Window's participants

Native Americans have a saying, “What you say or do effects seven generations.”

Almost 19 years ago a shy young school teacher decided to take a vacation and traveled across the United States.  As a result of a casual conversation with a friend, she decided to stay at domestic violence shelters in exchange for offering art programs to shelter staff.

Staying in shelters changed that young woman forever. She was so moved by that trip that she founded A Window Between Worlds (awbw.org)  She didn’t know how to proceed, she just knew she had to do something.

Fast forward 19 years….As a result of that one decision and a heartfelt desire to help others heal the hurt caused by domestic violence, Cathy Salser, founded what shelters, donors, participants, and foundations now call Windows Programs. We’ve reached over 60,309 women and children in Southern California and in 27 states….with those participants attending over 283,450 workshops. Currently we are the only national organization that provides free art leader training and art supplies to domestic violence programs.  How’s that for a visionary that didn’t know how to begin and did it anyway!

In the words of one shelter director, “AWBW supports the internal healing process more than any other resource. Because art is a non-verbal means of expression it bypasses cognitive barriers and enables women and children to make emotional breakthroughs that simply wouldn’t be possible without AWBW.”

Just one workshop can change a life forever and support a breakthrough to brilliance.  In my 11 years as a board member, I continue to be amazed at the simplicity of the creative process that allows these breakthroughs to occur.

If a single individual can say yes to their inner call, take action, and live from the desire to serve, imagine what two, four, eight or more of us can do together.  I invite you to help us shine a light for those courageous women and children building a new future.  I’ve started my very own online campaign to Adopt a Shelter - and we have an anonymous donor who will match us dollar for dollar up to $12,000!

Won’t you join me in helping Cathy’s dream to end the cycle of domestic violence come true?

You could have heard a pin drop as the women shared their stories and their hearts.

Over 100 powerful women gathered last night to hear Marianne Williamson speak about her upcoming workshop in LA.  What impressed me most is the commitment of the the group to whom Marianne was speaking, the Los Angeles Chapter of First Tuesday. Spearheaded by Marcy Cole, Ph.D, First Tuesday USA has an intention to create and expand a vibrant and diverse community for extraordinary women. Inspired by an Oprah challenge, Marcy, a Los Angeles based psychotherapist, also founded The First Tuesday Circle of Giving. Coming together monthly for dinner and speakers, the women of First Tuesday unite networking with heartfelt service to those less fortunate.

Women-power was palpable as several members rose to share their goals for helping others.  Tasia, a young mother of three, is committed to adopting 100 orphaned children.  To date she has adopted 22, as a result of her connection to SOS Children’s Villages.  Thirty dollars a month is all it takes to help a child find a mother, siblings a home, and a village.  To learn more or to adopt a child, go to:  www.sos-usa.org/inspired

SOS was founded in 1949, and they now have almost 500 villages in 132 countries, including the United States. More than 73,000 children are being raised in their villages. Through their programs of education, family strengthening, medical care and outreach programs, the lives of over 1 million people are being impacted each year. What impresses me the most about SOS is their commitment to the family structure. The orphans get a mother, all siblings stay together, so that family ties are sustained and strengthened.

Once a year the First Tuesday Circle of Giving selects a financially challenged or homeless family  as part of a service project. To see videos of their projects, go to  http://snipurl.com/u9z9n. In addition, First Tuesday also donated to A Window Between Worlds (www.awbw.or) an organization dedicated to using the creative arts to help battered women and children end the cycle of domestic violence.  Last year their generous donation benefited a domestic violence shelter in Tulare County.

I’m especially grateful to First Tuesday for their gift, as I’m currently board president for AWBW.  During the last 10 years as a volunteer for AWBW, I have experienced first hand the power of art to end the cycle of domestic violence. What a joy to be in connection with those who choose to give back and help make this world a better place for us all.  Regardless of who or how you choose to serve, just do it.  Your life will never be the same.

Never underestimate a group of determined women to help others!

Why not take the service challenge?  It has been said that service is the highest form of loving.  The way to open up to more abundance is to expand and give your gifts away. They can only return to sender.

Some days I just don’t know which way to turn.  I may feel paralyzed, fearful or just plan ornry. Here’s the great secret: no matter how paralyzed, fearful or upset we might be, there is an immediate solution.  Bless it all and just keep on breathing.

Thoughts are energetic things.  They leave their imprints on ourselves and those around us. Long before we discovered the truths of quantum physics, the Chinese had a saying, “Though the bird of sadness may land on your head, don’t let it build a nest.”

We allow negativity to build a nest when we fail to observe the subtle and not so subtle presence of negativity.  Most of us are inundated with TV, the radio, and of course of newspaper or online home pages and negative friends or colleagues.  A steady diet of this low level negativity may turn the most optimistic individual into a pessimist, wearing us down through association.

Take heart, the secret of secrets is no secret at all.  Love it all, love yourself through whatever apparent mess you are in, and know that gratitude and forgiveness will lift and restore you Soul.

I don’t know about you, but life is sweeter when there is a diet of joy, laughter and contentment…so choose where you eat!

What if I make a wrong move, lose money, blow a deal?

The what if’s will take you out of the game.  Any game.

What are your what-ifs?

Champion’s know them. Do you?

The seven keys to gain momentum work for everyone from CEO’s to kids in school. These signposts helped me become a nationally ranked karate champion. They can help you overcome the inertia in your life as you build your champion’s mindset.

1.  Decide what you want to do.  That may sound easy, but our beloved ego tells us lots of stories about why we can’t.

2.  Write down why you are determined to do what you say you will do.  This is not as easy as it sounds.  Again, expect static on the line from your ego – beliefs, conditioning, life’s experiences, etc.  Just know that any worthy goal requires that we stretch our comfort zone. Observe your ego’s personal favorites as you begin.  “Who do you think you are?” or “Everyone succeeds but me.” are but two of an infinite supply of life-sucking beliefs.

3.  Unrecognized conditioning will begin to appear as you take steps.  The temptation to give up will appear in your life.  The first time I was asked to teach at a local YMCA I was refused at the door.  My friend forgot to tell me to walk in the side door to avoid the front desk.  I was furious that I was rejected simply because I was female.  The next week they smuggled me downstairs, I changed in the janitor’s closet, they posted a guard, and I taught my class.  I was 17 and the YMCA was still men only.

4.  Be patient with yourself.  HUGE results come from steady movement, and momentum comes from committing, keeping your commitments, and being considerate – to yourself and others.

5.  Complete an action, acknowledge yourself for your accomplishment, and celebrate.  Life is meant to be celebrated every day and with every breath. You may not get another chance. Championship status doesn’t come from finishing fist, it comes from doing your best. We win in our own life, not against others.

6. Get feedback, and refine your next step. Some of the best lessons I learned were when I lost in the ring.

7.  You don’t have to know HOW you are going to reach your goal.  You do have to keep showing up for yourself first. Marry  intention to attention.  Take appropriate action and watch the miracles of manifestation occur.

The difference between a champion and a contender is small. The champion gets up one more time than they fall. They use everything to advance them toward their dream, and they relish their mistakes.  Mistakes are the hidden jewels that keep you moving toward the goal.  Don’t fear them!  Now just go get started…

Friends are the stuff of life.  Good friends are solid gold. They tell you the truth you don’t want to hear, and just know when you’re in need. Many of us have other friends who suck our energy and drain us with their neediness.

I’m blessed with friends who show up in the most amazing ways. They offer their gifts, kindness, honesty, and playfulness. They offer their time. That is priceless!

Let’s face it, we are wired for connection.  We may think we can do it ourselves. Maybe we can. But life is so much sweeter when the joys and sorrows are shared.

Don’t have a close friend around?  Become your own best friend. Lift, inspire, and support yourself in every way possible. Then share that with others.

You will automatically begin to attract people that lift, inspire, and support you.  You may be surprised to find your energy higher, your smile wider, and life sweeter.

Oh, and those negative friends, they will likely disappear.

I read a great blog post at Sizzle in the Middle called Spiritual Obsessive Disorder. The author, Tracy Pattin, highlighted a recent spiritual seeker’s event. One of the topics was about our ego and the illusions it perpetrates. I agree. It does.

With regard to relationships, the speaker commented,  “We must not NEED anyone. We must WANT them.”    I can see where she was coming from.  When we are needy, or co-dependent, we “need someone” to fill our own unmet needs.  That’s cool.  So far so good.

Here’s where the EGO part gets tricky.  The ego is the one that wants.

We long for what we want. We work for what we want. We pray for what we want.  And the whole time we are hood-winked by our beloved ego.

The ego is a want machine. Everyone has a want machine, just waiting to take charge. Most unquestioned lives operate so that the ego’s needs may be served. It wants to be safe. It wants approval. It wants control.  The ego is not capable of deep silence, introspection, nor unconditional love. It is not who you are. Our ego loves to dress up, pretend, and play games. It’s favorite game is taking us out of the present moment.

Our ego separates us from the core of our being, the one that “breathes us.” We ARE already unconditionally loved, accepted, and safe.  That something is in control of our breath. Without that need fulfilled, we die. Our ego judges, compares, and needs to be important. The ego is important, but not the most important aspect of life. It is an operating system.  It’s not a bad thing, it’s a human thing.

Pay attention to who is in charge during the day. Is it your head or heart?  It’s that simple. When you pray, allow the deep core to take charge.  We are all one, we are all connected. Prayer offered without an agenda is the only prayer that serves the highest good. Our ego pretends to know. It does not.

Tame your ego, and turn your prayer to one of gratitude not want. Find that still small voice within that knows what you need.  Fill your cup with clarity. Choose wisely who you follow. Get beyond the ego to the truth within you. It alone can get you where your heart wants to take you.

Don’t believe what I say. It’s simple, not always easy to look within for your answers. The rewards are great,  and you will be well on your way to a heart filled life, free from spiritual obsessive disorder.

Would love your comments.

Last night I was a guest on a tele-seminar hosted by Manny Goldman (www.personalgrowth.com)  During the call, a woman asked about how to deal with procrastination. It’s a great question that deserves an answer.

Here’s the thing: everything we do is on purpose, even if that purpose is buried in the deepest part of our psyche. Procrastination is exactly that:  protection from something.  That something frequently occurs when the procrastinator has been humiliated for saying or doing something.

A true friend will “get your back” and keep you safe.  Consider procrastination a protection.  When the need for protection disappears, the issue loses it’s hold.

So, don’t procrastinate – take a moment right now to ask who that someone was, and identify the moment you made a decision to be safe rather than humiliated.

Chances are, the simple awareness will begin to turn the tide.

Good luck, and if you are stuck, don’t despair.  Just keep your eyes open for the clues.  Be kind to yourself, even if others weren’t.

Would you be fulfilled?

If not now, when?

You hate your job/career and suffer every moment. Your parents wanted you to be a doctor. You wanted to be a musician.  It wasn’t logical nor would it make money, so you opted to be a doctor.  Your parent’s wishes fulfilled, you do your time until retirement.  Finally you are free to respectably begin living your dream. But life had different plans, and instead you have a heart attack and stroke – at the same time!

Your friend calls to say they are suicidal and want to kill themselves. Half listening, you tell then you’ll stop by and see them tomorrow. (They did what they said they’d do before you got there.)

You give and give and give, and never allow anyone to give back. (You get to stay in control, but do you let yourself receive love unconditionally?)

You’re afraid you will be ridiculed when you share your idea/dream/goal.  You do nothing.  (The one who did it anyway goes home with the cash.)

Would you be fulfilled if you died tomorrow?

The clock is ticking, and we really don’t know when “the bell will toll for us.”

Live every day as though it and you are precious.  You are.

Mix life with love. Tell people you love them – a lot.  Add laughter.  It makes life more fun.

Why wait until you lose weight, gain weight, get married, get divorced, take that class, get that award….

You might never get a second chance.

The choice is yours. Life life now. There really is no tomorrow.

None of us are immune from the external pressures of the world and stress is on the rise.

Economic uncertainty triggers stress, as it cuts to the essence of survival and safety.  Media, unfortunately, tends to target negative drama, predictions of doom, and a host of other fear inducing material that adds fuel to the fire.  Thank goodness there is an antidote to the raging flames of stress!

The Celts talk about thin places on the Earth. Places where Heaven and Earth meet, opening the space for the Divine Mystery to unfold, touching those who have the willingness to receive. While we may not be able to travel to Ireland or sacred places on the Earth, there is another way to create thin spaces wherever we go.  One of these is serving.

My teacher told me once that Service is the highest form of loving. True service is to give without regard for return; to give for the sheer love of giving. It is that un-self conscious expression of loving that opens thin places. Places that nurture, restore, and balance our Spirit.

Service is not about anything other than loving, expressed in action.

I believe that each one of us is called to serve, whether with a smile,
an understanding heart, a donation to those causes that call you, or simply
to pray.  There are as may ways to serve as there are humans!

This Holiday Season, why not “listen with the ears of your heart?” (St. Augustine)
and open yourself to the greatest gift of all…making  a difference, simply because
you can.

Serving at your own expense is not true service, because lack of self care is lack of loving.

Here’s a challenge for 2010.   Are you willing to  take care of yourself first, then take your service into the world?
I invite you to lead with your loving and watch thin spaces open up in your life.

The business of living with fear can be addressed when we turn to the Divine.  Goodness, compassion, forgiveness, laughter, joy, service are keys to connecting Heaven and Earth.

Best wishes or a joyful, Happy and Healthy Holiday Season…