Lessons from the Earth

On April 22, 2017April 22, 2017 By Moments with MillieIn Essay2 Comments

earth day

At this very moment I sit in my little home office staring at the morning coming through the trees and what was left from last night’s spring showers. The smell of earth rises to the second floor. It is one of those scents I love most from nature. It smells like the decomposition of release. The earth has no problem releasing. It has absolutely zero tolerance for resistance. Gaia teaches the value of allowing, evolving and releasing.

I have understood the power of avoidance and resistance. I no longer resist emotions. Resistance has always been a pivotal lesson in my life. “That which you resists, persists,” is a perfect way to remember to let go. Clarity and openness arrives from the nature of allowing life to flow. It is extremely difficult to wrestle and battle with resistance from a human perspective driven by ego. The ego is always creating illusions, sneaking in the doubts, uncertainty, fear and anxieties. As I allow the Divine Spirit to expand and guide me through love everything around me is taken into a beautiful accountability of love. Fear disappears once there is no control or resistance.

I keep going back to this life lesson: to love unconditionally without wanting anything around me to change. I am the change. The older I get the more I expand on forgiveness and compassion all through the vessel that is love. It’s in the allowance of everything around us to show up and move that we grow. We resist the things that are easy while substituting with difficulties,challenges and pain. Ego creates these elaborate scenarios and through resistance of strength in ourselves we attract the destructive behaviors that we don’t want but feel familiar to our stories. It is never easy to go through the separation of old patterns. But, does nature do any of this? Does Earth second-guess herself? Does it have to be this complicated when everything else around us lives in harmony?

If we take notes from nature all of these issues are irrelevant. The trees don’t ask the soil for permission to grow or die. The clouds don’t care that the earth is going through floods. It releases. It lets go of all it needs to in order to evolve. Each leaf falls when it’s ready. The earth blooms at its perfect timing without feeling overwhelmed or traumatized. A thousand pieces of elements live together and no one criticizes or judges another. We are the only form of existence that does that. Everything in nature is rhythmically operational with each other. It’s beautiful. It exists together because it does. There is no Ego dictating nonsense or prejudices. There is nothing but allowance and releasing. Timing is seen through changes of the seasons. No permission needed or granted. It is what it is.

So today, on Earth Day, allow nature to show you the many lessons of you. Grab a hold of soil. Dig deep within the earth. Release the old and make room for new. Have a blessed day! I love love love you and so does this beautiful planet you inhabit.

The Return

On February 22, 2017February 1, 2017 By Moments with MillieIn PoetryLeave a comment

Something woke

again

after a long sleep of doubts,

anger, hurt and questions

that buried me

inside an open tomb,

leaving the exposure to heal

with the openness of One.

I had forgotten my power,

the thoughts that co-create

with the universal aid of intentions;

those same delicious frequencies

that magically take me here and there.

I had forgotten

waking up with such joy

that I skip out of my room

while bones crack and stretch

reminding me to slow down.

I don’t care.

This is the meaning of living.

This is the ebb of sorrow and joy

taking it all and pasting it back together

without giving up.

It’s easier to give in,

give out, give up, and forget.

No more!

I have been sleeping in such darkness

for too long and allowing no one

to turn on the light.

I needed to feel the switch,

pass my hands through its coldness,

in the rawness of despair,

so I could turn it on…so I could do it alone.

Clarity arrives with rest and prayer.

Awareness returns with faith.

I hear the ringing of truth in one ear.

I see the element of surprise ahead.

I taste the juices of excitement.

I smell the sweetness of success…

for all that I have put out into the openness.

I’ve returned.

I am home in me again.

It’s been a long time…too long.

The heart echos softly, “Welcome back!”

Scoop me Up

On February 2, 2017January 17, 2017 By Moments with MillieIn Poetry1 Comment

Let me be the dent that
sits in the valley
so you can scoop all around me
the sheltering grounds
to protect me
in this world.

Allow me to be the appetizer
that you scoop up
to your soul
each day,
each night,
for the rest of this life.
Permit me to be a voyager
who travels in your journey
until we can be completely
aligned with the universe…
until you can find the way
to scoop me up
and make me one.

Compassion for All

On November 9, 2016November 9, 2016 By Moments with MillieIn Essay2 Comments

Two days ago I was at a store searching for an electric blanket. I went through all the bedding aisles when a sweet employee walked past me:

“Ma’am, I am sorry to bother you but I am looking for an electric blanket.”

She immediately said, “Oh, honey, you aren’t bothering me.”

As she was about to share information on the blanket I held her arm and asked, “Are you okay?”

Confused she asked, “Why do you ask that?”

“You look like something is weighing on you.” I saw the discomfort and tears started to swell in her dark eyes. So I continued, “I’ve looked everywhere.” She informed me that a huge shipment had just arrived but she didn’t know if those blankets were in it.

I thanked her. I grabbed both of her hands, this total lovely stranger, looked into her eyes and said, “It’s okay. It’s gonna be okay. You aren’t alone in this. I am here with you.”

There, in an aisle full of pretty ruffles, sheets and other linens stood a gorgeous black woman and a Hispanic one holding onto uncertainties without really knowing what that was. For a second we were connected by our hearts and the silence that held us in spirit.

She wiped her tears. I wiped mine. We wished each other a wonderful afternoon. This is what makes us human.

I cried myself to sleep last night. I ached all over my spirit. It doesn’t matter who has become president of this great nation. It’s finally over and we can resume our lives. This election has taken a toll on so many of us. It was driven on fear and anxiety, lies, and lots of ugly disgusting energies. It has caused a tremendous rift in relationships and our humanness. It has shown the world out there that we are lost and truly broken. I have heard comments from other countries and it saddens me because I still believe in the hope of uniting every part of what this nation was built on: trust and fulfilling the American dream.

I am here to tell you that no matter who is in the White House, I will forever fight for compassion, love, and kindness. I will continue to pray and light the way for whatever causes humanity requires. I don’t care if you are white, black, red, orange, or brown. I don’t care if you are transgender, gay or straight. I don’t care if you are Christian, Muslin, Jew, or an Atheist. It matters zero to me who you are because I will continue to show up, ask you if you are okay, and disarm your pain whenever I can. We have been desiring change. This win has been powerful in the sense that something has to happen to us soon. We need to return to basics. We have been gearing up for a tremendous amount of battle ahead. This is our opportunity as healers, lightworkers, warriors, therapists, and social conscious fighters to show the world that we unite in spite of anything in our way. We will need it now more than ever. Our nation will now begin to heal as long as we can stop this insanity of who was the better candidate. This person has four years. I have to believe, in the core of my spirit, that magic will appear through all of this.

I believe that a massive shift in consciousness has appeared and will continue to evolve. It’s up to us to stop feeding what doesn’t serve us. We are this country’s heart and soul, not the President. He will do his job. But, we are still the voices of what happens. And, these voices have spoken loud and clear. We need unity and the elimination of fear, injustice, discrimination, and all the intolerance that this election has created. People are walking around fearful of the unknown. Let’s replace this through compassion and understanding.

Let’s return to love and kindness. I want to believe that this is just the beginning of greatness. Let’s stop the division. Let’s stop the fear and anxiety of what we don’t know. We are all here on this little planet fighting to stay here as long as possible. Let us make it loving and full of joy.

I love you. I am here. You are a not alone. Have a blessed day!

New Beginnings

On November 5, 2016November 4, 2016 By Moments with MillieIn Essay3 Comments

I am reminded this morning about change. As I took the dog out this morning I noticed the reds are almost gone on the trees. The last of leaves are bright yellow and orange. Above on the ridges of the mountains is the beginning of winter…the dead-ness that arrives with this time. The creek has a large deposit of leaves waiting for a heavy rain. There is a baring and revealing that sits waiting to be noticed all around us. This is not my favorite time of the year. The rawness of having to move inward during the winter months is daunting at times. I need the sun, heat on my skin, and the brightness of days to guide me. But, I love these mountains of Western North Carolina and can’t imagine living anywhere else. Change is definitely evident. It’s in the trees, in the terrain and in all the new yummy things shifting in my life. The leaves don’t ask each other if they can fall or stay or change. They just move with the timing and season. To everything there is a season. We are not immune to change. It happens every single second of our existence. I am grateful. I am giddy for this shift and discoloration making way to growth in the near future. And…just like the last colorful leaves remain I take them all in for all their beauty. I accept what is and move on. New beginnings require the transformation of endings into mysticism.

Have a blessed day. Embrace the change ahead. I feel that this particular season will be magical!

Let it RAIN

On July 6, 2016July 6, 2016 By Moments with MillieIn Essay2 Comments

An amazing friend, Aubrey, came by today. If I believed in gurus he would be mine. His perception and teachings of the world put things in a magical perspective for me…always. Just having him here for a little while was enlightening. I don’t say that lightly. He has life experiences that go beyond what most people witness on a day-to-day basis. He works with mental health and helping beautiful souls get back on their feet. He sees brokenness, desperation, and destitution in many levels. In reality I am grateful for the support system of amazing friends who are like-minded individuals with much to offer in the area of healing. Aubrey is on top of the list. Listening to him always puts my life lessons in perspective. My stories are nothing. They aren’t the nuts and bolts of anything mechanical that can’t be fixed by me. I am self-sufficient and grateful for each path that has allowed me to develop consciously into a spiritual walk.

Aubrey has always studied Buddhism and has learned to incorporate it into psychology. This is a philosophical teaching that I, too, share with a passionate interest. As an avid reader I am drawn to mindfulness, metaphysical and conscious awareness of daily living. Even with the theories and theological objectivity I find it challenging to put into practice every single moment! But today, he mentioned the Buddhist principle of R.A.I.N. and how it has allowed him to stop and see things in his life with a mindfulness attitude.

R = Recognize. Recognizing whatever is bothering you and reacting to it firsthand is pivotal.

A = Accepting or Allowing. Whatever is happening or occurring you must take accountability. You are only responsible for you and your reactions to things.

I = Investigate or Inquire. Analyze what is happening and question all possible routes to your issues. Why is this annoying me? How did I allow this issue to jolt me this way? Be your own investigative reporter for your story.

N= Not-identify. Accept that a feeling is just that…an emotion. Do not take it or own it. This is the hardest part for most of us. We are so self-judgmental. We keep telling ourselves the stories of what has been programmed into our little heads. And, we choose to believe the worst of everything. By not identifying you can allow the situation to pass.

I don’t know if Aubrey saw the lights come on or the bells ringing as he finished his sharing and his insightful teachings. These bells sounded like cathedral chimes in my head. I am deeply aware that we are only able to tell the stories that we believe of ourselves (most are pretty darn depressing and negative). We are the truth of each experience but only to the Ego. In spirit we are nothing but the journey. This is why I pray and meditate each day. It is a struggle to be present at times. It is an ongoing exploration of mindfulness especially when there is so much going on in my life. This is exactly when I need to be in deeper awareness. When things are going great there is no need to fill the space with this commitment. We cannot move forward without recognizing and accepting those things that eat at us. Challenges and obstacles reshape us. They force us to inquire about what the soul wants and needs. Ultimately it is not anyone’s business what you think of me and vice versa. The only opinion worth keeping is the utmost value I should be placing on the self. End of story.

A life without prayer, contemplation, meditation and/or daily self-reflection becomes an empty shell. If you cannot find the time to do this then you are not living authentically. The body needs rest. The mind needs acknowledgment. And, the spirit needs reflection. All three bodies need maintenance otherwise we are acting like robots waiting on the next cue to keep moving forward. What do you want? What calls for you? What brings you joy? What is bothering you or eating at you? Why is this important? Why are you allowing another person to dictate your feelings? Whenever you think of this how does your gut feel? If you don’t follow the whispers of spirit they will get louder through illness, ailments, and breakdowns. Follow your yearnings, accept your truths, be kind to your spirit, and participate on self-love. Be the love that you want from others.

The space and times of being alone to contemplate, pray or meditate do not need to be drastic. Take 10 minutes and move outward. Live for your spirit. Trust the whispers. Let it R.A.I.N. Let it pour through a way that is priceless to your divinity. And, most of all make time to laugh! Laughter uncovers the depth of hurt, malice, and brokenness. You cannot be joyous and depress at the same time. Choose wisely through mindfulness. You are here now and that’s priceless!

(thank you, Aubrey, for being such a beautiful light in my journey)