Like leaves, letting go

 

Like leaves, letting go

We love watching leaves turn color and let go. It is dramatic when we watch a tree that was full of foliage revealing its skeleton as fall shows us the change in season so visibly. The change of season suggests a very powerful lesson for all of us, the lesson of letting go. I know this sounds simple, and it is, but letting go is a key to moving forward in life. Letting go is a key to freeing up energy. How do I mean that? Consider this. How many times have we hung onto a relationship that is not working well for us because letting go of it would be difficult. But when we consider those difficulties compared to the difficulties of continuing in a dysfunctional relationship, which one is really the more difficult choice? When we let go of something that is not working, a weight is lifted from us. There is a sense of lightness when we once again see ourselves as free to explore and reorganize our life around our strengths and choices. Like the tree that has shed its leaves, we can clearly see the healthy branches and areas of our strength and growth. Sometimes we have to strip down to start over. Consider letting go in your career choices. Many people have changed their minds about what kind of work they want to do. Letting go of a career path that does not give you joy is a move toward freeing up your spirit. Fortunately, we live in a time when we can create new ways to make a living. Many people have also let go of old career patterns in order to bring more balance into their life. If a job has you working so many hours a day, a week or a month or for years that you don't get to spend much time with family, friends or activities you like, and so your success is only in one area of your life, you will feel some desire to let go of some of that in order to keep the other parts of your life healthy. If we do not keep our life in balance, we will lose something important. Even those of us who own our own business sometimes have to let go of one strategy or plan to try a different plan. Knowing when to let go is key. Our spirit guides will always give us signs when it is time to change. Just like we let go of clothes that do not fit us well any more, we need to let go of situations that do not fit us well any more. When we are young we learn about climbing corporate ladders, but after we have some experience, many of us develop a taste for leaving corporate ladders for someone else while we create our own business. When we are younger, we choose to climb higher mountains and hike more vigorous paths up higher altitudes. When we are older, we choose to hike gentler paths at lower altitudes. In both cases we are letting go of limitations. At the younger age, we challenge ourselves to reach the next higher level. At our older age, we adjust our path to what we can travel comfortably. Climbing 14ers and playing racquetball were invigorating when I was younger. Now long walks are the most satisfying ways for me to get my exercise. When I was younger I had different career goals. Now I would simply identify my goals as having good relations with all the other people in my life, taking good care of my clients, and setting aside time for the gym and personal pursuits. As we enjoy the spectacular scenery of the season of fall, let us let our mind flow with the energy of the season. What do we need to let go of? When we feel lighter from letting go, we are free to start fresh and grow new branches and new leaves. I always love hearing from you, so if you feel like sending me a note, calling or coming to see me, please do! Have a wonderful day!

Day of the Dead: Reflecting on those we lost this year

 



Try this at home: Take time to reflect on those we lost this year Every year at this time, we have Halloween parties and Day of the Dead festivities. Longmont Museum puts on the biggest celebration of this holiday in the entire state. At it's root, the essence of this holiday is exactly the same as the Celtic holiday of Samhain which is the origin of our American Halloween traditions. In both traditions, we are taking time to remember the people we knew who crossed the veil into the next realm this year. We tell stories, sing songs, share remembrances about why they were an important part of our life and what we learned from them. If we set up a table to honor our dead, common elements are to have a photo of the person and some of their favorite things on them. This is to wish them well on their journey into the next world and send them off with one last taste of their favorite things along with our expressions of gratitude and appreciation. The Mexican tradition calls this an offrenda (offering). The Irish call it the Dumb Supper (dumb from the old fashioned word for a person who can't speak). How mystical and magical is that? Yes, these are ancient pagan traditions which were so entrenched that the Catholic church overlaid another layer on meaning onto these days and named them All Saints Day and All Souls Day. Once again, the essence of the holiday is there, with different trappings. Other cultures around the world have holidays to remember their dead, but interestingly, the Aztecs and the Irish, who had no ancient history of trade or engagement between them, both selected the same day of the year to celebrate the same ritual. So let us say that you do not celebrate either of these two traditions. We can strip it down to its essence and get the real value. Your table at home does not have to be big and elaborate. It can be small and simple. Consider the value of taking time to remember those we know who died this year and doing a little ritual to thank them for what they brought to our life. The ritual could be as simple as looking at some old photos, telling stories and perhaps sharing a meal that they used to enjoy. This ritual can be done no matter what kind of religious or spiritual beliefs you have. We are simply digesting an important life lesson here. Due to the pandemic, many of us know someone who died in the last few years. Your ritual can also include those who died in previous years if you have not acknowledged them in this way before, and you may want to revisit some. After all, don't we all come to new realizations and insights as we grow? New understandings and appreciation for the parts others have played in our life. This ritual is always an important feature in my holiday. Yes, it is one of the biggest party times of the year, with costumes, food, drink, treats and festivities. And at the root of it all is a deep spiritual tradition. Insights from this ritual can shed valuable light on our path. Consider this. Even our cave man and cave woman ancestors had funeral traditions which tells us that even those ancient, illiterate ancestors recognized that there is something more to us than a body, and even back then, they acknowledged the spiritual journey we are all on. Our ancestors learned this without any guide books. Think for a moment about what that tells us about evolution. I would be interested in hearing anything you wish to share about your traditions and rituals. For more information, you can visit the museum's web page. Here are days & times for their exhibit. Longmont Museum  Date: October 8th - November 6th, 2022   Hours: Monday - Saturday 9 am to 5 pm, Sunday 1 - 5, and Thursday evenings 5 - 9 pm  The image above is from the NPR (National Public Radio) website. If there are things you have been wanting to learn, special offers on my website https://www.magicalawakenings.com

Behind the Masks

 

Behind the Masks

The fact that October is the month of Halloween parties and festivities brings up a favorite subject. Does a mask reveal you or conceal you? When we dress up, is our mask revealing a deep desire for how we want to see ourselves and the way we want others to see us? We put on different masks all the time. One of the ways we can use our masks is when we want people to see us differently. Have you ever decided to get a new haircut, shave, do your makeup differently, wear your favorite outfit or a different outfit when you are looking for new work? How about when you are going out to meet someone new? Do you present yourself differently? We wear a mask that represents where we want to go. Even though today, many offices and work places have relaxed dress codes, it is still a tell tale sign that someone is on the move when they suddenly change their look. Our outer appearance then is reflecting our inner changes. When our mask is what others see, what is behind the mask for us might be another aspect that we want to grow into. So when that comes forward, our old mask comes off and our new one goes on. The two most common super powers that people wish they had are invisibility and the ability to fly. Masking is a way of becoming invisible. The best costumes are the ones that conceal a person's true identity while projecting the visual aura they have constructed. In essence, they become invisible. Perhaps that person in the beautiful dress imagines and feels that they are out for a romantic evening, and they act like it. That feeling is an experience they desire. Perhaps that person wearing that funny hat and telling jokes really does want to be an entertainer, which is nothing like their day job. But how fun to be the entertainer for an evening and keep getting people to laugh. Feels good, doesn't it? When people remember your costumes or masks for a long time, isn't that evidence that for one night, you convinced them that you were someone else? Is it possibly an indication that you could successfully become a different person? Halloween costumes are a fabulous opportunity every year to not only have some fun but to see what it feels like to be someone else for a day. Back in the days when Halloween customs originated, scary masks and lanterns were used to keep difficult or dangerous spirits away. And in keeping the unwanted spirits away then, just keeps the joyful spirits around us. People who have to wear a uniform to work every day are wearing a sort of mask. If you wear a uniform at work every day, certain behaviors and certain looks are expected of you. When we are making a presentation, and we are speaking to an audience, don't we often wear a different face and voice to communicate with our audience? How do you want to be seen? When you dress for the Halloween party this month, who do you want to be? What persona do you want to try on? The question of who we want to be is one that we reconsider at various points in our life. One year I dressed as Braveheart and had the blue face paint and the color did not wash all out for several days, so everyone I met that week was doing double takes. Even the residue of the mask had them see me differently. Did you ever have something like that happen to you? I love a good story, so go ahead and tell me yours. I always love hearing from you, so if you feel like sending me a note, calling or coming to see me, please do! Have a wonderful day!