Thursday, May 27, 2010

Who Am I?

Today she stood in front of the mirror
“Who am I? Why am I here?”
Though the answers aren’t clear
And she’s not sure what direction to go
She is at peace
When the answer that follows is
“I just don’t know”

Hi there,

I’ve had so many thoughts coming to me the last few days it’s almost difficult to write about just one thing. Because of this, I’ve decided to just let the words out and share what’s going inside of me. It is with this hope that you find what is going on inside of you and even if you aren’t sure what life is going to bring you next, it’s all ok, no matter what.

The last year or so has brought me so many lessons I can no longer count them on my fingers and toes. I have had moments of looking at them as curses, screaming on the inside “what can possibly happen next?” I’ve had times of absolute bliss along with being so low I wasn’t sure if I could pull myself back up and keep going. So what have I learned?

I’ve learned that no matter what, life keeps going. To look at all experiences as blessings. That nothing is more important than friends and family. Jobs come and go. That no matter how hard it rains the sun will come out again. Forgiveness is probably the most important ability that anyone can acquire starting with the forgiveness of the self and then of others. So where does this put me today?

Today, in this moment, I sit in a place of being scared to death and incredibly exhilarated all at the same time. Pieces of my life have turned into ashes and are being washed away with this amazing late spring storm we have been having. As I move through the grieving process of what I’m letting go of, I am celebrating all the new that is coming into my life. The possibility of a new love, a new career, and a renewed friendship is what makes me smile through the tears that I have been shedding. Not to mention the amazing support I have from my friends and family who love me anyway and just because.

So will I be that amazing life coach that inspires humanity to lean back into Oneness? Will I be a New York Times Best Seller? Will I be a mom who teaches her child to take risks and live life full out? I don’t know. But what I do know is that no matter what I become, it will be perfect in its imperfection and that as long as I never forget to keep breathing, keep moving and keep feeling my feelings, it is all going to be exactly as it was meant to be.

What if sitting in the answer of “I don’t know” is what we need to learn to practice in order to allow the windows of unlimited possibilities to fly open and invite us out to experience all that life has to offer? Are you game? If your answer to that is “I don’t know”, you are in the perfect place…

Sending you all much gratefulness and love,

Mary

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Observing and Serving - It's a Choice

All dressed in white
Deep navy accents
And just a little red
No tails worn, just a black tie
The time is now
And down the aisle she’s led

Howdy everyone!

Good to “see” you all again. I’ve been off blazing trails and finding my own way. One of the most important things I’ve learned in the last few weeks is the gift of being an observer of my own life.

I recently officiated my first wedding and it was one of the most profound and beautiful experiences of my life so far. You may wonder how this all started. Well, a few months back a friend of mine had asked me how I would feel about ordaining myself as a minister so that I could officiate her daughter’s wedding. It didn’t take me but a moment to say yes. I was honored and humbled to be chosen for such an event. After a few clicks of the mouse, I became an ordained minister of the Universal Life Church and consider myself to be a practitioner of Oneness (more to come on this later).

After meeting the rest of wedding party at the rehearsal dinner, I knew the wedding was going to be amazing. Not only did the bride and groom show each other show much unconditional love, but the rest of the wedding party were some of the nicest young people that I had ever met.

The day of the wedding I picked up cupcakes, helped set up the room and checked in on the wedding party to make sure that my friend, the mother of the bride could relax and enjoy the day as much as she could. It was a day of service and observance for me. Granted, it felt different for me to be up in front of everyone and not be the center of attention but I have to say that it was a nice change of pace. I wasn’t there for me. I was there to join two hearts together in love, friendship and family. I couldn’t have thought of another better way to serve than this. During the reception, I sat back, enjoyed delicious food and observed all of the different generations sharing in this special occasion.

Another instance of observance came to me about a week ago while working. Many people where I work are in limbo due to the foreshadowing of restructuring departments and lay-offs. The group I work in is being affected and I am so very grateful for the friends I have at work so we can keep each other going strong and remind each other to breathe and laugh every day. When the moments get a bit heavy and scary we vent to each other. Recently, a friend of mine shared his mantra with me. He said “when I feel this way, I tell myself to take a step back”. I thanked him for that and started taking on the practice of taking a step back whenever life feels like it’s just getting to be a bit too much.

When we take a step back, instead of instantly reacting, we put ourselves in a position of making a choice. We can choose to let whatever is happening to us to decide our fate or we can choose to know that no matter what happens to us, it will always be ok and that whatever we are going through, it is for a reason which will bring us to a higher place of acceptance within ourselves. The more that we are able to expand and enhance the level of acceptance we have for ourselves, the more we will be able to live in that realm with others and before you know it people will want to know what your secret is.

So the next time that your wheels spinning, try taking a step back and observe what is really going on. Not what is going on for everyone else but what is going on for you. Look to how you feel about it and find YOUR truth in the situation. Once you can do that, you will find yourself choosing what is best for you.

It’s all about choices!

Love to you and all that you are.