On Timing

I was never a procrastinator. Until recently, that is. Lateness was so rare for me. Now, I find myself edging closer to deadlines than ever before.

I used to be the guest who arrived ten minutes prior to the time noted on the invitation, the student who handed in assignments the day before they were due, and the friend whose Hallmark greeting card showed up in the mailbox a week before the special day. That is no longer the case.

I still keep a daily ‘To Do’ list, still have a weekly ‘Papers to Tend’ pile, and I still keep important dates marked on a calendar. The difference is that I’ve bumped the daily to weekly, relegated the weekly to monthly, and the Hallmark greetings have become one-line emails sent on the day of the special event.

What happened? I wonder. Could it be that in middle age I have rearranged my priorities? Maybe I’m following the examples of others who seem to be able to get it all done, even if at the last minute. Perhaps I’ve gotten lazy. Am I starting tasks later than usual or just taking longer to complete them? I seem to get distracted easily these days.

Regardless of the reason, for now, this is me. And I don’t like it. I’m no longer early. But I’m not late either. “Just in the nicka” is my life’s new motif. It all gets done, but it’s uncomfortable. My timing seems off.

I observe the cyclicality of the natural world—spring following winter, moon waxing and waning, trees barren then blooming. Outdoor delights dance to the rhythm of Mother Nature’s heartbeat. Within my body, it’s the same—waking follows sleep, cells exfoliate and rejuvenate, open wounds close. When I view everyday occurrences in hindsight, there, too, I see harmony. My fretting about deadlines adds nothing but strife to the experience. It will be done when it is done, regardless.

For as long as we inhabit physical bodies on this earthly plane, there will be some necessity for watching clocks and tending to the linear construct of time. But this cannot be to the exclusion of recognizing the process of Divine Timing, the ordering of events in synchronistic conformity. For now, perhaps my lesson is in learning how to trust that.

I must take action, yes, but I also must release my attempt to control outcomes. In the bigger picture, the more important broader scheme, I am exactly where I need to be in any given moment whether the ‘To Do’ list is checked or not. My timing cannot be but perfect.

Be enlightened!  ~ M

Affirmations

I believe in the effects of affirmations. I use them often. My focus and attitude shift dramatically when I affirm a truth higher than earthly appearance.

I get honest with myself about my intentions behind the affirmations before declaring them, knowing that they are powerful tools.

I most often begin with an “I am” statement, never an I need or an I want, which would indicate lack. Other positive openings I use are “I know,” “I have,” and “I love.”

I target my desired outcome, never what I would not choose to experience. I affirm in present tense as if it is already done because it is already done in the field of potentiality; I am only waiting for its earthly manifestation, or for my awareness of such.

I affirm the truth even when I am unable to believe it for the moment, especially then. Affirmations help to brighten the hue of my aura and increase the speed of my inner vibration, thereby heightening the frequency of my emanative energy. This makes me a magnet for positive experiences. Then, I come to believe.

I maintain simplicity in my affirmations so that they are clear and easy to remember.

Below are some of my favorites.

When I am feeling unworthy, I affirm my spiritual nature:

I am the essence of magnificence.

I am the embodiment of all that is awesome.

I am, and am worthy of, only good.

When I am feeling ill, I affirm the state my body was meant to be in:

I am healed, whole, and healthy.

I know my cells and organs are operating perfectly right now.

I know that optimum health is my birthright.

When I am feeling lonely or irritable, I affirm the truth I am overlooking:

I am loved, lovable, and loving.

I have me and I have God, forever.

I am surrounded by Light.

When I am feeling lack, I affirm abundance:

For today, I have enough.

I have all I need in this moment.

I have more money than I could ever spend.

When I am working toward a specific goal, I affirm that it has already come to pass:

I am so happy and grateful now that . . . .

Thank you, God, for . . . .

I have . . . and I can see it!

When I am feeling self-conscious, I affirm my ideal:

I am healthy, thin, and attractive.

I love and appreciate my beautiful body.

I am perfect the way I am.

When I am feeling frazzled, I affirm my peace:

I am peaceful and serene.

I am calm and confident.

I know that a divine plan is unfolding here.

When I am feeling afraid, I affirm my safety:

I am safe and secure.

I am protected.

I am held in the arms of God.

Why not make it a practice to recite affirmations daily. Chant them, write them, speak them aloud, whisper them in your head, meditate on them. Hey, why not share them? Jot down some of your favorites in the Comments section below.

Be enlightened!  ~ M

Close Your Eyes

Some of life’s most profound lessons have come to me not in shouts, but in whispers.

One starry evening, I sat cross-legged on damp earth in a Native American drum circle. The glow of the center fire illumined the toothless mouth of the woman perched on a foldable lawn chair to my right. She was leaning down toward me, lips flapping, announcing something, but with the crackling and snapping of pine logs, I could not hear her, even though all instruments were at a lull for the moment. I craned my ear up toward the elder and she began again, this time close in my ear.

“Close your eyes.” I did.

“What do you see?” she asked. I opened them and was about to tell her, but she interrupted gently.

“Look again.” I relaxed back down, no longer close to her face, and again I closed my eyes.

“What you see with your eyes shut is what counts,” she whispered more audibly this time. I smiled as I sat for several moments watching behind my lids what counted.

The woman told me afterward that was a lesson from Lame Deer, a Sioux medicine man. I have not forgotten it. I still hear her whispering in my ear, “What you see with your eyes shut is what counts.” Try it. Close your eyes, and . . .

. . . Be enlightened!  ~ M

Nap

I turned the deadbolt and slid the chain into its groove. With the world locked out, I allowed a heavy sigh to rise from chest to mouth, and I released it audibly. With a forward flick of my left ankle, the first rubber flip-flop was free. Then, the right. I dropped my shoulder bag to the floor and stepped over it, now barefoot. I reached behind my torso and unclasped the binding band of my bra. I approached the oversized, overstuffed white-on-white damask upholstered chair. I crawled into its lap as if it were a tender mother. There I napped for close to two hours, my left facial cheek nestled into the doughy chest of the back cushion. I awoke with the slight sting of salt in my eyes, traces of tears that had swelled even while I slept. I was calm now, refreshed.

That day had been a difficult one, and it wasn’t over yet. There were still lots to be done, chores to be attended, preparations to be made for tomorrow. Yet, that period of rest seemed essential. There was a time when I would have thought a nap a frivolous luxury. There was a time when having allowed myself those couple of hours of comfort would have elicited a round of self-flagellation. But midday napping, I have learned, is one effective way I can take care of myself, a way I can nurture my inner child, a way that does not place demands on another to soothe my heart when it aches.

Never underestimate the healing power of a nap. It’s a way to tell yourself, “I love you.”

Be enlightened!  ~ M

Balancing Act

Allow yourself nine minutes to be mesmerized.

It's about balance and breath.
It's about focus and intention.
It's a metaphor for life.

Be enlightened!  ~ M