We are so accustomed to disguise ourselves to others that in the end we become disguised to ourselves. ~François Duc de La Rochefoucauld

If  you are my ‘friend’ on Facebook, you may have seen my recent posts about visiting the Agape Center for Spirituality in Culver City, Los Angeles. I posted that I (and Kerry too!)  finally met and HUGGED Michael Bernard Beckwith!  Every time I am out on the west coast, I make it a PRIORITY for my spirit to attend Agape.  The services there rejuvenate me and connect me to the ME (my inner goals and intentions) that I wish to create for myself in this lifetime.

This past service at Agape, Micheal Bernard Beckwith (GOOGLE HIM if you do NOT know who he is!) spoke about comfort zones, and mediocrity, and Excellence.  He re-lit my almost blown out candle (the one i’ve been burning on both ends.. the one that I talk about to all of YOU daily about how YOU can  IGNITE YOURS. Yet, like all of you, I suffer silently when my own is fading..   Beckwith described living in mediocrity, and how we tend to compare ourselves to others- This comparing ourselves to each other really leads us to ‘existing’ instead of LIVING…. 

I ‘speak’ with the deceased, the NON-LIVING daily, and yet, THEY are more ALIVE than most of US HERE. Are you EXISTING, or LIVING?   Are you sucked into the mindset that being happy isn’t really real or possible? Or that it doesn’t last? Or that your current state of bland happiness is ‘okay’.  Do you hate your job? Or where/how you live? Do  you want to stand up for yourself but you never do?  Are you a victim to  your own fears by allowing them to keep you stagnant? Are you literally AFRAID to move forward???
Personally, I am not satisfied with that kind of existence. I want to LIVE. I want to challenge and surrender to my every fear, doubt and worry.  I want to know, that at the end of my life, when ever that may be, that I had the AWARENESS that I LIVED. I pushed myself PAST my own settling for mediocrity and I STRIVED for my own personal EXCELLENCE.   I want to know that I didn’t let the ‘demons’ of my negative thinking get the best of me..  that I acknowledged the negative thoughts of ‘you are not good enough, or thin enough, or strong enough,etc.. but that I did not LISTEN to them.  I know my negative thoughts and doubts EXIST, but I am consciously choosing to LIVE BEYOND THEM.  AND, more importantly, I want to make sure everyone I come into contact with, recognizes this potential in THEMSELVES. I want to help YOU LIVE. I want to connect to the ‘dead’ part within  you, WHILE YOU ARE STILL ALIVE and bring THAT BACK TO LIFE!!    And guess what?  Voila!  My candle?  It’s burning brightly!  In fact, It actually ALWAYS WAS..  I simply needed a REMINDER to SEE IT..   So look out! Together, we  can ignite the world and start some really wild fires!!  ;-)

SURRENDER….

“Surrender is the call from within to fully, absolutely, recognize yourself as freedom itself. The challenges are huge… they must be, otherwise we would trivialize this experience. Just as we have trivialized so many experiences of love. The surrender must be total. Anything less is a form of self-torture in the name of safety. Living fully as one, as all, is its own safety. The safety is knowing that when this particular life form is finished, what it has served remains. All you need is to trust the peace that has been revealed and to be willing to discover it freshly. At the core of each form of limitation, the boundless, limitless perfection of lasting peace and freedom is revealed. -”Gangaji

Ahhh “Surrender’..   I love.. and I dislike that word immensely!!  We ALL KNOW we are ‘supposed’ to surrender.. and just ‘allow’ life to ‘take it’s course’. And we all KNOOOWWWWW we are supposed to ‘go with the ‘flow’ and allow for the Universe (God, The Infinite, etc) to take over for us..  WE all KNOOOWWW this, but sometimes we get stuck in a rut’ and we don’t DOOOOOOO it..  SO then, what are we supposed to DO??   HOW can one allow ourselves to surrender?  How ? When??  ARGH!!??
Sometimes. In order for us to surrender, we have to be forced.. or ‘pushed’ to it.  Sometimes, we just have to get soooo tired out from life, that we just . say,  ”OK. I’m done.”   So. If you haven’t gotten to the ‘point of surrender’.. don’t worry . YOu will!  Is there a short cut? I think so.

It’s called. Get out of your head.   STOP trying to FIGURE it all out. Stop trying to be in control.   These are mechanisms of the mind.  The mind loves logic. It likes for things to follow a logical flow and for things to ‘make sense’.
However , the ability to surrender, requires the heart.  The HEART is far more brilliant than our minds can ever be.  It is in our hearts were there are no boundaries, or limitations. (the mind ONLY knows limitations and boundaries!) The HEART is expansive.. all inclusive.   The heart requires ‘knowing’ or sensing what Trust, Faith, Hope, and Belief are.

While we all know these words, are you able to FEEL them?  Can you allow yourself to sit for one moment, center yourself by taking a deep breath.  (do this right now, please:) Deep inhale. Feel your body settle ever so slightly.  And feel a little inner calm come over you.    Focus on your inhale and your exhale.  Go slower.  DEEEEP INHALE.  And now, slowwwwwwwww exhale.  YOU have just gotten yourself into the present moment.. and into your heart.  Your BODY was focused on feeling.. and not so much thinking.  When you stop reading this newsletter..  try this for a few more breaths.  Your body will settle. ANd you can notice the slight difference in your energy.   The heart is calm. The mind is noisy and frenzied. Which do you choose to BE?

Namaste.

Deborah