Walking With Grace

How do you walk your path with grace? Where does this grace come from? I sit with these questions and wait for my inner truth to respond. I am looking for ways to be as gracious as I can, what can I do for my planet, the beings I share this earth with, those who cross my path. My truth speaks up. Grace is not granted to me or poured over me like a radiant shower from a source of Higher Truth. My grace rises up within me with each moment I release my egoic self, with each time I put others before me, with each time that I authentically do an act of service for another and walk away unattached to the outcome. Grace resides in me when I live in the moment. Grace surrounds me when I act only the highest good for the whole of my heart.

Sometimes it is easier to identify when we are not walking our path with grace. I can name those times clearly. When I am feeling irritated with others, I have stepped out of grace. When I am filled with resentment for actions I have done for others and not been recognized, I am lacking grace. When I become anxious or concerned about matters that I have no control over, I have lost sight of my grace.

I know I am human and will be faced with these challenges daily. I know that there will be times when I struggle and falter. I am not expecting perfection. I am looking for ways to check and balance myself though. It helps me to have clarity of what can cause me to become out of alignment. I am a spiritual being existing in a human body and I will flub up. This I know to be the truth. But I cannot plead ignorance when I know better. I cannot unlearn what I know is my truth. Being out of integrity hurts too much and costs my soul's path enormously.

So I measure up to my system of checks and balance. I find where I am a bit shaky. I look in the eye the falsehoods that are clawing at my emotional self. I shut the door to the future shoulds and coulds and live in the present here and now. I ripple out to those in my community and bring my best self to my service. I respect my connection to the many layers of my body, mind and spirit and honor the work that needs to be done to keep me on my path, walking with grace and living with love. For me it is too uncomfortable not to.

Blessings ~ Lisa

©COPYRIGHT 2012 Lisa Meade

Day One

The winds and rains of storm Sandy have passed and in her path she has left much flooding and destruction. Here in my town of Monroe, CT we had 100% loss of electricity. Fortunately for my home and family, our damage is limited to the loss of three large trees on our property that came down in the height of the winds. None of these fell on or near our home, but instead in a section of woods in the rear of our property. We are fortunate and blessed. Others are not. My prayers go out to them, to their loss, to their fear, to their sadness…our smallness is so often felt in these times. Our need for community ever more important. This morning we drove a small three mile radius around our home to scope out the damage of our nearest neighbors. There are many trees down, several taking power lines, phone lines and property fences down with them. The streets were littered with leaves and branches. People were out and about surveying their yards and assessing their damage as well. All of us having a look of gratitude on our faces that it was not as bad as imagined or feared.

We have weathered several of these types of storms in the past. We have learned to be as prepared as we can. We pre-storm cooked and baked, we made sure all laundry was done (as it accumulates quickly), cell phones were fully charged and we had flash lights, radios, seven day candles all ready and in one place.

It is now 3:00 in the afternoon of the first day. Reports on the radio tell us to expect several days without power. We are all getting into an established routine that picks up from memory of this situation in the past. All family members who are not here have been accounted for and have reported in that they are safe and sound, some better off with life necessities than others.

Today is Tuesday. School was canceled from yesterday through to Wednesday thus far. Studying for upcoming tests has to happen during the day as it is challenging to do by candlelight. Family games have been pulled out for later when the boredom sets in. Snacks are handy as well.

We learn during these times how to entertain ourselves differently. We learn how to give each other space as needed. We listen to the radio and comment on the DJ’s sarcasm and storm damage updates. Life feels simpler, we feel a bit isolated, but not yet bothered. The reprieve from the life outside storm Sandy is welcomed, at least for today. Tomorrow is another day, and may be only the beginning of several Storm Sandy days ahead.

Blessings ~ Lisa

(We now have power and were only without it for 5 days, not bad considering past storms. AND quite fortunate compared to others along the coast. Counting our blessings and sending our prayers.)

©COPYRIGHT 2012 Lisa Meade

Doom and Gloom

There is a television show that I watched the other day. It is about people who are preparing for doomsday. There certainly seems to be a larger voice coming from the doom-sayers of late. It just does not resonate with me. I agree that things must change and I strongly believe that they will change. I also believe that these changes will cause great concern and challenge for us. But I just don’t resonate with the end being near. One reason I feel so strongly about this is that there seems to be an increase in many of the earth based religions and those answering to their sacred call. There has to be a reason for this. I don’t think it is because the end is in sight, but instead, we are going to need to go back to our ancient roots, beliefs and practices to rise above the upcoming challenges. We are going to need community more than ever. We are going to need leaders who are not driven by politics, money or greed but instead move forward with spiritual connections, sacred alignment with all the creatures of this earth, those who are energetically in the flow with the Universe and bring their sacred connections to their service to others. They will not even be looked upon as leaders but instead as conduits and connectors.

Not everyone has spent the time to develop and nurture this aspect of them selves. Some do not even believe that they have the ability. Yet, those who have devoted time to living in the moment, living authentically, recognizing their connection to the earth and its beings, honoring their role in the evolution of the Universe and its flow…these people know no other way of being. It is part of who they are. It is this offering that they share with the world that will be looked upon as part of the necessary change. They will be the teachers, the shaman, the healers, the supporters, the nurturers and the mystics that will replace the politicians, the CEO’s, the game players, the brokers, and the takers. It will be within this return to the ways of the past that the future will be reborn. And so the storytellers will not forget our lessons. Our mystics will not sell our gifts. Our healers will show us how to adapt to the unfolding of the new truth.

I look forward to the future, knowing that regardless of what unfolds I have a community that will be the new founding fathers and mothers. I have surrounded myself with a people that embraces life authentically and with integrity. I have prioritized my needs, my wants and my offerings to be in alignment with my beliefs. If life ends as I know it I will be able to look you in the eye, hold out my hand and move on. No worries.

Blessings ~ Lisa Meade

©COPYRIGHT 2012 Lisa Meade

Present and Believing

"Waiting is a state of mind, the usual state of mind. Presence is when you're no longer waiting for the next moment, believing that the next moment will be more fulfilling than this one." ~ Eckhart Tolle

This is one of my favorite quotes from Eckhart Tolle. It reminds me about being present. Being present is not about waiting for something to happen. It is about believing. It is being in the moment and allowing your self to be carried forward to the next moment in the energy that is present and in the flow of that energy.

This means we do not need to know everything in every moment of our every day. We can stay awake to what we do know. We use that to our best ability and allow it to serve the world. That is all we need to do in the moment. What we learn in this moment is what will light the way for us in the future. So searching the future for signs or meaning really does not get us very far. We are searching in the dark.

Many times we question our spiritual growth and our meaning or purpose in life. But that is a question that often is not answerable. If we focus on that and allow it to define us, we can become paralyzed and stop our forward movement. Our answers do not come from chasing after them. Our answers come from being present and aware in the moment.

When we are chasing we don’t realize the real abilities within us. We don’t give ourselves the time to appreciate them. And often when we are chasing we are not listening to what the Universe is telling us about our calling. We cannot live fully in our intention.

Being present means quieting down and sitting with the purest energy we can find within. It means holding appreciation within our heart that we are just where we should be, where we need to be and where we actually should want to be. If we can get to that place, then the flow of this pure energy flows beautifully.

Blessings ~ Lisa

©COPYRIGHT 2012 Lisa Meade