Trinity of Truth Tip: Live in the Light

Recently, I had an experience where I felt repulsed by something that came up in a conversation.  It troubled me so much, and had such a tight hold on me, that I couldn’t even sleep that night.  After some hours of angst, I became motivated to get any semblance of the "thing" (the negative energy) out of me.  

When I remembered to let myself be vulnerable enough to go into the darkness the shift (from darkness to light) happened.  I asked myself, “What is the opposite of this dirty feeling I now hold inside of me? What does the opposite of this evil thing look like?” Immediately, I saw, felt, and was embraced by, the brilliance of God's light.

***

Try this: 

Get quiet and take a few cleansing breaths to center yourself.  Once feeling centered, allow yourself to feel the negativity of an issue, memory, or feeling that’s troubling you.  As hard and as scary as it may be, allow yourself to fall into the darkness, the negativity of whatever it is that’s got a hold on you. 

Now, ask yourself what the opposite of this darkness looks like.  Its opposite is always light.  See the brilliance of light surrounding you.  Now, with the help of your breath, leap into the vastness of the light. Allow the light to consume you, to cleanse you. Live in it.

***

If we allow ourselves to fall deep into the darkness of a negative energy—really feel it to the bone—for the purpose of launching us into the opposing positive energy of a particular emotion, we can use the blackest black of darkness to catapult us into the whitest, purest, light: the darker the dark, the whiter (purer) the light. If we can remember that all darkness is an invitation to leap into the light, we can use this life experience—which, by its very nature is laden with darkness—to cleanse the soul, one dark spot at a time. The darkest dark can transform us into the lightest light.

 

Living in the light,

Ruthie

Trinity of Truth Tip: Just For Today...

In the practice of Reiki there are five principles practitioners are expected to honor and teach. Each principle begins with "Just for today..." Try applying a "just for today" mentality to shift your attitude or set an intention for the day. For example, "Just for today, I will practice non-judgment," or "Just for today, I will honor my body."

Try this mind-body-spirit affirmation.

 

"Just for today... through mindful action... I glide with the flow of life... fueled by the grace of Spirit."

Turn this affirmation into a mantra by repeating these words over and over throughout the day.

ToT Tip: Any Day You Learn a Lesson is a Good Day!

Some days are full of challenge. Some days feel like suffering.  Some days ...life just sucks.  Recently, even though I know better, I found myself having some of these negative thoughts.  I was complaining (to myself and God) about how hard this physical human thing is.  Then, my laptop crashed.  I hadn't backed up in weeks and had been doing a lot of writing.  Like a light switch, my crazy-on-fire writer took a nose dive into a state of misery.  Why me!?!  I got myself worked up and slipped into a real funk. A few days later I managed to climb out of that deep well of misery where the victim in me stumbled in the dark.  Once back in the light, I had an epiphany, of sorts.  I'd asked for it!  

I know that what I think and say comes to me. I've proven it to myself over and over.  And it's what I teach to others, for goodness sake!  My thinking (and complaining) about how hard being human is was like placing an order to the Universe.  The Universe simply answered my call. Hardship befell me. Quick and with precision.  

The light bulb moment actually made me laugh.  Soon, I ordered a new laptop.  And I remembered something my mom said one time when I was lamenting over something.  She said, "Any day you learn a lesson is a good day."

I learned and re-learned the lesson of watching my mouth, my thoughts, and my behavior—the importance of keeping them in check.  And that counting my blessings helps me climb out of that deep well of darkness. It was a few days of some good learning!  Thanks mom.

Trinity of Truth Tip: Talk to Your Problems About God

Prayer is for honoring God, but it's also where we go for guidance, help, and to resolve problems.  Regardless of your reason, always begin prayer in a state of appreciation.  Counting your blessings sets the tone to one that most resembles God-like energy.  Next, repeat "Thank you for loving me" for several minutes.  Tune into the moment. My mom taught me that when it comes to asking for help, "Don't talk to God about your problems, talk to your problems about God."

***

 

Consider a current problem.  How would you share your knowledge of God with the problem?  How could your understanding of God help?  What would you say?  Instead of simply "turning it over to God," shift your circumstances by consciously and deliberately sharing your wisdom.  Set the scene and watch it play out.  Observe the outcome. 

 

Close by giving thanks to God for helping you and for loving you.           

Trinity of Truth Tip—Call Your Mother

In my dressing room hangs a poster called "Life's Little Instructions."  I have it in my line of sight so it easily grabs my attention.  The instructions say "Be the first to say hello" and "Treat everyone the way you wish to be treated" and other things like that.  The last instruction says "Call Your Mother."  Today, this particular instruction struck me as the most important one. 

My mom passed away just a few short weeks ago.  I cherish the last phone call we had the week prior.   It was one of the longer calls we'd had in a while.  I read to her.  She listened.  And she offered insight to questions I had.  She explained to me what would be most helpful to people as I discover ways to be of service in my work, writing and teaching.  We talked about God.  How best to ask for God's guidance and how to share this with others.  She said to always keep things positive.  Negativity, she said, helps no one and will drive them away.  

The massive stroke left my mom, such a wise soul, unable to talk.  As she lay dying, I stood at her bedside.  I talked.  She still listened.   

Yesterday, walking along the lake, I called out to my mom—asking her how to hold on to what she's given me.  How to keep her wisdom alive inside me.  How do I know you are with me, I asked.  How do I keep you with me, always?  As I approached a bench I noticed a small piece of paper on the ground.  Before sitting, I picked it up.  Unfolding it, a warmth filled my heart.  The words brought a soft salty sting to my eyes.   Filled with a sweet ache, her essence embraced me as I read, "I still call out for you sometimes."

Even though my mom is no longer with me in physical form, I still call to her.  She responds, she still listens, she calls back.    

A mother is never far away.  Even if she's on the other side, call to her.  No longer held back by the limitations of being human, her ability to talk to you, to love you, is amplified.  Call out to her.  Be still.  Now listen.   

Pictured above with my daughter and me is my mom ...the day she "gave me away" to my sweet husband twelve years ago on September 23, 2000.

.

Trinity of Truth Tip: I Can See Clearly Now

When you leave your car parked under a an old evergreen tree for weeks, your windshield gathers layers of sap, building a sticky film.  It's the same with your intuition—it gets clouded when you sit idle, when you choose to limit your field of vision by not being open-minded or exploring new ways of thinking.  To be more intuitive, you've got to move your mind, open it.  If you don't it grows weak, dull, narrow, and like the dirty windshield, blurry—making  it hard to see what's ahead of you.

Challenge yourself to see things from various points of view.  When something or someone causes you to feel angry, consider what in their behavior is triggering your reaction.  Shift your perspective from "why are they treating me this way" to "I wonder what's going on for them that's causing them to act out so poorly?"  People generally have negative behavior because they are suffering.  Open your mind and see the world from their perspective.  As the cliché goes, "walk a mile in their shoes...." Also study other religions, political beliefs, or cultures—without judging them.  Open your mind to a more global point of view.

When you begin to shift your understanding and see that others are doing the best they can with what they have or know at the time, your vision widens.  Your heart softens.  You begin to see more clearly and are no longer so offended or annoyed.  You come to know that what other people do or say really has nothing to do with you. 

When you wipe away judgments, biases, and expectations, it's like washing the windshield—you can see clearly now.