the space where the earth dreams
July 11th, 2011 § 1 Comment
…we humans are the space where the earth dreams through us. Our heart’s desire is the desire of the earth – it is what She is asking you to do.” – brian swimme
if you’re happy and you know it
June 2nd, 2011 § 5 Comments
I’ve been reflecting a lot about the word happy. What does it mean? Who or what causes it? Why do we feel it sometimes but not other times? Why do some of us rarely experience it? It is wrong to desire happiness? Is it wrong to fully experience and live in the moments when we’re happy. Is is wrong when we go through long periods of time without feeling happy?
I recently read that “the secret of life is be happy and help others be happy too.”
It made me happy to read that. It was stated by a deeply spiritual person who often guides others in their spiritual journeys. It resonated with me. It made sense to me.
I don’t believe he was saying that we have to be happy all the time. I don’t think he was stating a need for everyone to always be chipper, energetic and optimistic. I think it was much more simple than that. In fact I believe he was implying, that when you’re happy and you know it, feel it, show it, love it, be in it. When we are happy and we show it, we are free. When we share our happiness, we inevitably help others do the same.
In light of my musings about happiness, let’s try this experiment. Simply notice when you’re happy and when you truly let yourself feel happy. No matter what causes that happiness, try to live in that moment of happiness. Keep it simple, don’t over analyze it, just feel it.
And then, also notice when you’re happy and when you don’t let yourself feel it. What causes you to stifle it? Don’t over-complicate this either, just notice it.
I emphasize notice because noticing is all this experiment is about. I want to start noticing these things in myself, and through noticing I think I’ll figure out how to unlearn some of my habits, and then sooner or later I’ll begin the process of healing. So for today…just notice. Notice your happiness, notice where you feel your happiness, notice what you do with your happiness.
And, of course, a quote for you.
“I notice this in myself, I see it in other people: the happiness muffle. We feel the sparkle, really we do. We feel rich with gratitude, we’re keenly aware of a true smile curled in our cells. We tend to live on the light side of things. But we don’t pronounce it. As a new friend just put it, “We butt back the joy because…happiness is a form of power.”
Is that any way to treat happiness?
Happiness is power. Happiness is carbonated consciousness. It wants to spill out and radiate and be articulated. And every time we downplay our joy we confuse our synapses. Our brain is firing smiley neurons and our mouth is short-circuiting them. Repeated happiness muffling numbs our senses. If you keep it under the surface too long, it just might stay there – a light under a bushel.
So do us all a favour. No matter what the weather, the odds, the circumstances, the company, if you’re happy and you know it, by all means, say so!” Danielle LaPorte (www.whitehottruth.com)
Love,
i
i am…
March 15th, 2011 § 2 Comments
Who am I? What am I? I find conversations around these two questions come up more often than not, since as human beings, understanding our place in the world is the ever present quest of our souls. Let’s be honest, whether you want to admit it or not, this question is present in our thought life as we go through the motions of every day tasks, in our hearts as we compare ourselves to others and in our conversations as we state how we feel from one moment to the next. This doesn’t mean we are vain, self absorbed or inherently flawed as human beings. It is natural. The question, “Who am I?” needs to be asked often, it needs to be asked kindly and it needs to be entertained by our thoughts, intentions and conversations.
However,even more important, are the answers we declare to these questions.
“You will experience whatever you think after the words ‘I am…’” Chalanda Sai Ma.
How often today did you say “Oh I’m such an idiot!”, after a small mistake was made? Or did you look at yourself in the mirror this morning and pick apart each detail of your appearance you don’t like? Maybe even just one thing you don’t like? Are you holding onto a regret from years ago that you still define yourself with? When was the last time you looked in the mirror and said “I am beautiful” or as a guy you might say “Damn I’m good looking!”? When was the last time you gave yourself some grace over a mistake made or a dumb comment uttered? Or perhaps you are believing something someone else told you, that you aren’t good enough, aren’t smart enough, aren’t pretty enough.
I read the quote above recently in Marianne Williamson’s book, The Gift of Change. It struck me so deeply that I have not stopped wondering what I have created with simple declarations about myself. Both destructive and life giving thoughts create our experiences. Sadly I think that more often than not, my declarations about myself are unloving, even cruel. And rarely are they very kind. I tend to be my own biggest critic, quick to point out my mistakes and flaws.
Over the last couple weeks, I have tried a deeply personal experiment, and even now I’m a bit hesitant to share it for 
fear of what you might think.
I am attempting to intentionally change what I believe about me. I am re-writing my inner dialogue so that it is life giving and full of love.
For some reason, over the years I created an inner dialogue that is unkind, ungenerous and fearful. Scared to believe in myself for fear of becoming “arrogant” or of not living up to my own expectations. And now, after years of trying to “change”, “become confident”, and be who “I believe God created me to be”, I am finally realizing that what needs to change is actually quite simple. I need to re-write my personal “mantra”. And so, each morning I have written a new and very kind belief statement to myself over and over. I fill at least one journal page with “I am” statements that are positive and kind. “I am strong, smart and beautiful. Today will be an amazing day.” It’s simple and it’s the same each day. I want it to sink into my psyche.
So I’ve committed to myself to keep us this new practice – and we’ll see what happens. I admit, this may sound insignificant to some, and silly to others. But for those who are willing to try it, I think you’ll notice a shift, even if only a subtle change, in how you treat both yourself and others.
“Belief is powerful, and whatsoever we believe, we will subconsciously make manifest.” Marianne Williamson, The Gift of Change.
past, present & future
March 2nd, 2011 § 2 Comments
“Let’s forgive the past and who we were then.
Let’s embrace the present and who we’re capable of becoming.
Let’s surrender the future and watch miracles unfold.” – Marianne Williamson
Be a Champion
February 10th, 2011 § 3 Comments
Yesterday morning Jared and I met Jessica Jackley, co-founder of KIVA. She is walking inspiration. And KIVA is quite an organization with an equally compelling story. Listen to it in her own words here: http://www.ted.com/talks/jessica_jackley_poverty_money_and_love.html It’s less that 20 minutes, if you want to be inspired today (and really none of us can afford to not be inspired), watch this and watch it all the way through, her last 3-4 minutes are the most powerful part of her story.
One of my favorite things about living in Africa is WHO I get to meet. It seems that daily some of the most incredible people are breezing through my life. Some stick and our souls bond, others I only get to enjoy for a short season, but ALL are living stories worth telling. And so today, I want to tell you about one of them. There are so many more, but if I can capture your attention for just this one today I will have accomplished today’s experiment which is “Be a champion.”
This week we want to hear about what you care about and why. We want you to champion some one or some organization that deeply moves you, make their story a part of your story. Share, share, share. Good stories only live when they are told. So please do tell. And if you’re already telling, then just send a quick note about it, we want hear about the movements that move you.
Today I will champion, Robinah.
"Robinah with Grace"
ROBINAH: My dear friend Robinah, a young and strong Ugandan woman, came into my life about five years ago, just after she had moved in with about 30 young girls, ages 9-25, who had just come out off the streets where they were selling their bodies to survive.
At age 27, Robinah became the young mother of 30. She lived with them, counseled them, cooked with them, dropped them off at school, sat beside them when they were sick and she loved them each unconditionally. Robinah lived in what we called the King’s Daughters home for the next 3 years. Day in and day out, they knew she would be there, no matter what. And, of course, she was.
Robinah continues her work through an organization she founded called Set Her Free. She fearlessly frequents the dangerous streets of a large African city searching for young girls and women who would like a way out of the horrible circumstances life has served them. She continues to befriend them, mentor them, fight for them. She counsels, she teaches, she gives generously of herself every day. She tells their stories too, she can’t help but tell the world what she sees and about the transformation. That transformation is not only possible but that is IS happening in the lives of people most of us have written off.
Robinah is changing hundreds of lives. Yes, there are days when she is exhausted to tears and doesn’t know if she can or should continue, but somehow she is able to dig deep and find the strength to keep on keeping on. I would imagine too, that even the women who don’t leave the streets when she invites them in, are in fact altered by her unconditional love when she goes out and meets them where they are.
Robinah, yours is a story I cannot stop telling. Thank you for being who you are. You are true and you are courageous.
Daydreaming
January 28th, 2011 § 7 Comments
Our first experiment will be a fairly easy one.
Today at 3pm, I’m going to let myself day-dream for an entire 20 minutes.
Jared has a friend who has started at least 5 successful business that he thought of…in the shower. Yep. In the shower. That’s where this business-genius does his brainstorming. Perhaps this works because in the shower he lets himself dream. He’s not terribly busy in there. Just going through the motions of lather and rinse. Perfect time to let his mind wander and ponder new ideas.
I don’t know that daydreaming all the time is the best practice. But it’s certainly not the carnal sin it’s made to be in elementary school.
It is with our daydreams that we build the foundations for our lives. Letting our minds wander and ponder random things for a few minutes a day could energize and motivate us to try new things. So, I believe daydreaming should have at least a small space in our busy lives.
Perhaps this is something you already practice, if so, tell us why you do it and what you learn about yourself through it. And if you’re more like me, someone who is a little bit scared of letting go to dream about what I actually do want in life, then try it with me today.
What’s this all about?
January 26th, 2011 Comments Off
I’m Ilea. I am simply ready to change some of the habits I’ve accrued in the last decade or so. I’d not only like to change from somewhere deep within, but I’d also like to discover. That is what this blog is about for me. Discovery. Discovery of oneself. Discovery of potential. Discovery of opportunity. Discovery of community. Discovery of my purpose.
Our dear friend James Pearson has described this need to discover so eloquently.
He said: “First, there is no such thing as ‘supposed to.’ There is no predetermined path through life that we must divine; no secret map to fulfillment that, if missed, will leave us floundering. We have a profound freedom as human beings to assess the options presented to us, and to choose those we believe are best. Are we going to make mistakes and have false starts and change our minds? Of course! But what greater joy than to chart one’s own course, and what better map than our own constantly developing sense of purpose?”
Ker and I know this expedition will be full of ups and downs. Good experiments. Weird experiments. Uncomfortable experiments. Difficult experiments. And sometimes just downright bad experiments. But we’re willing to take the risk if it means we’ll discover more of who we were created to be, and perhaps even more of who we already are. We hope you’ll join us on this journey – try some experiments – and share what you discover about yourself.
Love,
Ilea
