Remembering the Ancestors

Dear Friends,

Today is Halloween. This is the time of year when the "veil between the worlds" has traditionally been lifted. Tomorrow is All Saints' Day, the Christian time of remembering those who have passed on. "Diaz de la Muertos," Day of the Dead, has been celebrated for centuries in Mexico as a way to remember and honor the ancestors.

As the season passes from evenings of light to evening of shadow and darkness, take some time to remember your ancestors. You may remember them with love or their memory may bring anger. However they return in your memory, give thanks for them. If you have not forgiven them, pray that you will be able to forgive. Like us, they were simply living their lives as well as they could.

Use this time to remember those without whose lives you would not be here today. Give thanks. Give love.

Warmly,
meb

Feast -

Dear Ones,

The little birds have come back to feed in the birch tree outside my front window. They always come here in the autumn.
This morning, one little sparrow is hopping from branch to branch, alone in the middle of the feast. Everywhere she looks, there is food! A wealth of everything she needs! How that little heart is beating! The joy that is flowing outward, to me, to you, toward the universe of all!

And so it is for us. Here we are, in the middle of the feast!

Warmly,
meb

Trust

Dear Friends,

When you are having difficulty trusting - and who doesn't? - then remember your breath. Check in with your breath. Your breath has no difficulty trusting at all! Your breath simply is - your breath is given, it happens, without a thought.

That's it! Without a thought! Your breath isn't waiting for a thought to tell it what to do or what to trust or not to trust. Your breath simply breathes!

When you have difficulty trusting, remember your breath. Get to know it. Don't try to change it. Let your breath be, and learn from it.

There you go, breathing again, trusting again!
Warmly,
meb

You already are...

Dear Friends,

You already are the silence, the peace, the power, the love that you want to be. If you are looking, stop looking. You are the silence, the peace, the power, the love.

Simply be. Stop looking. Stop searching. Stop trying. Just be who you are.

All of your striving has ended.

You already are...

Warmly,
meb

Finding Beauty

Dear Friends,

When you look around, you will see that people have an instinctual need to have beauty around them. Something colorful, something pleasing to the eye - and soul - seems to be a part of our being.

Today, look around you and see the beauty. The enlightened ones say that once a human being is enlightened, the world around them glows in beauty. Practice this enlightenment, this look of beauty.

See the beauty in the day. See the beauty in the light. See the beauty in the city. See the beauty in the trees. See the beauty in the faces of others.

Make this be a day of finding beauty.

Warmly,
meb

Happiness

Dear Ones,

Dr. Robert Holden, author of "Happiness Now" says that we ARE happiness. Happiness, in other words, is not something to be achieved. Happiness is. You are happiness; happiness is your essential being.

Most of us are conditioned to look for happiness in what we want. We set goals - knowing that once we get them, we'll be happy. We work hard, harder and harder, to get what we want. We wait for someone in our lives to arrive who will make us happy.

What if, however, Dr. Holden is right? Then you already have the happiness you need and want. You have to find it within yourself, you have to identify with the happiness that is you. If you are waiting for someone or something to arrive to make you happy, then you are not identifying with the happiness you already have.

Be happiness - Now!

Warmly,
meb

Pray for the forgotten ones

Dear Friends,

As your spiritual practice today, pray for the forgotten ones. Pray for the little ones who are living in violent homes. Pray for the homeless. Pray for the veterans of wars who live on the streets. Pray for the hungry. Pray for the desperate. Pray for the mentally ill. Pray for those who have no hope today. Pray for those whose lives are wracked by pain. Pray for those who live in places of war. Pray for those whose lives are being swallowed up by addiction.

When one of us suffers, we all suffer. When you pray for the forgotten ones, you are praying for yourself.

It's up to you - it's up to me - to make this a saner, healthy planet. Pray for the forgotten ones.

Warmly,
meb

Be joyful always...

Dear Ones,

I have begun to practice joy, and it is changing my view of life. How do I do this?

I am learning to give thanks for everything, whether I like it or not! The truth is, in this moment, I have much to be thankful for. I have the gift of life. I have the beauty that surrounds me always. I have the fresh colors of the day. I have the little bird who comes close to me when I step outside. I have the feel of the wind, the movement of the leaves in the trees.

I "have" these things, but I don't possess them. Nothing I possess will ever equal the richness of having these things in the moment. Because I am learning to give thanks, to practice joy, I am learning to even say a whispered: "thank you," when things don't seem to be what I'd like them to be.

After all, how do I know?

Warmly,
meb

Surrender all that is, today...

Dear Ones,

Most of us are looking for something or someone to make us happy. "If only..." we think, "I'd be happy." When we spend our lives living through the lens of "if only," then "if only" never comes. "If only" is just another habit that will replace one "if only" with another.

Instead, wake up today with a sense of surrender, of letting go into the marvelous freedom and magic of today. Say, "yes!" to life, just as it is. Be happy, just for this moment. Surrender, and feel the freedom of your surrender into what is.

Give yourself a break: surrender, just for this moment.

Warmly,
meb

Staying focused...

Dear Friends,

With all the important things we have to do, with our list of items to get done today, we may sometimes ask: What difference does it all make?

Some of the things you do today will be important. Some of the things you do will not be important. Take a look at your to-do list. Can you really discern what is important and what is not?

Stay focused on your own growth, your own journey as you travel through this day. With each action, make sure you are focused on your own spirit. Does this feed your spirit? Is there joy in what you do? Can you truly be grateful that you have this life, inhabited by these people, by these circumstances?

Stay focused on your gratitude, on your joy. Then every thing you do will be infused with a sense of purpose. Your presence in the world you inhabit will make a difference, then. It will be a small, quiet difference, but it will make a difference.

Warmly,
meb

Standing Firm

Dear Ones,

Stand firm in yourself. In our culture, we think of standing firm as standing firm in what we think. But our thinking is only part of who we are. We need to stand firm in our whole selves: body, mind, spirit.

How do you do this? How do you stand firm? Core training helps! And getting to know yourself more deeply -getting to know your body-wisdom, your sensations, your feelings - helps, too.

Learn to take a moment to sense your whole presence in any situation. Doing this gets easier with practice. As a beginning, be aware of the soles of your feet as you walk. That's right, "think" about your feet, until you can feel them. Practice feeling the soles of your feet. Notice how you walk. Sense yourself as a whole body.

It's easy to get thrown off in an argument if the only part of yourself you bring is your head, your thinking. It's not as easy if you bring your whole self. Then you know you have more than simply your thoughts to "back you up."

Practice!
Warmly,
meb

"Thank you!"

Dear Ones,

We all know these are difficult times. Each one of us has to come to terms with how we are going to move forward, given the dire warnings in the media. Every day we are focused on how the stock market ends the day!

Consider another way: Begin to say: "thank you!" for whatever is going on in your life. Yes, say: "thank you!" Have you been having stress and anxiety? Say: "thank you!"

Be grateful for being alive. See what happens. Let me know...

Warmly,
meb

Driven by messages

Dear Friends,

We are driven by messages.

In the media, we are driven by messages that repeat themselves over and over again. Some are true, and some are not true. How do we determine what is true and what is not true?

We are each driven by messages, some true and some not true. How do we determine what is true and what is not true? Unless we look at the messages that drive us from day to day, from moment to moment, we will never know what is true and what is not true.

How do you do this? Sit for a few minutes. Be still for a few moments. Notice what your mind does. As soon as you sit quietly, your mind will be filled with messages. Maybe you can't even sit still for a few moments. Why is that? Notice.

Unless you have taken a good look at the messages that drive you, you cannot grow into the person you are meant to be. If you are driven to succeed, if you are driven to be better than everyone else, if you are driven to be the one with the answers, if you are driven to be the smartest, or the fastest, or the most clever, or the funniest, then you cannot grow into the person you are meant to be.

Take a few moments today to notice the messages that drive you. This is part of your spiritual practice. Until you begin to separate from the messages that drive you, you will continue to be driven by unconscious messages. Then you are held hostage to these messages.

Want to be free?
Warmly,
meb

Give yourself a break today -

Dear Friends,

Whatever you do today, make sure you give yourself a break today. By that I mean, go easy on yourself. Take a few moments of quiet to see what messages you are giving yourself: "go faster!" "finish this up, now!" "you'll never get it all done! etc, etc, etc. Part of growing spiritually is to take a look at the inner messages that drive you to go faster, to achieve more, to do more. You look at those messages by inviting them from your unconscious into your conscious mind.

Whatever those messages are: give yourself a break from them. Say: "well, that's interesting, but I'm still going to sit here with my cup of tea and enjoy the full moon." Don't go hard on the harsh voices, either. Listen with respect, and let them know you've heard, but you're simply going to choose differently.

As you open in love to yourself by giving yourself a break, you'll find that it's easier to allow others to have a break, too.
Warmly,
meb

Making friends with a flower -

Dear Friends,

"Nobody sees a flower really; it is so small. We haven't time, and to see takes time - like to have a friend takes time." - Georgia O'Keeffe

Today, take time to really see a flower. Take the time to look at a flower. Sit close to it. Breathe into the deepest part of yourself. Wait. Don't be in a hurry... be in a slow way... Notice the flower. Enjoy it. Talk to it, if you like. Listen to what it has to say.
Thank the flower - for its beauty, for giving itself to you today, for its fragrance. Thank it for simply being.

Make time for a flower today.

Warmly,
meb

Doing the most important thing...

Dear Friends,

Today a friend told me about how she realized - as if for the first time - how important her spiritual practice is to her life. She gets up early every day to pray and meditate for at least an hour before she begins the rest of her activities. On the days she gets up later, she has been allowing her time of prayer and meditation to slip away, as if she doesn't have the time.

What she has realized is that life goes much better when she makes the time for prayer and meditation, daily. We know we can't go without eating or sleeping or taking a shower. We know that if we want to nourish a relationship with our partner, we have to take time to connect to them.

Make time for the most important thing. Nourish your spirit with daily practice.

Warmly,
meb

How not to get ahead...

Dear Friends,

I'm sure that many of the articles and advice we're all reading right now are based in fear; if the financial system is collapsing - at least in the form we have come to know the financial system - then we must all be on the brink of disaster.
Culturally, we are driven to "get ahead" of things. And the changes in the financial stability we've come to take for granted put us into fifth gear as far as getting ahead.

Our minds want to get ahead. Actually, our minds either want to get ahead or they want to go back to the past! None of us really knows the outcome of today's - or any day's - news. We may think we know, but how can we know when events haven't yet played themselves out? How can we know when each one of us may on the brink of some new creative way to live our lives? How can we know?

Stay in this moment. Breathe. Look at the world through the eyes of this moment.

Getting ahead isn't everything!
Warmly,
meb

Take a moment today...

Dear Friends,

Maybe you're busy today. Today is Saturday, and like most of us, you probably have a list of things to do. And everything is important. Like most of us, you'll probably also get through your list today. What we need to do usually gets done.

One thing you can do that will enhance the rest of your life, however, is to take a moment today to remember that you are alive. Take a moment to get inside yourself, inside your body. Feel the buzz of life there. Feel your alive-ness. Feel the energy that reminds you that you are so much more than your list of important things to do.

Whenever I take a moment to do this, I find myself filled with gratitude. No other response seems necessary or important. There is such gratefulness in simply being alive.

Warmly,
meb

Fear and Love...

Dear Ones,

These are days of great fear and anxiety. The papers are full of articles about panic and uncertainty. We are all affected, like it or not.

Each one of us, however, can choose whether we are motivated by the fear and anxiety around us, or whether we are motivated by the greater power of Love within us.

Today, look for the Love inside of yourself. Feel the fear, and then find the love. There is only room for one or the other.
As the scriptures say: "Perfect love casts out fear." While the times are very different, the human experience of fear remains. The truth is, we have a choice. The choice is not somewhere out there, in the right job, or the perfect solution to our problems. The choice is right here, inside of ourselves, in this moment.

Fear, or Love?
Warmly,
meb

Thanks for everything...

Dear Friends,

Even when you're having a difficult time forgiving yourself, try this: "Thanks for everything, God!"

When we're having a hard time, when life is piling up, when we are filled with fear and we seem to be immobilized, when you seem unable to make a decision and don't know how to go forward, say: "Thanks for everything, God!"

It may be that at the time nothing seems to be something to be grateful about. Then you may have to say: "ok, so I don't feel it, but a part of me knows it's true: thanks for everything, God!"

When you look at things from your deepest point, deeper than the fear and the uncertainty and the list of things that seems too long, and when relationships seem to be shattered, your deepest self knows that your life is really about giving thanks.

And who really knows the outcome of what is happening to us now? Who among us has the sight to know how things will turn out? Who among us can really tell all the possibilities of making one decision or another?

"Thanks for everything, God!"
Warmly,
meb

Lightening up...

Dear Friends,

If you are carrying too much with you these days, lighten your load. For you, that might mean going through your things to get rid of items you haven't used for years. That's a good way to begin. Lighten your load by lightening up on what you own. What you own, you have to take care of, after all. Taking care of it means time and energy.

We really lighten our load, however, when we surrender those things that don't serve us well. Our resentment and anger toward someone else probably doesn't hurt them at all, but it hurts us if we hold it inside of us. Our fears don't serve us; most of our fear is something we gathered around us to protect us a long time ago. Anxiety can be surrendered: anxiety is simply a rush of energy. Transform the energy by surrendering to it, and then letting it go.

Many of us won't admit to ourselves that we carry these things. We have talked ourselves out of the truth!

Practice lightening up. What can you surrender to the Universe today?
Warmly,
meb

Giving a blessing

Dear Friends,

It will enhance your life to give a blessing to everyone you meet today. Yes, the gift will be yours!

Try it! When you get into your car, bless the person on the sidewalk who is hurrying to work. When you get into traffic, bless the other drivers. When someone rages at you, bless them!

The magic is that the blessing will be yours. Instead of ruining your day, those who cross your path will be your greatest blessing.

Have a blessed day!
Warmly,
meb

Beneath the Clamor...

Dear Friends,

Beneath the clamor of your thinking mind there is another, spacious, peaceful place.
Maybe it seems as if you can only be aware of the mind, but with practice you can remember that spacious place.

Try it now. Allow your thoughts to flow. Don't try to "turn off" your mind. Just let it be without resistance. Stay focused on that deeper, quieter place.

See what difference it makes when you center your life in the place beneath the clamor.

Warmly,
meb

Taking the Time...

Dear Ones,

I'm sure your life is filled with many things. Like most of us, you have a schedule to keep. You have important places to go, important appointments to keep, important people to see. Many of you also have others' appointments and calendars to keep. Maybe you are the calendar-keeper for the whole family.

Take the time, however many important things you have to do, for the quietest and least demanding of all important things, however. Take time to sit with the quiet place inside yourself. Take a few moments now.

Take a few moments every day to remember that you are so much more than your schedules, than your important clients, then the next important meeting you have to go to.

A friend of mine with a demanding job has found the one place where she can take the time to be in silence. Her place is her car! Now the people she works with know that if they see her in her car, she is busy, taking the time to be with herself, in silence.

Warmly,
meb

Taking Responsibility

Dear Friends,

One quality of character that seems to be lacking these days is the quality of taking responsibility for our own actions. There is a great power in naming and then saying what is your responsibility in any situation.

First, naming your responsibility. What is your purpose in being present? What were your thoughts? What was your intent? What did you feel? What did you hope to accomplish. What did you learn?
These are questions that are helpful to you as you discern your responsibility.

Then, speak the truth. For example, "I am aware that I could have spoken more clearly and with less anger when we spoke earlier. I am sorry. Let me say again what I had hoped to say..."

We don't take responsibility when we blame someone else for our feelings or our actions. When we don't take responsibility, we limit our ability to grow and develop as an individual.

Learn to take responsibility for your part in any interaction. Truthfully, not only are you responsible for yourself, but you are the only person you can change.

A radical thought!
Warmly,
meb

Living in service

Dear Friends,

Karma Yoga is the yoga of action. So many of us can relate spiritually when we know we can take action and have the action grounded in our spirituality. For us, that is a matter of integrity.

Do everything in the service of others. Have each choice you make, each action you take be in the service of others. When you act, do so with a deep devotion to universal love. Do not be attached to the outcome of your actions. Simply take the actions from a spirit of love and devotion.

The gift is for you when you live in service of others.

Warmly,
meb