MOVEMENT IN THE FORCE

NOTES – PERSONAL AND CAUTIONARY:

Personal:  I call myself a Life “Guide” not “Coach” for a reason.  I see myself like a guide one might hire to take on a trek in Tibet or a safari in Africa.  Someone who knows the terrain and can help you have your journey at the optimum level.  That being said, I am always somewhat hesitant to write about subjects such as today’s topic as there is a fine line between “informing” and “planting a thought”.  However, I made a commitment 2 years ago in Don’s recovery room, and it is my intention to honor that commitment however personally uncomfortable it may sometimes be.

Cautionary:  If you have NOT had any of the experiences described below, PLEASE do NOT assign any meaning to it and do NOT use it as any self judgment.  You may have had some different experience or your experience may be yet to come.  I only offer the following in the sense that it what a guide would do.

 

MOVEMENT IN THE FORCE

 

Apparently there was a huge download of energy last weekend.  (You can research it for yourself, or, if you happen to be lucky enough to know friend Fran [a beautiful being who’s dedicated her life to spreading the information of the light] you can waylay her and she can fill you in.)

 

There have been many reports of responses to this energy surge.  Some have reported melancholy, deep depression, heart palpitations, horrendous headaches, light-headedness, vertigo and one reported what was called an “Incredible Hulk”-like rage.  Fran, Don and I all experienced violent vomiting.  Don had no fever but a lot of body aches.  I had intense fever and diarrhea as well.  Fortunately, this seems to last only about 16-20 hours, after which the body will need some time to adjust.

 

During my experience of this energy integration I had several experiences which I would like to share as they came in moments of great clarity. 

 

·         It was EXTREMELY clear that it was IMPERATIVE that one does not label the experience.  Please refrain from using words like “flu”, “sick”, “depressed” or any other 3^rd dimensional labeling system.  For one thing, you don’t want to bring any ancillary symptoms from whatever you have named your experience.  Trust me, whatever you experience will be enough.  If you must talk about it just call it “movement in the body”.

·        I was astounded to see how incredibly invested the ego is in the drama of “being sick”/”being out of sorts”, and how very much it wanted to play the “poor pitiful me” card.  At one point I realized that staying ahead of the ego’s need for the drama was harder “work” than trying to keep water down.  (Now that’s sick J.)

·        Even though the body was going through its rigors I was not.  I realized it was important for me to maintain clarity about that difference.  Don and I did 2 things to help with this:  (1) we used humor as much as possible, i.e. “helluva’ way to lose weight”, and (2) we spoke words of gratitude and love as much as possible, i.e. “I’m so grateful we both didn’t go down at the same time and we are here to support each other”.

·        I was told during Don’s episode to view this as an “initiation” of sorts and to honor the event as a rite of passage.  I honestly believe that it is important to stay in an attitude of “I allow” and to be as present as possible.  Put aside worries about what isn’t getting done while you are in the throes of your experience so that you can become aligned with the process.

·        I found it appropriate to invoke the prayer “Ho-oponopono” on several occasions as part of integrating new energies is releasing old energies.

·        I had one of those experiences where a montage of images flashed before me for about 2 hours.  It is quite clear that the construct and context of our lives is changing rapidly and it would be wise to become as adaptable as possible.

 

After the 16-20 hours both of us experienced a sense of “not really being here” as if we were out of sync with things.  It took a couple of days for equilibrium to return.  Even now we are moving at “slow motion”. 

 

BTW, the person with the “Hulk”-like rage almost caused a car accident and as terrible as that may seem they “saw” in that instant what anger can do and have now made the conscious decision to remove it from their life.

 

Whatever your experience of the “new energies” may be, it behooves you to not label/limit it to any previous understanding.  All that is new and wonderful is eagerly awaiting access to you, your consciousness and your life.  Open the doors of your heart and life as wide as you can and let the light shine in.

 

With great love -- JOAN

TIME OUT-TIME OFF

(Personal note:  I thought I had already written about this but I don’t find that I have.  At any rate I am being urged to kick it up a notch/go the next step/dig deeper [choose your favorite euphemism].  This is the longest piece I have written in a long time.  I had thought about sending it in segments, but it really needs to be absorbed as a whole.  As always, use this material as you are guided.)

 

TIME OUT – TIME OFF

 

I have found myself in several conversations lately wherein the topic has been how hard it is to fulfill good intentions….staying present, meditation, being in joy, having an open heart, etc.  It has become apparent that what is “up” right now is what I personally think is THE biggest hurdle in the way of the spiritual sojourner.

 

As you may know, one of my favorite quotes is “You cannot be totally committed sometimes.”  And herein lies the heart of the matter.

 

We have been told to “pray unceasingly”, which translates to me to be in communion with Spirit ALL THE TIME.  And that is the challenge.  I have been living “in the question” of this for several years now.  This is what I now know about this topic (and assume more revelations may follow).

 

#1 – THE WEEKLY WORSHIP SYNDROME

            Even if you do not attend a worship service at some organized religious place, chances are good that you did sometime in your life.  Even if you didn’t, it is the pervasive collected consciousness that weekly worship is how you go about being a “good” person.  Underneath this belief is the idea that what you do “outside” of church is your “real world” and most can’t be bothered with thinking about their relationship with God.  (Of course there are those that are dedicated, but we are talking about the general atmosphere here.) 

            Think for a moment.  If you attended worship every single week for a year that would be 52 hours of attention focused on Spirit (by whatever name you call it).  Since there are 8,760 hours in a year, that means you spend 8,708 hours not thinking about Spirit.  (Again, I do know there are exceptions.)  The point being the collective consciousness has divided its life into “spiritual time” and “other time”. 

            The concept of “time off” is pervasive in our society – whether it is vacation time, holiday time, weekend time, girls’/boys’ night out, date night, or whatever.  We are invested in the idea that we can be “let off the hook” for behavior and that it is alright for there to be moments when no rules apply.

            I often ask people, “What would you think if you were in a dire situation and prayed to God/the Universe/the Creator for assistance, and you were greeted with an ‘Out of Office Reply’?”  Or, what if you got a message machine that said, “God is out of the office and won’t be back until next week.  He is taking a much needed time off”?  Isn’t that whole idea utterly ridiculous?  That God should not be omnipresent?  Why then, do we entertain the idea that it is alright for us to not be omni-in-the-present?

            As you contemplate the “time out syndrome” as it may apply to you, please be aware that I have come to believe that it is the number one obstacle to spiritual growth, therefore it needs our utmost attention.  And, I believe that all of the following are inherent within this one big topic.

 

#2 – KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR /DAMSEL IN DISTRESS/SILVER BULLET SYNDROME

            The collective consciousness is hugely invested in the idea that “someday my Prince will come”.  Some Savior, Knight in Shining Armor, Mommy, Daddy, the President, Mohamed will come and “save” me and make everything wonderful for me so that I don’t have to do anything for myself.

            There seems to be some idea that we will be relieved of our worries/problems/short comings by someone/thing magical outside of our self.  This “rescuer” will right all wrongs, make straight the crooked, absolve us of our misdeeds and then anoint us as perfect and place a halo above our heads.  Sorry to tell you, but I have looked and looked and looked and I can find no such deal available. 

            Also in this category is some hope/belief that “If I just keep searching, I will find the technique/meditation/posture/mantra/pill that will be the short cut to enlightenment.”  I call this the “Silver Bullet” syndrome and I find it is pervasive in our society – a silver bullet for dieting, exercise, making money, finding a lover, etc. 

            Of course, at the heart of all this is just plain laziness -- a desire to reap incredible rewards with little or no effort on our part.  I must admit to the fact that I got caught in this trap for about a decade and I have looked high and low for such an animal and it just does not exist.  Whether we like it or not the road to enlightenment is a staircase, not an escalator or elevator.

            It seems obvious that there would be no need for a savior/knight/rescuer unless there was a victim that needed saving, ergo the damsel in distress part of this topic.  We have examined the attitude of victim in other writings but suffice it to say the prevailing sentiment is “it’s not my fault”.  (Please refer to other writings on my blog or contact me directly if you want to go more in depth on this.)

 

#3 - BELIEF IN “OTHER” SYNDROME

            The profound belief in “other” is based in a fundamental belief in separation.  Again, we have explored this before. 

            This belief allows one to “off-load” responsibility and to cast blame and judgment.  It is the fundamental realm of the ego and is a necessary ingredient in keeping one from any spiritual progress.

 

#4 – AN UNWILLINGNESS TO BE ACCOUNTABLE/IMPECCABLE SYNDROME

            This is a “biggie”.  It encompasses both accountability and impeccability.

            “Be Impeccable With Your Word” is the First Agreement.  Most people take away that this means they shouldn’t gossip.  Please read this Agreement twice a week for a year or until it is literally the new program of your mind.

            Look at the above phrase without prejudice and without thinking you know what it means.  It means – literally – to tell the truth ALL THE TIME…the whole truth (as you know it) and nothing but the truth…NO TIME OUTS. 

            Most of us have grown up telling a “little white lie” or fudging for dramatic purposes, i.e. “I did it a thousand times” (okay twice), or “People everywhere were commenting on how great it was” (okay, one person mentioned it) or “It is the greatest cookie in the world” (really?) or “I am the just not capable of doing that” (right).  The point being we believe that it is okay to not tell the absolute truth if it really doesn’t hurt anyone or if it can get our point across.  What we have forgotten is that every word we utter or think is recorded in our Being and becomes a part of our belief system and expression of self.

            What I have found to be the most difficult and enlightening part of being impeccable with words isn’t that we lie to one another but that we lie to ourselves.  It has been my observation that the one to whom it is hardest to be truthful is “me”.  Because, I have found that one is willing to repeat a belief that may not be the truth over and over until it is no longer examined and the truth is buried underneath a bunch of emotional baggage.  Try listening to your self-talk and then ask yourself “Is that the truth as I know it?”  You may be surprised at what you find.

 

 

#5 – A FALSE BELIEF IN PRIVACY SYNDROME

There is a belief system that says “what I do in private doesn’t count”. 

            Well, the first fallacy is that anything we do could not “count”, but I believe we have covered that elsewhere.  The bigger issue here, as I see it, is the idea that there is such a thing as “privacy”.  Now really….if God/the Creator/ guardians/guides/teachers/mentors/angels/archangels/the Galactic Federation/the tooth fairy and Santa Claus are always watching, where is there “privacy”?

            There is an old Zen story that I love:

            The Master had 3 students to whom he gave a small bird.  He told the 3 students to “go somewhere where you cannot be seen and kill the bird and then bring it to me”.  Away they went.

            Within the hour 2 of the students had returned with their dead bird, quite proud of the fact that they managed to follow his instructions and were not seen.  The 3^rd student did not show up until very late in the evening.

            When the 3^rd student arrived his bird was still alive.  The Master asked, “Did you not hear my instructions?  You were to go someplace where you were not seen and kill the bird and return to me.  Why have you not done so?”

            The student replied, “Master, I did try.  I went behind the Church.  I went into the woods.  I went every place I could think of but I could not find a place where God was not and where He would not see me.  I am sorry I have failed.”

            The Master replied, “Indeed you have not.  You have learned the greatest of lessons – you cannot go where God will not witness what you do, so you must always do what you know you wish H would witness, for indeed that is the truth.”

            Live your life knowing that absolutely every thought you have and everything you do is witnessed by the hoards of Heaven and are recorded in the annuls of the Isness.

 

In closing, I urge you to realize that indeed the time is NOW and we are being called to be all that we can be all the time, with no exceptions.

 

Loving you and living with you in this journey,

 

JOAN

 

WHY IS CHANGE SO HARD?

Many have already abandoned their New Year’s Resolutions.  Why?  Because change appears to be a hard thing to do.  Nowhere is that more prevalent than in self-development and spiritual development programs.  Or, it could be that it is more obvious because one is paying attention.

 

In the Becoming Your Spiritual Avatar program we begin by establishing what one’s core beliefs are, developing operational characteristics of said beliefs, and then monitoring thoughts, behaviors and emotions that are discordant with those beliefs.  Then, using the Avatar methodology we implement change.

 

Now, in the past there were numerous techniques used to try to figure out “why” one does what one does, i.e. processing, past-life regression, hypnotherapy, etc. etc.  What I witnessed for 30 years was all this did was “tell a story” that let me off the hook.  I did thus and so because my parents did thus and so, or this happened to me therefore I do this, or I’m a Taurus what do you expect.  Then it was easy to settle into “well, that’s just the way I am…..I understand now why I do what I do.”

 

As I have worked with the Avatar aspirants for the past 2 years, as well as the work I have done for myself and in my other counseling, I have found that there are 3 secondary energies at work and all lead to a primary reason why change is so hard.

 

The secondary reasons are:

1)     A deep seated belief in right & wrong.  If I change the way I believe/behave now then everything that I have believed and done must have been wrong, ergo I have been wrong.  And nothing is more abhorrent to the ego than being “wrong”.

2)    An unconscious honoring of an authority figure in one’s life – a parent, grandparent, inspiring teacher, preacher, guru – and a deep seated desire to please them.  This honored authority figure taught me to believe/behave this way and if I change then I will be disrespecting them…..and, Heaven forbid, they will be disappointed in me.

3)    Self-identification with current beliefs/behavior.  If I change the way I believe/behave then I won’t know who I am.  I will feel exposed and vulnerable.

 

All of the above lead to the primary reason why change appears to be so difficult.  And that is,

 

            A refusal to take abject total responsibility for personal choices made.

 

“On no,” you say.  “I most certainly did not choose [this] or [that].  There was nothing I could do about it.”

 

Well, here’s the point at which one must stand up and be accountable.  At EVERY nanosecond of Creation one has the ability to CHOOSE.  And if one does not intentionally choose, one chooses by default.  Although we may not be able to control the circumstance in which we find ourselves, we most assuredly can control our response to that circumstance and how that effects our presentation of self.

 

Human Beings were given the great gift of Free Will, which allows us to exercise the right to choose.  Unfortunately we have become so bogged down in right/wrong, good/bad that we judge our choices, past and present.  Sometimes we stand petrified and make no choice, which is by default a choice in and of itself – we have just acquiesced to what is in place. 

 

We have also developed some sort of belief that we only get “one time at bat”.  That is, we believe once a choice is made it is set in stone.  The most magnificent part of Free Will is that we are given the ability to “choose again”.  As we progress in our spiritual growth and our perspective changes, so too will what is the appropriate choice for us.  We must be willing to utilize this extraordinary gift that has been given us.

 

Further, there seems to be some sort of “finish line” philosophy wherein when I get it “right” then I can quit and rest on my laurels.  I won’t have to keep changing.  Well, I’m sorry to have to tell you this….but Creation never ceases.  Bluntly put, God keeps moving the finish line.  The entire function of the Isness is based on constant creation, which means constant change.  It would probably be a good idea to embrace change as “the new normal” and find the adventure in it all.  See yourself as an explorer of Life, ever seeking what is new and wonderful, allowing that what has been must change in order to discover what will be.

 

The new energies that are here to support us are a great boost to anyone and everyone willing to activate their Free Will and begin change through conscious intention.  I invite you to join with me as we create our lives in alignment with what we profess to believe and live in Love, Peace and Joy.

 

Let’s join together, have a party and go see what’s out there!

 

JOAN

IT IS WHAT IT IS

Recently the question was asked, “Isn’t to say ‘It is what it is’ a copout or excuse of the ego to keep from getting the lesson?”

 

Of course you are the creator of your reality, therefore if you say that is what is so then that is what is so.  However, I would like to present another perspective.

 

The Lesson, as I have come to understand it, is:

 

            When one has an incident and responds/reacts to it with their belief system and judgments in place they can only “understand” from those already established belief systems and judgments.  Therefore, they are limited as to what may be gleaned from that incident because it is colored/hidden by what they already know.

            If one can remove absolutely all belief systems and judgments and see that incident as an “it is what it is” occurrence then one is open to allowing what they do not know to come forth so that they may glean a wisdom to which they do not already have access or understanding.

            This allows an entity to look past the personalization of the ego in regard to the incident and to see the Universal wisdom/application therein.

 

For example:

Recently, I let Ashley out late one night.  Since Mandy & Lyla had previously gone out and come back in, I “knew” that I only had to be sure that Ashley was inside.  However, Lyla slipped past me and was shut outside for about  1 ½ hours.  (Don heard her and let her in.)  When he told me about the incident in the morning, I had a couple of options as to how to react.

 

1)     My “old self” would have created drama and gone into blame, guilt, and regret and had a bunch of tears.  Internal conversation would have been something like, “How could I have done such a thing?  What is wrong with me?  I’m bad/terrible/awful and need to be horse-whipped?, or

2)    I could step back and remove all beliefs and judgment and let it be “what it was”.  (I did hug Lyla and showered her with love and blessed her for the “teacher” I knew she would be from this incident.)

 

Had I reacted with Scenario 1, the “lesson” I would have taken away would have been “Always count your dogs.”  Not a bad lesson in and of itself but it is, in truth, a behavioral lesson and it would have further demeaned my self-worth by continuing the blame and shame game.

 

By letting the incident “sit” and percolate so that I could allow its inherent wisdom to come forth what I received was this:

 

            The truth of a moment that is past is not necessarily the truth of this moment.  It would be a wise entity who did not “rest” in what it “knows” of what has been but rather is ever diligent to see what is the truth of this Now.

 

This great wisdom had nothing to do with “dogs” but has given me some guidance for my spiritual journey.

 

As I write this I am “urged” to offer this gentle reminder:

 

Nothing has any inherent “meaning”.  All meaning is assigned by the ego.  A rock is just a rock until it is labeled and assigned meaning and value as a diamond.  Likewise all experiences are experiences whose purpose is to allow us to have insight so as to advance our spiritual progress and further connect us to the Universe.

 

Also, please remember that judgments of good/bad, right/wrong, worthy/unworthy are third dimensional.  That is neither a good or bad thing, however, it is not found in higher dimensions.  As we move into the higher frequencies now before us the emphasis is on allowance and the unification of the Oneness.

 

As always, this is offered with the greatest of love from the Sacred Stream of Consciousness through me.

 

BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD

Recently, Don & I had the privilege of watching “Beasts of the Southern Wild”.  Suffice it to say I loved it, particularly the voice-over dialogue of the young girl regarding the connectedness of the Universe.   I took away several things from the movie, but here are a couple of them –

 

            I now call those unexplained fears that pop up from nowhere my “Beasts of the Southern Wild”.

 

            Whenever those fears/Beasts pop up, I borrow/paraphrase from the scene where little Hush Puppy confronts the Beasts, and I say to my fears/Beasts, “I know you are my friend from who I was before, but I must tend to who I am right now.”

 

The real take-away is that the Universe is “talking” any way and every way it can.  (You would not believe the lessons gleaned from last night’s 4:00 a.m. Spider Solitaire game!)  It is a wise entity who would have “ears to hear and eyes to see”.

There is so much available for you – let it all in and let it change your world.

WORTH OF SELF

“There are no extra parts in the Universe.  It is like pi – everything is contained within it and if something is removed it is incomplete.”

                                                            Mr. Finch, “Person of Interest”

 

As I watched one of my favorite TV shows I was blown away when I heard the above and had to play it over again to be sure I had heard it right.  It reminded me of a lesson I was given in August 1987.

 

I had just had a life changing experience and felt totally lost as to what I was doing, my purpose, my reason for being, the choices I had made.  I found myself lying on the beach just north of Los Angeles crying my heart out.  All of a sudden I heard very clearly,

 

            “Go down 1 mile from where you lay and remove but one grain of sand.  Then watch as the entire planet must rearrange itself to adjust to the removal of that grain of sand. 

            Every single piece of Creation exists because it must be for the Universe to be Whole.  Without you, there would be a void in the Isness, and that is not the Plan of God.  Your value is that you ARE and you ARE the only one that can be you. You are what makes the Universe Whole.“

 

In this time of new beginnings, as our worlds are rearranged it is easy to get caught up in valuing ourselves by old standards – what we do, what we have, who we know, what choices we made, etc.  The only “yardstick” that applies in these new times will be “your value is that you exist”.  Everything else is of the ego.

 

“YOU ARE A BLESSING IN MY LIFE.  WITHOUT YOU I WOULD NOT BE WHO I AM” and without you, my Universe would not be Whole.  I Love that you exist!

                                                                                                                        JOAN

BODY CHANGES

Okay, we are off and running at this time of new beginnings.  I truly believe it will be imperative that we do everything we can to facilitate the body as it adjusts to these new times.  I have been concerned that our food chain has become contaminated and our immune systems are being compromised.

 

I sincerely urge you to familiarize yourself with the problems with domestic wheat and domestic rice and do cease eating GMO foods. 

 

In the “what can I do” category I enthusiastically recommend the following sites.

 

Please read this.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/01/02/digestive-system-gut-flora.aspx?e_cid=20130102_DNL_art_1

 

This one may well be better if you are only going to read one. Because it has a "TED" video and is the source documentation.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/03/18/mcbride-and-barringer-interview.aspx

 

You may say “I don’ have time for this” especially if you have a “take out/eat out” lifestyle, but believe me when I say what you will reap from treating your body with love and respect will be well worth it.  And if you are in charge of anyone else’s food consumption there can be no greater gift of love than this.