Almost August

Can you believe it is almost August. By the time you get this newsletter it will be August. We are 8 months into 2007. Where did the year go? August is notoriously the month of vacation. People travel, rest and see family. This August for me is a work month. Okay maybe 4 days at the Spa, my favorite activity in the world.

When I think of the spirit given title Almost August, I think of the meaning of the word almost. Have you said to yourself, I am almost 10 pounds lighter, I am almost finished with this challenge, then my life will be perfect. I wonder if we are continually in the almost stage, how we lose the present moment. We are always looking to the future.

I don't think almost is a bad word, but if we continually project our thoughts into the future and a future outcome, then we miss the joy of now. I have many clients who say I almost got rich, I almost was an athlete. Don't get me wrong I think it is powerful to try different things and take risks and almost get there. I also think it is healthy to fail, for that is how we grow. But if we worry about the future too much, the present disappears.

So instead of thinking it is almost August, I had to focus on today. What does this day mean to me? What have I learned? What am I in gratitude for? Instead of anticipating the vacation, that is coming; stay in gratitude. You are able to think, feel and see, and treasuring the moment we are in now. Through meditation and self awareness I am working on this. I see how more joy and abundance come to me as a result of staying present and
watching an unfolding flower. It is like my life is already taken care of and I have to stay present and enjoy the vacation that can be everyday living in the moment!

Eternity - Nowhere to Go but forever

As I have been contemplating the issue of time, and staying, present in the moment, through my meditation practice, I wonder about the concept of eternity. When I really got to thinking about it, I realize there really is no end point in our lives. We never die.

Meaning that I have learned that we will always be with ourselves for eternity. Yes our spirit lives forever. So guess what? We have to learn to love ourselves, because we can't get away from ourselves. Our perspective may change about who we are, but our essence in never altering. When our physical body dies our souls continue on with our Spirit as our guiding force. There is no death, just a transformation. The easiest example to exemplify this is the butterfly.

The butterfly starts as a caterpillar. It feels like it is trapped when it is in the chrysalis, but that is the only thing it knows. It then goes to sleep and when the time is right it metamorphises into a butterfly. An enticing being that flutters through life, is beautiful to watch and feels free.

This is like our spirit transforming from a physical being to a soul on the other side. Eternity is about living forever, loving more, forgiving, playing and really appreciating yourself. Sounds like a lot but you have en eternity to do it!!

Knowledge

Knowledge is an important aspect of living and being in life. Through knowledge, you are able to look into your own life and get your own answers. Most people think that Knowledge has to be expensive. It doesn't. You can get knowledge through educational programs and free classes. Reading books is a wonderful way to gain knowledge. Exploring and traveling, is another way. I believe books are the best way to gain knowledge though. The library is free and has great resources, dvds,lectures etc.

I remember when my parents would take my sister and me to the Virgin Islands. The children outside of our windows would not ask for money, clothes or anything but books! They would say, 'do you have any books to share?' Myself as child growing up in upscale Connecticut took for granted having books that these children yearned for. The precious commodity of knowledge on this small island was books.

One thing I learned from my family is knowledge is freeing. Education was of the upmost importance in our value system. The more you learn about things, the more you are able to make informed decisions. One topic I thing women lack is women's studies awareness. The more you learn about feminisim and women's history, the more you will understand how the power of women has been supressed and threatens the main stream of society. Educate yourself about the struggles and triumphs of the feminine energy. A great spiritual book is 'Women who run with the wolves', by Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes. It discusses the archetypes of women, her spiritual journey and the power of the feminine. Not to leave my male subscribers out, a great book for men is 'The Way of the Peaceful Warrior' by Dan Millman. It is now a movie on DVD also. It is about a great Spiritual teacher's journey into his path of self realization and enlightenment. Free Your mind with Knowledge.