The Clear and Simple Way
Judith "Indira" Parsons, MSW
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March Message 2010
LIVING FROM THE THOUGHT SELF
This month's message is simple. It asks you to do more than just read these words. It asks you to spend time every day being aware of who you think you are.
For example, watch yourself get all worked up over something you are thinking about--something that creates a lot of feeling within you. When you become aware that you are deeply emotionally involved in what you are thinking, take a breath, step back from yourself, and ask:
Is this who I really am? Am I these thoughts I have been believing? Am I these emotions I have been feeling? Do I want to be this thought self? Do I want to continue to follow these thoughts and emotions?
Try this exercise anytime you find yourself getting caught up in thinking and feeling. If you believe you are that thought self, you will be compelled to act like it.
For example, if you start thinking jealous thoughts, you will soon feel very jealous. If you do not stop to question this, you will believe you actually are this jealous person. Then you will be compelled to act like a jealous person.
This is true for any thought self you create. If you think thoughts of anger, sadness, hostility, paranoia, inferiority, long and strong enough, soon you will feel that way--and then you will act that way.
Taking a moment to stop, step outside of your thought self, and ask yourself intelligent questions about what you are thinking and feeling will help give you perspective. You will realize that you are not that particular thought self unless you believe you are. You will become calmer. You will come more and more into touch with who you really are.
You will begin to see that thoughts come and go and change all the time. This will allow you to have more control over your thoughts, emotions, and actions. You will begin to live more freely. It does, however, require constant diligence and effort, so practice!
ARCHIVED MESSAGES FOR 2009
Archived Messages for 2008
More iNSPIRATiONAl Messages!
1.MARCH (The Stream of Life) 2.APRIL (Being Breathed!) 3.MAY(Creating A Sacred Space) 4.JUNE (Being Your Vision!) 5.JULY (5 Simple Ways To Love Yourself More) 6.AUGUST(Listen!) 7.SEPTEMBER (New Biginnings) 8.OCTOBER (You Are Not Your Stories!) 9.NOVEMBER (Dealing With Challenging Times) 10.DECEMBER (Happiness!)
NEW YEAR'S MESSAGE 2010
HAPPY VISIONING!
Do you blithely list new year's resolutions as if
just writing them down makes them true and bound to happen? Do you casually
make promises to yourself or others that you never intend to keep? Do you look forward to being happy or liking yourself when and if you achieve some future goal instead of giving yourself permission to be happy here and now?
Do something new this year! Pay attention to the things
you say, the promises and resolutions you make. Find out what is behind them.
This year, instead of just making
a list of resolutions--take time to examine
your resolutions. Ask yourself vital questions about your resolutions. It
is one thing to intend
something--and quite another to be able and willing to make that intention a reality.
Do not make promises to yourself or others that you cannot
or do not really intend to keep. Leave empty promises to the politicians.
Here are some simple and
effective ways to make honest
resolutions that you are more likely to achieve.
UNDERSTAND YOURSELF!
Ask yourself
honest questions about each resolution. Do not provide ready-made answers from
your mind, but search deep within yourself to find the most honest answers you
can. Find out what prompted you to make each resolution.
Connect to your inner stillness and intuition. Depending upon your belief
system, you may like to pray, meditate, or ask God (or the angels) to help you
find true answers, or just be still and contemplate deep within yourself. Spontaneous
writing is also an excellent way to reveal yourself to you!
Here are some questions that can deepen and expand your
understanding, when you ask with an open heart and a sincere intention to know yourself.
1. What
is my motivation for this resolution? This
question is best answered by other questions, such as: Am I trying to please
someone else with this resolution, or is it really my heart's desire? Are my
values in the right place? Do I have unrealistic expectations about what
achieving this resolution will give me? Do I have the necessary skills or am I
able to acquire them? How much will this resolution cost me in terms of time,
money, and energy? Do I have the energy to put into it, without debting myself?
If you find that your motivations
are sound, then ask yourself:
2. What
must I do to achieve this resolution?
Make a complete list of the actions required to
achieve your goal. List everything you think is important. You could call this
your action plan.
Now, go on to number 3 and ask
yourself this vital question about each action that you wrote down:
3. Am
I willing to take each step that I must take to make my vision a reality?
Answer yourself honestly. Find out if you are willing and able to do the works that is necessary to make
your dreams and visions blossom into reality. Without the willingness to take the necessary steps, your resolution
will never be more than an empty promise. (Leave empty promises to
politicians!)
4. Most importantly, live in the NOW with love and gratitude. Surrender the fruits of your actions to a higher power (which you may call God, Divine Mother, Light, Great Spirit....depending upon your belief system).
When we live from the highest (or deepest) spiritual sense, we perform our actions happily in the now, without attachment to the fruits. We simply do our best and leave the results in the hands of a Higher Power, knowing we cannot control the outcome. We take our actions with hearts and minds dedicated to the highest principal we can imagine. We understand that our small mind is limited and does not know what is best for us. When we cling to a an idea, a vision, or a goal that is clearly not ours to achieve, we suffer. We block the greater vision that is meant to be ours. We block ourselves from living wholly in the present moment with love and gratitude for what we have today. And so we add our last step:
5. Be willing to at any moment to let go of your vision and move in another direction if so guided by a power higher and deeper than your own mind.
You can use this method for any intention. The point of an intention is not
to make mindless resolutions. It is self-defeating to tell yourself or the
world that you are going to do things that you then never do. Making promises that
you do not keep is not good for your self-esteem or morale. And it does nothing
to instill the confidence of other people in you. Empty promises lead to poor
self-esteem and loss of faith in yourself. And there is a certain karma that follows empty promises.
Let 2010 be a year for honesty in
your life. Forget about whether or not other people are honest. You be honest. You be willing to look at yourself and examine your life, your way of thinking and acting. You be willing to be free!
Are you willing to be free? Does that seem like a strange
question? Have you ever asked yourself if you are willing to be free? Have you
asked yourself if you are willing to give up the fears and limitations that
hold you in bondage? Do you just assume that, of course, you are willing? Do
you blithely list your new year's resolutions as if simply writing them down
makes them true and bound to happen?
Do something different this year. Pay attention to the
things you say, the promises and resolutions you make. Find out what is behind
them. Find out if you are willing to do the work you need to do in order to
make your dreams and visions blossom into reality.
For a deeper exploration into truth try The School, an
online course in spiritual and personal development. The deadline for enrollment is fast approaching: January 8th, 2010. Enrollment will not be offered again until the
summer of 2010. Check back for the exact date.
Do you want to know more about achieving your goals and
visions? Try Vision Coaching. We can
easily work by phone, from the comfort of your own home.
Copyright 2010 The Clear and Simple Way, Judith Ann Parsons, MSW aka Indira. All Rights Reserved. May not be reproduced or printed by any means without written permission from the author. Write here for permission: theclearandsimpleway.
New Year Message, January 1, 2009
Although the world is facing great economic and environmental challenges today, the greater challenge is: will you align yourself with fear or with love? Will you expand your circle of love, or will you close that circle in fear and selfishness? Will you stay open to love, compassion, and wisdom? Will you connect with the trust in the heart or the fear in the mind?
Challenging times remind us that none of us is an island. Even the slant of the butterfly's wing reverberates and touches everything. What we think, do, and say ripples out like a wave to affect everything around us. As John Donne so eloquently wrote, "ask not for whom the bell tolls...it tolls for thee."
And so in these challenging times, the angels sing you a lullaby: a lullaby that is not meant to put you to sleep, but to wake you up; a lullaby of remembrance: remember your true nature. Remember your Oneness with every blade of grass, and so walk softly upon the earth. Remember your oneness with every human life, and so touch gently all the things of your life. Remember that as you judge, so shall you be judged, and so consider your judgments carefully. Allow the ocean of compassion and humility within you to expand and grow beyond the limits of ordinary thinking.
As you meet the challenges of your life with courage and faith, the light burns more and more brightly within your heart. This is the gift of challenging times.
John Donne
Meditation 17
Devotions upon Emergent Occasions
"No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were. Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee..." \
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Angel Message 2008
2008 is the year of One: 2 + 8 = 10 = 1 (One) 8 is the number of Infinity.
Dearest One,
The angels lovingly remind you to turn to within to discover Truth and this must be as constant as waves upon the ocean, a continual turning within until there is no turning without.
The compassion of the angels reaches out to you constantly, like waves upon the ocean. Even when you cannot feel their presence, angels are with you.
The angels encourage you to discover what Truth really is. The world has been filled with many delusions these last years, delusions that have led to wars and darkness. Many of our trusted servants have not been trustworthy. The inconsistency of the outer world can teach you to turn within.
Within you is a great and wonderful genius - an inner wisdom. It is not here just for some; it is for everyone. You do not have to be enlightened, well-educated, rich, or famous to have access to this inner wisdom. It exists equally within all human beings. You must, however, take time to embrace it if you are to experience its equal embrace.
How do we embrace the divine intelligence within? There are many ways, many paths. Angels are not the path to God. Angels are simply messengers along the way. You, yourself, are the way. The teachers, teachings, and philosophies you encounter are also not the path, because the path is not outside you. It is not in someone else. It exists within you. It always has.
So take time to turn within. There are many ways to turn within. Discover the ways that work best for you.
We can turn within through meditation, contemplation, or prayer. We can breathe and watch our thoughts. We can get to know the mind. We can feel our own energy. We can learn to breathe through each emotion, thought, and feeling. When fear arises, we can bring ourrself back to breath. We can breathe through the fear. Fear is really just a small child, not the monster you take it to be. In your intelligent embrace, the fear can dissolve into love.
In meditation we learn to watch our thoughts and realize that see that they, too, are just little children - little children who are lost, clamoring for attention. As we stay still and breathe we develop discrimination. We learn to pay attention to thoughts that are helpful and uplifting, that help us through the amazing maze of life. We turn on the light of our intelligence and examine our thoughts. We learn not to pay attention to thoughts that bring us down, thoughts that are false and useless. We learn to use our intelligence. We learn to let go of what does not serve us. We learn to trust our own self!
Trusting yourself is a commodity more vital than gold. Your inner compass is within your own heart. Within you is an inner genius, an unending well of wisdom, courage, and vitality, a place of deep inner knowing also called intuition. Within you are all questions and the answers to those questions.
So this year, the angels gently suggest that your number ONE priority for 2008 be learning to trust yourself - and taking the steps that bring you closer to self-trust.
HAPPY VISIONING!
Do you blithely list new year's resolutions as if
just writing them down makes them true and bound to happen? Do you casually
make promises to yourself or others that you never intend to keep? Do you look forward to being happy or liking yourself when and if you achieve some future goal instead of giving yourself permission to be happy here and now?
Do something new this year! Pay attention to the things
you say, the promises and resolutions you make. Find out what is behind them.
This year, instead of just making a list of resolutions--take time to examine your resolutions. Ask yourself vital questions about your resolutions. It is one thing to intend something--and quite another to be able and willing to make that intention a reality.
Do not make promises to yourself or others that you cannot or do not really intend to keep. Leave empty promises to the politicians.
Here are some simple and
effective ways to make honest
resolutions that you are more likely to achieve.
UNDERSTAND YOURSELF!
Ask yourself
honest questions about each resolution. Do not provide ready-made answers from
your mind, but search deep within yourself to find the most honest answers you
can. Find out what prompted you to make each resolution.
Connect to your inner stillness and intuition. Depending upon your belief
system, you may like to pray, meditate, or ask God (or the angels) to help you
find true answers, or just be still and contemplate deep within yourself. Spontaneous
writing is also an excellent way to reveal yourself to you!
Here are some questions that can deepen and expand your understanding, when you ask with an open heart and a sincere intention to know yourself.
1. What is my motivation for this resolution? This question is best answered by other questions, such as: Am I trying to please someone else with this resolution, or is it really my heart's desire? Are my values in the right place? Do I have unrealistic expectations about what achieving this resolution will give me? Do I have the necessary skills or am I able to acquire them? How much will this resolution cost me in terms of time, money, and energy? Do I have the energy to put into it, without debting myself?
If you find that your motivations are sound, then ask yourself:
2. What
must I do to achieve this resolution?
Make a complete list of the actions required to achieve your goal. List everything you think is important. You could call this your action plan.
Now, go on to number 3 and ask yourself this vital question about each action that you wrote down:
3. Am
I willing to take each step that I must take to make my vision a reality?
Answer yourself honestly. Find out if you are willing and able to do the works that is necessary to make your dreams and visions blossom into reality. Without the willingness to take the necessary steps, your resolution will never be more than an empty promise. (Leave empty promises to politicians!)
4. Most importantly, live in the NOW with love and gratitude. Surrender the fruits of your actions to a higher power (which you may call God, Divine Mother, Light, Great Spirit....depending upon your belief system).
When we live from the highest (or deepest) spiritual sense, we perform our actions happily in the now, without attachment to the fruits. We simply do our best and leave the results in the hands of a Higher Power, knowing we cannot control the outcome. We take our actions with hearts and minds dedicated to the highest principal we can imagine. We understand that our small mind is limited and does not know what is best for us. When we cling to a an idea, a vision, or a goal that is clearly not ours to achieve, we suffer. We block the greater vision that is meant to be ours. We block ourselves from living wholly in the present moment with love and gratitude for what we have today. And so we add our last step:
5. Be willing to at any moment to let go of your vision and move in another direction if so guided by a power higher and deeper than your own mind.
You can use this method for any intention. The point of an intention is not
to make mindless resolutions. It is self-defeating to tell yourself or the
world that you are going to do things that you then never do. Making promises that
you do not keep is not good for your self-esteem or morale. And it does nothing
to instill the confidence of other people in you. Empty promises lead to poor
self-esteem and loss of faith in yourself. And there is a certain karma that follows empty promises.
Let 2010 be a year for honesty in your life. Forget about whether or not other people are honest. You be honest. You be willing to look at yourself and examine your life, your way of thinking and acting. You be willing to be free!
Are you willing to be free? Does that seem like a strange question? Have you ever asked yourself if you are willing to be free? Have you asked yourself if you are willing to give up the fears and limitations that hold you in bondage? Do you just assume that, of course, you are willing? Do you blithely list your new year's resolutions as if simply writing them down makes them true and bound to happen?
Do something different this year. Pay attention to the things you say, the promises and resolutions you make. Find out what is behind them. Find out if you are willing to do the work you need to do in order to make your dreams and visions blossom into reality.
For a deeper exploration into truth try The School, an
online course in spiritual and personal development. The deadline for enrollment is fast approaching: January 8th, 2010. Enrollment will not be offered again until the
summer of 2010. Check back for the exact date.
Do you want to know more about achieving your goals and visions? Try Vision Coaching. We can easily work by phone, from the comfort of your own home.
Copyright 2010 The Clear and Simple Way, Judith Ann Parsons, MSW aka Indira. All Rights Reserved. May not be reproduced or printed by any means without written permission from the author. Write here for permission: theclearandsimpleway.
New Year Message, January 1, 2009
Although the world is facing great economic and environmental challenges today, the greater challenge is: will you align yourself with fear or with love? Will you expand your circle of love, or will you close that circle in fear and selfishness? Will you stay open to love, compassion, and wisdom? Will you connect with the trust in the heart or the fear in the mind?
Challenging times remind us that none of us is an island. Even the slant of the butterfly's wing reverberates and touches everything. What we think, do, and say ripples out like a wave to affect everything around us. As John Donne so eloquently wrote, "ask not for whom the bell tolls...it tolls for thee."
And so in these challenging times, the angels sing you a lullaby: a lullaby that is not meant to put you to sleep, but to wake you up; a lullaby of remembrance: remember your true nature. Remember your Oneness with every blade of grass, and so walk softly upon the earth. Remember your oneness with every human life, and so touch gently all the things of your life. Remember that as you judge, so shall you be judged, and so consider your judgments carefully. Allow the ocean of compassion and humility within you to expand and grow beyond the limits of ordinary thinking.
As you meet the challenges of your life with courage and faith, the light burns more and more brightly within your heart. This is the gift of challenging times.
Meditation 17
Devotions upon Emergent Occasions
"No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were. Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee..." \
donations are welcome
Angel Message 2008
Dearest One,
The angels lovingly remind you to turn to within to discover Truth and this must be as constant as waves upon the ocean, a continual turning within until there is no turning without.
The compassion of the angels reaches out to you constantly, like waves upon the ocean. Even when you cannot feel their presence, angels are with you.
The angels encourage you to discover what Truth really is. The world has been filled with many delusions these last years, delusions that have led to wars and darkness. Many of our trusted servants have not been trustworthy. The inconsistency of the outer world can teach you to turn within.
Within you is a great and wonderful genius - an inner wisdom. It is not here just for some; it is for everyone. You do not have to be enlightened, well-educated, rich, or famous to have access to this inner wisdom. It exists equally within all human beings. You must, however, take time to embrace it if you are to experience its equal embrace.
How do we embrace the divine intelligence within? There are many ways, many paths. Angels are not the path to God. Angels are simply messengers along the way. You, yourself, are the way. The teachers, teachings, and philosophies you encounter are also not the path, because the path is not outside you. It is not in someone else. It exists within you. It always has.
So take time to turn within. There are many ways to turn within. Discover the ways that work best for you.
We can turn within through meditation, contemplation, or prayer. We can breathe and watch our thoughts. We can get to know the mind. We can feel our own energy. We can learn to breathe through each emotion, thought, and feeling. When fear arises, we can bring ourrself back to breath. We can breathe through the fear. Fear is really just a small child, not the monster you take it to be. In your intelligent embrace, the fear can dissolve into love.
In meditation we learn to watch our thoughts and realize that see that they, too, are just little children - little children who are lost, clamoring for attention. As we stay still and breathe we develop discrimination. We learn to pay attention to thoughts that are helpful and uplifting, that help us through the amazing maze of life. We turn on the light of our intelligence and examine our thoughts. We learn not to pay attention to thoughts that bring us down, thoughts that are false and useless. We learn to use our intelligence. We learn to let go of what does not serve us. We learn to trust our own self!
Trusting yourself is a commodity more vital than gold. Your inner compass is within your own heart. Within you is an inner genius, an unending well of wisdom, courage, and vitality, a place of deep inner knowing also called intuition. Within you are all questions and the answers to those questions.
So this year, the angels gently suggest that your number ONE priority for 2008 be learning to trust yourself - and taking the steps that bring you closer to self-trust.
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