Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Your Calling

The Bridge ~ Reminder #67
Your Calling

Your purpose is to be revealed to you so that you can spread your wings and cover this Earth with that which is your creation

From the time that we were small children, we've been taught to mind our manners and to be like everybody else. We're told that it's respectful of others to practice certain courtesies, and that's fine, as long as we don't become slaves to what other people think or say about us. Taken too far, our conformity keeps us living in a subtle, but very real, state of fear. We become afraid of acting differently than everyone else around us. Even when our heart tells us to do something one way, our social consciousness screams out to do it another way, lest we draw too much attention to ourselves. And all too often, our fear wins out. To experience your highest calling, we must break the mold. We must do things not as others do, but as our heart bids us to do.

It helps us to remember that we can have it all. We can have our cake and eat it too. It's entirely possible to combine what is helpful to others with that which is enjoyable to ourselves. The Buddhists call it living our dharma, while in the West we know it best as recognizing and following our calling.

You know when you're following your calling. Everything fits snugly into place. Synchronistic events are everyday fare. Life gets easy. When you're truly being of service and living your calling, all of the guesswork is removed from your life. You're always in the right place at the right time. You feel different because your body is carrying a higher frequency that attracts others to you. The people you're supposed to be working with always show up, as if by magic. Your whole world becomes a delight to live in because you're committed to doing the work that your soul calls you to do.

It's clear that many of us are realizing that we made an agreement before we came into these bodies, that we would come together at a certain time in order to bring light and love onto this planet and to usher in a golden age. Some have forgotten and some just have a feeling, like an inkling of a long-lost dream, that there really is a reason for us to be here now. In either case, on one level or another, we are all experiencing a movement toward looking at life from the perspective of the soul and the soul group - a perspective of having made agreements and arrangements to come here and meet together with other souls and soul groups - and then join together - so that we can assist in raising the vibration of this planet.

This is what is being remembered at this time; and it is this movement which will, in fact, bring the golden age into manifestation.

From The Highest Light Teachings

My Intention for today is:
I intend that I am discovering and doing what I came here to do.

Source: The Bridge - Intenders fo the Highest Good
You can go to http://www.intenders.org to sign up free for The Intenders Bridge.

Friday, March 27, 2009

The Alchemy of Addiction

by Renee Bledsoe

Addiction typically makes us feel weak, out of control and self-destructive. We think that we have no will power and are weak willed. We may even think we are unredeamable, a lost cause, blocked, too far gone, hooked, out there, too weird, stupid, ignorant, broken and possibly just plain dumb. I would agree that if this is how we are feeling, then this is in fact our reality. Yet even these lower levels of reality have doorways into new tracks of thinking. For there is nothing that can help us jump track quicker than overwhelming pain, doubt, fear and humiliation which can often give us a glimpse of another world, even if it is something that we can't quite put our finger on yet. Because there is much more here than meets the eye and somewhere in our heart and soul we know it. There is a mystery here and it is begging to be solved. Our soul is trying to get our attention. And if we will sit with and be still and let our spirit communicate with us in language and symbol, rather than through our own bewildering behavior and polluted thoughts we will start to see an alternate and even a parallel reality...not in some metaphysical airy fairy way, but with our physical eyes and even our logical mind!

In the concrete levels of reality we may be doctors, lawyers, accountants, janitors, librarians, college students, homemakers, technicians, life coaches, psychotherapists, financial planners, soldiers, teachers, self-employed or unemployed. We may drink, take drugs, get depressed, overeat, under eat, work too much, volunteer too much, give too much, take too much, try to control everything, get cancer, steal, rape and kill. But amidst all that even in the lower levels, the good, the bad and the ugly we are also lightworkers, angels incarnate, bodhisattvas, shamans, exorcists and alchemists. We are human. We are divine. Above all we are healers in whatever it is that we do. Many of us, however, may have started to notice that the vanquishing of one addiction leads to ever increasing levels of sobriety in multiple arenas of our life. And if denial is allowed to continue to peel away we may be staggered at the sheer volume of layered and hidden addictions that are often covered in "goodness" and repression. Crafty, resourceful and clever are we! Yet as we bravely continue to face our darkness, some can see the addictions peeling away often in quantum leaps as we excavate our soul and bring in the Light. And this is where our treasure is buried.

Addiction is the path of the earth/spirit warrior. It's what we came here to conquer. It has taken us thousands of years to even recognize and understand our "foe". All darkness and negativity arises out of the addictive process. We walk into this battle in spite of our fear, not because we don't feel it, but because we know that who we really are and what we can evolve into makes it necessary to engage with our own personal Armageddon. Some of us have seen what is on the other side of our pain and fear and we have been forever changed because of it. We have taken our base metal, our base nature, and allowed it to transform us into something very precious. We have transmuted our darkness into golden light. We emerge victorious in complete freedom. We are freedom fighters of the highest order, but we do not resist our enemy. We turn it to the Light and use it against itself. We tune the frequencies of addiction, compulsion and codependency into their opposite spectrums of devotion, sacred ceremony and unconditional love. We see the interplay of shadow and light and we honor our personal paths to freedom. Our mission, quite simply, is to free our spirit and soul to manifest on the physical plane and to evolve into our full human potential to create a life worth living.

Addictions are simply pointing out to us how much freedom we are willing to allow ourselves. Addictions whet our appetite for true freedom and make us hunger for something more. They give us a peak at our capacity for passion, devotion and true love. Addictions will ring our bell. And the bell tolls for each of us, for our connection to our highest self, the part of us that is limitless and free. These are not just any bells, but wedding bells heralding a mystical marriage, the union of our body and spirit. Our soul is knocking at our door, like an ardent lover come calling and asking for our hand. And it won't let up, because this is a divine union that no man can put asunder, not even ourselves.

Addiction is the ringbearer of our soul, cavorting down the aisle, maybe shirt tail askew, but nevertheless, bringing the ring. And in the marriage lies the paradox, for at the moment of joining and commitment something new is born self to Self, like Beauty and the Beast. Something so grand, so magnificent that it remains unnamable until that very moment. And that something is a new version of our former selves that may be barely recognizable to our own earthbound eyes. This is the promise of the union. And in that moment we come to know that there is no other way but to let freedom ring. Resistance is not only futile, it is not necessary. For this is not about being safe, this is about being free. This is not about fear, this is about overflowing, never ending, eternally abundant love. And this love can only be experienced in true freedom.

Once this fight for true freedom, not just sobriety is engaged, the mundane ceases to exist and the exhilaration of the true nature of the heart and soul begins to take root. So when we reach this place, and make our way through hell and back and see what awaits on the other side of addiction and crisis, we are transformed into freedom fighters who come back to run rescue operations on those who still suffer. And we come back not out of duty or obligation, but because we have been re-programmed through the circuitry of our heart and soul to assist others on their journey to the other side, because what we have seen, what we have become, what we carry back with us is this amazing grace which now clings to our body and soul like a new garment.

We know that if nothing more than through a smile, a kind word, a hug, a listening ear we carry within us the unspeakably rare and precious antidote to all addiction: compassion, forgiveness, unconditional love and self love. This is love incarnate. Many of us are invisible warriors, no longer engaged in codepent "fixing". We understand the art of doing without doing. We understand power versus force at its truest essence. For us, a smile is no longer just a smile, but a way to set body chemistry aright, to shine a ray of love out into the world and a sign of affection for its witnesses. It is a beam of love projecting and connecting to sources by most unseen, triggering an avalanche of support and energy. A thesis could be written on the power and beauty of a single smile if we only knew. This knowledge, wisdom such as this, quietly integrated into a life is what makes all the difference. Awareness of simple, quiet, unsung everyday miracles, is the lightworkers way.

As we unveil our power the implications of this at first looms large. For we now know that we are a healer and a lightworker and we know that this is what we have resisted all along. And we know that this is what was being born within us, honed and crafted in the womb of our soul. Finally, we begin to see the power and the glory of the kingdom accessible through our spirit made manifest in the flesh. And we now know without one shadow of doubt that we are divine. Before these words were at best allegory and at worst not applicable, now this concept is self-evident because it has been cross-stiched and interwoven into our experience in a manner as radiant and dependable as the rising sun. And what's more, because we know who and what we are, we now know that human...all humans....even the drunks, the robbers, and the junkies are also, divine. We know that even when WE were at our worst we were still divine.

Our soul starts to tickle us with inklings of the limitlessness and the possibilities. And when we realize that we have tracked our personal mystery down and jumped into an alternate reality, something clicks inside of us and life becomes an amazing adventure. Pain and suffering no longer have the bite they once had, perceptions are clearer, thoughts are purer and love is truer. Life is good, even when weird things are happening. Being human isn't what we thought it once was at all. And we are sobered to realize that there is always going to be more. And the knowledge that we are standing on the shoulders of the way we used to be brings us tears of gratitude. And the knowledge that one day we will stand on the shoulders of the way we are now gives us the three things we cannot be without: Faith in what we cannot now see, Hope that there is an eternal will to good at work in the world, and Love and appreciation of all creation, including and most especially ourselves. And this changes everything, even as it changes nothing.

This is the path, the path of addiction, a sacred pathway to healing, enlightenment, empowerment, wisdom and awareness. We find that this dirty, humble road we've been traveling has been swept clean to reveal just below the surface a street of gold. The wheel comes full turn, the snake is eating its tail and worlds are without end, kingdoms and places in the soul as yet to be discovered beckon us on to adventure. The process of addiction has alchemically changed our soul. Quite simply our addiction has helped us give birth to a new consciousness and opens the door of everything that has been waiting inside of us. It activates our ability to create the reality of heaven on earth. This is the Alchemy of Addiction.

Thursday, March 12, 2009


March 12, 2009
Somewhere Within Me, A Harp Is Singing.
Maintaining balance in our lives is as unique as our fingerprints. What works for one of us is completely different for another. We all struggle for balance in our lives. Aside from the business of the day, we still need something else. This goes beyond socialization, in whatever the choice of our poison may be. It is an internal yearning we all have and we so often starve. The desire for peace. The need for quiet. The necessity for mental decompression.
Some of us meditate, others may pray, and another may just BE. I tend to do it all, sometimes. I so want to feed myself daily and nourish my soul with something other than my business and personal endeavors. My soul still yearns for something much deeper than my physical body could ever obtain.
My sister Joanna is ten years older than I am. She is a reverend and spiritual healer. Joanna is quite accomplished on the "inside" work. At present, I'm attempting to build her business as she continuously is on the run speaking, healing, teaching, learning, and of course, mediating and praying. I, on the other hand, am in the business of helping other businesses. Each day I remind myself not to begin my work without giving my spirit some much-needed nourishment. You see, I do the outer really well and far better than the inner. Truthfully, I don't how that happened. I was born Catholic and often shared my Oreo cookies with a guy named Jesus, and at twelve announced I was to become a Nun. For God's sake, I'm a Pisces.
It seems the movement of seeking wholeness and connectedness is rampant. The human yearning for fusion of mind, body, and spirit. What I'm noticing is the strong relationship between the desire to have this balance and one's own personal success. In recent observations, I've noticed several personal blogs belonging to successful business gurus’ that seem to scream with this inner desire for something more.
Admittedly, I have had my own yearning to change my business focus and energy towards those who have devoted their lives to spiritual guidance, healing, and mind, body, spirit practices. Along with my sister, these practitioners often find themselves lost inside the social networking frenzy. It just doesn't speak to them. They don't have time for it and truthfully, we need them to have the freedom to serve humankind in a different way, bringing mind, body, and spiritual teachings into our lives, reminding us daily to nourish our own souls.
Somewhere within me, a harp is singing a song of a marriage. A union that acknowledges the necessity for a properous business with global presence while providing freedom for our teachers and healers to continue spreading thier message, bringing peace and healing upon this earth.
by Michelle Lorito Chase

Monday, March 9, 2009

Faith Like A Child



Jars of Clay

Spiritual Power

How do you develop your spiritual power? This seems to be a recurring
theme, doesn’t it. Spiritual power is certainly not about the ego and
about power to control as it is normally conceived of in the
materialistic society. As long as your goals are purely selfish in
nature, God will mercifully limit your ability to access spiritual
power. This is for your own good as well as those around you.

Therefore, the first condition is that your desire for spiritual power
must come from a deep sense of compassion and a desire to use this
power only for the benefit of other living beings. When this strong
desire to serve others is combined with complete faith that God will
provide everything necessary to enable you to achieve your mission,
then unlimited power will be available to you. These two elements are
the keys to spiritual power. Compassion to serve others and faith that
you are truly engaged in God’s mission. This power has the potential
to transform the world.

source: Ted Murray

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Addiction, God, Surrender, Success

For years I had a hidden addiction, an addiction that many people have struggled with but even more would never believe or understand, that was a block to personal success as well as to my Higher Power, or God.

I was a binge cocaine addict.When many find this out, it's almost too much to believe.During my entire adult life, I struggled to keep this from as many people as possible.As a motivational speaker, radio/tv host, author and Master Life coach...it just did not fit.As a fitness buff, who prayed daily, meditated daily, wrote in a journal weekly and lead an existence centered around helping others to reach their full potential, I would hide away for days at a time and worship cocaine.

My binges would have me up until 6am, when I'd do my last line, drink another bottle of wine to help me "come down" from the screaming high, try and locate some Valium to ease the crash...and then sleep the best I could until early afternoon.I had sought help, but was never truly honest with any therapist in regards to the amount of cocaine I was doing or how often it happened.

A month or two might go by, then I was out looking again to score enough to keep me high for a few more days.At times I might even let 3-4 months go buy...and then the cravings would begin.As anyone who has ever tried to quit smoking on their own knows, the cravings for the high can be so powerful that no human intervention can ever work for very long...

Cocaine led me to the feeling of connection to God...while high, I created the life I always wanted..I could creatively map out my next book...next workshop..fantasize about playing guitar.....search for luxury beach homes.....the fantasies went on and on..I was invincible!!Until regardless of how many "lines" I did, I could not get higher...

Then the crash began..the lows filled in for the highs...and the following days sucked so bad I didn't want to live.We called them the "pcb's"...post coke blues.I reached out to God so many times in prayer...in pleas..to no avail.

Then in 1996, while living on Ft Myers Beach, after another all nite blowout...I awoke at 2.30pm and stared at the fan above my bed.My dog Kona was on the floor and needed to be walked, as the last time she had been out was 5.30 am, after doing 5 large lines to give me the high needed to walk her before any neighbors would be up.

I remember screaming out to God.."please save me!! " Tears streamed down my face as I knew my life was now totally out of control."Please God please!!! Please save me, please remove this addiction. Please God hear my cry. I need you right now!!"Tears streamed down my face as I laid in my own sweat, petrified of what was going on in my life.While I had cried for help before, it was never with this intensity. I screamed so loud , afterwards I wondered if anyone might have heard me.

Someone did.And that someone was God.My day of screams was my surrender to my Higher Power, to God.My craving, my addiction to cocaine was lifted that day, a true testament to the power of God, the power of surrender.

I am humble, I am grateful, I am in awe.Slow down.If you struggle with ANY addiction.... to love, nicotine, spending, negative thinking, religion, food, alcohol, sex, spending...Go to surrender.Try 12 step groups, continue to try anything everyday of your life.

The freedom is what living is all about.I love you, David Esselwww.talkdavid.com