Happy last week of 2006. For some this year has been a positive experience; for others, a year other than they might have wanted. For everyone, however, there has been potential for growth and learning. How we choose to utilize these lessons is up to the individual experiencing them. Let’s say you were going to make a desert. You planned on baking an apple pie. When you got to the refrigerator, however, you noticed the apples were starting to get soft. They were still delicious and useable, however, not for making a pie. You could either throw the fruit out, or you could puree it and make a wonderful applesauce cake. The choice is up to you.
In other words, every lesson contains a gift. Whether we choose to open it up to use it is up to each of us.

Lately I have been trying to enjoy myself more. I am most successful when I avoid having preconceived notions re how things are ’supposed’ to be. Yesterday evening I was walking over to feed a friend’s cat, when it started to snow. The snow from that week’s blizzard was still on the ground, making for a challenging and difficult journey. Part of me was tempted to turn around, go home and just feed the cat twice as much the following day. I knew that waiting another day to feed ‘Sneakers’ wasn’t an option, so I grabbed my umbrella and started on on my 6 block walk. The snow was falling softly, as I began walking. It was beginning to get dark, yet the streetlights made everything as though the time was earlier than 5PM. People seemed to be in an especially cheerful mood. ‘Merry Christmas’, we called to anyone passing by. The fact that it was Christmas Eve only added to the magic of the evening. I had a wonderful time. Having been cooped up most of the week before (due to the snow), made my walk especially enjoyable. The point is, I went out, walked to my friend’s, with no expectations, and ended up having an absolutely delightful walk.

There are times when I am just so tied up in what others think about me that I lose parts of myself. These are the times when I feel most vulnerable, scared and lonely; when I have to remind myself that the appearance of things isn’t necessarily how they really are. Sometimes it’s so easy to be influenced by appearances that the real gets hidden. When I am able myself to see past the how things seem to be, and realize that, (as my mother used to say)’This Too Will Pass’, then I am able to focus on the larger picture. It is almost as if the negativity I am experiencing motivates me to move beyond the way things seem to the way they are: Spiritually grounded (regardless of your faith) and real.

Is easier said than done. It’s nice to remain positive; absolutely necessary for progress (in any area) to occur. Looking over the past year(s) I have noticed that the times I have accomplish the most is when I remain focused and positive; when I feel emotionally off, I need to change my attitude, to progress. I’m starting to see how frequently my attitude influences my actions. So long as I focus on the positive, I can accomplish so much more. Meditation has been one of the most successful way for me to do this.

When I am still, I am more receptive. When I let go of preconceived ideas of how things need to be, I am open. This allows me to see the messages and answers which are available in so many ways. ‘Ask and It Is Given’, the book by Esther and Jerry Hicks, kind of sums of this idea in the title. Whether the desire is an answer, and idea or an actual object, the first step is to make your desire known. Once you have done this (with intent), you have unlocked the energy for this to occur. ‘Allowing’ is absolutely the first step in this process. The next step is to release any preconceived notions of how the goal will be reached. Here’s an example of being open to signs: one day I was walking home from work when I wondered, out loud, whether I should pursue writing. Looking over at a wall I was passing, I noticed something; it was a package of unopened notebook paper. I took this as a definite sign to continue writing. Another example relates to my desire to be a published writer. I have wanted to do this for over ten years. Now I find that the on line journal I am doing,is allowing me to publish my writing. I never consciously said ‘Well, I will keep an online journal so I can be published’. What I did do was keep the vision of myself as a published writer in my mind. Perhaps, down the line a book or two will come about as a product of my journal, however in the meantime I am writing and publishing it. So state your intent (either out loud or silently), be open to the process and (most important) allow it to occur. It will.

Well, as the year comes to a close, we are (for a large part) involved in a frenzy of holiday activities. Looking back, I can see that, for myself, this year has been an interesting one. I have started a website, become ‘gainfully’ unemployed, and managed to come to peace with my food issues. At the same time, I have started to create some definite steps towards my goals for 2007. I think holidays can be a reason to celebrate almost anything. Why not use this one to help analyze your past and plan your future actions? One way I like to do this is to make a list of at least three things I have accomplished during the past year. I then make a list of what I hope to accomplish this coming year. This can be especially helpful if you pull out the list you have made a year from now to see how much of this you have done.

Faith can be defined as ‘Strong belief in someone or something’. This concept is being put to the test as I try to allow my faith to carry me along. At the same time, this is an amazing lesson; I am truly being shown where my values and beliefs lie. A good friend recently said:’You know, you really cannot lose anything, because it is all Spirit’. I think I know what he meant; Spirit is the basis for everything, we really cannot lose we cannot lose any of it, because we are a part of it too.

Sometimes letting go is difficult. Uncertainty, and a sense vulnerability have caused me to be very rigid these days. I think the best way to overcome this is to realize these emotions are probably based on my reluctance to let go of old habits and beliefs. It is so hard to welcome change (especially when this is thrust on you). Sure, some change can be positive, but for the most part, it is easier to hold on to what you know. Sure, I wanted (and even asked for) some new employment. What I didn’t request was the lack of certainty I am experiencing. On some level I am aware that this period will eventually be one of growth and progress. Right now, however, I am struggling to keep this in mind.

In the book ‘Ask and It Is Given’, (by Esther and Jerry Hicks) the subject of manifesting ones desires is discussed. One of the ideas is that people who don’t have what they want are focusing on what they don’t have, rather than what they have. Let’s say you wanted a new job. If you focus on getting a position you like, you are more inclined to get one. When, however, you think about needing a new job, because you don’t have one, or you are unhappy with the one you do have, you tend to attract the negative conditions which cause the latter to occur. The Hicks call this the Law of Attraction. In other words, focus on your desires and you will draw them to you.

This Post 1st appeared December 14th, however, it bears repeating.

I am a firm believer that ‘what goes around comes around’. This idea was clearly illustrated this morning when I was rushing around trying to leave for work, Stuffing my gloves in a pocket, I found an envelope. ‘Thank you Fredda’, was written on it. Inside the envelope was a $100 bill. The only explanation I could find is that someone at a party I’d read at that Saturday (the last time I’d worn the jacket) was responsible for doing this. The thing which impressed me most about this situation is the way in which it was done. It was quiet, anonymous. It spoke volumes. This person wanted to thank me, but the way she chose to do so was so much more effective and touching than if she’d just handed me the money. I sometimes think that doing something out of pure kindness is the most effective way to make a point. The woman who did this, may never know how much her actions touched me, but I will never forget her.