Journey to the heart for May

[shadow1952]

Learn to Release Old Toxins

Just as splinters can get embedded in our body, old emotions and beliefs can act like toxins and become embedded in us,too. We may have picked up residue along the way-- beliefs we didn't consciously choose, feelings we weren't safe enough to feel, toxins from the world around us.

Now is a time of cleansing. Now is the time to heal your body and emotions, your mind and soul.

What beliefs and emotions do you need to heal? Look around at your life right now. What are you thinking? What are you talking about? What issues are cropping up in your life? Who are you talking about? What are you remembering? Who has come back into your life? What hurts? Is that feeling familiar? When have you felt it before?

Once you've identified what you're feeling and thinking, release it. Let the energy go. Let it leave your body. You can chatter all you want about what's going on with you, but that doesn't release the energy from your system anymore than talking about a splinter takes it out. Sometimes the process will sting just a bit when you pull out the splinter. But don't worry. It won't hurt for long. And soon you'll feel better than you've felt in a long time.

Often the process of releasing old toxins can be as gentle and natural as the way a flower or tree grows with sunshine and rain, a bit of fertile soil, and a little pruning and weeding.


Growth can be gentle now. Growth can be fun. Breathe in new air. Breathe in new energy. Exhale the past, its feelings, beliefs, and toxins. Let it go. Let yourself be transformed.

[shadow1952]

See the Divine All Around You

The woman was old, perhaps ninety. She had the frailness we sometimes see in the elderly, but her life force was strong, vital. She sat in the cafe eating breakfast with a younger woman. "You've been through a lot," the younger woman said. "It must be hard since your husband died. How are you doing?"

The older woman chewed a bit of toast, then responded. "I'm okay," she said. "Everything that's happened has brought me to a closer walk with the Lord."

"What do you mean by that?" the younger woman barked.

"This is what I mean," the older woman said. "I see God more in everything. In people. In things. In the world. In myself. It's just a closer walk."

I smiled to myself, quit eavesdropping, and finished my breakfast. Every religious faith has its own language. Each has its own frame of reference. But most roads lead to the same destination: taking our place in the Divine rhythm of life, recognizing Divinity in all that is-- in others, in ourselves, and in all the creations of the universe.


Open to your connection to the world around you. Know that we really all are one. The connection is God. The connection is the Divine as each of us understands it. The connection is love.

[shadow1952]

Say Good-Bye with an Open Heart

On our journey, we meet many souls with whom we interact, exchange energy, in a way that enhances our growth and theirs. We learn lessons together. We break bread. We share love. But there often comes a time to say good-bye.

A good-bye can come suddenly, unexpectedly, without much warning. Or a good-bye can be expected, planned on, and take a while to work out. The length of time doesn't matter. What matters is how we handle our good-byes.

We can do it with our hearts open, saying thank you for all we've learned. Or we can close our hearts and bitterly say we've lost again. We can say good-bye with an attitude of trust, faith, and love, believing our hearts led us together, for the time we were close, to celebrate life and further our journeys. Or we can do it with harsh judgement, asking what's wrong with us that our paths didn't let us stay together. We can say good-bye with our hearts open, feeling our sadness, our longing, and our joy. Or we can say good-bye with emotions walled off, saying that's just the way life is.

Sometimes, it's time to say good-bye. We can't always choose timing, but we can choose the words of our heart.


And sometimes it's not good-bye. It's til we meet again.

[shadow1952]

Cherish Each Moment

Stop waiting for the one moment in time that will change your life. Instead, cherish all the moments. A desert cactus that blooms briefly only once a year does not consider all the moments it is not in bloom wasted. It considers them necssary and important. It knows the rest of the year, the rest of its life, it is beautiful,too.

All the moments count. The quiet moments. The moments of boredom and solitude. The moments of sharing. The exciting moments of discovery. The moments of grandeur. The agonizing moments when we feel sad, angry, and upset. Each moment in time is equally important. Don't wait and hope for the one thing, the one person, the one event, that will change your life, plummet you into the future and the life you desire. Instead remember that each moment in time brings change, evolution, and transformation.

Most of us relish the magnificent spiritual experiences, those tremendous discoveries, those important times of change. But those moments don't happen that often. The truth is, each moment in time is a spiritual experience, an important time of change. Cherish all your moments. Soon you will see the beauty and power of each.

Let each moment have value. Let each day of your life be the spiritual experience you seek. The power to change and evolve lies within you. The life you desire is happening right now. Your destiny is here.


Cherish all your moments. Embrace the beauty and importance of each one.

[shadow1952]

Value the Power of Clear Thought

Value your mind, and the power of conscious, clear thought. All this talk about opening the heart has not been to discount or devalue the power of conscious clear thought, or of opening our minds and expanding our consciousness. A gift, a benefit, from opening our heart is increased clarity of mind and thought.

As we clear the pathway to the heart by feeling, expressing and releasing old emotions, we will clear the path to the mind. Just as the body is connected to the mind, so is the heart. A cramped body can cause fuzzy thinking, but so can a clogged heart. To attempt to think clearly and consciously with the heart closed may not work. It may even prove frustrating and difficult.

"Don't think so hard," the wise old man gently instructed me. "You're hurting your head and your thinking isn't becoming clear. Relax. Stop trying so hard. Open your heart. Then your thinking will clear. The mind," he reminded me, " is connected to the heart."

If you're feeling cloudy and confused and can't get the answers, stop trying so hard. Move your body and clear your physical energy. Then try opening your heart. You may see a delightful result. Without trying or forcing, your thinking clears. And it becomes clear without the frustration of trying to force thoughts, ideas, or thought patterns. It happens almost magically, and quite naturally.


The mind is connected to the heart. Value the power of conscious clear thought. Value your mind, and its power, by valuing the power and wisdom of an open heart.

[shadow1952]

Stay Open to Life

I have a tendency to be dogmatic. If I have an experience that's unpleasant, I take a firm stand and say, I'll never go through that again. I'll never do that again. If something frightens me or I don't understand it, I'll push it away. Won't even consider it. That won't work for me, I say, sometimes before I know whether it will or not. Being dogmatic shuts us down and can shut life out.

The universe will challenge our prejudices, though. Without being certain how it happened, we may find ourselves doing the very thing we thought we never would, liking it, and hearing a quiet voice, the one that comes from our heart ask, What do you think now? When we're open, we'll find ourselves doing things, sharing things, experiencing things, and liking things we never thought we would or could.


Open your heart. Open your mind. Open to life and all it holds for you. Let the dogma dissolve.

[shadow1952]

Are You Angry?

Anger ranks high on the list of perplexing, troublesome emotions. We want to be kind and loving, but then suddenly we feel a jolt in our heart, an edge to our voice. Something has been tapped deep inside. It could be a chunk of old anger, something we weren't conscious of or safe enough to feel back then. It may be current. Something has come into our life today, and our reaction is anger.

Oh no, we may think, this sin't what I need. But denying anger will not bring us joy. Hiding it, tucking it away deep inside is not the answer. We may even turn it upon ourselves. Not feeling anger won't make it go away. Its energy will still be there, pounding away inside us and, in subtle ways, pounding away at others,too. Until we acknowledge our anger, feel it, and release it, it will keep us off balance, on edge, and irritable. We need to give ourselves permission to feel all our emotions, including anger.

But allowing yourself to feel angry doesn't mean giving yourself permission to rage, to hack and cleave at the world, to verbally abuse those around you. Find ways to express your anger with grace and dignity. Park your car, roll down the windows, and yell. Find a solitary place, a spot where you are safe, then speak loudly about how you feel. Write it out. Shout it out. Pound it out. Go to the gym and work it out.

Anger can be a guide, Used creatively, it can help us decide where to go and where not to go. It can help us get to the next place in our lives. Feeling and expressing our anger in appropriate ways will take us forward to a place of power within ourselves.


Let yourself feel angry when anger is what you really feel. Then get the anger out of your head and out of your body. Once that's happened, you'll feel clear. You'll know what to do next. The path to your heart, to your inner voice, will be opened. Sometimes getting angry is exactly what we need to do next.

[shadow1952]

Love Yourself

No matter what, love yourself.

Love yourself, even if it feels like the world around you is irked with you, even if it feels like those you've conted on most have gone away, even if you wonder if God has abandoned you.

When it feels like the journey has stopped, the magic is gone, and you've been left sitting on the curb, love yourself. When you're confused and angry about how things are going or how they've gone, love yourself. No matter what happens or where you are, love yourself. No matter if you aren't certain where you're going or if there's anyplace left to go, love yourself.


This situation will change, this time will pass, and the magic will return. So will joy and faith. You will feel connected again-- to yourself, God, the universe, and life. But the first thing to do is love yourself. And all the good you want will follow.

[shadow1952]

Trust Each Step

Stay present for each step of your journey. We don't go from one place to another in a gigantic leap. We get there in increments, by going through each feeling, each belief, each experience one step at a time.

Sometimes when we pray for miiracles, what we're really praying for is help in skipping steps, for shortcuts. The simple act of acceptance, of returning to each step of our path, can often bring us the miracle we need. Then we see the truth. The real miracle is one always available to each of us: it's the miracle of acceptance. We can go where we want to go, one step at a time.


Stay present for each step of your journey. Trust each stage. Many things are possible for you if you accept that the fastest way is one step at a time.

[shadow1952]

Go for the Ride


Not all sections of the road we travel are smooth, paved, easy riding. We may prefer the smooth sections of highway, but sometimes the road gets rough. And the rough section can go on for miles and miles.

That's okay. It doesn't mean you've lost your way. It doesn't mean the rough section and bumpy spots will last forever. You're still on your path.

Relax. Wiggle your shoulders a bit. Get ready, for you just may be in for the ride of your life. Don't try to ignore the bumps or pretend they're not there. Not all roads are paved and smooth. Not all roads are meant to be. Slow down a bit if you need to, but don't stop.


Accept each part of the journey as it comes. Let each stretch of your path be what it needs to be.