The Power of Dreams

Dreams are not only entertaining they are powerful as well. A Carl Jung quote that I am particularly fond of is, “The dream is the small hidden door in the deepest and most intimate sanctum of the soul, which opens to that primeval cosmic night that was soul long before there was conscious ego and will be soul far beyond what a conscious ego could ever reach.” Amazingly powerful! Dreams can show us what our hearts long for. They transcend our partial understanding of ourselves and bring to us what our soul’s intention is in this lifetime. In Robert Moss’s book Dreaming True he tells of the North American Huron people's use of the word “ondinnonk” to describe dreaming by their interpretation, “secret wish of the soul” and their belief that this is what is revealed within our dream-time.

When we dream and put our intention and our energies into the messages of the dream we connect our soul to our daily life. We bring its essence to the table. Doing this allows us to become whole and well. Dreams can help us with getting back on track.

From a shamanic perspective, soul loss is the cause of much of our illness and negative affliction in our lives. Soul loss occurs often when there is great trauma, grief, abuse or heartbreak among other things. When we experience these situations in our lives, vital energies of our soul go away. The soul care practitioner or shaman can aid in this soul retrieval. And sometimes we are given this insight through our dreams.

Dreams may offer us clues to when our soul loss occurred. Dreams can help create a bridge for us to cross over to connect with our Higher Self and often with our larger purpose in life. Working with our dreams creates a space for us to work with energy. The more we explore our dreams the more we bring our vital energy from a deeper reality into our daytime world.

There are many wonderful resources to tap into to learn about the power of dreams along with equally as many interpretation. Wherever our path leads, know that our dreams are powerful, they help connect us to Source and when they are better understood, they can become powerful tools of intention and forward movement as we journey through our days and nights.

Blessings ~ Lisa

©COPYRIGHT 2012 Lisa Meade

Are You a Self-Dater?

You can only imagine! I run parts of two businesses, I am the mom of five children, I am married, I am enrolled in a spiritual practice practicum, I am a soul care practitioner and a spiritual life coach. And that is just for starters… My calendar does not lend itself to very much white space. BUT I have learned how to change that. A while back I discovered I really could control so much that I thought was beyond my control. I started small. I learned to gracefully say no without excuses, shame or guilt. I learned to set healthy boundaries for myself so I did not overbook, over complicate or over commit.

While taking my days into my own control, I learned something really important. When I check out, when I pause, when I say no…the world does not stop spinning! Imagine that! Life goes on! Others take over, get involved or go without and survive! Sheesh! Who knew?

Seriously though, creating space on the calendar gives me an important time for self-dating. I now have regular time in each and every day for self-time. It can be used in so many different ways. The only “rule” is that it MUST be for me and me only! So, what does that look like? It means I may go out on the deck and slowly sip a hot cup of tea, while sitting in the sun and listening to the birds. Or perhaps I will sit and write in my journal and explore a new concept I have recently read about. Sometimes I go online and Skype with a good friend, laughing and sharing and catching up. Other days I may pull out my favorite vegan cookbooks and come up with a few new recipes to tickle my taste buds with. There are days I go to bed a half hour earlier than usual and listen to some favorite music. Regardless of what it is, it always does the trick. I feel honored, I feel refueled, and I feel satisfied.

Self-dating means I intentionally create space in my day’s timeline to reconnect with myself. I assess how I am doing. I find out what I may need. I give to myself unconditionally and with great pleasure. It was not always easy. There were times when I felt it was not as important as another task calling me. But with commitment and time, I learned its value. Now, not a day goes by, regardless of how busy or full the calendar is, that I don’t find time for me. I am worth it! And there is an added bonus!

The better I respect this time of self the better my relationships with others becomes. I am fuller, richer, happier, calmer, and inspired. I am not drained, resentful, bitter, detached or frenzied. So it is a win/win for all involved. Self-dating is now an everyday act, without it, I don’t really like who I become and probably most others feel the same way! So, if you ask me to do something and I gracefully decline and say I have no time available, trust me…it is for the good of the whole!

Blessings ~ Lisa

©COPYRIGHT 2012 Lisa Meade

At the Mindful Post of Mid-Life

There has been a good deal of talk lately among my peers and among celebrities in the media about what is today’s definition of mid-life? Is it 40 or 50? How do we find the scale on which we weigh it? Over time our life expectancy has changed and we would like to believe our quality of life as well, at least for some of us. Yet we still live within a culture that worships youth. So are we mid-life, are we older than that? And either way, what does it mean? How does it impact our life’s daily perspective? Sit and flip through the infomercial channels any given Sunday morning and you will be introduced the variety of ways in which one can slim inner thighs, tone up abs, firm underarms, remove unwanted body hair and even make one’s hands look younger! Do we only look to the aesthetics of our bodies for clues that we are reaching the mid point of our life?

For me, only a mere five months from turning fifty, midlife is the ending of one cycle and the beginning of another. And for me, it has so little to do with body image. It has little to do with the face in the mirror or the jiggle of my thighs. Honoring my body has taken front seat, but in a very different way. I find myself in a beautiful flow of adjustment. I have reflected on all the different events that have led to the point I find myself at today. Everything has mattered. And now when I look back I find I have grown a new appreciation of this fact.

Additionally, this time of life creates opportunity to explore my mortality. What is left to be done in this lifetime? What needs to be addressed with my health, my relationships, my pass times, and my career and callings? I feel elder-hood is a bit far off, yet I can see it on the horizon and I cannot fool myself any longer about how quickly time flies!

As I approach the infamous age of fifty that has wreaked havoc on many minds I have come to some conclusions for myself. I have learned to really enjoy life, not to worry about who is looking, how silly I may seem or if anyone else is interested…I am going for it! I dress the way I feel most comfortable. I wear my hair in a style that offers ease. I exercise for my body’s health and well being, not because I want to be a step ahead of bathing suit season.

I also have learned to really appreciate people in my life. And not just the one’s who are nice to me! I have developed an appreciation for those who have made me stretch, challenged me and even caused a little chaos from time to time, because of them…I have learned so much about myself, my strengths and my flaws.

Speaking of flaws, at this age, I am more than willing to admit I have them! Long gone are the days of striving to be perfect! I have learned to honor the delicate parts of myself and celebrate them! If I had lived a life of no regrets…I think it probably would be rather boring if life did not have any.

I also have found I have less to prove. I have strong opinions that have been born of a life filled with many experiences, rich with many relationships and peppered with a variety of interests. But, if you don’t agree, that’s cool. I am more and more comfortable with just doing what I want or need to do and not taking on more than that. Gone are the days of comparing myself to another. I celebrate you right along with me!

And finally, at least at the point of writing this post, I gift myself with ample time for reflection. I have grown to appreciate the importance in this. I have opened myself to life’s mysteries. I have opened myself up to more than just my ordinary thoughts. I have connected to something that is larger than what I thought the whole to be and I find great comfort there. I find inspiration and delight there. I have found a richness I did not know existed in my years past. My spiritual practices don’t fit in anyone’s box, but mine. I am beyond comfortable with this and find it nurtures me in a way I never expected.

So mid-life is interesting for me. I don’t seem to look at it quite the way society does. And there may be some differences from my perspective and yours, but I am good with that. And on that note, I will end this here so I can go and reflect on the tranquility of the coolness of the night air as it creates a longing for a sweet cup of chamomile tea and a warm flannel nightgown. I know what you are thinking…and I am good with that too!

Blessings ~ Lisa

©COPYRIGHT 2012 Lisa Meade

Learning When to Give and When to Hold

I consider myself to be generous. But there was a time when I was generous to a fault. A fault to both myself and those around me. Being generous should not cause suffering. It is important to keep a sense of balance in giving.It is important that we are giving for the right reasons. For some, the more the give the more they feel needed. That kind of giving only backfires in the end. We need to be responsible givers. We need to not give more than we can afford. It is up to us to be sure we monitor our giving of time and money, resources and more. By being responsible in our giving we make sure we do not cause ourselves hardship by giving more than we have to comfortably and wisely offer. When we give too much, not only do we suffer, but others close to us do as well. Then the balance gets off kilter; we become needy and are now in a role of needing to be given to. Doesn’t make sense, does it?

A favorite quote by Jean De La Bruyere is "Generosity lies less in giving much than in giving at the right moment." So timing is important as well. If we give to others when they do not want to be given to, where is the generosity? Generosity needs to contain thoughtfulness. To be thoughtful we need to have someone’s best interest in our heart. Checking in with them and being sure we are in our alignment with our giving is important in the equation.

When we are being generous we are in an act of mindfulness. We are conscious of the needs of others and our relationship to that. We do not make assumptions, we keep our egoic self in check, we offer without conditions or strings attached. If declined we trust that it is as it should be, not disappointed in it not being what we wanted.

Learning the art of generosity and offering it with integrity and responsibility brings a consciousness to the offer. It is given in the light of openness. It is able to expand or constrict as needed. It is able to be received with genuine appreciation and without the need to reciprocate. The balance of giving and not giving is a beautiful dance of self and others. When done with the right rhythm, it is a beautiful gift of self and the recipient feels honored.

Blessings ~ Lisa

©COPYRIGHT 2012 Lisa Meade