Remembering a Spiritual Hero

It is with a bit of a heavy heart that I write to you today. One of my favorite spiritual teachers, and one who has had the most impact in my life, has passed on. Here are a few things I remember about Wayne Dyer:

• He always said that being sad did not help, that we are all connected and share the same energy so feeling sad does not help those who are suffering. In this spirit, today I am trying today to only think about the good life he had and all the millions of people who were also inspired and transformed by his teachings
• When I interviewed him a few years ago he spent time during the interview asking me about my children, how old they were, what their names were.  He did not appear to be rushed or in a hurry to get on with the rest of his day, he was fully present, honest, loving and caring and I was very touched by this.
• He often spoke of the importance of our imagination and feeling the feelings of what we desired before they manifested, indeed to help them manifest in our life.  

So today I am focusing on feeling gratitude. Gratitude for his presence, his guidance and the example that he set for so many.

He is said to have died of a heart attack but the coroner also mentioned that he had no cancer in his body. This is very interesting as he was diagnosed with a incurable leukemia (Chronic lymphocytic leukemia) several years ago. 

Wayne was a great example someone who walked the talk and in his honor I will continue to celebrate and share with others the great things he left us all (for example his over 30 books, several movies, guided meditations) so that his teachings can continue to live on and inspire generations to come!

I think one of his most important messages for us all is to not dye with your music still in you.  I am happy to say that Wayne played his music for all of us to hear, he pursued his passions and lived what I would call an inspired and purposeful life.  Many blessings to you dear Wayne and thank you for being an amazing teacher!

Sending much love to his family and to you all today.
Jackie
 

A live, furry example of unconditional love!

I am currently dog sitting and have not had a dog of my own since I was about 12 years old. Today I was outside painting and decided to let Daisy, the oh so cute Wheaten Terrier, sit out front with me. She sat calming looking at the people passing by and when anyone stopped to pet her she showed her appreciation with a big tail wag and lots of love.  Everyone would smile and, I am convinced, continue on their way feeling a little bit uplifted.

It occurred to me that she was actually giving people a short zoo-therapy session. She was warmly greeting everyone, no matter their size, sex, race or what they were wearing. What a great example of unconditional love and it comes so naturally to her.  Hence my conclusion that it likely comes very naturally to humans too, all we have to do is remember.  Remember to let go of judgements and open our hearts!

I always find that the more love I give in a day the more I get back and the better I feel. So my challenge for you is to ask yourself 'how can I give more love to those around me (including our furry friends) everyday!

Let me know on my Facebook page!
Much love,
Jackie

Perfect Imperfections

Last time I talked about letting go and surrendering as a way to position yourself to receive the guidance and answers you may need to move forward or overcome a difficult challenge.  Today I want to introduce the notion of perfect imperfections.  I often hear parents talking about their children and how they wish they would be…. more outgoing, more motivated, more confident etc.   Or people often wish that their spouse or siblings were more supportive or more like how they think they should be.  Well I love transferring the notion of complete acceptance to relationships.  Especially in the case of children, acceptance of a child just as they are is one of the greatest gifts a parent can give.
 
You may be thinking, yes but what if they really are lazy or rude, how can I support that behaviour? Well the idea of perfect imperfections means that whatever someone is challenged with (it may be a lack of confidence or motivation in the case of the child or frustration and anger in the case of the parent) is exactly what they need in their life at that moment to help them grow and evolve. If a parent needs to become more patient, the Universe will give them situations where they can practice patience!  That is why the people who drive us crazy can also be our greatest teachers if we are open to, and focus on, the lesson and not on changing the person. 
 
So in this example, the child may be need to learn to communicate their fears or lack of confidence.  Maybe the issue is not that they are lazy but they don’t know where to turn or what to do next.  For the parents, the learning may be around acceptance, patience and creating an environment where the child feels free to speak their truth without being judged. 
 
Whatever the issue may be, try planting the seed that what you see as an imperfection in someone may ignite in you just what you need to work on (ex. being more compassionate or patient instead of angry).  Also, completely accepting someone as they are may allow them to drop their need to defend themselves and instead help them shift to exploring what their real or underlying issue may be. 
 
So I invite you to pick a situation in your life and see if you can see someone else’s perfect imperfections in a new way and practice the idea of total acceptance – you may just find that is works like magic!

Jackie