THE LEADING CAUSES OF LIFE

 I dare say, in our society, most people have heard the phrase, "the leading cause of death".  Some say, the answer is cancer or heart attack. Most are familiar with the phrase because it is talked about by many. Often, following the phrase, is a list of ways to avoid being a victim of the "leading cause." What they don't tell us, or talk about, is "the leading cause of life."

Personally, I am more interested in what will add to my life, than what will possibly cause my death. We will all die. No one is getting out of here alive. That is old news. But, while we are here on this planet, wouldn't it be wonderful to do what it takes to contribute to life? I want to live my best life. I want to be an authentic, truth-telling, life-loving human. My guess is that the majority of humans feel the same way.

I believe, on some level, we are all possessed with the longing to be whole, to fly, to create, to dance, to dream, to paint, to write, to be big and large and full of who we truly are. We are possessed with the desire to live fully. 

There are many causes of life, as there are many causes of death. I consider myself to be a student of life, and over the years have come to the following conclusion. In order for me to live life to the fullest, I need to 1) believe in myself, 2) believe in something greater and larger than myself and 3) love, acknowledge and care for myself.

Believing in myself:  This takes work and commitment. I often have to remind myself that I am not my story or my circumstances. Who I am is a child of creator energy, therefore I am love and lovable, compassionate and kind, a light being who is here to heal and be whole, and to offer all of who I am to the planet and its inhabitants.

Believing in something greater and larger than myself: I definitely believe in divine, benevolent energy,  that fills the universe and therefore fills all of us. I feel the love and kindness that flows from this pervasive energy and immerse myself in it. There are many names for this energy. Some call it God, some Goddess, others Allah. I know many who call it All There Is, Creator, Mother/Father God and Great Spirit. I know this energy on a personal level because I am immersed in it. It is not an entity that sits on a cloud, but rather is warm and loving and allows me to wrap myself in it. 

Loving, acknowledging and caring for myself: I have found, and continue to find, ways to love myself. I believe when we have love for self, not ego love, but love for the divine spirit that inhabits who we are, we cannot help but give love to the world.  Some of the ways I practice loving myself are:

• I seek the healing, insight and support that will help me to release the attitudes and emotions that keep me from experiencing the wonder of my true self.
• I do "nothing" by spending time relaxing, reflecting, and simply being, in order to connect with my higher self.
• I spend time in nature, hugging trees and basking in the beauty and grace of creation.
• I buy clothes that reflect who I am.
• I do my best to uphold my principles and stand for light and life.

My desire is to be fully here, while I am here. With all of this in mind, I have to say, I often miss the boat. I forget who I am and why I am here. I get caught up in bullshit and petty things. I indulge in junk food, not fast food, but junk food like chips and cake and cookies. I sometimes forget we are all children of creator energy. I resist life and what is and fall into darkness and despair. 

But, here's the good part. Somehow, I always return to myself and pick up where I left off. I re-involve myself in practicing the leading causes of life and bask in gratitude for loving, creator energy who always brings me back to myself and to truth. 

Be large!! Be authentic!! Be light and love!!  And, finally, be peace!! What you are is what you give to others...

YOU ARE YOU

 “Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” ― Dr. Seuss

This is such a simple truth, and yet it is missed by many. My observation of humanity, including myself, is how easily we get caught up in our labels, our roles and our story. As a result, we wind up forgetting who we are, and believing we are something we are not. 

The last seminar I wrote and presented was called YOU ARE YOU. I wrote the program with the desire to help us become aware of who we really are. I see, and hear, so many who identify with what they do, who they know and what they have.

We are each divine creations of consciousness. We are the essence of love, kindness, compassion and genuine mercy. We are so much more than what and who we think we are. 

Because we live in such a busy world, it seems to me we have created a huge disconnection. We may be more connected technologically, but energetically we have moved away from the earth, family values, quiet, soul and spirit. We have moved away from the truth of who we are. We are humans and we are each part of a huge, human family. 

In the busyness, we get caught up in living and surviving the demands of the accelerated changes taking place. In order to survive the insanity and onslaught of the world, and all it entails, we have to take the time to remember who we are, so we can stand firmly in that truth. 

The media is constantly telling us what to believe, how to look, what to wear, what drugs to take, and what to eat and drink. They even attempt to define what success looks like. Have you noticed the focus is mostly about what is outside of us, the externals of life, as opposed to who you are and is your life congruent with your words and actions. What really matters?  That your clothes match or that your soul is at peace? 

It feels like we are using our energy to form the world around us instead of making peace with the world inside us. 

I want you to know that you are not your body, your life story, the role you play, the labels you carry, who your ego says you are, or your personality.  Because someone says you are something, does not mean you are. Because you believe something to be true, does not necessarily mean it is true. Because someone said you would never amount to anything, does not make it true. You may have been called stupid, dumb, crazy, rebellious, silly, a know it all, or a jerk. No matter what you have been called or what light you have been cast in, I hope you will remember this simple truth. YOU ARE YOU.

Think on this for a while. This is the essence of who you are:

Energy, love, joy, peace, magnificence, starseed material, part of all that is, alive, connected to all, beautiful, light, consciousness, awareness, the face of god/goddess/allah/all there is, multi-sensory, an evolving soul, powerful beyond your wildest imagination and a spirit in human form. 

Meditate on the above for a while. Take each of these descriptions into your heart by reminding yourself that  this is the essence of who you are.  Say a sentence out loud, that begins with I AM, and insert each of the words above into your sentence. I am energy. I am love, etc. 

To return to knowing who you are requires courage, commitment, self-love and remembering. 

We are all worthwhile humans and we all deserve to have a life filled with light, love, joy and peace. Even when we are at our worse, we are still worthy of love and fulfillment. Returning to our authentic self is a gradual unfolding, an act of grace and self-love. It does not happen in a day or a moment, just as our loss of self did not happen in a day or a moment. 

You matter! You are here for a purpose! Be all of who you are! Be authentically you!💖💖

STILLNESS AND SILENCE

 

"True intelligence operates silently. Stillness is where creativity and solutions to problems are found." Eckhart Tolle

I am being called upon, once again, to return to a place of stillness. Because I have been physically ill for over a year and a half, and the medical industry has no answers for me, I have gotten into the habit of busily searching for a solution. In my quest to find answers to questions of, "What is wrong with me?" and "How do I heal my body from all of these debilitating symptoms?", I have become busy. I spend a lot of time reading and researching long covid websites. I joined a group of Survivors of Long Covid. I have gotten involved in research groups. I question others and listen carefully to what they have found to help ease the symptoms and attack the virus. I have tried different remedies, and some work and some don't. I have tried what the medical industry suggested, which was an inhaler, a nebulizer, and a respiratory rehab program. Neither helped, even though the rehab program did help to increase my core strength.

I finally remembered to STOP and return to the practice of stillness again. I quit the constant research, I gave up the hours spent reading about the virus' long term effects and how others were handling it all. I decided to settle on a daily regimen of supplements that seem to help ease some of the symptoms.  Besides my regular supplements, I take N-Acetyl L Cystine, Alpha Lipoic Acid and Quinol every day. I also recently added mushroom tinctures, Lions Mane and Turkey Tail Plus ,to my daily intake. These all help to a certain extent. 

However, I do believe the best relief I have gotten is from returning to a place of stillness, quiet and presence. I am back to resting my body more, listening carefully to the cues it is giving me about what I need, and what I don't need, watching what I eat, and being kind and gentle to myself. 

I find myself spending more time hugging my favorite tree, giving it love and gratitude while I draw strength from it, sitting quietly watching and listening to the birds at their feeders and sitting outside in the sun. I also am allowing myself much more time to commune with my sisters and spend time in their presence. 

Occasionally, I will tune in to the survivors websites and read their stories, or read about the latest clinical trials being done concerning long covid. Mostly, though I am trusting Spirit to lead me to where I need to go for help, and to give me wisdom and insight to know what choices to make for my health. 

I love stillness. I love quiet. I seldom turn my TV on in the daytime because I find comfort in silence. I notice the ticking of the clock, the sound of my cat scratching in her litter box, the squabbling of the squirrels as they chase each other up and down the trees, and the sounds of my neighborhood. 

Silence is golden, and I am grateful for the reminder to "just be quiet", trust, and let it be.  I believe stillness and quiet is a gift, that is there for the taking. It is up to each soul to choose it. It works for me, so I choose it with gratitude. 💖