Joanne

When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around. This quote by Willie Nelson arrived in my email recently. In its brevity it captures the essence of gratitude and how we are its beneficiaries. It is a beautiful reminder especially as we gather to give thanks. Its arrival was perfectly timed for me and perhaps for you. Consider this. Recall the last time you were upset, dismayed or disappointed. Too often when we slip into these or even more gripping emotional states, we can get sucked into a vortex of despair. If the whirlpool is strong, these feelings intensify whether or not the situation or circumstances that started the downward spiral warrant. Once this happens it can take lots of effort, energy and time to release the hold. Some of us are feeling this now given the state of [...]

I recently spent treasured time with my grandniece. Her antics like those of many her age can leave you gasping for breath as you are doubled over in laughter. When her actions combine humor with something dangerous, the supervising adults are challenged to keep a straight face while they swallow their laughter in hopes of sounding stern. It is so wonderful to be in the presence of pure innocence. To see aspects of the world experienced for the first time – eliciting wonder, delight, and awe. Most of us do not remember much about what it was like to be a toddler. Even photos meticulously preserved by a family member capturing cherished moments cannot teleport us back in time in the same way that watching a young child can. I am struck during each visit at how valued the small joys [...]

The following is by Danielle LaPorte via Mary Standing Otter, Unify.org. It is such a beautiful message that it bears sharing at this time of year when we pause to remember our many blessings. Right now there are Tibetan Buddhist monks in a temple in the Himalayas endlessly reciting mantras for the cessation of your suffering and for the flourishing of your happiness. Someone you haven't met yet is already dreaming of adoring you. Someone is writing a book that you will read in the next two years that will change how you look at life. Nuns in the Alps are in endless vigil, praying for the Holy Spirit to alight the hearts of all of God's children. A farmer is looking at his organic crops and whispering, "nourish them." Someone wants to kiss you, to hold you, to make tea for you. Someone [...]

I paused for self-care, originally for travel last autumn, but upon return out of necessity. An early winter flu, morphed into bronchitis and then pneumonia. When all of that was said and done, I was headed to the surgeon for pre-arranged spinal surgery and then for months of physical therapy. As I write I am hopeful for discharge sometime this summer and more importantly, moving about unencumbered. I have been mindful for a long time that having full mobility is a gift, one that is easy to take for granted. Likewise, I have known that taking care of oneself is a physical, emotional as well as spiritual priority. During these many months of restricted activity, I have had many moments to think about the choices that I have made regarding self-care. Hmmm….. Let’s say if I was giving myself a grade, [...]

I was recently a guest in a home that had a TV screen saver that featured undersea life. As I sipped my morning coffee, the diversity and beauty inhabiting this other world mesmerized. Your own screen saver may have introduced you to life under the sea. If so, you may be similarly amazed about this foreign world that occupies our planet. Most know that the oceans and seas cover 71% of the planet we populate. How many of us know much about what is truly another world right within our reach? Cursory research confirms an extraordinary volume of different life forms! There are 228,450 known marine species and an estimated two million more remain a total mystery. When I facilitate spiritual hypnosis sessions for clients who traverse other realms, I often wonder where exactly have they traveled? One of the questions [...]

Have you ever been so upset that you can’t think straight, your mind moving in zigs and zags. When this happens to me an observer might see me quickly turning from one thing to the next with no one thing seeming capable of holding my attention. Numerous metaphors come to mind, some leave me laughing at myself even when the precipitating circumstance is not funny. But being upset is just one of the emotions that reminds you that life is full of challenges and can shatter your equanimity — anger, disappointment and frustration among them. Not having any constructive way to resolve anger can shatter your sense of calm. This is especially true if the precipitating circumstance is recurring — not to mention the precipitator is someone who is regularly present in your life. Disappointments large and small might also disrupt. [...]

There have been several occasions since starting Wonderings and Wanderings of the Soul that I have asked others if I could disseminate their written thoughts following a spiritual regression or counseling session. Today’s blog differs in origin but is no less powerful and provocative. It includes the thoughts of one reader who commented on the previous blog – Alone. “Your column struck me and I firmly identified with it. I left my husband over 20 years ago, with the statement "I'd rather be alone under my own roof, than alone under a roof with you." So, I left. He reacted like I'd pulled the rug out from under him. Guess I had. He speculated with his church cronies on whether I was gay or had another man, because he just couldn't face the fact that it was HIM. His church cronies [...]

I was in my front garden when I saw a young couple walking their dogs. By the time they reached my home he was ahead less than ten feet with one dog while she trailed with the second dog. The distance did not deter the conversation she was having and although I noticed, she did not seem to, her partner was not engaged in the conversation. I have a friend who believes that her experience of being alone is because she does not have a partner. When I saw this couple, I recalled my response to her – having a partner does not ensure that you are not alone. Over the years, I have had clients who have been married or partnered for years, some for decades, who claim that they are alone. Some share that their partner has been emotionally [...]

Today I cried. I cried for myself, for those in pain and for all those like me who hold onto the hope that life on Earth could be free of suffering and the sadness it births. So many hurt by the ravages of war and violence, the deprivation of famine and the loss of the safety and security that home and homeland used to provide. So many others are reeling from the loss of a beloved or the realization that with or without loved ones they are alone to face life challenges and find their way out of the cellar of sadness. Many reading this may well identify. My human personality has been struggling with this for quite some time. The trap for me, and maybe for you, is that my coping has been misdirected. My attention has been focused on [...]