Consciousness

Staying out of the Basement

Posted August 29, 2012 by Eden

Are you conscious of your busy mind? Do you occasionally find yourself angry or depressed, just by the random thought generation at work in your head, even when nothing has happened in the present to trigger this response?

In my post “The Top Ten Tips for Living a Happy Life”, one of the key concepts was “Your thoughts create your reality”. This topic including others related to this critical idea that we are not our mind/ego. We have the ability to create our own reality. You will find variations of this theme common among many of the thought leaders, spiritual and self-help teachers today.

In my own life, I regularly revisit these concepts, especially when I find my mind sabotaging all the work I’ve done to stay positive and loving and present. In the following chart, I’ve summarized three ‘states of being’ with examples of what kinds of thoughts and feelings characterize each state. Where do you spend most of your time? If the answer is the ‘basement’ then I encourage you to do the work you need to do to come upstairs!

If you are often frustrated, feeling resentment, blaming others for your situation, asking questions like “Why me?” and “What if?”, dwelling on the past and obsessing over thoughts like “If only I’d done this”, and are generally unhappy with the “way it is”, then I would call that living in the basement. Other symptoms might be that you are overly judgmental of others, depressed, and feeling stuck.

Ascending to higher levels will not only result in your feeling more joy in your life but you will be more able to contribute to others and enjoy meaningful relationships. This involves living in the present, accepting that the universe is unfolding as it should and being grateful for your life.

I’ve put together this chart to remind myself of this. This can also serve as a quick check to see where you’re at and ‘get off it’ if you catch yourself lingering in the ‘basement’.

The Miracle of a Rainbow

Posted August 15, 2012 by Eden

On Saturday evening, I witnessed a miracle, eye candy that was heaven-sent. We first spotted the colours in the sky at about 7:30pm after a very special evening. It was a sign, an omen for a wonderful future. I felt it.

Merriam-Webster had a more scientific explanation for the phenomenon. It was “an arc.. that exhibits in concentric bands the colors of the spectrum and that is formed by the refraction and reflection of the sun’s rays in raindrops, spray, or mist”.

The Rainbow was absolutely spectacular. I’ve never seen the full arc from one end to the other with a mirrored band above nor been so ‘close’ before. Of course, according to Wiki, a rainbow is “not located at a specific distance, but comes from any water droplets viewed from a certain angle relative to the Sun’s rays. Thus, a rainbow is not a physical object, and cannot be physically approached.” So, the pot of gold was not achievable, apparently although I wonder if we were actually in the rainbow from some perspectives on the water that night.

In southern Ontario, it was a stormy, wet, weekend – not ideal weather for an outdoor wedding in a park followed by a dinner boat cruise around the Toronto Harbour and Islands. But, of course, you have to work with what you get and in the end, this most wondrous omen appeared in the sky on our return journey to the dock.

I was delighted to be included in my old friend Jola’s wedding last weekend. We were great friends in our twenties but I got busy with kids and career, she moved out west and we lost touch until the last few years on Facebook. She came to town with her amazing fiance, John, from Calgary to get married on her father’s boat, the “Island Princess”. The wedding was in the Toronto Musical Gardens, right by the boat. There were delays due to the misty, windy weather but ultimately it went off without a hitch and we all climbed into the boat for the reception.

There was some rain on and off but we were comfortable in the boat in a wind-protected area among the Toronto Islands. It was so great to see how happy Jola and John were. She found her soul mate and I am thrilled for her.

On the return to harbour, the visual delight of the double rainbows stretching across the lake from the Toronto city side to the islands seemed to be nothing short of a divine promise of everlasting love and friendship for them both.

Vimeo had a weekend film project to create a one minute short of scenes from the ‘magic’ hour (dawn or dusk) over this past weekend so I pulled together this short video with the little bit of film clips I had and some of the shots: Short Rainbow Video with Pictures on Vimeo

Ideas of “Conscious Evolution”

Posted July 18, 2012 by Eden

What is “Conscious Evolution” and how can this affect how you live your life? Barbara Marx Hubbard, one of the founders of this movement, has defined it as follows: “Conscious evolution is the evolution of evolution, from unconscious to conscious choice. While consciousness has been evolving for billions of years, conscious evolution is new. It is part of the trajectory of human evolution, the canvas of choice before us now as we recognize that we have come to possess the powers that we used to attribute to the gods.” For the full explanation, visit her Foundation for Conscious Evolution site. Although, underlying these theories are the potential for dire consequences for mankind, all of these thought leaders are directing us to work together towards a more glorious future. I was particularly inspired by her statement: “…We can and are actually moving beyond the creature human condition toward a new species, a universal humanity, capable of coevolving with nature.”

For many people, the term “evolution” evokes thoughts of Charles Darwin and his famous work: “On the Origin of Species” which explains how all species on Earth have physically evolved from the very beginnings of life through natural selection and random mutations. This theory, although initially rejected by many scientists and most certainly by the church in the mid 1800’s, has become a foundational work in the fields of natural history and biology and serves as a widely-accepted explanation for the origins of man.

However, the process of Natural Selection and, in particular, the concepts around “Survival of the Fittest” whereby those with the most favourable genetic traits will win the reproduction war is now under some debate by scientists and modern day philosophers, especially as it applies to the current state of sentient man.

Consider this quotation from Andrew Cohen, another thought leader who is expanding our understanding of Conscious Evolution through his writing and teaching and his organization Enlightennext:

“… I believe we have reached a time in history when God, which I would describe as the energy and intelligence that initiated the creative process, is now completely dependent upon us—upon sentient life forms that have evolved to the point where they are blessed with the extraordinary gifts of complex cognition, self-awareness, and freedom of choice. At this critical juncture, our own future and the future of our planet will be determined by the conscious choices that we human beings make, rather than by the whim of a higher power or according to some predestined plan.” To read the full article, go to Cohen’s site.

In that same article, Andrew Cohen goes on to explain the ultimate purpose in humanity’s spiritual development: “…to liberate the miraculous power of human choice from being unconsciously trapped in a cultural epidemic of narcissism, materialism, and existential apathy. Our moral, spiritual, and cultural evolution—if not our very survival—really do depend on it.”

Dr. Bruce Lipton is another pioneer in this field of Conscious Evolution. With a PhD in cell biology, he is a renowned author and speaker on the topic of “Uncovering the Biology of Belief”. I’ve seen him speak at a Hayhouse event and he is both informative and inspirational. This excerpt from his site bio referencing his breakthrough work in the field of epigenetics, proving that factors other than genes can affect cell behaviour shows how he has stepped outside of cell biology to extrapolate his knowledge to the evolution of human consciousness – “…Dr. Lipton’s novel scientific approach transformed his personal life as well. His deepened understanding of cell biology highlighted the mechanisms by which the mind controls bodily functions, and implied the existence of an immortal spirit.”

I’m again reminded of a work of fiction that ignited the imagination of many on this topic in the 90’s called “The Celestine Prophecy”. The author, James Redfield, used this spiritual adventure to share his views on the evolution of consciousness through the Nine Insights that the characters discover in the story.

I don’t think it’s relevant to debate the specific insights or progressions as Redfield saw them in order to gain some insight into these ideas. Redfield’s Celestine books raised awareness for mysterious coincidences, human prayer-energy, channelling thoughts into a collective, dynamic force, and evolving towards a spiritual culture on Earth.

Conscious Evolution is a broad topic which touches on many spiritual and religious beliefs which I will continue to explore in future posts. One of the underlying messages that I find valuable with all of this work is that we are powerful, connected, spiritual beings with the ability to transform ourselves and our world.

Sometimes when I question why I write this material, manage this blog, share images and video that I believe to be beautiful, I remind myself that a continued focus on sending out positive, loving thoughts into the world through art, writing, or whatever avenues are available or suitable to each of us, is part of contributing to our collective consciousness, and driving us forward in our personal and shared evolution.

This follows on the teachings of two well-respected thought leaders today – Deepak Chopra and Eckhart Tolle. In my review of Tolle’s “Finding your Life’s Purpose” (blog post), one of the questions asked was: How can our species survive unless there’s a change in our collective spirit, our consciousness? The conclusion is that the only way that we can affect such as a transformation is by working on our own individual consciousness.

To emphasize this point, I will leave you with Deepak Chopra’s words: “… the only way to transform the world is to transform yourself..”

Ten Tips for Living a “Happy” Life

Posted July 11, 2012 by Eden

What is “happy” and is it really attainable? In this age of fast-paced, information overload, what do we really want from life?

I believe we want what people have always wanted. We want to be happy. We want to love and contribute to others. We want to be loved. We want to think we’re making a difference, that there’s a “reason” or purpose for our existence.

While some might argue that happy is an overused term and not a practical goal, let’s consider happy as being peaceful and content, as being the opposite of miserable, as being empowered to be all that we can be in life, to be able to have loving and sustainable relationships. And then, I think, everyone will agree that this is a state where we would all like to be centered.

Based on my own personal exploration into this essential quest, I’ve summarized what I view as the Top Ten tips to a Happy Life, as taught by many of the thought leaders today who are great authors, speakers, and spiritual teachers..

TOP TEN:

1. Be Present, Be Here Now

Studies suggest we have somewhere between 12,000 to 65,000 thoughts per day, although I’ve seen reference to a wider range (between 2,000 to 600,000!). Most commonly, 50-60,000 is considered a good estimate.

Being human means being inundated with thoughts all day, every day: endless observations, judgements, interpretations, complaints, worries, ‘what-ifs’, memories, regrets, wishes, desires, dreams about our future, anger about our past, and on and on. I’ve seen statistics indicating 95% of them are similar from day to day. Some thoughts seem completely random, others can hijack us as we follow a thread and let our emotions react to what are sometimes completely irrational, twisted versions of reality. For me, it has been a major breakthrough to understand that I am NOT my thoughts. For too long, my thoughts ran me. They still try to, every single day, but I am watching them now. I used to look to my thoughts for meaning, wondering why I was suddenly upset when nothing had happened.

So how much of an average person’s thoughts are rooted in the present moment? Some suggest that the majority of our thoughts are rooted in the past (somewhere between 70 and 90%) with about 10-20% ruminating or dreaming or imagining what will happen in the future. A small percentage of our thoughts actually focus on the present moment in a purely experiential manner. Within our minds, our perception of the past, how it is affecting us now and into the future can often become warped.

Eckhart Tolle, author of “The Power of Now” and “A New Earth” and other books is a well-known speaker and teacher in this area. Tolle tells us: “Stay fully present in the now-your whole life unfolds here. In the now there is joy of Being and deep peace”.

In Deepak Chopra’s “Seven Spiritual Laws of Success”, he says that pure potentiality is pure consciousness, the field of all possibilities and infinite creativity. Meditation to connect with our inner being to be present and master our thoughts can help us to find that state of pure consciousness.

2. Your Thoughts Create your Reality

When you start to understand that you are not your thoughts, that you are a being with a powerful inner spirit that happens to also have a brain that does what brains do, non-stop generation of thoughts, you can step back and observe this and take control. Consider how you can choose how your brain operates just as you make these decisions about using your arm or your fingers or your eyes every day of your life.

The realization that you actually could control and direct your thoughts to create whatever reality you choose can open up a whole new world. If, for example, you tell yourself that you cannot succeed at something – then you probably won’t. So, the obvious question is why tell yourself that? And yet we do it all the time..

There’s so much groundbreaking work in this area over the past decade, everything from the books on the Law of Attraction (including the blockbuster work called “The Secret”) and new science indicating that thoughts are actually bits of quantum energy (see my post entitled “The Science behind the Mystery”), which opens up even more unbelievable implications for our potential capabilities if we can master our mind.

Louise Hay (founder of Hay House) is an inspiring example of this powerful concept in action. Her countless books and CD’s on Affirmations show how you can change your life by the very simple practice of constantly generating positive, life-affirming thoughts. From “Power Thoughts” by Louise Hay: “Trust life to hear and respond to your positive words. Say these affirmations every day and your whole world will change for the better.”

3. Be Grateful

Expressing gratitude, especially if you can make it a daily practice to declare everything you are grateful for in your life, can create positive self-affirming thoughts instead of negative ones and align your attention to everything that is good in your life. This alone can be transformational. Many current thought leaders and spiritual teachers encourage people to keep a gratitude journal.

If you do a search on Gratitude quotations, you will find many empowering thoughts. Here’s a few:

“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” G.K. Chesterton

“God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say ‘thank you?’ ” William A. Ward

“If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, ‘thank you’, that would suffice.” Meister Eckhart

4. Trust that the universe is unfolding as it should..

Or perhaps an easier way to say this is, Have Faith. Sometimes in our darkest hours, when nothing seems to be going as we had wanted or expected, we can’t see this. We want only to fight against what is. Everything will not always go our way but, if you trust life and let it unfold, as Mick Jagger said, “you just might get what you need”.

For some this could mean a belief in God, aligned with one of the great faith traditions, for others it might just mean knowing that there is a greater life force, that we are all a part of it, and that life will take us where we need to go if we surrender to it.

5. Practice Forgiveness

Oprah and others, have defined Forgiveness as recognizing that you can’t change the past. We hold onto a lot of resentment and in the end, who does it hurt? We hurt ourselves more than anyone else. Accepting what has happened and creating the space to move on can be a powerful step forward.

Sometimes, particularly if you have been a victim of crime or abuse, whatever happened may seem ‘unforgiveable’. In these cases, remember that forgiveness does not mean you have to let that person back into your life but it can release you from the hold that this has on you.

In other cases, we may have imagined transgressions that were in reality, minor. Caroline Myss, medical intuitive and author of a number of bestselling books including “Sacred Contracts”, outlines the common archetypes that drive our behaviours. She identifies the “Victim” as one of the four archetypes for survival which can lead you to believe that “you are always taken advantage of and it’s never your fault.” If this feels familiar, her work may be of interest.

Regardless of the situation (and many may lie in between these two extremes), if you have anger or bitterness in your heart, you must do the work needed (whatever that is for you) to let it go. It literally will suck the life out of you and can affect all your relationships. The serenity prayer from AA says it all: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference.”

6. Follow your Bliss

One of Joseph Campbell’s famous quotations…

Many will say that they would love to follow their bliss but they have to pay the bills, don’t have time, it’s too late to change course, or any other number of excuses.

I would contend that for many of us, we don’t really know what our ‘bliss’ is. Of course, it seems like it must be the greener grass on the other side. Certainly, the idea of walking away from a tough job and living in luxury seems blissful – but this is not what Campbell intended.

Sometimes we need to take a hard look at our life circumstances and make adjustments along our journey. The important thing is to be conscious. Make conscious choices. Embrace work that you love. Remember, even when you’re “following your bliss”, there will be tough sledding at times. This is certainly not a free ticket to quit.

7. Choose your Life

This is another perspective on “Follow your Bliss”. Sometimes, it’s not our outside circumstances that need to change but our interior dimension.

I took a course called the Landmark Forum many years ago, and this was a key concept after three long days of workshop. It correlates back to the idea that ‘your thoughts create your reality’.

When you declare that your life, your spouse, your children, your job, your world are all exactly what you always wanted, then they will become that for you.

8. Don’t take yourself too seriously

Or, put another way: “Get over yourself”.

No one likes criticism and we all have fragile egos… but sometimes, when our thoughts hijack us, we can turn the simplest comments into conspiracy theories.

The truth is that not everything is about you, sometimes when people scowl at you, it’s because they’re unhappy inside. If a person says something to you that you don’t like, you don’t have to react in kind. In fact you may be able trigger transformation in another by not letting your ego take over, instead be present with that person and be compassionate.

Deepak Chopra asserts that “… the ego is not who we really are. The ego is our social mask, it is the role we are playing.”

If you are aware and present with people, not coloured by past injustices or imagined indignities, then you can choose to always have powerful, meaningful conversations.

Not being driven by ego takes focus, commitment, and courage…

9. We are all one

When you take steps to be present, become committed to not ‘be your ego’ or run by your thoughts, to be grateful for the people in your life, and to create your reality then you will start to sense more and more that you are not alone but a part of something much greater, the collective spirit of humanity.

Even the latest scientific breakthroughs with respect to quantum consciousness and unified field theory are demonstrating that the universe and everything in it, ourselves included, are interconnected by a vast field of energy.

In this collective space, love and contribution become natural which in turn can fuel harmony and peace in your life.

10. Conscious Evolution

Last year, I took the Evolutionary Worldview Course through Enlightennext Magazine and Andrew Cohen and later, watched the event: “A Call to Conscious Evolution, Our Moment of Choice” which was also hosted by this group. Both experiences were inspirational and eye-opening. As Deepak, one of the many renowned speakers at the Evolutionary Leaders’ event, said: “… the only way to transform the world is to transform yourself..” and “… even well-meaning activism is often coming from a place of outrage rather that creative consciousness..”

This jives with many of the teachings of Andrew Cohen and his team with respect to the evolution of our interior dimension and our culture. Our mind, our being, or our “interior dimension” as they call it have evolved just as our bodies have. They talk about 4 billion years of evolution on this planet and how we, as sentient, powerful beings, can now choose where we go from here. They ask questions like: “how does your own evolution come into the culture, into changing the world?” and “To what degree are you enabling this process of evolution through your own heroic efforts?” so that we can leave the world a better place because we were here.

Making conscious decisions everyday to feed and exercise your body for optimal health and well-being is the other side of the coin to choosing the thoughts that you feed yourself for optimal mental health and well-being.

The “Desiderata”

Posted June 27, 2012 by Eden

This famous piece of prose insinuated itself into my psyche at an early age. At our cottage in Huntsville, my parents hung the “Desiderata” on the wall of the main floor washroom. So everytime I sat on the toilet as an impressionable young girl on our weekends away, I would read it and try to make sense of what it told me. I believe my parents had become enamoured with the “Desiderata” when Pierre Elliott Trudeau shared it with Canada in one of his speeches. It was apparently a ‘motto’ for how our former, illustrious Prime Minister carried himself in the world… and my parents were fans of Trudeau.

I forgot all about this until a couple of years ago when my son, Jordan, gave us a large poster/plague for Christmas with a picture of a waterfall and the words of the “Desiderata”. This is now hanging in the bedroom.

It was always a mystery to me that these eloquent words of wisdom on how to move through life with grace was not credited to anyone. The poster in our bathroom in the 70’s credited the writing to “anonymous” and the one in my bedroom does not reference an author at all. In writing this post, I did a quick google search and discovered that it was in fact written in 1927 by American writer Max Ehrmann (1872–1945). There was some confusion over this and due to a series of blunders, it was assumed to be written in 1692 by an unknown author and therefore copyright-free. It wasn’t until a spoken word song was released of the “Desiderata” in the early 70’s that the family of the author was able to declare the rightful author and win royalties.

“Desiderata” is a Latin word meaning “Desired Things”. A few choice phrases (“the universe is unfolding as it should”, “be gentle with yourself”, “keep peace with your soul”) have always resonated with me and seem ahead of their time for when this piece was written.

Here is the full prose poem:

Desiderata by Max Ehrmann

Go placidly amidst the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labours and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all its shams, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful.

Strive to be happy

Mind Games

Posted April 27, 2012 by Eden

Have you ever been hijacked by your mind? For me, it started when I was a teenager.

Mine is a familiar story, almost cliche – I was a mess – emotionally charged, kicked out of school and home regularly, suspicious and mistrustful of most adults, lots of friends and parties, drugs and alcohol. Boyfriends added to the emotional roller coaster. If I wasn’t fighting with the boyfriend then it was my parents or teachers. My mind was always spinning – obsessive thoughts, sometimes paranoid and jealous.

I was seeing a social worker (at the ‘suggestion’ of my high school) and I still remember some advice she gave me. I was obsessing and hadn’t eaten much for days after a bitter break-up from a two year relationship. At fifteen, I was in a desperate frame of mind. I’d been alternating between pushing away my constant thoughts, trying hard not to think about the situation or giving in to my obsessions, wallowing in it, raging internally. Everything – songs, TV, friends – reminded me of him, good times and bad, perceived transgressions, the degree to which I’d been victimized, etcetera.

Her suggestion was simple. She said when a memory surfaces, acknowledge it, don’t resist it but also don’t expand it, generating thoughts that lead to suffering. Once you’ve accepted the memory that’s been triggered, that’s it. Move on. This may sound obvious but it really struck me. For the first time, I began to realize that I have a choice. I wouldn’t have been able to articulate this then but what it meant was that my mind was not in charge – I was.

What I understand now is that conquering a busy mind is a lifelong practice and can be the difference between a miserable, angry life or one filled with love and gratitude.

We have somewhere between 12,000 to 65,000 thoughts per day, although I’ve seen reference to a wider range (between 2,000 to 600,000!). Most commonly, 50-60,000 is considered a good estimate.

Being human means having thoughts all day, every day: endless observations, judgements, interpretations, complaints, worries, ‘what-ifs’, memories, regrets, wishes, desires, dreams about our future, anger about our past, and on and on. I’ve seen statistics that 95% of them are repetitive. Some thoughts are random, others can hijack us if let our emotions react to what are sometimes completely irrational, twisted versions of reality. For me, it has been a major breakthrough to understand that I am NOT my thoughts. For years, my thoughts ran me. They still try to, every single day, but I am watching them now!

In researching this, I was astounded to discover that most of our thoughts are not even about the present. The majority of our thoughts are rooted in the past, somewhere between 70 and 90%. They’re not just replays of ‘what happened’ but we add our own interpretation and meaning. Within our minds, our perception of the past can often become warped. About 10-20% of our thoughts involve imagining what will happen in the future. Only a small percentage of them actually focus on the present moment in a purely experiential manner which is where life truly exists.

Eckhart Tolle, author of “The Power of Now” and “A New Earth”, tells us: “Stay fully present in the now—your whole life unfolds here. In the now there is joy of Being and deep peace”.

When you realize you are not your thoughts, that you are a being with a powerful inner spirit with an appendage that generates non-stop thoughts, the possibility exists to become an observer of the mind and take control.

Louise Hay’s work on “affirmations” demonstrates how you can change your life by the practice of generating positive, life-affirming thoughts. She says: “Trust life to hear and respond to your positive words. Say these affirmations every day and your whole world will change for the better.”

I still struggle with my tendency to wallow in negative, mistrustful thoughts, to over-react to situations. I believe it was Samuel Clemens who said: “Just because I’m paranoid, doesn’t mean they’re not out to get me.” Well, that pretty much sums up how I feel sometimes, especially in the politically charged corporate world that many of us need to immerse ourselves in to make a living.

I believe that being self-aware and committed to conquering your mind is half the battle. Avoid the inner time travel and be here now. I’m so much better at this than I was at fifteen. With continued practice, I imagine I will be quite wise (and peaceful) by the time I’m 70.

Be Kind to Yourself

Posted April 20, 2012 by Susan

Too often, we are our own worst critics and we move through life feeling as if we are not doing all we ‘should’ be doing. Susan contributed these reflections triggered after observing this trend in a couple of forty-something accomplished individuals who were struggling.

Thought for today, by Mark Nepo: ‘The glassblower knows: while in the heat of beginning, any shape is possible. Once hardened, the only way to change is to break.’

Once again, as with Elizabeth Lesser’s book, ‘Broken Open,’ I am reminded of how we all have parts of ourselves which seem broken. It’s not our downfall this brokenness, its part of the fiber of our lives. And it is in looking at our lives – warts and all – with compassion, that begins to make us whole.

Paul Ferrini wrote “In each moment we are modeling something. Sometimes it is fear. Sometimes it is love. The question is not ‘How can we get rid of our fear?’ The question is, ‘How can we hold our fear with love?”’ If fear is the base of our flaws, our harsh judgments of how we are broken, what better way to heal than to hold these aspects of ourselves in love, with the same loving kindness in our hearts that we would a small child who has made a mistake. We are children, children of God, and we forget that all of us are doing the best we can at any given moment. The courage it takes to pick ourselves up, forgive ourselves for whatever we perceive needs forgiving and move on – that is the courage of a compassionate traveler in this journey to reach our best selves. We are all on this path, whether we know it or not. Each must walk at his own pace, and know that in picking up the broken pieces we have the opportunity to create the shape of the life we genuinely want.

Butterflies and other Miracles

Posted July 31, 2011 by Eden

I am beginning to realize how oblivious I’ve been to the perfection all around me, to every day miracles. With a busy life and ever churning mind, who cares what kind of trees are in my neighbourhood? Who takes time to notice the immense beauty in the minute details of our four season climate with glittering snow on bare branches, sprouts and blossoms glistening with rain in the spring, or lavish green growth, wildflowers and butterflies in the summer? I’m embarrassed that the answer is “ME” but that’s changing. Next I will experience the rich colours of autumn with new eyes now that I am finally paying attention..

I realize this probably sounds crazy to those who have always been present and aware of the wonders around them, who know exactly what trees and blossoms and flowers bloom when, and to people who watch the flying creatures in our world, who perhaps have birdfeeders and binoculars and are able to identify the various species, following their habits and listening to their songs.

But it is possible to be conscious of all this and at the same time, unimpressed, if you’ve never looked closely enough. I have to credit a new hobby with helping me to experience my surroundings with new wonder – photography. It started with video editing and then an idea about a new way to tell a story using accompanying illustrations by taking staged scenes outdoors with my ‘imaginary friends’. (More on this topic in a future blog). Then came a burgeoning curiousity about the variety of trees and bushes, creeks, ponds, and lakes, flowers and blossoms, grasses and bulrushes, and all the creatures that lived among them.

Since then, I’ve had a few chance ‘encounters’ that have hooked me for good.

I took vacation during the first two weeks of July at our getaway home in Collingwood on Silver Creek. Co-hosting a ‘rubber duck race and wing ding/bbq’ was a busy start but, after that, it was a relaxing vacation intermixed with golf, quiet nights and some day trips.

On July 5th, golfing at Osler Brook with my sister, mother, and aunt, I saw my first Tiger Swallowtail. If I’d ever seen one before, I
didn’t look closely enough for it to register in my mind. As they are common to this area, I don’t know how I could have missed them. I’ve since seen them featured on book covers and cards but with this encounter, I was like a child awakened to the world. The vibrant yellow and black butterfly was flitting about and drinking from a Butterfly bush (who knew there was such a plant?) With my new camera handy in the golf cart, I was able to capture this moment so here is my first new friend. I loved this picture and stared it many times over the following days.

A few days later, on July 9th (my birthday), I was sitting alone on our back porch with my camera when I heard loud rustling in the woods near the creek on our property. I’m ashamed to admit that if this had happened last year, I probably would have run into the house and peered at it through the window. Instead, I moved a little closer and had my first encounter with a deer. I thought when this doe saw me, it would run the other way but instead, it was curious and came around to the edge of the woods to stare at me. By this time, I had carefully walked down the yard to get a better view and was able to get a few good pictures of my new friend. I’m afraid I’m the one who bolted first, never having been brave around wild animals. I was surprised at how bold this deer was, not only staring at me but advancing. A few minutes later, after I chastised myself, I was back outside but it was gone. I’ve never seen a deer before or since on our property but it was a lovely birthday gift. Whenever I see this picture, it fills me with wonder.

So, now I am reluctant to go anywhere without my camera close by and I’ve had two more butterfly encounters. On the golf course again, I met another Swallowtail but this one was Black! Who knew there were a variety of different types of Swallowtails? Okay, probably many of you knew but I didn’t. Here’s the Black Swallowtail

having lunch. (Of course, I was in the middle of a Match Play competition when I came across this creature but I have my priorities right. And yes, we subsequently lost the match.. 🙂 )

After this second beautiful butterfly picture, I was determined to get a picture of a Monarch which is the only kind that I actually knew by name before this summer. The Monarchs teased me for weeks, flitting by on the golf course, on the roads, in my parents’ yard but never stopping long enough for me to get a picture. Then this weekend, when I least expected it, I stepped onto my back porch with my camera in hand and there was a Monarch, drinking from the Purple cornflowers at the edge of our deck. So, say hi to my newest friend…

Now that I am watching the trees and flowers and creatures that are everywhere on our planet, I remember some of the lessons that I’ve blogged about, especially about being present. Could it really be so simple as to just open your eyes and look around you?

Inspirational Science about the power of our Hearts

Posted May 30, 2011 by Eden

Earlier in May, I attended Day 3 (Sunday) of the Hay House “I Can Do It” event in Toronto. My main reason for going was to see Gregg Braden who was the keynote speaker on Sunday morning. While there, I also enjoyed attending sessions with John Holland (the first time I’d ever experienced a “medium in action”), Dr. Christiane Northrup, and Dr. Bruce Lipton who gave the closing keynote address. I’ve since been absorbing more material from both Gregg Braden and Bruce Lipton. I love the mix of scientific breakthroughs in the areas of biology and quantum physics as they relate to human spirituality intermixed with findings from our wisdom traditions.

I’m still absorbing some of this information and couldn’t possibly do this justice here, however, I thought sharing a few insights might be of interest.

Lipton and Braden have a lot in common as they both come from a science background, however, Lipton has a PhD in Biology and is more focused on that field. I just finished listening to his CD’s called the “Biology of Belief” which go quite in depth on genetics but in a way that everyone (even me) can understand.

Braden seems to balance his scientific inquiry with his parallel mission of investigating ancient wisdom traditions which makes his material really fascinating. I’ve heard them both dispute Darwin’s theories on evolution as it relates to human evolution and the ‘survival of the fittest’. It’s the first time I’ve really considered that this wasn’t just pure fact but some really interesting points were made. Braden’s upcoming book will cover this in detail. The idea that ‘cooperation’ works better for our survival than ‘competition’ is certainly true today.

While there, I was able to briefly meet Gregg Braden and have him sign two of his books (“The God Code” and “Fractal Time”) and slip him a wrapped copy of “Vision Speak”. I don’t know if he’ll find time to read my novel but I can always dream. He was very gracious in accepting it. 🙂 I also picked up his DVD, “The Language of the Divine Matrix” which I enjoyed watching over a rainy weekend in May. (which would be most of May this year..)

In this 4 hour DVD, Braden walks us through real science demonstrating some exciting concepts, for example:

the universe is an intelligent, evolving consciousness of which we are all connected. He calls this the ‘divine matrix’ (based partly on Planck’s reference to the field as the ‘matrix’)
we are beings of energy and the strongest electrical and magnetic energy forces in our body come from our heart
the language of our heart – beliefs and feelings, human prayer energy – (generated by our thoughts and emotions) can change our world, affect our reality, connect us to the divine matrix…

He explained some fascinating, related experiments, including the “Global Consciousness Project” out of Princeton University which is measuring changes in human consciousness on a global scale using devices planted around the earth. A key result from this experiment occurred around 9/11. The measurements recorded both just before and after 9/11, indicate some astounding results which not only demonstrate the power of our collective energy but also that we may sense something is about to happen before it actually reaches our conscious state.

He then shared some of his research into ancient traditions, including his visit to Tibet, his knowledge of the Essenes, and the lost scriptures including the Lost Gospel of Thomas and related this to the science. One of his quotations came from Thomas Verse 106 which referenced the potential power mankind can have: ‘when you can marry thought and emotion into one potent force’..

Ancient wisdom seekers were perhaps more in touch with this ‘prana’, energy body of humanity than we are today in our busy, materialistic world.

If you’re not already a fan of Gregg Braden (http://www.greggbraden.com/) and his work, as well as Bruce Lipton (http://www.brucelipton.com/), then I highly recommend you have a look at the work they are doing (and sharing). They both have hugely inspiring insights, based on real science, that could rock your world.