Dreaming the dream.......

Life is but a dream....
We spend our lives on the 'To Do' and there doesn't seem to be time for ‘Creating the dream’. We feel  like slaves to the life that  is thrust upon us.

The life you have is the one that you are allowing yourself to have.              

If that's so- we can create whatever experience we want.

It can be changed at any moment.
-When you decide you want more.
-When you become intolerant of suffering.
-When you get accountable to your own life.

One day- I had a Dream. In the dream, I envisioned A Village, a place of peace, community and teaching-
an oasis for a changing and lost world.

At the time, there was no foreseeable way that was going to happen;

 I had a 2 year old- my marriage was a mess- I'd lost a 20 year career and I had lost my identity.
I owned a small retail store that I had to depend on for my very existence.
I thought there is no freaking' way. This ‘Dream’ was really a vision and part of my Spiritual Awakening.

I bought a three ring binder- I filled it with ideas for the 'Dream'. I wrote powerful words on the cover with a silver marker;. Manifestation- Inspirations- Insights- Notions- Plans- Ideas- Visions- Dreams- and drew suns stars and moons all over it.

What would it look like? What would I do there? Who would come?

Ok, what would I need to get it up and running?
1. A location..(I had visited a wonderful B+B once- I fell in love with it.)
I used it as my  backdrop.

2. What were the blocks to getting it?
I made a list.. it started to look do-able!

With help from the Universe- things slowly began to change....I began to change..
I got divorced (not by my choosing at the time) I let go of the store that was a source of exhaustion and huge financial commitment. I spent the next year healing my wounded life, mourning, decompressing, sorting, purging, , praying  and dreaming. I was blessed to have the company of my friend and sister Jennifer during that amazing, wonderful, horrible time.

At the end of that year, I had a clearer understanding of the Dream. I had a clearer understanding of what I needed to create it. I got accountable, gained confidence, accepted myself unconditionally, evolved and planned. With every bag of garbage I purged and every relationship I evaluated,  I cleared the path of everything that was in the way of the Dream. My ways of thinking- worry- control and fear and replaced them with hope- accountability- faith and surrender.

During those years, my son and I visited our beloved  B+B over 30 times. He used to call it ‘Our House’;it was for sale and vacant. In  October 2009, I made the call and it was available and do-able. On the Full Moon- October 31, 2009 A Village became a reality.

The day we got the keys- I stood in the living room with my now 15 year old son-
He said "We did it Mom- can you believe it?...It's our  Dream come true. Can you believe we are standing in ‘Our House’?!"
I cried that day..
For the woman I was-
For the time wasted in suffering-
For Joy-
For the Future-
and in Gratitude.

Change- The river of life.....

Change
I always share in lectures that human beings only learn through pain. Sounds grim but it is a fact....and resistance to change is the cause of suffering for many of us..We will do anything to avoid pain.

Change is a constant state; What I believed to be true from my limited perception in youth; due to lack of experience and my inflated ego- came to be a humbling.But I could not see that until I looked back in my adulthood.

Lack of faith-insecurity, ignorance and ego are the saboteurs in our ability to accept change.

What brings peace is understanding that there is a current under the canoe of life and no matter how hard we paddle that current is going to take you down river.

I am an avid canoeist- and we would take 3 day river trips- sometimes with people who never canoed in their life..We would stay in the rear and watch as the river took a turn, and in the bend there would be a tangle of debris. We would tell them not to paddle- but steer only at the bend- but inevitably they would not listen. It was amusing to watch people paddle their proverbial butts off- only to get caught in the debris- having to get out and drag the boat- as we gently and effortlessly glided past them...

Life is like that. We are faced with change and we resist, we struggle to stay where we are. With what is familiar- where we feel powerful.

Change asks us to admit we don't have all the answers, that there is an exciting opportunity waiting around the bend. We would rather struggle and fight- but inevitably the current takes you downriver- around the bend. Whether you like it or not.

Let's embrace change- not as something to fear- but as a chance to stretch- learn something new to explore the journey on the river of life...

Just remember as my friend Chuck used to say ":Just go with the natural flow of the river!!"

Then you can just enjoy the view....

Thought for the day

The river- Garth brooks
You know a dream is like a river
Ever changin' as it flows
And a dreamer's just a vessel
That must follow where it goes
Trying to learn from what's behind you
And never knowing what's in store
Makes each day a constant battle
Just to stay between the shores
And I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry
Like a bird upon the wind
These waters are my sky
I'll never reach my destination
If I never try
So I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry
Too many times we stand aside
And let the waters slip away
'Til what we put off 'til tomorrow
It has now become today
So don't you sit upon the shoreline
And say you're satisfied
Choose to chance the rapids
And dare to dance that tide
And I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry
Like a bird upon the wind
These waters are my sky
I'll never reach my destination
If I never try
So I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry
There's bound to be rough waters
And I know I'll take some falls
With the good Lord as my captain
I can make it through them all
And I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry
Like a bird upon the wind
These waters are my sky
I'll never reach my destination
If I never try
So I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry
Lord, I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry