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Gratitude and Happiness
We just finished one holiday here in the US; some call it “Turkey Day” – affectionately because turkey is the traditional main course for the meal. And we held up our part of the tradition with turkey and all the trimmings at our niece and nephew’s home. It was good to be with the family and I am very grateful to be part of this loving and close extended “Robertson Clan.”
There is a lot of gratitude going around now. I wrote about two of the people I am most grateful for yesterday. My goal is to be grateful and demonstrate that gratefulness every day of the year. As we move deeper into the holidays, already in the spirit of Hanukkah, moving toward Solstice and then Christmas, the 12 Days, a New Year and then Epiphany, I grow ever more excited, contemplative, boisterous, quiet, bustling, restful, high and low. I like this roller coaster ride for the emotions. If I really want to get myself pumped up one of our traditional holiday movies will do it every time.
It is easy for some to remain in gratitude through the holidays. Many give and receive gifts. Our family drew names today for our “secret Santa” gift exchange. We keep it simple just giving one gift to a member of the family and receiving one from our surprise Santa on Christmas Eve. I am grateful we keep the tradition of gift giving and keep it simple; it eases the stress of finding just the right gift for a long list of family and friends.
What are your traditions? Are you happy with them? If they bring stress into your life it might be time to evaluate those traditions and make some adjustments. The rule here is happiness and self-care. Traditions don’t have to be hard and fast rules.
I am on a journey of happiness. I have frequently written here on this blog about transformation. We are on a long road of transformation and it doesn’t necessarily look much like I expected. But I know we are on it for all the bumps and curves coming at us at high speed. Have you noticed?
Is your journey smooth and straight? Are you cruising at a moderate pace, comfortable with the ebb and flow of your life? Be grateful; be happy!
I am adopting the attitude that happiness can smooth out the bumps and open up the tight curves we hurtle toward; and it can even ease the speed. Happiness is a choice. Happiness is a practice. Happiness is the journey. Happiness is the transformation!
As we enter the sometimes hectic, sometimes stressful holidays I am taking Rosemary’s advice: Let’s make this year the year of truly ‘Happy Holidays’ no matter what your personal circumstances might be!
I am choosing this Journey of Happiness! Join me?
Stay Happy Through the Holidays – Richard’s Commentary
Today, the holiday festivities all begin with the day we set aside here in the US to give thanks. I’ve been giving thanks, writing notes of gratitude in my “morning pages” this week. I began my thank you notes, giving deep gratitude for my incredible partner, wife and love of my life, Rosemary. And if you have been following our blogs and reading our posts you know what a talented and resourceful woman she is. Her advice for conscious living and spiritual evolution are profound and creative. And her advice for the holidays is no different! She suggests:
The first step to staying happy through the holidays is to do a realistic and honest assessment of this time of year for yourself.
This may sound superficial but do you move into this time of year with a perspective of staying happy? We have all heard the stories of people who are alone, who dread the holidays because they don’t get along with family, who feel bad because they can’t afford to give elaborate or expensive gifts, who party and drink their way through the season. Perspective is an all-important first step to be happy in every moment.
Next Rosemary suggests:
Consider a new way of operating through the holidays this year.
Everyone around you is struggling with their own life lessons. Somehow the holidays come with Hallmark Cards and Norman Rockwell expectations that nobody really experiences. If you put self-care at the top of your agenda, IT IS NOT SELFISH!!!! Let me repeat that – Self-Care is not being self-ish!!!
Self-Care – in other words, give yourself the gift of looking out for you! Attend to your health, prepare wholesome meals for your celebrations, if you drink alcohol moderate your intake, stay warm and especially keep your neck and throat protected and warm, keep moving with yoga or qigong or another body practice, take time to meditate and if you don’t meditate this season is a great time to start, celebrate the special holidays in your tradition – make them Holy, honor everyone you meet as learning their lessons just as you are – they are you!
Compassion begins with yourself. Taking care of you is taking care of everyone. Recall Rosemary’s question in her inspirational video posted Tuesday: “can compassion for yourself equal compassion for them?” She goes on to suggest:
Look at your calendar for the rest of 2013 and decide what you will do for yourself. Rest. Relax. Pamper yourself. Watch movies that make you smile. Hang out with friends or go on a silent retreat.
As we approach the Winter Solstice, one of those special holidays we celebrate, it is a good time to go inside, to do the inner work of deep winter. The Ancients took this time to retreat, to look inward for the coming renewal. Deep inner work is another way to take care of yourself on the personal level and all others on the global level. This is true compassion!
Coming back to Thanksgiving I took Rosemary’s advice and turned inward to give thanks for me. I am grateful for my soul path, my spiritual journey back to myself, I am grateful for the health and strength to make this journey, I am grateful to myself for making the commitment, I honor myself for my discipline and I am grateful for all of the spiritual teachers and guides that hold me in their love and compassion.
Be grateful for yourself! I am grateful for you because I know you are supporting me on my journey.
Have wonderful, blessed and happy holidays!
Assess the Necessity – Richard’s Commentary
Rosemary asks some tough questions in her blog-post yesterday. The key here is to review our values, especially with the question: “how much is enough?” in mind. Rosemary’s challenge: it is important to decide consciously what is a necessity in Your Life.
The first thing that comes to my mind when I ask this of myself is health. I have been struggling for a week with a debilitating pain in my shoulder. I brought this on myself, raking leaves like a madman a week or so ago. And I felt reasonably good doing it. I did and do realize I’m not 40-something any longer. I took my time and only did the front yard. And I expected some stiffness as an after-effect. I did wake up with a few sore muscles the next day. And then it got worse, and worse. Yesterday, over a week later I was almost unable to move without pain. And I realized health, feeling reasonably physically well, is close to the top of my list of necessities.
Of course, clean water, healthy food, clear air, warm shelter, reasonable clothing all contribute to the healthy body; anything that supports my necessity of health by definition is a necessity.
While I was forced to slow down and rest in relative stillness with my sore shoulder I reached for my books. Ah, if I can’t be moving about, bustling about, getting things done, then I can always take time to read. I discovered another necessity:reading material. (And if you were to visit Rosemary and me in our home you would quickly realize how necessary books are in our lives!)
And as many of you who have read my posts may remember, I write three pages of long hand notes every morning as recommended by Julia Cameron in her book The Artist’s Way. Pen, ink, paper are consumed in my practice. Necessity? This one is on the thin edge. I use my page writing to tune into my inner self, my intuition, and I use what I write, at least in part, as a guide to the rest of my day. Do I need to write it down? Does the process of writing promote the information that comes through to me? Of course there are other ways to receive or get in touch with these intuitive insights. And maybe there is no real need to record the information that comes through. So, maybe I have found a line here.
The point is to “assess.” What are the necessities in your life? How much is enough? It’s a good exercise.
But then Rosemary switches gears a bit when she says:
Humanity is evolving and each of us must step into our power, our empowerment, our Purpose. YOU ARE ENOUGH, just as you are, today!
And you have enough. Assess the necessity of everything in your life. Does it serve your Purpose? You might be surprised at the answers you get when you ask this question!
Wow! I am enough. I have enough. And whatever is serving my purpose is what I need! Health? Check. Books? Check. Pages? Check! My pages do serve my purpose, so they are on the necessity side after all.
Assessing necessity with Purpose as the backdrop is the more meaningful way to answer the question, “how much is enough?
Meanwhile my shoulder got so bad I asked Rosemary for help. I am living with, partnered with a healer! And I finally got around to asking for a healing! As I write this I am feeling much better. We both picked up that my pain may have been triggered by raking, but something else was allowed in, something physical and also something spiritual. The physical is like a viral attack, like a cold in my shoulder; I’m treating it like a cold. And the spiritual? Rosemary detects that my heart-mind center is opening. More on that later!
Do the necessities in your life support your purpose? You’ll feel great when they do!
Intuition-Based Success – Richard’s Commentary
How do you define success? Rosemary addresses three areas for assessing success: business, relationships and life. Of course these three areas are tightly woven together for many – they often are for successful people. Do you maintain or insure success by relying on your intuition? And what does this look like for you?
Business success is usually measured by examining P&L statements. It’s more difficult to measure the heart of a business. Vision, mission, outreach, social consciousness are not revealed in the numbers. A business may be operating at a break-even level but offering heart-felt services and expansive employment opportunities. Some would say the business is successful. If the business owners are more service than profit oriented that is a choice – perhaps even an intuitive choice!
Relationship success is not so easily measured; I suppose there may be joint bank accounts that could be examined. But here again is the P&L of a partnership the best measure? Rosemary suggests there is a lot to be learned by listening to what is unsaid rather than jumping on the words the other person is using. Have you learned to pay attention to those other signals, with non-judgment and without ego? Paying attention to intuitive hits within a relationship may be the better measure.
Then there is life success! How is that to be measured? Do external circumstances tell the story, even a bit of the story? Here the only good measures are intuitive hits. Relying on anything other than the subtle signs can be completely misleading.
And how do we read these subtle signs, whether we are assessing a business, a partnership or a life, especially our own? This is where we move into the intuitive world as our best source of information!
Rosemary says:
Everyone has intuition. There are messages for us all the time. It’s not really about developing intuition – it’s about learning to trust your own intuition enough to take action on the guidance you receive. And the first step in learning this is to love yourself, all of you, including your intuition, enough to know that you are enough!
Intuition begins with self-love! Why? Because intuition is of no value or use if it is not to be trusted. If you don’t love yourself you may not trust yourself. There is a level of acceptance here that must be unconditional in order to begin using intuition for success.
I know this from experience. I have lived with this incredibly intuitive partner, Rosemary, for over 30 years. And I learn these lessons of intuition from her every day. I watch her trust her intuition and the decisions are always successful. As a trivial example I have relied on her to choose the right cars. They have all been great! The only lemon we bought I chose! I emulate her trust and am getting better all the time. But when we face a really important decision we go with “Rosemary’s gut.”
Don’t have a Rosemary in your life? You too can know success by loving, trusting and basing your life on your intuitive wisdom inside!
PS: Are you looking for intuitive guidance? Answers? Inspiration? Every 3rd Saturday of the month, at 7:00 pm Eastern time, Rosemary hosts Satsang for all who would join her in the exploration of expanding consciousness. Here is your chance to ask questions of The Divine Feminine! This event can be attended in person and online using video-conferencing services, even a phone. Attend from anywhere in the world!
Get more information and sign up here The next Satsang with Rosemary is this Saturday, November 16 at 7:00 pm Eastern.
ROSEMARY’S EXPLORATION: Intuition-Based Success
Is following your intuition the path to success for you?
No matter how you define success, following your intuition, your inner guidance, will lead you along the path of the most personal growth and will show you every step of the way, if you allow it.
Are you following your intuition these days? Are you tuning in to your inner guidance and making decisions based on your ‘gut feelings’? Most successful people do.
In relationships, there is a lot to be learned by listening to what is unsaid rather than jumping on the words the other person is using. Have you learned to pay attention to those other signals, with non-judgment and without ego? Your intuition can let you know a lot more about what is going on than a particular circumstance might reveal.
At work are you allowing your inner guidance to speak to you about choices you are making or are you trying to analyze your way to success? Sometimes we use intuition in one area of our life but not in another, especially not in our work, but your intuition knows a lot more than you can consciously consider. Practice pausing and asking yourself what intuitive feelings you are getting before you make the next decision in your work. See how the information flows to you.
In life we can sometimes agonize over the next step to take. You can struggle with all the pros and cons and can stay stuck for long periods as you do the analysis. What if you started the process by tuning in to your inner wisdom to seek guidance? Would you trust that guidance?
Everyone has intuition. There are messages for us all the time. It’s not really about developing intuition – it’s about learning to trust your own intuition enough to take action on the guidance you receive. And the first step in learning this is to love yourself, all of you, including your intuition, enough to know that you are enough!
Self-Love is not the same as being ‘self-ish.’ And we’re not talking about ego here. Self-Love relies on an acceptance of self as a human being who is on Earth to learn lessons, to grow and expand, to become more aware and more conscious of the one’s place in the Universe with each step along the way.
Self-Love leads you to live your Life Purpose with passion. Self-Love permits you to love another unconditionally because you do not need for them to define you. Self-Love helps you to trust the wisdom that resides inside you, without needing confirmation from others, so that you can follow your inner guidance as shown to you through intuition.
Self-Love. Intuition. Success.
Allow your inner wisdom to show you the road to your success. Follow your inner guidance.
Trust your intuition. ACT on the messages that you are given.
The road to success has street lights along it. They are activated by your intuition. Take the next step as the light shines upon it today!
PS: Are you looking for answers? Guidance? Inspiration? Every 3rd Saturday of the month, at 7:00 pm Eastern time, Rosemary hosts Satsang for all who would join her in the exploration of expanding consciousness. Here is your chance to ask questions of The Divine Feminine! This event can be attended in person and online using video-conferencing services, even a phone. Attend from anywhere in the world!
Get more information and sign up here The next Satsang with Rosemary is this Saturday, November 16 at 7:00 pm Eastern.
ROSEMARY’S INSPIRATION: Love Yourself, Trust Yourself, Follow Your Guidance
Rosemary’s “Two-Minute” video for the week: Love Yourself, Trust Yourself, Follow Your Guidance
PS: Are you looking for answers? Guidance? Inspiration? Every 3rd Saturday of the month, at 7:00 pm Eastern time, Rosemary hosts Satsang for all who would join her in the exploration of expanding consciousness. Here is your chance to ask questions of The Divine Feminine! This event can be attended in person and online using video-conferencing services. Attend from anywhere in the world!
Get more information and sign up here The next Satsang with Rosemary is this Saturday, November 16 at 7:00 pm Eastern.
ROSEMARY’S EXPLORATION: Love Energy + 3rd Eye Energy = Transformation
Every human on Planet Earth is responsible for their own personal growth as well as their contribution to the evolution of human consciousness.
And, as every entrepreneur knows, working on yourself is working on your business. Everything boils down to personal transformation and the continuation of a path of personal growth.
Relationships depend on growth or they stagnate. Careers, businesses, parenting skills, partnerships, education – all require that there be learning and growth to succeed.
Are you committed to your own personal growth and transformation? Do you know how to do that? Are you willing to ask for help or start learning some new ways to grow?
Let’s start with the energy of Love at the heart center level. Self-Love starts with an acceptance of who you are, right now, right here, just as you are. In this place you can reach the elevated level of Love vibration. If you have self-doubt or self-criticism you anchor your heart energy to a lower vibration.
What do you know about your 3rd Eye? It is in your forehead between your eyebrows and connects you to the higher wisdom in the Universe. This is your antenna. It is not just an idea but an energy center that vibrates at a high enough frequency to connect you to the wisdom vibration.
Think about the power of connecting these two centers, allowing two high vibrational energy frequencies to unite. The power is the energy of transformation. And YOU transform YOURSELF!
Through meditation, soul work, counseling, shamanic/spiritual healing and other spiritual technologies you can clear away blocks and lift your vibration to these higher level frequencies. If you practice regularly, you can grow and expand on this path of transformation.
The wisdom of transformation abounds in the Universe but it is your job to find a connection to that wisdom. Love energy is the glue that holds the Universe together and Self-Love is the greatest appreciation of the gift of your life that you can show the Universe.
On a personal level, when you connect two energy centers in your energy body, you lift the vibrational frequency of your whole field. Does this all sound a bit woo-woo to you? Frankly, it’s not. You have an ability to connect to wisdom in the Universe and this description speaks to the ‘receiver’ in your head as your crystal radio. Tune the dial and hear the Wisdom Show!
Love? That’s not woo-woo. It just is. Love is the attracting force of the Universe. Love is not a romantic thought or Valentine’s Day feeling. Love is an energetic force that has great power in our lives and in our societies.
Now combine these frequencies and feel the power of the shift we call ‘Transformation.’
Transformation is the energy, the engine of evolution because it is such a powerful energy. Your personal transformation work carries all of humanity along with it. Your learning how to transform yourself contributes to the evolution of human consciousness
Yes, that’s a big responsibility. Remember that you signed up to come onto the Planet Earth at this time so that you could transform for the good of all!
Thank you!
PS: This post is a deeper exploration of a topic from Rosemary’s evening Satsang event in October. Every 3rd Saturday, at 7:00 pm Eastern time, Rosemary hosts Satsang for all who would join her in the exploration of evolving consciousness. This event can be attended in person and online using video-conferencing services.
Get more information and sign up here The next Satsang with Rosemary is November 16 at 7:00 pm Eastern.
ROSEMARY’S INSPIRATION: The Energetics of Evolution
My “Two-Plus-Minute” video for the week: The Energetics of Evolution
Note: this clip was taken from our October gathering for Satsang.
PS: This message is a brief clip from Rosemary’s evening Satsang event in October. Every 3rd Saturday, at 7:00 pm Eastern time, Rosemary hosts Satsang for all who would join her in the exploration of expanding consciousness. This event can be attended in person and online using video-conferencing services.
Get more information and sign up here The next Satsang with Rosemary is November 16 at 7:00 pm Eastern.
Use the Good China – Richard’s Commentary
True confession time: I am an inveterate procrastinator. I have been all my life. Maybe it’s my Leonine nature; with a birthday in August I definitely have some cat-like tendencies toward an independence from all those things waiting to be done.
And here’s another confession: when we unpacked the “good China” during our most recent move-in we tucked it away in a cupboard over the refrigerator – a rather difficult to get to area – because we don’t use the good China!
So, what’s this post of Rosemary’s about; and what do I take away that it might be good to consider?
The key paragraph that speaks to me is this one:
When you are connected to your inner wisdom and your spirit guides, you can check in to see what your next step is. Sometimes the message might be to capture the idea and then schedule it, even if it is not to be acted upon today. But often we challenge or question the energy of the guidance and step back to analyze until we have moved away from pursuing the action.
Yes, there are certainly times when I do “step back to analyze” and then the opportunity slips away and the guidance for the “next step” is ignored. This is the downside of procrastination. But here’s the thing: I do receive and hear a lot of guidance. And yes, often what I do with that guidance is put a task on my to-do list. In a sense this is putting it off; however, I do use my task list to get things done.
Lists really work for me. I learned yeas ago that if I can get a task listed and scheduled it will get done. It may not even get done on the day I first schedule it (the procrastination habit is tenacious!); but it does get done. This is my solution to my “Leonine procrastination” trait.
So, then I look at Rosemary’s comment on “Universal Flow” – When you follow the energy of the idea you receive then you are staying in the flow of the creative energy that comes to you from your connection to Universal Flow. She actually implies that when we are in this flow perhaps we are not procrastinating at all! She also implies that it’s OK to put off, even ignore the “shoulds” our egos present to us!
I often do have the sense that I am in a kind of flow, a rhythm in my life. And when the list of tasks obtained from guidance is used to channel the flow of my days I feel good, accomplished and content. And I have long since given up the idea that my task list for any given day will be exhausted. I have accepted that it’s OK to slide a task to another day; and sometimes tasks even drop off the list when they are overtaken by other tasks or they lose their importance within the flow. Perhaps those dropped tasks were in the “shoulds” category!
When I am in flow, in the rhythm of life I tend to feel productive; tasks get checked off, others get moved, some even dropped. An “old tape” may start up in my head accusing me of procrastination. But, if I really examine my life and accomplishments, maybe I’m not such a bad procrastinator after all!
What drives your life? Do you let your ego over-schedule you with shoulds then beat yourself up with labels like “procrastination”? Go inside for guidance. Listen for direction and list the tasks you can undertake to move in that direction. This moves you into flow and purpose!
Meanwhile, maybe I’ll get that good China out this weekend—for just the two of us!
EXPLORATION BY ROSEMARY: Use the Good China!
Don’t put off until tomorrow what the Universe wants done today!
Pay attention to the signals you receive that something is calling to you to be examined today. You might feel it as a flash of insight, a thought about a person you might contact, a picture of something, or a nagging feeling about something on your to-do list.
When you are connected to your inner wisdom and your spirit guides, you can check in to see what your next step is. Sometimes the message might be to capture the idea and then schedule it, even if it is not to be acted upon today. But often we challenge or question the energy of the guidance and step back to analyze until we have moved away from pursuing the action.
What ideas have you had for something to do that you have analyzed yourself away from doing?
There is a difference between paying attention to the signals from the Universe and procrastination. When you follow the energy of the idea you receive then you are staying in the flow of the creative energy that comes to you from your connection to Universal Flow. Learn to discern this energy from ‘shoulds’ that your ego presents to you from old tapes that are playing in your unconscious mind!
Procrastination is fighting against the feeling that the Universe wants you to pay attention to something and you are choosing to ignore that signal. Did you know that procrastination could take a lot more energy than following the flow?
I’ve learned that lesson! Sometimes it’s important to delay a project until the time is right, but it is very easy to put off tackling something because we feel afraid to face ourselves in that situation. Many of my clients are working from a space where there is an unexamined belief that holds them back from displaying their magnificence. It might be an ‘I’m not good enough’ or ‘who am I to think I can do this?’ or ‘what if I fail?’ belief that is stopping the flow, holding up the action.
YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH!!! Let me state that unequivocally. The Universe is very wise and doesn’t give you a task that you are not ready to accomplish. The creativity that brings you flashes of insight is a force that is presenting solutions, even if you are not sure of the problems yet.
All you are being asked to do is to pay attention. In every moment you are being shown signs that reveal the Universe to you. When you are paying attention to the signs, your next step is to take action on those that require it of you.
If you are unsure about the action to take, if the road doesn’t seem clear to you yet, then ask for help and guidance from someone who can see the road ahead for you. This is why it is so important to learn to get in touch with guidance, whether through a counselor or your own inner guidance. Invite the angels to reveal to you what you are to do. Talk to your guides.
And if you feel the urge to use the good china for hot dogs and beans, then do so! Take the action that you feel led to take!
PS: Are you waiting to hear Guidance from The Other Side? Are you looking for advice from beyond the usual? Join Rosemary for Satsang, this Saturday, October 19 at 7:00 PM Eastern. If you are in Maryland, join us in person. Or, join us by televideo conference or simply by phone. Learn more and Register Here.
Men and The Goddess 