YOU

You are light and love. This is what I try to remember when I'm having a hard time.

I practice every day before I even get into a difficult spot. I'm reiterating some of what I have learned from Eckhart Tolle. I sit still. I sense what is around me: the way the air feels, the sounds that I hear. I usually need to keep my eyes closed because visual stimulus keeps my mind busy. I acknowledge that the world around me is created by the way I see it. I appreciate the good and the bad because I am learning from all of it.

Next is the most important part. I step outside my mind, outside of Liesl. I feel myself as part of the one being from which we all come. I picture myself as warm, white light without form. That light is loving energy. I let myself feel surrounded by my own light and love which is the same light and love that comes from God.

I practice that feeling every day for just a couple of minutes, so that when I'm feeling negatively about myself or my circumstances I can go to that place of light and love. Even if I don't feel better in that moment, I know that I will be okay eventually.

I encourage you to develop this feeling of light and love which is YOU. It is always there when you need it.

magic

Human beings are amazing. We start out as a tiny zygote growing inside our mother. We emerge vulnerable and adorable. Then, we grow without realizing it. We learn to speak, to walk, to read and so on. If all goes well, we become adults with a world full of opportunities depending on our actions.

This thought occurred to me, though it's nothing new, when my sister sent a video of my seven-year-old niece acting out and lip-synching to "It's A Hard Knock Life" from the musical "Annie."

I have watched her every step of the way, but it still amazes me that she is the same person as that 5 lb. 5 oz. infant born in 2007. Even more impressive is that she is a strong and confident young woman. She enjoys trying new activities and foods. She is very good at reading, writing, running and creating art. 

It seems like magic that the baby has turned into such an amazing person. Of course, it's not magic at all. It has to do with her genes, her nurturing parents and her spirit. 

I'm so glad I get to witness the growth of my nieces, nephew and children of my friends. One of whom just finished her first year of college where she is studying to be a biomedical researcher (I'm not sure if I chose the right term). How amazing is that?!

I hope you have equal joy in watching the young people in your lives. If you do, don't forget to tell them. Your encouragement helps them become confident, happy people.

Enlightened

I recently watched the HBO series "Enlightened" starring Laura Dern. I watched it on Amazon Prime, if you're interested.

The main character, Amy, works at a large corporation. Due to job stress and an affair gone bad she has a nervous breakdown and goes to Hawaii to heal.

It was a wonderful experience for her. She returned home with a new outlook on life. She could see all the good in the world. She would be "an agent for change," bringing light and love where it was needed.

She returns to her company where they have reassigned her to the data entry department after her meltdown. Instead of working, she spends hours on the computer researching all the terrible things the corporation does in the name of progress. She wants to create a job to help the company fix their bad habits and move in a new direction. The company had no interest in her idea. She goes on to compile evidence of all the polluting and corrupting policies to blow the whistle on the corporation.

Amy is seen as being a little crazy and not to be taken seriously. Well, a little crazy can be a good thing. I'm not brave enough to take on an organization, but I am enlightened and spreading good will far and wide. I encourage you to do the same.