Not Yet

By Marlene Buffa June 29, 2010

When asked if she would continue to perform even after retirement, Beverly Sills was reported to have responded, “No.  I’ve done that already.”
 
So many times we complacently stay within the boundaries of our comfort zones.  Predictable outcomes spring from predictable behaviors, and set the tone for the remainder of our life.  Job seekers find themselves locked into typecasting deadlocks when work history on a black and white resume indicates a pattern of inertia.  Upon spiritually breaking free of the banal routine, the awakened employee finds difficulty in convincing a new employer of capabilities other than his history denotes.  Yet, the sense of freedom earned from realizing we are more than our occupation proves addictive and life-changing.  Giving ourselves “permission” to be extraordinary, to step away from the limited viewpoints of our past, brings us to fresh experiences and with it, a more fulfilling future.
 
Do something you never did before.
This morning at breakfast a friend shared photographs of a cave in southern Arizona.  Peppersauce cave spans 7000 feet and includes 3 large lakes.  A few years ago, divers explored one lake and found ancient ladders left there by native people, indicating a rise in water level. After reaching a depth of 300 feet, the divers still did not reach the bottom.  While I’ve never entertained the idea of spelunking, the photographs intrigued me enough to imagine crawling, climbing and creeping through a natural playground.
 
Cave exploration on a figurative level takes us within the hidden crevices of essence and to the depths of psyche.  Taking the risk to crawl around inside of who you are requires no special equipment or preparation.  It harbors little danger and offers great rewards.  Poke around in the hidden rooms of your spirit.  Take a look at the stalactites of old attitudes and conditions, hanging on tightly to your inner barrier.  Move around the obstacles of stalagmites of “I can’t” and find the path to your true self. 
 
Not Yet
When approaching the only means of escape in the film the Matrix, Neo asks Trinity “Do you know how to fly this thing?”  Looking at the helicopter undaunted, she responds, “Not yet.”
 
So often we approach life within the limitation of what we think we already know.  When we dare to speak loudly that we possess all the tools we need for success, the Universe rewards our self-confidence and assuredness with results – sometimes way beyond our expectations.  Remember that simply because you haven’t done something in your past, you are not restricted to staying there.  So what if you’ve never done something before?  Is that it for the rest of your life?  Who made the rule that you can’t learn or do anything new?  You did!  Break free from self-imposed limitations and dare, try, and expand your possibilities.  The willingness to learn something new compliments our nature with such positive sunshine that our spirit grows into a lush garden of self-expression.  Whatever the results, know that the true importance and the true lesson learned appeared when you made the decision to try something new today!
 
Been there, done that
Ho-Hum.  Sometimes we
marvel at how boring life appears.  Same old, same old.  Same stuff, different day.  Stuff happens.  Another day, another dollar.  We humans profess to detest the status quo, yet seldom do anything to break free from it.  We’d much rather whine and complain and suffer that life has “done me wrong.”  Wait a minute?  Who’s living YOUR life for you? 
 
You hold all the choices, all the options all the opportunities you need to change your life.  The next five years doesn’t have to look like the last five years.  Really, it doesn’t.  You don’t have to take a vacation in the same place every year – even if you own a timeshare.  When he’d take a different route home, my Daddy used to say, “When you take a new road, you open up a whole new world.”  Explore what’s out there – the world awaits you.  When you reach the end of your life with your checklist smudged, crinkled and barely legible, then you can rest in the joy of knowing you really did go there, and do that and be your authentic self!
 

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Spiritual Independence

By Marlene Buffa June 8, 2010

In America, we look at the month of July as the celebratory beginning of our nation’s independence from King George of Great Britain.  As children of the world’s then-superpower, we revolted against the constraints of the remote royal family and declared our path, thus forging a life based on freedom of the individual and of each state.  When we step back and look at our spiritual choices, we see that our beliefs, long held and practiced, provide a sense of comfort, yet also keep us close in a circle and cycle of ritual and acquiescence.  Daring to step away from aspects of our beliefs to explore new territory of self-expression, we declare our Spiritual Independence and develop a new understanding of our own essence as we operate as sovereign beings in the world.
 
What would it look like?
The population of America in the 17th and 18th Century comprised of people seeking religious freedom, as well as those desiring an opportunity for prosperity.  The “great experiment” in which people governed themselves, shone as a new and unfamiliar concept in the known world.  Almost impossible to imagine, the notion of a country not ruled by a church, or a monarchy, proved fearful for most, including early settlers.  While most emigrated to the new world for a better life, in many cases, the adjustment demanded they forfeit their prior limitations of thought and action – for others and themselves.
 
In our spiritual lives, true independence also takes a toll on our reality.  While we learn and stretch our belief systems to seek new ideas and considerations of philosophies, we often revert back to the well-rutted synapses of our past thinking.  Even though we open ourselves to the possibility of looking at our spiritual centers in a different way, we compare and contrast the new information we gather against our old thought patterns and beliefs.  In short, we judge ourselves based on our past thereby limiting our opportunity for something new to enter our lives.  In short, it proves difficult to imagine moving completely away from our old ways to operate entirely in a new set of beliefs because we simply don’t know what it looks like.
 
Witch trials
From the self-imposed limitations of Calvinism in the new world, to the oppressive dogma of Puritanism, our young country experienced some hypocritical growing pains.  Borne from the flexed muscles of religious freedom, our young country operated under the strong arm of the Crown, wielding its power thousands of miles across the ocean.  Desperately seeking the ability to choose one’s interpretation of spirituality, the early settlers found themselves in the new world but stuck in archaic concepts of governance.  In one glaring instance, the Witch Trials in New England provide a clear example of a small group of transplanted religious revolutionaries unwilling to embrace the rebels within their own faction.  While taunting their heroic separation from the church in Europe, small communities of settlers practiced the very same unforgiving methods of intolerance from which they fled.
 
Our own personal and figurative witch trials provide us with divine insight into our spirituality.  Often, we stretch our limits, test new methods and thought patterns, yet use the same tired concepts to measure the distance between the old and new experiences.  Punishing ourselves through negativity and doubt, suffocates our potential and dares to challenge our quest for advancement.  As we recognize the enemy within ourselves, we discover the forces at work against us are superficial and weak, and like the witch trials, based on fear and the unwillingness to move away from our suffering and the status quo.
 
Recognizing Freedom
 
A dozen or more generations removed from the brave souls who set out in wooden boats to dare seek a better life – a free life – we often take for granted the comforts our freedom affords us.  We move peaceably between state lines, speak freely for/against our government, reserve the right to work at vocations which inspire and please us, and freely associate with one another.  Many countries, even today, do not allow these freedoms to citizens, yet some people take risks to exercise their choices in spite of their laws. 
 
With basic freedoms and rights in place in North America, we enjoy the luxury of pondering more esoteric concepts of expression.  In every port of freedom docks an armada of lessons.  Waiting to be called ashore to our present moment, our earthly education waits patiently, riding the tides of our indecision, the unfathomable depths of our doubts and the choppy waters of fear.  With our practical needs met, our spirit breaks free to entertains such philosophical preponderances with the liberty to recognize coincidences in our lives;  the freedom to develop and grow without restriction;  the freedom to accept life’s inevitable lessons and understand the impact;  the freedom to integrate each lesson and thrive from it;  the freedom to release and let go.
 
 
In the timeline of human history, man’s inherent freedom appears as a mere moment on the scale.  Comfortably ensconced in suffering and spiritual slavery, we fall back into the rocking chair of old thoughts and practices.  When we dare to set forth on new adventures to seek the freedoms endowed by our Creator, we break the chains of restrictions imposed on our delicate souls and dare to cross the vast ocean of lessons to reach the promised land of understanding and spiritual sovereignty. 
 
Today, think differently.  Measure your progress not from the first knot of old thinking you towed with you from your past, but from right now – this moment.  Leave behind all the old trappings and thought patterns which brought you here to the banks of possibility, and dare to venture forth into new worlds of independence.  You’ll never know what it looks like until you step onto the shore.

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Mother Earth Alive and Well

By Marlene Buffa April 9, 2010

The month of May joyfully reminds us of the rebirth of nature.  In acknowledgment, we celebrate Mother’s Day – honoring our birth mothers, and ultimately our spiritual mothers.  Symbolizing the greater gifts of the earth as Mother to all living things, we dedicate one day to recognizing our origins by honoring she who gave us life, and the earth which sustains our life.  This month, take a look at your own walk on the planet, and see the many different forces which give birth to your potential.
 
Safe and secure
From the moment of conception to birth, our life depends on our mother for development.  Not only do we grow in the biological sense, but Mother sets the precedent for her role as nurturer and protector.  We flourish at an alarming rate of cell duplication and soon, enter the world as a complete physical being.  We take for granted Mother is there for us, tending to our basic human infant needs and offering love and support for our emotional growth, as well.  Mother taught us to adapt and improvise, demonstrating overcoming obstacles and making way for better things.
 
Mother Earth, as we experience her, always existed.  From the day of our birth to our last day, the constancy of our world never waivers.  We depend on gravity and the tides, sunrises and sunsets as the natural and normal courses of each day.  We go through each day silently grateful for such support, and if something shakes our foundation, Mother Earth heals herself rather quickly, or she changes entirely in response to the occasion, usually producing a shift greater in magnificence than what suffered the loss. 
 
Direction
Savvy mothers allowed us to make mistakes.  While the lessons often eluded us, Mother pointed out that we learn from errors as well as successes.  In short, our Mothers provided a sense of direction as well as buoyancy on the rough waters of life.  We value her opinion, her steadfastness and her willingness to navigate while we steer the ship ourselves.  While patient or not with our explorations, Mother helps us to set goals ourselves while giving us the space to change course and consider different directions.
 
North and South, East and West, Mother Earth grounds us in geography and geology.  We learn our limitations in conquering mountains, rough waters and ocean depths, yet the challenge remains to find an inside passage which best suits our goals.  Encountering the inevitable heights of difficulties, or diving deeply into despair, Mother Earth stands unmoved by our machinations and simply “is.”  With so much to see and explore, we uncover parts of ourselves as depicted in earthly landscapes.  The patient giant, Earth gives us unending opportunity to make mistakes and try again.  When our direction becomes clear with all obstacles removed, we advance to even higher ground of who we truly are in the wind of our achievement; we transform into a spiritual being even better than before!
 
Birth to potential
At the time of birth, no one, including Mother, knew our future.  Perhaps her newest bundle of joy would grow to cure cancer, write a symphony or free a nation.  Rarely would Mother desire anything negative for her baby.  Doing her best with her given conditions and circumstances, Mother nurtured, loved and taught us to develop and pursue our dreams.  She provided what loving support possible and released her umbilical hold on our sovereign consciousness so we could venture into the world to experience and achieve our finest potential.
 
Our Earth Mother provides us with soil to grow our food, oceans and animals to harvest for our nourishment.  Learning from her and from one another, we make our way through life by discovering new edible food or methods to improve our chances in hunting and gathering.  Mother Earth provides us with a canvas by meeting all our basic needs and freeing us to explore what we do with the palette of pure potential. 
 
Birth to ourselves
 
As an infant – and more importantly as an adult – we exist as pure potential.  As we age, we learn and acquire cynicism and doubt, and many times long to revert back to a womb of protection to shield us from the hazards of the rocky life we befell.  When we separate from mother, in the physical and emotional sense, we realize our glory as an autonomous individual and discover the greatness within us.  Giving thanks to Mother for all she provided, especially life itself, we expand our horizons and explore possibilities separate from her.
 
Mother Earth, too, gave birth to man’s potential. In space exploration, we separated from the earth and atmosphere to explore the unknown, moving further and further away.  Like a child whose distance-radius expands with confidence, our daring missions away from Earth grow larger with each effort.  And, like the child who returns to mother, we return to the earth, compelled by the need for grounding and the pull of gravitational force. When reunited, we share our discoveries with our fellow travelers in the hopes that one day they, too, reach far only to find themselves. 
 

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NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING Coloring(Living) Outside the Lines

By Marlene Buffa March 21, 2010

In our formative years, parents and teachers alike encouraged – and sometimes required- us to color inside the lines of the all-too familiar coloring book.  We learned to read by identifying the proper colors to use in each segment of the black and white image, making sure our crayon marks blended together to form a solid-looking filler.  Sometimes, we’d press hard so the crayon wax embedded itself onto the paper, resulting in a beautiful sheen.  Often, in early schooling, our coloring projects received grades for various aspects of the assignment – using the proper color in each portion of the picture, no combination of colors and most importantly, coloring inside the lines.  As adults, we accrue credits for conformity, with no hint of the reward for compliance, yet we strive to obey the rules.  When we begin to live outside the lines of our past, we bathe in a rainbow of gratification, breaking restrictions, and daring the possibilities for self-expression.
 
Scribbling
As toddlers, motor skills not yet developed, we learned by imitation and repetition.  We saw our older siblings or parents adeptly color by example and even though our little fingers could barely hold the crayon, we attempted to follow their lead.
Usually wielding a color unconventional for the subject matter, we gleefully and proudly scribbled all over the page and believed our artwork rivaled the steady handed elder.  Seeing our primitive attempts as perfection, we presented our handiwork with pride to our family, and beamed brightly when it earned the esteem of display in a public place.
 
In many ways, we still scribble our way through life, attempting to follow a higher path and aspire to deeper meanings.  We’re proud of our progress and often feel it equal to those whose work we study intently.  Our Creator, quite satisfied with our attempts, instills in us the drive to keep moving forward, all the while pleased with our sense of accomplishment.  Importantly, when we examine our present moments, take time to reflect on the progress and note that where you are now sprung from the foundation of rudimentary skills coupled with the need to grow. 
 
Choose Your Palette
Early years coloring books clearly pointed out the “proper”
color to fill in the image.  This simple direction allowed you to learn to read, match the word to the crayon, and fill in only that designated area with the color.  It also taught us to follow directions and agree, on some basic level, on how things were supposed to appear.
 
As adults, we learn that things are not what they seem in life.  The harsh lessons that stray from the saying, “If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck… then it’s a duck!” put us in an uncomfortable place.  When we, or a friend, dared to color the grass pink and the duck’s bill purple, we suffered scolding from our friends and teachers.  In retrospect, we see that assigning objects different characteristics than accepted by others, moved us into a new realm of questioning, and ultimately understanding.  Today, we open ourselves up to ideas that the status quo no longer need remain static, and invite the inevitable change in our prism of possibilities to provide the shifts needed for growth.
 
Embellishments
Following directions carefully, we used our coloring projects as one of our first exercises in self expression.  As we developed through childhood, our coloring books grew more elaborate, including more intricate images and even contained story-lines.  The more sophisticated books included puzzles and games.  Rarely, however, did the books encourage us to add to the images on the page.  We simply colored what we were given and enjoyed the pastime.  As we continued to grow, we realized that we could add birds, grass, trees and more to an image to personalize it and make it our own. 
 
As adults, we find satisfaction in getting our needs met on a daily basis, and remain fairly content with our means of achieving that end.  Bombarded with advertising for “more, bigger, better and improved” one-time luxuries now seem passé and our level of standard increases with each passing year.  We argue that the extras are simply our basic “needs” as we see them, and not enhancements or frills.  When we pause to examine the possibilities in life, we see than even the littlest embellishment enhances our life experience.  Noticing the birds, grass, trees and more provides a richer appreciation.  Noticing ordinary things as extraordinary complements to our automated lives, expands the full spectrum of our enjoyment of today.
 
 
Adding text balloons
As we grew nearer to leaving coloring books behind, most of us enjoyed a brief phase of both reading comics and the funny pages while still enjoying our artistic expression with crayons.  Daring to create dialogue of our own, we drew little balloons projecting from our colored pictures and wrote what we believed relevant comments to enhance the page.  A glorious outcropping in the learning process, we carried over one learned element from the medium of comics and applied it to our own creation.
 
In our grown-up years we adapt similarly, as well.  We enjoy a sense of fulfillment when we add our own “color commentary” to any given situation.  From observations to opinions, our input declares our position in the present moment and demonstrates to others our grasp on understanding.  We allow our voice to speak loudly, declaring who we perceive ourselves to be, by our dialogue with one another.
 
In following the rules, we find contentment in the order of things in society.  By driving between the white or yellow lanes of traffic, peace and safety continues down the road of life.  In the aspects of life which allow for creativity and spiritual expression, we grow through a poignant process.  From scribbling in the color of our choice and knowing the majesty of our work, to the dedicated adherence to a dark outline of definition in the color specified, we see opportunities for growth and movement.
 

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The Odds are Good, but the Pickins’ are Slim

By Marlene Buffa February 20, 2010

I recently visited a meeting on a topic of interest primarily to men.  Out of 30 attendees, only 4 women attended.  When a female acquaintance joined me at my table, she noted the few women at the meeting and said she thought the odds were good she’d find a man to connect with since the subject matter was of mutual interest.  After a few minutes of scanning the room, she sighed and said that although the room was filled with men, she found none of them suited her.  This observation led her to surmise that although the odds were good she would meet someone, the selection was limited.
 
Life offers us choices and opportunities in almost every aspect of our day to day living.  When we look at each situation, and the possibilities it holds, we see many available outcomes or solutions available to us.  Most often restrictions of options loom before us leaving the chances of success limited.  Conversely on other occasions, we see the probability of success great, but the roads to that end are narrow and crooked.  Until we create both high probability of success with multiple desirable options, the most common scenario we see in our world appears to have good odds, but limited options.
 
Odds are Good
The “odds are good” grows more evident because over the past 20years or so, new thought philosophy taught us to create what we want in our world and look for ways for it to manifest.  We increased our chances for achievement by retraining our minds and thought patterns to see how to make lemonade from the lemons handed to us.  Therefore, we can turn almost any undesirable situation into a pitcher of potential by looking at it differently. In short, through optimism and noticing life’s little gifts, we increase our odds by believing that what we want is truly attainable in almost any given circumstance.
 
Pickins are Slim
When the “pickins’ are slim” we find limitation and discrimination wherever we look.  In a forest of available options, within every tree of choice, we find the bark of negativity, the sap of distaste and the pulp of dissatisfaction.  When the Universe presents us with a myriad answers to our requests in the form of great odds, we find a way to chop down the possibilities and grind them to dust with our attitude.  A log jam of potential awaits if we can only see the forest for the trees and discern the true gift from Spirit among the undergrowth of confusion.
 
What do you want?
After many misguided and not so carefully worded declarations for our heart’s desire, we learn by trial and error to clearly identify what we think we want.  Then, as options present themselves through the blessings in life, we systematically dismiss them one by one, deeming each not a direct or perfect answer to our prayers.  So, we believe if we refine our request down to minutiae of detail, only then can the Universe serve up what we ordered.  Instead of enjoying the vast possibilities which miraculously appear as answers and opportunities, we spend our present moments picking apart what’s wrong, and never marvel at the gifts Spirit put before us!  Our “now” is consumed by focusing on what’s wrong instead of how our dreams are answered.  Perhaps the biggest thing we miss in this futile exercise remains that we miss the point that our “pickins” even showed up!
 
Why settle for less?
So many times we hear that people settle for things in life such as an occupation, a job, a mate or even a vacation!  Can you imagine?  “Settling” for a vacation?  The very notion that you can even take time off of work to travel somewhere and enjoy the fruits of your labors should be the gift in itself!  Yet, with tummies filled by instant gratification, we take so many things for granted.  We think if we agree to one level of goodness in our lives, we say NO to all the rest, and possibly better things.  Depending on the level of commitment involved in our choice, changing our minds is almost always an option.  If we delay and delay our good by rejecting one option over another, are we not settling to be unsettled?
 
Dare to pick something odd!
We harbor so many judgments on our choices, our boat never pulls away from the dock.  We worry about what others think about what we want, then we ponder what our choice says about us, then we wonder if something is better and we’re missing out.  In the dog pound of life, we select a dog who touches us, whom we can’t resist.  Does it matter that his tail is too long or his ears are too short?  We see the connection between what we want and who we are, and unapologetically, we adopt the most endearing pooch.  We then proudly walk with our new best friend in the streets of town, happily displaying our luck in finding a good fit.
 
In life, the true miracles lie in the many choices Spirit presents to us, not in how closely each opportunity matches our carefully guarded pickins’.  The odds are ALWAYS good for our happiness and highest and best, and the pickins’ are a matter of attitude and gratitude.  Today, give thanks for all you have and hope to have, and appreciate the true gift of variety and creativity offered to you.  Choose the present moment!

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Freedom in February

By Marlene Buffa January 17, 2010

Freedom:  In humans, the power or capacity to choose among alternatives or to act in certain situations independently of natural, social, or divine restraints Brittanica Online
 
In America, we equate the celebration of freedom with July, the month of the signing of the Declaration of Independence from King George.  After the Civil War, all Americans born on our soil experienced freedom as their birthright.  Our founding fathers no longer wanted us to experience freedom FROM something, rather the freedom TO choose one’s own way.  Our great nation deliberately abdicated rule over the people and instead invited its citizens to exercise free will.  With freedom comes great personal responsibility of making the right choices given lengthy aisles filled with many flavorful options.  As we look at the significance of several designated days in February, we remember that although freedom is a condition of our environment, it begins within the flame of independence burning in each of us.
 
National Freedom Day
Each February 1st, we acknowledge America’s representation of freedom.  This day, established in 1948, celebrates our elimination of involuntary servitude.  With the signing of the 13th Amendment into law outlawing slavery, our country took a stand to honor the freedom granted to us by our Creator. 
 
In what ways does your essential nature require liberation?  Quite often we place limits on our abilities or our dreams, and never dare to pursue our happiness.  With no outside force limiting or restricting our potential, the only barrier to our free expression lies within.  Take a few minutes this day and all year long to unlock the greatness of your being and open the door to your greatest desire.  You alone hold the key to your spiritual freedom.
 
Valentine’s Day
The feast of St. Valentine stands as a traditional day to express love to one another.  From the innocent paper cards we passed out to our classmates, to roses and dinner out, love’s conquest of the heart rings out to us each year.  It’s often said that we don’t choose with whom we fall in love. If that’s indeed the case, love then becomes an overbearing force to which we succumb sometimes unwisely or unwittingly.  It’s almost as though we are love’s victim – falling helpless to the selection of that most precious emotion as to our beloved.
 
From “puppy love” to multiple relationships, every one of us experienced partnerships which didn’t work out for one reason or another.  We must also acknowledge that love sometimes knocks on the door of our heart and we fail to answer the call because the appearance or expectation of our ego casts a veil of denial over the possibility of authentic connection.  When we unburden ourselves from the restrictions our prescribed conditions and qualities impose, we free ourselves to look at love through the peephole of acceptance and willingly explore one of nature’s finest experiences!
 
 
Lincoln’s birthday
Before the workplace standardized holidays took force, February 12th recognized the birth of Abraham Lincoln.  After myriad failures in his private and public life, this man endured hardships that fortified him to take the office of Presidency in our nation’s darkest hours.  After almost 100 years of independence, America’s hypocrisy exhibited in the institution of slavery denied this group of people their God-given right to live for their own sake.  While the war between the states argued for power other than oppression, it remains a turning point in our country’s history and a shining light of freeing a people not only from bondage but from thousands of years of man’s dominance over others.
 
Lincoln’s no-win situation brought about costly changes, forfeiting several founding principles set forth in the Constitution.  He made the best decision he could given the circumstances.  When we face matters in our own lives which appear devastating no matter the choice, we must focus on the end result – what supports our freedom as individuals, as free spirits?  We want to be free in our lives to prosper and thrive, yet the only slave master we cower to is our own self-worth. When we release the self-inflicted tentacles of fear, we free our minds and ideals to reach for the stars. 
 
Washington’s birthday
One of our bravest generals and reluctant leaders, George Washington stood tall the saddle and in the history books.  Wise and strong, Washington led groups of men into battle and overpowered one of the world’s strongest armies.  He freed himself from defeatist notions and hence, liberated a country.  As president, he led with humility and honor, treasuring always to sustain the freedom he fought so hard to attain.
 
When our personal resources appear dour, we realign with our core principles.  Gathering our strength from our desire to achieve and grow, we move against the formidable foes life puts in our path, all the while sure that our goal awaits us.  Moving from self-limitation, doubt and fear, the freedom to try and try again brings about the purest expression of our true spirit and sets the stage for a life well-lived.
 
 
 
February 29 – leap year
Once every four years, the calendar adjusts to allow for the differentiation between solar cycles and recorded time.  In a sense, February 29th is a “freebie”
day – a gift of an additional 24 hour period.  While we live in a free country and are free to pursue our dreams and happiness, we never escape the mantle of time.  As we succumb to either shortened hours sleep or less private moments, our busy lives find us crying out for a few more hours in a day to accomplish our to-do list.  The gift of an additional day nonetheless appears “business as usual” to our hectic schedule and rarely do we take a deep breath to appreciate this timely gift.
 

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Looking for an Earthquake

By Marlene Buffa January 4, 2010

Last week while raking up the winter leaves in my yard, I thought of how confidently we go through life assured that the dirt beneath our feet provides us with a steady foundation.  We can scrape away the surface, clean up debris, yet Mother Earth remains solid – something we depend on.  Then, I thought of that carnival ride, which when spun around creates centrifugal force, and then the floor drops out beneath the riders.  As children we boarded the ride knowing the bottom falls out, but not sure of when.  We’re certain we’re going to slide off the wall and into the abyss of the whirling gears because we have not yet figured out that higher forces – invisible forces – play a larger role in life than we imagined.
 
Uncertainty:  the
fascinating aspect about the earth rattling uncontrollably beneath our feet.  Unable to predict or prevent it, the earthquake remains one of the few inescapable geological phenomena.  Unlike the weather which some meteorologists predict with moderate accuracy, the rumbling of the earth’s tectonic plates remind us we cannot run or hide from, or alter its impact.  Our options are to hold on and endure or step aside and get out of the way.  In many ways, we experience love in the same manner.  No matter how scientific, how diligent or persistent, our search for love resembles an odyssey for an earthquake from the invisible source.
 
The foundation
Each day, we plod through life on Mother Earth.  Knowing the depths of the sea and the life beneath the surface exist, we take for granted our sure footing.  We rely on the smoothness of life’s paved roads as well as the malleable sand on the beach to carry us from one adventure to the next.  When nature shakes us by surprise, our balance shifts and even for a moment, we transport our awareness from security to wondering if anything in life truly is formidable.
 
Like the solid ground beneath our feet, love provides the stabilizing force in our lives.  Often taken for granted, the love between parents and children, the affection of spouses or even the endearment we feel toward friends, invisibly teeters on our acknowledgment to keep it in place.  When love provides the sure-footing for the basis of our lives, we walk confidently.  When the crevasse of uncertainty portends the delicacy of love, our walk grows more tentative.
 
The shake up
We often don’t notice when things are out of sync for us, or deteriorating, as long as the status quo persists.  Sometimes it takes something as raucous as the grumbling ground and toppling edifices to catch our attention.  When we fix the fallen gutters or the long-ignored missing roof tiles, we wonder what took us so long – did it really take the earth moving to disengage our private  inertia?
 
In relationships which grow translucent, we notice the vibrancy no longer there, yet remain precariously careful as to not discolor the blend of emotions within.  When we look for the earthquake in a relationship, we ask Spirit to startle us into engaging again with our partner, or provide blatant clues for a budding one.  Convinced we wouldn’t recognize love if we ran into it, we silently douse our way down the path, hoping for a sure bubbling sign of love’s flow.  Conscious of your choice or not, you ask Spirit to provide an earth-shattering awakening or love’s mirror to see it in yourself.
 
Duration
In truth, the shifting plates wield their power for only a few seconds or minutes, which seem like an eternity.  Frozen in time, similar to watching ourselves fall in slow-motion, we endure the earthquake first by surprise, then uncertainty and then a hesitant disbelief when its over.  Since the laws of nature rule, our desire to control the situation increases
 
Louise Hay teaches us that all relationships are temporary.  Like the earthquake, we have no notion of the intensity or duration of our interaction with others.  Some spiritualists suggest that relationships last just exactly as long as they are supposed to, and not a minute more.  From unexpected beginnings to rocky endings, some of life’s most poignant and meaningful lessons arise from the most challenging scenarios.  Perhaps we learn the best when we struggle to keep our footing on the shaky ground of coexistence and pay attention.
 
We can no more look for love, than we can predict or seek out an earthquake.  Both capable of rocking our world, we think chances are determined by location or an unknown faction.  But the only place we need concern ourselves, lives within us.  When we realize we create the quakes in our lives even though we deny it, we also manifest the intensity and duration of each relationship into which we engage.  So, let love take you by surprise and be sure to look around you for evidence of the impact it makes on your life and those around you.

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Thinning Down in the New Year

By Marlene Buffa December 5th, 2009

A new calendar year urges us to set new intentions for the coming twelve months. Often playful, sometimes serious, these resolutions allow us to focus on what we hope to accomplish and also allow us an opportunity to ponder the possibilities we map out for ourselves. Faced with a pencil and blank sheet of paper, we look up towards the ceiling as we strive to articulate our dreams, aspirations adventures for the coming year.

One popular goal, appearing for many of us year to year, is to lose weight. We try one diet after another, struggle with exercise programs that get boring after a few weeks, and deny ourselves even infrequent simple indulgences, to lower that number on the ever truth-revealing scale. We believe achieving a lower body weight in our earthly vehicle, raises our value on life’s scale. Our spiritual weight hopefully increases, thereby improving our chances of satisfaction and contentment in all of life. In the divine balance of our consciousness, we learn that by releasing one unit of measurement, we gain in other, more powerful aspects of who we truly are.

Thinly Veiled
Very often, the essence of our humanity hides behind a thin veil we generate to separate us from the world around us. Holding up a translucent shield, just thin enough for us to view life from the inside out, projects the illusion of mystery or secrecy. Somehow, we believe that others can’t see through the armor of a thinly shielded persona, so we allow it to float around us like the dance of scarves as a coy partner with life.

When we examine what we are hiding by holding up a veil, we realize the answers reveal more than the veil disguises. The parts of ourselves we reluctantly divulge to outsiders, hide from clear view, yet cannot muster the courage to openly appear as components of our true self. When we realize that others seem intrigued by the illusions we set forth, we later know we cannot hide from the Infinite, or, more authentically, ourselves.

Thinning Out
Beginnings as with endings, finds us making choices of things we choose to keep in our lives and that which we freely release. From people who no longer empower us, to bad habits, to possessions which will better serve others, we consciously make decisions for our new year by thinning out the herd of our life.

Forgiving, removing and releasing the old worn out patterns of thought and beliefs, taking a stand for yourself in a new beginning speaks loudly your resolution for change. No matter what you choose to discard in your life, it all points to your spiritual center – what you allow – or don’t allow - to exist and affect you in your world. With the cacophony of society rising every year, our culture demands more and more of our attention to both the subtle nuances of life as well as the clanging cymbals (symbols) of reality. While we cannot control what and how much life puts in our path, yet we hold the power to determine how much affects us. By thinning out that which negates our highest and best life experience, we declare to life our focus and intention to live fully within what matters.

Thin skinned
We’re human. We take things personally. We allow the microscopic disturbances of life to permeate our spirit and burrow into our very being. Absorbing the positive and negative components swimming around us, we lack the filters necessary to differentiate between that which empowers us and that which may harm us. Thin skinned may present as gullibility, vulnerability or instability, resulting in an unfortunate adaptation and consumption of energy separate from ourselves.

Differentiating between toughening and thickening the barrier of our spirit to prevent the invasion of foreign negativity, offers a vital challenge throughout our life experience. While our perceptions may bring us a wide range of understanding and acknowledgement about what we choose to admit into our consciousness, thickness (or depth) still provides for an interaction between the world around us and our inner selves. If we toughen our essence, we no longer observe the impact of potential good – or bad – on our lives; we simply construct a defensive barrier to all new ideas, thereby possibly denying the gift of growth in the process. Most importantly, remember that which happens outside of us, need not be incorporated into our spirit.

Whether who you are hiding behind a superficial veil of illusion, or your make conscious choices to simplify your pool of options, or you strive to allow life to impact your spirit, remember a new calendar year presents opportunities for growth and for thinning out your life. Return to the basics of your nature – acknowledge who you are and proudly display your unique qualities! Keep those people, things and attitudes in your life which empower and bolster your journey, and finally, know what to absorb and to repel when the energies around you appear as a challenging opportunity for growth!

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Death and Rebirth at Christmas

By Marlene Buffa October 24, 2009

No matter what your religious or spiritual beliefs, the irony of a divine birth in the middle of the winter of earthly death inspires faith.  Harvest complete, farming dormant, our earthly cycle of seed-to-life lays at rest in the winter months.  Instead, the birth of a heavenly idea springs forth each year in the midst of a barren blanket of cold and dark, and our faith in the world renews itself.  Death of earthly life – whether animal or vegetable or human – merely represents greater spiritual cycles.  The symbols of true power lie not in the longest lifespan or fertile soils, but in the resilient spirit within each of us to perceive and experience an awakening of greater good amidst our darkest days.

Plant new seeds
After the harvests each year, the cycle of sustenance begins anew.  A waiting period for the planting season provides the opportunity for us to reflect on the harvest and plant the seeds of food we prefer and need to sustain us.  Freely and deliberately, we plot out rows of seeds, carefully balancing between various edible families of food to ensure our crops provide variety and succulent nutrition.  Measuring distance between the seeds, our sowing allows for growth and development of the plants so they thrive when the time is right.  We tend the garden with nourishing water and fertilize the soil to provide the opportunity for an abundant harvest.  Then, we wait for our effort to sprout and grow.

In our Spiritual gardens, we must also take great care to plant only the seeds of thought and desire that will result in our greatest crop of abundance in the future we choose to create.  We must consciously align the rows of beliefs and intention, and allow room for what we truly want in life to blossom and grow to the fullest potential.  We tend the garden of our faith with careful reaffirmation of positive thoughts and appreciation, knowing that the seeds of our prayers will flourish under the loving attention of our spiritual work.  And then, we rest while the Infinite grows all the components into place.

Harvest your greater good
The Winter Solstice signified regrouping and giving thanks for food for the winter.  In colder climates, the solstice marked the beginning of the starvation months of January through April, and a celebration including feasts, slaughtering animals for food and storing crops strengthened chances of survival.  People stored wine, food, grain and more to sustain them in the harsh months.

Like the agrarian society of centuries past, our Spiritual farmers use the Christmas season to regroup and give thanks.  We face the New Year soon after the solstice, and with it comes the uncertainty of survival of new ideas and experiences.  Under the shining star of wisdom, we give birth to new possibilities and ways of thinking and soon after, we leave our past behind and dare to use the resources of our soul we stashed away for the cold days of our life’s work.  We celebrate the end of one way of life in the present year, and move forward, sometimes reluctantly, into new beginnings knowing no matter how intensely we dig our heels into the old calendar and our old ways, time progresses and we must move with it.  While we build upon on our past collection of beliefs and practices, we find when we harvest our greater good, it appears differently than before. Transformed by time and aging, our spiritual good fermented like fine wine into greater blessings than we imagined.  Like good stewards of the crops of our life work, we bless the ideas healthy for us, and discard any notions diseased with the mould of self-doubt and negativity.

Give thanks for bountiful cycles
From Christmas to Easter, to Summer and Fall, we recognize and enjoy the life cycles of time and earth’s gifts.  Similarly, we must remember to appreciate the cyclic nature of our awareness as it shifts naturally with maturity and responds to life experience.  At every turn, gratefulness enhances our lives and enriches the soil of our contented hearts.

At Christmas, we reflect upon what we grew this past year through the garden of relationships, for the crop of consciousness serves as building blocks for the coming year.  When we reserve enough good in the storehouse of your soul, life finds a way to sustain us through difficulties and challenges.  Death of old dusty attitudes and ideas offers us the opportunity to sweep away what no longer serves us and clears the path for new information and enlightenment.  In the center of the clearing, lies the opportunity for a rebirth of Spirit, moving us ever forward toward an abundant future.

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Knock, Bump and Whoosh!

By Marlene Buffa   -    September 19, 2009

Halloween brings to light our memories and our apprehensions and enlivens our imagination. Each year we honestly portray ourselves as something other than who we are, and venture out into the night fearlessly asking for what we want from strangers and friends. The chant, “Trick or Treat!” resounds on neighborhood streets, with a telltale confidence that our abundant rewards, sweet and freely given, fill the largest container we dare to hold. Life, too, offers us the opportunity to boldly request our desires from others as well as the Universe. Just as our expectations of creepy “things that go bump in the night” sometimes come to fruition at Halloween, other evidence of things outside of ourselves interjecting with our humanity, finds its way into our daily experience.

Knock Knock

More than just a childhood formulaic riddle, spirit knocking on the door of our consciousness forces us to awaken to new possibilities. My friend Ann’s condo, replete with sounds and noises from unearthly visitors, resonates with a loud knock, or rap on her wooden front door. The wooden door is closed and behind a locked metal security door so no one can make contact with the wood, yet the sounds echo throughout her living room – loud enough that her neighbors hear it, too! Ann gave up going to the door to see her anxious caller because after dozens of times, she found no one there. Spirit knocks on our door, too. Many times Spirit is there asking for an invitation to enter our lives, yet finds us not home to answer. Over and over, we hear the call to a greater life, and either ignore it or find we cannot face the greatness it offers. We must prepare ourselves equally to knock on the door of opportunity and to answer the call when opportunity beckons us. Take the initiative to dare for a great life and you may just receive a “treat!” you weren’t expecting!

Bump

From fender benders, to bumper cars, we often equate a bump with a collision in transportation. We’ve all heard the “bumps in the night” which startle us from sleep yet we dismiss such noises as the house settling or our pets rousting about. Bumping into unseen forces, we sometimes feel a hovering entity or looming feeling surrounding us, daring to collide with our circumventing comfort zone. With our bodies as vehicles transporting us on the planet, collisions occur naturally with others and with Spirit around us. Nothing to fear, these gentle bumps into our beingness serve to remind us and alert us of the awakened world in which we roam. Like the bumper in a pinball machine, Life stands there, solid and immovable, waiting for us to bump into it. We dart off in a different direction, most times not due to any epiphany of understanding, rather from the shock of the bump itself – the bump we created. When Life or Spirit bumps into us, it renders a touching reminder for us to awaken to the events and emotions around us while we make our way on the planet. From the premonitory diversion to avoid an accident, to the gentle nudge into something better, Life reminds us of the power of the Infinite as a gentle teacher.

Whoosh!

The older we grow, the quicker time passes. Our perception and vantage point change as time reflects against the accumulation of our experience. Time, as we interpret it through man-made dials and clocks, remains constant and some say, circular or infinite. Unseen thoughts, entities and even energies wrap around us, check us out, and whisk away – in an instant. The indescribable feeling of déjà vu, or the instinctive choices we make, represents our higher selves responding to Life. When life streaks by us in our unaware state of the daily banal, we waste precious time in the coma of disengagement. Awaken from the sleep of drudgery and live the life you want to live! Too often we “wake up” and we find our children getting married – wondering where did their childhood go? Could twenty years pass without your conscious awareness of it? Worse yet – did those years whoosh by without our enjoyment and fulfillment of precious moments? Halloween reminds us to step outside of our normal persona to experience something new. With the eerie knocks, bumps and whooshes, we attract that which we fear but know is real. It’s easy to blame playful ghosts for the pranks they often wield on us, when our true fears lie within us – and we’re too afraid to face them. As nurturer of our spirits and benevolent guide, Life knocks on the door of our consciousness offering us a deeper existence, bumps into us and diverts us onto a higher path and whooshes by us reminding us it’s never too late to wake up!