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Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Reborn

It's not a cliche after all
In your very weakest moments
Doubts and fears that threaten to end you
The times when the very substance
Of who you thought you were
Shaken and stripped away
Even love seems to have flown
Sitting on the floor
Curled in a ball 
Fear, sorrow and emptiness 
Vying for control  

Stop fighting with it
Allow the fear, and face the void
Witness yourself
Broken as you are
Embracing it, the wave of it 
It breaks over you
Fleetingly, you wonder
Will it completely 
Wash you away

And then
Something unexpected

Rocking, sobbing
An aching tenderness begins 
Tendrils, like new spring growth
Nourishing the life within
Love, here
Exactly as things are, exactly as YOU are 
All the words, the striving fall away
Precious, sacred vulnerability
Like a newborn baby
Just you, breathing 
Gossamer threads of connection
With every thing

Standing, more naked than ever in your life
Raw with emotion
Drawing in sacred breath 
Closing your eyes, feeling your own heart
Oh, sweet delicious BEING

A new power within 
You are reborn 
Strength found in weakness 
No rules, no more confused thoughts
Gone the tangled striving 
Focusing on the love 
The light that shines within 

Standing now, looking at the sky
Feeling the wind on your face
Colors, so vivid 
Life, seen through the heart 

Such power 
In simply being 
Heart rhythm 
Shining, breathing and flowing
The Universe smiles 

Sunday, July 27, 2014

The Human Being Challenge

I've been called

Liberal 
Witch
Cunt 
Fucking Democrat
Delusional 
White Woman
Flirt
Whore

I guess in the end, I'd prefer "Beth".  

I've heard others called:

Liberal
Conservative 
Idiot
Moron
Nigger
Nazi
Junkie
Facist 
Atheist 
Whore 
Cunt 
Fat ass
Zionist
Terrorist
Gang member
Brainless
Animal 
Dirty
Sub Human
Worthless

I myself have recently used the following labels to for people:

Stupid assholes
Baby killers
"Freakin Pubs"
Black Hearted Greed Hounds
Druggie 
I commonly refer to Dick Cheney as "The Anti-Christ"

Honestly.  We can't do this anymore.

I can't do this anymore.

Every time we decide someone needs a label, we dehumanize them, and ourselves.  We decide that they are lesser than us, that they do not have the same rights as we do, that there is something intrinsically wrong or bad about them.  Why?  

Because they do not think or believe the way we do.  And that makes us angry, or it scares us.  Anger is just another form of fear, anyway.

We're not all going to agree all the time.  We already know that. Yes, there are huge issues and challenges going on right now.  And people are dying, every day - because of one simple thing.  Our collective inability to put "THAT IS A HUMAN BEING" above ANY OTHER THOUGHT, NEED OR BELIEF. 

I am going to challenge myself.

Every time I want to spit out some nasty description, every time my fear or anger tells me that I have a RIGHT, that I have JUSTIFIED REASONS to count that person as less, every time I want to use a label - I want to STOP.  I want to catch myself.  I want to take deep breaths and ask myself  "Is this really going to help anything, if I do/say this?"  

I can't walk around believing that only people that are easy for me to get along with are worthy, beautiful, and amazing.  We all are.  Even people whose fear has made them act in ugly ways. I don't have any answers to anything.  I just know I can't pick and choose anymore.  I have to draw a line.  I have to stop.





Thursday, July 24, 2014

Just For Tonight

Tonight
I'm giving it all a fucking rest
Goals on pause
Analyzing stops
No more picking me apart
Not striving for anything
No working, moving, purging
I don't want to rescue anybody
I sure as hell don't need rescuing
No
Tonight is mine
And you can't have it
None of you
Tonight I'm just me
And that's God Damned Well
Good Enough
In fact
It's beautiful
None of the labels matter now
And the past
With it's shining joys
And spectacular falls
Are just lessons learned late
As the man from Canada says*
And in this moment
I have no regrets
No apologies for you
I know who I was
Where I've been
What I've done
I'm standing here now
This is who I am
Who will I be?
That's for tomorrow
For today
I am here
And I am me
Exactly as I am
I don't fear my past, my present, or my future
Nor anyone else's
I'm doing this my way
One step, one day at a time
I'm not coloring inside the lines anymore
Every time I do that
It almost kills me
Right now is where I am
Because that's the only moment that matters
Don't you ever question my heart, my love
Or my authenticity
I've never hidden my successes
Or my failures
Maybe I didn't do it the way everyone wanted
That's life
That's me
You do the best you can in the moment you're standing in
That's all I've ever done, and it's all you've ever done
I'm choosing to be happy
With exactly who I am and where I am
Loving being alive
Having fun
If you don't, what exactly is the point?
I'll laugh, love and enjoy being.
Yeah.
So tonight is just for me.

*A reference to "It's Always Been You"  by Todd Kerns off the album Borrowing Trouble

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Finding My Own Way


It's strange to think about it, now.

We chase so many things, because we think they're going to fill us up, create a feeling of wholeness or happiness or perhaps chase away the pain.  Sometimes, we know we're doing it, other times, it's just a human reaction and we aren't even aware of ourselves.

We aren't aware of ourselves.  That's just it, I think.  Any time something feels bad, uncomfortable, or painful we run away from it, we have to cover it, avoid it or cure it as fast as possible.  There are times, though, when we do ourselves a disservice.  Sometimes, you're SUPPOSED to feel that pain, or grief or anger and there's nothing wrong with it.

We can't face it for a lot of different reasons.  Maybe the grief is too big, or the pain is so all encompassing that letting it out seems like it would be the end of us. Maybe the sense of failure, of worthlessness is too much to bring out into the sun.

I've come to realize, each of us is exactly where we need to be.  I can't expect you to be anywhere but exactly where you are right now, in this moment.  There is nothing wrong with you or where you are right now.

It's harder to give that gift to myself.  Acknowledging that I am OK, that I'm acceptable, lovable, worthy....oh damn!  It's taken a lifetime to even begin to think that's possible.  But, I'm getting there, just recently.

I can't and I won't chase anything else to try and make it OK.  For a long time, I didn't even know I was doing it.  Then, once I did, it took a long time to STOP.  Lifelong survival habits are hard to change, but it isn't impossible.

Chasing distractions is empty.

There isn't any comfort to be had in food, television, twitter, liquor or the myriad of other things we try. Trust me on this point. And people?  I have been blessed with so many beautiful souls in my life,  but in the end, even that can change, for many different reasons.  I will always cherish the gift of the people I've been blessed to know in my life - those still here and those not in my life any more. The truth of the matter is, none of us can truly get our sense of self from the people around us, or the roles we play.  We won't find a way to make that heavy fear-ache in our chest go away by attaching ourselves to any other human being.  It doesn't work and it's a hell of a heavy load to hang on another person.

No.

We have to face ourselves. We have to accept ourselves. We have to love ourselves.  We have to find our own inspiration and connection.  We have to walk our own walk and make our own dreams happen. Only we can heal ourselves.  Of course we can help each other, and I am so grateful for the help I have received.  But we do have to make the decision to open the door and face it, to do that tough work. We have to be the one to open the door inside of us.  No one can make that decision for you.

For me, a connection with the Divine is what has helped me to find myself again and to decide that yes, I do indeed still want to be here. I'm glad I opened that particular door, and I've made no secret of the fact that Archangel Michael quite literally saved me by lending me his light and courage to face things until I was strong enough to realize my personal power. If I hadn't made the decision myself to open  that door and work, and acknowledge my need for help,  where would I be now?  More to the point - would I be now?  It's hard for anyone to help us if we won't accept it and admit we need it, and I'm glad I decided to seek help and hope.

Everyone's path is different, and we all find our own way.  Our own way.  That's how it works, that's how it has to be.


Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Disarming Yourself

Truth is
They're not rejecting you
No one is misunderstanding
No matter who, how many
Regardless of the situation
The judgement doesn't come
From the outside
Verdict rendered
By the judge and jury
Within
Those you interact with
Day to day
Are simply the mirror
You conjured them
To reflect what's inside 
Dutifully, they show up
Ready to deliver
A hot plate
Preordered
By YOU
Crazy, unbalanced
Over-sharer
Flirt, whore
Ugly, flighty
Talentless, worthless
Unlovable 
Overly sensitive
Lacking in compassion
Self-absorbed
Damaged
Accusations based on insecurity
Not on fact
That's coming from the place inside
The one you don't look at or go into
When you face your darkness
Accept, forgive, let go
Love yourself
All those damned arrows
From every direction
Bows drawn back
By your own self repulsion
Will all fall away
Freedom will be yours
It's your call

Tender Heart

Sometimes, you just drop it
All the baggage
And you've got no goddamned clue
What, where,  or how
And there's just life

Unable, unwilling
To go behind walls again
Tender heart, wide open
Eyes, refusing to close
See it all
Feel everything

Yeah
You'll bleed sometimes
But once you SEE
You can't go back
To willful blindness

It's just so
BIG

Some days

You know?