Through Christine's Eyes: 2011

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Monday, August 8, 2011

What are you passionate about? `What would happen if each of us spent just one hour every day immersed in our own individual passion? Would we be more relaxed? More talented? More creative? More inspired? Playing an instrument or a sport, drawing, dancing, writing, photography, science, history, math, reading, the list is endless. One of my passions is photography, and the natural colors and variety of flowers inspire those pictures. While in Texas and California, I was given the opportunity to be totally inspired. I hope you enjoy!

Monday, May 16, 2011

Moving

Uprooting our lives brings joy and exhaustion. It certainly feels like purging, don't you think? When we move from one place of residence to another, we find ourselves going through absolutely everything: papers, pictures, clothing, small and large items, etc. etc. etc. Gheesh. It seems to never end, those things we collect as part of our lives. Do we really need it all? Well, to tell the truth, just as I purge, let go, give away, throw away, I find a need for that very "thing." Where did it go? I guess we could buy another, borrow another, and get by. So why do we hoard, hold onto, keep so much stuff? Well, moving gives one insight into just how much stuff we carry on our backs, literally, when we move the stuff from one place to another. I heard once that if it hasn't been used in one year, pitch it. I have an attic full of "pitchable" stuff, because it has remained in that attic for ten years! Wouldn't it be great if we could just let it go without even looking inside each box? Just simply let it go? Ha. Good try. Thus, the uprooting becomes the sorting through, letting go, and definately holding onto our stuff. I guess our backs will carry it forward to our next residence, and our next, and our next. Funny how much stuff we accumulate in our lifetime. Can you let your stuff go?

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Prisms of Light Art

Have you ever wondered if someone, perhaps even yourself, has much more to offer than is shown on the surface? Inside of each of us burns a brilliant white light, showering us with a deep knowing full of love and wisdom. Most of us are experts at denying its very existance, embracing the solitude and comfort of our dark cozy caves harboring our souls. And yet. If we choose to see that light within, to know it is a part of our God/Goddess and is with us at all times, perhaps we can become the rainbow of colors that is created from that light, showing outwardly towards others. Color paints our world, creating feelings of joy and gratitude for its beauty. When we let our colors show, we generously share our joy with others. How can we do this? First, become aware of our inner and outer light, bathing ourselves in it as it embraces us. That is all. Like a prism, the light will separate into a rainbow of colors that will spill out into our world, creating a feeling of bliss and love. Try it. Simply take a few deep breaths, eyes closed, and go inside yourself. See your light, and know it is always there, inside and out, surrounding you and each of us with love.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Finding the Burial Ground for Our Anger

While reading Women Who Run With the Wolves, I was inspired to write about a topic most of us avoid.

The mountain we climb...

The path we choose..

There comes a time in our life when we need to make a decision: live with rage or find a place to dispose of it safely and permanently. Before we can let it go, we need to recognize it for what it truly is, then contain and release it from our lives forever. I have written of the ritual of forgiveness, but before that is even possible, the origin and source of our anger needs to be identified and put into perspective. Until this is accomplished, we are destined to staying the “victim,” losing our natural power and self worth. Extreme anger and sorrow from our past keeps us from spreading our wings and flying because we need to feel safe and far away from further pain. It restrains us from going within ourselves and facing our fears, standing tall against all obstacles, and knowing we have the strength to keep climbing to understand ourselves. Anger prevents us from appreciating what we have already, to see what we already have in our life that gives us strength, gives us love, and shares our life with us. We need to remember that we are not alone. Fear keeps us from knowing this, separating us from others, protecting us from any freedom. When we hold our rage inward, it is toxic to our souls. It is like a slow fire burning us from the inside out. We can discard it, but when we do we often place it where it harms others, usually those we love. It comes out when least expected, a burning, toxic waste that slowly destroys us and those we feel safe enough with to hurt. Finding the burial ground that will rid of us from this destruction called anger takes courage and fearlessness. When we need to express our anger in order to heal from it, it needs to be done in a safe place where further destruction will not take place, consciously and intentionally. When we consciously choose to stop the pain, it is time to confront it and put it to rest. Our quest to transform our pain and our rage requires us to lift the veil of mistrust and the illusion of what we feel is our reality. Our past pain is accurate; our perception that it still exists is the illusion. We do not need to choose to recreate our past hurt and anger each time we feel unsafe, but we can choose to see it as an illusion of the present. We can choose to face and conquer our fear by first listening and being aware of our anger. Thinking ahead to how it will affect our future can give us perspective on the damage it can do to our future. After being simply aware of our rage, we can then slowly begin to heal ourselves through creating art or music, dance, exercise, prayer, travel, or volunteering. We can create new experiences where our anger is not welcome and peace replaces it. We are worth it. We are able to stop the anger. We can bury the dead waste of our anger and move on. It is time. We can make our boundaries clear and our vision limitless, by ridding ourselves of the deep burning fire of rage within us. It is not who we are, it is simply an illusion of what we believe we deserve from a past that is no more. To bury it safely is to have compassion and love for our deserving selves. It takes work to climb this mountain, heal our wounds, and move ahead. We need to take action, as it will not go away on its own. It is time to safely and intentionally release our rage and our fears. It is easy and comforting to stay silently simmering in our pain. It takes courage to say "No more. I am ready to express my inner need for peace within."