Trusting the Music of your own Soul

I only cleaned the pool butt naked one time. That’s all it took to learn the lesson. I was home alone. The sun was shining. The birds were singing. All was calm and peaceful as I moved around the edge of the pool with skimming pole in hand. I was so taken with my garden paradise, lost in the tranquility of it all, that I didn’t hear the pool guy arrive. He had unexpectedly come to fix the filter. I didn’t know he was there until I turned around and we found ourselves cheek to cheek (so to speak). I carefully lowered my pole and toweled up. Paradise was lost, and there was no Eve to blame for this one.

The poor guy was professional enough to keep his gaze high and act as if this happened everyday in pools all around the neighborhood. We did share a light joke about it, laughing about the hypothetical headlines in tomorrow’s newspaper. Many people have only ever seen me in a business suit. Shorts and crocs are enough of a shock for some people - without going to naked extremes.

Do you remember seeing your school teacher for the first time out of school? It was almost unthinkable for me to come to the realization that my teacher had a life, a family of her own, went to shops, etc. It is certainly surprising for some people to see me with my family or having a drink in a bar.

We have a tendency to put people on pedestals, expecting certain people to exist on a higher plane, exuding patience and virtue. We’re often uncomfortable when people expose their limitations and insecurities.

Well, here I stand. I can do no other. This is me. I have high ideals and a large vision for the world to be a more compassionate place. My vision demands a personality and presence that is sometimes larger than I am ready to believe I can offer. But I am driven forward and demand that of myself because this is the point of my teaching. Abundance is discovered in self discovery. Fear is overcome in risk taking. I am here to teach what I am learning which will involve sharing my experience of life, even the naked truth about my own vulnerability.

I dwell in divine abundance. I believe that all people can dwell in divine abundance. I believe that deep down in places you can barely remember, you are destined to live in divine abundance. At the same time, like me, you might be a restless person who experiences self doubt and anxiety. The abundance that I speak of is not an escape from insecurity, but an acceptance that insecurity is breeding some other truth in you if you can stay awake, stay open, listen, learn, and grow.

I want to inspire deeper humanity. I want to remind you that your vulnerability is just as sacred as your perfection. As Leonard Cohen said, “Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.”
You don’t have to let too much light in, nor let it all in at once - especially when the pool guy stops by. Let SOME light in, trust those around you with your humanity, and be trustworthy with the humanity of others. You can offer no greater gift. As Maya Angelou said so wisely, “When you learn, teach. When you get, give.”

This is the spirit of Soulseeds affirmations. Each affirmation is written out of the pains and lessons of life. They offer a way to create meaning in the experiences of your life, to heal the cracks by shining light and love on them. They offer a way to practice being human, first in the safety of your own mind (or by reading them to your best friend, as I know one dog owner does each morning), and then in the world where it can be so hard to stay grounded. The affirmations bring you greater ease with who and where you are, while opening the door to a deeper peace.

The intention of the affirmations is, in the words of Barbra Streisand, “to discover you, what you do, and trust it.” What an awesome thought. Focus your time and energy on things that nourish your true self. Trust the music of your own soul. Celebrate the joy of being you in this moment. It’s not where you will be tomorrow, but it is perfect for today. As you find the joy of acceptance, the you that you are becoming will unfold effortlessly like a rising sun.

Unity in Diversity

“Multiplicity without unity is chaos; unity without multiplicity is tyranny.” Blaise Pascal

Unity requires the deft balance of a tight rope walker. If you tip one way, you end up wishy washy and pliable, terrified of conflict and unable to take a stand. If you tip the other way, you end up hard and inflexible, terrified of diversity and unable to bend your perspective. Somewhere in the middle, with the pole of discernment held firm, rests unity. Herein lies the delicate balance between self expression and social harmony, individualism and diversity, your own convictions and other people’s insights.

Maybe you have, on occasion, had to discern when to stand alone on principle and when to find common ground for the sake of a group or relationship. Anyone who has coordinated a group of free thinkers knows the challenge. It can be like pushing frogs in a wheelbarrow.

Rabbi Bloom was conducting his first service at one of London’s oldest synagogues. All was going well until he got to the prayers, and half his congregation stood up. Those still seated started yelling ‘sit down’ to those standing and those standing started yelling ‘stand up’ to those sitting. Although Rabbi Bloom was knowledgeable, he didn’t know what to do. He thought it must be something to do with the synagogue’s tradition.
After the service, Rabbi Bloom consulted Abe, the synagogue’s oldest member. "I need to know, Abe, what the synagogue’s tradition is with regard to the prayer. Is the tradition to stand during this prayer?"
Abe replied, "No, that is not the tradition."
"So the tradition is to sit during prayers?" said Rabbi Bloom.
Abe replied, "No, that is not the tradition."
"But," said Rabbi Bloom, "my congregation is impossible. They yell at each other about whether they should sit or stand and ..."
Abe interrupted, exclaiming, "Aha, THAT is the tradition!"

Now that’s my sort of congregation. I’d rather herd cats than lead sheep. All that bleating and conformity is unoriginal and uninspiring. I’ll take the unbridled freedom of frogs in a wheelbarrow any day. Religion, which you would expect to bring tolerance and respect to the table, seems to be one of the greatest impediments to unity. Catholics and Protestants battled for decades in Northern Ireland and now have an uneasy peace. Hostility between Jews, Muslims and Christians in The Middle East continues with no end in sight. Centuries old disputes between Hindus and Muslims continue in South Asia. This is just a sample of the multitude of religious wars that devastate the world.

If war is an impediment to unity, peace is only a stepping stone. There may be an uneasy peace in Ireland, but it is more tolerance than it is a celebration of diversity, more accommodation than it is unity. Until the relationship between Britain and Ireland is clarified unity will be fragile. Until Ireland is truly independent, and her unity includes political, social, cultural and economic equality, the work is not done.

Unity is not to be confused with uniformity. Equality is not to be confused with sameness. Unity celebrates the core differences and works towards a common purpose. It doesn’t drown difference in a sea of conformity. Unity is a tough act to pull off. It can sometimes be a justification for not rocking the boat. Unity that compromises principles and core values is dull, insipid, and largely irrelevant. This sort of unity will eventually destroy vision, not to mention break your spirit. Mahatma Gandhi did more for unity than most. Even he said, "Performance of one's duties should be independent of public opinion."

Unity is not something that can be enforced. It is by nature a persuasive energy rather than a coercive force. If unity is legislated, it can fragment groups who are unable to toe the line but may have some essential wisdom for the whole. The Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen wrote, "The majority is never right. Never, I tell you!" His argument was that the majority of people are fools, so the majority can’t be right. I have more faith in the majority than Ibsen, but he raises a fair point. Unity doesn’t necessarily mean that the majority are right. Unity, at its best, holds in balance personal freedom and social order. There are churches that refuse to allow gay and lesbian leaders for the sake of unity. This is fear masquerading as unity.

Diversity is the essence of humanity. There is an ancient Jewish saying that 'When a human being makes many coins in the same mint, they are all the same. God makes every person in the same image, God’s image - and they are each different.' The challenge is to see God's image in one who is not in your image. Unity is the celebration of common humanity in the midst of great diversity. Diversity is unity working itself out in a community of respect.

Osho said, “Divided you suffer; united, you dance, you sing, you celebrate.” I say yes to this if unity is oneness that doesn’t squash diversity. Jesus described this as a vine with many branches. They are all part of the one vine but at the same time they are distinct and diverse. Stand by your truth as one amongst many truths. You have a perfect, partial and passionate truth. So stand up and be counted. Just don’t be dogmatic or else you might fall off the tight rope.

Here are some affirmation seeds related to unity. You can find more affirmation seeds at http://www.soulseedz.com

Seed of Unity

Unity requires the deft balance of a tight rope walker. If you tip one way, you end up wishy-washy, unable to take a stand. If you tip the other way, you end up inflexible, unable to bend your perspective. Somewhere in the middle, with the pole of discernment held firm, lies the delicate balance between individualism and diversity.

Say to yourself: I am secure in who I am. I know when to stand alone and when to support community.

Seed of Community
Everyone you meet is part of a circle, a symbol of connection and equality. The circle is always able to grow and expand to include new people without losing its shape. May you celebrate your circle of friends as a beautiful unity without uniformity. May you be open to new friendships, and show gratitude to an old friend today.

Say to yourself; I am part of a beautiful circle of companions

Affirmations as Spiritual Practice

The Eighteenth Century Hasidic master, Tzemech Tzedek, was once asked to pray for a seriously ill person. He said to the family, “Tracht gut vet zain gut,” which in Yiddish means “Think good, and it will be good.” What a bold statement! Do you think your thoughts are so powerful that they create your reality?

At the very least, your thoughts shape the way you experience your reality. You carry your thoughts around like a blue-colored lens, wondering why everything looks blue. Everything is not blue. It’s just the only option you’re giving yourself. Once you realize your lens is tainting your experience, you can make a choice. You can take them off, clean them up, put a new lens in, or you can choose to continue seeing only blue.

The human brain is like a set of eye glasses. It sees what it sees, and puts it all through a meaning making grid. It works with your current set of beliefs, your current lens. You often don’t even realize that your glasses are cracked and warped. It’s as if you have been wearing the same pair since early childhood; unquestioned and familiar. You make choices that confirm these beliefs, or else you make meaning of events that make the beliefs seem true to you. For example, so and so ignored me, and that proves that I am unlovable. The incredible irony is that you accept suffering and unhappiness in your life just to confirm that your beliefs are true. You attract the people and circumstances that verify your entrenched beliefs. You become your own self fulfilling prophecy.

The principle of using affirmations is that you can retrain your brain to see experience through the lens of your choice. First, you can notice yourself lapsing into entrenched beliefs. Observe it and realize that these old thoughts aren’t serving you. Then as you find yourself thinking self limiting thoughts, you can choose different thoughts. You can practice filling your mind with positive affirmations, or at least not adding in unnecessary negative thoughts. Then you can enjoy the benefits of these new beliefs. For example, this person ignored me and I don’t know why, so I won’t take it personally. Or, this situation is difficult therefore I am becoming stronger and wiser. So I wont choose to make it mean that life is against me.

Woody Allen once ended a stand up routine by saying, "I wish I could think of a positive thought to leave you with. Will you take two negative thoughts instead?"

What do you do with persistent negative thoughts? Think positive thoughts about them. Love them into submission. Affirmations are not about suppression. You will have negative thoughts. Some of them will be poor visibility from a cracked lens. Some of them will be appropriate and be the exact motivation you need to make a change in your life. Affirm even the negative thoughts, and the difference will become clear. Which thoughts are serving you, and which thoughts are locking you into self destructive patterns?

Affirmations are about deciding which animal you want to feed. Feed the thoughts that serve you. Practice thoughts that help you to see the world with greater love and possibility. Affirmations offer you a way to state reality as if it’s already true and in so doing you reset your brain’s meaning making machine. Set the intention that you are lovable and loved, that your life has purpose and that you are a servant of kindness and so it will be. Affirmations help you to believe in your amazing essence and bring many of your deepest intentions into reality. They bring enormous positive change into your life.

Don’t expect your brain to rewire over night, but saying affirmations out loud and several times will make a difference over time. They will come to mind at surprising moments through the day. The more natural the affirmation feels for you, the more aligned you are to the intention.

Comedian Ronnie Shakes once said, “I was going to buy a copy of The Power of Positive Thinking, and then I thought, “What the hell good would that do?”

Affirmations will do you a world of good and it will do the world a world of good. It will be part of cleaning up a life time of dirty glasses and the affirmations will spread like a seed of kindness to heal a hurting world. The world needs love, not more judgment. Begin with yourself.