Enjoy the Journey!

In my post last week, Serving God, I shared some thoughts about my recent meditation experience in which I received a very clear message – You are here to serve God – and what I have discerned about what that means. I am certainly not claiming to have a clearly defined path that will direct me in that way. I trust that it will continue to reveal itself moment-by-moment as I am open to it.

Even though there is an aspect of me that would welcome the comfort and assurance that might come from having a map to follow, I trust that serving God is a step-by-step process. It happens one thought, word, action and choice at a time.

As I write this I am reminded of an experience I had many years ago when a group from my spiritual community at The Center for Life Enrichment in Dallas spent some time at the Bodhi Manda Zen Center in Jemez Sprigs, NM. The center’s property borders the Jemez River. During one of our leisure times, a group of us decided to take a walk upstream in the river to a small waterfall. The river flows gently there and is no more than waist-deep in most areas, so it was not a dangerous undertaking.

Upon entering the river, I quickly discovered that even though it was not deep, it was at times impossible to see the rocky riverbed. The first few steps resulted in falls either due to losing my footing on the rocks or stepping into a hole. It became clear that navigating this trek up the river would require patience and perseverance.

I learned to take each step deliberately. This did not prevent me from falling into the water a few more times, but each time I got up, took time to regain my balance and secure my footing before taking the next step. It turned out to be a fun adventure. We made it to the waterfall and enjoyed playing in and under it.

Life is like that walk in the river. Each step offers us opportunities to move forward into the unknown as we traverse this path. Even though we may experience a fall or two (or more), we can choose to get back up, regain our balance, find our center, and take the next step. We may not be able to see where the next step will take us, but we can trust that we will be supported with every step we take. And, we can choose to enjoy the journey.

As author and mythologist Joseph Campbell said,

“If you can see your path laid out in front of you step by step, you know it’s not your path. Your own path you make with every step you take. That’s why it’s your path.”

This is how I am choosing to approach the unfolding of the revelation that I am here to serve God. I am taking it one step at a time (actually, one breath at a time). There is no prescribed path. No one has a map. Even if they did it would be futile to attempt to follow it.

I encourage us all to approach life as a fun adventure. Take time every day to consciously connect with the God of our being through contemplation, prayer and meditation. Surrender to the leading of the inner Knower. Trust the still, small voice within that is constantly and consistently guiding us to the unfolding of our highest and best, even when it may not appear so. Practice nonresistance and allow everything to be just as it is, knowing that God is in it all. Rest in the assurance that we don’t have to work so hard. As the master Jesus said, “It is not I, but the [Light/Life/Love] within that is doing the work” (John 14:10).

We simply get to follow along in joyous anticipation of what the next step will bring. Enjoy the journey!

Serving God

Today during my meditation, I received a clear message – You are here to serve God. OK! Got it! Now, what does that mean exactly?

From a purely traditional interpretation of this message it could mean that I am to leave behind life as I have known it, enter the priesthood and declare vows of poverty and chastity. Well, that is not likely to happen. While it might be for another, I don’t think that is what it means for me to serve God.

It could also mean that I am to commit solely to the service of others, denounce my individual needs and desires, and move to a developing country to live with and serve those in greatest need. It could mean that, but I think that, too, would be me grasping for a predictable interpretation of the message.

Some might say that I am serving God because I am a minister. There is some truth to that; however, I prefer the thought that I am serving God as a minister. I recognize that one can be a minister who is licensed or ordained by a religious institution and still not be serving God. I trust that is not entirely true for me. I will elaborate.

While I distinctly heard the word ‘God,’ it did not stimulate in me an image of an external being or power outside of myself exerting control over me as it might have in the past. I felt no resistance to the word or to what it represents. It was immediately clear to me that ‘God’ refers to the Light/Life/Love that is expressing in all, through all, as all. God is the perfect potential and possibility individuated as each expression.

As I sat with the message a little longer, it was revealed that for me to serve God, I first need to honestly and unabashedly acknowledge how God expresses through my body, my mind, my soul, and my unique human incarnation. It became clearer to me how essential it is for me to honor and share my gifts and talents, not from an egocentric perspective, but from a God-centric perspective. Additionally, it is important for me to honor the study and practice I have done over the past decades. Further, I am to respect Light/Life/Love expressing as my body, treat it well, and do whatever I can do to remain strong and healthy so I can be in service through it.

Light/Life/Love expresses itself through me in unique ways. It is not for me to judge it, hide it, or decide that it needs to be different. Even writing this, I am aware of an inner voice that is saying, “Boy, that sure sounds conceited.” It is that voice and other internal voices like it that I often allow to keep me from fully serving God as IT expresses as me.

Serving God means to embrace God expressing as me and share IT joyously without attachment or resistance.

Serving God also means beholding the perfect potential and possibility inherent in all others. This does mean that I serve God simply by repeating the phrase “I behold the Christ in you, or I behold the Christ you are.” It is a beautiful sentiment that I can speak with sincere conviction, but unless I live into it, it is meaningless. Serving God means that I not only behold the Light/Life/Love expressing in all others, but that I also do everything within my sphere of influence to bear witness to it for them and call it forth from them. With everything I am, I am called to serve the God in others. 

Serving God does not mean that I have to renounce or deny my desires or needs. It does mean that I have the opportunity moment-by-moment to connect deeply with the desires and needs of my heart, embrace those that are alignment with the Light/Life/Love living as all creation, and embody them through my thoughts, feelings, words and actions. By living in conscious connection with my heart’s desires, I am living my deepest connection to the God of my being. As I embody that connection, I am serving God in all I think, feel, say and do. And, I am doing my part in bringing the Kin-dom of God upon the Earth.

Even though I have shared this as my personal revelation, I know that it is not only true for me, it is true for everyone. Each of us is a unique and wondrous individuated expression of Light/Life/Love, and each of us has gifts that only we can share. I assert that it is now time for us to stop hiding our light, cease playing small, and boldly accept our gifts in service to God.

Acknowledging our own Light/Life/Love without hesitation or resistance will open us to the recognition and acceptance of the Light/Life/Love living as each other. When we join together to give our gifts and talents in service to God, we encourage and support others in doing the same. When we all shine our Light/Life/Love, the world is illuminated in the glow, and we all assist in bringing into manifestation a new heaven and a new earth as spoken about in Revelation 21. 

As author, spiritual teacher, and now presidential candidate Marianne Williams so eloquently stated in her book, A Return to Love,

“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.”

I encourage us all to acknowledge our brilliance, gorgeousness, talent, and fabulousness and let our light shine. Not from an ego-centric self-serving perspective, but from a God-centric, God-serving perspective. We are all here to serve God – the God within us, within each other, and within all creation.

The Power of Curiosity

I love how my lessons often present themselves in the most unexpected ways and from the unlikeliest people.

Needing to rent a car this past Saturday and not having anyone around to transport me to the car rental location, I arranged for an Uber driver to pick me up at Unity Spiritual Center Denver and drive me there. I have used Uber many times and have had great experiences. This one was no different. It was a pleasant ride in a very nice comfortable vehicle. The only difference was the conversation I had with the driver and what it stimulated for me.

Using the Uber app on my phone, I entered my destination address and confirmed my ride. A few seconds later, a driver responded accepting the fare. Being a thoughtful and careful Uber customer, I looked at his photo, profile and license plate number to ensure that I would not get into someone else’s vehicle.

His profile read, “husband, father and follower of Christ.” My mind immediately went to, “Oh, crap, I hope he’s not an evangelical who wants to have a conversation about religion.” 

Here’s how the conversation went:

Driver: Where are you going?

Me: I’m going to rent a car to drive to Kansas City.

Driver: Oh, what are you doing in Kansas City? I grew up there. (Of course, he did.)

Me: I’m going to a convention.

Driver: What kind of work do you do?

Me: I’m a Unity minister, and I’m going to our annual convention. (In my mind – Uh oh, here it comes.)

Driver: What kind of church is Unity?

Me: Umm, umm, umm…Unity is grounded in Christianity, but from a metaphysical perspective. We are somewhat different from traditional Christianity.

Driver: How so?

Me: Well…we follow the teachings of Jesus. We believe that he was here to teach us how to live. We believe that we are all sons and daughters of God, not just Jesus. We teach that God is within us all.

Driver: That is quite different. So, you don’t believe in Jesus as savior?

Me: (In my mind – How much longer is this ride?) Well, that is a much longer conversation, but in short, not in the traditional sense. I was raised in the Baptist church, so I used to believe that (why did I go there?), but I have a different understanding of it now.

Driver: That’s a big shift. Why did you change.

Me: (Nearing my destination) After studying more about the history of Christianity and of the Bible, I could no longer believe in a judgmental condemning God or much of the traditional interpretations of Scripture. Unity offered me a God of love and acceptance and a deeper understanding of Jesus’ teaching.

Driver: Have a nice trip.

Me: Thank you. Have a great day. (in my mind – thank God that’s over).

I have an idea that he and I could have sat down over coffee and had a more in-depth conversation about this, but there was not time. In hindsight, I wish I had asked him more about what he believes. Because his profile said, “follower of Christ,” I made the bold assumption that he subscribes to a more traditional Christian theology and would be critical of me and Unity philosophy. The truth is, I don’t know that my assumption was correct.

This encounter brought a few things home to me. Many people have expressed in meetings, surveys, classes and one-to-one conversations that they would like to be able to tell someone about Unity in just a few sentences. Obviously, I would like to know that as well. Additionally, I came face-to-face with my own fear around sharing my beliefs with others when I think that they will not agree or will be in judgment of me. So, I am committing myself to (1) moving past my fear of speaking my truth (2) coming from curiosity for myself and others, and (3) either finding or devising a succinct statement about Unity that I can commit to memory.

I have empathy and compassion for myself and others when it comes to the fear of sharing truth with those who do not agree, especially if one’s beliefs are contrary to the prevailing cultural norms. Whether in this lifetime or in past lifetimes, many of us have faced persecution for speaking alternate truths, and history is replete with examples. Jesus’ disciples denied being his followers to protect their lives. Although we know there were more economic reasons, the Europeans’ slaughter of Native people was justified by claiming they were “savages.” Those judged as witches were burned at the stake. Mormons were massacred because of their beliefs. I have wondered whether the early pioneers of the New Thought movement in the United States made the conscious decision to associate the movement with Christianity to avoid similar persecution. Perhaps not, but it would be understandable.

It makes sense that we might be reluctant to share ideas that others could consider to be heretical or blasphemous. In fact, there may be times when it is not safe to share, and it is important for us to honor that. However, those occasions are most likely rare.

In this case, the Uber driver asked the question. My opportunity was to be curious about him and why he was asking the question and to answer him with love and as clearly as I could in the moment. While I did my best at the time, I know that I was reacting from my discomfort, rather than being centered in love for myself and for him. Who knows, perhaps we were brought together so that I could share the message with him. Maybe he went home and researched Unity. Maybe he will come to service on Sunday. I don’t know. It is not mine to know. It is simply mine to be open and honest and speak from love.

This was a powerful reminder of the need to practice self-connection, self-empathy and self-compassion and to meet others with presence and curiosity. Bringing curiosity to every encounter opens the way for deeper understanding of others and ourselves. In this situation, I recognize that I had already decided that I knew who my driver was and what he believed. And, my interaction with him was based on my prejudiced perspective. Even though time did not allow for an in-depth conversation, I trust that we could have enjoyed a more heartful and meaningful connection had I come from a place of loving presence and curiosity.

While I did not express myself in the way I wish I had, I can be curious about what was going on for me at the time; practice empathy, compassion and forgiveness for myself; and set a clear intention to make different choices next time. With consistent practice, I trust that I can and will.

The following is my attempt at a short “elevator speech” describing Unity. I will continue to work on it. I welcome your thoughts and suggestions.

Based on the teachings of Jesus, Unity is a path to empowered living that recognizes the spiritual unity of God, humanity and all creation. Unity encourages everyone to realize their innate power to heal in body, mind and spirit through life-affirming thoughts, words and actions.

P.S. I will be facilitating a workshop called "Ask Me About Unity" in the next couple of months. Stay tuned for more information. 

Be You

This past Saturday, I attended a presentation by internationally acclaimed speaker and intuitive medium, Lee Harris, which was hosted at Unity Spiritual Center Denver. I had not met Lee previously, nor did I know a great deal about his work. Prior to scheduling the event, I perused his website and read some of the endorsements, so I felt comfortable hosting him. However, I had no idea what his two-hour presentation would involve. What I experienced was most likely nothing that Lee could have anticipated. It was certainly nothing that I expected.

Let me say first that I had the opportunity to meet Lee on Friday when he came with his agent to see the space and discuss how they would set up for livestreaming. I experienced him as warm, open and sincere. After having attended the event on Saturday, I genuinely trust his integrity and commitment to helping people through his acceptance, development and sharing of his intuitive gifts. I recommend his book, Energy Speaks, and his other offerings through his website – LeeHarrisEnergy.com – and workshops. I told him and his agent at the close of the evening that we would gladly host him again when it works in Lee’s schedule.

Lee began the evening by sharing his personal journey. He was a sensitive child who was connected to the energy of people and things around him. He felt as though he didn’t belong, which he coped with by eating which resulted in being overweight and being taken to Weight Watchers at a young age. He said that music saved his life in his teens and early twenties. He tried to break into the music business as a singer, but it didn’t work out. He still sings and records his music. He told us about his later thirst for knowledge and experience with self-help books and teachers. He talked about his first awareness of hearing his guides, which he refers to as the Zs. He shared openly about his initial resistance to channeling and his fear of working with people individually. He laughed about how coming out as a channel was as scary as coming out as a gay man. He spoke about how saying ‘yes’ to offers and invitations to speak, teach and lead workshops over the years led him to be where he is today as a renowned speaker,  transformation leader, intuitive medium, and a musical and visual artist.

Unfortunately, I’m not sure that I connected with much that he said following his introduction. I was struck by his story. Much of what he experienced, I also experienced. I was sensitive, overweight, and felt as though I didn’t belong. Music was a saving grace in my life and still is. I read all the self-help and spiritual motivational books I could find. I often still do. I attended as many workshops and retreats as I could manage and afford. He could have been telling my story – except for the part about saying ‘yes’ to the invitations to practice his intuitive gifts and share them with others. I made other choices, some of them involved saying ‘no’ to offers to share.

This is where my lesson began on Saturday. My mind immediately went into coulda-shoulda-woulda mode. I shared about this pattern in my post from March 28. It went something like this…”I coulda been where Lee is now. He is famous and making big money doing this. I shoulda said ‘yes’ to the opportunities I had back then. I woulda been more successful…happier…more fulfilled…whatever.” My small self was free-wheeling. And, I went along for the ride. I was telling myself the story that I had let opportunity pass me by. That I have not fully accepted and used my gifts and talents. That I have failed in some way to fulfill my mission and my calling. I fell into a deep hole of regret. And, I am reluctant to admit that I stayed there for the better part of three days. It’s no coincidence that the number ‘3’ metaphysically represents every level of being – mind, spirit and body. I needed to integrate my lesson on all three levels.

With the help of my prayer partner, Rev. Karen Romestan, and my life coach, Deborah Jane Wells, I was able to remember that the story I was telling as I compared myself to Lee Harris is just that – a story. I cannot know what woulda happened if I had made different choices. I was terrorizing myself with the story I was telling and causing myself to feel fear, stress and regret. I realized that I was telling myself that I am not living up to my calling or my mission, at least not to the extent that Lee is. As I said, my small self was free-wheeling! With help, I was able to come back to sanity and recognize that I am fulfilling my calling to the best of my ability in every moment. I may not be as famous or wealthy as Lee, but that is not truly my deepest desire.

Karen and Deborah also helped me to remember that I am not here to be Lee Harris or anyone other than me. All I have to do is be the best David Howard I can manage to be right here and now. My spirit is, as is everyone’s, a unique and wonderful expression of the One. Each of us is here to embrace who we are and to share it with the world. My mission is to be true to me. Lee’s is to be true to his.  Yours is to be true to yours.

Finally, Deborah also helped me to see that being true to me might just be simpler than I think. It is not particularly helpful to review past decisions and judge ourselves based on the coulda-woulda-shoulda method. There may be things we can learn from our past choices, but judging ourselves for making them is not beneficial. The question to ask is not, “Why I did, or why I didn’t?” The question to ask is “What now?” What decision do I make today that is in alignment with my true nature and who I have come here to be?

The answer to those questions rests within. It requires me to be still, center my attention and awareness in my heart and embrace the knowing of my spirit that abides there. Trust the wisdom of the spirit and know that I have everything I need to fulfill what I am called to do. Also, know that I have the will and the strength to stay the course and live my mission one-choice-at-a-time. I have faith that when we follow the leading of our hearts, we are lead to the highest and best unfolding of who we are in Truth.

I am not Lee Harris. The world doesn’t need another Lee Harris. I am David Howard. The world needs me to be the best David Howard I can be. The same is true for each of us. The world needs us to be who we are and to give of who we are. I encourage us all to embrace our own unique expression of the One, own our gifts without apology, and let that light shine. Just be you. That is enough.  

The Power of Speaking From Presence

In my post last week, I shared some thoughts about the Power of Presence. I also invited everyone to join me in a presence practice. If you have not yet begun this practice, it’s not too late. You can begin today. This week, I want to share what I believe to be the next step in our process of practicing presence and being present.

Connecting with and honoring our ‘body’s energy’ which in his book, Radical Wholeness, Philip Shepherd defines as “everything you are feeling as your life right now. It is an umbrella term covering all the sensations that show up in the body: the energy of your emotions, ideas, muscles, libido, breath, and of your exchanges with the Present” is a vitally important first step. The next step is learning to express it.

Being willing and taking the risk to express our ‘body’s energy’ is the next level of practicing presence. The thought of sharing with another what we become aware of through our presence practice can stimulate fear and resistance. We all want to experience love and acceptance. When we believe that we might be rejected, criticized or abandoned by sharing our emotions, ideas, and experiences, we often retreat and deny ourselves the gift of being real. In his book, Say What You Mean, Oren Jay Sofer encourages us to learn and practice ways of communicating that foster connection and promote understanding.

Saying what we mean in a way that is honest and compassionate requires willingness, presence and practice. I recently had an opportunity to experience this first-hand. I wish I could tell you that I succeeded in communicating my ‘body’s energy’ effectively, but I would be lying. I did, however, learn from this experience and will make a conscious choice to do it differently next time to the best of my ability.

Last week, as I was participating in a meeting, I felt uncomfortable and agitated. I wanted to stand up and leave the meeting. Instead, I chose to stay. My body was present for the entire meeting, but I was not present for the meeting. I listened to what others were saying, but I was not connected to what they were saying. Rather, I was evaluating what they were saying and interpreting it through my lenses. I left the meeting feeling despondent and disconnected.

When I shared my experience with my life coach the following day, she helped me to recognize the story I was telling myself about myself during the meeting. It was a prime example of reacting, rather than practicing presence and being willing to speak to my experience in the moment.

Had I been practicing presence in the way that I wish to, I would have said to the group something like, “I’m feeling disconnected, would anyone not be agreeable to us taking a short break. I would like to have a moment to reconnect with myself so that I can connect with you.” Assuming the group was in agreement, I would have taken a few deep breaths, done my best to become the silent witness of my thoughts and feelings and give myself empathy. If the group had not been in agreement, I would have said, “Thank you. I feel the need for a break, so I am going to step out of the room for a few minutes. I will be back.”

After having had time to self-connect, I would have come back to the circle and said, “I’m feeling some fear around the thought of sharing what came up for me, but it will help me to be able to express it. Would anyone not be willing to hear what I have to say?” Again, assuming that the group was in agreement, I might have said, “At the beginning of this meeting, we agreed to share openly and honestly with each other. I am feeling uncomfortable because I have not done that, and I am sensing that there are things being hinted at by others but not being shared openly. I would like to know that we are free to express ourselves freely and that, to the best or our ability, we will be present for and with each other no matter what.”

My opportunity in doing that might have been to see how present I could be if someone in the group had challenged me, tried to fix it for me, or discounted me in some way. It might have also been an opportunity for me to be present with another’s displeasure about something I did or did not do. If either of those arose, I would have been well served to go back to step one and begin again. Ideally, my willingness to be vulnerably honest would have served connection and opened a way for others to share as well.

Practicing presence within ourselves is essential. We cannot be present with or for another unless and until we are willing and able to be present for ourselves. Had I been willing to take time to practice presence during the meeting, I am certain I would have had a different experience. Sharing our present awareness with another or with others is an important next step toward being fully present. Further, sharing ourselves with another is one of the most meaningful gifts we can give the other and ourselves. It enriches our lives and brings us closer to each other.

In Nonviolent Communication practice, we often encourage the use of “post-hearsal.” Rather than rehearsing what you are going to say or do in a situation, “post-hearsal” is reviewing a situation as I did above and connecting with how you might have done it differently. This practice helps to imprint upon our consciousness words or phrases that we can use in future situations. It also helps us build a consciousness of presence.

I encourage you to think of a situation from the past in which you were not willing or able to connect with and express your thoughts, feelings or desires in the moment. Take some time to imagine the setting and yourself in it. Take a few deep breaths. Practice self-connection and self-empathy. What were you feeling? What were you hoping to experience? What thoughts were running through your mind? Did you want to get up and walk out? Now, imagine that you are back in that situation, but this time you are fully present, completely self-connected and centered in your awareness. What might you have said or done differently?

Practicing presence is more that connecting with the ‘body’s energy.’ Practicing presence is having the freedom to express our thoughts, share our feelings and speak to our experience in the moment when we are alone and when we are with others. This takes courage, willingness and practice. I encourage you to practice alone first. Write it down. Describe the scenario and your response. Then, imagine and delineate your preferred response. Next, connect with someone you know who loves and values you and practice with them. Any form of practice will strengthen your presence consciousness and create new neural pathways that will begin to change your responses in the moment. How do we achieve presence consciousness and learn to speak from presence? Practice! Practice! Practice!

The Power of Presence

As I have shared before, I frequently read and/or listen to audio recordings of several books concurrently. Not surprisingly, I am doing so now. In addition to The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer which our small groups have been exploring and which has been the basis for Sunday lessons over the past several weeks, I am also engaged in Philip Shepherd’s Radical Wholeness and Oren Jay Sofer’s Say What You Mean. While each of the authors offers different paths and perspectives, I find that they share a common thread – the power of presence.

Singer points out that we often engage in habitual patterns of behavior that distract us from being fully present in the moment. For example, we pay attention to the incessant chatter in our heads which he humorously refers to as our “inner roommate.” Additionally, he says that, metaphorically speaking, we construct elaborate devices to avoid our “inner thorns,” which are memories of past events that may stimulate pain. Further, we build “houses” to separate us from all the things we fear. He posits that the walls of our “houses” are our psyche - our “past experiences; thoughts and emotions; all concepts, views, opinions, beliefs, hopes and dreams that [we] collect around [ourselves].” Singer asserts that being present to our pain and fear is the way to freedom. He encourages us to feel everything in the moment, to be with what is rather than hiding from or resisting it. In short, presence is a path to freedom.

Shepherd asserts that being present in the body for all the information accessible through our defined physical senses of taste, touch, smell, hearing and sight, as well as to our more subtle senses, is the path to experiencing the wholeness of life. He says that our culture teaches us to separate ourselves from each other and from the world around us, thereby cutting us off from our connection to the Life Energy that moves through and as all creation. He offers practices to help the reader to connect with “the body’s energy.” He defines ‘the body’s energy’ as “everything you are feeling as your life right now. It is an umbrella term covering all the sensations that show up in the body: the energy of your emotions, ideas, muscles, libido, breath, and of your exchanges with the Present.”  In short, presence is a path to wholeness.

Sofer draws on his experience with mindfulness, somatics, and Nonviolent Communication to present a framework for helping the reader engage in healthy, effective communication. He says, “Effective communication depends on our ability to be present…The first step of mindful communication is to lead with presence.” He goes further to say that being present begins with connection with one’s own feelings, thoughts and desires and the willingness and ability to remain present with another’s. Further, Sofer states, “Awareness is the primary foundation for all communication. If communication is about creating understanding, mindful communication is about creating understanding through awareness.” In short, presence is a path to mindful communication.

I hesitate to admit it, but at times I can be oblivious to the messages my soul is delivering. I can easily find ways to distract myself; however, this is not one of those times. This message is obvious and urgent – Practice Presence. Practicing presence requires me to slow down. I have noticed that when I am rushing from one thing to the next, focusing solely on accomplishing a task so that I can move to the next one, I am not being present. When I am not present, I am not truly giving of myself. Further, I am not availing myself of the gifts of the present moment. I am now reminding myself to SLOW DOWN.

I also find that at times I have to remind myself to breathe. I know that may sound ridiculous considering that breathing is a process of the autonomic nervous system. I mean that I have to remind myself to consciously breathe, to breathe deeply and fully. Deep, full breaths relax the mind and fuel the body. Conscious breath is one of the best ways I have found to bring my attention back to the moment and to being present.

When I slow down and breathe consciously, I can become aware of my ‘body’s energy,’ as Shepherd defines it. When I am connected to my body’s energy, I can make conscious choices that support me emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually. From the place of conscious connection, I am more available to connect with and support others emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually.

It seems that the adage, “When the student is ready, the teacher appears” has never been more true for me. I am ready to practice presence so that I can more fully support my own well-being and the well-being of others. These authors are my current teachers. I invite you to join me.

I encourage us all to set aside 60 seconds three times a day to practice presence. Set an alarm. Stop whatever you are doing immediately or a quickly as possible. If you are at work, take a break, go to the restroom if you need to be alone. Take a few full deep cleansing breaths. Bring all of your awareness to the moment. Connect with your ‘body’s energy.’ What are you thinking, feeling, and needing? Sense the energy around you. Feel the energy of the plants, animals and other people in the space. Without judgement or resistance, just become aware of what is. There is nothing else you need to do. Simply practice presence. One-day-at-a-time commit to this practice for the next 12 days. Pay attention to any shifts in your perspective or in how you approach interactions with others or engage in daily tasks.

Practicing presence is a moment-by-moment choice. No one can do it for us. It is an inside job. And, borrowing from Alfred, Lord Tennyson it is “closer than breathing.” It is more and more apparent, as these three authors have expressed, that practicing presence is a path to freedom, wholeness and meaningful connection with self and others. From where I stand, that makes it well worth my investment of time and attention. How about you?

The Power of Gratitude

I admit it: I am a sucker for singing competition television shows, such as American Idol and The Voice. I casually followed American Idol this season which concluded on Sunday. I did not watch the broadcast, but I did see who won. Not my choice, by the way. However, I avidly followed The Voice, which concluded its season last night with a two-hour star-studded extravaganza. I’m happy to report that my favorite singer won. In case you are a fan and haven’t yet watched it, I won’t spoil it by revealing who that is. While I appreciate quality singing and vocal performance, this post is not about that.

Instead, it is about one of my “triggers,” and my curiosity about what I noticed last night as I watched as the names of the finalists were announced in the order of their standing from fourth place to the winner.

I have noticed, and it seems to be especially prevalent among country singers, that when they succeed in advancing to the next round of the competition, they will frequently look up or point up as if acknowledging and giving praise to God in heaven. One singer on The Voice this season wore a silver cross pendant prominently displayed each week. Each time he advanced in the competition, he touched the cross as if to give thanks or acknowledge a special blessing he had received from it.

Having been raised in the ideology of traditional Christianity, I can understand why those who place their faith in Jesus, which the cross represents for some, would believe that their faith gives them a special “favored” status ensuring that advanced in the competition while others didn’t. I also understand why one would give praise to God in heaven for what they perceive as “his” blessings on their lives. Traditional Christianity teaches its adherents to believe in a supernatural God who either blesses or curses according to one’s faith or lack thereof. I totally get that. I’m sure that’s why I am triggered by it. I still have some of my own forgiveness work to do around the negative effects that traditional Christianity had in my life and the negative effects I believe it continues to have on our culture. But, that is a topic for another post.

Spoiler Alert – the following may give away the results of the show.

As I watched the finale of The Voice last night, I noticed that the contestants who had previously looked upward, raised hands in praise, or touch the cross in gratitude did not do any of that when it was announced that they were in fourth, third, or second place and not the winner. I was not surprised by this, but curious what was going through their minds. Did they believe that they had failed God or lost favor with Jesus and therefore did not win? Did they believe that Satan had taken over the hearts of the voters who chose someone else to win? Were they so disappointed that they forgot about the biblical teaching that says, “In everything give thanks?”

I realize that it sounds as if I am calling out hypocrisy and being critical of these contestants. Admittedly, when I began writing this post, I was reliving the “trigger” I felt as I watched the show. Writing about it seems to have dissipated some of that energy. So, thank you for indulging me this far.

Gladly, I have learned, through many life experiences, that when anything stimulates that much feeling in me that there is something in my psyche calling out for me to give it attention and to address. The following is what comes to me as I sit with it in the moment.

While I no longer believe in an external God who blesses or curses depending upon faith or lack of faith, I do believe in the power of gratitude. Gratitude is an energy vibration of the heart. It is born from a deep connection in Love. When gratitude is felt and expressed, the energy extends well beyond the heart and reaches out into the universe to bless all creation. Gratitude is also an attracting vibration. It attracts to itself like frequency. Feeling and expressing honest gratitude attracts into our lives more gratitude and more for which to feel and express gratitude.

All things originate from one Source. That Source is Love. I don’t need to look up to express gratitude. I only need look at the world around me, acknowledge the Love imbued in all creation, breathe into my heart and connect with the Love I Am, and from my conscious connection, feel gratitude with and for all that is. I don’t need to touch a representation of the cross to connect with gratitude. And, I can respect the need of those who do connect in those ways.

I now recognize that those reality show contestants are my teachers. They triggered my recognition that I do not “give thanks in all things.” In fact, I often do not allow myself to fully feel gratitude even in the things that I believe are “good” and “positive,” forget about those that I judge as “bad” or “negative.”

Today, I am committing to making a change. For years, I have heard and even talked about the power of a gratitude journal, yet I have never had one. I have played with the practice of making a mental list of things for which I am grateful before going to bed or upon waking, yet it is not my daily ritual. I have experienced the power of expressing gratitude for and to others, yet I don’t often do it. In fact, even though I am reluctant to admit it, I am aware that I often focus more on what I believe is missing or what someone doesn’t do rather than on what I have and what others contribute to my life. I am changing that today!

I also know the power of the adage, “one day at a time.” So, for today, I am starting a gratitude journal. I am taking one small step at a time. I commit to making a list of at least three things I am grateful for today, with the intention of doing the same every day. I will place a reminder about the power of gratitude somewhere so that I will see it before going to bed and when I awake in the morning to remind me to make my mental list. I will write at least one note of gratitude this week to someone who has contributed to my life, with the intention of making this a weekly practice. I will do my best to call forth the goodness in my consciousness in every situation, remembering to give thanks in all things and for all people.

Yes, gratitude is a powerful energy vibration. In this moment, I am grateful that I was triggered by the contestants on The Voice. I am grateful for the self-awareness that resulted. I am grateful for my willingness to be honest with myself and with all who are reading this post. I feel the heart-warming energy of gratitude. I am grateful for the blessing of gratitude. Thank you!