Coming Out
I was sitting at LAX on Mother’s Day, waiting for a delayed flight to board to New York to visit my son Daniel at NYU. I was reading People Magazine to kill some time and relax before I started my new novel by Paulo Cuehllo, my favorite novelist. I picked up the People magazine, not for the gossip, but for the stories of the actual People. I know the magazine is published for the purpose of making money by grabbing our attention of the celebrities and their lives, but in the process, the public can read about the common heroes, tragedies, life stories and challenges of unknown people and of course, the life changing stories of, yes, the celebrities too. These shared stories can somehow help heal the story teller and the many readers as well, by giving them an opportunity to relate to the challenges and plight of their lives and connecting them to the reader’s experiences as well.
I just finished reading a story about Billy Joels’ Daughter, Alexa Ray, who supposedly overdosed on an herbal supplement because she has been plagued by depression for a number of years. I also read a story of a beautiful and talented female Country Singer, Chely Wright, who decided to be the first Country singer to state that she is Gay and speak out about her sexuality. Both of these women have had many personal obstacles to overcome, their own inner secrets were kept to themselves until they were ready to share their truths to the world. It is so difficult for all of us to “come out” with our truths…afraid that others will move away from us with their support and quite possibly stop loving us all together. But, living in our untruths can be even more devastating to us as human beings, because it unnerves our soul. Eventually, our truths are apparent to us and to those around us, and to move forward with what we believe is our truth gives us peace as we continue to journey on our life’s path.
Through my past writing, I have slowly presented my own truth…about my life, my family and my beliefs.
I am blessed to have had so many wonderful people in my life: friends, extended family, my children, my husband of 23 years and the people that I have encountered in my various work and volunteer experiences. Throughout my 40’s, I have been going through a huge change in my way of life, I am now living a more genuine life…changing my relationships and how I interact with people, my more natural appearance (all organic skin products and make-up, but most days none at all!) my much less consumptive lifestyle and the food I eat, just to give examples.
Many people in my life have thought I was going “crazy” these past few years. There have been times when I questioned my own sanity because my changes have been so fast and my soul called out for me to move forward into places that I had never experienced before. Fighting the change within my soul has been my own challenge and, at times, has caused me personal suffering. My belief system has been altered and it has put me in a different existence all together. What has really been going on with me is that I have become more spiritually aware. I have been on a journey of healing and lifting my spirit to a place where I hope I can now help others do the same. I believe the work that is required to lift ourselves and become more conscious beings is what God wants us to do. We all do this work naturally anyway, our souls call us to learn what we need to learn through our relationships, our health and our experiences, but, as we seek answers and as we become more conscious to help ourselves and the world become a better place, we turn to people that can teach us and share their experiences of what they have learned about this new way of living. Although there are many people ahead of me on this spiritual path, I feel confident that I can help others lift themselves out of negative patterns and heal in order to be more healthy, balanced and live a life filled with peace, love and joy. I want to share what I have learned and what I am still learning along the way….and, with love and compassion, I will use my intuitive ability and the other tools in my toolbox to guide other people through experiences that will heal them as well.
I too have more to learn, my life is not perfect by any means, my marriage is facing difficult times and my kids and I have learning lessons and issues that we face every day. Sometimes we face them together and sometimes we face them alone. Many times, I call for guidance from other people and my spiritual connections as I re-define my purpose on this earth. I keep on doing the inner soul work to become more “clear” as I move more into my higher self every day of my existence. I believe I can help others see themselves in new and amazing ways with the gifts I have acquired throughout my life and on this incredible spiritual journey these last few years.
You may ask….What is a healer? I believe actually, that we are all healers. We are all in the process of healing our minds, bodies and souls. Our process helps heal those around us as we embark on our own journey of self evolvement. The universe is shifting now because it is time to heal the entire planet and everyday we are becoming more educated in all different types of healing practices and holistic ways of health and wellness. I see it in the way we are becoming more conscious of the food we eat, the way we are treating illness, and even in the words we say to each other in our religious, work and home environments. We all have a lot of healing to do. But I believe we are on our way…and moving fast!
So, I am “coming out” as a healer. That is what I am, that is what I do, although I need to keep defining myself and deciding what my practice is going to look like. If you have never been to a healer, there are many different and fantastic ways that healers work. I have experienced many of them on my own journey. To name a few, there are intuitive practices such as spiritual psychology, therapy and coaching, channeling, Shamanic healing practices, Kabbalah and mystical teachings, past life experiences, energy healing, herbal remedies, chakra and balance work, touch healing such as reiki or massage, meditation, guided imagery, aura and color analysis, crystals and gems, card readings, astrology and, of course, our diet and nutrition, detoxing and so much more.
In fact, everyone that helps another person is truly a healer. The holistic and natural way of healing through these ancient practices is what I believe we are returning to. Some of these practices may seem weird to you and definitely not your “cup of tea”, some of them you may find interesting and want to explore and learn about more. There are more books, tapes and articles being written about healing in so many ways in every book store and in every magazine. Talk shows such as Oprah regularly have holistic ways of healing on their shows and now there are speaking engagements and workshops right in our community everyday.
Open up any local paper or magazine and you will see ads for all types of alternative medicine and practitioners. Wellness centers are everywhere and now we buy our food at Whole foods, Trader Joes and other natural and organic market places. There are vegan and raw food specialists, restaurants and chefs and so many new products on the shelves for us to explore. The internet has made information easy to obtain and we can look up new ways to reach our goals of health and well being just by googleing new sources for products and education.
With an open and loving heart, I wish you blessings on your journey if you choose to delve into holistic healing. It can open up a whole new world for you and those around you.
I am open for any discussions or questions about my practice. I am grateful for being able to write and share this with you.
Andrea
Spiritual Teacher, Guide and Healer
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
In Honor of my Mother...Forgiveness
In honor of my Mother…. Forgiveness
A few weeks ago was Holocaust Remembrance Day, Yom Ha Shoah it is called. I am a Holocaust Survivor’s daughter. I have lived my entire life learning about the Holocaust and, in a way, living with the memories of it through unconscious words and actions of those that came before me. I have heard the stories of Jewish persecution not only regarding the time period of World War II, but about the thousands of years of history of the Jewish people. This re-telling of the atrocities of the Holocaust and our history of persecution as a people created fear within me at a young age. Even though we feel safe in this country we live in today, the fear of this persecution become part of me through anxiety and fear and I believe we share these feelings as a collective group. This fear of persecution sustains our anger towards the individuals and communities that participated in this horrific genocide and I believe it keeps the hostility fueled within us. The question becomes…can we change this feeling?
I would like to tell you a little bit about my mother first. I can actually write an entire book about her life, it is a story of intense and miraculous experiences, but I will give you a tiny glimpse into her journey for the sake of this writing. My Mother was an amazing woman. She changed her name to Aviva after she went to Israel in 1946, but her birth name was Hanolore. She was born in Germany in 1927 and she lived a relatively normal life within a middle class community until Hitler came into power. She witnessed “Kristallnacht” in 1938, or the night of the broken glass in which the store fronts and books owned by the Jewish people in Germany were looted and burned. Her father, Alpert Adler, as the story has been told, died of a heart attack, most likely from the stress of his business being forcibly taken from him or boycotted by the business community. He was buried in the Jewish cemetery in their home town of Gisen near Frankfurt, and his grave is still erected there, next to a Memorial that now commemorates the Jews of this small city placed there by the government 40 years later, and in which my Mother was invited back to Germany to witness.
In 1939, when the Nazi’s demanded that all Jews be deported from their homes, my grandmother had an opportunity to send my mother, Hannalor, who was about 11 or 12 years old at the time, on a “kinder transport”, a train for children, heading to Switzerland. Once safely there, my mother, and the children her age, including the well known Ruth Westheimer, Sex Therapist, stayed in an Orphanage with other German-Jewish children and with a Swiss family who took her into their home until the war ended. After the war in 1945, she made many attempts to find information about her loved ones, only to discover that she was the only survivor of her immediate family, her mother and older sister, Margot, were both killed in Auschwitz. Soon after the war, all of the children who were living in Switzerland made aliyah (moved to live) in Israel. Aviva was about 18 years old at that time and lived on a Kibbutz, a co-operative agricultural community, and soon afterward she moved to Jerusalem and became a nurse who served in the army during Israel’s War of Independence in 1948. Some 10 years later, she came to America, where she met my Father, married and had three children of her own.
I am telling you a piece of her story because I want you to know a small part of her history and understand some of the stories that I have heard throughout my life. Because of my Mother’s history, I became extremely interested in the Holocaust when I was a teenager and I studied it whenever I had a chance to learn. I read books, took many classes at Hebrew School and Confirmation, watched movies and eventually signed up to become a trained interviewer for the Shoah Foundation for Visual History. My mother passed away from Breast Cancer over 19 years ago, and at the time, after her death, I found learning first hand about the Holocaust through these interviews was a way for me to connect to her.
I would like to have a conversation with the spirit of my Mom, Aviva, sharing what I believe her thoughts would be and the wisdom she would impart for all of us today.
Do you Hate Hitler?
I did. I lived with the pain and suffering of the millions that were murdered. I lost my family and I lost part of my soul to the terrible atrocities that happened during that time.
Do you think we should all keep that hatred alive?
No. It is the past.
How do we let it go?
We forgive.
Forgive Hitler?…he was one of the most horrible human beings in the past century to have ever lived. He tortured and murdered millions of people who did absolutely nothing to him, they seemed to be innocent victims in his path of brutality. How can we possibly forgive?
First of all, I am not saying FORGET! We have to learn from what happened so that we can continue to teach kindness, acceptance and peace. But we have to understand that Hitler’s actions came from a wounded and angry place inside his soul. What he did was unimaginable BUT we will never move away from our own fears of persecution unless we forgive.
I still can’t let go...That seems impossible. Also, what good does forgiving do? Hitler is dead. Why do I need to forgive a dead person?
First of all, know that Hitler, in some way, is in his own personal Hell. His soul, if you believe is eternal, is probably going through its own horrendous torture. In fact, his death was by suicide. Only God knows about his internal turmoil. Secondly, the forgiveness is for you to move forward in your own heart, to clear your own soul and live in more peace within yourself. If you can see that every evil person has his or her own personal tragedy written in their story, one in which love was blocked and most likely used against them in their past, then you can see how angry and destructive human beings can become. If we forgive, we move out of fear and we are no longer victims of the actions.
How does removing our fear keep us from being victims?
Fear is a feeling and energy. When we hold onto it, we actually attract the situation or actions that we fear. If we are living with the fear of persecution, we will be persecuted. If we can somehow let go of the fear, we can be free of persecution.
Sounds so simple…How do we do that?
It is not so simple. It takes awareness, acceptance and trust. We want to hold onto our fear…we believe it has protected us in the past, but that is not always true. It is not working for us anymore. We have to trust that if we take the risk of removing the fear we will be protected in a new way.
Protected…from what?
Protected from each other’s negative power. Knowing that we won’t be attacked by unscrupulous rage if we do not hold that fearful energy within us. If we can be in love with each other instead of in fear, we can actually become protected from the hurtful actions of others regarding that particular fear.
I am not sure I understand all of this?
It’s ok… in time, you will understand.
What can come out of all of this forgiveness and letting go of fear?
Can you imagine that if we can let go of this primal fear as Jews that we have held onto, not only from the era of the Holocaust, but from thousands of years of persecution, what we can accomplish in our lives and in the world today. To start with, if we can let go and forgive the persecutors of yesterday, we can be on the road to letting go and forgiving the people in our lives today; our family members, our friends, our neighbors and even our enemies. We can create a path to peace, first within ourselves and then hopefully, spreading all over the world.
Can we actually create Peace this way?
This is a beautiful way.
Is this message only for the Jewish People?
Of course not, most human beings have the fear of persecution within them from their own history. Think about the African American slaves and even as women in the world today. Many women were persecuted for being "spiritual" or teaching paganism or witch craft. As women, we live with the fear as well. Letting go of this fear is a message for everyone.
My additional thoughts:
Forgiveness is one of the most difficult feelings to access. How do we find new ways to access this emotion in the most extreme examples? Can you imagine how we would feel if we can forgive others on a deep level? Can you imagine how we would feel to forgive ourselves and let go of the shame we feel about the words and actions we have said and done to others in our own lives? We could change the patterns of thinking that we have held onto and move to a better place of love within us and around us.
On another note… I commemorated the Holocaust Memorial a few weeks ago by participating in a Peace Walk with Salaam Shalom in the Santa Monica Mountains. Salaam Shalom is a non-profit organization that brings together Arabs and Israelis to create peaceful co-existence by creating a space where children learn together in a co-operative educational environment in Israel. This way of learning, I believe and hope, is helping to change this region from hatred to love by healing the existing wounds and creating a path for forgiveness in order to move forward with peace. In light of what is happening in the Middle East right now, what would happen if, in our hearts, we started to forgive ?
I saw a bumper sticker this week that read:
“I am black by birth and American by slavery” on a car driving around Los Angeles. This statement made me see that the African Americans in this country have a lot of forgiving to do as well. The bumper sticker reflected the anger and wounds that are still carried around by many. I hope and pray that we can all forgive each other and move forward into a better time and place.
A few weeks ago was Holocaust Remembrance Day, Yom Ha Shoah it is called. I am a Holocaust Survivor’s daughter. I have lived my entire life learning about the Holocaust and, in a way, living with the memories of it through unconscious words and actions of those that came before me. I have heard the stories of Jewish persecution not only regarding the time period of World War II, but about the thousands of years of history of the Jewish people. This re-telling of the atrocities of the Holocaust and our history of persecution as a people created fear within me at a young age. Even though we feel safe in this country we live in today, the fear of this persecution become part of me through anxiety and fear and I believe we share these feelings as a collective group. This fear of persecution sustains our anger towards the individuals and communities that participated in this horrific genocide and I believe it keeps the hostility fueled within us. The question becomes…can we change this feeling?
I would like to tell you a little bit about my mother first. I can actually write an entire book about her life, it is a story of intense and miraculous experiences, but I will give you a tiny glimpse into her journey for the sake of this writing. My Mother was an amazing woman. She changed her name to Aviva after she went to Israel in 1946, but her birth name was Hanolore. She was born in Germany in 1927 and she lived a relatively normal life within a middle class community until Hitler came into power. She witnessed “Kristallnacht” in 1938, or the night of the broken glass in which the store fronts and books owned by the Jewish people in Germany were looted and burned. Her father, Alpert Adler, as the story has been told, died of a heart attack, most likely from the stress of his business being forcibly taken from him or boycotted by the business community. He was buried in the Jewish cemetery in their home town of Gisen near Frankfurt, and his grave is still erected there, next to a Memorial that now commemorates the Jews of this small city placed there by the government 40 years later, and in which my Mother was invited back to Germany to witness.
In 1939, when the Nazi’s demanded that all Jews be deported from their homes, my grandmother had an opportunity to send my mother, Hannalor, who was about 11 or 12 years old at the time, on a “kinder transport”, a train for children, heading to Switzerland. Once safely there, my mother, and the children her age, including the well known Ruth Westheimer, Sex Therapist, stayed in an Orphanage with other German-Jewish children and with a Swiss family who took her into their home until the war ended. After the war in 1945, she made many attempts to find information about her loved ones, only to discover that she was the only survivor of her immediate family, her mother and older sister, Margot, were both killed in Auschwitz. Soon after the war, all of the children who were living in Switzerland made aliyah (moved to live) in Israel. Aviva was about 18 years old at that time and lived on a Kibbutz, a co-operative agricultural community, and soon afterward she moved to Jerusalem and became a nurse who served in the army during Israel’s War of Independence in 1948. Some 10 years later, she came to America, where she met my Father, married and had three children of her own.
I am telling you a piece of her story because I want you to know a small part of her history and understand some of the stories that I have heard throughout my life. Because of my Mother’s history, I became extremely interested in the Holocaust when I was a teenager and I studied it whenever I had a chance to learn. I read books, took many classes at Hebrew School and Confirmation, watched movies and eventually signed up to become a trained interviewer for the Shoah Foundation for Visual History. My mother passed away from Breast Cancer over 19 years ago, and at the time, after her death, I found learning first hand about the Holocaust through these interviews was a way for me to connect to her.
I would like to have a conversation with the spirit of my Mom, Aviva, sharing what I believe her thoughts would be and the wisdom she would impart for all of us today.
Do you Hate Hitler?
I did. I lived with the pain and suffering of the millions that were murdered. I lost my family and I lost part of my soul to the terrible atrocities that happened during that time.
Do you think we should all keep that hatred alive?
No. It is the past.
How do we let it go?
We forgive.
Forgive Hitler?…he was one of the most horrible human beings in the past century to have ever lived. He tortured and murdered millions of people who did absolutely nothing to him, they seemed to be innocent victims in his path of brutality. How can we possibly forgive?
First of all, I am not saying FORGET! We have to learn from what happened so that we can continue to teach kindness, acceptance and peace. But we have to understand that Hitler’s actions came from a wounded and angry place inside his soul. What he did was unimaginable BUT we will never move away from our own fears of persecution unless we forgive.
I still can’t let go...That seems impossible. Also, what good does forgiving do? Hitler is dead. Why do I need to forgive a dead person?
First of all, know that Hitler, in some way, is in his own personal Hell. His soul, if you believe is eternal, is probably going through its own horrendous torture. In fact, his death was by suicide. Only God knows about his internal turmoil. Secondly, the forgiveness is for you to move forward in your own heart, to clear your own soul and live in more peace within yourself. If you can see that every evil person has his or her own personal tragedy written in their story, one in which love was blocked and most likely used against them in their past, then you can see how angry and destructive human beings can become. If we forgive, we move out of fear and we are no longer victims of the actions.
How does removing our fear keep us from being victims?
Fear is a feeling and energy. When we hold onto it, we actually attract the situation or actions that we fear. If we are living with the fear of persecution, we will be persecuted. If we can somehow let go of the fear, we can be free of persecution.
Sounds so simple…How do we do that?
It is not so simple. It takes awareness, acceptance and trust. We want to hold onto our fear…we believe it has protected us in the past, but that is not always true. It is not working for us anymore. We have to trust that if we take the risk of removing the fear we will be protected in a new way.
Protected…from what?
Protected from each other’s negative power. Knowing that we won’t be attacked by unscrupulous rage if we do not hold that fearful energy within us. If we can be in love with each other instead of in fear, we can actually become protected from the hurtful actions of others regarding that particular fear.
I am not sure I understand all of this?
It’s ok… in time, you will understand.
What can come out of all of this forgiveness and letting go of fear?
Can you imagine that if we can let go of this primal fear as Jews that we have held onto, not only from the era of the Holocaust, but from thousands of years of persecution, what we can accomplish in our lives and in the world today. To start with, if we can let go and forgive the persecutors of yesterday, we can be on the road to letting go and forgiving the people in our lives today; our family members, our friends, our neighbors and even our enemies. We can create a path to peace, first within ourselves and then hopefully, spreading all over the world.
Can we actually create Peace this way?
This is a beautiful way.
Is this message only for the Jewish People?
Of course not, most human beings have the fear of persecution within them from their own history. Think about the African American slaves and even as women in the world today. Many women were persecuted for being "spiritual" or teaching paganism or witch craft. As women, we live with the fear as well. Letting go of this fear is a message for everyone.
My additional thoughts:
Forgiveness is one of the most difficult feelings to access. How do we find new ways to access this emotion in the most extreme examples? Can you imagine how we would feel if we can forgive others on a deep level? Can you imagine how we would feel to forgive ourselves and let go of the shame we feel about the words and actions we have said and done to others in our own lives? We could change the patterns of thinking that we have held onto and move to a better place of love within us and around us.
On another note… I commemorated the Holocaust Memorial a few weeks ago by participating in a Peace Walk with Salaam Shalom in the Santa Monica Mountains. Salaam Shalom is a non-profit organization that brings together Arabs and Israelis to create peaceful co-existence by creating a space where children learn together in a co-operative educational environment in Israel. This way of learning, I believe and hope, is helping to change this region from hatred to love by healing the existing wounds and creating a path for forgiveness in order to move forward with peace. In light of what is happening in the Middle East right now, what would happen if, in our hearts, we started to forgive ?
I saw a bumper sticker this week that read:
“I am black by birth and American by slavery” on a car driving around Los Angeles. This statement made me see that the African Americans in this country have a lot of forgiving to do as well. The bumper sticker reflected the anger and wounds that are still carried around by many. I hope and pray that we can all forgive each other and move forward into a better time and place.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Our Cup Of Wine
Our Cup of Wine
If you live in California, I am sure you have been wine tasting. I have been wine tasting many times in my life, and when I experienced it, I always wanted to learn from the “experts”. I was lucky on many of my wine tasting experiences, the owners and creators of the wine would take the time to explain to me all about the grapes, how they were grown, the different types that were blended, the storage, the aging process, the bottling and many more intriguing facts about the end product of the wine. Although I loved learning about the many qualities of the wine, in the end, the wine I enjoyed the most was the wine that, quite simply, tasted the best to me.
Wine experts can tell you what types of wine are superior, smoother or lighter, and you can listen and agree to all of the amazing attributes of a particular wine, but you may or may not choose the wine that the expert says is “the best”. An expert cannot tell you how the wine tastes in your mouth, to your body and to your soul. Every wine mixes with your tongue, taste buds and your energy to make it appealing to you or not. The wine expert may be correct in his or her facts based on their learned knowledge and life experiences and you can receive that wisdom from them, but how you process that information and what choices you make are truly decided on your personal taste. “Personal Taste” is a wonderful metaphor for how we create our journey. It explains our learning path and how we move towards our unique direction. It is the reason we may like one wine over another, we are individual souls with unique experiences, relationships and passions…we have our own footprint on this earth and it expresses itself in beautiful and creative form.
We need experts; people who have experienced and learned about their particular interest, passion or work in order to share their knowledge with us. This sharing gives us the opportunity to make choices according to our personal tastes. Every person receives and gives information and is an expert in their own way. It is a blessing to be able to share our greatest gifts of knowledge, experience and creativity with one another.
I know when you read the paper and watch the news that the world seems to be in constant struggle, but I am hopeful that, through this struggle, we are moving towards a greater time, in which more peace will fill the planet. We can call it “The Age of Aquarius”….like the musical “Hair”, only now we are not in the 60’s, but nearing the much talked about time of 2012 in which a strong transformation seems to be happening around us and within us. We can choose to lift our spirits individually and as a community and create positive change. I pray that these shifts will lead us to our true destination of greater love, compassion and connection. The opportunities to learn from each other are becoming more available and I would feel immense gratitude to be able to share my knowledge with others in order to continue this movement in the world. I will continue on my path, day by day, moment by moment, to listen, learn and love the best that I know how to and hopefully make a difference in the world..
For those who will participate in a Passover Seder with your family and/or friends this lovely evening, I say l’chaim (to Life!) And for those who are celebrating Easter this Sunday, “to Life” too!!! And I end this blog with this thought…
May you drink from your cup of wine and celebrate all that is divine!
If you live in California, I am sure you have been wine tasting. I have been wine tasting many times in my life, and when I experienced it, I always wanted to learn from the “experts”. I was lucky on many of my wine tasting experiences, the owners and creators of the wine would take the time to explain to me all about the grapes, how they were grown, the different types that were blended, the storage, the aging process, the bottling and many more intriguing facts about the end product of the wine. Although I loved learning about the many qualities of the wine, in the end, the wine I enjoyed the most was the wine that, quite simply, tasted the best to me.
Wine experts can tell you what types of wine are superior, smoother or lighter, and you can listen and agree to all of the amazing attributes of a particular wine, but you may or may not choose the wine that the expert says is “the best”. An expert cannot tell you how the wine tastes in your mouth, to your body and to your soul. Every wine mixes with your tongue, taste buds and your energy to make it appealing to you or not. The wine expert may be correct in his or her facts based on their learned knowledge and life experiences and you can receive that wisdom from them, but how you process that information and what choices you make are truly decided on your personal taste. “Personal Taste” is a wonderful metaphor for how we create our journey. It explains our learning path and how we move towards our unique direction. It is the reason we may like one wine over another, we are individual souls with unique experiences, relationships and passions…we have our own footprint on this earth and it expresses itself in beautiful and creative form.
We need experts; people who have experienced and learned about their particular interest, passion or work in order to share their knowledge with us. This sharing gives us the opportunity to make choices according to our personal tastes. Every person receives and gives information and is an expert in their own way. It is a blessing to be able to share our greatest gifts of knowledge, experience and creativity with one another.
I know when you read the paper and watch the news that the world seems to be in constant struggle, but I am hopeful that, through this struggle, we are moving towards a greater time, in which more peace will fill the planet. We can call it “The Age of Aquarius”….like the musical “Hair”, only now we are not in the 60’s, but nearing the much talked about time of 2012 in which a strong transformation seems to be happening around us and within us. We can choose to lift our spirits individually and as a community and create positive change. I pray that these shifts will lead us to our true destination of greater love, compassion and connection. The opportunities to learn from each other are becoming more available and I would feel immense gratitude to be able to share my knowledge with others in order to continue this movement in the world. I will continue on my path, day by day, moment by moment, to listen, learn and love the best that I know how to and hopefully make a difference in the world..
For those who will participate in a Passover Seder with your family and/or friends this lovely evening, I say l’chaim (to Life!) And for those who are celebrating Easter this Sunday, “to Life” too!!! And I end this blog with this thought…
May you drink from your cup of wine and celebrate all that is divine!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
My Own Liberation
My Own Liberation
It’s March…the beginning of spring. The flowers are blooming, the trees are growing, and the animals are mating. It is a time for Renewal and transformation…I am stuck.
I am sitting at my computer on the morning of a deadline trying to write an article on the theme of Liberation. I was asked to use a personal experience and anecdote to illustrate the steps people need to liberate their lives... to move on to the next career, next love or next adventure. I have done everything to procrastinate writing this article. I have read a book, worked in my office, met with friends and completely put off what I knew would be best for me to do… write! This minute, I am actually in a place of transformation myself.
This situation is an ongoing process for me.” Renewal” work is what I do; I channel the information and tools that individuals need to become more empowered and therefore receive what they want in their lives. I have been blessed with the opportunities to delve into my self through active learning, life experiences and guidance. I have transformed from a young woman who was filled with tremendous anxiety and who suffered extreme insomnia, to a person who has let go of many of my anxieties and fears and now feels more connected to the Universe and myself.
But that doesn’t mean that because I feel more “enlightened” that my journey is over. I get stuck and I am always on a continuous path of learning. This week I have been stuck in the fear of writing this article. So, I will take you through my own process and maybe you will learn something from my personal transformation.
First of all, I am assuming that you, the reader, can admit to feeling stuck many times in your life. For an example, we all have a hard time feeling complete joy and fulfillment in our relationships. We can get stuck in anger, frustration and fear and many times we are afraid to take the risks that lead us to success with our children, spouses, siblings, parents and friends. All we want to be is free from these blocked places and in a place of love and acceptance. Feeling free from our stuck place and moving forward is what Liberation is all about.
That being said, I will return to my own challenges and explain to you how I am going to transform myself out of this writing block.
Here are the Four Steps I will take today:
First step: I ask myself… why am I blocked?
The first thing that comes to mind is fear of failure. I have always wanted to write for the Jewish Journal…you can say it has been dream of mine. So maybe I am afraid my writing will not be accepted, my ideas will be ridiculed or I feel unworthy to write an article for a prestigious publication. Yes, I am afraid of failure!!! That’s it!!!
Second Step… I look at the opposite of what I believed was my fear. (Sometimes, what we believe the fear to be is the easy road for us to take. Our “blind spot” is the place that is the hardest to see, but is usually the truth about ourselves). Ok, I do think I am afraid of failure on some level, but right now I have to ask myself the question “Is my fear of failure keeping me stuck or is it really my fear of "success”?! I realize that I feel stuck because I never believed that I deserved true success for myself. Then I ask myself again…. Why?
Third Step: I go deeper into my inner core or self. This step is difficult to do without guidance…but I have practiced quite a bit, so here goes….. Through time, I internalized the feeling that if I was truly successful, others may become jealous or envious of me and use their power against me or turn away from me. I have created a pattern of not being as successful as I can be, so I stay protected in my “non-success”, therefore, it is difficult for me to completely flow when I write.
Fourth Step…Go into the fear. I will do the one thing I am afraid to do. In this case, I am writing this article, sending it the Editor of the Jewish Journal for his approval, and taking the risk of sharing my step by step process with others. When I press the send key on my e-mail, my hand will be shaking, but I will move forward and hopefully feel liberated from my old ways.
Whether this article is published or not, my thoughts and actions will hopefully create a “shift” in my inner being. I will have moved one step closer to peace within myself and I will have moved away from being stuck in my inability to write freely. I hope I will become an individual who is able to write more easily and share with others without the anxiety and fear of my success. This new freedom is what I believe Liberation to be.
* Note
This article was NOT published in the Tribe magazine of the Jewish Journal as I had hoped for. This situation presents itself as another learning process for me; to accept that not everything goes the way I believe it should go and I do not know the reasons why, but sometimes I have to let go and trust that I will understand the reasons later. I have to move forward to the next article, next blog and/or the next project. If I touch or inspire one person by sharing my own experiences, than I have reached my goal and that is all I can hope for. So I publish this blog for you to read and I thank you for taking your precious time to read it.
It’s March…the beginning of spring. The flowers are blooming, the trees are growing, and the animals are mating. It is a time for Renewal and transformation…I am stuck.
I am sitting at my computer on the morning of a deadline trying to write an article on the theme of Liberation. I was asked to use a personal experience and anecdote to illustrate the steps people need to liberate their lives... to move on to the next career, next love or next adventure. I have done everything to procrastinate writing this article. I have read a book, worked in my office, met with friends and completely put off what I knew would be best for me to do… write! This minute, I am actually in a place of transformation myself.
This situation is an ongoing process for me.” Renewal” work is what I do; I channel the information and tools that individuals need to become more empowered and therefore receive what they want in their lives. I have been blessed with the opportunities to delve into my self through active learning, life experiences and guidance. I have transformed from a young woman who was filled with tremendous anxiety and who suffered extreme insomnia, to a person who has let go of many of my anxieties and fears and now feels more connected to the Universe and myself.
But that doesn’t mean that because I feel more “enlightened” that my journey is over. I get stuck and I am always on a continuous path of learning. This week I have been stuck in the fear of writing this article. So, I will take you through my own process and maybe you will learn something from my personal transformation.
First of all, I am assuming that you, the reader, can admit to feeling stuck many times in your life. For an example, we all have a hard time feeling complete joy and fulfillment in our relationships. We can get stuck in anger, frustration and fear and many times we are afraid to take the risks that lead us to success with our children, spouses, siblings, parents and friends. All we want to be is free from these blocked places and in a place of love and acceptance. Feeling free from our stuck place and moving forward is what Liberation is all about.
That being said, I will return to my own challenges and explain to you how I am going to transform myself out of this writing block.
Here are the Four Steps I will take today:
First step: I ask myself… why am I blocked?
The first thing that comes to mind is fear of failure. I have always wanted to write for the Jewish Journal…you can say it has been dream of mine. So maybe I am afraid my writing will not be accepted, my ideas will be ridiculed or I feel unworthy to write an article for a prestigious publication. Yes, I am afraid of failure!!! That’s it!!!
Second Step… I look at the opposite of what I believed was my fear. (Sometimes, what we believe the fear to be is the easy road for us to take. Our “blind spot” is the place that is the hardest to see, but is usually the truth about ourselves). Ok, I do think I am afraid of failure on some level, but right now I have to ask myself the question “Is my fear of failure keeping me stuck or is it really my fear of "success”?! I realize that I feel stuck because I never believed that I deserved true success for myself. Then I ask myself again…. Why?
Third Step: I go deeper into my inner core or self. This step is difficult to do without guidance…but I have practiced quite a bit, so here goes….. Through time, I internalized the feeling that if I was truly successful, others may become jealous or envious of me and use their power against me or turn away from me. I have created a pattern of not being as successful as I can be, so I stay protected in my “non-success”, therefore, it is difficult for me to completely flow when I write.
Fourth Step…Go into the fear. I will do the one thing I am afraid to do. In this case, I am writing this article, sending it the Editor of the Jewish Journal for his approval, and taking the risk of sharing my step by step process with others. When I press the send key on my e-mail, my hand will be shaking, but I will move forward and hopefully feel liberated from my old ways.
Whether this article is published or not, my thoughts and actions will hopefully create a “shift” in my inner being. I will have moved one step closer to peace within myself and I will have moved away from being stuck in my inability to write freely. I hope I will become an individual who is able to write more easily and share with others without the anxiety and fear of my success. This new freedom is what I believe Liberation to be.
* Note
This article was NOT published in the Tribe magazine of the Jewish Journal as I had hoped for. This situation presents itself as another learning process for me; to accept that not everything goes the way I believe it should go and I do not know the reasons why, but sometimes I have to let go and trust that I will understand the reasons later. I have to move forward to the next article, next blog and/or the next project. If I touch or inspire one person by sharing my own experiences, than I have reached my goal and that is all I can hope for. So I publish this blog for you to read and I thank you for taking your precious time to read it.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Can We Repair The World?
Can We Repair the World?
With spring arriving in the next few months, we look towards renewal. The words, “Tikkun Olam” come to my mind. They are words that are spoken and written quite often in Jewish liturgy. If you are not familiar with them, Tikkun Olam is a beautiful set of Hebrew words that means “to repair the world”. So, the question that we all grapple with, especially with the Haiti situation and much chaos in our midst (or an opportunity for healing as I also see it), becomes: How do we repair the world? The answer, I believe, is a simple and yet difficult one to understand. It can be found through our own transformation and renewal.
A few months ago, I had a party at my home. I bought some flowers and was retrieving a large and beautiful vase from my pantry. I was on a stool, reaching high on a shelf and I lost my balance; the vase fell out of my hands and shattered into thousands of pieces of glass. I took a deep breath and thought that there must be something for me to learn from this situation. I stood for a few minutes looking at all the glass surrounding my feet. It hit me that it was a metaphor for the big picture of “Tikkun Olam”, repairing the world. I wanted to put all the pieces of glass together to make the vase complete and whole again, but it would take an enormous amount of work and seemed impossible. What if we, as individuals, were like that beautiful vase and our souls have been shattered and broken? Can the process of individual transformation repair the world?
I believe that every time we go through a challenging or painful experience and are able to create a new positive flow of energy around it, we alter ourselves and shift. When we do this soul work, or “avodah” as it is called in Hebrew, we receive more inner strength and power and therefore restore ourselves and the world.
In many Jewish writings and traditions, the Rabbi’s and scholars have taught that when we do “Mitzvah’s” or “good deeds” in the form of rituals, behaviors and actions, we are participating in Tikkun Olam, repairing the world. We therefore create charities, give money to organizations and institutions that help others, and perform rituals such as celebrating Holidays, the Sabbath or practice the laws of keeping kosher (as some examples) in order to participate in the repairing of the world.
BUT, is the act of participating in the good deed, action or ritual repairing the world, or is the change and transformation of our individual selves through participation actually repairing the world? Please allow me to explain…
Good deeds are a beautiful way to connect to our higher selves, and, when we participate, we feel warmth from the experience itself. Giving of oneself elevates us and brings us to a place of awareness. By doing any good deed, we have the opportunity to transform ….. but what if we don’t transform? The question arises; can we get caught or “stuck” in the doing without ever changing our inner being? Can a person strictly follow religious laws and practices and still have inner conflict, anger, resentment towards others, jealousy, egotism, low self- esteem, broken relationships and unhappiness within them? Can they have an unhealthy body or feel lonely and disconnected to God and to other people? When we look at ourselves and the people around us, the answer is “yes”.
Then how do we actually change?
I believe we can use the guidelines that were given to us as a pathway to take actions that are uncomfortable, and therefore, create change within. For example: being kind to someone we don’t want to be kind to, being vulnerable when it is difficult to own that feeling, being honest when we want to lie, moving closer to others when we want to move away, eating nourishing foods rather than foods that primarily taste good, loving and honoring our physical bodies as though they were sanctuaries, respecting our beautiful environment by being aware of the products we use and many more. The guidelines were given as an opportunity to do the OPPOSITE of what we normally do… to guide us to move into our fears in order to become more true to ourselves, and therefore, create more love and connection.
If we, as individuals, are able to transform, piece by piece, and become "whole" again, like the beautiful flower vase I once owned, then we will all be participating in “Tikkun Olam”…repairing the world. The process of elevating ourselves is “renewal” and the positive energy it brings forth can be remarkable.
With spring arriving in the next few months, we look towards renewal. The words, “Tikkun Olam” come to my mind. They are words that are spoken and written quite often in Jewish liturgy. If you are not familiar with them, Tikkun Olam is a beautiful set of Hebrew words that means “to repair the world”. So, the question that we all grapple with, especially with the Haiti situation and much chaos in our midst (or an opportunity for healing as I also see it), becomes: How do we repair the world? The answer, I believe, is a simple and yet difficult one to understand. It can be found through our own transformation and renewal.
A few months ago, I had a party at my home. I bought some flowers and was retrieving a large and beautiful vase from my pantry. I was on a stool, reaching high on a shelf and I lost my balance; the vase fell out of my hands and shattered into thousands of pieces of glass. I took a deep breath and thought that there must be something for me to learn from this situation. I stood for a few minutes looking at all the glass surrounding my feet. It hit me that it was a metaphor for the big picture of “Tikkun Olam”, repairing the world. I wanted to put all the pieces of glass together to make the vase complete and whole again, but it would take an enormous amount of work and seemed impossible. What if we, as individuals, were like that beautiful vase and our souls have been shattered and broken? Can the process of individual transformation repair the world?
I believe that every time we go through a challenging or painful experience and are able to create a new positive flow of energy around it, we alter ourselves and shift. When we do this soul work, or “avodah” as it is called in Hebrew, we receive more inner strength and power and therefore restore ourselves and the world.
In many Jewish writings and traditions, the Rabbi’s and scholars have taught that when we do “Mitzvah’s” or “good deeds” in the form of rituals, behaviors and actions, we are participating in Tikkun Olam, repairing the world. We therefore create charities, give money to organizations and institutions that help others, and perform rituals such as celebrating Holidays, the Sabbath or practice the laws of keeping kosher (as some examples) in order to participate in the repairing of the world.
BUT, is the act of participating in the good deed, action or ritual repairing the world, or is the change and transformation of our individual selves through participation actually repairing the world? Please allow me to explain…
Good deeds are a beautiful way to connect to our higher selves, and, when we participate, we feel warmth from the experience itself. Giving of oneself elevates us and brings us to a place of awareness. By doing any good deed, we have the opportunity to transform ….. but what if we don’t transform? The question arises; can we get caught or “stuck” in the doing without ever changing our inner being? Can a person strictly follow religious laws and practices and still have inner conflict, anger, resentment towards others, jealousy, egotism, low self- esteem, broken relationships and unhappiness within them? Can they have an unhealthy body or feel lonely and disconnected to God and to other people? When we look at ourselves and the people around us, the answer is “yes”.
Then how do we actually change?
I believe we can use the guidelines that were given to us as a pathway to take actions that are uncomfortable, and therefore, create change within. For example: being kind to someone we don’t want to be kind to, being vulnerable when it is difficult to own that feeling, being honest when we want to lie, moving closer to others when we want to move away, eating nourishing foods rather than foods that primarily taste good, loving and honoring our physical bodies as though they were sanctuaries, respecting our beautiful environment by being aware of the products we use and many more. The guidelines were given as an opportunity to do the OPPOSITE of what we normally do… to guide us to move into our fears in order to become more true to ourselves, and therefore, create more love and connection.
If we, as individuals, are able to transform, piece by piece, and become "whole" again, like the beautiful flower vase I once owned, then we will all be participating in “Tikkun Olam”…repairing the world. The process of elevating ourselves is “renewal” and the positive energy it brings forth can be remarkable.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
A Unique YOU!
There is ABSOLUTELY no one like YOU in this world. We all have something unique to say, to create, to offer, and to teach others. If you follow your heart and get in touch with your soul, it will lead you to endless opportunities. Your dreams, talents, passions and desires are your clues. Don't discount them. Instead, honor them and you will find happiness in all that you do.
I have had amazing teachers, advisors, and guides in my lifetime, as I am sure many of you have had as well. I have learned many facts, ways of thinking, knowledge and wisdom and now I know, more than ever, to not only follow my logical and rational mind, but, to follow my heart and trust that it will lead me to the right place.
As a child, I always loved learning. I was one of those few kids that loved school. Of course, I didn’t like the many hours of homework, the competitive nature of the classroom setting or the rote studies, but I did love to learn when the teachers presented their subjects in an interesting and enjoyable way; through multi-media, art, storytelling, team projects and other opportunities where I was able to use my creativity to better understand the subjects. I took this love of learning to heart and, later in my life, became a family educator, using unique and enjoyable experiences to teach others. My passion for education led me to help start educational institutions as well, and I have spent the last 15 years working diligently with others to help create and build them. Never understanding my path as I was participating in it, I delved into leading, organizing and raising money…anything I could do to help make these institutions wonderful places for children, parents and adult learners.
Having examined my path in depth for the last few years now, through guidance and hard work, it’s no wonder that I can look back and see how much I loved growing up at my Father’s Jewish Day Camp, an exceptionally fun and creative environment. I have been in the role of a camper, counselor, and director throughout my life. From owning and being the program director of Camp Summertime many years ago, to organizing family retreats for business organizations and institutions, I have always had “camp” in my blood. My entire family loves camp as well, and together, we have attended many family weekend retreats and Bruinwoods Family Camp for the last 10 years. Taking a queue from my childhood camp experiences we have even created “Camp Gootnick” on many occasions in our home and family life as well. I have also approached my volunteer and professional work with a fun and positive attitude when planning events and activities.
My life has also been focused on communication as well. Not only do I have a B.A from UCLA in Communication (which, quite frankly, taught me nothing about true “communication”) and I am trained as a mediator, my love and passion has always been communicating and connecting with others. I have always enjoyed talking to friends, discussing and sharing our experiences in life, whether it is our careers, single or married life, the challenges and joys of parenting or ongoing relationships with our family and those around us.
My other “gift” has been my deep sense of awareness and spirituality. I have taken the opportunities that have been presented to me to learn more about my inner self and what I want in my life.
Mixing my passion for education, fun and creativity, communication and spirituality has lead me to my true path….helping others heal and lift themselves to greater heights through joyful experiences and knowledge.
Creating an institute to learn and grow as individuals and families by connecting to each other through positive experiences and education is my mission. My vision is to empower people to help them find joy and “heaven on earth” and, therefore, create a better world.
My newest venture is The Renewal Institute, a place where “Individuals and Families are empowered through education and experiences to change the world”. I will be creating this Institute together with my dear friend, Nancy Tylim, who shares an extremely similar vision. We will be offering workshops, discussion groups and experiences to help open minds and hearts, so that everyone who participates can see themselves as unique individuals and discover how their paths play a role in what their purpose in this world can be. We are launching The Renewal Institute in established communities, such as synagogues and other organizations, at the beginning of 2010! I continue on my path and I believe I am moving in the right direction. It is a constant learning process for me.
Know that YOU are a unique and amazing individual with your own path…follow your heart … have courage, choose to take risks and your passions and gifts will show you the way!
Here’s to making 2010 a gateway to new possibilities and opportunities. May the toast for the New Year be to fulfilling all of your dreams!
I have had amazing teachers, advisors, and guides in my lifetime, as I am sure many of you have had as well. I have learned many facts, ways of thinking, knowledge and wisdom and now I know, more than ever, to not only follow my logical and rational mind, but, to follow my heart and trust that it will lead me to the right place.
As a child, I always loved learning. I was one of those few kids that loved school. Of course, I didn’t like the many hours of homework, the competitive nature of the classroom setting or the rote studies, but I did love to learn when the teachers presented their subjects in an interesting and enjoyable way; through multi-media, art, storytelling, team projects and other opportunities where I was able to use my creativity to better understand the subjects. I took this love of learning to heart and, later in my life, became a family educator, using unique and enjoyable experiences to teach others. My passion for education led me to help start educational institutions as well, and I have spent the last 15 years working diligently with others to help create and build them. Never understanding my path as I was participating in it, I delved into leading, organizing and raising money…anything I could do to help make these institutions wonderful places for children, parents and adult learners.
Having examined my path in depth for the last few years now, through guidance and hard work, it’s no wonder that I can look back and see how much I loved growing up at my Father’s Jewish Day Camp, an exceptionally fun and creative environment. I have been in the role of a camper, counselor, and director throughout my life. From owning and being the program director of Camp Summertime many years ago, to organizing family retreats for business organizations and institutions, I have always had “camp” in my blood. My entire family loves camp as well, and together, we have attended many family weekend retreats and Bruinwoods Family Camp for the last 10 years. Taking a queue from my childhood camp experiences we have even created “Camp Gootnick” on many occasions in our home and family life as well. I have also approached my volunteer and professional work with a fun and positive attitude when planning events and activities.
My life has also been focused on communication as well. Not only do I have a B.A from UCLA in Communication (which, quite frankly, taught me nothing about true “communication”) and I am trained as a mediator, my love and passion has always been communicating and connecting with others. I have always enjoyed talking to friends, discussing and sharing our experiences in life, whether it is our careers, single or married life, the challenges and joys of parenting or ongoing relationships with our family and those around us.
My other “gift” has been my deep sense of awareness and spirituality. I have taken the opportunities that have been presented to me to learn more about my inner self and what I want in my life.
Mixing my passion for education, fun and creativity, communication and spirituality has lead me to my true path….helping others heal and lift themselves to greater heights through joyful experiences and knowledge.
Creating an institute to learn and grow as individuals and families by connecting to each other through positive experiences and education is my mission. My vision is to empower people to help them find joy and “heaven on earth” and, therefore, create a better world.
My newest venture is The Renewal Institute, a place where “Individuals and Families are empowered through education and experiences to change the world”. I will be creating this Institute together with my dear friend, Nancy Tylim, who shares an extremely similar vision. We will be offering workshops, discussion groups and experiences to help open minds and hearts, so that everyone who participates can see themselves as unique individuals and discover how their paths play a role in what their purpose in this world can be. We are launching The Renewal Institute in established communities, such as synagogues and other organizations, at the beginning of 2010! I continue on my path and I believe I am moving in the right direction. It is a constant learning process for me.
Know that YOU are a unique and amazing individual with your own path…follow your heart … have courage, choose to take risks and your passions and gifts will show you the way!
Here’s to making 2010 a gateway to new possibilities and opportunities. May the toast for the New Year be to fulfilling all of your dreams!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Passport To Purpose
Vacation, Travel, or Journey. …. Pleasure, Adventure or Soul Searching. They all may be important to you throughout your life, but there are differences between them. “Vacations” can be a time of bonding with our spouses and/or family, relaxing and fun… and that is wonderful. “Traveling” can give us experiences that we may not receive on a vacation; it expands our knowledge of the world. We learn history, are exposed to different cultures, participate in memorable activities, meet interesting people and taste unique foods. Through travel, we use our senses and open up our minds… but the question arises….what about our hearts? A“Journey” has a deeper purpose. A journey is about EXPLORATION and about change within us. If we make a decision to go on a journey somewhere throughout the world, we can see that it can change us in ways that we cannot even imagine.
A few weeks ago, I returned from a trip to Peru. I traveled for a week with an organization called AJWS (American Jewish World Service). This experience was not about imparting any religious beliefs or about transmitting our American values onto other people. This experience was about recognizing how people help each other in various ways within their own environments and how we can support their personal and social change, which, in turn, creates a better world for all of us.
I was blessed to have been able to witness what AJWS does in the Latin American region. Peru is a developing country with many economic and social challenges. Our main purpose was to visit grass-roots organizations ( NGO’s or non- governmental organizations) that have created successful ways to help one another with limited resources. I was enthralled as I listened to stories from women with HIV who are becoming empowered through their support groups and are advocating for themselves to receive the care they deserve, indigenous people along the Amazon River who are rising from the violence in their homes and becoming educated on their sexual and reproductive rights, African-Peruvians who are discriminated against because of the color of their skin who are teaching their children to accept and celebrate their identity, young children in an impoverished community day care center who are learning team building and leadership skills through sports, and disabled women who have created a craft business that helps them to become more economically self-sustaining, and, through the support of each other, feel more beautiful in their own bodies.
Yes, meeting and talking with these amazing people altered and awakened my soul and, along with the final days of my travels, brought me to a new understanding of myself. After traveling with the AJWS group of supporters and professionals, my path led me to the Andes Mountains, where I toured and learned of the ancient Inca people’s extraordinary systems of learning, beliefs and community in a beautiful city called Cuzco (meaning “the center of the world”). I traveled by train through the Sacred Valley and was able to wander, explore then sit quietly to pause and meditate above the ruins of Machu Pichu. I made some personal discoveries as I sat still in this amazing ancient sanctuary and my inner world shifted as I experienced those moments in time. I knew I was supposed to be right where I was. Peru had been calling me and I jumped aboard. I went alone, not knowing anyone on the trip (but loving everyone I met), and not knowing how my kids and my husband would survive without me (they did just fine… even with injuries and flu!) and I came back with a heart that was more open to the world.
All I can say is this: Go where you are must go. Experience what you are must experience. Risk what you must risk. Journey where you must journey… and quite possibly, your soul will shift and your heart will open up more to the world. You will get a stamp in your passport; not only from the particular country that you visited, but a stamp of purpose on your soul as well.
Ask yourself if it is possible to go to a place that you have wanted to visit next year in 2010. If you can make it happen….take the journey!
A few weeks ago, I returned from a trip to Peru. I traveled for a week with an organization called AJWS (American Jewish World Service). This experience was not about imparting any religious beliefs or about transmitting our American values onto other people. This experience was about recognizing how people help each other in various ways within their own environments and how we can support their personal and social change, which, in turn, creates a better world for all of us.
I was blessed to have been able to witness what AJWS does in the Latin American region. Peru is a developing country with many economic and social challenges. Our main purpose was to visit grass-roots organizations ( NGO’s or non- governmental organizations) that have created successful ways to help one another with limited resources. I was enthralled as I listened to stories from women with HIV who are becoming empowered through their support groups and are advocating for themselves to receive the care they deserve, indigenous people along the Amazon River who are rising from the violence in their homes and becoming educated on their sexual and reproductive rights, African-Peruvians who are discriminated against because of the color of their skin who are teaching their children to accept and celebrate their identity, young children in an impoverished community day care center who are learning team building and leadership skills through sports, and disabled women who have created a craft business that helps them to become more economically self-sustaining, and, through the support of each other, feel more beautiful in their own bodies.
Yes, meeting and talking with these amazing people altered and awakened my soul and, along with the final days of my travels, brought me to a new understanding of myself. After traveling with the AJWS group of supporters and professionals, my path led me to the Andes Mountains, where I toured and learned of the ancient Inca people’s extraordinary systems of learning, beliefs and community in a beautiful city called Cuzco (meaning “the center of the world”). I traveled by train through the Sacred Valley and was able to wander, explore then sit quietly to pause and meditate above the ruins of Machu Pichu. I made some personal discoveries as I sat still in this amazing ancient sanctuary and my inner world shifted as I experienced those moments in time. I knew I was supposed to be right where I was. Peru had been calling me and I jumped aboard. I went alone, not knowing anyone on the trip (but loving everyone I met), and not knowing how my kids and my husband would survive without me (they did just fine… even with injuries and flu!) and I came back with a heart that was more open to the world.
All I can say is this: Go where you are must go. Experience what you are must experience. Risk what you must risk. Journey where you must journey… and quite possibly, your soul will shift and your heart will open up more to the world. You will get a stamp in your passport; not only from the particular country that you visited, but a stamp of purpose on your soul as well.
Ask yourself if it is possible to go to a place that you have wanted to visit next year in 2010. If you can make it happen….take the journey!
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