my response, "No."  Being open to the Yes, I am ready to revise my story because this is not my Final Draft.

CSLCV 2013 Year in Review

Last Sunday was our General Annual Meeting for the members of Center for Spiritual Living Capistrano Valley. One of the highlights of this meeting is to watch the presentation of last years pictorial year in review.

For those of you who were not there to see the debut last Sunday, I wanted to share it with you (and the world!) here on our blog.  It is a sampling of the beautiful celebrations of Life that are always taking place at our Center... the music is by the fabulous AllenDale (who are the lovely Karyn Allen and the dashing Rick Dale).

Enjoy!!



And join us as we create wonderful new memories in 2014 enjoying the unfolding of this beautiful experience we call Life!  Remember...
No matter where you are on your spiritual journey,  know that you are welcome here.

Namaste

San Clemente Experiment: An Affirmation for Gracious Driving

The Joyous Living Journal entry for yesterday was titled Hurry, Busy, Rush, but I didn't actually see it until today because I was too busy. Ha! And that was right action, because it caused me to stop and think about that.

 I drive carpool most mornings. Do you drive carpool??

The journey to school quite often reminds me of driving the Mario Cart video game. It's almost comical when I think about it. People jump out of no where. Construction crews set up cones and funnel traffic for seemingly never-ending construction (have you driven Vista Hermosa lately??). Drivers blow through stop signs and red lights. And, while I'm keeping a watchful eye out for obstacles and driving the car to the best of my ability, I keep thinking to myself, "Hurry, hurry, we are going to be late!!"

Maybe most drivers on the road between 7:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. are thinking the same thing. "Hurry, hurry, I'm going to be late...for school, for work, for a meeting, etc." And because we all believe, or at least tell ourselves over and over, that we are going to be late we attract these obstacles to fulfill our wish. Because...as we know...the Universe always responds to our thoughts; whether we like it or not!

 The writers in the Joyous Living journal suggest an affirmation:

 I have all the time I need because there is an infinite eternity in God.

 Another great affirmation to try (from my good friend Melissa Echelberger):

 I always arrive at the perfect right time.

 How would my morning carpool experience be different if I changed my thinking? Instead of "Hurry, hurry, we're going to be late!", I might try:

Relax. Be present. I always arrive at the perfect right time.

That feels better already!

Okay San Clemente...If you find yourself on the road between 7:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. on a week day morning, let's all try "Relax. Be present. I always arrive at the perfect right time." Followed by a deep satisfying breath.

We can do this! We can change our morning experience from one of rushing and anxiety to one of peace, generosity and gracious driving.

I will report back any changes I notice and I encourage you to add your experience with this new affirmation in the comments.

Seeing God Everywhere

Last night in Foundations class we were talking about the spiritual practices of Oneness and Forgiveness. Very easy concepts to understand and often difficult to apply to our lives. Starting a discussion seemed impossible. Then one man courageously said that the topics were difficult to talk about. His courageous disclosure gave the others permission to speak about their difficulties seeing oneness everywhere and in forgiving (especially themselves.) That kind of sharing is sacred and profound. Voices hushed and people spoke honestly about their experiences.

Each student was asked to bring a news story, one positive and one negative. then we read them and chose one about a couple who abandoned their three children in the woods and were later arrested for possession of crystal meth. The children , who like Hansel and Gretel, found their way out of the woods safely, were placed in protective custody. were found a couple of hours later. We then looked at how God showed up as all the characters in the story. The last part of the exercise was to brainstorm ways that this story could be something that was the best thing for our world. Ideas such as the children, now living in loving, safe homes, could become advocates for drug abstinence. the couple could get sober in the penitentiary and change their ways forever advocating better choices. Then we looked at our own biases and how they influenced our interpretation of the story. It was a great exercise which helped people see when they are judgmental about something it narrows their perception. 

One of the women, who has worked with the Zen Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hahn, was moved by the loving, respectful energy in the room. She said our process reminded her of being in a similar circle with him.
When we truly see God everywhere and in everyone, our lives are lived in peace.

The following is his poem, entitled, "Call Me By My True Names."

Call Me by My True Names

Do not say that I'll depart tomorrow because even today I still arrive.

Look deeply: I arrive in every second to be a bud on a spring branch, 

to be a tiny bird, with wings still fragile, learning to sing in my new nest, 

to be a caterpillar in the heart of a flower, to be a jewel hiding itself in a stone.

I still arrive, in order to laugh and to cry, in order to fear and to hope. 

The rhythm of my heart is the birth and death of all that are alive.

I am the mayfly metamorphosing on the surface of the river,

and I am the bird which, when spring comes, arrives in time 

to eat the mayfly.

I am the frog swimming happily in the clear pond, 

and I am also the grass-snake who, approaching in silence, 

feeds itself on the frog.

I am the child in Uganda, all skin and bones, my legs as thin as bamboo sticks, 

and I am the arms merchant, selling deadly weapons to Uganda.

I am the twelve-year-old girl, refugee on a small boat,

who throws herself into the ocean after being raped by a sea pirate,

and I am the pirate, my heart not yet capable of seeing and loving.

I am a member of the politburo, with plenty of power in my hands,

and I am the man who has to pay his "debt of blood" to, mypeople,

dying slowly in a forced labor camp.

My joy is like spring, so warm it makes flowers bloom in allwalks of life.

My pain if like a river of tears, so full it fills the four oceans.

Please call me by my true names, 

so I can hear all my cries and laughs at once, 

so I can see that my joy and pain are one.

Please call me by my true names, 

so I can wake up, 

and so the door of my heart can be left open, 

the door of compassion.