November 14, 2012--Excerpt from the rough draft of my book in progress
Oh fill my cup
fill my cup, let it overflow
Oh fill my cup
fill my cup let it overflow
Oh fill my cup
fill my cup, let it overflow
Let it overflow with Love....
This song speaks of the spiritual truth that when a person is seeking to connect with God, with the Divine Creator, with the Universal Source of all, that to that person flows the greatest power, the greatest energy, the greatest fullness of spirit--Love. Love that is so strong, so unconditional, and so plentiful that the cup of your soul not only fills up, but overflows. That seeker, that person that is connected with the One from whom ALL things flow, becomes a conduit for that Love, that Energy to flow out into the world, into all that they encounter. They become a source of God’s Love, of the Universal Source Energy, here in this corporeal existence. They have the chance to bring that Love and Energy to all who are lost and lacking.
Most people have had the fleeting experience of having that full cup, and the fullness of joy, peace, love, and power that comes when your cup is full. Most people have even felt that overflowing, that gift that THEY can give to others when their fullness is bursting and able to flow to everyone they meet. The ability to bring joy, peace, comfort, and love to others because your heart is so full, your spirit so complete that you can not help but share it and project it to others.
However, for almost all people, those are fleeting experiences, mountaintop experiences that leave us eventually (sometimes quickly), and we come back to our typical perception of reality. For some of us, the tap that fills that cup is on low, and our cup is kept full enough most of the time, with periods of overflow, and periods of a somewhat drained cup. For others, the times between those mountain top experiences, those overflowing cup realities, they live with a nearly empty cup. And living life, interacting with others, and functioning in general with a nearly empty cup, is a harder experience. The tap that connects to the Source may be damaged or turned off most of the time, the cup that holds that love and energy may have a crack in it so that when the flow goes back to “normal” levels, much of it leaks out and is not available to sustain the spiritual health of a person. It may even be that the tap is too slow to keep up with the volume needed by that person to handle all of the challenges and stressors that are filling their life at that time. Why the cup is not always overflowing may be very complex. At the core though, the reason the cup is not always full to overflowing with Love and Divine Energy, is because something has come between the individual and the Source of All, there is a disconnect between us and God, so the Love and Energy is hindered in it flow into this world through each of us.
When that happens, our internal vision and understand get skewed, and we move away from who we really are, move away from the Truth of our self, the Truth of our Connection with the Source of all, the Truth of the Creator, and begin to believe the lies....
The Lies of the Empty Cup...
fill my cup, let it overflow
Oh fill my cup
fill my cup let it overflow
Oh fill my cup
fill my cup, let it overflow
Let it overflow with Love....
This song speaks of the spiritual truth that when a person is seeking to connect with God, with the Divine Creator, with the Universal Source of all, that to that person flows the greatest power, the greatest energy, the greatest fullness of spirit--Love. Love that is so strong, so unconditional, and so plentiful that the cup of your soul not only fills up, but overflows. That seeker, that person that is connected with the One from whom ALL things flow, becomes a conduit for that Love, that Energy to flow out into the world, into all that they encounter. They become a source of God’s Love, of the Universal Source Energy, here in this corporeal existence. They have the chance to bring that Love and Energy to all who are lost and lacking.
Most people have had the fleeting experience of having that full cup, and the fullness of joy, peace, love, and power that comes when your cup is full. Most people have even felt that overflowing, that gift that THEY can give to others when their fullness is bursting and able to flow to everyone they meet. The ability to bring joy, peace, comfort, and love to others because your heart is so full, your spirit so complete that you can not help but share it and project it to others.
However, for almost all people, those are fleeting experiences, mountaintop experiences that leave us eventually (sometimes quickly), and we come back to our typical perception of reality. For some of us, the tap that fills that cup is on low, and our cup is kept full enough most of the time, with periods of overflow, and periods of a somewhat drained cup. For others, the times between those mountain top experiences, those overflowing cup realities, they live with a nearly empty cup. And living life, interacting with others, and functioning in general with a nearly empty cup, is a harder experience. The tap that connects to the Source may be damaged or turned off most of the time, the cup that holds that love and energy may have a crack in it so that when the flow goes back to “normal” levels, much of it leaks out and is not available to sustain the spiritual health of a person. It may even be that the tap is too slow to keep up with the volume needed by that person to handle all of the challenges and stressors that are filling their life at that time. Why the cup is not always overflowing may be very complex. At the core though, the reason the cup is not always full to overflowing with Love and Divine Energy, is because something has come between the individual and the Source of All, there is a disconnect between us and God, so the Love and Energy is hindered in it flow into this world through each of us.
When that happens, our internal vision and understand get skewed, and we move away from who we really are, move away from the Truth of our self, the Truth of our Connection with the Source of all, the Truth of the Creator, and begin to believe the lies....
The Lies of the Empty Cup...
September 25, 2012
Changes in the road of life are very common. I have been blessed with many amazing changes in my life, some of which I actively set out to enact, and some that come through more indirect means. While change can be difficult at times, it is not a bad thing at all, it just means it is time to see what new blessings are coming. Due to some changes with the needs of my children and their educational programs (and transportation), my plans to run a child care center have been derailed, at least temporarily. This comes at a time when I also have found out some challenges with my own health, and the need to reduce the stress in my life, as well as make some other changes. As child care is a very stressful job, as you must always maintain a calm and happy attitude in all situations, and you are responsible for the health, safety, education, and happiness of the children in your care, it is probably good to have a hiatus from it for the moment while I deal with improving my physical health. The Powerful Consciousness knows what we need, and circumstances often come into being as they need to for our highest good, even when we do not understand why. This summer, I was reminded of how amazingly challenging this can be in a home setting when I had days where I was responsible for 5 children in addition to my own. It is quite different from working in a day care center, where there are multiple adults, and the areas are better designed for multiple children. Even though the playroom at my house was perfectly designed, and the open floor plan that allowed me to see the playroom, living room and dining room from the centrally located kitchen, it was still a very challenging endeavor. As is often the case with life's path, we do not always see the detour that we need to take, but it is still very important to take those paths looking for blessings rather than grieving the path that is blocked. You can actually do both at the same time if you need to, as sometimes it takes time to overcome disappointment and fully embrace the new offering that has been provided. So while I am temporarily in a new path, I am embracing the amazing gifts that have been given to me.
May 28, 2012
I have added this new Refelctions and News page to better organize the website and have it be easier to navigate. I will be posting an update this week, and have plans for two reflective articles soon ("I take that Personally" and "Everyone Deserves to be Happy", which will either be posted on this page of in the articles page--depending on how I decide to format them. For now, I just want you all to know that while I have been absent from updating this site for a few months, I am going to be more present here very soon.
May your days be blessed, your heart be light, and your dreams always in focus...
May your days be blessed, your heart be light, and your dreams always in focus...
February 27 News and Mental Meanderings
So, a month has passed since I began my chip-in to raise the funds for the remainder of the renovations, and I am 3/4 of the way to my goal thanks to the generosity of some wonderful spirits. It has been a very busy month, and many things have happened. The renovations continue, and hopefully will be completed by the deadline of March 15th, as I cannot extend yet another month, as there have been people interested in my apartment. I am extremely grateful for having been given the chance to have this extra month to keep our apartment and have greater stability. All while we move the project along faster.
I have been giving much thought to thought this month. Most of us have at least been introduced to the idea that what you focus your thoughts on has much to do with a variety of thing--perceptions of the experiences in life, attitude towards life, and our decision making processes. We have so many thoughts (conscious and unconscious) everyday, that it is nearly impossible (not to mention stressful) to try to control all of our thoughts. Frankly, we need to be on autopilot so that we can function and use our
knowledge and analytical abilities to the best of our potential. So, changing our focus one step at a time helps to change the underlying thoughts. When we catch ourselves focusing on something that we do NOT want, something that makes us feel uncomfortable or negative emotions, it is important to find a better feeling thought about the situation, even if we are not completely sure what the originating thought is). It is
nearly impossible to jump from a very negative feeling thinking pattern to a very positive feeling thinking pattern, so take it in steps…
For example, if I find myself feeling anxious and frustrated by my current financial situation, then I know that my autopilot thoughts are focused on things that will not help improve my situation. They are focused on the problem NOT on the solution. So, instead of following the path down what the problem is and how I got to where I am, and all sorts of other ineffective and (usually) useless focus points, I turn it around. I look
at what I DO have.
I starting thinking about the fact that I have had enough to pay my rent.
Which makes me feel a little better.
I then grab a better feeling thought,
I have food in my cupboards, and have the local food pantry if my cupboards get bare.
Which makes me feel even better.
Then I reach for another good feeling thought on and on—my electricity is still on.
I have a way to heat my house so we don’t get cold.
My children have clothes for school that fit them and look good—and some were free!
My basic needs and the basic needs of my children are met.
I am able to meet our needs.
I have enough
And I feel better.
I feel better because I consciously shifted my focus from the problem (perceived lack of money) to the reality of the situation (I have enough). From there I can now begin bringing in thoughts that focus on abundance (having more than enough so that it overflows to others). And THOSE thoughts FEEL wonderful, those thoughts are creative, those thoughts focus on a solution (be it inspiration for ways to increase my income, focusing on better ways to use my money that benefit not only myself but others as well, and so on). But to get there, I had to go stepwise feeling better with each thought. The more I do this in so many areas, the better my life becomes, because my FOCUS is on being grateful and acknowledging what I have, and focused on ways that I can improve my situation. There is much greater hope, joy and peace in knowing that there is enough. And much greater passion in looking at what more I can do to make life better for me and those around me.
I have been giving much thought to thought this month. Most of us have at least been introduced to the idea that what you focus your thoughts on has much to do with a variety of thing--perceptions of the experiences in life, attitude towards life, and our decision making processes. We have so many thoughts (conscious and unconscious) everyday, that it is nearly impossible (not to mention stressful) to try to control all of our thoughts. Frankly, we need to be on autopilot so that we can function and use our
knowledge and analytical abilities to the best of our potential. So, changing our focus one step at a time helps to change the underlying thoughts. When we catch ourselves focusing on something that we do NOT want, something that makes us feel uncomfortable or negative emotions, it is important to find a better feeling thought about the situation, even if we are not completely sure what the originating thought is). It is
nearly impossible to jump from a very negative feeling thinking pattern to a very positive feeling thinking pattern, so take it in steps…
For example, if I find myself feeling anxious and frustrated by my current financial situation, then I know that my autopilot thoughts are focused on things that will not help improve my situation. They are focused on the problem NOT on the solution. So, instead of following the path down what the problem is and how I got to where I am, and all sorts of other ineffective and (usually) useless focus points, I turn it around. I look
at what I DO have.
I starting thinking about the fact that I have had enough to pay my rent.
Which makes me feel a little better.
I then grab a better feeling thought,
I have food in my cupboards, and have the local food pantry if my cupboards get bare.
Which makes me feel even better.
Then I reach for another good feeling thought on and on—my electricity is still on.
I have a way to heat my house so we don’t get cold.
My children have clothes for school that fit them and look good—and some were free!
My basic needs and the basic needs of my children are met.
I am able to meet our needs.
I have enough
And I feel better.
I feel better because I consciously shifted my focus from the problem (perceived lack of money) to the reality of the situation (I have enough). From there I can now begin bringing in thoughts that focus on abundance (having more than enough so that it overflows to others). And THOSE thoughts FEEL wonderful, those thoughts are creative, those thoughts focus on a solution (be it inspiration for ways to increase my income, focusing on better ways to use my money that benefit not only myself but others as well, and so on). But to get there, I had to go stepwise feeling better with each thought. The more I do this in so many areas, the better my life becomes, because my FOCUS is on being grateful and acknowledging what I have, and focused on ways that I can improve my situation. There is much greater hope, joy and peace in knowing that there is enough. And much greater passion in looking at what more I can do to make life better for me and those around me.
New News...so you don't have to spend too much time searching this site...
As of today June 6, 2011, I have decided to change the name of my 80 pounds in 80 days blog to Life in Transformation, as it is a much truer reflection of what that blog is about. My life is in a state of transformation, and I am blogging about a wide vareity of things that impacct my daily life and my insights and feelings about them (sometimes I run out of time though). So as of today the name change is offocial (the blog address is still the same though). Click on the link above the title bar called "Life in Transformation" in order to access that blog.