Archive
ROSEMARY’S EXPLORATION: Ask Yourself…
So often we get stuck in a place where we’re feeling as if there’s something we’re missing, some clue that is just beyond our vision, some message that we just can’t quite hear. And while we seek the answer we forget to ask the right question.
Today, ask yourself, ‘What is my WHY?’ What’s your reason for the choices that you are making each day? Is that reason the same reason that you made that choice in the first place or has your ‘why’ changed since then?
For example, you might have chosen a job because you knew some folks who already worked there and you liked them. Now, though, you might have moved farther away or they might have left and you might have totally different reasons for continuing to work there.
Or you might have started a business because you wanted to help people and now that business isn’t supporting the lifestyle you desire.
You might have had kids and your ‘why’ might be something about providing for them but your choices were made at a time when they weren’t in the picture.
Looking at your ‘why’ is important for many reasons.
Your reason to get up in the morning has to be more compelling than rolling over and going back to sleep. Is that what you wish you could do every morning? Then maybe you need to examine your ‘why’ and make some changes in your life.
Everyone hits rough spots in life. Your BIG WHY keeps you going over those boulders in the road. If you’re not sure what your ‘why’ is you might find it more difficult to endure those bumpy spots.
And your ‘why’ can change as your life changes, as you grow and develop. What your ‘why’ was in your 20s might no longer be so important in your 40s, 50s, 60s. You might even find that your ‘why’ keeps expanding into a huge reason to get up every morning!
For example, I have a friend who feels her BIG WHY is to end illiteracy. She earns money, in a business unrelated to illiteracy, so that she can contribute to causes that help to educate populations around the world. Another’s is to help women heal their shame around childhood trauma. This might not be the immediate cause in which you see her involved but it informs what she does because it is based on WHY she does it.
So what is your WHY? What do you hope to accomplish in your lifetime? What motivates you enough to struggle through the tough spots and feel exhilarated at your successes? Can you see an expansion of your WHY as your personal growth has expanded?
I recently did an exercise to examine my ‘why’ by starting to look at what I don’t want, what upsets me. It really bugs me to see people believing that they are less than the Brilliant Light that I see in them. I want to help each individual to reach inside and find that Light that I can see and shine that Light out into the world. Because I see the dimensions that most others can’t access I can see how much that individual’s Light is needed.
And so my BIG WHY is to reach around the world and turn on that Brilliant Light Within individuals so that the Light can outshine the darkness. I help people access that Light and clear the shadows that they have been hiding behind and under. I am excited by each opportunity I have to help people, individually and in groups.
I know my WHY. Do you know yours?
PS: If you are struggling with your “why” why not ask for some help to seek clarity? Rosemary has a special offer running through May to help you find your Inner Light! Use the form here to contact her:
ROSEMARY’S INSPIRATION: Why Do You Get Up in the Morning?
Rosemary’s “Two-Minute” Video for this Week: Why Do You Get Up in the Morning?
PS: Do you know your “big why”? Why you are on the planet? Why it’s important for you to get up in the morning? Rosemary is offering a very special “spring cleaning” opportunity to work with her. This offer is only available through May. Please use the following form to send her an email to explore this opportunity:
MONDAY’S POEM: Poet’s Choice
Today’s poem is from the archives. I opened to a random page in my journal and reached back to August 2011. I am feeling a bit conflicted today so this poem is for me and all of you out there having a conflicted Monday!
Poet’s Choice
What does a conflicted poet write?
What bubbles up from below?
What trickles down from above?
Love. A poet writes of love
For all the world to read
And understand this Queen.
Low. A poet sinks so low
To find the deepest part
And understand this King.
Light. A poet merges with light
To sing of the highest peaks
And understand this God.
A poet writes of highs and lows.
He writes of light and sings
From mountain tops.
And most of all he writes of Love!
©2014 Richard W. Bredeson. All rights reserved.
I CHING GUA FOR THE NEW MOON IN TAURUS: Da Guo
The New Moon (and solar eclipse) occurred early this past Tuesday morning (2:14 am), April 29 on the east coast. The sun was well below the horizon here so no great visual effects, only vibrational!
This New Moon was the bookend to the Cardinal Grand Cross that peaked a few days earlier. We began the month of celestial activities with the Full Moon/Lunar eclipse on April 15th. It was quite a month! Have you felt the effects of the transformational energy?
It was with a certain level of excitement during this time that I cast the Gua (I Ching hexagram) to determine the energies we are heading into for May. If you follow my blog you know that I use yarrow stalks and manipulate them in traditional fashion to determine the six lines (either open/yin or solid/yang) that compose the Gua.
For the next month the Gua is Da Guo, or “Great Exceeding” as Master Alfred Huang translate it in his The Complete I Ching. It is pictured here:
The hexagram consists of two trigrams; the lower is Xun or Wood and the upper is Dui or Lake. So Great Exceeding is like a lake over a tree. Isn’t it interesting that there has been a tremendous amount of rain here in Maryland with significant flooding just after this New Moon!
During this time of “Great Exceeding” there is a need for “extraordinary action.” The action required is to balance, or adjust for that which is exceeding limits.
The image offered by Master Huang and King Wen’s Decision is that of a roof beam with weak end supports (the strong yang lines bounded by the two weak yin lines). The roof sags under weight. Extraordinary action is required to straighten the roof and balance the load.
The key here is to watch for imbalances. Things that are too big are difficult to control. Things that are too firm are easy to break. Take action to shore up weaknesses and to trim excesses. This is a positive Gua if action is taken. Confucius’ commentary on the Decision concludes:
Smooth and joyous in action.
Favorable to have somewhere to go.
There is success.
Truly great is the time of Great Exceeding!
Watch for imbalances in your life, correct them promptly and decisively and have a great month!
Commitment and Solutions – Richard’s Commentary
We are just returning from the West Coast and Suzanne Evans’ Be The Change Event she hosted in Las Vegas. This event coupled with the Cardinal Grand Cross bookended by two eclipses has truly been a transformative time for both Rosemary and me. However, one of the key take-aways from BTCE and Suzanne’s teachings is, there is no transformation possible without commitment!
In her bigger-than-life style, from both her power center and her heart, Suzanne demonstrated over and over what commitment means. If you don’t know her, look her up. If you do know her there is little I can say to emphasize my point about her and her events. She is committed. And she teaches the need for that level of commitment if we are to make a difference, to “Be the Change”, to transform ourselves in any meaningful and purposeful way.
It takes commitment. Not lip-service, not half-hearted acknowledgement that we are all here for a purpose, not even dedication of time, resources, energy and money. We have to be all in!
But how do we know what to commit to? If we are called to action, to commitment, how can we be sure that our path is the right one and our choices lead to fulfillment of our commitment?
In her Exploration article Rosemary channeled The Divine Feminine and here’s what they say about that:
For so many of you there have been problems in your life that you have struggled to handle. Money, relationship, children, career. These problems exist in the 3-dimensional world of Planet Earth. Your pain, whether only emotional or a combination of emotional/mental/physical, is also a 3-dimensional pain.
But we would tell you that there are many dimensions beyond the 3 you are considering and your solutions lie beyond where you are searching for them.
Do you look for solutions that lie beyond the 3-dimensions? Do you go inside and ask for guidance from your “Inner Knower”? And when you ask do you listen? And trust the answers?
The key to this examination of 3-dimensional problems solved by multi-dimensional exploration is trust. This is one of the key components to Rosemary’s teaching. As a man this is one of the key teachings I pay attention to and learn from. I am still learning this key. I go inside for answers often. And I do hear and sense the advice I seek. And I am still learning the trust part!
The secret here is gut instinct…trust your gut. Too often I get that feeling that something is about to happen; I need to prepare or participate. But then I ignore the sense of it and go about my business as I PLANNED IT. This is the downfall: to be so stuck in “the plan” that there is no room for trust!
And the secret to this trust is to go through and beyond the fear. The Divine Femininesay:
Focus on what you DO WANT and commit your energy to making that happen, even if it scares you.
Suzanne echoed this advice many times through this past weekend conference; when your next step scares the hell out of you then you know you are on the right track!
Are you that committed?
ROSEMARY’S INSPIRATION: What Are You Committed To?
Rosemary’s “Two-Minute” Video for this Week: What Are You Committed To?
MONDAY’S POEM: Signs and Wonders
It has been quite a month with significant astrological and astronomical events occurring in the heavens. And we have been traveling on the west coast during these times of change and rebirth. Tonight, 11:14 PM Pacific time, we have one more April event to push us farther along this path to awakening: a solar eclipse.
In recognition of these events I wrote:
Signs and Wonders
Eclipsed Moon, Earth’s shadow hiding
Features, drawing blood, going deep.
Long shadows cast along a path
Of discovery and regeneration.
Grand Cross, Cardinal Signs, upheaval,
Rebellion, war god soothed in the
House of Love. God of Hades opposing
Expansion and stabilizing influences.
Eclipsed Sun, Moon’s shadow hiding
Light, blotting out life’s blood.
Dark shadows reaching far in this time
Of reformation and transformation.
©2014 Richard W. Bredeson. All rights reserved.
A FRIDAY POEM FROM “RHYTHMS AND CYCLES” – Shells
I planted a few seeds in some pots on our deck last week. Now I watch for the sprouts to break through. Spring time is such a wondrous season of birth; it’s the perfect time to consider all the cycles of life!
Shells
The heart does not expand
From an empty shell.
The seed is there inside
Waiting for the moment.
It takes a special love
To break through that shell.
The germ hovers in bonds
Trembling in dark potential.
The light waits calmly
Just outside the shell.
The sprout presses its power
Seeking a weakness and release.
Suddenly love explodes
Through that hard shell.
The tender life wiggles free
Reaching toward the light.
The heart embraces all life
To escape that empty shell.
The community grows
Filling the world with love.
©2014 Richard W. Bredeson. All rights reserved.
Conscious Relationships Start with Self-Love – Richard’s Commentary
Humans are social beings. It is all about relationships. Last week I wrote about our interdependence with others, what Thich Nhat Hahn calls “interbeing.” We are especially dependent on and interdependent with other humans. Here’s what Rosemary says about that:
Human beings are relationship experts. We are constantly adjusting relationships, in one direction or another. Relationships with significant others, with parents and with children, with co-workers, clients, neighbors, hairdressers, waitstaff at the local restaurant, checker at the grocery store. Every interaction with another human being is an element of a relationship.
And every relationship begins on the inside of ourselves. This is why it is so important to have that relationship in the first place! Do you have a good relationship with yourself?
In her post Rosemary writes about choices we have and we make moment to moment. The first choice is to have that inner relationship. How do you do that? It’s as easy as breathing! And we all need to do that!
The “conscious relationship with self” begins with conscious breathing. That’s right, bring your consciousness to your breathing pattern. Don’t try to change it or make an effort, just bring your attention to how your breath feels; think about the inhale; feel it as it comes in through your nose, down your throat, into your lungs. Where does it go there? Does it fill up your chest? Does it go down into your belly? Just notice. And on the exhale, how does that feel? What happens first? How much air do you exhale?
Shifting just our focus on our breath, with no change at all in rhythm or style, changes our body chemistry and our mental awareness! Imagine what might happen if you actually, consciously begin to control your breathing. Maybe your in-breath goes a bit deeper and is longer; maybe you hold it for just a moment as you sense it, notice the feeling of expansion. Then as you exhale maybe you do this more slowly, deliberately. And maybe you expel more air, even flattening your belly, back towards your spine as you push out more air – to make room for a bigger in-breath.
And you can continue in this manner, watching your breath, taking longer, deeper, slower breaths. This is the beginning of a relationship with yourself, your deeper self.
I’m not writing here to teach meditation. But I am echoing Rosemary’s intention that your best relationship is with yourself, inside. Here’s what she says about you:
Who you are, deep in your core, is a beautiful being of Light. Who you are, inside, is a spark of divine energy. Who you are, in the essence of you, is a person of access to great wisdom and love. THIS is the person that you really want to show up in every relationship, isn’t it?
I would like to have a relationship with this being of Light – you! Wouldn’t you?
ROSEMARY’S EXPLORATION: Conscious Relationships Start with Self-Love
All Love flows from Self-Love.
I’ve shared this many times and will keep doing so until each of us is totally in love with our own divine Self!
The most important relationship you have is the one you have with yourself. What is the measure of that relationship right now? Are you giving this relationship time, nurturing, attention, even money? Or are you putting off taking care of yourself while you care for others, or think that you cannot ‘afford’ to take care of yourself?
Human beings are relationship experts. We are constantly adjusting relationships, in one direction or another. Relationships with significant others, with parents and with children, with co-workers, clients, neighbors, hairdressers, waitstaff at the local restaurant, checker at the grocery store. Every interaction with another human being is an element of a relationship. If you are having a bad day, do you walk into the hardware store and act like the grumpy guy from down the street? When you have a bad day at work, do you come home and snap at the family?
When you have a great day, do you smile at the barista at Starbucks? Bring flowers home for the dinner table? Call a friend just to say ‘hi’?
You have choices. And every interaction with another human being involves a choice on your part about how you are showing up in that relationship.
Maybe you haven’t thought about how you treat the teller at the bank as a ‘relationship,’ but it is. It deserves care and tending. Your family members, too, deserve to have a relationship with you that comes from caring and love and it is your choice whether or not to offer nurturing in that relationship.
The first choice that you are called to make is to be true to your Self. Your relationship to your inner Self determines how you will relate to others. Do you struggle with a lack of self-love? Do you lash out at others instead of taking a breath and seeking guidance from your inner wisdom? Do you judge people without compassion about their circumstances, about which you might know nothing?
Who you are, deep in your core, is a beautiful being of Light. Who you are, inside, is a spark of divine energy. Who you are, in the essence of you, is a person of access to great wisdom and love. THIS is the person that you really want to show up in every relationship, isn’t it?
Take some time today to check in with yourself about your relationship with your Self. Tap into your own inner wisdom as you look around at the relationships in which you participate every day.
The word ‘namaste’ means ‘the Light in me honors the Light in you.’ Let your Light shine in every connection that you experience. Come from loving yourself, valuing that Light within, and sharing that Light with the outer world.
Conscious Relationships are the most rewarding. Start with a Conscious Relationship with your Self!
Men and The Goddess 