Maiden Spirit News – Maiden Spirit

Guidance Through Art

ART AS MEDITATION: SOUL GUIDANCE ACCESS TOOL

I’m taking a yearlong painting class to provide structure for the part of me that loves to express artistically. Most importantly however,this painting process is a tool I’m using to connect with spiritual guidance, self-healing, and dream manifesting. Because I’m having so much fun doing it and find this tool helpful, I want to share it with you.

In today’s blog post I will reveal 4 layers of my current painting that leads to an inner guidance journal writing process after each painting session.

Why am I sharing my very personal inner work expressed in paintings?

I want to give you a new tool and demonstrate how to use an art project to access inner guidance on YOUR path to Self Mastery.

Also, I find the act of making art a pleasurable way to connect with intuitive knowing and creative flow of living on the path to Self Mastery.

THE PROCESS

1. Decide what your medium will be and collect your supplies.
2. Create a special time and space to begin your project.
3. Set the intention for what you want your art piece to represent. For example, the intention of my painting is to hold a space for my conversation with my Soul and the Divine in the form of SHE.
4. Begin each art session by asking a question you would like guidance about.
5. After you complete a layer of your piece, sit back and look at it. Contemplate the image with your journal in hand and then let the wisdom flow through you onto the page.

I really love this process and look forward to each new layer of my painting and what might emerge through it. Most importantly, I love the way I feel when I take the time to engage in acts of intentional creativity as a spiritual practice.

Please note: It’s the Soul that comes through between the words that elicits the deepest impact for me. I encourage you to view my painting layers and read my journal entries with the eyes and ears of your soul too.

MY EXAMPLE:

Contemplation Question: Where am I now on the path of manifesting the next phase of my Life’s work?

Today my face emerges as earth and sunshine… my face is the fertile earth filled with seeds just beginning to sprout but not yet bursting through to see the light. My face is touched by the sunshine of Spirit, the Unformed Source, the emptiness that is filled with everything.

I emerge in the spring season of birth in this tangible form through your hand.

I am the fertile soil that will give birth to new forms of your Life’s work.

There is no need to reject or push away all that has been. Simply incorporate the old forms as rich compost to nurture the new.

At times you must let go of the need to know anything but what is needed in the moment.

Put your trust in ME and we will walk together through this transitional phase.

PAINTING LAYER 2(My grandson told me SHE looked like an alien at this point)

Contemplation Question: What is the next step in the process of ‘waiting’ for the seeds to spout?

I am FULLY PRESENT. When you look into my eyes, you may feel startled into presence.

I hold the space of thing nothing that contains everything, infinite potential. I am the phase of your creative process that you most want to bypass.

I am the unknowable.

I am also moonlight on the water of your soul, here to illuminate the path and your new forms of expression when the time is right.

Remember the value of simple moments and earthly pleasures, take in and be nourished by the beauty that is everywhere if you look closely, stay conscious in your sweet animal body.

Remember, you need not “accomplish” to be enough and to fulfill your Life Purpose.

Enjoy this period of gestation.

Go deeper into all you love of the Feminine, going ALL IN to the Feminine Flow in your next step.

PAINTING LAYER 3

Contemplation Question: During this time of gestation, I have been drawn to go deeper into the healing of my family tree. What do you want me to know now?

Today I emerge as the Hawaiian Goddess Pele giving life and energy to your healing.

My molten lava is erupting and flowing down the volcanic mountain into the sea on it’s way to create new land, new possibilities for your future. Within all this fiery activity, the “I AM” presence continues to be utterly calm, still, silent, unmoving.

Consciously know this healing and creation work is why you came to earth.

Allow the emotion that is moving through you to be fully welcomed and the truths you are discovering to settle into your roots.

It is not yet time to harvest the tree.

PAINTING LAYER 4

Contemplation Question: What am I to know now? What is the symbol of my new body of work?)

At this time, the karmic web of your family tree continues to be shaking off ancestral entanglements energies.

The deep inherited sadness is dissolving and the positive gifts and vibrancy within your lineage roots are singing more freely through your DNA.

A new expression of your Life’s Work is beginning to emerge through a manifesting current and is symbolized by a “Rainbow Dove”.

The AH HAH Moment

The “AH HAH” Moment That Changed My Life Forever:
A Tool For The Conscious Transformation Of Experience

Even though we are potent spiritual beings filled with the power to change and create new experiences, most of us tend to forget this on a daily basis!

Today I was inspired to share with you a revelatory “AH-HAH” turning point moment on my Journey of Awakening and the 4 steps I took to transform my experience. I was feeling depressed and alone in a particular reoccurring life circumstance, and I was able to create the opposite experience of feeling deeply loved and connected in those very same situations.

Here’s what happened:

One evening, after attending yet another wonderful dinner party with friends, I noticed that, instead of feeling happily connected when I left that party I felt depressed, sad, lonely and disappointed. I also realized that this was a very familiar pattern repeat. The first step of my transformation was to recognize the pattern.

I invite you to follow along with the steps.

Step 1: Identify depleting emotions (sadness, anger, fear) that appear to repeat themselves in your experience. Then identify the type of situation that most often triggers them.

After I realized that I was in a pattern repeat, I began to wonder if there were unconscious thoughts and beliefs triggering my sadness and disappointment that had nothing to do with my actual experience at the party. I went on an introspective exploratory journey to find out and this is what I discovered.

Surprisingly, my previously unconscious belief system turned out to be a deep conviction that looked like this:

“I am alone. Others are not there for me. Life is sad and lonely”.

Realizing this was the KEY to my “AH HAH”!

Step 2: Ask yourself: What might be the unconscious belief patterns underlying your pattern repeat?

Now that I knew what was going on in me, I decided to study my behavior the next time I went to a dinner party with friends. I wanted to find out what I was doing or not doing that contributed to feeling alone even in the midst of friends.

This is where I had my “AH HAH” moment:

I noticed that when others would ask “How are you, Georgette?” I would quickly defer and switch the focus back to them. I rarely gave anyone a chance to ‘be there for me’, thereby replicating my experience of being alone. Suddenly I saw myself as the source of my frequent distress after parties with friends.

Step 3: Imagine your triggering situation: What do you see yourself doing or not doing that could be contributing to your disturbing pattern?

Finally, I decided to try something different at the next party. When anyone asked, “How are you?”, I told them!!!! I left that party with a heart brimming with feelings of love and connection, and of shared mutual intimacy. I stepped into my power as the conscious creator of my experience of fulfilling intimacy with friends. And they were so happy to have the opportunity to get to know me and hold space for me, thus deepening our mutual connection.

I now show up at parties centered in this deeper truth: “I am never alone, I am present for myself, and I choose to reveal myself to others capable of mutual and fulfilling intimacy. I recognize now that my life is filled with love and connection”.

Step 4: Identify the deeper truth template that you are committed to create and then plan what you might do differently for a different outcome.

Track this new approach over time as you consciously take responsibility and step into your power to create your own “AH HAH” moments and new experiences. Let me know what you discover! I’d love to hear from you: georgette@lifeblessing.com

The Little APPLE TREE

Not that many moons ago, I fell into a state of comparing myself to others. Although I felt connected with some wonderful and positive elements about myself, the overall effect of comparing with others was quite destabilizing. This is because I started to doubt what I knew to be true about my creative process and the value of my contribution to Life.

Have you been comparing yourself to others? How does it affect you?

Comparing myself to others not only caused me to doubt myself but also to second-guess my Soul’s Guidance. I was in a quiet receptive phase, I felt like I must be doing something wrong when compared to other colleagues and leaders who I perceived to be in very active manifestation cycles of expression. I woke up each morning with a sick feeling in my stomach, and for a period of time, I had no energy or motivation.

Thank goodness, I know what to do when triggered out of Soul Alignment… I go “IN”.

During a deep meditation, I explored this state of mind. I uncovered some outdated beliefs that needed updating and a need for emotional healing.

I prayed for a “Healing”.

In response, I received the vision of an Apple Tree as my “Healer”. I also received the guidance to create a painting of this little tree.

But, what does an Apple Tree have to do with my “Healing”, I wondered?

As synchronicity would have it, within days of completing this painting, I had a conversation with a friend who happens to be a story-teller. I asked if she knew any stories about Apple Trees.

She told me her story of an Apple Tree, and in the telling, I received my “Healing”! You can read this story below and find the message in it for YOU.

—————————-

THE APPLE TREE: A DISCOVERY of “HEALING”
by Penninnah Schram

In a great Forest where the oak trees grew tall and majestic, there stood in their midst a little apple tree. It was the only apple tree in the entire Forest, and so it stood alone……

Winter came. As the snow fell, it covered the branches of all the trees, including the little apple tree, as it drifted to the Forest floor. Under the gentle blanket of snow, the Forest was quiet and peaceful.

One crisp night, the little apple tree looked up between the tall oak branches and saw a wonderful sight. The twinkling Stars in the clear sky seemed to be suspended from the tall oak branches! This beautiful sight inspired the little tree, and she said:

“How lucky those magnificent tall trees are to have such beautiful Stars lighting them up. I want more than anything in the world to have Stars on my branches, just like the tall oak trees! Then I would feel truly special”.

The Universe looked down at the little apple tree and said gently, “Have patience, little Apple Tree!”

Time passed, the snows melted, and Spring came to the Forest. And the little apple tree came to life! Tiny white and pink apple blossoms appeared on its branches. Birds came to rest, and people walking by admired its beautiful flowers.

All Summer long, the little apple tree continued to grow and thrive, and its branches formed a gentle canopy as they filled with leaves and blossoms.

But each night, the little apple tree looked up at the sky with the millions of bright Stars and cried, “I wish more than anything in the world to have Stars on my branches -just like the tall oak trees, so I could feel truly special”.

And the Universe looked down and said, “Apple Tree, you have wonderful gifts. You offer loving shade to Forest friends, your blossoms delight people walking below, and your branches provide rest for the birds whose vibrant songs awaken the tall oaks from their Winter sleep”.

The little apple tree sighed and answered simply, “I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but that is not special enough! What I really want more than anything in the world is to have Stars, not blossoms, on my branches. Then I would feel truly special!”

The Seasons changed again. Soon the little apple tree was filled with an abundance of beautiful apples ripening on its branches. People and animals walked through Forest and picked and ate the life-giving fruit. Yet still, when night came to the Forest, the little apple tree looked up at the Stars in the tall oak trees and called out, “I want more than anything in the world to have Stars on my branches too! Then I would feel truly special.”

Puzzled, the Universe asked, “But Apple Tree, can’t you see that now you have wonderful apples on your branches to offer to all in the Forest? Doesn’t that give you joy and make you feel truly special?”

The little apple tree answered silently by shaking its branches from side to side in sadness. At that moment, a fierce Wind blew, the great oak trees began to sway wildly, and the little apple tree shook in surprise. And from the topmost branch of the little tree, a single apple flew with the Wind, and happily split open as it fell to the ground at the foot of the little tree.

“Look, Apple Tree” the Universe gently suggested. “Look INSIDE. What do you see?”

The little apple tree looked down and saw a wonderful sight…..right in the middle of the open apple was a beautiful shining Star. And the Apple Tree cried, “A Star! I have a Star INSIDE! I have had Stars all along!!”

And the Universe laughed gently, “So you do have Stars on your branches, Apple Tree. Now you know it.”

———————————

Thus, through my friend’s synchronistic timing and the telling of this story of the Apple Tree’s Discovery of Healing, I too, received the “Healing” I needed.

The story of the Apple Tree reminds us to honor our unique gifts, be patient with the Seasons of our creative process, trust the Universe and remember that even when we cannot see it, we have Stars and Creation Seeds “INSIDE”.

Magic and Mystery of Being a Woman

By Joni Maher, MSW

Last Saturday I gathered with a group of mothers and their 10 & 11 year old daughters for my second Playshop, called Celebrating Beautiful You. I was prepared for these events by the “Beautiful You: From Girl to Woman” Training from Life Blessing Institute. My intention for my Playshop day was to share the magic and the mystery of being a woman.

I believed this was essential because I had noticed something in my first Playshop and experience with my own pre-pubescent daughter that caught my attention. I realized while our girls today are much better educated about the changes that come with puberty and received a steady flow of messages about girl power and female empowerment, almost none had any idea what’s at the heart and the soul of being a woman. That isn’t surprising because most adult women have little to no sense of this either.

The wounds of our generation came from misinformation, cultural misogyny and shame. We wanted a different experience for our daughters and we have brought them further than we were carried but we have been missing a key piece. Collectively we empowered our daughters and have done great work to change the misogyny culturally and politically. But, in my experience, the missing piece for both us mothers and our girls is a grounding in our Feminine Spirit: A reclaiming of our Feminine Spirit that comes with owning our magic and mystery.

When we support our girls in accessing their Essential Selves, they will then have the resources they most need to grow into the women they are meant to be. They can draw on this depth and wisdom to keep their Spirits and Sense of Self intact as they come of age in our hypersexual and more and more disconnected culture.

For myself and for my daughter, “BYGW” Trainings were the answer to my prayer. Like so many of you I was clear I wanted to foster a different kind of support for my daughter than I received as a girl coming of age. I just wasn’t clear how to overcome my own lack of knowledge and the missing pieces I didn’t even realize were missing to optimally support my daughter. I had intentions and instincts but – just as when I was a girl preparing for my own transition – I needed helpful information and support. That’s where Georgette and “BYGW” came in.

Georgette (*) provided the key elements to support both those of us aspiring to mentor girls coming of age as well as the girls themselves.

Personally, I received:

Grounding in my Feminine Spirit & Inner Knowing

A Sisterhood Community that brought many gifts

Profound healing for my Inner Maiden

A beautiful role model for how to walk the walk as a Spiritual Woman

An experience of the beauty, gifts, magic and mystery of being a woman

Concrete skills to share these gifts

Going through the “BYGW” training with Georgette has allowed me to first and foremost share these treasures with my daughter and then to other women and their girls. It has been so gratifying to witness and hear the ways these girls and women are each being touched and continuing these important conversations. I appreciate how in a small way my pebble in the pond – of sharing Celebrating Beautiful You in my community — is rippling out to touch the lives of girls, their mothers and ultimately our human family. It doesn’t get better than that!

Girls And Their First Moon Treasure Chests

THE BIRTH PLACE OF A CALLING

In this video clip I invite you to experience:

A glimpse of the ocean-scape Birth Place of my Calling to empower the Feminine, on the island of Maui.
Join me in a moment of dedication to contribute to balance in the Soul of Humanity.
Hear my personal invitation for those called to sign up for our upcoming BEAUTIFUL YOU: From Girl to Woman Trainings.

After this short filming was complete, a large black and white butterfly circled around me, the only one like this I’ve ever seen. Because butterflies have always been a Maiden Spirit symbol for the transformation from girl to woman. I felt our Collective intention to honor the Feminine had been heard!!!

To learn more about the “BEAUTIFUL YOU:From Girl to Woman” Trainings contact Georgette – georgette@lifeblessing.com

Hawaiian Butterflies!

Two Girls Lead The Way

By the time I was 11, I started to hide and feel ashamed to be me partly because some kids at school and in the neighborhood tortured me with name calling.

Straight A’s, a group of girlfriends, and high creativity with artwork- none of this mattered in the face of the pubic humiliation that went deep into my ultra sensitive heart.

Like many of us, I decided it was best to hide to protect myself and because of this missed opportunities to stand out and shine. It’s taken a long time to come out of the closet and to be visible in the way I am today.

As painful as that experience was, that pain eventually became fuel for the awakening of my Life Purpose and life-long passion to contribute to a world where women and girls are treated with respect; a world where everyone will be called out for what’s ‘great’ instead criticized for what’s ‘wrong’. Following my soul’s calling led me do create many things, including the Maiden Spirit program to empower girls!

If I had not followed the call of my ‘Life Purpose’, what happened next would never have occurred.

The Portland Oregon MAIDEN SPIRIT school-year end community celebration was led by two eleven year old girls!

Sorelle and Willow volunteered to take leadership, organize, and facilitate this event as their 3rd year “I CONTRIBUTE” project. With the support and guidance of fairy-god mother Maiden Spirit mentor Jodie Gemmato, the girls took a giant LEAP into inspired leadership.

It’s remarkable to reflect upon all that has unfolded over the past several decades from childhood trauma to continuously re-creating my life in alignment with my Soul Calling-Life Purpose. Every day the choice to align and take action from that place is mine to make over and over again.

I’ve heard it said that we are each born with a complex question to resolve – this is the essence of our Life Purpose – and eventually we BECOME THE ANSWER. Becoming our answer is the fulfillment of a lifetime.

Wishing you a day of courage, patience, and daily inspired action on your journey to answering the question that is you!

The Sacrament Of Chocolate

A Heroine’s Journey To A Dazzling YES!

Have you ever had a fear that you wouldn’t consciously admit, even to yourself?

The most transformational gift for me to accept in 2013 was facing a health challenge that required major surgery. This was the year I learned to say YES to ALL gifts that Life offers at a much deeper level, even those that forced me to face my deepest fear. I learned that I am greater than my fear, that giving is not better than receiving and I have what it takes to meet whatever Life brings me.

Since I was a little girl, I had a very strong anxiety and fear reaction to the idea of any illness that might require a surgery to heal. This mostly subconscious fear created so much resistance that I consistently avoided going to the Doctor to check out physical symptoms.

Except for one visit to the Hana Hospital many years ago, my body has been quite healthy and the need to face that fear did not come up.

That is until the beginning of 2013 when my body, or maybe it was my soul, manifested a health condition that I couldn’t ignore or easily cure without the very intervention I’d spent a lifetime fearing!

All that repressed fear came flooding into my awareness with an overwhelming intensity… sleepless nights had me blindly feeling my way through the deepest experience of fear I’d ever known. One of my darkest nights came when my consciousness was almost completely overcome in fear. I couldn’t find my link to the LIGHT… to my SOUL.

When I finally stopped and faced my fear of SURGERY, I recognized that what I actually feared was death.

When I found my YES to fully feel my fear of death and didn’t run away from it at all, I discovered a light within and connection to my soul so profound that I laughed out loud!!! I suddenly knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that there is only LIFE and that I have what it takes to metabolize the emotions of what ever Life brings.

All of the pent up energy it took to be in a resistant NO to my fear became available in a surge of creative power and JOY beyond anything I had yet to experience. I found my dazzling YES. Yes to my fear, Yes to all the love and care of my friends and family, Yes to everything. I found the GIFT in a challenge and it has set me free!

But that’s not all!!!!

Like you, I LOVE TO GIVE. It is commonly taught that it is more bless-ed to give than to receive and while giving is certainly a value to embrace, it only represents half of the story. Receiving is also an innate skill that we all had as children, but many of us learned that it is selfish or wrong to enjoy receiving.

Can you relate?

I know now that this a misunderstanding of how Life really works. One of the universal principles of life on Earth is the Principle of Polarity:

•Everything is dual and must include it’s opposite.

•Giving and receiving aren’t really opposites.

•They are part of an energy circuit that is only truly effective when the circle continues and is unbroken.

•It is not possible to give fully and forever without receiving in equal measure.

I came to realize that the imbalance which manifested as illness in my body was the long-term result of being stuck in the Giving Mode too much of the time. By resisting being on the receiving end of Life, I set myself up for being out of balance in my physical, emotional and spiritual being. For the past 9 months, I’ve been practicing the art of intentional receiving at it has been AMAZING. I feel happier and healthier than ever before.

At this sacred time of cycle change in the New Year passage, I invite you to pause and reflect with me.

Consider the high and low lights of your 2013 and really tune into your dazzling YES to all that Life gave. Know that you too have the capacity to live in YES and to metabolize any experience.

CHOOSE to consciously receive your gifts! Find the GIFTS in your challenges and you will experience an illumination of soul and emotional maturity that will set you free!

And may I suggest that you try out my granddaughters Azure’s Christmas morning YES TO THE GIFTS OF LIFE Practice? Stand to face your New Year heart’s desires and pure potential and you will be unstoppable. Just say YES…

AZURE’S YES TO THE GIFTS OF LIFE PRACTICE (see below for instructions!)

•Stand up with legs wide apart

•Fling arms wide open

•Open your heart and put a big smile on your face

•Anticipate the gifts that are coming, even though you can’t ‘see them (Azure knows the presents are there but she can’t actually see them)

•Every time you find your self in a NO space or imbalanced in the output mode, assume this posture. Breath into it until you feel your YES again

*** Variation: Try this practice lying on the floor or in bed -take over the whole bed!

Our Lady of the Winter Solstice Dawn

Tis the season! Perhaps you grew up celebrating winter holidays in a church community, like I did. For me this included singing Christmas carols and hymns in the choir, which I adored! On the other hand, I didn’t’ have one real friend in our entire church. I often felt alone even while participating in church gatherings.

Our minister taught that ‘GOD IS LOVE’ and this made so much sense to me! However, when I was about 12, a disturbing contradiction in the teaching and the experience started to register. I became intensely aware of my feelings of disconnection from my church community and in the services I attended weekly. At the same time an immense desire to experience a Higher Consciousness woke up in me.

My discontent and desire to experience the LOVE GOD instigated an intentional search for Divine Love. Gratefully, my parents encouraged and facilitated this exploration. I visited the churches of all my friends, a Buddisht temple, a zen monastery and an Indian Guru! By the time I was 16, I had yet to experience a Loving Sacred Presence in any of these communities. I decided I would have to find this Love God on my own. Reflecting back, I realize that it was the Feminine Face of God that I was missing. Although ‘Mary’ was part of the Christmas story at my church, she was never emphasized.

I can’t tell you exactly when the Big SHE first emerged in my heart. Can you? What I do know is that after I left my childhood church and throughout my 20’s, I was drawn to images and stories of the Sacred Feminine. Thus began my search for the Feminine in SPIRIT and in the World. One of the first images of a Divine Mother I encountered was also the most replicated of all time and throughout the world, the Lady Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. For me, she represents one of the countless ways Feminine Power has made herself known to us. Over the years I’ve collected many artistic representations of her for my home, including an incredible mosaic. I pass throughout a beaded curtain with her image on it to enter my office each day.

However, I have never created an image of HER of my own. As my personal festival of light ceremony this year, I decided to do a painting of Her. I want to share my experience of painting Our Lady of the Winter Solstice Dawn with you and the messages I received.

I began my painting of Lady Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe on her traditional feast day, December 12th. This is the day she is most celebrated, especially in Mexico! That morning I woke up before dawn and witnessed a colorful sunrise through the forest and these are the colors that first went onto my canvas.

Throughout my first day of her painting I thought about the sunrise and specially of the upcoming Winter Solstice sunrise, December 21st. For those in the Northern Hemisphere, this is THE day more sunlight will begin to return to us after the longest night of the year. I thought about the many times I have found myself in the dark, not knowing what to do, how to be, waiting for clarity or overcome with a challenge. I thought about how living my life from soul guidance is sometimes challenged on the way to manifestation. I think about the many times, I have fallen short or turned back, interpreting my lack of clarity or challenge and a sure sign to give up.

The process of creating my painting was like that too. There were moments of flow where I had a sense of where I was going. Then I’d hit a stuck place where I knew I needed to take a risk and try something, but I was afraid I’d ruin the painting. During moments like these I would sweat and pace, walk away, and finally come back to it. It felt like standing on the edge of the diving board knowing I have 2 options, give up or dive in. It was during such a moment that I heard HER first message. I could sense the Great Mother smiling as I struggled and stressed about painting her face. And then the voice of wisdom said, “If you don’t like it, you can always paint over it”. Each time I took an action, creative energies began to flow again.

MESSAGE 1: IF YOU DON’T LIKE IT, TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT

As I continued to paint, I thought of a recent email from a beautiful friend named Dawn, who went on a long journey to adopt a child and become a Mom. She shared this photo in that email and their JOY is a revelation of possibility! I felt deeply touched as a witness of Dawn’s perseverance through all the waiting, effort, obstacles, set backs and delays over many years. I honor her ability to focus on a dream of a family, now come true. She didn’t give up and her son is a sunrise everyday. The name of my painting also dawned upon me. Our Lady of the Solstice Dawn wants us all to TRUST YOUR KNOWING AND KEEP MOVING.

MESSAGE 2 TRUST YOUR KNOWING AND KEEP MOVING

After working on my painting of HER most of the day, I went out holiday shopping with my sweetheart even though my body was starting a bit of a fever. In the middle of shopping, I began to feel worse. What I wanted was for him to be oh-so extra empathetic, tender and compassionate as we made our way from store to store. Instead he was exasperated, frustrated, and tired from his day at work and barely tuned into me at all. As I noticed this, I felt irritated and at one point, downright mad, can’t he see I’m suffering here?! Later when I returned home and to the painting. Here is what SHE whispered to me:

Stop looking for compassion from others who are not capable of giving it – for what ever reason. Take responsibility for seeing what is real and making more empowered choices. Give yourself the compassion you desire. Don’t’ waste energy feeling angry and sad when that person you want it from isn’t able to give it. LOOK FOR COMPASSION WITHIN Turn to your own heart and through your heart to the Great Cosmic Mother of us all. Ask for help to make choices for that truly honor the truth of what you feel and need.

MESSAGE 3: LOOK FOR COMPASSION WITHIN

In the story of the appearance of Guadalupe she appears to a man named Juan Diego. At one point she guides him to find roses miraculously blooming in winter. I love the symbolism of roses blooming in winter and stories of miraculous possibility. Many roses found their way into my painting to represent the miracle of existence blooming in me and you with our every breath. The morning after that shopping trip with my sweetheart, he brought me roses!!!

Remember to trust in your knowing and keep moving forward, look for compassion within and you will be surprised by what life brings you.

YOU ARE a S-HERO

At 84, after almost 60 years of being the most caring and care-full mom she knew how to be, it has become clear that my mom now needs more care herself. She is choosing to make a transition from independent to assisted living. While helping her pack the other day, a framed photo of Mom and her second husband Sam surfaced.

Mom has a determination to be true to herself, faithful in the face of challenge and in charge of her life that I so admire. When she chose to be true to her heart, marry Sam, and face whatever prejudice she might encounter, my sweet Mama inspired my courage to make choices that are right for me even when those choices are difficult. Along with role modeling, all my life she been determined to love and believe in me, no matter what. She encouraged me to love myself and be true to my heart.

Are you a Mom, Dad, Grandparent, Aunt, Uncle or just have friends with kids? YOU have a powerful, potent opportunity to impact the children you so deeply care for and spend time with. You don’t have to be perfect, just be present…and listen to, see and love children for who they are.

Children know when we are paying attention to them and they know when we are not. They flourish in the conscious and validating presence of others. Being seen and heard means so much to their developing sense of connection with self, self-esteem and confidence

When we creating space in our selves to consciously shift from a distracted mind and back into the present moment, we have a firmer grasp of all our options and resources, including authentic feelings and soulful inner guidance. We can be present to our children.Next time you find yourself preoccupied and desire to return to presence with your child try the acronym, S.T.O.P.

• S – Stop what you are doing, put things down for a minute.
• T – Take a breath. Breathe normally and naturally and follow your breath coming in and of your nose.
• O – Observe your self and your child, just take note of what is present.
• P – Practice conscious connection with ‘I see you’ statements that show your precious one that you are fully aware of them and desire to connect. For example, you could say,” I’m so happy to be with you, I see you are wearing your favorite pants today” Or, “I see you are feeling frustrated with that toy”.

(This Presence Practice is an adaption of an article By ELISHA GOLDSTEIN, PH.D.)

Because of my Mom’s intention, determination, and best efforts to be present for me throughout this lifetime, I gained access to what I call the Great Mother, a universal Cosmic Parent Principle who inspired the heart prayer of gratitude, Cosmic Mother Love, I am sharing in this article.

It truly is in each tiny act of day-to-day presence and role modeling that you most powerfully contribute to an inner well of spiritual empowerment and encouragement that your children will later draw from when facing the challenges and choices of their lives. YOU ARE A S/HERO in the most essential way.