Entries For: March 2008

Neale Donald Walsch's Home with God ~ In a Life That Never Ends literally sprouted legs and packed itself in my suitcase a few weeks ago for a weekend trip. Eric & I have been dealing with grief and loss the past few months with the death of a friend, the serious illness of a close family member and the transition from leaving our beloved Asheville to our new home in beautiful Tallahassee. It's all left me searching for answers to questions I didn't realize I had.

One of my best friends has been bugging me to read this book for two years now. I am finally ready to receive it. One of the primary messages I have received from this book is that if we can learn to accept death and not fear it, then we can fully embrace life.

I have done a lot of underlining and dog-earing this book but the "100 Word Formula for All of Life" is worthy of sharing here.

Hope is the doorway to belief, belief is the doorway to knowing, knowing is the doorway to creation, and creation is the doorway to experience.

Experience is the doorway to expression, expression is the doorway to becoming, becoming is the activity of all life and the only function of God.

What you hope, you will eventually believe, what you believe, you will eventually know, what you know, you will eventually create, what you create, you will eventually experience, what you experience, you will eventually express, what you express, you will eventually become.

This is the formula for all of life. It is as simple as that.

Thoughts? Comments? Was this as powerful for you as it was for me when I first read it? You can read more about Neale Donald Walsch and his work here.

May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life's passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!

~ An old Irish Blessing

My first instinct today was to run out and buy bushels of flowers! The uber-sunshine and crystal blue skies of a Florida winter are intoxicating! I love wandering in a nursery and choosing my favorite new spring flowers. It's so refreshing and joyful and makes me feel ALIVE.

But then I had a sobering thought...

Flowers sure would be pretty right now but what about all those weeds? Wouldn't I be smart to take care of those first and then plant new happy flowers?

Weeds

- take up space

- look unattractive

- steal vital nutrients and water from other healthy plants

- can strangle or overwhelm other plants

Weeding is a good metaphor for life, I think. Getting rid of what is old, dead, bothersome or in the way is healthy ...for your plants and your life!

After you weed, you feel great, right?

- Your yard and garden look clean and inviting.

- There's space for your current plants to flourish and new plants to be introduced.

- You feel a sense of accomplishment for ridding yourself of unnecessary excess.

What do YOU need to weed out of your life?  Is it paper clutter, old clothes, unhealthy relationships, less-than-optimal foods, negative self-talk, limiting beliefs that hold you back from living your best life? Sometimes it's something mundane and simple. Sometimes it's something bigger and more profound. Whatever it is, it is likely holding you back in some way and addressing it NOW will help you feel cleaner, clearer, lighter and stronger!

If you're not sure what it is, I'd suggest getting out in your garden and get your hands in the dirt. As you let your body do the work and remove physical real-life weeds, your mind will wander and suddenly it will be really clear really fast just what other figurative weeds (thoughts, things or both!) need to be removed from your life.

After the garden, I'm heading to my closet...!