Morning Coffee – Steady…Steady…

This morning, I will be following where this tidbit of inspiration leads me. I felt called here to write today, so before I immerse myself in the ‘doing’ of the day, I want to take these moments to ‘be’ with the word I’m hearing whispered in my mind: Steady….Steady…

My attention was pulled in this direction, therefore I sense there is also a message here, so now I will follow the tenuous thread to see where it leads me.

With the word came an image of a beautiful, old-style sailing ship with full sails flying across the freshening seas. (Think Master and Commander, or Moby Dick) What courage it took to set out in a tiny wooden vessel with only the supplies you could carry and the few crew mates who went with you – for their own reasons, of course, but you are all on this boat together headed in the same direction.

The Captain of the ship sets the course, and the crew implements the orders. And the ship sails on across the freshening seas…

So now I have to go look up some nautical terms to better understand this nautical-themed message for today. Off to the internet I go. Courtesy of seatalk.info, the site that lit up for me when I scanned the list that came up, here is what I found:

“Steady” is a command given to the ship’s helmsman (the person driving the ship) to maintain the course carefully.

I do note the distinction here between what I was hearing (Steady, steady) as opposed to ‘steady as she goes’ which actually means to “observe the compass direction on the present heading, and maintain that course“. (from http://www.seatalk.info)

The other phrase that poured out of my fingertips as I wrote was “freshening seas”, and because it sort of lit up, back to seatalk.info I went, because I could feel my understanding of this term is also important in order to properly ‘hear’ the message My Captain was attempting to deliver to me this day.

“Freshening” means ‘to grow in strength’ and is usually used in connection with the winds, but I was hearing freshening ‘seas‘.

As I composed the post, related articles began to pop up just at the edge of my peripheral vision. Though I usually ignore them, today my attention was drawn to look there, so I did, and found myself clicking on ‘Steady My Heart’. I actually opened the article, and was so uplifted by the bright brilliance of the young person seen singing there that I have included a link to her song below. Go visit thejoyfullifeofally. It will be worth the couple extra minutes of your time.

Then I was moved to go back to the internet and search for the symbolic meaning of water or the ocean. I have a comprehensive encyclopedia of symbolism here, and actually thought I knew what water symbolized, but I surrendered to today’s exercise and followed the promptings to go look it up. Again, I scanned the listings and clicked on the one that lit up for me.

I came away with the following ‘pieces’:

Water is often used as the Universal symbol for change, and this symbol is often used or seen at turning points in a story.

Water is symbolic of life itself. Life, all life, began in the ocean and life still exists there, so that makes sense to me.

The ocean (the type of water I am working with today is the sea, and I have learned in these cases that context is important) symbolizes power and strength, and truth, hope, mystery and magic.

Now, I will feel into the energy of this mini-matrix and we’ll see what comes out together:

We live in a time of great change on the planet, and there is a strengthening in the energies all around us, that great sea of consciousness (which is our Soul) within which we find ourselves traveling in the tiny boat we know as our physical body together with all the aspects of our personality-level awareness (the crew of the ship). The helmsman has a rather tight grip on the tiller, and sometimes is having a difficult time hearing the commands given by the Captain of this ship, which is our Heart-connection, because of the freshening seas.

Steady…steady…comes the command, gently given, with purpose and calm clarity. Steady…steady…

I hear you. I will put my attention there. I will release my preoccupation with attempting to maintain the current compass heading, for you are telling me there is a possibility that heading has changed, and that – at least for now – we need to maintain the course carefully, but be willing to veer off whatever that  original heading may have been.

Still, the wheel is being guided, the ship is steering a course. But I am open to making whatever correction my Captain (my heart) sends my way. I will release the attachment to any perception I may have had, including the current ones I form as part of my human way of being, in order to be better able to steer this ship in the direction it needs to go.

If I expand this understanding to include all aspects of myself, I encompass as well humanity and the very consciousness of the planet Herself as she makes her way through the sea of star-realms that is Her ocean, Her Soul. Steady…Steady…

We are all part of an incredible change in direction, a turning point so Vast, my miniscule consciousness cannot even begin to comprehend it. The only way we will navigate this successfully is by remaining open to the possibilities, and not attached to any set of compass directions we may have set our course on. Steady…steady…

Pay attention to The Captain. Remain aware of what your heart is telling you, and all will be well. Now take a moment to click on the link below. Then go have yourself a glorious day.

All original material posted to this site is (c) 2013, Julie Marie. All rights reserved.

Related articles

• Steady My Heart (thejoyfullifeofally.wordpress.com)

 

Four Simple Steps to Discovering Your Purpose in Life

Why am I here? I get this question a lot. The simple answer is: because you have a purpose that your Soul wants to fulfill and has created the opportunity to do so through the circumstances of this incarnation.

Then what quickly follows is: well, then I want to know what my purpose is. How can I discover what my purpose is? When people ask me this question, they aren’t talking about their job, they want to know the reason they’re here on the planet in the first place.  In other words, why do they exist?

I tell people all the time that if they have the awareness to frame the question, then they already know the answer. It may just be buried deep inside them somewhere is all. So how can you discover your purpose in life? What follows is a simple but effective technique you can try. Don’t let the simplicity fool you.  It will work more quickly if you’re open to the process and expect it to work.  If you have any doubts or think it’s a waste of your time, it will just take a little longer.

Here are those four easy steps:

1. Get yourself some blank sheets of paper and something to write with. (I suppose you could also use a word processing program, but I’m old school at heart, especially when it comes to an exercise like this.)

2. Across the top of the page write the following: “What is my true purpose in life?”

3. Now don’t think about it too much, just write whatever pops into your head, whether it’s a simple word or a phrase. It doesn’t have to be a complete sentence, even.

4. Repeat Step 3 until you write something that makes you cry. That is your purpose in life.

That’s it. Now begin.

As you start this excavation process, understand it may take a while to clear your mind of your preconceived notions about what you think your purpose in life is; or what you think other people think your purpose in life is.  Just remain mindful of your responses to the phrases or words you write.  Remember what I said earlier.  You already know the answer, you just don’t know you know it.

Be patient with yourself.   It might take some time just to clear the clutter, but eventually you will strike gold.

If you persist, after 100 or 200 or perhaps even 500 answers, you will write something that causes an emotional response to well up from inside you.  That response is how you know you’re headed for the truth, that you’re close to answering the penultimate question of why you are here.

As you move through this process, some of your answers will be very similar.  You may even find yourself repeating some of your prior responses.  List whatever pops into your head.  Just keep writing.

At some point during this process, you may just want to quit.  You may feel the urge to get up, or you may find you start thinking about an excuse to go do something else.  That’s just part of this exercise too.  Resist the temptation to quit before you reach your goal.  Just keep writing.  Those other feelings will pass.

As you write, you may respond to some phrases which seem to give you a little surges of emotion, but they don’t quite make you cry.  Mark these in some way as you go along, so you can come back to them later.  Each one of these responses likely represents part of your purpose, but not the whole thing. It’s fine to be optimistic at this point, however, because this means you’re getting warm. So stick with it.

Stay with this stream of consciousness exercise until you are complete. You may find you need to do it for a couple of sessions, and that is ok. You will know when you have your answer because you will be able to feel the truth of it. It will resonate with you on a deep level. The answer can come as quickly as within an hour, but usually it can take longer.

Now comes the hard part. Once you have determined what your purpose in life is, you must ascertain how you will fulfill that purpose, and commit to staying focused on achieving that purpose.

The purpose of life..is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

All original material posted to this site is (c)2013, Julie Marie. All rights reserved.

Photo credits: Wikipedia

Morning Coffee – Choices

This lesson about the power of choice is really up in my face this morning as I sip my cup of coffee. I have plenty of time to think these days as I focus on the change I am in the midst of.

For example, I just chose the photograph with the hearts in the foam because I recently made a choice out of love for self and in support of my good health.

Yesterday, I thought a lot about how, by making that choice, I definitely changed the events that were on the horizon for myself if I hadn’t made the decision I did. I will be in a different house than I’d anticipated. I will be in a different town, even. The changes came with lightning speed, within the span of about 36 hours.

I thought the path was laid out, and thought I knew where I was going. All of that shifted because of a choice, a difficult choice, I decided to make. I am exceedingly grateful that the problem manifested itself before I was so far down that path I could not extricate myself from the situation.

The turning point was in the moment of discovery. The choice was to continue down that path (because what would they think if I – all of a sudden – I decided not to live there) or to take into consideration the ramifications if I didn’t do the difficult thing and just say “no”. I said yes to myself.

What this meant is I had to undo some actions I had just taken earlier in the week. It also meant I had to find another place to live, and soon. I did the non-logical thing and sacrificed another day of packing to go in search of a place to live.

Long story short, I did find a spot, and things are back on track, but now I have a ton of catching up to do. All of what has transpired in the past few days has just had me really thinking about how, by making what seems to be an unimportant choice, the entire trajectory of our lives can be changed.

The prospect of being entirely responsible, at the ego level, for fulfilling my Soul’s purpose is rather disconcerting to me. Perhaps you have the same concerns. My suggestion is to pray about it, to ask for guidance when making decisions.

I was left with no other alternative than to get really focused on the present moment, and to follow every soft whisper I heard no matter how faint. It worked. But that is a story for another day. I have work to do.

When you make a choice, you change the future. ~Deepak Chopra

All original material posted to this site is (c) 2013, Julie Marie. All rights reserved.

Photo credits: Wikipedia

Spring and Herbs, they Go Together!

Here’s another introductory post that will broaden your herbal horizons. Most of us are familiar with culinary herbs, but few of us realize that many of those culinary herbs have powerful healing properties as well.

Spring is the perfect season to start (or renew) your relationship with the healing aspects of herbs.

This article will take a brief look at the big four made famous in a song by Simon and Garfunkel in the song off their album “Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme”: Are you going to Scarborough Fair? Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme…

Parsley: Parsley is rich in nutrients and contains significant amounts of vitamins C, A, K and folate. It contains luteolin which is a strong anti-inflammatory ingredient. Parsley also contains myristicin, which neutralizes the benzopyrenes from cigarette smoke and helps the antioxidant glutathione function better in the body. Adding fresh parsley to a soup or stew can enrich the taste of the food.

Sage: Sage has been found to help protect the again brain against the loss of mental function that sometimes comes with age. Some say that sage increases the delivery of oxygen to the cerebral cortex region of the brain to help increase concentration. Excellent when added to soups and poultry dishes.

Sage is arguably one of the most versatile of the culinary herbs when it comes to healing properties. Oil of sage contains the compound thujone which is an effective anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory ONE CAUTION WITH SAGE: If you have a seizure disorder, high blood pressure or kidney disease, sage should not be ingested in large doses.

Sage tea may have beneficial effects for those challenged with high blood sugar levels.

Sage has also been said to increase the flow of bile and help with liver detoxification.

Rosemary:  Rosemary contains an oil that helps to stimulate brain activity and increase brain alertness.  Rosemary also help energize your immune system. It can be steeped as a tea, or you can just use it to season your poultry dishes and soups.

If you crush some rosemary you can fill your space with an energizing scent. As you inhale the aroma, know that it is helping you to be more alert than if you drank another cup of harsh, adrenal gland smashing coffee.

Thyme: This is one of the first herbs that was used as an incense. In the Middle Ages, it was often mixed with equal parts of lavender and sprinkled on the floors of churches to help alleviate the odors that would be exacerbated by the large concentration of unwashed people together in a confined space.

Thyme has been recommended for intestinal worms, bronchial problems, diarrhea, and as a skin cleanser. It is known for its anti-fungal properties, and is used to treat athletes foot, colic, excess gas, and sore throats. As a poultice, it has been used on skin inflammation and to soothe sores.

Burning thyme repels insects and it also makes an excellent disinfectant, nervine, expectorant, sedative, stimulant, or an antiseptic.

Any of these herbs are relatively easy to grow in your home garden, and information on their care and tending is readily available. Try adding a few herbals to your garden this year! For your health and continued well-being.

Joel Salatin gives a tour of Polyface Farm.

The first supermarket supposedly appeared on the American landscape in 1946. That is not very long ago. Until then, where was all the food? Dear folks, the food was in homes, gardens, local fields and forests. It was near kitchens, near tables, near bedsides. It was in the pantry, the cellar, the backyard. ~Joel Salatin (from Folks, This Ain’t Normal: A Farmer’s Advice for Happier Hens, Healthier People, and a Better World)

All original material posted to this site is (c) 2013, Julie Marie. All rights reserved.

Photo credits: Wikipedia

Morning Coffee – Dichotomies

Here is a contemplative cup of coffee for you this morning. Maybe it’s because the weather here is so not Spring-like. I shoveled snow off the driveway again a few days ago, and was very aware of the full-throated birdsong that accompanied that task. It is as if the birds are working overtime trying to call forth the energies of Spring.What a jarring juxtaposition of energies, winter’s cold snow and spring’s loud bird song.

The trees are just starting to bud out, and now their limbs are covered with snow. I don’t know what I am more grateful for: the fact the snow was only 6 or 7 inches’ worth this time and it only took part of my day to clear the drive or that I didn’t have to be thinking about mowing the lawn because it’s covered with snow.

The situation with the weather here is a perfect reflection of what is going on in the world. I can feel a sense of excitement and anticipation in the air, so I know ‘Spring’ (a time of newness and fresh growth) is in the offing, but I’m still shoveling snow off the driveway and I had to pull the winter coat and gloves back out because I thought the last storm we had was the last storm of the season.

The dichotomy is striking, and I have the awareness that in the midst of what appears to be winter still, Spring is also there. Or maybe I should say that while Spring is definitely on its way, there is still some snow shoveling that needs to be done. For awhile, we will need to remember to stay focused on the signs of Spring while still bundled in our winter coats shoveling snow off the driveway.

There is some wisdom to the suggestion to be prepared for anything. Don’t put that coat and those gloves away just yet! But stay hopeful. The trees are beginning to bud,and the flowers will start to bloom soon.

The birds are singing. Can you hear them?

All original material posted to this site is (c)2013, Julie Marie. All rights reserved.

Photo credits: Wikipedia

Morning Coffee- Stuck on the Butterfly Thing

We’re having some breakfast with our coffee this morning, because I am hungry. Maybe it’s all this cocoon-busting, wing-drying work.

All the thinking about coming out of the cocoon, the ruminating I did about it while going about the packing and toting of boxes yesterday led to pondering the other tidbit about the process of emergence. That’s going to be the topic of conversation over coffee this morning. The reason why we must break ourselves out, why it cannot be done for us.

We feel protected in our cocoons, and they serve the very important purpose of keeping us safe as we build our new ‘bodies’ out of the liquefied matter that was our former caterpillar incarnation. Our potential selves are encased inside and we cannot stay there forever. We must eventually emerge so that we can fly.

There is a popular story of a man who, while watching a butterfly struggle to force its body through a small hole in the cocoon, took a pair of scissors and freed the creature. He thought he was being helpful, but soon discovered he’d caused irreparable harm to the butterfly.

The insect did emerge easily, but had a swollen body and small, shriveled up wings. The man continued to watch the butterfly, expecting the wings to expand and the insect to fly off. Instead, that butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings.

The man did not understand the purpose God had for requiring the  butterfly to struggle so to emerge from its cocoon: the effort needed to get its body through the tiny opening was God’s way of forcing fluid from the butterfly’s body into its wings, thus preparing it for flight.

Without struggle, we do not gain strength. We would be crippled. We could never fly!

Whatever your adversity at this time, just know that it is perfectly designed to give you your wings so you can fly.

The difficulties will make you stronger. The problems you overcome will develop your wisdom. The dangers you face will give you courage.

Together, we struggle. Together, we transcend. Together, we fly.

All original material posted to this site is (c) 2013, Julie Marie. All rights reserved.

Photo credits: Wikipedia