Asking Within

There is no greater authority in our lives than our own self.  Only we know all of the various situations and circumstances that have brought us to be who we are today.  Of course, it never hurts to gather information and opinions.  It's nice to see what our loved ones have to offer when we are faced with a decision.  But when it comes to making choices in our life, we are our own best authority.

There have been times in my life when I have relied on the opinions of others, especially in my youth.  And I have certainly done my fair share of offering up my thoughts and concerns to others.  However, on some level, both of these situations are subject to illusion and projection, especially if there is emotional attachment to the ideas shared.  We often think we know what might be good for someone else.  But, really, most likely, that same advice that we'd like to share turns out to be something that would be good for us.  And unless we take the time to ask within on our own behalf, we barely know what might benefit us best.

 So, how do we ask within?  It's really quite simple.  We just need to get still and let ourselves be.  No agenda.  Just sitting somewhere, perhaps in a little personal sanctuary, or walking down a country lane, taking a momentary break from the hustle and bustle of all of our daily thoughts.  Look at a flower, or a bug for a moment or two.  Really look.  Or take a bite of something, then slowly chew it.  Let yourself thoroughly taste it.  Or listen and see if you can hear a distant sound, try to find the one that sounds the most far away.  Lend your ear to the task.  All of these simple awareness techniques let your attention come to the here and now.  Then, once you've had a few moments, just being yourself, think of something that you really love, it could be a puppy or a sunset.  This engages our heart mind, our higher self, our super-conscious mind, and it puts us in the best part of our self from which to receive.

Now go ahead and ask yourself how you feel about the question at hand.  Let your ears listen, give yourself the gift of introspection, let your eyes see using your vision center, notice how it feels in your gut.  Our gut feelings let us also check in with any body memories that may be associated with the idea.  Then settle back into your heart again.  Ask your heart how it feels about the prospect.  Listen there.  You'll likely get one clear idea, something that resonates you.  Or, maybe you will get an array of ideas. If you do make careful mental note of them all.  Take the time to let them coalesce into a plan of action and then go with that.

We don't need a middle man when finding our way in life.  We are innately born knowing what we came here to do and when we ask within we are guided on our way.  I like to call this process, "Dialing Direct." 

When we take the time to ask within and then honor what we receive with actions that are in harmony with our internal responses, our whole self comes more fully into alignment.  We find our place in the world and in the Universe as well.   Then as well, the simple act of letting ourselves 'ask within' engages the great spiritual law of asking and receiving.  The more we ask, the more we receive.  When we live our lives in accordance with spiritual laws such as this one, we find greater levels of self-fulfillment and we free ourselves to increase the joy in our lives.  So, take the time to ask.  I have found that it is a lovely practice.

© Josephine Laing, 2016

Gracefully Knocking On Heaven's Door

There can come a time when it is well and good for us to go.  When I was in my teens, my elderly grandfather and I were sitting together side by side, quietly musing in the sun.  He turned to me, placed his hand gently on my knee and said, "I think I'll be going soon.  It's time for me to move over and make room for other people on the planet, so they can come here to live."  I immediately said, "No, Grandpa, don't talk like that."  But he calmly held his place in silence, smiled to himself and nodded.  He did indeed die, quite peacefully, six weeks later.

Sometimes we go to our death kicking and screaming.  Sometimes it's so sudden we don't know what hit us.  But one thing is certain, we will all of us cross that river into the great hereafter one day. 

What we can be most grateful to death about is how it helps us to live while we are here.  Carlos Castaneda said, "When you know that death is stalking you in every moment of your life, your life will become magical because your priorities will change."

To live in grace is to honor all of our spiritual laws: to be kind with one another, to love each other, to give and to receive, to forgive and to understand.  When we live our lives this way, we can meet our deaths with open hearts. 

Having had numerous close brushes with death during the course of my life, I know that any one of us could go at anytime.  This helps me to keep my emotional plate very clean.  If I have a hunch that something is up between us, I ask.  If I wake up thinking about someone, I call.  If I haven't recently told you, "I love you," I do.

So, here we go,  I Love You.  And the truth is, I do.  I'm so grateful to you, yes, you, for your support in reading this blog.  It helps me to have readers, and you know that.  I feel your love and I hope that you can feel mine.  Because, the truth of it is, life is too short for us to be doing anything other than sharing our love.  So, I thank you and I give my love to you.

With that, I want to wish you all a very happy Memorial Day.  May we come to know greater and greater levels of love as we learn how to walk this earth together, blooming and growing, finding our way into the Golden Age of Peace, while we live each of our days, gratefully and gracefully knocking on heaven's door.


© Josephine Laing, 2015