Experiencing Reality:Personal and Global

Neuroscience explains that at birth, a child's brain has approximately 100 billion neurons. With maturation, the number of neurons remains constant but the synaptic connections between them develop with each new experience, forming a unique configuration of connections that personalize each one's brain, allowing us to interpret our reality through the framework of an individualized synaptic map.

As we see the flowering of women's circles on a local level, and technology encourages us to connect in cyberspace with others of like minds, no longer are we limited by geographical considerations. Is it possible that what we are witnessing is the transformation and evolution of humanity's synaptic map?

As patriarchal institutions are imploding- religiously, politically, financially and socially, a grassroots international connection between peoples is forming. These groups, local and global, are sharing personal stories and experiences, touching the hearts of those who listen. This teaching and learning experience is a natural and intuitive pathway to wisdom for women.

For American women who enjoy the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution, now is a great time and place in which to speak our truth, so long denied us. It takes courage to step forward now that we have the opportunity- and we are empowering one another to take advantage of the moment.

In the place of patriarchal hierarchy, disempowerment and separation (of one from another, of ourselves from the natural world, and perhaps from God) a phoenix is rising- lifting us to the next rung in the ladder of evolutionary consciousness. For the first time, technology is making possible a rapidly growing network through which the human family relates and connects, creating a new reality - an empowering connection and celebration of diversity.

The past several hundred years have been tumultuous in the human story. The developing human intellect, beneficial in many ways, works best as a server rather than a master, one tool in our repertoire of ways of learning about our world. We have witnessed the worship of science and its heirs of mechanization, industrialization, consumerism and the ongoing tragedy of the colonization of less developed nations- through religion, culture and consumerism.

With the reawakening of the Sacred Feminine, we are remembering the joy of intuitive knowing, of mutuality, respect and relationship. We each have a part to play in this cosmic shift as we realize the importance of taking time- even a few minutes each day, to be present in our own lives, perhaps most easily done, by connecting, even for just moments a day, with the natural world. Everything we need to know can be learned from the trees in the garden or park. Rain, drought, sunshine or wind, day and night, they grow. They are. From them we learn presence and resilience. Their summer leaves sparkle in the sunshine, dancing in the afternoon winds. They fall effortless to the ground when it is time to release and make way for the new. Oh, at the end of each day, to be able to drop regrets, frustrations and upsets as lightly as they drops their leaves.

Just as each leaf dances to an individual melody of life in the community of the whole tree, in expressing who we are, we fulfill our individual destinies and expand the possibilities of the synaptic map not only of ourselves but of the whole human family.

Lessons from The Garden

Jewish mysticism teaches us that each living being is a unique vessel bearing the same divine light. The vessel is our physicality, each one molded, chipped or fractured in a totally unique way by our individual experiences gathered in the passage of years in the physical world. The choices we make, the ability to forgive others and ourselves, the level of our own awakened consciousness helps or hinders the light we let shine. The light within is the source of all spiritual and religious traditions, such as those presented this afternoon, shining through different vessels revealing how much we all have in common. Where do we find the teachings that help us shine?

Many have read the book, "Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten." Perhaps a variation on the theme could be "everything I need to know I learned from the tree in my garden." I want take her lessons to heart. This wonderful teacher, tall and strong, stretches her huge branches giving shade not only to us but to the many finches and hummingbirds who gather in her shelter. From her protective being-ness, I learn presence. In be-ing, I remove myself from worries of the past and anxieties about an unknown future. Presence. Oneness. I breathe - therefore I am.

She reminds me that there is a natural order to living peaceably. When I look closely, I note that her strong branches emerge from her powerful trunk not in some haphazard way as it may first appear, rather her branches spiral out from the center in an ordered fashion, each one emerging distant enough from the one that came before to make sure the older branches have room to grow too and can access to sunlight for their leaves. From her symmetry, I learn about sharing resources which I need to practice more mindfully this year.

True - her roots do lift and crack the paving stones of our deck, but she was there first, and will be there long after we have gone. From her, I learn resilience and forbearance that I know serve us well as the increasing winds of rapid change blow through our lives.

I relish her silence. She is. At day's end, ever so easily, she loosens her grip on those leaves whose time has come. She releases them to make way for the new growth. Oh, at the end of each day, to be able to drop regrets, frustrations and upsets that cloud our inner light, as lightly as she releases her leaves. These are some of Nature's silent, yet obvious lessons we can learn when we still the busyness of or lives.

Conscious Compassion and The Natural World

The olympian orcas arc smoothly in and out of the water, thrilling all in the nearby zodiac, bobbing up and down on the gentle swell, close enough to glimpse the graceful black and white bodies revealing, then concealing themselves beneath the water surface. Out of human sight, they feed on some of the ocean's smaller creatures. The squawking gulls above noisily vie for their share of the spoils.

One cannot help but stand in awe of the natural order that when unimpeded by human interference and greed, seamlessly cycles and evolves. From the tiniest organism to the most majestic animals that populate ocean, air and land, life needs to be taken so that life can be maintained in the 'eat or be eaten' order of the natural world.

What does the human witness feel as an observer? Where is the compassion for the sacrificed individual member of the hunted species who make continuance of the life of the hunter possible? Who does not feel a sense of dread for the hapless seal sunning itself on a floating log as the orcas approach, for the buck being separated from the herd by the hungry pride of lionesses, or the tiny rabbit as the eagle swoops? Without the hunt, predators die. With the hunt, the prey dies. Life and death- those two most mysterious of portals to the world unseen, inextricably connected, one to the other.

As consciousness evolves within the human species, we intuit that perhaps compassion is largely a human trait and one with which we are specifically endowed to bring this loving energy into the Earth's field. It is a right and a responsibility. As we learn to love unconditionally, do we enlivened the arena in which we find ourselves, fulfilling our piece of the puzzle?

The Power of Sacred Stories

Sacred stories have the power to change us from within. Although teller and listener may dwell in different times and places, through the magic and artistry of the tale itself, different worlds are momentarily and magically drawn together as the listener is moved from the world of Chronos with its emphasis on the clock and calendar time of past and future. In the moment of the story, is an invitation to step through the portal of Kairos, and into the mythic realm of intuition and imagination, where signs and symbols are the keys to further mysteries. Here, time as we know it ceases to be of importance, as this is the realm of the Eternal Now.

The inner child loves a story; the adult within searches for meaning. Feminine nature responds to the intuitive and masculine temperament to the logical. As individuals, we are composites of the children we were and the adults we become and it is in the tales we share and love, that we grow. As children, all our favorite stories began with 'once upon a time' and ended with 'and they all lived happily ever after.' In Western culture, the foundational story of how humanity found itself on this beautiful blue planet floating in space, begins in the Garden of Eden, a metaphor for Natures' verdant setting. We certainly begin with 'once upon a time' but as we look at our present clash of world cultures in a natural world that has been gravely abused, can we honestly envision a 'happily ever after' for the human family?

With a traditional reading of the biblical Creation story, it is difficult to imagine. Kabbalah and mystical Judaism has always suggested that there are many ways to understand the mystery of our ancient stories if we are willing to delve below the superficial level. Awaiting discovery below the literal interpretation of the Garden of Eden, magical myth and metaphor are the keys that have the transformative power to alter the course of human history for our children and grandchildren. There is the potential for a 'happily ever after' - for replacing the fear of our diversity with respect and celebration. Cooperation is possible once we add the missing letter 'o' back into the word 'corporation.' There is a path to individual empowerment and healing and the possibility of creating a global family living in harmony with the Earth. Are you ready?

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Heather_Mendel

Eve, God and Evolving Consciousness

How would western culture have evolved differently if the foundational feminine archetype, Eve, had been described as the heroic, curious and courageous woman who started the human journey of spiritual beings? Kabbalah offers exactly this interpretation of the Garden of Eden story for those willing to delve below the surface. By so doing, not only are we able to empower women to release themselves from the emotional shackles of guilt, remorse and shame that have crippled too many for too long, but additionally, we are able to re-envisage an image of God that is relevant in a quantum age.

The traditional reading of the Garden of Eden not only sets the stage for the diminishment of women, but also for a misunderstanding of the nature of God. This mystical and mythic telling of the tale intuits Divinity as the Creative Source of All Life, the wellspring of compassion. This God metaphorically plants two trees in the 'Garden'- the forerunner to the world of Nature that is home to the human family on Earth. The Tree of Knowledge is the symbol for the physical world of duality that allows us to constantly make choices as we learn to use the gift of free-will. This Tree is the gift of our 'human-ness.' The Tree of Life awaits. It is the gift of our 'being-ness' with which we reconnect as we spiritually evolve and grow in consciousness.

In the deeper reading of the familiar story, we can hear the missing phrase that is written, not in the story as we know it, but rather in the spaces between the letters of the literal text. Humanity is told: "Do not eat of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge... until you are ready for all that life will bring- the joys and the heartaches, the successes and dashed hopes that are part and parcel of life in the physical. In such a sharing, the curious, intuitive and courageous 'Eve'- archetypal feminine energy, is willing to take the opportunity offered, to bring human consciousness to the physical realm just as God intended, but only when 'she' was ready for the illusionary separation from God and spiritual realm. God does not punish humanity by casting them out; here God, compassionate and unconditionally loving, holds the space for human beings to correct their errors and enjoy their successes as they make the choices necessary to experience this earthly journey.

As we reclaim the revealed Eve from the negative strictures of the traditional image that concealed her beauty and her strength, women are invited to welcome the 'Eve' within, and honor her intuitive wisdom, courage and curiosity- part and parcel of our inherent birthright. We have the opportunity of again moving the human story forward at this transformational moment in the new millennium, so full of promise and potential. The implied image of God, 'I shall be that I shall be' or 'I become that I become' is the evolving, mysterious, multilayered and unifying field and force in whose image we, consciously evolving humanity, are created. Are we ready?

Article Source http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Heather_Mendel

Sacred Sites, Mystical Portent

There are sacred place on the Earth, entrances to the mystical Kairos — place of wonder and mystery that we feel rather than see. They are portals to an unseen realm, that on passing through, we are transported from the mundane world, and its fixation with the clocks and calendars of Chronos time, as described in my book, "Dancing In The Footsteps of Eve."

I have personally never visited Petra, but have seen photos and read descriptions such as in Dorothy Atalla’s new book, "Conversations with the Goddess." Having been to Antelope Canyon and the Anasazi villages of the South West, I do know the powerful energy of such places, transformative energy that may remain dormant, perhaps for years, before we understand the impact of our having being there.

Our digital world is amazing and can transport us in time and space, connecting us as a global family in ways never before imagined. However, digital travel does not allow us to touch and be touched by the magical energy of sacred places. The shared spiritual journeys of those who are fortunate enough to have been there, lifts our imaginative yearning and allows us to soar. Atalla’s journey begins in Petra, Sue Monk Kidd and her daughter Ann, describe mystical Greece in their book, "Traveling with Pomegranates." We fly with them as we enjoy both books that provide joyful reading experiences for women longing to connect with their spiritual source.

Feminism in Jewish Fables, Folkore, and Legend

I am delighted to invite you to open this link:

http://inscribe.typepad.com/inscribe_journal/2010/07/feminism-in-jewish-fables-folkore-and-legend.html

Bridges Volume 15.1 is a special issue on "Fables, Folklore and Legend" and is packed with new feminist spins on some of the oldest and most timeless stories in Jewish literature. The issue opens with Agi Legutko’s essay on dybbuk possession legends and the creativity let loose in their transformation by contemporary Jewish women writers in the novels of E. M. Broner, Francine Prose, Judith Katz, Pearl Abraham, and Ruth Knafo Setton. These stories of transmigrating souls are followed by stories of the soulless golem and Simone Yehuda’s modern fairy tale of a pregnant golem named Rasa who seeks a “soul voice.” As Yehuda does a riff on the connections between women’s ability/inability to give birth and the Talmudic statement, “A woman [before marriage or childbirth] is a golem,” Heather Mendel’s “Transforming Divinity, Transforming Ourselves” looks deeply into the Garden of Eden story to reveal Eve as representing the innate and necessary curiosity humans need to experience the miracle of life. From Mendel’s teaching on the mythical Garden, readers move to Darlene Miller-Lanning’s essay on the artist Berenice D’Vorzon’s vibrantly painted divine “gardens” in nature and then to Henrietta Bensussen’s tour of very real gardens in Europe. Berenice Fisher’s family legend of her mother’s visit to a rose garden in Iraq, in 1930, is at the heart of her one women play about women’s agency in war and peace activism. Finally, the ability of folklore and legend to speak to each of us individually is powerfully represented in Zelda Kahan Newman’s short story about a raven visiting a synagogue on Yom Kippur.

At this time of crisis:

From the indigenous grandmothers:

“You are desperately needed. We ask you to cast, anchor, and hold the net of light steady for the Gulf of Mexico , This crisis is affecting the entire world, and humanity is asleep. Wake up. Animals are dying, plants are dying, and your Mother (Earth) is writhing in agony. If you hold the net of light steady at this time you will help stave off further catastrophe. You have been lulled into a false sleep, told that others like BP will take care of this problem. This is not so. This is not the time for you to fall into oblivion. Determine now to stay awake, and once you have made that commitment, think of, cast, and hold the net of light. Hold it deep and hold it wide. Amplify its reach to penetrate the waters of the Gulf and dive deep beneath the crust of Mother Earth. Anchor it at the earth's core and as you hold it there, ask it to unify with the mineral kingdom of this planet.
It will do this and will harmonize with all the solid and liquid mineral states on earth-including oil and gas. The net of light will call these minerals back into harmony. Whatever human beings have damaged, human beings must correct.
This is the law. We repeat: This is the law. You cannot sit back and ask God to fix the mess humanity has created. Each of you must throw your shoulders to the wheel and work. We are asking for your help. Several years ago we gave you the net of light so you would be able to help the earth at times like this. Step forward now. This is the net of light that will hold the earth during the times of change that are upon you.
First move into your heart and call on us. We will meet you there. The net of light is lit by the jewel of your heart, so move into this lighted place within you and open to the net of which you are a part. Bask in its calming presence. It holds you at the same time that you hold it. Now think of magnifying your union with us. We, the Great Council of the Grandmothers, are with you now, and all those who work with the net of night are also with you. There are thousands, even millions now connected in light.
Along with this union, call forth the power of the sacred places on earth. These will amplify the potency of our joint effort. Then call on the sacred beings that have come to prevent the catastrophe that threatens to overwhelm your planet. We will work together. Think of, cast and magnify the presence of the net of light in the Gulf of Mexico. See, imagine or think of it holding the waters, holding the land, the plants, the sea life, and the people. Holding them all. The Net of Light is holding them steady; it is returning them to balance. Let the love within your lighted heart keep pouring into the Net of Light and hold, hold, hold. Calmly and reverently watch as the light from your heart flows along the strands of the net. It will follow your command and continuously move forth.
As soon as you think of it, it will happen. We ask you to practice this for only a few minutes at a time, but to repeat it throughout the day and night. We promise that this work with the net of night will do untold good.
We are calling you to service now. You are needed. Do not miss this opportunity. We thank you and bless you."

email from Shawn Gallaway
http://www.ichooselove.org/dvd.html

Evolutionary Consciousness /Conscious Evolution?

Does evolution change consciousness or does consciousness change evolution? Like any spiritual conundrum, the answer to the dilemma is— yes!

Our inner and outer realities mirror each other as part and parcel of one single process. In the midst of the radical transformation that is the present moment, it is fascinating to see the reflection of inner and outer worlds. We have at least two alternatives ways of responding to change. If our inner reality is based on fear, we step back and try to hold fast to the past that, like soft dry sand, is slipping through our fingers. We want to retain the known and familiar. The ‘tea-party’ movement is an excellent example of this phenomenon. If, on the other hand, we are courageous, optimistic and believe in a positive future, we are willing to take a chance and leap into the unknown, with faith that all will be well as a new reality is unfolding.

Life is mysterious and full of surprises. During the height of the apartheid years in South Africa, it was accepted that when the change would come, a bloody revolution was inevitable. A futurist I knew predicted that ‘as went South Africa, so would go the world.’ Miraculously it seems, the change actually came peacefully. Nelson Mandela was the right man for the moment and his efforts were strengthened by the efforts of some 10,000 individuals who helped forge a new culture based on the principles of conflict resolution. Unseen and unknown to most, they worked their magic and the results are incredible. If that futurist was correct, it is auspicious for the world community.

In American public life, transformative change is happening too, despite the apparent polarized divisions. Conflict resolution offers an alternative and new way of finding common ground in areas of dispute. In the personal realm, mediation is becoming a valid alternative to the destructive nature of the power play that is part of divorce. Publicly, the present Obama administration is demonstrating that attempting to reach consensus is a worthy goal, despite some who attempt to thwart the process. New ways of debate and decision reaching are possible. The ongoing specious debate by pro-choice and anti-choice proponents is being reframed. Just as no one is ‘anti-life,’ neither is anyone ‘pro-abortion.’ The issue is about a woman’s right to determine her future and that of her family. A way to bring opposing sides together is to look at what values they share— in this case, neither group wants any unintended pregnancies and so they can come together to focus attention and efforts on pregnancy prevention or adoption advocacy.

Don Beck’s teaching on spiral dynamics is a wonderful basis to start seeing how we function in society. He shows how as individuals and communities we evolve, initially aware only of our basic needs for survival, and then open to the developmental stages of awareness of the magical, followed by an egocentric world view. As we mature we pass from an authoritarian model, to become to community builders, who acknowledge that responsibility is essential to corresponded with rights we claim, and ultimately hope to realize oneness, wholeness and cooperation. We are all at different point on the journey, individually and communally and when hoping to assist others, can respectfully find way to understand what they need in order to find ways to work together to bring about peaceful change.

With a rapidly changing reality influences by climate, technology and access to information, natural evolution offers us the opportunity to awaken to the multilayered nature of reality and in so doing, assist the evolution our own consciousness, finding answers to the perennial questions of the spiritual seeker: who am, why and I here and where am I going?

Nature's Solution?

Satellite imagery has just revealed that a tiny uninhabited island in the Bay of Bengal has submerged below the ocean. The island, called South Tappatti by Bangladesh or New Moore by India, a reservoir of rich oil and gas deposits, is an example of global warming solving a problem that had caused bitter dissent between the two countries.

Are we going to wait for Nature to solve other disputes around the planet that tear peoples apart? In the space of a few short years we have witnessed the changes that can be brought to bear. Katrina, the Indonesian tsunami, Haiti and Chile readily come to mind. These natural disasters plead with us to re-examine our priorities. In the major hotspots of the world where for generations people have died because of human disagreement, powerplay and greed, do we intend to wait for Nature to step in and level the playing field? What, then will we tell our grandchildren, was the purpose of generations of bloodshed? Surely we can find solutions ourselves before it is too late.

Sharing commonalities where they exist

I applaud everyone engaged in an effort to find commonalities between various religious traditions. As we each filter our understanding through the lens of our own experience, we should be cautious about making assumptions based on the ideas of those who are not practicing a particular faith. The descriptive term “Judeo-Christian . . .” should cause us to listen with care to whatever follows this phrase. On the surface, this is a term that signals a common heritage between Jews and Christians. In reality, this is a term not usually used by Jews, but is normally used as an interpretation of Judaism through a Christian perspective. Care is necessary when speaking in the name of both traditions. For example, at a recent interfaith presentation for which I was a panelist, the Christian representative assumed that like all Christians, Jews are looking for ways to avoid being damned to hell in the next life — a false assumption mistakenly believed to be part of the so-called “Judeo-Christian” view because it is part of a Christian belief. Judaism teaches that our focus needs to be in this world, that we make heaven or hell where we are by the choices we make.

Both traditions teach, in their own imagery, metaphor and symbolism, about caring for the human family and the Earth. While there are areas both faith communities share and on which everyone can build, it would seem more credible to hear how Jews interpret their own beliefs than have them filtered through the perspective of any other group and mindset. In so doing, it is possible to find authentic commonalities shared by both traditions, releasing many misconceptions about Judaism. This applies to all religious and spiritual traditions. As responsible spiritual seekers, we need to be careful about our assumptions.

Nature speaks silently

My prunus tree is in blossom. On the bare branches that seemed so lifeless a few short weeks ago, the woody arms of the tree are now hidden by an explosion of delicate, pale pink flowers. Their fragile beauty moves me deeply. The fact that they are so short-lived intensifies their beauty. In the morning they may be gone as we expect much rain over the next few days.
I was able to savor their beauty and watched the bees darting from one deep-throated blossom to the next. It struck me how insignificant human beings are, how unconcerned with with us and our lives are the bees, as they go about their activities, in silence. It reminded me of Yellowstone a couple of winters ago when I had the privilege of being there with my husband — a winter wonderland indeed. A blizzard the previous day left the earth covered with feet of pristine and sparkling snow. We walk over to Old Faithful to watch the eruption, and miraculously found ourselves totally alone with the geyser in all its magnificence— except for a herd of bison, white- faced from foraging beneath the snow. We were overwhelmed with nature’s majesty, and the over-riding silence of the experience, that was interrupted only by the occasional snort of a bison and the bubbling of the heated water beneath us. As a coyote silently padded through the snow, seemingly oblivious of both the bison and of us, I was reminded of the words of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel:

“There are three aspects of nature which command our attention: power,loveliness and grandeur. Nature’s power we exploit, its loveliness we enjoy, and its grandeur fills us with awe. Those who are not affected by the vision of earth and sky, who have no eyes to see its grandeur and sense the sublime, however vaguely, are not human.”

Sacred Humanity

As women walking the path to the conscious evolution of a sacred humanity, we are aware of the qualities of the Sacred Feminine in ourselves and in the world—a respect for wisdom of the natural world, of which we are a part; for the deep connection we enjoy with one another; with the ability we have to love unconditionally, as a mother loves her new born baby without having seen or knowing anything about that child; the ability to learn from one another through the use of story – stories told, heard and felt. The Sacred Feminine pays heed to the invisible realms that give birth to the inexplicable coincidences, synchronicities and serendipities that give meaning to our lives— all of which can be summed up in the term connective intimacy

And what of the Sacred Masculine? We are all too aware of the secular masculine qualities on which our society is based— hierarchy, competition, domination and destruction, judgment, power and control over others, violence, linear thinking that is wedded to science, and a greedy consumerism as the only was to function. The ManKind Project, acknowledging the abilities and talents of the Sacred Masculine, teaches authenticity, responsibility, accountability, commitment and service as the path to follow. Such characteristics are desirable in us all and will lay the foundations of a harmonious society.

The Sacred Masculine, diverting the energies previously focused on our physical survival, can now hone in on honor, duty and respectful service— to the natural world, the global family and to the Divine, without the conviction of predetermined concepts. A penchant for scientific enquiry used in conjunction with an intuitive curiosity may lead the way to an enlightened vision of a peaceful future for all.

Building a community in cyberspace

Everyday I learn more about the potential and possibility of what we can do in cyberspace. I am so gratified by the growing community that is connecting on my fb page, Dancing In The Footsteps of Eve. I have linked to Mystic Revelations, a wonderful source of beautiful words and images. I would like to link to other web pages and sites that are concerned with conscious evolution and women's spirituality. Let me know if you would like to link to my page.

Sacred Stories

Were we created because God loves stories? We create our personal stories that tell us who we are— to ourselves. We also create our personal stories to tell the world who we are and what we want others to know about us. The sacred stories that we believe— about who we are, why we are here, and where we are going— set the stage for our personal tales. How does your personal story (that you share with the world) begin? Mine starts with "what if?" Perhaps these words, that seem to sum up my inner journey, should be on my tombstone. "She lived with 'what if' as a motivational impetus in her life."

I think back to what seems like another lifetime ago in the early 90s, when I was trying to promote my calligraphic designs and my brother suggested the 'world wide web'. "Sure," was my answer, "I'll do that— what is the world wide web?" I learned. Around that same time, a friend who was a published author attended a spirituality workshop I was leading. "You should write this all down - write a book," she said. "Sure, I'll do that - how do you write a book?" and she showed me.

I wonder if we knew what will be involved in the decisions we make, would we be willing to start the many ventures that make us who we are? I am so glad that I jump in, naive and and optimistic, on the many paths and adventures to further spiritual growth.

Playing Our Part

Life, according to my friend Paddy, is like the softball game she used to play as a child. She remembers that while she played in the position to which she was assigned, she would become extremely anxious if another team member was not able to do what was required, and Paddy would suffer extreme frustration in not being able to change the outcome of the game. She realized at some point in her life, that worrying about what other team members could or could not do, was not her business. She had to learn that she was assigned to hold a certain position on the team and hold it to the best of her ability. That was why she was there.

As in softball, when we become overwhelmed by the tragedies and trauma of our world and feel immobilized by our inability to take care of all that needs to be done (much as we feel as we think of the catastrophic devastation in Haiti) perhaps it serves us well to remember that we are not able to do it all. We are each here to play a part, and to play it in full consciousness, to the best of our ability. We can help others where and when it is possible but just being the best Paddy/Susan/Margaret/Heather that we can be, is why we are here.

Feeding our souls

A New Year's resolution is to make my time more valuable this year by using it wisely. Interesting how we consider time as a commodity - we use it, spend it, waste it, and heaven forbid, kill it. I want to make the moments count and consider carefully what I do with my days. I make a point of having music on while I work and will now not just wait for vacation time to read, but will spend part of each day reading. As I walk on the treadmill or relax in a recliner at the end of the day, I am treasuring the time I can spend reading uplifting prose and poetry to fill my mind with meaningful images to replace the cacophany that television brings into our homes. "Traveling With Pomegranates" by Sue Monk Kidd and her daughter Ann is nourishing my soul at present, as the books 'The Woman Who Named God' by Charlotte Gordon and 'The Joining' by Vishara Veda have done over the past few weeks. I would love to hear what you are doing with your time and what you are doing to feed your soul.

New beginnings

As of this morning, my blog will appear here and on my website at www.dancinginthefootstepsofeve.com. I plan to update regularly and hope to have some discussion sparked.

From a facebook friend, Marie Tucker comes the following— a favorite quote that she has had for some time

Promise Yourself
To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet.
To make all your friends feel that there is something worthwhile in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
To think only of the best, to work only for the best and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful expression at all times and give a smile to every living creature you meet.
To give so much time to improving yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud word, but in great deeds.
To live in the faith that the whole world is on your side, so long as you are true to the best that is in you.


My website blog is linked to others that are empowering for women through the work of artist, writers and activitists. let me know if you would like a reciprocal link