Go On and Get Bloomin’!
April 16, 2016
Happy Spring!
I truly love this time of year, not simply because the weather is more tolerable (in Miami that is!) and mostly beautiful, but because this time of year is so symbolic. At the end of March we had the Spring Equinox and Easter, which spiritually symbolize rebirth…a shedding of the darkness and solitude of winter, and an opening to our lightness and our eternal selves.
Although, ideally we should be aware of and ready to shift those dark aspects of our experiences as they happen, from moment to moment, it’s always valuable to our spiritual and emotional growth to find a time to more deeply assess what has or should now transform within us and why. That’s how symbolism and rituals serve us–they cue us to pause our daily lives and prod, question, accept, forgive, understand, decide, take action, and ultimately transform.
I hope you’re not thinking of transformation as some HUGE change we must make in our lives. Nope. It could simply be a tiny awakening to something within us that has or needs to change (even die!) in some small way so that we can, indeed, bloom! That is, after all, how change happens– in each breath, and in each miniscule movement. Our cells are changing constantly. Yes, we ARE the definition of constant change, so we should be more open to embracing it and inciting it!
For those of you up to the task this, here’s a fun activity that can help us think about what within us or outside of us needs to transform in some way, what needs to get kicked to the curb, and what seeds need to be planted so that they grow deep roots in our lives.
- Briefly scan this list of the 12 Dimensions of Wellbeing (from the Wellness Inventory – a well-being assessment and tool I use in my work):
- Self-Love and Responsibility
- Breathing
- Sensing
- Eating
- Moving
- Thinking
- Feeling
- Play and Work
- Communicating
- Intimacy
- Finding Meaning
- Transcending
- What dimension(s) jumped out at you? Pick one to start with.
- Ask yourself: “What about my (i.e., Intimacy) needs to change, die, or grow?”
- Then ask, (Pick a new dimension) “How can the dimension of (i.e., breathing) help me transform my (go back to the first one you picked – Intimacy)?”
Try this with just a few of the dimensions, or all 12 and see what shows up. It’s fun to do with a friend as well and create a nice dialogue. I guarantee you’ll come up with a list of things to think about, as well as some meaningful transformations you feel will help you “rise” this year. Allow your intuition to speak to you, and don’t think too hard. Even without an exercise to guide us, we often know what must change and simply need to find the courage to take those next steps.
May you spring into this new season with a pep in your step, a passion-filled heart, and a mission-driven mind. Allow for what needs to die to die, and give birth to what needs to be born.
Wishing you a powerful spring season!
Namaste,
Monique
Lovely Scars
June 14, 2011
I read this today and all sorts of thoughts began popping up in my mind as well as some scary, albeit meaningful memories:
Effort is an expression of a deep desire in the soul. It is part of our process in this lifetime. We do not ride a bike the first time we try, and the same principle applies to our spiritual growth.
I’ll say! My first memory is just that…riding a bike. I absolutely loved my black and pink Huffy! Problem: learning to ride it truly was not easy and I have a scar to prove it. It just so happens that I fell off my Huffy into a pile of glass on the street which resulted in quite a bit of blood and a nasty scar on my right thigh. A second incident even earlier on (about 4-years-old) was from scaling a wall and trying to scoot myself from one side of a tall window to the other. Problem: I fell on a lovely, regal Spanish chair adorned by a metal peak. Ouch! You know how this ended…another scar. This experience, however, was even more memorable as it occurred during the Super Bowl. All of the surgeons at the hospital must have been watching the Bowl, since my father helped stitch me up in the ER!
What was similar about these two painful moments was the fact that they indeed resulted from a deep desire and effort. I’m damn proud of my scars!! I recall that small window now as an adult, and say to myself “No big deal.” But as a 4-year-old that was a ginormous window and challenge. How cool for me to be able to get across! I was in another world in that moment, in a 4-year-old fantasy land, mimicking Super Woman! Yep, I love my scar!
And my Huffy…that beautiful, tough Huffy, signified personal power, freedom and adventure! I explored many a neighborhood on that bike and found some creative sanctuaries along the way, like my favorite place I called “Paradise”, my own little spot under a bridge by a canal close by. Many of my childhood soul desires were dreamed-up there.
According to Chinese Face Reading, an ancient form of Chinese Medicine, which I’m currently studying, thanks to the amazing Jean Haner, every single scar, discoloration, wrinkle, etc., on our faces reveals the specific challenges we are put on this earth to experience and learn from. All of them come from a deep place, and because they are all part of our earthly transformation, through our awareness of them we can grow in wisdom, self-compassion and self-acceptance. We also learn how to have compassion for others and accept them for who they are. Although the scars I’ve described above are not on my face, I’ve grown to appreciate my facial features and wrinkles (yay!) because I know they carry a deeper meaning. They represent ME and MY STORY! They also give me a clear picture of what lessons I still have to learn.
What scars (visible or not) on or within you represent these important moments of effort and deep desire?
How have they helped you grow and transform?
Not sure how to identify those “scars” that provide us with those “spirit expanding” experiences? Try this. If you can answer “True” to any of these statements, you’ve got yourself a winner:
- This feels just like learning to ride a bike! It takes so many tries and so much effort to get there. I don’t know if I can do it!
- This situation or ones similar just keep coming up for me over and over. It’s like Murphy’s Law!
- This feels familiar, yet I’m ready to not re-live this. I’m ready to step over this invisible line I’ve drawn and say “No” this time.
- This comes up not only for me but for those close to me!
- I’m so darn excited! It’s like I’m in the flow and things are just magically happening! This is a sweet feeling!
Are you beginning to notice what those Lovely Scars or deep desires may look like for you?
Be curious. Look at your past and present experiences, and future desires for clues. The more you pay attention the more a pattern will become clear, making your spiritual journey so much more meaningful.
I’d love for you to share some of your Lovely Scars…I hope you do.
Namaste,
Monique
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall. Who am I?
November 3, 2010
Ever feel like others don’t really see who you are? Ever feel like you don’t know yourself either? How strongly would you agree with the belief that you must “know thyself” in order to lead others? Would you agree that we must lead ourselves really well in order to lead others?
This week I have the pleasure of coaching women executives at our Women on the Move program. It’s a pleasure because I am surrounded by powerful female energy; transformative, healing energy. At this retreat we retreat within. We learn to get to know ourselves deeply and understand how appreciating and sharing our authentic selves with all those around us helps us to launch a transformation like no other.
So as women, in particular, where do we begin? For me it begins with awareness and trust…of the self.
It’s no coincidence that we refer to earth as “Mother Earth,” because it is a natural trait of women to nurture, protect, put others first, and many times, say “yes,yes, yes” to anything that will create life, despite exhaustion. It is in our nature to give birth!! In fact, the Tao Te Ching refers to this special female energy of creation in such a beautiful way:
“The spirit that never dies is called the mysterious feminine. Although she becomes the whole universe, her immaculate purity is never lost. Although she assumes countless forms, her true identity remains intact. The gateway to the mysterious female is called the root of creation. Listen to her voice, hear it echo through creation. Without fail, she reveals her presence. Without fail, she reveals her presence. Without fail, she brings us to our own perfection. Although it is invisible, it endures; it will never end.”
Wow. That’s powerful!
If you are eager for a transformation; if you are eager to share with the world your true nature; if you are eager to lead and inspire others to reach their authenticity and greatness….begin with you!
Ask yourself:
-What is the spirit within me that never dies?
-What about me and only me is pure and never lost?
-What do I LOVE to create?
-What would my voice say if I didn’t care about what others would think and say about me?
-What about me can others count on without fail?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions, take time away from the rat race, from spinning your wheels and operating from a place far away from your authentic self. Pause to understand that things don’t have to remain the same; that we don’t have to operate on automatic or on auto-pilot. In fact, we can come to know the power of operating on purpose, driving forward from our authentic self.
Imagine what this small step would do for you; for your life. Imagine how you would inspire others to do the same merely by modeling this powerful behavior.
Look in that mirror today. Instead of asking “Who am I?”, take the time to get familiar with the you Mother Earth created; with the you others are craving to experience.
Namaste,
Monique
Illumined Life Leadership 