Thursday, March 8, 2012

The Gift of Spring ~ Hope & Joy!


Spring brings melodious bird songs with such renewed vigor and enthusiasm! In my yard a Rufous-sided Towhee has reappeared. I had forgotten about him until I spotted his bright orange sides, white chest and black back the other day, pecking in the soil for tasty morsels. His presence brought back the feeling of hope and abundance that I experience every spring. Nature brings the visible and audible reminder that there is balance and harmony in the world and that there are repeating cycles of change and evolution. 

In the quantum world, nothing is real. There are infinite possibilities until we choose a direction and focus our intentions on an outcome. The observer changes the observed. 

"Let us remember that space is never empty. If it is filled with harmonious voices, a song arises that is strong and potent. If it is filled with conflict, the dissonance drives us away and we don't want to be there. When we pretend that it doesn't matter whether there is harmony, when we believe we don't have to 'walk our talk,' we lose far more than personal integrity. We lose the partnership of a field-rich space that can help bring order to our lives." (Margaret J. Wheatley, Leadership and the New Science).

Words and thoughts have the power to expand our beliefs or limit them. When we encourage our children and allow them to feel successful about themselves, they thrive and feel empowered to take risks. If a child is criticized and told they are not worthy or important, they grow up believing that in their core.

As adults we carry the blessings and the wounds of our childhood. The journey through life asks us to be brave enough to lift the lid of our beliefs and to reveal what lies in the "box." Once observed, core limiting beliefs can be released and transformed. Those old "stories" can be rewritten and a new story created, one that has a happy ending!

We have the power to change that which is not working in our lives. Sometimes this requires great courage. To thrive and participate in co-creating a more peaceful world, within and without, requires that we choose change. It means letting go of old limiting beliefs that no longer serve us. The result is transforming the limitations that we have believed hold us back into possibilities for personal empowerment and joy!

How do we begin? There are many ways for the observer to change the observed but here are a few ideas to begin the shift:

1. Gratitude. Every day, write down at least 10 things you are grateful for. If you have been fixated on an old wounding, look for the gift, the lesson learned from that experience. How did it change your life for the better?

2. Spend time in nature. Sit by a tree, walk in a park, stand with your feet at the water's edge. It really doesn't matter whether it is a community park or a wilderness area. Just spend time breathing through your heart in nature. She will help you find your center and help you experience harmony.

3. Experience joy. What do you love about life? Do you enjoy writing or painting or other creative expression? What makes you laugh? Do you find joy in watching young children play? Maybe it's watching your favorite movie with a friend or sharing your week over a delicious meal with loved ones. Is it spending time in nature, running, walking, biking? What brings you joy? Gift yourself time to enjoy life. 

4. Prayer and ritual. There are hardly any limitations to creating rituals. Set an intention for shifting a paradigm in your life and then choose an element that you love - fire, earth, water, mineral, nature. Find a setting in nature that incorporates the elements that create feelings of harmony within you. Bring an offering of flowers, tobacco, birdseed, crystals, stones - whatever natural materials have value and meaning for you. Sit quietly in meditation, breathing from your heart and bringing your senses into balance with the natural setting around you. Then begin praying in whatever way you feel comfortable, first offering your gratitude for the gifts and blessings in your life and then asking for assistance in co-creating the changes you want to manifest. 

All of us long to connect with someone who can identify with our circumstances and share in our day-to-day life. Prayer is just that - a personal experience and intimate connection with Ancestors/Source/Creator/God(dess). Healing, ritual, and community are intertwined. Woven together they bring about healing. The gifts of one person connected to the gifts within a community of people have the power to change the world. When a group of people has a clear vision, a new story can be created. 

During this hopeful time of year, allow Spring and Nature to bring you into balance, to find your own inner voice and to restore hope. Connect with others who are like-minded and experience the joy of community support. Love yourself enough to experience the gift of hope. 

Blessings of peace, love and light,
Gretchen