As You Give, So Shall You Receive

For the last couple of years I’ve been changing. Okay, well, I’ve been changing and growing my entire life. But lately, for the last several years I’ve gone through a mental growth period. A Spiritual journey that if I look back, I can see how its unfolded slowly, sometimes painfully, sometimes perfectly, sometimes even prolifically.

In the last couple of months, intentionally or otherwise I’ve really started to embrace the idea of trying to live a selfless life. See, I’ve been wrapped up in the idea that if I produce or do something, I look for what’s in it for me. Normal, or what society has trained me to think. If I do something for someone, what’s in it for me? Whether it comes from that person or someone else, if I give, I’ll be given back to right?

Such a delicate balance/dance with the Universe. We are told give and ye shall receive. You sow what you reap. BUT, what if we aren’t meant to? What if we aren’t designed that way? What if we are designed to sacrifice, surrender, and give without expectations? What if in the act of giving selflessly, without expectations is the key to eternal mana from heaven?

“As you give, so shall you receive.”  

What if it isn’t about WHAT you give but HOW you give?

I think about that, ponder that statement for a deeply, personal, real moment and decided it isn’t what I give, but how I give. It’s about my attitude when I give. Am I looking for something in return? Am I giving because I believe the more I give the more I get back? Or, am I in the right state of selflessness when I am giving? Am I doing the act of giving so I will be acknowledged for doing something? Do I post inspirational posts to get the responses that feed my ego or do I give my words to people selflessly? It’s a real dilemma for someone who wants to give without restraint. It’s a real moment of awakening when looking back at my life and evaluate myself honestly, openly, and without judgment.

This isn’t a moment designed to make me feel guilty, or helpless, actually it’s empowering to discover where my true power resides. My real, raw, inner power doesn’t reside in the giving of the “thing”, my real raw power resides in the thought behind it, my intention.

Am I being selfless in what I give? Am I giving without restraint? Giving without conditions? Giving without any forethought of, what’s in it for me? If I can’t honestly answer those questions with a yes, then the actions, the condition, the idea of a selfless, enlightening, freeing moment won’t exist in the action.  

It’s the Law of Cause and Effect. My giving, whatever it is, time, talent, treasure is the Cause and what is produced, what happens when I give is the Effect.

“As I give(Cause), so shall I receive(Effect).”

When I give, that is the reward! No matter what. The smile, hug, the thank you, the “things” that return to me are just an added bonus.

I know this seems radical to some. Some people may think, “But G, people will take advantage of you.” Well, to those who believe that I will say this … not really. If I’m not focusing on the effect of my action, but the cause of my giving, those things “added unto me” will be wonderful but not the reason I did the act in the first place. If I am truly pure in my intentions the results can be nothing less than pure. If appearances are on the contrary, then that is in the eye of the beholder and not the one acting out of pure intention.

Listen, I’m far from perfect in this concept. This is what life is for, to practice and keep practicing and when I feel I’ve gotten pretty good at it, continue to practice this concept. Does it mean I say yes to everything? Absolutely not. But when I am inspired to give, inspired to help, asked for something, and I find I’m doing it for nothing more than because I want to, without conditions, and without expectations then I’ll know I’m on the right track.

I strive for freedom from disappointment, from expectations, from pain, hurt, jealousy, suffering, conditions. Living in the moment, being present in a moment, without worrying about 5 minutes, 5 hours, 5 days from now. How empowering would that be?

I must let go of ego. I must let go of outcomes. I must let go of expectations. I must be fully present in the moment with the person, or people I’m with. It’s about striving to live a pinpoint, in the moment type of life. If I trust the Universe to put me where I’m supposed to be, then I need not worry about the future. Every action and reaction, every intention will build, put in place and be made ready for me.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and rely not on your own wisdom. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6.

It’s time I started trusting in the power of intention, trust that the Almighty has every answer to every question I could ever possibly ask. It’s time to let go and let God. This Omnipotent Presence will not lead me astray but point me in the right direction to my highest and best good. I don’t have to rely upon my own idea of what I believe should occur. I don’t have to try and figure it out. All I have to do is know, with all that I am, right and perfect action is taking place and the path of my journey will be made easy, straight and with ease.

Thanks for hanging out and reading my ramblings!

LOVE, Gretchen.

 

Yesterday Was A Super Sad, No Good, Very Bad Day

As is sit here and write this blog post I can honestly say, yesterday was one of the hardest days I’ve had in a long time. See, yesterday, Sunday November 10th, 2013 my spiritual center closed its doors. We made a decision, and yesterday…it was over. Rummaging through the sentimental and packing up an era wasn’t the easiest thing to do…

But you see, amidst the change, a new idea was born. I came to realize, the place I worship, the place I find the “church” in my life…isn’t a brick building or a space that is filled with the aroma of coffee or the comfort of a padded chair…my Spiritual Center is within me. My glorious moments of enlightenment aren’t founded or birthed in realities outside of myself; they are discovered one thought at a time, one action at a time in the creative power that lies in every fiber of my being. Sure, I will miss the routine of making Sunday morning more than a day to sleep in. I’ll miss the opportunity to feed my children their spiritual food prepared by someone other than me. But, I won’t stop visiting the spiritual center that resides within me. It won’t stop me from continuing to remind my children, friends and family the creative power that resides in their souls.

Spirituality is more to me than planting my ass in a chair on Sunday morning. It is more than finding comfort in the rituals I so amicably claimed as my own. Spirituality is beyond any form of religion or governmental definition. My spirituality is what governs my ability to understand and practice my religion. IT is what moves me to write this blog. IT is the Creative Process that is born and reborn, renewed and rejuvenated in every cell of my being every moment of every day. IT is what powers my thoughts and creates the miracles in my life daily. Today I will say, “It is done unto you as you believe” and truly mean it. I will wipe the sand of disappointment off my feet and walk forward with a renewed commitment to give unto others as I would give unto myself.

Today is the day I look into the eyes of the people around me and tell them they are loved. They are powerful beyond any limiting definition, and that Freedom, Love, Joy, Peace, and Abundance is theirs for the taking! Today, I look into my future with a new found excitement.

Thanks for hanging out and reading my ramblings….

I truly appreciate you!

Gretchen

Wha' You Lookin' at?

If you could take a weekend and look at everything that means anything to you…what do you think you’d find? Do you think you’d learn who you truly are? Would you listen to that inner doubting voice that tells you to let the world dictate your experience? Or would you try and find your peace? Would you let other people define who you are? Or would you discover for yourself? If I could tell you the answer to these questions…people would be lining up in droves, throwing Benjamins my way, while waiting for some magical answer to the problems that keep plaguing all of our lives.

I am a writer, and in being a writer; I thoughtfully and methodically pour over words for months, even years sculpturing fantasies for my readers. I pray for the slight chance that I’ve created a world that they can’t wait to escape into. However; making readers fall in love with characters that only exist in my head produces a very delicate vulnerability within me.

I’ll be the first to admit, as I let the hammer of insecurity slam against the thin bones of my self-doubt, I can feel them begin to shatter in the moments of real desperation as I dance on the thin line of who I think I should be and who I truly am.

When did I, as a writer, decide to pander to the dispassionate and unbelievers? Was it the instant I decided to believe in a reality that exists only outside of myself? 

I totally get it….I totally understand you wanna get yours, just as I wanna get mine. But if getting mine inhibits you from getting yours; would the empty trophies of triumph I collect really be worth it? Or would the sting of words, not meant to be uttered, taint the well of harmony within the writing community I so dearly love?

If I’d only take a splinter of time to recognize the grandeur of moments shared between a smile and a look…even the words I’ve shared across a table…maybe, just maybe my life would be different. Is it fair of me to take the life changing moment from someone simply because they don’t understand what I do? Is it inconsequential to share that sacred place within me as I peel back the scars from words so thoughtlessly thrown against my thin skin? Maybe.

But what if…just what if, I took all those moments of weakness, and the vulnerable split second decisions that thunder so violently through my thoughts and shift the burden of misunderstanding to the weight of having faith in something greater?

It isn’t the thoughts that sail in and out of my intellect that power my experience, it’s the ones that decided to set up neighborhoods in my mind that begin to take hold and shape my life.

I think it is time to become aware of my thinking, because what I think becomes what I experience (no matter what). So maybe it’s time to check out what neighborhoods I keep building and rebuilding in my mind.

Thanks for hanging out and reading my ramblings! 

Give back....Pay it forward....help someone discover their true power. Be a listener, and talk when inspiration speaks to you! 

 

What Are We Expecting?

We all have dreams, aspirations, and beliefs that dive deep into the core of our souls. Everyone has needs and desires and yet we hold back from happiness, comfort and deep self worth. Why do we do that? Why do we play down our accomplishments and strengths in fear of judgment and rejection?

We’ve been trained by society to react from fear and lack instead of Unconditional Love and Unlimited Abundance. We’ve allowed our thinking to become tainted with the false belief of there’s not enough. We’ve become suspicious of the generosity of others as well as the Universe. In our copious attempts to become calloused to the riches of nature, we keep turning our backs on the true gifts we have every day of our lives. The mere fact that we’ve opened our eyes and taken another beautifully deep breath today makes us one of the richest living things on this planet! Let’s not cast our eyes down at the simplicity of such a complex accomplishment.

Subconsciously our bodies know what to do and how to do it to keep us alive. We don’t have to interfere, beg, plead, or meddle into its way of functioning. We don’t have to be conscious of what it does to keep us to experiencing life. It just does it. All we have to do is live.

The same thing goes for our consciousness. Same rules apply to living life. We get so caught up in trying to make things happen or stopping things from happening that we miss the best gift of all. The Universe, the power that keeps us breathing, blinking, and swallowing is the same power that gave us the volition at birth to make our lives what we want. All we have to do is wake up to our ability to use it.

Don’t get me wrong…or misunderstand me. We always use this power within us, whether we are conscious of it or not. When we state or affirm anything with conviction, we are using this Power. The Law of Cause and Effect doesn’t have a shut off valve or a sense of humor. We are using it constantly. So shouldn't we be aware of it, and use it constructively in our lives right now?

We must begin by changing the idea we have about our lives. If we tend to be people who see the cup half empty, we must make a conscious choice to see that cup half full! If we are always expecting the worst; we must start today by taking the small steps into higher expectation, and expect something better. It won’t happen overnight, but little by little our lives will begin to change.

It is nature’s way to supply plenty. Nature always gives without constraint to whatever/whomever is expecting more. Just look at the trees in spring. New branches grow, giving more space for more leaves then the year prior. Additional branches also mean space for added flowers to blossom with the potential of more fruit then the season prior.

More positive and productive thought creates space for more goodness in our lives. The additional goodness in our lives multiplies and produces even more Love, Harmony, Peace, and Prosperity in our lives. Multiplicity is and will always be the Universe’s nature.

Thoughts are things, but more importantly, thoughts are the things producing our lives every moment of every single day!

So, the question we must ask ourselves…What are we thinking into our lives?

Thanks for hanging out and reading my ramblings!

Today I Was Me

Today I was me. No expectations, no needs or conversations. For the first time in a very, very long time, I was just me. I wasn’t mom, or wife, sister or daughter, friend or teacher. I was anonymous. Just a stranger that happened to walk down the sidewalks she has been hundreds of times before. It felt liberating. No deadlines or time constraints. I was able to admire the skyline without having to tell anyone. I didn’t have to hear my own voice. The sun soaked into my skin as I walked and my eyes saw vibrant colors like it was the first time. I couldn’t keep from smiling as I realized how fulfilling it was to just be.

Today I was rejuvenated. I realized who I was. I thought about my children and how their lives don’t have to revolve around me. I realized that there are other people in this world that love them, just as much as I do, and that was good. I realized they will grow up and I won’t be defined by them anymore. Today I realized I was me.

Today I was me. I was a mother to my children, a wife to my husband, a daughter to my mother and a friend to those who choose to share my life. Today I was rejuvenated. Today I was me.

(I jotted this down a couple of weeks ago after everyone left and I was truly alone for the first time in over 11 years. I just wanted to share this experience, thanks for reading.)