Supportive Distance

The past few days have been spent, for me, in service to others, mostly family members. It was a full week of decision-making, events that provoked stresses and feelings of vulnerability for many of my family. Each one sought me out to vent to, to share with, to inquire from and to explore possibilities with. Being a mother of five children, this is something that I have grown accustomed to, but admittedly it is these times when two or more of them need me in this manner all at the same time that I feel the weight of it all. After much good work, insightful processing, patience and gentle unfolding, each has found them selves on the other side. They were able to walk through the door of decision and lesson on their own with my tender encouragement and love. Now we can celebrate the forward movement each has made on their path. Now we can look back at the lessons that sparkle like gems for each. It is beautiful.

And for me, now I can find some time for pause. As Cesare Pavese states, “Just a bit of silence and everything stops in its actual place.” And that is what I need on this day, just a bit of silence so that life can return to where it needs to be, so that I can engage with it in the place that I am and so that my family can continue moving on. I think there are times when we become engaged in the lives of our family and friends, sometimes because we are invited in, other times because our energies are required and then sometimes because we want to be. Regardless of the reason, it is important to our family and friends that we stay present and that we remember it is THEIR story that is unfolding. We do not need to be brought into the drama of it. Loving support means we are able to remain nearby but do not become so involved that we are living it for them.

I think for some this can be challenging. There are those who are the fixers, who want to undo any hurt or wrong. There are those who are the diversion makers who try to draw away the loved one from potential pain or suffering. And there are those are the participants who become enthralled in the story, even though it is not there own. Learning how to be supportive and caring without stepping into any of these roles is sometimes challenging, but always important. It is within this space that we are allowing the one we love to learn what they need to, be who they are becoming and gain the lesson that is waiting for them, while we continue to love, encourage and witness for them with honor.

Blessings ~ Lisa

©COPYRIGHT 2013 LISA MEADE

The Deep Understanding of the Feminine Soul

The feminine has deep understanding of the power of matter. Women carry the instinctual knowing of the divine substance in matter and of how to bring this substance into life, because this knowledge is fundamental in the process of giving birth, in bringing a soul into human form. Now this wisdom is needed for the regeneration of the earth, for the earth’s awakening. ~Llewellyn Vaughan Lee There is an essence to the creativity of women that brings healing to life. The nurturing power of the divine feminine lives in us all, but it resonates with a woman’s soul. A woman is a powerful alchemist. She knows how to make gems from nothing, she knows how to bring blessings to pain, she is able to calm where there is chaos and she can bring celebration to the ordinary.

This lineage of wisdom flows through the veins of a woman. And now she is called forth to shower her blessings upon the earth. The earth is awakening and beneath in the stillness and the darkness await the seeds of our truth, reaching out are the trembling fibers of capillary like roots merging forth to find grounding. The woman knows how to tend and care with her gentleness. She knows how to fiercely guard this new growth with her intentions of care. She understands how to slowly share her wisdom, like gently rain, so as not to flood but to quench the thirst.

Our feminine understanding will empower many as we step up and hold out hearts of compassion. Our matriarchal insight will shed light to the darkness, inspire those who have not been supported and empower those whose time has come. We are the healers, the teachers, the artists, and the authors. We are the storytellers, the drummers, the medicine women and the shaman. We are the dancers, the fire tenders and the magic makers. We bring this and more to fill the gaps and chasms time has created. We bring this and more to breathe life into what is dying and should not. We bring this and more to release what is passing into the realms beyond. Because we intuitively know how to. Because we have been charge this mission and because we have seen what must now unfold.

Blessings ~ Lisa

©COPYRIGHT 2013 Lisa Meade

Burst Into Bloom

“I hope you will go out and let stories happen to you, and that you will work them, water them with your blood and tears and you laughter till they bloom, till you yourself burst into bloom.” Clarissa Pinkola Estes We have had stories written about us in the minds of others, sometimes those stories are told so often to us that we make them ours and carry them over the lifetime with few alterations and seek supportive characters and scenes to add. But what truth is there in these stories, and if there is any does it even still apply? Have you ever dared to challenge it, to step out of the role, to author a new scene that does not fit the story at all and turns it on its end?

The above quote supports this idea. The shaman celebrates this concept. You need to work your story and bring your essence, your passion, your joy and your soul into it and allow it to unfold as you work with it into the beauty and the truth is revealed. It may have a few familiar verses of the old story. It may visit some of the pages, though torn and tattered, but it will have its own vibrancy, its own unique flavor of the you that you are now and are becoming. It will not need the history to support it or back it. It does not need the drama of the past. It cannot thrive or flourish there.

Instead take your new story and bring your authorship to task. Bring it out into the light of the day. Let it experience itself in the now. Bring to it new relationships, new experiences, new concepts and more. The more you invest in the story of who you really are the fuller and richer it becomes and the more vibrant and joy filled you become. You begin to see the possibilities in every situation, event, relationship and more. You let go of the excuses and step away from the stumbling blocks that you allowed to obstruct you in the past from moving forward to the gifts that life holds out to you.

It can be challenging to do, but it will be worth it. The power of your thoughts and your words will become clear as we begin this process. Be mindful of them. Be aware that others in your life may not want you to change the story. That is ok, that is their process, not yours. Step by beautiful step you will unwind the old and create the new. Be gentle and compassionate to yourself. Be honest and brave. And remember it is your life story, you are its author, you are the artist with the paintbrush, bringing it to its colorful life!

Blessings ~ Lisa

©COPYRIGHT 2013 Lisa Meade

How Strong Are Your Thoughts?

It is not always easy. We are human after all. But it has been proven that our thoughts are far more powerful than we give them credit for. Stay positive and stop worrying about things you can't control. Your thoughts are powerful. Healthy thoughts are crucial to a healthy body. Positive thoughts lead to happiness. We create the moment, the day, the world and the responses that surround us. We all have bad experiences, face stressful situations, have disappointments, make mistakes, or experience disagreements. But they do not need to be more than that. Imagine if we had a bad experience, remained present for it, did not reflect back into the past and compare or contrast it and did not carry it around with us for the rest of the day or the days to come. Imagine having a disagreement and not letting it be more than that, a difference of opinion, and not allowing it to impact our relationship or the mood that we are in for the rest of the day. By facing these types of life situations this way, we remain present and we are in control of our thoughts.

I don’t think we give ourselves enough credit for the power we have in our lives and over our reactions to what happens within them. We step into the role of victim too often. We react without fully being present with what is happening and allowing our body, mind, heart and soul to be with it. So when we react we are only partially present usually bringing our emotions and our memories to the scenario, but little else. Acting out of ego rarely involves the power of our thoughts, the intention of our soul or the love and compassion of our heart. Given the person I am striving to be, that does not make sense to me.

So how do we change this? It takes practice, intention and committed effort. Often our emotional reaction is a habit we have created for ourselves from repeated behavior. Often our thought process is not challenged by our inner truth and is allowed to run rampant through emotional land mines that explode at our touch and leave a pretty big mess for us to wade through. So that means to begin this way of living we first have to break the patterns of reaction. Stopping ourselves, using grounding techniques, whether it be breath work, meditation, prayer, journeying…whatever it takes to break the cycle of reaction without checking in with our authentic self, our inner truth and being present in the moment. We also have to challenge our thoughts, asking ourselves how does it support the greater good of our soul, our day, our life or our relationships? How does it reflect what we truly believe? Is it based upon fact or is it based upon emotional energies? Will the thought change once we have ridden through the pain, disappointment or loss? If so then we can release the thought for now and just be present.

Living this way takes perseverance and practice. It is not readily modeled for us by most of the people we interact with, but that does not mean it is not possible to embrace and adopt. Understanding that the power and energy behind our actions and thoughts has a great influence on our life’s happiness and wholeness and then ripples out to the lives of those around us helps us to return to this daily and bring our best efforts.

Blessings ~ Lisa

©COPYRIGHT 2013 Lisa Meade