Hi Family: I wanted to share this new magazine with you all. I found out about Super Raw Life on Facebook. It's a free online magazine. They only ask for donations. The link is here: http://www.superrawlife.com/
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Angela Stokes Monarch wrote about Car Crash Lessons - One Year Later in her newsletter. I found her life's suggestions inspiring:
Nov 23rd marks a year to the day since Mr. M and I experienced a pretty intense car crash in Pennsylvania, during which both cars involved were totalled...a year on from this perspective-shifting event, we feel extremely blessed to still be here and manifesting the life of our dreams, day by day...coming out of the other side of an event like that relatively unharmed helped us to step deeper and deeper into *gratitude* for what we do get to experience here - it is truly such a blessing and adventure to be alive and play here in "Earth School", if we choose to see it that way of course... ;)
Our lives can seem so fragile, delicate and impermanent in the wake of shocking events like car crashes or other unexpected accidents - it can be a great reminder to truly relish every moment that we do have here, to offer thanks and gratitude, to greet each new day with excitement and anticipation...to do our very best in every moment to honour others, to offer compassion, to connect authentically and with love...for we never really know when our encounters with another may be the last...so, in remembrance of our perspective-shifting crash last year, I'd love to offer five suggestions here, inspired by others who experienced disturbing circumstances and chose lighter, more love-filled perspectives and lives for themselves as a result:
1. Remain Open - Mahatma Gandhi suggested to "Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." - choosing to embrace all of our experiences here with love, joy and curiosity and continuing to remain open to change, to new learning and experiences, despite whatever 'setbacks' or challenges we may perceive in life, can bring such richness to the tapestries of our lives.
2. We Have A Choice In Every Moment - I recall the words of Viktor Frankl, author and holocaust survivor, who said: "Everything can be taken from a man or a woman but one thing: the last of human freedoms to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." We *always* have a choice, in every moment, how we choose to act, to be, to perceive things, to interact with others...misery is a choice, self-pity is a choice, victim-hood is a choice...and no matter WHAT the circumstances going on around us, we can choose to keep the light burning in our hearts and stay in a space of love, if we are willing to do so...
3. Vulnerability is Our Greatest Defence - in the words of another holocaust writer, Anne Frank: "In the long run, the sharpest weapon of all is a kind and gentle spirit." and "Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart." If we are willing to remain in a space of love and gentleness towards others, despite how challenging any circumstances may appear to be...if we're willing to breathe deeper, speak with more compassion, open our hearts and hold the space wider and deeper with others, to honour that core of light in everyone we encounter, then we will surely see huge shifts in our lives and in the flow of everything around us...
4. Don't Take Anything Personally (nod to Don Miguel Ruiz ;) - understanding that anything 'negative' that people might seem to bring towards you is a reflection of their own imbalances can be very liberating, rather than taking things personally and feeling easily battered around by the opinions and actions of others... Shaman wisdom-keeper Little Grandmother, who survived through a very abusive and disturbing upbringing to bring a message of such joy and light to the world, says "It is none of my business what other people think of me"...
5. Always End With Love - I recall hearing a story of another concentration camp survivor, who had lived through so much and on recounting her experiences from those days, shared that one of her deepest regrets was that just before she and her little brother were separated at the entrance to the camp, she was angry with him for losing his shoe and was shouting at him. She never saw him again. The message she shares and that I take to heart here is: aim to always end things lovingly and with compassion in your communication with others, rather than walking away or even going to sleep shrouded in anger and frustrations...
I trust that you may find some extra inspiration in these words for your own journey - we are truly so blessed to be here, may you enjoy your choices and experiences. ;)
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Up next, a review and giveaway!
Love,
Althea ◦
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