Joanne

  My good friend Aggie sent me Andy Rooney's piece - I've Learned. It prompted me to reflect on what I've learned from life's ups and downs. Wondering what lessons would you add to Andy's list? "I've learned.... That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person. I've learned.... That when you're in love, it shows. I've learned .... That just one person saying to me, 'You've made my day!' makes my day. I've learned.... That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world. I've learned.... That being kind is more important than being right. I've learned.... That you should never say no to a gift from a child. I've learned.... That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to [...]

“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”  A.A. Milne Today I had to say goodbye -- so long to be more exact but it was heart wrenching no less. Someone very close to me started a great adventure today and I was among those left with the empty whole that follows such occasions. My niece Meghan and her husband Sean have moved to Florida – they’re on the road right now to be more exact, with the last few remnants of their physical life jammed into their truck and the pets jumping with excitement from front seat to back and then back again. Unlike those of you who have launched children out of the nest and into adult life, I approached the moment of parting ill prepared. A.A. Milne’s quote landed in my inbox several [...]

I recently hosted James Keeley, developer of the RUH spiritual healing process, at Soul Source and was moved by his many inspirations; his thoughts on forgiveness gave me great pause. ‘Forgiveness is not possible until you realize that you are more than the part of you that has been injured.’ I’m sure each of you has lists of transgressors who have yet to be forgiven. Is your list of those needing forgiveness short or is its length weighing you down? James reminds us that forgiveness is more about the forgiver than the one who awaits forgiveness and ironically not even care to be forgiven. It’s about how we define ourselves. Do we see ourselves from a narrowly cut prism of injury and pain or have we managed to put whatever suffering, betrayal, harm or disappointment into a broader context of growth [...]

One of my readers – Jo Ann Goertner sent this piece written by Fr. Robert Gehring to me after reading my earlier blog Overextended and Overwhelmed. I found it thought provoking and instructional and concluded that it might be the best way to end this series of posts on the challenges we face coping with the many demands of daily life. LETTING GO "To let go doesn’t mean to stop caring, it means I can’t do it for someone else. To let go is not to cut myself off, it’s the realization that I can’t control another. To let go is not to enable, but to allow learning from natural consequences. To let go is to admit powerlessness, which means the outcome is not in my hands. To let go is not to change or blame another, I can only change [...]

Equanimity – one of my favorite words and a state I have aspired to for some time; one beautiful word that captures the condition of mental calmness, balance, composure and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation. Equanimity’s synonyms read like the effects of a life in silent retreat – composure, calm, level-headedness, self-possession, cool-headedness, presence of mind, serenity, tranquility and imperturbability (one of my favorites)! I lost mine recently – my equanimity that is. Sadly, unlike one’s virginity which can be lost only once, equanimity can be lost many times in one lifetime!! I am laughing as I write this although I know deep down that this is no laughing matter. Lately it seems that time and time again equanimity has flown out the window as I stood by sadly watching. Achieving and retaining equanimity in one’s lifetime can [...]

Have you ever found yourself in the midst of so many things that you clearly know that you are over-extended and overwhelmed? The reason dear reader that you haven’t heard from me recently is that I have been just that – over-extended and overwhelmed. Normally people think of the summer months as low key and laid back. Not for me. This summer was one of the busiest periods that I can remember. Perhaps like many of you, I found myself juggling family responsibilities, work duties, family  and social gatherings and commitments, as well as a whole host of other activities that kept me in perpetual motion. During times when I wasn’t physically moving, my mind was racing, engaged in planning, evaluating and decision making around all of the things I need to do. The list of tasks seemed to multiply like [...]

May the sun bring you new energy by day; may the moon softly restore you by night;may the rain wash away your worries; may the breeze blow new strength into your being.                                                                                                                      Apache Blessing                                                                                         This Apache Blessing arrived in my inbox in the middle of a hectic day, in the midst of a busy week full of jobs to be completed (including posting this blog) and projects to advance. Many of us, including me, are balancing the tasks of daily life with the splendors of the summer season – extra time with family and friends, trips to the beach, mountains, parks or exotic locations, gardening, garden parties and summer weddings. When I read the blessing, it stopped me short. Clearly, I had been ignoring its wisdom. So dear reader, I decided to follow the advice of the elders who [...]

<a href="http://thesoulsource.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/gunbatimi_masaustu_arkaplan_resimleri_sunset_desktop_wallpapers_tree_of_life_north_devon_england230-1280x800.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3119" src="https://thesoulsource.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/gunbatimi_masaustu_arkaplan_resimleri_sunset_desktop_wallpapers_tree_of_life_north_devon_england230-1280x800-300x187.jpg" alt="gunbatimi_masaustu_arkaplan_resimleri_sunset_desktop_wallpapers_tree_of_life_north_devon_england230-1280x800" width="300" height="187"></a>I know many people who seek to be enlightened and who desire to live in an enlightened society, not surprising in my various roles at Soul Source.&nbsp; Some have reached the point in realization where they discover that a major impediment is the personal ego with its never ending striving and its countless attachments. We look on with dismay and disgust at the ego excess of greed, victimization, exploitation, violence and war that seems all too pervasive.&nbsp; As we ourselves struggle to keep our own ego in check, is it any wonder that the collective ego of the planet’s 7+billion inhabitants could manifest such awfulness? Dr. Leon Masters, Founder and CEO of the International Metaphysical Ministry and President of the IMM University System, offers some provocative thoughts on the matter: <p style="padding-left: 30px;">“. [...]

<a href="http://thesoulsource.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/awaken.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3111" src="https://thesoulsource.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/awaken-300x165.jpg" alt="awaken" width="300" height="165"></a> &nbsp; The last days of spring have slipped away setting the stage for the farms and gardens to awaken. The efforts of those who till the soil are beginning to bear fruit, literally and figuratively; farmers’ markets offering early yields, flower beds and planters awash in color and texture. This bounty is realized only after threats are overcome and crises are averted. These feasts for the senses are produced with great effort and exertion, much the same as the effort to awaken fully to one’s divinity. And those who seek to awaken have much in common with the farmer and gardener. We often talk of rebirth in glowing terms and beautiful language as if it arrives with little effort or detached from difficulty. Nothing could be further from the truth! For sure [...]

<a href="http://thesoulsource.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/soul-family-mem.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-3105" src="https://thesoulsource.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/soul-family-mem.jpg" alt="soul+family+mem" width="236" height="236"></a> I attended a funeral today and was brought to tears not out of grief but out of joy for the love connecting members of one soul family. The announcement of the service hinted that there might be a story behind the obvious death of my friend Susan’s mother. I wondered at the time what led to delay the memorial service until three weeks after her mom’s death. I was surprised to learn that the death of Susan’s father in his homeland four weeks before was the scheduling consideration! But there was more startling news! On the day of her dad’s memorial service halfway around the world, Susan learned that her mother’s brother had just died. I was stunned by the incredible timing of the cumulative loss, and concerned for family members who [...]