Pay attention to the seemingly ordinary in your life for the
ordinary reveals the extraordinary which is vital to your journey and ours.
ordinary reveals the extraordinary which is vital to your journey and ours.
While walking from the basement, I glimpsed something unusual at the threshold of the door.
Before I could actually wonder what I was seeing, I knew. It was the magnet of Earth made from a bottle cap years ago by Ella, who's now thirteen. I saw it and thought, 'Yes, we and earth are definitely at a threshold, aren't we?'
We are at a threshold.
Collectively we've the opportunity of lifting Earth as has never before occurred. This is the shift I intuitively sensed when "Imagine the Shift" came to me ten years ago during a walk. I was seeking a title for my cd when the image of a pulsing heart beating with Love's vibration over Earth came to mind.
At the time I was unfamiliar with the HeartMath Institute. Their research has revealed the heart's electromagnetic field measured by an ECG is 60 times greater in amplitude than the brain waves recorded by an EEG. *
This Earth magnet at the door's threshold was a beautiful reminder of the heart's magnetism and the energy of love within each of us and shared by all when we access our heart's vibration.
We are collectively connected through this energy creating an unseen web. This connection assists us in lifting Earth. As we lift ourselves, we lift one another. To collectively lift and shift requires looking at the things that hold us down.
Earth's lying on the threshold to my basement was an even more perfect metaphor. The basement represents the unconscious and unknown feelings, memories and past experiences.
The stuff of our basement is revealed through the patterns and behaviors that are familiar thus safe despite often being laden with subtle and overt violence to self and others.
My "basement" is filled with stuff. Early mornings are my designated writing times yet one recent morning I observed myself get out the weed puller and begin making my way around my yard before setting it aside and sitting down to write. Another morning I strategized how to prop a ladder against the house in order to check out a gutter that needed repair. Since I'm a nester, home chores are personally satisfying for me yet this was ridiculous and another diversion from writing. Fortunately I called Leonard and the gutter was easily repaired two days later.
These behaviors and ways in which I distract myself from listening, writing and sharing originate in my "basement." They are fear's emissaries causing me to neglect my heart's vibration and keeping me from potentially being seen. As a sensitive, being seen is even more of a challenge as judgement and terror have periodically stopped me in my tracks. I have allowed these behaviors fueled by fear to hold me back and create a slow energetic drain at times.
Our collective "basement" has a lot in it as well. We've prejudices and valuations based on zip codes, what others drive and wear, gender and sexual orientation, geography, politics, religion, race and differing views on hot topics such as gun, immigration and abortion laws. Each of these things is connected through fear, the fear of loss and vulnerability, the fear of loosing family and tribe, the fear of difference, the loss of control over how we're percevied, feared loss of freedom, fear of one's own death, a divorce or job.
Historically to the present as individuals in a world community the stuff of our basement is much.
When not brought to the light, it shows up in the media and internet. It shows up on our streets and in our communities through poverty, violence and inequality. It shows up in the world of sex trafficking, addictions and suicide and in our complacency, disconnects and diversions.
The invisible web of love's vibration also carries our dark side. Each of our "basements" is connected to the "basement" of others including those I've not even met.
For example, not long ago a video of a little girl brutally kicking a puppy made the rounds on Facebook. Most folks, including myself, considered this horrific. I wondered who treated her this way or was this how she saw an adult in her life treat another. What if this dear girl just feels horribly hopeless and powerless and she's taking it out on her dog?
I also quietly thought, 'How does my anger connect with her abuse toward that puppy?'
I have internal tantrums in which I kick and scream in the pages of my journal. There are tantrums I have with myself for allowing the external to distract me and those I have with the Universe when I've felt particularly disappointed, discouraged and betrayed. And though I literally kick no one, in that moment I knew my internal tantrums were connected to that young girl's outbursts.
We are connected through our repressed fears, frustrations, outrages and heartaches as well as through love.
Then there's the sexual stuff in our basement.
Looking at the internet, tv, ads and magazines, one would think we are a fairly open society sexually. Yet nudity doesn't equal openness otherwise the stunning rise of sex trafficking wouldn't be rising in our basement.
How can we have such dark, abusive goings-on when nudity is everywhere? Literally "covering up" bodies is not the answer. Covering up the stuff in the basement has gotten us here. Sex is in our basement and for the most part we shy away from talking openly and honestly about our bodies and beautiful, sacred sex.
Yes, the Earth and we are at a threshold. It is vital that we use this time as an opportunity to own and bring into light then hold in compassion the stuff of our insides or "basements."
Collectively we've the opportunity of lifting Earth as has never before occurred. This is the shift I intuitively sensed when "Imagine the Shift" came to me ten years ago during a walk. I was seeking a title for my cd when the image of a pulsing heart beating with Love's vibration over Earth came to mind.
At the time I was unfamiliar with the HeartMath Institute. Their research has revealed the heart's electromagnetic field measured by an ECG is 60 times greater in amplitude than the brain waves recorded by an EEG. *
This Earth magnet at the door's threshold was a beautiful reminder of the heart's magnetism and the energy of love within each of us and shared by all when we access our heart's vibration.
We are collectively connected through this energy creating an unseen web. This connection assists us in lifting Earth. As we lift ourselves, we lift one another. To collectively lift and shift requires looking at the things that hold us down.
Earth's lying on the threshold to my basement was an even more perfect metaphor. The basement represents the unconscious and unknown feelings, memories and past experiences.
The stuff of our basement is revealed through the patterns and behaviors that are familiar thus safe despite often being laden with subtle and overt violence to self and others.
My "basement" is filled with stuff. Early mornings are my designated writing times yet one recent morning I observed myself get out the weed puller and begin making my way around my yard before setting it aside and sitting down to write. Another morning I strategized how to prop a ladder against the house in order to check out a gutter that needed repair. Since I'm a nester, home chores are personally satisfying for me yet this was ridiculous and another diversion from writing. Fortunately I called Leonard and the gutter was easily repaired two days later.
These behaviors and ways in which I distract myself from listening, writing and sharing originate in my "basement." They are fear's emissaries causing me to neglect my heart's vibration and keeping me from potentially being seen. As a sensitive, being seen is even more of a challenge as judgement and terror have periodically stopped me in my tracks. I have allowed these behaviors fueled by fear to hold me back and create a slow energetic drain at times.
Our collective "basement" has a lot in it as well. We've prejudices and valuations based on zip codes, what others drive and wear, gender and sexual orientation, geography, politics, religion, race and differing views on hot topics such as gun, immigration and abortion laws. Each of these things is connected through fear, the fear of loss and vulnerability, the fear of loosing family and tribe, the fear of difference, the loss of control over how we're percevied, feared loss of freedom, fear of one's own death, a divorce or job.
Historically to the present as individuals in a world community the stuff of our basement is much.
When not brought to the light, it shows up in the media and internet. It shows up on our streets and in our communities through poverty, violence and inequality. It shows up in the world of sex trafficking, addictions and suicide and in our complacency, disconnects and diversions.
The invisible web of love's vibration also carries our dark side. Each of our "basements" is connected to the "basement" of others including those I've not even met.
For example, not long ago a video of a little girl brutally kicking a puppy made the rounds on Facebook. Most folks, including myself, considered this horrific. I wondered who treated her this way or was this how she saw an adult in her life treat another. What if this dear girl just feels horribly hopeless and powerless and she's taking it out on her dog?
I also quietly thought, 'How does my anger connect with her abuse toward that puppy?'
I have internal tantrums in which I kick and scream in the pages of my journal. There are tantrums I have with myself for allowing the external to distract me and those I have with the Universe when I've felt particularly disappointed, discouraged and betrayed. And though I literally kick no one, in that moment I knew my internal tantrums were connected to that young girl's outbursts.
Then there's the sexual stuff in our basement.
Looking at the internet, tv, ads and magazines, one would think we are a fairly open society sexually. Yet nudity doesn't equal openness otherwise the stunning rise of sex trafficking wouldn't be rising in our basement.
How can we have such dark, abusive goings-on when nudity is everywhere? Literally "covering up" bodies is not the answer. Covering up the stuff in the basement has gotten us here. Sex is in our basement and for the most part we shy away from talking openly and honestly about our bodies and beautiful, sacred sex.
Yes, the Earth and we are at a threshold. It is vital that we use this time as an opportunity to own and bring into light then hold in compassion the stuff of our insides or "basements."
What stops us? How do we unknowingly stop ourselves?
The lessons of this particular morning were not over for another extraordinary metaphor revealed itself unexpectedly that morning.
The water pressure in my kitchen sink has been abnormally slow for the last year. I, someone who enjoys cooking, have lived with low water pressure in my kitchen for a year! The fact that my water pressure is usually too high made this phenomenon even more unusual.
I have tolerated low pressure because I didn't want the hassle (assumption) of finding a plumber.
I have mindfully practiced Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hahn's suggestion of washing the dishes to wash the dishes daily. **
On this particular day, my patience ceased. I began my quest for an answer. The first person I called attributed the problem to internal sludge in my faucet. I looked into the faucet strainer. Sludge wasn't evident.
This too was the perfect metaphor since energetic sludge created by fear doesn't openly announce itself. It reveals itself through behaviors and patterns in which I habitually succumb to diversions and distractions that keep me from fully showing up and owning my heart's vibration.
I called the same person and for a second time he insisted I had something in my faucet. Feeling frustrated, I went for a walk. Interestingly I walked right up to a plumber six houses away from me. I asked if he might he be willing to look at my faucet. With only a moment's hesitation, he volunteered to come take a look.
I ran home and went straight to my basement crossing the threshold where earlier the earth lay. Before the plumber arrived, I decided to see if I could actually replace the new with the old. I did and it worked! It worked !!
When the plumber arrived, I shared my success. He remained curious as to why I had the problem in the first place. He asked if he could look at the old new faucet. Just as he suspected, inside it was this tiny plastic piece, a water saving device in new faucets restricting water flow.
I'm all for conserving water. I have three rain barrels from which I water my flowers and garden when it's dry. I honor water yet I have not honored myself for this ordinary circle of plastic represents how I restrict my flow When I unknowingly succumb to fears in my basement I allow my life force to be episodically drained and neglect my heart's vibration.
The steps for getting back on my path are usually simple. This particular morning revealed what for me are keys. I had to take action (go for a walk), be mindful of resources on my path (the plumber) and then be willing to look for what's in my basement! Listening, acting, sharing and trusting are personal remedies for my inner tantrums and my stuckness.
What extraordinary messages I discovered embedded in the ordinary of my morning.
To me, this is grace.
We have this precious opportunity to bring the stuff from our personal basements, the stuff that unknowingly restricts our flow so it can be faced and healed in Love's vibration.
And if we don't well.....
To me, this is grace.
We have this precious opportunity to bring the stuff from our personal basements, the stuff that unknowingly restricts our flow so it can be faced and healed in Love's vibration.
And if we don't well.....
The two ordinary objects of my morning were circles reminding me of the extraordinary truth that circles and cycles repeat themselves. Everything circles around again and again throughout time historically and in our lives daily. If I don't get it today, it will arrive again tomorrow.
Within these simple things that circle around are profound messages and lessons when we are willing to listen, pay attention and exercise courage through wise action.
Let's move beyond our restrictions so we as individuals and we as a collective here on Earth can rise having cleaned out the basement of our personal lives and the times!
Within these simple things that circle around are profound messages and lessons when we are willing to listen, pay attention and exercise courage through wise action.
Let's move beyond our restrictions so we as individuals and we as a collective here on Earth can rise having cleaned out the basement of our personal lives and the times!
Pay attention to the seemingly ordinary in your life for the
ordinary reveals the extraordinary which is vital to your journey and ours.
I call this Good News !!
-Dawn, The Good News Muse, 15 Sept. 2014
dawn@imaginetheshift.com
For Pondering and Wondering:
1. How do you possibly restrict your flow?
2. What familiar yet uncomfortable patterns repeatedly show up in your journey suggested there's something to be brought to light from your basement?
3. Pay attention to the extraordinary messages your receive through ordinary objects, incidents and situations.
* For more on the HearthMath institute and the study where I found the info above click HERE.
** Years ago I heard that a Buddhist monk Thcith Nhat Hahn said there are two ways to do anything. You can wash the dishes to wash the dishes (just get them washed) or you can wash the dishes to wash the dishes (be present in that very moment with the process). I use this with mowing the yard, vacuuming, just about everything because there's such truth in it. The first path gets whatever done but the second path opens me to sensation, memory, the richness of the moment. That said, I decided to actually searched for the quote and this is what I found. Click Here.
