Tuesday Musings: Soul's Blossoming

Blurry mum on a rainy day, front bed, 10/30/09

When we suffer, when we experience pain, when we undergo grief and heartache, the hurting actually purges ego and selfishness from our nature.

The soul - our true self - shines brighter in that moment.

Today, know that any emotional pain you may be experiencing is the Light's way of allowing your soul to blossom.

— Yehuda Berg, from Daily Kabbalah newsletter, on October 7, 2009

P.S. This was supposed to post on Monday, but due to an oversight on my end, this is now a Tuesday musing instead! Enjoy!

Flowering Fridays: On Shining Like a Flower

Rainy day mum, 10/30/09

Today it is gray and rainy.

The plants in our garden beds are in the process of dying back for winter.

The leaves are falling, and the plants are shriveling up and turning to brown.

Only a few mums are still blooming, and even they appear to be on their last leg.

It is not lost on me on how much my outer landscape is reflecting my inner state of late — gloomy, damp, feeling like things are decaying and falling apart.

I know this is not the full truth of my life (there is so very much that's alive and full of light and love).

But it's on the muck where my attention has been focused this week: with the cold in my body, with the sadness I feel as we prepare to move, with navigating the insurance and financial issues surrounding my mom's care, with feeling guilty for living away from my mom and wanting to be there to ensure the best care, and with how fragile, impermanent and sometimes how unfair life seems.

I sense I am experiencing a kind of "dark night of the soul" — out of which I trust there will be light, wisdom and growth — but I very much feel in the depths of its pits this week.

I have been thinking of flowers lately and how much trust they need on every leg of their journey.

To trust when they are but a seed in the ground that with time, warmth and light that they will sprout into a seed.

To trust when they are a tiny seedling that they will grow taller and strong and eventually form buds.

To trust that those buds will emerge into their unique flowery offering into the world.

And finally to trust that by releasing their petals and their seeds into the ground in fall that something new will be born again.

I know how important trust is, but I am having a hard time trusting lately.

I read my Daily OM horoscope today (I'm a Leo), nodding my head in recognition to these words:

 You may feel doubtful today and find yourself not believing in both people and situations. This could have you feeling suspicious about the motivations of others or overwhelmed with feelings of pessimism about your goals. One good way to overcome this mood is by examining your expectations more closely. As you delve into these feelings today, you will likely discover that you are afraid to trust that the universe is truly abundant and you are focusing on the potential for lack and struggle in every situation. If you turn these expectations around and consciously expect the best in every situation, you will not only feel lighter and happier but you will also begin attracting more positive people and circumstances into your everyday experiences.

I want to pull on the trust that the flowers have to carry through me through this time.

To know that, as the Abraham-Hicks emails remind me every day:

"You are loved. All is well."

I asked Grace today if she wanted to help me with my blog, because the words were slow to come and my thoughts are as congested as my head.

My wise little Buddha girl said this:

Mama shines like a flower, but her petals sometimes fall off.

(I asked her what that meant and she said: You get mad sometimes.)

I hope your petals stay on.

My intention is keep shining and keep my petals on, no matter what the seasons of life might bring my way.

Tell me, how do you keep shining like a flower in your life?

Monday Musings: The Wonder of Flowers

"If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change." - Buddha

I thought I would share photos I presented last weekend as a way of marking my "graduation" from the Future Thinking program.

I didn't start to take flower pictures until a year ago. I didn't have any training. I didn't have a fancy camera. (I use a Canon Powershot SD800).

But I was in the Future Thinking program, and part of my learning was around my what my "core essence" was.

My teacher, Jan Smith, calls your core "your unique, fundamental connection to life."

My core is my authentic self, my beautiful spirit and the "me" that emerges from a deeply connected place of love, trust and connection.

Through Future Thinking, I began to identify the signs of being in my core — and the places in my life where I could easily access it.

Flowers were one of those places.

As I began to study flowers and then taking flower photos, I found I could easily drop into into that sweet space of my core...at peace, expansive, connected to spirit, moved by beauty and in profound wonder.

Taking flower pictures became a way for me to connect to my innermost sense of self and what is unique about how I see and experience the world.

The act of noticing the flowers through pictures became an almost spiritual act. A way to connect to the sacred mystery of life, to wonder and to the force that creates all.

I found that while I loved the color and smells of flowers, what really drew me in were the close-up shots — those pictures that captured what I call the "sacred center" of the flower.

I love how unique, precious, beautiful and powerful each flower is.

It almost takes my breath away to look at some of these pictures.

And it's a reminder for me to be in wonder about not only flowers, but every person I meet.

I'm curious what do you see in these flowers...I'd love to hear!

P.S. You can click on the video above to access a full screen version — my preferred way of viewing these photos.

P. P.S. I also started a photo gallery of my favorite flower photos. I've used these slides as a start and will be adding to it over time. You can click on any thumbnail photo to go to a big screen, slideshow view. Go here to view.