Saturday, September 15, 2018

September's Blessings

Greetings to all who read my blog...

I am so blessed each day of my life.  I sometimes want to just shout from all the rooftops THANK YOU!  Don't worry, like everyone, I have my dark days too... and on those days, even knowing that the blessings surround me, it is sometimes hard to get moving and feel optimistic.

Do you struggle with things in your life?  Of course you do - we all do!  And it is not for anyone to judge another's struggle.  We should love each other, we should emotionally and spiritually support each other whenever we can.

I took some time off from social media; and stopped checking it daily - instead, I check it weekly.  And you know, I feel better.  So much better.  I am going to keep that practice going... because it feels good to me.

Now, what I really wanted to tell you about was how, while walking the dog a few nights ago... it had rained quite a bit... all of a sudden there were so many scents in the air.... the earthy smell of the forest after a rain... and the clean smell of the newly wet leaves.... the scent of a skunk who had ambled by some time before, and the scent of some other animals that were not too far off from where we were.  I was overwhelmed by the sensation of it all.  And then, as if that weren't enough - the OWLS have come back to the woods... I am sure they never really left, but the days are getting shorter, and they are more active when I am awake now, so I hear them more... there is something about the cool night air that carries their call farther... we have a pair of them that hunt together who-who-ing back and forth to each other... and on this particular night, I also heard a new voice... a smaller owl with a high pitched call that made me stop and listen.  I love to walk in the woods at night, the dog is my constant companion - he protects me from the animals by making sure they all know we are coming...

I have taken my drum out into the woods at night to drum with the owls.  I don't know if they care or not, but it makes me feel peaceful to drum quietly and sing while listening to the calls of the night birds and to occasionally see bright eyes shining through the woods at me.  It somehow reminds me of the blessings that I always know are there, but sometimes forget to acknowledge.

Thanks for reading!

Thursday, August 23, 2018

Living life as an example....

One of the tenets of my belief is that "you" live your life as an example to others.  What does this mean?  Well, no one is perfect, and we are all human beings.... in that we are small, and flawed.  We should be humble by the greater forces around us. (And I don't mean the government or churches).  I mean Mother Nature, and the intangible unseen forces of the greater universe around us.

I believe that I do live a life as an example to others - not always the best example; I suppose it depends on the day and the context of what I am up to.  But today, for this post, I want to talk about being "in service" to others.  I hear this a lot... and recently I was questioned about it (in an interesting way) and that made me decide to create this post.... but I digress.

What does it mean to be in service?  Well, for me it means that I will volunteer myself to help out a cause that I believe in, or share a skill that I have to help someone who needs it.  One can't make a living continually volunteering all the time, so of course there are times when I volunteer and times when I get paid, and other times when barter may be appropriate.

I could not in good conscience ask someone to volunteer for something that I am not willing to do myself; and I am happy to admit that I never have.  I am also someone who encourages people to value their time and energy, and when appropriate, get paid for what they do.  Because bills must be paid, and there is a certain satisfaction that comes from receiving a form of payment for a job well done.

What about the EGO?  Oh My!  That is a topic for a longer post.  Let me just say this about that.... Everyone has an ego - the ego can help us survive, and it can help us to be successful, overcome obstacles and strive to achieve goals... I am often mystified when people speak of the ego in purely negative terms.  We need a healthy ego to survive.  There are extremes of behavior, that is of course, human nature.  Instead of focusing on negative energy and thoughts; why not try seeking balance?  Because after all, none of us is perfect.  In our imperfections we are unique.  And often it is those quirks of "imperfection" that make us lovable to others, and sometimes even to ourselves.

Take care of yourselves.  Love yourself, love each other.  Be unconditional in that love... and be all encompassing in that love.  We are men and women by birth or by choice; we are human by genetics.  

Humanity is not a color, gender, religion, or political view.... it is all of those things and so much more.

Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Helping Others Helps Yourself

I am sitting here with 2 fantastic ladies.  They have a business that I 110% believe in and I am so grateful for the opportunity to help them grow it.  I am giving them guidance to create their web presence by building a website, creating a blog and a ton of other SHAnanigans!  It is so much fun to see the little "ah-ha" moments as they are learning 1,000 steps with one step at a time.

I can't wait to see where they go next!!!

What I find by helping others:  I learn and grow too!  People ask questions in their learning that I may have never asked when I was learning.  And the camaraderie that comes from working on a project together always makes me smile.

If you have a skill, and you know someone who would benefit from the skill - give them a free few minutes of your time for no other reason than helping them grow on their journey.  I know it will make you smile.

You can check them out at www.gaiagemsearthwisdom.com