Every path in Nature is a winding path.

“Only man-made ideas are forced, pushed, pressed into the ‘right’ way to do things. Nature finds her undeniable certainty expressing in whatever way is appropriate in the moment — without prediction, without rigidity, and most importantly with curving, flowing Grace.  Next time you walk in the woods, notice the natural pathways everywhere, ever beckoning your surrender to What IS.” ~Dr. Sue Morter

photo by Lynda Davis

Tags: graceful living, gratitude

It’s the darkest time of the year (here in the western hemisphere anyway … yet some hearts S H I N E more brightly at this time of year than any other.  For many, this is a season of giving, of generosity, of celebrating our blessings, and a time to reach out to family & friends in special ways.

As we enter the final week of 2010, I’d like to share a few simple inspirations from my heart to yours.

A poem I wrote in 2006 that I like to share every year at this time:   Embrace

A video I just watched that really speaks to me:  Spiritual Conspiracy

A lovely Christmas song by a young SHINING Star!:  O Holy Night

Let us remember that the most important Gifts come without all the fancy wrappings.  Unwrap your heart & let your True Self glow this holiday season and all through the coming year.

Shining Love & Light your way,  Sor’a

Tags: awakening, gratitude, inspiration, peaceful being, simple abundance

It’s International Peace Day today, and I’m celebrating the inner peace that has come from a summer sabbatical.  I thought I’d be writing during this time ‘off’ but the words simply didn’t wish to flow.  My writing has felt rather like a dry river these past few months as I’ve been simplifying my inner & outer world.  But I’m feeling something beginning to bubble inside, and it’s time to put my fingers on the keyboard to see what will come.

Nothing.

Will the flow of Inspiration ever come again?

Silence.

Here I am.  Who am I?

I am a peaceful stream of radiant light, and I shine forth simply in everything I do.  When the words are not here, here I still am, flowing as this silent peace~full stream.

I am reminded of a quote from my teacher, Elle Re: “You must be willing to be empty, to be full.”

Daisy, by D.Franks

Let me be like this humble flower, bowing to the moment.  In this peace, may I lose myself and become the flower to everyone I meet.  The true path to world peace.

Peace be within you, always.  ~Sor’a

Tags: International Peace Day, peaceful being

The Peaceful Woman journey continues … another journal entry I wrote March 3, 2 weeks after returning from my Maui Passage.

I live in a beautiful world.  Everywhere I turn, I see miracles and abundance… and my heart cries to see the death & destruction, the poverty and hopelessness that is also a part of our world.

Sometimes it’s impossible to hold my peace & inner joyfulness in the face of such harsh reality. It breaks my heart to see people impacted by nature’s devastation…or by the changing tides of money flow…or by the indignities inflicted upon the children who are the future of humanity.

I admire the people who show up every day in direct service to those who are struggling to find their way through life-challenging situations.  My prayers and offerings of support sometimes seem inadequate in comparison.  Yet every prayer, every small act of compassion, and every wonderfully unique way we show up for one another…each of these is important.

Today I’m remembering a message from my time in Maui: “Your place is wherever you are. You serve in all that you do.” My heart is still bound to break, and breaking open is a good thing. Let the peace and beauty that lives in my heart flow out to the world in new ways.

Another journal entry: The ‘peace of belonging’ is growing into a tangible sense of peace radiating through me.  I feel it rooting deep into the earth at the same time it surrounds me and reflects into my surroundings.  A friend told me I look more beautifully grounded in my essence than before.  Welcome home, Radiant Peace!

Tags: inspiration, peaceful being, radiant peace, The Peaceful Woman

30 Days of Thanks: The Gratitude Game continues, and this week I’ll be exploring how I am deepening my appreciation for the journey by climbing a few mountains … and opening to a few miracles!

Day 20: The miracle of music.  I’m grateful to Failla Drum for being SUCH a catalyst for music in our world.  I was inspired to go PLAY tonight at one of her weekly rhythm circles and I had a BLAST!  I’m smiling deep inside and still tapping my feet & swaying my body.  YUM.

Day 18-19: Up on top of another beautiful peak today, after experiencing the miracle of soul connection & community.  I’m celebrating the magnificence of all who came to be with Elle Re this weekend.  I feel very nourished and open…ready to go after a few of the life mountains that are still present in my life with more trust & joy than before.  This is the blessing of a spiritual practice that both presences us to the divinity of all things, and also shines light on the unique aspect of each, our True Nature.  Double thanks this weekend for my spiritual community and the Love that is guiding this journey.  Ahhhhhmen.

Day 17: “Feeling gratitude & not expressing it is like wrapping a present & not giving it.”  I’m so grateful for meeting new friends!  Thanks, Rio, for this quote and for shining your Light so beautifully into our world.   I am opening, opening, opening … to the miracle of gratitude. 

Day 16: Thankful to be cherished…the miracle of unconditional Love.

Day 15: This morning I climbed the mountain by my house.  It was a clear, blue-sky morning, a bit chilly but I was shedding layers by the time I got to the top.  As I turned to gaze out across my hometown, a church steeple centered in my awareness, and I quietly knelt within my heart.  Thank you, God.  I’ve been climbing one of life’s little mountains these past 2 weeks after finding a breast lump.  It’s amazing to me how many different emotions arise, and how many different opinions are given, when our bodies create something out of the norm.  As I stood on the mountain, breathing the crisp fall air, a wonderful sense of peace and strength flowed through me.  Every mountain, every valley, gives new perspective to the landscape of our lives.  This one is teaching me to listen and to honor my inner knowing, while at the same time being open to options that are placed before me.  (P.S. In case you’re worried for me, don’t be…it’s benign but still something I need to attend to.  I’m paying attention & giving my body what it needs right now, including a bit more rest, a cleansing diet, movement…and probably a few more climbs up that mountain!)

Day 14: Today’s THANKS is dedicated to another awesome gratitude offering, The World Gratitude Gathering from Stacy Robyn & Ken Herbert.  If you haven’t yet participated in their 42 gathering, sign up now!!  It’s a wonderful, magical offering … beautiful images, playful & powerful words, totally inspirational sharing.  I love everything about it & I’d say it’s probably creating quite a few miracles in our world.

Tags: 30 days of Thanks, gratitude, inspiration

30 Days of Thanks: This week, I’m allowing the letters of the word
G-R-A-T-I-T-U-D-E to guide my reflections of thanks-giving. And I’m grateful for the many ways of exploring & deepening my connection to gratitude as I allow myself to play in this way!

Day 5: “G is for Good” reminds me that turning to what is GOOD in my life, I turn away from the perceived problems that take me away from the present moment. And I know it may sound trite, but being present is a wonderful gift.   So today I am thankful for the Goodness that took me on a walk by the river on a beautiful fall day, and for the spontaneous dinner with a friend.  Thank Goodness for nature & friendship!

Day 6: “R is for Renewal” I am so grateful for a delicious day of renewal, rejuvenation, re-choosing.  My radiant friend, Kara, and I created a lovely ceremony for using the Divine Inspiration of this day: 11-11-11!  (2009 adds to 11 :-)  We supported a circle of women and one man (brave Thomas) to step more fully into their service roles as agents of Oneness.  I give thanks for my dear teacher, Elle Re, for being available for all who are ready to move from singular mind into the Unity field of divine Love.     (R is also for Remembering to be Thankful, every single day!

Day 7: “A is for Awe” … and remembering to Appreciate the beauty that is all around me.  Today I’m noticing how my day is flowing so gracefully around me. A long delicious talk with my son over breakfast…a couple of unplanned ‘friendship breaks’ which filled me with smiles…a very helpful connection with my HUB-GPN marketing coach that inspired me to keep sharing the things I love about this social business I am co-creating.  And today’s focus of catching up on bills & emails so I can open more space to create & play is…well, making progress at least!  And now I’m going to take a walk and be in AWE of this beautiful blue-sky day.

Day 8: “Today I am blessed” … T might be for Transforming whatever is before us into an opportunity by giving thanks and knowing we are Loved beyond imagining.  T may be for Trusting that we are never given more than we can handle, and that we can find learning in everything.  T very well might be for Together we are so much more than we are alone.  All of these are True for me this day, and I give Thanks for it all.  Today I know I am TOTALLY blessed.

A bonus for today … check out this amazing video, Together We are One.

Day 9: “I is for Inspiration,” the breath of Spirit which renews & energizes me every time I turn my attention to Giving Thanks.  Today I’m so very thankful for “my boys” (husband, son, grandson) … for time together at our wonderful haven in the woods in McCall Idaho.  This is one of my favorite places of inspiration…a place where so many cherished memories have been created.  I give great thanks for breathing in the fresh air while laughing & playing in the first snow of the season, and for tapping into a few of those great memories.  Here’s one from a few years back…my favorite reminder of what it feels like to say YES!

Day 10: “T is for Tender moments & Treasuring the journey.” Today I simply give thanks for the miracle of being.

Day 11: “U is for Unity … and for embracing the Unexpected.” Another day of simplicity, and I’m appreciating the way I’m learning to flow with what is before me.  As I learn to follow guidance rather than push through with my ‘plans’ for the day, magic has a way of erupting in the most delightful ways.  Today it was an impromptu dinner with my darling daughter.  Thank you, KT, for helping me smile and remember how connected we still are.

Day 12: “D is for Devotion” … and for the delicious, delightful, discovery of  my natural Divinity.  When I give myself to whatever is before me, I find my own divine nature in everything & everyOne who comes before me.  Today, I was blessed by an “integrative session” with my coach-friend-neighbor, Carrie Morgan.  This is what she calls her brilliant blend of deep listening, intuitive assessment, authentic caring, laser coaching, energetic clearing & body balancing.  I call it WOW.  I am in devotion, again, to this path of Love I am walking.  And I am grateful for the reflective Light and how it shines so beautifully when we open our hearts to receive.

Day 13: “E is for Enough” … I have enough, I give enough, I am enough.  This may be one of my greatest challenge areas, especially remembering that what I do & what I give are NOT connected to my innate value as a human being.  :-)  Today I am remembering to Enjoy what is naturally flowing through me, and to Embrace this precious moment, knowing that whatever is here for me is exactly enough.

Tags: 30 days of Thanks, gratitude, inspiration

“Let your big bright brilliant beam of radiant light SHINE!!”
-from Karen Drucker, Let It Shine

Celebrate!

“Shine Out Loud” was the theme for Boise’s 2009 St. Luke’s Women’s Fitness Celebration, one of the largest all-women events in the country.  The event was created to empower women of all ages and abilities to come together in celebration of healthy living.  How perfect that this year’s theme was a call to SHINE!!

Over 10,000 women celebrated themselves as brilliant beings, and the 5K run/walk was only one small piece of this tribute to our power as women. The power to embrace life…to pursue our dreams…to overcome obstacles…to celebrate diversity…to persevere…to give hope…and to LOVE, no matter what is happening in the world around us. Standing and walking in this sea of happiness for even just a few hours is quite an experience and such good medicine to lift our collective spirits.

It’s easy to look to the heavens for inspiration, but it’s through these earthly events that we have the real opportunity to let our divine light shine. I may not have shown up for this one, but our Humanity Unites Brilliance team was guided to create an opportunity for some local refugee and in-transition women. I’m so grateful to have been pulled to share in this experience. I touched the heart of the Celebration by simply watching women smile, riding waves of exuberance, and seeing my friend Midge’s almost-90 mother beaming at the finish line.

This is what it is to Shine out Loud: show up and participate in life, being as boldly yourself as you know how to be. When you’re in touch with the natural brilliance that lives through you alone, you’ll serve as a shining inspiration for others as well. And this truly IS something to CELEBRATE!

I celebrate each of you and encourage you to keep glowing all winter long.  In Radiant Connection, Shining Sor’a

Tags: celebration, empowerment, Humanity Unites Brilliance, inspiration, Women's Fitness Celebration

I gave myself a creative time-out earlier this month when I discovered my over-active mind crowding out the joyful beingness of my heart.  My intention was to clarify my purpose and renew my passion.  What I received was unexpected, and it’s taken me almost a month to begin to integrate the wholeness of the experience.  Because, to be perfectly honest, I love my life at the same time it has grown too small for me.  And it scares me deeply to admit that, even to myself.

For one thing, I love my gardens, and yet they have been way out of balance this summer.  Wild vines are covering the miniature roses and cute little star flowers…hearty daisies are crowding the new honeysuckle I planted this spring…overgrown bushes everywhere are smothering the delicate flowers beneath.  Even my vegetable garden has plants competing for space, and I’ve ended up with a few mystery varieties of squash…spucchini, I’ve decided to call them.  Interesting, but not exactly what I’d intended when planting this spring.

daisies, daisies everywhere!

Could this be an outer reflection of my inner garden: too many things planted, all brilliant in their own way, each needing more space to bloom?

I’m discovering that creating space is not just about taking time away from the routines of normal life, because to be honest, I don’t really have that many routines right now. I love the space I’ve created. I love knowing I can choose how to fill my days. I love knowing I am of service in many simple ways. And even though I love my experience of life (most days), I’m beginning to feel less-than completely fulfilled. There are parts of me still trying to bloom, crowded by habits and ways of being that no longer serve me.

So, here’s the part that scares me. What if, my whole life, I’ve been trying to be just another one of the flowers when what I’m really meant to be is the radiant sun? <gulp>    What if I’m meant to be way more bold & brilliant? <another gulp>    And, what if I like being a flower? <grin>

My mind gets a little crazy trying to figure out what to DO as the radiant sun, but my heart knows the answer: the sun simply shines. It shines even when nobody is looking at it. It shines even when the clouds seem to be blocking its light. And when the sun is most beautiful, most glorious, it is simply reflecting & enhancing whatever it touches.

This is what creating space is about for me. Opening my heart wider & wider, expanding my vision of how I can serve, surprising myself & others with the ways I begin to show up in life. As I dive
into each new space that opens inside of me, the light in my soul burns brighter & brighter.

I believe we are each being called to live more boldly & expansively than ever before. The world is waking up and it’s time for us to plant ourselves firmly in who we are, as individuals and as significant parts of the communities in which we live. We are most useful when we show up completely, as brilliantly as the flowers that decorate our summer gardens. When we are planted in our own soil of being, we thrive. When we let ourselves become crowded by the goals & beliefs of others, we don’t. Maybe it’s that simple.

I’m still in the process of creating space in my life & in my heart. I hope I always will be. I’ll let you know when I find something that wants to be shared.

Until then, I invite us ALL to keep shining! ~Sor’a

Tags: balance