A New Beginning

I have always had what I call a very "plastic" brain; by that I mean a mind that slips easily between paradigms of thinking. I begin to see through the filter of those other ways very quickly without losing my ability to relate to my prior position. I think this natural flexibility of belief this is the true definition of what Shamans call "walking in different worlds" and is what caused me to gravitate towards the study of shamanism in the first place.
I still call myself a Shaman, because I see the term as the closest definition to what I have become, but recently, a series of personal changes (and choices) has left me at a bit of a loss in terms of a defining paradigm. Contrary to what you might think, and indeed contrary to how I would have thought about it before, I'm finding that it's just fine with me! I do not mourn the end of an "identity", I celebrate the integration of my many facets into a more complete and effective Human Being.
I'm still writing stories, with plans to publish them in E-book form in the near future, but you will find other information here too. I believe that those who need to find this information will find it. I hope that something about my own personal journey speaks to you, and helps you to unravel some of the mystery of your own Life.
Thank you for reading!
-Grace

(just a reminder, all material and stories are copyrighted)

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

REJOICE! Identifying the Themes You Came Here To Learn or Why Does This Keep Happening To Me?!?!

Do the same situations seem to crop up in your Life so often that it makes you feel as if the Universe is having a bad day and taking it out on you? 
Just when it seems that you are about to achieve a long-sought after goal does an unexpected problem arise that keeps you from getting there?
Do you find yourself facing the same situation over and over again? 
If so then-rejoice, you may have discovered a Theme!
OK, before you decide Grace has gone bonkers, let me explain.
Before we agree to project forward and become incarnate in a physical body, we decide to explore certain Themes.  Most of us have at least some sense of this even if they don't hold with New Age thinking.   Chances are, that you have some feeling that there are lessons you are meant to learn in this lifetime or at least you can generate a good guess- this is not such an alien idea to most people.
Well, in a way you are right.

Simply put, what a Life Theme is a very general idea, motif or subject that you agreed to explore in various ways while you were living your life here.  (Other belief systems often refer to this as "Karma", and that these lessons are given to you in order to make up for some shortcoming you had in a past life, but with this new definition Karma becomes something you can deal with. ) Most people don't have any trouble stomaching that idea.  But what most people don't understand is that a Life Theme is also a tool that helps you to grow into a Being that is closer in vibration to your Source!  
What a Theme does is to highlight the negative beliefs you hold.  When you become aware of your negative beliefs (or a system of beliefs which no longer serves you) you then have the choice whether to continue to believe them or not.  This is a marvelous gift that we have all been given!  This is why I say "rejoice" because in noticing a Theme, you have become that much closer to being able to make the changes which will bring you to the reality you prefer to live!

In order to really take advantage of this, it helps to understand a little bit about how a Theme works. In order to accomplish it's mission, a Theme will generate an obstacle which appears while you are involved in following your joy. 
For example, let's say that, on a particular day, you feel that your highest joy is to paint a painting.  While you are painting, or shortly after you begin to get into your "painting groove" so to speak, your best friend calls and tells you they are stranded out on some rural road because their car has just died.  You, of course, agree to go get them but on the way you remember back to the other time you wanted to paint and your daughter fell outside and needed your attention; or perhaps your spouse called with the news that the boss was coming over for dinner and would you make that thing you always make that he likes...And you think to yourself "Every time I try to paint, I am stopped by X, Y or Z".  Am I supposed to be learning something from this?"
BINGO!
BUT-and read on...
Many people will assume that the lesson is simply that they are not meant to paint, and that could very well be one of the negative beliefs that is being highlighted, but to find the Theme, you need to take it a step further. 
Let's say that you realize that this sort of thing also happens whenever you want to take a walk.  You are really, really excited about taking a nice walk-and boom!  In addition, you seem to get zapped just when you decide that a nap would be an awesome thing to do about now.  By paying attention, you suddenly realize what all these actions have something in common.  They are all instances where 1) You are really excited and happy about doing them, and 2) you are trying to take time out for yourself. 
Something begins to percolate in your head.
Then, you say, "Surely I'm not meant to believe that I am never supposed to paint, eat, take a long shower, watch a show I like, go shopping, buy something I think is cool, etc etc etc. That's ridiculous!  There must be something more to this, but what is it?"  And then you realize that you rarely saw your mother, or your father take time out to do anything fun for themselves either.  And you remember how they taught you that other people's needs must always come first, that putting others first meant that you were somehow a better person. Maybe you became a doctor, and spent years seeing to the welfare of your patients; or you became a parent and spouse and your family comes first.  When you finally get to the idea that learning to take time for one's self might be a Life Theme, you experience one of, what people often call, an "A-HA!! moment."  

What a position of power to be in because it is only by recognizing those beliefs that you can first, own them, and second, transform them into something that better serves you to reach the Reality that you want to experience.
Getting back to the Theme of Learning to nurture yourself, you identify some of the negative beliefs that are being highlighted.  Let's say one of them is "Other people are more important than I am."  Does that work for you?  If not, then CHANGE IT!  Think of the life you wish to lead, and change that belief into one, perhaps, "I am worthy of time and attention." or something else that is more in keeping with your vision of your preferred Reality.

Now here is a crucial point- once you recognize a negative belief, and you decide to change it, THE CHANGE HAPPENS IN THAT MOMENT.  But if it does not, it means that there is another belief existing "under" that one which is supporting it and you may have to dig a little to find and transform it.  What could be underneath "other people are more important"?  It could be "I am NOT important"- see how it works?  

"But Gracie", you ask, "What about free will?"
Understand that nothing- and I mean NOTHING happens to you without your permission on some level.  And though you may have agreed to cross the road, you have endless variations in the way you are allowed to do it, as long as you get across in the end.  Dance, swim, jump, hop, scream, take a cab or just walk- it's your choice.  
You are not "doomed" to repeat the same mistakes over and over again.  If you understand that these things are here to teach YOU-and YOU have the power to make of them something that transforms you, then you understand that you are not "at the mercy" of anything, and indeed never were!  Every belief has its own vibration- when you change your belief, you change your vibration and you begin to attract things that are more aligned with the new you.  
So when the "same old thing" happens, give some thought to what it might be telling you, thank the Universe for the uinconditional Love that is giving you this chance to know more about yourself, and REJOICE!

No comments: