Happiness is this week's most gratifying act of defiance for me.
Last week I got SLAMMED with hate. My "Vote Blue" video inspired opposition, insults, accusations and threats. Whew! I was deleting left and right! The thing is, it didn't bother me at all. If people were trying to intimidate me into silence or submission, then the result is actually pretty funny. It only fuels my resolve to speak out more.
There's no way I'm going to waste any time being upset about it. Half of these people aren't even real! It's amazing how the most vocal and aggressive opposition comes from accounts that have no name, no content and no followers. I suspect even ones that have some (minimal) information are fraudulent.
#BeeHappy
Some people just want you to be angry. I'm not going to give anyone that kind of power over me. I can fight harder and more effectively when I stand in a place of strength. NOTHING has more strength than Love. Nothing. Moments of happiness, laughter, joy are more than precious. They are potent nutrients, powerful beyond measure. Follow these. Stand on these. Balance on these. Fight with everything you have for these. They bring peace. They are transformative. If we root ourselves in these Truths, these shimmering golden moments - we can change the world and that is EXACTLY what we are going to do.
Those who seem to be trying to hold down your spirit can only do so with your permission. Don't let them. No one is in control of that except you. People who deliberately seek to take another's power are only making a fool's statement about their own insecurity.
Now:
With Love and Kindness in your heart, go take some action that will make you feel useful, helpful, and a positive influence on this society and world, remembering that we are all one family and our mission here is to increase Love.
We work together.
We are Divine.
"Action without vision is only passing time, vision without action is merely day dreaming, but vision with action can change the world."
There is a control center, a mechanism deep within us. If we get in touch with that and make one small adjustment in our own thinking, we will watch amazing changes in our life take place. We have to go deep, and then focus our mind and our energies in the direction we want to go.
1. Access that control panel.
2. Adjust SLIGHTLY (This is a powerful tool).
3. Start to flow in that new direction.
Remember:
No one controls you but YOU. The power is contained within.
WE CAN DO THIS! I'm sure of it. Sidestep the obstacles, unlock the door, and have a fabulous time enjoying the new flow! Ain't no stopping us now!
Why were these my thoughts this week? (Hmm...) There must be new adventures ahead!
#LetsGO #ImReady #ReadyOrNot #BeReady #BringIt
I just remembered that there is a book called "Flow." Just found this short piece with the author. I'm diggin' it!
This week started with friends, went into the challenge of
dealing with a bully, and then came back around to good times and friendship.
Before the gig
I’m beyond grateful for good people who act as my heroes in
times of need. They’re not superheroes because they swoop in and handle
anything FOR me, but because they are there for me to talk to - and in doing so
they help shift my perspective to a place of empowerment and Love.
After the gig - with John, Chelsea, and Brian
When you are able to “zoom out” or step back, or away from a
bully, things take on a new light. You realize that people who act the way they
do must feel very disempowered at their core. Why else would they try so hard
to take power away from others? They are THAT desperate. In the end – I feel a
little sorry for them. It’s too bad they can’t find a healthy way to feel
empowered for themselves.
"Any person capable of angering you becomes your master;
he can anger you only when you permit yourself to be disturbed by him."
- Epictetus
After my run-in with a bully, I “coincidentally” heard about
a young girl who had an issue herself. It hadn’t taken me long to understand
the dynamic I was dealing with and turn it around, but I have experience. I
don’t envy what a lot of young people have to go through today – and I
certainly wouldn’t want to have live my teenage years again. To all of us
trying to hold on to our sense of self-confidence, here’s what I think we should
remember:
Others do not define us. We define ourselves. NO ONE writes our own narrative for us. It helps to seek out information and support. We
can’t always change our life circumstance, school, or neighborhood to free
ourselves from those who like to intimidate. What we CAN do is change our
perspective. We can learn from others' experience, we can connect with people
who encourage us, and we can step away mentally and come back with a fresh
outlook. This may seem simple, but it’s not always easy. There IS a way though.
There is ALWAYS a way. In those moments before we figure it out, faith has to
carry us. Trust that you WILL come to a place of greater understanding. YOU
WILL.
Here are a couple of articles I’ve found insightful:
Have you ever tried complaining to your doctor about how
hard it is to eat healthy? Mine told me I had to change my thoughts.
Instead of thinking about how hard it is, "Just think of making better choices." Every day, every meal is a choice. It seemed simple enough.
That thought lingered with me throughout the week. By
thinking of how hard it is (and before you say “it’s not that hard”- please keep in mind that I'm taking care of
two dogs and a baby) I was focused on the challenge. Changing my mind is simple
enough, but not always easy. My doctor was right. While focused on the
challenge, I was sabotaging my own power. It’s not something difficult. It’s a simple
choice. Remembering that I DO have a choice is empowering. It allows me to take
the reins. With that in mind, I started making healthier food choices.
I carried the idea of changing my mind over to other things
too. All day long I make up silly songs to entertain the baby. I decided some
of the lyrics needed a change.
“Ay, ay, ay, ay… no sir I have no bananas” soon became “Ay,
ay, ay, ay… Yes I do have some bananas.” (What can I say, he thinks the word
“banana” is hilarious.) “Bananas, bananas galore... Bananas yes please I’ll have
more… Ay, ay, ay, ay… How I do love my bananas” etc. (You get the idea.)
Why would I repeat a lyric about a state of lack? Why
wouldn’t I sing from a place of bounty and reinforce THAT idea? Hello? What was
I thinking?
Of the thousands of thoughts we have in our heads all day
long, what do we keep repeating to ourselves that we could change? How can I
continue to change my song and improve my life? This week, I’ll listen closely
and #changemysong.
The minister at church on Sunday was not talking about the worst mass shooting in U.S. history. She was talking about a woman she knew who had managed to change her mindset. This particular minister is also certified as an Advanced Clinical Hypnotist, and she was referencing a client who went from constantly expecting challenging situations to "presuming good will." Instead of focusing on what she feared, she learned to anticipate more positive outcomes. Concentrating her thought patterns there, she experienced more desirable, and even exciting and inspirational life conditions.
The topic could have been labeled many different ways. A change in attitude, and the effects that such a change has on our lives, can be credited to faith, God, Law of Attraction, the power of positive thinking, Angels... We can believe in this principle regardless of our culture, background, or religion, calling it whatever name works for each of us. The bottom line is that when we train ourselves to expect good things, we often find more good things happening. One sentence in the sermon seemed so profound to me, I grabbed a pen and wrote it down:
"You're not letting your guard down. You're letting God guard you."
- Priscilla Keresey
During group prayer / healing intentions, we remembered all the people affected by the Orlando shooting. After some moments of silence, I noticed my phone light up. It was a notification that one of my friends in Orlando, FL had checked in as being safe.
In the hours to follow, much of the story unfolded about what had happened in Orlando. People have been expressing concerns about giving in to fear and terror. Some people close to the scene, understandably, have been so terrified that they do not want to leave their homes for any reason. Many, though, have expressed an absolute resolve NOT to be afraid, and are compassionately encouraging others to stand strong. Vigils across the country, and even the world, are uniting people in good intention and in support of all those affected.
"The place where they were attacked is more than a nightclub
- it is a place of solidarity and empowerment
where people have come together to raise awareness,
to speak their minds and to advocate for their civil rights."
- President Barack Obama
"There is never, ever any justification for such unacceptable crimes against
humanity, crimes against God, crimes against our country."
- Hassan Shibly,
executive director of the Florida branch of the
council on American-Islamic Relations
"Let me be clear: Equality Florida stands in solidarity
with the Muslim and Islamic community
and in opposition to the intolerance,
discrimination and hate crimes that both of our communities experience."
- Carlos Guillermo Smith,
a representative of Equality Florida, an LGBT advocacy group
As the minister's words keep echoing in my mind, I'd like to believe that I decide for myself not to give in to fear of any kind. I realize this sounds easy for me as one who is removed from these particular prejudices, but my power begins with the man in the mirror.
I will not view it as letting my guard down, I will let God guard me. I remember that church hymn, "Be Not Afraid."
I like this version... nice job Emily!
Love and prayers for the victims, the injured, the family and friends of all those impacted, the community of Orlando, and all those facing the effects of acts of terror, hatred and intolerance.
Namaste,
T
* Quotes cited from http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/pulse-orlando-nightclub-shooting/os-orlando-shooting-pulse-nightclub-20160612-story.html
In our house, we came up with a concept that we call
“twirling.” It's that thing you do when
you don’t seem to know WHAT to do and you feel overwhelmed. It's when you end up going in circles instead of in any one particular direction. You might
say you're twirling if it's Christmas Eve and you're standing in the center of the
mall running through (in your mind) all of the things that you have yet to do and you literally can't pick a direction to walk in.
It's been a week packed with activity and more to come this week as well. My mind swims with
concepts and bits and fragments of everything.
There are many irons in the fire, many songs to finish, many decisions
to make, much work to be done. Sound
familiar? (Don't we all face some version of this?)
A few things stand out this week in my search for guidance...
One is this quote and the wisdom contained therein:
“May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.”
- Nelson Mandela
Another is the concept from Carolyn Myss about managing your power:
“Can you manage the energy?... Because if you can't manage the energy consciously, it will manage you unconciously... Either you get managed unconsciously, or you begin to manage yourself consciously.”
Also, she says:
“Most people live their lives making decision based on illusion and then running into the high altitudes to heal versus living in the high altitudes, making the decision and then coming down and managing the consequences of a decision made from a higher altitude.”
Tonight, I will relax with this cup of ginger tea and rest well. Tomorrow will come without any help from me. I will then manage one task at a time – with ease and confidence – one foot in front of the other – with confidence and clarity. I may sometimes twirl, but I WILL stick the landing.
