Can We Allow More Peace In Our World When There is War in Our Hearts

Recently it came into my awareness that there is this large corporation that has been tagged “the evilest company in the world.”

I learned a lot about this corporation in a very short period of time. The history of this corporations' influence, on our planet and every living thing inhabiting our world, is a complete and total contradiction to everything I value in this world. They have not been kind to humanity.

Could this mean war?

What begins a war? It seems that most wars begin as a result of opposing beliefs.
All wars begin in the mind.
I could easily hate this corporation. I could hate every non-life affirming action it has ever participated in.
I could hate the CEO’s, CFO’s, board members and all of their stockholders. By hating the corporation I could hate everything and everyone associated with it.
I could join with others who hate this corporation and I could reflect this hate in every article or speech I might give opposing their actions.
I could even use that hate to enlist the help of others to help me hate this corporation and their actions.

When you hate, you become hate.

Who am I?

This is a question we get to ask ourselves every moment in every day.
Here is where the rubber meets the road. This is one of those times where I confirm to myself that my talk meets my walk. This is where my values and my beliefs and my purpose in the lifetime will be reflected into this world.
This is where my truth will be revealed.
We all know who we truly are.
We all know, with out a shadow of doubt, that our first inclination to life, is love.

I am and always must be my first priority.

I am a center of Divine Creation.
Denying this truth does not make it less truthful.
If I am angry 50% of the time, I feel like crap about most things in life. I know and have been witness to this by the way I have treated my family, my pets, my neighbors and any one else I might meet that day. It is also been revealed in the manner in which I handle and address most of life’s situations. I seem to notice more of things I do not like and all of the things I think is wrong with every one else.
But whether or not I am willing to admit it, even though I might be angry at “those a@#holes” for what they are doing, I am really angry at myself because I know in my heart of hearts that this IS NOT ME.


What if I loved them?

Love is simply the absence of hate.
What if I loved this corporation and all of its people despite their actions?
What if I blessed them instead of hating them?

If hating can and does create war then it would reason that love can and does create peace.

I have done it many times in my own little world.
I didn’t quit loving my son when he pooped in the pool or spit up Hot Cheetos all over the carpet. (It took me months to get that stain out!)
I didn’t quit loving George Bush. (I even sought out a spiritual counselor to help me with this one.)
I didn’t quit loving my parents no matter how many times they grounded me.
I didn’t quit loving my two best friends when they “duked it out” in Marilyn’s front yard.
I didn’t quit loving my neighbor no matter how many times I had to ask him to turn down his music. (Even though I had to learn how to say it in Spanish so he could understand me.)
I didn’t quit loving my other friend when she stole all of my money and slept with my boyfriend. (She should have slept with me instead!)
When I think about it, this list is long and I could go on and on as I reflect on the many and wonderful opportunities I have allowed my true nature to shine its glorious light in my life.

Glad to be the Author

This story is not really about “them”. No story ever is.
Every story is always about me. It is never about what "they" did. Or how others think I should be. It is always about who I am. It is always about the courage to be loving when there are plenty of earthly reasons to hate the shit out of some one or some thing.

All is Well and You are Loved
Janet

Peace Jam by Faith Rivera

Please Return to the Highlighted Path

It has been taught throughout the ages that our feelings and emotions are the barometers that alert us to our alignment with well-being. In the 21st century this is being coined as our Internal Guidance System (IGS).

Similar to those wonderful Global Positioning Systems (GPS) many of us have in our vehicles today, our IGS is always and respectfully attempting to point us in the right direction.

Appreciating Technology
Our vehicles GPS is simple once we learn how to work with it. We enter in the desired destination and the GPS, without questions as to why we want to go there, or questions about where we have been or how long are we planning on staying, simply calculates where we are and where we want to go.

The GPS then presents us with a route, a map and some vocal guidance to direct us along our path. If we deviate from the calculated or highlighted path the voice on the GPS quickly alerts us to this and makes a recommendation. Usually something like this; “Please return to the highlighted path.” “Please make a legal u-turn as soon as possible.” “Please get off at the nearest exit and re-enter the highway on the left.”

Our IGS knows how to get us where we want to go.
Similar to the GPS in our vehicles our very own IGS works by alerting us when we have deviated from the desired destination.
It also does not question our desires, or where we have been, or what has taken us so long. It simply performs the task that it was meant to perform.
We have “entered” in our desires for health, wealth, joy, abundance, love, peace, harmony, creativity, and success. Our IGS knows the quickest, easiest and fastest route to our desires if we will only tune into the “voice” of our very own and Divine Internal Guidance System. Oh!! I will call it our DIGS!!

What is the “voice” of our “DIGS”?
It is simply our feelings and our emotions on any number of subjects.
If a thought, any thought, causes us to feel anger, frustration, loss, fear, worry, doubt or hoplessness, then WE HAVE DEVIATED FROM THE HIGHLIGHTED PATH.
These emotions are alerting us to the fact that we are not in alignment with our desires. Our “voice” of guidance is repeatedly and gently encouraging us to “Please make a legal u-turn as soon as possible!!” Our DIGS knows that we live in a world governed by a Law of Cause and Effect and its main function is to guide us into a state of positive expectation.

Please Get Off at the Nearest Exit
We cannot think a negative thought and a positive thought at the same time. Some people will say “well, I can be thinking one thing and all the while be saying something else.” Again, we are “thinking” only one thought. The “thought” is the originating power and it creates a feeling and an attracting vibration within us. That is why it has been said “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”
I would like to add, if you cannot, in the moment, think positively about something or someone, for your own sake, get off the subject and place your thoughts on something else. Run!! To something that will uplift you. Choose anything that will soothe your soul and allow this power to add unto itself!!

Appreciating Divine Intelligence
I think it is absolutely wonderful to know that there is an Intelligent Source, Power, Energy present within us that assists us every step of the way in our journeys to have, and to be and to do all that we desire. Although It may not pick us up and place us in the center of Nirvana, It has provided us with our very own DIGS. Our part is to be tuned in, tapped in and turned on.

If we are willing to listen and follow this Divine Internal Guidance we will quickly find ourselves cruising in the direction of all that is good, all that is beautiful and all that is right for us.

In the Spirit of Love
Janet

One Heart. One Love.

I had the opportunity to watch the Lincoln Center Inaugural Celebration this weekend. The message was subtle yet bold. I was moved as I listened to the music and the speakers proclaim freedom and love. The message was clear; the chains of bondage have been broken.
The chains of limitation, separation, and degradation have been broken for many, many years however the effects and the beliefs of bondage have lingered in our consciousness and our society.

To be or not to be
This reminds me of the elephant analogy.
An elephant that has been anchored to a spot for a period of time becomes complacent in its bondage. Even after the chains have been removed the elephant does not experience its true freedom because it has become rooted in its experience and its belief.

I am grateful that I have never had to look far to see the truth of this freedom spoken by Martin Luther King Jr. and of all those who came before and after him.
I have heard people say that President Obama has accomplished the impossible. In my world….. President Obama is experiencing the fruit of limitless possibilities.

Freedom is a choice.
As long as a belief lingers in your consciousness it will continue to attract and linger in your experiences.

President Obama, Martin Luther King Jr., Jesus, Buddha, Mother Theresa, The Dalai Lama, or your next door neighbor cannot make you experience the true freedom that is yours.
That privilege lays within your heart and your mind to make a conscious choice in the way you wish to experience your power, your freedom and your world.

Making your choice
Will you bless, or choose to curse?
Will you take note of what is right and good, or build a temple to what is wrong or missing?
Will you trust in your power to make your world a more divine place, or will you give away your power to those who you think are better equipped to decide your well-being?
Will you love your neighbors, or find reasons to resent them?
Will you claim your divine inheritance, or will you point your finger at government and politics for living a life less fulfilling?

We are free my beloveds!!
So free indeed, that we could choose bondage.

One heart. One love.
Say it,
feel it,
believe it,
and I promise you, you will experience it.
In the Spirit of Love
Janet

Don't Let Go of the Rope

You Just Might Be Lifted Up
I must have been 5 or 6 years old. During that summer we were visiting a mountain resort spot that had stables and offered guided horse back tours. I was drawn to the stables and a baby colt that had finally gotten steady on its feet. One day after a bit of pleading on my part the stable hand agreed to let me take the colt for a walk. The colt wasn’t so certain that it wanted to go for a “walk”. However after a lot of coaxing and tugging and tugging and coaxing the beautiful little colt followed me out the gate. The colt would take a few steps and stop, looking back at the stables for its mommy. I would coax and tug a bit on the rope and it would take a few more steps and stop. As we exited the corral gate, the stable hand yelled over to me “Just remember, don’t let go of the rope.”
"Okay", I nodded and off we went, Janet and the baby colt.

A little bit of heaven
As the stables faded from our site the journey became more fluid. The resort spot had a number of cabins and a little rustic market. There was an automobile size dirt path that made a big circle around the layout of the grounds, which to me, began and ended at the stables. I was happy and relaxed. I spent the entire time talking to the colt as if it were my best friend. The path was rocky, uneven and had a few pot holes which caused me to stumble a couple of times; however I never let go of the rope.

BoomBoom, Out Go the Lights
I was feeling quite proud of myself as we rounded the corner and the stables came back into sight. Without warning the colt began to run. I began to run. I began to shout “whoa little pony, whoa!” It ran faster. I ran faster. My grip on the rope tightened and I started pleading “whoa little pony, whoa!” It kept running and I tripped. Not good. I am now being drug down the dirth path by this beautiful little colt and all I could remember was “don’t let go of the rope.” After what seemed like an eternity and a really good beating from those ‘huge boulders’ in the road, I could not any longer hold on to the rope.

As I was deposited, in a cloud of dust right in front of the market, a nice man came out and scooped me up. The last thing I remember saying was, “I couldn’t hold on to the rope.”

When the Dust Settles
Now as I reflect on this event in my life, I am reminded how as adults we continue to “hold on to the rope” of limiting words and ideas that have formed a foundation of beliefs that have and continue to shape our lives today. Even when we are being ‘drug down’ the path of life and nothing feels good we hold on to that ‘rope’ as if it is all that we have and that it is our life line.

A "Life Line"?
Is your rope weaved with the threads of ‘I can’t’, ‘It won’t’, ‘I’m not’, ‘too hard’, ‘not enough’, ‘not in this lifetime’, ‘maybe someday’ and ‘yeah right’?
Is your rope a real "life line" or has it become your noose?

The Right Rope for the Right Job
It has taken me some time and a conscious effort to reshape my beliefs; however I now know that I have a new rope. My new rope lifts me up. It is anchored in the world of limitless possibilities. It is weaved with the threads of Empowerment, Unity, Love and Expansion. I trip sometimes; however I never let go of this rope. My rope is my "life line" to conscious hope and positive expectation.

Being Divine in 2009
With the dawning of a New Year, let's take a good look at the essence of our thoughts and beliefs. Let's choose to weave more of 'what we do want' in our lives and bit by bit replace those fibers of limitation with threads of possibilities. We can start with "That Was Easy."
In the Spirit of Love
Janet

Why do I do that thing that I do?

Astrology: The Mystery is The Magic

Why am I compelled to advocate for others?
Why do I get lost in other peoples dramas?
Why am I compelled to understand why I am alive and on this planet?
Why am I drawn to philosophy, writing and teaching?
Why do I want to live large and experience as much as I possibly can?
Why am I so darn independent?
Why do I feel better staying at the Embassy Suites than I do at the Motel 6?
Why do I care about any of this!?
And just as important “why do other people handle similar life situations so very differently than I do?”

The answers to these questions and so much more might just be found in your Astrological Natal Chart.

Growing up I had always heard people say things like, “I am a Taurus, they are Libras and he is a Pisces.” I knew people that read their horoscopes daily and I had seen books specializing on each of the signs of the zodiac.
My sister, my father and myself are all Aquarius. And we are all so very different. So I didn’t understand or give much credit to astrology. However, I was intrigued by it and when I began to consciously pursue my spiritual studies I was compelled to study astrology. Yeah for me!!!

So, what is an Astrology Natal Chart?
It is snap shot of what was happening in the heavens at the moment of your birth.
It is a blueprint showing where every planet in our solar system was and their alignment with each other at a certain moment in time, in relation to your place and time of birth.
It is a blueprint for understanding ones personality, characteristics and attributes.
It is a useful tool in recognizing ones strengths and ones challenges.

The first thing I learned was that referring to oneself as a Sagittarius or Capricorn is a general term like saying “I am a woman, he is a man, they are a family.” It doesn’t really give a clear picture of who you are. This was huge for me because it quickly explained the differences in personalities of people claiming the same sign.

How has this helped me?
My Natal chart has helped to me discover new things about myself and answer questions as to my personality, characteristics and attributes. My Natal chart reveals areas of challenge, which allow me to consciously choose how I might address certain situations and which areas I might like to balance and grow. My Natal chart reveals areas of strength which again allow me the opportunity to explore these areas if I so choose.

Why do I care about any of this? It is in my chart.
I am designed to care. I am designed to care about myself, about you and about our Divine Nature. I am designed to learn and to teach, hence being compelled to philosophy, spirituality, astrology, writing and teaching.

Why am I compelled to advocate for others? It is in my chart.
I have a strong Aquarius energy in my natal chart. Aquarians are humanitarians. Because this energy is so strong in my personal natal chart it can create a bit of an imbalance, that is why I can get lost in other peoples drama and also why I can get down right angry at my perceived injustices.
By understanding all of this, it has helped me to recognize that
1. I am okay and
2. slow down.
The energy doesn’t control me unless I let it. Slowing down allows me to control the strong humanitarian energy that wants to advocate.

Why do I like the finer things in life? It is in my chart.
When I was growing up, liking what you liked was not okay. And not liking what you didn’t like wasn’t okay either. I was taught to like what you get and be happy you got something. Now, I am not blaming my parents. I have come a long way in understanding how things are passed down from generation to generation (that will be another blog), I am simply stating how things were. This “thing” this “way” did not and does not resonate with me. What I wanted to learn was how to gracefully move through the experience without feeling guilty or angry for desiring what I desired.

So why do I do that thing that I do? It is in my chart. ☺

A natal chart can be very empowering. The more you know about yourself the more empowered you are. You own empowerment allows for another and another and another to become empowered.

I recommend this tool for everyone looking for greater self awareness and expansion.
In the Spirit of Love
Janet