love | Ascension Lifestyle

26 Sep 2017
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Of Two-Way Streets and Enriching Dichotomies

Our world of apparent duality offers a wealth of disguised enrichment opportunities. Consider:

A cyber buddy who currently lives creatively without residence wondered why a stranger would open her home and heart to her. She emailed, “I don’t understand why she’s being so amazingly generous. I keep telling her she just blows me away.”

I responded, “You never know what her own journey is…she may have needed to serve someone in exactly this way, and you are providing a golden opportunity, so it is a mutuality.”

This is the way energy works. When my lifelong friend Ellie fell and broke her hip at 96, requiring a lengthy convalescence in a rehabilitation center and later at home, I initially despaired about why Spirit didn’t simply call her Home.

Then I had a flash of insight: the enforced passivity enabled my fiercely independent friend to learn to receive, and blessed those who assisted her with the joy of service. I told her, “You would never have allowed it otherwise.” With wonder and her trademark humility, Ellie exclaimed, “Amara, you’re right!”

The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful

What appears adverse can be advantageous. I needed to park my car on a different street due to an upcoming festival, and planned to be out of town the following week. I gave the young man who acts as my “car surrogate” the spare key, and asked him to please move the car back once the festival was over.

Unbeknownst to me, a road crew was about to repave the street; tow-away signs went up the day after I left. If the festival hadn’t been scheduled (and, therefore, if I hadn’t given Danny my spare key) my car would have been parked in its normal spot — and towed during the week I was away!

More profoundly: A dear friend was in a near-fatal motorcycle crash earlier this year. After a month in the ICU, he learned he’d need a walker once out of bed, and would have only minimal use of his right hand for the rest of his life (he’s a southpaw, but still…). Eight months later, Rick says, “The accident was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

During his convalescence he lost seventy pounds and began exercising daily as part of his physical therapy program; the combination reversed his adult-onset diabetes. He’s grateful every day for the gift of life, and more open than he’s ever been. He says, “I cry if I’m happy, I cry if I’m sad.

“And you know what? It feels amazing. I have nothing to hide now; what others think of me is no longer my concern. I can be emotionally honest. I feel like this is another piece of the silver lining surrounding that terrible trauma.”

Sustained by his new outlook and the outpouring of love and support from friends and family, Rick’s regained almost full use of his right hand, and returned to work — as a practicing physician. Practice makes perfect.

Once you’ve been through the fire, you’re recast as pure essence; the superficial no longer holds sway in your life.

How Your Light Is Spent

Milton’s sonnet, When I Consider How My Light is Spent, exemplifies the nature of life’s dichotomies, and how we choose to interpret our time here. The full text reads:

When I consider how my light is spent

Ere half my days in this dark world and wide,

And that one talent which is death to hide

Lodg’d with me useless, though my soul more bent

To serve therewith my Maker, and present

My true account, lest he returning chide;

“Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?”

I fondly ask. But Patience to prevent

That murmur, soon replies: “God doth not need

Either man’s work or his own gifts; who best

Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state

Is kingly. Thousands at his bidding speed

And post o’er land and ocean without rest:

They also serve who only stand and wait.

“Apprehension” means both anxiety and understanding. If you apprehend the meaning behind Milton’s final line, you will understand that simply being is what matters most.

Whoever or whatever your messenger is, listen deeply. Once you apprehend the message, invite yourself to let go, so that you may embrace this wisdom farther along life’s spiral. Allow yourself to be amused by the alchemical nature of any apparent dichotomy that shows up in your life. And know there’s an invisible cosmic trampoline beneath you, so you can rebound from pain’s mirage, spread your wings, and fly.

About the Author:

Amara Rose is a metaphysical “midwife” for our global rebirth. She offers spiritual mentoring, e-courses, a CD/mp3 of the journey to awakening, and an inspirational monthly newsletter.

Learn more at LiveYourLight.com. Connect with Amara on Twitter and Facebook.

09 Apr 2017
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Becoming REAL

In recent times we may have felt like stand-ins in our own lives: understudies playing a role on short notice while waiting for our “real” selves to return. That’s not going to happen. We’ve been in dress rehearsal for the quickening, and it’s a flume ride of the highest order, a baptism from which no one emerges unchanged.

The good news? Density is transmuting into destiny faster than we can say “anagram”. The world stage is welcoming us as the human holons we are, stepping up to the plate and into our soul missions as never before.

From Resistance to Resonance

Holding the both/and has become paradoxically more challenging and much easier than in the past. We’ve had more than a taste of primordial chaos and pain. The flip side is primordial joy: what sociologist Emile Durkheim called collective effervescence (the idea that communally induced ecstasy cements social bonds) and anthropologist Victor Turner termed communitas: the spontaneous love and solidarity that can arise within a community of equals.

The unknown is both scary and powerful. Resistance cripples. Resonance emancipates.

As Heraclitus explained in his famous quote about not stepping twice into the same river, we can have constancy precisely because there is flux; it’s a primordial truth. Balance means loving all of who we have been, are, and will become. Or, as Shakespeare put it half a millennium ago, “This above all: to thine own self be true/And it must follow, as the night the day/Thou canst not then be false to any man.”

The REAL-izing Process

Of course, a proven way to make the imaginal real is through love. In one of my favorite children’s books, The Velveteen Rabbit, a little boy loves his stuffed bunny with all his heart. The Skin Horse, wise elder among the nursery animals, explains the “Real-izing” process: “It doesn’t happen all at once. You become. That’s why it doesn’t often happen to people who break easily, or who have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”

While we can’t yet see the outcome of the global shift well underway, we can’t miss the beauty flowering all around us as we live ever more fully into the Love that we are. We’re remembering and reclaiming our wholeness, integrating what was once “other” — and the understanding that grows as we do is beyond any happiness we’ve experienced thus far. Welcome home!

About the Author:

Amara Rose is a metaphysical “midwife” for our global rebirth. She offers spiritual mentoring, e-courses, a CD/mp3 of the journey to awakening, and an inspirational monthly newsletter.

Learn more at LiveYourLight.com. Connect with Amara on Twitter and Facebook

06 Mar 2017
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Imagine Nation

“If I could tell the world one thing

It would be that we’re all OK

And not to worry ’cause worry is wasteful

And useless in times like these

I won’t be made useless

I won’t be idle with despair…”

~ Jewel, Hands

Here in The Great Turning, the predominant emotion is often fear — the same energy as excitement. What we feel is a matter of interpretation.

It’s a time of incredible expansion, according to every cosmic weather report I’ve seen: an opportunity to compost our “harrumphitude” concerning Trumpelstiltskin (thanks to “mythic news” weaver of context Caroline Casey for these deLightfully winnovative words). If you have skin in the game vis-à-vis Trumpelstiltskin, this is the ripe moment to play your Trump card.

A Subtle Shift Makes the Diff

The key is our collective readiness and willingness to segue from living in Alien Nation to co-creating a global heart community, Imagine Nation. The shifts are subtle yet substantial: from thinking we’re alone to realizing we’re all one.

In Alien Nation, self-flagellation is popular. “I’m the only one I know who can blackball myself in my own community,” a woman despaired recently, explaining how, in angrily speaking her mind about an issue vital to her, she piqued the one person who might have proven most helpful, had she spoken with Spirit Tongue. I empathized, as I’ve often carried my own whips, too. Practicing self-love is the hardest task most of us will ever master.

Yet it’s so apparent that everything is vibration: while food shopping in a happy frame of mind at my local organic grocery, trading quips from old Monty Python routines with the customer in front of me at check-out, I was bowled over when the young cashier offered, “Would you like me to burn you a CD of their skits?”

True Happy Hour

A New Yorker cartoon shows a man standing in front of a sandwich board outside a bar. The board reads:

Happy Hour: 6-7 p.m.

Are you truly happy? Hour 7-8 p.m.

Have you ever been happy? Hour 8-9 p.m.

Wish you were home with your cat. Hour 9-10 p.m.

Would we need “Happy Hour” if we genuinely understood how to be happy?

When 9-1-1 happened in New York City, I penned, This IS A Test. A still-relevant excerpt:

“This event is a volcanic eruption, and in hindsight, the rumblings many of us have been experiencing the past few weeks presaged it. Several players on the path have been sharing stories of total strangers (as well as of acquaintances and friends) suddenly, savagely and inexplicably dumping truckloads of mental trash on them. Everyone has been feeling ‘the quickening’ of these end times, but, since we’re at different stages in our growth, those who have no context for what they’re experiencing also don’t know what to do with these volatile energies. The anger’s been leaking out, and finally, here’s the explosion.

“It is, in a very real sense, a planetary birth process. Something old has to die in order for the new to emerge. We are all learning how to transform the war within ourselves into spiritual warriorhood.”

Radical Evolution Redux

We don’t need tosh everything we disagree with; we can compost hubris into humus (another subtle shift). Rather than radical surgery, we can perform a Trumpectomy using radical evolution.

We’re all members of the surgical team now; all cells in the body of Gaia, our Mother. Malignant cells have lost the ability to cooperate with other cells for the greater good of the whole. Yet cancer does not arise in an instant; it grows over time. If we plunge ahead intent only on annihilating the cancer, we also destroy healthy cells, and possibly the entire body of humanity and all other species. By excising what no longer serves the collective, we can return to high health.

As the old evanesces and the new ripples into being, we build the Imagine Nation of the One Heart, where we are each re-spected (seen again), re-sponsible (able to respond), re-cognized (known again) and re-warded (honored) for our gifts.

After all, Earth is simply “heart” with “h” at the end: the ∞th letter of the alphabet, infinity, the secret of happy, the beginning of home.

About the Author:

Amara Rose is a metaphysical “midwife” for our global rebirth. She offers spiritual mentoring, e-courses, a CD/mp3 of the journey to awakening, and an inspirational monthly newsletter.

Learn more at LiveYourLight.com. Connect with Amara on Twitter and Facebook.

07 Dec 2016
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Ways to Make You Love Every Bit of You

One of the first mistakes people make is searching for the happiness in the outside world instead of finding it within. Our dependency on other people’s opinion and the society’s pressure to fit into certain molds – can make us feel inadequate, lonely, and unlovable. What is worse, most people experiencing this stay quiet: they tumble through their everyday, never getting the love they truly deserve. No, this is not about romantic love: we’re talking about self-love. Feelings of unworthiness transfer to everything you do and their true danger lies in the fact they trigger a delusion they are a part of your identity.

Identity isn’t something that’s fixed and unchangeable. Our souls are fluid and fragile, constantly processing everything that’s put upon them and nobody is immune to that. Depending on the way a person has been raised and how the world shaped their identity, it can experience more or fewer difficulties to learn the essence of self-love. Sometimes, it is harder than one may think and while it’s easy to blame the world for it – you should take your share of responsibility. It’s easier not to do anything and indulge in self-pity instead of stop making excuses. Postponing this does you no good: start with three small steps.

The first step towards loving yourself is realizing you do have the right to be loved. Frequent disappointments in dating world can leave you thinking there’s something wrong with you. This attitude comes from not being at peace with yourself: you have to stop assessing your personal value through relationships with others. Instead of asking yourself – does he love me for who I am, try making it the other way around: do I love him for who he is? We often accept others’ love out of fear of loneliness. If it falls apart, stop blaming him or yourself. Some things aren’t meant to work out: what’s for you won’t pass you by. There is a higher force taking care of you.

The second step would be mapping out the reasons you feel bad about yourself. Too often we forget that the only thing standing in the way of achieving our dreams – are we alone. You have the power to change and you are in charge of your life. Life’s too short not the get the most of it. If you feel bad about traveling so little, figure out a way to save up some money and let the world lavish you with its beauties. If you have a weight problem that’s bothering you, take baby steps with workout regimes and healthy dieting. Try meditation: it is proven to rewire your brain and more importantly – it helps you connect with yourself and with higher forces. Align yourself with the universe. Only by being in harmony with yourself can you become one with the world. This feeling of peace and serenity will definitely shift your perspective about how you feel about yourself.

The third step is putting yourself out there. Expose your heart to new experiences. Do something you’ve never tried before, even if you think you are not going to like it. These adventures can reveal new sides of you that you didn’t even know they existed. They are the fuel for your transformation process as they push you outside of your comfort zone: it can be small things like signing up for a yoga class or doing something you’re scared of – skydiving perhaps? You are a unique living being that’s not taking the advantage of what the world has prepared for you. By daring to be brave and opening your heart to all kinds of love, you will learn to love yourself and accept the love you truly deserve.

Embrace the paradox that emerges from the following fact: you need to accept yourself, but you also need to be aware that only change is constant. Self-love is the cornerstone that makes you unapologetic about how you want other people to treat you.

31 Aug 2015
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The 4 Qualities Of A Conscious Relationship

We are approaching a period of time when relationships are ready to go through a major redesign. The current paradigm isn’t working. People are unsatisfied in love; people don’t know how to make relationships work.

And, believe it or not, this isn’t a bad thing. Because when systems break-down, that’s when they change. I believe that’s what’s happening in the area of intimate partnership. The break-down is forcing us to move towards conscious love.

So what exactly is a conscious relationship?

It’s a romantic relationship in which both partners feel committed to a sense of purpose, and that purpose is growth. Individual growth. Collective growth as a couple. Growth that makes the world a better place.

As of now, most people get into relationships to satisfy their own personal needs. This might work for a few years, but eventually the relationship fails us, and we end up unsatisfied as a result.

But when two people come together with the intention of growth, the relationship strives towards something much greater than gratification. The partnership becomes a journey of evolution, and the two individuals have an opportunity to expand more than they could alone. Deep satisfaction and long-term fulfillment arise as a result.

So if you’re someone who feels called to take your experience of romantic love to the next level, below are four qualities that characterize what being a conscious couple is all about. Welcome to the path of the conscious relationship. This is next-level love …

1. The conscious couple is not attached to the outcome of the relationship – growth comes first.

Not being attached to the outcome of the relationship does not mean you don’t care what happens! It also doesn’t mean that you don’t have fantasies about how the relationship will turn out.

What it means is: you’re more committed to the experience of growth than you are to making the relationship “work.”

The reality is, we’re here to grow. Physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. When growth stops, we automatically feel like something’s gone wrong. Because it has. Without growth, we aren’t fulfilling our soul’s purpose.

Unfortunately, relationships today tend to stifle growth more than enhance it. This is one of the main reasons we’re failing at romantic love.

We want our partners to act in a certain way, we repress ourselves to please others, and soon enough, we feel small, oppressed and puzzled about who we’ve become. This, inevitably, makes the relationship feel like a cage that we want to break out of. But the unfortunate truth is: we’ve caged ourselves.

The conscious couple values growth more than anything else because they know this is the secret to keeping the relationship alive. Even though growth is scary (because it takes us into the unknown), the couple is willing to strive towards expansion, even at the risk of out-growing the relationship. Because of this, the relationship maintains a natural feeling of aliveness, and love between the couple does, too.

2. Each person in the relationship is committed to owning their s#*t.

Conscious couples know that we all have wounds from the past, and they understand that these wounds will inevitably be triggered, especially in a relationship. In other words, they expect to feel abandoned, trapped, rejected, overlooked and any other shitty feeling that arises when we bond closely with another person.

Most of us still believe that relationships should only feel good, and when bad feelings surface, something has gone terribly wrong. What we fail to see in this situation is that these shitty feelings stem from our own faulty patterning! These issues are not caused by our partners; they’re caused by our beliefs.

The conscious couple is willing to look at their past and current issues in relationships because they know that by facing these belief systems, they can evolve into a new relationship-reality. Dysfunctional patterns will dissolve, but only when we take responsibility for them, first.

3. All feelings are welcome and no internal process is condemned.

In a conscious relationship, there’s room to feel anything. Not only that, there’s room to express those feelings and fantasies to your partner. This is edgy territory… it’s not easy to do. But it’s also one of the most healing things we can experience in a partnership

It’s rare to be completely honest about who you are, and to stretch yourself to let your partner do the same. You may not like what you hear; in fact, it may trigger the hell out of you. But you’re willing to be triggered if it means your partner can be authentic.

Like I already said, we’re used to molding and changing ourselves to please people we love because we don’t want them to stop loving us! This stifles the love out of our connections.

The only option is radical honesty: revealing parts of ourselves that are hard to share, and letting our partners do the same. This leads to feeling known, seen and truly understood — a combination that will automatically enhance your love.

4. The relationship is a place to practice love.

Love, ultimately, is a practice. A practice of acceptance, being present, forgiveness, and stretching your heart into vulnerable territories.

Sometimes we treat love like it’s a destination. We want that peak feeling all the time, and when it’s not there, we’re not satisfied with what the relationship has become. In my mind, this is missing the whole point of love.

Love is a journey and an exploration. It’s showing up for all varied nuances of your relationship and asking yourself, What would love do here?” The answer will be different every time, and because of this, you’ll get to grow in ways you never have before!

The conscious couple is fiercely committed to being the embodiment of love. Through their devotion and practice, love shows up in their lives and relationship in ways they would’ve never imagined before.

By: Shelly Bullard for MindBodyGreen

Shelly Bullard, MFT is a Marriage and Family Therapist, love coach and spiritual teacher. Shelly believes that when you learn how to truly love yourself, your relationships become fulfilling from the inside-out, and you become the person you’re meant to be. She was named the “Love Guru” as one of the 100 Women to Watch in Wellness by mindbodygreen, and her deepest passion is studying and practicing love as a spiritual path. To learn more about her work, visit her here: shellybullard.com.

15 Jun 2015
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What It Means To Be & Love An Empathic Person

I have been wanting to write this Empath guide for such a very long time. I wanted to be brutally honest and thorough. I did not want to leave anything out. I had no idea when I started this intention how much this was going to impact my life personally. As I have been trying to gather the words I was flooded every time with emotions, stories, images, feelings, thoughts and experiences from my past that kept me frozen in my feelings about what it means to be a highly sensitive person. I feel like it has been one of the most defining aspects of my life up until now. The main feelings that come to the surface when I connect to the “frozen” feeling that I was describing, would be powerlessness and self doubt. These were the most dominant feelings from my past, relative to the concept of being a highly sensitive Empath. Read more!