August 29: See things differently

Hola, All! At Half-Price Books in Dallas I found a copy of "A Course in Miracles" that has a workbook for students in it. The workbook is divided into 365 lessons so that it can be completed in a year. The headline for lesson 21 is "I am determined to see things differently". The exercise for this is: I am determined to see (name of person, or situation) differently. The thought behind this is that since we are all children of God, then we are all the same and we are all connected because we are children of God. When someone does something/says something that I don't agree with, I am trying to remember to repeat this mantra in order to remind myself that he/she is a child of God and that we are connected. By doing this, it helps me to cool my jets and let it pass. For example, when I choose to get irritated over something that Ed says, in that moment, I want to remember to say to myself, "I am determined to see Ed differently". When I can see him as a child of God, connected to me, then that changes my focus from what was said to realizing that we are the same. Then my irritation evaporates which allows peace, once again, to enter my soul.
Something else that I am working on is to remember that no one else has had my exact experiences and vice verse, so why do I feel that it is my right to judge what someone else says/does when I have not had his/her experiences? This makes me realize that we are each doing the best that we can do, with the knowledge that we have. To get to the point when I pass judgement on no one, including myself, is going to be a blessed day! As I become more aware of how to see/do things differently, I am happily working toward having a completely peaceful mind. And, isn't that what we all truly want?
Chao for now!
Dawnie

August 24: Magical backyard

Hola, All! Thanks for your comments to my blogs; I appreciate every one of them!
This morning I took my fruit smoothie and cereal on the back patio to enjoy. I also had my Magical Messages from the Fairies Oracle Cards with me. As I was sitting there, enjoying the smoothie, I caught a glimpse of a small grey and white feather floating by. When it disappeared over the roof of the garage, I thought to myself, "That must not have been a feather; it must have been a moth." But, I said to myself that if it was a feather, that I would love to see it again. Not even two minutes later, the feather flew into my backyard, and landed in my rose garden! I almost jumped out of my chair as the thought came to me that my backyard is magical! How else can one explain what happened yesterday with the windchimes and now the feather? As I have come to accept that there's a whole lot in this universe that I don't really understand or can explain, I have opened myself up to learning about new and wonderful things. As I have come to trust God, the angels, and yes, even the fairies, they are showing me in different ways their presence in my life. And, I'm loving every minute of it!
Oh, and in case you were wondering about the Fairy cards, one of them said to "Stand up for my beliefs and speak my truth with love." I like their guidance, don't you?
Chao for now!
Dawnie

August 23: Windchimes

Hola, All! One of the things that I am interested in is improving the environment, which helps the air that we breathe to be cleaner. A few months ago, we put in a retractable closeline. I can't really explain the satisfaction I get from hanging my clothes outside. Maybe it's because I feel closer to nature since the clothesline is next to my roses and my newest garden. Or maybe it's because by not using the dryer, it's one way that I can cut back on our electricity use. Whatever my reasons, it is something that has many benefits. This morning I was up early washing some sheets. When the washer was done, I took the sheets outside and was hanging them on the clothesline. I was thinking about how much I enjoy letting the warm outside air dry my clothes. Suddenly I realized that I was hearing a form of music. I recognized the sound and looked at the windchimes that hang near the clothesline. Without a breeze in the air, and nothing that I could see making them move, the windchimes were playing their lovely music, seemingly by themselves! It was a miracle! Truthfully, I think it was the nature fairies way of letting me know that they were happy I was using Mother Nature in such a positive way. It was really a great way to start my day and I look forward to having it happen again!
Chao for now!
Dawnie

August 20: What's your story?

Hola, All! So, what is your story? We all have one; some of us have many stories. Our stories are those things that we say to ourselves and to others over and over again. For instance, one of my stories has to do with my sensitive digestive system. I've told the same boring story over and over again; why hasn't someone told me to clam up about it? Even if I had let your comment hurt my feelings (and it is a choice whenever my feelings get hurt), it might have started me to thinking about what I was doing to my body. Is my digestive system ever going to get better if I continually talk or think about it? Absolutely not! Even praying about it isn't going to help until I do clam up about it. Think about your own situation. How many times have you prayed for relief from XYZ, when at the same time you keep telling your story again and again? Every time you tell your story, you reinforce XYZ in your body. What you could be praying for is restraint from repeating it ever again. Maybe your condition is more serious than my little digestive issues. I'm not saying that just by changing your thoughts and words you are going to be miraculously healed; what I am saying is that you are never going to be healed by continuing to tell the same story. Maybe you won't ever be completely healed, but wouldn't it be wonderful if your and my conditions improved? By continuing with the same woeful tale, the list of foods that don't agree with me gets longer and longer. Now, I'm ready to give up my story about 'you know what'. How about you?
Chao for now!
Dawnie

August 19: Powerful thoughts

Hola, All! Today at the book study of "A Course in Miracles" we talked about how powerful all of our thoughts are. Most people think that because our thoughts are in our head and not voiced that they make no difference whatsoever. Nothing can be further from the truth! Science has proven that our thoughts have an immediate impact on our bodies. Everytime we have an unloving thought, whether directed at ourselves or at others, the electrical flow of energy in our bodies is altered. Over time this can create blockages in the flow of energy which in turn creates illnesses in our bodies. When I realized this truth, I started paying alot more attention to the random thoughts in my head. Now when I catch myself thinking unloving thoughts, I immediately say things like 'cancel those thoughts', or 'my higher self rules' or I start singing a song. What I'm really doing is trying to change the direction of my thoughts. Sometimes when my mind is being stubborn and doesn't want to change, I have to start repeating affirmations over and over outloud. One of the positive benefits of paying more attention to my thoughts are that I am having less negative thoughts than before. This, I think, will help me to stay healthy and happy as I get older. I want to encourage you to really pay attention to the thoughts in your mind, and change them when necessary. This isn't easy to do but the payoffs are well worth it.
Chao for now!
Dawnie

August 18: Visit to Killeen, Mom

Hola, All! Since my mom is in a retirement center and never moving home, my sisters have made great progress cleaning out her house while I was in Costa Rica. I headed south last Friday so that I could help out, and visit my mom. But, earlier in the week, I had started getting a migrain. It took me a couple of days to really get to the root of it: the unconscious fear of seeing my mother again. Even though I wasn't consciously worried about how she would treat me, something in my unconscious was. I was really glad when the reason for my migrain finally came to the surface because I have found that when I know what's bothering me, then my body starts to relax and the pain goes away without any medication. Friday I stopped at sister Carol's house for lunch, then we headed over to mom's house, 'the project'. We are so fortunate because mom's neighbor has a big open trailer that he has parked in her driveway for us to put things like old carpet, flooring, trash. Then, when it's full, he is going to take it to the dump for us. He also keeps an eye on the house for us. Sister Jeanne also came over to help for awhile. That night Jeanne, Carol, Stan (Carol's husband) and I got together for cards. It really reminded me of how much I miss being around family, and just being able to pop into one of their houses without really having a reason.
Saturday was a good work day as sister, Lynne, and son, Torry, also were there to work. We really got alot accomplished; you can see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. By the end of the day, we were all pooped and ready to do nothing.
Sunday Carol and I drove to Round Rock to see mom, who was happy to see us. She showed no trace of ever not 'liking/loving' me. Hopefully, my unconscious mind was paying attention and can let it go. Our visit went well, and after dropping Carol off at her house, I drove home. I plan to return August 27 to continue working on 'the project'.
Chao for now!
Dawnie

August 12: Detachment

Hola, All! Today Hefina and I went to a book study of "The Way of Mastery" which is based on the book "A Course in Miracles". During the lesson the leader, Rev Kay, brought something up about 'detachment'. Such as, detachment from the outcome of experiences, and detachment from all of our possessions. Since I've read, thought about and talked about detachment before, it wasn't a new topic for me. When we become 'detached' from the outcome of anything, it actually liberates us. For instance, when I was in Costa Rica, I left my camera with all my pictures in a van. As soon as I realized that I didn't have it and even though it wasn't easy, I decided to mentally 'detach' myself from the loss. By doing that, I didn't mentally beat up on myself, and I also decided whoever found it must have needed it more than I did. By taking the detachment attitude, I never was angry about losing the camera and I wasn't consumed with guilt. After all, it was just part of my stuff, and stuff can be replaced. Even as I write this and remember what I did, I am having to remind myself to stay 'detached'. After all, the most important thing was not what was lost, but how I reacted to that loss. It really was a powerful lesson for me in how attached I can become to things, and the negative emotions that can be generated if I choose to get upset.
Chao for now!
Dawnie

August 10: Responsibility

Hola, All! Why is it so hard for us to accept responsibility and so easy to pass the buck? Case in point: Sunday Kathy and I drove out to a nursery called Shades of Green in Frisco. I had told her about it when I planted my new garden in the spring. She wants to do some landscaping in her backyard so was looking for some good ideas of plants that would fit her space. While together, we talked about the beautiful purple plants that she has growing in her front yard, and when I told her that I would love to plant some in my yard, she offered to share hers. Kathy dropped off a pot with the purple plant and I put it on the patio in our backyard. The next morning when Ed left to go workout, he looked at the pot and asked where it came from. I immediately thought that he was wondering how much money I spent on it, and said something about Kathy leaving it for me. But, then I realized that it sounded like Kathy, on her own initiative, just dropped it at our house. Before he got very far, I told him that I had asked Kathy for the plant because I thought it was so pretty. I'm still amazed that as hard as I try to consciously accept responsiblity for my decisions, I can revert back at the drop of a hat. Of course, this was really a mild example but I think that's where I have had to start, with the small stuff. All I can say at this point is that I'm working on it and correcting it whenever I do take a step backward.
Chao for now!
Dawnie

August 8: Sunday service

Hola, All! Today I have to tell you about the service I went to at the Center for Spiritual Living! It was only my second time to visit, and I am so glad I did; it was uplifting and FUN! The service was led by the practitioners (another name for lay people, I think)and they chose the topic "Freedom to Play". It opened with the band playing "Joy to the World" by Three Dog Night! The practioners then welcomed all the guests and handed out a free DVD about the center to them. Then a woman sang a song about rainbows that Kermit the frog sings; it was lovely. The first speaker was a black woman wearing a purple and white do-rag. She talked about an email in which several people were corresponding with each other. She got in at some point, but not at the beginning so she really wasn't sure what was going on. From her response, someone said that she was ROTFLMAO. Not knowing what that meant, she asked. It translates to "Rolling On The Floor Laughing My A__ Off! At the A word, she indicated her booty! Then she shows this short video of a bird keeping beat to the music of "Another One Bites the Dust", which was quite funny. The next woman spoke for a few minutes about ways to put fun into our lives. Then, 10 blown-up plastic beachballs with positive messages written on them were tossed into the audience where we spent a few minutes knocking beachballs to each other! It was great fun! At the end of the service the practitioners were stationed throughout the room and began to say prayers outloud, all at the same time. I closed my eyes and let all the messages enter my mind, even though I could only understand the one said by the "beachball" lady, who was closest to me. It was an incredible service of love, fun and joy!
Chao for now!
Dawnie

August 6: True purpose

Hola, All! For a very long time it seems, I have been patiently waiting for my true purpose of 'why I am on this earth' to be unveiled. Never was I passionate about any past job I've ever had, except raising my children. But, as life goes, they grew up and moved out (and have turned into wonderful young women), which pretty much left me back at square one. As hard as it might be for you to believe, I used to be a very selfish person. I've had to almost totally change the way I think, do things and look at things in order to become the loving, giving person I am today. Not to say that I've reached the end of the rainbow; only to say that I've come a long way. Of course, I know that I still have areas where I can still grow and be a better person than I am today. I feel so fortunate that I love to read, and so have devoured many books that I found in the self-help and spiritual sections of my favorite bookstore, Half Price Books. One night I even had a dream that I found a book called "A Course in Miracles" there. I knew of this book from some of my readings and from the spiritual conference that I went to in June in Chicago. Two days after the dream, I told Ed that I was headed to Half Price Books. I searched high and low for that book, but didn't give up because I knew it was there somewhere. And, sure enough, I found it on the bottom shelf, all the way at the end. How I missed it the first go-around, I'll never know. Since I've returned from Costa Rica I've been reading "A Course in Miracles", and attending a study of this wonderful book. Guess what it says is every human's life purpose? To love yourself and to love others unconditionally. Well, "Duh", you say, "Everyone knows that!" Maybe, maybe not. Knowing it is one thing, living it is a totally different matter. As I strive to love myself and love EVERYONE else unconditionally, I know that I will cross paths with a job that will be so fulfilling that my heart will sing outloud.
Chao for now!
Dawnie

August 5, 2010: Fear or no fear.

Hola, All! Today while Jan and I were driving to a book study of "A Course in Miracles", we started talking about fear. It's been on my mind because I really want to live a fear-free life. I think I have less fear than other people, but it still raises its head every once in a while. So, really, what is there to fear? Why are so many people afraid to make a change in their life that ultimately could have really positive impacts? Believe it or not, I let fear keep me from living a full life for way too long. A few years ago I came to the realization that I am in the last third of my life. With that revelation, I decided to face my fears and enlarge my comfort zone. Since then I've done things like made speeches in front of an audience, stood up for what I believe, lived with a Maya family in a third world country, went to Costa Rica by myself to study Spanish and lived with 2 famililies that I had never met. What I have found is that everytime I face a fear, my self-confidence rises, I become more outgoing and things usually turn out wonderful! I have also taken on the attitude that if things don't turn out, then it was all a good learning experience. At the book study, guess what one of the topics was? Fear! I wrote down something that spoke to me: "Look upon the things that you fear. Discover them. Dig them up and out of yourself." Isn't that great! Instead of trying to hide the fear, face it and move on. One thing the instructor asked was, "Where is the edge of your fear?" I"m still contemplating that one. Now, back to my original question, "Really, what is there to fear?" I'm not sure I can answer that question right now but my hope is that one day I'll say, "Absolutely nothing!"
Chao for now,
Dawnie