Come join us for a night of Tarot at the beautiful Harmony Healing Arts Center in Shepherdstown, WV. Tarot practitioner Teri Nolan and On the Wings of Dreams shop owner Laura Rau present a beginning to intermediate level tarot workshop on Friday, May 6 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

This workshop will:

* introduce you to the basic design, theories and symbology of the Tarot
* teach you how to recognize and interpret patterns in card layouts
* provide you with hands-on practice to work with the Tarot and integrate it into your spiritual practices

This workshop will help you to focus, receive guidance and get you started on your own journey into the Tarot – or deepen your current practice. Feel free to bring your own treasured deck!

For general information and to sign up for this workshop, please contact On the Wings of Dreams at (304) 876-0244, or e-mail us through the Contact page of this web site. Workshop fee is $15 payable that evening. Reservations are requested.

On Saturday, May 7, Teri will be available for personal readings at On the Wings of Dreams, 139 W. German Street in Shepherdstown from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call (304) 876-0244 to reserve a time or for more information. Cost is $1 per minute, $25 for 30 minutes or $50 per hour.

Last night was a rare Lunar Eclipse that coincided with the Winter Solstice. What an auspicious time for a tarot reading! This cycle reading was done for the time period between the Winter Solstice to the Spring Equinox. Maybe the patterns here help to guide you through your journey.

We are entering a period of grace where love rules the day. Our own internal integrity aligns with the larger forces that create a greater sense of harmony, and yes – dare I say it – joy! It is a time to trust, to take those risks, to take up your power and to begin at the beginning. We’ve all been through a lot, and we know not to hold onto those hardships, but to find the blessings in them instead. Be careful how you keep your mind – don’t let monkey brain get in control.

Work on allowing your SELF to speak instead of those ego-driven voices, as doing so reenforces that internal integrity. The truth is, our trials have made us stronger, and there is yet another reenforcement of not holding onto what is past. Keep the faith and keep your heart loving. Old internal perspectives are well and truly over, so don’t hold onto what you think you know. Allow those thoughts to GO, while remembering that the seeds under the earth are waiting for spring’s warmth to bring them forth. There’s no hurry to the rebirthing process, just don’t cling to the old. Can’t say that enough.

The world will continue to appear crazy, but don’t let that influence your own journey. What you do now, as long as it your integrity is honored and your heart is loving, will have strong, lasting consequences. It’s really, really important not to listen to the cultural norms or play the game “their” way. Keep your energy away from that stuff. What arises is new authority, new stability, a broader picture and opportunities to be of service and do good in the world. The trials and challenges have been aligned with that old saying, “That which does not kill me makes me stronger.” That Strength is there now to rely upon.

Flowing over and around and through all of this is a lot of powerful spiritual energy. Spirit is speaking to us if we listen deeply. Watch out for synchronicities and unexpected blessings!

Happy Solstice!
Peace -
Tee

Another year comes to a close, and the holidays are here once again. This year, as so many of us struggle with the challenges of bringing light to the darkness let’s take a moment to reflect upon why this season can bring hope and healing into our lives.

One of my favorite holiday traditions is to watch Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. I prefer the George C. Scott version, but there are many to choose from. What I love about this story is the healing of Scrooge. He has all the money and possessions anyone could want, and yet he is a bitter, unhappy man. What breaks his heart open to compassion and charity is the duel knowledge of his own mortality and the plight of one small, sick child. It is loving and giving that bring Mr. Scrooge joy and well-being.

Which makes this an excellent time of year to bring light to someone else’s darkness. In other words: G-I-V-E. Give time, give money, give kindness, give a helping hand to someone who really needs it. There are many ways to do this. Shelters for people in trouble (women, children, homeless, etc.) are always in need of resources. Look around your house. I bet there is an extra winter coat around you haven’t worn in years. Or what about that spare toaster sitting in the back of the closet? Most of us have way too much stuff, and this is a great time of year to bring bounty into the lives of those who are doing without.

And let’s not forget the shelters that take care of other beings. Animal shelters desperately need supplies (like food, blankets and toys), money and volunteers. Helping our four-legged and winged friends lifts our own spirits.

Charities and Non-profits that help others are easy to find if you have a spare $10 or $20 to give. One of my personal favorites is Worldbuilders, run by best-selliing author Patrick Rothfuss. His organization matches 50% of donations made to Heifer International via his Team Heifer page. Visit them HERE. Its a great charity that uplifts the lives of whole communities. Or, there is the favorite charity of On the Wings of Dreams, The Potomac Valley Audobon Society. These people do a lot to enrich all our lives through environmental work. Their website is HERE.

Give a little. You’ll feel good. And like Laura remarked to me today: like a snowflake falling into water, the little ripples are felt a long way away.

But, perhaps your own circumstances don’t allow for donating money or resources. Perhaps your are too busy yourself to volunteer or clean out your closets. You can still give. You can give a whole lot every day with the smallest effort. You can smile at strangers, hold doors open or just give your patience. The ways we interact with other people are the most powerful acts in the world. Kindness, simple kindness, creates positive change everywhere around us.

There are so many people out there shouting very loudly about what’s wrong, and who’s to blame, and who is right. Seriously, that’s all just a lot of wind, stirring up bad feelings and creating anger and despair.

Reality is the person standing next to you. Reality is the old person with a cane who needs your seat. Reality is the mom with the cranky toddler who needs your glance of understanding instead of your judgment. Reality is simple acts of kindness, tolerance and patience. That’s how we change our world. Now more than ever we need to step up to the plate and choose to live in a world where what we say and do have positive consequences for ourselves and others.

People who are stressed, afraid and angry need our compassion, too. Remember that old saying about ‘you can’t fight fire with fire’ ? Fire needs our water, our love. Our open hearts ready to see and understand.

Politics and media do not really run the world. We all run it together by bringing light into the dark places. For ourselves, for each other. One smile, one kind word and one helpful act at a time.

A Blessed Holiday Season to all Peoples and Beings of the World.

Peace be with you.

Tee

Hello dear friends of On the Wings of Dreams!  I return from my unannounced summer hiatus with a new Reflection. There is no way I would miss September, as it is the 3rd anniversary of Reflections by Tee. Happy Anniversary to us!

This morning the crickets are chirping, the morning glories are blooming and the crows are cawing. It’s the tail-end of summer and I think we’re all ready for the change.

Here in these essays I have done my best to offer up any insight or wisdom I discover from walking the spiritual path. Because I am currently in a state of flux, with everything shifting both within and without me, those gems of wisdom usually so accessible to me are not yet mined, seeming to hide deep within the earth. Instead I offer you the gift of not knowing. I offer you the path of placing one foot in front of the other, unsure just where it is we are going.

Perhaps the most important thing during times like this is to keep your mind from spinning.  The challenges of the past and the uncertainty of the future can distract us from the here and now.  It is all too easy to get locked into a pattern of believing that the thoughts in our heads are all there is; we cycle through those same thoughts over and over again.

In order to make ourselves a fertile ground for fresh insight, and to avoid being trapped in the morass of confusion, we must use our awareness to perceive what is.

One helpful perspective is to remove judgment from our perceptions.  When we label things as good or bad, we create an emotional response that activates either attraction or avoidance within us.  Instead we might choose to be a spiritual scientist, analyzing the Truth of our situations through observation and reflection.  We can expand our ways of thinking, remembering that what appears as a set-back or a challenge, may in hindsight be exactly what we need to stretch ourselves and evolve.

Another helpful perspective is to remember the law of impermanence, or as my Mom is fond of saying, “This too shall pass.”  Whatever your current situation, prospering or challenging, the Great Wheel of Life is in motion.  When we get to the heart of impermanence we greet all change with equanimity.  We do not cling to our happiness or to our sadness.  We develop a flexible interior state that brings calm compassion to each new circumstance.

It’s not the destination, but the journey that matters.  How we walk the path, rather than the end result. When we are faced with great challenges, perseverance and courage are required.  When we find ourselves in times of increase and expansion, we can elevate those around us, strengthening the human network of which we are all a part.

In either case, we do not cling to our situation.  Banish the thoughts that say, “EVERYTHING’S AWFUL FOREVER!” OR “NOW I’VE GOT IT MADE!”  Everything, every thing, keeps moving and changing and evolving.  That is the True Nature of existence.

The Dalai Lama says that when we are filled with our own suffering, the best antidote is to remove attention from ourselves and be helpful to others.  This can seem counter-intuative, as we are overwhelmed with the challenges we face.  But it’s true that giving others a smile or a kind word or a helping hand elevates us, bringing unexpected consequences that improve our own situations.

The opposite is true as well.  The energy of happiness or good fortune can inspire us to spread the joy and prevent the wild emotional swings that arise when we are out of balance.  You know, too much of a good thing, and all that.

Clinging to anything, good or bad, is a form of greed.  “I’ll keep this to myself,” is a sure recipe for suffering.  Allowing others to help us and offering help in our turn keeps the process in a state of balance and creates the potential to elevate us all.

Humanity is one big family.  We are all sisters and brothers and mothers and fathers to each other.  Our great hope is that we all wake up to that truth.

And so I leave you with a bit of wisdom from Matthew 25:40:  “Truly I say to you, inasmuch as you have done it to one of the least of these, my brothers, you have done it to me.”

Peace-
Tee

copyright Teri Nolan 2010

Mama Fox

Foxes are creatures of dawn and dusk, my favorite times of day; those between times seem filled with magic. Our eyes see what is usually hidden under the bright light of the sun or the dark of the night. This mama fox visited me last night just as the sun was setting, inspiring thoughts on vision, both literally and figuratively.

Just the other day I was pondering the idea that we so often see what we expect to see instead of what is actually there. Our brains are built for just that.  I lifted the following from Wikipedia:

The blindspot, or physiological blind spot, orpunctum caecum in medical literature is the place in the visual field that corresponds to the lack of light-detecting photoreceptor cells on the optic disc of the retina where the optic nerve passes through it. Since there are no cells to detect light on the optic disc, a part of the field of vision is not perceived. The brain fills in with surrounding detail and with information from the other eye, so the blind spot is not normally perceived.

It’s odd to think that a portion of what we think we are seeing is really our brains providing information that isn’t really there. Brains are amazing.

It is also true that in familiar surroundings we tend to let our imaginative brains do all the work, and fail to see small changes in our environment. We assume because we’ve seen it so many times before. That’s what inspired Poe’s  short story The Purloined Letter. And, there is that old saying “If it were a snake it would have bit me.” What aren’t we seeing?  Quite a lot, I think.

Although this is true for all of the senses (smell, touch, taste, hearing) we have become a visually oriented culture and receive most of our input from media. How often do any of us take the time to “stop and smell the roses?”  Or, in the visual arena, look at them?

There is an old Zen saying, “chop wood, carry water,” which means to do what you are doing and keep your attention there. No multi-tasking allowed! Although it is made to seem so, multi-tasking is not necessarily a virtue. How much of life are we missing this way? Where is the depth of our experience when we merely skim the surface of what we encounter?

Foxes see differently than humans. They have rods instead of cones, and though they can’t distinguish colors as acutely as humans, they see better in the dark. Their senses of smell and hearing are much better than ours, too. Which is why, when pondering fox medicine, I began to think of all that we are not taking in with our senses.

This brings me to art. In order to be creative or appreciate art, our senses and our emotions must be engaged. Art done well will not allow you to skim the surface, it will drag you down to the depths or have you soaring to new heights. To me, that is its purpose. Slogans and sound-bites are what we are fed through our media, and that creates a shallow human being.

In fox mojo, we are called to move through the unseen places. It’s part of how we make our lives a work of art. When we integrate the information that our senses are giving us instead of feeding off input from those with financial or political agendas, we get a better sense of the real world we are living in. We can translate that information into anything we like, helping us to make sense of life (a very confusing proposition these days).

Nicholas Carr wrote an interesting article on how the internet is rewiring our brains. You can find it here:  http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/web/06/07/carr.internet.overload/index.html

Now, being somewhat of a geekie person, I love my MacBook and my iPod (though not so much my cell phone). I am not in favor of returning to those pre-technology days of my youth. BUT – I think we need to spend an equal amount of time with ourselves, integrating and observing our world and each other. Depth is required. Balance is needed.

It’s easy for me as I live in the mountains. While writing this blog, I have stopped several times to watch the goldfinch delicately picking at the catnip flowers. Time in nature creates that interior balance, but there are other ways to do so. Mostly it’s just about “chop wood, carry water.”  See what you see, hear what you hear, and so on.

So take even one of those eight hours we Americans spend peering into a screen, and look around you with fox eyes. Smell with your fox nose. Hear with your fox ears. Shape-shifters have all the fun, you know!

Peace-

Tee

May 2010

It feels as if we traveled from cold and barren to warm and verdant overnight. I know this isn’t so. I’ve watched the slow progression of blooming and greening over this past month. Yet it seems like a magical transformation. As if I blinked and the landscape changed.

This morning I heard the first wood thrush of the season, singing its panpipe song deep in the forest near my house. If there is a bird that seems to arouse the feeling of myth, of the world of fairie, it is the wood thrush. It’s easy to imagine sprites and nymphs dancing and playing under the canopy of the newly awakened forest.

I’ve written of the importance of imagination and playfulness here before. It may seem that with the world being so serious, so intense and challenging, it would be irresponsible to put on your fairie wings and dance around a moonlit glade. Allow me to disagree.

It is exactly that quality of playfulness and joy that frees our hearts and minds, allowing for new ideas and inspiration to enter our lives. We don’t do this in spite of life’s difficulties, but because of them. The power of imagination cannot be underestimated. Two of my favorite scientists had this to say about imagination:

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.” Albert Einstein

“Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere.” Carl Sagan

Our brains are miraculous. Through them we can transcend all boundaries of space and time. Think of your dreams and how in one moment you might be flying on the back of a dragon and the next you may be having tea with the Queen of England. The possibilities are endless.

So it is with life.

While there is a sad lack of dragons in our everyday lives, still there is unlimited potential. To activate it, we must dream it. We must love and believe in that potential. The harsh realities of life may attempt to intrude and freeze our capacity to imagine. It can seem like the sun will never shine again, that we will never be able to relax and laugh again. There is the lie.

They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night.  Edgar Allan Poe, “Eleonora”

So often change and impermanence can seem to be the root of our suffering, when in actuality it can be the release. While the good things in our lives will eventually change and pass away, so too the challenges. Each new day brings the possibility of positive change. The secret is to stay unattached to the good and the bad. To cherish and appreciate, but not hold onto.

Imagination is a highly effective tool because it focuses our attention on what lifts our hearts and brightens our minds. While the world won’t always conform to our own ideals, how we meet the world can dramatically influence our path. If you are looking for the good, the true and the beautiful you are more likely to find just that.

It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.  Henry David Thoreau

There are times when we must sit within our pain and sorrow. Tears have their place; they release and heal. Some broken things cannot be fixed and require healthy grieving. Those powerful emotions must be felt before they can be transformed. The trick is to not repress, but to instead express. We then make room for new light to enter.

Once upon a time we were little children and the whole world seemed spread out before us in never-ending potential. Little by little expectations and responsibilities leached away the hopes and dreams of our childhoods. No, we’ll never fly to the moon. No, we won’t win a Nobel Peace Prize. No we won’t have millions of dollars. No, no, no. What about yes?

To see a World in a Grain of Sand And a Heaven in a Wild Flower Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand And Eternity in an hour. William Blake

There are infinite things we can say yes to. Yes to the soft breeze caressing our skin. Yes to the moonlight reflected on the waters. Yes to the person holding our hand. Yes to the belief that love is stronger than fear – that hatred must be countered with compassion.

The longest journey begins with a single step. Lao-tzu

Instead of becoming exhausted by the mere thought of the long journey before us, perhaps we can imagine how easy that first single step will be. It’s just one foot in front of the other. It’s just this day and then the next that gets you where you are going. And where is it we are going?

Imagine it. Imagine the most beautiful, kindest, healthy world – and take that first step.

Peace-
Tee

There are people who live on the surface of things. They follow the rules of the culture, find their purpose and worth in acquisition, in power-over and in appearances.

There are people who live in the depths, who play at blaming, who believe their inability to achieve and to succeed exists outside themselves. They create the reasons why, and make them the truth of their lives.

There are people who live in fear, and fight and argue and insist that they are right. They believe that if they are not right, the world will crush them. They work diligently to silence any voices in opposition to their beliefs in any way they can.

There are people who are lost. Who follow the way of the crowd, hoping to pass through life unnoticed by its dangers and cruelties. They nod and smile and hold themselves very close, following along with no goal other than to avoid suffering.

There are people who are running. Who flirt with danger and court adventure in order the escape feeling the pain of the world. They move quickly from one experience to the next, never stopping to incorporate their experiences into their being.

There are people who spend their lives analyzing – breaking down life into cause and effect. Always seeking to understand how the world works, its laws and its consequences.

There are people who spend their lives nurturing – caring for others with no thoughts of themselves. Always seeking to heal the wounds, to right the wrongs, to give.

And yes, there are people bent on cruelty. Who thrive on the suffering of others. We can not ignore that this is true.

We are all, all of us, all these people. Yet we are also people who pick ourselves up when life knocks us down. We live and we love and we learn and keep going, believing, hoping, creating a better world each day. We don’t believe the doomsayers, and yet we also don’t believe that everything will work itself out fine on its own. Our minds and hearts and hands are all required to bring the world into a place of peace, of balance, of justice and of love.

Our struggles make us stronger. Our despair opens our hearts to others. Our inability to fix everything humbles us. Our ability to see beauty lightens our burden and inspires us to create more beauty.

Once we see the truth, once we understand that we are both utterly alone and completely connected at the same time, we begin to understand the path to wholeness. We begin to see with our third eye, both inside and outside at the same time. We no longer fight life, but jump joyously into its flow and engage its process with all of our being. We understand that we are in control of our attitude toward life. There is nothing to fear. There is only this step and then the next. There is only taking each step with confidence and joy.

Breathe in the air that is life.
Smile at the sun on your face.
Sing to the moon in the night.
Open your heart to life’s grace.

Peace,
Tee

copyright 2010 Teri Nolan

The color of springtime is in the flowers, the color of winter is in the imagination.  ~Ward Elliot Hour

Let us love winter, for it is the spring of genius.  ~Pietro Aretino

The other day I found myself longing for spring. Only three days into winter, with snow still on the ground from that giant solstice snow storm, and there I was projecting myself out into a future of warming breezes and blossoming flowers. Not good. Spring remains months away.

I lectured myself about the pointlessness of premature spring-longing and the unhappiness that would surely bring. Find the boons of winter! I told myself.

Immediately thoughts of creativity popped into my thinking. Short days, dark nights, winter’s chill – what else is there to do but seek out the muses and give myself over the creative spirit?

Okay, good plan.

It wasn’t long before I was frustrated. The muses are slippery and elusive. Trying to engage the muse is like trying to catch an eel under water. Good luck with that. The best you can hope for is to open your hands and perhaps, just maybe, an eel will happen to swim between your open palms. It might stay there awhile if you are still and don’t do anything scary. Really, you shouldn’t stare at it, either. They are flighty that way.

Enough of the eel metaphor, apt as it is.

Inviting the creative spirit to come and play with you requires a state of alert and playful readiness. I know there are a few lucky people who seem to ooze creativity 24/7. Some muse has found their particular shoulder to be a happy place to live, and anytime they sit down with pen or paints or piano, here comes art.

I am not one of those people. You probably aren’t either. If you are, however, I am very happy for you, but you can stop reading now!

Let’s talk about the rest of us, shall we?

One thing you can do to entice the spirit of creativity into your life is to show up for the practice. That means using your awareness to dissolve whatever resistance arises when you consider creating anything. “What if I sit down with pen and paper and nothing happens?” is one dreaded thought. Sometimes it pans out that way. So, to avoid the disappointment, don’t expect anything. Expectation and attachments are major muse deflectors.

Still, you must show up. Must bring your attention. The trick is to also keep your emotions quiet, or at least delicately pleased (for no reasons whatsoever!). In other words, be amused by your blocks and barriers – your thoughts of doom and failure. Consider how silly it is that you could be upset by one failed effort to produce.

That’s why you must show up for the muses the next day, as well. And the next, and the next. Always with a light heart and calm attention.

The aim is not a New York Time’s bestseller or a symphony to equal Beethoven’s ninth. It is to express your unique “youness”. It is, perhaps, to share that with others. It could be to merely hang your creation on the wall for just you to connect with and delight in every day. Inside you is that place of art, and to find it is part of finding your Self.

Perhaps the trickiest part of attracting the muses is the seemingly lazy, introspective idleness that is sometimes required. Many artists talk about the times between creative output where daydreaming about nothing in particular is the rule. It is the priming of the creative pump, and the cold months of winter are particularly suited to this non-activity.

I forget who said this, but the saying has stuck with me. “Resistance always has meaning.” Eventually, if you continue to resist showing up for your creative pursuit, it is likely that you are in your own way. It can be helpful at such times to meditate, to ponder, on that feeling of resistance. What fear is in your way? Failure? Success? Exposure? Self-doubt? Work with the feeling, which also means, don’t resist the resistance. Or, as another wise person once said, “Stop fighting with the Universe.”

Each one of us has some medium where our creative spirit shines through. It is important to engage this medium. Why? Because it empowers us. It releases pent-up emotions and frees us to live well in a world that often seems quite crazy. It’s a great sanity-builder!

COLLAGE IS FUN, AND EFFECTIVE AT BREAKING CREATIVE BLOCKS

While I admit that my preferred form of expression is writing, I do find that when the written word eludes me, I can engage the muse in other ways. I paint a bit, or play with sculpey. I even crochet (though very poorly). I have several friends who are every bit as expressive with food creations as I could ever hope to be with words!

In other words, if you are a painter, and the painting muse is hiding out in a fifth level dimension somewhere in the vicinity of Betelgeuse, there are other muses hanging out that would love to play.

The are no boundaries on creative play. Some glue and a few toothpicks can do the trick. I don’t believe in ‘art’ as an exclusive thing that only a few extremely talented people can engage. No! It’s all about creation and your participation in creating something – anything! Prime that pump!

Spring will return, there’s no doubt there. The rhythm of the cycles and the seasons are a sure ground to stand upon. To do so, however, we must be flexible and work with what is.

If you are hating the winter, you are arguing with the Universe. Why not accept the gifts of the season, instead? The muses like that sort of thing, and you might just find one sitting comfortably on your shoulder, inspiring you to new creative heights.

That is my wish for you in this New Year.

Peace,
Tee

photos, artwork, collage and text copyright 2010 Teri Nolan

[Ring Ring]

“Hello?”

“Hello. May I please speak to You?”

“This is Me. Who’s calling please?”

“This is your Soul calling.”

“My Soul? Wow! How have you been? What’s up?”

“Not much, actually. You, see that’s why I’m calling…”

“Oh no! Is something wrong?”

“Not wrong, really. Just dull and meaningless.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. Is there anything I can do?”

“Actually, yes. There is something.”

“What? You know I want to help if I can.”

“Good! In that case, perhaps you might remember we are One, and bring me back into your life.”

[silence]

“Hello? Are you still there?”

“Yes, I’m here.”

“How about it? Can we work together as One, here?”

“Well, you see, I have a lot on my plate right now. You know, the holidays are coming up and there’s this big project at work. I’m pretty busy.”

“Are You kidding Me?”

“Maybe you could call back in February. Things should slack off by then.”

“Seriously?”

“I’m really sorry. Look, I’ve gotta run. I have an appointment in a few minutes.”

“You know, I’m not going anywhere, and your life would run a lot more smoothly if you would acknowledge my existence.”

“Well… I might be able to squeeze you in this weekend. [ruffling pages] How about Saturday around noon?”

[click]

“Hello? Soul?”

[silence]

“Oh well, it mustn’t have been all that important.”

and… close scene.

Would you treat your best friend this way? Your soul, the one guaranteed relationship you will have from birth to death, is absolutely your best friend.

What does your soul like to do? It likes to dance and sing. It like to hug and it likes to swim. Your soul loves long walks in the woods and loves sitting quietly by candlelight just enjoying its own company.

Your soul likes to try new things. It likes to pick up a paint brush and go wild with colors and textures. It likes to write a poem that no one but you will ever read. Sometimes your soul enjoys testing itself by taking on the things it fears most.

The Egyptians had a word for soul, called Ka. It is our spiritual essence; the life force and divine spark. The gods breathed life into the newly born child, which made them alive.

So often we identifies ourselves only as our thinking mind, also called ego. The ego isn’t merely referring to conceit, but also to the part of our mind that processes information and makes judgments on it. The ego puts on jeans and sneakers and gets to work! At least it does when it is happiest. We misuse our egos constantly by believing they are ‘us’, when actually they are just one tool of the mind that is particularly good at talking really loud.

In contrast, our soul, our Ka, is quiet. It appreciates and comprehends instead of merely processing and judging. It observes phenomena without labels or opinions, and sees into their deeper nature.

How do you develop a relationship with your soul? All forms of artistic expression bring the soul up from the basement and into the light. Meditation is perhaps the surest bet, because (as I mentioned above) the soul comes out when your talking mind shuts up. Make a comfy place for you soul. Light candles, burn incense and put on some softly, soothing music. Your soul will absolutely come to check out that scene.

My personal favorite way to bring my soul to the forefront of my being is to write. Talking, ego mind goes away and I hear and see what seems to miraculously fly from my fingertips. It is a paradox that writing, being about words and ideas, can be soulful instead of ego-driven. But there it is.

There’s one thread that links this all together, and that is listening. Just listen. Calmly and without expectation, open your inner ears to the music of your soul. It’s always singing if you listen.

This year, when you are choosing gifts for those you love, remember your soul, your Ka. The only gift that it ever wants is your time and attention. Time, each day, to be with your best friend.

Peace -
Tee

copyright 2009 Teri Nolan

Two years ago Laura suggested I write monthly essays for On the Wings of Dreams, called Reflections by Tee. Isn’t Laura brilliant? I think she is, because is provided an opportunity for me to contribute to the best little shop on the planet. It also allowed me to fulfill a dream of my own – to use my writing to put something positive and uplifting out into the world.

Twenty four essays later, Reflections remains a joyous place for me. Not only do I get to share the journey with readers, but I always learn some valuable gems from the process of writing them.

Who doesn’t love win/wins?

In celebration I decided to write a top ten list. Let’s call it “Tee’s Top 10 Life Lessons”.

Here we go…

#1. Every moment spent worrying is wasted time.
I was aware of this one for a very long time before it truly sank in. The crux of the thing is that if you cannot address a concern with words or deeds RIGHT NOW, then you need to drop it and focus on something over which you do have control. Worrying is bad for your health and helps no one or nothing. Trust yourself to meet each moment as it comes.

#2. It is not your job to fix everything.
Oh yes, I am a fixer. A solver of problems, which is a very good thing in most regards. Yet, when you are good at fixing things, your ego can get a bit inflated and you suffer when something unfixable comes along. It is a humbling experience, which is also a good thing. What’s the answer? There is a good mantra for this: “Accept the things you cannot change.” If you’ve given it your best effort with no results, continuing to struggle with it is only self-destructive.

#3. Find your smile.
When you are in a tough spot, a black mood or just can’t find your ray of sunshine, get your face to smiling. There is something about the physicality of smiling that uplifts you right away. It can even lead to laughter over how ridiculous it all is, which is even better!

#4. If you want to have a good time, you have to be willing to look foolish.
My friend Susan told me this one, although she doesn’t remember it. When I reminded her of it, she said, “Wow, I’m pretty smart!” Gotta love Susan. It is a true thing, however, that concerns over what other people think can make you ultra self-conscious. If you are doing no harm, then just be yourself! Be silly. Have fun. Wear you big purple hat to the grocery store. Dance down the street with a friend singing Beatles’ songs. Why not? Show me the rules forbidding it. There are none! The heart thrives on fun.

#5. Where you keep your mind determines your experience.
I get a bit miffed when I hear the saying “Your thoughts create your reality.” It’s about 10 degrees off the mark. When you wake up tomorrow, gravity will still work even if you don’t believe in it. But (and this is a big but!) what you focus on in your life does have the propensity to change your experience of it. Think of it like a house plant. If you water it, make sure it has light, pull the dead leaves and basically give it your attention, the plant thrives and grows. So too with aspects of your life. Just like your body, if you give your mind junk food you won’t feel well. Give you mind good, wholesome input.

#6. Follow your bliss.
Yes, I’ve usurped this one from Joseph Campbell, who is one of my heroes. Even though we must all attend to the things life demands of us (jobs, housework, bills, etc…) we must make time for what truly keeps our fires burning. What is your passion? If you don’t know, experiment. If you do know, engage it at whatever level you can.

#7. Keep it simple.
I read once in a novel “This step and then the next gets you where you are going.” So many times we attempt to juggle too many things. Life seems to throw curve balls at us from up, down and every direction there is. The antidote for this: take things one at a time. Make a list so you know what you need to do, then laser beam focus on one thing at a time. The confusion that results from scattering our attention accomplishes nothing. It tends to paralyze instead of prioritize.

#8. Spend time in nature.
I almost didn’t include this one in the list, because I wondered if everyone really needs this as much as I do. Upon consideration, however, I do believe this one is an essential life-coping mechanism. A long walk in the woods, or a quiet spell sitting by a tinkling stream can renew and recharge us in so many ways. It connects us to LIFE and puts things in perspective. It opens us to beauty and to peace. Take it from a nature-addict, it will do you good.

#9. It really is all pretty silly.
This is a different take on #3. Really, why do we take everything so seriously? A light-hearted approach can dissolve those mountains that were made of mole-hills. Commitment does not mean dour. A relaxed attitude filled with good humor is much more efficient. It’s so easy to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. Remember that there are nearly seven billion of us doing the same thing. Which leads nicely to…

#10. Love.
As in, Love is a verb. Love as much as you can. Give it and receive it. Respond with compassion instead of anger. Be kind. Use all the variations of Love in every way possible. The answer is not political. It is not cultural. Neither is it scientific. It is seven billion hearts with the amazing capacity to imagine the other as the self. It makes your eyes shine and eases your path. It is our greatest tool and our greatest promise.

So, there you have it. On this chilly day in mid-October, these are my top ten bits of wisdom. Tomorrow they may change. They should change and I’m sure they will. To evolve and grow is at the very root of our nature. No fight. No struggle. Just flying on the wings of dreams!

Love!
Tee