Debts & Assets

When you believe that anything outside yourself will change the quality of your life, you are like the kitten seeing its reflection in a mirror and thinking there are two cats in the room. It is the quality of your commitment to the self that determines the quality of your life as well as the quality of your relationships to others. The quality of these relationships creates the quality of your experience.

In this relation to the self, be ever aware of both your strengths and your weaknesses . . . your assets and your debt . . . and be committed to both. Do not be depressed by your debts — your weakness — simply understand that you love them, or else you would not have them. You require them to learn the lessons of their perspective and without them you would not be complete in this moment.

The only way to fully enjoy your great wealth — your many strengths and assets — is to be able to withstand the pressure of this debt. The only way to truly appreciate the experience of your existence is to see strength and weakness, asset and debt, as a carefully balanced balance sheet . . . a full picture of you. Be able to look at your debts and instantly balance this view with your assets . . . the shadow gives perspective to the light in any "real" picture. This follows the old proverb of successful living, "When you are depressed . . . press back."

~Guru Singh

I love this passage about strengths and weaknesses, assets and debts; it's the human condition, after all. One thing I've noticed about myself is that I'm all good when it comes to knowing my strengths, but I often keep my debts in the small, dark corners of my existence; I pretend they aren't there, and I am afraid of shedding light on them. What I haven't completely embraced is what Guru Singh writes:  . . .be ever aware of both your strengths and your weaknesses . . . your assets and your debt . . . and be committed to both. Do not be depressed by your debts — your weakness — simply understand that you love them, or else you would not have them. You require them to learn the lessons of their perspective and without them you would not be complete in this moment.

I guess I haven't understood that I require the lessons of my debts to be fully me--and I suppose that when I look back at my life and all its challenges, those experiences and relationships that were (and are), indeed, difficult, have been perfectly placed there to hold up a mirror to me--and ultimately teach me about myself. I am my own greatest student, and I can continue to be grateful for all of it. 

ALL of IT!
ALL of THEM!

I trust that the Universe works for me, providing perfect opportunities for my greatest growth and challenge! I can choose to be in a state of LARGENESS & gratitude, or in a SMALL place of victimhood. This, I believe is one of the hallmarks of a spiritual life: constant self-reflection, death, and rebirth. This is how we grow.  We learn through the tough stuff, not through what's easy--and I totally agree.

What blessings do you see in your so-called debts? How have your debts served you, shaped you, and pushed you to grow?

Lots of Love, 

Dana

Love Life!

Here is the message I got from the Universe the other day. It reminded me that I need to accept all the people in my life, perfectly & exactly as they are:

For as long as you wish to keep them in your life, 

Dana Lynne, whoever they may be, 

understanding them, as opposed to changing them,

will wildly improve the chances that they'll wish to keep you in their life.

Oh wow, how I love you -
    The Universe

I have spent a lot of time and energy in my life trying to change the people and circumstances around me. What I would like to do is work on accepting the people and challenges around me without fighting it all!

Truth be told, when we can accept everything in our lives as if we had consciously chosen it, we can be grateful for it ALL . . .the go(o)d feelings and what we perceive as yucky stuff, the sh&!-biscuits.

Generally what happens, as in the case of one of my besties today, is that when we are open, we can see that the sh*& is sometimes the most awesome reminder of our growth. What if we totally trusted the Universe to give us EXACTLY what we need? No questions! And we look for the blessings in it ALL?

What tremendous shifts might occur if we ask ourselves the question: "What is the gift in the sh@!@?"

We are responsible for the meaning we assign to our life events; we can look at our challenges as opportunities for growth, or we can crawl into our victim stance and blame others and project outward for what is happening to us. Personally, I'd rather take responsibility for it all

AND

It's all good; and, as my bestie always says to me, "All is well..."

I love life! All of it . . . (even when I hate it). . . the good and the crappy. 

And I love You All!

Dana

Change is, well, change . . .

03.17.15

The one-ly (sometimes l-one-ly) thing that has been

constant

for me in the past 5 years (and actually, LIFE)

is

change,

damn it

(but not really the damn it part, anymore . . . 

at first, FOR SURE the damn it part). 

(Insert dramatic irony, please--or not)

In the past five years, change has sometimes kicked my in the butt. Some of the changes I have initiated myself, other people have initiated, some have been negotiated, and some have been presented to me (upside the head, in many cases) by the Universe.

It's all interesting.

I can remember talking with my brother, Chris, at a time of his life when he was in great pain, that we can't just be grateful to God and the Universe when things go the way we want; that we have to be grateful for it all--even when it feels like things are falling apart, when it's not our way. My brother died of a heart attack last Mother's Day. Big Change. He was one of my soul mates, my sojourners. Life on Earth is qualitatively different without him. 

[Interestingly, I have much more access to him in the ethereal plane . . . but that's another blog]

Me, trying to be THAT hot woman;

Chris, ignoring me completely

(isn't he handsome?!)

To cite part of the his eulogy that was downloaded to me from Spirit in the middle of the night a few days after his death:

In the last months of his life when he was struggling, he was able to dig deep and live in his gratitude for all his blessings. We can’t just be grateful to God when things go our way, that in the daily struggles and in the pain there is love and there is learning—we humans may not see it because we JUST can’t get big enough. I reassured him that every experience is perfectly designed for us here on Earth so that we are presented with the lessons suited just for us. Sometimes, I just needed to remind Chris to breathe. 

Of course, when I was talking with Chris about this, part of my was making this shit up---but the deeper part of me knows it's true--that every experience, every change, is a gift for growth. We humans cling to same-ness, to predictability.

If dandelion seeds did not ride on the force of the wind with complete surrender, they would never have the opportunity to spread their seed, to grow, and to multiply. Is the wind on their time? No. They rely on Nature, and the Universe.

It's all Divine Timing. For Dandelions. And for us.

Embrace Change. 

It's just, well, change . . .

Super Love,

Dana

    

All is Well . . .

Today I meditated for the first time in a while, and my topic was gratitude for deep cosmic connections--these are the synchronicities that occur in everyday life in the small, somewhat quiet (and sometimes LOUD) spaces. We can often miss if we are not present and paying attention. I got an amazing and delicious reminder from the Universe (tut.com) one day--as I write those statements (in black), here are the intuitive messages that were whispered to  me (those are in red, of course. . .)

*********************************************************************************

The Top 10 things about time and space, Dana Lynne,
that most people seem to forget...

10. You chose to be here and you knew what you were doing. So everything in my life is purposeful and I chose the events, circumstances, and relationships, too. Everything happens for a reason and there aren't any coincidences--even the seemingly crappy stuff.  And, there must be a divine purpose for my existence on the planet at this time. That means I can relax into the present and gently let go fear and anxiety. All is well . . .

9. There are no "tests" and you're not being judged. This means I can stop worrying that there's always a right answer? Maybe my harshest judge is myself, and I need to learn how to be more loving to me--Dana! 
p.s. If I do feel judged, it might be a projection of mine, and if another person judges me, it's not about me?

8. Everyone's doing their best, with what they know. That "everyone"includes both me and others-- I can quit judging others (oops) and myself--but that doesn't let me off the hook to stop behaviors that no longer serve me. Especially when we spend more time with our loved ones, our issues and buttons become magnified, and I find myself projecting judgement onto others--this is how the Universe holds up a mirror to me for my own growth.

7. You already have whatever you're looking for. I need to practice gratitude on a daily, even a momentary basis. I am so so blessed! I have everything I need. And, when I choose gratitude, I get more of the juicy stuff back from the Uni-verse.

6. You are of the Divine, pure God, and so is everyone else. We all lead a holy existence . . . each of our lives is a prayer (see red part on #1 for more info!)

5. Religion needs spirituality; spirituality does not need religion. Might mean that spirituality is bigger than religion? But I think many sacred practices come from the rich traditions of many religions. What gets us in trouble, I think, is when we expect others to embrace the spiritual and religious constructs we believe, or that there is only one right way to celebrate God/The Uni-verse (insert your semantic here!). 

4. You're naturally inclined to succeed - at everything you do. Reminds me of Chopra's law of least resistance--when I am in the flow of life and accepting what IS, I can choose actions to support my intentions and give attention to my heart's desires.

3. You happen to life, life does not happen to you. I am a co-creator--not a victim. I can choose to be empowered through conscious action; I am not a victim of circumstance . . . I can choose my actions and reactions to lIfE! 

2. Order, healing, and love belie every moment of chaos, pain, and fear. Everything happens for a reason, and learning is the key--otherwise I'll get the same lesson presented over and over . . . thanks, Uni-verse!

1. Following your heart is the best way to help others. I might have more peace & be better informed in life when I follow my gut and my heart rather than listen to the craziness that happens in my little bratty monkey mind. When I follow my heart, I can align my choices with my authentic, higher self, be truer to myself, and share my gifts with the world. This is the best way for my to serve others, which is the most important reason I am here (See #1).

The truth shall set you free,

The Universe

© www.tut.com ®

When each of us takes steps toward our highest purpose and our heart's desires--all while serving others with our unique gifts, we can trust that all is well, and trust that the Uni-verse is creating the circumstances and relationships that will serve our highest good.

Love, 

Dana

You Were Born to Be You!

yOu wERE BORN 2 BE U . . .

The Universe Loves You!

I think I probably have a lot of philosopher in me, and I have to admit that the kids in my 8th grade English classes have heard my thoughts about life for years (poor dears, . . . I'll send you all Jolly Ranchers! . . . just leave your contact information in the comments below ;) . . .). Here are some of my favorite philosophies: 
You are born in this world to . . .

• enjoy yourself, love yourself, and laugh loud and hard (especially at yourself--and your super old English teacher, Ms. Curry Bradach . . . remember the fake hillbilly teeth & poop ?!) . . .
• give yourself permission to use your voice and express your feelings--both good and bad--. . .
• be kind and generous--there is plenty of everything to go around and around and around and around . . .
• make mistakes and learn from them, and continue to love yourself and others, despite your flaws . . .
• live a life of gratitude--for the good stuff and the challenging stuff . . .
• be in charge of yourself--this includes your happiness! . . .
• be fully and greatly yourself (and not cheap imitations of other people) . . .
• find your passions and use your gifts to serve others . . .

If you were or are in my class and you can think of any others, leave a comment below!!!! Or, if you have any personal philosophies, please share them!

hUgS and sMiLes!
;) me 

p.s. Here's a cool, short meditation from the Chopra Center. It's only 3:33 long (my magic number), so give it a try!

The Meditator: Episode 1