The Flower Parade: A Visual Meditation

Today I would like to share a video I made over the weekend for my mom, who loves flowers.

I have started measuring time in flowers. All along, I hoped my mom would live long enough to see her flowers come up in the Spring, and many of the purple and white crocuses already have come and gone. Now the daffodils are in full bloom, and the lilac buds are getting bigger each day.

I recently showed my mom a photo I took of a tiny lilac bud to let her know they're on the way, and we talked about how lilacs are simply the best, most fragrant flowers of all (well, tied with orange blossoms and jasmines, in my opinion). My mom used to bring lilacs to my grandmother. The gift of lilacs is something she and her mom had shared for as long as I can remember. I long to clip some lilacs from the bush in our front yard and bring them to my mom so their fragrance will fill the house and lift her spirits.

Lilac time is the next milestone I hope she will be able to experience once more. Then again, she loves her roses, too. But we'll take it one flower at a time and not get ahead of ourselves, for each should be savored.

I love it when the light shines through!

I originally had intended to make this the first video for which I partnered with a talented local musician who produces shimmering, relaxing ambient music. However, during production, I realized I had to use a version of Pachelbel's Canon in D from my mom's CD collection. I think she convinced both my sister and me to have it as the processional song in our weddings, and she also wants it to be played as people arrive for her funeral service. So there was no question in my mind that my flower images needed to be paired with Pachelbel and to save the partnership debut for the next video!

It's a very relaxing video, and I hope you will enjoy it.


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The photographs in this blog and in my Flickr photostream are available for purchase as prints or cards through my Etsy shop by selecting a "custom print" in whatever size you prefer and indicating either the name of the print or the blog post and order in which it appears. 

© Susan Meyer and River Bliss Photography, 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material, including all text and photos, without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Susan Meyer and River Bliss Photography (www.riverblissed.blogspot.com) with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

A Journey of Music and Literature

I've been sharing some really personal stuff lately on this blog, and I want to be clear about my intentions - not because anyone has inquired but because I feel the need to do so. Sharing my experience with my mom's illness is not something I do out of narcissism. I'm not trying to set myself apart from anyone else who has made this journey. Nor do I seek attention or praise, although I do hope that writing fearlessly from my heart may be comforting or helpful to others - perhaps even my own family members. In the words of author, Elizabeth Gilbert, it seems to be what "Love is calling forth" from me now. Some insist it takes courage to share such a personal journey, but you know what? Some people are fearful of revealing details of their personal lives or innermost thoughts. Others fear change or speaking in public. There are countless, diverse fears that plague humanity, and I think when we take risks in the direction of authenticity, we help others to push past their own boundaries and barriers. It is a way to build bridges, heal, connect. Several times in the past week or so, a voice has arisen and commanded: "Write!!" Each time, my eyes widened in surprise, and I nodded and responded, "Okay!" I almost felt pushed in the direction of my laptop. So I write, not knowing why - only that I must and that it feels right to share the parts that don't violate the privacy of others. I thank you for coming along for the ride.

It feels as if I'm in a sacred and tender place, and I still wish I could retreat to a cabin in the woods for a while and distance myself from many of my responsibilities. People often say it's good to keep busy during times like this, to keep your mind occupied. They say having a routine to escape into is a blessing, for it makes everything else go away for a little while. But that is not true for me. I have a need to dive in and experience it fully, much like when I refused to take pain meds during childbirth. I wanted to be fully present to the miracle of a new universe (two, actually) being born through me and to experience it as intimately and completely as possible. I did not want to medicate the experience in order to dull the pain! I wanted to experience my own power and learn to surrender to the intense, raging contractions. And I'm not saying my way is ultimately any better than "taking the drugs." It's just my way; it's what I needed to do. And I think it was good training.

Each person in my orbit seems to be dealing with my mom's illness differently, in his or her own manner and rhythm. It feels strange and frustrating to brush up against the edges of another person's fears, preconceptions, and limits. When I was kayaking on the calm river yesterday evening, I was completely alone except for some geese beating their wings against the surface of the river (a sound I love) and the first beavers I have seen this year. Although the beavers seemed less territorial than usual as I glided past, I was impressed by the power of the two tail slaps I witnessed. They spoke to me of clear boundaries and respecting the boundaries of others. I have to keep centering myself in love and compassion so I can honor and respect each person's unique journey - and to remember that, even if we have different opinions about how to proceed, we are all united by our love for my mom. 

Maybe all my responsibilities keep me grounded, but I don't want gravity to keep my feet on the ground! I feel so supported by extraordinary energy that I sense most clearly when I am in nature, in the place between sleep and wakefulness, when I feel sad, and when I am alone and quiet. I have been craving solitude so I can perceive this energy more strongly and put this earthly experience into a larger context. I want to float.

Some people close to me have trouble knowing what to do or say. I especially appreciate the music people send my way. In general, music, art, and nature have more of an impression on me than logic and rational thought, or even words in general. But that's just me. I honor the truths that sustain the lives of others. Some people need religion like plants need sunlight. Some need spirituality. Some need neither. It's all fine to me. It's hard - and would seem foolish - to argue with a painting or a symphony. Words are trickier, more jagged. But when someone offers me a scripture, for example, I accept it as a gift, even if it's from a source from which I don't tend to seek guidance, inspiration, or comfort. It does not matter how the religious context of the words relates to my beliefs (which are constantly expanding). When words are offered in the spirit of love, they become vessels of love.

Our fears, religious/spiritual beliefs, the way we grieve and give birth - along with myriad other aspects of the human condition - are so personal and diverse and deserve to be honored. That being said, in addition to listening to music, I have been doing more reading than usual, almost exclusively from what I call the "near-death" genre. In chronological order, I have read:

• Final Gifts: Understanding the Special Awareness, Needs, and Communications of the Dying by hospice nurses Maggie Callanan and Patricia Kelley
• Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Afterlife by Eben Alexander, M.D.
• Dying to Be Me: My Journey from Cancer, to Near Death, to True Healing by Anita Moorjani
• The Afterlife of Billy Fingers: How My Bad-Boy Brother Proved to Me There's Life After Death by Annie Kagan

Each of these books has been a most illuminating companion on this journey, and I recommend each one enthusiastically if you are receptive to ideas and experiences beyond the ordinary. (Interested skeptics might want to begin with Proof of Heaven.) Each book resonates strongly with my own impressions and experiences, fills me with hope, and has brought tears of joy to my eyes by placing the human experience within a much larger perspective. Each of the books emphasizes that unconditional love is at the heart of the universe, which is something I find easy to believe perhaps because I was raised by such gentle, loving parents.

I have been strongly in touch with music since my mom's diagnosis and would like to share some of the music that I have found particularly significant and uplifting in recent weeks. The first two classical pieces feel celestial and divinely inspired and were mentioned specifically in The Afterlife of Billy Fingers as hints of sound experiences in other realms.

The first one is the finale of Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 8 in E flat (Chorus Mysticus) depicting the closing scene of Goethe's Faust epic, when Faust is welcomed into heaven. (I find the visuals of the "conductor" highly distracting and suggest closing your eyes once that part begins and letting the music fill you.)


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The following tone poem, The Swan of Tuonela, composed by Jean Sibelius provides another hint of "cosmic sound," as described by Billy Fingers.


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And then there are some more contemporary songs friends have sent my way that contribute to the soundtrack of this leg of the journey:


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Blogger is not allowing me to post more than four YouTube videos, but HERE is a link to another song that really grabbed me: "Let Her Go" by Passenger.

I'm sure there will be much more music as the path ahead unfolds. And art. And nature. And floating, I hope.

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The photographs in this blog and in my Flickr photostream are available for purchase as prints or cards through my Etsy shop by selecting a "custom print" in whatever size you prefer and indicating either the name of the print or the blog post and order in which it appears. 

© Susan Meyer and River Bliss Photography, 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material, including all text and photos, without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Susan Meyer and River Bliss Photography (www.riverblissed.blogspot.com) with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Reawakening Gratitude

It happens every now and then: The scale tips in the direction of overwhelm and exhaustion, and I forget what I know. Such is the human condition.

Recently, I had such a day. I felt overwhelmed by all that's on my plate. Hemmed in by the choices I have made in life. I wondered if I ever might break free from it all and start anew. Surely, it's never too late to try something new, right? I know you cannot buy happiness and that happiness is not to be found elsewhere. Not in Colorado or India or Australia or anywhere else. Although a sunny, blue canvas might be more motivating for some people, ultimately happiness is an attitude, a manner of journeying through life. It is within us and does not exist apart from us. Spiritually speaking, we are never without that which we believe we lack.

I know this.

But some days, I feel bad for what I don't have, especially for not having the means to start over again and do what I want to do instead of what I feel obligated to do. Most of all, I wish I could disappear into the woods for six months, for the forest doesn't ask anything of me. Or even a month. I wish desperately that I could have a few weeks with my parents at this sensitive, sacred juncture without the demands of work that seem to multiply from year to year and are especially intense at this time of year as we sprint to the finish line of yet another school year. But our household relies on my income, and going without a paycheck as I approach two months of unpaid summer vacation seems especially unwise.

I was feeling powerless and overwhelmed. Feeling that something's got to give. Some of this crushing responsibility has got to be lifted. I saw no end in sight to the demands and monotony - for I had been shortchanging my sleep, which invariably impairs my vision.

So, despite everything I needed to attend to, I took a two-hour walk in the woods, where I fell under the spell of moss, lichen, and ferns and was comforted by the tender green resurgence of life in springtime and the rhythm of birdsong.

Being in the woods helped, but it wasn't long before the effect wore off. Something similar happens when I float in my kayak on the river. It's as if the heaviness of worldly concerns lifts from me like mist rises from the river in the morning. I am left weightless, without a care, attuned to the energy of nature that reconnects me with my center, which feels like the center of the universe. All is well. When I step back on shore, the gravity of the human drama returns gradually, although the experience on the river allows me to put the heaviness in perspective. Even when I'm not tuned to the bliss channel, I know it exists.

Then, last night I had a dream. In the dream, someone asked me if I had heard the news about the tragic events unfolding in Chechnya. I saw a news report on a large screen, and then I was transported to another place - a sunny, mountainous location in front of a large hotel. My husband and I were talking with a woman who was traveling in an RV and was going to stay in the nice hotel. We couldn't afford the hotel and had to stay in our RV. Then we drove along, and I found myself in Chechnya. At first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The neighborhoods looked like ordinary neighborhoods. Then I was in a group of people running on the sidewalks then stopping and being totally quiet, trying not to be noticed. A man leading a group of children a few blocks away came running and shouting in our direction, alerting everyone to the danger that chased them. People could be shot on the spot. Running, stopping, huddling, repeating - we walked breathlessly past police officers that we knew could not be trusted and tried to remain as unnoticed as possible. We knew that voicing any complaints or disagreement was especially dangerous. This was hell. In the dream, I realized how privileged I am in my waking life and that anyone in the dream setting would be so thankful for even the smallest kindness or comfort because there was none of that there. I awakened from the dream feeling tremendous gratitude.

What a reality check!

The bottom line is: If you are healthy and have food on your table, you already are much more fortunate than so many people in this world, who would give just about anything to have those things. 

While waiting in line at the grocery store, I thought about how blessed I am to be able to go to a store and buy food for my family. It truly is a privilege. The same is true with dishes. Rather than get irked about having to do the dishes, be grateful that you have dishes to do because it means you have food to eat. It feels a lot better to walk around filled with gratitude for the little things that we so often take for granted than to complain about what you don't have or how things aren't going the way you want them to go. To remember how blessed you are and that - while there may be things you feel are lacking in your life - so many people would give anything to be in your shoes.

My parents and I have been having some difficult conversations lately as we explore care options for my mom. My dad lamented that we waited too long for my mom's recheck after a spot (that was biopsied and determined to be benign) was discovered on her pancreas a year ago. What if she could have begun treatment back then? Perhaps that would have made a difference. Or, I countered, perhaps she would have undergone aggressive chemo all summer and not been able to enjoy going to orchestra and ballet performances nearly every night. Perhaps she would not have had the energy to practice guitar and build her repertoire, or the confidence to perform at open mic nights. My mom lived so fully last summer, and we were all in awe of her. Her energy was astonishing and inspiring. Let us be grateful for what we have had the privilege to experience with her and not burden ourselves with regret - for we don't know for certain what experiences the "road not taken" would have set before us. Nor do we know what grace is in store for us on the path we have chosen.

Similarly, let us have compassion for ourselves and not shame or pressure ourselves if the life we are living right now seems deficient in some way. Even if we feel we are here in this world to do more, why not release into the moment and feel good about having done our best each step of the way? Appreciating today does not preclude having ambition and preparing for tomorrow. Why not be more fully present to the work we are doing right now, every moment, rather than complicate and burden our lives by berating ourselves for making mistakes (which is inevitable) or falling short? Let us feel good about who we are and what we do instead of bad about what we feel we are supposed to be or accomplish. Although regret might be a station along the way that serves a purpose, let us not rest there for too long and risk missing the opportunities of today, believing they never visited us in the first place.

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The photographs in this blog and in my Flickr photostream are available for purchase as prints or cards through my Etsy shop by selecting a "custom print" in whatever size you prefer and indicating either the name of the print or the blog post and order in which it appears. 

© Susan Meyer and River Bliss Photography, 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material, including all text and photos, without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Susan Meyer and River Bliss Photography (www.riverblissed.blogspot.com) with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

The Continuing Saga of Spring

It is school vacation week, and I had promised to take my son to Ithaca for an overnight. We planned our trip around the weather and decided to go on Monday because it looked like it would be the warmest day of the week. As we drove along, I noticed the trees budding more and more. It looked like a fairyland! By the time we arrived in Ithaca, it felt like summer! After stopping for lunch, we retreated to Ithaca Falls with our cameras. Although Ithaca Falls seems most vibrant during warmer months when there are leaves on the trees, I enjoy photographing it during Spring because more of the waterfall is visible from a distance and not concealed by foliage. 

We wore shorts and t-shirts and were grateful for the breeze that offered some relief from the nearly 80° heat. Daffodils and crocuses were in full bloom. It was summer for a day, and I found it very hard to belief the weather forecast, which called for snow the next day!

We didn't have an easy view of the sky from our hotel window that night, and I ended up sleeping through the "blood moon" lunar eclipse - although I dreamed that all the planets in the solar system were in perfect alignment on either side of the sun. It felt like a good thing.

By morning, it was raining hard, and the temperature had dropped, so we were on our way home by noon. By the time we got back home, the temperature had plunged further. I dropped my son off at a friend's house for the evening, and when I went out to pick him up a little after 9:00 pm, it was snowing horizontally so hard that it was like driving through a wide tunnel of white fireworks bombarding the windshield continuously. I could barely see the road at all. When I rolled down my window for a better view, I heard a chorus of spring peepers. The contrast was surreal!

In the morning, I woke up to a clear blue sky and a yard covered lightly with snow. Although we do not welcome snow at this time of year, it was astonishingly beautiful! Before our winter snow had melted, I longed to photograph a purple crocus pushing through the snow. Desperate for signs of spring, I dug holes in the snow on a couple occasions to try to find such colorful evidence - but to no avail. This morning was a little different; instead of Spring pushing through Winter, Winter had covered Spring. But still, I headed out expecting to be dazzled. 

Here is the sight that greeted me in our yard...

Notice the budding treetops!

My eyes are drawn to the daylily shoots in this photo:

 In the park, the labyrinth path was embossed with snow.

Winter may have covered Spring, but Spring made quick work of melting Winter!

It was hard to believe we were in t-shirts and shorts two days ago!

Back in our yard, daylily shoots were sprouting up everywhere, completely unfazed! 

As I wandered through the yard, the sky was a deep shade of blue, and the sun felt so warm. I thought of Colorado, where my husband and I are thinking of moving. Is this what a Colorado winter feels like - snowy, sunny, and warm?

What I find appealing about these images is that Spring so clearly is in charge now! By noon, the daylilies and budding trees already had laughed off the snow, which is now helping to green the grass and awaken all sorts of plants and flowers.

This is not 1816 ("the year without a summer"). No siree! This morning, Spring established its dominance!

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The photographs in this blog and in my Flickr photostream are available for purchase as prints or cards through my Etsy shop by selecting a "custom print" in whatever size you prefer and indicating either the name of the print or the blog post and order in which it appears. 

© Susan Meyer and River Bliss Photography, 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material, including all text and photos, without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Susan Meyer and River Bliss Photography (www.riverblissed.blogspot.com) with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

In Two Different Worlds

This evening, I drove home from my parents' house with their health situations on my mind. My mom spent a week in the hospital and was discharged a few days ago. She is home recovering from the latest onslaught in her struggle with advanced stage cancer. Today my dad experienced a health scare that sent him to Urgent Care but fortunately did not result in hospitalization. Life is quite intense at this time, and as I drove home I contemplated what I can do to help my parents, who are not good about asking for or accepting help.

Then I noticed the moon rising in the baby blue sky just above mustard toned willow trees. The sight was absolutely breathtaking. In my rear view mirror, I saw the golden-tangerine glow of the large, low sun sinking behind a patch of trees. I was so moved by the beauty surrounding me as the sun and moon simultaneously illuminated the sky with contrasting color and light. It seemed as though the setting sun was casting a golden glow against the eastern sky where the moon was rising, saturating the blue of the sky and the golden-yellow of the willows even more. It was the magic moment of the day, and I was caught in between the sun and the moon, completely in awe.

Finally, I couldn't take it any longer. I had to stop and photograph the landscape. I pulled over in front of a farm and pointed my camera to the west to capture this image

then turned around to shoot the soft tones of the moonrise.

I wish I could have captured the moon hovering just above a willow tree. But perhaps you can use your imagination.

My heart overflowed with joy, gratitude, and awe. I arrived home with tears in my eyes for the beauty of this world we inhabit, despite all the suffering.

The past year, since my dad's brush with death, has been a rough one. And now he is caring for my mom. My parents are such kind, loving people who don't want to inconvenience anyone or cause any suffering. They don't want to burden their children with their health issues. While I care for and love my parents deeply and feel anguished by their suffering, I wish they could know there is another side to all this that I am in touch with every day - as a result of all this - and that gives me strength. I wish they could realize that I am being pushed to grow in the most amazing ways and am being liberated from many ways in which I used to bring suffering upon myself. I am learning that it is possible to grieve personal losses while giving thanks for spiritual blessings and keeping a joyful heart.

Lately, I have been experiencing life on two different dimensions, as if I am walking with each foot in a different world. On the personal level, there is great sadness that my mom's life has taken this cruel, abrupt turn. On the spiritual level, I realize that everything is unfolding as part of a greater plan and that those we love never leave us. That spiritual gifts sometimes come disguised as great challenges.

Writing about being aware (during her near-death experience) of the sense of urgency her brother felt about getting to the hospital in time to say goodbye, author Anita Moorjani explained:

"I recall knowing that I didn't want my physical body to be dead before he arrived. I was aware of how that would make him feel, and I didn't want him to go through that. But yet again, as my affection for my brother started to take over and I was becoming overwhelmed with not wanting him to experience the pain of his little sister dying, I found myself being simultaneously drawn away. Each time my emotions took over the situation, I discovered myself starting to expand again, and I felt a release from all attachment. Once more, I was surrounded by the reassuring feeling of a greater tapestry unfolding, where everything was exactly as it should be in the grand scheme of things." (Dying to Be Me, p. 64)

This is exactly what I have been experiencing as I accompany my parents through this chapter with a foot in each world. When I feel myself fixating on the level of personality and feeling deep sadness for their suffering and our personal losses, I am pulled into an expanded awareness in which I realize there is so much more to the picture than we can perceive through these dense bodies we inhabit. And I feel so much love coming through. One of my mom's friends told me that many people are praying for my family's peace and comfort, and I wonder if I am experiencing the power of their prayers.

I wish I could bottle this awareness and give it to my parents and anyone else who is suffering. The closest I can come is sharing the images that transport me and expand my awareness and the feelings and words attached to them (although words are often insufficient), hoping that some of the awe, awareness, and healing energy will come through.

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The photographs in this blog and in my Flickr photostream are available for purchase as prints or cards through my Etsy shop by selecting a "custom print" in whatever size you prefer and indicating either the name of the print or the blog post and order in which it appears. 

© Susan Meyer and River Bliss Photography, 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material, including all text and photos, without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Susan Meyer and River Bliss Photography (www.riverblissed.blogspot.com) with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

It Happens Every Year

It happens every year, no matter how intensely Winter embraces us. Eventually Winter loosens its grip, and the first signs of Spring push through. At first it looks as if Winter has devastated our yards and landscapes, leaving everything brown, brittle, and dead. Then, the next thing you know, the rain convinces the grass to green overnight, and life bursts forth, green and tender.

Yesterday was the first genuine Spring day in my world. Smiles returned to people's faces, and we bared our pale limbs to feel the the sun's warmth and receive our first dose of vitamin D. This day was a long time coming, but finally, it has arrived and was well worth waiting for!

Friday night, we heard the spring peepers for the first time. Yesterday morning, I awoke to the sound of a black fly hitting against the window blinds above the bed. While walking the labyrinth later that morning for the first time this year, I discovered the first flower: a purple crocus!

On closer inspection, I noticed a bee hard at work.

As an afterthought, I wished I'd taken some video of the bee pollinating the flower with the sound of birdsong all around - the sound of the world waking up!

Forests of daffodil shoots sprouted up everywhere.

Blackbirds perched loudly in budding trees.

We saw about a dozen painted turtles basking on logs

 ...although not far upstream the surface of the water remained covered with patches of ice - a scene that revealed three seasons: Winter's ice, Autumn's fallen leaves, and the reflection of Spring trees.

In our yard, scallions and lilies seemed to grow a little more each hour.

In the evening, the nearly full moon rose into the trees with budding branches silhouetted against it, and the chorus of peepers began again.

Although the river is rather high, and the current is strong as I write, I already have taken my kayak on the river once - a week ago today. A few days earlier, I never would have imagined this would be possible.

For a while, we were in a holding pattern between Winter and Spring, but Spring can spring suddenly, even after the worst of Winters! My purpose for writing this post is to remember this. Next year, when Winter feels endless and Spring seems so far away, I can remember how quickly it happens. And how alive I felt walking along a favorite trail, filled with awe and gratitude for Spring bringing everything back to life. It almost makes you forgive and forget how long and frigid Winter was.

Almost, but not quite.

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The photographs in this blog and in my Flickr photostream are available for purchase as prints or cards through my Etsy shop by selecting a "custom print" in whatever size you prefer and indicating either the name of the print or the blog post and order in which it appears. 

© Susan Meyer and River Bliss Photography, 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material, including all text and photos, without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Susan Meyer and River Bliss Photography (www.riverblissed.blogspot.com) with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

I Am Love (and So Are You)

I imagine you've heard the proverb, "When the student is ready, the teacher will appear." For the past week or so, my teacher has been Anita Moorjani's book, Dying to Be Me (Hay House, 2012) - which I finally got around to reading! This is an inspirational memoir written by a woman who was dying of end-stage lymphoma, had a near-death experience (NDE), and returned to her body knowing for certain that her cancer would be healed completely. It is an amazing, profoundly inspiring account. As miraculous as the medical piece is, what impresses me most is the way her life changed as a result of what she experienced during her NDE.

I was intrigued by the author's descriptions of how her NDE transformed the way she perceived and lived her life because so much of what she had to say described with surprising accuracy the way I have come to perceive and relate to the world. However, there is one major difference. Right before deciding to return to her body, she was guided to go back and live her life fearlessly. And she did. Eliminating fear transformed her life completely, and I realize this is precisely what has been holding me back. (You, too, perhaps?) The rest of this post is a reflection I wrote when I was midway through the book and inspired deeply by the author's revelation that love is the nature of the entire universe and our true essence, as well. Since so much synchronicity occurred as I read and reflected on this book, it feels right to share my reflections. (There is something very powerful and magical about this book!) So here goes...

I spent decades believing it was of the utmost importance to figure out what kind of work I should do - meaning what kind of paid job I should devote my life to. I felt this was predestined, and if I did not figure it out correctly, then my life would be wasted; I would have failed, and I would be held accountable in the end. (I had a tendency to put a lot of pressure on myself.) I believed there was one thing I was meant to do, it was my Life's Purpose, and it was so important to discern it and to have the discipline to see it through. But I'm realizing now that what's most important isn't what I do but what I am.

I am love, and so are you.

If I am love, it doesn't matter what I do. What I do becomes an expression of who I am. I suspect that many situations can be transformed from the inside out if we stop focusing on outcomes and accomplishments and allow the love that we are to flow through us. It is a choice to cut off the flow, whether or not we are aware that we are doing so. We can align ourselves with any situation by surrendering to the flow and allowing our essence - love - to be expressed in the world. Not our ego desires, but our true essence. When love comes through, miracles happen.

And yet, there are times when it seems love seeks new expression. There may be another way in which our essence can manifest more fully through our work and actions in the world. Too much thinking can get in the way of allowing this to happen. Imprisoned by fear, our minds generate countless reasons to stay where we are and not risk change. I think of the great blue herons I observe on the riverbank. They know when to move on to a new spot - when conditions are no longer favorable and other spots offer greater possibilities.

Imagine a heron too afraid to move to a new spot along the river when the food supply at its current location is insufficient, or a predator or other threat encroaches its space, or it is time to migrate to a warmer climate. How absurd! The heron knows instinctively what it needs to survive and takes swift action. Not bogged down by the human mind's compulsion to process the situation in detail, it moves with the flow of life, lifting into the air and following its instincts to a new spot.

"When we try to move with this flow rather than adhere dogmatically to the doctrines of others or the beliefs we once had that no longer serve us, we more accurately reflect who and what we truly are." -Anita Moorjani (Dying to Be Me, p. 154)

I think of my true essence (or "infinite self" as Moorjani sometimes calls it) as a heron that discerns when conditions have shifted enough to inhibit its fullest expression. I have spent a lot of time observing herons and can tell when they begin to feel uneasy and are about to rise into the air and squawk en route to a new spot. I recognize that unease and restlessness in me and realize that what is different between the heron and me is a mind fettered by fear.

Moorjani explains:

"The mind is more about doing, and the soul is more about being... The intellect is just a tool for navigating through this life...while the soul only wants to express itself." (Dying to Be Me, p. 146)

She continues:

"I have discovered that to determine whether my actions stem from 'doing' or 'being,' I only need to look at the emotion behind my everyday decisions. Is it fear, or is it passion? If everything I do each day is driven by passion and a zest for living, then I'm 'being,' but if my actions are a result of fear, then I'm in 'doing' mode." (Dying to Be Me, p. 147)

I have spent countless hours on the river searching for definitive answers about what to do in matters large and small. Once, the river told me to write, so I did. The little voice within tells me to keep writing, so I am. I think the path of the infinite self unfolds when we find our center and do what we feel drawn to do from that centered awareness - when we are still enough to hear it speak. I am beginning to recognize the voice of my infinite self that arises when I am not immersed in thought and urges me to take a certain action. It's like a little nudge. Make this phone call. Read this book. Message this person. Pause for a bit. Plan an exhibit. It has a different quality to it than my thinking mind - like the difference between intuition and thought - and when I follow it, I feel more alive. It feels right. It's different than checking off items on a to-do list.

It seems to me that the path unfolds when we stop allowing fear to hold us back and do what we feel drawn to do each step of the way because we realize how precious our time is and that we help the world to evolve by allowing our essence to be expressed as magnificently and completely as possible. (A major theme of Moorjani's message is to remember our "magnificence.") I truly believe that when we follow and express our true essence - love - the universe responds and supports us. But first, we must stop clinging to the alligator we have mistaken for a safe and stable rock and surrender to the flow of the love that we are.

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