A New Beginning!

I haven't written anything on my blog or posted anything here for a while. Following is a post taken from my blog written on Wednesday, 18 August 2010. Katherine thank you for your lovely comments. As you have requested, I post this here with love, on this very special day, 10.10.10, which is the start of New Beginnings for the whole planet.


I have been on a private journey, practising what I have been preaching more or less and finding bits of myself I left behind, or was too scared to look at.

I have read some more, practised some more, forgiven some more and let go some more. Am I whole?

I was always whole, this is the most important lesson I have learnt; that the true essence of who we are; is and always was and will be whole and perfect.

I have re-membered that to become whole we need to separate in order to come back together.

We live in a world of separateness, or the illusion that we are separate, but in actual fact we are all ONE; as the body is made of many parts, they are not of much use by them selves, even though they are important in their own right, they are made to work together as ONE.

I have reflected more on the Power of Now - Eckhart Tolle, and read some other inspirational books on the law of attraction, and the conclusion I have come to, is that all wisdom is true.

Truth IS, it is always the same. There are many routes to it but Truth does not move, it waits patiently for you to accept this fact.

I can read something and see the truth in parts of it, I can dismiss other parts, but what is important the truth is there to be seen, whether we can see it or not.

When I have seen it, I know it to be real (true) for my heart sings. I feel some resonance, as if my heart is tuned into the same frequency.

There have been times when I have read something that does not resonate with me. Does this mean it is not true, or is it that I cannot see the truth. Truth is there, you have reached insight when you are able to see through the words. For behind it all is truth, waiting patiently to be reached.

I have also been re-learning, about who I really am. I have found the truth, again through words, as this is my medium of enlightenment. To others it may be something else.

I have come to see that I am not really just my body, my name, my culture, my religion, my sex, my marital status etc. I am part of the Divine. I am more Divine than all the rest of these parts.

I have also come to see that when I am in alignment with this bigger part of who I am, my life works. There still are similar situations, problems and issues, but the difference is that I am not been washed up by the waves. I can ride the waves and still be at peace.

How???

- By waking up each day from the starting point of wholeness and not lack.
- By looking at all the possible things that can go right today, than hold on to all that went wrong yesterday, and think more of the same today.
- By honoring my feelings, feeling the power they evoke inside me, trusting that I will not be engulfed by them, and breathing, whilst they gently subside.
- By understanding that at the end of an unhappy moment/event there is an opportunity for a happy outcome.

The above can be explained as follows:

If everything in this life is made up of opposites then the opposite of sadness is happiness. There is a variation of both these feelings/situations as there is variation in the hues of colour.

So on a scale of happiness/sadness it could look as below:

(Sadness)Pain->anger->frustration->surrender->forgivenes->PEACE(happiness)

As you walk on the the path towards happiness, you can experience sadness and along the path there is pain, anger, frustration and all the rest that can make us unhappy. The important thing to remember is that at the other end if you continue there is peace, which is happiness.

Surrender is not giving in to the situation or circumstance, it is an acceptance, a letting go of, and this gives you the opportunity to forgive, which is to fully release the past, leaving just peace.

Along this journey of life, we will be taking steps forward and then seemingly fall backward into pain. We can choose to stay at any point, we can bring in surrender at any point, we can forgive at any point. We don't have to ignore the hurt and frustration, just accept it, this helps for the biggest transformation.

Life offers many opportunities to find peace in all situations. It may seem a pointless venture since there is this situation of duality/opposites going on. But each time you forgive, you have put yourself on a higher level of understanding and consciousness.

You now have more awareness and more power of your actions. From this new awareness, you can reach peace quicker, as you are embodying more peace. You are being more of who you really are. You are aligned to the Divine, and the Divine is LOVE!!!

With an awareness that you are essentially made up of love, the more connected you feel to this part of you, the more peace you will see all around you.

So, here are my lessons, for now. I hope through these words you are able to see the truth. I hope you can see your own light shining through!

'A man should look for what is and not what he thinks should be'
Albert Einstein

Sometimes

Sometimes I look and don’t feel seen.
Sometimes I shout but don’t feel heard.
Sometimes I hold on but don’t feel held.
Sometimes I want but don’t feel wanted.
Sometimes.

Sometimes I look but don’t see.
Sometimes I talk but don’t say anything.
Sometimes I listen but don’t hear.
Sometimes I want what cannot be given.
Sometimes.

Sometimes those closest to me seem so far away.
Sometimes they are not far enough.
Sometimes I don’t understand.
Sometimes I can’t explain.
Sometimes.

Sometimes I need help but just don’t know why.
Sometimes I need help but don’t know what.
Sometimes I need help but don’t know who from.
Sometimes I need help.
Sometimes.

Sometimes I am a man.
Sometimes I am a son.
Sometimes I am a husband.
Sometimes I am a dad.
Sometimes.

Sometimes.
I am me.

Also posted at www.Glenslife.com

New Discoveries

Photo courtesy of
Bing images

I have never been what I would describe as militant about anyone's food choices. I respect everyone's right to make those choices for themselves, whether that means you're a card carrying, true blue meat eater, or whether you're an all out vegan who wouldn't think of touching anything that got within light years of a living, breathing animal, or whether you're somewhere in the middle. Live and let live has always been my preference. I will admit that I have some vegan friends who are rather aggressive with their beliefs and approach. I make it clear that I'm not open to being preached to or chastised over what I choose to eat. I am a capable adult and make those choices for myself.


That being said, I do have interest in eating in as healthy a manner as I can manage, with my own food preferences and slightly odd food issues (allergies) taken into consideration. Recently, I have been exposed via a client of mine to the whole scary world of Genetically Modified Foods (GMOs). In the process of researching this topic, I was stunned to learn that the highly touted label of 'organic' doesn't necessarily mean the food you're eating is healthy for you, OR that it is truly organic.

Take honey as an example. In order for any United States company to make a true claim that their honey is organic, they have to be able to prove that their bees are deriving nutrition, pollen and water from proven organic sources within a 50 mile radius of their home location. I don't know if these stipulations apply in other countries, but just that one fact stopped me in my tracks and made me reconsider some of the food purchases I've been making over the years. With that as a simple guideline, given that a huge number of crops that provide cross pollination to bees in the U.S. are likely to be GMO crops, honey produced in the U.S. can't really be truly labeled as 'organic'. See what I mean? Scary!


Spelt Grain
Courtesy of Bing images


This client, fortunately, is a wonderful U.S. company, Berlin Natural Bakery in Berlin, Ohio that produces a wide range of spelt products that are Non-GMO Project Verified. I am happy to report that I can source their products here in my local area and plan to make a big shift in my own household to their breads, pastas and more. This is a simple thing that I can do and feel good knowing I am consuming healthy foods that have not been genetically tinkered with. It's a small step, and some may argue that everything else I eat can't be proven to be equally healthy and 'safe', but for me, it's a good step in the right direction.

Another fairly new avenue [to me] for health and holistic maintenance is essential oils. I have some clients and dear friends who are masters at this art and science, and I am learning fascinating new details and knowledge almost daily from my contact with them. As a former licensed massage therapist, I always used essential oils in my practice, but didn't give a great deal of thought to the healing properties of those essential oils. Looking back, I wonder why I didn't delve more deeply into it, but at the time I was more focused on establishing my business and being successful. My clients enjoyed the aromatherapy aspects of the oils that I used and that was great. Now, having connected with two amazing women who have successful aromatherapy and essential oil businesses, I am being exposed to a whole world of health benefits I never realized essentials give us.

We all know that scents give us visceral, emotional reactions. The smell of baking bread or chocolate chip cookies in the oven will take us right back to happy childhood memories. The smell of freshly cut grass kicks us into thoughts of hot, lazy summer afternoons walking behind the cranky push mower, sweating like a fiend and looking forward to a cold drink at the end of the chore. Perfumes bring to mind specific people. Every scent has some personal tie in our minds and memories. The wonderful thing about essential oils is that they're not just delightful to smell - they're full of amazing healing properties.


Photo courtesy of
Bing images


I am a novice at this and can only refer to my friends Julie Nelson of Aromatique Essentials in Australia and Sheen Perkins McKeever of Agape Oils and Essential Oils by Nature in Wilmington, North Carolina as the true experts in the essential oils field. One good example that I've learned is that the ages old resin, Frankincense, has the following powerful properties: it is antiseptic, antifungal, antidepressant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, diuretic. Wow, right?! It is also a wonderful ingredient that can be incorporated into aromatherapy for its calming influence. What I am learning that is so exciting is that essential oils can be efficacious for so many ailments, ranging from aches and pains such as arthritis and bruises to more serious complaints such as respiratory issues and such dread modern issues as MRSA infections.

I consider myself quite fortunate to be connected with these wonderful people running these progressively thinking companies. Through working with each of them, I am learning and being exposed to ideas, products and information that are changing the way I live my life...changing it in a healthy way! Because learning and growing always excites and makes me happy, when I stumble across topics of this nature, it is my first wish and impulse to share the information. I hope many of you will take time to click on these various companies I've mentioned and do some research, and discovering of your own. These are small steps to take, yes, in the broad scheme of all the toxins that we are bombarded with in our daily lives, but we all have to start somewhere. Why not take those first steps in directions that taste and smell good?

Happy eating and happy fragrant moments!
__________________________________
If you enjoyed this post and would like to read more, you can find me at Healing Morning blog.

I Am Not Perfect

I am not curvy
or lady-like
in physical appearance
or mannerisms.

I am ambitious
and have a strong
sense of self-worth.

I snore
I hate shopping
I don't like socializing.

I hate doing the
laundry
and the dishes
and am no
fan of keeping
things organized.

I like hanging out
with the guys
And can argue
Until the moon
goes to bed.

I am judgmental
and opinionated
and you've heard
me fart.

I am obsessed
with planning
and usually have
a Plan C and D
ready in case
A and B fail.

I prefer my space
and want you
to have yours.

I nag at times
and complain
that you give away
"my" unused things
to those who
need 'em.

I am selfish
and clingy
sometimes both at
the same time.

I don't like
sharing you
with anyone ...
not even your mom.

I am not patient
or wise
and I'm a
sore loser.

I keep grudges
and it's hard for
me to let go
even when I know
I should.

I am strongly opinionated
and will not
take advantage of
the perks that come
with "being a woman."

I am self-critical
and confused
about where I want to be
and what I want to do.

I lie at times
when I think it's
the reasonable thing to do
but also sometimes
because it's easier.

I dig my nose
and my ears
and will not wax
my armpits until
I absolutely have to.

I make excuses
for little things
when I don't need to
but still have the
urge to.

I recognize
all my "flaws"
and know that
perfection is but
a myth
a mirage
a non-attainable
ideal.

It doesn't mean
I don't try to
become a
better person,
more tolerant
less critical
more accepting
less disparaging.

It doesn't mean
I don't strive
to improve
upon my shortcomings.

All it means
is recognizing
that perfection
isn't a standard
by which to judge
ourselves or fellow
human beings.

I am not perfect.

But my imperfections
make me the
unique person
I am.

They make me
the real me
not the person
I want to be
or pretend to be
but the person I am.

I am not perfect.

Are you?

Also posted on my blog.

Live YOUR Life

Photo courtesy of
Bing images

A couple days ago, I experienced a very unpleasant situation online, on Facebook. It was in a peripheral manner but still disturbing. In a nutshell, I had clicked to Like/Follow a new page that is quite successful for a specific product that I use. The owner of the page appears to be quite successful, with thousands of followers. I thought, "Okay, why not? A lot of people I know follow him."


Less than an hour later, one of his posts hit my wall. It contained what can only be described as a poisonous diatribe...a vicious, supercilious, holier-than-thou attack on someone who had interacted with this man on some earlier thread on his Facebook wall. I am not going to disclose the Facebook page or names of anyone involved. The personal attack this person perpetrated was long, involved, ugly and full of a confusing, garbled message that after reading, left me wondering what had riled him up so badly. He took pains to post what had been a fairly innocuous conversation and proceeded to ridicule, lambast and accuse this other person of outright heinous behavior. What I saw from my end was a woman who had written a thoughtful, fair minded and relatively mild comment that didn't agree 100% with this man's perspective.

In response to his attack and his blatant act of putting her on Facebook blast to his readers, she took the High Road and apologized in a sincere manner. She addressed his points, stood her ground in a polite manner, but also took pains to express that if any insult was given, that wasn't her intention. His reaction was to write what I would describe as an Epic reply....we're talking paragraph after paragraph (more than 15 paragraphs, in fact - I stopped counting and reading at 15) of ranting, snide remarks and insulting, ugly comments about this woman's intelligence. It was simply disturbing. I went so far as to write a short comment in the thread that I found nothing incendiary about the statement that caused the whole ruckus, but then I bowed out.

What is my point? Well, if I can say anything about this whole mess, it is that I often wonder why so many people insist on living someone else's life for them. That is exactly what this guy was doing. By attempting to bludgeon someone else into bowing down to you just to keep the peace, by reacting in outrage and an attacking manner to force that other person to adopt your opinion, all you are doing is trying to step right into that person's life and take over. News Flash to those of us who behave in that manner....YOU DO NOT BELONG THERE!! Step back into your own body, your own life and your own arena.

My Grandmother Reagan was quite fond of telling all of us grandkids (there are 27 of us) when we were small and falling victim to the need to exhibit anywhere near that type of behavior, "Stay on your own back porch and tend your own backyard. That will keep you PLENTY busy!" Sage words, my friends.

What joy could it possibly bring another human being to behave in such a churlish, vindictive, antagonistic and public manner towards someone they've never met face to face??? It is beyond my ability to comprehend, but it was quite clear in that thread that this guy was LOVING what he was doing. Thankfully, one of my friends had recently posted on his wall the way to UnLike a page on Facebook, and I wasted no time zipping over to his wall to find that thread, copy the directions and delete that man's Fan Page from my wall. I do not ever want that level of toxic energy around me.

There was a bright side to the whole drama. I sent a private message to the lady that was the victim of this scenario, offering my own opinion and support. She wrote back and we struck up what appears to be the beginning of a very nice friendship. File this under the category of one of my older, archived posts, "It's 'Funny' How". Sometimes wonderful things result from the strangest, most unlikely, occasionally unpleasant circumstances. Happily, this was such a moment, and I look forward to getting to know this new friend better in the coming days.

Am I saying that we should never offer our own opinions about anything? That we should stand meekly and mutely by as a friend, or even a complete stranger walks directly into the path of an oncoming bus (literally or figuratively)? Absolutely not. I am not saying either of those things. There's a handy word to apply here and it is 'prudence'. If you read Healing Morning blog often, then you already know I'm a fan of the dictionary, so here's what Webster has to tell us about prudence:

Prudence
Noun
1. The ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prudence)

I think we all can agree that there is no way on Earth that someone can exercise prudence when they're occupied with the egotistical tantrum this man was throwing out on his Facebook wall. I cannot speak for him or what wound him up to such an irrational level. Clearly, there were emotional triggers that were tripped for him and he just dove right into the thick of it, wallowing around, pulling it close like a favorite teddy bear, enjoying the whole drama of it all. To my way of thinking, this did nothing to serve him well. It shined a very harsh light on him and actually made him look and sound petty, vengeful and childish. My newfound friend, however, stepped firmly into loving, forgiving and conciliatory energy, forgave, apologized and then walked away.

It is human nature to want to slap back at someone when they attack us. This situation went beyond anything as simple as an attack and slipped over the edge into character assassination. Nothing good can result from that type of dark, ugly energy. I predict that this person [perpetrating the attack] more than likely lives in a constant state of turmoil, has endless disappointments and often wonders why nothing ever goes his way. If he could step outside of himself for a wee span of time and watch his behavior from this whole episode, he might truly be appalled at the negative energy he was spewing. He might, just maybe, recognize that he is creating his own reality...and a grandly negative one at that.

I don't know his history or what has made him such an unhappy person inside that he has to resort to publicly tearing another person down to derive some sense of self. It is saddening to me, to be honest, that this man walks such a negative path. Granted, this was a small, isolated window into his world, so perhaps I am painting him with an unfair and broad brush. I have found, however, that that type of aggressive, angry energy blasted in such a public manner tends to indicate ingrained, habitual behavior. I can only wish peace towards him and remove myself, which I have done.

It generally comes from a vast sense of dissatisfaction that someone is motivated to thrust themselves so forcefully into another person's life in this way. If you're happy with yourself, content with your beliefs and perspective, you will have little to no need to force anyone to believe, think or feel as you do. That's because you're tending your own yard, staying on your own back porch and living your own life. It sounds so simple, right? For some of us, it is. For many of us, it comes easy. For many, it is hard fought and hard won, this realization that living your own life is the quickest and surest way to happiness. It is when we stray from our own path and start meddling with others, telling them how to live, that we come to grief and cause some truly unnecessary, hurtful situations.

I know the road I choose to take. Yes, I stepped briefly into this whole scenario in an effort to soothe troubled waters. I'm a peacekeeper by nature, but not to such a degree that I will charge militantly into someone else's space and forcefully inflict my opinions. When it was clear that nothing could mitigate the situation at hand, I, too, walked away. But I wasn't alone....I had a new friend walking with me. So, again, it really is 'funny how' Life throws us these unexpected moments of startling beauty in the midst of a tangled mess!

Accountability is another good word to partner up with practising restraint, respect and prudence. I agree with my beloved Granny Reagan that staying in my own backyard and living my own life keeps me plenty busy on any given day. I find that I resonate and enjoy spending time with other wonderful people who embrace this concept, because in general, they are happy Souls. Certainly, we all have bad days where we slip up, but I find that I can detect that bright light shining from within that other person when they are tending their backyard, keeping their porch clean and neat and authentically living their own lives.

Photo courtesy of
http://www.coolfreeimages.net/

The harmony of someone who is emotionally well balanced is obvious and joyous to be around. It's a daily choice...sometimes a moment by moment one...but as I said earlier, I know which road I want to be on. And I know the type of people with whom I prefer to interact. My own Light recognizes you all, you know.

Your Light is a beacon and you make a difference in this world when you step forward in Conscious Thought, Conscious Love and the decision to Live YOUR Life.

Namaste.
____________________________
If you enjoyed this post and would like to read more, you can find me at Healing Morning blog.

Double Century

It's a big achievement or a miniscule one depending on the way you look at it.

This is my 200th post.

200 days of pouring my heart out, debating, questioning, musing, and venting.

200 days of support from all you readers who make this enterprise so much fun.

I started writing on a daily basis because I didn't want my writing skills to rust.

I, also, wanted a forum from where I could express my opinions without any marketing or educational agenda attached to it -- that's what I do 9-5 every day.

With your help I have been able to rediscover my voice, remain honest in my writings, and renew my faith in the concept of the public square.

It isn't easy to write every day -- to think of something meaningful to share with a wide variety of readers from different countries, backgrounds, ethnicities, age groups, and cultural beliefs. Being a writer by profession makes it a tad easier, but nevertheless it can be daunting sometimes to wake up in the mornings and have my mind go blank.

No inspiring thoughts, no raging debates in my head, no points of contention to be made. During the course of the day, though, I've found that someone says something or I observe/read something that triggers a train of thoughts -- some "normal" life event that helps keep the momentum going.

And before I know it, I find myself typing furiously. It is for that reason, that I think reaching this milestone is a big achievement.

On the other hand, there are so many bloggers out there who have five-six years' worth of rich content, thoughtfully presented in little daily doses of inspiring prose ... in front of them, this is but a minor accomplishment.

Big or small, it has been a fruitful enterprise.

In the course of my blogging I have discovered many thinkers -- some of whom I agree with, others that challenge my belief system.

It has, indeed, been a pleasure making the acquaintance of my readers, many of whom are bloggers like me, and others who stop by to share their insights when they get a chance.

All of you have enriched my life in a way that I hadn't thought of when committing myself to this blog.

When I reached the century mark a couple of months ago, I instituted the Photoblogger of the Month award that was embraced with open arms by all of you.

To commemorate this milestone, I will introduce "Mansi asks:" a bi-monthly series that will present a probing question.

When I was on Facebook, I used to ask a question daily -- sometimes intentionally provocative, other times innocently so. Not all the questions were deeply philosophical -- some were just for fun.

The one thing they all had in common was that they invited engagement.

Even if I asked something as inconsequential as "What did you have for breakfast?" I'd have people volunteering information about muffins, parathas, toasts, and multigrain cereal.

I chose not to respond to any of the questions I asked, unless someone specifically called me out for an opinion.

Now, it's time to change that.

I will dive in head first and postulate but what will make this series effective is your participation.

So, look out for the "Mansi asks:" series and be sure to chime in.

In the meantime, here's to big and little things that make one happy.

Unrequited Love

I spent the day with Jesse today. He is such a wonderful man. I feel quite lucky to have found him in my life. It never fails when we are together, he always wants to hold my hand, tell me how lovely I am and that he wishes he could marry someone just like me. He always adds he knows I am married and would never want to disrespect my husband however, I am pretty sure he is flirting with me. It’s the way he looks at me, laughs at all my jokes and wants to walk arm in arm everywhere we go. Then there are the things he says to me.


“You are one of the nicest women I have ever met.”


“Thank you, Jesse!”


“I really mean it. I so enjoy spending the day with you. You always make me feel like I really matter to you.”


“You really do matter to me, Jesse.”


“Well, I appreciate that. I’d marry you if you weren’t already married.”


“Well, Jesse, I don’t think Bob would like me marrying somebody else but thanks for thinking of me.”


“Don’t worry. I will always behave like a gentleman when we’re together. By the looks of your arms, I think you could deck me.”

“Um……thank you?”

“Besides, I’m ninety-three years old. How much trouble could I really cause you?”

“Well, Jesse, I have a funny feeling if left to your own devices, you could cause more trouble than anyone could imagine. I’m just saying….”

There May Be Snow on The Roof

But There's Still Fire in The Furnace