How To Step Into Your SuPeRHeRo PoWeRS

So, I have been on a SuperHero kick. It is clear to me we all can be our own SuperHero. As such I have created a small SuperHero manual. Thinking about being my own SuperHero has helped me put some things in perspective. I hope it helps you as well.

The SuperHero’s Manual

or

How To Step Into Your SuPeRHeRo PoWeRS and Don Your Cape

1. The Power of Presence - Being Present to and Aware of…

You are here - alive, breathing. Now start living. Be present. Be connected to the moment. Focus on your senses.  Look at yourself. Notice the world around you. Observe life.  Smell the rain, the flowers, the scents of nature. Breathe in the aromas of man - the earthy, musky scents of individuals. Inhale your own natural, individual essence. Listen to the birds, the waves crashing against the shore, a child’s peals of laughter, two lovers exchanging vows. Enjoy the sounds of man - cars honking, singers, musicians, hands clapping, bells ringing. Harken to the voice inside you.  Catch raindrops on your tongue, sip champagne, taste the foods of different cultures. Feel the glide of silk, the solidness of wood, the softness of lambswool, the wetness of water, the heat of a summer’s day.

Being present is a Super Power. Once you understand that, you can connect to almost anything. Once you choose to be present to life, you can use it to work for you. Stare at a problem until you find a way through, over, under, or around it. Your full presence - being present and aware, is the only state in which you can accomplish anything worthwhile.

2. The Power of Choice.

Choice is the on/off button of your power. Every second of your life is really just a choice to live it one way or another. The belief that you have no choice is a choice. In fact, not choosing is a choice. Everything you do, everything you believe - it all stems from choice. Choice is a monumental Super Power. Change your choice and you can change your life. There is no ultimate reality. You choose our reality time and time again. Knowing you have the power of choice can change your world. You can choose the life you live. Really it is all up to you and the choices you make. So choose wisely.

3. The Power of Authenticity.

Whatever you do, “there’s no one you-er than you.” So take off the mask and have the courage to be yourself. Your ultimate power resides precisely in being faithful to who you are deep down - your authentic, original, unique, special essence. You can only touch the extraordinary from a place of honesty. Dare to be different by being true to who you are. Don’t compare yourself to other superheroes. Don’t try to be another Superhero. Be yourself. If you are here, it means there was a demand for you. You are the universe expressing itself as only it can. You haven’t happened before and you will never happen again. Don’t underestimate yourself - you are what is wanted and needed.

4. The Power of Intention.

“In that we intend, when we intend, we become the intention” - ergo - we are intention machines. You are an intention machine. You have the extraordinary ability to create intention from dreams and ideas.  Your intentions generate purpose. Purpose generates meaning, and meaning helps to make sense of life. Once you make sense of life, you realize your connection to the bigger picture - to the world and where and how you fit in the world. Having an intention gives you a goal to seek, a reason to act, a way to be. Intention is a light in the dark SuperPower. It guides your path, giving you a way out of the darkness. The more you intend, the more purpose, meaning and reasons to create, to act, to be.

5. The Power of Spirituality.

Spirituality is not religion. You don’t have to be religious to be spiritual. You also don’t have to be spiritual to be religious. However believing in something gives us a something to stand for, a reason to be. Find your holy ground. Seek and acknowledge the divine within you. Know that you are the part and parcel of the greater divine that exists. Know and be in awe of the divine. Know and realize that you’re great but small, and that your greatness comes from the divine. Realize that you exist because of the divine, and that you are a SuPeRHeRo with SuperPowers because of the divine within you…  running through your veins. Trust in the divine within you. When you do miracles happen.

6. The Power of Beauty

I won’t say that beauty is everything, but beauty is a quietly kept SuperPower. It is the best kept Superpower. The ability to see the beauty in yourself and others is life-changing. The ability to see the perfection in imperfection is a gift. I wish you understood that seeing, acknowledging. and appreciating the beauty of all things and all people  allows people the opportunity to feel comfortable in who they are. By allowing your beauty to shine through, you awaken beauty in others and allow them the freedom to let their beauty shine.  I wish everyone would  remove their masks and reveal themselves-  scars, wounds, successes,  glory, and all. There is just as much beauty in scars and wounds as there is in success and glory. Your beauty is enough.

7. The Power of Healing.

This is a seldom used Super Power. Maybe because healing others requires the ability to heal yourself and healing yourself requires courage. You can’t be the you that you want to be if you don’t know who you are, You can’t know who you are if you aren’t willing to take the hard look at yourself and face your own truths. You must be able to see yourself- the perfections and the imperfections, the success and failures, the joys and the sorrows, your light, and your darkness. Take a step back and pull out all your demons. Know that you have the courage to face them, you can figure out what to do with them. This is knowledge and knowledge is power that you can use use to your benefit.

Now, armed with knowledge, you can begin to heal yourself. Know that demons don’t happen by chance. If you have them, the first thing you should look for is the cause. You cannot kill the symptoms, you must kill the demon and you cannot kill the demon if you don't know it’s root. Your pain is a messenger. It will help you get to the cause, the root of the demon; so listen to it and you will begin to fix the real problem. Once you know what to do, give it space and the time necessary and your demons will be taken care of. Then let it go and move on. As you heal yourself you will be able to help others to heal themselves.

8. The Power of Creativity.

Creativity is your operating SuperPower. Creativity is how you navigate the highways of your life.  It is how you breathe life into a concept that originates in your mind’s eye. It helps you recognize your potential, brings your dreams to life, and makes the impossible possible. Creativity, while unique and personal to the individual, is a basic force of life. It bridges the space between the realities and the mysteries of life, and is second only to love in terms of its power. Creativity is how you face challenges, respond to uncertainties, and delve into possibilities. Creativity is how you use all of your other SuperPowers.

9. The Power of Perceptions

Resilience is the ability to maintain stability despite adversity. We are resilient. People are resilient. Whether you believe it or not, you are resilient. You bounce back. It is one of you best Super Powers. It is constantly being used. Granted some are more resilient than others but it is a Superpower. You must work with it.

Life happens - it ebbs and it flows; and fortunes and misfortunes come and go. But there are tools available to help you rally back and stay on track. Your best tool is your perception - how you see things. It is so powerful, it could be a SuperPower. It helps you to rally forth in spite of… it helps you rally because. How you see things determines how you respond and react. If you see the best, if you seek the best in every situation; you will rally  faster. Accepting responsibility and learning from the past will help you bounce back. Family, friends, being social, and doing things you love - those will help you to bounce back faster. Practice and Choice - those will also help you to bounce back faster. Either way, you do bounce back. Resilience allows you to maintain through whatever life throws at you and then come back even stronger from what you learned. Resilience can be a SuperHero’s most effective weapon. So… who’s up for a game of ball?

10. The Power of Gratitude

Gratitude. The ultimate SuPerPoWeR. It attracts what you want, improves your relationships, reduces negativity, lightens darkness, improves your problem-solving skills and helps you learn. Gratitude is an attitude, a choice, and a way of life. When practiced daily it can become a powerful habit. When you are grateful for the people. places, things, relationships, situations, and resources in your life, you begin to attract more… you begin to attract better.

When you exhibit and express gratitude you are happier, healthier, and more energetic. When you operate from a place of gratitude you are less lonely, stressed out, anxious and depressed. When you cultivate gratitude you feel better about your life,  you self esteem increases, feel greater joy and happiness, and are optimistic about the future. Living from a place of gratitude strengthens your heart and immune system, decreases your blood pressure, and gives you more enthusiasm, determination and focus so that you make greater progress toward achieving personal goals.

Gratitude unlocks the fulfillment of life. It turns what you have into enough and enough into more. It brings your attention to the present moment -  where miracles can unfold. The deeper your  appreciation, the more you see with the eyes of the soul and the more your life flows in harmony with the creative power of the universe.. Gratitude is a way to your other SuperPowers. Gratitude turns up all of your other SuperPowers - even love.

-- asd --

Dealing With a Grudge

been thinking a lot lately about friendship, being part of a team and liking people… or not. The Universe has supported me with this by providing me plenty of opportunity to realize some of my ways of thinking and being, on this topic, were wrong so that I could shift my way of thinking. The books I’ve been reading, the guided meditations I have chosen to listen to; they all manage to return me to the place I lately had no desire to visit - my perceptions of people and how I deal with them.

I don’t mean my perceptions of my friends or the people I like. I mean those people who rub me the wrong way… who make the hairs on my neck rise… who make me unconsciously sneer. I am actually thinking of two people. One who I believe snubbed me unnecessarily in a way that felt condescending and trifling. One who was disrespectful in a patronizing, arrogant, holier-than-thou way.

While both of the incidents happened weeks… and months ago. The events still “stick in my craw” - which is shameful. I practice love and kindness, and am working on letting go of things. Yet I have not been able to let go of this. My attitude actually came up during a discussion with a relative. He was surprised that I was holding on to a grudge - a hostile, acrimonious grudge. He was right to be surprised… and disappointed. I was holding onto the grudges with actual pleasure - glee even.

In fact, I was holding onto the grudges, waiting to see the people and… and…. And what? Even I couldn’t say what I was holding on to the grudges for. But I couldn’t seem to let them go. My relative suggested I speak to the people about my issues. But I felt my issues were really too petty for a face-to-face discussion. Why don’t i have a pretend conversation with them, he suggested. I have the conversation as if they were there without actually having them present.

Sure. Why not? Great idea, right? Except I wasn’t there. I wasn’t ready to let go yet. Why? That was the question of the day. Why? I have in the past rarely held a grudge, but these two felt good. I actually got a feel good-feeling from my private little bit of resentment. Shameful and yet still…  it felt good.

When I sat down and really thought about it, I realized it wasn’t the feelings about the incident that were bringing me pleasure, it was the habit. I had held the feelings long enough that I had become accustomed to them. They had taken up residence inside my heart… inside my spirit. That was not good. I am a hoarder and am working on letting go and getting rid of things. Realizing I had done the same thing with my feelings that I did with actual things (hoard and save) really made me re-evaluate things.

I do not want my heart or my spirit filled with negativity of any kind. I want to be filled with love, joy, light, and beauty. The negative feelings I was enjoying were not conducive to the environment I wanted to live in. So I did the work. Separately. For each person… each incident.

I thought about the incident and how it made me feel - remembering the incident like it was yesterday. Then I spoke aloud about the incident  - how it made me feel, all of how I felt. When I finished, I acknowledged my responsibility for the situation, my responsibility for where my feelings had taken me, for who I was being by allowing negative feelings to find space to take root.

Then I sat with all those feelings. I soaked them up, wallowed in them, became them, let them become me. When I was filled with all that “stuff” I let it spew. I said aloud to the invisible person all of my feelings  - about the situation, about them, about our relationship or lack thereof. I spoke until there was nothing left. And then I, feeling lighter and unburdened blew that shit out the door, turned my back and walked away.

A few days later I got sick - congested, sore throat, headache, malaise. It took me a minute, but I realized my body was finally purging itself of all the toxic crap that I was holding on to and didn’t even know. My body was doing what I had done with my heart and spirit - it was getting rid of the toxicity to make space for beautiful, loving possibility. And while I am not feeling my best right now, I know on the other side, I will feel better than ever - new attitude, open heart, loving feelings, while in better health.

As for the incident… what incident. I have totally moved on. What about the two people - well, I have left space for me to see them and treat them as the best renditions of themselves. I will hold them that way and hope they hold me the same. Life is a mirror sometimes and when they hold up the mirror of me, I want them to see love and connection - so that’s what I’m bringing. No matter what they bring. In this aspect of life, it’s all about me and what I’m bring to the table. And I’m bringing LoVe.

It's all about joy!

It's all about Joy

seek the things in life that bring you pleasure -

seek the work, people, and places,

the experiences that bring you pleasure

for pleasure is medicine

seek the things that fill you with love

the work, places, and experiences that fill you with love

the people that fill you with love to overflowing,

for love has the power to heal

know this… pleasure

when accompanied by love

creates a rapturous feeling

a euphoria, a deep-down, divine,

light-shining , light-feeling joy

that is natural and healing

we need it

we crave it.

we seek it.

when it is missing from our lives

we will seek it

continuously and endlessly

when we have it...

when we have that feeling in our lives...

that deep down divine joy...

we are happier and healthier,

our light glows stronger

our love feels warmer

and spreads farther

and the world shines that much brighter

Creating Your Serenity or Sacred Space

Serenity Space

Serenity within you can lead to a serene world outside … especially if that is what you seek, and if you want to experience serenity within, a serenity space will do the job splendidly. A serenity space is an environment or a space that … just being there … fills your being with a sense of peace and comfort.

For me, it would be the back-porch of a home that overlooked water. There would be comfy chairs and plush cushions. There would be music … new age, chants,classical, piano, and soft sad jazz, like Naima by Coltrane. There would be incense and candles, lots of candles - all shapes, all sizes, some scented, some not, and some that crackled like wood in a fireplace. There would be blankets of all thicknesses; all soft and all long enough to wrap myself in. There would be books of prayer and meditation, and prayer beads. Oh, and I would keep a bottle of wine available and a bottle of whiskey. You never know when a glass of wine or a shot of whiskey will come in handy. They can help … and they taste delicious going down.

This serenity space really works for me on many levels. I like having my spot near water as water can be an incredibly tranquil sight. Combine that with the briny smell and the sound of waves crashing against the shore and I am in heaven. But, I need the security of my home for a feeling of safety. A back-porch allows me to separate myself from my house without actually having to leave it. The accessories are items that provide pleasure or comfort or both.

I can see it now. I come home from a long day. I change into something light, airy and comfy. I bring a glass with me out to the back porch … and some matches. I light the candles, turn on the music, pour myself a glass of a full-bodied wine and sit in one of the comfy chairs, while wrapped in one of the soft blankets. Facing the water, listening to the gentle ebb and flow of the tides, inhaling the sea air, leaning back and gazing up into a star-filled night … soon, very soon, I feel my muscles unwind and the tension slip from my limbs. Next, I feel my brain ease into a place of pleasure. Within minutes, I am once again in balance and at peace with my world. Yes, this would be my place of serenity, my sacred space, my place for spirit renewal.

But, I do not live near water.  Thus, for those of us who do not live near water, a back-porch without a view will work just as nicely. Or what about a place with a view of mountains, snow, gardens, or trees. Or a room with photos of tranquil sights hung on the walls and ensconced in attractive picture frames. Whatever room it is, wherever it is, most important is that the room itself makes you feel good.

Once you have the room or space, stock it with necessities and things that bring you pleasure. Not too many things. The room should feel peaceful and serene, not cluttered and cramped.

Serenity is best found when one is sharing space and time with nature so if you can't go to nature, bring some nature into your serenity space. Plants, seashells, flowers, or anything in nature that calms your soul and lifts your spirits is appropriate. Add some music or Serenity Space

Serenity within you can lead to a serene world outside … especially if that is what you seek, and if you want to experience serenity within, a serenity space will do the job splendidly. A serenity space is an environment or a space that … just being there … fills your being with a sense of peace and comfort.

For me, it would be the back-porch of a home that overlooked water. There would be comfy chairs and plush cushions. There would be music … new age, chants, and soft sad jazz, like Naima by Coltrane. There would be incense and candles, lots of candles; all shapes, all sizes, some scented, some not, and some that crackled like wood in a fireplace. There would be blankets of all thicknesses; all soft and all long enough to wrap myself in. There would even be a few books of prayer and meditation and prayer beads. Oh, and I would keep a few bottles of wine available and a bottle of whiskey. You never know when a glass of wine or a shot of whiskey will come in handy. They can help … and they taste delicious going down.

This serenity space really works for me on many levels. I like having my spot near water as water can be an incredibly tranquil sight. Combine that with the briny smell and the sound of waves crashing against the shore and I am in heaven. But, I need the security of my home for a feeling of safety. A back-porch allows me to separate myself from my house without actually having to leave it. The accessories are items that provide pleasure or comfort or both.

I can see it now. I come home from a long day. I change into something light, airy and comfy. I bring a glass with me out to the back porch … and some matches. I light the candles, turn on the music, pour myself a glass of a full-bodied wine and sit in one of the comfy chairs while wrapped in one of the soft blankets. Facing the water, listening to the gentle ebb and flow of the tides, inhaling the sea air, leaning back and gazing up into a star-filled night … soon, very soon, I feel my muscles unwind as the tension slips from my limbs. Next, I feel my brain ease into a place of pleasure. Within minutes, I am once again in balance and at peace with my world. Yes, this would be my place of serenity, my place for spirit renewal.

But, I do not live near water.  Thus, for those of us who do not live near water, a back-porch without a view will work just as nicely. What about a place with a view of mountains, snow, gardens, or trees. Or a room with photos of tranquil sights hung on the walls and ensconced in attractive picture frames. Whatever room it is, wherever it is, most important is that the room itself makes you feel good.

Once you have the room or space, stock it with necessities and things that bring you pleasure. Not too many things. The room should feel peaceful and serene, not cluttered and cramped.

Serenity is best found when one is sharing space and time with nature so if you can't go to nature, bring some nature into your serenity space. Plants, seashells, water or anything in nature that calms your soul and lifts your spirits is appropriate. Add some music and/or table fountains. Both are like a balm of peace to an agitated soul. Fill your room with wonderful smells and scents, like candles, oils, or incense. They can bring the room soothing energies that will help to bring you ease. Finally add to the room whatever gives you pleasure, relaxes your mind or soothes your soul. This will help to give the room a tranquil feel.

Whatever works for you; all that matters is the room gives you a sense of serenity when you need it. You see, we all need a place we can retreat to; a place where we can regain our balance, recharge our energy and even connect with our higher selves. Once you create a beautiful serenity space, just walking past this space will ease your soul.

So, follow your bliss, listen to your spirit, and heed your heart. If you do this, you will create a beautiful serenity space; a space where you can sit, relax, regroup and re-balance. You will create a space that is totally, beautifully, you and it will be good.

when i choose to love

When I Choose to Love

We are made from love… by love… to love. With love, we have everything. Without love we are without… just… without.

When I choose to love, I allow myself the opportunity to be open, to share my vulnerability, to trust myself and others, and to get connected

When I choose to love, I honor the light, love, beauty, and joy within you because it is also within me.

When I share my light, love, beauty, and joy, I honor all that I was created to be… I honor all that I am as I honor you.

When I choose to love, when I choose to share, and when I allow myself these opportunities, I begin to look at you and the world differently. I actually begin to see you.

In seeing you, I recognize there is no difference between us. We are one… and we are the same - in all our perfection and imperfections

When we become one, our light shines brighter, or love flows stronger, our beauty blossoms wildly, and our joy becomes vibrant.

When I choose love, I also choosing to act from a place of love.

When I choose to act from a place of love, I am choosing kindness - to do a kindness, to be kindness. Kindness is an active expression of love.

When I choose to be kind to myself, I am choosing to love myself. When I choose to be kind to others, I am choosing to love them.

When I choose to be kind, I am choosing love.

And so…  I choose to love. And when I love, my heart recognizes your heart and when I do a kindness, my soul honors your soul.

When we live in a world of love, when love is our first choice, when we see each other, and when we honor each other… our souls begin to recognize and touch each other. And in the end, isn’t that what we want? Your heart to recognize my heart… your soul to recognize my soul.

Maybe we are...

(photograph by The Hidden Garden)

A friend once asked me if i thought the world would be different if i had not be born.  it was an interesting concept and got me to wondering about people who bring special qualities or traits to the world. What about those who are known as strong or brave or wise or smart or talented? We admire those qualities and some of us long for those qualities… or to be those people. But, i wonder, are they always happy to be known for their quality? Do they always want to be their quality?  I think not - any label - good or bad, is limiting. We don’t know…

maybe the smart wish

they could be naive for a day and watch as

people look askance at what

being unaware looks like

and maybe the wise sometimes long to

give foolish responses that no one would notice…

right away

maybe the brave dream about hiding

from danger

and the happy long for a good, hard cry

maybe the truly independent

are lonely

and looking for

just one last word or glance

from someone… anyone

maybe the bad long to be good

and the evil crave the chance to be angelic

just as the right wish once to be wrong

maybe the lost really know where the path is

the confused know what lies ahead

and the committed long to act with reckless abandon

maybe yesterday knows what tomorrow will bring

as an infant remembers a heartbeat

and snow what it feels like to be rain

maybe we lose ourselves in the rhythm

only to find ourselves in the pages of a book

hoping the reader will get on with it…

and change the page

maybe daylight is waiting for the light to fade

as darkness awaits the stars

and maybe the trees have seen enough

and long one day to walk away..

either way, we are who we are

and what we are

…

but aren’t there moments when

we long to lose it for just a while

if for no other reason than to celebrate

when we return home

to who and what we are…

ahhh…  

-- asd --

let's All Be "Whimspiragical"

Let’s All be Whimspiragical!!!

Whimspiragical - whimsical, inspirational and magical

I want the soul of my life to be orange!! Orange combines the energy of red and the happiness of yellow. It is associated with joy and sunshine. Orange represents enthusiasm, fascination, and happiness. It signifies creativity, determination, attraction, success, encouragement, and stimulation. Orange is not as hot headed as red, but is still a bit feisty. The advantage of being orange is you don’t stay angry or sad, you shift easily…  becoming warm, happy and friendly like yellow!

An orange life is a life grounded in, and in touch with, mother nature. Those living an orange life love music. They usually have a song or a tune for the special moments of their lives; they tend to associate people, places, and events with music; they sing and dance with abandon;  and become the rhythm and the melody of nature. They often walk to their own beat- in step with the rhythm of nature

Souls living an orange life are in touch with the natural world. They enjoy every season, knowing each one holds its own special charm, and appreciate the necessity for each - knowing it maintains the balance of nature. They love animals and flora and fauna. Orange lifers stop to smell the roses, respect animals and will find a way to help anyone - person or animal in need, wherever and whenever possible.

Orange life livers are in tune with their creativity. They listen to their inner voice and look for opportunity to spend time creatively. Orange life livers are aware that one’s creativity is one’s inner voice. They realize when we allow our inner voices to shine, we shine as well, and our light grows brighter.

Orange life livers are outrageous. They are firm believers in dreams; and in loving, laughing, being vulnerable, and sitting in serenity. They find time to do all they want and need. They accept their vulnerability and open themselves up - knowing openness exposes them to possibilities. They spend quiet time - knowing serenity is necessary to keep themselves in balance. They look for opportunities to laugh - to share laughter, encourage laughter and don’t even mind being the brunt of healthy, positive laughter- knowing laughter is healing.

(photograph by The Hidden Garden)

You can see why I want the soul of an orange life. But it is  more than this. Mostly, as an orange life, I get to be with love. This is important to me because I want to love so completely, I become love. Orange life livers believe in the beauty and joy that love brings. It fills them, spills from them, and flows out into the world. They are lovers and light bearers through that love. They change the world - one person at a time.

And so, I want to be a soul in an orange life. No… stop… I am the soul of an orange life. I am a creative being who needs time to laugh and to be serene. I need time in nature and time to be alone. I need to sing and to dance, and to express the music that is inside of me. I need to laugh, dream, and to be open. I need to love.

Mostly, I need to love. Truly, I need to love - to give and to receive love with open arms and heart. I need to spread love and fill the world with love, that my light and the light of others might shine brightly, filling the world with divine love and light… and… whimspiragic.

Souls living an 0range life are whimspiragical. We fill the world with the whimsy of laughter. We inspire the world to be loving and full of light.  With all of our optimism about life, nature, its seasons, and love, you know we trust and believe in magic. Well… we trust in the magic that love provides, in the magical moments that openness encourages. and in the magical events that happen when we believe that love is there for all to enjoy, and we trust that magic, in the form of blessings, exist for everyone.

Maybe we should all be souls living an orange life. Whimspiragical, souls living an orange life. We are a unique combination - we are possibly the most loving dreamers, while being the most down-to-earth, in-touch men and women of all. Doesn't everyone want to be a whimspiragical soul living an orange life? I do!

Wait… I am!

-- by asd --

-- thanks to Bro-Tations for the inspiration!!! --