It's All About Joy!

The Ultimate Unknown

Why are we really here? What is the meaning of life?

Those are two questions I pondered for the first time during meditation recently. See, I always used to take what others told me on this topic at face value, and never stopped to wonder for myself. Why? I’m not sure, but maybe it’s because I was happy with the answers I had.

All of my past intellectual pursuits of spirituality have shown me that the following is our reason for existence:

We are spiritual entities that originated from the Divine (aka, the Creator, God, the Universe, or insert any other name that feels comfortable here), and took on a human form to experience the trials and tribulations of living on this planet. Supposedly this planet offers the greatest challenges imaginable, and helps our spirits ascend very quickly, which is the definitive goal. All of the challenges we face offer us lessons on unconditional love, which is what we need in order to ascend.           

As I was meditating this weekend, however, my inquiry took me down this path:

If we originated from the Divine, and some would say that we are Divinity in human form, wouldn’t that also mean that we are Divine intelligence and love? If so, wouldn’t we have already started off ascended? Or underneath it all, aren’t we already what we’re striving to become?  

What benefit is there to having a human body? I don’t know about you, but if it’s true that we came from something all-powerful, omnipresent, and omniscient, I have to question why we’re hanging around in these ill-fitting monkey suits and banging our way through life? It seems like a cosmic waste of time. And what about our brains? I couldn’t help but wonder why, from a spiritual standpoint (not a medical one, because I get that), we need brains to begin with. If we emanate from an all-knowing creative force, how on earth could these paltry little thinking caps – which don’t even function at 100% of their capacity – measure up to the Divine intelligence that supposedly flows through each of us?

Then I began to question how our spirits and brains are connected. Does one drive the other? (And if so, I’d have to assume that our spirits drive our brains.) That got me thinking about people who have had out-of-body and near-death experiences. If someone has had an out of body or near death experience, often they describe themselves as having looked down upon their human forms and having been very aware of what was happening to them at the time. I’ve even heard some people say that once they regained consciousness, they were able to tell the people who were attending to them what was being talked about in the midst of such an event. One woman told her surgeons word for word what all of them were discussing while they operated on her anesthetized body. How on earth does that happen? I mean, when someone has an out-of-body or near-death experience, their brains are unconscious, right? If so, how are they able to process with seeming full awareness what’s going on around them if it’s not their brains doing the processing? (Can you tell that this was a fun meditation?!)

After I worked my way through that line of questioning, I started wondering about the validity of out-of-body and near-death experiences to begin with (please bear with me here). Even though I’ve always been a supporter of this type of thing, who am I to say that these experiences are real? How would I know? How could any of us know? Isn’t it possible that all out-of-body and near-death experiences are the result of chemical misfirings in the brain? There’s so much we don’t know about how our brains work that it seems limiting to label those experiences as being “X” instead of “Y.”

That led me to question if we can ever know anything for certain, which is a theory I’ve embraced before. This time, however, I wasn’t just asserting it after hearing someone else talk about it. I was applying it to this crazy mode of meditative inquiry I found myself entwined in. What I ended up realizing is that none of us has proof of anything in this world beyond a thought that we think. “I think, therefore I am.” The only proof for the things we think would be another thought. So really, there’s no deductive method for proving anything in life beyond the thoughts that we think. Therefore I had to conclude that I could never know the answer to the questions I originally asked: Why are we here? What is the meaning of life?

When I came up against this wall in my meditative inquiry, it’s as if I entered an abyss and crossed the threshold into the ultimate unknown.

 

What do you think? Have you ever thought about these questions before, and if so, where did you end up in your reasoning?

The Magic of Meditation

I’ve been struggling lately, and I’m thrilled to admit that. Who doesn’t like a good struggle after all?! After riding a high from May to September where it was safe to say I was the funkiest, freshest JoyGirl! around, I crashed and burned and became more along the lines of a funked-out JoyGirl. If it had lasted just one day, I could have written it off to bad hair. Unfortunately, this funk had teeth and held on for a few weeks. Egads! (And I still have the bite marks on my thigh to prove it, although unless you’re my boyfriend, y’all can’t see it!)

In those moments when I’m feeling down, it’s not like everything’s wrong in my life. Instead it’s simply that the shine has worn off the apple. My eyes, ears, and mind only perceive the very surfacy things in this world, and that surface is covered in grime. I can’t see through the illusion, get stuck inside my head, my head then overanalyzes everything and takes me down some very scary, dark pathways where lions and tigers and bears hide out (oh my!).

Definitely not a fun place to be.

When I’m in those moments, I tend to call on the Universe (God, the angels, Auntie Em, anyone who will listen) in a very separate – and desperate – way, “Please send me a sign. Please give me something to let me know it will all be okay.” On the contrary, when I’m feeling blissful, I recognize that I am one with the Universe, so everything around me is a sign and I work in tandem with God, creating magic on a daily basis.

But I digress. Back to that sign I asked for. It came from a new blog I started reading a month ago. If you haven’t seen what Stacey Shipman’s up to over at her blog, I encourage you to check it out. She’s a great writer with a very open, loving, and wonderfully discerning viewpoint that’s strongly aligned with spirituality and all things yoga. Interestingly, her web site crashed a few weeks ago, and she had to rebuild it. As a result, because I’m on her email subscription list, I was getting old posts blasted to me as she restored her archives.

Well, the other night I was pretty much at the end of my rope emotionally. Just before I went to sleep, however (and a few hours after asking for a sign), I heard my email beep indicating that I had a new message. My inbox had been pretty bare that day, so of course I checked it out and saw that it was an archived post from Stacey Shipman's site. The moment I read the title, though, I knew it was so much more. It was the Universe talking to me, or rather, extending a helping hand. Here’s a snippet:

When Meditation Helps Find Clarity

"...  Will she continue to meditate regularly? That I don’t know. I hope she remembers the success of this experience and reaches for meditation the next time she needs it instead of…something else.

"Life doesn’t always hand us easy to solve problems, sometimes more time and more action is needed. Often a little peace and quiet – sitting without any distraction – can help, even if you only have a few minutes. Sometimes it’s that stirring within that needs to be stirred and released, not stuffed, in order to ‘let it flow’ and continue moving in a forward direction."

Ah, meditation. The thing I’d been abandoning for a few weeks in favor of rushing around like a madwoman. The thing that always seemed to drop to the bottom of my to-do list, even though other activities like two-hour workouts, watching Conan O’Brien, reading my favorite books, or other such varied nonsense got my full attention.

Suddenly I understood that meditation would point me back in that wonderfully blissful direction and get me off of those scary paths I’d unwittingly chanced upon.

Meditation.

Meditation.

Meditation.

15 minutes here, 12 minutes there… 8 minutes is fine, too. As Stacey said, “Often…sitting without any distraction…can help, even if you only have a few minutes. Sometimes it’s that stirring within that needs to be stirred and released…in order to ‘let it flow’ and continue moving in a forward direction."

And so it was for me.

I’m thrilled to say that the funky fresh JoyGirl! is back, and it only took twelve minutes of quietude and introspection. All I can say is, “There’s no place like joy… There’s no place like joy…”

Oh, and also a huge thank you to Stacey!

The Unique Gift Awakening Brings

A wonderful friend of mine (well, they’re all wonderful, actually!) gave me a copy of Adyashanti’s The End of Your World on CD last week. I had been hoping to listen to it since March, but wouldn’t have been ready to hear its message until now.

Just like when I listened to Spontaneous Awakening the first time, I can feel a shift happening deep within me.

This particular excerpt offered reassurance on something that until now, I have struggled with:

“…it’s like…life is just waiting to express itself through each being in a totally unique way… And we can never know what…[it is] until we really let go. And in each of us, life is seeking to express itself fully and purely in a way that’s totally unrepeatable… Jesus was not a copy of someone else. Buddha was not a copy of someone else. The great beings that we revere… are not copies of anybody else. They are examples of life freed up from its fixation… and therefore able to express itself through a particular human being and bloom in a totally unique way.

“And somehow we intuitively connect with these beings…  And isn’t it ironic that we’re so drawn to that kind of being…and yet what most of us try to do then is copy them? We try to be like the Buddha. We try to be like Jesus. Which is actually in opposition to everything they…were. Jesus wasn’t like anybody. Buddha wasn’t like somebody else. That’s why they resonate with us. They were pure, undistorted expressions of life, itself. Which is what we’re all called to. And yet our minds are so deeply conditioned… [we] think by copying…I also will discover my own uniqueness… 

“But if we do that… we become the image our mind has…  And any time we are living as an image our mind creates, that life is inherently unfulfilling. It has the essence of fear living in it. And so the fulfillment of the whole journey to awakening – the realizing what we really are – is not simply so that we bask in this wonderful realization of freedom; it’s something far beyond that…  It’s so that finally life can express itself through us.”

Earlier in September, I was fortunate enough to guest blog on The Jungle of Life. In his gracious introduction, Lance referenced a post I wrote in July called Being The One. I was surprised when he mentioned it, since at the time I wrote it I remember thinking, “Is anyone going to connect with this?” I woke up one morning with a foggy mind, and was compelled to just sit down at my computer and start typing. It’s as if (don’t laugh) I was channeling something from an imperceptible part of me. It was then that the post birthed itself, and when I was done I thought, “Well, I’m not sure what anyone will think, but I’ll float it out there anyway.” The day it went live, someone very close to me said they thought it was inspired, and they could tell that I was inspired. Again, it surprised me, but I just sort of let it go.

In reference to the Adyashanti excerpt I shared above, I understand what was happening a bit better now. I didn’t try to overthink that post, or manipulate it into something I thought people would want to read. Instead I simply moved out of the way and let awareness take over my mind and body for awhile.

I guess the reason I’m sharing this is because for me, that post represents what is possible when I allow myself to be a unique expression of life. For a half hour that day, I pushed “me” out of the way, and awareness was given a chance to come to life, irrespective of blog writing best practices or anything I’d ever done before.

Unique, unrepeatable, and authentic; I let life express itself through me in those words.

And so as I sit at times, fearful of whether or not I can cut it as a long-term blog writer, let alone a published book writer, I am now reminded that my future success is not dependent on trying to mold myself after anyone or anything else. All I ever have to do is gently push my conscious mind aside and let the unique gift of awareness bloom in whatever space I allow it, knowing that when I do, I’m fulfilling life’s purpose for me.

And truly, in ways I cannot even describe yet, that makes me incredibly joyful.

** ** **

Two great posts I read this past month that I encourage everyone to take a peek at include The Bold Life’s What Really Matters (a phenomenal invitation to think about what’s important and what’s not in life) and The Conservative Buddhist’s What Is It You Want Most From Life (which, admittedly, is from his archives, but a great read nonetheless).

Happy Monday, everyone!

Resentment Is Ridiculous

I used to look at people who were more successful than me and envy them. Sometimes I was even resentful. This was especially true if whatever they had accomplished was something I wanted to accomplish for myself, but hadn’t gotten to yet. What I’ve learned recently, though, is how backwards my thinking was, and what’s more, as Wayne Dyer has said, I now know that there are no justified resentments.

Whenever I resented someone else’s success, I realize now it’s because I was looking through the eyes of lack. I felt I was missing something in my life, so when I looked at them in their joyfully abundant state, it reminded me that I didn’t have something I really wanted. That made me angry, and deep down probably fearful that I might never get what I really wanted.

But how silly it seems, since someone else’s success is actually a great reminder of just how much exists in this Universe for all of us. We live in an infinite Universe with more than enough wealth, success, love and joy for everyone. What’s more, each of us is here with a unique mission to fulfill that no one else can carry out exactly the way that we can. If they could, God wouldn’t have needed us, and I’m going to venture a bold guess by saying that as a result, God wouldn’t have put us here.

So rather than seeing someone else’s good fortune as my missed fortune, I now look at them with grateful, praising eyes and think, “There is more than enough for everyone.” I follow it up with, “What God has done for others, God now does for me and more.” When I affirm the success of others, I am essentially affirming it in me.

I wish the same for you: here’s to your incredible success and good fortune, and even more so, to your ever-expanding joy.

What about you? How do you feel about envy and resentment, and what role do they play in your life?

 

Giving Freely

Still Working to Put My Money Where My Mouth Is

I still have lessons to learn around giving without expectation. It’s rather funny how I tested myself recently in this regard.

A couple weeks ago I was having coffee with a friend and we were talking about people who ask for money on the streets. My friend preferred to buy the person a meal rather than give them cash. My opinion was the opposite. He was afraid of feeding their addiction by giving them money without knowing what they’d use it for. I told him I felt like it was none of my business; if I had what they needed and wouldn’t suffer by giving it to them, it was theirs to do with as they pleased.

My friend shook his head initially when I said that. He didn’t feel right supporting a drug addiction or alcohol problem. I told him that was all right for him. For me, though, I wouldn’t feel right asking someone to justify himself or herself when God knows I’m not above reproach. If they’re addicted, well so am I! Everyone is addicted to something. I don’t care if it’s drugs, alcohol, food, cigarettes, approval, love, fitness, drama – it doesn’t matter! We’re all addicts. The egoic mind is the biggest addict imaginable.

From that perspective, the minute I say that my addiction is healthier or more acceptable than your addiction, it’s all over for me from an unconditional love standpoint. 

The very next day, I was given a chance to walk my talk where giving freely without judgment was concerned. I was on a city street with a different friend and we were approached by a guy who needed money. He had a whole story ready for us about how his car broke down, he needed money to buy a gas can, his daughter was with him in the car, etc. Both my friend and I asked how much the can would cost and he told us $9. We each gave him a few dollars. Without a thank you or anything else, he looked at us and said, “This isn’t enough! What am I going to do for the rest?”

At that point I found myself thinking, “Well how do you like that? We give him some money and all he can do is focus on what’s missing. Man, that just stinks.” Not ironically, it became clear to me that the very thoughts I was thinking were also centered on what was missing (his “thank you”). Funny how that works!

At that point I just sighed because I knew I had manifested an encounter with that guy, and I failed the very test I set up for myself. Rather than give him money happily, regardless of his reaction, I attached an expectation to it. I wanted a “thank you.” When I didn’t get one, I ran an alternate scenario through my head where I would have continued standing in front of him after he said, “It’s not enough!” and said, “How about a thank you? No? Well feel free to give back the money then.” (Again, big sigh.)

Funnier still, after I returned home that evening and checked my email, I had a notice in my inbox from an ad network I’m affiliated with telling me how much I earned during the last quarter. I saw it and thought, “That’s it?! That’s not enough!” (Are you rolling your eyes at me right now? I’d love to know, since I did, once the irony struck me 30 seconds later!) Yep, and checking the time on the email it would have corresponded to the same time I was dealing with my (now) friend on the street.
He was me; I was him. And man, what a lesson he taught me.

God help him, I hope he’s a quicker study than I am.

Be well, be joyful, and as best you can, give of yourself freely today!
 

The Kids Who “Get It”

Have you ever locked eyes with a child (one who’s younger than five years old) and just sensed that they understood what this life is all about? 

I had this happen a couple weeks ago in a grocery store. I walked in with a friend and saw an adorable little girl – maybe two or three years old – sitting in a cart being pushed by her mom. Her head was turned away from me at first, but once I saw her I must have subliminally shot out a heart vibe because she turned 180 degrees and just locked eyes with me. I was smiling as she did it and thought, “You get it, don’t you?” She kept her gaze locked on mine, smiled and then mouthed, “Hi.” I mouthed it back, and continued walking with my friend. In the meantime, her mom sort of realized what was going on and just laughed and smiled, seemingly pleased that her daughter had connected so kindly with a stranger.

Walking away, though, I knew that the little girl was one of those special kids – the ones who are here to help spread light throughout the world.

A friend of mine told me how he has similar moments with little kids all the time. The enlightened ones sort of seek him out in crowds and share really ethereal moments that are almost dreamlike. He’s had parents walk up to him afterwards and either tell him that their kids never like any strangers, so he must be special (which he is!), or ask if he knows their kids somehow. He never does in the traditional sense, but spiritually it’s a whole other story!

I heard recently that there is what one might call a waiting list of spirits trying to incarnate right now because of the period of awakening we’re in. Apparently, this is the time to be alive and a lot of babies being born right now specifically set it up to be part of this incredible journey. I think of that whenever I hear that a friend is pregnant, or when I see a child like the one I did in the store.

What’s more, I learned (and believe) that young kids retain their awakened presence – or awareness of spirit and the greater truth – until they’re about five years old. After that, they begin taking on the beliefs and preconditions of adults, which causes them to fall asleep to the essence of who they are.

There’s something so magical, though, about connecting with the special kids who are awake and recognize the love and light in our eyes. My sense is that this will keep happening more and more in the next decade or so, as we begin to collectively awaken to a greater degree. What I like best about these little unadulterated spirits is their ability to look into and see us – who we really are – without words, concepts, or any of the tools that develop later in life. How phenomenal is that?!

What about you – have you had any of those moments with the kids who “get it?” If so, I’d love to hear about your experience!

Must Reads: Bloggers I Love

(Part I in what will likely be a long series!)

The best parts of my mornings are sending and receiving email and reading my favorite blogs. The list keeps growing since there is so much good content out there. Every so often I am compelled to just shout from the rooftops how wonderful I think all these people are who write about joy, love, and spirituality.

So consider this post a rooftop, and here’s me shouting some of my favorites:

Peggy at Serendipity Smiles wrote about overcoming her perfectionist tendencies and had this little gem of encouragement in there: “I don’t have to strive for  perfection today, tomorrow or next week. I’m perfect just as I am…I can be a four today, a five tomorrow, a two on Friday.  It’s all good.”
Click to read Dreaming Perfection

Jodi at Joy Discovered wrote about truth – what it is and what it isn’t (and how we frequently mistake non-truths for truth). If you want an eye-opening read, you absolutely have to check out this post. Here’s a great snippet from it, “…how many times have you recounted an incident, and as much as you try to tell only the truth you realize it is quite impossible; you realize that without the other person about whom you are reporting sitting there with you, recounting her side exactly as she experienced it, you don’t actually know the truth. In those situations you realize there is a difference between facts and perceptions.”
Click to read The Truth Will Set You Free

Positively Present always has a fresh energy in what she writes, and this post, in particular, took me all the way back to childhood. See for yourself how growing up is optional.
Click to read Growing Up Is Optional

Nadia at Happy Lotus writes so compellingly and with such peace and love... From day 1, I've been a fan. She wrote a post about the myth of perfectionism, which I loved since I’m a recovering perfectionist. If you find yourself falling into this category, her post is a must-read.
Click to read My Perfection Myth
 
Liara at Dream Builders Australia had the most fantastic post about dis-ease in our bodies, and how to not only view it differently, but in some cases, undo it. If you’ve suffered anything from a cold to emergency surgery, this post has something in it for you.
Click to read 7 Ways to Re-frame Apparent Dis-ease

Mark at The Naked Soul (love that title, by the way!) dissected the topic of self-worth in this post called “What Is Our Value?” Do we use money, love, or other external circumstances to determine how valuable we are? Or can we go inside and recognize that simply by being alive, we’re more worthwhile than we ever dreamed?
Click to read What Is Our Value?

Tess at The Bold Life had a guest blogger (Jan Lundy) who wrote a fabulous post describing how the first 30 minutes of our day sets the tone for how the rest will go. Did you know that? It made me grateful for my morning routine, which is infused with peacefulness and love. Read this to learn how to make more of your days enjoyable, right from the start. (And PS - Tess is also a brilliant writer... so I'll include one of the posts she wrote on Jan's blog here, as well!)
Click to read Mind Fitness: How About a Workout For a Healthy Mind
Click to read 75 Ways to Make The World a Better Place to Be

Oh my God, I laughed so hard when I first read about Millie on Suzen’s blog Erasing the Bored that I nearly fell off my chair. Millie is old, tells it like it is, and isn’t afraid to fart (that’s right… fart!). Please, please, please read this if you want some amazing “living right” advice and also want to laugh.
Click to read Millie Wisdom: Lessons in Living

Lance at The Jungle of Life writes inspiringly and gently, and quite often so succinctly that I’m awed. I absolutely loved this quote he shared from Steve Jobs, founder of Apple, and was greatly encouraged by it. If you’re looking to do what you love or find more meaning in life, read this!
Click to read Sunday Thought for the Day, June 21

Katie at You Can’t Say That on the Internet! is constantly writing from such a space of love – for both her life and her incredible partner, Patty – that I’m moved to tears. The love Katie and Patty share, and how they keep their love growing, is inspirational. The post Joyful Creators is a great testament to how they live their spirituality and love for one another right out loud, and in doing so, positively affect all of us who share this planet with them. Take a look.
Click to read Joyful Creators

And if you like food – to make or to eat – I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Patty’s site, affectionately called The Joyful Chef. I frequently read her step-by-step posts that are full of the most delicious pictures and think, “now I’m hungry.” Best of all, I’ve met Katie and Patty, who live on the opposite coast as me, and they’re even better and more delicious in-person than they are on their blogs! See what Patty’s been up to by reading her latest.
Click to read The Joyful Chef

There are more – my gosh there are more. So please know that this is just a start. I’ll be doing another “Man I love these bloggers” entry in the future and including even more of the fabulous writers who fuel my days and weeks with their brilliance, insights, and love.

Who Are We If We Don’t…?

Lately I’ve been pondering some things sparked by two books: Invisible Supply by Joel Goldsmith and the Tao Te Ching.

Both discuss the merits of remaining quiet as a way of practicing wisdom. A sage needn’t say they’re a sage, nor must they discuss what they’re about at any given moment.

So I’m wondering: who am I if I don’t tell people what I do every day, or what I’ve been up to?

Invariably, people love to ask the question. “What’s new?”

Strangely, it took a message from the Universe repeated many times over before I realized I was being urged to keep quiet about certain things.

Let me tell you as someone with a strong mind and grasp of this physical world – it’s hard!

The more resistance I felt inside of me, though, to shout from the rooftops all the good stuff that’s been happening lately, the more I realized that staying quiet was what I absolutely had to do in order to honor all of who I truly am and none of who I’m not.

The way I see it, the moment I decide to open my mouth and tell people what I’ve been up to, I become about those things. I’m no longer authentically me. I’m suddenly an interpretation that the listener has of how successful or exciting my adventures lately have been.

So I remind myself again: a true sage needn’t speak.

Ohhh, my ego doesn’t like that one bit! It’s torturous, even. “But don’t you want to tell them about that email you just got? Or the progress you’re making on the…?”

Now, it doesn’t mean I won’t ever talk about anything again. I am human, after all. I’m here, in this body, with this mind and powerful ego, to be as only I can be.

Instead I can recognize that I have a choice to be sage-like or not, individual in every moment. I think that’s what it’s about. Not feeling I’ve failed if I share something I might have opted to keep quiet about, but instead knowing I don’t have to speak about everything. It doesn’t exalt me one way or the other.

In simply asking the question – by the inquiry, alone – I’ve expanded myself a bit, and given myself a choice. I don’t have to tell the world who I am. I can instead simply be who I am.

So again, back to the original question, “Who are we if we don’t…?”
Who are you if you’re not the story you tell people?
***
Since beginning this post, I’ve been pondering this question a lot and as luck would have it, Tess at The Bold Life sent me a link to Byron Katie’s site (http://www.thework.com) in relation to another post I wrote a couple weeks ago. I hadn’t heard of Byron Katie before, and now I can’t get enough of her! She essentially explores a similar question in her new book: Who Would You Be Without Your Story. I’ve already added it to my “books to read” list, and look forward to learning more from her (so thanks, Tess!).

Seeing God In Action

I was meditating outside not too long ago, and when I finished, I sort of bowed forward in my seated position and started observing a bunch of gorgeous little bees that were pollinating the tiniest yellow flowers in the grass. I thought, “My goodness, God really does take everything into consideration!” The flowers that the bees were flying to were smaller than a pinky nail, and incredibly delicate, just like the bodies of the bees they’d attracted.

Later on, I pondered the idea that God takes everything into consideration, and put it to work in the context of people I’ve judged harshly and about whom I’ve wondered, “What value do they add?”

Anytime I can step back from my negative judgments, I’m able to see a bigger picture – the roles we all play for each other, even those who may collectively be viewed as life squanderers. But God’s plan can be seen everywhere and in everything. That means all of us – saints, scoundrels and everyone in between – are part of God’s perfection. More and more I’m recognizing that it’s not my job to understand everyone’s function, but it is my job to honor that we all have one.

Those tiny little bees, were it not for the flowers I saw them pollinating, may have been grouped into the “useless insects” category in my head. Instead, they started me thinking about the Universe’s perfection in a much broader way.

For the rest of the day, I was able to suspend harsh judgments by repeating the phrase, “Oh look, there’s God in action…” If I saw a careless driver, I said, “Oh look, there’s God in action.” If I experienced a noisy neighbor, “Look, God in action.” Rude customers, litter on the ground, you name it and I said aloud, “Oh look… there’s God.”

It seems most people are pretty good at seeing God in so-called good situations. That’s certainly been true for me. It’s a little more difficult to witness God in bad situations, though. Yet, God really does take everything into consideration.

Thinking this way immediately softens both my heart and mind.

Be well, be joyful, and may you see God in action today!

You Might Be An Empath If…

(In case you are, here’s a way to help stop random energy absorption & resulting body pains)

Have you ever been told you were a “sensitive” or an “empath?” I was, about nine years ago. At the time I thought it was cool – like it somehow set me apart and allowed me a unique perspective on healing.

Being an empath, though, has its so-called drawbacks. One of those is absorbing other people’s pain.

A few weeks ago, I was sitting about two feet from a friend who just had shoulder surgery. We were working on a project together when I noticed that suddenly, and rather inexplicably, the upper right quadrant of my back started screaming at me. It took me by surprise, since I hadn’t worked that area with weights earlier in the day, and I’m not prone to pain in that portion of my back. A minute or two later, my friend started grunting and expressing discomfort. I asked if he was all right, and he told me his back was bothering him. A light bulb went on over my head, so I asked, “What part of your back?” He said it was his upper right scapular area. I laughed and said, “Yeah, okay, that explains it.” He looked at me with surprise, so I went on and explained, “The minute we sat down, that same part of my back started to ache, and I knew it didn’t belong to me! I have a tendency to absorb other people’s pain. I’m just glad I know who it belongs to!”

True story: as an empath, I’m like a sponge. I was much more aware of it years ago when I first started on my spiritual path, but until recently, I sort of pushed it to the back of my mind. When it dawned on me three weeks ago that yes, I’m absorbing other people’s ailments, I decided to ask two healer friends what to do. Both of them told me to shut down my lower three chakras.

“That will do it?” I asked optimistically. According to them, the lower three chakras (base, sacral, solar plexus) are the culprit, so whenever I’m around people who are ill, depressed, buzzy, what-have-you, the best thing to do is visualize those three chakras closing up.

Both friends gave me different methods for doing so (and both work, by the way):

• visualize the chakras twisting to the “off” position
• visualize a black cloth being dropped over the chakras (or a curtain being pulled closed to cover them)

I put the methods to use, and since that time my body has felt FAN-freakin’-TASTIC! Not only did I stop absorbing random back, neck, shoulder or other aches and pains, but my head --- which for years has been prone to migraines --- has been operating as if it’s brand new! I’ve had one migraine in the past month. One! (I’m used to seven or eight.)

I never realized how much stuff was seeping inside me that didn’t belong to me. Now that I’m aware, you can bet any time I head out in public, I pull the drapes closed on my lower three chakras.

For more information on what it means to be an Empath or Sensitive, visit this web page: http://hubpages.com/hub/Psychism--7-Signs-Youre-an-Empath