Uncharted Territory

Feeling Lost

The beauty of being lost is the same thing that makes it scary—it asks us to look within ourselves to find the way. If we have no map, we must go on instinct, relying on our inner compass to show us which way to go. This can be scary because so much seems to be riding on it. We fear we might go too far in the wrong direction, or become paralyzed and make no progress at all. And yet, this is the very challenge we need to develop our ability to trust ourselves. We are also learning to trust that the universe will support and guide us. We may believe this intellectually, but it is only through experience that it becomes knowledge of the heart. Learning to be okay with being lost and trusting that we will be guided, we begin our journey.

We can support ourselves by confirming that we don’t need to know exactly where we are going in order to take our first steps. We are learning to feel our own way, rather than following an established path, and in doing so we learn to trust ourselves. It is this trust that connects us to the universe and reminds us that no matter how lost we feel, and even as we journey, on the inner level we are already home.

Thought to Ponder...

When you acknowledge that all people are deserving of love, compassion, consideration, and dignity, you are naturally more apt to treat them in the manner you yourself wish to be treated.

I think it goes without saying. Too bad more people don't realize this.

10-13

You Are There

In the evening
When the kettle's on for tea
An old familiar feeling settles over me
And it's your face I see
And I believe that you are there

In a garden
When I stop to touch a rose
And feel the petal soft and sweet against my nose
I smile and I suppose
That somehow maybe you are there

When I'm dreaming
And I find myself awake without a warning
Then I rub my eyes and fantasize
And all at once I realize

It's morning
And my fantasy is fading like a distant star at dawn
My dearest dream is gone
I often think there's just one thing to do
Pretend that dream is true
And tell myself that you are there

Journey to Discovery...

By making an effort to explore new ideas and experiences, we call in exciting new energy to stimulate our lives. While we may be comfortable and satisfied with our lives the way they are, we can also make an effort to explore stimulating ideas and experiences. This will simply build upon the satisfaction we already enjoy. Even small efforts to expand our horizons can infuse our lives with positive energy and make us feel more vibrant, interested, and excited about life. We then benefit from a sense of enrichment and meaning that will positively enhance the quality of our lives.

Mirror of Life...

"Life is always a mirror. Who we are at the moment is reflected ever so loudly through the experiences of the moment, and through the people we associate with and surround ourselves with. As we evolve, life reflects back different experiences, which are presented as change." -Dragon Guru

My curiosity is sparked by this, simply because it speaks absolute truth. The present experiences in our lives are always the end results of what we have been creating through our actions in the past, whether we want to believe it or not. It's easiest to see it in the people we've attracted into our lives, whatever caliber or quality they may be. What we feel we are missing or how we value ourselves at that moment is reflect back to us, more than likely it's the latter.

I've always found myself to be surrounded by wonderful, outgoing, humorous, adventurous and vibrant people, and they're still entering my life on a daily basis. It's never brought me to question why someone was presented to me, something just didn't feel right, and suddenly our paths diverged. We simply didn't resonate on the same level.

What a mystery life must be to someone that doesn't or chooses not to see that the answers to their present questions, lie not in the distant future, or in a different location, but rather right in front of them at that very moment.

Look around you, and see exactly what you've attracted into your life. The place you call home, the events of your day, and the people whom you call friends and acquaintances. Are you happy? Yes or no? If not, then change your present circumstances. Change will happen when you give yourself permission to release your white-knuckled grasp on the stories that you keep telling yourself that are only re-enforcing your present moment.

We have such potential to dream beautiful dreams, and yet we choose to suffer in the shadows of the nightmarish stories that we tell ourselves on a daily basis, that only exist in our minds.

Change your stories, change your life!

Release Control...

Making an effort to be responsive to at least one new idea helps us relinquish our need to feel control over a situation. Needing to be in charge often means that our fear of letting go overshadows everything else. Our feelings of power give us a false sense of security. We might think that things will remain constant, but change is the very essence of life. When we remember that the only thing we have control of is our minds, however, we become more open to the world around us. Change no longer scares us and we are able to feel our resistance to new ideas softening.

Honestly...

Getting in touch with the truth of our actions allows us to look at ourselves openly. It can be easy for us to rationalize our words, actions, and emotions when we simply reflect on what has occurred. True introspection, however, involves being able to see the full extent of our actions—both the positive and negative - and to accept that picture in its entirety without trying to fit our view of ourselves into an ideal. Admitting our flaws and being honest with ourselves can then bring us to a greater understanding of who we are and how we function in our relationships.

When you say good-bye to someone or decide not to see them again,
remember you are a moment in their story.
Make it a story that doesn't leave a scar.

Haven't met you yet

I'm not surprised
Not everything lasts
I've broken my heart so many times
I stop keeping track.
Talk myself in
I talk myself out
I get all worked up
And then I let myself down.

I tried so very hard not to lose it
I came up with a million excuses
I thought I thought of every possibility

And I know someday that it'll all turn out
You'll make me work so we can work to work it out
And I promise you kid that I'll give so much more than I get
I just haven't met you yet

I might have to wait
I'll never give up
I guess it's half timing
And the other half's luck
Wherever you are
Whenever it's right
You'll come out of nowhere and into my life

And I know that we can be so amazing
And baby your love is gonna change me
And now I can see every possibility

And somehow I know that it will all turn out
And you'll make me work so we can work to work it out
And I promise you kid I'll give so much more than I get
I just haven't met you yet

They say all's fair
In love and war
But I won't need to fight it
We'll get it right
And we'll be united

And I know that we can be so amazing
And being in your life is gonna change me
And now I can see every single possibility

Oh you know it'll all turn out
And you'll make me work so we can work to work it out
And I promise you kid to give so much more than I get
Yeah I just haven't met you yet

I said love love love love love love love
I just haven't met you yet

Hidden Gems

Experiences We Don't Understand

Sometimes we have an experience that we don’t understand, but if we look deeply, or wait long enough, a reason for that experience will usually reveal itself. All the events in our lives lead to other events, and all that we have manifested in this present moment is the result of past events and experiences. We cannot easily tease apart the many threads that have been woven together to create our current reality. Experiences that don’t make sense, as well as any that we regret, are just as responsible for the good things in our lives as the experiences we do understand or label as "good."

This is especially important to remember at times when we feel directionless or unsure of what to do. It is often at times like these that we take a job or move to a place without really knowing if it’s the right thing to do. We may ultimately end up leaving the job or the place, but often during that time we will have met someone who becomes an important friend, or we may have an experience that changes us in a profound way. When all the pieces of our life don’t quite make sense, we can remember that there may be some hidden gem of a reason that we are where we are having the experiences we are having.

It’s fun to look back on past experiences with an eye to uncovering those gems—the dreadful temporary job in a bland office building that introduced you to the love of your life; the roommate you couldn’t tolerate who gave you a book that changed your life; the time spent living in a city you didn’t like that led you into a deeper relationship with yourself. Remembering these past experiences can restore our faith in the present. Life is full of buried treasures. Chances are, you’re sitting on some right now.