Re-Finding Our Smile

In this teaching we call Religious Science or New Thought, we spend a lot of time on very serious business like goals, dreams, forgiveness, our relationship with Spirit, etc. And all that is important. But I believe that sometimes we postpone our experience of joy and happiness until….

As soon as I reach that goal, as soon as that whatever manifests for me, as soon as…. We stay focused on our goal (someone said our “eyes on the prize”), which is good. But when we do, there is the possibility that we are missing out on the happiness of the moment.

We are mature and responsible and orderly and serious. Breakfast food is for breakfast. You don’t wear blue and green together.

But what if we stirred it up a little and broke some rules? What happens when we do that? More often than not, it makes us smile.

Just about everyone I know has a storage compartment someplace. Or two or three. And if not, their garage looks like an Oklahoma windstorm went through. We have all the stuff, so why aren’t we happy?

Maybe because we don’t allow ourselves to be.

The wonderful book Happiness Is A Choice by Barry Neil Kaufman, which a dear friend reminded me of, offers “shortcuts to happiness,” including:
1. Make happiness a priority. In our interactions in the world, we can choose whether to react or respond. Or even just smile. A Course in Miracles reminds us that “I can be right, or I can be happy.” Sometimes we get both, but when we don’t, which is more important?
2. Personal authenticity and integrity. We all have things that we do differently from anyone else. It is part of what makes us, us. Honor and celebrate the unique and wonderful being you are!
3. Let go of judgments. See point number 1.
4. Be present. As I write this, the house is quiet and there is a Golden Retriever lying across my left foot. The wind is rustling in the trees outside, and I hear an airplane and traffic in the distance. Thoughts of past and future keep us from the lusciousness of the moment.
5. Be grateful. Everyone and everything brings us a blessing. Without exception.

The Universe works on ease and grace and joy and wonder and passion. Ever seen an aardvark? Not only a rather unattractive creature, but the name starts with two a’s. How much fun is that?

Click on the link below to listen to my talk from last Sunday, entitled “Re-Finding Our Smile.”

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It’s Scary Out There

You probably remember December 31, 1999. It was the turn of the century! Very few people had ever lived through one before. What would happen? Would the computers work? There were long lines at the gas station, people stockpiling cash and food, “just in case.”

You probably remember what happened. Nothing. Life continued just as it was the day before. But there was alot of F E A R — or “False Evidence Appearing Real.”

It can be scary “out there” today. Gas prices going up, the economic recovery perhaps slowing down, talk of conflict with Iran. But when we remember the presence of Spirit within, and that we never walk alone, we don’t have to spend any time on conditions and appearances.

Click on the link below to listen to my talk, “It’s Scary Out There.”

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Living from Our Divine Identity

It was a warm and sunny day in the Garden of Eden. Adam and God were just hanging
out, having a conversation. “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every
tree of the garden you may freely eat; But of the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil, you shall not eat; for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely
die.” (Genesis 2 : 16 – 17)

You know the rest of the story. The serpent talked the woman into a fruit salad,
who shared it with the man. Followed almost immediately by the Bible’s first lesson
in taking personal responsibility (or not).

But notice the words in Genesis 2: the knowledge of good and evil. What is that?
A belief in separation–that there somehow could be good vs evil.

Consider how that belief (conscious or unconscious) in separation effects our lives.
That Spirit (God, the Universe, or Higher Power) has to travel from some distance
to zoom in and fix the situations we have created.

Byron Katie reminds us to not believe everything we know. We know it because someone
told us. But what if it is not true? How would our lives look if we really recognized our
Divine Nature–that we have the hearts of Divine Love, the mind of Divine Wisdom, and the
lives of Divine life?

Click on the link below to listen to my talk from last Sunday…

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“The Greatest Love of All”

“The greatest love of all is easy to achieve. Learning to love yourself — It is
the greatest love of all”

In honoring and celebrating the life and talent of Whitney Houston, I was reminded of this song that she recorded.

On this Valentine’s Day, whether you have another beloved (besides yourself) or not, how will you honor yourself and this “greatest love”? What do you say about
yourself?

My dear friend and mentor, Edwene Gaines, says that “my life means what I say it means.” If we say (whether verbally or in our thoughts) that we are powerful and power-ful beings, that we are a blessing to the world and that the world is a blessing to us, that is our truth.

What I know for you is that everything in your life is exactly as it should be.

Depending on how your life looks, that statement might surprise you. But when we step back from judgment, away from how it is “supposed to be” based on someone else’s rules and regulations, we can honor ourselves for how far we have come, the opportunities and lessons we have learned, and face today (and every day) with excitement and anticipation of new and wonderful blessings. Every experience has been there to bring us a blessing, whether it seemed like it at the time or not.

A Course in Miracles reminds you that you are host to God. (Remember that Jesus said the kingdom of heaven is within you.) How different would your life look, today and every day, if you were consciously aware of that in every moment?

Today, you don’t have to send yourself candy and flowers (unless you want to). But I challenge you (and me) to experience that “greatest love,” in the remembrance that you are the beloved of God. Not anyway, but period. And then act accordingly.

When you do, the most amazing things will happen. When we decide that we deserve only the best, and settle for only the best, Life responds (because as we know,
Life is a mirror of our beliefs) with only the best in our relationships, our health, our money, and in every other area. Godiva or Whitman’s Sampler–always our choice.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Will I Be My Valentine?

As I’m sure you know, Tuesday, February 14 is Valentine’s Day. Jewelry stores, candy makers and florists have suggestions for gifts we can buy for our Valentine.

But how would our lives look if we decided to be our own Valentine? If our best friend came to us and described a challenging situation in their life, we would most likely counsel them in compassion and unconditional love. Do we treat ourselves with the same love and compassion?

We know that, as Alan Cohen says, “there is no future in the past.” We must stay out of resentment and regret, recognizing that every experience in our past was there to bring us a blessing and quite possibility give us the opportunity for a lesson. But when something comes up, do we also feel that?

Click on the link below to listen to my talk entitled “Will I Be My Valentine?”

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An Opportunity for Inconvenience

My first full-time job was with San Diego Trust & Savings Bank in Escondido. In 1978, our branch was the first one in the system to install an automated teller. Called a “7/24″ machine, you could get your balance, or withdraw money. It was HOT.

This, of course, was before the days of direct deposit, the internet, and scanning checks to be deposited on your smart phone. But suddenly you didn’t have to stand in line in the bank (between the hours of 10 and 4, thank you) in order to make a withdrawal.

We’ve come along way. I sometimes find myself feeling a little inconvenienced if the internet moves too slowly, or if I do have to go to the bank and stand in line for 5 minutes. Spoiled? Perhaps.

As you may know, A Season for Non-violence is the annual 64 day campaign celebrating the lives and work of Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King. Non-violence sounds like something governments and countries should do. If they would just _______________(and feel free to fill in the blank), the world would be a better place.

But I believe that violence is more than just physical. It is also in the ways we treat one other–anger, resentment, bitterness and the need for forgiveness are also forms of violence.

Our decision to be non-violent starts with a willingness to change. Change is most often inconvenient–we may have to do something we have never done before. Giving someone the benefit of the doubt; putting ourselves in their position; being willing to not take their actions personally.

I choose to consciously experience this year’s SNV personally, by allowing myself to be inconvenienced, and by being aware of how I can be more loving. Won’t you join me?

The Morning After

I don’t mind telling you that my team did not win last night.

Yes, I enjoyed Madonna’s half time show, and the message about world peace. And the commercials were fun, as always (especially the little boy in the sling shot, stealing his older brother’s Doritos, thanks to help from Grandma).

But I was routing for the Patriots. Because we lived in Boston for two years; and because our dear friend Pat, who made her transition last year was a huge fan (Pat being short for Patricia as well as for Patriots–cute, huh?).

There was also that nagging irritation about what happened in the 2004 NFL draft. If you’ve been in San Diego for awhile, you probably remember that Eli Manning was drafted by the San Diego Chargers, but refused the offer, because he wanted to go to the New York Giants instead.

Never mind that it was up to Eli to make a decision that was best for him. We were, and many of us still are, highly insulted. And what makes matters worse is that Mr. Manning now has two Super Bowl rings as a result of playing for the Giants, and the Chargers have, well, you know…..

Chances are that Eli will be very busy over the next few weeks, making new television commercials. And I can stay stuck in my anger and resentment, jumping for the remote control every time he comes on the telly.

Or, I can forgive.

In this Season for Nonviolence, I believe there is more to it than physical violence. There is also emotional violence, through anger, resentment, bitterness and the need for forgiveness.

Yes, he probably should have shown more respect to the Chargers and the City of San Diego. But, as A Course in Miracles reminds me, I can choose to be right, or I can choose to be happy.

There is no better moment than this one to begin to forgive the Eli Mannings in our lives.