Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Is hard work always the answer?

Sometimes a more relaxed and curious approach will get you lots further than tackling an issue head on. Knowing the difference is key. Have you ever woken from a dream or meditation with a powerful emotion that you just can’t seem to shake? That happened to me recently. I realized pretty quickly that my normal way of dealing with things wasn’t going to help.

I was doing an ancestor connection and had a powerful memory from infancy. In the "memory" I asked my ancestors if I could just go back to the ancestral realm. I spent the first 11 months of my life in and out of hospital and in several foster homes. It was an overwhelming feeling of wanting to check out, of, "I didn’t sign up for this!" Everything worked out wonderfully. My life is nothing short of amazing now.

When I got up after the ancestor connection I felt intrigued. That quickly turned to despair. A recent reading had suggested I find peace and focus, to allow the energy of joy to assist me in releasing the powerful emotions I had brought up.

The last thing I was feeling was peace or joy. The whole Universe seemed to be set up to annoy and frustrate me. I just wanted to crawl back into bed and hide. My morning meditation just seemed to deepen the feeling of despair. But, I did sign up for this life.  Something as significant as feeling completely alone for the first months of my life has to play an important role in my destiny.

My usual approach of analyzing and then processing a problem (yes, I am an Obatala) wasn’t going to work. I needed to release myself to the current surrounding me and allow it to bring me the lessons I needed.

As I allowed myself to connect with the peace that was flowing around me, I was able to move beyond the emotions. Working hard and treating the emotions seriously would have made the feelings even more powerful. It was through peace and joy, as my reading advised, that I was able to find resolution.

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Monday, February 20, 2012

Can't I just rest for a while?

In our never-ending quest for learning and growth a badly timed rest can mean moving backwards. As long as we’re alive we’ll be growing. Growth requires change. As we deepen our spiritual connection we are able to handle the process better.

After doing a big piece of work, life is great for a while. Then, chaos. Your fragile new world feels like it’s being ripped apart. It’s your signal that it’s time to grow again.

The new challenge has come too soon. You haven’t had enough rest. It is so tempting to fall back into old patterns. As an Obatala I’m great at thinking about what comes next while avoiding doing anything about it.  The Universe, though, is calling you forward.

It can be hard, disappointing, frustrating, but, the work you just did has made a much bigger shift possible. This may be the perfect time to push forward even if it doesn’t feel that way. Why else would the Universe bring chaos to you? It is Osa, the energy of sudden positive change, at work.

With the wind furiously blowing straight at you it might seem like an impossible struggle to continue on. But, if you don’t push through you will start to move you backwards. Not only will you lose some of the hard-won ground that you just gained, you will give even more power to the chaos.

It’s perfectly fine to feel sorry for yourself when you’re in this position. Get mad. Whine. Kick and shout. But whatever you do, keep on going. Have confidence that the Universe is taking care of you. The times of chaos are also the times that hold the greatest potential. You may only be able to see that potential once you’ve weathered the storm.


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Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Can fear be useful?

Many of us motivate ourselves with fear. This may be effective, but is it really good for us? One of the 16 truths of Ifa is, we need have no fear. This can be very challenging for anyone who has been brought up in an environment where fear of hell, karma, whatever, prevents bad behavior.

I was very relieved when I finally let go of my fear.  Shortly afterward I stopped taking my practice as seriously. As an Ifa priest, day to day work is critical to my growth. Over time I realized that I had been motivated by fear.

How else could I motivate myself? I started to look at the results in my life.  The more I ignored my work, the more I veered off path. Eventually I started to suffer.

That suffering was not caused by a vengeful Universe. It was caused by my refusal to meet the commitments I had made to my own growth. The result was that I began to miss opportunities. I began to stagnate. Eventually I slid backwards.

I was unable to cope with the stress I was creating in my life. I put pressure on myself to do things that didn’t align with my purpose. My relationships started to suffer. I began to feel lost and disconnected from myself. I was miserable.

An inspirational moment with my husband allowed me to see just how out of balance I had become. I realized that I had spent most of my life motivated by a fear of being punished for not achieving my destiny. I wish I had opened up and shared this with someone sooner.

We do our work because it is the most certain path to the love, fulfillment and success that are our birthright. The Universe is set up to reward good character in the long term. If you’re not happy with your life take a look at where your motivation is coming from. The Universe is benevolent. There really is no reason to be afraid.

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Monday, February 6, 2012

Is your space supporting you?

I have always had a very powerful need for a safe, calm space to go to when my day is done. A recent renovation forced me into a space that wasn’t so supportive. I had no idea how challenging that was gong to be for me.  In many ways the situation was ideal, but, I never felt at home.

The space had been for sale for a number of years. It needed to be in “show ready” shape at all times. If you’ve ever lived for a period of time in a house that was up for sale you’ll understand how challenging that can be.

We discovered a lot of things that needed attention during our stay. Workers were in an out, often very early in the morning, disturbing the peace at the start of my day. It was a much noisier environment than I’m used to. I found it difficult to get a sound sleep.

I found it more and more difficult to keep up my good habits, the things that keep me grounded and happy. I began to feel like I had no space, no privacy. I became more moody as the weeks passed. I struggled to figure out what was wrong.

Once we were back in our renewed space everything shifted. It was almost miraculous. I felt calm and in the groove. I slept really well for the first time in months and was refreshed after far less sleep.

The experience showed me how important a supportive environment can be. How well is the space you live in supporting what you need to be happy and whole?  Take a look at your circumstances. Are you able to live the way you want to? What can you change in your environment that would make it more supportive for you?

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