Trust Archives - Life, Thoughts & Coffee

August 21, 2014January 14, 2015

it’s that word trust again

I just deleted a post I wasn’t sure about. That word delete makes me think of other ways we delete events in our lives. It can happen when we have a thought that manages to take over, and soon we’re second-guessing what was once a solid plan.

For instance, I like reading travel essays, travel books, and, well, most anything having to do with travel. Lately there’s plenty written about moving to Cuenca, Ecuador where I live. However, I don’t often hear or read about what happens when people cancel a move, or make the move and find that it’s not what they expected. I suppose it could be a good thing that quite a few travel writers don’t write a whole lot about the downside of living abroad because doubts would take hold, and once that happens, the thought of, I’m not going because if it didn’t work for them, it probably won’t work for me would/could easily sabotage what were once solid plans.

Too bad because simply stated, change is probably calling – change in all its many wonderful possibilities, and moving for movings’s sake becomes a secondary reason. For instance, we move abroad and a feeling of regret begins to creep over us. But before we stress about it, we try to understand the situation we’re in, and why we thought it would work.

Then we stop second-guessing ourselves. perhaps it’s not only about the move, but that we had to go from here to there to meet an extraordinary person who will be instrumental in helping us in a meaningful way, or maybe the love of our life is waiting for us when we get to our destination, or we needed a good enough reason to quit that awful job that was pulling us down.

And so, when a decision is made, we simply trust whatever comes our way – trust we have what it takes to expand, explore, spread some joy, have fun with new experiences, meet people, and at times be open to serendipity and spontaneity. Otherwise, we’ll never know the incredible opportunities waiting for us if we don’t go, or if we let regret take hold. Because for sure, if we trust, they’ll be there.

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Simply be who you are, do what you do best, be where you are called by joy, and let life work its magic on your behalf. ~ Alan Cohen

May 9, 2014May 10, 2014

comings and goings in ecuador

In the nine months I’ve lived in Cuenca, I’ve heard stories about expats trying to decide whether to stay or leave, and at Stateside stories of people trying to decide whether to move here, or elsewhere in the world.

It seems more than a few people base their decisions on other people’s experiences; they think that what works for that person will work for them. That’s not necessarily the case. Why would we want to plan our lives by what another person does? Their energy, experiences, memories, likes and dislikes are completely different from our own.

Questioning the lay of the land, etc. is important, then if it seems the right fit, we continue with the lay of the heart. This is another way of pondering what to do . . . because the within has its own wonderful methods of arriving at decisions. Sitting still for a while will welcome an all-important decision-maker – one that knows, one we can trust, one who is eager to assist – if we would just let it play its part, too.

When I look back at the times in my life when I followed someone else’s line of reasoning, and put my own aside, things didn’t flow. Of course it’s a different story when we’re in a helpless state, and unable to figure things out ourselves, on the whole though that’s not usually the case.

Learning self-love is a crucial part of the process, and from there we can go on to learning to trust ourselves. Then we learn to trust Life. It’s a nice way to live.

Look at the usually tranquil Rio Tomebamba with its waves of water rushing pass – thanks to rain, rain, rain. I like it; it’s so alive.

March 31, 2014April 3, 2014

paul selig

I watched an interview – Bob Olson of www.afterlifetv.com interviewed Paul Selig, teacher, playwriter, and writer of three books that were channeled.

Watching and listening was immensely interesting and informative, and I wouldn’t have wanted to miss this one.

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@JamesVanPraagh: There is no need for judgment. Judgment comes from the lower physical self, or the ego. Open yourself to the light of tolerance & love.

One of Cuenca’s finest

January 2, 2014January 2, 2014

This message from anita moorjani . . . about healing . . .

“Many who would like to heal themselves want to know how to go about things like “trusting in your own healing,” “letting go and allowing healing,” and “accessing your place of healing.” Are these platitudes of any use to the average person? People who want to heal their bodies need to know how to put such things into practice.

A: I don’t like to advocate a set methodology, instructions, or anything like that, because if I do, I’m only creating more dogma, and the whole point is to be free of that. I do suggest, however, not viewing illness or symptoms as “something to be gotten rid of,” like an enemy. This a fear based reaction. For me, the appearance of these symptoms is my body’s way of trying to heal me. I know that if I try to eliminate the illness with an adversarial attitude, I end up doing the opposite, antagonizing it and embedding myself deeper into the illness mind-set.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that you don’t go and see a doctor. I’m purely referring to how I view disease or physical manifestations of the body. The idea is not to obsess about it and have your days revolve around doing things for the sole purpose of getting rid of the illness. It’s actually far more productive to distract yourself and stay occupied with activities that stimulate you in a positive, creative way.

As far as I could, I’d try to free myself from needing my health to be a certain way in order to find happiness and just create joy in the moment, as though I were already healthy. Living in the present means not carrying any emotional baggage from one segment of time into the next. Every instant is unique and can’t be replicated. It’s our choice whether to carry our fears with us, keeping us stuck in illness.

You don’t have to be a spiritual guru or anything. Just make the most of every minute, living it to the fullest and doing things that make you happy, whether you have a month to live or 100 years.” ~ Anita Moorjani, Dying to Be Me: My Journey from Cancer, to Near Death, to True Healing

September 4, 2013November 7, 2014

for different reasons, these are the things I’m pondering this week

“To embrace the power of your Spirit, it’s up to you to support rather than attack your Spirit. Remember that Spirit is not an invader, an interloper, or a lesser god to be dismissed and ridiculed. Spirit is the holy essence with all the Divine breath of life that makes consciousness possible. Understanding that is the most intelligent and enlightened discovery you can make in life. To humble yourself to Spirit is to humble your mind to its true master – your Divine nature. In doing so, both mind and Spirit enter into the Sacred marriage of mind and heart, and profound personal peace begins.” – page 68, The Power of Your Spirit: A Guide To Joyful Living by Sonia Choquette”

“As human beings we are made to surpass ourselves and are truly ourselves only when transcending ourselves.” – Huston Smith

“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.” – Albert Einstein

“Emancipate yourself from mental slavery; none but ourselves can free our minds.” – Bob Marley

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@paulocoelho: When we least expect it, life tests our courage. Accept the #challenge

@BradWarner: Real cooperation means being true both to yourself and to those with whom you share a purpose. You share a purpose with everybody.

August 11, 2013September 14, 2014

Living in cuenca

July 2013 was a month of packing, and taking care of all the loose ends that come with a move. And it was a month of consciously remembering to stay calm and to trust myself. And it was a month of goodbyes, and not allowing myself to second guess my decision. I think that one of the most important things I had to do was to see this move as another experience in the game of life,
And so I tried and am now in Cuenca, Ecuador. The above photo is a view from my window.

Before moving here, I couldn’t quite zero in on what life would be like for a gringo in Ecuador. Reading and researching another person’s experience is like everything else in life. We bring ourselves, and we’re all different, and so our experiences will be unique to us. It makes me think of the book Wherever You Go There You Are by Jon Kabut-Zinn.

Sumi, thank you for agreeing to be a single working mom for a week as hubby Toshi departed with me to give assistance. It was twelve days ago that I left JFK with my son-in-law. The first stop was a night spent in Panama City, Panama at the lovely Riande Aeropuerto Hotel which is five minutes from Tocumen Airport. When we arrived, the night was still young, and we had a relaxing, tasty dinner surrounded by plants, palm trees, and other happy guests. Nearby the hotel’s large pool shimmered in the soft lights.

Early the next morning the hotel’s van took us to Tocumen Airport for a fairly short flight to Guayaquil, Ecuador. There we surveyed our options for the last leg of the journey – Cuenca. We decided that the four-hour bus ride would be scenic – as in up, up the mountain we would go. It was! We saw incredible views. Steep, steep it was though.

And though I was in Ecuador in 2004, I’ll say that at this moment I’m undergoing what’s called “culture shock” because . . . visiting a place and deciding to live there are two entirely different things.

I’ll close for now by saying thank you dear family of mine for all the love and support that came my way. I knew I could leave because you all know how to be happy, you’re all healthy, and you’re all a rather independent bunch.

And I love you all very much.

July 4, 2013May 20, 2014

trust

Much is written about the times when we feel overwhelmed by decisions having to be made, and we try to figure out the best course of action to get from one point to another. Through the years I’ve tried to follow the advice of the wise ones. For me the advice comes in the form of carefully chosen (intuition plays a part here) books, magazines, CDs, and DVDs. I’ve found that the advice of the wise ones actually works. But we have to implant in ourselves a huge dollop of trust since there’s no other way of knowing whether it will work until we put it into practice. And practice, they say, makes perfect.

The advice of the wise ones goes like this: Learn to listen to your intuition and trust yourself. Negativity has no purpose, in whatever form it takes; trust yourself. Do what has to be done, and then know that the best possible outcome is forthcoming. Then trust. They say that when we plant seeds, whether in the ground or in ourselves, if we keep digging them up to see what’s happening, nothing will happen. That makes perfect sense.

The next step for us is to relax and let go; we’ve played our part — time to trust.

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Tweets:

“@maritasteffe: A truly creative person rids him or herself of all self-imposed limitations. – Gerald Jampolsky

“@_NealeDWalsch: If you’re going to do something, do it with gusto. Hold nothing back. In life. Or love. Or anything at all.”

“@DesmondTutuPF: If we have loved well while we were alive our love will go on for generations.”

“@LouiseHay: Remember, they are only thoughts, and thoughts can be changed. The point of power is always in the present moment.”

June 17, 2013June 17, 2013

gratitude

Thank you to all the authentic spiritual teachers who are trying to get the message out to all of us that gratitude, along with the power of love (for ourselves and all living beings), is something we don’t want to live without. A softly uttered thank you, a loving thank you shout from a hilltop, or dancing to our own movements in our own space to the words of thank you, thank you first thing in the morning and last thing at night guides, guards, protects, directs our day in a way we can’t imagine. Let’s go for it.

Ready for an amazing day? I am.

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“Long will you wander in a wilderness of confusion and distress until you come home . . . to a higher consciousness.” ANO ANO THE SEED by Kristin Zambucka

February 27, 2013October 18, 2014

“proof of heaven: a neurosurgeon’s journey into the afterlife with dr. eben alexander, III”

When Bob Olson interviewed Dr. Eben Alexander, lll on www.afterlifetv.com my eyes and ears were glued to my little iPad listening to him eloquently tell of a most unusual NDE – the way it all happened – and what occurred after. I don’t want to spoil it for you by telling too much of the story. Besides the story is far better told by the person who had the life-changing event. And it just so happens that Dr. alexander makes listening easy on the ears, and this is important because there’s a great deal to assimilate. During the interview with Bob Olson, Dr. Alexander talks about, among other things: the brain, higher soul, prayer, infinite love, the voice in our head, earth life, the Creator, butterflies (a beautiful story), evil and free will, belief, Om, divine plan, true reason for being here.

He was a different person before his NDE. This seems to be the case with just about everyone who experiences a NDE. If you visit afterlifetv and give your attention to Dr. Alexander’s words, you might feel like a different person, too.

Of course, there will always be the naysayers; they make life interesting. They say, still there is no real proof. Well, there are those things in this world that are based solely on belief. It’s a personal journey we all have to take, and, as with most things, it’s our choice to believe or not. We have only to listen deep within ourselves to know. And when we train ourselves to listen to the other parts of ourselves, we’ll know.

“For a deeper understanding” you might want to visit the following websites: www.eternea.org and www.lifebeyonddeath.net
And take a peek, or read, The New York Times bestseller: Proof of Heaven

Are you having an extraordinary day? 🌷

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“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”
– Shakespeare

December 11, 2012June 13, 2013

a gift of words

Through the years I’ve gotten some lovely-to-look-at-notebooks as gifts, and I feel that what’s written on their pages needs to match the notebook’s appearance. I copy words from books, videos, movies, and people doing workshops. I copy the words for different reasons, mostly though because they give an Aha! feeling, and they do that just about every time they’re read. My thinking is that just as we need sustenance for our bodies, we also need it for our minds and spiritual selves. Sometimes in the morning when I’m enjoying a breakfast smoothie made with Dr. Schulze’s SuperFood Plus, I read something at random from one of the notebooks – food for thought in the form of harmony and inspiration. And at night there are those times when they give a feeling of serenity, sometimes security, but not the kind of security we tend to try for in the world.

I’ll gladly share some of the words with you; I think they want to be shared. And I’ll gladly share Dr. Schulze’s website with you too: www.herbdoc.com

“Watching television, seeing everything going on in the world, often leads the small mind to judgment and fear. When you engage this response, you connect yourself to the very energy and dynamics you judge. Far better in such moments is to bless all the Souls and events you witness. Realizing that all people are being called to their curriculum by their Soul will help anyone remember that everything happens for growth – individual and collective.”

“The ego can only survive when we’re in pain. . . . The ego’s friends are guilt, fear, denial and attack. . . . Forgiveness tears down the ego’s walls of separation. . . . The ego cannot survive in the light of loving thoughts.”
– Gabrielle Bernstein in Spirit Junkie: a radical road to discovering self-love and miracles.
www.gabbyb.tv

“The hopeless desolate individual who has been told that nothing more can be done for him should be reminded that the human mind has vast unexplored territory in which lie tremendous resources for healing. His mind is actually an extension of the Infinite Mind. This is not just a pretty figure of speech; it is actual fact. But man usually has to come to the limit of human resources before he will dare to launch himself upon the illimitable ocean of the Infinite. When he does so, he finds that ‘With God all things are possible.’ ” I’ve had this book since 1991; it’s a keeper.
– Frederick Bailes 1889 – 1070, The Healing Power of Balanced Emotions

“When all of our intentions and actions in daily life originate from the intuitive wisdom of our hearts; when we feel and act with sincere appreciation, caring and kindness for others; and when we can observe the world around us without the preset judgments of the mind but rather with the compassion in our heart – then we will truly be living from the heart.”
– Sara Childre, Institute of HeartMath, Heart-Based Living Empowers Co-Creation
www.heartmath.org

“Risk taking, trust and serendipity are key ingredients of joy. Without risk, nothing new ever happens. Without trust, fear creeps in, without serendipity, there are no surprises.”
– Rita Golden Gelman, wrote seventy children’s books and Tales of a Female Nomad, Living at Large in the World.
And a delightful book it is! Her website suggests that she’s a nomad in every sense of the word.

www.ritagoldengelman.com

“You rise to a higher level of consciousness by taking your attention away from your present limitations and placing it upon that which you desire to be.” – Neville

“If we can be still we can fall into a different reality.”
– Anita Moorjani in an interview with Lilou Mace – Life Lessons from Anita Moorjani’s Near Death Experience (NDE) on www.juicylivingtour.com
Give yourself a gift; sit, watch, listen to the entire video. It’s almost certain that the viewer just might come away with a different way of feeling about life, death, and all that’s in between.

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“Two men looked out from prison bars, one saw mud the other saw stars.”