Worshipping others

 Another play day with my little girl...

 

If you were frightened growing up,

you may find yourself today, seeking idols.

But seeking out others to make you safe is a huge problem.

An idol is someone you have put on a pedestal. 

You think they will save you from the past,

which was over long ago.

You come to depend on your idol,

just as a child depends on an imaginary hero figure...

 who rides a white horse and saves them.

The fear you've carried all these years doesn't pertain to today,

but you've dragged it with you.

Relinquish your need to worship someone,

someone you think will save you.

 Ask yourself the question...

"what do I need to be saved from - my past?".

 

If you need to be idolized/adored, that's another issue.

Needing that kind of  reassurance is still a frightened child,

 a child who attempts to get her sense of safety from others. 

The child thinks if she's adored,

the other person won't abandon her.

But whoever is adoring you now

will end up resenting you when you don't live up...

 to their unrealistic expectations.

After you have given them every piece of yourself,

they will still believe that you didn't do enough.

 

Either way your wound manifests itself,

won't have a happy ending if you continue to choose...

 to either idolize or be idolized.

We claim freedom when we step away from old fixes.

Take care of your own frightened child...

 rather than carelessly handing her to someone else.

No one has the power to heal her, but you.

 

******

 

Be your own hero

lunch time for these guys....

Don't idolize anyone! It's ego tricking you into thinking someone is better than you, and they will be able to provide for your needs. You will only get a false sense of safety. And spend a lot of time worrying about losing what you have. Dig for your own strength. As children, we looked for heroes, but as adults, we need to be our own hero. It's okay to admire people as long as you're not trying to get something from them...something they will never be able to give you. Thinking they posses what you need is an illusion...

 

 A Course in Miracles says " seek not outside yourself. It will fail. You will weep each time your idol falls.... There is no peace there. All your pain comes from a futile search for what you want.... It is only an illusion that there is something outside of us that will bring happiness and peace... Idols are feared and worshiped both. They are never seen as they truly are. You value an image...".

 

*******



Your authentic self

“Sincerity is the fulfillment
of our own nature,
and to arrive at it we need
only follow our own true Self.”  

 

― Tzu-ssu

 

******



Growing wings

“Pain is a pesky part of being human,

I've learned it feels like a stab wound to the heart,

something I wish we could all do without, in our lives here.

Pain is a sudden hurt that can't be escaped.

But then I have also learned that because of pain,

I can feel the beauty, tenderness, and freedom of healing.

Pain feels like a fast stab wound to the heart.

But then healing feels like the wind against your face

when you are spreading your wings and flying through the air!

We may not have wings growing out of our backs,

but healing is the closest thing that will give us that wind against our faces.”  

― C. Joybell

 

*****



Honesty

Being honest may not always get you more friends,

but it will always get you the right ones.

 

John Lennon

 

******

 



Getting more real

 

 

Do you often find yourself disappointed or hurt in relationships?

Do you choose broken people, thinking you can change them?

When you do, you set yourself up for future problems.

The best thing is to choose those who are genuine.

But know that in choosing genuineness,
it will force you to become more genuine too.

If you're used to hiding parts of yourself (wearing a mask),
this will not be easy.

You may have a fear of being judged for who you are.

You don't feel good enough so you try to be someone you're not...
so others will like you. 

The only way though, to create an authentic life...
 is love and accept all the interesting aspects that make you unique.

You begin the journey to authenticity by choosing those...
 who risk showing you who they are.
 They will help you to feel safe enough to be your truest self.
 

*****



The unhappy voice

If you often hear a voice in your head telling you how crappy things are,

it's the ego (the negative thinker) trying to pull you in.
Don't listen to it!

If you do, feelings of discontent and unhappiness will surely follow.
 

****

 



Giving up control

 

 

I read this quote the other day: 
"the problem is not that we ask God for too much, but we ask for too little". 
It made me think...
why do we make decisions from self-will rather than asking God for guidance...
and why do we try to figure things out rather than surrender to not knowing? 
Analyzing means living in the mind instead of the heart. 
Maybe it's uncomfortable to open our hearts wider to life;
to really trust that life is on our side.
We analyze out of fear...trying to feel safe by being in control.
Analyzing makes us feel smart.
Yet we all have a Source to go to for the perfect answers,
Instead we flounder, stumble, lose our way...
unwilling to give up control.
We may tell ourselves we don't want to bother God,
 but it's ego (our wounded self) that likes to feel smart and in charge.
For today, practice asking for help.
Listen carefully for the perfect answer.

*****

 

No more drama

This adorable cake was at a friend's baby shower.

It was made by A Slice of Heaven" bakery.

The flower cake was designed by my friend, Else.

 

******

 

Let your goal be peace and harmony.

Most of the havoc in your life is self-created.

The drama is a clever way to distract yourself from looking deeper.

You put yourself through so much unnecessary suffering

with your fears, worries, obsessions, need for control...

 Let it all go!

Chaos is ego's way of tricking you into unhappiness!

Know that your thoughts and beliefs are the reason...

 you are drawing the experiences you're having.

Change your thoughts!

Affirm that you are worthy of a JOY-FILLED life!

 

*****

 

Real love

 

If we feel incomplete, we look for others to complete us.

But real love is complete.

That means no matter what the circumstances are with someone,

we accept and love them as they are, not as we want them to be.

 

Real love doesn't require giving too much of ourselves.

If we do, it's fear (co-dependency) revealing itself.

 

When we give too much, we bring an agenda into the relationship.

We're trying to get something from the other person.

We are coming from a state of lack...

a wounded part of us that feels desperate for love.

Instead of bringing our attention to the part of us that needs...
to be loved and nurtured,

we attempt to get the reassurance from others. 

 

Co-dependent love is not real love.

Real love has no expectations-

it doesn't seek others to fulfill it.

 

***

 

Transforming fear

 

Until we stop to face our deepest fear,

we waste precious time running from it.

Some of the ways we avoid being alone with fear is...

busyness, overeating, spending, dependency on others,

substances, working too much, isolating....

All of these lead to nowhere, but a dead end.

There's no where to bury the truth,

no matter how hard we try.

The hole inside of us we try to fill with distraction...

 ends up being another source of pain.

It's only in surrendering to being honest about our fear,

that we begin to truly transform...

 

I am certain we all have the same fear...

fear of being alone.

We have been wounded in some way;

abandonment, rejection, dysfunctional family issues growing up... 

It's not a comfortable process to look at a broken heart.

We may lie to ourselves by saying "it was no big deal".

But minimizing it is just another excuse to avoid it.

 

There is nothing outside of yourself that will heal you.

It's like trying to put a band aide on a gaping, infected wound.

It will never work.

Nor will lying to yourself.

 

For today, surrender to become more honest.

Stop looking for quick fixes.

Any discomfort you may feel when you look at fear...

is nowhere near as painful as carrying it with you

for the rest of your life.

We all have the choice to live fully awake and present...

 or numb ourselves out.

 

******

 

 

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Claiming the gift of freedom

 I'm still playing around with creating patterns from my greeting cards

It is only in releasing everything we're attached to...

that we open heaven's gates.

Everything we need, we already have.

Lack comes from fear.

When you know you are complete,

you give up searching the external world for your needs.

 Surrender is the first step into freedom.

 

*****

 



Being restored

Faith allows the tired mind to rest,

 

the broken heart to heal,

 

and fear to be washed away.

 

There is nothing that can not be restored...

 

when faith is called upon.

 

*****



Moving forward

“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward...”
― Lao Tzu

 

 

Some changes look negative on the surface but you will soon realize that space is being created in your life for something new to emerge.”
― Eckhart Tolle

 

 

“Stepping onto a brand-new path is difficult, but not more difficult than remaining in a situation, which is not nurturing to the whole woman.”
― Maya Angelou

 

******



Shining your light

“The brightest stars emerge out of the blackest darkness”  

― Shri Radhe Maa

 

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A secret keeper

I used to be a secret keeper

tightly guarding

all the things I didn’t want people

to know about me

low self-esteem

loneliness

depression

shame

But there came a day

I started sharing my secrets

no one ran away

or judged me

I began to feel safe

to be my imperfect self

******



Faith

Faith- a feeling of reassurance...

encouraging whispers of hope...

despite appearances...

it tells you things are OK...

that there are reasons for where you are at.

Faith- believing in yourself...

that you are strong...

even when you feel weak...

that you can do anything...

                              even when you feel incapable.                                      

Faith- surrendering...

to the silent "knowing"...

trusting what is...

and where it's going...

believing in infinite possibilities.

*****