YOU are THE ONE...

... you've been waiting for... May you FIND YOURSELF this year! And that, of course, will bring you more JOY and PEACE than you've ever known..

Love & Blessings,

Kiki ;-)
www.theradiantself.com


P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

My wish for you as...

...we sit on the edge of a fading year, and are filled with hope and anticipation from a new one, is ALL that you wish for yourself...because therein lie dreams and hopes, and these are the very things that'll keep you filled with expectation, keep you moving on.. completing old karma and creating some new karma -- and through it all my hope is that your choices will heal and not hurt anyone, including yourself, in any way at all.

Much love, and many blessings,

Kiki ;-)
www.theradiantself.com

P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

More HAFIZ

Here are some lines from another one of Daniel Ladinsky's translations of Hafiz...in the book 'I Heard God Laughing' - one of my most favorite books:

SKINNING YOUR KNEES ON GOD

Little by little,
You will turn into stars.

Even then, my dear,
You will only be
A crawling infant,
Still skinning your knees on God.

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

When your soul begins
To Ever bloom and laugh
And spin in Eternal Ecstasy--

O little by little,
You will turn into God.

- HAFIZ, by Daniel Ladinsky


Adding to Hafiz... we already HAVE godhood in us -- all we need to do is to remember that, and lift the veils of fear and simply OWN who we are...

Bowing to the Divine in you,
Kiki ;-)
www.theradiantself.com

P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

I have been musing...

We all love to say there's ONE God... and then why do we get all tangled up in WHOSE God is that one God???

And also, how come we get SO identified with our religions, when we don't know what our religion was in the previous birth, and what it will be in the next one???

Just wondering...

Kiki ;-)
www.theradiantself.com

P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

Turn a meal into a feast, and a house into a home...

Author Melody Beattie has further described the gains of gratitude thus:

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.

- Melodie Beattie

If there is one resolution you're going to make for the New Year, let it be the writing of a Gratitude Journal - five things that you are grateful for on each day.

Kiki ;-)
www.theradiantself.com

P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

Merry Christmas to all... to honor the birth of a great man

This beautiful analogy is courtesy of my Facebook friend Cliff Shaft's message to the Ramana Maharishi Facebook group. Thanks Cliff, for sending such a profound message today.

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

Subject: Christmas Message

The Master gave the true significance of the Christian faith thusly:

Christ is the ego.
The Cross is the body.

When the ego is crucified, and it perishes,
what survives is the Absolute Being (God),
(“I and my Father are one”) and this glorious survival
is called Resurrection.

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

Kiki ;-)
www.theradiantself.com

P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

Only gratitude

On my way to San Francisco yesterday, my seatmate was a very open-minded and spiritual Jewish person and so it was natural for us to engage in the most interesting of conversations :-) - issues of spirituality and personal growth... always my favorite subjects to discuss, debate, and share insights about.

At one point this person suddenly turned to me and said: "If you had advice to give to the Jewish and the Palestinians in the Middle-East, what would you say to them?"

Before this we had been discussing anger issues, and how anger breeds more anger, and extreme anger exposes the person experiencing it to still more extreme anger and its many unsavory and downright dangerous expressions - and we both agreed that there was tons of anger in the minds and hearts of the people in the Middle-East, two communities that both felt tht their very survival was threatened by the other. And this is what I told my co-passenger:

"The issues there have been complicated immensely with generations of negativity. Therefore, I would ask them simply for a time-out of forty days (the number just apperaed in my mind, as a lot of informtion does...also, a period of 40 days has much significance in most faith-based communities) -- I would tell everyone to STOP looking at each other... just turn to themselves and or forty days simply write their Gratitude Journals. If people in the Middle-East would listen to me, this is what I'd tell them."

And no, I can't predict the result of this exercise in exact terms, but I have NO DOUBT WHATSOEVER that saner voices will rise to the surface on both sides, and insist on being heard - and these will be voices of reason, of humaneness, and most importantly, voices that come from a lack of fear (remember, anger is a result of fear - always, always!) and would be a start to something new and wonderful!

In gratitude, always,

Kiki ;-)
www.theradiantself.com

P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

Self-Care Tip # 3

When suddenly feeling overwhelmed emotionally, or simply having a sense of overwhelm stop whatever you're doing and focus on your breathing. Let l-o-n-g inhalations be followed by l--o--n--g--e--r exhalations. Do the exhalations with started parted lips... as you'll find that there's a surge of excess breath that needs to want to escape, taking with it all the feelings of overwhelm. Parting the lips slightly is important, as opening the mouth too much will dry it. Remember not to lose focus on the fact that the exhalations are 'removing' tension - intention is very important for this exercise.

Continue this way slowly, so as not to begin hyperventilating. After about ten such in and out breaths, we find ourselves quietening down, with a better sense of equilibrium within. Now that the mind is calmer, it is easier to take better decisions with more clarity.

Breathwork is one of the most underrated healing modalities. Once we know how it can help us is to have a whole new vista unfold.

In order to keep these posts short and user-friendly it is possible that the explanations are not complete. Please feel free any time to ask more questions -- here, or through the link provided at www.theradiantself.com.

Have a blessed day...

Kiki ;-)
www.theradiantself.com

P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

Self-Care Tip #2

I had known for along time about the presence of reflex points in our ears, reflecting ALL the organs and parts of our bodies but had never truly tried working on these points for healing. Then about 6 weeks ago, I had a full day at work and I suddenly realized how tired i was feeling, as well there were nagging aches on the right side of my body. Since I'm unusually healthy (:-) - gratitude! gratitude!) I'm extra sensitive to any feeling or sensation in my body, especially of discomfort. I was far from home and my trusted Bemer (you'll have to google this one - Bemer3000, a miracle invention by the physicist Dr. Kafka of Leichtenstein -- or of course you can contact me for more info) - I didn't have the right essential oils in my bag, nor the facility to relax on a comfortable chair -- and suddenly a light dawned in my head!

I leaned my elbows on the table In the cafe I was in, sat up straight, and slowly started pressing and kneading both my ear lobes. It was a shock to discover the difference in feeling on the two lobes. There were barely any pain-spots on the left one but the right one made me want to scream...and I would have if I wasn't in a public place. I was also disturbed to find my right lobe thicker, as though swollen. I got to work and kept pressing, squeezing, and kneading both my lobes, but applying more pressure on the right one for about ten minutes. The level of relief I felt was incredible.

I repeated the above actions twice more, later in the day, and then 2-3 timnes a day for the next four or five days. The result was more than remarkable. The sweeling in the lobe went down, the pain in the right shoulder and arm area subsided, and my right side stopped feeling tired.

We have drifted so far from our inner knowledge of our own bodies, and our inner physician. How sad this is, is an understatement. Get going then, knead those earlobes 5 minutes a day, and stay healthy and happy :-)!

Kiki ;-)
www.theradiantself.com

P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

Tips on self-care and self-healing

Did you ever hear about EFT - that's Emotional Freedom Technique. Developed by an engineer, Gary Craig, it is a very popular healing modality amongst many people who believe in Alternative/Complementary medicine. I swear by it, and have found it most helpful to find relief quickly and efficaciously without needing any outside gadgets or gizmos. www.emofree.com is the best place for detailerd information.

Kiki ;-)
www.theradiantself.com

P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

From www.tut.com

Here's the message of the day I got from tut.com! Don't know about them? Do yourself a favor and check them out.

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

Oh, yes indeed, Kiki, another holiday season is upon you, and so it is here, so I bet you're wondering what I'd like as a present. Right?!

Well, since there's already peace on earth (for those who look), since there's already goodwill toward all (mine and yours for starters), and because Kiki Bakshi's already in the world (took long enough), how about, if I may ask, we talk a little more often? You lean on me a bit more? You expect a few more miracles? And we never stop to look back?

Is that asking too much?

I'm there anyway,
The Universe

P.S. I know, I know, Kiki, why didn't I ask sooner....

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

Did you like this? You can sign up at the above website for free daily 'Notes from the Universe'.

Kiki ;-)
www.theradiantself.com

P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

In this holiday season...

... what's your gift to yourself? Yes, you read right! - 'to yourself' - what's your gift to yourself? Everywhere around me I see a flurry - people filling stores, carrying large and small packets, some happy their shopping's done and others are really stressed because they're having trouble coming up with creative ideas for gifts. In the midst of this hoopla, did you remember to have 'your best friend' on your list, to get a gift for? Indeed, YOU are the one who is your 'best friend' and would you agree that a best friend deserves the very best? Depending on your budget you may buy whatever you like for this special 'person', but why not be a little creative and have fun with this. A very creative idea someone close to me has recently shared which I think deserves a larger dissemination goes thus:

Write out a few activities you love doing, or would enjoy doing, or haven't found the time to do on slips of paper and put these slips into a bag. On a given day draw a slip and do whatever comes up. Still better would be to write 12 things and put them in a bag pulling one activity a month and in this way give yourself a special gift all year round. Some of these could be about doing something for someone else as well, because in giving we receive way more. Just try it! However you allow this to unfold, my wish for you is that you have a blast :-)!!!

Kiki ;-)
www.theradiantself.com

P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

Our TRUE reality

Life is just NOT gloom and doom... and here's another beautiful verse from Rumi to encourage us to live up to our REAL potential.

"You were born with potential.
You were born with goodness and trust.
You were born with ideals and dreams.
You were born with greatness.
You were born with wings.
You are not meant for crawling, so don't!
You have wings, learn to use them and fly!"

~ Rumi

Kiki ;-)
www.theradiantself.com

P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

I Take The Vow

On November 7, 2008, at 9:45 am, the 500 people attending the Alliance for a New Humanity Human Forum in Barcelona took a vow for non violence in their thoughts, speech and actions. This action was initiated by Deepak Chopra and since that day over 5500 have taken the vow, including yours truly. There's a website and even a group on Facebook called I Take The Vow for anyone who's interested.

After taking the vow, given my interest and belief in personal inner work, I found myself musing over the different ways we enact violence against ourselves. Much more can be added here, but at the very basic level, we do it in action, by physically abusing our bodies through poor nutritional habits, and by having adopted 'hamsters on a treadmill' lifestyles with no balance at all; in thought, by not loving ourselves enough, and instead berating, hating and criticizing ourselves - someone said: "If our friends treated us the way we treat ourselves, we wouldn't talk to them"; in speech by being less than impeccable with our words, by using inauthentic, unconscious language heaping insults on ourselves in the form of attracting to ourselves that which we are voicing and these is speech and words that should have no place in our lives.

I know, that if I will eschew violence against myself, I will in no form or way perpetuate it against anyone else either.

At peace, with myself - one day at a time :-),

Kiki ;-)
www.theradiantself.com

P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

Conscious thought

While beginning work on clearing old thought patterns and beliefs, is a good time to start some new habits and beliefs to counter the old negative ones. Create affirmations to repeat to yourself. Two of my favorite come from Gary Douglas of 'Access' (please google for more information). He recommends to repeat the affirmation "All of life comes to me with ease, and joy and glory." And the second one he asks people to say, in good, and not so good moments, "How can it get better than this?" Try it - 'it' always gets better :-)...

Kiki ;-)
www.theradiantself.com

P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

You Can Heal Your Life

This is the title of Louise Hay's most important book, of which the 'little blue book' is a part, although that's been published separately as well. As the title suggests, we are fully capable of healing ourselves, simply because our bodies are provided with the mechanism to do so. But first we need to understand why sickness happens? And the answer to this question is our mental patterns, and negative beliefs which give rise to negative thoughts and speech...though may not necessarily be in that order.

The workings of the Universe are very simple, we get what we think of. That's how it was planned to be, but we complicate matters too much. We expect the Universe to understand when we 'didn't mean it'... when we were simply kidding, and not really serious when we used 'unconscious language' and angry emotions, or sarcasm. The Universe, fortunately, or unfortunately, doesn't have a sense of humor. It is very literal, and if we don't pay attention to our language ther's a good chance that we will materialize stuff we don't want.

We often inherit our beliefs - about health, money, love, and other issues that influence our lives. It is worth taking the time and trouble then, to examine them and change the ones that don't work for us any more.

Kiki ;-)
www.theradiantself.com

P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

Louise Hay - and her 'little blue book'

One little bood I'll encourage everyone to buy is Louise Hay's 'Heal Your Body', affectionately known as 'The Little Blue Book' because of the color of its cover.

As Louise herself says in the foreword: 'This little book doesn't "heal" anyone. It does awaken within you the ability to contribute to your own healing process. For us to become whole and ehalthy, we must balance the body, mind and spirit.'

The premise of this book is that mental causes bring on physical illness, and the book goes on to show the metaphysical ways to overcome them. It might come as a surprise that illnesses included are as serious as cancers (resentment being the issue), and heart problems (cutting oneself off from love). At first glance a sufferer may be very sceptical -- and that is understandable...taking responsibility for what doesn't work in our lives is the hardest thing to do. In fact Louise herself cured her own cancer through changing her thought pattern.

If tired of the blame game, and of being a victim, or finally wanting to wake up and say 'no' to being powerless, then this is your book - to start you on a new way of thinking and being.

Kiki ;-)
www.theradiantself.com

P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

No explanation needed

'My father says that almost the whole world is asleep. Everybody you see, everybody you talk to. He says that only a few people are awake, and they live in a state of constant, total amazement.' - Meg Ryan's character to Tom Hanks', in 'Joe versus the Volcano'.'

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

Each of us, then, may want to ponder this and evaluate if we live in a state of constant, total amazement -- and if not, why not? We have this one life, as we know it, and to CHOOSE to remain asleep is what is so bewildering...

Kiki ;-)
www.theradiantself.com

P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

Emotions are the REAL deal

There are many, many posts in this blog that speak of the need to heal our emotions if we want to heal from distressing events in our lives, especially the severely traumatic ones. People believe that it's the events they need to heal from, and that doing so will remove the distress-causing emotions. What is not apparent to them is that the results of any healing work or therapy done only around the event will have short term gains, with a very real possibility of a recurrence of similar pain and distress causing events in our lives... and this of course will kick in the vicious cycle of so called 'bad' events, followed by distressed emotions -- and soon there develops an unhealthy pattern of attracting events that further perpetuate these unpleasant emotions.

Therefore, it is extremely important to stop and understand what is going on here. What came first, the chicken or the egg? My long and varied experience with innumerable clients, and the process of my own healing is that a break in pattern is only possible if it's the emotions that are processed and healed. If this is not done then these wounded emotions will remain latent in us and will continue to cause havoc, as always, by attracting events that keep them alive. With this, I hope it becomes clear that unlike the chicken or the egg situation, here at least we know that emotions came first and the events are only symptoms of their existence-- and healing the emotions clears, and further stops the recurring sad and traumatic events in our lives. Thus, it is our feelings and emotions that are the REAL deal, and it is they that hold the key to breaking the unhealthy pattern of the recurring unsavory dramas in our lives.

For any clarification, please use the comments section.

Kiki ;-)
www.theradiantself.com

P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

So what did you be grateful for?

What did you say in your list yesterday? What were you grateful for? For your family? For your friends? For the love that comes your way from them? For other special people in your life? For children? For grandchildren? For a good life? For your health? For living in a safe city - a safe country? For needs met easily? For wants met easily? For peace within? For a Higher connection, spiritually speaking? For fulfilling work? For overcoming challenges - physical, emotional, mental, financial, spiritual? For the books you own? For 'toys' that make you happy - the new car, gadget, widget? The boss came in later than you? You escaped the usual traffic on way to work? You turned on the radio and your favorite song came on? You got a surprise gift, flowers, chocolates? You bought yourself flowers, chocolates?

The key here is the 'feeling' of satisfaction and contentment that comes from the things you are grateful for... By being grateful you attract more of this 'good feeling' -- it becomes less about what it is that makes you happy, and becomes more about an enhancement of the emotion which feels good within. The more, thus, we are grateful, the better our days, and obviously the better our lives...

Kiki ;-)
www.theradiantself.com

P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

5 minutes to HAPPINESS...

You're wondering, right? Is this some kind of a joke? Happiness in 5 minutes? Well, it IS possible - this is a tried and true exercise, from my own experience and many, many of the hundreds of people I've shared this with. I've spoken about this several times on this blog and felt inspired to write again today because of a wonderful lunch I had with a friend last week. I spoke to her about making a gratitude list every night, sometimes I refer to it as keeping a Gratitude Journal. The idea really caught the her imagination and she emailed me the next day about how it shifted her energy, and how happy she was to start enumerating all her many blessings. If you've missed the earlier information on how to do this exercise, here it is again, from an entry from November 2007. For more detail please see the first three posts of November 2007.

THE 5-MINUTE TIP

Ok, here goes - get hold of a notebook, of any sort, but a nicely bound notebook with a nice cover will add specialness to the exercise. The one I'm presently using (I've gone through a few in the past few years) has a thick burgundy cover with a lattice-work of small golden leaves printed all over it. Very beautiful! I call it my Gratitude Journal! So could you. Ok, here's the deal:

EVERY night at bedtime, better if you're already in bed, ready to sleep, write down in your notebook 5 events that happened that day, that you're grateful for. Remember, the key is, which events brought you relief, or comfort, or joy, a song to your lips, made you whistle a tune, took your breath away? Any, and all of these merit a place in your Gratitude Journal. I just begin by writing: Thank you God ... OR Thank you my Higher Self ... and itemize 5 things that happened that very day. You may write more, but not less. I've had days when my list runs to 10 or more items - oh, happy day!

Well, there you go! And, this is what is happening:

Being in a state of gratitude you are experiencing 'positive emotions' - which the ever-present Universal Law of Attraction will bring you more of ... by bringing into your life more of the same.

This is one of my all-time favorite topics :-)! I dream sometimes of men, women and children in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan writing Gratitude Journals - as well children living in poverty everywhere in the world. Some might say this is idealistic, but hey - better to be an idealist than a harbinger of negativity and fear! There's too many of those around already. I truly believe the world needs more happy dreams - and here's to that.

Kiki ;-)
www.theradiantself.com

P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

Our life is RIGHT NOW

To 'focus on the present moment' is emphasised again and again by scriptures, philosophers, new age thinkers, self-help authors, spiritual leaders and all those who are in a position to influence people's lives for the better. The plain and simple reason being that we have no control on our past and the future, and the present is all we've got. I like to think that they do this because they're on to the secret that our state of mind always attracts its own (or similar) to itself, and therefore taking care of our present, automatically helps us take care of our future.

I want to share this powerful message from the Abraham-Hicks website - confirming once again the simplicity of the Law of Attraction in the last line: '(your life) is not ever going to get better than right now--until it gets better right now!"

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


Your life is right now! It's not later! It's not in that time of retirement. It's not when the lover gets here. It's not when you've moved into the new house. It's not when you get the better job. Your life is right now. It will always be right now. You might as well decide to start enjoying your life right now, because it's not ever going to get better than right now--until it gets better right now!


Excerpted from a workshop in Silver Spring, MD on Saturday, May 11th, 2002

Our Love,
Jerry and Esther

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

Kiki ;-)
www.theradiantself.com

P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

I'm musing over...

... this idea: "What good is a mind if you can't change it?!!!"

(There's no blog on Saturday.)

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

External vs Internal Reality

As has been repeated again and again in the posts of this blog, our external reality is but a reflection of whatever is going on inside us. And this author believes this truth wholly and unconditionally - considering then, the unsavory events of our lives to be mere indicators of what we need to take care of within - fixing, healing, cleansing etc. This however, is a hard pill to swallow for most people, who simply cannot understand that what sucks in their lives is not someone else's fault. All I have to say to that is the longer one stays in denial, the longer it will take for us to heal. Better, then, to take responsibility, cut to the chase and start working on ourselves... to reap awesome harvests of the effort made, and the work put in.

Blessed be...

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

Instant relief

The tension we create within through resisting the flow and movement of life creates a situation within us not unlike a pressure-cooker without a safety valve, ready to explode any minute. An example of resistance is the huge need to control each event of our life, and also the result of each and every event -- yes, we are talking about control freaks here... This need makes us pretentious, taking ourselves too seriously, with no scope for joy, for playfulness, for operating from the heart space or being sensitive to the needs of others, as well as our own inner, spiritual ones. This 'pretend' facade that everything in our life is perfect, and that we are perfect, and in control, is a huge energy drainer, rather like a black hole that sucks in whatever limited energy we have leaving us depleted and exhausted, with nothing left to give to anyone, including ourselves. More often than not we create this black hole condition, through our concern and fear of others' judgement of us. It never fails, now, to amaze me just how much of ourselves we invest in maintaining a status quo of this falsehood. And I say NOW, because I've been there and done that too! The sad part of being raised in societies that perpetuate such narcissism, believing this exterior perfection to be our only reality is that we shut ourselves out from the Light of consciousness.

Better than wanting to be seen as perfect, then, is to just accept that we are all flawed, some more and some less, and these flaws are the cracks in our facades... they are a huge gift because how else will the Light get in :-)... and bring instant relief from the tension-filled state of appearing perfect...

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

How to make meaningful choices

Change is the only constant in our lives - time and tide, we know, stop for no one... sometimes this fact is welcome but more often than not change brings disturbance, upheavel, and at the very minimum a need for re-adjustment. This process of re-adjusting is often very painful because all sorts of fears surface and destabilize us. To have our life back in control we have to make decisions which necessarily involves making choices. For most of us making choices is one of the most frustrating exercises as we weigh the pros and cons of different options and expend a lot of energy in vaccillating from one idea to another. Outside of a clear understanding of our personal needs and limitations, the conflict is most often based on how we will be perceived by others, or whether the decision we are making will stand the test of time, or even, if we ourselves will change our mind yet again after investing time, money, effort, and emotion into realizing our wish.

In order to make decisions quickly, which is a big job for especially a Libra like me :-), I have finally invented a system by which decision making and choosing are a lark... easy as 1-2-3... For worldly and material decisions, where doubt is already present and I'm already second-guessing myself, I ruminate over, and create a short list of the available choices. To these I give the the following acid-test. I ask myself if on my death-bed I will be content, or regretful, that I did or didn't do such and such. I let my positive or negative emotional reaction guide me to make a choice.

And for bigger choices, that would effect my life, have a bearing on my soul, effect me at a deep inner level I ask myself this question: "Will doing this take me towards, or away from, my divine purpose and path?" The answer is always very clear!

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

'Just because it's empty'... on Stillness and Peace

I recently came across this Zen saying on the Facebook page of a friend, and it stopped me in my tracks...

'JUST BECAUSE IT'S EMPTY DOESN'T MEAN IT MUST BE FILLED'!

It instantly needed me to become still, and I wanted to stop and think about all its possible interpretations... But then I read it again and there felt no need to process it any further but just to stay with the idea. Rolling it around in my mind, on my tongue, and finally in my heart I experienced a profound stillness everywhere within, and a sense of quietude and deep peace. If we try to connect with this emptiness, we will see that it is just fine as it is. Not sitting in wait of something to come along to fill it. It's beauty lies in just that, it's being empty.

Applying it to how we humans are, this thought brings a very refreshing contrast with how we continually fill the empty space within with unending mental chatter and spend our days filling every vacant moment with either an action or a thought, never quietening down enough to get a glimpse of our inner world, or to have an experience of a deep rest in the silence of the emptiness within. Try it though - you'll never be the same...

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

More on PEACE and HAPPINESS

The following were my reponses to different groups I came in contact with recently:

What makes us happy

As a Psychosynthesis practitioner, I have finally come to the conclusion that what brings us true and lasting happiness is to 'give what you didn't get' -- this is very loaded, of course, because a lot of inner work has to be done to move away from a victim mindset when we are so entangled with what we DIDN'T get and allow that perceived deprivation to color our whole life. There's more on all this on my blog www.theradiantself.blogspot.com.

I started writing it to 'GIVE WHAT I DIDN'T GET' - an understanding of my path and my pace, and my walking to the sound of a different drum, which people in my environment didn't comprehend... That this served me better, and made me soar on my path, is another matter of course :-)!

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

The anger in India... and coming from a mindset of peace

There is a lot of, and understandable, anger in India right now as a result of the carnage at the hands of terrorists this past week. Many groups have sprung up on Facebook, but few are using the language of peace, which is of course coming from a space of fear. Whatever its face, it is well worth to remember, that at the root of all anger is fear. One group named itself 'Fight for India' and below is my post on their wall:

Can the name of this group not be changed to PEACE IN INDIA FOREVER, or FOR PEACE IN INDIA or something similar without the violence of words like 'fight'... There's a lot of understandable anger around, but there's no getting around the fact that words have power, thoughts become things - also, violent words will attract violence and anger will only invite more of its own kind.

In peace!

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

On PEACE

I saw this quote by Lao Tzu on my friend Cezanna Malter's (www.joyousliving.com) message to our group today and I thought, this is it -- nothing more is needed for today's blog. This is all we need, in our hearts, and in the world.

If there is to be peace in the world,

There must be peace in the nations.

If there is to be peace in the nations,

There must be peace in the cities.

If there is to be peace in the cities,

There must be peace between neighbors.

If there is to be peace between neighbors,

There must be peace in the home.

If there is to be peace in the home,

There must be peace in the heart.

(Lao Tzu (570-490 B.C.))

Just a reminder, there's no blog on Saturday.

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

Dealing with the ups and downs - emotional or otherwise...

Hi All.

Here's a Rumi poem that spells it all out! Enjoy...


THE GUEST HOUSE

This being human is a guest house.

Every morning a new arrival.


A joy, a depression, a meanness,

some momentary awareness comes

as an unexpected visitor.


Welcome and entertain them all!

Even if they're a crowd of sorrows,

who violently sweep your house

empty of it's furniture,

still, treat each guest honorably.

He may be clearing you out for some new delight.


The dark thought, the shame, the malice,

meet them at the door laughing,

and invite them in.


Be grateful for whoever comes,

because each one has been sent

as a guide from beyond.


~RUMI~


Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

It's official... Canada's in recession -- do you care? No, you are grateful!

It takes courage to trust and believe what I'm going to say but the fact of the matter is that no outer source is your resource! Yep... that's the truth, and the whole truth. You ARE your own resource -- and by focusing on gratitude, BELIEVING that you deserve happiness, abundance will follow you wherever you go. Try it - you'll see!

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

Mon pays, c'est l'hiver! My country, is winter!

The snow is finally coming down! Not hesitant, not surreptitiously, neither sneakily when we weren't watching -- it's falling unabashedly, as though it knows it's time is here! November is bowing out... the last few days have seen the temperature go down to minus ten or lower, and hey! - this is Canada!! Let's not look around for sympathy if we don't like what we're seeing. For one reason or another we chose to make this our home, or have decided to stay regardless, so why complain each time the temperatures drop or the snow falls.

It makes so much more sense to make a gratitude list instead, for the picture postcard landscape outside; the crisp air that wakes up the senses; the lovely hot cups of coffee and hot chocolate in the awesome cafes of Montreal and in the region around; the well-heated homes where we sit in our t-shirts while watching the frostiness outside; the exhilerating outdoor activities of skiing, snowshoeing, ice-fishing; the crunching of the snow under new boots, and kicking it up for the fun of it. Ah oui - mon pays, c'est l'hiver, et je l'adore!!! I adore my wintry land!

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

What's your elephant quotient?

Here's a story submitted by Jim Donovan that I found both fascinating - and sad! Please read on...

Why The Elephants Don't Run

A number of years ago, I had the rather unique experience of being backstage in Madison Square Garden, in New York, during the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus. To say the least, it was a fascinating experience. I was able to walk around looking at the lions, tigers, giraffes and all the other circus animals. As I was passing the elephants, I suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at any time, break away from their bonds but for some reason, they did not. I saw a trainer near by and asked why these beautiful, magnificent animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away.

"Well," he said, "when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it's enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They think the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free."

I was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they could not, they were stuck right where they were.

Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before? How many of us are being held back by old, outdated beliefs that no longer serve us? Have you avoided trying something new because of a limiting belief? Worse, how many of us are being held back by someone else's limiting beliefs?

Kiki: Well intentioned friends and family will caution us not to do anything that smacks of being 'unfamiliar' or 'different' or 'risky'. How many of us have heard, "You can't do that?" These are people who don't have the courage themselves to break through self-imposed boundaries and shackles of old and weatherbeaten ideas that no longer stand the test of our times. Ideas which have held them fast to meaningless notions of life and living that do absolutely nothing for them to become happy human beings, with cutting edge beliefs promoting harmony and peace on our planet.

Again, from Jim: Challenge your own limiting beliefs by questioning them. If you begin to question a belief, you automatically weaken it. The more you question your limiting beliefs, the more they are weakened. It's like kicking the legs out from under a stool. Once you weaken one leg, the stool begins to lose its balance and fall.

Once you realize you have weakened that old belief and begun to replace it with a new, empowering one, look for references to support the new beliefs you want to cultivate. As in the example of the stool, you want to reinforce your beliefs by adding more and more "legs" to them. Find people who have accomplished what you want to accomplish, discover what they did and model their behavior.

Kiki: I can't remember her name right now, and will add it later here, but an admiral of the US Navy has said that the most dangerous words in the English language (for that matter, in any language) are, "It has always been done this way.

Jim: It has been said throughout history that what ever you believe, with conviction, you can achieve. Don't be like the poor elephant and go through your life stuck because of a limiting belief you were given or developed years ago. Take charge of your life and live it to the fullest. You deserve the best!

[Jim's version was aimed at motivating business and sales people. I edited it for the purpose of making people see how unchallenged beliefs turn us into mindless and numbed out creatures, who may die without realizing our potential, with our song still within us.]

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

A way to be... A way to live...

I'm just back from a spiritual retreat where the inevitable question came up, once again: Who are we? What are we doing here? And, while here, how can we make our lives meaningful? For me, a poem by Kali Heydel (2006), shared by a friend some time ago at another retreat with the same group, said it all:

Hearts Wildly Open

Breathe
Breathe love
into the cup
of your hands
and place your flaming
palms against your heart

Let this warmth
melt your fears
like wax before a fire
and watch the delicious
softening reveal
the wildflower
of your heart.

We must live
with Hearts Wide Open.
Hearts Wildly Open.

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

Wishing you all the courage to have wildly open hearts...

Kiki :-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

What did one fish ask another? "Hey...

... do you know of this place they call the ocean?" And, this is what is true of us all... We live WITHIN this magnificent SOURCE - a bountiful space of Light - our resource of all our inner and outer needs, and yet we don't know it! Quel dommage! - such a pity! Nope, you say. I don't know this place. If this IS true then show me how to find it! Ok then - you asked for it :-):

Find a quiet and comfortable place to sit in/on and close your eyes. A few times, take a deep breath from you nose (mouth closed) and then exhale l-o-n-g and deliberately, from slightly parted lips (opening your mouth too much will dry your mouth out). Do this 3, or 5 or 7 times (no magic with the odd numbers, just do as many times it feels right to do)... until there's a sense of balance in the mind and body. Gently, without forcing yourself, sift through the recent days, or weeks, or months when your mind was calm - you had a quiet sense of peace within... the outside world didn't interfere with your inner state in any way. Upon further reflection you actually have a sense of joy, starting to erupt in a small fountain of sorts -- and as you focus on it, it becomes stronger and bigger. Allow yourself to stay with this feeling as long as you need to. Once there's a sense of completion, you may gently return to the room and open your eyes. How did that feel?

I promise you, that doing this short and simple exercise everyday will soon enough bring you a glimpse of what other wonders there are in the Universe, for you to savour and experience.

I don't know if there's another part to my riddle, but maybe the second fish was enlightened, and told the first one: "Right here my friend, is the ocean you've heard about. You're living and breathing it every moment. Be grateful for it, and partake of its riches, that are yours to be had, but only if you want them."

(Being Saturday, there'll be no blog tomorrow.)

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

Off to Toys R Us we go...

OK - just do it, today! Take that child part of you shopping. Am I kidding you? No way... I'm more serious than I've ever been... Go on - take that child part of you shopping -- the one that somehow got left behind in the process of growing up -- the one whose needs were not met while young, and growing up... Oh sure, it received what its parents thought was best for her/him but it wasn't what the child wanted, at all. We don't know what beliefs it formed then... Whether it decided it just didn't deserve anything nice, or whether it bought into the negative belief that it needed to be smarter, prettier, funnier, cuter, more hard-working, a big-earner, a workaholic, or anything unnatural of similar nature, to be deserving of material things or non-material like attention, praise, acknowledgement, unconditional love etc. etc. Take THAT child shopping - for no reason at all, but simply because it lives right there within you, still waiting and hankering after love -- and once inside the Toys R Us, or any such store, walk the aisles till this part of you needs you to stop before something and buy it, and bring it home :-)!

The more care such parts within us receive -- in other words the RE-PARENTING these parts receive, will help them blossom and thrive making YOU, the you that you ARE, this here and now adult you, become more solid and grounded. And yes... this part of you DOESN'T NEED adult toys - just the plain and simple kiddy toys...

For more information on this work please use the comment space to contact me (not forgetting your email address - and if you don't want me to post your comments I won't). You may also, contact me through www.theradiantself.com for more information on Inner Child work.

Not sure what to make of this information? Just go and see the movie "W"... and see what happened to poor George W.

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

The flow of life...

I want to share with you the first half of the poem 'Every Tree'. It is a translation of a Rumi poem by Coleman Barks from his book 'The Glance - Songs of Soul-Meeting'.

EVERY TREE

Every tree, every growing thing as it
grows, says this truth: You harvest what

you sow. With life as short as a half-
taken breath, don't plant anything but

love. The value of a human being can
be measured by what he or she most deeply

wants. Be free of possessing things.
Sit at an empty table. Be pleased with

water, the taste of being home. People
travel the world looking for the Friend,

But that one is always at home!

Wishing everyone love and joy,

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

On being grateful for what you DIDN'T get

Huh? Why would I want to do that? How CAN I do that? Aren't we supposed to be happy, and therefore grateful when we GET what we want? I can hear all these questions popping in your mind. Don't blame you for thinking this way, for that's how we are raised. Disappointments are NOT supposed to happen in our lives... and if they do we are supposed to feel sad, suffer grief, even feel depressed until the next fulfilled desire.

I'm going to invite you to do do a little evaluation of your own life while you read on about how grateful I am for all those things that DIDN'T happen in my life, and I DIDN'T get, even though I wanted them oh-so-badly! Hindsight is 20/20, and after the event I have always realized that I'm better off without some of the things I desired because I was too blinded by a sense of 'neediness' when I wished for them. This sometimes led to making compromises that went against my grain... It's a relief then to learn later that a benevolent Universe knew what indignity and/or suffering I was setting myself up for, in wanting certain things in my life, that would not serve me in any way - neither make me happy nor add to my life. This taught me then to change the way I asked for things I wanted. Instead of strictly defining wishes, I always ask for 'THIS' (my wish) OR better - allowing for the Universe to modify my desires to what is optimal for me. Doing this also gives me the necessary patience, knowing that my perfect wish is being cooked to perfection :-)...

Next time you ask for something, ask for 'THIS or BETTER'... and in the mean time give thanks that so much of what you asked for didn't come to you. It didn't come because it was not the perfect answer to what your REAL needs were, and are!

Kiki :-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

Everything is in order

Just affirm, once, or three, or five, or ten times, this morning:

My life and my affairs are in complete order.

And they WILL be.

Other variations can be:

My house is in order, it's how the planet IS.

OR

There is divine order in all aspects of my life.

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

A test of our faith

To trust that we are always perfectly positioned on our paths no matter what happens around us is a big test of faith. Yet, how can it be anything else but that, because there really is no one out there waiting to punish us for anything. The real truth of how things are is contained in this piece of wisdom from the Ojibwe (native North-American people):

"Sometimes I go about in pity for myself,
And all the while
A great wind is bearing me across the sky."

Why must we then fret, sweat, and worry?

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

My Little Zen Companion...

... quotes Basho (a famous Japanese haiku poet and Zen adept) as saying: 'Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Seek what they sought.'

Self-inquiry is a better approach to seek what the wise have always sought, with more guarantees of finding our answers within, than by blindly accepting dictums pronounced by others whose history, beliefs, circumstances, and spiritual growth may not be in sync with ours, or where we want to go. Psychosynthesis is thus an excellent medium for self-discovery - which you have to try, to discover for yourself the clarity and depth it will add to your experience of yourself, and help you get in touch with the truest, most authentic part of yourself. Amongst the multitudes of modalities there are, this is amongst the most complete, in my experience.

(Being Saturday, there will be be no post tomorrow.)

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

Why we gossip

Think about the last time you passed any sort of unkind judgement on someone. Chances are you won't have to think too long to come up with a memory - because that's what a lot of us do - day in and day out - talking about others in negative and unflattering terms, quite unaware that when we do this what is often at play is the fact that 'an offensive is the best defence' - in other words, most of us are afraid of being judged by others, and we try to pre-empt that by 'attacking others first.' Surprised? Don't like being told this? - Well, in that case why not save your precious energy to use for enhancing your own life instead of wasting it by passing derogatory comments on others.

You ask me if I'm this angel who doesn't indulge in gossip, and I'll tell you that I used to but I stopped - when I realized that this was a mere cover up of my own insecurities. And getting rid of the habit was very hard, since it was was an old one that had settled in my bones, just as habits do - but so determined was I not to be the pathetic loser I'd started feeling I was, when I realized why I was doing this, that I taught myself to be very conscious and cautious at all times around people. Slowly I changed my instant and instinctive unkind reactions to people, what they were wearing, what they were doing, or what their appearance or profile appeared to be, by changing it to 'This is the way this soul wants to experience itself, and so be it.' I found this extremely helpful to do, and in seconds my attention moved to something else. The effort was so well worth it, making me open-minded, tolerant and most of all compassionate towards others.

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

so UNCOOL!!!

The credit for this post goes to Jennifer Aniston :-)... for her comment on Angelina Jolie :-), made in the last couple of days I think...

What are those two doing here? Well, they're here, because I found this bit of info on MSNBC (Microsoft News) and without going into their saga, I thought it was neat how Jennifer Aniston summed up all she might have felt in one everyday word. Wouldn't it be neat if we all would control our reactive dramas over issues we had no control over to just declare 'Oh, how uncool!' - and no histrionics needed...

Yes, yesterday's blog was about how events around us mirror our inner environment and the only thing to do is to take responsibility for them - why then am I defending a reactive statement such as this one? In answer, I'll say that until we become very evolved, we have to honor the human experience, and 'manage' it in the best way possible, even as we continue to work on ourselves to become SO 'cool' :-), that we can take all 'uncool' things in our stride. What say you :-)?

People are rude? - How uncool!
People betray your trust? - How uncool!
People are sarcastic? angry? invade your space? are unapologetic after causing hurt and pain? - Oh well! How uncool!

This should help to control any small or big explosions, helping us to move away faster to a space from where we can step back, take stock and let go of negativity with greater ease, than if we were to allow ourselves to get embroiled in excessive emotional turbulence created by unchecked anger, resulting in unnecessary emotional trauma. Now that would be 'SO UNCOOL :-)!'

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

Here comes that rainbow again!

Whether you are seeing things you like, or those that you don't, your inner state is being reflected in your environment, RIGHT NOW! If it's good, be grateful - if it's NOT good, be MORE grateful ;-)... because it's just a benevolent Universe showing you what you need to work on. This is just a gentle reminder... heigh ho - here comes that rainbow again :-) :-) :-)...

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

Senseless Acts Of Kindness

I chanced upon this song by Kris Kristofferson today - it made me pause and think of how we all like to talk about, and send emails all the way around the world, about stories that move us. I wondered too, about how many of us support any causes, other than our own cause :-)??? I support more than half a dozen - no matter the ups and downs of my life, and a quiet part of me is always content to know that I have regularly contributed to make the world a better place, and therefore feel very qualified to share this song here with everyone -- and pardon me if I'm too much in your face ;-)! I've searched long for the secret to happiness, and 'doing something for others' has always come out tops -- that IS the secret to being happy... especially if we can do it with the nonchalance described in the song: 'So, what's it to you?'

Here Comes That Rainbow Again

The scene was a small roadside cafe,
The waitress was sweeping the floor.
Two truck drivers drinking their coffee.
And two Okie kids by the door.
"How much are them candies?" they asked her.
"How much have you got?" she replied.
"We've only a penny between us."
"Them's two for a penny," she lied.

And the daylight grew heavy with thunder,
With the smell of the rain on the wind.
Ain't it just like a human.
Here comes that rainbow again.

One truck driver called to the waitress,
After the kids went outside.
"Them candies ain't two for a penny."
"So what's it to you?" she replied.
In silence they finished their coffee,
And got up and nodded goodbye.
She called: "Hey, you left too much money!"
"So what's it to you?" they replied.

And the daylight was heavy with thunder,
With the smell of the rain on the wind.
Ain't it just like a human.
Here comes that rainbow again.

~ Kris Kristofferson

Hope that warmed the cockles of your heart...

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

The hardest things to do

The two hardest things to do, in life:

- The first is to TAKE responsibility for whatever it is that happens to you.

- The second hardest thing is to NOT blame someone else for any, and all, bad things that happen to you.

These are very, very hard to do, I'm sure everyone here will agree... But, guess what? When we take responsibility we stop blaming, or being victims, and that's when we evolve to the level of mastery, when life pulls out all the stops, to unfold itself for you, bringing you untold joy, happiness and contentment. The path is really very simple, but unfortunately, not easy. However, what we came here to do was exactly this - to work to achieve this mastery... and not to merely eat, sleep and procreate.

We have choices to make everyday... What are YOU going to choose to do?

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

The pathway to enlightenment...

... is considered long and hard by most... which indeed it is, until the time we decide to have it, no matter the cost--by taking the firm decision to search for it anywhere and everywhere, and try all possible means to achieve it. And then, believe it or not, you find the door right in front of you -- waiting for you to place your hand on the doorknob and turn it. No sooner than you reach this far, the door opens, as if on cue -- and all you have to do is to step inside. And that's when we realize just how blind and deaf we've been, and so removed from that which is truly real.

Try it, you'll love it! And, you'll never again be impressed by fake substitutes of the joyous 'high' which will forever surround and impermeate you, once you experience the 'hit' of enlightenment.

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

I'm back - with a poem by Hafiz

Hi All,

I'm happy to be back... with a poem by Hafiz, as translated by the inimitable Daniel Ladinsky, in his book 'The Gift'.

THE GIFT

Our
Union is like this:

You feel cold
So I reach for a blanket to cover
Our shivering feet.

A hunger comes into your body
So I run to my garden
And start digging potatoes.

You asked for a few words of comfort and guidance,
I quickly kneel at your side offering you
This whole book--
As a gift.

You ache with loneliness one night
So much you weep

And I say,

Here's a rope,
Tie it around me,

Hafiz
Will be your companion
For life.


Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

The next few steps

After doing the first step, proceed by going back in time to a moment when a similar experience took place. You didn't have the money or resources to acquire something you really wanted to have. Get into the details of the incident/event. Once again explore your emotions, naming them, and truly FEELING them.

Continue this process by going to an earlier, time and connecting with a similar experience.

Then, go to yet another, and still earlier time in your life when you had another similar experience.

Continue with the steps till you can't get to a younger age. Mind you, the younger you can go to the better this will work. That's why doing an exercise like this with a trained guide is more beneficial but nevertheless, doing it however you can is better than not attempting it.

At the end of the exercise, you probably got in touch with an incident or event where a fairly simple, or small need of yours was not met.

My own example of this exercise brought an amazing memory recall of being 4 or 5 and being given some money by my mother to offer at the alter in an Indian temple. While waiting our turn outside, I was approached by a candy-seller and I exchanged the money my mother had given me for a piece of candy. Pretty soon she discovered what I had done, and being a stickler for what we ate (too much candy was not part of it) she scolded the candy-seller and made me return my 'shopping'. I recalled then that I had been deeply disappointed. Seen in isolation, this may be an everyday event in a child's life, but the fact of its showing up when I was consciosly looking for answers to a certain dysfunctional behavior in myself said volumes about what needed healing in me.

So, at the end of your own exercise, when you connect with what it was that you were denied, take yourself shopping and buy that object, or anything else that feels like a good enough substitute, for yourself.

Try it -- you'll be on your way to beginning the healing ptrocess within.

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

If interested you may contact me for further investigation of this exercise. This work can be done by phone also.

Charity begins at HOME - and this home is YOU :-)!

Yep - that's the missing piece in all of this. YOU are the home that needs the charity FIRST. And THIS is the way to take care of the saboteur we talked about in yesterday's post. By meeting the deep unmet needs of this saboteur, we create a shift in its raison d'etre...

What then are the steps to 'give' charity to this 'home' which is you? The following steps are a start and should provide a simple start to an ongoing path of self-discovery and self-nurturing.

Step 1:

Think about the last time that you really wanted something as you ventured into a store but didn't have the cash or resources to buy it. (Chances are very good that it wasn't a Mercedes Benz :-)!) Close your eyes and deepen the awareness of this experience in as much detail as possible. Recall the day, the time of day, what you were wearing, who was with you, and now really slow down and recall what your emotions were as you realized you could not have this thing that you would have dearly loved to have.

Use words to name the emotions: frustrated; irritated; angry; sad; despondent; hopeless; a victim; less than others; pathetic etc. etc. Make a note of the emotions. Close back your eyes and truly experience the emotions that came up.

The next few steps are in the next post. Cheer up -- your life isn't as sucky as you think it is... and what you don't like about it you can change -- and THAT is my promise to you :-)!

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

So, who is the saboteur in you?

If you had been reading this blog from the beginning, your hand would be up. You'd know the answer to this question :-).

The saboteur, that stops you from manifesting your ideal life is one or several parts of you, within you. Sounds awful and a bit scary I know. But this is very useful information to have because unless we know the enemy, how are we going to deal with it? And actually the saboteurs within us are pretty pathetic, because they developed as a result of thwarted wishes and desires from a long, long time ago. From a time when due to insufficient physical, or mental, or emotional, or financial, or even spiritual development, we were not able to take care of ourselves and meet our own needs, wants and desires. We were dependent on others for these who didn't always understand their importance in our lives. The unmet needs created a negative energy space within and we felt like victims -- perhaps buying into the belief that we didn't deserve, or were not good enough to have this thing we wanted so badly. These beliefs are examples of what these saboteurs might be, and each time that we come close to achieving what WE, the adult present part of us desires, along comes the saboteur from a long time ago to wave the flag in our face, screaming: NO, YOU CAN'T HAVE THIS - YOU DON'T DESERVE IT.

How can we fix this? Please see the next blog.

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

If money were no object...

... what would you like to have in your life? This is a question I often ask my clients. It is a question that almost always follows the first one which is: 'What would you like to have in your life?' -- to which the invariable answer is a desire for money, very often huge, humungous amounts of it. Oh, I have nothing against money -- money is great to have, because having it provides us with a tangible resource to exchange for whatever it is we need. However, obsessing only about a dollar amount is like putting the cart before the horse, instead of the other way around. What most people don't know or realize is that focusing upon what you would DO with that money shortens its manifestation in your life. Here's what we think:

Step 1: Have money

Step 2: Buy what we need/want

Step 3: Feel happy

And I lknow most of you would be very surprised if I told you that the way this actually happens is the inverse. How it actually happens is:

Step 1: FEEL happy. Close your eyes and really SEE yourself happy. This might happen quickly or may take a while if you are stuck in a victim mode, a fear mode, pre-occupied with unhappy thoughts that are actually not nurturing you or nourishing your heart.

Step 2: SEE yourself as you would be if your desire were already manifested. How would you FEEL then? How joyful would you be? This is also a good stage for a confirmation by you within, if this is indeed what you need or want. If its hard to connect with a sense of joy, skip this desire andallow another one to emerge in your mind. Then follow the same procedure.

Step 3: The desire will manifest. Keep an open mind. Don't be attached to the exact form or shape; keep focusing on feeling joy in your heart.

Why can I say this with so much certainty? It's because this is what I do, and it works for me.

Is it really as simple as that? Yes - if you take some time each day on your personal growth and try to become more peaceful within, less bitter, deal with your fears. Also, it will take much longer if done by yourself, and or with the help of self-help books. But if you work with a professional traied to help and guide you, a cakewalk :-)!

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

And this, IS TRUE...

... for me, and hosts of others who took charge of their lives and did, or are doing, everything they can to snap out of a victim mind-state... and thus living empowered lives, filled with bliss and joy. After extensive and intensive education, and experiential investigation, I discovered the 'simple facts' that we may use as guideposts to stay on track on our life-journey, and to live empowered lives. These facts may actually be considered the ground rules for living, but most people, sadly, aren't even aware of them. And even if they are, they dismiss them as 'mumbo-jumbo'. More's the pity!

After much search and experimenting, I discovered the afore-mentioned TRUTH in the Abraham-Hicks material (google these words for more info and their website), and material from Mike Dooley (www.tut.com). The simplicity of what IS true is dealt with so beautifully by these two sources. Below is a quote from the Abraham-Hicks material:

"There is no condition that you cannot modify into something more, any more than there is any painting that you can paint and not like and just paint over it again. There are many limiting thoughts in the human environment that make it feel like it is not so, as you have these incurable illnesses, or these unchangeable conditions. But we say, they are only "unchangeable" because you believe that they are."

Excerpted from a workshop in San Antonio, TX on Saturday, April 21st, 2001

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Change your thinking - change your life!

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

Strange Miracle

This is another couplet from Daniel Ladinsky's book on Hafiz' translations, I Heard God Laughing:

STRANGE MIRACLE

O wondrous creatures,
By what strange miracle
Do you so often
Not smile?

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

Yes, why indeed, I ask myself? Why don't we humans stop being our own worst enemies? Why don't we connect with JOY? Bring it into our hearts, and smile - and smile...

Wondering,

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

What ELSE can we do?

I'm not one to anymore use vocabulary such as Life is a Battle, things are rough etc. But do love this quote from Thucydides - (c. 460 BC – c. 395 BC)- an Athenian Aristocrat and War Historian:

"But the bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding go out and meet it."

And this is what we have to do while alive... put out our best foot, and follow it with another, and another. And glory and success will be yours! But mind you - YOU will give menaing to these two words -- don't forget that the race is with yourself, and yourself alone -- and THE BEST DESCRIPTION OF SUCCESS according to me is, LIVING YOUR DAYS EXACTLY AS YOU WANT TO LIVE THEM.

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

My personal First-Aid Kit, for when 'bad things' happen

Firstly, there is no such thing as BAD things :-) -- everything is perception. But given our human experience, and our emotions, that can step onto a roller coaster without any notice, it's important to know how to take care of ourselves when 'stuff' happens.

This is what my First-Aid Kit consists of:

- The first thing I do is to drink some water. Water restores the circuit of the chi/ki/electrical energy of the body which short-circuits when unpleasant thinga happen, and the body has a neagtive emotional reaction.

- The second thing I do is to connect with my solar plexus and take account of what's going on there. That's where 'fear' is experienced. Using my breath I keep breathing out the 'bad' sensation felt there until my body regains a sense of balance, and I regain a sense of equilibrium. How long this will take depends entirely on how much inner work someone has done. It's a relief now for me to 'pick myself up' in minutes,instead of the earlier hours, or days, or months, perhaps years ;-)...

- Next I use one of the many essential oil blends (pure, organic should be the only ones used) to either smell or use directly on the solar plexus and/or anywhere else I'm drawn to applying some. Some of them are blends named Forgiveness, Grounding, Inner Child, Into The Future etc.

The above three steps are sufficient to lead yourself out of the woods, and then move to the next stage of dealing with the issue at hand.

More on this in the next post...

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

When BAD things happen...

...ask yourself these questions:

- Have I been in an emotionally charged/negative state lately?
- How long have I stayed there -- hours? days? months?
- Did I invade someone's boundaries?
- Did I explode with anger at someone because they didn't live up to my expectations?
- Did I stray into someone's life and tried to control them?

Well, I'm sorry to tell you that the above actions are what rebounded as unpleasant situations in YOUR life.

So what can you do now?

First, please uderstand that the root of all the above behaviours is a fear of loss of something, or some sort e.g. loss of love, of prestige, of attention from others, loss of face etc. After you find these fears within, evaluate them one by one to see what price you are paying for having these fears. There are many posts in this blog to help you resolve these, mostly baseless, fears. For further help, please feel free to write to me.

Don't be your own worst enemy...

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND

This seems to be the week for my favorite collection of writings. Here is another which you may or may not have read before. It too, like 'Desiderata' has an interesting history.

FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
other times there were one set of footprints.

This bothered me because I noticed
that during the low periods of my life,
when I was suffering from
anguish, sorrow or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints.

So I said to the Lord,
"You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you,
you would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during
the most trying periods of my life
there have only been one
set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most,
you have not been there for me?"

The Lord replied,
"The times when you have
seen only one set of footprints in the sand,
is when I carried you."


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History, as mentioned on the website footprintsonthesand.com:

Footprints in the Sand has been seen in print by people the world over since the late 1940's. All that time no author has been credited with this immortal work, only 'Author Anonymous' has appeared at the bottom. This web site was created to bring to light the story behind 'Footprints in the Sand' and its author Mary Stevenson (Zangare).

For many years handwritten copies were distributed by Mary to those who needed something to give them comfort at a low point in their lives. It was sometime after this that friends of Mary saw it in print and wondered why she wasn't given credit for writing it. An attorney at that time told her that it would be very hard to prove her the author since it had been used by many publishers of religious materials and greeting cards. Mary wrote 'Footprints' in 1936 when she was very young and knew nothing of copyrighting. Discouraged she didn't pursue it any further.

In 1984 while cleaning out the garage to prepare to move from her house, in a small suitcase, among her other poems, she rediscovered a very old handwritten copy that she thought was lost. It was one of the copies Mary had made and dated 1939, just three years after she wrote the original. Later that year the U.S. copyright office awarded her a copyright for 'Footprints in the Sand' 48 years after it was written. It was another 11 years before her handwritten copy was authenticated by a forensic specialist as to its age.

I hope you enjoy the beauty of the thought, and the vividness of the picture created by these words,

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

DESIDERATA (Latin for 'Desired Things')

Beautiful words (poem), written around 1927 by Max Ehrmann - as true and valid today as when it was first written:

DESIDERATA

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

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Please note:

A lot of confusion has followed this piece of writing. I myself, when I first found these words somewhere in the 1970s, believed they were written in 1692. But here is its history from Wikipedia.

The author is Max Ehrmann, a poet and lawyer from Terre Haute, Indiana, who lived from 1872 to 1945. It has been reported that Desiderata was inspired by an urge that Ehrmann wrote about in his diary:

"I should like, if I could, to leave a humble gift -- a bit of chaste prose that had caught up some noble moods."

Around 1959, the Rev. Frederick Kates, the rector of St. Paul's Church in Baltimore, Maryland, used the poem in a collection of devotional materials he compiled for his congregation. (Some years earlier he had come across a copy of Desiderata.) At the top of the handout was the notation, "Old St. Paul's Church, Baltimore A.D. 1692." The church was founded in 1692.

As the material was handed from one friend to another, the authorship became clouded. Copies with the "Old St. Paul's Church" notation were printed and distributed liberally in the years that followed. It is perhaps understandable that a later publisher would interpret this notation as meaning that the poem itself was found in Old St. Paul's Church, dated 1692. This notation no doubt added to the charm and historic appeal of the poem, despite the fact that the actual language in the poem suggests a more modern origin. The poem was popular prose for the "make peace, not war" movement of the 1960s.

Enjoy,

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

Children listen with their eyes

This wonderful message found its way to me again today, and I thought I should post it here. Its true that children watch us and then use us as role models--it is imperative, therefore, that we don't lose sight of this fact.

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

WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN'T LOOKING

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make my favorite cake for me and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I heard you say a prayer, and I knew there is a God I could always talk to and I learned to trust in God.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don't.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it and I learned we have to take care of what we are given.


When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't feel good and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw tears come from your eyes and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it's all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw that you cared and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I learned most of life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I looked at you and wanted to say, 'Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking.'

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

Let us be the role models our children deserve,

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

Switching your lights out today...

I said a few weeks ago that I would take a break from posting here on Saturdays. I'm bending that rule today because of it being Earth Day and all the excitement about turning off our lights for an hour. I'm writing this after the event, and am happy to have 'connected' with millions with the common goal of saving energy and supporting action being taken to help the cause of global warming, by turning my lights off as well.

The Earth needs our tender loving care - do get involved in an orgtanization of your choice... it's the only way individuals can make their presence felt and their voices heard above the din created by unsupporting politicians, and some governments that are still not heeding the warnings of scientists and others involved with the environmental issues.

If you believe that change is needed in some area of your life, or in your community or country, don't passively watch from the sidelines--be proactive and gat involved. it'll give new meaning to your life.

'See you' all on Monday,

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

Appreciate your specialness

Are there ways in which you find you are different than others? How does that make you feel? Does it make you wince, or are you confortable being just who you are?

A part of loving and honoring yourself is to recognize your specialness... and to appreciate it. Instead of worrying about being judged by others, really BE who you are... take ownership of this person that lives inside you, and then do everything in your power to allow 'it' to grow, develop, and shine. This is everybody's first and foremost responsibility to themselves.

Saluting the specialness in you,

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

More on finding and honoring yourself

I received this beautiful poem today from my daughter Chitvan. A poem about finding, honoring, and cherishing ourselves.

Love After Love by Derek Walcott

The time will come when,
with elation you will greet yourself
arriving at your own door,
in your own mirror
and each will smile at the other's welcome,
and say, sit here.

Eat. You will love again
the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread.
Give back your heart to itself,
to the stranger who has loved you all your life,
whom you ignored for another,
who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,
the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror. Sit.

Feast on your life.

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You may remember my quote from another post here: 'YOU are the one you've been waiting for!'

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

The only person to compete against...

is YOU, YOURSELF. Don't ever, ever, N-E-V-E-R compete with anyone. No good will come out of it. You will win from some, and lose from some -- you won't get better than you are. Compete instead, with yourself... and you will truly grow and evolve -- and will be better tomorrow than you are today. This is the only race worth running--against yourself!

Loving blessings,

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

Searching for, and finding YOURSELF

I have this beautiful quote from Rumi, to share:

"Keep knocking, and the joy inside will eventually open a window and look to see who is there."

Also:

Roberto Assagioli, the father of Psychosynthesis, said:

"JOY is the KEYNOTE of the soul."

Put together the above two quotes to understand that our soul is within us, holding the energy of JOY in our core - waiting patiently for us to disconnect from the drama of life, and revelling in the JOY that is there. Easy as ABC, if you will but make that choice, to go within. Any takers?

In JOY,

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

Anger - one letter away from D-anger

A discussion on anger came up in my conversation with someone yesterday. There was a time I too felt that anger in some situations was justified. But as I understood what's behind this emotion I have to disagree with all defenders of anger - NO MATTER WHAT THE SITUATION. Anger is NOTHING more than a response to fear. You can take that statement to the bank. That's all anger is! Fear is a primal emotion, that flares up whenever we sense ourselves in danger of any sort. If the danger is bigger than what we believe we can handle then we are faced by the 'fight or 'flight' choices for our survival. Stay and Fight, or escape through Flight are unconscious responses of human beings to any situation which feels threatening -- and given the fragility of the human body, we feel 'in danger' very quickly and very easily, and we experience fear. When we do not have the physical, emotional, intellectual resources to stay and 'fight' we tend to take 'flight', even if not literally - but this part I will address later. For now let's focus on the fear.

Fear, then, evokes a sense of helplessness and this helplessness gives rise to anger. The more fears we have, or, the more deeply we fear, the more prone we are to being angry. The more we deal with our fears the less anger we hold within. It might be a revelation to also realize that the more fear and anger we hold within, the more we attract situations and events in our lives that nake us fearful, and/or angry. It's our old friend, the Law of Attraction - up to its old tricks of attracting more to us what we are feeling within. But, how powerful it is to know that it's all under our control, and it's up to us to clean out the emotions within that are not serving us.

Stare your fears in the eye, and they'll vanish -- this I promise you.

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

To Cultivate Loving Relationships

In the past few days I have posted a lot of stuff from my personal collection of 'pearls' and 'gems' :-)... here's one more to wind down the week. Someone gave it to me a while ago, with no mention of the author, so here it is Author Unknown:

For Loving Relationships - try this:

When you feel unloved, start loving yourself and
then go out and love someone.

When you feel unappreciated, start appreciating yourself and
then go out and appreciate someone.

When you feel unacknowledged, start acknowledging yourself and
then go out and acknowledge someone.

When you feel untouched, touch yourself and
then go out and touch someone else.

When you feel ignored, start noticing yourself and
then go out and notice someone.

When you feel rejected, start accepting yourself and
then go out ad accept someone.

When you feel alone, find yourself and
then go out and find someone.

When you feel poor, start giving to yourself and
then go out and give to someone.

And THEN you will find someone who loves you, appreciates you, acknowledges you, touches you, notices you, accepts you, finds you, and gives to you.

In other words, when you feel awful...
Change your thoughts;
Love yourself -- love others;
Give to yourself -- give to others;

And if all fails...
Talk to God, or whatever Higher Intelligence you believe in, OUT LOUD!

Be compassionate with yourself,

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.

The Spirit of a True Healer

The author of the poem below 'The Greeting' is James Haba - this poem is a part of his Ten Love Poems, anthologized by Robert Bly. I'm posting it here as to me it embodies the spirit of a true healer/coach/mentor/guru/leader, and these sentiments epitomize her/his inner state - ego-less, in the spirit of service.


THE GREETING

You have been travelling.
I can see it in your eyes -
The unknown roads demanding new belief.
The light of your will in submission
to the pattern bringing us together.

I have been busy waiting,
putting fresh flowers on the table,
filling the lamps with kerosene,
arranging (as well as I could)
everything, so that you might feel
that you had arrived
at the right place
at the right time.

Hello
I am so glad that you could come.
And in honor of our being here together
Let us make a scratch on the wall of the cave.
We could talk.
We could begin with idle chatter.
I'll start
I'll say, "I love you".

Humbly, touching all lives with love,

Kiki ;-)
P.S. My request to those who 'borrow' from this blog is to please give adequate credit to the source of the borrowed information - whether me, or books and people I quote from. Thank you.