STOP and Take a Moment People!

The Situation:

In Washington , DC , at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule.

About 4 minutes later: The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

At 6 minutes: A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

At 10 minutes:A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent - without exception - forced their children to move on quickly.

At 45 minutes:The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

After 1 hour:He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded. There was no recognition at all.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $200 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.

This experiment raised several questions:
*In a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?
*If so, do we stop to appreciate it?
*Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made . . .

How many other things are we missing as we rush through life?

Don’t Bunt - Aim Out of the Ball Park

One of the ways in which we hurt ourselves on the spiritual path is to define ourselves as seekers, students, or addicts. For a time, we are, of course, looking and learning - after that, however, we must acknowledge the truth of our wholeness.

Everyone on the planet is a master of something. The question is not “Are you a master?” but “What are you a master of?”. We have the ability to succeed at whatever we put our mind to, humanity’s challenge is not that we lack the ability to succeed, but that we have applied our skills to things that hurt us.

I am reminded of the following story; A shop owner hired a man he did not know was a drug addict. The shopowner loaned this man money that he promised to repay and gave him privileges that he abused. When the shop owner confronted the man, he manufactured some of the most convincing lies the shop owner had ever heard. When the shop owner went to this man with facts that clearly pointed to his lack of integrity, the hired man would quickly and deftly come up with excuses that were believable. Eventually, the hired man stole a few items and left without notice. In retrospect, the shop owner realized he was dealing with a master? A master liar. This fellow was also a master artist, he could have been a great success, but most of his energies went down the drain of his addiction.

Many of us have mastered drama, urgency, lack, worry, and/or failed relationships. We are able to take a situation with great potential and find a way to undermine it, now that is truly mastery! Why not take the skills we have used to hurt ourselves and apply them to our healing. Harness the force of intelligent love and build the life we choose rather than the one we fear. Use the innate wisdom we were given to make the planet a wonderful place to live, this is clearly within our capacity. 

Moving Forward

I don't normally blog Astrology but I found this to be of interest, being it's in keeping with the healthy notion of moving forward. So here it is for all you astrology, (and would be astrology) buffs, enjoy!

North Node in Sagittarius and South Node in Gemini

03 March 2011 to 29 August 2012

The North Node of the Moon in our natal chart shows us the direction our Soul is wanting to move toward in this incarnation. It challenges us to leave past patterns and conditioning behind, symbolized by the South Node, and embrace a new way of being. Whatever astrological sign the North Node is in the South Node is in the opposite sign and together they show where we will be focused on the new, while releasing the old. The expression "been there, done that, don't need to do that again", is very appropriate for the shadow side of the South Node. Instead we want to embrace the knowledge gained in past lives and let it become wisdom that guides us as we learn the North Node lessons.

The Nodes change signs about every 18½ months and they always have backward motion. Since August 21, 2009 we have been working on Capricorn lessons, creating a new society, changing the dynamics of our family traditions, and being in our spiritual power in the world. Capricorn is a symbol for Soul Purpose. On March 03 the North Node will enter Sagittarius, the South Node Gemini. They will be visiting this pair until 29 August 2012. The last time they visited these signs was August 01, 1992 to February 01, 1994. It is helpful to look back and see what was happening in your life at that time for the lessons are back again.

Here is what the North Node in Sagittarius is asking you to focus on:

• To seek a spiritual path that allows you to discover and live your truth.
• To see what is happening in your life and the world from your Higher Consciousness.
• To seek experiences that free your spirit and allows you to manifest your vision.
• To develop your intuitive wisdom and listen to what others are saying beneath the surface. Hearing what they really mean.
• To connect with your Spiritual Teachers, both physical and metaphysical, and Divine Guidance.
• To believe in your true self and the inter connectedness of all belief systems. To let go of any dogma that prevents you from seeing yourself in the other.
• The Animal Totems for the North Node in Sagittarius are Elk - community, and Owl - wisdom.

The South Node in Gemini is asking you to release the following:

• Indecisiveness and scatteredness.
• The logical mind disregarding intuitive knowing.
• Wanting and needing more information before making a decision, creating delays.
• Skimming across the surface of life and not looking at the deeper meaning.
• Looking outside yourself for answers and not listening to your inner guidance.
• Talking too much and not hearing others.
• Being caught in duality and not being able to find the balance between left and right.

The points for the South Node in Gemini are the shadow aspects of the sign. The Animal Totem for Gemini is the Deer Tribe - strength, adaptability, sensitivity, and unconditional love.  Those are the attributes we are being asked to embrace with this Nodal journey through Sagittarius/Gemini.

Beyond the Dark Night

Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil ~ Psalm 23

At some point, everyone passes through a dark night of the soul. This is a difficult time in which we are moving from an old life to a new one, with no apparent security or help in sight. It appears that the old is being taken away by a hand larger than our own, and there is no solid ground on which to stand. As old friends or supporters fall away, we feel like misfits in a world that does not understand us. The activities and things that once gave us comfort seem empty or unavailable, and sometimes it appears that all is lost. At such a time, we are called upon to search deep within ourselves for faith.

Although the dark night is painful and harrowing, it is an important and productive time. If you are passing though a dark night, take comfort in the truth that there is a bigger picture than the one you are seeing, a larger hand operating behind appearances. The dark is a time to clear away the old to make way for the new and better. Nothing is taken away that is not replaced with something more valuable. The field is being turned over so that old weeds and dead roots can be dissolved and new seeds sown. Spring is not far behind the winter.

When I have gone through such experiences, this message has come to me loud and clear: Surrender to love. Do not try to fight the changes, and do not try to understand them. In your anxiety, do not attempt to clutch at the old for security; instead, do your best to release what was, and be open to what is to come. Define all the changes as good, and look for their blessings. The day will come when you will look back at such a time and say, “Thank you. ”

This is an excerpt taken from Alan Cohen's meditation book, A Deep Breath of Life

Take the Best and Leave the Rest

My dog Daisy is quite discerning. She eats only what she likes and rejects everything else. If I offer Daisy a piece of celery, she walks away from it. If I give her a slice with peanut butter on it, however, she licks off the peanut butter and leaves the celery.

Take what belongs to you by right of your joy and consciousness, and let the rest go. We are not required to put up with situations we cannot digest. We are required to do what expands and heals us and reject what causes us to contract.

The awakened mind functions as a “ blessing extractor. ” Like a vegetable juicer that grinds up a carrot and spits the pulp out of one chute and sends juice out of another, the blessing extractor takes any experience and draws forth the good from it. It shows you how you can enjoy, learn, or grow from all events and relationships. All else is compost, which goes back into the field to grow next year’s crops.

When looking back on past relationships, we must take the best and leave the rest. Bless the other person, yourself, and the relationship for the gifts you gained and the experience through which you grew. Hold on to your appreciation, and release the regret. It does not belong to you. Recycled properly, the relationship will become fertilizer to grow on.

Similarly, every teacher will offer you wisdom you can use, as well as ideas you do not understand, agree with, or wish to employ. Take the best and leave the rest. There is a nugget of good in every experience. Receive what God wants you to have, and let Spirit take care of the rest.