It Takes Discipline of the Mind

I'm reading "Working with the Law" by Raymond Holliwell for the third time now. I absolutely love this book-every time I pick it up, I find new insights!

My latest "aha moment" is around discipline. Holliwell writes of this one woman, "She lacked discipline in her mind except where others demanded it." The moment I read that sentence it really clarified something I've been allowing in my life. I am disciplined in meeting everyone else's needs but when it comes to being accountable to my own tasks and needs, I fall short. My tendency is to give attention to whoever or whatever enters my mind at the moment versus taking planned disciplined steps towards completing something. No wonder I have so many personal projects half way done. Had these projects been for a client, they would have been done!

That little distinction between allowing myself to be disciplined to respond to others needs and not when it comes to my own is tremendous. It's exactly the nudge I needed to bring clarity around why I always feel busy but not getting anything done. I need to give as much attention and relevance to my own tasks and projects as I do for others. I can then take planned action and start getting these things done. I need to make room for my life and start treating myself like a client. Sure enough, once again the answer lies in changing your mindset!

Remembering…

As I sat remembering and watching the events of September 11th, it brought to mind a trip we took into New York City that following Thanksgiving. We were moving from CT to Virginia in the coming spring and it had been a wish of mine since a very young age to see The Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. I had grown up on Long Island and the events of 9/11 seemed so unreal, like a Hollywood movie playing out before our eyes. I knew it had really happened on one level but felt pulled to visit Ground Zero almost to seal it in my mind, "Yes, it's true". I just could not picture lower Manhattan without the sight of the Twin Towers in the skyline.

As much as 9/11 will stay in our minds forever, that day visiting Ground Zero will stay in my mind forever as well. I remember walking up to the site and shaking my head as I fully comprehended all the pictures on TV were indeed reality. What once were two gleaming beacons of NYC were now reduced to a smoldering pile of twisted steel. What once had been a bustling financial district in NYC was now a ghost town. The surrounding streets resembled what I would imagine a war zone would look like. We watched as workers and cranes carefully sifted through the pile. I found myself drawn to the only recognizable piece of the Twin Towers that stood in the midst of this pile and said a prayer, fully knowing a large number of those who perished on 9/11 were still under that pile.

Perhaps the most significant memory for me was all the signs posted around Ground Zero looking for loved ones lost on that tragic day. So many of these signs appeared to be fresh, showing their enduring hope that there still may be survivors. It broke my heart to read the detailed descriptions of their missing loved ones. It made the magnitude of the loss of life that much more real. I saw one person posting a new sign and just watched and cried imagining the intense pain they've had to endure. While we would go back to a Thanksgiving meal with our family by our side, this day would only intensify their grief and loss.

Amidst that scene one word kept coming to mind, "hope". The signs looking for missing loved ones represented hope, the workers carefully sifting through that huge pile of twisted and mangled metal represented hope. We had lost so much on 9/11 but the one thing that still remained was hope. As we walked away, I knew my life would be forever changed by not only what I witnessed on TV on 9/11 but more so what I saw firsthand at Ground Zero that Thanksgiving Day.

As I sat yesterday thinking how can I pay tribute to those who so innocently gave their lives on 9/11, I came up with the idea of setting a burning candle on my front porch that night to honor their lives and symbolize the power of light to always overcome darkness. I will do this now each September 11th, because we haven't forgotten and yes, we still have hope! I hope you will join me in remembering them next year.

Learning to Serve

This morning I read a passage about asking how you can serve each and every day. It really resonated with me and as I journaled, I asked God to show me how I can serve in a powerful way today. Little did I realize God was about to teach me a lesson in learning to serve.

The morning continued like any other morning and I took our dog Toby for a walk. As we turned a corner I noticed a dog in the yard ahead who appeared to not be on a leash. I slowed down but the dog saw us and came running over. It was the sweetest little Shih Tzu, full of love and energy with his tail wagging a mile a minute. I talked briefly with a homeowner who shared that this dog had been hanging around their home for the past couple of days but it was not their dog or any of the surrounding neighbors. The dog followed us home and before I knew it, I was taking care of this little dog on our back patio. I felt the stress start to build as I watched the hours pass away caring for this dog, realizing yet another day's work was interrupted, the earthquake yesterday and now a stray dog. No sooner did I finish that thought when I heard a voice whisper, "You asked how you could serve in a powerful way, here it is".

I didn't recognize then how taking care of a stray dog would equate to serving in a powerful way but later in the afternoon when we were able to reunite the dog with its owner, I realized God was showing me exactly what that meant. That reunion was so heartwarming and as I watched I heard that same voice whisper, "The littlest acts of kindness can serve in the most powerful way."

God had taught me a very powerful lesson today! I felt the pull of work but made a conscious decision to focus on that dog and ignore my work, realizing where I was truly needed most at that moment. Oddly enough, I received very few emails today and no phone calls, unheard of! It was as if I agreed to answer God's call and He cleared my calendar so I could serve where I was needed most. Such a tremendous lesson! I now understand what is meant by serving in a powerful way. It's not our own measurement of what is significant that matters, it's being open to God's call to serve and then more importantly answering that call and following God's lead. If we commit to being open to serve, He will pave the way.

A Reminder from Toby

Our dog Toby reminded me this week to slow down and begin each day with a spirit of love and thanksgiving. Toby is our one-year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who is full of endless energy and always ready to play, with a toy in his mouth and tail wagging hard. He has these eyes that truly melt your heart as well - one look and you're done! His eyes convey nothing but pure love and devotion.

Toby has started this routine every morning now that requires me to stop and "show him some love" before we start our day. I'll open up his crate and call him for a walk but he will not come downstairs until we've said a "proper" good morning filled with lots of hugs, licks and "I love you's". I think he sensed I was moving too quick and not taking time for the things that really matter.

I've found the lessons of life often come to us disguised in our everyday activities and they remain hidden unless we're open to what truly is around us. Toby reminded me to take the time to greet each day with gratitude and love. It's so easy to just jump out of bed and begin full steam ahead into our daily routine. But that is not what God asks of us. I found this quote from Mother Teresa that sums it up so well, "There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread." We need to take a few moments each morning to express our gratitude and love for all the blessings in our life and let those whom we care about know how much we appreciate them. When we do, our days begin on much more positive and peaceful note.

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." – Matthew 6:33

Look to the Things Unseen

It is amazing how you can hear or read something again and again and then one day, suddenly connect with its true meaning. I've heard countless times, "Look to the things that are unseen, not to the things that are seen" (2 Corinthians 3:18) and I understood it at one level but reading this scripture this morning, I suddenly felt a much deeper understanding of what this verse is really trying to teach us.

We so often spend our days focused on what is around us, what is "seen" as the scripture says and base everything we do on that. We are logical creatures and we look for validation and answers employing logic. Logic is based on the seen, the facts. But often the next step we need to take resides in the "unseen". We need to step out of our logical mindset and move into a mindset of faith and trust. What is the definition of faith? Hebrews 11:1 says, "Faith is the assurance of things we hope for being the proof of things we do not see".

God is there to guide us every step of the way but His way commands we have faith in the unseen. If we feel the spirit within us move when we think about something, that is God's way of guiding us. We need to tune into that. I can't tell you how many times I've felt an inner assurance about something but didn't see the "how" or the "way" to make it happen. I took the chance anyway and stepped forward believing it would happen and it did!

When we "look to the things that are unseen, not to the things that are seen" the journey becomes more exciting and the pieces somehow always come together. Be willing to take the chance and let God's unique purpose for you unfold.

The Tranquility Within

The tranquility of God is mirrored in us. It's so easy in the hectic pace of life today to forget that the peace of God is with us and ever present. We get caught up in the externals and move away from that inner peace because we forget to acknowledge His spirit within us.

Wayne Dyer has said EGO stands for edging God out. When we allow ego to control our thoughts and actions, we edge God out and move away from the peace and tranquility God has given us. Those who are living a life truly in Spirit outside of ego resonate that peace within. You feel a certain calmness and joy in their presence. That is the Holy Spirit working through them and that gift of true peace is available to us all. We just need to make the space to nurture and connect with God's presence within us each and every day.

"Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart." - Ecclesiastes 5:19-20

A Little Bug’s Journey

Once again, a powerful lesson was taught to me just by quietly observing Mother Nature. I was sitting at my daughter's eighth grade promotion when a bug crawling on the floor caught my eye. It was busy scurrying to somewhere looking very determined to reach its destination. It then came upon the shoe of the person sitting next to me. It reacted in much the same way we often react when we hit a road block. The bug first stopped and sat for a moment and then tried to push through a few times as if the obstacle wasn't there. I then watched it step back as if to assess the situation and to my surprise, it turned right around and started marching straight back from where it came. Little did that bug know that if it tried going just a little to the left or just a little to the right, it would have easily gotten around the obstacle and continued on its journey. It chose however to go back to what was known and comfortable rather than chart out on a new course. How many of us do exactly the same thing when confronted with an obstacle in our life? Do we embrace it and look for the hidden opportunities or do we chose to retreat back into what feels safe and comfortable?

One thing that is guaranteed in life is that there will be obstacles to face. It is our choice to either chart a new course or retreat to safety. The opportunities are always there; we just need to have a willingness to open our hearts and minds to look for them within the obstacles. As this tiny little bug showed me, those opportunities are often just a little to the right or a just little to the left of our current path and require us to get outside our comfort zone to fully discover them.