Swordplay

"The pen is mightier than the sword." 

~ Richelieu; Or the Conspiracy

"And I felt His voice take the sword out of my hand." 

~ Ben Hur

"Love your neighbor as yourself." 

~ Jesus, Mark 12:31 

When you let go of your fears, you are free to embrace Heaven.

As April draws to a close, I have to say it has been one of the most significant months of Shift I can recall in a very long while.  I wonder why I'm surprised.  It was after all precisely 10 years ago in April when I experienced my first big Shift, by far the greatest - it took A LOT to jolt me wide awake.

You would think the Love I experienced during that time and in the years since would have helped me to see the sword I held, keeping my wounds and fears at bay, crusading to right a "wrong." I thought I may have dropped it at times, but I always picked it up.

Painting by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1882

The battles at first were fierce indeed.  For hours and hours and hours, pages and pages and pages, I would engage in literal hand-to-hand combat with Christian apologists online, trying to help them see the contradictions they embraced, fighting every step of the way to reveal the "true" Love of God.  The battle waged even more visibly in the Oprah online forum, then on to the ABC Nightline Debate on the Existence of Satan. 

The forums came and went, hundreds of pages of writing erased.  I somehow didn't mind.  I had begun to see the sword.  And I didn't like it.

Or so I thought...then the swordplay started up again on local (eventually national) talk radio, anonymously as usual.  I even found myself engaging in the conspiracy talk at times, so many "wrongs" to right, always for the good of Love and All.  I realized I had a voice beyond the written page, yet the sword was in it too.  An edge.  A poison.  Tainting the Love I shared.  Because I felt I had to right a "wrong." 

And then the Shift.  When we battle others with our words, we are actually battling ourselves.  And although debate may seem to have its place, true Shift happens with no fighting words at all.

The sword echoed a bit as it fell to the ground.  What remained to grasp was Love.

[UPDATE 5/1: See how my perspective shifted in "The Hear in Heart" . . .]

Gratitude

"Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others." 
~ Cicero

Tonight I find myself transported back to those days in school when I didn't want to put down a book I was enjoying, yet had homework to finish.  Back then, usually the book won (and sleep lost since I ended up staying up into the night to finish my homework!).

As the hour gets ever later, I'm called back to immerse myself in the wonderful, heartfelt book Gratitude and Beyond by Dr. Allan Hunter. 

My nightly homework now is of course this blog, due at Midnight, and since I'm the master of its content, I'm going to make it a bit easier on myself tonight.  (I have a book to read.)

A few nights ago, I mentioned resurfacing some poems from my youth. It just so happens I wrote one entitled...



Gratitude

What wonders can one person
wield in the life of another.
Unfathomable loneliness
can be vanquished in an instant
with the sting of attentive arrow.
Drudgery is easily put to death
by swing of sympathetic sword.
Melancholy moods can live no more
where marches the army of compassion.
And dreary thoughts dwindle
from lack of nourishment
when besieged by a host of happiness.

What honors have I to bestow upon
the perpetrator of these heroic deeds?
I have not titles or crowns to grant;
No medals or plaques have I.
What trophy could warrant
the feats you've accomplished?
What coinage could pay their price?
No, none of these things would
    suffice for reward.
I have only to give you my gratitude.

~ Susan Larison, 1981


P. S.  I feel this poem is as relevant today as the day I wrote it, as if speaking across time, straight from the heart.

If you missed The Frontier Beyond Fear episodes with Dr. Allan Hunter, much like his books, they are well worth spending time with, even late into the night...

Dr. Allan Hunter

Dr. Allan Hunter: Reflections from Watertown ~ April 26, 2013

Dr. Allan Hunter: Five Insights for a Fulfilled Life ~ April 10, 2013

Dr. Allan Hunter: The Path of Synchronicity ~ February 27, 2013

And tomorrow live at 12 Noon Pacific / 3 PM Eastern, I have another special returning guest coming on the show, Dr. Robert Forman, author of Enlightenment Ain't What It's Cracked Up To Be. 

Dr. Robert Forman: Leaving the Game Behind ~ April 29, 2013 

Dr. Robert Forman

I feel so very blessed to interact with such brilliant, insightful people who speak straight from the heart.  Gratitude indeed...

Hair!

"Gimme a head with hair

Long beautiful hair" ~ Hair musical

My journey with my hair has been a love/hate relationship.  I recall loving my curls in childhood, but at some point, around the time when it got frizzy enough to wince when my mother struggled with the comb, I began to doubt.  

As my teens progressed, my feelings definitely evolved to Hate.  I also had no idea how to style it.  Naturally curly hair wasn't "in" back then, so I would spend what seemed like forever every morning blowing my hair as straight as I could get it, even though I kept it quite short.  Thankfully nobody showed me the trick of ironing my hair or I would have probably grown it out, then damaged it beyond repair.  Like all teen girls in the late 70's, I was obsessed with getting my hair to "feather back," an impossible feat with all but the straightest of hair.

In college, I discovered hot rollers, which actually worked great with my hair, perfect for the 80's.  The only problem was it took at least an hour and a half every morning to get ready!  I used them for many years. 

At some point, not sure exactly when, I figured out if I just let my hair dry, it would curl almost perfectly all by itself.

All those years I struggled.  And the answer was simply to Let It Be.

I'm growing my hair now.  It's a project of mine I enjoy.  I have finally realized I Love it.  Better late than never...

My hair today, a bit wilder than usual after a hairdresser had her way with it.  I'll tell my Pre-Raphaelite story another day...

Through the Shade

While waiting for Chicken Tikka Masala to-go tonight, at first I failed to notice that which was seemingly shaded from view:

The camera hardly does the scene justice, but it was the shade itself which filtered the light in such a way to bring out the Beauty of the trees beyond.

Could it be our experience on Planet Earth is much the same?

Timeless Wisdom

I came across some poems from my mid to late teens, and since it's Friday night, and I'm not particularly inclined to come up with profound reflections, I thought I would let the voice of my youth speak for me...here is a simple one that is certainly still relevant today!

Feather Heavy Troubles

Oh, burdens of little worth
Why do you torment me so?
To think that I shall live and die
unhindered by your stings
and all the power you never had
will be lost upon the wind.

~ Susan Larison, 1983

The Lens of Love

Fear-based messages always arrive with an "opt out" option.

I find myself disengaging more and more from the fear-based messages inundating us in our society.  I'm beginning to figure out that there is a difference between having knowledge of truth and embracing fear, even when the truth appears terrifying.  I'm not always successful in "opting out," but more and more, moment by moment, I'm seeing the world in a new Light.


When we look at the world through a dark lens, darkness is precisely what we see.  Just imagine the world we could co-create if we used the lens of Love instead.  It's our choice.

Rescue

"Hope springs eternal..." ~ Alexander Pope

Among the neglected pots in the corner of my covered porch, I saw a little ray of hope.  Against all odds, far from any water source, I discovered this:

 

Fearing life was hanging by a thread, though mysteriously hardy, I quickly came to the rescue with water, almost overwhelming the little flowers in the process.  

I couldn't help but ponder if Anyone observing us might consider a similar rescue.  Would we welcome it?  Or would we be overwhelmed?  And how long could we really survive without it?

Latest News from the Frontier

Do we really know the true history of ancient civilizations on the Earth?  Frank Joseph: Before Atlantis, Wednesday's 2 PM Eastern broadcast of my online radio program The Frontier Beyond Fear, has been selected as a "Staff Pick" by the Blog Talk Radio Editorial Team.  It will be highlighted on the Blog Talk Radio home page until 12 AM Eastern on Thursday.  This is always a special honor when it occurs, the third time since the beginning of April.

Frank Joseph is the author of Before Atlantis: 20 Million Years of Human and Pre-Human Cultures.  He is the author of several popular books and the Editor in Chief of Ancient American magazine.  Frank Joseph has appeared on Coast to Coast AM multiple times (including last month), and I'm truly honored and excited to have him on The Frontier Beyond Fear.

Join us 11 AM Pacific / 2 PM Eastern for the live show or listen to the podcast later at the same link.  There is also an iTunes subscription feed.

On the topic of ancient civilizations, if you missed my show last week with Dr. Susan B. Martinez, it's well worth checking out.  Susan has a PhD in Anthropology from Columbia University and discussed her new book The Lost History of the Little People: Their Spiritually Advanced Civilizations Around the World.  With evidence of "little people" showing up everywhere these days, including in David Wilcock's research and the new Sirius documentary, the topic couldn't be more timely.

And finally...stay tuned for details on a very special show being planned with returning guest Dr. Allan Hunter this Friday 1 PM Pacific / 4 PM Eastern.  Allan lives in Watertown, Massachusetts, where he is a college professor, and he will have some very deep, uplifting insights to share about how the dramatic events last week directly impacted him and the community around him.  The author of several inspiring books, Allan had some wonderful things to convey from the heart about Gratitude and Beyond when he joined me on the Frontier 2 weeks ago.

Since spontaneously  launching the program about 2.5 years ago, I feel The Frontier Beyond Fear is not only a project straight from my own heart, but it's also a co-creation of all of the wonderful guests and listeners in community surrounding the show.

The Trees of My Life: My Earth Day Tree

The trees of my life are part of my story.  Here is one of the first.

It was 1970.  The very first Earth Day.  I remember that day like it was yesterday.  The kindergarten class went outside to plant some trees, little evergreens.

I can still see my little hands in the dirt that day, holding my wobbly little tree.

Almost every day for a while, I would
check on its progress.  The days became weeks and months and years.  Yet still I couldn't help but watch it grow.  Year after year after year...I could never pass that spot without looking for my tree.

My family has long since moved from that neighborhood in southwest Denver, but I swear if I went by that school even now, I'd look for my evergreen. 

Now that's celebrating Earth Day.


[Update at 11:45 PM] I just checked Google Streetview, and it looks like all the trees we planted were taken out to put in a new sidewalk...even though there were any number of ways to put it in around the trees...Add them to the list of trees I will never see again.  But that's Earth Day too, isn't it?  Goodnight, Earth Day.  Beauty never really sleeps...

Small Moves

"Small moves, Ellie, small moves..." ~ "Contact" movie

After another wonderful day at the Portland Body Mind Spirit Expo, I found myself facing a challenge.

Now this may not be a challenge for everyone - in fact it may even seem trivial, but I have to admit that I am not a confident, perfectly straight backer of vehicles.  I have known this shortcoming for a while, and usually I need at least some space to work with, as I tend to drift to one side or the other.  I was tired too, even though I had another great day speaking and networking at the Expo.

And to be honest, challenges can be even more intense when it's something a bit embarrassing, something it seems everyone knows how to do except us.  We can judge ourselves quite harshly for the most trivial of things.  Or are they so trivial, really?

After giving a seminar about The Frontier Beyond Fear a day earlier, I was facing one of mine, a parking challenge downtown, surprising since I wasn't even in a parallel parking space...

"Why now?"

My car is on the right.  And yes, only The Thin Man could get in the driver's door... ;-)

The "parking angel" had actually been with me earlier.  I was running late, and there was apparently another very large event at the Convention Center.  I swore I found the very last spot in the entire lot, and I carefully positioned myself perfectly in the center (forward is not a problem for me).  I was told the lot closed down with "Full" signs soon after I came in, with many also having trouble finding on-street parking nearby.

With no angel readily visible now to help, I had two choices.  I could wait until the driver of the vehicle on the left arrived, but quite honestly, I really wasn't sure I wanted to meet this person or place my trust in their backing skills (forward was not so promising) - not to mention I was tired and hungry...and there was no telling when that person would actually make an appearance.

Or I could just take a deep breath and...place my trust in myself (with angelic guidance welcome...).

I was a math major once.  Why is it real-world geometrical situations are sometimes daunting to me?  It's as if I just don't fit in this 3D world at all, though multidimensional maneuvering could have been most useful in this situation.  It's kind of hard to see, but note that the errant oversized vehicle was slanted towards me.  Going out perfectly straight would actually not do at all, and I swore I had maybe 3 inches in the middle and less by the mirror.

"Which way do I turn the wheel?"

I wrote to my significant other seeking advice...

"Small turns" was the response.  It reminded me of the movie "Contact"..."Small moves, Ellie, small moves..." (I do love that movie...)  And "contact" was indeed what I was attempting to avoid!

To make a long story short, I made it out unscathed.  What might have seemed to be a breeze to some was definitely a challenge for me, but when I took it very, very slowly, and gave myself a few tries to get better positioned, it wasn't so bad after all.  In fact, it really was quite easy in retrospect.  I just had to take it very slow.

Sometimes in life we encounter things that frighten us, no matter how seemingly trivial.  And sometimes the slow and mindful solution is actually the best.

At some level, I do believe this situation was a co-creation, but not necessarily of the instantly manifested nightmare variety so many seem to believe in.  It was a co-creation to help me learn and grow.

In the end, I proved to myself I actually can precisely direct my vehicle in reverse when I breathe and set my mind to it.

Who knows what might be next...maybe parallel parking?

Just checking in...

Tonight I really am exhausted.  But I'm still here, committed to blogging every day, at least for the time being.

It was an great day at the Portland Body Mind Spirit Expo at the Oregon Convention Center.  I so enjoyed interacting with all the wonderful people who came to my talk and to my booth.

I'm looking forward to Day 2 tomorrow.   I will be presenting Feminine Voices of the Divine at 2 PM and will be at Booth #19 the rest of the time.

Well, I suppose this really will be a simple entry, as I find myself dozing off as I write...I do know that when engaging in one of these high-energy events, it is so very important to nurture oneself.  So in that spirit, I'm heading to sleep...

Portland Body Mind Spirit Expo this Weekend

It has been quite a day, very surreal, as I followed intermittent updates from a friend in Watertown, MA who was directly impacted by everything that occurred there.

Tonight's post will be very simple and most likely tomorrow's too, as I'm preparing for the Portland Body Mind Spirit Expo this weekend at the Oregon Convention Center, Hall A.  I will be at Lighted Bridge Communications Booth #19 throughout the Expo.


I'm presenting two seminars over the weekend:

The Frontier Beyond Fear - Saturday, 11 AM, Room #1

 

Feminine Voices of the Divine - Sunday, 2 PM, Room #3

Unconditional Love: The Ultimate Commitment

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them." ~ Mother Teresa.

In my continuing commitment to blog every day, I had intended to blog tonight about the "We" part of unconditional commitments, and we'll see if I get to it, but right now I'm following yet another live story in the Boston area which is impacting a friend.  So I find the energy of my intended post interrupted.


I'll see if I can say it in just a few simple words despite my distraction.  The point is to have an awareness of the commitments we make before we make them, but sometimes it's really challenging to know all the conditions in advance.  When a commitment involves more than one person, this is when the concept of mutual respect comes into play.

Respect is not just a matter of honoring the commitment, although that is a part.  Of course, if we choose to be people of integrity, our first goal is to honor it, as that then honors and respects the others involved as well.

The real question is what happens when a commitment needs to bend or break.  That's when the need for respect shifts the other way.  If someone feels the need to change a commitment with you to preserve who they are, you can choose to be angry.  You can choose to hold the person in chains.  Or you can choose to work together to figure it out.  You can choose to forgive.  Honesty and authenticity lead to mutual respect, including having empathy for changing circumstances..

Could it be Unconditional Love is the only unconditional commitment we ever need to make?

Unconditional Commitment

Choosing anything other than empowerment is a contradiction in terms, for it enslaves choice itself.

I find myself beyond exhausted, after a very full day and a meeting most of the night.  Not to mention my schedule could not be more intense for the next 4 days, starting at 6 AM tomorrow.  Yet I'm here.  I'm here because I'm determined to be here.  Because I made a silent commitment to see what it really might be like to blog each and every day.  I almost wasn't here at all.  What choice would have respected my authentic self the most? 

This is just a small commitment really, but are unconditional commitments truly the ideal?  Conditions change.  We change.  Moments carry surprises, some greater than others.  The real question is usually not whether to break a commitment entirely, but whether to bend it slightly out of respect for who we are.  Most commitments are forgiving enough to bend, and if they are not, we lose the ability to live authentically.

Every moment is an opportunity to discover and expand our authentic selves.  If we enslave ourselves to an unconditional commitment, we may lose ourselves in the process.  We may lose our opportunity to grow.

We usually know when a commitment no longer serves us at all.  That takes more than a moment to know, and that's not the case here.  I must truly want to be here or I wouldn't still be writing.  But the real question is how we find the balance between the commitments we make and the deepest respect for who we are and who we are becoming.  That's not a function of unconditional commitment.  It's a function of Unconditional Love.