Be Thankful... and suddenly gratitude is a way of life.
There is a saying: “If the only prayer you ever say is ‘Thank You’, that is enough.” These were also the last two words of a dear friend, Kathleen McBride, a 41 year old mother of two young children, who died of cervical cancer on July 28, 2006.
It’s so easy to be thankful for the good times, the things that bring us joy in our lives. When someone gives us a compliment or does something kind for us, we are filled with gratitude. We’re thankful when it doesn’t rain on our parade or when the train shows up on time or when the soufflé doesn’t fall and especially during times when our jobs are going well, the money is flowing, relationships are in harmony and our loved ones are well again after an illness or accident.
But what about those times when it IS raining and the train IS late and the recipes DON’T work… and those times we are broke or when we are at odds in our relationships or suffering as we watch our loved ones in pain. Can we really know our gratitude even then? Can we still say ‘Thank You’? Thank you for this pain? This lesson - this opportunity to grow? These times challenge us to call on our deeper selves, our higher sources so we can appreciate and honor the difficult experiences as well as the satisfying ones.
Kathleen, a true Lady Guru, LIVED a life of gratitude, up to her very last moment on earth. Living a life of gratitude means being thankful for it ALL. Kathleen, wherever you are, this is for you… Thank you, thank you, thank you…
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Masters At The Art Of Learning
Awaken… and suddenly you are meeting your truth. Create your own, brighter dawn!
We tend to think that in order to feel accomplished, whether it be in our career, relationship, health, with our children or inner self, we need to be “finished” or “done” with something. This tends to make us feel complete… for the moment. Every time we reach another milestone, we delude ourselves in believing we have “arrived”, leaving ourselves open for disillusion and disappointment. Of course we are never finished or done. There’s a reason it’s called a “journey”. Everything in our lives has the potential to wake us up … over and over and over again.
As I walk this path, step by step, I have come to understand that every moment is an opportunity for learning or awakening. Every action, every thought, every intention I put forth in bringing Lady Guru to the world, brings with it powerful potential for growth, and expands to encompass the broad spectrum of my life. My Lady Guru continues to remind me that we’re never “finished” - as the lessons cycle back to us continually - until we become masters at the art of learning.
We tend to think that in order to feel accomplished, whether it be in our career, relationship, health, with our children or inner self, we need to be “finished” or “done” with something. This tends to make us feel complete… for the moment. Every time we reach another milestone, we delude ourselves in believing we have “arrived”, leaving ourselves open for disillusion and disappointment. Of course we are never finished or done. There’s a reason it’s called a “journey”. Everything in our lives has the potential to wake us up … over and over and over again.
As I walk this path, step by step, I have come to understand that every moment is an opportunity for learning or awakening. Every action, every thought, every intention I put forth in bringing Lady Guru to the world, brings with it powerful potential for growth, and expands to encompass the broad spectrum of my life. My Lady Guru continues to remind me that we’re never “finished” - as the lessons cycle back to us continually - until we become masters at the art of learning.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Mistakes or Masterpieces?
Accept… and suddenly you realize you are exactly where you’re meant to be.
In a song by Teitur, an artist I discovered a little while back, he says:
“Who is to say who wins or who looses? - I sing to myself at the end of the day, when I know what the blues is. All my mistakes have become masterpieces. I was born in the goodness of grace - and because of faith, because of courage, because of forgiveness - all my mistakes have become masterpieces”.
We are all born in the “goodness of grace”… and then we fall - or so we think - not because we’re losers, but because it’s how we humans are. We tend to look at our so called “failings” as mistakes, when really, they are only times of learning and growth. There is no wrong direction down the path, there is only the direction in which we are going, and through “faith, courage and forgiveness”, it’s up to us to find our alchemist along the way, and turn our lead into gold… our mistakes into masterpieces, and come full circle to our true nature… the goodness of grace.
People have been prompting me to get Lady Guru “going” for a couple of years. Being the professional procrastinator that I am, I found all kinds of reasons to lag on the progress, hearing, of course, all the “shoulds” (that “S” word again!) that I was avoiding and all the negative messages that come with them, kicking myself all along the way. But now, as I come to where I am (which is always where we are!) I am discovering the beauty and the fruits of my procrastination, knowing how much more Lady Guru has to offer today, than she did two years ago - and the timing is exactly RIGHT – as it always is – and always will be!
Blessings and many thanks!
In a song by Teitur, an artist I discovered a little while back, he says:
“Who is to say who wins or who looses? - I sing to myself at the end of the day, when I know what the blues is. All my mistakes have become masterpieces. I was born in the goodness of grace - and because of faith, because of courage, because of forgiveness - all my mistakes have become masterpieces”.
We are all born in the “goodness of grace”… and then we fall - or so we think - not because we’re losers, but because it’s how we humans are. We tend to look at our so called “failings” as mistakes, when really, they are only times of learning and growth. There is no wrong direction down the path, there is only the direction in which we are going, and through “faith, courage and forgiveness”, it’s up to us to find our alchemist along the way, and turn our lead into gold… our mistakes into masterpieces, and come full circle to our true nature… the goodness of grace.
People have been prompting me to get Lady Guru “going” for a couple of years. Being the professional procrastinator that I am, I found all kinds of reasons to lag on the progress, hearing, of course, all the “shoulds” (that “S” word again!) that I was avoiding and all the negative messages that come with them, kicking myself all along the way. But now, as I come to where I am (which is always where we are!) I am discovering the beauty and the fruits of my procrastination, knowing how much more Lady Guru has to offer today, than she did two years ago - and the timing is exactly RIGHT – as it always is – and always will be!
Blessings and many thanks!
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Surrendering
Expand… and suddenly you can’t ignore your own vastness.
Pema Chodron writes: “Expansion never happens through greediness or pushing or striving. It happens through some combination of learning to relax where you already are and at the same time, keeping the possibility open that your capacity, my capacity, the capacity of all beings is limitless. As we continue to relax where we are, our opening expands”.
We can all recall times when we’ve tried so hard to avoid something, change something or make something happen and yet all we seemed to encounter was resistance. We think we know what’s right for us or how any given situation is “supposed” to be; work, relationship, health - but when we are quiet enough in the moment to really see, really hear, then we can recognize the opportunities that the Universe has been trying to present to us all along. Lady Guru came to me during a time of surrender, a time of letting go of ideas of how my life was supposed to look – a time of opening and expansion into territory unknown to me. What I continue to learn from Lady Guru is that ALL territory is unknown. And, when I get caught up in the idea that I can predict an outcome, I realize that I am only deluding myself with a false sense of security – and then I remember and understand that I have not been relaxing enough to realize my limitless capacity. Thank you, Lady G.
Pema Chodron writes: “Expansion never happens through greediness or pushing or striving. It happens through some combination of learning to relax where you already are and at the same time, keeping the possibility open that your capacity, my capacity, the capacity of all beings is limitless. As we continue to relax where we are, our opening expands”.
We can all recall times when we’ve tried so hard to avoid something, change something or make something happen and yet all we seemed to encounter was resistance. We think we know what’s right for us or how any given situation is “supposed” to be; work, relationship, health - but when we are quiet enough in the moment to really see, really hear, then we can recognize the opportunities that the Universe has been trying to present to us all along. Lady Guru came to me during a time of surrender, a time of letting go of ideas of how my life was supposed to look – a time of opening and expansion into territory unknown to me. What I continue to learn from Lady Guru is that ALL territory is unknown. And, when I get caught up in the idea that I can predict an outcome, I realize that I am only deluding myself with a false sense of security – and then I remember and understand that I have not been relaxing enough to realize my limitless capacity. Thank you, Lady G.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
More Good Stuff
“Release… and suddenly you are liberated from all that does not serve you.”
Another full moon is upon us, and this May 2nd brings the full moon in Scorpio which finds us in an opportune time to release attachment to old pain. For everyone of us, in every moment there is the opportunity to take responsibility for our thoughts and actions. Now is a good time for us to see our truth, take advantage of our power to change, shed old skin to reveal a new glow, and ask ourselves what WE can now bring to the world.
I see Lady Guru as part of my new skin, with a new glow, ready to shine brightly for the world. Reflecting the beauty, and the dignity, divinity and grace that we all embody. She could only have emerged as organically as she did, after much conflict and struggle in searching for my own true way in the world. Lady Guru has been constantly transforming, just like the rest of us. A lot of what that means is letting go of old ideas that no longer serve us so we can make more room for the good stuff. And the more good stuff we have inside, the more good stuff we can bring to the world.
Namaste!
Another full moon is upon us, and this May 2nd brings the full moon in Scorpio which finds us in an opportune time to release attachment to old pain. For everyone of us, in every moment there is the opportunity to take responsibility for our thoughts and actions. Now is a good time for us to see our truth, take advantage of our power to change, shed old skin to reveal a new glow, and ask ourselves what WE can now bring to the world.
I see Lady Guru as part of my new skin, with a new glow, ready to shine brightly for the world. Reflecting the beauty, and the dignity, divinity and grace that we all embody. She could only have emerged as organically as she did, after much conflict and struggle in searching for my own true way in the world. Lady Guru has been constantly transforming, just like the rest of us. A lot of what that means is letting go of old ideas that no longer serve us so we can make more room for the good stuff. And the more good stuff we have inside, the more good stuff we can bring to the world.
Namaste!
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