The Power of Fear

I recently meet with a friend who was completely overwrought with anger and fear. When I first began speaking with him, he was consumed with anger at the universe, the government, and at himself. It was like everything hit at once and the universe, which is usually a friendly place, had become an unfriendly place. As we started to talk, it became clear that the anger was masking a deeply felt fear of what was going to happen in the future.

We all are exposed to an unending stream of apocalyptic predictions caused by global economic downturns, 2012 end of the world predictions, run away governmental spending, natural disasters, and personal debt. Even Hollywood themes are playing to our fears with post-apocalyptic movies like I am Legend, The Road, and The Book of Eli.

In 2009, you would have had to live in a bubble not to experience some type of anxiety about the future.

So what can we do to overcome the power fear has on our lives?

Here is what works best for me…

1. Don’t Ignore the Fear…unacknowledged fear just grows. Acknowledge the fear and welcome it into your life. Fear is an emotion, just like other emotions in our life, ignoring it can only cause it to grow.
2. Find a Community- Fear is best overcome by sharing and discussing the fear with others in your life. Your partner, family and friends can be a welcome source of releasing the fear. The emotion of fear is “real” whether what you are “afraid” of is real or not. Just because you fear something that may never happen (i.e. 2012 end of the world) does not mean that you are not experiencing the real emotion of fear and need to express it and release it.
3. Live in the Present Moment-Most people live in fear about what might happen in the future. That future thinking can take your focus off of the present moment. So be present. Focus on what you can do today or this week.
4. Deal with Reality-While iGracedaily is focused on improving our daily life via a spiritual connection to God, we are still living in a physical body on the earth, and that requires you to understand “earth rules”. If you can’t pay your bills then be realistic about how the earth rules will apply to you in that situation and be ready for the result.
5. Embrace Your Non-Conformity-Conformity to accepted standards, conventions, rules, or laws may be causing you to do things that increase your fear, so question everything you are doing. If you are living above your means then cut back on spending, if your going to a church that does not foster your connection to Source then drop your membership, if you are living in too expensive of a house, get out of it.Look hard at what your hidden assumptions about your life and do a gut check….is it right for you? The question you must ask yourself is this…”if I eliminate this from my life….is my life better?” If the answer is yes, eliminate it from your life ASAP. You will find that you will become a more genuine person and your fear will reduce.
6. Preparation Lowers Fear’s Influence- Being prepared is something that our grandparents knew a lot about. They lived in a world where assumptions about having adequate food and water were less sure. In the last forty years, American’s  have been lulled into a sense of security by living in a society in which the power is reliable, the water always runs when you turn on the faucet, there is always food at the grocery store. So after living in this type of world, we have lost many of the skills needed to survive in a less certain world. So becoming more prepared for what might happen is a great way to lower fear.Prepping (the new word hip word describing the act of preparing for anything that might happen) is not just about preparation for some Hollywood type disaster, it is also being prepared for more realistic disasters in your life. We are all more likely to experience an ice storm taking down the power, or the loss of a job, or some other financial blow than the end of the world as we know it.  The good news is that when you prepared, you are prepared for anything that can happen.

Here are four simple things to do to get more prepared.

• Store 30 days of food and water at all times;
• Learn what to do in a natural disaster;
• Start a garden, and grow some of your own food.
• Eliminate all debt but mortgage debt.

Each of these guidelines and prepping has improved the quality of my life and reduced my fear in the process.

“If you’re so inclined, it would be a huge help if you’d forward the link to this blog to three people who might be interested. Do you know someone searching for Grace in their daily lives? Someone very interested in the subject of spiritual connection? Word of mouth is the best recommendation; people really respect their friends’ suggestions.”

Grtitude Journal

Are you felling symptoms of depression? How often do you have  symptoms of depression? I think we all feel these symptoms at some time or another.  (I want to be clear that I am not talking about clinical depression. Clinical depression is a very serious sickness and needs to be treated by professionals.)

What I am talking about here are symptoms which cause us to experience a temporary feeling of being “let down”, “lack of energy”, or unreasonably negative thoughts . For me these manifest themselves at certain times of the year more than others, and the New Year is one time of year when I find it easy to start feeling depressed.

Depression symptoms feel like “loss” to me, like something has been “taken away” or “subtracted” from my life. It may be that another year of living has now gone away and is lost forever, or I missed some type of opportunity to do something I should have done and now that opportunity is gone. It may be I have lost some form of core value. For instance, I have a core desire to be more self reliant in my approach to life. If I failed to make a decision to make a self reliant change in my life, I missed an great opportunity to move me toward my goal.

In my last post I mentioned that I was experiencing a general feeling of being let down and low energy.

I have also written about maintaining a Gratitude Spiritual Practice in previous posts, and here was my chance to follow my own advise.

I wanted to share with you how a Gratitude Journal became my prescription to temporary feelings of depression. When I wrote my last post (1-04-2010) I was feeling really depressed. I had made a commitment to start my gratitude journal on that day and  I entered a reoccurring  event in my calendar to write 5 things that I am grateful for each day.

So today, 4 days and 20 grateful listings later, I can say that I don’t have any feeling of depression or loss. It is simply impossible to maintain a gratitude journal and continue to feel depressed. With each entry, my thoughts of gratefulness off set any feelings of loss.  How can I think I am in a place of “loss” when I have some many great things in my life which bring me joy.

So I am challenging each of you to start your “Gratitude Prescription” and write 5 things a day that you are grateful for. You will feel better, have more energy, have a general sense of well being and feel a closer connection to Grace.

So what is the best way to overcome negative feelings and bring back the contentment, joy, and spiritual depth we want in our lives?

When I get this way, I have to find some perspective on the where I am and remember it is a journey. So I sit down each new year and asked myself the following questions. I wanted to share my answers to help me be more accountable!

Hope the questions help you as much as me…

1.  What ‘s one thing you could do this year to increase your Connection to Source?
For me its reestablishing my daily meditation practice. (7 Graceful Practices: Part 1 – Meditation)

2. What’s the most amazing thing you will ask God to do in your life this year?
My request is to help me to bring peace, love and support to my family over the next 12 months.

3. What’s the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your life this year?
This one is easy, I have to get more energy by exercising and losing weight!

4. What one spiritual practice do you want to make progress in this year, and what will you do about it?

5. What is your single biggest time-waster you can eliminate from your life it this year?
I spend way too much time watching TV usually about 2 hours a night. If I spend two hours a night watching TV, I am exposed to 40 minutes of commercials.
If I could eliminate the commercials, I just cut my biggest time waster by 33%.  I am only going to watch TV from my DVR and eliminated the commercials.

6. What is the most helpful new habit you could incorporate to become more self reliant?
Buying one additional food item each time I go to the store. This will allow me to reach my goal of storing 3 months worth of food. This habit allows us to take advantage of food sales and not worry about weather, economic, or food delivery issues from the outside world because I already have 90 days of food stored.

7. For whose spiritual awakening will you pray most fervently this year?
A good friend who I have known for 20 years who has gone through a really difficult time this year.

8. What’s one activity you can eliminate in 2010 to simplify your life?
Checking email every minute of the day…I am setting one time a day to answer email.

9. What one thing could you do to improve your meditation life this year?
Get to bed earlier at night to be totally rested in the morning.

10. What thing that you plan to accomplish in 2010 that will matter most in 10 years?
I am starting a plan to make double payments on my mortgage and be out of debt in 5 years. Financial Freedom is no debt!

11. What’s the most difficult decision you need to make now, which will have the most positive impact in your life in 2010.
I have to close a division of my company which is not making money. I have known it was coming for some time but didn’t want to face it. Today I came in to the office an notified my clients and employees of this decision. I can already feel the burden lifting.

12. What area of your life most needs simplifying, and what’s one way you could simplify in that area?
I need to simplify my daily schedule. It is just too full of meetings. As an owner of a business everyone wants to meet with you and you can literally have meetings every hour of the day. I am setting aside one day a week for meetings that are requested by third parties other than my clients and employees ( no vendors except on Tuesdays).

13. What’s the most important need you feel lead to do something about this year?
I feel lead to start a new blog about self sufficiency, preparing for an economic downturn and how to maintain spiritual health during a difficult time.

14. What habit would you most like to establish this year to make yourself more self reliant?
I am going to start a garden this year and create the habit of growing some of the vegetables my family consumes.

15. Who do you most want to encourage this year?
I want to encourage my youngest daughter who is learning how hard life can be at times.

16. What is your most important financial goal this year, what is the most important step you can take toward achieving it?
I want to lower my personal expenses this year by moving to a smaller home. Putting my home on the market is my first step.

17. What’s the single most important thing you could do to simplify your work life this year?
Answer emails only once per day at 2:00 pm each day.

18. What’s one new way you could be a blessing to your family this year?
Maintaining my spiritual connection.

19. What’s one thing you could do this year to enrich the spiritual legacy you will leave to your children and grandchildren?
Continue to write posts at igracedaily.com

20. What book do you feel most want to read this year?
The New Self Sufficient Gardner

21. What one thing do you most regret about 2009, and what will you do about it this year?
I regret not paying greater attention to how much the fear mongering and bad news in the media was affecting me. I am going to protect my soul from negative sources of information in 2010!

22. What single blessing from God do you want to seek most earnestly this year?
Abundance in all areas of living but most especially in the areas of financial freedom, physical fitness, spiritual connection, and self sufficiency.

23. In what area of your life do you most need growth, and what will you do about it his year?
Patience is the area that I most need growth. I need to develop a sacred pause in all areas of life. Before I take action…pause. Before I purchase something….pause. Before I say something….pause.

24. What’s the most important trip you want to take this year?
I am taking a trip to Assisi, Italy in February. St Francis of Assisi is the patron saint of self sufficiency, charity and nature and I am really looking forward to learning from St. Francis on this trip.

25. What skill do you most want to learn or improve this year?
I want to become a licensed ham radio operator.

26. To what need or ministry will you try to give an unprecedented amount this year?
The Matthew Kelley Foundation!

27. What’s the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your daily commute this year?
Listen to my itouch with great positive uplifting messages. (Turning Your iPhone /iTouch into a Graceful Tool!)

28. What one spiritual concept do you most want to understand better this year, and what will you do about it?
Unconditional love is a concept my ego has a really difficult time with. Study Power vs. Force again.

29. If those who love you best gave you one piece of advice, what would it be?
This is a tough question and required me to really do some soul searching. But here is what I think they would say. Dad, this is my life let me live it! In other words, back off jack!

30. What’s the most important new item you want to buy this year?

I want to purchase a small home with some acreage to have a garden and some farm animals. My first big step into self sufficiency.

31. In what area of your life do you most need change, and what will you do about it this year?
The Financial area of my life is the one I want to spend the most time reevaluating. I want to stop consuming as much of everything, become more self sufficient, make my own power (solar energy), make my own food (garden) make my own peace by maintaining my spiritual connection regardless of circumstances. The Amish have a lot to teach us.

Join me in my quest to a more Graceful 2010!

“If you’re so inclined, it would be a huge help if you’d forward the link to this blog to three people who might be interested. Do you know someone searching for Grace in their daily lives? Someone very interested in the subject of spiritual connection? Word of mouth is the best recommendation; people really respect their friends’ suggestions.”

One of my creative moments!

Creativity as a core spiritual practice opens us up to new ideas and new concepts about ourselves. If you want to develop creativity as a core spiritual practice, here are my top 10 creativity enhancers.

1. Practice Day Dreaming- What I used to get in trouble for in school, is now one of my greatest tools. Find a carefree place just to let your mind wander. This is a right brained activity, so don’t let the left brain get involved by critiquing what you are thinking.

2. Visualize- Creative visualization is the basic technique underlying “positive thinking” and is frequently used by athletes to enhance performance. Spend 10 minutes a day visualizing an image. It could be a new house you are going to build, or the image of a red rose during meditation or it could be how you are going to hit the golf ball on Saturday. Visualization is also a core skill in using the law of attraction.

3. Free Association- This is the practice of relating “whatever” comes into your thoughts without censoring or limiting those thoughts.  There are several new mind mapping software programs which can help in the process. Mind maps are used to generate, visualize, structure, and classify ideas, and as an aid in study, organization, problem solving, decision making, and writing. Mindmeister is free internet based mind mapping program and it was voted the easiest to use by Lifehacker users.

4. See Yourself as Creative- Think of yourself as creative. Whenever you feel you are ready to do something creative, but your mind tells you that you can’t, your not talented enough or someone else is better….write that thought down and then write out 2 or 3 reasons why you can be creative. Train your mind to see yourself as creative. I once did a ritual burning of all the negative thoughts I had about my writing. Actually seeing the negative thoughts burning in my fireplace gave my mind a visualization of destroying that negative thought. I can now evoke that image as needed.

5. Find Inspiration- Find what inspires you. Make a  “My Inspiration” list.  This list is a list of your top 15 things that have inspired you. You can list movies, books, music, people, animals or events. Surround yourself with your “My Inspiration” items. Stick pictures of what inspires you where you will see it…. hourly. I put “My Inspiration” items on my bathroom mirror, the dash of the truck, my iPod, and my office. I don’t go an hour without seeing “My Inspiration”. Update your “My Inspiration” list once a year.

6. Find a Friend Who can Co-Create- Being around someone else who is creative is key to enhancing your own creativity. If you don’t know anyone else who is really creative, check your local area for an Artist Way group. The “Artist Way: a spiritual path to higher creativity” has been a leading book on spiritual creativity for years and it’s author Julia Cameron has fostered and encouraged group meetings called “Creative Clusters” through out the world. These clusters are there to help you foster “discovering and recovering your creative self.”

7. Be More Childlike-To get your creative juices really flowing, we must stop being so grown up. Creativity is a lot more fun from a child’s perspective. There are three key reasons to become more childlike — children don’t complicate things too much, they trust more, and they’re not concerned about what someone else thinks. Creativity is simple and uncomplicated.

8. Create Space-We have been focusing on creating space in your head but creating space in your house is just as important to enhance your creativity. I have recently added a creativity studio to my home on the Little Red River and it is incredible how much that one room boosts my creativity levels. If you need some inspiration for a home creativity studio do a Goggle Image Search on “home art studios” and see how many unique spaces have been created just to foster creativity.

9. Don’t Believe the Objections- You will tell yourself all kinds of reasons why you can’t do this….don’t listen.  You will tell yourself that you are not good enough, it’s a waste of time, you don’t have the money, it’s not your image, your family will object. Just acknowledge this objections and do it anyway. As you learn to protect your inner creativity, you will be able to move beyond your objections and creative constriction.

10. Use affirmations- Julia Cameron provides the following affirmations in her book the Artist Way.

• I am a channel for God’s creativity, and my work comes to good.
• My dreams come from God and God has the power to accomplish them.
• As I create and listen, I will be led.
• Creativity is the Creator’s will for me.
• My creativity heals myself and others.
• I am allowed to nurture my artist.
• Through the use of my creativity, I serve God
• I am willing to experience my creative energy.
• My creativity always leads me to truth and love.

Just get started. Stop right now and begin. Start with you’re “My Inspiration” list and follow your inspiration toward more creativity and your divine birthright.

“If you’re so inclined, it would be a huge help if you’d forward the link to this blog to three people who might be interested. Do you know someone searching for Grace in their daily lives? Someone very interested in the subject of spiritual connection? Word of mouth is the best recommendation; people really respect their friends’ suggestions.”

Discover Creativity

Creativity as a Graceful Practice was a surprising discovery to me. Although some would argue with me, I think each of us have experienced a “creative flow” during our lives in one form or another. You may be an actor, play the guitar, prepare delicious meals, design web sites, or a creative mom when it comes to keeping your kids entertained. The medium in which you experience your creativity is not really that important. I experience this creative flow not only in writing this blog but also by creating unique and successful solutions at my work.  It wasn’t until I began to understand how important a creativity practice was to my spiritual journey that I began to really look at how to foster more creativity in my life.

Creativity breaks down barriers and opens us up to new possibilities. I first experienced this flow while I was journaling my dark night of the soul.  My journal provided me with a forum to express new emotions, disappointments and hopes for the future.  With this openness to new ideas, I discovered new concepts about myself.  The ability to be open to new ideas, new vision and new understandings became fundamental to my spiritual journey.

Creativity foster openness, and in that openness is light and grace. That openness can also lead us to face our shadow side, maybe for the first time in our lives.  It is through this contrast of light and darkness in our lives that our growth is demanded.

Let’s look at some basics assumptions about creativity.

The Basics of Creativity

Creativity is your divine birthright!

There is a underlying creative force permeating all of life and that includes each of us. Like the source of all creation, you are a creator too. When you create, you join in the divine recreation that is creativity. You lose yourself in your creation and time seems to stand still. Creativity is your divine birthright.

Creativity flows through you as a universal life force.. Creativity is one of the highest vibrational energy forces in life. This energy force flowing through you gives life to your creations. It doesn’t matter whether you write, play a musical instrument, prepare a delicious meal, or paint. The medium in which you create is inconsequential, it is the ability to channel this spiritual energy into your medium that is critical.

Creativity facilitates moments of divine bliss. When you lose yourself in the divine embrace of the creative process, you allow the creative spiritual energy to flow through your heart, your body, and your mind. Barriers come down and you are transported to places beyond where your five senses can take you, places of divine inspiration.

Creativity is a form of meditation. When allowed to flourish and encouraged, your creative energy becomes like your own guru (Sanskrit word meaning “from darkness to light”) meaning it brings you from the darkness to the light.  For me, my creative side flourishes when I write in my journal or blog. When something is troubling me, it is a meditative process for me to sit at my computer and put my thoughts to paper. We can shape and influence our creative work, but like meditation our creative work shapes and influences us. For me, just the process of typing my thoughts brings a new perspective to my soul.

So how do we become more creative?  In the my next post I will discuss my top 10 creativity enhancers.

“If you’re so inclined, it would be a huge help if you’d forward the link to this blog to three people who might be interested. Do you know someone searching for Grace in their daily lives? Someone very interested in the subject of spiritual connection? Word of mouth is the best recommendation; people really respect their friends’ suggestions.”

iTouch

#1. Ipod iTouch- Without a doubt one of the most useful tools for anyone’s spiritual journey is an iPhone or iTouch. Even if you are not very technology savvy, with just a little effort you can be listening to guided meditations, playing your relaxation music, listening to books, connecting to spiritual communities, journaling your gratitude, record synchronicities, and staying connected with your spiritual friends via email.

Sony Earbud

#2. Sony EX Earbud Headphones – Most people don’t like the headphones that ship with the ipod, so do yourself a favor and get these headphones. They are very comfortable, cancel out a lot of outside noise and are not expensive. I listen in bed and find they don’t hurt my ears, even if I am laying on my side with them inside my ears.

#3. audible.com subscription-Audible is the leading provider of premium digital spoken audio on the Internet. Audible specializes in the spoken experience, providing digital audio editions of books, newspapers and magazines, and podcasts subscriptions.  I have had a subscription to Audible for over 3 years and download two audio books per month. Audible’s spiritual library is quite large though it is split between two different categories or classifications.  The first category is Religion & Spirituality; however, you will find meditation books in the Self Development category.

Zen-By-Design meditation chair

#4. Rama Warrior Meditation Chair-This is an exceptional meditation chair created to enable you to sit comfortably for long periods of time. Its unique meditation cushion promotes perfect spinal alignment by way of a sacral tilt and an adjustable lumbar support. I use my regularly and love it.

Meditation Candle set

#5. Meditation Candle Set-Meditating with a candle enhances the mod and encourages peace. This Meditation set is a set of 4 candles uniquely created to help you reach your inner space whenever you need to reflect on life’s journey. It includes Frankincense, Cedarwood, Sage and Rose scents.

Hay House Wisdom Community

#6. Hay House Wisdom Community Subscription- Hay House is largest publisher of New Thought and Self-help content today. Hay House radio was started in 2005 and broadcasts hour-long weekly radio shows by prominent Hay House authors (for example Wayne Dyer, Dr, Christine Northrup, etc) which you can listen to live, with a wireless connection. You can also subscribe to their pod casts and have hour-long messages to take with you daily on your iTouch when you don’t have access to a wireless Internet connection.  $4.00 per month is the best money you can spend.

Synergy Bead Bracelet

#7. Synergy Beads- Synergy Beads bracelets inspire the creative energies of mind, body and Spirit in your daily life.

My silent retreat hermitage

#8. Silent Retreat- Give your Spiritual Seeker a special silent retreat. Silent Retreats can be done anywhere with  just a little effort and coordination. However, the Catholic Church is a great resource for providing hermitages where someone can retreat in silence and it is accepted enthusiastically. I did a 3 day silent retreat here in Arkansas at the Hesychia House of Prayer. If this is too far to travel, call your local Catholic Church to see if they can refer you to a special place of retreat closer to where you live!

A Weekend Within

#9 Chopra Center Retreat- The Chopra Center offers an integrative healing approach to wellness and all of their programs and workshops encompass the transformation of body, mind, and spirit. I went to the “A Weekend Within: The Chopra Center’s Introduction Workshop” about three years ago and it was terrific. The introduction into the integrative wellness was a great starting point toward a spiritual journey.

Discover Creativity

#10. Creativity Retreat- Creativity is a primary practice to finding Grace in your everyday life. Going on retreat can be important and valuable during times of transition when you are overwhelmed by change.  It can provide a safe harbor and a place of stillness that enables you to slow down, so that you can absorb what is happening to you and make the necessary internal shifts.

Merry Christmas!

New Eyes

Hi and thanks for the visit. If you’re new here you may want to subscribe to my feed.

Yesterday was Thanksgiving Day, a day of celebrating and expressing gratitude for the abundance of life.

I was waiting for everyone to arrive for Thanksgiving dinner. It’s was quiet and peaceful. The bird was on the smoker, and everything was moving along wonderfully toward the 5:00 pm dinner time. Yet as I examined my feelings, I was having a feeling of impatience, that something should be happening. I was familiar with the feeling, because I feel this type of impatience regularly.  What I didn’t understand, was why I was feeling it then!

I mean everything was truly wonderful, almost perfect.  The sun was shinning, the wind was blowing gently in the trees, I had the windows open and the clean air was moving throughout the house….so why did I have a background feeling of anxiety?  It made me think that I am just totally incapable of living and enjoying the present moment. Where was the Grace in this experience?

As I was thinking about this issue, it reminded me of a show I watched the other night on Discovery Channel…it was about how sharks have to keep moving to get oxygen into their lungs.  Had I successfully trained myself through time management, productivity optimization, do the next highest payoff activity, write it down and check it off activity driven lifestyle, to become a great shark?

Why does it seem that we are always in such a hurry to get to the next thing? What’s the rush? What happened to taking time to enjoy things fully? What happened to patience?

This obsessive need to be somewhere else or doing something else creates a joy-less life.   In my obsession to get to the next best thing (thanksgiving dinner),  I almost experienced a day filled with haste, empty of pleasure, joy or happiness; instead of, the almost perfect, truly wonderful day that was unfolding in front of me.

Then I saw it, what 20 plus years of a “productivity driven lifestyle” had trained me to experience:

• Happiness is always somewhere else, and I must rush to get to it;
• I am more likely to try to save time by cutting corners or not acting with integrity in my speed to get to the next thing;
• I experience a more stressful life. (The medical evidence is clear that highly stressed lives have increased incidences of heart disease, stroke, chronic illness, autoimmune illnesses and cancer);
• What I seek is always ahead of me—always just out of reach;
• I live in a constant state of frenzy and frustration;
• I cannot settle, breathe or be at peace.

As this realization hit me the clarity was intense and I immediately felt Grace returning.

Are you very “productively” hurrying on to the Nirvana you seek? Sadly, the direction to Nirvana can only be seen with the clarity of New Eyes.

How to Create New Eyes:

1. Be aware of the “background” feelings of impatience, anxiety or unrest.  Sense where and how these feelings show up. Was it training by a parent or business productivity training or just a feeling that if you are not doing something then you have no value. Identify it for what it is. Don’t fight it. Don’t judge it. Don’t tell yourself a story about it. Just understand from where it arises.
2. Breathe deeply. Close you eyes, feel your feet on the floor and, if sitting, feel your butt in your chair. Allow the floor to support you; allow your chair to support you. Breathe deeply.
3. Send your breath to any areas of your body where you experience discomfort/stress. I hold a lot of my stress in my belly, so I visualize sending my breath to my belly to release this discomfort.
4. Tell yourself: Be Present Now
5. Notice your experience and as you do, time will begin to expand a little, you will create a pause in your discomfort. As you become more aware the discomfort, the agitation the impatience itself will begin to dissipate.
6. If this remains difficult, get out in nature. Nature has a time line of it’s own, a natural rhythm of sunrise and sunset and the seasons during the year.  Because we cannot rush this natural rhythm, we are more open to experiencing the present while we are in nature.
7. See what replaces the impatience. As your feeling of impatience subsides, you’ll fine an opportunity to experience an inner peace, right here and right now, in this moment. There’s no need to be somewhere else.  Patience has arisen in this moment.

Thanksgiving's Celebration of Abundance

Today as I think about thanksgiving, gratitude and  celebration, I wanted to express my gratitude to each of you who participate with iGracedaily. Thanks for sharing your time, energy and Grace with me.

A Thanksgiving Day Prescription for Finding Grace

1.   Be Thankful- Start the day with  a 30 minute  gratitude meditation. Even if you have to get up 30 minutes earlier, these 30 minutes will transform your day;
2.  Show Your Gratitude- Express to someone you love your gratitude for the blessing of them in your life;
3.  Take a long walk- Experience nature after the Thanksgiving meal and express your gratitude to the universe as you walk;
4.  Journal your Gratitude- Write a brief gratitude summary for the year. This will help you appreciate your abundance;
5.  Deep Breathe & Be Present-Taking deep breaths will soothe your nerves and refresh your mind. Consciously slow down, be present, even if you are rushing to get dinner to the table on time;
6.  Everyone Participates-  Allow everyone in the family (including the kids) to express their Gratitude by contributing something to the dinner.  If the kids are too young to contribute, have them plan a game or activity;
7.  Share Gratitude thoughts-Have everyone share their thoughts on why they are grateful right now in 2009!
8.  Say “Grace”- Before the meal, take time to say “thank you” to our creator. If your are having trouble with this one, see # 9;
9.  Create a Gratitude Jar- Have everyone write out their top three things they are grateful for in 2009. Put them in a jar and then pull out one or more of the slips of paper and read it as your “Grace” before your meal. This activity will  start to develop a gratitude practice. The kids will love this practice, and maybe,  the start of a family tradition?;
10.  Make Annual Predictions- Everyone has to say what they think they will be most thankful for next Thanksgiving, it gets everyone thinking about their life from a  perspective of gratitude.

And last but not least do something for someone else….

11. Stockings for Soldiers- Make your thanksgiving a celebration of gratitude and show it by thinking of others.  Make a christmas stocking for a soldier away from his family for Christmas.

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

Surviving the Revolution

Hi and thanks for the visit. If you’re new here you may want to subscribe to my feed.

In my last post (Life Context: Revolutions), I talked about how major changes in our “life context” (our self-constructed array of thoughts, expressions, actions and environment) can be feel like a “Revolution”.  I am not talking about self improvement changes like a new diet,  spending less time surfing the internet, or a new year’s resolution.

I am talking about “rioting in the streets…shakes you to your core” kind of change.

How do you really know if you are living in a Life Context Revolution?

Here is what a revolution looks like in my world.

The Evolution of the Revolution:

1. Discontented-I feel many areas of  life seem not to be working;

2. Constricted -I feel that I am limited by my existing “life context” from a mental, emotional and spiritual standpoint;

3. Hopeful-I feel hopeful about the future but that something has to change and soon;

4. Confused-Confusion reigns….my old “life context” can’t understand why it is not working anymore? It was yesterday!;

5. Need for a Change-I feel a growing hostility toward my old “life context”;

6. Needful-My old “life context” does not respond to what my soul is telling I need;

7. Organizing Optimism- I feel a new “life context” beginning to develop and organize itself;

8. Death of the Old-Unable to gather support, my old “life context” dies;

9. Birth of the New-Death of the old allows the birth of a new “life context”.

The death of an old life context is not pretty.  Like any ego related positions, your old life context will not go quietly into the night. The revolution may leave you feeling like a bomb exploded in your life and the destruction may be substantial. You may decide that your work, your key relationships, your friends, where you live, and what you read, watch and listen to all have to change.

This destruction  will take some time to heal. There are a lot of questions….how did I get here, how did I miss the signs that it was coming, and where do I go from here. The important thing to remember is that while there seems to be destruction everywhere, the process is actually a “new birth” experience.

How does someone recovery after a revolution?  Here are tools I have used to recover from my revolutions.
7 Recovery Tools To Bring Peace to the  Revolution:

1. Examine Your Revolution Closely -Every revolution has its own story- life, challenge, disenchantment and revolt. Journal about it, or better yet, write the story of your life to this point. This will help you understand the reason for the revolution.
2. Lay Down the Sword- Retaliation and justice can be a source of bitterness from which all revolutions must heal. Realize all parties to the revolution and just playing their role in your life. Forgive them and move on.
3. Build a New Foundation- Every person who has survived a Life Context Revolution, has to rebuild the foundation of their life. This is an important time, don’t rush the reconstruction.
4. Seek Out Help- The need to understand your revolution will be very strong. Get some help from a counselor or spiritual advisor.
5. Be Kind to yourself.-Just because you have experienced a revolution does not mean your life is over. In fact, in many ways it is just beginning. Be kind to yourself.
6. Do a Makeover-Check out my post on New Age: Extreme Makeover
7. Develop a deep spiritual connection to Source -  My post on  7 Graceful Practices is all about how to develop a deep connection to Source.

Surviving a Life Context Revolution can be a very difficult personal journey, but it is one of the most rewarding journeys of your life.  Peace!

Long Live The Revolution!

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Life is changing.

My life started changing in a major way about 10 years ago when I hit the wall emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Dealing with the death of my father, going through a second divorce, and unhappy at work all culminated in me shedding my old “life context” and evolving into a new “life context”. I define a “life context” as a self-constructed array of thoughts, expressions, actions and environment from which we identify “who we are”. Wikipedia defines “revolution” as a fundamental change in power or organizational structures that takes place in a relatively short period of time.

So the “Life Context Revolution” I am speaking of is a fundamental change in the organizational structure or context of your life.  It can occur organically (you wake up and decide you have to make a change)  or it can be initiated by some “event” outside your control. Many times the revolution caused by something outside your control is the most difficult to accept. This are situations like getting fired, infidelity of a life partner, bankruptcy, or major health problems. Whether organically generated or imposed by events outside of our control, this change can occur very quickly. As I mentioned above, I had a Life Context Revolution at age 40. It began with the death of my father, was fostered by a divorce, and was sustained by difficulty at my work.

I was like many people….. just rocking along and then “wham!” my old life context just didn’t work anymore. Looking back, had I been more conscious, I could have seen the subtle changes that had been occurring in my life pushing me toward a revolution. But at the time the change seemed very much like I had just be run over by a big truck.

Wondering if you are experiencing a Life Context Revolution? Here are the signs:

1. Nothing Makes Sense Anymore- I remember waking up with my new life context wondering how I missed the memo that everything was changing, and I do mean everything. My relationships didn’t make sense, my sense of security in the world was shattered, my confidence was shaken.
2. Mental Anguish- You may be experiencing mental anguish. Mental anguish is suffering which can include fright, feelings of distress, anxiety, depression, grief, and psychosomatic physical symptoms (i. e. headaches, gastrointestinal distress, back pain, and fibromyalgia). This place is not a fun place to be and you will know if you are there.  For me, my mental anguish appeared as insomnia, fatigue, and lack of appetite.
3. Need to Withdraw- When you experience a Life Context Revolution you need some time to adjust…it’s like a hit to the stomach. You may feel the need to withdraw from everyone around you, including your friends and family.
4. Need to Vent- “I am mad as hell and I am not going to take it anymore” the famous words from the movie Network becomes your battle cry. Be careful who you vent to, more than likely your friends and family won’t understand what is happening to you.
5. Need for a Higher Understanding- You may feel you need for a more “enlightened” understanding than you have required in the past.  Consciousness arises out of our need to understand.

The days, weeks and months that follow a Life Context Revolution can be some of the most important days in our lives. You may feel the need to take immediate action or do something dramatically different. However, trying to do something too quickly is often a road map for disaster. In our uncomfortableness, we set out determined to remove the pain by trying harder or doing more of what worked before, but doesn’t work anymore. A Life Context Revolution involves a new understanding of your world. So take some time before you jump into action. For me, my relationships changed, my work changed, my friends changed, the understanding of myself changed, and my relationship of my Creator changed. All of that change takes time.

Life Context Revolutions are a part of living, growing and changing. While they can be ugly, uncomfortable, and painful; they signal a new beginning for each of us.

If you are experiencing a revolution, check in with my next post where I outline some suggested strategies for surviving and thriving through a Life Context Revolution.