Tag: connection

Floating in Kindness

I have read that patients hear everything that is said or felt in the hospital room even when sedated or unconscious. Those who have near-death experiences describe watching and hearing the doctors, nurses, and family members from “above” and seeing the connections between everything. I have always believed this to be true. Recently, I had my own experience of something similar, though not at the edge of death. I was sedated for a breast cancer operation, and as I came out of sedation after surgery, I had the vivid experience of writing a very detailed letter describing how extraordinarily kind everyone was in the operating and recovery rooms. I lay there feeling it all intensely as I slowly returned to conscious awareness within the “real world.” But I ask you, “What is real here?” There was no doubt in my fully conscious mind that I was remembering what I experienced during surgery and immediately after. I had felt surrounded by bodhisattvas.*

Lying there, slowly drifting back into my mind’s perceptions, experienced in conjunction with my heart’s loving awareness, I “knew” my surroundings and the world at large in a greater, wiser way. The feeling of floating in an atmosphere of caring and kindness expanded until all I felt was oneness with everyone in the room as well as everyone on Earth. And everything in the universe. Immersion in a loving Presence. Tears rolled down my cheeks. Thus God guides us along our soul’s path in our human lifetime. Gradually, we come to see the larger picture, the divine tapestry within which we are all threads of consciousness.

Two months ago, I was invisibly guided to find the lump in my breast, and everything that unfolded afterward has been a blessed dance of deepening soul awareness and connection. All my friends and loved ones, all the doctors and nurses, are playing a part in this dance—and are, I’m sure, experiencing their own soul journeys parallel to mine. This is what is happening now on our blue planet, as it becomes golden with illuminated collective awareness. In truth, we are all bodhisattvas returning to Earth to shine the light of loving kindness and oneness so strongly that finally we all feel it as powerfully as I did in that recovery room. I am forever changed by that experience.

As I walk down the street now, I see shining souls all connected to one another, not solitary human forms lost in the dramas of their own lives. Beneath our earthly costumes this is who we all are: infinite beings of light. We are here on assignment from the stars. Look around, look within, and remember who you are. Reach out the hand of kindness to every person, animal, plant, tree, butterfly or bee you encounter. Feel the connections beyond language. What will be returned to you is the reflection of your own soul and God’s imprint on your heart. We came here to love one another and to love ourselves. In that there is only Oneness.
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*Bodhisattvas are enlightened beings who return to the Earth plane out of compassion and the desire to be of loving service to others (a Buddhist teaching).

Guided

Every moment of our lives is guided by an Intelligence that we may only partially recognize while we are in physical form. It has been called variously Infinite Consciousness, Soul Awareness, or more simply, God/Goddess. We are a part of that vast beingness, and before we move from formlessness to form (birth), we choose an overview for our lives that opens us to expansion and evolving. Our physical lives interweave with one another within a vast tapestry of intention and meaning woven by that Intelligence, which we are one with. There is no experience or event, however small or large, that is not connected to that cosmic interweaving.

At this time on Planet Earth, the door to seeing this profound connection, the oneness of the entire universe, is opening wider and wider. More and more people are understanding that their lives are not random and meaningless but indeed part of unlimited micro and macro connections that make up the entire multiverse. “A world in a grain of sand,” as William Blake wrote. “Infinity in the palm of your hand.” This is the miraculous vision that is our human destiny now. To look at the sky and see eternity and gaze at a field of flowers and see heaven. Or to experience each event in your life as rich in both connection and direction.

That is where my breast cancer experience has been taking me. From the moment I had the impulse to check my breasts only two weeks after a normal mammogram, I knew that something greater was at play. I didn’t make a conscious mental decision to do a breast check (before this, I never checked my breasts). Suddenly my hand was checking my right breast and almost immediately located a lump there. It was subsequently found to be cancer, stage 1, and I had surgery to remove it and the area around it. I have been continually moved to share this story and urge others to check their breasts (both women and men can get breast cancer). And to write about allowing not only your hand but your whole being to be guided by a power beyond human knowing, which shows itself in synchronicity, intuition, and inexplicable “coincidences” that move your life in certain directions.*

To trust in your soul’s wisdom and God’s presence can fill your life with inner peace and outer calm. No matter what happens, however painful or beautiful, it is all part of the flow of human evolution into the Light. A light that humanity and our planet is destined to shine in the cosmos. That may sound like wishful thinking or new age speculation, but I assure you that the more you notice the connections between seemingly small events in your life, the more you will see those light-filled connections everywhere. Every person you meet is a fellow traveler. Every experience you have guides you to deeper awareness. Don’t miss it. You will be grateful beyond words to discover that life is not pointless and cruel but always divinely guided in love. I am.
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*As I waited in the hospital for my second breast operation (to achieve wider clear margins), I watched surgery scheduling delays unfold around me. My own operation originally scheduled for 1:40 p.m. ended up taking place at 3 p.m., thus placing it in exact alignment with the powerful balancing energy of the Autumnal Equinox at 3:20 p.m. Perfect synchronicity beyond all human planning.

Commitment to Hope

“Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul
And sings the tune without words
And never stops—at all”
—Emily Dickinson

A key component in any transformative life experience, personal or planetary, is hope. Not half-hearted or faint hope, but hope that is steadfast, sturdy, resilient, like that in Emily Dickinson’s poem. Hope within the human soul cannot be extinguished, no matter the hardship or loss. Despite the challenges of life, we humans endure because of that intangible something within us that holds us to life. Yet, there are times when hope seems shaky—as tenuous as a single candle flame wavering in a strong wind. Times such as now, when political discord, a deadly global pandemic, or personal crises erode our belief in a positive outcome. This is when hope is needed most.

Hope requires intention and commitment to keep it alive and well. Especially the latter. Commitment is the strong hand that holds trust in place and points to possibility when surrounded by what seems impossible. Commitment to oneself, to others, and to a greater intelligence that weaves a tapestry of meaning in the seemingly chaotic universe. In our dreams, we envision a better world in which all beings on the planet live in balance, health, and harmony. Those dreams arise from the divine design that shapes our lives on Earth. They are founded in hope.

In day-to-day life, how do we live that commitment, keep it strong within us? It must be part of the weaving of our relationships with family, friends, and our communities. It must live in the smiles among strangers in the streets, the friendly word to grocery cashiers or bus drivers. Commitment is fed by the feedback of connection and loving relationships. Hope grows stronger in our hearts when we feel part of something larger than our own individual lives. When we feel one, not separate. To keep the commitment to hope is to remember that we are not solitary, we are many.

I have been reminded of this repeatedly recently as I face a breast cancer diagnosis and live through the surgery and healing process. Friends and family have been key in keeping me centered in the hope in my own heart and soul. Even in the midst of fears that can accompany illness or disease (or any unknown), hope rises within us and sustains us. The feathered presence that Emily Dickinson refers to has appeared to me again and again in my life, never more than now. No coincidence that birds have been one of my greatest joys throughout the years. Their songs lift my heart and show me the vivid miracles that surround me every day. When I hear a cardinal singing outside my window, I know God is near, both within me and in the external world.

So, whatever your life situation, whatever challenges you are called to face in your life, whatever is going on in the world, look around and see the beauty, see the blessings. Nature, friends, family, the sun that rises each morning—all these call you to hope, for your own life, for all of our lives on this dear blue planet Earth. Listen to the sweet song of hope in your soul and know that each breath you take is a miracle. Commit your life to hope, and it will carry you forward, beyond any challenges, into a profound connection to something greater that your one life, to the oneness of spirit that sustains us all at the deepest level.

Shadows and Light

On August 9, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.* For two days I moved, stunned, beneath the dark shadow of those words, which I never had imagined would apply to me. I felt as if all joy and flow in my life had vanished. I couldn’t access the inner peace that had become so much a part of my daily experience. I couldn’t hear my soul’s voice. I was lost within the dramatic scenarios my mind was playing out, all of them shadowed and sad. I grieved the loss of my connection to spirit, to trust (and perhaps to life). Then a wise friend reminded me that I didn’t have to immediately be at peace, that it was okay to feel whatever I needed to, day by day. The light of peace would eventually return, as long as I remembered not to get caught in the mind drama, and just trust the divine process of it all. He was right.

Shadows and light come and go in our lives. They are the yin and yang of the Earth plane. One can’t exist without the other. We wouldn’t know happiness without sorrow, pleasure without pain. On a planet of polarities, we cannot expect the external world to be only one thing. We might be bored if it were. What we can do is find a place of calm acceptance within us to experience (or observe) all those seeming opposites that fill our lives. From that perspective, all is well, and there is purpose beneath the play of consciousness before us and within us at all times. Eventually, we learn that the opposites flow together into one. The diverse forms that make up our planetary experience arise from formlessness and eventually return to that oneness. This is the nature of the multiverse that we inhabit and that is also within us.

That is wisdom I carry in my soul. At times of crisis in my own life (cancer) or in the world (pandemic), it is easy to forget. Feelings of fear and sadness almost overwhelm me. At the last minute, something or someone appears to remind me. The light shines, and the shadows recede. If I can accept the existence of both shadows and light, I can move forward even in the face of fear, even with sadness in my heart. The human experience is complex and unpredictable. Only in deep inner surrender and trust can we find peace. I signed up for all these life experiences before birth; to resist them is to lose the greater wisdom and purpose of my unique life. I am expanding and evolving through each and every one of them. Our entire planet, our entire multiverse, is evolving through our individual and collective experiences.

I am still on this journey, still facing the unknowns of living with a cancer diagnosis (follow-up MRI yesterday; awaiting results; surgery next week). All this is perhaps a further emptying out within my life, which began in Florida. I know now, with everything in me, that that emptiness occurs so God awareness can fill it. I remind myself repeatedly to remain open to everything that appears to be a loss. More space for God, for divine connection, and for my own soul’s full flowering. There are no mistakes, no terrible errors or punishments. Every single thing, as Rumi wrote, “has been sent as a guide from beyond.”

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*NOTE: I found the lump in my breast myself, only two weeks after a “normal” mammogram. It couldn’t be seen because my breasts are very dense. A subsequent ultrasound picked it up, and I was sent for a biopsy. I am grateful for whatever divine impulse moved me to examine my breasts (which I rarely do) that day because the cancer was found at what appears to be an early stage. So please remember to do breast self-examination–it could save your life!

True Love

The word love sometimes loses its impact from overuse. We apply it to so many situations and recipients: people, food, places, experiences, clothing, cars, etc. In most of these senses, it signifies a strong preference or attachment of some kind. It doesn’t usually mean letting go or allowing, which is the greater sense of love. From a spiritual perspective, complete immersion in love is the highest attainment of a seeker on the path to self-knowledge and God realization. Within that experience, “attainment” and the path itself disappear in profound loving awareness. A deep light of unconditional love shines on everything and everyone, without expectation or judgment of any kind.

Such a love allows the world and others to be exactly as they are without prerequisite or paradigm. This is the way God loves—or whatever name you want to give the infinite consciousness that created the universe. God realization does not mean that you become enlightened or God-like. It means you fully realize that you are already enlightened, already God, and always have been. And so is everything and everyone else. God incarnates on this Earth plane to experience itself in an infinite number of forms. On the soul level, we know we are God; on the personality level, we see ourselves as human and thus flawed/limited. The soul exists in limitless loving awareness, and as each human evolves, they move closer to aligning with their soul and seeing the perfection in all things. They begin to love as God loves; they allow everything and everyone to be as they are.

This is the journey we are on now on this planet. The shift of the ages has placed us all at this time and place to open fully to the true nature of who we are. When you realize you are God and everyone else is too, separation falls away. Hatred and injustice eventually dissolve because there is no “other”; there is only One. You begin to observe the gradual evolution of a world into a more loving inclusive place. Every polarity and extreme is being lived out so that we may come back into balance and harmony. Humans often think the world and humanity are fatally flawed. We want to fix everything through our own efforts and attempts at control, based in hugely different opinions and judgments. But there are no mistakes in God. Every piece of this Earth puzzle is designed to fit together perfectly. The resolution has already occurred; we are just living it out.

That may sound a bit far-fetched or complex, but the day-to-day reality is simple. Love this world and everyone in it with all your heart. Your life is a fleeting experience of divine wonder and connection. Don’t miss it. Don’t miss the miracle of loving so widely that your awareness expands to include the entire universe, micro and macro. This is why you came here. You are God loving God in all its manifestations. And God is loving you through everything as well. You are evolving a planet just by opening your heart, by experiencing life as your soul. Loving awareness is the greatest gift you can experience and you can give. Look around you. Are you truly loving what you see? Do you know you are love itself?

There are no false steps here. Don’t worry about how to give or receive love. Just view every part of your life with wonder and joy. Imagine yourself as a soul seeing other souls, each one glowing with light and presence. The Earth and humanity are being reborn through your eyes and your heart. That is the miracle of true love.