Prayer for the Courage to Know My Real Self

I ask to be willing to continue my journey to know and accept who I am.

To accept who I am in the core of my being, as the person I am created to be, my Real and True Self.

Keep me solid in my sense of excitement and possibility for what I discover

as I stay in willingness to know myself better.

Keep the illusions of images and roles, mistakes and humiliation at bay.

Remind me these illusions can overpower my ability to sense what it Truth.

Steady me as I begin to feel the hope and freedom of truthful knowing 

that comes with accepting this new awareness of myself.

Keep me in the place of hope and possibility as I ask:
"What if I really could be...?"

"What if I really could do...?"

"What if I really am...?"

Keep me in present time, the only time there is, where I embrace possibility as reality.

Self Reflection: I ask to be willing to know and accept the Truth who I am.

on not hanging on to our present idea of good

When what we know and accept about ourselves feels like it is good enough, or that we are a finished product, or that we have finally arrived, we are likely entering the realm of illusion--once more time. When we keep striving to improve our lives and ourselves, to get to where we think we want to go, it is easy to forget there is no end point. We forget life is an ever-transforming journey. 
This journey is not to be feared, but embraced as we are ever evolving, ever more becoming, ever more being the person we were created to become. When we finally surrender to this process, we then experience the transforming joy of truth.  

He who binds to himself a joy 

Does the winged life destroy; 

But he who kisses the joy as it flies

 Lives in eternity's sun rise. 

William Blake

Self Reflection: I set my self free for transformation and joy!

Lisa Sharing on Her Mandala and Wisdom for March's Moon

Spiraling in, expanding out,

ordering thoughts.

Digging, burying,

un/covering earthy understandings.

Overlapping intentions:

Accepting the truth.

 March Full Moon Mandala 

detail, March Full Moon Mandala

copyright, 2016 Lisa Kay

8 " x 9 " Mixed media (pastels, paint) and found objects 

( beads, buttons, charms, Grandma Annie's bracelet, wisteria seed pods) on matt board.

 

Slow Down and Know the Truth

To grow ourselves to be in our full human stature does require some shifts in the way we 'do' our daily life.
First- the process of coming to know and accept the core Truth of our being (which is goodness) happens over time. And as the cycles of the moon continually remind us, these awareness and changes happen in ebbs and flows.  It is the ebbing and flowing which allows what is Truth to plant deep and sustainable roots within our being.
Slow down, if you want to able to sense clearly what is Truth.
Slow down your breath,
Slow down your thoughts
Slow down your actions
Slow down, be conscious of your prayers
Slow down your smiles
Slow down your looking
Slow down your listening
Slow down your eating
Slow down brushing your teeth
Slow down waking up
Slow down putting yourself to bed.
Slow down everything, except perhaps your willingness to love ALL.
This slowing down practise becomes a space for Truth to take root.
Imagine slowing down as a habit.

Self Reflection: I consciously slow down my day to sense what is Truth in my life.

We Are Invited to Know Ourselves Better

Carolyn Shares:  I know we are months past Christmas, but this morning I found myself thinking about Dickens's Christmas Carol. There is a part in the story where the Ghost of Christmas Present invites Scrooge to "Come close and know me better."  This is the phrase I heard as I sat in contemplation about this full moon message:  This cycle to Know and Accept Truth is  an invitation to come close to ourselves so that we can know ever more clearly the truth of who we really are and to accept the wonderment of this 'hidden' self. Through our relationship with the rest of creation, we come to know more about who we are and why we are here, now, at this time in the history of the world.  We all have a purpose, often hidden from our awareness until we are ready to accept our possibility and potential.  I was also reminded today that, often, our willingness to accept our true self requires healing and restoration, and for that relationship with others is key.  This morning a blogger I follow wrote a wonderful tale of how this healing through relationship happens.  You can read dr.kelly flanagan 's blog post.

For the waning phase of March Moon the Daily Inspirations will focus on ways to open to the truth of our gifts, strengths and journey.

Self Reflection: I commit to opening to my true gifts during the Second half of this moon cycle.

First Full Moon of Spring. Are You Ready to Birth A Renewed Self?

More births happen on the full moon than any other time of the month. What is ready to be birthed in your life?

With the warm winter we have had, all the plants and trees have buds which look pregnant and posed to pop fully open at any moment.  They are ahead of their natural cycle.  It seems they have been influenced more by the weather than their genetics.

What do pregnant buds have to do with us?   Like pregnancy, we have parts of our lives which seem to have their own timeline.  Influenced by things outside our control, wishes and plans...when the time is at hand for birthing (or budding) change happens-with or without our 'permission'.  We may have done everything required to be ABLE and READY for what is pending birth; but are we WILLING to fully embrace what is being born within us?

Self Reflection: On the timeline of my life, what am I preparing to birth?

Reflections On the Waxing Moon

As the waxing moon moves toward fullness and the second half of this powerful moon cycle,
remember these are the qualities of the Wise Discerner:
Facing uncomfortable truths,
Knowing and accepting strengths and weaknesses,
Seeing ALL with clarity of heart,
Compassionate acceptance of mistakes,
(all for both self and others).

Self Reflection: As I move through the last days of the waxing moon,
I reflect on the waxing moon directives:
What are the uncomfortable truths I became willing to face?
What self-worth and talent have I come to accept in the last two weeks?
What clarity have I come to know/accept, about myself/about others?
What mistakes have I come to accept and hold in heartfelt compassion, for myself/for others?

Becoming Willing to Know and Accept

This Moon Cycle asks us to become willing to Know and to Accept Truth.

We are asked to know and accept without any promise of what the outcome will be
           when we know more of our Self,
           when we accept more of our Self.
We are so much more than who we currently know ourselves to be
We are so far beyond the limited acceptability we claim for ourselves.
When we sit in judgment of our perceived strengths and weakness
          we limit our ability to use our perceived strengths for good and
          we limit our ability to avoid the pitfalls of our perceived weakness.
To move from judgment to discernment means we are able to allow for what we don't know and cannot accept. Acknowledging our judgment and prejudice (non-acceptance) is a giant step toward deeper knowing and deeper acceptance and this will lead us to knowing and accepting the deeper and wondrous Truth of ourselves, of others, of our world.

Self reflection:
Am I willing to know what I don't know?
Am I willing to accept what will make itself known to me?
Without conditions?
If not, what would I need to be able to step into this way of being in the world?

Oh to Discern like Cats and Dogs

We all have strengths. We all have weaknesses.  The questions which are asked of us for wiser knowing and more sweeping awareness are these:
How do we know that what we claim as our strengths are really strengths?
How do we know that what we shame ourselves for as weakness really is weakness?
How do we know?
How?
Do we sit and gather evidence to prove OUR perspective right?
Do we compare and contrast ourselves with others?

Let us ask for the kind of discernment that our animal friends have with their discerning sense of smell.  Science tell us the cats and dogs have at least 75 million (cats) to 295 million (dogs) more smell receptors than us humans.   Ah that we could have that kind of discernment about the Truth of who we are.

Self Reflection:  I ask Creator for guidance to develop discernment--for wiser 'knowing' and expansive 'awareness'.

Willingness to Know and Accept Truth is a Source of Healing

There is a story in Jamie Sam’s book The 13 Original Clan Mothers of two women, Blue Goose and Running Water, (pages 78-84).  March’s clan mother, Weighs the Truth, created a way for these two feuding women to come to know the more complete truth of themselves, each other, and their community. In their willingness to follow her guidance, both women became willing and able to see clearly and understand their life experience.  From this new understanding, they were able to see the source of their fears and limited thinking.  With the healing that resulted from their work, they took their rightful place as friends and wise women in their community. 

The healing journey of transformation for Blue Goose and Running Water took thirteen moon cycles.  It is easy to be impatient for changes within ourselves, of our beliefs and our old patterns of feeling, thinking and being to change.  In our modern culture, we want change NOW, and if we don't have to give much effort, that is even better.  This kind of change is not sustainable.  The value we receive is equal to the value we give.  Blue Goose and Running Water transformed themselves, each other and their community.  This is the kind of transformation asked of those who live toward honoring the Cycles of Truth and the gift of being human.

Self Reflection: May I never forget how my willingness to Know and Accept the Truth in my self heals me, heals my relationships, heals my community, and heals the world.

Humility to the Rescue

Our feelings are real, but they may not be reality.
Our thoughts are real, but they may not be reality either.

We don't have control over the feelings and thoughts which rise up from within us.  At least we don't have control over them when they FIRST come to our consciousness.  We do have control over what we do with our thoughts and feelings when we become conscious of them.

There are specific action steps which bring our thoughts and feelings into alignment with what is Truth: In this third moon cycle, we come to know Truth by seeing all sides of every situation, inquiring always for more clarity. Our willingness to set aside our personal opinion, will clear our mind of all superiority, pride and power related to class, race, sex, wealth, popularity and personality. When we endeavor to level the playing field between ourselves and others, we keep our ego 'right-sized'.  An ego which is 'right-sized' is an ego can live with humility. Humility is the counterbalance to arrogance.  Humility is protector against false feelings and false thinking.  Humility is the forerunner of right action. Humility precedes discernment.


Self Reflection: How do I understand the difference between 'humility' and 'humiliation' (shame)?

Feelings Are Real, But They Might Not be Reality

A woman of wise counsel tells Carolyn; "Remember that feelings are real; but they may not be reality."
Our feelings are real.  They frequently determine our decisions- both our action and our inaction.

In discerning, we honor that the feelings we have are the feelings we have. We can't say --"I'm not going to have XYZ feelings" and expect that 'poof', our feelings just won't be there.  To live with this expectation would be living in denial, or self-delusion, or living in a lie.

When our feelings won't leave us alone, we can be pretty sure these feelings are out of alignment with Truth.  Whether these feelings are of shame or feelings of superiority, it is likely these feelings are not based in reality.

How do we begin to weigh the truth of our feelings? Begin with awareness of feeling, and (over time) we begin to be able to 'sniff out' what is true and is is misguided. Our feelings will come in alignment with that Truth.

Self-Reflection: Begin with, be with this awareness.  Refrain from self-judgment. That is all I need do for now.

March New Moon Mandala: Moving toward the Light

March New Moon

 Moving toward the Light

copyright 2016 Lisa Kay(4" x 8" Mono-print on matt board with pastels)

Carolyn Shares: As I spent time with Lisa's March New Moon Mandala 'Moving toward the Light', I picked up my journal and read a quote from a few months back about being called by Source into deeper intimacy:
"You are being called into deeper and closer intimacy, beyond anything you could achieve with your most sincere attempts, closer than you could even dream.  But, you must learn to proceed without any guarantees from your feelings or your intellect. That is the only way to grow in faith and Divine Love."  Richard Rohr 10/20/2014

Lisa's mandala and this quote, move through me touching a part of me still shrouded in shadow. I sense I am the darker circle of her image. Already I am interspersed with this Light that I am moving toward.  I feel myself being 're-patterned and reformed' as I am being drawn to this Light, this sense of Divine.  This is a journey of be-coming. Every Cycle of Moon and Truth is movement toward this becoming.  It is a long journey, ultimately the transformation of a whole life!  In the context of the poem and the mandala, I feel my willingness to let the journey draw me forth.  Reflecting on the story of Blue Goose and Running Water, I remember the journey happens in relationship and in community.  I am not alone, I can trust the journey.

Self Reflection:  What does Lisa's New Moon Mandala speak to me? about me? for Me?