Run The Dishwasher Twice

 

Picture from Cnet.com article

Sometimes, when you read the news or magazines, you have an “Eureka” moment. That happened to me earlier this week when I read the headline below.  Check out the article.  Remember, over time, links can change so this link may not work forever.

Woman shares her therapist's incredibly helpful mental health hack: 'Run the dishwasher twice'

https://apple.news/AOn5CzxmSQ5OCzvIXHlSq7w

Why was this a startling moment for me?  When I read the article, I realized that so many people are living by arbitrary rules imposed on us by others.  Our conditioning to these rules makes it almost impossible for us to over throw the rules.

In this example, a lady struggling with every day tasks was overwhelmed by having to basically wash her dishes before putting them in the dishwasher.  Her therapist’s solution was easy, wash the dishes twice!

I started thinking about some of the arbitrary rules that I have shattered in my life over time.  Many of you will have the same experience.  A rule may have worked at some point but it does not work now.  Let the rule go!

Blessings,

Judy

Walking And Present Moment

 

As you walk, cultivate a sense of ease. There’s no hurry to get anywhere, no destination to reach. You’re just walking. This is a good instruction: just walk. As you walk, as you let go of the desire to get somewhere, you begin to sense the joy in simply walking, in being in the present moment. You begin to comprehend the preciousness of each step. It’s an extraordinarily precious experience to walk on this earth. - Peter Doobinin, "Awakening, Step by Step"

Sometimes, I simply need to get outside and walk.  My preference is to walk in the park (unless the mosquitoes are really bothersome) and feel the grass and the trees lift the stress from me.  My mind slows down.  I pay attention to the birds, the flowers, and the sound of the water.  Nature clears us. Nature heals us.  Use this tool and be in the present moment.

Blessings,

Judy

Hold On To Your Power

The changes are happening so fast around me that sometimes I feel like a top, spinning and bouncing off what ever gets in the way.  At the same time, I feel calm and centered.  How can there be this much contrast in change?

I asked the Angels.  They said that our lives are really like hurricanes.  The hurricane is calm at the center.  The further one is from the center, the stronger the chaos is in the hurricane.  A light bulb went off!

As long as I stay true to my purpose or my what my heart tells me is right for me, then I am calm and peaceful.  When someone tries to force you or manipulate you into doing something that you are uncomfortable with, then the pushing of the chaos happens.  Another’s will is pushing against our will.  Each of us must hold on to our own power.

For some reason, I found this discussion quite comforting. 

Blessings,

Judy

(email me at lightstationwisdom@gmail.com with thoughts or questions)

Canada Goose Talks About Teams

 

Just this week, I watched a flock of geese congregate in the water.  It looked like they were having a meeting about when to leave to go south, and a discussion about whether they needed to start practice flights.  The geese reminded me of an encounter with geese about ten years ago.  So, I went and looked up what I had written back then.  Here is what I wrote….

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As I walked along the Bow River, a very large Canada goose came out of the water and stood on the edge of the snow shelf and chatted with me.  He and his flock did not go south.  He had lots to say.

• We stay because the weather is changing.  What we know is the best place to stay, rather than going south.  People here are kind and feed us.  This life is good.
• We work as a team to make sure that the flock has food.  We observe that humans are often kinder to us, the feathered people, than to each other.  We appreciate the kindness.
• Our team work also is about keeping everyone healthy.  We fly, we walk, and we swim.  We say that you need to get more active or you will be having many problems in your joints.
• Our food is always natural, even alive, some might say when we eat raw little moving things in the water.   We observe that people need to eat more raw food.  The processed food is not healthy for you.
• We see that you are now looking at bigger homes.  See how we live?  We live close to the earth and to the water.  Not only does it sustain us, it keeps us in balance.  We are not as affected by the energy changes as the humans.  Try to walk the earth more closely.  Do not live in high rises and big houses off the ground.  Live in touch with the earth.

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Blessings,

Judy

Being a Kickass Woman

The poster says:

THE KICKASS WOMAN’S MANIFESTO FOR SPARKLICIOUS LIVING

I AM STRONG - I have walked through hell and kept walking.  I know my weaknesses.

I AM WORTHY - It took me a long time to believe that.  I’ve worked through my “Unworthiness”.

I AM BEAUTIFUL - And no one needs to convince me of that anymore.  I have dropped the illusion of not enough.

I AM (IM) PERFECT - I have imperfections but that doesn’t make me imperfect.  I am PERFECT as I am.

I AM ME - I thought that I was lost and alone, but now I realize that I was always with me.

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The last four months have been a challenging one for me.  I have had some health challenges that have slowed me down and depleted my energy.  We are enjoying time with friends and family as much as we can.

Spirit, as you know, always sends you things to put your life into perspective.  The poster in the above picture helped me to put things into something that I understood: I am the perfect person to be doing what I am doing right now.  The Universe/Creator made me strong and intelligent so that I could deal with the things that were being rained upon me.  And, I am doing what I need to do.

I know that all of mankind is at a time of making decisions about dealing with family issues and with friend relationships.  I know that many seniors will leave the planet and that we must be prepared for that.  I know too, that we will be besieged with currents of energy that play our bodies out.

With all of this, I feel quite happy to move forward into the fall.  It is a perfect time for change.

Blessings,

Judy

Finding Happiness

           

 

When we meditate, we relate to that unsettling, ineffable commodity: the present. We train in letting go of thoughts and feelings as they arise, and settle back into the present: that gap between two concepts—past and future—that don’t actually exist. We’re simply being, here and now. - Pamela Gayle White, "The Pursuit of Happiness"

I always find it amazing when life intersects with synchronicity or magic.  Yesterday, I was writing about happiness.  And today, my guidance is that we need to focus on happiness in order to shift.  The quote that I have noted above was in my mailbox today.  

I read this over and over and decided that what the message was, for me, said “If you are focused on the now moment, then you do not have time to think of the past and you will not have a need to feel unhappy.”  

What this also said to me was that most people are either unhappy about the past or unhappy about the future.  To stay in the present means to be mindful of what focus your thoughts take.  It is very difficult to focus on love and and happiness when someone has just yelled at you or cut you off in traffic….. or, done whatever.

Be happy,

Judy 

Love Is A Choice!

Today, let us talk about love, or not to love.  A friend of mine was telling me a story about her issue with her boyfriend – she loves him, and loves him very much.  She would love the love to be unconditional.  However, he does things or has habits that are very contradictory to her belief and values system.  The hardest thing, for her, is that when she says that an action that he does is not agreeable to her, he immediately tells her why she is wrong and how right his action is – in other words, she must totally allow him to do what is right for him, and she has no rights.  This, I tell her, is imbalance.  Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and, the balance of how to integrate both person’s needs is the beauty and challenge of relationships.  If one person is not allowed to have rights, then it is time to move on – in political terms, there is a dictatorship.  

Then, one of my friends sent me this story.  I thought that I would share it with you.  

Love and blessings,

Judy

Don't Hope... Choose!

While waiting to pick up a friend at the airport in Portland, Oregon, I had one of those life-changing experiences that you hear other people talk about -the kind that sneaks up on you unexpectedly. This one occurred a mere two feet away from me. Straining to locate my friend among the passengers deplaning through the jet way, I noticed a man coming toward me carrying two light bags. 

He stopped right next to me to greet his family. First he motioned to his youngest son (maybe six years old) as he laid down his bags. They gave each other a long, loving hug. As they separated enough to look in each other's face, I heard the father say, "It's so good to see you, son. I missed you so much!" His son smiled somewhat shyly, averted his eyes and replied softly, "Me, too, Dad!" 

Then the man stood up, gazed in the eyes of his oldest son (maybe nine or ten) and while cupping his son's face in his hands said, "You're already quite the young man. I love you very much, Zach!" They too hugged a most loving, tender hug. 

While this was happening, a baby girl (perhaps one or one-and-a-half) was squirming excitedly in her mother's arms, never once taking her little eyes off the wonderful sight of her returning father. 

The man said, "Hi, baby girl!" as he gently took the child from her mother. He quickly kissed her face all over and then held her close to his chest while rocking her from side to side. The little girl instantly relaxed and simply laid her head on his shoulder, motionless in pure contentment. 

After several moments, he handed his daughter to his oldest son and declared, "I've saved the best for last!" and proceeded to give his wife the longest, most passionate kiss I ever remember seeing. 

He gazed into her eyes for several seconds and then silently mouthed. "I love you so much!" They stared at each other's eyes, beaming big smiles at one another, while holding both hands. For an instant they reminded me of newlyweds, but I knew by the age of their kids that they couldn't possibly be. 

I puzzled about it for a moment then realized how totally engrossed I was in the wonderful display of unconditional love not more than an arm's length away from me. 

I suddenly felt uncomfortable, as if I was invading something sacred, but was amazed to hear my own voice nervously ask, "Wow! How long have you two been married?" "Been together fourteen years total, married twelve of those." he replied, without breaking his gaze from his lovely wife's face. "Well then, how long have you been away?" I asked the man finally turned and looked at me, still beaming his joyous smile."Two whole days!" 

Two days? I was stunned. By the intensity of the greeting, I had assumed he'd been gone for at least several weeks - if not months. I know my expression betrayed me, I said almost offhandedly, hoping to end my intrusion with some semblance of grace (and to get back to searching for my friend), "I hope my marriage is still that passionate after twelve years!" 

The man suddenly stopped smiling. He looked me straight in the eye, and with forcefulness that burned right into my soul, he told me something that left me a different person. He told me, "Don't hope, friend... decide!" Then he flashed me his wonderful smile again, shook my hand and said, "God bless!" With that, he and his family turned and strode away together. 

I was still watching that exceptional man and his special family walk just out of sight when my friend came up to me and asked, "What'cha looking at?" Without hesitating, and with a curious sense of certainty, I replied, "My future!" 

- Author Unknown

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