Anyone Can Be The Light

 

This post touched me so much I had to share it. I have been trying to write a post with a similar message in recent weeks yet the words just haven't come together cohesively. When I saw this, I knew it was exactly what was in my heart - the message I couldn't find the words for.

It was written by Elizabeth Gilbert. Truth be told, I don't know who she is, it was forwarded so many times I was unable to track it back to her and ask her permission to share it here. (The only Elizabeth Gilbert I am aware of is the woman who wrote Eat, Pray, Love but I am not sure if this was written by THAT Elizabeth Gilbert or a different one). At any rate, something tells me the author of this won't mind if her beautiful story reaches more people. 

I hope it touches you and inspires you the way it has touched and inspired me:

“Some years ago, I was stuck on a crosstown bus in New York City during rush hour. Traffic was barely moving. The bus was filled with cold, tired people who were deeply irritated with one another, with the world itself. Two men barked at each other about a shove that might or might not have been intentional. A pregnant woman got on, and nobody offered her a seat. Rage was in the air; no mercy would be found here.

But as the bus approached Seventh Avenue, the driver got on the intercom. *'Folks,'* he said, *'I know you have had a rough day and you are frustrated. I can’t do anything about the weather or traffic, but here is what I can do. As each one of you gets off the bus, I will reach out my hand to you. As you walk by, drop your troubles into the palm of my hand, okay? Don’t take your problems home to your families tonight, just leave them with me. My route goes right by the Hudson River, and when I drive by there later, I will open the window and throw your troubles in the water.'*

It was as if a spell had lifted. Everyone burst out laughing. Faces gleamed with surprised delight. People who had been pretending for the past hour not to notice each other’s existence were suddenly grinning at each other like, is this guy serious?

Oh, he was serious.

At the next stop, just as promised, the driver reached out his hand, palm up, and waited. One by one, all the exiting commuters placed their hand just above his and mimed the gesture of dropping something into his palm. Some people laughed as they did this, some teared up but everyone did it. The driver repeated the same lovely ritual at the next stop, too. And the next. All the way to the river.

We live in a hard world, my friends. Sometimes it is extra difficult to be a human being. Sometimes you have a bad day. Sometimes you have a bad day that lasts for several years. You struggle and fail. You lose jobs, money, friends, faith, and love. You witness horrible events unfolding in the news, and you become fearful and withdrawn. There are times when everything seems cloaked in darkness. You long for the light but don’t know where to find it.

But what if you are the light? What if you are the very agent of illumination that a dark situation begs for? That’s what this bus driver taught me, that anyone can be the light, at any moment. This guy wasn’t some big power player. He wasn’t a spiritual leader. He wasn’t some media-savvy influencer. He was a bus driver, one of society’s most invisible workers. But he possessed real power, and he used it beautifully for our benefit.

When life feels especially grim, or when I feel particularly powerless in the face of the world’s troubles, I think of this man and ask myself, What can I do, right now, to be the light? Of course, I can’t personally end all wars, or solve global warming, or transform vexing people into entirely different creatures. I definitely can’t control traffic. But I do have some influence on everyone I brush up against, even if we never speak or learn each other’s name.

*No matter who you are, or where you are, or how mundane or tough your situation may seem, I believe you can illuminate your world. In fact, I believe this is the only way the world will ever be illuminated, one bright act of grace at a time, all the way to the river.*”

~ Elizabeth Gilbert

Sing A Song

I woke yesterday morning hearing a song in my head. Like a lot of people, I receive much of my guidance through music. (I assume it is because I love music so much, my guides have always known it was the best way to get through to me)  :-) 

What I heard was Karen Carpenter's voice . . . "Sing, sing a song, sing out loud, sing out strong, don't worry that it's not good enough for anyone else to hear, just sing, sing a song." I teared up because I have loved the Carpenters since I was a little girl and I was so happy to be getting the message from my guides in this particular way. 

Just as the thought entered my mind "I wonder if this is a message just for me or if it's for everyone" I heard the part of the song play in my head where the whole chorus joins her and everyone is singing the lyrics . . . Goosebumps ran up my arms and I could feel how powerful the message was. I knew I was supposed to share it in a blog post. 

Then the puzzle pieces began flying in rapid fire . . . my heart beat faster as I attempted to see and hold onto each one as it flew in.

I remembered the sense that kept coming to me the day before, that WE get to decide how quickly or slowly things unfold from here. This state of chaos and polarity and disharmony the world is in . . . it doesn't need to last forever if WE choose to shift it sooner. Then I heard:  

See with your heart

Hear with your heart

Act from your heart

With that came this "knowing" that by doing so, we could inspire even more people to do the same . . . and that THAT was what could help move us more quickly out of the state of chaos and disharmony and judgment that the world is in right now. 

Then I flashed on a memory from many years ago . . . I was walking along the beach looking for seaglass and I noticed a woman in front of me reaching down to pick things up every few feet. At first I thought she was seaglass hunting like me but soon I realized she was picking up garbage. I was really touched by what I saw her doing and from that day forward I always brought an extra bag with me so that when I walked the beach, I could look for seaglass AND pick up garbage too. 

After that, a memory from a couple years ago popped in . . . when I was picking up garbage on the beach and a gal walked up to me to thank me for what I was doing. She said "I feel guilty that I haven't been doing that. I think I will start doing it too" and I said "Please don't feel guilty, how do you think I got started? I saw someone else doing it." :-) We grinned at each other from ear to ear and then we spontaneously hugged each other. It was one of those awesome moments that had me smiling the whole rest of the day.

With that, another puzzle piece "clicked" - an additional vague thought that had run through my head several times the day before was "Maybe we also get to help decide how big of a wake-up call will be necessary to move things forward." (For those of you who are unfamiliar with what I am speaking of, there has been a lot of talk in the spiritual communities about there being a big "event" that might occur to "wake people up" to what is happening on our planet right now and that it could be something big and unsettling. I don't say that to scare anyone, because I have no idea if it's the truth, I'm just sharing what I have been hearing in recent years)

So back to us getting to decide how "big" that wake up call is . . . I am going to use an earthquake metaphor - not because I have a "knowing" about an earthquake in our future but because I grew up in California where earthquakes are so common that it's the first thing that came to mind. If an earthquake WAS needed to "shake things up" the feeling I was getting was that it wouldn't need to be a 10.0 earthquake that does a ton damage . . . that it could be a 3.5 earthquake that maybe rattles some nerves and knocks something off the shelf . . . that maybe WE get to determine the strength of the "wake up call" by our actions NOW. 

It feels to me like the more we SEE and HEAR and ACT from our HEARTS, the more gentle the "earthquake" will end up being. I will not profess to be "right" about this . . . merely sharing the feeling that kept coming to me and how it seemed to connect in with these puzzle pieces. 

And then the final piece clicked in . . . something that occurred on Sunday night. The beach town where I live has a huge firework show that occurs in October each year. It is put on by a local Foundation as a way to "give back to the community." In years past, I have written them, pleading that they find another way to "give back to the community" that didn't scare animals and veterans and people with PTSD and yet it made no difference. My German shepherd is so frightened of fireworks that I dread this event. I knew I needed to get him in the car before it started and drive as far away as I could so that he wouldn't hear them. All the while, I had to keep fighting the irritation that was creeping in and the urge to judge the Foundation who put this annual display on. I knew what I needed to do was just focus on what was in my control - which was getting my boy away from the noise. 

Once we were in the car and heading toward the freeway, I turned on the CD player to see what was in there and was very pleased to find that it was Eddie Money's first album. Given that he was my first rock star crush AND that he was a huge animal lover, I thought it seemed perfect to have him singing to us on our drive. I flipped back a few songs so that I could hear one of my favorites . . . in the chorus of the song Jealousys, he sings "Life on earth, take it for what it's worth, save the Universe, love one another." I felt so soothed to hear his voice and I knew those lyrics were exactly what I needed to hear. 

Fortunately for me, one of my kind neighbors texted me after the fireworks finale to let me know it was safe to drive back home and as I pulled off the freeway and turned into my neighborhood, Jealousys came on again. My first thought was "Wow, we drove for the duration of the entire album" but then I heard him sing "Save the Universe, love one another" and as goose bumps ran up my arms and my eyes filled with tears, I felt the magic of it all . . . I had no doubt the timing was divinely orchestrated. 

So, I am going to "Sing, sing a song, sing out loud, sing out strong!" and I'm not going to worry if it's good enough for anyone else to hear, I'm going to just sing . . . sing my song!! Maybe you will feel inspired to do the same. 

It still stuns me that Eddie was sharing such relevant and truth inspired wisdom over 40 years ago when that album came out . . . "Save the Universe, Love one another" . . .  but I sense it is truly a message for RIGHT NOW! If we enter each interaction we have seeing with our hearts and hearing with our hearts and acting from our hearts, maybe we'll get to shift our experience here on earth . . . to one that is a whole lot more peaceful and harmonious and a whole lot more fun! Maybe you will consider this as well. It certainly couldn't hurt to give it a try!

Where Is Our Compassion?

In our current reality, that seems to be filled with polarity and division, where people are feeling helpless and hopeless, there has never been a time where compassion is more needed . . . so I find it quite troubling that our headlines are still filled with name calling and more attempts to keep us divided. I saw something this week that bothered me so much, I feel compelled to speak up and say something. 

The headline was about a news reporter who was confronted by a "crazy man" . . . this headline showed up over and over and over again . . . sometimes they changed the word from "crazy to deranged" but basically every headline made fun of and denigrated the man who approached the news reporter, Shaquille Brewster.  

My first thought was "Why on earth would they label the man that way?" I watched the short clip, which was the only clip I could find because every single news outlet showed the exact same thing and in it you can hear the man saying "Report accurately!" A man wants accurate reporting . . . why did he get labeled with such derogatory terms? 

The "scene" of this event took place in Gulfport, Mississippi . . . an area that had just experienced sustained winds of up ago 150mph from Hurricane Ida. Rather than labeling the man "crazy" or "deranged" why wasn't anyone asking if he was ok? If he wanted to make sure the reporter was reporting accurately, he must have had a reason for it. If he was acting aggressively, why wasn't anyone asking WHY? 

On the heels of 150pmh winds, do we know what this man has been through? Did he lose his home? His business? Was he missing loved ones? Did he have anywhere to go? Anything to eat? Did he need help of some sort? 

Yesterday, I saw another headline about this "event" so I clicked on the article to see if there was more information. The article was about the number of people who reached out to the reporter, Shaquille Brewster, to make sure he was ok.  Every article I clicked on said the exact same thing . . . it was about the outpouring of support he was receiving for being confronted on the beach the other day.  

What about the man who confronted him? Do we know if HE is ok? Do we know why he was so concerned about accurate reporting? Surely he must have had a reason for coming across as upset as he seemed to be. Do we know if HE needs support right now? Is anyone reaching out to him to make sure that HE is ok? Where is our compassion for someone who quite probably LIVES in Gulfport? (I am making that assumption based on the fact that from what I could tell, the only people in Gulfport at the time were residents and reporters - feel free to correct me if I am wrong). Why isn't there an outpouring of support for him? I couldn't fall asleep that night because I couldn't stop thinking about the man in the video . . . and the rest of the people who have been in the path of Hurricane Ida. 

I read today that flooding was already occurring in Gulfport. I sent all the love and compassion I could (and will continue to do so) . . . to the man in the video and to all the people who are being affected by Hurricane Ida. And yet, I know we can still do more. 

So where is our compassion?  I know it's out there but you'd never know it from what you see in the news.  The people who are being affected by these "acts of nature" all over the world need our compassion  . . . they need our support. They don't need to be called names and ridiculed in our headlines. I know we can do better . . . 

At times like these, I am brought back to some of my favorite music  . . . music I grew up on that always touched my heart and my soul. Today, I share the lyrics of one of my favorite Diana Ross songs:

Reach out and touch: 

Reach out and touch somebody's hand. Make this world a better place if you can

Reach out and touch, somebody's hand, make this world a better place if you can

(Just try)

Take a little time out of your busy day to give encouragement to someone who's lost their way

Or would I be talking to a stone if I asked you to share a problem that's not your own

We can change things if we start giving. 

Why don't you reach out and touch somebody's hand, make this world a better place if you can. Reach out and touch, somebody's hand, make this world a better place if you can.

(Just try) 

If you see an old friend on the street and he's down, remember his shoes could fit your feet

Try a little kindness, you'll see, it's something that comes very naturally. We can change things if we start giving.

Why don't you reach out and touch - why don't you reach out and touch somebody's hand - make this world a better place if you can. 

ps:  I have since read that they issued a warrant for the man's arrest (with a list of charges that did NOT match anything I saw in the video) and then another update that he had been found and put in jail. Again, I ask - Where is our compassion??  Who is going to tell HIS side of the story? When are we going to decide that name calling people in the headlines (without looking at and reporting on the other side of the story) is something we won't accept? 

It's Not What You Say But How You Say It . . .

It's not what you say but how you say it . . . and it's not about what you choose but how you communicate about the choice.  

These are two beliefs of mine that I try to always live by because I have seen time and again how important they are for creating more harmony . . . and yet I find myself living in a world right now that doesn't seem to share in my belief that these guidelines for communication truly can make a difference.

This summer I was uninvited to two weddings. In one situation, the wedding had to be scaled way back due to the financial hit their family business has taken in the last year and a half. First I received a phone call from the father of the bride explaining what they had to do and apologizing that I hadn't "made the cut." LOL  We had a lovely chat and we hung up the phone appreciating the chance to connect and knowing our friendship was still as strong as it always was. A few days later, I got a beautiful letter in the mail from the bride-to-be (which shocked me because I knew I had only been on the original invite list because of my long friendship with her father). I was so touched that she took the time to write such a sweet letter, I felt inspired to respond with a hand written letter myself. It was actually really nice to connect with her that way. In the end, because of the effort they put into communicating with me and the care they took to make sure I didn't feel unimportant, I didn't mind that I had been uninvited to the wedding.

In the other situation, I was copied on a large group email from one of my very best friends from childhood that basically said, "Either you agree to put experimental things in your body by our wedding date OR you can't attend." They asked people to reply only with a "yes or no" so I did that . . . and received a one line response of "Sorry you won't be able to come." Once I picked my jaw up off the floor and addressed all the emotions it brought up for me, I was left with the disappointment that the approach showed no kindness, no indication that our 4 and 1/2 decade friendship meant anything to her at all. I realized that, at least for now, this was a friendship I wasn't going to put anymore energy into.

While I respect everyone's right to make choices that feel right to them, HOW we communicate regarding those choices really can make all the difference in the world.  

As another example, my father has some pretty strong political beliefs that don't match up to mine and I often receive emails from him that are very politically charged. (Which are often filled with blame for the "other side" for just about everything.")  While I COULD reply to them with something mean or I COULD just ignore them, I have chosen to read through them and find things that I appreciate about them. i.e. Were some facts shared that I found helpful? Were there any points in there that I agreed with? My responses always start out with what I appreciated about the email. I then say "I am sure I probably sound like a broken record but just wanted to say again that it bums me out to see emails that I filled with so much blame because I think it keeps us in a state of polarity. I'd love to see emails that have facts and data in them that also include possible solutions or ideas on how to move forward from here. If you come across anything like that, I would love to see them.

I respond that way because I love and respect my father and I want him to feel heard and appreciated AND I also want to be heard and appreciated. I don't want to build any unnecessary walls between us so I make sure I take extra care when I am communicating . . . not just with my dad but with everyone. Our words can cause hurt and separation if we don't take the time to consider how we are responding and if we don't hold some compassion and understanding for others when we are crafting a response.

Unfortunately, it seems we are being led to fear people who are "different" or making different choices. It is so rampant in our world right now that we are doing damage on a regular basis that to me isn't necessary. 

How we choose to communicate and how much compassion we hold for others is more impactful than I think most people realize. If we can hold respect for others and operate from our hearts, many relationships can be strengthened instead of torn apart. We might start building bridges instead of walls and we  may be able to shift ourselves out of this very divided world we currently live in. 

Please let's not get so caught up in our fears that we forget how to treat others with kindness and compassion. 

August 8, 2021 - Silent Meditation - Between 8am-8pm PST

I am writing this particular (time sensitive) blog in the hopes of generating support for something I am participating in Sunday, August 8th between 8am PST and 8pm PST. 

Once again my friends from around the globe and I are going to be sitting in silent meditation - focusing on feeling the energy of LOVE. It is our belief that our planet and all it's inhabitants greatly need this infusion of love energy - and if we can get a LOT of people to give at least 30 minutes of their time, we believe it can go a long way towards diffusing the chaotic energy that is permeating our planet.

If you can give 30 min. of your time that would be wonderful. Equally wonderful is if you can give more than 30 minutes or join in several times during that 12 hour timeframe.

The gals who are organizing this event happen to live in California so the event times are set in PST. Some folks are going to head up to Mount Shasta to sit in silent meditation with others - and yet, it is not necessary at all to be there in person.

Do you have questions? Let me see if I can answer some of the questions that have come up for folks.

- What should you do if you live in a different time zone? Figure out what 8am-8pm PST is where you live and participate from your time zone anytime during those hours. 

Do you need to sign up? Nope. You can just "do your thing" although if you'd like, you are welcome to go to the All For Love FB page to let them know you plan to participate. 

Does it cost anything? Nope. Not a thing.

Do I need an internet connection to participate? No you don't. For me personally, I feel better when I am away from technology (one of the reasons I love the forest near my house is because I get zero cell service out there so it's a great place for me to do my walking meditations) :-)  

Do you have to meditate? Nope you don't need to if meditation isn't your thing. The important thing is that you are focused on LOVE so do something where you are most likely to feel nothing but love. 

For my friends who have just become grandparents, that might mean rocking their new grand baby. For my musically inclined friends, that might mean playing a certain set list of songs that puts them in their heart. For my pet loving friends, it might mean snuggling with their fur baby. The important thing is that you just feel LOVE in your heart - and you are the best person to decide what makes you feel love.

There isn't a "right" way to do it . . . we just hope to have as many people as possible generating as much love energy as possible. 

What if you don't believe it will do any good? Would you be willing to do it anyway? Seriously, is there any harm that could come from just focusing on the feeling of love for a while? 

Do you want to read more about this? You can find more information on Facebook - the event page is called All For Love. 

If you are able to participate, Kino and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts . . . We truly believe "What the world needs now is Love Sweet Love . . . "

PS - for those of you who prefer Guided Meditations - that is a great option too!  I thought I'd share one of my most favorite ones. It was created by Amanda Lorence, one of the most beautiful souls I know. Her voice is so soothing to me and I can feel the pure love that comes from her heart. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6kbmLC5JAY

What It Means to Give

Recently I came across this story - an excerpt from Everything Good in the World where Katherine Hepburn shares an experience she had as a child. On this day she learned an important lesson about giving and it moved me so deeply, I just had to share it. 

In this year of 2021, it is my hope that more and more people will understand the value and the joy of giving, that more people will learn to "see" with their hearts, respond with love and compassion for others. I truly believe we have the ability to shift the consciousness of our planet and that the choice is in our hands - from one moment to the next. 

Katherine Hepburn, 1921.

In her own words:

“Once when I was a teenager, my father and I were standing in line to buy tickets for the circus.

Finally, there was only one other family between us and the ticket counter. This family made a big impression on me.

There were eight children, all probably under the age of 12. The way they were dressed, you could tell they didn't have a lot of money, but their clothes were neat and clean.

The children were well-behaved, all of them standing in line, two-by-two behind their parents, holding hands. They were excitedly jabbering about the clowns, animals, and all the acts they would be seeing that night. By their excitement you could sense they had never been to the circus before. It would be a highlight of their lives.

The father and mother were at the head of the pack standing proud as could be. The mother was holding her husband's hand, looking up at him as if to say, "You're my knight in shining armor." He was smiling and enjoying seeing his family happy.

The ticket lady asked the man how many tickets he wanted? He proudly responded, "I'd like to buy eight children's tickets and two adult tickets, so I can take my family to the circus." The ticket lady stated the price.

The man's wife let go of his hand, her head dropped, the man's lip began to quiver. Then he leaned a little closer and asked, "How much did you say?" The ticket lady again stated the price.

The man didn't have enough money. How was he supposed to turn and tell his eight kids that he didn't have enough money to take them to the circus?

Seeing what was going on, my dad reached into his pocket, pulled out a $20 bill, and then dropped it on the ground. (We were not wealthy in any sense of the word!) My father bent down, picked up the $20 bill, tapped the man on the shoulder and said, "Excuse me, sir, this fell out of your pocket."

The man understood what was going on. He wasn't begging for a handout but certainly appreciated the help in a desperate, heartbreaking and embarrassing situation.

He looked straight into my dad's eyes, took my dad's hand in both of his, squeezed tightly onto the $20 bill, and with his lip quivering and a tear streaming down his cheek, he replied; "Thank you, thank you, sir. This really means a lot to me and my family."

My father and I went back to our car and drove home. The $20 that my dad gave away is what we were going to buy our own tickets with.

Although we didn't get to see the circus that night, we both felt a joy inside us that was far greater than seeing the circus could ever provide.

That day I learned the value to give.

The giver is bigger than the receiver. If you want to be large, larger than life, learn to Give. Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get - only with what you are expecting to give - which is everything.

The importance of giving, blessing others can never be over emphasized because there's always joy in giving. Learn to make someone happy by acts of giving.”

~ Katharine Hepburn

(from Everything Good in the World)

Can You Spare 1/2 hour on June 20, 2021?

I am writing this particular (time sensitive) blog in the hopes of generating support for something I am participating in this Sunday, June 20th. FOCUSING ON NOTHING BUT LOVE FOR 30 MINUTES. This happens to be the date of the summer equinox. 

My friends from around the globe and I are all participating by sitting in silent meditation for 30 minutes. For those 30 minutes we are just going to focus on feeling the energy of LOVE. It is our belief that our planet and all it's inhabitants greatly need this infusion of love energy - and if we can get a LOT of people to give 30 minutes of their time, we believe it can go a long way towards diffusing the chaotic energy that has permeated our planet.

The gals who are organizing this event happen to live in California (up in Mount Shasta) so the event will begin at noon PST. Some folks are going to head up to Mount Shasta to sit in silent meditation with others - and yet, it is not necessary at all to be there in person.

Do you have questions? Let me see if I can answer some of the questions that have come up for folks.

- What should you do if you live in a different time zone? It is totally up to you. If you'd like to figure out what 12:00 PST is where you live and participate at the same time, you can do that. Equally wonderful is if you decide to do this at noon YOUR TIME - where ever you are - so that there are waves and waves of love energy flowing across our planet as each time zone hits 12:00noon. (i.e. Some of my friend who live in Great Britain are going to be doing their love focused meditation at 8pm their time since that is when it will be noon here. Some of them are going to be focusing on love at noon on the 21st, so they can get another wave of love generated. Some of them are going to do both). 

Do you need to sign up? Nope. You can just "do your thing" for thirty minutes when it's noon where you live.

Does it cost anything? Nope. Not a thing.

Do I need an internet connection to participate? No you don't. For me personally, I feel better when I am away from technology (one of the reasons I love the forest near my house is because I get zero cell service out there) :-)  For those of you who want to "feel connected" even though the meditation will be in silence, I will include info below on how to link up with them at the time of the event.

Do you have to meditate? Nope you don't need to if meditation isn't your thing. The important thing is that you are focused on LOVE so do something for 30 minutes where you are most likely to feel nothing but love. 

For my friends who have just become grandparents, that might mean rocking their new grand baby for 30 minutes. For my musically inclined friends, that might mean playing a certain set list of songs that puts them in their heart for 30 minutes. For my pet loving friends, it might mean snuggling with their fur baby for 30 minutes. The important thing is that you just feel LOVE in your heart - and you are the best person to decide what makes you feel love.

There isn't a "right" way to do it . . . we just need as many people as possible generating as much love as possible as we enter the Summer Solstice. 

What if you don't believe it will do any good? Can you do it anyway? Seriously, is there any harm that could come from just focusing on the feeling of love for 1/2 hour? 

What if you want to read more about this and hear a few recorded messages from the gals who are organizing this event? You can find them on Facebook - the event page is called All For Love. You can even post on the event page and say what City, State or Country you will be joining from. It isn't necessary - it can just be fun sometimes to see where everyone is joining from. 

If you are able to participate, I thank you from the bottom of my heart . . . 

ps - my neighbor Billy LP took the picture up top a year ago and I honestly can't remember if I asked his permission to save a copy, so Billy, if you happen to see this, I hope you don't mind.  :-)