Getting the Green Light

Driving with my daughter the other day, we approached an intersection with a green light in our direction.  I started to slow down.  My daughter asked me why I was slowing for a green light.  "Oh", I said, "I never get a green light at this intersection."  At that moment, it turned yellow and I slowed to a stop as the red came up.  "Funny, said my daughter "I get a green light here all the time."
The next few times I came to this intersection with her in the passenger seat, I got green lights.  "Wow!" I said, "You're my green light karma girl."
"Nope", she said, "I simply planted the idea in your head that a green light was possible here.  You went from always expecting red to allowing the possibility of a green.  That's what changed your luck."
Pretty smart kid.
How often we forbid the arrival of something good in our lives by our not allowing the possibility of it!  I hadn't looked at it quite this way before, but it makes sense.  If we don't believe something will happen, it probably won't.  The message from the universe?  Don't stop believing, even in the unbelievable!--Love, Kristine

Betting on Yourself

I asked for a little advice from the Universe today.  It went kind of like this: "Give me a sign, please, that I'm doing OK!  I'm feeling a little insecure, and I'd like some support!  It's been a while since I asked, and I'd like a SIGN."

Preceeding up the path, I found this poker chip.  What on earth did this mean?  A few heartbeats later, I got it.  The Universe was telling me to bet on myself.  I realized that, like most of us, I was not holding up my end of this life conversation.  By this I mean that I was not fully realized as a unique and capable human being.  I was relying too much on outer circumstance to decide for me how I was going to live.  I wasn't actively creating the life I wanted.

How do we create the life we want? I think we create the life we want by living it.  If we don't have it for real, we can start dreaming about it.  We can visualize the life we'd love, and see what shows up in response. In order for what we want to start coming to us, we have to take ourselves seriously.  We have to believe in the way we live, our uniqueness, our openness to flow with what's happening, and our certainty that we have our own legitimate and important place in this world.  Our purpose is to be ourselves, as completely and fully as we can.  We are the manifestation of Universal energy.  Like snowflakes, our way of being is different from everybody elses. That's the point.  We're here to celebrate our variety and treasure our differences. That way, we become as we're meant to be: an expression of Universal creativity.

We can't be like anyone else, no matter how hard we try, so why try? It's the many beautiful voices that enrich a choir, the many colors that make a painting vivid.  Be proud of who you really are.  Bet on the self that came into this world to be whole, vibrant, and free.  If we all do this, the world will experience a rebirth of creativity and vitality unlike any other.

The stronger you are, the more you you can be, the more value you have for the rest of us.  We can depend upon you, because you are no longer an egoic shadow of yourself.  You are fully realized and strong.  As Rumi Says: "I honor those who try to rid themselves of lying, who empty the self and have only clear being there."

The self keeps you stuck in ego.  Clear being is the light within you that guides you all the way along.  You can bet on it.

Love, Kristine

Staying cool when things get hot.

These are troubled times, and we often hope for some leader to show us the way.  When they do, it's quite possible that the way they're pointing is the wrong direction for us.  That's when we realize that the true path forward is found in our hearts.  That's our King of Wands moment; the time when we need to look within to discover how we can live a life of authenticity and truth.

As another tarot reader on line states (most perfectly) about the King of Wands:

"An inner spiritual change is often heralded when this card appears. The King of Wands invites us to act as he would to solve our problems. His vision is one of ideal reality, and his vision is that humanity might always be better than it is. He is the warrior of light who stands up for something that matters, and his appearance is an invitation for you to do so as well. If there is a cause you wish to support, but you are unsure of your position, you may proceed with the knowledge that your base of power is strong. Enjoy the King's power and authority, but be sure to use it for productive means. Take your responsibilities seriously, think of new ways to do things, and never stop believing in yourself".

The King of Wands is surrounded by Salamanders.  Like the phoenix, the salamander is thought to be renewed or impervious to fire.  In other words, when a situation is too hot to handle, the King of Wands, and his little buddy, the salamander, represent enduring faith, or courage, that cannot be destroyed.

Believing in yourself, having faith in who you are meant to be, takes courage.  So often we think that we need validation from others in order to know whether or not we're doing the "right thing".  It's true that an "atta boy" or "atta girl" are sweet to hear, so sweet that we often become addicted to the approval of others.  However you know deep down that if you're not feeling inherently good about yourself, someone else's praise is just empty calories for a hungry soul.

How do we believe in ourselves when others tell us that our choices are flawed?  It takes practice, patience, and the ability to be mentally still.  It's very hard to quiet our thoughts when our monkey minds pull up the million and one things we need to attend to each day, but try to let that go.  Now, when you're clear and quiet, think, "What would I like to do today?"  Something will float up.  It could be anything from "go to the beach" to "work on that project I've been putting off." 

DON"T REJECT YOUR FIRST THOUGHT, NO MATTER HOW RIDICULOUS OR INCONVENIENT YOU THINK IT IS.  Instead, simply do it.  Too busy to go to the beach? Too nice a day to work on that project?  Too bad. You're guidance is telling you the best thing for you to do at that moment.  Trust it.  Do it.  Learn to follow your heart.  When you do that, you'll be amazed at how your life will change!  When you're in the flow of life, you're working with, not in opposition to the life you're meant to lead.  Enjoy it and enjoy yourself.

Love, Kristine

Want a Happier Future? Imagine That!

The owners of a house on my block are gradually divesting themselves of years of accumulated stuff. It’s quite charming what they do. They leave their grown-and-gone kid’s toys out by a plant in front of their yard.


When I first discovered these treasures, I thought some neighborhood kids must have left them there. After several weeks went by, I realized they were give-aways so I picked them up and took them home. The next day, another small toy showed up.

Toys don’t show up every day. Sometimes months go by without any little offerings under the magic hedge. I always give the neighborhood kids time to claim them, but no one ever does. It surprises me. As a (formerly) imaginative kid, I would have been eager to acquire these tiny toys all the while composing a story about neighborhood fairies leaving special treats just for me.

Anyway, I spotted another trinket last week. After subsequent days of neglect, I rescued this basket of tiny bunnies. As I carried them away, I thought of what rabbits are famous for: multiplication. That reminded me of the old biblical passage “cast your bread upon the waters and it will return to you sevenfold”. I had to ask myself what thoughts are multiplying in my life.

I’ve been feeling the pressure of the economy, the oil spill, the plastic island of junk in the Pacific Ocean, and realized that my offerings have all been about worry and fear. I don’t have to tell you that when you focus on what is going wrong it can really spoil your day. I decided to do something radical: Ignore reality.

We often use the life we’re living to predict a probable future, but if our perspective is dark, what chance does our future have of being bright? Why don’t I imagine for myself a happy future? After all, the future is never a sure thing, and when I focus on dreams of a brighter life, it makes my present moment feel a whole lot better. Maybe by casting positive ideas on the waters of my life, a happier future will return to me.

One thing’s for sure. Hope feels so much better than fear, and there’s nothing better than feeling good. Want to multiply what’s good in your life? All you have to do is think about it.

Love, Kristine

Cleaning out your Spiritual Closet

Have you ever attended a talk by an inspiring speaker or a wonderfully uplifting seminar, feel different at the end of it, and then come home, and revert right back to the miserable way you felt before the so-called life changing event? Except worse? Who did you blame for the regression? Your S.I? The behaviour of your kids? Your job? Your home?  Do you realize that you are feeling the discomfort of coming face to face with who you once were and who you are now?  How do you maintain the good feeling of positive change while surrounded by situations that feel so bad? Do you have to get a divorce, quit your job, disown your kids, or move?

Nothing so draconian needs to happen. All you need to do is realize you have choice. You can decide to choose to feel good despite every excuse in the world to feel bad. Acceptance is key in choosing to feel good, and acceptance means honoring your past choices.  After all, it's those contrasts in your life that motivated your desire to change in the first place.

Best of all, and ironically enough, when you settle into accepting all your past "mistakes", you inspire changes in your world. As you become more tolerant, you find that people who used to irritate you are easier to get along with. As you approach your work and family life with more patience and acceptance, you'll discover more about each of them to enjoy.

A good speaker or seminar inspire in you those good feelings because they remind you of your true and essential nature. You really are the tolerant, patient, accepting, loving and compassionate person you want to be, despite certain personal patterns of thought and behavior that can hide these finer qualities.

We think that changing who we are is like cleaning out all the old clothes from our closet. The qualities we seek are already in our spiritual closet, and they fit us perfectly (and very becoming they are too!) Believe it or not, you'll see that they go quite well with all the other aspects of yourself because the new you is a natural part of the old.

You don't have to eliminate what you were to become who you are. You are a work in progress. Choose to appreciate how far you've come. Anticipate more changes in the future. Enjoy your own path, since every beautiful step of it was carved out by you. You created both your need to change, and the change itself, and once you start appreciating the contrast between who you used to be and who you are, it's easier to move forward and become who you want to be.

Focusing on your regrets for past choices keep you stuck in the past.  Instead, enjoy your evolution.  It's truly a beautiful thing.

Love,
Kristine

LRG melts a tiny heart

Sitting in a restaurant's window seat enjoying a meal is a wonderful way to spend time. There's something about the anonymous viewing of folks going about their daily lives that satisfies the soul. Mostly, it's all about people being human; window shopping, walking arm and arm with a lover, talking to friends and running their errands. It's wonderful to notice that what goes on in the world is, for the most part, benign.

Often, when you live too much on a diet of newspapers and T.V. news, one gets the idea that the world in general is rife with violence. We forget that the reason an event becomes "news" is because it is unusual; just a blip in the radar of most peoples daily lives. Think about it. Newspapers would be hundreds of pages long if they told the true story of human life. FATHER TAKES BABY TO PLAYGROUND, MOM WORKS TWO JOBS TO PROVIDE FOR HER KIDS, TWO PEOPLE FELL IN LOVE TODAY--READ ALL ABOUT IT; we don't see headlines like these, and thank goodness. These things happen every day, millions of times. They're not unusual at all.

Back to the restaurant: I had my eye on a young man ambling down the street wearing a baseball cap placed on the side of his head and a black T-shirt with the word LRG on it. Based on what he was wearing, I formed an idea, I admit, about who he was. I pegged him as a defiant, self-involved person who wanted to appear tough.

Coming the other way was a man pushing a woman in a wheelchair. They were approaching the entrance to the restaurant as this young man neared it. The young man suddenly increased his pace, nearly running towards them to intercept their progress. Reaching the entrance a few seconds before they did, he reached out his arm and opened the door for them! Wow.

It was a small gesture, but so telling. I was ashamed of my judgements, and glad that I was wrong about this man. He was LRG all right, but not in the macho way I thought he wanted to be. He was LRG-hearted.

There is something about an unselfish and altruistic act that, when you witness it, feels so warming. How the heart longs for proof that human beings are good, that we live in a caring world, and that life is really wonderful. Our hearts freeze when we read about the brutality that does happen; but when we open our hearts to life as it is being lived all around us, letting go of our assumptions and judgements, we will see many examples of human kindness and compassion.

The Universe sent a very clear message to me today: Let your heart melt, and you will see the world as it truly is in all it's beauty and variety.  I'm going to heed it.
 
Love,
Kristine