Catalyst for positive change

What would it require for you to take a hard look at where you are and in which direction your life is heading?  What kind of experience would you need to wake up to who you really are?

One friend of mine was in an relationship for nine years before she realized the challenges she faced were blessings in disguise.  The more aware she became that her needs weren't being met, the more she realized things had to change, but she didn't like the idea of being alone.  She tolerated discomfort until she decided it was time to take responsibility for her own happiness.  The last straw was when her former boyfriend bought a motorbike rather than an engagement ring.  This was her catalyst for positive change.  She moved on to meet another man who listened, valued and respected her to make her feel appreciated.  When she was ready, she invited this new partner into her life.  Healing occurred when she listened to her feelings.

I remember an uncomfortable job transition.  I chose to dress professionally and treat clients and fellow staff with respect.  Yet, fellow employees were sloppy. Some of their lazy behavior reflected low motivation or self-respect.  Management didn't set high standards and few people are pleased if a visitor 'raises the bar.'  Looking back, I sense seeing me was likely unsettling.  It was like forcing peers to look in the mirror and face things that made them feel uncomfortable about themselves. This former job also reminded me that I'm only to blame if I feel stuck in an unsatisfying situation.  As I felt healthier, I attracted colleagues into my life with other standards and work ethics.  They enabled me to create more suitable professional opportunities and then, to move on.

At my 10 year high school reunion, some old friends didn't recognize me. To them, I had really changed.  I had been away to school, lost weight, grown up and matured through life experience.  I felt I still had a long way to go and much to learn, but I sensed I had outgrown my roots.  I wore different clothes and felt comfortable with my evolving self.  I had already set in motion a gradual awakening that is still guiding my life journey.  Apparently, my inner joy was visible. 

What was especially poignant about this reunion was meeting a girlfriend I hadn't seen for a time.  She had always been a horse-lover. I learned she had been living with her local boyfriend who was a dairyfarmer.  On the surface, this sounded great.  I'd never met him, but he sounded 'outdoorsy' like her.  Only, weeks later, I received a letter from her telling me she'd left the dairyfarmer and moved to Germany.  She realized that in order to live a more fulfilling life, she had to step out of the corner she had painted herself into.  Seeing me again and learning about my life experience caused her to accept that she had been lying to herself. When she opened herself up, she stepped out of her rut  and created a life that excited her.  Soon after her move, embracing a new language and job, she met the man who would become her plumber husband.  I heard they were married in a barn.  Recently, they also bought a horse. 

In reflecting on my own moments of truth, I suppose I trigger revelations when I feel uncomfortable.  When I begin to feel I'm living some experience that seems like someone else's life instead of my own, I realize I need to separate myself from the expectations of others.  I remind myself I'm always surrounded by choices to seize opportunities.  I have options to expand and challenge who I am or accept what other people think I should be.  I'm thankful that my will to forge ahead is much stronger than my fear of change. 

Signs you're on the right track

We've all been there, that point where we question whether we should go back and reverse a decision we've already made.  Have we learned from our mistakes? Can we trust our judgment? You break off from a relationship and feel torn about calling your former partner to rekindle what you used to have.  You change jobs to embrace a new challenge only to question whether you might be better off going back to what you knew.  You attend a group meeting as a step to begin a new phase of your life and wonder if you should quit while you're ahead.  After all, taking steps to learn new things about yourself can be scary.

In my life, I've embraced many changes.  I've grown to reach out to connect with something beyond me. Perhaps I wish to reassure myself that I'm picking up on what I should learn when I need it. I find I gain more faith in synchonicity which tells me I'm moving in the right direction. 

A few years ago, when I was living in Canada, I remember vividly asking aloud if Australia was meant for my future.  I did this more than once.  I was thinking about it.  I wrote about it.  Circumstances and opportunities were developing rapidly to encourage me to move there. I thought about what I had learned living in other countries and felt it may have been preparing me for a bigger move.

Next thing I knew, when I was attending the wedding of family friends, in a crowd of 200 people, I moved toward a woman who happened to be chatting about the Australian hospitality industry.  I listened to her conversation and interjected just before her husband arrived to take her to the reception. I had never met this couple before.  Lo and behold, it was pre-arranged I would be seated beside them at the sit-down dinner.  Turned out they were from South Africa but married in Melbourne and had their son in Melbourne. Our conversation left a lasting impact.

A few days later, I was watching a t.v. program and three references were made to Australia.  The protagonist's husband had a mole in the shape of the continent of Australia which was suspected  to be cancerous.  Then, a cover article of a newsstand magazine was focused on Australia's beaches.  Finally, the protagonist stopped in her car at a traffic light next to a truck which had the words "come to Australia" painted on the side.  Could it have been more obvious?

Now, I would recount these events to close friends and they would disregard them as being mere coincidences. However, I felt the events were far more meaningful.  I felt they were signs that I was headed in a life direction which would help raise my self-awareness even more.

Less than two months later, I spoke with old friends of my parents.  They spontaneously began to recount the past Australian experiences of one of their daughters and how she had benefitted.  They said if I ever planned to go, that they could offer me the names of a few contacts.  Another friend of the family also mentioned a professional he wanted me to contact for research.  These suggestions appeared to me as frequent reminders that Higher Forces supported my desire to embark on a new adventure. Lucky for me, I was open to new kinds of learning.

Some people might infer that this string of related experiences wasn't meant to teach me anything.  I prefer to think that focusing my attention on possibility enabled me to better recognize these signs for what they were, unmistakable evidence that I was on the right track.

Listen to Angels

If you wish to know inner peace, I encourage you to listen to angels. Now, before you begin to question where I'm coming from, and if I'm 'all here,' I'll share two stories with you which changed my life.  They reveal how angels appear and assist you when you least expect it.

One fine June day, when I was 12, I was riding my bike home from school. I was delighted to have this ten speed with curled handlebars.  I liked the freedom I felt as I coasted fast.

As it was, I had had some change in my pocket. When I was descending a hill alongside the wavy, Kennebecasis River, I thought I heard some change hit the ground.  My instinct was to pull the brake, stop and retrieve it. Unfortunately, I pulled the front brake only and went face first into the concrete. Rather than brace my fall, my arms flew backwards. So much for the bright, sunshine yellow t-shirt and yellow jeans. No wonder my favorite color became orange?

Although I had this accident in a residential area, nobody was around. I was screaming in agony because I had shattered my septem and completely flattened my nose. Yet, it seemed no person heard me. How could everyone be out at the same time? Curiously, there were no cars on the road. Call it the twilight zone or a crash course in inter-dimensional travel.

Just when I was about to faint from loss of blood, I thought I saw an old brown car drive over the hill.  I slumped down beside my bent bicycle and the brown car actually stopped beside me. Two men with Mexican t-shirts and dark curly hair got out and approached me. They asked me if I was okay and I think by that point, all I could manage was a nod.  They picked me up and put me in the back seat of their car.   These strangers drove me directly to the emergency department of the regional hospital.  We passed no cars on the road. I knew as I hovered over my body. They took me inside and then drove away. Thanks to them, I had surgery to replace the blood and to reconstruct my nose.  My parents tried to find out who those men were.  My parents were grateful. Yet, the men appeared out of nowhere and we were never able to find them.  They left no trace. Looking back, maybe it was my own real-life version of Highway to Heaven? To me, they were angels and I'm very grateful.

Another story I wish to share with you took place in 1996. After initial university experiences, I had prepared for French medical school. I realize now I almost compromised my creative gifts to pursue a career that wasn't really for me. I also almost decided to pursue a personal life which did nothing to stimulate my imagination or nourish my soul. 

Then, it happened.  At dusk, during the first light snowfall of the season, I left the hospital where I was a volunteer in the emergency. I strained to focus on a windy, forest road, and unexpectedly skidded along black ice around a blind corner.

From that moment, my life flashed in front of me.  As I turned the bend, I glimpsed 3 oncoming cars and an 18-wheeler transport truck careening down the steep incline toward me in the passing lane. Like a bad dream, I was headed straight for them.  Try as I did to use defensive driving skills, I found I had no control over the steering. The brakes were also useless in slippery conditions.

The car slid alarmingly across the median into the other lane, yet curiously swerved back with a jolt to hydroplane off the road. The passenger side collided with snow-covered birch trees that snapped and destroyed the outer door. The frenzied impacts caused the passenger side airbag to deploy.

I wasn't sure if I dissociated, or if I saw a flash, but I felt some force took control of my car. It propelled forward.  This collision with the passenger side of the car was like a godsend.  It took just enough time for the oncoming traffic to pass.   As if on cue, my car crossed the median behind the 18-wheeler and went directly into the ditch on the opposite side of the road and to collide with a telephone pole.  The driver's side airbag deployed and smoke oozed out of the remains of the engine. 

Just as the ambulance and firetruck arrived, I managed to emerge from the car. Against the advice of bystanders, I rushed back to rescue a research project from the back seat. The EMTs insisted I be taken to emergency to get checked over. When I arrived on the gurney, colleagues thought I was playing a trick on them until the police followed in behind. After all, I had left my volunteering responsibilities there less than 15 minutes before.

In the end, the car was a right off, yet, I emerged unscathed.  At first, all I could think about was the car (it was my dad's).  Hindsight helps me see my survival is more important.  This led me to rethink my personal and professional choices at that point in my life.  I intuitively made new decisions which led me to take advantage of overseas opportunities in other fields.

To this day, I am aware an angel took control of my car during that snowfall in order that I would step back and change the direction of my life. I still regularly feel the presence of angels.  I appreciate divine beings help me to broaden my horizons.  Stepping back, I recognize I had been ignoring my true self. Now I continue to prioritize creative visions that empower and inspire.  A recent bumper sticker told me I'm "protected by angels" and a girl next to me on the bus today was wearing a t-shirt that read "angels are watching you." 

Miracles

The Dalai Lama reminds us that peace and affection are the strongest tools for healing the world and also for strengthening our inner selves.  Yet, how many people believe they can use their minds to create their own miracles? How many people take steps to expand miraculous abilities?

A miracle is "a transgression of a law of nature."  It's something you don't expect to happen, some event meant perhaps to prevent you from becoming too rigid or set in your ways.  We can assume miracles happen.  We may hear about them or, in rare cases, be lucky enough to witness them. What seems normal talent or ability to some people will also seem most extraordinary to others.  

The area of conscious awareness never functions to its potential in a person who refuses to learn.  Only when mentally-prepared will a person be ready to effect or perceive extraordinary events in the physical world and even go so far as to redefine what is humanly possible. 

Consider how athlete Roger Bannister stunned the world by breaking the 4 minute mile.  At the same time, he shattered a psychological barrier. People had said that couldn't be done.  His achievement humbled naysayers and motivated other athletes to redefine limits and potential.

To achieve a high level of spiritual experience, has enabled human beings to heighten their perception; to see, hear and feel what others haven't yet developed the capacities to grasp.  Milrepa was a well-known Buddhist poet and visionary who was supposedly able to fly.  This was apparently a result of the depth and saintly wisdom he achieved in mediation.  Joan of Arc claimed to have been spoken to by God and guided to lead a historic army to save France.  A simple peasant girl, she transformed into an inspirational warrior because she believed she could and she had faith in her destiny.  People still believe in the power of signs and guides.

Miracles happen all the time. As we learn to believe in the potential for something wonderful, we open our senses and begin to appreciate life more.  Each time events occur that surpass all known human or natural powers, they may indicate Divine intervention or supernatural cause.  These events can also inspire us to redefine what is possible in our own lives. We all have abilities to develop ourselves from within, to rethink what we once thought were limits. As you learn to raise your standards, to expand your horizons, to surpass achievements, some people may describe that as 'a miracle.'  If you believe in infinite learning, your view may differ.

Real or exaggerated risks?

How do you determine whether taking a risk is warranted? With so many influences to skew our perception, it can be difficult to decide what action is justified. Your emotions influence your point of view.  Your mind has an opinion.  Your friends and family will offer their two cents. People you don't know may even offer you advice.  Then, the media and your imagination will paint pictures as well. Whom do you believe? How do you decipher or measure the true risk?

In November 2006, Time Magazine published an article that explained  "our emotions overtake our reasoning [and] we worry about sensational events which are statistically unlikely to harm us — such as airline disasters, shark attacks, or terrorism — rather than everyday dangers that kill thousands." Our emotions guide us to decide whether we should take or cancel that annual trip, get into a car and drive on a busy highway, or risk taking a new nuclear reactor job when life-threatening dangers appear to be a real possibility. 

John Graham, who spent four years as administrator of the federal Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, says "People's capacity to visualize a risk is an important part of the attention they give to it. "  Consider the fear factor that causes many people to worry about the level of terorist threat.  What does a scale of 5 colors about the intensity of terrorist threats mean to the general public? Red is supposedly more serious on the scale than yellow or orange but what do such colors measure or control other than human anxiety? Its up to each of us to decide.