Cosmic Order

Coincidence
(1) the occurrence of events that happen at the same time by accident but seem to have some connection.(2) a combination of accidental circumstances that seems to have been planned or arranged.



I likey :)



Here's why.



Last night was Oprah's 9th online webcast with Ekhart Tolle to discuss his book, A New Earth. OMG! I had SOOO many AHA! moments that my head was spinning. The class discussed chapter 9, "Your Inner Purpose."



This has always been a tough one for me. I am a person who has been living in a nearly permenant state of dissatisfaction and negativity for the past...well, um...20 years.

I am...



ALWAYS looking to the future or living in the past.
ALWAYS thinking I need to make more of my life.
ALWAYS thinking "everything will be great when (X) happens."
ALWAYS looking on the outside to find my true purpose.



You know how you hear something or read something over and over again and some how it never quite sinks in? And then one day, "Eureka! Breakthrough! I GET IT! YIPEEEEEEE!"



I am forever trying to get somewhere. My biggest A HA! moment came when I heard Oprah read the following:



"The great arises out of small things that are honored and cared for. Everybody's life really consists of small things. Greatness is a mental abstraction of and favorite fantasy of the ego..."



AND



"...your entire life journey ultimately consists of the step you are taking at this moment. there is always only this one step, and so you give it your fullest attention. This doesn't mean that you don't know where you are going, it just means this step is primary, the destination once you get there depends on the quality of this one step...What the future holds for you depends on your state of consciousness NOW."



SO



Our sole primary purpose, the INNER purpose of all mankind, is to align our lives fully with the present moment. Once we are aligned fully with the present moment, the Universe will rise up to meet us-helping us align our OUTER purpose (career, desires, goals, etc.) with our INNER purpose.



Immediately after class was over, I went back to work. I focused on the NOW, bringing as much Presence as I could to what I was working on. Then I got an email from a regular client who asked me if I would be interested in taking on a certain type of project for him-a type of project that I have been considering doing for myself recently, that is, a project where I would reap the sole financial rewards of my work. Coincidence? I don't think so. I think it was the Universe saying, "Yep, now you're back on track."

Getting In the Way of Self

I've been doing dream work for about 15 years. That is, recording my nighttime dreams in a journal and trying to decipher their meaning the next morning. Some mornings I remember 2-3 dreams. Other mornings I don't remember any. At times my dreams are SO abstract and bizarre that I haven't got a clue as to what my subconscious is getting at. Then other times, like last night, the message in my dream is crystal clear.

My Totem: The Crow

A person's animal totem is represented by any animal they feel a close connection to-one whose energy speaks to them in a way that seems especially relevant to them during a particular period in their life. Traditional Native American medicine states that every person has 9 power or totem animals that represent the medicine they carry in their Earth Walk. These animals emulate each person's abilities, talents, and challenges.

One of my animal totems is the crow. I've been fascinated by them for years, and I feel like they follow me and talk to me everywhere I go. Crows are said to be Keepers of the Sacred Law. They are symbols of spiritual strength, magic, and are said to see the past, present and future simultaneously. They are the omens of change, the merger of the inner and outer self. Crow medicine reminds us that we need to be willing to walk our talk, speak our truth, and balance our past, present, and future in the NOW. Crows are shape shifters. They see that the way humanity interprets the spiritual world is nothing more than an illusion. They remind us to shape-shift our old reality (and old ways of thinking) and become our future selves in the NOW-the only real moment that exists.

My Dream

I was standing in my backyard with my dog Buck, when suddenly a huge crow dove down from the sky and started to attack him. Feathers and fur went flying everywhere as the two went around in circles-Buck barking, growling, and gnashing his teeth, and the crow repeatedly swooping in and relentlessly pecking away at Buck's body. I stood there in horror and watched the crow remove large patches of fur from Buck's coat. Then suddenly it dawned on me. Unless I did something to stop the fight, Buck was doomed. The crow would kill him!

Immediately, I rushed in and tried to use my body to shield Buck from the attacking crow. But even then, the crow continued to dive down and attack him. It seemed that no matter how I tried to protect him, the crow wasn't going to give up the attack until Buck was dead.

Adrenaline took over, and suddenly I found myself reaching up and grabbing the crow by its legs. Using all the strength I could muster, I hurled it to the ground. It landed with a dull thud and instantly knew I I had broken its neck. It was dead.

In an instant, a wave of remorse washed over me. I didn't mean to kill it, I only wanted it to go away. How could I have been so brutal? I hadn't realized my own strength. In an attempt to protect my dog, I had panicked.

I started to walk over to where the bird lay dead in the yard. As I got close, the dazed crow slowly lifted its head and looked at me. Then in a split second, it shot up into the air-leaving all of its feathers behind. Naked and exposed, except for one feather on its back, the crow flew low and fast over the yard and disappeared into the surrounding woods. I was relieved and utterly awestruck that despite my cruelty, it was still alive.

So, what does it mean...?

...A short side note about dream work

Dreams offer ideas, insights, and solutions that help us understand our relationships, attitudes, and the way we see ourselves. For 15 years, I have been using the same dream book as a tool for discovering the hidden meanings of my dreams. The book is called The Mystical, Magical, Marvelous World of Dreams, by Wilda B Tanner. The title sounds a little hokey, but trust me, it's the best book I've ever found on dream interpretation. (You can read a review of it here or buy it on Amazon.com here.)

Different dream books and websites offer different interpretations of the same dream symbols. For example, depending on the source, a red chair might have 5 different meanings. It's helpful to find one to two dream interpretation books/websites that you like and stick with them. I have worked hard to program my subconscious mind to use only the symbols and definitions offered in Wilda Tanner's book while I dream. This has made deciphering the meaning much easier for me. Not fool-proof, just easier. The most important thing to keep in mind while interpreting your dreams, is to consider how each person or symbol in your dream is significant to YOU and your current circumstances.

The Meaning: One of Us Has to Go!

**Keep in mind that this is where I am today. I wouldn't be surprised if this dream reoccurs in some form as I make progress on this issue. **

The crow: A higher aspect of myself. A version of my higher-self representing the energies I described above. A messenger. A spiritual part of me. The ability of my soul to soar to great heights.

My dog Buck: A lower aspect of myself. A partly-trained or in this case, untrained aspect of myself, which I recognize and I am attempting to train or control. In other words, my seeming inability to make long term changes to improve my health-a.k.a. losing weight through diet and exercise. This could also be my pain-body as described in A New Earth.

Me: The ego aspect of myself. The part of me identified with form.

The conflict: The battle between Buck and the Crow represents a fight that I continue to have within myself. You might call it a clash between my higher self (the REAL me) and my EGO (thoughts identified with form).

Flying feathers and fur: Confusion, upset, fright, a hasty retreat, loss of dignity.

Me stepping in to protect Buck/me killing the crow: Yeah, that's ME (or my ego) getting in the way again. Constant inner conflict. Every time my higher self attempts to defeat those old, untrained aspects of being (and old thought patterns) my ego steps in. The ego's job is to protect those old ways of thinking so it can stay in control and keep the higher aspects of myself from taking over. Nice, eh?

The crow rising up and flying away: Anytime there is a conflict between the higher and lower self, the higher self will always win out. Sure, it may take a while-even lifetimes. The EGO can stay unconscious and identified with form, but the eternal Presence of who you REALLY are can never be destroyed! It will always be there, urging you on to your rightful purpose-transcending the ego mind. You can knock it down, but you can't keep the higher aspects of yourself getting up again.

The crow being naked/stripped of all but one of its feathers: The release of old attitudes and restrictions, a new sense of freedom, a revelation, the shedding of all affectations, a new sense of honesty and openness. A loss of feathers represents things to be removed so that a new stability can emerge.

The one remaining feather: Your desires preselect the content of your dreams. In numerology, the number one represents a new beginning, oneness with God, unity of of all life. A single feather represents a visit from your angels, or in this case, from my higher self.

In summary: An inner conflict continues to wage inside me regarding the releasing of old patterns and ways of being. I (my ego self) is my own worst enemy and the greatest barrier to my success. In other words, just when I start to dissolve old patterns, I step in and get in the way of my true self.

The higher aspects of myself will never give up, nor can they ever be destroyed. In the end, my higher self is sending me the message that it is capable of dissolving old patterns as long as my ego stays out of the way. The higher aspects of myself are telling me that it is time to make a change.

Better to Wear Out Than Rust Out...

Seriously. Have you seen Jack LaLanne lately? I came across a Sunday afternoon infomercial two weeks ago featuring him, his wife Elaine, and super model/raw food guru Carol Alt. They were touting the virtues of juicing and blending one juicy brew after another in one of Jack LaLanne's power juicers . I found myself riveted to the TV. At 93 years-old, the man is absolutely charismatic. He truly is a walking, talking billboard for eating healthy foods and exercising. He looks amazing!!!

Over the years, Jack has become famous for quotes he's made during interviews and public speaking engagements. (little gems known as “LaLanneisms” ), including saying, "I can't die. It would ruin my image."

He has certainly inspired me. So much so, that in my quest for a new juicer (the old one is literally being held together using a paper clip and duct tape. Ahem, you get what you pay for.), I decided to buy the Jack LaLanne Power Juicer.

I bought it at Target, rather than from the infomercial. As far as juicers go, at $120 it's not considered "high end", but it's easily the best quality juicer I found in the $100-$150 range (my pre-set budget). It's easy to clean (oh, happy day!), has a large chute that can receive large vegetables and fruit (like whole apples), and it extracts on average, 30% more juice than comparable juicers. No lie, I'm getting nearly 20 ounces of juice with the same amount of produce that used to get me 12 ounces. Only time will tell whether or not it will hold up mechanically, but so far so good. Thanks Jack! Your a true inspiration!

Taking Advantage of the Accumulation of Time

My mom sent me this in an email, and I just had to share it...

The Daffodil Principle

Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, "Mother, you must come to see the daffodils before they are over.'' I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead.

"I will come next Tuesday", I promised a little reluctantly on her third call. Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and reluctantly I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn's house, I was welcomed by the joyful sounds of happy children. I delightedly hugged and greeted my grandchildren."Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in these clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see badly enough to drive another inch!"

My daughter smiled calmly and said, " We drive in this all the time, Mother."

"Well, you won't get me back on the road until it clears, and then I'm heading for home!" I assured her.

"But first we're going to see the daffodils. It's just a few blocks," Carolyn said. "I'll drive. I'm used to this."

"Carolyn," I said sternly, "Please turn around."

"It's all right, Mother, I promise. You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience."

After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand lettered sign with an arrow that read, "Daffodil Garden." We got out of the car, each took a child's hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, as we turned a corner, I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the most glorious sight.








It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it over the mountain peak and its surrounding slopes. The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns, great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, creamy white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, saffron and butter yellow. Each different-colored variety was planted in large groups so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue. There were five acres of flowers.

"Who did this?" I asked Carolyn.

"Just one woman," Carolyn answered. "She lives on the property. That's her home." Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house, small and modestly sitting in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house.On the patio, we saw a poster.

"Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking", was the headline.

The first answer was a simple one. "50,000 bulbs," it read.
The second answer was, "One at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet, and one brain."
The third answer was, "Began in 1958."

For me, that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than forty years before, had begun, one bulb at a time, to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountaintop. Planting one bulb at a time, year after year, this unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived.

One day at a time, she had created something of extraordinary magnificence, beauty, and inspiration. The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration.

That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time, often just one baby-step at a time and learning to love the doing, learning to use the accumulation of time. When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world …

"It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn. " What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty five or forty years ago and had worked away at it 'one bulb at a time' through all those years? "Just think what I might have been able to achieve!"

My daughter summed up the message of the day in her usual direct way. "Start tomorrow," she said. She was right. It's so pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson of celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask, "How can I put this to use today?"

Use the Daffodil Principle.
Stop waiting.....
Until your car or home is paid off
Until you get a new car or home
Until your kids leave the house
Until you go back to school
Until you finish school
Until you clean the house
Until you organize the garage
Until you clean off your desk
Until you lose 10 lbs.
Until you gain 10 lbs.
Until you get married
Until you get a divorce
Until you have kids
Until the kids go to school
Until you retire
Until summer
Until spring
Until winter
Until fall
Until you die...

Happy New Earth Day!

Don't get me wrong. I used to love Earth Day. In fact, I loved it so much that I spent 4+ years and $35,000 studying all things Earthy (B.A. Environmental Studies). And even though I realize that in the bigger scheme of things our inner and outer environments are intertwined in a big sticky web of interconnectedness, I would be lying if I didn't say that I'm currently suffering from a huge case of eco-overdose. We've celebrated Earth Day for 38 years and our environment is worse off than when we started. Um...you can't solve a problem with the same mind that created it.

Here's an essay written by someone who echos my personal sentiments on where this green-headed monster called Eco-consciousness is going to lead. Maybe it's cleaning up our inner environment that is what the Earth really needs.

Which brings me to A New Earth, by Eckhart Tolle, author of the Power of Now and other spiritually uplifting books. I, like 2,000,000 other people on the planet, have been reading this book and tuning into Oprah's online web casts on Monday nights, where she discusses book with its author. It's been an incredibly enriching experience-especially hearing Mr. Tolle elaborate on the concepts presented in the book. Never have I underlined, dog-eared, circled, and starred so many pages of a book before. I can hardly wait to read it again. This is a book whose time has (thankfully) finally come!

I read another of this author's books, The Power of Now, when it came out 13 years ago. I loved it. This particular book (similar in content) has been on our bookshelf for two years now and I have never gotten around to reading it. Maybe I wasn't ready for the information again until now. Thank you Eckhart, for sharing your spiritual wisdom with us. And thank you Oprah for bringing it to the masses. Happy New Earth Day to both of you!

The Sauna is Finished!

Here are some pictures of our finished sauna. We're really happy with how it turned out and SO grateful for the ability to take a sauna whenever we want to! I think the french door really makes it. We found this one at Home Depot for $120. It wasn't pre-hung and we had to cut it down to fit.

The timer has a nice delay feature of up to nine hours. That means we can set it before we go out snowboarding and come home to a warm sauna. Nice...





We built the sauna into a corner using two existing walls, so only two walls, this one and the front, are exposed. Note the vent near the wall. To create good cross ventilation, the other vent is positioned on the front outside wall directly below the heater. We also left 1/4" gap under the door. The sauna stays hot, but never seems stuffy. Not pictured are some wooden pegs that we added to the side to hold our towels and robes.





A view from the inside. Above the heater is a therometer and a safty sensor to trip the heater if the sauna gets too hot. I'm not sure what "too hot" means. We usually crank the heater to the max and throw on lots of water (the steam makes it feel even hotter). The sauna seems to top out somewhere between 210-230 degrees F. Apparently, most people (in our neck of the woods, anyway) take a sauna at about 190 degrees F. What can I say? Some of us like it HOT :) The black circular thing on the other wall is a stereo speaker. There is another positioned across from it on the opposite wall.

The top bench is bolted on to the back wall and sits on side supports. The bottom bench rests on side supports, but we left it free so we could remove it to make cleaning easier. The original floor consisted of white linoleum tiles over concrete. We decided to leave it that way and see what would happen. As it turns out, the floor stays perfectly cool even when the sauna is over 200 degrees F, so peeling tile shouldn't be a problem.