In Praise of The Divine Masculine

I’ve never been a man-hater or basher, in spite of my mother’s influential training and example.  Perhaps because I came into this world with a very clear memory of my last lifetime as a man.  When I was two years old, my mother dressed me up in a beautiful white, ruffly dress to go to a birthday party—apparently I sat sulking and embarrassed in a corner the whole time saying that I was a boy and should not be dressed this way. I remember as old as five walking around the neighborhood sans bikini-top so people would “get” that I wasn’t a girl!! I guess I was unconscious that the obviously feminine, floral bottom wasn’t fooling anybody. 

So what I’m trying to say is that I have always had an affinity towards and an understanding of men, which is why I’m compelled to write today. I believe that for some in the new age community, there is a misconception that I would like to clarify. 

I’d like to address the biggest topic on the current new age agenda: the much talked about and fast approaching “shift in consciousness,” as represented by December 21, 2012. This date is supposed to signify the birth of a new era—the age of aquarius and an age of enlightenment. We usually hear of it talked about as a shift from a negative patriarchal society evidenced by separation from mother earth, from each other, and from ourSelves (which NO question all deserve to shift, if not received a good boot out of the galaxy), as well as war, superiority, competition, etc. This 'shift' is supposed to be towards what is being called the Divine Feminine—a more loving, nurturing, inclusive, and compassionate consciousness. 

As much as we all tout Oneness and Unity Consciousness, if feels like all the talk of moving away from the masculine and patriarchy towards the feminine was creating an “Us vs. Them” situation, thus creating more SEPARATION. There is this idea that the feminine qualities are more important to our evolution than the masculine. I must confess, I fell into the trap of feeling like i was finally the right sex—that somehow women were finally being acknowledge for being the superior gender and we would soon be ruling the world once again.

Because the negative attributes that we wish to move away from are traditionally Masculine traits, we lay blame at the feet of MEN for the problems in the world that come from those traits. Further still, since the wonderful and beautiful traits we wish to embrace and move towards are Feminine, we tend to attribute to WOMEN all that is good in the world. 

I have a problem with this. 

The fact is that women have an equal number of negative traits: being catty, whiny, weak, bitchy, etc. To name a very few. And our male counterparts have as many beautiful qualities that speak to the Divine Masculine which is why we love them in the first place, ladies.

So before we (women) get on our high horses, telling our men that they need to be more like us, we would do well to ignite our own divine masculine traits  such as strength, courage, independence and be more like them. 

The TRUTH of what deserves to occur to move forward in this age of enlightenment, as I see it, is DIVINE INTEGRATION of BOTH the masculine and the feminine. A Divine Wholeness if you will, with neither sex leaving the other behind.  Hell, we just came from the space of separation and lack of unity, right?  Something different is now required.

The Divine Feminine is rising in ALL of us—men and women alike.  The feminine qualities are transcending gender and integrating with those of the masculine to create wholeness, heart-based living and unity consciousness. Just as women give birth to both genders, we can liken the rise of the Divine Feminine as birthing the consciousness of our whole, integrated Selves. Hand in hand we walk, re-aligned and complete into a new dawn. The highest state of spiritual evolution is androgyny—let our spirits unfold all the highest powers represented by the Divine Feminine and the Divine Masculine.

In our heart-based living our integrated Selves can express love that is more harmoniously balanced. In this space there is unconditional acceptance and non-judgement.  We are open to new experiences, and courageous and optimistic and in tune with our soul purpose. 

We are NOT abandoning all things male in this new era—we are gentling the masculine, empowering the feminine and INTEGRATING all the magnificent traits that make us divine. What we are leaving behind is the inherent separation that men AND women create with our own smallness.  We are leaving behind elitism of all forms—one gender is not better than another, nor is one race, culture or religion, better than any other.  We are embracing unconditional love, unity consciousness, oneness with gaia, our friends, lovers and families—integration and wholeness at its very best and most divine.  We are embodying benevolence, joy, peace, harmony and freedom.

As we get closer to fully integrating our divine feminine and our divine masculine, we are no longer at war with ourSelves—we experience unity and harmony within our own beings.  We are capable of connection and unity, because we have found it inside of ourselves.

In this Golden Age of Enlightenment, let us be One.  One integrated, whole being within ourSelves first of all—embodying the best of both the divine masculine and feminine qualities. And One not only with other races, religions and cultures, but One with the opposite gender. 

Peace and unity consciousness begins within each individual soul, may we seek to BE this first.  May we love our brothers, fathers, husbands, partners unconditionally.  May we recognize and acknowledge their strengths and contribution, as every bit as important and necessary as our own.  May we honor, cherish and respect their magnificence and empower, support and encourage them as they transition into their own Divine truth, as we graciously and humbly do the same.

The Ice Queen Melteth

Take a chance on love. That’s right. When love presents itself in your life, take a chance—love back.  Play full out.  Don’t play ‘not’ to lose.  We have all been hurt before. We've all been on one side or the other of disappointment, heart-ache, and/or betrayal.  It’s easy to shut down and say, “never again—not for me” Trust me, I’ve played this game for a long time but now i'm trying something different.  I’m slowly letting the walls down, the fortress is beginning to crumble, the ice is starting to melt.  My heart can feel the warm rays of sunshine peeking through the cracks and it really feels good for the first time in a long time. 

May I get hurt again?  Perhaps.  In fact, it’s most likely—but I’ve decided that it’s worth the risk. I've learned that pain isn’t such a bad thing  In fact it’s evidence that there is a real, human heart behind the fortress. It’s evidence that I have loved and loved deeply.  And that will always be a beautiful thing.

Nothing is forever, we live in a world of impermanence.  Change is inevitable...love is optional. I don’t need the promise of tomorrow.  If it lasts a week, a month or five years, I will be a better person for having loved, for allowing my heart to come out and play, for basking in the Light and warmth of another’s love for me, for allowing another human being to be a beautiful contribution in my world, for making my smile a little (ok, a lot) brighter, for restoring a dream that was lost or didn’t even exist, I am a more whole me. 

I was never one of those little girls that dreams of a handsome prince, or even one of those women that feel ‘incomplete’ without a man...even as a witch, my spells were always for success not love. I don’t even own any red candles! Men just showed up in my life, I never looked for them. I used to say things like, “Romance, Shmomance” ...and “Love is over-rated, get a life!” I lived by the Marilyn Monroe philosophy, “A wise girl kisses but doesn't love, listens but doesn't believe, and leaves before she is left.”

Today, however, I’m going to consciously choose love—like the ooey-gooey romantic kind. I’m trying it on.  I can’t say that it feels like an old shoe yet, more like an outfit you think would look great on somebody else, but you would never be caught dead in—yeah, like that. There are some cool shiney things about it, but it still feels awkward.  Until it doesn't.

It’s like all of a sudden I have two personalities. The hopeless romantic and the professional ice-queen. The hopeless one starts to send a text that says,  “You speak to my soul.” And the profesh says, “Are you effing kidding me?!?  You didn’t hit the send button yet, did you?! You going soft on us Fraz?  Forget 'Ice', you’re not even cool anymore.”  And then, because as you know, LOVE ALWAYS WINS, the newly soft, sparkly girl puts her big girl pink panties on and says, with all the courage she can muster, “There’s a new sheriff in town, IQ and I kinda like this gig.” IQ packs her bags and says, “Good luck, kid. If things don’t work out, you have my number.” 

In the spirit of 2012 and “shedding all that no longer serves us”, I’ve decided to retire the Ice Queen for good and lose her number. We had a good run.  She served me well, but that was then and this is now.  I’ve evolved a bit, my heart feels resilient and light. It wants to run wild and free. I’m not afraid. My grandfather used to say, “The Frazier’s may bend but they’ll never break.”  I’d like to believe this about my heart.  I believe that in choosing love today, I am creating a brighter tomorrow—where there is even greater capacity for love. Where ALL the walls have come down, where my heart lay bare for Mr. Sun to not only peek through the cracks, but to penetrate my soul.

The Warrior Goddess

The Warrior Goddess

I just love the concept of Warrior Goddess.  I had to learn that it was more than me being tough like a man in a patriarchal society. It wasn’t me owning a successful construction business, a typically male-dominated field. It wasn’t me sticking both middle fingers up at the end of a relationship, saying with a cold, un-feeling heart, “... don’t let the door hit you in the ass on your way out—and by the way, don’t trip on the line of suitors waiting outside that door to replace you!” (harsh...I know) It wasn’t me climbing the corporate ladder, competing with men to show how much smarter or better closer/negotiator I was than them.  It wasn’t me displaying great fortitude not crying when my grandfather died.

No...that is not the energy/power of the warrior goddess of which I now know and speak.  Those are the false ways, the artifice, the fraud—the ways that will suck you in to some false pride and beliefs about yourself that are all based on a house of cards.  Lies of your true nature, lies about what is true power, lies about the truth of you.

A warrior goddess in NOT a bitch.  A warrior goddess stands firm in her own power. She does not allow herself to be taken advantage of or allow herself to feel inferior to anyone. Think "momma-bear".  She will protect and stand up for that which she loves and believes in whether it’s friends and children or ideals and beliefs. A warrior goddess knows who she is and stands firm in her convictions.  She is not swayed by the critiques and/or opinions of others. She is capable of defending her beliefs but feels no compulsion to do so.  

The strength and courage of a warrior goddess comes from deep journeys of self-discovery into the dark abyss.  It is in that darkness that she allows her heart to feel deep grief and sadness, to take on her own demons, to be completely accountable for herself and emerge time after time transmuted and transformed by life’s experience. To a warrior goddess, there is no challenge she can not meet, no shadow aspect of herSelf that she can not face, no intimacy she fears broaching.

She has a quiet strength about the way she carries herself.  She feels invincible, yet vulnerable.  Her ability to be vulnerable has come at a price.  That price was the demise of past relationships, that resulted from her fear of intimacy, a fear she felt could ‘protect’ her from potential heartache. The infant goddess grew up and found that her true strength comes from standing in her divine feminine nature of vulnerability with exposed, courageous heart.  Only in that space can one know and feel true love—only in that space of exposure can one be fully known.  And it is only in the “knowing” of another that we can truly love.  The warrior goddess knows herSelf—and in that ‘knowing’ she is able to share herSelf authentically with others. 

The warrior goddess has spent time in meditation and introspection to “Know HerSelf”.  She knows what her dharma is. She does not allow herself to be defined by what she has and owns, the position or status she has achieved in life, or the relationships she surrounds herself with.  She is more than Mrs. X or the VP of Sales with the killer shoes. She is purpose driven and has a sense of inner clarity and conviction that extends way beyond her participation in the PTA. 

Another aspect of the warrior goddess is drive and determination.  It’s having a goal, that is more than a goal—it’s a mission.  Something you feel so compelled to create that you will not rest until it is accomplished.  A life purpose, or dharma, if you will, that only you can fulfill. Something that you are so passionate about, that lights you up, that when you do it you lose all track of time.   That “thing” is what the warrior goddess champions.  She doesn’t allow the cares of the world, nor it’s frivolities and yumminess to come between it’s creation.

The true feminine nature of a warrior goddess is to be a confident, courageous, creative force for good, devoid of submission or feelings of inferiority.

The warrior goddess is a realist with courage, conviction and faith that all good things eventually come to her when she has taken on the only battle that ever really matters—that within the Self and the psyche. The goddess emerges a warrior when she has acknowledged and embraced her own demons, taken them on and either accepted, transmuted or transformed them consciously.The warrior goddess kicks ass—men respect her, women want to be her.

The perfect evidence that you are radiating Warrior Goddess energy is when your friends spontaneously assign you a new, albeit flippant, middle name. In my case it was: Laurie “Fucking” Frazier. In all likelihood it may be the same middle name for you. The addition of "Fucking" to any middle name says to all the world, "I am HERE. I am READY. I got this. Don't mess with me."  I’m just sayin’...

There are a myriad of ways 'Warrior Goddess' shows up...for some it's Momma Bear, for others its being an advocate for women and children...what does it look like for you?

~Resident BadAss Warrior Goddess, at your service ;)

Laurie "Fucking" Frazier

The pic of goddess Durga was done by Sreetama Ray https://plus.google.com/106189287736548108263/posts

***bottom two amazing pics by artist Luis Royo

You Are Not Special Part 2

So it appears from the response to my last blog, You Are Not Special, that further elaboration is necessary...or desired by my readers.

You folks are really upset about not being special...and therein lies the problem :(

The minute we want to be mom’s favorite, the very best tattoo artist, the number one girlfriend or boyfriend in your beloved’s life, the one to give the smartest responses in class, or your family to choose your apple pie over your cousins...you have the “specialness" disease. All of those desires come from lack and insecurity. They come from feelings of not enough-ness.

You have this idea that once someone dubbs you their favorite, like Queen Elizabeth knighting Elton John, you will instantly have some kind of value, or your stock will go up, or all of a sudden you will feel important or ok.  You will finally be able to breathe air on this great planet because some outside source has deemed you worthy above all the others. Now you are on your pillar; your made-up podium the ‘winner’ rises to—you have arrived...if only for a moment.

Then you go to your next moment, you just won the body-building competition.  You go home to show your sweetheart your trophy and you discover that in your absence, she has found another that is now more special to her than you once were. You are instantly deflated and knocked square off your glorious pedestal.

Can you see where I’m going with this peeps?  This longing that makes you crazy, this desire to be better than the rest, the need to have someone out there say, “YOU are the best...YOU are my favorite; my special one.” This is where all your anxiety comes from, this is where you feel insecurity and fear.  This is where you are deathly afraid of loss. Why? Because you may find out that you just aren’t enough, that you and/or your skills just don’t measure up.  It may turn out that you are not cute enough, smart enough, skinny enough or rich enough to get the girl, win the prize or the election.

This “specialness” disease is extremely insidious. 

LET IT GO!!!  YOU ARE ENOUGH!!  Wether you are deemed the best in your field of study, come in 4th in the beauty pageant, lose the guy of your dreams to someone else,  or make a crappy meal.  You are enough, just the way you are. You are like the rest of us humans...we win some we lose some.  We are not special.

When we are caught in the disease of “specialness, competition reigns.  We do whatever we can to be better than everybody else.  Judgement creeps in to stay.  Things like this can be heard running through your brain and coming across your lips: “What is she doing with him/her? I am better looking, right?” “Why does mom give him so much attention, doesn’t she know he smokes pot all day with his friends?!  She didn’t even notice my straight A’s!” “Can you believe they made HER relief society president?” “Can you believe they gave Joe the promotion? I would have done a much better job.”

Now what are the emotions of this “specialness” disease?  The abject need to be special creates jealousy, insecurity, fear, not enough-ness, shame, judgement, rejection, anxiety, heartache, failure, low self-esteem, pride, worthlessness, anger, bitterness, discouragement, sadness, despair, worry—should I go on??

When you are no longer striving to be special and you are able to allow your self to just settle into Being, when you can be ok with exactly how your life is in this very moment, when you can love yourself today with or without the positions, possessions or relationships, then will you have peace.

 In I Corinthians 12-21 it says, 'For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body... Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot were to say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body’, that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear were to say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body’, that would not make it any less a part of the body.If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many members, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you’, nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you. I'm not one to use Bible quotes very often, but this just seems to illustrate the point so well.  It appears God is saying that we all have specialties, but that none (of us) is any more special than another.  In other words, we are not special—at least when it comes to comparisons.

If you dig a little deeper, you will see that we are all divine extensions of the universal energy field with different view points.  Individual waves of the same ocean, all just grains of sand on a beach, stars in the night sky—we are the SAME.  We are ONE.  No one is greater, no one is less than.  With that recognition and acknowledgment, come the beautiful gifts of love, peace, co-operation, collaboration, acceptance of others, kindness, compassion, beauty, togetherness, unity consciousness and universal oneness.

There is an ancient vedic phrase that says, “I am that, you are that and all this is that.”   Tat Tvam Asi  is a Sanskrit Sutra that illustrates the above phrase.  It means, I see the other in myself and myself in others. When you comprehend that all you see is a reflection of yourself, you may just lose that ‘specialness’ disease and trade it in for a universal coat of oneness. 

You Are Not Special

You are not Special.

Most of us have this disease we'll call 'specialness'.  We all want to be special...we want to be the favorite child or grandchild. We want to be the best friend, the favorite girlfriend or boyfriend, the head of the class, the president of the group, the one people like the most.

All my life I tried to prove my specialness to a mother who clearly didn't want me...no amount of student body president, cheerleading captain, Miss Maine or anorexia was going to make it so...and that’s just the short list. 

Trust me, I know this disease well.

This desire to be special, to stand out from the crowd, often comes from our beliefs that we are not enough, that we may be inadequate or lacking in some way. So we attempt to remedy the situation with heroic acts, selflessness, service, having a fancy house, expensive car, great body, special partner, etc

But the truth of the matter is—We are not our possessions, positions or relationships...we are not even our bodies, thoughts or doing-ness. 

We are just us... Plain Jane and simple.

We are not special.  Strip it all away and we are the same...we shall all leave this place the same, just as we came into it. 

 And truly, that is a beautiful place to be. In that sameness we are able to feel the truth of Onenes.  In our sameness, we are always enough.  In our sameness there is no judgement. In our sameness only love and acceptance exist. In our sameness, we are not alone—we are one. 

In your specialness you will never be enough.  In your specialness you will fear someone taking your place and being more special than you. In your specialness you can be an elitist snob.  In your specialness you are better than everybody else.  In your specialness nobody can relate. In your specialness you are alone.  

It turns out that ‘special’ is a very lonely place. It's as if we are in a sea of isolated, tall pillars- one person atop of each pillar. This place is devoid of connection. You can't reach out to touch someone because you are so high up and far away from the next pillar. The person on the next pillar is too caught up in his own specialness to see the other people on the pillars near by...and even if he could see, he may be threatened that your pillar is a tad higher than his.

And don’t forget, the people below.  They are the ones who really know they could never be special, so they gather round the pillars of their favorite ‘special one’ to admire and worship...and you special ones are too high up to reach down. Once again, creating a lack of connection. Can you see how ugly it can be to be ‘special’

I’m not saying to stop shining your magnificent Light. I’m saying don’t worry about how anyone else perceives you. I’m saying be your brightest Self just for you, because that’s who you are...not because you are trying to impress.  Attempting to be something you are not, always comes from fear and insecurity.  Just be you. Like Buddha said, ‘Be a light unto yourself.’ When you are in that space, feeling lit from within, being inspired by the truth of you, loving who you are...that is special.

From that ‘special’ space, you will begin connecting effortlessly with others who are in that ‘same’ space. 

For me, I’d like to trade in ‘special’ for simply being present.  When I am present, everyone in my space feels special. 

Embrace the Totality that is YOU!!

So...I posted some pics of mySelf yesterday that were more than ‘my usual’...there was a point (at least for me)...it was about EMBRACING the TOTALITY of mySelf.  We get so used to pegging ourselves into rigid identities—mother, wife, doctor, lawyer, spiritual life coach, representative of x, y, z—we become like undeveloped characters in a bad novel who only reveal certain aspects of themselves at the whim of the author or audience.  We live our lives only exposing certain qualities and desperately trying to hide or disguise others (as if they wouldn’t be noticed anyway).

We expose certain aspects to some, but not others...to our parents we want to come across one way...to our kids we desire to show up another...to our boss and associates, we reveal even less of ourSelves. It’s exhausting.  What’s even more damaging to our Soul..is not only have we fragmented ourSelves to be liked, admired, approved of etc., often we are PRETENDING to be something we are totally NOT for all the same reasons.  

When we are out of alignment with our Highest Selves, we are often living from a space of being defined by our possessions, positions, money, cars, clothes, body, ideas, etc.  Somehow we got side-tracked into believing all of THAT is real and that somehow it defines us.  We abandon the longing of our heart and deepest soul desires for what we THINK others  expect of us and for what we think others believe about us, and for what we think will be acceptable to those others—acceptable enough to gain their love and approval. That just sounds like drowning to me—suffocating in an endless sea of expectations.

Meanwhile, our poor Soul, has been abandoned on the side of the rode— we are operating at only 60 watts when we have a capacity of 200.  We are shining a portion of our light but not the super delicious fullness.  Another even more sad scenario is that some of us are trying to shine someone else’s light, copy their hues, sing their song—‚something even more devastating to the Soul. 

The truth of YOU is that you have ‘range’—you are ALL things.  You just choose to play small in whatever ways that show up for you—out of fear or discomfort. We all do it differently...but in the end, it’s the same.  We are spiritual, emotional, intellectual, physical, & yes, sensual beings—to deny ANY of those things is to dim your light and to be LESS THAN what you really are.

I believe it is time to embrace the total magnificence that is YOU.  Shine your Light, get your freak on, be your bad-ass, rockstar Self and don’t be shy!! Own it!!  DO it with style and panache! Own your greatness, smartness, beauty, creativity, spirituality, business acumen, sensuality, integrity, etc.  Why? Because, you ARE all that! As you let your own Light shine, you give those around you permission to do the same. And as we are liberated from our smallness and our fragmentation and begin to CLAIM the TRUTH that is US...WOW!!!  What a world!!!  We just upped the game...the world just got a little more FUN, JUICY & DELICIOUS!!  Imagine playing in a world where ALL people are OWNING their magnificence and sharing their brightest most beautiful Selves—we would have an entire planet FULL of LUMINISTAS and LUMINARIES!!!

For me, I am embracing my own sensuality—In our culture, we are taught to deny anything that even hints at sensuality, as if in someway we would be presencing all the bad and slutty, whorish ideas that have commandeered true sensuality.The truth is our sensuality is our essense. It’s the way we create a work of art, wether it be a book, a painting or an outfit. It’s the way we express ourSelves, it’s what makes us smile the way we do, and throw our head back when we laugh. It’s about ease...easing into the truth of us...what we are good at and what we aren’t...it’s about INTIMACY...with ourSelves first. And it’s simply about OWNING who we are and being comfortable in that place...no one else to be, just lil ol’ me...

So, shine on, shine on—LIGHT up your corner of the world.  The Planet deserves you to show up with all your gifts and glory!  The time is now—and it’s speeding up.  Don’t miss the show, BE THE SHOW!

Total Transformation Retreat~Mind*Body*Soul

My very first iMovie...made for the Chopra Center Teachers Video Contest...i chose to highlight my upcoming retreats beginning in August of 2012.

Want Enlightenment?? BREATHE!!

null (via OM Times Magazine)

Winter Solstice— A Time of *Reflection*Resolution*Renewal

The Winter Solstice is the shortest day and the longest night of the year. It’s when the Northern Hemisphere is the darkest.  People around the world of different cultures and faiths gather in anticipation and rejoicing at the Sun’s return. It is a time of reflection, resolution and renewal.

I. A Time of Reflection

As we find ourselves at the close of 2011 on Winter Solstice, when the sun is at it’s lowest point, the longest night and the most profound descent into the dark, it’s a great time for us to reflect upon our own darkness...our own areas of life that lack authenticity, that no longer serve us, where we have been dimming our light. 

What is it, that we would most like to leave behind for good in 2011, so that we can boldly and courageously move unencumbered into our truth in 2012?  2012 is an important year. It is the year the world  has declared to be the year of awakening. The year when we will unite our Light for the betterment of all. 

Before we can speak of this warmth, unity and return to the Light, we must first understand and REFLECT on its opposite...separation, duality and darkness.  We must understand where we have been, to know where we want to go...and where we never want to go again.

This illumination of light and dark is happening all across the planet - showing us what's NOT working in relationships, in business, in politics, in religion, and more.

Back to my original question...What is it that you would most like to leave behind?? Sit back and simply reflect as I cover some examples (in case you’re having trouble thinking of any :))  In no way is this list comprehensive.  Just a few ideas to get you thinking.  Sometimes we become so complacent that FINE actually becomes acceptable.  Now these are going to seem negative…I don’t want to lose you here…the idea is to find that thing or things that you have truly had enough of in your life…that you finally want to release to be the person you were meant to be and always knew you could be…if only, you could just….

Are you holding on to any emotional toxicity?

     Is there someone out there, that you still have yet to forgive?  YOURSELF, perhaps?

     Who, after all of these years, are you still angry with?

     Are you still blaming someone else for all the crap in your life?

     Are you harboring jealousies, resentments, greed, sadness or insecurities?

What about your relationships?

    How many of you are in relationships that feel more like bondage than liberation and joy?

    Are you staying in relationships for your kids or financial reasons?

    Do your relationships feel more draining than fulfilling-filled with jealousy,fighting and drama?

    Are there family members you no longer speak with or harbor unresolved issues?

What about your lifestyle?

How are you treating your body? The temple that houses your Spirit and allows you to carry out your life purpose.

      Do you get the rest you deserve, at least 7-8 hrs a day?

      Are you eating live, vibrant, nutritious foods? Or are you unconscious about the food   

      you put into your body?

      DO you eat more fast, frozen, canned and processed food than you do live?

      Do you get enough movement, exercise and flexibility into your life?

      Are you dragging around extra pounds that keep you from enjoying life?

      Are you creating time to meditate, reflect, be in nature and experience silence daily?

How about your career?

       Are you in love with what you do?

       Is your job/career your passion or just a paycheck?

       Do you dread getting up in the morning because you have to go to work?

       Is your job/career in alignment with your spirit and life purpose?

       Are you making the money that you feel you deserve?

       Do you make time to learn things you’re passionate about?

How about your church/faith?

      Are you still going just to please your parents or kids?

      Do you really believe in it or is it just your social network?

      Are you there because of any guilt or fear you may incur if you didn’t go?

      Does your religion hinder you in any way from living a life that you love?

  And finally, if nothing has struck a chord with you yet, where have you been playing small?  

Where have you been not only dimming, but hiding your light or your talents all together?

Do you have some Divine gifts that you would like to develop or that you have been afraid to share?

If your answers to these questions are anything less than satisfactory to you, then when would NOW be a good time to commit to letting go, to shifting or transforming any and all of these things that no longer serve you and your Highest Self??

I encourage you in the next couple of days to really swim in some of these things that you feel have been dragging you down the most and keeping you from being your most authentic, wonderful Self. Shine the light on some of your own dark places, don’t make yourself wrong or beat yourself up for it, just ask yourself if that way of being is still serving you…if it isn’t, commit to letting it go or transmuting it in some way.

If you have been feeling that now is the time, if your shadow has been rearing its ugly head, if you have finally had it over your eyeballs with a relationship or job that drains you, one where you feel you are constantly dimming your light...if you are soo tired of playing small in your life, then congrats, you are right where you deserve to be and aligned with the dark energies present. AND... you are ready to move forward.

II. A Time of Resolution

So, how do we rid ourselves of these things we wish to let go of?  First of all, we acknowledge our 100% accountability.  We lose the victim-mentality and stop pointing the finger of blame at someone, something, some event or circumstance “out there”.

The problem is not “out-there”.  We will NEVER be able to point the finger of blame at someone else or institution, wether it be the president, wall street, the federal reserve, etc and change the world. We are accountable for the sad state of affairs in our planet, nation and individual lives.

All of that “out there” is a reflection of the duality, the disconnect and the separation within ourselves.  What is out there is also in here (point to heart)! You’ve heard the old adage, as is the microcosm, so is the macrocosm...or as above so below.  The world as we know it today, of separation and hatred between nations, peoples, cultures and religions...is a direct mirror and reflection of that energy within ourselves.

Until we have peace within, we will not have it without.

Until we have peace within our families, we will not have it with our communities.

Until there is peace within our communities there will be no peace in our nation and until we have peace in our own nation, we will never achieve world peace. 

If we are still struggling with forgiving someone or ourselves, if we are still at war with someone in our family, if we are harboring anger, jealousy and resentment of any kind, WE are contributing to the chaos and violence on the planet. These emotions are getting in the way of your greatness.

When we truly understand, how connected we all are and that our emotions and feelings have a ripple effect, not only in our own homes but in the world, maybe then we will be more conscious. Maybe then we will be more accountable. Every decision we make is a choice between a grievance and a miracle. Let 2011 be the year we leave all of our grievances behind and move into the miracle of 2012.

Decide, make a RESOLUTION, that YOU will do whatever it takes to rid yourSELF of all the negativity, emotional baggage, even physical habits that have you being less than vibrant. YOU make a difference. How you FEEL matters...how you feel effects others and the planet at large. 

 III. A Time of Renewal

The Winter Solstice represents the return to the Light, longer days, new growth and welcoming the healing powers of warmth back into our world. Mindful & heartful intentions are very powerful on this day.  We can harness this energy to contemplate what we would like to birth in ourselves, our lives and our world in the year to come.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

As the LIGHT physically begins to return to the earth and as we move forward to 2012...allow the LIGHT or your truth, your authenticity, your magnificence, return to your Soul...and SHINE BRIGHT FOR ALL THE WORLD TO SEE!! NOW is the time...WE are the ones we have been waiting for ♥ I SEE YOU ♥~lf