The Space Behind Things

It seems like so many of us are on the journey of simplifying our lives - doing more of what we love and less of the unimportant, distracting activities.

We want to have the things that we love or need. We want to spend more time doing meaningful activities with our loved ones. We want to eat more of green, organic, nourishing foods. We want to go out in nature and do fun exercises.

We want real connection with the people in our lives. We want to live a life that means something, at least to us. We want to find who we truly are and experience joy and peace each day.

We want space in our lives.

Yet, what do we do?

We fill our homes with memorabilia that we don't even connect with, with more than enough books that we one day we will read, with things that are broken but we can't let go of. Then we feel overwhelmed walking around in our own home.

We fill up our days with work up to the neck with only time left to eat, sleep and get ready for the next day. We answer every email, can't delete the ones we have answered and spend every free minute checking for new mail. We watch shows upon shows on TV or surf the internet mindlessly. We want to exercise but find no energy or time to do so. We postpone calling our friends and have no time for fun activities with the near and dear ones. Our to-do list is bursting and we have expectations of ourselves that reach the sky.

And, we find ourselves filled with thoughts and feelings that speak of anxiety, worry, sadness, doubt and a dissatisfaction with our lives that is not a one-off but an everyday experience.

So, why is that, even when we know what is good for us, we default into all the ways to fill up our lives?

I have come to realize that it is because we are afraid.

We are afraid of the space behind things - of what we will find when the curtain is lifted.

The fear is what makes us cover up our lives in the first place. Part of it is because there is too much pain and suffering to face when we have not wrapped it up with layers of things, activities, bad habits and negative thoughts.

Part of it is because we are not even aware that there is another dimension of life where we can be free of that suffering. Or we may not even believe that such a life (free of suffering) is even possible for us.

And another part of it is that we are not sure what to do in all that space we will find once we do streamline our lives.

This has been my experience. For the last few years, I have had this uncanny but persistent, almost overpowering drive to simplify my life. I have let go, donated, sold or recycled of hundreds of books, clothes and things. I have almost emptied our home of furniture. I have undertaken and completed many unfinished tasks which were hanging around on my to-do list (like making a photobook of my childhood photos for my Mom, something she had really wanted and which I happily presented to her on her 60th birthday).

And now, my life is the most organized and simplified it has ever been. I make fewer promises so that I can help myself keep them. I very selectively engage in activities and travel.

I do less so that I can be more.

All of this has created enormous SPACE in my life, which I love and that space has allowed me to fulfill my most important priorities which in turn has created a lot of joy for me.

But, yes there is a but, I have also faced what so many of us fear we will find when we do streamline our lives.

Thoughts.

Negative Thoughts.

When we are busy doing something, there is no time for them to come up, right? They are pushed back, shoved over into a deep dark place. We are so immersed and occupied with so much activity that we do not even know what kind of thoughts we actually have.

So, as space began to emerge in my life, I started to see and face my own thoughts and feelings. Eckhart Tolle says that when we let go of all that the ego is attached to, it starts to work overtime to rebuild what it thinks is its identity. The sense of "I" was diminishing just as the sense of "Self" was emerging in me. The negative thoughts come in as if to protect the ego, but we all know how destructive it is.

And this journey can be very challenging and so we hide our Self behind the curtain of external things and activities.

But what I am learning is that, it is not that scary, as we imagine it to be. Yes, the experience is uncomfortable and even draining, but by just looking at what is happening, I have been able to be at ease. I am still learning to be completely present with becoming aware of what is happening within. But already there is relief. I am noticing glimpses of what is beyond - a vast spaciousness that is light and joyful.

I am allowing myself the possibility that I can live without covering up my life with things and thoughts and go beyond the ego's backlash.

I know that the power of simply being aware and present with what is, is liberating to the spirit.

And each day, I enjoy a bit more the fruits of the space that I have in my life.

I wish for you tremendous joy and peace wherever you are on your journey of life. Thank you for reading.

Love,
Sophia

Happiness Begins Now By Doing What You Love

Listen up. Today you are on assignment. Think of three things that make you happy. Go do that.

Now, this instruction sounds simple and easy, and in essence it is. But because some of us are so disconnected with our true selves, we find it difficult to follow this very simple instruction. Another reason is that we think ‘the thing’ that makes me happy has to be big, huge. That it is connected to our career or some grand, artistic self-expression. No. It can be as simple as making a cup of tea and sitting in a hammock. Or going for a stroll in the park or the woods. Or playing with dogs or cats or any pets. If this is what makes you happy, go do it. Some other hurdles are: the thoughts that say, “I need to be productive. I need to do something to be useful. I need to do all those projects, first.” These thoughts keep you away from your true joy. Your true happiness. And you postpone and you postpone and it never happens. Of course, your inner-child continues to be deprived. And eventually, if affects your life in ways that will finally snap you into doing what makes you happy.

Also, the idea that happiness comes from doing things you love, being the way you like to be, is unfamiliar to some. The thought says, “I will be happy when I acquire stuff, or when I achieve this or that, or when I find my life-partner, or when I look or feel a certain way physically.” All that’s common among these thoughts is: happiness is postponed to some future time.

How about pulling those happiness strings back, rolling them back into the present. What if we began with the premise: “I am happy, right now.” Thoughts of gratitude help a great deal too. So now, the underlying vibration is: “I am happy.” Put a smile on your face and begin to deeply appreciate the gift that life is. It may be challenging to do this or it may be easy. But if it is challenging, then help yourself by doing it during “low-stress” times. This is your training period. The more training you get in during this time, the better your “performance” when the situation is more challenging. Then comes your test period. You are now to practice what you’ve been training for.

Help yourself to be happy by repeating, “I am grateful for my life. I am happy.” Begin to notice how you feel and when you feel happy. Note it down. And actively repeat those actions and situations that fill you up with joy. Gravitate towards that which you enjoy.
And then the assignment stated at the start of this chapter will be natural, simple and easy to follow. And if you already can do at least one thing that makes you happy, go do it now.

Thank you.

Gratitude Leads to Spiritual Compassion

Gratitude. Gratitude is a disguise. It is you showing the Universe that you recognize the beauty, the oneness of it all. You show gratitude to your friends, your family, you show gratitude to the Universe. The flow of life is much much more expansive than a single life-form, yet without each life-form it is far from whole. Each one is a vital, essential part; the Universe works through each with similar compassion.

Yes, the Universe is compassionate. Not in the human sense. In a spiritual sense. Spiritual compassion is about un-conditionality in the absolute sense. Spiritual compassion is not just for living things but also for everything else that exists. For processes and for principles and for characteristics. It is boundless. It sees through illusion.

And in a way, we all have the capacity to tap into that kind of spiritual compassion. We can enable ourselves, through practice, to let that flow through us. It develops and grows gradually for us. When we contemplate on spiritual compassion, the rational, conceptual elements seep through us and eventually, we get beyond those layers, through to the essence - the essence of spiritual compassion reveals itself to you. It blends and merges with you. You ‘get it’ on a deeper level, on an emotional, vibrational, spiritual level. It then begins to emerge in you as waves. Waves that are like sound, like water. And the ripples made in this water reach the far corners of all that exist and all that is beyond existences. It is sensory yet without sensations and it embodies the paradox. Seemingly conflicting things co-exist within it. It is symbolic of how life is.

And all of this is available for human beings to experience and comprehend on a deep level, in a deep way.

Thank you.

Heal Others By Asking For Forgiveness

Just on the flip side of forgiving others is asking for forgiveness.

And this is how you heal our world - ask for forgiveness. Admit that your words and actions may have caused others pain. And then ask them to forgive you. This applies to both your conscious and unconscious actions or words. Even actions or words not spoken can cause hurt. And you can heal that. You do that by saying, “I am sorry for my words and actions that hurt you. I am really sorry that I hurt you. Please forgive me.”

This is the trigger for peace in the other. They may or may not understand it. They may or may not be prepared to forgive. But now, they have been offered a chance to heal something they might not be able to do easily without your help. So, make that effort. Take that step. Help heal the hurt you may have caused someone consciously or unconsciously. Ask for forgiveness.

Thank you.

Forgiveness Creates Peace In Our World

Forgiveness. Forgiveness is a powerful way to peace. You may have heard it said that forgiveness is something we ‘do’ for ourselves and it has nothing to do with others. It is partly true. Yes, when we forgive someone, we feel the burden lift from us. The pain, hurt and anguish release their grip on us and we feel as if we are set free. We feel light. A sense of peace descends upon us. Or put another way, we ascend into a state of peace.

There is another element to forgiveness. The one who you forgive, feels it too. Yes, they feel the peace. Think of someone you asked for forgiveness and they truly forgave you. And you knew they had forgiven you because you felt it energetically. You felt light, loved and accepted by them. Can you recall such a moment? A moment when you felt a sense of peace when the other forgave you.

So, by practicing forgiveness, we are actually creating peace in the lives of others and in our world. This is one powerful way of creating peace. And it also applies to forgiving those who have already passed away. The past, present and future exist simultaneously and so when you forgive those who have crossed the rainbow bridge to the spirit world, they too shall find peace.

Forgiveness is a spiritual muscle which you can build with practice and in this way, contribute to peace and love in your life and on our planet as a result.
Thank you.

Stillness Brings You Infinite Love

Be Still. To negotiate the turbulent waters, be still. Let it all flow over you. Let it all tumble through you. Become the witness. See it happen and then see it dissolve. Tides upon tides flow and embrace you. Slowly grace surrounds you, envelopes you with infinite love. Love that is so glorious, you merge with it, losing sense of self, of time, of space. All becomes one. All is one and you glimpse that in a deep way. The Universe is a friendly place. It all happens for good.

Thank you.

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LIVE EVENT: An Evening for Spiritual Renewal

This Sunday May 25th 8PM EDT!

Dear Friends,

I am just writing to remind you of the Live meditation show I am hosting from my home this Sunday, in case you haven't already checked it out.

What I do is not something I learned in school or at university. What I do comes naturally, intuitively; and I am grateful that it does. I believe that if you are needing a new way to be, if you are wanting to create magical breakthroughs, if you are just wanting to find a way to have a sense of ease and relief from pain- physical or emotional, you will be able to do that during Sunday's live event.

Meditation and mindfulness practices are known for training the mind - to bring focus. And guided visualization or guided imagery is a bridge to that stillness. During this event, you will hear me guide you through a visual journey. In a visual journey you visualize with all your senses not just visually. You use your sense of smell, you may feel texture such as sand under your feet, or simply feel a pleasant presence of a kind spirit.

And it is a journey beyond time and space. We may begin on the banks of the Amazon river, or dive deep into the Pacific Ocean or fly into space in order to get to our unique sacred/secret garden. This is a place in the invisible realms that some traditions refer to as the place where we go after physical death. It is a garden of possibilities from where, I believe, our spirit guides and our own inner self derives life force and wisdom from. It is here that we can get help to design and to summon a life we want. This is core of it where the visualization becomes a practical tool to help us in our waking life.

For many of us entrenched in the left-brain world, all of what I am saying may sound too far-fetched. I myself was stunned when I felt the presence of a giant cobra in one of my guided visualizations. Was it real? Was I dreaming? Thankfully, in the Indian culture which surrounded me as I was growing up, the cobra is known as a protective symbol and so instead of being freaked-out by a humongous serpent, I felt greatly relieved. None of what happens in a visualization is something I can prove to you; some faith on your part or at least curiosity is necessary. A beginner's mind is all you need to open up especially, if you find the prospect of visualization perplexing. Take a bold step and step into this world that is waiting for you to discover. It is uniquely yours and yours only. Each one of us has his/her own magic kingdoms to commune with.

This is what's in store for you, if you allow yourself to give it a try. So I invite you to join me this Sunday May 25th 8pm EDT for An Evening for Spiritual Renewal.

Be rest assured, there is nothing religious about this whole thing. I stay away from any institutionalized form of religions; instead I mine the deep treasures that come to us from all of our world heritage of wisdom teachings; seemingly, all sharing the common message of peace and love in their own ways.

Get Your Tix Here.  It is a pay-what-want model so you decide what this experience is worth to you. It is about time.

Gather your friends spontaneously or give your loved one a surprise. This is a very cool surprise to give someone or to oneself, by the way, if I may say so myself.

I shall be there online for an amazing evening Live from my living room. Will you be there?

May you be surrounded by and infused with the light of love,
Sophia

Live Meditation Show From North Carolina Mountains

When I began visualizations four years ago, I was living in the German city of Cologne and asked myself where I want to move. In my visualization, I saw mountains covered with lush greenery. Fast forward a few years, my husband and I are now living in the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains of Western North Carolina covered with green, flowing trees.

This is just one example of how visualizations have helped me in designing my life. Now I am inviting you to join in.

New week, I will be doing a live meditation show on Concert Window.com on May 25th at 8pm EDT. You can join in from anywhere in the world. It will be about an hour long during which I will guide you through a visualization journey. Then I will answer questions and you get to share your experience. You can purchase tickets now online and you will receive a reminder before the event.

This will be something new and fun and I hope you will join in. I will be streaming live from my living-room with candles and some incense and will happily guide you into a magical world where you can meet your spirit guides and start of your week with a calm and happy heart.

Thank you for believing in me and helping me follow my heart - one of the best way I have found to serve the world.

Peace and blessings,
Sophia

Visualization for Inner Guidance and Peace: White Tipi Meditation (Ocean Sounds and Moving Images)

Be The Love You Wave On

Let us talk about relationships. Relationships with people are really just reflections of yourself. How you treat yourself, is how you treat others. And any deep friendship is build on an acceptance and on freedom. Freedom of being, freedom of doing. Judgment, expectations and resentment foil and destroy any deep friendship that emerges.

How you feel about others is how you feel about some aspect of yourself. Unearth that. Find it. Let go of it. And then bring in love. You can create love. It is within you. You can tap into it and let it flow out into your life.

Just let all that you do not need fall away. Let love be the wave you ride on. Be the wave of love. Be the love you wave on.

Thank you.

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You Can Make Heart-Centered Choices

There is much I have to say. The things that matter most are not things. It’s vibration. Staying in a light-hearted disposition, in a cheerful mode, does more than create pleasant company. It creates a sphere of creativity, self-expression and joy. It is an enabling mode; it is a receptive mode. For love and harmony to flow and to create waves of joyful peace, restrictions need to be loosened. An attitude of ‘yes’ is beneficial and helpful.

The sphere has many dimensions and many offshoots. It teems with life and vitality. The journey is really a sequence of now-ness - a consequential pattern emerging in the moment. So really, when they say that you have choice in every moment, it is absolutely the truth. That’s also because you are not connected with past and future the way you are connected with the present. The beauty of choice is that it follows conscious awareness. Before you are aware, your actions are unconscious actions not choice in the true sense of the word. When you make a choice, it means you already have an awareness. You have realized some truth about yourself. From the awareness and realizations, you gain a level of understanding that is both mental and emotional. This makes an action stem from that inner-alignment. The alignment of the heart, mind and spirit. And now, when you are aligned, you can take actions that reflect choice in the true sense of the word.

This is the process - the process of making heart-centered choices.

Thank you.

You Can Be Detached

Just know that the web of life is intricate but simple. To understand it all, you just need to quiet yourself, sit in stillness. All shall be revealed to you. You are as much a part of mystery as the rest of it. Seeds of love and compassion are already within you and you know how to grow them. You know how to water them. Forgiveness. Letting go. Being detached from what happens, lightens your heart. Being unaffected by what is frees your spirit. Letting others off the hook allows you to keep your energy, your focus on yourself, on your part of the equation. It frees up energy for your creative expression; for your experience of joy. And the more you do it, the easier it gets. It becomes a way of being - a way of life. It becomes a way of receiving that which you experience and it becomes a way of how you act in the situation that you are in.

Compassion, forgiveness, detachment, are key to your functioning in a healthy manner. Let us say, you are new at being detached. No worries. When you find yourself engaged in a situation where you are taking things personally, just make note of it. Identify it as what it is: “I am taking it personally. Ah, I want to practice detachment but here I find myself taking it personally. I am aware. I can see that I am not out of its power on me. And I can see that any emotional distress I am experiencing is because of my own thoughts and because of my own process of moving from taking things personally to being detached.”

That awareness, right there, will rescue you. The next time you are in it, you will bring more and more awareness and zoom, you find that things don’t bother you that much; you have greater understanding of yourself, of others and of the situation; and you are able to respond and act with more compassion and greater effectiveness.

Thank you.

You Can Receive Direct Guidance

Write. Write. Write it down. Whatever you feel, write it down. This is your channel of release. You cleanse and let go when you write. It is such a secret but it’s got to be shared. You do not need perfect language skills. Just write down all, whatever seems to be bothering you. In this way, you energetically let it out of your system.

Daily Writing. Writing for guidance has a simple formula. You start writing, “I love you, ...” and then your name. For example, “I love you, Sophia.” Keep repeating this line, line after line, page after page, until you hear a subtle voice. A small transparent voice - a thought. It is an energy field that you tap into. And then jot down whatever you are dictated to write down. You can ask this voice to slow down or pause or to speed up. The voice will respond. You can also ask questions. And the voice will sound like your own voice. This is simply to make things easy for you. It will answer all your questions.

It is magical. It is indeed a way to access truth, knowledge and inner wisdom from the Source. And it gets easier and easier as you do it. It becomes so easy that you can eventually drop the formula I mentioned earlier. And just start writing or just start speaking. It is that powerful and that accessible.

So use this exercise daily - to build your muscle. For 20 minutes.

And remember to thank this voice. At the end of the session say - Thank you.

Thank you.

You Are Being Helped

You are loved. All is well. Be at peace about all that is happening. It is to free you of many things and you will see many new and amazing ways of being. You are to be successful in many ways. Just listen to your instincts. Just listen to your voice within. You are doing great. Be assured that the best, most fulfilling life experiences are coming your way. You are constantly being watched and listened to. You are being helped. You are being assisted.

Just know, trust and have tremendous faith, unrelenting faith and expect only the very best. Expect only the very very best. You are to keep the faith. Do your best. Be unaffected by seeming challenges or things that are not going the way you planned. There is divine blessing in every moment, in every situation and in every experience, in every person you meet and encounter. You are to be sure that the best outcome is being delivered. You are being guided. Listen and act in inspired ways.

Thank you.

You Are Blessed

Do you know how blessed you are? Right now, blessings are pouring onto you. You are a divine child and you are on the right path. Sink into a permanent state of faith. Trust that all is well. Keep asking for that which you want. Know that we only want and work for your success. It benefits the whole when you are at peace.

Good that you are following our message as they come to you as hunches. Keep doing it. Continue to take steps of active faith. We will direct you and guide you. Yes, trust and know that it is all happening. We shall guide your actions and look out for those messages that come to you in your ears - like whispers. Follow them. It will be easy.

Today, go to a pond with your notebook and pen. Sit by the water. All is well. Blessings upon you. You are blessed.

Thank you.

How In Losing I Found - What Truly Matters

I would like to share with you a recent aha-moment I had that has completely transformed how I view the things of my life. In the past few weeks, I have shared with you my reflections on letting go things, especially when they are gifts from your loved ones. Today, I will share with you about letting go things that were gifts that you happen to loose.

As you read about my story, think of some item that you lost, misplaced or somehow got destroyed or is no longer in your possession. Some item that you cherished so much, still due to various circumstances you do not have it anymore.

For me this item is a single earring. I received a beautiful pair of earrings from my husband on our wedding anniversary. It is lovely earring made out of silver into the shape of a gingko leaf. All elements of this gift are endearing to me, the choice of metal- silver, the occasion- wedding anniversary, the fact that it was locally hand-made in Asheville by Stuat Nye, the motif- gingko leaf which brings us fond memory of our late granny (my husband's fathers' mom) who loved gingko trees.

One fine late fall day, my husband and I went for a walk by the French Broad River. It was quite cold that day so I was warmly dressed and I had a warm wool scarf on and I had my lovely earrings on.  It was not long before I realized that one of my earrings had fallen off, perhaps entangled in my wool scarf, which has a track record of entangling with my jewelry! Both of us retraced our steps through the gravel, the bank of the river, and the spot near a tree where we sat and watched the flowing river. We looked everywhere possible. No earring!

At the time, I was feeling quite fine about the situation. Things get lost. It is just an item. All is well, I thought and we moved on with our day.

I got home and put the remaining earring from the pair next to our Buddha statue in the bedroom. In the next few weeks, I moved the remaining earring to various parts of the house, not knowing what to do with it. It is a lovely silver piece by itself, beautifully hand-crafted and it was a gift. How could I just get rid of it, I thought. But now after some time, every time I saw the earring, I was reminded about the one that was lost. It was as if I did not even see the earring that was in my hand. All I could think of was the lost earring and the fact that my wedding anniversary gift was now unusable. A certain low energy would come over me, as I went about my day, instead of the joyful feeling I had every time I wore my treasured gift. And I did not like the feeling I felt each time I saw the remaining earring.

So, I decided to share with a close friend about my ongoing challenge to deal with the lost-earring-syndrome. She listened and shared her ideas to help me resolve it. I also shared my feelings with my husband in another walk by the French Broad River. In the course of these two conversations with wise souls, I realized what truly mattered to me in this situation:

1. The remaining earring is a teacher; reminding me to notice what I still have, instead of what is lost. It helps me to be grateful for all that I have and all that I experience.

2. The earring pair represent the love my husband feels for me and is a symbolic gesture of that love, but it is not the love itself. In losing the earring, I have recognized the deeper dimensions of love I experience daily.

3. The lost earring is teaching me the precious lesson of letting go; of being at peace with how things are and being at peace with the changing flow of life, instead of holding tight to how things are, and instead of wanting things to stay the same.

4. The earring reminds me to let items and things be who and what  they are, as themselves, to stand for their own inherent beauty and craftsmanship. The pair of earrings reminds me to free things of the burden of being a placeholder for sentiments such as love and to fully open up to love that I express and the love that I receive.

5. The lost earring is a wise teacher who in its disappearance leaves behind all these precious lessons that help me experience life in deeper, richer, more meaningful ways than before.

6. And most importantly, the entire episode has helped me be happy and peaceful, regardless of the changing status of things and objects around me; a very useful thing indeed!

This earring episode was on the surface a minor experience. It was 'just' a small earring I had lost, no big deal, I consoled myself. But the losing of it pricked at something within me. When I looked carefully, I found precious gems that were hidden just below the surface. I am grateful for wise friends and teachers helped me along and who continuously are sharing freely their wisdom, understanding and compassion in my life. And I am grateful for the lovely earrings and the artist who made them with such love and care.

Now it is your turn! I invite you to look at your own experience of losing something, even your own so-called 'minor' incidents. Look a bit more closely, and see the glittering gifts they carry for you, just beyond the surface. It may be a turning point for your life in a way never imagined, bringing in greater peace and understanding towards yourself and greater compassion for others.

With love and blessings,

Sophia
 

Introspection

Take a moment to notice all that you have.
The things, experiences, love, blessings, beauty, community, nature, abundance, creativity, adventures, family, friends, wisdom that are endowed with right now.

With Patience Wisdom Emerges

Above you see a photo of me taken in one of my preferred places to write. I sit in the hammock on the front porch with a notebook and a pen and allow inspiration to guide me. From such a writing session, I would like to share with you a piece from a series, I call, Messages from Spirit. This one is titled, With Patience Wisdom Emerges:

With Patience Wisdom Emerges

The way things unfold in life have divine logic. The rolling of the seasons, changing path of the clouds, the way the sun shines is divinely orchestrated. The beauty of it all is in the knowing that you, too, are part of this universal plan. You, too, are intricately intertwined with the web of life, the magic of it all. So if at times you feel that you do not understand your part, you don’t ‘get it’, know that that is also part of the divine structure. Your not knowing, not getting it is only a part of your journey in which you are revealed what your part is.

So, practice patience with yourself and your stage in life. The knowledge that you want, the inner-wisdom that you are seeking is all within you. And as you accept yourself, it becomes clearer. And as you let go of facades that cover you, it becomes clearer.

Eventually, it reaches a point when you, your inner-self and wisdom are inseparable. You are unified, you are ‘at one’ with yourself and the world. These are the potentialities that exist for you. Knowing this, you can help yourself be more patient with yourself and the stage you are in.

All becomes clear to you. All that you need on your journey is provided for you. Become still and practice patience. This patience oozes from the understanding of the big picture and from the faith that all is exactly how it is meant to be and that all is well.

Thank You.

Spring Flowers and Smiles for You,
Sophia

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Does it matter to help just one fish?

So the story takes place at a pond. There is a big man-made pond in the front yard of the house next to hers. This house is empty, on the market and owned by the bank. She often sits by this pond, observing the birds that come to visit it.

A big blue heron visits the pond daily, connecting to Kimberly in its own unique way. I myself got to catch a glimpse of the blue heron when I was visiting Kim one day. Kimberly, her dog and myself went for a walk near the pond when her dog got very interested in the fish. When we got closer, we saw that a large catfish was floating upside down on the surface at the edge.

Thinking that the fish was about to move on to heaven, both of us began saying prayers. Just then we saw a little twitch, filled with hope, we looked even more closely and noticed that the fish was in an awkward spot among the rocks. We quickly got a long-stemmed grass, gently nudged her and in a matter of seconds, the fish turned around and swam away, joining the rest of the fish family who by now had gathered around to help us energetically help the 'stuck' fish. They now all seemed euphoric at receiving their family member back and started to swim parallel to us as we walked on joyously further around the pond.

This incident reminded us that helping or being present with just one person or one being makes a difference to the whole universe. It certainly made a difference for this one fish, this one fish family, for Kimberly and myself. Even her dog seemed elated at how things were turning out.

The Challenge You Are Facing IS Useful

It is no fun experiencing a challenging moment. As human beings we find ourselves dealing with the various ways fear manifests in us and in the people we love, know and care for. But what if, your experience of ANY challenging moment is actually a fully-potent, loaded gift of miracles awaiting you to unravel it?

Think about it.

Think about a challenging situation you are going through right now. No one can judge the size or intensity this challenge has for you but you. So, big or small it is relative to your life experience, so let us not judge ourselves on this point. Just know that the challenge you are facing, although doesn't feel good right now, is actually full of wisdom. And you can learn a great deal about yourself, about the people you love, about life and about the divine grace through this very challenging experience. But how?

Well, it begins by seeing that what you are experiencing is a result of seeds you have sown. The source is no one but you. This is not about blaming, please. Nor is it about judging ourselves. It is about recognizing that either our past life actions or thoughts and actions in this very life are the starting point for what is happening now. The practical hows and whys may be different from one situation to another but one thing is clear: The situation is teaching you, reminding you and helping you recognize what seeds you sowed, and how you can choose different seeds to sow. And right here, it gets really interesting. If you want to learn more about mental seeds, read this book and read my review of the book here.

What is Being Triggered?

I had a conversation recently with a friend who shared a challenging situation she experienced. During a chat she was having with someone close, her feelings started to get hurt. She had the understanding of herself and of mental seeds already deeply within her. And she was able to stand back from the challenging situation and ask herself, what is really going on here. What is it within me that is being triggered?

This is a very powerful question to ask ourselves. If you read the post from two weeks ago, where I speak about propensity, you know that any situation we experience really is triggering some tendency within us. So, if you are facing something difficult, that difficult issue is a surface issue, and there is a gold mine underneath it. There is a deeper issue that is presenting itself to be actively resolved by you. And to bring awareness to that very fact, is a way to resolve it. Yeah, you do not even need to know the deeper issue exactly, but just recognizing that there could possibly be a deeper issue, can help to dissolve it. Add to that the recognition that there were "bad" mental seeds that are the cause of you now experiencing the "bad" fruits, and you are on an empowering path to free yourself from it.

What seeds can I sow now?
 

Knowing that the situation you are facing is a result of bad mental seeds you have sown, is great because you can now begin to sow good seeds. The great thing about "bad" seeds that give have given their fruit is that, once the fruit is experienced, it is over. It is time for you to plant new seeds. I hope the seed metaphor really gets it home for you, because the mental seeds are similar to the physical seeds we plant in the garden or the fields, except only much more potent and powerful.

They say that the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. And the second best time is now. Well, I say, the seeds you sow now are much more powerful because in the last 20 years, you have grown wiser and kinder and more compassionate, you know much more about good seeds and so your future is looking very very very bright.

So, please take some time to reflect on what you are experiencing right now, where it comes from and how can you change your future, starting with fresh, juicy seeds right now.

With Loving Regards and Blessings,
Sophia

Did you know that cultivating the seed of Focus is a spiritual practice and bringing in focus builds your mental stability and emotional harmony? If this intrigues you, then check out my online video e-course that I am sharing with you. If you have been wanting to get focused, this is the right time to jump in and help yourself on your path to peace.

Sophia Ojha Ensslin is the founder of Reflection Pond, Center for Meditation and Healing dedicated to helping people connect with their inner-self to live a fulfilling, joyful life using introspective media including guided visualization videos and CDs, the written word and in-person workshops.

Letter to Hank and Jill

Dear Hank and Jill,

Thank you for your beautiful newsletter that I read last night. I need to share this with you because reading your newsletter marks the end of any remaining concept within me of random coincidences, filling me up with a deep sense of gratitude and a sense of wonder about the ways of the Spirit. I am now a full, whole-hearted convert who feels in her that everything is divinely orchestrated and this is what I experience in my daily life.

Yesterday evening, I set out to put a creative idea into physical manifestation. I had a beautiful bamboo stick that our neighbor's kids brought us. This is what I would use to create a wall hanging with our (my husband Cristof + myself) mantra for living: to live simply, naturally, spiritually.

I wrote the three words with a pen in purple ink. I liked it. As I saw the white space around the words, I reached out for my color pencils and began drawing a flower and a leaf. Then, I wanted to draw a Sun and it quickly shifted to a heart and then a heart within it with a heart within it. When I was finished, I saw that while drawing the heart, the side of my hand had touched the purple ink of the mantra and created a series of blury dots on the white space of the sheet. As I looked closely, they seemed to outline a bird in flight - very clearly I knew it was a dove. I grabbed a color pencil and began drawing the bird, mostly motivated by the need to make the dots disappear(!). Then, I was directed to draw a flower appearing from her mouth. What emerged for me was a dove with a flower carrying a flower under the heart. I was happy and went about finishing the piece by connecting the paper to the bamboo. Next, I hung it on the wall of our living room. Satisfied and pleased, I went about the rest of my evening. (see photos attached)

Later in the evening, I opened up my email and read your words about the Sun and the bird emerging from it. My eyes became big, my heart smiled and a new sense of revelation came over me. Your story alone is astounding and then to read it just as I had this experience of the dove appearing on my sheet right under a heart which was to be a Sun at first, is .... simply beautiful. My first bold steps into creating word art, with the little "accident" of the ink spoils on the sheet, takes me into a recognition of how life is filled with miracles.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Hank and Jill. Thank you Angels and Spirit.