LIR 61716 - No Rune

Awesome! Once more, the main focus for the week is to be ourselves, as fully and beautifully as we can.

This means we practice breathing, choosing, allowing, accepting, doing, and dealing with our own happiness in mind. We know what works for us, and if we're not sure, then we shall simply try something and see what happens.

We are the center of our universes.

I hope you have a great week!
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Today's Happiness Practice... (it'll come to me in just a minute)...

Today I am going to Practice - well, goodness. What do I need to practice? I don't know.

This week has shown I have become skilled at focusing, breathing, being in the moment. Allowing others to be as they are. There are still some habits and reactions that I am transforming but those might not even apply today.

In fact, it feels much more beneficial to not try and figure out what tools I might need to employ today.

Instead of anticipating or preparing for moments of learning, instead of prejudging what might be unhappy, instead of EXPECTING to need to practice something, I shall simply, well...

Goodness, what shall I do?

Experience. Breathe. Sing. Type. Talk.

(But, wails a part of me, I don't know how to label that, how to express that in this here blog!)

I suppose it is BEING. Being the best Lila I can be. Being happy.

But it feels both simpler and more complex than that.

Like Love.

Like Acceptance.

Like Connection to the Universe and all the marvelous awesome beings in it.

Like being One with Glorious Omnipotent Divine.

Ah. It's an action verb.

Today, I AM.




I hope you have a great day!
-Lila

How does it get better than this?

I have been a writer for many, many years. I write a pretty consistent blog. I have self-published 3 fiction books, and had 3 book signings. I have read my work aloud; I have given it as gifts. I have enjoyed being a writer.

And all of that paled beside the joyous, even ecstatic, moment I had tonite, as a songwriter.

For tonite, in the middle of an interesting and energetic week, I walked into rehearsal for the Mile Hi Threshold Singers, and they greeted me with my song.

And it was so AWEsome. As in I am still full of Awe.

There have been moments of doubt. All writers have them, I expect. There are pieces I have posted, words I have published that I have since looked back on and thought, "What was I thinking?!"

There have also been pieces I have loved every time I reread them.

But the music.

I hear it a certain way in my head. And I know (well, I'm pretty sure) I have the right notes down on paper. But until the notes are sung by multiple voices (cuz, you know, 3 part harmony) I can't be absolutely sure I have really translated it really correctly.

And through the process of teaching the music, and people getting used to the harmonies and the words and the timing that seemed so clear, so necessary, to me; through the repetition and the introvertedness that makes leading a song a challenging experience; through trying to sing and connect and direct at the same time; I thought... well, there's something just not right with the song. Because I have chills when we sing "May Peace be With You." And I get tears in my eyes when we sing "Equanimity." And I could get lost in "Standing Stone." And I'm just not feeling that...

But today.

Oh today.

I was late to the rehearsal. We all knew I was going to be late because of a family event. So when I walked in the door and was greeted with "Lila!" I just grinned, and turned to shut the door.

And then they sang my song.
 As I wrote it.
 As a welcome.
 As a gift.

And I had chills. And I had tears. I wanted to dive into the middle of the circle and be wrapped in the music.  And I was so full of joy and delight, I probably jumped up and down and clapped my hands.

And I know I'm not really expressing how marvelous, how transcendent, the experience was (I am tearing up just thinking about it.) I probably need another song.

Happiness is being a song writer, because a song, oh a song is a gift that gives right back. Three fold.

So today I am grateful. To me for writing the song. To the choir for giving it back to me in beauty. To you, for witnessing this amazing day.

How does it get better than this? I am so looking forward to finding out!

"Thank you for the song. Thank you for the voices. Thank you for the love which carried me home." (from Welcome to the Song, by...

Lila (Songwriter!)

LIR 081016 -Eihwaz

Eihwaz is the Rune of the hunter - a being who is successful at being active in multiple worlds. She is the bridge, quiet, observant. She is a valued member of all worlds, but her reality is bigger than just one.

We can expand our reality, to include any world we wish. But know that when your horizons widen, your truths change.

I hope you have a great day!
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Soapbox of Perception - an unCivil war in which All of GOD's fires matter

Okay. Where to start?    (audio version)

Here are the issues rolling around in my brain.
* All Lives Matter
* A Country Divided
* The political monopoly
Let's see if I can express myself in a fashion easy to follow.


"All Lives Matter" - the War of the Words:
      Black lives matter vs All lives matter has been equated to ignoring a burning house: "My house is on fire." "All houses matter."

That comparison makes no sense to me. A more accurate interpretation is someone saying: "My purple house is on fire - my purple house needs attention."

And someone else replying "There are many houses on fire. They all need attention."

Sometimes, I admit it, I wish it was just one set of people with a definitive physical characteristic who was being oppressed, profiled, mistreated, bullied, wrongfully accused, and willfully slain. It would be so much easier, then, to know who to protect, who to guard, and (presumably) who the bad guys were.

But that is not the reality.

It doesn't matter what shade your skin is, what shape your eyes are, what tax bracket or zip code you are slotted in, what your labor is, or what spiritual rules you follow. If you live upon this planet, you have probably been harmed a time or two.

And if you are feeling harmed, it can feel even more harmful to hear "Black lives matter." Because it implies that only people who belong to that specific group are worthy of mattering. Only their suffering is true suffering; only their deaths are true deaths. They are the only ones who deserve to be helped.

But we are not groups. We are not governments and churches and societies and political parties and corporations and races and cultures. We are people. Individual. Unique. Alone.

As a happiness practitioner, I accept that people feel the need to band together for or against something in order to feel like they can survive, but, Ladies and Gentlemen, it has not improved any situation yet. Because here we are.

A "Country Divided"- as in separated into MANY parts:

An FB poster cited Obama as the cause for this division - and I disagree. I expect the African Americans, the American Indians, the LGBT Community, the Muslims, and the Asians all have examples of division in our past. Of course the Women have theirs. And let's not forget the Jews, the Pagans, or the indentured poor.

We have been a species divided since one being perceived difference and decided that difference was bad.

I don't know that America was ever truly whole; our Forefathers and Foremothers (meaning the leaders) were simply united AGAINST something.

And so they manipulated and compromised and created a country where "All men are created equal." And men, in the English language, stands for all human beings. And eventually, a form of democracy was founded in which we had a representative of this country, chosen by a majority vote.

Through the process of that election, some 200 years later,  a Democratic President with dark skin was voted into office. Many who voted differently then chose to deride and insult the chosen head of their chosen country. They chose to behave as if the voices and opinions of over half the citizens didn't matter. In short, they chose to behave as if Democracy was no longer a viable form of government.

And I know that not all Democrats have black or brown skin. (And not all those with black or brown skin are Democrats.) So I don't know if the uncivil choices were about skin color, or political party, or the need for a scapegoat because it feels like we're in a downhill slide and we can't figure out how to stop it.

Maybe it's simply that people perceive our choices to be limited, and they only know how to behave based on what used to be.

It does feel like some people are trying to convince the rest of us that there are only two groups in America. National and Foreigners. Christians and non-Christians. Black and White. Us and Them. Democrats and Republicans. (Aren't there laws against monopolies? Oh, but since there's two, it's not really a monopoly. My bad!)

But, just like there isn't only one specific physical characteristic that is being oppressed, there aren't only two political options. There aren't only two options for anything. There is no Right and Wrong. There isn't even an Us and Them!

There is me and you and him and her and her and him and him and her and her and him and...

And we each have thoughts about what would work and what is right for Us All! But it's not right for us all, it's simply right for us each individually.

For me.

Which is what Democracy is supposed to be, I think. An agreement by all to live by the rules that the majority has chosen.

And no. These rules should not work against Blacks, homosexuals, foreigners, women, the Green party,  non-Christians, or purple houses - whether or not they are on fire.

Neither should the rules favor them.

ALL lives matter.

All voices matter.

Each, individual person matters.

You matter.

I have pale, pinky white skin. I have blue eyes. I am female. I have a variety of medical challenges and a plethora of gifts and talents. I have a celtic american heritage; my current financial status is ambiguous; I identify with thespians and book worms and musicians and writers and spiritual leaders. I have theories about my past lives, but no proof. I have made decisions I am proud of, and ones that have helped me change.

But none of this is whoI AM.

I am Lila.

I am a one of a kind member of a diverse world.

And I matter.

Thank you, and I hope you have a great day!

-Lila

(Yesterday's) Happiness Practice - Feeling the Wealth

Today I am going to practice playing with my wealth.

If you're like me, you're emerging into the possibilities of wealth. You can actually feel yourself living the life to which you'd like to be accustomed. But you're wavering a little on that fence of my reality and "Their" reality. (you know, the reality of "Them". "They". Society. The mob.)

You can almost believe, but when it doesn't work right away, you quickly revert to the "I told you so" of the nay-sayers.

Yesterday, I practiced being expansive in my work and expecting and allowing clients and money. And, if we go by Society's view of productivity, NOTHING HAPPENED.

Oh, except I received the message from the Universe that I need to be open to receiving. What?! But! I'd been open all friggin' day! And I had received absolutely bubcus!

At least, in the way of money.

I did make some great connections though, now that I review my day. And I practiced being open with a variety of people. And I did 5 readings! Hmm. Perspective.

But, sorry, off the track, the point of this point is the money part of it. the Wealth. My wealth.

Happily, I did my practice. I breathed. I recognized I was getting ready to head into a big self-doubt vortex, and I called my path partner, my coaching partner. And she reminded me:
 -  the Universe does allow manifestation, even though it's sense of time is different from mine (not exactly comforting, but yes, true.)
 - I have everything I need right now (Martha Beck).
 - I believe in my reality.  - and that was one I was grateful to remember. My belief. My connection with the Universe and my self.

Then we talked about what being wealthy felt like.
I knoLw what being happy feels like. Like peace and a light pouring through me. But what does being wealthy FEEL like to me?

Turns out it is a warm, sensuous flow, like floating in a current of the hot springs. So lovely.

***********

This practice was helped yesterday with a quote from Abraham Hicks. "Your action has nothing to do with your abundance! Your abundance is a response to your vibration."

Abundance isn't frantically doing - it is BEING, growing, connecting.

I had a great day! I hope you do too.
-Lila

Today's Happiness Practice... Using the Tools I have

Today I am going to practice using the tools I have.

And this breaks out into two parts, actually.

One part is doing the actual practice. Applying myself to the guidelines I think will work. Doing it the way I have set out for myself - because how will I know it works unless I do it that way?

And yes, I feel a little silly needing to follow a how-to on daily cleaning, self-care, and getting my work done. BUT...

If I don't keep track, if I don't write down, if I don't start with "getting the knife out of the drawer", I don't remember what works. Then I spend precious minutes trying to remember what comes next.

This is something I have long accepted about myself - but something I often forget. (ha ha.) No matter how intensely I wish to remember, regardless of how logical the steps are, if it's not written down, the next day I don't have a clue.

So, today I am going to PRACTICE doing it the way I have written down. I am going to take notes. I am going to be aware of what I like and what I don't. And I am going to accept that this is the most efficient way for me.

The Second part of using the tools I have is using ALL the tools I have to hand. I have 2 or 3 (or 12) different note taking possibilities in my phone. Some are more convenient than others AT SPECIFIC TIMES. Some work better than others for immediate recall.

I have different journaling options, different likes and dislikes on specific thought processes - but I also have a habit of not really reviewing things I've written on paper, as opposed to in the computer.

I have 3 different spaces I can use to work in. I have various options for exercising my body and relaxing my mind and feeding my soul.

 It's time to play with all my toys, and see what really works in each situation.

So today I am going to practice using all the tools I have, diligently, with attention to my details, my truths, my abilities.

What tools do you have?

I hope you have a great day!
-Lila