The Beauty of Silence

Picture from Markelt.wordpress.com

Have you ever felt over whelmed by all the noise in the world around you?  Whether you work in an office or in a mall, or even in your home, all kinds of noises grace your waking and sleeping moments.  WE are so accustomed to noise from our furnaces, air conditioners, children, vehicles, dogs, cats, pets, houses, and so on, that we really do not know what the sound of silence is like.

During this time, as our lives begin to change, and we must deal with our “stuff”, silence will be required.  When we hear noises, we allow our egos to distract us because we really do not want to do this work – it is hard and painful and rakes up stuff we would like to leave in the closet.  Yet, in the silence, we can pull out the images of our past and look at them objectively, without hearing that running commentary in our heads.  Yes, you can tell your Ego to go and sit on your left shoulder for the next one half hour as you quietly reconstruct sad or angry images into images that are positive, and present a level of growth that you have not remembered up to this time.

In the silence, you will hear the voice of the Angels, coaxing you along the discovery of the depths of wisdom and compassion that you were unaware of – compassion that comes from the heart and the mind.  You will have the realization that the person who seemed to cause you pain was totally unaware of their effect.  Even more surprising, in silence, you get a look at the person’s background, and you see that they are so uninformed and so uneducated that they simply had no other way of knowing how to act.  

In the silence, however, you realize that you can always choose your response to a situation.  You can choose to be angry or, as my young friend says, “conflictful”.  Or, you can choose a moment of silence to compose yourself, and to respond with silence, recognizing that all is well. 

Choose to experience silence today.

Many blessings,

Judy

Get a Grip!

Picture of person roping a heart from http://eruke.files.wordpress.com

I had a moment of clarity this morning as I walked the trail in the park with my dog.  My mind was racing with all the things that I had to do, and I was thinking about a client.  I began to imagine her getting ill and me feeling sad.  I noticed that my emotions were going into a tailspin, and my thoughts were getting increasingly dark.  I heard a voice say, “Get a grip!”

Everything stopped!  I felt peace and calmness around me.  I realized that getting a grip was not just getting a grip on one’s emotional state, it is also about getting a grip on one’s thoughts.  It is about getting a grip on going out into the future where things may happen and are unlikely to happen the way that we imagine them.

I had let myself run away with thoughts and emotions that had no basis in the present moment.  “Get a grip” means to come back to reality, and to the present.  It means still your thoughts, and still your mind. It means, take back your power!

Our thoughts, mind, and emotions sometimes seem like they are beyond our control.  To prove the point, here is a little exercise.  Try to stop your mind from thinking.  Now, read the phrase, “The Sounds of ……”.  Try it again.  Read this phrase, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's …”.  Our minds simply want to complete the phrase.

You see, our mind, which thinks all the time, really wants to be helpful.  Unfortunately, our mind has had little discipline to keep it working on positive, happy thoughts, so it simply turns to the the wave of information that it has the most on.  Most of the information that we take in from media is unhappy news or bad news.  So, our minds and thoughts automatically generate bad news scenarios.

The bad news scenario is what happened to me this morning.  Now, when I start the bad news thoughts, I say to myself, “Get a grip!”  It works!  You can change your thoughts.

Many blessings,

Judy

Which is the Dream?

I am fascinated by dreaming!  I have now taken several courses on dreaming and I have read about forty books on dreaming.  Shaman and medicine men/women believe that this world that we walk in is the dream, and that what we see in dream time is the reality.  Some of them base this belief on the fact that when several of us are in the same situation, for example, a conversation or argument, each of us will have a different view and memory of the incident.  However, if two of us have the same dream, and if we are both in it, our memories of the dream are usually the same.

The following story is quite thought provoking.  What do you think this story says?

 

This beautiful picture of dreaming is from creoleindc.typepad.com

Dreaming

The great Taoist master Chuang Tzu once dreamt that he was a butterfly fluttering here and there. In the dream he had no awareness of his individuality as a person. He was only a butterfly. Suddenly, he awoke and found himself laying there, a person once again. But then he thought to himself, "Was I before a man who dreamt about being a butterfly, or am I now a butterfly who dreams about being a man?"

Happy dreaming!

Many blessings,

Judy

A Story About Prosperity

  Picture of prosperity from www.deplicque.net

We all have different ideas of what prosperity is.  The www.thefreedictionary.com defines prosperity as “the condition of prospering; having good fortune”.  You see, I was writing a workshop on healing with different energies from trees, and several trees are associated with prosperity. Given that some of these powers were attributed to the trees by our Ancestors, I wanted to make sure that the definition of the word was the same.

I then came across a Zen Buddhism story that put everything that I know about prosperity, wealth, riches, and abundance into perspective.

I hope that you enjoy this story!

*************************************

A rich man asked a Zen master to write something down that could encourage the prosperity of his family for years to come. It would be something that the family could cherish for generations. On a large piece of paper, the master wrote, "Father dies, son dies, grandson dies."

The rich man became angry when he saw the master's work. "I asked you to write something down that could bring happiness and prosperity to my family. Why do you give me something depressing like this?"  

"If your son should die before you," the master answered, "this would bring unbearable grief to your family. If your grandson should die before your son, this also would bring great sorrow. If your family, generation after generation, disappears in the order I have described, it will be the natural course of life. This is true happiness and prosperity."

*****************************

Many blessings,

Judy 

Word of the Day is “Primal”

  Sea or Sky?

Picture from www.windows2universe.org

 

Today, in my meditation, the word “primal” kept coming up in the images that I saw and the words that I heard.  The images moved from pictures of forests and animals to caves and mountains, and then to oceans and skies, with a mix of people and birds and fish.  The movie in my meditation would have made Disney proud!  And, I heard the word “primal” in different voices, tones, and chants.

When I completed my meditation, I went and looked up the word at www.thefreedictionary.com because I wondered if I really understood what the word meant after the visions that I saw.  Here is the second meaning of the word.

primal - having existed from the beginning; in an earliest or original stage or state; "aboriginal forests"; "primal eras before the appearance of life on earth"; "the forest primeval"; "primordial matter"; "primordial forms of life"

I realized that the message that was in the meditation was that I needed to understand all that was primal – in me, around me, and that I really need to allow it to be part of me.  I realized too, that what we see as primal or not primal is simply a judgement, and that perhaps two primal things – like the clouds and the ocean in the picture above look exactly the same from a distance.  I think that sometimes we are too close to an object to see it as it really is.  I am learning that I am all that is primal.  The closer that I get to that feeling, the more alive (the more life) I seem to have, and my energy abounds.

I am sure that I do not understand everything that I saw in my vision.  I am still working with the idea that there are three primal colours, and all the rest of the colours are shades.  I have many images that I need to work with.

I am so grateful, however, that “primal” entered my life right now because I am looking at everything in its aspect of newness.

Have a primal week!

Many Blessings,

Judy

Great Horned Owl - Spirit ANimal

  Image from http://wdfw.wa.gov 

I was driving out of the parking lot at Fish Creek Park after teaching an evening workshop, when a big Great Horned Owl flew out of the tall grasses beside the road and across the hood of my vehicle.  I had already slowed to almost a stop so the big bird was safe.  It flew up into a tree close by the road and looked down at me.  It then hooted.  I started driving again.

As I drove home, I wondered about the message that Owl was sending me.  As I filtered through what I know of Owl, I realized that she has some unusual capabilities.  First, her eyes face forward while most birds and animals have eyes on the side of their head.  So, to allow her full range of vision, she is capable of turning her head ninety degrees either way which gives her the appearance of being able to do the impossible – to turn her head completely around.  

Second, she can fly silently because of the setting of the feathers on her wings.  Most birds fly with a flapping noise.  This silence gives her the mysterious ability of seemingly to appear out of thin air.  Owl is also associated with Athena, the goddess of wisdom.  And, because of their unusual characteristics, Owl is also considered wise.

Third, Owl has very keen hearing and can hunt a mouse by sound alone, simply by listening for squeaks and for scampering sounds.  Owl’s ability to hear so well has created a mythology around its ability to hear humans and to hear human thoughts.  Some say that Owl hears one’s cry for assistance and brings down wisdom to help the person in need.

Owl is a loner bird. After she raises her young, and trains them in the hunt, she and her mate go their separate ways until the next mating season.  Being solitary, much like a monk or wizard, also gives the Owl the air of being wise and contemplative.  Our Ancestors believed that Owl could fly into the heavens and talk with the Gods and Goddesses so that Owl had no need of other company.

What Owl’s message is, then, is that it is okay to be alone and by one’s self.  Contemplation is okay.  Simply following one’s own needs and harming no one is a way to be in service.  As well, learning to use one’s gifts in the quiet times is a good way to determine if the gifts are to be used in service to mankind in a direct way or in the indirect way.  

Owl does bring a touch of magic to our lives.  Enjoy her visits.

Many blessings,

Judy

Message From Archangel Uriel

   Archangel Uriel – often called “the Angel of Healing”
Legend states that Archangel Uriel is the Angel that heals the Earth, and is keeper of the knowledge of medicinal properties of all plants and trees and minerals.
Healers may call upon Archangel Uriel for guidance in their healing practices.

The following message is a channeled message from Archangel Uriel.

Dearest beings of light!  I call you that because all of you on Earth at this time are indeed beings of light – it is your wish to be here – to be part of the changes that are happening for this only happens once in a cycle of what you call “Nibiru”.  We call it “normal”.  It seems many are predicting disaster on the Earth.  Dearest Ones, I tell you that disasters happen every day on Earth, and many you remain unaware of!,

A disaster is so called because it creates a large area of destruction and causes distress to people and to the Earth.  Many of the disasters that I work to heal are caused by mankind.  The Earth generated volcanoes, tsunamis, forest fires, plate shifts, and great storms, are all natural house cleaning tools that allow the planet to move and shift.  There are places that humans should not be living to avoid some of these natural phenomena.  

Are you living where you are called to be?  Check in to your heart and see if where you are living feels right to you.  If it does not feel right, do you have the courage to quit what you are doing and move to that place that does feel right?  Dearest Ones, everyday I see people doing just that – making life changing decisions and quitting jobs and communities to go and be where they are called to be.  Believe that you will be taken care of. The shifting call is helping us hold the alignment of the planet so that it may evolve and change just as each of you are evolving and changing..

Are you happy doing what you are doing?  The way to heal is to change what it is you are doing.  Call to me in mediation and I will help you to understand the need to change.
Many blessings, Dear Ones.

Blessings,

Judy

Staying in Synch

Today, I was trying to figure out why the podcasts on my iPad were not updating the way that I expected them to.  I started checking every setting.  What I found was that the “Synch” check box on my settings has some how become unchecked.  Now, since I never go in and change my settings, this seemed to be quite a “weird” thing for me.  I felt that maybe there was a lesson waiting to be learned.

I went to my podcasts and I listened to a Zen Buddhist lesson on “Being Present”.  There were several things that inspired me about this lesson.  One was that the emphasis through sutras and through stories was around being in the present moment.  If you cannot be in the present moment, and need to dwell on the past or the future, then what in the present moment is causing you so much pain?  

The second item in the teachings was that each act of living is about being in the present moment.  If we cannot be in that moment, then we are missing most of our life.  That too makes sense to me because I see so many people wasting happy and fun moments by texting or being on the phone, or trying to get away from themselves in some way.  

The third item I enjoyed in the teaching was around recognizing that each person is living perfectly in their present moment, and that we do not need to impose our ideas of what is going on.  I start to laugh as I read this because back in my second item, I realized that I was imposing judgement on those who choose to text in the present moment.  (I still wish they would not text while they are driving!)

I realized that Spirit was giving me a “hands on” lesson about staying in balance and harmony with my passions and my path.  When all is going well, then little thought is required because a person simply rolls with the flow of what is going on.  We are living in the present moment.  However, when we start to over think our actions and try to second guess all the people around us, then we are “out of synch” with our purpose.  Our harmony is compromised, and therefore life seems choppy and full of obstacles.  The serenity is gone. 

 I am truly grateful for the lesson.

Many Blessings,

Judy

Coyote’s Warning

 

Picture of Coyote taken by Judy Hirst in 2008

 

Today, a coyote paced Merlin and me as we walked along the river.  He was on one side of the channel, and we were on the other.  He started to “yip” and to make a wailing noise.  Merlin stopped and listened with ears picked up, and with his body very alert.  He was not nervous or afraid.  Instead, we listened intently.  Here is what I heard.

               Coyote’s Warning

We are the free people that roam the land.

We walk in the forests and the cities.

We know how to walk in two worlds.

We walk too between this world and the next.

 

The Mother of Us All asked the coyotes to be guardians of the prairies.

She asked the Wolves to be guardians of the mountains.

She worried about the frail two legged ones who struggled 

With the weather and the land.

 

Two leggeds are not like the trees that bend with the weather.

Man tries always to control and be master of all things.

He rejected the overtures of the Coyotes and the Wolves – 

For we all offered help to find food and good places to den.

 

Instead, Man saw us as ferocious and feared us.

He chased us away with pitchforks and swords and guns.

Who chases away a helping hand?

One who is steeped in fear and sees only the threat.

 

Over time, we have watched the humans and learned from them.

Not only did Man chase us, he chases away anyone that is different from him.

We wood land animals get on much better than do humans.

We do not hunt needlessly or threaten needlessly.

 

We four leggeds remember how to play – by ourselves, with each other.

We see you and smell your anger and frustration and underlying fear.

Why is that fear so ever present? 

How does it serve you?

 

We see your attachment to the animals that you control. 

They are all wild, like we are.

They work with you because of the deep love many have for you.

We too have that love – we watch you with love and affection.

 

Yet you hunt us and chase us because we will not be slaves to you.

And, as you take our land, we grow bolder in confronting you.

A deep fear of all things wild has seeped through humans.

We see you try to dig and cut and temper the land.

 

We say – go with Nature, for that is as was intended.

We say – greet us as old friends and see what you may learn from us.

We have survived for forty million years with all our stories passed down.

We watched you being born seven million years ago. 

 

We see you struggle and try to adapt Mother Earth to your ways.

We tell you, She is bigger!

We say that you need to learn from her and use her gifts as we do.

We say – begin now!

Many Blessings,

Judy 

Summer Solstice June 21 2023

 

Our Ancestors celebrated Summer Solstice because it is the longest day.  It is a celebration of the SUN, of planting and the beginning of harvesting strawberries, haying, and bringing in the first offerings of the gardens. 

Summer Solstice is the perfect time to work on self healing and to be kind to others.  The blessings of light are perfect for this time. 

Try this prayer:

Many Blessings,

Judy

Colours of The Rainbow

I love colours in Nature, and I believe that Creator ran wild with her paintbrush as this beautiful river was created.  

Thanks to my friend Aleda for sending me this great email.

                 ******************************************   

The Most Colorful River In The World The river shown in the photographs is the Caristales, which is located near the town of La Macarena in Columbia , South America . The river, world famous for its colourful display, has been called "the river that ran away to paradise", "the most beautiful river in the world" and "the river of five colours". During Colombia 's wet season, the water flows fast and deep, obscuring the bottom of the river and denying the mosses and algae that call the river home the sun that they need. And during the dry season there is not enough water to support the dazzling array of life in the river. But during a brief span between the wet and dry seasons, when the water level is just right, the many varieties of algae and moss bloom in a dazzling display of colors. Blotches of amarillo , blue, green, black, and red - and a thousand shades in between - coat the river. The part of the river where the colourful blooms occur is quite isolated and is not accessible by road. Adventurous tourists can now fly into La Macarena and then make their way to the river site on foot as part of guided tours. The site was effectively closed to tourists for several years because of guerrilla activity in the region along with concerns about the impact of unregulated tourist traffic. However, the site was reopened to visitors in 2009. So far, some 1,000 people have visited Caristales, including around 100 foreign tourists.   The tours will follow four clearly marked and authorized paths and one is no longer permitted to stay overnight or cook, as this was ruining the area previously.

Many blessings,

Judy

Resentment is Frozen Anger

 

Even as the cycle of life goes on, we often relive the anger that we have felt at earlier points in our life as the cycle of love and anger.  The Angels tell us that we now have the power to release this cycle.  

First, we need to understand what the simmering resentment is that we feel for a parent, for a friend, or for a co-worker.  Remember that resentment is about feeling deep anger and ill will, and feeling it at the level that it first occurred.  Resentment takes us back to the first event with that person.  Why is this anger stuck?  Often, it is stuck because we choose (yes, choice is involved here) not to release our anger.

Second, we need to understand that when we make a choice to suppress something that is important to us, that we give away our power.  When we give away our power, we get even angrier, and it is the second anger over riding the first anger that causes “anger” to get stuck.  And, being human, instead of recognizing that the problem is within us, we pinpoint the problem as being the other person.  

Third, although we may think that the other person knows that we are very angry, and that we resent the ground that they walk on, be assured that most people are so self centered that they have no idea that you are upset.  So, you are the one that needs to take the action to change the situation and to get rid of the resentment.

Ask your Angels to help you see the bigger picture.  Ask them to help you remember why you were angry in the first place, and then ask them to help you change the outcome of that original situation.  Sometimes you can do this by prayer, sometimes by mediation, and sometimes simply by peaceful remembering and re-visioning of that past experience.  

Remember to that when you ask for help, always give thanks even if the situation does not seem to resolve the way that you have planned it to end.  Sometimes, a bigger miracle is at work in the background.

Go in peace and release your anger.

Many Blessings,

Judy

Bee Healing - Spirit Animal

Have you ever had a cold like this?  The cold started in my body. Not only did  it slow me down but it actually put me flat on my back quite a few days. I know that a cold is a sign that you are  clearing something on all three levels of body, mind and  spirit. However, when my throat became quite sore, I was  mostly concerned with the physical. Nothing seemed to  either clear or soothe my throat. Then I remembered that  when I was little, Mom used to give me a spoonful of  honey when I had a sore throat. So, I tried that solution,  and “Presto” after several spoonfuls of honey, my throat  started to clear up.

When I was growing up, my only concern about a bee was  whether it was near me, and whether it would sting me. When I started studying Egyptian Magick, I discovered that the lowly bee (in my mind) was really an exalted friend and provider for the ancient Egyptian culture. In fact, the nobility were buried with most of their possessions, slaves, and large urns of honey. When the archaeologists have excavated these tombs, and opened the honey, it had crystallized but was without mould or spoilage. I thought this was pretty amazing. The article went on to talk about how the honey was used for healing. 

My interest in the bee was renewed when my husband Roger explained that he always has wanted to be a bee-keeper. I decided that I needed to investigate this little insect. As I started the research, I found that the oldest bee is believed to be 100 million years old. (That’s relatively young compared to the shark which is believed to be 450 million years old.) 

Through it has changed somewhat over the years, the bee still produces a nourishing, healing honey that is pretty much unrivalled as food and healer. The antiseptic properties of honey make it a natural healer for wounds by protecting the wound from infection and decreasing the swelling. As I experienced  through my cold, honey destroys mucus from the cold virus. Honey is also recommended for treating indigestion and heart or high blood pressure ailments. 

A few facts that I learned in my quest are:

• that bees do indeed create honey that is healing. 
• Bees are so sensitive to environmental toxins that they die  
  and do not carry the poison to the hive. Therefore, the honey is without toxins. 
• Honey in the bath water is relaxing and is recommended to relieve insomnia. 
• Although it is high in calories, athletes use it as a  
  quick “pick-me-up”. 
• Honey produced in one’s local area is a prescribed remedy for hay fever. 

Don’t take my word for all these remedies. I suggest that you buy some honey and try “bee healing” on yourself and family. Honey really does take the “sting” out of a wound. Oh yes, and “bee” happy.

Many blessings,

Judy

Who Do You Want To Be?

  

One of the things that a person undertakes when they begin the practice of Buddhism, is to figure out who they are.  This is a difficult thing to do because many times we have been shaped by so many people, beginning with our parents, that we truly have no idea of what we like.  We are much like the bride in the movie, “Run Away Bride”, who does not know what kind of egg she likes because she has always liked what her fiancé liked.  Here is a simple meditation to do each time you sit in meditation. Try to answer one question per meditation.  

Enjoy the journey!

WHO DO I WANT TO BE? 
Mentally project yourself 5 years into the future: how would I like to be, having accomplished what I want to accomplish, learned what I want to learn, did what I wanted to do.
- Which qualities have I developed in myself?  
- Which are the most important lessons I have learned?  
- What have I done for others that I feel most happy about?  
- How did I manage to stop underestimating myself?  
- How did I manage to stop underestimating other people?  
- How did I manage to stop pretending that I cannot do things?  
- Which kind of powers and abilities did I discover in myself?  
- Which kind of powers and abilities did I find in others?  
- What can I do right now in order to be this person in five years?  
- If it feels right, make a commitment to yourself to make this vision reality.

Many blessings,

Judy 

Bored!

 “Good-bye. I am leaving because I am bored.”  George Saunders

Picture of boredom from

30tocure30.files.wordpress.com  



I saw the quote about boredom, and I tried to see where, in my life, I might be bored.  I could not find a spot of boredom!  So, perhaps I was not defining the thought correctly. I turned to one of my favourite resources, www.thefreedictionary.com, and found this definition of boredom.  

Boredom is “the state of being weary and restless through lack of interest”.  Now, that applied to me when I was nearing the end of my time at some jobs that I have held. 

Here is what else www.thefreedictionary.com had to say about boredom.  This was under their Thesaurus section.

Boredom or ennui, tedium; dissatisfaction - the feeling of being displeased and discontent; "he was never slow to express his dissatisfaction with the service he received";  blahs - a general feeling of boredom and dissatisfaction; fatigue - (always used with a modifier) boredom resulting from overexposure to something; "he was suffering from museum fatigue"; "after watching TV with her husband she had a bad case of football fatigue"; "the American public is experiencing scandal fatigue"; "political fatigue"

With all of these different meanings of boredom, it almost seems fashionable to be bored!  What I realized as I read through all of this is that boredom really means that there is no excitement; no passion.  

Really, what people are saying by being bored is that they want some passion and enthusiasm back in their life.  When passion is absent, people eventually get tired, depressed, and as George Saunders says, they leave. 

I wish you passion in your life. I wish you success in all things, but mostly in finding something that fills your heart and makes you spring out of bed in the morning.

Many blessings,

Judy

Do-Right

 I was watching a show today, and one of the characters said to the other, “Who are you? Dudley Do-Right?”

I laughed!  When I was growing up, I loved Dudley Do-Right cartoons.  Each cartoon featured a northern Mountie who was squeaky clean, always got his man, and always saved the damsel in distress.  When one saw someone as always doing the right thing, being good and true, and being above reproach, that “someone” would often be nick named “Dudley Do-Right”.  It may seem that if someone was sticking to the rules, and refused to hurt or bully or be part of anything that got some one else hurt, they were called a “Do-Right”. 

 

Dudley Do-Right captures Snidely Whiplash, and rescues the lovely Nell.  Nell throughout the series is enthralled with “Horse”.  Picture from Wikipedia.

I feel sad that when people abide by the first Rule of the Universe – harm no one – they are ridiculed.  I feel sad that the world’s overall belief system has not changed much in fifty years.  However, it feels like that belief system is about to change.  The biggest task that a Do-Right person has is to take responsibility for themselves and for their actions. In doing so, the person realizes that their actions have consequences.  When you hear a person say, “I had no choice”, know that they are trying to abdicate responsibility, and blame someone else.  Any Do-Right person will say instead, “I made a choice”, and become accountable.

Are you a Do-Right?

Many blessings,

Judy

Healing Past Hurts - It Must be Done

 I was reading a meditation today that said, “the human heart does not stay away too long from that which hurt it most.  There is return journey to anguish that few of us are released from making.” - Lillian Smith                              

The quote made me think of all the clients that I've seen who have an illness or a block that stems from an incident in childhood.  When we are children, the strongest people in our lives are our parents.  And, because they have not resolved all of their issues, they often hurt the child inadvertently, or, in some cases, purposefully.  Because our parents did not know how to resolve their issues, they are no help in resolving a child's issues.

When of the largest categories of books in a bookstore or library are self help books.  This is because of many of the unresolved issues and hurts in people today.  I have read my share of these books.  One of the common themes is that if you don't resolve these hurts then you will remain in victim hood. 

So, what is an easy way to heal past hurts? For me, the easiest way is to throw the hurt into the fire.  I am using a fire ceremony to do this because it is simple and it feels so good.  If the fire ceremony does not completely clear the hurt, then I use an affirmation.  My affirmation is “I forgive myself for believing that I ever did anything wrong”.  This affirmation is based on the idea that one’s life is perfect and that each action is perfect in the moment for whatever part of the bigger picture we each play.

May you find a way to heal all your hurt.

Many blessings,

Judy

Chickadees Bring Joy

Picture of chickadee sitting on Judy’s hand – picture by Judy Hirst.

A while ago, I walked into Burnsmeade Woods with my dog, and right at the start of the path into the woods, we were greeted with cries of “chika-dee-dee-dee! Dee-de-dee. Dee-dee.” 

It sounded like “Welcome! Hi Judy!” I was surrounded by twenty little friends, all joyfully singing and saying, “We missed you!” What was really fun was that while I was getting out their treat of black seeds, they sat on my arm and sang, to me, my dog, to the world in general.  One little chickadee flew up on a high up branch, and sang as loud as he could—with words that sounded like, “she’s here, she’s here”.  Within two minutes, three nut hatches and two downy woodpeckers came to join the party.  The noise was glorious – much like any cocktail party sounds!

As the chickadees lined up on my arm for their turn at the seeds, I felt so humble in the presence of such great trust.  I felt so at peace and at one with each of them.  Passersby commented that they could not believe that all these birds would be around me and on me with a dog present.   My explanation – we have been friends now, my dog and the birds and I, for about three years now.  
Several of the chickadees stopped before they took their seeds, and looked at me, and sent me a message.  The message was – we love you and appreciate you – even without the seeds.  You are our friend.  I was profoundly moved!  The message made me think that we often do not appreciate ourselves, our families or our friends, or even the beauty around us. 

Chickadees gift was the reminder to be even more aware and present than ever before.
Have a beautiful day.

Many blessings,

Judy

Affirmations are a Gift!

The image below is from www.mysticmum.co.uk.  What a wonderful poster!

Yesterday, I watched a short movie called “THE STRANGEST SECRET”.    The key point in the movie is that by changing what you think about and how you think about anything, you can change your life.  This same thought was the theme of the movie “A KNIGHT’S TALE” starring Heath Ledger.  In fact, the theme was – You can change your stars!

Listening to Nightingale talk sent me back to a sales and marketing course that I took many years ago.  In that three day workshop, I learned ten affirmations that I still use today.  Here they are:

1. You like yourself unconditionally. You really like yourself. 
2. You always speak in positive terms about yourself and others.
3. You enjoy and appreciate everyone you meet. You like them, and they like you.
4. You always decide for yourself what is best for you, and you allow others the same right.
5. You accept complete responsibility for your life, and for your reactions to all situations.
6. You enjoy excellent health, and you are easily able to relax at any time.
7. You are always calm, confident, and self assured in your interactions with others, with groups as well as with individuals.
8. You are very creative in all areas of your life, always tapping more and more into your super conscious mind.
9. You have an excellent memory, and you easily recall names, numbers, and information.
10. You are a total winner and you are completely successful at everything that you undertake to do.

When I say them, I change the word “you” to “I”.  When I listen to them as a meditation, I keep the word “you”.  Repeating each affirmation five times solidifies the meaning in your mind.  Five is the number of “getting things done”.

I asked my guides if affirmations work.  They responded that affirmations are simply mantras.  In a recent blog, I gave this explanation of a mantra.

Mantra repetition simply means  repeating a sentence or group of words that have a phonetic significance. 

Mantra is intrinsically related to sound. Mantra is sound, and sound is reverberating in everything in this universe. When water flows, the gurgling sound it makes, is mantra. When wind blows through the trees, the  rustling sound it produces is mantra.  When we walk on the earth, our footsteps produce sound, and that too is mantra. 

Many eastern mantras are repeated 100 times at a sitting.  Imagine the change in your body, mind, and spirit if you repeated the above affirmations 100 times a day.  Why not try it? Start with five repetitions of each affirmation, and see what change happens for you.  Let me know the results.

Many blessings,

Judy