The Light Changed Today

The earth spins silently around the sun, revolving from day to night then day in the eternal celestial dance. The sun shines on all parts of the earth equally, without reservation or discernment. It also shines on all humans equally, no matter their color, culture or creed.

There is a special place created by man in 1260 that filters the sunlight through pictures and stories. This building is actually the fourth one to stand on this site, all dedicated to Mary, the mother of Jesus. For more than 1,700 years, pilgrims have traveled to the Cathedral in Chartres, France to show their devotion to Mary and be blessed by her.

Pushing open the heavy wooden door and walking into the gloom of the interior, my eyes take a moment to adjust. Even thought I cannot discern details of the interior, I sense a vast space rising above me, seemingly to infinity.

Slowly, my eyes adjust to the gloom and I feel small, insignificant, in the face of so much space. What can hold me together so I don’t spin apart?

The stained glass windows. They hold the key to emptiness. They give meaning to my life, don’t they?

Sunlight from a zillion miles away filters through the glass, coloring the floor in colors of red, umber, green and gold. These pieces of color are assembled to tell the story of creation, destruction and the coming of the one who will save us from ourselves. The story of Christianity is told in these panes of glass, 1,100 of them.

It isn’t the minute details that fascinate me, but the sense of reverence that permeates the air. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims have traveled to this spot to adore Mary, the mother of Jesus. They have walked these stones in their bare feet or with sandals that are worn through, taking one more step to reach their dream.

To see the Shroud of Mary that is encased in the far left corner of this magnificent Cathedral.

As I stand in front of the chapel, looking at the shroud, I can’t help but think of how many people have done the same thing. How many others have felt the energy of this simple piece of cloth that Mary wore while she was giving birth to Jesus?

The sunlight is filtered by the stain glass above the shroud. It filters the light through the stories told on its surface. It struck me that I was being educated by the people who created this art.

I continued to the opposite side of the Cathedral, passing several other alcoves and places of worship. Until I saw it on the floor, as if it were waiting for me.

A single beam of light, shining through a piece of clear glass. There were no stories filtering the light, just a clear opening for it to shine in all of its brilliance.

I stood in the pool of divine light and felt loved by God. In the place of a million stories (told in the stained glass and in the hearts of all who had ever set foot in this building), God found me. And he loved me, without my having to do anything but allow his love to flow into my heart.

The light changed for me in that moment. Accepting the gift, I now step forward. To join the celestial dance of love.

The Heart Dance.

When you know you are loved for who you are, not who you think you should be. When you know that you are enough, because you are loved for who you are. When you are seen and loved, just as you are, in this moment.

Why don’t you step into the pool of light unfiltered by stories, and join the dance?

The Illusion of Life: Balinese Style

“We are energetic beings with consciousness.”

The first time I heard that sentence was at a women’s retreat in Bali. Eleven women on a spiritual journey to find their own truth. Eleven women who traveled great distances to share a brief space of time to learn, connect and evolve.

Our group was diverse in age (the youngest was 34; the oldest, including me, were in their late 50s). Each one of us carried the deep desire to shed old beliefs, dissolve our limiting stories and become more authentic.

I can’t speak for anyone else, but my shedding began when I sat in the car on the way to the hotel from the airport. Chaotic traffic, hundreds of scooters and cars vying for the same spot on the pavement, all at the speed of life.

My fear of crashing was triggered immediately. My body tightened, my breath became shallow and I became my fear.

Until I looked at our driver, Nengah, and noticed how calm he was in the middle of chaos. His hands were gently resting on the steering wheel, his shoulders were relaxed and his focus was complete. He never reacted as a scooter zoomed past us, between our car and oncoming traffic. He never became angry or upset at anything that was happening on the other side of the windshield.

He was present, mindful and aware.

It was my first lesson on the illusion of Bali. I brought my Western awareness to this place and judged it based on my perception. But I failed to see that I was looking at the illusion, not the underlying reality.

“We are energetic beings with consciousness.”

The Balinese know this as a fact and they live from this place. They may describe it differently, but their presence in the present becomes obvious as you spend more time with them.

During the retreat, I also learned that we are conscious creators of our reality. Our reality begins and ends with our internal eyesight. What we see in our mind’s eye is what we will see when light is refracted off our eyeballs.

As creators, we change our reality when we change our internal vision. Meditation, visualization and gratitude are ways to stay centered. As you emerge into the world from these practices, your energy goes before you, almost like a magic carpet. You invite the same energy into your reality that you radiate.

Life becomes a beautiful dance.

It’s so simple but many of us have forgotten our own power to create our reality. We see the physical and interpret its meaning, based on our perception in that moment. The illusion becomes our reality, because we are on the inside of it.

We have forgotten that we are energetic beings with consciousness.

The Balinese live this way. They wake in the morning and give thanks. They create offerings and place them in the doorways, at the base of the shrines, and at the foot of waterfalls. Anywhere they see God’s signature on the world, they celebrate with gratitude.

My intention is to see beyond the illusion of the physical, to the energetic life force that supports and connects everything. To first clean up my own energy before interacting with others. And to consciously allow the essence of life to flow through me as loving energy.

It’s just another step in the Heart Dance!

The Wonder of Being Human

I am 30,000 feet above the earth, thinking about a movie that I just watched. It touched me in a way that hasn’t happened in a while.

I have always felt a strong affinity for the lonely ones, the outcasts, the overlooked. It’s probably because I was one myself.

So often, the need to belong is stronger than the will to be kind. But when a person looks inside and chooses kindness over belonging, everyone grows and evolves.

That’s why the movie called “Wonder” was so meaningful. A birth defect made Auggie look hideous. His features are misshapen, he is small for his age and a prime target for bullies. But the kids who learn to see behind the mask discover his goodness and light.

We all wear masks to protect our vulnerability. We learn from an early age that hiding our true self is the way to get along, be accepted and belong. We see what we believe and we act accordingly.

Until something breaks through our mask. Or someone sees us – really sees us. Then, the mask shatters and the light behind our eyes connect. Because we are all the same light. We just have different forms.

Imagine

Imagine if all humans could see themselves for the wonder that they are. Beings in human form, experiencing life in each moment. What might spring from that one simple shift in perspective?

o Judgment and criticism wouldn’t be necessary. How can you judge another for you are the same?

o Racism, discrimination and violence wouldn’t be necessary. For how can you harm another when you are the same?

o Competition would be replaced by collaboration; Jealousy and hatred would dissolve into love;

Imagine your own life if your closest loved ones knew who they are and saw you as you are. A unique expression of divine energy. Differences would be celebrated and passions elevated.

That is the wonder of being human. “Wonder” portrayed these concepts on the big screen.

My 30,000 foot view of the world has shifted. I am in love with myself, my life and every person on the planet. Because love is who we are.

It’s just another step in the Heart Dance!

Spiritual Fuel

“Your body is your vehicle for great awakening, treat it with great care” –Buddah

How many weight loss resolutions have your broken by the first week of the new year? Are you in that stage now, berating yourself for your lack of will power and focus?

It doesn’t have to be that way.

Diets, by their design, are restrictive. Deprivation and negativity are hallmarks. And many diets actually work against your body, triggering it’s survival mode. Holding on to every bit of calories and stored fat, because when you are on a diet, you can actually starve yourself.

It’s like filling your car up with water and expecting it to run smoothly (or to start at all).

Unlike a car, your body has its own natural intelligence. It knows how to realign and center, but it needs your help. Your body is designed to operate flawlessly, seamlessly and effortlessly. It just needs the right fuel. (Hint: the fuel is different than what you think it is).

F.U.E.L is not the food you eat or the calories you consume. Spiritual F.U.E.L. is:

It All Starts When You Live From the Inside-Out

Your health can be seen from an entirely new perspective. Instead of counting calories and feeling deprived, why not take time to be still, go within and discover that you are O.K. (just by being here on the planet). Focusing on living from the inside-out will profoundly change your outlook, yourself, your relationships and your health. For example:

• Reconnect with your Source and the negative emotions that may drive you to eat poorly disappear.
• Realize your innate value as a human being; the insecurities that make a chocolate molten meltdown look like it’s your last meal dissolve into nothing. You can still eat the dessert, but you will enjoy it as a treat, not as an attempt to heal your pain.
• Renew yourself as a holistic being, making self-care critical in your daily life. Meditation, yoga, reading inspirational materials and eating mindfully are just some of the action items that fall into this category.

When you shift your focus from the outer world to your interior landscape, everything falls into place. Your thoughts stop swirling, your emotions settle and you discover what you have always known (but may have forgotten).

“You Are Valuable. You Are Valued. You Are Loved.”

How great would it be to live from that place? Knowing that your worth is guaranteed and that you are enough, right here…right now.

If this message caught your attention and made you wonder, why don’t you join me on Monday, January 11, 2016 from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. cst for a live webinar? You may find the answers you have been searching for, but didn’t know where to look.

Empower Your Health Webinar

Let’s dance together toward a new way of being. 

Just think how grand the world would be if only a few people started living from the inside-out!

Thank you and Be Well.

Where is God?

It all depends on what you believe, doesn’t it?

We look to the outside world to give us the answer, but it never quite delivers.

Truth lies within you. It waits patiently for you to be still. Nothing you do, say, or try to destroy will ever change the fact that Truth lies within you.

Perhaps Thomas Merton said it best:

At the center of our being is a point of nothingness which is untouched by illusion, a point of pure truth, a point or spark which belongs entirely to God, which is never at our disposal, from which God disposes of our lives, which is inaccessable to the fantasies of our own mind or the brutalities of our own will. This little point of nothingness and of absolute poverty is the pure glory of God in us.

#HeartDancing         KathrynEriksen.com

In that Breath…Creation Is

What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow.

Our life is the creation of our mind.  — Buddha

What do I want to create today?

Ask yourself that question just after you wake up and you are in that in-between space of dreaming and slipping back into your body. It’s that moment when you could slip back into sleep for a bit longer, or start your day.

Treasure that moment in time, because you are at your most creative in that breath.

Your thoughts are the purist… in that breath.

Your desires and dreams are just a tick away…in that breath.

Your emotions are chosen…in that breath.

So choose well and choose with love.

Breathe in your goodness and light and exhale your acknowledgment of all that is good.

Know that you are supported in whatever you choose…

because the Universe has a crush on you.

Let your day begin!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please Take a Moment and Read This

Sometimes I come across something so profound, so elegantly simple, that I have to share it with my fellow bloggers.

Hannah Brencher’s latest blog post falls into that category. Please take a minute to read:

http://hannahbrencher.com/2013/04/30/we-cannot-stay-here-any-longer/

Then pass it on to as many people as you can. Her message should be heard around the world.

I am slightly chagrined that I did not have the courage to say what she conveyed in her post. And I ask people to ask people to “Dance with the Divine”! So here is my attempt to expound on Hannah’s message of love.

Isn’t it time to move past the old hurts, the imagined grievances and the stories that we have created about events that shaped us? Why not step into that space of knowing, simply knowing that you are a Child of God? No questions, no intellectual arguments or religious references.

Just accept that you are here, at this time and place, to BE a Child of God.

Please don’t complicate this…instead, step into your greatness and allow God to lead you in the dance of life. The music is playing, the dance floor is ready. All you have to do is accept and allow.

 

Invert Your Story

Faithful followers of  my blog know that I talk about “miracles” – not in the religious sense, but as everyday occurrences.  A “miracle” is a change in perception that opens you to the truth of why we are here.  It sounds difficult but it truly is how we are meant to live.

For example, if you made a decision in the past that still affects you or that you continue to feel guilty about, are you open to change?  No, because you are stuck  in your “story.” You will perceive your life through the lens of the story you created around the event or decision.  It is as if you are still making a decision about The Decision!  No amount of persuasion, arguments or manipulation will dissuade you from the decisions you make, based on the story you created about your past.

Is that any way to live?

Stuck in your story, guilty about a decision you made that you now regret, judging yourself for the past.  When you are stuck in your story, you are closed to life’s magic – you can’t smell the flowers because you don’t even see them!  Small joys of everyday life pass you by, almost as if you have blinders on that only you can take off.  But how to step out of your story and be open to love?

Bring on the miracle!

To learn how to implement the miracle process in your life, you will have to read my book, Dance with the Divine.  It is available on Amazon as either a Kindle or paperback book.  Please respond to this blog or leave a review on the book page — it’s all good!

 

The Miracle Worker Mantra

A mantra is defined by Wikipedia as “a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of “creating transformation.”  Before I share the Miracle Worker Mantra, you should understand what a “Miracle Worker” is and what they do in the real world.

When I refer to “miracles,” I do not mean a religious or supernatural kind of event.  Walking on water and healing the sick will remain sacred Miracles that demonstrate Divine Intervention.  Wonderfully inspiring, faith producing Miracles are best left to those capable of creating such majestic events.

For me, a “miracle” is much more mundane and personal.  In the context of this article, it simply means a shift or change in perspective.  Nothing magical or other worldly, just an alteration in your thoughts about a past event or person that opens your heart to love.

Think of it as a gift to yourself. The gift remains inside the box, wrapped in paper of your own choosing.  When you respond with anger or  resentment, the wrapping paper is dark and dense.  When you react with acceptance and love, the paper becomes transparent and it is much easier for you to be aware of the gift, glowing eternally and waiting to be remembered.

Just what is the “gift”?  It is the one immutable truth that remains real throughout the Ages.  It is true for all people born in flesh.  It remains part of your DNA and it can never be lost, stolen or changed, no matter how much you have messed up or how much pain you have caused someone else.

Think of the gift as your Divine Nature Aligned (DNA).  You could no more change the molecular structure of your DNA than you could alter the gift. Both come from the same source and both are immutable, unalterable and real.  Accept that fact and your perspective will shift from fear to love.  The gift is simply stated and easily remembered:

You were created in love by God.

The logic is simple. If you were created in love by God, then so was everyone else.  Every person who has ever walked the planet has DNA as part of their physical body. No one can change their own DNA (Divine Nature Aligned) and they certainly cannot change another person’s DNA. Therefore, the person you are so angry with or fearful of has the same Divine Nature that you do.  They just don’t remember it.  A Miracle Worker does remember it, in every situation.

A Miracle Worker sees beyond the surface of things and remains open to the possibility that she cannot know, really know, the motivation or reasons that prompt a person to behave badly. A Miracle Worker allows the other person to misbehave, without reacting or criticizing. She understands that forgiveness in the moment is the best response and the least likely to enrage or engage the other person.

This technique may sound difficult until you begin using the Miracle Worker Mantra.  Simple to remember, easy to employ, when you train yourself to think of the mantra in any uncomfortable situation, you will begin to think like a Miracle Worker.

The mantra does not give away your power, nor does it demand recompense for a perceived wrong.  Instead, the Miracle Worker Mantra reminds you that you always have a choice about how you react to any situation.  It does not matter how awful the other person is to you; it is your choice on how you respond – with anger (which only increases the potential volatility) or with love (which expands both participants).

Without further ado, here is mantra: when you are faced with a situation that causes your heart to race, or your breathing to become short and shallow, tell yourself the following:

“I can see this differently.”

The mantra works best when it is said with love and openness. Step out of the situation for a brief moment, take a deep breath and gently remind yourself that you have a choice in how you react or behave. Assure yourself that you are loved and in loving yourself, you love the other person.  In that frame of mind, you then step back into the scene and “see this differently.”

The marvelous part of this entire process is that when you become a Miracle Worker, your life is forever changed.  Instead of frustration or anger, you feel only peace and love.  From that standpoint you react differently, which sends out ripples of change to those you encounter. They respond differently to your shifted response, and the cycle of love continues.

Come to think of it, maybe my mundane definition of miracles should include transformation after all!

 

 

 

You are a Miracle Worker (You Just Don’t Remember!)

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle.

The other is as though everything is a miracle.”     Albert Einstein

Miracles are mysterious, unexplainable and inspiring because of their shroud of supernatural power. A miracle is defined by Wikipedia as “an event of divine intervention.”  When I speak of “miracles,” I am not referring to Divine intervention or an interruption in the laws of nature.  No, I will leave those discussions to the theologians and philosophers. My mission is to help everyday people, living their everyday lives, learn how to use miracles to see themselves more clearly.

To me, a “miracle” is also a shift or change in perception.  It is because of that shift that unseen limits are removed, self-imposed bars are lifted and you are finally free to live your life the way you choose.  Instead of your life being governed by someone else’s standards, it is bracketed by your own.  The miracle happens when you remember who you are and what is important to you, and your decisions are based on those guideposts.

Every person alive on the planet has the ability to shift their perceptions and change the meaning that they have placed on events. The ability to shift perception to love and healing and away from limitation and anger is inate in all of us, waiting to be activated.  My mission is to help you activate your abilities to view yourself and your life in new ways that grow and expand your perceptions of your self and your world.

To learn more, please  visit www.areyouamessenger.com website, and search for me as Messenger 110.  You will be taken to my webpage, where you fill find the video I created that explains more about why you are a miracle worker.  It is part of the “Are You a Messenger” project, which will ultimately end with 10 Messengers being filmed as part of a movie of the same name.

If you are inspired by my video, please vote for me or leave a comment.  Sharing the video message with your social network is also a great way to support the project and spread the message of empowerment and love.  It will also help remind others that they can change their lives by changing their thoughts about it.

What a miracle that would be!