Adventures With Elaine #5

Hi Family and Friends,

One of my observations as I travel is the amount of stress we endure in any given day or week. I am only mentioning it because it seems to have become a way of life. There is currently a normalcy to having a day of stress; beginning with rush hour traffic, worrying about any variety of things we have no control over, running to appointments, work timelines/productivity goals, and ending with rush hour traffic!

All this stress is definitely pouring out onto our driving patterns. Having been on the highways for a couple of months now, I see road construction everywhere and I watch how we handle it. The highways signs will warn us that there is a 'reduced' speed limit ahead. It will come up in about 300 yards...75 mph to 65 mph and then to 55 mph and if there are construction workers 45 mph.

I have seen very few drivers make that 30 mph shift and for those who do, they are an impediment to all the cars lined up behind them driving inches from their bumper trying to bully them out of the way. This despite the fact, that road signs say, "Stay in your lane!" I don't know, but it seems we can't slow ourselves down!

Like most driver's I dread the b-zillion construction zones in the cities and on the highways. I am personally waiting for the
invention of cars where the police cannot take a picture of my license plate and send me a ticket in the mail! Surprise!! Or the ole speed trap where they drop the speed limit 10 miles for no apparent reason and then resume the original speed limit, a couple miles down the road. The external world is just plain stressful and slowing down to connect with our personal, internal world is vital.


I personally slowed down while in Denver where I spent a couple of wonderful weeks with my friends, Jean and George. We all worked on our unique jobs, but somehow the environment made for a very relaxing work day. For one thing, look at this office (to the right) I spent a few hours each day working in when I was not training. Not all of us have the luxury of sitting on a patio surrounded by a garden of wild flowers when we work, but curiously, I found I was more productive and just plain happier doing my work. Even Louis, their cat was pretty chilled out!

I thank you both, Jean and George, for the super, corner office, and for the wonderful company, conversations and laughs we had. I left Denver pretty relaxed, despite working on different projects, and headed for Albuquerque. I picked up my granddaughter, Shelby, from the ABQ airport and we headed straight for Sedona and Jerome, AZ.

I will share more about that part of my adventure in the next blog, but for now I am realizing I just don't have to rush! I hope you can find a way to slow down and enjoy the details of each day by being in the now! Don't let the current moment pass without embracing it; don't just have a past and a future... have a present by threading your now moments together with self-awareness and consciousness. I have found the gifts of awareness result in a total lack of boredom in my life... even if I am just sitting on a rock!!

When we are conscious of the present we recognize the need to open our hearts and minds as well as our mouths and express the things we perceive in ways that honor the unique gifts of all. It is in this present moment, we can find a common path together and celebrate the pebbles we each bring to the montage of life.

With Gratitude,

Elaine

Adventures With Elaine #4

Hi Family and Friends,

I just drove across Iowa and Nebraska for the 3rd time this year. I find both states far more beautiful than people acknowledge. The farm fields are so picturesque and I am a sucker for a 'golden field of wheat at sunset!

I just spent two great weeks with my youngest daughter, Allyson, and her family in Chicago. It was a mixture of mostly work and and play time  with my 5 year old granddaughter, Sophie, and my 1 1/2 year old grandson, Gavin.

Allyson and I do considerable work together and two of our major accomplishments were: she helped me create the formatting for my new web-site which will be called, Soul Echoes; and I helped her with the marketing of her new, Wisdom of Soul Trees oracle deck. Her deck is a beautiful compilation of 58 individual soul trees she has painted for people, 7 chakra cards and nine interpretation            cards. http://www.soul-trees.com/

I also made time for lunch with a new friend I met in South Africa, Lindsay, who was getting married in five days. I met her husband-to-be and we enjoyed a delightful time together. Also,
caught up with Jewel, a long time friend, whose friendship is so very comfortable and meaningful. One of the great 'smiles' of our friendship is when I first met her, I called her Crystal! She never corrected me and it was quite a long time before I realized her name was Jewel...which is just what she is, a jewel!

In between work, lunches and a few acupuncture appointments, Ally and I  made several visits to

Lake Michigan which showed us her many faces from calm, turquoise-colored water to steel gray white caps rolling in. We had a rain storm the likes of which I have not seen since moving to Santa Fe. The lightening show was beyond description and I could feel the thunder in my bones! Many mornings were misty or foggy, so I felt pleasantly drenched in water. I realized I totally miss the water in my life when I am in New Mexico. It has surprised me! I guess I took it for granted living in Michigan for most of my life, but not anymore!

Water is not to be taken for granted no matter where you live! Last year a small city in New Mexico ran out of water, as did several in California! Currently, four states in the southwest have only a 4 month water supply or less; and shockingly, none of them have a strategic plan for preserving / producing water. As I criss-cross this great Country of ours, I realize very few states have rivers and lakes that are pregnant and full.

Most show signs of drought and this scares me, not just for our children's generation, but even for our own. There is a fast-growing shortage of water and we need to care about that to the point that we hear our voices saying out loud, "I want a community / state plan for ensuring our water supply!!

This blog was not meant to be quite as serious as it gets sometimes, but I have to tell you my awareness and observation skills are becoming keener each day I am on the road. There are no walls to keep me from seeing what is happening in our Country, to our people and our communities. The situation with water is at the top of my list of concerns!

On the light side, I have experienced the kindness of the mid-westerners and I love this about the people in the middle of our country. They offer us some balance and stability. They are people close to the Earth, who  hold fast to their values. There is a steadiness here I don't experience in a lot of other places. This does not make anyone wrong or right, good or bad, it is just my experience.

Today, I am driving to Denver to do some trainings, there and in Boston. When the trainings are over, I (think) I will head for Pine Ridge, South Dakota, which is why this whole trip started on May 19th! I have learned quickly that many of my plans need an unplan!!

With Gratitude, Elaine

Adventures With Elaine #3

Hi Family and Friends,

I have been doing a lot of thinking these past couple of weeks on my road trip. Thinking about how hard it is to embrace freedom, unpredictability and the unknown.

I have wondered frequently why so many of us stay in the same place, doing the same things to the point of disinterest or boredom? Even when the bubble is broken or the cage lifted, why do we fly in the same space?

Freedom to be, to express myself, to be authentic as possible, to do what I want has always been a major priority in my life. I have talked about it a lot, but never seriously acted on it, until now. South Africa really unleashed that part of me and I am so grateful.

 I was in Michigan with family and in Philadelphia last week visiting with my oldest granddaughter, Shelby. We had some deep discussions about what matters to each of us. We both discovered in our own ways that a good portion of how we live our lives does not always support our personal freedom.   

Of course, to a certain degree compromise is necessary to be inter-dependent in a healthy way. But where do we draw the line in the sand which reflects our personal boundaries, desires, dreams, and uniqueness? Where is that place where the systems we belong to, study and work in, create a win/win for the system and for each of us? How do we make reciprocity the highest value in our relationships?

As I travel around the United States my observations of people, including myself, and how we live our lives is becoming keener. I am not liking what I am seeing and experiencing. A lot of things in the external environment govern our lives and we are so fatigued that too many of us are oblivious.This applies to all ages, even youth, whose time I am learning is far too prescribed.

In general, we are losing ourselves to busyness, and to the decisions others and systems make for us. In essence, we are losing our freedom to be who we are meant or choose to be. It is occurring in imperceptible bits and pieces.

As I sit in restaurants, or in my car at red lights, I see too many people on their cell phones, iPads, computers. We are so 'plugged' in that we are unplugging from ourselves. 

Do you know how many more problems we have to solve each day because other people can reach us instantly? Do you realize how cluttered our minds are right now, and how many emotional reactions we are experiencing as a result of this constant barrage of communication? Do you know how much time we spend driving to and from; running, running, running? Ours is a constant state of overwhelm accompanied by diminished sense of freedom to choose how we spend our time.

When I was in Bryn Mawr, PA, just outside of Philadelphia, I was stopped at a green light because a funeral procession was passing through the intersection. Cars, being held up next to and behind me, were blowing their horns! Yes, we had a green light but we were stopped for a funeral procession. I am not sure what it means when we don't have enough patience to allow a funeral procession to pass, but I know it is not a good sign!

One reason I decided to offer myself this road adventure was to experience a sense of freedom while embracing the unpredictable and the unknown. Curiously, what I have found is an unpredictable predictability caused by the entanglements of an intractable way of life; a way of life that does not allow you to not have a plan. It is in this place that we are hardly noticing our loss of freedom to choose, to be different, to go slower, etc. At the same time, I notice a growing fear of the unknown. These two seem to have formed a partnership, one reinforcing the other.

How about you? I urge you to reflect on this and examine how much freedom you have
and/or want to claim for yourself and those you love? How much fear are you carrying? What impact is it having on your life? Do you want to make any changes?

With Gratitude,
Elaine

Adventures With Elaine

Living from your Heart

Hi Family and Friends,

Driving from Colorado to Michigan gave me the opportunity to enJOY all the variations of Spring! From Cottonwood Trees turning chartreuse green in Fort Collins, to manicured farm fields in Iowa, to a crayon box of greens in Michigan.

Curiously the energy center of the heart, frequently referred to as the Heart Chakra, is represented by the color green. So, as nature comes into bloom it is a reminder for me to open my heart to life.One of the finest gifts I received in South Africa that is so clear to me right now was the opportunity to live each and every day from my heart. 

It is a very different experience then living from my mind. It made my daily life experiences softer, sweeter, and deeper. It quieted my 'mind chatter,' anxieties and worries, judgments and assumptions. It was so freeing, that I decided to consciously live from my heart when I returned to the United States. I am learning that is not an easy thing to do, because we are so mental in our approach to living in this Country.

Most of us are multi-taskers, which means we have to compartmentalize our thoughts and plans to cope with juggling numerous activities. We have a high need for predictability and control, and when those two things elude us, we become even more mental. Always thinking, thinking, thinking!

Over these last two weeks, I have already noticed how my mind wants to know my next steps, my next destination. It is programmed to have a 'plan!' I don't think there is anything wrong with that since it does limit the chaos in our lives. But, I also don't think we were meant to do it constantly. I think each of us has a part in us that wants to throw caution to the wind, and just see what happens. But, we deem it too risky, or time is insufficient or we are too busy.

It's been pretty easy to tell when I am living from my heart. There is a distinct absence of needing to plan, follow timelines, worry, control, manipulate, control, problem-solve, control, etc. I think you are sensing the control part at this point. Living in my heart is about giving up control; and, the irony is, I feel more in charge of myself than ever.

Since, I left Santa Fe on May 19th, I have changed my plans twice now and this coming week will see a third shift in plans. The radio show I am recording ten pod casts for was delayed a week, so I have spent extra special time with my oldest daughter and part of her family. Prior to that all my daughters gathered in Michigan over

Memorial weekend so I left Denver a few days earlier than I planned and joined them and their dad for a delightful re-union. There were many sweet, simple moments even though the main reason for coming together was to support their dad through some medical challenges.

I learned how balancing life's up and downs is so much easier when done in a circle of love and caring. I also learned how easy it is to change my plans when my heart makes the decision. During this time, I have kept up with my work commitments, but instead of being in charge of my life, I inserted these commitments with ease into what really matters most in my life right now. This is incredibly freeing and I invite you to try it.

Next week, I will be heading for Philadelphia which sort of came out of nowhere ... I look forward to the adventure! 

With Gratitude,

Elaine