Me and My Shadow

Many nights I take a walk an hour or two after dinner to release the stress on the day. I enjoy walking around the neighborhood after dark when it’s quiet and no one else is out because it’s easier to let my thoughts wander. The other night it was particularly brisk outside and there was something about how the street lights cast shadows that seemed a bit sharper than normal. As I walked I noticed how my own shadow would shift – sometimes in front of me, sometimes to the side, and sometimes behind me – and every once in a while when the light hit just right there were three shadows at once.

This got me thinking about how my various shadows could be viewed in a symbolic kind of way, as in the past (behind me), the present (beside me), and the future (in front of me). I also noticed that when my “behind me” shadow popped up it made me a little uncomfortable, like someone was following me. Which again got me thinking, this time about how much past pain we allow into our present circumstances. Think about it, if you were able to wave a magic wand and remove all of the past trauma, drama, betrayal, slights, and judgments that you felt at the hands of another, wouldn’t right now feel a whole lot better? This all coincided with a situation for me that brought up some triggers that I swear were from my teenage years. Very old wounds to be sure, and although I practice a method of belief release work on a regular basis, sometimes things have a way of getting buried way…way…way down.  

This leads me this week’s message, which is about the necessity of confronting your shadows on a regular basis. Without doing so the darkness has a tendency to grow, blocking out the light. When you confront the pain it’s like flipping a switch on so you can reveal the situation for what it really is.  And the reality of it just may be buried in the past.

Over here letting some light shine…

With Love.

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From Over There:

“Recognizing and expressing  human emotional pain is necessary to bring forth healing and releasing. When one does not allow the depth of feeling to surface, it forces the pain to be stored in the psyche and energy bodies, creating a perspective of the world based on that pain. This keeps one trapped in the feelings of pain and a reliving of the trauma through present and future relationships. Only when one confronts the pain and allows the feelings to release through the emotions does one begin the healing process, and create life through clearer perspective.”

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Featured Guest: Ruth Kellogg, LCSW

Ruth is a practical coach, who provides in depth counseling, and deep emotional healing. She works both from a traditional psychotherapeutic point of view, as well as from an energetic perspective, using her intuitive skills, along with other varied healing modalities to provide short term counseling, for what otherwise might be long term issues. To learn more, please visit ruthkellogg.com.

All the Time in the World

I admit, once again, that the message below is a repost due to my book rewrites taking over a vast amount of my time. The thing is, if I had been uber-structured with my time I’m sure I could’ve squeezed in something fresh, but instead I decided that some very necessary down time was in order. We all need time now and then to just chill, and I’m notoriously bad at doing that.

So here it is, a message about our concept of time and the structure we create in our lives. I, for one, needed to hear it and I hope it speaks to you too.

With Love.

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From Over There:

"Need for structure has created the concept of parcels of time. This can be useful, yet also a hindrance if one becomes overly attached to this structure. Over attachment impedes flow of possibility and change. Balancing structure and flexibility with time schedules allows for greater action with receptivity. To remain flexible with life as it occurs, while taking action steps toward that which is desired, generates the movement needed for creation of change.

Over attachment to structure creates rigidity and the attempt to control time. In contrast, over attachment to flexibility without form creates aimlessness. With balance, there is action and inaction. There is striving accompanied by rest. Both are of equal value in attaining goals and desires. Both are the foundation for a fulfilling life."

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Featured Guest: Golda Meir

This week I’ll leave you with a quote by Prime Minister Golda Meir:

“I must govern the clock, not be governed by it.”

Move It!

Maybe it’s because of daylight savings time, or maybe it’s the constant stress of trying to get everything done that needs doing, but I woke up Sunday morning with pounding headache and a raging desire to eat an entire pumpkin pie. Thankfully there was no pie in the house or I would have devoured it for sure, and then would’ve have had a pounding stomachache to match the headache.

I sat down to see what this was all about and got very quickly that it had to do with the lack of exercise. I’m usually pretty good about getting out for a walk on a daily basis, but lately all manner of work situations have been getting in the way. Well, to be honest I haven’t been making it a priority and have allowed work to get in the way. Yeah, there’s that personal responsibility thing popping up again...So I threw on my hiking shoes and decided that a real hike was in order, not just my usual-as-of-late walk around the neighborhood.

It’s truly amazing what happens when you allow a tightly wound up body to de-coil itself. As I began down the trail I could literally feel my chest, shoulders and back relax. Being in nature is truly magic for the body and soul. I was reminded the hard way that I need to remember to move my body – especially while overtaxing my mind. This helps keep the overactive brain from blowing a circuit, which is pretty much what I felt like I had done.  After the hike I felt so much better and no longer had a burning desire to down a whole pumpkin pie – just maybe a slice or two.

With Love.

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From Over There:

“The body must experience movement on a consistent basis in order to keep energy flowing. Without movement the energy in the body becomes stagnant and creates lethargy. Movement increases the flow of energy and allows the body to restore itself.  Movement releases excess energy that builds up through persistent fear or worry or anger. This release allows the body to relax and produce regeneration through consistent sleep patterns. Physical movement is necessary for optimal health of the body, and to quiet the mind, and ultimately, for a clear connection to the higher soul’s perspective.”   

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Featured Guest: Lou Reed

In light of Mr. Reed’s recent passing, I chose to feature him this week to honor his creative influence on the world of music. And although I can say with certainty that he wasn’t talking about walking out in the wilderness with this song, it’s one of his major contributions, and well, I like it. This version is a little different than the original: Walk on the Wild Side

Laundry...Check!

As stated in last week’s post, I’m currently in the midst of rewriting my book. This weekend I had every intention of getting a certain amount of revisions done, though only got to about 30% of what I had hoped for. This happened due to my focusing on all of the other little things that needed tending to in between bursts of writing. Over the years I’ve learned that laundry doesn’t do itself, and is a necessary task if plenty of clean underwear are important to you. And as the saying goes, a cluttered house represents a cluttered mind, so tidying up the living space is an essential part of my writing process. Not to mention that occasionally preparing something to eat – and eating it – helps keep the brain functioning. Mixed in were some social engagements, though unfortunately I had to miss a few I would have liked to attend, and alas, the carpets never did receive a proper vacuuming.

As I sat thinking about how my best intentions went awry, I received the short, but sweet message below. It’s about valuing all of your accomplishments, not just those at the top of your list. Life is filled with so many things to do, rarely are we able to get them all checked off. So let yourself feel good about what you did accomplish, instead of beating yourself up for what you didn’t. I know I feel better having done so.

With Love.

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From Over There:

“Rejoice in all endeavors, as life is filled with many things to accomplish. Understand the value in all of your undertakings – whether profound or mundane – as each has its importance in life’s progress.”

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Featured Guest: Steven R. Covey

This week’s guest is author of the classic time management book, The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People. No matter what it is, or what you choose to accomplish, good time management skills really help. To learn more, please visit stevencovey.com.

I'll Commit to That

This week I’m cheating a bit by reposting a message from about a year or so ago. The reason is that I’ve been immersed in rewrites for my book. I received some great feedback from a source I respect very much, and so dove in, full-throttle. The message below has to do with commitment, and since I’m completely committed to getting this book published, thought it fit quite nicely!

With Love.

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From Over There:

"Commitment is necessary to follow through to a desired outcome. It is important to be flexible within the framework of commitment, as there are times when the path to manifesting that which is desired is different than envisioned. Be open to changing commitments when necessary to move along the path that brings joy.

Many times, new experiences will alter the course of life. Changes in perception will - at times - broaden the view and reveal choices and desires that were once hidden from awareness. This is why flexibility is vital to growth and expansion. If one stays rigid and attached to the initial outcome - or avenues to the outcome - it has the potential to create fear of change that stifles forward movement.”

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Featured Guest: Will return next week!

Flex Your Flexibility

I find it pretty funny that this week’s message is about staying unattached to the course of an outcome. The reason for this is that I’ve sat down several times to write the opening portion of my post – something that usually flows very easily for me – though I keep finding myself in the middle of other tasks. Suddenly, I’m outside in the bright sunshine doing yard work. Oops, I had better get back to writing. I start to type and then…hey, how did I end up over here straightening up this bookcase??? After a few more similar situations such as these I realized that in allowing myself to do what I really wanted to do (putter around the house) I was actually heeding the advice that this week’s message was relaying.

So after much organizing and weeding, I’m back to writing this opening. Or actually writing about not writing it, for the most part. The great thing about allowing myself to deviate from my expected path today is that I accomplished a lot of stuff that I’ve wanted to do for a while, AND got this post done at the same time. It’s also a wonderful reminder that sometimes you need to change course a little to get back on track. It’s all about staying flexible.

With Love.

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From Over There:

“To remain on course with a desired outcome one needs to be unattached to the outcome and the method used to pursue the outcome. This fluidity is necessary to allow all opportunities to come forth, and to recognize an opportunity otherwise not yet envisioned. It is this ability to remain unattached and fluid that allows for the greatest change to occur. If one is resistant to change, then one cannot readily expect the change that they desire. The experience of resistance comes from the repetition of pursuing old patterns of behavior that are no longer useful. When one releases the need to control the outcome or the path to the outcome, then one releases the patterns that keep one in stasis. It is action met with non-attachment that creates the truest path toward achieving of a desired outcome, and allows doing so with a joyful heart.”

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Featured Guest: Thich Nhat Hanh 

This week I will leave you with a quote from Zen Buddhist monk and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh: “Changing is not just changing the things outside of us. First of all we need the right view that transcends all notions including of being and non-being, creator and creature, mind and spirit. That kind of insight is crucial for transformation and healing.”

Just Smile

I recently read somewhere that wearing sunglasses has the ability to increase happiness. How so, you ask? Well, as the story expressed, when you don’t wear sunglasses in the bright sun it creates a squinty facial expression that’s similar to when you’re angry. This “angry face” then triggers a response in the brain that can cause a person to become irritable. Interesting. This made me think about how when I’m stressed and irritated I tend to hunch over, almost as if I’m closing down shop and preparing for battle. On the flipside, when I’m feeling happy I tend to hold my shoulders back a little more. A much more welcoming stance!

If you’ve ever paid attention to body language when talking to someone you know how the body can communicate quite a bit, even when no words are spoken. Being aware of this is great for understanding how to interact with others, but what about your interaction with you? As the message below says, how your body speaks to you is pretty important as well. So from this day forward I do solemnly swear to make my best effort to stop scrunching my face and hunching my shoulders whenever I get cranky. Maybe my crankiness will disappear…or at least not stick around for such an extended stay.

May your smiles be wide and often.

With Love.

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From Over There:

“The human body is an instrument that is capable of expressing or repressing emotion. When the body is in joy the muscles lift, tension releases and the body feels light. When the body is in sadness the muscles droop and the body feels heavy. When the body is in anger the muscles tense and the body feels tight and disconnected.

As the human body and mind are symbiotic in nature, the body’s actions have the ability to change patterns within the mind. Anger and sadness may be lessened if one engages in joyful posturing. Through purposeful breathing, through opening and expanding the chest, through lifting the facial muscles the body expresses to the mind feelings of joy. Through this symbiotic connection the body communicates to the mind and the mind reacts to the message through shifting to a more positive position.”

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Featured Guest: Nat King Cole

This week I’ll leave you with one of my favorite songs, written by Charlie Chaplin and performed by Nat King Cole, Smile.